Category: Books

Weekend Roundup–Read, Eat, Drink

by Maria

Read:
I happened to find myself completely book-free this week (due to a crappy packing job on my way to NYC). So I also found myself scanning a bookshelf for something to read on the train and at nights. And I found C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity, his classic book that explores the underpinnings of all Christian faiths.

CS

I read all seven books of The Chronicles of Narnia series as a kid, and I’m pretty sure Aslan is still the coolest talking lion I’ve ever read about. And The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is still one of my favorite titles of all time.

But Mere Christianity is nothing like those books (although, if you read deeper into Narnia it actually is, but I won’t get into that). Yet it’s every bit as wonderful as expected.

It’s a short read (just over 200 pages), and I love both how quaint and 1950s-esque his voice is, and how timeless and straight-talking it still remains. It’s a book for nonbelievers and believers alike—even if you don’t have a scrap of interest in any form religion, it’s an incredibly compelling philosophical exercise. And it’s just fascinating to watch him unwrap each little box of his argument, holding it up for you to inspect that it is good.

If you missed the Narnia boat (sorry, Dawn Treader pun!), pick up Mere Christianity. It’s a  great starting point into Lewis’s adult oeuvre and, considering that he’s known as the most important writer of the 20th century, it’s a must-read.

Eat:
Confession: I’ve been neglecting my kitchen for the past two weeks! We’ve been moving and unpacking and traveling and shopping and working and adjusting to our new neighborhood, and I haven’t even been on a proper grocery run in weeks. I’m ashamed of myself. But even more, I’m just craving walking through the grocery aisles, meal planning for a normal, non-crazy week, and getting into my kitchen after a long day of work, with music and a glass of wine, to make something yummy.

And on top of it all, I’ve been having digestive issues, so  the past few days I’ve been cutting sugar, carbs, and dairy from my diet. So I don’t even know what to eat any more. But that hasn’t stopped me from fantasizing about food all day. As soon as I’m feeling better, this will be my dream, go-all-out, cook-like-a-maniac menu:

7192973d7d0236ce943297fe5e5e6e3c
Muffaletta Pasta Salad.
All my dreams in life involve muffaletta. Just call me Muffaletta Maria. (Actually don’t, it sounds weird.) Recipe here.

Grilled-Asian-Sweet-and-Spicy-Chicken-Skewers
Grilled Asian Sweet and Spicy Chicken Skewers.
Don’t tell me that picture doesn’t make you drool. Recipe here.

Pecan Pie Bars
Salted Caramel and Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars.
Everything amazing in the world, in one bar. Recipe here.

Drink:
I’m calling in my personal mixologist for a drink this week. Here’s Jarrett with a recipe for a different kind of gin and tonic:

Gin and Tonic. Gin & Tonic. G&T. The first mixed drink I truly learned to love.

But there’s a new variable to the G&T game: gourmet tonic. The Jack Rudy Co. makes small batch tonic that’s nothing like the clear stuff you buy at the store.  This tonic is what tonic was always meant to be: slightly sweet, fragrant, with subtle lemongrass and orange peel flavors. All of this makes the drink taste less like pure gin in a glass.

small-batch-tonic

G&T purists may be surprised by how different this tonic is, but I say they should find some room in their lineup for the Gin & Rudy Tonic. I have come to like this recipe way more than just a traditional G&T!

Gin & Rudy

  • Add ice to an on-the-rocks glass (a.k.a. an Old Fashioned glass)
  • 2 oz. of your preferred gin (I’ve recently been enjoying “Jack Pine Gin” from Northern Latitudes, a distillery in Northern Michigan)
  • .75 oz. of Jack Rudy Co. tonic
  • 4 oz. of soda water
  • A slice of lime

Combine ingredients and stir. If you want to get fancy, shave off a thin piece of the lime’s rind, heat it up with a lighter for a few seconds, and rub it on the rim of the glass before dropping it in the drink as a garnish.

If you do decide to try the Jack Rudy tonic, check out the Jack Rudy Co. website–they have a great list of drink recipes to make with their small batch tonic and grenadine.

Happy reading, eating, and drinking this weekend!

