Intro to Reading Challenge

Last December I came upon a blog post suggesting a list of NYPL books for the 2017 "Read Harder Challenge". Interesting enough, the original list of categories were sourced from Book Riot, the NYPL blog simply provided some book ideas to fit those categories. If you finish the challenge, you will have 24 very interesting books from different categories / perspectives to talk about.

While I set reading goals in general (something simple like at least 1 book a month of maybe total of 10-15 books a year) and use goodreads (website and mobile app) to track book recommendations and progress, I don't recall ever consciously trying to vary the types of books I read in any given year. So why not start with this challenge? I've also sent around the challenge to friends who suggested some books they've read. I've included them later in the post.

For 2017, I will work through this list and aim for a monthly or every-2-months update on what's going on. I've also been reviewing my local bookstore's book club suggestions for ideas.

What are some of your reading goals (if any?) Feel free to add more books to the comments.

2017 Reading Challenge

2017 Reading Challenge

1. Read a book about sports.
2. Read a debut novel.
3. Read a book about books.
4. Read a book set in Central or South America, written by a Central or South American author.
5. Read a book by an immigrant or with a central immigration narrative.
   Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbne. This was a tough book to read at times because it was set in the same time period as the financial crisis/fall of Lehman. The main characters are from Camaroon trying to make themselves a new life and family in the USA. The end of the book made me wonder whether it was supposed to be hopeful (the family was able to cash in on their money/earnings and start at a higher income level in Camaroon) or bleak (they were not able to make it in the US due to immigration policies)
6. Read an all-ages comic.
7. Read a book published between 1900 and 1950.
8. Read a travel memoir.
9. Read a book you’ve read before.
10. Read a book that is set within 100 miles of your location.
11. Read a book that is set more than 5000 miles from your location.
    No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai (Japan >6000 miles away from NY). I actually read this book because I'm currently watching an anime series called Bungo Stray Dogs that features Japanese literary personalities re-imagined as young men/women in a detective agency. One of the main characters is based on Osamu and his special ability (nullify other people's special abilities) is called "No Longer Human". Some of his crazy antics in the anime actually fit the main character from this book to a T.
12. Read a fantasy novel.
    Golden Son (Red Rising book 2 of 3) by Pierce Brown. I also intend to finish the trilogy this year but wanted to take a quick break for some other books.
13. Read a nonfiction book about technology.
14. Read a book about war.
15. Read a YA or middle grade novel by an author who identifies as LGBTQ+.
16. Read a book that has been banned or frequently challenged in your country.
17. Read a classic by an author of color.
18. Read a superhero comic with a female lead.
19. Read a book in which a character of color goes on a spiritual journey
20. Read an LGBTQ+ romance novel
    I started Guapa by Saleem Haddad but didn't get a chance to finish. Will try to pick it up again since it had a strong start.
21. Read a book published by a micropress.
22. Read a collection of stories by a woman.
23. Read a collection of poetry in translation on a theme other than love.
24. Read a book wherein all point-of-view characters are people of color. (From Jacqueline Koyanagi, author of sci-fi novel Ascension)
    Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates. This book has such poetry, love, and anger that I do highly recommend it to everyone. It is written from the perspective of a father to his teenage son and chronicles various injustices around the US.
    
    Bonus:
    Some other categories I'd like to explore are
25. Read a book about music (can be a musician/composer/rock star/instrumentalist/music period, etc)
26. Read a book in Chinese (can be fiction or nonfic)
27. Read a book related to mindfulness

This list will be updated throughout the year and may or may not be finished by end of 2017. For more background / context, please read my post on the intro https://azuleteats.blogspot.com/2017/01/intro-to-reading-challenge.html

Spring DC Trip Write-Up

Food

• Georgetown Cafe Bonaparte // crab artichoke egg Benedict, moulin rough crepe
• DuPont St Arnold's // mussels (eastern shore seasoning which includes old bay, house seasoning which has duck fat and beer)
• Dolcezza sorbet / gelato // - grapefruit, coconut, mascarpone berry, sesame, blood orange
• Adams Morgan Meskerem Ethiopian food // lamb, beef
• Dangerously delicious pies // chicken pot pie, smog (steak, mushroom, onion, gruyere), strawberry and rhubarb
• Cafe Mozart (right behind the deli) - potato pancakes, beef goulash

