Month: January 2017

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Visual Aids: A Guide to Helpful Cookbooks

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I’m quite the newbie when it comes to graphic novels, so you can imagine my struggle when this week’s topic was chosen, but after mulling it over I realized, what’s more visual than a cookbook!? From full-page photographs to detailed diagrams, there’s not a single cookbook that doesn’t have at least one visual aid. So, for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by Broke and the Bookish), I decided to share my favorite books on almost everyone’s favorite topic: food!

But first, do you have a graphic novel you’d recommend reading? I can’t wait to see everyone’s TTT this week – my TBR needs help!

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Food Anatomy: The Curious Pars & Pieces of Our Edible World by Julia Rothman: A beautifully illustrated fact book on the history of food and the different types of food we eat. From the various ways of cooking an egg to the different types of cabbage… her book is as gorgeous as it is informative!

Appetites: A Cookbook by Anthony Bourdain: In his latest cookbook, Bourdain shares his favorite recipes to make for the family. Between lengthy discussions on the ins-and-outs on burger making and whether or not you should use a fork to make scrambled eggs, there’s an amazing how-to on Thanksgiving, complete with photographs and step-by-step instructions from pre-cooking to scheduling to gravy to presentation… he has it all!

The Artists’ and Writers’ Cookbook by Natalie Eve Garrett: An illustrated collection of personal, food related stories, illustrations, poems, cartoons and more from favorite artists and writers around the globe. This was such a treat to read!

Cooking for Jeffrey: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten: Ina Garten is one of my favorites, and even though I rarely cook one of her recipes, her cookbooks are a wealth of knowledge. In her latest, Garten shares her favorite meals to make for her family along with an intimate look at their relationship – they have such an adorable meet-cute!

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One to Five: One Shortcut Recipe Transformed into Five Easy Dishes by Ryan Scott: A great guide to mastering one simple recipe, like roasted chicken, and turning it into five different meals. From Chicken-and-Cornbread Tamale Pie to Lesley’s Biscuit Chicken Turnovers, his recipes will leave you hungry for more!

Cooking with Mary Berry by Mary Berry: If you consider yourself a novice or intermediate cook, then this is the book for you. Complete with full-color photographs and step-by-step how-tos from egg basics to different techniques for cooking meat, her book makes it easy-peasy to learn and put new skill into practice. Oh, and the desserts!

Cake Magic!: Mix and Match Your Way to 100 Amazing Combinations by Caroline Wright: Speaking of dessert, my list wouldn’t be complete without a book on cake! Cake Magic is your complete guide to the art of cake, from simple layers to rich fillings to sweet frostings, you’ll see just how easy it is to pair up and switch up your layers.

Scandinavian Comfort Food: Embracing the Art of Hygge by Trine Hahnemann: Hygge is more than just a word or a feeling, it’s a complete lifestyle, making comfort a priority in your everyday life be it by lighting a candle or preparing a traditional home cooked meal. Scandinavian Comfort Food is more than a study on traditional Scandinavian recipes – it’s a collection of the author’s favorite recipes, passed down from one generation to the next, emoting a feeling of family and comfort.

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Cook’s Science: How to Unlock Flavor in 50 of Our Favorite Ingredients by The Editors at Cook’s Illustrated: From pork shoulder to whole chickens to quinoa, this book covers it all! Each chapter highlights a specific ingredient, revealing the science behind popular cooking techniques as well as tips to unlock even more flavor – complete with diagrams and full-color photographs.

The Tea Book: All Things Tea by Louise Cheadle: If you’ve ever wondered who drinks the most tea or about all the different types of tea, or even the different ways to make tea, this is the book for you. Complete with full-page infographics, illustrations, maps, tealicious photographs, recipes, and travel guides, The Tea Book covers it all!

What are your favorite cookbooks? Do you have a graphic novel to recommend!?

 

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[TBR Check-In] What Are You Reading?

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It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? Is hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date, a great place to meet up and share your reading plans for the week. I love finding new blogs and new books – so a link-up that helps me do both? Sign me up!

