Yay
for cooler weather! I've been re-energized with the official start of
fall. I've been baking, reading, knitting, and getting a head start on
the end-of-season yard work.
With indoor living comes a
reckoning of the accumulated clutter, and I'm once again facing a major
book culling. Thanks to summer travel, I let my book acquisitions get
out of hand--both recent book purchases and review copies. Thus it's
time to reassess the shelves that hold older books, including my always
accumulating cookbooks.
You wouldn't know it from
looking at my house, but I'm not a fan of having books on every
available horizontal surface. I need to get everything back on a shelf
or in a giveaway/donation pile.
Here's what I read over the last two weeks.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
(Putnam, August). There was so much buzz about this book, I decided to
hold off a bit until I forgot the reviews and could go in mostly blind.
Set in the North Carolina marshland during the Vietnam War era, Where the Crawdads Sing
is the story of a young girl who is gradually abandoned by her family
before she's even 10 years old. Wise in the ways of the marsh and with
the help of a very few trusted friends, Kya manages to fend for herself
and avoid much contact with the outside world, until as a young woman,
she's forced to give a reckoning of her character. Part coming-of-age
story, part mystery, part character study, this book was almost
impossible to stop reading. Kya's struggle for survival and
self-identity is both heartbreaking and tender, and I grew to love the
marsh and its birds almost as much as she did. The book is well
deserving of all its praise. I listened to the unabridged audiobook (Penguin Audio; 12 hr, 12 min) read by Cassandra Campbell,
whose performance enveloped me in Kya's world. The quality of
Campbell's voice perfectly matched the mood of this book, and she nailed
the characters' personalities. It's a don't-miss listen. (Audiobook
review copy provided by the publisher.)
The Husband Hunters by Anne de Courcy (St. Martin's Press, August). Even before I watched Downton Abbey,
I knew of the Gilded Age phenomenon of rich American women marrying
into European (especially British) upper-class families, giving the
women a title and their husbands much needed income. De Courcy's
fascinating book explores the hows, whys, and consequences of these
cross-Atlantic marriages. The book does more than follow the courtship
of a few young girls; it also compares and contrasts U.S. and British
culture in the areas of social class, social climbing, views of
marriage, feminism, the raising of children, family obligations, and
parents' expectations. The Husband Hunters is an easy read,
combining sociology and history with good gossip and firsthand accounts
of dinners, balls, and fabulous mansions. American and British attitudes
toward husband hunting varied, but in the United States, women who
married overseas were often criticized for taking their large
inheritances out of the country. In England and Europe, they saved
struggling estates but had to deal with the realities of everyday life
in their drafty castles. These women gave birth to a generation of
20th-century British leaders, including Winston Churchill. Did you know
Prince William's great-great-grandmother was American? The print version
includes a couple of photo inserts. I listened to the unabridged audiobook (Macmillan Audio; 10 hr, 41 min) read by Clare Corbett, who did a fine job. My audiobook review will be available from AudioFile magazine. (Print copy: personal collection.)
The Lost Queen by Signe Pike
(Touchstone, September). I really liked this novel about Languoreth,
the twin sister of the man who would inspire the Merlin legend. Set in
6th-century Scotland, the book follows the fates of the siblings--one
destined for a strategic marriage, one destined to be a Druid priest.
Languoreth wanted to be a keeper of the old faith, but instead finds
herself mired in the politics of her husband's court and the escalating
conflict (often violent) between the new Christians with their strict god
and the practitioners of and believers in the traditional ways. Woven
throughout is an account of the rise of the Pendragons as well as
stories of star-crossed lovers, battles, and betrayals. If you're
interested in the Arthurian legends and/or medieval Scotland, you'll
find plenty to hold your interest. Languoreth's strength and
intelligence are balanced by her heart and trust, making her a
believable character. The author's note at the end of the book helps
place the novel in the context of scholarly research. I took this book with
me on vacation and alternated between listening and reading. The
unabridged audiobook (Simon & Schuster Audio; 17 hr, 44 min) was read by Toni Frutin, whose accent and expressive delivery added immensely to my enjoyment of The Lost Queen.
Her good pacing and an understanding of the characters' motivations
brought the story alive. (eGalley provided by the publisher; audiobook
from my personal collection.)
The Sisters of the Winter Wood by Rena Rossner
(Red Hook; September). I have mixed thoughts about this novel, which
combines historical fiction with fairy tale retelling and is set in
Ukraine during the early days of the Russian pogroms. Teenage sisters
Liba and Laya, who live in the woods outside the town of Dubossary, are
left on their own when their parents rush to their grandfather's
deathbed. Before leaving, their parents tell the girls that they are
descendants of shapeshifters: Liba, like her father's Hasidic family,
can become a bear, whereas Laya, like her mother's non-Jewish family,
can become a swan. They are told to rely on their inner strengths and to
take care of each other. Left to their own devices, the normally
obedient girls find themselves attracted to boys their father wouldn't
approve of and face danger on several fronts. The story alternates
perspectives--Liba's in prose and Laya's in verse--and describes
historical events with a layer of folklore. The girls contend with
divisions within the Jewish community, their own desires, their parents'
wishes, and antisemitism. Both the historical and the magical aspects
of The Sisters of the Winter Wood were well done, from the
details of everyday life to the enchantments of the woods. On the
negative side, some of Rossner's lessons were heavy handed and
oft-repeated, and the verse sections didn't always work for me. In an
author's note, Rossner explains her sources and provides historical and
personal context. There is a glossary of Yiddish and other terms.
