Sunday, March 26, 2023

One Last March Sunday Salon


Hello, friends. It's been another busy week here with several appointments and a couple of construction developments. On the plus side, we finally have an installation date for the new garage door (our old one collapsed due to storm surge) and the window we've been waiting on for months arrived Friday. No word yet on when that  may be installed. 

Now for the questionable development... Although our wind insurance claim has already been paid, the company is now sending out a structural engineer to inspect the damage. Since overall damage on the island has been so severe, they say it's precautionary. But we have visible interior cracks and I'm a little concerned...

Finally, another milestone was announced Friday. Six months after Hurricane Ian, mail delivery will resume on Monday. This is a huge step forward!!  Fingers crossed all goes smoothly tomorrow.



Recent reading//


I finished this book, a read listen combination, the other night and, after loving The Great Believers, my feelings here are complicated. Yes, I enjoyed I Have Some Questions for You, but have a lot more to say. Look for a review later in the week.




audio edition narrated by the author

I cannot believe it has taken me so long to read this book! Maya Angelou's classic first autobiography, covering her early childhood and teen years, is every bit as wonderful and moving as you have heard - and maybe even more so if you choose to listen to the author read her own words. Thank you, Laurie, for your well-timed reminder. This was a perfect choice for Women's History Month. I highly recommend I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings  and have added Angelou's other works, beginning with Autobiography #2 Gather Together in My Name, to my reading list.


 


Current reading//
 
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

I picked this up yesterday, read the first two or three chapters, and love it already! At nearly 550 pages, it's another chunkster. The audio has received rave reviews, so I'll likely use an audible credit and make this a read/listen combination.



by Sy Montgomery, narrated by the author

Last year I read Montgomery's The Soul of an Octopus, and only discovered this title while browsing hoopla. The audio version is short (under 4 hours) and so far, it is excellent!



In the kitchen//


These Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps from skinnytaste made for a quick and tasty low-carb dinner. My husband wasn't thrilled with idea of a lettuce wraps so I made rice for him. This will make a repeat appearance in our dinner rotation sometime soon.




We has steak on the grill midweek (yum!) and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to make Katie Workman's (The Mom 100) Polenta with Sautéed Mushrooms, a recipe I saved ages ago. Although it looks fancy, it was fairly easy. The recipe sounded like it might be a little bland, so I added thyme to the mushrooms. It still could have used a bit more flavor, so maybe next time I'll cook the mushrooms in sherry or marsala...



How was your week? What have you been reading?


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


40 comments:

  1. I make those wraps as my husband is gluten free, we love them.

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    1. Jackie - We both thought they were great, but my husband objected to the 'delivery vessel'... think we've reached a compromise! ;-)

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  2. There was something soothing and satisfying about the Sy Montgomery books about her interactions with animals, I think. And I shall strike I Have Some Questions for You from my list and replace it with Great Believers.

    I hope all goes well with the structural engineer. Very stressful, I am sure.

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    1. Deb - So far I'm liking How to be a Good Creature even more than The Soul of an Octopus. Soothing is exactly the way it feels!

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  3. Glad things are looking better after the storm. Hopefully everything will go smoothly with the inspection.

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    1. Thanks, Vicki... it seems strange to me that they are sending a structural engineer after 6 months.

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  4. JoAnn so glad to hear things are coming along and really hoping that no major issues are found after the structural engineer visit! Can't wait to read your review of I Have Some Questions for You. That's a book that's been getting a lot of buzz so very curious. Hope you have a great week ahead!

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    1. Iliana - I Have Some Questions for You was a good read, but SO different from her previous novel... still pulling my thoughts together.

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  5. Good luck with all the aftermath of the storm. I hope you are soon totally back to normal, mail delivery, structural issues, and all!

    best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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  6. We have visited the Tampa Bay Area and fell in love with St. Pete's. Even considering a move to Fla is fraught with worry about hurricanes and home damages like you mentioned. Plus the red tide of algae that is supposed to develop along the Gulf Coast this summer. But I bet the nice weather, the beaches, and the sun are worth it.

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    1. Harvee - St. Pete's is a beautiful area. I have mixed feelings about so many aspects of Florida living... but there is nowhere else I'd rather be this time of the year!

