On My Nightstand September 18

This week major work started on our local public transportation leading to a lot of time spent commuting. Not fun, but I have been much more focused on my reading!

If you’re looking for some short reviews of what I read last month here you go! I post the highlights on the 15th of every month.

I’m getting a flu shot this weekend which always knocks me for a loop. (I know they say this isn’t true, but it happens to me every year.) So, I’m planning on some lighter reads.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte - Still reading this one a chapter a day! I hope to be done by November 1.

A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny - I’ve been re-reading these in anticipation of the new one coming out at the end of November.

Heiress for Hire by Erin McCarthy - I got this from a Little Free Library a few months ago, and it’s time to read it so I can release it back into the wild.

Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center - Looking forward to settling down with this one. I usually like her books.

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Show Us Your Books August 2022

This is my normal timing for writing up the previous month’s reads, but for some reason August seems like a million years ago. Lazy days spent reading and napping by the water have quickly been replaced by commuting, car pools, soccer games, and packed lunches. I always forget how rough September is until September happens.

Anyway, back to August. I had a good month, but my only five star reads were re-reads. I don’t know if that’s me not concentrating as well or the books themselves. It’s hard to tell these days!

Five Star (Re) Reads

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - This remains one of my very favorite books. Fitzgerald says so much in this short novel.

The Johnstown Flood by David McCullough - I re-read this on a whim after McCullough died. He does such a great job telling about this tragedy I almost felt like the skin on my feet was wrinkled from the flood water.

Four Star (New To Me) Reads

A Fish Caught In Time by Samantha Weinberg - I thoroughly enjoyed this short non-fiction account of the study of the coelacanth.

All The Presidents Men by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward - I wanted to learn more about Watergate so of course I went to the source. I expected Nixon gossip but this was more a super interesting retelling of all the steps the two men went through to report their story. This version also had a new intro from 2022 which compared Watergate to current events.

The Wife's Tale by Aida Edemariam - This was a fascinating woman who lived almost to 100 in Ethiopia. It was written by her granddaughter and at times was confused, but overall an excellent read.

Three Star Reads

Under The Dome by Stephen King - I think reading about a town suddenly stuck under a mysterious dome was just a little too claustrophobic and 2020 for me because I did not enjoy this one very much. I do appreciate how much research King puts into the details of his books though.

Broken Harbor by Tana French - Another captivating book from the Dublin Murder Squad series. This one was incredibly dark, but good.

Either/Or by Elif Batuman - For the first half of this book I was waiting for something to happen, but by the end the main character had grown on me.

Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield - I‘m not even sure what this book was about, but I enjoyed it. I have a thing for books and movies that take place in submarines.

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On My Nighstand September 11

Thanks everyone for your commiseration on my dependence on reading glasses last week! Honestly at the beginning of the year my reading pace was down and I thought it was just that I had no attention span. Took me an embarrassingly long time to realize it’s hard to concentrate when you can’t see the words.

I don’t like to preach, but on this day I always like to remind myself to hold your love ones tight. Life can change in the blink of an eye.

Wishing you all a great week!

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte - We started reading this a chapter a day on Sep. 1 and I forgot how dark the beginning is.

The Bright Continent by Dayo Olopade - Getting close to finishing this one. Parts are dry, but I’m so glad I read it.

The Final Case by David Guterson - I really loved Snow Falling on Cedars, and am looking forward to this one as well.

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On My Nighstand September 4

I continue to become more and more dependent on my reading glasses. It’s just one more thing they tell you that you will have to deal with in your 40’s that you don’t believe until it happens to you.

I have a light reading week coming up. We have Labor Day travel, and kid’s sports are going to start again. I’m going to keep my expectations low!

The Most Spectacular Restaurant in the World by Tom Roston - This is for my work bookclub.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte - I’m joining a group on Litsy in reading this a chapter a day.

The Bright Continent by Dayo Olopade - For #ReadingAfrica2022 I’m really looking forward to this!

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September Reading Plans

I just did a big clean out of my bookshelves and realized just how bad my unread books problem has gotten. So, my September reading plans include really trying to read some books I already own instead of getting more from the library. That said I really want to read the Three Pines series again, in order, before the next one comes out in November. I’m also running out of time on my 2022 challenges, and gearing up for Scarathalon reading next month.

So many books, so little time!

On My Nighstand August 28

Back to school means reading in the pick up line.

