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[[deleted user]]

Okay, Chrissie, for what it's worth:

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Please feel free to leave a comment. I'm not sure if my review is quite right. I can see why Hollywood romanticized the story for the film. It has the bare bones of a romance, and would have made an odd film, just taken straight.

[Chrissie]

Thanks Jeanette, I am off to read your reviuew!

[Manybooks]

Jeannette wrote: "We give my daughter a small gift and some candy on Dec. 6. This year she forgot to put out her shoes, but she is 16, so I guess it's okay to let it slide. How scary for your little brother. My d..."

Well, that particular Saint Nicholas was not really dressed as a jolly Santa Claus, he looked like a stern Catholic bishop and carried both a huge sack of toys and candy (for all of the kids), but also lumps of coal. Oh, and we had to recite poetry as well. I think the only reason I was not scared was because I recognised my uncle, but my brother really freaked out, also because "Saint Nicholas" was speaking with a very deep voice (but, when he got some presents, my brother was no longer scared).

We should both check where the term "Bright Young Thing" comes from. Hmm, I might just type it into google and see what appears.

[Joy]

I have never heard of St. Nicholas Day. The things you learn on Goodreads!

[[deleted user]]

Joy wrote: "I have never heard of St. Nicholas Day. The things you learn on Goodreads!"

St. Nicholas brings presents on December 6 in Germany, and then the Christ child brings gifts on December 24. I think der Weihnachtsmann (Santa Claus) also brings gifts, maybe more in the Protestant North. My in-laws, from Frankfurt, always talk about das Christkind bringing the presents.

[Chrissie]

I can just add that in Belgium kids get their presents on St. Nicholas Day. Families also celebrate Xmas on the 24th, but here the emphasis is on the meal.

[Manybooks]

Chrissie wrote: "I can just add that in Belgium kids get their presents on St. Nicholas Day. Families also celebrate Xmas on the 24th, but here the emphasis is on the meal."

In the past, In Germany, the meal on Christmas Eve often tended to be meatless, often some type of fish. In Northern Germany, it often consisted of a herring salad, followed by a sweetened rice pudding, but steamed carp was/is also popular. Nowadays, many families tend to make a fondue.

[Chrissie]

Gundula, I have learned, and then forgotten, what is the usual Christmas meal here in Belgium. I have a book that will tell me, but I do not know where it is!All these different traditions are interesting.

[Manybooks]

Chrissie wrote: "Gundula, I have learned, and then forgotten, what is the usual Christmas meal here in Belgium. I have a book that will tell me, but I do not know where it is!All these different traditions are inte..."

I love learning about different traditions, especially culinary ones, and then trying them out. If you find the book, please let me know the title, I would definitely want a book like that on my to-read list.

[Chrissie]

Gundula, I found it. It does have recipes, but not just for Belgian Christmas food. There is also a recipe for Swedish glögg! The funny thing is that nowadays most people buy Glögg prepared in bottles. You add raisins and almonds and more liquor and heat it all up. Anyhow, in Belgium, the most popular choice is turkey. In the past, people who did not have access to such would have "boudin", which are sausages made from pigs. The book is in French: Légendes et traditions des fêtes de fin d'année. I bought it at a museum - Musées Royaux d'Art et d'Histoire. It is a teeny little paperback.

[[deleted user]]

What a great little book! I'm going to check my library, because they tend to buy those types of books.

I believe my in-laws eat herring salad on Christmas Eve, and smoked eel on New Year's Eve. I will ask my MIL.

[Chrissie]

Jeanette, there are quite a few recipes. Buche de Noel - a cake in the shape of a log, and cookies and several more. I am just not a cook. Not my thing at all. The legends did interest me.

[Manybooks]

Chrissie wrote: "Gundula, I found it. It does have recipes, but not just for Belgian Christmas food. There is also a recipe for Swedish glögg! The funny thing is that nowadays most people buy Glögg prepared in bott..."

Thanks for the title, maybe I can find a copy of it in French on Amazon.ca. They have a whole section on French books.

