– by Neil White (on my Kindle) – a really, really interesting book. It’s a memoir about the year the author spent in prison in Louisiana. About his sanctimonious attitude when he arrived there (he was convicted of kiting checks trying to keep his publishing business afloat) and what he learns during his year. But as much as it’s about his life as a prisoner, it’s more about the other residents of the prison – the last remaining lepers (Hansen’s Disease) who are provided for in the facility. Neil White is quite a character and I wondered more than once if he was ever going to “get it,” that he was greedy and egotistical. The book wasn’t published for about 10 years after his release, so at least he didn’t profit immediately by telling tales. The epilogue was so sad – listing the deaths of many of the leprosy patients and some of the inmates he came to call friends. One person at amazon commented that it was not worth reading because the author profited from his incarceration, and that he didn’t appear to have redeemed himself. I disagree – I think he did. If he didn’t, then he knows how to spin a good yarn. I choose to believe he learned a whole lot about himself and where his life took a (wrong) left turn, and that he’s trying to atone for his failings by publishing the book. You decide.
- by P.D. James (on my Kindle) – if I hadn’t read about this book in the Los Angeles Times a week or so ago I’d never have pursued this book. It’s nothing even close to her wealth of books of the mystery genre. But yes, it IS a mystery (not something I normally read) but it takes place about 5 years after Pride and Prejudice leaves off. That was the hook for me. An entertaining read and a way to keep in touch with all the lovable (and not-so) characters from Jane Austen’s classic. It’s not a page-turner in the true mystery-murder style, but it’s fun to read.
– by Judith Ryan Hendricks – I picked up this book at a lending library I use now and then. I have to laugh, though – the collection of books (probably numbering about 350 or so) is divided by paperback and hardback. And then by color. COLOR? I find that so ludicrous. But anyway, the title caught my eye. It’s definitely a novel, about a youngish woman who’s been a baker and a chef, but who is suddenly single. It’s about her struggle to find herself, to find a new rhythm of life. In the telling of the journey some recipes are included (baked goods, including bread-bread), which are available on the 
– by Ree Drummond (The Pioneer Woman) – most everyone who reads blogs knows about Ree – the Pioneer Woman, from Pawhuska, Oklahoma. She’s always entertaining, whimsical and enjoyable to read. A couple of years ago she wrote a memoir of her romance with Ladd, her now husband. I can’t count how many times, as I was reading this, that I was LOLing (Laughing Out Loud). She is such a witty writer and knows how to tell a story. Even though I know she married Ladd and has since had 4 children, I was caught up in her story from the first page. I wrote it up in more detail on
– (on my Kindle) Michael Tucker (from L.A. Law some years ago) and his wife, on a whim almost, buy a home in Umbria. An old, old, old house with two bedrooms, a kitchen, living room, I think, and a nice terrace (where a lot of living goes on in Italian homes and families). It’s the story of the purchase itself, the friends they meet, the neighbors, how Michael finds the best butcher(s), bakers and candlestick makers. It made me long for another trip to Italy, actually. They enlarge the home, although they’re not there for most of the construction. It’s a similar tale to Frances Mayes’ books and Peter Mayle’s books too, but it’s different. Tucker is a TV star; his wife’s a stage actress. They live on some higher plane than I do, for sure, with lots of friends with connections. But it’s a cute story and I enjoyed it clear to the end.
(Stacy Schiff); 
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Have you seen the new Pinata apples at your local market? I did, just the other day, at my local Trader Joe’s (see photo below).
Recently I was contacted by the producer of this apple, the Stemilt Company asking if I’d like to sample them. I said “sure.” A week later a small package arrived containing two of these tasty apples.
I suppose we could ask – do we really need yet another apple variety to choose from? Well, we can hardly have too many, right? I don’t buy Red Delicious anymore – in fact I don’t know that they ever come to market any longer. So many tasty varieties have been developed (like Braeburn, Gala, Honeycrisp, or Fuji) that far surpass the flavor and shelf life of Red Delicious. A couple of years ago I did a long write-up here on my blog about apples, if you’re interested.
What I buy are Granny Smiths for cooking, when I want the apples to stay in their shape, and the other varieties I buy for an eating apple – one that’s crispy and sweet.
At right is a photo I snapped with my iPhone at Trader Joe’s last week – the Pinata apples were 59¢ each. They will be available starting next month at most grocery stores.
Pinatas have an interesting heirloom parentage – it’s a cross between Golden Delicious (a truly American apple), Cox’s Orange Pippin (an English variety), and the Duchess of Oldenburg (from Russia). The apple was developed in Germany about a decade ago and was transplanted to the U.S. 6-7 years ago. The trees must now be bearing enough fruit for nationwide distribution. They’re grown in central/eastern Washington State. Good, solid apple country! We liked them. They have the flavor of the golden delicious, but the crisp texture of a pippin. The ones we sampled were just a slight bit on the tart side of sweet – if a scale existed from 1 to 5 of sweetness of this crispy sweet apple, it would be on the lower side. The Honeycrisp would be a 5. I didn’t try cooking with them – they were eaten out of hand. I’ll try more of them, though. See what you think.
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