Day 151 : Screen Doors and Sweet Tea

Chatting Books Online Day 151. It's Cookbook Day ! Today's recommended book is Screen Doors and Sweet Tea: Recipes and Tales from a Southern Cook by Martha Hall Foose.

I was first introduced to Martha Hall Foose when I read Richard Grant's Dispatches from Pluto. She was the friend who took him on a tour of the delta on that fateful day when he decided to buy the old house at Pluto. Of course reading about her in that book made me curious, so I immediately ordered her books to learn more about her. It was here that I learned that she had been the executive chef at the Viking Cooking School (bucket list item for me) , and so then of course I had to look into her recipes. What I found is that she is not only a wonderful southern cook who makes great food easy and fun in her books, but that she is also a storyteller. I had as much fun reading the vignettes as actually cooking ! Then earlier this year (late February, just before "The Weirdness" began), I had the privilege of meeting Martha in person at The Natchez Literary and Cinema Festival where she was a presenter and can I tell you she is even more delightful in real life!

Some of the recipes , ideas, and stories I like best in this book are: Mailbox Cocktails: Fold down door, set down drink; Watermelon Salsa (and the story of Miguel); Midnight Brisket; Sold my Soul to the Devil-ed Eggs; and I am fully planning to try the Ginger Molasses Cookies soon as a surprise for my ginger cookie loving husband, Rob.

O.K.Now I'm hungry so time to wrap this up. This Hardcover Cookbook is 248 pages long, printed in full color, and sells for $ 35.00 a copy .

To purchase a copy of this book . or any of the others we have recommended in the past, come see us Mondays - Saturdays between 10:30am and 4pm at the shop, or you can message me and we can ship a copy directly to you. Take Care, Mask Up, and have a mailbox cocktail !

Day 150: Indestructibles !

Chatting Books Online Day 150 . Today's recommended book is not a single book but an entire series of books . Additionally, I have not chosen these books for their high literary value (as a baby book they actually have very few words) but instead for their Indestructibility! "The Indestructibles" series of baby books are printed on a paper that feels like that stuff large envelopes are made of that you can never cut through even with a knife. And that's the point! They bill themselves as Chew Proof, Rip Proof, Nontoxic, and 100% Washable so let your kiddos ages 0+ give it all they have got, they can't tear them, they can chew on them , they can leave them on the floor of a dirty car or drop them in the dirt outside - it doesn't matter! Just throw them in the sink and give them a wash and they are good as new! Oh, and did I mention that the binding is sewn so no staples to contend with or chance of tearing the pages out of the middle !

We carry a variety of titles at any given time and each book sells for just $5.95 a copy.

To purchase a copy of these books. or any of the others we have recommended in the past, come see us Mondays - Saturdays between 10:30am and 4pm at the shop, or you can message me and we can ship a copy directly to you. Take Care, Mask Up, and remain Indestructible!

Day 149: The Coffee Bean

Chatting Books Online Day 149. Today’s recommended book is The Coffee Bean Co-written by Jon Gordon , the bestselling author of The Energy Bus, and Damon West . It is an inspiring tale that asks the question “are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean”? Through this short fable we learn a simple lesson to create positive change in our lives and the lives of those around us. I won’t tell you anymore for now because I want you to read it for yourself but I enjoyed it and I know that had I come across this book back when I was coaching a sales team I would have sent a copy to each of my teammates to let them know that it is more how they react to their external circumstances than the circumstances themselves.

This small hardcover book sells for $17 a copy.

To purchase a copy of this book come see us Mondays - Saturdays between 10:30am and 4pm at the shop, or you can message me and we can ship a copy directly to you. Take Care, Mask Up, and Remember the Coffee Bean !

Day 148: The Words Between Us

Chatting Books Online Day 148. Today's recommended book is from my favorite genre "books set in bookstores" . The Words Between Us by Erin Bartels combines a bit of mystery, a bit of politics, a bit of intrigue, a bit of romance, even a murder or two and of course it also has a lot of references to many of our favorite books. Meet Robin, a girl on the brink, on the run, and on the mend. She will instantly become one of those characters that stays in your mind for a very long time like an old friend. Oh, and there is also an 85 foot animatronic dinosaur made of books !

Paperback, 372 pages, $15.99 a copy

To purchase a copy of this book come see us Mondays - Saturdays between 10:30am and 4pm at the shop, or you can message me and we can ship a copy directly to you. Take Care, Mask Up, and don't go the way of the dinosaurs!

