Sweet Salt Air: My Absolute And Final Thoughts!

Sweet Salt Air
By
Barbara Delinsky

My "in a nutshell" summary...

Nicole and Charlotte reunite on an island off the coast of Maine after a ten year separation. Needless to say there are tons of yummy issues!

My thoughts after reading...

I can't even remotely write or say anything "bad" about this book. Reading a book by Barbara Delinsky is like going home for me. Her books are yummy, relaxing, and have just the right amount of dysfunction and secrets...and in this book...amazing food descriptions!

The location for this book is also a place I cherish...Maine...and her descriptions of the people, the food, the coast, the berries...EVERYTHING...are so spot on we booked a trip in August.

Ok...first of all I love and adore Leo and his dog Bear...his relationship with Charlotte has the kind of romantic spark that is filled with...hmmm...let's just say intensity...that is to die for in a book...sexy without being graphic. Ms. Delinsky captured my reading soul in this book. I was NEVER bored...I was always anticipating each character's next move...I adored this book.

Let's just say that if you were on the beach reading Sweet Salt Air...you would miss lunch and a snack and most likely have a terrible sunburn because time would fly by so quickly.

Lest I forget...just a quick briefing of the story...Charlotte and Nicole reunite on their island to write a cookbook. Nicole's doctor husband has a secret that Nicole has kept for 4 years...Charlotte has a secret that could help Nicole's husband but kill her renewed relationship with Nicole. Leo is an island enigma and Charlotte is drawn to him...and of course...everything clashes! Yum!

What I loved about this book...

In a word...EVERYTHING!

What I did not love...

Nicole was my least favorite character...she had spoiled brat only child syndrome...but that just added to the allure of this book.

Final thoughts...

Readers who are familiar with this author's work will be delighted with this book. I think it's her best ever!

Lazy Day!

Doing nothing but lounging and savoring the last few pages of...ta da...this!
I will be finished in minutes...I can't put it off any longer! Plus the rest of the fish chowder for lunch is the perfect sweet good bye! For now...sigh!



The girls...excited to see Den last night! Lucy is used to the kisses...Roxie Blue is in training!





Buona Lettura!

Slow Is The Way To Go...With This One!

I am a fast reader...seriously...I love reading lots of books...I love snapping a book shut or "removing it from my device" or "archiving" it on my Kindle. Love it! I love writing the review, posting it on LibraryThang...Goodreads...my Twitterfeed, Facebook, and Amazon. Love it. I can read at least three...sometimes four...books a week. It's the way I roll. But...this book...can not end...I just want it to go on forever.



I think I might actually be obsessive about this book...I can't even say it's the best book I have ever read...it's just that it captures Maine so perfectly! I shared Whale School and Maine Fish Chowder yesterday but there is so much more to Maine for us. We pretty much get there every year...sometimes twice a year. We have rented houses, stayed in B&B's, and once we stayed in an awesome apartment over a barn...OMG...we loved it!

We have walked rocky beaches with Lucy Grace in a backpack...eaten chowder from
Cappy's and the Sea Biscuit and a ton of other places. Den stood in line forever to get a lobster roll from Red's. We have explored tons of towns, museums and restaurants. We have looked at properties and talk about living there...someday...we know winters can be rough but our favorite times there are off season...so...we don't think that is an issue.

We rarely go to any new restaurants when we are in Maine...we have way too many faves that we must go to...it's so much fun!


Red's!


The infamous stand in line forever lobstah roll!


Bistro Francine!


Fresh!


Primo's!


Cappy's!



Atlantica!

Plus...we love staying here...we can walk everywhere but Primo's...


And that's just Camden!

We usually spend a few nights in Portland...it's so cool...it's like the best Indie town ever...shops, bookstores, coffee! With a sidewalk along the beach where you can walk for hours...and more of our favorite restaurants! Who knew?
Street and Company and Fore Street are owned by Dana Street...we have been going to both of these for years...Gelato Fiasco was a last year's find...I crave it still!








When in Portland with Lucy Grace...we stay at the waterfront Marriott Residence Inn...without her...this one...small and lovely...you can walk to everything!









I am sorry...I am totally enmeshed in Maine...I would rather go to Maine than almost any other place...

Now...back to my book!

I just might have to find some lobstahs for dinner!

Buona Lettura!

I Did It!

Den is one of those men who is sweet about food. He knows that I get bored and I love to try new things...and he loves everything I make for him.

Yesterday he was able to catch an earlier flight so he was home by 6 ish. When I asked him what he wanted for dinner...fish chowder or chicken...he asked for fish chowder.

Over dinner he told me that the idea of having fish chowder brought back so many fond memories...of Maine and other places we have explored there. Our first taste of fish chowder was on a sailing ship while we were whale watching. The chef brought out a huge pot and crusty bread and mugs and spoons...that's how we had our first taste of real fish chowder...and that's how our fish chowder tasted last night.
Den was ecstatic!

