I love to read, recommend books and open the world of reading to others. I tutor to ensure that the next generation of readers will know the joys of a good book because their reading skills have improved. I am an avid reader, especially of mysteries and fiction. I believe that two of the world's greatest inventions were the public library and eyeglasses!
This publisher gives cooks so many affordable recipe collections. They always include generous photos and information to set a cook up for success. This time the topic is Vegetarian, Mediterranean cuisine. Delicious healthy food is found in these pages.
When 125 recipes are included it is difficult to know which ones to highlight. Some that intrigued me are below:
Eggplant Caviar, Skordalia (because I love it), Filo Wrapped Brie with Orange Marmalade, Gazpacho Blanca, Spanakopita, Fried Rice Balls with Tomato Sauce, Flatbread with Harissa and Sesame, and Milk and Orange Pudding.
Take a look at this book and have some wonderful meals. You won’t go wrong.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Callisto for this book. All opinions are my own.
From the Publisher
Sample recipe: Tomato and Basil Brushetta
1. Preheat the broiler.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the olive oil and garlic. Brush the bread slices with this mixture and place them on a baking sheet. Set aside.
3. In another small bowl, stir together the tomatoes and basil and season with salt and pepper. Taste, and adjust seasoning, if needed.
4. Place the bread under the broiler for 1 minute until crisp and lightly toasted. Remove from the oven, spoon 1 tablespoon of the tomato mixture on top of each piece. Slice, and serve.
Bruschetta is extremely versatile—and extremely delicious! This version is a simple way to use all the extra tomatoes from your garden during summer. You can make caprese bruschetta by adding fresh mozzarella to this recipe or, for different Mediterranean flavors, combine labneh and mint or diced strawberries and feta.
Here I’ve taken the standard approach of topping the bread before serving, but my favorite way to serve bruschetta is to spoon the tomato mixture into a bowl and place the garlic bread around it.
Are you part of a book club or thinking of starting one? Are you someone who just would enjoy further information on a title? Either way, book club guides can be a great resource.
I confess that this is the first time that I have downloaded a book club kit. It won’t be the last. There is a lot included here. There are discussion questions, an author interview, an interview about the cover design (interesting to me and something I haven’t read before), activities, recipes, suggestions for further reading and more. Truly an excellent and fun guide.
Many thanks for this guide. All opinions are mine.
From the publisher:
About the Book:
A tale as old as time—for a new generation…
Isabelle is completely lost. When she first began her career in publishing right out of college, she did not expect to be twenty-five, living at home, still an editorial assistant, and the only Black employee at her publishing house. Overworked and underpaid, constantly torn between speaking up or stifling herself, Izzy thinks there must be more to this publishing life. So when she overhears her boss complaining about a beastly high-profile author who has failed to deliver his long-awaited manuscript, Isabelle sees an opportunity to finally get the promotion she deserves.
All she has to do is go to the author’s Santa Barbara mansion and give him a quick pep talk or three. How hard could it be?
But Izzy quickly finds out she is in over her head. Beau Towers is not some celebrity lightweight writing a tell-all memoir. He is jaded and withdrawn and—it turns out—just as lost as Izzy. But despite his standoffishness, Izzy needs Beau to deliver, and with her encouragement, his story begins to spill onto the page. They soon discover they have more in common than either of them expected, and as their deadline nears, Izzy and Beau begin to realize there may be something there that wasn’t there before.
Best-selling author Jasmine Guillory’s reimagining of a beloved fairy tale is a romantic triumph of love and acceptance and learning that sometimes to truly know a person you have to read between the lines.
I always get excited by a blog tour. I love getting word out about new books that readers might enjoy. Many thanks to Justine Sha and the publisher (Harlequin Trade Publishing-Graydon) for this opportunity.
ASHLEY WINSTEAD is an academic turned novelist with a Ph.D. in contemporary American literature. She lives in Houston with her husband, two cats, and beloved wine fridge.
Book Summary:
In this fierce and funny battle of the exes, Ashley Winstead’s FOOL ME ONCE explores the chaos of wanting what you already had.
