Katie appeared to have forgone any makeup and had her hair scraped up into a messy top bun.
The mother–of-one perused the show section of the store enjoying a some alone time retail therapy.
Katie had taken centre stage the night before as her husband Tom Cruise was honoured by the Simon Wiesenthal Centre.
Polished and preened to casual and comfy: Katie looked stunning on Thursday night at an event honouring her husband while she opted for comfort yesterday
The 32-year-old actress looked stunning in the black dress with green sash, which she teamed with black sandals, as she posed with Cruise outside the event.
However, it was inside the event that Holmes really stood out from the crowd, as she glowed while applauding the honorees at the ceremony.
The couple were also accompanied by Cruise's 16-year-old adopted son Connor as the Mission: Impossible actor was presented with the Humanitarian Award - the highest honour bestowed by the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, a Jewish rights organisation which also educates people about the Nazi Holocaust.
Too much choice? The 32-year-old actress looked at shoes and enjoyed some alone time in the Barneys store in Beverly Hills
Cruise, who played a German military officer who planned an assassination of Adolf Hitler in the 2008 film Valkyrie, was honoured for his support of the organisation throughout his life.
Absent from the ceremony was the couple's five-year-old daughter Suri, who is perhaps too young for such an occasion.
Late night? The mother-of-one appeared tired as she made her way around the store. The night before she had joined Tom at a party
Despite reports that she and her husband are planning to have more children, Holmes recently insisted that she is happy with the size of her family.
She also said that Cruise and ex-wife Nicole Kidman's adopted children Connor and 18-year-old Isabella get on incredibly well with Suri.

Red carpet royalty: Katie was looking picture perfect at the Simon Wiesenthal Center's Annual National Tribute Dinner on Thursday evening
She said: 'They're great kids, a great brother and a great sister to Suri, and she's a great sister to them. It's not, "This is stepmotherhood and this is motherhood".
'I'm not worried about it (having another baby). She's got really good friends and great cousins, so I feel happy about it.
'We have a really busy household, and it's really fun and fulfilling. There's always something going on.'
source: dailymail

VIA Dressed down day? Katie Holmes opts for casual comfort shopping day

This week's Booking Through Thursday is all of these questions!

1. Favorite childhood book?
Lily's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes was my favorite picture book. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery was my favorite chapter bok.

2. What are you reading right now?
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, The Best American Essays 2008, and The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger.

3. What books do you have on request at the library?
Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion.

4. Bad book habit?
Putting them down on the table with the spine up.

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?
The Catcher in the Rye, About a Mountain by John D'Agata, Sleeping Naked is Green by Vanessa Farguharson, and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith.

6. Do you have an e-reader?
Yes, I have a nook.

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
Several, although lately I've been focusing more on one at a time.

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
Oh yeah, I read a lot more and I'm more conscious about what I think while I'm reading.

9. Least favorite book you read this year (so far?)
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation.

10. Favorite book you’ve read this year?
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides.

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
Not very often.

12. What is your reading comfort zone?
Genres I know I can count on like literary nonfiction, graphic novels, young adult series, and classics.

13. Can you read on the bus?
Yeah I do it all the time.

14. Favorite place to read?
Outside as long as I don't have the sun to my back.

15. What is your policy on book lending?
I'll lend to anyone I'm friends with.

16. Do you ever dog-ear books?
I used to but now I use bookmarks and sticky notes.

17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
Often.

18. Not even with text books?
Still do it here.

19. What is your favorite language to read in?
English though I can read some French.

20. What makes you love a book?
Strong female characters, strong characters of any kind, detailed description but not flowery language.

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?
If I come away from a book thinking it either changed the way I look at something or helped me learn a lot about a subject or life.

22. Favorite genre?
Literary nonfiction.

23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did?)
Current literary fiction.

24. Favorite biography?
Wild Child: Life with Jim Morrison by Linda Ashcroft.

25. Have you ever read a self-help book?
I've read fitness walking books and study books.

26. Favorite cookbook?
Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook.

27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

28. Favorite reading snack?
Popcorn or oranges.

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation. I think I expected too much from it.

30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?
Depends on the critic. I usually agree with book reviews from the Believer. Bookmarks is more touch and go.

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
I feel that I always give reasons for why I don't like a book so I don't mind giving negative reviews. I try to find something good even in books I dont like.

32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?
Dutch.

33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?
Middlemarch by George Eliot.

34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy.

35. Favorite Poet?
Emily Dickinson.

36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
I didn't have a library card until last week (I know, I know!) but including the university library I would say about 3 or 4.

37. How often have you returned book to the library unread?
Frequently when I was younger, which is why I didn't get a library card again until last week.

38. Favorite fictional character?
I have way too many! One I always remember fondly is Marcus in About a Boy by Nick Hornby.

39. Favorite fictional villain?
Lydia Gwilt from Armadale by Wilkie Collins.

40. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?
Some literary nonfiction and historical fiction.

41. The longest I’ve gone without reading.
Three or four months probably.

42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.
Most recently I have been very challenged by Surviving Paradise. Not sure if I'll finish it or not.

