Travel

Away Luggage. ($245) Even before we set off for a year of travel, Nicole traveled a lot for work and otherwise. This suitcase (in the “bigger carry on” size) is the best she’s owned. Sturdy and stylish. Her only complaint is that the pink color she chose is easily scuffed.

Travel Water Color Set. ($17) I am not an artist, but occasionally while traveling I will sketch something in a notebook. This led me to wanting to make small water color paintings. For a kit, I wanted something small, compact and affordable. A beginner’s set for sure. This set fits the bill nicely and takes up virtually no space when traveling.

Travel Cribbage Board. ($45) Okay, this is a repeat from last year’s list, but it has proved to be the gift that keeps on giving. We use this mini board all the time. Why? Because it easily fits in a pocket so there’s no harm in throwing it in with luggage even if you never end up playing. And, over the long term, we’ve found cribbage to be the best two-person travel game out there.

Krazy Glue Singles. ($7) Stocking Stuffer! I always travel with one or two of these and tell others to do so, too! Fix shoes, broken luggage, nearly anything… a traveler’s friend.

Quiddler. ($10) Travel usually involves some down time and even cribbage can get old. Quiddler is one of Nicole’s favorites — a two person wordsmithing game that can be easily stowed.

A Quirky Luggage Tag. Years ago, a friend gave me a luggage tag during a trip we took together. I still use it and think back to that trip when I see it. A luggage tag suited to the recipient, such as this Rawlings tag for a baseball fan, makes a fun gift.

Books

Amazon Kindle. ($100) The only problem with this gift for the book lover is that most book lovers will already own one. If not, it’s the ultimate gift even for people who swear by physical paper books. I typically am reading both a Kindle book and physical book at any given time. If nothing else, the Kindle is worth its price exclusively for reading before going to sleep because it doesn’t require a separate light source.

The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin. ($14) Not much I can say about this book that I haven’t already said in this blog post. But it was hands down one of our favorites of this year and a great conversation starter.

A Texture App Subscription. ($10/month) The Netflix of magazines. I’m a big fan. I read the magazines on an iPad but so long as the recipient has any sort of tablet, they should be good to go. (Although the app works on phones, the size of magazines makes for a better experience on a tablet.)

Book Themed New Yorker Puzzle. ($20) New Yorker magazine covers make for eye catching puzzles. And they make some great bookish ones including the puzzle pictured above, along with this one and this one.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. ($15) One of Nicole’s favorite reads of the past year. A sad, gripping story told oh so well.

Wine

Love by the Glass by Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher. ($18) The book that started us on our wine journey way back when. Written by a married couple who were, at the time, the Wall Street Journal’s wine columnists. Not so much a “how to” book about wine, more of a wine memoir.

Alexandre Penet Champagne. Champagne makes for a great, classy gift. Alexandre Penet is one of Nicole’s favorite producers. Plus, not being one of the major producers, this perhaps makes for a more thoughtful gift. Bonus points if you can find a bottle of the Brut Nature wine pictured above, a splendid dry drinking bottle with no added sugars.

Opinel Corkscrew Wine & Cheese Knife. ($28) Ever since our time spent in France’s Brittany region, I’ve lusted for one of these knives. Our Airbnb host invited us for a day of boating and fishing. Bobbing along in the Celtic Sea, he used this knife to shuck fresh oysters and open a bottle of crisp white wine for our lunch, announcing these two items to be “the only things you really need.”

The New Wine Rules by Jon Bonne. ($12) Most wine lovers don’t need another “how to” or “guide” book. But this recent offering, by the wine writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, seems to have generated sufficient buzz among wine folks (at least in our experience, it gets mentioned a lot). I’m approximately half way through. It’s a quick read and I will admit, so far the “new rules” are nothing earth shattering, but thought provoking and, in many cases, a reassurance that we are not crazy in some of our personal approaches to wine.

A Bottle of Dessert Wine. Truth is, most folks who are interested in wine have all the wine-related gadgets and gizmos they need. At it’s most basic level, a wine hobby is mostly about… wine. So buy that special person a bottle they’ll enjoy. My advice: give them a dessert wine. Sauternes, vintage Port, or an ice wine would each make for a fantastic gift. These all can be had for approximately $50/bottle give or take, and the recipient will know it is special. In my experience, most wine people a) enjoy dessert wines but b) don’t purchase them even close to as often as regular wines. So it will be a treat.

Like this post? Want to read more about Travis and Nicole's travel, book, and wine adventures? Check out Our Packing List For A Six Month Trip To Hong Kong, Vietnam, Bali, Thailand, Finland, England, France, And Spain.

Then sign up for the Sunday Shoutout, our monthly email newsletter providing a link to recent blog posts and a few other odds and ends we are interested in.

Nicole and I spent the recent U.S. Thanksgiving holiday cloistered away in the Catskills Mountains of upstate New York. Nicole has made it a Thanksgiving tradition to prepare a traditional turkey day meal even though it is just the two of us celebrating (we are fine with leftovers). But this year she decided to mix it up after seeing a New York magazine article featuring a non-traditional Thanksgiving menu created by the chefs at Frenchette (a very popular new French bistro concept in lower-Manhattan where it’s nearly impossible to secure a dinner reservation during the times most New Yorkers eat dinner -- i.e., not 5:00pm or 10:30pm).

We had a ball, and spent weeks even just getting the ingredients together for this feast. Black truffle, a goose liver (à la foie gras) the size of my head, among others.

And then there was the, admittedly high level, problem of wine. What to serve with each course? Frenchette had made their own recommendations as part of the menu. But I quickly found out their recommendations seemed more about the restaurant flexing its oenological muscles. Think very obscure natural wines, which I’m sure are delicious, but for which we had no hope of sourcing on our own.

So Plan B. Unfortunately, even discerning the type of wines the restaurant recommended, in order to surmise a suitable substitute, proved difficult and required no small amount of research. For instance, to find information about Frenchette’s recommendation for the foie gras course — Jean-François Chêne, La Coulée d’Ambrosia, Aphrodite Douceur Angevine, VdF 2010 — I sifted through multiple websites, many written in French, and am still not sure I understand even the basics such as what grape varietal is involved.

But we’ve never been afraid of a challenge! So we hunted, and we improvised. In the end, our selections boiled down to two criteria: 1) Stay as true as possible to Frenchette’s suggested pairings and 2) utilize any “special bottles” we might want to drink. Regarding the latter, years ago, John Brecher and Dorothy Gaiter, former wine columnists for the Wall Street Journal and who Nicole and I credit as being formative when we first started learning about wine (especially their wine memoir book Love By the Glass) created an Open That Bottle Night. On the last Saturday in February each year, participants open a bottle “they had been keeping for a special occasion that never arrived.” Nicole and I always seem to have a few bottles that qualify — for example, we currently have a $4 bottle of Ballatore sparkling wine with “New House” written in silver marker on the side that we purchased when we bought our first home … in 2004. Not exactly the type of wine that gets better with age, yet we’ve toted it from Washington to Arizona to New York and then to New Jersey. We will probably try it at some point, and end up pouring most of it down the drain. But it would have been fun to drink years ago.

All this to say that, this easily being the fanciest meal Nicole would prepare this year, if there was a special bottle of ours we could work into the lineup, all the better.

And this is how it went:

Amouse-Bouche

Comté Madeleines With Jambon de Pays and Grated Black Truffle

Something to amuse the palette! These pre-apps turned out delicious. Savory, earthy, and salty, with a cake like consistency. Nicole found the dish straightforward to make and is glad she followed the recipe’s instructions to serve right out of oven. (We’ve had a few as leftovers and they are better fresh.)

And we are new enough to the world of truffles that there certainly was an excitement in shaving a generous portion over the dish and inhaling all of the musty, earthy goodness.

Frenchette’e Suggested Wine Pairing: Francis Boulard, Grand Cru, Grande Montagne, Brut Nature 2009

What We Chose Instead: Domaine Bourillon Dorléans Premium Vouvray Brut (NV)

This one was easy enough. Frenchette suggested a Champagne to kick things off and we had this bottle of sparkling wine from France’s Loire Valley (approximately a two hour drive south of the Champagne region) on hand which fit the bill nicely. Lately we’ve been into trying other sparkling wines across France, notably Cremant d’Alsace and Cremant d’Bourgogne, so the Vouvray fit the bill nicely.

How It Worked: Splendid! Lovely, pale yellow golden color. Yellow apples and pears on the nose, lots of fruit initially on the palete then turning more savory in the mouth. Moreover, the wine married well with the dish which brought out some floral notes in wine. A great way to kick things off.

Appetizers

Sucrine Lettuce With Roasted Delicata Squash, Fennel, Hazelnuts, and Shaved Pecorino

The salad course couldn’t have been better. The roasted squash made for a perfect bright, cold autumn feature. Nicole loved the vinaigrette, and wouldn't do anything different in the overall preparation, noting that roasting the hazelnuts ahead of time saved a lot of hassle.

Frenchette’e Suggested Wine Pairing: Laureano Serres-Montagut, Mendall, Abeurador Amforà, Catalunya 2017

What We Chose Instead: Bzikot Puligny Montrachet 2015

Here’s where we hit our first real wine road block. Best we could discern, the recommended wine, a Spanish white, is full bodied and features the Macabeo varietal, known for imparting dried yellow fruit flavors to the wine — think dehydrated yellow pear, dried pineapple, and banana chips. Trying to arrive at a reasonably close approximation, we chose a white Burgundy knowing it would be fuller bodied with rich flavors.

How It Worked: The wine itself didn’t disappoint. Very pale greenish colors, funky nose, low key tropical fruits on the palate that faded to vanilla, oak, and nutty notes. Nice complexity for a white wine.

Together with the salad, somehow it wasn’t our best wine/food combination of the day. We couldn’t figure out if the flavor profiles were too similar or if perhaps the salad had slightly too much acidity compared to the wine. Either way, they certainly weren’t bad together, just didn’t make us drop our forks with delight. And trying out various combinations is what makes wine pairing fun anyway.

Whole Roasted Foie Gras With Sunny-Side-Up Eggs

Wow, if there were one thing we would likely replace on the menu this would have been it. We love foie gras and its rich earthiness, but even for us this was overdoing it. The liver, eggs, and vinegar reduction together was just sooooo much richness. Admittedly, this dish likely could have fed twenty and, at least for me, part of the problem was seeing just how much foie gras remained after I had my fill. Just too much foie gras, something I never imagined myself complaining about!

Frenchette’e Suggested Wine Pairing: Jean-François Chêne, La Coulée d’Ambrosia, Aphrodite Douceur Angevine, VdF 2010

What We Chose Instead: Chateau Haut Bergeron, Sauternes, 2002

How It Worked: Again, with little hope of finding Frenchette’s recommendation, a late harvest Chenin Blanc from France’s Loire Valley, we looked for a suitable alternative. Sauternes is a classic foie gras pairing and we had a “special bottle” Nicole had purchased for me as a gift years ago, so we decided to “open that bottle.”

Part of the fun for us with Sauternes is the way the color deepens in the bottle over the years. Our 2002 selection had reached a magnificent dark amber hue apparent in the picture below.

The wine itself still showed fairly bright fruit flavors — we tasted plums and stonefruit. We did note that overall there weren’t as many layers of flavor as some older Sauternes we've had.

The rich sweetness of the wine paired fairly well with the foie gras dish. But again, for an appetizer, it was just too rich for our tastes. Definitely not for the faint of heart. Admittedly, we also had a hard time having a sweet wine, which we normally would have for dessert, prior to the main course.

Main

Full Rack of Lamb Bracelet With Roasted Vegetables

Aligot Potatoes

(Having plenty of food already, we skipped the Tagine of Artichokes With Couscous, which was the vegetarian alternative to the lamb)

The lamb turned out to be a highlight of the meal. Delicious with the bread crumb crust and mustardy glaze. Same went for the potatoes. A fantastic, hearty main course. Perfect for the cold temperatures in upstate New York.

