March Roundup

With April literally just around the corner, arriving mid-week, it's time to give some mini-reviews of my March reading.

Americanah, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - most definitely a 5-star novel from 2013. This is the story of Ifemelu, a young woman from Nigeria who immigrates to the US as a college student and then returns to Nigeria after 13 years. I listened to the audio of this book and recommend it as I think hearing the accents and the cadence of the dialogue enriched the experience for me. The stories of Ifemelu and her friends, family, lovers, and co-workers were powerful and eye-opening and consciousness raising, but they also provided connection points for someone like me, who knows little outside my own little sphere, to recognize feelings and emotions that I can relate to. Loved this book and have found myself thinking about it a lot after finishing it.

Adichie's website is definitely worth visiting: https://www.chimamanda.com/welcome/

In particular, I loved seeing Ifemelu's blog, which features prominently in her life in the US and when she returns to Nigeria. 

Three Junes, by Julia Glass - an interesting novel that provides two short stories and one longer story from within a single family. The first story is about a man on a tour of the Greek islands shortly after the death of his wife. The middle, longer story is about one of his sons and the issues and traumas of his life. And the final short story, is still about the son but a bit later. This is all rather vague because I don't want to give spoilers, but it is a poignant look at the tragedy of AIDS. I cannot say I loved the book, but it was interesting and well-written and I'm glad I read it.

Quietly in Their Sleep, by Donna Leon - this was a reread of #6 in Leon's fabulous Guido Brunetti series that takes place in Venice. I am rereading the series and enjoying every step of the way as Guido walks through Venice, solving crimes and dealing with the intricacies of life in Venice. This one involved assisted living facilities, nuns, and Opus Dei. Needless to say, it was great.

After listening to Americanah, I was at a loss for what to listen to next as I have a couple of books on hold at the library and I think my turn at them is coming soon. I scanned my library of Audible titles on my phone and discovered that I have a Great Courses lecture series on the Early Middle Ages, taught by Philip Daileader, of the College of William and Mary. What a treat! Part I was all about the decline and fall of the Roman Empire, and now I'm into Part II and hearing about the rise of Islam and the rise of the Carolingian dynasty in France. I am absolutely loving it. I enjoy reading historical fiction about the Middle Ages and I am gearing up to read a bio of the Medici family, so getting some good grounding in the backstory will pay off in understanding down the road.

Notes from Colorado

I joke with my family that I've been practicing social distancing for years. My hobbies are reading and writing and gardening and birding and hiking, and I've had a home office for about ten years. My life right now is not a lot different from what it has been with the huge exception that I worry about my 96 year old Mom and my kids who are in NY and CA even more than before. I can't go to the library (I have some books that are due, so I need to check and see if they want me to drop them off), or the bookstore, or the grocery store, but I can walk the dog and pay it forward as much as possible.

I hope you all are well and being diligent about staying safe from harm's way.

I am happy to report that my time on Duolingo Italian is surging and I am leaping from level to level, though clitics and pronouns are my downfall. I now feel reasonably comfortable conversing in the present and present perfect tenses about sharks, dolphins, chickens, ducks, fish, dogs, and cats, as long as they are eating, coming and going, waiting, or traveling by train or bus. If any of you have attempted to learn a language via Duolingo, you'll know what I'm talking about :)

On the reading front, I just finished John Irving's Cider House Rules, and gave it a whopping 5 stars on Goodreads. Seriously, the books from the 70's and 80's are well worth visiting and revisiting. I picked this book because it is set in Maine, and we are still hoping to spend 3 weeks in Maine this summer...but like everything else, who knows whether that will be feasible.

Cider House Rules was multi-layered with complex, flawed, fascinating characters. It was also quirky and ironic and  the writing was sophisticated--reading it was like watching a master class on how to write. I especially loved how David Copperfield, Great Expectations, and Jane Eyre provided the structural and thematic framework for this 20th century tour de force.  I cannot wait to watch the movie, which was nominated for some Academy Awards and one won.

I also reread the first book in Donna Leon's Guido Brunetti mystery series, Death at La Fenice. I read with the backdrop of the virus that has paralyzed Italy and Venice providing an extra layer of pathos to the story. I love Guido and his family and hope they are safe, as well has his author, of course. I've been listening to Maurizio Marchini sing to his fellow quarantined Florentines, and now know the words to Nessun Dorma. I love Italy and dream of visiting again when we are through this nightmare.

I just finished watching Case Histories with the marvelous Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy), which is based on Kate Atkinson's Jackson Brodie mystery series. I will be reading the first book in the series, titled Case Histories, in April. I don't usually watch the movie/TV before the book, but I did this time. It was great and I was disappointed that there were only 3 seasons with only a few episodes per season. It was great to spot Dawn Steele (Lexie from Monarch of the Glen) in season 3 as well as Gary Lewis (Colum Mackenzie from Outlander).

Speaking of Outlander, I have officially given up watching the series. I'm not sure why I started finding the series so oppressive since I've read the full book series  all the way through, but season 5 was just one over-the-top scene after another. I didn't like where they were going with the Murtagh/Jamie thread (Murtagh dies at Culloden in the books) and I was dreading Roger's story. It was bad enough to read it in the book, but I really decided I couldn't bear to watch it.

So, I just started rewatching White Collar, which is what my mood needs now!

I'm looking forward to getting into the garden. We had snow on Thursday and Friday, and so everything is muddy, slushy, and mucky right now...maybe I will find some spring flowers after it all melts. Please!!!!

Stay well--do what you need to do to get through these troubled, uncertain times--Read on!

Risi e Bisi - Spring, Venetian Style

A few years ago I was reading Friends in High Places, a Guido Brunetti mystery by Donna Leon, and I came across these lines...

She was in the kitchen when he came in, seated at the table, shelling peas. 

"Risi e bisi," he said by way of greeting when he saw the peas, the irises held out in front of him.

Smiling at the sight of the flowers, she said, "It's the best thing to do with peas, isn't it, make risotto?" and raised her cheek to receive his kiss.

If Guido and Paola Brunetti weren't already one of my all-time favorite fictional couples, this scene would have sealed it.  I immediately looked up Risi e Bisi and found the recipe below and a bit of info on the dish.

I try to make it every spring because I love Venice (maybe really going there this October), I love peas, I love making soup, and I love being connected to a cultural tradition.

This dish is considered by the Italians as a soup, but it is even thicker than most Italian thick soups. It is a specialty of Venice and said to have been served to the Doges of Venice at banquets to celebrate the feast of St. Mark. As with all traditional dishes, there are several versions. It is eaten with a fork, not a spoon, and basically should be rice with a green motif.

Risi e bisi (Rice and Peas)

3 cups shelled green peas 

3 T butter 
2 1/2 T olive oil
2/3 cups diced lean bacon
1 green onion, sliced  
10 cups chicken stock
1 2/3 cup rice  
salt to taste
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
2-3 sprigs parsley


Heat the butter and oil together in a large pan, and gently saute the bacon and onion. When the bacon is brown, add the peas and moisten with a few tablespoons of the stock. Cook gently for 15 minutes. Add the rest of the stock, which must be hot, and bring it to the boil. Pour in the rice, stir well, lower the heat and cook gently for 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender and still fairly moist. Add salt if necessary, and sprinkle generously with parmesan cheese and parsley.
Serves 4 to 6.

Buon Appetito!