Masada and the Dead Sea
"Don't worry, he's not gonna die.""It's not that. It's my camera I'm worried about!"
Masada is an absolutely awe-inspiring mountaintop fortress with a sad history. We hiked up (Elliot narrowly missing a rockfall perpetrated by a bunch of a**hole teenagers), checked out the ruins up top, and then Elliot and Jill took the funicular back down (see photo in this post) while Kate, Spencer and I ran down the trail to see if we could beat them back to the visitor center. We didn't, but it was exhilarating. That's one of my favorite moments from this trip. 
Later that day Kate had penciled in our one chance to experience the Dead Sea (jam-packed itinerary, as usual!), and we were really bummed when we saw that the beach was cordoned off for off-season construction work.But did we let all those DO NOT ENTER signs stop us?NOPE. 
Super salty, lovely and floaty. Totally worth clambering down a crumbling embankment, and scrambling back up again. 
The next morning we visited Beit Guvrin National Park. It's an extensive site dating back to Old Testament times, with much of what there is to see being underground (although the caves are relatively new). 
I got a little obsessed with doorways on this trip, and light shining into darkened spaces. This is the entrance to the Sidonian Tomb of the Musicians (above and below). 
See? Beautiful. Next post: Jerusalem!
Blessed Are the Clean of Heart
After a couple nights in Haifa, we made our way south toward the Dead Sea (next post!), stopping at Zippori National Park to admire all the mosaics. 
In the afternoon we visited the Mount of Beatitudes for a little New-Testament refresher course. 
There is a basilica and gift shop, of course. Jill and I enjoyed chatting with a nun who was hard at work on an art project for Christmas. 
Does it say in the Bible just how beautiful the Sea of Galilee is? 
Vegan Paradise
Spencer points out a line on page 250: In the morning she poured two bowls of Count Chocula, and we ate on the front steps.Me: "Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever eaten Count Chocula."Elliot (?): "I think there's a lot in that book you've never eaten."
Seeing as the classic Middle Eastern dishes of falafel, hummus, and baba ganoush are some of my very favorites, you can just imagine how happy I was eating these foods every day if I wanted to. I think the rest of the gang were a little bit hummus-and-falafel'd out by the last few days, and I may have echoed as much, but I didn't really mean it. Have I mentioned my undying love for falafel? 
I didn't get a photo, but on our first night in Haifa Kate and I split a roasted eggplant (it comes with the stem!) with tahini on top, served with freshly-baked focaccia-type bread. We had tahini served various delicious ways, which I'll talk more about next time. It's a way more versatile dip/spread than I'd ever thought!
Haifa and Akko
In Haifa, north of Tel Aviv, we enjoyed the terraced Baha'i Gardens overlooking the Mediterranean and the best AirBnB digs of the trip (thanks, Eli!) You can see why Haifa unanimously won the "if we could live anyplace we've been to on this trip" game. 
Then we drove to Akko (Acre) to check out the restored Crusader-turned-Ottoman citadel in the pouring rain. (We also enjoyed the first of many lunches of hummus and Arabic coffee, which I will blog about separately.) The hummus joint is located inside the old suq, or marketplace, where we picked up some spices, including za'atar (a mix of thyme, sesame seeds, and salt, commonly used in Middle Eastern cuisine) and a few packets of saffron Kate later convinced herself were phony. (We'll cook with it and let you know.) 
Despite the heavy rain, I really enjoyed walking through the narrow streets of the old city. Very atmospheric. 
Next post: Zippori and the Sea of Galilee!
Puns and Praise (and More Puns)
I brought the Bones & All galley along on vacation this past month, and all four of my family members got to read it. (Jill went first, and finished the book at the end of an all-night bout of insomnia—she literally did not sleep. I was amazed she could function the next day!) They made groan-worthy puns, asked salient questions, and posed a few theories of their own. (Maren's curse as a metaphor for an eating disorder? How had I never consciously considered that?!) It was like we'd formed our own little on-the-road book club. I like to tell people this is the one project from which I've completely disengaged—that you can say whatever you like about it and my heart won't reply with that aggravating fight-or-flight business—but it still gives me pleasure to know that my family and friends are enjoying what I've written.
"A tasty treat."
"I was hungry for more."
"It's a book you can really sink your teeth into."
"It takes a couple of readings to digest it all."
"Ravenously good!"
"You are one sick, sick mother-effer." (This one from my own sister.)
And last but not least, after stopping by a Tel Aviv ice cream parlor: "We devoured them, cones and all."
@cometparty The banner ad on today's Shelf Awareness email got my really excited :) pic.twitter.com/qj7ilR44YR— Mackenzi Lee (@themackenzilee) December 5, 2014
Love these words from @cometparty on reading, writing, & how we shape our identities http://t.co/hZrW3sEK61 also books as necessary candy ;)— Adam Maynard (@agmaynard) December 6, 2014
Terrible fake-blurbs aside, there is actual cool stuff to share. First, I have an essay on Book Reporter that went up on Friday as part of their blog series on holiday bookgiving. And in save-the-best-for-last fashion, check out these generous (and, y'know, legit) blurbs I've received from two terrific authors:
"From its opening, grab-you-by-the-gut paragraph to its chilling, perfect ending, I was captivated by the story of Maren Yearly, a character unlike any I've ever encountered before. Bones & All is a riveting, utterly original, and unexpectedly tender exploration of one of the scariest things in the world: growing up."
— Elizabeth Little, author of Dear Daughter
"A dark and mesmerizing vision of adolescent desire—this book will devour you."
— Robin Wasserman, author of The Waking Dark and The Book of Blood and Shadow
Thank you very much, Robin and Elizabeth!
