For your convenience an Amazon affiliate link is included at no extra cost to you.  The Storyteller’s Secret by Sejal Badani was a revelation into my emotions I didn’t expect.  In a good way.  The fiction character Jaya could be any woman struggling with despair or loss.  She travels to India after three miscarriages, a failing marriage and estranged relationship with her mother to find out about her heritage and the culture.  It’s a wonderful story that will leave you smiling as her mother’s family secrets are revealed.

Where’d You Go Bernadette book review and a Pink Penguin

I’d finished all the paper backs in my stash and was looking for a quick e-read until my next book arrived from Amazon. I had a list on Goodreads and liked the bright cartoonish cover on Where’d You Go Bernadette plus it has a good rating and isn’t a long book. Written from the viewpoint of a teenager looking for her mother, author Maria Sample’s writing style and words captured my interest on the first page and kept it.  Bonus: Sample was a TV fiction writer for Arrested Development, Mad About You and Ellen.

A Man Called Ove

Sometimes I feel like a man called Ove by Fredrik Backman.  I'd like to just disappear but "life" keeps getting in the way.  Those obligations to do the right thing, to take care of things because you should and in the end because it is worth it.  

My grandmother asked me to tell you she’s sorry by Fredrik Backman

I love authors who write clever descriptions and use clever words.  Fredrik Backman does just that in his excessively long titled book, My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She’s Sorry.  Actually it was that long title that drew my attention in the book isle at Target and ultimately landed it in my shopping basket.  And when I finished the book I pulled up my previous post and made myself and my six year old grand our own super hero capes.
 

The main character is a seven year old with thought processes adults find it hard to reach.  She is described as different and it is her differences that make you love her to the end.  The story is a journey of fairy tales and discoveries as she delivers letters of apologies to some amazing characters in this book.  There are so many quotable lines I started writing them down on the back cover and tweeting them out through Facebook. 

I felt myself drawn into the stories of life and death and as the back cover describes, one of the most important human rights, the right to be different. I looked forward to finding out how each character fit into this amazing story.  When I closed the last page of the story I couldn’t help but feel a compassionate need to see beyond the skin and shadows of people around me and have made a conscious decision to reach inside and connect.  I can’t wait to start realizing what super hero power each person has.  After all I believe that not only does every seven year old need a super hero but so do I and I’m several decades older than seven.

This Young Adult novel is a fabulous read for everyone.  In an era and country where we are pushing our children to be understanding and tolerant of others differences this book explains the why behind it.  Bullies beware, you may find all of us who are “different” united and standing together for our right to be just that, different.

I rated it 5 stars

• *Young Adult Novel:  Pretty clean reading with a smattering of curse words
• *Would I reccomend it?  Yes, I’d share my copy with my mom or my daughter
• *Believable?  Yes, a believable fiction novel with plenty of humor and quotable lines
• *Susseccsful author? Fredrik Backman has a proven record of success: wrote a New York Times best seller, A Man Called OVE
• *Would I re-read it?  Yes and I truly hope a movie is made – I’ll be first in line to see it.

Washington Square Press
ISBN 978-1-5011-4661-9 (pbk)
ISBN 978-1-5011-1508-0 (e-book)

If you’d like to make your own Super Hero Cape, here’s some super easy, super cheap instructions you can follow in less than an hour!

Plum Scones and After You by JoJo Moyes

I really liked reading After You by JoJo Moyes.  Sometimes sequel books leave me feeling disappointed, but this one did not.  Although it is about recovering from loss and moving forward with life it was well written and pleasing and a great after story to Me Before You (made into a movie).   I can only complain about the food they had in this book!  HA!  I usually get inspired to cook something from the book I am currently reading, this one…

not so much.  I don’t see me buying beef cheeks much less cooking and eating it!  There were other exotic dishes I am not familiar with and will have to spend some time on Google to find out what the heck they are.  I did however enjoy some tea and Plum Scones while reading.  If you like scones, they are really simple and easy to make.  I had some fresh plums given to me this week so I substituted three chopped plumbs minus the pit and used a little less milk because the plumbs were juicy in my Apricot and Amaretto Scone recipe.  They were scrumptious, much better than I imagine the biscuits described several times at her meetings were. [smiling at the thought] The adapted recipe is at the bottom of this page.

I’ve thought about being a tourist in London but with my fear of traveling abroad I doubt I’ll be dealing with the rough neighborhoods exhausted in this book.  I would however enjoy touring the castle home of some wealthy locals.  I would especially like finding my way through mazes and gardens like those described in the book.

The main character in this book, Louisa, was a grief survivor from the first novel.  Her story really started in the first book and takes off full throttle in After You.  I like the way Moyes builds her character with the way she must deal with all the people in her life.   I felt satisfied the story was complete at the end though I’d like to read a follow up on several of the book characters, both hers and Lily.  No spoilers here, you’ll have to read the book to find out who Lily is.

I'd recommend this easy read to young adults +.  The language is jild ih American standards.  I'm not sure how vulgar some of the words might appear to Europeans.  There are references to sex that could make a conservative blush, but really it was pretty mild.  The story starts with energy and progresses well with all the side stories and characters being relevant to the whole setting.  I rate it a 4 out of 5 stars because a 5* book for me is a total surprise at the end.  It's not difficult to see where this story is headed.