Hiroshima by John Hersey - We’re reading from Japan this month for #FoodandLit on Litsy and a friend recommended this one.

Lightfoot by Nicholas Jennings - Still slowly working my way through this one. It’s so fun matching music with a book.

Islands in the Stream by Ernest Hemingway - I love reading about Hemingway but have had mixed results when reading his actual books. I’ll give this one a try.

Show Me A Sign by Ann Clare LeZotte - This was recommended to me after I asked for recommendations for books like True Biz.

I also have a stack of gardening books and cookbooks from the library. I hope to spend some quiet time flipping through them this weekend.

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This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.

On My Nightstand August 21

The view from my reading chair last weekend.

Now that the kids are going back to school I’m looking forward to getting back into a routine. I also want to get back to posting here. I love having this record of my reading life! (This isn’t a complaint about my kids. They’re great. It’s just we travel a lot when they’re out of school, and when we’re not traveling any sort of routine I would develop is blown out of the water by needing to drive them places. So any hour not spent with logistics is spent working.)

Last weekend was wonderful- I spent a good part of it in my reading chair on the back patio catching up with my books. I’m hoping to carry on that momentum this weekend!

Here’s what’s on my nightstand:

Lightfoot by Nicholas Jennings - I picked this up when I was in New Hampshire and have been reading it slowly because I need to keep stopping to listen to the music referenced. I’m really enjoying this one.

A Fish Caught in Time: The Search for the Coelacanth by Samantha Weinberg - I picked this up as part of the #ReadingAfrica challenge. It looks super nerdy and I’m looking forward to it.

Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield - This is part of a buddy read on Litsy. It’s a bit odd and I’m still waiting for something to happen.

All The President's Men by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward - This is my current audiobook. I started this to get all the dirt on Nixon, but I’m staying for the fascinating working relationship between Woodward and Bernstein.

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Show Us Your Books August 2022

It used to be that I would read a lot more when I was traveling, but now I read a lot less. My kids are older, and we’re out a lot later. I’m loving spending time with them as tweens and teens, but my reading definitely takes a hit on travel heavy months.Still, what I did read last month was really, really good. So, I traveled a lot, my kids are still talking to me, and I spent some time with good quality books. So what if my counts aren’t as high this year?

5 Stars

American Made by Farah Stockman - This was an incredible book. The author followed three people from a closed factory in Indiana made famous when President Trump tweeted about it. The book which covered the former president‘s administration really looked at the issues faced by factory workers in a way you won‘t see on the news no matter what channel you watch. Highly recommend.

Four Stars

Black Water Lilies by Michel Bussi - I could not stop reading this mystery set in France until I found out what happened and then my mind exploded.

Empire Falls by Richard Russo - This was a good, slow read to get lost in. The ending was devastating.

The House at Sugar Beach by Helene Cooper - This was an excellent book about growing up in Liberia, and later leaving as a refugee in the 1980‘s. I highly recommend the audiobook read by the author.

When A Crocodile Eats The Sun by Peter Godwin - This was a very emotional memoir written by a journalist in the US who was also trying to care for his aging parents in Zimbabwe. It was a story that was both un-relatable and completely relatable all at the same time.

The Burning Blue by Kevin Cook - A comprehensive but sad book about the Challenger disaster. You just want to yell into the book and tell them not to get on that shuttle.

The Great Stewardess Rebellion by Nell McShane Wulfhart - A well researched book about the fight for flight attendants to be seen as professionals and not just a pretty face. With everything going on in the US right now it was a good reminder of how women used to be treated and how hard they had to fight.

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Show Us Your Books July 2022

Even though Steph and Jana have decided not to continue with the Show Us Your Books tradition (understandably, it’s a big job and they’ve been doing it a while,) I have decided to keep going. Don’t judge me. That’s a long sentence, and I have just sprinkled punctuation throughout. There’s a reason I’m a reader and not a writer!

June was a fairly good reading month despite the general chaotic nature of June when you have kids in school. I didn’t read anything completely mind blowing, but read several books I enjoyed a lot while sitting in my yard. That, to me, is what summer reading should be.

Five Stars

The Lioness by Chris Bohjalian - I really enjoyed this fast paced thriller. It‘s been a while since I‘ve started a book and had trouble putting it down. This one is perfect for summer.

