Favorite Books for Summer Reading

I’m not compelled to finish every book I pick up. Too many books, too little time to do that. I re-read some books. My favorite books are those which touch me deeply or resonate with something I am going through at that time. My favorites usually have vivid, rich characters I can understand, not necessarily like, but are three-dimensional and with whom I can identify. Here are some oldies and newbies - potential summer vacation reads. Enjoy!

Nonfiction
The Secret, Rhonda Byrne (audio book) 2008
On Writing, Stephen King 2000
Bella Tuscany, Frances Mayes 1999
The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron (audio book) 1992

Fiction
The Help, Kathryn Stockett 2009
Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen 2006
The Twilight series, Stephenie Meyer 2005 (can't deny it!)
Beneath a Marble Sky, John Shors 2004
The Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kidd 2002
The Divine Secrets of the YaYa Sisterhood, Rebecca Wells 1997
Where the Heart Is, Billie Letts 1995
The Shell Seekers, Rosamunde Pilcher 1987
The Prince of Tides, Pat Conroy 1986
The Bridge to Taribithia, Katherine Paterson 1977 (appropriate for middle schoolers)
Tuck Everlasting, Natalie Babbitt 1975 (appropriate for middle schoolers)
To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee 1960

(photo: Camden, Maine)

EXCURSION: Primo, a restaurant in Rockland, Maine

Primo is a restaurant in mid-coast Maine where my husband and I, celebrating our 24th anniversary in May, had the best meal we've ever had. (It beat a lobster risotto to die for in Bar Harbor I had in 2006.)

My husband, Frank, is a gardener. There is nothing he touches that won't grow and bloom. Gardening, like cooking, is a knack; I don't think just anyone can do it. He "feels" what his plants need; he's not precisely giving XX amount of water at XX time. He just inherently feels it and intuitively knows. I believe people are basically energy and we all give off an energetic charge that is a positive when we come in contact with certain plants, creatures, human beings and is at other times, a turn off. I'm sure you've witnessed in people, those in whose presence you feel better and in others, when you feel worse or spastic. Animals and babies are attracted to some people, and not others. Frank has an energy which allows plants to respond favorably to his touch.

We both love to cook. Again, with Frank, it is intuitive and creative. He is best at desserts and things that require artistic flare. For me, it's about order, following a precise process to come to results. It calms me as I chop, measure and follow a recipe when I am feeling out of order. It also appeals to my strong aesthetic need; I love nature, natural color, and beauty. I take great pleasure in creating a meal that is visually appealing.

We both love to eat....which is certainly partly why he loves to garden and why we both love to cook. For us, gardening and cooking are not chores; they're life to us. They are so appealing and satisfying. These bring us a very deep joy.

It's no surprise then that Primo would appeal to us on such a deep level. Co-owners Melissa Kelly (Executive Chef) and Price Kushner (Bakery/Pastry Chef) restored a Victorian home in Rockland that is charming, quaint, and beautifully and simply decorated with white linen tablecloths, sparkling glassware and candles, and earth tone paints. Part of their reason for choosing that locale was the opportunity to buy enough land to establish their extensive gardens, green houses, and raising their own pigs. Their meals are based on freshness and seasonality. We ate for dinner organically grown greens they had picked that afternoon, and you can clearly tell the difference.

If you are foodie, or if you want a delicious meal for a special event, I encourage you to take the drive (1 hour 45 minutes from Portland...and you could always spend the night at the Samoset) for a most delicious meal and joyful evening as you linger over a culinary experience that is truly fulfilling. See www.primorestaurant.com for more information and a menu.

Our meal was:
Appetizer to share (and bring half home) (range from $9-18)
Funghi wood fired pizza with roasted garlic, nepitella, Mousseron
and Cremini mushrooms

Dinner (range from $25-42)
Locally caught Halibut atop a creamy white bean puree, wilted dandelion greens, sweet onion~Meyer lemon confit, warm Maine shrimp & white bean salad

Sautéed scaloppini of Pork “Saltimbocca”served on a bed of roast garlic mashed potatos layered with wilted garden spinach, prosciutto and a sage, mushroom~ Madiera jus

Dessert (range from $8-10)
Local Rhubarb "Crostata" with ginger gelato, salted shortbread~ gingersnap crumble, slow roasted strawberries (pictured)

Warm Belgium chocolate "Budino" cake, mint stracicella gelato, fresh berries

They also served to each table a tiny appetizer of crab, artisan breads, and an assortment of hand-made truffles.

2 S. Main Street, Rockland