Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

Our county library system does a monthly Goodreads challenge, and January’s was to read either a Sherlock Holmes story OR “something from the Sherlock pastiche”. Since I was feeling overwhelmed and read Doyle’s complete Holmes works as a kid, I was going to skip this particular challenge–until my friend Britt found me the perfect graphic novel. It still came down to the wire, I admit, but tonight I finished Muppet Sherlock Holmes.

Oh. My. Gosh.

Here’s the thing, folks. “The Muppet Show” is a very hazy memory. I was too young to really remember the details, but we had one of those books that you color on with the special crayons that wipe off–it was the Muppet stage, I think–and a friend of the family took my sister and me to see “The Muppet Show on Tour” when we were kids. (We got Gonzo and Fozzie felt cutouts–just their heads–on poles.) My grasp of the details isn’t much, but there’s still memory there, and reading Muppet Sherlock Holmes was like being transported back in time. There are key bits of Holmes stories, sure, but ultimately, it was vintage “Muppet Show.” Fozzie’s jokes, Gonzo’s random weirdness, and Kermit’s commentary kept me grinning; it was like a piece of the 80s had made it all the way to my 2020 married life. (Trippy, I grant you, but FUN.) If the muppets have ever been a thing in your life, friends, DON’T MISS THIS.

(It’s out of print, though, from what I can see. Hope your library is a good one!)

I confess, I’ve been on a new recipe kick of late; I think it’s a reaction to all of the “too much craziness, we’ll just order something or have breakfast for dinner” that happened over the holidays. (Also a reaction to my holiday over-indulgences–I’ve been using Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly quite a bit.) My kids are getting tired of our more frequent leftover nights, but when you cook more often, there’s more food to be consumed, right? Anyway. One standout recipe was this Pork Chops and Hash Brown Casserole from Six Sisters’ Stuff. (I have no idea if the name of a blog should be in quotes, italics, or what, and so I just left it alone. It’s past 9, which means I don’t care enough to research it.) It was TASTY, and not actually as decadent as you might think. I used my homemade cream of celery soup substitute, because I like it better, and plain yogurt instead of sour cream, since it was baking; the meat took a bit longer to cook than anticipated, but getting the hash browns out of the freezer a bit early would fix that. All in all, we enjoyed this quite a bit, and it will definitely be happening again. The next time you find pork chops on sale, give this one a try!

I am SO tired and I was almost DONE with my post when some random movement deleted it. I can’t figure out how to retrieve it, so here’s the VERY abbreviated version…

ALA awards were announced today. Go to their website for the winners, honor books, and runners up.

I finished listening to The Fairy-Tale Detectives. I should have known it would be darker, because hey, SISTERS GRIMM, but I didn’t think about it. The Grimm sisters go to live with the grandmother they thought was dead and end up investigating Everafters (fairy tale and imaginary characters, from Dorothy to Snow White to Baloo) because of their family legacy. Action packed and fast paced. Not warm and fuzzy–at ALL–but fun.

Sorry you missed the original review–signing off.

(Yeah, I know this was terse. But I’m exhausted and MAD at my computer!)

Seriously–my poor son. He finally succumbed after all of his sisters had at least moved past the worst of it, and last night he threw up every few hours while sporting a temperature of 103 or so. (None of the girls threw up, but then, he’s really the only one of my kiddos who gets nauseated and occasionally vomits when his fever spikes). I’m feeling extra exhausted and not quite well myself, which is why last night’s regular post didn’t happen after all; on the other hand, all the kids were in bed by 8 tonight, and so I’m taking the opportunity to post a review that’s long overdue and thus avoid letting the (physically) viral awfulness put me behind.

