Hello to my bookish friends! I am inside for a very rainy day and getting some good reading in. Taking a break to post about books and have more coffee.
Currently I am reading YesterYear by Caro Claire Burke with Susan at The Cue Card. The start of this leads me to believe we are getting a snapshot of events from our main character's future, us being dropped in the middle of a crazy situation. I read on to see what happened beforehand. She isn't a very likeable person yet I am interested to see how events unfold, before and after. It's a page turner.
Recently I finished a nonfiction by Felicity Cloake titled Red Sauce, Brown Sauce: A British Breakfast Odyssey.
This was a fun book about traveling through England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as the Isle of Man, in search of regional breakfast preferences. Felicity Cloake rides her bike, meeting up with other cycling enthusiasts and samples a traditional breakfast from the area. The end of the chapters, after eating, they state their preferences for using a red or brown sauce, or nothing added at all.
I grew up using ketchup on eggs, still do. That is apparently a regional thing as I witness anything from raised eyebrows to revulsion here in the south. Completely unsolicited opinion on MY breakfast. I grew up in the Philadelphia area and that's what I was used to.
They stop at pubs, tour farms and are educated about honey and bread making, disappointed by being turned away at the Marmite factory as it was during lockdown/covid times. They ride in beautiful weather as well as rainy gloomy conditons. Felicty suffered a hamstring injury early on but managed to adapt, making her way across the British Isles. This is a story about cycling. friendship with a detailed foodie element. Oh, there are also some recipes included.
The English-speaking peoples are differentiated from the other nations of the earth by the peculiar and substantial character of their breakfast … to the nation as a whole the British breakfast remains as sacrosanct as the British constitution. – F. Marian McNeill, 1932
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I hope you are well, have a stack of great books and enjoying life.
Linking with:
Shelleyrae at Book'd Out for the 2026 Nonfiction Reading Challenge for the Food category
Joy for British Isles Friday for British author Felicity Cloake
Yesteryear sounds like an intriguing story. I'll be eager to hear what you and Susan think about it once you've finished. I don't care for ketchup on my eggs, but my mom puts red hot sauce (not Sriracha) on hers. Hope you got a nice rain storm. We sure need some here! We haven't had any this month and only a little less than 4" in April.
ReplyDeleteLes, I am intrigued by YesterYear and the tradwife story, but she is a fake. That is established very early on so no spoiler. It's a page turner.
DeleteOh, we had quite the storm and so much rain. It was needed but I sure get antsy sitting inside.
I'm not a ketchup on eggs person but I have seen it done - granted I live in an area with a high number of transplants. I'm not really an eggs person in general (unless they're deviled) so I don't really care what people do with them as long as it stays on their plate! Red Sauce Brown Sauce looks really fun and I've been seeing YesterYear around quite a bit. Premise looks like it could be really good. I do love reading on a rainy day but I need to get better about setting aside time to actually do that!
ReplyDeleteKatherine, I also like deviled eggs but never use ketchup on those. That would be odd. The Red Sauce book is fun, a travelog mostly with foodie things thrown in...even thoough that was supposed to be the focus of the book, the food.
DeleteYesterYear is good in a I-Can't-Look-Away-From-the-Accident way. The main characters are not too likeable and I am sure there will be a good comeuppance. I can't put it down.
Yesteryear is a doozy and we'll see where it goes. There is some dark humor in it I think which cracks me up at times. The tradwife pushes back at the angry mod-women. Not sure Natalie can hang with 1855 though. The sauce book seems a bit fun ... I can relate to the cycling around though I usually skip breakfast most days ... (bad I know) .... but later brunch is fair game ... and I probably don't have any probs with eggs and ketchup ... though eggs bennie might not need it. Chat later.
ReplyDeleteSusan, this is a good book and if Ann Hathaway Did buy the rights to make it a movie or mini series, I will watch it. Natalie is going through a weird breakdown OR she is about reap some crazy karma. There is so much going on.
DeleteI knew you had some cool cycling trips and the way she plans her rides is interesting. But she sure eats breakfast! I am definitely up for eggs bennie.
Will send my thoughts on the book later today.
This makes me excited to read Yesteryear. I've been hearing about it everywhere!
ReplyDeleteHi Sara. YesterYear is interesting and I never have my attention wander. Can't wait to see the outcome! Thanks for visitiing.
DeleteI am hoping to read Yesteryear this summer. It sounds like it will be a great read. And Red Sauce Brown Sauce sounds really good too!
ReplyDeleteErin, that book is something else. It's a page turner for sure.
DeleteI would probably really like Red Sauce, Brown Sauce--traveling across England, sampling breakfast, yes, my cuppa tea! My Dad was English and Mom a Canadian, so HP sauce was a staple in our house. I still use it, though it can be hard to find--World Market is a good source.
ReplyDeleteJane, you would like Red Sauce, Brown Sauce and I was inspired by your comment to get a bottle of HP last time I shopped. Our local grocery chain has an international aisle with English, Indian, Asian and Hispanic foods. Some can be expensive but when they are on sale I stock up. We also have World Market here but it's across town...and now I want to go again!
DeleteMy husband puts HP Sauce on his French fries after discovering it from one of the British shows that we watched. Fortunately, we have an international store nearby that carries it.
ReplyDeleteJoy, I haven't tried it on fries, brillant idea. I was telling Jane in a comment that our grocery store has it in the International aisle. I will have a short cosy type book about mudlarking to share with you this week.
DeleteI've enjoyed riding along with Felicity to witness the butterflies of Mexico and the breakfasts of England. I found her latest book on sale at Kindle for 1.99 and couldn't resist, but I haven't started it yet.
ReplyDeleteDeb, that's a great deal on a Felicty Cloake book, good job seeing that one! I certainly want to read more of her books. Have you read One More Croissant for the Road?
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