Charlotte and her family receive an invitation to an exhibition in Paris and off they go to visit all the sites of Paris in 1892. I especially likeCharlotte and her family receive an invitation to an exhibition in Paris and off they go to visit all the sites of Paris in 1892. I especially like the Melissa Sweet illustrations....more
I downloaded this little Paris picture book on a whim before I left, and I was oh-so-glad I did. On my trip we had two young children with us, ages 6I downloaded this little Paris picture book on a whim before I left, and I was oh-so-glad I did. On my trip we had two young children with us, ages 6 and 3, and they begged for me to read to them (oh, be still my heart). I read this beautiful illustrated story of a little Chihuahua in Paris to them, and then discovered that I could download other books from my library at home. We spent many happy hours reading picture books in Paris....more
A nice overview of French poetry, from the earliest poets to modern-day poets, with a little biographical information about each, along with a sampleA nice overview of French poetry, from the earliest poets to modern-day poets, with a little biographical information about each, along with a sample poem in French and English....more
The children put out a call for a story about dragons and knights. What better to seek out than this lovely story, There Was an Old Dragon WhoThe children put out a call for a story about dragons and knights. What better to seek out than this lovely story, There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight? And if you are 5,000 miles from home and it is late in the evening? How wonderful to be able to download the book from your library back home and have the children discover a fabulous new book!
The children, 6 and 3, loved the clever wordplay as well as the charming illustrations. It was "Again, again!" that I heard the next day and the next. I suspect this will be a family that finds a copy of their own when they return home from Paris. And I am happy to have led them to this marvelous book....more
Want to read a picture book about dragons and knights while you are 5,000 miles from home? Download this book through your library's Overdrive system.Want to read a picture book about dragons and knights while you are 5,000 miles from home? Download this book through your library's Overdrive system.
It's the story of a knight who has never fought and a dragon who has never fought. They are prepping for their very first fight, and they will fight each other. The prepping itself is not terribly successful. On they go to the battle, and it, too, is a little awkward.
So why not repurpose all the war elements---armor, fire-breath---and enjoy a lovely barbecue instead?
Sarah Smith agrees to trade bookshops with the owner of a Parisian bookshop for six months, and suddenly Sarah is off from her little quiet AmericanSarah Smith agrees to trade bookshops with the owner of a Parisian bookshop for six months, and suddenly Sarah is off from her little quiet American town and she is in Paris. Her handsome and ambitious boyfriend, Ridge, is away, covering another important story, so why not? The Parisian bookshop has some unexpected problems---some of the staff is difficult and small amounts of money are being pilfered from the register---and Sarah must solve the problems and figure out whether Ridge is the one during her sojourn in Paris.
When was the last time I read a romance with a bit of mystery like this one? I usually drop a book like this one as soon as I learn the heartthrob is named Ridge, but the charm of Sarah Smith and the wonderful Paris setting kept me reading to the end. It's a lovely little visit to Paris with a cast of gentle characters, and I enjoyed the trip....more
Stephanie Rosenbloom promotes the idea of traveling alone to maximize the travel experience in this book. She shares some of her favorite experiencesStephanie Rosenbloom promotes the idea of traveling alone to maximize the travel experience in this book. She shares some of her favorite experiences in which she chose to travel alone, and she adds lovely quotes from others who have taken this path. ...more
I've often found that the best introduction to a subject can be a children's book. City Trails - Paris is an excellent place to start for those of usI've often found that the best introduction to a subject can be a children's book. City Trails - Paris is an excellent place to start for those of us who want to experience the best of Paris. It's filled with fun facts and fun illustrations. A delight....more
A man dining alone in a Paris restaurant realizes he is eating next to French President Francois Mitterrand. The president forgets his hat in theA man dining alone in a Paris restaurant realizes he is eating next to French President Francois Mitterrand. The president forgets his hat in the restaurant, and the man surprises himself by taking the hat home with him.
