Scorpio Races, by Maggie Stiefvater: Horse whispering by the shore

Scorpio Races

by Maggie Stiefvater

Scholastic: New York, 2011

Publishing date 10/18/2011

     On the small isle of Thisby, the arrival of autumn hearlds the start of training for Scorpio Races, a 5-mile slog down cliff-bound beach on the back of barely tamed man-eating horses.   Adapted from the Gaelic and Celtic legends of the kelpie, the blood thirsty water horses are known of as the capall uisce, drawn to shore every year by the November tides.  Yearly, men die in the races, either trampled or mauled by the monstrous animals they race.  Yet the races are the economic and cultural backbone of Thisby, a mid-century fictional island that reminds of a small Irish island.  Four-time race winner and pseudo-horse whisperer Sean Kendrick saw his father die in the race as a child, yet is drawn to the powerful and dangerous capail uisce.  He longs of earning enough to purchase the capall uisce on which he has successfully raced, Corr, from his horse dealer employer.  This year, though, the tides have turned.  Kate “Puck” Connelly, orphaned by the capall uisce, will be the first woman to enter the race, audacious enough to race on a regular horse.  Puck is racing both to save her home from the same horse dealer, and to stall her older brother from migrating to the mainland.  Stoic and quiet Sean is the only man on the island who gives her a chance, even helping her train.  Puck and Sean both have everything to lose and everything to gain, including a friendship that has the potential to blossom into more.  Will they make it through training?  Will Puck be allowed to race?  Will they survive the race?  Who will win?  Who will lose everything?  This book is strongly recommended to girls aged 12-15, and may hold appeal for fans of Stiefvater’s other series. 

Mysterious Scottish Library Lover, get at me.

Okay you guys, I think it's time for a confession.  

The mysterious fantastically talented Scottish library lover?  

I know you all thought it was me.   It's not!  

I did not do this.  But I wish I did!

I'm actually Banksy.  

Just kidding.  But in all seriousness, how incredible are these pieces, and how much do you want to find one in your library?  I am hooked.  

I want to know what's next and who is the creative genius behind these!

Andalsoifwecanbebestfriendsandmaybeifyoucouldmakemeone...that would be cool too.

Very Important Thoughts By The PaperblogPrincess:

1.  Alice has a new haircut.  I didn't say it was a good one.
2.  There is not nearly enough of Jasper's constipation face in this trailer.
3.  How is it possible they were able to convince Taylor Lautner to keep his shirt on for the whole trailer?  Is it because he becomes a pedophile in part 2?  Was that the deal?
4.  Heheheheadboard!
5.  Oh, how I love Michael Sheen. You, sir, are possibly the only one who both sees and delights in this movie for what it really is:  a really great excuse for a drinking game.
6. Four movies in and they can't afford better makeup? HOW DO THEY STILL HAVE CAKEFACE?

News(ies) Flash

Last I heard, Newsies the Musical was no more than something I one of my ladyfriends made up after a few drinks, and wrote it off thusly.  BUT NO.  It is truth! TRUTH!  And you guys.  Check out this footage via Jezebel, via somewhere else.  SQUEE. 

Is it just me or is it slightly odd to see moderndudes dressed in moderndudewear, singing Newsies songs?  But more importantly: new Crutchy.  Will he limp as unconvincingly as OG Crutchy?  If not, I'm not sure I can get behind the revival.  Clearly I'm making this up for dramatic affect, kind of like those accents.  Where can I get my tickets already?

Recipe 38: Roasted Eggplant Soup

It became abundantly clear to me in, uh...March, that it was unlikely that I'd be able to complete the Le Creuset 52 Challenge this year, especially considering I was going away for the entire summer.  I definitely couldn't bring it to Chile with me; seeing as part of my apartment intruder-attack plan includes flinging Blue at said apartment-intruders head, I'm pretty sure it counts as a weapon of mass destruction (especially if you are a vegetable inside it, badoom ching! It's a good thing I make myself snicker...)  As per, I'm off on a tangent, so let us return to our regularly scheduled programming:  my new plan is to eventually get to the 52 recipes mark, as originally planned.  It may just take two calendar years though.  But we'll get there!  

BB: Before Blending

In other news, I've been sharing a farm share with the biggest little soccer fans this side of the Charles, the chef and publicity guy behind the fabulous Asphalt Kitchen.  Except since I wasn't here, they have been eating drowning in my half of the share for most of the summer.  Bean stopped by my first day back in town with a rather large shopping bag quite literally bursting with veggies.  It's a little overwhelming.  Luckily, the bountiful crop of veggies this time of year have forced me to crack open the cookbooks and start making the recipes I've been earmarking.  This week I invited the Asphalt Kitchen over to make Smitten Kitchen's Roasted Eggplant Soup.  We more or less followed the recipe, although I added some cayenne, cumin, and corriander to it (as suggested), and did have to substitute rosemary for thyme because I thought I had some and didn't.  Oops. 

AB: After blending

Everyone loved this soup.  Everyone but me.  Don't get me wrong, I really, really, really liked it.  I just found it incredibly bright, as though it needs something to bring it a little more down to earth.  Next time I make it (and I will, it is incredibly easy and uses up sooooo many of my farmshare veggies), I plan on trying some of the suggestions in the comments by either adding tahini or paprika.  Did anyone who has tried this recipe or some variant find the same? How do you do it differently?  Suggestions on how to make it more earthy, por favor!

Roasted Eggplant Soup
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, where it was adapted from Bon Appetit

Serves 4

Three kinds of cheese, two kinds of tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, green onions, and onions, all from Farmer Dave's farm, are visible in this one picture !