Popsugar Reading Challenge Update!

Here are the titles I've added this week (look for reviews soon!):

Perfect Puppy in 7 Days: How to Start Your Puppy Off Right by Sophia Yin is a book with a number in the title.

Mint Juleps With Teddy Roosevelt by Mark Will-Weber is a nonfiction book.

Don't Give Up, Don't Give In: Lessons From an Extraordinary Life by Louis Zamperini is a memoir.

Fifty Shades Darker by E.L. James is a book with bad reviews.

Previously:

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand is a book that became a movie.

How (Not) to Fall in Love by Lisa Brown Roberts is a book published this year.

Where She Went by Gayle Forman is a book with a female author.

Ink by Amanda Sun is a book with a one-word title.

Loop by Karen Akins is a book set in the future.

And I'm currently reading Fifty Shades Freed, which doesn't satisfy any of the checklist and Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver, which will be a book set in high school.

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!

Honey: A Selection of More Than 80 Delicious Savory & Sweet Recipes by Hattie Ellis | Cookbook Review

(With that title, you're expecting a cookbook, aren't you?  This is so much more!)

This was such a pretty cookbook!  It could easily work as a coffeetable conversation-starter book too.  It's super informative, with lots of honey/beekeeping info at the beginning.  It's not overwhelming, and I found it all quite interesting.  The novice needs not fear:  there's a very complete glossary of honey and bee lingo in the back.

Scattered throughout the book are gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous photos of about 2/3 of the recipes, and more bee/honey pics in between.  Like, I could and would frame the photos to hang on my walls gorgeous.

I checked out my copy of Honey from my library, and I did try a few recipes, but I think that if I purchased it, I would purchase it as a gift.  Many recipes looked a bit too fancy for our house, or involved some rare ingredients, or were a bit more time-consuming than this working woman is willing to tackle, but I know a few really talented cooks who could definitely work their magic with these scrumptious-looking dishes.  And then I could offer my taste-testing time.  ;)

While some recipes called for certain honeys or even bee pollen, the author says in the introductory chapters that you can use any honey, even cheap stuff.  She just gives recommendations in case you want to get into the subtleties of honeys.  And bee pollen.  And she gives suggestions as to where to find the stuff if you are interested in getting into specialty honey or pollen.

As I mentioned, I did try three recipes.  Two were definite homeruns, and one was a fail.  But I am not a great chef, so the one fail is most likely user-error.

*Honey Granola: Yum!  This was super easy, pretty quick, and so delicious.  I'm not always good at reading all the info in a recipe before starting, and didn't realize that it only makes about 2 cups granola.  In the future I'll double the recipe.

*Zucchini with Pine Nuts, Basil and Honey: Yum!  This one was slightly more complex than the granola, of course, but it was a win.  The hubby said it was good too, and he's a pickier eater than I am.  I also loved just how pretty the finished dish looked.  This could be something I could take to potlucks or family meals and look impressive!

*Honey Whiskey Truffles: Fail.  Sort of.  Like I said: probably due to some error on my part and not on the recipe author's fault.  I ended up with Honey Whiskey Pudding, kinda.  Even after spending 90 minutes in the freezer, it's still way to soft to form into truffles.  I'm going to eat it over ice cream!  I tried a spoonful... heavenly.

Even if you're not a cook, I'd still recommend this book just for the photographs and information.  Two thumbs up!

*I checked out my copy of Honey from my local library.

Compulsion by Martina Boone | Book Review

(Don't you just love love love that cover?)

I am brimming over with love [infatuation!] for this book!  Click on over to Tynga's Reviews to find out why.

*I checked out my copy of Compulsion from my local library.

Where She Went by Gayle Forman | Audiobook Review

(This cover isn't terrible, and it matches the title.  But it doesn't really do justice to the plot.  I saw that there's another edition out there with both Adam and Mia (or representations of them, since they are fictional) and I think that is much better suited to the plot.  Just my two cents.)

