The Art of Not Breathing

The Art of Not Breathing

The Art of Not Breathing has an intriguing plot line that's part murder mystery part adventure story. Elsie Main's twin brother drowned five years ago, but even though she was with him the day he died, she can't remember exactly what happened. Her parents have forbidden her to go to the beach, but it's only when she's in the water that pieces of her memory return. Little by little she realizes that her family and friends have all been keeping secrets from her. Only if she dives deep (literally) will she be able to answer the question: What really happened the day Eddie died? 

Intriguing, right?

Well add in the fact that Elsie's mom is an alcoholic, her dad hates the world, her brother is anorexic, her "boyfriend" randomly disappears, she's bullied at school, and has self-esteem issues. Oh, and her dead twin brother, Eddie, talks to her in her mind. Ya. There's a LOT of heavy subplot going on.

Things that seem important at the beginning of the book (Elsie hearing Eddie's voice in her head) end up being trivial (he's all but silent by the end). The fact that every character is dealing with their own drama made me wish that SOMEONE could have had their life together. It's a little draining hearing how awful and unhappy everyone is all the time. 

I was so excited to explore the country of Ireland! But, the accents disappeared after the first chapter and the vague descriptions of the town and ocean made it sound like this story could just as easily have taken place in New England. Luckily, the only time I've ever been to New England was when I was a little kid. New England is just as foreign as Ireland, so The Art of Not Breathing was still a nice escape for me.

Title: The Art of Not Breathing

Author: Sarah Alexander

Publisher: Sourcebooks 

Published: January 5, 2016

Available: Amazon, Book Depository, and Barnes and Noble
Goodreads

There is one particular quote in the book that I really take to heart:

"Go with your heart, not your head, because your head doesn't know what it wants. It only thinks about the moral high ground. And if your heart isn't happy, when you try to share it, you'll make others unhappy too."

Isn't that beautiful?

The Hobbit: Apple Turnovers

Hobbits are known for their ability to eat. I mean:

• Breakfast
• Second Breakfast
• Elevenses
• Luncheon
• Afternoon Tea
• Dinner
• Supper

And if they can eat that much, it must be some pretty delicious meals that they're cooking up! So when I think about hobbits I can't help but think of hearty country meals. I didn't have any roast chicken on hand, but I decided to make apple turnovers. 

While we were honeymooning in New Zealand I ate more than my fair share of fish and chips...and apple turnovers. And now I crave apple turnovers all the time!

Here's a great recipe (perfect for a first time apple turnover baker like myself).

Ingredients

• 2 Tbs lemon juice
• 4 cups water
• 2 Tbs butter
• 4 granny smith apples (peeled, cored, and sliced)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 Tbs cornstarch
• 1 Tbs water
• 1 (17.25 oz) package frozen puff pastry sheets
• 1 egg (beaten)

1. Place apples in water lemon mixture (prevents apples from browning)
2. Melt butter and add just apples
3. Cook and stir 2 minutes
4. Add brown sugar and Cinnamon
5. Stir 2 minutes
6. Add corn starch and 1 Tbs water
7. Cook 1 minute until thickened
8. Cool slightly
9. Preheat oven to 400°
10. Trim puff pastry sheets into squares
11. Spoon apple mixture onto center and fold corners over into triangles
12. Press edges with fork to seal pastry
13. Cut 3 vent slits into top of pastry and place on baking sheet
14. Brush beaten egg over top of each pastry and sprinkle with sugar
15. Bake 25 minutes until lightly brown

Enjoy for breakfast, second breakfast, elevenses, luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner, supper (or dessert!) It's delicious hot from the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!