Hello, friends and happy Sunday! It's been a good week here in CT... all the girls were around for Father's Day last weekend (husbands and dogs, too!), we celebrated summer with the first neighborhood gathering of the season, and had lunch at a nearby marina's lobster shack. I should have snapped a photo of the lobster roll, but it disappeared too quickly! I also had a pretty good reading week.
RECENT READING
Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green
I've never read John Green's fiction, but have become a fan of his nonfiction. Here Green writes about tuberculosis - the disease, its history, and how treatment is rife with inequity and injustice. His presentation is straight-forward and accessible, and he further engages the reader by centering the narrative around the case of one young man in Africa. Who knows what topic Green will become obsessed with next, but I'm here for it! This was a read/listen combination for me. Green narrates the audio himself and it's excellent. I highly recommend listening if possible.
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by Haruki Murakami, translated by Alfred Birnbaum
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by Haruki Murakami, translated by Alfred Birnbaum
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These two novellas (130 and 215 pages) are Haruki Murakami's earliest published works. They are the first two installments of his four-part Rat series. Both are relatively plotless books about two young men, an unnamed narrator and his friend, The Rat. Basically the two talk, drink a lot of beer, and converse with unusual women. In the second book, there is a slight plot about the narrator's pinball obsession.
I never would have chosen these books on my own. They are the next selection for a small World Lit book club I'm participating in this year. I had not read Murakami before (though have been meaning to for years) and found these books oddly compelling. I'm assuming other members have read this author and are curious about his development as a writer. That will likely be the focus of the discussion and unfortunately, I will not have much to contribute. I don't think I would recommend these to anyone except the most devoted Murakami fan.
CURRENT READING
The Phoenix Pencil Company by Allison King
Just 75 pages in, and I'm enjoying this so far. It is the July selection of MMD book club.
Dracula Daily by Bram Stoker
Dracula is an epistolary novel and I'm reading it in real time. It began in early May, but there haven't been many letters in June. I hope I can remember what's already happened when they pick up again...
On the blog//
In the kitchen//
I haven't been trying many new recipes lately but after a day full of activities, we wanted to come home to dinner ready and waiting. I've had pretty good luck with recipes from Gimme Some Oven over the years and decided to try this Slow Cooker Chicken Satay. My daughter and I both love the Thai flavors and my husband is willing to humor us. This dish was pretty flavorful and didn't require much more than shredding the chicken and finishing the sauce at the end. I did use the full two pounds of chicken, but it was a little soupier than anticipated. I'm still considering it a win and will likely try it, or something similar, again.
The week ahead//
It's going to be hot!! Like much of the northeast, we've got a heatwave coming tomorrow. It shouldn't be quite as brutal this close to the coast, but it might still be an ideal time to stay indoor and read in the air conditioning.
How was your week? What have you been reading?
The Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz.
We are under a heat advisory until Tuesday at 8pm. I was supposed to clean my car out tomorrow, but I think I will wait. Glad you have a good visit with your family, have a great week!
ReplyDeleteVery nice photo of the marina! We were recently at one on the other side of the country, too. No lobster rolls, but we did have great clam chowder! My reading week wasn't very good, but it never is when we're on the road. Too much to look at (boats, mountains, birds, ferries, etc.).
ReplyDeleteGlad to know that Green's book is good on audio. It's on my list! I've tried Murakami and wasn't a fan, but I hope you have a good discussion with your World Lit group.
The Chicken Satay recipe looks good. Wonder if my family would enjoy it. I've been cooking a lot of old favorites, not feeling very inspired in the kitchen these days. Maybe, now that summer is here, I'll start trying more recipes for the grill. Surely I have at least 10,000,000 printed out in a folder somewhere. :)
Hope your heatwave isn't too awful. We should have pretty nice temps (mid-60s) this week. So glad we're not in Lincoln anymore. It's currently 95! Yuck.