Thank you Simon Element for sending me a free copy!
Phil Rosenthal, creator of the hit sitcom, EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, and host of the Netflix series,Thank you Simon Element for sending me a free copy!
Phil Rosenthal, creator of the hit sitcom, EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, and host of the Netflix series, SOMEBODY FEED PHIL, has gathered favorite recipes from family, friends, and chefs from all over the world for this cookbook. The result is a great collection with a wide variety of dishes that are sure to please anyone with an appreciation for different cuisines.
This book is full of photos which is a plus because we tend to eat with our eyes first. The categories of recipes include breakfast items, sandwiches, soups, stews, and curries, shareables, entrees , desserts, and sauces and condiments. Most of the ingredients you should be able to find at any decent grocery store, butcher, and seafood shop. Helpful tips are included with many of the recipes. My best guess is the skill level required for cooking these recipes is more intermediate than beginner.
Food brings people together and this book really celebrates that. If you are traveling abroad, it’s connecting with a restaurant or food truck owner after eating a delicious meal or hanging out with family and partaking in a home cooked meal. Food is a source of comfort and a big part of every culture. If you consider yourself a foodie or agree a meal is more than just subsistence, I recommend checking out this cookbook. ...more
Thank you Crown Publishing for sending me a free copy!
I absolutely love the cover design for this book as it just fits it to a tee. THIRST TR4.5 stars
Thank you Crown Publishing for sending me a free copy!
I absolutely love the cover design for this book as it just fits it to a tee. THIRST TRAP is a story about 3 friends and roommates in Belfast. They met in primary school and are now hitting the age of 30. It’s a moment when they are realizing the late night partying and messy love lives are not ideal as they leave their 20s behind. The three women are also still processing the death of their other roommate and close friend.
Hats off to anyone who had their life figured out at a young age and didn’t stray far from the path leading to success, happiness, and fulfillment. There’s many of us who struggled, made poor decisions, and found the years ticking by without much personal growth and development. These characters are relatable even if your partying days were tame in comparison. This book captures that lost, stuck in a rut feeling and explores recognizing it and whether steps are taken to move forward or stay in the same place. I liked what each character brought to the table and am satisfied with their storyline arcs.
This book totally worked for me and I’d recommend it to anyone as long as you can handle tales about sex, drugs, and grief....more
Thank you to Crown Publishing for sending me a free copy!
Back in 2020, I read Matthew McConaughey‘s memoir, GREENLIGHTS, and was pleasantly surprised Thank you to Crown Publishing for sending me a free copy!
Back in 2020, I read Matthew McConaughey‘s memoir, GREENLIGHTS, and was pleasantly surprised to learn he is an introspective person. He’s not caught up in the Hollywood fame game. He’s just trying to figure out that whole place in this world thing like the rest of us. He has a desire to live life to the fullest and put in the work to be the best version of himself. I walked away thinking of him in a positive light which is why I was eager to pick up his latest book, POEMS & PRAYERS.
For the last four decades, Matthew has put pen to paper and this book is a collection of poems and thoughts he has written down over the years. I’ll admit I’m not a frequent reader of poetry so I don’t really have a frame of reference to judge this book. This type of writing is personal and so I didn’t feel a connection to everything in this collection and that’s perfectly fine. I liked most of what he wrote though and I’m not ashamed to admit Deuces got a laugh out of me. His son Livingston talking about dandelions was so adorable and brought a smile to my face.
Overall, it was a nice change of pace read for me and one I’d recommend picking up if you enjoyed his memoir....more
Thank you Marysue Rucci Books for sending me a free advance reader’s copy!
4.5⭐️ out of 5
After graduating college, Bobbi Brown moved to NYC and worked Thank you Marysue Rucci Books for sending me a free advance reader’s copy!
4.5⭐️ out of 5
After graduating college, Bobbi Brown moved to NYC and worked as a makeup artist in the 1980s. A decade later, she created a line of ten lipstick shades that were so popular, it led to her launching a cosmetics company. Estée Lauder later bought the company and Bobbi retained creative control for about twenty years. She is known for her natural, clean look make up style and both Bobbi Brown Cosmetics and her new beauty brand, Jones Road, have been wildly successful.
A fascinating memoir featuring a trailblazer in the beauty industry. She’s a perfect example of finding your passion and creating your own path. With setbacks and disappointments along the way, Bobbi remains resilient and figures out how to bounce back and move on. Highly recommend if you are looking for an inspiring read. ...more
Thank you Scribner for sending me a free advance copy!
CHOCOLAT: Parisian Desserts and Other Delights by Aleksandra Crapanzano has more than 100 recipeThank you Scribner for sending me a free advance copy!
