Where You’ll Find Me: Risk, Decisions, and the Last Climb of Kate Matrosova

Synopsis: On February 15, 2015, Kate Matrosova, an avid mountaineer, set off before sunrise for a traverse of the Northern Presidential Range in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. Late the following day, rescuers carried her frozen body out of the mountains amid some of the worst weather recorded on these deceptively rugged slopes. At thirty-two, Matrosova was ultra-fit and healthy, and had already summited much larger mountains on several continents. Her gear included a rescue beacon and a satellite phone. Yet, despite their best efforts, more than forty expert search and rescue personnel, a New Hampsire National Guard Blackhawk helicopter, and a Civil Air Patrol Cessna airplane could not reach her in time to save her. What went wrong? Where You’ll Find Me offers possible answers to that question. Kate Matrosova’s story—what we know and what we will never know—is a compelling case study in risk analysis and decision-making.

Review: I have to admit to an unhealthy fascination with this story. I have had the pleasure (and pain!) of hiking the Presidential Traverse, and it’s a huge physical challenge under optimal summer conditions. For most people it is a multi-day hike. To plan a single day, winter traverse alone? Seriously audacious. When this occurred, a bad winter storm was forecast and it wasn’t a surprise , which only added to the “what was she thinking” element. I thought the author treated her story with sensitivity and compassion. Gagne instead chooses to focus on her preparation and planning—which was good !— and the risks she chooses to take, which turned out not so good. I really enjoyed hearing about how the rescue teams mobilized and acted. These are some very dedicated and brave individuals, and they deserve a lot of recognition.

Rating: 4/5

Recipe: No Churn Cherries and Cream Ice Cream. Mount Madison is the first peak of the Presidential traverse, and President Madison’s first food was reportedly ice cream, popularized by his wife Dolly Madison at the White House.

Ingredients:

14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

pinch fine salt

2 cups heavy cream, cold

One 16 oz bag of frozen dark sweets cherries, mashed

1). Whisk together the condensed milk, vanilla and salt in a large bowl and set aside

2) whip the cream with a mixer on medium high speed until firm, about 2 minutes. fold one cup of the whipped cream into the condensed milk mixture with a rubber spatula until combined, then fold into the whipped cream until well blended.

3) Fold in half of the mashed cherries. Pour into a chilled 9 x 5 x 3 metal loaf pan

4) Sprinkle the top with the remaining cherries.

5) Freeze, covered, until solid and scoop able, about 5 hours.

Intimacies

Synopsis: Intimacies is a novel narrated by an unnamed, and somewhat mysterious heroine. She is a new interpreter at The Hague, responsible for the banal function of translating legal proceedings for extremely evil defendants: genocidal former heads of state. Kitamura does not reveal much about our narrator. She has come to The Hague via New York where her father just died after a long illness, and her mother has returned to Singapore. Her age and ethnicity are murky. She enters a relationship with Adriaan, and develops other friendships as well. Adriaan is separated from his wife, and leaves to sort things out with her, leaving our nameless heroine living in his apartment. The relationship slowly seems to unravel.

Review: It’s not unusual for me to select a book to read based on reviews and expert literary opinion. I heard so many people give this a positive review that I decided to give it a try. It was…. interesting, yet maybe disappointing too. It is highly character driven, but not much actually happens here. The word intimacy, intimacies, intimate appear in the text so many times it’s almost annoying. Yet, in spite of the purported intimacy, our unnamed narrator was so mysterious it was hard to connect with her plight. Her work as a translator for a man on trial for crimes against humanity is a forced intimacy, and troubling. Her chosen relationship with Adriaan is foundering. Once a few weeks elapsed after reading it, it was hard to even remember what it was really about. Weird. Enjoyable in the moment of reading, yet it didn’t really stick with me the way I think a great book should.

Rating: 3/5

Recipe: I think a dessert for one seems fitting for this book. This skillet brownie recipe from Ina Garten is perfect.

Ingredients

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter

4 ounces plus 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

1 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate

2 extra large eggs

2 teaspoons instant coffee granules

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup plus one tablespoon sugar

1/4 cup plus one tablespoon flour, divided

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

vanilla ice cream

1) Heat the oven to 350 degrees

2) Melt the butter, 4 oz chocolate chips, and the unsweetened chocolate together in a double boiler, or in the microwave, then set aside for 15 minutes.

3) In a large bowl, mix the eggs, coffee, vanilla, and sugar. Stir the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allow to cool to room temperature.

4) sift together 1/4 cup flour, the baking powder and salt, and add to the chocolate mixture.

5) Toss together the remaining 1/2 cup of chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon flour, then add to the chocolate mixture.

6) Spoon into five 3 1/2 inch skillets, or ramekins, and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes.

7) Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst

Synopsis: Before OJ Simpson, the 1970’s brought us the REAL trial of the century involving Patty Hearst. Hearst was living a privileged, if not particularly remarkable life in 1974. The granddaughter of William Randolph Hearst, her family was among the wealthy and powerful of California. She was a nineteen year old student at Berkely, living with her fiancée Steven Weed when she was abducted from her apartment at gunpoint by a small band of self styled revolutionaries identified as the Symbionese Liberation Army. The story gets progressively crazier as Patty ostensibly becomes a convert of the radical group, participates in a violent bank robbery, then spends a year on the run from the FBI before her apprehension in September 1975. As she goes to trial, debate rages! Is she a victim? Or is she a radical wanna-be who needs to pay the price for her crimes?

Review: Let’s be clear from the start. If you can’t make a riveting book out of a story this batshit crazy, you shouldn’t be writing. Fortunately, Jeffrey Toobin takes an immense amount of detail and moves it along like a high speed train. The story is true, to the extent that these big events happened. Hearst was kidnapped. She robbed a bank. But the truth regarding her agency is more elusive. She claimed to have been coerced throughout her ordeal, but Toobin is, respectfully, not buying it. We’ll probably never know just how culpable she was, and it will come as no surprise that she did not cooperate with this author. My observation is that she demonstrated a history of allying herself with male authority figures: she had an affair with, and became engaged to her high school math teacher! (Ew, Good grief) After her relatively brief incarceration, she rapidly married a policeman who had been part of her security detail while on bail. With that history, it’s not much of a stretch to believe she is just a chameleon-like individual who conveniently adapts to her surroundings. Toobin provides some persuasive arguments to support his idea that Hearst was a willing participant. The jury must have agreed, as it took less than 24 hours to reach a guilty verdict.

