Hello, friends. Has it really been nearly a month? Life has gotten a bit crazy lately. We've either been away or had guests for the past five weekends, but now we have two weeks at home before we're on the road again.
The big news is that we are going to be grandparents - twice! Two of our daughters are expecting their first babies. Our NYC daughter is due September 5 and our CT daughter is due October 12. In addition, the NYC couple has decided to move to CT and have been spending more time with us as they begin their search for a house.
We've also spent a good amount of time in central NY lately. My father had a mild heart attack at the end of June. He is fine now and back home, but we were happy to provide a little extra support when it was needed.
Recent reading//
Sisters of a Halved Heart by Nayantara Roy
This new release is the July selection at Modern Mrs. Darcy book club and I was lucky to get a library copy right away. It's a messy, complicated family drama which features a love triangle involving two sisters at its core. Set primarily in Brooklyn and Manhattan, none of the characters were particularly likable, but I kept turning the pages anyway. The novel was more interesting than enjoyable and I cringed as several characters repeatedly made bad decisions. And what an ending - I literally gasped at the final page! The discussion forums are already buzzing and I'm looking forward to the live author chat later in the month.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Current reading//
Departures by Julian Barnes
I've been a fan of Julian Barnes for years. Now, at 80, he is calling this his final novel. I'm over halfway through, but it sure feels more like a memoir to me.... and it's so good!
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
The year-long slow read continues. Now wonder people still read this novel... it's got everything!
On the blog//
- The Death of the Heart by Elizabeth Bowen
- Whistler by Ann Patchett
- Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan
In the kitchen//
Despite not being at home much lately, I have tried a few recipes worth mentioning. First is a Blueberry Cottage Cheese Breakfast Bake from Taste of Home. I am NOT a fan of cottage cheese, but have made this at least three times and it's delicious! The 8x8 size is a plus when it's just the three of us.
Another recent discovery is this Asian Chicken Chopped Salad from Skinnytaste. It's been hot lately and I've been craving lighter dinners. My husband generally isn't a fan of dinner salads, but even he really liked this one. You could also serve it in lettuce wraps or over rice.
And finally, we've been grilling a lot of veggies. This easy marinade from Gimme Some Oven has added a tasty new twist ... I think it's the smoked paprika!
That's about it from here. At long last, I am anticipating a quiet week at home. Hopefully it will be cool enough to get back to my morning walks.
How have you been? What have you been reading lately?
The Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz.
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