Let me open by saying that I really, really enjoyed Where She Went.  However, I'm not blind to it's faults.  I think that big fans of If I Stay might enjoy it; I also think that lukewarm fans of the first book, and those who haven't read it at all, would definitely not get into it.

Where She Went picks up about three years after the accident, and is from Adam's point of view.  Mia is finishing up Julliard, and Shooting Star (Adam's band, in case you forgot) is HUGE.  Like, international concert tours in stadiums huge.  By chance, they end up running into each other in NYC one night.  They haven't spoken in over two years, and this is their second chance at a better goodbye.

Confession:  I was writing quite the negative review in my head as I listened to the first third of the book.  I'm so glad I stuck with it to the end, though!  It definitely takes a turn to the better a little way in.  So the entire book is from Adam's point of view, and he's a hot mess.  He's struggling big time with the fame.  Drinking, starting in the morning.  Smoking cigarettes.  Popping anti-anxiety pills every hour.  Gayle Forman makes it very clear that this is a man on the edge.  But you know what?  I didn't hate him.  Not even a little bit.  Yes, he's a bit self-destructive, but he's in so much emotional pain.  He helped carry Mia through intense rehab and recovery, and now he's left on his own.  I just wanted to jump into the novel and be his friend and try to cheer him up!

Personally, I think the book really took off when Mia convinces Adam to join her on a "farewell tour" of NYC.  She's about to embark on a concert tour herself, and she wants to visit all her favorite NYC places one last time.  I love books like this!  Just like the first book, the entire plot takes place over less than 24 hours, but has flashbacks interspersed to flesh out the characters.  Before reading Where She Went, I didn't really have NYC in my top ten to-visit list, but I would totally go visit if Mia were my tour guide!  

I love that Mia is still Mia, even after all she went through in If I Stay.  She's not naive, but she does have a pure, almost childlike voie de vivre.    She and Adam have a few tough conversations over the course of the night, and I swear I felt myself empathizing with her.  I empathized with a fictional character.  That how good Gayle Forman is.

And to wrap it up, I'll let you know that I give two thumbs up to the narration on the audiobook.  The reader, Dan Bittner, has a very clear voice, with tons of feeling in it.  He conveys Adam's emotions so well!  And he did it all without any crazy jumps or dips in volume.  You know I love when I don't have to fiddle with volume controls while listening to an audiobook.

*I checked out my copy of Where She Went from my local library.

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  For more information, or to join the fun yourself, check out their blog!

Top Ten Books I'd Love to Read With a Book Club

I do not currently have a book club that I'm part of, and sometimes that makes me sad.  I love discussing great books with others!  Here are ten books that I've read, and that I want to have discussions about:

1. Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina.  What a FANTASTIC book!  I want to facilitate this for a group of teen readers.

2. Trans-Siberian Express by Warren Adler.  I loved this one!  And it's set in Siberia.  And the characters all enjoy libations.  What fun would it be to have a murder mystery dinner-type discussion of this?  And enjoy something vodka-based during?

3. The Body Electric by Beth Revis.  I read this and didn't feel like I 100% "got it."  So I'd like to discuss this, and maybe get a new level of understanding.

4. Would You Kill the Fat Man? by David Edmonds.  For this one, I'd be most comfortable just listening to a panel discussion on the question posed in the title.  I thought the book was really thought-provoking, but I don't know if I'd be able to hold my own in the sociological discussion that would follow.

5. The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult.  I actually did read this for a book club once... then accidentally hit myself in the eye while disassembling a bookshelf and gave myself a shiner and was too embarrassed to go to the meeting.  (There's more to that story, of course, but we're going with brevity during TTT.)   So... I would like to finally have that discussion!  This was also my first-ever Picoult book, and I loved it.

6. The Madman's Daughter trilogy... any of them... by Megan Shepherd.  Just because I love them and want to make everyone around me read them and love them too.  :)

7. The Map of Time by Felix J. Palma.  My aunt recommended this trilogy to me, and I loved this first book!  It would have to be a dedicated readers book club, though, because it's a bit of a lengthy read.