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The past week has been a difficult one to swallow. Personally, I strive to keep my opinions to myself, be that political or religious, but after recent events, it’s near impossible to stay quiet. While not an expert on immigration, I understand the difficulties involved, especially when considering the safety of an entire country, but to ban entrance when refugees already face a rigorous vetting process is extreme. It’s especially hard-hitting after reading The Lightless Sky by Gulwali Passarlay, a true story of a twelve-year-old refugee’s escape from Afghanistan. His story leaves a remarkable impression: the endless months spent hungry, facing imprisonment, cruelty, and the sheer terror of not knowing what was next, if he’d finally find a way to reach England, and above all, be allowed to stay, to start over. His story isn’t singular, in fact he’s one of millions searching for safety, risking it all for a life without persecution. Considering the numbers, The United States admits such a small percentage of all refugees, unlike Turkey, Germany, or France – where so many live below the poverty line in camps such as the Calais Jungle. As a country of immigrants, it’s our responsibility to help as many as we can, and as safely as we can – surely, there’s an answer to our security woes, but ordering an immigration ban isn’t it.

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This week I’ll be seeking comfort from a suite of audiobooks including Blood for Blood by Ryan Graudin and The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden – both perfectly timed library holds! I’ve already started The Bear and the Nightingale in print, but I can’t resist such a promising audiobook. In print, I’m still working on Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeliene Thien – the story slowed around the halfway mark, but hopefully it’ll pick up soon!

What are you reading?

 

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[Recently Read] A Battle of the Cookbooks

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I love to cook. It’s more than just a necessity – cooking to me is meditation, a time to zen out and relax, and more than anything, a time to play! Especially when trying out a new recipe. Whether a new take on an old classic, or a new recipe entirely, the best way to make the most of your meals is by a little research. If I’m not cooking (or reading), I’m most likely watching the Food Channel or perusing a cookbook. There’s always more to learn – it’s amazing how even the smallest tips make a huge impact on your final dish. Here are a few I’ve read lately:

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Cooking for Jeffrey: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten

Ina Garten is one of my favorites, and even though I rarely cook one of her recipes, her cookbooks are a wealth of knowledge. A huge trend in the cooking world lately is a focus on home cooking, revealing the recipes some of the most famed chefs like to make for their families, and Ina Garten is no exception. In Cooking for Jeffrey, Garten shares some of Jeffrey’s favorite meals along with a more intimate look at their relationship – they have the most adorable meet-cute! As a woman, this book is especially important. Cooking is often viewed as a wifely duty, but in Cooking for Jeffrey, Garten is able to escape the usual trope by focusing on her love for others. Garten cooks for her family not because it’s her domestic role, but because it’s her passion, and why not share that with the person she loves most? I particularly loved her recipes for “16 bean” pasta e fagioli and dark rum southsides (what’s a cookbook without a cocktail recipe?).

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Cooking with Mary Berry by Mary Berry

Over the holidays, I got obsessively hooked on The Great American Baking Show, judged by longtime food writer and TV presenter Mary Berry. So when I noticed a new cookbook on my library’s listing by Mary Berry – I knew I had to read it! If you consider yourself a novice, or intermediate, this is the book for you. Complete with full-color photographs and step-by-step how-tos from egg basics to different techniques for cooking meat, her book makes it easy to learn and put your new skills into practice with classic recipes such as beef pot roast and chicken cacciatore. But what would a cookbook by Mary Berry be without a section on deserts!? I, for one, can’t wait to try out her recipe for poached pears with blackberry sauce. Yum!

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Scandinavian Comfort Food: Embracing the Art of Hygge by Trine Hahnemann and Columbus Leth

Hygge is all the rage these days. More than just a word or a simple feeling, hygge is a way of life, bringing relaxation to the forefront of your days in something so small as lighting a few candles or reading the newspaper… or cooking a traditional dish you’ve eaten all your life. Similar to the art of hygge, Scandinavian Comfort Food is more than a study on traditional Scandinavian recipes. It’s a collection of the writers’ favorite recipes, dishes that have been passed from generation to generation, emoting a feeling of family and comfort. Reading the book is an experience of hygge in itself. The writers’ love for their family easily slips from the page like a warm hug, and even though I saved only a handful of their recipes, it was truly enriching to learn about the Scandinavian culture.

What cookbooks have you read lately?

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[TBR List] 10 Short Picks You Can Read In A Day

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Sometimes when you’re facing a reading slump or in the midst of a long read, there’s nothing better than a short story or novella to jumpstart your batteries. Short and often fast paced, novellas pack a fast punch to the gut, tugging your emotions in the most unexpected ways. And, since this week’s Top Ten Tuesday is a freebie (hosted by the Broke and the Bookish), there’s no better time to share my novella TBR list!

