Top Ten Books On My Spring TBR List

It's Tuesday and that means it's Top Ten day over at The Broke and the Bookish. Today's topic? Top Ten Books on my Spring TBR List! I actually made two Top Ten lists, one here and one over at Great Books for Kids and Teens. I probably won't manage to read all 20 this spring, but it gives me something to shoot for! These were easy lists to make because I have soooo many books waiting to be read on TBR shelves, in piles, and in baskets!

Top Ten Books on My Spring TBR List:

• The Dream by Harry Bernstein, sequel to his first memoir, The Invisible Wall, which I loved.
• Blog Inc. by Joy Deangdeelert Cho, a Christmas gift (if I ever find time to work on my blogs!)
• The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker, a novel I am dying to read!
• Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, a leftover from my 2012 TBR list.
• The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, a book I have wanted to read for ages and perfect for my Books I Should Have Read Challenge.
• The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Agawa, another good one for the Books I Should Have Read Challenge.
• In the Woods by Tana French, because my husband loved it.
• The Yokota Officer's Club by Sara Bird, for my neighborhood book group in April.
• American Pastoral by Philip Roth, for my neighborhood book group in May - and will also count toward my Books I Should Have Read Challenge.
• The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom, for my other book group.

What are you looking forward to reading this spring?

Two of My Essays Published Today

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Parenthood was released today, including two of my own essays!

The essay "A Gun in Every Gourd" is about my two young sons' fascination with weaponry, which I found totally incomprehensible! The second essay, "Tales from the Road," tells the story of a brief business trip I went on, starting with my initial elation at being free from parenting responsibilities to my happily returning home to my chaotic life.

Of course, there are many other wonderful essays in this collection by other authors. If you are a parent, check it out!

It's Monday 3/11! What Are You Reading?

Ah, Monday, and life is returning to normal, finally. Our youngest son is back to school, after a month out due to illnesses and surgery, so I am blissfully alone in a quiet house, with no tutoring responsibilities! We had a very nice weekend with gorgeous weather here. I can tell spring is coming because my allergies are going crazy. Between that and Spring Forward, I am dragging this morning!

Lots of great reading this past week:

• I finished The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey and absolutely loved it. It was just as good as everyone said - a well-written, engrossing, magical story. I never wanted it to end!
• I am now reading Crispin - The Cross of Lead by Avi, a favorite middle-grade novel of my husband and son which has been gathering dust on my TBR shelf for years! They were right, as usual - it is excellent.
• I am still listening to Flight Behavior on audio, Barbara Kingsolver's latest novel. I am finding it hard to put aside now. Maybe that will motivate me to take a walk today!
• My husband, Ken, finished The Dark Hour by Robin Burcell, a suspense novel set in Amsterdam. He said it was a very complex story, but I think he liked it.
• Now, Ken is reading Ruins by Orson Scott Card, the teen/YA sequel to Pathfinder, which he, I, and our older son all loved. I am next in line for this one!
• Jamie, 18, has been busy with his second semester at college and hasn't had much reading time. He was home yesterday and told me he has finally given up on a novel that wasn't capturing his attention. He's got a bad cold and will probably need to rest a lot this week, so he's planning to start A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin, Book 5 in the A Song of Ice and Fire series. He blew through the first four books during last year's summer vacation, so he is really looking forward to this one!
• Craig, 15, is fully occupied with a month's worth of make-up work in seven different classes!

I wrote two reviews last week: The Invisible Wall, a fascinating memoir by Harry Bernstein and The Dark Side of Nowhere, a teen novel by Neal Schusterman. I also posted my Books Read in February summary - I fit a lot of reading into a short month!

What are you and your family reading this week?

(What are you reading Monday is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey, with a kid/teen version hosted by Teach Mentor Texts.)

Snapshot Saturday 3/9

At Home with Books hosts Saturday Snapshot.

Well, we finally got our snow yesterday morning:

And a couple of hours later, it was gone!

 
Today it's supposed to be 55 degrees! I guess that is it for the winter. What a pathetic winter we've had! I suppose I should be happy (especially since our back-up furnace broke this week), but it just doesn't seem like winter to me without snow.

