Read With Us: The Friend

Our summer Read With Us book is The Friend by Sigrid Nunez, winner of the 2018 National Book Award for Fiction. A quiet yet powerful meditation on grief, love, writing, and the unbreakable bond between humans and animals, this novel is sure to spark deep conversation and reflection.

What’s It About?

After the sudden death of her closest friend and mentor, an unnamed writer inherits his Great Dane—an enormous, grieving dog she’s not entirely sure she can care for. As she adjusts to this unexpected companionship, the narrator finds herself contemplating not only the nature of friendship and loss, but the meaning of writing, solitude, and emotional survival.

The Friend is spare, elegant, and emotionally resonant. It’s not your typical dog book—though fans of animal stories will appreciate it—but a literary exploration of the way we tether ourselves to others, and what happens when those ties are severed.

Why Read with Us?
This is a perfect book for discussion. It blends narrative with philosophical musings, literary references, and dark humor. Whether you’ve experienced loss, wrestled with loneliness, or simply love a story that digs below the surface, there’s something here for you.

Together, we’ll explore questions like:

• How do we grieve in silence, and how do we make meaning from absence?

• What role do animals play in helping us heal?

• Can a relationship endure even after one person is gone?

The hardcover, Kindle, and audio versions of the book are all available from my library without much of a wait. Hopefully, we'll all have plenty of time to place a hold, get the book, and read it. The Kindle and paperback versions are priced reasonably from Amazon and the audio version is narrated beautifully by Louisa Harland. I'm sure your local bookseller could order a copy for you if you're lucky enough to have a local bookseller.

Kym, Carole, and I will be talking about the book, giving additional information, and doing promotional posts through July. Discussion day for The Friend is scheduled for Tuesday, September 16, 2025 at 7:00 pm Eastern time, so mark your calendars. We'll ask questions on our blogs that day and then host the always fun, educational, and entertaining Zoom discussion.

We can’t wait to hear your thoughts on this unforgettable novel.

Grab a copy, find a quiet corner, and Read With Us!

Sometimes Monday ...

 ... is a good day to quit Duolingo. 

I actually stopped effective Friday after I had completed 365 days. I began this one year ago to try to "exercise" my brain in hopes that my cognition wouldn't slip too much as I age, but it's no longer fun. In fact, it's kind of stressful and I'm not sure I'm learning much of anything.  

The darn owl has been persistent in badgering me despite turning off all the reminders. Maybe someday he'll finally understand that I've broken up with him and leave me alone. Maybe someday I'll give Duolingo another try with a different language, but for now I'm enjoying Wordle more and that is certainly testing my brain.

 

 

I'm breathing a big sigh of relief and feeling quite free this morning; I hope you are also having a good Monday! 

What to Write About?

I seem to have run out of things to blog about, so today I am reduced to writing about that. Summer doldrums have hit before, usually in August when it's desperately hot and dry. This is just the beginning of July, but I think I have arrived in the doldrums. 

NOAA's picture of the doldrums. I thought it was kind of pretty

 

 

 

• I only know one definition of doldrums- a period of inactivity or stagnation, but did you know that the "doldrums" is also a nautical term? It refers to the belt around the Earth near the equator where sailing ships sometimes get stuck in windless waters. NOAA has a page about it if you're interested. It says sailing ships can be becalmed for several weeks, but I hope my period of doldrums is shorter. I am fairly sure that I will feel more like doing something when the heat and humidity abate (so maybe in September).

• Be careful how much you earn if you are receiving Social Security. John knew there was a limit as to how much he could earn as a consultant without a penalty, but someone's math was off and he made $144 too much last year. We just paid back Social Security over $6000 in overpayments, and this was an expense I hadn't budgeted for. I'd like to assure Elon that we are not responsible for any waste or fraud. 

• I've told you about two slightly negative things, so it's time for something more positive. John and Justin went to Alaska on a fishing trip and brought back 50 lbs. of salmon and halibut. I rarely make fish, but I have been enjoying it a lot. It's easy to do a few filets in the air fryer after seasoning them with salt, pepper, garlic, and paprika, and I'll probably like them even better once I get motivated enough to go to the grocery store and get some lemons. Fish and lots of garden vegetables make a dinner that I can prepare even if I'm stuck in the doldrums.  

