November Reading Update

This year, I'm just going to keep track of books I read as I go through the year - not worrying about how many books I have waiting to be read or anything like that. So each month's roundup will just be a picture collage showing the books I've read, with a running tally for each month. I think I'll break down new (to me) books and re-reading as well. And maybe pick a favourite each month. This could change as the year goes on... Once again, I'll set my goal as 100 books - it's about what I have time for, more or less.

So, in November: new (to me) books read: 10 ; books re-read:  
Favourite Book in November:  The Librarian by Salley Vickers

in October: new (to me) books read:  4; books re-read: 1

Favourite Book in October: Overstory by Richard Powers

in September: new (to me) books read: 6 ; books re-read:
Favourite Book in September: The Dutch House, Ann Patchett

in August:  new (to me) books read: 7; books re-read: 2
Favourite Book in August: Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens

in July: new (to me) books read: 5; books re-read: 9
Favourite Book in July: The Singer's Gun, Emily St John Mandel

in June: new (to me) books read: 4; books re-read: 2
Favourite Book in June: Muse of Nightmares, Laini Taylor

in May: new (to me) books read: 5; books re-read: 1
Favourite Book in May: Toffee by Sarah Crossan

in April: new (to me) books read: 6; books re-read:  0
Favourite Book in April: A Boy and his Dog at the End of the World, C A Fletcher

in March:  new (to me) books read: 5; books re-read:  5
Favourite Book in March: The Wolf and the Watchman by Niklas Natt och Dag

in February:  new (to me) books read: 6; books re-read:  0
Favourite Book in February: Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus

in January:  new (to me) books read: 6; books re-read: 3
Favourite book in January:  Once Upon a River, Diane Setterfield

In November, I read:

• One children's book for school from a lucky dip (The Secret Island by Enid Blyton)
• One crime novel acquired in a charity shop - mid series, so I might go back and read them all (Sorry for the Dead, Nicola Upson)
• Another couple of books recently acquired in a charity shop, a nice light read (The Library of Lost and Found, Phaedra Patrick) and a less light but still entertaining read (The Girl with All the Gifts, M R Carey)
• And a couple which have been sitting around a bit longer (also charity shop purchases, as are many of my books), one by an author I have read and enjoyed before (The Librarian, Salley Vickers) and one a new-to-me author (The Giant's House by Elizabeth McCracken)
• A couple of teen fiction books passed on by Sarah, who was reading the second of these (Dash and Lily's Book of Dares; The Twelve Days of Dash and Lily by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan)
• And another in a crime series I'm reading (Search the Dark, Charles Todd)
• Plus I did go back and find the first in the Nicola Upson series (An Expert in Murder), which was good.

I noticed that I happened to read quite a few books about librarians in November - The Library of Lost and Found, The Librarian and one I'm listening to but haven't quite finished (The Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek) were all coincidental; I admit I chose the Giant's House because it was about a librarian and it seemed topical.  Then the two teen books about Dash & Lily, while not precisely about librarians did feature bookshops and reading heavily, and librarians appeared in the second. Quite a fun coincidence!

Book 86: The Giant's House, Elizabeth McCracken

Picked this up in a charity shop a while back and it was interesting and enjoyable. Chose to read it this month as it was about a librarian, which for some reason seemed to be a theme in my reading this month (this one intentional, though the others accidental).

(Charity shop, New Malden, August 2020)

 

Books 84/85: Dash & Lily series, David Levithan & Rachel Cohn

 

Two teen titles - Sarah was reading the second (which is recent) and recommended them both as fun, light reads.  I enjoyed both of them.

 

Dinner, 29/11/20: Sausages, Roast Squash, New Potatoes

Another meal from the Farmers Market - sausages from the butcher, roast squash and new potatoes from one of the veg stalls. Yum.

 

Dinner, 28/11/20: Lemon Sole, Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Oven Potatoes

Went to the Farmers Market today and picked up some fresh fish and veg - purple sprouting broccoli to go with the fish. And oven potatoes.

