What is SMART?

The SMART program helps elementary students become confident readers by pairing them with volunteers for one-on-one attention. They also provide books for the kids to take home (and keep) on a frequent basis, which is really helpful as a lot of the kids in this program come from families that aren’t supporting them in this area already, so having new and fun books to take home as their own creates an excitement around learning and reading which is really fun to see.

How we can help:

1. Donate online to SMART.
2. Volunteer to be a reader.

Forkover Friday Week 4
Who it helps: students
What non-profit: SMART
Where: Portland, Oregon
Why: I volunteered with SMART as a reader and it was a wonderful experience to watch the kids progress and learn to love reading. Photo: mikefats

Where should I give next week?

I really liked The Alchemist. I wouldn’t call it a life changer, but I very much enjoyed the “create your own destiny”, “follow your dreams”, and “live in the present” fable. It’s also full of good quotes! :)

The 2nd five classics:

1. The Old Man and The Sea (Hemingway)
2. A Farewell to Arms (Hemingway)
3. For Whom The Bell Tolls (Hemingway)
4. The Alchemist (Paul Coelho)
5. The Invisible Man by (HG Wells)

The 1st five: Animal Farm (George Orwell), 100 Years of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez), Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand), A Moveable Feast (Ernest Hemingway), Slapstick or Lonesome No More (Kurt Vonnegut)

What have you been reading lately?

1. Animal Farm by George Orwell – I checked this one off the list in 2007
2. 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez – this was a slow read for me. It was good, not the greatest book ever, but I enjoyed it.
3. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand – loved it — one of my new favorite books! Yes, it could be condensed (1200 pages!), but it’s a still an excellent read. After several recommendations, I finally checked it out at the library.
4. A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
5. Slapstick or Lonesome No More by Kurt Vonnegut – I typically enjoy Vonnegut, but this book just didn’t click with me. For whatever reason, it took me ages to finish as I kept reading other books in between!

OK, five classics down, and five to go. What should I read next?

My two little boys were 1st graders and they had the funniest little personalities. I think I might have been given a “problem child” because the notes in his reading file said he wasn’t cooperative and didn’t enjoy reading, but we got along just fine and he did an outstanding job. My favorite memory was when he interrupted me when I was reading and asked loudly, “Why are there so many old people here?” I quietly told him that there are many different ages and then he said “Why do they look soooo old?” and I said “Shhhhh… it’s not nice to say that about people.” To which he replied, “Well why do you have such smooth skin?” :) Priceless!

I joined SMART after I came back from Costa Rica in March, so I only caught the last 3 months of the program, but it was a really great program and I’ll definitely be volunteering next school year too. If you live in Oregon, check out their volunteer page for October 2009. (photo: foreverphoto)

1. The Count of Monte Cristo Location: Marseilles. My first foray into French novels was Alexander Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo. This books stands out in my memory as the ultimate epic tale – adventure, betrayal, romance, revenge… (if you’re not into 1,300 page books the movie is pretty good as well).  Visiting the Notre-Dame de la Garde in Marseilles & Chateau d’If — you almost forget that Edmond Dantes was a fictional character!
2. A Year in Provence Location: Provence. Peter Mayle’s book, A Year in Provence, was recommended to me while I was studying in Marseilles. Of course the recommendation came from a professor who ironically had also relocated from England.  Mayle has a great writing style that makes you think “that’s exactly how it is!” if you’ve spent any time in the south of France, which is probably why his books are so popular among the Brits. Encore Provence is a fun book too.
3. Tender Is The Night Location: Cote de Azur. Like many teens, I went through an F. Scott Fitzgerald kick in high-school. Tender Is the Night was probably the first book that made me think about France as a vacation destination and not just a backdrop for old historical novels. After reading Gatsby or This Side of Paradise, you can appreciate how personal this book is.
4. Words In A French Life Location: Aix en Provence. I spent an afternoon at a winery near Aix en Provence in 2006 and my wine tasting (& lunch) guide, Jean-Marc Espinasse, told me about a book his wife, Kristin Espinasse (an American) had written called Words in a French Life: Lessons in Love and Language from the South of France. They met while she was an exchange student in college and they now have a family and live in Provence. When I returned to the States I read the book and have been reading her blog French Word-A-Day ever since. It’s a quick and charming read.
5. French Women Don’t Get Fat Location: Paris. I may have been a little obsessed with the French way of life after coming back from my three weeks of summer school in Marseille, as evident of picking up French Women Don’t Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano. This book is part narrative of her life growing up in France and part learning to eat for pleasure with recipes and tips thrown in. Even if you’re not looking for a lifestyle change or diet tips I would recommend this book.
6. The Dirt On Clean Location: Versailles. Ever wonder why the French have a reputation for being dirty? The Dirt On Clean explains it all. While it’s not just about France (it profiles our collective unsanitized history), it has some fun facts about the state of cleanliness in Europe.

I spent three weeks in Marseilles on my first-ever adventure abroad, so these books my be skewed slightly to the Provencal… :) What books have inspired you to travel?

Reminder: I mentioned last week that I’d be doing a giveaway on my new deal site — the Frugal Bon Vivant. So go leave a comment and you might just win the MP3 player!

Six weeks into container gardening, I’m having a brilliant time! It’s so fun to go outside and pick veggies to add to dinner. And I’ve finally updated my “Watching My Garden Grow” container garden slideshow. Check it out:

#57 on my 101 Things in 1,001 Days List was to read all of Seth Godin’s books. I was already about halfway done, when I added this to my list, but then he just kept on writing books! Give a girl a break, and let me catch up! ;) If you’re unfamiliar with Godin, he’s a best-selling marketing and business author who writes “bite size” marketing books and a blog.

My favorite book of the 12 is Small Is the New Big: and 183 Other Riffs, Rants, and Remarkable Business Ideas. I like how this book is divided into alphabetized one page blurbs. While not all 183 are “remarkable” ideas, it’s a great way to bring you out of the details of getting things done on a day-to-day basis. It adds a little caffeine to your marketing day. This book is better listened to than read. I really enjoy listening to an audio book that’s narrated by the author, because it’s much more personal and you feel like you’re getting the right tone/inflections.

I just finished his last book, Tribes — We Need You to Lead Us.  As usual, it was a quick read and resonated with me in a Gandhi sort of way, “be the change you want to see in the world”.  This book isn’t on how to be a better leader, just about deciding to lead. I think my favorite thing was going to read the review on Amazon and finding this in the Editorial Review section:

“The advice found in this book should be used with caution. Change isn’t made by asking permission, Godin says. Change is made by asking forgiveness, later. That may be true, but in this economy and in certain corporations, it may also be a good way to lose a job.” –Publishers Weekly

Hilarious! Seth Godin, are you laughing?

My only critique with Godin’s writing is that he’s often too quick to dismiss stable and “boring” businesses. There’s a time and place for unconventional (that’s why it’s not called “conventional”). For example, I don’t want my toilet paper to be hip and clever– it’s just toilet paper. And it doesn’t matter how “outside the box” your company is if you’re still unprofitable. I am a huge fan of his books though, I just like to take everything with a grain of salt.  :)

See my 52 Books in 52 Weeks List

Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia

The Glass Castle: A Memoir