Welcome to Friday Favorites No. 531, a weekly series where I share interesting articles, books, fashion finds, recipes and more.
Good morning friends. Happy Cinco de Mayo and happy Friday favorites!
It’s a beautiful, sunny albeit chilly morning. I’ve had the best week with my mom here. We have been spending lots of time soaking up the sun while talking, laughing and reading magazines. As well as, walking in the village, visiting with friends, and family and just having fun.
The peonies are blossoming here and their bright feathery blooms bobbing in the breeze is a welcome sight. I’ve only gotten 8 or 9 peonies, my neighbor has a lot more. Could it be that my plants are only a year old? If you have knowledge of peony gardening let me know. The ones in the image above are my neighbors and they are very sturdy, mine feel a little more delicate.
It’s Cinco de Mayo today, will you be celebrating with a margarita? Tomorrow is both the coronation and the Kentucky Derby, so lots of entertainments and things to celebrate this weekend.
Today on the blog I have rounded up a few recipes, books, lots of links and things you might enjoy while shopping. Let’s get to it.
FRIDAY FAVORITES NO. 531
WHAT TO COOK THIS WEEKEND
Cinco de Mayo
Creamy vegan queso made with protein- and fiber-rich white beans!
Crispy carnitas tacos will be your new, fast and easy go-to meal.
A Chile relleno recipe made from roasted poblano peppers stuffed with cheese.
Blackberry margaritas to enjoy with all of the delicious recipes above.
Tomorrow is the Kentucky Derby, here are my 10 favorite Kentucky Derby party foods.
Links
The Fugitive Princesses of Dubai
How to Rewind Your Garden in 10 Easy Steps
How To Feel Less Lonely As You Get Older
Why a Healthy Gut Is So Important For Overall Wellness
How ChatGPT and Other LLMs Work—and Where They Could Go Next
The Absolute Best Filming Locations in Succession History
10 Mental Health Benefits of Pets
6 Mood-Boosting Paint Colors That Will Make Your Home A Happier Place
The Internet’s Buzzing About These 7 Productivity Products—Here’s Our Honest Review
How Life Became a Terrible Endless Competition
Books
Here are a selection of the latest books on my stack. I ordered all of them from my library.
Wedding of the Season
Despite its beauty, Newport is a place Cass Coventry would prefer to forget. But after an extended absence, she’s back in her hometown to celebrate her sister’s engagement—even if she’s marrying into the family that famously stole the Gilded Age Coventry mansion out from under them a decade ago.
The moment Cass pulls up to the estate, she’s in for one surprise after another. The bride-to-be is hiding a big secret. Her mother has royal-wedding aspirations. And, when the date is set for only three months away, a local gossip blog makes the two families its new favorite subject.
It’s not long before Cass’s weekend in town becomes a full summer of frenzied wedding planning and society drama—but also idyllic sails, starry nights, and a former love. As the grand affair arrives, along with new truths about her family, Cass must finally face her own thorny past in Newport and decide how to honor the Coventry legacy in all its chaotic glory.
The Covenant of Water
Spanning the years 1900 to 1977, The Covenant of Water is set in Kerala, on South India’s Malabar Coast, and follows three generations of a family that suffers a peculiar affliction: in every generation, at least one person dies by drowning—and in Kerala, water is everywhere. At the turn of the century, a twelve-year-old girl from Kerala’s long-existing Christian community, grieving the death of her father, is sent by boat to her wedding, where she will meet her forty-year-old husband for the first time. From this unforgettable new beginning, the young girl—and future matriarch, known as Big Ammachi—will witness unthinkable changes over the span of her extraordinary life, full of joy and triumph as well as hardship and loss, her faith and love the only constants.
A shimmering evocation of a bygone India and of the passage of time itself, The Covenant of Water is a hymn to progress in medicine and to human understanding, and a humbling testament to the difficulties undergone by past generations for the sake of those alive today. It is one of the most masterful literary novels published in recent years.
Silver Alert
A driving force in literature, the one and only Lee Smith returns with a road trip novel, a story full of hope and humor about not going away quietly—at any age. This funny and endearing novel of family, secrets, and aging follows an elderly man who heads off on a joyride with a new young friend—who may have some secrets of her own.
