It's hard to believe January is ending. What a month, right? From the horror of the Capitol Insurrection, to the hope of the Inauguration, to the reality of a deep partisan divide in Washington and across the country, and a pandemic that is far from under control... there is an awful lot of work ahead. I pray we're all up to the task.
It's been a good week here... very chilly (for Florida) though. I actually wore gloves on my walk a couple of mornings ago! We saw my FIL twice (outdoors and socially distant) and he continues to improve. I attended a couple of virtual bookish events. Both were excellent, and I really hope these continue after the pandemic.
Current reading//
This book was published ten years ago. Why has it taken me this long to pick it up? At over 600 pages, it's certainly a time commitment... but it's excellent. I'm nearly 40% into this read/listen combination.
This Week's Bookish Events//
The T Book Club: A Conversation on ‘The Custom of the Country’ with author Claire Messud. The T Book club is sponsored by NYTimes T Magazine and consists of a series of articles and then a discussion about a classic work of American literature. Ideally, participants read the novel and articles prior to the event.
For this event, features director Thessaly LaForce introduced Messud, who gave a presentation on the novel. The comment box was open to participants who typed questions or made comments the entire time. Afterwards, the two chat, and LaForce posed questions raised by the audience. You can view the 45-minute presentation here... you may need to be a NYTimes subscriber.
The next selection, Passing by Nella Larsen, will be discussed March 9 and features Brit Bennett.
Doubleday presented Two Writers Talking: Family Secrets with Bob Kolker and Dani Shapiro. This was such an interesting discussion! Bob Kolker is the author of Hidden Valley Road (which I have not read) and Dani Shapiro is the author of Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love, which was my favorite nonfiction read of 2019. The event was free. You can find out about other events by visiting Knopf Doubleday's virtual events landing page.
On the blog// Top Ten Tuesday: 2020 Author Discoveries
Books Read in January//
Rachel to the Rescue by Elinor Lipman 3.5/5
A Quiet Life in the Country by T.E. Kinsey 4/5
The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio 4.5/5
Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole 3/5
The Fortunate Ones by Ed Tarkington 4.5/5
The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton (reread) 5/5
February Reading, Tentative Plans//
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
Shelf subscription selection (can't wait to see what it is!)
Middlemarch by George Eliot (reread)
In the kitchen//
My sister sent me this recipe for Sweet & Spicy Bacon Wrapped Chicken and I had to try it right away because... bacon! It was really good, but probably more of an appetizer than dinner. I could picture serving these on wooden skewers at a cocktail party... remember those?!? I dialed back the spice a little bit, too.
I made this Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread because my FIL likes something sweet for breakfast a few times a week. It was quick and easy, and I don't think you even need the glaze. I needed to bake it for a few minutes longer than suggested.
So that was my week. How was yours? What have you been reading?
I remember how wowed I was when I read Warmth of Other Suns. It was a part of history I knew nothing about, and I was deeply inspired by the story. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
ReplyDeleteThe online book discussions you've attended lately sound like they are great. I like the idea of the T Book Club, especially.
I had a stack of fiction I'd received last year that I posted a few weeks back, and I asked which book I should read first. People told me Transcendent Kingdom, so I read that one a week ago. I'm really glad it was recommended to me.
I'm off to take a look at the bacon-wrapped chicken and the cinnamon bread. We love the ingredients in both of these and they sound promising.
Deb - I think The Warmth of Other Suns is fabulous! Never knew much about the Great Migration. The next selection for T Book Club is Passing by Nella Larsen, which I read 6 or 7 months ago. It's short, so I'll probably give it a quick reread before the next "meeting".
DeleteHorror to hope is a good description of Washington in January. If only we could get back to the time when we didn't have to worry so much about what the government was doing.
ReplyDelete"The warmth of other suns" is a masterpiece, but so painful I didn't get all the way through. I did read all of her more recent book.
be safe... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Mae - The Warmth of Other Suns is a tough read, and I can certainly understand why you didn't want to continue. Caste is now on my tbr list.
DeleteJust double checked to make sure Warmth of Other Suns is on my TBR. It is.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear your FIL is improving and hope he continues to do so!
The bookish events sound really interesting! I have Hidden Valley right here on my shelf!
Hope you have a great week!
Jinjer - Oh, glad The Warmth of Other Suns is on your list. I'm not sure if I want to read Hidden Valley Road or not. That sounds like a tough read to me. My FIL seems to be up and down... it's a roller coaster with elderly relatives, as you well know.
DeleteThe division is so terribly deep, Im still hoping justice will prevail though.
ReplyDeleteI made a cinnamon swirl cake for Christmas morning breakfast, it was delicious!
Wishing you a great reading week
Shelleyrae - Times are certainly tough in the US now. I pray we get through it. The cinnamon swirl was delicious, but it's not something I'll make often. That would be dangerous! ;-)
DeleteGlad you've been enjoying some virtual book events! I need to keep my eye out for more of those.
