Happy Pi Day

Posted on March 15, 2015 by chatty

Filed under days we celebrate now that are just awesome. National Doughnut Day, Cupcake Day, Pancake Day, etc etc all days that, I guess were created by savvy marketers intent on getting Americans fatter (I mean, do they celebrate Pancake Day overseas?). But Pi Day, I mean, you can’t get upset with Pi Day, as it’s a math thing. It teaches you math. It forces parents who haven’t thought about the circumference of a circle for ages, to try to explain to a 6-year old pi, and radii, and circumferences and all that stuff (Here, watch me hand off this question to the husband!).

By now you know this particular Pi Day is a little more special than others, because not only was yesterday 3.14, it was 3.14.15. And at around 3.14.15, at approximately 9:26 and 53 seconds (yes, approximately), we were at the store. So I took this pic:

https://instagram.com/p/0NxBkFIuY4/

Much better than a previous Pi Day (way back in 2013)…

Empty shelves at Metropolitan Market!

The husband, fortunately prepared for this year’s momentous occasion and we had a slice of apple and a slice of chocolate cream, that we had a little bit of earlier in the day.

So I didn’t feel like doing a dessert pie, but felt like doing something. Quiche? Nah. I know! Chicken Pot Pie! Yes, of course.

It took a while to do, I study up on this stuff. Also, I used ingredients I’m not proud of. Those All-American processed foods that, I certainly wouldn’t be caught dead eating. You know, unless it’s Pi Day …

So here it is. I got tired near the end and, creative juices at its lowest, didn’t manage to make the actual pi sign. I even saved crust dough and everything, just didn’t get it done. Next time.

Happy Pi Day!

As the recipe was a combination of a few, I’m jotting them down here so I don’t forget:

Ingredients:

(1) 9-inch pie crust (I use this crust recipe. Make it easier with a ready-made crust, but I don’t have much success with those)
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 can (10z) “Cream of Chicken” condensed soup
Approx 2 oz cream cheese (more if you like that kind of stuff)
(1) 10z bag of mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, corn, green beans)
Seasoning: Italian seasoning, Salt, Pepper

Biscuit Topping (I guess yo could use another pie crust, but I don’t press my luck. One homemade pie crust is good, for me)

1 1/2 c Bisquick
1/2 c milk

Instructions:

Pre-heat oven, 400 degrees

Pie Crust. Make it, chill it. Roll it, Place it.

Filling: Cut chicken up into bite-sized chunks. Season with S&P. Heat olive oil in a pan, medium heat, add chicken and saute or whatever until fully cooked (Diced onion might be good here, too). Once cooked add Cream of Chicken can and mix well. Season again with your favorite herbs and spices. Add softened cream cheese and frozen vegetables and and continue stirring until the cheese is smooth and well-incorporated. Add all of this into the pie crust.

Topping: Combine the Bisquick and milk and mix until you get a nice sticky dough. Create a ball of dough and on a floured board knead 10 times (this is the biscuit directions on the box). Instead of making biscuits, roll it out into a nice circle to lay over the pie. Create holes/slits for venting. Lightly cover with aluminum foil

In the oven, for 20-25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove and let it rest for 5 minutes or so before cutting up.

Enjoy.

Discuss mathematical equations.

Wake up, work out, repeat

Posted on March 11, 2015 by chatty

There are a few studies that you can probably scrounge up that will say there are benefits to exercising in the morning. There is this one study that showed you are more likely to lose weight if you exercise “in a fasted state” (which basically would mean before in the morning before eating breakfast, as the only time you can really fast long enough is when you are sleeping). Another study showed older women slept better if they exercised or stretched in the morning. And even another study showed that women were less distracted by food porn when having worked out in the morning (I’m guessing they didn’t call it food porn, but that’s probably what it was).

So, the benefits are there. But it will only work if you’re there.

I’ve been doing this early morning thing for a while now, but I didn’t start that way. All through school soccer practice and volleyball practice was after school (Volleyball practice in high school was held, like from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m., or something like that). In college, my friends and I went to the field house after dinner (I won’t even get into the useless workouts I did at the field house. But that has sparked an idea for a future post). And even when I was living on my own for the first time, the gym was always a thing I did after work.

