September Book Update

So, in 2018, I'm taking a slightly different approach to blogging about my reading - I'm not really worrying about the in/out balance or how many books I read each month versus how many have been removed from the list. My only goal in 2018 is to read at least 100 books (as usual), so I'll be counting towards that, and noting books I read, acquire, get rid of, etc, but only for interest. I'm tired of feeling guilty if I acquire new books!

In January:  books read: 7; books otherwise removed: 3; books in: 7; books on windowsill: 62
In February: books read: 6; books otherwise removed: 1; books in: 3;  books on windowsill: 61
In March: books read: 8; books otherwise removed: 1; books in: 5;  books on windowsill: 60
In April: books read: 13; books otherwise removed: 1; books in: 6; books on windowsill: 61
In May: books read: 10 ; books otherwise removed: 1; books in: 2; books on windowsill: 58
In June: books read: 10; books otherwise removed: 1; books in: 3; books on windowsill: 58
In July: books read: 8; books otherwise removed: 0; books in: 5; books on windowsill: 62
In August: books read: 6; books otherwise removed: 1; books in: 3; books on windowsill: 63
In September: books read: 9; books otherwise removed: 0; books in: 4; books on windowsill: 67

And here's the breakdown for this month: 

• I read one book from my list, which I bought when I was in Amsterdam on holiday last year, and which is apparently a Dutch classic (The Tea Lords by Hella Haasse)
• and another book from my list (Midwinter Break by Bernard MacLaverty)
• I also read a book which was on my windowsill, but which doesn't seem to have been on my list (So Many Ways to Begin, Jon McGregor)
• I read two books from my class book corner (Cogheart by Peter Bunzl, The Middle of Nowhere by Geraldine McCaughrean)
• and another book which I bought myself, but which will go to school for the book corner (The Storm Keeper's Island by Catherine Doyle)
• and one which came from Olivia's bookcase in a pre-uni clear-out, which will also go into school for the book corner (The Undrowned Child, Michelle Louvric)
• and I read a young adult book which Sarah passsed to me (Everless by Sara Holland)
• and finally, I read one book in the Brunetti series, which I am reading (sometimes re-reading) my way through, gradually. 
• I bought two books from AbeBooks, one because I was looking for other things by an author I really like (Jon McGregor, Even the Dogs) and one because it was highly rated on social media by some old friends from uni, so I thought I'd give it a go (Islands in the Stream, Ernest Hemingway)
• I bought two books in Waterstones in Piccadilly, one by an author I've read and liked (Alice by Christina Henry) and one after a long conversation (mostly about how underrated YA fiction is and how snobby people are) with the young woman working the YA section (Scythe by Neil Schusterman).

Here's the updated list of Books to Read in 2018. These are the books hanging out on my windowsill upstairs, waiting to be read. Or discarded. But hopefully, read. I started the year with 60 books on this list - you can see how long the books have been knocking around by the dates in brackets.

