Hannah Coulter: A Novel by Wendell Berry: Book Beginnings on Fridays, First Line Friday, The Friday 56, and Book Blogger Hop

Today's Featured Book: 

Hannah Coulter: A Novel

by Wendell Berry

Genre: Fiction

Published: October 10, 2005

Page Count: 208 pages

Summary: 

Hannah, the now–elderly narrator, recounts the love she has for the land and for her community. She remembers each of her two husbands, and all places and community connections threatened by twentieth–century technologies. At risk is the whole culture of family farming. But her hope is redeemed when her wayward and once lost grandson, Virgil, returns to his rural home place to work the farm.

 

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAY is hosted by Rose City Reader. What book are you happy about reading this week? Please share the opening sentence (or so) on BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAY! Add the link to your blog or social media post and visit other blogs to see what others are reading.

Happy Friday and welcome to the FIRST LINE FRIDAY, hosted by Reading is My Superpower! It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line.

“I picked him up in my arms and I carried him home.”

Berry, Wendell. Hannah Coulter: A Novel (Port William Book 8), p. 1. Kindle Edition. 

THE FRIDAY 56 is hosted by Anne of Head Full of Books. To play, open a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% on your e-reader). Find a sentence or two and post them, along with the book title and author. Then link up on Head Full of Books and visit others in the linky. 

In the dark way of the world I had come to what would be my life’s place, though I could not yet know the life I would live in it.

Berry, Wendell. Hannah Coulter: A Novel (Port William Book 8), p. 56. Kindle Edition. 

Wendell Berry. Do you know his work? If you do, have you read his fiction or his nonfiction? 

Wendell Berry is an author that has long been recommended to me. Fiction. Nonfiction. Poetry. Everything he has written has been recommended to me at one time or another. And it all sounds good.

I finally my first Wendell Berry book, a book of fiction, Jayber Crow, in 2024. I loved it. I loved the story. I loved the characters. I loved the philosophy interwoven into the story. 

I wanted to read more of this author, but I always hesitate; I hate being disappointed by a second book after loving the first. 

So I begin Hannah Coulter with trepidation. But also with anticipation of great delight...

The purpose of THE BOOK BLOGGER HOP is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, and befriend other bloggers. THE BOOK BLOGGER HOP is hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer.    

Do you have any bookish habits or quirks you catch yourself doing again and again? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee-Addicted Writer)

I'm nothing except a quirky bookish person. I read five or six books at the same time. I have more library cards than credit cards (way more). I only like to shop for one thing: books. Please don't start talking to me about popular culture, this movie star or that pop singer, but I am always delighted to talk about even the most obscure books...

I could go on and on.

 

Everyday Dorie: The Way I Cook by Dorie Greenspan

   

I have a lot of cookbooks in my TBR, and there is nothing my husband loves more than for me to cook. To inspire me, I took photos with 24 cookbooks I have and I've prescheduled one post a month for the next two years. I'll plan to link up with In My Kitchen, hosted by Sherry's Pickings, and Weekend Cooking, hosted by Marg at The Intrepid Reader (and Baker). To further inspire me, I've created a Cooking/Baking Challenge for me for 2026 in which I read and bake from and post about one cookbook a month.

It's been about eight years since I first discovered Dorie Greenspan. Boy, she knows flavor. I bought her cookbook, Paris Sweets, and I made Sablés au Citron (French Lemon Shortbread) for a family gathering in 2019. I've never had such a positive reaction to anything I baked. Everyone who tried the sablés paused after the first bite of the cookie and took another bite and said, "This is delicious." I wrote about baking Sablés au Citron here. Later that summer, I tried Clafoutis aux Pêche (Peace Clafoutis) from the same cookbook. Here's where I wrote about that experience. In 2022, I bought Dorie's latest cookbook, Baking With Dorie: Sweet, Salty, & Simple. I tried making Cheese Puffers from that cookbook here. 