Rating: 4/5

Recipe: Continuing the “you just can’t make this up” theme, one of the SLA members went on the lam after Patty Hearst’s arrest, moved to Minnesota adopting a new name of Sara Jane Olson. She married a doctor, had three kids and became a church going soccer mom. In 1998, she was featured on America’s Most Wanted and was arrested. To raise money for her legal defense fund, she published and sold a cookbook titled Serving Time: America’s Most Wanted Recipes. Sadly it’s out of print or I might have had the chance to select a revolutionary recipe! The 1970’s were a strange time in American culinary history. We saw, simultaneously, rising interest in organic and “healthy” food, alongside the introduction of convenience foods like Shake and Bake, or Hamburger Helper. I’m sure that more than one American family watched Patty Hearst on the evening news while eating their hamburger macaroni! Recipe courtesy www.thesaltymarshmallow.com

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef

1 tablespoon ketchup

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 cups macaroni

3 1/2 cups broth or water

1/2 cup sour cream

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1) Brown the ground beef over medium high heat in a large skillet, and drain fat.

2) Reduce heat to low, and add ketchup, mustard and seasonings, macaroni and broth, and stir to combine

3) Cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes until macaroni is cooked through.

4) Turn off heat, add sour cream and cheese stir until melted and combined.

The Seven Husbands of Eleanor Hugo

Synopsis: Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. but when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story, from making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950’s, to her decision to leave show business in the 1980’s, and of course, the seven husbands along the way.

Review: This was a pleasant, entertaining book, which surprised me in some ways. Our leading lady was born Evelyn Herrera in New York City. She trades her virginity for a ride to Hollywood, changes her name, and climbs the rungs of the entertainment industry one husband at a time until she hits Oscar gold. Eleanor is a determined, and complicated character. She’s unapologetically ambitious, but not without remorse for certain decisions in her life. I thought the plot line involving Monique as her biographer was a little distracting and not really necessary to the story, so I wish she had edited this a bit differently. I definitely got the Elizabeth Taylor, glamour of old Hollywood vibe, and that was fun. I don’t think this is a novel that is necessarily breaking new ground, but it wasn’t completely predictable either, so points for that!

“People think that intimacy is about sex. But intimacy is about truth. When you realize you can tell someone your truth, when you can show yourself to them, when you stand in front of them bare, and their response is ‘you’re safe with me’—that’s intimacy.”

Rating: 4/5

Recipe: I imagine Eleanor went to many many cocktail parties in her day, and what 1950’s hostess wouldn’t serve cocktail meatballs? I’m not embarrassed to admit I love these vintage classics! You could make your own meatballs, but I would probably opt for the time saving bag of frozen ones. A guaranteed hit to accompany your gimlets and martinis. Combine a 2 pound bag of frozen meatballs, 1 cup grape jelly and 12 ounces Heinz chili sauce and heat in a slow cooker for 3-4 hours. How easy is that? Parsley to garnish is nice

Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty

Synopsis: Buckle up for a deep dive into the story of the Sackler family and their privately held pharmaceutical company Purdue. Patrick Radden Keefe presents a rigorously researched, and meticulously reported account of the origins of the Sackler fortune and the family’s role in the opioid epidemic which has cost nearly a half million American lives. The story begins with three physician brothers, Arthur, Mortimer and Raymond. Arthur in particular had a knack for advertising and promotion, and combined ownership of an advertising agency AND the purchase of a small pharmaceutical company called Purdue Frederick. He made his first fortune on the marketing of Valium, and the brothers started collecting art, wives, and lavish homes in exotic locales. Philanthropy led to the Sackler name on the walls of many prestigious institutions: Harvard, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Louvre. The Sacklers then used the template created to sell Valium to produce and market a far more potent product, Oxycontin. The family pursued a strategy of co-opting doctors, influencing the FDA and downplaying the drug’s addictiveness to create a blockbuster drug that made billions of dollars for the family. Unfortunately, it also launched a public health crisis leading to a different kind of pain—addiction, death and the destruction of hundreds of thousands of lives.

Review: This was a long book that was compelling from start to finish. It’s a credit to Radden Keefe’s reporting and writing that he takes a complicated story that could have been quite dry, and turns it into a thriller. Be prepared to feel anger, outrage, and disgust. Prior to the introduction of Oxycontin, opioids were largely restricted to the treatment of pain related to cancer. This changed with Purdue’s relentless and aggressive promotion of Oxycontin as a nonaddictive solution to chronic pain of all types. Couple this aggressive marketing with regulatory agencies that looked the other way, and Oxycontin became a juggernaut that made the Sacklers one of the richest families in America. The Sacklers were not the first people to market unsafe pharmaceuticals to vulnerable populations, but they might have been the best. There’s plenty of culpability to go around here, including unscrupulous doctors, the FDA, and a Department of Justice willing to let them off the hook. Still, what is so nauseating is the complete indifference of the Sackler family to the devastation their product was spreading across America. They had their own addiction to money, power and influence, and that trumped all. As the final insult, the family has methodically siphoned millions, if not billions of dollars out of the company into offshore accounts leaving an empty husk of a corporation to declare bankruptcy. There will likely be no accountability. This was a fascinating, well written and compulsive read. Highly recommended.

Rating: 5/5

Recipe: I’m aware that there is a cocktail called the Painkiller, but that seemed like too obvious a choice. In fact, I question whether a painkiller cocktail might actually lead to a headache! So I’m opting for a pain fighting dish incorporating salmon, ginger and turmeric, all known for their anti-inflammatory properties.

Salmon with Ginger and turmeric

1/2 pound broccoli cut into florets

1/2 pound cauliflower, cut into florets

3/4 cup water

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

salt and pepper

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk

4 6 ounce salmon filets

1) In a deep skillet, simmer the broccoli and cauliflower, covered in 1/2 cup of water for 3 minutes, then transfer to a bowl.

2) in the skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of oil, add the onion and ginger, season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderate heat about 8 minutes until golden. Add the turmeric and cook until fragrant. Add the coconut milk and remaining water and bring to a simmer. Stir in the vegetables, cover and remove from the heat.

3) Heat a grill pan. Season the salmon with salt and pepper and grill salmon, skin side down until crisp, about 4 minutes. Turn and grill until cooked through, 2 minutes longer.

4) Serve the salmon over a bed of vegetables.

