For those of you interested in the titles my book club has chosen for the upcoming year, here they are.
March: THE AVIATOR'S WIFE by Melanie Benjamin (Historical Fiction)
April: PERSUASION by Jane Austen (Classic)
May: HERO OF THE EMPIRE: THE BOER WAR, A DARING ESCAPE, AND THE MAKING OF WINSTON CHURCHILL by Candace Millard (Nonfiction)
June: GIRL WAITS WITH GUN by Amy Stewart (Historical Fiction/Humor)
July: HILLBILLY ELEGY: A MEMOIR OF A FAMILY AND CULTURE IN CRISIS by JD Vance (Biography)
August: THE MARTIAN by Andy Weir (Fantasy/Science Fiction)
September: GREAT SMALL THINGS by Jodi Picoult (Social Issues/Fiction)
October: AN AMERICAN PLAGUE: THE TRUE AND TERRIFYING STORY OF THE YELLOW FEVER EPIDEMIC OF 1793 by Jim Murphy (YA Nonfiction)
November: DEAD WAKE: THE LAST CROSSING OF THE LUSITANIA by Erik Larson (Nonfiction)
December: STILL LIFE (Book #1 in Inspector Gamache series) by Louise Penny (Mystery)
January: A MAN CALLED OVE by Frederik Backman (Fiction)
February: THE QUIET ROOM: A JOURNEY OUT OF THE TORMENT OF MADNESS by Lori Schiller and Amanda Bennett (Biography)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As always, our book selection meeting is one of my favorite nights of the year. You come home with a list of great suggestions that didn't get chosen. A few I've bookmarked are:
GRANDMA GATEWOOD'S WALK by Ben Montgomery (Biography)
SOMETHING'S YOU KEEP by JJ Landis (Biography)
Thursday, February 9, 2017
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
What I Read in 2016--Other Books
* Waste of time. No redemptive value.
** Not my cup of tea. But that's just my opinion.
*** It was okay. Not my favorite, but it might be yours.
**** I really liked it. Would highly recommend it.
***** Not to be missed! Put it at the top of your list.
THE STORYTELLER by Jodi Picoult
****
I've read a handful of Picoult's books and her "thing" is a great twist at the end. I stopped reading them in 2011-ish when HOUSE RULES failed to deliver. She had been releasing books so frequently it felt like she hadn't given them enough thought. This one however did not disappoint. The granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor discovers her elderly friend was formerly a Nazi SS guard, and he asks her to kill him.
IN THE GARDEN OF BEASTS: LOVE, TERROR, AND AN AMERICAN FAMILY IN HITLER'S BERLIN by Erik Larson
***
I'm glad I read it, because it was informative. I did have to force myself to keep reading though. Larson's research is obvious, but he can be meticulous to the point that it becomes slow and dry. This book follows U.S. Ambassador Dodd and his family as they are posted in Berlin during the early 1930's and Hitler's rise to power.
THE LAKE HOUSE by Kate Morton
****
In true Morton fashion you get the multi-generational story, a great mystery, and complex characters. Although I usually can't guess the ending, I did with this one, but I didn't care because it was so close to the reveal anyway. And I loved the ending.
STILL LIFE (Book #1 in the Inspector Gamache series) by Louise Penny
****
His name rhymes with ganache, so right there it's a winner. ;-) If you need more reasons, this book has extremely well-developed characters, the twist at the end will knock your socks off, and it's a clean mystery. Investigators are called to a rural village south of Montréal where the locals are certain it's a tragic hunting accident and nothing more, but Gamache smells foul play.
AND THEN ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE: TWO DECADES IN THE MIDDLE EAST by Richard Engel
****
I felt like I was only able to digest 50% of the information--but that is because of my own ineptness. Trying to understand the complexity of this region, the politics and the wars waged here is daunting to me, but I want to be better informed. Engel's book sums up the major figures and events while intertwining personal snippets in less than 250 pages. He is the NBC Chief Foreign News Correspondent and has lived in the Middle East since 1996. Perhaps I'll read it again.
