Hope is a Good Thing

“He wants to plead not guilty by reason of grief. She knows grief is a kind of insanity. She knows.”

Who thinks isolation is a kind of insanity? (All you extroverts, raise your hands.)  With the exception of walking/running my devoted Retriever, I’ve been inside, Vitimin D-less, for a couple of weeks now. But I’m feeling surprisingly sane. I do have mounting questions. How is it that I still can’t catch up with my unyielding to-do list? Is online school worth my tax dollar? Oh, and why is my house not any cleaner? (Cut out drive time and I should, in theory, be able to mop a floor and scrub a toilet in those spare minutes, no?) What exactly constitutes binge-watching?  And how do I not have more hours to read?

 I did finish reading American Dirt. Jeanine Cummins got my attention. Her story revolves around Lydia Perez who finds herself in dire circumstances thanks to the Mexican cartel, so she’s immediately forced to flee Mexico with her 8-year-old son Luca. From middle-class bookstore owner to migrant, Lydia’s perilous journey may well make you feel more human. I feared for her. I ached for her. I most definitely hoped for her.  I’m not at all surprised that Stephen King loved this one. He gushed: “On a micro scale―the story scale, where I like to live―it’s one hell of a novel about a good woman on the run with her beautiful boy. It’s marvelous.” That’s coming from the literary genius who believed that “Hope is a good thing, maybe the very best of things,” which is at the heart and soul of this fantastic read.

*This novel has kicked up a lot of controversy, so much so that Oprah filmed a deeper book club discussion to address it. I’m really hoping Rachel will weigh in on this one. 

Posted by Tracy

It Could Always Be Wurst!

I’ve forgotten a lot of things in life. A meal has never been one of them.

Two silver linings in this whole social distancing thing: more time to read and more time gathered around the kitchen table. If you’re like us and haven’t cooked this much in years, great news: super foodies Kate and Amelia are here to solve our dinner dilemmas. Less time fretting over meals means more time reading. We feel better already. And you will too after spending time in The Away Cafe. Here’s a taste of what you’ll find (see what we did there?):

At The Away Cafe, our vacation recipe blog, we have been dealing with the coronavirus stress the way we do with many of our other worries—by reading more cookbooks. Yes, it’s been nice to slow our lives down with social distancing, but knowing we can’t buy a pastry from one of our beloved cafés has been a challenge. We miss the brunch bowl from our favorite Saturday lunch spot; we miss their salted chocolate chip cookie. If you’re anything like us, you’ve been looking to fill that void in your own kitchen. Here are some of our favorite sources for doing so. 

Ina Garten recipes are consistently delicious and never over-complicated, but her tips are fabulous, too. She taught us how to assemble party platters with no cooking required, to serve finger food to help more formal guests relax and enjoy themselves, and that it’s better to seat too many people at a small table than too few at a larger one. As hard as it was to choose among the many books she’s published, we decided to highlight the first book, which has recipes that we still love to make and eat after all these years, including Turkey Tea Sandwiches, Parker’s Split Pea Soup, Homemade Granola, Caramelized Butternut Squash, and many more.

Yottam Ottolenghi is a vegetable genius, with a plethora of cookbooks to back him up. Jerusalem is what got us hooked (and converted the dad to cooking), but his others are wonderful as well: Plenty, Plenty More, and Simple. His creations are creative and really play to the strength of their ingredients. We admit they’re usually a bit over-complicated, but for days when you feel like something really delicious and special, Ottolenghi is the man. We love the Baby Spinach Salad with Dates and Almonds, Roasted Cauliflower and Hazelnut Salad, Shakshuka, Conchiglie with Yogurt, Peas, and Chile, and Turkey and Zucchini Burgers with Green Onion and Cumin. 

One of Amelia’s favorites is Bread Toast Crumbs. The whole book is constructed around one master bread recipe: a delicious, super easy (no knead, short rise) white bread recipe. The first chapter offers variations of that bread (like a wonderful focaccia and scrumptious anadama bread), making it the “bread” chapter. The next chapter is about toast (tartines, french toast, etc.), and the final is crumbs (breaded things, panzanella). The book has made dropping off a warm loaf at a neighbor's house easy, and bread baking irresistible. Some favorites: Homemade Nutella (still dying to make this into Grilled Creme Fraiche and Nutella Sandwiches), Onion Jam Bacon, and Grilled Cheese, Rosemary Semolina Bread, and an addictive Spicy Broccoli Sauté. 

Posted by Rachel

Invisible Threads

“Smell the sea and feel the sky. Let your soul and spirit fly.” –Van Morrison

I took Van the Man’s advice this week. Me and the fam spent the day under a perfect sun, where I’ve nearly finished the Oprah recommended and controversial novel American Dirt. Please say you’ll check back in soon to hear what Rae and I have to say about a book that Stephen King called, “An extraordinary piece of work, a perfect balancing act with terror on one side and love on the other…I defy anyone to read the first seven pages of this book and not finish it.”

But my focus today is on a different new release. When I picked up Dear Edward, I didn’t know Jenna Bush Hager was reading it. Nor did I remember Afriqiyah Airlines Flight 771—the one that crashed on the 12th of May 2010. The one where 104 passengers and crew on board were all killed; only one 9-year-old Dutch boy named Ruben van Assouw was spared. Ann Napolitano admits she obsessed over this real-life tragedy that was ultimately the inspiration for Dear Edward. I appreciated her sensitivity to the sole survivor’s new reality. Emma Donoghue, author of Room, offered this insight: “Dear Edward made me think, nod in recognition, care about its characters, and cry, and you can’t ask more of a novel than that.” I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say we can ask for a bit more. We can ask for an important message that teaches us how to better live. Napolitano hits a high note when she focuses on kindness—when she ultimately reminds readers that we can be connected by invisible threads if we choose to unabashedly practice kindness.