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

Books Read in February

For such a short month, February seemed to go on and on. Our month started out well, with our annual Mardi Gras celebration, but went downhill after that, with our youngest son out of school for an entire month, due to several illnesses and knee surgery. He went in today for the first time, so hopefully the worst is behind us now. Reading-wise, I spent a lot of time at home taking care of him and read quite a bit:

• In Other Worlds by Margaret Atwood, nonfiction essays about science fiction (Canada)
• The Invisible Wall by Harry Bernstein, memoir (England)
• Wildwood by Colin Meloy, middle-grade fantasy audio book (Oregon)

• The Far West by Patricia C. Wrede, teen/YA novel (North Dakota)
• Redfield Farm: A Novel of the Underground Railroad by Judith Redline Coopey (Pennsylvania)
• The Giant and How He Humbugged America by Jim Murphy, middle-grade nonfiction (New York)

• The Dark Side of Nowhere by Neal Schusterman, middle-grade/teen novel (Oklahoma)
• The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, classic novel (Illinois)

So, I read 8 books last month, which is a lot for me! It was also quite a mix - three nonfiction (one of those a memoir) and five novels. Four of those were adult books, two teen books, and two middle-grade - a nice variety. My favorite book of the month? Oh, it is always so hard to choose. I think Redfield Farm was my favorite - I raved about it so much that most of my extended family is now reading it!

2013 Reading Challenges:  I added 5 new states and 2 countries to my Where Are You Reading 2013 Challenge (see locations above). I read 2 more books for the 2013 TBR Pile Challenge (mostly new books this month). I finally finished the audio book I started months ago for the Audio Book Challenge. And I read 1 book (The House on Mango Street) for the Books I Should Have Read Challenge - hurray!

What were your favorite books read in February?

Memoir Review: The Invisible Wall

During a recent It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? Discussion, my cousin mentioned that she was reading a memoir called The Invisible Wall by Harry Bernstein and was really enjoying it. I told her I love memoirs but hadn’t heard of this one. A week later, I was pleased and surprised to receive a package in the mail from her, containing both this memoir and its sequel! My library book group was discussing memoirs the next week, so her timing was perfect, and I started it right away. I loved every page and can’t wait to read the sequel.

Harry Bernstein’s fascinating memoir is about the first twelve years of his life, spent in a small mill town in England in the 1910’s with his mother, father, and siblings. Harry’s father earns some money as a tailor but spends it all on alcohol. He is silent and sullen or angry during the rare times he is at home. Their home life is difficult and they are very poor, but Harry’s mother works hard to hold things together for the family.

This memoir isn’t just about Harry’s family, though. It’s also about the street he lived on and all of his neighbors. The invisible wall of the title runs right down the center of their cobblestone street, with Christian families on one side of the street and Jewish families, including Harry’s, on the other. The Jewish fathers all worked in the local tailor shops, and the Christian men all worked in the mill. They were friendly toward one another and helped each other when tragedy struck, but otherwise the families each stayed on their own side of the street.

Life continues that way until Harry discovers that his sister is in love with a Christian boy. The consequences are unthinkable; according to his mother, if a Jewish girl marries a Christian, she will be dead to the family. Being close to his sister and knowing the secret, Harry is in the middle, struggling between wanting his sister to be happy and knowing his mother’s strict moral code. World War I brings additional challenges, as many of the boys on both sides of the street go to war.

The memoir is engaging from the first page to the last. Harry recalls his childhood with a warm voice, and the details of his life and the mores of the era are fascinating. Parts of his story reminded me of Angela's Ashes, particularly the details of being a young child amidst so much poverty in the UK. Incredibly, Harry began writing this memoir when he was 93 years old! He went on to write two more, and I can’t wait to read the next one, The Dream.

303 pages, Ballantine Books

     

It's Monday 3/4! What Are You Reading?

Well, I had hoped that life would be back to normal today, with my son back to school after missing 4 of the past 5 weeks, but alas, I am still not alone in the house. He is definitely doing better and was able to work on some make-up work this weekend, so we are thrilled to see him finally perking up. But we tried waking him at 7:00 and again at 8:30 this morning, but he is still too wiped out to get up. One more day at home, then hopefully, he will be able to start some partial days back at school tomorrow.