Frenchette’e Suggested Wine Pairing: René-Jean Dard & François Ribo, Les Rouges des Baties Crozes-Hermitage, 2016 Magnum

What We Chose Instead: Leonetti Cellars, Sangiovese, 2014

How It Worked: We certainly could have found a Rhone red to go with this dish as suggested. But we really wanted to try the Leonetti, another of our “special bottles”, with this dish. Leonetti is one of Washington State’s famed producers and one of the wines that, in earlier days, put Washington wine on the map — an O.G. of Pacific Northwest wine. We spent four years on the wait list before joining their wine club and receiving a yearly allotment. So we knew this special meal would be the perfect time to open one of our bottles.

First off, in chilling the wine beforehand, we accidentally left it in refrigerator too long. Rookie mistake! (Normally we find about 20 minutes in the refrigerator to be sufficient to chill a room temperature red wine.) So it took a little longer for all of the wine’s flavors to come out.

But it revealed itself to be a great wine. Deep dark purple color. Drier but juicy, steely, and earthy with a nice mineral finish.

And it worked perfect with the food. Maybe our best food/wine combination of the meal. The fruit in the wine layered beautifully on top of the lamb’s earthiness. This is why wine and food go together!

Dessert

Black Swan Pavlova With Chocolate Crémeux and Raspberries

Ooh la la. A lovely chocolatey finish to the meal. And the raspberries added a nice tart sweetness. Even though the pavlova did not rise in the oven as much as it was supposed to, it didn’t take anything away from the dish. And the combination of light and dark chocolate added a nice complexity as well.

Frenchette’e Suggested Wine Pairing: Céline & Steve Gormally, Les Dolomies, Carmina Vin de Liqueur (Macvin)

What We Chose Instead: Larressingle Armagnac

How It Worked: Once we learned what Macvin du Jura was (a sweeter fortified wine we’d had as “pineau” when we visited Cognac), we decided to opt for an Armagnac instead. Mostly our calculus hinged on knowing that by the end of the meal we’d probably only want a taste — thus knowing we could cap the Armagnac and keep it indefinitely.

And so we did just that. A small glass of the spirit closed a nearly perfect holiday meal. For anyone who hasn’t tried Armagnac, it’s essentially Cognac, just produced in a French region about an hour and a half drive south of Cognac, with a few other tiny differences not important here. In our humble opinions, Cognac and Armagnac are two reasonably affordable yet underrated offerings in the wine world today. A way to extend a wonderful meal past the last course.

Overall, this meal will go down as one of the special holiday (and non-holiday) meals we’ve had. For sure, the preparation and anticipation itself contributed a lot to this, as did the top notch food and wine.

And to cap it all off on a very high note for us, Frenchette was kind enough to respond that Nicole “nailed it” when she posted pictures of the feast to Instagram. Happy Holidays!

Like this post? Want to read more about Travis and Nicole's travel, book, and wine adventures? Check out Visiting Chateaus Sigalas Rabaud and Rabaud-Promis -- A Look Back At The Sweet Wines Of Sauternes.

Then sign up for the Sunday Shoutout, our monthly email newsletter providing a link to recent blog posts and a few other odds and ends we are interested in.

Travis’ Reads

Legends of the Fall by Jim Harrison: I never saw the movie! Having always thought I’d enjoy this hard living Montana legend of a writer, I tried 2011’s The Great Leader and thought it was terrible. This book couldn’t have been more different. A trilogy of novellas, I liked the first two but loved the third, title story of a family navigating loss after World War I. Harrison’s muscular prose felt like reading a Hemingway novel which, for me, is a high compliment.

Fall of Giants by Ken Follett: I’d always felt World War I was a gaping whole in my historical knowledge. This historical fiction novel fixed that, getting me well acquainted with the basics. And the fast paced, intriguing story lines easily held my attention.

Thalia by Larry McMurtry: Readers of our Sunday Shoutout monthly email will know that I enjoyed this compilation of McMurtry’s first three books — Horseman, Pass By; Leaving Cheyenne; and The Last Picture Show. McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove is still the best western novel ever but, if you’ve read that and are looking for more, these earlier books could be the ticket.

Nicole’s Reads

The Invisible Library series by Genevieve Cogman: Easy, light, fantasy fiction for book lovers. I’ve read the first four books in this series, the fifth comes out in November. If you want something a bit more complex and mysterious, probably not the best fit. If you are looking for something fun, enjoyable and on the shorter side, check it out.

The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. by Neal Stephenson and Nicole Galland: Picked this up at our local bookstore, Little City Books, after reading the back cover. I really enjoyed the first 200 pages and had high hopes for how the book would develop. I wasn’t too keen on the ending, but I thought the plot was innovative and interesting.

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker: When I told a friend of mine recently that I was reading this book, she asked me if I liked magical realism. Truthfully, at first I didn’t even know what the genre was, but then I realized I have read and enjoyed several books in this category, so turns out I do like magical realism! I enjoyed the characters, their stories and how this developed. While not for everyone, I would recommend. Travis also just informed me there is going to be a sequel that comes out in late 2019. Yay!

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan: Might as well get on the band wagon and read all three books. They are easy reads and fun, lighthearted stories. A bit over the top, but that is why people are hooked.

Fifteen Dogs by Andre Alexis: I liked the concept of this book, but the interpretation and execution of the story were a bit strange and disturbing for me. Not one I would recommend unless you like dark, verging on bleak, shorter stories.

Bonus Book We Are Reading Together

My Life in France by Julia Child: Nicole and I are midway through Julia’s look back at her time in France. Nicole needed a book to take her back to our time spent criss-crossing the country, which this book has been delivering in droves.

Like this post? Want to read more about Travis and Nicole's travel, book, and wine adventures? Check out Hey, Hey LBJ -- Capping 3,522 Pages Of Robert Caro's The Years Of Lyndon Johnson Biography Series With A Visit To The LBJ Presidential Library.

Then sign up for the Sunday Shoutout, our monthly email newsletter providing a link to recent blog posts and a few other odds and ends we are interested in.

One of my and Nicole's favorite podcasts, Ms. Bogel typically spends a third of the hour long show interviewing a guest -- in my case, largely about my and Nicole's recent travels, the next third hearing about three of her guest's favorite books and one disliked book, and the final third providing reading recommendations. 

I had a lot of fun preparing for and recording the episode and was pleased with how it turned out. Because we taped the podcast well in advance of its release date, I've had plenty of time to read many of the books Ms. Bogel recommended. During the show -- spoiler alert -- I described The Years of Lyndon Johnson series by Robert Caro, the Travis McGee series by John MacDonald, and East of Eden by John Steinbeck as among my favorite books and A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle as a book I did not like. I also stated that I would like to branch out into new reading genres. Thus, many of the recommendations I received centered on those themes. 

Books Recommended During the Podcast

City on Fire by Garth Risk Hallberg: I wanted to like this novel set in 1970's New York City, and gave it a fair shot getting a third of the way through, but at 944 pages the story needed to move a lot faster to hold my attention. I finally had to put it down and move on. Incidentally, I've mentioned this book, which garnered a lot of hype leading up to its 2015 release, to a few independent book store owners and neither expressed much enthusiasm. Turns out I'm not alone.

Personal History by Katharine Graham: Excellent! I really enjoyed this memoir written by the former editor and publisher of The Washington Post. I found this book to be a fantastic accompaniment to my recent deep dive into Robert Caro's The Years of Lyndon Johnson series.

The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling): Not only did I enjoy this fast-paced private investigator story, I've already read the second installment, The Silkworm, as well. Moreover, as an attorney myself, the story of Rowling's attorney, who couldn't keep his mouth closed about her assumed writing name for this series, and ended up exposing her, is a cautionary tale. 

My Life in France by Julia Child: Although I haven't got to this book yet, Nicole has been enamored. Needing something to take her back to our time in France, Julia was just the answer. Her life is an inspiration.

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel: This one blew me away. One of the best novels I've read in some time. Set in the post-apocalyptic future, it is both a survival story and an examination, looking both forward and back, of how the diverse cast of characters navigate extraordinarily tumultuous times. Full disclosure: Nicole also read this book and, although she enjoyed it, was not as excited.

Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue: On my list. According to Amazon, "A compulsively readable debut novel about marriage, immigration, class, race, and the trapdoors in the American Dream—the unforgettable story of a young Cameroonian couple making a new life in New York just as the Great Recession upends the economy." Dream on!

Calypso by David Sedaris: I've always wanted to read something by humorist/essayist Sedaris. Although Ms. Bogel recommended Calypso, his most recent work, recently at the Strand in NYC, I grabbed a used copy of his earlier Me Talk Pretty One Day after a listener commented that the book focuses on Sedaris' move to France.

Books Recommended By Podcast Listeners

One of the fun things about Ms. Bogel's podcast is that she has a very engaged listener-base who make their own book recommendations to podcast guests on Ms. Bogel's blog after each episode. I found these recommendations highly perceptive and discovered a lot of new reading ideas:

Devil in the White City by Erik Larson: Lately, everyone seems to be recommending this book to me. I'm going to have to break down and give it a shot.

Open: An Autobiography by Andre Agassi: One of the best sports memoirs I've ever read. Agassi was made to play tennis, but wasn't made to deal with the outside pressures of being the world's best tennis player. A raw and emotional read, I'd recommend it to anyone, tennis fan or not.

Shoe Dog by Phil Knight: I'm usually skeptical of business books. Too often ghost-written, self serving advertisements, this book was different. Knight leads a band of outsiders -- in the right place at the right time -- as they set out to remake the shoe industry. I found it hard to put down.

A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle: I read this book way back when along with a few of Mayle's novels such as A Good Year. Great, light reads for a vacation or day at the beach. 

11/22/63 by Stephen King: I haven't read King's portrayal of a time traveler who attempts to stop the John F. Kennedy assassination. Owing to my recent fascination with 1960's era politics and King's mastery as a thriller writer, I'm sure I will enjoy this.

The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York by Robert Caro: I just picked up a copy at Little City Books in Hoboken. Caro's only book outside The Years of Lyndon Johnson series, I can't wait.

Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candace Millard: I'd never heard of this book, but I like a good presidential biography. And admittedly I know absolutely nothing about James Garfield. 

Letters to Jackie: Condolences from a Grieving Nation by Ellen Fitzpatrick: 1960's era politics. I guess I just can't get enough! Looking into this book I learned that, after J.F.K.'s assassination, Jackie received nearly 1.5 million letters of consolation. They largely went untouched. The book's author selects 250 of these letters that paint a picture of the nation's mood at the time. There are lots of other books examining this period of history that I'd likely read first, but the format of this book could be an interesting change of pace.  

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles: Beyond the listener comment, a friend of mine who holds a masters degree in Cold War history recently recommended this book. It seems intriguing. 

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese: Something of an outlier compared to the other recommendations, Amazon describes this novel as, "An enthralling family saga of Africa and America, doctors and patients, exile and home." Seems like the type of book I would have to be in the right mood to read. 

The Cadfael Chronicles by Edith Mary Pargeter (Ellis Peters) (Book #1 -- A Morbid Taste for Bones): I am a big fan of the Travis McGee thrillers. The lead character in these mysteries, set in the 12th century, couldn't be different -- a Benedictine monk who occasionally helps out local law enforcement. I'd never heard of these books but they look great.  

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry: One of the best! If you haven't read anything by Larry McMurty, you should! I just finished the Thalia series -- Horseman, Pass By; Leaving Cheyenne; The Last Picture Show -- all solid westerns. But Lonesome Dove, which I read years ago and have on my list to read again, is the book by which all other westerns should be judged.

Night by Elie Wiesel: A modern classic by a Holocaust survivor. I for sure will need to be in the right mindset to tackle this one.

When the Emperor was Divine by Julie Otsuka: During the podcast, I mentioned historical fiction as a genre I would like to explore. This book follows a fictional Japanese family sent to an internment camp during World War II. Another difficult subject but one I am interested to explore. 

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet: A classic of historical fiction, I had actually read this book, set in 12th century England, years ago and am currently reading Follet's Fall of Giants. Great, fast paced (although lengthy) reads. 

