Audiowalking is one of my favorite things to do. I tend to stick to the same routes, but each day I see something new. Here’s what I’ve been listening to and seeing this week.
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My reading garden is finally starting to take shape
One of my goals this year was to create a reading garden. It was hard work clearing out all of the bushes and ivy that were in this corner, but I’m so happy with the result. I can’t wait to spend the summer reading on that bench!
Audiowalking is one of my favorite things to do. I tend to stick to the same routes, but each day I see something new. Here’s what I’ve been listening to and seeing this week.
Note: Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support.
Flowers from my walk
What a week. I’m sure I’m not alone in saying my reading life has taken a turn while I have been busy building contingency plans for my contingency plans. As of now I am telecommuting full time for the next month while I am homeschooling my two kids. It’s a lot, but I know I’m really lucky to have a good telecommutable job.
The one reading goal I did get done last week is to start a buddy read for Anne of Green Gables. I only have time for about five pages a day, but any really enjoying those five pages. Anne Shirley is new to me, and I can say for sure that she is a kindred spirit!
Audiowalking is one of my favorite things to do. I tend to stick to the same routes, but each day I see something new. Here’s what I’ve been listening to and seeing this week.
Note: Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support.
I have a ridiculous amount of books out of the library right now. I’m not sure what happened. I had been doing such a good job of keeping on top of my holds.
February was a good reading month for me. I’m doing a #AuthorAMonth challenge on Litsy, so took a deep dive into Colson Whitehead. Also, current events seem to be strongly impacting my reading choices.
Here are the best books I read last month:
(One fiction, one non)
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead - I think most people know what this book is about by now, so I won’t re-tell the synopsis. After reading two other books by Whitehead earlier in the month I didn’t think I would like this, but it really is a masterpiece. I’m so glad I finally read it.
On the Clock by Emily Guendelsberger - My co-worker suggested this because she knew I had liked Nickel and Dimed. Sure enough I was fascinated by this updated version where a woman works at Amazon, a call center, and McDonalds. This book seems especially powerful in light of all the conversations we’ve been having lately about lack of paid sick leave.
(Where my Twitter feed and the daily news subliminally impacts what I read.)
The Stand by Stephen King - Stephen King’s plague book. My copy is an old, beaten up paperback that doesn’t include the expanded versions from the 1990’s. Sorry King purists, but I prefer it that way. I think it’s a better, cleaner story for the editing.
Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice - This book was interesting- a total breakdown of society as experienced by a First Nation tribe. When phone, internet, and services are cut off they think it’s a normal interruption and go about living as they normally would. Eventually they find out it’s something more.
Zone One by Colson Whitehead - This is Whitehead’s zombie apocalypse book, although I read it as more tongue and cheek. Maybe I’m just not deep enough, but I kept feeling like there was more to the story than I was getting.
Vox by Christina Dalcher - This dystopian novel had an excellent premise. In the not too distant future the US has become extremely conservative to the point where women and girls are only allowed to speak 100 words a day. Unfortunately after a impactful opening the book just kind of fizzled. However this book did give me the momentum to finally get my real ID, renew my passport, and check on my voter registration. So there’s that.
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel - My second post-plague book of the month, I read this as part of my project re-read. This book gets a lot of hype for good reason.
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson - Another book for project re-read. I think I said this last month too, but more and more I’m really starting to appreciate books that feature older people having lives and maybe even falling in love.
The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell - This one was a ROLLER COASTER. A girl inherits a house and a whole lot of baggage. Read this if you’re a fan of Ruth Ware.
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi - Again, I feel like I’m probably the last person to have read this so I won’t re-tell the plot. I’ll just say the world building and magical realism in this YA chunkster were great fun. I’ve read that the next book in the series isn’t as good, and I’m bummed. I’ll still give it a try though.
We Are All Welcome Here by Elizabeth Berg - One of my favorite themes in books is families we’re born into and families we make. This book had that in spades, and was just the feel good palate cleanser I needed during the doom and gloom of last month.
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This week I read my latest Early Reviewers book from LibraryThing, Malnourished by Cinthia Ritchie. I had a lot of trouble with it, and I finished it with an overwhelming feeling of why. Why do people write with such detail about their lives? Am I the only one who jut feels icky about reading about a person’s really intimate history?
I was really happy to see an article in National Review that expressed a lot of my feelings better than I could. If you’re feeling icky about memoirs give it a read: Educated - Tara Westover Shares Too Much Too Soon.
Audiowalking is one of my favorite things to do. I tend to stick to the same routes, but each day I see something new. Here’s what I’ve been listening to and seeing this week.
Note: Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support.
This winter has not been bad at all, but I have spring fever and it shows in my reading.
