Sunday, October 10, 2021

Sanibel Sunday: October 10, 2021


Hello from sunny Florida! We are finally unpacked and organized, and we have a schedule for finishing the downstairs renovation. That's definitely progress. We made time to watch a couple of gorgeous sunsets on the beach, and enjoyed a meal on the patio of a favorite restaurant.

I also managed to finish two books. Both were short, but they provided some much-needed reading momentum. Overall, a good week.


Recent Reading//


Parnassus On Wheels by Christopher Morley
narrated by Nadia May

This old-fashioned, feel-good story will be appreciated by book lovers everywhere! Written in 1917, the publisher's brief summary says it all: 

Parnassus on Wheels is the story of a marvelous man, small in stature, wiry as a cat, yet Olympic in personality. Roger Mifflin is part pixie, part sage, part noble savage, and all God's creature. With his traveling book wagon, named Parnassus, he moves through the New England countryside of 1915 on an itinerant mission of enlightenment. Mifflin's delight in books and authors (if not publishers) is infectious. With his singular philosophy and bright eyes, he comes to represent the heart and soul of the book world.

A roaring good adventure yarn spiced with fiery roadside brawls, ...heroic escapes from death, and a rare love story, Roger Mifflin's story shows how bookselling can be one of the world's highest callings: dispelling ignorance while causing constant delight.

The audio is only 3 1/2 hours and is included free with an audible plus membership. I found it to be a truly delightful listen and was pleased to learn it is part of a two-book series. The Haunted Bookshop is now on my list.




An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed by Helene Tursten

The second book in the" Elderly Lady" series was released last week and it was so good to catch up with Maud, the 88-year-old serial killer! Again, the book is small-scale hardback consisting of several short stories. It opens with Maud embarking on a grand trip. The first few stories are memories, or Maud's musings, while the last two are longer and occur in the present. I loved reading about how Maud chooses to structure her golden years, but think you really need to read the first book, An Elderly Lady is Up To No Good, to fully appreciate this one. I'm hoping for a third book soon.



Current Reading//


Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen

The library came through! I was able to borrow this book the day it released and yesterday the audio version arrived via Overdrive. This is classic Franzen... the writing is just so good, the characters are the real thing. They are people from our hometowns; we probably knew them in high school. I can't wait to read more. And the audio version narrated by David Pittu is a pleasure to listen to on my morning walks, too. 


A Question//   

Have you seen anything about Nonfiction November? Is it happening this year? I haven't been around much lately and may have missed the announcement. I love that event!

Sunday Evening Update: Deb from Readerbuzz  sent a message to one of the hosts of Nonfiction November, Rennie of What's Nonfiction, asking about this year's event. Here is her reply:

Thanks for reaching out!

We’re a little late in getting an announcement out this year because some new hosts were being brought on board and took a bit more planning. But it’s happening :) and good timing - check back at my blog for the announcement tomorrow. Happy to hear people are already looking forward to it!


In the kitchen// 


It's great to be back in my own kitchen again! I  haven't been able to do this section of my weekly post for a while and it feels like I accumulated a lot  of new recipes over the summer. Now the trick is to try them all! 

First up was this Maple Brown Sugar Baked Oatmeal from Greens & Chocolate. It's much lower in sugar than another recipe I tried and tastes so good... try it topped with raspberries and a splash of skim milk. 

It's still pasta salad season in Florida and this Pesto Pasta Caprese is filled with flavors I love. I couldn't find the recipe online, so here is a photo of it instead. 


For main dishes, these two seafood recipes turned out really well. The Grilled Swordfish with a delicious lemon and herb marinade (from Katie Workman) was spiced up with a dash of Worcestershire sauce. We also enjoyed Skinnytaste's Asian Farro Medley with Salmon, but the next time I will dial back the sambal chili paste. This was the first time I''ve used sambal oelek and probably should have tried some first... very spicy! 



