Literary Matchmaking With My Parents

I'm a big fan of Anne Bogel and the podcast What Should I Read Next?. My friend, Sara, and I even did a little literary matchmaking for each other here and here.

I thought it would be fun to try this with my parents as well.

My Mom

Books I have loved:

1. The Immigrants by Howard Fast

2. A Nurse's Story by Tilda Shalof

3. For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston

A Book I Didn't Like:

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Currently Reading:

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

My mom likes happy endings. She wants a "feel good" story that isn't going to break her heart to pieces. She also likes books that tell someone's story, especially strong women. My mom prefers novels that are set within the last century. She likes historical fiction, but not too far back.

For my mom, I recommend:
1. Garden Spells, Sarah Addison Allen
2. Love and Ruin, Paula McLain
3. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Taylor Jenkins Reid

Bonus suggestions: The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton and Where I Belong by Alan Doyle


My Dad

My three favorite books:

1)  Aztec by Gary Jennings

2)  The Memory Illusion by Dr. Julia Shaw. It sheds a whole new light on how well we think our memories are.

3)  Foundation trilogy by Issac Assimov

A Book I Disliked:

Camino Island by John Grisham. This started out as a page turner but after the first chapter, it turned into something completely different with a very lame ending.  Definitely a waste of time and money.

Currently Reading:

I'm halfway through the first book of Sapiens. I'm enjoying it but it is not something you can spend more than 1 hr at a time on it.

My dad reads both fiction and non-fiction. He likes books that offer glimpses into different cultures and eras, and he likes learning what makes people tick. He loves a compelling story and doesn't want to be bored.

For my dad, I recommend:

1. Blink, Malcolm Gladwell

2. Station Eleven by Emily St. Jean Mandel

3. Indian Horse, Richard Wagamese

Bonus Suggestions: Midnight Light by Dave Bidini.

Happy reading!
xo
Jenn

On Boards by Lisa Dawn Bolton - My New Favourite Cookbook

The kitchen is not my favourite room in the house. In fact, it scares me. I can cook *just* enough to feel that I put together quasi-healthy meals for my family, but I am not a confident chef by any means.

When I discovered On Boards by Lisa Dawn Bolton, I immediately knew this cookbook would be perfect for me. I related to her entirely on page one when she described, "following the recipe to the letter, closing the oven door, and just praying it works." That is exactly how I feel in the kitchen. Her alternative is a cookbook with very little actually cooking. Sign me up!

On Boards is a collection of 50 different meals to serve on a charcuterie board. Her hope is to share ideas for us to plan gorgeous meals that you can prepare in advance for your family or your guests. You can say goodbye to living in the kitchen when your friends are over or stressing about timing for each part of the meal!

Over the past month, I've made four of the boards in this book (Vegan Vibes - pictured above, Eggs & Soldiers Brunch Board - pictured below, Something Sweet, and Date Night In.) Each board comes with a list of "components" (rather than ingredients) and an image to give you inspiration when arranging your own.

Creating these boards has been wicked easy and so much fun. Chop, arrange, snap an photo for Instagram, and serve! I've been inspired to purchase foods I might not have otherwise picked up on my own. One example is the burrata cheese that was a huge hit with our guests recently. No one around the table had even heard of this delicious, fresh-tasting cheese beforehand.

I can also attest that these boards are kid-friendly. There are some boards especially for playdates and littles, but so far my six-year-old has devoured each board I've put in front of him.

I can't recommend this cookbook highly enough. Anyone, no matter your confidence level dans la cuisine, will love it.

On Boards is available anywhere books are sold. For further inspiration, follow @lisadawnbolton on Instagram!

xo
Jenn

Disclaimer - Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for sending me a complementary copy of On Boards to review. It is getting a lot of love in our house!

17 Non-Fiction Books on my TBR

I'm a huge fiction lover. The past few years, I've read 100 books a year and over 80% of them have been fiction. I love getting lost in stories and escaping real life.

This year, I'm again focusing quite a bit on my unread shelf (which has some non-fiction in it), while I'm completing two different reading challenges:

1. #theunreadshelfproject2019
2. The Toronto Library 2019 Reading Challenge

As I planned out how to meet these challenges, work through my unread books, and tackle a few others I've heard are excellent, I *think* these are going to be 17 non-fiction books I read this year.

Books I own already

We Should All Be Feminists, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - I've read three other books by this author, and they've all been excellent. I'm looking forward to this one as well. Her words are alway so powerful.

Midnight Light, Dave Bidini - I saw Dave Bidini speak in the fall, and though Midnight Light is not a book I would ever pick up on my own, he was such a compelling speaker that I am looking forward to reading this book about his time in Yellowknife.

I'd Rather Be Reading, Anne Bogel - I'm probably the only blogger left that hasn't read Anne Bogel's newest book which is essentially a love letter to readers everywhere.

The Orchid and the Dandelion, W. Thomas Bryce - Both the teacher and the parent in me are intrigued in this book about why some children succeed and how all children can thrive.

Daring Greatly, Brené Brown - This will be my first Brené Brown book, I am pretty certain I will love every word.

There Are No Grown Ups, Pamela Drukerman - I often feel like I'm too young to be an adult. I suspect this book will show me I'm not alone!

Expecting Sunshine, Alexis Marie Chute - A friend gifted me this book last year after knowing the struggle we went through with pregnancy loss before Sebastian was born. I don't expect it will be an easy read, but I always say that the more we can tell our stories if we are able, the less we all feel alone.

Howards End is on the Landing, Susan Hill - A book about reading your unread books!

Girl, Stop Apologizing, Rachel Hollis - The more I think about Rachel Hollis, the more skeptical I feel. I was totally drinking the Girl, Wash Your Face juice when her first book came out, but there are a few things I've reflected on that make me wary about some of her messages moving forward. We'll see how this one goes...

Final Report, Rick Mercer - I love Rick Mercer, and I can't wait to read this collection of some of his best rants. And I know my parents want me to read it soon, so they can get their hands on my copy!

I'll Be There For You, Kelsey Miller - Any other Friends fans in the house? This book is a behind the scenes look at the iconic show.

Well-Read Black Girl, Glory Edim - I've been seeing this book all over Instagram lately. It's a collection of essays by black women writers on the importance of literature.

On Boards, Lisa Dawn Bolton - Can I count a cookbook? I'm doing it anyways. I'm reading though this book right now, and, even as a non-chef, I love every page.


Books I'll Get From The Library

Adulthood is a Myth, Sarah Anderson - This graphic novel looks super relatable.

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou - One of the topics for the Toronto Library Reading Challenge is to read a book recommended by a librarian. I told my friend I liked memoirs, and this was at the top of her list.

The Boys in the Boat, Daniel James Brown - This book about the about the American rowing team that stunned everyone in the 1936 Olympics is supposed to be extraordinary.

Seven Fallen Feathers, Tanya Talaga - Another challenge from the Toronto Library is to read a book from their Read Indigenous list. I'm thinking of reading this one about residential schools.


What non-fiction books are you hoping to read this year?
xo
Jenn