So, he and I had another long week of being homebound, but the mood here improved dramatically when he started to feel better on the weekend. He did sleep most mornings, so I was able to do a little more writing last week. And we fit in plenty of reading:

• I finished The Dark Side of Nowhere by Neal Schusterman, one of my all-time favorite YA authors. This quick, fast-paced novel was filled with surprises!
• In order to help my son with his make-up work, I next read The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, his assigned book for freshman lit. Despite Craig's complaints about this classic novel, I really enjoyed it! I actually liked the author's unique method of telling a story through short vignettes. And my approach really worked - I was able to help Craig finish his reading log by typing his responses for him and helping him to interpret some of the more ambiguous chapters.
• I am now reading The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey, a Christmas gift from my husband. I really wanted to get to this highly acclaimed novel while it was still winter, even though we haven't had any snow this year! I'm enjoying it so far.
• I am still listening to Flight Behavior, Barbara Kingsolver's latest novel, on audio. I felt well enough to take four walks last week, so I was able to squeeze in some audio book time with my iPod!
• My husband is still reading The Dark Hour by Robin Burcell, a thriller set in Amsterdam. He says the plot is very complex, with a lot of characters, but he is enjoying it.
• And, of course, my son finished The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cosneros last week. His older brother had a very busy week in college with two exams, so I don't think he's had any time for pleasure reading.

I wrote two reviews last week: Redfield Farm: A Novel of the Underground Railroad by Judith Redline Coopey, an excellent novel my whole book group enjoyed, and The Far West, conclusion to the teen/YA Frontier Magic trilogy by Patricia C. Wrede. I also linked to some excellent new recipes we tried this week on my Weekend Cooking post.

What are you and your family reading this week?

(What are you reading Monday is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey, with a kid/teen version hosted by Teach Mentor Texts.)

Weekend Cooking 3/3

Each weekend, Beth Fish Reads hosts Weekend Cooking.  This is perfect for me since I love food and cooking almost as much as I love books!

After several weeks of limping by with left-overs, take-out, Trader Joe's, and old stand-bys, I finally got back to more imaginative and fun cooking this week. Most of the recipes I used this week were from Cooking Light (as usual!), a mix of old favorites and new trials. I have a long list of new recipes I've been wanting to try.

I tried two new recipes this week, and they were both excellent! One weeknight, we had the uber-flavorful Spicy Shrimp with Udon Noodles. I loved this meal! I think it is one of my new favorites. My husband and son thought it was just a little too spicy, so next time I will cut back a bit on the curry paste and chili oil (which was optional anyway). Definitely a keeper.

Last night, I made Smothered Chicken and Barley, but it's an older Cooking Light recipe and is not online. It involved searing skinless chicken thighs coated with a spice mixture, then adding broth, tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, and barley to the pan and simmering until the liquid was absorbed. I added frozen corn at the end for a little more color and flavor. It was delicious, and we all liked it, even Craig's friend who was visiting. I really need to remember to take pictures when I cook, but by the time a dish is finished, I am ready to eat!

We also had some old favorite recipes this week, including Pan-Seared Tilapia with Citrus Vinaigrette, accompanied by a very good couscous recipe that appeared with it and roasted asparagus. This was a tasty meal. It was the first time I tried the couscous recipe, and I liked it much better than the premade couscous mixes we usually buy. This was a quick meal and simple to make, though we discovered we definitely need a new nonstick skillet!

And tonight, I am making my sons' favorite soup, Pasta e Fagioli. This is a quick, low-fat version that our family loves. I add sliced carrots and chopped baby spinach to the soup to up the veggie content. I want to make a quick bread or biscuit recipe to go along with it - still considering some old favorites and some new recipes for that.

So, all in all, a week full of fun cooking and delicious meals! I hope you have enjoyed your food this week, too!

Saturday Snapshot 3/2

At Home with Books hosts Saturday Snapshot.

Today's photo looks like a pretty still life, but it has more significance than that. It's a representation of the kindness of our friends. We have had a really rough month, with my son struggling with infections, recovery from knee surgery, and a bad flare-up of his chronic illness. But we are blessed with kind and thoughtful friends. One brought over a bag of goodies for my son, to cheer him up. And a neighbor brought these beautiful flowers and a loaf of homemade bread - and, yes, it tasted as good as it looks! Many others have called to see how he is doing. We are grateful for such wonderful friends.

Hope you are having a great weekend!

Fiction Review: Redfield Farm

My neighborhood book group chose Redfield Farm: A Novel of the Underground Railroad by Judith Redline Coopey for its February selection. The book turned out to be somewhat obscure, published by a small, independent press. There is not a single copy in our entire state library system, and most bookstores don’t carry it; many people had to read it in e-book form. The novel ended up being well worth the trouble finding it, though. It’s got an engaging plot set against a fascinating aspect of American history and was very well written.

