Books read Dec 5

Weekend Wraps, 18 quick knit cowls, scarves and shawls by Cicily Glowik MacDonald and Melissa LaBarre
Was so happy I had won this book from the webinar I attended with other knitters and one of the authors.
Such luxurious designs, beautifully depicted and instructions that even a new knitter can follow.
Each pattern comes with not only a beautiful color photo but a charted pattern along with row by row instructions. Also a summary of the item-some tell you needle size or something about the yarn used and what effect it makes.
Each pattern also comes with finished size, yarn used, needles, notions, gauge, and notes, stitch guide, row by row instructions, charted pattern and finishing along with other tips-how to keep track of pattern repeats.
Highland hooded scarf l will be my first project from this book because I need something to wear under my bike helmet that is not too bulky. We also hike and this would come in handy also as I am currently using an infinity cowl now.
Love the cabling ones and the intricate designs in some of the shawls and wraps.  Book at end also has abbreviations used, glossary where the different methods are diagrammed and explained in words.
Yarn sources and all about the designers are also included at the end along with acknowledgements, index and other works by the authors. Also liked how some of the items were wrapped around your neck or body and how they hang-flattering options.
Won this book via Planet Purl webinar.
A KEEPER!

Magic by Danielle Steel
Love the idea and how the white night started. June, invite only, white clothes, food, tables, lights and where it's held and how everything is cleaned up spotless. Now 15,000 show up and there are multiple locations.
Sounds so magical as the name depicts. John has attended every year and he gets to invite a few other couples. If they try to use the event he replaces them the following year. Valerie his wife helps also with the list.
She's editor of Vogue in Paris.  He's got the chance to move to China but it could cost his marriage and 3 kids.
Gregorio and Barnadetta and he's always with other women. Since the white dinner night as he leaves her alone and hurries to his young girlfriend who's giving birth, son is lost and daughter very ill-too young to be born.
She decides it's time for a divorce and to get him out of the family business.
Chontelle is a writer of screenplays and a friend of John's and she's raised 3 kids who live around the world and that allows her to do what she wants. She does meet a new man, Saveau who has magic white lanterns the white dinner night and she's meet with him often.
Things are confusing as the characters are all introduced-it gets a bit mixed up til you can associate who they are with what they do.
Love white lantern/wish part the best. Love details and from all directions.
Love how this spans one year and all the changes to all the characters.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

Love is a Rose by Pamela S Thibodeaux
Could relate a lot to the religious part of this book and the author also compares it to everyday life things.
Especially liked the decluttering section as we get older-no sense keeping all these things.
Bible quotes and passages help to tell the story.
Won November rafflecoptor from Connie Bretes

The Irishman's Christmas Gamble, a Wager of Hearts by nancy Herkness
Frankie Hogan is well protected at the bar. Liam shows up and he was the one to rescue her when they were younger. He's an athlete and well known.
Prince is there to oversee the facility that is being built and he plans to stay in NY.
Story follows each of them and goes back in time to when they were younger and the struggles they've overcome over  the years.
Interesting career, liked learning about them. Hot steamy sex is implied at the beginning but there's a lot of years between them, as always.
When his son shows up it upsets her in many ways. Will they ever be able to be together?
Have not read the others in this series but there's enough of them in this one to make me want to read them. Erotic sex scenes.
This novella was free from the author via InstaFreebie.

An Angel for Christmas by Raine English
Alexia has a little girl now that her husband has died things are getting difficult. Making ends meet now that the company will be relocating to a new state and her loss of a job.
Never knew what others went through at a pantry store and sounds devastating. A miracle occurs where she's offered a job to end all her problems.
Blake is divorced and raising a daughter on his own. She causes him problems and he offers Alexia the job of tending to his girl.  Along with Alexias' dog they have a house full.
Problems get worse as the ex wife shows up and wants the child for the holidays and he talks to Alexia about how he can make things right with those who lost their jobs. Like that he really cares.
Medical emergency occurs and everybody has to stop and think about the consequences. Other works by the author are highlighted at the end.
Free from Insta freebie site via the author

Slow & Steady: 101 Guaranteed Slow Cooker Recipes To Make Your Weeknights Less Hectic by Paul Wilson
Introduction and benefits of using a slow cooker.
Recipes include preparation time total and servings, ingredient list along with detailed directions.
There are nutritional information but fat content is NOT broken up into 4 categories and sodium is not even listed.
If ingredients are using low sodium chicken broth and fresh vegetables and not store bought or canned beans it's a safe bet it might be on the healthy side.
 Recipes at the end take on a different layout especially nutritional information-almost like it was copied from another publication.
Even further again the layout changes for nutritional information.
Like chapters at the very end as they are detailed explanations of terms used and conversion charts.

Two by two by nicholas Sparks
Book starts out with Vivian and her husband, Russell-from his point of view. Picks up after they've been married and she's pregnant and before you know it, they have the baby.
Work is going well and his wife didn't go back to work so he's feeling the pressure of not having enough money and making ends meet are not as smooth as they used to be.
The boss warms up to his wife and he takes it seriously and now his boss is giving him low end projects...he thinks he's about to be fired. He tells her of the work projections he's done and that he needs to start up his own agency.
He tells his wife the night that they have a date....things change as he attempts to get clients, life for him gets hectic as he deals with classes for the little girl and his wife has gone back to work spending thousands of dollars for clothes...
Things escalate and their marriage is in trouble, medical emergencies and the child's daily events the book goes to drama. Every little nit picky thing that happens is told-it's a bit much and boring at times.
Liked real life things that happen it was just too drawn out.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

Baking French Macarons: A Beginner's Guide
Starts out with authors failures and what they learned from the first time they made them.
Lots of tips and next chapter is about the equipment you will need. It's a very involved and detailed process.
List of ingredients and resource list as some will be hard to find on your grocery shelves.
Fillings are also detailed in another chapter. Other works by the author are highlighted at the end.

Holiday Escape by Jean C. Gordon
It was to be Bridget's wedding day. Instead she's at the airport and waiting for her connecting flight to get away from it all.
Jeff died doing his job at the US Embassy overseas...she's going to go on the cruise to the Caribbean.  Luke she notices at the airport-she was his PT teacher and he's hot to look at.
He and his older uncle are on the 'no holiday' cruise that means no holiday music or decorations.
What I really liked about this story was that I've never been on a cruise and was so fun to hear about all the other activities available off the ship.
Is it possible this could just be a once in a lifetime and they can end it at the end of the cruise... Excerpt from another in the series is included.
Was given this book from Instafreebie and this is my honest review.

Holiday Dessert Recipes: A Collection of The Best Partys And Holidays Dessert Recipes
Recipes are broken up into categories.
Recipe start with ingredients and directions. No pictures and no nutritional information.
Carrot cake without cream cheese frosting and substituting olive oil for oil might work for a healthy option.

MUFFIN RECIPES: 50 Delicious All-time Favorite MUFFIN RECIPES by Lisa Billings
Starts out with color photo, prep and cook time, servings and ingredient list.
Detailed directions and nutritional information showing fat in 4 groups along with sodium and cholesterol amounts.
Also variations are suggested. Even weight watcher muffins have too much sodium for our diets. Use of butter, shortening etc causes these out of our reach. Maybe use olive oil as a substitute?
Recipes I think might be good are either high in sat. fat, sodium or cholesterol.