Sunday, June 13, 2021

A Mid-June Sunday Salon


Another week has passed and somehow it's mid-June already. Highlights of the week include browsing at the library for the first time since March 2020, having new friends over for a glass of wine on the lanai, and some beautiful sunsets on the beach.


Finished last week//

Good Company by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney 

There's nothing I like more than a novel about families and relationships. Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney's debut novel,  The Nestwas a favorite a few summers ago and I've eagerly awaited her sophomore effort. I was on the library hold list before it was even released and Good Company did not disappoint!

Once again, I found a well-written novel with fully developed characters and complex relationships. The women are lifelong best friends, the two couples become like family to each other, and Sweeney fully explores the marriage of Flora, our main character, and her husband Julian, an actor. A theater company, named Good Company, is a connecting presence throughout the novel. 

Overall Good Company seemed quieter and more complex than The Nest, and it felt more substantial, too. It's safe to say that I will read anything Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney writes!

After borrowing the book from the library, I discovered that Marin Ireland (a new favorite) narrates the audio version. I used an audible credit to make it a read/listen combination.



I don't read much poetry, but really enjoyed working my way through this collection over the past couple of weeks. As you can guess from the title, the poems are all about being a woman, our bodies, marriage, and motherhood. I'd hoped to share a poem here, but the collection has disappeared from my kindle. You'll want to check this out for yourself.


Current reading//

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

I'm almost done with a read/listen combination of this YA novel. The audio version is narrated by the author and she does a fantastic job. I usually only read one or two YA titles each year, but am enjoying this very much.


Paris in July//

It's almost here! Tamara at Thyme for Tea is, once again, hosting Paris in July! This even has been a blogosphere favorite since 2010. It's also one of the reasons I found myself browsing the shelves at the local library... you can never have too many reading possibilities. You'll find all the details in Tamara's announcement post.


In the kitchen//

My main goal last week was to cook from the freezer. I've been slowly using meat, poultry, and seafood purchased and frozen over the past six months. I always try to empty it out when we'll be away for any length of time... and it's never a good idea to leave a full freezer during hurricane season! 

I made Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup and Shrimp Yaki Udon , which my husband liked even more than the chicken version from a couple of weeks ago. I also tried Ground Turkey, Asparagus, and Basil Stir-Fry, a new recipe from the Washington Post. It was really good, and I prepared the meal in under 30 minutes! I used ground chicken from the freezer instead of turkey, low sodium soy sauce, and apricot preserves instead of jam. We'll definitely have this dish again.


The week ahead//

I almost hate to think about it, but we're making plans for our journey north at the end of the month. The thought doesn't provoke the same pandemic-related anxiousness I felt last August, but there's still a lot to do whenever we leave for a couple of months.

How was your week? What have you been reading?



The Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz.
It's Monday, What Are You Reading is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date.

30 comments:

  1. I'm glad you mentioned the Paris in July event and gave the link. I may try and participate. I have only been to Paris once in the 1970s and I loved so many parts of France, Paris included.

    Every single thing you have mentioned from your freezer and the meals sound tempting. mmmmm
    After News of the World, which I loved, I have tucked back into the Ann Cleeves series about Vera Stanhope. Only two books to go and i will have caught up with that series.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tina - I didn't participate in Paris in July last year and usually manage only one or two books, but I always enjoy it!

      Delete
  2. I think Acevedo's Fire on High is really well done; I enjoyed it.

    Good luck with planning your trip, I can't imagine all that goes in to organizing to be a way for multiple months!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Helen - I ended up finishing Acevedo's book last night... so good!

      Delete
  3. I loved The Nest, so Good Company is on my list. Enjoy your week and your books!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Laurel-Rain Snow - I'll be curious to see what you think of Good Company. My mother is on the library hold list now, and I'm also going to recommend it to my daughter and sister.

      Delete
  4. I'm having pretty good success doing combination read/listens, too, although every once in a while, depending on which version overwhelms the other, I end up either reading 80% of a book or listening to 80% of it. It mostly has to do with my reaction to the narrator...and how much solo driving I'm doing at the time. Right now I'm doing that with a new novel called "Revival Season" by Monica West. It's the story of a black revivalist preacher/healer as seen through the eyes of his young daughter.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sam - Narrators can make or break an audio production for me, too. Over the years I've developed a list of favorites and Marin Ireland is the most recent addition. I'm mostly listening while I walk... very rarely get time along in the car these days.

      Revival Season is on the top of my stack at home and I just had a library hold come in, too. Need to decide today which one to start...

      Delete
  5. I loved With the Fire on High!! Such a good book.