Fresh Pum Scones

by Jeannie

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Keywords: brunch breakfast snack bread

6078603

Ingredients (8 wedges)

• 1 cup flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 3 Tablespoons cold butter till it resembles coarse sand
• 3-4 ripe plums
• 1/3 cup milk

Instructions

Stir together dry ingredients.

Use a pastry cutter to cut butter into dry ingredients until it resembles small peas.

Chop fresh ripe plums and discard the pits.

Make a well in the center of the flour/butter.

Add plums and milk.

Quickly mix together just until a dough ball forms.

Add a little more flour if it is too sticky.

Pat the dough into a 2" thick circle.

Cut into 8 pie shaped wedges.

Sprinkle granulated sugar over top.

Place wedges on cookie sheet or oven griddle.

Bake 370° F oven for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Remove from oven and allow to cool a little before sprinkling with powdered sugar or drizzle with a powder sugar glaze.

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The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey–book review

Rick Yancey in the author of The 5th Wave, The Infinite Sea and The Last Star.  A trilogy of books about an alien invasion to earth that leaves only the young to fight and salvage the human race.  I read the first book in four days.  This one I read in two days.  Not that this book was better than the first but because the first one left me wanting to know what happens. Then I finished this one and I am anxiously waiting delivery of the last book.  Author mission accomplished, I’m hooked.

Book Review–The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey is the beginning of a Science Fiction trilogy that I enjoyed reading a lot.  I had not read sci-fi in years but was drawn to it after seeing a movie trailer based on the book.  I went into it expecting a lot of action, a little romance and plenty of suspense, after all we already know there are two more books.  It is a book of survival after an alien invasion with lots and lots of questions as to how and why the invasion is taking place. Amazon links included.

The Martian plus a potato recipe

I started reading the book just before it showed up On Demand within my satellite provider.  I started reading hurriedly so I could rent and watch the movie.  At the same time I had just participated in a potato recipe challenge.  Too bad the sequence of events hadn’t been a little different but I have a recipe in honor of this fun fiction story about an Earthling that inadvertently became a Martian.

See Me by Nicholas Sparks plus easy Chicken Enchilada recipe

Nicholas Sparks novel See Me is a suspense story I’d love to watch on the big screen.  Even when I had to put the book down to fulfill other commitments in my life my mind kept drifting back to the story full of action, suspense and flawed characters.  I got a real sense of what each of the characters were like and what role they played in the book. I am often drawn to suspense stories and books that include food and families that celebrate together the way mine has.  As I read about Maria’s Mexican family and their restaurant I found myself making our favorite Tex Mex dishes for dinner.  I’ve included my easy short cut Chicken Enchilada recipe at the bottom of this post.

Elephant Dollar Origami

When I finished reading Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult I had to learn how to make an origami elephant from a dollar bill.  It shows up all through the book.  I also had to look up elephant sanctuaries which she gives a link to at the end of the book.  I have a new found respect for elephants and the people who take care of them.  I loved the book for so many reasons including the elephant connection but mostly because the end was a complete surprise to me.  I don't really believe in psychics but her novel makes me consider them with a different viewpoint than before. I usually pick up the hints early in a book on where the story is going but I did not see this one coming.

The First Phone Call From Heaven - book review

Contains Amazon link for which I may receive a small commission but all opinions are my own.
I purchased The First Phone Call From Heaven by Mitch Albom by accident.  I was looking for a book my online book club had decided to read but I could only remember the title contained the word Heaven in it.  There were several in the newly released popular books section so I picked this one up thinking it was what I was assigned to read.  Although it was not, I read it anyway and am glad I ended up with it.

The Storyteller—book review

I think I have found my favorite author.   I saw a book on the new arrivals in the library by Jodi Picoult.  I picked it up and read the cover to see she had a New York Times bestseller titled The Storyteller.  I plan to check out the new arrival later but first I wanted to read something written earlier that had already been approved by thousands of readers.  It was a good decision.
 

The Night Gardner

Amazon affiliate link to book is provided for your convenience 

but the review is my own and my true opinion.

An Irish sister and brother, abandoned by their parents during the potato famine, travel to work as servants in a strange and scary English manor house.  They soon discover a strange visitor that walks the house in the dark and the tree that engulfs the house has equally mysterious powers and secrets they both want to share and fear.

Ghost Boy inspires me

Last week I saw a new release book titled Ghost Boy by Martin Pistorius that caught my attention for some reason.  I did not know what it was about or how I’d be so inspired by reading it.  The book cover is a ghostly photo of a sleeping face and is only 274 pages of inspired writing.  I cannot imagine a man coming out of such an experience as a boy trapped inside a silent body writing about his own story in such a spectacular way. 

Give Away and New Book LinkUp Party Announcement

When I finish an especially good book I want to share it somehow so I will be writing about my most recent reads each weekend.  If I have a fun book related craft or have once again re decorated my bookshelves I'll share that too.  But that's not all!