Review: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

Summary

Follow a motley crew on an exciting journey through space-and one adventurous young explorer who discovers the meaning of family in the far reaches of the universe-in this light-hearted debut space opera from a rising sci-fi star.

Rosemary Harper doesn’t expect much when she joins the crew of the aging Wayfarer. While the patched-up ship has seen better days, it offers her a bed, a chance to explore the far-off corners of the galaxy, and most importantly, some distance from her past. An introspective young woman who learned early to keep to herself, she’s never met anyone remotely like the ship’s diverse crew, including Sissix, the exotic reptilian pilot, chatty engineers Kizzy and Jenks who keep the ship running, and Ashby, their noble captain.

Life aboard the Wayfarer is chaotic and crazy—exactly what Rosemary wants. It’s also about to get extremely dangerous when the crew is offered the job of a lifetime. Tunneling wormholes through space to a distant planet is definitely lucrative and will keep them comfortable for years. But risking her life wasn’t part of the plan. In the far reaches of deep space, the tiny Wayfarer crew will confront a host of unexpected mishaps and thrilling adventures that force them to depend on each other. To survive, Rosemary’s got to learn how to rely on this assortment of oddballs—an experience that teaches her about love and trust, and that having a family isn’t necessarily the worst thing in the universe.

Review

I kept hearing about The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers on podcasts and bookstagram. After the latest reference on What Should I Read Next, I saw it was available as an ebook from my local library. I downloaded it and started reading right away. I am so glad I did! This book was excellent. I have recommended it to my mom, daughter, and my sister, too!

This book made me laugh, cry, and fall in love with the characters of The Wayfarer. Full of wisdom and wit, A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet touches on modern-day issues like prejudice, religion, sexual orientation, and challenging social norms.

To be honest, I don’t normally gravitate toward science fiction in any form, but Chambers does a superb job in being just technical enough to the non-science brain from exploding. To me, the book isn’t about the science — it is about the characters and the journey.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in space operas, loveable characters, and adventure!

Review: The Secret Ingredient Cookbook by Kelly Senyei

125 family-friendly recipes based on the author’s popular Just a Taste food site, with each recipe featuring a totally unexpected ingredient

Summary

Kelly Senyei, founder of the food site Just a Taste, has garnered millions of fans with a delicious hook–every one of her recipes has a secret ingredient, something totally unexpected that takes a dish from common to extraordinary. Some of the 125 tried-and-tested recipes are surprisingly simple, like her Vanilla Bean Drop Doughnuts made with Greek yogurt, or the Sweet and Tangy Baked Chicken Wings made with blackberry jam. Other recipes are nothing short of genius, such as the Kale Panzanella made with croissants, the Healthy White Chicken Chili made with hummus, or the Crispy Slow Cooker Carnitas made with cocoa powder. And just because the secret ingredients are surprising doesn’t mean they’re expensive or hard to find, either. Kelly is a busy mother of two, and she made sure every ingredient can be found in any supermarket. Her family-friendly recipes cover every occasion, from crowd-pleasing snacks and 30-minute entrées to make-ahead sides and holiday-worthy desserts.

Review

The Secret Ingredient Cookbook is mouthwatering! Senyei’s method of utilizing secret ingredients highlights her skill with flavors!

I particularly liked the inclusion of pantry supplies needed to complete the recipes. I like cookbooks that include this section because there is nothing worse than wanting to make something and having an unstocked pantry.

The cookbook included a wide-range of recipes from breakfast, snacks, sides, entrees, and desserts. Each recipe easily identifies the secret ingredient. The recipes are easy to understand. The pictures included are beautiful, detailed, in focus, and highlight the dish well.

I am an adventurous eater, and members of my household also have some eating issues, like no tomatoes. However, I found options that meet our diet issues. In fact, I am looking forward to trying the Stuffed Shells with No-Mato Sauce and the Crunchy Coconut Granola!

(Disclaimer: I received this book from NetGalley. This has not affected my review, which is unbiased.)

Book Review: That Thing You Do by Maria Geraci

Once upon a long time ago, he broke her heart. Good thing she’s too smart to fall for him a second time…

Allie Grant doesn’t believe in second chances. She does, however, believe in the power of a permanent paycheck. So, when a tipster reports that the soon-to-be demolished senior center in her hometown is haunted, Allie hightails it to Whispering Bay to get the scoop that could secure her dream job at Florida! magazine. What she finds, though, is far scarier than any ghost. Cue her ex-boyfriend, sexy construction foreman Tom Donalan.