Ann Redfield and her brother Jesse are Quakers in a small rural community in Pennsylvania. They encounter runaway slaves for the first time when they are still children, and Ann gradually comes to realize that her family is part of the Underground Railroad and that Jesse is especially devoted to the cause. As Quakers, their entire community believes in nonviolence and equality for all people, but only a select few are so devoted to the anti-slavery movement as to put their own lives at risk. The Fugitive Slave Law means that even their own constable is legally required to help send escaped slaves back to the South, so helping fugitives is a very dangerous business and one that is rarely spoken of aloud, even among close friends.

Jesse returns from one mission sick with a deadly fever, along with a fugitive who is also sick. Both of the men are barely alive when they arrive at the farm, so Ann must care for them both and nurse them back to health.  Josiah, the escaped slave, is so weak that he has to stay at the farm through the winter. Ann becomes friends with Josiah and comes to know that he is an intelligent and caring man; she even teaches him to read and write during his long winter hidden in the farmhouse. Their close relationship has serious consequences, though, for the whole family.

I was totally absorbed by this fascinating story of compassion, family, friendship, and love. The passages that tell of the Redfield family’s efforts to help fugitives are fast-paced and suspenseful, with ruthless slave catchers and ever-present danger. But this is also a novel about everyday life – its endings and beginnings, sorrows and joys – told through Ann’s eyes with grace and intelligence. The story extends from 1837 through 1903, following Ann and Jesse and their family through their entire lives. Ann felt like a good friend by the end of the novel, and I could scarcely set it down.

287 pages, INDI Publishing Group

If you are interested in more information on this topic, here is an excellent article on the topic of Quakers and the Underground Railroad.

 

It's Monday 2/25! What Are You Reading?

Well, we had another rough week here, with very little time for writing or blogging. My 15-year old son is still struggling to recover from his knee surgery and also has his second sinus infection of the month. So, my focus last week was on taking care of him. On the plus side, I finally filed our taxes this weekend (woohoo!!), so maybe I can get back into the groove of blogging more regularly this week.

And I read some fabulous books last week:

• I read Redfield Farm: A Novel of the Underground Railroad by Judith Redline Coopey for my neighborhood book group this week. I loved this novel about a Quaker family in the 1850's (and beyond) who are part of the Underground Railroad - excellent writing, in-depth and likable characters, and a fascinating plot.
• Now I am reading The Dark Side of Nowhere by Neal Schusterman, one of my all-time favorite YA authors. It's very good so far - fast-paced with surprises around every corner.
• I also started a new audio book (finally downloaded one to my new iPod so I could listen while I walk) - Flight Behavior, Barbara Kingsolver's latest novel. I have high expectations after my recent Kingsolver love fest (The Bean Trees and Pigs in Heaven).
• My husband finished Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card and enjoyed it - my older son and I had recommended it. 
• Before he moves onto its sequel, Ruins (another brick of a book), he is reading a lighter suspense novel I gave him for Christmas, The Dark Hour by Robin Burcell. I thought he'd enjoy the setting in Amsterdam because he travels there for business. He says it is overly complex so far with too many characters to keep track of - maybe it will all come together soon.
• Our sons have been busy with college and too sick, respectively, to read much lately, though my younger son did listen to some of his all-time favorite audio book, Looking for Bobowicz, written and read hilariously by Daniel Pinkwater - that cheered him up a bit!

Like I said, almost no time for writing last week, but I did squeeze in one review at the end of the week:  Wildwood, a middle-grade audio book by Colin Meloy. I also wrote a Weekend Cooking post on Sunday, with several of our favorite recipes.

What are you and your family reading this week?

(What are you reading Monday is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey, with a kid/teen version hosted by Teach Mentor Texts.)

Happy Birthday to my Dad today!

Weekend Cooking 2/24!

Each weekend, Beth Fish Reads hosts Weekend Cooking.  This is perfect for me since I love food and cooking almost as much as I love books!

I have not had much time for cooking the past few weeks. My son has been sick a lot and is also recovering from knee surgery, and my husband was on a business trip this week. So, my son and I relied a lot on Trader Joe's items and other quickie dinners (plus some 5 Guys burgers and fries one night!). I have, however, been cooking a lot during the day for my son - scrambled eggs, subs, ravioli, pudding, cookies, and lots and lots of shakes and smoothies! I feel like I spent all week standing at the sink doing dishes!

