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mercerislandbooks · 5 months

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Book Notes: Recipe for a Charmed Life

As I type these words, I’m watching the rain/snow come down out of a grey sky and thinking how good it is that so many different books exist. I can choose if I want to complement the day or season, or if I want something to take me away. I’ll have something for you cold-lovers soon, but for today, I’ve got the perfect read to immerse you in the smells of the kitchen and the beauty of the San Juan Islands: local author Rachel Linden’s latest novel, Recipe for a Charmed Life.

We begin in Paris, the city of Julia Child’s culinary heart, where American chef Georgia May Jackson is on the brink of getting the only thing she’s ever wanted: a restaurant of her own. But when a shocking betrayal causes Georgia to snap at the worst possible time, it appears as though she’ll lose everything. It’s at this moment that Georgia receives an email from her mother, a woman who left her family decades ago. "Come home," she says, "I have things to tell you about our family." Her mother’s made a home and life on San Juan Island, and Georgia decides to fly to the Pacific Northwest, take the ferry out to San Juan to regroup, and see if anything can be made of the tattered remnants of her restaurant dream. Because it’s not just Georgia’s lapse in professionalism that’s standing in her way; she’s also lost her ability to taste the nuance of flavor. And what’s a chef without her sense of taste?

Rachel’s writing is light of spirit and not lacking in depth. Georgia, and other characters, are at a moment where circumstances force both a reckoning and a reassessing. The things they’ve worked hard for might be nearly within their grasp, but is that still what they want? How have they changed in the pursuit of their goal? How can they make room for their dreams to change with them? What choices have been made out of fear or protectiveness or a misplaced sense of guilt that need to be faced? Anchoring all this self-discovery is the gorgeous depth of her descriptions, from all the delectable food Georgia makes (and eats) trying to recover her palate, to the picturesque San Juan farmhouse her mother lives in, surrounded by gardens and fields and… well, if you can’t take a trip to the San Juans in person, you can take yourself there in the pages of Recipe for a Charmed Life. The hint of magic Rachel sprinkles deftly throughout gives it a touch of wonder and whimsy. And for those of us who like some romance along with introspection, there’s a grumpy oyster farmer just down the way.

Join us Wednesday, January 31st at 6:30pm to celebrate Rachel Linden and Recipe for a Charmed Life. She’ll be in conversation with me, and knowing Rachel, she’ll bring some delicious treats along!

— Lori

#island books #lori robinson #rachel linden #recipe for a charmed life #book notes

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thereadingcafe · 5 months

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#Rachel Linden #Recipe for a Charmed Life #Fiction #Friendship #Contemporary Women #Review

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stacyalesi · 5 months

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Spotlight Review: RECIPE FOR A CHARMED LIFE by Rachel Linden

Spotlight #BookReview: RECIPE FOR A CHARMED LIFE by Rachel Linden, a wonderful read that is very well done, engaging, and even inspiring - plus a touch of magic! #RachelLinden @BerkleyPub @penguinrandom #foodiefiction #bookstagram #romance #magicalread

CLICK TO PURCHASE From the publisher: After a day of unrivaled disappointments, a promising young chef finds every bite of food suddenly tastes bitter. To save her career, she travels to the Pacific Northwest to reconnect with her estranged mom, and discovers a family legacy she never suspected in this delicious novel from the bestselling author of The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie. American chef…

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#Contemporary #Foodie Fiction #Magical Realism

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dkehoe · 5 months

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This Chick Read: Recipe For a Charmed Life by Rachel Linden

American Chef Georgia May Jackson is close to achieving her goal, running a restaurant in Paris. She’s on the cusp of success when it all falls apart during one very bad day. At the same time, she loses her sense of taste, everything tastes bitter. When her absentee mother reaches out from the West Coast and offers her a place to stay she jumps at the chance of getting to know her mom and somehow…

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#amazon #book review #book reviews #books #goodreads #Rachel Linden #reading #women&039;s fiction

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tessatalksbooksblog · 5 months

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Northwoods by Amy Pease #thriller | The Expectant Detective by Kat Ailses #mystery | Recipe for a Charmed Life by Rachel Linden #womensfiction

Thriller 💙 Northwoods by Amy Pease 💙 One-word review: Awareness-raising Emojis: 😕🫣😶 Rating: 4.25 🌟s My thoughts: Northwoods by Amy Pease is an illuminating crime thriller that authentically raises awareness of the troubling PTSD condition many soldiers face once they return to the US. The story is always compelling and fast-paced while showing the everyday challenges someone with this…

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larryland · 6 years

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by Roseann Cane

What do you get when you bring together a thoroughly brilliant cast of singing, dancing actors, a preternaturally gifted director, and a supremely inspired choreographer? You get a hit, a palpable musical theater hit, and if you want savor the recipe, you’d be well advised to reserve your tickets to The Royal Family of Broadway before the end of its run at the Barrington Stage Company on July 7th.