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Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter: A lyrical, atmospheric look at grief in the form of a pesky Crow, threatening not to leave until two brothers have come to terms with the unexpected loss of their mother. (114 Pages)

The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman by Denis Theriault: Bilodo lives for his schedule – he delivers his postal rounds and returns home for a solitary dinner, and to steam open undelivered letters for his own reading. Through this, he stumbles on a poetic exchange between the lovely Segolene and Gaston, a master poet, but when Bilodo witnesses Gaston’s death, he takes the chance to write to Segolene himself, impersonating Gaston without hesitation. (128 Pages)

The Trouble with Women by Jacky Fleming: A witty collection of cartoons revealing the buffaloed ideas some of the greatest men in history believed about women. (128 Pages)

In the Orchard, the Swallows by Peter Hobbs: In the foothills of the mountains in northern Pakistan, there is a beautiful orchard, full of swallows and the mesmerizing scent of jasmine, an image that’s sustained a young prisoner for fifteen years, all the while hoping to see the orchard again, or per chance a glance of a swallow. (139 Pages)

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Beast by Paul Kingsnorth:  Isolated and alone in a west-country moor, Edward Buckmaster faces the elements and himself, both equal adversaries, but unawares, he’s also tracked by an unknown creature. (168 Pages)

Eleven Hours by Pamela Erens: As Lore is about to give birth, after refusing an epidural or any modern assistance, her mysterious past is revealed, creating a vivid portrait of childbirth and the emotional turmoil brought with motherhood. (176 Pages)

Mother Sunday by Graham Swift: A dazzling emotional novella flowing back and forth through time as Jane recalls her torrid, seven-year affair with an heir to a neighboring estate. (177 Pages)

Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin: An affecting nightmare come to life, Amanda lies dying in a rural hospital clinic with a mysterious young boy by her side, a stranger, a child not her own, and yet he’s earnest to provide comfort as she desperately traces every last memory of her daughter. (183 Pages)

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Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer: Area X is an unexplainable, pristine forest that sprang into existence almost overnight and studied by the Southern Reach, a government agency, for years without any clue to its origin or intent. Now, on the twelfth expedition, four women travel into the unknown, uncovering a poignant and heartbreaking look at humanity’s relationship with the wider world and each other. (195 Pages)

The Solace of Monsters by Laurie Blauner: Created by a grieving father, Mara is just the latest in a series of Maras he’s made. After making her escape, she discovers the world outside, from the forest to the city, hoping to find her own bit of solace in life, her own meaning to life itself. (200 Pages)

What novellas would you recommend?

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[TBR Check-In] What Are You Reading?

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It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? Is hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date, a great place to meet up and share your reading plans for the week. I love finding new blogs and new books – so a link-up that helps me do both? Sign me up!

Happy Monday, friends! Living in Houston, TX, the last week has been a crazy ride. Between constant rain followed by flooding, followed by sunshine, and then even MORE rain… why can’t the weather just pick a theme and stick with it? Oh well, it gave me a great excuse to stay in this weekend, cooking up a storm and finishing some long overdue reading. At the end of the day Sunday, I probably spent a total of 6 hours in the kitchen after slow cooking BBQ ribs, making pasta salad, and meal prepping for the week – it was the most fun I’ve had in a long time!

I also had plenty of time to finish reading The Ballroom by Anna Hope, be it a little forced. I was so excited for this one! A romance set in an insane asylum during the Edwardian Era on the moors of England, it couldn’t be more intriguing, but instead I found an improbable romance between two under developed characters, both controlled by a doctor slowly going insane over his obsession with eugenics. Quite a different story, indeed. Nonetheless, the novel raised some interesting questions over an often overlooked topic of history. I also finished several audio books over the  week, including Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy and Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys. I loved the narrators for both, but especially Eileen Stevens for Dumplin‘! She really brought the character to life for me.

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This week I’ll be reading Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien and The Solace of Monsters by Laurie Blauner. I haven’t read a summary for either yet, but I’ve heard nothing but good reviews for Thien’s novel – which no surprise there, as it was long listed for the Man Booker Prize last year.

What are you reading?

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[Filling the Shelves] A Winter Book Haul

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This winter’s book haul is a combination of Christmas gifts, gift card purchases, and of course a few titles bought on a whim, because why not? Just before Christmas, I listed the Top Ten Books I Wouldn’t Mind Santa Leaving Under the Tree for me, and amazingly, I got almost all of them!!

