Wine Isn't Rocket Science

Hello everyone,

We are taking another break from the "30 Days" challenge to feature another book I have recently finished: Wine Isn't Rocket Science.  This book took me a while to finish.  Not because it isn't good, but because it's more informative and not exactly a book you read for the great story line.  But I still loved it.  

There is a bit of background information required before I dive in to a summary of the book.  Even after I starting consuming alcohol wine was not my first choice.  I started out with the girly mixed drinks.  Then I discovered whisky and found that I really liked that.  I would drink beer occasionally.  But wine was never something I was interested in.  Then I met John.  Or, more accurately, I met John's family.  John's family LOVES wine.  3-4 bottles of wine disappear at even a small family gathering.  When we all get together it's an easy feat for us to go through 7+ bottles.  It was only a matter of time before I started drinking the stuff.  And once I started there was no turning back. It's not just the wine that I love.  I love the history of wine. I love watching documentaries about vineyards and wineries. I love learning about sommeliers and how they are able to identify a wine down to the mile of where the grape was grown. Everything about wine is interesting to me.  I have fallen in love and there is no turning back.

Over the summer I watched a few documentaries about wine on Netflix. While watching one about Napa Valley I had a stroke of genius.  I won't go in to details (don't want anyone stealing my brilliant idea) but I have a new business venture that I am so excited about. It combines 2 of my favorite things, 2 things I am incredibly passionate about.   I don't know when this will happen, or if it ever will, but just the thought that it could happen makes me so excited for the future.

So how did I end up with a book about wine? My mom came out for a visit in November.  She spent a week helping me get some wedding planning done.  We found a hotel for our out of town guests, searched every craft store in CT for materials for centerpieces, found a wedding dress, and found rehearsal dinner dresses.  We got a lot accomplished.  But no visit with Mom would be complete without a trip to the bookstore.  So off to Barnes & Noble we went.  Mom and I browsed the clearance section, which was conveniently located next to the food/beverage section.  I turned around to find a shelf full of books about wine. Wine Isn't Rocket Science stood out to me because of the purple cover and the catchy title.  I had been wanting to learn more about wine and here was a book that made the study of wine seem a little less intimidating. 

 I chose Wine Isn't Rocket Science over all of the other books for a few different reasons: 1. It has pictures!  And diagrams.  And charts.  Basically for a topic that I don't know a ton about, the pictures really help.  2. The format of the book is very easy to understand.  The book is broken up into various sections, including regions of wine, how to conduct a wine tasting, how to choose wine, and how to pair wine with food. 3.  The language is easy to read.  Wine tasting is a very complex art.  This book breaks wine tasting down to a very simple formula. I am by no means an expert after reading this book, but I definitely learned a lot!  If you want to learn the basics about wine this is a great book.

I'm excited to read more about wine.  It's a topic I have fallen in love with and I don't want this journey to stop any time soon. I have a few other books I want to check out about my new favorite topic. I will be sure to keep you posted on what I learn about my favorite adult beverage.

Until next time, 

Happy Reading!

30 Days of Books Day 6: A book that makes you sad

Hello everyone!

I haven't had a lot of time to post the past couple of weeks.  I tend to write posts while at my second job, but it's been so busy there I haven't had a chance to write in a bit.  At least I'm not bored at work, right?  Not having time to post gave me time to think about a book that makes me sad.  This is another tough one. It's not that I haven't read sad books because I definitely have.  But while books may be sad, MOST of them have happy endings.  I don't always remember if a book was sad if it ends on a happy note. So it's been a struggle to think of a "sad" book.

There is definitely an author that stands out in my mind as one who writes "sad" books is Jodi Piccoult.  Maybe I shouldn't say "sad", but emotional, or books that tug at the heartstrings. It's been a while since I've read one, but every time I do I feel like I get emotional.  One book that really stood out to me was Nineteen Minutes. It could be because of very recent events, but I've been thinking about this book a lot lately.

It's been a few years since I've read this book, so the details are pretty hazy.  But I'll give this my best shot. Alex is a judge that is assigned to the case of a school shooting.  Alex's daughter Josie is a victim of the shooting.  Her boyfriend is killed in front of her. We also learn that Josie used to be friends with the shooter when they were younger.  Josie would make a great witness, except for the fact that she claims she can't remember anything that happened in the moments leading up to her boyfriends death. Alex has to decide if she should take this HUGE case and risk forever ruining her relationship with her daughter or put her career aside for the sake of her daughter. I don't remember all of the details, but I remember being emotionally invested in ALL of the characters, including the shooter.

