Lord John and the Scottish Prisoner

Lord John and the Scottish Prisoner by Diana Gabaldon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There is, in my opinion, nothing better than a book written by Diana Gabaldon. I think this is the best Lord John book she's written. The plot point was clear from the beginning of the story. There were the usual twists and turns - and characters! - that make DG's stories so easy to fall into. There's always that pang that comes when turning the last page, the wish that the story would just go on and on. This story led brilliantly into The Outlander series, covering a part of Jamie's life after Claire went back to the future. It was also a peek into how the relationship between Lord John and Jamie developed into the friendship of peers that is portrayed in the later Outlander books. I look forward to the Lord John books just as much as The Outlander books.

Synopsis: London, 1760. For Jamie Fraser, paroled prisoner-of-war, life is coming apart at the seams. In the remote Lake District, where he’s close enough to the son he cannot claim as his own, Jamie’s quiet existence is interrupted first by dreams of his lost wife, then by the appearance of an erstwhile comrade still fighting to rally the Irish. But Jamie has sworn off politics, fighting, and war. Until Lord John Grey shows up with a summons that will take him away from everything he loves—again. Lord John is in possession of explosive documents that expose a damning case of corruption against a British officer. But they also hint at a more insidious danger. Soon Lord John and Jamie are unwilling companions on the road to Ireland, a country whose dark castles hold dreadful secrets, and whose bogs hide the bones of the dead.

Recommended Reading:
The Outlandish Companion by Diana Gabaldon
Lord John and the Hand of Devils by Diana Gabaldon
Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade  by Diana Gabaldon
An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon
Lord John and the Private Matter by Diana Gabaldon
A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon

The Post Where I Talk About My Nook

I'm revamping the book challenge a little bit. I'm having w-a-a-a-a-a-y too much fun with my Nook Tablet, so I'm continuing the NookBook selections into May (speaking of... I have two reviews to post). And then I'm taking the book challenge out of a month to month format. I'm still sticking with my so-called "genres", because they're fun and that's where the challenge part comes in. How many can I read in a row without getting bored? We'll find out!

I'm finishing up the current NookBook for the book club read and then I'm moving on to Trashy Romance Novels. I have three or four Kresley Cole books on my shelf, I've been watching Charmed re-runs, and my personal love life is falling apart so I'm totally ready for mindless, supernatural trashy romances.

I've been trying really hard not to gush about my Nook Tablet... but ohmygosh... it's AWESOME! It's epic! It's legen - wait for it - dary! (Before Charmed I watched six seasons of How I Met Your Mother. Can you tell?) Of course, the awesomest thing it does is read books. And plays Plants vs. Zombies. And connects to the Internetz. So things that I like / don't like:

• At first I didn't like the backlight. I'll be honest. I hated it. Now I've gotten used to it and learned how to adjust the brightness depending on the situation... it's so nice to be able to read during a two hour roadtrip at midnight. Or, you know, lying in my bed at 4 a.m. unable to sleep...
• I don't like that navigating isn't as intuitive as my Nook WiFi was, but there is a great video tutorial that I can access any time any where.
• Apps. What can I say? I have Plants vs. Zombies installed on my computer. I've been known to hijack The Spawn's Nintendo DSi to play the game... so when I saw the app for PvZ... I was sold. There are a lot of free apps, which have kept The Diva busy during long shopping trips. Or when I need five minutes to go to the bathroom. Alone. Apps are cool.
• I don't like the page turning. The swipe, tap, easy touch feature is cool the first few times you do it, but is very sensitive and becomes annoying. I don't like that when turning pages I always have to use my right hand (or hold my left hand in front of the page that I'm trying to read, which defeats the point of continuous reading). With my Nook WiFi, I could turn pages back or forward from either side of the reader. With the Nook Tablet I'm stuck turning the page on the side in the direction I want to go (forward: right, back: left). 
• I don't like the DC charger. The plug folds in - which is great for traveling, but makes it really hard to actually plug into the wall. It's a pain in the ass to get plugged in without it folding. I finally committed an outlet solely to my Nook just so I don't have hassle with it.
• I LOVE that my Glamour subscription comes with a free Nook app (for Nook Tablet or Nook Color only), so that every month the new magazine automatically downloads. I still get magazines in the mail for those articles that I may want to refer back to. I wish more of my magazine subscriptions were that cool.

