Joyland: A Stephen King Novel for the Mystery-Lover

I know, I know. Two Stephen King novels in one year. I should diversify. But this one isn't your typical Stephen King "horror" novel; it falls under the genre of "mystery." 

Okay, it's basically a mysterious horror novel. 

(#1) Read 26 Books
1. Firestarter by Stephen King
2. World War Z by Max Brooks
3. Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer
4. Red Hook Road by Ayelet Waldman
5. A Wolf at the Table by Augusten Burroughs
6. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
7. Open House by Elizabeth Berg
8. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
9. The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
10. The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
11. White Noise by Don DeLillo
12. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
13. The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood
14. MaddAddam by Margaret Atwood
15. Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

16. Joyland by Stephen King

Joyland is the story of Devin Jones and the summer he spends working at a North Carolina amusement park. Devin visits the resident fortune teller who predicts he will meet two children- a girl with a red hat and a boy with a dog. His journey toward meeting them both is half of the mystery of the book.

The second half of the mystery revolves around the murder of a young girl at the park many years ago, whose ghost now supposedly haunts the haunted house where she was murdered. This being a Stephen King novel, you can expect a spectacularly supernatural reveal and an exciting and highly unlikely twist.

If you are a die-hard Stephen King lover, this will probably not be your favorite. It has more of a whodunit feel. The narrator is more your typical teenage boy than a middle-aged, tormented writer. Not to mention it doesn't take place in his signature small town in Maine.

If you're not big on Stephen King but the sound of an amusement park mystery appeals to you, then give this one a chance. It's only about 200 pages, so it has that going for it at the very least.

Harissa: Spicy Doesn't Begin to Describe It

One good thing about blogging about your experiences is that you get all your readers on your team. Friends have recommended movies or let me borrow books, helped me make pasta, or even just encouraged me and told me how I've encouraged them.

In this case, a friend brought a new food for me to try, all the way from Tunisia.

Try 26 New Foods:

1. Bison
2. Ethiopian Food
3. Oysters Rockefeller
4. Shark
5. Escargot
6. Frog legs
7. Chicken and Waffles
8. Hemp Vodka
9. Uni 
10. Beef Tongue
11. Amaranth
12. Bibimbap
13. Kimchi
14. Harissa

I had never heard of harissa until Chris brought us a can. Even though I figured it was a regional thing to the Middle East/North Africa, I was surprised to learn that it was specific to Tunisia. Harissa is a Tunisian chili paste made from roasted red peppers, hot peppers, and spices. Much  like a good marinara sauce, the recipes vary, but generally include garlic, coriander, cumin, and olive oil.

Ours came in a can and looked a lot like tomato paste.

 

A quick Google search directed me to this recipe- obviously highly exotic since it gives temperatures in Celsius.

The basic idea was just to rub a little harissa and oil on some chicken breasts, and roast them up with some tomatoes and olives.

The recipe turned out delicious, though the harissa was a bit more spicy than I expected. Luckily I served it with some non-spicy roasted potatoes. Next time, I'd probably use a thinner layer of harissa on the chicken.

The beautiful thing about trying new foods is that there really are things out there that you haven't tasted. That you can't even imagine the taste of. This was one of those things.

It was spicy, yes. It did have a sweet red pepper/tomato taste. It was smoky, likely from the cumin. But there was definitely an indescribable element to it, a depth that was surprising and delightful. I have definitely never tasted anything quite like it and I am excited for the chance to taste it again.

I'm pretty sure we can find it somewhere closer than Tunisia.

Update: Harissa has since been popularized by the fast-casual dining establishment Cava Mezze Grill. I highly recommend trying the restaurant, even if their harissa may be too spicy for you. 

Where'd You Go, Bernadette?

I'd heard about Where'd You Go Bernadette on a few lists recommending good summer reads for 2013. I didn't get around to it until a bit later, but I'd call it a good read for just about any time of year.

(#1) Read 26 Books
1. Firestarter by Stephen King
2.World War Z by Max Brooks
3. Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer
4. Red Hook Road by Ayelet Waldman
5. A Wolf at the Table by Augusten Burroughs
6. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
7. Open House by Elizabeth Berg
8. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
9. The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
10. The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
11. White Noise by Don DeLillo
12. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
13. The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood
14. MaddAddam by Margaret Atwood
15. Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

Where'd You Go, Bernadette is the story of an eccentric ex-architect trapped in the world of perfect Seattle soccer-moms. Her only daughter, the genius and sweet-tempered Bee, and her Microsoft executive husband and kind-of-a-big-deal husband Elgin accept her for her eccentricities (such as purchasing a former school for her family to live in as a home), but the same can not be said for the other moms in the neighborhood.

After a series of escalating run-ins with a particularly gnat-like neighbor, Bernadette disappears. The novel is structured in part as a variety of emails and letters that Bee compiles to try and find her mother. A lot comes out in the search that explains some of Bernadette's most odd behavior.

This book was unique, fun and memorable. I don't always enjoy epistolary novels but I thought in this case it worked. There was enough variety and enough depth for me to follow along, and enough mystery to keep me reading.

I hate to say that I could relate to the bizarre Bernadette, but as a fellow artist with occasional eccentric tendencies I could certainly sympathize. And when it comes down to it, she is the best mother that she knows how to be, and her daughter loves her. So that makes it hard to view her as a villian-  at least entirely.

I also enjoyed the look at the private-school parents who were basically what you would expect them to be. And it presented an interesting look at Seattle, told from the perspective of the seemingly only person in the entire city who does not absolutely adore living there.

All in all, I'd recommend this book. It's a great read for the beach or a plane. Or just a rainy day, to get you in that Seattle spirit.