From the new album, pretty great.

Welcome to the first in a series of book reviews which I call "Books That are not Worth Reviewing".

Squirrel Twins

The Squirrel Twins' Ride is the tale of two young squirrels - Chipper and Chatter - as they attempt to make their way through a cold and unforgiving world. They have been left alone while their parents travel to visit relatives. One day they receive a letter inviting them to rejoin their parents, and they eventually find themselves on a train, attempting to reach the house of their Aunt Maria. Unfortunately, they don't know where she lives, they have no tickets and presumably no money to buy them with anyway. It is unclear how they have been able to meet the basic requirements of survival, or who has been keeping their beanie hats spinning this whole time.

On the train, the gruff Conductor and the thrifty Mrs. Mouse are their only source of hope, as they travel from town to town, hoping for a furtive glance of a place to call home. At each stop, the Conductor asks if anyone is looking for two squirrels. It's clear that the Conductor cares only for himself and the duties of his position. He is desperate to unload the twins on the first owl, frog or turtle that will have them.

The conclusion of the book and its bittersweet family reunion is short and to the point.

Published in 1968 by Rand McNally as part of the 'Tiny Elf Library', it's evident that no one expected this book to survive until 2010. The binding is cheap and the pages are yellowed. We happened to find it at a library book sale a few years ago, and it's been a popular item ever since - mostly because the story is so bizarre.

The book is written by Duncan Jury and illustrated by Eleanor Corwin. Corwin will appear again in future book review. This might be the only book published by Duncan Jury, and it's not hard to see why. It doesn't make any sense at all!

The book is short so I have scanned it in and you can view it here. I don't have a lot of interest in violating any copyright, so if someone wants me to take it down, just let me know and I will.

Tonight's dinner was a DAMNED TASTY Lemony Broccoli and Chickpea Pasta

Ingredients

• One 19-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds broccoli, cut into florets
• 1 pound rigatoni
• 5 large garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, toss the chickpeas with the lemon juice and 1/2 cup of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the broccoli until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the broccoli to a colander and rinse under cold water until cool. Add the rigatoni to the boiling water and cook until al dente.
3. Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, heat the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook over moderate heat until the garlic is golden, about 3 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the chickpea mixture and cook until warmed through, about 1 minute.
4. Drain the rigatoni, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the broccoli and chickpeas along with the reserved cooking water and season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the rigatoni is coated with sauce. Remove from the heat and stir in 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Transfer the pasta to a bowl, sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and serve.

We've been making this recipe from Cookthink at least monthly since we found it:

Braised Chicken With Black Beans And Sweet Potato

This healthy, satisfying one-pot dish is made with chicken thighs and flavored with jalapeño, cumin, coriander, lime juice and zest and cilantro. Serve on its own or with a side of brown rice. We'd recommend washing this dish down with an ice cold beer.