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!
ReplyDeleteCindy - It's about 86 here today, but the humidity is the worst! Tomorrow will be the worst day. I'm more than prepared to stay at home and read!
DeleteVery 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.
Les - I'm always amazed you're able to read anything at all on your trips... so much to see and do! I'm not a huge fan of clam chowder like my husband is and he's becoming something of a connoisseur. He appreciates the difference between New England vs Rhode Island vs Manhattan clam chowder, and knows where they serve the best!
DeleteWe won't get to 90 today this close to the coast, so I'm relieved. Tomorrow is supposed to be the hottest day of the week. We'll see. Enjoy the rest of your travels!
I thought I had read all of Murakami’s books, but those are not familiar, so I guess I have some catching up to do. I think he evolved quite a lot as he wrote more and more.
ReplyDeleteMae - I'd be curious to hear what you think if you ever get to these. I have no doubt Murakami has come a long way from The Rat series!
DeleteSorry it's so hot, but that is normal for us at this time. We'll be travelling to the mountains later this summer and that will be nice. I've been wondering about The Phoenix Pencil Company and will watch for your thoughts on it. Might decide to try it. Enjoy your week, JoAnn, hot or not - ha!
ReplyDeleteKay - I'm about a third of the way through Phoenix Pencil Company and it's good, but hasn't completely drawn me in. We'll see how things develop...
DeleteLove the photo of the water and I must admit I have never had a lobster roll. But it sounds very good and not sure I could replicate it in Florida over the New England area. Speaking of food, is that chicken satay spicy or hot? I ask because of the curry paste.
ReplyDeleteIt's very hot here and needless to say we have to get anything done early morning and then we are in. Lots of time then for reading but my walking has taken a hit.
Tina - Before Hurricane Ian, we used to have a New England style restaurant on the island. The people were originally from MA and we ate there a few times, but it always seemed weird to order a lobster roll in FL, lol!
DeleteThe chicken satay was not spicy at all. I don't like spicy food and was a little nervous using 2T of curry paste, but it was fine. I was just surprised by the amount of liquid.
It's hard to walk when it gets this warm, so I'll be taking a break for a few days. Hope you're staying cool in FL!
That's fantastic about the chicken satay recipe because it looks so good. We also don't like spicy, used to handle it better when we were younger but not anymore. I want to try that as a slow cooker is the way to go in this heat.
DeleteWe get a free energy audit from our new utility company so looking for ways to keep the house cool in this wicked heat. We do make use of all the ceiling fans but by afternoon it's incredible hot so we can't walk at all.
Now I really want a lobster roll!
Tina - It's definitely too hot there to use the oven much this time of year, so the crockpot is a good alternative. This morning I compared the temps here and in Sanibel, and it was warmer in CT!! Same thing this afternoon - crazy! The heat is a perfect excuse for me to head to the Lobster Shack for another lobster roll dinner ;-)
DeleteYou might have to take a dip in the water if it gets too sweltering, lol. Summer seems in full swing there. I've seen some good reviews for the Pencil Company novel ... quite a title eh? And I hope you like it. I will wait to hear about it from your review. Have a great week.
ReplyDeleteSusan - One thing about New England, the water is much more refreshing here. It gets to feeling like a bathtub this time of year in FL! I'm about a third of the way into Phoenix Pencil Company and it's good, but I'm not ready to sing its praises yet. We'll see how it goes.
DeleteYou've featured some great titles, Joann. Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Catherine.
DeleteGlad you and your extended family enjoyed such a great Father's Day! I would love to try a lobster roll.
ReplyDeleteI think I will skip the earliest Murakami books.
Deb - Unless you're a Murakami super-fan, I'd say it's safe to skip these books.
DeleteI hope you find ways to keep cool over the coming days!
ReplyDeleteHave a great week!
Thanks, Marg. I think we only have one more day left in our heat wave.
DeleteOoh, great list! And making me hungry here too. Enjoy the rest of the season! Stay cool!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lux. We were well into the 90s today, but it was even hotter inland.
DeleteI'm so curious about the John Green book. HIs fiction has never appealed to me but this one has really caught my attention. I'm so glad to see your thoughts on it. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteKatherine - I've never been drawn to Green's fiction, but I loved his short essays/ratings in The Anthropecene Reviewed. And Everything is Tuberculosis was fascinating, even for this retired health care professional. Audio is definitely the way to go!
DeleteI'm glad you enjoyed Green's book, I think it's really interesting and well written. How fun to have everyone around on Father's day!
ReplyDeleteHelen - I can't wait to see what topic catches Green's imagination next. I'll read any nonfiction he writes.
DeleteI've heard the east is broiling--stay cool! It cooled down this week in CO, for which I am so thankful.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know John Green wrote non-fiction. My kids read his novels when they were teens, and I always meant to give him a try...non-fiction appeals to me more than YA angsty fiction.
I love the idea of reading Dracula on the novel's time sequence. I'm sure you will have no problem diving back in.
JaneGS - I think John Green has written two works of nonfiction, this one and The Anthropocene Reviewed essays. He narrates his own work and they're both especially good on audio. I doubt I will ver read his fiction.
DeleteThe heat wave is thankfully over along the CT shoreline. Yesterday we barely hit 70 and it was glorious!!