What I'm reading Wednesday...

 

Why did I read another book by this author so soon?  I don't know...because it was available from library as an audiobook, I guess.  

I didn't love it.  The main character had memories for about a thousand years in different incarnations.  His life in Spain...no.  His time in 'hospital'...no.  His friendships in the nursing home...yes.  Oh, I also liked that he was once a cat belonging to Oscar Wilde.  Having recently read The Picture of Dorian Gray, it was a funny coincidence.

I'm not going to rush to read any others by this author.

On another note, I like that Goodreads just changed their rating system, and you can now give star ratings by fractions instead of just whole stars...quarter, half, and three-quarters options make it easier to choose a rating for me.

I've also been reading a mystery from a series that I've read some of previously.  Will save that for next week, since I'm not very far into it.

2026 Midterm...

First day of early voting, and happy to have it done.  Now I don't have to worry about becoming incapacitated in some way before I have my say in the vote!  LOL

An hour in line.  Several people were sitting at the table that was set up for people who had to fill out a provisional ballot by hand.  People who were not on the computerized list of registered voters...whether because they had registered a little late...or they had moved so their address didn't match what was on the list...etc.  Glad to see so many people at the polls.

And with a nod to the Boomer Girl, I decided to document the beautiful sage in the library's garden as I walked by it.  We are enjoying a few days of lower temperatures; low 60s overnight, mid 80s in the afternoons.  Would not be a bit surprised to see 90s again.  Heck, we've spent many a Christmas wearing shorts because of a non-wintery warm spell.  :(

What I'm reading Thursday?...

This was the third of the Cal Hooper trilogy.  I really liked all three...this one maybe not quite as much as the first two.  If I was writing this on another day, I might give it the half a star back.  I really enjoy the author's writing, and I think I will try some of her other books from the Dublin Murder Squad series.

This is the newest from Jonathan Evison.  I've never read any of his previous work.  This is a good read, but kind of difficult subject matter.  A couple nearing 90 have to deal with the realities of caring for each other and themselves.  Personally, it is a reminder that we need to make changes to our home sooner rather than later.  It is told in a dual timeline format, which I usually am not keen on, but it makes sense to tell the story of their relationship and family that way.

Well, I have gotten my numbering all mixed up  again.   I start a new Goodreads bookshelf at the beginning of each year, and add all the books I read within the year to it.  Goodreads says that you can add reread books, but I haven't had luck getting them on two different bookshelves.  So confusing.

What I'm reading Wedesday...

Fighting Edge by Margaret Mizushima

I was looking on library website for an audiobook I could listen to while I did some other chores.  I couldn't believe they had the newest book in this series, but boy was I happy!  

I love the characters in this series.  A female sheriff's deputy has a K9 partner, and I really like reading about their cases and training protocols, and the love they share with each other.  Also, one of the main characters in the book is a veterinarian, and I appreciate that the author's husband is also a veterinarian, so the fictional vet practice reads as very realistic info.

The topic of this installment of the series dealt with an illegal forced labor operation.  Reading this on the heals of Daughters of the Sun and Moon brought up comparisons in my mind of forced-labor practices then (19th century) and that we are still dealing with.  Today we call it human trafficking.  59th book of the year.

 

The Star Garden: A Novel of Sarah Agnes Prine

by Nancy E. Turner

This is the third in a trilogy.  First one is These is My Words, second is Sarah's Quilt.  All were very readable, but the first one was my favorite.  58th book of the year.

Currently I am halfway through The Keeper by Tana French which was published in the spring of this year.  It is the third book of a trilogy as well.

What I'm reading Wednesday...

Daughters of the Sun and Moon by Lisa See

 I could not resist reserving Lisa See's newest book at the library.  Love her work!  Her research is great, and I always learn something.  Characters are so well developed and relationships are compelling.  I was so busy last week, that I didn't get to read, and it was due back to the library today.  I finished it about 6:30 this morning after reading all night.  :)  57th of the year

What I'm reading Wednesday...

 I hardly read at all this week.  Just a few chapters.  But today was Book Club, so I thought I'd share how it went.  

The group really got into the spirit of Victorian England, since our selection of this month was The Picture of Dorian Gray.  We had Finger Sandwiches, Treacle Pie, Sourdough Bread, and fruit and cheeses.

One club member came with Scotch Eggs and a story about the upper classes getting hampers from Fortnum and Mason for picnics and train travel, in which Scotch Eggs was a portable and popular food for travel.  I was really impressed by hers, as I tried to make them one time (decades ago) and found them to be a LOT of work, and mine didn't turn out very well.  Hers were beautiful and delicious.

The Beef Wellington Bites did fine from frozen.  I moved them from the freezer to the refrigerator yesterday morning to thaw.  This morning I brushed them with egg and baked.  They were great, and it was so nice to have the majority of the work done last week.  

I also did Green Bean Bundles wrapped in bacon, brushed with a glaze and baked.  Last time I made them, I baked them in my upper oven which is small and I think they were too near the element, because they burned.  This time I roasted them in my lower, larger oven and they did great.

Somehow I can't see jalapeńo poppers on a Victorian buffet, but they are welcome anytime on mine!  Delicious.  Hers were topped with a large shrimp and a piece of bacon.  Yum!

The Treacle Pie (top right) was really good.  I would describe it as somewhere between a Buttermilk Pie (my favorite) and the filling of a pecan pie.  The other two desserts were flaky, crusty pastry with fruit and cream cheese filling.  So yummy.  

I am still SO full.  And ready to go to bed and read a few more chapters.  I may stay in bed and read all day tomorrow!  :)

Meal prep and planning...

A friend recommended this recipe to me.  It's a faux lobster roll from @BrianLagerstrom on YouTube using Argentine Red shrimp.  I don't know if they are more tender than other shrimps or if it's the quick poaching method he instructs, but they were very good.  It's a pretty quick meal, and seems special served on a toasted brioche bun.  The dressing recipe calls for mayonnaise, lemon juice, lemon zest, and fresh chives.  I specifically ordered the fresh chives, but the store sent me carrot sticks instead, which I kept for another meal and went without the chives.  :(

These are The Pioneer Woman's Mini Beef Wellington Bites I'll be serving at book club.  I made them for supper a few nights ago to make sure they would work out.  They turned out really good, and really exhausting.  Of course, since I was cooking ahead for a group, I used a larger cut of beef, which involved more cutting, and cooking, and wrapping in puff pastry bundles.  

Aside from the few that I baked for our supper, I froze the pastry and beef bundles, and then once frozen I vacuum sealed them for a few days in the freezer.  I will take them out of the freezer and into the fridge to thaw tomorrow, then on Wednesday they will get brushed with egg wash and baked right before lunch.

The one in the photo above looks well done, but others were more rare.  I know it's supposed to be rare(ish) in this recipe, but not knowing how people at book club might like their steak, I tried to go not quite as rare.

This is Shoyu Chicken done in the slow cooker.  I added some of the carrot sticks that were mistakenly included in the grocery order.  Easy and yummy.  I should have added a little cornstarch to thicken the sauce...next time I will.  And no, we didn't use the chopsticks, I just thought they added something to the photo.  :)

Shepherd's Pie...wow, I hadn't made this in forever.  I made it a lot when the kids were still at home.  It's easy, and it has most of the recommended food groups.  Carey was happy to see it back on the table again.

Cheddar Cheese and Broccoli Soup.  We had leftover broccoli from earlier in the week, so even though it is still near a hundred degrees, I thought I'd make it into soup.