#InLove #NetGalley

Amy Bloom is not writing about fictional characters in this heartbreaking, moving and extremely well written work. Instead the novelist tells a story that is as impactful as any of those that came from her imagination. In some ways, she asks her readers to think about the unthinable.

This book relates what happened when the author’s husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Brian knew that he wanted to end his life. As this is not currently possible in most of the U.S., he wanted to go to Dignitas in Switzerland where assisted suicide is a choice. Bloom recounts her and Brian’s experiences, the emotional impact of the decision, the story of their relationship and the poignancy of their last days. Readers will also spend time with the author as she begins to experience her life without Brian.

Many will be touched by this book. I think that it will resonate and also open some hearts and minds.

This is an unforgettable book. Publishers Weekly states: “The result is a stunning portrayal of how love can reveal itself in life’s most difficult moments.” I definitely agree.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.

This book was published in 2022.

ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Publishers Weekly
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, Time, Entertainment Weekly, NPR, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, USA Today, Real Simple, Prospect (UK), She Reads, Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

Betsy Martin looks out at the contestants for the first time. The rows of baking tables are staggered slightly so that from the front she can see each of their faces. They wear identical half smiles to mask their nerves. Each one of them is completely distinct, but she still has trouble telling them apart.…

The Golden Spoon — CrimeReads

Mind over Batter

75 Recipes for Baking as Therapy

by Jack Hazan

I love the pun title of this book. It does tell readers/bakers what this took is about. The author, a therapist, offers recipes that he believes have a therapeutic value, hence the subtitle which is 75 recipes for baking as therapy.

A few of the chapter headings are Self-Care, Finding Comfort, Dealing with Stress and Anxiety, and Connecting with Others. Each section includes self-help and recipes.

In his introduction the author notes that baking engages all of the senses and is easily available. He shares the biographical information that led him from a traditional Syrian Jewish family of immigrants to his becoming a therapist-baker. This is worth reading before going to the recipes.

There are helpful therapeutic sections in this book. For example, early on, there is a section on setting boundaries. There are also, of course, beautiful photos and delicious recipes. Make the Self-Care in a Cup Cake. It serves one; sometimes that is just the right amount. Try some of the others as well.

I very much liked the approach of this book. I think that I may purchase the hard copy for me or someone I know.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

From the Publisher

Choose-Your-Own-Scone	Heaven and Hell Cake	You’ve Met Your (Banana) Matcha Loaf

Jack’s Chocolate Chip Cookie	Grandma Peggy’s Kanafeh	Sambusak

A Heart and Brain Collection

by Nick Seluk

#HeartandBrainOnwardtoGoodThings #NetGalley

There are three sections in this title; Anxiety Machine, Growing Pains, and Onward to Good Things. In them, the author/cartoonist shares his view of the world and some of his struggles. Heart and Brain may sometimes be in conflict but they both are needed.

Those who like comics with a somewhat existential bent may want to give this book a look. It did not fully gel with my sense of humor but that certainly doesn’t mean that it might not be perfect for others. Many readers have given this title five stars.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 02 May 2023

#TheMetropolitanAffair #NetGalley

The Metropolitan Affair was a thoroughly enjoyable read. I loved how it combined history, mystery, art, relationships and more. The characters and settings were engaging and the pages turned easily.

About the book:

Lauren Westlake has a deep interest in Egyptology and has secured an excellent position at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The story takes place around the time of the discovery of Tut’s tomb so it was an exciting time to be a curator. Lauren’s father is also an Egyptologist; they have a complex relationship and one that is in need of some repair. It doesn’t help that he might be involved in something unsavory.

Detective Joe Caravello has known Lauren for many years. When he has a case involving Egyptian artifacts, he naturally turns to her for assistance. What they uncover and how they resolve things form the basis for the narrative.

The Roaring Twenties. Forgery. A plot that leaves readers wanting to find out everything. All in all, a fun read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bethany House for this title. All opinions are my own.

This book was published in March 2023

FREE

Mark Sanderson’s picks feature a full-blooded triple-decker mystery by Jane Casey and a murder story set in Victorian Oxford
— Read on www.thetimes.co.uk/article/new-crime-fiction-for-march-2023-donna-leon-returns-plus-a-scabrous-comedy-in-glasgow-jz9mhcqgf

www.nytimes.com/2023/03/18/books/review/the-nursery-szilvia-molnar.html

Made in Chicago

Stories Behind 30 Great Hometown Bites

by Monica Eng; David Hammond

Before picking up this title, the main thing that I knew about Chicago food was Deep Dish Pizza. Clearly there is so much more.

This book is about that pizza and twenty-nine other dishes. Some of these include Akutagawa, Chicken Corn Roll Tamale, the Chicago Hot Dog, Jibarito, Jim Shoe, Maxwell Street Polish, Mother-in-Law and many more. This book will be so enjoyed by those lucky enough to live in, or who can travel to Chicago, or foodies in general. The pictures and text will make readers hungry. Luckily there are mentions of restaurants where the foods are served. There are also recipes.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the University of Illinois Press for this title. All opinions are my own.

Reviews

“Chicago has invented, transformed, and promoted dozens of foods that give the city its distinct and inimitable gastronomy. Veteran Chicago journalists Eng and Hammond teamed up to delve into 30 of those unique Chicago eats to discover their origins and their status as icons of American cuisine.” –Booklist

“A taxonomic guidebook to the city’s lesser-known endemic eats. With obligatory chapters on familiar signatures like hot dogs and deep dish, its real value lies in the stories behind less celebrated working-class originals like the Japanese-American rice and gravy burger plate akutagawa; sweet sticky Chinese-Korean gampongi lollipop wings; and the city’s other beef on a bun: the sweet steak sandwich.” –Chicago Reader

“Eng and Hammond are two of Chicago’s most respected (and voracious) food reporters, so it’s no surprise to see how they’ve covered the city’s iconic foods like a layer of mozzarella on a deep-dish pie. This is the most thorough, gumshoe, deep-dive reporting into the origins of not only the well-known dishes (Italian beef, pizza, and hot dogs) but also the lesser-known gems in specific neighborhoods, like the Big Baby and the Gym Shoe. I clearly need to get out more, because how have I lived in Chicago for thirty years and never had Taffy Grapes?! This is a must-read for any local who wants to understand what it means to ‘eat like a Chicagoan,’ but it’s also a fascinating history lesson about how waves of immigration have shaped our local diet over the years.”–Steve Dolinsky, 13-time winner of the James Beard Award and food reporter for NBC 5 Chicago

“Made in Chicago proves that Chicago is one of the world’s greatest vernacular food cities. Created mainly by ethnic food vendors–from pushcarts to diners and small food compani

by Mark David Smith; Kari Rust

#TheWeirdSistersARobinaRibbonandaLawnMower #NetGalley

Kids who are starting to read chapter books and who have a sense of humor will, I think, enjoy this book. At times, it reminded me of Amelia Bedelia as a character would take a word literally and another would explain it. For example, one of the sisters hears the word pump in terms of riding on a swing but thinks of it as used for fixing a flat tire. Kids may well enjoy this verbal play.

The three sisters, admittedly odd, are Hildegurp, Yuckmina and Glubbifer. Just based on this, young readers will know if the book is one that they want to read. These three want to solve mysteries but will they ever find one?

They do indeed find mysteries. One involves the tire swing and another, a missing robin. Fun abounds and, as the publisher, notes that are even hints of Shakespeare here.

The chapters are short and the illustrations are quirky. This is a unique title for those who are learning to read for pleasure.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Owlkids Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub Date 18 Apr 2023