New York 2140 by Kim Stanley Robinson: When you tell people you've spent years living in New York, they seem to love recommending books set in the city! I haven't read much in the science fiction realm so this could be interesting. 

Like this post? Want to read more about Travis and Nicole's travel, book, and wine adventures? Check out Hey, Hey LBJ -- Capping 3,522 Pages Of Robert Caro's The Years Of Lyndon Johnson Biography Series With A Visit To The LBJ Presidential Library.

Then sign up for the Sunday Shoutout, our monthly email newsletter providing a link to recent blog posts and a few other odds and ends we are interested in.

So it goes with this honey sweet, golden dessert wine. The former toast of the drinking world now relegated to a dusty corner of the wine shop, if it can be found at all. 

Prior to Nicole and I visiting the Sauternes wine region last fall, I'd tasted its wines less than a handful of times. We'd had a sole half bottle in our collection for years, slowly turning a deep amber hue, but seemingly too precious to uncork. (We've since learned: don't wait forever, drink the wine!) Besides that, I knew of Chateau d'Yquem, the undisputed champion of Sauternes wines. That was the whole of my knowledge. 

But when in France, right?

So on an overcast day last fall, Nicole and I made the 45 minute drive south from the city of Bordeaux. We'd made two tasting reservations in Sauternes through the Rue des Vignerons app: Chateaus Sigalas Rabaud and Rabaud-Promis, neighboring estates positioned a mere stone's throw from famed Chateau d'Yquem. 

We arrived to an area rich in wine making history and tradition. In 1787, no less than Thomas Jefferson, then the United States' Minister to France, made a tour of Bordeaux wine estates recording that, "Satuerne. This is the best white wine of France...." Later that year, he placed an order for 250 bottles of 1784 Chateau d'Yquem and after that ordered thirty dozen d'Yquem bottles for George Washington. 

Chateau Siglas Ribaud

Upon arriving at Chateau Siglas Ribaud, we immediately felt immersed in the area's centuries long wine making tradition as workers hurried about harvesting fruit for the chateau's dry white wines. We learned that the sweet wine grapes wouldn't be harvested until weeks later, after they'd become infected with Botrytis cinerea, a fungus known as "noble rot" which gives the area's grapes their concentrated sweetness. In short, the fungus works its magic by creating tiny holes in the grapes' skins which in turn cause water within the grapes to evaporate, thus heightening the sugar content of the fruit and resulting wine. 

One of the main reasons we chose to visit these two particular producers was their intertwined histories. From the 1600's, these neighboring properties shared common ownership, until 1903, when the Sigalas family sold Ribaud-Promis. For a time thereafter, the properties continued to be operated jointly with both names appearing on wine labels. But since 1950, after a subsequent sale of the Ribaud-Promis property, the two chateau have been owned and operated separately. We thought it would be interesting to see the differences. 

Sigalas Ribauld is no doubt the more "corporate" of the two today. (Although, compared with some of the high flying Bordeaux estates we visited, it is still a very boutique operation.) A dedicated tourism specialist shepherded us through the vineyard and grounds and conducted our tasting. We met owner/winemaker Laure de Lambert Compeyrot, but it was a brief encounter as she understandably rushed around with harvest work. We enjoyed both our visit and the wines, though the experience felt very similar to many other Bordeaux chateau we visited -- grapes, cellar, taste, purchase.

As we headed to our car and our next appointment, we asked about the best way to get to Ribaud-Promis. No, we were told, not the paved road Google Maps directed us to. Instead, our host pointed down a dirt farm road bisecting the vineyards. We bumped along for a quarter mile in our little rented Fiat 500 and arrived ready for our second tasting. 

Chateau Rabaud-Promis

Upon our arrival, a handful of vineyard dogs greeted us enthusiastically at the car, along with owner/winemaker Thomas Dejean who escorted us to his modest, cozy tasting area.  

This was a tour and tasting we would not soon forget. It initially progressed like other smaller vineyards we visited throughout France, where we were able to sit down with the owner/winemaker rather than a tasting room employee. We generally preferred this, although there are positives and negatives. On one hand, the winemakers are obviously more intimately involved in the process and business and could answer more in depth questions. On the other hand, we found there was often an English/French language barrier typically not found with tourism employees and the winemakers often couldn't (or didn't want to) spend as much time with us owing to other winery responsibilities.  

Moreover, we noticed throughout France that locals (or even European tourists), if they visit a winery, generally quickly taste one or two wines they imagine they might like. Although we could not understand the words spoken, it usually seemed something along the lines of, "I typically like lighter wines, so can I taste one or two of your lighter wines," before purchasing a 12 bottle case and setting off. Contrast this with American tourists, like Nicole and I, who want to sit down, ask all sorts of questions, tour the vineyard and cellar, taste most of the wines, give our thoughts on the wines and ask more questions -- then proceed to purchase a few bottles. Put this way, I can certainly understand why Nicole and I, unquestionably U.S. tourists as soon as we opened our mouths to speak, were often initially greeted by winemakers with a certain friendly coolness. 

But Mr. Dejean was nothing but friendly from the start. We spent approximately an hour tasting various wines, petting his dogs, looking around the cellar, and generally asking all sorts of questions about the wines, the vineyard, and even local soccer. Mr. Dejean could not have been a more gracious host. And the wines themselves were delicious -- lots of sweet, ripe fruit balanced with with butterscotch, caramel, and floral notes. It amazed us how, even though much sweeter than standard wines we are accustomed to, each vintage presented its own readily apparent nuances. Nicole and I were charmed.

At one point, after we inquired, Mr. Dejean rummaged around in the cellar and was able to find a vintage 1981 bottle, Nicole's birth year, for us to purchase. This was the coup de grâce. As we prepared to leave, we asked if Nicole could get a picture to remember our visit. Smiling, he told us to wait for a moment while he disappeared into the back room. He returned with a prop, which is how Nicole ended up posing with the largest bottle of Chateau Rabaud-Promis on the premises in the photo below which is one of our favorites from our travels. 

Buying and Drinking Sauternes Wines

As is probably apparent, Nicole and I left Sauternes with a real appreciation for these largely forgotten wines. I hope the main takeaway for anyone reading this is to give the wine a try some evening after dinner. 

It is like sipping nectar. According to Wine Folly, with roughly 120–220 g/L of residual sugar, the wine is sweeter than Coca-Cola (113 g/L). Sauternes feels thick on the tongue, with flavors along the lines of tropical fruits, caramel, honeysuckle, marmalade, and stone fruit. Certainly not your everyday Merlot.

Because of this, it is not a wine meant to be drunk in large quantities. For Nicole and I, half bottles make the most sense -- and that is often how shops sell these wines. (As an example, a wine-searcher.com search for Chateau Rabaud-Promis shows that it is available in many markets, typically around U.S. $20-$50/half bottle.) Take a risk the next time you spot one for a special occasion!

As for what specific bottles to buy? There typically isn't much selection at wine shops so usually it's a matter of purchasing what's available. But in general, Sauternes, like other Bordeaux wines, were famously classified during 1855, a ranking that still exerts much influence today. Unlike Bordeaux's other wines, grouped into five classifications, in Sauternes there are only three: Premier Cru Supérieur, a classification bestowed solely upon Chateau d'Yquem -- First Growths, which include both Chateaus Sigalas Rabaud and Rabaud-Promis -- followed by a handful of Second Growths. Beyond those roughly twenty "classified" Sauternes wines are the rest of the "unclassified" Sauternes wines which can be great bargains. In general, the classification status of Sauternes wines remains a roughly good guide to quality and how much one might expect to pay. But in my and Nicole's experience, we've almost never been disappointed with a Sauternes we've picked up, regardless of classification.

Sauternes is a forgotten treasure of the wine world, and one of the many reasons Nicole and I keep exploring. Salud!

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Staten Island? Yep, it's one of the five boroughs. Yep, it has a baseball team. Minor league, Single A short season -- nicknamed the Baby Bombers. But most people around NYC have no idea minor league baseball exists in the area. If anything, New Yorkers might be familiar with the Brooklyn Cyclones, the Mets affiliate team which plays its home games near the Coney Island boardwalk. 

But this general unawareness is to my advantage. Unlike with the other team of the same name that plays in the Bronx, these tickets can be had for a song.  

So this past Saturday, Nicole, myself, and our friend Adrian headed off for an evening game.

I will posit no one had a more American night than we did. 

It started with the free ride on the Staten Island Ferry from lower Manhattan to Staten Island. The ferry motors right past the most American landmark of all -- the Statute of Liberty.

Then it was into the ballpark, a short walk from the ferry terminal, for baseball, beers, and hot dogs. America!

As our patriotic fervor started to red line, there was one more surprise in store. Free fireworks after the ball game, exploding just past the right field wall with a beautiful backdrop of lower Manhattan in the distance. 

Oh beautiful, for spacious skies...

In my humble opinion, Staten Island Yankees baseball is truly one of the mostly undiscovered gems in the area. A fantastic night for us all.  

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Before reading these books, I'd never visited a Presidential Library. I'd never wanted to visit a Presidential Library.

But Lyndon got a hold of me!

It all started after Ryan Holiday, a writer and commentator I admire, sang the books' praises repeatedly. I quibbled due to the commitment involved, but after leaving my job to travel last year, there could be no more excuses. I dove in. 

The Years of Lyndon Johnson series is the life work of author Robert Caro, now in his eighth decade -- the first book published in 1982, the fourth in 2012, with a final fifth installment in progress and expected in the coming years. Caro, who spent his formative working years as a reporter released his first book, The Power Broker about New York City planner Robert Moses, in 1974 and from there began work on his epic LBJ biographies, going so far as to move he and his wife to the Texas Hill Country for a number of years to be in the same area where Johnson grew up. 

Almost immediately after starting the books, I became hooked. I texted a close friend who I thought would enjoy the series and, as it turned out, he had just began reading the first book as well. Over the succeeding months we shared our growing mutual fascination with all things LBJ. Strangely, after reading 3,522 pages, we separately finished the fourth book on the exact same day. Lyndon works strange magic.  

These are books every American high school graduate should be made to read. I truly believe that. 

Not particularly because Lyndon himself is so interesting (certainly not worthy of emulation in most all respects) -- although he makes a fascinating character study as someone who came from very little and, through wild blind ambition and conniving, managed to take the highest powered office in the world  -- but because The Years of Lyndon Johnson is a lens through which to learn about and view the events of the early to mid Twentieth Century that shaped much of the world we live in today.

The first book, The Path to Power, covers Johnson's hard scrabble youth during the Great Depression of the 1930's and time as a U.S. Congressperson during Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal. The Means of Ascent examines the era surrounding World War II and concludes with Johnson being elected to the U.S. Senate in 1948 (by way of, there's almost no doubt, a stolen election). From there, The Master of the Senate focuses on Johnson's revitalization of the Senate as a lawmaking body, the dawn of the Civil Rights movement, and the booming post-war era. In The Passage of Power, the reader sees LBJ, hugely ambitious and riding high, blindsided by the country's changing mood at the outset of the John F. Kennedy era, then ultimately swept into power after JFK's assassination. He initially seizes control and power from the Kennedy men, notably from younger brother Robert, and ushers in his vision for a Great Society while, in the background, the military buildup in Vietnam is underway and foreshadows a calamity that will ultimately derail Johnson's legacy. 

As I neared the end of the four books earlier this year, firmly at the peak of my LBJ hysteria, Nicole and I found ourselves in Austin, Texas, home of Johnson's Presidential Library on the University of Texas campus. 

What was a Johnson fanatic to do? Nicole, somehow still not as enthralled with LBJ as I (We had to invent a code word during our travels that Nicole could use to reign me in if I got too far off on Lyndon tangents; Nicole would say "bananas" and I would reluctantly wind down my fifteen minute sermon on, say, Johnson's civil rights efforts.), agreed to the day trip. 

I will say this: The Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library will only be of interest to the most die hard of LBJ enthusiasts. Pretenders need not apply. I found myself right at home among the sparse set of retirees roaming the halls pointing out Johnson's favorite cowboy boots or listening in on audio recordings of Lyndon's telephone conversations.  

