Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Books read Feb 2017

Books read Feb 2017
#books #blogging #bookreview

 




Stone Lake by Phil M. Williams
Book starts out with Jon and he's on his way home to his cabin in the woods but Morgan runs into the back of his truck.
He owns part of the excavating business along with his ex wife and her new husband-his ex best friend. Love that when he negotiates the work detail he will pitch in along with the workers so nobody has to work on Sunday.
Morgan is running away from her fiance and they become romantically involved. Love the secret place, garden and everything in the woods.
Descriptive details that make you feel you ARE there. Love travel especially to the beach house-priceless. He then finds out more about her real life and I didn't see this going that way, WHOA. Lots of things in the past really matter now-to prove her innocence he goes out of his way to help.
Lost it when he received the envelope, WOW full circle. Could tell, without seeing it that this book was written by a man because there's no real drama (like females usually write) just the facts. Love how he deals with his mother, finally.
Love the sex but more the romance. Love how they use their hands to do their jobs. Love learning new things and about new locations.
Love this is not a predictable story, so many twists and turns-took my breath away.
Can't wait to read more from this author. Easy to keep track of the characters, over time with others thrown in to keep the story flowing. Like how the author writes about what he knows-it's just more real for the reader.
Hope there is another book in this series about his next adventures. I pick one or two books per month as my favorite and this one is gonna be hard to beat for the year!







Initiation by Phil M. Williams
This book starts out with Carter and he and his family have just relocated to a new location and his dad has retired from the military. He lives with his mom, sister and dad-not his dad.
Carter is into football and most other sports and is good at it. Other people from the neighborhood stop by to say hi and bring a casserole-the Wheelers who also have a boy Carter's age-Ben.
They do get to spend time together as they are both on football team, just different strings. Book is about the initiation into the football club that every boy wants to be accepted into.
Like how author explains it at the end that not everyone has the same set of initiations. Those I've talked to said it was not that extreme but the way the author details the events make it very possible, for the book.
Liked the football play by play action and locations they go. Lots of sex scenes. Liked how there were just a handful of characters tut there are others that stir things up.
Loved hearing the details of places he went to and how he survived and who helped him. Will be reading more from this author.
Received this book from the author and this is my honest review.








Against the Grain by Phil M. Williams
Starts out with Matt and his uncle is raising him and homeschooling him. They run a farm and sell crops at the end of the road using honor system.
Emily lives nearby and has a brother who bothers her at times. Now that they are teens she realizes her mother might be having an affair and her father just cares about himself.
Neither parent cares that her brother and friends are harassing her and abusing her mentally.
Inspection is due at the farm and he has to do many things to kill so they will pass. His uncle is very ill.
The county is against him as he doesn't know all the details of the past....so much goes wrong for him but he has to find out more about his mother and make sure others know of how his uncle died.
He also hopes to right all the wrongs done to him and others while in foster care system.
Brutal straight forward descriptions of life events, details as he has flashbacks of what really happened and who was involved.
Love all the parts of gardening, so knowledgeable using his hands. 
I received this book from the author and this is my honest review.





Friendship: A True Story of Adventure, Goodwill, and Endurance by Francis Mandewah
Starts out with the author as a young child and his job on the farm in west Africa. Interesting learning about the village and how it operated.
After some education he lives with his cousin at the diamond mines. Church is very prominent.
Struggles with chores, walking 3 miles to school and still gets punished because the cousins wife didn't like him.
Ownership of the diamond mine details are told. Prayers and passages from the Bible help him along to achieve his goals of just getting educated.
He meets a man who is like a mentor and he is able to help with finances and other things. Love the travel and how he is able to do the things he needs to do.
Love the paying it forward and lifetime of travel and experiences and that it's brought up to the times we live in today.
Received from the author and this is my honest review.





I Love You Three by Milou Koenings

Mac’s a former marine struggling to adjust to civilian life after the death in combat of his best friend. When a teaching job opens up in the small town where his friend used to work in the summers, Mac takes it as a sign and moves to Green Pines, hoping to find refuge from his demons.

For Julie, there’s no refuge from night feedings, a crazy mom, an ex-mother-in-law and an overdrawn bank account. She’s struggling to build a better life for herself and her baby and the only thing she knows is she’s not falling for any guy again.

There’s only one problem. You never know when love will knock you off your feet.
 

My Review:  

 I Love You Three by Milou Koenings
Book starts out with Mac Bennett and he's back from Iraq and keeps up his physique by hours in the gym. He hopes to get the job as a coach at a nearby school. He lives at home with his parents who work daily and he finds daily chores to do...
Story also follows Julie who has a baby and is the prinicpal of the school.
She also takes care of her parents and is torn between leaving her child at the babysitters.
What I like about this book are the descriptions of Green Pines-I can place my body there and take deep breaths and lose myself in the town.
Like the idea of the construction and ideas to go green. The job is his and so is the place to stay after he fixes it up. His brother is due home from prison-drug charges and he doesn't want to deal with any of it.
She's got a crush on Mac but her plates full...love interaction he has with the troubled teens.
So much past comes forward and this is not a predictable story line. So many twists and turns.
Excerpt from the next in this series is attached.
I received this book from the author and this is my honest review.