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Swing Time by Zadie Smith:  I picked up a copy of Swing Time as part of a ticket purchase to her recent reading in Houston. I had high expectations for her going in, and, no shocker her, she exceeded all of them! Zadie Smith is a superb human being aside from being a talented writer – if you don’t have the time for a novel, definitely check out her essays and short stories (all available via internet, for free).

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah: Ok, so I might have this on my Kindle, but I still have yet to read it. Hopefully having the hardcover will be the right push!

The Trees by Ali Shaw: I finally have my own copy!! Check out my review, here!

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi: A beautifully written tale of two sisters who follow two very different paths in life. I started listening to the audiobook earlier this winter, but I knew from the start that it would be something I’d much prefer to read in print. I’m so glad to add this to my shelves!

Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood: A good old fashioned whim – I saw this on sale at Half Price, and there was no avoiding it. I desperately need some Atwood added into my reading.

The Girl with Glass Feet by Ali Shaw: More Ali Shaw! His latest novel, The Trees is one of my absolute favorites from 2016, and I can’t wait to dive into his debut! It seems the hardcover version is out of print, but I lucked out when I spotted it in Half Price’s clearance section!!

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey: Another author I loved in 2016 was Eowyn Ivey. I’m hoping to see more magical realism than in To the Bright Edge of the World, but even either way, I know it’s one I’ll love!

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel: There’s no stopping the exclamation points this haul! After reading Station Eleven last spring, I knew I’d need to have it among my collection – it’s guaranteed reread. Check out my review here.

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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling: My AMAZING boyfriend gifted the illustrated version of the first Harry Potter for Christmas this year. I’ve been wanting to reread Harry Potter for a few years now, and the illustrated versions are the perfect opportunity!

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The Shoemaker’s Wife by Adriana Trigiani: Such a beautiful cover! I’m not sure if I’ll manage a reread anytime soon, but it’s such a lovely romance. See a review here.

Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien: Turn down the alarms, the situation has been rectified! I repeat, Lord of the Rings is back on my shelves, thanks to my amazing parents. Now, all that’s left is a copy of The Hobbit!

The Sellout by Paul Beatty: Winner of the 2016 Man Booker Prize, this was an obvious choice. Especially at only $7 – Half Price never fails!

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness: I might already have a copy of the film edition, but you can never have too many copies of A Monster Calls. Besides, now I have one to lend out, because everyone should read this book! Don’t believe me? Read my review here!

The Master & Margarita by Mikhil Bulgakov: Another whimsical purchase, this time at Houston’s very own Brazos Bookstore (pictured above and host to Zadie Smith’s recent reading). I only went in to pick up my ticket for the event, but silly me – you can’t leave a bookstore without a book!

The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti: You guys, I won an arc copy through Goodreads!!! I’ve seriously never won anything like this before – I’m beyond ecstatic! Never ignore the Goodreads Giveaways, you can actually win!!

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4 3 2 1 by Paul Auster: I also pre-purchased a copy of 4 3 2 1 on Amazon, anticipating the book’s release on January 31st! Archibald Isaac Ferguson is born nearly two weeks early on March 3, 1947 in Newark, New Jersey, but from a simple beginning comes a story of four “simultaneous and independent” Fergusons as four copies of the young boy lead very different lives after leaving the hospital that fateful night. An entirely inventive work promising grandiose prose and an unforgettable story of love, heartbreak, and choice itself, 4 3 2 1 is one of my most anticipated reads of 2017. I typically read a book before purchasing, but I’ve clearly already thrown the rule book out the window at this point, and at 880 pages, I’m going to need more than a 2 week lending period to get through this one. I can’t wait to start!

What’s new to your shelves this winter?

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Lost In the Library: Ten Hidden Gems From 2016

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On this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by Broke and the Bookish, we’re sharing out top ten hidden gems from 2016. I’ve shared most of these titles time and time again, not to be repetitive, but because they were some of the best books I read in 2016! And all under 2,000 ratings each on Goodreads, they deserve some love.

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The Passenger by F.R. Tallis: 145 Ratings

The Passenger is a gripping tale of a German submarine haunted by the lingering spirit of a mysterious prisoner. While bound by duty and position, captain Siegfried Lorenz finds himself questioning not only the war itself, but the mysterious and seemingly nefarious intentions of his commanders – the very commanders that call his ship to the coast of Iceland to carry two mysterious passengers a sea.  Like any other submarine at war, the ship is constantly under threat as they approach enemy lines, but one disaster after another leaves them desperate, taking unimaginable risks and defying all odds to make it back ashore. More than a WWII novel, more than a haunting, The Passenger is a story of life, of war, and personal value.

