The weather has been amazing lately, so getting my steps in has not been an issue. Also one night this week I was going to bed and saw I had exactly 11,111 steps. I don’t know why but that made me really happy. I am always amused by the little things.
I’m going to start listening to Jimmy Buffet’s A Salty Piece of Land this week. One last summer book I guess.
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I had plenty of walking time last week in New Hampshire, now I’m trying to make my re-entry into normal life.
I’m listening to Watergate by Garrett Graff. Things were so different then.
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We just got back from my annual extended family vacation in New Hampshire. What a time. I am still processing. It’s an awesome thing to see children turn into adults and adults who should be slowing down decide they should do new things like zip lining. I am profoundly grateful for this time with my family. I am also profoundly grateful to be home with my books and my cats!
Have a great week everyone!
“both human nature and a pastry are frail...”
Kindle - Sandwich by Catherine Newman - Very timely to read this book about a woman on vacation with her kids and parents while on vacation with my kids and parents.
Audiobook - The Suspect by Kent Alexander and Kevin Salwen - I never got to this last week, but am looking forward to it now. The Olympics start soon!
Print - I’m not sure! I finished My Own Country while I was away and aren’t sure what I’m in the mood for now! Picking out my next book is fun so I’m looking forward to deciding.
This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.
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It’s a busy morning. My daughter is on her way home from summer camp. Once we pick her up let the laundry begin!
Have a great week everyone!
“I hate estimable young men with brown eyes!”
Kindle - Feral Creatures of Suburbia by D. Liebhart (ARC) - Still working on this one. No reflection on the book, just hasn’t been a kindle type week.
Audiobook - The Suspect by Kent Alexander and Kevin Salwen - I’ve been wanting to read this book about the Atlanta Olympics bombing for a while, and figured now is the time.
Print - My Own Country by Abraham Verghese - I absolutely love Verghese’s fiction. I’m happy to say his non-fiction is just as immersive. This is a memoir about his early days as a doctor during the beginning of the AIDS epidemic.
This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.
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I’ve been trying to stick to shady spots for my walks, and also have been varying my routes to drop off books at various little free libraries. (Yes that is my copy of Murder Your Employer- I finally gave up. I’m sure this is a me problem since so many others have loved it, so I’m confident it will find a good home soon.)
I’m about to start listening to Babel by R.F. Kuang. I had a long wait for this one from the library. I hope it was worth it!
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This week went by so fast! The weeks with days off always do. I’ve been trying to take advantage and read, but it’s so hot I’ve just been falling asleep a lot. I have also been distracted by season two of The Mole on Netflix. Nothing beats the original Anderson Cooper version, but these new ones are pretty good.
Have a great week everyone!
“From past investigations, Juliet had learned that few combinations were more delightful than investigations and scones.”
Kindle - Feral Creatures of Suburbia by D. Liebhart (ARC) - If this book is as good as the cover it will get a good review from me.
Audiobook - Claws for Concern by Miranda James - These cozies are nice light listens for my audio walks.
Print - I’m about halfway through The Perils of Lady Catherine de Bourgh by Claudia Gray. This series is so fun.
This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.
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The weather has been all over the place, but the long days make it easy to get out and walk. It’s amazing that anything can survive this stinking heat and humidity but I’ve seen all sorts of flowers and insects plus a fox this week.
I’m listening to Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver. This is a re-read for me and I’m enjoying it.
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It’s almost July, my youngest is away at camp, and the weather report says approximately 3 million degrees with 200% humidity. Summer reading is in full swing!
We’re halfway through the year so I’m going to be working on some best of 2024 so far lists this week, plus starting to think about the reading challenges I’m committed to and how best to finish them before the end of the year. None of that is necessary or required of course, but I really do love planning my reading almost as much as I love reading!
Have a great week everyone!
“‘There is nothing in this world so pathetic, so moronic, so meaningless as dieting.’”
Kindle - Long Island by Colm Tóibín I’m loving this one just as much as the first one so far. I’m so glad I was able to get it from the library so quickly.
