Rambling from the Stacks - It's Not You It's Me

I started this year with the goal of reading outside my comfort zone.  I haven't made as much progress as I initially expected to because it turns out that before I can be sure I'm actually reading outside my comfort zone I have to figure out what it is.  This took some thought as I'm not a particularly introspective person so it was a bit of a challenge!

This year I've been taking steps outside my comfort zone and the results have been mostly positive.  So positive that I started getting a little too confident I think.  I just assumed I'd at least like something that wasn't typical for me.  And then I listened to Everything Everything by Nicole Yoon. (Amazon Link)

I don't read YA.  I definitely don't read YA that has a romantic focus.  I don't read books that center on illness because I don't like to cry.  But I had seen some really great reviews on this one and the main character is bookish so I plowed ahead.

I can definitely see why there were so many glowing reviews on this book.  It's impossible not to like Madeline.  She's smart, she's brave, she's nice, and she's very mature for someone who is so sheltered and protected.  I loved her relationship with Gloria and with her mother though that one was a bit more bittersweet.  Olly is completely swoony.  He's sweet, he's smart, he's funny in a fantastically snarky way, he's in a tough situation but isn't a complainer. He's really an amazing character. The plot was interesting and I enjoyed learning about "Bubble Baby Syndrome".  I easily identified with both Maddy and her mother.

But...

Something about this didn't work for me.  I found I was resisting actually listening to it and while I was listening to it even though I was enjoying the story I kept checking to see just how much I had left.  I found myself bargaining with listening time.  If I would listen to an hour I didn't have to listen to it for the rest of the day.  It wasn't that I even particularly disliked it it was just that I didn't want to listen to it anymore.

Part of this could have been that I was listening to the book instead of reading it.  There were a lot of schedules and IMs and other things that may have helped this click more for me if I had read it. Bahni Turpin is the narrator and while I would have no problem listening to other books she narrates for me her voice seemed to adult for the character of Maddy.  Also, there were times when Olly's voice was read by a male narrator and other times when Turpin did his voice.  For some reason I found that incredibly distracting.

So what am I trying to say?  This ended up being a book I went back and forth between 2 stars and 3 stars when I was rating it.  I finally went with 3 because I don't think it was the book's fault that I didn't like it.  There have been a number of times when reading a blurb or a book review where I've said "oh this isn't for me" but I think this is the clearest example of a book I've really read that really wasn't for me.

Have you ever read a book that just didn't work for you even though you could see all the things that are really great about it?  How do you rate a book that just isn't for you?

This Week in Reading - November 20

It's Sunday Post time!  This is hosted by the awesome Caffeinated Book Reviewer and gives us all a chance to recap our week.

What I Got:

The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel - Family secrets and crumbling estates are definitely a few of my weaknesses!  This is a new author to me but I loved the sound of this book!  (NetGalley)

In Farleigh Field by Rhys Bowen - I'm so excited about this one!  I love Rhys Bowen's books and this one features Bletchley Park.  I might have squealed more than a little with the invite showed up for this one!  (Publisher)

I was hoping this week would be another empty mailbox week but I'm so excited about these new books it doesn't even matter.  Plus, they're both 2017 releases so that doesn't count right?  And don't even try to tell me that 2017 is just over a month away because I won't believe you.

Currently:

Reading: When All the Girls Have Gone by Jayne Ann Kretnz, Gilda Joyce: Pyschic Investigator by Jennifer Allison, and The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins which I'm enjoying but am not sure I'll ever finish!

Listening:  I finished Carry On Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse this week which was a delight but decided not to download another book until next weekend.  With Thanksgiving coming up I don't see having much time listen until all the craziness is over!

Watching:  I'm caught up on Blindspot so now need another show to stream when I'm cooking.  J and I started watching Remington Steele on Hulu and are enjoying it Pierce Brosnan is such a baby when it was made and he plays the charming grifter to perfection!  It's a bit dated (first season came out in the early 80s) but lots of fun!  I've also really been enjoying Bull which has NCIS's (which is another favorite) Michael Weatherley and The Big Bang Theory.

Off the Blog:

We had a fantastic visit with my Grandparents last weekend and I'm so glad I acted on the impulse to go.  The Tornado and I spent most of the days playing outside with the dogs and exploring.  We found a (very dead) baby copperhead which led to a rather interesting science lesson on how to tell a poisonous snake from a non-poisonous one and what the ribs of a snake look like.  He was fascinated.  We were both a little sad when it was time to go home.

Thanksgiving madness has begun this week.  The Tornado had a "feast" at school on Friday and all parents attended.  It's always fun to see him with his classmates though it was basically a roomful of headache!  This coming week will be lots of planning and even more cooking.  We do 2 Thanksgivings - 1 at my mother's house and the other with J's family that we host.  It's always a lot of fun but I'm exhausted by the end of it all.  Now that the 3 older kids are out we've been reorganizing and slowly working or redoing their rooms and Thanksgiving kind of snuck up on us!  Two of them have their own places but Emma will be staying here overnight which means we have to do some rearranging to get a place for her to sleep!  