Lee Stone is a twenty-first-century woman: she kicks butt at her job as a communications director at a women-run electric car company (that’s better than Tesla, thank you) and after work she is “Stoner,” drinking guys under the table and never letting any of them get too comfortable in her bed…
That’s because Lee’s learned one big lesson: never trust men. Four major heartbreaks set her straight, from her father cheating on her mom all the way to Ben Laderman in grad school—who wasn’t actually cheating, but she could have sworn he was, so she reciprocated in kind.
Then Ben shows up five years later, working as a policy expert for the most liberal governor in Texas history, just as Lee is trying to get a clean energy bill rolling. Things get complicated—and competitive as Lee and Ben are forced to work together. Tension builds just as old sparks reignite, fanning the flames for a romantic dustup the size of Texas.
Excerpt:
Chapter 3
Grace under Fire
The Texas State Capitol has always reminded me of Daedalus’s labyrinth, large and elaborate and winding. It could be because I was studying Greek myths the first time I toured it at the tender age of eight, and was also plagued by a truly unfortunate sense of direction. But in my defense, the capitol is made of red granite, an oddly exotic color for a government building—something you might be more likely to find on, say, the isle of Crete.
As I grew up, both a feminist and an environmentalist in the staunchly red state of Texas, the idea that the capitol building housed a flesh-eating man with a bull’s head struck me less and less as fictional, and more and more as an apt metaphor.
But today, there was no doubt Ben Laderman—at this very moment, holed up somewhere inside—was my Minotaur. And for all my wine-induced bravado last night, my hands trembled as we walked up the steps to the capitol.
The truth was, I’d imagined running into Ben a hundred times since we broke up, picturing exactly how I’d react. There was this one time I’d been sitting with my mom and Alexis in an airport parking shuttle, when a man Ben’s height and coloring lugged his suitcase up the steps. For one dizzying second, thinking it was him, my heart had tried to beat its way out of my chest. Even though the man quickly revealed himself to be a Ben imposter, the buzzing adrenaline hadn’t washed out of my veins until hours later, near the end of our flight.
How surreal that I was minutes away from actually facing him.
“The idea for today is to introduce Ben to the bill, since he probably hasn’t had time to review it yet, and secure his buy-in.” Wendy was walking beside me—actually, she was strutting beside me like the steps were a runway. Dakota’s chief of staff was long and lean; everywhere she walked, the world seemed to fold itself into a catwalk just for her. She wore an all-black suit, as sharp and quintessentially no-nonsense as she was.
“Remember, the most important thing we can walk away with is Ben’s enthusiasm.” She cut a glance at me. “I need charm from you. Is that feasible?”
“Psshh.” I gave her an affronted look.
If only Wendy knew the truth about what we were walking into. But there was no way in hell I was going to tell her the project we’d been working on for years, the one with the potential to catapult the company to stardom, could go up in flames thanks to my messy dating life. Somehow, I’d managed to convince everyone at work that I was a talented communications professional, concealing any hint of the Lee Stone that existed outside the hours of nine to five. If Wendy—uptight stickler Wendy—knew what I was really like, I’d be fired before I could count to three.
Within the monochromatic white walls of Lise, I was Lee, or Ms. Stone to junior employees: a take-no-prisoners messaging maven. Outside of Lise, I was Stoner. And never the twain should meet.
“Lee’s a pro,” said Dakota, winking from my other side. “She already won over the governor. Besides, this is a good bill. The only reason they wouldn’t go for it is politics.” Dakota said the last word with scorn, and I knew why: she’d been fighting politics her whole life.
Dakota Young was my hero. She was only ten years older than me, but she’d built Lise from the ground up, thanks to her genius inventor’s brain and business savvy. When I first started as Lise’s comms director, the newspapers had called Dakota “the female Elon Musk”—when they mentioned her at all. My first self-assigned task was to inform them that Dakota had designed and produced her electric vehicle five years before Tesla was a twinkle in Elon’s eye, and the only reason the journalists didn’t know was because our patriarchal society dismissed female inventors. Especially Mexican American female inventors.