I am trying really hard to not get too political with this post.  It infuriates me that school shootings happen as often as they do.  It makes me so sad that the shooters feel there is no course of action left except shooting a school (or mall, church, etc).  Something needs to change.  I am not going to profess to know what needs to change, but SOMETHING has to!

Sorry for such a short post!  I know I tend to express myself a bit better, but it's been so long since I've read this book!  That, combined with not wanting to express my political views on such a hot topic is leading me to cut this short.  I have a few posts I need to write as I have finished 2 books and am on my way to finishing a 3rd. So while there might not be a lot of content to this post, there will be lots of posts headed your way!

Until then Happy Reading!!!

30 Day Challenge, Day 5: A book that makes you happy

Hi Everyone!

I apologize for the delay in this post!  I really had to think for today's topic.  Not because I couldn't think of a book that makes me happy.  It's quite the opposite problem actually.  ALL books make me happy, or at least MOST books. So how do I choose ONE book to write about?  I spent all week trying to decide what book I would write about.  I finally narrowed it down and am ready to roll.

In general all of Jane Austen's books make me pretty happy. They take me a bit longer to read, but the stories are so good.  They are the book equivalent of chick flicks, which then became actual chick flicks when Hollywood turned them in to movies.  I won't lie, my experience with Jane Austen began by watching Pride and Prejudice (the 6 hour version) in English my senior year of high school. But it got me hooked on Jane Austen and her style.  I then watched Emma, and finally decided it was probably time for me to read the books I loved as movies.  There is one story that I think I love just a bit more than the others.  It's not overly sad and it definitely ends on a happy note.  The book I have chosen as a book that makes me happy is. . .

Emma is probably my favorite of Jane Austen's books.  My actual first exposure to this story line was with the movie Clueless, which is loosely based off of Emma.  I LOVED Clueless when I was younger, and still do.  After watching Clueless and Emma I knew I had to see what the movies left out.  The book, as per usual, is so much better.  It just makes me happy.

For those of you who have never read Emma, watched the movie, or watched Clueless, here is a bit of a summary.  Emma Woodhouse is a young lady who fancies herself a matchmaker. The book opens on Emma attending the wedding of her former governess Ms. Taylor, whom Emma has matched up with Mr. Weston.  When Emma returns home from the wedding she gets to work on her next matchmaking quest: matching her new friend Harriet with Mr. Elton.  This isn't as simple as Emma hopes.  Harriet has her eyes on farmer Robert Martin and Mr. Elton has his eyes on Emma. Emma convinces Harriet that Mr. Elton is a better match for her than a farmer but this ends up going horribly wrong.  When Mr. Elton "makes the moves" on Emma, she rejects him and Mr. Elton retreats to Bath.  When he returns, Harriet is heartbroken to learn that he has returned with a wife.

Things get more interesting when both Frank Churchill, Mr Weston's son, and Jane Fairfax come to town.  Mr. Knightly, a dear friend of Emma's, warns her that Frank is bad news.  But, as Emma quickly learns, the heart wants what the heart wants and she finds herself falling for Frank.  Without giving too much more away, heartbreak is in store, but everyone ends up in love and happier than Emma could have hoped.

There are a few reasons why I choose this book as a book that makes me happy.  Emma wants her friends to be happy.  She isn't the best at listening to what would make them happy, but I believe her heart is in the right place.  There also isn't a horrible tragedy in this book.  Yes there are broken hearts and hurt feelings.  But there are no deaths, injuries, or other horrible events.  Emma and her friends are normal, young adults living their lives.  Heartbreak and hurt feelings happen, and happened 200 years ago when this book was written.   The aspect of this story that really seals the deal as a book that makes me happy is that there are happily ever afters for all of the "main" characters. Everyone gets what they want, finds loves, and ends up happy.  How can you go wrong with a story that ends so happy?  And the fact that the journey isn't full of tragedy makes it that much better.  This is just a feel good story all the way around.  And, in my opinion, makes this a happy book.