• I am becoming impatient with Patience, a British show on PBS Masterpiece. I really enjoy the show, but only one episode is released each week. There are two more episodes to go, and I'm sure I'll be sad after I've watched them and there aren't any more. But I have also enjoyed Magpie Murders, Moonflower Murders, and Maryland while I wait for more episodes. What I'd really like is another season of Unforgotten, but maybe I'll just have to rewatch the first five seasons while I wait for the sixth season. I'd be glad for any suggestions you might have, and they can be about other things besides murder!

• It's amazing how quickly I can knit in my mind! I haven't yet reached the heel on the second rainbow sock and after I finish that pair I still have to knit the second sock of the blue and green striped pair. And yet, I've found myself wondering what other self-striping yarn I have in my stash. I just checked Ravelry and it looks like there are two skeins of watermelon yarn in my stash. All I have to do is leave the doldrums and go upstairs to my yarn closet and find them. It's certainly a relief to know that I'll be able to continue my sock knitting kick. 

• Here is a great summer salad recipe that I made for the first time this week. I made it pretty much according to the recipe, but I didn't have any hoisin sauce for dressing and I only added chicken to John's portion (because he has to have meat to call it dinner!) but I thought it was delicious. I like how the ramen noodles soak up the dressing and the mandarin oranges taste like a treat when all you want is a nice cold salad. 

It seems that I found a few things to write about even if none of it was of any real consequence. I wish you a lovely weekend and I'll leave you with a quote that I like:

There is no panacea, or utopia, there is just love and kindness and trying, amid the chaos, to make things better where we can. And to keep our minds wide, wide open in a world that often wants to close them.

 ~ Matt Haig, from Notes on a Nervous Planet ~

 

Unraveled Wednesday: 7/9/25

I'm joining Kat and the Unravelers with SiPs yet again. Kat is having some tests done and I'm sending her all the good juju, so while there isn't an official Unraveled linkup, Wednesday is the highlight of my blogging week, so I'm here with a sock and a start on the second. 

I took the photo about five minutes before a thunderous downpour started so the colors look a little off, but it's a rainbow so you get the idea.  

I only finished one book this week, but it was a good one. Finding Grace is a book with a really unique premise, told in an equally unique way. There’s a reason the publisher’s synopsis is a bit vague — and I’d recommend going in without reading detailed reviews or searching for spoilers. I began reading not knowing much, and I’d suggest the same to others. You’ll likely know by the end of the first chapter whether this one is for you.

This is a deeply felt character study that dives into grief, loss, obsession, and the weight of regret — especially how a bit of honesty at the right time could have prevented so much pain. The characters are what make the story shine. I loved how they surprised me — sometimes with their wisdom, sometimes with their staggering stupidity, but always in ways that felt fully human.

Finding Grace is an impressive debut. Though I didn’t like the ending much at all and subtracted a whole star because of it, I loved the rest of the book. I’ll definitely be watching for whatever Loretta Rothschild writes next.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. It was published on July 8, 2025. 

What are you making and reading this week?

Peas, Peas, Peas, & Beans

John left yesterday morning to get his truck fixed so I took the opportunity to get started on blanching all the peas and beans that we have picked this week. I have a system that works for me, and not surprisingly, it works much better without any extra "help" in the kitchen. 

First, fill the blancher with water and get the water boiling. Get your peas and beans out of the refrigerator and line them up next to the stove. This photo was taken after I had already done one bag of peas. 

Boil the peas for five minutes. Be sure to use any spare moments while waiting to read the book that you are really anxious to finish. In my case, it was Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild, but any book can be substituted. 

After five minutes, drain the peas and cool them down in an ice bath to stop the process. This takes a lot of ice because you are dumping boiling hot vegetables into your ice bath, so I just make ice in five or six plastic bowls when I know I'm going to be blanching.

Keep the process going while you fish the cooled peas out of the ice bath and put them in a colander to drain. 

 

 

Keep blanching, cooling, and draining and place the drained peas in labeled freezer bags.

