BookJingle Blog

Good news! Not only did I complete one Vonnegut novel in the past week, I read 4! In addition to broadening my horizons by reading, I am also adding to my book count for the year. Which, admittedly, is a little shabby. Speaking of my goal, I will tell you that I am 16% finished (having read 8 books so far in 2012), and only 7 books behind! I am pretty confident I can get back on track in the next few weeks.

But enough about that challenge, what I really want to write about today is my favorite of the Vonnegut books I have read thus far. And that is Sirens of Titan. Before I decided to delve more into the writings of Kurt Vonnegut, I really only knew of the big 3: Cat’s Cradle, Slaughterhouse 5, and Breakfast of Champions. I had never heard of Sirens of Titan, but I figured I would give it a shot. And I was pleasantly surprised.

The premise of the book revolves around the life of the richest man in the world: Malachi Constant. Constant is invited to the mysterious Rumfoord Estate to witness a materialization of a man and his dog that occurs every 59.9 days. As a result of his encounter with a phenomenon in space, the man (who we learn is Mr. Rumfoord) now exists as a wave phenomena and has complete knowledge of the past a future. . Malachi is the first person (other than the man’s wife, Beatrice) who is allowed to see and speak to Rumfoord during one of these materializations.

During the visit, Rumfoord tells Constant explains that Malachi will go on a series of journeys through space, and will end up with Beatrice on Titan, one of the moons of Saturn. Of course, the richest man in the world does not like this idea, so he does everything he can to prevent this fate. This starts the series of events that make up the novel. Along the way, Vonnegut explores religion, free will, the meaning of life, and the meaning loss.

The book (and all of Vonnegut’s books I have read so far) perfectly blend sci-fi with satire with humor with observation of daily life. And the novel also took some giant leaps and turns in directions that I wasn’t really expecting. It’s clever, and easy to read — but it still holds a lot of thought-provoking questions. I have since read Galapagos, Cat’s Cradle (again), and Breakfast of Champions. While still interesting novels, they didn’t compare to the wit and the story found in Sirens of Titan. It is definitely a hidden gem in the bibliography of such a prolific writer. I am skeptical if any of his other works can come close to that one, but I am excited to find out!

It’s true. There are some limitations when using BookJingle, and it’s important to know these limitations before selling your used books. Not only should books be in good used condition, there are just some books that BookJingle will not accept. And it is up to you to know ahead of time whether or not your books fit the criteria. The following books will not be accepted by BookJingle:

• Advanced Reading Copies / Uncorrected Proofs / Galley Copies
• Teacher’s Editions and Annotated Instructor’s Editions
• Workbooks / Study guides that have been worked
• Solutions Manuals and Answer Keys
• International/Foreign Edition Textbooks
• Reader’s Digest Books
• Books without an ISBN printed anywhere on the book
• Magazines
• Encyclopedia sets
• Partial Sets or sets with missing volumes
• Pornography
• Books on the occult
• Calendars
• Books with front cover torn to indicate disposal
• Any book marked “not for resale”
• Any book that does not meet our guideline for what is a good book.
• Any book or order from a customer creating multiple orders in the same day to circumvent quantity thresholds. If you possess a quantity of books above our threshold please contact us to see if we can purchase more.

Of course, there are still thousands of books that BookJingle will accept. Most likely, your books will be fine. Just be sure to check this list, and be sure that your books are in good condition!

So, I spend a lot of time treading the crafty waters of Pinterest. For those of you unfamiliar with this site, it is basically a place for people to post pictures of things they like. From crafts to photographs to art to wedding and party ideas to decoration — and much more. There are some great ideas on Pinterest for ways to reuse old things by turning them into something new.

Recently, I bought a lot of jewelry but had nowhere to store it. Enter Pinterest. I found so many unique ways to store my jewelry by using things you would never expect to hold jewelry. I actually came up with my own idea when perusing a nearby flea market, inspired by these non-conventional jewelry holders. The following are the best and most creative ideas for an upcycled jewelry holder:

1. Old rake as a necklace holder.

2. Reclaimed wood and decorative doorknobs.

3. Old picture frames and wire mesh/screen.

While I liked the previous three ideas, I just didn’t have the space for these crafts. What I was looking for was something a little smaller, and something that would hold both earrings and necklaces. So, I came up with this:

4. Old cheese grater.

I found two identical cheese graters at the flea market for $1.00 each, painted them with some paint I had leftover from painting my bedroom, and hung them with a couple of hooks I had laying around. I like how small they are, but they still hold a lot of jewelry. I also like how cheap and easy they are, plus being able to upcycle something that would not have been very useful in its original state (the cheese graters were very rusty) is great.

