The Sunday Salon: Reading and Remodeling

Hello, friends! It's a rainy day in CT. We're expecting very heavy rain, strong winds, and possible coastal flooding later this afternoon and into tomorrow. I'm keeping a close eye on the timing since we were hoping to go to New Haven for a performance of Handel's Messiah later on. We'll see...

The bathroom remodel is moving right along and we're very happy with the progress. They have been working six days a week (surprisingly labor intensive for such a small space) and we expect to be finished on Thursday. 

Anyway, more time at home with contractors has meant more reading time. I'll have to worry about finishing my shopping later...

Recent reading//

The Shortest Day 

by Colm Toibin, narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds

This short story, set in Ireland, is based on an actual mystical occurrence. Each year on the morning of the winter solstice, the ancient burial chamber at Newgrange briefly fills with light. Toibin has written a slightly magical tale based on local lore. It can be listened to in about an hour and is available free in the audible plus catalog. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Day by Michael Cunningham

"The only problem with Michael Cunningham’s prose is that it ruins you for mere mortals’ work. He is the most elegant writer in America." 

Those are the opening lines of Ron Charles' Washington Post  book review, and I think he nailed it. Cunningham's writing is remarkable! In fact, I started this book as a read /listen combination and almost immediately returned the audio. I wanted to savor Cunningham's words on the page. And the story and characters are every bit as good as the writing. If you're up for a pandemic novel, check it out. I rated this 4.5 stars and hope to write a more complete review later this week.

Current Reading//

Joan is Okay by Weike Wang

This is the January selection for the MMD book club. I'm nearly halfway through, but don't have much to say about it yet.

On the blog//

Thoughts on LILLIAN BOXFISH TAKES A WALK by Kathleen Rooney

The Week Ahead//

I should  spend a day or two finishing Christmas shopping, but instead I'll be home waiting for the countertop install, painter, electrician, and plumber. Looks like it'll be quick dinners and some evening shopping instead... but I may finish a book or two!

Assuming we finish the bathroom on schedule, we'll celebrate an early Christmas with our daughter and her fiancé next weekend.

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.

 

Thoughts on THE IDIOT by Elif Batuman

The Idiot by Elif Batuman

Penguin Press, 2017

423 pages

Motivation for reading:

This is a book I pulled off the library shelf nearly a year ago during my inaugural "book sampling hour." Sitting in a comfy chair at our pleasantly cool library on a spring afternoon, I read 15-20 pages of several books, including The Idiot. I ended up choosing another book, but continued to think about this one and knew I would come back to it eventually.

Opening lines:

I didn't know what email was until I got to college. I had heard of email and knew that in some sense I would "have" it. "You'll be so fancy," said my mother's sister, who's married to a computer scientist, "sending your e, mails." She emphasized the "e" and paused before "mail."

My thoughts:

The Idiot  is a coming-of-age story about the daughter of Turkish immigrants as she begins her freshman year at Harvard in 1995. It's a literary novel, cerebral and full of ideas... exactly what you might expect with a Harvard freshman protagonist.

It turned out to be an unusual reading experience for me. Far from a page-turner, this book required more than my average amount of concentration. I was not especially drawn to the main character, didn't fully understand her, and yet was curious to see how her year would unfold. Additionally, I was never in a hurry to get back to this novel, but was happy to continue whenever I did. 

This was a read/listen combination for me, listening on my walks and reading at home. The audiobook is read by the author. Her narration was adequate, though not memorable.

The Idiot is very well written and said to be autobiographical. It was nominated for both the Pulitzer Prize and Women's Prize for Fiction in 2018. Batuman has written other books, both fiction and memoir, and is a staff writer at The New Yorker.

A sequel to The Idiot, entitled Either/Or, picks up as the main character enters her sophomore year. In a smart marketing move, a sample is included at the end of the paperback edition. After reading it, I think I'll tag along for another year at Harvard.

My rating:

⭐⭐⭐💫

 

Sunday Update: Fall in CT and Wedding Week is Here!

