Great historical mystery!

   Historical fiction is my favorite genre to read.  I am not usually a mystery reader at all so when I started to read this story I was pleasantly surprised.  This is a great historical mystery that is also a love story.  It is also about a period of history that I know very little about.

   This novel is set in the Panama Canal in 1909.  We learn about some of the construction and the workers of this world wonder.  I definitely recommend this book.  It is fast paced, exciting, and hard to put down.  I will also be looking for more to read from this author, Sigmund Brouwer.  I received this book from "Blogging for Books" for this review.

 


                                                                 

World War II story with an Italian twist

   This book was a complete surprise to me!  When I saw the title, I assumed it was a typical romance story set during World War II.  I was completely wrong. 
   Antonio, an Italian singer and Olivia, a dance hostess meet in an uncertain time in London.  Over time they are gradually drawn together but not before they affect many other family and friends. 
   The surprise for me is what I learned about what happened to Italian people that were British citizens during this time.  I had no idea that many of the men were arrested for simply being Italian and put in prison camps.  This is similar to what happened to American Japanese citizens in the United States during this same time.
   What happens to all the characters in this story makes for a real page turner.  This book is an easy read and was very hard for me to put down!  There were twists and turns you did not expect constantly.  I really enjoyed this book and would be interested in reading more books from the author Alison Love. I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Great Historical Egyptian Novel "The Pharoah's Daughter."

                                                                        



   I really enjoyed this recent novel by Mesu Andrews.  Historical fiction is probably one of my favorite kinds of books to read.  This is a story that goes back into biblical times as far as the time of Moses and King Tut.  It is well written and easy to follow and read.  It is also very believable despite the fact it is not necessarily historically accurate.

   The story follows a young Egyptian woman of royal blood as she grows up and becomes a wife and mother.  It explores her relationships with her siblings, parents, husband, and slaves in a time of war and violence. We are at times cheering for her and at other times concerned about the choices she makes. This all makes for a book that is difficult to put down.

   I would very definitely recommend this book.  It is a true "page turner." I will be reading book 2 from The Treasures of the Nile series. I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.


  






















"I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review."

   What a great new cookbook this is!  I am very impressed by the latest book that I am reviewing.  Lately I haven't been very wowed by the cookbooks I've reviewed but this is a definite exception.

   The book is organized into the 4 seasons of the year according to the kinds of ingredients that are available to make your salad. The author, David Bez, decided to challenge himself to create one new salad every day using seasonal and healthy ingredients.  He wanted to eat more vegetables for lunch and this is the result. 

  What I particularly like about this book is that all the salads seem to be very easy to make. He also makes his own dressings.  I did not do that, but it is a nice touch.  My favorite part of the book is that he includes pictures of all the salads!  It's great to know how your salad will look when you are done.

   If you are looking for some new ideas to eat healthy and simple then try this book.  I think you will love it!  I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

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   Great Big Pressure Cooker Book is a Great Big Flop!

    I am reviewing another cookbook.  This time it is about a specific appliance and way to cook--the pressure cooker.  I remember my mom having one of these and her cautioning my siblings and myself to be careful around it.  She would even have us leave the room the first few times she would take  the pressure out of it so we were always kind of scared around it. 

   I had purchased one a few years ago, used it a few times, and haven't used it for a while so I thought some new recipes might be just the thing to liven up my weeknight meals.  Pressure cookers are great when you want a fast meal as they hardly take any time at all to cook so they really are a good thing to use when time is tight.

   This cookbook however has a lot to be desired.  It does indeed have 500 recipes but it is very uninteresting.  From the cover to the last page it is very plain and ordinary.  There is a small section in the middle of the book with some pictures of the completed dishes.  The lack of a picture for each recipe is a major flaw as far as I'm concerned.  Had I realized how few pictures are in this book, I would never have even been interested in reviewing it.  To me, a picture of what the dish will look like when completed is a must.

   The book discusses the safety issues I spoke of earlier and helps to reassure new cooks to the pressure cooker.  It is nicely divided into different types of foods and has more simple and more complex recipes.  It also has recipes that use more simple ingredients and more exotic ones.  If you don't mind very few pictures in your cookbooks than this is for you.  If you like pictures like me, then you probably will want to pass on this one.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review


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"Supermaket Healthy" not a keeper

   I  really enjoy Melissa D'Arabian's TV show on Food Network as her dishes are usually simple and no nonsense. I was, therefore, expecting the same thing  with her new cookbook. I couldn't have been more wrong.

  I do not really care for any of the recipes in this book.  Many of them are made with ingredients that I have never used and do not really want to start using.  Clams, lamb, and capers are examples of some of the things I don't use in my kitchen.

  I also believe that the lack of pictures in this book for each recipe is a huge mistake.  For me this is a deal breaker.  I most definitely want a picture of each recipe so I can have an idea if it's something my family and I might enjoy and also what to expect the dish would look like should I decide to make it.

  The title and wording on the cover are very misleading.  I do not see how the information in this book gives any specific guidance to "eat well without spending a lot" in a supermarket.  There is a very small introduction at the beginning but no where near the amount of information needed to cover such a topic.

  I was very excited to get this book and I so wanted to like it.  Unfortunately, that is not the case.  For me, this book is a real dud.  I doubt I'll ever open it again.  I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.















 

Exciting Non-Fiction Story

   I recently finished, "A Fifty-Year Silence." It is probably the first non fiction book I've read in several years.  I don't usually choose to read this type of book as I don't find them very interesting.  This book was a wonderful story and a definite page turner!

   This is a true story of a search by Miranda Mouillot for answers as  to why her grandparents separated many years ago eventually divorcing.  Her quest takes several years and goes back to the time of World War II.  In the process of her quest she also learns about and heals herself.

   I would definitely recommend this book.  It is a fascinating story.  Most of us probably have something in our family history that we have questions about.  The author actually became her own private investigator ultimately going to live in her "family home" in the South of France to go through family records and interview family about this issue.

   If you enjoy history, mystery, or love stories you will enjoy this book.  I had a very hard time putting this book down!   I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.