Happy Holiday Reading

      During 2021, I decided to keep a reading blog of all of the books I read for the year. I tried to pick a theme each month and read books around that theme. This has lead me to read some interesting books that I probably wouldn't have normally read. I like to challenge myself and I have always been a reader that would read just about any genre. I do have preferences, but I don't want to just get stuck with one type and not broaden my reading horizons. I feel that is what separates varied readers from those who only read one type of book. By being willing to read a variety of genres, my empathy has deepened and my knowledge of various races, cultures, and historical events has grown exponentially. With that being said, I am so proud to have surpassed my reading goal of 100 books this year. If you would like to see some of the books I have read, please feel free to follow me on Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_in_books/2021  Let's get into the books!

   

     The first book I wish to talk about is Velvet is the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. This is a genre which is not in my typical TBR list. I had noticed it on the new book shelf at the public library, I remember ordering it, and I kept seeing it on Instagram and Twitter. So, I decided to see what it was about. It is a noir or pulp fiction if you will. A daydreaming secretary in Mexico City gets involved with some bad people, rather innocently. Her neighbor asks her to watch her cat while she is gone for a while. Mexico City, during the 1970's is a city of unrest. Maite is concerned about getting her money for watching her neighbor's cat because she needs to get her car out of the shop. Come to find out, her neighbor, Leonora, is involved in some dangerous activites. Maite, a lonely secretary who reads her romance graphic novels and lives alone but dreams of a more exciting life, gets involved by being at the wrong place at the wrong time. She meets some men who could possibly be a love interest. One of them is even named Elvis. This is an edgy read that will keep you guessing about just how deep Maite will get into trouble. 

     The next three books I wish to share are picture books. Yes, picture books. I highly encourage adults to read a picture book occasionally. They are wonderfully written and the artwork can be just wonderful. Sometimes you just want to read a classic or favorite from when you were young. At the public library where I work part time, we take turns reading books for our story telephone number. Patrons can call a phone number and listen to a children's story, or an excerpt from a juvenile or young adult novel. Various library staff read these books and record them for the story line. Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast  by Josh Funk is a fun story about food in the kitchen racing to use the last of the maple syrup. It addresses competition and ends teaching a lesson in working together. The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie dePaola is a wonderful story about a young girl and the origin of the poinsettia flower at Christmas time. The artwork is great and it is a sweet story about a girl trying to help out when her mother gets ill at Christmas time. Then I couldn't pass up the opportunity to read the classic, How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss, out loud for the story line. As an elementary librarian years ago, I used to read the story aloud to students with voices and it was always a hit. I think the students enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed reading it to them. If you have kids, grand kids, nieces and nephews, or friends with young children, make sure you experience reading out loud to a child. There is a special bond that is formed during this activity. I can't stress how important reading out loud is to those young ones just learning to read.  They learn vocabulary, pronunciation, and reading flow. What better way for them to learn than for you to model for them. Okay, sorry, I went into educator mode. On to the next book. 

     Sleigh All Day  by Gina Lamanna is a mystery with a little romance thrown in. I am not a typical mystery reader, and I like a good mystery once in a while, but what I liked about this one is the main character, Kate Rosetti. I like her and how the writer develops her throughout the story. This was number six in the Kate Rosetti detective series, but I have not read any of the previous five books. I like when you can grab a book that may be part of a series and you can read it without feeling lost. I think this makes an author and a series more viable. This way, the reader gets to decide if they want to go back and read about the origins of this character or if they wish to read more in the series. I am not one to be real big into series, so this works for me. I know some people really like series or will only read series. Kate is a no nonsense type of person who wants to let her hair down at times, but has a difficult time doing it. I could relate to her and I think that made this book even more enjoyable to me. 

     I wanted to end the year by reading some of the top books of the year. The first book I want to share about is Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo. This award winning young adult book addresses the topic of two girls who fall in love in San Francisco during the "Red Scare" in the 1950's in Chinatown. The innocence of the main character and how she deals with her feelings toward a friend at school is very touching. I think it would be very helpful for other kids going through that same realization that Lily experienced. You would think that attitudes would change from 1953 to 2021, but unfortunately that isn't always the case. This delicate subject is handled very well and it is very deserving of The National Book Award. 