    I also a looking forward to Paris in July! Already thinking about what I am going to cook/watch/read in anticipation!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Marg - I ended up finishing With the Fire on High last night and will definitely be reading more by Acevedo. Hooray for Paris in July!

      Delete
  6. I'm eagerly planning out Paris in July. I like to make everything I do in July Paris-themed, and that can take some shuffling around. I also like to get a nice stack of books to draw from, and it's nice to have a few Paris-ish movies, too.

    Thanks for the heads up for The Nest and Good Company. I have a copy of The Nest here.

    I love seeing that beach sunset. I can hear the sound of the ocean. Peaceful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Deb - Paris in July is always so much fun! We're going to have a busy month, so I'll probably only get to read a book or two, but I always enjoy following all the posts.

      Delete
  7. With the Fire on High has been on my list - I need to get to it!

    It sounds like you have some great things in the works!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Erin - I can't believe it took me so long to try Acevedo's writing... it was really good!

      Delete
  8. I'm gathering ideas for Paris in July too! I didn't participate last year and really missed it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Audrey - I missed Paris in July last year, too, but am hoping to read at least a book or two this year. Reading all the posts is the best!

      Delete
  9. I like read/listens a lot. So far, I've mostly used that technique for rereads but hope to do some first reads that way soon. Great sounding recipes. I like the idea of using things from the freezer. Ours are stuffed full (we have two full-size freezers for two people!) and would like to defrost but my brother keeps adding new things. Come see my week here. Happy reading!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kathy - I've been loving the read/listen approach... more this year than ever! I get through books faster and having both book and audio almost always makes for a richer experience. It's probably good that I empty out my freezer yearly. I tend to stockpile way too much sometimes!

      Delete
  10. JoAnn, looks like you had a lovely week with friends, books and food! I hope the coming week will be as good and that preparation for your move north go well. 🙂

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Jessica. There's a lot to do, but we've got it down to a science now. Good luck with your interview this week!

      Delete
  11. I have yet to go back to the library; I'm spoiled by their new reserve and drive-up service! Well, plus I read most of my books on the Kindle... Great sounding recipes! I'm pinning them!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sarah - I've enjoyed our library's curbside service for over a year now, but browsing the shelves seemed like such a treat... even though I'm primarily a kindle reader, too.

      Delete
  12. How nice to browse the shelves at your library and even better to have new friends over for a drink. Life is getting better, isn't it? I'm tempted to participate in the Paris in July challenge (I've done so a few times), but we won't be home until early in the month and I'm failing terribly with my summer reading challenge. I knew I wouldn't read much while on the road and yet I still packed several books, none of which have been touched. Oh, well. ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Les - I couldn't believe how much I enjoyed browsing the library shelves again. A few weeks ago I was in a bookstore, but there's no guilt with bringing a huge stack home from the library! July will likely be a slow reading month for me, too. We'll be with my parents for a couple of weeks, then settling in in CT after mid-month. Still hope to fit in one or two books for Paris in July. Hope you're enjoying your road trip!

      Delete
  13. I need to plan a bit of a virtual trip to Paris! I have so many books both fiction and nonfiction and it'd be fun to put them together. I've gone to the library a couple of times and it is so nice to be back! I'm also starting to enjoy cooking and trying new recipes lately. It's nice to be enjoying being back in the kitchen. I hope you have a wonderful week!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Katherine - I'm glad to hear you're enjoying your kitchen again! It's always fun to see the recipes you try! No idea when I'll ever get to Paris, so this virtual trip next month should be fun.

      Delete
  14. Marin Ireland does the audio for Good Company? Wow I definitely need to get it. She's always so good. I'm on the library wait list for it. Thx too for mentioning Paris in July ... seems fun. I will look for a Paris-y kind of story. Will you be going to Maine this summer? or Connecticut? It should be great, though I don't envy the packing etc. ... good luck

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Susan - If I'd know ahead of time that Marin Ireland narrated Good Company, I'd have gone straight for the audio! I probably ended up listening to maybe 50%... well worth the credit. We'll end up in CT for the summer, but would love a short visit in Maine, too. It's been a few years since we've been there.

      Delete
  15. Okay, Good Company goes on the list, although I still haven't read The Nest. I keep on meaning to get a copy...that would help!

    I'm still working on Caroline Kennedy's collection of poems about/for women--She Walks in Beauty--I started it in June 2019. I like poetry, but the impulse to read is not the same as with fiction/non-fiction.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. JaneGS - That's exactly how I feel about poetry! Strangely enough, Caroline Kennedy's collection is that last one, before What Kind of Woman, I read all the way through. Still have fond memories of it, too.

      Delete

Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! Be sure to check back, I always respond. Due to a recent increase in spam, all comments are moderated.

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails