October 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 books 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
In March: books read: 4; books out: 0; books in: 0; books on windowsill: 52
In April: books read: 6; books out: 4; books in: 2; books on windowsill: 48
In May: books read: 10; books out: 0; books in: 3; books on windowsill: 48

In June: books read: 9; books out: 0; books in: 0; books on windowsill: 46
In July: books read: 2; books out: 0; books in: 0; books on windowsill: 46
In August: books read: 16; books out: 0; books in: 2; books on windowsill: 47
In September: books read: 5; books out: 0; books in: 6; books on windowsill: 51
In October: booksread 11; books out: 0; books in: 0; books on windowsill: 49

I didn't get many books read in September, unfortunately, but hopes were higher for the rest of the year. And how did October fare?

• I read a book I picked up in a charity shop a while back but apparently didn't put on my list (Gentlemen and Players by Joanne Harris)
• I read a couple of kids' books, interspersed with a more challenging book, when I was a bit tired in the evening (101 Dalmatians by Dodie Smith; Halo by Zizou Corder)
• I read two books from my list (Milkman by Anna Burns, Blindness by Jose Saramago)
• I read one fantasy book which both Alex & Geoff recommended to me (Red Rising, Pierce Brown)
• I read one children's book in my classroom at school (Running on the Roof of the World, Jess Butterworth)
• I re-read four books in a favourite series (Strong Poison, Have His Carcase, Gaudy Night, Busman's Honeymoon by Dorothy L Sayers) and anticipate re-reading the subsequent Jill Paton Walsh books in November to finish off that part of the series...

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
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. Susan Barker, The Incarnations (charity shop, July 2016)
7. Orhan Pamuk. A Strangeness in Mind (Christmas present 2016)
8. Andrew Taylor, The Ashes of London (passed to me by Geoff after he read it, April 2017)
9. Mark Haddon (Introduction), States of Mind: Experiences at the Edge of Consciousness (Waterstones Piccadilly, April 2017)
10. John Irving, Avenue of Mysteries  (Waterstones Piccadilly, April 2017)
11. Mikhail Bulgokov, The Master and Margarita (charity shop, April 2017)
12. Jane Smiley, Early Warning (Abe Books, May 2017, after finishing the first in the series)
13. Siri Hustvedt, A Woman Looking at Men Looking at Women (Waterstones Wimbledon, July 2017)
14. Lucy Worsley, A Very British Murder (Waterstones Oxford, August 2017)
15. Sebastian Barry, Days without End (Abe Books, January 2018)
16. Arundhati Roy, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness (passed to me by Geoff, Feb 2018)
17. Bella Pollen, Hunting Unicorns (Kingston Hospital Charity Bookshelf, March 2018)
18. Sebastian Faulkes, A Week in December (Charity Shops, March 2018)
19. Margaret Atwood, Oryx and Crake (passed on by Geoff, April 2018)
20. Spark, Alice Broadway (Waterstones Wimbledon, April 2018)
21. The Mime Order, Samantha Shannon (Abe Books, May 2018)
22. Salt to the Sea, Ruta Sepetys  (Waterstones Picadilly, July 2018)
23. Selected Stories, Alice Munro (charity shop, July 2018)
24. The Murderer's Ape, Jakob Wegelius (Waterstones Wimbledon, August 2018)
25. Even the Dogs, Jon McGregor (Abebooks, Sept 2018)
26. Islands in the Stream, Ernest Hemingway (Abebooks, Sept 2018)
27. Throne of Glass, Sarah J Maas (Waterstones Wimbledon, October 2018)
28. The Mistletoe Bride, Kate Mosse (charity shop, November 2018)
29. Hillbilly Elegy, J D Vance (Waterstones Piccadilly, December 2018)
30. Homegoing, Yaa Gyasi (Christmas present, 2018)
31. Theft, Peter Carey (charity shop, January 2019)
32. The Crossing, Cormac McCarthy (charity shop, January 2019)
33. Elinor Oliphant is Completely Fine, Gail Honeyman (Waterstones Wimbledon, January 2019)
34. Little Fires Everywhere, Celeste Ng (Waterstones Wimbledon, January 2019)
35. And the Mountains Echo, Khaled Hosseini (charity shop, Harborne, April 2019)
36. Kate Atkinson, Transcription (Waterstones Wimbledon, May 2019)
37. Laini Taylor, Muse of Nightmares  (Waterstones Wimbledon, May 2019)
38. Emily St John Mandel, Last Night in Montreal  (Waterstones Wimbledon, May 2019)
39. The Case for Jamie by Brittany Cavallaro (AbeBooks, June 2019)
40. The Red Queen by Christina Henry (Waterstones online, June 2019)
41. The Venetian Masquerade by Philip Gwynne Jones (Waterstones online, June 2019)
42. The Last Picture Show, Larry McMurtry (used book store, Laurel MD, August 2019)
43. The Reef, Edith Wharton (used book store, Laurel MD, August 2019)
44. Clock Dance, Anne Tyler (Phoenix Airport, Sept 2019)
45. Unsheltered, Barbara Kingsolver (Waterstones Brighton, Sept 2019)
46. The Wedding, Dorothy West  (Waterstones Brighton, Sept 2019)
47. Once Upon a River, Diane Setterfield  (Waterstones Brighton, Sept 2019)
48. Tamar, Mal Peet  (Waterstones Brighton, Sept 2019)
49. Fresh Water, Akwaeke Emezi (Waterstones Brighton, Sept 2019)

Dinner, 31/10/19: Macaroni & Cheese (and Salad)

In addition to wanting something warm and cosy because it's been a bit chilly here recently, I also wanted something which would stand up to having to get up to answer the door a dozen times during dinner, if needed. As it happened, the trick-or-treaters mostly came when we weren't eating, but you can never predict these things... Technically, it's not macaroni, but I like a bigger tube as the cheese sauce gets inside as well. 

Books 80-83 Peter Wimsey/Harriet Vane mysteries by Dorothy L Sayers

   

Having read a couple of quite serious books recently, and perhaps being quite tired from the first term of school and all, I really fancied a re-visit to these. I've read the Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries (all of them, except some of the short stories) several times, and these four, more than that, because I love the interaction between Peter and Harriet. I will probably continue to work my way through the Peter & Harriet stories (though the later ones by Jill Paton Walsh are not quite as good as the originals - they are good, just not quite as good).

Dinner, 30/10/19: Harissa Roast Vegetables with Couscous

A small butternut squash, a tiny cauliflower, a red pepper and a tin of chickpeas. Plus some harissa and garlic. Served with lemon & coriander couscous. And a feta cheese sprinkle (optional). Yum. 

Dinner, 29/10/19: Lamb Steaks, Cabbage, Oven Potatoes

It's not often that we have a meal which is  composed of meat, potatoes, veg, so when we do, we try to do it right - with really nice meat. This lamb was from my local(ish) farmers' market. Tasty. And bought directly from the producer, which is good.

Dinner, 28/10/19: Curried Carrot Fritters, Green Beans

The carrot fritters aren't burnt; we had purple carrots in our veggie box, so the colour is naturally a little darker.  The original recipe is a vegan recipe with flax seed. As I don't have that lying around, and we aren't vegans, I used a bit of egg to bind instead.  The curry spices work well with the sweetness of the carrots.

Dinner, 27/10/19: Brussels Sprout and Blue Cheese Pizza

Sounds weird, maybe - but this is incredibly yummy. There's no tomato sauce, but on the pizza base a bit of mascarpone, with shredded brussels and then gorgonzola (or whatever) dotted on top. Really yummy. 

Year Long Declutter, week 43 (612 items total)

A bit of a miscellany this week. Some items which appeared in the charity shop bag I keep on the go in my bedroom; a few things from a kitchen cupboard tidy. A couple of pairs of socks I don't ever wear and a shirt which I haven't worn for two summers now - time to go. All of this going to the charity shop.

Book 79: Blindness by Jose Saramago

Bought this book (in translation) in Lisbon when we were there a few years back, and finally got around to reading it. I can see why it's considered a classic, though it's not particularly pleasant to read, but it's an interesting premise and a no doubt accurate depiction of how at least some of the human race would behave in this sort of situation. Some of them behave well, too. Funny that I picked it up shortly after reading Milkman, as it also has no named protagonists.

Dinner, 23/10/19: Pasta with Roast Tomatoes & Peppers

We had an overabundance of cherry tomatoes, so I decided to make a pasta sauce with them - roasted in the oven for about half and hour, with some chopped up red peppers and an onion, as well as some garlic and Herbs de Provence. Nice!

Dinner, 22/10/19: Cauliflower "Steaks" with Chimichurri Sauce, and Chips

...because everything is better with chips.  This is Niomi Smart's cauliflower with chimichurri sauce, which we really like, with chips (I didn't make the chips) because Geoff just felt like chips, and I don't usually say no when the question is chips, I gotta admit...