ReplyDeleteAngela - I miss my book club during the pandemic. These virtual events are definitely filling a void for me.
DeleteThe Warmth of Other Suns was my favorite non-fiction book of the year I read it.
ReplyDeleteHere's hoping February sees lots of people getting their vaccines and lots more good stuff from our new President.
Judy - I have a feeling The Warmth of Other Suns is going to end up a favorite for me, too... such an amazing book! Fingers crossed for a good, vaccine-filled month ahead.
DeleteThe author of Warmth of Other Suns just did an event at our local university. I bought a ticket but life got in the way; they send out a video so I need to get myself to watch it in the next week.
ReplyDeleteHelen - I'll search for some author interviews/videos when I finish The Warmth of Other Suns... would be very interested in hearing her discuss her work. I've added Caste to my TBR list, too.
DeleteJoAnn, I laughed about your 'wearing gloves' to walk. I'd be delighted to wear gloves (still a bit cool here) if the cedar pollen would only go away. My constant refrain every year. I feel a great desire to walk outside though and why can't it just evaporate? Ha!
ReplyDeleteSounds like you've had some good reading and book events and some tasty dishes. I've been 'clearing' out my bookshelves and enjoying getting through some new books and some that have been around for a long time. One after the other and most with the audio checked out from the library as a boost to my reading. I'm going to continue with that for a time or until I get tired of it. I said on my blog post yesterday that my criteria is if I like it and it holds my interest, I continue. If not, out it goes. ;-)
Have a good week!
Kay - I'mm pretty sure that was the first and only time I've ever worn gloves here... there might be something to the blood thinning if you're here long enough theory. LOL!
DeleteOverall, it was a good month for reading, online events, and new recipes. It's taken 10 months, but maybe I've hit my pandemic groove. Ha! I've been doing the same thing as you with read/listen combinations and really like that approach. Hoping to get through a lot of the accumulated ebooks and audios on my virtual shelves, too. Take care!
Interestingly, I received The Warmth of Other Suns as a holiday gift from my daughter. I shared my Amazon wish list with my family this year, and she called me to ask if I really wanted books I had added "at least 10 years ago." I said yes, I wanted them then, still hadn't gotten them, but still wanted to read them. So I finally got a copy of what promises to be an excellent non-fiction. Glad you are enjoying it, and now I am eager to get started on it!
ReplyDeleteRereading Middlemarch seems an excellent way to spend February - say hello to Dorothea, Will, Mary, Fred, and all my other good friends who live in Middlemarch. Just nod curtly to Rosamond, though :)
JaneGS - Hope you love The Warmth of Other Suns as much as I am. Can't imagine it not ending up a favorite this year. Caste is on my wish list now.
DeleteFebruary struck me as a good time to revisit Middlemarch. It will be nice to see Dorothea, Will, Mary, and Fred again. Rosamond, not so much ;-) It will likely be the second half of the month before I get there.
I drafted my January Summary last week and my opening paragraph is very similar to yours! Quite a month, eh?
ReplyDeleteYes, The Warmth of Other Suns is a time commitment. It took me a full month to listen to on audio. I should have gone with the read/listen combo since the shifting perspectives felt a little bit jarring.
I just started a new audiobook, but once I'm finished I plan to start listening to A Quiet Life in the Country. Glad you enjoyed it so well.
The cinnamon swirl bread looks delicious! I'm trying to keep sweets out of the house, but maybe I'll make it for my husband for a treat (Valentine's Day).
Les - January was kind of surreal... who could have predicted that series of events!
DeleteThe Warmth of Other Suns is certainly a commitment. I started the audio last spring and had a hard time following initially. I set it aside until I could borrow the ebook, and had time to devote to it. Now I've added Caste to my list.
Hope you enjoy A Quite Life in the Country... the audio was delightful. I just saw on Nan's blog that she has read them all.
The cinnamon swirl was delicious.I was good and only tried one slice before we sent it over to my FIL... trying to get him to gain some weight. I'm trying to go in the opposite direction!
Have a good week!
The Warmth of Other Suns was one of those I always meant to try; glad you are enjoying it. You had a good month in books considering all we had to endure:( Hope February is good as well.
ReplyDeleteYour bacon wrapped chicken intrigues me, I think my husband would love that; I don't eat much meat, just a filet now and then. Mostly seafood or vegetarian.
Diane - January was a pretty good reading month considering all that happened. I'm hoping having a plan for February will help me read more... we'll see. I'd love to cook/eat more vegetarian meals. Wish I get get my husband to go along!
DeleteYour summary of January sounds like a horror story you might read and not an actual life we're living. But one thing we have learned through it all is that there are many things we can do without. And new habits we might continue afterwards, like online shopping and meal deliveries.
ReplyDeleteBut...I know we all need for the long siege to end! And for the political divide to end, as well.
Enjoy your new week and the new month, and thanks for visiting my blog.