 

 




Christmas on My Mind by Janet Dailey
She's just arrived in town, hot on the lead to find her mother who had given her up when she was born.
Francine is in jail for another for being drunk and fighting. Jess will be housed at the sheriffs mothers house til they sort things out.
Ben Marsden knows everybody and likes helping out Francine.
Story follows Jess and the relationship she builds with her mother and story also follows Ben. There is an attraction between the two...
Looks like a predictable story line but it's anything but. Lots of twists and turns and secret pasts that come to the forefront and then more action.
Excerpt from another of the author's stories is included.
I received this book from The Kensington Books in exchange for my honest review





Electric Pressure Cooker Recipes For Beginners: Delicious And Easy Electric Pressure Cooker Recipes For Beginners by Jeremy Smith
Recipes are good, no pictures and no nutritional information.
Major point is the new electric pressure cookers don't have a setting that you can press, you have to turn it off first.
Other functions mentioned also don't work with new ones. Why brown meat in a skillet-my pressure cooker browns/sautes it already in ONE pot.






Celebrate This Day: Devotionals for special occasions by Marcia Laycock
Book is broken up into the seasons of the year. What I especially liked was the other special days/holidays that the author concentrates on and the true life experiences-some very much like our own, that came through and how they got through the turmoil.
Love holidays and hearing how different situations worked and how to find the true meaning of the holiday.
God is there for good times along with bad times.





Rust Belt Boy Stories of an American Childhood  by  Hertnecky_ Paul
Industrial north who grew up near mills and steel mines in PA among so many immigrants from many different countries.
Some of the same memories growing up, catholic schools, JFK, being outside.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).


Weight Watchers Instant Pot Smart Points Cookbook  by Mikayla Sage
Like the idea of using the instant pot as we have one and love it. Each recipe has total time, servings and smart points.
I have no idea what points are all about as I am not concerned with most of nutritional information but fat, good and bad and sodium due to our lifestyle.
List of ingredients and how to make the dish. Not sure why some of them they want you to heat up some items on the stove first-why not use saute in the pot?
Does come with nutritional information per servings: Calories, fat-not broken up into good and bad, carbs, sugar, protein and cholesterol.
Book does explain about old and new ways of the WW point system and I'm surprised they did not get into making yogurt. Some of the recipes only include 4 items not as above. This tells me they got some recipes from another source and possibly they don't belong to the author?
Why not make them all the same?










 Miss Colfax's light  by Bissonette_ Aimee - Ewen_ Eileen Ryan
Story of the first woman lighthouse keeper and what she had to do during her lifetime to keep the light going through good and bad weather.
Loved learning about the Fresnel lens.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).



 Time off from good behavior by Susan Sussman
Liked this book a lot because the alternating chapters were about the wife and then the husband.
She's still working at a new job with costume design for a movie-she's only ever done smaller projects.
He has sold the family business and as a millionaire he just wants to travel and spend time with his wife-but she's too busy.
Complications from her mother and his father stir this book around a bit. Loved learning about design parts.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).


The calcium bible, how to have better bones all your life by Hausman_ Patricia
Information, rather old now but about the vitamins and minerals we all need and what things occur that our systems make lower portions of them.
Relying on food you can still get them and even use them in things that are not usual so you can still get your daily value from them.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).




35 Recipes of Delicious Pies with Fruits by Wanda Carter
Each recipe includes a color photo along with time dish will be ready in. A short summary of the dish and list of ingredients. How to make the dish are included  and no nutritional information.
Surprised some dishes are using grams were others have US measurements. Not sure why but to me that means they got the recipes from another source-so they don't actually own the recipe?
You might be able to substitute some ingredients for a healthier option for your dietary needs.


To keep the South Manitou light  by Smucker_ Anna Egan
The Michigan light house 1871 and the girls grandfather has died and they want to keep the light going. This is the story of how when the mainland was burning she was able to
help her mother. The twelve year old Jessie remembers parts of her uncle Jim who had passed away but not all the details. Locks and light houses were very important to the Great Lakes shipping industry. Love the details of how the lighthouse came to be where they were and how they got there.
As mainland is burning the breeze and dark ash are heading to the light house and the inspector has brought supplies and told them to work hard.
It's almost the end of the shipping season and they hope to keep the light burning strong and the bell ringing.
Love talk of the prisms as i had many in my eyeglasses as a young child. Mesmerizing.. Such intricate details on how to take care of the light during the cold icy winter storm. Never realized there were so many tools and rules of the trade. Now a museum open in warmer weather for tours.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).