Matrix

Synopsis: Deemed too coarse and rough hewn for marriage or courtly life, seventeen year old Marie de France is exiled from the royal court and sent to England to be the new prioress of an impoverished abbey. It’s nuns are on the brink of starvation and beset by disease. Marie, the half-acknowledged half-sister of King Henry II is none too happy about the situation as she leaves behind creature comforts and the glamorous Queen Eleanor of Acquitaine. Over the next six decades, Marie transforms the abbey into a thriving self sufficient community of women as she herself is transformed.

Review: I have read previous novels by Lauren Groff and really appreciated her work in Fates and Furies. I wanted to like this one as well but…. not as much, as it turns out. This medieval girl boss fantasy never truly clicked for me. Marie definitely had challenges in creating her female utopia, but every bit of conflict was resolved almost as soon as it started. Years passed in a matter of pages, sometimes on the same page. Marie is depicted as almost a super hero: a saintly “fixer” of all problems. and that doesn’t set up much tension about how things are going to turn out. I was unprepared for the parts about her exploring her sexuality with the other nuns. I mean, there probably WERE Medieval lesbian nuns, I just wasn’t expecting that in this book! However, though I didn’t love the story, the prose was impressive, so I will still keep my eyes open for Groff in the future. I just might vet the selection a little more carefully. For me, this was just OK.

Rating: 3/3

Recipe: Presenting Caesar-Roasted Swordfish, courtesy of Ina Garten. Like Marie, it’s not exactly pretty, but it is truly divine.

Ingredients:

2 large garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon anchovy paste

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 cup of mayonnaise (or if you follow Ina’s recipe exactly, “good mayonnaise”)

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

3 tablespoons lemon juice

3 pounds swordfish steaks cut into 6 portions

1/2 cup chopped scallions, green and white parts

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons drained capers

lemon wedges for serving

1) Line a sheet pan with foil, heat oven to 500 degrees

2) Pulse garlic, anchovy paste, parsley and mustard in a food processor until minced. Add the mayonnaise, lemon zest and juice 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and pulse to make a smooth sauce.

3) Set aside one third of the sauce to serve with the fish. Spread the remaining sauce on both sides of the fish, sprinkle with scallions, and allow to sit for 10 minutes.

4) Roast for 10-12 minutes, cover with foil and allow to rest on the pan for 10 minutes.

5) In a small sauce pan, heat the olive oil until very hot, and cook the capers for 30-60 seconds.

6) Serve the swordfish hot with the lemon wedges, frizzled capers and reserved Caesar sauce.

Rules of Civility

Synopsis: Rules of Civility, the first novel by Amor Towles, chronicles a transitional year in the life of a young woman in Manhattan in 1938. Katey Kontent narrates her own journey through 1938 from the future perspective of 1966. The story opens on New Years Eve in Greenwich Village jazz bar, where Katey and her boardinghouse roommate Eve have carefully rationed their nickels to ensure the night’s festivities last until midnight. At the jazz club, they make the acquaintance of Tinker Grey. Tinker is young, handsome, wealthy and successful in the banking world. Their burgeoning friendship provides Katey and Eve with access to a glittering social scene that they otherwise would never have access to. It’s a pivotal year for Katey as she tries to break free from her ho hum job in a Wall Street typing pool, and sort out the complicated events their three way friendship creates. As they say, It’s Complicated.

Review: A novel about young, beautiful, wealthy people set in Jazz Age New York…. The Great Gatsby? Well, I’ve seen others make the comparison, but to me, this is far superior. I read A Gentleman in Moscow, and I enjoyed it a lot, so figured I would like this first novel by the same author… All I can say is, WHY DIDN’T ANYONE RECOMMEND THIS TO ME BEFORE? Wow, this hit every note for me! The characters are complex, the scene set beautifully and the writing was outstanding. There were so many great lines it made me wish I was reading it on a Kindle to make it easier to refer back to them. Katey is the ideal narrator: we get to luxuriate in the glitz and fun of high society (who doesn’t like a ride in a Bentley?) but she’s a keen observer of the social strata. While you might expect this to be an indictment of the upper class, I didn’t see it that way. I think the novel celebrates some of society’s refinements, like manners, fine dining, or fine clothing, and at the same time is able to point out the universal human flaws and virtues that we all possess regardless of social class. One theme of the book is that you need to be true to yourself. The problem is, first you have to understand yourself to be able to do that.

Rating: 5/5

Recipe: Katey decides to treat herself and goes to dine, alone, at La Belle Epoque. The specialty of the house is chicken with truffles, and sadly, I think Katey has too much champagne to fully enjoy it. I’ve never cooked with truffles, but truffle butter is not as intimidating for me. You can probably buy it in specialty shops, but if you live in a rural area like I do, it’s available on line (I have purchased from D’Artagnan’s and it was great).

Ingredients

one whole chicken

1/4 cup truffle butter, room temperature

1 lemon

1 bunch of fresh thyme

2 tablespoons olive oil

1) Heat the oven to 450 degrees

2) Gently loosen the skin overlying the breast and thighs, and slide the truffle butter in between the skin and meat in all 4 places.

3) Cut the lemon in half, and place this with the thyme in the cavity of the bird

4) Rub skin with olive oil, season generously with salt and Peppe.

5) Roast until the skin is golden and crispy and the temperature of the chicken is 170 degrees.

Winter Street

Synopsis: Kelley Quinn is the owner of Nantucket’s Winter Street Inn and the proud father of four, all grown and living in various states of disarray. Patrick, a hedge fund manager about to be indicted for insider trading. Kevin, a bartender, is sleeping with the inn’s French housekeeper. Ava, a school teacher, is finally dating the perfect guy but can’t get him to commit. And Bart, the youngest and only child of Kelley’s second marriage to Mitzi, has recently shocked everyone by joining the Marines. The family Christmas is thrown into chaos when Mitzi leaves Kelley for the guy who plays Santa Claus at the annual Christmas party. Kelley’s ex-wife, nightly news anchor Margaret Quinn, arrives to try and help salvage the day.

Review: Elin Hilderbrand has written a series of Christmas themed novels, set on Nantucket, naturally. It’s full of beautiful people living beautiful, albeit messy lives. Family drama at the holidays, who can’t relate to that? As it turns out, while you would expect a Christmas book to come with happy endings, not everything was resolved by the end. As mentioned, this is a series, so there is more Quinn family drama to come. While I don’t know this for a fact, I suspect Book #2, Winter Stroll, takes place the next Christmas. This book reminded me of a Hallmark Christmas movie, and if it hasn’t been adapted for that purpose I’d be surprised. A bit cheesy, a bit predictable, and yet….. I enjoyed it! Much like listening to Christmas carols, it definitely got me in the spirit of the season. I think I will put Winter Stroll on my reading list for December 2022.

