Category: Miscellaneous

February & March Book Roundup 2020

On By onehappybookwormIn Fiction, Lists, Miscellaneous, NonfictionLeave a comment

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I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced two months quite like February and March of this year. The world has changed so quickly, and now it feels like my normal life has come to a stop. Finding my new normal has been a challenge, but I’m grateful because if managing a new routine is my worst problem then I’m a very lucky person. In the spirit of staying positive, one of the best things that has come of this for me is that I have much more time to spend reading, so here’s a breakdown of everything I’ve read since January.

The Red Daughter by John Burnham Schwartz

This is a fictionalized account of Svetlana Alliluyeva’s life. Stalin’s youngest child and only daughter, she defected to the US in 1967. This narrative covers her experiences as she tries to find her way in a new country while also trying to maintain a connection with her past and the children she left behind in the Soviet Union. Spanning decades, the novel follows her relationship with the lawyer who helped to navigate her initial escape. I enjoyed this novel but I didn’t love it; at times it felt like it dragged on. I also didn’t like the way Svetlana’s character was portrayed which made it hard to love.

From Russia With Blood by Heidi Blake

Another Russia focused book! This one was a riveting nonfiction read. It covered a series of state-ordered attacks on Russian enemies in foreign countries, focusing mainly on Great Britain. These murders were committed via stealthy poisons that made deaths look accidental or health related. Despite mounting evidence that showed Russia (and the Kremlin) was behind the attacks, the UK and US governments refused to acknowledge the deaths as murder which eventually led to their own civilians being potentially harmed. This was an eye-opening book on recent history and foreign politics; it was both thrilling and terrifying to read.

Patsy by Nicole Dennis-Benn

Patsy is a single mother in Jamaica who dreams of living in the United Sates. Led on and encouraged by her best childhood friend, she leaves behind her daughter to move to New York in hopes of a better life. Once there, she faces the cruel reality of life as an undocumented immigrant and the realization that her friendship isn’t what she imagined it would be. The novel follows both Patsy and her daughter as they grapple with her decision and the impact it has on both of their lives. I enjoyed this novel, but I did feel that there were some side plots that weren’t fully explored. These plots took time away from the main story, and I would have preferred to explore the main story in more depth.

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

I’ve had this book on hold from the library since its publication date in November and I was happy to finally get a chance to read it. Many of my bookish friends were disappointed with this one, so I went into it expecting it to be subpar. I’m not sure if we just have different tastes or if having low expectations allowed me to enjoy it more, but I liked this book. There were many different storylines and characters to keep track of, which sometimes was hard to do, but I liked the mystery of piecing everything together. It was a fantasy novel set in a world of books, what could be better?

The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates

“Our call is to lift women up – and when we come together in this cause, we are the lift.” In this book, Melinda Gates shares the lessons and stories she’s learned from people around the world whom she’s met as part of her work with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In an effort to find solutions for the world’s most vulnerable populations, Melinda (and the foundation) began to see that empowering women is the key to improving societies and has the power to change the world. She shares data and statistics alongside inspiring and heartbreaking stories, and even includes details from her personal experiences as a woman, wife, and mother. While some of the stories were devastating to read, the overall message of empowerment carried through. This book opened my eyes in some ways and broadened my understanding in other areas. It was both an uplifting take on how far we’ve come but also a stark reality on how far we still have to go.

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Sometime during the past few years I’ve realized that I haven’t read much classic literature. AP English could only cover so much, and I was a business major in university so there’s a lot of recommended reading that I’ve missed out on. In an effort to correct that I’ve tried to include a few classics in my yearly book lists, and The Count of Monte Cristo was the most recent. In my last post I shared more details about how much I loved this novel, so here I’ll just say it was one of the best things I’ve read in a long time.

 

Next up…

I’m so excited about the books I have coming up in my to-read pile! Travel might be impossible due to current events but books will be taking me to Spain, Chile, Costa Rica, Russia, and different regions in the US. I can’t wait to share more details!

 

Favorite Books in 2019 (so far!)

