It's Friday! What have you been reading? (11/17)

[ufcasey]

What books have you read this week? What are you currently reading? Like/Dislike any of them?

QOTW:
What's your favorite holiday meal side dish? Bonus points if you have a link to a recipe.

[ufcasey]

Read:
Seduce Me at Sunrise (#2 in series) by Lisa Kleypas - historical romance; 3.5 stars; this is a very enjoyable series!
Wilde in Love by Eloisa James - historical romance; 1 star; so terrible, and I can't believe this author who I usually enjoy wrote this!
The Cruelest Month (#3 in series) by Louise Penny - mystery; 4 stars; I added this series to my 'favorite series' shelf on GR!
Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips - romance; 4.5 stars; I really loved this book and added it to my 'favorite book' shelf on GR - I've only read two books by this author and they are both on this shelf, I just love her mix of family, small towns, and romance

Currently Reading:
Into the Water by Paula Hawkins - mystery/thriller; just started so no impressions yet
Fury of a Phoenix by Shannon Mayer - PNR/UF; I'm about a quarter of the way into it and I'm not sure about it. The guns talk. Hmmm
The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne - historical fiction; no update, still reading when I can

QOTW:
I'm a simple girl, I always look forward to homemade mashed potatoes and gravy from Publix LOL!
I think I might try a new mashed potato recipe this year though - here's an interesting taste test article that includes recipes.

[bex]

how do you read so many books ufcasey! I'm impressed.

I am thisclose to finally finishing a Gentleman in Moscow lol. I really really like it and enjoy it, I just got caught up with other stuff and other books and it got pushed to the side.

I am picking up "Letters from Skye" from the library today and hopefully will start that tonight (based on a recommendation from here.)

[bex]

oh, favorite side dish is stuffing. My mom makes it and its so good. She really only makes it at thanksgiving so its a treat.

Also her mashed potatoes. She's been making them for holidays for decades so this isn't her recipe, but its pretty close:

thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/delicious_creamy_mashed_potatoes/

[litskispeciality]

I'm so behind lately. Still plugging away at "Becoming Nicole: The Transformation of an American Family". It's ok, interesting topic about a transgender child, but it's not well written.

QOTW: Not a giant fan of Thanksgiving food, but stuffing with cranberry sauce is good.

[rainbowchip]

I'm still reading Queen of Shadows. It's not bad, I just don't connect with the characters. I don't understand the relationships at all.

QOTW: I love stuffing (or dressing if you are my mom lol). But I don't have a good recipe for it. My cousin always makes one with mushrooms in it and it is amazing!

A few years ago I found this recipe and have been making it ever since and it is always a hit. I don't like sweet potatoes but I eat the crap out of these.
www.parenting.com/article/sweet-potato-casserole-with-gingersnap-streusel-1000085630

[snshne322]

I just started Artemis by Andy Weir. So far I really like the main character and it has a similar sense of humor as The Martian, though they don't have much in common except space. Which, I suppose is a lot, lol.

I'm trying for the third time to read Lord of the Fading Lands and I'm losing steam. ufcasey , how do I get past this hump? People I know love this series and it seems right up my alley. I get a little further each time, but I'm being distracted by other books at around 1/3 in.  

[doxies]

I finished The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley this week. I really enjoyed it.

I'm reading What Happened this week.

Up next is Little Fires Everywhere. I'm hoping to get some reading done over Thanksgiving. My library list is stacking up and I have to keep suspending my holds because I'm not ready. I need a good book that I finish in a day or two to get me back in the swing of things.

snshne322 - I loved The Martian so I'll have to check back to see how you feel after finishing his new book.  I always worry reading 2nd books that I will be disappointed.