But it's not just any hat....
This little book was great fun, with a hat that travels from person to person, enabling each to act according to his or her true desires....more
Is this the strangest story I have ever read? Truly I think it is. Here's a plot summary from Wikipedia. Decide for yourself.
"The Viscount Medardo ofIs this the strangest story I have ever read? Truly I think it is. Here's a plot summary from Wikipedia. Decide for yourself.
"The Viscount Medardo of Terralba and his squire Kurt ride across the plague-ravaged plain of Bohemia en route to join the Christian army in the Turkish wars of the seventeenth century. On the first day of fighting, a Turkish swordsman unhorses the inexperienced Viscount. Fearless, he scrambles over the battlefield with sword bared, and is split in two by a cannonball hitting him square in the chest.
As a result of the injury, Viscount Medardo becomes two people: Gramo (the Bad) and Buono (the Good). The army field doctors save Gramo through a stitching miracle; the Viscount is "alive and cloven".[1] With one eye and a dilated single nostril, he returns to Terralba, twisting the half mouth of his half face into a scissors-like half smile. Meanwhile, a group of hermits find Buono in the midst of a pile of dead bodies. They tend to him and he recovers. After a long pilgrimage, Buono returns home.
There are now two Viscounts in Terralba. Gramo lives in the castle, Buono lives in the forest. Gramo causes damage and pain, Buono does good deeds. Pietrochiodo, the carpenter, is more adept at building guillotines for Gramo than the machines requested by Buono. Eventually, the villagers dislike both viscounts, as Gramo's malevolence provokes hostility and Buono's altruism provokes uneasiness.
Pamela, the peasant, prefers Buono to Gramo, but her parents want her to marry Gramo. She is ordered to consent to Gramo's marriage proposal. On the day of the wedding, Pamela marries Buono, because Gramo arrives late. Gramo challenges Buono to a duel to decide who shall be Pamela's husband. As a result, they are both severely wounded.
Dr. Trelawney takes the two bodies and sews the two sides together. Medardo finally is whole. He and his wife Pamela (now the Viscountess) live happily together until the end of their days."
What in the world is the wise Italo Calvino trying to tell me?...more
Guylain works at a job he hates, at a job any self-respecting reader worthy of the name would hate: Guylain destroys books. His one joy in life isGuylain works at a job he hates, at a job any self-respecting reader worthy of the name would hate: Guylain destroys books. His one joy in life is reading aloud each day on the 6.27 train. And then he discovers a diary on the train, and he feels compelled to find the author of the diary.
A lovely little adventure containing all my favorite ingredients including books and France....more
I wasn't expecting to enjoy this book so much; I thought it was going to be a book I liked mainly because it was about a person from France and herI wasn't expecting to enjoy this book so much; I thought it was going to be a book I liked mainly because it was about a person from France and her adventures with wine.
It turned out to be much more.
It was a fascinating story of a woman who grew up in a wine-growing family in France who really learned about wine during her time in America. The memoir was intriguing from start to finish, and I was delighted to learn a lot along the way about wine, too....more
I finished my first Emile Zola book while I was in Paris, and it went straight to my list of Favorite Books Ever andI am now officially a Zola fan.
I finished my first Emile Zola book while I was in Paris, and it went straight to my list of Favorite Books Ever and Must-Reads. L'Assommoir is the story of a poor washerwoman, Gervaise, and her decline into deeper and deeper poverty and decadence and despair. It's a brilliant portrait of a woman's life during the mid-to-late 1800's, ...more
Sophie's Misfortunes is a French children's classic. Sophie is four and is always disobeying her mother. With terrible results. Especially forSophie's Misfortunes is a French children's classic. Sophie is four and is always disobeying her mother. With terrible results. Especially for animals.
This was an awful translation. Especially awful were the incorrect pronouns. I only know a little French, but I think I could have done better than this.
Nevertheless, it's the first time I've found an English translation. I suppose it's better than nothing.