If you are in the market for a jewelry holder, consider one of these ideas, or come up with a way of your own to reuse and recycle something you already have or can get from a thrift store. And another great perk — these usually end up having more personality than a store bought jewelry holder!

Recently, a friend told me that her goal for the year (or next couple of years) is to read all of the novels written by Kurt Vonnegut. I have been searching for books to read to meet my goal for the year (I am way behind!), and hearing this idea made me realize that I haven’t thoroughly explored the works of Vonnegut. In high school, I read Cat’s Cradle, and Slaughterhouse 5. But that is only a fraction of the books Vonnegut has written.

In addition to 14 novels (including the aforementioned novels, plus: Sirens of Titan, Player Piano, Mother Night, God Bless Your Mr. Rosewater, Breakfast of Champions, Slapstick, Jailbird, Deadeye Dick, Galapagos, Bluebeard, Hocus Pocus, and Time Quake), he has written countless short stories collected into a multitude of books. I don’t plan to read his entire bibliography, but I do plan to choose 5-6 to complete this year.

I am starting with Sirens of Titan, written in 1959. This was Vonnegut’s 2nd novel, after Player Piano. After I complete that novel, I plan to read Bluebeard, Breakfast of Champions, Time Quake, and other other I have yet to choose. I might also throw a couple of short stories in there. I know I like Vonnegut’s writing, and I enjoy the science fiction elements he often includes in the books. He is definitely a writer with his own style unlike any other author.

So, hopefully this time next week I will have knocked out at least one of these books and have a proper review ready. Do any of you have authors you feel you have neglected? Have any of you ever decided to read an author’s entire bibliography?

In 2004,  BookJingle was started by two entrepreneurs in Georgetown, Kentucky. From humble beginnings in a garage and a basement, this home-based business has become the best place to sell your books online. BookJingle offers customers all over the country the best customer service in the business. And with thousands of satisfied customers, it is clear to see they are succeeding. They strive to give each and every one of their customers the highest quality service, and offer the following benefits:

• Free Shipping
• Payments within 48 hours
• Top Prices
• Excellent customer service
• Book Scout service
• Easy to use website
• Excellent communication throughout the entire process

When you sell your used books to BookJingle, you are not only making some extra cash for yourself, but you also supporting a family-owned business that is dedicated to giving its customers the best and easiest experience possible. Give it a shot, and see the difference a little dedication makes. And when you are convinced, tell your friends!

This Saturday is my 27th birthday, and I will also be attending a birthday party for my 5 year old nephew that day.  So, I have birthdays on the brain. How to celebrate my own anniversaire, what to get a kid who has everything, and what kind of cake I want. It also made me think how could one throw a green birthday party for themselves, or their children. I have compiled a list of a few ways to make that celebration of birth a little more eco-friendly.

1. Venue/Activities.
When considering the venue of your party, consider a place where fun can meet green. For example, a picnic in the park or trip to the farm. Some activities that could be fun with this venue are tie dying t-shirts with natural dye, having everyone bring used books for a book swap, or just put together a good old-fashioned scavenger hunt.

2. Invitations.
Of course, by now, everyone knows about Evite.com. And since pretty much everyone uses email these days, it is such a great idea! Not only are you saving paper, it is also easier to remember the date. You can keep the original evite in your inbox if you want, but Evite will also remind your guests of the upcoming party.

3. Gifts.
If people insist on gifts, instead of responding with a long list of tangible gifts when you get the inevitable question of: “What does ______ want for his/her birthday?” ask for other things like memberships to places around town (the zoo, the museum), tickets to a play or special events, donations to green organizations/non-profits, or even a Netflix (or other video service) subscription. If people would still like to get gifts, ask for natural and green items.

4. Decor/Partyware.
While doing the dishes of 20 people might be a bit of a pain, serving the cake on reusable partyware is much better than having to throw away 20 pirate-themed paper plates that you spent $5 on. Plus, they are much sturdier and less likely to cave under pressure if you are serving something a little more substantial. And when it comes to the decor, use recyclable decor.