[ufcasey]

bex - right now I have a LOT of downtime at my new job, I keep asking for more work, but in the meantime since I work from home, reading it is! LOL! I freaking loved Letters from Skye so hopefully you like it too (no pressure! haha!)

litskispeciality - I haven't read that Nicole book, but 'This is How It Always Is' is a fictional version of the same topic (which I also haven't read but it's highly rated)

rainbowchip - It took me quite a while to care about the witches, but eventually it got there. But they really annoyed me at first.

snshne322 - That series might just not be for you It really involves a lot more 'high fantasy' plot, which only gets more intricate as it goes along. But it does have a lot more romance than the usual high-fantasy stuff. But if you stick with it, I think subsequent books get better with more action. The first book is a lot of setup for the subsequent books and for their budding relationship.

doxies - I enjoyed The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley too (or as I call it, the twelve times a dude got shot haha)

[rainbowchip]

Nov 17, 2017 10:40:29 GMT -5 ufcasey said:

rainbowchip - It took me quite a while to care about the witches, but eventually it got there. But they really annoyed me at first.

I'm even having issues with Rowan, Aedion, and Aelin. That's probably the problem. Lol

[litskispeciality]

Thank you I will check that out. Nicole spoke at my school so that's what prompted me. It's interesting to learn the history, and sad. Someday I hope to read "Prayers for Bobby". Not completely related, but he committed suicide when his Catholic family didn't accept him for being gay. It was a fabulously sad Lifetime movie many years ago.

[travella]

I finished Born a Crime. I liked the book. I started Idaho by Emily Ruskovich. I'm having a problem getting into this book. I don't know if it's the book or because I've been really busy and my reading time has been limited lately.

QOTW: I like the green beans and the stuffing.

[travella]

Nov 17, 2017 9:05:07 GMT -5 bex said:

how do you read so many books ufcasey! I'm impressed.

I am thisclose to finally finishing a Gentleman in Moscow lol. I really really like it and enjoy it, I just got caught up with other stuff and other books and it got pushed to the side.

I am picking up "Letters from Skye" from the library today and hopefully will start that tonight (based on a recommendation from here.)

I really enjoyed Letters from Skye. I hope you enjoy it too.

[bex]

Nov 17, 2017 10:45:58 GMT -5 rainbowchip said:

Nov 17, 2017 10:40:29 GMT -5 ufcasey said:

rainbowchip - It took me quite a while to care about the witches, but eventually it got there. But they really annoyed me at first.

I'm even having issues with Rowan, Aedion, and Aelin. That's probably the problem. Lol

Wait until Empire of Storms!! lol.

Seriously I think TOG is a really good series but I kind of feel like Sarah Maas is just trying to do too much in it. But at least some of the story lines in Queen of Shadows do eventually all come together. I think. the books kind of blend lol.

[hurricanedrunk]

I finished Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman and I really liked the book. I'm in the middle of What Happened and listening to The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, enjoying both.

QOTW - Do drinks count? We usually make Irish coffee and it's super tasty.

[mrspez07]

I’m still reading In My Own Hearts Blood.
I also picked up my inter library loan (thanks for the recs to do this), of Murder In Plain Sight by Marta Perry. Easy read so far.

I have been really enjoying roasted root vegetables the last few years, I include beets, carrots, sweet potatoes, onion, garlic cloves and maybe a squash. Get some veggies in on a holiday plate without taking up space with a salad ;-)

[rootbeerfloat]

I finally got A Gentleman in Moscow from the library... like a month too late lol.

I looked up Letters from Skye because I knew I read it, but couldn't remember the story. Once reminded, I remembered that I liked it.

I love stuffing.

[ally]

I finished Caravel this week.  I liked it, it was an easy read, but like many of the comments in the discussion thread it was not consistent and could have been better.  I was also surprised to learn there will be a 2nd book.  Not sure about reading it.

I started The People We Hate at the Wedding and I may not keep reading it.  It has not grabbed me and with the overwhelming number of books I have on the waitlist for library loans, plus all the books on my Nook, I feel I should just move on.  Anyone really love it and think I should continue?

QOTW:  I know they are unsophisticated and super sweet, but I look forward to the sweet potatoes with marshmallows as a once a year treat.  I am also looking forward to pecan pie.  This is the best recipe I have tried: smittenkitchen.com/2015/11/pecan-pie/ 

[aurora]

I'm reading The Custom of the Army by Diana Gabaldon. It's one of the Lord John novellas. General fun historical fiction.

Listening to A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny, which I'm definitely enjoying.