Secretly, I hoped to bump into Robert Caro, who conducted much of his research for the books at the onsite Presidential Archives. But it was not to be. Mr. Caro, who lives in New York, must have had something better to do that gorgeous Spring day.

Shortly after visiting the Library, I wrapped up the final pages (so far!) of The Years of Lyndon Johnson and have begun the process of moving on with my life. As I hope this post makes clear, I can't recommend these books enough. Hey, hey LBJ!

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Not since high school had I spent time trout fishing. So I knew some of the basics, but fishing in shallow, fast moving water challenged me anew. I spent a lot of time studying up, exploring, casting, retrieving, and ultimately landing some fish. 

What follows is a quick guide I put together for other relatively new anglers looking to make a trip to the Catskills. Unquestionably, fly fishing is the purist form in the area. A newbie like myself, with a spinning real casting from the banks, sometimes feels like a simpleton compared to the Orvis clad fly fisherpersons whipping their lines while waste deep in the water. But there are lots of other newbies bank fishing the Esopus and, who knows, maybe one day I will graduate to become one of the River Runs Through It lookalikes. For now, I get plenty of kicks and enjoyment from my simpler setup. 

The Esopus

The Esopus Creek originates at Winnisook Lake, in the Slide Mountain Wilderness Area of East-Central New York, then flows 65 miles east before emptying into the Hudson River. For fishing purposes, I only concerned myself with the 26 mile "upper" section between Winnisook Lake and the Ashoken Resovoir. 

That "upper" section is known in the Northeast as a trout creek. Finicky, wild Rainbows lurk below the surface along with the 20,000 Brown Trout stocked by the State each year. 

The Creek's popularity with anglers is readily apparent as you drive along Highway 28 which parallels much of the upper section. No shortage of fisherpersons will be wading the waters during the Spring through Autumn fishing season. For a newbie, don't let that scare you away. I've spent a lot of time with a line in the water and never felt so crowded as to severely limit my options. The nice thing about river fishing is that, if one hole is crowded, there's usually another equally good fishable spot close by.

Where To Fish

I'm not telling! My spots are my spots! But truthfully, with some patience, it's not hard to find good fishing places on the Esopus. The upper section is not long and conveniently parallels Highway 28 making access relatively straight forward. 

To discover your own fishing holes there are two primary resources, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's (NYDEC) public fishing rights map and Google Maps, which depicts NYDEC land in green. Using these two resources, it's (mostly) easy to identify the three classifications of publicly fishable waters: (1) Public Fishing Rights land, which are easements purchased by the NYDEC for the benefit of the fishing public, (2) NYDEC land, and (3) New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP) land, which requires a free, special permit (explained below). 

From there, it's really about driving around and checking out different potential fishing holes. There are many small, unpaved parking areas off of Highway 28 near the fishable areas of the Esopus, but plan on hiking around a bit too if you really want to find prime locations. For that reason, and the prevalence of ticks, it makes sense to wear long pants and shirt.

Also, it really, really improves the experience to have an automobile. I once fished the Esopus using a bicycle from Graham & Co. as transportation. I had fun, but didn't catch anything, and found I couldn't really get to a wide enough swath of the Creek. Having a car is the way to go for out of towners. 

What You Need

In most places, the Esopus is fairly narrow and shallow, and the fish are small but feisty. So "ultra lite" rod, real, and tackle make the most sense and are what I depended on. 

License and Permit

But first, you need a fishing license. 

Word to the wise, don't wait until the day you go fishing to get your license. Although the hardware store on Phoenicia's main street sells them, in my experience, and the experience of almost anyone else I've talked to, this is an unreliable means. If the employee who knows how to work the machine is away, you are stuck. 

A better way to go is to get your license at Shandaken's town hall located just off of Highway 28. The only problem is they're only open weekdays. An even better way is to get your license online.

Beyond the fishing license, it also makes sense to register for a NYCDEP permit. The permit allows anglers to enter certain otherwise restricted NYCDEP land and, since the permit is free, there's no reason not to register in order to open up all fishing options.

Rod and Reel

Again, an ultra lite setup makes the most sense since you will be casting tiny lures to the picky trout in these waters. 

I'm a beginner (and frugal!) so I wasn't looking to invest in premium gear. I've been using a Shakespeare five and a half foot Micro Series spinning rod ($23) and a Shimano IX1000R spinning reel ($15) which I particularly like because of the Quick Fire lever that allows for simpler one handed casting. This setup has served me well thus far.

Line

I personally have been using four pound test line with a two pound test leader. 

Tackle

In my experience fishing the Esopus, the smaller the lure, the better. I've had particular luck with Mepps spinners and Acme Phoebe spoons but have also tried Rooster Tails, Powerbait, and Panther Martins, among others. With respect to colors, the more basic colors have worked best -- I've stuck largely to silver and gold, rather than much of the bright, fluorescent side of the spectrum often seen in tackle shops. 

Also, note that I haven't experimented with any live baits (worms, crickets, etc.). I'm sure those could work as well. 

Finally, if you are planning to release the fish you catch (which I do), barbless hooks are a must. I learned this the hard way, forgetting to snip the barbs on my lure prior to hooking my first trout. I felt terrible as the embedded barb made removing the hook much more difficult, and stressful for the fish, than necessary. To make any lure barbless, simply grip a pair of pliers and squeeze the barb until it flattens to the remainder of the hook. It makes hook removal much quicker and easier on the fish.

Net and Pliers

At first, I didn't think a net was necessary. After having a large Rainbow snap my line as I fiddled with it in front of me trying to snap a picture, I realized my mistake. Plus, a net means you don't have to handle the fish with your hands as much making for less harmful hook removals and releases. I've been using an affordable rubber mesh model. 

Similarly, a set of fishing pliers is invaluable for cutting line, snipping barbed hooks, and removing deeply embedded hooks.  

Get these tools and you should be set.

Finally, Watch Out For Ticks

A public service announcement: The area surrounding the Esopus Creek is blanketed with ticks. I had my own run in with them and am much more careful now. It's almost impossible to reach many fishing holes without traversing through tick laden underbrush. Long sleeve, tucked in clothing makes sense as does frequent tick checks. 

Now you are ready to land the lunkers!

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I have a storied history of table construction. Meaning I've built one table prior -- in high school wood shop class, under the expert tutelage of Mr. Kernan, I constructed a beautiful oak coffee table (really, it is) that took over a year to complete. Unfortunately, over time my (wood) work of art slowly has drawn Nicole's ire and today sits prominently displayed in our storage unit waiting for the day it will no doubt rise from the ashes to grace our home again. Nicole's dislike of all things beautiful high school coffee table may have something to do with my insistence on us renting a storage unit in Arizona for the past eight years while we lived in New York largely for the purpose of storing the table. Or it could be my convincing Nicole to make a cross country road trip with the table in our car so we could unload it at its current home in our New Jersey storage unit. Hard to pinpoint the source of Nicole's feelings exactly.

But upon our return to the New York City area (that's what you call it when you've moved to Hoboken, NJ), we decided renting an apartment with outdoor space would be paramount. This restriction severely limited our options, but we eventually found a space we are happy with, signed a lease, and, as I wrote about earlier, set about getting to know the new neighborhood. 

Upon moving in, Nicole began sketching plans to fill our brick paved, back yard area. One thing became certain, we wanted a large table and benches for entertaining. Soon we discovered another certainty, eight foot long table sets are incredibly expensive! And it seemed silly to shell out a large sum with a high end table builder named Travis living under our very roof. Truthfully, I became excited about the prospect of dusting off my woodworking skills for a reunion tour.

This time around I had severe constraints, namely no well equipped high school wood shop. Instead, I used a newly purchased circular saw, power drill, and some hand tools. But constraints foster creativity! So over the course of a few days I sketched my plans on a napkin, researched various materials and fasteners (I ended up using heavy duty, six inch galvanized lag screws to join the 4x4s within the tables base; nearly a third of the final materials cost of the table went toward screws!), and created a supply list.

My first shock came after I picked out lumber and supplies over the course of a half day lost at Home Depot. Our little Mitsubishi crossover is great for many things... hauling a few hundred pounds of lumber, some ten feet in length, is not one of them. The worker who helped me load the timbers assumed I would somehow be securing the wood to the roof. Oh no my friend, we're going to nose it all the way through the console to the dash and then leave the remainder hanging out the back. Tie downs? No way, I'll just drive slow. 

Back at the apartment, construction itself progressed with relatively few hiccups. The work took longer, and was physically more difficult than anticipated, but after five days in the back yard hunched over (I should have bought sawhorses!), saw dusty and sweaty, we had a table. Total cost, about $200 for lumber and $250 for supplies, with half of the supply cost going toward tools I'll hopefully have and use for a long time. Overall, I am very pleased with the result -- enough so to dedicate a blog post to it(!) -- and hope to make many great memories around our new table and benches in the future.   

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So it's been a time of change for us. Some observations:

• We're enjoying Hoboken. Frank Sinatra's hometown is just across the Hudson from Manhattan. Nonetheless, during the seven years we lived in Manhattan, I made the journey to Hoboken twice and Nicole not even once. So despite its proximity to our old haunt, it's very new to us. We've been happy so far. For starters, our housing money goes a lot further. Across the river we never could have afforded the two bedroom, two bath apartment with a private backyard we are renting here. Beyond that, Hoboken is a lot less crowded yet we're still finding there's plenty of nearby places we enjoy like Jeffereson's Coffee, BWE Kafe, and Little City Books. A few days ago, I shot hoops on the basketball courts a block from our apartment; a few hours later, Celtics star Kyrie Irving showed up to shoot around on the same courts. People are still talking about it. 
• We're reluctantly accepting New Jersey. There's something cool about saying you live in Manhattan. Jersey, not quite as much. But we're getting over it (myself quicker than Nicole).  
• We got the move mostly right. Moving out of our Manhattan apartment last year was agonizing. The five flights of stairs from our apartment to street level certainly didn't help. We didn't hire movers but, instead, rented a UHaul truck and hired people from Task Rabbit to help as needed. This meant two tough days of labor for Nicole and I, and between the UHaul truck and the Task Rabbit helpers, we still spent over a thousand dollars. This time around, we hired movers. They got the entire job done in three hours flat and for less money than I would have spent on a UHaul and Task Rabbit'ers. The only problem came after we began sorting through our things. I ended up taking eight full car loads of stuff BACK to ourt storage unit. I actually ran into the moving team a few days later at the storage unit as they were moving someone else's stuff and had to sheepishly explain that Nicole and I overestimated a bit on the extent of our space. 
• It's nice to have more clothes, but most of our stuff I learned to live without. The comment Nicole and I get most from people when we talk about our recent move is, "Isn't it nice to finally get your stuff back?" Truth is, it's been a lot less of a big deal than I thought it would be. Over the past year, I got used to wearing the same clothes more frequently and doing without a lot of creature comforts. So, for the most part, it's good to have an apartment full of things again but not really a game changer. 

A few pictures from around the new neighborhood:

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Wine Scale

1 = spit it out ... to ... 5 = shut the front door, that's good!

Producer:  Viña la Causa

Country:  Chile

Wine Area:  Itata Valley

Grape(s):  País

Year:  2015

Price Range:  $15 - 20 USD

Book Pairing:  House of Spirits by Isabel Allende. Chilean wine, Chilean author, both span decades and tell stories of love, frustration and fate.

Nicole's Notes:  País used to be Chile's most planted grape, but fell out of favor around the 21st century. Several producers are trying to revive this varietal. Travis and I tried a few different producers of País while in Chile and this was by far my favorite. Delicate, but robust. A rugged Pinot Noir.

(Travis: Meh, I appreciate the Chilean winemakers who are trying to bring back a native grape, but the finished product isn't ready for prime time in my opinion.)

