We can’t imagine life without books. They’ve been with us forever– from the fairy tales we read as children, through novels and science fiction and thrillers and memoirs, they’ve offered escape, instruction, entertainment, laughter and wisdom.
One thing we keep finding out: the genre of a book doesn’t necessarily predict what it might add to your life. Young adult books can give new perspectives even to grown-ups; some humorous books can contain a deeper truth.
So it shouldn’t have surprised us when we stumbled across some serious wisdom in a cookbook! Yes, a cookbook.
It says Start where you are. Feed yourself. Do your best, and then let go. Be helpful. Slow down. Don’t be afraid of food. Those are among the notes that has on her refrigerator, and they also make the chapter headings for her cookbook, The Homemade Kitchen: Recipes for Cooking with Pleasure.
The book goes right to the heart of a complex daily struggle for many. To eat organic, local, fresh and healthy — to do everything right — while the reality may be a grumpy hungry family at the end of a long day of work. Alana admits that sometimes she hates cooking dinner too! The Homemade Kitchen is a lovely cookbook — it’s beautifully photographed and includes basic recipes as well as fancier fare. But the author’s philosophy offers an extra dimension — like many books, this one is more than the sum of its parts.
Encountering The Homemade Kitchen reminded us again to stay adventurous in reading, to try books that might not be in a favorite genre, or a new author we’ve never heard of. Members have often told us that PaperBackSwap makes it easy to discover new authors or genres, since it’s not a huge commitment to get a book, and every book can be swapped again for a different one when you’re done reading.
Written as much for the reader as the cook, The Homemade Kitchen covers a globe’s worth of flavors and includes new staples (what Alana is known for) such as chèvre, tofu, kefir, kimchi, preserved lemons, along with recipes and ideas for using them. Here, too, are dishes you’ll be inspired to try and that you will make again and again until they become your own family recipes, such as Broccoli Raab with Cheddar Polenta, a flavor-forward lunch for one; Roasted Red Pepper Corn Chowder, “late summer in a bowl”; Stuffed Winter Squash, rich with leeks, chorizo, apples, and grains; Braised Lamb Shanks that are tucked into the oven in the late afternoon and not touched again until dinner; Corn and Nectarine Salad showered with torn basil; perfect share-fare Sesame Noodles; Asparagus Carbonara, the easiest weeknight dinner ever; and sweet and savory treats such as Popovers, Cinnamon Swirl Bread, Summer Trifle made with homemade pound cake and whatever berries are ripest, and Rhubarb Snacking Cake.
In this follow-up to Alana’s wildly successful debut, The Homemade Pantry, she once again proves herself to be the truest and least judgmental friend a home cook could want. ISBN 9780385346153
We are giving away a free, brand-new copy of this cookbook to one lucky member here on the Blog! Leave a comment telling us about a book that surprised you — that you didn’t expect to enjoy as much as you did– before the end of Sunday June 26th, and we’ll choose a commenter at random to receive The Homemade Kitchen . We’ll announce the winner here in the blog next week! NB: Contest open to PaperBackSwap members only (join here!).
Tags: Book Suggestions, Contests, PBS Market
I picked up two books from our annual local book sale called Bookstock and had never heard of the author. I did not even notice that I had two books by the same author until I got home. Raising Jake and One Hit Wonder by Charlie Carillo both surprised me with their wit and charm, I honestly loved both of them. I am probably more partial to Raising Jake since I have my own Jake at home. Thanks for the giveaway!
Oddly enough, I think most books surprise me in one way or another. They are usually good surprises. Sometimes they are disappointing surprises. I was at a AAUW sponsored book sale the other month and I picked up a very old paperback. The book was one I remember reading when I was a young girl. I have always been looking for a copy since it was an odd story but a favorite. “The White Fog” by Roxanne Dent, published by Avon in 1975. Now we know I was very young! The surprise, I still enjoyed reading this simple story. :O)
I have always been a big fan of historical fiction, science-fiction and epic fantasy, to the point of reading little else. Nothing that reminded me of my normal life. I avoided non-fiction like the plague! Then I joined our local library book club. The first non-fiction book we had to read was The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. I didn’t want to read it, but decided it was time to expand my reading horizons. I LOVED it! Who knew non-fiction could be so interesting?! I have since read several non-fiction books that I’ve enjoyed. The library book club has been a game-changer for me. It’s opened my eyes to all sorts of new reading experiences!
I have to agree with Deborah B. most books surprise me. Occasionally I don’t like a book that I think I am going to, like Riders of the Purple Sage (not a fan) but, usually they are good surprises. A year or so ago our book club was reading The Goldfinch and I was having a horrible time getting through it, wasn’t really relating to the characters, I don’t remember what happened in the book but about 3/4 of the way through I really started to enjoy the book and by the end I loved it! Crazy I know but, this is why I am thankful for book clubs, you read things you wouldn’t otherwise read.