Dinner, 21/10/19: Chili and Tempeh Stir Fry with Pak Choi

A slightly adapated recipe, to use pak choi (which I had in the house) rather than broccoli. I also cooked the tempeh longer than in the recipe because it didn't seem to have heated through in the time mentioned. This is my first time cooking with tempeh (which is made from fermented soy beans), though I've eaten it. Another good alternative to meat, to add into the mix. It has a much more dense and firm texture than tofu - even the really firm tofu.  I still think I probably like tofu better on the whole, but there's room for lots of things in life, and this would work well in places tofu might not.

Year Long Declutter, week 42 (598 items total)

A variety of bits and pieces this week - some clothes left from the clearout in Sarah's room, and a few books, movies and CDs which are off to the charity shop. Some earrings I don't wear, a jumper which mysteriously appeared in the charity shop bag in my room and a coffee cup which is going to work to be my spare. 

Dinner, 20/10/19: Steak & Mushroom Pie, Carrots, Potatoes

Dinner, 19/10/19: Chicken, Chorizo & Padron Pepper Wraps

Book 78: Red Rising, Pierce Brown

The first in a YA fantasy series, which both Alex and Geoff have really enjoyed. I picked it up during reading Milkman for something a bit easier, and found it very gripping. Excellent action, but not at the expense of the character development. An extremely promising start to the series!

Book 77: Running on the Roof of the World, Jess Butterworth

A children's adventure story about occupied Tibet. Involves yaks, Chinese army officials, the Dalai lamas, perilous mountain crossings, and a resistance movement. What more could you want?  I actually read this one in school, while I was babysitting some reading tests on a couple of different occasions, and didn't have any other silent tasks I could do.

Dinner, 16/10/19: Broccoli Pesto Pasta

Good way of using broccoli if you have a glut - here, I've used a small calabrese and the other half of the Romanesco left over from the other night. You just cook the broccoli until it will mash with a potato masher, then add it to pasta along with olive oil, pine nuts and some parmesan (or whatever- I used "vegetarian Italian hard cheese", which is what was in the fridge). Yum!

Book 76: Milkman by Anna Burns

I've been reading this one for a little while, interspersed with other books. While not precisely difficult, it does take a certain amount of getting into, with the sort of stream-of-consciousness narration style. It's kind of like going to a Shakespeare play - it takes a few minutes for your Shakespeare brain to kick in. Anyway, when I was feeling particularly tired, I couldn't really face picking it up - and I knew I'd not enjoy it as much, so I tried to read it when I had longer periods to read and wasn't too exhausted.  Anyway, well worth persisting with; it's  a remarkable work: somewhat dark in nature (set in Northern Ireland during The Troubles), dealing with a young woman/girl who is being stalked by an IRA supporter - sort of. And the trouble that arises from this, and from the gossip accompanying it.  But it's also darkly funny (very darkly so at times) and quite insightful. Easy to see why it won the Booker Prize.

Dinner, 15/10/19: Potato & Carrot Tart; Tomato & Cucumber Salad

We had a glut of carrots, so I decided it was time for this family favourite - a tart with a potato crust and a carrot filling. Yum.

Dinner, 14/10/19: Leek, parsnip and cavolo nero soup

aka, what veggies are in the fridge that want using up?

Book 75: Halo by Zizou Corder

Set in ancient Greece, this (children's) fantasy novel involves a young girl who was found as a baby and raised by centaurs, and what happens when she is captured and sold into slavery  - with adventures with the Spartans and Athenians. I enjoyed it - an unusual setting, and a good story.

Dinner, 13/10/19: Harissa Roasted Squash & Chickpeas, Roast Romanesco, oven potatoes

Sometimes, there's just a lot of veg hanging around the house which needs using. This was one of those times. I had a small squash (which was really nice - better texture than butternut), a very large Romanesco (only used half) and various other things (which still want using) - this made a good start on them.  Vegetarian with the feta crumble, vegan if you leave it off!

Year Long Declutter, week 41 (574 items total)

Here are some pegs which are better in form than function - we never use them because they don't work as well as regular pegs, so off to the charity shop.  Also, two corded mouses (mice?), neither of which works very well, but which Geoff was keeping as backups. He has a new mouse from work now, which works fine, and we have at least one other spare, so these are going.

Dinner, 12/10/19: Broccoli, Tofu & Kimchi Stew

This was really nice - we served it with rice - more of a soup, really, than a stew, at least by my reckoning, but either way, tasty. Will definitely do it again. Yum. A Meera Sodha recipe. (Have to say, I didn't use tenderstem, because I had lots of the other kind of broc in my veggie box this week...)