 

Book 83: An Expert in Murder, Nicola Upson

 

The first in the series - I read a mid-series title recently (acquired from a charity shop) and decided it was worth going back to the beginning and reading the whole series.  They seem enjoyable and well-constructed.

(Bought from ABEbooks, November 2020)

Dinner, 27/11/20: Roasted Vegetables with Potatoes & Sweet Potatoes

A nice roasted vegetable dinner (and potatoes) to use up lots of bits and pieces we had hanging around. With a tahini dressing.

 

Dinner, 26/11/20: Turkey Meatball Cabbage Soup

This was a nice soup - with cabbage (which needed using) and turkey meatballs. We didn't originally intend to have a turkey themed meal on Thanksgiving, but it was a nice coincidence.

 

Dinner, 25/11/20: Linguine with creamy tomato & rosemary sauce

A nice quick weeknight supper dish - tasty, easy, etc. With garlic bread of course.

 

Dinner, 24/11/20: Spinach, Feta and Potato Pie

A slight variation on my usual spanakopita (spinach pie) - this one had some potatoes in the filling. Served with a salad, though not pictured here...

 

Book 82: Search the Dark, Charles Todd

 

The next in the series, which I am enjoying. Luckily, there are lots of them.

(purchased on AbeBooks, November 2020)

Dinner, 22/11/20: Braised Chicken with Chorizo and Butter Beans

Things we all like in this easy traybake - chorizo, butter beans. Also threw in a pepper I had because it seemed like a good way to use it.

 

Dinner, 21/11/20: Paneer and Chickpea Stuffed Pancakes

A family favourite - easy and tasty. 

 

Book 81: The Girl with All The Gifts, M R Carey

Another post-apocalyptic tale ( a genre I really enjoy) with a slightly different take on the whole scenario. I thought this was very readable and an interesting way to approach the issue.  No spoilers!

 

(bought in a charity shop, August 2020)

Dinner, 18/11/20: Courgette, Refried Bean & Goat Cheese Quesadillas

We like quesadillas in almost any form - this one is a great way to use courgettes, which we often seem to find in the veggie box and which can get a bit boring after a while...

 

Dinner, 17/11/20: Ras Al Hanout Roasted Chickpeas, Broccoli and Halloumi

This one is a fun mixture of textures and flavours - the crunch of the pomegranate seeds and pumpkin seeds is a particularly nice touch.

 

Dinner, 15/11/20: Tofu with Black Bean Sauce

Yum.  Love a bit of tofu in our house.  

 

Book 80: The Librarian, Salley Vickers

 

I've read a number of novels by Salley Vickers before and am always happy to read another as she writes well. I enjoyed this tale of a young librarian wrapped in scandal in a small village in the fifties, even though I did find some of the characters a bit frustrating (probably fairly realistic, though, given the provincialness of the time and the location). 

(Bought in a charity shop in Wimbledon, 21.2.20)

Dinner, 14/11/20: Roast Chicken, Savoy Cabbage, Potatoes

 

Dinner, 13/11/20: Winter Greens Puff Pie, Potatoes

This was a nice way to use a big batch of kale (plus the outside leaves of some savoy cabbage) - the greens were very tender once in the pie, and there's some left to have for lunch in the week.

 

Dinner, 12/11/20: Loaded Sweet Potato & Parsnip Fries

This was a new one for us, but I reckon we'll see it again as I really enjoyed it - sweet potatoes, parsnips and some regular potatoes, loaded up with various salsa type toppings, cheese and jalapenos, plus tortilla chips on the side. Yum. 

 

Dinner, 11/11/20: Vegetables in Cheese Sauce

A nice wintery dish - vegetables in cheese sauce. Here, it's a little bit of leftover cauliflower from the biryani, a small romanesco and a handful of sprouts from last week's veggie box. Breadcrumbs and some walnuts on top for texture.