The morning routine only started after I joined a rowing team. And really truly, it was because the friends I had made at the boathouse were all moving to mornings, and I wanted to hang out with them. Oddly enough, of the 8 or more that I started this routine with, I was the only one left standing after a while.

The mornings ended up working out best for me after I had the baby and went back to work. I would take the bus in my sweats, go straight to the gym, workout, shower at the gym and arrive at work just around 9 a.m. Ultimately that seemed too late for me. I prefer to be in the office at around 8 so I can get a jump start on the day.

These days I do the crossfit class Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 5:30 a.m. I recently added Yoga on Tuesdays at 6 a.m. If I show up at a 6:30 a.m. class, my coach asks if I’m sleeping in. Usually that’s the case.

When I was training for the half-marathon a few years ago I threw in two mid-day runs a week during lunch (go back into the chattycha archives and you’ll be able to find plenty of “running” entries during that time). I have tried to incorporate that back into my schedule from time to time, but I always find a reason to put it off. Even on the weekends. If I don’t get a run in before noon, I pretty much write it off as a day I’m not going to work out. I just don’t have it in me by then. Not the greatest thinking, but it’s just not my thing. No matter what the studies say, the best time to work out is the time that works for you. Maybe it is nights, and if you are consistent and you like it, then that’s all that matters.

You can turn into a morning exerciser, though, if you really want to. It will just take a while. I recall hearing somewhere that it takes 21 days to make something into a habit. So, make it through three weeks of early morning working out and you may just make it a habit. A great habit, if you ask me.

Here are a few suggestions to make morning workouts work for you:

1. Be accountable. To be honest, my best consistency in early morning workouts is when I’m paying money and/or others are relying on me to be present. For me that means taking a class, meeting a friend, or practicing in a boat where you need all participants there. If you really want to get that workout in, make sure you have a very compelling reason to get out of bed alongside that desire to get the workout in. You’ll be more likely to ignore your body’s wish for 5 extra minutes of sleep.

2. Be prepared. Every night I lay out all of the clothes I’m going to wear on the couch in the living room. I do this in the living room so I don’t disturb the husband in the bedroom sleeping. This means once in a while I’m pretty sure our newspaper delivery guys get a glimpse of a strange lady getting changed in the middle of the living room but whatever. On the couch I lay my sports bra on top of my t-shirt on top of my long-sleeve. My leggings are on the arm of the couch. I tuck my socks into my shoes which are next to the couch. I have my bag next to my shoes. Everythng is in the same place each time, I could do it closing my eyes (I’m already doing it in the dark). The only thing I need to do after my alarm goes off is pee, put on my contacts, change (clothes already out), and grab my water bottle, which I fill the night before. My phone and fitbit have been added into that routine, too. I do this all so that I don’t have to think much. I had a friend who used to tuck her workout clothes under her pillow. Whatever it takes.

3. Do something you really like to do. I’ve tried to run first thing in the morning. I’ve tried to run after lunch. I’ve tried all sorts of times and really the best time for me to run is morning, but after breakfast. I’d say 8 or 9 is my sweet spot these days. Which means I won’t set my alarm for 5:00 to go for a run. I’ve tried and I’m not successful. If you do something in the morning that you’re not keen on doing (or your body is telling you, no thank you), do yourself a favor and find another activity. Not liking the planned workout is only going to tempt you to ignore the alarm.

4. DON’T IGNORE THE ALARM. Your significant other (even if that SO is your dog) will be grumpy. (Also if you use your phone as your alarm clock, learn to wake up with your phone on vibrate. At some point you may end up waking up a minute before your alarm. That’s when you know you’ve made it)

5. Give yourself a break. Take at least one day a week to wake up later. Get to bed at a normal time (for me, my bedtime is 10 p.m. as I write this I see it is 9:50 so I know I have to either wrap it up or save it in my drafts). When I rowed I tried to go to bed at 9. If for some reason I’m having a bad night, I’m just not sleeping, only a few times over the past 2+ years have I skipped that class the next morning. Many more times I suffer through it sometimes because I know. This is my time to get it done, and if I don’t do it at 5:30, I won’t do it. And I’m selfish. I want it. So, I suffer.