I finally have a chance to cook some dinners this weekend. I'm not feeling well myself, but now my husband is home to help.

Last night, we made Adirondack Red Wing Burgers, a Rachel Ray recipe (yes, for once, I made something not from Cooking Light!). These are inspired by buffalo-chicken flavors, and our whole family likes them. Rachel's recipes tend to be heavy on fat (and especially cheese), but some of them are pretty good. I mostly followed the recipe but cut down a bit on the oil, butter, and cheese. The flavors in these burgers are great! I wish I had a picture to show you because they look good, too.

For dessert, my son saw that we had some overripe bananas and requested his favorite, Monkey Bars (yes, now we are back to Cooking Light recipes!). Oh, my gosh, these are soooo good. We substitute mini chocolate chips for the raisins (which my kids aren't fond of). Delicious!

For dinner tonight, we are having another Cooking Light favorite, Maple Pork and Vegetable Stew. We all love the flavors in this unique stew - it is perfect for a cold winter day (plus we'll have left-overs for an easy dinner tomorrow).

Hope you are enjoying some good food and cooking this weekend!

Saturday Snapshot 2/23

At Home with Books hosts Saturday Snapshot.

It's been awhile since I've posted a Saturday Snapshot. We've had a rough month here, with our younger son home from school much of the time due to bronchitis, two sinus infections, and knee surgery, all accompanied by flare-ups of his chronic illness. So, I've been busy cooking (teen boys eat a lot when they are home sick!), doing dishes, taking him to doctors, keeping him company, and running to the drugstore and grocery store. I've had almost no time at all for writing or blogging.

I did, however, take some short walks around my neighborhood, just to get out of the house for a few minutes! I was very surprised this week to see signs of spring already. I guess Phil was right. We have had a very mild winter here, with no measurable snow and temperatures often in the 40's or higher. My husband is happy, but I miss the snow and know that the mild winter probably means an unbearably hot, humid, and long summer.

Anyway, here's what I saw in my neighborhood this week and last, in mid-February!

A neighbor's daffodils are almost ready to open already!

Rhododendron is already budding out.

Our pear tree is covered with early buds.

Hope you are enjoying a nice weekend!

It's Monday 2/18! What Are You Reading?

Whew, rough week here last week. My 15-year old son was home from school all week with bronchitis, then had knee surgery on Friday...the result of which is that he will need a third surgery, with a lengthy recovery period. We're going to try to wait until the beginning of summer for this next one because he has already missed over 5 weeks of school this year. He's still in quite a bit of pain, but we are hoping he can make it into school tomorrow...we'll see how today goes.

So, lots of stress and not a lot of reading time, but we did manage some:

• I finished the memoir, The Invisible Wall by Harry Bernstein, and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was written by a 96-year old man about his first twelve years of life, growing up very poor in a small mill town in England where Jewish families lived on one side of the street and Christian families on the other side; the two sides rarely mixed, until his sister fell in love with a Christian boy and caused an uproar. 
• Now I am reading (and almost finished with) a teen/YA novel, The Far West by Patricia C. Wrede, the third book in her excellent Pioneer Magic trilogy that started with The Thirteenth Child.
• I finally finished the middle-grade audio book, Wildwood by Colin Meloy! It was a long one but quite good. With my son home all week, I didn't have a chance to start a new audio book yet, but I hope to this week. I have quite a few to choose from.
• My husband. Ken, is trying to finish Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card (recommended by my son and I) before his business trip this week - the huge hardcover is too big to travel with!
• Between college, illness, and surgery, neither of my sons had time for reading last week.

I had even less time for blogging last week, but I did manage to write one review while waiting for my son to come out of surgery. I reviewed In Other Worlds, a collection of essays about science fiction by Margaret Atwood that resulted in a long list of other books I want to read!

What are you and your family reading this week?

(What are you reading Monday is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey, with a kid/teen version hosted by Teach Mentor Texts.)

