Books | M. Suzanne Terry

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Friday Five – The Residents Arrive

Posted in Books, Friday Five on August 21, 2015| Leave a Comment »

(Fridays mean the biggest cup for my coffee and the sweetest jazz for my speakers)

Life this week:

This week was move-in week for the majority of our residents. By the end of the day on Monday, I had worked 18 hours already. I thought yesterday was Friday until about noon, and I almost cried when I realized it wasn’t. But today – today IS Friday. And it’s a beautiful Friday. The sun is out, but it’s still cool from our “cold front” (which in Texas in August means mid- to upper 80s), and I just had a honey bun. No regrets.
I met with church folks a lot this week. We had book club where we discussed Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson on Tuesday. Then I joined the choir on Wednesday, which is a bonus to not having class on Wednesday nights. And Thursday was out outreach committee meeting. It’s been one of those weeks where everything happened.
Rest in peace, Julian Bond. Thank you for your legacy.
Oh, Hilary. That second video. My, how uneasy this makes me feel. This is going to be a really intense campaign for everyone.
I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS PIECE. I love optimistic late night. I like the satire as well, but authenticity charms me like nothing else.

How has your week been?

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Summer Reading Challenge – The Master List

Posted in Books on August 11, 2015| 2 Comments »

I am participating in Hood County Library’s Summer Reading Challenge, and I know that if I don’t make a plan, saying, “I’m participating,” is about as far as it will go. Even with a plan, this is a lot of books, some sections have two titles (because I couldn’t choose one), and it doesn’t include a couple of friends’ books I’m looking over this month, so odds are slim. I may have to extend it beyond September 28. But here’s the master list. You will know I’ve finished a book because there will be a hyperlink to it either directing you to my review (where there will be links to buy) or to a link to buy it somewhere.

Anyone want to join me? This is going to be fun.

Checked out from the library – More than half this list, actually. But for the purposes of the challenge, two Thursday Next books that are due soon –

Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde

The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde

From the FOL Bookstore – Not specifically from Hood’s Friends of the Library store but from Fort Worth’s. That’s close enough.

Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant by Jenni Ferrari-Adler

Set in Texas –

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

#WeNeedDiverseBooks – From what I can gather, this looks like a challenge for children’s books, but I’m gonna go ahead and read some for the grown ups.

How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez

Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Translated from another language –

Venerin Volos (Maidenhair) by Mikhail Shishkin

Collection of short stories –

Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? by Raymond Carver

Out of your comfort zone – Jesus, be a cocktail…

A Queer Thing Happened to America by Michael L. Brown

Set somewhere you’ve always wanted to visit – Argentina ❤

Long After Midnight at the Niño Bien by Brian Winter

You own but never have read –

Inés of my Soul by Isabel Allende

Award winner –

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Banned or challenged book –

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

Local Author –

Surrendering Oz by Bonnie Friedman

Recommended a book to a friend – This is supposed to be the freebie square on the bingo card, but I’m going to take the opportunity to finish two books that I’ve started, loved, recommended to others…and then never quite finished myself.

Jesus Feminist by Sarah Bessey

Quiet by Susan Cain

Author under 30 – at least, at the time of publication (she turns 30 this September)

The Tiger’s Wife by Téa Obreht

Turned into a movie – One I’ve been dragging my feet about…

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Graphic novel –

The Sculptor by Scott McCloud

Collection of poetry –

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Night Cycles by Beth Morey

Young adult book –

Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr

Memoir –

Unbearable Lightness by Portia de Rossi

Published the year you were born –

Ragtime by E. L. Doctorow

Re-read –

Why Girls are Weird by Pamela Ribon

Recommended by a friend –

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

Your choice of nonfiction –

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

From your childhood – Nancy Drew ❤

The Crooked Bannister by Carolyn Keene

You finish reading in a day –

Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit

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What I’m Into – July 2015

Posted in Books, Music, TV, What I'm Into on August 3, 2015| 4 Comments »

This is going to be short and sweet. I’m not that into July. Because OMG hot. I’m into July being over.

Y’all. Y’ALL. You know how much I love Nina Simone.

Well. WELL:

Here, there was originally a great video of Lauryn Hill singing Feelin’ Good on the Tonight Show, but it has been taken down. If you haven’t seen it, you’re going to want to Google it. If you have seen it, you know you’re going to want to Google it again.

