Sunday, July 12, 2015

Weekly Update: July 12, 2015


Another Sunday and, for a change, an absolutely gorgeous summer weekend - it's about time! The week flew by. In addition to the routine activities, I had a couple of meetings, lots of book sorting (two weeks until the library sale), another car service appointment, and book club.


I finished reading//

Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan
Look for a Paris in July review later this week


It was good. I'll let you know if it was great after I tidy ;-)


Current reading//


The Lost Daughter by Elena Ferrante
If I have to wait until September for the final Neopolitan Novel, I might as well dive into her backlist.


Framley Parsonage by Anthony Trollope
I'm not loving this like Barchester Towers or Doctor Thorne, but still an enjoyable read.


On the blog//

Six in Six: 2015 Edition - a midyear survey, of sorts
The Horla by Guy de Maupassant
Tuesday Intro: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up


New books//


Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip - Confessions of a Cynical Waiter by Steve Dublanica
A kindle daily deal and just the type of light nonfiction I find helpful for a reading slump. Thanfully, I don't need it at the moment.


Book club//
My book club met Friday morning to discuss I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron. I loved it when I listened a few years ago, but did not reread for the meeting.  I missed my book club most of the winter and the group took a brief hiatus this spring, so it was great to catch up with everyone... and we even discussed the book!

Next month we'll talk about The Sabbathday River by Jean Hanff Korelitz, an early novel from the author of Admission and You Should Have Known.


In the kitchen//


We lived off holiday leftovers for several days at the beginning of the week, but on one (of many) rainy evening, I pulled out an old favorite - Pan Seared Swordfish with Lemon and Wine Rosemary. We usually grill swordfish, but the weather has been uncooperative lately and this was a nice treat.


Later today//
Rest! My husband is running a 15k race this morning, so our afternoon and evening will be very low-key... reading on the patio, a nap for some, maybe a boat ride, and hamburgers on the grill.

How was your week? What are you reading today?

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. While she is taking a break, check the hashtag #IMWAYR on twitter.






51 comments:

  1. It sounds like you are having a great summer. Good luck to your husband, running a 15K race! Have a great week.

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    1. Pat - I was proud of hi for completing that long race, but this may be the last year he does it.

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  2. Scott really likes swordfish but I've never had it before! And I'll be curious how things go after you've had some time for Life-Changing to digest. I know you said that you don't have a ton of clutter/stuff in your house, but I've found that the "joy" philosophy has been leaking into other parts of my life as well...really trying to be mindful of what brings me joy!

    Hope you have a great week JoAnn!

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    1. Trish - I really don't have a lot of stuff/clutter...except in my closet. Will try to set aside one day this week to tackle it. Wish me luck!

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  3. I need the book on getting organised. I often feel I live in chaos. And I want to eat the swordfish...looks delicious! Have a good Sunday. Emma

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    1. Emma - A lot of this book is common sense, but she does present it in an interesting way.

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  4. It's nice here too- finally some summer weather! Enjoy your weekend, and relaxing. Bonjour Tristesse looks interesting, and so does Waiter Rant.

    Swordfish looks great too. :)

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    1. Greg - This may be the first perfect weekend weather-wise we've had all summer. Glad we were able to make the most of it. I'll post about Bonjour Tristesse later this week.

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  5. Anxious to read the review of Bonjour Tristesse!

    The swordfish looks amazing. I'm trying to eat more salmon, but I might have to expand my culinary horizons and try a few other fish varieties.

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    1. Molly - I plan to review Bonjour Tristesse this week... thought it was great!

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  6. I would love to be on the lake today - any lake, though preferably one in a slightly cooler spot! Enjoy your Sunday. The waiter book looks fun - I may have to look for that one.

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    1. Lisa - When I was in my last reading slump, Heads in Beds pulled me out. Waiter Rant was mentioned on the cover blurb, so I couldn't resist it for $1.99!

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  7. I have adjusted my closets as I've read bits and pieces of The Art of Tidying Up, and my reorganizing.will finally be finished as soon as I finish the book!

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    1. Harvee - I'm ready to tackle those closets now that I've finish... fingers crossed!

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  8. Glad that you guys are getting some nice weather. You deserve it after this last winter. We've finally quit with the rain and our temperatures are heading up, up, up. Typical July. I broke down and purchased the Tidy book for my Kindle. I, too, am not at all a clutter person or a saver of things - however...thought I'd try it. Oh, and I loved the Nora Ephron book when I read it a few years ago. Lots of laughs. Have a good week, JoAnn!

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    1. Kay - I was starting to wonder if those two beautiful weeks in May were going to be our summer, so I'm glad we finally eked out a perfect weekend! Found myself rolling my eyes like Trish at some of the things Kondo writes, but overall the tidying book was inspirational.

      Wish I'd reread (or listened) to Ephron's book before our meeting, but I was surprised at how much I remembered. Just loved it!

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  9. I'm about to hit the jackpot on the library wait list with A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson .... been waiting quite a while. Just finished Lisette's List by Susan Vreeland. I'd give it a "meh" rating as I loved Luncheon of the Boating Party far better. As a filler in between, I'm continuing with A Wanderer in Paris. Chapter read last night was about the cemetery at St. Ouen, on an island in the Seine, which is dedicated to dogs, and cats and other pets. Parisians really do love their dogs ... I had heard that before my first trip ... And that apparently has been the case for a very long time, as this book was originally written in 1907. I understand the cemetery is quite as marvelous in its own way as is Pere Lachaise is for us humans. Must definitely go there if/when I get to Paris again.