When Tom catches Allie poking around his construction site, he quickly realizes his former high school flame is just as feisty as ever. And, heaven help him, her irresistible, mile-high legs still take his breath away. But Tom isn’t about to delay the building’s demolition because of a silly ghost story.

With neither of the stubborn exes backing down from their opposing positions, sparks fly. And, underneath the surface, the fire of their old attraction burns as hot as ever. When strange things start happening with increasing frequency around town, even a tough skeptic like Tom is tested. The question is, can Allie and Tom stop fighting long enough to get to the bottom of Whispering Bay’s ghost problem–and the more important matter of mending their broken hearts?

I am not sure how I feel about this book. I guess I would say this book is “okay.” There were elements of this story that are great – the scoop that brings Allie back to her hometown, the relationship Allie has with her brother and his family. And as for Allie, I really like her. She is funny and snarky (when necessary), plus she is a writer which I understand. But there are parts that bother me quite a bit. I don’t like that Tom never really apologizes – or at least not in a way that is acceptable to me.  And to me, it seems like there is not enough understanding by Allie’s friends and family members about the past and how it may still make Allie feel. I am also not a huge fan of Tom. To me, it seems like he doesn’t know what he wants, and he isn’t always truthful with Allie. I can’t help but feel that if he was truthful with Allie about his feelings, the book would have been much better. But all in all, this was a good read.

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*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author or a book site in exchange for my unbiased review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Past Book Reviews: 2016 – 2018

Better In the Morning by Fern Ronay, Date Read: February 7, 2018*

Review: I didn’t care for this book. There was nothing in the first chapter that caught my interest and made me want to keep reading. Additionally, I found the main character irritating. Her portrayal of attorneys, even female attorneys, is very inaccurate and slightly insulting. She was so busy wanting to be a housewife and upset about the fact that her boyfriend didn’t do what she wanted at the beginning of the book that I honestly stopped caring what happened to her. While I did like some of the characters that appeared later in the book (Syd), I just couldn’t get interested in the outcome. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Hot Pursuit by Julie Ann Walker, Date Read: October 6, 2017

Review: I am a huge BKI fan and love the series. There are some things I like about this book. I love the relationship that Christian and Emily have. I like how they tease each other and ruffle each other’s feathers. I like how sweet Christian is when he realizes how deep his feelings for Emily run. I also love how this book gives us more insight into Angel and Ace as well. I like how the others from the earlier books make an appearance. And of course, the lead into the next book is a nice bonus as well.

With that being said, there was something missing from this book. Hot Pursuit felt a lot like a romance, without the suspense from Walker’s earlier books. This book felt more like a filler to give Christian his HEA. And I am not sure that it would work as a stand-alone, which is not true for the other BKI books. And as much as I like Emily, she irritated me toward the end of the book. Her reaction to Christian’s feelings was stupid and the fact that she is so insecure about her own feelings and whether they are real or lasting is ridiculous for someone who is a grown woman — even a grown woman with a screwed up history.

Fuel for Fire by Julie Ann Walker, Date Read: July 7, 2017

Review: Dagan and Chelsea were as great as I imagined they would be. I fell in love with Dagan in Hell on Wheels when he showed his integrity by telling Aldus to take a hike. Every interaction we have with Dagan shows us more of his amazing personality. I couldn’t wait to read Fuel for Fire and see if he got his happily-ever-after.

Dagan and Chelsea together are pretty hot and you can’t help but want them to be happy. But that secret Chelsea is keeping? Well, it’s a doozy. You can’t help but be curious about that secret and part of you wishes she would keep her mouth shut and go with the flow. Of course, you have to respect someone who does the right thing.

As usual, other BKI veterans make an appearance to remind us that BKI is a family and there are many scenes which include interaction between Christian and Emily. (Can’t wait for that one!)

This was a great book and I loved it. The only thing I didn’t like was when I realized we don’t have a lot of BKI folks left to write about.

