On My Nightstand October 11, 2025

fall roses

I am loving the rainy and dark weather this weekend. It’s perfect for reading! We’re also super busy with homecoming, senior nights, club teams, work, a dead car, and trying to live in this upside down world. I hope everyone is doing okay out there.

Have a good week everyone.

Quote of the Week

“Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.”

— 1984 by George Orwell

kitty reads

On My Nightstand This Week

Kindle - Under The Wide and Starry Sky by Nancy Horan - Historical fiction featuring the wife of Robert Lewis Stevenson.

Audio - Not sure honestly. I just finished 1984 and I have a lot of options.

Paper - In The Hall With A Knife by Diana Peterfreund - Had to put this aside last week because of a book club read, but am planning on finishing it this weekend.

happy reading!

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On My Nightstand October 4, 2025

October is here!

Yay October! To me it’s the best reading month of the year. I have a stack of about 12 million books I want to get to in between picking pumpkins and baking pies. So that’s totally realistic.

Have a good week everyone.

Quote of the Week

“Catastrophe is never convenient.”

— The Last Days of the Dinosaurs by Riley Black

reading on my way to work

On My Nightstand This Week

Kindle - Frankenstein by Mary Shelley - Started this week for a buddy read. So far, so good. We’re reading a chapter a day.

Audio - Sisters In The Wind by Angeline Boulley - I am so excited Boulley has a new book out. I have loved all of her previous books.

Paper - In The Hall With A Knife by Diana Peterfreund - I checked this out from the library on impulse and it is so much fun.

happy reading!

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On My Nightstand September 27, 2025

when the sun comes out after a miserable gray day i come running!

We had the flu this week. We’re just getting back in the swing of things.

I had been wanting a place to write about cooking and food prep so I started a substack. If you’re interested here it is - Pound Cake and Mint Tea.

Have a good week everyone.

Quote of the Week

“Like so many Americans, she was trying to construct a life that made sense from things she found in gift shops.”

— Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

cards from my book friends

On My Nightstand This Week

Kindle - The Thornbirds by Colleen McCullough - I’ve been dipping in and out of this for years. It’s so melodramatic, but I love it.

Audio - Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut - Listening to this for a book club. It’s well written but I’m not in the mood.

Paper - Smile Beach Murder by Alicia Bessette - Mysteries are good when the world is a mess. They always have a clear ending.

i want to be a cat

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On My Nightstand September 20, 2025

butterflies were everywhere outside my pt’s office this week!

Another full week of sports, work, and school. I’m just trying to soak it all up. I don’t have too many years left with these kids in my house.

I had been wanting a place to write about cooking and food prep so I started a substack. If you’re interested here it is - Pound Cake and Mint Tea.

Have a good week everyone.

Quote of the Week

“You knew there was a ghost cat, and you didn’t tell me about it when we were discussing ghosts earlier?”

— Something Whiskered by Miranda James

she brought me her favorite toy and put it on my book

On My Nightstand This Week

Kindle - Buried In A Good Book by Tamara Berry - I’m still working on this. It’s not bad for a kindle freebie!

Audio - Beach Music by Pat Conroy - Pat Conroy could write. I’m slowly making my way through all of his books. This one is a chunkster so I’ll have it for a while.

Paper - Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh - Loving this one! What a trip!

first pumpkin from my garden

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On My Nightstand September 13, 2025

this cat means business

I think I’m starting to adjust to the fall schedule (I probably shouldn’t say that out loud. Sorry, universe.) I was in a definite reading slump the first half of this month, but I finished some good books this week. Fingers crossed for all of this.

I had been wanting a place to write about cooking and food prep so I started a substack. If you’re interested here it is - Pound Cake and Mint Tea.

Have a good week everyone.

Quote of the Week

“Just wait, starts off every piece of advice that anyone gives a pregnant woman. You’re tired now? Just wait. you’re anxious and scared now? Just wait. You think you’ve felt love? Just wait. As if there is another choice.”

— Tilt by Emma Pattee

a random banana in a tree at the library

On My Nightstand This Week

Kindle - Buried In A Good Book by Tamara Berry - In my never ending quest to get all of the free cozies off my kindle I’m going to start this today.

Audio - I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue - I started this yesterday and it’s touching and funny at the same time.