Rating: 3/5

Recipe: In Winter Street, there is extensive discussion of the family Christmas meal which highlights prime rib. In my husband’s family, this was the traditional holiday meal as well. A standing rib roast is a splurge, so the pressure is on to get it right and not mess it up. I’ve tried cooking this in a variety of ways: hot oven, low oven, as well as a closed oven method where it sits in the oven for several hours after 20 minutes of roasting. I have struggled to get it right, but have decided that my preference is the low temperature method, finished with a reverse sear. For me, it just provides a more consistent result. Alison Roman has a recipe where you mince rosemary, 10 anchovies, 8 cloves of garlic and mix with about 1/4 cup olive oil to make a paste to smear on the outside before cooking, and it was delicious. Make sure to liberally salt it, ideally a day or two in advance using about 1 teaspoon of kosher salt per pound. Let it sit in the refrigerator—uncovered per my brother Blee, and he didn’t steer me wrong! Roast at 250 degrees until the inner temperature is about 120 degrees. It will continue to cook after it comes out of the oven, and my preference is 135 degrees, medium rare but not too red. If it isn’t quite done enough you can always pop it back in the oven! Remove and let rest for an hour, or even longer if you need to, it won’t get cold. Right before serving, sear the fatty side in a cast iron skillet for about 8 minutes, or a 500 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.

H is for Hawk

Synopsis: Helen Macdonald has written a memoir about her experiences training a goshawk while grieving her father’s unexpected death. Macdonald, an English historian and falconer, begins training a young goshawk named Mabel. Macdonald interweaves her own story with that of troubled author T.H. White (he of The Once and Future King fame) whose own book The Goshawk recounts his struggle to train his own hawk in the 1930’s. Through training Mabel, Macdonald initially retreats from the world but ultimately begins to heal from her grief, regaining a sense of trust and belonging as her bond with the goshawk grows.

Review: This was a bestseller, and won several awards including the Samuel Johnson Prize and others. I usually love non fiction and a good memoir, but I have to say, I struggled to connect with this book. I may be in the minority, but I kept waiting for it to get captivating, and it merely felt like a depressing lecture. I wanted to feel sympathy for Macdonald. I wanted to feel interested in Mabel. I felt neither. The process of training the hawk felt violent and Mabel herself (possibly the author as well) seemed full of rage. For the first time in a very long time, I put the book down after reading most of it, and decided not to finish. Life’s too short for books you don’t enjoy! Take my review with a grain of salt, most people seemed to love this book. I just wasn’t one of them.

Rating: 2/5

Recipe: It only seems fair to pair a meh book selection with a tried and true comfort food favorite. Trisha Yearwood’s chicken and broccoli casserole is a Southern classic. This would be a great dish to take to a grieving friend who is too busy training a goshawk to cook for herself! Don’t be offended by the condensed soup, we all need short cuts from time to time.

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 head of broccoli cut into florets

2 cups cooked white rice

one can condensed cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese

1) cook chicken and shred (or use a rotisserie chicken to make it even easier)

2) Cook the broccoli until about half way done (steam, boil, or your usual method)

3) Spray a 13 x 9 inch pan with cooking spray

4) Layer the bottom with cooked rice, then put broccoli on top

5) Mix the chicken soup, sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, shredded chicken and half the cheese and pour over top of the broccoli. Top with remaining cheese

6) Bake 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Cloud Cuckoo Land

Synopsis: Thirteen year old Anna, an orphan, lives inside the formidable walls of Constantinople in the 15th century. She lives in a house of women who make a living embroidering the robes of priests. Insatiably curious, Anna learns to read, and in this ancient city famed for its libraries, she finds a book. It is an ancient Greek text, the story of Aethon, who longs to be turned into a bird so the he can fly to a utopian paradise in the sky. Five hundred years later, in a library in Idaho, octogenarian Zeno Ninis (who learned Greek as a prisoner of war) rehearses five children in a play adaptation of Aethon’s story. Later, in a not-so-distant future, Konstance lives on the interstellar ship Argos, traveling to a new planet Beta-Oph2. She has never set foot on planet Earth. She is assembling scraps of paper with the story of Aethon, as told to her by her father.

Review: Friends, are you ready for a little challenge? Because this book was a puzzle to figure out. There are five central characters, spanning centuries, but whose lives are linked by their relationship to a book. Cloud Cuckoo Land is a fictional text attributed in the novel to an actual Ancient Greek author, Antonius Diogenes. It is a tale that captures the imaginations of our different protagonists. Anthony Doerr’s novel is really a book about books, and a story about stories. It is a tribute to how books can elevate us, and separate us from time, place, and circumstance. This novel is a bit confusing, and a little hard to follow as the storyline is nonlinear and the chapters are alternating POV between the five characters. But it has a lot to say about the balm of storytelling and the power of literature, and the way a great story helps to bring us together. Anthony Doerr does an amazing job of pulling all these disparate threads together and ultimately having it make sense.

Rating: 4/5

Recipe: There was a lot to choose from here, but something Greek seemed appropriate. Holiday season calls for a good dip, so Tzatziki fits the bill.

Ingredients:

1. pint plain whole milk yogurt

1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled and seeded

1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh dill

1) grate the cucumber and toss with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. place in a sieve and let it drain.

2) squeeze as much liquid as possible from the cucumbers, and combine with the rest of the ingredients.

3) Let chill in the fridge for a few hours to let flavors get acquainted.

The Plot

Synopsis: Jake Bonner is a failed writer who teaches at a third rate MFA program. He’s had one successful novel, but somehow never managed to come up with a successful sophomore effort. He hasn’t written—let alone published—anything good in a while. Jake has a student in his MFA program who confides he’s working on a book with a great plot, one destined to be a blockbuster. A plot so good it can’t miss! Later, Jake learns that his student, Evan, died without writing the book. Hmmmmm. Seems a shame to let that go to waste….. Years later, Jake is a bestselling author based on the plot of that book. However, he starts receiving anonymous messages from from someone who knows he “stole” the idea. In this thriller and book-within-a-book, Jake must uncover the truth behind the plot of his own book.

