January is National Soup Month: Try This Recipe with Your Book Club

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It’s no surprise that January is National Soup Month. Most of our nation experiences cold weather during January, and having a bowl of soup for dinner is a good way to warm up. That goes for book clubs too. This recipe has been a hit at my neighborhood functions, where we have soup parties every year, and it’s a good one for book clubs too.

Chicken, Potato, Artichoke Soup

  • 1 lb. boned, skinned chicken thighs, rinsed and patted dry
  • 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 1-1/2 tsp. each salt and freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tbsp. capers, drained
  • Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 3/4-in cubes
  • 2 8-oz. pkgs. frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and quartered, or 2 15-oz. cans, drained
  • 1 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 cup pitted medium green olives

Cut each chicken thigh into 2 or 3 chunks. Add flour, salt, and pepper to a plastic, resealable bag and shake to mix. Add chicken thighs, seal, and shake until chicken pieces are well coated.

In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium-high heat for abut a minute. Carefully take chicken from bag and place in the pot in a single layer. Discard excess flour in the bag. Cook until chicken pieces are brown on both sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Working over medium heat stir in garlic, capers, and lemon zest and cook about 30 seconds. Add dry white wine and simmer until reduced by about half, about 2 minutes. Stir to scrape up browned bits from bottom of pan. Add broth, water, potatoes, and chicken and return to a simmer. Turn heat to low and cook, covered, for 10 minutes.

Add artichokes to pot and stir to incorporate in. Cover and cook another 8 to 10 minutes or until potatoes are easily pierced with  fork. Stir in parsley, lemon juice, and olives. Season with additional salt and pepper as needed according to your own taste.

This hearty soup is great served with crispy French bread and a green salad.

 

 

Book Review: Wish You Were Eyre by Heather Vogel Frederick

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Wish You Were Eyre cover image

I don’t read many continuing books in a series for review on this site. My review philosophy is that if the first book in a series is strong enough to stand on its own, then it’s a good choice for book clubs to read and discuss while letting individual members decide whether to continue with the series.

I occasionally make exceptions and the six-novel-strong The Mother-Daughter Book Club series by Heather Vogel Frederick is one of those. How could I not read a fictional series about the very real life topic I dedicate this site to? And yet, I may not have continued if Frederick hadn’t made it so easy for me to fall in love with her characters and want to continue to read their stories book after book.

With the release of the last book in the series, Wish You Were Eyre, I am sure I will not be the only reader conjuring up images of what happens next with Emma, Jess, Megan, Cassidy and Becca as well as all their families. Alas, “next” will have to remain in my imagination.

That desire to follow characters through to the next step in their lives is the mark of a great series and a skilled writer who can bring the people in her stories to life. In all honesty and disclosure I have to say that I have come to call Heather Frederick a friend over the years she has been writing this series, but I certainly would not have continued to read and review them if I didn’t believe they were a great choice for mother-daughter book clubs and young readers everywhere.

Frederick manages to capture the daily issues that pre-teens and teens may face while also giving readers things to hope for and dream about, like international travel, successfully identifying passions for careers, starting businesses, and more. She has a skill at helping her characters speak up for themselves and solve their problems, even if they stew in them for a while. Her latest installment and last book in the series, Wish You Were Eyre, is another delightful example.

Once again Frederick weaves the reading of a classic novel, this time Jane Eyre, into the story line of her modern-day girls living in Concord, Massachusetts. There are problems to be solved, misunderstandings of other people’s actions and intentions, and strained mother-daughter relationships to be found for sure. But you will also find different characters of all ages exploring what it means to be in love, supporting their friends, exploring new adventures and more. It’s a satisfying finale to a beloved series.

The author provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

 

Book Review: Hating Heidi Foster by Jeffrey Blount

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Hating Heidi Foster cover image

Mae McBride’s life comes crashing down around her when her father dies while rescuing her best friend from a burning home. Bereft of anyone to talk to except her mom, who is dealing with her own grief, Mae shuts down and forces the pain away by nurturing her hatred.