     I have been wanting to read The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave ever since it came out this summer. It is always checked out at the library.  So, I did a free trial of Audible and was able to listen to it. It is a very engaging book and I found myself looking for reasons to listen to my audio book to complete this one. Hannah is barely married to Owen for a year when he doesn't come home from work one day and sends her a note, via some middle school students. The note says, "Protect Bailey." Bailey is his teenage daughter. Hannah and Bailey's relationship as step mother and step daughter is strained and she is worried about what she is going to do to convince Bailey that she needs to protect her. This story has many twists and turns and as Hannah looks for her husband, the flashbacks to when they first met, dated and married gives Hannah clues. This one needs to be added to your tbr (to be read) list if it isn't there already. 

                      

     Of course how can I go through the holidays without reading a holiday story or two. We have lots of great books at the public library that take place during the Christmas season. One that caught my eye on the new book shelf was Santa Cruise by Fern Michaels. This was a cute story about three friends who reconnect at their high school reunion. Each one is still single in their mid thirties so they make a pact that if they are still single at Thanksgiving, they will take a singles cruise during Christmas. I was attracted to this book because of the cruise. Since my husband and I took a cruise this year, I wanted to see what their cruise was like. After just one cruise, I totally knew exactly what they were talking about when they explained their excursions and actives on the boat.  I was not a big fan of her writing style. She tends to tell you every single detail and it is a little predictable and hokie at times, but a cute story none the less. It is not my regular kind of read, but fun for an easy escape during the busy holidays. 

     Another holiday story I listened to on Hoopla was Christmas at the Restaurant by Pamela Kelley. I read her first book in this series, The Restaurant, back in September. So, I was familiar with all of the characters. Apparently she is going to make this a series. This was a quick read and the setting is Christmas time on the island of Nantucket in Massachusetts. They describe a tradition on the island during the holidays called the Christmas Stroll. When I read books like this, it makes me want to go and visit these places. It is a sweet story about three sisters that inherit their grandmother's restaurant on the island. Two of the sisters stay on the island and work with the restaurant and one sister lives in New York and is a silent partner. She just comes to visit at times. You get to know the characters in the town and at the restaurant, each with their quirks and personalities that will grow on you as you read about this vacation getaway community. 

     The next two books are from the young adult genre. I decided to venture out of my comfort zone again and to try something new. I think I read Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson years ago, but our library has the graphic novel version so I decided to try it. Many authors are now publishing a version of their novels as a graphic novel. I used to read Archie comic books when I was a kid, and I am familiar with the anime books, but I have not tried an actual graphic novel. I thought if I chose one where I was familiar with the story, I could compare it with the actual novel. The graphic novel was very powerful. I can see how this version of the story would be very appealing to teens who are reluctant readers. Many people put down graphic novels and discourage kids from reading them. After reading one myself, I fully support encouraging kids to read graphic novels. They are a powerful mode of presenting stories and encouraging kids to read. The art work was amazing and conveyed the story beautifully. I can't believe this story is over twenty years old, and yet is very relatable to teens today. I encourage you to try a graphic novel. There are even adult titles that are being sold in graphic novel form. If we don't have what you like at the Meade County Public Library, just request it and we can look into finding it for you. 

     Fat Angie by E.E. Charlton-Trujillo was one of those books I was ready to not like because I was a little offended by the title. Being a woman of size, I was picked on and called names myself when I was a teenager. However, the story is so much more than a story about bullying. It is also a story about loss,friendship, and discovering who you love. It is a story about messed up families and teens with anxiety and depression. So many issues are brutally addressed in this story that many teens who are going through some of the same issues will appreciate that they are not the only ones experiencing these things. This story is not for the faint of heart. Though it has a somewhat feelgood ending, it goes through a lot of trauma to get there. After reading this, you will know of at least one teen you want to recommend it to, who needs to read it. 

                            photo from www.chapters.indigo.ca

     As I was taking advantage of my free trial of Audible, I decided to listen to Lucky by Marissa Stapley. This book was all over Instagram in December. It is a Reese Witherspoon book club book. This was a quick read and it was a very engaging read. I found myself listening to it while just sitting in the house, instead of only while I was doing house work. Lucky was found on the front steps of a church by a nun and her father claims to rescue her. Supposedly her mother was going through postpartum depression and didn't know what she was doing when she left Lucky on the church steps. Thus begins the life of Lucky and her father. A life which turns out to be a life of hustle and crime. Lucky is a very smart girl and wishes to just have a life of normalcy. Normal is very boring to her father. After Lucky grows up and her boyfriend leaves her in a hotel room in Vegas, she tries to figure things out on her own. This book is very difficult to put down. I could very easily visualize it being a movie on Netflix or Amazon Prime. 

