February Book Update

I liked the way I kept track of my book reading last year, so I'm going to do something similar this year - just monitor books in and out, without any pressure to declutter or read things in order, etc. I'm once again setting a goal to read 100 book in the year - I read 102 in 2018. Otherwise, my only goal is to keep reading and keep enjoying books!

In January: books read: 9; books out: 2; books in: 5; books on windowsill: 59
In February: books read: 10; books out: 0; books in: 0; books on windowsill: 54

And here's the breakdown for this month:

• I read the first book in a series by a SF/Fantasy author I've enjoyed before (The Killing Moon by N K Jemisin)
• I read four other books from my list (I am the Messenger, Marcus Zusak; The Last Letter from your Lover, Jo Jo Moyes; The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K LeGuin; The Bone Dragon, Alexia Casale)
• I had a bit of a re-read fest over the half-term holiday - I was busy and tired and just wanted something comforting and easy, so I re-read my favourite YA fantasy novels (Dragonsong & Dragonsinger by Anne McCaffrey and The Blue Sword & The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley)
• And I read one book in a crime series I'm re-reading (and sometimes reading, depending) - this one I'd read before, though not in many years. (Uniform Justice by Donna Leon)

Here's the updated list of Books to Read in 2019. 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. Jane Smiley, Early Warning (Abe Books, May 2017, after finishing the first in the series)
15. Siri Hustvedt, A Woman Looking at Men Looking at Women (Waterstones Wimbledon, July 2017)
16. Ernest van der Kwast, The Ice Cream Makers (Amsterdam, August 2017)
17. Lucy Worsley, A Very British Murder (Waterstones Oxford, August 2017)
18. Lucy Ribchester, The Hourglass Factory (charity shop, Farnham, September 2017)
19. Sebastian Barry, Days without End (Abe Books, January 2018)
20. Arundhati Roy, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness (passed to me by Geoff, Feb 2018)
21. Bella Pollen, Hunting Unicorns (Kingston Hospital Charity Bookshelf, March 2018)
22. Jojo Moyes, Sheltering Rain (Charity Shops, March 2018)
23. Sebastian Faulkes, A Week in December (Charity Shops, March 2018)
24. Jose Saramago, Blindness (Lisbon, April 2018)
25. Margaret Atwodd, Oryx and Crake (passed on by Geoff, April 2018)
26. If we were Villains, M L Rio (Waterstones Wimbledon, April 2018)
27. Spark, Alice Broadway (Waterstones Wimbledon, April 2018)
28. The Mime Order, Samantha Shannon (Abe Books, May 2018)
29. March, Geraldine Brooks (Abe Books, June 2018)
30. The Girl on the Train, Paula Hawkins (charity shop, June 2018)
31. Anything is Possible, Elizabeth Strout (Waterstones Wimbledon, July 2018)
32. The Disappearances, Emily Bain Murphy (Waterstones Picadilly, July 2018)
33. Salt to the Sea, Ruta Sepetys  (Waterstones Picadilly, July 2018)
34. Selected Stories, Alice Munro (charity shop, July 2018)
35. The Murderer's Ape, Jakob Wegelius (Waterstones Wimbledon, August 2018)
36. The Terracotta Dog, Andrea Camelleri (passed to me by Geoff, Sept 2018)
37. The Snack Thief, Andrea Camelleri (passed to me by Geoff, Sept 2018)
38. Even the Dogs, Jon McGregor (Abebooks, Sept 2018)
39. Islands in the Stream, Ernest Hemingway (Abebooks, Sept 2018)
40. Scythe, Neil Schusterman (Waterstones Piccadilly, Sept 2018)
41. Alice, Christina Henry (Waterstone Piccadilly, Sept 2018)
42. Throne of Glass, Sarah J Maas (Waterstones Wimbledon, October 2018)
43. Winter, Ali Smith (Waterstones Wimbledon, October 2018)
44. The Mistletoe Bride, Kate Mosse (charity shop, November 2018)
45. Milkman, Anna Burns (Waterstones online, December 2018)
46. Hillbilly Elegy, J D Vance (Waterstones Piccadilly, December 2018)
47. The Dry, Jane Harper (Christmas present, 2018)
48. Homegoing, Yaa Gyasi (Christmas present, 2018)
49. History of Wolves, Emily Fridlund  (Christmas present, 2018)
50. Theft, Peter Carey (charity shop, January 2019)
51. The Crossing, Cormac McCarthy (charity shop, January 2019)
52. The Music Shop, Rachel Joyce (Waterstones Wimbledon, January 2019)
53. Elinor Oliphant is Completely Fine, Gail Honeyman (Waterstones Wimbledon, January 2019)
54. Little Fires Everywhere, Celeste Ng (Waterstones Wimbledon, January 2019)

Book 18: The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K LeGuin

I picked this up a while back, shortly after LeGuin's death, from a display in Waterstones; I thought it sounded interesting and I'd never read any of her stuff except some of the Earthsea books. I really struggled to get into this - I found it almost anthropological in tone, and while it was an interesting premise, it also seemed quite old fashioned in some ways. Verdict: Still really not sure, but I bet it's a great prompt for discussions about gender.

