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!

Show Us Your Books May 2022

Pat Conroy’s house in Beaufort, South Carolina

I was away for last month’s Show Us Your Books so this is two months worth of reviews. I’ve been on a roll lately so there’s some good ones here that you all probably ready years ago.

Five Stars

The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne - I‘ve had this book on my TBR for years and I‘m glad I finally read it. Every emotion was contained in this book, and I easily gave it five stars.

Sandworm by Andy Greenberg - Wow! If you want to know why everyone got really scared about cybersecurity about a month ago read this book. I‘m going to have to read it again just to make sure I caught everything.

Four Stars

The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy - This was an impulse read because I spent some time in Beaufort, SC last month. I‘m really glad I read this sweeping, epic story of the Wingo family. It was a bit too drawn out in some places, but overall an excellent read. I might have to read it again now that I know what happens in the end.

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver - This was a re-read for me. I still love this book although I forgot how long it takes the ending to come. I think Kingsolver does a masterful job of developing the voices of these girls, and that really comes out in the audiobook.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford - I‘m ever so slowly chipping off the books that have been on my TBR the longest. This one, added in 2016, I almost skipped because it‘s yet another WWII book. I appreciated the different spin on this one though, and liked the background about jazz on the West Coast. I‘m glad I finally got to it.

American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson - I really liked this book about a Cold War federal agent who also happens to be an African American woman.

Pride: A Pride and Prejudice Remix by Ibi Zoboi - These modern Austen retellings set in different cultures than the original British versions really work for me.

Three Stars

Indemnity Only by Sara Paretsky - I was blown away by this series when I first read it in the 90‘s so I thought I‘d give it a re-read this year. I still like VI and her tough as nails crime fighting ways.

Hell and Other Destinations by Madeline Albright - I enjoyed this memoir about Albright‘s career after being Secretary of State. I didn‘t/don‘t know a lot about her, but she seemed very funny and smart. I‘d like to read more of her books.

Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia - This dragged some in spots, but the time period and setting made up for it.

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Show Us Your Books March 2022

The vibe I’m going for doesn’t exactly resemble real life!

Two days in a row I’ve overslept and I’m running behind on everything. Here’s my slap dash Show Us Your Books post for the month of March!

Five Stars:

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng -- I stayed up way too late reading this book. It was heartbreaking in all the best ways, and completely changed how I reacted to one one my kids’ less than stellar report cards.

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn -- I really loved this WW2 code breaking novel. The ending was perfect. This was the first book I read last month, and a great way to get things started.

Four Stars:

Miss Buncle's Book by D.E. Stevenson -- A book about a woman who wrote a book about a woman writing a book. This was just so clever and unexpected. I really enjoyed it.

A Blizzard of Polar Bears by Alice Henderson -- I‘m really loving this series about vegetarian biologist badass Alex and her adventures defending wildlife. I can‘t wait for the next one.

And The Band Played On by Randy Shilts -- This book about the AIDS epidemic was a powerful read in its own right, but absolutely infuriating when read against the backdrop of everything we‘ve gone through in the past two years. I was under the gun to get this finished for a work book club- I will come back to it in a few years for a more careful read.

Three Stars:

I Am, I Am, I Am by Maggie O'Farrell -- This book was a little uneven, but the first and last chapters took my breath away.

Watching You by Lisa Jewell -- This got mixed reviews from my book group. I thought it was fast paced and it kept me guessing even if there wasn’t much to talk about with the group.

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Show Us Your Books February 2022

This year I finally gave in to reading glasses.

Given that I had two week reading slump in January it is amazing to me that I read so many great books. Like really good, cry all night, book of the year type books.

I started logging my books in Storygraph this year. I don’t log everything it wants me to- that would become a job. I’m enjoying it even though I still prefer my good old fashioned handwritten book journal and spreadsheet for logging, and Litsy for sharing reviews. My favorite thing about Storygraph so far is how it assigns moods to each book and I am clearly a emotional and reflective reader.

Five Stars

The Storyteller by Dave Grohl -- I would have never listened to this if so many people on Litsy hadn‘t said how excellent it is. And I agree! This has got to be one of the best audiobooks I‘ve ever listened to. You can really hear the emotions in Grohl‘s voice as he talks. I loved too that he grew up not too far from where I live.