Wild Ride by Julie Ann Walker, Date Read: April 27, 2017

Review: I always knew that when Ozzie had his own book, I would fall in love with him. He is sweet and loveable and my favorite hero so far. Samantha is great. She is smart and sassy and brave. She is the perfect match for Ozzie. I also loved that this book brought back more of my favorite characters and gave us more insight into Ozzie.

Thelonius Rising by Judith Richards, Date Read: January 30, 2016*

Review: This was a beautifully written book. I wasn’t a fan of the beginning and almost gave up on it because I felt it might be a little stereotypical and I also didn’t like some of the writing. But I persisted and am so glad I did. The author has an ability to paint a picture with her writing which allows you to close your eyes and see and hear the sounds of New Orleans. This book touched me because I think it did a good job portraying New Orleans during Katrina and what happened. I also love the ending of this book and the feelings it evoked. It is a beautifully written book about an amazing little boy in an amazing city.

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*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author or a book site in exchange for my unbiased review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Past Book Reviews: 2015

Kissing Mr. Wrong (Wrong Man) by Kerri Carpenter, Date Read: May 29, 2015*

Review: Kissing Mr. Wrong by Kerri Carpenter was more of a novella than a novel. The writing was good. There were no errors. I loved the cover too. I wasn’t sure about the title though. There were not many mentions made in the book about John being “Mr. Wrong” so the title didn’t seem to fit too much.

I liked Vanessa and John very much. However, I did not like Jess, Vanessa’s friend, very much at first but I did get over that.

Even though this was a short story and there were some things that I didn’t like about this story (things I can’t get into without giving too much of the story away), I still felt this was a sweet story.

50 Ways to Ruin a Rake (Rakes and Rogues Book 1) by Jade Lee, Date Read: May 21, 2015*

Review: I didn’t like this book at all. The cover was nice but the story left much to be desired. SPOILER ALERT!!!!

I didn’t like the main characters. At first, Melinda starts out as a strong woman taking control of her destiny. She won’t give her uncle her cosmetic formula because she wants the money for herself so she can go to London and find someone who will love her so she isn’t stuck marrying her cousin Ronnie. This sounds good but several times throughout the story she says that Ronnie will probably be the one she winds up marrying even though she doesn’t want to. If she is strong enough to stand up to her family, why would she later give in and marry Ronnie?Also, I didn’t like how she later is willing to give the formula over to a man so he can make lots of money and she would be his mistress. What happened to wanting the money so she can control her own life?

I also don’t like how she gives herself to Trevor when he is drunk and leaves when he is asleep and then gets mad when he doesn’t act like she wants. She also complains a lot about the duel that Trevor and Ronnie fought at the beginning of the book but then later makes a spectacle of herself. I felt that for a woman who was strong enough to fight for what she wanted – a chance to go to London to find someone to love her – she is awfully quick to give up on the man she loves and accept someone who doesn’t love her and never will.

As for Trevor, he is selfish and continuously refers to Melinda as being “beneath him”. He also caves to Eleanor’s suggestion and abandons her once they get to England. He also says no kissing but then keeps kissing her and being intimate. Even after he decided he wants her, he never has a conversation with Melinda to if that is what she wants. He just assumes to know what she wants because of the deal they made – which he convinced her to make. He should have known then that she didn’t really want the deal.

As far as the secondary characters, they were irritating. Her father was a jerk who doesn’t know his own daughter. Ronnie is an idiot. Her uncle is a bully. Eleanor acts like she is jealous and wants Trevor for herself.

I also don’t like how there was no epilogue to tell us if Trevor ever makes it right with his family.

Declan (The Ryan’s Book 1)byTiffany Lee, Date Read: March 28, 2015*

Review: I loved this book. Tiffany Lee is an amazing author and I can’t wait for more from her. I adored Lizbeth. I like that she is a paralegal since I am too. I also liked that she is a survivor. She is an amazing mom and woman. I loved that regardless of what had happened to her, she wasn’t afraid to let Declan in. I admired her for not ever giving up.

As for Declan, holy smokes, he is amazing. He is sweet, fierce, loving, tender, incredibly sexy…the perfect package and just what Lizbeth needs so she can see that not all men are horrible.

The plot was well thought out with believable characters. The writing was really good with very good editing.

I do wish that she had elaborated a little bit more on the bad guy and their connection to others in the book. She told us some detail but never really clarified how that relationship had come to be and how it had evolved over the years.