Fun

• Georgetown water front http://www.georgetownwaterfrontpark.org/
• National zoo giant pandas (see pics on previous blog entry)
• Post Museum Pacific Exchange http://www.postalmuseum.si.edu/pacificexchange/index.html
• Cherry blossoms 
  

Books read on train

• Bartleby – Herman Melville (full text).
• Ocean at the end of the lane - Neil Gaiman (author’s page)
• If Beale St Could Talk – James Baldwin (wiki)
  

NYC Welcome Corner

I love bookstores with their themed tables, display corners, and books with handwritten “recommended by staff” notes. I also enjoy well-curated tourist info booths, B&Bs, and coffee shops with guest books. When I started to organize things around the apt today, I thought it would be fun to construct my own welcome corner for visitors and friends. Detailed descriptions after the jump.

Tech Review–eBook Apps and Readers

Half a year ago I wrote about the various new gadgets I’ve added to my life: kindle, ipad, and htc incredible smartphone [relevant entries near end]. A lot has happened since then, in technology and in my personal/work life. For one, I have my regular commute back, and it involves a lot of reading, sometimes paper, sometimes electronic.

This past Christmas I was also surprised to find out that many of my friends had gotten into the ebook trend. I knew it was going to be more accepted but didn’t realize just how quickly everything moves! I’ve reviewed a bunch of the more common ebook applications below, mostly focusing on the user experience.

eBook Apps on HTC Incredible (all from google android market):

1. nook [best display and web friendly]:
1. display: 5 font sizes, 4 colors for background (gotta love the one named “butter”), half a dozen or more fonts to pick from, brightness setting, margin settings, line spacing etc.
2. app home page: I really like the “reading now” button, which takes you straight to wherever you left off. “All Settings” button has most of the display related stuff.
3. in-book menu: very cluttered. kindle has all display related settings in one button. nook has 3 (font, brightness, all settings which has more). lookup works fine, includes search in dictionary/google/wiki.
4. shop/store: store front not quite as good as amazon but does its job. after you download sample you have to manually return to your library section to read it. amazon has one button from the store that takes you straight to the book you just bought.
5. web ebooks: project Gutenberg worked the best with nook on my phone. I’m talking about going to the site with my phone’s browser, then downloading the specific ebook file into my nook drive. Then I open up my nook app and there is it! it was more difficult with kindle and google books.
2. kindle [best store]:
1. display: 5 font sizes, 3 colors for background, and brightness settings. no option for different fonts
2. app home page: just shows a list of books, no menus unless you press menu button on phone.
3. in-book menu: relatively simple. you can look up words in dictionary and wiki.
4. shop/store: one click from menu takes you to kindle store and one click to buy/read. has a section for free classics.
5. web ebooks: project Gutenberg works with kindle but for some reason from the phone, it was a more tedious effort.
3. google books [app can use more tweaks]:
1. display: 3 font sizes, a few font choices, line spacing, only black and white color background options (what? no sepia? what a crime!), brightness.
2. app home page: similar to kindle, just a list of books
3. in-book menu: no lookup, highlights, or notes. I don’t personally used those functions that much, but nook and kindle both have them, so it seems strange that google doesn’t.
4. shop/store: simple to use.
5. web ebooks: I’ve tried but it’s not as smooth process.

eBook Apps on Ipad [need to update once I get the ipad in front of me, may even separate out the entries]:

1. iBook: best on ipad. beautiful page scrolls, display, and web integration with project Gutenberg. i.e. you literately click on a book’s link on there, and it gives you the option to open up with iBook. too bad you can’t seem to do that with the other readers. and since I can’t look into folder drives on Ipad, I can’t use the save in drive approach either that I’ve done with my phone. Not sure if iBook will have apps on multiple devices. While the iPad app is great, if you can’t transfer it to your phone to finish reading your novel, what’s the point? Clearly I just need to get an iphone...
2. nook: close second. display is fantastic and I find it dazzling the amount of display customization/settings built in. a lot more than just sepia and butter. I love earl grey setting (gray). you can really pick any color of the rainbow though, but why would you want lime green as a background color?
3. kindle: sleek enough to compete with iBook, especially since you can use it to sync to your kindle on phone and your kindle reader. When I first played with the Ipad I thought it was clever for Amazon to make this app. At the end of the day, books are usually cheaper on kindle, and the storefront is much better than iBook’s.
4. google books: I honestly can’t remember this one. Need to get in front of an ipad…

