Matters of the Heart

One of my friends recently recommended reading Danielle Steel's Matters of the Heart. She claimed that it was the best Steel book she had ever read. According to her it was a page turner, suspenseful, and a novel she couldn't stop reading even on her honeymoon this past June. With that kind of acclaim I had to give the book a shot.

Taking my friend's word, I began to read the book on an early flight out of Vancouver. I did manage to finish the book yesterday though I read the majority during my flights.

I must admit that at first I was a bit skeptical of this novel. I am an avid reader of Steel but I find her work repetitive. How many times does she have to reword the same sentence, allude to certain plot twists, or repeatedly mention a character's wealth? To me a Steel book has always been a source of cheap entertainment. Her work can be engaging, fun, and romantic... but it is not a ground shattering, award-winning piece of fiction by any means.

Matters of the Heart did live up to my friends praises. Steel expertly creates a love story between an isolated, but intelligent and well-balanced, woman and a sociopathic man. She illustrates the traumas of being in a physically and psychologically abusive relationship. Her descriptions are vivid, intense, and original. And, most importantly, she creates a fast paced and non-repetitive tale. This book manages to escape the downfall of many Steel novels, that being repetitive descriptions and dialogue.

Interestingly, the sociopathic man in Steel's work is portrayed as an acclaimed writer. Steel links the man's unbalanced behaviour to his writing by stating "it was why he wrote the books he did, all those dark characters lived in his head, and were different sides of him, the ones that didn't show" (Steel, p 275).

This reminded me of our previous discussion on how a library relates to one's personality.
Just how personal is a work of fiction?

Having written a little bit of fiction myself, I do believe that writing style and theme are more intricately connected to someone's personality than the books they store on a shelf. Writing comes from within a person and is a direct expression of their thoughts, censored or uncensored.

But even the notion that what someone writes reflects their own character is troublesome. Does that mean Steel is prone to affairs or Stephen King has murderous tendencies? The psychology behind writing is an interesting topic that I would like to explore.

Overall, Steel's novel is enthralling. Though a significantly darker tale, Steel maintains her tradition of captivating the audience and producing a quick read despite its many pages. I would recommend Matters of the Heart to those who are already familiar with Steel's work... and those, who like me, had become tired of her repetitive writing style.

Pink Think

How was Eastern America? Amazing. Great. It went by far too fast and by the end of my stay I really didn't want to leave. After 7 hours of flying westward I'm once again surrounded by BC's mountains and the pacific shoreline... and a fairly decent amount of August readings.

Lynn Peril's Pink Think: Becoming a Woman in Many Uneasy Lessons marks the end of my just-over-a-week hiatus from CTR.

Peril writes a compelling analysis of how the colour pink has been historically linked to notions of femininity. It is argued that pink think, defined as a "set of ideas and attitudes about what constitutes proper female behaviour; a groupthink that was consciously or not adhered to by advice writers, manufacturers of toys and other consumer products," has been in existence since the 20th century (Peril 6). Pink think suggests that women should be utmost concerned with fashion, beauty, marriage, and procreation.

Peril does an adequate job in illustrating the prevalence of pink think during the 1940s to the late 1960s. She describes the differences in children's toys (fire trucks for boys, dolls and dating games for girls), college education (academics for males, home economics for females), the differing perceptions of unmarried men and women, and the notion that men enter the work force to support a family while women begin working in order to find a husband. She illustrates western consumerism's preoccupation with pink in advertisements of female products. And she stresses that females are socialized at a young age to be timid and subservient to males.

At the end of her work Peril suggests that pink think is still prevalent in our society... children's toys continue to be highly divided by gender stereotypes, women's magazines continue to stress the importance of cosmetics, fashion, and body image for attracting a mate.

Much of what Peril discusses is similar to Valenti's He's a Stud, She's a Slut (previously reviewed) only in a more historical context. Though I am a self-professed lover of history and gender studies, I recommend reading Valenti's version. Valenti portrays similar information in a much more engaging and entertaining fashion.

While I was reading Peril's work I did begin to wonder just how strong the association between the colour pink and women's products are today. Peril's work contains excerpts of old 1900s advertisements to illustrate her point... so I went out to search through my own belongings to see just how prevalent pink is... I believed my obsession with the colour purple would make a dominance of the colour pink near impossible.