Nonfiction Review: In Other Worlds

When I heard that the Bookrageous podcast was going to do a book discussion on Margaret Atwood’s new collection of essays about science fiction, In Other Worlds, I decided to join in. Atwood is one of those major writers whom I have never read (and always wanted to), though I recently bought a used copy of The Handmaid’s Tale. I was unsure whether I’d get much out of this book since I hadn’t yet read anything else written by Atwood (or much other science fiction), but I was pleasantly surprised. Her essays were clever, interesting, and funny.

The book is divided into three sections. In the first, Atwood prints three lectures that she gave at Emory University. The first chapter describes her own personal history with science fiction, starting from childhood when she would draw flying rabbits as superheroes. The second discusses her interest in ancient mythology and its connection to science fiction. Her third lecture is on the topic of her unfinished PhD thesis, about nineteenth- and early twentieth-century fiction that were precursors to modern sci fi.

The second section of the book deals with specific works of science fiction. It is a varied collection of reviews, essays, and radio talks Atwood wrote about classics like Brave New World and The Island of Dr. Moreau, as well as modern sci fi novels and short story collections. Of the ten works she writes about, I’ve only read two, 1984 and Brave New World, but I still thoroughly enjoyed the discussions and added quite a few titles to my lengthy to-be-read list!

Finally, the third section consists of five mini sci fi stories written by Atwood herself. They provided an excellent first introduction to Atwood’s fiction for me; all were engaging and unique, often with a playful sense of irony.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book very much – more than I expected to. It was interesting and intriguing – for instance, Atwood’s discussions of exactly how to define science fiction versus speculative fiction or fantasy – but I was also pleasantly surprised by Atwood’s sense of humor and playfulness. She just seems to be having so much fun, and she brings the reader along for the ride, as here where she speculates about the origins of superheroes:

Once upon a time, superhuman beings wore robes, like angels, or nothing, like devils, but the twentieth-century superhero outfit has more proximate fashion origins. The skin-tight clothing with the bathing suit over the abdominal parts, the wide, fancy belt, and the calf-high boots most probably derive from archaic turn-of-the-century circus attire, especially that of high-wire artists and strongmen. (With pleasing circularity, the stars of World Wide Wrestling now dress up in costumes similar to those of comic-book characters whose own colorful and six-pack-disclosing attire recalls that of earlier bemuscled showmen).

As the co-hosts of Bookrageous said during their podcastbook discussion, it felt like sitting down with a close friend and chatting over coffee or participating in a book club with Margaret Atwood.  I often laughed out loud and read passages to my husband. In Other Worlds is not only informative and interesting; it’s also just plain fun. And now I can’t wait to read some of the novels and short stories Atwood discussed.

240 pages, Doubleday

It's Monday 2/11! What Are You Reading?

We had a busy week and a fun weekend, with our annual Mardi Gras party - you can read about the details (well, the food details, at least!) on my Weekend Cooking post.  Lots of work but also lots of fun. We used to live in New Orleans, so Mardi Gras is a major holiday in our house! This will be a hectic week, with both Mardi Gras and Valentine's Day. Also, my son is home sick, so we are heading to the doctor's office this morning.

With all that excitement, we still managed to enjoy our books this week:

• I finished In Other Worlds by Margaret Atwood, a book of essays on science fiction by the much-lauded author of The Handmaid's Tale. I enjoyed it very much, as well as the Bookrageous podcast discussing it. Now I have a long list of sci fi books I want to read!
• I am now reading a memoir that my very kind cousin sent me last week: The Invisible Wall by Harry Bernstein. My local library's book group is discussing memoirs this week, so her timing was perfect! I am enjoying it very much - the beginning reminds me a bit of Angela's Ashes, only it is about a very poor Jewish family in England.
• I am  - finally - almost finished with the middle-grade audio book, Wildwood by Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis. It is a very long audio, but I have enjoyed it and am down to the last couple of tracks.
• My husband, Ken, is reading Orson Scott Card's Pathfinder, after my son and I raved about it! It is a long one, but I told him it is well worth the effort.
• Jamie, 18, is still reading Shaman's Crossing, Book 1 of the Soldier's Son trilogy by Robin Hobb. He's really not enjoying it much, but he insists on finishing it! Now that he's back at college in the dorms, he doesn't have much reading time.
• Craig, 15, is still making his way through his freshman lit novel, The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros - slowly and painfully!

I wrote two reviews last week: I Still Dream About You by Fannie Flagg and Trapped by Michael Northrup, a teen/YA novel. I also posted my January reading summary, a Weekend Cooking post about Mardi Gras, and a preview of 2013 book-to-movie adaptations - lots of good movies to look forward to!