5. Goodie Bags.
Finally, for when the party is over — give out eco-friendly goodie bags to all of your wonderful guests. Sandpails are great goodie bags, that can be put to good use. Or use cute fabric to tie up your goodies, and put healthy treats and seed packets in them.

You can find more ideas for eco-friendly birthday parties here and here. There are some great, simple ideas on these blogs for green parties that would be fun for everyone! The next birthday that rolls around, give throwing an eco-friendly party a try!

Did you know April 8-14 is National Library Week? First sponsored in 1958, this week is dedicated to the libraries across the nation, sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the United States each April.

But libraries aren’t just for checking out books anymore. These days, you can do anything from search for jobs to go to a craft class with your kids. My local library has monthly writing groups, book clubs, and has children’s activities at least once a week (these range from American Girl parties to crafts to movie nights).

Libraries do a lot of good for the community as well. Many across the country have book mobiles to travel to the homes of those who can’t get to the library (National Book Mobile Day is April 11). The library is where I first discovered my passion for reading through the summer reading book club.

Of course, libraries are still there for those of us who like to browse the titles, and check out books for free. It’s a great way to save some money (especially for a bibliophile like me). Most libraries also have an extensive DVD collection that patrons can check out just as they would books.

For more information about National Library Week, go to atyourlibrary.org. There you can find National Library Week materials, information about libraries, and even get Facebook cover art. You can even locate your closest library, so you can go get a library card and start utilizing all the unique services that the library has to offer!

. . . on Facebook, that is!

That’s right, BookJingle is now on Facebook. By “Liking” BookJingle, you can keep up to date with any news, coupon codes, or other important information. It’s also a great venue for asking questions. Of course, there is always the Contact Us page, accessed via the BookJingle website (if you aren’t part of the Facebook revolution, or simply want your question to remain more private).

BookJingle also has a Twitter account for those who utilize that site.

There are many ways to keep in contact with BookJingle, and keep up to date on any happenings that may affect you as a customer. Because, as always, BookJingle wants to give its customers the best possible experience. And being available for conversation and questions on different mediums is one way BookJingle strives to do that.

Sure, sugar lends itself well to baked goods. I, for one, couldn’t go without brownies, cookies, or candy for longer than a week (I have a problem). But, soothing that sweet teeth isn’t the only use for that 5 pound bag of sugar in your pantry. There are many other uses for sugar that don’t end in a 350 degree oven. So, if you are looking for creative ways to use up some of that sweet stuff, here are a few:

There are a lot of food bloggers out there. These bloggers cater to any kind of diet: vegetarian, gluten-free, low carb, low fat, and raw — just to name a few. If you are looking for a recipe, chances are you’ll find it on a blog. That’s great that so many people are writing about food, coming up with recipes, and sharing them with readers. The only problem is how to know whether a recipe is good or not. Sometimes comments help, but sometimes you just have to do a little trial and error.

When I first decided to change my diet, I searched for some blogs that had plenty of recipes that sounded good to me. Out of the sea of bloggers, I found one that was kind of interesting, funny, and had a ton of delicious-sounding recipes. The blog is called Peas and Thank You, and is written by Sarah Matheny, an ex-lawyer mother of two who decided to put her family on a vegetarian diet. A few months after I started reading the blog, she announced she would be writing a book.

That book, Peas and Thank You: Simple Meatless Meals the Whole Family Will Love, has quickly become one of my go-to cookbooks. Sure, it’s a cookbook, but it’s also a story. Every recipe has a story behind it, and those stories are pretty entertaining. But, of course, the most important parts of a cookbook are the recipes. And they are delicious.

Some of my weekly meals come from this cookbook because they are easy, healthy, and delicious. My favorite recipes from the book are Thai Veggie Burgers, Jambalaya, Spicy African Slow Cooker Soup, and Chickpea Strawberry Mango Salad. I want to try the Indian Shepherd’s Pie, Lemon Raspberry Pie, and the Black Bean Burgers.

The book contains recipes for breakfasts, salads, soups, sandwiches, burgers, pasta, and desserts and pretty much all of them sound fantastic. The recipes are all vegetarian, and can be adapted for those who choose to eat a vegan diet. But, like I’ve said about any other vegetarian cookbook, it isn’t just for herbivores! It’s a great book to have around for Meatless Mondays, to save a few bucks on the grocery bills, or just to take a break from meat every once in a while. I highly recommend it. But if you don’t want to shell out the money just yet, check out the blog Peas and Thank You, and see for yourself!