Really good food without the fuss – foolproof recipes, shortcuts and hacks
by Prue Leith
Anyone who watches baking shows knows who the inimitable Prue Leith is. However, she has done more in life than spend time with Paul Hollywood as this book shows.
This is a brilliant cookbook. There are the expected sections such as breakfast, etc and many recipes that I would like to try. There are also many tips and “hacks” to help. Even better, there are q codes that link to cooking demonstrations!
I highly recommend this title to home cooks.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto publishing group for this title. All opinions are my own.
Fans of Mercy and her canine buddies will rejoice at meeting up with them again. As this entry opens, Mercy is pregnant and a bit restless. One thing that she looks forward to is her Scrabble games with Homer at his cabin. But, Mercy being Mercy, something bigger has to happen and indeed it does. There are murders and Homer is under suspicion-is he guilty of anything? What, if anything, will wild boar have to do with events? What will Elvis and Susie Bear (favorite dogs) do ?
Those who enjoy traditional mysteries, whether they already now Mercy or not, will enjoy this one. I always like spending time with this author’s novels.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press-Minotaur Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
Those who enjoy reading traditional mysteries will, I think, enjoy this first title in what I hope will be a series. It has a good setting, good characters, an interesting mystery and jigsaw puzzles.
When the husband of Alice’s best friend Ruby is murdered, the stage is set. George was cheating on Ruby but would this be enough for her to murder him? Who was the mysterious wigged woman with George right before he died? Still, all of the motives may not be personal; is it possible that his role in the government with budget power led someone to go too far? Could there be other reasons based on George’s behavior? Find out and enjoy spending time with Alice, her granddaughters and the many others in these pages.
Puzzle Me a Murder offers a good puzzle and a fun read. Recommended for its audience.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.
This book has received a tremendous amount of publicity, and there have been many excellent reviews. Now that I have read this one, I can see why. In these pages readers will find humor, excitement, some heartbreak, good characters, many settings, and some surprises.
Overall, this is a story of two sisters, named Penny and Josephine. As the novel begins, they are in their 90s and about to receive a special honor in France. Readers discover that each of them had an exciting war, meaning World War II.
In addition to learning about their wartime experiences, readers learn about those close to Penny and Josephine. This includes everyone from housekeepers to a special nephew to those that they have loved over the years.
I think readers will be taken by the story and its characters. it is one with a unique flavor
Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this title. All opinions are my own.
It is so important for kids to know that it is okay to be less than perfect. Some of them are under so much pressure and need the reminder that everyone makes mistakes and can survive them.
This book is witty, colorful, has heart, and addresses an important topic. Following the introduction, the poems are divided into categories that include Oopsie-Daisy, Stuff Happens, Blessings in Disguise, and What Have I Done. The book ends with info on each of the poets.
One feature of this book that makes it special is that each poet shares “what happened next” after having had something happen. Perhaps this title will help kids to feel less afraid of talking about the very real things that happen to them.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Lerner Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
I was fascinated by this book which invites one to think about reading more (some) non fiction. Janzer notes that when she was an English major, the scholastic focus was mainly of varied forms of fiction. She notes, however, that non fiction offers much to readers and encourages exploring.
This book is organized as a field guide, taking cues from other types of field guides with which readers may be familiar. This leads to chapters that are interactive. For example, the first section invites assessing one’s reading patterns. Following through on the prompts will help readers to discover the books with which they would most like to spend time.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Cuesta Park Consulting for this title. All opinions are my own.
To many, Marcus Aurelius is perhaps the best known of the Stoics. His words of wisdom have a remarkable enduring quality and continue to provide food for thought in the present day.
Here is a nice edition of the Meditations. It would make a nice gift for someone who wants to spend a few moments each day in deep thought.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
Taylor Swift fans, rejoice! Here is a fun way to spend time with the iconic singer.
This coloring and activity book includes some photos of Swift. There are also puzzles including mazes, matching games, a lyric quiz and more. In addition, there are many pictures to color. These are organized by topic as, for example, Lover Era.
So, get out your pencils and enjoy. This book is a real treat for Swifties.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Fox Chapel Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.
The Hollywood spy is the tenth entry in Ms. MacNeal’s Maggie Hope historical mystery series. I have read all of the novels, starting with Mr. Churchill’s Secretary which was published in 2012. Maggie has had many adventures, relationships and heartaches over the course of the stories as she experiences WWII.
As is obvious from the tile, The Hollywood Spy takes place in California. There are cameo appearances by so many who lived there in the book; to name just a few there are Walt Disney, Howard Hughes, Lena Horne, Linus Pauling and many others.
Many locations also are brought to life. There are famous hotels, Disney Studios, Cal Tech, nightclubs, speakeasies and more. Each described location feels very authentic.
Maggie travels to California to help a very close friend (and former love), John Sterling, investigate the death of Gloria Hutton. As readers would expect, there are a number of suspects, everyone from the husband she is divorcing to those with whom she worked
Several other murders follow. Are these deaths connected to Gloria’s? If yes, how and why?
While everything just described is done very well and would be enough to lead me to encourage readers to buy this novel, that is not all that was outstanding. What I feel that the author did brilliantly was to describe the times. Note: they were ugly in many ways and bear a resemblance to some current times in America. (Think of the slogan America First, for one.)
The KKK features prominently in the story. The discrimination against Blacks and Hispanics is graphically portrayed. If readers are not aware of this part of the country’s history, it is something that they need to know about. There is surely much to be proud of in the U.S. but also injustices and they are seen here.
In my opinion, The Hollywood Spy may well be the author’s best book to date. I highly recommend it.
The author has included an extensive list of resources at the end of the novel. It will be most helpful for readers who want to further explore the period in which the story is set.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 