Goonies

I'm having a streak of good reading luck. A Visit From the Good Squad- the recent Pulitzer Prize winner by Jennifer Egan and my book club's latest pick- is the third book great book I've read in just about as many weeks.

I won't even try to summarize what the book is about. I think any attempt to would be as misleading as the official jacket copy is. I will say that the chapters tell the stories of different characters, or of different time periods in the lives of characters. As I came to the end of each one, I was so wrapped up in their stories that I wanted to read more, and felt a bit cheated when a new chapter began and a new character or time was introduced. Each one seemed to hold the potential to be spun out into a novel of its own.

I flew through this over the weekend and have been thinking about it ever since. And even though I'm extremely glad I read it, I'm not without criticisms of it. I have a feeling that this is going to make for an interesting book club discussion.

Coffee for You, Tea for Me

I know it's not exactly breaking news that Kate Spade has designed something lovely, but I'm completely charmed by her set of illustrated mugs and teacups that I came across the other day.



How fun would it be to host a tea party using this set? I may have to start a bridal registry just so that I can add all of these to it. Then I'll just have to find a husband who likes his hot beverages served with a big dose of feminine whimsy.

The Illumination

Have you ever been surprised by stumbling across a writer that you unexpectedly love? That's how I feel about Kevin Brockmeier. After reading two of his books, he's officially become one of my current favorites.

I first came across his work when I read The Brief History of the Dead. I picked it up ambivalently enough, but ended up being completely enthralled by the story and the writing. It tells the tale of a purgatory city where the dead remain for only as long as someone who knew and remembers them is left on Earth.

His latest book, The Illumination, covers a similar territory of mystical realism. One day, all of the pain in the world is suddenly illuminated, from the small pulsing light of a blistered heel to the bright burst of a gunshot wound to the steady, dull glow of a broken heart. In the midst of all this, a journal of one-line love letters from a husband to his wife passes through the hands of various characters in a series of linked vignettes. I'm probably making this sound a bit obscure, and maybe a bit too supernatural, but it's grounded in well drawn characters and moving, insightful writing.

I'd recommend giving either one of these a try, even if you're skeptically thinking that they don't sound like your thing. You may be just as pleasantly surprised as I was.

Off Season Baking

I knew I wasn't being very seasonally appropriate with my most recent baking attempt, but the recipe for Maple Walnut Bars just looked too good to pass up.

They taste like a little bite of Vermont in bar form. And since they're from this cookbook, they're relatively good for you.

The warm weather may put an end to any more baking for a while, but I'm definitely going to keep these in mind for a Christmas morning breakfast treat once the holidays roll around.

Pinteresting

Like quite a few of the bloggers I regularly follow, I've jumped on the Pinterest bandwagon. For anyone who doesn't know, Pinterest is a hybrid of a social networking site and a virtual inspiration board. Users can curate boards around any topic imaginable, like style inspirations or home decorating ideas. Or, in my case, reminders of life at the shore and the adventures of my British alter ego.

You can check out all of my boards here. A word of caution, though. Pinterest is completely addictive. Don't start pinning if you have any looming deadlines in front of you.