6. Remember that it could be worse. You could be The Rock:

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A post shared by therock (@therock)

#Crazy

WODS of January 2015

Posted on February 8, 2015 by chatty

I’ve been doing this for over 2 years now. It’s kind of hard to fathom. Our strength focus lately has been fine-tuning our lifts. Form and such. As January was NFL playofss, you may see a few (or more than a few) Seahawk-themed workouts here. Sigh. Just sigh.

Happy New Year … a month with a lot of burpees. Funny, that.

I was on the “More Awesomer” team. This was Championship Blue Friday. We won by a point in the “fourth quarter”. What I thought would be a good omen. It wasn’t.

Our Kam Chancellor wod. A lot of jumping.

The wide receivers workout. In high school I think we called these Suicide Runs? Probably not PC anymore. And in the 6am class we’re doing them in a dark, near pitch black, alley.

It was tough to finish this one within the time cap. I just made it through. The first time listed was our 1,000m row time. For me, 4:00, which is my personal goal for those types of sprints.

Blue Friday WOD. We did a similar one last year. Your reps are team player numbers. 89 Bicycles … Thanks Doug Baldwin, Thanks.

I’ve stopped going Toes to Bars. (hanging down from a bar you bring your toes up to touch the bar) It’s too much for my back.

Thanks, January. Moving on.

How do you like them apples?

Posted on February 6, 2015 by chatty

Actually, I like them a lot.

Hello, Bellevue QFC

I am pretty much a creature of habit and for the last few years, on Tuesday mornings I get off the bus in Bellevue one stop early and walk to the QFC to pick up some snacks for work. The snacks are: 4 apples. 4 – 5 Larabars or Kind Bars. Sometimes a carton or two of yogurt. Sometimes Figs. Sometimes string cheese. The apples are pretty much the staple. I’ve tried other fruits or vegetables but either they don’t fill me up like I want to be filled up, or I forget or have no desire to eat snow peas and they go bad, etc. So, apples it is.

Here’s a tip: Shop at 7:30 on a Tuesday morning and you’ll be one of the only customers in the store.

For months they were always Fuji. Then I started doing Honeycrisp. A couple of weeks ago I tried this one, Junami and was like WOW. But then I went back and they were gone. And then I went back again this past week and they were there, so I picked them up but they weren’t as good as the first time. Don’t you hate that?

Anyway, this post is supposed to be about apples. About how, when I was growing up, it seemed like there were only a few kinds of apples. Red or Golden Delicious (which, let’s be honest, really weren’t all that delicious). Macintosh. Granny Smith (which if you bought by accident was too bad because they were too tart and supposed to only be for baking pies but that’s not necessarily something a Chinese family knows until the oldest daughter takes 7th grade Home Economics). Maybe there were others, but I do not remember what they were.

These days, the kid enjoys Opal. The husband, Honeycrisp (though he branches out and gets a Gala or Pinks Crisp every now and again). I’m partial to Fuji and Honeycrisp, but boy would I like to find another tasty Junami again.

So, tell me. Was it just a childhood memory that we had far fewer types of apples in little ol’ Connecticut? Did my parents not offer me the choice? Was it the same growing up in Washington? Or is something new, and indeed it has been a change over the past few decades that allows the consumer to try a different apple every week?

What’s your favorite?

I hate losing

Posted on February 4, 2015 by chatty

I’m in a very weird state right now. It’s some sort of grieving stage. It’s like, if I don’t think about the events that happened on February 1, 2015, maybe just maybe they didn’t really happen.

I am, of course, talking about the Super Bowl. Gah. I hate even writing the words. I wish I had written this post during half-time or something. But I’m getting it done now because maybe it will help with this grieving process. Maybe I just need to work through it.

It’s not working.

These are the appetizers I prepared for that day. My theme was based on some of our favorite Seahawks.

For Doug Baldwin (seriously, Baldwin, what was up with your unsportsmanlike conduct!?!) who is part Filipino, I heated up these tasty Lumpia (Filipino version of the Spring Roll). These were bought in the freezer section of the Market. That’s just some leftover sweet and sour sauce from the Chinese restaurant down the street. Not that I’m into that kind of thing or anything. You know, for the kid:

For you, #89

In honor of our Washington State natives (Jermaine Kearse, Bryan Walters, Steve Schilling, Demetrius Bronson and Offensive Line Coach Tom Cable), I’ve got some Smoked Salmon pate spread, plus some carrots and apples, but those are more because you need something kinda healthy to balance out the not healthy.

