I'm having a great reading month, again! I am also a bit overwhelmed with reading because I have 4 books going at once. My book group is reading The Life She Was Given, I have a work book group reading Atomic Habits, another book group reading How To Be An Antiracist and finally I'm listening to Convenience Store Woman on Audibles. That is a lot going on!
Today I'm reviewing my first read of February, The House in the Cerulean Sea. There has been so much buzz on this book and the Bookstagram community has already reviewed the heck out of it. So, i'm late to the game but that never stops me. This is a delightful book! It is all the good feels you want in a story.
Linus Baker works at the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. He checks in on orphanages to make sure the children are well cared for and he's been doing this for years! One day he is given a secret assignment by the Extremely Upper Management group to visit an island and check on an a group of children and their caretaker. He is given very little information and is told to report back every detail. He arrives and is stunned by the children but also quickly enamored by them. Their caregiver is a strange man named Arthur Parnassus who is very protective of the children. It is really a wonderful story about the magic of love, overcoming bias, and learning to standup for what you believe it. It is the second book I've read recently where you see clear discrimination and hate for someone so different then themself.
Now, that doesn't mean there aren't a few problems. For my friends who want a little more realism or grit in their stories, this isn't for you. It is maybe too happy for those folks and I could see how some say it didn't go deep enough. But, it was just what I needed. Beautiful and full of such love. PLUS it was such an easy read. Once i picked it up, I finished it in 3 days. Didn't want to put it down!
SO what to eat with it? I was struck by the Sea and when Linus sees it for the first time. We are in the middle of winter and rain and snow and I long for a hot day at the sea. That made me think of Lobster roll in the summer and sitting outside with the sun on your back, a cold beverage in your hand . OHHH, I am so ready for that. So, this is paired with a yummy lobster roll.
This is pretty simple because I really believe Lobster roll should be with butter and not mayonnaise. I melted butter and brushed it over the bun and then put the bun the the oven to toast it up. From there i let the butter get a bit brown and added a touch of salt and pepper. I also added a few scallions just to see how it would taste! I dropped my chopped up lobster in the pan for a few minutes and it was ready to go. So delicous. Of course i paired it with chips and a couple of pickles. And for folks who have read the book, you know i had to scatter a few buttons around. (One of my favorite little things from the book <3 ) Enjoy and I hope you love this!
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