January Book Update

Once again, I've set a reading goal of 100 books for the year - I didn't quite make it this year (95), but it's close enough to set that as a goal again (and I like a nice round number). I'll track which books I read in a month and which I liked best. Mostly for myself more than anything, but of course I'm always glad to have others follow along.

So... in January:  new (to me) books read: 6; books re-read: 
Favourite book in January:  An American Marriage, Tayari Jones

In January:

• I read some children's books - one which my class will be doing later in the year (Varjak Paw by S F Said), and one which another year group is doing (Elen's Island by Eloise Williams). 
• I read the next book in a historical crime series I started recently (Angel with Two Faces, Nicola Upson)
• I listened to a crime thriller on audiobook (Along Came a Spider, James Patterson)
• I listened to a children's audiobook (City of Ember by Jeanne duPrau)
• and I read a book from my to-be-read shelf (An American Marriage, Tayari Jones)

Dinner, 31/1/21: Lentil Shepherd's Pie

This lentil shepherd's pie had a topping of regular potato and sweet potato, but the sweet potatoes were purple ones - sometimes the veg in our veggie box is somewhat random!  Also, I put a couple of chopped up beetroot in with the veggies in the pie, so the meal was extremely purple. Tasted nice, though.

 

Dinner, 30/1/21: Leek and Cheese Pithivier

This is a nice leek and cheese pie that we have made a number of times before - it's surprisingly easy for how impressive it looks and is a good way to use up a glut of leeks...

 

Dinner, 29/1/21: Cheeseburger Quesadillas

This is a family favourite  - it's from John Whaite's Perfect Plates in Five Ingredients and combines the idea of a cheeseburger with a quesadilla.  Pickles, mustard, cheese, tortillas, mince. Yum.

 

Dinner, 28/1/21: Bacon, Artichoke and Sundried Tomato Frittata

We eat this sort of meal a lot - easy, quick, tasty.  Didn't used to work so well because Olivia never liked eggs, even before she became vegan, but works fine with her in Germany... This one had artichokes, bacon, sundried tomatoes, onions - basically just what was in the fridge... (well, not the onions). 

 

Dinner, 27/1/21: Sausage and Broccoli Carbonara

A simple carbonara variation...

 

Dinner, 26/1/21: Beetroot Orzotto with Halloumi

This was an "orzotto" - like risotto, but using orzo pasta instead. It used grated beetroot, and the although the colour was strong, the flavour was more mellow.  Fried halloumi on top. 

 

Book 6: Elen's Island, Eloise Williams

 

This is a book that our year 3 classes  are reading for their whole class guided reading. Because I am teaching in a bubble with mixed year groups, I thought it would be helpful to read the book when trying to support their learning.  It was a nice story.

Dinner, 24/1/21: French Style Chicken with Peas and Bacon

 

Served with mash of course, to soak up all the lovely creamy cooking sauce...

Book 5: An American Marriage, Tayari Jones

This one has been on my shelf for a while, but I finally got around to reading it after listening to the first chapter as an audiobook - the first chapter was great, and  realised I owned it, so grabbed it to read in person.  I really enjoyed it and found the characters very compelling. 

(purchased, Waterstones Wimbledon 30 Nov 2019)

 

Dinner, 23/1/21: Sprout Nasi Goreng

 

Dinner, 21/1/21: Stir Fried Chili Pork with Cashews

 

Book 4: City of Ember, Jeanne DuPrau

Listened to this one on audio. I feel that I may have seen the film adaptation way back when, which I don't think was great, but I enjoyed the book. 

 

Dinner, 20/1/21: Cauliflower & Broccoli Soup

 

19th: Pierogi, Salad

 

Dinner, 16/1/21: Burrito Bowls

 

Dinner, 15/1/21: Salmon with Broccoli and Pepper Noodles

 

Dinner, 14/1/21: Mac & Cheese with Kale & Broccoli

Had a craving for mac & cheese this week - this one has some broccoli in it, and the rest of the kale that was left. I really like the texture of added veg in my mac and cheese. I love the gooey cheesiness, but having a bit of something else in there is nice as well.