Thoughts while tending sheep by Ilefeldt_ W. G_ (Willard G.)
Reminds me of the grandfather tending his sheep in the Heidi movie.
This one starts out with some the life of a child as he grows with disabilities and moved around family to family til he ends up
in the fields above Carmel Valley, CA. With his problems he finds talking to the sheep make things normal to him.
Like hearing about the dog who herds in the sheep and knows the sheep sometimes better than the author. We've seen such a dog demonstrating and it's really interesting and how hand signals work and whistle sounds.
Silly names for the sheep, love the stories.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).


Chicken Recipes: Art Of Eating CookBook.Chicken Recipes: Art Of Eating (Quick and Easy Cooking Series, Chicken Recipes CookBook, Easy Chicken Recipes, Grilled Chicken, Fried Chicken, Baked Chicken, Recetas De Pollo, Receta Libro) by Raymond Ross
Each recipe comes with a beautiful photo and a summary of the dish. Has prep and cook time and serving time. List of ingredients along with how to make it. also tips. Nutrition information is calories, fat (not broken up into good and bad) carbs and protein.
You may be able to substitute some ingredients for your dietary needs.
Gift of an ebook is listed. Like how the chapters are divided using different parts of the chicken.


River runners of the Grand Canyon  by Lavender  David Sievert
Lots of history from the beginning and the different vessels used to go down the river rapids.
Designed their own levels of change in volume of water and size of waterfall.
Like understanding how the boulders actually create the rapids. Liked Hopi folk stories as we met many of the women who were putting beads and jewelry together to sell to tourists on western rim of GC.
Enjoyed learning about the individual expeditions and the types of boats used and why. So fascinating.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).



Do stars have points, questions and answers about stars and planets by Berger_ Melvin - Berger_ Gilda
Interesting and very informative questions and answers about the sky and everything in it. Like especially the answers because they use everyday things in our lives to help understand it all.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).



Two! by Tia Perkin
Story of a child who also has a younger sibling that gets into a lot of trouble. Colorful children's book that rhymes.
Very easy to follow as the words are bright on the pages. Older child tries to fix everything the younger one has destroyed, hiding things from his mother.
Silly book and love all brilliant colors on the pages.


Natural Green Home Cleaning For Beginners by R. Kishore
Like this book because we do have a lot of the things in our pantry and on our shelves. We do use many methods already as we don't want to spend the money on expensive chemicals. Good reference book to keep on hand.
A KEEPER!



Companion Planting: the vegetable gardens guide
What I like about this book are the charts and examples of what flowers/herbs will grow well with vegetables and why.
Also like composting diagrams and finding out how long it will actually take to break down.
Also tells you which vegetables to grow on south side of the garden and benefits of having a raised garden. Also has charts of what NOT to put near another.
So much more information inside depending on what it is you are specifically looking for.



 Banana Cream Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke
Have read the other books in this series by the author and have enjoyed them.
This one starts out with Delores and she's just finished writing her romance regency novel. Story follows the family members and what's going on in their lives.
What I like about this is that there are many generations involved and even if you've not read prior books the author brings you up to date without bogging down all the details.
Usually it's Hannah that finds the dead body as gets clues to solve the mystery-this time it's Delores-Hannah and her husband Ross are on their way back from a cruise.
Recipes are scattered throughout the book. I find the series a bit different now that she's married and no longer dating Norman and Mike. It's just a bit weird. Typical Hannah novel where nothing goes to how you think it should go, lots of drama and same main characters.
Surprise ending after that murder is solved and excerpt from Joanne Fluke's Stepchild is included at the end.
I received this book from Kensington Books via Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.
  


101 Top Cookie Recipes by Annie Grapes
Starts out with things you will need to bake cookies also a Q and A section on some instructions you might find and how to do them.
Each recipe starts with a photo, time in minutes and servings.
Ingredient list and how to make the cookies is included. There are NO nutritional information and from what I know about baking you can not usually substitute the butter for something else-they just don't come out right. Feel free to experiment for your dietary needs.
Has suggestions or variation you can do for some recipes.
Blueberry cookies, apple oatmeal cookies, carrot cookies with raisins look about the best to try.
Gonna try a few recipes and then decide if this book is a KEEPER.
Free ebook at the end.





Just Claire by Jean Ann Williams
Story line sounds interesting. Like hearing more about northern CA although I've only driiven through the area.
Claire is just a teen, they moved last several days to northern CA from Oregon and her mother goes into labor. It's up to her to take care of the kids that are at home and still attend school.
She finds some of the kids have experienced so much more than her growing up in the cities around the country. They moved to the area so her father could help build the tunnel.
She struggles to be friends with her girlfriend but the lavender girls invite her to join them. Even though one is a bully they accept her.
Her girlfriend is also going through family changes that upset her. Love hearing the history behind the hot springs and logging industry.
Like how she is able to go to the river, the rapids with her Bible to get away from all her struggles.
Love hearing of the parties they are able to attend and all the planning involved. Being from a large family the adults took care of everything for the 30 cousins who participated in the Easter hunt every year in the neighborhood empty lot.
Love hearing she finds comfort in the religious songs that she hears through the HAM radio as they are very poor and don't even have a TV or phone.
Tragic events occur that breaks them apart at the seams and you wonder if they will ever get back what they once had. Lots of things going on with just a handful of characters, very easy to follow.
I was given the book by the author via Book Fun (The Book Club Network) and this is my honest review.