Our love for all things Maine began with Whale School.





I needed 3 graduate hours to renew PA certification to teach. Because we had just been moved here and I couldn't stand the thought of school...I found a graduate class that took place on an island off the coast of Maine...Grand Manan...and Den and I went to whale school! It was tons of fun...we did tons of fishy stuff...and we fell in love with Maine. Den was a far better student than I was...he loved all of the classes...I hated them! And once there when I found out we had to actually write stuff and do real reports nightly...I was out while Den was still in!

I am not a studious girl at all!

Anyway...this book is bringing it all back...I love this book!


The food descriptions are to simply die for and the island life...is simply lovely!

Can't wait to get back there!

Buona Lettura!

It's Simply Wonderful!

Oh me oh my...just in case you might be wondering...the status of the kitchen is still...hmmm...somewhat undone! The tiles finally came in...I did move all of the kitchen stuff out of Den's study and into the new drawers and shelves or else into the basement...to be decided about later. We still have not painted the new island! I used to be the kind of person who needed everything done right away...I am not sure when I changed into a non decider?

Oh well...I think I have too many distractions...lol...and too many lists of things to do lately...and I am outside more now, too...oh pooh, I am making far too many excuses!

This book is just too good...it is making me miss Maine way too much...the fish chowders and blueberries and pottery and artists...the rocky coast that looks so much like Northern California...the hotel we love, the restaurants we love...I can't stand it...and now that Lucy and Roxie have each other for company...we can fly in for a long week end or even take the train! Yum!


Making this for dinner tomorrow because fish chowder is mentioned on every other page! I am using Elise's recipe from Simply Recipes! I love this site! This is Elise's photo, too...I haven't made mine yet.



Making this tonight...also from Simply Recipes..Chipotle Salsa Baked Chicken...Den is coming in from a trip to the Midwest...and this will make him so happy!



Back to my Maine book...it's such a relaxing reading experience...yum...



Buona lettura!

A Beautiful Day!

I hate it when I think I am going to love a book and it turns out to be just ok. I then find myself reading and researching what others thought about it...and over analyzing my own thoughts...that's what happened with a recent book...it began with an exciting character that I thought I would love...until she became irritating and I abruptly fell out of love with her...so sad. Has this ever happened to you?

So...back to this one...I put it down for a moment and got distracted by Den for a week...but it's about a friendship that got off track and Maine and a food writer...and it's summery...and it's everything I should love in a summery book. And it's not one I thought I would read this week. And I am reading it!



I think I need to go back to not planning what to read next and just winging it! Yeah for winging it!

Off to watering and dead bud snipping...and some deck time with my girls!



They both love the same kitty toys...the ones Ti told me about...kitty cassettes from Etsy!





Chow!

Back To Normal...

Den's staycation/Patty's long week has come to an end! Everyone is where they are supposed to be...work/home! I am trying to put our life back in order...by dusting, vacuuming, prepping for dinner...doing laundry...sigh! We aren't going to dinner in the middle of the week...or watching movies or Falling Skies Marathons...we are back on my much loved routine! I am not making popcorn for a movie marathon...we are not deciding what to have for dinner ten minutes before we should be having dinner...it was much fun...but we are back to our regular life! Hurray!
I love a schedule! I do! I do!


Books! Finished this! Fun!



Next up? I hope to read these this week...but we shall see!









But these two are distracting me...they love the "toy drawer"...

Why I Love The Emmaus Farmers's Market!

It's an event! There is a local band and people bring their dogs and a festival like atmosphere prevails! Everyone has a specialty! There's the cheese guy and the bread ladies and the strawberry, rhubarb, asparagus couple! There is the cupcake lady who is right next to the buffalo guy and the egg lady! This year there is a pizza booth...and a sweet little older gentleman sells honey and he doesn't care if you pay him today or next week. There are amazing local vegetables. We bought radishes and different colored carrots and lettuces so beautiful you can't stand it...we bought purple chard and dinosaur kale and baby beets to roast. We bought a veg crostini and a spinach goat cheese croissant that we will eat later for dinner with a salad. We bought pea shoots...we love these in salads! Who knew there was such a thing as a pea shoot?



We bought a home made granola from the bread ladies that is amazing. We bought fresh local strawberries that were prepped by Den...rinsed, sliced and sugared...we are having them later on toasted pound cake with whipped cream.


The minute we walked in I prepped all the veg to use this week. And we had our favorite lunch...lettuce sandwiches! Bread from the bread ladies...simply buttered and with a bit of good mayonnaise...and a handful of local buttery lettuce...so good!


This farmers' market is over an hour away...there are lots closer but we love going to Emmaus. We always stop at the Trivet Diner for breakfast. The actual town of Emmaus is sweetly quaint...and we love being exhausted when we walk in the door!



Really truly wiped out! We have had our showers, our lettuce sandwiches and we are chilling and watching tv...exhausted...

Cheers!