Review: This was an enjoyable literary type thriller. I thought it raised a really interesting question: who owns an idea? In this novel, Jake writes a novel based on someone else’s idea for a story, but did in fact write the entire thing and execute it. Nonetheless, he is wracked by guilt and the feeling that he took something that doesn’t belong to him. It seems that so much of storytelling involves taking common themes and putting a particular spin on it. The hero’s journey is such a common “plot” that it has it’s own Wikipedia page! But, whatever you think of Jake Bonner’s ethics, SOMEONE is not happy with him, and he needs to figure out who his anonymous adversary is. We get to read interspersed chapters of Jakes book, ie the book-within-a-book, and I enjoyed that piece of it. Ironically, I didn’t find the plot (small p) to be all that different or daring, but maybe that’s the idea. All authors think their plot is revolutionary, when perhaps it is not! As for The Plot (capital P), its not the plot but the way it is told that makes for a terrific read.

Rating: 4/5

Recipe: The novel begins in Vermont, where his MFA program is located. It sounds idyllic: Vermont, time to think, reflect and write. Since we are discussing the ethics of recycling other people’s ideas, it seems fitting to consider a recipe with maple. Remember, it’s all about the execution, not whether it was such an original idea…..

Mustard-Maple Roasted Salmon

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 tablespoon maple syrup

4 5 oz skinless center cut salmon filets

1) Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or foil

2) Mix together the mustard, 1 tablespoon cilantro, mayo and maple syrup.

3) Put the salmon on the pan, sprinkle with slat and pepper, spread some of the mustard mixture over each filet.

4) Bake until cooked through, 10-12 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining cilantro.

The Mirror and the Light

Synopsis: The final installment of Hilary Mantel’s Thomas Cromwell trilogy begins with Cromwell in the exact spot where we last left him in Bring Up The Bodies: witnessing Anne Boleyn lose her head to a French executioner’s blade. As her remains are bundled into oblivion, Cromwell breakfasts with the victors. While Cromwell continues his rise to power and influence, Henry settles quickly into short-lived happiness with wife #3, Jane Seymour. She produces the longed for male heir, but dies within weeks. As we know, marriage is a political tool to establish alliances. Henry needs allies badly as the Pope is not happy with his marital antics, and the Roman Empire is threatening. To build an alliance with the German Protestant states, he is persuaded by Cromwell to marry Anne of Cleves, a young princess that he has never seen or met. Is H8 angry because she is not beautiful? Is it possible that this is going to be the thing that turns Henry against Cromwell? Whatever the cause, we know the conclusion for Thomas Cromwell ends on Tower Hill.

Review: A long book, there is abundant detail here regarding politics, religious reform, scheming and conspiring and a huge cast of characters. Some people might find it too long, or off-putting. However, if you’ve read the first two installments, you might be like me and simply not want it to end. In this final volume, we venture deeper into Cromwell’s psyche than we have before. He’s reflective about his life, and even appears to have some regrets. Let’s face it, he’s done some things! As the novel progresses, it is amazing how the tension builds. After all, Cromwell doesn’t know what’s in store, but we the readers do know and it’s highly effective. I don’t think this quite lives up to the excitement of Bring Up the Bodies, but it was still delightful.

Rating: 4/5

Recipe: Continuing to use Henry’s wives as inspiration, dessert is on the menu. Jane is so sweet, and effectively maintains a bland demeanor so as not to offend. I think Ina Garten’s Vanilla Brioche Bread Pudding fits the bill. She adds the easiest sauce of all time, melted vanilla ice cream to make creme anglaise! That makes it even more appropriate.

Ingredients

1 12 oz brioche loaf

3 extra large whole eggs

8 extra large egg yolks

4 cups half and half

1 cup whole milk

1 1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

seeds from 1 vanilla bean

confectioners sugar for dusting

2 pints of good quality vanilla ice cream, melted

1) Heat oven to 350 degrees

2) Cut 5 3/4 inch slices of bread and place them in one layer on a sheet pan. Trim some crust from the remaining brioche and cut in 1 inch dice. Spread out on a second sheet pan.

3) Put in the oven for five minutes to toast the bread.

4) Whisk together eggs, egg yolks, milk, half and half, sugar, vanilla and vanilla seeds.

5) Line a 10 x 12 inch baking dish with the whole slices of brioche, and distribute the diced brioche on top.

6) Pour on the custard and press lightly so all the bread is soaked. Set aside for 10 minutes.

7) Place baking dish in a roasting pan, pour in about 1 inch of hot water and cover with foil. Cut a few holes to allow steam to escape.

8) Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 45-50 minutes, until the custard is set and a knife comes out clean.

9) Dust with confectioners sugar and serve warm, drizzled with melted ice cream.

Bring Up the Bodies

Synopsis: Thomas Cromwell Part 2. Henry VIII fought for years to marry Anne Boleyn, but it took little time for him to become disenchanted. She has not produced the son he desperately wants and needs, and she has alienated his old friends. He soon sets his sights on another young lady, demure Jane Seymour, but first has to dispose of Anne. Who is the man for the job? It must be Thomas Cromwell! Anne and the Boleyn family do not want to go down without a fight, and Thomas must find some unlikely allies to make it happen. Within a few terrifying weeks, Anne is standing trial, charged with treason, adultery and….. incest?!? Wow.

Review: We know how it ends, but what a terrific ride to get there. Volume two of a trilogy, this also won the Booker Prize and deservedly so. The characters are vivid, the dialogue crisp and intense. I enjoyed this even more than Wolf Hall, partly because the story is remarkable. Cromwell is getting used to his power and influence, and testing them to see how far he can reach. The Boleyn family was politically savvy, but outmatched by Cromwell. Hilary Mantel takes this amazing plot, and takes it to another level. She deftly sets the scene where Cromwell realizes his precarious position: all his power and wealth derive from his position as an indispensable “fixer” of things for Henry. However, he has no friends, no supporters or power base of his own. He knows he can be set aside (and destroyed) at any time. The novel ends with Anne’s execution, and Henry quickly moving on to wife #3. So far, Cromwell has made him happy and his place is secure.