WOMEN OF THE WORD--HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE WITH BOTH OUR HEARTS AND OUR MINDS by Jen Wilkin
*****
Bible literacy--what it is, whether we are acquiring it, and why it matters that we do so. "We treasure what we know, but we are troubled by what we do not know. We do our best to cobble together a patchwork knowledge of Scripture, pieced from sermons, studies, and quiet times, but we are often confronted with gaps in our understanding." I have found this book extremely practical, thought-provoking, and a loving kick-in-the-pants. I liken it to GIVE THEM TRUTH for its solid teaching, and CLEANING HOUSE for its convicting questions and inspiring examples.
** Not my cup of tea. But that's just my opinion.
*** It was okay. Not my favorite, but it might be yours.
**** I really liked it. Would highly recommend it.
***** Not to be missed! Put it at the top of your list.
THE STORYTELLER by Jodi Picoult
****
I've read a handful of Picoult's books and her "thing" is a great twist at the end. I stopped reading them in 2011-ish when HOUSE RULES failed to deliver. She had been releasing books so frequently it felt like she hadn't given them enough thought. This one however did not disappoint. The granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor discovers her elderly friend was formerly a Nazi SS guard, and he asks her to kill him.
IN THE GARDEN OF BEASTS: LOVE, TERROR, AND AN AMERICAN FAMILY IN HITLER'S BERLIN by Erik Larson
***
I'm glad I read it, because it was informative. I did have to force myself to keep reading though. Larson's research is obvious, but he can be meticulous to the point that it becomes slow and dry. This book follows U.S. Ambassador Dodd and his family as they are posted in Berlin during the early 1930's and Hitler's rise to power.
THE LAKE HOUSE by Kate Morton
****
In true Morton fashion you get the multi-generational story, a great mystery, and complex characters. Although I usually can't guess the ending, I did with this one, but I didn't care because it was so close to the reveal anyway. And I loved the ending.
STILL LIFE (Book #1 in the Inspector Gamache series) by Louise Penny
****
His name rhymes with ganache, so right there it's a winner. ;-) If you need more reasons, this book has extremely well-developed characters, the twist at the end will knock your socks off, and it's a clean mystery. Investigators are called to a rural village south of Montréal where the locals are certain it's a tragic hunting accident and nothing more, but Gamache smells foul play.
AND THEN ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE: TWO DECADES IN THE MIDDLE EAST by Richard Engel
****
I felt like I was only able to digest 50% of the information--but that is because of my own ineptness. Trying to understand the complexity of this region, the politics and the wars waged here is daunting to me, but I want to be better informed. Engel's book sums up the major figures and events while intertwining personal snippets in less than 250 pages. He is the NBC Chief Foreign News Correspondent and has lived in the Middle East since 1996. Perhaps I'll read it again.
WOMEN OF THE WORD--HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE WITH BOTH OUR HEARTS AND OUR MINDS by Jen Wilkin
*****
Bible literacy--what it is, whether we are acquiring it, and why it matters that we do so. "We treasure what we know, but we are troubled by what we do not know. We do our best to cobble together a patchwork knowledge of Scripture, pieced from sermons, studies, and quiet times, but we are often confronted with gaps in our understanding." I have found this book extremely practical, thought-provoking, and a loving kick-in-the-pants. I liken it to GIVE THEM TRUTH for its solid teaching, and CLEANING HOUSE for its convicting questions and inspiring examples.
Sunday, February 5, 2017
Vegetarian Egg Rolls and Fried Rice
These recipes have been a work in progress. I'm not sure where I originally got the egg roll recipe--the one for fried rice came from allrecipes but I've changed that one too. I'm not a fan of procuring ingredients I don't have easy access to or already keep stocked.
In the past, I've made the whole package of egg rolls (20 servings) to take to a potluck. Lately, I've been freezing the wraps in quantities of 5-6 to make alongside the fried rice for dinner. That's how many our family of 4 eats in one sitting. For simplicity, I'm just going to share the recipe I use for my family.
This recipe makes BOTH the 6 egg rolls and 4 servings of fried rice.
Ingredients are in red.
Please pardon the poor cell phone pic made even fuzzier by the steam.
Prepare the rice by bringing the water to a boil in a large wide saucepan, add butter, salt and rice, cover, reduce temperature to low and do not touch for 25 minutes.
