Covid-19 Life: New on my TBR Shelf, Virtual Book Clubs, Quilting Projects

With the pandemic raging, many of us are self-imposing a lock down. 

Last week, the quilters met at the park. It was a warm day, reaching 77 degrees. Several came without masks and other slowered their mask to talk. 

This is not safe behavior. So, I will join the quilters who prefer to Zoom meet.

But first, we visited with our family before the weather changed. We visited my brother, sitting on his deck. Deer came to the yard and birds visited the feeder as we talked.

He designed and built a shed that is like a small cabin with a porch swing facing the canal that goes to Cass Lake.

Canal to Cass Lake

And we visited our son and his girlfriend outdoors, with masks, watching the grandpuppies play in the yard. We only spent a few moments indoors to see Gus, the new kitten.

Gus

Sunny

The weather quickly changed, the leaves came down, and it finally feels like November.

local Oak and Moon last week

Luckily, I have plenty to keep me busy. My TBR galley shelf is filled up and I have dozens of incomplete quilt projects to finish and fabric to 'use up'.

Bellevue Literary Press sent me the ARC of Norman Lock's new book in his American Novels series, Tooth of the Covenant which is about Nathaniel Hawthorne. I have enjoyed four other novels in the series and some day hope to read the others. 

My NetGalley shelf is filling up! New books include:

• John Keats, a biography by Suzie Grogan
• Jane Austen’s Best Friend: The Life and INfluence of Martha Lloyd by Zoe Wheddon
• The Life She Wished to Live: A Biography of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, author of the Yearling by Ann McCutchan
• Wonderworks: The 25 Most Powerful Inventions in the History of Literature by Angus Fletcher
• The Bookseller of Florence: The Story of the Manuscripts that Illuminated the Renaissance by Ross King
• The Last Green Valley by Mark Sullivan interested me because it is about Germans in the Ukraine under Soviet rule who had to escape during WWII

Previous books on my NetGalley Shelf include

• The Fortunate Ones by Ed Tarkington
• The Invisible Women by Erika Robuck
• Girl Explorers by Jayne Zanglein
• Brood by Jackie Polzin
• Lady Bird Johnson: Hiding in Plain Sight by Julia Sweig
• Astrid Sees All by Natalie Standiford
• Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
• The Souvenir Museum by Elizabeth McCracken

I purchased several books for book clubs and readalongs. 

Little, Brown & Co reissued Brideshead Revisited for its 75th anniversary and arranged a read along. I read the edition that was published when the television miniseries was out.

I purchased Jess Walter's brand new novel The Cold Millions for the Barnes & Noble book club December 1. I so enjoyed his novel Beautiful Ruins.

Our local library book club is discussing The Bear next week with author Andrew Krivak Zooming with us!

This week I joined the Leesburg Public Library, FL, to discuss Jerome Charyn's novel The Perilous Adventures of the Cowboy King, imagining Teddy Roosevelt's early life, with Charyn Zooming with us at the end to answer questions.

The book club enjoyed the novel and the 'energetic' and 'dramatic' characterization. Those who were not familiar with TR's life appreciated learning about him while others remarked the novel was not a history. Charyn talked about finding the voice and the music for his novel, and how writing in the first person offers a greater intimacy that a history or biography cannot provide. "Writing is dreamin," he remarked.

I have signed up for a number of other online events with authors.

I tried to sort out my collection of vintage quilt tops, fabrics, and trims and embellishments. I was inspired to play with them and made a small quilt.

I used a vintage embroidered linens, crotchet, trims, buttons, and a quilt top. 

Every day I take a walk around the neighborhood. I was surprised by this squirrel going in and out of a hole in the tree.

Another day I saw this really fat squirrel in the park!

It's time to prepare for winter. Like the squirrel, we are stocking up on food and supplies. I have plenty of hand quilting to keep me busy--and warm as the quilts lay on my lap while quilting. And loads of books to read.

Stay safe out there. Take care of each other.