Rating: 5/5

Recipe: In Wolf Hall, inspiration for the recipe came from Katherine’s royal emblem which included the pomegranate. Anne Boleyn’s badge was the falcon. Hmmmm. I don’t think falcons are really practical for recipe inspiration. Still, it’s Thanksgiving week, so instead of a white falcon, I suggest the obvious choice of turkey. I’ve tried making turkey in almost every way imaginable: brined, deep fried, dry brined, and more. After many experiments, I’ve settled on the dry brine as simpler and much less messy than a wet brine. You need plenty of salt, and then can use whatever herbs or spices you like. For a 12-14 pound turkey you will need 3 tablespoons of salt. I like the Ina Garten combo of adding the zest of one lemon and one tablespoon minced fresh rosemary. Combine, spread all over the inside and outside of the bird and let it sit in the refrigerator for 1-2 days, leaving it uncovered for the last 24 hours so the skin can dry out. Now I just need to convince Matt to let me try spatchcocking the bird before cooking!

The Last Thing He Told Me

Synopsis: Owen Michaels disappears, leaving a note for Hannah, his wife of one year: Protect her. Hannah immediately understands that he wants her to protect his 16 year old daughter Bailey. Bailey, who lost her mother tragically as a child. Bailey who can’t be bothered to treat her new stepmother with common courtesy. Lots of questions: what is going on with Owen? Why did he disappear? Who is he really? What to do with the bag of money he left behind? Hannah and Bailey set out to try and understand what is going on and what the future holds.

Corey’s Review: I have to admit this book is right up my alley. We chose this book as our summer book club with family and personally, I think it was the perfect summer read. It was suspenseful, not too predictable. It was a page turner and enjoyable read. I have to agree with my mom, it was’t earth shattering and I think you will quickly forget it when you are done, but that’s ok! It was good for what it was, a short summer fling. They are also making this into a Netflix series and Jennifer Garner is starting as Hannah (I predicted this- weirdly enough). She seems like the perfect basic Hannah. If you are looking for an entertaining read this is it!

Nicholette’s review: A domestic drama with a bit of suspense, this has been touted as one of the year’s “beach reads.” We read it for our first ever family book club over Labor Day weekend, and that was so much fun! I liked the book club with my family slightly more than I liked the book. Hannah and Bailey are likable and believable characters, but the plot was a bit far fetched, and it was hard to buy into the decisions that Hannah made. Her actions didn’t seem reasonable or realistic. I was entertained, but I wasn’t enthralled or deeply moved. The chapters are short, and its a fast paced quick read. I don’t think it’s a book that will stay with you for long, but it’s entertaining and maybe that’s enough.

Rating: 3/5

Recipe: A beach read of course must be accompanied by something that makes you think of summer and the beach! I think there’s nothing that makes me think of summer more than Ina Garten’s Lobster and Corn Chowder. This has a few steps, but it’s so worth it.

Ingredients:

three 1.5 pound cooked lobsters

3 ears of corn

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup chopped yellow onion

1/4 cup cream sherry

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

4 cups whole milk

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 pound bacon, large diced

2 cups large diced unpeeled Yukon gold potatoes

1 1/2 cup chopped yellow onions

2 cups diced celery

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives

1/4 cup cream sherry

1) Remove the meat from the lobster shells. Cut the meat into large cubes and set aside in a bowl. Reserve the shells and all the juices that collect. Cut the corn kernels from the cobs and set aside

2) For the stock, melt the butter in a large stockpot. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the sherry and paprika and cook for one minute. Add the milk, cream, wine, lobster shells and juices, and corn cobs, and bring to a simmer. Partially cover the pot and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.

3) Meanwhile, in another pot, heat the oil and cook the bacon until browned and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve. Add the potatoes, onions, celery, corn kernels, salt and pepper to the pot and simmer for 5 minutes. Place a strainer over the pot, and carefully pour the stock into the pot with the potatoes and corn. simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Add the cooked lobster, the chives and the sherry and season to taste. Serve garnished with the crisp bacon.

Wolf Hall

Synopsis: Set in the English court of Henry VIII, this first book of a trilogy outlines the rise to power of Thomas Cromwell. The son of a blacksmith, Cromwell rose to power as an advisor to King Henry VIII. He’s kind of a Michael Cohen type figure, a “fixer.” Henry has been married for 20 years to his wife Katherine of Aragon, but she has not produced a male heir! In the 1520’s, the Pope still effectively rules the spiritual world, including England, so he can’t just get a divorce. He has to persuade the Pope that his marriage isn’t valid. And if that path to second wife Ann Boleyn is not smooth, why not separate from Rome and form your own church where Henry is the head? Then you don’t need permission! Cromwell is tasked with helping to make this happen. If he is successful, then material wealth and the king’s favor will be his. If not, well, off with his head.

Review: It’s taken me a while to get to this book. Published in 2009, it won both the Booker Prize as well as the National Book Critics Circle Award. The whole trilogy had been published before I even started. (SPOILER: yes, I will tell you about all 3 books in time). Thomas Cromwell has been portrayed as a villain in most accounts of the Tudor era, a ruthless, unprincipled yes-man. And let’s face it: Henry wants and needs a yes-man. If you don’t indulge ALL of his whims, you’re done for. This novel makes Thomas a somewhat likable person. Ruthless, yes, but also a family man who could be kind and generous, and even humorous. Of course, this is historical fiction, so who knows if that’s true, but it makes a good book. Henry is a most exasperating regent. He’s like a teenager in his whims, and its the job of his advisors to make things happen. So, wife of 20 years, you must not only be discarded, you must be embarrassed and humiliated, then I will move on to wife #2, because I must have a male heir. It’s not a spoiler to note that there are quite a few after Ann Boleyn as well! It was not news, but still depressing to revisit how little agency women had in those days. Katherine was promised in marriage to Henry’s older brother Arthur when she was three years old, travelled to England at age 15 not speaking the language and having no allies. She married Arthur, but only a few months later he died, leaving her in total limbo! For 6 years, negotiations were taking place between her parents and Henry VII. Naturally, he wanted to get the remainder of her dowry so he proposed marrying her to his second son, Henry VIII. It took awhile, but finally happened, and at first, it seemed like they actually loved each other. Alas, the lack of a son was a her downfall.

Rating: 4/5

Recipe: As Queen, you get to choose all kinds of symbols and badges to represent your essence, which then get emblazoned on EVERYTHING. Henry’s first wife, Katherine of Aragon, had the pomegranate as part of her coat of arms. Ironically, the pomegranate is an ancient symbol for fertility and regeneration, and an apt symbol for Katherine and the promise of heirs to come. Unfortunately it was not to be. Still, this inspired me to try something that included pomegranate seeds, and this recipe from the Food Network was perfect. Discovering that you can find frozen pomegranate seeds at the grocery was even better.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons minced ginger

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

2 strips lemon zest

1 1/4 cups basmati rice

2 cups water

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

1/4 cup chopped mint

1/4 cup chopped pistachios

1) Cook ginger and garlic in butter in a saucepan, 2 minutes. Add cumin, coriander, and lemon zest and toast additional 2 minutes.

