I finished 2019 by reading these two children's books. The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright I really liked this one. It was published in 1941. With the Agatha Christie books and this one, I was put into a real pre-war mood. The novel is quite similar to the Boxcar Children as well. I thought there was a lot of clever writing and it makes me miss this early 20th century writing style. No one writes like…
Tag: 2019 books
One of the best mysteries ever written. I thought I read this book but then I checked GoodReads for the date and this blog. I have read a lot less of Christie than I thought. It feels as if I've read more because I've watched several adaptations to her books including this one. I watched at least one version. As a result, I was spoiled to the big twist. I had forgotten the finer details…
Recently, I found three Agatha Christie novels that I had bought years ago. Even though this was one of Christie's most popular novels, I have managed to be unspoiled. It was well done and genuinely one of the better mysteries and twists I've read in a long time. It is a suspenseful thriller and horror novel. Everyone in the novel is unlikeable and there is no one to truly root for. I usually would not…
Part of my spontaneous reading challenge to read children's books. I have heard about this book growing up. I vaguely remember the 1997 movie but I never watched it. The only time I really became interested was when Studio Ghibli released Arrietty. I like the descriptions and the world building but the book did not win me over until the last third. I think the movie is better than the book in this case. I…
If you read my previous review on Hodgman's Vacationaland, you would know I am a fan Hodgman. It's a bit funny because like Hodgman admits in this book, he is not a typical celebrity or famous person. The Judge John Hodgman podcast is my absolute favourite podcast. I really like Hodgman's humanistic style. I liked Vacationland too. Hodgman admits that Meallion Status was harder to write and it does show. While I like some of…
When I finished Voracious a few months ago, I was inspired to put a few children's books on hold. As a kid, most of my non-school book discoveries were self-initiated so I missed out on some of the books below. Home Price by Richard McClostky This was a cute one to start off with. It was published in 1943 and has all the references and illustrations from that time. Homer is an industrious young protagonist.…
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I started this book so I could get rid of it. I bought the book years ago at a used book sale. The paperback is from around 1986. Its pages are all yellow and the spine had already started to come apart. I dug this up from my book stash after dinner at my parents' home. I am glad I did as the book proved to be engaging. It moves along at a very steady…
I think I am going to give up looking for an alternative to Georgette Heyer. Reading this book only made me want to reread Heyer. This is the second in a series and my library did not have the first. The books seem fairly stand alone and share a cast of central supporting characters. This book was ok. It wasn't bad exactly, but it seemed just too frivolous and superificial. I didn't really like most…
Relish A graphic novel and food memoirs growing up in NYC, Hudson Valley, and Chicago. It includes illustrated recipes and tips. I really enjoyed this little piece especially after I read Bullshit Jobs (which was more intense). I like the artist's style and storytelling. I will be reading more from her. Read August 15, 2019 After Relish, I realized that my library had a number of her graphic memoirs so I requested a few and…
I have been due to read a Sandor Katz book for awhile now. I am glad I was able to get the revised edition of this book. Fermentation has become a hobby of mine for the last few years. I've made sourdough, kombucha, milk kefir, water kefir, jun kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi, and recently started lacto-fermentation of pickles and garlic. On a regular basis, I make jun kombucha at least twice a week and sourdough almost…
Marcus Wareing is a Michelin starred London based chef. He is widely known on UK TV for judging "Masterchef: The Professionals". I've been a fan of Wareing since watching him judge "Great British Menu". Masterchef: The Pros is one of my absolute favourite TV programmes. Last year, I was lucky enough to dine at Marcus at the Berkeley. It was one of the best dining experiences. I hope to go back one day. I was…