A Kitchen in France: A Year of Cooking in my Farmhouse

This is food porn. And I mean that as the highest compliment. It's absolutely the most beautifully photographed cook book I've ever seen. Every recipe has AT LEAST one photo to accompany it, but often times there is more than one. Just stunning. My mouth was watering the whole time.

This book is ingeniously divided into four sections, one for each season. The recipes in each section feature seasonal vegetables, herbs, and nuts. Each recipe is broken down and easy to follow, even for a cooking novice like me. Before each recipe there is loving description that absolutely makes you want to try it out. Even as a vegetarian I found plenty of recipes to try, many could easily be substituted with meat alternatives. I especially can't wait to try the chou farci, it's the most beautiful cabbage dish I've ever seen. Even though it contains meat I'd like to put my own spin on it.

This book is a must have, even for cooking beginners. It's beautiful, easy to follow, and contains soo many unique recipes. I have several cookbooks at home but most of the recipes found in this tome were completely new to me. Granted I don't cook a lot of french cuisine, but still. Buy this book! You won't regret it!

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books in return for my honest, unbiased opinion.

The Alcatraz Rose

It's a shame that there isn't more of an online following for the Lawrence Kingston mystery series, or maybe there is but not in America. I would have loved to have stumbled upon this series sooner! I love good ol' murder mysteries, especially English ones, and this one is very reminiscent of Ellis' Peters' Brother Cadfael series. Not in the same time period obviously, and our main character isn't a monk, but they both seem to be wrapped up in mysteries that involve flowers or fauna. Which may sound lame but is actually kinda cool.

Lawrence Kingston is a respected botanist and acclaimed amateur sleuth. When a thirteen year old girl approaches him asking if he'll look into her mother's disappearance several years prior he can't refuse. What starts off as a simple cold case of a missing person rapidly evolves into a murder mystery, followed by the discovery of a once thought extinct rose on Alcatraz Island. Kingston discovers that many loose threads might actually be connected and he find himself trekking all over England and across the sea in America.

I may not be very good at predicting mystery endings, but this one left me doubly stumped. I would never have figured it out on my own had I not read all the way through. I look forward to reading the rest in this series. For fans of English murder mysteries.

I received this book for free from the author in return for my honest, unbiased opinion.

Last Light Falling: The Covenant Book One

Wow. Quite literally the BEST young adult christian book on the market. The characters are real, they aren't picture perfect Christian cut outs portrayed in soo many other Christian fiction titles. They have faults, they curse, they act like normal teens (minus being killing machines chosen by God). It was really refreshing, and I think the author did an amazing job making his characters real and relate-able unlike many other books on the market.

Arena and Gabe are twins and they have no idea how much their world is about to change. They are living with their foster parents and the end times are near. The government is falling apart, guns are outlawed, homeless people are killed, and public executions are the norm. If they thought high school was rough, things are about to get a whole lot harder. On their fifteenth birthday they receive a key in the mail, a key that will open the doors to a whole new future. a future that God has planned for them. Arena must help overthrow the corrupt regime and prepare the world for the end times, her brother standing by her side helping with logistics and weapons. It's lucky that she has trained for years in the martial arts because those skills are going to come in handy as she unleashes her lethal art form on the evil. Along with her uncle, her martial arts instructor, and her brother Gabe, they must fight the corrupt soldiers city by city and save God's people.

A wonderful apocalyptic novel for teens. While it can be violent and sometimes nearly unbelievable that a fifteen year old can wreak so much havoc, I think teens will thoroughly enjoy the badassery of Arena. Soo glad that teen heroines are the new thing!

I received this book for free from the author in return for my honest, unbiased opinion.

Sweetland

Crummey, Michael. Sweetland. 8 CDs. unabridged. 9.25 hrs. High Bridge Audio. 2015. ISBN 9781622316256. $39.99. 8CDs. 

Crummey (Galore) creates a compelling and epic story of one man's quest to stay on his beloved island on the Newfoundland coast after a government buyout. Moses Sweetland refuses to leave the island his ancestors founded, it holds too many memories and he feels compelled to stay for reasons he can't quite articulate. As the island's residents slowly start to leave he finds himself  reminiscing on his and the town's history. From the eclectic residents to old traditions, Sweetland finds solace in looking back on the island's past. Soon he finds himself utterly alone and all he has to keep him sane are his thoughts. The story alternates between the present story, Sweetland's youth, and various other memorable moments in his lifetime. Narrated beautifully by the prolific John Lee, who does an impressive job creating distinct voices for all characters, most notably in Moses Sweetland. Verdict Fans of literary novels, and rugged island life will enjoy this astonishing tale of an old man determined not to let go of the past.  - Erin Cataldi, Johnson Co. Public Library, Franklin, IN

Across Great Divides

"Across Great Divides" is a wonderful tale of resilience, family, and following your moral compass. Author Monique Roy, based this inspiring story on her own grandparents journey across countries, continents, and beliefs to try and find safety from the Nazis.

Told through many viewpoints, and over many years, this tale is about the lengths one must go in order to keep family together. Oskar, a successful diamond business owner in Berlin, must flee with his wife, two twin daughters, and young son, in order to escape the Jewish persecution by the Nazis. With the help of others they manage to flee to Belgium, but it isn't far enough away from the Nazi's grip. Over many years they must leapfrog across countries trying to find safety and trying to stay together as their family grows. Throughout all the hardships they manage to stay positive by finding the beauty around them and falling in love. When they eventually find safety in South Africa they face a new struggle, apartheid. Even though the discrimination against them is gone they must decide if they are willing to fight the struggle against the new underdogs, Blacks in South Africa.

A compelling tale, great for middle school readers and up. Not only does it talk of Hitler's ascent into power, it discusses the Jewish discrimination, apartheid, and the complexities of the diamond business. Not told through any one particular character, the story offers many different viewpoints and experiences, although at times the characters can come across a little flat.

I received this book for free from the author, in return for mu honest, unbiased opinion.

Sense & Sensibility

Re-reading this book just solidified my opinion that it is the best of the Jane Austen novels. I know everyone has their hearts set on Pride and Prejudice and Mr. Darcy, but I believe that her first novel is raw and real and much more relatable. It truly remains as fresh a cautionary tale today as it ever was. The Dashwood sisters learn that the path to love isn't always straight and narrow and sometimes your heart has to be broken for you to appreciate how whole a heart can be. Filled with memorable characters, witty dialogue, and unforgettable romance, this is a book readers won't soon forget.

I really enjoyed discussing the book with my library Jane Austen Book and Film Club, we talked about how societal obligations have changed but the heart has remained the same and then we watched the Masterpiece Theater version. Overall, a must read. And if you haven't watch the 1995 movie version. It's amazing and you won't regret it.

Dead Gorgeous

I hadn't read a good old fashioned murder mystery in a while and this certainly whet my appetite. Elizabeth Flynn creates an absorbing read with a likable cast of characters, especially the lead,  Detective Inspector Angela Costello. She's a detective with heart, not some jaded PI like we're so often used to. She's methodical, jovial, and hard as tacks; she knows how to get the job done but she doesn't lose herself in the process.

When young aspiring model, Kristy Manners, is found dead Angela finds herself sucked into the world of fashion. She has to sort out Kristy's fashion designer boss, the jealous ex-boyfriend, the secretive flatmate, and other likely suspects. It's not so easily solved though, and in the process of trying to sort out the murder of beautiful, ambitious Kristy, Angela discovers that lurking behind the fashion industry's door is prostitution, drug addiction, and theft. A page turner that will leave you guessing til the end.

I received this book for free from Kregel Publications in return for my honest, unbiased opinion.