Another UFO Finished and Book News

I just bound off a quilt I made 8 years ago and 4 houses ago! It was one of the many tops I took to the long arm quilter, knowing I would never hand quilt all the tops in my stash. 

*****

I have a load of books to read before the end of January! Still, there were two non-review books I had to read. I obtained Bob Woodward's Fear: Trump in the White House through the local library and bought Michelle Obama's Becoming. I read Fear during the day and reserved Becoming for bedtime reading since it would be less likely to disturb my sleep, lol.

Several years ago I reviewed Barren Cove by Ariel S. Winter through NetGalley, a sci-fi novel set in a world run by robots. I loved the book, plus it's a retelling of Wuthering Heights so that made it more dear to my heart. I discovered the paperback edition includes a blurb from MY REVIEW! Added to my bookshelf now.

I was offered two books from the publisher.

Algonquin Books reached out in an email saying, "we saw your glowing review of Emily Ruskovich’s Idaho and think you would really enjoy an upcoming novel of ours, a debut that’s getting a lot of buzz, Sugar Run by Mesha Maren. We’d love to send you an advance copy of Sugar Run. Set in West Virginia, this is a searing story about making a run for another life."  My review will run in a few months, but it is a memorable book.

Atria Books sent me a surprise package with The Falconer by Dana Czapnik. I was uncertain until I started reading. The writing is brilliant! It is about a love-forlorn girl in 1980s NYC who loves basketball.

I won The Cassandra by Shara Shields from LibraryThing. I am eager to begin it, too! Inspired by the Greek myth, it is set during WWII about a woman working in a top secret facility.

I also won The Red Address Book by Sofia Lundberg from Bookish First, still to come. The address book in questions documents everyone Doris has met and loved during her long life.

Other books on my review shelf to be read:

The Last Year of the War by Susan Meissner is about girls who met in a WWII Internment Camp

Tinkers by Paul Harding is a 10th Anniversary edition of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel

The Escape Room by Mehan Goldin a thriller

A Glad Obedience by Water Brueggemann is on hymnody

Learning to See by Elise Hooper is historical fiction on photographer Dorothea Lange

Louisa on the Front Lines by Samantha Seiple is about Louisa May Alcott as a Civil War nurse

Island of Sea Women by Lisa See (The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane)

Overrun by Andrew Reeves is about the Asian Carp threat to the Great Lakes

Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts (The Perfect Horse, The $80 Champion) is about Mrs. L. Frank Baum

Professor Chandra Follows his Bliss by Rajeev Balasubramanyam, a story of a late-life transformation

The Editor is by Stephen Rowley, author of Lily and the Octopus

Saving Meghan by D.J. Palmer is a thriller

Daughter of Molokai by Alan Brennert (Molokai)

*****

It is exciting when books I have read come up for prizes. Here are some that I have been made aware of on social media. My reviews for all of these books can be found on my blog in the "search" bar.

E. C. Huntley notified me that The Tyre was up for the People's Book Prize. 

Spaceman in Bohemia by Jaroslav Kalfar is up for the Arthur B Clark Award and the Dublin Literary Award. Other nominees for the Dubin Literary Award include books I reviewed: Gather the Daughters by Jennie Melamed, The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne, Idaho by Emily Ruskovich, Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout, Tin Man by Sarah Winman, The Resurrection of Joan Ashby by Cherise Wolas; non-review books which I have read include Exit West, The Leavers, The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, Sing Unburied Sing, and Lincoln in the Bardo.

The Aspen Book Prize includes The Boat People by Sharon Bala, American Marriage by Tayari Jones, and There There by Tommy Orange.

The Southern Book Prize nominees include The Barrowfields by Philip Lewis, The Last Ballad by Wiley Cash, and Grief Cottage by Gail Godwin.

The Costa First Novel Award includes Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson; the Cost Award Shortlist includes The Italian Teacher by Tom Rachman.

100 Notable Books from the New York Times books which I reviewed include American Marriage, The House of Broken Angels, State of Freedom, There There, A View of the Empire at Sunset, Warlight, Calypso, The Library Book, and Patriot Number One: American Dreams in Chinatown.

