February Book Haul!

 It's been a while since I got this many books in one month! I've been "good" the past couple of months (if you can call not buying books so I can read some books from the list that spans the length of my body "good") but this month, I've been fortunate enough to have these wonderful books come into my life.

The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro
-His first novel in 10 years, Ishiguro's The Buried Giant combines history and mythology to tell the tale of a couple's journey to find their son.

 The Wild Oats Project: One Woman's Midlife Quest for Passion at any Cost by Robin Rinaldi
-Robin Rinaldi hadn't planned on an open marriage. But when her husband decided to have a vasectomy, she decided to have lovers. This memoir explores sexuality and what it means to love not only others, but also ourselves.

A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby
[Read my review of the movie adaptation]
-Martin, JJ, Jess, and Maureen meet by chance on the roof of a building on New Year's Eve. They all have the same intention: to jump.

Good Food, Good Life: 130 Simple Recipes You'll Love to Make and Eat by Curtis Stone
-Curtis Stone's latest cookbook is filled with delicious-sounding recipes.

Salad Love: 260 Crunchy, Savory, and Filling Meals You Can Make Every Day by David Bez
[Read my review here]
-Who knew salad could be so interesting? David Bez did. This book is full of great, simple salad combinations meant to be prepared and eaten in your lunch hour.

At the Water's Edge by Sara Gruen
-Maddie and Ellis Hyde have been cut off financially by Ellis' father. In an attempt to return to his father's good graces, Ellis realizes he must find the Loch Ness monster - something his father tried and failed at. Left behind in a foreign country, Maddie begins her own journey of discovery - of life, nature, friendship, and love.

The Night Stages by Jane Urquhart
-Tam is leaving her lover, Niall. When her plane is grounded by fog in Newfoundland, she sees a mural and reminisces on the events that led her to her current circumstances. Parallel to Tam's story, we learn about Kenneth Lochhead, the artist who created the mural.

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
-Stevens has long been a butler at Darlington Hall. He decides to take a road trip through the West Country. In his travels we learn about major things in his life: how England is changing and his love for his housekeeper.

The Picador Book of Funeral Poems edited by Don Paterson
-A collection of poems from different eras and cultures, all dealing with death, loss, and healing.

The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield

-Adventure and discovery abound in this story meant to make you aware of your surroundings - seen and unseen.

The Stone Carvers by Jane Urquhart
-Stories parallel each other in this novel: Joseph Becker, a woodcarver, meets his future wife and years later, their granddaughter is a stone carver working on a memorial for those lost to WWI in France.

The Chrysalids by John Wyndham
-Here we find ourselves in a community where there is less than a 50 percent chance of "breeding true". Deviations, like David possesses, are destroyed as abominations. David can communicate with other young people through "thought shapes". This ability has gone unnoticed so far, but what will happen when he's discovered?

The Sweetapolita Bakebook: 75 Fanciful Cakes, Cookies & More to Make & Decorate by Rosie Alyea
-From cookies to layer cakes, this book contains 75 recipes for beautiful, colourful desserts.

The Mountain Story by Lori Lansens
-Five days. Four hikers. Three survivors. Need I say more? What a fantastically intriguing hook.

Boo by Neil Smith
-Boo is shot from behind while he's standing in front if his locker one day. In heaven, he and Johnny, who was killed at the same time, try to figure out what happened and who killed them. This novel deals with the difficulty and heartbreak that come with growing up.

Summer Sisters by Judy Blume
-In the summer of 1977, Caitlin chose Victoria to be her friend, showing her luxury and privilege, not to mention a vacation on Martha's Vineyard. Years later, after their friendship has faded, Caitlin begs Victoria to be her maid of honour. Despite years of not seeing her, Victoria knows she will go because she wants to know why her summer sister betrayed her that last summer, and why she still holds power over her heart.

A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler
-This story takes us through three generations of Whitshanks, showing us what their lives are like in the present moment and also recalling their history. We learn their shared stories and their secrets, all the while gaining insights into what it means to be a family.

So many books - and they all sound intriguing! What books did you get in February?

Photos by nikkitheknack

"Salad Love" is diverse and delicious | Book Review

"Salad Love" by David Bez

"This is not a cookbook": the first words you'll read in David Bez's Salad Love: 260 Crunchy, Savory, and Filling Meals You Can Make Every Day. Bez goes on to explain that he's not a chef - he just loves salad and wanted to create lunches that were not only energizing and healthy, but also really darn tasty.

In the nine-to-five workday, there isn't always time to make food, so a lot of people end up grabbing something calorie-filled from the local coffee shop. The recipes in this book were all made and eaten in Bez's lunch hour.

The ingredients are generally very accessible - most are everyday items that are readily available in a grocery store. There are a few exceptions; for example, I'm not sure where to buy bresaola or borage flowers. Some of the recipes require a little more preparation and adventure, which can certainly be exciting!

The salad dressings are wonderfully simple - usually a mixture of oil and vinegar, which I love and think is so yummy while still allowing you to taste the rest of the ingredients.

My attempt at some "Salad Love", recipe p. 212

The photography itself is simple in the best way possible: it's just the salad in its bowl, which allows you to focus on the mouth-watering food you could be eating.

There are a variety of recipes in this book - vegetarian, vegan, raw, pescatarian, omnivore...and for each recipe, Bez suggests a variation, which is so useful because some days you really want to try a recipe but don't feel like having meat or fish or what have you.

The recipes are divided by seasons - this is great because you can eat according to which fruits and vegetables are in season!

In honour of the deep freeze we're having right now (-33 with the wind chill, yay!), I decided to make the Roasted Turkey, Mushrooms, Carrot & Walnuts salad from the Winter section. It was delicious. And filling.

Whether you're looking to eat healthier or you just really like salad, this book will make you want to devour the food on the page in front of you. Salad Love shows how diverse - and delicious - salads can really be!

*This book was sent to me by Penguin Random House Canada in exchange for an honest review.
Photos by nikkitheknack