I can’t wait for the next book and I love that the epilogue takes place seven years after but it doesn’t give away any details of the next book and how it turns out. I am really excited to see what happens to Sophia but I really hope it doesn’t take seven years to get it all straightened out.

This was a fabulous book and I will recommend it to all my romance reading friends as well as telling them to keep an eye on this amazing new author.

Love Garage: The Love BrothersbyLiz Crowe, Date Read: March 28, 2015

Review: I did not like this book and I would not recommend it. I felt that the characters were very immature. No one talked to each other. The brothers resolved things by beating each other up and the couples just had sex. Even at the end of the book when they were supposed to have a conversation with the matriarch of the family, they still didn’t say anything. Considering none of the couples had a conversation, the “happily-ever-after” ending seemed very far-fetched to me.

I also didn’t like that there were random sex scenes just thrown into the book, including a three-some that had nothing to do with the plot. This scene to me just highlighted how immature Aiden was.

I loved the little boy, Jeffrey. He brought character and humor to the book. Unfortunately, those were missing from the other characters.
I did like the way the author made sure that you knew what month it was and showed the passage of time. I also liked how she wrote about the complex relationships between the brothers and highlighted how different they were from each other.

I would have liked this book if it was just about one brother and his story and not about the whole family. It felt like the author was forcing the story to go one way when it really wanted to go another because there were too many players involved. If she had focused on Antony and his healing so he wasn’t so grumpy and could accept love, instead of bringing in Aiden and the love triangle plots, it would have been better. Honestly, because of Antony and Rosalee’s actions, I seriously disliked both of them and didn’t want them to have happy endings. I felt they were both selfish and didn’t care who they hurt in the process.

The author’s writing style and prose are nice. She uses descriptions well so you can see the scene. Unfortunately, the character development was lacking in this book.

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*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author or a book site in exchange for my unbiased review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Past Book Reviews: 2014

A Promise to Protect (Logan Point Book #2): A Novel by Patricia Bradley, Date Read: October 15, 2014*

Review: This book was not one of my favorites. I felt the story was not original. I also felt there were critical conversations between Ben and Leigh were missing. This book was also very unrealistic. The author expects you to believe that Leigh went to college, then went to medical school and got a job as a doctor all while raising a baby with no delays. I am not saying that it would be impossible to do this, but I think it would be very difficult and parts of your education process would be delayed. As a single mom, who had her baby when she was 19, I can tell you that it took me longer to get my degree.

Thunder: A Novel (Stone Braide Chronicles) by Bonnie S. Calhoun; Date Read: October 15, 2014*

Review: I am not usually a fan of the whole dystopian future books. However, there was something about this book that I enjoyed. The writing was clear and evocative. The storyline was intriguing. The characters were very well developed.

What I liked best about this book was the interaction between Selah and the Lander. It was very realistic. I also liked the portrayal of Selah and her feelings when the mark appears.

What I did not like about this book was how many extra characters there were. It felt like there were too many names and people to keep track of.

Also, right now, you can get the prequel Tremors: A Stone Braide Chronicles Story for free on Amazon. Tremors was great because it did a really good job of setting the scene. I would recommend everyone go and grab this now and read it. Then, be sure to read Thunder and keep an eye out for the next Stone Braide Chronicles Story.

Deceived (Private Justice Book #3): A Novel by Irene Hannon; Date Read: October 7, 2014*

Review: This was an awesome book. Ms. Hannon blew me away. I loved the main characters and how complex they are. I can’t go into too much detail because I don’t want to give any spoilers but Hannon did a great idea pulling this story together. This was by far one of the best books I have read in a long time. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a mystery with some romance thrown in.

Prescription for Life: Three Simple Strategies to Live Younger Longer by Richard Furman, MD, FACS, Date Read: October 7, 2014*

Review: This was an interesting book. Dr. Furman is obviously very passionate about his work as well as very knowledgeable. This book was great because it described a lot of information such as how the heart works, what can cause strokes, and most importantly, how your diet and exercise can limit the risks of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. He also emphasized how healthy eating and exercise can prolong your life.

What I like about this book is how it gives some great ideas for food and your diet. He also gives great ideas for exercise, even for couch potatoes. He also does a good job in showing the effect certain foods have on your body. He suggests you stop eating those foods altogether which for some may be very difficult.