Nicole's Rating:

Travis' Rating:

Producer:  McPrice Myers

Country:  USA

Wine Area:  Pasa Robles, Santa Barbara

Grape(s): Syrah

Year: 2013, but any newer vintage should do

Price Range: $20 - 25 USD

Book Pairing:  The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. So many reasons for this pairing! Right Hand Man is part of McPrice Myers' "Blue Collar Series" of value wines, so Steinbeck's classic tale about the Joad family who head west to California to find work as fruit pickers seems a natural fit. Most of the California based portion of the novel is set a few hours from Pasa Robles where these grapes are from. Great wine and great books belong together! 

Travis' Notes:  Hearty and robust. Tastes like it could be more expensive than it is. Nicole and I discovered this wine at the Vangaurd Wine Bar in NYC. After that, it became one of the few wines I've ever ordered and had shipped from out of state. Lots of earthy flavors, leather, and the like. 

Travis' Rating:

Nicole's Rating: 

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Nicole's Rating Scale: ☕ to ☕☕☕☕☕ coffee cups, 1 representing my least favorite, 5 I highly enjoyed it

The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden, Winternight book #2 -- ☕☕☕☕

My Review: The second book in the Winternight series was another enjoyable read centered around Vasya’s latest adventures. The medieval Russian fantasy continues to be intriguing and a strange unusual tail. Book #2 focuses a bit more on Moscow and roles/expectations at that time, which I found really interesting. I continue to have quite a few questions unanswered, but it doesn't take away from enjoying the story. However, I was bummed to find out that the last book in the series doesn’t come out til August! :(

GoodReads Summary: The magical adventure begun in The Bear and the Nightingale continues as brave Vasya, now a young woman, is forced to choose between marriage or life in a convent and instead flees her home—but soon finds herself called upon to help defend the city of Moscow when it comes under siege.

Orphaned and cast out as a witch by her village, Vasya’s options are few: resign herself to life in a convent, or allow her older sister to make her a match with a Moscovite prince. Both doom her to life in a tower, cut off from the vast world she longs to explore. So instead she chooses adventure, disguising herself as a boy and riding her horse into the woods. When a battle with some bandits who have been terrorizing the countryside earns her the admiration of the Grand Prince of Moscow, she must carefully guard the secret of her gender to remain in his good graces—even as she realizes his kingdom is under threat from mysterious forces only she will be able to stop.

The Dark Forest by Cixin Liu, Remembrance of Earth's Past book #2 -- ☕☕☕☕

My Review: Book #2 in the Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy. The book continues to be interesting and imaginative. Still very much high Science Fiction, but not in a way that would normally have me running. I especially enjoy the Chinese perspective given that most of the science fiction I read these days is American-centric.

GoodReads Summary: This is the second novel in "Remembrance of Earth’s Past", the near-future trilogy written by the China's multiple-award-winning science fiction author, Cixin Liu. 

In The Dark Forest, Earth is reeling from the revelation of a coming alien invasion — four centuries in the future. The aliens' human collaborators have been defeated but the presence of the sophons, the subatomic particles that allow Trisolaris instant access to all human information, means that Earth's defense plans are exposed to the enemy. Only the human mind remains a secret. 

This is the motivation for the Wallfacer Project, a daring plan that grants four men enormous resources to design secret strategies hidden through deceit and misdirection from Earth and Trisolaris alike. Three of the Wallfacers are influential statesmen and scientists but the fourth is a total unknown. Luo Ji, an unambitious Chinese astronomer and sociologist, is baffled by his new status. All he knows is that he's the one Wallfacer that Trisolaris wants dead. 

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë -- ☕☕☕

My Review: Admittedly I read this back in January, so it is a late add but I felt compelled to include. I'm not the first one to not love this book nor will I be the last. I knew the typical cristism -- selfish main characters, oddball love story, ridiculous family dynamic -- but despite the feedback, it had been on my list for quite some time and I finally wanted to check that box. I'm so glad I did and not because I enjoyed it so much, but more so because it always gets brought up in literary discussions. Now I can be a part of that club :) It won't go down as one of my favorites, but given it's fame it's worth the read.

GoodReads Summary: Wuthering Heights is a wild, passionate story of the intense and almost demonic love between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, a foundling adopted by Catherine's father. After Mr Earnshaw's death, Heathcliff is bullied and humiliated by Catherine's brother Hindley and wrongly believing that his love for Catherine is not reciprocated, leaves Wuthering Heights, only to return years later as a wealthy and polished man. He proceeds to exact a terrible revenge for his former miseries. The action of the story is chaotic and unremittingly violent, but the accomplished handling of a complex structure, the evocative descriptions of the lonely moorland setting and the poetic grandeur of vision combine to make this unique novel a masterpiece of English literature.

The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen -- ☕☕☕☕☕

My Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this and will highly recommend for those that enjoy psychological thrillers. Not too long, not too short, a great fast read over a weekend. At a certain point, there was a shift that left me confused for a bit, but as nuggets of information came to light all became clear in the end.

GoodReads Summary: A novel of suspense that explores the complexities of marriage and the dangerous truths we ignore in the name of love.

When you read this book, you will make many assumptions. You will assume you are reading about a jealous wife and her obsession with her replacement. You will assume you are reading about a woman about to enter a new marriage with the man she loves.
You will assume the first wife was a disaster and that the husband was well rid of her. You will assume you know the motives, the history, the anatomy of the relationships.

Assume nothing.

Discover the next blockbuster novel of suspense, and get ready for the read of your life.

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen -- ☕☕☕

My Review: In my quest to read more classics in hopes of finding the next Count of Monte Cristo or Jane Eyre (both in my top 10 list of favorite books), I picked up a copy of Mansfield Park. I'm glad I read it, but nothing in comparison to other famous works by Austen. I couldn't relate to the main character, Fanny, who was passive and very dull to me. At the same time her character needed to be for this book to work. Everyone around Fanny was self absorbed and treated her like second class, with the exception of a few. I'm satisfied with the ending and happy to check another classic off the list.

GoodReads Summary: 'We have all been more or less to blame ... every one of us, excepting Fanny' 

Taken from the poverty of her parents' home, Fanny Price is brought up with her rich cousins at Mansfield Park, acutely aware of her humble rank and with only her cousin Edmund as an ally. When Fanny's uncle is absent in Antigua, Mary Crawford and her brother Henry arrive in the neighbourhood, bringing with them London glamour and a reckless taste for flirtation. As her female cousins vie for Henry's attention, and even Edmund falls for Mary's dazzling charms, only Fanny remains doubtful about the Crawfords' influence and finds herself more isolated than ever. A subtle examination of social position and moral integrity, Mansfield Park is one of Jane Austen's most profound works.

Vicious by V.E. Schwab -- ☕☕☕

My Review: I really enjoyed the Darker Shade of Magic series, so I was excited to try another book by the same author. I enjoyed reading it, but wasn't enthralled. I had difficulty buying into the characters and their story, it all seemed a little too simple and straight forward. Having said that, since I am a sucker for a series, I will likely read the second book when this comes out...

GoodReads Summary: Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong. 

Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?

My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares -- ☕☕☕

My Review: That was the ending? I can’t... I have about 500 questions still unanswered. I really loved The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants when I read them years and years ago, so was excited for a new book from Ann Brashares. It was certainly an enjoyable read, but I’m still in a state of confusion from the way it ended. I NEED a sequel to be happy about this book.

GoodReads Summary: Daniel has spent centuries falling in love with the same girl. Life after life, crossing continents and dynasties, he and Sophia (despite her changing name and form) have been drawn together-and he remembers it all. Daniel has "the memory", the ability to recall past lives and recognize souls of those he's previously known. It is a gift and a curse. For all the times that he and Sophia have been drawn together throughout history, they have also been torn painfully, fatally, apart. A love always too short.

Interwoven through Sophia and Daniel's unfolding present day relationship are glimpses of their expansive history together. From 552 Asia Minor to 1918 England and 1972 Virginia, the two souls share a long and sometimes torturous path of seeking each other time and time again. But just when young Sophia (now "Lucy" in the present) finally begins to awaken to the secret of their shared past, to understand the true reason for the strength of their attraction, the mysterious force that has always torn them apart reappears. Ultimately, they must come to understand what stands in the way of their love if they are ever to spend a lifetime together.

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders -- ☕☕

My Review: This book was completely unique from anything else I have read. The writing was creative and I liked the parts that were captured entirely by historical texts. The story told from the ghosts' perspective was interesting, albeit a little disturbing at times, but not captivating. Based on what I have heard from others, listening to this on audible is the best way to experience it. From my experience reading it in hard copy, I can see why. If you want to read it, I would recommend it as an audio book as well.

GoodReads Summary: In his long-awaited first novel, American master George Saunders delivers his most original, transcendent, and moving work yet. Unfolding in a graveyard over the course of a single night, narrated by a dazzling chorus of voices, Lincoln in the Bardo is a literary experience unlike any other—for no one but Saunders could conceive it.

February 1862. The Civil War is less than one year old. The fighting has begun in earnest, and the nation has begun to realize it is in for a long, bloody struggle. Meanwhile, President Lincoln’s beloved eleven-year-old son, Willie, lies upstairs in the White House, gravely ill. In a matter of days, despite predictions of a recovery, Willie dies and is laid to rest in a Georgetown cemetery. “My poor boy, he was too good for this earth,” the president says at the time. “God has called him home.” Newspapers report that a grief-stricken Lincoln returned to the crypt several times alone to hold his boy’s body.

From that seed of historical truth, George Saunders spins an unforgettable story of familial love and loss that breaks free of its realistic, historical framework into a thrilling, supernatural realm both hilarious and terrifying. Willie Lincoln finds himself in a strange purgatory, where ghosts mingle, gripe, commiserate, quarrel, and enact bizarre acts of penance. Within this transitional state—called, in the Tibetan tradition, the bardo—a monumental struggle erupts over young Willie’s soul.

Lincoln in the Bardo is an astonishing feat of imagination and a bold step forward from one of the most important and influential writers of his generation. Formally daring, generous in spirit, deeply concerned with matters of the heart, it is a testament to fiction’s ability to speak honestly and powerfully to the things that really matter to us. Saunders has invented a thrilling new form that deploys a kaleidoscopic, theatrical panorama of voices—living and dead, historical and invented—to ask a timeless, profound question: How do we live and love when we know that everything we love must end?

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah -- ☕☕☕☕☕

My Review: Wow. That was beautiful, terrifying, painful and incredibly well written. I felt so moved, articulating how much it affected me is difficult. The story still pops up in my mind from time to time and leaves me thinking. This was a five stars.

GoodReads Summary: In love we find out who we want to be. In war we find out who we are.

FRANCE, 1939

In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn’t believe that the Nazis will invade France...but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When France is overrun, Vianne is forced to take an enemy into her house, and suddenly her every move is watched; her life and her child’s life is at constant risk. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates around her, she must make one terrible choice after another. 

Vianne’s sister, Isabelle, is a rebellious eighteen-year-old girl, searching for purpose with all the reckless passion of youth. While thousands of Parisians march into the unknown terrors of war, she meets the compelling and mysterious Gäetan, a partisan who believes the French can fight the Nazis from within France, and she falls in love as only the young can...completely. When he betrays her, Isabelle races headlong into danger and joins the Resistance, never looking back or giving a thought to the real--and deadly--consequences.

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We are celebrating! Poppin' bubbly. Nicole and I are excited to soon be moving back to the New York City area.

Two days ago, after Nicole accepted a job offer with a fantastic company, we sat outside on a overcast evening sharing a Cremant d'Alsace sparking wine from Domaine Leon Boesch. The wine perfectly tied together the past, present, and future we celebrated that night.

The Past. Last fall, Nicole and I spent two weeks in France's Alsace region. We cheered for the local "Racing Club" soccer squad, roamed Colmar's fairytale streets, and tried the regional wines. 

As I said in a blog post from that time, many Alsatians told us that the local bubbly, Cremant d'Alsace, is both better and cheaper than that of the more famous neighboring Champagne region to the west. 