On the Blog:

What Happened:

Monday: The Life She Wants - Fiction Review + Q & A with Robyn Carr

Tuesday: Top Ten Things I've Learned From Movies

Wednesday: Grape Olive Pig - Nonfiction Blog Tour Review

Thursday: The Christmas Town - Fiction Review

Friday: Friday Linkups with teasers from Gilda Joyce, Psychic Investigator

Saturday: The Monticello Hostess - Recipe + A Look at a 1950s Cookbook

What's Coming Up:

Monday: Ramblings from the Stacks: It's Not You, It's Me

Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Books I'm Thankful For

Wednesday: The Danger of Desire - Historical Romance Review

Thursday: Thanksgiving

Friday: Friday Linkups with current book

Saturday: 52 Pins in 52 Weeks - November Edition (Hopefully - it's been a crazy month!)

Have a great week and happy reading!

The Monticello Hostess - A Recipe and a Look at Cookbooks from the 1950s

I'm going to guess that none of you have heard of Monticello (pronounce the c like an s), Mississippi.  There really isn't a reason to have heard of it.  It's a tiny town - population as of 2010 was 1,571 in the southern part of the state, 1 county away from the Louisiana state line and on the banks of the Pearl River.

The sign outside the old depot in Monticello, MS

In 1951 the Women's Club in Monticello published a cookbook called The Monticello Hostess.  It's one of those cookbooks that I worry are dying out.  The kind where everyone in the group contributes recipes that used to be everywhere but I don't see as often as I used too.

When the Tornado and I were at my grandparents' this past weekend I discovered my Grandmother's much loved copy of The Monticello Hostess.  In 1954 my Grandfather, a full time National Guardsman, was put over the station there.  In some ways I think it was a fairly idyllic time for them. His deployment to Korea was behind them, they had two young children and after a few years of living hundreds of miles away from their families they were now within 100 miles of almost everyone.  My grandfather, a pilot, was spending a lot of time flying to different Guard stations and my Grandmother was getting involved in all the organizations the little town had to offer which included The Women's Club which is why 60 + years later her copy is sitting open on my desk.

We had a good time giggling over some of the recipes.  The enthusiastic use of gelatin is somewhat terrifying.  Who knew that tuna and gelatin belonged in the same dish (and we're not going to talk about the Molded Salmon Salad)?  And just what is a yeast cake that's mentioned in a number of bread recipes?  How does that translate into what I can buy at the store now?  And what was even more interesting was the stories behind the names listed just below the the recipes.  I learned that all the Rhymes girls were good cooks and that Lynda Rhymes Clay had boys who were about the same age as my uncles which then led to a rather hair raising story involving half a dozen barefoot little boys, a rifle (hoping it was at least a BB gun) and a rather irritated snake.  That any recipe by Mrs. Bufkin is worth trying though other than this book she never would share her recipes.  That any recipe that came from Anita (whose last name I'm not mentioning!) was bound to be inedible and whole hosts of other stories about the characters who inhabited this little town.

One thing I found and really enjoyed about this book is that as long as I avoid anything involving gelatin the recipes really aren't particularly dated.  They're fairly simple, everything is from scratch and while some have a bit more fat than we tend to use today I have to wonder if it isn't all better for you than the cookbooks that might have half the fat but rely on can of whatever soup or other pre-made ingredients.

Today I'm sharing a recipe for Hot Potato Salad which was made by a Mrs. Sara Izard Hough who my Grandmother remembers nothing about.

Hot Potato Salad

6 cups cooked sliced potatoes

1/2 cup diced cooked bacon

6 tablespoons chopped onion

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon flour

3/4 teaspoon mustard

1/4 teaspoon pepper

6 tablespoons vinegar

6 tablespoons boiling water

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Wash potatoes and steam until tender - about 30 minutes.  Peel and slice.  Fry bacon until slightly browned, and then add onion and brown.  Blend salt sugar, flour, mustard, and pepper and add to the onion and bacon.  Add the vinegar and boiling water and cook until smooth and thickened.  Add the potatoes and heat through until moisture has been partly absorbed.  Add parsley and serve hot.

My Results: I think I will be trying other recipes from Mrs. Hough as this was a very good classic Hot Potato salad.  It was just enough bacon and onion.  It was a little low on tang so I think I might change the proportion of vinegar to water - maybe 8 tablespoons vinegar to 4 tablespoons water and maybe add a little dijon mustard to up the mustard-y factor.  With those changes I can see this being my go-to potato salad!

