New meal: Braised French Onion Chicken

One of my favorite kitchen smells has got to be caramelizing onions. There's something so alchemical about tossing a ton of sharp, raw onions into a pan with a little bit of butter and ending up with savoury perfection. I'm a huge fan of anything that involves caramelized onions, really: burgers with caramelized onions on top, French onion soup, this delectable tart... Thus it should come as no surprise that, when I saw a recipe for braised French onion chicken, I would bookmark the recipe and plan to test it out once autumn set in.

I found the recipe for Braised French Onion Chicken with Gruyere on the kitchn, a blog that always has good ideas as far as cooking is concerned. While the recipe did take some time to make--it takes time to get the perfect coloring on your onions, you know--the end result was incredibly worth it. I like the combination of tasty chicken thighs with a hearty, savoury onion glaze and some broth in the bottom of the bowl. I used Emmental cheese instead of Gruyere, and the bit of nuttiness it added to the dish was perfection. I highly recommend taking advantage of autumn temperatures and warming up an afternoon or evening with this dish on your stove. I can't wait for the leftovers at lunch tomorrow.

Book #56: Maisie Dobbs

I'm that librarian who will go back to the library for a book club meeting that a) I'm not in charge of and b) takes place on my night off--especially if the book up for discussion is a good one. Enter Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs, an historical mystery that even folks who don't generally like mysteries (me!) can enjoy.

Maisie Dobbs is the first book in a series about the titular heroine and her experiences as a private investigator. Set post WWI, Maisie, her associates, and her clients all seem to have some aspect of their lives that ties them permanently and painfully to that conflict. These books take place in England, so the perspective of the Great War is a bit different from what most American readers have likely encountered in much of their reading. I was so captivated and moved by the descriptions of what Maisie's experiences as a Red Cross nurse were like. The author based these passages on the experiences of her own family members, and the truth behind the fiction peeks out in a most compelling way.

This first book in the series begins in 1929 with Maisie setting up her business and getting her first client. Then, a third of the way through the book, we're taken back to Maisie's childhood and the rest of her formative years in a series of chapters that paints a beautiful, if not conventionally cheery, backstory. For the last third of the book, the reader is again in Maisie's present-day 1929 as she wraps up her first case--and in the processes discovers just how affected she and many of her countrymen continue to be since the war.

Maisie Dobbs has rich historical detail, compelling and well-developed characters, moments for considering ideas of class, bravery, and friendship, and enough mystery to keep the reader intrigued and questioning what we know has happened in the story. I'd suggest it for book clubs looking for something historical and/or mystery, or for readers who enjoy books set in WWI, mysteries with female protagonists, and quiet yet powerful mysteries.

Books #44-#55, or, The Rest of A Series of Unfortunate Events

I read the first volume of Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events back in library school during my semester of reading all children's and YA things (for credit! being a librarian is awesome!). It was a quick read, and I enjoyed it, but I was so involved in reading a wide variety for that class that I did not continue the rest of the series.

Until last month, that is, when at the bequest of a friend I checked out the rest of the series from the library. This particular friend is something of a Lemony Snicket devotee, a word which here means he will enthusiastically, unabashedly, and charmingly talk about nothing else if you'll let him. He's actually had a phone conversation with Daniel Handler, the only person known to have personally interacted with Mr. Snicket in recent years. Anyway, after I grew weary of not understanding this friend's Lemony Snicket references, I read the rest of the books.

I will say just a few things about the books, as I really don't know that I can characterize them well enough to adequately convey just how intricate and interesting they are. The very basic premise is that the three Baudelaire children, orphaned after their parents' deaths in a fire, are perpetually trying to evade the schemes and clutches of one Count Olaf, a man who desperately wants to get his hands on the Baudelaire fortune. The first few books in the series focus almost entirely on the escape of the Baudelaires from Count Olaf, but as the books become higher in number, the plot develops most compellingly. Suddenly there is conspiracy, a secret organization, strange and intricate interconnectedness of characters and events, and a great many other things that keep the reader both interested and baffled, including parsley sodas.

If you've read these books, I would love to chat with you about the redeeming qualities of adult characters, the physical setting of this series of events, and the possible backstories of most, if not all, of the characters.

If you haven't read these books, you might consider doing so if you tend to also like books with extremely intricate plots, irreverent narrators, and/or a bit of macabre whimsy. Let me know what you think.

Still reading... Books #42 & #43

Yep, I've still been pretty darn busy. This week I did my first baby program at my new job, and I hosted one of my favorite picture book author/illustrators at my library--while wearing a pink tutu and hair bow, mind you. Both events went incredibly well.

But I've also been reading! I've been reading a whole lot, in fact. I've been reading so much that I'm rather behind in updating you all as to what I've been reading. So today I'm going to talk about two books I finished sometime last week, and then, once I finish this sweeping children's series (of which I finished book 5 last night), I'll talk to you about that. Sound good?

I love Maira Kalman. (The handler [har har] of the author of that sweeping series I mentioned loves Maira Kalman, too!) I loved her illustrations in Strunk and White's Elements of Style, I love having her picture books on display at the library, and I loved The Principles of Uncertainty when I read it a few years ago. Thus you should not be surprised that I loved her newest book, And the Pursuit of Happiness, which was created from her 2009 year-long blog on the NYT website all about topics in American civics. Does that sound boring? Because it's totally not. Each chapter is beautifully illustrated and includes just enough informative and wandering text to really capture some aspect of American history/government/political culture in a whimsical way. Think the crazy hats of founding fathers. Think brief mentions of the cafeteria food available at various sites of federal import. Think uplifting thoughts about what this country has done and can do--a necessary point of view in these times of political vitriol, if you ask me. I love that I can pick up this book, read a chapter, and just feel better about things in this country. I'd suggest it to folks who like art books, who like short, first-person reflections, and who like Kalman's previous projects.