Paper - Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry - I have no idea why this is taking me so long to read, but I’m almost done. I like it, just don’t think to pick it up.

amazingly delicious tacos from a food truck last week

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Lunch and a Book Week 9

Until I started growing my own lettuce I never knew lettuce had a taste. When I have lettuce from the garden it’s so good I don’t even need salad toppings- just some dressing and bread on the side. It feels so decadent to eat lettuce I picked that morning. This year I grew Burpee’s heatwave blend seeds, but we haven’t had any heatwaves yet to test it out. It’s still growing well in the cold rain.

RIP Everyday Food Magazine

I hit the mother load on Buy Nothing the other day. A neighbor was giving away several years worth of Everyday Food magazines. This was a fabulous magazine from Martha Stewart’s empire that got me through dinners when my kids were babies. Sadly I don’t know where most of my back issues went, and the magazine stopped publishing in 2013.

Unlike Martha’s monthly magazine I always found these recipes to be tasty and easy to follow. I knew they would be PERFECT for my son (16) who has been making dinner for us once a week this summer.

His first dinner was chorizo egg and potato tacos (just egg and potato for me to keep it vegetarian.) I can’t find the recipe online, but it was similar to this.

If your neighbors ever want to give a stack of these magazines away grab them!

Food and Lit May: Spain

This month’s #FoodAndLit country on Litsy was Spain. I checked out a few cookbooks from the library, and had dreams of making fabulous tapas, but time and budget demanded I dial it back. I was so happy to find this gazpacho recipe on Gimme Some Oven. It used things I had on hand and was quick to throw together. Score!

I read two books set in Spain. The first, Walking With Sam by Andrew McCarthy, was excellent on audio. Plus the story of father and newly adult son walking across Spain came at the perfect time- my nephew graduated and my son turned sixteen last week. I told my brother about it and he downloaded it right away as well. Book therapy!

The second book I read was Sleeping Arrangements by Madeline Wickham. This really could have been set anywhere, but the easy read set in a Spanish Villa was great for evening porch reading during a busy week.

Next month we read and eat from Iceland!

Food And Lit: Venezuela

I’ve been hit or miss with the Food And Lit challenge this year on Litsy. I’ve been keeping up with the lit part, but not doing so well with the food. Just haven’t been cooking as much in general. I did make arepas this month though, so I wanted to share.

I followed this recipe. I was intimidated, but it was actually really easy. I made the dough and shaped the arepas in the morning, and then cooked them just before dinner. My kids loved them! The vegetarians ate them with a mix of black beans and sweet potatoes, and the meat eaters ate them with boneless ribs. We all had corn on the cob, and avocados and lime wedges for toppings. I had the leftovers for breakfast with a bit of butter and syrup. I will be making more in the future!

For the lit portion of this challenge I read Things Are Never So Bad That They Can’t Get Worse by William Neuman. This recent history of Venezuela once again made me realize how little I know about what‘s going on in the world. Thank goodness for books and reading challenges.

Next month we’re reading and eating from Spain!

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On My Nightstand May 4, 2024

We’re enjoying a rainy weekend here. We do have a few outdoor events we need to suffer through, but I’m really looking forward to some cozy reading time. I also want to catch up on my planning for summer reading, and do some organizing of my shelves.

Have a great week!

Quote of the week

“I just sit where I’m put, composed
of stone and wishful thinking:
That the deity that kills for pleasure will also
heal,
That in the midst of your nightmare,
the final one, a kind lion will pick your soul
up gently
by the nape of the neck,
And caress you into darkness and paradise.”

— All The Devils Are Here by Louise Penny

What I’m Reading This Week

On Kindle - The Clue In The Diary by Carolyn Keene - Some of us on Litsy have been re-reading these.

On Paper - Funny Story by Emily Henry - It’s not summer until Emily Henry publishes a new book!

On Audio- Happiness Falls by Angie Kim - I’m enjoying this so far, but heaven help us if the ending is unresolved I will go scorched earth!

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On My Nightstand April 28, 2024

I made it through the two weeks of constant activities and work. To celebrate I spent most of yesterday just puttering in my kitchen. I picked a bunch of fresh herbs from my garden, and listened to audiobooks, and daydreamed while I made a bunch of sauces for days when we’re busy again. The audiobook I was listening to was Our Lady of Perpetual Hunger by Lisa Donovan. It was a great choice for matching my book to my activity.

