New Release: My Father's Daughter

Sometime, in all of the flurry and confusion of the holidays, I won a book on Twitter from Grand Central (an imprint of Hachette). All I knew was that it was Gwyneth Paltrow's new book. I thought it was a memoir (because apparently I didn't bother to read the subtitle) and though I rarely read memoirs, I kind of love Gwynnie so I thought it would be okay. Imagine my surprise last week when the book arrived and I realized it was a cookbook -- My Father's Daughter: Delicious, Easy Recipes Celebrating Family & Togetherness.

Though you may remember Gwyneth's macrobiotic phase, she has since returned to more normal dining choices, only avoiding red meat. But in this book, she not only celebrates the food that she makes for and with her children, Apple (who is one day younger than Z) and Moses, but she tells some of why she went macrobiotic during her father's fight against cancer (he passed away almost ten years ago). She tells many stories about cooking or eating with her father, her mother, her adopted family in Spain and her grandparents. It's very sweet and very down to earth. She offers some healthy alternatives for sweetener (ie. agave syrup) or bacon (turkey or duck bacon) but also allows for the more regularly accessible choices in her recipes. Since she doesn't eat red meat and Apple is vegetarian, she has mostly vegetable, seafood and poultry recipes. There are also some delicious looking breakfast and dessert recipes.

The photographs in this book are gorgeous and there are pictures for maybe a quarter of the recipes. There are also some beautiful family photos from her childhood and even some with her kids (though very few that show their faces). And Gwyneth isn't afraid to have less than glamorous photos in the book -- in one you even see a bra strap! That's my kind of gal.

I always like to make something from a cookbook before reviewing it to make sure that it's not a chef's cookbook. Last night, I chose to make Maple-Dijon Roasted Winter Vegetables to go with our steaks. I used carrot, sweet potato and butternut squash. They are cut into strips tossed with a dijon mustard/pure maple syrup/oil/salt/pepper mix and baked for a relatively short amount of time. This is what they looked like before baking. Just the colors were enough to raise my mood!

So how did they turn out? Absolutely delicious. I happen to strongly dislike dijon mustard (and I considered using mustard powder instead) but chose to go for the full flavor and I don't regret it. Z isn't a big fan of squash or sweet potato but he ate a good amount of both. The only thing was that I wished there had been a little more caramelization because those parts were super delish!

What else am I looking forward to making from this cookbook? There's a miso soup recipe that looks really simple and delicious. I always enjoy eating it when we're out but have never made it at home. I will definitely try the corn chowder and the polenta with fresh corn this summer. And the Spaniard in me has always wanted to make paella but I don't like most seafood so I'm very happy that she has a vegetable paella recipe. But probably the next thing I will make are Bruce Paltrow's World-Famous Pancakes. With a bit of sugar and buttermilk and an overnight set-up, I expect greatness. I am really so happy to have this book and I will read it regularly for the anecdotes as much as the recipes.

A little bit drooly,
K

"The elevator continued its impossibly slow ascent."

Just in the nick of time, I finished one Japanese book in translation for the Japanese Literature Challenge 5, hosted by Bellezza, which ends tomorrow. Unexpectedly, this book also worked for the 2012 Science Fiction Experience so I was able to get double credit out of this one. The novel was recommended to me by Natalie after my first experience with Haruki Murakami and The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and she did a great job. I liked this one even more than that one!

I'm not sure that I will be able to give a good summary of the plot because information is slowly doled out and part of the enjoyment of reading this book is going on that journey with the unnamed main character. He is a mentally-altered man whose job is to process and encode sensitive data for a corporation called The System. His most recent client is a man known only as Grandfather and his data must be something truly special because, as soon as the main character gets home, his world is literally turned upside down. And in alternating chapters, we learn of another main character -- another unnamed man who moves to a city surrounded by a Wall. It's a unique place full of unicorns and detached shadows. This man is assigned to be the Dreamreader, a job with a mysterious purpose. The intersection of these two mens' lives might just be the End of the World.

As Japanese literature, I really enjoyed this one. The translation (by Alfred Birnbaum) was very smooth and readable. I didn't have any issues with it. The bits of the story that happened around normal Japanese culture were interesting and enlightening. There was definitely a non-Western sensibility to it but it never felt completely unfamiliar.