Dinner, 27/2/19: Filled Pasta with tomato sauce and pine nuts

Pretty much what passes for convenience food around here - quick and easy and tasty...

Dinner, 26/2/19: Sweet and Sour Crispy Tofu (Bosh!)

This was gorgeous. The tofu was great (I used my favourite firm tofu, Tofoo brand, rather than pressing a softer tofu), fried crispy and the sauce, with the onions in it, was lovely. Neither of my girls would be happy with this meal (Olivia isn't fond of peppers and Sarah doesn't like savoury dishes with fruit in them) but the three of us thought it was just fabulous. A real winner.

Dinner, 25/2/19: Smoked Haddock Chowder

Book 17: The Bone Dragon, Alexia Casale

A young adult story - parts of this I liked very much, parts of it I wasn't so sure about, but definitely worth reading. Handles a sensitive subject very well, with an interesting voice.

Dinner, 24/2/19: Cauliflower Cheese Pasta Bake

This was really nice. The cauliflower was roasted separately first (instead of boiled) which tastes fantastic. And I liked the addition of some slightly caramelised onions. Yum.

Year long declutter, week 8 (112 items total)

Although these are craft items, they actually came from upstairs, as they were in a box of fabric dyeing supplies under my bed. I don't use any of this stuff any more. Some of it went in the bin, other bits went other appropriate places.

Dinner, 22/2/19: Mixed Mushroom Stroganoff

This was really yummy. Geoff and I took advantage of no kids being home to have a mushroom heavy meal. Alex eats mushrooms, but the girls don't like them. 

Books 13-16: Fantasy Re-reads

It was half-term; I was tired. I wanted something easy and comforting. So I re-read all of these in a couple of days.

Dinner, 18/2/19: Carrot and Chickpea Tagine

This will be the last dinner shown for a while - this week at least - as I am involved in helping at Gang Show (a Scout & Guide variety show, which Alex is performing in) all week - and we have to be at the theatre for 6pm, so it will be a week of sandwiches for dinner for me and Alex, and Geoff will have to Fend For Himself...

Year-long declutter, week 7 (98 items total)

This selection includes some old driving theory and practice tests; when Alex needs them (could be as soon as a year's time -yikes!) he will need new ones, because the test has changed, so we'll want to have them up to date.  Also, the workbook of a child I no longer tutor and some old CDs. From upstairs, some old bras, going to a bra charity, a few items of pajama wear which I don't use, and a couple of surplus beach towels.

Dinner, 16/2/19: Tofu Katsu Curry

Both girls home this weekend, so we can go see Rocky Horror Picture Show on stage, we all love this...

Dinner, 15/2/19: Honey & Mustard Chicken Thighs with Spring Veg

This was a nice dish in flavour, but the potatoes really needed a little more cooking. If I did it again, I'd cook them longer. I liked the veg thrown in with the other things, though - that worked well. 

Book 12: The Last Letter from your Lover by Jojo Moyes

This was an enjoyable story, a modern life entwined with a past one, as is so often successful. Cute construction. 

Dinner, 13/2/19: Orichiette with walnut pesto and broccoli

Really nice - we loved the slight bitterness of the walnuts. Didn't use quite as much basil as was in the recipe (because it was a ton!  and I didn't have that much), but it was fine.

Dinner, 12/2/19: Korean Style Spring Onion & Prawn Pancake

This was really tasty. Not quite identical to the one we've had in Korean restaurants, but very similar and definitely a keeper.

Dinner, 11/2/19: Lentil and Vegetable Soup

Always hard to photograph soup...

Dinner, 10/2/19: Slow-cooked lamb shanks with rosemary and garlic

This is an excellent way to cook lamb, but gave us way too many leftovers. With three of us, we didn't really need 4 lamb shanks, but unfortunately, they only come in twos. Don't get me wrong, we'll eat the leftovers, but it will take a while to get through!