Okay, these are just a few things that come right to the top of my head when people ask me for details about my Nook Tablet. Overall, I seriously love the thing.

If you have a Nook or Kindle (or any other reader), what do you think of yours?

One of Our Thursdays Is Missing

One of Our Thursdays Is Missing by Jasper Fforde
I'm not rating this one as I 1) didn't finish it and b) may come back to finish it at a later date. So first, why didn't I finish it? I couldn't get into the story. It's always that way for Jasper Fforde books - they're complicated and I have to read for quite a bit before I get into the swing of the book. I had trouble remembering what happened in the last book and that the character POV was not the same as the other books in the series made it that much harder for me to fall into it.

Cooking For Two

Cooking for Two: 120 Recipes for Every Day and Those Special Nights by Bruce Weinstein
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I picked up this cookbook hoping for a little bit of inspiration, and I was completely distracted from page 1. What I liked about this book is that from the very start the purpose of the book is clear: two servings, no leftovers. Meaning the measurements in this book are so miniscule, that when it comes to eggs, the recipes call for quail eggs or egg beaters. This truly is a book dedicated to cooking for two. Personally I like leftovers, so I'm off to find a book about cooking for four.

This book had a huge variety of recipe types, which would make it perfect for the cook who wants to try a new flavor without having to make a huge batch. There were a lot of ethnic ingredients, but the book conveniently includes an online source for many ingredients, as well as cooking/baking supplies. The book also includes helpful substitutions and helpful to do and what not to do tips. Probably one of the best displays of "personal cooking" recipes I've ever seen, meaning that I felt like someone had really taken the time to make the recipe and wrote it the way that people really cook.

Overall I only gave this book two stars because there wasn't really anything (other than the desserts) that I would really give a try to make in such small portions. Most of the recipes were just too weird for my midwestern palate, and when I did find something I wanted to try, it required an unusual ingredient that I'm not willing to purchase online. (I LIKE food that I can buy from my own grocery store, it's a convenience thing.) I will probably make a few of the desserts at some point in the future, as the idea of baking in small quantities suits my sweet snacking needs better than making a big batch.

Synopsis: Tea for two. That's what it's all about, right? So how come every recipe you pick up says "serves 4 to 6"? Or more! What do you do when you want macaroni and cheese, but don't want to be reheating it for three nights? Or a couple of cookies, but don't want to be tempted by two dozen sitting on the counter all week?

Creative cookbook authors and cooks Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough have all the answers in Cooking for Two.

Brimming with 120 smaller-serving, big-taste recipes,Cooking for Two offers cooks familiar favorites such as PastaBolognese, Chicken Pot Pie, and Mushroom Barley Soup, as well as new dishes for today's tastes like Pork Satay Salad and Snapper Fillets Sautéed with Orange and Pecans.

Simply cutting down larger recipes leads to wasted ingredients. But Bruce and Mark have developed each recipe so you buy only what you need, and use all of what you buy. Instead of opening a can of vegetable stock only to use three tablespoons, use the liquid the dried mushrooms have soaked in. If an onion is too large for a recipe, chop a shallot instead.

The dessert chapters are filled with cookies, puddings, and cakes, all designed for two servings. Small-batch baking requires strict attention to detail. A regular egg can be too big for a small batch of six cookies, so they suggest quail eggs or the easy-to-find pasteurized egg substitutes, which you can measure out in tablespoons.

