This is what I’ve been needing. Quick read. Good plot. Interesting characters. Reliable writer. Variety in device. 

Anita Shreve is one of my favorite writers because she’s reliable. While Fortune’s Rocks is probably her only book that rates a “5″ – you can count on her to consistently give you 3.5 to 4.5′s. Testimony is a 4. 

In an interview, Shreve confesses to her interest in the consequences that come from a single reckless act – in fact, many of her novels are built on this premise. In this case, the event is a …

I’ve had a few folks ask about it, so here’s the recipe for my shrimp & grits. As noted in the previous post about this dish, it was “borrowed” from the wonderful restaurant in Charleston, Magnolia’s, but has been altered. For one, this recipe serves 4. (Their’s serves 18 starving teenage boys. Not really.)
Grits
1 cup stone ground grits
3 cups chicken broth
1/3 – 1/2 cup heavy cream
Bring the chicken broth to boil. Add grits slowly while stirring. Reduce heat to low & simmer for 25 – 30 minutes, stirring regularly. Add …

I haven’t been reading – as much. I’m about half way through Testimony by Anita Shreve (Fortune’s Rocks is one of my all time favorites!) I’ll save my comments until I finish, though. I started Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife (Pride & Prejudice continues), and while I haven’t completely given up on it, I just can’t get into it (yet).
So, what I have been doing is two things: first, project family reunion; second, project silver.
Family reunion: Last weekend 78 of my relatives gathered at my uncle’s place. (He has a …

Nope, it’s not what you think. (Just had to get that out of the way.)
I love to cook. It is one of the things I love the most that I do the least. In fact, when I first met my husband, there was this ongoing joke because anytime he met someone on ‘my side’ they would ask if I had cooked for him. The sad thing was, I only cooked for him about a half dozen times in the first year that we dated. We ate out. All the time.
And …

I just finished A Girl Named Zippy, and I was a little bit disappointed. The person who recommended it to me had it listed among her top 10 books ever, and typically we’ve been pretty eye to eye on books.

Let me summarize: Zippy is growing up in small town USA (Mooreland, Indiana to be more precise). There isn’t a plot, but instead, the book is a collection of snapshots (and literally each chapter begins with a snapshot) of what it is like to grow up in a small town. The read …

I have a dear friend & loyal reader who gives me a hard time about my book selections, particularly those I choose for the beach. This one is for her.

For those who don’t know it, I have a penchant for the dark. Not vampire-dark or science fiction – but the dark that comes from the fantastic or even bizarre of human nature. I’m sure it explains my affection for Flannery O’Connor and Faulkner. Nonetheless, while most of my fellow book lovers choose “light” and “fluffy” for their summer beach reads, …