2 c. water
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tsp. salt
1 c. uncooked white rice
While rice is cooking, prepare the following:
1/2 head of green cabbage, sectioned and thinly sliced (about 3c.)
1 c. shredded carrot
8 oz. can of water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1/4 c. thinly sliced green onions (about 1/2 a bunch)
In a heavy-bottomed stockpot, heat 1 Tbsp. veg. oil over medium heat. When oil is hot, add the cabbage, carrot, water chestnuts and onions and stir.
Add the following while mixture is cooking for 4-5 minutes, stirring as needed:
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
dash of salt
(You want the veg's to become soft but not browned.)
Finish by adding 1 tsp.--1 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce (per taste).
Remove 2/3 of mixture from pot and allow to cool in a dish on the counter. (This is for the egg rolls.)
Push the remaining mixture in the pot off to one side and lower heat to medium/low.
Add to the pot:
3-4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
When butter is melted, add:
3 large eggs, beaten, MIXED with
1 tsp. low sodium-soy sauce
Stir constantly until small pieces of scrambled eggs form. Reduce heat to low, mix veg. and eggs together, and add cooked white rice which should be finished. (You may have some extra white rice.) Keep on low heat until ready to serve.
Over medium heat, prepare a skillet with veg. oil that just covers the bottom.
Follow the assembly instructions on the package, use about 1/4c. of veg. inside each egg roll wrap.
6 Nasoya egg roll wraps (comes in a 20 count package in the refrigerated produce section)
Fry 2-3 minutes, turning until all sides are brown and crispy.
Drain on a paper towel. Serve immediately with fried rice and
duck sauce
Enjoy!
Don't let the length of the recipe dissuade you! Remember, it's two recipes in one. :)
In the past, I've made the whole package of egg rolls (20 servings) to take to a potluck. Lately, I've been freezing the wraps in quantities of 5-6 to make alongside the fried rice for dinner. That's how many our family of 4 eats in one sitting. For simplicity, I'm just going to share the recipe I use for my family.
This recipe makes BOTH the 6 egg rolls and 4 servings of fried rice.
Ingredients are in red.
Please pardon the poor cell phone pic made even fuzzier by the steam.
Prepare the rice by bringing the water to a boil in a large wide saucepan, add butter, salt and rice, cover, reduce temperature to low and do not touch for 25 minutes.
2 c. water
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tsp. salt
1 c. uncooked white rice
While rice is cooking, prepare the following:
1/2 head of green cabbage, sectioned and thinly sliced (about 3c.)
1 c. shredded carrot
8 oz. can of water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1/4 c. thinly sliced green onions (about 1/2 a bunch)
In a heavy-bottomed stockpot, heat 1 Tbsp. veg. oil over medium heat. When oil is hot, add the cabbage, carrot, water chestnuts and onions and stir.
Add the following while mixture is cooking for 4-5 minutes, stirring as needed:
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
dash of salt
(You want the veg's to become soft but not browned.)
Finish by adding 1 tsp.--1 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce (per taste).
Remove 2/3 of mixture from pot and allow to cool in a dish on the counter. (This is for the egg rolls.)
Push the remaining mixture in the pot off to one side and lower heat to medium/low.
Add to the pot:
3-4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
When butter is melted, add:
3 large eggs, beaten, MIXED with
1 tsp. low sodium-soy sauce
Stir constantly until small pieces of scrambled eggs form. Reduce heat to low, mix veg. and eggs together, and add cooked white rice which should be finished. (You may have some extra white rice.) Keep on low heat until ready to serve.
Over medium heat, prepare a skillet with veg. oil that just covers the bottom.
Follow the assembly instructions on the package, use about 1/4c. of veg. inside each egg roll wrap.
6 Nasoya egg roll wraps (comes in a 20 count package in the refrigerated produce section)
Fry 2-3 minutes, turning until all sides are brown and crispy.
Drain on a paper towel. Serve immediately with fried rice and
duck sauce
Enjoy!
Don't let the length of the recipe dissuade you! Remember, it's two recipes in one. :)
Saturday, February 4, 2017
What I Read in 2016--Book Club Selections
It's been so long since I've posted, let's see if I still remember how! :)
In no particular order, here are my reviews from book club this year.
