Happy Lunar New Year!

Tiff at Mostly YA Lit and Joey at Thoughts and Afterthoughts have teamed up to create a fun book tag. Because we will be heading to China for vacation this year, I thought it would be a fun one to play along! :)

First, let me tell you in the culture-I am a Rat! :)

Now on to the books...

 Chicken Soup with Rice. This was my favorite book when I was a kid and when I am not feeling well, chicken soup it is!

Can we count Rat Queens for this one? It's one of my favorite graphic novel series!

The Diary of Anne Frank. One of the most interesting books, I have ever read.

 I would say for this one it is Lumberjanes. The one liners in that series makes me crack up!

The first that came to mind was Katniss from the Hunger Games. 

 I'm not sure on this one? I love the library and the library is free...so maybe it is on the gas needed to get to the library? LOL. So worth it!

 Any of Elin Hilderbrand's novels. The romances are not always easy, but these always leave me feeling great.

 I am really enjoying the Kitty Hawk Series right now. If you havent heard about them, I encourage you to check them out!

The new Emery Lord book, the Names They Gave Us. She is amazing.

 I am a big fan of the Happiness Project cover.

The first that came to mind was the Wicked Witch from Wizard of Oz.

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. Loved it :)





I am not tagging anyone in particular, but if you would like to play, please do! :)

Happy Reading and Happy New Year!

Book Nerd Bites: Rice and Rocks

Book Nerd Bites is an original monthly feature created by some lovely book bloggers Becca, Cyra, Kristie, Natasha, and I as part of the Book Blogger Creativity Project hosted by Nori. Thanks to my team for coming up with a fun and creative way to satisfy both our book-- and actual appetites!  

Each month we will be sharing exciting recipes inspired by some of our favorite books. Feel free to join in, but please make sure you link your post back to us so we can enjoy your favorite bookish delights as well!

Don't forgot to use #booknerdbites if you want to share your food inspiration with us on twitter or instagram!

Today for my post for this project, I will be featuring...Rice and Rocks!

This book was delightful and beautifully illustrated. It is a children's book, but I believe that any age person can be benefit from this book. The book offers insight into another culture, as well as adventure. This book is worth picking up!

Information from Amazon:
Tradition takes flight in Rice & Rocks, a picture book celebrating culture and diversity.

Giovanni's friends are coming over for Sunday dinner, and his grandmother is serving rice and beans. Giovanni is embarrassed he does not like 'rice and rocks' and worries his friends will think the traditional Jamaican dish is weird. But his favorite Auntie comes to the rescue. She and Giovanni's pet parrot, Jasper, take him on a magical journey across the globe, visiting places where people eat rice and rocks. This exciting story celebrates the varied traditions of every culture while also highlighting the delicious similarities that bring us all together.

Finalist in the 2016 USA Best Book Awards

*********************
But that said, this book has inspired me to start thinking of new meal ideas and what will be cooking! I have done some searching and found a couple of Rice and Bean recipes that look like something that may be worth trying:

Food Network

All Recipes

Fine Cooking


Do you have a favorite rice recipe?

Happy Eating and Happy Reading!

Book Tour: The Plaque and I Review

Author: Betty MacDonald

Narrator: Heather Henderson

Length: 8 hours 48 minutes

Publisher: Post Hypnotic Press⎮2016

Genre: Humor, Memoir

"The Plague and I" recounts MacDonald's experiences in a Seattle sanitarium, where the author spent almost a year (1938-39) battling tuberculosis. The White Plague was no laughing matter, but MacDonald nonetheless makes a sprightly tale of her brush with something deadly. "Anybody Can Do Anything" is a high-spirited, hilarious celebration of how "the warmth and loyalty and laughter of a big family" brightened their weathering of the Great Depression. In "Onions in the Stew", MacDonald is in unbuttonedly frolicsome form as she describes how, with husband and daughters, she set to work making a life on a rough-and-tumble island in Puget Sound, a ferry ride from Seattle.

My Review:
We live in a much different world now! This book takes us back to the times of the Great Depression and what was going on in the author's world. This book however is not depressing. The author shares humor about her situation.

