V for Vegan: easyVegan.info

Celebrate the holidays year-round with this Coconut Milk Nog Ice Cream!

Kelly Garbato — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:43:45 +0000

You guys, I did it! I figured out how to turn So Delicious’ Coconut Milk Nog into a rich, creamy, honest-to-goodness ice cream!

My first attempt, you might recall, resulted in a sorbet-like concoction. Assuming that the nog was thick enough as is, I just dumped a chilled quart of the stuff into my ice cream machine and let it do its thing. Apparently there’s a higher concentration of water in the nog than I realized, because the finished product, when completely frozen, is rather hard and full of ice crystals. Delicious, but difficult to eat and not especially ice creamy. (Seriously, you have to let that block defrost on the countertop for a good half hour before you can shave a spoonful off of it!)

So this next time around I tried a different approach. Not only did I add some arrowroot “slurry” to thicken the batter up (a standard procedure in soy milk-based ice cream recipes), but I simmered the rest of the nog on the stove top for a bit, so that some of the excess water evaporated. And it worked! Once it was chilled, the batter had the consistency of pudding (that’s good!), and the frozen dessert is rich, thick, and creamy – much more like ice cream than Italian ice!

If you’re anything like me, you stocked up on nog while it was in season and now have a fridge full of drinks set to expire. (I have three more quarts, all dated February 8!) Ice cream to the rescue! Freeze that deliciousness and enjoy it all year long. Errr, not that it’ll last long enough for you to celebrate Christmas in July. Probably you’ll polish it off well before spring – it’s Coconut Milk Nog Ice Cream, yo! But still, one can dream.

Seen here with a chocolate, raspberry ganache-filled heart from Rescue Chocolate!
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Coconut Milk Nog Ice Cream

(Makes about 2/3 of a quart.)

Ingredients

1 quart So Delicious Coconut Milk Nog, divided
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder

Directions

1. Pour 1/4 cup of the nog into a small mug or bowl. Add the arrowroot powder and whisk briskly with a fork. Set aside.

2. Pour the remaining nog into a medium-sized sauce pan. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring or whisking the liquid every few minutes so as to prevent burning. When done, increase the heat and bring the liquid to a boil. Remove from the heat and immediate add the arrowroot slurry. (You may need to whisk the slurry again before doing so, in case the powder has settled to the bottom of the mug.) This will cause the batter to thicken noticeably.

3. Cover the container and chill the batter in the fridge for three to six hours or more. (I prefer to make the batter the night before, and let it chill in the fridge overnight.) When cold, process according to your ice cream machine’s instructions. Enjoy immediately as soft serve or chill in the freezer for a half hour or more for a firmer ice cream. When kept in an airtight container, you can store homemade ice cream in the freezer for months at a time!

FYI: This process would probably also work well with other seasonal nondairy drinks, such as Silk’s Pumpkin Spice, Nog, and Chocolate Mint flavors. I usually have good luck making ice cream with Pumpkin Spice and arrowroot powder, but the Nog and Chocolate Spice produce an icier dessert. Simmering them on the stove top first (as outlined above) could help fix this problem, I think.

five tributes

Kelly Garbato — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 23:16:44 +0000

A page from Margaret Atwood’s latest, In Other Worlds: SF and the Human Imagination (2011).

excerpt from the short story “Time Capsule Found on the Dead Planet”

3. In the third age, money became a god. It was all-powerful, and out of control. It began to talk. It began to create on its own. It created feasts and famines, songs of joy, lamentations. It created greed and hunger, which were its two faces. Towers of glass rose at its name, were destroyed and rose again. It began to eat things. It ate whole forests, croplands, and the lives of children. It ate armies, ships, and cities. No one could stop it. To have it was a sign of grace.

shit meat eaters say

Kelly Garbato — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 17:52:00 +0000

“If you and a chicken were in an airplane, and you crashed on a deserted island…” *

“…quietly turning to rust.”