This book was very informative and I feel energized to put what I learned into effect.

Kate’s Escape from the Billable Hour by Petula Parker; Date Read: July 22, 2014*

Review: Kate’s Escape from the Billable Hour by Petula Parker is a great book.

Having been a paralegal for the past 16+ years, I found this book to be a lot of fun to read. Anyone working in the legal field and familiar with “Big “Law” firms and the never-ending need for more billable hours, will find a lot of humor in this book. However, this book is so fun it is for everyone, not just those of us slogging it out in the legal field.

This book is for those people with a first crush they can’t move on from and those of us stuck in a job we hate who ask “what am I going to be when I grow up” and “is this really all there is”. This is also perfect for people who love a lot of humor in their books.

I found this book to be particularly funny because it made me remember working for an attorney who used to lecture us to bring a file into the bathroom with us so we could count it as billable time.

The cover of this book is cute although maybe the suitcase should be a little bigger to more accurately reflect the baggage we all carry. The book was also well written and well edited.

Snack Girl to the Rescue!: A Real-Life Guide to Losing Weight and Getting Healthy with 100 Recipes Under 400 Calories by Lisa Cain; Date Read: July 15, 2014*

Review: I have been a long-time subscriber to Snack-Girl.com so when I had the opportunity to read and review Snack Girl to the Rescue! by Lisa Cain I was so excited.

This book is broken up into parts. Part One is the meat of the book. It includes Lisa’s thoughts on fad diets, diet pills and other sorts of diets. It also includes her personal experiences with many of these diets. It talks about healthy eating, healthy balances of foods, and the importance of exercise. Honestly, I had a hard time getting through the first part of this book. Not because it was poorly written or not interesting but just because this seemed to be my particular hurdle.

Part Two is the good stuff, at least for me anyway. Part Two is the recipe section and let me tell you there are some really good sounding recipes in there. For instance, the pineapple vodka slush seems to keep calling my name. 🙂

These recipes are great because they are low in calories but still taste great. For many of us trying to lose weight or maintain our healthy weight, the thought of eating another tasteless backed chicken breast and a pile of plain steamed veggies sounds about as appealing as walking across hot coals carrying an elephant. But with Lisa’s recipes, they introduce tons of flavor and variety into your healthy eating habits (notice I didn’t say the dreaded “d” word).

If you are looking for practical, real-world changes to your eating habits and lifestyle, this is a great book for you and I would recommend you take a look at Lisa’s recipes for low-calorie food ideas.

The Winter Calf by Michael S. Nuckols, Date Read: May 5, 2014*

Review: The Winter Calf is a beautifully written book. This is probably one of the best books I have read in a long time. The writing is magical and takes you on a journey as the story progresses. The story has many twists and turns and doesn’t end how you think it will. It is a heartbreakingly beautiful, moving story. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read an amazing story. However, keep the tissues handy.

The cover is great and although it is stark, it matches well with the story. As for the writing, I found one error in the whole book. Other than that, it was flawless.

After reading The Winter Calf, I will be reading other books written by Michael S. Nuckols to see if they match the beauty of The Winter Calf.

Worlds of Obsession (Celtic Otherworlds Book 1) by Kella McKinnon, Date Read: April 11, 2014*

Review: Worlds of Obsession (Celtic Otherworlds) is a great book. I really enjoyed it and can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

Worlds of Obsession had a good storyline, great characters, great dialogue, a great struggle and a good ending. You can’t help but love the characters. The “hero”, Bastien, is a wounded, brooding man who faces a great struggle when he meets Liv. The “heroine”, Liv is a little lost and not sure where she fits in the world. Unfortunately, the road these two must travel is a pretty bumpy one but in the end, everything becomes clear and all the pieces fit together. This book also has great supporting characters and it will be exciting to see how the author writes their stories. The cover is wonderful and the writing and editing were flawless.

Buried Threadsby Kaylin McFarren; Date Read: April 11, 2014*

Review: Buried Threads is not a bad book. However, it should be noted that in my opinion, this book cannot be read as a stand-alone novel. Too many references are made to things that happened in the past and those thoughts are not completed in this book. For instance, at one point, the heroine makes a comment that she is angry about her boyfriend’s child but it never explains why she is angry. Although I have not read the previous book about Rachel Lyons, I would think this information was probably covered in it. This was very disappointing because the book is not advertised as a sequel or part of a series.