The week ahead// 

My BIL and his family have flown in for the week and are staying at the condo. They'll be spending some time with my FIL, but I'm sure we'll see plenty of them, too. Work will hopefully resume on our downstairs renovation. There isn't much more to do, but we will need that space for the holidays. And, of course, I'll continue to work my way through Crossroads...it's long, but so good!

That's it for my week. How was yours? What are you reading?


The Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz.
It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date.


44 comments:

  1. Your kitchen looks beautiful and the recipes seem like gems as well. Glad you are enjoying Crossroads, I'm waiting for my turn, along with Lincoln Highway and The Magician but, of course I have plenty to read in the meantime. Enjoy time with family.

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    1. Diane - No matter how long a library wait is, it's never like there's not something else waiting to be read! I'm happy with the way the kitchen turned out. It's a pleasure to cook there.

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  2. YES! abookolive has a Youtube post about NonFicNovember https://youtu.be/63vihsyADUY and all the links!

    Your kitchen is beautiful!

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  3. Now wait a minute...are there TWO Nonfiction Novembers? I see that the one I normally participate in that has the Mr Linky for everyone's posts is hosted by Doing Dewey, Julz Reads, Sarah's Bookshelves, and Shelf Aware. They usually fire that sucker up in October and aBookOlive's doesn't start until Nov 1st. Hmmm...

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    1. There are, indeed, two Nonfiction Novembers -- a BookTube version and the book blogger version.

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    2. Jinjer and Melissa - Who knew there were two?? I usually follow the book blogger one, but so interesting that there is a whole other event for BookTube.

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  4. Love that sunset. What a view!

    I enjoyed Parnassus on Wheels so much. I keep meaning to read Haunted Bookshop. Thanks for the reminder.

    My library still hasn't come through for me with Franzen. Glad to hear that it is good so far.

    I've seen nothing about Nonfiction November this year. It does seem like we usually hear about it before this.

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    1. JoAnn, I sent a message to one of the hosts of NN, Rennie of What's Nonfiction, asking about this year's event. Here is her reply:

      Thanks for reaching out!

      We’re a little late in getting an announcement out this year because some new hosts were being brought on board and took a bit more planning. But it’s happening :) and good timing - check back at my blog for the announcement tomorrow. Happy to hear people are already looking forward to it!

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    2. Deb - Hooray!! I'm so glad NN for book bloggers will be happening. Thank you for taking the time to send that email. I'm going to update the post with this information.

      We'll see how long it takes me to get to The Haunted Bookshop, but I'm definitely going to read it. Just loved Parnassus on Wheels!

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  5. Posted a comment above under Jinjer's comment, but yes -- there are two Nonfiction Novembers. JoAnn, you're likely thinking of the book blogger one hosted by Doing Dewey, Julz Reads, Sarah's Bookshelves, and Shelf Aware. Over on BookTube, there's an event called Nonfiction November and that's the video referenced above. It's funny -- as someone who considers herself part of the book blogger and BookTube communities, it always strikes me as curious why the two aren't more integrated. Oh, well -- the more nonfiction in November the better!

    Oh, and it's always pasta salad season for me, even in Pittsburgh. :)

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    1. Melissa - Thanks so much for the input. I've never spent any time over at BookTube, but it does seem strange that there is so little interaction between the two communities. I've always been curious about BookTube but could never see myself doing a video. Deb updated her comment above with more info about the book blogger event... I've updated my post to include it.

      I love Caprese salads... adding pesto and pasta to it is delicious!

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  6. Such a pretty kitchen! Glad to hear your renovations are continuing and coming to a completion stage. We're still in the figuring out what we might want thing, but I'm feeling much more optimistic about the whole thing. We won't be hosting things for holidays this year, but maybe by the end of next year we'll be able to do it. Have a good week, JoAnn!

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    1. Kay - I didn't think we'd ever get some of the materials, and I'll still believe it when I see it, but it looks like we'll be wrapping this up soon. Hooray! Hope your renovations can begin soon.