Of course it's on the 1001 Children's Book list....more
Every writer’s dream is to travel to Paris and write.
How do you do that?
Eric Maisel shares his secrets. He proposes three daily writing sessions ofEvery writer’s dream is to travel to Paris and write.
How do you do that?
Eric Maisel shares his secrets. He proposes three daily writing sessions of two hours each. Take the bad with the good, he says, just like scooping rather than hand selecting apricots. Go to the Musee d’Orsay when it opens and write in the silence. Stroll everywhere. How much French do you really need? You’d need a lot to translate Finnegans Wake into French, but almost none to order a cup of coffee, and absolutely none to write in English. Write in public place—-the Gallieri bus station, churches, in line. Georges Simenon wrote hundreds of three-week novels, Eric Maisel reminds us. In Paris, life is right there, to touch, to smell, to breathe in. Be motivated by croissants. Don’t forget to visit Jardín des Poetes, with poems among the flower beds. If Paris did not exist, Maisel says, we would have had to invent her. Just close your eyes. You can be there when ever you like....more
I feel confident baking many things. Cookies are something I've baked all my life. My Grandma Ashley's biscuit recipe is brilliant. Quick[image]
I feel confident baking many things. Cookies are something I've baked all my life. My Grandma Ashley's biscuit recipe is brilliant. Quick breads are a snap. I've made a million yeast rolls. I've loved making delicious homemade pie crust. I've even dared to make empanadas and clafoutis and kolaches.
I boldly call myself a baker.
Pastry? Do I make pastry? Well, yes, pies and little tarts. I've made cinnamon rolls and yeast rolls.
What about puff pastry? Choux pastry?
Here I deflate. No. I haven't ever tried making puff pastry or choux pastry. They looked a bit, well, daunting.
Then Pastry for Beginners arrived. I read over the recipe for puff pastry.
I think I can.
Puff Pastry Master Recipe
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(Note: The recipe says that prep time is 45 minutes, with another 1 hour and 30 minutes for chilling time. Maybe I will eventually get the time down to that, but I worked on my dough for more than four hours.)
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I begin by slicing a stick of butter lengthwise into thirds.
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I lay the strips of butter on a piece of parchment paper about the length of a baking sheet, making a 4-by-5 rectangle. I gently press the butter together. The butter goes into the freezer to chill while I prepare the dough.
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In a large bowl, I whisk 1 1/2 cups flour with 1/4 teaspoon salt. I make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add 2 tablespoons of melted butter and 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice. I use my hands to slowly fold the flour into the center. Then I add 1/2 cup ice-cold water and continue to mix and knead until a smooth dough forms.
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I dust a clean surface and a rolling pin with flour, and place the dough ball on the floured counter, working it back and forth from the center, rolling it into an 8-by-10-inch rectangle. I then place the butter layer on top of the dough rectangle so that the corners of the butter point to the edges of the dough.
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I fold the corners of the dough over the butter like an envelope. Then I cover it with plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
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When I bring the dough out of the refrigerator, it is time to laminate the dough. I dust it and the clean surface with a little bit of flour. I roll out the dough, to create a 12-by-15-inch rectangle. It is, of course, difficult to roll the chilled dough. I lift one short end of the dough and fold it to the center of the rectangle. Then I fold the other short end over the first to create a letter fold. I turn the dough 90 degrees, the first turn. I roll the dough out again into a 12-by-15-inch rectangle and fold it into a letter again. I cover it and freeze it for 20 minutes. On and on I go. I remove the dough and place it on the surface so that the long edge is parallel to the counter. I roll it out again to a 12-by-15-inch rectangle. I fold it again and rotate it 90 degrees. Again I roll it out into the rectangle and complete one more fold. I place it in the freezer for 20 minutes. Finally, I complete two more turns, fold it, and then chill it in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
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Now the dough is ready to be used.
I'm going to use it to make Strawberries and Cream Danish.