What are you and your family reading this week?

(What are you reading Monday is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey, with a kid/teen version hosted by Teach Mentor Texts.)

Mardi Gras 2010 - me with my sons

Weekend Cooking 2/10

Each weekend, Beth Fish Reads hosts Weekend Cooking.  This is perfect for me since I love food and cooking almost as much as I love books!

Happy Mardi Gras!

We are down to the last few days of the Mardi Gras season for 2013. It started on the epiphany, 10 days after Christmas, and will culminate on Fat Tuesday, two days from now. We used to live in New Orleans, so Mardi Gras is a major holiday at our house! Last night, we had our annual Mardi Gras party, with a small group of friends here to celebrate with us. Mardi Gras is about more than beads, beer, and revelry...it's also about food!

Each year for our Mardi Gras party, I make some of our favorite New Orleans dishes, with help from our friends - the food is definitely a highlight of the evening! Some of my New Orleans recipes were published in the February 2012 issue of Family Fun magazine, so I will link to those below.

Jambalaya

Earlier this week, I made a quadruple batch of my Red Beans & Rice. My husband, son, and I had a bit for dinner that night, then I froze the rest (just the beans, not the rice). I defrosted it and reheated it before the party, a friend brought rice, and yummm....it was a big hit!

Yesterday morning, I made a big batch of Jambalaya for the party. This is another crowd-pleaser, made with chicken and Andouille sausage. My kids often argue over which dish is their favorite!

For simplicity sake, we also got some steamed and seasoned shrimp from a local seafood shop, bought King Cakes from a local bakery, and some good friends who also used to live in New Orleans with us brought a double-batch of New Orleans bread pudding with whiskey sauce, another classic NOLA dish.

Additionally, the Family Fun article also included my recipe for Shrimp Etoufee, another favorite at our house for weeknight dinners.  They also published a recipe for homemade King Cake, if you want to take a crack at it yourself.

Bread pudding and King Cake

Other ways to celebrate Mardi Gras this week:

• Go to Nola.com to check out the Parade Cam and other video cams set up around the city. Scroll down the page a bit to see the parade schedule - Bacchus at 5:15 CST today is a great one! You won't be able to catch any of the beads, but you can enjoy the floats, costumes, and bands.
• Order Zapp's Potato Chips, hand-made in the tiny town of Gramercy, Louisiana. You probably can't get them delivered before Tuesday, but they are good any time of year! These are the most amazing, most unique potato chips you have ever tasted - seriously. Our favorite flavors are Cajun Crawtator and Cajun Dill. I ate piles of them last night!
• Drink some Abita beer, made in Abita Springs, Louisiana - a local and really delicious beer. It used to be hard to find outside of Louisiana, but it is now carried in our local stores here in Delaware. Abita Amber is an old favorite, but they have lots of varieties now.
• Call local bakeries in your area and ask if they have King Cakes. There are usually at least a few that make them this time of year, no matter where you live.
• If you can't manage any cooking for Mardi Gras this week, bring home some Popeye's take-out! People are often surprised to hear that Popeye's really is authentic New Orleans food. The chain was started in New Orleans by a well-known local restaurateur, and the food is actually pretty good. If you want authentic, go for the spicy chicken and the red beans and rice or dirty rice. That's what we will be eating on Tuesday - our annual tradition with our New Orleans friends here in Delaware!

 Happy Mardi Gras - Laissez les Bon Temps Roullez! 

Books Read in January

2013 is off to a great start, reading wise. January was a super-busy month (my son's birthday is in mid-January, so the holiday season just seems to go on and on for us), but I read quite a few books, including some really great ones:

• The Thirteenth Child by Patricia C. Wrede (Iowa)
• Across the Great Barrier by Patricia C. Wrede (Nebraska)
• The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman (Australia)

 

• Tales of Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan (Australia)
• Pigs in Heaven by Barbara Kingsolver (Oklahoma)
• I Still Dream About You by Fannie Flagg (Alabama)
• Trapped by Michael Northrup (Massachusetts)

 So, that's 3 teen/YA novels, 3 adult novels, and I'm not sure how to categorize Tales From Outer Suburbia! I enjoyed all the books and really loved several, but Pigs in Heaven was my #1 favorite, perhaps even in my Top 10 of all time.

