I did exactly what I set out to do this summer of 2022. I also stopped doing stuff that wasn’t fulfilling.
Which means I pretty much did nothing except played tennis and enjoyed the pool with my family
I watered plants;
I spent a day with my New York bestie. We had caprese salad for lunch and being the news junkies we are, watched the Jan 6 Hearings as we munched
Leo & Me
Best of all, I finally bonded with Leo the feline while his owners, my son, Daniel and his partner, Adrienne, travelled all over the place.
The little prince even curled up next to me while I was working on my laptop. We’ve come a long way since his usual greeting of hissing at me!
Chef Joanna
Second best thing about this summer? I had time to cook up a storm. Not like last year.
Tried out a dozen different new recipes. The winner?
This turmeric-black pepper chicken with asparagus and corn.
It’s made with skinless, boneless chicken thighs tossed in powdered turmeric root, sautéed, then cooked in a honey mixture, with a teaspoon of soy sauce and squeeze of lime juice added at the end.
Close seconds? Lemony shrimp in white bean stew (below left) and one-pan roasted halibut with cherry tomatoes and shallots. The sherry vinegar and honey in which it roasts makes it perfect! The recipes are all available in the New York Times.
What Didn’t Get Done?
For one, I stopped reading articles and opinion pieces about the possibility of Trump getting indicted. Been there. Heard that so many times now, I’m not going to believe it, till it actually happens. Then, I’ll be pleasantly surprised!
Two, I stopped reading schlocky psychological thrillers. By that I mean those psychological thrillers that promise, in breathless prose, twists “you’ll never see coming,” and “so shocking it should come with a warning.”
Yes, psychological thrillers are the genre in which I write, and which I always enjoyed reading. However, I’ve been disappointed too many times now by thrillers not living up to their hype.
Not saying I can’t be persuaded to pick up a novel where its publisher says unequivocally: “I never saw anything like this in fiction before.” Which is the verdict on Katie Hafner’s debut novel, The Boys.
New Books Website
And, surprise! It’s actually true. The twist in this one is amazing. It comes in one sentence which I had to read three times for the reality of it to sink in. I’ll be reviewing it for a new books website, Shepherd.com. Its founder and editors invited me to submit five book recommendations in a category of my choice. I’ve chosen (no surprise) : The best contemporary suspense novels with jaw-dropping twists.
Check out the site here. I’ll keep you posted as to when my entry appears.
Happy Labor Day!
Those recipes look delicious!!!
And thanks for the recommendation – The Boys – I shall look that one up 🙂 This new website, is it a true competitor for Goodreads?
I guess we’ll have to see how the new website evolves. It’s different, that’s for sure. I think there’s probably room for both. And, yes, look up The Boys. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.