Bonus round:
Thanks to my friend Shannon who sent in her own on-the-street example.
Seen any good typos lately? Send them my way!
Spell Check, Anyone?
You know I can't resist bad spelling. Today, typos actually made headlines when Mitt Romney's campaign app played fast-and-loose with the country's name (see below). You'd think his team could afford a good proofreader. And the timing is ironic given that the national spelling bee is taking place this week.
Bonus round:
Thanks to my friend Shannon who sent in her own on-the-street example.
Seen any good typos lately? Send them my way!
Bonus round:
Thanks to my friend Shannon who sent in her own on-the-street example.
Seen any good typos lately? Send them my way!
Preservation Society
I am a whiz at making pepper jelly and I love to can pickles. But I have to admit to some major messes. Example? Well there was the time I ruined my friend Julie's pots when we were making peach jam. That stuff tastes good when you do it right. Mess it up, though, and it is like burning charcoal that permanently adheres to anything it touches.
Food in Jars, by food blogger Marisa McClellan, comes to the rescue with recipes that make canning easy by focusing on small batches that don't intimidate. Adding unique ingredients also spices things up (so to speak) for those who've canned before.
Make the most of summer fruits with chapters dedicated to jams, jellies, marmalades, and chutneys. Or, if you have an overabundance of one particular plant like me, there is an entire chapter entirely dedicated to tomatoes. Just as an example.
With over 100 recipes, there's enough here to help anyone keep their bit of summer on a shelf ready to cheer up the colder days ahead.
Three to Get Ready
Time to start those annual Summer Reading Lists. Here are three biographical books that I promise will engage and intrigue you.
Love, Life, and Elephants
by Daphne Sheldrick
For over 50 years, Sheldrick has made it her life's work to advocate for elephants and other wildlife in Africa. She also happens to be the first person ever to raise an infant elephant by hand (the fats in the milk are the key to success, according to the author).
Sheldrick and her husband David, the warden at Tsavo National Park, worked tirelessly to develop the park into a haven for animals and an attraction for eco-tourists who want to learn more about the endangered animals of Kenya.
This is not, however, a preachy animal-rights book at all. Instead it showcases the author's love for elephants, including Eleanor, an pachyderm that Sheldrick has counted as a friend and companion for over 40 years. Funny and heartwarming, this is a book for any animal lover.
Prague Winter
by Madeleine Albright
Imagine discovering, at the age of 59, that your family history is not at all what you thought it was. Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright found out just how that feels when a Washington Post article uncovered her family's past, including the fact that many of her relatives died in the Holocaust.
That article pushed Albright to discover what her family truly went through in Czechoslovakia during WWII as Hitler marched through their country without a peep of dissent from the rest of the world.
Albright read through her parents diaries and letters (some excerpts are reprinted in the book), researched the towns and cities where she and her family members lived, and delved into historical documents, all to find out the truth about her family's place in her home country's terrible history.
Devil in the Grove
by Gilbert King
Before becoming one of the most well-known Supreme Court justices in history, Thurgood Marshall had an incredible career as a lawyer.
A small case blew up into a national event when Marshall decided to take on a crooked cop in small-town Florida.
Willis MacColl was the sheriff of Groveland, Fla., in 1949 when a white girl said that four black teenagers had raped her. MacColl led a group of lynchers who viciously murdered one of the teens and brought the other three to "justice."
Marshall took on the appeal and the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case against two of the teens who were on death row. The case turned deadly when both boys were shot on the way to court, one fatally. Marshall's family and friends begged him to drop the appeal after he himself received death threats and one of his own NAACP associates was murdered. But, as this gripping account details, Marshall was determined to get to the truth and to bring down the devil of a sheriff and his corrupt cronies.
Love, Life, and ElephantsFor over 50 years, Sheldrick has made it her life's work to advocate for elephants and other wildlife in Africa. She also happens to be the first person ever to raise an infant elephant by hand (the fats in the milk are the key to success, according to the author).
Sheldrick and her husband David, the warden at Tsavo National Park, worked tirelessly to develop the park into a haven for animals and an attraction for eco-tourists who want to learn more about the endangered animals of Kenya.
This is not, however, a preachy animal-rights book at all. Instead it showcases the author's love for elephants, including Eleanor, an pachyderm that Sheldrick has counted as a friend and companion for over 40 years. Funny and heartwarming, this is a book for any animal lover.
Prague WinterImagine discovering, at the age of 59, that your family history is not at all what you thought it was. Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright found out just how that feels when a Washington Post article uncovered her family's past, including the fact that many of her relatives died in the Holocaust.
That article pushed Albright to discover what her family truly went through in Czechoslovakia during WWII as Hitler marched through their country without a peep of dissent from the rest of the world.
