Harvesting the Heart shows that, as always, Jodi Picoult can be counted on for a good, quick, emotional read. This one focuses on the relationship between Nicholas and Paige over the course of their quick courtship and subsequent marriage. Paige is a teenager, barely out of high school, when she meets Nicholas, a successful medical student. Throughout their relationship, they have to focus on and figure out what makes each of them happy, what leaves them empty, and how to just make it through the next day.
Overall, I would rate this an average Picoult read. Definitely not a must read, but it kept me engaged and was worth the time spent.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Until I Find You by John Irving
John Irving has long been one of my favorite authors. This book, which one review predicts will be considered his grand opus, both made me completely question my love for John Irving's novels and also completely reaffirmed it. The material is emotionally difficult, for sure, although that is nothing new for an Irving novel.
The expansive nature of the story really brought home the common themes and plot elements that are common to all of the Irving stories I've read (The World According to Garp, Hotel New Hampshire, The Cider House Rules, A Widow for One Year, A Prayer for Owen Meany) - of course the locations and the depth of study in each area, but also the mommy issues, the wrestling, the detached writers without a sense of who they are. At first, hitting a familiar element made me sigh and wonder (although never question the worth of finishing all 1000+ pages). But, above all, Until I Find You is a story about story telling and storytellers and audiences. As the story moves onward, it all becomes clear and seamless and works beautifully.
Still one of my favorites. Hands down.
The expansive nature of the story really brought home the common themes and plot elements that are common to all of the Irving stories I've read (The World According to Garp, Hotel New Hampshire, The Cider House Rules, A Widow for One Year, A Prayer for Owen Meany) - of course the locations and the depth of study in each area, but also the mommy issues, the wrestling, the detached writers without a sense of who they are. At first, hitting a familiar element made me sigh and wonder (although never question the worth of finishing all 1000+ pages). But, above all, Until I Find You is a story about story telling and storytellers and audiences. As the story moves onward, it all becomes clear and seamless and works beautifully.
Still one of my favorites. Hands down.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Cauliflower Curry Soup or Aloo Gobi Soup
Last night I tried a recipe that I had been holding onto for awhile - Curried Cauliflower Cream Soup from The Splendid Table Weeknight Dinner emails. It really couldn't be easier - garlic, onions, potatoes, cauliflower, curry powder and broth cooked together for a total of 35 minutes (there are a couple of steps in there, but minimal chopping and mostly inactive time) and then blended with an immersion blender. Serve with a squeeze of lemon and a dollop of yogurt and you've got a great light creamy soup. The best part is the cheddar tartines (let's be honest, it's cheesy bread) to dip in the soup.
I refer to it as Aloo Gobi Soup or Cauliflower Curry Soup mainly because there is no cream and I love aloo gobi. I also figured it was a way to get Austin a little more excited about cauliflower. I would definitely make this again, perhaps tweaking the spices to make it a bit more complex. For dinner in a hurry, though, it's a winner.
Look for the recipe at Brooklyn Forager when I get back on track posting over there.
I refer to it as Aloo Gobi Soup or Cauliflower Curry Soup mainly because there is no cream and I love aloo gobi. I also figured it was a way to get Austin a little more excited about cauliflower. I would definitely make this again, perhaps tweaking the spices to make it a bit more complex. For dinner in a hurry, though, it's a winner.
Look for the recipe at Brooklyn Forager when I get back on track posting over there.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Big Love, Season 3: Disc 1
Got another DVD watched this past weekend. It's been so long since I saw the last season of Big Love that I really didn't remember what was going on and I'm fairly sure I missed one or two episodes at the end. Regardless, I started up with this DVD and I have missed the show - I'm looking forward to seeing more without a doubt.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Crockpot Pulled Pork and Crab Cakes
This weekend, I tried out two new recipes which are worth noting and will definitely count as food blog entries once I get around to writing about them and putting them up on Brooklyn Forager.
The first was Ina Garten's crabcakes with remoulade. I was nervous about these since the first few turned out crumbly and not quite browned enough. My husband thanked me for the early errors since he got to try them out and once I got in my groove, the recipe got the Austin seal of approval.
The second was pulled pork sandwiches. I have actually debated using this one in the challenge because the whole recipe called for making biscuits from scratch. I was traveling with my food and didn't want to cram too much into the morning before I headed to the party I was cooking for and also wasn't sure how the biscuits would keep. The pork itself turned out very well and was such an easy crockpot recipe that I will be making it again. I figured that's enough to count it as a new recipe even without the biscuits!
The first was Ina Garten's crabcakes with remoulade. I was nervous about these since the first few turned out crumbly and not quite browned enough. My husband thanked me for the early errors since he got to try them out and once I got in my groove, the recipe got the Austin seal of approval.
The second was pulled pork sandwiches. I have actually debated using this one in the challenge because the whole recipe called for making biscuits from scratch. I was traveling with my food and didn't want to cram too much into the morning before I headed to the party I was cooking for and also wasn't sure how the biscuits would keep. The pork itself turned out very well and was such an easy crockpot recipe that I will be making it again. I figured that's enough to count it as a new recipe even without the biscuits!
Multiple Blessings by Kate Gosselin and Beth Carson
I admit it. I have an ongoing interest in the Gosselin family. Not really the tabloid craziness of late or even Kate on Dancing with the Stars. But I absolutely loved the show and loved the children and even found myself on Team Kate in the early days of the tabloid craziness.
All of this led me to read Multiple Blessings which is Kate's story about pre- and post-sextuplet (but pre-regular show) life in the Gosselin household. I was interested to hear more about their lives at that time. I think the book is frank, if somewhat self-serving in its justifications of her control freak/aggressive mama bear behavior. The book also focuses heavily on Kate's relationship with God and her faith which can be off-putting, but also explains a lot about her own thought process and how she gets through each day.
I wouldn't tell anyone to go out and get this book, even if you have (or had) Gosselin fever, but I got it for free, so it wasn't a total waste of time. There isn't much here that wasn't in the recap episodes or the original documentary piece, so if you've seen it all, you've already read this book.
All of this led me to read Multiple Blessings which is Kate's story about pre- and post-sextuplet (but pre-regular show) life in the Gosselin household. I was interested to hear more about their lives at that time. I think the book is frank, if somewhat self-serving in its justifications of her control freak/aggressive mama bear behavior. The book also focuses heavily on Kate's relationship with God and her faith which can be off-putting, but also explains a lot about her own thought process and how she gets through each day.
I wouldn't tell anyone to go out and get this book, even if you have (or had) Gosselin fever, but I got it for free, so it wasn't a total waste of time. There isn't much here that wasn't in the recap episodes or the original documentary piece, so if you've seen it all, you've already read this book.
Friday, March 19, 2010
47. Read 202 new books.
Each one has the crucial mix of love, despair, suspense and small town dramatics. But rather than be trite or (too) formulaic, I find them all, including Mercy, to be engaging reads that are thought provoking but light and ultimately enjoyable, even if I get too emotionally involved. Some are better than others and I'd say this one comes in about the middle of the pack.
I also read The Family Tree by Carol Cadwalader (for some reason I couldn't add a link). This takes the family drama and flips it on its ear, looking at nature v. nurture, genetics v. experience. The author uses some interesting elements to make this novel fresh as it is part personal account, part dissertation looking at words and concepts. I don't think Cadwalader really followed completely through since the narration has the voice of a stunted 10 year old throughout each section, regardless of the fact that the now-grown woman is reflecting on her own childhood and that of her grandmother. At the end, it was a good quick read, not great by any stretch of the imagination.
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