Posted by Tracy

Mini-Review Monday

“She didn't like to be alone. Even more, she didn't like being with people.”

It’s time for an important poll. Which do you prefer? A good surprise or a sincere promise? This week, I’d pick the former. When an unexpected Amazon box showed up on my doorstep, imagine my surprise when I opened it to find Bruce Springsteen’s autobiography: Born to Run. It made me pretty giddy. There was no note. What am I to do with all of this big curiosity? Whoever sent it knows me well. Whoever you are, thanks for sending The Boss from Amazon’s front seat to my front porch. (I read that the Springsteen-narrated memoir earned a 2018 Audie Award for Autobiography—after all these years Jersey boy, oh oh oh, you’re still on fire!)

Here’s another surprise: neither Rachel nor I had Olive Kitteridge on either of our packed bookshelves. Olive brought home the Pulitzer in 2009. As well she should have. One reviewer hit the nail square on the head: “Olive is an irascible, crabby old lady who is difficult to like. Yet, as her life, marriage, and story play out, her character changes in ways that are wholly believable. This novel runs the gamut of human emotion and delicately exposes the secret inner workings of the human condition.” I’m so glad I got to know impossibly flawed Olive. In fact, I can’t wait to read Olive Again because honestly, I can’t get enough. (OA surfaced on several Best of 2019 lists I riffled through.) If you liked Elinor Oliphant, you’ll love Olive Kitteridge. Oh, and here’s big bonus: Francis McDormand played Olive in an HBO series—now that’s what I call a recipe for success!  

Posted by Tracy

Tracy's Playing Favorites (2019 Edition)

“The best thing a woman can have is her sh!t together.”

Pardon my French. But we know we haven’t exactly had our stuff together lately. More accurately, we’ve just had way too much stuff. This post isn’t about excuses though. Nope, it’s time to talk about the best of 2019.

I’ve decided I’m not really one for paring down. Last year, honorable mentions should have been squarely on the top of the list—why did I think brevity was best? It’s hard to choose only a few. I recognize this is about prioritizing, for people who just have way too much stuff. So here goes:

FAVORITE BOOK OF THE YEAR

I’m with our favorite British book retailer Waterstones on this one—they named this exquisitely illustrated tale their Book of the Year. Mackesy’s charming fable is portable magic. It’s advertised as, “A story of innocence, adventure and life’s most important lessons—told through words and pictures to warm the hearts of all ages.” Boy did The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse live up to its billing, times a million. I doubt I could love it more.

FAVORITE HISTORICAL FICTION

The Giver of Stars is a real southern charmer. Rachel and I jointly gave it a whole bunch of stars. You can read my review here. (Never mind the trouble afoot, Rae confirmed the similarities are insignificant.)

FAVORITE THRILLER(S)

I can’t decide between The Silent Patient and The Lost Man. Honestly, both are so good. I gush over each here and here.

FAVORITE BOOK THAT I SHOULD HAVE READ LONG BEFORE BUT DIDN’T BECAUSE OF BLOG CROSSOVER

It’s looks like we haven’t formally blogged about William Kent Kruger’s masterpiece. I just put it on my to-do list.

FAVORITE KID LIT

When I bought The Boy at the Back of the Class at Waterstones in London, I knew it was a winner. You can read my review here.

FAVORITE LISTEN

Once Upon a River was an enchanting yarn told by an audible phenom. You can read all about it here. (The Lost Man avec the Aussie accent is a close second.)

HONORABLE MENTIONS

American Spy was quite good. (And, well, Bahni Turpin.) I’m over the moon that I met Ruth Ware and Celeste Ng in 2019.

Posted by Tracy

December Roundup

Did someone say roundup? I’ve got a few stellar reads of my own that made this holiday season a thrill a minute, despite my exhaustion.

The Silent Patient lives up to the hype.

I’ve seen this psychological thriller on multiple Best of 2019 lists—ignoring screenwriter Alex Michaelides’s debut novel was no longer an option. This one’s a head-turner. I couldn’t agree more with the blogger who observed, “Rather than investigating a crime, The Silent Patient investigates the mind of a criminal…[it’s] immersive and hypnotic—the kind of confidently drawn suspense story that doesn’t need big, flashy twists to keep you hooked…but delivers an exceptional twist or two anyway.” Honestly, I didn’t see the big twist coming. Looks like there’s a new crime writer in town!

If you loved Evvie Drake, you’ll love Things You Save in a Fire

If you have any time at all to curl up by the fire this Christmas season, consider jumping into Katherine Center’s latest. You’ll appreciate Cassie Hanwell. A natural-born female fire fighter, she has to prove herself in a man’s world. Cassie doesn’t need rescuing on the job; she does, however, need to reconcile her stunted emotions to save her own life. Nice work KC—you know you’ve arrived if Brene Brown is singing your praises!

How ‘bout a Domestic Noir for a change?

One of my favorite followers, Marilyn, recommended Lisa Jewell’s And Then She Was Gone. And I’m so glad she did. It’s true: “Jewell teases out her twisty plot at just the right pace, leaving readers on the edge of their seats. Even the most astute thriller reader won’t see where everything is going until the final threads are unknotted.” While Michaelides had a bigger, better twist, this was still well worth the listen.

Posted by Tracy