adventures of an american housewife in the south of france

Super Sad True Book Club

The only thing super sad about this month's book club is that I didn't read the book, Super Sad True Love Story:  A Novel by Gary Shteyngart.  Jillian picked this book about a May-December romance set in futuristic NYC and I actually can't wait to read it at some point.  Everyone really enjoyed it, but between work, play and the fact that I'm working through a 900 page John Irving novel, I just didn't have time...

Southwestern Corn and Black Bean Salad

Last week we had our monthly Book Club meeting with an extra bonus celebration for Kate's Birthday.  We read The Glass Castle which is a raw and startling memoir about a family moving around the US living in poverty.  The author's parents were clearly mentally ill and the children were forced to fight for their own survival.  I've read a lot of memoirs in my day and this was one of the most interesting and eye...

Soup: A Mouthwatering Work of a Culinary Genius

Last night we had our first Paperbacks and Pinots Book Club of 2011.  We all gathered at Taylor's apartment to discuss Dave Eggers, A Heartbreaking Work of a Staggering Genius.  I had actually already read this book about two years ago, but I spent the last few days of my commute to Oakland browsing through the novel to refresh my memory.  I love this book mostly for its humor, but I also enjoy the fact that it...

Triple Threat Brownies

If you're like me and your Book Club is really more of a cooking competition, then you need to make these Triple Threat Brownies for your next meeting.  This is my second time making these brownies and, just like the first time, they were a crowd pleaser!  I came across this recipe last year through one of my favorite baking blogs, Buns in My Oven.  They are not hard to make, but they do take some time.  The...

The Girl Who Read the Trilogy

With our Book Club on hiatus, I needed some new books to fill my summer.  I traveled quite a bit and wanted some books that would be entertaining, but a little brainless.  The Stieg Larsson's Swedish Murder Mystery Trilogy that has been all the rage seemed to be the perfect fit. All in all, it was a very entertaining, smart series.  Here's a hint...Book 1 is a stand alone piece, although the character...

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