So as most of you probably know by now Ina Garten is my hero. Like for real! I love everything about her and her husband Jeffery. They are really who I want to be when I grow up. Ina and her husband love Paris and even have an apartment there. I’ve always wanted to go to Paris, but haven’t made it YET!
As Spring approaches I can’t help but think of Paris and all the wonderful french inspired food Ina makes. To start my ultimate day in french cooking I would make Herbed-Baked Eggs served with a delicious piece of toasted french bread. For lunch I would have to make Croque Monsieur and serve it with a tossed green salad and a glass of crisp white wine. For dinner it would have to be Lemon Chicken with Croutons served with another bottle of white wine. Make sure you finish this day of feasting with a nice cheese plate, more wine and then a nice cup of decaf espresso.
Most of these recipes can be found in Ina’s cookbook Barefoot in Paris, but I think you’ll find all of her cookbooks are amazing and tend to have a hint of frenchness to them.
If you manage to make this dream day of recipes and aren’t too stuffed after, drop me a line and let me know how amazing it was!
In my constant and nearly obsessive pursuit to understand the craft of creative writing, I’ve given the Masterclass platform a try. I’ve had mixed feelings on the classes, finding that the advice tends to be more vague and open-ended rather than hard concepts and techniques. I started out with James Patterson’s lessons then meandered between both Judy Blume’s and Neil Gaiman’s lectures before finally connecting with a class from suspense master, Dan Brown, author of The DaVinci Code.
I’ll admit to you right now that I’m not aiming to be the next Agatha Christie. When it comes to novels, I don’t write suspense, thrillers, or mysteries (I’ll save that kind of writing for our interactive mystery night events at the library). But in terms of both resonating and applicable advice, Dan Brown threw out some real gems.
Here are a few tips that might help you in
your creative process without having to shell out the subscription fees.
Be
Tough on Process, Gentle on Output
By this Dan Brown talked about how the process and practicality of writing is more important than the actual writing itself. With any kind of creative endeavor, it’s so easy to be tough on oneself about the quality, the content, or the tiny details, but Dan says to focus that tough-coach energy on getting to your desk every day and being firm about the practical goals of when and how often you will work. Gentleness and forgiveness with oneself needs to be applied to what happens when you’re actually there. If you got to your laptop or notebook today to work, you’ve done your job. What actually happened on the page isn’t nearly as important.
Give
Crazy Ideas a Chance
In other words, write the wrong thing in order to write the right thing. This is definitely where I’m at with my work. Writing requires a lot of decision-making. Everything from how a character develops to how the story unfolds is entirely up to the writer. I tend to get stuck on what the “right” decision is for the story, but Dan Brown recommends giving crazy ideas a chance, especially in the early stages of a project. Writing the weirdest or wackiest ideas first without worry of someone’s judgement is the best way to get to those answers that feel the most beneficial for your story.
“Write like no one is watching…because no one is watching ”
Dan Brown
Set
the Table for Breakfast
Whether you plan to be creative in the
morning, afternoon, or evening, Dan recommends “setting the table” for the next
session’s work. This means if you’re wrapping your day’s work by finishing a
chapter, go ahead and start the paragraph of the next chapter. Give yourself
something to pick up from when you sit down the next day so you aren’t just
staring at a blank page or need to go back and re-read everything to remember
where you left off. Give yourself as much of an upper hand for tomorrow’s work,
and even if the work you added ends up in the trash bin, you’ve at least
provided a spring board to start for the next day.
The subjectivity of writing can be both a gift and a curse. Unlike dancing or singing which has a defined and regimented technique, writing can be interpreted in so many ways, and the techniques that work for one writer don’t always work for another. However, I’ve found that the best way to figure out what methods or advice work for you is to listen and try them. Go forth, creator, and be both tough and gentle, crazy with new ideas, and prepared for the work that’s waiting for you.
Like many people, I was assigned to read many books that carry the label “classic” while I was in high school. Among them were The Scarlet Letter, A Tale of Two Cities, Tom Sawyer, and Pride and Prejudice. I learned quickly that I don’t like anything by Charles Dickens and I love Mark Twain. I never read The Scarlet Letter, and still haven’t to this day. And I’m pretty sure my English teacher was completely aware of that.
