Sunday Meat Loaf & April Books

I made meat loaf tonight, and also posted the recipe on the cooking blog.  So that explains the title!

First things first, books:

1.  Worth the Fighting For by John McCain.  I did enjoy this one, but not as much as his earlier book.  This was partially biographical and also had a lot of historical information on other political figures.

2.  Divine Secrets of the YaYa Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells.  I was extremely disappointed by this one, I didn't even finish it.  It promptly got put into the donate pile, I'll let somebody else attempt it.

3.  Your Couldn't Ignore Me If You Tried by Susannah Gora.  This was about the series of movies in the 1980's that starred the actors collectively referred to as the "Brat Pack."  I have one comment that is really directed to the author:  They're just movies!  They aren't guides to life!  Some movies are just entertainment, some are historical and some are important from a life standpoint.  The movies this book is about fall firmly into the first category, but the author seems to think that they are the most important things ever.

4.  By the Shores of Silver Lake, Laura Ingalls Wilder.  I started the series in March when I was out of anything to read and read a couple of the books this month when I was still out of things to read.

5.  Teasing Secrets from the Dead, My Investigations at America's Most Infamous Crime Scenes by Emily Craig.  This one was actually good and I did enjoy it but it wasn't the best written book I've ever read.

6.  Voice for the Dead by James E. Starrs & Katherine Ramsland.  Don't bother with this one.

7.  History in Blue, 160 Years of Women Police, Sheriffs, Detectives and State Troopers by Allan T. Duffin.  I just skimmed this one, it was so-so.

8.  Dead Reckoning, the New Science of Catching Killers by Michael Baden, MD.  He's the former New York City medical Examiner.  2nd author Marion Roach.  This one was interesting and I learned a few things I didn't know.

9.  No Heroes, Inside the FBI's Secret Counter Terror Force by Danny O. Coulson.  This one was very good, I really enjoyed it.  It's well-written and is an autobiography as well as a history lesson.  The fact that the author is a typical Texan is pretty obvious, which is just one more reason to recommend this one.  It's a pretty big book, but I am glad I read it.

10.  Blueprint Crochet, Modern Designs for the Visual Crocheter by Robyn Chocula.  Not impressed.

11.  Couture Crochet Workshop, Mastering Fit, Fashion and Finesse by Lily M. Chin.  I don't remember much about this one, so it must not have been anything special.

12.  Amazing Lace Crochet by Doris Chan.  Interesting, but I'm not going to crochet lace.  Too many tiny details!

13.  Where Hope Begins, One Family's Journey out of Tragedy and the Reporter who Helped Them Make It by Alysia Sofios.  This book was not the best written book I've read but it was interesting.

14.  Eye Cathing Crochet, Fashion Accessories You Can Make by Janet Renfield.  This was was ok.

15.  Bow the Dog.  Puppy pictures, really funny.  Also a little about each featured breed.  This one was also on Otter's reading list.

16.  World War Z, An Oral History of the Zombie Way by Max Brooks.  This one was really fun, it's a sequel to a book that Otter recommended to me several months back about how to survive a zombie apocolypse.  That book was written as if it were a real instruction manual and this is the sequel.  It was very well done.

17.  Get Your Crochet On! Fly Tops and Funky Flavas by Afya Ibomse.  Not sure if I have her last name right.  This book had several interesting patterns and I'll probably make a few of them.  A few weeks back, Otter went to a teen program at the library and the head teen librarian was knitting while the kids were working on their project.  I asked him what he was knitting and it turned out to be a beer bottle cozy, but we compared notes on crochet (which he also does), he recommended this book as one that had a good sock pattern.  He was right about that.

18.  Rowan Company's Crochet Workshop Complete Course for the Beginner to Intermediate Crocheter by Emma Seddon and Sharon Brant.  Not impressed with this one.

19.  The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

I did get quite a bit of crochet done yesterday, Otter had a request and I'll post pictures of it later on.  It's pretty much finished, but she requested I add something to it.  It was a really fun project to work on, she had a wonderful idea and I really enjoyed it.  I also read a couple of books which will be on the list for April.

Today, one of Otter's friends came over and they worked on a project for school.  We also went to an estate sale (no luck) and a thrift store (found a couple of things).  It rained most of yesterday and the ground is still somewhat spongy, so we put off the mowing until tomorrow.

It wasn't a particularly busy weekend, and we enjoyed it.