Throughout the academic year, Melinda Giampietro, Options Founder/President, will share some of her favourite things in her monthly Founder’s Feature. Melinda loves reading, data, research, and following academic and adolescent news around the world.
Melinda’s Restaurant of the Month
Every year, we do a team brunch in the fall to prepare and pump up for the new school year and application season. This year, we went to Botanist at the Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel. We reserved the private room and had a two-course brunch. I started with the freshly baked viennoiserie (French baked goods made from a yeast-leavened dough), which included a raspberry curd and pistachio croissant. I enjoyed both unique flavours. Second course, main-event favourites were the butter poached lobster benedict, the brioche French toast, and the steak and eggs. It was a very fun event, and I made custom Taylor Swift themed friendship bracelets for all.
Melinda’s Bucket List Concert Song
If you have been following Founder’s Feature, you know I keep a bucket list of songs that I would like to see live in Notes on my phone. I checked two off at Morgan Wallen’s concert at Roger’s Arena in October. They were “Thought You Should Know” and “More Than My Hometown.” It was so fun; in true Options fashion, we had studied ahead and knew every word to sing along.
Melinda’s Shout Out/Visits of the Month
On a recent trip to Montreal, I was able to visit Bishop’s University and revisit Concordia University. It was interesting to talk to and gain insight from both institutions about the recent announcement regarding a tuition increase for out-of-province students. The two places are polar opposites, but both are fantastic for the right student. I learned many things, including that Montreal is the third largest aerospace city in the world, and that Bishop’s has a Brewing Science certificate. I’d like to thank Martine F at Concordia for meeting me on a Friday afternoon and giving me such a warm welcome. Another thank you goes to Kelly D-F at Bishop’s for arranging my tour with guide Abby F. (an Options Alumni!) on a Saturday with the football recruits.
Melinda’s Cookbook of the Month
My Zen space is baking for my family, my friends, and my team. I love Sarah Kieffer and her Vanilla Bean Blog. I purchase every one of her cookbooks. Breakfast pastries might just be my favourite food, and I love her new cookbook: 100 Morning Treats. I have made and enjoyed these recipes: Caramel Apple Muffins, Maple Oatmeal Scones, Maple Poppy Seed Bread, Pear Bundt Cake, Orange Buns, and Cinnamon Twists. The recipes would be perfect for the lazy, slow mornings between the holidays and New Year’s Day. My December baking goal is to make six different types of pie. I’ll report back…
Melinda’s Wanderlust Moment of the Month
For as long as I can remember, I have had a ‘travel’ Pinterest board. Many years before that, I had a folder with magazine and newspaper articles and photos of places I wanted to go that I had cut out. My husband recently sent me NYT’s “36-hours in Florence, Italy”; my all-time favourite city. This allowed me to rediscover the 36-hours series. It was serendipitous when they published “36-hours in Montreal” on October 12th, as we were visiting two weekends later. Scrolling through the recent postings helps me beat the rainy-city blues.
Melinda’s Book of the Month
My favourite gift to give girlfriends is Ann Patchett’s Truth and Beauty, so I get so excited whenever she writes a new book. Unsurprisingly, I loved her new work, Tom Lake. Patchett has an exceptional ability to write about the family unit, and I found it interesting the book was set in Michigan (my undergraduate state) during the pandemic. I am intrigued to see how this moment in history will be captured in literature over the next few years. I love this description from the book’s inside cover: “it explores what it means to be happy even when the world is falling apart.” If you like audiobooks, Meryl Streep reads this one. I enjoyed the book so much, I might listen to it, too.
Melinda’s Podcast of the Month
I spend much of the summer on Nantucket, MA. Author Elin Hildebrand is a local celebrity there, and her beach reads, all set on Nantucket, are incredibly popular. I LOVE her new podcast Books, Beach & Beyond, in which she interviews a wide array of guests. Notably, she interviews many successful female authors. My favourites to listen to were: Ann Patchett (of course!), Kristin Hannah, and Taylor Jenkins Reid (Malibu Rising was one of my favourite books of summer). It is fascinating and inspiring to learn about each of their writing processes. I also really enjoyed her interviews with Jake Tapper (CNN Anchor) and Gilbert Cruz (Editor of the New York Times Book Review). It is interesting to learn about the publishing industry and the trends that they are seeing and tracking.
To read more Founder’s Features, check them out under the Options News category.