Truly a cookbook for everyday use, each recipe is labeled as quick (ready in minutes with minimal cooking), moderate (requires a bit more preparation or cooking), or leisurely (perfect for quiet celebrations or weekend meals) to help you decide which dish best fits into your day.

With ingredient and equipment guides, as well as tips on how to stock your pantry to avoid those there's-nothing-in-the-house-so-let's-go-out moments, Cooking for Two will surely become the cookbook you reach for every night of the week.

It's just two perfect.

The Paris Wife

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I knew nothing about Ernest Hemingway, other than he was a writer in the early 1900's, before I picked up this book. Which may have been in my favor as I had no idea what was going to happen. The author did a great job with re-creating actual lives and personalities. This was an easy story to fall into and very well written. In some places it was like reading poetry itself. This book satisfied all aspects of an enjoyable read for me, there were great characters, an enjoyable plot, consistent POV, even the story resolution was fantastically done.

Synopsis: A deeply evocative story of ambition and betrayal, The Paris Wife captures a remarkable period of time and a love affair between two unforgettable people: Ernest Hemingway and his wife Hadley.

Chicago, 1920: Hadley Richardson is a quiet twenty-eight-year-old who has all but given up on love and happiness—until she meets Ernest Hemingway and her life changes forever. Following a whirlwind courtship and wedding, the pair set sail for Paris, where they become the golden couple in a lively and volatile group—the fabled “Lost Generation”—that includes Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.

Though deeply in love, the Hemingways are ill prepared for the hard-drinking and fast-living life of Jazz Age Paris, which hardly values traditional notions of family and monogamy. Surrounded by beautiful women and competing egos, Ernest struggles to find the voice that will earn him a place in history, pouring all the richness and intensity of his life with Hadley and their circle of friends into the novel that will become The Sun Also Rises. Hadley, meanwhile, strives to hold on to her sense of self as the demands of life with Ernest grow costly and her roles as wife, friend, and muse become more challenging. Despite their extraordinary bond, they eventually find themselves facing the ultimate crisis of their marriage—a deception that will lead to the unraveling of everything they’ve fought so hard for.

A heartbreaking portrayal of love and torn loyalty, The Paris Wife is all the more poignant because we know that, in the end, Hemingway wrote that he would rather have died than fallen in love with anyone but Hadley.

Recommended Reading:
State of Wonder by Anne Patchett
Minding Frankie by Maeve Binchy
The Three Weissmans of Westport by Cathleen Schine
The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman
The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach
The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Playing Catchup

I have at least two book reviews to post. I've fallen behind on posting as I've been trying to catchup with, well, life. Hopefully I'll get to them today, but that depends on if I finish the third book or not.

The month of Nook Books is going very well, but I'm ready to move on to the next month. I may not have the attention span to have all of my books selected for the entire month/year. [Noted for next year's challenge.] I just haven't decided what I'm going to focus on for May: quality or quantity. I have three Kresley Cole books to read - and when it comes to trashy romance bodice rippers, KC is at the top of my must-read list - so by getting those three read I know I'd be reading quality trash. On the other hand, my numbers are down this year and have a bunch of Harlequin Flipsides on my shelf that would be quick reads and I could probably knock out six of those in a month. Decisions, decisions...

The Peach Keeper

The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was impossible to put down! It was a great story - although a bit see through - with a little bit of fantasy, two romance stories and great writing. The character development was strong and consistent throughout. Highly recommend this book if you're looking for a quick and entertaining read.

Synopsis: It’s the dubious distinction of thirty-year-old Willa Jackson to hail from a fine old Southern family of means that met with financial ruin generations ago. The Blue Ridge Madam—built by Willa’s great-great-grandfather and once the finest home in Walls of Water, North Carolina—has stood for years as a monument to misfortune and scandal. Willa has lately learned that an old classmate—socialite Paxton Osgood—has restored the house to its former glory, with plans to turn it into a top-flight inn. But when a skeleton is found buried beneath the property’s lone peach tree, long-kept secrets come to light, accompanied by a spate of strange occurrences throughout the town. Thrust together in an unlikely friendship, united by a full-blooded mystery, Willa and Paxton must confront the passions and betrayals that once bound their families—and uncover the truths that have transcended time to touch the hearts of the living.