She hates her dad for putting someone else before his family, and she hates her friend for not rescuing herself. Heidi spirals down into depression, as she feels responsible for Mae’s dad’s death. A startling discovery may help the two friends heal each other.

Hating Heidi Foster by Jeffrey Blount is an unflinching look at grief, guilt and the fortitude that it takes to move on after a tragedy. Mae learns that while she wants to move on with her life, and her mom seems to be emerging from grief, everyone deals with loss differently and nothing can rush the process.

Blount deals gently with his characters, taking them through the darkest times to emerge into brighter times. The emotions they experience are sometimes surprising. For instance, it’s expected that Mae would blame Heidi for what happened, but it’s also unexpected, yet feels very real, that she would also blame her dad. Young adults reading this novel can talk about the nature of friendship, family and the strength of the ties that bind those together.

The author provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: When Thunder Comes: Poems for Civil Right Leaders by J. Patrick Lewis

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When Thunder Comes cover image

Children’s Poet Laureate J. Patrick Lewis has created a new book of poems for young people about the lives of those around the world who sought to break race, class and sexual equality barriers through their actions. When Thunder Comes: Poems for Civil Rights Leaders is a collection of poems highlighting the lives, strengths, and accomplishments of seventeen men and women who fought against the restrictions put upon them by the societies they lived in.

Included in the list are well known activists such as Mohandas Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and Coretta Scott King. But there are also lesser-known names, such as Mitsuye Endo, a Japanese American woman interned during World War II, and Dennis James Banks, who cofounded the American Indian Movement.

Each person listed is given an honorific title, like “the first” for Jackie Robinson, who was the first African American baseball player in the modern era, and “the crusader” for Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California.

Five artists illustrate the poems: Jim Burke, R. Gregory Christie, Tonya Engel, John Parra and Meilo So. At first I worried that this may make the drawings too separate and feel unrelated to each other. Instead, it brings richness to the illustrations that highlight the unique qualities of each civil rights leader. Here’s an image from one of the featured activists, Mitsuyi Endo who was a Japanese American interred during World War II:

Detail of The Captive from When Thunder Comes

Brief biographies at the back add detail to the lives of the leaders celebrated through verse. When Thunder Comes is a great book to share with your children and introduce them to some of the major issues of the 20th century. It’s great to read around Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Black History Month, or anytime you want to celebrate the courage these ordinary people drew upon to speak up for themselves.

The publisher gave me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

 

Book Review: Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm by Philip Pullman

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Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm cover image

Many of the fairytales that Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm collected and published in the 1800s are well known even today: Cinderella, Snow White, Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood. So why would anyone be interested in reading a new printing of these stories?

Philip Pullman answers that question with his Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm: A New English Version (Viking, 2012). First off, Pullman, who created the popular and beloved His Dark Materials series that started with The Golden Compass, knows how to weave a tale or two of his own. Second, the Grimm brothers collected dozens of fairy tales that are not as well known but just as delightful as those listed above. And third, Pullman has researched and lists other similar fairy tales known in other cultures that adds to the appreciation of these tales.

Pullman starts with an introduction about brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, who were born in Germany in the late 1700s and began collecting and publishing tales in the 1800s. Pullman talks about the popularity of tales at the time, and he paints a picture of what it was like for listeners to hear them. He also makes a case for fairy tales as being meant to be added to and improved upon depending on the teller and the times they are told in. I really got an appreciation for how modern adaptations fit right into the spirit of fairy tale construction.

I really enjoyed reading each tale, then looking for Pullman’s comments at the end. In them, he noted any changes he may have made and why as well as cited similar tales told in other countries. For instance “Mount Simeli,” is similar to “The Story of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves Killed by a Slave Girl” from The Arabian Nights, and “The Robber Bridegroom” has connections to Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing.”

