The stars have aligned and I am hosting three events this month:
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Movies & Munchies: I Don’t Know How She Does It (2011) with Sarah Jessica Parker, Pierce Brosnan, and Greg Kinnear.
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Lit Happens: This is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman
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Cook the Books: Call of the Camino by Suzanne Redfearn
I watched this film when I last visited my sister in March. It was perfect afternoon viewing. I do love Sara Jessica Parker but I had never heard of this movie. Think a more practical Carrie Bradshaw with kids and you have part of the premise already. Christina Hendricks also makes an appearance and she looks smashing.
If you’re not a member of Movies & Munchies on Facebook, search for us and reach out (or drop a comment below). Just watch the film and post up an inspired-from recipe before the end of April. There’s at least one scene if you’re a pie baker OR if you’ve ever had to whip something up last minute for a school bake sale.
I bought this book to perhaps recommend for Cook the Books but I didn’t get it read in time (and I’m done with recommending on other’s reviews). I am about halfway through it at this point and so I decided to host in Lit Happens (another Facebook club so reach out if you want to join). This is a book about family drama at its worst (or best if you look at the dark, ironic humor angle). I think we all have witnessed families dissolve into chaos after the matriarch or patriarch passes away. It does seem like true colors come out. This is Not About Us is basically a family ripped apart by a cake recipe. I will have book discussion questions up in a few weeks on the Lit Happens FB page.
Finally, Cook the Books….at least that is a double month booking. Call of the Camino is the April/May featured book. I read this book previously and loved it. You can check out all the details here.
Everyone has seen The Way (2010) with Martin Sheen. (If you haven’t, you should.) Everyone who has seen The Way wants to walk the Camino. (Or at least I did.) In 2022, I got to review a travel book, Camino de Santiago: Sacred Sites, Historic Villages, Local Food & Wine by Beebe Bahrami. Again, I wanted to experience this pilgrimage. More recently I read Call of the Camino by Suzanne Redfearn and my longing to hike this historic and sacred route was renewed.
The novel follows two women in two different time frames. Reina, a travel writer, sets off in 2024. She sees the trail as a way to connect with her late father’s memory while potentially advancing her burgeoning career. Isabelle’s journey takes place in 1997. She is a teenager on the run from a violent family situation. She sees the Camino as a place to hide.
Along the way, they both meet remarkable characters and make lasting connections with other pilgrims. Ultimately, their tales intertwine as one woman discovers her past while the other finds her future.
This is not a food-centric novel but I think you will find enough food and wine along the way to be inspired. Or, you could make some hearty hiking food to take along the trail.
Please reach out if you are interested in participating in any of these groups but you’re not a member. We’re a pretty inclusive bunch! 🙂
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