     The last audio book that I just finished, The Bookworm's Guide to Dating by Emma Hart is part of a series. I have never read anything by this author but of course the title intrigued me. I listened to it on Hoopla. It is a cute story about a girl who owns a book store with some friends and she has a difficult time dating. She decides to try online dating and her big brother's friend, Josh decides to help be her match maker to weed out the bad guys online. In the process, Kinsley and Josh realize they have feelings for each other but Kinsley is his best friend's little sister. Nothing can happen between them, right? This book is what I would call a contemporary romance. If you are shy about sex and prefer more indirect language when talking about "hooking up" then you may want to skip this one. It is a cute story, but it is very graphic. The language would probably turn some people off. 

     The last book I wish to share is  A Classic Christmas: A Collection of Timeless Stories and Poems by a variety of classic authors like Dickens, Alcott, and Montgomery. This is a great collection of some sweet "true meaning of Christmas" stories. The main book, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, is in it's entirety. Then there are some short stories by some of the other well known authors. There is also a short collection of holiday poems, including 'Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore. This would make a wonderful gift for anyone who enjoys heart felt Christmas stories.

     December is a time of baking at my house. I love to bake and unfortunately I also love to eat. I really didn't make much candy this year at Christmas, I mostly baked cookies and cakes. I just wasn't feeling in a homemade candy mood this year. 

     I started the baking season off with trying out my cookie stamps. I got the deer stamp when we went to Carmel Christkindlmarkt in 2019. It is a wooden stamp that was made in Poland. The magnolia stamp was a clay stamp that we picked up in Savannah earlier this year. We went to Savannah for the day when we went to Hilton Head Island in May. The cookies were good and they had a good flavor, but they were not as crisp as the gingersnaps I made last year. The stamps are tricky to use and you have to make sure you use flour or sugar with them before stamping or your dough gets all in the crevices. I want to try a sugar cookie recipe with my stamps next. 

     I usually make some type of dessert and send it to work with my husband. His office staff requested one of my cheesecakes. I decided to make a red velvet cheesecake. I used my standard cheesecake recipe, I just added red dye and cocoa powder. I made the crust out of chocolate animal cookies. I then made a cream cheese icing to pipe over the  top with holiday sprinkles. I didn't get to taste it, but my husband said it got rave reviews at work. It just wouldn't be Christmas without me making a cheesecake of some sort. 

      This next recipe is not a dessert, but I just had to share it. I have a confession, I recently got addicted to checking out TikTok  for recipes and kitchen hacks. Of course, you have to wade through some pretty crazy stuff to find the good stuff, not unlike shopping at a Big Lots or Ollie's. I saw this recipe on TikTok and decided to try it. It is a keto recipe, we do not do keto, but it is very delicious and much healthier than regular chicken nuggets. I call them air fried chicken nuggets. First, you take a can of chicken. (I do not use canned chicken much) I prefer to cook my own chicken in the crockpot then shred it, but you can used the canned chicken in a pinch. I cooked about 4 chicken tenders in the crockpot on low with onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and some DanO's seasoning. Just put a little water or chicken broth in the bottom of the crock pot to have moisture. Once your chicken is cooked, pull it, or shred it. Then add one egg and 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese to 1 cup of pulled chicken. I doubled the recipe since I was making enough for myself and my husband, who can put away some chicken. Mix it all together then scoop out spoonfuls of mixture and roll into balls. I kind of flattened the balls into nugget like shapes. Then, air fry at 390 degrees for 15 minutes. I stopped the air fryer at 7 minutes and flipped them over. Once they are done, let them sit about 2 minutes then enjoy! They have a great texture and are crispy without the breading. We made a buffalo sauce, like Hooters, part Frank's hot sauce and part butter. You can toss the nuggets in the hot sauce and have boneless buffalo chicken. This was a big hit with my husband and we will be making these again. 

