Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Thoughts by Lewis Carroll, Aerie Books Ltd 1992 (orig (1871), 112 pages

Challenge: Litsy Book Spin! #DoubleSpin, actually

Genre/Theme: Children’s Book

Type/Source: paperback / used book store $1

What It’s About: A little girl has fantastical adventures with talking animals, size-alternating mushrooms, nonsensical tea parties, and games of croquet with moving parts and beheadings. Yikes!

Thoughts: I really wasn’t all that keen on reading this having attempted it once and for whatever reason just didn’t appeal. But that nagging thought that “I *REALLY* should read this” and maybe even a touch of FOMO had me put it on my second Classic Club 50.

It was better than I thought it would be.

Rating: Fours slices of pie.

” I passed by his garden, and marked, with one eye,

How the Owl and the Panther were sharing a pie”

Ok, so let’s talk Litsy: I’m doing all the things this October! (If you want to know the details of it, I can give you the person who hosts and how to find her explanation page. It’s difficult to find by searching for some odd reason.) The photo above shows my October Book Spin Bingo card. My next post will feature the other spin number that I’ve read. I read the DoubleSpin before the Spin Spin, by mistake.

Once I finish my current audiobook of Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison — I’ve got over 6 hours yet to go — I will have BINGO! and if I can get Ask Again, Yes! by Mary Beth Kean completed, I’ll have another BINGO! woot, woot!

 

Copyright © 2007-2022. Care’s Books and Pie also known as and originally created as Care’s Online Book Club. All rights reserved. This post was originally posted by Care. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

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Update Jan 31 2021 Sunday

January Recap! Going to make this a habit. Maybe I create the last-day-of-the-month posts in advance and add to each with each book completed?  Always a goal, right?

I finished 6 books, have 3 underway right now.

If I count the hardcover page count rather than hours in my sums when I consider the books I listen-read, I get a total of 1485. Otherwise it is 901. I’m still wrestling with my attempt to keep THIS page count accurate with whatever goodreads calculates — they don’t do great at accurate hour counts for audiobooks.

The two audiobooks summed to 17 hours.

One in hardcover, one eBook (Kindle), two tradeback. Three library loans, three purchased.

My favorite has to be Luster by Raven Leilani. All were pretty worthy and enjoyable, recommendable. Memorial was my least favorite. Of course, A Village Life as a poetry collection received a high rating; quite moving and intense.

Three of the six featured a pie mention: Apple, Caramel, Chitlin. I visited Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Texas, California and Georgia. Mostly US-centric but one hopped over to Ghana for a few scenes. Four books had black protagonists; one of these shared MCs with a Japanese American. This same title would be LGBTQ+.

Four published in 2020 – all for the TOB. One in 2009, one in 1999. One nonfiction; about dogs. One poetry. Only one author of the male gender, as far as I know.

I made a few pies – including the Elvis Pie I made for Christmas. See this post on my First Book 2021 (Long Bright River).

I made a RhuBlue (BlueRhu? RhuBerry?) for my mom’s birthday:

MR are her initials.

Bring on February where my focus will be LetterMo. Write me a letter and I must reply in kind.

 

Copyright © 2007-2021. Care’s Online Book Club aka Care’s Books and Pie. All rights reserved. This post was originally posted by Care from Care’s Online Book Club aka BkClubCare.  It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

I’ve Hit My Yearly Reading Goal! Already?!

Well. Lookie here. I completed a goal with 3 months remaining in my year. Huh.

What do I do now?!   YES!  We go for it – we attempt to read 25 more books in the next 91 days. Who’s with me?  What 25 things can you do in 91 days? (Insert bright big smile emoji here.)

While we’re here, let’s look at the book I just finished to complete my goal.

Audiobook by Wallace Stegner, Blackstone Audio 2010 (orig 1976), 7 hours 51 minutes

Narrated by Edward Herrman

Rating: FIVE slices of pie.

I want to talk about this book. But I don’t know how. I loved it. Old irascible cantankerous ponderous old Joe. Actually he isn’t any of those words.

Such sadness, some regrets, some true dedicated endearing enduring love.

I guess this book just stirs up the ol’ vocabulary. I loved it.

and WOWZA! I think this would be a really cool book club book!  I do. Cuz it’s got some zinging wild stuff. Lots of good stuff, lots of OMG stuff.

Did I realize Mr. Herrman was reading this book? Nope. (huh) and it was OK. It really is a good thing I didn’t realize until I was already a few hours in. He did a fabulous job, of course. (I could NOT listen to him read The Boys in the Boat for some reason! I was so totally distracted on that…)

And with this, Stegner moves into a lofty spot in my top tier of favorite authors. He inspires me to read more Kent Haruf and to get back to my Marilynne Robinson. And Tracy Kidder. I have a few more of his books to read before I’ve read everything.