In 1927, George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber’s play, The Royal Family, a parody of the formidable Barrymore dynasty of actors, opened on Broadway to great success. The play especially skewered brother and sister John Barrymore (“Tony Cavendish”) and Ethel Barrymore (“Julie Cavendish”), and while John Barrymore was reported to find the play amusing, Ethel Barrymore let the press know that she was mightily offended.

Of course, in 1927, theatergoers were very familiar with the Barrymore clan, and much amused by Tony Cavendish’s drinking, womanizing, wildly narcissistic ways. Ethel Barrymore was known as a great actress who was also a beautiful femme fatale who would milk her curtain calls and extend applause by (famously) declaring, “That’s all there is—there isn’t any more!” Prima donna that she was, perhaps she thought that Julie Cavendish was beneath her, or she perhaps she lacked her brother’s self-awareness.

Though the play has seen many revivals, I think it’s fair to say that over the years, it’s become less of a parody and more of a comedy. Contemporary audiences are likely unaware of the Barrymore family (except perhaps for Drew), and I wondered if the musical adaptation would lose much of the bite the play had in its heyday.

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As it turns out, whether or not The Royal Family of Broadway lacks that bite doesn’t matter. The musical is lavishly entertaining, and the characters are very funny, familiar archetypes. Will Swenson is a delicious Tony, all swagger and self-importance. His perfectly executed acrobatics, along with his histrionic machismo, also pay homage to Douglas Fairbanks and Errol Flynn. As Julie, Laura Michelle Kelly is a beautiful, graceful firecracker, confident in her craft, conflicted about her love life. Her singing voice is astonishing in its range and depth, and how I wish she (along with the rest of the cast) hadn’t been mic’d. The amplification in the Boyd-Quinson Mainstage is far too, well, amplified, and as a result I braced myself each time the excellent orchestra began to play, because the force of the sound was ear-splittingly painful. It also affected the dialogue, making the transition from song to speech jarring and difficult to adjust to.

As matriarch Fanny, Harriet Harris is elegant and dignified, with a wicked sense of humor. Alan H. Green, as Julie’s love interest, Gil, has a rich, burnished voice and stellar stage presence. Chip Zien’s Oscar is warm, charming and poignant. Hayley Podschun’s Gwen somehow manages to be at once gossamer and steely, and Arnie Butler and Kathryn Fitzgerald are delightfully silly as Bert and Kitty Dean. A.J. Shively’s Perry shows himself as a delightful surprise–after maintaining an appropriately buttoned-up persona, he reveals some exceptionally good singing and dancing.

And oh, the singing and dancing! The energy of the entire ensemble, which included people of varying ages, shapes, and sizes, would be dizzying if it weren’t so good. Joshua Bergasse’s choreography, and Vadim Feichtner’s musical direction and dance arrangements were original yet evocative, and stunningly executed. Alexander Dodge’s scenic design was a feast for the eyes, as were Alejo Vietti’s glorious costumes.

Rachel Sheinkin (book) and William Finn (music and lyrics) have created a living, breathing play about 1927 show business, and that they and Richard Greenberg have embellished and fortified an important piece of theater history is no small feat. While I would have preferred not to hear a few bits of contemporary vernacular (for example, a song titled “Too Much Drama In My Life,” as well as a line of dialogue, “She keeps me real”), that’s a minor complaint, considering the spectacular whole of this play.

Barrington Stage Company presents The Royal Family of Broadway on the Boyd-Quinson Mainstage from June 7-July 7, 2018. Book by Rachel Sheinkin; music and lyrics by William Finn; based on the original play by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber and an original adaptation by Richard Greenberg. Directed John Rando; choreographed by Joshua Bergasse; musical direction/dance arrangements by Vadim Feichtner; scenic design by Alexander Dodge; costume design by Alejo Vietti; lighting design by Jeff Croiter; sound design by Joshua D. Reid; wig design by Mary Schilling-Martin; production stage manager Renee Lutz.

CAST: Harriet Harris as Fanny Cavendish; Laura Michell Kelly as Julie Cavendish; Hayley Podshun as Gwen Cavendish; A. J. Shively as Perry Stewart; Alan H. Green as Gilbert Marshall; Holly Ann Butler as Della; Arnie Butler as Herbert (Bert) Dean; Kathryn Fitzherald as Kitty Dean; Chip Zien as Oscar Wolfe; Will Swenson as Tony Cavendish; with Michelle E, Carter, Tim Fuchs, Tyler Johnson-Campion, Lindsay Kraft, Sam Paley, Tyler Roberts, Patrick Sharpe, Westley Strausman, Chiara Trentalange, Jack Vacante, and Noah Virgile.