So, it was with these and many other reading — and non-reading — experiences with classic novels, that I read the blog post. I was not particularly surprised that To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee made the top of the most-loved list (it’s one of my favorites). But I was surprised to see The Godfather by Mario Puzo on the list at all. But once I looked at the parameters the post author used to define “classic novel” it made sense. Other top-rated titles that I read (or was supposed to read and didn’t) in high school include Pride and Prejudice and The Brothers Karamazov.
Bottom of the list? The aforementioned The Scarlet Letter. In the interest of full disclosure, it still rates an average 3.4 stars from readers, and several of my friends have given it 5-star ratings. So I feel like the term “Most Hated” is a little bit of a misnomer when you look at it that way. Other titles that join Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic at the bottom of the list include Moby Dick by Herman Melville and Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. Two more titles I’ve never read, and don’t plan to.
Even with the apparent issues in making a list such as this, it’s compelling to consider what elements a book needs to include to qualify as a piece of “classic literature.” For instance, I surely don’t consider The Great Gatsby the Great American Novel. I thought it was a horrible book. But I do love Jane Austen and John Steinbeck (yes, I love The Grapes of Wrath, but I didn’t have to read it in high school).
So tell us in the comments, do you have classics that you love or love to hate? Were there classics you had to read in school that you ended up loving? Have you approached classics later in your life and had different reactions to them? Share your favorite classic novel, or the worst one you’ve ever read. We want to know!
During the Nazis’
brutal siege of Leningrad, Lev Beniov is arrested for looting and thrown
into the same cell as a handsome deserter named Kolya. Instead of being
executed, Lev and Kolya are given a shot at saving their own lives by
complying with an outrageous directive: secure a dozen eggs for a
powerful Soviet colonel to use in his daughter’s wedding cake. In a city
cut off from all supplies and suffering unbelievable deprivation, Lev
and Kolya embark on a hunt through the dire lawlessness of Leningrad and
behind enemy lines to find the impossible.
By turns insightful and funny, thrilling and terrifying, City of Thieves is a gripping, cinematic World War II adventure and an intimate coming-of-age story with an utterly contemporary feel for how boys become men.
Usually WWII books just aren’t my jam. I feel like unless you’re a history buff, once you’ve read a few books on the topic you’re good. But I found City of Thieves to be the exception. I’ve never read anything that explained how desperate things got in Leningrad during that time. It was a moving story that will forever be ingrained in my mind.
So how should I write a food related blog centered on a book about war and starvation? Probably a little like my post about The Hunger by Alma Katsu that focused on The Donner Party. Like the Donner Party, the people of Leningrad were rumored to have resorted to cannibalism, but instead of showing you another rib recipe I think we’ll go another route. In City of Thieves you were considered lucky if you could even get your hands on a onion! So, how about you hope your neighbor has a tomato stashed away, you offer up your precious onion, like it’s your first born, and together you could make Tomato Onion Stew. If things started looking up you may find some wild creature roaming the bombed streets. Do your best to catch it, and make Old Fashioned Wild Game Stew. You probably won’t have any veggies to put in it but maybe, just maybe you saved a little of your daily onion and you could drop that in? Sounds like a plan to me!
All kidding aside City of Thieves by David Benioff is a wonderful read. Give it a go and let me know what you think.
First line: There are two versions of the events of 1887. One is very well known, but the other is not.
Summary:
Everyone has heard the story of Jack the Ripper. He haunted the streets
of Whitechapel preying on women. His victims known as the canonical
five are Polly, Annie, Elisabeth, Catherine and Mary Jane. His story has
been researched and turned over hundreds of times but very little is
actually known about the women whose lives he took. Here are their
stories.
My Thoughts: I have recommended this book to
anyone and everyone! I was completely engrossed in it. It is thoroughly
researched and well written. It reads like fiction and is easy to get
caught up in these women’s lives. I found myself hoping for better
outcomes as I read even though I knew how each of their stories was a
going to end.
