Q2 book reviews

FICTION
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
I listened to the audio version, and though I understand why the same narrator was cast for this and the Skeeter sections of The Help, her performance of somewhat similar characters (a young white woman and several middle age African American women with SOUTHERN accents) are almost identical; this is very distracting if you've previously listened to the other. Bees and The Help were released on Audible within three months of one another. I'm not sure when they were recorded, but the choice both makes sense and is odd. 

Aside from that, the book is wonderful. I stayed up late several nights because I couldn't put it down. This is my third favorite of the Penguin Drop Caps I've read so far. 

Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
I read several of Steinbeck's novels and short stories in school (Of Mice and Men and The Pearl), but this was the first of his works I've read without knowing I'd be tested on the symbolism, etc. Steinbeck's style is not my favorite, but his characters are always compelling. The residents of the Row were no exception. 

Pride & Prejudice, Emma, Sense & Sensibility, Persuasion, Mansfield Park, & Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
I started reading Pride & Prejudice again for the ?? time (I've lost count) and upon finishing it subsequently read five more of Austen's novels - Sense & Sensibility (amazing - I love it more every time I read it), Emma (I know she's often terrible, but I truly love her),  Persuasion (Austen's best payoff??), Mansfield Park (ugh, the cousins are the worst), & Northanger Abbey (my least favorite). I've read these all previously at least once, Emma and P&P many times. This likely won't be the last time. 

NON-FICTION
Educated by Tara Westover
This one is a tough read, even in the Mormon memoir genre. Though Westover was raised in a mainline LDS church, the mental health issues of the patriarch of her immediate family created an extreme home environment more often seen in fundamentalist Mormon culture. 

Westover's story is gripping, her voice is engaging, and her perspective as an historian writing a memoir is brilliant. However, it is difficult to not feel that Westover is still so close (in time and healing process) to the trauma of her family. I'm curious what a bit more distance (and therapy) might have lent to her perspective. 

As an historian, I loved that Westover cites the primary source material that documents her experience (her contemporaneous journals and emails) and talks about how that helped ground her in her experience. As much as I was immersed in Westover's narrative, I felt a little left out of what could have been compelling parts of her journey (though I understand privacy-wise why the reader doesn't get to hear about the progression of her current romantic relationship. I am, perhaps, too nosey :). 

An American Princess: The Many Lives of Allene Tew by Annejet van der Zijl
This was one of Amazon's free Kindle book selections for April and was a delightful surprise. I'd never heard of Tew and was immediately drawn into her story. I've joked that part of being an archivist is getting paid to read other people's mail. Biographies often offer the same (though without pay for the reader), though limited to excerpts selected by the biographer (because most of it isn't terribly interesting). Anyone who marries four times (including to royalty) is likely to have some choice excerpts from their correspondence. 

Stitch 'N Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook by Debbie Stoller
I can't read on car/RV rides, planes, and trains and travel quite a bit, so I've been wanting to learn to knit for awhile. I asked a book club friend what she recommended, and this was her quick reply. Stoller has made YouTube videos that helpfully supplement the book (I wasn't going to get there with illustrations alone).  

FOOD/COOKBOOKS
Pressure Cooker Perfection by America's Test Kitchen 
I pre-ordered this one hoping it might reignite my interest in my Instant Pot. It hasn't. The recipes all look great, and I'll dive in at some point, but I'm more of a slow cooker cook. 

Gluten-Free Cooking for Two: 125 Favorites by Carol Fenster
My husband and are NOT GOOD about eating leftovers, and I've been throwing away too much since we've been back to a two-person household. I haven't tried the recipes that require smaller baking pans (we don't seem to have a problem with leftover dessert ;), but like the others that I've tried. 


Food Swap: Recipes and Strategies for the Most Irresistible Gourmet Foods to Barter and Share by Emily Paster
I heard an interview with Paster on a homesteading podcast and immediately ordered both of her books. This book has two sections: an overview of how to set up a food swap and recipes. I wasn't super interested in the first part (Portland has a well-established food swap), but was very interested in the recipe section. I have batches of limoncello and sauerkraut fermenting and will be making salted caramel sauce very soon. 

The Joys of Jewish Preserving by Emily Paster
Reading this book made me so hungry. In addition to mouth watering recipes and beautiful photographs, Paster provides an introduction to Jewish holidays, culinary history, and tradition. That this was a labor of love is evident on every page. 

I have a list of plum recipes from this book to try when my plum tree harvest is ready. I tried the slow cooker peach butter recipe - amazing. 

Prepping 101: 40 Steps You Can Take to Be Prepared by Kathy Harrison 
This pre-order purchase was also inspired by hearing a podcast interview with the author. I really like the author's approach to prepping (this is not the extreme doomsday prepping you are thinking of) - start small and build up. If you are prepared, more resources can be devoted to more vulnerable populations and you can be a resource to those in your community. Harrison provides simple steps (gather your important documents, repackage your store-bought food) and moves up to more complex ones (rainwater collection and more things I'll probably never get to). 

Food in Jars & Naturally Sweet Food in Jars by Marisa McClellan 
It's difficult to get very far into canning & food preservation online without coming across Marisa McClellan's website foodinjars. I flipped through Food in Jars (her first book) at Powell's a time or two when I first started canning and passed over it because it focuses on small-batch preserving. Lots of practice has made cannier easier (though still work), and I'm more inclined to try smaller batch recipes. I harvested this season's first batch of blueberries this week, and I'm too excited to try McClellan's Slow Cooker Blueberry Butter recipe. YUM. 

I'm especially interested testing out recipes from McClellan's most recent book, Naturally Sweet. Traditional jam recipes require a lot of sugar, and I'm looking forward to trying some recipes with honey, maple syrup, and coconut sugar.