2013 Reading Challenges: First month of the year, so I added 5 new states and 1 country to my Where Are You Reading 2013 Challenge (see locations above). I kicked things off with a bang and read 4 books for the the 2013 TBR Pile Challenge - woohoo! No audios and no Books I Should Have Read this month, but it's only January.

What books did you like best in January?

Fiction Review: I Still Dream About You

One of my book groups wanted something light to read during the holiday season, so we chose Fannie Flagg’s I Still Dream About You. I hadn’t read anything by Flagg since Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe twenty years ago, so I was looking forward to this one. It doesn’t have the depth of that famed novel, but we all agreed it was a fun, light read.

Oddly, I Still Dream About You is a somewhat humorous book about someone who is contemplating suicide. Strange, right? It makes the reader feel a little uncomfortable and unsure what to think at first (is it funny? sad?), but once you realize that the story is very much tongue-in-cheek, you can go along for the ride.

Maggie Fortenberry is a former Miss Alabama (and a Miss America runner-up) who now works in real estate in her beloved hometown, Birmingham. To everyone else, Maggie’s life seems wonderful – she is still beautiful, has a great job, and has plenty of friends. But underneath her perfectly coiffed and graceful appearance, Maggie is actually quite depressed and sees no reason to continue on as is just to wait to get old. She comes up with a perfect plan.

Things keep getting in the way of Maggie’s plans, though, and – as with everything else in her life – she wants everything to be perfect. So, she bides her time and makes her lists (I especially enjoyed her many lists). Meanwhile, life goes on, things happen, and Maggie uncovers a mystery at the heart of her city’s past. As is typical in Flagg’s books, this novel is populated by funny, quirky, unique characters.  My favorite is Maggie’s best friend and business partner, Brenda, who lives with her sister’s family and is constantly fighting her tendency to overeat.

Our book group members all agreed that, though this novel is not great literature, it is lots of fun and an enjoyable read, filled with southern drama and a hefty dose of humor.

315 pages, Random House

 

It's Monday 2/4! What Are You Reading?

 

A new week, a new month, and a new start for me. College-age son moved back into the dorms yesterday. High school-age son is off today (and we have a hectic day filled with doctor's appointments), but hopefully, he will be back in school tomorrow after being out sick all last week. And then, I will be...alone!  Woohoo! Maybe I can finally get some work done this week...though we will miss having our older son at home.

Last week, we read:

• I finished I Still Dream About You by Fannie Flagg in plenty of time for my book group. Everyone enjoyed it for its sense of humor and irony, though it was a bit light compared to what we usually read. Not great literature - just a bit of fun!
• Next, I blew through Trapped by Michael Northrop in just two days. This teen/YA novel about seven teens stuck in their high school without power for days during a record blizzard was fast-paced and full of suspense - perfect for a cold winter week!
• Now, I am reading In Other Worlds, a book of essays by Margaret Atwood about science fiction. This is the current selection for book discussion on the Bookrageous podcast, so I decided to try it. I'm enjoying it very much - I worried it might be dry, but Atwood's writing is lively and full of wit. I've been laughing out loud a lot!
• And I am trying to finish a very long audio book, Wildwood by Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis, a middle-grade fantasy adventure. It's been very good. Maybe with both kids out of the house this week, I can finally finish it!
• My husband, Ken, finished The Likeness by Tana French; he's enjoying this series very much.
• Now, Ken is reading Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card, a fabulous teen/YA novel that my son and I both loved.
• Jamie, 18, is still reading Shaman's Crossing, Book 1 of the Soldier's Son trilogy by Robin Hobb. It's not his favorite kind of fantasy, but he said he wants to finish it. His reading slowed way down this week with exams at school. Now that he's back in the dorms for spring semester, he probably won't have much fun reading time!
• Craig, 15, was home sick all last week, but he doesn't really enjoy reading. He did read more of his freshman lit novel, The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, but he doesn't like that it is not a straight-forward chronological story.

I finally found time to write a couple of reviews last week - I was getting behind!  I reviewed Pigs in Heaven by Barbara Kingsolver and Across the Great Barrier by Patricia C. Wrede, a teen novel - both were excellent and highly recommended! And I wrote a Weekend Cooking post yesterday.

What are you and your family reading this week?

(What are you reading Monday is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey, with a kid/teen version hosted by Teach Mentor Texts.)