Hello, friends. After nearly two months of rainy weekends, we finally got one that is at least mostly dry! The photo above was taken yesterday at the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme, CT and, as you can see, it's definitely fall! Today we'll visit Mystic Seaport, wander around some shops in the village, including a new favorite indie bookstore, and find a spot for a late lunch. There may even be an apple festival nearby.

Recent reading//

My two most recent print books are both set in Maine. That wasn't exactly planned, but I love Maine and cannot resist that setting. Both were great reads!

The Road to Dalton by Shannon Bowring

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

my review

Pete and Alice in Maine by Caitlin Shetterly

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

my review

Recent listening//

The House on Mango Street

by Sandra Cisneros, narrated by the author

This 1984 classic is just under 2 1/2 hours on audio. It's told as a series of vignettes featuring a young Latina girl, Esperanza Cordero, growing up in Chicago. The author's narration adds to the impact and beauty of these stories. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Current reading//

The Ensemble by Aja Gabel

This is the November selection for the MMD Book Club. I'm just past the halfway mark and enjoying it very much as a read/listen combination.

On the blog//

Quick Reviews of Two Great Maine Novels: THE ROAD TO DALTON and PETE AND ALICE IN MAINE

Thoughts on WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR IS IN THE LIBRARY by Michiko Aoyama

Thoughts on THE COVENANT OF WATER by Abraham Verghese

The week ahead//

Wedding week is here and we are all so excited! Our daughter is getting married in NYC on Saturday, so there won't be much time for reading or blogging. I'll check in again in early November with a monthly wrap-up. See you then...

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.

 

Thoughts on WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR IS IN THE LIBRARY by Michiko Aoyama

What You Are Looking For Is in the Library

by Michiko Aoyama, translated by Alison Watts

Hanover Square Press, 2023

304 pages

Audio edition

Harlequin Audio, 2023

narrated by  Hanako Footman, Susan Momoko Hingley, 

Kenichiro Thomson, Winson Ting, Shiro Kawai

7 hours ad 19 minutes

Summary (from goodreads):

What are you looking for?

This is the famous question routinely asked by Tokyo’s most enigmatic librarian, Sayuri Komachi. Like most librarians, Komachi has read every book lining her shelves—but she also has the unique ability to read the souls of her library guests. For anyone who walks through her door, Komachi can sense exactly what they’re looking for in life and provide just the book recommendation they never knew they needed to help them find it.

Each visitor comes to her library from a different juncture in their careers and dreams, from the restless sales attendant who feels stuck at her job to the struggling working mother who longs to be a magazine editor. The conversation that they have with Sayuri Komachi—and the surprise book she lends each of them—will have life-altering consequences.

With heartwarming charm and wisdom, What You Are Looking For Is in the Library  is a paean to the magic of libraries, friendship and community, perfect for anyone who has ever found themselves at an impasse in their life and in need of a little inspiration.

My thoughts:

This is one of those books that keeps getting better the more I think about it!

Like No Two Persons  by Erica Bauermeister, it's told in a series of connected stories - a format which continues to grow on me. Instead of focusing on each character's relationship with a book as No Two Persons, the stories in What You Are Looking For Is in the Library are told from the viewpoint of various library patrons contemplating a new path forward in life. The common denominator is Ms. Komachi, a reference librarian with an uncanny ability to perceive what each patron is truly searching for. Along with a list of books pertaining to their specific query, she also recommends one seemingly off-beat selection which ultimately provides direction and clarity. 

In addition to Ms. Komachi, other characters also appear in multiple stories. This helps tie the novel together and also provides the reader with slightly different perspectives. I really enjoyed my time spent with this short novel.

The audio, available on hoopla, is very well done and has a a different narrator for each story. It added to both the atmosphere of the novel and my overall reading experience.

Highly recommended   

⭐⭐⭐⭐

, 

Thoughts on THE COVENANT OF WATER by Abraham Verghese

The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

Grove Press, kindle edition 2023

775 pages

audio edition narrated by the author

Recorded Books, 2023

31 hours and 16 minutes

Summary (from goodreads):

A stunning and magisterial new epic of love, faith, and medicine, set in Kerala and following three generations of a family seeking the answers to a strange secret.