The truth was, Dakota had beat Elon to it and designed a car battery pack with twice the capacity of Tesla’s, meaning our vehicles could go as far as a gas car before needing to recharge. And they took less time to do that, too. There was no reason our cars shouldn’t be the clear winner in the e-vehicle market, but we consistently underperformed. My hypothesis was that it came down to our small profile.
The disparity in attention between Dakota and Elon had inspired one of my best ideas: changing the name of the company from Unified Electric Vehicles—the yawn-worthy UEV for short—to Lise, pronounced “leez,” in honor of Lise Meitner, a nuclear physicist who’d helped discover nuclear fission, only to be excluded from winning the Nobel Prize for it. The award had gone solely to Otto Hahn, her partner. Her male partner, if I even need to say it.
I’d gambled on my instincts, telling Dakota we shouldn’t shy away from being known as a female-led tech and auto company, but rather call it out as a strength. She’d gambled on me and agreed; the rest was history. The name change had exploded like a bomb in the press. Dakota was featured in Science, the New York Times, Good Morning America—even Fox News, though that might have been because she’s not only a badass female inventor, but with her long, dark hair and hazel eyes, a gift of her Mexican heritage, she’s a beautiful, badass female inventor.
Since our rebranding, the whole country had been taken with her, as well they should be. Dakota was the smartest person I’d ever met, managing to toe the line of being a total boss while exuding kindness. She was, to put it mildly, my idol. And also, the older sister I’d never had. My feelings for her were totally healthy.
I had a good track record at Lise, but passing this bill would seal the deal, establishing that I was a leader. If I was successful, I could ask for a promotion to the position I really wanted: vice president of public affairs.
Ever since reading Silent Spring at the age of ten, I’d grown up obsessed with the fact that we were poisoning our planet, and I’d dreamed of going into politics to do something about it. Being Lise’s comms director was a good position at a great company—nothing a millennial could turn her nose up at—but being in charge of our policy work was what I was really interested in, the goal that got me out of bed each morning.
And now I was so close.
Assuming, of course, I didn’t dissolve into a fine mist the minute I set eyes on Ben.
I turned left toward the meeting room we always used when we came to talk to the governor. It was the biggest room, filled with highly questionable artifacts from Texas history. These artifacts were supposed to paint a picture of Texans as bold, valiant cowboys—framed letters from Mexican presidents pleading to end wars and old-timey weapons in glass cases from the years Texas was “settled” (translation: stolen from indigenous peoples). It was a room that showcased the state’s history without any sense of self-awareness, and being there always put me on edge. Made me question whether we should be working with these people at all, even on something as potentially transformative as the Green Machine bill.
But Wendy shook her head, tugging my arm. “No Alamo room today. We’re down the hall.” She pointed to the right and I followed her, wondering at the change.
The three of us halted outside a closed door. Dakota smiled. “Remember, this is bigger than us. We’ve got the health and well-being of the planet on our shoulders. Let’s do this for the people.”
“No pressure,” I muttered, as Wendy swung open the door.
And there he was, the very first thing I saw. Ben Laderman. Sitting at the right hand of the governor at the conference table.
Time seemed to freeze as the impact of seeing him in the flesh hit me like a punch to the chest. All the years we’d spent apart were obvious, because he looked different. He wasn’t the Ben from my memories.
But he was still the easiest person in the world to describe, at least in terms of the basics: Ben Laderman looked exactly like Clark Kent from old comic books. Not Superman, with his perfect, blue-black hair, little forehead curl and confident, square jawline—Clark.
Don’t get me wrong, Ben had the dark hair and strong jaw and ice-blue eyes, but when I’d known him, he’d kept his hair super short and worn thick-framed black glasses that mostly obscured his eyes. He was well over six feet, but he’d always hunched, like Clark slinking in late to the Daily Planet, trying to creep about unnoticed.
The Ben Laderman sitting at the table now was…well, there was no way to describe it other than California Ben. He’d grown out his hair and wore it tucked and curling behind his ears. He’d exchanged the thick-framed black glasses for a pair of thin, transparent frames that left no question his eyes were vivid blue.