I also just finished Catherine Reef's biography-ish book on Jane Austen, Jane Austen: A Life Revealed. While I new a lot of the biographical information about Austen and her family already, I did learn some interesting tidbits about some of the less frequently written-about "characters" from her life. I was disappointed by how many assumptions the author made about Austen's relationships and her personal life similarities to her works, however, and I was surprised that a good portion of the text was actually taken up by the author's own synopses of Austen's novels. Maybe it's just me, but if you want to know about Jane Austen's books, wouldn't it make more sense to read them? I did learn some new things, but I would have to conclude that this book is more of a Cliffs Notes version of Austen and her works than an in-depth, serious scholarly biography. Still, I might suggest it to readers who don't have time or inclination to delve into a more substantial biography or who just want brief synopses of the novels. It's still better than Wikipedia!

What I've Been Reading: Or, Books #39-41

Sorry for the prolonged absences from blogging. I've been reading, I swear! It's just that working full time compounded with not having the best internet connection at home means blogging about what I've been reading isn't as easy as it used to be.

I have been reading, though. Here's a relatively quick synopsis:

First, there's the first two of three graphic novel companions to Joss Whedon's awesome Firefly universe. I got both Serenity: Those Left Behind and Serenity: Better Days from my library--unfortunately they don't have the third volume, which I'm working on getting some other way. When I started watching Firefly and its follow-up film Serenity last month, I went through everything very quickly. I loved the characters, the story, the world Joss Whedon had created... Happily, the graphic novels continue that excellence in every aspect, and I enjoyed getting to find out more about the crew of the ship Serenity. I'd suggest these graphic novels to anyone who is a fan of the original show.

Then I read Ally Condie's Crossed. No, it's not out yet--but I was fortunate enough to get an advanced reader's copy at ALA this past June, and I devoured the book once I had started it. The book picks up a little bit after Matched ended, with Cassia pursuing Ky in his "fighting" exile in the Outer Provinces. After struggling to find one another, the pair test their limits while trying to steer clear of Society Officials and simultaneously attempting to join up with a rebellion whose existence Cassia has just discovered. This volume in the trilogy has chapters narrated alternately by Cassia and Ky, which is a fresh change--it serves the story well to be able to explore what both Cassia and Ky are thinking and feeling. I still think the characters are a bit too much in their own heads, but maybe that's just part of the isolation they feel in their dystopian world. Now I can't wait for the third installment, which doesn't come out until November of 2012. Hopefully I can get my hands on one at next summer's conference.

Book #38: Meet Kit: An American Girl

I had forgotten just how enjoyable the American Girl series of books can be. A colleague and I will be hosting an American Girl Club program next week focused on 1930s girl Kit Kittredge, and in preparation I decided to read at least the first book in her series. True to the American Girl formula for books, the first title is Meet Kit: An American Girl, in which the reader becomes acquainted with Kit's life, her friends and family, and the time period in which she is growing up.

The writing style is enjoyable yet simple enough to be accessible to children just starting to read chapter books--and these series make a great introduction to historical fiction (Dear America would be next!). In this particular book, we meet Kit, a school-age child whose family has been fortunate in the Depression up to 1934. When the family's circumstances start to fall, they take in boarders. This event not only allows Kit an opportunity to understand the importance of support and helpfulness in her family, but also a chance to meet some new people who will likely become friends in subsequent books. Up next is Kit Learns a Lesson, the school story of the series. The order and broad subjects of these books may be predictable, but they are still excellent vehicles for interesting and accessible historical information. Plus, the theme of what it means to be an American Girl and a friend are always there. Not too bad for a reader just starting out.

Or for a program, for that matter! We'll be doing an American Girl matching game, talking about the differences between the 1930s and today, decoupage-ing picture frames, watching a Shirley Temple clip, and having snacks: chocolate chip cookies, invented in the 1930s, and black cows, that soda fountain staple. Looks to be a fun time!

I would suggest any of the American Girl series of fiction books for young girl readers with an interest in history, in realistic stories about girls, and series fiction with recurring characters.

Book #37: The Egypt Game

I moved to Missouri last week. I've got this pretty fantastic new job, and while everything happened fairly quickly--interview, offer, move, first day of work (thus my lack of recent posts)--I'm getting settled in now quite well. And it wasn't even a bad drive here from Bloomington, where I was last living. The drive was about five hours, otherwise known as prime children's audiobook length.

On my drive over, I listed to Zilpha Keatley Snyder's Newbery Honor Book The Egypt Game. I checked it out on the recommendation of one Pseudonymous Bosch, an intriguing and imaginative children's author. He mentioned The Egypt Game on a summer reading list he compiled for another blog, and after he likened it to A Wrinkle in Time and From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, I knew I had to read it. Or, in my case, listen to it.

The Egypt Game is the story of a handful of children who prefer imaginative games to the more physical ball games of their classmates. They create for themselves a little Egypt behind a mysterious second-hand goods store, and there they act out rituals, histories, and anything else than come up with that corresponds with Ancient Egypt. There's quite a bit of intrigue in the mix--after a girl is murdered in the neighborhood, none of the children are allowed out to play. When "the Egyptians" finally do return to Egypt, things start to seem eerie: their oracle begins to actually work, one of them notices they are being watched, and Egypt might not be as safe or secret as they thought. There's nothing explicitly scary in this book, though--while mystery and suspense are part of the novel, it should still be suitable for most elementary-aged readers.

The author wrote a slew of other books about these children and their games, and I think I'll be looking into them if I have any more long car trips coming up. Until then, I'd suggest this book for readers/listeners who enjoy a bit of imagination, a bit of safe mystery and suspense, and reminders of those elaborate, wonderful games we played as children.