1. Ford Maddox Ford, Parade's End (Nov 2012 - birthday present - bought after the BBC adaptation - but I knew I wouldn't read it straight away as I wanted to let time pass from the adaptation.  Enough time has probably passed now...)
2. Elizabeth Gaskell, North and South (2014)
3. Gabriel Garcia Marquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude (would be a re-read, bought shortly after his death - spring 2014 - as I was reminded how much I enjoyed it and I didn't seem to own a copy - think my old one fell apart, probably...) 
4. Daphne du Maurier, Frenchman's Creek (Waterstones Piccadilly - 2016? bought in principle for the girls, but thought I might read it again as it's been ages)
5. Daphne du Maurier, Jamaica Inn (Waterstones Piccadilly - 2016? bought in principle for the girls, but thought I might read it again as it's been ages)
6. Gregory David Roberts, Shantaram (Abe Books, July 2016)
7. Susan Barker, The Incarnations (charity shop, July 2016)
8. Neil MacGregor, Germany: Memories of  a Nation (birthday present, Nov 2016) (This book isn't technically on my windowsill, it's downstairs because I keep thinking I might have a go at reading it, but haven't really got around to it yet...)
9. Orhan Pamuk. A Strangeness in Mind (Christmas present 2016)
10. Andrew Taylor, The Ashes of London (passed to me by Geoff after he read it, April 2017)
11. Mark Haddon (Introduction), States of Mind: Experiences at the Edge of Consciousness (Waterstones Piccadilly, April 2017)
12. John Irving, Avenue of Mysteries  (Waterstones Piccadilly, April 2017)
13. Mikhail Bulgokov, The Master and Margarita (charity shop, April 2017)
14. Rachel Ward, Numbers 2: The Chaos (Sarah's - added to my shelf after I read the first one, April 2017)
15. Rachel Ward, Numbers 3: Infinity (Sarah's - added to my shelf after I read the first one, April 2017)
16. Jane Smiley, Early Warning (Abe Books, May 2017, after finishing the first in the series)
17. Siri Hustvedt, A Woman Looking at Men Looking at Women (Waterstones Wimbledon, July 2017)
18. Ernest van der Kwast, The Ice Cream Makers (Amsterdam, August 2017)
19. Lucy Worsley, A Very British Murder (Waterstones Oxford, August 2017)
20. Lucy Ribchester, The Hourglass Factory (charity shop, Farnham, September 2017)
21. Bi Fieyu, Three Sisters (charity shop, Farnham, September 2017)
22. Alexia Casale, The Bone Dragon (Waterstones Piccadilly, October 2017)
23. Grayson Perry, The Descent of Man (December 2017, RA Gift Shop)
24. Sarah J Maas, Court of Thorns and Roses (Christmas present, 2017)
25. Katherine Arden, The Bear and the Nightingale (Christmas present, 2017)
26. Patrick Gale, A Place Called Winter (charity shop, December 2017)
27. Sebastian Barry, Days without End (Abe Books, January 2018)
28. Anthony Horowitz, Magpie Murders (W H Smith, January 2018)
29. Matt Haig, How to Stop Time (W H Smith, January 2018)
30. Ursula K LeGuin, The Left Hand of Darkness (Watersones Piccadilly, January 2018)
31. Clare Vanderpool, Moon over Manifest (was in the house, moved to my shelf Feb 2018)
32. Colson Whitehead, The Underground Railroad (Waterstones Wimbledon, Feb 2018)
33. Mohsin Hamid, Exit West (Waterstones Wimbledon, Feb 2018)
34. Arundhati Roy, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness (passed to me by Geoff, Feb 2018)
35. Alwyn Hamilton, Hero at the Fall (Waterstones online, March 2018)
36. Laini Taylor, Strange the Dreamer (Waterstones online, March 2018)
37. ed. Tracy Chevalier, Reader I Married Him (Waterstones online, March 2018)
38. Bella Pollen, Hunting Unicorns (Kingston Hospital Charity Bookshelf, March 2018)
39. Diana Rosie, Alberto's Lost Birthday (Kingston Hospital Charity Bookshelf, March 2018)
40. Jojo Moyes, The Last Letter from your Lover (Charity Shops, March 2018)
41. Jojo Moyes, Sheltering Rain (Charity Shops, March 2018)
42. Sebastian Faulkes, A Week in December (Charity Shops, March 2018)
43. Marcus Zusak, I am the Messenger (Charity Shops, March 2018)
44. Jose Saramago, Blindness (Lisbon, April 2018)
45. Margaret Atwodd, Oryx and Crake (passed on by Geoff, April 2018)
46. The Killing Moon, N K Jemisin (Waterstones online, April 2018)
47. The End we start from, Megan Hunter (Waterstones Wimbledon, April 2018)
48. If we were Villains, M L Rio (Waterstones Wimbledon, April 2018)
49. Spark, Alice Broadway (Waterstones Wimbledon, April 2018)
50. The Mime Order, Samantha Shannon (Abe Books, May 2018)
51. March, Geraldine Brooks (Abe Books, June 2018)
52. The Girl on the Train, Paula Hawkins (charity shop, June 2018)
53. Anything is Possible, Elizabeth Strout (Waterstones Wimbledon, July 2018)
54. The Disappearances, Emily Bain Murphy (Waterstones Picadilly, July 2018)
55. Salt to the Sea, Ruta Sepetys  (Waterstones Picadilly, July 2018)
56. Cassandra at the Wedding, Dorothy Baker (Waterstones Picadilly, July 2018)
57. Selected Stories, Alice Munro (charity shop, July 2018)
58. The Shape of Water, Andrea Camilleri (passed to me by Geoff, August 2018)
59. The Same Sky, Amanda Eyre Ward (discount shop in US, August 2018)
60. The Murder of Mary Russell, Laurie R King (Abe Books, August 2018)
61. The Murderer's Ape, Jakob Wegelius (Waterstones Wimbledon, August 2018)
62. The Terracotta Dog, Andrea Camelleri (passed to me by Geoff, Sept 2018)
63. The Snack Thief, Andrea Camelleri (passed to me by Geoff, Sept 2018)
64. Even the Dogs, Jon McGregor (Abebooks, Sept 2018)
65. Islands in the Stream, Ernest Hemingway (Abebooks, Sept 2018)
66. Scythe, Neil Schusterman (Waterstones Piccadilly, Sept 2018)
67. Alice, Christina Henry (Waterstone Piccadilly, Sept 2018)