Almost all books surprise me. The latest was “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. Loved it!
I have a twin sister and when we were young our mother always read to us before bed, I still remember some of the stories it brought a life long love of books. What book has surprised me is “In Powder and Crinoline”, yes a very old one but it was the illustrations by Kay Neilson and how they so perfectly drew me in to the story, a surprise in that it could so easily transport me to another place without even leaving my room. Now when I scan paperback swap for that new adventure I look as much at the outline for the story as I look at the cover art to this day I’m continually surprised at the imagination and creativity of the author and illustrations. .
The book that has surprised me most recently was New York by Edward Rutherfurd. What a great read! I got wrapped up in the story from the first page.
On my 50th birthday I was given a 50th anniversary edition of “To Kill a Mockingbird” as a gift. This is not a book I would have picked up on my own to read. Maybe it’s my aversion to authority, but I usually don’t read nor want to read what everyone else is reading or has read. I knew it was a classic, and despite this, one summer day I started to read it. And read it. I couldn’t put it down. I fell in love with the characters and their dynamic. I was sad to see it end and to say goodbye to these people and this period in time. What surprised me was that I fell in love with a classic!
The book that surprised me is The Mailbox by Marybeth Whalen. This is a story that has many roads to the end and yet keeps you wanting to read more. I know it is on a few wishlist so I am reading it as I can. I don’t want to rush it. Like a good recipe take your time and it will turn out right.
The Homemade Kitchen sounds my Italian kitchens I grew up in. I love the old simple ways of doing things, I love herbs, and just the smell can bring back memories from 50 yrs ago.
Holes by Louis Sachar. Yes, a kids book. I read it because we were homeschooling and I liked to keep up with my kids reading. I was surprised by its sweetness and grit, and impressed by the quality of the writing. The cyclical nature of the story, the characters and the narrative structure – all were a delight. I’ve read it a couple of times since, probably about time to read it again
The Descent of Woman by Elaine Morgan. I hadn’t expected it to turn my world view inside out. Though I find looking at it now, my memory of the first sentence is totally off, but where she takes the science isn’t. It was my first introduction to how interpretation of scientific observations (and choice of what to observe) can be heavily colored by assumptions, and was just absolutely fascinating.
I buy books at my local mission store and the real treat is to find a new-to-me author, then after reading it, I go on paperback swap to find more gems by the same author. Case in point was Tracie Peterson’s Alaskan Quest series that I just finished. The very best part of the swap was the new friend I made, who sent me the last book of the series.
I sure hope I win the cookbook as I love all my cookbooks; sorry, I don’t list them as each one has special memories attached. Someone suggested that I must love to cook since I had so many cookbooks…I replied that I just love to read them!
I picked up “Eat Pray Love” on a whim. This is not the usual genre of book that I read. Surprisingly, I found the book very entertaining while also inspirational.
I laughed my way through, “Potty Training in Less Than a Day.” I was beyond surprised when it worked SO well, and I had twins!
i got a copy of “Old Crimes and Nursery Rhymes – White Mountains Romantic Mysteries – Volume 2”
By Jane Firebaugh,
i was not surprised that i liked it, i was surprised by, just how much i liked it … a LOT.
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed “The Boys in the Boat.” It was a selection for my Book Club, is nonfiction, and includes a love story, adventure, history, suspense, friendship, teamwork and camaraderie.
“Julia Ward Howe”, the first Pulitzer Prize winner (1917) for a biography
I have been listening to Ready Player One on Overdrive. This is definitely not my usual genre nor is it a topic I’m fond of but I find myself engrossed in the story and getting so much accomplished around the house! Sink full of dirty dishes? Done! Loads of laundry? Folded and put away! Thank you for doing the giveaway! I do love cookbooks 🙂
A biography about Sissy Spacek I picked up at a Dollar store. She has had an interesting life!
Summer at Tiffany by Marjorie Hart surprised me by how much I enjoyed reading it. When my book club decided to read it, I wondered how I would like this non-fiction memoir of the author’s first summer job at the famous Tiffany jewelry store in New York City. However, several things I really liked about it were its candidness, the humor the author poked at herself, the details of females in the work force back in that time period, and the nostalgic delight of remembering MY first real job, my visit to an unfamiliar big city like New York, and other personal memories.
The biggest surprise I had was CLAUS: LEGEND OF THE FAT MAN by Tony Bertauski. I loved this story! It presents a very new take on how Santa Claus became…well, Santa Claus. It is written for the YA audience so I normally would not have picked it. Since reading it (a long time ago) I have been more enthusiastic about YA stories even though I am a grandmother! I really really really recommend this story to anyone who likes a bit of a twist in an old story.