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  7. May all come to satisfaction soon with your construction process, JoAnn!
    I've been excited about Demon Copperhead for some time, since David Copperfield is my favorite Dickens. Can't wait to read your thoughts on it. Meanwhile, I'll try to find the audio too!
    And oh.. I've never heard about Sy Montgomery, but I think I'd love her! Would search for her books at once!

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    1. Fanda - I'm planning to read David Copperfield after Demon Copperhead, hopefully within a month or two. I've enjoyed quite a few Dickens novels and it's next on my list.

      So far I like How to Be A Good Creature even more than The Soul of an Octopus.

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  8. Good luck with the inspection, I hope it all goes well. And getting mail delivery is HUGE! When we had the debris flow 5 years ago we had weeks (not months) of driving across town to get our mail and I remember seeing the letter carrier come to our house; it was a wonderful return to normalcy.

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    1. Helen - It was a huge step forward when we got the FEMA trailer post office last month... at least we could pick up our mail on island. I hardly remember what it's like to have mail delivery! So exciting!

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  9. I love The Great Believers so much and now I am excited to read her next book. You are the first person I've heard gush about the first book the way I feel about it. I wish I'd already read the second so you and I could talk about it.

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    1. Anne - Oh, so do I! Working through my thoughts for a review...I think if you read her new book expecting a novel like The Great Believers, you will be disappointed. This is something totally different. A good book, but almost hard to believe it's written by the same author.

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  10. Thanks for the shout-out! And ack! I want to read all the other books on your list!
    I loved The Great Believers on audio, so I'm looking forward to your thoughts on I Have Some Questions for You. It took me a long time to read my first book by Barbara Kingsolver, and although I've read a couple now, I still haven't read The Bean Trees or The Poisonwood Bible.

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    1. Laurie - I often feel the same way after reading your posts... we seem to have similar taste in books. I've read quite a few of Kingsolver's novels, but wasn't a huge fan of The Poisonwood Bible way back when. Most members of my book club loved it. My favorites have been Prodigal Summer and Flight Behavior, and I really liked Unsheltered, too.

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  11. I'm glad things are getting better for you after Ian. Mail delivery is a big milestone. I hope things go well with the structural engineer. Come see my week here. Happy reading!

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    1. Kathy - I did a happy dance when I collected out mail from the mailbox this morning - what a treat!!

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  12. Good luck with all the home installations. We are having new windows put in this week. Hope you enjoy your books and have a great week!

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    1. Yvonne - We put in all new windows a couple of years ago and all but one held. Something wind-driven must have hit it and the outer panel shattered. We're lucky the inner layer held up to whatever hit it at 155 mph!! Good luck with your new window installation!

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  13. I have some questions for you sounds good!!

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  14. I read I Know Why the Caged Bird Sing in 9th grade I think. Looking back on it now I really think I should reread it as I think I would get much more out of it as an adult. Fingers crossed that the inspection and the installations go smoothly. Have a great week!

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    1. Katherine - It's great that you read this in high school! More and more schools seems to be assigning it. At least two of my three daughters read it in high school, but I'm sure they would both get even more out of it now.

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  15. Good luck with the inspections. Getting people out to work and approve work can make for an arduous wait. I'm glad you have mail delivery again - progress!!!
    I read the Caged Bird book in college (English major) but that was many years ago. I'm looking forward to your review of I Have Some Questions for You. The book I just finished was an ARC from Netgalley and I can HIGHLY recommend it. It's No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister. It's 5 stars for me and I don't give the highest rating often. I may buy the book once it's published.

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    1. Tina - I've enjoyed several of Bauermeister's books, both fiction and nonfiction. Thanks for the heads up. Now I can get on the library list as soon as add it!

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  16. I'm glad you're finally getting mail delivery again! We don't get much in the way of snail-mail anymore, but every so often there's something other than junk. And, of course, lots of deliveries from Amazon and Barnes & Noble...

    I hope all goes well with the structural inspection. We've only had to deal with one home insurance claim (hail damage from a severe storm) in all the years we've owned homes, and we were pretty amazed that they cut us a check that afternoon after climbing all over the roof of our house & garage. We were prepared to wait a few weeks.

    I haven't read either of Makkai's books, but have both ready to go on audio. Maybe I should begin with I Have Some Questions For You, so I don't compare it to the other.