Part of the reason this review is so long overdue is that I’ve struggled to know just what to say. St. Martin’s Press was kind enough to send me an ARE of The Girls at 17 Swann Street a year or so ago; in my continuing quest to catch up, I finished it several months ago, and I was completely–undone. (I was thinking blown away, but that is far too violent and explosive of a metaphor to express the effect this book had on me.) I’ve been drawn to anorexia nervosa in an odd way since high school, ever since the health class in which I learned that I’m the poster personality for the disease–except for the fact that I love, love, LOVE to eat. (I love eating and food and trying new things far more than I want to lose significant weight. That’s frustrating now that I’ve hit 40 and my body reacts differently to food, by the way.) I was a detail-oriented, self-disciplined, self-motivated, and high-achieving student, and continued to be (more or less, depending on life circumstances) through college, where I actually wrote a paper on anorexia. (Using, I might add, at least one internet article. Finding said article felt so intimidating at the time that I emailed a friend from home for help; the internet was not something I was accustomed to using for information. This was THAT LONG ago.) I read Laurie Halse Anderson’s Wintergirls shortly after it came out, and was moved by it while frustrated that it ended at the very start of Lia’s journey to recovery. AND I entered to win a copy of Yara Zgheib’s The Girls at 17 Swann Street, which was hauntingly, heartbreakingly beautiful. It was stark and painful and ultimately hopeful. It consumed me while I was listening to it (audio still being what I have the most time for), and even my husband was affected by what he heard. Anna’s (and Matthias’) story is a journey into residential treatment for eating disorders, a window into a house where eating meals and snacks consumes so much mental and emotional energy that there is little room for anything else. It is a searing look at what our culture tells us about what our bodies should and should not look like AND what we should or should not do to make them look that way. This is a book that will make you cry, make you cringe, make you smile, and make you think. It is lyrical and spellbinding and arresting and thought-provoking.

It is a book that needs to be read.

Yeah, I was going to write this review last night, but my hubby and I ended up working on a puzzle and watching shows instead. No regrets there! Still, I did finish Abigail Adams, Pirate of the Caribbean a few nights ago, after putting it off for a ridiculously long time for such a short book. I think it’s the art (not my favorite) plus the chapter book writing style–I love Steve Sheinkin’s other books, but the “Time Twister” series is really more of a thing for my kids than for me. (Maybe also because I grew up with a professor for a father who took us to historical sites all over the country; I never thought history was boring. Art, maybe. But not history.) That said, however, this was fun for its audience, and I did learn a few things about female pirates. It’s a good followup to Abraham Lincoln, Pro Wrestler; a focus on female historical figures, for contrast, and a specific appeal to pieces of history that have a certain relevance–or appeal–today. Give this series to your early or middle elementary schooler!

Seriously. My 4-year-old started on Friday–fever, exhaustion, lack of appetite, sore throat, and an incredibly gunky-sounding cough–and my 13-year-old followed suit on Saturday. The 10-year-old started mildly on Sunday night but fell hard by Monday evening, so I took her in to see if it was influenza.

Nope.

Apparently there’s an influenza copycat out there at the moment–similar symptoms, but the sore throat is worse while the fever not quite so high. Which is TOTALLY us. My last hope is that my son will somehow escape, but that’s feeling less and less likely. Ah, parenthood!

Anyway. If you also have sick kids, here’s a book recommendation to cheer you up. 24 Hours in Nowhere is by the same author as Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus, which my older girls and I all loved. (Granted, my 13-year-old is inexplicably incapable of saying the title and keeps calling it Insignificant Lives in the Event of a Cactus, but she loved it all the same.) I wasn’t sure about 24 Hours in Nowhere initially–the main characters’ life situations aren’t exactly warm and fuzzy–but it didn’t take long for it to win me over (and then some!). Gus’s quest for gold in an abandoned mine leads to an unexpected overnight adventure, and Dusti Bowling’s blend of hardship, friendship, humor, pathos, and adventure is pitch-perfect. (The entire book is improbable, I suppose, but who cares? It’s just so blasted good.) I found this every bit as enjoyable as Insignificant Events, and that’s saying something. If you want a satisfying book with heart to spare, look no further. (The heat of the desert setting might even warm you up a little.)

I might actually have to own this one.

I couldn’t come up with a title for this post to save my life, folks; having a sick 4-year-old must be wearing on me. Still, I have girls who will be anxious to get their hands on White Bird: A Wonder Story, and so I’m pressing forward.

