And alcestis for the win.

[offbalance]

One of my goals for this year (notice how I'm avoiding the "r" word) is to read more. Between 3-4 books a month, at least. All across genres, and maybe some more nonfiction, if I can find things that appeal to me. (Please leave any recommendations for consideration in the comments). Since I was starting this big initiative where I'd even keep

Comments

[penmage]

I love Sarah Dessen. I don't even bother to read the descriptions or blurbs of her books any more - I just trust her, automatically. She is one of those writers who Just. Gets. It. Right.

Read everything she's written. It's all worth it.

[offbalance]

If I like this (and I reserve final judgment until I see how it all ends) I'll throw her on the list of people I'll read again. Which is looong.

[calieber]

Laurie Colwin gave me the courage to bake my own bread. The last batch came out kinda dense, but I think I know why and I'm going to try again undaunted. And I just went out and got The Bread Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum.

[offbalance]

I'll keep that in mind. I adored her first book, so I'm excited about this one. Which recipe did you use?

[calieber]

Not so much the recipe (which I adapted from Alton Brown) as Colwin's philosophy, that one can bake bread at home without being a slave to it.

I'm studying the Beranbaum book, but I think I want to work out straight-up white bread to my satisfaction before trying anything fancy.

[offbalance]

Mark Bittman had a great low-involvement bread recipe in the Times a couple of months back, if you're interested.

[herrsprengstoff]

babel-17/empire star by Delany is a great 'literary' sci-fi novella pair (I only ever see it sold as a dual novella edition).