Sanibel Sunday: April 29, 2018

As April draws to a close, friends and neighbors are beginning to head north for the summer months. Last week we attended a couple of "end of season" gatherings and will host one ourselves this week. However, my brother's photo from home this morning showed more SNOW in central New York - ridiculous! I miss my parents and siblings (and Wegmans) but don't want to leave Florida any time soon.


Finished this week//

Women in Sunlight by Frances Mayes

This book is a feast for the senses and a virtual trip to Italy. I'll post a book brief in a few days but, in the meantime, go ahead and add it to your summer reading list!


Current reading//

Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal

I promised Care I'd give this book a chance and so far, so good. Started it on the beach yesterday and am turning the pages pretty quickly.


In the kitchen//

We loved Charlie Bird's Farro Salad from The New York Times! The farro, cooked in a mixture of apple cider and water, had a delicious nutty flavor. It was tossed with arugula, sliced radishes, and halved cherry tomatoes, then finished with shaved Parmesan cheese. I'll be making it again very soon.


Hope you have a good week. What are you reading?



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Sanibel Sunday: April 22, 2018

Good morning from Florida! It's been another beautiful week and I've happily resumed morning beach walks - my back is finally on the mend.

As for books...

I didn't finish anything last week, but am nearly halfway through the new Frances Mayes novel:

Women in Sunlight

Like her earlier novel, Under the Tuscan Sun,  it's a feast for the senses... sumptuous food and wine, the lush Tuscan countryside, stunning art and architecture. This is surely the next best thing to being there! I'm also enjoying the story of three single women of a certain age renting an old stone house in Italy. Where will the year take them?

I borrowed the hardcover from the library, then decided to get the audio version, too. Who can ignore a recommendation from Candace at Beth Fish Reads?  The audio production is wonderful... I want to live in this book!



In the kitchen//

Fresh Corn Tomato Salad from the Food network

This is a recipe most of you will save for summer, but we have Florida sweet corn now and the grape and cherry tomatoes have been extra-sweet lately. We enjoyed the salad as a side dish for dinner and the leftovers made a delicious light lunch. (my photo)

Easy Cauliflower Rice Burrito Bowls from Kitchn

Dinners don't get much quicker or easier than this... especially if you use frozen riced cauliflower and rotisserie chicken! I might use a little less lime juice in the "rice" next time, but other than that it was a complete winner.  (photo from kitchn)


Beyond books//

I had jury duty last week... quite an experience here in the Sunshine State! The jury selection process was fascinating. It was a DUI with injury case and I was eventually dismissed. When questioned about my scientific/medical background and faith in lab results, I don't think the defense liked my response... something along the line of "although errors can occur, it's hard to dispute a lab value." They can call me again in a year.

Our air conditioner is broken. The technician was here Saturday morning and, fingers crossed, will be back Monday afternoon with a new motor. The humidity has been creeping up over the past few days and I'm feeling a little uncomfortable. So glad it isn't summer yet - that would be unbearable!


So that's the news from here. How was your week? What are you reading?
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So Many Books: Mini-Review Catch Up

Hello, friends. Hard to believe it's mid-April already... Easter has come and gone. Here on the island "season" is over, but back in central New York winter just won't let go. A high school prom was even postponed last weekend due to the ice storm. Isn't that crazy? Needless to say, we won't be leaving Florida just yet.

I've had plenty of reading time over the past couple of weeks, primarily due to a back injury which limited my activity. I'm much better now and slowly resuming my regular routine.


Recent Reading//

The Gunners by Rebecca Kauffman

My favorite book so far this year... and I even wrote a review! Find it here. 

Forty Autumns: A Family's Story of Courage and Survival on Both Sides of the Berlin Wall by Nina Willner, narrated by Cassandra Campbell

What a moving memoir! I learned about this book last year during Nonfiction November and it's easily my favorite audio of the year so far. There are plenty of accounts about life after WWII, but this is a new angle for me.  I don't think I've ever read about East Germany after the country was divided.

The author, Nina Willner, was the first female Army Intelligence Officer to lead intelligence operations in East Berlin during the the Cold War. This book tells the story of her mother, Hanna, who escaped at age twenty from East to West Germany, leaving behind her parents, grandparents, and eight siblings.

The story is positively riveting. From Hanna's amazing escape to the daily lives of the family left behind and their eventual reunion decades later, I could not stop listening. Reading about control imposed by a communist regime always gives me pause, but the propaganda and suppression of news seemed especially chilling in light of the relationship between our current administration and the press.