Jeannette, my father's family (from Hannover) usually made herring salad for Christmas Eve. I never liked it when I was a kid, not because of the herring, but because it also contained red beets, sweet pickles and capers. Now, I don't mind it so much, but I still like herring in a yoghurt/mayonnaise sauce with sliced apples better (that was what my mother's family, who is from Southern Germany tended to have on New Year's Eve).

[[deleted user]]

I'm pretty sure my MIL makes it with pickles, without the beets.

We make dampfnudeln for Christmas Eve, served with cherries, and vanilla sauce. What a lot of work, but so good!

[[deleted user]]

Chrissie wrote: "Jeanette, there are quite a few recipes. Buche de Noel - a cake in the shape of a log, and cookies and several more. I am just not a cook. Not my thing at all. The legends did interest me."

I like reading the legends, too. And, if the recipe isn't too complicated, I like trying new things. I had my MIL write down all of her cookie recipes (in German) into a little notebook for us. So we make the cookies that my husband's grandmother made for him, when he was a child. Lots of butter! :D

[Manybooks]

Jeannette wrote: "I'm pretty sure my MIL makes it with pickles, without the beets.

We make dampfnudeln for Christmas Eve, served with cherries, and vanilla sauce. What a lot of work, but so good!"

That sounds yummy, I love Dampfnudeln. Do you have an easy recipes for Dampfnudeln? The only one I have is in German and calls for fresh yeast cubes, which are almost impossible to find.

[[deleted user]]

I created a new thread called Holiday Cooking, to move this off of the "What are You Reading Thread". I'll reply there! :)

[Joy]

It's nice to hear how people in other countries celebrate Christmas...:)

[[deleted user]]

Jump to the Holiday Cooking thread, Joy, and tell us about your celebration.

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...

[Lisa]

I am reading

Really enjoying this series

[Petra]

I finished Three Seconds and really enjoyed it. I found the story and characters to be real and human (not the usual crime drama characters that are usually trigger-happy and rough). Other than the circumstances, these are people one could meet on the street. The story really moved along also. It was well-written and suspenseful.
I've now started Logicomix: An Epic Search for Truth because I thought it would be interesting to read about Bertand Russell's early life in graphic form.
To balance things out a bit and because it has to go back to the Library soon, I started Christmas Holiday. It's the first W. Somerset Maugham I've ever read.
During my commutes I'm listening to The Falls. So far, I'm on the fence. The writing is really quite beautiful but the story is moving along so slowly.....and yet it's not entirely boring. There's enough interest to keep me listening. I just wish it would speed up a bit.

[Lee, Mod Mama]

Petra, Three Seconds sounds interesting. I like mysteries.

[[deleted user]]

They've made a biographical graphic novel about Bertrand Russell? I'll have to check that one out.

[Petra]

Lee, I was lucky enough to win Three Seconds as a Giveaway. It's likened to the Millenium Trilogy but I haven't read those yet so can't say if it's true. Good story, though.

Jeannette, the authors do state that they take "comic license" with some facts about his life. So far, though, it's very interesting. I think I'd get more out of it if I had already read more about or by Russell.

[[deleted user]]

And it's written by two Greek math geeks! I've read a few articles about Russell. He seems to have been pretty interesting. I'll see if I can find the GN.

[Petra]

Then I think you'll really enjoy it.
I find graphic novels quite interesting. They get a lot across in very few words and a bunch of pictures. I've only read Memoirs so far. Maybe Memoirs lend themselves well to graphics because they're full of emotions and thoughts.

[[deleted user]]

I read a lot of manga, but not many graphic novels. It appears that graphic novels are getting into more "serious" subject matter (as opposed to comics). It's an interesting trend. I wonder if it's a sign of our "instant" times?

[Petra]

That's an interesting thought. It would be sad, too, though because books are so much better than comics/graphic novels. It would be a shame if people started relying on graphics instead of the "real" thing.
I've only read one Manga book, Fruits Basket Vol. 1. It was cute and had an interesting story concept but too young, I thought. Are there others that are "older"?