Day 147: The Week in Review : August 3-9, 2020

Chatting Books Online Day 147. The Week in Review August 3 - August 9, 2020.

It was a week about learning something new . We learned Spanish in Let’s Learn Spanish : First Words for Everyone . Then we learned sign language in My First Book of Sign Language . We learned more about a favorite southern author with : William Faulkner: New Orleans Sketches. And saw all 435 of John James Audubon’s birds in beautiful detail in : The National Audubon Society Baby Elephant Folio: Audubon's Birds of America. Then we rounded out the week learning table manners in :Tiffany’s Table Manners for Teenagers , and how to the perfect guest in: What Can I Bring: Southern Food for any Occasion Life Serves Up.

If you missed any of these reviews and want to read what I had to say about them you can see all of our Chatting Books Online picks by visiting our website at: http://www.conundrumbooks.com/chatting-books-online .

We still (and always will going forward) offer shipping if you cannot make it to the store. Or just stop by the shop Monday - Saturday between 10:30am and 4pm

Day 146 : What Can I Bring?

Chatting Books Online Day 146. Today's recommended book "What Can I Bring: Southern Food for any Occasion Life Serves Up", comes to you from the good folks at Southern Living and was written by Elizabeth Heiskell.

I just love what this book says as the headline on the back cover: "Welcome every invitation. Bring Something from the heart, wherever you're headed, no stress required". And the book aims to provide you with a recipe to fit each occasion. With chapter titles ranging from "bringing baby home" and "potluck" to "Four Quarters and Food" and "Boys will be Boys" there is something sure to fit every bill ! There is even a section on what to bring (that may or may not be set out that night) when you are invited for a friend's house to dinner and when you ask "What can I bring" they respond "Oh, I have everything taken care of" - this section alone is invaluable!

Hardcover book. 272 pages. $ 30 a copy.

To purchase a copy of this book come see us Mondays - Saturdays between 10:30am and 4pm at the shop, or you can message me and we can ship a copy directly to you. Take Care, Mask Up and never arrive empty handed again!

Day 145: Tiffany's Table Manners for Teenagers

Chatting Books Online Day 145. Today's recommended book is Tiffany's Table Manners for Teenagers. Written by Walter Hoving with drawings by Joe Eula.

Love this little book. It focuses mostly on the niceties of sharing a meal (of course, who would know more about place settings than Tiffany's ?). With short descriptions and delightful pencil sketch illustrations it makes sure your favorite teenager will appear refined at any meal. I even love the wording, (on moving the fork from plate to mouth): "Don't stick your elbow out and raise your whole arm like a derrick". And don't hold the knife and fork in this position (illustration) , it looks " unattractive and belligerent". There is just enough information to help anyone feel comfortable at a meal but not so much it feels overwhelming.

The book is hardcover , with 95 pages and sells for $17.99 a copy.

To purchase a copy of this book come see us Mondays - Saturdays between 10:30am and 4pm at the shop, or you can message me and we can ship a copy directly to you. Take Care, Mask Up and as the final page says: Bon Appetit!

Day 144: Birds of America

Chatting Books Online Day 144. 

I find it hard to believe I have not recommended this one yet, but...today's recommended book is 'literally" one of the biggest books in the store:  The National Audubon Society Baby Elephant Folio: Audubon's Birds of America.

The book includes all 435 of Audubon's birds.  Containing 917 full-color illustrations this mammoth of a book is a beautiful addition to any coffee table or display .  Expertly photographed from one of the finest sets of John James Audubon's Elephant Folio this edition has superior print quality to others I have seen that came before, and after this edition.  One of my favorite features of this edition is the inclusion of descriptions of each bird  which the editors gleaned heavily from Audubon's own writings quoting from his Ornithological Biography rather than simple encyclopedia -like entries pertaining to each bird. 

I said it was a big book , actually it measures" : 3.0" H x 15.8" L x 12.9" W, it is 18 pounds in weight and has  696 pages   This beautiful hardcover edition complete with a slip-in box to keep it dust free when not in use.  $185.00 a copy.

So if you like Big Books and you Cannot Lie you can purchase a copy of this book come see us Mondays - Saturdays between 10:30am and 4pm at the shop, or you can message me and we can ship a copy directly to you.  Take Care, See you Soon!