As a science fiction book, this was also a really good story. There were a couple of long scientific explanations that actually didn't bore me and the ideas of human modification for financial gain were sufficiently frightening to make me hope that this scenario stays in the realm of fiction. I'm actually surprised that this book isn't talked about more in the science fiction world. It's one that I will be thinking about for a long time.

Searching for a happy, peaceful wonderland,
K

"Go Tesla!" "Go Science!"

Yes, that is Nikola Tesla with two lightning-shooting guns and some stylish goggles, flanked by his assistant Tim and being goaded on by the one and only Mark Twain. The Five Fists of Science is a short graphic novel, written by Matt Fraction and drawn by Steven Sanders. With an irresistible title, this was an impulse buy at our local comic shop. And while it had some laugh-out-loud moments, cool technology and a truly wicked Thomas Edison (as we all know he is, the damn elephant murderer), I wasn't entirely sold on this one.

Pairing Tesla, Twain and the Baroness Bertha von Suttner as a team united against the evil forces of J.P. Morgan, Edison, Guglielmo Marconi and Andrew Carnegie is a fun idea. While Tesla's team believes in science (and in Twain's case, a bit of showmanship), Morgan is relying on black magic and mythical creatures to gain power. Which will win?

Some of the dialogue in this book is hilarious and some of the art is inspiring. But then there are other times when some of the dialogue is repetitive and some of the art is a bit too dark to decipher. But, with a giant robot that works like Big O and looks like the Iron Giant, there's enough to enjoy in the book to make it worth reading for fans of science and/or steampunk. A fair warning, though, there is a decent amount of profanity and some blood in the book -- and more than enough New Jersey jokes.

I chose to add this to my reading list at the last minute because of Carl's 2012 Science Fiction Experience. It's my first time participating which, honestly, doesn't make much sense. Usually I protest "well, I just don't read science fiction very much" but then I went to my TBR and was able to pull this right off the top of a stack. So, with this and my upcoming review of Connie Willis' Blackout and All Clear, I guess I will officially be joining this annual event. It feels nice to come out of the sci-fi closet!

Getting my geek on,
K

"I was never so frightened as I am now."

My pending-review books are now stacked by size and not by when I read them because the stack was starting to wobble (yikes!) so my apologies if my thoughts in any upcoming posts are a bit scattered or, most likely, sparse. I think Affinity was the first book I finished this year. There was a lot to like about it and then there were things that just didn't work for me. What I liked the most was the familiarity of Sarah Waters' characters. I would never be able to tell you what it is about them but I could recognize one of her women anywhere. Waters really has a distinct voice and a certain way of writing her leads. I also really liked the descriptions of the Victorian women's prison. I don't think this is something that gets talked about very much so it was quite fascinating (and heartbreaking, of course). What I didn't really like in this story was the plot. I didn't hate it but it just didn't do much for me. I think by never finding out what this novel was about before reading it, I got my expectations too high for a ripping good ghost story. Instead, it's a tale about belief and kindness and the human condition.

So, because this didn't become my new favorite Waters' novel, I'll have to keep The Little Stranger in the number one spot. In fact, if I get a chance, I wouldn't mind re-reading it later this year!

(If you would like a more thorough discussion of this book, Kelly and Marg just posted about it yesterday and had some great thoughts about it.)

Waiting for the next offering,
K

New Release: The Orphan of Awkward Falls

If you remember, I was really amused by the title of Keith Graves' middle school novel, The Orphan of Awkward Falls, and I put it on my Chronicle Books "Happy Haulidays" list last month. Well, it was sitting right there on the "featured books" shelf of the library so I grabbed it. And while it has a fun idea and some interesting characters, overall I just didn't love it like I thought I would.

Situated in remotest Canada, Awkward Falls is a college/criminal asylum town just like any other. But when twelve year old Josephine and her parents arrive, they step right into a snowy hotbed of escaped lunatics, robot butlers, Frankenstein cats and so much more.

There were certainly elements of this book that I enjoyed. The relationship between Josephine and Thaddeus, the abandoned boy next door, was really interesting and sweet. The whole mad scientist plot was fun too. But overall, the writing was uneven and the dark, sketchy illustrations, though good on their own, were badly placed throughout the book and seemed like a badly-executed imitation of Brian Selznick. I don't know if my hopes were too high for this book or what but I found myself nitpicking as I was reading -- which is never a good sign.