Rubenhold brings these women and the times that
they lived to the forefront. Everyone thinks that they know the victims.
They were prostitutes right? Wrong. Some were but not all five. Each
has a story to tell. I could not believe the detail put into their
narratives. Using housing records, census, interviews and newspaper
reports we get fuller picture of their lives.
Sometimes we
romanticize the Victorian time period but it was anything but ideal.
People were barely able to care for their families. Housing was not
always safe or healthy. Disease, alcoholism and poverty were prevalent.
How people survived is astounding.
If you love history, true
crime or biographies than this is perfect for you. It is full of
information that will keep you reading until the very end.
FYI: There is very little mentioned about Jack the Ripper. This book focuses on the women only and the time that they lived.
The bestselling story of Julia’s years in France—and the basis for Julie & Julia, starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams—in her own words. Although she would later singlehandedly create a new approach to American cuisine with her cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking and her television show The French Chef, Julia Child was not always a master chef. Indeed, when she first arrived in France in 1948 with her husband, Paul, who was to work for the USIS, she spoke no French and knew nothing about the country itself. But as she dove into French culture, buying food at local markets and taking classes at the Cordon Bleu, her life changed forever with her newfound passion for cooking and teaching. Julia’s unforgettable story—struggles with the head of the Cordon Bleu, rejections from publishers to whom she sent her now-famous cookbook, a wonderful, nearly fifty-year long marriage that took the Childs across the globe—unfolds with the spirit so key to Julia’s success as a chef and a writer, brilliantly capturing one of America’s most endearing personalities.
One night a few weeks ago I decided to snuggle up and re-watch “Julie and Julia”, and I realized although I had thoroughly read Julia Child’s cookbook “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” I had never read “My Life in Paris”. Luckily I work at a library and we had a copy available. I’ve never been much of a nonfiction reader and thought I’d probably just skim through it but after the first chapter I was hooked! What an amazing life Julia and her husband Paul had! Not only did they have the opportunity to travel and live in several amazing spots, but they were both incredibly intellectual and artistic people.
As you can imagine this book is FILLED with amazing food. Not just Julia’s recipes but also a vivid account of all the amazing meals she and Paul ate during their travels. As in the movie one of Julia’s first meals she has in Paris is Sole Meuniere.I’ve had this dish in a restaurant, and I’ve made it at home and it’s so delicious. I don’t think you can talk about Julia’s recipes without including her Boeuf Bourguignon. I think this dish would be perfect to make during these cold winter months. To end your meal I think you should do what Julia says they do in France and finish with a Cheese Plate.
Thirty-something Colquitt and Walter Kennedy live in a charming, peaceful suburb of newly bustling Atlanta, Georgia. Life is made up of enjoyable work, long, lazy weekends, and the company of good neighbors. Then, to their shock, construction starts on the vacant lot next door, a wooded hillside they’d believed would always remain undeveloped. Disappointed by their diminished privacy, Colquitt and Walter soon realize something more is wrong with the house next door. Surely the house can’t be haunted, yet it seems to destroy the goodness of every person who comes to live in it, until the entire heart of this friendly neighborhood threatens to be torn apart.
Let me start by saying I absolutely LOVED this book. I stumbled upon it while obsessively scouring the interwebs for haunted house fiction, you know like one does around Halloween. This gem of a book was written in 1978 and is now one of my top 10 favorite books. But, before you run right out and find a copy of this to read, just know I’m an odd bird and this book isn’t for everyone.
My favorite things about this book besides the obvious scary bits was all the cocktail time Colquitt, Walter and their friends enjoyed! There weren’t cell phones, computers or a bazillion channels to watch so everyone did something almost foreign to us today – they got together and enjoyed each other’s company!! At the start of the book Colquitt invites a neighbor lady over for a pitcher of Bull Shots. Having never heard of this particular drink I immediately googled it and found out that like this book it might not be for everyone, but I plan to bring it back! I could go on and on about all the wonderful cocktails in this story but I should probably include a food one as well. After an abnormal cold spurt hits the south Coquitt makes Split Pea Soup for them both and then curls up on the couch with Walter in the den for a lazy, cozy day. How amazing does that sound?
