The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
I LOVED this book. It's funny, steamy, endearing, and has a refreshing perspective and plot. This is a very strong debut by Guillory, and I look forward to more from her.
As someone who endured a 3,000 mile/3 hour time difference long-term long-distance relationship, I sort of rolled my eyes and the hardships of a Berkley/Los Angeles relationship (that's an hour and a half flight - please). This small quibble aside, I highly recommend this book.
We Are Never Meeting in Real Life. by Samantha Irby
This was a book club selection that I doubt would have ever picked up on my own. I judge books by their cover, and this one features a cat (sorry, cat-loving friends :).
This author is incredibly open and forthright, but also very hard on herself. I ended up checking out her Wikipedia page because the early essays rarely mentioned writing, and I was curious how she ended up with a book deal? I was very surprised that this isn't her first book.
Irby certainly succeeds in exposing the reader to a unique perspective, but I won't be delving further into her catalog.
Surprise Me by Sophie Kinsella
This book surprised me first by appearing on my Kindle (because I'd forgotten I pre-ordered it).
I have consistently greatly preferred Kinsella's stand-alones to the Shopaholic series -- the characters are much more likeable than Becky Brandon (nee Bloomwood) (though that's a low bar). This one rang true to that assessment.
If you haven't read any of Kinsella's books, I would start with Can You Keep a Secret? (my very favorite of hers), My Not So Perfect Life, or Finding Audrey.
A Separate Peace by John Knowles
I recall really liking this book when I read it in ninth grade, but was underwhelmed this time around. It makes sense that a book set at a boy's boarding school would lack any significant female characters, but there are only wives of teachers, mothers of fellow students, and ... that's it?
I was also completely distracted by the apparent mental health issues of Phineas (and arguably Gene); without any significant adults oversight, or even involvement, said issues being addressed seemed extremely unlikely.
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
I only made it through one Penguin Drop Cap Challenge selection this month (oops) and struggled through it. The bits of books that I typically love - descriptions of the towns, homes, food, clothing - did not particularly interest me this time. For a book that is famous for obscenity, there's (by modern standards) not a lot of obscenity.
Emma Bovary is not a likable character and yet her central trait - never being satisfied with the life you have and always looking for something else - is something that so many of us fall prey to. Though I suppose many of us are not terribly likable either?
The Unmasking of the President 2016: How FBI Director James Comey Cost Hillary Clinton the Presidency by Lanny J. Davis
Davis makes a compelling case that Comey's letter to Congress just days before Election Day was a "key determining factor" in the 2016 election. Davis' backgrounder on Whitewater, email server management, and Comey's highly unusual behavior is worth the read.
The epilogue explores the impeachment process. I was initially less interested in this part (it's not what I expected from the book's description), but I learned quite a bit.
As with all books about the 2016 election, a lot in this is hard to read. But because those last few weeks of the election moved so fast, folks missed a lot of the details for the big headlines. This is a good way to understand more of what happened.
How to Store Your Garden Produce: The Key to Self-Sufficiency by Piers Warren
In the past, I have not included the many cookbook, gardening, food storage, and general homesteading books I read, but thought - why not?
This is a good primer if you are just getting started with a garden or food storage. I checked it out from the library to see if I wanted to purchase for future reference, but decided not to. I am personally much stronger on the food storage (canning, etc) vs. the growing part, but always have more to learn in both areas.
How to Roast Everything: A Game-Changing Guide to Building Flavor in Meat, Vegetables, and More by America's Test Kitchen
I adore America's Test Kitchen. My kitchen cabinets would have much more room and my savings account would be larger had I not discovered ATK. But I'd wager I also would not have explored so many new recipes or had as much fun cooking without it.
I've been looking forward to this release for awhile and snagged my reserved copy at the library the day after it was released. I read every recipe cover to cover, tried out the pork tenderloin and chicken breast recipes, and then ordered my very own copy. Because this is a hardback, it's a little more expensive than most ATK books (hence the checking it out from the library first), but has so many recipes, I think it's worth the investment.
I was especially fortunate that I picked up my library copy on the same day my very own brand new range was delivered - the perfect excuse to try several new recipes in a row. I don't know if it's the book, the range, or the very talented cook, but every recipe I've tried from this one has been delicious.