Aging Herb’s charmed life with his dear wife, Susan, in their Key West house is coming undone. Susan now needs constant care, and Herb is in denial about his own ailing health. The one bright spot is the arrival of an endlessly optimistic manicurist calling herself Renee. She sings to Susan during manicures, gets her to paint, and brings her a sense of contentment.
But then Herb and Susan’s adult children arrive to stage an intervention on their stubborn, independent father, and as a consequence, Renee’s gig with Susan—and her grand plans for her own life—start to unravel as well. So much had seemed as if it could change for Renee, who is not the happy, uncomplicated young girl she pretends to be. She is actually named Dee Dee, and she’s fleeing a dark past.
And Herb can’t just let go of all that he has ever had. So, he suggests one last joy ride in his Porsche. And the two take off north out of Key West, soon setting off a Silver Alert. As the unlikely friendship between Herb and Dee Dee deepens, we see how as one life is closing down, another opens up.
In this buoyant novel, the masterful Smith asks: What do we deserve? And how do we make it our own? Sometimes, you just have to seize the wheel. Fans of Smith’s many books in her storied, bestselling career won’t want to miss her newest novel. And readers of novels like Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes will adore Silver Alert.
Joie
The French are known for their joie de vivre—celebrating the simple things—a philosophy that tastemaker Ajiri Aki embraced all of her American life. As a child, she frequently tried to convince her Nigerian-Jamaican mother to pull out the fine china for everyday meals or when hosting friends. Her mother always said she was waiting for a special occasion, which sadly never came before she passed away when Ajiri was only twelve. Ajiri promised herself she would never hesitate to use her treasured pieces. When she moved to Paris, France, as an adult, she learned how central that idea is to French life, and she also began to absorb other essential lessons from her new friends: treat yourself to fresh flowers just because, take time to source the best baguette, and perhaps most importantly, enjoy être—just being.
In this beautifully photographed volume of everything French, Ajiri shares what she’s learned about living in Paris—from hosting the perfect apéro (happy hour) to lingering around town like a flâneur (loafer) to thrifting for antiques at the market. While exploring the prettiest cafes and shops, you’ll be inspired to reclaim your right to leisure as the French have, so you, too, can savor the spontaneous, joyful moments that happen every day.
NEED MORE BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS?
If you have already read these books or missed something I have featured before on the blog check out My Bookshop on Amazon.
SHOPPING BREAK
How cute is this botanical pickle ball paddle? Add it to your Mother’s Day list!
I love the classics, and a blue and white shirt is one of my favorites.
Looking for a pair of flower statement earrings?
Liberty print sheets are on sale!
Beautiful pajamas are always in style.
When life gives you lemons.
Shop the post
UNTIL TOMORROW
I hope you enjoyed Friday Favorites No. 531 and found something to make, bake, read and enjoy. Have a wonderful day!
Thank you for spending part of your day with me, I always appreciate it. If you have missed a Friday Favorites post you can find them all here.
Don’t forget to visit the blog tomorrow for Weekend Meanderings with Kim and Juliet.
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Always love reading your recommendations! Happy Cinco de Mayo…DerbyDay…and the coronation!!!
I always seem to miss the Kentucky Derby.
Those liberty sheets are so lovely! Haven’t had Mexican food in awhile, so it makes me salivate. I emailed you recently, so wanted to make sure I had the right address. Also want to discuss with you (email) Amazon SES, as I don’t quite understand what it is and saw it on your email.
Brenda
Hello Brenda, love the Liberty sheets! Icon, classic and beautiful.
I am sorry I missed your email, let me check to see if I received it. If not, I will send you an email.
Have a wonderful day!
Enjoyed reading about the paint colours, they had some beautiful picks.
Thank you! Have a great week Rachel.
Happy to hear you are having a great visit with your mom. Clicking over to that vegan queso recipe since my interest is piqued. Worked on the family room all weekend so barely noticed the coronation and derby but happy to hear others have a life and are not weighed down with DIY! 🙂