Recipe: summer picnic staples

So, this is autumn... Gone are the hot summer days, the endless hours by the beach, the siestas, the doing-nothing-just-staring at the "big blue"... the sea...

Indeed, like most of us, I've already returned to my pre-summer habits, work, exercise, reading, redecorating (in that order).  But not before I tell you about my friend Jessi's invitation to the last lazy, hazy days of summer she organised about a fortnight ago.  We had just a great time by the terrace, each describing their adventures over the summer, our plans for the time ahead and the things we will most miss about this summer...

The theme of the gathering was about laziness, so the food was accordingly lazy:  no forks and knives, people, just plain picnic/finger food!  Here are some suggestions that I prepared for that evening, ready to pack and go:

The Classics Club: Emma

To be honest, if it hadn't been for Adam's Austen in August event, I probably wouldn't have read Emma by Jane Austen, preferring to read other titles for the Classics Club (I am more of the Brontë type...). The reason?  I haven't read Austen (with the exception of Mansfield Park, which I didn't like).  But, I have seen all the films that have been made about her books (some in several versions). 
The problem here is, these films are so romantic that to my mind Austen is a romance novelist, writing about pretty girls going around the world, getting into trouble, but in the end finding happiness with their perfect little husband-saviour ... ugh! (Apologies to Alex, an avid Austen fan).

Recipe: last of the summer jello

Last night it started to rain... again... there goes the summer... Even though I witnessed 4 (yes, four) heatwaves this summer, still... I don't want it to end.  I know all seasons have their own beauty - but there's something in summer that make it just a tiny bit more exciting.  Ice-cream, yes, definitely but still better:  Jello!

The Classics Club: The importance of being Earnest

One of the fun parts in blogsphere, in my mind, are the read-a-longs.  Several bloggers read one piece of literature and exchange ideas and opinions about it.  What usually comes out of this, are bits that one had never thought about and comparisons with similar (or not) pieces that may trigger further interest (and additions to the TBR lists...)

Wallace at Unputdownables hosted the read-a-long of The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde in August.  It was a brilliant little play, perfect for the laid-back month of holidays (at least for me...)

The Classics Club - my favourite Classic

In the newly-published site for the Classics Club, you will find a plethora of information about this community bringing all the enthousiasts for classic literature together - from proposals of titles for the book list, to interactions with other members of the club.  There is also a new feature, a monthly meme, aiming to get some insight into a particular subject.  For August, the question is pretty straight-forward:  what is your favourite classic and why?

I love classic literature because it has opened up my knowledge of the world.  More than modern literature, which I also read and enjoy, classic works leave a much stronger mark on me and for a much longer period of time.  I appreciate the effort that goes into these novels and little ideas that stick to my mind and are analysed and digested...

The Classics Club: Candide

In order to avoid an almost-exclusivity of English literature in the Classics Club, I thought I would read some of the literature gems found in other countries. Case in question, Candide by Voltaire, a precious little novel that hits so many notes...

Candide tells the story of a young man, full of the optimistic teachings of Pangloss (btw, following this novel, Pangloss is an official entry in the English dictionary meaning a person who views a situation with unwarranted optimism), who sees only the best possible scenario in anything happening in the world around him.  Voltaire is using extra-ordinary circumstances to make the point that not everything is for the best in humanity. Moreover, he proves that not everything we see is real and the truth may be totally different.