(review copy provided by the publisher.)
Whiskey When We're Dry by John Larison
(Viking; August). I'm jumping to the chase: this novel will be on my
list of top-ten books of the year. Set in the 1880s in the high plains
or Rocky Mountain foothills, this is Jessilyn Harney 's story. Jess,
motherless just hours after being born, is raised by her Civil
War-veteran father and older brother (Noah) in a homestead cabin on a
struggling cattle spread. Just a couple of years after her brother heads
out to make his way in the world, Jess is orphaned, left with few resources and
limited by being a woman. Although Noah has become an outlaw with a
price on his head, Jess is determined to find him, her only known kin.
Disguised as a man, skilled with a gun and rifle, and blessed with
gumption, she finagles a place in the territorial governor's personal
militia. The steady job provides an anchor, but she never stops
searching for her elusive brother. I was bowled over by the way Whiskey When We're Dry
mixes Jess's story of survival and the consequences of her choices with
the details of the unforgiving and almost lawless west. In some ways it
reminded me of Only Killers and Thieves,
but this is a fully American tale and one that explores what happens to
women who choose an alternative path. I listened the unabridged audiobook (Penguin Audio; 15 hr, 24 min) read by Sophie Amoss.
I can't believe I almost turned off the audiobook after the first 3
minutes. My initial impression of Amoss's accent for this book was, No, ugh, I can't listen to that for hours on end. Thankfully I did not turn off my phone.
Amoss's performance was brilliant. Her gruff voice and uneducated accent
worked beautifully, and I was soon transported across time and space,
fully invested in Jess's fate. Amoss has a great sense of timing and
created believable characterizations. A highly recommended listen.
(eGalley and audibook provided by the publishers.)
A Winter's Promise by Christelle Dabos
(Europa, September). This novel is the first installment in The Mirror
Visitor series, which has been translated from the French. This story is
a kind of mix of dystopian, fantasy, and science fiction in which Earth
has been splintered, though the "arks" (sections of the planet) remain
in relatively close proximity. Each ark has its own ruling spirit,
political families, and social customs, and the citizens display
different extra-human abilities. Ophelia, our hero, is a bookish girl
who would rather work in her ark's archives than socialize, let alone
marry and have children. Despite her protests, though, she is used to
forge a political alliance with Pole, the northernmost ark, and is
betrothed to Thorn, a member of one of the leading families. What ensues
after Ophelia moves to Pole to await her marriage is an awaking to a
life beyond her beloved books: it's a world of shifting alliances,
political intrigue, and a cold and distant fiancé. The fantasy elements
are in the individuals' powers or talents. Ophelia can travel through
mirrors and can determine the history of objects just by touch. Thorn
has a deep and impeccable memory, going back to the day of his birth,
and is a member of Dragon Clan, which gives him various strengths. A Winter's Promise
is the first in a quartet and is very much the setup book: we learn the
workings of this alternative world, we get an idea of
Ophelia's and Thorn's personalities, and we meet what I assume will be
the major players. A million cheers that Ophelia remains true
to herself and can be pushed and manipulated only so far. More cheers
for the absence of insta-love, for imperfect characters, for a complex
plot, and for a unique world. I can't wait to read the next book in the
series. (review copy provided by the publisher)
Sudden Sea: The Great Hurricane of 1938 by R. A. Scotti
(Back Bay Books, 2004). Huge, destructive hurricanes are becoming more
commonplace as we feel the effects of climate change, but in the late
1930s, the idea that a hurricane could do damage to New England was unimaginable. It had been over 100 years since the last super storm came
ashore in the Northeast, and in the days before satellites, it was
near-impossible to track a system over the ocean--so when the Great
Hurricane slammed into Long Island, Rhode Island, and farther north, no
one was prepared for nightmare of death and destruction that changed
families, communities, and the physical landscape forever. Sudden Sea
follows specific New York and Rhode Island families, railways,
passenger boats, and towns as they experienced the storm from that calm
September morning through to the frightful realization that they were
about to enter into a watery, windy hell. Scotti uses a variety of
sources, including firsthand accounts and news reports, to describe how
people survived and died and how entire towns were wiped off the map in
a matter of hours. There are no particular lessons to be learned here
(except, perhaps, to be grateful for storm tracking and to always err on
the side of caution), but the stories of the Great Hurricane are
gripping. I listened to the unabridged audiobook (Hachette Audio; 7 hr, 6 min) read by L. J. Ganser,
who managed to amp up the drama and emotional impact while avoiding the
theatrical. His delivery was expressive and engaging and held my
interest. A huge thanks to Hachette for providing a PDF of the maps and
photos with the digital download edition. I can't tell you how much I
appreciate this. (Audiobook review copy provided by the publisher.)
Click for more
Do you love America's Test Kitchen (ATK) as much as I do? If you haven't yet tried their books and recipes, you're missing out big time on a trusted recipe source.
I so appreciate the general style of this book. The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs makes no assumptions about previous skills and knowledge, but at the same time ATK respects its audience. In fact, this cookbook is perfect for any new cook of any age.
Each recipe is rated for difficulty, has an accompanying photo, and clear directions, including estimated preparation and cooking times. Many recipes include variations (called "Make It Your Way"), illustrated guides to techniques, serving tips, and reviews from the young chef recipe testers.
Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page.