If you do find a copy of The House Next Door please drop me a line and let me know what you thought.
In 1966, Baltimore is a city of secrets that everyone seems to
know—everyone, that is, except Madeline “Maddie” Schwartz. Last year,
she was a happy, even pampered housewife. This year, she’s bolted from
her marriage of almost twenty years, determined to make good on her
youthful ambitions to live a passionate, meaningful life.
Maddie
wants to matter, to leave her mark on a swiftly changing world. Drawing
on her own secrets, she helps Baltimore police find a murdered
girl—assistance that leads to a job at the city’s afternoon newspaper,
the Star. Working at the newspaper offers Maddie the
opportunity to make her name, and she has found just the story to do it:
a missing woman whose body was discovered in the fountain of a city
park lake.
Cleo Sherwood was a young black woman who liked to have
a good time. No one seems to know or care why she was killed except
Maddie—and the dead woman herself. Maddie’s going to find the truth
about Cleo’s life and death. Cleo’s ghost, privy to Maddie’s poking and
prying, wants to be left alone.
Maddie’s investigation brings her into contact with people that used to be on the periphery of her life—a jewelry store clerk, a waitress, a rising star on the Baltimore Orioles, a patrol cop, a hardened female reporter, a lonely man in a movie theater. But for all her ambition and drive, Maddie often fails to see the people right in front of her. Her inability to look beyond her own needs will lead to tragedy and turmoil for all sorts of people—including the man who shares her bed, a black police officer who cares for Maddie more than she knows.
I REALLY enjoyed this book, and I gave it 5 starts on goodreads! A lot of reviews weren’t great saying the story had too many POV’s, but that’s what I ended up liking most about the story. I think the multiple POV’s might make it hard to listen to as an audio so make sure you read this one.
Since The Lake in the Lake takes place in 1966 I thought it would be fun to check out some of the popular and timeless recipes from the 60’s. One of my favorites is Chicken à la King. After looking at this recipe I think I’ll be adding it back into my rotation this fall! Another full on comfort food recipe that would be amazing to make this winter is Beef Bourguignon.This is of course Julia Child’s recipe because that should be the only one you ever use. After you enjoy either of these dinners you have to make this recipe, that won the Pillsbury Bake Off in 1966, Tunnel of Fudge Cake for desert.
I hope you enjoy The Lady in the Lake as much as I did. Hopefully the retro vibe will inspire you to make one of the recipes. If you do, drop me a line and let me know how it went.
Have you noticed that we have a new catalog? We have recently started a consortium with Park City Public Library and Andover Public Library. With this change we are able to bring you a wider selection of items for your use. Items can be placed on hold, picked up or returned to any of these three libraries.
With the consortium we changed to a new catalog system. We are still learning how to use it but we will definitely try to help you find what you are looking for. Below I will show you how to search and see what new items have been added to the catalog.
Step One:
Visit our website, www.derbylibrary.com. Under the Books & Media tab look for Catalog. Click on this to take you to our online card catalog.
Step Two:
Click on Advanced search.
Step Three:
Select Collection. If you are looking for new items select New Book or New DVD. But there are many other categories if you want to narrow down your options to Juvenile Book on CD or Blu-ray. After you select the categories you want then click on Search.
Step Four:
To find the most recent additions find the drop down menu and select Acquisition date: Newest to oldest. This will show the items in the order they were added to the system.
Step Five:
You can (but it is not necessary) narrow this down to items that are only at the Derby Public Library or whichever library in the consortium you prefer.
Step Six:
If you would like to place the item on hold click on Place Hold. It will then have you login to your online account.
The login is your library card number and your password is the last four digits of your phone number.
Make sure that you confirm your hold. If the item is available here in Derby we should have it ready with 2-4 hours. However, if you place an item on hold from one of the other libraries it takes between 3-5 days for it to be delivered here. We will either email, text or call about holds that are ready to be picked up based on your account preference.
I hope this has helped but if you have any more questions or cannot find what you are looking for then feel free to call us at 316-788-0760 or visit our circulation desk for more assistance.