Spanning the years 1900 to 1977, The Covenant of Water  is set in Kerala, on South India’s Malabar Coast, and follows three generations of a family that suffers a peculiar affliction: in every generation, at least one person dies by drowning—and in Kerala, water is everywhere. The family is part of a Christian community that traces itself to the time of the apostles, but times are shifting, and the matriarch of this family, known as Big Ammachi—literally “Big Mother”—will witness unthinkable changes at home and at large over the span of her extraordinary life. All of Verghese’s great gifts are on display in this new work: there are astonishing scenes of medical ingenuity, fantastic moments of humor, a surprising and deeply moving story, and characters imbued with the essence of life.

A shimmering evocation of a lost India and of the passage of time itself, The Covenant of Water  is a hymn to progress in medicine and to human understanding, and a humbling testament to the hardships undergone by past generations for the sake of those alive today. It is one of the most masterful literary novels published in recent years.

My thoughts:

This is a tough book to review because my feelings are complicated.

The Covenant of Water  is a beautifully written, all-encompassing family saga. It delves into culture, class, medicine, art, faith, politics, and more. There are scores of characters, multiple storylines, complicated relationships, deep secrets, and somehow this talented author manages to weave them all together to culminate in one of the most remarkable endings I've ever experienced. What an amazing feat! 

But there is a downside. It took 775 pages (in my kindle edition) and over 31 hours on audio to get to that mind-blowing ending. I got bogged down a few times along the way, and even considered giving up at one point. Instead I decided to take a break - twice. And each time the characters called me back. I could not get them out of my mind! 

Ultimately, the ending made reading all 775 pages worth it! And yet even with the stunning ending, gorgeous writing, and unforgettable characters, I hesitate to recommend this book to other readers.

A note on the audio production:

Abraham Verghese is a man of many talents. In addition to being a physician and an extraordinary writer, he has been blessed with a melodic voice and the ability to use it to further elevate the words he has written. The author's narration enhanced my overall reading experience. I highly recommend a read/listen combination.

My rating:

The ending elevated what might have been a 4-star read to 4.5 stars.

Bottom line:

The Covenant of Water  is a wonderful read, but it requires a huge time commitment plus the mental space to keep up with all the characters/threads. It’s one of those books where you really have to choose your reading time wisely!

Overdue Reviews: No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister and The Great Displacement by Jake Bittle

No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister

narrated by a full cast

Macmillan Audio, 2023

8 hours and 54 minutes

 "No two persons ever read the same book”  is a familiar quote, and now Erica Bauermeister has written a novel which shows how one book impacts many lives in very different ways. The novel is comprised of connected stories and begins, naturally, with an author... one writing a novel called Theo. It continues with a story about a young, overworked and underpaid publishing assistant who pulls Theo  from the slush pile. We're later introduced to an actor turned audiobook narrator, a homeless teenager, an artist, a bookseller, and more. Each story highlights the subject's relationship with Theo and, by the end, I kind of wished I could read Theo  for myself!

I loved nearly all of the stories and was delighted any time a familiar character reappeared in a later chapter. This is truly a book for book lovers! Listening added to my overall enjoyment - each story has a different narrator and they were all great. My only complaint, which is true for many short story collections, is that I was frequently left wanting more when a story ended.

I chose this book after seeing Tina's glowing review, and it later became a Modern Mrs. Darcy July selection. The live author chat enhanced my appreciation of this book, and made me want to reread it in print.

The Great Displacement: Climate Change and the Next American Migration

by Jake Bittle

Simon & Schuster, 2023

368 pages

It's impossible to deny climate change these days and The Great Displacement  explains how climate migration is already underway. I found this to be an absolutely riveting read, especially in light of our experience with Hurricane Ian in Sanibel, FL last September.

Bittle structures the book to cover both weather/climate disasters and long-term growing problems. Each gets a separate chapter where the author digs into possible causes, government response, construction/ insurance/housing ramifications, and stories of individual families and homeowners in each danger zone. 

