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!!!

 

 

Be Who You Are and Love Who You Love

      

     Since June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month, I chose a variety of books with lgbtq characters or themes. There are more and more authors writing for this community and I am so glad. Everyone needs to be able to find a book to read that allows you to put yourself in the character's place so that you can escape for a few minutes a day in a story. People read for many different reasons, but one of the reasons I enjoy reading is that it allows me to step into another person's shoes for just a little bit. It gives me the opportunity to view the world through the eyes of a character that has a totally different personality, nationality, sexual identity, or even in a different time period. This is why reading helps children develop compassion and empathy for their peers. I really haven't met an avid reader that reads a variety of genres that is not compassionate for others.  

Let's start with one of my favorite young adult authors, Julie Murphy. I first read her novel, Dumplin'  a few years ago. Being an overweight person myself, I could so relate to Willow Dean. I totally understood what she was going through at school and how she felt about her body. Pumpkin is another one of her books that includes Willow Dean and some of her friends. Pumpkin, or Waylon, is an openly gay student in a West Texas small town. His twin sister, Clementine is also one of his best friends. Waylon is not sure what he is going to do after graduation, he really doesn't have a plan. He finds out that his sister does, and it doesn't include him. Waylon's favorite on TV is Fiercest of Them All, a drag show competition. Could Waylon have a future in drag? The book also addresses the issue of prom and how lgbtq+ students deal with the prom "norms", especially in a small southern town. You will finish this book cheering for Pumpkin and his friends. 

                                               

     Grace is not the type of woman who goes to Las Vegas and celebrates, gets drunk and wakes up married to a woman, who she doesn't even know her name. She just completed her PhD in astronomy and always has her life organized and follows a plan. How did this happen? Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers was a little slow and superficial at first, I thought, then as I got into it, it touched on mental wellness and taking care of yourself. It also addresses the problems Grace has getting a job as a biracial, bisexual woman at a research facility or university. She is a very strong person and was an advocate for lgbtq students while in college. When her life long dream is not as fulfilling as she hoped it would be, it forces her to look at what really makes her happy and why were her goals so important to her, or were they more important to someone else in her life? There is a cast of very interesting characters and I realize that many times those in the lgbtq+ community often stick together because they do not always get family support and they want to be with people who understand what they are going through. 

     Being a part of the "First Family" is not always easy. We often hear how the pressure of being in the public eye is difficult for the children of U.S. Presidents. Add to that being biracial and bisexual and the pressure is even more difficult. Alex and the Prince of England didn't get along. Alex thought he was stuck up and boring. Does Prince Henry feel the same way? This is a cute romance from the viewpoint of the son of a female U.S. President. I listened to this audiobook and really enjoyed the characters. It is a love story from a bisexual male's viewpoint and it is very well done. Make sure you check out, Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. 

     The Sky Blues by Robbie Couch is a young adult novel whose main character is an openly gay male, Sky, who navigates his life in a small town and a small high school. He deals with bullying and harassment, even though he tries to fit in the best he can. He lives with his best friend because his mother threw him out of the house after he came out to her. As their senior year draws to a close, Sky plans to throw caution to the wind and ask his big crush, Ali, a middle eastern brainiac ,to the prom. An email hack causes Sky to reconsider. Will he even go to his senior prom? This book addresses being yourself, standing up to bullies and supporting your friends. I caught myself cheering for Sky towards the end of the book. Young adult students are very brave, especially when they have to deal with bullying and how others treat them, on their own, without their family's support many times. Again, they rely on the kindness of friends. It is very important that we support young people who are dealing with bullying after coming out, even by family members. 

     The last book I wish to talk about tells the story of a movie star from the 1950's & 60's who had seven husbands. She is aging and all of her husbands are dead, so she decides to have a young writer for a local magazine write her "Tell All" biography. Why does she choose Monique to write her story? This book made me stop and think about many people in Hollywood during this time period who may have been in the same boat. They had to do things they didn't want to do to make it in the movie industry. The twist at the end when you find out why she chose Monique to write her book is a surprise. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid will have you loving, then hating the main character, Evelyn. This is definitely a page turner that will keep you up late at night reading just one more chapter. I don't want to give too much more away, so you will just have to read it to see how it fits this month's category. 

