Saturday, March 23, 2019

Three Good Novels Read, the World's Best Chocolate Chip Cookies, and a New Grandson



Read...


Image result for jude the obscure

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.


Side by Side: A Celebration of DadsJuana and Lucas by Juana MedinaSweet Dreamers by Isabelle SimlerCarter Reads the Newspaper by Deborah Hopkinson

This week I also read and reviewed: 
Sweet Dreamers by Isabelle Simler
Carter Reads the Newspaper by Deborah Hopkinson and Don Tate



Reading...

 Image result for don quixote book

Yep. Don Quixote. Three hundred pages to go. I'm finishing this one next week. No matter what.



Book-ish...




Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon is coming on April 6. What is Dewey’s 24-Hour Read-a-thon? For 24 hours, we read books, post to our blogs, Twitters, Instagrams, Litsy, Facebook, Goodreads and MORE about our reading, and visit other readers’ homes online. We also participate in mini-challenges throughout the day. It happens twice a year, in April and in October. The readathon will begin promptly at 8 am Eastern time. Register here.





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.




42 comments:

  1. Welcome, Wyatt! What fun you are going to have with two grandchildren!

    I 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.

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  2. Congratulations on the birth of your grandson! Those cookies look fabulous; perhaps I'll bake some cookies tomorrow....

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    1. These are honestly the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever tasted.

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  3. I re-read Don Quixote a decade ago and made weekly blog posts about the process. That was fun. Congratulations on your new grandson!

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  4. That sounds like some good reading. How fun to welcome a new grandson!

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  5. First, 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. :)

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    Replies
    1. I 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.

      Thank you so much for your wonderful blog post about the book I sent to you. It was very kind of you.

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  6. Congratulations on the precious new grandson!! I love your artwork and am off to check out that cookie recipe.

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  7. Looks 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.
    Congratulations, 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.

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    1. 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.

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  8. Congratulations!!! 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!

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    1. I'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.

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  9. Congratulations 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:)

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    Replies
    1. Reading about the hangings was horrible. And the characters were awful, too.

      I feel very proud of my Buzzes.

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  10. 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.

    Gayathri @ Elgee Writes

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  11. Congratulations on your second grandchild. Wyatt looks beautiful and I am sure he will be stealing hearts in now time!

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  12. Wyatt is gorgeous! Congratulations! I remember the days of the new grandbabies...mine are all grown now except for two teenagers.

    Enjoy! 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.

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    Replies
    1. I'm enjoying my two grandchildren as much as I can. They are probably the only two I will have.

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  13. I've been meaning to read Dom Quixote for a while, but just never get around to doing it.

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    1. Lots 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.

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  14. Way 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.

    I 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.

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    1. Grandbabies are the best things in my life.

      I 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.

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  15. Wyatt is adorable!!
    I finally gave up on Don Quixote.

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    1. 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.

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  16. Congratulations on your new grandson! How wonderful. And those cookies look yummilicious! My favorite cookie is chocolate chip!

    My Sunday Post

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    1. I'm a complete chocolate chip fan. I'm quite satisfied with this recipe, although...I might do a bit more tinkering.

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  17. Yes! Allow me to add my congrats on new arrival Wyatt!

    Jude the Obscure is great, but it really is the most depressing book in the universe, isn't it?

    The new buzzes are looking awesome.

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    Replies
    1. 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.

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  18. I 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!

    Mary

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  19. Congratulations on the new grandbaby! So sweet.

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  20. Talk about burying the lead! A new grandson! Congratulations - he is beautiful!

    And 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

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  21. Oh Wyatt! You are a big boy. I agree - Butter and slight under baking do generally improve chocolate chip cookies.

    Anne - Books of My Heart Here is my Sunday Post   

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  22. Congrats to your family on the birth of Wyatt!

    I love choc chip cookies... I love it when they're a little chewy rather than crunchy.

    Hope you've had a good week.

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  23. 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. ❤️

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  24. Congratulations 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 :-)

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