I fell slightly behind my 100-books-in-2014 goal during this last quarter, BUT we’re still looking good! Plus there’s a lot of travel happening this month so I’m hoping I’ll be able to make it up.
Many of the books that stick out in my memory from this past quarter are the BIG, FABULOUS, BEAUTIFUL BOOKS that you guys have probably already read. (And if you haven’t… what are you waiting for? One more recommendation?) I absolutely loved Days of Blood and Starlight and the series conclusion Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor (and was soooooo glad that I decided to wait until the last one was out before reading book #2. That’s what we call good life decisions). Plus Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins was the perfect romantic escape and well worth the long wait!
That said, one book from this quarter that left a surprisingly big impact on me…. wasn’t a fiction book!
So this month I’m highlighting The Kitchen Counter Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn.
From GoodReads:
After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, writer Kathleen Flinn returned with no idea what to do next, until one day at a supermarket she watched a woman loading her cart with ultraprocessed foods. Flinn’s “chefternal” instinct kicked in: she persuaded the stranger to reload with fresh foods, offering her simple recipes for healthy, easy meals.
The Kitchen Counter Cooking School includes practical, healthy tips that boost readers’ culinary self-confidence, and strategies to get the most from their grocery dollar, and simple recipes that get readers cooking.
Why I loved it:
I LOVE to cook, and I particularly love to EAT, and yet I still find myself intimidated to deviate too much from a recipe or trust my own tastebuds when something isn’t working. Reading this book gave me new confidence in the kitchen and a brand new enthusiasm to try new things (baking my own artisan bread! whipping things together without a recipe! one of these days I might even buy an entire chicken and see what happens!) Plus, it’s full of fascinating information about how our society perceives food, cooking, and convenience, and the health issues that come from taking in so many pre-packaged foods like we do. It was FASCINATING and I’m sure my family has gotten sick of me talking about it, haha.
Anyway, super inspiring for anyone who loves to cook… OR anyone who needs a little added inspiration in the kitchen.
And my complete list from the year so far:
First Quarter
1. Plus One, by Elizabeth Fama
2. The Connected Child, by Karyn Purvis, David Cross, and Wendy Lyons Sunshine
3. Fool, by Christopher Moore
4. Fangirl, by Rainbow Rowell
5. Winterspell, by Claire Legrand
6. Star Cursed, by Jessica Spotswood
7. Eleanor & Park, by Rainbow Rowell
8. Splintered, by A.G. Howard
9. Revolutions for Fun and Profit, by Ryan Shattuck
10. Under the Never Sky, by Veronica Rossi
11. Through the Ever Night, by Veronica Rossi
12. Into the Still Blue, by Veronica Rossi
13. How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk, by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish
14. My Life as an Experiment, by A.J. Jacobs
15. Passionate Persuasion, by Rosemary Clement-Moore
16. Also Known As, by Robin Benway
17. Writing and Illustrating the Graphic Novel, by Daniel Cooney
18. Baby’s in Black: Astrid Kirchherr, Stuart Sutcliffe, and The Beatles, by Arne Bellstorf (graphic novel)
19. Zahra’s Paradise, by Amir & Khalil (graphic novel)
20. Dorothy Must Die, by Danielle Paige
21. A Monster Calls, by Patrick Ness
Second Quarter
22. Firebug, by Lish McBride
23. The Splendor Falls, by Rosemary Clement-Moore
24. Devine Intervention, by Martha Brockenbrough
25. The Wicked and the Just, by J. Anderson Coats
26. Symbols of Love, by Denny Lee and Josh Stoneman
27. Bubbly on Your Budget, by Marjorie Hillis
28. Choker, by Elizabeth Woods
29. The Raft, by S.A. Bodeen
30. Serenity: The Shepherd’s Tale, by Joss Whedon (graphic novel)
31. The Winner’s Curse, by Marie Rutkoski
32. Vicious, by Victoria Schwab
33. Looking Glass Wars, by Frank Beddor
34. The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender, by Leslye Walton
35. Of Neptune, by Anna Banks
36. Hatter, by Daniel Coleman (first publication; to be re-released Fall 2014)
37. Ashen Winter, by Mike Mullin
38. Shards & Ashes, edited by Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstrong
39. Dark and Stormy Knights, edited by P.N. Elrod
40. I Heart You, You Haunt Me, by Lisa Schroeder
41. Bad Boys of the Black Hills, and Some Wild Women, Too, by Barbara Fifer
42. A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeline L’Engle, adapted by Hope Larson (graphic novel)
43. Haunted Deadwood: A True Wild West Ghost Town, by Mark Shadley and Josh Wennes
44. The Taste of Lightning, by Tamara Felsinger (beta-read)
45. Storm Siren, by Mary Weber
46. Enthralled, edited by Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstrong
47. Boxers, by Gene Luen Yang (graphic novel)
48. Saints, by Gene Luen Yang (graphic novel)
49. Threats of Sky and Sea, by Jennifer Ellision
50. Ruin and Rising, by Leigh Bardugo
Third Quarter
51. The Serpent of Venice, by Christopher Moore
52. I am Malala, by Malala Yousafzai
53. The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak
54. In Real Life, by Cory Doctorow and Jen Wang (graphic novel)
55. Days of Blood and Starlight, by Laini Taylor
56. Dreams of Gods and Monsters, by Laini Taylor
57. The Giver, by Lois Lowry
58. Jellicoe Road, by Melina Marchetta
59. Code Name Verity, by Elizabeth Wein
60. The Avery Shaw Experiment, by Kelly Oram
61. The Thief, by Megan Whalen Turner
62. Isla and the Happily Ever After, by Stephanie Perkins
63. Sister’s Fate, by Jessica Spotswood
64. The Murder Complex, by Lindsay Cummings
65. Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn
66. Elusion, by Claudia Gabel and Cheryl Klam
67. The Truth About Alice, by Jennifer Mathieu
68. Unforgotten, by Jessica Brody
69. The Caress of the Wind, by Tamara Felsinger (beta-read)
70. The Kitchen Counter Cooking School, by Kathleen Flinn
71. Lailah, by Nikki Kelly
72. Altered, by Gennifer Albin