43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
Noise, other conversations, my own nagging thoughts.

44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?
Jane Eyre! The PBS version.

45. Most disappointing film adaptation?
I wasn't too fond of The Lightning Thief.

46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
Oh boy, no clue. Definitely upwards $150 dollars.

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?
Not that often, surprisingly.

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?
Boring plot.

49. Do you like to keep your books organized?
I like to keep them on shelves, but in no particular order.

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?
I prefer to keep them.

51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?
Gone With the Wind, even though I said I'd read it by the end of the summer.

52. Name a book that made you angry.
I can name an essay that made me angry. Ticket to the Fair by David Foster Wallace.

53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did?
I wasn't sure if I'd like Candy Girl by Diablo Cody and really enjoyed it.

54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t?
Trieste and the Meaning of Nowhere by Jan Morris.

55. Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading?
The Luxe series.

Did any of my answers surprise you?

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson is a book that had been on my radar since its release, but one that I hadn't really put any effort into getting a copy of. But Allison and I have a thing going, where we trade book recommendations and this is one that she pushed on my pretty hard.:) So I bought a copy and a few months later I read it. And guys — Let me tell you what — This is so a book worth gushing over.

I'll admit that it's not the best book I've ever read and it's not perfect. There was quite a bit about the book that I didn't love, quite a bit that annoyed me and some that kinda igged me out. But it didn't matter, because the book was told so incredibly well and the emotional confusion, the pain and turmoil in the mind of Lennie after is sister died was so real and honest and just there. The way this book made me feel what Lennie felt made the annoyances fade into the background. I don't know that I have ever read a book that so perfectly and so completely captures inner turmoil.

Lennie and her older sister Bailey have always been incredibly close. They are that rare type of sister that has also always been friends. My older sister and I are good friends now, but when we were younger, when we lived in the same house, we did not get along at all. But just before the story begins, Bailey dies. Her heart gives out suddenly and Lennie feels completely adrift. She'd been really questioning her place in her own life for a while, and the abrupt loss of her sister sends Lennie into complete confusion. She doesn't really know who she is or how to be without her sister and she's scared and lonely and wants her sister so bad she aches with it.

And then life gets even more confusing. One minute, she and her sister's boyfriend are talking about Bailey and sharing pain and the next they are kissing like their whole souls depend on it. Lennie had never been interested in Toby, could barely see why Bailey wanted him, but when they are together now, it seems like a part of Bailey lives again and Lennie doesn't know what to do. To make it even worse, the new kid at school, Joe, is pretty much perfect for her and she finds herself falling hard and fast and is thrilled because Joe is right there with her.

The story line with Toby was my least favorite. I understand it better now, but it kinda creeped me out to be honest, and it is also one of the reasons that the book wasn't higher on my radar when it first came out. I expected it to be a lot more involved and a lot worse than it was, so I'll say that right now for anyone hesitant to read it for that reason. It didn't happen as frequently as I expected it to. And although they are kissing, it's not as sexual as I expected it to be. It's mostly the two of them so desperate for comfort and understanding from someone else who also loved Bailey that they get confused and their emotions take on inappropriate actions. And it creates problems for them too, it's not just some random side note that happens. It matters, and it helps to explain more about Lennie's emotional state.

The characterization in this book was so completely perfect it amazed me. Every character was unique and whole. There were no half filled roles or caricatures. Each character was given their own depth and reality and I believed in each of them completely. And I do mean all of them. Lennie's grandmother (who raised them) and her Uncle Big are some of the most interesting and hilarious and just plain awesome characters I've ever come across. I can't even begin to describe them, you just have to read it to get it. Even characters we never actually meet are fleshed out and given more depth than I expected. Their mother was a wanderer and left the girls with her mother when Lennie was just a baby and she'e never come back, never made contact again. It very obviously affected both girls growing up although it affected them differently.

There is one last thing that I have to mention, because I loved it so much. Lennie writes notes to and about Bailey and what's she is going through right now on random scraps of paper or garbage and leaves them just lying around. They are never really meant to be seen or read, it is simply Lennie's unique way of grieving. A ot of them are included in the book, along with a note of where they were found and I loved this. It was my favorite individual part of the story. The notes and poems that Lennie writes gives us a greater insight into how Lennie is really feeling and what she needs to heal.

Overall, this is just a wonderfully marvelous book. One of those amazing books whose flaws become irrelevant in the face of the story and I, for one, was completely in love with this book. It is so worth reading. If you have been putting it off, don't. This is Contemporary YA at its finest. There is life and pain and love and hope and it is so real and honest that I can't help but love it.

I thought this week, I'd give you two activities. You may do both activities OR you may choose one over the other.

Option 1: Write a post (or leave a comment) with suggestions for future weekly geek topics! Share as many ideas as you'd like! Be as creative as you want. Or if you can't think of any "new" topics of your own, consider listing your top five topics from the past, from our archives.