2) Stir in rice, water and salt, bring to a boil. cover and simmer until done.

3) Fluff with a fork, toss with pomegranate seeds, mint and pistachios.

The Night Watchman

Synopsis: Thomas Wazhashk is the night watchman at the jewel bearing plant, the first factory located near the Turtle Mountain Reservation in rural North Dakota. He is also a Chippewa council member leading the fight against the 1953 Indian termination bill. While representing itself as an ”emancipation” bill, the proposed legislation would dispossess the native tribes of their identity, their land, and any rights due to them from previous treaties. Intertwined with this tale are the stories of other members of the community including Patrice, a recent high school graduate trying to balance her obligation to family with her own dreams and aspirations.

Review: While this is presented as fiction, the novel is based on the extraordinary life of the author’s grandfather, and based on true events. The story is told in alternating chapters representing the POV of Thomas, and his niece Patrice. The looming threat of termination dominates Thomas’s story, while Patrice is largely concerned about supporting her family, helping to find her sister who has been lost to sex trafficking in Minneapolis, and keeping her alcoholic father at bay. While I enjoyed the entire book, Patrice had the story line that really got under my skin. She wanted to balance her native identity with greater ambitions, and I was rooting for her success the whole way. The characters were rich and complex, and even the minor characters were well done. There is a lot of history embedded in this tale, and I definitely learned something new. A novel worthy of the Pulitzer Prize!

Rating: 4/5

Recipe: The Chippewa diet was traditionally based on fish, game, wild rice, corn and an enormous variety of nuts, berries, greens and tubers. As a result of treaties, the US government paid for Chippewa lands with commodities which led to significant changes in the indigenous diet, a topic about which much has been written. The flour in this recipe would not be authentic, but for a family in 1953 it would be!

Turkey Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

2 carrots finely chopped

2 celery ribs finely chopped

1 onion, chopped

1/2 cup all purpose flour

4 cups chicken or turkey broth

2 cups cooked wild rice

2 cups cubed turkey

2 cups half and half

chopped parsley

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1) In a dutch oven, melt butter over medium high heat. Saute carrots, celery and onion until tender.

2) Stir in flour until bubbly. Gradually add in broth. Bring to a boil and cook 1-2 minutes until thickened.

3) Stir in remaining ingredients, return to a boil. Reduce heat and and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes.

The Committed

Synopsis: The long awaited sequel to The Sympathizer, The Committed continues to follow our nameless narrator as he arrives in Paris as a refugee. Several years have elapsed as The Sympathizer and his blood brother Bon were housed in refugee camps, ultimately fleeing Viet Nam after the end of the war. They try to escape their past and prepare for the future by turning to capitalism: drug dealing. The Sympathizer is both charmed and disturbed by Paris. He falls in with a group of left wing intellectuals and politicians who frequent dinner parties given by his French Vietnamese “aunt,” providing stimulation for his mind as well as customers for his product. His new life has new dangers, however—addiction for one, Algerian mobsters, as well as the unresolvable paradox of how to reconcile his two closest friends.

Review: The Sympathizer was probably my favorite book of 2016. A novel told from the perspective of a Vietnamese double agent, communist sympathizer, and self professed “man of two minds.” I don’t know if you can classify that novel as historical fiction, political satire, or maybe just a good spy thriller, but it was amazing! I would certainly recommend reading it first, not just because it is so good (it is) but because The Committed relies heavily on the relationships and events of it’s predecessor. While The Sympathizer was a spy novel of sorts, The Committed is more like a noir crime novel. Our newly retired spy has spent a year in reeducation camp, and now is rewarded with a new life in France. It is set in Paris, but the grittier side of that city: warehouses, clubs and restaurants controlled by battling gangs. His cover is a waiter in ”the worst Asian restaurant in Paris,” though his new real job is distributing hashish. There is a lot of pain for our hero to endure, both physical and psychological. He really can’t escape his past (ghosts are weightless so you can carry an unlimited amount with you!) His introspection is rife with philosophical ruminations, reflections on the price of loyalty, betrayal, and the cost of being human. While not lacking in humor, this was ultimately a bit heavy, so be prepared!

Rating: 4/5

Recipe: Due to the colonial influence of the French, I am certain that “the worst Asian restaurant in Paris” served Banh Mi. This sandwich evolved as the Vietnamese adapted the French tradition of the baguette. However, this roll traditionally would utilize rice flour, making them lighter and chewier. Banh mi can vary in its contents but cold pork, pickled carrots, cucumbers, pate or coriander are common. You can make a vegetarian version using tofu, or individualize as you wish.

Just As I Am: A Memoir

Synopsis: Cicely Tyson tells all in her memoir published earlier this year, just weeks before her death at the age of 96. Her story is of course personal, but also a chronicle of the last century of American life, an accounting of how far we have come in her long life and of how far we still must go. The memoir is packed with details from Ms Tyson’s personal and professional life: her early family life in Harlem, behind the scenes details of her legendary (yet poorly compensated) roles in projects like Sounder, The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, and Roots, and her tumultuous relationship with Miles Davis.

Review: What a life! Born in Harlem in 1924 to immigrant parents from the tiny Caribbean island of Nevis, Cecily Tyson was by her own account a shy skinny kid. Pregnant and married at 17, it took some ambition and effort to get her life moving in another direction. She gives a full account of the events of her life, acting gigs, celebrity encounters and romantic life, and largely she was able to be both critical and reflective on her life choices. I’m certain I’m not the only person to be baffled by her choices where Miles Davis was concerned, but I guess that’s love for you…. hard to explain if you’re not in it! Full of comedy and drama, the memoir is also a history lesson as she describes how her career unfolded the shadow of racism and sexism. She makes plain that she wanted to make a difference in the world, and I believe she surely did. However, I am going to give a skeptical eye roll to her claims to psychic power, and her belief in divine intervention was a bit much for me. Perhaps that is not unexpected for a black woman of her generation. She was good friends with Bill Cosby, but makes no comment on his conviction for sexual assault, which I feel deserved some comment as well.