CHOCOLAT: Parisian Desserts and Other Delights by Aleksandra Crapanzano has more than 100 recipes featuring the all important ingredient, chocolate. Cakes, tarts, cookies, mousses, soufflé, hot chocolate, truffles, you name it, there’s a recipe for it. You can even make your own Nutella! Chocolate soup and a chocolate sandwich are two of the recipes on the top of my must make list.
High quality ingredients are key here and the cookbook is full of useful tips to really get the most out of these recipes. The book is more on the fancy and elegant side which makes it perfect if you enjoy throwing dinner parties as these recipes are bound to impress. Would have loved for the book to include color photos of some of the dishes but that’s just a tiny criticism.
Highly recommend picking it up if you are a foodie or chocolate connoisseur....more
Thank you Viking Books for sending me a free copy!
The fifth book in the Thursday Murder Club series was one of my most anticipated reads this year. I Thank you Viking Books for sending me a free copy!
The fifth book in the Thursday Murder Club series was one of my most anticipated reads this year. I held off on reading it though. That sounds weird but hear me out. I sometimes save books written by my favorite authors for a time when I can sit down and truly savor every moment of the reading experience. So I waited until life was a little less hectic and I had a weekend free to relax and read. Great decision on my part because I thoroughly enjoyed THE IMPOSSIBLE FORTUNE. It was everything I wanted it to be and more.
So wonderful to see the gang back together and attempting to solve yet another mystery. Friendship and the love that comes with it was an ongoing theme. Such a heartwarming read but one full of humorous moments as well.
Highly recommend checking out this series but keep in mind most of us believe the first one is a decent read but also the weakest of the 5 novels. It’s truly a series that gets better and better with each book. The second book is where everything fell into place for me and I became a big fan....more
Thank you Doubleday Books and Netgalley for providing a free advance copy!
Back when I was in junior high, John Grisham books were all the ra3.5 stars
Thank you Doubleday Books and Netgalley for providing a free advance copy!
Back when I was in junior high, John Grisham books were all the rage. Instant bestsellers that were adapted into movies with A list stars. I binge read THE FIRM one weekend because everyone was talking about it. I can actually credit the author for helping me transition from my kid and teen reads into adult fiction.
His latest book is a combo mystery/legal thriller involving Simon, a down on his luck lawyer, and his elderly client Eleanor. Simon finds himself in the middle of a messy situation. Some decent twists and turns but there’s some unnecessary filler and the story clocks in at over 400 pages. Somewhere in the 300-350 range would have packed more of a punch.
I did enjoy this one though and appreciate the author exploring an issue that he has also covered in his nonfiction books....more
Thank you Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for providing a free advance digital copy!
3.75⭐️ out of 5
Two exotic dancers working at Atlanta’s Boom Town Thank you Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for providing a free advance digital copy!
3.75⭐️ out of 5
Two exotic dancers working at Atlanta’s Boom Town strip club have gone missing. A former headliner at the place, Micah “Lyriq” Johanssen is searching for answers in regards to their disappearance but digging deep for the truth might come at a terrible cost.
I read mysteries and thrillers fairly often and I appreciate the author offering something different for readers. It’s important to note that so many victims involved in the sex industry are often dismissed, overlooked, forgotten, you name it. They are people who have hopes and dreams and fears just like the rest of us. I like how they were given a voice in this story and it serves as a reminder we as a society need to stop latching on to this so called perfect victim bs.
As much as I liked what this novel brought to the table, some things got lost in the shuffle. There was some room for development with both the plot and characters. Even with that small criticism, I still say it’s a book worth reading....more
Daphne du Maurier was a long standing author on my tbr list so I was excited to receive this collectiThank you to Scribner for sending me a free copy!
Daphne du Maurier was a long standing author on my tbr list so I was excited to receive this collection of 13 short stories penned by the writer. I’m impressed with her creativity as each story was unique.
“The Birds” no doubt is the most famous of the bunch and it’s worth noting the classic Alfred Hitchcock film strayed a bit from her original story. “The Blue Lenses”, “Don’t Look Now”, and “The Apple Tree” were my personal favorites in this collection. While many of the stories have a horror vibe, rest assured even if you aren’t a fan of the genre, this book is still a fun read. There’s a creepy factor but not to the point where it will turn off any scaredy cat readers.
Glad I made time to read this one during the Fall as it seems fitting and works to the book’s advantage. ...more
Thank you Celadon Books for sending me a free advance copy!
I’ve read my fair share of true crime books over the years, but I do believe this was the fThank you Celadon Books for sending me a free advance copy!