Albright read through her parents diaries and letters (some excerpts are reprinted in the book), researched the towns and cities where she and her family members lived, and delved into historical documents, all to find out the truth about her family's place in her home country's terrible history.
Devil in the GroveBefore becoming one of the most well-known Supreme Court justices in history, Thurgood Marshall had an incredible career as a lawyer.
A small case blew up into a national event when Marshall decided to take on a crooked cop in small-town Florida.
Willis MacColl was the sheriff of Groveland, Fla., in 1949 when a white girl said that four black teenagers had raped her. MacColl led a group of lynchers who viciously murdered one of the teens and brought the other three to "justice."
Marshall took on the appeal and the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case against two of the teens who were on death row. The case turned deadly when both boys were shot on the way to court, one fatally. Marshall's family and friends begged him to drop the appeal after he himself received death threats and one of his own NAACP associates was murdered. But, as this gripping account details, Marshall was determined to get to the truth and to bring down the devil of a sheriff and his corrupt cronies.
The Murderous Month of May
According to Booklist, May is Mystery Month, but really any day of the year is the perfect time to read a mystery as far as I'm concerned.I'm often asked who my favorite authors are, and really it's impossible to nail down just one or two. So in celebration of this murderous month, I'll give you a list of my favorite mystery writers.
You may not be familiar with some of these names, but isn't that a good thing? There's nothing better than stumbling on a new series of fabulous books or an incredible new (to you) writer.
Feel free to send me your favorite mystery titles and authors, too. My reading stack is a little low.
Favorite Mystery Writers
Jussi Adler-Olsen
Hailing from Denmark, Adler-Olsen lightens the Nordic Noir genre with his world-weary detective Carl Morck, who feels like he's been put out to pasture in his new Department Q, featuring a team of just one detective (Carl) and one odd assistant.
Fiona Buckley
After a seven year hiatus, Buckley (aka Valerie Anand) has picked back up with her terrific Ursula Blanchard series. The Tudor-era detective in this case is a dead ringer for Queen Elizabeth I, a fact that makes her both a pawn and a tool for the Queen.
Ann Cleeves
Her Shetland series, featuring Detective Jimmy Perez, is engrossing and perfectly captures life on the remote Shetland islands. She has another great series that features DI Vera Stanhope. I'm diving into those books this summer.
Lindsey Davis
I'm completely in love with Marcus Didius Falco, the savvy, witty, and infuriating Roman detective that stars in Davis's 20-book series set in 70AD. I've hooked many a reader on this terrific group of books.
Dick Francis
Every single one of his 40-some mysteries involves horse racing in some fashion, and the books are always a quick read. But don't make the mistake of thinking they're shallow. There's a reason that I worked hard to put every single one of his books on my shelves.
Tana French
French's set of Irish detective novels has been heaped with awards, with good reason. They are gritty, stark, and utterly compelling. Start with Into the Woods, an absolutely incredible novel for any genre.
David Fulmer
Take the infamous New Orleans red-light district of Storyville, add the evocative time period when Jazz was just taking form, and then mix in Creole detective Valentin St. Cyr and a heaping helping of real-life crooked politicians and criminals and you have an intoxicating (and additive) brew.
Elizabeth George
I defy you to find a writer that is better at giving you fully developed and completely alive characters. I catch myself thinking of Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers as people who truly live in my world. George is one of the top writers of our era. Period.
Sue Grafton
Her alphabet series may have started out as a fun way to write a series, but the private detective Kinsey Milhone took mysteries to a whole new level. Is the series stale after so many books? Quite the opposite. I think the newest book (V for Vengeance) is one of the best in the group.
Arnaldur Indridason
Iceland is the perfect setting for crime, with a rugged and forbidding landscape as a backdrop to dark deeds. Detective Erlendur takes it one step further as a loner fighting his own personal demons.
Stieg Larsson
Unless you've been living under a rock, you don't need me to describe Larsson's trilogy to you. I'll just say: It's worth all the hype.
Peter Lovesey
You gotta love a curmudgeon and Peter Diamond, a detective in modern-day Bath, is a rumpled, grumpy, lovable guy with a nose for solving crimes.
Denise Mina
It's a man's world when it comes to detectives and police procedurals, and that's what makes Mina's DI Alex Morrow so amazing. Who else could solve mysteries and whip her squad into shape, all while pregnant with twins? A fabulous case of Tartan Noir.
Jo Nesbo
The king of Nordic Noir, Nesbo's detective Harry Hole is conflicted, afflicted, and addicted. If you like your mysteries dark and deep, this is the series for you.
Are You a Comma-holic?
First, let's address the elephant in the room. Yes, this is my first post in a few weeks. But I had jet lag. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.In the meantime, let's talk about more grammar goodness.