I got a copy of Everyday Dorie: The Way I Cook a few years ago. It's a cookbook that details the foods Dorie cooks on a regular basis. I've been meaning to try something from this book, and I finally decided to make my first galette this week. I am not exaggerating when I say that this galette might be the most delicious thing I've ever made. 

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

• 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces

• ¼ cup ice water

Filling

• 4 slices bacon

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

• ½ pound mushrooms, such as white, cremini, wild, or a mix, trimmed and coarsely chopped

• 2 leeks, white and light-green parts only, split, washed, and thinly sliced (or 1 large sweet onion, such as Vidalia, thinly sliced, rinsed, and patted dry)

• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped

• Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper

• 3 tablespoons dry white wine

• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

• 3 tablespoons chopped walnuts

• ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan

• Leaves from 2 thyme sprigs

Directions

1. Crust:

   Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal and there are some small flake-size pieces and some larger pea-size pieces. Add a little of the ice water and pulse; add some more and pulse; continue until all the water is in. Now work in longer pulses, stopping to scrape sides and bottom of bowl if needed, until dough forms bumpy curds that hold together when pinched.

2. 

3. Turn dough out onto a clean work surface and gently knead to bring it together. Gather into a ball, flatten into a disk, and place between two large sheets of parchment. Roll out dough to a 12-inch circle. Slide dough, still between sheets of parchment, onto a baking sheet or cutting board and refrigerate at least 2 hours or, well wrapped, up to 3 days. (Dough can also be frozen, well wrapped, up to 2 months.)

4. When you're ready to use the dough, let stand on counter for a few minutes, until it's pliable enough to lift and fold without cracking.

5. Filling:

   Place bacon in a heavy skillet and cook over medium heat, turning occasionally, until crispy and golden brown on both sides. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, pat dry with more paper towels, and let cool completely. Finely chop bacon or cut into slender strips. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet; set skillet aside.

6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees with rack in center.

7. 

8. Pour oil into skillet with bacon fat and heat over medium. Add mushrooms, leeks or onion, and garlic; season lightly with salt. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. (Mushrooms will release liquid, and then, as you continue to cook, take it up again.) Add wine and cook, stirring and scraping bottom of skillet, until it evaporates, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in cream and cook, stirring, until mostly absorbed. Remove from heat; stir in bacon, pepper (to taste), walnuts, 2 tablespoons cheese, and thyme. (Filling can be made ahead and refrigerated, covered, up to 3 days.)

9. Peel top sheet of parchment off dough; leave dough on bottom sheet of parchment and keep on baking sheet. Scrape filling onto dough; using a spatula, spread into a 9-inch circle. Lift the bare border of dough and fold over filling. As you fold, dough will pleat on itself (don't worry about being neat or getting everything even). (Galette can be made up to this point and refrigerated for a few hours before baking; bake straight from refrigerator.)

10. Bake until crust is deeply golden and filling is hot, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack and sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons cheese over the filling, and if desired, the crust. Drizzle with oil, if desired. Let cool about 10 minutes or let cool to room temperature, then cut with a pizza wheel and serve. Galette is best served within a few hours of baking.
11. 

Have you ever made a galette?

I am eager to make more from this cookbook.

Be a part of the friendly In My Kitchen (IMK) community by adding your post at Sherry's Pickings each month - everybody welcome!  We'd love to have you visit.  Tell us about your kitchen (and kitchen garden) happenings over the past month.  Dishes you've cooked, preserves you've made, herbs and veg. in your garden, kitchen gadgets, and goings-on.  And one curveball is welcome - whatever you fancy; no need to be kitchen-related. The link is open from the first of the month to midnight on the thirteenth of the month, every month.

Weekend Cooking was created by Beth Fish Reads and is now hosted by Marg at The Intrepid Reader (and Baker). It is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post.  

For more photos, link up at Wordless Wednesday, Comedy Plus, Messymimi's Meanderings, Keith's Ramblings, Image-in-ing, Soul and Mind and So On, Wild Bird Wednesday, and My Corner of the World.