It is not specifically one book, but it started out with one. I started reading the Laura Childs Tea Shop Mysteries. I was startled to find discussion of food creations in the book and discussions of tea which I love. I have tried the teas that are written about and have made some of the recipe’s and enjoy them . She puts the recipe’s as the end of the book. It just added more enjoyment to her books. The books remind me of the old Nancy Drew books I read as a child. If you love Charleston, a good mystery and want to learn about teas these are the books. I love the characters and have paced myself so I don’t run out of her books in this series very soon. I have to read five books in between each of her books in this series so that I can stretch my enjoyment out.
The President is a Sick Man. the book is about Grover Cleveland and how they hid his cancer from people. It was historical but written in a way that was fun to read. There were references to other historical figures too. I really enjoyed the history. Not dry and dull at all.
The most surprising book I ever read was . . . And Ladies of the Club by Helen Hooven Santmyer. It is the only book I have ever found written by the author, possibly because it took the author fifty years to write the book.
It is hard to get past the first chapter, but once you do you become drawn into decades of the personal lives of the ladies of a book club started just as they are beginning transitioning from school girls to women in a small town in Ohio in 1968. The book is full of personal and historical detail of women in this time in the US. The characters are so captivating I wanted to meet them.
If A&E or the History Channel were still producing the quality series that they did twenty years ago I think that this book would make a fantastic series on par with Downtown Abbey, etc (for people who won’t sit down and read a long book).
It is a treasure and I hope they re-release it someday.
The Shack really surprised me. I almost didnt put it on my wishlist. But it was one of my all time favorite reads. This book had quite an impact on me.
CORRECTION – wrong date
The most surprising book I ever read was . . . And Ladies of the Club by Helen Hooven Santmyer. It is the only book I have ever found written by the author, possibly because it took the author fifty years to write the book.
It is hard to get past the first chapter, but once you do you become drawn into decades of the personal lives of the ladies of a book club started just as they are beginning transitioning from school girls to women in a small town in Ohio in 1868. The book is full of personal and historical detail of women in this time in the US. The characters are so captivating I wanted to meet them.
If A&E or the History Channel were still producing the quality series that they did twenty years ago I think that this book would make a fantastic series on par with Downtown Abbey, etc (for people who won’t sit down and read a long book).
It is a treasure and I hope they re-release it someday.
I really was surprised by:
Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer by James Swanson. It was incredibly well written and drew me in. I couldn’t put it down!
Clare’s Costly Cookie is a book that surprised me with its sweet insight into a life of faith for a child. Too often Christian books like that are eye-rolling, but this one has become a favorite in our house.
One book that surprised me a lot was Song of the Lark by Willa Cather. I love her more well-known books but happened to stumble across Song of the Lark in a used bookstore. I had never heard of it before but I loved it! I don’t know why it isn’t included in lists of her best works.
Watermark, by Vanitha Sankaran. I love reading regular romances, set in most any period in England. But I saw someone returning this book at the local library and got sucked right in. It seemed so well researched, it was amazing!
I usually read mysteries and Jane Austen. And I usually only read a few specific authors. But I’ve recently been branching outside my comfort zone and picked up a few non-mysteries. The Nightingale was a fabulous book and I’m glad I took the time to read it. I also loved At the Water’s Edge. Both books made me stop and think after reading them.
I was surprised by A Confederacy of Dunces. My father-in-law laughed every time I asked him about it. I tried to read it three different times before I finally stuck with it. It is one of my all-time favorites and it taught me to listen to others’ recommendations and keep trying even if a book doesn’t quickly speak to me.
Seven for a Secret by Lyndsay Faye is a book outside my normal genres of Romance & Fantasy (it is a Historical Mystery/Crime novel). I found it fascinating to read about the beginning of the NYPD, early Democrat Party politics, & issues for European immigrants to our country (seems things haven’t changed much, just who is being treated badly). What Lyndsay does so incredibly well is paint a picture & immerse you in it! I have known about child labor, but reading about the chimney sweep made it REAL & deepened my understanding of what life was like for many children without the protections of family. Contrast that with what it was like to be the first detective, when the police were not people you trusted (and there we go again…it seems we’ve come full circle, hmm?)
I love book that make me think & teach me something, and this book really delivered.
Sarah’s Key by Tatiana De Rosnay
My surprise was Leon Uris’ ‘Exodus’. I started it three times before I was able to get past the beginning (which, at the time, seemed slow. Perhaps it felt that way because I was fifteen years old!). But once I got into it I couldn’t put it down. This covers Jewish history from before the Warsaw Ghetto through World War II (and the concentration camps) to the establishment of the state of Israel and the Six Day War. Though I’m a veracious reader, historical fiction was a genre I was never interested in and this was the only historical fiction book I read until the last few years (when I discovered Ellis Peters ‘Cadfael’ series).