As you guys may know one of my favorite authors, Ann M. Martin recently redid one of the Miss Piggle Wiggle books and I really enjoyed that. The books were written by Betty McDonald, author of the first book and so many more.

This is another book narrated by the talented Heather Henderson. I feel like she does a good job of capturing the elements of the story and bringing them to life.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this book.

Buy on Audible⎮Amazon

 

 
  
Betty Bard MacDonald (1907–1958), the best-selling author of The Egg and I and the classic Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle children’s books, burst onto the literary scene shortly after the end of World War II. Readers embraced her memoir of her years as a young bride operating a chicken ranch on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, andThe Egg and I sold its first million copies in less than a year. The public was drawn to MacDonald’s vivacity, her offbeat humor, and her irreverent take on life. In 1947, the book was made into a movie starring Fred MacMurray and Claudette Colbert, and spawned a series of films featuring MacDonald’s Ma and Pa Kettle characters. MacDonald followed up the success of The Egg and I with the creation of Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, a magical woman who cures children of their bad habits, and with three additional memoirs: The Plague and I (chronicling her time in a tuberculosis sanitarium just outside Seattle), Anybody Can Do Anything (recounting her madcap attempts to find work during the Great Depression), and Onions in the Stew (about her life raising two teenage daughters on Vashon Island). Author Paula Becker was granted full access to Betty MacDonald’s archives, including materials never before seen by any researcher. Looking for Betty MacDonald, the first official biography of this endearing Northwest storyteller, reveals the story behind the memoirs and the difference between the real Betty MacDonald and her literary persona.


   

Heather Henderson is a voice actress and audiobook narrator with a 20-year career in literary and performing arts. Her narrations include the NYT bestseller (now also a feature film) Brain on Fire; and Sharon Creech’s The Boy on the Porch, which won her an Earphones award and was named one of the Best Children’s Audiobooks for 2013 by Audiofile Magazine. She earned her Doctor of Fine Arts degree at the Yale School of Drama, and is co-curator of AudioEloquence.com, a pronunciation research site for the audiobook industry. In 2015, Heather was a finalist for a Voice Arts Award (Outstanding Narration, Audiobook Classics), for her narration of Betty MacDonald’s The Egg and I.  

   
Jan. 11: A Page To Turn (Giveaway, Spotlight, & Audio Excerpt) Jan. 12: Dab of Darkness (Review & Giveaway) Jan. 13: The Pursuit of Bookishness (Review, Giveaway, Spotlight, & Audio Excerpt) Jan. 14: terriluvsbooks (Spotlight) Jan. 15: Hall Ways (Review, Giveaway, & Audio Excerpt) Jan. 16: Blogger Nicole (Spotlight) Jan. 17: Jan. 18: Ali the Dragon Slayer (Review) Jan. 19: The Bookworm Lodge (Spotlight) Jan. 20: The Phantom Paragrapher (Spotlight & Audio Excerpt) Jan. 21: XOXO Book Blog (Giveaway, Spotlight, & Audio Excerpt) Jan. 22: Jorie Loves A Story (Review) Jan. 23: Born To Read Books (Spotlight & Audio Excerpt) Jan. 24: Never 2 Many 2 Read (Review & Giveaway) Jan. 25: Country Girl Bookaholic (Giveaway, Spotlight, & Audio Excerpt) Jan. 26: He Said Books Or Me (Review) Jan. 27: Bound4Escape (Review) Jan. 28: Working Mommy (Review & Giveaway) Jan. 29: Avid Book Collector (Review, Giveaway, Spotlight, & Audio Excerpt) Jan. 30: A Literary Vacation (Review) Jan. 31: January Gray Reviews (Review)

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Book Review: Vector

Author: Michael Shusko
 
Summary from Goodreads:
When researcher Jawad Khattib gasps his last breath on the Massachusetts General Hospital floor, the Department of Homeland Security wants answers—especially after a preliminary autopsy suggests he died of radiation poisoning. What exactly was Khattib working on? And who was he working for? DHS Agent Lee Jansen is rushed to Boston and paired with expert toxicologist Dr. Emma Hess to crack the case. All evidence points to the creation of a dirty bomb, but the clues seem too clean, too obvious. During the course of their investigation, they discover the horrible truth. This new weapon is far more deadly than anyone had expected. It isn’t just capable of killing hundreds—it’s capable of killing hundreds of thousands. Can they stop what’s been set in motion by a madman with a dangerous secret before it’s too late?

