Read...
I've finished three good novels this week, all three over four hundred pages long, and they were all beautifully written. I've always considered The Bell Jar the most bleak book I've ever read, but now I've got a new champion---Jude the Obscure. Poor Jude wants to become a scholar but he is thwarted by the two women who come to dominate his life. My full review for Jude the Obscure is here. For our book club this month we were asked to pick a book by Susan Vreeland and read it. I picked Luncheon of the Boating Party because (1) it is based on a painting I love and (2) it takes place just outside of Paris. I didn't know much about Renoir before I read this book, but now I think I could write his biography. So much research went into the writing of this book. My full review for Luncheon of the Boating Party is here. What a wonderful character Count Alexander Rostov in A Gentleman in Moscow is. I fell in love with this man, with the grace he bestows on both his friends and enemies alike. My full review for A Gentleman in Moscow is here.
This week I also read and reviewed:
Side by Side: A Celebration of Dads by Chris Raschka
Juana & Lucas: Big Problemas by Juana Medina
Sweet Dreamers by Isabelle Simler
Carter Reads the Newspaper by Deborah Hopkinson and Don Tate
Yep. Don Quixote. Three hundred pages to go. I'm finishing this one next week. No matter what.
Book-ish...
Baking, photography, drawing, and other projects...
Laura at Joy Food Sunshine calls these The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Ever, and I think I agree. The secret? (1) Butter. Lots of butter. (2) Chocolate. Add as much as you want. (3) Slightly underbake these.
I worked on my various Buzzes---Bakerbuzz, Photobuzz, Naturebuzz, and Gardenbuzz---this week. I've daubed them with paint and bees. What do you think?
And the most exciting news of all...the arrival of our second grandchild, Wyatt Nance! He weighed in at 9 lbs. 13 oz. and he has a full head of hair. He was happily greeted by his big sister, Annie, along with his mom and dad and his grandparents. We are in love.
The Sunday Salon
I’ve taken the helm of one of our earliest book blogging memes, The Sunday Salon. I’d love to have you stop by my blog, Readerbuzz, here and post a link to your blog. The Sunday Salon was created twelve years ago to encourage book conversations, and I hope to do the same by sharing links and visiting others’ blogs. I will keep also he Facebook group for Sunday Salon.
I would be very happy if you would spread the word about the Sunday Salon. Encourage others to post here and/or on Facebook. Post the graphic on social media.
Other places where you may like to link up are below. Click on the picture to visit the site.
My linkup for Sunday Salon is below. If you wish to also post a link at Facebook, you can also do that. My hope is that you will post here and/or at FB and then visit other bloggers. Sunday Salon is to encourage conversations about books and book-ish things.
Welcome, Wyatt! What fun you are going to have with two grandchildren!
ReplyDeleteI can not wait to read Luncheon of the Boating Party. I'm glad you enjoyed it, as well as A Gentleman in Moscow.
Love your colored "buzzes." Nicely done, Deb!
Have a great weekend and enjoy those cookies. Mmmmmm.
Thank you, Les! We are so excited about Wyatt!
DeleteCongratulations on the birth of your grandson! Those cookies look fabulous; perhaps I'll bake some cookies tomorrow....
ReplyDeleteThese are honestly the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever tasted.
DeleteI re-read Don Quixote a decade ago and made weekly blog posts about the process. That was fun. Congratulations on your new grandson!
ReplyDeleteI bet that was a fun way to read Don Quixote.
DeleteThat sounds like some good reading. How fun to welcome a new grandson!
ReplyDeleteIt has been a fun adventure.
DeleteFirst, congratulations on your new grandson. Second, sometimes I don't think I pay attention, because you've probably had your format for this post for a while, but I just wanted to say I like it. It works for you, but also for us as readers too. I wanted to let you know. I also like that you're including links to your reviews now. I don't know if you did that in the past. Third, I wrote about you and the book you sent me on my blog. Link is below. :)
ReplyDeleteI just started using this format, so I'm glad to hear that you like it. I have it set up on my blog early in the week, and I can add a little to it now and then as I think of things. In the past, I have not been good about including links to my reviews. I have added that, as I like to write them on Goodreads and post a link to them here.
DeleteThank you so much for your wonderful blog post about the book I sent to you. It was very kind of you.
Congratulations on the precious new grandson!! I love your artwork and am off to check out that cookie recipe.
ReplyDeleteThank you! We are enjoying him so much.
DeleteLooks like you got some great reading in. I have The Bell Jar but haven't read it yet, I've heard it's a tough one to get through.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, the baby is beautiful!
I hadn't realized Sunday Salon was still around, I'll have to link up next updates post.
Enjoy your week, the cookies look good.
Yes, it was converted to a Facebook page for several years, but Debra Hamel agreed to let me take over Sunday Salon and try it as both a Facebook page and as a linky here.