Wandering In Strange Lands by Morgan Jerkins - This book was fascinating. It‘s part history and part genealogy, written by a woman from New Jersey with a family that moved there during the Great Migration. I thought I was pretty well educated about that chapter of American history but I learned so much. I read this for a book club and it was a great discussion.

Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner - This was my third of fourth time reading this one. I just love it so much, and I get something new from it each time. I think it’s one of the best descriptions of long term adult friendship that I’ve ever read.

Four Stars

Last Summer At The Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland - A fun and nostalgic summer read.

The Purpose of Power by Alicia Garza - This was another book club read for a different book club. I came for the history of the #BlackLivesMatter movement and stayed for the organization and management tips. These was so much in this book.

Book Lovers by Emily Henry - A great book for sitting outside and reading on a beautiful summer day. I thought this was her best yet.

The Great Gatsby Graphic Novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Fred Fordham - I appreciated this graphic adaptation of one of my favorite novels. Reading this on the longest day of the year might become a tradition for me. Next year I‘ll have to get some champagne.

Three Stars

Mrs. March by Virginia Feito - Once I realized this was not the modern retelling of Little Women I thought it was I settled in and enjoyed the messed up tale told by the unreliable narrator, Mrs March. The weirdest thing was how she referred to herself as Mrs March even in childhood flashbacks.

True Biz by Sara Novic - This was yet another book club read. (Covid is terrible, but I’ve joined some really good online book clubs!) I enjoyed this novel about life at a boarding school for deaf kids right up until the off putting ending.

Bleaker House by Nell Stevens - This was a pleasant enough memoir about a writing student on a fellowship to write a novel in the Falklands. I could have done without the chapters of her failed novel, but I liked learning about what it was like to write when you‘re truly alone.

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My Reading Year (So Far)

Strangely enough, by the end of June I had read exactly 100 books. That’s 16 fewer than this time last year, but I love the even stopping point. Now that we’re halfway through I like to look at my goals and see what I would have to do to meet them all. (Note: I never meet all of my goals. All the fun is in setting them.)

Goal: Read one book that begins with each letter of the alphabet.
I’ve done pretty well with this. The only letters I have left are the hardest ones: ‘J’, ‘U’, ‘V’, ‘X’, ‘Y’, ‘Z’. I should finish this one so long as I have the fortitude to force myself to read one of the few books that begins with ‘X’.

Goal: Read one book from each state.
I’ve read from 23 of 50 states. I’m almost halfway on this one! I met this goal last year and I’d like to do it again. That said I’ve done it once before, so if it comes down to a choice between meeting two goals I’ll prioritize the other one.

Goal: Read a book from each country in Africa.
I’m at 12/52 countries. I really need to step it up here! This has been a really interesting challenge, so I’m hoping to finish this one. It’s going to be tough though!

I was going to do a post on my favorite books so far this year, but I don’t really have one yet. I’m hoping for something that blows my mind in 2H22!

Show Us Your Books June 2022

The Book Barn in Niantic, CT

May was a cold month here so I decided to start my summer reading early. I have a whole list of books I want to read, but for me summer reading really means just reading what makes me feel good - usually mysteries, thrillers, and sweeping family dramas set in hot climates. Summer reading is all about ignoring my reading goals and having fun.

Here are my favorites from the month of May!

Five Stars:

The Girl Who Smiled Beads by Clemantine Wamariya - When she was six Clemantine fled her parent‘s house with her sister and just a few belongings. Until she was twelve they lived as refugees. Then they were awarded a visa to live in the US. This book shows that what looks like the happily ever after ending that you might see on the outside isn‘t always reality.

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel - I‘m not even sure what to say about this other than it was amazing and the less you know about it going in the better off you‘ll probably be.

Four Stars:

(Just realized these are all non-fiction- not normal for me!)

Broken (In The Best Possible Way) by Jenny Lawson - This book made me laugh and cry and gave me a lot to think about.

Walking The Nile by Lev Wood - I enjoyed this travelogue about walking through Africa along the Nile. I truly knew very little about the path of the Nile, and since I had two small children in 2013-2014 when he walked I also appreciated the refresher on what was happening in Africa during those years.

No Good Men Among The Living by Anand Gopal - A non-fiction account of the everyday lives of three people living in Afghanistan after 9/11. This book changed what I thought I knew. It was a hard read, but a really good one.