A first glance at my possessions proved my assumption correct... if only for a short time. I really have nothing, save a Maid of Honour dress, that screams of pink. But then I looked more closely. Many pink book spines shouted out from my book collection... pink CD covers for female pop musicians stood out violently against the typical black and white album artwork. The text on my romantic comedy DVD cases were bright bright pink. My collection of Sex and the City seasons 1-6 DVDs? Yes, those are bright pink, too. My Mini Mouse key chain is even pink.

Pink and femininity are intrinsically linked through consumerism. Pink is warm, flirty, fun, bright, passionate, and perhaps even a colour that suggests the shyness of a blushing individual. But can this typify an entire gender? I beg to differ.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Duo

Sweet Sunday's Yummy Lit Review:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Duo

You know those friends who are absolutely inspiring? They're the people who seem to have their lives together - they know what they want, how to get it, and are well on the way of getting it. They even manage to praise your accomplishments, help you through the consequences of your bad decisions without saying "I told you so," convince you to challenge yourself for the better, and find a good laugh in the random events that comprise life.

Well, let me introduce you to Curly J, the creator of Running From Cupcakes.

Curly J and I, with a friendship that has lasted over eight years, share a strong passion for baking. Last July Curly J tried out a recipe at Picky Palate for these peanut butter/chocolate cookies that looked divine. I decided to try my hand at the same recipe before catching my flight to eastern America.

Here's the nuts and bolts of the cookie:

Peanut Butter Cookie part
1 cup creamy peanut butter -- I used the chunky kind
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg

1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until well combined. Set aside.

Chocolate Chip Cookie part
2 sticks softened butter (1 cup)
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream the butter and sugars until well combined. Slowly beat in eggs and vanilla until well combined. Place flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl; mix with fork or sift. Add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips until just combined.

2. Take a tablespoon of peanut butter cookie dough and a tablespoon of chocolate cookie dough and gently press together forming a "not so perfect" ball. Don't press and roll too much, just stick them together and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until cookies are cooked through to your liking. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Enjoy!

I'll start off by saying I loved making these cookies. I was warned that they might not turn out and that there would probably be too little chocolate cookie dough. Throughout the entire procedure I was dubious - a peanut butter cookie composed of just peanut butter, sugar, and an egg? And the chocolate cookie portion seemed a bit too heavy on the dry ingredient list. However, I followed the ingredients and their stipulated amount word for word. In the end I had the perfect amount of dough.


There is one thing I didn't follow in Picky Palate's recipe... When it came time to combine the peanut butter and chocolate together I definitely wasn't gentle. I varied between placing peanut butter cookie dough directly into the center of a mainly chocolate cookie (with just a bit of peanut butter sticking out to be seen)... to being more creative and forming the peanut butter dough into shapes of the alphabet... I'm particularly fond of my 'W.' I also mashed the peanut butter and chocolate together, rolled it into a tight ball, and let it do its thing in the oven.

The cookies came out of the oven after 10 minutes in perfect shape... and they tasted pretty darn good, too! The flavors of chocolate and peanut butter support each other just as a sound friendship should. This is definitely a recipe I'll be keeping on file.


Hope you all have a sweet Sunday!
Bye for now :)

... And the Award Goes to...

The Book Bee, another book review blog, was kind enough to award me with The Versatile Blogger Award. Thanks Book Bee!

There are 4 rules that come with the award:
1 - thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them when creating the award post
2 - share seven things about yourself
3 - pass the award on to 15 recently discovered blogs
4 - contact the bloggers to let them know about the award

Ms. C's Random Facts:
1 - My perfect morning consists of a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios and a big mug of black coffee.
2 - I read and watched Disney's books and films on The Little Mermaid way too often as a child... I like to think it's why I just can't seem to eat seafood without feeling remorse.
3 - I grew up wanting to be a writer but left my dreams behind when I decided I didn't want to be one of those 'struggling and starving' artists... My current stance on the issue? Struggling and starving or not, I'm going for it.
4 - I absolutely love Europe. It is so rich in history, culturally diverse, and absolutely beautiful... sigh
5 - I recently cleaned out one of my cupboards full of the books I read as a teenager. I forgot just how popular Chicken Soup for the (insert pretty much anything here) Soul was in the 1990s and early 2000s until I saw my copies. Looking through my old books brought a bit of nostalgia but they'll soon be put to good use at a local charity.
6 - The thought of spending an entire afternoon at a bookstore or library excites me... and I can never leave without acquiring at least one new book.
7 - I love the colour purple... deep, rich, royal looking purple. I'll go out of my way to purchase anything in this shade - purses, jewelery, tops, dresses, scarves, my ipod... even my dog's collar.


