Book Club Meeting: Out Stealing Horses

Out Stealing Horses
by Per Petterson
Graywolf Press, 2007
258 pages
source: purchased

The meeting that almost wasn't...

Our hostess lost power a few hours before the meeting and a series of urgent group texts ensued. Will the power come back in time? Should we change the location? To the local coffee shop? Hey, it's 4 PM on Friday, wouldn't a bar be better? Finally, thirty minutes before the meeting, power was restored and seven of us gathered as originally planned. (Wine was served!)

The book: 
- an older man, in a remote cottage, reflects upon a life-changing youthful summer
 - quiet, slightly melancholy, atmospheric, and visual
 - translated from Norwegian

As I was reading:
- I realized I'd started the book years ago and never finished
- the writing style was very appealing
- I switched to the audio version and loved the narration
- I got a little bored about two thirds of the way through

The discussion:
- Everyone read the book! (that doesn't always happen)
- We stayed on topic for the entire meeting (also a rarity)
- The discussion opened up plot possibilities/angles I hadn't considered
- Other members liked the book slightly more than I did
- We would all read more from this author

Favorite Quotes:

Time is important to me now, I tell myself. Not that it should pass quickly or slowly, but be only time, be something I live inside and fill with physical things and activities that I can divide it up by, so that it grows distinct to me and does not vanish when I am not looking.   

I look at myself in the mirror above the sink. The face there is no different from the one I expected to see at the age of sixty-seven. In that way I am in time with myself. Whether I like what I see is a different question. But it is of no importance. There are not many people I am going to show myself to, and I only have one mirror. To tell the truth, I have nothing against the face in the mirror. I acknowledge it, I recognize myself. I cannot ask for more. 

My rating:
Initially 3.5 stars, but 4 after further thought and discussion

Nonfiction November: Book Pairing

Nonfiction November continues. Our host for week two is Lu at Regular Rumination and our topic is Book Pairings. Leslie explains:

The original intention of this week’s theme was put together a fiction book and a nonfiction book that go well together. If you decide to pair two nonfiction books together, that works too! It could be two (or more!) books you’ve read, one book you’ve read and one you have not, or two books that you’ve added to your TBR and want to read that you think will complement and inform each other.

The possibilities here seem endless, so I've decided to limit myself to titles I've read this year. For those with literary leanings, I suggest...

So We Read On: How The Great Gatsby Came to Be and Why It Endures... an interesting mix of literary discussion, F. Scott Fitzgerald biography, and memoir from author and NPR book critic Maureen Corrigan.

After reading Corrigan's book, dust off your copy of The Great Gatsby. If you haven't read it since high school, or even in the past decade, you won't believe it's the same book!

What book pairings would you suggest?

Weekly Update: November 8, 2015

Weekly Update, take two...

I don't know how it happened, but I somehow just deleted this post instead of saving it. To make matters worse, blogger's "undo" option doesn't appear to be working today. Grrrrr!

Anyway... I've spent most of the week trying to adjust to last weekend's time change. I'm ready to go extra early in the morning and then dragging by dinnertime. It's been unseasonable warm all week, with a couple of record-breaking days in the 70s. The sunsets have been extraordinary, too ... just wish they didn't happen until after  5 PM.

Tuesday was Election Day. There were no big races, and a change in polling place was the most remarkable feature of the day. I have voted at the local high school for as long as I can remember. This year, amidst growing security concerns, voting was moved to a nearby church. It seemed very strange. Do people still vote in schools in your area?

This weekend has been extremely quiet. I started feeling sick after book club on Friday and have spend the last two days on the couch - reading,  watching football, listening to audiobooks, and mostly just dozing. Nothing serious, just a slight fever, cold, and sore throat. Back to normal activities tomorrow...

Current reading//

The Last Chronicle of Barset by Anthony Trollope

I'm about a third done and enjoying this book very much. Several characters from previous novels have reappeared. I've also found some laugh-out-loud funny passages, but will not share them here as they aren't very funny unless you know the characters. However, the term "brazen-faced virago" may have been used to describe Bishop Proudie's wife.