God bless Lauryn Hill. I need that album. NEED.

(I will make real sentences soon.)

To watch (other than that video, of course):

My sister and I have been watching White Collar. I just love this show. My heart cannot accept that it was canceled.

I blame the charm of Neal Caffrey for my sudden need to watch old Robert Redford/Paul Newman movies (think The Sting and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid) this month.

To read:

My favorite thing I’ve read this month is Tiny, Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed. If I were to be an advice columnist, this is exactly the advice I would give. I have never agreed so fully and adamantly with pretty much everything someone said in a book as I did with this one.

To do:

It’s been a busy month, but I’ve been into the usual things – book clubs, supper club, random outings with friends. I did make time to enjoy this glorious thing:

It’s a cold brew from Harvest House with a little vanilla bourbon tucked inside. HAPPY.

And that’s pretty much been the month.

I’m linking up with Leigh Kramer – join us and tell us what you’re into!

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Summer Adult Reading Challenge

Posted in Books on July 25, 2015| Leave a Comment »

As a child, I always participated in library reading challenges during the summer. Imagine my nostalgic glee when a member of my book club posted this gem on from the Hood County Library’s Facebook page.

!!!

I’m going to do it. I mean, I probably won’t hand it in or anything, as I don’t live there, and I think local events should belong to the locals. But I’m going to do it.

Book number one? Long After Midnight at the Nino Bien by Brian Winter. This will satisfy the “set somewhere you’ve always wanted to visit” category, as it’s about learning tango in Argentina.

I’ll keep you posted about my progress (or the derailing thereof). Also, you know you want to join me. Do it!

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Vegan Ice Cream – A Review

Posted in Books, Vegan on July 17, 2015| 2 Comments »

Since I have become intolerant of the lactose, one of the things that I miss most is ice cream. Non-dairy ice cream is so expensive. What I used to spend on a gallon, I now spend on a pint.

No more. Enter Vegan Ice Cream: Over 90 Sinfully Delicious Dairy-Free Delights by Jeff Rogers.

On some level, I feel like I should have been able to figure out these things on my own. The general premise for all the recipes is the same: non-dairy milk + whatever you want to flavor it + a sweetener of some sort, chilled and then churned/frozen in an ice cream maker. In fact, once you figure that out, the recipes seem a little repetitive, but that’s the only criticism I really have, and I think it’s a minor one.

The introductory material was fantastic. He introduced all the ingredients he would be using and gave substitution options for those with taste preferences or allergies. He also gave a straightforward account of how to make coconut milk from both fresh and dried coconut (that was my favorite tip, because I don’t have time to mess with a real coconut).

The recipes are so easy. This is an especially excellent book for beginner ice-cream-makers (the people, not the machines), because it will teach them to learn proportions and how to recognize when the mixture is the right texture for each step of the process.

Now let’s get down to business. I made some of the recipes just like it says to make them, but I also played around with it. My favorite thing that the book did was build my confidence to experiment with the recipes. I also enjoy that, of all the recipes I tried, there wasn’t a dud. They’re all delicious, and you need them in your life.

You’ll have to get the book to get his recipes, but I’ll tell you some things I did. I tried the following recipes his way, but I also did a tweaked version. My four favorite recipes in this book:

1. Espresso (of course) – I made it with hazelnut milk. RECOMMENDED. It was like eating a hazelnut latte.

2. Pumpkin – I don’t really like the taste of cashews. I get why they’re featured in a lot of the recipes, though. Because of their unique texture, they’re the simplest to use to achieve the consistency ice cream needs. The simplicity doesn’t solve my taste issue, though. Except with the pumpkin. When I added the pumpkin and the pie spices, I couldn’t even taste the cashew. It was delicious. And the texture was indeed perfect.

3. Peach – Armed with peaches recently plucked from Mom and Dad’s trees, I used almond milk and Grade B maple syrup. It tasted like peach cobbler. Bliss.

4. Peppermint – Peppermint ice cream is my most favorite ice cream ever. It’s a marvel – it’s crisp and creamy at the same time. Because I believe that you just can’t mess it up, I went full-on rogue with this one. Coconut milk (homemade really is best, but use the full-fat version in the can if you must), pulverized candy canes, and one squeeze of agave nectar (a little dab will do). It was so good I am tearing up just at the memory. I froze it in popsicle molds. Happiness on a stick.

