Oxford English Dictionary

I found out today that the Toronto Public Library subscribes to the OED online, and so can be accessed using one's library card. Wonderful for crosswords!

August

Remember to be gentle with yourself and others. We are all children of chance and none can say why some fields will blossom while others lay brown beneath the August sun. 

- Kent Nerburn

 

Book club started with the quiet of Jane's garden, and finished with an enthusiastic around-the-table discussion of the book, My Name is Lucy Barton, separated by an exciting Olympic race on television.  Thank you Jane - a memorable evening!

Here's Elizabeth Strout talking about the book:
We've made plans for next month.  We'll be at Jo's on September 29th and the book we've chosen is The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson.

Books mentioned last night:

• People You'd Trust Your Life To by Bronwen Wallace
• Rush Home Road by Lori Lansens
• My Struggle by Karl Ove Knausgaard 
• The Neapolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante

And also a podcast:

• Revisionist History with Malcolm Gladwell 

Elizabeth is Missing

What a treat to relax in Wanda's garden on a summer's evening.  Thank you Wanda for providing a wonderful ambience, including candles and a cooling breeze.

I think we were generally impressed with themes we discovered in Elizabeth is Missing, especially since it was a first novel of a young writer.  Here's a video where Emma Healey is interviewed at length about herself and her writing.

We finally came up with a decision about August's book.  We'll be at Jane's on the 18th and we'll be talking about My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout.

Other books we mentioned:

• Cannery Row by John Steinbeck 
• Barkskins by Annie Proulx
• A Secret Music by Susan Doherty Hannaford

Happy Canada Day!

Canada Day eve was excellent with perfect weather.  Thank you to Saara for graciously hosting another wonderful evening.  And today is Canada's birthday!

A reminder that next book club will be held on July 21st at Wanda's.  The book is Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey.   In August we'll be at Jane's and let's really try to choose a book before then.

Books we talked about:

• A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
• The Pier Falls and other Stories by Mark Haddon
• Family Life by Akhil Sharma
• My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout
• The Stories by Jane Gardam
• When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
• Us by David Nicholls
• The Noise of Time by Julian Barnes
• Stalin's Daughter by Rosemary Sullivan
• 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
• The Wind-up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
• Boys in the Trees: a memoir by Carly Simon

And the buzz on Netflix:

• Broadchurch
• Cuckoo
• Drop Dead Diva
• Dr. Foster
• River
• Scott and Bailey

H is for Hawk

I happened upon this video today and thought of sharing.

A Gate at the Stairs

One can see shining steps
and think love is enough,
Then sit at the bottom and wait.
The climb up to sweetness needs more than my love:
Darlin', please just open the gate...
Can someone just open the gate? 

It was wonderful to see everyone last night and catch up on everybody's news.  Not to mention the book talk.

Next month we'll be at Saara's on the 30th to talk about The Hero's Walk.  July 21st will be at Wanda's and the book will be Elizabeth is Missing.
We still haven't made a decision about the book for August 18th at Jane's house.

Japanese Cheesecake

• 1/2 large package cream cheese 
• 1/4 cup milk 
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup white sugar, divided
• 3 egg whites
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1-1/2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp lemon rind (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.  Line the bottom of a 7 inch round cake pan with parchment paper.  If the pan has a removable bottom you'll need to cover the whole thing with foil on the outside because you'll be baking this cheesecake inside a pan of water.

Warm the cream cheese and milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.  Stir until the cream cheese is melted.  Remove from heat and set aside.

In a small bowl beat egg yolks with half the sugar until light and fluffy (electric mixer) Fold in the cream cheese mixture and lemon rind.  Sift in flour and cornstarch, and stir until blended.

In a separate bowl, with clean beaters, whip egg whites with cream of tartar to form soft peaks.  Gradually add the remaining sugar and continue whipping to stiff peaks.

Fold egg whites and cream cheese mixture together. Pour into the prepared pan.

Put the pan inside a larger baking pan half filled with water.  Put them in the oven.  After 20 minutes, turn the heat down to 300 and continue to bake for 15 minutes more.

Once out of the oven, allow the cake to cool before removing from the pan.  Decorate with sugar or fruit.

Robins on my balcony

This is a photo taken a minute ago.  I've been expecting a fourth egg to be laid this morning, but it's nearly noon and the count is still three.  Hmmm....

Between the World and Me

It was the unveiling of Maureen's new home, a beautiful condo in a scenic location and a wonderful setting for the evening.  Thank you for hosting last night, Maureen.

The messages of Between the World and Me were bleak and discouraging but here's a more playful Ta-Nehisi Coates writing something completely different: The Return of the Black Panther. 

 

Next month (Thursday, May 26th) book club will be at my place to talk about A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore.

We looked ahead last night to choose dates and books for the summer months.  On June 30th we'll be at Saara's and the book will be The Hero's Walk by Anita Rau Badami. 

On July 21st we'll be at Wanda's and the book will be Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey.  

And on August 18th the book club will be at Jane's, with the book to be determined later on. 

Books mentioned last night:

• All Our Names by Dinaw Mengestu
• Act of God by Jill Ciment
• Family Life by Akhil Sharma
• The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton 
• The Venice mystery series by Donna Leon
• The Three Pines mystery series by Louise Penny

In advance of next month's discussion, here's Lorrie Moore speaking about A Gate at the Stairs.