Come over, there's charcuterie

& quick reviews of what I read last month

Rebrand alert! I’ve emerged from my pandemic + baby + moving + seasonal affective disorder cocoon with a brand new newsletter name and my personality (almost) intact.

As I recently reflected on the type of content I enjoy sharing on the internet, the title “recipe for a bookish life” kept popping into my mind. I love writing about books and reading, of course, but I also enjoy playing hostess and inviting you to my virtual dining room table for conversation, charcuterie, and friendly advice. When someone tells me they cooked a recipe I shared, I get (almost) as excited as when they read a book I recommended.

Enter (or reenter) my newsletter.

I hope you follow along for reflective reading updates and reviews, recipes, and a potential new romance project I’m stirring up for summer. Now, let’s get to the good stuff.

The Tea Dragon Society by Kay O’Neill I never expected to fall in love with a fictional community the way I have through this charming, queer, cozy fantasy graphic novella. Greta comes from a long line of talented blacksmiths, but when she wanders into Hesekiel’s tea shop she finds another calling as a tea dragon caretaker. Hesekiel, his partner Erik, and their mysterious boarder Minette care for tiny, harmless dragons who grow tea leaves out of their backs. The creatures are picky, precocious, and securely attached to their caregivers; they also provide delicious tea that allows the drinker to travel through a dream-like experience of memory. I quickly read all three books in this cozy (SO cozy) series to learn about each character’s backstory, traditions, and adventures. Each installment is available on Kindle Unlimited.

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett I adored the story of Professor Emily Wilde and her intrepid research adventures, told in the format of Emily’s field notes. Given that Emily is devoted to her work and incredibly detail-oriented, this structure works well, even in the audiobook format. Determined to uncover the secrets of the Hidden Ones, Emily travels to a small Scandinavian country to study their tracks and gather as much local folklore as possible—but the townsfolk refuse to be mere study participants, and Emily must navigate forming new friendships and receiving hospitality despite her academic introvert tendencies. When her colleague (a charming rogue of a professor) appears, Emily begrudgingly accepts his help for the more dangerous aspects of her research. Their grumpy-sunshine energy is sure to delight romance readers, though I felt that subplot unnecessary to my own enjoyment of the novel. Perfect for fans of witty British humor, light academia, and faerie legends.

Maizy Chen’s Last Chance by Lisa Yee Since we’re reading classic children’s literature for Novel Pairings this spring, I’ve been listening to the occasional middle grade audiobook to expand my knowledge of current middle grade and YA offerings. This Newbery Honor Award winner made my heart soar! Maizy and her food-styling mom travel from Los Angeles to spend summer break in Last Chance, Minnesota in order to help care for her ailing grandfather. While her mom repairs her relationship with Oma, Maizy spends her time listening to Opa’s stories about their family’s immigration history. These lessons strengthen Maizy’s pride in her identity, which proves essential when hate crimes rise across the country, and vandalizing bullies threaten her grandparent’s restaurant. Maizy is plucky, caring, and determined—an absolute delight to root for.

Recipes

I whipped up this delicious (and easy) homemade mac and cheese on Sunday. I like to sub greek yogurt (instead of heavy cream) and add Costco rotisserie chicken for extra protein, served with a side of broccoli. Yum.

I’ll definitely return to this warm couscous and brussels sprouts salad before winter ends.

Next week, I plan to make honey glazed salmon with stir fried veggies, and maybe I’ll pair it with our new favorite noodles from Trader Joe’s (Theo loves them, too!).

Notes

Our baby got his first haircut this week!!! He looks slightly older, but I’m so glad his curls stayed put. He still looks like my Theo.

At Novel Pairings University, we’re covering classic children’s literature all spring long, starting with Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.

I rounded up some literary love stories for Modern Mrs Darcy this week, and promptly added three more to my TBR because the bookish romance novels keep coming.

My current reads include a stellar essay collection, an unputdownable kid lit classic, and more middle grade.

If you need a skincare fix, run to your nearest Target and pick up any/all of the products from Naturium. I am obsessed.

To find out more about my current reads, favorite recipes, and life updates follow me on Instagram. If you’re interested in deep diving classic literature, check out the Novel Pairings Patreon community.

Some of the links in this newsletter are affiliate links. If you shop these links, I earn a small commission at not additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting my work in this way.

If you know a reader who loves all things reflection, recipes, and reviews, please send them a link to this newsletter. I’m eager to experiment in this space each week—my test kitchen, if you will. Thanks for reading!

Chelsey