Thank you, #15, for one the most amazing catch of the game. Let’s just pretend that’s how it ended, m’kay.

Next up are those ham roll-ups you see. Those are “Ham and Pickle Pinwheels”. Only some of them are made with Canadian Bacon. You see where I’m going? Luke Willson and Jon Ryan hail from across the border, ‘eh. And ham, that’s like Virginia, right? Virginia Ham is a thing. So that’s for my man Russell Wilson and Kam Chancellor.

#3, I just can’t stay mad at you. It’s not your fault. I mean, you can’t throw the ball AND catch the ball. Um. I mean. Just run that sucker in! I mean … GAH!!!

So there you have it. These were our first-half treats. At halftime the husband and kiddo made a great pizza with maybe a little too much blue cheese but that’s what you get with a 3-foot-nothing sous chef, I guess. I didn’t complain.

Last but not least, here is what I brought to our Blue Friday potluck a few days before the event. Good thing, too, because it seemed everyone else brought in sweets. Cupcakes, brownies, cookies, etc. This was a sorta nice balance: a healthy version of Broccoli Waldorf Salad, made with a yogurt/mayo dressing and covered in lots and lots of bacon. But I just ate all of the junk stuff anyway.

Then there was this guy:

http://instagram.com/p/yfhSlYoub4

Dude. Not. Cool.

Cafeteria Comfort Food

Posted on January 24, 2015 by chatty

Remember the days when you got a grilled cheese sandwich with a small cup of tomato soup from your school cafetaria? Ah. Those days are not these days.

When I go to the work cafeteria for lunch, 95% of the time I get the same thing, the salad bar. 100% of the time when I get the salad bar I choose the same things, which I can tell you in order of how the show up at the bar: mixed greens, beets, cucumber slices, mushroom slices, red pepper, carrots, kalamata olives, artichoke hearts if I’m feeling sassy, then a combo or one of these proteins: turkey chunks, grilled chicken chunks or tuna. If I didn’t eat an egg that morning I might have some sliced HB egg instead. The kalamata olives and tuna have been a recent introduction. I’ve stayed away from peas, chick peas and edamame since going paleo (which I no longer am, but old habits die hard). I sprinkle over some EVOO and Balsamic Vinegar and call it a day. My salad-by-the-pound is never more than $6, even though after 1 lb (or $8, i think) they call it “max salad” as in anything over one pound is the same price as a pound.

A couple of weeks back my co-worker challenged me to create a max salad. I tried. I didn’t make it, it was more like $7.50. The cashier looked at my bowl and suggested next time I add more beets. I ate my salad and had stomach cramps for the afternoon, on account of eating too much frikkin salad. But, I digress.

Most of the days I go upstairs to eat, rather than make a beeline to the salad bar I do the tour to see what else is being served. Then I go back to the salad bar. Lately, however, I’ve been swayed. And that’s because the caf brings in a rotating station of local eateries to hawk their goods. Special guests have included Mayuri, Thai Ginger, BitterRoot, La Isla, etc. Considering the demopgrahics of our workplace it should not be a surprise that there seems to be at least one Indian and/or Asian food choice every day.

Last week as I was walking through I saw someone waking away with a bowl of noodle soup. I don’t even know what kind of soup but I saw a tea egg amongs the greens and meats and without a hesitation said to myself, “I’m getting that”. Nevermind that I didn’t need that much food. That I definitely didn’t need the noodles. The soft, yummy noodles. I got it. Beef Noodle Soup from Shanghai Shanghai:

Oh. Yeah. If you grew up in my little house with my family, THAT is comfort food right there, my friends.

Today, I entered in from the opposite door than usual, which meant the salad bar was furthest from my entrance instead of the first thing I see. Instead I noticed people walking away with pho. And what do you know, What The Pho? was there. And, yes, that is the name of the restaurant.