     Since we finished renovating our kitchen, I have been trying to get back into my sour dough starter and making items with the starter. I had a friend at work give me some of her starter that was good and bubbly. I started by making some homemade English muffins. They turned out nice and fluffy. They are delicious toasted with butter and jam. 

Then I got to thinking that it seemed like such a waste to toss dough starter after it is fed. So, I thought why not keep using the starter if it continues to be bubbly. So I next made some homemade cinnamon rolls. I forgot to get a good photo of the rolls, but they turned out well. 

Then, I surfed Pinterest and decided to try some sourdough pizza crust. I made two pizzas and they turned out nice and crispy. We like the homemade pizza because we can control the toppings and it is not as greasy as delivery. 

I used a pizza pan and a stone. I prefer the stone. It makes the crust crispy. My favorite way to make the pizza sauce is to use roasted red peppers. I buy a jar, drain them and blend them in the food processor. They make a mild sauce which is less acidic than the tomato sauce. 

Thank you for stopping by and reading my blog. Make sure you stop by next month to see what my book topic will be. Remember to always be true to yourself. 

   

Life is a Beach...I Wish!

      As I was searching for a theme to read during the month of May, I decided to go with a beach theme since we were taking a trip to the beach this month. My husband and I went to Hilton Head Island. We really enjoy the island and each time we go, we discover something new. This was our third trip to HHI and our first time to go in May, while school would normally be in session. It truly made retirement seem real. We did travel to Savannah one day and we had one rainy day, but the rest of the week we spent just lounging around the pool or the beach. I usually had a book to read while I was relaxing. We were renovating our kitchen at the time and our house was a disaster area. It was nice to get away and not have to climb over boxes or walk through dust. 

     So, lets get started with the beach reads. The first book I want to talk about is Love on Beach Avenue by Jennifer Probst. I read the Kindle version of this novel that I downloaded for free from an Amazon Prime first view free ebook.  Avery Sunshine is in the business of wedding planning. She and her sisters inherited the business from their parents. The setting is a small beach town where many people come to get married on the beach. The Sunshine sisters work to make every bride's dream come true. When Avery's old college roommate calls and asks her to help plan her wedding, Avery is so excited to be her wedding planner until her friend's brother gets in the way. Carter is not a fan of Avery's, ever since she and his sister impulsively sowed their wild oats together in college. How is she going to plan her best friend's wedding with her brother, Carter in the way. Will there be a battle or is romance in the air? 

    We continue our beach theme with The Summer Retreat by Shelia Roberts. Celeste is an elementary school teacher and she is engaged to get married, until her fiance is caught cheating. Celeste wondered why he kept putting off setting a date or introducing her to his parents. When she catches him with another woman, while going to take him soup because he said he was sick, she realizes her plans are changing. She decides to go back to the beach town where she grew up to spend her summer. She helps her sister at the local Inn she manages and actually helps to clean the rooms. In one of the rooms, she thinks she has found the makings of a serial killer. But, how can a guy, that good looking be a killer? Could she be wrong? She could use something, or someone, to distract her from her troubles. What better place to find that than at the beach. 

     I had to include a classic Nicholas Sparks novel since I was choosing romancey beach reads. Nights in Rodanthe is one that I have never read before. This story reminds us that love can be found at any age. A mother tells her daughter a story of love that she had no idea her Mom was keeping from her. Amanda's mom and dad divorced after he cheated on her mom with a younger woman. Adrienne spent her life raising her children and gave no thought to her own happiness after her husband left her. She was helping a friend by watching her Inn on Rodanthe Island in North Carolina when she meets Paul. She and Paul share just a few days together, but what they share is surreal. Can Adrienne share her story with her daughter, Amanda, who is hurting after the death of her husband? This is a beautiful story of love, healing, and forgiveness.      