Option 2: Write a post about your genre prejudices or your genre allergies. (I tend to be allergic to westerns, for example.) Are there genres that you haven't read that you avoid at all costs? Are there genres that you don't take seriously? Would you be willing to try something new? (Or someone new!) Consider asking for recommendations and challenge yourself to get outside your comfort zone a bit. Alternatively, you may want to write a post about one of your favorite genres and recommend titles to newbies. Which books would you recommend to those readers who are new to that genre?

Weekly Geeks 2009-15 comes from animal lover Wendy of Caribousmom:

How many of us remember a favorite pet from our childhood? Or have enjoyed visiting the zoo? Or relish in walking in the woods and hearing birdsong, or seeing a deer leap away through the brush? How many of us have been thrilled by a soaring eagle? How often have we sought the comfort of a dog or cat, or wept tears of loss when forced to say good-bye to a furred friend?

This week you are asked to share books (fiction or nonfiction) and/or movies which center around an animal or animals.

• Which are your favorites?
• Which touched your heart the most?
• Which have found their way onto your wish lists or TBR stacks?
• Is there a childhood favorite?
• Have you ever named a pet after an animal from a book or movie?

Please stop by the original Weekly Geeks post to see who has signed Mr. Linky and participated in this week's theme! Meanwhile, here are a few posts that caught my eye; please keep in mind that I'm a dog person, so it's possible I'm showing some favoritism.

Molly at My Cozy Book Nook shares her love of Labrador retrievers - Marley, of course, and a couple of her own - which perseveres despite her allergy to dogs.

Lizzy of Booking It named her Yorkie after author Douglas Adams, and the dog's toys are all named for characters from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

On her blog Kiss a Cloud, Claire shares animal-themed picture books and pictures of her brother's beagles. In a similar vein, Infant Bibliophile offers a round-up of all of the children's books about animals (and there are a LOT) that he (and his mom) have reviewed on their Chronicle.

But just to show that I'm not dog-ist, I'll point you toward a few other Geeks and their favorite critters:

Sarah of Puss Reboots is all about - go on, guess - cats!

Frances at Nonsuch Book raves about ravens

It's All About Books and animals at Suey's, where she has posted pictures of her pets and a list of her Top Ten Animal Books

Thanks to all the animal-loving Geeks who joined in this week! Look for the new theme to be posted tomorrow.

Contemporary has always been my favorite genre and although there are lots of different directions a Contemporary story can take, the two that come to my mind most often are the tough issues (which I prefer) and romance. I'm going to admit right now that I've been a bit... prejudiced against the romantic fiction my whole life. I've never been terribly interested in reading a story where the only thing that really happens is a love story and the challenges thrown up to thwart them so we can all cheer and be happy when they get past them.

Don't get me wrong, I like a love interest as much as the next girl, but I like it to be a part of the story, not the story. And for a long time, I just didn't read anything if it seemed like the main (or only real) plotline was a romance. But after I started blogging, and I got to talking to more and more people, reading more and more reviews, I started thinking that maybe I should give them more of a chance. I mean, I hadn't even wanted to read a Sarah Dessen book, because I wrote it off as romantic fluff.

So I did. And it's still not my favorite book to read, but I admit to liking them a lot more than I thought I would. Books like this are just a lot of fluffy fun. And, I've discovered that some of them are super enjoyable and just tons and tons of fun, even if they are a bit fluffier than my normal read. And, I've been surprised more than once by a book I thought was nothing but fluff having a lot of hidden depth and emotional reality to it.

I so most definitely still prefer the romance in my books to be a part of the story. Books like Jellicoe Road don't rely on the romance, but its inclusion enriches the story and the characters. Or The Piper's Son, also by Melina Marchetta. The love interest in this book is more the remembrance of a girl he loved in his past, before his life went to hell and he needs to get his life together before he can turn around and pursue her again, or he'll just end up hurting her all over again. That is the way I prefer my romance. As something the enhances the story, encourages growth between characters but isn't the focal point of the story. I prefer books where the romance could be taken out of the story and the plot itself would still essentially be whole. Obviously, the romance is important, because there are things that other people can teach us that we simply cannot learn on our own. But when the story completely and totally falls apart at the removal of the romance, I do find that I have to try harder to maintain my interest.

But through recommendations from other bloggers and giving myself a chance to read outside my comfort zone, I've discovered that these romances that I had previously written off as little more than the literary equivalent to cotton candy are often full of a surprising amount of depth.
Contemporary Romance is never going to be my favorite genre. But after reading books by authors like Sarah Dessen, Elizabeth Scott and Stephanie Perkins, I'm no longer so quick to brush it aside and I actually look forward to reading even more.
So if you have some Contemporary Romance recommendations for me, let me know! This subgenre isn't an easy sell for me, but I'm trying to branch out more and one can never have too many recommendations.

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins was so exactly what I was hoping for. It delivered on everything I could possibly asked for. I had really high hopes for this one, and I'm glad to say that it more than met them.