Retreat to Shelter Creek
Book starts out with Ashley and she's back in town, helping her grandmother, living at her place while she goes through chemo for cancer. She also is getting divorced from her husband as he's taken up with a woman who he got pregnant. He also closed out all her accounts which were her earnings.
Story also follows Austin who has a son who lost his wife to cancer. He's the roofer and he wants the pig also as he hopes to breed with several of his.  He has family land problems after his father had passed away and others tell him their father told them they could have the land after raising crops on it for ten years. He and his brother and mother can't find any documents stating that or deeds...
Ashley decides to take on the first grade teaching position as she is broke and other arrangements have been made for her grandmother's care. Love mysteries surrounding all the devastation that occur and clues leading up to who caused it...
Love how the community is there for anybody who needs the help. Love the career of Austin as the details are so explicit and oil exploration information you know the author has done her homework correctly.
Feel so at home with this book as we had picnics in our travels with our own food-such good memories.  Lots more twists and turns to this story. so much action, romance, adventure and scriptures and passages posted about the immediate problems they are each trying to get help with.
Other works by the author are highlighted at the end.
I was given the book by the author via Book Fun (The Book Club Network) and this is my honest review.






Angel with Steel Wings by Anne Greene
Liked the idea of the storyline and within a chapter we were looking up information about Camp Davis as we had not heard of it. Which also got us to look up the WASP, women pilot program to see what it was all about.
Mandy is stationed at Camp Davis, NC and she helps fly repair planes and other jobs. She loves being in the air and knows her machines. The women have been grounded and they gather together and Mandy is the one who might be able to change all that for them by becoming flirty with the Major. She reads her Bible daily and often calls on God for more assistance.
They meet for a blind date and she learns many things about him, his deceased wife and their son. At one tim she helps babysit for the handicap boy and they bond. Major even takes her up as a co pilot in a new plane to her so she can learn about it.
He might have the solution to getting the women back up in the air again-it would mean she has to relocate and be away from that Camp....her goal is to get the knowledge and time behind the wheel in order to buy half of the home local airport system.
He has his own dilemmas to find solutions for as he knows he will be in the war in a few months time. Love how he becomes a child of God.
Parts I like are just learning about the women pilots and the Camp, planes, mysteries surrounding the ailing plane crashes, her bond with the boy and straight forward language used-kinda threw me for a bit.
Like how story follows Mandy and also Harvey as he travels overseas-seeing things for the very first time.
Loved parts where they talk of felling the trees and later teaching her  which trees and birds they were looking at.
Love career choices, romance, travel, action, praying to God, adventure and mysteries-a bit of something for everyone.
I was given the book by Book Fun (The Book Club Network) and here is my honest review.


#book #blogging



Rushing waters by Steel_ Danielle
This story starts out with Ellen, interior designer living with her husband George in England, and she's visiting her mother, Grace an architect at the age of 74 in NY.
They had hoped to have kids by now but after IVF and other treatment it had not happened for them...
Story also follows Juliette who's an emergency room doctor.  Story also follows Bob who lives in Grace's building.
Hurricane Ophetlia is about to hit.  She refuses to leave. Others also refuse to leave... Story also follows Charles and he's terrified of flying. He's divorced with 2 girls but storm is acting up as they fly into the city.
Many different locations and many different walks of life are put together and how they survive the devastating hurricane.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).



Near Home: Fantastic photographs sprinkled with Inspirational quotes (Soul Photography Book 2) by Tomer Peled
Good perspective on what one sees viewing pictures. Lots of beautiful pictures along with phrases from famous people.
Connecting, for me where just so tranquil. Other works by the author are highlighted at the end.


Instant Pot Cookbook: A Complete Instant Pot... by Sarah Stewart
Starts out with introduction to the instant pot and how to use it and how to convert your favorite recipes to the pressure cooker.
Each recipe comes with a color photo, ingredient list, and how to make the dish. There is no nutritional information but you might be able to substitute for your dietary needs.
Starts out with breakfast dishes, lunches to go and dinners along with desserts.



