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!!!

 

 

March Reads- Let's Hear it for the Ladies

      My reads for the month of March are all about the ladies. I read several books that were either about famous women, or fiction books with strong female lead characters. I have really enjoyed doing this monthly themed reading. I am already looking for books to read for my April theme, Earth/climate change/weather themed novels. So, lets get started discussing the books about strong women.

     I will begin with a book that I finished towards the end of February. It was titled Eleanor by David Michaelis. It was a wonderfully written biography of Eleanor Roosevelt. I have always admired her and have read many things about her. This book reads more like a novel and was very engaging. Mrs. Roosevelt was not always a strong lady and she made some poor judgments in her earlier days, but she learned from them and she became a very strong voice in politics. I admire her tenacity and work ethic. This is definitely a recommendation for those who like biographies about historical figures. 

The next book I read in March, Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen, is the story of sisters growing up in the south in the early 1970's with their widowed Dad who is a preacher. Catherine Grace is a force to be reckoned with and she is head strong. You may say she is a typical preacher's kid, but she is determined to leave the small town of Ringgold, Georgia as soon as she is of age. With the help of her neighbor lady, who was a good friend of her momma's, she learns about life in this coming of age novel in the south during the 70's. You will fall in love with this strong female character and will leave the book wanting to know more. 

     The Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder  by Joanne Fluke introduces the character, Hannah Swensen. Hannah is a thirty plus single lady who owns her own bakery in the small town of Lake Eden. Her mother is always trying to set her up with eligible men but Hannah is happy with her life. She loves to bake and she has a demanding cat, Moishe that keeps her busy, plus she always seems to be at the right place at the wrong time to learn about a murder or some mischief in her small town. I really enjoy this series and this is the first one to introduce the characters and the town. There are always wonderful recipes included in the book as well. I just admire Hannah's independence and the fact that she is OK with being a single independent woman. 

     To continue with the cooking theme, The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan is a similar book to the Fluke novels, however it is more of a historical fiction. It is set in England during  World War II. The story is about four women who enter a cooking contest to win the opportunity to be on a radio cooking show. The show is about how to use the food rations during the war to make delicious dishes. How the women's lives intertwine is very interesting and their strength and courage during the war is commendable. How they were able to put together tasty dishes with what little rations they had is unreal. The author also includes their recipes throughout the story which is very cool. This was an enjoyable read if you like to cook and enjoy historical fiction as I do. 

     The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles is also a historical fiction. It is the story of the American library branch in Paris during World War II. The women, and a couple of older men, who work at the library are trying to keep the library open when the Nazi's occupy Paris. Odile learns a lot about friendship and loyalty when she tries to provide reading materials to her Jewish friends. Her father feels she is wasting her time, but she says her place is at the library.  If you enjoy Lilac Girls or The Paris Wife, you will enjoy this book about a very brave young lady during the Nazi occupation of Paris. 

     The last book I want to talk about is The Testaments by Margaret Atwood. I read The Handmaid's Tale a few years ago and I watched the series on Hulu. This is Aunt Lydia's story about Baby Nicole and follows up with Gilead after Offred ventures into the unknown. I really do enjoy Atwood's writing. She is very insightful and purposeful with her writing. Both of these novels deal with women being treated as second class citizens. The way things are going in the world today at times, it is a little scary about how some of the things she covers in her novels could come true today. The majority of her characters are female in this novel and they are all trying to do what is right and just for women. These are truly worth a read. 

    So I have been trying to learn to make and use sourdough. I have worked with making my own sourdough starter and I then fed it several times to make it active. I then made sourdough bread and my second batch was much better than my first batch. My last attempt was to make sourdough English muffins. They turned our pretty good. I have never been very good at bread making. I think I do not have the patience for it. You really have to let it sit, rise,rest,knead, wait, and I don't always like the waiting. Anyway, if you have difficulty with yeast breads, why not try the sourdough recipes. I did add a little yeast to my bread to give them a little lift. The English muffins did not need the yeast. My husband and I really enjoy the crunchy crust of the sourdough bread. There is just something about all of those little holes that you fill with butter then enjoy it warm. 

My first batch of successful bread. Successful being the key word. It was not my first batch of bread. 

Those beautiful holes that are characteristic of sourdough bread. 

My second batch of bread. I tried making one big loaf and two mini loaves. I just love the crusty top. 

My homemade English muffins. I made them on my cast iron griddle and used the lid of my new cast iron dutch oven to make them rise. They are my husband's favorite. 

Again, those delicious crevices for the melted butter to soak into. 

You can find many recipes for sourdough starter on Pinterest. I had success with the recipe in the book, Flour Water Salt Yeast: The Fundamentals of Artisan Bread and Pizza by Ken Forkish. He explains the process and the steps very thoroughly. 

Thank you for stopping by my blog. I hope you have a wonderful Easter weekend.  Hope to see you again next month when we talk about Earth friendly books.