I'm linking up with Weekend Cooking hosted by Beth Fish Reads

Friday Linkups: Gilda Joyce, Psychic Investigator

It's Friday linkup time!  I'm linking up with the Book Blogger Hop hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer, Book Beginnings of Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, and the Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice

This Week's Book Blogger Hop Question:
Would you take a book with you when you go to your family's Thanksgiving gathering/dinner?

My Answer;
It depends.  If I was staying overnight than I absolutely would but if I was just going for the day I wouldn't.  At least with my family Thanksgiving is always a bit of a madhouse and I always end up rushing around helping finish up last minute details.  I might bring a book for the Tornado to keep him occupied but not one for me.

This week's book is Gilda Joyce, Psychic Investigator by Jennifer Allison.  This was one of those random library pickups that happen sometimes.  It was on the endcap and I liked the title plus I've been feeling pulled towards Middle Grade fiction lately.  I've read the first chapter and so far I'm enjoying it.  It's definitely on the younger end of the young adult spectrum and Gilda really does come off as a typical preteen.  Looking forward to seeing how the story develops!

The Beginning:
In the back row of Mrs. Weinstock's eighth-grade English classroom, Gilda Joyce chewed on a lock of her dark hair and pretended to listen as her classmates described their plans for the summer on the last day of the school year.

My Thoughts:
I think I'd probably zone out too.  A whole classroom full on 8th graders discussing summer plans one after the other sounds like it could drift into tedious!

The 56:
Dad:  Sorry, kiddo.  I got here just in time to meet him, but we decided not to wake you up.
Me: I don't believe you

My Thoughts:
I'm not here yet so I don't know exactly what's going on but this is a transcript of Gilda's memories and this one is about Santa Claus.  Gilda isn't buying her dad's explanations!

This is a bit of an unusual pick for me so I'm curious to see what I think of it.  I know the later books in the series seem to have been better received.  What do you think?  Keep reading?

The Christmas Town - Fiction Review

The Christmas Town by Donna VanLiere (Amazon link)

Rating: Good
Source: Publisher

Description: Lauren Gabriel spent many years of her childhood in foster homes, wishing her mother would come back for her and be the family she needs. Now twenty-years-old, she still longs for a place that she can truly call home. Her work as a cashier is unfulfilling, and at Christmas it’s unbearable with the songs and carols and chatter of Christmas that she hears throughout the day.
When Lauren ends her shift one night, she finds herself driving aimlessly in order to avoid returning to her lonely apartment. And when she witnesses a car accident she is suddenly pulled into the small town of Grandon, first as a witness but then as a volunteer for the annual fundraiser for Glory’s Place, a center for single mothers and families who need assistance. Could this town and its people be the home she has always longed for?

Genre: Fiction

Why I Picked This Book:  I love Christmas books and it's so rare to find one that it's a romance that I couldn't resist!

My Impression:  I love a good Christmas story and one of my absolute favorite things about them isn't the romance which is the focus of so many but the warm and fuzzy feel goodness of the background story.  This is a little different than a lot of the Christmas books staring at my from my bookshelf because it isn't a romance though there may be a tiny touch or two sprinkled through out.  On the warm and fuzzy scale this is about level with the last 20 minutes of It's a Wonderful Life  - you know the part where George goes home and people start pouring in and unless you're hanging out in another famous Christmas story with a heart 3 sizes to small you have happy tears in your eyes.  It isn't quite as exuberant as the end of the movie but it delivers on warm Christmas feelings and seeing good people truly rewarded.

I really liked Lauren.  She's had a rough start and while she has some issues she isn't damaged or traumatized - she's just alone and desperate for family that she's never been able to find.  She's smart, funny, and vulnerable with just enough optimism that I didn't find it unrealistic though maybe a little improbable.  While the book focuses on Lauren it's also full of characters all with their own warmth, their own struggles, and their own secret wishes and I felt like I really got to know all the characters from major ones likes Stacy and Gloria to Les the grocery store manager and Holly the waitress.

This is the very best of a Hallmark movie in book form and has me ready to start pulling out the Christmas goodies.  If you're looking for a light feelgood read with plenty of heart to put you in the Christmas spirit you can't go wrong with this one!

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Absolutely!  I was pleased to see my library has another of her books and I'll be keeping an eye out for future releases.

Would I Recommend this Book?: I would!  If you're looking for a Christmas-y read I think you'll enjoy this one.