Kelly Garbato — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:00:38 +0000

“Dinosauria, We (blue man)”: CC image via flickr user danielofredorota.
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Father Gomez

I.

He came out at sunset on a little headland beside a shallow bay. If they had tides in this sea, the tide was high, because there was only a narrow fringe of soft white sand above the water.

And floating in the calm bay were a dozen or more. Father Gomez had to stop and think carefully. A dozen or more enormous snow-white birds, each the size of a rowboat, with long, straight wings that trailed on the water behind them: very long wings, at least two yards in length. Were they birds? They had feathers, and heads and beaks not unlike swans’, but those wings were situated one in front of the other, surely…

Suddenly they saw him. Heads turned with a snap, and at once all those wings were raised high, exactly like the sails of a yacht, and they all leaned in with the breeze, making for the shore.

Father Gomez was impressed by the beauty of those wing-sails, by how they were flexed and trimmed so perfectly, and by the speed of the birds. Then he saw that they were paddling, too: they had legs under the water, placed not fore and aft like the wings but side by side, and with the wings and the legs together, they had an extraordinary speed and grace in the water.

As the first one reached the shore, it lumbered up through the dry sand, making directly for the priest. It was hissing with malice, stabbing its head forward as it waddled heavily up the shore, and the beak snapped and clacked. There were teeth in the beak, too, like a series of sharp incurved hooks.

Father Gomez was about a hundred yards from the edge of the water, on a low grassy promontory, and he had plenty of time to put down his rucksack, take out the rifle, load, aim, and fire.

The bird’s head exploded in a mist of red and white, and the creature blundered on clumsily for several steps before sinking onto its breast. It didn’t die for a minute or more; the legs kicked, the wings rose and fell, and the great bird beat itself around and around in a bloody circle, kicking up the rough grass, until a long, bubbling expiration from its lungs ended with a coughing spray of red, and it fell still.

The other birds had stopped as soon as the first one fell, and stood watching it, and watching the man, too. There was a quick, ferocious intelligence in their eyes. They looked from him to the dead bird, from that to the rifle, from the rifle to his face.

He raised the rifle to his shoulder again and saw them react, shifting backward clumsily, crowding together. They understood.

They were fine, strong creatures, large and broad-backed, like living boats, in fact. If they knew what death was, thought Father Gomez, and if they could see the connection between death and himself, then there was the basis of a fruitful understanding between them. Once they had truly learned to fear him, they would do exactly as he said. [...]

A sketch of a tualapi (left) and a mulefa (right); fanart via Bridge to the Stars.
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II.

Quietly and cautiously he moved down the course of the stream. His daemon the green-backed beetle flew overhead, tasting the air; her eyesight was less good than his, but her sense of smell was acute, and she caught the scent of the young people’s flesh very clearly. She would go a little ahead, perch on a stem of grass, and wait for him, then move on again; and as she caught the trail in the air that their bodies left behind, Father Gomez found himself praising God for his mission, because it was clearer than ever that the boy and the girl were walking into mortal sin.

And there it was: the dark-blonde movement that was the girl’s hair. He moved a little closer, and took out the rifle. There was a telescopic sight: low-powered, but beautifully made, so that looking through it was to feel your vision clarified as well as enlarged. Yes, there she was, and she paused and looked back so that he saw the expression on her face, and he could not understand how anyone so steeped in evil could look so radiant with hope and happiness.

His bewilderment at that made him hesitate, and then the moment was gone, and both children had walked in among the trees and out of sight. Well, they wouldn’t go far. He followed them down the stream, moving at a crouch, holding the rifle in one hand, balancing with the other.

He was so close to success now that for the first time he found himself speculating on what he would do afterward, and whether he would please the Kingdom of Heaven more by going back to Geneva or staying to evangelize this world. The first thing to do here would be to convince the four-legged creatures, who seemed to have the rudiments of reason, that their habit of riding on wheels was abominable and Satanic, and contrary to the will of God. Break them of that, and salvation would follow.