Sooo, I did it again. Had noodle soup, chicken and vegetable medley. Except this time I asked them to skip the noodles.

Not quite as yum as Shanghai Shanghai, but still a pretty tasty lunch.

Back to salads, though. More on why in a later post, I suppose.

Classic Toll House Cookies

Posted on January 23, 2015 by chatty

We (meaning me) baked cookies for the kid’s class right before her birthday. Her birthday landed on a holiday (MLK) so I had her bring in treats on Friday. So the schedule was, Tuesday: shop for ingredients. Wednesday: make the dough. Thursday: bake the cookies. Friday: bring the cookies. Thursday, Friday, Saturday: eat the cookies.

I asked her what kind to make and she said chocolate chip. So at the store I picked up a package of Nestle Toll House semi-sweet chocolate morsels (is there any other kind? Actually there is. There is milk-chocolate morsels, which the kid picked up instead of the SS and which I immediately took from her, put back and picked up the RIGHT ones, because there can be ONLY ONE. And that one is SEMI-SWEET. Got it?)

I checked the back of the package for the recipe. Made sure we had all the ingredients and picked up the ones we didn’t have (brown sugar), and the next day we made them, exactly as the recipe called for. No crazy substitutions this time.

There is tradition. And then there’s Toll House Cookies.

When the kid took a bite her reaction was. “MMM … they’re kind of salty.”

Yes, kid, yes they are. My favorite part of these cookies is that salty sweet aftertaste. No other cookie delivers that taste. It tastes like childhood. The good kind of childhood.

WODS of December 2014

Posted on January 22, 2015 by chatty

Well, my goal (because I refuse to set new year resolutions) of blogging more has been SOOO successful.

But, everyone should have fitness goals. Last year my goal was to increase my max pull ups and … I’m still at one. Oh well.

This year? I’m itching to switch things up a little bit but haven’t figured out how, exactly. I did someone get conned into signing up for a 15K. Funny thing, that. I thought, oh, March is so far away and that’s plenty of time to train. And then after signing up I thought, Hm. Race date is March 1, which is basically the end of February. And then I thought, Huh, actually it’s already mid-to-late January and suddenly I’m like, AAAAAHHHH?!

So. I have that to look forward to.

I still have 10 days to post the December WODs, before I need to get my butt in gear to post January’s so here you go:

And … I’ll leave the commentary out of it this time.

5 things my kid does at this age that I never did

Posted on January 7, 2015 by chatty

This week is birthday week for the kiddo. So, in honor of my mini-me, here are 5 things she does that has me shaking my head.

1. She says “I know, right?” and various other colloquialisms that she has no doubt picked up from me. Maybe I did this when I was this age? But I doubt it because my parents didn’t speak that way. They were just trying to speak plain English, their second language, and try to deal with three kids who were brought up with this second language as their first. The kid started saying “whatever” at a very young age and I got angry at her for that. She told the teacher this at Sunday School. I was sitting right there and was mortified and delighted at the same time.

2. She eats sashimi, and a lot of it. How lucky to be living in this city at this time with this family where sushi is a weekly occurrence because you can pick it up at the local store, where there is a full time sushi chef employed and they can make it to order …. AT THE GROCERY STORE. The first time I had sushi I’m pretty sure I was in high school. It was a big deal when they opened up a restaurant in “West Hartford Center” and dang it was super expensive. But here, still expensive but more bearable because, you know, I have a job and stuff.

3. Knows what sarcasm is by name, and the other day in school drew a Venn diagram. Conversation, once, in the car:

Husband: oh I love parking in the city.

Me: funny, you don’t sound like you love it.

Kid, in the backseat: That’s sarcasm! (as if explaining to me what her father was saying. But did she not get what I was doing? Maybe she still has a little bit to learn).

4.Not only has taken selfies of herself (and once, with her aloof dog Max). She even draws pictures of princesses taking selfies. Wait, WHAT?

“they are taking a picture together”

(she also says “Wait, What?” but because her English is so proper she says, “Wait, what did you just say?” Similar to when I tried to teach her the words to the “Ghostbusters” song. “Who ya gonna call?” I’d sing and she would repeat, “Who are YOU going to call?”