Looking for a bit more,
K

New Release: I Am Half-Sick of Shadows

I am going to start sounding like a broken record here when I anoint each new novel in the Flavia de Luce series as "the best so far" but I truly believe that about this newest one -- I Am Half-Sick of Shadows. This was Flavia at her best--slightly more mature with a more believable "voice"--and the murder took place right inside of Buckshaw this time! The winter setting was timely and I could truly feel the deep chill of the east wing of the house.

As is my new method with series, rather than worrying about spoilers and such when reviewing the plot, I am simply going to try and convince you to read this series from the start.

So, begin by reading my review of The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie where I said

"Bradley has crafted a young detective that is bright, impetuous and strong".

And then, if you aren't convinced, see what I had to say about The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag --

This book was everything I wanted it to be and more. I think it's possible that I like it better than the first!

Still not convinced? Well, the third book, A Red Herring Without Mustard, was one I couldn't put down --

I read almost the entire 400 page book in one day. I didn't get the laundry done. I didn't make it to the grocery store. I took the book out to read during brunch.

If you're a fan of unique characters, old manor houses and a little bit of poison, you can't go wrong with these books. Plus, the colorful series will look wonderful on your shelves! And if you've already devoured the series like I have, why not host a Murder Mystery Tea Party at Buckshaw?

Counting down the days until the next story, Seeds of Antiquity,
K

All Apologies

I just wanted to let you all know that I'm having some issues with my site right now. I can't access it from any of our home computers for some stupid, most-likely-Comcast-related reason. I'm trying to figure out what exactly is going wrong and am hoping to be able to post again soon (my next entry needs links from past posts). I haven't stopped reading. In fact, I'm over half-way through Blackout by Connie Willis and am loving it! I'll start All Clear as soon as I'm done too in order to avoid any mid-story angst. Also, Z and I just finished The Phantom Tollbooth and I'm thinking of a fun way to tell you about that because we had a great time with the book!

In the meantime, please enjoy my snow.

Frustrated but hopeful,

K

New-ish Release: Dandy Gilver and the Proper Treatment of Blood-Stains

Always on the lookout for a new mystery series to devour, I was excited to hear about Catriona McPherson's Dandy Gilver and the Proper Treatment of Blood-Stains. This isn't the first in the series but rather the fifth and most recent. Though I would have liked to have a bit more background on the life of the cheeky, upper class Dandelion Gilver and her life in Scotland, I fell right in with Dandy and her crime-solving ways.

In this story, Dandy, already an established amateur sleuth, receives a letter from Lollie Balfour, a woman of means who is afraid for her life. She thinks her husband plans to kill her. And this isn't the typical case of hints and suppositions. Lollie's husband has directly stated that he soon will kill her. He recites psychotic poetry and draws his finger across his throat in front of her. And the rest of the household seems to think he's a scoundrel as well, though when Dandy meets him, he seems like an average sort of person. But, Dandy senses that there's more to the story than meets the eye and she decides to take the open lady's maid job and work the case from the inside. And being a convincing maid might just be a harder task than solving the impending murder!

This was a really fun story. Though there are comparisons to Maisie Dobbs in some of the blurbs, I think that Dandy is something of an anti-Maisie. She is married, a mother of grown children and one of the privileged class. She has no formal training in investigation but, rather, she uses her own brains and her best friend, Alec Osborne, as a sounding board. Her methods are not always appropriate but somehow she pulls through each situation with only a few scrapes. The mystery in this book is a bit far-fetched but in a fun way. I will definitely be getting copies of Dandy's previous adventures and will enjoy getting to know her better.

The next book in the series, Dandy Gilver and an Unsuitable Day for Murder, will be released in May.

Sorting the clues from the herrings,
K


Yes, I received a copy of this book for review but my thoughts are honest.

A Literary Love Letter to Matthew Pearl

Dear Matthew Pearl,

Many years ago, when I used to find my next read solely by wandering the aisles of my local Barnes & Noble, I happened upon your first novel -- The Dante Club.

I thought it was a fantastic book, putting well-known American authors Longfellow, Holmes and Lowell in a shockingly dark adventure based on the writings of Dante. I liked it so much that I gave it to my mom to read and she liked it too (except for the part about the maggots which she still brings up every once in a while as being just a bit too vivid and memorable). The only problem was that I didn't know much about these authors before reading the book and so, while I had a great time with the story, it didn't mean quite as much as if those authors had been literary "friends" of mine.