 

 

Place all the bags of peas and beans to the freezer and lay them out in a single layer so they freeze better. Pro tip: Be sure to seal all the bags completely. It's surprising how quickly damp peas will freeze directly to the cold freezer surface if they are accidentally spilled out of an unsealed bag. A long-handled metal spoon works well to scrape them off. 

 

Dump out the remaining boiling water as soon as possible, wash all the pots and utensils used, put all the dish towels and pot holders in the laundry, and don't forget to pat yourself on the back for a job well done. 

 

I don't like blanching and freezing vegetables much, but future me loves to go to the basement and get out a pack of frozen vegetables to serve with dinner. Here's hoping you have something good for dinner tonight (we're having burgers on the grill and lots of fresh string beans) and a wonderful weekend.

 

 

Unraveled Wednesday: 7/2/25

I'm joining Kat and the Unravelers with SiPs, just a bit further along than last week. I finished one of the blue and green striped socks (except for kitchenering the toe), and the heel flap has been knit, the heel turned, and gusset stitches picked up on the rainbow sock. All that remains is knitting down the foot. (Oh, and knitting the second sock in each pair.) I'm not setting any speed records for knitting socks, but that's okay because I'm not even a contestant in the race. 

I read two books this week. Julie Chan Is Dead earned three stars — not because it’s perfect, but because it kept me company during a heat wave that turned my kitchen into a sauna (blanching and freezing snow peas in an 88-degree kitchen is no joke). Julie Chan Is Dead starts strong, with an intriguing if far-fetched setup and an engaging first half that held my attention. Zhang has a sharp sense of pacing and tone early on, and the premise felt fresh.

Unfortunately, once the story shifts to a private island, things begin to unravel. The plot veers into the ludicrous — not necessarily in a fun, campy way, but in a “wait, what is happening?” sort of way. The audiobook didn’t help matters either; Yu-Li Alice Shen narrates the entire book in a breathless, high-energy tone that might suit a thriller or action-packed drama, but here it just wore thin and made the more surreal or absurd elements (and there were plenty) feel even more exaggerated.

Still, despite its flaws, the book entertained me when I needed distraction most — and for that, it earns its stars. Recommended for an unhinged summer read when you're stuck inside and forced to boil vegetables (definitely a niche book)!

A Walk in the Park by Kevin Fedarko is a deeply immersive account of a truly epic and ill-advised journey across the length of the Grand Canyon—a hike so grueling and dangerous it’s rarely completed. Fedarko’s lyrical writing and obvious reverence for the Canyon make this a compelling read, especially for lovers of wild places and armchair adventurers.

That said, like the hike itself, the book went on a bit too long. The narrative sometimes loses momentum under the weight of Fedarko’s personal backstory. While his reflections help explain his fascination and obsession with the Canyon and his need to test himself against it, trimming some of those tangents might have allowed the central story to breathe more naturally and move at a better pace.

Still, this is a book packed with tension, awe, and hard-earned insight. Fedarko doesn’t shy away from the physical, mental, and emotional toll of the journey, and the lessons are clear: prepare obsessively, listen to those with more experience, and maybe, just maybe, don’t hike into the Grand Canyon unless you’re truly ready for what it asks of you.

A bit indulgent in places, but overall a gripping, humbling read about pushing limits—and learning how to judge when you’ve gone too far, hopefully before you die.

What are you making and reading this week? 

Sometimes Monday ...

... is a day to wonder what this might mean.

 

Justin was showing me some "cool quotes" he had saved on Instagram and this was one of them. I'm not exactly sure what it means, but I've found myself thinking about it a lot over the past couple of weeks. Sometimes I wake up wondering what it might mean, and other times it's the last thing I think about before I fall asleep. 

 

In order to stop thinking about it so much, I thought I'd ask, what do you think it might mean? It's a haunting quote and I'd like to have better understanding of it. 

 

Now if this is too much for a Monday morning, how about something a little simpler?

 

I'm well past midlife but I can definitely get behind knitting, birdwatching, and reading with cats! 

 

Thanks in advance, and I hope you have a good Monday!