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My Summer Reading List: e-Books

I usually only read on my Kindle when I’m traveling, but since I’m traveling so much this summer it’s good timing to read a chunk of the free e-books and library books I have clogging my e-reader.

If I was able to get a free or inexpensive version I bolded my tips in the notes below.

Here’s what I have going on:

Blood Heir by Ilona Andrews - This was a Litsy award winner last year, so of course I bought it for $1.99 on Kindle and promptly forgot about it.

The Bennet Women by Eden Appiah-Kubi - I am all about this P&P retelling set in the dorm of a boarding school. This is free for Prime Members on Kindle.

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles - I’ve read this before, but now that I know what happens at the end I want to read it again.

The Tanglewood Tea Shop by Lilac Mills - This seems like a Hallmark-like small town romance perfect for summer. This was free on Kindle.

Last Summer Boys by Bill Rivers - The cover of this coming of age story reminded me of The Body, one of life’s most perfect summer reads. Free with Kindle Unlimited.

Where The Desert Meets The Sea by Werner Sonne - A book about post WWII Palestine is heavier than what I usually go for in the summer, but I was drawn in by this cover. This is free for Prime members on Kindle.

The Last Summer At The Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland - I am currently racing to finish the e-book copy of this I checked out from the library. It is so good and very reminiscent of Dirty Dancing.

Fevers, Feuds, and Diamonds by Paul Farmer - This is another book I checked out from the library when I was in the midst of my Ebola obsession. I’ve been reading it a few pages at a time because it is very heavy.

Wandering in Strange Lands by Morgan Jerkins - I picked this up for my book club a few weeks ago when it was on sale. I’m really looking forward to this travelogue/ social commentary book about the American South.

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My Summer Reading List - Audiobooks

Since I spend so much time in the car during the summer I listen to a lot of audiobooks. Many of these will come from my city’s library, but I also have a few audiobook subscriptions. If you haven’t signed up yet here are some deals.

Scribd - 60 days free. If you haven’t heard of Scribd they are like the Netflix of audio and e books. I’m pretty sure they lose money on my subscription because I listen to a ton of books from here!

Libro.fm - Free audiobook when you sign up plus a portion of your purchases goes to an independent bookstore of your choice. Pretty cool!

Audible.com - doesn’t seem to be running any deals right now, but they have free titles that come with membership and some original titles (Audible Originals.)

Here’s what I plan on listening to this summer:

In The Company of Men by Veronique Tadjo - At some point in the middle of the night a few weeks ago I developed a fascination with the Ebola virus. I don’t know why, but it will show up a few times in my summer reading lists.

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley - Lucy Foley’s books are perfect for long days in the sun, and I am really excited Scribd has this.

Varnia by Charles Frazier - I bought this book when it first came out, and bailed halfway through. I want to give it another try this summer.

The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas - 1930’s quilting circle in Kansas. I’m sure there’s more to the story than that! This was recommended by a friend, and Scribd had it so why not?

Our Harlem by Marcus Samuelsson - I really loved Yes, Chef when I read it a few years ago so I’m looking forward to this Audible Original.

Fourteen Talks by Age Fourteen by Michelle Icard - My oldest starts high school this fall :|

Walking The Americas by Lev Wood - Walking The Nile surprised me by how much I liked it, so now I’m working my way through his other books. This is the only one Scribd had so this is where I’m starting this summer.

Crossing To Safety by Wallace Stegner - This is one of my very favorite books ever, and I am in the mood to re-read it this summer. To me this is the best book I’ve ever read about adult friendships.

Whatever You Do Don’t Run by Peter Allison - This is a soft read for my goal to read a book that takes place in each country in Africa this year. I needed something lighter for summer reading.

I would love to hear about any audiobooks you recommend in the comments!

My Summer Reading List - Physical Books

Summer Reading Season is here!!

This summer I am throwing all of my reading goals out the window and just reading what looks fun. This summer I’m in the mood for travelogues, thrillers, and new books by favorite authors.

Here’s my stack for the next few months. These are a mix of library books and some I had on my shelves.

I haven’t read any of these, so I can’t vouch!

The Beet Queen by Louise Erdrich - This lovely yellow used copy called to me from my shelf because it promises to be a forty-year saga brimming with unforgettable characters. Bring it!

The Deep Blue Between by Ayesha Harruna Attah - This YA novel drew me in with its pretty cover, but the story about sisters separated and living worlds apart got me to buy it.

