Sandy at fallinglikerain has tagged me. I'm supposed to post about what I've been reading. So here goes ...

As I wrote a few blogs ago, I just finished reading "My Life In France", by Julia Child with Alex Prud'homme. I love reading books about cooking and/or France, so this book was a lot of fun! It also helped me along with my humble attempt to learn the French language. And just before that, I read "The Scarlet Pimpernel" I really liked that book and there's a blogger on HSB with that same name - he likes it, too!

Off and on, I've been reading "Walking The Bible", by Bruce Feiler. It’s about the author’s journey of seeking spiritual meaning by visiting many sites written about in the five books of Moses. It's pretty interesting and very educational. He travels with several different people and seeks out those who have considerable knowledge about the places he wants to visit. I am uncertain if he is a believer in Jesus, though I know he believes in God. Sometimes I want to smack him up side the head and say, "Have faith, you ninny!" He seems to take the Bible more as a historical document and less as words written by men inspired by God. I get the feeling he has difficulty believing the spiritual truths in the Bible that require faith to believe in. But I’m not finished with the book yet, so we’ll see how he feels at the end! I'm learning a lot about places like Egypt and Turkey. It's taking me a long time to read it, as I only pick it up when the mood strikes.

I'm reading aloud "On The Banks Of Plum Creek", by, of course, Laura Ingalls Wilder. Gosh, she is still my favorite author, after all these years. Her books were introduced to me when I was 9 and my mom was a volunteer at my school library, an unpaid position she had for 7 years! This very title was my first and most favorite book. My mom bought it at a book sale and I still have it on my shelf. Laura has been my inspiration. She's taught me a love for writing and a love for always wanting to be on the move, I guess that's called the pioneer spirit! Over the years, I collected various titles in paperback but a few years ago, my sweet husband bought the complete series in hardback - I was thrilled! I've already read "Little House In The Big Woods" to my daughter and now we are a third of the way into Plum Creek. My sons both enjoy listening as well. It has always been my dream to have a daughter to read these stories to. A dream come true!

I just started reading, "The French Menu Cookbook", by Richard Olney. Originally published in 1970, it is a cookbook that teaches all the aspects of French cooking, including methods, equipment and menu planning. The author was an American living in France (I've got a theme going here!) and inspired many future famous cooks, including Alice Waters of Chez Panisse (San Francisco) and Paul Bertolli. It's full of recipes I'll probably never try (Braised and Roasted Partridge with Cabbage - um, no) but I may attempt a simpler one like Asparagus vinaigrette. His attention to detail in the prep and cooking of each dish is impressive. And, of course, all the French thrown in is fun for me to try to say. And in an amazing coincidence, on the back of the paper book cover, is several short reviews by various people - one of them being a French woman that Julia Child partnered with when she wrote her first book of French cooking! I guess it's a small world in the realm of famous cooks!

I read a few verses of my Bible after I get in bed at night. If my dh is working (like tonight) I put my Bible on the bed next to me, where I can feel it against my shoulder. It's a comfort.

And now on a less-serious note - I'm been reading a ridiculous book on cleaning and organizing your home. It was a remaindered book and it didn't take me long to figure out why it didn't sell too well. This author is well-meaning but some of the tips are, well, far-fetched. Or contradictory. Or downright wrong. Scary! Sometimes you get the feeling she just made something up to fill space in a category. But I need all the help I can get so for the price I paid (about $3.00) I guess you can say I got my money's worth!

Well, thanks for taking a trip through my current reads. I think I'll tag annointed and jugglingpaynes. Have fun, ladies!