 

Dinner, 10/11/20: Penne with olives, rocket & chorizo

A quick pasta dish - penne with olives (and tapenade), rocket, bits of chorizo, cherry tomatoes.

 

Dinner, 8/11/20: Burnt Aubergine Chili

My favourite chili, including meat ones, is this burnt aubergine chili - we love the smokiness of the taste (which is from the charring the aubergine) and I love the texture of the beans and lentils together.  Yum.

 

Dinner 6/11/20: Shredded Chicken with sesame seeds and courgette

Chicken, sesame seeds, courgette, various spices. It's a stir fry.

 

Dinner, 5/11/20: Pork chops, cime de rapa, oven potatoes

The greens here are new to us - "cime de rapa". Our veggie box is a wonderous assortment of vegetables known and unknown.  These are also called broccolini greens, I think. They were very nice. But then, we like most greens.

 

Dinner, 4/11/20: Spicy Roast Parsnip Soup

Parsnip (and carrot, hence the colour) soup. With various Indian spices. And homemade biscuits.

 

Dinner, 3/11/20: Vegetable Biryani

Vegetable biryani, with beans, sweet potato, cashews, etc. Yum. 

 

Book 79: The Library of Lost and Found, Phaedra Patrick

Another recent charity shop purchase; enjoyable - good for sitting down with a cup of tea on my last day of holiday...

 

Book 78: Sorry for the Dead, Nicola Upson

Picked this up in a charity shop the other day, featuring the real-life crime writing Josephine Tey as the protagonist. It's a mid-series book, but I really enjoyed it, so I'll be going back to follow the series from the beginning.

 

Book 77: The Secret Island, Enid Blyton

Read this one for work - we were asked to choose a potluck book to read and review; it was cute. I can imagine really enjoying it when I was about 8 or so, and wanting to run away and live on a little island myself. Though luckily, I didn't live with a mean aunt and uncle, so it wasn't necessary.

 

Dinner, 1/11/20: Pizza Night

 

Pizza night. Yum.

Book 76: Overstory by Richard Powers

I enjoyed this, mostly, though I did find myself getting bogged down in it from time to time - not, I think, due to any issue with the book, but more just to being tired and unable to focus as much as I'd like. The stories, although interwoven (eventually) aren't complex, and I enjoyed the wide variety of characters and lives.

 

October Round Up

 WHAT WAS  FOR DINNER, OCTOBER 2020

• 31st: Joint birthday meal out
• 30th: Pain de Sucre baked in cheese sauce, potatoes, squash
• 29th: Courgette and Caramelised Red Onion Tart, Salad
• 28th: Burrito Bowl
• 27th: Orichiette with Brussels Sprouts and Pancetta
• 26th: Fend for yourself Monday
• 25th: Toad in the Hole, Cabbage, Carrots
• 24th: Squash & Chard Frittata
• 23rd: Fish and Chips (takeaway)
• 22nd: Pasta with Chorizo and Squash
• 21st: Brussels Sprout and Blue Cheese Pizza
• 20th: Spicy Coconut Noodle Soup
• 19th: Fend for yourself Monday
• 18th: Steak and Mushroom Pie
• 17th: Mexican Salmon Traybake, Purple Carrots
• 16th: Pork Schnitzel, Roast Squash
• 15th: Potato, Leek & Stilton Soup
• 14th: Stuffed Romano Peppers
• 13th: Turmeric and Potato Tacos
• 12th: Fend for yourself Monday
• 11th: Carrot Tart, Artichoke & Olive Salad
• 10th: Sausages, Mash, Peas
• 9th: Teriyaki Salmon Noodles
• 8th: Red Thai Curried Potatoes
• 7th: Minestrone
• 6th: Lemon and Bean Linguine
• 5th: Fend for yourself Monday
• 4th: Roast Pork, Roast Potatoes, Carrots & Parsnips
• 3rd: Winter Vegetable Pie
• 2nd: Swede Laksa
• 1st: Sweet Potato and Lentil Coconut Dahl