8. Uninvited by Sophie Jordan.  This is another one that I'd love to facilitate with a group of teens.  So many great social issues topics are brought up in this well-written and gripping story.

9. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.  That ending!  I would love to discuss this in a book club, and I think everyone should have to draw their own conclusion and be ready to argue it.  Literary throwdown!

10. The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey.  Such a fun book with great characters.  During the book club meeting we could all drink beer.   There could be great debate about right vs. wrong, and whether that's changeable based on circumstances.

How about you?  What ten books would you love to discuss with others?  I really like doing TTT and seeing others' lists; leave me a link below and I'll be sure to visit!

Game Day: 50 Fun Spirit Fleece Projects to Sew

(Check out the picture in the top left!  Clemson!  Go Tigers!)

Game Day is a collection of 50 fleece projects that you could whip up pretty quickly out of fleece.  Most of the projects do involve a sewing machine, so you'll want to be comfortable using one.  The projects that don't involve a sewing machine are the old faithful knotted-edge fleece blanket and/or pillow.  I really wanted to make the hubby a pair of fleece pj pants, but the "pattern" in this book called for me to purchase a man's pj pants pattern!  So why do I need this book for that?  I think the best target for this book would be those sewing with or for kids or teens.  Most of the projects looked easy enough for even a pre-teen to help with, and most of the fashions would totally rock on a kid or teen.  The author does have a good, solid introduction that gives advice on tools that you should have on hand, and sewing terms, and tips & tricks.  She also breaks up the book into patterns for women, for men, for kids, for babies, etc.  Oh, and every project is clearly photographed so that you know what the finished project should look like.  All full color.  I'm not going to attempt any of these projects at this time, but I might in the future.

*I checked out my copy of Game Day from my local library.

Popsugar Reading Challenge Update!

Yaaaaaaay for the weekend!  Last weekend I was over at Tynga's Reviews, hosting Stacking the Shelves.  Today I'm back to update you on my Popsugar 2015 Reading Checklist progress!  I was able to add three more titles.  I've been distracted:

Meet Tucker, my new little boxer puppy!  He is, in fact, asleep on my lap right now while I try to type up this post.  What an adorable distraction in my life!

Back to the books.  Here are the titles I've added this week (look for reviews soon!):

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand is a book that became a movie.

How (Not) to Fall in Love by Lisa Brown Roberts is a book published this year.

Loop by Karen Akins is a book set in the future.

Previously:

Where She Went by Gayle Forman is a book with a female author.

Ink by Amanda Sun is a book with a one-word title.

Happy news!  A family member read my last Popsugar Reading Challenge email and not only gave me great ideas for quite a few checklist items, but also went ahead and sent me a copy of Dark in the City of Light, which will take care of a more difficult item:  a book with antonyms in the title!  Yay!  And thank you!  Tucker and I will be reading that soon.

And I'm currently reading Mint Juleps With Teddy Roosevelt by Mark Will-Weber, which will be a nonfiction book and Fifty Shades Darker by E.L. James, which will be a book with bad reviews.

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!

Retronaut: The Photographic Time Machine by Chris Wild | Book Review

Oh, man what a fun book!  I checked it out of my library, but I'm definitely adding this to my wishlist for purchase.  Retronaut is a book-form collection of the best of the best photos from retronaut.com.  They are such fun!  The author has loosely grouped the photos by common themes.  I intended to pace myself, but I totally devoured this book over just two sittings!  Not only are all the photos so neat, but I learned many fun facts from the captions.  For instance, did you know that a book publisher in 1880s England put out a pamphlet of emoticons using typefaces?  Me neither!  So emoticons are old enough to be cool again, eh?  The photos go all the way back to the 1880s, when photography was very, very new, and up to the 1990s (which some of us may not consider "history").  When at all possible, the photos are in color, and all of them are full-page.  There is absolutely no white space in this book!  The attention to detail, the great selection of all different types of photos from all over the world, the full page color prints all recommend this book for purchase.

*I checked out my copy of Retronaut from my local library, but have also added it to my to-own wishlist!

