skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Title: The Sugar Cookie Sweetheart Swap
Author: Donna Kauffman, Kate Angell, Kimberly Kincaid
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: September 24th 2013
Source: Netgalley & Kensington
★★★★
Four Stars.
The Sugar Cookie Sweetheart Swap is a collection of three stories that all center around three good friends around Christmastime. I'm not always a huge fan of these kinds of romantic reads, but I was definitely (and pleasantly) surprised with how much I enjoyed this book. It has just the right amount of steam, romance, and Christmassy atmosphere to make it an enjoyable December read.
The first thing that drew me in, admittedly, was the cover & title. It sounded cute, and the cover is just as adorable. It's simple, but effective, and would catch my eye on a holiday display.
The first story is called Where There's Smoke by Donna Kauffman, and I adored it. This story takes a look at the clumsy Clara Parker, who despite being unable to cook is given a job for the paper writing about Christmas cookie recipes. When a sexy fireman named Will shows up to save the day, Clara has to decide if she can open her heart again to this hero. I loved this story. I thought Clara was relatable- not TOO clumsy, but definitely not graceful and notoriously known for being single. And Will? Absolutely dreamy. I'd like one of him for Christmas too. Their relationship was cute and quirky and I was cheering for them all throughout the book.
The middle story is The Gingerbread Man by Kate Angell. Even though this was my least favorite story out of the three, it is still worth a read and is far from bad. Abby is known in her town for making gingerbread man cookies that are, well, anatomically correct. She even added a box to the cookie auction, but was a little surprised when a stranger was the one who ended up bidding on the risque treats. It isn't long before Abby saves a stranger from a snowy road- but could he be what her life has been missing? This was a fun read- with gingerbread man fun bits, how can it not be? I just wasn't as connected to Abby and Lander as I could have been, so I wasn't as invested in the story.
And the final, and possibly best, story is Sugar And Spice by Kimberly Kincaid. Lily is a caterer who takes her cooking, and her job, very seriously. Entered in the holiday bake-off against a seriously sexy and competitive pastry chef named Pete, their passion becomes hotter than the kitchen that they're baking in. This was fun and steamy to boot, and is the perfect thing to heat up a cold winter night.
All in all this is a solid collection of stories that are great to read during the holidays. Romantic and fun, this is a great pick for those of you who love romance stories without the smut. Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington for my chance to read this.
Title: Monkeyfarts!: Wacky Jokes Every Kid Should Know
Author: David Borgenicht
Format: Hardcover, 96 pages
Pub. Date: September 18th 2012
Source: Quirk Books
★★★
Three Stars.
Monkeyfarts!: Wacky Jokes Every Kid Should Know is a book that is just what the title suggests: a collection of jokes for kids. These jokes are geared towards kids in the elementary school age bracket, and are clean and family friendly. There's a nice variety of jokes here, ranging from knock knock jokes, puns, and funny short stories. As with any other joke book, this one is hit and miss. Some of them were hilarious (and I shockingly hadn't heard before) and others weren't funny at all (or I just didn't get). If you have a young child or are around young children a lot or even if you're a fan of jokes with an orange-you-glad-I-didn't-say-banana sense of humor, this book is definitely worth a skim.
Thanks so much to Quirk Books for my copy.
Title: Fine Cooking Thanksgiving Cookbook: Recipes for Turkey and All the Trimmings
Author: Fine Cooking Magazine
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: September 4th 2012
Source: Netgalley & Taunton Press
★★★★
3.5 stars, rounded up.
Fine Cooking Thanksgiving Cookbook is a handy guide for all things Thanksgiving, and it is the kind of book that is definitely useful to have at hand when you're preparing a holiday meal.
One thing that I really appreciated about this book is all of the non-recipe advice also included. It includes tips on how to plan ahead, how to do "turkey math", and how to avoid common cooking disasters such as a cracked pie crust and burnt turkey drippings.
There was a good variety of different recipes, each paired with easy-to-follow instructions to ensure that even an inexperienced cook can understand them. There are also pictures included, which is a plus for me since I don't use cookbooks that don't have them.
While the above mentioned tidbits are positive, I also found that some of the pictures looked really outdated and grainy. I understand that these recipes are not new, but when I'm getting a new cookbook, I'd expect things to be updated a bit. It kind of took away from the book, to be honest. On the other hand, some recipes seemed a bit too simple to bother including, like shrimp cocktail and crudité. Maybe that's just because I was raised with a chef, though. So take that with a grain of salt.
