Books read Dec 22

Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand
Book starts out on the island of Nantucket, Kelly who runs the inn with his wife, Mitzi has found Santa George and he's with his wife in a comprising pose.
We are told of his prior marriage and where their kids are and what they are doing with their lives.
Ava Quinn is a teacher at the local school, living at the inn, from the first marriage. Nathaniel has made the decision to return to his parents home for the holidays and an old flame that is divorced now will be around.
Others in the family also have their own chapters as the hours go by, just a few days before Christmas.
Margaret is the first wife and the story follows her story also, along with the kids her and Kelly had and where they are in their live situations.
Patrick married with kids is in investments and he's being investigated and his wife can't find out some things he's done over the years...she and the kids are on their way to the west coast to her parents.
Isabelle is the maid at the inn and she needs to keep her job or head back to her homeland.  She and Kevin who is another son and runs the local bar are in love but need to keep their relationship a secret.
Bart is now a Marine in the war and so many think of him as they watch the news on TV others have died.
Love the legend behind the ornaments.  
With all the drama going on there is also calm.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

Robert B. Parkers Cheap Shot
Love the series and enjoy the story based around Boston, MA. Follow the clues and find out who is
involved in this book about a football Patriots player and somebody has kidnapped his son so he calls in PI Spenser. Clues go from those
closeby the family to people from the past.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

A New York Christmas by Anne Perry
This holiday tale is about Jemima Pitt, whose father in a policeman back home, who accompanied a young woman to the States from England to be wed.  The grooms brother wants to make sure that the mother who abandoned her child at 6 does not show up for the event of the season, the wedding.
Jemima and Harley work many days to figure out where she might be staying and what things she likes, in hopes of tracking her down to pay her off.
She is betrayed and now she's up for a murder charge.   She takes action on her own and then along with the help of the policeman the clues start coming in. She won't be satisfied til the real killer is found.
 I received this book from Library Thing Early Reviewers in exchange for my honest review.

A Most Inconvenient Marriage by Regina Jennings
1865, Missouri Abigail is a nurse tending for those prisoners, it's war time and she's lost both her parents.
Her latest patient, Captain Jeremiah Calhoun has the solution to all their problems. She will marry him and return to his horse farm and to help tend to the horses.
She is very familiar with horses and being a nurse she can care for his ailing sister, Rachel. After his sudden death she travels to his farm in the Ozarks and his mother welcomes her with open arms. It's Rachel that doubts what she's been told about her brothers death.
Problem is, it is not Jeremiah who married her and died. We find out who it was through clues that bring heartache to the family.
Now that he's back and running the farm, his leg pain is terrible and he listens to Abigail and she has an idea of how to repair the damage with therapy so that he may walk again. He so wants to fulfill his fiance's dream after waiting over 4 years for his return from the war.
Problem is, she has taking a liking to the doctor thinking Jeremiah was dead. Bit of confusion to others, are they married or not? He can't get rid of her and her headaches soon enough, but the horses need her there....
Like all the horse references and the travel involved. Action in the woods that comes to light and effects them all, so much a search party is sent to track down the culprits....
Secrets come out in the form of something said that didn't quite make sense and others realize something just isn't right. 
I received this book from The Book Club Network (BookFun.org) in exchange for my honest review.

Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andre
This talking book is about a giraffe.
Gerald the giraffe is too clumsy to dance at the annual jungle dance with other animals.
When you find music that you love you can dance
Other animals are dancing and using different steps.  Rhyming words also add to this tale and a cricket who tells the giraffe he just needs a different tune.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

Best Homemade Shortbread Cookies (Delicious Shortbread Cookie Recipes For All Occasions!)
No pictures and no nutritional information.
Very detailed instructions along with ingredients list and how many each recipe will make.
Shortbread Jam Sandwich which makes 4 dozen would be our choice for a healthy cookie. Think we will try these and substitute canola oil and egg beaters.
The butter in each one is way too much fat in our diet. Other works by the author are highlighted at the end.

Three Strikes and You're Dead by Michael Draper
I liked this book for a few reasons: it's about baseball players and the travel. It's not a book I'd typically read but the author sent a copy along.
I hope baseball never goes on strike, it's too American but with the very high paychecks some get, in this story the game is put on hold. A few of the higher paid players are killed, by various means and we learn their story and also that others are planning for more deaths.
They want the game to go back to what it used to be, for fun. Love charity that comes out of this book-paying it forward.  Also we are given a group that plan to solve what is going on. Like all the travel and very detailed descriptions of the places traveled to. Interesting to find out how they all got together and formed the PI group.
Surprised me at the end, didn't think it'd end that way.
I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.