Books on Books!

by Maria

Ereader

When we moved apartments a few weeks ago I realized that I have a book problem. (This should have been obvious, no?) But really–I didn’t quite realize that I had too many books. Way, way too many books. Right now I have boxes of books in two different storage units. And I want to keep them ALL.

I poke fun at Jarrett all the time for being a little hoarder-y about certain things (he owns 3 back-ups for his favorite hat), but I am a major hoarder about books. I have a problem. I have a clutter aversion to every single other thing, but books… You really can’t have enough, can you?

Yes, it turns out you can. And you don’t realize it until you have to pack all the darn things into boxes and lug them down the East Coast.

So. I’m trying three tactics in our new apartment in an effort to stop the madness:

1. Limit space: We had to throw out an old bookshelf that was bowed from too much book weight, so I’m tasking Jarrett with building me two new bookshelves. We’re using these plans from Ana White, and we’re so excited to try our hands at our first furniture build. (Also, she has a fabulous book called The Handbuilt Home, in case you need more books…) But I’m limiting us to only building two big bookshelves. One I’ll keep in my office space for author/agent copies, and the other will be for my non-work books. So if anybody wants some free books this summer, let me know! A big clean-out will be happening early- to mid-September.

2. Virtual bookshelf: I have certain books that I hold on to just because I think they’re wonderful resources, and I love to recommend them to others. Most of these are books about books–books about writing, publishing, and platform building. I’m now putting those here, on my Bookshelf page, so that they’re always there if someone’s looking for extra resources.

3. Ebooks!: I am probably the last literary agent on this green earth who doesn’t own an e-reader. I usually have 2-3 books that I’m in various stages of reading, and I stuff them in my too-big purse like a lunatic. It’s like I refuse to acknowledge that this handy device called an e-reader would solve all my problems. But no more! I am getting myself an e-reader before I give myself scoliosis. But Nook or Kindle? Anybody prefer one over the other?

So in my imaginary perfect life in our new, uncluttered apartment, we will not have a book problem. Let’s see how this goes…

Reading on the Beach

by Maria

August in the publishing world means long vacations, a slower pace, few new submissions, and a LOT of reading on the beach. One of the funny (and by funny, I mean sort of sad) truths about working in publishing is that we rarely have time to catch up on reading. Maybe this is because our to-read lists are too long? Maybe it’s that, with all the work-related reading and editing we do, it’s easy to forget about extracurricular reading?

Whatever it is, I can’t seem to ever make headway on my long to-read list. There isn’t nearly as much shutting-the-office-door-and-sitting-with-a-good-book-for-hours as I want there to be. And so, August is going to be all about kicking back with a paperback and forgetting the world. I don’t think I’ve read for 12 hours straight since my Harry Potter days, and that just has to change.

photo (78)
My office during our trip!

With the slower pace in the industry this month, I’m off to Punta Cana for two weeks with my sister. I’ll be catching up on some work projects, editing some proposals, and systematizing a few things. But there will also be a lot of cooking, a lot of sipping cold drinks, some major reading, and maybe even some naps, if we’re feeling really crazy.

Here’s what I’ll be reading on the beach:

Merchants of Culture

I know–a book about the publishing industry sounds totally wonky and like the very opposite of a relaxing beach read. And when I got this book delivered and saw that it was nearly 500 pages of small print, with charts and all, I was sure it would bore me to death. But it’s AMAZING! Really. Anyone in the industry should make this a must-read–it gives such a big picture, 360 degree view of the evolution of publishing, which we sometimes lose sight of in the day-to-day. And it’s written in an engaging, straightforward way, so you won’t find yourself snoozing through it. I promise.

Read More

Why Design Matters for Your Website

by Maria

 

Author website design

Today I’m over on Jane Friedman’s wonderful blog talking about why design is such a big, big deal for blogs and websites. If you’re just starting to build your platform, or want to take your work to the next level, you’ve GOT to make it look appealing. Design is your brand, and you only have about 10 seconds to win over someone who wanders through your online home. (According to #science, no one has an attention span  anymore…) Click here to read about the 7 things you need need on your site to make a strong first impression.

And while you’re there, poke around Jane’s blog–it’s full of fantastic resources for aspiring authors, creatives, and entrepreneurs. I think you’ll find it bookmark-worthy.