     Our first Christmas gathering was with my sister. She was serving finger foods, so I brought cookies for dessert. First I made one of my favorite cookie recipes, the magic peanut butter cookies. They do not have flour in them. They are just an egg, peanut butter and sugar. I also add a little vanilla. Mix them and roll them in sugar then do the little fork criss cross on top like you do for peanut butter cookies. They come out so crunchy and delicious. These are great for anyone with gluten issues. Next I made a batch of the kitchen sink cookies, like I made at Halloween, but instead I like to call these stuffed stocking cookies. I put Christmas M&M's instead of Reese's Pieces and I added heath pieces and I found the little caramel pieces for this batch so I didn't have to cut up caramels. These are the best cookies!! Everyone at the party really enjoyed them. You could cut up any candy bar you wanted to add to it if you wanted. I also added walnuts to this batch. Here is the recipe again. These are definitely worth trying. https://snappygourmet.com/kitchen-sink-cookies/

     The last cookie I made for this tray was a 3 ingredient chocolate cookie. I found this recipe on Pinterst as well. It is very simple, just one box of cake mix, one cup of Greek yogurt, and chocolate chips. It is a very sticky batter and the cookies are more of a brownie texture. If you like a soft chewy cookie, then you will enjoy this fudgy cookie. 

     Every year I make goodies to share with my neighbors. Some years I make cookies, some I make fudge or candy. This year I decided to go the cake route. I made a rum cake. This recipe is a yellow cake mix with some additions, including rum. Then, you mix butter, rum and vanilla and make a sauce you pour into the cake after taking it out of the oven. Then, once it cools and you pop it out of the pan, you just keep brushing on the rum sauce and let it soak into the cake. This makes it very moist and delicious.  The other cake I made was a pound cake. It was just a good old yellow butter pound cake and I made cooked caramel icing to pour over it. It is a very easy and reliable caramel icing recipe that I use from my Cake Mix Doctor cookbook. It always sets up and is very delicious. 

     Well, it just wouldn't be Christmas without sugar cookies. Nothing like a buttery rolled out sugar cookie with icing. It is one of my favorites. I have a tried and true sugar cookie recipe that I have used for many years. I got the recipe off of the back of a Wilton cookie cutter. It does not have to be chilled and that is a time saver. It holds it's shape and is very tasty. Then, I discovered a new cookie recipe from a coworker that is simple and delicious as well. The banana pudding cookies taste just like you are eating banana pudding. They do not have any bananas in them but they do have banana cream pudding mix and white chocolate chips. These were a great hit as well. 

     On Christmas day I was so delighted to have my son and his girlfriend as well as my step son, his wife and my step grand daughter. We had a brunch and opened gifts. It has been a long time since we have had kids here on Christmas day to open gifts. It made Christmas extra special this year. For the brunch, I made a tater tot breakfast casserole with sausage, cheese, eggs and tater tots and cinnamon rolls. I saw on Pinterest where you could make your cinnamon rolls look like trees and tint the icing. That is what I did and they turned out fabulous. It was a wonderful Christmas and I hope you were able to see family that you have been unable to see over the past year and a half. This pandemic has been very trying, but maybe we are on the downward slide of the worst of it. 

     Thanks for stopping by my blog and allowing me to share some of the things I enjoy doing. I hope you have a wonderful new year and don't forget to set your reading goals for 2022. 

     

Thankful for Historical Fiction

      Back when I was a school librarian, I usually tried to promote historical fiction or even historical nonfiction during the month of November. Something about fall harvest, thankfulness, pilgrims, Native Americans, turkeys, all of it gets me to thinking about where we all came from, our past and what we need to learn from it. I do not understand why we seem doomed to repeat our history of poor mistakes, but we as a nation do. When I was a teenager and asked "Why do we need to study history about a bunch of dead guys?" the answer was always so that we would learn from our prior mistakes. Well, one just needs to watch the news once today to see that we have NOT learned from our past mistakes. I do have faith that some of today's youth will learn and work hard to not repeat our mistakes as I am sure some youth in the past attempted. We just have to keep trying to educate ourselves. Okay, as I slowly ease down off of my soap box, let's get into the good stuff. Let's talk about the latest historical fiction books I read during the month of November. I tried to choose books from different time periods in history, but I tend to lean towards books about World War II. That is why I was excited to read a book about World War I or The Great War. The War Nurse by Tracey Enerson Wood is about a young woman, Julia Stimson who is the superintendent of a group of nurses sent overseas to assist Britain during World War I. She recruits 65 nurses to go to Rouen, France to set up a tent medical facility to assist with the wounded. This book has some historical facts on how they started the vaccination process during the last pandemic, which happened while we were at war by the way. It also addresses the safety of the new "x-ray" machine that is being used during this time. Julia is a very strong female character, which I enjoy in a book. She has no problems addressing issues she has with medical procedures. Many times nurses had to wait for a "male doctor" to approve of a remedy or procedure. During war time, there isn't always time to wait for a doctor's approval or recommendation. I like that this author shows the main character as strong and willing to fight for common sense.  Anyone in the nursing profession would find this story intriguing as far as how things have changed in the medical profession over the years, or then again maybe not changed as much as we would like to think.  