News of the World by Paulette Jiles -- I bailed on this one years ago because it doesn‘t have quotation marks, but a book club brought it to me again. I‘m so glad because it was a beautiful book. This is just a pleasant story, and I’ve heard the movie does it justice. A hug of a book. It made me feel good.

Four Stars

Transcendent Kingdon by Yaa Gyasi -- A lot has been said about this book so I won‘t add my clumsy synopsis, but I will say that I really loved it. I put off reading it for so long because I didn‘t think it would hold up to Homegoing. It was different but still just as heart wrenching in all the best ways.

The Aftermath by Rhidian Brook -- This was another one from the bottom of my TBR list, and it was a good read. It takes place in Germany just after WWII, and is understandably grim. It was very interesting though to examine each person‘s reactions to the terrible conditions and to imagine how I would have fared. A good book to read on a cold, dark January day.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte -- What a wild ride! Not a boring classic!

Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman -- Great poetry collection. This almost read like a time capsule from the last two years.

Three Stars

The Quiet Zone by Stephen Kurczy -- I have traveled through this area several times, and was interested in learning about it. This book wasn‘t what I thought, but it was interesting enough to listen to on a long drive.

The Last Garden in England by Julia Kelly -- I picked this book based on the cover alone, and I‘m happy to say it worked out! It was told in three timelines but all centered around one English garden. It‘s so super cold here lately. I enjoyed reading about a garden in bloom.

The Kingdom of Copper by S.A. Chakraborty -- This one was a bit slow in the middle but wow, what an ending.

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September 2021 Show Us Your Books

August was a really good reading month. It helped that I had a week off, and that my family likes to listen to audiobooks in the car.

The other thing that helped? Both of my kids went back to in person school 5 days a week. They went two days each (not the same two days) for about 3 months last year, but now they’re both back at the same time. I have so many mixed feelings about this whole thing, but am also feeling pieces of my brain shift back together that haven’t been fully functional since March 2020. Fingers crossed they stay safe, and they have a semi-normal year. Luckily we live in a city that embraces vaccinations, mask wearing, and social distancing. That’s not a silver bullet I know, but it does make me feel a little less guilty about being happy about completing thoughts, reading on the train, and being able to finish a cup of coffee before it gets cold. Let’s just say I can’t wait to read the book about how caregivers (mostly women) were abandoned and forced to figure things out on their own during the pandemic.

Anyway, back to August reading.

Five Stars

Ramona and Her Mother by Beverly Cleary - These books are just wonderful, and the perfect length for audiobooking in the car. Somehow this is the first time my whole family has listened to one together and we all loved it. These are read by Stockard Channing aka Mrs. Bartlett from West Wing.

Four Stars

Chasing The Thrill by Daniel Barbarisi - Right book at the right time- I picked a book about a modern day treasure hunt that took place in some of the same areas we drove through on our trip last month. It would have been good anyway, but that was the icing on the cake. My 13 year old, my husband, and I all recommend this.

The Arsonists' City by Hala Alyan - This was a good family drama set at various times in Syria, Lebanon, and America. It would have been great if not for all the backstory.

Already Toast by Kate Washington - I thought this book was excellent. It was brutally honest and relatable. A really important read. (See rant above. This isn’t quite what I was looking for, but it was close.)

Long Bright River by Liz Moore - An tale of the opioid crisis with elements of a mystery and thriller thrown in. This book was fabulous.

Three Stars

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth - Even though I kind of knew what was going on in this twisty book I was excited to keep reading to see just how it would happen.

Girls With Bright Futures by Tracy Dobmeier and Wendy Katzman - A dark but entertaining book about college admissions from the point of view of parents with kids in an elite Washington high school. I read this for a work book club, and we had plenty to discuss!

The Last Time I Saw Paris by Lynn Sheene - Another World War Two book, not that there’s anything wrong with that. I never connected with the main character, but I liked the story.

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Show Us Your Books March 2021

Happy March. I went back to my post from last year to see if I had any profound just before quarantine thoughts to share, but it turns out I was just complaining about how many library books I had out at once. Guess what? After a year of so much change and strife I still have too many library books out. Some things will always remain constant.

My Favorite February Read

I put off reading Pachinko by Min Jin Lee forever, and I can’t figure out why. I absolutely loved this chunky story about a Korean family in Japan. It was everything I want in a book: sweeping, multi-generational, wistful, and touching.

