Review: Antarctica on a Plate

Antarctica on a Plate

By Alexa Thomson

Random House Australia 2003

385 pages

Won from Heather from Based on a True Story

Alexa Thomson was a web designer working for a Australian bank when she happened to hear about an Antarctic expedition that was looking for a chef. Bored with her typical life, she decides to apply for the position despite the fact that the sum of her cooking experience was several seasons of working at a summer camp. Despite her lack of training, she is hired and Alexa sets out with a group of people she has never met to explore one of the last unknown parts of the world.

I thought that this book sounded like an interesting premise and it's a goal of mine to read more non-fiction. I have certainly never traveled to the Antarctic and the only cooking I've ever done is within the safety of my own kitchen! Reading this book seemed like a great opportunity to get a glimpse into a universe I will never have the chance to experience. And it was...sort of.

My first complaint about this book is that it is just not written in a very engaging manner. I never really felt like I knew the narrator or became invested in what would happen to her. Ms. Thomson manages to write almost 400 pages about her experiences without giving a great deal of insight into who she is or how she feels about the incredible opportunity she is given. And the chronology of the story seemed random. It gave me the sense of a teenager sitting in front of you and saying, "Well, one time we did this thing and then we saw some penguins and hey, did I tell you about the time we met the Russians?"

There is a lot of beauty and wonder in a place like Antarctica, but unfortunately Alexa experiences only a little of it. Most of her time there seems to revolve around complaining about the conditions, about the limited resources for cooking, and about her companions on this trip. This book doesn't do much to give its readers a sense of the majesty of the Antarctic and it certainly doesn't make them appreciate the men and women who make the incredible journey to explore it. 

It's often said that there are too many memoirs being published lately. Memoirs need a compelling story and a likeable narrator, and they need to be written in a way that makes the reader eager to discover what happens. Unfortunately, Antarctica on a Plate has none of these attributes. 

It's Monday and it was a good weekend....

Hey everybody! How are you? We had a good week. It was David's birthday on Tuesday and we celebrated on Saturday with the family here at our house. It was a Toy Story party (of course) and it was wonderful to see our little boy loved on by his grandparents and aunts and uncles. 

             

             

There's not a lot of excitement on the reading front. I asked you last week what I should read and so I'm taking you up on your advice. This girl needs to make a trip to the library soon, but I'm not sure they are ready to see me quite yet. I may have kept one book for an awfully long time and I just took it back a few days ago....

Read This Week:

Wonder Boys

By Michael Chabon

Posts from this Past Week:

It's Monday

To The Birthday Boy

Wednesdays with David: I Like to be Little

November Wrap-Up

Review of Full Disclosure

Reading Now:

For Her Own Good

By Barbara Ehrenreich

Up Next:

I Know This Much is True
By Wally Lamb

What are you reading this week? 

Review: Full Disclosure

Full Disclosure

By Dee Henderson

Bethany House Publishers October 2012

473 pages

From my shelves

FBI Agent Paul Falcon has been stymied by "The Lady Killer," a murderer who has no discernible pattern and the ability to never get caught. When Ann Silver brings him evidence that could crack his case wide open, he is intrigued by the small town cop with so many secrets. She seems to be a contradiction in terms - a small town sheriff and the Midwest Homicide Investigator, a confident cop and a quiet author, and someone who values time to be alone but knows vice presidents and US marshals. As the case becomes bigger and more complicated than Paul could have ever imagined, will he and Ann find room for each other in their lives? 

Ms. Henderson's O'Malley series is one of my favorites. I've read each book multiple times and shared them with lots of friends and family members. I was thrilled to discover that she was writing a new book after several years of publishing silence. Full Disclosure is a great read and I'm really intrigued by the ways she uses characters from her previous novels in this new one. I don't want to give it away but suffice it to say that if you have loved her other characters, you will be interested in reading this one. 

One of the things that I appreciated in this novel was the maturity of the characters and their views on relationships. Both characters are older and established in their careers and their routines. They have each had relationships that did not work out and wonder if they will ever find someone that will fit in their life without completely changing it. In an age where we are constantly reading about characters that 'fall in love at first sight,' it was refreshing to read about characters who felt an interest and started talking to people who they trusted. Ann and Paul both consult people who know the other in an effort to discover whether they can  overcome some significant relationship hurdles before they get their hearts broken. 

I will admit that I felt, at times, that the relationship was drawn out for too long. I liked that they recognized potential problems and worked to fix them before they got hurt. I also thought it made a lot of sense for them to get to know each other from a distance before becoming romantically involved. But this is the longest book of Henderson's that I have read and I wished  that some scenes had been cut because they started to grow repetitive. 