And the suit he was sitting ramrod straight in—no more hunch—wasn’t a dark, boxy number like what he’d worn in law school for mock trial. This suit was the same blue as his eyes, a fashion risk that was both startlingly handsome and startlingly playful for someone starting work in the Texas governor’s office.
He was different. Still knee-wobblingly beautiful, but different.
This review is for a sample of this book. I can’t wait to see the book when it is published.
Travelers will enjoy the opportunity to visit or revisit their favorite national parks. This looks like a fantastic book. There are gorgeous photos and interesting text about the parks. I saw pages on everything from New York’s Central Park to the National Historic Trail that goes from Selma to Montgomery. It gives me such admiration for the U.S. park system.
Many thanks to NetGalley and National Geographic for this wonderful title. All opinions are my own.
I read, enjoyed and recommended Ms. Haynes’s earlier book, A Thousand Ships. The novel told the story of the Trojan War from the women’s perspective. The author’s new book is a retelling of the stories of many women of Greek myth and legend. Included are Pandora, Jocasta, Helen, Medusa, The Amazons, Clytemnestra, Eurydice, Phaedra, Medea and Penelope. The end of the book includes a section of further reading and resources.
This book may be read straight through or readers may want to dip into sections of particular interest. Each woman receives a generous chapter with an illustration.Having read the Metamorphoses for a class this term, I went first to the section on Eurydice. I learned so much that I had not known, as for example more on the antecedents of the story. Ms. Haynes includes the tale, resources, commentary and all in a very readable, and at times humorous, fashion.
I recommend this book to teens and adults who are interested in ancient Greece. I am sure that it is a title to which I will return many times.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for this title. All opinions are my own.
From the Publisher
Review
“Funny, sharp explications of what these sometimes not-very-nice women were up to, and how they sometimes made idiots of . . . but read on!” — Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid’s Tale
“A hugely enjoyable and witty book, which will appeal to admirers of novels such as Madeline Miller’s Circe, Kamila Shamsie’s Home Fire, and Haynes’s own fiction.” — The Guardian
“Natalie Haynes is both a witty and an erudite guide. She wears her extensive learning lightly and deftly drags the Classics into the modern world. I loved it.” — Kate Atkinson, author of Life After Life
“Impassioned and informed . . . When Haynes gets down to retelling the stories . . . and teasing out their distortions and elisions, the book flies.” — Sunday Times (UK)
This book invites men to cook, though I think any sex/gender might enjoy this book. There are recipes for everything from breakfast to dessert and more. Some of the things to make include pumpkin spiced oatmeal, pineapple roast pork in a sandwich, oregano chicken with butternut squash, corn sauerkraut salad, sea salt caramel fudge brownies, and many more.
The book includes basic kitchen information, lots of photos and recipes that can easily be followed. So, get in there and start cooking.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Callisto publishing. All opinions are my own.
From the Publisher
SAMPLE RECIPE: ZESTY SHRIMP-STUFFED AVOCADO
Prep Time: 10 Minutes / Serves 4 (Serving Size 1/2 Stuffed Avocado) / 30 Minutes or Less / One Pot
1. In a medium bowl, stir together the shrimp, scallions, tomatoes, cilantro, and salt until well mixed.
2. Evenly divide the filling among the avocado halves.
3. Serve immediately.
INGREDIENTS
8 ounces cooked, peeled, and deveined shrimp, chopped
2 scallions, thinly sliced (green and white parts)
Here are four of the well-known novels by Ms. Ferrante.Here is the first in the series. Also look for the Rei Shimura books by the author. When I was a high school junior, this book kept me up all night. Not sure what I would think now. Your opinion?For lovers of the PBS series.
This book is recommended to those who enjoy women’s fiction in which the past and present intertwine. It tells the story of a young woman who finds a photograph that will influence her future, as she comes to understand what happened to her great-great-grandmother. Alexandra is led to a small French village and a castle that is there. She is also unexpectedly led to Eric and a new relationship.
Readers will be drawn into this title when they read the note from the author at the start of the novel. This is clearly a personal and special book for her. It was initially published in France and later in the U.S.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 