Grape Olive Pig - Blog Tour Nonfiction Review

About Grape, Olive, Pig

• Hardcover: 368 pages • Publisher: Harper Wave/Anthony Bourdain (November 15, 2016)

 The author of Rice, Noodle, Fish now celebrates the delectable and sensuous culture and cuisine of Spain with this beautifully illustrated food-driven travel guide filled with masterful narration, insider advice, and nearly 200 full-color photos. Grape, Olive, Pig is a deeply personal exploration of Spain, a country where eating and living are inextricably linked. Crafted in the "refreshing" (Associated Press), "inspirational" (Publishers Weekly) and "impeccably observed" (Eater.com) style of the acclaimed Rice, Noodle, Fish, and written with the same evocative voice of the award-winning magazine Roads & Kingdoms, this magnificent gastronomic travel companion takes you through the key regions of Spain as you’ve never seen them before. Matt Goulding introduces you to the sprawling culinary and geographical landscape of his adoptive home, and offers an intimate portrait of this multifaceted country, its remarkable people, and its complex history. Fall in love with Barcelona’s tiny tapas bars and modernist culinary temples. Explore the movable feast of small plates and late nights in Madrid. Join the three-thousand-year-old hunt for Bluefin tuna off the coast of Cadiz, then continue your seafood journey north to meet three sisters who risk their lives foraging the gooseneck barnacle, one of Spain’s most treasured ingredients. Delight in some of the world’s most innovative and avant-garde edible creations in San Sebastian, and then wash them down with cider from neighboring Asturias. Sample the world’s finest acorn-fed ham in Salamanca, share in the traditions of cave-dwelling shepherds in the mountains beyond Granada, and debate what constitutes truly authentic paella in Valencia. Grape, Olive, Pig reveals hidden gems and enduring delicacies from across this extraordinary country, contextualizing each meal with the stories behind the food in a cultural narrative complemented by stunning color photography. Whether you’ve visited Spain or have only dreamed of bellying up to its tapas bars, Grape, Olive, Pig will wake your imagination, rouse your hunger, and capture your heart.

Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

My Thoughts:

I have yet to visit Spain but I feel a little like I've had a fly over visit after reading Grape, Olive, Pig and I really feel like the food and the people behind it came alive in these pages.  While Spain has been rising rapidly on the list of my Places I Must Visit list I don't think I ever really had a clear idea about the food or the difference between the regions.  

The book is divided by geographical regions and Goulding throws himself into each chapter showing the wonder and unique culture of each cuisine.  Goulding's love of Spain itself comes through clearly in the pages and I enjoyed the insight into the Spanish attitudes on food.  The photographs are gorgeous and many made my mouth water.  This is the perfect book if you're going to Spain soon, have been to Spain and want to relive it, or just really want to go.  It's a whirlwind tour of food and wine and fascinating stories put forth in a well organized and engaging format. I thoroughly enjoyed it and this will be a book that lives on the shelf ready for the occasional flip through for quite some time - in between hunting down some excellent Spanish cookbooks so I can get a taste of what Goulding describes.   

About Matt Goulding

Matt Goulding is editor and cofounder of Roads & Kingdoms, the former food editor of Men’s Health, and the coauthor of the New York Times bestselling series Eat This, Not That! He is a James Beard Award winner and has also written for Harper’s Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Food & Wine Magazine, and Time magazine. He divides his time between the tapas bars of Barcelona and the barbecue pits of North Carolina. Follow Matt on Twitter.

Top Ten Tuesday - What I've Learned from Movies

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic from The Broke and the Bookish is a movie freebie.  Confession time - I'm not really a movie person.  I don't hate them but I tend to not pick watching a movie or going to a movie when there are other options so coming up with a topic was a bit of a struggle!  However, while I'm not necessarily the biggest movie fan there are a few things that I've picked up along the way during my movie watching.

1.  If a deal is to good to be true it is - especially if it's a house - especially if it's in the middle of nowhere and people tend to not stay long.  (Amityville Horror, The Conjuring, pretty much every other horror movie involving a house and a family)

2.  If you wake up somewhere with no memory of who you are or how you got there you're a deadly secret agent that no one will claim. (The Bourne movies)

3.  Dolls are bad (Annabel, Chucky, and who knows how many others)

4.  You can drive a car indoors, down stairs, the wrong way on a one street, through quickly closing tiny spaces and all at about 100 mph but you will crash rather terribly in the end.  (James Bond, The Italian Job, etc)

5.  Handguns are either shockingly accurate or impossibly inaccurate.  There is no in between.  (Pretty much any action movie).

6.  Do NOT split up!  At best hijinks and mayhem will occur at worst everyone is going to die.  (All movies and most TV shows)

7.  If you lie things are going to go terribly wrong.  Like kidnapped by a group of mercenaries in South America wrong.  (The Correspondents which is a Netflix movie with Ricky Gervaise)

8.  Waking up in a good mood and then having things go really well at the beginning of the day does not mean it's the beginning of a trend.  This is called foreshadowing  (Basically all moviews)

9.  People do not take their shower curtains on vacation (Jack Reacher)

10. Don't surprise anyone - ever.  You'll get fired, humiliated, find out your significant other is cheating on you, or who knows what else.  Seriously it's a terrible idea.  (Basically every romantic comedy)

What have movies taught you?