Next up, either a post on A Gentleman in Moscow, one on The Haunting of Hill House or one big September Summary.

My last pie was making the Rhode Island Coffee Milk Pie again.  YUM.

**** My attempt to learn the new (cough, cough HATED) WordPress block editor to link this recipe as a page.

Copyright © 2007-2020. Care’s Online Book Club. All rights reserved. This post was originally posted by Care from Care’s Online Book Club.  It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

March 2019 Mini-Reviews

Thoughts

March was a delight! Celebrating the Tournament of Books is the best thing about March. If you haven’t heard, My Sister the Serial Killer WON! Very happy that this would prevail (after suffering the disappointment of Milkman being knocked out. Y’all can read most of this already in prior posts.)

I read a few books in March:

I DNF’d The Italian Teacher and wasn’t as impressed with the second half of Washington Black as I was with the first half. I can’t say The Lost Girls of Paris did anything for me and I loved listening to Michelle Obama tell me about her life from the beginning to now in her memoir, Becoming.

There, There was also somewhat of a disappointment but that might be all on me. I had built it up too much, knew too much about it, etc. AND, I read half of it fast and furious while trapped on a plane. Then put it down for a few days before rushing to finish before its last entry round in the TOB. I had lost all recognition of the various story lines and it couldn’t hold together in my head. And the ending – knew it was coming, of course, but the ending!  was abrupt. Felt almost like a cliff hanger but no cliff. More like a brick wall?

April is going better. I’ve already finished these two books:

Both 4 stars and plenty of pie.

And with that short update, here’s a few pie pics from this month:

From Pi/e Night on 3/14:

and from vacation to Baltimore MD:

 

 

 

April 22 is Blueberry Pie Day – just sayin’ 

 

 

Copyright © 2007-2019. Care’s Online Book Club aka Care’s Books and Pie. All rights reserved. This post was originally posted by Care from Care’s Online Book Club aka BkClubCare.  It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Pi Day Pie Day and #TOB17 Check

I had friends over to celebrate Pi Day on Tuesday. We made pie.  I failed to get a photo of the pies that everyone made! I don’t know how I forgot to do that. I’m hoping someone did…

I made an apple pie and I made a grape pie. The grape pie, being a novelty, was a devoured! Nothing left of that one. I think everyone loved it. Here’s the before the grape pie went in the oven – so you can easily see the design of the kite and the Greek letters for our sorority: Kappa Alpha Theta. This was an official (fun) meeting for my local Alumnae Chapter. It’s a great group – we have a lot of fun. [If you want to support a REALLY GREAT CAUSE to help children be fully represented in the courts, our philanthropy is CASA/GAL, please click on this link.]

ok. That’s done. [Claps the flour off my hands… I looked for the right GIF but alas, nope.]

To the TOB:

I have decided to attempt a ranking of the 17 books I read for TOB. A snapshot of my favorites as of today, because I find my appreciations are changing as the rounds play out.

FAVORITE to LEAST:

1. My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout – voted out on 3/13
2. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi – moving to next round 3/16
3. Black Wave by Michelle Tea – out on 3/9 (this was the take-me-by-surprise, loved-it-at-the-end book. PIE!)
4. The Nix by Nathan Hill – a fun one for St. Patrick’s Day
5. Mister Monkey by Francine Prose – battles Sudden Death 3/20
6. Version Control / Dexter Palmer – kicks out my fave 3/13
7. Grief is the Thing With Feathers – Max Porter – UNDERDOG? 3/15
8. The Mothers – Brit Bennett – Mothers continues 3.14 (lots of pie 🙂 )
9. High Dive By Jonathon Lee – out to the Mothers 3/14
10. The Vegetarian by Han Kang – loses to the Birds 3/10
11. Underground Railroad by Whitehead – steamrolling along 3/9
12. All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders – loved it and also seemed to fizzle out. Moving up the bracket 3/10
13. Sudden Death by Alvaro Enrigue – Play-in round winner! 3/8
14. The Throwback Special by Chris Bachelder – had some beautiful sentences. Bounced out in play-in round 3/8
15. We Love You Charlie Freeman by Kathleen Greenridge – too much and too little.
16. Sweet Lamb of Heaven by L Millet – wanted to love but just puzzled me. Had lots of pie! Voted off the island 3/16
17. Moonglow by Chabon – the more I think about it, the less I liked it; me being curmudgeony.
18. The Sport of Kings by CEMorgan – sadly didn’t read, might try via aBook

I’m enjoying AND participating some in the comments! YAY ME. I have added a few books mentioned to the towering toppling tbr, too.