    I should have started Demon Copperhead this week, but I wound up checking a bunch of books out from the library and they now have priority. Why do I do this?? Have so many books that I bought at the end of 2022 and now I'm ignoring them. But when I see something at the library that I've been longing to read, I hate to pass it up. Guess that answers my question, right? Anyhow, I'm so glad to hear that you're enjoying DC. While at the library, I bought a used copy of Flight Behavior, which I read and loved many years ago. It's been on my mental re-read list since then, so I was happy to find a copy for $2.

    I'll have to try the Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps, but will probably have to do the same as you and fix some rice for my husband. ;) I made a Smitten Kitchen mushroom & brie recipe the other day, too, which was a big hit with my Mah Jong friends. Here's the link, if you're curious.

    I just read Tina's comment about Erica Bauermeister's new book. I've read and loved all but one of her books (The Scent Keeper was a miss for me) and I'm going to pre-order a copy today!

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    1. Les - We don't get much snail mail either (though I do enjoy the occasional catalog and magazine) but this is such a huge step forward. Sadly, we're starting to see more and more houses, businesses, and even a church get torn down. The island will look very different when they all get rebuilt to code!

      I think you'd be fine with either Makkai book first. They are completely different, so choose based on whether you feel like literary fiction or mystery/suspense.

      There's nothing like a browsing the library and coming home with a pile of new books! Unfortunately, I have not read one book from my physical FL bookshelf this year... must do something about that before we head north.

      Hope you like the Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps. I'll probably make them again in another week or two, and I've saved the mushroom & brie recipe, too. Thanks!

      Erica Bauermeister's new book sounds really good. I never did read The Scent Keeper, but have enjoyed all of her others that I've read.

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  17. A very important milestone on the road to recovery. It's nice to see progress. I have never read I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, but it might be time I did. Thanks for the glowing recommendation. My husband just finished Demon Copperhead and was blown away--we both like Kingsolver, and he said it was her best. I am hoping to carve out time for it soon--it is a chunkster. Soul of an Octopus is waiting patiently on my TBR shelf. Will have to read it so I can read her new book! Have a great April!

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    1. JaneGS - My mother just finished reading I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and she loved it, too. Not at all her usual fare, but she found it very moving. I'm only 25% into Demon Copperhead, but pretty sure I'll be agreeing with your husband. It is just wonderful! How to Be a Good Creature was published in 2018, so it is more recent than The Soul of an Octopus. I also found a 2022 title, The Hawk's Way: Encounters with Fierce Beauty, that appears to be available at the local library. Hoping to get there this afternoon and look for it!

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  18. I'm waaay behind with Barbara Kingsolver. I read and reread The Poisonwood Bible which Is one of my favourite books and yet can't get on with her others. I will get Demon Copperhead when It's out in paperback, though!

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    1. Vintage Reading - I remember reading The Poisonwood Bible 20+ years ago with my book club, and not being overly fond of it. I've enjoyed quite a few other Kingsolver books since and have wondered if that was just a case of bad timing. Have often thought of rereading. Demon Copperhead is wonderful so far!

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  19. Not sure how I missed commenting on this post but thanks for the Caged Bird Sing tip. Not sure why I have not read it either but it sounds very good. I'll be reading the Kingsolver novel in May so I look forward to hearing your overall impressions. And what did the engineer find out about the interior cracks? I hope your house will be all right.

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    1. Susan - I still don't have a good explanation for why it took me so long to get to Maya Angelou, but I'm very glad I finally did. The structural engineer is coming on Friday... fingers crossed!

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  20. Is the Good Creature have any non-human narrator/protags? I need a book to fit a category.

    I don't think I realized that David Copperfield was almost 900 pages. Yikes.

    Did you do the Classics Spin? :D

    Hoppy Easter!

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    1. Care - No non-human narrator in Good Creature. The author tells the story of thirteen different animals and the impact they had on her life. Solid 4 stars. How about Watership Down or The Art of Racing in the Rain?

      I have done a Classics Spin in at least a couple years. Not sure why. David Copperfield is next on my Dickens list anyway and would be a good follow-up to Demon Copperhead, which I hope to finish in the next few days.

      Happy Easter!

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