The Great Displacement  begins with Hurricane Irma in Big Pine Key, FL in 2017, then moves back to 1999 and the first attempt at government buyouts. This occurred in Kinston, NC  following flooding along the Neuse River after Hurricane Floyd. Bittle explore the situation following California wildfires, coastal erosion in the Louisiana bayous, flood control in Houston, water scarcity in Arizona, and rising sea levels in Norfolk, VA. This is a comprehensive look at the many manifestations of climate change and various attempts to deal with them. I learned even more about the national flood insurance program, the insurance industry in general, FEMA, the Army Corps of Engineers, changing flood zones, and the effects on the housing market. 

This is the most comprehensive look at the many climate change scenarios facing the United States that I have seen. I could not put this book down and even added the audio version so I could continue to listen when I could no longer sit and read. This will be one of my favorite nonfiction reads of 2023.

Three Overdue Reviews: How to Be a Good Creature, Demon Copperhead, and Chorus

How to Be a Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals 

by Sy Montgomery narrated by the author

HighBridge Audio, 2018

3 hours and 42 minutes

Last year Sy Montgomery's book, The Soul of an Octopus, fed my newly acquired interest in pacific octopuses, so I was happy to discover this title while browsing audiobooks on hoopla. The short memoir tells a story of Montgomery's life through her experiences with animals she has owned or observed/studied over the years - from her childhood puppy, to a pet pig, group of emus and a Pacific octopus. This is an animal lover's delight!

I listened to the audiobook, but also borrowed a print copy from the library. With many cute illustrations and a photo section, it is a beautiful little book!

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

Harper, 2022

546 pages

audio edition narrated by Charlie Thurston

Harper Audio, 2022

21 hours and 3 minutes

Barbara Kingsolver has done it again! As you probably already know, this novel was inspired by David Copperfield  by Charles Dickens and includes many clever twists on names and plot points. It is a coming-of-age story about a boy born to a substance-abusing teen mother in rural Appalachia. It tells of poverty, drug abuse, the foster care system, and resulting trauma. The novel is compelling, the characters are memorable, and it's so well-written. However, I found parts of it difficult to read. Though there are positive relationships and some good times, Demon experiences much hardship, abuse, and tragedy. I'm happy Kingsolver chose to leave readers with a hopeful ending. 

Also of note, for a novel of this length it reads very quickly. This was a read/listen combination for me and the audio production was excellent. I'm hoping to read David Copperfield within the next few months.

Chorus by Rebecca Kauffman

Counterpoint, 2022

272 pages

For readers of Alice Munro, Elizabeth Strout, and Claire Lombardo, Chorus shepherds seven siblings through two life-altering events—their mother's untimely death, and a shocking teenage pregnancy—that ultimately follow them through their lives as individuals and as a family.... Chorus is a hopeful story of family, of loss and recovery, of complicated relationships forged between brothers and sisters as they move through life together, and of the unlikely forces that first drive them away and then ultimately back home.

This book is an under-the-radar gem! I don't remember seeing much buzz about it, but decided to give Chorus  a try anyway because I loved Kauffman's earlier novel, The Gunners. This novel, set in the 1920s-1950s, is filled with interesting characters and complex family relationships. The entire family (two parents and seven siblings) is introduced up front, so I found it helpful to make a cheat sheet listing all the kids, oldest to youngest. They quickly became clear and distinct individuals in my mind. The writing here is gorgeous and I appreciated Kauffman's ability to delve into all those relationships. The siblings' genuine warmth toward each other was palpable, along with a variety of other emotions. I absolutely loved this book!

Thoughts on THE LATECOMER by Jean Hanff Korelitz

 

The Latecomer 

by Jean Hanff Korelitz

Celadon Books, 2022

439 pages

Audiobook narrated by Julia Whelan

Macmillan Audio, 2022

16 hours and 19 minutes

Publisher's summary:

The Latecomer follows the story of the wealthy, New York City-based Oppenheimer family, from the first meeting of parents Salo and Johanna, under tragic circumstances, to their triplets born during the early days of IVF. As children, the three siblings--Harrison, Lewyn, and Sally--feel no strong familial bond and cannot wait to go their separate ways, even as their father becomes more distanced and their mother more desperate. When the triplets leave for college, Johanna, faced with being truly alone, makes the decision to have a fourth child. What role will the “latecomer” play in this fractured family?