He reached the foot of the slope, where the trees began, and laid the rifle down silently.

He gazed into the silver-green-gold shadows, and listened, with both hands behind his ears to catch and focus any quiet voices through the insect chirping and the trickle of the stream. Yes: there they were. They’d stopped.

He bent to pick up the rifle…

And found himself uttering a hoarse and breathless gasp, as something clutched his daemon and pulled her away from him. [...]

“Lay down your arms”: CC image via flickr user gorbould.
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III.

At about the same time, one of the large blue lizards came across the body of Father Gomez. Will and Lyra had returned to the village that afternoon by a different route and hadn’t seen it; the priest lay undisturbed where Balthamos had laid him. The lizards were scavengers, but they were mild and harmless creatures, and by an ancient understanding with the mulefa, they were entitled to take any creature left dead after dark.

The lizard dragged the priest’s body back to her nest, and her children feasted very well. As for the rifle, it lay in the grass where Father Gomez had laid it down, quietly turning to rust.

- Philip Pullman, His Dark Materials (The Amber Spyglass)

shit MANarchists say

Kelly Garbato — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 22:47:33 +0000

A few gems:

“I know he sexually assaulted someone but he does really good work.”

“That’s just some relationship drama. I’m not taking sides!”

“My last partner didn’t shave her legs. I really supported her.”

“With your hair pulled back like that, you really look like Frida Kahlo. I’d be honored to sleep with you tonight.”

(via)

you are what you eat (and I am a pizza!)

Kelly Garbato — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:52:58 +0000

Another pizza roundup, because it’s been entirely too long since the last one!

The Vegan Pizza Day That Was Giveaway!

Hey friends! Do you love pizza? Of course you do! Now through Monday afternoon, take a pic of your vegan pizza and share it with us at fuck yeah vegan pizza for a chance to win one of three prize packages stuffed with goodies from Tofurky, Daiya, Lightlife, Gardein, Nasoya, Tofutti, Field Roast, Bob’s Red Mill, and Upton’s Naturals (for US & Canadian readers) or a ginormous box of vegan meats and cheeses from Redwood Foods (for mainland UK residents).

Even if you lose the giveaway, you still win at life! (‘Cause you got to make and share pizza, duh!)

(Too much shameless self-promotion? Never!)

I am a Pizza, by Charlotte Diamond

So I was searching for music for a pizza mix tape (NO I SHIT YOU NOT) and found this video on the youtubes. I’ve listened to it at least a dozen times now and the lyrics are stuck all up in my head. I sang it to Peedee and O-Ren during our afternoon walk in the park, but I don’t think they enjoyed it. Whatever, they’re dogs, they eat poo. Anyway it’s dope and you should totally give it a listen so that it sticks in your noggin too. Then I won’t be the only weirdo wandering the streets yelling “I AM A PIZZA!” at the top of her lungs.

Cheesy Penne Pizza

With mozzarella Daiya, sauteed carrots, mushrooms, garlic and tomatoes, and baked penne pasta, all on a fluffy white pizza crust. I have yet to write up a recipe, but basically you just make up a dish of your favorite oven-baked pasta and set aside a few cups (three? four?) for the pizza prior to baking it. (Two meals in one!) Layer it on top of some red sauce, top with a lil’ extra cheese, and bake the pizza as you would normally. Nom!

Extra-Easy Vegan Bisquick Cheese Pizza

Aside from using store-bought bread, this Bisquick pizza crust is about as easy as it gets! Because it doesn’t contain any yeast, you don’t need to let the dough rise at all. (Pizza in a pinch, anyone?!?) It also makes for a pretty foolproof thin crust recipe – what you see is what you get! Quick and yummy, and super-useful for those nights when you’re craving pizza but are in too of much of a hurry to make a proper dough. Definitely a keeper!