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Spare and Found Parts by Sarah Maria Griffin: 211 Ratings

Set in a future post-apocalyptic world after a devastating epidemic caused by electro-magnetic pulses, technology has been abandoned, but Nell Crane has other ideas. Daughter to the famed doctor who saved the city with his revolutionary biomechanical limbs, Nell struggles to find her place in society, but after finding a tattered old mannequin, she’ll put aside long held grudges toward computers to recreate the future.

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Kingdom of Ash and Briars by Hannah West: 301 Ratings

Orphaned and wondering alone on the outskirts of the village, Bristal is taken in by a loving kitchen maid, but her mysterious past will soon catch up as rumors of magical enchantments spread. With a knack for shape-shifting, she unexpectedly finds herself among the two remaining elicromancers, an immortal race bound by magic to protect and guide the human realms toward peace. Barely sixteen, and untrained, Bristal finds herself caught between an all-out supernatural war between ancient powers, placing her into a life of servitude. As they ready themselves for war, Bristal will protect them as best she can, fostering a hidden princess, disguising herself as a soldier to lead a prince to battle, and masquerading as fairy godmother to a young lady in order to join neighboring crowns. Combining element from Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Mulan, Kingdom of Ash and Briars is a beautifully written debut that will satisfy your cravings for fairy tale endings.

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The Secret Horses of Briar Hill by Megan Shepherd: 434 Ratings

A charming yet poignant mix of Secret Garden and the mythos of Narnia, The Secret Horses of Briar Hill will leave you desperate for more… and needing a bit more tissue. Set in the halls of a World War II hospital for children, Emmaline is a patient suffering from illness and loss alike, but she has a secret too: there are little winged horses that live in the mirrors.

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The Comet Seekers by Helen Sedgwick: 457 Ratings

A masterful tale of love and family, of challenge and courage, The Comet Seekers is a celebration of our capacity to love and start again. From an early age, hundreds of miles apart, Roisin and Francois have longed for adventure, but struggled time and time again to balance their wonderlust with a deep attachment to family. Spanning continents and centuries, theirs is a love story written in the stars, showing us the world is never quite as big as it seems.

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The Trees by Ali Shaw: 709 Ratings

No apologies here – I will never stop raving about this book! Adrien Thomas has never been the hero. No, quite the opposite, the very image of candles burning near a table cloth is more than enough to send him over-edge. Having left his teaching position in search for a higher calling, Adrien’s spent the last year on the couch hiding Chinese take away from his wife hoping to find an answer to his problems watching spaghetti westerns… but the trees have other ideas. Without warning, in the darkness of night, a serene suburb is suddenly transformed into a monstrous woodland, the kind of forest only known to history books, but not just this tiny town, the entire country, perhaps the entire world, has changed, sending Adrien on the journey of his life.

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Some Kind of Happiness by Clair Legrand: 798 Ratings

Finley’s entire world in on the verge of change: her parents are having marital problems (though they say it’s nothing), she’s being sent to her grandparents’ home for the summer (but she’s never even met them), and her blue days are quickly outnumbering the happy (and she doesn’t know why). Her only retreat is in the pages of her notebook, in a magical place called the Everwood – that is, until, she realizes the magical forest of her imagination is real, hiding behind her grandparents’ home all this time. Full of magic, family, and unyielding sadness, Some Kind of Happiness is a beautifully written middle grade novel that perfectly executes the tricky subject of childhood depression.

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When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore: 883 Ratings

Inseparable since childhood, Miel and Sam have been best friends since the first day Miel was found in the water. Rumors quickly spread of her spilling out from the water tower, how her own mother tried to kill her, and her, a seemingly innocent five-year-old growing the roses of betrayal from her wrists. Of course Sam isn’t stranger to rumors either, being of Italian-Pakistani descent in a small town and a secret too big for one person to keep hidden. United together, they’ll discover the power of self-acceptance in the face of blind intolerance.

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The Chimes by Anna Smaill: 1,635 Ratings

Set in a world where the written word has been long forgotten and new memories are lost in an instant, only music remains. After his parents’ deaths, Simon is left alone, wondering the countryside with little else than the clothes on his back and a few small memories, one pointing his way to London. Forging the lines of literature and music, Simon’s journey is a story of tenacity and spirit as he searches through chaos for a clue to the past, for a single memory to save them all.