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    1. JudyMac - Think I'll skip Lisette's List and read Luncheon of the Boating Party instead. You have definitely piqued my interest in A Wanderer in Paris!!

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  10. I'm going to have to look for Waiter Rant for my daughter who's spent the past couple of years working in an Applebee's. Has she got some stories to tell and would probably really be able to relate to this one. Looking forward to your thoughts on the Kondo. I'm all for decluttering and getting rid of things that you're not using but some of it just sounds silly to me. Do all of my clothes bring me joy? Well, not really. Except for the fact that I would rather keep them than wear the same four things all of the time until I'm sick of those as well.

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    1. Lisa - Oh, I'll bet your daughter would enjoy that book and have quite a few stories to add to it! All my clothes definitely do not bring me joy... I try to be more mindful of that when shopping these days, but need to get rid of some old (and newer) joyless clothing!

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  11. The Lost Daughter looks good....enjoy your week, and thanks for visiting my blog.

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    1. Laurel-Rain Snow - The Lost Daughter is wonderful! I'm enjoying it more than My Brilliant Friend.

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  12. Seriously your dinner photos on instagram make me crave so much stuff!! haha. And I've been wanting to check out Waiter Rant. I've heard pretty good things!

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    1. Jillian - Haha, sorry! I've found that light nonfiction is just what I need to fight a reading slump. Last winter Heads in Beds got me out of the worst one I've had in years, so I couldn't resist having Waiter Rant on hand.

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  13. I agree with you on Family Parsonage. It was a really good book but not as good as the previous two.

    In my opinion the last two books in the series get better.

    That swordfish looks delicious.

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    1. Brian Joseph - I'm on Chapter 20 of FP and having a hard time getting through it. It's the second time in the book I've reached a particular spot and have to force myself to slog through... but when I reach the following chapter it seems fine again. Strange.

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  14. It's been several years since I read I Feel Bad About My Neck, but I remember that I laughed out loud on more than one occasion! I'm a bit envious that you belong to a book club. I miss being in one, but I don't enjoy leading, which is what I did for many years.

    Your weekend sounds wonderful. It's been very hot here, but we still managed to get out on the bike trails for a couple of rides. I've been de-cluttering here and there since reading bits & pieces of that book. I wish I had more time to devote to it, but we don't have too much in the way of clutter, so I guess what little I do is an improvement.

    I don't know if I've ever had swordfish (it has a steak-like consistency, right?), but that recipe looks delicious. I may try it with swordfish or seabass, which we love!

    Have a great week, JoAnn!

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    1. Les - I listened to I Feel Bad About My Neck (Ephron narrated it herself) and distinctly remember laughing out loud in my car! My book club grew out of the playgroup we had when the kids were young. When the youngest of them started kindergarten (in 1998), we decided the kids were incidental and the moms wanted to keep meeting - so we became a book club. Most of the original members have moved away, but a couple of us remain... it's nice to have a 'history'.

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  15. I've never had swordfish. Your day of a boat ride and hamburgers on the grill sounds perfect. We recently sold our boat but I'd like to get another one. My parents had one when I was a child and I've had one most of my adult life. I really miss going boating.

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    1. Vicki - It was so nice to finally have nice weather for a weekend. We tried to squeeze out all the fun we could :)

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  16. Ooh, that Waiter Rant sounds gossipy and interesting, can't wait to hear what you think.

    I very much enjoyed the Kondo. Now, to find time to actually put her teachings into practice... that's the trick ;)

    Have a fantastic week!

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    1. Jennifer - I have started with my closet this week, but just can't do it all in one swoop like she recommends. My husband and daughter are both willing to let me help sort through their clothing, too!

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  17. I love behind the scenes restaurant memoirs...let me know how this one is when you get to it!
    And - I love lemon and rosemary on swordfish...they're both part of my go-to marinade.
    Good luck to your husband!!

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    1. Sarah - I'm all over those restaurant memoirs, too, so I have high hopes for Waiter Rant. That swordfish dish is one of my favorites, and even better with herbs fresh from the garden!

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  18. The waiter rant book sounds interesting!

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    1. Patience_Crabstick - I think Waiter Rant will be a lot of fun!

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  19. I'm salivating over the pan seared swordfish #nomnom

    I also have a Ferrante back list title in my handbag, but I keep getting distracted by other things....

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    1. Brona - Which Ferrante book do you have? I just love her writing.

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  20. Waiter Rant looks good! Wasn't the weekend gorgeous!!!???

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    1. Beth F - It's about time we had a nice weekend! I think Waiter Rant will be fun.

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  21. Nora Ephron is always funny to read. I just finished rereading To Kill a Mockingbird but will likely hold off on Lee's Go Set a Watchman after reading some of the reviews and character reversals. Nice dinner photo, yum. Enjoy your week.

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    1. Thecuecard - I have another of Ephron's books in my tbr pile. The book club meeting made me want to start it right away! I plan to hold of on Go Set a Watchman, too. Maybe in another year...

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  22. The weather here has been stifling lately, so I would love to be a little north so that I can enjoy a cooler summer. I hope you enjoy your books - they all sound pretty good.

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    1. Athira - I know the heat is even worse in your condition... looking forward to your good news :)

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  23. This has been such an odd weather summer...most days dreary and then still humid!

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    1. Patty - Luckily, we haven't had much in the way of humidity, but I hear it is on the way!

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