Just wondering ... what is everyone reading now?

[GotGarlic]

Thanks for the recommendation of "Where the Crawdads Sing". Good to see you again BD.



Ross, speaking of "A Gentleman in Moscow" I just came to the mention in the book of Latvian Stew and I had to know more.

Mr. Google found me this, and I plan on making the recipe.



https://www.bookclubcookbook.com/gentleman-moscow-latvian-stew-recipe-author-amor-towles/

That was such a detailed and beautifully written book, I may have to read it again sometime. Maybe next winter when a nice pork stew would hit the spot. This sounds really good - thanks for sharing [emoji2]

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Books? I've read "a few" since my last post. I read Patterson's "17th Suspect". I'm all caught up with the Women's Murder Club books except for #18 - waiting until I get to the top of the list on the library's waiting list. Getting closer: I'm #24 with 50 copies circulating. I hope Patterson and co-author Maxine Paetro are busy writing #19.

I also read "We Are Market Basket: The Story Of The Unlikely Grassroots Movement That Saved A Beloved Business". Some of you might remember back to 2014, when non-union employees of a local grocery store chain went on strike to have their favorite CEO put back in charge of the company after being ousted by the board and his own cousin - the majority owner at 50 1/2%. The book explains a lot of the family dynamics and history of the company that brought it to this standoff. Very interesting read.

A sweet little memoir was "Waving Back: Traveling the Roads of Life". In essays, the author looks back on his life events and takes you along for his ride. I wish I could have met Tom Locke.

Another non-fiction, "AMISH GRACE: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy" reveals and examines how the Amish community of Nickel Mines, PA dealt with the aftermath of a 2006 mass shooting of Amish girls in the community schoolhouse. There is a lot of information about the Amish way of forgiveness and how they deal with those who cause harm to the community.

I've also read the first two books in the new "Noodle Shop" cozy mystery series, "Death By Dumpling" and "Dim Sum of All Fears". The fact that they are set in the Greater Cleveland area is a nice bonus!

I read the first couple books of Daryl Wood Gerber's Cookbook Nook Mysteries a while ago. Now that the first five are available in large print, I decided that they would be my current recumbent bike companions. I'm about halfway through book 1, "Final Sentence". The second book, "Inherit the Word" is in my on-deck basket for when I finish book 1.

Lastly, I started to read "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking" by Samin Nosrat. I knew who she was before Himself called me into the living room to see her interview on a local PBS show. I thought she was delightful. Sadly, I just couldn't see her book the same way. I read about 50 pages and gave up. I didn't even look at the recipes before it was due at the library. Shame, shame...

 

[Kayelle]

For those of you waiting on a long list for a library copy of "Where the Crawdads Sing"...
just buy it. You won't be sorry. It was worth every dollar, and less than the cost of restaurant lunch. Can you tell I loved it?

 

[BakersDozen]

Where the Crawdads Sing

Kayelle - I absolutely loved this book. It's my top pick for this year. I also enjoyed "The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek" by Kim Michele Richardson.

Its been quite awhile since I posted anything, but I do read the posts from everyone. Always enjoy hearing about a new book. I'm reading "The Truffle Underground" by Ryan Jacobs now, and its really interesting. From the front cover
- A Tale of Mystery, Mayhem, and Manipulation in the Shadowy Market of the World's Most Expensive Fungus.

 

[bbqcoder]

I’m currently reading
On Pluto: Inside the Mind of Alzheimer's – Greg O'Brien

I’m about a third of the way through. It has good reviews but I’m not enjoying it as much as I would like so I might drop it. It’s a slow read because I only get to read it for a half hour each day when I’m on the treadmill or elliptical machine as part of my warmup workout.

Next in my queue is:
The Great Successor: The Divinely Perfect Destiny of Brilliant Comrade Kim Jong Un by Anna Fifield

Although I don’t do a lot of book reading, I do lots of other kinds of reading that are shorter such as news (NY Times, Boston Globe, Washington Post I subscribe to) and a few forums.