Personal Review:
Looking for your next thriller page turner? This may be the book for you. I typically don't read alot of these types of books, but I was intrigued by the premise of the story and I am glad to say I did.

The book appealed to me because it was not just a mystery, but because of the medical story line as well. I was curious about what it would be that would cause something like this to happen. (Yes, I know that is vague, but remember no spoilers here!)

The agents in the book use their technical expertise to try to make sense of what could be a very dangerous situation. This book leaves you wanting to keep reading just so that you know what happens.

I enjoyed the book. Thanks for the opportunity.

Disclaimer: I was awarded this book. Though I did not pay for the book, the opinions are strictly my own.

Happy Reading!

Waiting on Wednesday: The Identicals

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. This week I am excited to feature a book that is from an author I look forward to every summer. (Yes, I know summer is ways off, but I am thinking about warmer times!) 

The Identicals
Author: Elin Hilderbrand
Release Date: June 13, 2017

Information from Goodreads:From New York Times bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand, a summertime story about identical twins who couldn't be any less alike.

Nantucket is only two and a half hours away from Martha's Vineyard by ferry. But the two islands might as well be worlds apart for a set of identical twin sisters who have been at odds for years. Just because twins look exactly the same doesn't mean they're anything alike--and Tabitha and Harper Frost have spent their whole lives trying to prove this point. When a family crisis forces them to band together--or at least appear to--the twins come to realize that the special bond that they share is more important than the resentments that have driven them apart. A story of new loves, old battles, and a threat that gives a whole new meaning to the term sibling rivalry, THE IDENTICALS is Elin Hilderbrand at her page-turning best. 

Happy Reading!

Book Review: Safari: Looking Into The Eye of the Leopard

Author: William J. Maloney, Anna Faktorovich (Goodreads Author) (Design), Samantha Lauer (Editor)
 
Summary from Goodreads:
Individuals throughout the ages have contemplated the seemingly incongruous relationship between the almost limitless possibilities of man and the inherent frailties and imperfections of our human nature. The main characters in Safari also attempt to understand this distinction on their journey of discovery.

Safari is a deeply personal story in which the author searches for the proper meaning of perfection and for the answer to whether or not true perfection is present at all in our world. He struggles to reach his full potential, all the while knowing what he should reasonably expect of himself, and he looks to nature's equilibrium for answers.

Safari provides the reader with vivid imagery of the magnificent wildlife of Kenya, a sense for the excitement and danger of a safari, humorous stories from the trip and a taste of the special peace, enlightenment and acceptance that can only be found in the unspoiled African savanna


Personal Review:
This book is a beautiful book that not only examines the self, but the country side of Africa. I enjoyed the story and how the main character looks to what is in front of him for answers. The book makes me want to travel to the locations mentioned. Thanks for the opportunity to review this book.
  
Disclaimer: I was awarded this book from Library Thing. Though I did not pay for the book, the opinions are strictly my own.

Happy Reading!

National Reading Day!

Hi Everyone!

Happy Monday and Happy National Reading Day! I wanted to share with you some information about this day and I hope that you will join in the celebration! 

From their website:
National Reading Day is an annual event which celebrates and encourages reading by younger children. National Reading Day is celebrated in thousands of schools all around the United States. This literacy event is designed to help Pre-K through Third Grade students develop the literacy foundation they need to become lifelong learners. Schools, libraries, nonprofit groups, and parents participate in a variety of activities with younger readers on National Reading Day. Have your students join in with the hundreds of thousands of other young readers who will celebrate National Reading Day on January 23, 2017.

Happy Reading!