     I also chose a title by an Asian American author, Nancy Jooyoun Kim, The Last Story of Mina Lee. This was my audiobook  for the month and I chose it because May is also Asian heritage month. This book was about a young Korean American born girl who lives in Seattle but comes home to Los Angeles to visit her Korean mom and she finds her dead in her apartment in Korea town. She and her mom are not real close and Margot tries to find out what happened to her mom. The police say it was an accident, but she is not so sure. As she goes through her mother's things, she learns some things about her mother that she didn't know.  What secrets was her mom hiding? The book goes back and forth between Margot's search for what happened to her mother, Mina, and Mina's story of why she came to America as an immigrant. I enjoyed this story because it opened my eyes to how minority groups are treated when they try to come to America to make their life better. They work so hard and no one sees past their accents to get to know them as individuals. One of the reasons I enjoy reading various types of fiction is to learn about different cultures and peoples. 

                                         

     The last book I chose because of the title, Savannah Blues by Mary Kay Andrews. I knew we were going to Savannah one day and I really enjoy the rich culture in that city. This was a mystery involving an antique dealer and the selling of a historical mansion to build a paper factory. Can Weezie save the historical home, find the antique hutch that can help her open her own antique store, and maybe possibly find love?  It was kind of cool reading this book that mentioned various places in Savannah, where we just recently visited. 

Since we were on vacation and out kitchen was still being renovated, I did not do a lot of cooking, so I thought I would share some of the great food we had on our beach trip. I am definitely a foodie and enjoy trying new restaurants, dishes and drinks. 

Our first stop was in Berea, Ky at a small Amish deli. The sign with 26 different cheeses sold me instantly. I LOVE cheese. I had the grilled cheese on sour dough bread. You got to choose up to two types of cheese for your sandwich. I chose pepper jack and bacon cheddar. It wad delish. 

We split the 10 hour drive into two days since we both have to make frequent stops for our aching hips, knees or backs. We spent the night in Asheville, NC and found a great burger spot called Juicy Lucy's. The burgers were awesome and the Kahlua Mudslide milkshake was yummy! We recommend Juicy Lucy's if you travel through Asheville.

As we left Asheville the next morning, we found a local coffee shop, Sweeter Creek Coffee. One of my favorite things about our road trips is finding the hidden local gems on the side of the interstate or off of the beaten path. I enjoyed a honey-gingered latte with a mixed berry scone. I am a lover of all things honey and I love trying various flavor combinations with it. 

A few beach pics around our condo area at the Hilton Head Tennis and Beach Club, one of our favorite spots, owned by some friends of ours. We highly recommend it if you need a quaint little spot by the beach. 

When we traveled to Savannah for one day, we had brunch at Clary's. This is a little diner where the author of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil used to visit as he wrote his book. He would sit out on the sidewalk in front of the diner and eat and write and drink coffee. The food was delicious southern cooking. They served a typical diner menu and breakfast all day long. I love me some breakfast for lunch or dinner. 

When we go to Hilton Head we usually stop by the Salty Dog. This time we just enjoyed a couple of appetizers and drinks. We had a batch of the homemade hush puppies and some pimento cheese dip with home made pita chips and carrot matchsticks. I enjoyed a coyote and my husband had the pain killer. Nothing like sitting outside by the water enjoying good food, great drinks and music. It is an atmosphere like no other. 

I did mention that I like trying small coffee shops and that I love breakfast food, right? One of our faves in Bluffton, a little township outside of Hilton Head on the road to Savannah, is Corner Perk. On this trip I have developed a liking of grits. They served theirs with cheese along with my bacon egg biscuit. My hubby got a Mexican huevos skillet dish that was enough food for two. I also had a white fudge latte which was delicious. 

We were eating dinner at a restaurant near Calligney beach. Afterwards we found an ice cream shop that had 92 flavors of ice cream. The names of the ice creams were so creative and combined so many great flavors it was difficult to choose. Here is my choices of Cookie Monster, blue vanilla ice cream with oreos and Play Dough, vanilla ice cream with different colored cookie dough bits in it. 

On our last night at the beach, we treated ourselves to one of our favorite restaurants we have discovered at Hilton Head, a Lowcountry Backyard. Everything there is fresh, homemade and delicious. I had the shrimp and mushroom cobbler with a salad and we shared the fried green tomatoes, some of the best we have ever had. 

Thanks for visiting my blog and browsing through my various pictures of food. Make sure you come back in June when I review various books addressing LGBTQ+ issues.