Dinner, 30/9/18: Roast chicken, roast potatoes, cabbage, gravy

And there will be stock later in the week for a nice risotto. Yum. 

Book 77: Wilful Behaviour, Donna Leon

Reading my way through this excellent series (sometimes re-reading; I think I've read about half of them in total). Makes me want to go back to Venice, though of course without any interactions with the police, the government, lawyers, civil service, etc. Just the food and scenery mainly, lol. 

Books in

And a couple more books in today - after a trip to the big Waterstones in Piccadilly, which I love. I bought a couple of other things, but they are either birthday presents or for my class, so I'm not showing them.  The Christina Henry is because I've read others by her; the other was a recommendation from the young woman working in the YA section - we had a long conversation (with Alex, too) about YA titles, especially the SF/Fantasy ones, in particular how good some of them are and how snobbish people are about reading YA, some of which is excellent. Funny thing was she pulled out, to recommend, one of her absolute favourite titles, which was the first book in the series of which Alex came into the bookshop to find the most recent. Any. Gotta love bookshops and people who work in them.

Books in

A couple of books bought used from AbeBooks - the Jon McGregor, as, having read another of his recently, I wanted to make sure there weren't any more lurking which I hadn't yet read. The Ernest Hemingway (perhaps surprisingly) after a FB discussion with some old uni friends about how excellent it was. Willing to give it a try!

Dinner, 26/9/18: Chorizo and bean one pot (Alex cooking)

Tasty, warming, easy. And Alex cooked, which is always a bonus in my books.

Dinner, 25/9/18: Devilled mushrooms, salad, baguette

I love this mushroom dish, but due to two children who scorn mushrooms, we don't have it often.  It's got Worcestershire sauce in it, so doesn't qualify as veggie, but I bet you could sub out the Worcs. for soy sauce or something like that and achieve a similar effect...

Dinner, 24/9/18: Ginger Sweet Tofu with Pak Choi

We've had this a couple of times and really love it. We like tofu a lot anyway, and the way this is marinated first really makes it taste gorgeous. If you're one of those people who thinks you don't like tofu, I highly recommend this recipe as a way to try to expand your horizons.

Recipe here: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/412629/ginger-sweet-tofu-with-pak-choi

Book 76: Everless by Sara Holland

This one was passed to me by Sarah; it's a young adult fantasy, and the premise is interesting - in this particular kingdom, payment is all done by bloodcoin - you literally pay for things with your life/time. Which means of course that the rich and powerful can live for ever and the poor, not so much. Of course it's all more complicated than that, and some of it, I had a fairly good idea where it was going (which didn't matter).  I did enjoy it and am looking forward to the second one coming out next year.

Dinner, 23/9/18: Greek Baked Lamb with Olives

With both the girls off at uni, you might be seeing one or two more meaty casserole meals than normal. Not tons of them, because we are still a family which doesn't eat a huge amount of meat, but as Olivia (who doesn't like large chunks of meat in any form, except chicken) and Sarah (who doesn't like casseroles) are away, there's a bit more scope. Especially with the weather turning. This was very tasty, especially the addition of the capers.