Delicious Desserts: Amazing Low-Cal Favorites (Guilt-Free Gourmet) by Lisa Patricia James
Each recipe comes with a summary of the dish, servings and time in prep and cook, total time to make. Ingredient list and directions.
Notes about what to top the dish with. There are no pictures.
Nutritional information includes calories, fat, broken up into good and bad, cholesterol, sodium, etc
There are so many in the range that we can actually eat but my favorite is the light and easy carrot cake, love the suggestion of making cupcakes as we use mini pans for that.
A KEEPER!




Are we there yet by Santat, Dan
Cute audio story of a boy in a car with his parents and they are heading to the grandmother's house.
It is over 1000 miles away and the boy doesn't have much patience, gets bored and his butt hurts. As an adult we've taken rides that are over 1100 miles long so I can fully understand where this story is going.
Love the trip and you should treasure it.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).



AARP Magazine and Bulletin January  2017
Good practical information on many subjects for the sernior citizen and their families.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).




Organic Gardening Tips You Need To Know- Essentials For Beginners! by Hadley Howard
Starts out with an intro to organic gardening. Explains how to plan for any type of garden for what you want to grow.
Chapters on the soil, what to plant and when for your zone and tools and putting it all together. Even section on getting rid of pests.
Other books by the author are highlighted at the end.


Vegetable Gardening: An Easy Guide To Growing Your Own Vegetables by Agatha Higgins
Starts out with what a vegetable garden is, tips on getting started-what you will need. Choices to make in what you want to grow and space and if it's inside or outside and so many other options.
We use the raised bed method and cut down trees to actually have two of them now 8x 8's because we also freeze what we produce if there is enough.


Visual Fractions by Pi Squared
Enjoyed this beginner fraction book because of the visual effects and how easy it is to see the size of the parts.
Clever ideas. Uses many different shapes and there are answers in another location.


February 2017 Book Fun Magazine
Enjoy this magazine every month before the book fun chats where they give away books to read as long as you post your reviews.
It's a cool system where you connect with the authors themselves. This magazine highlights the authors and their works and even special things like
recipes and photos of things that are important to them. My problem is I always find another new author I want to read but I enjoy the stories they all bring to the table.
Hope recipes become a monthly feature, I love to bake. What I like about this magazine is that it also features books for childrens and teens and adults alike.
Easy to sign up yourself, join in the fun at bookfun.org.



DELICIOUS NUTRITIOUS RECIPES: Lose weight, save money and get your five-a-day with these healthy and easy recipes by Lisa Lazuli
Starts off with eating less fat and less sugar and eat less period. Portion control really helped us a LOT.
Foods made at home are more nutritious.  Recipes start out with servings and ingredient list along with how to make the dish.
There are no pictures and no nutritional information but you should be able to substitute for your dietary needs as most of the ingredients are healthy.
Love the section about making your own spice mixes.


Healthy Husband Cookbook:Quick and Easy Recipes to Feed The Man You Love  by Helen Cassidy Page
Starts out with why the author wrote the book after having her own heart attack. 5 things that make up a healthy lifestyle: no smoking, daily exercise, healthy weight, control stress and eat healthy diet.
We thought we were eating a healthy diet til my husband's heart attack. With a bit of portion control and more exercise 684 miles a year was not enough we even got bikes now and walk or bike daily (in the house even).
Listings of superfoods and choices of cooking oils. Recipes include a few color photos and long list of ingredient, mostly healthy but you should be able to substitute for your dietary needs: chicken stock can be low sodium or home made stock.
Also has servings but no nutritional information.
Other works by the author are highlighted at the end.


Most Popular Caribbean Recipes – Quick & Easy: Essential West Indian Food Recipes From The Caribbean Islands by Grace Barrington-Shaw
Never had Caribbean food so thought I'd like to understand it. Author does a good job of getting you in the mood and why he's a good teacher of the food he's grown up on.
Each recipe gives you a summary of the dish, then the list of ingredients. Love that there are NO exact measurements for the spices. There are no pictures and no nutritional information but you should be able to substitute for your dietary needs.
There are also suggestions with what else you can serve with the dish.
Love different methods of making dumplings as we no longer fry foods.
Festival bun sounds good and using things we love. Enjoy learning about the tools and utensils used. Charts for conversions and measures are included.
Other works by the author are highlighted at the end.




Trusted Breakfast Recipes for Electric Pressure Cooker: 31 Plain Recipes With Available Ingredients by Elisabeth Thor
First starts out with how to buy an electric pressure cooker because they are so different than the ones in the 50's and then warnings follow that.
Cooking tips and safety tips follow. Advantages of using a pressure cooker and how much healthier it is and how to clean and maintain the device.
Recipes start with a color photo and what the dish is, servings. Ingredient list and shopping list and how to make. No nutritional information.
Some recipes have a summary of the dish and what it is. Applesauce would be our favorite-something we can have and not change any of the ingredients.
Bonus recipes are included.


