In this issue:

1.  Books of Late: Our favorite relaxing reads to help decompress after April 15
2.  Tips: Take the stress out of book club with these great tips
3.  Food for Thought: Some easy-to-make dishes that will relax readers everywhere
4.  Etc.: Great ways to relax

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1.  Books of Late

Here's a real bargain. Two fabulously clever stories for the price of one. Author Nancy Mitford is now deceased, but her legacy of deliciously wicked and gleefully satiric literature lives on in this pairing of her two most popular novels, set in aristocratic England between the two World Wars.

According to Nancy's sister Jessica, the Radlett family members who wreck havoc at random across these pages are based upon the Mitford family itself. Depending on how you look at it, this could be either a good thing or a bad thing. It's really all a matter of how you feel about the fabulously crabby Uncle Matthew hunting his own children when foxes are few and far between. In terms of their value as fictional characters, however, there is no doubt at all that Uncle Matthew, his infallibly sedate wife Sadie, the seven Radlett children and their cousin Fanny make for some of the most endearing and unusual people we are ever likely to meet in literature. The first novel, The Pursuit of Love, chronicles the determined efforts of Linda Radlett, the family beauty, to make an utter disaster of her love-life; the second, Love in a Cold Climate, tells the story of the gorgeous but somewhat vacant Polly Hampton, whose treacherous affair with a family friend threatens to destroy the happiness of pretty much everybody.

Thank you, Alice! You've done it once again. Here's yet another refreshing, engrossing coming-of-age story guaranteed to seduce discerning readers of all ages -- that is, yet another enjoyable example of the satisfying kind of storytelling that Alice Hoffman pulls off so consistently and so well.

This time, the action is centered in and around the Haddan School, a prestigious East Coast prep school nestled in the heart of the small town from which it takes its name. In this particular term, things are going pretty much as expected. Like teenagers everywhere, the Haddan School students continue to adhere to unwritten laws of social hierarchy: follow the strong and powerful, torment the weak and unusual. But business as usual is suddenly interrupted when the body of a Haddan student turns up in the river behind the school. Like all Hoffman's best fiction, The River King makes for a great easy read, but again, like the rest of Hoffman's fiction, it makes you ponder some of life's most elusive mysteries even as you rip through the pages to find out what's going to happen next.

Sally Pollock, Ellen's exceptionally well-read mother-in-law, spoke the truth when she recommended this novel to us for consideration. "You don't have to think about it much, but it's so much fun."

This elaborate but somewhat fluffy confection isn't really quite subtle or ambiguous enough to make for the perfect book group book, but it will make a wonderful addition to your bedside table. The first in a series of three novels that tell the story of the life of Josephine Bonaparte, Gulland's book reflects an impressive amount of careful research on both its heroine and its historical time period. Lean back, put your feet up, and "let them eat cake." This is the French Revolution, all right, but the French Revolution as seen through the eyes of a woman who never neglects to feed us all the pertinent juicy bits of gossip and intimate details of personal dress even as she recounts the latest crimes against justice and liberty.

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2.  Tips

Let someone else stress about the appetizers for a change! Why not make a reservation for your book group to meet in a favorite restaurant? Most smart restaurants are only too happy to set aside a large table and intimate space for a book group dinner. You might even choose a place with a separate dining room reserved for extra privacy. If you're feeling extra-creative, you can even select a spot to match the theme or region of that month's book.

Sometimes the most stressful thing about a book group is simply choosing the books. As we all know, this isn't really a simple thing, what with the bewildering number of must-reads from which to choose. We have a couple of suggestions for angst-less book selections.

* Contact the picky readers of Good Books Lately and ask us to make a custom choice for your book group.

* Catch up with some deserving prize-winners of recent fame. If you haven't gotten around to reading and discussing last year's Pulitzer winner, Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies, you'll want to do so, because it's a dandy.

* Check out this year's Pen/Faulkner winner, our own very favorite Bel Canto by Anne Patchett. This hot little novel's going to be a book group favorite for years to come, and you can quote us on that.

With Mother's Day coming up, it could be the perfect year to celebrate with an All-Moms book group. Invite all local, lovable and well-read mothers -- your own or someone else's mom whose kids are far away. Keep a lookout for the next issue of Latelies, which will include appropriate titles for Mother's Day reads.

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3.  Food for Thought

The following recipes go nicely with the books recommended above -- plus, they're stress-free, giving you a perfect way to ease out of your hectic day and into a satisfying book group discussion.

Aristocratic English Fare Made Easy

Fried Cucumber Sandwiches

Preparation time: 10 to 30 minutes
Cooking time: 10 to 30 minutes
Serves: 1

Ingredients:
1 cucumber
a little flour
salt and pepper
vegetable oil for frying
a little milk
1 egg
2 tomatoes, sliced
mayonnaise
sandwich rolls

Directions:
1. Peel and slice the cucumber into long diagonal slices about 1cm thick. Soak in salted water for 15 minutes.
2. While cucumbers are soaking, make a mixture of flour, salt and pepper. Break one egg into a bowl and add milk to mix.
3. Drain cucumbers and pat onto paper towels to dry.
4. Dip cucumber slices into egg mixture and then into flour mixture. Heat oil in a skillet. Fry cucumber slices until golden brown on medium heat. Drain on paper towel.
5. To assemble the sandwich, spread mayonnaise in a sandwich roll and add the fried cucumber slices. Top with tomato slices. (Onion slices, lettuce and bacon can also be added if you like).