Also a plus for reading the book is the length of the stories. Most are short and easily digested before bedtime or easy to read aloud at any time. But even though the stories are fairy tales, children would probably not appreciate the explanations or many of the tales themselves, which tend to be a bit more violent than the toned down versions found in popular culture. While thoroughly delightful, I believe  Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm is best suited for young adult and adult readers.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

 

Book Club Recipe: Stuffed Manicotti

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I love recipes that seem as though they took more work than they did. That’s why over the years I’ve served this stuffed manicotti recipe to more than one book club group. I’ve been enjoying eating these manicotti for years, as my mom used to make them when I was growing up. She learned how to make them from a friend with Italian roots. It takes a bit of work, but most everything can be done in advance and cooked the night of your meeting. You’ll wow your book club members when they come through your front door and smell these baking. If you’re planning a mother-daughter book club, this is a great recipe to pair with Gennifer Choldenko’s Al Capone Does My Shirts.

Stuffed Manicotti

Serves 8

Stuffing

  • 1 8 oz package of manicotti shells
  • 1 lb. lean ground beef or turkey
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 10-oz package of frozen, chopped spinach, cooked and drained
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 cup plain bread crumbs
  • ¼ lb. Romano cheese, grated
  • 1 teaspoon oregano

Cook manicotti shells about they are nearly done, about 10 minutes in boiling water. Drain and cover with cold water to prevent sticking. In a large skillet, brown beef, adding salt and pepper to taste. Add onion and cook for an additional five minutes. Mix in spinach, egg, bread crumbs, cheese and oregano. Stir until well blended.

Stuff shells with mixture, being careful not to tear pasta. Place stuffed shells in a 9 by 13-inch baking dish.

Sauce

  • 1 lb. lean ground beef
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon garlic, minced
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 3 4-oz cans of tomato paste
  • 2 cans of water
  • ½ teaspoon oregano
  • Dash of hot sauce, such as Tabasco
  • Parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil in large skillet and sauté beef until brown. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add onion, garlic and celery and continue cooking until onions are clear, about 5 minutes. Add in remaining ingredients and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until boiling. Pour sauce over stuffed manicotti. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Author Amy Timberlake Talks About Imagining Passenger Pigeons

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Amy Timberlakes latest historical novel, One Came Home, is set against the backdrop of the largest passenger pigeon nesting recorded in the U.S. It happened in Wisconsin in 1871, and here Timberlake recreates the experience of imagining a nesting as large as the one way back then. If you’d like to learn more about One Came Home and enter to win a copy of the book, read the review and comment here.

How to Imagine Passenger Pigeons EXACTLY like the author of One Came Home.

Close your eyes. Tell yourself to imagine lots and lots and lots of birds. The most birds you ever saw—what was it? Immediately think of a flock of Canada Geese that you saw at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Remember how there were so many birds that The Garden hired guys with dogs to scare the geese because the geese left droppings on every, single walkway. Recall the exact feeling of slipping on goose poo. Think, Worse than ice.

Meditate for a moment on goose poo. Perceive that it comes in a truly interesting set of colors—a spattering of green, black and white. Open your eyes. Think excitedly, Like The Fighting Irish! Then frown. Ask yourself: Are The Fighting Irish colors green and white? Know you need to double-check this fact, but find you have no interest in doing so, despite the fact that going online to “check facts” is a siren call—irresistible, alluring—especially during Writing Time. Scan your soul for a mite of interest in football and find none. Note this for later, future essays, which will almost certainly never be written. In your word-processing program type: “goose poo in Fighting Irish green and white.” Think you’re clever.

Abruptly know that you’re a complete eejit. Look around, quickly. Really wonder if anyone saw you thinking what you thought. Grasp that: a) you work alone; b) no one can see you thinking; and c) there’s nothing even remotely alive in this room except yourself. Wonder briefly about the alive-ness of the raisins you’ve been eating. Apprehend that they’re dead—but edible. Eating dead, edible things is distressing somehow. Remind yourself that it is biology, part of The Lion King’s ‘Circle of Life.’ Hear the lyrics in your head: Ingonyama nengw’ enamabaal! Ingonyama nengw’ enamabaal! Ingonyama nengw’ enamabaal!