 

[rodentraiser]

I'm reading Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

If anyone knows anything about Morgan horses, you might be interested to know that Almanzo's mother's (Angelina Day Wilder) great-grandfather's (Ezekial Day) sister (Thankful Day) was the mother of Justin Morgan, the school master who owned Figure, the start of Morgan horses here in America, and her great-grandfather's brother (Luke Day) was the father of Justin Morgan's wife.

Apparently the Wilder family had been involved in Morgan horses almost a hundred years by the time of Farmer Boy and probably knew the original Figure and also took along some of his colts and fillies when they moved to Malone, New York, where Almanzo grew up.

Interesting tidbit of American history.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

It's been a while since I gave my last "book reports". Hope I don't get sent to the principal's office.

I'm caught up on the Noodle Shop Mysteries with reading "Murder lo Mein". Vivien Chien has a fourth one out this summer, but it might take a while for the library to get copies.

I've read the first five in Daryl Wood Gerber's "Cookbook Nook Mysteries" series, but the library system doesn't have #6. Odd, since they do have several copies of #7. I need to remember to order up a copy of "Pressing the Issue" from Thriftbooks when I'm near my credit card. Once read, my copy will go to the library!

"Whiskey in a Teacup" by Reese Witherspoon was like a warm southern breeze. A quick read, it was filled with family stories, recipes, and southern advise. A bit of fluff, and a bit of substance. I was surprised at how very much I liked it!

I just finished a Fanny Flagg (of "Fried Green Tomatoes..." fame) book, "Can't Wait to Get to Heaven". It was a bit odd, different than most novels that I've read. The main character dies (temporarily) and the story revolves around her experiences in heaven and her friends and family dealing with her death, albeit a short one, back on earth.

Right now I have four library books in the house. My current reads are the large print "Mostly true : a memoir of family, food, and baseball" by Molly O'Neill, a cookbook author who had previously written for the New York Times. She recently passed away, and I found out about her in a brief bit on "Food 52" and figured I'd give the book a shot. Reading about her adventures as the only girl in a family of six kids makes me glad I'm an only child!

My regular print book-in-progress is one I just got at the library today: "Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump". Author Rick Reilly wrote for Sports Illustrated and ESPN for decades, and has known #45 for about three decades. His take on the incumbent is...unique. I'm finding it fascinating.

I also have two books on deck: large print is James Patterson's most recently published book in the Women's Murder Club series, "The 18th abduction" Once read, I'll be up-to-date with that series. Yay! Also waiting is "Drive-Thru Dreams: A Journey Through the Heart of America's Fast-Food Kingdom" by Adam Chandler. It has a colorful jacket that caught my eye - what can I say?

 

[JoAnn L.]

Just got reading Stephen Kings book"The Outsider". I never read any of his books before but this was hard to put down.

 

[GotGarlic]

Lastly, I started to read "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking" by Samin Nosrat. I knew who she was before Himself called me into the living room to see her interview on a local PBS show. I thought she was delightful. Sadly, I just couldn't see her book the same way. I read about 50 pages and gave up. I didn't even look at the recipes before it was due at the library. Shame, shame...

Have you watched her mini series on Netflix? That was really fun and interesting. From what I've seen of her book, it seems to be aimed at an audience of new cooks rather than experienced ones like us

 

[CWS4322]

Just finished https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40770839-the-second-worst-restaurant-in-france by (The Second Worst Restaurant in France) by Alexander McCall Smith. It was a delightful read. One my brother would have enjoyed.

 

[GotGarlic]

I read a "The Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy," a three-book series about a trio of witches by Nora Roberts. It was a really good summer read. A little Magick, some Irish history and superstition, romance and adventure, and an Irishwoman who likes to cook - it has a little of everything. Recommended.

