Books I Read This Month
1. Uprooted by Naomi Novik
2. His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik (Temeraire Book#1)
3. Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens' Agenda by Becky Albertalli
4. Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli
5. Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
6. Worlds Seen in Passing: 10 Years of Tor.com Short Fiction, edited by Irene Gallo
Some definite trends here, as I stocked up on reads from favorite authors this past year and before, plus some YA books.
Favorite Book This Month
For the first time, I did have a hands-down favorite this month!
His Majesty's Dragon is basically Horatio Hornblower with dragons, and it's AMAZING. I started reading parts aloud to my husband, and he told me to stop---because he wanted to read it for himself. I've already got the second book out of the library and I'm super excited because there are nine books out in the series. I love coming into a brand new (to me) series where I can just read the whole thing straight through! It's very different from her more recent books, Uprooted and Spinning Silver, which I feel like got a lot more attention, but in my opinion, just as good in a different way if you can get into books set in the British Royal Navy/Air Force during the Napoleonic wars (which, you should).
Things I Baked This Month
1. I got obsessed with Smitten Kitchen's Sunken Black Forest Cake, but I know from past experience that the two of us won't finish a whole cake (even one layer) by ourselves, and I hate throwing food away. So, instead, I reprised my favorite mini molten chocolate cakes (I bake them in muffin tins) and added Smitten Kitchen's cherry preserve topping, with apple cider vinegar since I didn't have any lemon juice or kirsch. They were delicious and we (okay, mostly I) ate them all!
2. Atlantic Beach Pie
I saw this article shortly before Thanksgiving, so I went ahead and made this and it was a surprise Thanksgiving hit!
3. Root Vegetable Hand Pies
I originally intended to make Smitten Kitchen's root vegetable gratin, but a different set of root vegetables were available at my grocery store, so I got parsnips and turnips instead, in addition to potato, and then, since I was already off recipe, I made it into hand pies, with this crust, which I'd been meaning to use again. Then, I made another version later in the week that was a riff on this plus green bean casserole. Basically, I had a lot of fun in the kitchen during Thanksgiving break!
Links I Liked This Month
1. A more hopeful take on What Really Happens After the Apocalypse
2. That Guy in Your MFA's 10 Rules for Novelists
1. Uprooted by Naomi Novik
2. His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik (Temeraire Book#1)
3. Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens' Agenda by Becky Albertalli
4. Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli
5. Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
6. Worlds Seen in Passing: 10 Years of Tor.com Short Fiction, edited by Irene Gallo
Some definite trends here, as I stocked up on reads from favorite authors this past year and before, plus some YA books.
Favorite Book This Month
For the first time, I did have a hands-down favorite this month!
His Majesty's Dragon is basically Horatio Hornblower with dragons, and it's AMAZING. I started reading parts aloud to my husband, and he told me to stop---because he wanted to read it for himself. I've already got the second book out of the library and I'm super excited because there are nine books out in the series. I love coming into a brand new (to me) series where I can just read the whole thing straight through! It's very different from her more recent books, Uprooted and Spinning Silver, which I feel like got a lot more attention, but in my opinion, just as good in a different way if you can get into books set in the British Royal Navy/Air Force during the Napoleonic wars (which, you should).Things I Baked This Month
1. I got obsessed with Smitten Kitchen's Sunken Black Forest Cake, but I know from past experience that the two of us won't finish a whole cake (even one layer) by ourselves, and I hate throwing food away. So, instead, I reprised my favorite mini molten chocolate cakes (I bake them in muffin tins) and added Smitten Kitchen's cherry preserve topping, with apple cider vinegar since I didn't have any lemon juice or kirsch. They were delicious and we (okay, mostly I) ate them all!
2. Atlantic Beach Pie
I saw this article shortly before Thanksgiving, so I went ahead and made this and it was a surprise Thanksgiving hit!
3. Root Vegetable Hand Pies
I originally intended to make Smitten Kitchen's root vegetable gratin, but a different set of root vegetables were available at my grocery store, so I got parsnips and turnips instead, in addition to potato, and then, since I was already off recipe, I made it into hand pies, with this crust, which I'd been meaning to use again. Then, I made another version later in the week that was a riff on this plus green bean casserole. Basically, I had a lot of fun in the kitchen during Thanksgiving break!
Links I Liked This Month
1. A more hopeful take on What Really Happens After the Apocalypse
2. That Guy in Your MFA's 10 Rules for Novelists
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