Slow Cooker: Weight Loss: 148 Weight Loss, Healthy, Delicious, Easy Recipes by Arianna Brooks
Intro from the author and how calories will help you lose weight. That's not the only thing that will do that in my opinion.
Each recipe has servings, calories per serving, list of ingredients, and how to make the dish. There are no pictures and there are NO nutritional information.
You might be able to substitute for your dietary needs.
Categories include soups, stews and chowders, meals and deserts among many more.
Bonus books available when you sign up to get the authors weekly newsletters.


Kids Want To Know About UFO's: A Childrens Mystery Ages 9-12 (Kids Want To Know About Series)
Book starts out with who invented the phrase UFO, what it means and the history of sightings. Color photos are also included.
Longer stories are included about specific areas of sightings. Astronauts also describe the things they've seen in space.
Stories of presidents who also saw UFO's.
Sample chapters of the authors other works about mysterious places are included.



Mediterranean Diet: Over 100 Delicious Slow Cooker Mediterranean Diet Recipes by Alberto Benetti
Starts out with what the Mediterranean Diet is and other works in the same field are offered by the author.
Has tips on what to use for a slow cooker and why and other tips.
Conversion tables included as you will them to figure out what a serving size is.
Each reicpe starts with title, prep time, cook time, servings size in grams and calories.
Fat content broken up into good and bad fats, protein, carbs, dietary fibers, sugars, cholesterol, sodium, potassium, via a, c Calcium, and iron
List of ingredients but I think you can substitute for your dietary needs as we rarely use things from a can.
Directions for the slow cooker and preparing the dish are included. No pictures.
One thing I am confused about is the total fat is say 12.2 grams. sat. fat is 4.2 g, transfat is 0, so what other fats and what are their levels?
Why mention transfat if it's always 0? So I guess the other missing fat is really mono and poly fats?
 Wish all the recipes had the same measurements used throughout rather than mixing them up.





Easy Bread Recipes: Easy And Delicious Bread And Muffin Recipes For Beginners by Connor Henderson
This book has no pictures and no nutritional information.
Most of the recipes use shortening when is like eating lard, hydrogenated oils which is the worse kind for you.
I was able to find 1-2 recipes that could be healthy-the zucchini bread using olive or canola oil instead and the cinnamon raisin bread.
There are also a few recipes that use a bread machine.




AMERICAN COOKBOOK: Enjoy Taste of Scrumptious American Recipes  by Susan Wilson
Each recipe includes list of ingredients and instructions on how to make. There are no pictures and no nutritional information but you should be able to substitute for your dietary needs.
Chicken recipes then breakfast recipes follow. Dessert, appetizers,
Cabbage salad is something we'd be able to have.







Beyond the Past (The Caney Creek Series Book 2) by Jo Huddleston
Have read the previous book in this series but there seemed to be a lot more characters involved.
Jim, to me is like the matriarch of the family and he takes family business seriously. He is the one they all go to, to get a problem fixed.
Story also follows Caroline-who Jim had once loved when they were younger. Their lives went in different directions.
What I like about this book is that the problems are daily struggles with up to date problems still in our society. I also love the different age groups and what solutions are tried that are out of the box area.
Love the travel and just the stay at home and have a picnic atmosphere. A lot of praying is done before the situations are even thought out totally.
Turn of events with just one phone call and liked that this was not a predictable book.
I was given the book by Book Fun (The Book Club Network) and this is my honest review.







Unraveling the Pieces byTerri DuLong
The last book in this series, not sure what is planned for the author now. Have enjoyed the books and this is one set out of 700 read annually that I kept.
Would've been awesome if a sketch or photo accompanied the pattern.
This story starts out with Petra and she's moved in the Victorian house which others have said is haunted and is magical and mystical and miracles do happen.
Story also follows Rhonda from 1969 and you don't quite see the connection but then things happen and you can't wait to see how it's all gonna play out.
Rather predictable but there are many twists and turns to keep you interested as it turns out to not be so predictable at all.
Love the community and all the help they provide to many in need. Remember over the years the characters and you are brought up to date with a bit of back story so you are not in the dark about them.
Love the differences between the characters and how it all works, they seem so comfortable with each other-love that! Will keep up with the author via amazon when a new book is published. Like the pattern and will make it for charity as I've done with all the other books' patterns.
I received this book from The Kensington Books in exchange for my honest review



5 INGREDIENT COOKBOOK: Quick and Easy 5 Ingredient Recipes: 5 Ingredients timesaving recipes including healthy breakfast, beef, chicken, fish & seafood, pork, vegetarian, sides,and desserts by Louise Davidson
Each recipe has servings, prep and cook time along with ingredients and directions on how to make the dish.
some nutritional information, fat is not broken up into good and bad fat and there is no sodium.
No pictures.  Different sections for different types of food: meats, breakfast, chicken, etc.
There are also lots of bonus books included and some include pictures, some have no nutritional information at all.
Format on every book is so different seems as if the author just copied and pasted a big chunk of other books.
Seems a lot of repetition as recipes in other sections are also in later sections.