It started with the house plants. On a nice day I re-potted all of my plants, and realized I now have way too many. The library to the rescue! I checked out Decorating With Plants by Baylor Chapman. I loved this book, and it has helped me spread my plants out around the house in a way that doesn’t make me look like a crazy plant lady.
I’ve also been cleaning out my freezer and re-filling it with healthy meals and ingredients. The library to the rescue again- The Make Ahead Sauce Solution by Elisabeth Bailey has been super helpful. I like that I’m just freezing the sauce, not the entire meal. It’s a great space saver.
I’ve also been trying to streamline my schedule and be more productive. 5-Minute Stress Relief by Elena Welsh had a ton of great tips for quieting my mind, and productively dealing with my stress (instead of looking at Twitter and feeling like the world is going to end.)
Happy Spring everyone!
(Note: links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support! 5-Minute Stress Relief was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)
March to me means gardening, new beginnings, travel, and a little bit of romance. If you’re also thinking along those lines here are some books I can recommend for March.
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Audiowalking is one of my favorite things to do. I tend to stick to the same routes, but each day I see something new. Here’s what I’ve been listening to and seeing this week.
Note: Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support.
Cinnamon rolls from the air fryer are perfect for Sunday mornings
My husband was worried that when my kids gifted me an air fryer for Christmas I would take it the wrong way. My kids had seen a very persuasive infomercial though, and talked him into it. The kids were right. I love that thing. I use it at least once a week, mostly to roast vegetables.
When I got the chance to review an air fryer cookbook I jumped at it. I was ready to graduate from roasted broccoli.
The book was great. I was amazed at all of the things I can make in my air fryer. I made hard boiled eggs and cinnamon rolls right away, and they kind of saved the weekend. My only complaint is that many of the recipes called for specialty pans and ramekins.
My conclusion: it’s okay to gift your mom an air fryer, but you should buy her this book too.
Note: A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I went to write a post about gardening books to read when you’re waiting for gardening season to start only to find I had already written it. Here’s a repost from 2016.
We've had some warm days this month, and the temptation to go outside and plant something is strong. It's a fool's errand though. Anything I plant will just drown in the wet soil, and more mud will end up on my shoes than on the ground. Here's what I'm reading until it's safe to work in the garden.
The Food Lover's Garden by Angelo Pellegrini - this is an old book that doesn't read like an old book. If you love to grow vegetables it's worth seeking out.
The 100 mile diet made popular by Plenty and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle isn't as popular as it once was, but these books are worth going back to.
The Backyard Homestead will make you want to plow your lawn, and grow paw-paws, tree nuts, and all sorts of other crazy things. That's not a bad thing!
What are your favorite books about gardening?
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My cat passed away last month, and that has seriously damped my ability to enjoy books. Is reading on the couch even reading if you don’t have a cat practicing yoga moves on your knee? I’ll miss him forever, but hopefully I’ll get back to my love of reading soon. Until then know I am probably being unnecessarily grumpy about some of these books.
The Woman Next Door by Yewande Omotoso - Someone described this as woke Golden Girls, which I thought was pretty funny and also accurate. Two sworn enemies live next door to each other have to put their differences aside when they realize they need each other. For those like me who have been seeking out books with characters over 40 who actually do things more interesting that drinking tea and giving advice give this one a read.
The Gown by Jennifer Robson - A good story matched with good information about England after WWII.
Plainsong by Kent Haruf - I almost put this down because of a lack of quotation marks, but I’m glad I ended up sticking with it. It’s a sweet story about families - the ones you’re born with and the ones you create.
My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman - Another sweet story about families. If you like Backman you’ll like this book. If you don’t skip it.
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell - I really, really loved this book when I first read it, and I still love it today. It was where I first learned about the danger of mitigating language and that I should trust my years of practice.
A Better Man by Louise Penny - I read this really quickly when it first came out, and wanted to read it again but slower. My initial assessment stands- not the best Gamache but still a decent read.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - I am in awe of Fitzgerald’s ability to say so much with just a few words. This is a yearly read for me, but to be honest I might pull it out again in a few months. That’s how much I love this book.
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I was surprised by how much I liked this cookbook. Going in I thought it would be full of pretty looking but impossible to cook at home restaurant food. There were some involved recipes, but there were a lot of attainable ones too.
I also loved reading Silverstein’s story. Growing up as an American in Asia, then moving back to America having never actually lived there was an interesting way to develop a palate. I also appreciated his realizations that his career as a lawyer was killing his soul, and was glad he shared his first few years of floundering as a food truck operator. We can all use a reminder that hip restaurants and gorgeous cookbooks don’t just get awarded because you’re a nice person.
One night after work last week I whipped up some Chinese BBQ sauce and the Bacon Jam Brussels Sprouts to go with a ham dinner. Both were delicious. Next I’d love to try my hand at making some of the street tacos and cocktails from this book.
