Really Random Tuesday #74: Dealing with Bedside Books (again!), a Giveaway Winner, and Toasted Pecans

Geez!  Why do books congregate at the sides of the bed?  I finally put some of my stacks of books in an oversized tote bag and moved them out of the bedroom, because the small bookcase by my bed was looking extremely cluttered.  My stacks of books looked about ready to topple over!  I didn't want to get rid of any books, I just wanted the area cleaned up.  It's much, much better than it was.  Next, I need to tackle the books by my husband's side of the bed (photo below).  A box or two should do the trick.  I wish we had room for more bookcases.  That would solve the challenge of having so many books! 

Hubby's bedside needs help!

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As promised, I have a book winner to announce.  Jaclyn from Jaclyn at the Thrift has won a copy of Commune of Women by Suzan Still.  Congratulations, Jaclyn!  I haven't read this book, but I read and enjoyed  Fiesta of Smoke, a historical novel by the same author.

If you didn't win this time, why not take a look at the other giveaways listed on the right side of my blog?  Later this week, I'll have a new, international giveaway for an ebook edition of Unravelled by M.K. Tod, the book I'm currently reading, so please return here to enter that giveaway if you're interested.

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As the days become cooler and shorter, I enjoy being indoors, warm and toasty in my home.  My cat and dog mostly "hang out" in the core of my home--the den and kitchen--so I try to spend more time with them in the evenings, reading on the couch, or working in the kitchen.  Every once in a while, I get inspired to try a new, healthy recipe while I'm in this part of my home.

Recently I've noticed recipes for toasting pecans on Joy Bauer's Food Cures, and other wonderful food websites.  Raw pecans can be toasted in an oven (or toaster oven) at 350° for about 5 -10 minutes, or in a pan on the stove top, on low to medium heat.  I've tried making them both ways, and they're simply scrumptious either way.  Lately, I've been more partial to cooking them on the stove top--so I don't have to wait for the oven to preheat.  To toast pecans in a pan, I usually add a smidgen of coconut oil to the pan, then a liberal sprinkle or two of cinnamon, and a bit of pink Hawaiian salt.  You can add whatever spices you wish to the nuts--sometimes I add cayenne.  Last time I made these--yesterday evening--I added a squeeze of raw, organic honey as well.  The toasted pecans taste rich and buttery--they are quite a treat!  I use as many organic ingredients as I possibly can, although organic pecans can be rather expensive (I wish Trader Joe's carried them!). 

Toasting pecans in a pan is very easy

Toasted pecans, ready to be enjoyed

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Appearing on random Tuesdays, Really Random Tuesday is a way to post odds and ends--announcements, musings, quotes, photos--any blogging and book-related things you can think of.  I often announce book winners in these posts.  If you have miscellaneous book news to gather up and are inspired by this idea, "grab" the button for use on your own blog, then add your link to the "master" Mister Linky on the Really Random Tuesday page. 

Your comments are welcomed! 

Fiesta of Smoke: Review and Giveaway

Broad in scope yet richly detailed, Fiesta of Smoke is a historical novel by Suzan Still, published in 2013.  The book is about Calypso Searcy, a successful American novelist, and Javier Carteña, a commander of insurgent Mexican forces, who meet in Berkeley and fall in love.  Many years later, in Paris, an investigative reporter, Hill, becomes involved in and absorbed by Calypso's disappearance, and her story.

As the story unfolds, the book takes us to many places, goes backward and forward in time, and the author depicts fifty years of the history of Mexico.  Although the first chapter of the book takes place in Paris in 1992, the story transports us to various parts of Mexico and other places--back and forth numerous times--and includes the present (2012) and the Conquest of the 1500s, and many years in between.  As a reader, this was, to my relief, quite easy to follow, because the place and time (and main character) is provided as a guide in each section, which helped a great deal.

The author spent thirty years working on this book (although she set it aside at times)--and it shows.  Suzan Still's writing is beautiful, powerful, and lyrical, and the descriptions of places in Mexico are particularly striking.

"On one trip to Mexico's Sierra Madre, they had managed an entire week of complete felicity.  They rode the train, the Chihuahua al Pacifico, to the rim of the Barrancas de Cobre, then hiked into the village, still innocent of roads, where he was born.  They stayed at his cousin's old adobe house with its wide plank floors and patio bordered in flower gardens and lived an idyll of sweet wood smoke, tortillas hot from the comal and the flat clang of the cracked church bell in its listing adobe tower."
~ Fiesta of Smoke, Suzan Still 

Completely captivating, this story comes to life and is believable, although it does feature a few events which could be called magical realism; the author believes these instances are "expressions of dimensions of experience that are available to anyone under the proper circumstances" (from the author interview in the back of the book).  Primarily, Fiesta of Smoke is a unique love story between two enchanting characters who draw you into their world fully, Calypso and Javier, who also share a love for social justice.  I think the characters make this book so outstanding, Calypso, Javier, and other significant characters, like Hill, Farabundo, Estrella, and Carmelita.  Calypso is an especially strong and interesting protagonist, and other women in this book are also important, along with the concept of the Divine Feminine.  As you can tell, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and I want to read more by this talented author.

Buenas nuevas! In conjunction with TLC book tours, The Story Plant is generously offering a copy of Commune of Women, the author's earlier book, as a giveaway (U.S./Canada only).  I'm not sure if I can enter this giveaway as I'm the host, but I'd sure like to read this book!

• To enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment.
• For another chance at winning, become a follower of this blog, or let me know that you're already a follower.
• For an additional chance, post about this contest on your blog, Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter.

Enter by 5 PM PST on Monday, November 4.  A winner will be selected randomly and announced on Tuesday, November 5.  Good luck! 


Special thanks to Trish from TLC for sending me a complimentary copy of this novel.  For more reviews of this book, please visit the other stops on TLC's blog tour for Fiesta of Smoke.