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Book Review: House of Salt and Sorrows
If you are looking for an imaginative, eerie young adult fantasy for your teen, tween, (or yourself), I’ll highly recommend Erin Craig’s House of Salt and Sorrows. My thirteen-year-old and I both read this at the same time on vacation and it kept us glued to our e-readers! Thanks to NetGalley for providing me said e-ARC for review purposes. This post contains affiliate links that may earn me a commission if you purchase through them House of Salt and Sorrows is a gorgeous retelling of the fairy tale of the Twelve Dancing Sisters. It has a haunting gothic feel. I am a sucker for WELL DONE retellings, and this is…
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Dragonfly by Leila Meacham – Book Tour Review and Giveaway
I have been WAITING to share Dragonfly with you. It’s a gorgeous, sweeping historical drama with you and I’m excited to join up with Lone Star Lit to share it, along with a giveaway for a chance to receive one of two signed copies. Read on to find out why I adore this book and enter our giveaway. Full disclosure, I was provided a copy of this gorgeous book by the author and as always, all opinions are my own, and this post may contain affiliate links. DRAGONFLY by LEILA MEACHAM Genre: Historical / WWII / EspionagePublisher: Grand Central Publishing Date of Publication: July 9, 2019Number of Pages: 576 Scroll down…
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Aunt Jeanne’s Pumpkin Cake
It’s fall, and certainly, that means all-you-can pumpkin. I love pumpkin so much that when fall comes around, I question why I don’t ever bake anything pumpkin the rest of the year! And while this whole pumpkin spice business is getting a bit out of hand (and by the taste of it, “pumpkin spice” refers more to the spice than the squash) – I’ve seen pumpkin spice tortilla chips, PopTarts, pudding, cookies, non-dairy creamer, ice cream, English muffins – you name it, they’ve pumpkined it! But forget about all that. You NEED to taste THIS pumpkin cake. It’s one of my go-to recipes when I want pumpkin cake but I’m…
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When the Men Were Gone – Book Excerpt & Review
With thanks to Lone Star Lit, I’m joining in their book blog tour of When the Men Were Gone by Marjorie Herrera Lewis. I’ve got a lot for you today: an excerpt from this heartfelt and wonderful tale, my review, a book trailer, AND a giveaway for a chance to win your own copy! I give this quick but delightfully wonderful read 4 stars! Many thanks to the author for providing me with a copy of the book for review purposes. As always, all opinions and typos are my own! WHEN THE MEN WERE GONEbyMARJORIE HERRERA LEWIS Genre: Historical / Biographical / Sports FictionPublisher: William Morrow Date of Publication: October 2,…
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Ten Things That Make Me Stupidly Happy
Kat Bouska has a prompt on her blog that asks for ten things that make you happy. It was a really appealing idea as there’s so much going on in the world right now that make me angry and sad. Note: I try not speak of those things because if you need to hear about them, that’s what Twitter is for these days. I gave it the briefest amount of thought and decided I was going to make a list – a mostly shallow list – of ten things that make me stupidly happy. These aren’t momentous things, but little things that brighten my day. This is by no means…
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Kingdom of Exiles by Maxym M Martineau
Fans of adult fantasy (and mature YA readers) will enjoy Kingdom of Exiles by author Maxym M Martineau. Read on for more about this book which is the first of The Beast Charmer trilogy. Thanks to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of this book. This post contains affiliate links. All opinions and overuse of the passive voice are my own. My Review The blurb for Kingdom of Exiles was appealing, and I wasn’t disappointed. If you are looking for an action-packed story with an original concept, a strong female lead character, incredible beasties, an imaginatively and well-developed world, interesting and likable characters (even if you…
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Recursion by Blake Crouch – Book Review
The 2016 release of Dark Matter completely blew me away, but I think Blake Crouch topped that novel with Recursion. (And not just because he over-scienced my brain in Dark Matter.) Read on to find out why! Thanks to Crown Publishing and NetGalley for providing an ARC for review. This post also contains affiliate links. My coffee habit thanks you. Recursion is a wild ride by the one author who makes me feel like I nearly grasp quantum physics. Knowing that there is usually some sort of actual technology/emerging sciencey-thing that sparks the idea for his unique blend of scifi/thriller/mystery novel is mind-bending in its own right. This is a…
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Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune – Book Review
If you need a lovely escape, especially if you are a fan of magical realism, Roselle Lim’s debut novel Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune is a must-read! Read on for why I loved this book so much! Netgalley and Berkely Publishing Group thoughtfully provided an advanced reader copy for review purposes. This post contains affiliate links and if you click on one, I might receive a commission. My Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Y’all, I liked Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune SO much I’m leaving my star rating at the TOP of the review instead of at the end. This is one of my favorite books so far this…
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Captain Fin by Amanda M Thrasher – Book Review
CAPTAIN FINbyAMANDA M. THRASHER based on a screenplay by Kevin James O’Neill Genre: Young Adult / Adventure / FamilyPublisher: Progressive Rising Phoenix PressDate of Publication: May 1, 2019Number of Pages: 432 Scroll down for giveaway! Hannah Gunner, once a carefree child, is faced with secrets, lies, and betrayal. A life-changing event during her adolescent years forces her to confront a past that she no longer recognizes. Now, questioning everything she thought she knew, Hannah struggles with the person she is supposed to be! With the help of her boyfriend and her closest friend, they discover several clues that may hold the missing links to her life. A tattered box filled with…
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Watermelon Granita
This morning I’m dreaming of the Outer Banks, fresh watermelons, and the watermelon granita I’d make because we were always overoptimistic about watermelons. (They are pretty irresistible.) Click here if you are impatient and need to jump straight to the recipe (and possibly miss out on my helpful commentary and humor). Every year as arrive in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, we stop at Morris Farm Market in Barco, grab a cart, and buy more fruit than we can comfortably fit around our feet and suitcases in the car. A giant watermelon, three cantaloupes, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and the family favorite, local peaches, along with a jug of strawberry cider for the…