 

Dinner, 13/1/21: Sweet Potato Saag Aloo

This is a Hairy Bikers Recipe from one of their diet books, though that recipe uses spinach. I had kale in the  house, so I used the kale, which worked really really well - great texture.

 

Dinner, 12/1/21: Ham, Bean & Pasta Soup

Soup made using the leftover ham, with vegetables, little pasta and cannelini beans. Plus some toasted cheese sandwiches on the side. Yum.

 

Book 3: Angel with Two Faces, Nicola Upson

The next in this series, this one set in Cornwall. This series is a good mix of historical fact and fiction, with good writing and well drawn characters. I'm enjoying it. 

 

Dinner, 10/1/21: Goat Cheese and New Potato Tart

Served with a salad. This is really nice - has lots of fresh herbs chopped up underneath the potatoes, so the flavours are great.

 

Dinner, 9/1/21: Ham, Cabbage, Potatoes

Haven't had a ham in a long time as a roast - this one was very nice. I always forget how salty it is, though - I end up being thirsty for literally the entire next day... The leftovers will go nicely in a soup.

 

Dinner, 8/1/21: Pea, Feta & Courgette Fritters

Fritters are always a nice way to use a variety of vegetables. These have peas and courgette in them, along with some feta cheese. We had them with salad.

 

Dinner, 7/1/21: Rustic Beans and Spinach

Butter beans and spinach with spices - lovely wintery meal.

 

Book 2: Along Came a Spider, James Patterson (audio)

This was ok. Some of it was very good, other parts were a bit meh, but it was engaging to listen to while walking and doing puzzles, etc. I feel as though I may have seen the film a long time ago (and I feel it was pretty bad), but it was so long ago, I only have dim recollections.  I probably wouldn't pick up another book in this series, but if I was stuck in a holiday cottage with only these to read, it wouldn't be the end of the world.

 

Book 1: Varjak Paw, S F Said

This is a book my class will be reading later in the year - originally I thought it was the first post-Christmas read, but the schedule has changed. Anyway, hadn't read it before so thought I'd pre-read it so I'm ready for when we need it... Good fun, told from the point of view of the cat.

 

Dinner, 5/1/21: Indian Spiced Sweet Potato Wraps

We have this quite a lot - easy, tasty, and a good way to use sweet potatoes if we have a glut. Today I did some small cauliflower florets as well, which was a great addition.

 

Dinner, 3/1/21: Sausages, Mash, Sprouts, etc

Sausages (vegan where appropriate) with mashed potato & swede, fried shredded Brussels sprouts, a little bit of beetroot, and gravy (vegan where appropriate).

 

Reading in 2020

 

BOOKS READ IN 2020

Here, in reverse chronological order, are the books I read in 2020.  You might think that this year would be a bumper year for reading, given all the extra time we spent at home through the year, but actually, much of the time, I didn't really feel inspired to read. Still, I managed to get through a fair number of books, a little below my goal of 100, but not much.  Here are some stats (because I'm like that):

Books re-read: 22

Crime novels: 18

SF/Fantasy/Distopia: 14

Audiobooks: 7

Teen/Young Adult: 15

Children's books: 15

Non-fiction: 4

Favourite Books of the Year are underlined below (and in the collage above) (and as usual, only chosen from among books that were new to me - re-reads don't count in the favourites list)...