Basically, if you want the joy of ice cream without the dairy, you need this book.

FTC Disclaimer – I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

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Life-Changing Magic

Posted in Books, Getting It Together on July 9, 2015| 4 Comments »

I recently devoured Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing.

I have a dilemma.

I found the book useful. The method described – as the subtitle promises – makes decluttering and organizing feel like art. As a result, although I am merely one week into the process, my apartment is already reaping the benefits. My closet and my files (which previously looked like a rabid badger had a fit and then nested in them) are the neatest they’ve ever been. I did that! AND I WAS HAPPY TO DO IT! I am my mother’s daughter after all!

Incredible.

However, I don’t know whom to recommend it to, for parts of it are strange. In this culture, at least. For all I know, talking to your belongings is a perfectly sensible thing to do in other parts of the world.

Fortunately, strange is not a deterrent for me. I have a pretty large inner world, and there are some weird things in it. So really – what’s one more? Especially when the one more is one that is so helpful! I already say, “Hi, house,” when I come home and “Bye, house,” when I leave, so it’s not too much of a stretch to say, “Thank you,” to all the bags (23 and counting – and yes, you read that right. Twenty. Three. God bless Marie Kondo and her nutty ways.) that I am getting rid of.

Books are next, which is problematic, because the book section is offensive. Do I ask you to get rid of your children, Marie Kondo? This will be my greatest challenge yet. I mean, I already get rid of books when I read them and discover that they don’t really belong in my house; I feel that all books should get to be with people who love them. So maybe that’s why this section seemed like overkill to me. I already only keep the books that give me joy. They get to stay.

Kondo says that it’s not unusual for this process to take six months to a year, so I’m going to relax about not being done yet (it turns out I have a lot of crap).

I didn’t know my closet could give me joy. Discovering that is itself worth the price of the book.

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What I’m Into – June 2015

Posted in Books, Church, Dance, Food, Fun, What I'm Into on July 2, 2015| 4 Comments »

Every year, June tries to make me love summer. It doesn’t succeed, but it’s persistent in its effort. This summer it almost had me.

I mean – just look at it –

June, you gorgeous thing.

Of course, now the temperatures are climbing, and I’m in a constant state of being a snack for bugs, so any potential goodwill I had toward summer is now out the window. But June tried. Oh, it tried!

I started the month off at my parents’ farm. I originally planned the trip to help with their planters, but they had already finished the ones they are going to put out this year by the time I got there. So I helped them watch TV and eat a lot of food. I am very helpful in both those regards. It was such a relaxing week.

I saw two movies in the theater this month. Of course, I had to go see Pitch Perfect 2. It was pretty funny. Before I went to see it, my friend Kim said, “I just want to say two words – We Belong. Best part.” It really was. I laughed and laughed. I also went to see Spy. It was hilarious, but that’s not even the thing I liked most about it. When I read that Melissa McCarthy was cast as an agent, I expected the movie to make her out to be this bumbling, lovable character who succeeds despite her incompetence. But no. She kicked ass. They specifically cast someone who doesn’t fit the physical stereotype of the role and then make her awesome at it. Also, Jason Statham is adorable and funny. Favorite thing I’ve seen in a theater in a long time.

It has been a roller coaster of a news month. Between the police incident in McKinney and the shooting in Charleston and all consenting adults actually being able to marry the consenting adult of their choice in all 50 states and black churches burning…whew. I really have to get a computer at home again, because my poor little phone just can’t keep up. I’m going to write more about this tomorrow, but this month, I’m really into my church. The way they have brought these stories to the foreground of our discussions and have not shied away from the parts that make us uneasy and constantly ask what work we have to do – I just love it there.

Another wonderful thing that happened this month is a little cherub named Savvy turned three:

She started out pretty subdued at her party, but before long, she was a little burst of joy:

I just love that giggle.

I read so much this month. Most of the things I read has some sort of justice theme running through them, which seems fitting. My favorite novels were Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor (AMAZING end to this trilogy) and Peaches for Father Francis by Joanne Harris. I also bathed in the poetry of Nayyirah Waheed – Salt was my favorite collection.