Additionally, there was frustration while reading this book because “issues” that are portrayed as being major issues at the beginning of the book miraculously solve themselves without any true insight into the character’s development in overcoming those issues.

However, if you are fans of the Japanese culture and history, this book will interest you. The adventure scenes were written well and made it easy to visualize the scene.

The cover art is beautiful and the book is edited well in the sense that there were no obvious typos, etc. Other than the fact that I think it should be listed as a sequel or a second book in the series and a note added that it is not a stand-alone book, this book was a good read.

The Other Sister (Sister Series, #1) by Leanne Davis, Date Read: February 22, 2014*

Review: This was a great book. Jessie will break your heart and Will will make you so mad but this was a wonderful book. I hope this book brings attention to those who self-harm and helps people realize that people who self-harm aren’t weird, crazy, “emo”, or just doing it for attention. There are reasons and often they’re horrible and painful.

The Prayer, A Love Story by Jacqueline von Zwehl, Date Read: January 16, 2014

Review: The Prayer by Jacqueline von Zwehl is an inspirational “nonfiction literary narrative”. I found the message of this book – “Your destiny is to live a life filled with miracles, shared with your soul mate, and filled with the joy of eternal love each and every day” – to be very good. However, the writing left much to be desired. There were no substantive grammatical errors. My biggest problem with the writing was the author’s tone and frequency to use exaggeration. For instance, many things were “devastating”, “crushing”. I found the overuse of this method to take away much of the book’s believability.

My other problem with this book is that I had a hard time identifying with the character. She writes a lot of about her overwhelming fear, fear of “losing it all”, fear after the 9/11 attacks, etc. Because of this, I could not relate to her and found it irritating.

Additionally, she uses a friend’s child sexual abuse as the catalyst of her anger which finally breaks her faith. This part made me very angry at the author simply because I felt that her description of her emotional reaction to her friend’s story seemed fake.

Lastly, one minor irritation is when the author would talk about a situation but not extrapolate on it until much later in the chapter. For example, “the screaming would wake me up” is not explained until many paragraphs later and you learn that it is her parents’ screaming that wakes her up and then you learn that the screaming is because of the father’s gambling. Of course, this chapter follows an earlier chapter where she talks about how great her dad was, how he was such a hard worker and how everyone loved him. To me, it seems like she couldn’t decide how she felt about her father and until this issue was better resolved, it would have been best to omit it from the book.

With respect to the cover, I felt it was very beautiful and simple which perfectly matches the message of this book.

There are some beautifully worded sections of The Prayer and I wouldn’t completely discourage readers from it. As long as they knew going in that there are some issues. As I said before, the message is very good but I would caution readers who have a more realistic view to read at your own risk.

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*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author or a book site in exchange for my unbiased review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Past Book Reviews: 2013 – 2010

November Echo: (An Aleksandr Talanov thriller) by James Houston Turner; Date Read: December 3, 2013*

November Echo is a great book. Although it is short, it had suspense, humor, gritty action scenes and a brilliant story. I have never read any of James Houston Turner’s other books before and I think this was a great introduction to his work and a great introduction to Talanov. I will be reading his other works on this wonderful character.

I liked Talanov. He comes across a bit chauvinistic but lovable. There were times I wanted to hug him and other times I wanted to strangle him. I love how this character can make the choices he makes and is ready to handle those consequences from those choices.

There isn’t a lot to say about this book that won’t spoil it but I will say that if you are a fan of suspense and spy thrillers, you will definitely want to read November Echo.

The Power Formula for LinkedIn Success (Second Edition – Entirely Revised) : Kick-start Your Business, Brand, and Job Search by Wayne Breitbarth; Date Read: July 30, 2013*

Review: The Power Formula for LinkedIn Success is a great book, especially for those of us who could not figure out how a social media device could be used for business networking and job searching. This book came at a great time for me. I had just attended a webinar and one of the presenters, a headhunter, said to use LinkedIn “to land the job of your dreams.” Of course, I couldn’t see how that would help. Like many, I had created a profile on LinkedIn but never got much further than my name and basic information because I could not really see how this site would benefit me.