Laurel- Rain Snow - I know, right? Who would have though January could turn out like that!? We were just talking about how our habits and routines will be different post-pandemic. I miss being able to try on clothes and shoes before buying, but I'm going to keep doing a lot of other shopping online! Have a good week.
DeleteIt really is hard to believe that the first month of the new year is already behind us, especially since so many of us came into the year with the hope that things would almost certainly have to be better than what we experienced in 2020. But it didn't take 2021 very long to slap us back into reality.
ReplyDeleteI have one of your February books, Transcendent Kingdom, on my March list. It's ready to be picked up at the library now, but I'm buying a little time by holding up on the pick-up until my last eligible day.
Sam - It really is a balancing act with the library! I do the same thing with holds, and also wait until close to the end of the 72-hour period to check out ebooks and audios. I used an audible credit for Transcendent Kingdom, have the ebook checked out now, and am near the top for the physical book, too. Just in case, lol!
DeleteThat's funny. I cover myself that way, too, often requesting both the audiobook and the e-book at the same time in case I have to finish up in a different format than the one I started. Since they are not usually available at exactly the same time, that usually works out for me.
DeleteSam - I think many readers have gotten pretty sophisticated with our "library hacks" :)
DeleteIt sounds like you have become a real Floridian, wearing gloves. :)
ReplyDeleteI am worried but try to remain hopeful about our future. I think it is a hard road ahead of us. I think we are up to the task though. :)
Erin - LOL, I'm starting to believe that your blood really does thin if you're here long enough! I distinctly remember flying into Syracuse a couple of years ago when the temp was in the high 50s... people were wearing shorts! It was 62 when we left FL and everyone was wearing down vests! Cold is definitely relative.
DeleteGawk!! Now I need to bake something cinnamon-y. I too hope that the virtual book events continue.
ReplyDeleteBeth F - The quick bread was a delicious treat. I only tried one piece before sending it to my FIL... to dangerous to keep here, lol. I'm loving the virtual book evens.
DeleteNice looking chicken. I agree that everything is better with bacon. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteKathy - I don't buy bacon very often, so it's always a treat!
DeleteMmm, cinnamon bread. That sounds really good right now. I love cinnamon. Have a great February!
ReplyDeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
AJ - I need to stop making so many new desserts... it's getting dangerous!
DeleteI hope virtual author events continue too. We don't get many author events usually in my area so it has been fun to see authors that I would have to drive a distance to see otherwise. I'll have to try the cinnamon bread. Donna @ Girl Who Reads
ReplyDeleteGirl Who Reads - We don't get a lot of authors here either, so it would be great if these virtual events can continue. I'm trying to do one every week.
DeleteYour bacon wrapped chicken looks good even to my new vegetarian self. I am thinking about Super Bowl food and how my decision to be vegetarian will affect that. Hmmm.
ReplyDeleteTi - Bacon is hard to resist, but I'd have mostly vegetarian meals if I could get my husband to agree. Cooking two main dishes sounds like a nightmare!
DeleteI've purchased THE WARMTH OF OVER SUNS, but I haven't started it yet. It's a chunkster, but I think it will be fascinating. Have a great week! - Melinda @ A Web of Stories
ReplyDeleteMelinda - Hope you enjoy it as much as I am!
DeleteI just finished Nancy Johnson's debut novel, The Kindest Lie, and it is so great. It will probably be one of my favorites of the year. Your cinnamon bread looks great, I'm going to make that for my husband.
ReplyDeleteDiane - I hope he likes as much as everyone around here did! Will you be able to get to your place in FL this winter or are you staying put in NY?
DeleteYes, the month start off with just so much to take didn't it? Like you, I'm very hopeful about the future even though we are very much still in the pandemic. Why did I think The Warmth of Other Suns was a new book? I must be getting it confused. So glad to hear it's been a great read so far. Thank you for sharing the recipes, as one who loves baked goods that bread sounds delicious!
ReplyDeleteIliana - I think there have been several books lately with Sun in the title... you may be thinking of one of them. This one is excellent! Wilkerson's newer book, Caste, is getting great reviews, too.
DeleteI am pleased you enjoyed so many books and a couple of book events in January, Joanna. And those chicken and bacon skewers sound like a great idea... here's hoping it won't be long till you can try them out on guests! My January was great reading wise too: I finished five books and enjoyed them all. My favourites were The Phantom Tree by Nicola Cornick and The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. 🙂
ReplyDeleteJessica - It almost seems hard to imagine when we might actually have guests again, doesn't it? Glad you had a good reading month, too. I recently added The Thursday Murder Club to my wishlist... it sounds like fun.
DeleteIt is good to hear you are enjoying your time with The Warmth of Other Suns - I actually have this on my nonfiction reading list this year. Virtual bookish events, how fun!! A happy February to you.
ReplyDeleteJade - I finished The Warmth of Other Suns and I'm certain it will end up as a favorite this year!
Delete