A complex novel that builds slowly and deliberately, The Latecomer touches on the topics of grief and guilt, generational trauma, privilege and race, traditions and religion, and family dynamics. It is a profound and witty family story from an accomplished author, known for the depth of her character studies, expertly woven storylines, and plot twists.

My thoughts:

This novel checked so many boxes for me, and I think the best way to "review" it is to list them.

Let's start with the writing. I've long appreciated this author's smart, sharp style. Here, it is evident from the opening paragraph, which I actually read with a sense of awe:

The Oppenheimer triplets - who were thought of by not a single person who knew them as "the Oppenheimer triplets" - had been in full flight from one another as far back as their ancestral petri dish. Not one of the three - Harrison (the smart one), Lewyn (the weird one), or Sally (the girl) - had a speck of genuine affection for either of the others, or had ever once thought of a sister or a brother with anything resembling a sibling bond, let alone as counterparts in a tender and eternal family relationship.

Plot. You all know I love a good family drama and, beginning with the premise, this is unlike anything I've come across. Its complexity and gradually unfolding storyline made for a thoroughly absorbing reading experience. As secrets (which everyone seems to have) and past events come to light, the reader slowly pieces together what makes each character tick. Unexpected twists and developments kept me thinking about the story even when I wasn't reading!

These characters were all so interesting! While none of the the main characters are especially likable, neither are they horrible... well, maybe just one of them is. The parents were fascinating, either hiding or denying reality. But I really enjoyed the triplets... watching them grow up, evolve, and try to forge adult lives. I marveled at the utter dysfunction of every single family relationship. I was especially intrigued by the role and character of the "latecomer." Through sheer determination, she was instrumental in helping them all face and then attempt to come to terms with the past. Even the minor, more peripheral, characters were extremely well-drawn and served an important role in advancing the story.

The setting, too, was right up my alley. I do love a good New York City novel, but this had additional draws. Two of the triplets, following in their father's footsteps, go to Cornell, so we had multiple chapters set in Ithaca, NY. And finally, the annual end-of-summer triple birthday gatherings took place at the family's summer home on Martha's Vineyard.

All of these factors would have been enough for me to easily rate this novel 4.5 stars...

...but I decided to make it a read/listen combination. The audio production, narrated by Julia Whelan, added even more to my experience. Over the past couple of years Whelan has become a favorite. Her crisp, sharp, and (dare I say?) slightly snarky delivery was just perfect for this story. It elevated The Latecomer to a 5-star read for me!

Book Brief: The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green

 

The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet

by John Green, narrated by the author

Penguin Audio, 2021

10 hours and 3 minutes

source: borrowed from the library

Publisher's summary:

The Anthropocene is the current geologic age, in which humans have profoundly reshaped the planet and its biodiversity. In this remarkable symphony of essays adapted and expanded from his groundbreaking podcast, best-selling author John Green reviews different facets of the human-centered planet on a five-star scale - from the QWERTY keyboard and sunsets to Canada geese and Penguins of Madagascar.

Funny, complex, and rich with detail, the reviews chart the contradictions of contemporary humanity. As a species, we are both far too powerful and not nearly powerful enough, a paradox that came into sharp focus as we faced a global pandemic that both separated us and bound us together.

John Green’s gift for storytelling shines throughout this masterful collection. The Anthropocene Reviewed is a open-hearted exploration of the paths we forge and an unironic celebration of falling in love with the world.

My thoughts:

I had never read John Green, never seen the word "anthropocene," and would never  have considered reading this book without the recommendation of several book bloggers during Nonfiction November. 