Bad Tourist by Suzanne Roberts - This book bills itself as an anti-guidebook and I am all about that. Flipping through this book I see short essays about varied places such as Peru, India, Mongolia, and England.

Empire Falls by Richard Russo - This book set in small town Maine has been on my list FOREVER, and I really want to get to it this summer.

The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon - This has a burning house on the cover, dual timelines, a fictional podcast, and monsters. Perfect summer reading.

Bleaker House by Nell Stevens - An author wins an award to go anywhere in the world to write and she picks someplace called Bleaker Island in the Falklands. It sounds terrible; I can’t wait. Bonus points because there’s a penguin on the cover.

Book Lovers by Emily Henry - Buying a paperback copy of Emily Henry’s new book to read at the pool has become an annual summertime treat for me.

The Good Left Undone by Adriana Trigiani - I can’t wait to see what Trigiani does with WWII Italy.

The Last by Hanna Jameson - Every summer needs a good end of the world novel, except if it seems like the end of the world is actually happening I might skip this one.

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Show Us Your Books May 2022

Pat Conroy’s house in Beaufort, South Carolina

I was away for last month’s Show Us Your Books so this is two months worth of reviews. I’ve been on a roll lately so there’s some good ones here that you all probably ready years ago.

Five Stars

The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne - I‘ve had this book on my TBR for years and I‘m glad I finally read it. Every emotion was contained in this book, and I easily gave it five stars.

Sandworm by Andy Greenberg - Wow! If you want to know why everyone got really scared about cybersecurity about a month ago read this book. I‘m going to have to read it again just to make sure I caught everything.

Four Stars

The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy - This was an impulse read because I spent some time in Beaufort, SC last month. I‘m really glad I read this sweeping, epic story of the Wingo family. It was a bit too drawn out in some places, but overall an excellent read. I might have to read it again now that I know what happens in the end.

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver - This was a re-read for me. I still love this book although I forgot how long it takes the ending to come. I think Kingsolver does a masterful job of developing the voices of these girls, and that really comes out in the audiobook.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford - I‘m ever so slowly chipping off the books that have been on my TBR the longest. This one, added in 2016, I almost skipped because it‘s yet another WWII book. I appreciated the different spin on this one though, and liked the background about jazz on the West Coast. I‘m glad I finally got to it.

American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson - I really liked this book about a Cold War federal agent who also happens to be an African American woman.

Pride: A Pride and Prejudice Remix by Ibi Zoboi - These modern Austen retellings set in different cultures than the original British versions really work for me.

Three Stars

Indemnity Only by Sara Paretsky - I was blown away by this series when I first read it in the 90‘s so I thought I‘d give it a re-read this year. I still like VI and her tough as nails crime fighting ways.

Hell and Other Destinations by Madeline Albright - I enjoyed this memoir about Albright‘s career after being Secretary of State. I didn‘t/don‘t know a lot about her, but she seemed very funny and smart. I‘d like to read more of her books.

Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia - This dragged some in spots, but the time period and setting made up for it.

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Food and Lit: Greece

Last month I fell in love with beef stew. Beef Stifado is going on my regular cooking list for the rest of my life. Honestly, it’s been a long winter, but if it stays just a little longer the silver lining would be another chance to make this delicious stew. It was so tender and flavorful. I might need to make some more tonight. Delicious. I love #FoodAndLit

I read Nights of Rain and Stars by Maeve Binchy. This was a good book, but probably not the best window into Greek culture. Sometimes it the lit that wows you and sometimes it’s the food. You never know.

Next month we eat and read from Cuba!

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Bookish Silver Linings

A cozy cat snoozing by an open book.

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve posted. I’ve been busy at work and haven’t been feeling well. It’s cold outside. And my kids are each playing two sports. I couldn’t think of anything to write about. Still I hate to let this little blog fall silent.

Then I started thinking that even though the weather is terrible at least I have had extra time to spend reading under blankets with a cat or two. Even though I’ve spent all my free time driving kids places or waiting for them to come out of places where I was to pick them up I’ve had plenty of time for audiobooks and reading in the car. Work has needed me to come back to the office, but that has given me time on the train to read even more. There’s always a silver lining, and for me that usually involves a book.

Show Us Your Books March 2022

The vibe I’m going for doesn’t exactly resemble real life!

Two days in a row I’ve overslept and I’m running behind on everything. Here’s my slap dash Show Us Your Books post for the month of March!