Moreover, after consulting Google Maps, Domain Leon Boesch, the maker of the sparkler we opened two days ago, turned out to be located just up the road from our favorite Alsace winery, Domain Paul Kluber. Drinking this wine took us back to the small town, rural farm feel and rolling hills of Alsace. 

The Present. For the past month, Nicole and I have been living in the Catskill Mountains region of upstate New York. I love it here. Small towns, friendly people, and the great outdoors. I caught a lunker of a trout on the local Esopus creek just a few days ago.

During our most recent trip to the nearest big town, Kingston, we discovered the very cool, boutique Kingston Wine Co. shop specializing in hip natural wines. We enjoyed looking around and eventually purchasing the Cremant d'Alsace. 

Drinking it a few days ago felt like a nice capstone to our time in the Catskills.  

The Future. Back to the city! Having previously lived in NYC for seven years, we are excited to be returning and reconnecting with our friends there. We are currently in the process of apartment hunting, and then it will be on to moving in and resuming some "normalcy" in our lives. I won't be living out of a duffel bag any longer. 

And the wine iteslf? Delicious. Sometimes a wine will be special for reasons completely outside the bottle. This wine was for the above reasons. But Domaine Leon Boesch's Cremant d'Alsace also turned out to be a special wine for the reasons inside the bottle. The care involved in the winery's biodynamic farming methods shine. I picked up rich creme de la creme on the nose, and Nicole and I both got lots of lemon notes on the palate (reminding Nicole of lemon tart). A wine to celebrate!  

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The destination fire tower itself is poor shape. Nonetheless, hikers, no more than six at a time, are allowed to climb its steps to see out over the trees that engulf the top of the mountain (although the enclosed lookout room at the top of the stairs was locked when we visited). Suffice it to say, if we do the hike again, Nicole will not be climbing the rickety stairs a second time.

Overall, a wonderful first hike of the season for us. Recommended for anyone in the area!

Excellent trip report with directions and distances here. 

For any non-regular readers, during the past year Nicole and I left our jobs and spent time traveling to Hong Kong, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Finland, England, France, Spain, Chile, Peru, and concluded with a 40 day road trip across the United States. This blog post explains the background of our trip.

It's been a whirlwind year. Recently some friends texted us questions regarding our travels. We thought it would be fun to answer them here:

Has your relationship changed?

Travis: Yes in some ways, no in other ways. Nicole and I have been married for fourteen years. But we spent WAY more time together during our trip than ever before. Frankly, I assumed we would spend plenty of time separately doing our own activities. That really wasn't the case. A few times, the new closeness led to arguments but, overall, having to plan the last year with very few outside constraints has made our relationship much stronger.  

Nicole: Nothing has changed dramatically, but our patience with each other and how we communicate has certainly improved. As an example, Travis can get swept away telling his own stories sometimes resulting in the question, "what was the point of the story again?" As a result, when Travis gets too far off course I simply remind him in a not to serious way, by saying the word "bananas" which indicates he needs to get to the point.

Do you miss your prior life?

Travis: We miss being around our friends in NYC. And there is definitely a part of me that is ready to have to get up and do work each day. And I miss the paychecks from our prior life. :)

Nicole: Ditto. I missed all our friends, family and having roots somewhere. It was a bit unsettling at times being far away and not having a home base to go back to.

Happiest moment of the trip?

Travis: There were so many great moments. Very little went wrong or was unexpected. If I had to pick one, it would be the evening of Thursday, July 13, 2017. We were staying in an amazing Airbnb above a cozy restaurant in tiny, Combleux, France (population: 452). In the lead up to Bastille Day the following day, Nicole had spent the day making cassoulet, a traditional French comfort meal, that would be ready for us to celebrate with the next day. That night, we dined on a simple salad on our balcony overlooking the restaurant diners below eating outdoors on the bank of the local river. Around eleven p.m., multiple fireworks displays began going off in the distance to kick off the Bastille Day festivities. Wine glasses in hand we walked down to the street and stood watching with the local families spilling out of their homes. Magic. I wrote more about Combleux in this blog post.

Nicole: As Travis said, SOOOO many great moments. How do you flip back through 365 days and pick one moment? But if I have to pick one... It was one of the days we spent in Cancale. Our generous Airbnb host invited us to join him on his boat to cruise around the area, have lunch and fish. After cruising along the shore for a bit he found a calm patch of water and we anchored for our lunch. Note, the day before he mentioned packing some sandwiches and water for lunch, so we thought that would be the extent of it. Well obviously I forgot we were in France for a moment, because BAM, he presents us each with a lovely glass of white wine and proceeds to shuck several dozen oysters which we all devour. Followed by a fresh baguette and some tasty camembert... awww delicious! To top it off, we then caught three fish which we later cooked for dinner. C'est magnifique! 

Most difficult moment of the trip?

Travis: This wasn't difficult in a bad way, but we had a very hard time picking out where to go after spending three months in France. Because of visa restrictions, we couldn't go anywhere in most of western Europe. We spent days with a map going through countries, weighing pros and cons. I realize this is a very high level problem to have, but it was a tension filled time because we didn't want to waste the opportunity to travel. After much deliberation, we chose to go to Chile and Peru and were glad we did. 

Nicole: Thankfully nothing major went wrong. It was more like sprinklings of sad moments, such as a friends getting together, family milestones, summertime in NYC, etc. that made me nostalgic and sad to miss.

Favorite place you visited?

Travis: I look back on Bordeaux most fondly. A beautiful, vibrant smaller city surrounded by famed vineyards. At least for people in the United States, I would say a very underrated travel destination. 

Nicole: It is a tie for me between the relaxing vibe of Ubud and the amazing city of Bordeaux. 

Do you miss having a home?

Travis: Yeah, I'll be happy to move to a permanent home and unpack our storage unit. But, on the other hand, I've missed having a long term residence far less than I would have thought. 

Nicole: YES. I cannot wait to get settled into our next home. I miss our bed, having people over and just relaxing in our own space.

What's next?

Travis: Right now, we are staying in the beautiful Catskills Mountains north of NYC at our friends' home. Frankly, I love it here. But it's not permanent, and Nicole and I will both be excited to move once we have our next steps solidified. We don't have endless savings, so we are planning our returns to the workforce which truthfully I think we are both ready for. We're both excited for what's to come!

Nicole: Back to work, find a place to live, make money again, and spend more time with friends and family.

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4,784 total miles.

76 hours of drive time.

And approximately 16 Dairy Queen chocolate dipped cones. 

Nicole and I started in San Francisco and ended in New York early in March 2018. We saw National Parks, a Texas rodeo, and the square where Forrest Gump said that life is like a box of chocolates... 

I had always dreamed of a U.S. road trip. Nicole also dreams of road trips ... through France. But after having recently spent three months in France, the timing seemed right to explore our own country.

We had a few restrictions. One, travelling during winter months meant sticking to a southern route to avoid the cold. Two, we wanted to make stops in certain places where we have friends or family. Three, where possible we tried to stay longer than a night because we weren't in a rush. Four, we tried to save money. After almost a year of travelling, we didn't view our road trip as the time to blow the doors out. Predominately that meant affordable Airbnbs and preparing meals ourselves when possible. 

With all that in mind, we bought a car and set out. 

One Line On Each Stop Along The Way...

San Francisco 

Travis: A great, eclectic, and vibrant American city, we always love spending time by the Bay. 

Ojai, California

Nicole: Cozy, warm, and friendly. Ojai is worth the detour.

Los Angeles, California

Nicole: Quick stop to see friends and soak up some more sun.

Phoenix, Arizona

Travis: Don't visit the Valley of the Sun without hiking! Pinnacle Peak, Brown's Mountain, and Tom's Thumb in North Scottsdale are personal favorites. 

Petrified Forest National Park

Travis: An unplanned stop on our way to Santa Fe. Spectacular painted rock hill vistas. A National Parks pass is money well spent. 

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Nicole: Funky vibe, GREAT food (green chiles on everything), and eclectic. 

White Sands National Monument

Nicole: Photographers' dreamland of rolling white hills of sand... Or just buy a sled and slide down the sand dunes.

El Paso, Texas

Travis: A quick stopover because we couldn't find anywhere near Carlsbad Caverns to stay. But excellent inexpensive authentic Mexican food at Lucy's Cafe North.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Travis: I'd always wanted to visit and the otherworldly cave walk didn't disappoint. Very well laid out and maintained path throughout. 

Marfa, Texas

Nicole: There is nothing for miles and then poof, Marfa! If this little down wasn't so hard to get to, I would insist everyone go.

Midland, Texas

Travis: Friday Night Lights! A stop over in oil country to visit family. 

San Antonio, Texas

Travis: The overly commercialized Riverwalk disappointed. The annual Stock Show & Rodeo redeemed. And we remembered (to see) the Alamo.

Austin, Texas

Nicole: Keeping it weird, but so much more. We enjoyed BBQ (as you would), frequented coffee shops and roamed through an excellent bookstore among other things.

Destin, Florida

Travis: A one night stop en route from Austin to Jacksonville. A fun, underrated beach town. And make sure to order an Irish Wake and bowl of $0.18 soup at McGuire's.  

Jacksonville, Florida

Travis: A destination in order to visit Nicole's cousin. But we were charmed by the fun, vibrant ocean-side scene along Neptune Beach. 

Savannah, Georgia

Nicole: Oh how I wanted to love thee Savannah! I'm glad we got to see it and visit for a few nights, but won't go out of my way to go back.

Savannah National Wildlife Refuge

Travis: Don't miss this four mile scenic drive just outside Savannah. There's gators (like the baby pictured below)!

Hilton Head, South Carolina

Nicole: Retirees' paradise.

Charleston, South Carolina

Nicole: I can see why so many love Charleston. Great food scene, bars and general all around fun city.

Duck (Outer Banks), North Carolina

Travis: One of the surprises of the trip for me. A peaceful beach vibe, at least in the off season when we visited. Walks along the ocean while watching dolphins play.

New York City

Travis: These streets will make you feel brand new, bright lights will inspire you. 

Nicole: Finally made it home!

...And A Few Things We Loved Or Would Have Done Differently

• The National Parks. I'd always wanted to be the type of person who visited National Parks. On this trip I was! Each stop was a trip highlight.
• We should have packed camping equipment. Sleeping in a tent occasionally would have been a fun way to break things up. There were so many potential camping spots along the way. 
• Packing healthy snacks is key. It's just so much time in the car. And it's so easy to stop for gas station snacks, fast food, and Dairy Queen chocolate dipped cones! We felt so much better when we had a cooler full of healthy food and drinks. At the end of a longer drive, we still had energy to explore rather than do nothing at the hotel.
• Podcasts! Lots of podcasts! Local radio is fun ... for a while. But downloading and listening to podcasts made the miles fly by. Anne Bogel's What Should I Read Next was the favorite of the trip.
• We should have packed a rock chip repair kit. Odds favor a windshield chip at some point. Ours was on the freeway headed to San Antonio. What a pain getting up the next morning and driving around looking for a repair facility. Nicole and I thought, there's got to be a better way. Turns out there is. Amazon sells inexpensive do it yourself repair kits. This would have saved a lot of annoyance.  
• We should have planned a few stops in Louisiana, Mississippi, and/or Alabama. We drove straight through from Austin to Destin. I regret not planning a few stops to explore these southern states. 
• Checking local events calendars. Before heading to each city, Nicole and I would Google "[city name] events calendar" and also try to pick up a local weekly newspaper. Most of the time, nothing came of it. But we got to see a cool band in Santa Fe and a Texas rodeo using this approach. 
• Used bookstores (or any other consistently fun excursion). We love to read. So for us seeking out and perusing bookstores along the way made for an entertaining diversion. Sometimes we found it hard to find things to do that didn't involve eating or drinking. Picking something like bookstores that we both enjoy was something fun we both could agree on. 
• I should have packed a weekend bag. Lugging my large duffel bag in and out of Airbnbs and hotels got tiresome. Especially when I usually only needed clothes for a few days. Not a big deal at the start, but by the end I was wishing I would have brought along a supplemental smaller bag.

