Book 61: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

I really enjoyed listening to this audio book. It was beautifully recorded.



Sometimes the subtle exposition required by the epistolary style grated on my nerves a bit (as in when it was necessary to describe a gift that had been received--which surely the giver would have known all about), but overall, this was a lovely listen. It makes me want to go to Guernsey and stay in a cottage.

Book 18: Wolf Hall

Normally, say "trilogy" to me, and I'll run away screaming. But this book and the sequel both won the Man Booker Prize, so I gave it a try.



I didn't realize until almost an entire chapter in that the Thomas who was the main character was Thomas Cromwell, but then I was hooked.

This was an audio book and the reading was spectacular. The reader created many distinctive voices that were wonderful to listen to, and also helped me keep all the Thomases, Henrys, Anns and Catherines straight.

Book 70: The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry

I was actually looking for a different book by the same author when I came across this one, and I was initially skeptical. It seemed like another one of those "I did this for a year and then wrote a book about it" books. I decided to give it a try anyway, since I didn't have another audio book waiting in the wings.



I was pleasantly surprised. This was a delightful book.

The author enrolled in Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris and completed all three levels of cuisine. This is so far beyond my kind of cooking that it might as well be rocket surgery, but I had several epiphanies about my own cooking while listening.

There were some interesting and insightful life lessons learned along the way. I still want to read her other book, The Kitchen Counter Cooking School, which may really help me improve my cooking.

Book 19: Catherine the Great

I can't help but call this book Екатерина Великая in my head.



I really enjoyed it. There were all kinds of details and facts that I hadn't known before. I feel like I have a much clearer picture of both Europe and Russia during the 18th century. I can also see why so many of the iconic Russian authors wrote in the 19th century: the work of Catherine the Great prepared the way for them.

One of my favorite aspects of the book was the inclusion of many excerpts from her letters, both personal and professional. Robert J. Massie's writing is superb, too.