Book Titles That Describe My Life

Born Reading by Jason Boog

When I Was a Child I Read Books by Marilynne Robinson

The Spell of a Story by Mariajo Ilustrajo

I'd Rather Be Reading by Anne Bogel

Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading by Maureen Corrigan

Bookworm by Lucy Mangan

I Will Judge You By Your Bookshelf by Grant Snider

So Many Books, So Little Time by Sara Nelson

The Librarian by Salley Vickers

Wild About Books by Judy Sierra

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Each Tuesday That Artsy Reader Girl assigns a topic and then post her top ten list that fits that topic. You’re more than welcome to join her and create your own top ten (or 2, 5, 20, etc.) list as well. Feel free to put a unique spin on the topic to make it work for you! Please link back to That Artsy Reader Girl in your own post so that others know where to find more information.   

Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon: April 18-19, 2026: Preparations Made

PREP WORK

Snacks assembled.

Bingo card ready.

Ridiculously tall stack of books

prepared for possible reading.

SAVE THE DATE

Dewey and I go way back. Way, way back. 

I became a blogger in June of 2008, and I participated in my first readathon later that month. I read eight books, all BookCrossing books, and then I gave them away after the readathon. 

I participated every year, at least once a year, until 2021. I only participated one time, briefly, since then. 

I think this will be my 30th readathon!

I learned this morning that the next readathon is next weekend, April 18-19, 2026. Yay! We will start reading at 7 am Central Time April 18th, and end at 7 am April 19th. The goal is to try to read for twenty-four hours straight. 

I shall do Dewey's up big this year:

1. I will compile a stack of books to read for twenty-four hours (or as long as I can until I fall asleep). 

2. I will stock up on some fun snacks and drinks for the 'thon.

3. I will create a template on Canva to keep track of the books I read.

4. I will use one of the two Bingo boards posted on FB for Dewey.

5. I will have fun reading!

 

Some memorable readathons from the past:

My First Readathon...Readathon Lite...A Readathon with a New York, New York Theme...Readathon with a Sidekick, My 18-Month Old Granddaughter, Annie 

To inspire me:

So, what do you think?

Will you join in for the readathon this year?

 

 

The Sunday Salon: Spring Fling at Quintana Beach with Warblers and Tanagers and Orioles

 

I am delighted that you joined us here at the Sunday Salon. Welcome! 

What is the Sunday Salon? 

The Sunday Salon is a place to link up and share what we have been doing during the week. It's also a great opportunity to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there. 

I rested for a day after doing so much traveling in March, and then I got busy again attending a family reunion for my husband's family, going to our naturalist club meeting, volunteering at Spring Fling as a host for visitors coming to the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory to see migrating birds, and learning more about Emily Dickinson at my class.  

Yes, it took me three months, but I finally finished The Brothers Karamazov this week.

What I Read Last Week:

The Brothers Karamozov by Fyodor Dostoevsky (Classic)

What I'm Reading Now:

The Book of Birds: A Field Guide to Wonder and Loss 

written by Robert Macfarlane and illustrated by Jackie Morris (Nature Nonfiction)

What I Posted Last Week Here at Readerbuzz:

The Sunday Salon: The Black Death and the Tooth Fairy

Moving-and-Starting-Over Books

The 2026 Texas Library Association Conference: Photos of Authors, Books, and Things I'm Still Thinking About

Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter  by Heather Fawcett: Book Beginnings on Fridays, First Line Friday, The Friday 56, and Book Blogger Hop

I began to list 3 Good Things every day during the pandemic. Now I've established a regular routine of writing down my 3 Good Things. Here are 3 Good Things from last week:

I saw these beautiful birds at the bird sanctuary this week while I volunteered at the host station...

Good Thing #1:

Swainson's Warbler

Good Thing #2:

Prothonatary Warbler

Good Thing #3:

Scarlet Tanager

Weekend linkup spots are listed below. Click on the picture to visit the site.

        

I hope you will join the linkup for Sunday Salon below.