Rating: 4/5

Recipe: Cicely’s parents immigrated from Nevis, and her mother’s cooking gets lots of praise. Braised oxtail? I tried it! It’s just beef. A little boney and knobby, but nothing that some low and slow cooking can’t overcome. In the end, its just kind of a mildly spicy beef stew. This recipe is from Jocelyn Delk Adams, and you can find it yourself at her website grandbaby-cakes.com.

For the Jerk BBQ sauce:

18 oz bbq sauce bottle of your choice

1/4 cup mild jerk paste

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

3 tablespoons pineapple sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 tablespoon kosher salt

1/2 tablespoon black pepper

1/4 cider vinegar

1 cup ketchup

For the Oxtails:

1 tablespoon olive oil

5 pounds oxtails

2 tablespoons al purpose flour

1 medium onion diced

3 garlic cloves diced

1 medium carrot peeled and diced

2 celery stalks diced

1 red bell pepper diced

1 habanero pepper

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon all spice

3 bay leaves

1 1/2 cup red wine

3 cups Jerk BBQ sauce

1 cup beef broth

3 fresh thyme sprigs

FOR THE SAUCE:

1) Whisk together all ingredients in a medium sauce pan.

2) Bring to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes

FOR THE OXTAILS

1) Heat oven to 275 degrees.

2) Season oxtails with S&P, dust with flour

3) Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven, and brown the oxtails in batches, remove to a paper towel lined plate.

4) Sauce the onions, garlic, carrots and celery for 4-5 minutes.

5) Add the habanero, red bell pepper, bay leaves, half the salt, pepper and all the spices, cook 2-3 minuets.

6) Add the wine to the pot and deglaze.

7) Add the BBQ sauce, beef broth and remaining spices, then add oxtails and fresh thyme.

8) Cover and bake for 4 hours

9) Remove the habanero before serving!!! Or omit it if spice isn’t your thing.

Wayward

Synopsis: Samantha Raymond has reached her tipping point. Life just isn’t making sense anymore! Her mother is ill, but also not sharing much with Sam about it which amplifies Sam’s anxiety. Her teenage daughter is becoming more and more remote, and her part time work as a guide at the home of the fictional 19th century feminist Clara Loomis is not the source of joy she would like for it to be. Her response to her midlife feminine rage is an impulsive purchase of a run down home in an inner city neighborhood of Syracuse. She moves out of the comfortable suburban family home and tries to figure herself out.

Review: Dana Spiotta wastes no time cutting to the heart of what it is to be 50-ish woman in today’s world. Somewhat invisible, unneeded by both your children and your parents (at least for now), sweaty and sleepless. I know that many readers did not care for Sam as a heroine. She does at times seem to be overthinking things and ungrateful for the many great things she DOES have in her life. However, what I did like is that she had enough insight to recognize her own bourgeois privilege! A second narrative thread is told from the perspective of her teenage daughter Ally. We see Sam as her daughter sees her: a controlling, obsessive helicopter parent. The run down house, unappreciated and in need of renovation was a bit obvious as a metaphor for the struggles of menopause, but it worked for me.

Rating: 4/5

Recipe: I’d never heard the term “spiedie” until introduced to this by my friend Mary Ellen. She is a Binghamton NY native, and a spiedie is a marinated kabob of meat that gets grilled and served on a sub roll, or piece of soft white bread. The word derives from the Italian spiedo, meaning spit. The regional dish of spiedini in Abbruzzo, Italy most closely resembles this. This originated in Binghamton, but was made famous at the New York State Fair in Syracuse. In Wayward, a pivotal scene occurs at the State Fair where Sam sees her daughter, from whom she is now estranged, and naturally I thought, “I wonder what they’re eating?” Let’s face it, eating is why we go to the fair! In my area, you can buy a bottled marinade that is actually titled State Fair Spiedie Sauce, but why not make your own?

1 cup canola oil

1/4 cup white vinegar

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1) combine all ingredients

2) makes enough marinade for about 2 pounds of beef, chicken or whatever you like

3) thread on skewers and grill.

The Midnight Library

Synopsis: Nora Seed isn’t happy with her life. In fact, she’s thinking of ending it. However, she ends up in The Midnight Library, somewhere between life and death, where you can “check out” how your life might have been different if you had made different choices along the way. One book tells the story of your life the way it is, others describe different lives shaped by different choices. Nora is faced with the possibility of changing her life for a new one, following a different career, undoing old break-ups. Will she choose a different life, her old life, or no life at all?

Corey’s Review: I am back!!! This was one of the last books I read before having my baby and I loved it. I had never heard anything about this book so I really went into it not knowing what to expect. I enjoyed getting a glimpse into her different lives and seeing how things would be different based on the choices she made. I guess there are people who always wonder what their life would have been like if they stuck with that one thing, could they be an Olympic athlete, could they be a rockstar…..but for what price? I have given this to friends and they all enjoyed the book too. I do agree with my mom, she always seemed unsatisfied, but maybe it’s because she was searching for something that didn’t exist. At the end of the book I felt happy for Nora. I recommend! 4/5

Nicholette’s Review: I may be one of the only people around who didn’t love this book. I didn’t hate it, but if you’re interested in the “what would have happened if I made a different choice in life” kind of book, I would much more highly recommend Kate Atkinson’s Life after Life. This novel was sort of a Hallmark card self help book disguised as fiction. The lessons to be learned are obvious from the start, yet Nora the dimwit seems to need a great deal of repetition to get it. I also found Nora a bit difficult to connect with as a heroine. She takes every situation and interprets it in the most negative way possible. She’s full of regret for all her decisions and never seems to be satisfied by much of anything. Sigh. At least it wasn’t too long.

Rating: 3/5

Recipe: Citrus Baked Arctic char seems like something Nora might have when pursuing her (not chosen) profession of being a glaciologist. Citrus might be hard to come by, but since we are not actually living on a glacier, we have more choices than poor Nora! Arctic char looks a bit like salmon, but is more genetically similar to trout. If you can’t find Arctic char, salmon works well here too. This recipe comes from a food blog willcookforfriends.com. Yum!

1 large fillet of arctic char

1 lb asparagus

1 lemon, cut into thin slices

1 blood orange, cut into thin slices

a few sprigs of fresh thyme

1) Heat oven to 400 degrees, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.

2) Spread the asparagus on the pan, drizzle with EVOO, and spread on the edge, putting the fish in the middle

3) Lay the fish in the middle, skin side down, drizzle with EVOO, salt and pepper and layer with citrus slices, scatter the thyme on top.

4) Roast 12-15 minutes, or until done.