Audiobook - Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver - I’m not sure if this is working for me on audio so I might switch to print. I’ve read it before so I know I like the story.
Print - Still working on Murder Your Employer by Rupert Holmes. Hopefully I’ll get some time to finish this weekend.
This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.
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It’s been so hot here I’ve had to resort to taking 2-3 short walks a day instead of one long one. Everything is so dry. We need some rain soon! I read this morning that it’s been a month and that sounds about right.
I just started listening to Margo’s Got Money Troubles. This was one of my most anticipated summer reads so I’m really looking forward to it. I hope it lives up to expectations!
I ran into a lot of wildlife this week! Soccer practice is coming to an end so I will need to find another walking routine yet again. My daughter wants to start going to the gym which may not be a terrible idea once it starts getting really hot.
I’ve been listening to The Exchange by John Grisham. It’s fun to catch back up with Mitch and Abbey from The Firm!
This month’s #FoodAndLit country on Litsy was Spain. I checked out a few cookbooks from the library, and had dreams of making fabulous tapas, but time and budget demanded I dial it back. I was so happy to find this gazpacho recipe on Gimme Some Oven. It used things I had on hand and was quick to throw together. Score!
I read two books set in Spain. The first, Walking With Sam by Andrew McCarthy, was excellent on audio. Plus the story of father and newly adult son walking across Spain came at the perfect time- my nephew graduated and my son turned sixteen last week. I told my brother about it and he downloaded it right away as well. Book therapy!
The second book I read was Sleeping Arrangements by Madeline Wickham. This really could have been set anywhere, but the easy read set in a Spanish Villa was great for evening porch reading during a busy week.
Next month we read and eat from Iceland!
We’re definitely making the turn towards summer here. With these busy end of school year days I appreciate the extra daylight hours for walking!
I’ve been listening to Year Of No Garbage by Eve Schaub. It’s a scary book! (But in an educational way.)
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It’s the longest day of the year! Don’t miss it!
Summer reading season is almost here! I simply can’t wait. I’ve been making lists since about March, and I wanted to share what I came up with.
I was never a big new releases in the summer person until last summer when I read six of them for a challenge, and now I pay attention. This year I poured over to what’s coming out, and picked these six books to splurge on.
The House Is On Fire by Rachel Beanland
Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley
Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb
Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See
Before We Were Innocent by Ella Berman
There are 14 weeks in summer so I pulled 14 books off my shelves that I want to get to. Fingers crossed.
The Word For World Is Forest by Ursula K Le Guin
Feet In The Clouds by Richard Askwith
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
On The Road With Francis of Assisi
The Bronte Project by Jennifer Vandever
Looking Up by Matthew Cappucci
Where The Forest Meets The Stars by Glendy Vanderah
In The Time of Our History by Suzanne Pari
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman
My Losing Season by Pat Conroy
Mud Rocks Blazes by Heather Anderson
To me you can’t have summer reading without re-reading some favorites. Here are the three I picked for summer 2023.
The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
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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.
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.
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.
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.
This post is linked to Quick Lit.
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Yette’s Garden Platter from The Essential New York Times Cookbook
Amanda Hesser said that the first half of the 20th century was a black hole for vegetables in the New York Times food section. I can see that she struggled because there wasn’t a lot in this chapter. HOWEVER! I “discovered” Yette’s Garden Platter, a casserole of various vegetables on a potato base, and I will definitely be cooking this ALL SUMMER LONG. It was so simple and good. This is definitly one worth looking up. I cooked most with sausage to make it a main meal, and cooked about 1/3 as written for my vegetarian. Next time I’ll add chickpeas for her to give it some protein. There was not a single speck of food left in either dish after dinner that night.
NOTE: I used cherry tomatoes instead of the whole peeled tomatoes. You know I look for shortcuts wherever I can. I am not peeling tomatoes.
I also made the tomatoes vinaigrette from 1963, and they were nothing special. Just tomatoes in dressing. I did appreciate that the recipe used some of my capers though. I have a lot of capers for some reason.
Note: This recipe is part of a long look at Amanda Hesser’s 2010 The Essential New York Times Cookbook. See all posts here. Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!
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