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Nicole's Rating Scale: ☕ to ☕☕☕☕☕ coffee cups, 1 representing my least favorite, 5 I highly enjoyed it

The Bear And The Nightingale by Katherine Arden, Winternight book #1 -- ☕☕☕☕

My Review: I’m still left with a lot of questions, but don’t feel frustrated that they haven’t been answered yet. I appreciated the different culture point of view and the light touches of fantasy throughout, almost like fantasy lite. I wasn’t immediately absorbed, but I always felt the need to come back. I think it would be great for someone who is a fan of literary fiction, but doesn’t mind some fantasy sprinkled in. I’m onto the second book in the series and looking forward to more.

GoodReads Summary: A magical debut novel for readers of Naomi Novik's Uprooted, Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus, and Neil Gaiman's myth-rich fantasies, The Bear and the Nightingale spins an irresistible spell as it announces the arrival of a singular talent with a gorgeous voice.

At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn't mind--she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse's fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.

After Vasilisa's mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa's new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows. And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa's stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent. As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed--this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse's most frightening tales.

The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu, Remembrance of Earth's Past book #1 -- ☕☕☕☕

My Review: I had a bit of a rocky start keeping track of the first person narrators and who all the characters were, but once I got past that I very much enjoyed this book. At several points I needed to do some historical and scientific digging to understand the story better, but probably not necessary for most. I don’t always enjoy sci-fi, but I love a book that keeps me interested, provides a different perspective, and gets me thinking. I can see why this was a Obama favorite.

GoodReads Summary: The Three-Body Problem is the first chance for English-speaking readers to experience this multiple award winning phenomenon from China's most beloved science fiction author, Liu Cixin.

Set against the backdrop of China's Cultural Revolution, a secret military project sends signals into space to establish contact with aliens. An alien civilization on the brink of destruction captures the signal and plans to invade Earth. Meanwhile, on Earth, different camps start forming, planning to either welcome the superior beings and help them take over a world seen as corrupt, or to fight against the invasion. The result is a science fiction masterpiece of enormous scope and vision.

The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand -- ☕☕☕

My Review: I was looking forward to reading this since I really enjoyed Atlas Shrugged, but I unfortunately couldn't get to the same level. I loved all the references to and descriptions of architecture, and I could feel the beauty and importance of the structures being built. It certainly made me question why I didn’t study architecture myself! However, I feel like the campaign for the creator/individual could have been summed up in much fewer pages with the same impact. Overall I’m really glad I read it, but won’t race back to read it again.

Goodreads Summary: When The Fountainhead was first published, Ayn Rand''s daringly original literary vision and her groundbreaking philosophy, Objectivism, won immediate worldwide interest and acclaim. This instant classic is the story of an intransigent young architect, his violent battle against conventional standards, and his explosive love affair with a beautiful woman who struggles to defeat him. This edition contains a special afterword by Rand's literary executor, Leonard Peikoff, which includes excerpts from Ayn Rand's own notes on the making of The Fountainhead. As fresh today as it was then, here is a novel about a hero-and about those who try to destroy him.

Sunburn by Laura Lippman -- ☕☕☕

My Review: I enjoyed the trip, but not necessarily the destination. Take that for what it's worth and what type of book you tend to enjoy. Mystery, intrigue, with a dash of suspense. This book would make a great beach read insomuch as it reads quickly, isn't hefty, and doesn't require focused concentration. I was hoping for a bit more complexity, but it was an enjoyable journey.

GoodReads Summary: One is playing a long game. But which one?

They meet at a local tavern in the small town of Belleville, Delaware. Polly is set on heading west. Adam says he’s also passing through. Yet she stays and he stays—drawn to this mysterious redhead whose quiet stillness both unnerves and excites him. Over the course of a punishing summer, Polly and Adam abandon themselves to a steamy, inexorable affair. Still, each holds something back from the other—dangerous, even lethal, secrets that begin to accumulate as autumn approaches, feeding the growing doubts they conceal.

Then someone dies. Was it an accident, or part of a plan? By now, Adam and Polly are so ensnared in each other’s lives and lies that neither one knows how to get away—or even if they want to. Is their love strong enough to withstand the truth, or will it ultimately destroy them?

Something—or someone—has to give. Which one will it be?

All The Birds In The Sky by Charlie Jane Anders -- ☕☕☕

My Review: I really wanted to like this book. From the summary I knew there would be a quirkiness to it that I would appreciate. However, I couldn’t quite get excited. I would have preferred reading less about the characters' childhood, and more about their development into adults and feelings for each other.

GoodReads Summary: Childhood friends Patricia Delfine and Laurence Armstead didn't expect to see each other again, after parting ways under mysterious circumstances during high school. After all, the development of magical powers and the invention of a two-second time machine could hardly fail to alarm one's peers and families.

But now they're both adults, living in the hipster mecca of San Francisco, and the planet is falling apart around them. Laurence is an engineering genius who's working with a group that aims to avert catastrophic breakdown through technological intervention into the changing global climate. Patricia is a graduate of Eltisley Maze, the hidden academy for the world's magically gifted, and works with a small band of other magicians to secretly repair the world's ever-growing ailments. Little do they realize that something bigger than either of them, something begun years ago in their youth, is determined to bring them together--to either save the world, or plunge it into a new dark ages. A deeply magical, darkly funny examination of life, love, and the apocalypse.

Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan -- ☕☕☕

My Review: I enjoyed the read, but never felt excited. The time and place were well described and I loved reading from Anna’s point of view as a woman pushing the boundaries in her time. The ending felt somewhat satisfying, but several story lines along the way fell a bit flat for me.

GoodReads Summary: The long-awaited novel from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of A Visit from the Goon Squad, Manhattan Beach opens in Brooklyn during the Great Depression. Anna Kerrigan, nearly twelve years old, accompanies her father to the house of a man who, she gleans, is crucial to the survival of her father and her family. Anna observes the uniformed servants, the lavishing of toys on the children, and some secret pact between her father and Dexter Styles.

Years later, her father has disappeared and the country is at war. Anna works at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where women are allowed to hold jobs that had always belonged to men. She becomes the first female diver, the most dangerous and exclusive of occupations, repairing the ships that will help America win the war. She is the sole provider for her mother, a farm girl who had a brief and glamorous career as a Ziegfield folly, and her lovely, severely disabled sister. At a night club, she chances to meet Styles, the man she visited with her father before he vanished, and she begins to understand the complexity of her father’s life, the reasons he might have been murdered.

Mesmerizing, hauntingly beautiful, with the pace and atmosphere of a noir thriller and a wealth of detail about organized crime, the merchant marine and the clash of classes in New York, Egan’s first historical novel is a masterpiece, a deft, startling, intimate exploration of a transformative moment in the lives of women and men, America and the world. Manhattan Beach is a magnificent novel by one of the greatest writers of our time.

Murder On The Orient Express by Agatha Christie -- ☕☕☕☕

My Review: This was my first Agatha Christie book, so I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, especially with her being one of the best selling authors of all time only after the Bible and Shakespeare.... I loved it! It was a quick read, seemly simple, but with a subtle complexity that I didn’t pick up on until the end. I read it with the mindset that it would be predictable like most mysteries, but I can honestly say it wasn’t the ending I thought it would be. Worth the read.

GoodReads Summary: What more can a mystery addict desire than a much-loathed murder victim found aboard the luxurious Orient Express with multiple stab wounds, thirteen likely suspects, an incomparably brilliant detective in Hercule Poirot, and the most ingenious crime ever conceived?

An Unkindness Of Magicians by Kat Howard -- ☕☕☕☕

My Review: Simple, not overly complicated, and a quick enjoyable read in the fantasy genre. If you liked the Darker Shade of Magic series and The Magicians, you will definitely enjoy this one.

GoodReads Summary: There is a dark secret that is hiding at the heart of New York City and diminishing the city’s magicians’ power in this fantasy thriller by acclaimed author Kat Howard.

In New York City, magic controls everything. But the power of magic is fading. No one knows what is happening, except for Sydney—a new, rare magician with incredible power that has been unmatched in decades, and she may be the only person who is able to stop the darkness that is weakening the magic. But Sydney doesn’t want to help the system, she wants to destroy it. Sydney comes from the House of Shadows, which controls the magic with the help of sacrifices from magicians. 

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman -- ☕☕☕☕☕

My Review: I really loved this book for reasons not necessarily relevant to most. Like Elsa, my grandmother was also my best friend when I was young and passed away from cancer. She understood me when others didn’t and was always my biggest advocate. It was hard to read through Elsa’s struggle of dealing with death as it drudged up many emotions of my own, but it was so beautifully written the occasional ugly cry was well worth it. I thought the dialogue was witty and I liked the premise of the story - - Specifically, how the letters Elsa was assigned to distribute wove the story that taught her more about her Grandmother and helped her to heal.

GoodReads Summary: Elsa is seven years old and different. Her grandmother is seventy-seven years old and crazy, standing-on-the-balcony-firing-paintball-guns-at-men-who-want-to-talk-about-Jesus-crazy. She is also Elsa's best, and only, friend. At night Elsa takes refuge in her grandmother's stories, in the Land of Almost-Awake and the Kingdom of Miamas where everybody is different and nobody needs to be normal.

When Elsa's grandmother dies and leaves behind a series of letters apologizing to people she has wronged, Elsa's greatest adventure begins. Her grandmother's letters lead her to an apartment building full of drunks, monsters, attack dogs, and totally ordinary old crones, but also to the truth about fairytales and kingdoms and a grandmother like no other.

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“Old New York City is a friendly old town,
From Washington Heights to Harlem on down.”

The best immersion into the bright lights of Manhattan? Mine is to start at the top and walk to the bottom -- thirteen miles along Broadway Street: views of Gotham in its entirety from sparsely populated Inwood down through Battery Park, history dating back to the Dutch settlers of New Amsterdam, not to mention great exercise. 

Nicole and I spent five days back in our adopted hometown of NYC last week. Before heading in, I texted a good friend of mine: "You going to be around Sunday morning? I'm headed into the city this weekend. If you want to get crazy, I was toying with the idea of walking the length of Manhattan. I've done it before, 13 miles, tough but doable."

His response: "Lol. I'm around and of course am game for anything."

And just like that, the Big Walk was on.   

There are any number of routes to trek the the whole island, but only one runs continuously the entire length: Broadway. Manhattan's longest street, snaking 13.3 miles, Broadway began as a Native American trail, grew as a Dutch settlement road during the Seventeenth Century, and today is one of the most well known thruways in the United States. Walking it offers glimpses of countless Big Apple mainstays -- from relatively sparse Inwood and Washington Heights in the north; down through ever emerging Harlem; into the heart of old money Upper West Side; by electric Times Square and the Theater District; skirting the flagship Macy's store and iconic Flatiron Building; through SoHo and into the Financial District beside the Charging Bull of Wall Street; before ending just short of Battery Park at the southern tip of the island looking out upon the Statute of Liberty.

Beyond these modern highlights, walkers also tap into a rich history. Take Battery Park alone where the journey culminates: originally a Dutch military garrison in the days when Manhattan was known as New Amsterdam, later an epicenter of the Evacuation Day celebrations on November 25, 1783 after British troops left New York at the conclusion of the Revolutionary War. And that's merely one stop. It's possible to trace the history of New York City as a whole through the microcasm of Broadway, and a new book released this year does just that. (For history buffs, the New York Public Library maintains an easily navigated database of old photographs searchable by street. Below is a picture I took of the Flatiron Building at Broadway and 23rd Street during my recent walk, alongside a photo from 1925 near the same vantage point.)

I'm not alone in my enthusiasm for the Big Walk. Trekking Broadway has become a thing. Although definitely not as popular as watching baseball at Yankee Stadium or riding the elevator to the Empire State Building lookout, a growing cadre of fans have embraced strolling Manhattan tip to tip. These guys made a movie about it ("There’s one more item every New Yorker might want to add to that city bucket list — and it’s a lot healthier than eating at Shake Shack and more exciting than standing in line for the Statue of Liberty.") Another New Yorker walked every street in Manhattan but saved Broadway for his final capstone hike ("I saved Broadway for last.  In addition to being New York's most iconic street, at 13.3 miles it's also the longest.") The New York Times even gets in on the action ("Whether you are a native New Yorker or a new one, Broadway will eventually intersect with your hopes and dreams."). The walk is fun, great to do with friends, and offers an entirely unique vantage of the Big Apple. Easily one of my favorite NYC things to do.

