Lilac Girls – Martha Hall Kelly, 2016. For Second Monday. We all hated it – bad writing, lazy premise, offensive execution. I did look up krowki(sic – the book doesn’t even have Polish diacriticals, though it does French!), Satan from the Seventh Grade, and rice with molasses – probably molasses rice pudding?
Underland: A Deep Time Journey – Robert Macfarlane, 2019. Nature/Enviro – quotes TBD.
Excellent Women – Barbara Pym, 1942. Great Books – quotes TBD.
The Star Beast – Robert Heinlein, 1954. Something prompted me to pick up this old favorite – maybe the conceit of the pet that grows up over centuries and is passed down through the family, but I don’t remember specifically. It’s one of Heinlein’s best juveniles, IMO. Was he consciously using “John Thomas” to be titillating/in-jokey, as in Promise Her Anything? Probably!
The Big Jones Cookbook: Recipes for Savoring the Heritage of Regional Southern Cooking – Paul Fehribach, 2015. For the Massachusetts Center for the Book monthly challenge, “A cookbook or book about food.” I wrote: “Interesting history of Southern cooking with great-looking recipes – I’m especially intrigued by the roux/boiled milk icing. It was enjoyable to read even if I don’t get around to making any of the dishes!”