Last night we watched the Netflix version of Rebecca (based on the book by Daphne Du Maurier.) After just finishing the book on Friday I was disappointed. They took out all of the creepiness and added romance instead. Nothing wrong with romance, but it wasn’t the point of Rebecca.

Have a great week!

Quote of the week

“If nuns ran the world, things would get done. No questions asked.”

— If Nuns Ruled The World by Jo Piazza

What I’m Reading This Week

On Kindle - The Second by Carol Anderson - This book club book is giving me a lot to think about.

On Paper - Big Cherry Holler by Adriana Trigiani - This is a re-read for me, and it’s good timing that I’m reading it right after Demon Copperhead. They’re not related at all, but Big Cherry Holler takes place maybe ten years prior to Copperhead in the same area of the country.

On Audio- Fancy Bear Goes Phishing by Scott Shapiro - Another book for work. It does sound interesting.

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Cookbook Review: Zoe's Ghana Kitchen: An Introduction to New African Cuisine – From Ghana With Love

Now that the holidays are over, and we have our health under control (fingers crossed real hard) I am excited to break out of the struggle meals rut I had been in through most of last year.

#FoodAndLit is a challenge on the Litsy app that I love, so of course it was that challenge that sent me back to the cookbook aisle at my library. This month we’re reading and eating from Ghana, and I was thrilled to find Zoe's Ghana Kitchen: An Introduction to New African Cuisine – From Ghana With Love by Zoe Adjonyoh.

This whole book was a pleasure to read. The recipes were well laid out, and the pictures were vibrant. I really enjoyed my time with it.

I ended up making two recipes: mango & pineapple salad and veggie jollof rice. This is such a great combination! I loved the spice mix in the rice, and the salad was so refreshing on a cold winter’s afternoon. (Full disclosure I am somehow out of paprika so my spices were different from the original recipe.)

I packaged up the rice and the salad for my lunches this week. Is there anything better than a week of rice? Maybe two weeks of rice?

Give this cookbook a try! It’s a winner!

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On My Nightstand December 3, 2023

Well this was supposed to be a really busy weekend filled with holiday fun, but then I got Covid. I’ve been hiding from the world in my basement for a couple of days now sending emails backing out of all of the commitments I made. It’s sad to miss out on things, but at least I could see fireworks last night from my porch. I am scheduled to give two presentations next week at work, and I’m really hope I’m up for that because I’ve been preparing for months and I want them done.

Quote of the Week

“I’ve always imagined paradise as something like a library.”

— March by Geraldine Brooks

What I’m Reading This Week

On Kindle- March by Geraldine Brooks
This is Little Women told by Mr. March, one of my least favorite men in classic literature. So far this book is well written, but I still don’t like Mr. March.

On Audio- Homecoming by Kate Morton
For the Author A Month challenge on Litsy. Her books are hit or miss for me. I hope this is a hit!

Physical Book- Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat
I had been trying to cook through this book earlier this year but got distracted. I was excited when a bookclub I’m in picked it for their December read.

Have a great week!

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Salt

The first chapter in Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat is all about salt. Nosrat says In almost every case, anything you cook for yourself at home is more nutritious, and lower in sodium, than processed, prepared, or restaurant food.” and I like this book already.

This chapter was like a very delicious chemistry lesson. I loved the reminder that salt isn’t just what’s in the shaker. It’s also cheese, capers, and anchovies. Yum. I’ve been a vegetarian for a bit now, but I’m not ready to give up anchovy paste yet.

This chapter didn’t have any recipes in it, but it did make me hungry for a Cesar salad. So, that will be my experiment tomorrow. (I assumed making Cesar dressing from scratch would break my money and time budgets, but it doesn’t sound too bad. In theory. We’ll see.)

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Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat

Last year when my cooking felt stagnant I went back to basics and cooked from The New York Times Cookbook. I was feeling bored in the kitchen again lately so I decided to read and cook through a book I got as a gift a few years ago- Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat.

There are a few mental ground rules I’ve had to set for myself when I do something like this:

1. No pricey one time use ingredients

2. Adaptable for vegetarians

3. Can’t take hours to cook

I can’t wait!

On My Nightstand October 30, 2022

Thank you all for your well wishes last week. It was a long week of funerals and ceremonies, but I’m glad my friend had such a fitting send off.