“Buttery” Bisquick Crust Pizza

Another Bisquick pizza, this time with a margarine/garlic sauce on the crust. Amazaballs! It tastes a lot like the incredible Cheddar Cheesy Garlic Biscuits I made for veganmofo, only all pizza-like. In fact, this whole series of Bisquick pizzas was inspired by the biscuits, which brings us to Bisquick pizza #3!

“Buttery” Bisquick Crust Pizza with Daiya Cheddar Cheese

In an effort to make the “Buttery” Bisquick crust pizza taste even more like the Cheddar Cheesy Garlic Biscuits that inspired it, Shane and I tried another version, this time topped only with red sauce, Daiya cheddar cheese and oregano (similar to the ingredients in the biscuits I so loved). The result? Delicious, hello! It’s a cheese pizza, what did you expect? Not necessarily better than the original, just slightly different. Especially since I so rarely eat plain cheese pizzas. I like to put veggies on my veggie, yo!

Pinkies

Like Twinkies, but with pizza foodstuffs! The dough is the same Bisquick concoction as my Pancakes & Sausage on a Stick; inside is a sliver of Follow Your Heart mozzarella cheese, and on top, a few slices of Lightlife Pepperoni. Serve with a side of piping hot marina sauce for dipping and voilà – bite-sized pizza appetizers!

These were totes Shane’s babies. I like the idea, but something about the combination of Bisquick pancake batter with tomato sauce didn’t sit right with me. But the pancakes with cheese and pepperoni? Delish. This one I might play around with a bit. It intrigues me.

Angel Wing Pizza!

Angel Wing Pizza! THIS IS WHAT ANGEL WINGS ARE MADE OF PEOPLE! VEGAN PIZZA!

Just joshing! This is a toaster oven pizza made with red sauce, Follow Your Heart mozzarella, and black olives, all on a store-bought roll slices in half. Gotcha though didn’t I?

Onion Roll Pizzas!

Same as above, but using onion “hamburger” rolls instead of wing-shaped ones. Quick and easy, and a delicious way to use up extra rolls before they go stale. Gotta love pizza in ten minutes or less!

Tomato & Sweet Corn Pizza

This is a simple pie, with red sauce, mozzarella Follow Your Heart, garden-fresh tomatoes, and sweet corn. Almost not worth mentioning – except for the most hilarious “negative” reaction it generated on tumblr. BEST HATE MAIL EVER!

Garlicky “Nooch” Cheese Pizza

Nutritional yeast cheese: unlike processed vegan cheeses, it’s cheap, widely available, and easy to make yourself! You can find “nooch” at most natural or health food stores (hint: look in the bulk foods section!), or order by the pound online. Add some water and seasonings and – voilà! – cheese sauce.

Lately Shane has been experimenting with different flavor combos; this is first of many concoctions. Okay, so maybe it does look like a cauliflower with a yeast infection (or alternately play dough play food) – but it tastes like cheesy pizza perfection! (Or so I’ve heard; I don’t really care for nooch myself. I KNOW I’M AWFUL!)

Chili “Nooch” Cheese Pizza

Another nooch cheese pizza! This one’s a bit spicier than its garlicky counterpart. Give it a try and let us know what you think!

Shane’s Pepperjcack “Chicken” Pizza

I never did get around to writing up a recipe for this one, but basically it’s just our go-to pizza crust, topped with red sauce, pepperjack Daiya cheese, and Boca chicken patties, which Shane buys by the cart full from Wal-Mart. Seriously, I think he keeps them in stock single handedly.

Thin Crust Mozzarella Pizza

…and the search for the perfect thin crust recipe continues! (Or at the very least a serviceable thin crust recipe!) This one actually does have some semblance of thinness about it. Not as thin as a piece of pita bread, but at least half the size of the puffy, fluffy white pizza dough we normally use. Also: delicious and relatively easy to make. No complaints here!

