On the Blog
Reviews
This week was light (too light considering my backlog) on reviews. I posted only one. I really enjoyed this book and gave it 4 1/2 stars.
Review of Unspeakable by Chris Hedges
Other Bookish Posts
Top Ten Tuesday
This week’s Top Ten Tuesday was all about the Top Ten Books I’m looking forward to in 2017. There are so many amazing books coming out this year! It was hard to limit the list to ten. If I could add one more to this list, it would be Caraval by Stephanie Garber. It nearly made my list and after seeing it on so many other blogger’s lists, I know I MUST read this book.
$100 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway
I’m so excited to be offering an opportunity to win a $100 Amazon gift card to one lucky subscriber! Good luck to everyone who has entered and many thanks to those of you who have helped spread the word. The entry deadline is 12/26/2017 at 12:00am.
In Other News…
Book Club
The NYC Ladies Fine Dining and Fiction Group met on Friday evening at Narcissa to discuss The Paris Wife by Paula McClain.
I read this book several years ago and was very happy when one of our members picked it for our December read. I loved this book and it inspired me to read A Moveable Feast and Paris Without End: The True Story of Hemingway’s First Wife. We had a lively discussion about the book focusing on questions regarding whether or not Hemingway would have been as successful without Hadley as his wife. Several of us thought that he would not have been; that he was quite insecure and needed her as his rock and for the validation she provided. Others felt he was so talented and determined his success was almost guaranteed. Of course, we also discussed what a cad he was.
Narcissa proved to be an excellent venue, indeed. Our group eats at many-a-hyped NYC restaurant. We’ve been meeting for three years and I can count on one hand the restaurants I’d go back to. This was one of them. The service was impeccable at both the bar and the restaurant. The sommelier made an excellent suggestion at a very modest price point. I will admit I was skeptical when she suggested the Cab Franc from Jackalope Wine Cellars as I normally prefer my Cab Franc in a blend, but she nailed it!
And then there was the food… I shared the Narcissa’s salad and the beet salad with a friend as an appetizer. Both were pretty darn good, though I did find the dressing on the Narcissa’s salad to be a bit too acidic. The table shared the roasted cauliflower entree as an appetizer because the description looked so interesting. It did not disappoint. This restaurant knows how to work a vegetable! For my entree, I ordered the lacquered duck breast which was outstanding. Sadly, there was no room for dessert.
LACQUERED DUCK BREAST rhubarb, fava beans, ginger radishes
Narcissa Rating:
Note: If you read and enjoyed The Paris Wife, I highly recommend Georgia by Dawn Tripp.
BEA 2017
After a somewhat complicated application process, I was notified that my application for registration to BEA was accepted. While I am very, very happy that I’ll be able to attend this year’s Book Expo, I have mixed feelings about the application process.
There has been lots of discussion about the application process and I don’t want to beat a dead horse but…. One of my concerns is that we are asked to provide 2-3 professional references. As I was filling in the blanks with authors and publicists that were kind enough to support my attendance, it occurred to be that two of the three were people who I first connected with at BEA 2016. I was pretty new to blogging then and I’m not sure I would have been able to make those connections if not for my attending. I’m hoping the good folks at Book Expo will be taking this into account when new bloggers apply.
Thanks for reading!
The Paris Wife is on my tbr. Wish I could have been at your event to discuss it! (Or do I really mean to eat out in New York) – probably both 🙂
It’s a great book! I hope you love it. If only you didn’t live all the way across the pond… 🙁
Congrats on being accepted for BEA! That is a wonderful accomplishment. I was hoping to attend in 2018 when it is in Chicago, but with the more selective application process, I am not sure that I would be accepted. I look forward to hearing all about it when you attend 🙂
If I got in, you’ll get in… 🙂 I think they are just making sure that people have legit blogs and are trying to help the authors and publishers even if they don’t have crazy, amazing stats. I didn’t realize it was going to be held in Chicago again next year. For some reason, I thought it was a one-off last year. I loved Chicago and would be very happy to go back and try both restaurants I didn’t go to while I was there. Lol.
P.S. Flight to NY are short and cheap right now. I will pick can pick you up at the airport….
I guess I assumed that BEA alternated between NY and Chicago… maybe that’s not the case lol Chicago is within driving distance for me and I’m assume the lodging would be much cheaper? I’ve never been to NY and it intimidates me lol
I actually spent more per night on my hotel room in Chicago but I did choose to stay on-site. I think there were a few other options but I was intimidated by Chicago. Lol. (When I got accepted to BEA, they sent me a link with several hotels offering a good discount.) NYC is not much different. In some ways I think its easier to navigate but maybe that’s just because I’m used to it. Between Uber, Google maps, and the transit app, it’s not that hard to navigate. And don’t listen to what you hear about the people. It’s true we walk and talk to0 fast, but New Yorkers are very nice. And it’s very safe. Food options are basically the same. I would be very happy if it is in Chicago again next year!
I’d love to go at least once in my life! Hopefully everything pans out and I can attend in 2018 😊