Tomorrow is The Nix vs. We Love You Charlie Freeman! and be sure to wear green, it’s St. Patrick’s Day…

Copyright © 2007-2017. Care’s Online Book Club. All rights reserved. This post was originally posted by Care from Care’s Online Book Club. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Care’s Gift Idea Guide

EXCITING GIFTS to get me YOUR LOVED ONES this Holiday or anytime, really.

1.  Arrange for a Postcard from a Favorite Author!   The Common Foundation is raising money for a good cause (encouraging emerging novelists, etc.) by arranging personal postcards from a variety of impressive writers. CHECK IT OUT!  (and quickly, this only has a week to go.)

2.  Photo Stamps!  I have created custom stamps for years and they make great gifts. There are many companies that are licensed to do this but I’ve used PhotoStamps.com and like their simplicity of creating and ordering.

3. Books. Books are always a good idea. Gift cards to bookstores?

4. Pie supplies. What are “PIE SUPPLIES”, you ask? Well, my favorite are cute mini-pie  dishes of ceramic. And I love my flour  shaker wand (I own two so I don’t need another). You could get someone a pastry scissors or cutter tool for making fancy lattice strips.  Or pie books, of course. And gift cards to places like King Arthur Flour…  I have also given “Pie Coupons” away but sadly, rarely ever get them redeemed. I think they forget. Which is why just baking a pie and thrusting it upon others is the best way. That’s how “those people who live near me” get treated in my neighborhood. I also support and recommend Beth Howard’s Pie-Evangelism and she has two books available. Click on her logo to find out more –>

 

5. DONATIONS in someone’s name. I have done this, especially when I don’t know if they need anything. I would be honored if someone made a donation to a charity that is close to my heart OR their heart. Just as long as a good deed is made, that’s cool.  I have given to food banks in the towns where my loved ones live so that their town is blessed. And I have purchased water buffaloes and chickens through Heifer  International. I have given to my parents’ church so they get their name in the bulletin – usually to donate flowers for the alter at their anniversary. I am considering donating to the library that they frequent.

 

6. Pizza. Pizza is pie, right? Easy-peasy to give online gift certificates from a pizza place in their town so no mailing involved whatsoever. I always think this is a great idea – who doesn’t love a pizza party? Especially good for a family gift all at once.

What kind of gifts do you like to give when thinking of that right something is difficult?

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright © 2007-2016. Care’s Books and Pie aka Care’s Online Book Club. All rights reserved. This post was originally posted by Care from Care’s Online Book Club.  It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Happy Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day! #iLovePie

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Happy Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day!

Sadly, though I have strawberries AND rhubarb IN THE HOUSE, I have yet to start the process… and plans for today might prohibit my posting of my own pie photos for this celebration so please appreciate this:

and click on it to get to Grandma’s Strawberry Rhubarb Pie recipe as shared by the Food Network.

Tomorrow is Black Cow (Rootbeer Float) Day and the next is German Chocolate Cake Day. Click here to find out more food holidays.

Wishing you a happy slice of pie today! Grab your peace.

Copyright © 2007-2015. Care’s Online Book Club. All rights reserved. This post was originally posted by Care from Care’s Online Book Club.  It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

A Song about Pi #ILovePie

Pielicious linkings for the ePIc Pi Day 2015…

Shockingly Delicious recipe blog presents 13 Things You Need To Know for Pi Day 2015

CNN’s story on Pi Day…

<– will link to my Pinterest Pie Board if you need a funky idea or two.

I’ll be baking a savory pie for my celebration today:  A Fried Green Tomato with Pimento Cheese Tart which also celebrates my new residence in the Carolinas. I’m also making something chocolate. More details as the day unfolds. Hopefully with one of me in my new tee, too. Say that real fast three times.

Check out what Jill’s got goin’ on over at Rhapsody in Books! (in which you might find a link back to here which makes it a circular reference! ha!!)

Happy Birthday Al! Click here for an Instructable for Albert Einstein Pie

What PIE will you be enjoying today for Pi Day?

I was going to give you a link to all the pie books I’ve reviewed but I seem to tag the word “pie” a lot and don’t have a tag reserved exclusively for “pie book” and so this will have to happen another day. But you could click here for one, or Maman’s Homesick Pie, or Making Piece, or Beth Howard’s Pie Recipes, or for Ken Haedrick’s and there’s this or this or this… Now that I’ve typed that sentence and realize it is just as much work to bring up the posts to create the links as it might be to create a new tag and then tag the posts; sheeeesh, I’m tired. So nevermind. Doubtful anyway that anyone will care or even read this; we’re ALL busy. Too busy for this certainly! GO EAT SOME PIE.