Triple Tomato Pizza

A cheesy triple tomato pita pizza with cheddar Daiya cheese and black and Kalamata olives! You can tell how long it’s been since the last pizza roundup, since this mini-pie features a ton of tomatoes fresh from my garden. (Including one tomato penis!)

Such a hot, delicious mess that you’ll need a full arsenal of cutlery to consume/consummate it! Even after carving it in two, it was a hands-off affair. Steamy hot veggie action, that’s what I’m talkin’ ’bout.

The Great CriFSMas Food Roundup!

Kelly Garbato — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:50:50 +0000

Sure, so maybe the holidays are, like, SO LAST MONTH. But my house is still dressed to party, and besides, better late than never! Vegan foods never go out of style, yo.

Let me begin by saying that I didn’t do nearly as much baking this year as last. With the exception of some cookies for our neighbors, I didn’t make any gifts by hand. Mostly ’cause I was pressed for time, but also because I’m still trying to work off the ten pounds I gained by “taste testing” 2010′s handmade presents.

Instead I hit up Vegan Etsy: an assortment of vegan candies from NoWhey for my grandma Arnie; SuperFoxySweets vegan chocolate truffles for my grandma Vita; and a PB lover’s sampler box, along with peppermint patties, extra peanut butter cups, and a pumpkin roll (all from Sweet Vegan Delight) for my mum – all for less than $150! SUCH A STEAL!

Elsewhere on the internets, a box o’ vegan wine for my aunt Cindy and her BFF Hank (from Clos LaChance Winery, though I don’t see any vegan options at the moment) and a Ron Swanson mug for Shane.

“Just give me all the bacon and eggs you have. Wait … wait. I worry what you just heard was: Give me a lot of bacon and eggs. What I said was: Give me all the bacon and eggs you have. Do you understand?
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(From Peachy Apricot on etsy, in case you want one for your own bad self.)

My sister Meesh was easy; her only wish was more fruit leather, so I sent her a few pounds of the stuff. (We have a huge container in the freezer. Great for distracting Ralphie from his allergy shots!)

My brother-in-law sent us a basket of vegan goodies from Marge’s Bakery in Northridge, CA. It’s not an exclusively vegan establishment, but it has a decent number of vegan options relative to its non-vegan offerings.

The basket included four varieties of cookies: California Snowballs (melt-in-your mouth good!), Kiss of Lemon (thin and crispy and very lemon-y; my least favorite of the bunch), Ginger Snaps (soft, chewy, and surprisingly delicious, since I’m usually lukewarm on these) and Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies (crunchy, like most store-bought cookies, and super-delish – but also quite small). They were devoured in less than a week.

Also present: two loaves of sweet bread. Namely, zucchini bread and carrot cake. (The latter is technically a cake, I guess, but it had the look and feel of a sweet bread to me. It was remarkable similar in texture and sweetness to the zucchini bread, in any case.)

The zucchini bread was at least as good as my own recipe, but not necessarily better. Sweet but not sickeningly so. I especially loved the sweet glaze on top of the bread, which added that little extra something to the bread. (Note to self: you simply must find that recipe!)

The highlight of the carrot cake was most def the frosting, which was delightfully spicy (Not in a hot way! I detected hints of Pumpkin Spice – but then my palate’s not all that sophisticated, so who knows?) and stood a good inch in height. Maybe this is what transforms a humble carrot loaf into a cake? Either way, NOM.

Overall, everything was delicious, though a bit on the small side. After going on a vegan baked goods shopping spree on etsy, I couldn’t help but think that we should have gotten more treats for the price. That is, if the Amazon listing is any indication of what he actually paid. But hey, I’m frugal.

Okay, now on to the Garbato-Brady kitchen! First up is the tin o’ cookies I made for our omni neighbors.

