December Book 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.

And finally, in December: new (to me) books read: 6; books re-read: 3
Favourite Book in December:  Dreams from my Father, Barack Obama

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 December:

• I listened to four audiobooks The Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson  (mostly in November, but finished at the beginning of December), Normal People by Salley Rooney - nice to have a highly rated book which doesn't disappoint,  The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman and Mr Churchill's Secretary by Susan Elia MacNeal
• I re-read a handful of Mary Stewart titles (Touch Not the Cat (I'm reminded this isn't really a favourite), The Moonspinners, Thornyhold)
• I read Dreams from my Father by Barack Obama, slowly throughout the month - very readable, but not always what I was the in the mood for if I wanted something really light.
• I read another in the Ian Rutledge series by Charles Todd (Legacy of the Dead)

Book 95: Dreams from my Father, Barack Obama

I'm not quite done with this yet, but I'm counting it in 2020's book as it was mostly read in 2020.  I really enjoyed this - he writes beautifully and it was very interesting both in terms of Obama's personal history and in terms of race identity.

 

(bought from Abe Books, Sept 2020)

Dinner, 31/12/20: Tagliatelle with harissa, olives and capers

This was very tasty - we liked the harissa based tomato sauce.

 

Dinner, 30/12/20: Red Cabbage & Quinoa Stew

This was very nice - a minestrone type thick soup, using red cabbage, chickpeas, quinoa and sweet potato as well as what you might expect - carrots, celery, onion, tomatoes, etc. 

 

Book 94: Mr Churchill's Secretary, Susan Elia Macneal (audiobook)

 

I liked the premise of this, but the book was fairly average. The characters were a bit anachronistic, there were mistakes in the American/English terminology for things (sometimes even using both terms but at different points, like flashlight/torch), and a lot of the descriptions felt like an estate agents ad.  But it was ok to listen to while doing jigsaw puzzles and walking. Wouldn't read another in the series, though. Lots of people do historical mysteries a lot better.

Dinner, 29/12/20: Leek & Mushroom Risotto

(With separate mushrooms for those who don't want them. Not me, I love mushrooms!)

 

Dinner, 27/12/20: Turkey Curry

Another Christmas classic - this year, we saved the leftover pork to eat cold, and used the leftover turkey for the curry. Mmm.

 

Book 93: The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, Abbi Waxman (audiobook)

 

This was a fun read, listened to mostly while I was doing puzzles and stuff like that. I do like books about people who like books... This one fit in well with my November streak of reading about librarians (though in this one, she works in a bookshop. But still.)

Dinner, 26/12/20: Leftovers

On Boxing Day, as is par for the course, we all ate leftovers in one form or another. A few of us had Yorkshire puddings left, including me, so I made a sandwich (using the Yorkie as bread). And of course I dipped each bite in gravy - why wouldn't I?

 

Book 92: Legacy of the Dead, Charles Todd

 

Another in the series, which I find very good. Very convoluted plots, but just well written and interesting characters.

Dinner, 25/12/20: Christmas

 

Christmas!  Lots of lovely things to feast on. We couldn't eat with our friends as we usually do, but we cooked in both houses and sent the boys back and forth with the dishes as necessary so we could eat all the things we normally do.  The pork shoulder from the Farmers Market was some of the best pork I've ever eaten...  And there was a nut roast for those not eating meat, though most of the rest of the dishes were vegan friendly (she did make her own Yorkshire puddings). Yum. Plus pies for dessert, which I don't seem to have photographed.

  

Dinner, 24/12/20: Party Food

Normally on Christmas Eve, our friends down the road have a party - partly for Christmas Eve and partly to celebrate their son's birthday, which is also on the 24th.  This has happened every year for 20 years, except two years when they lived in India (when the party moved to another house in the road) and one year when they were travelling over Christmas, so had the party on the 15th.  It's not really Christmas Eve without it, but we tried to compensate by drinking lots of prosecco and eating party food. 

 

Dinner, 23/12/20: Yasai Yaki Udon

One of the best noodle dishes, with thick udon noodles and mushrooms, nuts, carrots. Really tasty.

 

Dinner, 22/12/20: Roast Veg with Tahini Sauce and Couscous

A big plate of roasted veg and chickpeas - also had some couscous, falafels and tahini sauce. Love a bit of roasted veg - and great for just using all those bits which are knocking around (that said, I still have some beetroot and part of a swede...)

 

Book 91: Normal People by Sally Rooney (audiobook)

 

This was highly rated, both as a book and as a television adaptation (which I haven't watched), and I thought it pretty good.  Been listening to it for a few weeks, and especially enjoying the Irish accent of the woman reading it.

Dinner, 20/12/20: Vegan Hotpot

A family favourite - just really yummy and warming.

 

Dinner, 19/12/20: Lentils with Tomatoes and Cauliflower

These lentils were stunningly good, from a Nigel Slater recipe in the Guardian, and the cauliflower and broccoli on the top were a nice addition. You can't really go far wrong with a plate of dal, but still, there's good and then there's amazing.