My dad and I bond over The Chew, so I took a couple of Carla Hall’s cookbooks with me when I visited. I liked Cooking with Love, but I liked Carla’s Comfort Foods better. I blame her for my newfound obsession with tarragon (particularly in a lemon cream sauce). And if I ever meet her, I’m going to thank her for teaching me what no one else in my life has before – how to get perfect rice by baking it. Did any of you know how to do this and just not tell me? It’s so simple, and it makes so much sense (basically, bring water and rice to a boil and then cover it and put it in a 350-degree oven to steam). How have I lived this long and not known this?!

You can see more of what I’ve read this month (and this year, for that matter) at my Goodreads page.

My favorite thing about this June is that it has been infused with dance.

I read Twyla Tharp’s The Creative Habit, and seventeen pages of notes later, all these stories of dance have kicked my writing life back into gear. I am going to be processing it for a long time.

As always, I am loving So You Think You Can Dance. I haven’t made it through all the auditions yet, because I keep rewatching the ones I like. I get so excited for them when they get that ticket to Vegas!

And I don’t know if you heard me squealing with delight all the way from where you are, but Misty Copeland, one of my favorite dancers of all time, became the first black female principal dancer of the American Ballet Theater.

This June made a beautiful case for summer.

I’m linking up with Leigh Kramer – come join us and tell us what your June was like!

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Rhythms

Posted in Books, Writing on June 30, 2015| Leave a Comment »

I finished Twyla Tharp’s The Creative Habit this weekend. I took seventeen pages of notes, mostly on ideas and scenes for my current and budding works in progress. It’s one of the best books on creativity I’ve read in a long time.

One of the many nuggets of advice that stick out to me was Tharp’s admonition to “protect your inexperience.” She encourages artists – whether they be dancers, musicians, actors, writers, etc. – to rotate the categories of their art. This protects them from stagnation by challenging them to learn something new or practice a slightly different skill set.

This makes a lot of sense. I am more productive when I switch gears on a regular basis. To that end, I have reviewed my writing journals, and I discovered that my most productive months were those in which my daily schedule or the season changed and I allowed my writing schedule to change with it. I want to become more intentional about doing so.

My writing tasks generally divide themselves into four main categories: transition, beauty, intensity, and rest.

Transition

My transitions months are January, May, and October. During January, after a long break from work and looking forward to a new semester, I am energized and hopeful about the upcoming year. During May, I spend the first half of the month finalizing grades and closing down residence halls and the second half of the month starting summer conferences or taking a break. During October, I participate in 31 Days to help myself transition to the discipline of writing every day that I will need to churn out 50,000 words on a new project in November.

Transition months involve a lot of analysis and organization. These months lend themselves best to planning and outlining. I also tend to churn out a lot of essays and dive into projects during these months.

Beauty

In February, June, and December, I am obsessed with beauty. February usually brings our first snow, which I love. June is the month where summer tries to woo me – tries to convince me that this year, things will be different and that we will get along. December is magic; it’s Advent and anticipation and tradition.

I tend to write more descriptively, and I tend to write more poetry during these months. It’s no accident that these months come right after my transitional project/planning months. Once the planning is done or the project underway, I start looking for beauty in the results.

Intensity

April, July, and November are intense. November is NaNoWriMo, the time every year when I try to churn out 50,000 words on a new project. April and July are also intense writing months when I write every day on one or several current projects.

I average about 3,000 words a day when I’m in intense mode. This rate is not sustainable for me all year, but for a few months out of it, that is most of what I do. I am the most scarce on social media during these months (unless I’m procrastinating, and then you get a lot of cat pictures and quizzes about what kind of tree I must be), and most of the blog posts you see during these months are ones I’ve written ahead of time and scheduled.

Rest

March, August, and September are creative rest. March is the middle of the spring semester when my students (and okay – also their professor) get the -itis – summer is in sight, and their attention span shows it. August and September are the beginning of the school year. I am not only starting a new semester with my classes, but I am also welcoming hundreds of new freshmen to UNT. These are the months when my work life doesn’t leave a lot of time for the work of writing.

Rest is not a shutdown – there is actually a lot going on when we rest. We are restoring and rejuvenating to recoup from the past and prepare for the future. I do a lot of what Twyla Tharp calls “scratching” during this time. I take notes on things that inspire me, I listen to more music, and I read more books on creating (writing, cookbooks, how-to in general). My Pinterest boards blow up during this time. I do these things at other times as well, of course, but they seem to be my focus during the months when I’m resting.