5. I dunno, maybe there’s just 4 things I can think of at this second. So I’ll spend the rest of this post talking about how kind she is, empathetic, creative, artistic, outspoken (usually in a good way) hilarious and I could go on, but I know it’s not the most interesting thing to read about other people’s kids. (really, friends, it’s not)

Happy Birthday, sweet pea.

These a few of my favorite books (of 2014)

Posted on January 6, 2015 by chatty

In my head I have a bunch of posts that I want to write down and get out there. One of my unofficial new year resolutions, if I still did that kind of thing, which I don’t, because, seriously, who needs that kind of pressure … is to post more. Not just blog more, but, you know, try to get myself out there a little more. I like to write these little ditties and share this little bit about me, but the truth is, I don’t. It’s scary. So I don’t share my posts socially (well, I do, but only on Twitter and Google+, where I have about 30 followers total). I “discourage” search engines from crawling me (that sounds a lot creepier than it is). And why? Because while I like to blog, I don’t want people reading my blog posts?

I’m like the anti-blog blogger. Who’s ever heard of such a thing.

I hate rejection. I hate attention. I am bad at individual sports, prefer the team thing. But you know what, who doesn’t like a little encouragement from others every once in a while. A little validation that you are a-ok. A few “likes” on their FB pics, or a “+1” in that work email … So let’s change it up, shall we? Just for a little bit, let’s see if anything detrimental comes up if I let you in on the secret that’s not really secret, I like writing. In the meantime, you’ve caught me on a good night. I’m finally writing about the best books I read in 2014.

The only book I gave 5 stars to on Goodreads in 2014 is this first one. Not because I read a lot of crap books last year (although I did read some crap books, starting with the first book I finished in January 2014, “Allegiant” aka “Don’t Bother”). I think it’s more because I rate books very hard. I am a difficult reviewer, of books, of things, of surveys, of people. So, Jojo Moyes, congratulations. You received the sole 5 stars for Me Before You.

Let’s face it. I’m a sucker for romance books. I like the funny ones (See: Kristan Higgins). I indulge in some of the regency on occasion, and I’ve read a few Nora Roberts when I just needed to get through a plane ride. Me Before You (2012), which I read in gloomy October, is like the anti-romance, in the same way I am the anti-blogger. You root for the main characters, that they both get to accomplish what they want to, and all the while you know, in the back of your mind, there’s a very good chance it is not going to end well. And then the tears. Plus, she’s British. I love her colloquialisms. Oh, and I’ve already slammed the gauntlet down in 2015 with this writer. Her latest novel? One Plus One, the first book I read in 2015? 5 stars. So, get to it, other books. Who’s going to join Jojo?

By the way, when I read other people’s reviews, be they on Amazon or Goodreads, one of my least favorite types of reviewers are the ones who provide a summary before getting into their review. If I want a summary, I will read the summary provided by the publisher. I don’t need you to waste your time providing one. That is why I’m not providing one. If you’d like to learn more about these books that are obviously quite good, click on the links and learn a little more. Otherwise, just deal with my broad, general strokes about these novels.

Moving on.

2014 was the year of Rainbow Rowell. I finally got around to reading Eleanor and Park (2013) in April, soon after it was announced that DreamWorks had bought the film rights to this book. When I finish a young adult book that is so emotional, gripping, beautifully written, something that bring me to tears (hmm. more crying), I often wish I had these books when I was a teen. I read a lot of crap back then. I wish I had something of more substance, that spoke to me. The scene that had me bawling into my pajama shirt (because this was most definitely a stay-up-late-to read book) was centered around Park’s mother, a Korean immigrant who, in the middle of a grocery store, suddenly realizes who Park’s girlfriend is. What she is. And is so affected by it she can’t continue her trip. I’m not spoiling anything by explaining this scene. Maybe it takes experience and maturity for it to hit you and that’s why, at 39, I’m overwhelmed. I wonder, what scenes are overwhelming to the younger set?