Then, in 2006, I was thrilled to find that your next novel did feature a chum of mine, a recently deceased Edgar Allan Poe. The Poe Shadow is about a very likable young lawyer, Quentin Clark, who can't believe the rumors flying about Poe after his untimely death. He follows the clues that many die-hard Poe fans have also followed over the years to try and prove that Poe's bad reputation was not in fact true. It was a fantastic novel that brought an unsolved mystery back to life in vivid color.

And then, just a couple of years ago, I almost fainted when you tackled the death of my beloved Charles Dickens and the missing ending of his final novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood. After a less than satisfying experience with another novel about the same subject that came out around the same time, this story turned out to be just what I was looking for. I wasn't disappointed with your book at all.

Finally, last month I had the pleasure to read an early copy of The Technologists, which will be coming out in February. Like The Dante Club, I wasn't previously familiar with the characters or setting--the first graduating class of M.I.T., The Massachusetts Institute of Technology--but, by the end of the story, I became more invested in the lives of these young men (and women) than I would have thought possible. In fact, I was disappointed when the book ended because I wanted to follow your characters through the rest of their lives and even back into their pasts. With fascinating studies of science versus religion, Tech versus Harvard, women in education, the Civil War and more, this was a deep and thoughtful book that also read as a love letter to Boston, a city with a long history. And the mystery, oh, the mystery! I almost wrote you half-way through reading the book because I thought I was so clever and had it all figured out. But I was wrong and couldn't have been happier to be so. I didn't feel cheated or misdirected at all. I simply followed the clues, as did Marcus and the other Tech students. Even the best scientist can only form conclusions with the facts he or she has at hand.

And writing a prequel short story, The Professor's Assassin, was a brilliant way to set the stage for why M.I.T. was so important, especially to its founder, William Barton Rogers. It also avoided the increasingly-present Prologue that is starting to bother some readers of modern novels. And now I've just found some novellas and short stories on the website for The Technologists about Marcus, Edwin and Ellen and I'm incredibly excited to read about the students' time at M.I.T. It's exactly what I was wishing for!

One of my reading resolutions for this year is to re-read your first three novels and I may even throw in a re-read of The Technologists at the end of the year for good measure because it was just that good. Thank you for writing books that I want to read over and over. I hope to convince a few other readers to pick them up as well.

Yours in literature and history,
K

Looking Ahead to 2012

Unless my recent fortune comes true, I plan on 2012 being a quiet and peaceful year! ::grin::

I have a couple of reading goals and plans that I'm pretty excited about for this year. So, without further ado (since I really should get to the gym today!) --

First, read at least 50 books from my home TBR stacks. I've put the ones I anticipate wanting to read on a LibraryThing list (here, if you're curious) but I know I will switch some out for other books as the year goes on. And, as you can see, the list is only at 49 because I already finished one today!

Second, read Gregory Maguire's Oz quartet from the beginning. I've read Wicked twice and Son of a Witch once but haven't read the other two books in the series yet and I think I will enjoy them better if I just start again. I don't know if I will read them all in one block or (more likely) just fit them in one at a time through the year.

Third, re-read three Matthew Pearl novels. I just read (and loved) his new novel, The Technologists, that comes out in February and it reminded me how much I loved his first three novels -- The Dante Club, The Poe Shadow and The Last Dickens. And I happen to have signed bookplates for each one now (thank you, Matthew!) that I will put in as I finish each book. (Although I'm thinking that I now need to get a nice hardcover of Dante because I just have a mass market paperback of it.)

Fourth, successfully progress through my Year of Dickens (look for my launch post in February) for the Dickens Bicentenary. I'm sure it will be a trial at times (I almost just made a really bad Chancery joke but I resisted) but I'll be inserting favorites when I need a morale boost and I should be okay.

Fifth, I want to read more non-fiction and international/translated fiction but I'm not going to commit to specific numbers. I will just go with a loose "more than last year" kind of goal on this one.

I've decided to start recording the chapter books that Z and I read together at bedtime in my spreadsheet because they really should count as books/pages read for me too.

And I think that's it! Some clearing of my TBR shelves (LibraryThing seems to think I have 236 unread books here), a few re-reads of old favorites and a grand celebration of a favorite author -- what more can I ask for in 2012?!

Moving forward with a bounce in my step,
K