     The London House by Katherine Reay was an interesting story about a young woman in modern day that wishes to look back into her family history. An old friend from college is writing an article about a woman who was a German spy and he calls Caroline to get a quote from her since the woman he is writing about is her great aunt. Caroline does not believe her aunt was a spy and decides to delve into her family's history to find the truth. She knows there is something hiding there because her father does not like to talk about his aunt, who is his mother's twin. Caroline goes to London where her mother still lives and finds some letters that help to shed some light on the secret that her grandmother and great aunt shared. The time period was Wold War II, surprisingly in the city of Paris again. The story goes back and forth between current day and the past through letters. 

          Another World War II story I read was Sisters in Arms by Kaia Alderson. This is her first novel and I thought she did a great job of bringing awareness of the WAAC, Women's Army Auxiliary Corps. It is based on a true story about the only all-Black battalion of the WAAC. They traveled to Europe during the war and made sure that American servicemen received their mail from family back home. The idea of the WAAC was to train women to become officers so that they could take over office and managerial duties so that all of the men could go to the front to fight. It is appalling that these women dealt with racism, and sexism, even while they are volunteering during a war.  This debut novel is well done and I feel like I learned something after reading it. The two main characters are as different as night and day, but end up being good friends. This is one I would recommend for your TBR list. 

     Auschwitz Lullaby by Mario Escobar was a heart wrenching story about a mother and her love for her family. Helene is a German woman married to a gypsy. The Germans send all gypsies to concentration camps and Helene's family was being sent to a camp. She was told that since she was German, she didn't have to go. She would not leave her children and told the soldiers, if her children had to go to the camp, she was going as well. She and her husband were separated once they got to the camp, but she worked on trying to protect her children. Helene was a nurse, so she was able to work in the concentration camp with Dr. Mengele. She worked really hard to protect her children from Dr. Mengele's monstrous acts of medical experimentation. This is a wonderful, yet heart wrenching story of a mother's love. I have read many stories about Auschwitz, but this one, especially if you are a mother, will stick with you. 

     The last book I wish to share about is not my typical genre. I was browsing the new book section at the public library and this title just jumped out at me, Librarians of the West. This is a short story collection of four different western authors. I typically do not read westerns, but I had to see what this book was about. An excerpt in the front tells about Carnegie and how he gave grants to towns in the West to build public libraries. I would have loved to be a part of a new library in the west back then. So many people had a thirst for reading materials. They did not have easy access to much, except for the Bible. These stories were enlightening and made me think about what we take for granted today. We have multiple access to many different reading materials. I can't imagine not being able to just grab a new book, magazine, or newspaper to read whenever I wanted to. Give this book a read and then make a point to visit your local public library. Support it as much as you can. It is a wonderful resource of all kinds of materials and artifacts to help you gain more knowledge, as well as entertain yourself. 

     The month of November was a busy one, so I did not read as many books this month. Also, as it gets cooler and darker I tend to crochet and watch some streaming shows and not read as much.  My reading challenge on Goodreads was to read 100 books this year. I am just at 86. Not sure I am going to reach my goal but I will keep reading.  I have started about 3 books lately and couldn't get into them. That tends to put me a little behind as well. I guess everyone has times where they have a reading slump, but that never keeps me from reading. I just think there are too many good books to choose from to settle for one that just doesn't appeal to me. 

     So, I hosted my family for Thanksgiving for the first time this year. I was so excited to get to plan a menu and have everyone come and enjoy a meal together. It has been a while since we were able to all get together because my father has been very ill this year. He is on the mend and doing well now. It made our Thanksgiving to get to see him join us at the dinner table. Since desserts are my forte I will share some great sweets I made this November. 

     Even though summer is my favorite season, I do love me some autumn goodies. I found some caramel apple slice and bake cookies at the store and tried them out. They were quite delicious and you see them here along with my batch of pumpkin bran muffins that I shared with you last month. I have become addicted to the pumpkin seeds you see here in the photo. I keep them out on the counter and grab a few every time I pass the bar. They are healthy and I love the crunch. 

