Spring and Summer Reading

Whose Body?--This is my first Dorothy Sayers novel. A light, enjoyable read. There is nothing here to compel me to read more in the series, but I wouldn't avoid reading more if I stumble across them.

Three Cups of Tea--Yes, I know. The rest of the world read this one years ago. A great story of someone who is making a difference instead of standing around wishing someone would do something.

The Butterfly Mosque--The story of an American woman who moved to Egypt, converted from atheism to Islam, and married an Egyptian Muslim. I find stories of people's faith journeys fascinating, and this was no exception. I was surprised by how easy it was to understand what drew her to Islam:

It had to be a faith that didn't need to struggle to explain why bad things happen to good people, a faith in which it was understood that destruction is implicit in creation. I had a faint attraction to Buddhism, but Buddhism was not theist enough; the role of God was obscure or absent. I would have liked to be a Christian. My life would have been much easier if I could stomach the Trinity and inherited sin, or the idea that God had a son. Judaism was a near perfect fit, but it was created for a single tribe of people. 12

And although parts of the book were a trip to a foreign land and foreign minds, I laughed out loud at her thoughts on housekeeping:

The idea that housework was demeaning and oppressive had been drilled into me from such a young age and from so many sources that I could not remember where I first came across it. I believed it, and took the maxim to the next logical step: if housework was demeaning and oppressive, it must also be unnecessary. I was confused when the kitchenette in my college apartment got dirty. When dust bunnies accumulated under the bed, I had an uneasy feeling that the world was not functioning as it should. If people were not meant to clean, cleanliness should not require people. 203

The Actor and the Housewife--I had seen this recommended as a fun, light read, so I bought it for my Kindle before I left for Costa Rica. Although I quite enjoyed the author's young adult novels, I found this book highly irritating. I am pretty sure this is a trunk story, written before her later successes. It emphasizes the most annoying and juvenile aspects of Utah Mormon culture, and I had a very difficult time liking the main character. This might be the worst book of the year.

Sabriel--EM recommended this series to me. He owns the second and third books, but not the first, so I added this to my Kindle list for vacation reading. A well-written young adult fantasy novel. I was sorry I didn't have the rest of the series with me.

Raisin in the Sun--EM brought this one to Costa Rica as part of his assigned school reading. Once he was finished, I read it. I almost never read plays these days, but this one reminded me of why I enjoyed reading them when I was a teen. Raisin in the Sun is a family drama that reminds me of Arthur Miller and Eugene O'Neill.

Something Borrowed--I was in the mood for chick lit, so I chose this somewhat at random from the list of top-selling Kindle books. It was entertaining. There is apparently a sequel, but since it's written from the point of view of the most annoying character in this book, I have no intention of reading it.

Take the Monkeys and Run--Michael suggested this as a good indie book for my Kindle. A housewife married to a George Clooney lookalike gets involved in taking down the mob. If you can suspend your disbelief, it's a fun read. There are definitely a few places where a good editor could have improved the book, but overall it is competently written.

The Brothers Karamazov--My freshman year of college, this was my assigned reading for Christmas break, and I never finished it. To my knowledge, this is the only work of fiction I was ever assigned to read that I failed to complete. It's been niggling away at me ever since. So this year I decided to prove that twenty years of aging is all I needed to enjoy Russian novels. Sadly, that did not prove to be true. There is just something un-Russian about my mind and soul, apparently. However, I did finish it. And I enjoyed parts of it. If anyone has a good explanation for the subplot involving the boy who died, I'd love to hear it. I don't see how it connects to the main plot, which makes me wonder why it is in there at all.

Comeback America--A quick non-partisan read about the financial mess our country is in and how we can get out of it. This should be required reading for all elected officials, government workers and potential voters.

In addition to these books, I've also proofread four of Michael's novels (one needed two reads) and one novella.

Portrait

LW brought this portrait home from preschool months ago. It's been taped to my desk hutch ever since, but it's getting a bit beat up. Now that we have a scanner, I decided to preserve it electronically, which also means I can share it with all of you.

Eight (!) Spring and Summer Soups

I'm not cooking soup today (Michael's in Toronto on his yearly writing retreat and it's been so blasted hot I am not turning on the stove), so I decided to play catch-up on writing about soup.

Emily's Springtime Salmon Chowder--This is a quick and easy soup with potato, onion, garlic, and asparagus in addition to cream and salmon. Yum. Five thumbs up. There is a note that you can also add snow peas, which I think I will do next year.

Sweet Pea Soup with Early Chives--Some weeks, you worry about the soup. This was one of those weeks. Michael is not a fan of split pea soup, and it's not one of my favorites either, so I was not expecting to like a pea soup without even the benefit of ham. (Although the suggested side dish, Green Bean, Cherry Tomato and Bacon Salad, sounded like it would be tasty even if the soup wasn't.) I also wimped out slightly and used the ground nutmeg in my cupboard, instead of the freshly-grated whole nutmeg I was supposed to use. I remained skeptical even as I set the soup on the table. It's green. Vivid green. And yet, when all was said and done, pretty tasty. Five thumbs hovering between so-so and up. Not one I'll probably add to the menu next year, but one I might pull out if I find myself with five cups of fresh peas I don't know what to do with. (The salad, however, will be served more regularly.)

I skipped the next week, because we spent the weekend in the Adirondacks.

Penne, Asparagus, and Peas in Parmesan Broth--For this soup, the author recommends augmenting store-bought chicken broth by simmering vegetables, herbs, and a Parmesan cheese rind to infuse the broth with more flavor. It required a little more planning, but it definitely added to the flavor of the soup. This soup is great comfort food, with the crisped prosciutto on top adding a nice touch. Five thumbs up.

Paella Soup--Michael loved paella when we were in Spain, so I switched things around to serve this on Father's Day. He, EM, and IM loved it. (I can't remember how NB voted.) I didn't, although I'm not sure why. It's stuffed full of yummy ingredients--shrimp, chicken, chorizo, and white wine. Maybe it was the ghost of bad Spanish food past getting in the way of my taste buds.

Thai-Style Lemongrass Soup with Shrimp--EM looked at me like I had two heads when I said I didn't like this soup, but I didn't. (I'm not sure EM has met seafood he didn't find tasty.) I think the problem was that you are supposed to simmer the broth with lemongrass and lime slices. Since I couldn't find lemongrass even at the big Shaw's, I substituted lemon slices to go with the lime slices. There was an aftertaste to the broth that I found unpleasant. Michael, EM, and IM were thumbs up. NB and I were thumbs down. I would be willing to try this one again if I ever find myself in possession of some lemongrass.

Avocado Soup with Fresh Tomato Salsa--This was the first of the cold summer soups. It is essentially liquid guacamole, and therefore quite tasty. It doesn't really feel like dinner though, more like a dip for tortilla chips. As a dip, it got four thumbs up. (EM detests avocado, a weird blip in an otherwise sophisticated palate.) As a soup, we didn't quite know what to think.

Icy Cucumber Soup with Smoked Salmon and Dill--Michael is not a fan of cold soup, so he preferred to heat his up in the microwave after the first bite or two. He said it's good that way. I thought it was quite tasty chilled, as it is meant to be served. I wouldn't mind having it again. Three thumbs up, one shrug (NB), and one thumbs-up if heated.

Victorine's Gazpacho--Delicious, especially since I was able to get the tomatoes, green peppers and green onions at the farmer's market. I will definitely make this next summer. Five thumbs up. I served it with Crab and Avocado Sandwiches, which were also tasty. Even EM liked them, as he said the crab covered up the taste of the avocado.

There you have it. We are all caught up.