This weekend is Confirmation for my son, and then early Thanksgiving since everyone will be together. We’re looking forward to that!

In between I plan on sneaking off to read. I need to re-charge somehow! Here’s what’s on my nightstand this week.

No Exit by Taylor Adams - I’m about halfway through this one, and I love the creepiness factor,

Tell Me More by Kelly Corrigan - I’ve enjoyed other books by Corrigan, and am looking forward to this one.

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This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.

On My Nightstand October 23, 2022

This week didn’t turn out like I had planned. Very sadly, one of my best friends passed away last week. I am still reading, but soon I will need to stop and regroup. For now, here’s what’s on my nightstand this week.

What Storm, What Thunder by Myriam J A Chancy - The #FoodandLit club on Litsy is reading and eating from Haiti this month. I’ll admit I picked this one based on the title and cover alone.

On the Slab Pie by P.D. Workman -- Another cozy mystery for my work book club. I hope after this we’re done with these for a while.

Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny -- Slowly re-reading this series before the new one comes out in November!

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This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.

On My Nightstand October 16, 2022

I way underestimated the available hours in my schedule last week, so I’m playing catch up this morning (and maybe working a little ahead?)

I was in the office four days, my son has homecoming plus two cross country races, and my daughter had soccer and extra dance classes. I guess we’re all trying to fit what we can in while there’s still some sunshine and daylight to be had!

Here’s what I have on my nightstand this week. A lot of it is leftovers from last week, which I never posted about because I lost track of time then too. That’s October!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder Joanne Fluke - I’m about a chapter in on this one. So far it’s a typical cozy mystery involving baking and death. (This one is free for Amazon Prime members.)

What Storm, What Thunder by Myriam J A Chancy - The #FoodandLit club on Litsy is reading and eating from Haiti this month. I’ll admit I picked this one based on the title and cover alone.

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins - I finished Jane Eyre last week, so this was the natural next read. I have a hardcover version of this, but I noticed it’s also available on Kindle Unlimited.

Horseman by Christina Henry - Reading this for a book club, and it’s a little more yuck than I prefer, but it’s not terrible.

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This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.

On My Nightstand October 2, 2022

October is here! I am so excited. I pulled all of my decorations and flannel PJs out of the attic last night. I had planned on reading for a good chunk of the time yesterday, but then I fell asleep. Now that I’m caught up on rest I’ll try again today!

A few of the challenges I’m participating in the month are:

• #Scarathlon on Litsy

• Fraterfest 2022

• Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon

Who ever said reading wasn’t a team sport??

I also have my very own October Bucket List that I’m trying to complete.

Happy reading this week! Here’s what’s on my nightstand:

All the Queen's Men by SJ Bennett - I loved the first book in this series about Queen Elizabeth solving mysteries, and turned to the second after watching so much news coverage of her amazing life last month. You really can believe that she solved mysteries in her spare time.

Cooking The Books by Chelsea Thomas - I’ve read a few from this series featuring murders at an upstate New York apple orchard. They’re good for fun, easy reads.

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen - The latest chapter a day read with the Pemberlittens on Litsy. This is one of my favorite Austen books, and I’m really looking forward to it.

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This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.

COOKBOOK REVIEW: Mastering The Art of French Cooking by Julia Child

So glad my library has a good collection of cookbooks!

In July we did France for #FoodAndLit on Litsy. I didn’t even have to think about it- I was finally going to cook from Mastering The Art of French Cooking. Despite being a devoted fan of the Julia and Julie project back in the 00’s I’ve never cracked the spine of the book that inspired that brief national obsession.

Tomatoes from a stranger’s garden

I expected this to be hard to cook from, but it was actually really approachable. I marked several recipes that I had stuff on hand to try, but ended up going with Sauce Tomate because of the big bag of beautiful tomatoes someone gave us. I’ve never before put bacon in my tomato sauce, but it sounded amazing.

It was! I cooked the sauce down all day and then froze it with some beef strips. I reheated the whole thing yesterday in my crockpot. This will be a repeater!

For the Lit part of this #FoodAndLit challenge I ended up with two books. I re-read All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (holds up), and and in the middle of Black Water Lilies by Michel Bussi (gripping so far.)

Next month we’re on to Japan!