Clockwise from twelve o’clock you see:

Thin Mints – Delicious and not that difficult to make! (The multiple steps are more tedious than they are challenging.) I used the recipe from Kelly Peloza’s The Vegan Cookie Connoisseur, but there are a number of vegan versions available online. Because of their chocolate outer shell, these are best stored in the fridge – and they also keep well over time. If you’re thinking of shipping cookies, these are a relatively safe bet!

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies – One of my favorite recipes, from the PPK. With almond extract, because it’s awesome.; and
Bourbon Balls – No-bake recipe via spabettie. As with the Thin Mints, these keep well in the fridge, so you can make ‘em in advance. Here’s a tip: crush and mix everything in a food processor, it’s much easier than stirring everything by hand. When the dough’s done it will pull away from the blade and settle against the bowl. Bonus: fewer dishes!

And across-section of the thin mint:

I wasn’t sure how many cookies it’d take to fill a tin to nearly overflowing, so I made a batch of each. I only used about 75% of them, and we kept the leftovers for our own, so score! Between these and the goodies from Josh, we were set on dessert for the week.

As for main courses, on x-mas we opted to make a tater tot casserole in place of our usual, Flying Spaghetti Monster themed lasagna. No real reason, except we had baked penne the week before and were burned out on pasta. (File that one under “bad timing.”)

As usual, we used Snarky Vegan’s super-awesome recipe. It is delicious and unhealthy and loaded with carbs – perfect holiday eats, in other words. As an added bonus, it will knock you on your ass by 9PM – great for those times when you’re dining with annoying extended family. “Excuse me while I go lapse into a carb coma, mkay?”

For dessert: carrot cake

and a glass of So Delicious Coconut Milk Nog – easily the thickest, sweetest, yummiest of the vegan nogs on the market. I almost wish they made this stuff year-round, but I’m, not sure my blood could handle all that extra sugar.

fwiw, one way to extend your coconut nog pleasure is to transform some of it into ice cream. Christmas in July, holla!

So Delicious’s coconut milk nog is so incredibly thick and rich that I thought it might make for a pretty yummy ice cream, even if dumped directly into an ice cream maker. Alas, it must be more watery than I realized, because the finished product has the consistency of sorbet vs. ice cream. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still delicious, you just have to leave it on the counter to thaw a bit before helping yourself to a scoop!

I haven’t given up on turning this into ice cream though! Next time I think I’ll try cooking the liquid down a bit and/or adding some arrowroot powder. Thoughts?

This is also a nice way to use up soon-to-expire coconut milk nog. (Ditto: Silk Pumpkin Spice, Nog, and Chocolate Mint.)

We did eventually have our lasagna, but for New Year’s Eve instead of x-mas.

I didn’t follow it – at least not consciously, anyway – but I think this is the same basic recipe I posted last year. Try it, it’s yummy and festive!

Of course, we also enjoyed a fair share of pizzas over the holiday break, but they deserve their own post, dontchathink? Such a tease, I am.

While you’re waiting, why not make your own pizza pie and enter it in my Vegan Pizza Day That Was Giveaway? Open ’til next Monday afternoon. You KNOW you’re gonna eat a pizza between now and then anyways!

The Vegan Pizza Day That Was!

Kelly Garbato — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:06:20 +0000

Okay, so maybe Vegan Pizza Day has moved to June 28th. But the party’s still on at fuck yeah vegan pizza!

Come celebrate the Vegan Pizza Day That Was with us, ALL WEEK LONG! Americans & Canadians, share your vegan pizza photos with us for a chance to win one of three awesome prize packages featuring buttons, tees, totes – & more free product coupons than you can wag your tongue at! – from Tofurky, Daiya, Lightlife, Gardein, Nasoya, Tofutti, Field Roast, Bob’s Red Mill, Upton’s Naturals, & more! I may or may not have burned a few mix tapes especially for the occasion!