Almost Favorites

On The Come Up by Angie Thomas - Angie Thomas is so good. I really don’t think she would even be capable of writing a bad book.

Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout - More tales about Olive Kitteridge in Maine. Strout treats getting older with dignity, and I appreciate that.

A Solitude of Wolverines by Alice Henderson - This thriller was fast paced from the beginning, and then 3/4 of the way through something totally bonkers happens. I really loved it.

Some Good Non-Fiction

Without You There Is No Us by Suki Kim - The memoir of a reporter who went undercover to teach in North Korea. I was extremely nervous for her the whole time.

Dolly Parton, Songteller by Dolly Parton - I listened to the audiobook for this one, and loved hearing Dolly talk about what was going on when she wrote her songs.

The Woman Who Smashed Codes by Jason Fagone - Books about women doing awesome things during WWII that men get the credit for are becoming more and more common, but that doesn’t mean we should stop reading them. This book about code breaking was fascinaing.

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Show Us Your Books January 2021

Goofball cats

December feels like a million years ago, but here are my favorite books from the month of December 2020.

Best of the Month

In Five Years by Rebecca Serle — I loved this book. I stayed up half the night and read it just to see what happened. I thought it would be a fluffy December romance, but it turned out to be about friendship and the cost of perfection.

Five Star Christmas Reads

Christmas Days by Jeanette Winterson -- I absolutely loved this book of short stories, recipes, and essays. It’s really hard to explain, but it’s worth reading.

How The Light Gets In by Louise Penny -- My favorite book from my favorite series. It takes place around Christmas time, which adds to my annual December re-read.

Four More Worth Reading

Two Old Women by Velma Wallis -- I read about this thanks to the Show Us Your Books link up! This is the Alaskan legend of how two elder women survived after they were abandoned by their people. Old ladies for the win- you should read this one!

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo -- I feel like I’m the last person on Earth to have read this, but I’ll add to the chorus that it was really good.

Glitter and Glue by Kelly Corrigan -- A wonderful memoir about motherhood and life in the 90’s. I read this before, but it’s totally different now that my kids are a little older.

Code Name Helene by Ariel Lawhon -- Based on the true story of Nancy Wake aka WWII‘s Socialite Spy. I really enjoyed this book, and was inspired by Nancy. I‘ll have to add more by Ariel Lawhon to my TBR.

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During Times of Crisis FDR Also Worked From Home

My daughter thought she could fool me into thinking she was working on her math

I’m sure I’m not alone in noticing how this crisis has brought out the best in some leaders and the absolute worst in some others. I was talking about it with a friend who has the complete opposite political views as me, and other than agreeing that Woodrow Wilson was no good the conversation didn’t get very far. So as usual I turned to a book.

The first page of this book is a layout of FDR’s second floor family quarters in the White House during WWII. Every room on that floor was filled with staff and friends, and right next to his bedroom FDR had a study where he could work from home. Since I’ve been struggling with telecommuting with a full family in the house, I wondered if I could pick up a few tips from FDR.

FDR Stuck To A Schedule

Every morning at 8 am Roosevelt started his day with breakfast in bed- oj, eggs, coffee, and toast. While he ate he prepped for the day by reading the papers. He then reviewed his schedule with his advisors.

FDR Knew What Worked For Him

FDR had a method that drove some of his generals crazy. He liked to solve problems through conflict. He called everyone by their first names from his butler to Winston Churchill. There was often confusion around FDR, but he knew what worked for him and he went with it.

Even When He Was Working Far Away From His Allies FDR Kept In Touch

Have you heard the phrase “Social distancing doesn’t mean social isolation.”? Roosevelt couldn’t travel as much as he would have liked due to his disabilities. Instead he relied upon his wife’s observations and regular communications with his contemporaries. He told Winston Churchill “I shall at times welcome it if you will keep me in touch personally with everything you want me to know about. You can always send me sealed letters through your pouch or my pouch.”

FDR Took Breaks

A big struggle for me is feeling like the work day never ends since my home office is also my dining room table. After about a week I realized working every minute I wasn’t helping the kids with school or cooking our meals wasn’t going to last. FDR kept a cocktail hour every day when talk of politics and war was banned. It was a time to rest and recharge. I don’t have the stamina to drink like FDR in the middle of the day, but a quiet hour with tea and a book helps me out a lot.

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