July Cupcakes And Characters
July was a slower reading month due to a fun trip to Colorado but the books I did read hit hard!
I’m convinced that Tom Hanks could double his net worth by starting to voice meditations. His voice is so melodious and soothing! I listened to Ann Patchett's The Dutch House, which Tom Hanks reads. His performance of this book was absolutely amazing and now I can’t imagine what it would be like if I had read it instead of listening to it. As someone who is close with my siblings, I really enjoyed reading this book and the interplay between the two characters and what it looked like for them to be siblings. I definitely related to the protectiveness that Maeve has for Danny and it cracked me up to hear him complain about it while also seeking it out. I firmly believe that certain places stay with us forever. My family has its own version of a dutch house like that! Not quite as fancy as this one though. A place like The Dutch House played such a big role in Danny and Maeve’s life and it was interesting to see all the different iterations of that role. I definitely don’t think my half-siblings will be excited if I show up at their house like Danny and Maeve did to their step-sisters! Everyone has things they struggle with, it turns out, and some of those things are easier to process than others. The concept of the book as smart people who struggle to overcome parts of their past really resonated with me. And made me realize I better keep working on myself!
Guess what?! I made the coconut cupcakes again! One of our best family friends, N, came to visit and we have been spending time together in the kitchen for the last 20 years so every time we get together we end up cooking or baking something fun. He has always loved coconut so I couldn’t resist making them. They definitely looked a little better this time, N is pretty meticulous and we discussed the coconut coverage on top rather seriously!
I’m late to the party on this one but I really enjoyed reading Pam Jenoff’s Last Twilight In Paris. It might be obvious at this point but I love hearing about different perspectives, especially on topics or times where people have such vastly different experiences. Last Twilight In Paris was definitely one of those. We know, collectively, about what horrible and diabolical suffering took place during WWII. But I think it might also be true that we underestimate the challenges and suffering of people who didn’t have the suffering we think of first (ie. concentration camps). Louise and her husband working together to solve a mystery was a beautiful way to have them share their WWII experiences and help them heal together. It’s hard to imagine the hard choices that people made, including Red Cross workers who tried to do as much as possible while still maintaining their positive status with the Germans. And people who were also willing to risk everything, their life, the lives of their loved ones, and more, to help. Whether that was sneaking in a camera as a singer, or sneaking out of a department store turned concentration camp, there were always risks and the consequences could be dire. I thought this book was well done and I’ll definitely keep it in mind to recommend to people.
I tried a new recipe this month for strawberry shortcake with lemon in the cakes. It was pretty good! I think this sort of scone type can be very hard to make. And it’s been so humid here in North Carolina that they got soft kind of quickly. It doesn’t help that I forgot to put the heavy cream and sugar on top of them before they went in the oven! Strawberries and lemon is one of my favorite flavor combos so I was excited to try this recipe. I’m still trying to decide if I am going to try it again or not.
I have been lucky recently with the opportunity to do some ARC reading for books that are coming out in the next couple of months. In July I read Jane D Cairns’ Exalted Objects, which is historical fiction about the railroad tycoon George Stark. The book begins in 1896 when George has to decide whether or not to commit his eccentric brother Will to an asylum, at the risk of his brother or at the risk of the family reputation. The book starts out strong and I was very intrigued to see where it was going. Medicine, particularly mental health care, was mostly guess work at this point and historically was actually quite barbaric and harmful. In the beginning, I could really feel George’s concern and anxiety about how to help his brother. The book then flashes back to the years before this moment, with his Will’s graduation (or expulsion) from boarding school and all the ensuing events. Unfortunately, I think the pacing was a real challenge and I didn’t end up finishing the book. I struggled to stay interested and although the book is written in first person, I think the prose often felt stilted and formal. Like I said, I find the concept very interesting and the beginning definitely hooked me but I was bummed that it didn’t hold me on until the end. The one thing I did really enjoy about this book was the vocabulary! I learned several new words, including “sybarite”, which is a great word and also is just fun to say. I have read a lot so when I come across an author who challenges my vocabulary, I am often impressed. I am grateful to HTF Publishing who gave me the chance to read this advanced copy through NetGalley.
Other bakes included bread (I tried a new whole grain recipe), homemade rice krispy squares, and probably a few other things I forgot about!
There are some books I even forgot about! I have been enjoying tracking my reading and sharing with others on the Story Graph app but sometimes I just lose track… I started listening to Red Rising but I didn’t finish it on time so I had to return it to the library. 11 more weeks on the wait list! Grrrr. I’m also working through John Fugelsang’s The Separation Of Church And State which is intense but a fascinating look at how Christianity in the US has become corrupt. I love how much direct reference he has to The Bible and how he explains things. Oh and I’m also slowly reading through Kate Bowler’s new book Joyful, Anyway. I’m trying to take my time because I love it so much and don’t want it to be over!