For more English recipes, visit the BBC online.

Coming-of-Age Comfort Food

Old-Fashioned Mac & Cheese

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 - 40 minutes
Serves: 2 - 4

Ingredients:
1 (12 ounce) package of macaroni
1 egg
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups finely shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup Velveeta
a little Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish.
2. In a large pot of salted water, lightly boil the macaroni for about 5 minutes until half-cooked.
3. Whisk the egg and milk together in a large cup. Add butter, cheese, and Velveeta to the egg and milk. Stir well.
4. Place the lightly cooked macaroni in the prepared baking dish. Pour the egg and cheese liquid over the macaroni, sprinkle with salt and pepper, add Dijon mustard to taste, and stir well. Press the mixture evenly around the baking dish.
5. Bake uncovered, for 30 - 40 minutes, or until top is brown.

For more on food that makes us feel comfy, check out the recipes from National Public Radio's show on comfort food.

A Fluffy French Confection

Le Pet de Nonne de Chamonix (Translation: "The Puff of A Nun," ooh, la la!)

Preparation: 45 Minutes
Waiting Time: 2 Hours
Cooking Time:10 minutes

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons sweet butter
4 maybe 5 eggs
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 cup plus 2 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 tablespoon superfine sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
vegetable oil or other deep frying oil
confection sugar for garnish
1 teaspoon dark rum
1 teaspoon orange flower water
Note: You will need a deep pan or deep fryer to make this recipe!

Directions:
1. Put into a quart-size sauce pan 1 cup cold water and boil.
2. As it is heating to boil, add the 6 tablespoons of butter one at a time plus the sugar and salt. Stir so all gets melted and blended.
3. In a separate bowl break the eggs and set aside.
4. When water mixture in the sauce pan is boiling shut off heat and add all the flour at once.
5. Work it all together so you have a thick paste.
6. Now add the orange water, rum, lemon and vanilla and incorporate it.
7. Put the pan with the flour mixture back onto medium heat and stir continuously over the heat while scraping the bottom and sides of the pan so the mixture does not stick to it or burn. Continue so until the mixture sets up into a ball and no longer wants to stick onto the sides. This usually takes about 3 minutes.
8. Now, remove pan with pastry ball in it from the heat and work in all the eggs one at a time. Each egg should be thoroughly blended before the next is added.
Note: The final dough should be soft and flexible but not at all runny. It should appear satiny and shiny. A trick for this is to add 3 of the eggs first one at a time, then add egg by tablespoons until the right consistency is reached. Also, do not over mix the pastry. If it seems the dough is "shrinking" while you are working it stop immediately because that is usually a sign the dough has been worked enough.
9. Now, place the ball of dough in a bowl and let it rest in a warm spot for about 2 hours.

How To Deep Fry the Pastry Puffs:
1. Heat your frying oil to about 370 degrees.
2. Take a tablespoon size of pastry dough and shape into a ball, then drop gently into the hot oil. As it browns on one side turn it so it cooks evenly.
3. When it blows up and gets a little crackly on the outside remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and let it drain for a moment.
4. Continue with the rest of the pastry and do as many balls at one time as you can comfortably.
5. When they are all removed from the hot oil and drained sprinkle them with the confection sugar and serve.
Note: They should be served while hot so don't cook them too far in advance.....

For lots of other fun ideas for spring, visit Alternative Beauty.com.

Absolut Stress Relief

This yummy cocktail will warm your belly and loosen your lips!

Ingredients:
1 fluid ounce vodka
1 fluid ounce dark rum
1 fluid ounce peach schnapps
1 fluid ounce orange juice
1 fluid ounce cranberry juice

Directions:
1. In a cocktail shaker, combine vodka, rum, peach schnapps, orange juice, and cranberry juice.
2. Pour over ice in a tall glass and top off with a slice of orange and a cherry. Enjoy!

Click here for a printable version of the recipes.

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4.  Etc.

Here are a few easy ways to relax your body and quiet your mind.

Ready for Bed Time Bath Time

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons honey
6 drops lavender oil
2 drops marjoram oil
1 drop tangerine or mandarin
Note: tea tree, eucalyptus, lemon, and geranium oils are great for stress relief as well.

Directions:
1. Put the honey in a dish and mix in the oils very well.
2. Draw a warm-hot bath (whatever temperature you're comfortable with, though hot enough to dissolve the honey), and add the honey. Swirl it around until it's dissolved and diffused through the bath.
3. Get in, sit back, and soak for twenty to thirty minutes, and let your worries slip away!

Do you think you're super stressed, but you're not quite sure if it's just the regular normal trials of day-to-day life? Take the STRESS TEST at Stress Dynamics.com.


Yoga for Relaxation:
Supported Child's Pose

This pose rests the upper back and releases the neck -- two places many of us hold tension and stress.

Sit on a folded blanket with your knees bent and your feet under your buttocks.
Separate your knees more than hip-width apart and bring your feet together.
Bring your torso forward, resting it on a stair-stepped arrangement of blankets or a bolster, adjusted to a comfortable height.
Pull the support into your belly.
Drop your chin towards your chest as you rest your head.
You may want an additional blanket to support your forehead, but continue to lengthen the neck.
Dropping the chin to the chest provides a gentle stretch to the back of the neck, right below the skull.
The arms should rest on the floor, palms down, elbows bent, hands near the head.
Relax and breathe into the pose.

For more information on specific yoga postures to help ease whatever ails you, visit the Yoga Journal online.

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