Book 75: So Many Ways to Begin, Jon McGregor

McGregor writes so beautifully, it's almost like poetry. This one took a little more focus to follow the time line through the book as it moves around quite a lot. But in a way that works.  Sometimes you just have to really think about when the little chapter is happening. I loved the way it ended, about which I shan't say more for fear of ruining it. I thought I might be disappointed, but it was done very well. Must go check if there are any other books of his I haven't yet read!

Dinner, 19/9/18: Linguine with creamy tomato, rosemary & caper sauce

This was lovely. We really liked the creamy sauce and the rosemary and capers worked brilliantly together. Will definitely do it again.

Dinner, 18/9/18: Fish Fingers, Oven Potatoes, Salad

Sometimes you need something quick and easy. We actually really like fish fingers, though I wouldn't want to eat them all the time... We will be eating a lot more fish this year, though, with both the girls gone (neither of whom is a fish lover the way that Geoff, Alex and I are). 

Dinner, 17/9/18: Spicy Parsnip Soup

Spicy and warming. I think we're back into soup weather now - I'm sure it'll be on the menu in some form or other, probably weekly!

Dinner, 16/9/18: Beetroot & Parsnip Rosti

This is a Nigel Slater recipe, which means a)it works well and b)it's comfort eating.  These were excellent - a bit of goat cheese in them helps make them really tasty and the ones which were more crispy were even better than the others. Yum. 

Book 74: The Undrowned Child, Michelle Louvric

This is a book which the girls - or at least one of them - read when younger and which we were clearing out from Olivia's bookcase. I thought it might be a suitable book for my class shelf, and indeed, it fits nicely at the top end of that age range, for my more adventurous readers. I enjoyed the slightly different Venice it portrays (alternative history), as well as the glimpses of the Venice I know a bit. And it's a good story with adventure and magic, mermaids, ghosts, and so forth. Enjoyable!

Dinner, 15/9/18: Chicken Korma

Something easy and which can be eaten in smaller or larger portions as required, as the kids and I had a big lunch today...

Dinner, 12/9/18: Pasta with bacon, pease, ricotta & mint (Alex cooking)

A quick mid-week supper before Alex's trumpet lesson. And I made him cook it, as well!

Dinner, 11/9/18: Vegetable Samosas

These are done in the oven, with filo pastry. They came out well, which is nice as I don't really cook anything at home which requires deep frying (or even shallow frying - I don't like the mess or the lingering smell of oil). 

Book 73: Midwinter Break, Bernard MacLaverty

I liked this short book, but not unreservedly. On the one hand, I was very curious to see where this portrait of a solid but quite precarious, long-time marriage ended up and found it compelling; on the other hand, I also found it rather difficult to get inside the head of either of the main characters. Not because they were unpleasant, or badly drawn, but just because they were both pretty far outside my personal experience. This is, admittedly, one of the prime reasons I read fiction, but sometimes it's easier to lose oneself than other times. There was one bit very near the end which I thought almost perfectly formed: a mental litany of things his wife knows, when the main character is reflecting on things (I shan't say more for fear of spoilers). 

Dinner, 10/9/18: Mac & Broccoli & Cheese

Dinner, 9/9/18: Shepherd's Pie (Geoff cooking)

You can tell it's autumn, as all the hearty dishes are coming out - hotpots, pies - and mac & cheese is on the cards for tomorrow (watch this space)...

Book 72: The Tea Lords, Hella S Haasse

This is a book I picked up when I was in Amsterdam last summer - the chap in the bookshop said it was a "Dutch Classic" and it was indeed very evocative of a certain time and way of life, in colonial Java on the tea plantations. Parts of it read very well and I enjoyed a lot; other parts were a bit more slow.  It's not really fiction, although it's a novel  - it's based around real people and constructed largely from documents, diaries, letters, etc (though not left in that form). I think this is perhaps the reason for the uneven way it reads. 