(What I read outside of book club will be coming soon.)
* Waste of time. No redemptive value.
** Not my cup of tea. But that's just my opinion.
*** It was okay. Not my favorite, but it might be yours.
**** I really liked it. Would highly recommend it.
***** Not to be missed! Put it at the top of your list.
GIVE THEM TRUTH by Starr Meade
*****
This is a book for parents and ministry workers who want to instruct their children in sound theology, but that description seems too simplistic. This book, for me, was almost devotional. I took scores of notes, not just because I wanted to use them later, but because rehearsing truth for my own soul usually involves physically putting pen to paper. If you're into gospel-soaked Reformed theology, this one's for you.
ROSEMARY--THE HIDDEN KENNEDY DAUGHTER by Kate Clifford Larsa
**
I really wanted to like this book, and in fact liked parts of it, but found the writing horribly lacking. It was an interesting portrait of the Kennedy's home life and a sad telling of the few options available to those with mental difficulties at that time in our country. Add in the social stigma of mental illness, an absent father, a mother who "checked out", and the barbaric practice of lobotomy, and it was an all around depressing read.
BOMB: THE RACE TO BUILD--AND STEAL--THE WORLD'S MOST DANGEROUS WEAPON by Steve Sheinkin
*****
This book, slated as young adult non-fiction, packs quite the punch and completely fits the bill for adults too. The perfect combo of WWII history, espionage, and science that reads like a novel. Our entire book club (12 ladies) loved it!
THE SWEETNESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PIE (Flavia de Luce series, #1) by Alan Bradley
****
You either love the protagonist or find her annoying and bratty. I happened to find her and this book delightful and at moments laugh-out-loud funny. It's a British mystery that is clean, witty, and kept me guessing until the end. I plan to read the rest of the series.
I CAPTURE THE CASTLE by Dodie Smith
***
I liked parts of it. The "problem" was that I read 3 books in a row that all were British, coming-of-age novels and they all had an emotionally absent father. After awhile, unless there was something that made it stand out, it got boring.
THE WRIGHT BROTHERS by David McCullough
*****
Who knew that Wilbur and Orville had a sister?! And that she was so instrumental in her brother's lives? I found this book completely fascinating and transporting, back to an era of discovery and ingenuity. I purchased a copy for my own library. McCullough's writing is first class.
NICKLE AND DIMED: ON NOT GETTING BY IN AMERICA by Barbara Ehrenreich
*
The premise of this book was great, but the delivery was oh so lacking. Ehrenreich's writing gives off this egotistical vibe that makes her "experiment" of going undercover among the working class completely off-putting. The book would have been completely different if she had made the people she encountered the focus instead of herself.
ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE by Anthony Doer
*****
I read this in 2015 but was happy to read it again for book club. Books are so much better when you can discuss them with friends! :) This WWII novel, set in a French seaside town, offers a picture of wartime from the viewpoint of two teenagers; one a German boy serving in the military and the other a French girl who is blind. Doer's writing is lush and sensory. A stand out among the myriad of WWII novels. Don't let the length dissuade you--some "chapters" are only a page long.
LIFE WITHOUT LIMITS by Nick Vujicic
**
I heartily affirm much of what Nick has to say and I am thankful for his testimony of faith. I have seen clips online of him sharing his story and have heard short segments of the same on the radio. I just don't think he's a great writer. The book read like he took all of those little snippets and crammed them together in no particular order. I also found his "you can do it if you put your mind to it" and other similar cliches frustrating.
GARLIC AND SAPPHIRES by Ruth Reichl
****
Fancy pants New York Times food critic goes to Big Apple restaurants in disguise to see how the service measures up when she's "nobody". For a foodie this was a feast and there were recipes to boot. This book also offered perspective on how outer appearance can influence our self-opinion and behavior.
HOUSE OF THIEVES by Charles Belfoure
*
The premise of the book sounded promising but I can't recommend it. Set in New York City in 1886, a respectable architect finds himself in an unwanted position. His son's gambling debt to a notorious gang must be paid or else. Robbing his former clients using his blueprints is the proposed solution. I'm not opposed to reading of depravity, but it has to be redemptive in some way. This book celebrated it and thus was just ick.
In no particular order, here are my reviews from book club this year.