      We'll just have one daughter (plus or minus the boyfriend) here for Thanksgiving, but I think both will come for Christmas.

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  7. Your kitchen looks fantastic! It must be so much fun to be back in there with new appliances, counters, etc. It makes cooking so much more fun to have it all function well.

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    1. Helen - Thank you! It is such a pleasure to cook in this new space... I love it!

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  8. Vicki - Parnassus on Wheels was just wonderful! I know you would like it. Glad Elderly Lady is working for you this time. The first time my sister picked it up, it struck her the wrong way. She came back to it a second time and loved it. I've made that baked oatmeal twice now... so good with fruit and very filling.

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  9. The Christopher Morley book sounds like fun; I love books about books and booksellers, etc. so it's a natural for me. I'm reading the first of the "Elderly Lady" books right now, with one story to go and I'm fining Maud to be a hoot despite the way she cleans up her problems. Looking forward to the second book at some point.

    Nonfiction November is a new event to me. I'm really dragging this year on my nonfiction reading, so maybe that will jumpstart me just in time to catch up a bit on my plans coming into the year. I'll watch for the announcement. Thanks.

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    1. Sam - Besides being about books and bookselling, Parnassus on Wheels is a great adventure. I'm so glad you're enjoying Maud, too... she really is a hoot!

      Nonfiction November is usually hosted by a group of four book bloggers, with each one taking hosting duties for one week. Each week there is a prompt for a post, but people also share nonfiction reviews throughout the month. I usually add enough nonfiction titles to my tbr to keep me busy for the next year! It's a great event.

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  10. I'd been wondering about Nonfiction November, too! I wanted to at least take part in some of it, so I'm glad to hear it will be back!

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    1. Angela - I just saw the announcement today. Here it is:
      https://whatsnonfiction.com/2021/10/11/nonfiction-november-is-coming-4/

      Delete
  11. Welcome home! I’m glad you can resume the beach walks and audios. I’ve tried audios but with the exception of Harry Potter on long drives I can’t seem to get into them.

    Checking out Crossroads! Also, love your kitchen!!!! The kitchen is our favorite room in the house so when our remodel was gone this is the one that made us happier. Also loving your double ovens.

    I just wanted to mention something about nonfiction November, well... nonfiction reading in general. Shelleyrae at Book’d hosts a nonfiction challenge for the year. There are categories & you can read all year & linkup.
    If you’re interested her site is:
    https://bookdout.wordpress.com/2021-nonfiction-reader-challenge/




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    1. Tina - I know a lot of readers can't get into audiobooks. I think I must be an auditory learner, so they work great for me.

      Our kitchen is open to the living room, so it's pretty much the room we live in all the time... except when we're on the lanai. The double ovens are the best part!!

      I made note of Shelleyrae's challenge when you posted about it in January and will probably join if she does it again in 2022. Thanks for mentioning it!

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  12. Ooo the baked oatmeal sounds really good! I love oatmeal over the winter, yummers!

    I am sure it must be nice to be back home. As fun as vacations are there is something about just being home again. :) Enjoy your kitchen and cooking!

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    1. Erin - I've made that oatmeal twice so far, and will probably end up making more before the week is over.

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  13. Welcome back. I'm glad you are home and posting recipes again. You give me great ideas. I'll have to check into the audiobook of Parnassus on Wheels. Come see my week here. Happy reading!

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    1. Kathy - Thanks, it's great to be back. Parnassus on Wheels is good for book lovers, but there is also an adventure... and a love story of sorts.

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  14. I love the look of your kitchen! Enjoy, and thanks for sharing.

    I hope to read Crossroads...and I'm definitely intrigued by the An Elderly Lady series.

    Enjoy your week!

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    1. Laurel-Rain Snow - I am enjoying Crossroads more and more as I get into the book... it's long though. Just under 600 pages!

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  15. One of these days, I'll get back to Fla and the beaches I love so well.