Recognizing rhythms is freeing. As much as I know in my head that the “write every day” advice doesn’t work for me, I still often feel anxious during months when I’m not working on an unfinished manuscript. Recognizing that I get more done when I write according to what works for me relieves a lot of that anxiety.

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What I’m Into – May 2015

Posted in Books, Fun, What I'm Into, Work on May 31, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Well, hello! I am coming to you halfway through my decadent two weeks off from work. I’m actually sitting in the office now, but I am not above crawling under the desk if I see someone peer in.

(Just kidding, Housing. I’ll go see what they want and direct them accordingly.)

Unpopular opinion of the month: I’m totally into this rain. Yes, it has mosquito-ed up the joint, and it has been dangerous in places. It was actually flooding so much that my mom called the Thursday before Mother’s Day and said, “Don’t come home this weekend. We’re flooded in.” I do hate when my plans are thwarted, but I love the rain. I’m going to be sad to see it go, for it will be replaced by a heat that rivals the pit of Hell.

May is always a weird month.

The first part of the month is crazy – last two weeks of school, closing down the building, etc. Our hall won Hall of the Year. I’m so excited for them. They worked so hard; I’m glad it was recognized. I also won an award at the final staff meeting – Best Sarcasm. Heh. They know me well. We also decorated mason jars. Mine became a vase:

The last half of the month? Awesome and easy. We got everything filed away last week, trained for summer, and made the summer schedule. Then I got to hang out with some Story Sisters and drink wine with Michelle.

This week? Staycation. Happy. I have made four (four!) trips to the recycling bins. I feel very productive. Also, I have not gotten out of bed earlier than 9:00 any day this week.

I have read more than usual this month. My favorites were Wicked by Gregory Maguire (I know – it’s about time) and Citizen by Claudia Rankine (READ IT). Goodreads keeps reminding me that I’m 19 books behind schedule, but what Goodreads doesn’t know is that it’s summer now, and summer is my big reading season. Prepare to be amazed, Goodreads.

Well, I’m off for another week. I might peck out a post on my cell phone, but I make no promises.

I’m linking up with Leigh Kramer. Come tell us what you’re into!

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What I’m Into – April 2015

Posted in Books, Feast, Fun, Invitation, TV, What I'm Into on April 30, 2015| 2 Comments »

Grieving injustice. Fighting the patriarchy. Talking to the kids about issues, ideas, and intersectionality.

You know – the usual.

Another April down. That’s a relief. I gave it the good college try with the April Love Instagram challenge, but I have missed the last week or so. I sure do have a lot of pictures of blankets on my Instagram. My MeMaw would be so proud.

Words

It was a slow reading month but a good writing month. I finished the books for two of my three book clubs – Nora Webster and Unbroken – and I read Tara Owens’s Embracing the Body and Lauren Winner’s Mudhouse Sabbath. I enjoyed them all, especially the latter two. I wrote almost 35,000 words on Feast, which was not as many as I wanted, but I’m satisfied and still on schedule to finish in May!

Part of the reason that I wrote more slowly than planned is that I am at the stage of writing where I usually start getting better ideas for titles, which is to say that I’m having a lot more fun with it. What started as simply “Feast” has finally taken on its personality. I am currently sitting at “From Fret to Feast: Entertaining for the Socially Awkward.”

I’ve hosted a couple of people for my Invitation to the Table series, and I would love to host more. Submissions are still open!

Wellness

This week has been consumed with Nepal and Baltimore. There is so much &%^#%@ in the world. I am grieved and angry and anxious and restless, and so is my body. I need to find a way to engage and listen and process and still be able to sleep and keep food down. Haven’t done that very well this month.

Watching

The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Hilarious. And awful. But awesome. I’m not sure how I would feel about it if I had escaped from a cult myself. But I watched the whole season in one sitting.

I have also enjoyed the Felines of New York. As a fan of Humans of New York and cat pictures, I am surprised that I didn’t think of this first.

And last, but certainly not least, there’s this weird thing. I’m not saying that I would actually text a goat picture to someone. Nor am I suggesting that anyone else do such a ridiculous thing. But if I were to get a message with a goat picture and a caption that said something like “Have a goat day,” I would not be sad about it.

…

Please don’t text me goat pictures. It would be funny the first time (okay – the first ten times. I really do enjoy goats.). But I can see it going into overkill very quickly.

I’m linking up with Leigh Kramer. Join us and tell us what you are into this month!