• 95: Dreams from my Father, Barack Obama (NF)
• 94: Mr Churchill's Secretary, Susan Elia MacLean (crime, audio)
• 93; The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, Abbi Waxman (audio)
• 92: Legacy of the Dead, Charles Todd (crime)
• 91; Normal People, Sally Rooney (audio)
• 90: Touch Not the Cat, Mary Stewart (re-read)
• 89: Thornyhold, Mary Stewart (re-read)
• 88: The Moonspinners, Mary Stewart (re-read)
• 87: The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, Kim Michelle Richardson (audio)
• 86: The Giant's House, Elizabeth McCracken
• 85: Dash and Lily's 12 Days of Christmas (YA)
• 84: Dash and Lily's Book of Dares, David Levithan & Rachel Cohn (YA)
• 83: An Expert in Murder, Nicola Upson (crime)
• 82: Search the Dark, Charles Todd (crime)
• 81: The Girl with All the Gifts, M R Carey (SF/F/Dis)
• 80: The Librarian, Salley Vickers
• 79: The Library of Lost and Found, Phaedra Patrick
• 78: Sorry for the Dead, Nicola Upson (crime)
• 77: The Secret Island, Enid Blyton (chn)
• 76: Overstory, Richard Powers
• 75: Wings of Fire, Charles Todd (crime)
• 74: A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens (audio)
• 73: Venetia, Georgette Heyer (re-read)
• 72: Educated, Tara Westover (audio, NF)
• 71: The Power, Naomi Alderman (SF/F/Dis)
• 70: Kingdom of the Blind, Louise Penny (crime)
• 69: Hillbilly Elegy, J D Vance (NF)
• 68: Song of the Dolphin Boy, Elizabeth Laird (chn)
• 67: The Dutch House, Ann Patchett
• 66: The Hiding Place, Corrie Ten Boom (audio. NF)
• 65: A Test of Wills, Charles Todd (crime)
• 64: Kick, Mitch Johnson (chn)
• 63: Big Sky, Kate Atkinson
• 62: The Last, Hanna Jameson
• 61: Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens
• 60: Rose Cottage, Mary Stewart
• 59: Morning Star, Pierce Brown (SF/F/Dis)
• 58:Golden Son, Pierce Brown (SF/F/Dis)
• 57: This Rough Magic, Mary Stewart (re-read)
• 56: Debts of Dishonour, Jill Paton Walsh (crime)
• 55: My Brother Michael, Mary Stewart (re-read)
• 54: The Boy Who Hit Play, Chloe Daykin (chn)
• 53: Stormy Petrel, Mary Stewart (re-read)
• 52: The Singer's Gun, Emily St John Mandel
• 51: Open Road Summer, Emery Lord (YA, re-read)
• 50: The Names they Gave Us, Emery Lord (YA, re-read)
• 49: The Map from Here to There, Emery Lord (YA)
• 48: The Start of Me & You, Emery Lord (YA, re-read)
• 47: A Piece of Justice, Jill Paton Walsh (crime)
• 46: Goldenhand, Garth Nix (SF/F/Dis, Re-read)
• 45: Abhorsen, Garth Nix (SF/F/Dis, re-read)
• 44: Lirael, Garth Nix (SF/F/Dis, re-read)
• 43: Sabriel, Garth Nix (SF/F/Dis, re-read)
• 42: The Thirteenth Tale, Diane Setterfield
• 41: Muse of Nightmares, Laini Taylor (SF/F/Dis)
• 40: Wonder, R J Palacio (chn, re-read)
• 39: One of Us is Next, Karen McManus (YA, crime)
• 38: Blood from a Stone, Donna Leon (crime)
• 37: Watership Down, Richard Adams (re-read)
• 36: The Wyndham Case, Jill Paton Walsh (crime)
• 35: The City in the Middle of the Night, Charlie Jane Anders (SF/F/Dis)
• 34: Secrets of a Sun King, Emma Carroll (chn)
• 33: Toffee, Sarah Crossan (YA)
• 32: The Golden Cage, J D Oswald (SF/F/Dis)
• 31: Call of the Wild, Jack London
• 30: Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer (chn)
• 29: Pig Heart Boy, Malorie Blackman (chn)
• 28: The Girl Who Drank the Moon, Kelly Barnhill (chn)
• 27: Warlight, Michael Ondaatje
• 26: A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World, C A Fletcher (SF/F/Dis, YA)
• 25: Before the Coffee Gets Cold, Toshikazu Kawaguchi
• 24: The Wolf and the Watchman, Niklas Natt och Dog (crime)
• 23: Tales of Terror, Chris Priestly (re-read, chn)
• 22: Skellig, David Almond (re-read, chn)
• 21: Unsheltered, Barbara Kingsolver
• 20: The Heroine's Sister, Frances Murray (re-read)
• 19: Summer of the Dragon, Elizabeth Peters (re-read)
• 18: Tom's Midnight Garden, Philippa Pearce (chn)
• 17: Unwind, Neal Shusterman (YA, SF/F/Dis)
• 16: Auggie & Me, R J Palacio (chn)
• 15: Heart of a Samurai, Maggie Preus (chn)
• 14: The Collini Case, Ferdinand von Schirach (crime)
• 13: A Pinch of Magic, Michelle Harrison (chn)
• 12: Tiger Heart, Penny Chrimes (chn)
• 11: The Rose Cord, J D Oswald (YA, SF/F/Dis)
• 10: History of the Rain, Niall Williams
• 9: The Venetian Masquerade, Philip Gwynne Jones (crime)
• 8: One of Us is Lying, Karen McManus (YA, crime)
• 7: Transcription, Kate Atkinson
• 6: Once Upon a River, Diane Setterfield
• 5: Clock Dance, Anne Tyler
• 4: Doctored Evidence, Donna Leon (crime)
• 3: Bitterblue, Kristin Cashore (SF/F/Dis, YA, re-read)
• 2: Fire, Kristin Cashore (SF/F/Dis, YA, re-read)
• 1: Graceling, Kristin Cashore (SF/F/Dis, YA, re-read)