Then, I read The Power Formula for LinkedIn Success and now I understand what a great tool LinkedIn can be. This book advises you on how to create a great profile, what to include, and how to set up a network based on the author’s own experience. The Power Formula for LinkedIn Success will come in very handy for those people who are looking to change jobs or those in the business world looking to network with others.

I will definitely be using the instruction obtained from this book to boost my LinkedIn profile and I would definitely encourage anyone who has even remotely heard of LinkedIn to read this book and determine for themselves if LinkedIn would be beneficial to them.

This book is written as a manual. It is broken down into reasonable chapters and the author clearly explains each step of the process. He is also very good about including parts of LinkedIn that could be part of your profile based on when you joined. I thought that this book, even though it was written as a how-to book, was very easy to read.

Again, I found The Power Formula for LinkedIn Success to be a very useful book and would encourage others to take a look at it.

One word of caution, however: At the webinar referenced above, the presenter clearly stated that potential employers don’t want to read about volunteer hours or hobbies nor do they want to see every job you have ever had. She stated it was best to only focus on the field you are in and leave off the jobs in other fields you may have had. The author’s advice differs from this. Therefore, I will be speaking more to staffing personnel in my field to determine for myself which is the best option for me.

Illegals: The Unacceptable Cost of America’s Failure to Control Its Borders by Darrell Ankarlo; Date Read: November 23, 2010*

Review: Before I give my review of this book, I want to make it clear that I normally do not read books like this but I wanted to see what this author’s thoughts were on this subject. This is not a book I would recommend to anyone. It is clear that the author believes in Armageddon but in his version, the United States is “overrun” by Mexican illegal immigrants who want to “take back” the country. The author often says he is not a racist. However, given his condescending statements, it is not believable. The author frequently makes it clear that he feels all Mexicans are just waiting for the opportunity to illegally sneak into the United States. This clearly shows his racism. The book is peppered with emotional scenes from both sides of the “border”. However, most scenes lack a true emotional connection and instead feel hollow, like the author is only trying to make you think he cares. For instance, when the author describes the abject poverty that a family lives with, you cannot feel any true sympathy from the author. The author also oversimplifies the immigration problem throughout the book. He would like the reader to believe that the immigration problem is the cause of all of the United State’s problems. I agree that the immigration issue is a problem but I do not believe the immigration issue is the cause of all of the country’s problems. For instance, does the United State’s failure to control the Mexican border really have an impact on say, teenage pregnancies? Or the collapsing economy? Or the war in Afghanistan? No. I am sure immigration has an effect on this issues, but it is not the cause of these issues and it is naïve for the author to imply that if the United States controlled its southern border better, none of these problems would exist. In short, I would not recommend this book to my friends who tend to think like I do on the subject. But of course, if you want a differing opinion, feel free to take a look at it.

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*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author or a book site in exchange for my unbiased review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: Fast-Draft Your Memoir: Write Your Life Story in 45 Hours by Rachael Herron

Writing memoir is daunting! You’re the expert on your life, naturally, but narrating and organizing your own experiences in the best way can feel impossible. Many writers become frustrated in early drafting stages and quit after a couple of brief attempts. Learn from bestselling memoirist Rachael Herron (who teaches this class at Stanford Continuing Studies) how to fast-draft your memoir while keeping its structure compelling. Learn how to frame your life’s story and give it a natural arc to keep your reader glued to the page. Figure out how to handle those family and friends you’re writing about. Explore what truth means in memoir. Work quickly to quiet the inner critic. 

 Most of all, learn how to get out of your own way to get the words on the page. You can do this! Rachael will show you how.

A Must Have Resource for Anyone Who Wants to Write Their Story

This was a great book. Rachael’s real-world writing advice is fantastic. Liberally sprinkled with Rachael’s sense of humor, this common sense approach to memoir writing is a huge hit. Some of the best advice includes to write like the people who might get offended by your writing are dead and, to stop editing while you write. The exercises are incredible too. While I didn’t complete all the exercises because I am in the middle of editing a book, I did most of them and will definitely be rereading this when I am ready to write my memoir. Rachael offers sound advice, great exercises, and encouragement to discover ideas, organize and plan, and write your life story.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living: A Novel by Louise Miller

About the Book

A full-hearted novel about a big-city baker who discovers the true meaning of home—and that sometimes the best things are found when you didn’t even know you were looking

When Olivia Rawlings—pastry chef extraordinaire for an exclusive Boston dinner club—sets not just her flambéed dessert but the entire building alight, she escapes to the most comforting place she can think of—the idyllic town of Guthrie, Vermont, home of Bag Balm, the country’s longest-running contra dance, and her best friend Hannah. But the getaway turns into something more lasting when Margaret Hurley, the cantankerous, sweater-set-wearing owner of the Sugar Maple Inn, offers Livvy a job. Broke and knowing that her days at the club are numbered, Livvy accepts.

