Saturday, July 20, 2019

French Shortbread, Fossil Hunting, and a Whole Slew of Books


I've been keeping track of my reading since 1999, and I've added everything I can remember to Goodreads. I hope, by the end of the year, to push my total recorded reads over 5,000 books. Right now I am at 4,884. I think I can do it....

....though I won't do it this week. I didn't finish anything.




On the other hand, I am reading a lot (a LOT) of books. Here are the books I'm reading right now:


The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas
No Exit
Swann's Way
Arsene Lupin, Gentleman-Thief
Paris Sweets: Great Desserts from the City's Best Pastry Shops
Maigret
Each Tiny Spark
The Okay Witch
Stoned: Jewelry, Obsession, and How Desire Shapes the World



Free book vending machines have been unveiled in New York City. Take a look at this amazing fourteen year old girl who helped with the unveiling here.




I tried making French lemon shortbread, Sablés au Citronthis week. It was delicious.




My husband and I traveled to Midlothian, Texas with a group from the Houston Gem and Mineral Society to a mine where we hunted for fossil shark teeth and fossil shells, as well as pyrite.


We also made a stop at the Mineral Wells Fossil Park where we found hundreds of crinoids. Unfortunately I also had a close encounter with a cactus. Ouch!





What did you do last week?

Did you read any good books? Share them with us.

Have you seen anything bookish you'd like to tell us about?

What else is going on in your life?

I invite you to link up here and/or at the Sunday Salon page on Facebook each weekend (Saturday-Sunday-Monday) and let us know what you have been doing. Visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there.

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. 



48 comments:

  1. Oh my gosh, I watched the video with the book vending machines and that young woman is amazing! She will be a great leader one day.

    I don't know how you keep track of so many books at one time.

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  2. I had to go over to Goodreads and see how many books I've listed as read and am sadly only at 1166 but that's only since I joined goodreads in 2011 so not too bad I guess. I haven't had the year I wanted to reading-wise but things are looking up. The shortbread looks wonderful and I'm pinning it to make another day. I love a simple shortbread and lemon is one of my favorite flavors. I have a book in translation spot on one of my reading challenges so I may have to pick up a book translated from French and sit down with a cup of tea and that shortbread! Have a great week!

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    1. You should be very, very proud of 1166 books! Most people never read more than a book a year.

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    2. If you do decide to read a book in French, I recommend The Little Prince.

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  3. You have a lot of books on your reading list. I hope they are good ones! Have a great week!

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    1. It's a huge stack, isn't it? But I made good progress on all of them, and I'm pretty sure I'll finish them next week.

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  4. I have Maigret, in French, that I hope to finish one of these days. I like the French theme of your current books.

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  5. While you didn't finish any books this week, still...you're reading a lot. More than I read in a week or even usually a month.

    As you know from my blog, I'm participating in the 24in48 readathon today - pretty much staying off my feet after being on them for a lot yesterday at work (knee still bothering me, but getting the first of three gel shots this week and continuing PT). I'm also waiting to hear if, and when, my book giveaway winners get their books in the mail. Most, including you, are supposed to be getting them by tomorrow, I think.

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    1. I hope to get a few hours in today. I wasn't expecting to be busy this weekend, but you know how that goes....

      I will watch my mailbox tomorrow!

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  6. That trip sounds like a fun one. I have never done anything like that. I was thinking about going to NY this year but it sounds overwhelming to plan, I'll cross my fingers.

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    1. We used to fossil and rock hunt for days at a time, but now we limit it to the mornings. I hope you are able to make your trip to NY!

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  7. Good luck with reaching your goal. I wish I had tracked mine from an earlier date. I only have full records since 2010, to date that’s just over 2000 books.
    Your trip looks like fun, except for the run in with that cactus of course.

    Have a great reading week

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  8. The fossil hunting looks fun! And I've been meaning to add all of the books I've read to Goodreads. So many thought that it will take a lot of time. I do have everything on there since 2012.

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  9. Marley Dias gets my vote for President! What an inspiration and well-spoken young woman. Wow.

    Thanks for the updates on your cookie recipe. I'm going to try it for my mahjong group next week. Mmmmmm.

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    Replies
    1. Isn't she amazing?!

      I hope you'll let us know how it turns out.

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  10. Thank you for the book vending machine video, loved it.

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    Replies
    1. We need to see an inspiring person these days, I think.

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  11. I used to have the Desert Rose dishes...and then later, I had the Franciscan Apple.

    Enjoy your week, thanks for sharing, and for visiting my blog. Off to check out that book vending machine.

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    1. Yes, my mom left them to me in her will. I use them all the time. They are beautiful.

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  12. Oh my 5000 books is something to really be proud of! I hope you reach it. I only started tracking my reading around 2012 and it was half-hearted in the beginning... Hopefully I'll get to 5000 one day too. :)

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  13. I want to make those lemon cookies. They sound so good.

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  14. I only had one run in with a cactus when I was a kid and it's memorable for sure, but at least the rest of the trip was fun :) I really wish I had known of Goodreads before but I only started to use it in 2014. And I don't remember the titles or authors of the books I've read throughout my life before 2014.
    Genesis @ Whispering Chapters

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    1. Yes, and I was able to get out the spines pretty quickly. Thank goodness!

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  15. Are you reading all these books at the same time? Wow! How do you keep track what is "happening" in each of them? I'm afraid I would mix up the plots...

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    1. It's odd but I've never had a hard time doing that. I always review books as soon as I finish them, so maybe that helps.

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  16. The shortbread looks delicious! Congrats!

    The fossil hunting must have been exciting. None of you must be claustrophobic if you decided to tour a mine..

    Ronnie @ Paradise Found

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  17. I've been tracking my reading since 2012 on my blog. It needs some updating.
    Not much reading here either, weather has finally become summer-like.
    Those citron cookies look delicious.

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    1. You don’t have time to read; you are an adventurer! I’m so glad you are, too, because you share things in the world that I have never seen.

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  18. Wow on that 14-year-old. She's so impressive!

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  19. Looks like you are keeping busy. I only have one book on my bookstand at the moment.

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    1. I’m finishing books quickly. Hopefully I’ll be down to just a half dozen or so by the end of the week.

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  20. I am so impressed by the 14 year old. So articulate and beautiful and what an inspiring mission. Thank you for sharing - she is amazing.

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  21. I mainly use LibraryThing and Goodreads for the books I'm currently reading. That said, I have reviewed 2700+ books there. LibraryThing has everything I own, borrowed, or owned at one time whether or not I've read it. Come see my week here. Happy reading!

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    Replies
    1. I keep a list of books on LibraryThing, too, but I’m not as consistent with that list.

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  22. I've read that collection of Arsene Lupin stories. My weekly updates

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  23. Fun post. Looks like you had a good time.

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  24. Ooh the fossil hunting looks so fun. Would love to do that. And that bookish vending machine- that's so neat!

    I often wonder how many books I've read...

    I poked myself with a cactus once and couldn't believe how sharp that bugger was!

    Have a good week! :)

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  25. That girl and the free book vending machines is totally cool and impressive!

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