I start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F. I line the baking sheet with parchment paper and spray it with nonstick spray.
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To make the filling, I blend cream cheese and sugar in a bowl. Then I add one large egg yolk, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. I mix these together, careful not to whip the mixture.
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I take the dough out of the refrigerator and unfold the sheet. I cut it into a 10-by-10-inch square. I cut the sheet evenly into 9 squares and place the squares on the baking sheet. I cut an inner square on the inside of each square by lightly pressing a knife about 1/2 inch from the edge.
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I place 1 heaping teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture into the center of each square.
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I put half of a strawberry in the center of the cream cheese mixture, cut-side down. I place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for fifteen minutes.
I make an egg wash by whisking 1 large egg with 1 teaspoon of water. I remove the Danish from the refrigerator. I brush the edges of each pastry with the egg wash.
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I bake the pastries for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown. The pastries cool for about 15 minutes before serving. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
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I'm pretty happy with the Strawberries and Cream Danish. I am very happy with the layers....more
Mindy Kim and her father have just moved to Florida from California after the loss of Mindy's mom. Mindy is starting a new school, and she is havingMindy Kim and her father have just moved to Florida from California after the loss of Mindy's mom. Mindy is starting a new school, and she is having trouble adjusting to the dearth of diverse cultures in her new environment. It is through seaweed that Mindy first estranges herself and then forms connections and then becomes estranged again, and, finally, bonds with others again.
It's a wonderful story of the difficulties of childhood connections and learning to get along with those who are different and the struggles of loss and moving, with fresh and vulnerable yet strong characters....more
Some of the best books I have read have made me feel very, very uncomfortable. The Things They Carried. The Bell Jar. In Cold Blood. Room. The NarrowSome of the best books I have read have made me feel very, very uncomfortable. The Things They Carried. The Bell Jar. In Cold Blood. Room. The Narrow Road to the Deep North. These books are very good. These books are very, very jarring.
The Truth Is should go on this list. The Truth Is tells the story of Verdad de la Reyna, a fifteen-year-old with a full plate of troubles---Verdad has a moms that pushes her and pushes her and pushes her to excel, to achieve, to fill her future college applications with triumphs...Verdad's dad left her and her moms years ago and has started over with a new family...Verdad has met Danny, a new person at school, and she is trying to figure out her confusing feelings for a person who identifies as trans.
The truth is that The Truth is very, very good. And, for me, very, very jarring.
I've never been a part of Verdad's world; I've never even visited until now. Verdad's world is the world of high school, full of the same sorts of cruelties that I experienced forty-five years ago, yet somehow wildly amplified. Verdad lives in a world where nothing is certain---even solid figures like parents can walk out or toss you out and cut you out of their lives...friends as close as family can be shot and killed and lost to you forever...to get a place to live and food on the table, adults have to work night and day...school is no safe haven but, instead, a hive of viciousness and vindictiveness. Verdad's world is unimaginably horrific. And, to add to the horror, Verdad's world feels deeply true.
Would I have ever ventured into Verdad's world on my own? It's unlikely. I tend to squirm away from reading about worlds that appall me, though it's easier to read about worlds on the other side of the globe than to read about what is probably going on two blocks away at our local high school.
Am I glad I read this book? I wouldn't use the word "glad." It was a horribly uncomfortable read. The graphic language. The homeless young teens. The people who abusively shun those who are different. Violence. Cruelty. No, I wouldn't say I was glad to read this book.
But reading this book is something people should do, especially people like me, people who have never been in a world quite like this. The author NoNieqa Ramos vividly depicts this world for me; the language, the actions of the characters...I would swear it's an alternative universe did I not know enough about the wider world to know that it's what is going on as typical daily life for many. It's an opportunity for me and others to see what life is like there, to develop empathy for the struggles of lives being lived so far outside from my life and yet, in many ways, so close....more
I've had a copy of this book sitting on my shelf for several years. Who would want to read about rowers? I thought.