Despite these flaws, there are definitely some recipes in here that I will be trying, among them Triple Chocolate Ice Cream Pie, Sauerkraut & Rye Bread Stuffing, & Turkey Soup with Ginger, Lemon, and Mint.
All in all, this is a convenient and helpful cookbook that offers tips for new cooks and old cooks alike, and is definitely worth a gander or two. Thanks to Netgally and Taunton Press for my copy.
Title: Let's Talk Turkey . . . And All the Trimmings: 100 Delicious Holiday Recipes, Tips, and Ideas from America's Top Magazines
Author: Hearst
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: October 23rd 2012
Source: Netgalley & Open Road Media/Hearst
★★★
Three Stars.
Let's Talk Turkey is a compilation of recipes taken from a variety of American magazines. This is a nifty little collection that takes all of the most needed and utilized recipes and keeps them together in one volume, which lessens the hassle of leafing through old magazines thinking "I know I saw it somewhere."
This book has a lot of tips and troubleshooting for how to host the perfect holiday. Let's Talk Turkey offers instructions on how to perfectly carve your turkey, helpful microwave cheat sheets, recipes for what to do with your leftovers (if you have any- I know my family doesn't!), and even a small section on how to decorate your table for the occasion. I found these tips really helpful, since I'm not the most artsy person around.
There was a good sampling of recipes here that vary from old classics to modern favorites. However, to me personally, there wasn't anything too new to try. This might be a great collection for others: there's a lot of dishes, easy to follow steps, and pictures that look tasty. I did see a few things I'd try making such as Cocoa-Spice Turkey and a sourdough stuffing.
This is good for someone doing their first Thanksgiving, or who is looking for new classics to add to their roster, but if you've been doing this for awhile like me, it's a limited resource.
Thanks to Netgalley & Open Road Media/Hearst for my copy.
Title: Divergent (Divergent #1)
Author: Veronica Roth
Format: Paperback, 487 pages
Pub. Date: April 25th 2011
Source: The Babbling Reader blog
★★★★★
Five stars.
---
In dystopian Chicago, the population has been divided into five factions. For each sixteen year old, the choice is a life changing one: you can choose which faction in which you will serve and live for the rest of your life. There's an administered test that guides your answer- but it doesn't work on Beatrice. This is more dangerous than it seems, and Beatrice must decide who she really is, what she will fight for, and what she holds most dear in order to save not just her skin, but the lives of others.
----
I don't know why I waited so long to read this book. I've been hearing about it for what seems like lifetimes on various book blogs I follow. I was a little hesitant to read it, since so many people loved it. I didn't want to be disappointed, and I definitely wasn't.
I think what I loved the most was the setting. Being a Chicago girl, of course I was excited when street names and landmarks that I'm familiar with were integrated into the story line. But it gave the book a scarier, more "true dystopian" feel for me as well. It was unnerving to think about my beautiful city becoming such a thing, and the haunting tone that Roth writes into the story definitely stayed with me after I put the book down. I love the society and technology that she created within this series.
The spacing and pace were also better than expected. I didn't find any lulls or times where I was bored or wanted to stop reading. I started this book on a train from Chicago to southern Illinois, and I was finished before I was at my destination. I didn't want to put it down.
I loved the characters, and I love the Dauntless. It's more often than not that I dislike female leads, but the struggles that Tris faced- both mental and physical- amazed me, and I was cheering her on from cover to cover. Not to mention Four. I was really emotionally invested in their lives, hating some and loving others.
I am SO glad that I picked this up (finally) and now I'm dying to read the rest of the trilogy, and to see the movie too. I recommend this for fans of YA dystopian books with a touch of romance: people who liked Matched, The Hunger Games, or Swans & Klons- this means you!
Thank you to The Babbling Reader blog for my copy.
Title: Have Yourself a Curvy Little Christmas: A Perfect Fit Holiday Novella (Perfect Fit #1.5)
Author: Sugar Jamison
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: October 1st 2013
Source: Netgalley & St. Martin's Press
★★★
Three stars.
---
This is going to be a very short review, because I haven't got much to say about this book one way or another.
I didn't realize that another book came before this when I requested it on Netgalley, so that part is on me. That being said, I felt like I was missing something. I didn't particularly care for either of the main characters, and because of this disconnect to both the characters and the plot line, I didn't really care about what happened.
I would love to read the first book and give this novella another try afterwards, but as a standalone read it was just average: it didn't blow me away, but it wasn't awful either. It was a short Christmassy read that was pleasant enough (and has an adorable cover!), but I think people that are familiar with the series will enjoy it more than I did.