Daring by Elliott James | Book Review

Daring is the sequel to Charming, of the Pax Arcana series.  And I couldn't wait to get my hands on Daring.  I was on my library's request list for it before the release date!  I wasn't surprised to find myself in love with Daring, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that I loved it for very different reasons.  To find out what those reasons are, click on over to Tynga's Reviews!

*I checked out my copy of Daring from my local library.

Novel Living: Collecting, Decorating and Crafting With Books by Lisa Occhipinti | Book Review

This book was so much more than I thought it'd be!  I love, love, love when I'm surprised like that with a book.  Truth:  I thought this was a book of home decor crafts I could make from upcycled books.  Fact:  Novel Living gave sound advice on cultivating a collection, creating a home library, preserving and repairing books, and included home decor crafts that I could make!

The author is an artist, not a bookseller or librarian, but she really knows her stuff.  Without overwhelming the reader. she walks the reader through the basics of book collecting.  The book gives resources and tips for starting a collection.  I love that she emphasizes collecting for each individual's pleasure.  You can collect first edition Dickens or New York Times bestsellers.  Whatever floats your boat!

In the next section, Lisa addresses the practical:  how to store and display your books.  Again, practical advice is presented side by side with creative encouragement.  For example, she gives the advice that you put lighter, smaller books near the center of a shelf to prevent bowing, and also encourages the reader to sort in whatever way makes them happy.  You can sort by subject or by author or even by color!

I found the third section of the book the most interesting!  This section alone would recommend the book for purchase to any devoted bibliophile.  It's easy to follow instructions on how to care for your fragile or damaged books!  I am so putting this to use.  The hubby has a book that has come free from it's binding, and I now know how to repair this!  He's going to be thrilled.

The book wraps up with some home decor ideas, utilizing old books.  Most of these projects looked just a little too involved for me, but a devoted crafter would be able to tackle them.  There is one that I'm going to see if the hubby can build for me.  

Overall, this is a gorgeous and informative books; a complete package.  It's a great resource for people wanting to get into book collecting and crafting with old books.  The book is pretty enough to serve as it's own home decor on a coffee table too.

*I checked out my copy of Novel Living from my local library.

When I'm Not Writing With Leah Petersen

Today I'm over at Tynga's Reviews with a When I'm Not Writing post by Leah Petersen.  Guess what?  She's a fellow North Carolinian!  To find out what she's up to when she's not writing awesome sci-fi, click on over to Tynga's Reviews!

Letters From Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien | Book Review

How am I just now learning about this???  The hubby and I are both huge Tolkien fans (or, we thought we were!) and neither one of us had heard of this book until last week!  I can't remember exactly how I found out about it, but I did, and I immediately requested it from my library.  However, it took too long to reach me at my branch and I ended up driving to another library branch pretty late on Christmas Eve Eve to get a copy.  SO WORTH THE EFFORT.

Letters From Father Christmas is a collection of all the letters that J.R.R. Tolkien wrote to his children under the guise of Father Christmas.  For us Americans, this is like a collection of letters from Santa to his kids.  They are so very Tolkien.  The letters are wonderfully imagined and creative, with such a great assortment of characters.  There's Father Christmas, of course, and it turns out he has a helper polar bear and a helper elf who also contribute to the letters.  Father Christmas also writes of parties with snowboys and polar bear cubs, and adventurous battles between himself and goblins.  Nearly every letter is accompanied by a beautiful illustration or two, all done by J.R.R. Tolkien.  

While you will probably find Letters From Father Christmas in your library or bookstore children's section, it is a book that can be enjoyed by all ages.  I took my copy over to my parents-in-law's house on Christmas Day, and my father-in-law was immediately smitten with it.  I've added it to my "Christmas 2015" list to buy for him.  :)  There are also little nuances that adults will pick up on.  For example, in the 1940 letters, Father Christmas mentions that his sleigh is a little lighter, unfortunately, because of all the poor boys and girls displaced from their homes.  He explains that the Tolkien children might not receive so much that year, because there are so many other boys and girls who need more help.  

