What are you reading?

[CindyM]

JMQ & Lysa: It was kick watching the movie with the group commentary. It moves fast, so there's no time to get bored. I don't know if I'd say the movie was good, but we enjoyed it having read the book. If you've invested the time in the book, you've got to see the movie. I wouldn't have missed it. They changed up the characters which was interesting, and the ending was different. Do expect some goriness -we had to turn our heads a couple of times.

I did fuss the whole time to my husband and son while reading the book how stupid it was but couldn't put it down and read it at the beach in a day and a half. The vines reminded us of that talking plant from Little Shop of Horrors - "Feed Me..." I didn't find it scary at all being a horror story which was good since I don't do horror.

I'm getting my friends Scott Smith's other book, A Simple Plan, to read, and then we're going to watch that movie, too. If you haven't read that one, I really recommend it.

[Maryanne]

A Simple Plan is so clever and gripping. I was disappointed that he took so long to write another book only to have it be The Ruins. Still---I couldn't put it down. Had no idea it was a movie.

Just read Wrack and Ruin by Don Lee. An exhilarating ride..

Reading Tales of the South Pacific. I had no idea James Michener won the Pulitzer for these stories way back when. But I just saw South Pacific in NY and was so impressed I wanted to read the stories. They are wonderful--the best stuff I've read in a while.

[CindyM]

I read that Scott Smith carefully outlined A Simple Plan, then wrote the story. He more or less winged the Ruins and was halfway through it before he did an outline for the remainder of the story. The movie fixed some of the mistakes.

I'm loving all these book recommendations. I don't know where to start since I don't read very much. It's a coincidence that I read both of Scott Smith's books. The Ruins was a Christmas gift from my teens-they thought I'd like it since I love to travel so much. They did well!

[pjayer]

Daughter and I are Harry Potter fans. Here's a picture she took last July at Jumbie. She had just received the last book and was a bit obsessed over it all.



Right now, I'm reading The Valley of Horses by Jean Auel. It's the second book in The Clan of the Cave Bear series. They didn't appeal to me when they were first published, but now I'm hooked. Two other recent reads are The Innocent Man by John Grisham and The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney.

[LysaC]

LOVE IT!

I'm almost done with David Sedaris' "When You Are Engulfed in Flames". His radio stuff is awesome so I wasn't sure how it would translate in a book w/o that signature voice behind it. Well- it does! Laugh out loud funny stuff!!

A little tidbit- hubby, knowing I'm a horror fan, saw this book at Border's. The cover art is a painting of a skeleton smoking a cigarette so he assumed it was in the horror genre and he called me at work to tell me he got me a new scary book.

It was very funny when I got home and picked up the book and saw the author's name!

[liamsaunt]

A little tidbit- hubby, knowing I'm a horror fan, saw this book at Border's. The cover art is a painting of a skeleton smoking a cigarette so he assumed it was in the horror genre and he called me at work to tell me he got me a new scary book.

It was very funny when I got home and picked up the book and saw the author's name!

That is hysterical!! I read an interview with him recently where he said he was having trouble having the book placed in the PX shops because the powers that be thought the cigarette on the cover was a joint.

Love the Harry Potter photo!

I finished The Outlander. I would recommend it.

Now I am reading Gumbo Tales: Finding my Place at the New Orleans Table, by Sara Roahen. It's making me hungry.

[pjayer]

Just went back and read the recent posts about The Ruins. I read that last year, but didn't know it was a movie. And, like CindyM, I kept complaining about how stupid it was but couldn't put it down. I'm in a book club and try to read things the group might find interesting. Didn't take me long to realize that wasn't one of them.

[bayer40601]

The Nine by Jeffrey Toobin. A fascinating read about the inner-workings of the US Supreme Court.

Also have David Halberstam's The Coldest Winter about the Korean War on hold as I finish The Nine.

[nothintolose]

Becky/liamsaunt - I had never heard of that book (Gumbo Tales: Finding My Place at the New Orleans Table). I checked it out on Amazon and the last comment was, "Those familiar with the city will smile and nod along; readers who've never had the pleasure may find themselves making travel arrangements long before the last page."

Does that mean we will be seeing you down here soon?!?!?!

You have to let me know how you like it!

Elizabeth

[liamsaunt]

Hi Elizabeth,

I like her writing style very much. The only frustrating thing about it so far is that every chapter is titled after and focuses on a certain food or drink and there are no recipes! So now I am craving gumbo and a sazerac and I have no idea how to make either!

I'll mail you my copy of the book when I am done reading it.

[nothintolose]

I can send you recipes for whatever you are looking for, but these should help:

Sazerac
1/2 tsp Pernod (or other Absinthe substitute)
1/2 tsp Simple Syrup
1 dash Peychaud bitters
2 ounces rye whiskey


Coat chilled old fashioned glass with Absinthe substitute (Herbsaint, Pernod...). Pour out most of what remains, perhaps leaving a small puddle in the bottom of the glass. Add bitters and syrup. You can use a single sugar cube instead of simple syrup, in which case you would now muddle this to dissolve. Add Whiskey. Garnish with a twist of lemon peel.

**note you CAN now get Absinthe again***

This is my grandmother's recipe for seafood gumbo (I prefer chicken/sausage gumbo):

Seafood Gumbo

3 lbs. Creole okra, washed and cut
13 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 large onions, chopped
10 tablespoons flour
2 lbs. shrimp, peeled & headless
1 pack gumbo crabs
1 can tomato paste
1 lb. lump crabmeat

Fry okra and 1/3 onions in 2 tablespoons oil for 30 minutes. Put on cookie sheet in 250° oven for 1 hour.

To make your roux put 10 tablespoons oil and 10 tablespoons flour in a skillet and stir until dark brown.

Add 1/3 onions and ¼ can tomato paste to roux and cook about 10 minutes. Add ¼ cup boiling water to roux mixture to thin. Fill a pot with 1 gallon of water and pour roux mixture into it.

Put 1/3 onions in a frying pan with 1 tablespoon oil and brown. Add gumbo crabs and lump crabmeat. Pour mixture into pot with roux and boil for 1 hour. Add shrimp to gumbo and cook for 15 more minutes. Salt & pepper to taste, and add a dash of Tabasco for flavor.

[PA Girl]

From the non-fiction shelf, I am reading two at the same time:

Fast Food Nation - I wasn't a fan of the industry before and I most likely will never set foot in a fast food restaurant again after the first several chapters.

Geak alert - I never before understood the full impact of the government ag tax breaks and incentives has made on the American food chain. Sad stuff.

The Billionaire's Vinegar - about the most expensive bottle of wine ever sold (at the time) So far, I like it and I think most other food and drink readers would also.

[sherban]

Question for all you Caribbean forumites....

Has anyone read Michener's "Caribbean"?

If so, how was it?

I'm considering getting it but would like to hear any "reader comments" first
Thanks!

[nothintolose]

I have it but it's HUGE and I am a slow reader...mainly because I read while sitting in my car between appointments. It took me forever to finish An Embarrassment of Mangoes. I think part of that though was that I loved it and didn't want it to end.

I just started Don't Stop The Carnival...am working my way up to Caribbean. My mom gave it to me recently, she said it was good.

[Lulu76]

I'm getting ready to read Four Blondes by Candace Bushnell.