u/the-world-awake

As someone who tends to be pretty selective with my 5/5 star ratings, I mean it sincerely when I say THIS BOOK IS IT.

Quick synopsis: Three friends, Heather, Rachel, and Antonia are setting out on a trip through the English countryside to the enigmatic town of Almanby. They all have different reasons for going, but do have one thing in common - they have all been raised being told to never go to Almanby. What will happen along the way and especially when they get there, none can quite know for certain. It probably isn't what you, the reader, may expect, either!

It's been a few months since finishing it, but I'm still thinking about this book - a nice indicator of its staying power. I'll definitely be keeping this author, Leslie, on my radar.

A few things I adored about Lost in the Garden:

\- The surreal nature of the plot and the dreamlike structure of the prose. One never knows precisely what's going on/going to happen - all while being intriguing to keep the reader invested.

\- Little hints of foreshadowing and hidden meanings upon reflection. I may want to pick it up a second time to see what else I notice.

\- It gave me pause to think on aspects of the human condition. Attachments, relationships, preconceptions, desires, motives, change, and more.

\- This is a male author that can write women! Given the nature of the story, the characters can be pretty quirky, but are written successfully in a non-cringe manner.

\- It's confidently a standalone novel. Sometimes that's just what you need.

I acknowledge that this may not be everyone's type of book, but if you like a good surreal reading experience with a whimsical yet slightly eerie angle, I recommend trying it out.

Link to this book's Goodreads page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/208159162-lost-in-the-garden

Well, some of them at least. Can only put up 20 pictures after all. Buncha good boys 🥹

I try to hit a handful of food groups each time I pack - vegetables (including cruciferous and leafy greeny when I can/want), nuts/seeds, legumes, fruit, and often a little treat. No meat because I don't eat it.

It usually comes out to about 270 calories, which is nice for ease of calorie counting (now if I could just have the same discipline to eat well when 8 pm rolls around...😅)

Oh and I use Planet Box stainless steel lunchboxes!

It's looking kinda noob compared to you stellar cake experts, but I have a history of making pretty meh/failure birthday cakes in my family so I put my SOUL into this one and I think it paid off ♡ .

Sally's Baking Addiction cake recipe and somewhat modified I Scream for Buttercream's frosting recipe.

An experiment of using Maangchi's recipe and tips found on this sub, altered to use savoy cabbage, pre-fermented onions, and no fish/squid. Maybe not terribly authentic but I love how customizable it can be! Turned out pretty yummy.

Please excuse the poorly drawn illustrations. Hopefully they make enough sense to figure out and hopefully this is an acceptable thing to ask on this sub.

I remember sewing years ago a top with this kind of thing the arrow is pointing to. Kind of like a flounce-yoke-type overlay that also doubles as the sleeve over the shoulder? I would like to make something like this again but when I search those terms it doesn't come up with what I want.

Does anyone know the actual name for such a style?

Comments under a recipe for slow cooked pulled pork. Sally may have other issues going on.

Happy to expound upon any if there are questions.

I know the pixel quality isn't great because I'm not skilled in the picture editing arts.

They are so vibrant and flavorful I'm so grateful 😭

Sometimes it's the simple things that make a day amazing, right?

Surreal/weird recs welcome. Willing to try other genres too, but not looking for nonfiction.

You don't say 😒

I almost never volunteer to choose the book for book club (all women of varying ages) because there is frequently an incongruity with their and my preferences. It's usually fine because they introduce me to books I may not have tried otherwise, but I dunno, many of the books I read on my own would probably conjure blank stares if I were to list them.

To be fair I do read a variety of genres including books that are perfectly mild and comforting and do not like when things get too dark ... but I also looove a good surreal reading experience!

So as the title states - what book have you or would you suggest to a book club that usually doesn't read anything on the weird scale? Something to dip-the-toe, so to speak?

I've always wanted to try biking to work but had never tried. Thought it's probably too far, too steep, too much traffic, I'm not an experienced enough cyclist, etc.

I finally tried it today (weekend, day off so no time constraints) and not only did I make it, but it took less time than I predicted, I didn't feel as tired as I thought I would, and it was a lot of fun.

Anyway here's a picture with a message I coincidentally found along the way, hope it does someone some good. I guess it helped me to be less envious of other bike commuters because now I know I can be one of them 😤

If any other ladies have been unsure how capable you are as a cyclist, you may surprise yourself if you go for it!

Just opened the book for the first time and found this message.