QOTW: stuffing. I make it with tons of butter, both hamburger and italian sausage, pecans, and craisins, which I just realized while typing this post that I forgot to pick up. Oops. Anyway, I'll happily eat the stuffing by itself whether there is turkey available or not.

[charlatti]

I’m currently reading Menagerie by Rachel Vincent, which is interesting so far. It’s a fantasy novel where part-human magical creatures (werewolves, selkies) are considered fair game for just about every mistreatment because they’re neither human nor animal and thus have the rights of neither. Also finished this week: The Pearl by John Steinbeck (required reading) and Are You Sleeping by Kathleen Barber (extremely meh).

QOTW: I really love all the side dishes. It hasn’t been named yet, so I’ll admit to loving the classic green bean casserole in all its processed soup goodness. www.campbells.com/kitchen/recipes/classic-green-bean-casserole/ I’ve tried the healthier, real-food versions but they just can’t compare. 

[monkeyfeet]

I'm nearly finished with The Women in the Castle. It's good, not great.

I love store bought pumpkin pie! Something about the crust! We may be on #4 in our house already! Il

[ssmjlm]

Finished-The Breakdown, 2 stars and not very good. The plot was too easy to figure out.

Currently reading- Lucy Kinkaid 9, but I’m only a chapter in.

On deck- Behind Her Eyes

QOTW- love mashed potatoes and gravy. Close second is DH’s corn pudding.

[sassypants]

I finally finished Seven Stones to Stand or Fall and liked it a lot. I am now reading Ghostland: An American History of Haunted Places. I'm about 1/3 of the way in, and I like it even though it's a bit of a buzzkill. If you're the type of person who likes books like Lies My Teacher Told Me, you might enjoy this.

I'm hard pressed to pick just one side dish, but even since I discovered the Alton Brown recipe for Green Bean Casserole, I can't eat any others. It's so GOOD! 

[MrsAxilla]

Guys I have my first one star book!  The Last American Gypsy: Chronicles of Phish Tour 2004.  It popped up on FB and the reviews were mixed (but mostly bad, and after reading I'll bet a bag of magic mushrooms his buddies wrote the good ones).  But hey!  It was $2 and DH and I were on that tour, their last before they quit for good (and then sobered up and realized that was stupid).  If you've ever been to a phish (or dead or any jam band) show and saw a "wook" (a dirty, homeless-looking white boy with dreads who's clearly been stoned and tripping for days), this book is a glimpse into his life.  And it's just as addled and fucked up and self-important as you'd expect from such a person.  So, so bad.  

[dorothyinAus]

I finished Sidney Chambers and the Dangers of Temptation as well as several Kindle Freebies (from the the Donut Hole series), then began The Garden Intrigue, a Pink Carnation book. It's interesting though we only made it 2 chapters in before a non-stop weekend began.

Just as an aside, if you are anywhere the Pop Up Globe is playing do not pass up the chance to see a performance. I've been to Much Ado About Nothing and Othello and they were both fantastic! Truly, it's an amazing experience to see Shakespeare performed like that. The performance of Othello was punctuated by an actual thunderstorm yesterday, and the actors worked with it beautifully, even timing their lines with thunderclaps.

QOTW:  I know I'm going to be in the minority, but the traditional Green Bean Casserole has always been one of my favorites, along with cornbread dressing and the crispy bits of the roasted turkey skin. Here in Australia, my MIL tries to make the holiday meals closer to what I'm used to and she makes an apple, bacon & brioche stuffing that is fantastic -- too often she has caught me in the kitchen nibbling the leftovers after the meal. It's definitely my favorite side here.

[So_Fetch]

I'm on vacation so I've read two books this week. Pretty Baby and The Good Girl. I enjoyed them both and will probably read another by the same author.

[Nonny]

I missed last week, so I've got a bunch that I've finished since then:

The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett - it was OK, kind of dumb, but not bad exactly

In a Dark, Dark Wood - reread, still enjoyed it very much, but my book club was a bust - only two other people showed, and only 1 of them had finished it, so we didn't discuss

The Communist Manifesto - I needed a book from a genre I'd never read before for a library challenge, and a manifesto was the best I could come up with, and a friend who is a historian had a copy for me to borrow when I was complaining and trying to come up with ideas. In case you are wondering, these people are fucking nuts, and it's ALL about the political power grab.