We also have a special Early Vegan Pizza Day giveaway for those in the mainland UK. Share your vegan pizza photos for a chance to win a prize package of vegan meats and cheeses from Redwood Foods! There are enough goodies here to keep you happily snacking for a month or more. (Or a week, if you’re anything like me. omnomnom!)

A cheesy, saucy, sexy time will be had by all! Vegan Pizza Day, so nice we’re celebrating it twice.

…and there were zero fucks given that day.

Kelly Garbato — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:28:39 +0000

Yesterday morning after breakfast, Kaylee wandered into the office, threw up everything she’d just eaten, and then proceeded to eat it all a second time. At first I started to yell at her to stop, and even took a step toward her, as if to snatch her away, and then realized – you know what? I should just let her eat it, then I won’t have to clean it up. Let her take care of her own mess and be happy doing it.

Welcome to my life.

Filed alongside: “silently watching Lemmy rub his balls on the kitchen counter” and “leaving Mags’s pee puddles sit until morning.”

fuck yeah reading!: 2011 books

Kelly Garbato — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 18:08:22 +0000

Inspired in part by Marji – who logged an impressive 40 books in 2011 (But not “the 80+ books of 2009″! WHAT.) – I compiled a list of all the books I read last year. Or rather, those I’m sure I read in 2011. This is totally from memory, so I’m probably missing a few. Or at least I hope I am; 25 seems a sorry number next to Marji’s 40 to 80! Doubly so when half of these are audiobooks. (Oh my gods I am THE WORST.)

Anyway, this year I’m actually keeping track, a strategy which should motivate me to read more. So far it seems to be working; already I’ve got two books under my belt and am in the middle of two more. One of the new series I’ve started is Stephen King’s The Dark Tower – which could hurt my overall numbers, given the series’ epicness. (Each book grows progressively longer; compare The Gunslinger‘s 264 pages to The Dark Tower‘s 1072. The only exception is Book 6, Song of Susannah, which weighs in at 560 pages.)

Library Thing is a fun tool for this – as I finished them, I’m tagging books “read in 2012” so that I don’t have to rely on memory this time next year. Plus, FREE BOOKS! (#2, 16, 17, 18, and 23 are all books I snagged through LT’s Early Reviewer program.)

fuck yeah reading!: 2011 book list

The Fall, Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan (2010)
The Energy Glut: Climate Change and the Politics of Fatness, Ian Roberts (2010); reviewed here *
For Her Own Good: Two Centuries of the Experts Advice to Women, Barbara Ehrenreich (2005) *
The Last Unicorn, Peter S. Beagle (1977) *
The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins (2008) *
Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins (2009) *
Mockingjay, Suzanne Collins (2010) *
The Golden Compass, Philip Pullman (1995) *
The Subtle Knife, Philip Pullman (1997) *
The Amber Spyglass, Philip Pullman (2001) *
The Girl Who Was on Fire: Your Favorite Authors on Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games Trilogy, Leah Wilson, ed. (2011)
The Gingerbread Girl, Stephen King (2008)
The Breathing Method, Stephen King (2009)
Cell, Stephen King (2006)
Under the Dome, Stephen King (2009) *
The Moral Lives of Animals, Dale Peterson (2011); reviewed here
The Sex Doll: A History, Anthony Ferguson (2010); reviewed here
The Believing Brain: From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies – How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths, Michael Shermer (2011); reviewed here
Bossypants, Tina Fey (2011)
The Bedwetter, Sarah Silverman (2010)
Discovering the Golden Compass: A Guide to Philip Pullman’s Dark Materials, George Beahm (2007); reviewed here
Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials Trilogy (Continuum Contemporaries), Claire Squires (2003) *
With Liberty and Justice for Some: How the Law Is Used to Destroy Equality and Protect the Powerful, Glenn Greenwald (2011); reviewed here *
The Walking Dead: Compendium One, Robert Kirkman (2009)
After the Apocalypse: Stories, Maureen F. McHugh (2011) *

* Top picks!