Lola is one of the quirkiest characters I've ever met. I've used that word before — quirky — but I'm not sure it's every truly fit someone the way it fits Lola. I might just have to go take it back from every other person I've ever called quirky. Lola expresses her thoughts, emotions, and herself through her wardrobe. And honestly — (given her crazy costumes) it's a good thing that she lives in San Francisco: P But oh, did I love Lola. Clothes are not something I've ever been passionate about, and I hate shopping for them. If I'm lucky enough to find something that I really like, I've been known to buy it in a least two colors. For every day clothes, I almost always choose comfortable over fashionable, and I have no problem going to the store in the middle of the afternoon in my giant over-sized fleece pajama pants if I'm cold. So I loved the chance to live vicariously through Lola's outfits. She's crazy, but I loved it!

I also loved that, although her family is unconventional, Lola has a loving family who is interested in her life and actually pays attention. They have a weekly meal with her boyfriend, making sure that he's a part of their life too, because he's important to their daughter and although her dads can be rather overprotective, it's so nice to read about parents who actually care about their kids enough to make them a priority.

As for the boys — Initially, I liked them both. Lola is dating Max, an older rocker dude when the story begins, but then Cricket moves back in next door, and she's definitely got some 'unresolveds' with that boy. In the beginning, the only problem I had with Max was their age difference. A few years isn't a big deal once everyone is out of high school, but someone in their 20s should probably stay far away from high school juniors... (and by probably, I mean just do it.) But other than that, he seemed like a great guy, at least until Cricket moved back and then it seemed like, from nowhere — suddenly Max is actually a sleaze ball.

This is the only part of the story that I was disappointed with. I wish that Perkins had done more to make Max obviously a flawed character from the beginning, because I felt like he had an abrupt personality shift as soon as Cricket showed up, to make it more obvious and easier for Lola that she needed to dump the jerk-face and move on to the awesome out her bedroom window. That underlying edge of yuck needed to have been there from the beginning and I just didn't feel it.

But Cricket. Le sigh. I really liked Cricket. He's goofy and funny and kind of a little bit awkward. But he's definitely attracted to Lola. That's something that's clear right from the beginning. And whether she wants it or not, Lola definitely still feels it too. And I loved watching their relationship change and grow and progress. Cricket was my favorite character. And not because of the 'swoon' stuff, but just because he's awesome, and (aside from the whole — awesomely talented inventor thing) he feels like someone I could know, someone I would hang out with, someone I could be friends with.

The secondary cast in this book is also awesome. From awesome best friend of Lola, to the hateful but perhaps misunderstood twin sister of Cricket, to the unconventional family (two dads [one of whom is actually also an uncle] and an occasional appearance of the biological mom) to a certain reappearing couple from a previous book, the supporting characters in this story really gave it the depth and umph it needed to be awesome. Seriously — this is a book I'm going to buy and reread. It's a book that just begs to have the favorite scenes read over and over again, and it's one I definitely look forward to keeping on my shelves. It's another one that I can see being added to that selection of comfort reads.

*Disclaimer — Borrowed a copy from Around the World Tours.

The Friendly Interface

The effective design from an architectural bureau 3XN for Middelfart Savings Bank has coincided with ambitions of customers which dream of a new office.

Unique Hi-tech Roof

Among requirements — high level of comfort and qualitative architectural realization. The extreme covering of a roof exists as visual focus, representing huge, elegant wooden structure with infinite number of opening.

Bank in Middelfart

Architects believe, that the design of a roof will allow to create comfortable and friendly atmosphere for employees of bank.

VIA «The New Middelfart Savings Bank»

Not a good look: Cheryl teamed the tracksuit with a pair of heeled boots
And the only hint of Cheryl's now-renowned sense of style came with the black boots she teamed the outfit with, as well as her designer white handbag.
But Cheryl seemed happy enough with her outfit, keeping her head down but managing a smile for photographers as she made her way through Los Angeles' LAX Airport.
In disguise: Cheryl tried to go incognito in a pair of huge sunglasses
And it's no wonder the singer is smiling, as she has won rave reviews already for her part on X Factor USA.
Cheryl flew out to LA the day after it was announced that she would be joining the judging panel alongside Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and LA Reid.
Can't you see anything? Cheryl, who was wearing dark sunglasses, is guided through the airport
Glamour girl: Cheryl's dressed-down look was in sharp contrast to her appearance at the X Factor USA auditions last week
And while Cheryl's involvement in the show has already been a success, she met criticism from some viewers when she sat next to Simon on the panel - the seat usually reserved for Paula Abdul.
An insider told MailOnline: 'The fans are angry because Cheryl is sitting next to simon.
'They call Paula and Simon "Saula" and think that Cheryl is splitting them up.'
Chic: Cheryl went for huge hair and a vibrant outfit for her first day of work Stateside
Cheryl Cole at the first 'X Factor USA' live taping

Cheryl Cole: Live From Studio Five 09.05.2011 - US X Factor Launch

source: dailymail

VIA Cheryl Cole makes a fashion faux pas in unflattering grey tracksuit

Last week Ali asked us to step outside our comfort zone and go in search of blogs that were different from ones we usually hang out in -- different in terms of:

• race and/or ethnicity, religion, cultural background, age, etc. from you
• Live the farthest from you
• Have entirely different tastes in books from you (but you love their blog anyway)

Ali also suggested that if we felt our blogs were somehow in the minority, to blog about that experience.