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    1. Harvee - I love the beaches here! It's great to be back now that summer and the worst of the hurricane season is over.

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  16. It sounds like you are very happy to be back on Sanibel and are enjoying the nice weather & sunsets. Yay!

    I've not heard of Parnassus on Wheels, but it sounds like it could be a good one on audio. I'll have to listen to a sample and see if I want to add it to my queue. I'm a little curious about the new Franzen book, but he's not one I've read (or should I say I've not completed one of his novels), but your remarks about the book have me curious.

    I always participate (unofficially) in Nonfiction November and will put together my list of books once we return from Northern CA. I still have a few books that were on last year's list...

    Your kitchen is beautiful! I'll bet it's nice to be back to cooking in it. Those meals looks delicious.

    Enjoy your week, JoAnn!

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    1. Les - It's so good to be back... and it's finally starting to feel a little more comfortable. That's mostly because of lower humidity, we still haven't managed to get an overnight low below 73 yet!

      The production of Parnassus on Wheels is slightly older, so the quality of the audio itself isn't as good as newer recording, but the story is wonderful!

      I've been a fan of Franzen's work since The Corrections. As a person I understand he can be controversial, but he sure is a talented writer. This book is long though...

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    2. Les - Guess I pressed send too soon! I saw the post for Nonfiction November today here:
      https://whatsnonfiction.com/2021/10/11/nonfiction-november-is-coming-4/
      I hope to be able to participate more this year and already have a couple of books ready to go. Enjoy the rest of your time on the road!

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    3. Thanks for the link! I'm excited to put together my list for NN. I find that I do much better with my reading if I create a list/photo of the books I plan to read each month. Plus, it's fun to create the collages. :)

      Wrapping up our road trip and heading home tomorrow. We've had pretty good weather for the past 2 1/2 weeks, but today it's pouring and will continue all week. Perfect weather to stay inside the RV and curl up with a book and a mug of tea. Not such great weather for driving the RV home tomorrow, but we're used to it and the route is very familiar.

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    4. Les - I just saw your video with all the rain - yikes! Safe travels tomorrow.

      And thanks for reminding me to try to figure out the collage maker. I made note of Ribbet, but never did any more with it.

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  17. Great update! I'm just barely started on the RIP challenge, so I'll have to pass on Nonfiction November yet again. I just went put three audiobooks on hold through OverDrive -- Crossroads, The Lincoln Highway, and An Elderly Lady is Up To No Good, thanks to your post and the comments on it!
    Glad you have your kitchen back! Your home base looks beautiful. I love baked oatmeal!

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    1. Laurie - I'm really enjoying Crossroads so far, but am not sure when I'll get to The Lincoln Highway. An Elderly Lady is just a riot... Maud is something else! I hope you enjoy them all!

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  18. Your kitchen is gorgeous! Love the natural light. I'm sure it feels amazing to get back to it and to get back to cooking. Baked oatmeal sounds amazing. I have several recipes for different variation but have yet to try any of them. Enjoy your reading and have a great week!

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    1. Thanks, Katherine. I'm enjoying my time in the kitchen again, that's for sure! Hope you like the baked oatmeal, but would love to know if you prefer one of your variation. I'd give it a try, too.

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  19. I've not read anything by Jonathan Franzen but on my TBR for sure! Thank you for sharing the recipes, I'm especially interested in the oatmeal one. Such a great breakfast item! Hope you've enjoyed settling in back home!

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    1. Iliana - I've read a couple of Franzen's earlier novels, so am already a fan. I've made that oatmeal recipe a couple of times since we've been back... so good topped with berries.

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  20. I have liked Franzen's books too. So I'm on the library wait list for the new one. It's great you already have it! I hear it's a trilogy, wow. Your kitchen looks great. Enjoy.

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    1. Susan - I have a feeing you're going to love Crossroads! Hope Franzen doesn't keep us waiting too long for the rest of the trilogy.

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