Character Versus Plot
What do you prefer? Does it always have to be a trade off?
In this newsletter: character vs plot driven novels, some book reviews, Phenomenal Women (a poem and short writings) and a recipe for Creamy Chicken Enchiladas.
Character or Plot Driven Books
I am not a particularly fast reader but I manage to read a lot of books. I think this is in large part because I can pick out the right books for me. The more engaged I am with a book, the faster I read it.
Knowing what kind of books I like doesn’t just mean a particular genre or author. What matters more is if a book is plot driven verses character driven. When I hear books discussed in this way, I understand what this meant for me. I often struggle with books that focus more on characters and descriptions rather than action. My sister Leslie is the opposite – which makes sense, since we both love reading but have different favorites. She enjoys a good novel with a complicated family but not much action (a.k.a. Anne Tyler). My favorite genre is mystery, which is usually plot driven. This also explains why I enjoy apocalyptic and journey novels as well.
The best books have great characters AND well-constructed plots. I think this is why Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache series is so popular. Her characters continue to develop as the series expands and her plotting is excellent. This is also true for the classics like Jane Austen’s Emma or Persuasion. We fall in love with the characters but from the beginning we are led along on a journey and can’t wait to find out what happens in the end.
Plot Driven Novels to try:
News of the World by Paulette Jiles is currently being made into a movie staring Tom Hanks. This is a short densely packed novel about an older ‘news man’ in Texas taking a young girl, kidnapped by Native Americans, back to her family. Great characters, fascinating setting, tightly woven plot!!
Never Have I Ever by Jocelyn Jackson was an unstoppable ride that I listened to earlier in the year. A domestic suspense novel that had me guessing at many turns. I like the heightened sense of foreboding without the violence of something like Gone Girl.
The Mother in Law by Sally Hepworth was one of my favorite reads last summer. Lucy’s mother-in-law, Diana is dead and we don’t know who killed her. She is not likable but does comes across as sympathetic and the fraught relationship between Diana and Lucy is like an onion with the layers being unpeeled.
Character driven novels to try:
The Dutch House by Anne Pachette – I was surprised how much I enjoyed this novel. Even though it is more character than plot, things definitely happen and I love the sibling relationship. I plan to listen to Tom Hank’s narration of this.
Anything written by Wendell Berry, though Jayber Crow or Hannah Coulter is a great place to start. I read Jayber Crow last year; the prose is beautiful but it took me a while to get through it. Any of his make a great “slow read” - a book you pick up to enjoy the prose and not hurry to get through.
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. Many people love this slow tenderly written book about an older father passing on lessons he has learned over his lifetime to his son. With almost no dialogue, I barely made it to the finish line. Glacial. Yet this book is beloved by many, which just shows that we all have different tastes.
Honorable Mentions: Olive Kitteridge and My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout.
The Best of Both Worlds
Know My Name by Chanel Miller writes an amazing memoir that has both a gripping plot and an amazing character (herself).
The Stationary Store by Marjan Kamali – Still one of my favorites of this year, a tender love story with a great setting.
Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger – A nostalgic coming of age story with great characters and a mystery to unravel. Notes of “Stand By Me” in this along with a complicated family. I have also heard amazing things about his 2019 release This Tender Land but haven’t read it yet.
Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue – This story of a young African couple takes on the issues of marriage, immigration, class, race, and fallacies of the American Dream. It asks questions about what “providing a better life” truly means and what it costs.
This cracked me up: an estimated 50 year old cookie was found in a manuscript for the 1500s at a Cambridge University Library.
Book Reviews
First two lighter reads:
Evvie Drake Start Over by Linda Holmes is a sweet rom-com that has a bit more heft than some because Evie is dealing with the loss of her husband. This sounds sad but the real tragedy is that she is more guilt ridden than grief stricken about losing her husband. And then a former major league baseball player moves into her guest suite and we go from there.
Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey kept me smiling throughout because our main girl is funny, self deprecating, and clueless — and the love interest is smarter and kinder than she gives him credit for. I enjoyed this but ultimately you can see exactly where it is going.
Books about the “writing life”
I also read If You Want to Write by Brenda Ueland for a bookclub. It is an utterly charming book with excellent advice. The ideas suggested apply not just for writers, but for anyone pursuing creative interests (so that means everyone). First published in 1938, it feels both classic and yet completely relevant. This is a short book but I found myself underlining sentence after sentence. Note: this averages between $1-2 for the Ebook and the paperback is only $5.95 (Amazon).
Phenomenal Women
I joined a woman’s creative writing group this fall and it has become a valued community for me. Before the quarantine, we met at our facilitator, Lisa’s beautiful home and enjoyed our time writing, reading, and sharing a cup of tea. Since then, Lisa has guided us in numerous Zoom meetings so we can continue to write together and stay connected. Below is a link to a blog post that includes short writings we did back in early March in appreciation of International Women’s Day. It begins with a link to Maya Angelou reading her poem of the same title, which if you have not heard, is phenomenal!
Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
And finally I will leave you with a yummy recipe for Creamy Chicken Enchiladas. I have been making these enchiladas for many years – tho not authentic, they are delicious. Can you say comfort food? Adapted from a dear friend, I used to roll up them up but my family likes it better in layers that you can cut into squares. This dish was always popular when I sold “Make and Take Dinners.”
Creamy Chicken Enchilada Casserole - Serves 4-6
5-7 flour tortillas - cut or torn into pieces
canola or olive oil for sautéing
1 small onion, diced
1 teaspoon of chili powder
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 can cream of chicken soup
½ cup sour cream
3 cups cooked chicken shredded or diced chicken
1 small can green chilies
2 cups shredded cheese (I prefer cheddar)
Preheat oven to 350.
Dice and sauté onions till soft. Add chili powder and cumin to onion while cooking.
In a separate bowl combine the soup and sour cream.
In 2nd bowl mix chicken, green chilies, onions, 1 cup of shredded cheese and 3 tbsp of the soup mixture.
To assemble casserole – grease and 8x8 pan
• Spread ½ cup soup mixture on bottom.
• Place layer of cut tortillas (about 2-2 ½) in bottom of casserole dish.
• Put ½ of chicken mixture over tortillas.
• Place 2nd layer of tortillas.
• Add next ½ of chicken.
• Top with a final layer of tortillas.
• Then use a spoon or spatula to cover the top with the rest of soup mixture.
• Add the 2nd cup of shredded cheese on top (you can use more here if you like)
• Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Serve with Spanish rice.
Note: you can increase this recipe by about 50% to make in a 9x13 for a larger serving size.
Next month I will discuss summer reading. Enjoy an happy reading. Please feel free to share with others