 

Dinner, 18/12/20: Sausages, Roast Cabbage, Baked Potatoes

Geoff had been craving German style sausages for a while (probably all the talk from Liv about different wursts being sold in markets in Germany), so we had sausages (vegan ones where needed), cabbage either roast or boiled and baked potatoes.

 

Books 88, 89, 90: Mary Stewart novels

  

All three re-reads, good books for when you want something to hold your interest, but don't feel much like concentrating...

Dinner, 17/12/20: Pasta with Grated Courgette

Another good one for using up - this time, courgettes. 

 

Dinner, 16/12/20: Sweet and Sour Chicken Thighs with Carrots

A chicken traybake to use up bits and pieces - we have a lot of carrots at the moment (sometimes veggie boxes have the same things many weeks running, though ours is usually pretty well balanced). This one has a great flavour. And served with oven potatoes.

 

Dinner, 15/12/20: Hot and Sour Soup

Dinner, 13/12/20: Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic Butter and Caper Dressing, Veg

 

A whole roasted cauliflower is always nice - we had baked potato (or sweet potato) on the side, with carrots, because that's what needed using. I used actual butter here because Liv isn't home until next week, but you could easily use vegan butter...

Dinner, 12/12/20: Sausage and Prawn Jambalaya

 

Dinner, 11/12/20: Mexican Bake

  

This is a layered dish with tortillas in the middle and top, and beans, etc inside, with a cheesy topping. Quick and easy and tasty. Served with salad.

 

Dinner, 10/12/20: Ginger Tofu with Broccoli

 

Dinner, 9/12/20: Pesto Pizza with Artichokes & Prosciutto, Salad

 

Dinner, 8/12/20: Curried Carrot Fritters, Broccoli

We have this fairly often - good way to use carrots.

 

Dinner, 6/12/20: Chicken Traybake with cabbage and multi-coloured carrots

A fairly straightforward chicken and potato traybake, though the carrots are done with spices and pomegranate seeds.

 

Dinner, 5/12/20: Cabbage & Udon Noodle Salad, Salmon

Another way of using cabbage - we have a lot of cabbage at the moment which needs using. This was a nice salad, though.

 

Dinner, 4/12/20: Leek and Blue Cheese Risotto

 

Dinner, 3/12/20: Mafalda & Roasted Butternut in Warm Yogurt Sauce

This was a bit disappointing - the roast vegetables were nice, but the creamy sauce was a lot of effort for something which wasn't that interesting. We did like the slow toasted garlic. Usually we are big fans of Ottolenghi recipes, but this one let us down.

 

Dinner, 2/12/20: Red Lentil, Cumin & Coriander Soup

 

Dinner, 1/12/20: Burritos with Chipotle Rice & Refried Beans

The recipe for the chipotle rice came from a cookbook we recently found in a charity shop called Death by Burritos. We used it as a base for the burritos, with some avocado salsa and refried beans. Nice!

 

Book 87: The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, Kim Michelle Richardson (audio)

 

Listened to this on loan from the library on audio and really enjoyed it. Very evocative and an intriguing glimpse into a couple of things I wasn't really aware of - packhorse librarians for the WPA and the "blue" people of Kentucky - both real, and both interesting.

November Roundup

 

WHAT WAS  FOR DINNER, NOVEMBER 2020

• 30th; Fend for yourself Monday
• 29th: Sausages, Roast Squash, Cabbage, Potatoes
• 28th: Lemon Sole, Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Potatoes
• 27th: Roast Vegetables with Tahini Mustard Dressing
• 26th: Turkey Meatballs and Cabbage Soup
• 25th: Linguine with creamy Tomato and Rosemary Sauce
• 24th: Spinach, Potato & Feta Pie
• 23rd: Fend for Yourself Monday
• 22nd: Braised Chicken with Chorizo and Butter Beans
• 21st: Paneer Stuffed Pancakes
• 20th: Chestnut Mushroom, Fennel and Bacon Pasta
• 19th: Chinese Takeaway
• 18th: Courgette, Refried bean and Goats Cheese Quesadillas
• 17th: Ras al Hanout Roasted Chickpeas with Broccoli and Halloumi
• 16th: Fend for yourself Monday
• 15th: Black bean tofu
• 14th: Roast Chicken, Savoy Cabbage, Roast potatoes
• 13th: Winter Green Puff Pie
• 12th: Loaded Sweet Potato and Parsnip Fries
• 11th: Vegetables in Cheese Sauce, Salad
• 10th: Penne with olives, rocket, chorizo
• 9th: Fend for yourself Monday
• 8th: Burnt Aubergine Chili
• 7th: Pasta bake, garlic bread
• 6th: Shredded chicken & courgettes with sesame seeds
• 5th: Pork Chops/Sausage Rolls, Greens, Potatoes
• 4th: Spicy Roast Parsnip Soup
• 3rd: Vegetable Biryani
• 2nd: Fend for yourself Monday
• 1st: Pizza Night