There were only a handful of participants for this challenge - I won't begin to analyze what that means!

• Maree opted for a personal ad - and you'd better like cats to make it into her inner circle!
• At Mysteries in Paradise, Kerrie has some really interesting pie charts on her post showing the percentages of English speaking readers vs other languages (for which she provides Google translation). Though English is the highest by far, a wide range of countries is represented. (Nice charts, Kerrie!)
• Gautami invited us all to visit her in New Delhi, India! She knows of only a few other book bloggers in India. She listed several blogs she likes to visit that focus on very different books than what she generally reads. And you must read her personal ad! I learned a lot about her from that bit.
  
• Sarah joined Weekly Geeks for the first time this week - welcome Sarah! She highlighted a couple of blogs that have inspired her to give genre fiction another try.
  
• Puss Reboots combined the Weekly Geek assignment with doling out awards to several blogs she thought fit the theme.
  

A not so funny thing happened on the way to this blog. My husband fell seriously ill.

I had planned to write about passion, about how it adds richness and meaning and beauty to life, but faced with losing my partner of almost thirty years I couldn’t summon up enough passion to write about passion. I felt bereft. I looked it up to be sure that was the correct word.

Bereft: deprived of something; lacking something needed or expected.

Yes, bereft is correct.

But I made a commitment to this blog tour so I opened my computer and started to string sentences together. Of course, being bereft, I wrote about watching my smart, sweet, beautifully educated husband asking, “What’s happening to me?” over and over. He could not answer questions like, “What year is this? How many children do you have? How old are you?” His body was there, but he was gone.

Bereft.

Yet, as I wrote I began to feel slightly less bereft. My passion is writing and doing it made me feel less hollow and less frightened. That’s when I decided to go back to my original idea and write about passion. Passion doesn’t only enrich the good times; passion can get us through the bad ones.

Pablo Neruda described a writer’s passion more beautifully than I ever could. He said:

“… I love words so much: the unexpected ones, the ones I wait for greedily are stalked until, suddenly, they drop. Vowels I love, they glitter like colored stones, they leap like silver fish. They are foam, thread, metal, dew. I run after certain words… I catch them in mid flight as they buzz past. I trap them, clean them, peel them. I set myself in front of a dish; they have a crystalline texture to me; vibrant, ivory, vegetable, oily, like fruit, like algae, like agate, like olive. And then I stir them, I shake them, I drink them, I gulp them down, I garnish them…like stalactites, like slivers of polished wood, like coal, pickings from a shipwreck, gifts from the waves. Everything exists in the word.”

That’s the passion that kept me writing through thirty years of rejection.
In 2008, Simon & Schuster published my novel, The Book of Unholy Mischief, and I was elated. But the giddy moment passed, and I understood that fleeting success did not measure up to the profound pleasure of creating something original.

Thirty years of writing yielded new and various rewards on a daily basis, one of which has been sharing my passion with my grandchildren. My grandkids know that a day out with Grandma means going to the bookstore, and they love it. We each choose a new book, and then we sit down to lunch and pour over our treasure. It gave me a deep, tickling satisfaction to hear that when my daughter found the Italian edition of my book in Venice, her five-year old ran through the store yelling, “We found Grandma’s book!” Hearing that was a wonderful moment born of passion.

My husband has had his passions too. He climbed mountains, flew glider planes, kayaked, and practiced medicine. After we married we shared a passion for travel and visited dozens of countries on six continents. We lived abroad and our shared love of exploration gave our lives scope and dimension. Now that his future is uncertain our history of shared passion is a comfort. Passion is our consolation for mortality.

Thank you, all who read this, for helping me indulge my passion and soften a hard moment. May you all find a passion, and indulge the hell out of it.

Thank you, Ellen, for stopping by Jenn's Bookshelf. You and your husband are in my thoughts during this incredibly difficult time.

As late as about six months ago and even further beyond there were a slew of post floating around the blogosphere regarding the format of the books we read. The posts that generally attracted the most controversy were the post specifically focused on ebook versus paperback. We all have seen these or even did a few on our own blogs.

Now that we are six months into 2011 I would like us Geeker’s to take a look at our reading so far and see how far we come within that time in our reading. This introspective look has nothing to do with social networking – that's for another time..

I want us to look at changes, whether it has happened and if it has been a good thing or a bad thing for you.

Here are the criteria

• Did you have a hard and fast mindset in regards to your reading a year ago? (paperback, ebooks etc)
• Are you still true to that format?
• If you have tried another format (ebook, audio) – Share your experience?
• What was it that made you tried something out of your comfort zone?
• If you have not tried another format – Why?
• Give a brief over view of where you are at with your reading now, eg, load of paperback lying round, or the out of sight out of mind e-reader putting your mind at each or life as you know it have toss you a curve ball and forced you to think outside of the box?
• How do you feel about different output method now?

As always have fun with this topic….

For the second day of Book Blogger Appreciation Week I was paired with Melody of Melody's Reading Corner to do an interview swap. Melody's blog is new to me but I'm excited to start reading it more regularly! Here are Melody's answers to my questions.