5 Ingredient Cookbook: Fast and Easy Recipes With 5 or Less Ingredients Inspired by The Mediterranean Diet: Everyday Cooking for Busy People on a Budget (Mediterranean Diet for Beginners Book 1) (Kindle Location 209). Weight Loss and Weight Control Cookbooks Best Sellers by Grey, Alissa Noel.
Each recipe has servings, prep time and ingredient list and how to put the dish together.
There are no pictures and no nutritional information. Most recipes include healthy ingredients, some do not but you might be able to substitute for your dietary needs.
Bonus of smoothie recipes are included. Other works by the author are listed at the end.



The Belly Button Fairy
Cute children's very colorful book about the belly button fairy and how she came to be and what her job is.
Song listed at the end.  List of other fairy books listed at the end.



Gift of Gift (Super Amazing Princess Heroes)
Children's book but it's too difficult to read the dark pages and dark words.
Attempted to read it several times. flipping through pages but was always too dark.



A story of the Fall River line, 1847 to 1937 by Winston_ Daoma
Interesting story about the industry in my own area from 4 generations back. Also has news of other areas of the country.
Love the areas of the East Passage of Narragansett Bay as the ship heads out to the ocean. Also liked hearing how the company kept the ship going and what jobs and careers they had to do over the generations.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).




Chocolate Recipes To Die For by Heather Richardson
Each recipe has a color photo, summary of the dish and ingredients list  along with how to make it.
No nutritional information but you might be able to substitute for your own dietary needs.
There are so healthy recipes as they use dark chocolate.
Other works by the author are listed at the end. Table of contents is listed at the end, not the beginning.



Kids Want To Know About Mysterious Places: A Childrens Book Ages 9-12 (Kids Want To Know About Series 4)
Like this book because even for adults it's a great book. So much to really discover, explore and learn about. Color photos.
Would make a great gift for the whole family.


A Cabin Full of Food: Filling your pantry, and using it by Marie Beausoleil
Starts out with seasons and what vegetables should be started in garden, etc
List of things needed to cook the meals.  Encourages you to make your own-it's cheaper also.
Like chocolate chip cookie recipe although no photo or nutritional information the ingredients are a lot healthier than what's on the back of the bag of chips.
Love the recipe for baking powder as last winter I ran out and the recipe REALLY needed it-tried baking soda but I needed to take cream of tartar.
Lots of listings for spice substitutions, can't wait to try the french dressing mix as I use it every night.
Can't wait to try the oatmeal cookie recipe as you can substitute for the sugar.
Biscuits, muffins and I can imagine using parts of these to make our nutritional bars.
Even making your own baking mix and then using that to make a large variety of dishes.
Large section on vegetables, how to can, freeze and re-hydrate.  Lots of charts for size, liquids/dry, conversions for space, length,
A KEEPER!

Intimacy On The Plate: 200+ Aphrodisiac Recipes to Spice Up Your Love Life at Home Tonight by Olga Petrenko, Gregory Diehl
Starts out with intro and what are aphrodisiacs are. Differences between male and females lures.
Talks about a lot of different vegetables and even has recipes. Most include a color photo and list of ingredients along with how to make it and suggestions for serving.
Love all the fish/salmon recipes.  Sections on herbs, spices and nuts are also included and why each is important.
Fruit section is large and varied. Drink recipes also.




Crock Pot: 25 Tasty and Easy Recipes for Weight Loss You Can Prepare in Your Crock Pot by Edward Jackson
Each recipe includes a small color photo and list of ingredients and how to make the dish.  No nutritional information but you should be able to substitute for your own dietary needs.


30 Day Whole Foods Cookbook: 90 Delicious Recipes by Olivia Starr
This is a diet plan and explains how to use this book for that and how to make it easy.
Has labels for what each dish is considered: whole food, whole 30 and paleo, etc
Each recipe starts with a color photo and list of ingredients but some ingredients I'm unfamiliar with.
How to make the dish is included. NO nutritional information but you should be able to substitute for your dietary needs.
30 breakfast and 30 lunch and 30 dinner recipes. Free ebook is offered.


PRESSURE COOKER: DUMP DINNERS: Delicious Quick and Easy Recipes for all the Family (Cookbook, Quick Meals, Slow Cooker, Crock Pot)
Each recipe included list of ingredients and servings, prep time and how to make the dish in your pressure cooker.
No pictures and no nutritional information but you should be able to substitute for your dietary needs. Bonus books are included and are in a foreign language.
Hundreds of pages of recipes and some are catered to many illnesses-inflammatory, etc.
A KEEPER!





















Perfect Moments by Autumn Jordan
Short story about Elizabeth and she's a solider, on her way home from the war. She recalls when she had first met her husband, Bob.
She and Avery talk to one another with the long hours ahead of them to pass the time. Good recollections of the life they each lead.