[[deleted user]]

Manga runs the gamut, from kiddie, to teen, to adult, to Mature. It all depends on what kind of stories you enjoy. (Of course, they have their standard formulas and genres, with a few exceptions.)

I am a little bit bothered by the trend to put classics into GN form. I've seen Melville, Austen, and Shakespear. I'm sure there are more. Nice, easy to follow, condensed version. *gak*

[Petra]

Yeah... *gak* is right.

Can you suggest a Manga for adult to mature?

[[deleted user]]

I tend to read the teen romance stuff (yeah, I know, but it's fun!) Here are a few adult suggestions (not my teen romance stuff):

MARS, Volume 1 I am reading this right now -- it's a high school drama, heavy on the drama
Nana, Volume 1 I haven't read it, but I've had friends recommend it
With the Light... Vol. 1: Raising an Autistic Child My daughter enjoyed this, too. Very realistic
Cowboy Bebop, Vol. 1 more action

That's a wide range for now. If any of them interest you, I can get more suggestions from my manga friends on GR.

[Maria]

Maria wrote: "I am reading Firefly Lane which is about the friendship of Tully and Kate from childhood through adulthood. I'm waiting for the "big one" to drop .... the event that really tests th..."

Well, the "big one" dropped. Tearjerker city. I feel so manipulated. grrrr.

[Maria]

Chrissie wrote: "I just finished The Homecoming Party, which I adored. It is about an Albanian/ Italian family, but of course they are just like you and I. Gorgeous writing. Funny! Touching! Here is ..."

Thank you for drawing my attention to The Homecoming Party. I am half Italian, and so that is what drew me in. [note: for anyone who is "part" or "half" Italian, they know - as I do - that the Italian part takes over and you are "truly" Italian! HaHa!] Put it on my to-read list.

[Chrissie]

Maria, I have tons of books that take place in Italy. Here is the link to that my Italy shelf:

http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/...

I higly recommend That Summer in Sicily: A Love Story, and I really want to read Love And War in the Apennines. I am just mentioning two! Maybe you will find something else there that interests you.

Maria, I don't know what I am. I was born in the US. Have spent most of my life in Sweden. Now live in Belgium, but adore going to France as much as possible. :0) So where am I froml? well it all depends won what you mean by the suestion! I adore Rome and Milano and Padua and Venice. Florence scares me after reading Nabb's books......

[Manybooks]

Chrissie wrote: "Maria, I have tons of books that take place in Italy. Here is the link to that my Italy shelf:

http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/...

I higly recommend [book:..."

My boyfriend always tells me that he thinks that I must be part Italian, because I am so unorganised and do not fit in with my straight-laced, ultra-organised German family. And, I just remembered that once I had an eye exam and the optometrist told me that I had a Mediterranean shaped retina.

[[deleted user]]

Maria wrote: "Maria wrote: "I am reading Firefly Lane which is about the friendship of Tully and Kate from childhood through adulthood. I'm waiting for the "big one" to drop .... the event that r..."

Oh, I remember what happened in that book now.

[[deleted user]]

I'm starting Outlander. I just finished A Secret Kept....meh.

[Petra]

Jeannette wrote: "I tend to read the teen romance stuff (yeah, I know, but it's fun!) Here are a few adult suggestions (not my teen romance stuff):

MARS, Volume 1 I am reading this right now -- it's..."

Jeannette, thanks! The Library has Nana Vol. 1. I'll check it out.

[Petra]

I finished reading Logicomix: An Epic Search for Truth today.

A graphic novel on math, logic, philosophy and proofs. Who would have thought?!!?!? It's a very unique, interesting concept.
Logic/Philosophy isn't my strong-point (I'm more of a "from the gut" person) and I had to think my way through some of the philosophical thoughts/ideas, proofs and logic but I enjoyed the look at Bertrand Russell's life and thoughts. I think he kind of lost the whole point of just "living" but then, that's just me.
That said, I enjoyed the novel. It's a unique concept: cartoons (graphics) & philosophy/math!
I came away wanting to know more about Bertrand Russell The Person but could probably live without Bertrand Russell's works....gracious, the man wrote a 362-page proof on "1+1=2"...and it took him years to write!