Kindle Reader:
As far as I’m concerned, I don’t see too much kindle use in my future. NYTimes app on both the ipad and incredible are amazing. I can read and get most books on the kindle app on phone or ipad. Now I’m starting to see why people all got the Nook this past Christmas. When the price for a book is the same on both, and Nook has some “share” '[lend me link] capabilities for selected books, of course people want the more colorful and more sharing friendly reader! update: of course, as I’m looking up more info on nook to include in this entry, I find out they’ve started to allow "lending” on kindle as well. [amazon lending link] Well, the nook already has an advantage of being colorful though, although I’ve never actually used one, just the various nook apps.

Further Comments:
You may be wondering if I’ve actually managed to finish any books in the eBook format, and that is actually a “yes”. I’ve finished books on the ipad, the kindle, and even on my phone (not 1000+ paged book, but still, 300 is substantial). Maybe that’s why I pay so much attention to display settings on all of the applications. If the reader can’t customize the reading environment (font, margins, line spacing, colors), it will make the experience just more difficult. I also think syncing is a must, especially in New York. As much as I love the iPad, I don’t feel safe with it on the trains/subways. And as light as the kindle is, it’s still one extra thing to carry with me. I can just as easily read on my phone. No bookmarks required!

So put on some music, and enjoy reading some eBooks!

kindle: http://azuleteats.blogspot.com/2010/05/tech-review-kindle.html
ipad: http://azuleteats.blogspot.com/2010/05/tech-review-ipad.html
htc incredible: http://azuleteats.blogspot.com/2010/05/tech-review-htc-incredible.html

Tech Review - Kindle

In the past few months I’ve had some experience with rather leading technology and tools. I wanted to share some of my thoughts.

Kindle

bottom line: e-book reader that is easy on the eyes

pros:

Easy to use. Good battery life. Buying a book takes 1 click and a few seconds to download. (no more trips to the bookstore or shipping&handling charges!) Prices very reasonable. Mimics the book experience since it looks like printed word on paper. Font size is easy to adjust. No need to setup wi-fi or internet connection or anything. Awesome function to look up unfamiliar word in dictionary. Light weight.

cons:

No frills besides e-book function. In today’s market, everyone wants multi-tasking tools. Although Kindle has beta music and internet capability, they are very limited. i.e. music doesn’t do playlist and internet doesn’t work with every website, etc.

notes:

I subscribed to the New York Times and bought a few books (free and regular priced). Since the newspaper is organized nicely (by category, headline, etc), I actually read through all of the Sunday Times from front to back successfully. No ads either! can I go back to not having a kindle? I actually use the local library a lot for many newer books, so I was hesitant to use the kindle at first. I think it’s the best way to read the NY Times and longer (heavier) books though. I also like browsing a physical bookstore. I can see how a kindle can be useful for out-of-print books and new books (that are flying off the shelves).

unexpected effect:

Well, for one, I actually read much faster now (even on regular paper) because it’s really fast to skim on the kindle. Maybe people should train their kids to speed-read by getting some kids books on the kindle.

tip:

Download samples of books if you’re trying it out! Also there are many free books through Amazon and other websites to get you started.

Bring back Picnics

It finally warmed up last week and once the rainy April finishes up, I want to organize picnics in the parks!

Maybe I was inspired by the elaborate picnic setups I saw last year in Central Park when the NY Philharmonic was playing a concert, but I really want to spread out a checkered tablecloth and eat sandwiches under a huge tree. 

I read this book called:

Picnics by Hilary Hemingway and Alex Hemingway.

Unlike most picnic books that give you a list of sandwiches/soups/desserts recipes, this book wrote about picnics as an essential part of living. There's a picnic for every occassion: solitary outing, picnic for two, picnic for horseriding, picnic for hiking, picnic for groups, picnic for a rainy day, even picnic for the winter. 

It's unfortunate that a lof of people tend prefer indoors due to severe allergies or just cannot live without climate control, but I rather enjoy the sunny outdoors and flowers and trees. So maybe I'll take the book's advice and trek out on my own. 

