Cozy Winter Reading

The freezing weather this weekend has been the perfect excuse to hang around my apartment and be lazy. Staying inside (with the exception of a trip out to see Sherlock Holmes) has of course translated into lots of reading.

I'll admit it- I've become a complete sucker for young adult books. They're my guilty pleasure of choice. And when I get one using a B&N gift card that was burning a hole in my pocket? Even better. This one, Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater, is a romance between a teenage girl and a boy who's a werewolf- but not the usual kind. A fun book and an entertaining way to spend a few hours on a chilly winter afternoon.

On a slightly more sophisticated level, I read the collection Boston Noir. I'd heard of other titles in this series before- Brooklyn Noir, Los Angeles Noir, etc.- and when I saw they had one for Boston I snapped it up. Not only did it deal with one of my favorite settings, but it was edited by Dennis Lehane, author of The Given Day, which I really loved, and other books that I've enjoyed the movie versions of, like Mystic River. The stories in here didn't disappoint. Set in various parts of the city and covering different time periods, from colonial times to post-WWII to present day, they all share a really great atmosphere and a sense of eeriness and foreboding that fit right in on a winter's day. I'll definitely be keeping my eyes open for some of the other cities in this series.

Vicky and Al

Over my holiday vacation, I saw the movie Young Victoria, which I would highly, highly recommend.

It's the biopic about the years during which Queen Victoria ascended to the throne and met and married Prince Albert. The movie has a perfect mix of history and romance, and Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend are great in the lead roles. I've read a couple of lukewarm reviews, but I absolutely loved it. My only criticism was that it was too short- I would have like to have seen more of their married life together.

This inspired me to read the book We Two: Victoria and Albert: Rulers, Partners, Rivals.

My only problem with this book is the same that I have with any biography that I read. No matter how well written, or how interested I am in the subject matter, they always take me FOREVER to get through. That aside, this one was actually really interesting. It painted a really vivid picture of the lives of Victoria and Albert, and at the best times I felt like I was reading a historical novel. But unlike a novel, this book also discussed the flaws of Victoria and Albert and, unlike the movie, didn't paint a completely rosy picture of their relationship. Reading this book, it was very easy to see how and why the movie deviated from historical fact (and how much more enjoyable it was because it did).

Glad I read the book, even gladder that I saw the movie.

New Jewels

Okay, so "jewels" is a slight exaggeration, but I did get two new pieces of jewelry for Christmas that I really like.

This silver initial and pearl necklace came from this Etsy seller. The stamped letter looks like something that would have been done with an old-fashioned letterpress. It's very delicate and I love wearing it as an everyday little signature piece.

This bracelet is made from vintage buttons and came from Sea & Green in Pt. Pleasant, NJ. It's a cute little shop that sells items by local artists and crafters, most with an emphasis on upcycled or eco-friendly materials.

Mini-Loaf

Over the weekend I made mini-turkey meat loafs (loaves?). The recipe is from the book Cook Yourself Thin that I picked up on a whim a while ago, not because I'm actually trying to cook myself thin, but because it seemed like it had lots of easy recipes that sneak extra veggies into unexpected dishes. This particular recipe calls for an entire bag of fresh spinach to be mixed in with one package of ground turkey, among other ingredients. It makes four mini loafs that are perfect for freezing and reheating.

I can't decide if this picture makes it look good or not, but trust me, it's delicious. The glaze on top is my own addition- a mixture of ketchup and brown sugar.

On a related dinner note, am I the only one who gets nervous cooking a baked potato in the microwave? All that sizzling and hissing makes me think it's going to explode!

Longwood Gardens

The holidays are officially over, but I have a recap of one last festive trip: Longwood Gardens.

Longwood Gardens is a botanical garden in southeastern Pennsylvania. It's located on the grounds of what was once the DuPont estate. I first went there at Christmas time last year, when I got free tickets from an author I work with. It was so nice and festive that my family decided to go back this year. You wouldn't necessarily think that tons of people would flock to a garden during the holidays, but they do. For two years in a row, I've been surprised at how crowded it is.

There's an indoor conservatory and greenhouses that are beautifully decorated.




The outdoor landscape is decorated too. You can buy hot chocolate to drink while strolling around looking at all of the lights.


There's a really nice restaurant on the garden grounds where they serve little flower pots of bread:

I had some sweet potato gnocchi that was delicious and tasted like the perfect winter dish.

And remember in my last post when I mentioned freeing old books through the BookCrossing program? Well, I released a book on a bench in the garden. Here I am in action:

(I'm so sneaky!)