Five Stars:

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng -- I stayed up way too late reading this book. It was heartbreaking in all the best ways, and completely changed how I reacted to one one my kids’ less than stellar report cards.

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn -- I really loved this WW2 code breaking novel. The ending was perfect. This was the first book I read last month, and a great way to get things started.

Four Stars:

Miss Buncle's Book by D.E. Stevenson -- A book about a woman who wrote a book about a woman writing a book. This was just so clever and unexpected. I really enjoyed it.

A Blizzard of Polar Bears by Alice Henderson -- I‘m really loving this series about vegetarian biologist badass Alex and her adventures defending wildlife. I can‘t wait for the next one.

And The Band Played On by Randy Shilts -- This book about the AIDS epidemic was a powerful read in its own right, but absolutely infuriating when read against the backdrop of everything we‘ve gone through in the past two years. I was under the gun to get this finished for a work book club- I will come back to it in a few years for a more careful read.

Three Stars:

I Am, I Am, I Am by Maggie O'Farrell -- This book was a little uneven, but the first and last chapters took my breath away.

Watching You by Lisa Jewell -- This got mixed reviews from my book group. I thought it was fast paced and it kept me guessing even if there wasn’t much to talk about with the group.

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Show Us Your Books February 2022

This year I finally gave in to reading glasses.

Given that I had two week reading slump in January it is amazing to me that I read so many great books. Like really good, cry all night, book of the year type books.

I started logging my books in Storygraph this year. I don’t log everything it wants me to- that would become a job. I’m enjoying it even though I still prefer my good old fashioned handwritten book journal and spreadsheet for logging, and Litsy for sharing reviews. My favorite thing about Storygraph so far is how it assigns moods to each book and I am clearly a emotional and reflective reader.

Five Stars

The Storyteller by Dave Grohl -- I would have never listened to this if so many people on Litsy hadn‘t said how excellent it is. And I agree! This has got to be one of the best audiobooks I‘ve ever listened to. You can really hear the emotions in Grohl‘s voice as he talks. I loved too that he grew up not too far from where I live.

News of the World by Paulette Jiles -- I bailed on this one years ago because it doesn‘t have quotation marks, but a book club brought it to me again. I‘m so glad because it was a beautiful book. This is just a pleasant story, and I’ve heard the movie does it justice. A hug of a book. It made me feel good.

Four Stars

Transcendent Kingdon by Yaa Gyasi -- A lot has been said about this book so I won‘t add my clumsy synopsis, but I will say that I really loved it. I put off reading it for so long because I didn‘t think it would hold up to Homegoing. It was different but still just as heart wrenching in all the best ways.

The Aftermath by Rhidian Brook -- This was another one from the bottom of my TBR list, and it was a good read. It takes place in Germany just after WWII, and is understandably grim. It was very interesting though to examine each person‘s reactions to the terrible conditions and to imagine how I would have fared. A good book to read on a cold, dark January day.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte -- What a wild ride! Not a boring classic!

Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman -- Great poetry collection. This almost read like a time capsule from the last two years.

Three Stars

The Quiet Zone by Stephen Kurczy -- I have traveled through this area several times, and was interested in learning about it. This book wasn‘t what I thought, but it was interesting enough to listen to on a long drive.

The Last Garden in England by Julia Kelly -- I picked this book based on the cover alone, and I‘m happy to say it worked out! It was told in three timelines but all centered around one English garden. It‘s so super cold here lately. I enjoyed reading about a garden in bloom.

The Kingdom of Copper by S.A. Chakraborty -- This one was a bit slow in the middle but wow, what an ending.

This post is linked to Show Us Your Books and Quick Lit.

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Food and Lit: Egypt

In January we ate and read from Egypt. January as a whole was kind of a wash for me, but I did manage to cook one recipe and read two books for this challenge.

I cooked the above pictured Fava Bean Stew from the intriguing Breakfast: The Cookbook. We ate it for dinner, but it was still great. (I really need to get back to this cookbook at a later date because it was huge and all about my favorite meal.)

For reading I started with Death on the Nile. It took a while for this one to get going- no one even died until about halfway through. I love Poirot though so no complaints. Kingdom of Copper is book two in a trilogy set in Egypt and a fantasy world. This one was a bit slow for me but the ending was great, so I will keep going.

Next month we read and eat from Argentina!

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