Christmas 100 Recipes
Looking for real healthy eating for the holidays so I thought I'd check out this book.
No pictures and no nutritional information. Does have very detailed instructions.
Some of the recipes you might be able to substitute a healthier ingredient so it won't contain as much fat and sodium.
Chocolate angel food cake would my be favorite to try without the frosting.
Other recipe books are highlighted at the end.

When Violet Was Blue
Illustrated colorful children's book about what was making Violet all blue.
They had an idea and needed help from all their other colorful friends.
Even the cloud gets in on the idea, love poem at the end.
Rainbow math and other workbook pages are included at the end.

The Third Plate: Future of Food
Enjoyed hearing the connection of the Olympic Games Rings to the growing concept and John Muir's quotes.
Fertilizers used and other natural disasters occur.
Educational to learn of what crops will put nutrients back into the soil and the cows get an extra energy boost from the crop.
Loved the very descriptive details of the land.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

Slow Cooker Christmas Recipes: Holiday Crockpot Recipes For A Wonderful, Stress-Free Christmas. (Simple Slow Cooker Series)
Looking for healthy quick to make so we can spend time with family rather than having to guard the kitchen.
Free books by the author at the beginning. Easy to understand how to use your slow cooker.
Some pictures and many categories to choose from. Very detailed instructions and prep/cook and ingredient listings for all.
Small amount of recipes but more than enough to put a whole meal together with many courses.

A Christmas Love by Kathleen Creighton
Caroline is now divorced and with her child Jodie they are arriving in North Carolina to her ex husbands cabin. He's off with his younger new wife on the west coast.
She recalls the local families and clayton is one she is not familiar with. He is an ex cop from Chicago and he helps them discover a child living in the basement. He wants to turn the child over to the authorities and she just wants to mother him herself.
They both have secrets from past hurts and are not wanting to share them just yet. They each, to themselves have expressed signs of affection without speaking words.
They spend quite  a bit of time together, for the kids and it is the Christmas season and they help the children celebrate the religious part of the holiday.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

Dreams of Perfection by Rebecca Heflin
Darcy, a romance author strikes out again with yet another date. He's all wrong for her and he thinks baseball is boring, she does not.
She talks to her best friend Josh Ryan and he also realizes her bio clock is ticking away as she's almost 30.
When he was 21 he wanted her but she turned up engaged the next day, which didn't last long.... amazing her new boyfriend turns out to be exactly like the man she's written about in her new book, even down to the scar on his face.
Love the charity work and unexpected trips to new places. The story goes back in time to when she really turned to Josh
and he had turned to her....she tries an experiment with Josh....urgent hot steamy sex scenes.
Unexplained appearances are mysteries that will allow the story to continue... Others works from the publisher are excerpted at the end.
I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.

Snow on the Roof By Elizabeth Krall
Hal and Marian live in the Palm Gardens Mobile home park in TX. They are just finding themselves after having lost their prior spouses and are in their later years of life.
They decide to spend Christmas day at his family and she can't help but overhear the granddaughters, through an open window discuss their personal private life. She wishes she just went to PA to celebrate with her family...
Others tell her of the traditions in their family and criticize her for trying to bring her own and changing their traditions...
Love how Hal takes matters into his own hands to stop the insults...
Never saw the ending turn out like it did, miracles do happen on Christmas.  Other works by the author are highlighted at the end.
I received this book from the author via The Library Thing in exchange for my honest review.

All Time Favorite Christmas Cookies: 35 Easy and Delicious, All Time Favorite Christmas Cookie Recipes From Around the World
Always on the lookout for easy cookie recipes. I found these all contain a large amount of butter. Too much fat for our strict diets.
Love highly festive colors and designs on the cookies themselves-very time consuming.
No specific pictures of the cookies but has very detailed prep, ingredient list and cook time. No nutritional information.
No bake section would be my favorite, quick and easy ones.
Other books by the author are highlighted at the very beginning.

Julie and Her Seven Calves: Rhyming Bedtime Stories - Rhyming Picture Book - Farm Animals (Funny Rhyming Books for Children)
Illustrated very colorful children's book about Julie and her 7 calves. She has nicknames for them all and they are each so different from one another.
She wants to teach them how to care for themselves as they are growing older.
When she asks each of them to get grass for dinner they all have excuses.
She does figure out a way to make them work for it so they can all eat grass for dinner.

100 Easy Recipes In Jars
I remember making these with other Girl Scouts to use as gifts one year. Easy to put together for those who don't really bake a lot.
They only have to add a few things from their shelves.
Hints and tips and how to decorate the jars. 
Colorful step by step instructions and tools to use.
Few colorful pictures and no nutritional information. The recipe to fill the jar along with what the one who gets the gift has to also put in, is included on the same page.
My favorites would be the drinks: tea and hot cocoa. Trail mix and that category would be excellent for healthier choice of snack.
Other works by the author are highlighted at the beginning.