I’m taking part in The Perpetual Page Turner End of Year Book Survey. If you want to come and post with us, click here. All my book covers link to Goodreads- so check these books out if they look good to you :)
Best in Books 2013
1. Best Book You Read In 2013? (If you have to cheat — you can break it down by genre if you want or 2013 release vs. backlist)
The best book that I read this year has to be Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma. It wasn't published this year, but I read it way back in January and I still think about it.
2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl. I read it before the movie came out and I'd heard so much praise... But I found it really, really boring.
3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2013?
Tumble & Fall by Alexandra Coutts. It has a lot of negative reviews and a fairly low Goodreads rating, but I gave it a chance and I really liked it. -shrugs- Different strokes.
4. Book you read in 2013 that you recommended to people most in 2013?
Made of Stars by Kelley York. It's stunning, from cover to cover, with LGBT themes. If you haven't read it, do it.
5. Best series you discovered in 2013?
The Divergent series by Veronica Roth. I actually just finished book one (the review isn't even up yet!) and it's AMAZING.
Favorite new author you discovered in 2013?
John Green. The Fault in Our Stars is flawless.
7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?
Call of the Jersey Devil by Aurelio Voltaire. I don't read a lot of horror or things like that much anymore, but Voltaire is my favorite singer and is a great guy, so I got his book and was very pleasantly surprised. On that note, I read Joyland despite not being a huge fan of crime novels.
8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2013?
I had a really hard time putting down Conjured by Sarah Beth Durst. It was so dark and strange that I didn't want to wait to see what happened.
9. Book You Read In 2013 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
Probably The Fault in Our Stars. I'll read it again before the movie. Or Forbidden, because it's beautiful.
10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2013?
11. Most memorable character in 2013?
Oh god, just one? Well shit. I'm putting three. Chance, from Made of Stars. Lochan Whitely from Forbidden. Augustus Waters of The Fault in Our Stars.
13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2013?
Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma. I know I'm saying it a lot, but that book seriously changed the way I look at some things. A runner up is The Fault in Our Stars.
14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2013 to finally read?
Matched by Ally Condie. I'd heard so much about the series, and finally got around to it this past spring. I loved it!
15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2013?
“At the end of the day it's about how much you can bear, how much you can endure. Being together, we harm nobody; being apart, we extinguish ourselves.”
― Tabitha Suzuma, Forbidden
16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2013?
Shortest: A one star novella called Foreplay by Tammy Valentine that is a whopping 15 pages.
Longest: A anthology called Behind Barres by Miriam Wenger-Landis, Amanda Brice, Leslie DuBois at 575 pages.
17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!
The end of Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma. I can't give it away because of spoilers. But oh man I cried. I cried so hard. And for so long. My friend had to lure me out of my room with chicken nuggets because I was moping.
18. Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2013 (be it romantic, friendship, etc).
I like the three way friendship between Chase, Ashlin, and Hunter in Made of Stars by Kelley York. They're so close but so odd. It made me happy.
19. Favorite Book You Read in 2013 From An Author You’ve Read Previously
Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire. Lord, I love me some Travis. Mm mm mm mm mm.
20. Best Book You Read In 2013 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else:
Call of the Jersey Devil by Aurelio Voltaire. Between Voltaire's recommendation himself, my girlfriend, and The Cover Contessa.
21. Genre You Read The Most From in 2013?
Oddly enough, YA and erotica.... That's awkward.
22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2013?
Newest? Well I suppose that would be Daniel Rush from Covet by Tracey Garvis-Graves. Yummy policeman candy.
23. Best 2013 debut you read?
The S-Word by Chelsea Pitcher. Powerful stuff.
24. Most vivid world/imagery in a book you read in 2013?
Ehhhhh this is another tie. Either Divergent, Matched, or Swans & Klons. Or You Are Mine. UGH I READ SO MANY GREAT DYSTOPIANS THIS YEAR NEXT QUESTIONS -sulks-
25. Book That Was The Most Fun To Read in 2013?
Eating My Feelings: Tales of Overeating, Underperforming, and Coping with My Crazy Family by Mark Rosenberg. This book was absolutely hilarious.
26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2013?
Oh god I cry so easily. Books that made me cry: Streaks of Blue, Where the Stars Still Shine, Made of Stars, The Fault in Our Stars, & Forbidden. Those are the ones I remember, anyway.
27. Book You Read in 2013 That You Think Got Overlooked This Year Or When It Came Out?
I have a few: Swans & Klons, Made of Stars, & Call of the Jersey Devil among them.
>