Dinner, 8/9/18: Vegan Hotpot

After a couple of nights of mildly disappointing meals (we do have high standards) it was nice to come back to an old favourite - one we know we'll enjoy: Simon Rimmer's Vegan Hotpot. A recipe which contains possibly my favourite instruction ever: Peel and chop the carrots, parsnips and celery attractively...

Dinner, 7/9/18: Summer Minestrone

This was ok, but lacked flavour. Would have done better with a nice dollop of pesto or something (for once, I didn't have any in the fridge).

Book 71: The Storm Keeper's Island, Catherine Doyle

This relatively new children's book has received a lot of praise, and rightfully so. I thought it was superb. Great story, interesting idea, well drawn characters and a lovely semi-resolution bringing the story to a satisfying pause while leaving massive issue(s) unresolved for the next book(s).  My main complaint is that the next one's not out until July!  Reminded me a bit of The Dark is Rising series by Susan Rogers Cooper - just something about the feel, old magic, darkness, kids, islands, that sort of thing.  That's not a bad thing, mind you, as I think that series is one of the best classic kids' fantasy series...

Dinner, 6/9/18: Curried Chicken and New Potato Traybake

Unfortunately, not as interesting as it sounded from the title. Would have been better with thighs than drumsticks, but even so, probably not worth repeating (not bad or anything, we just have high standards). I did like the fresh salsa-y topping on it - a nice idea.

Book 70: The Middle of Nowhere, Geraldine McCaughrean

I enjoyed this, though not perhaps as much as some of the other children's fiction I've read lately. The setting and characters felt very foreign to me - not surprisingly, given where it was set (Australian outback), though there was still a certain amount of empathy created. I do think the kids in my class may struggle to get inside the very different language and lifestyle, but you never know.

Dinner, 5/9/18: Coconut Curry Noodle Bowl

With roasted nuts - yum. 

Dinner, 4/9/18: Spinach & Cheese Quesadillas

These also had peas in the filling, which was a lovely addition. Very tasty and great with the salsa.

Book 69: Cogheart, Peter Bunzl

An enjoyable steampunk (though not too much so) adventure for children - I liked the idea of this and the characters were fun; included a manic race across London in an airship, with pirates and Big Ben - what more could anyone want?  I'm sure the kids in my class will enjoy it - some of them, at any rate.

August Round Up

WHAT WAS FOR DINNER, AUGUST 2018

• 31st: Courgette Lasagne
• 30th: Asian steamed chicken dumplings with spiralized veg
• 29th: Hot dogs, Corn on the Cob, Oven Potatoes (K out)
• 28th: Pan Fried Salmon with Daikon and Yuzu Ponzu
• 27th: Chicken Noodle Soup
• 26th: Roast chicken, roast potatoes, cabbage
• 25th: Pizza (homemade)
• 24th: Pasta alla Amatriciana
• 23rd: Asparagus and Feta Frittata
• 22nd: Veggie Stir Fry (Alex cooking)
• 21st: Lost in transit (airport snacks)
• 20th: Dinner out: Mission BBQ
• 19th: Lunch at mid-Atlantic Seafood
• 18th: Dinner in - snacking stuff, salads, etc
• 17th: Dinner out - Chinese
• 16th: Dinner out at Double Tee Diner
• 15th: Lunch at Applebee's; dinner: Meatloaf, corn, mash at Christy's
• 14th: Popeye's takeaway
• 13th: Snacking stuff in Mom's house
• 12th: Chicken & Veggie Bake (James cooking)
• 11th: Lunch out at Crab Shack
• 10th: Dinner with Andy at Outback Steak House
• 9th: Dinner at the Iron Bridge Wine Company
• 8th: Cookout at Christy's house
• 7th: Howard County Fair (junk food grazing!); spinach and chickpea curry in London
• 6th: Mexican food for dinner (K&S); leftover ragu in London
• 5th: Ate Brunch out (K&S); pork mince & kimchi curry in London
• 4th: Picnic stuff with sushi (K&S); spinach & chickpea curry in London
• 3rd: K & S on airplanes; Spag bol in London
• 2nd: Spicy Black Bean Tacos
• 1st: Sausages, Mash, Green Beans