     One morning we were wanting something sweet and doughnut like, but we didn't want to leave the house. I had a can of honey butter crescent rolls in the fridge. I looked on pinterest and found an air fryer recipe for homemade churros.  Just take the can of crescent rolls, and roll them out on a lightly floured counter. Using a rolling pin, roll them where the seams are to make a piece of rectangle dough. Then, cut the rectangle in half horizontally. Next, cut it into strips, kind of like breadsticks. I used a pizza cutter. Next, brush on some melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. I then air fried them at 380 degrees for about 5 minutes. Just brown them as you like. Quick and easy. 

     I decided to do three desserts for Thanksgiving. Mom brought a pumpkin pie, so I was trying to accommodate those who do not eat pumpkin. I wanted to make apple pie because I know my dad likes apple pie, and so does my husband. I was disappointed then I realized that I didn't have enough pie dough to make a traditional lattice topped apple pie. So, I made a rustic apple tart. You only need one pie crust for this. I didn't make the filling real sweet, so you were able to really enjoy the sweetness of the apples. I sliced the apples thin and mixed them with butter, cinnamon sugar and some vanilla. You stack the apples in the middle of the pie crust after you roll it out really thin. Then you just wrap up the apples and overlap the crust to make a big pocket of apple deliciousness. Brush the crust with egg and sprinkle with sugar crystals. Bake and enjoy the wonderful cinnamony deliciousness that will fill up your kitchen. You can do this with any kind of fruit. I have made one with pears before and it turned our real well. 

     It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without a pecan pie. I have a reliable recipe I use from my Southern Living Cookbook called Southern Sideboards. It was a Christmas gift from a colleague many years ago and I use it quite often. I have always had success with Southern Living recipes.  Then, I decided I had to make something chocolate so I made a chocolate zucchini loaf. It is one of my mom's favorites. It is a very moist chocolate cake with a little spice to it. It has cinnamon and cloves in it and I added some chocolate chips. I left the drizzle off, but you can add a dark chocolate drizzle to just give it a finally chocolate buzz.  The zucchini keeps the cake moist and delicious. 

     The final recipe I will share is a bread I made with some Thanksgiving leftovers. We had a lot of the sweet potato casserole left over and I didn't want it to go to waste. I searched on Pinterest and found a sweet potato bread you can make with leftover casserole. https://www.chewoutloud.com/sweet-potato-bread-3/ This recipe uses two cups of left over sweet potato casserole and you use the topping and all. I had enough to make one recipe and a half. One recipe makes two loaves, so I shared two with our neighbors. You top it with a spice drizzle and it turned out delicious. This recipe will be a keeper for me. 

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and were able to meet with either family or friends to share some good food and fellowship. Thanks for stopping by my blog. I would love to hear from you if you have some historical fiction titles to share. Keep reading! 

Falling for New Releases

      For the month of October, I decided to try and read only things that were newly released this year. I think I ended up reading maybe one or two that were released last year in 2020. I also read a couple that have not been released yet. They are galley copies. Since I attend several online Library Journal webinars with authors, I have access to read some early copies of books. It is a little perk of being a librarian. So, let's get started. The first book I want to share with you is The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah. This book came out in February of 2021. I know there are other books about the dust bowl and the Great Depression, but this book will stick with you long after reading it. It really is amazing how that generation made it through that time in history. Kristin Hannah does a good job with description and feeling. She develops her characters so well that you miss them once you finish the book. Like so many historical fiction books, I learned so much about this time in our history that I did not know. When a fiction book makes me do my own research, it is very compelling. I started listening to this book on the audiobook version and it disappeared on me before I could finish it. I immediately found the hard copy at the library so that I could finish it. This one is very much worth the read. 

     The Invisible Life of Addie Larue  by V.E. Schwab was released in October of 2020. It has been on my TBR (to be read) list for over a year and I decided to give it a try. It was not a disappointment. I love when an author has a unique idea for a book and goes with it. So many books are similar and just varied by location or characters. This is kind of a play on the Devil and Daniel Webster, but it has a very unique twist. It is very engaging and one that you will not want to put down. I have to admit that I had a difficult time getting into it at first, but I found myself worrying about Addie when I wasn't reading the book. The audiobook version of this one is very well done. 

