Friday Things
1. I mentioned earlier this week that I had a bit of a โfinger incidentโ on Sunday. With one ominous slip of the hand, I managed to send myself to MedExpress and left with five stitches in the middle finger of my left hand. Itโs feeling much, much better than it did at the beginning of the week, and Iโm anxious to get my stitches out (I have to wait until Wednesday). Thanks to everyone who has left get well wishes!
2. Over the last couple of years, Iโve really fallen away from reading books, which I used to do quite regularly. Iโm trying to get back into the groove and just ordered Gone Girl since so many of you have recommended it. What books are on your summer reading list?
3. Speaking of books, Iโm giving some thought to trying out an e-reader. Iโve been so hesitant to make this switch, as I really love the whole physical โturning the pageโ of newspapers and books. Has anyone else in the same boat made the switch? If so, what do you use as your reader? I have an iPad, but have also heard really good things about the Kindle Paperwhite, specifically that itโs really easy on the eyes. Thoughts?
4. If you โlikeโย Brown Eyed Baker on Facebook (thank you!), but are missing updates, follow this super easy and quick tutorial (two clicks!) by I Am Baker to make sure all of the updates show up in your newsfeed and you donโt miss anything:ย How to See All Updates in Facebook.
5. I have a serious case over-analysis when it comes to making decisions and have lingered over a new hair dryer for months. Iโve gone back and forth between the T3 Featherweight Luxe 2i and the Sedu Revolution 6000i. I ended up going with the Sedu; I just ordered it, so Iโll report back on how I like it after Iโve used it for awhile!
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6. I think we all enjoy spending time in the kitchen and tackling new and interesting projects, but this roundup made me chuckle:ย 17 Cooking Projects Ainโt Nobody Got Time For.
7. Iโve been doing some Pinterest housekeeping and in the process, I created a few new boards. Be sure to check out the Oreo Desserts, Sโmores Galore! and Chocolate + Peanut Butter Forever boards โ I think youโre going to like them!
8. After moving, I bought a box of Golden Grahams cerealย on a whim. I donโt think I had eaten them since I was a kid, and they totally hit the spot. I canโt quit them!
9. I created a new Home & Garden section here on the site, and plan to update it with tips and projects from around the house. Right now the posts wonโt show up on the home page, but will be accessible from the navigation menu at the top of the page. Also, if you subscribe to Brown Eyed Baker, youโll see those posts in your subscription, whether itโs through RSS or email. Are there any posts youโd like to see in this new section?
10. TGIF! I hope you get to check out something new this weekend!
My Kindle is starting to go and when it finally dies Iโm getting the Kindle Paperwhite.
I have a kindle and Iโve found myself just using it to read ebooks, of which there are a gazillion. For novels, I really prefer a book in my hand, but then Iโm a big reader.
My summer reading list includes Whereโd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple. My friends say itโs really, really funny.
Iโve been reading your blog awhile and it cracks me up how much we have in common sometimes! No finger slices for me, but I just finished Gone Girl last week (in 2 days no less) on my Kindle touch. I loved that book.
On the eReader subject โ get a Kindle or a Nook, they arenโt much different, and both allow you to borrow from the library for completely free. The reason Iโd get a dedicated eReader instead of using your iPad is for the eInk. Itโs VERY easy on the eyes and you can read in full sunlight (my husband says it has less glare than a real book).
Totally off topic, but your Irish Carbomb cupcakes and the Strawberry cupcakes have my coworkers drooling every time I make them. Thanks for great ideas!
Oh, and one other thing. If you or any of your readers are slow readers and discouraged from library borrowingโฆ Once you borrow your book (or books), turn off the wireless on your device. The book will stay as long as you want (or until you turn on the wireless again).
So sorry about your finger! ARGH!
Thank you for the book idea โ PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE post more reading ideas! It sounds like good grounds for a loosely-based book club! Count me in if you do!
Oh I just adore Dorie Greenspan. She is a true home baker at heart, and her cookbooks emit that feeling to anyone who has ever leafed through them. The Tuesdays With Dorie groups bakes one recipe per week from Dorie Greenspanโs โBaking: From My Home to Yoursโ cookbook. Keeping up can sometimes be difficult, and I can be found guilty of slacking from time to time, but I always turn to that book when Iโm looking for something new to bake.