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The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill: 1,854 Ratings

An epic middle grade fantasy about an enmagicked young girl raised by an old, forgetful witch, a bog monster, and a perfectly tiny dragon. Every year, the people of the Protectorate leave an offering to the witch in the woods: the youngest child of the realm. And every year, the witch finds an abandoned baby in the same peculiar spot in the woods, but this year is different from the last. Rather than pull starlight to feed the forgotten babe, she mistakenly pulls moonlight instead, filling the child with an extraordinary power. As Luna’s magic blooms, her grandmother struggles to teach a boisterous five-year-old control, but when all attempts fail, she decides to lock it away until the child is finally old enough to understand. Full of charm and humor, The Girl Who Drank the Moon is no doubt my favorite new fairy tale.

What are your hidden gems of 2016?

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[TBR Check-In] What Are You Reading?

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It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? Is hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date, a great place to meet up and share your reading plans for the week. I love finding new blogs and new books – and a link-up that helps me do both? Sign me up!

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The next few weeks are going to be insane! Currently, I have 25 books to get through and I just received another pick-up notice from my library yesterday! I really need to stop doing this to myself, but every time I log into their website, I come away with at least 5 new holds. Please tell me I’m not alone in this!

Since a few of my books are due back this week, I’ve had to put The Ballroom on the back burner, but I did end up finishing The House Upon the Dirt Between the Lake and the Woods by Matt Bell! I also finished two audiobooks this week – Ever the Hunted by Erin Summerill and Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco. Audio was definitely the right choice for both! For me, Ever the Hunted was a solid 3.5 stars due to the romantic elements. I wish there was more of an explanation of the magic system, but being book one in a new series, there’s always the promise of more later. Stalking Jack the Ripper wasn’t quite what I expected, but I loved being surprised by the final twist! Look for reviews soon!

This week I’m hoping to read White Is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi and Delicious Foods by James Hannaham, both due on Wednesday! Eeek!

What are you reading?

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[A Year in Review] 2016 Recap

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Happy 2017!!

A belated, but highly anticipated, post. I’ve been waiting all year for this! I’ve never been one to keep an active list of anything, especially my reading, but when I first started blogging in March, I figured it was time for a change. And what a change it’s been! The beginning of 2016 was a rocky time in my life – I’d been laid off the year before, and I was still getting used to being a temporary employee in a new field. With oil in a down-turn, I made the switch from geology to purchasing, a drastic change that still leaves me feeling uncertain of what’s to come. That’s where books came to my rescue! Same as everyone, I hadn’t picked up a book since college, but with a whole lot of freed up time on my hands I decided to hit the books – quite possibly the best decision I ever made! Now, reading is an important part of my life. It’s an escape from every-day stresses, a chance to learn something new, and a door to endless inspiration. To everyone reading this, thank you! I started this blog to share my passion with others, and unexpectedly found an incredibly welcoming community of fellow book lovers – I couldn’t be more grateful!

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This year I read 250 books and a total of 80,595 pages! For 2017, I’m hoping to keep my reading pace high, but my no means out of control. I don’t want to reach the point that I’m skimming pages to reach a silly goal – what would be the point? For those who are asking – how do I read so much? Almost HALF of my books are audiobooks – 101 to be exact. Followed by 115 in print and 34 E-books. Luckily, most of my workday consists of spreadsheets, leaving me the opportunity to multitask with an audiobook. And don’t forget that lunch hour! That’s an extra 5 hours of reading every week! (Although, these days, half of that is spent blogging or reading other blogs…). One of my biggest goals in 2016 was to reach a balanced ratio between Male and Female authors – and I did it! My ratio ended up at 42% Male and 58% Female. I also read an average length of 327 pages per book with an average rating of 3.8 stars. Not too shabby!

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My only disappointment is alarmingly apparent in the chart above – my top read genres directly correlate to the locations the books were set! Can you tell I love a good WWII novel? The chart clearly shows my top loves: American YA and European historical fiction – both shown by the overwhelming clusters of pins on the map. For 2017, my main reading goal is to even out my map. No more empty continents this year! You can read my other reading goals for 2017, here.