Recommended Reading:
Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran
Night Road by Kristin Hannah
Four of a Kind by Valerie Frankel
The Four Ms. Bradwells by Meg Waite Clayton
Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
One Moment, One Morning by Sarah Rayner
Tuesday Night Miracles by Kris Radish

Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. There was humor and drama in this book. Some of (or most) of the writing is formal, but not impossible to read. I really enjoyed this book.

Synopsis:  'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.' Thus memorably begins Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, one of the world's most popular novels. Pride and Prejudice—Austen's own 'darling child'—tells the story of fiercely independent Elizabeth Bennet, one of five sisters who must marry rich, as she confounds the arrogant, wealthy Mr. Darcy. What ensues is one of the most delightful and engrossingly readable courtships known to literature, written by a precocious Austen when she was just twenty-one years old.

Humorous and profound, and filled with highly entertaining dialogue, this witty comedy of manners dips and turns through drawing-rooms and plots to reach an immensely satisfying finale.

I Just Flew in From Vegas...

... and boy are my arms tired!

Heh. Snort. My inner nerd couldn't resist that one.

But really, I did just get back from vacation. I'm exhausted. But SO.HAPPY. My vacation didn't go completely as planned. I did get about 1 to 1-1/2 hours to myself every morning, but the hotel pool was closed at that hour. 'Cuz you know I was getting up at the ungodly hour of 6:30am. But still, I had time to drink a [insert big coffee chain name here] Caffe Latte every morning and do a bit of gambling before heading to my room to read.

I didn't read as much as I expected, mostly because Pride and Prejudice turned out to be longer than I thought. I finished it! Review coming tomorrow. I started about, oh, five words of The Peach Keeper by Sarah-with-two-last-names [darnit. I hate when I can't remember author's names!] before I fell asleep on the plane. I picked it up tonight and I had to force myself to put it down, so it should go fairly quickly. Then I'll probably take a break from the Nook to read the book club book.

Hopefully April is the month I get back on track with reading.

March Review

I should be packing my suitcase right now for vacation, but I'm thinking about books instead. I've been thinking about books a lot lately. They seem to have taken over my house - The Spawn has been obsessing over books. He managed to pick up all three of The Hunger Games series and The Grimm Legacy for his birthday. All of which I want to read. I woke up the other morning thinking about books... I guess there are worse things in life.

As I mentioned, I'm supposed to be packing for vacation. The Boyfriend and I leave Monday morning for a week in Las Vegas. No work. No kids. No work. No housework. No work.... Seriously, I'm at the point where The Boyfriend could take me to the South Pole for a week and it would be fine with me. I just.need.to.get.away. I'm expecting that I'll have a bit of down time in Vegas during the mornings. By habit I've become an early riser and The Boyfriend, well, he's not. And I'm going to enjoy having those mornings to myself. I fully plan on using that time to sit by the pool and read.

With that thought in mind, I'm switching up the Book Challenge genre a little bit. April is supposed to be Trashy Romance (or as a friend calls them: Bodice Rippers), but due to traveling I'm going to switch it with May which is Oddo (my Nook). This makes it alot easier to pack.

So, onto the books. March turned out well despite the slow start. I read three of four. April, I haven't quite selected the books I'm going to read although I have started Pride and Prejudice - and seriously, why have I never read this book before? It's funny! The other books will be randomly selected from my Nook library. We'll both be surprised.

The one book that won't be on the Nook will be the Book Club read. It was my turn to pick and I chose The Thirteenth Tale. It's a re-read for me (about 300 books ago) so I'm excited to see if I enjoy it as much as I remember.