The Forbidden Forest Read-a-thon is in full swing and some of your librarians have decided to join you in the journey! Reading twelve books in one month is quite a feat even for librarians, but we’ve armed ourselves with pretty awesome to-be read lists in hopes of conquering every obstacle in the forest. Check out our read-a-thon plans below to get some ideas for your own challenge, and feel free to share your to-be-read list with us!
Hannah’s
Forbidden Forest Challenge:
Hannah and her dog Merry!
Talking Trees – The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
The Witch’s House – The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Fiery Fire Pit – Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs
Cursed Pond – The Ruins by Scott Smith
Shadow’s Shortcut – Elevation by Stephen King
Wolf Den – Winterhouse by Ben Guterson or a book in the Johnny Dixon series by John Bellairs
Mushroom Isle – The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck
Poison Berry Bush – Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal
Unicorn Grove – Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker
Will O the Wisps – Escaping from Houdini by Kerri Maniscalco
The Wish Well – The Bookseller by Cynthia Swanson
Carnivorous Plants – Lab Girl by Hope Jahren
Ashley’s
Forbidden Forest Challenge:
Check out Ashley’s reviews for other awesome book recommendations!
Talking Trees – A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Witch’s House – A Curse So Dark and Lovely by Brigid Kemmerer
Fiery Fire Pit – I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Cursed Pond – Carrie by Stephen King
Shadow’s Shortcut – We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
Wolf Den – Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Mushroom Isle – Star Wars: Master and Apprentice by Claudia Gray
Poison Berry Bush – Me by Elton John
Unicorn Grove – Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite by Gerard Way
Will O the Wisps – The Loving Cup by Winston Graham
The Wishing Well – Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by JK Rowling
Carnivorous Plants – Virgin Earth by Philippa Gregory
Trisha’s Forbidden Forest Challenge
Barbara Kingsolver is one of Trisha’s favorite authors!
Talking Trees: Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
The Witch’s House: A Discovery of Witches by Derborah Harkness
Fiery Fire Pit: The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman
Cursed Pond: We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter
Shadow’s Shortcut: The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
Wolf Den: The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
Mushroom Isle: The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo
Poison Berry Bush: City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
Unicorn Grove: Lumberjanes by Mariko Tamaki
Will O the Wisps: Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness
The Wishing Well: Educated by Tara Westover
Carnivorous Plants: Lab Girl by Hope Jahren
Rachel’s Forbidden Forest Challenge
Rachel is also an amazing photographer!
Talking Trees: Jaws by Peter Benchly
The Witch’s House: Caraval by Stephanie Garber
Fiery Fire Pit: Looking for Alaska by John Green
Cursed Pond: The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay
Shadow’s Shortcut: Night by Elie Wiesel
Wolf Den: George by Alex Gino
Mushroom Isle: Kindred by Octavia Butler
Poison Berry Bush: Between, Before and After by Maureen Doyle McQuerry
Unicorn Grove: Fragments of Horror by Junji Ifo
Will O the Wisps: Legendary by Stephanie Garber
The Wishing Well: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
Carnivorous Plants: The Near Witch by V.E. Schwab
Alyssa’s Forbidden Forest Challenge
I’m ready to face the challenges of The Forbidden Forest!
Talking Trees: Enola Holmes: The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer
The Witch’s House: Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski
Fiery Fire Pit: Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea
Cursed Pond: Rogue Angel: Labyrinth by Alex Archer
Shadow’s Shortcut: Violet and the Pearl of the Orient by Harriet Whitehorn
Wolf Den: Valkyrie by Kate O’Hearn
Mushroom Isle: Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Poison Berry Bush: Magic Marks the Spot by Caroline Carlson
Unicorn Grove: Cucumber Quest: The Doughnut Kingdom by Gigi D.G.
Will O the Wisps: Cucumber Quest #2 The Ripple Kingdom by Gigi D.G.
The Wishing Well: Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult
Carnivorous Plants: Lab Girl by Hope Jahren
The librarians even have our own little competition of sorts among the staff so we are ready to make it through this challenge! Feel free to share the books you plan on reading for this month, and let us know if you need any help!