Outside of my reading life, I’m hoping to take more of an advantage of living in Houston, Texas. We’re honored to have 3 independent bookstores in the city, each hosting a multitude of authors every month! Tomorrow I’ll be attending a talk by Zadie Smith and I hope to attend a reading by the esteemed Amor Towles next month!!

How was your 2016 in reading?

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[Recently Read] The Comet Seekers by Helen Sedgwick

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The Comet Seekers by Helen Sedgwick

Both seeking refuge from recent sorrows, Róisín and Francois meet in the snowy white expanse of Antarctica. Raised in a tiny village in Ireland, Róisín has always looked to the stars, dreaming of the day she can leave her small home to explore the world beyond, but the constant pangs of first-love beckon her return. Meanwhile, Francois lives with his mother in France, struggling to understand her constant ramblings to a seemingly empty room as he yearns for a life of his own. From childhood games to the newfound independence of adulthood, their story slowly unfolds as their lives are entwined with the comets, until, finally, we’re brought back to their first meeting, to the ice and snow, a moment of endless possibility and the choice to write anew a destiny long written by the stars.

“Why draw a square house with a triangular roof when you can draw the patterns in the stars?”

Quiet and introspective, The Comet Seekers is surprisingly prosaic and a real treat to read. From their first meeting, Róisín and Francois recognize the other as a familiar spirit, both struggling to balance wonderlust with an overwhelmingly deep attachment to their home and family. Róisín is an astrophysicist, traveling the world one viewing station at a time, from Ireland to France to America to Antarctica, she’ll never leave a stone unturned, on this world or the next, but her first love Liam has vowed never to leave home. He longs to rebuild the family farm, to fix everything gone wrong in his childhood, all the while wishing Róisín could do the same. Though their bond is unquestionable, the fact remains that Liam and Róisín are cousins, forcing the pair into secrecy and a difficult pattern of mixed communications that only worsens over the years. After leaving for college, Róisín begins her travels abroad, but soon returns when the pangs of first-love-lost prove too much. Their relationship is awkward, to say the least. Hidden away from others, they tip-toe around each other, feigning ignorance and bleeding the connection dry.  The most heartbreaking scene of all comes as Liam repairs a broken record player (deciding if he couldn’t fix them, then he would fix something else), only for her to ask, “Was it broken?”. Though a simple exchange, it speaks to the state of their relationship, showing just how easily the cracks form, and just how soon it becomes irreparable.

“When she walks across the field she opens her arms wide and imagines a world so big, so full of people, she would never tire of exploring it, her eyes fixed on the sky above until she slips on some sheep droppings, only just managing to catch her fall. Liam is always telling her the ground is just as important as the sky. “

Francois, on the other hand, is tied to his mother Severine, who he increasingly worries over as she continues talking to familial spirits. She’s always encouraged his dreams, hoping he’d travel the world in her stead, but how could he leave when she’s unwell? Though she’s always dared him to chase the world without hindrance, she never dreamed her sacrifice would effect him so deeply. From an early age, Severine was told of the family spirits, always hoping to see them for herself, but with such possibility comes great cost. Firstly, she must want to see them, second, she must experience loss, and thirdly, she may never leave their town of Bayeux. With each passing comet, a new relative appears, revealing their family’s ties to the infamous Bayeux Tapestry, the first reference in human history to Halley’s Comet, sewn in 1066. If anything, I would have asked for even MORE of the family history, especially from Brigitte, who suffered terribly in a fire, haunting the family for hundreds of years not knowing if her only child survived. As each member shares their story, it becomes clear the family is rooted by tragedy, a sadness extenuated by loss after loss. That is, until Francois. Taking matters into her own hands, Severine decides her son is not to be haunted, pushing him to take a job in Antarctica and leave the confines of France for a change.

“Things shifted while he wasn’t looking at the ground and now the world is different; everything is beautiful, and wild, and precarious, because now he knows how the sky can change.”

Much more than a romance, The Comet Seekers is an exploration of the human spirit. Róisín and Francois are drawn to each other through passion and loss alike, a grander attraction, or pull, that can only be explained by fate, written in the stars and hundreds of years in the making. Theirs is a story of a grander vision, of an impossible connection. The world is always a lot smaller than we perceive, but just how small is the question. In their story, and ours, each choice we make, each person we meet, takes us one step further, making the choice between love and freedom all the more difficult. A masterful tale of love and family, of challenge and courage, The Comet Seekers is a celebration of our capacity to love and start again, while gaining strength from the past.

Rating: 5 Stars        Goodreads