Finished this week//

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates (audio, narrated by the author)

This book is based on a letter the author wrote to his 15-year-old son containing his thoughts on what it means to be a black man in America today. The audio is completely mesmerizing. The book is excellent and should be required reading for everyone.  I plan to write a review soon, but if you're looking for a short book for Nonfiction November, I cannot recommend this highly enough.

New books in the house//

Guaranteed to Bleed by Julie Mulhern (Country Club Murders #2)

The first book was so much fun. I'm hoping to read this one over Thanksgiving weekend.

Emma: 200th-Anniversary Annotated Edition by Jane Austen

For our December readalong, I couldn't resist the temptation of this beautiful edition.

On the blog//

Weekend Cooking: Top Ten Favorite Pinterest Recipes

This is Not a Review: My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout

Nonfiction November: My Year in Nonfiction

The week ahead//

Thursday is my husband's birthday. We will celebrate with dinner at his favorite restaurant and then head to NYC for the weekend on Friday... assuming he doesn't get sick with whatever I have now. Fingers crossed.

How was your week? What are you reading?

This post will link to It's Monday, What Are You Reading? hosted by Kathryn at Book Date.

Weekend Cooking: Top Ten Favorite Pinterest Recipes

Weekend Cooking, hosted at Beth Fish Reads, is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page.



The Pin It and Do It challenge may be over, but this week I've decided to follow Katherine's lead and share my Top Ten Favorite Pinterest Recipes.

The list below is decidedly seafood heavy and devoid of desserts - we cook and eat a lot of fish, but I'm not much of a baker. Clicking on the name of the dish will take you directly to the blog/website's recipe, not my pin.



Top Ten Favorite Pinterest Recipes

Butternut Squash Quinoa Casserole from Wendy Polisi- I just discovered this recipe a few weeks ago and have already made it twice. I might have even had the leftovers for breakfast one day.

Apple Pecan Chicken Salad from Smells Like Home - This has become my "go to" chicken salad. It looks so elegant served on a croissant.

 Classic Crab Cakes from myrecipes.com - Like the title says, a 'classic' and delicious recipe.

 Chicken Piccata from myrecipes.com - I could eat something piccata (chicken, fish, pork) once a week. Yum.

Seared Halibut with Caper and Tomato Pan Sauce from Mountain Mama Cooks - Halibut is a favorite and I can whip this dish up in 15 minutes.

Mussels in White Wine from Ina Garten - I prepared mussels at home for the first time about a year ago - so easy! After experimenting with several recipes, this one has become our favorite.

 Easy Honey-Beer Chicken from betsylife - A quick meal using ingredients I always have on hand.

Flounder Milanese with Arugula and Tomatoes from Skinnytaste - Another meal I could eat every week, and it couldn't be any easier to prepare. The arugula/tomato salad is the perfect accompaniment - I usually add a green veggie, too.

Seared Swordfish with a Lemon and Wine Rosemary Sauce from Simple Comfort Food -  Perfect with herbs from my summer garden!

 Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken from Tracey's Culinary Adventures (adapted from Skinnytaste) - My daughter's favorite. I should probably compare it with the original Skinnytaste recipe.


Do you use Pinterest? What are your favorite 'pinned' recipes?

This is Not a Review: My Name is Lucy Barton

Random House has asked that reviews for My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout be held until its publication next year and I will respect that.

But...

If you have the opportunity to read an ARC or e-galley now, DO IT. If you do not, mark your calendar and plan to visit a bookstore on January 5, 2016.

This short (around 200 pages) novel is quieter, more introspective, and possesses a little less in the way of plot than Strout's previous offerings, but it is every bit as wonderful.

Look for my full review in January.

Nonfiction November: My Year in Nonfiction

Nonfiction November is here again! Some bloggers have set aside stacks of nonfiction titles to read this month, others will celebrate by highlighting books they've read throughout the year, and everyone will be adding to their TBR (to be read) lists. Like last year, our hosts are offering weekly blog post prompts.  Kim is hosting this week's topic: My Year in Nonfiction.