     The next book was a nonfiction book and it is NOT a new release. It originally came out in June of 2006 but there is an updated version that came out in May 2020, Jesus Rode a Donkey: Why Republicans Don't Have the Corner on Christ  by Linda Seger. I have not read the updated version, however I ordered it after reading this version. I have been struggling with my beliefs over the last two years. I am a Christian and believe in God, but I struggle with being told that I can't be one political party if I am a Christian. This book has been comforting to me. There are some political topics in it from 2006, that really didn't  help how I am feeling now, but I passed the newer version on to my Mom and I will probably reread some of it with the newest updates. If you are struggling with how divided the world is today on various topics, this book may be helpful for you. 

     The next book I want to share is not a new release either. Virgin River  by Robyn Carr came out in March of 2007 but I have never read it. I have heard that the series on Netflix is pretty good, so I thought I would try it. It is about a young nurse practitioner from New York who wishes to get away from the rat race of the busy city hospital and get a fresh start in a rural, picturesque town after her husband is killed in the big city. However, the small town life is not what she thought it was. This is a cute drama with a touch of romance. The quirky characters make it a fun read.  

     The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb is another book that has not come out yet. It is a galley copy that I downloaded and read before it is released in February of 2022. This is a story of Ray, a black classical musician whose family heirloom violin is stolen right before he competes in a national violin competition in Russia. It addresses the struggles and the prejudice he faces being a young black male in the world of classical music. This is the author's first book and I thought he did a very nice job with the topic. The beginning is a little slow, but once you find out about his grandfather's violin and it gets stolen, the story picks up. I found myself cheering for Ray towards the end of the novel. 

     The Jasmine Project by Meredith Ireland is a young adult novel that was released in September 2021. I got to be on a webinar with the author and decided I needed to read it once it came out. It is a cute story about a young girl who is a senior in high school and she has dated the same boy all through high school. Her plan is to move in with him in an apartment once they graduate. However, he throws her a curve ball and says they need a break the summer after they graduate to make sure they are making the right choice. Her family decides to help her see she deserves so much better than Paul. Part of the story is a group chat with her crazy family made up of a mix of characters. Jasmine is a Korean adoptee and her family is a mix of Italian and Asian. They are overprotective and and love her, but sometimes they but in just a little too much. This story is a mix of The Bachelorette and  To All the Boys I've Loved Before. You don't want to miss this one. 

     Another audiobook that I really enjoyed came out last June in 2020. If I Were You by Lynn Austin is a historical fiction about two girls in England during World War II. Audrey is practically a royal with servants and a fancy house. The other girl, Eve, is the daughter of one of the servants. She becomes a scullery maid and she and Audrey become friends. Audrey, even though she has lots of money and privilege, she has a difficult time making friends. Eve is carefree and makes friends very easily. They both end up serving during the war. Their on again, off again friendship makes them both realize how much they need each other when they both need it the most. It is a wonderful story about friendship. 

     Made from Scratch: The Legendary Success Story of Texas Roadhouse by Kent Taylor came out in September of 2021. This was a very readable nonfiction. My husband and I enjoy Texas Roadhouse and we always comment on how crowded it is every time we go. There is ALWAYS a wait for a table. Then I realized that they do not advertise. How are they so successful? How did Mr. Taylor make it such a success? His methods were non conventional and he was told "no" many times. But, he never gave up on his dream. It is a very inspirational entrepreneurial biography. 

      What the Fireflies Knew by Kai Harris was another galley book. It will come out February 2022. This is a coming of age book about a young black girl who loses her dad to a drug overdose. Her mom has a difficult time with his death and KB and  her sister go to live with their grandfather over the summer. Her mom and her grandfather have been estranged and there is a lot of tension between them. During that summer, KB learns a lot about life as she and her teenage sister, Nia go through some growing pains and learn about racism, boys, and relationships. 

  The last book I wish to share is The Moonlight Child by Karen McQuestion. It is an audiobook that came out last year, September of 2020. This is a mystery about a young girl in the foster system that ages out and her advocate asks her mother to give her a place to stay and get on her feet since she just turned eighteen and aged out of the system. While Sharon,the advocates mother, is outside one night watching an eclipse, she notices a small girl washing dishes in the window in the house next door. She didn't think the Flemings had a young daughter. Who is this girl? Then, Nicki comes to live with her and notices a light in the basement window next door. Who is this child and why are the Flemings denying that she is there? Sharon and Nicki take on this mystery and try to solve it in their own way. This was an interesting story and it was great to see the development of Nicki and Sharon's relationship as a family, one that Nicki has never had before. 