Performances: Tuesday and Wednesday at 7:00pm, Thursday through Saturday at 8:00pm, Wednesday and Friday at 2:00pm, and Sunday at 5:00pm. Opening night June 13 at 7:00pm. Boyd-Quinson Mainstage (30 Union Street). Tickets: $15 – $75. Barrington Stage Box Office: (413) 236-8888 or online at www.barringtonstageco.org.

Playwright Speaks Series: Writing a Broadway Musical with William Finn and Rachel Sheinkin. Friday, June 15 at 4:00pm at the St. Germain Stage at at the Sydelle and Lee Blatt Performing Arts Center (36 Linden Street). FREE.

REVIEW: “The Royal Family of Broadway” at Barrington Stage by Roseann Cane What do you get when you bring together a thoroughly brilliant cast of singing, dancing actors, a preternaturally gifted director, and a supremely inspired choreographer?

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mercerislandbooks · 9 months

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A Double Dose of 50 Years of Island Books: Rachel Linden / Martha Brockenbrough

Rachel Linden is a novelist and international aid worker whose adventures in over fifty countries around the world provide excellent grist for her writing. She is the author of The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie, The Enlightenment of Bees, Becoming the Talbot Sisters, and Ascension of Larks. Currently Rachel lives with her family on a sweet little island near Seattle, WA where she enjoys creating stories about strong women facing big challenges, travel, food, and second chances at love. She promises her readers a happy, or at least very hopeful, ending and infuses each of her stories with a touch of magical realism. Her newest novel, Recipe for a Charmed Life, comes out in early 2024.

Miriam: Welcome, Rachel. Let's start with your first visit to Island Books. Where were you in your career then, and what stood out about the store?

Rachel: When I think of Island Books, I feel I can sum it up best in the word "inviting". I first visited Island Books when my second novel, Becoming the Talbot Sisters, was about to release. If I remember correctly, I came bearing homemade cookies my husband and son had made, and an advanced reader copy of my new book. I was hoping to meet some of the staff and see if they'd be interested in stocking my book. I was instantly charmed by the special Island Books vibe. I love independent bookstores and feel so fortunate that we have so many in our area. Island Books has always been one of my very favorites because of the wonderful, friendly and knowledgeable staff (with fabulous owner Laurie at the helm), the inviting places to sit and stay awhile, and such an excellent and extensive selection of books. They were so warm and welcoming to me on my first visit, and I continue to greatly enjoy and appreciate their enthusiastic support and care for local authors like me! I love every chance I get to be at Island Books because I always feel so welcomed. It's an inviting, enjoyable space with true book lovers, and for a bookworm like me, that's basically my definition of paradise!

Miriam: Rachel, you can't drop a teaser about bringing cookies to Island Books and not share the specific recipe. When many of us think of you, we think, foodie book club, mmmm.....Will you share which cookies you brought to that first event here on the blog? We can make them official "Rachel-Linden's-Take-a-Trip-to-Island-Books cookies" or something.

Rachel: Absolutely! I can't remember exactly which cookies I brought the first time I visited Island Books, to be honest! But here's a recipe for some amazing lemon bars that I know I brought along with an advanced reader copy of The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie! These delicious lemon bars are super easy and super yummy! I enjoy this recipe from one of my favorite baking sites, Sally's Baking Addiction! I amended it slightly, but mostly it is her recipe.

Rachel-Linden's-Take-a-Trip-to-Island-Books-Luscious-Lemon-Bars

Ingredients

SHORTBREAD CRUST

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

optional: you can add a bit of the zest of the lemon to the crust for added lemon flavor

LEMON FILLING

2 cups granulated sugar

6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

6 large eggs

1 cup lemon juice (about 4-5 large lemons)

powdered sugar for dusting over the top of the bars when cooked and cooled

optional: add a bit of the zest of the lemon to the filling for an added kick of lemony flavor

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 325°F. Carefully line the bottom and sides of a 9×13 glass baking pan (do not use metal for these bars) with parchment paper, leaving the paper hanging over the sides so you can easily lift the finished bars out. This is an important step and makes cutting the bars much easier!).

Make the crust: Mix the melted butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt together in a large bowl. Add the flour and stir to completely combine. The dough will be quite thick. Press firmly into your prepared pan, making sure the layer of crust is nice and even with no holes. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until you see the edges of the crust are lightly browned. Remove from the oven. Using a fork, poke holes all over the top of the warm crust (careful not to poke all the way through the crust). This helps the filling stick and holds the crust in place. Set crust aside.

Make the filling: Sift the sugar and flour together in a large bowl. Whisk in the eggs, and then add the lemon juice (and zest if using) and stir until completely combined.