Livvy moves with her larger-than-life, uberenthusiastic dog, Salty, into a sugarhouse on the inn’s property and begins creating her mouthwatering desserts for the residents of Guthrie. She soon uncovers the real reason she has been hired—to help Margaret reclaim the inn’s blue ribbon status at the annual county fair apple pie contest.

With the joys of a fragrant kitchen, the sound of banjos and fiddles being tuned in a barn, and the crisp scent of the orchard just outside the front door, Livvy soon finds herself immersed in small town life. And when she meets Martin McCracken, the Guthrie native who has returned from Seattle to tend his ailing father, Livvy comes to understand that she may not be as alone in this world as she once thought.

But then another new arrival takes the community by surprise, and Livvy must decide whether to do what she does best and flee—or stay and finally discover what it means to belong. Olivia Rawlings may finally find out that the life you want may not be the one you expected—it could be even better.

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My Review

This was one of those moments where a book I checked out from the library and it was really good. I picked this book purely on a whim because I love the cover. The picture resonates with me and makes me think of driving through the woods, which is what I assume the author was aiming toward. I also think that the font works well with this book, too.

The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living: A Novel was a beautiful book. I love Olivia.  She is flawed and avoids relationships which can tie her down. I can relate to her so well. Although, unlike Olivia, my hair stays one color. I think many of us can relate to Olivia’s desire to run away to someplace new, too. And that someplace new may become the someplace she is meant to be. Granted, she first runs away to lick her wounds and Miller’s description of the fire is funny while still sparking compassion for Olivia in the telling. Miller does a beautiful job of showing how someplace one escapes to can turn into a home.

I also particularly enjoyed the way Miller was able to write Olivia, this character who avoided relationships and responsibilities (in that she liked to be able to run away quickly), but also showed how seamlessly Olivia built relationships. This portrayal of Olivia called to me because it highlighted the fact that we can be adverse to relationships but that won’t stop connections from happening. And relationships occur in this book (you will just have to read it to find out what I mean).

This book has a cast of unusual, quirky, and sweet characters. There is Margaret, the somewhat crotchety inn owner, Jane White, Margaret’s archenemy, sweet, Henry McCracken, and of course, Tom, whose introduction to Olivia includes his accusation of her breaking up a stranger’s marriage. This book has a small-town cast of characters but avoids the cliché that everyone knows everyone’s business in a small-town.

Miller writes beautifully. One of my favorite lines was describing the waltz at the dance:

The waltz held the feeling you get when you finish a well-loved book. It left me longing for something I couldn’t name.

(Sigh.) Isn’t that beautiful?

One of the best parts of this book is Miller’s writing when it comes to the desserts Olivia bakes. I love food, and I love to bake, so I enjoyed the descriptive way Miller wrote about what desserts Olivia was making. Some of the descriptions were mouthwatering. Having grown up in New England, I especially enjoyed the ways Miller writes about apple pie. Since I now live in Florida, where our apple varieties are very limited, I found myself living vicariously through Olivia each time she made an apple pie.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and cannot wait to read The Late Bloomers’ Club: A Novel, Miller’s next book, also set in Guthrie, Vermont.

By the way, Penguin Books has a really good Reading Guide for this book on their website.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Hello 2018

We have made it to 2018! Last year, I set a reading goal (on Goodreads Reading Challenge) to read 175 books. Sadly, I didn’t reach my goal but I did read some good books.

Having already read a few books in 2018, I have decided to resurrect my reading blog. Instead of posting book reviews on every book I read, instead, I am going to post one or two book reviews each month.

This strategy should let me post reviews on really great books, or books I have committed to reviewing publicly, while still leaving me with plenty of time to write my own books.

If anyone has any book recommendations I should read, please feel free to let me know and thanks for reading.