Sunday Notes on Monday 1/13/14

Was it cold enough for you this week? I got into my car and the thermometer read a brisk 6 degrees.  Brrrrrrrrrrrr.  Later, it did warm up to a balmy 16 and thankfully I had my puffer coat to keep me warm.  Truth be told I am more of a cold weather person anyway.  I don't mind layering up and I do like snow just not to drive in.

This week, I was on a staycation, which couldn’t have come at a better time. I needed some good old-fashioned R&R. I managed to read a couple of great books, which I’ll be sharing on the blog soon—so stay tuned!

If you’ve been following my blog, you know that every Sunday I play a little game with myself. The first section I turn to in the Washington Post is the Outlook section, which includes the book reviews. I flip to the last page to check out the Washington Bestseller list. This week’s list focused on paperbacks—it alternates between paperbacks and hardcovers. You can find my scoring system in the May 6th post. Sadly, I didn’t reach my goal this week, having read only two books on the list.

I found this week’s bestseller list a bit surprising. The top four spots were all romance novels—none of which I’ve read, and honestly, I’m not planning to add these particular titles to my list. That said, I’ll be blogging about a fun book that definitely falls into the romance category. It had a lively storyline, characters with a lot of chemistry, and a happy ending. Another Lifetime movie possibility, for sure. The book? Big Girl Panties. Keep an eye out for my post on that one.

One book I’m finishing up—and will be posting about soon—is The First Phone Call from Heaven by Mitch Albom. It’s made me wonder: what would I do if I received a phone call from a loved one who had passed away? I think I’d want to talk to my grandmother. Albom’s writing always gets me thinking. I’ve read Tuesdays with Morrie and The Five People You Meet in Heaven and enjoyed both. So, when I saw this one, I thought—why not?

Coming Wednesday, I’ll be sharing a book from my foodie series: The Cake Mix Doctor. I absolutely loved it. As the title suggests, each recipe starts with a cake mix—no surprise there—but the magic is in how the author transforms a boxed mix into something truly wondrous. It’s not just a cookbook; it’s part baking guide, part history lesson, and part science experiment. The author explains why cake mixes work (well, most of the time) and how to elevate them with simple additions. It’s a great read. And just a heads-up to my book club and wine club: I’ll be testing some of these recipes on you. You’re going to love them.


I did have a comment that someone who read my blog is reading the book Angela Merkel, The Authorized Biography, which I had talked about last week.  She just started the book and I hope she let's me know if it is worth reading.