Cassandra Campbell's narration is, as always, pitch-perfect. Read or listen, do not miss this book!
My rating:

Mrs. Osmond by John Banville

 In a style reminiscent of Henry James, though more readable, John Banville imagines Isabel Archer's life after The Portrait of a Lady. In essence, Mrs. Osmond is a sequel to Henry James masterpiece.

This novel was actually more enjoyable than expected. I enjoyed seeing Isabel mature, Pansy grow into adulthood, and Osmond and Madame Merle become more their true selves. I also loved how Banville left the ending somewhat ambiguous in true Jamesian style.

I approached this novel as a read/listen combination. Amy Finegan is a new-to-me narrator and her performance definitely enhanced my reading experience.

Bottom line: A nice romp for fans of The Portrait of a Lady, but I can't imagine why anyone not familiar with James's novel would want to read it.
My rating:

First Women: The Grace and Power of America's Modern First Ladies

by Kate Andersen Brower, narrated by Karen White

First Women is an interesting, slightly gossipy account of America's modern first ladies. It's a quick, informative read told in a style similar to Brower's previous book, The Residence. I had two minor complaints. First, the book jumped around a lot...it was structured based on topic (the political wife, motherhood, bad blood, etc.) rather than chronology. There also seemed to be a lot of repetition but, to be fair, it may have been anecdotes and facts I remembered from her earlier book. When this book was written, Brower fully expected Hillary Clinton to win the 2016 presidential election. An afterward about Melania Trump has since been added. This was a read/listen combination for me.
My rating:

Alternate Side by Anna Quindlen

When Anna Quindlen writes a new book, I read it. I've read most of her nonfiction and all but one of her novels. I had the pleasure of meeting her at a Random House event several years ago... if we lived on the same street, she could easily be my BFF.  So I really hate to admit  that her latest novel is not a favorite. It's quiet, character-driven, and very New York City - all factors which generally appeal to me. Unfortunately, Alternate Side  turned out to be just a good read when I was expecting a great one.
My rating:

Possibly Up Next//

The News from Paraguay by Lily Tuck

I discovered Lily Tuck through her new novel, Sisters, earlier this year. After musing that I'd like to read some of her backlist, a friend mailed me one she enjoyed. Thanks, Judy!

Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann

I borrowed the audio version from the library lat week and plan to start listening today. Maybe I'll get a print copy, too.



That's a lot of books, so I'll end here.
How was your week? What are you reading?

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Book Brief: The Gunners by Rebecca Kauffman

The Gunners 

by Rebecca Kauffman

Counterpoint Press

March 2018

224 pages

Motivation for reading:
Tara and Susie recommended it... and it's been compared to The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer, a favorite from a few years ago.

Source: Ebook downloaded from my library via hoopla. (an amazing service - so glad my library offers it!)

Publisher's summary:

Following her wonderfully received first novel, Another Place You’ve Never Been, called “mesmerizing,” “powerful,” and “gorgeous,” by critics all over the country, Rebecca Kauffman returns with Mikey Callahan, a thirty-year-old who is suffering from the clouded vision of macular degeneration. He struggles to establish human connections—even his emotional life is a blur.

As the novel begins, he is reconnecting with “The Gunners,” his group of childhood friends, after one of their members has committed suicide. Sally had distanced herself from all of them before ending her life, and she died harboring secrets about the group and its individuals. Mikey especially needs to confront dark secrets about his own past and his father. How much of this darkness accounts for the emotional stupor Mikey is suffering from as he reaches his maturity? And can The Gunners, prompted by Sally’s death, find their way to a new day? The core of this adventure, made by Mikey, Alice, Lynn, Jimmy, and Sam, becomes a search for the core of truth, friendship, and forgiveness.

A quietly startling, beautiful book, The Gunners engages us with vividly unforgettable characters, and advances Rebecca Kauffman’s place as one of the most important young writers of her generation.

Opening line:

Mikey Callahan discovered something about himself when he was six years old.

My thoughts:

I recently gathered a small pile of books to sample before choosing my next read. The Gunners was on top and by the end of the first page, I knew I wouldn't even open the others.

In The Gunners, I found a complex, satisfying, well-written novel about lifelong bonds evolving from childhood friendships. The suburban Buffalo setting felt comfortably familiar and, especially remarkable for such a short novel, I felt I knew and understood each character.

Reminiscent of both The Interestings and The Big Chill, The Gunners  is my favorite novel so far  this year. I've added Kauffman's debut novel, Another Place You've Never Been, to my reading list.

My rating: