Hemingway (that’s Ernest, of course)  is associated with any number of cocktails, but perhaps none more so than the Mojito. The drink was invented at La Bodeguita del Medio in Havana, Cuba, where Hemingway drank them, as  did Brigitte Bardot, Nat King Cole, Jimmy Durante, Erroll Flynn, and countless others, famous and non-famous.

Mojito

6 fresh mint sprigs
1 oz. lime juice
3/4 oz. simple syrup
2 oz. light rum
Lime Wedge

Crush 5 mint sprigs into the bottom of a chilled highball glass. Pour in lime juice, simple syrup, and rum. Fill glass with crushed ice. Garnish with lime wedge and remaining mint sprig. Sometimes a splash of club soda is added, according to individual taste.

“Page after page, Stern embraces every outrageous possibility, in lush, cartwheeling sentences that layer deep mystery atop page-turning action atop Borscht Belt humor.”—Washington Post

“A funny, profound and virtuosic work … What awaits is a rare enchantment.”—San Francisco Chronicle

“Laugh-out-loud funny … A wonderfull entertaining, inventive new novel that evokes Amy Bloom, Michael Chabon and Isaac Bashevis Singer.”–Heller McAlpin, NPR

“Stern elevates his virtuoso storytelling and whirling magical satire to cosmic heights in this lovingly irreverent and revelatory novel of the timeless conflict between the sacred and the profane, and the perpetual search for home and meaning.”—Booklist, starred review

Ah, June. One of the great, transitional months. Spring becomes Summer. The wool coats get packed away. Everybody moves up a grade, except for the graduates, who get ready to move out. And we officially switch the central air from HEAT to COOL. Personally, I’ve been celebrating the new summer by dancing in my neighbor’s sprinklers every morning after she goes to work. Highly recommended. If that’s not your thing, this hot weather is also the perfect opportunity to hunker down in an air-conditioned bookstore and love you some books.

1. Cliché Police. For every masterful turn-of-phrase out there, there’s a tired fraud preying upon innocent readers. And how could we know better? We’re just wide-eyed book lovers, wishing to believe the best about the authors we love. That’s why we need fearless defenders like Rosecrans Baldwin watching our backs, letting us know when the simple mention of a distant, barking dog, is a red flag for unoriginality.

2. Law & Order: Book Victims Unit. Speaking of defenders of literature, cops in Boise, Idaho, have taken down a serious threat to the book community. For over a year, a 74-year-old woman was pouring condiments into Library book-drops. They finally caught her, red-handed, wielding a jar of mayonnaise with intent to dump. It’s a sick world.

3. Highbrow, Lowbrow, Allbrows. Peter Carey rails against an ever-stupider readership. Bryce Courtenay calls him a snob. Then the lady from Boise starts spraying everyone with mustard. Decide for yourself.

4. Better Addictions. The only draw for smoking cigarettes, as far as I can tell, is rolling the pack up in your shirt sleeve, like River Phoenix in Stand By Me. Now the London-based Tank has saved my street-cred with TankBooks. These little pocket novels (titles include Heart of Darkness, The Metamorphosis, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) are sized and packaged like packs of cigarettes. Now that’s an addiction I can get behind.

5. David v. Goliath. I understand the appeal of the iPad. It’s so slick. It’s so shiny. It’s so portable. And more and more, people are reading their books off of the iPad or other electronic faux-book devices. But in favor of convenience, what are we losing?

6. New News. I’ve plugged blackout poetry before, because it’s poetry that anyone can write … since you’re not actually WRITING anything. Genius. Uncomfortable with vandalizing a book? Just have at the newspaper.

7. Shakespearean Vernacular. One of the pitfalls of being an author, or any type of artist for that matter, might be the overwhelming feeling that you aren’t making a difference. You’re not digging wells or curing diseases. You’re hanging out inside your head all day. You’re a professional at assuming that people care about what goes on in your head all day. Wait! I have a point. But without authors, like Will Shakespeare, we’d be bereft of so many beautiful turns of phrase. Click. So go back to staring out the window, we need you.

8. The Lego Printer. I’m just going to let the video speak for itself.

June, I would say something witty about you, but you just gave me heat stroke.

-Susannah

Ahhh, July. Fireworks, fireflies, and prime pool-side reading time. But before you crack open these books, make sure that you’ve got your deck chair arranged, sunscreen slathered, and cool drink at hand, because you won’t to be able to look up from these page-turners until the very end.

-Brittany

Ferris Beach, Jill McCorkle‘s classing coming-of-age novel, is for the awkward adolescent in all of us. Following the story of Katie Burns, a shy, self-conscious girl who comes into her own after her life is turned upside down in the course of a single summer, this book reminds us of the beauty and pathos of growing up.

For all of us who have every longed to run away with the circus, there’s Sara Gruen‘s Water for Elephants, a delightful escape into the exotic world of the Benzini Brothers’ Most Spectacular Show on Earth. So grab your clown shoes or tutu and get ready for the ride of your life!

Mrs. Darcy and the Blue-Eyed Stranger by Lee Smith: This collection of short stories from Lee Smith, the reigning queen of the bittersweet short story, combines seven of her favorite stories with seven brand-new stories with a wide-range of characters in stories that strike dead center at the turning point of their lives. With the seashell cover, this just begs to be tossed into your beach bag! Remember to re-apply your sunscreen before digging into the next story.

When July gets way too hot, sometimes there’s not much else you can do than shut the doors and windows and crank up the air conditioning. Escape into some literature set in chilly locations and featuring characters who would envy your 95 degrees in the shade. The #1 New York Times bestseller A Reliable Wife brings you to the dead of winter in 1904 Wisconsin. Heather Lende’s memoirs Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs and If You Lived Here, I’d Know Your Name are set in chilly Haines, AK.  (Check out their 10-day weather forecast.) The nineteenth-century rabbi in Steve Stern‘s new novel The Frozen Rabbi has been encased in a block of ice for over a hundred years. And, if you’re still just too hot, sit down with A Frozen Hell, an account of the nearly forgotten Russo-Finnish war of 1939-1942.  Russia in the winter? Very, very cold.

Enjoy!

Mei-Ling Hopgood is the author of the memoir Lucky Girl, now available in paperback. When the hardcover was published, Good Housekeeping raved, “An award-winning writer recounts her experience as one of the first Chinese babies adopted in the West and her surprising trail back to the rural Taiwanese family who gave her away . . . A great book.”

We recently caught up with Mei-Ling, who currently resides in Argentina with her family.

Describe your new book in one sentence.
Lucky Girl is the story of my reunion and relationship with the Chinese birth family that gave me up for an adoption, and my journey to understand the meaning of family.

Where do you do your best writing?
In my office, usually in the morning or whenever the house is quiet (not an easy feat with a toddler running about).

What is your motto or maxim?
Dream big, work hard, eat and drink well, and love your family and friends with all your might.

Do you have any secret skills (besides writing, of course)?
I really enjoy throwing parties, hosting friends, and bringing people together. I also have strangely prehensile toes, and – I was thrilled to discover – so do some of my biological sisters.

Describe the plot of the first story you remember writing.
I moved on from drawing to writing when I was around five years old, and my faulty memory can’t reach back that far. But my mom says I began my writing career making up extensive imaginary menus, from which I made my parents order. (I’ve always been obsessed with food.) Later, in junior high, I wrote tortured, unoriginal stories and poems of girls (diamonds in the rough) who met handsome strangers who swept them off their feet.

If you had to change professions, and needed no credentials, what would you do?
If I actually had talent, were 15 years younger, and had much longer legs, I’d be some kind of professional dancer, on Broadway or even a music video girl. I’m a shameless addict of the show “So You Think You Can Dance” these days, even if in Argentina where I live we are about four seasons behind the U.S.

Which band would you like to have follow you around, playing the soundtrack to your life?
The Beatles, one of my favorite bands from childhood. (I was in love with Paul when I was five.)

Where do you hope to catch people reading your new book?
I’m not really picky – I’d be happy to see them reading it anywhere. It’d be great if I were actually on the beach or on a plane headed to a fabulous vacation spot and saw folks with LG in their hands.

What is your all-time-absolute-favorite book?
I have too many, but one is The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje.

What books have you read recently that you’d recommend?
I’m not a parenting book fan, so I was surprised when Nurture Shock, by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman blew me away. I recently sped through A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick and Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert in a matter of a few days.

He squatted and took off the hat and handed it to me. “Barenaked Ladies are a band made up of five gentlemen from Canada.” (Yeah, that was how he spoke to his five-year-old).

“Why is that their name if they’re boys?”

“Because it’s good marketing” he said, quite seriously. “It got your attention, see? And now you’re not going to forget their name. And you’ll probably tell your friends ‘Hey, have you heard of that band, Barenaked Ladies?’ It’s good business. These guys are going to be famous.”

And they are.

He gave me a lot of lessons like that. Everything from the proper use of a hole punch to taking good care of vinyl. All this before I was twelve. He taught me everything I needed to know to survive in the real world.

And that’s why we love our fathers. Whether their area of expertise is sports or cars or law or the promotion of musical groups, those things were just vehicles for the big lessons, showing us the big picture, getting us ready for the times when we’d be on our own.

So here’s a mini-roundup in honor of our dads, our teachers–and the best men we know.

1. The Art of Manliness: Reading. Manly men and reading have gone hand-in-hand since the beginning of time (or, maybe since the penning of Lonesome Dove…). To get the whole list of 100 must-reads for real men, visit The Art of Manliness website, The Essential Man’s Library.