This book may not be long, but it's so richly illustrated and written in such beautiful language.... you'll want to linger with it.  I definitely recommend this book!

*I checked out my copy of Letters From Father Christmas from my local library, but hope to purchase it for my home in the near future!

Stacking the Shelves

Today I'm over at Tynga's Reviews, stacking my shelves!  As usual, I have brought home more books than I probably have time to read... but it's just so hard to resist!  Click on over to see what books I'm looking forward to, and to join in the fun yourselves!

Charming by Elliott James | Book Review

(I do like the byline on the book: "Not All Princes are...")

Flashback Friday Review!

I originally read and reviewed Charming in October 2013, before I started this blog.  What follows is the Goodreads synopsis of the book and my review that I posted there.  Look for my review of Daring (the sequel, which I just finished reading) next Thursday!

From Goodreads:  John Charming isn't your average Prince... 

He comes from a line of Charmings — an illustrious family of dragon slayers, witch-finders and killers dating back to before the fall of Rome. Trained by a modern day version of the Knights Templar, monster hunters who have updated their methods from chainmail and crossbows to kevlar and shotguns, he was one of the best. That is — until he became the abomination the Knights were sworn to hunt.

That was a lifetime ago. Now, he tends bar under an assumed name in rural Virginia and leads a peaceful, quiet life. One that shouldn't change just because a vampire and a blonde walked into his bar... Right?

My review:  Easily the best paranormal fantasy I've ever read! At the start of the novel John Charming is a bartender in a small NC town and he's trying his hardest to avoid any "excitement" in his life. That's all going to go to pot when a tall, strikingly beautiful blonde walks into his bar and proceeds to take out three vampires. What else would Prince Charming do but jump into the fray and assist the leggy blonde? What follows is nonstop action as John and his ragtag team defend their town from vampires. 

But this book is SO MUCH MORE than just a hero taking down vampires! James Elliott writes with a fantastic dry sense of humor that had me literally laughing out loud. And believe it or not, the plot is actually plausible! John Charming easily explains to the reader how vampires and werewolves and shape shifters can exist among us without attracting attention. I am beyond excited that this is going to be a series!

*I checked out my copy of Charming from my local library.

Scintillate by Tracy Clark | Book Review

(I just love the script used for the title!  So pretty.)

Today I'm reviewing Scintillate over at Tynga's Reviews.  I'll be reading Deviate, the sequel, next, and also hosting Tracy Clark for a guest post.  Look for all that coming up in March!

*I purchased my copy of Scintillate.

Best Mug Cakes Ever: Treat Yourself to Homemade Cake for One in Five Minutes or Less by Monica Sweeney | Cookbook Review

A few months ago I did a program at work where I let the teens make individual fresh, hot chocolate chip cookies in cups.  They LOVED it!  And that might even be an understatement.  So I checked out this cookbook to see what other in-a-mug recipes I could take to the teens.  I ended up finding recipes for me!

I definitely have a sweet tooth, so the first thing I tried was Peanut Butter Cookie in a Mug.  Super delicious!  And easy.  The only dishes involved were the mug and a spoon.  All of the ingredients were things I already had at the house.  And I found all of the above to be true for nearly all the recipes in the book.  Very few dishes were dirtied (especially compared to the sinkful of dishes I always end up with after making a full cake) and almost none of the recipes called for ingredients you don't already have in your pantry.

You know how I like photos in my cookbooks... well, there's not 100% photos in this cookbook, but there's enough.  And really, a lot of mug cakes look pretty similar.  I was definitely satisfied with the amount of photos.  The instructions for each recipe were easy to follow.  I don't think it'd take more than 5 minutes from start of assembly to enjoying your treat for any of the recipes.

Then this past week I tried two breakfast recipes.  I have this awesome travel soup mug, so I could assemble the French Toast in a Mug and the Oatmeal in a Mug at home, then pop it in the microwave at work for a hot breakfast in minutes.  The French Toast in a Mug was a smashing success for me, and I will definitely do it again.  The Oatmeal was a little bit of a miss for me.  It involved some smashed banana and egg, so it was more of a boatmeal (baked oatmeal).  But it was so very bland!  I think next time (if there is a next time), I'll add some diced strawberries or raisins to it.