P.S. Golden Grahams, Popcorn, Mini Marshmallows, drizzled chocolate chips.. Yeah, Sโmore popcorn is what Iโm talking about it. Family favorite!
Kindle Paperwhite is the way to go. No. Doubt. About It! iPadโs are awesome, but the backlight screen is hard to read for hours when youโre into a good book. Paperwhite is backlit so you can easily lay in bed and read with the lights off, but itโs totally easy eyes. Lightweight, easy to hold. Canโt say enough good things about it.
If at first youโre not into Gone Girl, keep reading. It took me a hot minute, but then I couldnโt put it down.
Hi!
I read Gone Girl and it was just terrible!!! I hated the book and I donโt hate many books that Iโve read. The first half was good and drew me in, but the rest just went down hill. And it was so long and Iโd invested so much time into getting that far, that I had to finish it. But I was disappointed that Iโd wasted so much time on it. 2 of my friends read it as well and agreed.
I saw someone mention The Art of Racing in the Rain. FABulous book. Absolutely loved it, esp because I have a big dog too. They are actually in the process of starting to make it into a movie with McSteamy playing the lead!
I have a Kindle that I received as a gift and I really like it. It takes some getting used to and I keep finding myself trying to โturnโ the page lol But itโs convenient to take to work or around with me. I am such a bookwork that I recently was reading 3 books at the same time (and one was on my Kindle)! Iโve gotten some good free books from Amazon on it too and found a new mystery author that I love (Paul Plinkington). If you hear of a new book that youโd like to check out, look on Amazon and you can usually read the first chapter. Also, look at the library and see if itโs available.
Last NYE resolution was to read at least 12 books and listen to 5 audio books. This yearโs resolution is to out-do that one and Iโve already done it! I keep a list in a Word doc and also keep track of my โto-readโ list.
I read Gone Girl and liked it but not as much as everyone else. I canโt wait to start reading the Interestings. I recently rediscovered Golden Grahams too. All those old cereals bring me back to childhood.
Gone Girl was a really good book! I was dead set against e-readers until my husband gave me a Kindle Fire for Christmas and I love, love, love it! It is so easy to buy a book, read it, and not have to worry about it taking up space on the shelf or returning it to the library. I still enjoy going to a book store and browsing, but then I go home and order the book. You can borrow books from the library on your Kindle too, but the wait lists can sometimes be long. My local library lends out e-readers so you might be able to test one before you buy if your library does sometime similar.
I am so sorry about your finger! Iโm glad that it is starting to feel better though! It will be even better once you get the stitches out. :) Gone Girl was a good book, but I am still unsure about how I feel about the ending. As for the e-reader, I am in the same exact situation as you! I donโt know if I really want to make the switch because I love having the actual book in my hands. However, from what I saw when I went to the store the Kindle paperwhite was definitely the best one in my opinion. It didnโt make you feel like you were staring at a computer screen and you could change the light setting on it to make it more realistic.
Sorry to hear about your finger :(
LOVE your site!!!
Gone Girlโฆcould NOT put it down! Canโt wait for the next one!
Readersโฆhad an Ipadโฆfound it to heavy to hold for an extended amount of timeโฆso I purchased a NOOK HD and LOVE love love it! It is easier to tote around, I donโt think you could go wrong with either NOOK or Kindle! I just like BN.com best!
So sorry about your finger! Hope it gets better soon!
I have to add to the voices loving the Kindle. Iโm an avid reader, and Iโm such a huge bibliophile that I was very hesitant to go to an eReader. My husband first bought me a Nook, but it was too heavy for me to enjoy reading with it. So, we returned it and got a Kindle. I canโt even tell you how much I love it! Itโs light and portable, and I donโt need an entire suitcase devoted to books when I go on vacation.
If you enjoy Gone Girl, I highly recommend Gillian Flynnโs other novels; I liked them even better than GG. I also recommend Tana French, who writes murder mysteries. The first in her series The Dublin Murder Squad is Into the Woods. Anything by Kate Morton is phenomenal. And The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield.