2. Beard Appreciation. Perhaps my only regret at being born female is that I will never get to work up a good, wilderness-y beard. So men, take advantage of the gift you’ve been given. Grow, groom, enjoy. And who better to guide you through your beard-growing adventure than a two-time World Beard Champion? Jack Passion has written The Facial Hair Handbook, on sale now. Let the man help.

3. More Motorcycles. Speaking of manly reads, there are rumors about a film adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson’s Hell’s Angels, probably starring Johnny Depp. The script is being tackled by Stephen Gaghan, who intends on also using Sonny Barger’s book Hell’s Angels: The Life and Times of Sonny Barger and the Hell’s Angels Motorcycle Club. Can. Not. Wait. Read up.

4. Just Like James (Bond). I think we all, at one point or another, harbor suspicions or hopes that our father is a secret agent. I mean, who takes that many business trips? I’ve seen True Lies, I know what’s up. And you may think “Hey, my dad’s a book lover, NO WAY is he a spy.” But you obviously haven’t seen THIS.

Happy Father’s Day, all.

-Susannah

So, here’s our handy guide to books every dad will love!

For the Dad who knows his way around the kitchen

52 Loaves by William Alexander
A highly entertaining and informative novel about one man’s quest to bake the perfect loaf of bread – from scratch.

For the History Buff

Boone by Robert Morgan

The definitive biography that transforms a mythic American hero into a flesh-and-blood man.

For the Golfer:

Dream Golf by Stephen Goodwin

A behind the scenes chronicle of the pursuit of a dream – the creation of a seaside golf course that became the world-renowned Bandon Dunes.

A Son of the Game by James Dodson

Set in the picturesque North Carolina sandhills, the story of  how one dad got his game back and reconnected with his teenage son.

For the Music Aficionado

Our Noise, The Story of Merge Records, the Indie Label That Got Big and Stayed Small by John Cook with Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballance

“A gleeful, let’s-put-on-an-all-ages-show narrative . . . Our Noise is a primer for anyone who cares enough about music to not only make records, but also remain relevant and solvent.” –Los Angeles Times

For the Sports Fanatic

Hard Work, by Roy Williams
One of the most respected and successful basketball coaches in the nation, Coach Roy Williams, reveals the determination that took him from the humbles of beginnings to the pinnacle of coaching success. “Worth the read . . . an inspiring tale.” –Sports Illustrated

For the Dog Owner

I Thought You Were Dead by Pete Nelson

“If you think your dog is not only the best listener in your life, but you can actually hear its sage advice in your head, you should read Pete Nelson’s I Thought You Were Dead … Nelson describes the friendship between man and dog with a lot of heart and understanding. The dialogue between the two isn’t anthropomorphic; it’s just that sometimes your dog has the best advice when your girlfriend’s spending the night at her other lover’s house.”—The Oregonian

For the Dad Who Loves Great Fiction

The Frozen Rabbi by Steve Stern

“I found this multigenerational fantasy infectious … Stern manages to playfully capture Yiddish syntax with such precision that you might think the author had just been unfrozen from the 18th century himself … The Coen Brothers, fresh off another suburbia-meets-shtetl concoction in A Serious Man might want to open this book—Art Silverman, NPR’s “All Things Considered”

An Arsonist’s Guide to Writer’s Homes in New England by Brock Clarke

An utterly original story about truth and honesty, life and the imagination. “Funny, profound . . . A seductive book with a payoff on every page.” --People

The Resurrectionist by Jack O’Connell

O’Connell spins a weird, wild, and wonderful yarn about the incredible lengths a father will go to save his son.

Far Bright Star by Robert Olmstead

“Far Bright Star makes the reader bleed with the characters and sweat with the intensity of the sun . . . It’s Olmstead’s knife-edge paring of words that makes Far Bright Star such a fine work of fiction.” —Washington Post

May is a fantastic month. Not like cold February or boring September: it’s got spunk. The weather turns warm and the flowers bloom and the mosquitoes start breeding . . .  Here in America, we celebrate National Moving Month, Military Appreciation Month, Older Americans Month, Hamburger Month, and Zombie Awareness Month. I’ve rambled long enough. Here’s what was good in books this May.

1. Book Nerd Debates. It’s always a hoot to fill a room with English majors and say inflammatory things about Salinger and Lord Byron. My personal favorite? Did Shakespeare really write all those plays?! Here’s some ammo for your next wine and cheese party. Click.

2. Literature: The Gathering. BookExpo America was this month, drawing crowds of publishers, authors, librarians, booksellers, and faithful readers. Here’s a little insight on the party scene (let’s be honest, we all like free champagne). And a quote by our own Chuck Adams, about Jonathan Evison‘s upcoming novel West of Here, has been tweeted and retweeted: “I see a lot of good writers, but I don’t see a lot of good stories,” said Adams, who has been acquiring books since 1969. “I think this is the best that I’ve ever, ever worked on.”