 Stop! Gasp your disgust. Strictly tell yourself to get on topic—please. Make yourself say the words out loud: “Passenger Pigeons are birds, birds, birds—lots of birds.” Say it again—this time with your eyes closed. Decide to bake muffins.

Amy Timberlake photo

Amy Timberlake photo taken by M J Alexander

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Amy Timberlake’s latest novel is a western for middle grade readers titled One Came Home (subtitled “A sister lost. A body found. The truth buried.”) It’s set during the last great passenger pigeon nesting in 1871, and is the story of thirteen-year old Georgie Burkhardt, who leaves everyone she knows in order to find the sister she’s lost. She grew up in Hudson, Wisconsin. She has an M.A. in English/Creative Writing from the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she’s also taught writing. She’s worked as a book reviewer, a book event coordinator, and as a children’s bookseller. Her previous books include That Girl Lucy Moon and The Dirty Cowboy. The Dirty Cowboy was illustrated by Adam Rex and won SCBWI’s Golden Kite Award. That Girl Lucy Moon was chosen as a Book Sense Pick, a NYPL’s “100 Titles for Reading and Sharing,” a Bank Street Best Children’s Book of 2007, an Amelia Bloomer Book, and the winner of the Friends of American Writers Literary Award. Amy Timberlake lives with her husband in Chicago. Learn more about her life and work at her website: www.AmyTimberlake.com.

Book Review and Giveaway: One Came Home by Amy Timberlake

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One Came Home cover image

Today I’m excited to feature a new historical novel by author Amy Timberlake. It’s called One Came Home, and it tells the story of a 13-year-old Wisconsin girl’s quest for the truth during a crisis in her family in 1871. I really enjoyed reading this one, and my complete review is below. Also, I have one copy to give away to a reader in the U.S. or Canada. Just comment before midnight (PST) Tuesday, January 29 and say what you like about historical fiction.Please note, the giveaway is closed. Congratulations to Andrea on winning. Also, look for Amy Timberlake’s very interesting essay about imagining passenger pigeons to appear immediately after this review.

Review: One Came Home by Amy Timberlake

Lately it seems most of the books I have been reading for young readers ages 9 to 12 have taken place in modern times and dealt with modern issues. Which is one of the reasons why I was happy to pick up One Came Home by Amy Timberlake, a historical novel set in Wisconsin in 1871. Timberlake’s tale reminded me of what I like so much about stories set in other times—their ability to transport me to an age that no longer exists and learn about what life was like for the people then. Often the issues have meaning in modern times even if the details of those issues don’t.

One Came Home tells the story of Georgie, who at 13 years old expects that when she grows up she will take over running the general store her family owns and settle into life in the tiny town of Placid. She doesn’t understand why her older sister Agatha doesn’t have the same dream. Agatha loves books and would like to go to the university at Madison.

When Agatha runs off, the sheriff sent to find her returns with an unidentifiable body in Agatha’s dress. While everyone else believes Agatha is dead, Georgie refuses to think so, and she sets off on a journey of her own to find her sister.

To solve the mystery about her sister, Georgie will have to draw upon her ability to get people to open up to her as well as her skill with shooting a rifle. In the end, she learns a lot about herself as well as many people around her.

Underlying Georgie’s story is the historical event of one of the largest passenger pigeon nestings in the U.S. It really happened in Wisconsin in 1871, and Timberlake effortlessly weaves facts about this phenomenon in with Georgie’s life. It’s all the more fascinating as passenger pigeons are now extinct.

Some of the problems in the book arise because communications were not instant in the 1870s as they are today, and crime forensics was not advanced. Comparing the two eras and how they may have produced a different story would be a good topic for discussion. Georgie also learns a lot during the story as she begins to see situations from others viewpoints as well as her own. This would also make a good topic of conversation in a book club.

One Came Home brought out issues of family trust, loyalty and fierce determination while immersing me in a bygone era. I highly recommend it for mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged 9 to 12.

The author provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

 

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