On By onehappybookwormIn Fiction, Lists, Memoirs, Miscellaneous, Nonfiction, Our Shared Shelf, TravelLeave a comment

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Somehow it’s autumn, and I don’t know where 2019 went. Or rather, I know where it went, I just don’t want to believe it’s almost over. This year has passed by in a montage of airplane windows, mountain views, sunset walks, 6am meetings, indulgent dinners, countless beers, and yes- a number of books enjoyed from my couch, a park bench, and hotel rooms all over the world. But now it’s fall- my favorite season full of all the best things in life: cozy sweaters, apple cider, pumpkin beer, ankle boots, colorful leaves, and red wine. Keeping in the spirit of all my favorite things, I’m sharing the top ten books that I’ve read so far in 2019 (and a few honorable mentions because I’m incapable of limiting myself).

  1. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

This book was on my radar for a long time, and I finally read it in July. Months later, I still feel haunted by this novel. The story and characters have stayed with me, I can’t shake them from my head. Much of this book took place in the confines of one hotel in Moscow, but the themes and emotions it inspired go far beyond building walls and the pages that contained them.

  1. Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick

On a rainy Friday night in March I treated myself to a Bradley Cooper movie marathon, and Silver Linings Playbook was part of the lineup. Watching the movie again reminded me of how much I enjoyed the book, and so I decided to reread it. It’s a beautiful story that explores relationships and mental illness; it’s equal parts endearing, heart-wrenching, and at times comical. Pat, the main character, is so engaging that you can’t help but root for him to succeed, even if you know what he’s doing is ill-fated. (And, of course, it doesn’t hurt to have a certain attractive, blue-eyed actor as the mental image of the main character.)

  1. Red Notice by Bill Browder

Another book that haunted me, but this one is a true story. It’s a combination of high-stakes business, international law, Russian politics, and ultimately the global fight for justice for a man wrongfully imprisoned and killed. The events in this memoir read like a James Bond novel, and it was sobering to remember that it was all real. This was also one of the first nonfiction books that I’ve read that has mainly taken place during my lifetime, and it was disturbing to picture where I was and what I was doing at the time of some of the more horrific events in the book.

  1. Beware of Pity by Stefan Zweig

This book started out slow for me, but once I was hooked I couldn’t put it down. After an embarrassing first encounter with a crippled girl, a young lieutenant takes pity on her and begins a friendship. She misinterprets his interest as romance, and he plays along to keep her happy and in good health. His actions are kindhearted in intent but cruel in practice, and they get worse as he finds himself more and more entangled with her family. This was a brilliant exploration of compassion and human nature set against the backdrop of pre-World War I Austria-Hungary.

  1. Butterfly by Yusra Mardini

This was a moving memoir, beautiful in its simple and direct style but heartbreaking in the events described. Yusra tells the story of her childhood in Syria, and her dreams of becoming an Olympic swimmer. As she enters her teens she describes the gradual yet devastating way that war took over her normal life, and how her family made the unimaginable decision to flee to Germany. Their journey was difficult, terrifying, exhausting, and very nearly fatal. As Yusra goes on to eventually compete in the 2016 Olympics on the refugee team, she reflects on what it means to be a refugee and have that word thrust upon you by a world that seems determined to use it against you.

  1. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Rereading To Kill a Mockingbird always feels a little bit like going home. I love Scout as a character, she reminds me a little of myself when I was younger. The story is so familiar to me yet it never seems to bore me. Scout’s innocent perspective of a very mature and traumatizing situation not only makes Tom Robinson’s trial more “palatable” to read but it brings out the true injustice and unfairness of the case.

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Blomkvist’s apartment overlooking Gamla Stan in Stockholm
  1. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

I’ve loved this book since I first read it in 2012, and this year I had the wonderful experience of rereading it while in Stockholm, staying in an Airbnb just a few streets away from Blomkvist’s address! Never having been to Stockholm before I didn’t realize how much of the city makes it into the books, but within a few hours of walking around Södermalm all I wanted to do was read this book and find the real-life locations mentioned throughout. Thanks to my local library and the Libby library app I was able to satisfy this craving and virtually borrow the book from nearly 5000 miles away- technology is great!

  1. In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick

This is the better, real-life version of Moby Dick. It’s more exciting, less wordy, and based on the disaster of the whale ship Essex that inspired the novel. It’s an amazing tale of survival, and an interesting piece on early American history. I expected it to be dry and boring, but I was captivated. It had my book club talking for months!

  1. Educated by Tara Westover

This was an eye-opening memoir that made me feel truly grateful for my own family, upbringing, and opportunities for education. Growing up off the grid in rural Idaho, Tara Westover didn’t set foot in a classroom until she was seventeen. It was amazing to read of how she came to grips with her family and the unconventional way that she grew up while also accepting that she has every right to the education and accomplishments she has earned thus far in her life.