DeleteCongratulations!!! He is so cute. Don Quixote he? A classic this week. And from a fellow baker yo you....I agree with your advices LOL Have a great Sunday!
ReplyDeleteI've been trying to make the best chocolate chip cookies in the world since 1989 when I entered a contest at my local Wal-Mart and came in second. (There probably were only two entries.) In any case, I won a free mixer.
DeleteCongratulations on the birth of your second grandchild - he is a beautiful, bonny baby:)). As for getting through Jude the Obscure - urg! I started reading it when studying 'Far From the Madding Crowd' - got to the point when Jude started hanging his siblings and broke off... There are at least a few shafts of humour in The Belljar (if a tad sharp-edged) but nothing relieves the sheer and utter despair of Jude... I hope you have a happier read this week! Love the Buzzes by the way:)
ReplyDeleteReading about the hangings was horrible. And the characters were awful, too.
DeleteI feel very proud of my Buzzes.
Thank you for inviting me to take part in the Sunday Salon. And congrats on your grand child. He looks adorable. I hope you have a great week ahead.
ReplyDeleteGayathri @ Elgee Writes
I hope you will stop by every week!
DeleteCongratulations on your second grandchild. Wyatt looks beautiful and I am sure he will be stealing hearts in now time!
ReplyDeleteHe has already stolen ours!
DeleteWyatt is gorgeous! Congratulations! I remember the days of the new grandbabies...mine are all grown now except for two teenagers.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy! Thanks for sharing your Buzzes, too; they are beautiful.
Now I want some chocolate chip cookies. Thanks! LOL.
Thanks for visiting my blog. Enjoy your week.
I'm enjoying my two grandchildren as much as I can. They are probably the only two I will have.
DeleteI've been meaning to read Dom Quixote for a while, but just never get around to doing it.
ReplyDeleteLots of people have dropped out of the extended, chapter-a-day read. I'd encourage you to read an abridged Don Quixote and call it a day.
DeleteWay to bury the lede in your title! Chocolate chip cookies and good books are among my very favorite things in life, but I'm pretty sure grandbabies outrank them.
ReplyDeleteI know I've read Jude, but don't remember it well. I loved Tess and Far from the Madding Crowd. I'm on spring break this week and my daughter and I will be spending a few days at my sister's house in Seattle while she is out of town. I think we should test your cookie recipe and see if we agree.
Grandbabies are the best things in my life.
DeleteI hope you will share your results with your taste testing here. I found one cool blog where the blogger tried thirty variations of the standard chocolate chip recipe and reported her results in photos and text. I need to share that next week. I found it very helpful.
Wyatt is adorable!!
ReplyDeleteI finally gave up on Don Quixote.
You are not the only one. I'm afraid the truth is that I have skimmed over the poetry and some of the long repetitive passages. I'm going to finish it, and I'm counting it, though I'm encouraging people to read an abridged version.
DeleteCongratulations on your new grandson! How wonderful. And those cookies look yummilicious! My favorite cookie is chocolate chip!
ReplyDeleteMy Sunday Post
I'm a complete chocolate chip fan. I'm quite satisfied with this recipe, although...I might do a bit more tinkering.
DeleteYes! Allow me to add my congrats on new arrival Wyatt!
ReplyDeleteJude the Obscure is great, but it really is the most depressing book in the universe, isn't it?
The new buzzes are looking awesome.
There was so much misery in Jude. I'm handing over a copy of the book to anyone who starts speaking about the past longingly.
DeleteI think they are adorable and Happy Second Grandchild! How wonderful. I hope both mom and baby are doing great and congratulations to you all. I hope you have a wonderful week!
ReplyDeleteMary
Congratulations on the new grandbaby! So sweet.
ReplyDeleteTalk about burying the lead! A new grandson! Congratulations - he is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteAnd you finished 3 400+ page novels in one week?? Wow, that is remarkable! Way to go!
I have been hearing such wonderful things about A Gentleman in Moscow. Also very impressed you are reading Don Quixote - that's a classic I haven't gotten to yet.
What a week for you!!
Sue
Book By Book
A new Juana and Lucas book! Yay. My weekly update
ReplyDeleteOh Wyatt! You are a big boy. I agree - Butter and slight under baking do generally improve chocolate chip cookies.
ReplyDeleteAnne - Books of My Heart Here is my Sunday Post
Congrats to your family on the birth of Wyatt!
ReplyDeleteI love choc chip cookies... I love it when they're a little chewy rather than crunchy.
Hope you've had a good week.
Fun Fun! I didn't know about the Sunday Salon. And Congratulations of your grandson. My book club is going to read A Gentleman in Moscow, it'll be interesting. ❤️
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your newest grandbaby! Though I'm not writing about my reading as much as I used to, I hope to participate in your Sunday Salon sometime. Thank you for hosting! And thanks for the enticing cookie recipe :-)
ReplyDelete