Dirty Magic (Prospero's War #1) - kind of fun urban fantasy; nothing spectacular, but an interesting take on magic being cooked like meth.

I also made some progress on a Lewis Carroll biography I've been reading for like, 4-5 years, and I'm also working my way through How to Write Short: Word Craft for Fast Times, but I'm taking notes as I'm going, so it's taking me awhile to read this one.  I haven't started a new novel yet.

QOTW:  I actually love green bean casserole, but I think that's only because it's a once or twice a year dish, and because I don't have to be the one who makes it.  I'm in charge of cranberry sauce, even though that's not really my fav.  This is the one I make - Cabernet Cranberry and Blueberry Sauce - but I modify it by halving the cinnamon and leaving out the cloves.  It calls for a ridic amount of cloves even if you like their flavor.  Also, protip, the best way to help your berries along to bursting (which helps the sauce gel up) is a potato masher).

[Nonny]

Nov 19, 2017 5:15:53 GMT -5 dorothyinAus said:

Just as an aside, if you are anywhere the Pop Up Globe is playing do not pass up the chance to see a performance. I've been to Much Ado About Nothing and Othello and they were both fantastic! Truly, it's an amazing experience to see Shakespeare performed like that. The performance of Othello was punctuated by an actual thunderstorm yesterday, and the actors worked with it beautifully, even timing their lines with thunderclaps.

This sounds amazing!  I love Shakespeare in all forms.

[dorothyinAus]

Nov 19, 2017 19:45:52 GMT -5 Nonny said:

Nov 19, 2017 5:15:53 GMT -5 dorothyinAus said:

Just as an aside, if you are anywhere the Pop Up Globe is playing do not pass up the chance to see a performance. I've been to Much Ado About Nothing and Othello and they were both fantastic! Truly, it's an amazing experience to see Shakespeare performed like that. The performance of Othello was punctuated by an actual thunderstorm yesterday, and the actors worked with it beautifully, even timing their lines with thunderclaps.

This sounds amazing!  I love Shakespeare in all forms.

It was great. They're a New Zealand company so the performances do have a decidedly Maori twist -- Othello features a Haka and Much Ado had traditional Maori elements in the wedding scene. But also, the actors really involve the audience and use the whole theater. No matter where you are sitting (or standing) there is a possibility of an actor using the area around you for part of the production. The actors interact with the Groundlings, making them part of the play and the speeches, speaking to them as part of the onstage conversations. It is so much fun and really makes Shakespeare fun and accessible for everyone. Reading Shakespeare can be dry and difficult, but the actors really draw you in and make sure the audience is understanding the play and action. I don't know if it will tour the US, but if it does, it's definitely worth seeing a production.

[MrsAxilla]

Nov 19, 2017 5:15:53 GMT -5 dorothyinAus said:

I finished Sidney Chambers and the Dangers of Temptation as well as several Kindle Freebies (from the the Donut Hole series), then began The Garden Intrigue, a Pink Carnation book. It's interesting though we only made it 2 chapters in before a non-stop weekend began.

Just as an aside, if you are anywhere the Pop Up Globe is playing do not pass up the chance to see a performance. I've been to Much Ado About Nothing and Othello and they were both fantastic! Truly, it's an amazing experience to see Shakespeare performed like that. The performance of Othello was punctuated by an actual thunderstorm yesterday, and the actors worked with it beautifully, even timing their lines with thunderclaps.

QOTW:  I know I'm going to be in the minority, but the traditional Green Bean Casserole has always been one of my favorites, along with cornbread dressing and the crispy bits of the roasted turkey skin. Here in Australia, my MIL tries to make the holiday meals closer to what I'm used to and she makes an apple, bacon & brioche stuffing that is fantastic -- too often she has caught me in the kitchen nibbling the leftovers after the meal. It's definitely my favorite side here.

I clicked your link and then remembered you're in Australia.  What a tease!