Now that I have listened to thisI've had a copy of this book sitting on my shelf for several years. Who would want to read about rowers? I thought.
Now that I have listened to this audiobook, I have a different answer to that question. Me. And everyone else.
The Boys in the Boat is the story of nine young men, all from impoverished backgrounds in the American West during the Great Depression, who, despite everything placed in their path to thwart them from their goal, manage to win the gold at the 1936 Olympics.
I'm not a sports person, but I loved this book. ...more
John's father is fighting in the war and John's mother is working in a munitions factory at home in England. John isIt's 1918, and war is raging.
John's father is fighting in the war and John's mother is working in a munitions factory at home in England. John is confused. He is just a child. His teacher tells him that we are at war. But he is just a child. Is he at war?
In what feels like a dream, John meets a German boy, Jan, and a feeling of hope comes over John, a feeling of hope for a better world someday.
Sometimes it's children's books that tell things best....more
Here's the plot: An author with writer's block who lives on a remote island with her husband who is ill finds a Hello Kitty lunchbox that has floatedHere's the plot: An author with writer's block who lives on a remote island with her husband who is ill finds a Hello Kitty lunchbox that has floated up onto the beach. Inside are an antique watch, a package of old letters in French and the diary of a Japanese teenaged girl.
A Tale for the Time Being was on a list of books recommended as mood-boosting, but it took me a long time (a long, long time) to get to the mood-boosting parts. The Japanese teen is suicidal and her father is suicidal. The author is unhappy and her husband is unhappy. The writer of the old letters is suffering terribly.
I'd put the books at 90% pain and suffering and 10% happiness, and maybe that's a good ratio for most of life. It's a clever and surprising story with deeply real characters, an astonishingly good read....more
Tired of lists of books to read that sound like they were made by a group of old English teachers?
Want to find a list of books that are eclectic,Tired of lists of books to read that sound like they were made by a group of old English teachers?
Want to find a list of books that are eclectic, contemporary, surprising?
This is the book for you.
Librarian Gina Sheridan creates lists of the best graphic novels, the best audiobooks, books about con artists (!), even best books-about-books (she calls these "meta textuals").
You know trees are alive. But do you think of them as living beings? With individuality? And needs?
You will after reading this book.
Author JonathanYou know trees are alive. But do you think of them as living beings? With individuality? And needs?
You will after reading this book.
Author Jonathan Drori, an Ambassador for the WWF and Trustee of the Eden Project, accompanied by illustrator Lucille Clere, takes us on a trip through trees around the world. He visits with trees I know well, like the Elm and the Lodgepole Pine and the Baobob and the Date Palm, but he adds stories and details about the familiar that are surprising and unexpected. He also makes stops with trees I knew little about including the Brazil Nut and the Neem and the Coco-de-mer and makes me add these to my list of favorite trees. Drori is a former documentary film maker for the BBC. I hope someone will make this into a documentary.
I know that not everyone is as enamored of trees as I am (yes, I even have a Goodreads tag of trees), but even if you don't think you are, you still might enjoy this book; I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't.
A nice sprinkle of poems for each of Shakespeare's seven ages of a life---that's the inspiration for this book. Everything you'd expect to be here isA nice sprinkle of poems for each of Shakespeare's seven ages of a life---that's the inspiration for this book. Everything you'd expect to be here is here. William Wordsworth's Ode (Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood). Kipling's If. Matthew Arnold's Dover Beach. Keats' To Autumn. Eliot's Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. Auden's Funeral Blues. But there are light poems, too, like Jenny Joseph's Warning ("When I am an old woman I shall wear purple") and Ogden Nash ("Candy is dandy") and A. A. Milne ("When I was One, I had just begun."
It's a good collection, but I think I'd have liked it better if it hadn't felt quite so heavy-handed, especially with old age. All in all, though, a very good collection....more
Deb (Readerbuzz)
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