Ash: Do you like to eat or drink anything while you read?
Melody: While I’d love to munch on snacks (my favourite snack is chips!) and drink green tea while reading, I try not to do so whenever I can as there is the risk of dirtying my books.

Ash: We've read a few of the same books this year and I noticed some of them were YA titles. Why do you think adults are attracted to reading young adult books? What attracts you to them?
Melody: There was once a bookstore assistant who asked me why I read YA books when I should be reading adult theme books. Her question had sparked some thoughts in me then and I remember telling her this: “I enjoy reading books. Books, to me are a great escapism and also another channel where I can broaden my horizons. I believe we have things to learn and think about from any books, no matter if it is a literary fiction or a children’s book. Also, I find some YA books cover important topics and contain some wonderful messages and I like it that they create awareness and make young adults think.”
I am not sure about other readers, but I do think my above reply are just some of the few reasons why adults would pick up YA books and read them.

Ash: I noticed in your review guidelines you said you do not read nonfiction or memoir. What turns you away from those genres?
Melody: I used to read non-fiction and memoirs some years back, but they have all taken a back seat since the day I started my blog and reading so many wonderful reviews on fictions. I have a huge TBR pile due to that and thus my current main focus is on them. I will still read a non-fiction or memoir from time to time, but that will have to depend if the topic interests me or not.

Ash: You've been blogging for a long time! About four years it looks like. How has the blogging world changed since you started and how have you changed as a blogger? What do you recommend other bloggers do to create such great longevity?
Melody: I started blogging in July 2006, and at that time I was not aware of the book blogging community. I started my blog because I think it is an excellent place where I can record the books I read and how I felt about them without misplacing it like a journal. At that time, I didn’t even care if anyone read it until I received my very first comment from a fellow blogger. It then made me realise that there are people who read my blog and from there onwards, I strive to work hard on my writing. And as for the rest, as they say, is history.

Besides the above, I have to say being a blogger has definitely widen my reading horizons as there are so many wonderful bookbloggers and recommendations out there, waiting for my exploration! It is through reading these blogs that made me read out of my comfort zone, and I cannot imagine how many books I have missed during my pre-blogging days! That said, it is always better to be late than never, right?

As for ways for creating longevity for blogs, I don’t have any good recommendations except that to blog whatever you like and also to take some time in visiting and commenting on other blogs. After all what other ways to start a friendship other than saying hello and reading a new book blog you have visited? That said, I need to remind myself to comment as much as possible but sometimes, it sure is hard when you have about 250+ blogs to read and you can only read and comment so much in a day, but I will try to remedy that!

Ash: Is there any specific message you want your readers to take away from your blog?
Melody: Have fun and be yourself.


Ash: What are your three favorite books you've read in the past year?
Melody: Just three? That’s a hard one since I had read a few good books in the past year. Anyway, here are just a few which I loved (not in any order):

1) Ritual by Mo Hayder
2) Skin by Mo Hayder (Now can you tell I’m a huge fan of her?)
3) Fallen Skies by Philippa Gregory
4) The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
5) The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister
6) The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
7) Sweethearts by Sara Zarr
8) The Lost Hours by Karen White
9) Stolen by Lucy Christopher
>10) The Ghost Writer by John Harwood

I could go on and on, but I think listing 10 books will suffice (after all I have added 7 books instead of listing only three to the list, haven’t I?).


Ash: Are you from a family of readers, or is reading something that sets you apart from other people in your family?
Melody: This is sad but true that I am the only reader in my family. My parents read the papers but rarely books, and as for my husband he mostly read books which are related to his work. My younger sister doesn’t have the interest of reading books, so that left only me. Though they are not as much as a voracious reader as I, they are supportive of my reading habits (read: buying books and occupying much of our room space) and I am thankful for that.


Ash: If you were to start a blog about anything besides books, what would it be?
Melody: I absolutely have no idea! Frankly speaking, I cannot think of anything else besides blogging about books and my reading. I don’t think anyone would want to read about my personal life anyway, haha.

You can read my answers to Melody's questions at her blog, Melody's Reading Corner!

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank is a book I never wanted to admit I'd never read. I felt like it was something everyone read when they were much younger than me, thirteen or fourteen I figured. It's been on my TBR for a long time even though I've never owned a copy. Even though I'd never read the book, Anne Frank Huis was one of my must sees while in Amsterdam. Just because I didn't read the book didn't mean I didn't know the story. Unlike my experience with Dachau and The Book Thief, I was immediately overcome with emotion upon entering Anne Frank Huis. It's a totally different experience, and for me, a much more powerful one.

Anne Frank Huis does not have any furniture, but the walls are done like they were when the Franks hid there. In the center of the rooms are glass cases with artifacts from their time. What really got to me though, were the pictures of Anne Frank at the very beginning of the museum. She looks so happy.

Throughout the house there are quotes from her diary printed on the walls. It was as if she was telling her story to you, which I guess she was. The experience was also powerful for me because I had so many things in common with her. A love of reading and writing, nature, bicycles, and as a teenager I fought with my mother constantly and was extremely close with my father. When reading her diary I found it difficult to read the parts about her mother because I knew she would never get to experience the close relationship with her mother that I've had with mine.