I've chosen 7 of my old favourites or new-to-me book and writing themed blogs for this award. For those I have listed, please don't feel obligated to follow up on the rules of the award. I just wanted to share with you all some great bloggers and pass on the good vibes. As the saying goes, quality over quantity.

And, the awards go to....

Claudia Del Balso, Writer
Media Molly
The Sharilyn Review
The Displaced English Major
The Window Seat Reader
As I turn the pages
Love is

Blog Hopping 3

Well... it's the weekend again! Time for another Book Blogger Hop hosted by Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books.

This week's been a little bit busier for me than normal -- I've been writing out applications for Graduate schools, looking for a new car, changing the layout of CTR, and getting ready for this Saturday when I fly off to eastern America (NYC included!) for a little vacation. I'm super excited! Though CTR will be quieter next week, I will have a Sweet Sunday's Yummy Lit Review as scheduled on the 15th... and not to toot my own horn, but they are really really good cookies.

Also... CTR will officially become one month old on August 16th. I'm so happy I started this little site, it's been a lot of fun getting to know other book bloggers and bouncing ideas off one another. I'm looking forward to many more months of blogging and getting to know those in the community :)


Jennifer's Book Blogger Hop question of the week:
How many books do you have on your 'to be read' shelf?

A: I don't really have a shelf... I do have a stack of 9 books in the corner of my room. I've been getting a lot of reading material from the library lately which has limited my books 'to be read' pile considerably. The fact that summer is winding down and university is just around the corner also hinders my 'to be read' stack... I think it's a sign my reviews are soon to include more scholastic readings... good thing I'm in an interesting program!


Hope you all have a good weekend... it's time to pack my bags and head east!

Hitler's Private Library

Just how much does a book reflect on its reader?

Timothy W. Ryback addresses this question in Hitler's Private Library: The Books that Shaped his Life. Ryback explores Hitler's private library composed of works on military history, the occult, religion, and artistic endeavors such as architecture, theatre, and painting in an attempt to understand his personal character. Hitler signed and dated the inside covers of the (literally) thousands of books he collected and read. Events in Hitler's personal life and the lead-up, commencement, and close of World War II have become associated to these dated works.

Ryback proposes that "we collect books in the belief that we are preserving them when in fact it is the books that preserve their collector" (xv). What people read may reflect their character traits. For example, Ryback argues that Hitler's strong anti-Semitic beliefs are reflected in his library's copious collection of material on racial hierarchy. If books reflect our interests, Hitler was a man highly concerned with German nationalism, war, racism, supernatural events, and the formation of cities... it sounds oddly correct.

While this does make sense, I find it close minded. People read for many reasons: enjoyment, knowledge, in order to understand a different perspective from one's own, or to better understand the opposition, just to name a few. I personally would hate to think the books I have collected throughout the years reflect my thought processes and personality... if that was the case I'd be a living oxymoron.

And it leads me to think... if we're not supposed to judge a book by its cover... how can we judge a person by a book?

Hitler's Private Library was interesting... but dense and dry. I would recommend it for readers who are deeply interested in history, thought processes, and are accustomed to academic style writing.



Interesting tidbits:
- Hitler adored Henry Ford and not because he was a car enthusiast... Apparently Ford was a major anti-Semite who helped inspire Hitler's own tendencies.
- Hitler had a passionate desire to be a writer. However, his writing style, spelling, and grammar were so atrocious that many contemporaries could not read through all of Mein Kampf. If they had read the book many more people would have been aware of Hitler's intentions.
- Hitler's books are currently scattered throughout the world. They can be located in Germany's archives, American libraries, personal collections, and on the black market.

And, oddly enough...

- Ryback found an inch long, thick, and slightly curly hair between the pages of one of Hitler's books... he claims this is one of the few remaining hairs from Hitler's mustache... nice stretch, Ryback.