Messy weeknight kitchen
Visiting Austin has been on my travel bucket list for a few years now, and when I go visiting The Peached Tortilla is high on my list of things to do.
I love walking this time of year, always with an audiobook playing in my ears. Some days are so dreary and gray, and then all of the sudden it will get ten degrees warmer and flowers will start poking through. Then the next day it might all be covered in snow again.
Spring is coming soon!
Every year I set way too many reading goals, and I don’t meet half of them. That’s okay - I have fun setting the goals and then give them up when I stop having fun meeting them. After all reading is my hobby not my job.
This year I set three new goals:
Read 200 books (around 16 or 17 books a month)
Read books from 20 different countries
Read 20 new to me cookbooks and cook at least one recipe from each one
I also took note of a few reading challenges. Mr. Book on Litsy, the Reading Women Challenge, and Modern Mrs. Darcy’s challenges all caught my eye. I’ll cross check each of these lists against what I read, but probably won’t seek out any books to finish them.
I also keep track of states I’ve read from and like to see if I can read a book that begins with each letter of the alphabet.
Oh, and I have my project re-read to work on, and I really should finally read In Cold Blood. Not to mention the 50 new releases I have on hold at the library, and the 10 audiobooks I’ve anxiously been waiting for on Libby.
So yeah, 2020 should be a pretty good reading year. I can’t wait to see what happens!
Winter sports have started which means a lot of my reading takes place at the ice rink now.
It never fails. As soon as I hit publish on my list of favorites from 2019 I read 3 amazing books. Don’t get me wrong, too many amazing books is a good problem to have, but I feel bad for my books. I hope they know they are all my favorites in their own way.
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood - This read like a warning to us all, with a glimpse of a silver lining. It’s not too late, but you need to pay attention. I was worried this sequel would be awful, but I liked it quite a bit.
The River by Peter Heller - A lot of the reviews on this book went back and forth on if it should be called a thriller. The tension of people vs. nature plus the constant threat of a hidden adversary thrilled me.
Stoner by John Williams - This book shows up a lot on lists of classics you probably haven’t read. I finally read it for a book club and thought it was wonderful. It sounds boring if I describe it - the story of an undistinguished man’s life, but Williams wrote with such a thoughtful melancholy and I loved it.
Cookies don’t bake themselves, and I needed the help of some good audiobooks.
Mystic River by Dennis Lehane - A good story that kept me guessing until the end. However I probably wouldn’t recommend this on audio because the narrator mispronounced all of the Massachusetts names and it drove me nuts.
Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem - Another one that kept me guessing. However this one worked especially well on audio. If you tried to read this and couldn’t get into it because of the main characters ticks you might want to try it again.
Bad Blood by John Carreyrou - Completely bananas. I couldn’t believe this was a true story. If you think you know workplace drama, give this one a try. Woah.
Part of project re-read
A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline - Once again this book ripped out my heart and crumpled it up like an old piece of paper. It’s very similar to Stoner now that I think about it.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith - I’ve been seeing this book everywhere lately, and I’m so glad it’s getting the love it deserves.
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One of my goals this year is to read and cook from twenty new to me cookbooks. My first of the year was Spiced, a book I had really high hopes for because it’s from America’s Test Kitchen.
And this book did not let me down. I loved the look of all the recipes and really liked how they included many sauces, spice mixes, and dips since that’s what most of my cooking consists of these days.
There were many things I would have loved to cook, but the only recipe I had everything on hand for was the Sriracha salt. It was very easy to make, and smelled amazing. I can’t wait to try it on popcorn and scrambled eggs.
Even though I really enjoyed flipping through this book I probably won’t buy my own copy. I would need to buy so many specialty spices and new pieces of equipment that it’s just not practical.
It’s A Brand New Year!
Happy New Year! It’s time to get a fresh start on everything- life, work, reading challenges…
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg - This is the book you need if you want to understand how to meet your New Years resolutions. Buy this book - you’ll want to return to it again and again.
Beartown by Fredrik Backman - A book about hockey, but also so much more. This took me about 100 pages to get into, but after that I couldn’t stop.
Leaving Orbit by Margaret Lazarus Dean - A trip back in time to the last days of the Space Shuttle program. It’s a great reminder of why we love space travel, and a reminder to embrace whatever makes us geek out.
Good Cheap Eats by Jessica Fisher - If you want to cook more and/or save money this year this is the book for you. This is good, inexpensive, family pleasing food.
Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay - If you get snowed in this is the perfect book to spend the day on the couch with. It’s a remake of the classic Dear Daddy Long Legs, which in itself is worthy of spending a day on the couch with.
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