Reading Time

I have been an avid reader since I was in grade school. Having a book to read before bed, while waiting for appointments, during breaks (especially my afternoon coffee break) is great. Books entertain, inform, educate, and promote discussions.

For my birthday in November, I got a Kindle (Amazon's e-reader). After much research and comparison, I chose that one over the Nook (Barnes & Noble's e-reader) because the longer battery life, the e-ink screen (easier on the eyes than the LED screen) and the generally lower prices on Amazon. I love shopping at B & N, but I buy more from Amazon. I got the Kindle with 3g,so if there is no WiFi, I can still connect to the internet (I got internet access while in Cozumel in December).

It's been fun downloading books (many are free 99 cents or less than $10), sample chapters (those are free), and games on my Kindle. I have nearly 60 books on there now. I can read them on the Kindle itself or on my laptop  or phone with the Kindle app. The Kindle is lightweight, and it's easy to use. I can take it on trips and have multiple books at my fingertips. I think I will get most of my books now electronically. The only exceptions I see right now are some textbooks I teach with (easier to use the paper book to mark up and direct students to specific pages), cook books, and some travel books. The Kindle is black and white, and the graphics are not as great as would be in physical color cook books and travel books.

A few of the books I am currently reading on the Kindle are the following:

1. Juliet: A Novel by Anne Fortier
2. Key Lime Blues by Mike Jastrzebski
3. America the Edible by Adam Richman (he has a show, Man vs. Food, on Travel Channel)

I also peruse the free sample chapters I have downloaded. That is a great feature. I can see if I want to buy the full book by reading a couple chapters for free.

Does anyone else use an e-reader or e-reader app? What do you think of them? Any favorite books? Do you use the e-reader for textbooks?

New Semester--A Little About Me

Rocco & Shadow

Let me welcome all my English 102 students (2 sections) to my blog. I will blog along with you, but some of my entries will not relate to class or school. Above is a pic of my two cats. They entertain me and keep my lap warm.

I tend to write frequently about food--one of my passions. I love to cook (but dislike the clean up). I enjoy watching cooking shows on the Food Network (my favorite is Giada at Home). Grocery shopping is not that exciting except when I can go to farmers' markets and Trader Joe's. I enjoy eating out, but am very choosy about where I go. Some of my favorite area restaurants are Peel Wood Fired Pizza (Edwardsville), Terrine (St. Louis), and Firefly Grill (Effingham). Of course, I like Pappy's when I'm in the mood for BBQ!

I also write about my travels (when I can). If you scroll down, the last entry before this one was about the Caribbean cruise my family went on over Christmas. Due to my schedule, I can't get away as often as I'd like. And many of my weekends away are spent at running and triathlon events; my husband and some of our friends participate in them. Being the daughter and wife of Air Force men, I have done plenty of traveling and moving around over the years. Most interesting places I've lived: Turkey and the Azores. Best places I've visited: Italy, and Egypt.

It may come as no surprise that I am an avid reader (yes, the English teacher reads). Of course, I do lots of reading for my classes. This semester I am teaching a literature class, so I will be reading (and re-reading) some novels and short stories featuring multicultural authors and themes. I love both fiction and nonfiction, mysteries and love stories, food books and teaching books. I am not a big fan of horror stories and science fiction.

The new semester is such an exciting time. I look forward to getting to know all of you and reading your blogs. Feel free to comment on this entry or ask me any questions.

My Caribbean Christmas Cruise

What we have been planning since July finally came to pass. The four of us--hubby Steve, sons Andrew (23) and Eric (20), and me--went on a Caribbean cruise over Christmas. Here is a brief summary:

We flew to Ft. Lauderdale Dec. 22 and spent time with my mom, my sister and her family. Then on Dec. 23, we boarded the Crown Princess in Port Lauderdale. The in-processing wasn't too bad. Once on the ship, we checked out our rooms (Aloha deck), then started exploring. Up to the Lido deck--pools, Horizon Court Buffet, and fantastic views.

Dinner every evening was fabulous. The food was tasty and way too filling. Of course, ordering 4 courses can do that! I loved the appetizers and soup sometimes more than the main dishes. A few memorable ones were lobster pate, seafood salad, foi gras (I had to try it), and creamy porcini mushroom soup. My favorite main dishes were lamb shanks, lamb chops, veal scalloppine, and fettucine alfredo. Desserts? Most nights I sampled something sweet, such as chocolate mousse brownie and baked Alaska.

We stopped at four ports. First was Princess Cays in the Bahamas. There we took an island tour, which included lunch (sampled some island foods such as Conk Salad and Conk Fritters). Second stop was Grand Cayman, where we visited the turtle farm (the guys all picked up turtles) and interacted with a dolphin (what a blast). Third, the visited the island of Roatan in Honduras. What a great port. The beach was clean, restaurants and shops were close -- a super relaxing day. Steve snorkled, Andrew and I read (me on my Kindle), and Eric enjoyed buying a coconut and rum drink (drinking age is 18 there).

Our final stop, Cozumel, was a favorite for Steve and me. We did a Mexican Cuisine--cooking and tasting experience at Playa Mia. A small group (maybe 20) took instruction from Chef Luis (a very friendly and helpful guy) on preparing a 3-course meal. Along with the cooking, we had unlimited drinks.

On the ship, we felt relaxed and were pampered so much. It was great to not cook, clean, wash a dish, etc. I loved the international cafe, where we enjoyed lattes and mochas as well as pastries, salads, and sandwiches. Eric liked the big screen on the Lido deck, where he watched some movies and football as he soaked up the sun. Andrew loved having time to read books for fun, eat whenever he wanted (and whatever he wanted), and having an endless supply of soda. We also enjoyed the entertainment--music shows, trivia and other games, and Princess Pop Start karaoke contest (no, we did not compete).

Steve and I are already thinking about another cruise--just have to figure out when, then where. I highly recommend the Princess cruise line. But for now, the memories are priceless. What a way to spend Christmas!