 

Copyright © 2007-2015. Care’s Online Book Club. All rights reserved. This post was originally posted by Care from Care’s Online Book Club. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Ms. American Pie

Thoughts  Buttery Good Pie Recipes and Bold Tales From the American Gothic House by Beth Howard, Race Point Publishing 2014, 207 pages

[I was given this book by the publisher. I was going to buy it anyway and I knew I was going to LOVE it; I am a big fan of the author. I recommend her first book, a memoir. About grief and how pie heals. Click here to read my review of Making Piece, 2013]

Ms. Howard is no-nonsense. She doesn’t believe in tiptoe-ing around any delicate or fussy  ideas of the RIGHT way to make a pie.” JUST DO IT” is more her motto and her cookbook reflects this. So if you are intimidated by pie making but want or need some of that tough love to just jump into a bowl of flour and (quickly, gently) work in that butter, THIS is the cookbook for you.

AND she is nice about it, she can put one at ease. It just doesn’t matter how the pie might look! Pie is NOT fussy, pie doesn’t have to be pretty-pretty. Pies (almost) always taste fabulous. Ms. Howard gives all the right pointers to ensure you have fun while putting that pie together and tells you not to worry, it will all be fine.

Early in this book, we get Howard’s PIE-OLOGY which lists many lofty, true and good things about pie, finally stating, “Pie makes people happy and happy people make the world a better place.” She also busts most of myths surrounding pie lore. She answers a ton of often asked questions and offers plenty of how-to photos.

Pie is good.

So far, I have made the Apple (Pies to Heal, p. 45 for Memorial Day with using the Hand Pie technique described on p. 190) – I even made the caramel sauce. YUM! 

I made the Cherry (another Pie to Heal, p. 50)  with the Gluten Free Pie Crust (p. 33) and it was fabulous! The Strawberry Rhubarb (p. 83) I made for Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day (June 9) was absolutely perfect. I took the Shaker Lemon (Pie Recipes of the Pitchfork Pie Stand, p. 90)  to the boat crowd and everyone loved it. (I am embarrassed to admit that I’m somewhat proud of my edges on these two – you all know I’ve been making pies a long time and I give talk about how I should try to make the perfect crimp but then I think it wouldn’t look like a Care-Pie…)

My friend made the Spaghetti Pie on p.180 and RAVED about how awesome it was.

I have many many more to try.  
Rating: Five slices of pie.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED PIE BOOK!

 

 

HIdeinWhitetoSkipLine

Copyright © 2007-2014. Care’s Online Book Club. All rights reserved. This post was originally posted by Care from Care’s Online Book Club.  It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Happy Pi Day 2014

Happy Pi Day 2014!  

I will make a pie later today, a Beef and Stout Pie* to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day/Weekend. Will you bake a pie? How about eat a slice?

Here’s the photo story of the Grape and Peanut Butter Pie which I dedicate to Rhapsody Jill since she is the ultimate inspiration. She is always sending me pie recipes and I had told her months ago that I wanted to try an idea I had about creating my own Peanut Butter & Jelly concoction in pie form.

My idea was to bake the bottom layer as a traditional double-crust grape pie. I halved the amounts so that I would have room  to add more layers. I have made and loved this Grape Pie many times (click on the photo below of the sliced-in-half grapes in the crust and it will take you to the recipe), though for some reason, this time the red grapes didn’t turn as purple as they did the last time I made this recipe. Maybe a different variety…

Then I borrowed the peanut butter layer from another recipe, mixing PB with cream cheese and a few other things (milk, more sugar) and spreading it as you see here:  and then topping all this with a real whipped cream. Adding some delicately sliced grapes for garnish.

But the best news yet is this!  Beth Howard’s soon-to-be available book of pie HOW-TOs and recipes and good no-fuss advice arrived on my doorstep last night. I can’t wait to dig in and try her crust technique and abide by her “there-are-no-rules!”** tips and tricks. I loved her memoir, Making Piece, which you can read about by clicking this sentence. Clicking on this photo of her new book will take you to goodreads.com where you can access options for getting your own copy.

Celebrate Pi Day with PIE!  and tell me all about it. I hope it is pie-riffic.

Oh, I just started reading Labor Day because I know about the pie scene…

H

H

* Beef and Stout Pie from Never Enough Thyme when Lana’s Cooking blog.

** The only real rule is to try not over work the dough.

*HIdeinWhitetoSkipLine

Copyright © 2007-2014. Care’s Online Book Club. All rights reserved. This post was originally posted by Care from Care’s Online Book Club.  It should not be reproduced without express written permission.