Friday, January 1, 2016

Celebrating the New Year with a Fabulous Book

Celebrate the Small Things

The perfect book for my research.
Happy New Year! The year is starting off great for me in the form of a book! (What else can make a writer so happy?)

But first, this post is part of a really positive blog hop called Celebrate the Small Things, co-hosted by Lexa Cain @ Lexa Cain , L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge , and Tonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog  You can go to any of these sites to get all the links and add your name to the links. 

As some of you know, my middle grade mystery, Imogene and the Case of the Missing Pearls (book one of a planned series) is set in Victorian London. The family cook is an important character, along with Sherlock Holmes, ten-year-old sleuth Imogene, and her co-sleuth, mudlark Rusty.

The book I'm celebrating? The Victorian Kitchen, by Jennifer Davies. I ordered this book through Amazon, feeling I needed to know a little more of Victorian era kitchen life and meal preparation, and this book has it all. It's a treasure trove of information, with great pictures, floor plans, menus, etc. I had already gleaned a lot from Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management and various sites on the Internet, but this book gives me an even deeper look at life below stairs. So today finds me starting the new year feeling well equipped for book two of my series.

How about you? Have you ever stumbled on the perfect book for your research? Do you enjoy research? Do you enjoy finding out about historical times? Do you enjoy mysteries?

10 comments:

Blogoratti said...

Hello and have a wonderful year ahead, best wishes!

Elizabeth Varadan, Author said...

Thanks, Blogoratti, and to you, too.

SENCO Cat Herder said...

Yes that book looks just perfect and I expect one or two interesting recipes were discovered too? I love reading mystery books and I do enjoy historical novels although I haven't read one in a while so maybe I should put one on my books to read 2016 list? Have a super new year and best wishes for the rest of 2016 Special Teaching at Pempi’s Palace

Rosi said...

That book looks like it belongs indoor house. Fun research. I just ran across a new project I need to do some research on. Sometimes I get lost in the research and the writing waits and waits. Happy New Year to you and Rajan. I hope it's a productive year for us all.

Elizabeth Varadan, Author said...

Hello, Cat Herder. Thanks for stopping by. Yes, the recipes are interesting: Stewed Lettuce! (Apparently the Victorians usually cooked their lettuce instead of using them in salads like we do today.) Another recipe was Marrow Toast. (Yup, you break bones for the marrow, spread it on bread and cook it.) Another is Treacle Pudding. The very name makes me feel I've zipped into another century.

Elizabeth Varadan, Author said...

Hi, Rosi. Happy New Year! I'll look forward to hearing more about your new research project. Best wishes to you and your family and life in your new home, and best wishes to you, too, for a productive 2016.

Unknown said...

I love researching and it's helped me a lot with my books. Your new book sounds fantastic! I even love the phrase "below stairs." I hope it inspires new ideas for you and that your 2016 is full of fun and happiness! :)

cleemckenzie said...

I have stumbled on a book that really did the trick for me. It's so wonderful. Glad this happened for you, Elizabeth.

Elizabeth Varadan, Author said...

Thanks for the good wishes, Lexa. Yes, I've been reading bits of it at a time and it will really help with my current story.

Elizabeth Varadan, Author said...

Thanks, Lee. What was the book you stumbled on? I'm always looking for good reads. Hope you had great holidays.