I’ve read my fair share of true crime books over the years, but I do believe this was the first time I’ve read one from an inmate’s perspective. John J. Lennon is serving a sentence of 28 years to life for killing a man. Attending a writing workshop at Attica Correctional Facility sparked an interest in journalism. His writing has been featured in numerous publications like The New York Times and Rolling Stone. In this book he shares his story along with those of the 3 inmates he has served time with in prison. One of those men, Robert Chambers, gained notoriety in the 1980s and was nicknamed “The Preppy Killer”.
This book offers a unique look into the lives of these men. You learn about their childhoods, the crimes and convictions that sent them to prison, and how they fare behind bars. The structure of the writing was frustrating at times. Lots of bouncing around between the stories of the 3 men and the author interjecting his own thoughts and experiences. Breaking up the book into sections, each one featuring a different inmate, might have been a better method of presentation.
Fascinating content though especially learning each inmate had a different path on the road to coming to terms with the crime they committed. What do you do with your time left here on Earth when you have taken the life of another human being? If you can exercise some patience with how the info is presented, it’s an interesting read from a psychological standpoint. ...more
Thank you Crown Publishing for sending me a free copy!
3.75⭐️ out of 5
Janavi and Sagar get married not because they are in love but due to their familiThank you Crown Publishing for sending me a free copy!
3.75⭐️ out of 5
Janavi and Sagar get married not because they are in love but due to their families’ wishes. When Sagar accepts a job as an engineer on a dam project, the couple moves from their home country of India to Montana. A harsh reality awaits them as life is far removed from the so called American Dream.
An interesting novel with a lot to unpack and examine. While most of the story revolves around Janavi and Sagar, vignettes are also included featuring people throughout the years with bodies of water being what ties everything together. While I was strongly invested in the married couple, my interest level waned at times when the story would shift to the vignettes. They certainly serve a purpose but it did make for a semi disjointed reading experience. The present day story is the driving force.
A fascinating read that examines the immigrant experience in America as well as the lives of Natives. ...more
Thank you Scribner for sending me a free advance copy!
Arundhati Roy, Booker Prize winning author of THE GOD OF SMALL THINGS, has written a memoir, MOTThank you Scribner for sending me a free advance copy!
Arundhati Roy, Booker Prize winning author of THE GOD OF SMALL THINGS, has written a memoir, MOTHER MARY COMES TO ME. In it, she details her childhood in India and being raised by a single mother. Mary, her mom, was a force to be reckoned with, a trailblazer and head of a school. She was cruel and demanding and that lead to a rocky relationship with her daughter. The good, the bad, and the ugly shaped Arundhati into the person she is today, a critically acclaimed writer and activist.
A heartbreaking read at times as the author laid it all out there, critical but fair. The love and respect is apparent as she tries to make sense of the reality of her childhood and the death of her mother. It was a complex relationship which made for an interesting read. ...more
Thank you Scribner for sending me a free advance copy!
COYOTE is a biography about the late actor and playwright Sam Shepard. He grew up in California Thank you Scribner for sending me a free advance copy!
COYOTE is a biography about the late actor and playwright Sam Shepard. He grew up in California and had a tumultuous relationship with his alcoholic father. After high school, Sam joined a repertory group and started writing plays. In 1979 he won the Pulitzer Prize for Buried Child. His writing career was garnering him attention but he also became known for his acting talent as well. He nabbed an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for The Right Stuff. He had a messy love life as he had an eye for the ladies and his drinking issues led to a DUI conviction. In 2017 he passed away from complications of ALS.
A complex man with strengths and flaws. Sam wasn’t into the Hollywood scene, instead preferring an open country lifestyle. The author goes into detail about Sam’s plays and other works. In some ways you could describe him as a private person but if you are paying attention he really opens up thru his writing. This biography does a great job in showing how Sam was far from perfect but he left his mark in this world. ...more
Calling all my trivia loving pals! THE COMPLETE KENNECTIONS with 5000 questions and 1000 puzzles to solvThank you Scribner for sending me a free copy.
Calling all my trivia loving pals! THE COMPLETE KENNECTIONS with 5000 questions and 1000 puzzles to solve is the book for you. Written by Jeopardy host, Ken Jennings, and based on his popular online game, Kennections.
The rules are simple. You are given 5 questions to answer. Hangman style blanks are provided on the side as hints. If you want to increase the difficulty level, you can use the flaps on the book to cover them up. Once you’ve answered the questions, you are tasked with finding the common theme aka the kennection. Answers for questions and kennections are provided at the back of the book and are thoughtfully grouped separately so you won’t get spoiled by the kennection if you need help with the questions.
My husband and I are now addicted to this game and play it throughout the day. The questions range from easy to challenging. Surprisingly the kennection is often the easiest part to answer correctly whereas I might be stumped on a question or two for each group. It’s an entertaining game no matter your skill level. You can keep the book to yourself or have fun shouting out the answers with others.
Highly recommend for all the trivia buffs out there....more
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