Book Review: Piranesi

I recently read through Piranesi by Susanna Clarke, who is best known for writing the epic historical fantasy Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell more than 15 years ago. Piranesi is very different from its predecessor, as it is short and dreamlike in tone while Jonathan Strange was lengthy and arch; I found the novel surprisingly affecting in its simplicity and in the emotional journey of its protagonist.

The book unfolds as a series of journal entries written by the protagonist, who is sometimes called Piranesi even though he is aware that it is not his name, as he chronicles his solitary exploration of a mysterious environment called the House.

Neighborhood Exploration

There is a lot to digest about the events of the last several months; although it has affected all of us differently depending on our individual circumstances, we have all experienced our share of grief, trauma, loss, and loneliness during the pandemic. Still, if we were lucky, we could  find moments of connection, discovery, and growth that occurred in spite of, or even because of, the challenging circumstances.

I live in a pretty walkable neighborhood, and, even prior to lockdown, I would occasionally take walks up and down the main drag in order to meet a “step quota” (I could get 4,000-5,000 steps out of a walk up and down the street) or simply get a little bit of stimulation. My walkable neighborhood became more of a lifeline than ever during lockdown, when other opportunities for getting out of the apartment began to dry up. And, slowly, these walks provided the opportunity for discovering a neighborhood that I had not fully explored, even after living there for more than a decade.

1,195 and Counting

Note: It has been some time since I’ve turned to this blog at all, and even longer since I’ve blogged about anything too substantive. But I realized that, while I have friends and family who I can confide in, I don’t always have a consistent outlet for sharing my day-to-day experiences, expressing my thoughts, or even just checking in about the random things that have piqued my interest. So, I figured I’d resurrect the blog and see how it felt.

Dinner Party: Eggplant Steaks with Ragoût

On October 23, I invited Tara, Elaine, and Nick over for dinner. Because I needed to make a vegetarian meal, I decided to try making some eggplant steaks. I think the meal turned out well, and was pretty satisfying; Elaine even said it was "restaurant quality," which is maybe overly-kind, but I'll happily take the compliment.

Dinner Party: Beef Stroganoff

On September 27, I invited Jessica over for a hearty dinner featuring Beef Stroganoff and Brussels Sprouts.

Dinner Party: Moroccan Roasted Chicken

For my dinner party on September 25, I treated Alyssa, Jill, and Sarah to a Middle Eastern themed menu. It was a fun challenge, and I had the opportunity to work with ingredients I don't use very often.

Dinner Party: Enchiladas and Tortilla Soup

On September 13, I invited Jinny, Jon, Chrissie and Matt for a Mexican-themed vegetarian meal. Because I was hosting two dinner parties in a row, I served the blueberry ice cream from the previous night as a way of making the meal planning a little easier. I ended up taking more time than I expected on the recipes, but the meals turned out well, and it was a fun time.