Below are tips for fellow travelers interested in making the journey:

• Travel north to south to finish in a more central location. With respect to direction, most people go north to south, traversing the sparse northern sections at the beginning and building to the busier Times Square on down to the Financial District. One big advantage of this route is getting the lengthy subway ride to 225th Street out of the way prior to the walk, not when worn out afterwards. 
• Beat the crowds by going south to north. On the flipside, to make the best time, it's better to start in Battery Park and go south to north. The southern half of the island is much busier and heavily populated than the north. Waiting at crosswalks for traffic to clear and dodging people on the sidewalks severely slows things down. By starting early in the morning before the streets are busy (i.e., before 9am or so), it's possible to have these busier portions of Broadway to yourself at the start and make good time through Times Square and beyond before heavy congestion sets in. The streets and sidewalks above Harlem are less busy and much easier to navigate. Having said all that, I've done the walk in both directions and, honestly, either way is great. 
• Elevation change is negligible. Many internet commentators recommend going top to bottom, solely in order to be travelling "downhill." That's largely bunk. According to this topographic map, the elevation gain at the northern end of the island amounts to approximately 150 feet. Over 13 miles, not a big deal. Make your directional choice based on other factors outlined above. 
• Use the subway at 225th Street. The fastest and cheapest way to get to (or from) the northernmost part of Manhattan is the on the Number 1 subway line exiting at 225th Street. $2.75 for a single ride ticket. 
• Fun with friends. Although perfectly good as a solo endeavor, the walk makes for a great group activity, like this group of friends did ("This is something people do."). Both times I've made the journey, I've done it with a friend. The first time Nicole even joined for half the walk, another option if friends don't have most of the day to devote to Broadway. 
• No need to pack food or water. There's plenty available for purchase along the way. 
• It's safe! Even most local New Yorkers have never traversed north of Harlem and, thus, wonder about safety. Both times I've done the walk I've never felt even close to in danger in any way (but, of course, be smart and aware of your surroundings).   
• Count on at least six hours walking time, more if you plan to stop along the way. 
• CitiBikes line the southern half of the route. Although maybe technically cheating, don't be afraid to hop on a CitiBike for part of the journey. New York's bike share is available from the Upper West Side on down with checkout stations scattered along Broadway. During my most recent trip, my friend and I hopped on Citibikes to break up the monotony of walking in a couple places. Pedaling is great for a few blocks.  
• Stop for a drink, or don't. Drinking along the way? Many people ask me if I've made the walks into pub crawls. Of course this could easily be done as there's no shortage of bars along the way. But, for me, thirteen miles is difficult and time consuming enough without beers. Just my opinion! :)
• Finding bathrooms can be a challenge. I've found ducking into one of the many Starbucks along the route to be the best bet. 
• Finally, make the walk your own! There are so many options along Broadway of places to see, eat, and drink. Meet up with a friend, or hike sole. Journey straight through making good time, or take it slower with stops along the way. There's no right or wrong way, only Broadway!

A completely arbitrary list of attractions and ideas for potential stops (from south to north):

• Battery Park.
• Charging Bull near Wall Street.
• Trinity Church (Alexander Hamilton's grave is on the grounds).
• Zuccotti Park (headquarters of the Occupy Wall Street movement during 2011).
• Grace Church.
• Strand Bookstore (one of my favorite bookstores and an NYC institution).
• Union Square Park.
• Flatiron Building.
• Madison Square Park (home of the original Shake Shack).
• Eataly (Mario Batali owned Italian supermarket home to many restaurants and a coffee shop).
• The Smith (trendy spot for eats and drinks).
• The John Dory Oyster Bar (Nicole recommended and approved!).
• Macy's flagship store.
• Times Square.
• Theater District.
• Columbus Circle.
• Trump Tower.
• Lincoln Center.
• The Julliard School.
• Zabar's (iconic Jewish supermarket and deli).
• City Diner (stopped here for lunch on my most recent trip, standard diner fare).
• Columbia University.
• Fort Tryon Park (home of The Cloisters).

Have fun, get out there and enjoy Broadway! It's the best way to experience Manhattan.

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Surprisingly, not most of the time.

Although for the past three weeks, we've been settled in one place at our friends' home, even prior to that, when we consistently lived on the road, not having a permanent residence didn't bother us much at all.  

Why? We traveled slow, often spending two weeks at an Airbnb before heading to the next destination. 

Because of this, the Airbnb we chose often would make or break our stay. If we liked our Airbnb, we often couldn't help liking the city, too. If we didn't like the Airbnb ... why did we decide to visit this town anyway?

In Santiago, Nicole and I loved our Airbnb. And we also loved Santiago. 

Santiago is Chile's capital and home to approximately 1/3 of its people. We found that Chileans speak about Santiago as if it is a country unto itself, totally separate and apart from Chile's other areas. 

Originally, despite our plan to spend seven weeks touring Chile, Nicole and I decided to skip Santiago altogether. We flew into Chile's capital but immediately hopped in our rented gray Volkswagen hatchback and drove northwest to Valparaiso. Especially for myself, having lived in New York City for seven years, other metropolitan areas are often a disappointment. I figured Santiago would be like all the others.

But looking back, it would have been a shame to spend almost two months in Chile without seeing Santiago.

And after reading My Invented Country, Chilean author Isabel Allande's excellent memoir on her home country, I realized our plan to skip Santiago would be a mistake. Moreover, Nicole gravitates to large cities anyway so it didn't take much work to convince her to add four days in Santiago to the end of our itinerary.

Once we arrived, we were almost immediately happy with our decision. Our Airbnb was located in a high rise building in the bustling Bellavista neighborhood. For our four day stay, we got a small taste of what life might be like for an ordinary city dweller. We walked to nearby restaurants only a few blocks away and enjoyed the spacious outdoor patios. (I especially liked Galindo, a cozy diner-esque spot serving delicious Chilean comfort food.) 

The Bellavista neighborhood is also one of Santiago's best for checking out street art. So we did that, too. 

We spent a few hours strolling to Parque de las Escultuaras (Santiago's sculpture park). And a few more hours stuffing ourselves with the famous sandwiches at old school Fuente Alemana, after Nicole read a New York Times article about Santiago's sandwich shop scene.

We fell in love with the city. For some reason, at least to us, there seemed to be a vibrant spirit often lacking in other places we've visited. Bustling, yet full of friendly people. Nicole and I definitely would make a point to visit again if we make it back to Chile some day. 

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Ever since I was a small child, I've asked questions. Lots of them. I've had problems taking anything at face value. In some ways this has benefited me both personally and professionally inasmuch as I can apply a strong sense of curiosity to problem solving. In other ways it can be exhausting and counterproductive, like my constant assumption that there is a better answer or refusals to trust what I'm told. Nicole especially appreciates this. 

Turns out, I am a Questioner. And there are many others like me. 

Gretchen Rubin's new book, The Four Tendencies, outlines her narrowly defined personality framework. Unlike other models, such as Myers-Briggs and its offshoots, it does not aim to categorize all of a person's characteristics. Instead, The Four Tendencies focuses exclusively on one trait: How people respond to expectations, both external and internal.

Simple, but powerful. And because of this, a rarity -- a non-fiction page turner.

For most people, myself included, isn't meeting or failing expectations one of our greatest drivers of happiness or frustration? Dealing with an assignment from a boss or a request to do the dishes from a loved one -- or the New Year's resolution to get in shape or start a side business. Rubin's personality framework gets to the heart of what causes us to rise to the occasion or flounder.

Rubin herself is something of a savant. Perhaps best known for her earlier book, The Happiness Project, and her podcast, Happier, it is The Four Tendencies that put her on the map for many new fans, myself (and Nicole) included. Raised in Kansas City, Rubin went on to graduate from Yale Law School and clerk for Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor before launching her writing career. Her gift is distilling heady theories to fun and folksy nuggets. At least for Nicole and I, The Four Tendencies did not read like a boring textbook but rather a dynamic discussion of what makes us human.

So what are the Four Tendencies? 

Their bedrock is expectations, internal and external.

For clarity, an internal expectation comes from within the individual, i.e., a self-imposed goal of losing weight, whereas external expectations are everything projected onto the individual form outside, i.e., a doctor telling a patient to lose weight.

From there, the person's response to internal and external expectations divide them into one of four categories: Upholders (who freely meet both internal and external expectations), Obligers (who freely meet external expectations and are challenged by internal expectations), Questioners (who are challenged by external expectations and freely meet internal expectations), and Rebels (who are challenged by both external and internal expectations).

To find out which you are, Rubin's website has a very quick test (note: the form does require providing an email address).

The following quick descriptions accord with, per Rubin's research, the percentage of the general population who fall within each category (in descending order from most populous to rarest):

• Obliger (Freely meets external expectations / Challenged by internal expectations). According to Rubin, of any category, Obligers benefit the most from understanding their Tendency. Why? Because Obligers thrive when they use external accountability to meet internal expectations. And knowing that is powerful. If an Obliger wants to read more, they should join a book club that meets regularly -- not inwardly resolve to read thirty minutes every night. The expectations of the others in the book club, that the Obliger read the assigned books, allow the Obliger to meet their internal expectation of reading more. Nicole is a proud Obliger. 

• Questioner (Freely meets internal expectations / Challenged by external expectations). Folks falling within this category freely meet expectations that make sense to them, i.e., expectations that are, or can be made, their own. They question the validity of everything else. Hence, a Questioner at work will struggle with completing an assignment from a boss if the Questioner doesn't understand the purpose of the project or why the boss insists on it being done a certain way. However, if the answers to those questions are available and satisfactory, the Questioner will often have no problem completing the assignment. Questioners need to know why.   

• Upholder (Freely meets internal expectations / Freely meets external expectations). Because of their ability to freely meet most expectations, Upholders can get a lot accomplished. So is this the best Tendency? Not necessarily. The flip side is that their devotion to meeting expectations can overwhelm and take priority over other aspects of their life. A friend stops by to say hello to an Upholder? Sorry, the Upholder doesn't have time to chat, they have a workout scheduled and they aren't going to miss it. Upholders can be rigid and often struggle to introduce flexibility into their lives.

• Rebel (Challenged by internal expectations / Challenged by external expectations). The rarest category, Rebels do not want to be told what to do, whether by others or themselves. Instead, Rebels do what they want. Is this bad? No. Rebels are able to accomplish much -- if they feel like it. It's important to understand that Rebels benefit from a strong sense of self. Thus, one way for Rebels to change habits is to change self perception. A Rebel who wants to read more may struggle with joining a book club -- too rigid. But if it becomes important for the Rebel to see themself as a bookish person they may find they have no problem speeding through paperbacks.   

The key takeaway from The Four Tendencies is that no Tendency is better or worse than the others. Rather, the holy grail is to (1) understand your own Tendency and (2) create conditions whereby you can excel within that framework. For instance, as a Questioner, I can benefit from signing over certain aspects of my life to trusted experts. If I need to decorate a room, my Tendency leads me to deep dive into the world of interior design. But that may not be the best use of my time or energy. Hiring a trusted interior decorator would free up countless hours that I can apply to other, more fruitful areas of my life.

Beyond that, much can be gained by understanding the Tendencies of those around you and tailoring your own expectations and communications. For instance, once you understand that your friend is an Upholder, you can be more forgiving when they blow their top because you were late for dinner reservations. And if your friend is an Upholder, you should be on time!

Rarely does a book change my view of myself and the world around me. It is no exaggeration to say that both Nicole and I were (and are) captivated by The Four Tendencies. We listened to it as an audiobook and could scarcely go a few minutes without hitting pause to discuss. For anyone interested in human nature, you won't be disappointed. 

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