(What I read outside of book club will be coming soon.)
* Waste of time. No redemptive value.
** Not my cup of tea. But that's just my opinion.
*** It was okay. Not my favorite, but it might be yours.
**** I really liked it. Would highly recommend it.
***** Not to be missed! Put it at the top of your list.
GIVE THEM TRUTH by Starr Meade
*****
This is a book for parents and ministry workers who want to instruct their children in sound theology, but that description seems too simplistic. This book, for me, was almost devotional. I took scores of notes, not just because I wanted to use them later, but because rehearsing truth for my own soul usually involves physically putting pen to paper. If you're into gospel-soaked Reformed theology, this one's for you.
ROSEMARY--THE HIDDEN KENNEDY DAUGHTER by Kate Clifford Larsa
**
I really wanted to like this book, and in fact liked parts of it, but found the writing horribly lacking. It was an interesting portrait of the Kennedy's home life and a sad telling of the few options available to those with mental difficulties at that time in our country. Add in the social stigma of mental illness, an absent father, a mother who "checked out", and the barbaric practice of lobotomy, and it was an all around depressing read.
BOMB: THE RACE TO BUILD--AND STEAL--THE WORLD'S MOST DANGEROUS WEAPON by Steve Sheinkin
*****
This book, slated as young adult non-fiction, packs quite the punch and completely fits the bill for adults too. The perfect combo of WWII history, espionage, and science that reads like a novel. Our entire book club (12 ladies) loved it!
THE SWEETNESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PIE (Flavia de Luce series, #1) by Alan Bradley
****
You either love the protagonist or find her annoying and bratty. I happened to find her and this book delightful and at moments laugh-out-loud funny. It's a British mystery that is clean, witty, and kept me guessing until the end. I plan to read the rest of the series.
I CAPTURE THE CASTLE by Dodie Smith
***
I liked parts of it. The "problem" was that I read 3 books in a row that all were British, coming-of-age novels and they all had an emotionally absent father. After awhile, unless there was something that made it stand out, it got boring.
THE WRIGHT BROTHERS by David McCullough
*****
Who knew that Wilbur and Orville had a sister?! And that she was so instrumental in her brother's lives? I found this book completely fascinating and transporting, back to an era of discovery and ingenuity. I purchased a copy for my own library. McCullough's writing is first class.
NICKLE AND DIMED: ON NOT GETTING BY IN AMERICA by Barbara Ehrenreich
*
The premise of this book was great, but the delivery was oh so lacking. Ehrenreich's writing gives off this egotistical vibe that makes her "experiment" of going undercover among the working class completely off-putting. The book would have been completely different if she had made the people she encountered the focus instead of herself.
ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE by Anthony Doer
*****
I read this in 2015 but was happy to read it again for book club. Books are so much better when you can discuss them with friends! :) This WWII novel, set in a French seaside town, offers a picture of wartime from the viewpoint of two teenagers; one a German boy serving in the military and the other a French girl who is blind. Doer's writing is lush and sensory. A stand out among the myriad of WWII novels. Don't let the length dissuade you--some "chapters" are only a page long.
LIFE WITHOUT LIMITS by Nick Vujicic
**
I heartily affirm much of what Nick has to say and I am thankful for his testimony of faith. I have seen clips online of him sharing his story and have heard short segments of the same on the radio. I just don't think he's a great writer. The book read like he took all of those little snippets and crammed them together in no particular order. I also found his "you can do it if you put your mind to it" and other similar cliches frustrating.
GARLIC AND SAPPHIRES by Ruth Reichl
****
Fancy pants New York Times food critic goes to Big Apple restaurants in disguise to see how the service measures up when she's "nobody". For a foodie this was a feast and there were recipes to boot. This book also offered perspective on how outer appearance can influence our self-opinion and behavior.
HOUSE OF THIEVES by Charles Belfoure
*
The premise of the book sounded promising but I can't recommend it. Set in New York City in 1886, a respectable architect finds himself in an unwanted position. His son's gambling debt to a notorious gang must be paid or else. Robbing his former clients using his blueprints is the proposed solution. I'm not opposed to reading of depravity, but it has to be redemptive in some way. This book celebrated it and thus was just ick.
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