3. Consumer Appreciation. I love seeing people out and about, just reading. You know–at a cafe, on a park bench, on the bus, sitting at the kitchen table while I hang in the tree outside his apartment building with my binoculars and some trail mix . . . it’s not my fault that good looking men like to read. See?

4. Working Backwards. We all know that many movies have their origins in books. But what if it was wayyy more than you thought? Somebody really creative made these: I Can Read Movies.

5. The Personal Library. I have a bookcase with all the shelves holding two rows of books and then little towers of books leaning against each side. I also stack books around my desk, next to the window, and under my bed.  But last night, I dreamed of this.

6. Operating Instructions. No one ever sits you down and teaches you to use a book. It’s just something you grow up knowing . . . like how to eat or how to punch your sister. It’s natural. But if you ever have any questions about the ways in which you’re operating your books, just consult these instructions.

7. Summer. It’s about time for summer, and we all know that means SUMMER READING! The perfect excuse to read the classics you missed or the guilty pleasure murder mystery you’ve been lusting after. Not only that, you’re allowed to get sand and lemonade in the pages. Don’t have a book yet? Get help.

8. Celebrations. Harper Lee’s beloved novel, To Kill a Mockingbird is turning fifty years old. Fifty! From California to New York to Alabama, book lovers are throwing parties, auctions and tours, and holding reenactments of the famous courtroom scene. I’m going to dress up like Boo Radley for a week–thank you, Lee, for a wonderful book.

Last chance to put up that maypole, for come Tuesday, it’s June.

-Susannah

Show of hands: who secretly loved those summer reading assignments in grade school? As your classmates groaned while the reading lists were passed out, you rubbed your hands in glee, picturing long days spent inhaling books in the grass, by the pool, or in a backyard pup tent. Well, book nerds rejoice! Each month this summer, we’ll let you know which books you are required to read. Here’s our list for June: add suggestions of your own in the comments!

Missing school already or need a drama fix after the Gossip Girl season finale? Check out Nina de Gramont’s Gossip of the Starlings, an enthralling tale of girls gone bad at an exclusive private school. The kicker? It’s based on a real series of drug busts at a private school in the eighties. Take that, Serena van der Woodsen!

Sunday marked my first attempt. I combined the ingredients and allowed them to autolyse for 25 minutes.  (This resting period gives the ingredients some time to meld.) Once the dough has rested, kneading can begin.

I measured and weighed the ingredients, the levain, all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, rye flour, salt, a little bit of dry yeast (to give the levain a boost), and water.

In 52 LOAVES William Alexander speaks very highly of kneading by hand, as opposed to relying on the dough hook of one’s KitchenAid. I love any excuse to use my stand mixer, so I was a little skeptical at first. However, with the autolyse process, you only have to knead by hand for about 8 minutes–just enough to get a feel for the dough. By the time your shoulders hurt, your back is sore, and you start checking the clock, you’re just about done.

After a five-hour rise, the bread was molded into a boule and proofed for two hours. Meanwhile, I turned my oven up to 500 degrees and placed a cast-iron pan in the bottom. I prepped the bread for the oven by sprinkling the top with rye flour (which doesn’t burn and turn black the way all-purpose flour would) and making the iconic slashes (gringes) with a knife. The bread was then ready to go in. I turned the oven to 485 degrees, got the bread in,  poured a cup of water into the cast-iron pan (to create steam), and shut the door as quickly as I could. Twenty minutes later, I turned the oven to 425 degrees for the final 20-25 minutes. When my kitchen timer went off, I was shocked to see that my long awaited loaf was nearly black!

Another late night trip to the store, this time for an oven thermometer, confirmed my fears. My oven runs over 50 degrees high! (I always noticed that it cooks things really fast . . . I guess I thought it was just super efficient.)

Undeterred, yesterday launched a second attempt at a loaf. The oven temperature was carefully monitored, and I was optimistic that although I might not achieve “perfection” on this round, at least I might get bread.

Unfortunately, as I walked away from the kitchen, after sliding the doughy boule in to the perfectly heated oven, I spotted the active dry yeast on the counter–still sealed in its package. I had forgotten to add the yeast! 45 minutes later I had a hockey puck shaped loaf that wasn’t burnt. Progress?

Not quite what I was hoping for.

After reading 52 LOAVES, I have a new appreciation and understanding of bread. I even would venture as far as to say that I have learned how to bake bread.  I would not, however, say that  I can make bread in my kitchen.

Thankfully, with only two loaves down, I have fifty more loaves and fifty more chances to try and get this right.

Our author spent a year attempting to re-create the perfect peasant bread. My goal is just to make my bread match the one on his cover!

-Katie