Working with the premise "everyone is a critic these days" Green (who at one time was  a book reviewer at Bookmarks magazine) writes essays about all sorts of everyday objects, events and phenomenon. At the conclusion of each piece, he rates the subject using a 5-star scale. The essays are interesting, quirky, and cover a vast range of topics... like sunsets, Haley's comet, and even Diet Dr. Pepper. I'd be hard pressed to name a favorite. Getting to know John Green was an added bonus.

While I really loved listening to the author read his own words, these essays would be enjoyable in print, too. I highly recommend this eclectic collection to just about everyone.

My rating:

Book Brief: A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell

A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II by Sonia Purnell 

Viking, 2019

352 pages

Penguin Audio, 2019

Narrated by Juliet Stevenson

13 hours and 54 minutes

Motivation for reading:  Continuing my WWII reading from 2020

Source: owned paperback, audio borrowed from the library

Publisher's summary (from goodreads):

In 1942, the Gestapo sent out an urgent transmission: "She is the most dangerous of all Allied spies. We must find and destroy her."

This spy was Virginia Hall, a young American woman--rejected from the foreign service because of her gender and her prosthetic leg--who talked her way into the spy organization deemed Churchill's "ministry of ungentlemanly warfare," and, before the United States had even entered the war, became the first woman to deploy to occupied France.

Virginia Hall was one of the greatest spies in American history, yet her story remains untold. Just as she did in Clementine, Sonia Purnell uncovers the captivating story of a powerful, influential, yet shockingly overlooked heroine of the Second World War. At a time when sending female secret agents into enemy territory was still strictly forbidden, Virginia Hall came to be known as the "Madonna of the Resistance," coordinating a network of spies to blow up bridges, report on German troop movements, arrange equipment drops for Resistance agents, and recruit and train guerilla fighters. Even as her face covered WANTED posters throughout Europe, Virginia refused order after order to evacuate. She finally escaped with her life in a grueling hike over the Pyrenees into Spain, her cover blown, and her associates all imprisoned or executed. But, adamant that she had "more lives to save," she dove back in as soon as she could, organizing forces to sabotage enemy lines and back up Allied forces landing on Normandy beaches. Told with Purnell's signature insight and novelistic flare, A Woman of No Importance is the breathtaking story of how one woman's fierce persistence helped win the war.

My thoughts:

They say timing is everything, and trying to read this book during my FIL's recent illness and death was anything but good timing. At any rate, A Woman of No Importance  is a fascinating and, at times, almost unbelievable story. Virginia Hall was a woman of remarkable intelligence and skill, yet few Americans are aware of her many accomplishments during WWII. 

Purnell details Hall's efforts in coordinating the French resistance against the Germans. The story is well-written, thoroughly researched, and exciting, but unfortunately I had trouble concentrating... both in print and while listening to Juliet Stevenson's skillful narration. 

Still, I enjoyed learning about Hall's service during the war and beyond, and am glad to own a copy of the book. I can see myself returning to it at a later time.

My rating:

Book Briefs: Voices From the Pandemic and Five Tuesdays in Winter

Hello, 2022! We are lingering in holiday mode with one NYC daughter and her boyfriend still with us. They are working remotely for another week and plan to fly back next weekend. We've had a wonderful couple of weeks... so many happy memories! 

I plan to compile my year-end stats and favorites list later in the week. For now, I'll tell you about the last two books I read in December.

Voices from the Pandemic: Americans Tell Their Stories of Crisis, Courage and Resilience 

by Eli Saslow, full cast narration 

When Catherine reviewed this book last fall, I added it to my reading list right away. Last month it appeared on Susie's list of 2021 audio favorites... I knew I had to listen.

Saslow,  a Pulitzer prize winning journalist, spent 2020 interviewing a broad spectrum of Americans about their COVID experience. The result is a brutally honest, well-balanced oral history of pandemic experience. As we all know far too well, public health issues presented by the virus have become politicized. Saslow offers no commentary, but presents a balanced selection of accounts from Americans with a wide range of perspectives. 

