The Blood Strand

The Blood Strand

The Blood Strand by Chris Ould
Published by Titan Books on February 16, 2016
Series: Faroes #1
Pages: 352
Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Scandinavian and Nordic Mysteries & Thrillers
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Synopsis

Having left the Faroes as a child, Jan Reyna is now a British police detective, and the islands are foreign to him. But he is drawn back when his estranged father is found unconscious with a shotgun by his side and someone else’s blood at the scene. Then a man’s body is washed up on an isolated beach. Is Reyna’s father responsible?

Looking for answers, Reyna falls in with local detective Hjalti Hentze. But as the stakes get higher and Reyna learns more about his family and the truth behind his mother’s flight from the Faroes, he must decide whether to stay, or to forsake the strange, windswept islands for good.

About the Faroe Islands:

Located in the Northeast Atlantic, the Faroe Islands comprise 18 small islands, characterised by steep cliffs, tall mountains, narrow fjords – and a population of 50,000.

The Faroese language derives from Old Norse; which was spoken by the; Norsemen who settled the islands 1200 years ago.

Through the centuries, the Faroese have defied the harsh nature and living conditions. Enduring today is a nation in which the living standard is one of the highest in the world. A highly industrial economy mainly based on fisheries and aquaculture continues to flourish, while a Nordic welfare model ensures everyone the opportunity to explore his or her potential. Faroese maritime expertise is widely renowned and; the Faroe Islands export seafood to all six continents.

Positioned strategically between Europe and North America, the Faroe Islands are only a couple of hours’ flight from the metropolitan centres in Northern Europe. Upon arrival, the scenery renders visitors a ravishing natural experience in a society with advanced infrastructure and digital networks.

Centuries of relative isolation have resulted in the preservation of ancient traditions that to this day shape life in the Faroe Islands. The unique mixture of traditional and modern culture characterizes the Faroese society, constituting a strong sense of local community and an active outlook as a globalized Nordic nation.[1. faroeislands.fo – The Offical Gateway to the Faroe Islands ]

Chocolate Chip Scones

This is one of my favorite recipes. I love scones but adding chocolate makes it all the better. You can use a food processor rather than the pastry tool; it makes it go a little quicker. These are light, not too sweet – and the chocolate melts in your mouth.

Chocolate Chip Scones

  • 2 c. all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 c. packed brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 c. cold (unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" pieces)
  • 3/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 c. buttermilk (Use buttermilk only (do not substitute.))
  • 1 large egg (lightly beaten)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 T. milk
  1. Preheat oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in chocolate chips. Make a well in the center and add buttermilk, egg, and vanilla. Stir just until combined, taking care to not overmix.
  2. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead 5 or 6 times. Pat into an 8” circle and cut into 8 wedges. Transfer to prepared baking sheet, about 1-1/2” apart. Brush each wedge of dough lightly with milk. Then bake until scones are golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure

The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure

The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure by Greg Lukianoff, Jonathan Haidt
Published by Penguin Press on September 4, 2018
Pages: 269
Format: hardback
Genres: Nonfiction, Politics & Social Sciences
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Synopsis

A timely investigation into the campus assault on free speech and what it means for students, education, and our democracy.

The generation now coming of age has been taught three Great Untruths: their feelings are always right; they should avoid pain and discomfort; and they should look for faults in others and not themselves. These three Great Untruths are part of a larger philosophy that sees young people as fragile creatures who must be protected and supervised by adults. But despite the good intentions of the adults who impart them, the Great Untruths are harming kids by teaching them the opposite of ancient wisdom and the opposite of modern psychological findings on grit, growth, and antifragility. The result is rising rates of depression and anxiety, along with endless stories of college campuses torn apart by moralistic divisions and mutual recriminations.

This is a book about how we got here. First Amendment expert Greg Lukianoff and social psychologist Jonathan Haidt take us on a tour of the social trends stretching back to the 1980s that have produced the confusion and conflict on campus today, including the loss of unsupervised play time and the birth of social media, all during a time of rising political polarization.

This is a book about how to fix the mess. The culture of "safety" and its intolerance of opposing viewpoints has left many young people anxious and unprepared for adult life, with devastating consequences for them, for their parents, for the companies that will soon hire them, and for a democracy that is already pushed to the brink of violence over its growing political divisions. Lukianoff and Haidt offer a comprehensive set of reforms that will strengthen young people and institutions, allowing us all to reap the benefits of diversity, including viewpoint diversity.

This is a book for anyone who is confused by what's happening on college campuses today, or has children, or is concerned about the growing inability of Americans to live and work and cooperate across party lines.

Not reviewed

Under My Skin

Under My Skin

Under My Skin by Lisa Unger
Published by Park Row on October 2nd 2018
Pages: 304
Format: arc_pdf
Genres: Mystery, Psychological Thriller
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Synopsis

From
New York Times
 bestselling author and master of suspense Lisa Unger comes an addictive psychological thriller about a woman on the hunt for her husband's killer What if the nightmares are actually memories?It's been a year since Poppy's husband, Jack, was brutally murdered during his morning run through Manhattan's Riverside Park. In the immediate aftermath, Poppy spiraled into an oblivion of grief, disappearing for several days only to turn up ragged and confused wearing a tight red dress she didn't recognize. What happened to Poppy during those lost days? And more importantly, what happened to Jack?The case was never solved, and Poppy has finally begun to move on. But those lost days have never stopped haunting her. Poppy starts having nightmares and blackouts--there are periods of time she can't remember, and she's unable to tell the difference between what is real and what she's imagining. When she begins to sense that someone is following her, Poppy is plunged into a game of cat and mouse, determined to unravel the mystery around her husband's death. But can she handle the truth about what really happened?