It sometimes takes up to 50 pages to sink into a good read… authors often speak in a rhythm and style unfamiliar to us…and it can be near agony. Ultimately I have found it very well worth the effort.
Several days ago I read Peter Swanson’s THE KIND WORTH KILLING. Being an old (in every sense of the word) mystery fan, I didn’t expect any surprises. I’ve seen the “gimmick” of using several voices to convey a story, so encountering this story telling method on the first page…I had some doubts. My experience has been that it weakens a story and provides unnecessary confusion to just plain stright-forward story teling. But soon I was drawn in and couldn’t wait to see how each character preceived what was happening..And I was pleased when one character left the story and another took up the interplay. It wasn’t disruptive..flowed quite nicely. I wish Peter Swanson had written more books..but time will tell. For the moment, I can’t wait to get ahold of his THE GIRL WITH A CLOCK FOR A HEART.
Lindsay Davis ‘Falco’ series of detective novels in Ancient Rome ( 70 A.D. )are a hoot as well.
I recently re-read To Kill a Mockingbird in preparation for reading Go Set a Watchman. I wanted to remember Harper Lee’s style and flow so I can decide for myself if I think she wrote this new book or not. I first read Mockingbird in high school, and again in college. I always loved it and it has been at the top of my favorites list forever. But it had been too long since I last read it, and since then I’ve lived in Alabama for 20 years. I was surprised at just how much my understanding of the book improved by living here. It made the book so much richer, and I felt more than ever that I know Scout, Jem, Calpurnia and all of the characters. I didn’t expect to fall in love with them and the story all over again. How can you love a book more when you love it so much from the start? But I did.
The most recent book I didn’t expect to enjoy a lot was also a cookbook. It’s The Vegetable Butcher by Cara Mangini. It was a revelation to read about the background of vegetables. The information about knives and cutting techniques as well as recipes makes this a great read.
Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded by Simon Winchester. A whole book about a volcano that exploded in 1883? I didn’t think it would hold my interest, but it did. Fascinating story about the effects of this volcano. It also gave me a better feel for that part of the world. Try it!
We recently got some chickens. One hen was notoriously last and difficult to get back into the coop when we allowed them to free range in our yard. We thus named her after the duck in the children’s storybook that we read many years ago, “The Story about Ping” by Marjorie Flack. Since we didn’t own this book, I used my PaperBackSwap credit to get our own copy. I was surprised about how delightful this book was, even after many years have passed since first reading it. Funny thing, after getting this book, when we now let our chickens free range, our own “Ping” is the last to leave the coop and usually one of the first to come back in. Now, what to do about our Lucy, named after Lucille Ball!
Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin is one of those books that make me happy to be a reader. The main character is going through a rough patch, but being on the spectrum makes it especially tough for her. Written as a MG or YA book, adult readers will see so much more than the intended audiences in this simple, lovely, wonderful story.
The Rosie Project – laugh put loud enjoyable with hope for the socially awkward
Wild by Cheryl Strayed is the most recent book that surprised me by how much I liked it. It had received so much hype, and the movie had already come out. I still can’t believe how much I liked the book and plan to reread it again soon!
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah was so intense and overwhelming for me. Seldom do I feel so impressed with a book. So many lessons can be learned from this novel especially since some younger people have no concept of what happened during WW II. Great historical fiction by a truly talented writer.
I think the book that surprised me the most was The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. What seems like a simple children’s book is actually quite profound and thought-provoking.
I grabbed a book by Dean Koontz at a free book swap once. It was called Hideaway, and it didn’t look special in any way, so I just imagined it would be kind of boring. I normally read series’ of books too, and this was just a single novel, so I wasn’t expecting much. But when I started reading it I got really into it, because it was so suspenseful and Dean Koontz really used dramatic irony to his advantage. I couldn’t put it down, and the ending was just as good as I had hoped it would be. He left me wondering whether or not the book was supernatural or not, and I couldn’t stop raving about it to all of my friends for a while. Now I’m reading the Odd Thomas books, also by Dean Koontz, and I’m glad I picked up Hideaway!
I ordered all of the books in the “Risolli and Isles” series before I started reading book one. After watching the TV series the books were a big let down. The characters on the show and in the books were too different. I didn’t even finish book one. I was very disappointed.
The last book to surprise me was THE MARTIAN by Andy Weir. I’m not a huge fan of science fiction books, never have been, ever since my dad forced me to read STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND by Heinlein.
I loved THE MARTIAN, and waited (impatiently) for the movie adaptation, but had to see it in the theatre. And then bought it when it came out on DVD.
The humor interlaced with the SF stuff really did it for me, and I look forward to other books by this author.