Dinner, 11/10/19: Chicken Curry

I was originally going to go out to dinner tonight with a friend, but as she wasn't feeling well, I ended up staying in and eating chicken curry (Geoff cooking) with the boys. Yum.  And nice to have someone else cook, too! Just noticed that it was three (very different) curries this week - usually we wouldn't have quite so much curry in one week, but to be honest, it's barely noticeable as they were so different.

Dinner, 9/10/19: Green Bean and Kidney Bean Curry

Good vegan recipe for an easy, quick curry. Yum!  (From Hairy Bikers: Hairy Dieters Go Veggie)

Dinner, 8/10/19: New Potato and Rosemary Pizza

Book 74: The 101 Dalmatians, Dodie Smith

Picked this up last night when too tired to tackle my current book (Milkman by Anna Burns). Although I'm a big fan of I Capture the Castle, I'd never read this one (though of course I've seen both the cartoon and the Glenn Close live action film). I thought the book was very sweet, and more fun than the films in that it was told from the dogs' perspectives. A nice children's read. 

Dinner, 7/10/19: Prawn and Courgette Curry

Year Long Declutter, week 40 (570 items total)

Here are a selection of unworn clothes items of Sarah's, which are going to the charity shop - and two pairs of shoes which I just don't wear, which are pretty new. I  got to get Olivia to list them on eBay (on commission). Hopefully they went to someone who can get more use from them!

Dinner, 6/10/19: Chipolatas, Grilled Raddicchio, new potatoes

The grilled raddicchio was something new for us (we've eaten raddicchio before, but not often, and not grilled) - it was very nice. Served with a little cheese on top (or not, if you prefer). 

Dinner, 5/10/19: Broccoli, Romanesco & Spinach with Cheese Sauce

Not quite cauliflower cheese, but more or less same principal. And saute potatoes. 

Dinner, 4/10/10: Yasai Yaki Udon

Recipe from a new (to me) book: Mob Veggie.  This was great - very similar to the dish you might order in e.g. Wagamama, with two kinds of mushrooms and lots of veggies (and udon noodles- yum). I threw some peanuts on top, as well. Definitely will make this again.

Book 73: Gentlemen & Players, Joanne Harris

I saw this somewhere on a list of good thrillers and shortly after that, saw it in a charity shop - an obvious sign if there ever was one. I enjoyed it - it was well constructed, though I did work out one or two things (though not everything). Not at all like other Joanne Harris I've read (e.g. Chocolat) - much darker. As one would expect from a thriller.

Dinner, 2/10/19: Pasta with Tapenade and Kalamata Olives

Dinner, 1/10/19: Broccoli, Spinach & Fennel Soup

a.k.a. cream of whatever needs using up in the fridge...

September roundup

WHAT WAS FOR DINNER, SEPTEMBER 2019

• 30th: Tuna, Baked Potato, Peas
• 29th: Lunch out in Brighton
• 28th: Ribs, Mashed Potatoes, Salad
• 27th: out to dinner for Sarah's birthday (pizza)
• 26th: Fend for yourself Thursday
• 25th: Veggie Burgers, Sweetcorn, Potato Waffles
• 24th: Parsnip & Leek soup
• 23rd: Leftover chicken, potatoes, salad
• 22nd: Vegan Hotpot
• 21st: Roast Chicken, Roast potatoes, Cabbage
• 20th: Spanakopita, Cucumber Salad
• 19th: Fend for yourself Thursday
• 18th: Smoked Haddock, Romanesco, Potatoes
• 17th: Black Kale Bruschetta, Roasted Bean & Veg Salad,etc
• 16th: Vegan Swede Laksa
• 15th: Pork Mince Curry (S, G, A only)
• 14th: Burnt Aubergine Veggie Chili
• 13th: Green Bean, Potato and Halloumi Bake
• 12th: Fend for yourself Thursday
• 11th: Cajun Spiced Potato Wedges, Roast Veggies
• 10th: Veggie & Cashew Stir Fry
• 9th: Sweet Potato and Spinach Curry
• 8th: Minestrone
• 7th: Pasta with pancetta and artichokes
• 6th: Courgette & Halloumi skewers; potato cakes
• 5th: In transit
• 4th: US Holiday (dinner out at Joe's Farm Grill)
• 3rd: US Holiday (dinner out at Barrio Cafe)
• 2nd: US Holiday (dinner out at Charleston's)
• 1st: US Holiday (Leftovers from Chinese takeaway)