Hi Michelle, I just loved the โAinโt Nobody Got Time For Thatโ postโฆlordy, where DO these ideas come from?!!? About your reader quandary, I have two iPads: a First Gen and a 3 (gave my sister my first one) and LOVE them! I can read in iBooks or Kindle. I can brighten or dim the lighting, change the font, change the size, change the page colorโฆI donโt know what else there could possibly be that my โSageโ (yeah, Iโm one of those that names everything!) doesnโt have. Hope this helps! No glad your finger is getting betterโฆyou never realize how one part of your body affects just about everything else!
I have an older kindle and an IPad. I love my kindle and wonโt hesitate to get the paper white one when mine wears out!
Hope your finger heals up nicely! I used to work at a fudge/ice cream shop and sliced my finger up goodโฆwith a spatula! I guess it hit a nut while I was cutting a piece for a customer. Everyone thought I cut it off. Got a nice scar and a numb spot now right on the very tip of my finger. Took forever to stop bleeding. Gave the ER folks a good laugh when I described my accident. They fixed me right up and sent me home.
I wasnโt sure about digital reading but now I canโt get enough of our tablet and Iโm constantly checking out ebooks from our library. Iโm reading the Host by Stephanie Myers right now and so far itโs pretty good.
Really enjoying your blog, the Friday Things makes your blog really approachableโฆ.hope the finger heals well :)
Wanted to comment on the e-readerโฆ.I have an original style wifi Kindle & I love it. If you read outside, Kindle does not have glare/reflection like the ipad does. Itโs also great for travel, as you can load up on books without the weight. I have both a kindle & ipad and much prefer to read on the Kindle. I still pick up paper novels now & then, but the convenience out weighs the electronic โpagesโ. Take care!
I have a kindle paperwhite and I love it. I was skeptical at first because like yourself, I like having an actual book, but it is so convenient! Being able to transport a whole library and buy books any time of the day or night (so at 3am when you finish a book, you can get your hands on the sequel in seconds!). The paperwhite is great because there are no glare issues and itโs not as hard on your eyes as an ipad. I do however, find it annoying that I cannot lend a book to someone, or donate it if I donโt want to keep it.
I was anti e-reader for a long time, and got a Kindle Paperwhite for Christmas. I LOVE IT! I have read so many more books this year than I normally would have. My husband was jealous so I just got him one for his birthday :) Itโs easy to use, easy to hold with one hand while youโre snuggled under your covers, and although itโs not cheap, I donโt mind taking it to the beach and pool like I would an iPad.
I thought โGone Girlโ was poorly written & didnโt enjoy it- and I read it for free from the library. The #6 Projects link reminded me of when an old BF got me a subscription to Martha Stewart magazine (since we share a name). Iโve never felt so inadequate as when I looked at her monthly calendar. When he renewed it, I called & cancelled. Too much pressure!
Happy to hear that your finger is on the mend! Ouchโฆbe careful!
โ17 Cooking Projects Ainโt Nobody Got Time Forโ had me laughing! Some people may have the luxury of time, but not this working girl!
Have a great weekend! House hunting hereโฆagain. I think this is now round 7 and 45 houses down. ARGH!
Definitely check out โDriftlessโ by David Rhodesโfantastic book.
So happy that your fingers better :)
Iโm reading Neil Gaimanโs โOcean At the End of the Lane,โ Charlie Hustonโs โSkinnerโ and Toby Barlowโs โSharp Teeth.โ I know everyone loves their e-readers, but I actually like collecting books, especially since I practically run a lending library with them. Iโm sure someday Iโll give in!
So sorry about your finger. I hope you are on the mend.
I am a big fan of your site and I am looking forward to the new Home & Garden section. I checked the menu and it doesnโt seem to be up yet but maybe I mis- understood and it is elsewhere on the site??
Anyway, looking forward to seeing all your new house fun!
Hi Nancy, Itโs not there yet because I havenโt posted anything yet, but Iโll be doing so shortly!
I have kindle fire and love it! We can share books on the kindle also
ps. I highly recommend Wild by Cheryl Strayed. And if you liked Hunger Games try The 5th Wave.