 

[GotGarlic]

For my book club meeting next week, I'm reading "The Power" by Naomi Alderman. It's sort of a reverse "Handmaid's Tale" where the women are stronger than the men. I'm not very far into it yet, but it's very interesting so far.

 

[Just Cooking]

Just finished https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40770839-the-second-worst-restaurant-in-france by (The Second Worst Restaurant in France) by Alexander McCall Smith. It was a delightful read. One my brother would have enjoyed.

This was fun..

I enjoy his books.. First found him through his Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency series...

Presently reading his, The Department of Sensitive Crimes..

Ross

 

[CWS4322]

Just finished https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40770839-the-second-worst-restaurant-in-france by (The Second Worst Restaurant in France) by Alexander McCall Smith. It was a delightful read. One my brother would have enjoyed.

The reviews of this book are mixed. I found it delightful because I lived in Quebec and got the subtle "jokes" and understood the nuances behind the smattering of French. I am not a fan of the !st Ladies Detective Club series.

 

[Kayelle]

I read a "The Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy," a three-book series about a trio of witches by Nora Roberts. It was a really good summer read. A little Magick, some Irish history and superstition, romance and adventure, and an Irishwoman who likes to cook - it has a little of everything. Recommended. View attachment 36019

Thanks for the tip GG. I just ordered the Kindle version of the first book.

It really caught my eye as my maternal family came from County Mayo Ireland. Looking forward to the series.

 

[CWS4322]

This was fun..

I enjoy his books.. First found him through his Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency series...

Presently reading his, The Department of Sensitive Crimes..

Ross

I haven't read any of those. Are they similar to the 1 Ladies Detective Agency series? I couldn't get into those. Not sure why, the characters weren't developed? Plot was thin? I don't know, just couldn't get into them. Is the Department of Sensitive Crimes better?

 

[CWS4322]

This was fun..

I enjoy his books.. First found him through his Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency series...

Presently reading his, The Department of Sensitive Crimes..

Ross

My brother was a scribbler. I have boxes and boxes of his little notebooks dating back to 1979. He scribbled thoughts and observations, conversations he overheard, etc. He would have loved The 2nd Worst Restaurant because of the quirky characters, the waitress giving birth on the kitchen floor (he was on a bus where a tailor died and went around and around on the bus for 24 hours, even though he got off after 4 hours). There are things you can't make up. I read his scribblings and laugh and cry. He should have twisted the threads together in a book. I am working on that. But I miss him so.

 

[Just Cooking]

I haven't read any of those. Are they similar to the 1 Ladies Detective Agency series? I couldn't get into those. Not sure why, the characters weren't developed? Plot was thin? I don't know, just couldn't get into them. Is the Department of Sensitive Crimes better?

I would say that if you don't enjoy the Ladies Detective series, you may not enjoy some of his other offerings..

I find that with many authors, there is a common thread or cadence running throughout their books..

I like Ladies Detective series "because of" his character development.. As each character in each book is reintroduced, that character is again explained..

As to thin plots, I consider that to be the authors style and, to me, that is evident in most all his books..

I don't consider Alexander McCall Smith to be an author trying to impart any wisdom.. I read his works for simple enjoyment..

Ross

 

[CWS4322]

I would say that if you don't enjoy the Ladies Detective series, you may not enjoy some of his other offerings..

I find that with many authors, there is a common thread or cadence running throughout their books..

I like Ladies Detective series "because of" his character development.. As each character in each book is reintroduced, that character is again explained..

As to thin plots, I consider that to be the authors style and, to me, that is evident in most all his books..

I don't consider Alexander McCall Smith to be an author trying to impart any wisdom.. I read his works for simple enjoyment..

Ross

Because I take care of the Elders, I read 1-2 books / day. I love authors who can twist phrases and quirky characters. I also read non-fiction.

 

[GotGarlic]

Thanks for the tip GG. I just ordered the Kindle version of the first book.

It really caught my eye as my maternal family came from County Mayo Ireland. Looking forward to the series.

Let me know what you think of it.