This was a fun little cookbook!

*I checked out my copy of Best Mug Cakes Ever from my local library.

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  For more information, or to join the fun yourself, check out their blog!

Top Ten Twenty 2014 Releases I Meant to Read but Didn't Get To

Well, this one wasn't too hard, as my tbr stack is always bigger than I (or anyone, really) can handle!  The only problem was going to be narrowing it down to just ten books.  So you get twenty from me, and I apologize for the length of the post!

1. Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith.  I LOVED Winger, so I requested an eARC of Grasshopper Jungle... and never got around to it.

2. American Blonde by Jennifer Niven.  A Velva Jean book!  And I missed reading it immediately after it was published?  Shame on me!

3. Food: A Love Story by Jim Gaffigan.  The hubby and I love Jim Gaffigan.  I know that I'm going to laugh my way through this one.

4. I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson.  I read so many glowing reviews of this book!  I need to read it myself to see if it lives up to the hype.

5. As You Wish by Cary Elwes with Joe Layden.  I love The Princess Bride!  So of course I want to read what went on behind the scenes during filming!

6. Strange and Ever After by Susan Dennard.  I read the first two books in this trilogy back-to-back, then lost steam.  I need to go back and finish it up.

7. Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang.  Ya'll, Amy is a teen.  And she's published!  And I hear that the book is really good!  I'm super impressed and want to read the book.

8. Willie's Redneck Time Machine by John Luke Robertson with Travis Thrasher.  I just have a habit of reading anything the Robertson family puts out anymore.  I haven't found a dud yet.  And I love John Luke on the show; he's got a great sense of humor.  And and!!  This is a choose-your-own-adventure style book!  I loved those as a kid.  I'm ready for the trip down memory lane.

9. Gnarr! How I Became the Mayor of a Large City in Iceland and Changed the World by Jon Gnarr.  I love human-interest books!  And this one looks funny to boot.  I want to read this then pass it along to my mom, who has a dream of someday visiting Iceland.

10. We are the Goldens by Dana Reinhardt.  I requested an eARC of this even.  I'm a sister, and I love books about sisterly relationships.  I need to get around to getting this off my ARC tbr stack!

11. Madame Tussaud's Apprentice: An Untold Story of :Love in the French Revolution by Kathleen Benner Duble.  That title!  Aren't you intrigued?

12. Amity by Micol Ostow.  I've heard that Ostow's books are like Stephen King for teens.  I love Stephen King, and I work with teens, so I need need need to check this out.

13. Meridian by Josin McQuein.  I read Arclight soon after it was released, and was conflicted about it... I need to read Meridian, I think, to form a full opinion of the series.

14. Under the Egg by Laura Fitzgerald.  This looked really cute (it's a middle grades mystery).  I ended up recommending it to my niece and she loved it; I just never got around to it myself.

15. The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street by Susan Jane Gilman.  Historic fiction about a Russian immigrant teen girl.

16. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin.  I heard such great things about this one!  And it might end up being my library's 2015 Community Read.  I just need to get around to reading it myself.

17. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart.  I don't even feel like I need to elaborate on this one.  Shame on me for not having read it yet.

18. Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour.  This one just sounded so unique and cool.  And it doesn't look too long... I need to read this.

19. Feral by Holly Schindler.  There's just something about the word "feral" that draws me in.  I don't even know anything about this book and I want to read it!

20. Rich Kids of Instagram by The Creator of Rich Kids of Instagram with Maya Sloan.  I think I'll laugh at most of this; some of it may make me angry; all of it will probably entertain me.  No matter what, it'll be a quick read.

Again, sorry for the length of the post!  My tbr stack is too big, but I don't see a solution.  There will always be ALL THE BOOKS I want to read.  ;)  What about you?  What do you wish that you'd read in 2014?  I truly love visiting others' TTT posts, so please leave me a link!