The book also includes amazing picnic baskets/dishes and scenic photos, almost like a scrapbook of all of their picnic adventures. While it has a "menu" suggestion for each occassion, it does not include recipes for all the menu items, just one or two on the list, enough to get you started. Various quotes and poems are interspersed throughout the pages. I like this one:

"Tea to the English is really a picnic indoors" - Alice Walker

Kind of makes sense after I thought about it, because there's tea and finger sandwiches involved, and it's about connecting and catching up with your friends, not about rushing or gulping down food. and I do really enjoy teatime (luckily the city has a few spots that cater to that need).

I made a tuna salad sandwich according to a recipe in the book and I'll share it here. Wanted to try it out before I take it with me on a picnic.

Tuna Salad Sandwich (single serving)

ingredients

-white albacore tuna (I used one 2 oz. can for one sandwich)

-bread (I just used regular wheat sliced bread, the book suggested Le Pain Quotidien)

-mayo (I used a tablespoon to taste, book suggests to keep it light, don't drown the tuna)

-lemon juice (tablespoon or so, to taste)

-scallions (chopped, I used a handful)

-celery (chopped, I used half a stalk maybe)

-capers (didn't have this so I left it out)

-Italian parsley (chopped, left this out because I didn't have it)

-ground pepper to taste

-optional stuff for sandwich (romaine lettuce, watercress, thin slices of dill pickle or tomato)

directions 

1. drain tuna 

2. add all ingredients into a bowl, mix together.

3. if taking to picnic, store mix in airtight container and prepare sandwich onsite. otherwise your bread will get soggy

4. book suggests that sandwich can also use lettuce (which I did) and some other ingredients (see optional stuff listed above).

notes

//I toasted the bread slices, then spooned the salad mixture onto one slice, added two layers of lettuce, closed sandwich with another bread slice, then cut sandwiches into two parts, and ate them with a side of fuji apples slices (squeeze lemon juice on them to prevent browning). delicious! I especially like the crunchy celery bits. Not sure I tasted that much scallion, may use more next time. Parsley and capers would make it better too. and maybe jalapenos (yes, I like it in almost everything...)

Cookbooks

The public library near me has a food corner where they show off the latest seasonal cookbooks or inspired recipes. When I feel the urge, I always take a look at the books there. The non-fiction section around 641.5 also has shelves of books on food. Some of them focus on a specific cuisine (Italian, Japanese, Southwestern), some on a special dietary need (diabetes, atkins, vegan), some on a special ingredient (eggs! yes, I saw a book on eggs alone, it was cool), and of course some on how to eat on the go, eat healthy, cook for parties, and so on.

When it comes to cookbooks, pictures are everything! Although some old cooking reference books are great for howto lessons, there's nothing more enjoyable than flipping through pages filled with gorgeous food pictures. I remember Borders had a series of cookbooks where the author visited various region (China, Italy, France) and came back with recipes and photos of dishes and sites. Those were somewhat unwieldy but who wouldn't want to get that for their coffee table? 

My parents always rattled off the three categories to judge a good dish when I was younger. I'm sure they work for all dishes, not just Chinese food.

1. 色 Appearance (pleasing to the eye, presentation) 

2. 香 Fragrance (pleasing to the nose, well...maybe stinky cheese and stinky tofu are exceptions)

3. 味 Taste (pleasing to the tongue, including flavors, combination of ingredients, textures)

For those reasons, I think cookbooks with vibrant colors and presentations really attract the most attention. Fragrance and taste cannot be condensed into book form for consumption and what we have left is really appearance. Which reminds me of another thing, why is FoodNetwork so addictive? Besides the dishes they cook up, the chefs are friendly and smiling, with a cozy kitchen set in the background (even the fridges and cabinets are well stocked). They also make a point to smell and taste the finished product, letting you know that they really enjoyed the dishes. HD FoodNetwork makes the food look even better, no wonder people (including me) watch that channel obsessively. 

Although a lot of recipes can be found online nowadays, I still like to browse through cookbooks. This is probably similiar to the shopping experience. While we can find clothes for sale online, we enjoy going window-shopping, or walk through stores or the mall. Before I figure out what to cook or make, I like to explore the cookbooks for ideas.