It's all here... A nurse-turned-patient at a hospital in upstate NY, an overwhelmed coroner in Louisiana who knows dozens of victims personally, a sixty-something retail clerk in NC expected to enforce the mask mandate, a young physician whose primary role is intubating COVID patients, a grocer who extends credit to his neighbors/customers as they lose their jobs, an Arizona man who organizes groups to enter stores and harass shoppers wearing masks, the man who has lost his family restaurant because of the shutdown...

This was a fascinating, often intense reading/listening experience. I ended up borrowing a print copy from the library just to see the photo at the beginning of each account, but the multi-narrator audio production is not to be missed!

Five Tuesdays in Winter by Lily King

narrated by: Bronson Pinchot, Mark Bramhall, Stacey Glemboski, Cassandra Campbell, Christa Lewis

Writers & Lovers  was a 5-star read/listen for me earlier this year and I was eagerly anticipating King's new short story collection, published in November 2021.  Much to my surprise, Five Tuesdays in Winter    was included in the Audible Plus catalog and available for free download.  I also borrowed a print copy from the library.

A short story collection made for perfect reading during the holiday week. I listened on my walks and sometimes read a story in the evening. As always, King's writing and characters shine. My favorites included Creature, Five Tuesdays in Winter, and When in the Dordogne. 

The Sunday Salon: And Now It's December

Hello and Happy Sunday... hard to believe we've moved on to December, isn't it? I missed checking in last weekend. After Twin A and her new boyfriend (a great guy!) left on Sunday, I collapsed on the couch for the rest of the day. Thanksgiving week was wonderful, but exhausting! The festive activities continued into Monday with a birthday party for my sister-in-law and, on Tuesday, we celebrated our 36th anniversary. By the time December rolled around on Wednesday, I was more than ready for a quiet couple of days.

Recent reading//

 

How the Word is Passed by Clint Smith

This book, which I learned about and read during Nonfiction November, was named one of the Ten Best Books of 2021 by the New York Times. It reads almost like a travelogue as Clint Smith tours several sites central to the history and legacy of slavery, beginning with Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. He shares personal reflections, but also interviews tourists, guides, and activists encountered along the way. Smith  "holds up a mirror to America’s fraught relationship with its past, capturing a potent mixture of good intentions, earnest corrective, willful ignorance and blatant distortion." This is a must read!

These Precious Days: Essays

by Ann Patchett, narrated by the author

Ann Patchett is a long-time favorite author and I'm pretty sure I've read every book she's written, fiction and nonfiction. Her novels, it seems, keep getting better and better, but she's always at the top of her game with nonfiction. In this collection of essays, the title essay being the longest,  I feel like I got to know Ann personally. There are essays here about her three fathers, knitting, and her pandemic experience... I pretty much loved them all. The audio added to the experience and it felt like I was listening to an old friend.

Current reading//

 

Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty

by Anderson Cooper, narrated by the author

My current read, a read/listen combination, is a holdover from Nonfiction November. I read The Last Castle  by Denise Kiernan, about the Biltmore Estate, last month and wanted to learn more about the Vanderbilt family. This fits the bill nicely, and I'm enjoying listening to Anderson Cooper on my morning walks. 

On the blog//

Nonfiction November Week #5: New to My TBR

In the kitchen//

It's been on the cool side here in southwest Florida, so I tried this Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup from Greens & Chocolate. It was delicious, but I wasn't thrilled with the brand of frozen meatballs I bought. Next time I'll probably just make my own. Do you ever buy frozen meatballs? Is there a brand you'd recommend?

Slow cooker meals were appealing to me last week, so I also tried Slow Cooker Coq Au Vin from Betsy Life. It was very flavorful, a bit labor intensive up front, but a satisfying meal. I served it over egg noodles, but next time I would add small potatoes to the slow cooker instead. I'd also thicken the sauce a bit before serving.

The week ahead//

Our downstairs remodel is moving along. The office, family room, and guest room are basically finished. We had a setback with the bathroom and it looks like the shower doors will be the rate-limiting step. The bathroom will be ready by Christmas, but the shower may not. Oh, well...

How was your week? 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.