I can't really review her diary, that seems unfair. It is slow in spots but overall a worthwhile read.

"The best remedy for those who are frightened, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere they can be alone, alone with the sky, nature and God. For then and only then can you feel that everything is as it should be and that God wants people to be happy amid nature's beauty and simplicity.

As long as this exists, and that should be for ever, I know that there will be solace for every sorrow, whatever the circumstances. I firmly believe that nature can bring comfort to all who suffer."

I purchased my copy of the diary at Anne Frank Huis and also purchased The Anne Frank House Authorized Graphic Biography

as a companion. It is an absolutely wonderful companion because it tells the before and after of the story and gives insight into what other characters' experiences were like.

The artwork is more traditional than I thought it would be, but there are some seriously disturbing images of Anne and her sister after they were found and sent to a concentration camp. I think I got a little more emotional looking at those images than I did reading her diary. The experiences are extremely different. While reading the diary I thought about how normal Anne's thoughts were for a girl her age: boy, friends, ambitions. That was what made it difficult, she represents the every girl, which makes you realize something like this could have happened to you. Reading the graphic biography gave me a lot more insight and history into her family, the experience of being in hiding, and what happened to the family after.

If you've never read The Diary of a Young Girl, I would highly recommend it and I would recommend reading the graphic biography after. It seemed to be a more fulfilling experience. If you've read the diary, you might want to try the graphic biography-- it might answer some of your unanswered questions.

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The Giver by Lois Lowry is a reread for me. I originally read it as a sophomore in high school and I was pretty neutral about it. I don't think it was the type of book I was really in the mood for and I know that I sped through it really fast (because reading only 3 chapters a night in a book this small was torture for a kid like me) and I admit that I read it a bit grudgingly. I was never that kid that hated a book because I was forced to read it. There were a few books I didn't particularly enjoy reading, but this is the only one, in all my years of schooling that I remember not liking because they made me read it.

I read the companion novels, Gathering Blue and Messenger and I simply loved them. So I figured that I must have missed something within The Giver and I decided that I would reread it sometime. But, in the meantime, I will also admit that I claimed to like The Giver as much as I had liked the other two books, but I'm admitting now, that it wasn't true. Then.

Now, however, that's all behind me and OH MY GOODNESS! I'm sitting here, staring at my 15 year old self in shock wondering why on Earth I didn't love this book. Because it is amazing. Far too amazing for the words I'm going to use to adequately describe this book.

Here is a book that makes you wonder, makes you think, makes you question. It follows a young boy, Jonah is not quite 12 when the book starts, and the whole story takes place in just over a year. We watch as Jonah is transformed from a young, naive boy into someone who has wisdom and understanding thrust upon him. Most of you reading this review have either already read The Giver or I'm sure you've heard about it from someone. So, it might be that it's impossible for me to spoil anything for you. BUT I think the way Lowry has written and crafted this story is so important, so powerful and so impactful when read 'right' that I wouldn't want to spoil it for anyone. So there is a lot I'm leaving out, a lot I'm leaving for you to discover, or rediscover, as I did, all on your own.

You learn in the beginning of the story that the world Jonah lives in is full of structure, rules, regulations, and careful, careful planning. Every detail of their lives is planned by the Elders. Everything is meticulously planned and there are no deviations from this. They are taught from a very young age how they are to live, how they are to be. And no one questions anything, because none of them know any better.

The only question I have about the story is something I can't address in a review like this, because while not, perhaps, an actual spoiler, it does contain something of the story that I think needs to be revealed to the reader, one page, one thought, one memory at a time. I wish the idea of memory had been explored a little deeper in the novel but I find the idea behind it utterly fascinating. Definitely very Jungian though. Makes you wonder.:) (Any of you know what that means? Or am I the only Psych nerd: P)

So really, what I guess I'm trying to say here is that this is a novel worth reading and it is defintiely a novel worth reading again and again. I imagine that there is much Jonas can teach me, about life and what makes it worth living and about what I'm willing to sacrifice in exchange for comfort and whether I have the right to make certain choices for later generations. It's a book to make you think, a book to make you feel and one that I can already tell is going to draw me back for a reread again and again. It is not to be missed.

Today I have Emily Wing Smith visiting the blog! She's the author of the recently released, Back When You Were Easier to Love and she's going to be sharing with us her this or that choices! I really enjoyed a lot of her answers! I'm really curious about that dare now!:)

Spring or Fall:
As long as I’m armed with Claritin-D, fall wins for its perfect temps and gorgeous scenery. Oh, and my fall birthday!

Past or Future: The past is real. The future isn’t.

Marvel or DC Comics:Marvel was the studio behind my fave 80s cartoon JEM.

Legos or Lincoln Logs:Growing up, my brother had Legos pretty much everywhere pretty much all the time. I used to step on Legos galore--in bare feet! Ouch. But I have a soft spot for them. Thanks, Andy!

Detailed planning or spontaneous decisions:I consider myself detail-oriented, but much of what I do is on a whim.
Turkey or Ham:Wednesday is $5 Turkey footlong at my local Subway.