How much nonfiction do I read?

Just over one quarter of my reading since last November has been nonfiction... and one third of that has been on audio.

What do I read about?

My biggest trend this year has been toward bookish or literary nonfiction:
- Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical Reading  by Nina Sankovitch
- Between You  & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen  by Mary Norris
- So We Read On: How The Great Gatsby Came to Be and Why It Endures  by Maureen Corrigan

As always, a fair dose of science and medicine...heavy on aging issues this year:
- Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?  by Roz Chast
- Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End  by Atul Gawande
- On Immunity An Inoculation  by Eula Biss

Culinary/foodie nonfiction always figures prominently in my selections:
- Home Cooking: A Writer in the Kitchen  by Laurie Colwin
- Zero Belly Diet  by David Zinczenko
- A Taste of Upstate New York: The People and the Stories Behind 40 Food Favorites  by Chuck D'imperio

I also love travel/adventure/history:
- Finding Florida  by T. Allman
- The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey  by Rinker Buck
- An Age of License: A Travelogue  by Lucy Knisley

A new discover this year is just for fun/ slump-busting light nonfiction:
- Heads in Beds: A Reckless Memoir of Hotels, Hustles, and So-Called Hospitality  by Jacob Tomsky
- Lessons From Madame Chic: The Top 20 Things I Learned While Living in Paris  by Jennifer L. Scott

What nonfiction book have I recommended the most?

An easy question. I have recommended Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande to everyone I know and even got my book club to read it. (my review)

What was my favorite nonfiction read of the year?

I enjoyed everything about The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey by Rinker Buck, especially the mules. 'Participatory history' is a term I had not previously encountered, but this account of a modern day mule-crossing is a darn good read. (my review)

What do I hope to get out of participating in Nonfiction November?
I'd like to expand my reading horizons and add new books to my wish list. Learning what other bloggers recommend is the best way to do that.

Do you read much nonfiction?
What is your favorite/most recommended title this year?

Links to more "My Year in Nonfiction" posts can be found at Sophisticated Dorkiness.

Weekly Update: Hello, November!

Well, that was a week. First came the remnants of Patricia. Plenty of rain, but the real issue here was wind. And then Halloween - so much more fun this year with Twin A, her boyfriend, and Winston the guinea pig all here for a visit. We enjoyed wine tasting and lunch at a local winery, pumpkin carving, pie baking, and welcoming the trick-or-treaters... all two of them.

Today my family was here for a lasagna dinner, and soon we'll turn on the World Series. I sure hope the Mets can come up with a win. All in all, a very good weekend!

It was a good week in reading, too.

Finished this week//

My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout

This novel will be released in January. I loved it and will have more to say soon.

Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson

We'll be discussing this at book club on Friday.  It started out strong, but won't end up on my list of favorites. I'll write a full post after the meeting.

Current reading//

The Last Chronicle of Barset by Anthony Trollope

It's good to be back in Barsetshire! This is a read/listen combination (again) for me and the final book in the series. I'll be sorry to see it end.

New books in the house//

Light Years by James Salter

An author I've been meaning to try for years, this sounds like my kind of story.

On the blog//

Weekend Cooking: Butternut Squash Quinoa Casserole
Celebrating 7 Years: I'll Keep Blogging
Pages From the Past: My 2002 Reading Journal
Book Review:  The Deep End  by Julie Mulhern

Around the blogosphere//

NonFiction November 

I love this event and can't wait for it all to get started tomorrow.

Click here for details. 

Emma by Jane Austen Readalong 

Can there be a better way to mark Emma's 200th anniversary? Coming in December, details are at Dolce Bellezza. You are welcome to join us:)

That's all from me... I think I have time for a chapter or two of Trollope before the game. How was your week? Did you read something good?

This post will link to It's Monday, What Are You Reading? hosted by Kathryn at Book Date.