  1. Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

This is unofficial required reading for anyone interested in mountaineering and travel. This is Krakauer’s account of the 1996 disaster on Mt. Everest that claimed eight lives, and until 2014 was the deadliest year on the mountain. I think it’s brilliant how he captured the essence and personalities of his fellow climbers while also showcasing the physical, mental, and emotional toll that summiting Everest entails. It was clear that he was still reeling from the disaster as he wrote the book, and I appreciated his honesty in admitting his mistakes and regrets.

Honorable mentions…

Miracle Creek by Angie Kim

This is Angie Kim’s debut novel, and I was very impressed with it. She really brought the characters to life and made them real people with believable thoughts and actions. I can’t say I’m happy with how the novel ended, but I loved the way the story was told.

Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS by Joby Warrick

This was another eye-opener for me. Despite all the CNN that my mom watched when I was a teen, I’m disappointed to admit that I didn’t know a lot of what was discussed in this book. Warrick researches the people and events that led to the founding of ISIS. He highlights decisions and mistakes that were made for the sake of politics- in both the US and Middle East. It’s sad to look at the state of things today and wonder if the situation could be any better if only a few different choices were made.

 

The Best Simple Recipes from America’s Test Kitchen

On By onehappybookwormIn MiscellaneousLeave a comment

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First things first, I didn’t really intend for my first post of 2017 to be about a cookbook. But last night I cooked one of my favorite meals and it occurred to me that it was a recipe originally adapted from one in this book.  With it being a new year and people making resolutions to be healthier, maybe it’s a good time to post about a cookbook.

I generally enjoy cooking, but I’m not one to buy cookbooks all the time. I probably only purchase one a year, if that.  But I’ve had this one for about 4-5 years now, and it’s without a doubt the one that I’ve used most often throughout the years.  I first discovered it through a recipe I found on Pinterest for a spicy sausage pasta bake.  The blog post indicated the recipe had originally come from this book, and when I enjoyed the meal I thought it was worth it to buy the cookbook itself.

Like I said, that was about 4-5 years ago, and it was just after I finished college. Back then, I really wanted to start cooking decent meals that were more elaborate than the “make-it-a-meal” option on the back of your standard boxed side dish.  I had grown up in a household of really good home-cooked dinners and I wanted that for myself, but life was getting in my way.  With my job, I wasn’t getting home from work until close to 6, and my evenings were spent trying to juggle friends, networking, and dating as well as basic adulting skills like cleaning, cooking, and working out.  And that’s not including the downtime I wanted for myself to read books, binge Netflix, and learn to knit/play guitar/speak Spanish/insert random hobby (I’ve had a lot of “learn how to” goals over the years).

My biggest problem with cooking was finding the time to make a meal, and that’s why this cookbook from America’s Test Kitchen was perfect.  All of the recipes in here are designed to be made in 30 minutes or less, so it’s not like I was spending a huge chunk of my evening to make a gourmet meal.  And the recipes are good!  Thinking about it now, I can list at least 5 or 6 meals that are some of my favorite go-to’s now, and they’re recipes that are either straight from or slightly adapted from this cookbook.  And as an added bonus, there are so many helpful tidbits throughout the book about buying fresh vs frozen, what to look for when buying different types of meat, how to prepare different foods, etc.

One thing to note though, some of these recipes do take a bit longer than 30 minutes (at least for me!). Sometimes I think the prep time takes a little bit longer than it should.  I have to acknowledge the fact that my vegetable-chopping skills are below average, so in my case that’s where some of the extra time comes from.  Though I have improved since I got a Slap Chop, I would highly recommend it if you have the same problem!

The other thing to note is that the recipes in this book typically make 4 to 6 servings. This isn’t a problem if you have a family or group of people to cook for, but as a single person living alone I always make adjustments.  Usually I half the recipes and eat the balance as leftovers, which has worked out well for me over the years.  I did take a quick look at other cookbooks that they offer, and they have a Cooking For Two and a Make-Ahead Cook version which might be worth taking a look at as an alternative.

So in the spirit of New Year’s, if one of your resolutions is to cook more at home then I would definitely recommend this cookbook! For me, one of my resolutions is to update this blog more often, so hopefully I’ll be posting more about regular books soon!  Happy New Year and hopefully we all keep up with our goals!