The Weekly Wrap: May 12, 2024

This week, I finished reading Fourth Wing. It was the first book in a long time that had me staying up past my bedtime to read. In fact, I went to bed earlier so that I could have more time to read. I have not deliberately carved out this much time to read a book in a long while. 

Now, I'm sad. Book two is out, but I don't have my hands on it yet. I have to wait for my turn on the library holds list. Then, I have to wait for book three to be published and the rumored books four and five to be written. I'm in this for the long haul, but I'm not looking forward to the wait. 

The problem with a series like this is the not knowing. Not only do I not know what will happen to the characters, but I don't know if the author will be able to finish the series in a satisfying way. While many series have great endings, some are real clunkers. (Looking at you Divergent series.)

It would probably be better for my psyche to only read complete series, but I'm not that patient. The anticipation is part of the fun.

When it comes to book series, do you wait to read them until they're finished?

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• Of all the AI out there, I find voice generating AI both the most promising and the most terrifying. [The Atlantic - gift link]
• How to take your phone to a protest. [The Markup]
• The courtroom sketch artists at Trump's trial. [NPR]
• This should please many genealogists. [WaPo - gift link]
• A delightful memory of travel and food. [The Department of Salad]
• Grumbling because it was too cloudy to see this. [WaPo - gift link]

• All the ways the moon has impacted human life. [Atlas Obscura]
• The politics of negotiations in the Middle East. [The Daily]

• Indie films are always hit or miss. Inside was a bit odd but also good. Willem Defoe stars in a role that I think only he could play. The story follows an art thief who ends up getting trapped alone in the penthouse he was trying to rob. This is very much a look at what the human mind does in isolation. It was oddly intense and makes good use of both the limited script and small set. [Amazon Prime]
• The Coldest Game started out so-so but ended up being a good watch. This definitely not a true story follows a chess grand master during a game with a Soviet appointment. He ends up being a pseudo-spy trying to help the Americans uncover a mole and stop the Cuban Missile Crisis. Bill Pullman plays the lead and I think he had fun playing the role of a drunk - but that seemed to diminish his regular charm a bit too much.  [Netflix]

• Now that we've added salmon back to our protein list, I've been enjoying dropping it into our meal plan. This week, I made a honey soy glazed salmon with spinach and peppers. This is quick to put together and the result is tasty. I would add water chestnuts to the veggies, but they are not the husband's cup of tea.  [Real Simple via My Evernote]
• Our seasonal farm share sent out its first bag of items this week. That means I'm back to planning dishes that are some random protein plus an item from the bag. One of the first dishes I made was teriyaki chicken with sauteed spinach, carrots, peppers, and green onions. No recipe for this. We sous vided the meat in teriyaki sauce and sauteed the veggies in sesame oil. Easy peasy.
• For my lunch meal prep, I tossed together chopped Greek chickpea salad. It's a lot of cutting to prep the dish, but it holds up well in the fridge. Plus, I love any dish that lets me throw in a lot of salty feta and briny kalamata olives. [Ambitious Kitchen]