I was curious about R. J. Palacio’s graphic novel debut, because a)another Wonder spinoff? and b)writing a novel and creating a graphic novel require significantly different skills, but I pretty much loved Wonder AND Auggie & Me, so there wasn’t ever a question about not reading it. I finished it last night, and while I wouldn’t say her art is amazing–while freely admitting that it’s far better than anything I could ever do!–I still really enjoyed it. The story of Julian’s grandmother’s girlhood in occupied France was both poignant and ultimately hopeful, even while portraying with honesty the kind of violence characteristic of that time period in history. The mystical elements were a little different, but they didn’t overpower the realism of the story; at the end of the day, this is a solid addition to Palacio’s family of Wonder stories.

And now my 10-year-old can get her eager little hands on it.

So far, I’ve really enjoyed two of Erin Entrada Kelly’s books and more or less enjoyed one; I finished Lalani of the Distant Sea this week, however, and I think it’s going to need to be in its own category. Certainly I enjoyed parts of it (although the overall premise is less my thing), and I found some parts of it lyrical and dream-like and beautiful, but the sheer difference of it sometimes left me on the outside of the story, trying harder to relate than I wanted to have to try while reading. Partly, I imagine, it was my lack of familiarity with Filipino culture and legend, but there was also a nebulous quality to the details of Lalani’s journey that I just didn’t always prefer. Because of that quality, my favorite parts were the parts in Lalani’s home village–especially Hetsbi’s growth. That story arc felt most firmly rooted in the book’s reality. For the rest, well–EEK can write, and I admired the beauty of it AND appreciated the story, but fantasy is less my thing at this point (especially nebulous, doesn’t-make-as-much-emotional-sense-to-me-as-I-want-it-to fantasy). So far, my favorite of her books is Blackbird Fly; then again, she has a new book coming out in May that looks promising. We’ll see what happens then!

I totally said I’d be back Monday, I know. But I was tired and everything was still messy from being gone and then coming home, and I wanted some time to just chill with my hubby. So I’m back today instead.

It happens.

Of course, I wouldn’t be so behind in my book reviews if I’d posted Monday, but all I can do is start where I am, right? On the drive home from Idaho on Sunday, I let the three older kids vote on our audiobook; The Terrible Two Get Worse won out two to one. (My youngest doesn’t listen, so she doesn’t get a vote.) Of course, they’re all going to want a chance to look at the pictures in it as well–that’s why I picked up the print copy from the library today–but they did enjoy Mac Barnett and Jory John’s second installment in their Terrible Two series. This one sees Principal Barkin replaced by his coldblooded father, former Principal Barkin; Niles and Miles try desperately to prank him, too, but he appears to be ‘Principal Invincible.’ Can bringing now-former Principal Barkin in on their secret give them the edge they need to oust his father? I’m sure you can guess the outcome, but the ride is still very much worth the read. (After all, it got us through the mountain passes between Burley and Brigham City.) Elementary schoolers (and beyond!) ought to love this series–and parents ought to get a kick out of it, too. Hey, I sure do!

First item? My kids are out of school tomorrow–end of term–so I’m taking the weekend off for some family time. This is it until Monday!

Second item? I finished listening to Cynthia Lord’s A Handful of Stars last night, and I very much enjoyed it. Granted, that’s not a surprise–it takes place in eastern Maine–but the story felt unexpected in a consistently positive way. It’s told from the point of view of Lily, who is being raised by her grandparents; she is hoping to save up the money to pay for an operation for her blind dog. That blind dog is the catalyst for her friendship with Salma, in Maine with her family for the blueberry-picking season. Migrant workers and town natives don’t usually mix, but Lily and Salma create something new together. Because of their friendship, Salma decides to compete in the Blueberry Queen pageant, and the outcome is both realistic and surprising; instead of swelling drama, this is a thoughtful book about people, the different pieces of their personalities, and the struggle between old ideas and new ones. I highly recommend this one.