Sweet or Salty:Both. My total comfort food: M&Ms/chocolate Teddy Grahams paired with pretzels or salt and vinegar chips.

Ocean or Mountains:Ocean, though ironically, I live in the mountains!

Hardcover or Paperback:Paperbacks are cheaper so I can by more of them for the same amount of money. On a non-cheapskate note, they also take up less shelf space!

Truth or Dare:I tend to over-share. Besides, the one time I chose Dare it got me into a very uncomfortable situation.

M&Ms — Peanut or Peanut Butter:Um, solid chocolate, YO. Plain for the win.

A one room library or Books in every room in your house:
Books in every room in your house. Gum or Breath Mint:Gum, although I can’t walk and chew gum at the same time, so breath mints would be a better choice, wouldn’t they?

Painting or PhotographPhotography. Looking at it, not taking it.
Uncertain theory or Absolute fact:Hmm…I believe in certain absolute truths, but other things are up for debate. Thank you so much Emily for joining us today! And readers, be on the lookout for my review of Back When You Were Easier to Love! It'll be up in about two weeks!:)

CitizenM is the hotel made of ready modules of rooms.

The philosophy of a new hotel brand is that:

“Small rest in road is necessary to All travellers. To researchers, wise men, dandies, businessmen, adventurers and dreamers. They are independent and individual, but they are united by one — aspiration to travel positively. For all mobile citizens of the world. CitizenM”

VIA «Hotel of new type in Amsterdam»

Back down to earth: Hudson changed into flip flops as she left the studio with her fiancé and father of her baby, Muse frontman Matt Bellamy
She accented her outfit with a pair of sky high beige peep toe Christian Louboutin heels which showed off her toned legs.
Hudson joins the trend of pregnant celebrities like Victoria Beckham and Rachel Zoe who continued to wear sky high heels throughout their pregnancies while many mothers-to-be opt for flats to cope with their swollen ankles.
Waiting: Kate says she and Matt have not found out the sex of their baby and want it to be a surprise
The pregnant actress appeared on the Jimmy Kimmel show to promote her new movie Something Borrowed.
She was later accompanied by her fiancé and the father of her baby, Muse rocker Matt Bellamy, as she left and was then decidedly more dressed down.
Hudson had changed into a long flowing brown dress, a cream cardigan and wore flip flops as she exited the television studio.
Bellamy gallantly carried her bag for her while also clutching his iPad.
Promotional trail: Kate appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres show yesterday in the same dress as she wore on Jimmy Kimmel
'I get really exhausted,' she told Ellen. 'More tired, more sick, more everything.'
Kate and Matt can't wait to meet their child, but refuse to find out ahead of time whether they are having a boy or a girl.
'I looked at Matthew and said: 'We're almost there',' says Hudson. 'It's so easy to find out.'
'But this way, there's no expectation on what the baby is. You're not thinking about what they look like. You're literally just going: 'Is it a boy or is it a girl?', she told USA Today.
The actress already has a seven-year-old son, Ryder, with her ex-husband Black Crowes singer Chris Robinson.
All smiles: The actress clutched her baby bump as she made her entrance on the talk show
Kate Hudson Guesses Her Baby is a Girl!

source: dailymail

VIA Pregnant in very high heels! Kate Hudson wears towering Louboutin stilettos

If you're anything like me, the books you choose to read reflect your mood which is often reflected by the season in which you find yourself. I love reading Chick-Lit in the summer months when my mood is light and carefree, but in January and February I find myself immersed in classics, mysteries and chunksters.

Many of us are in the midst of winter - digging out snow laden driveways, bundling up in multiple layers of clothing, enjoying comfort foods, and curling up in front of woodstoves and fireplaces with a good book.

For this week's Weekly Geeks, share with us the books which call out to you during the cold, wintry months. Are there genres which appeal to you most? Why do you think you are drawn to these types of books during winter? Do you have some book recommendations for other readers who are looking for some escape from the blustery weather? Give us some of your favorites and tell us why you recommend them.

As "extra credit" why not share some photos of what the weather looks like outside your home...or where you curl up to read when 'the weather outside is frightening.'

As always, come back here and use Mr. Linky below to link directly to your post...and make sure to visit other Geeks and leave them a comment!

I wanted to talk this week about book recommendations. Where do you go for book recommendations? How often do you challenge yourself to get out of your comfort zone? How often do you read outside your favorite-and-best genre? How often do you try a new-to-you author? How often do you take a chance? This week, I'd like to offer you a few opportunities.

So your assignment this week, if you choose to play along, is to ask your readers for recommendations. Choose a genre--any genre--and ask for recommendations. You can be as general or as specific as you like. Consider it as an "I'm looking for..."

The second part of the assignment is to write a list of recommendations and share them with your readers. Choose a genre--any genre--and share your list of favorites. I think of this as "If you're looking for..."

I'm hoping that some really great books get recommended this week! Did you add any new books or authors to your wish list? If you'd like you can write a wrap-up post mentioning which books you're thinking about reading based on this week's weekly geek.