This week, the New York Times in its infinite wisdom (ahem) once again schooled us all in the proper use of commas. Scoff if you want, but there are too many instances of a poorly placed comma causing all sorts of confusion.
I like to refer to commas as the pause buttons in a sentence. You can, pause for effect, create drama with a well-placed comma.
If you would like to avoid comma karma, read on here.
A Horse of a Different Color
Time for more typo goodness. We had to take a photo of this menu, from a restaurant where we ate yesterday right outside the Pantheon in Rome. Can you find the typo that made us laugh the hardest? The thing about it is that they actually spelled the hardest part correctly. Ironically, this is how I pronounce the term so I can spell it.
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| Can you find the typo? Let me rephrase that...can you find the one that made me laugh? |
Eat Like a Roman
When one is going to Rome, what's the first thing most people say? Usually, it's some form of "ahhh, the food!"
And that's no mistake. The food here is incredible: fresh seafood, delicate pasta, light broths, intense sauces, and that amazing gelato.
Usually on Wednesdays I share some sort of food news with you. Today I'll just tantalize you with our meals. Last night, I had an odd coincidence happen. I found a dish on the menu that I had just read about in one of my books on ancient Rome. It was Strachetta, which consists of very thin slices of beef sauteed in olive oil and garlic, and served on a bed of bitter greens. Delizioso!
Here are some of the other meals we've had:
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| Antipasti + Prosecco |
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| My three-tomato soup and Matt's octopus salad - both with glasses of Frascati. |
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| Grilled tuna with fresh vegetables |
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| Handmade pasta filled with pumpkin, served in a light broth with vegetables. |
Independent Travel
The beautiful thing about books is that they can be found everywhere.
You know I'm a big fan of independent bookstores, like this one on the island of Capri. I supported it today with some purchases. Please shop your local store today, and often.
Ciao, Roma!
In preparing for a trip to Rome, it's almost impossible to narrow down the huge lists of books that can inspire, advise, and inform your trip. There are probably 10 specific periods in Rome's history that fascinate me, so the stack of books could be daunting.
But here are three that made my list, and inspired my trip. More books (especially about my favorite Roman time period) later this week.
Rome
by Robert Hughes
Robert Hughes gives us a very personal journey through Rome's history and culture. He skips a bit quickly through ancient Rome for my taste, but paints an incredible view of the Renaissance. As the former art critic for Time, that really shouldn't surprise, but to be fair Rome had an amazing diversity of artists, sculptors, composers, and architects who created stunning works during the Renaissance.
I used Hughes' book to find hidden gems like Villa Medici.
Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling
by Ross King
It's astonishing to realize that Michelangelo only received the commission to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel almost as a consolation prize. The project he most wanted was to sculpt the Pope's tomb, but instead he was convinced by Pope Julius II to paint his now-famous scenes. Michelangelo was not know for his paintings and he didn't have experience with frescoes. Add to that the cost to his health (and his pocketbook), and you can understand how the gorgeous ceiling became the bane of Michelangelo's existence.
Sprezzatura: 50 Ways that Italian Genius Shaped the World
by Peter D'Epiro
Sprezzatura means the art of effortless mastery, and after just a few days in Rome, it does seem as if the Italians mastered (or created) almost every form of art.
D'Epiro showcases 50 of the top Italian cultural achievements, from developing the calendar (twice) to the first orchestra, and from love poetry to logic. This is a sharp and humorous look at how the history of Italy has shaped the world's culture.
But here are three that made my list, and inspired my trip. More books (especially about my favorite Roman time period) later this week.
by Robert Hughes
Robert Hughes gives us a very personal journey through Rome's history and culture. He skips a bit quickly through ancient Rome for my taste, but paints an incredible view of the Renaissance. As the former art critic for Time, that really shouldn't surprise, but to be fair Rome had an amazing diversity of artists, sculptors, composers, and architects who created stunning works during the Renaissance.
I used Hughes' book to find hidden gems like Villa Medici.
Michelangelo and the Pope's CeilingIt's astonishing to realize that Michelangelo only received the commission to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel almost as a consolation prize. The project he most wanted was to sculpt the Pope's tomb, but instead he was convinced by Pope Julius II to paint his now-famous scenes. Michelangelo was not know for his paintings and he didn't have experience with frescoes. Add to that the cost to his health (and his pocketbook), and you can understand how the gorgeous ceiling became the bane of Michelangelo's existence.
Sprezzatura: 50 Ways that Italian Genius Shaped the World
by Peter D'Epiro
Sprezzatura means the art of effortless mastery, and after just a few days in Rome, it does seem as if the Italians mastered (or created) almost every form of art.
D'Epiro showcases 50 of the top Italian cultural achievements, from developing the calendar (twice) to the first orchestra, and from love poetry to logic. This is a sharp and humorous look at how the history of Italy has shaped the world's culture.
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