Essentials of slow cooking: 25 fresh ieas for braises, stews, pot roasts and other one pot meals by Jeff Madison
Table of contents has title of recipe and links for ingredient and one for directions.
Starts out with why it's a good idea to use the slow cooker-you can even make enough to freeze for another week or month.
We do the same thing in our pressure cooker which is also a slow cooker but I can make a stew in 30 minutes and not have to cook it for 8 hours.
Each recipe includes title, prep time, cooking time and servings. List of ingredients and directions.
The nutritional information does not break up fat portion into good and bad fats. Also does not list sodium.
There are no pictures. You should be able to substitute for your healthier dietary needs.
Zucchini bread would be my choice to make but not too keen on using sweetener and almond flour, coconut flour.




Doctor Kangaroo By Gerald Hawksley
Like this colorful children's book because there are many animals and they all have problems and rush to Dr. Kangaroo to get cured.
Problem is one day they find him in bed, bandaged up-like he's always telling them....
Cute rhyming stores at the end. Puzzles and riddles also.




Lasagna Gardening: An Introduction To No-Dig Vegetable Gardening Using Sheet Composting by James Paris
Love this book for the composting sections as it goes into much detail on various ways to use composting.
Now I know what I was doing wrong and how to fix it.
A KEEPER!



The Little Crow Who Could Not CAW!  by Rick Beckrich
Children's colorful about the crows in a family who are named with same rhyming patterns.
Cute story as they try to figure out what's wrong with the smallest one.



Pork Chops 101: How to Make Over 25 Pork Chop Recipes to Leave Your Mouth Watering by Martha Stephenson
Each recipe includes a summary and servings, total prep time. Ingredient list and how to make the dish are included.
There are no nutritional information and no pictures but you might be able to substitute for your healthy dietary needs.
Simple oven fried pork chops would be the one we try with some substitutions.


30 Delicious Brownie & Bar Recipes by Lori Burke
Each recipe has a summary of the dish and ingredient list along with how to make the dish. There are no pictures and no nutritional information.
I found some of the recipes I could substitute for our dietary needs with no problem.
Different combinations sound interesting and worth a try.
I felt the recipes contained way too much butter or other fats and would be too salty for us.



Gardening: How to Get Started With Your Own Organic Vegetable Garden (Gardening for Beginners)
This book I liked for many reasons. Very conise information about what is needed and when for your garden.
Tells you what plants and flower seeds compliment each other and will draw bees to pollinate.
Love section on composting and the charts breaking up green and brown sections and how to use them.
Recipe included along with free ebooks.
A KEEPER!





Natures Viewpoint 2 by Thomas Hollyday
Cute monthly collections of cartoon characters along with a sketch and also a phrase or two. Sketches go along with typical things that occur during the months they are shown in.
After viewing them I could not find just one that I really liked as they are all good and will put a smile on your face.
Be wicked cool to have one for every day of the year.



The Kerrigans. Books 1-2 by Johnstone_ William W - Johnstone_ J. A
Have read many of the authors other works and have enjoyed the westerns.
A Texas Destiny a clan of pioneers as they are making their way to the west.
Kate Kerrigan, a mother of 5 and they leave TN after the death of her spouse. They head to western TX via Kansas where they meet an important person in their life.
They leave a troubled past behind where one is wanted for questioning...Hagger gives them everything they could ever want-a house, ranch and land for a cattle farm.
Renegades and tornadoes and you wonder how they are to survive.
.







The Lawless
Kate takes in many who help her and the ranch. Others from the east want her land and cattle and have hired guns.
She has a few that will help her but it's not enough. Others tell her to winter in a warmer climate and then return...
Lots of struggles and deaths as they fight for their land and family.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).


3 Ingredient Slow Cooker: 21 Amazing & Stupidly Simple Slow Cooker Recipes by Eva Reinhard
Each recipe has ingredient list and how to make.
No pictures and no nutritional information. Ingredients include prepackaged foods you'd just really need to heat them up with a jar of spaghetti sauce-for example.





Chase me by Laura Florand
This author is new to me and I enjoyed this read because of the careers of Chase and Vi. Interesting combination. Love the location.
Easy to keep track of the characters as there are just a handful. Chase is there for intel-he's to protect the president and his family who will dine at the restaurant-that's the story he tells he owner-Vi who stops him in his place late one night.
She's intrigued by this story and I love how she handles her knives. Lots of action, mystery and sex. Although this was part of a series I did not feel like I was left in the dark.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).




Pressure Cooker cookbook Delicious quick and easy recipes for all the family
Each recipe has ingredient list, servings, prep time and how to put the meal together.
There are no pictures and no nutritional information but you should be able to substitute for your dietary needs.
Love this book because it can be for any pressure cooker and instructions are clear and ingredients are fresh.
I make my hard boiled eggs a bit different but still same process-through trial and error on my part.
A KEEPER!









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