The mystery that Paul and Ann are investigating is a thrilling one. Since I've read many of Henderson's other suspense novels, I know that the lady can write some tension. There are a lot of twists and turns to be discovered and while I guessed some of them before the big reveal, it didn't mean that I wasn't quickly flipping pages to find out how they would affect Paul and Ann. 

Full Disclosure is a great read for anyone who is looking to read a story about a more mature relationship that doesn't involve love triangles or love at first sight. It's also a great pick for anyone who likes a good mystery that will keep you eagerly turning pages. While I would have loved a shorter incarnation of this story,  I was excited to meet Ann and Paul and I am glad to add their book to my shelf of Henderson novels.


P.S. I really don't like the cover. I don't talk about covers very often, but this one makes both Paul and Ann look mean and sketchy.

November Wrap-Up

Goodbye, November! You were sort of a reading slump to be honest and I have great hopes for December. But I am happy that I met my Goodreads goal for the year. I decided to try to read 100 books and I have accomplished that with one month still to go. Hooray! 

Books Reviewed in November: 7
Pages Read: 2,175
Fiction/Non-fiction: 6/1
Female authors/male authors: 3/4
My books/library books: 5/2
Lindsey's favorite book in November: People of the Book (but I really enjoyed The Imperfectionists and Wish You Were Here too)

Books reviewed by David: 3
David's favorite book in November: The Boxcar Children (we are currently on book #4!) 


What was your favorite book in November?

Wednesdays with David: I Like to Be Little

I Like to Be Little

By Ann Matthews

Illustrated by Eleanor Mill

A Golden Book 1976

From Mama's shelves 

The story: Our tiny narrator thinks about all of the things that make being little so much fun! She plays in boxes, gets pulled by the big kids in her wagon, and always ends her days by being tucked in by her mommy and daddy.

Mama opines: I thought of this book today, since we haven't been to the library in a bit and this lady wanted to read something other than Cars. I'm glad we read it now because I think my new five year old is becoming a bit big for some of the things in this book. It's a really sweet book and I think it would be a great pick for the little brother or sister who is always jealous of the things that the bigger kids get to do. Sometimes being little is a good thing!

Thoughts from David: I like it because it has so many pictures of the things that sometimes I do and that is just perfect.

Favorite part: When she plays with her boats in the bathtub

Happy Reading!

To the Birthday Boy

Alright kiddo, we have to talk.

How did you go from this

to this?

I don't know how this happened. I don't like it...most days. Watching you grow up is pretty fun, though.

At five, you are much too smart for your own good. You love to read and you are doing a great job of it all by yourself. Pretty soon you won't need my help anymore. That day will make me so proud and so sad all at the same time. 

You love to dance around the house. You dance with so much joy that we can't help but grin every single time. You even drew a picture of the two of us dancing in the kitchen for a school assignment about "our favorite things."

Speaking of school, you are a complete social butterfly. You have so many little friends who run over to greet you when you come to school in the morning. You love to say hello to every single person we pass in the grocery store. Your confidence in yourself and enthusiasm for other people is wonderful to watch.

Some days, you drive me crazy. You are always loud and there are flailing limbs going everywhere. You have trouble listening most days and you hate cleaning up more than anything in the world. But I know, as mommies everywhere do, that one day I will miss all of these things that are causing me to lose my sanity today.

So...happy birthday, little boy. I am so proud to be your mommy. I love you.

It's Monday and I have a winner!

Hello bibliophiles! Welcome to December, where you can officially play Christmas music every day with no shame....is that just me? This week has been less eventful (thank goodness) than the last one. We are excited for David's fifth birthday which is coming up on Tuesday. I have no idea how he is turning five already. On his actual birthday, we will be taking him out to dinner at IHOP (his choice) and then we will be having a party with the family on Saturday. 

I'm finally announcing who won the Double Blind giveaway. I am terribly behind with that because, well, there was a giant hurricane. That unfortunately made me forget about a thing or two. Anyway, the wonderful winner is Stephanie from On Page and Screen! Stephanie, check your email for a note from me! 

Read This Week:

The Awakening and Selected Short Fiction
By Kate Chopin

Posts from this Past Week:
It's Monday
Wednesdays with David: Just Go to Bed
Reviews of Redwall, People of the Book, and In the Country of Last Things

Reading Now:

Wonder Boys
By Michael Chabon

Up Next:
Well....I'm not sure. I have a few books from my shelves that I am considering. Does anyone want to contribute their two cents?

                         
The Lost Daughter                        For Her Own Good                        I Know This Much is True
By Lucy Ferriss                             By Barbara Ehrenrheich              By Wally Lamb


What are you reading this week?