Dinner, 2/1/21: Mushroom Wellington, Leek & Blue Cheese Wellington

A couple of wellingtons - neither beef.  One is a mushroom and spinach wellington - very nice (and vegan) and the other is a leek and blue cheese one (vegetarian). Served with salad.

 

Dinner, 1/1/21: Fajitas

Festive New Year's Day Fajitas (ok, the only thing making them New Year's Day-ish is that we had them on New Year's Day - but you can't go wrong with fajitas).

 

December Round Up

WHAT WAS  FOR DINNER, DECEMBER 2020

• 31st: Pasta with Harissa, Capers & Olives
• 30th: Red Cabbage and Quinoa Stew
• 29th: Leek & Mushroom Risotto
• 28th: Fend for yourself Monday
• 27th: Turkey Curry
• 26th: Leftovers
• 25th: Christmas Dinner (Roast Pork, Turkey, Stuffing, Roast Potatoes, Yorkshire Puddings, Carrots, Brussels Sprouts, etc)
• 24th: Party Food Nibbles
• 23rd: Yasai Yaki Udon
• 22nd: Roast Vegetables with tahini sauce and couscous
• 21st: Fend for yourself Monday
• 20th: Vegan Hotpot
• 19th: Lentils with tomatoes and cauliflower
• 18th: Roast Cabbage, Sausages, Potatoes
• 17th: Pasta with Grated Courgette
• 16th: Sweet and Sour Chicken Thighs with Carrots
• 15th: Hot and Sour Soup
• 14th: Fend for yourself Monday
• 13th: Roast Cauliflower, Carrots, Potatoes
• 12th: Sausage and Prawn Jambalaya
• 11th: Mexican Bake
• 10th: Ginger Tofu with Chard
• 9th: Pesto Pizza with Artichokes and Prosciutto
• 8th: Curried Carrot Fritters, Broccoli
• 7th: Fend for yourself Monday
• 6th: Chicken Traybake with Roast Veg
• 5th: Cabbage and Udon Noodle Salad, Salmon
• 4th: Leek & Blue Cheese Risotto
• 3rd: Mafalda & Roasted Butternut in Warm Yogurt Sauce
• 2nd: Red Lentil, Cumin & Coriander Soup
• 1st: Burritos with Chipotle Rice and Refried Beans