Why is it the year of Rainbow? Because I also read Fangirl, Attachments and Landline this year, and thoroughly enjoyed all of them. She does adult romance/fiction/relationshippy stuff just as good as the YA stuff. It’s not often I can read that many books by the same author and feel good about all of them. Excited to see what comes from this movie, and will try my best not to put it up on some pedastal only to be somewhat disappointed because it doesn’t live up to my higher-than-high expectations as a film (see: TFIOS)

I’m sort of cheating here, because while I planned to limit my list to four or five books, I’m actually bringing up a lot of titles that I enjoyed last year. So that’s why it’s okay, for this next selection, to include the entire trilogy. I was at first leery of receiving this recommendation, because the person who recommended it, well, I just don’t see us having the same taste in books. But then he told me that he read this series because so-and-so recommended it to him, and I DO see eye-to-eye with so-and-so, and plus the premise was just one I couldn’t resist, so I picked it up (or, rather, I put the digital copy on hold at the Library, then clicked and downloaded it when it was finally ready).

The Last Policeman (2012) takes a murder mystery concept and places it during a time, not too far in the future than today, when everyone on Earth is well aware of when the world will end. That’s all I’ll say. The series has a very satisfying ending, which does not happen all that often, in my opinion. It takes a simple premise and turns it on its head with the setting and environment. Love it. (The first two I read in late August/early September, and the final one, released this year, I read in October, only because the waiting list at the library was so darn long).

I have a few others in mind, but I think I’ll end this list with a couple of authors I know I mentioned last year. About five years ago my work spouse introduced me to a few urban fantasy writers to help get the taste of Twilight out of my brain, and I’ve never looked back. For serial novels (is that what they call them?), it’s always fun when you enjoy something so much you go back and reread previous books in the series. I remember when I was reading Harry Potter as they were being published, I loved the books so much I would reread the previous books in the series because I couldn’t get a big enough Potter fix.

And so with the Kate Daniels series. Magic Breaks came out this year, and immediately after finishing it (August), I reread one of my favorite books in the series, and then, last week, once I had finished my Goodreads Challenge, I reread Magic Breaks. The writing duo of Ilona Andrews loves their fans (see: Clean Sweep, which I also read this year, and enjoyed, and paid for, even though they offered it on the Interwebs for free, because they are awesome). After a buildup of 6 prior books, MB is the one when the main character meets her creator, so to speak. I’ll probably add this series to the list next year, too. It’s that good. (Here’s my one complaint this time … I can have one, right … the unnecessary sex scene that was tacked on near the end. Seriously, really could have gone the entire book without it, but it was almost as if the editors said, no you need it and so you just kind of pinned it on. Really?)

Speaking of writers who love their fans, and somewhat related, fans who love their writers, but not in that Misery kind of way … I would be omitting another favorite if I didn’t mention Shifting Shadows by Patricia Briggs. Mercy Thompson is another urban fantasy series I love (Night Broken came out this year and I would add it to the list but I didn’t do the reread like I did with Kate Daniels and so it gets the mention not the picture and listing) and Shifting Shadows is a series of short stories that take place in the “world of Mercy Thompson” … meaning our fearless writer has provided background and additional insight into side characters and stories that didn’t get the attention in a books original setting though you wished it could. So fans of the series geek out and devour every morsel handed to them. It’s like DVD extras, only way better. Thank you, for allowing me to geek out.

To sum up the last three paragraphs: If you looking for something weird and different I would definitely recommend one of these series, start with the first one and just go from there: Magic Rises by Ilona Andrews, Moon Called by Patricia Briggs (hello! Local author alert! The series takes place in the Tri-Cities!). I may re-recommend these next year too, along with The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher.

Here are the 2014 honorable mentions: The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie S. King (I read a lot in this genre, female protaganist, historical times, with or without a husband/partner of some sort. Point of Honour was also good one in this genre, and I can thank my work spouse for introducing me to these as well); Slow Getting Up by Nate Jackson (not going to win awards, but was fun to read during post-nfl withdrawal), The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach

And here are a couple of ones I wished I hadn’t: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, The One and Only by Emily Griffin, The Giver by Lois Lowry. Life would have been just fine had I not picked up any of these.

This was a long post. I don’t think I’ve written a post this long since my last best books of the year post. I think it counts as two posts. I’m going to take it easy, then.

Join me on Goodreads, where you can check on my annual Reading Challenge to read 60 books in 2015.

Chatty Cha

dessert first