Year Long Declutter, week 6 (84 items total)

This week's items include some more things from my sewing cupboard - some thread I don't use (thick, waxed, hand quilting thread) and some extra measuring tapes (I had about 8) - some of the regular thread and a measuring tape is going to Sarah, as is thiis nice wooden chest, which I had metallic threads in - it took up a lot of space in the cupboard for what was in it, so as she was interested in it, I passed it along. (It's not a family heirloom or anything; I got it at a jumble sale.)  Also, I went through all the instructions and receipts, which we keep in a folder, and threw out receipts for things which are out of warranty and instructions for things we no longer have. And finally, some worksheets and test papers for a child who I no longer tutor.

Dinner, 9/2/19: Courgette, Artichoke, Mushroom & Black Olive Tart

Similar to pizza, I realised after the fact, but there was no cheese, so it was a bit less substantial. We also had salad with it. If you use butter-free puff pastry (don't know whether mine was or not) this would be vegan.

Book 11: I am the Messenger, Markus Zusak

Interesting idea, enjoyable. I tried to resist all along comparing it to The Book Thief, and I think I just about managed that. Hard to know what to say without spoiling it, but it was fun and a little bit (but not too much) thought-provoking.

Dinner, 8/2/19: Pizza!

Dinner, 6/2/19: Saag paneer

This was good, but was a little fiddly. I might do a few things differently if I were to make it again.  I did really like the slightly crispy paneer.

Dinner, 5/2/19: Bang Bang Chicken Wraps

One of the boy's favourites, for his birthday...

Book 10: The Killing Moon, N K Jemisin

I enjoyed this - it was an interesting concept and Jemisin writes very well. Not sure if I'll pursue the second one or not - it didn't resonate quite as much as some fantasy and it's not left on so much of a cliffhanger as many books in series (I think this one is a series of two).  I wouldn't object to reading it, but there's so much to read; I'm not sure how strongly it will call me.

Dinner, 4/2/19: Chunky Potato Chowder

Soup. With potatoes and tomatoes.

Dinner, 3/2/19: Chili bean cornbread cobbler

I really liked this, and liked the cornbread cobbler topping.  Sarah objected to the bits of corn in the cobbler; Geoff objected to the cornbread.  Picky eaters, sheesh!

Year Long Declutter, Week 5 (70 items total)

This week's items include a couple of cookbooks I don't use, a shirt which Sarah never wears, some items cleared out from one of my sewing cupboards (more of that to come later, as I go through the cupboards), an old bath rack (replaced by a newer one, so not sure that technically counts as decluttering!), a scarf which came with a new top - I won't wear the scarf, though, so it's off to the charity shop - and a pair of kitchen scissors which are no longer really sharp, and which keep coming apart.

Dinner, 2/2/19: Cheesy Courgette & Dill Pancakes

These were nice, but no nicer than many others we've had, and they were very messy to cook. Not sure they are worth adding into the rotation of fritters and fritter type things.

January Roundup

WHAT WAS FOR DINNER, JANUARY 2019

• 31st: Fend for yourself Thursday
• 30th: Pasta with Brussels sprouts and pancetta
• 29th: Vegan Oven Fajitas
• 28th: Courgette and Onion Quinoa
• 27th: Squash and Fennel Lasagne
• 26th: Mini toads in the hole
• 25th: Spanakopita
• 24th: Fend for yourself Thursday
• 23rd: Spaghetti with lemons and olives
• 22nd: Borlotti Bean, Pancetta & Pasta Soup
• 21st: Mushroom & Chard Frittata
• 20th: Greek Beef & Onion Stew
• 19th: Leek, Potato & Gorgonzola Tart
• 18th: Prawns with ginger
• 17th: Fend for yourself Thursday
• 16th: Penne bolognese
• 15th: Roasted fine beans with chickpeas and tamarind
• 14th: Salmon teriyaki with courgette noodles
• 13th: Barbecued Spare Ribs (K out)
• 12th: Out to dinner before the theatre
• 11th: Out to dinner with John & Angela
• 10th: Fend for yourself Thursday
• 9th: Chat Patay (Chickpea & Potato)
• 8th: Vegan Spaghetti Puttanesca
• 7th: Black Bean, Cashew & Tofu Stir Fry
• 6th: Giant Butter Bean Stew
• 5th: Roasted Cauliflower with Chickpeas and Harissa
• 4th: leftovers
• 3rd: Santorini style spaghetti
• 2nd: Butternut Squash Soup
• 1st: Vegan Lancashire Hotpot