Note to Mothers: Don't let your babies grow up to be Logicians or Philosophers. They are all somewhat unhinged.

[Chrissie]

I just finished Loving Frank and I highly recommend it if you like Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture and design. This book will tell you more about him, what his personality was like! His faults and his great abilities. You will learn about life with him, what that could have been like. Here is my review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Now I am very excited about starting Buddha's Orphans.

[Chrissie]

Gundula, maybe you do have some Italian ancestors. Who knows? That can be enough to inspire one to read books about Italy!

[Manybooks]

Chrissie wrote: "Gundula, maybe you do have some Italian ancestors. Who knows? That can be enough to inspire one to read books about Italy!"

I wouldn't be surprised at all. My mother's family is from Southern Germany and probably Switzerland, and that area has always been known as a great melting pot of cultures and peoples (and, was part of the Roman empire as well). I just added a book that I found at the library, Child of the Jungle: The True Story of a Girl Caught Between Two Worlds. Originally written in German, this is the true story of a German girl who grew up in the jungles of Indonesia (her parents were/are missionaries) and her struggles to adjust to life in Europe after she returned. I've perused it, and it looks very interesting, but I wish I could get a copy in German.

[Chrissie]

Gundula, that does look interesting.

[Manybooks]

Chrissie wrote: "Gundula, that does look interesting."

I'll let you know what I think about it. I've noticed that the author has written a sequel as well, but that only seems to be available in German at the moment.

[[deleted user]]

Chrissie wrote: "I just finished Loving Frank and I highly recommend it if you like Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture and design. This book will tell you more about him, what his personality was like!..."

I really liked that book. Of course, it led me to hours and hours of looking up his history online. I want to go tour his homes some day.

[Chrissie]

Christine, I almost gave the book 5 stars. What is truely remarkable is how you understand each person feelings and thoughts. I felt like I was being pulled by strings. I agreed with each pov as it was presented. The reader EVEN comes to truely understand Catherine. And nobody is perfect, which is so true to life. I had no idea about the ending!

And I adore his design! Even though he definitely does take it a bit too far in relation to "living" within the perfectly designed home. If you learn one thing from this book - life with a true artist is often one hell of a struggle. In the many books I have read about artists this tendency is repeated over and over. That is nice you liked my review and told me. It makes me feel happy that I got the message across! Hopefully someone who cannot decide WILL read the book! Now my Mom is going to read it.

I lived in Molwaukee, Wisconsin, when I was a child. My Mom has always loved Frank Lloud Wright as I have. WHY DIDN'T WE VISIT TALIESIN?! I love the Guggenheim in NYC and the buildings I have seen in Japan. You must take that tour. You live in the States! Lucky you!

[[deleted user]]

The Chicago suburb that has his homes is actually only about 40 minutes away. I definitely need to do it.

One time I was staying at the Omni hotel in downtown Chicago, and they messed up our reservation so to "make it up to us" they put us in the Frank Lloyd Wright Room. It was such a great experience! The room was beautiful, and it was filled with photo books of his work.

[Martha]

I highly recommend visiting one of his homes. The Chicago ones and the Dana Thomas house in Springfield, IL (30 miles from my home) are from his prairie period. It's amazing to walk in something he's designed. The furniture does not look very comfortable. I heard that someone said to him once that his chairs were not comfortable. His reply was that they were not sitting correctly! I think the stained glass is so beautiful.

[[deleted user]]

Okay, I have to just do this. (But not today because it's snowing/freezing rain/windy and the coldest temps of the season thus far today, haha!)

[Martha]

Oh, I know! There's snow out there now!! Well, it is December in Illinois!! So glad it held off last night. We had a Special Olympic basketball event last night.