     Along with the cooler temperatures comes the season of celebrating which involves lots of eating in America. Fall is probably the worst time to try and watch your weight or to diet. I have been blessed, or cursed, with a sweet tooth that will not go away. My Papaw Carman always loved sweets and my Papaw Lockard always had Little Debbie Cakes or cookies in his house. Once Autumn made it's appearance, along came all of the pumpkin spice followers. I have always loved pumpkin and I tend to eat it year around. My sister was craving a pumpkin pie, so I broke down and made a pumpkin pie for our sister's craft night. Neither one of our husbands are really crazy about pumpkin, so I made a pie so we could split it and she could take half home, so neither one of us would eat a WHOLE pie ourselves. 😋    

This is a new recipe I tried last year and it has become my favorite pumpkin pie recipe. Extra Smooth Pumpkin Pie is exactly that. The secret to it's smoothness is a little bit of cream cheese. It doesn't really have a cheesecake flavor, it is just a really smooth pumpkin pie. 

 

Then, apples start coming into season. We can buy apples at any time of the year here in the United States, but they really seem to be flavorful during the fall. A former colleague gave me a bag of apples from her brother's orchard. I had to find a recipe to encompass that wonderful apple, cinnamon or caramel goodness. The first recipe I made was apple hand pies or kind of like homemade apple pop tarts. 

These were really simple. You just cook your apples with cinnamon and sugar and then you use pie crust. Roll out the pie crust real thin and fill with your apple goodness then crimp, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar then bake. They are best hot right out of the oven. They remind me of the fried apple pies my Mamaw Carman used to make when I was a kid. It was a similar idea, but you make a dough, roll out small circles, then put in your filling and then fry them in a cast iron skillet on the stove. My Papaw Carman thought they were the best. He even dropped one in my grandmother's dish water one time and rescued it. I guess that gives new meaning to the 5 second rule. I tell ya the man had a sweet tooth.  The other apple dessert I made was Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars. These were delicious!! I made my first homemade salted caramel. Mine turned out a little thin and not as rich in color, but it tasted wonderful. I guess I will just have to try again 😉 My favorite part about these bars, besides the caramel, is the shortbread crust. I love anything that is shortbread, one of my favorite cookies. 

          To continue on with the pumpkin spice theme, I made a batch of my Mom's Two Week Refrigerator Bran Muffins. They are the best!! I know you are thinking...What? Bran muffins? Yes, they are so moist and tasty. You can mix a batch and keep it in the fridge for up to two weeks and bake off of it . However, mine rarely lasts that long. For this batch of muffins, I added pumpkin and some pumpkin spice. They were delicious. I then sprinkled some pumpkin seeds on top before baking them. I love the crunch. You can add many types of fruit or flavors to these muffins, but pumpkin is my favorite add in. I also add in flax seed for extra nutritional value. 

     The last fall recipe I wish to share is a cookie recipe. I am a true cookie monster. I love a cookie of any kind and will most times choose cookies over other sweets. Something about being able to just pick it up and take a bite. While my husband and I were on one of our weekend trips, we stopped by a Panera Bread restaurant. I always get one of their iced shortbread cookies when I am there. They were out and offered me a kitchen sink cookie. I thought that sounded interesting, so I thought I would try it. First off, it was a BIG cookie. It had sea salt sprinkled on top. Once I took a bite, I was hooked. It had pretzel pieces, caramel, chocolate, and I am not sure what else. So, I did what I always do when I find something I eat out and really like it, I try to find a copycat recipe online. I found one and it makes a delicious cookie. Then, I did what I always do again, I made the recipe my own by  adding other ingredients. Since it was near Halloween, I call them Trick-or treat cookies. I used the recipe but I also added chopped up Reese cups, toffee chips, and m&m's. I think you could chop up any left over Halloween candy you might have and it would work as well. I made a double batch and sent some to work with my husband and took some to work myself. They were a bit hit. 

     My last pumpkin recipe, I promise, is a pumpkin latte recipe. The one I found on Pinterest was a Weight Watchers recipe, which is even better. I like this recipe because it not only has the spice, but it actually has pumpkin in it as well. It makes a delicious drink and if you are a pumpkin aficionado like me, you have to try it. 

 

This summer girl is trying to make the best of this chilly weather. It does not help my waist line which is why I have to stay active and keep walking and working out, but it gets me through these chilly days. Until I can get my toes in the sand again, I will make it work. 

Thanks for stopping by my blog. I hope you are taking time to enjoy  a good book and the taste of the season. Check back next month as I talk about my favorite gene, historical fiction. 

Happy Fall!!!