Eat. Prey. Love. And Holiday News.

An a recent early morning my husband called me to the back window. A hawk with a rat in its talons was struggling to get it to the roof of the garage. 

 He sat there for a while before flying off to his official dining room.

Because we live near so many restaurants rats are a problem. As are skunk, raccoon, and coyote. Rabbits and opossum are also around. There were canine tracks in the back yard a few days ago, an overnight visitor. With no more doggies of our own the yard is usually pristine.

pristine snow. 

I am concerned a neighbor is using rat poison, which will also poison the hawk. It would be better if people 1) kept their trash in sealed trash cans 2) did not leave bags of empty soda pop bottles and cans outdoors 3) and if they cleared out the area behind their garage of tall weeds and cast-offs.

A quilt friend brought in her friend's unfinished quilt made by her grandmother. We discussed how it could be finished. The Dresden Plates were basted and hand sewn onto an aqua shot cotton fabric.

It had flannel sheets used for a batting and a thin cotton muslin for a backing. The fabrics were in pristine condition!

I made my first quilt in 1991, a gift to my brother. He gave it to me for repair work, the second go-around for repairs. I used fabrics from my home decorating projects, shirts, and new fabric.

 I was very ignorant and would not ask for help. For quilting, I big stitched with button hole thread.

The paisley was left from I dress I made. The tan with teal squares was curtains and a comforter we had in our bedroom.

The quilt is quite faded and looks it age, so I have simply patched it. In the photo below I found the original fabric to patch over a spot that had worn to tatters.

 I turned the top border fabric to the back to bind the quilt off.

To my brother Thomas Gochenour on the occasion of his college graduation 1991, Nancy Bekofske, Hillsdale, MI

It is comfort food weather in Michigan. I saw this easy recipe for Chicken Pot Pie on Facebook and we tried it out the next day. We made biscuits from scratch.

It uses three boneless, skinless chicken breasts in 1" pieces and sauteed in oil. Then you take a half onion chopped, two carrots peeled and chopped, and 2 stalks celery chopped and cook them in the oil along with a teaspoon of fresh thyme. When the veggies are soft add 3 tablespoons flour and stir and cook a bit before adding 2 cups of chicken broth. Simmer and stir until thickened. Remove from the heat, add the chicken and 1 1/2 cups of frozen peas and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. (I used 1 tbsp. milk and 1 tbsp. yogurt.) Place biscuits on top, brush with egg wash, and bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees.

And we had home made bean soup for lunches.

We have put up our Christmas tree in the family room. The ornaments each have special memories, so many were gifts from people or bought at church bazaars. And there are the wooden ornaments we bought and painted for our first tree in 1972.

I am holding our pet Nasturtium in  1973. We cut the tree ourselves and

decorated it with the wood ornaments. The olive wood

Nativity set was bought at a church SERVE store in Columbus, OH.

Our tree in 1972, which we cut ourselves, and decorated with popcorn strings

and the wood ornaments.

I still remember my husband painted the purple dog above!

Our tree this year. I made the skirt in the 1990s.

I am working on cleaning up unfinished projects in the quilt room, Row By Row and single blocks, repair work, and other duties. I made a block into a large 'mug rug' with two smaller mug rugs.

I always find time for reading, regardless of holiday activities! The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin just came in from Bookish. 

Easter Greetings

 Wishing all my readers a Happy Easter!

We lived with a house trained rabbit for six years in the 1970s. Nasturtium had real personality, but she never hid any eggs for us. She did chew up the furniture and electric cords.

Early in my quiltmaking days I designed Easter Sunrise--best seen from far, far away.

The weather has been so warm in Michigan--80 degrees yesterday--that we put the screens back into the windows.

The tree we planted when we moved in is flowering, along with daffodils and hyacinth.

Our son will be here for dinner. He shared a photo on Facebook of Godzilla and Peeps bunnies on a cake. SO-- I made him one! He just drove in!

I hope no dinosaurs attack your day.