Pour filling over the warm crust. Bake the bars for 22-26 minutes or until the center is relatively set and no longer jiggles. (You can give the pan a light tap with an oven mitt to test that the filling is set.) Remove bars from the oven and cool completely at room temperature. It is recomemnded to cool them for about 2 hours at room temperature, then stick in the refrigerator for 1-2 more hours until fairly chilled.

Once cool, lift the parchment paper out of the pan using the overhang on the sides. Dust the bars with confectioners’ sugar and cut into squares before serving. Enjoy!

Miriam: Thank you! Okay, one last question, now that I'm thinking about The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie. One of the big messages in that book is that instead of looking backward, we should make the best of things and focus on the road ahead. With that theme in mind, as we head toward our store's 50th anniversary, what do you think the road ahead looks like for indie bookstores?

Rachel: Looking forward, I believe indie bookstores will continue to thrive because of the amazing connections they provide between people and great stories. In an increasingly digital world, to walk into an independent bookstore, talk to smart, book loving booksellers, and walk out with amazing stories in our hands...that personal experience cannot be replaced. For authors, independent bookstores offer wonderful opportunities for us to make personal connections with book lovers—both bookselling professionals and readers. I think Island Books does this so beautifully, and what they offer will continue to be valued by readers and authors alike.

Miriam: Thanks so much for stopping by our blog, Rachel. We always love hearing from you.

To our community—if you make Rachel's Lemon Bars, send us a picture! In the next installment of Island Books, I'll be talking to...

50 Years of Island Books: Martha Brockenbrough

Martha Brockenbrough (rhymes with broken toe) is the author of Frank and the Masked Cat and more than twenty books for young readers, including YA fiction and nonfiction, picture books, a middle grade mystery, and a chapter book series. Her next nonfiction book for teens, Future Tense, will hit shelves in 2024.

A faculty member at Vermont College of Fine Arts, she's also the founder of National Grammar Day (every March 4), and she's written game questions for Cranium and Trivial Pursuit.

The former editor of MSN.com, Martha has interviewed lots of celebrities, including the Jonas Brothers and Slash. Her work has been published in a variety of places, including The New York Times. She also wrote an educational humor column for the online encyclopedia Encarta for nine years.

She lives in Seattle with her family. Her favorite kind of food is Indian, although Thai runs a close second. Besides writing, she likes dogs, cats, cooking, weight-lifting, and laughing.

Miriam: I'm so excited to have you here, Martha, especially because my 10-year-old twins LOVED To Catch a Thief and we are big fans of yours. Let's start with your first visit to Island Books. Where were you in your career then, and what stood out about the store?

Martha: That makes my day! The book is set in a slightly distressed Seabrook—if you ever go, the kids will recognize some of the sights!

Meanwhile, I can’t even remember the first time I went into Island Books. I’m a Bellevue native and only a few years older than the store. So let’s just say I have no memories of life without Island Books. As an author, though, I think one of the first events I attended was for the wonderful Jennifer Longo debut novel, Six Feet Over It, inspired in part by her life growing up at a cemetery. My first event with Island Books was a King County Library fundraiser—Garth Nix and I were in conversation with each other. I really love his writing and it was so much fun learning more about how he thinks about storytelling.

I led here with the people, because in truth the writing and reading life isn’t lived only on the page. I love Laurie (and we share appreciation for a good Old Fashioned). I’ve known Lillian and Caitlin for years and through other stores, and I so appreciate people who make a life out of literature. The store itself is an absolute treat. It’s exquisitely edited and I find something I didn’t know I needed every time I go in. It’s also a place I love to shop for gifts, and not just books—the whole store is full of beautiful and joyful objects.

Miriam: We've been to Seabrook and yes they did recognize the sights, funny you mention that. I think that's half the fun of reading local authors who write about the Pacific Northwest! These are great memories, and for us it's all about the people too, so we love that. Tell me, I know we've offered special pre-orders of signed copies of your books over the years. Do you have any special memories of signing in the store?

Martha: Coming to Island Books is like a visit with old friends. Seeing Lillian and Caitlin at Island Books gathers all of those fond memories from other stores in one place—and it’s a testament to the deep knowledge that the stores booksellers have. They are in this work for life. I was a reader first, and truly I always will be. So to have my reader heart in such good hands means the world to me.

Miriam: Thanks, Martha. We're so grateful for to have you and your books in our lives too.

To our Island Books community: In the next 50 Years of Island Books installment, I’ll be talking to author Elise Hooper about how she crashed a staff party the first time she visited our store, and why her underdog stories have a special appeal at Island Books.

—Miriam

#miriam landis #island books #Rachel linden #the enlightenment of bees #lemon bar recipe #lemon bars #The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie #Martha Brockenbrough #Frank and the Masked Cat #50 years of island books

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