Books read Sept 2017

 My Review:

Cardinal Cabin by by Joanne DeMaio

super good read, missed lunch yesterday and almost dinner because iw as reading this book. this morning a full hour on the bike while reading and i'm finally done, with happy tears, thanks for writing such a meaningful story. cant wait for more!

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Love this authors style of writing and know from just looking at the cover it's a keeper!
So happy to be able to follow the group of characters for the past several years as they grow older in the CT seaside community.
So the story starts out with Penny Hart and she's been assigned a secret destination contest where others try to guess where she's at and they also go inside the travel agent company to book their travels.
Story also follows Frank Lombardo who is a handy man of many talents as he goes about tending to Gus bird named cabins (loved the history behind them) during the winter months. So many chores to do and also help his sister Gina with wedding plans for friends.
Love the hidden treasures I found in this book: near and deer is an actual web site, hairspray does work for holding glitter in place, song by Frank is one I've heard before but never knew it by that name-yes hubby thought I lost it when I went to youttube to hear it-it's just Sept here; boat parade and all it stands for every year.
Learning how to snowshoe and ice fish-priceless! Penny tries to stay hidden but some meetings are inevitable and then others are told and will hold her secret. Other events occur and others discover her and it's just a matter of time before everybody will know. She has a week left to go.... Love hearing of others traditions, puzzle that turns into a picture for the wall-many of these I have myself and flip them over during different times of the year.
Love hearing of the birds and what to use to attract them-such fond memories of my mother and the birds she'd attract in her feeders.
Such detailed descriptions of the festivities and decorations at every location: games played during events and know they'd be so much fun to participate in; charity events.
Snowtorcycle-so cool!  Love the nighttime adventures but he misunderstands a call he had overheard parts of it...
She hadn't planned on having company or her boss wanting her to go nationwide with the travel company....it's all one big fantasy, not real, or is it?
I received a review copy from the author and this is my honest review.

For Life or Until by Anne Garboczi Evans
This story starts out with Ness, a Celt and she's warming the water. Cedric loves her since forever. He wants to set up his farmland before he asks for her hand.
She plans her farmland and wants to raise sheep and weave the wool.
After the dance she's informed he had asked someone else to marry another girl.
The Roman tribune, Aquillus wants to marry her to raise their children as Romans and she accepts in retaliation of not being wed by Cedric.
She thought she'd be closer to her family but is not within days of their location any longer. She tries to befriend women and they just hate her, like she's from the wrong side of the tracks.
She has to go through so much pain and heartbreak and you wonder if the couple will ever be happy at all...
Parts that struck me the most were those of what she has to do to survive for her children and herself as she lends to the fields. She follows her passions and something she always wanted to do.
Like that after the Latin phrases are spoken they are translated in English so you can not left in the dark. Enjoyed listening to their traditions as they are explained.
Love the travel and that she had brought seeds for the land she was moving to. Love that knitting is mentioned and things other make and sell to make money for the family.
Love learning new words as I look them up to find out what they mean.
Excerpt from the second book in this series is included.

Received this review copy from the publisher Olivia Kimbrell Press via Bookfun.org and this is my honest review.

Transformed POTUS by Suzanne Falter
Charley is getting married to Electra and he can't believe he is so lucky to have found her.
They are in Las Vegas and he works as a protector for the President.
She is a new agent and knows how to drive the car defensively. She works at the farm in VA so it's a bit difficult for them to get together.
President is just a kid and lives with his mother at the White House. The biscuit is crucial. It holds codes that deal with nuclear things.
Charley has to also find girls for the president after they are interrogated...
Story is also following Electra as she gambles and wins big...
Lots of secrets and they come at you from all angles as people know one another from their previous lifes. Everything and ten some of things you can just about imagine: mafia, drugs, prostitutes, trans gender relations, homosexual relations...It's all so believable also.
Received this review copy from the author and this is my honest review.

Fern By Kat Flannery
This story starts out with Ms. Fuller and she's been brought to town, She died on the way.
The new sheriff investigates the woman who had brought him in. Most likes it was the ladies husband as everybody knew he beat her often.
She befriended Fern who gave her herbs to help with her infertility but they did not.
The old doctor had passed away and left 3 girls. The oldest learned everything she knew from her father. The middle girl is a crack shot with the gun.
The sheriff, Gabe needs answers from Ms. Montgomery-she knows about poison plants...
Fern knows the husband had trampled her garden. The girls are: Fern Ivy and Poppy-all poisonous plants.
The doctor wants Fern arrested. Gabe has taken a liking to Fern and he tries hard to work on the death investigation.
Love bartering she's able to do as none can afford her services, and when Gabe questions her about what the herbs do to those ailing...
So many secrets that people hold close to their chests for safekeeping til a bit of one is out...
They work together to solve who is poisoning others and why...Other crimes Gabe has to content with as well.
Other works by the author are highlighted at the end.
Free from Smashwords

Hot Chili Cookbook: 25 Chili Recipes for Everyday by James Miller
Book starts out with an introduction about how you can make chili that you like, experiment til you get the taste.
Each recipe includes a title, color photo, cook time and servings. Ingredients are listed and there are a lot of them due to the spices and herbs. Directions included.
There is no nutritional information but you should be able to use low fat, low sodium, light ingredients for your healthier dietary needs.
Lots of variations for chili. When we visited our daughter and her family on the west coast they participated in a chili bake off and won a free month of rent. We would each go buy and put in a pinch of this and a pinch of that. Also having grated cheese and crackers as a side dish helped others choose this as their favorite.

Code Name: Gypsy Moth By Melodie Campbell
Don't care for space books but listened to a bit of it, several times.
Just can't get into them. Other works by the author are mentioned at the end.
Free from Smashwords

french cuisine by patrick smith

Book starts out with a table of contents then onto the recipes.

Each includes a title, summary of the dish and ingredients that you should be able to substitute for healthier dietary needs: low sodium, low fat, etc.

Servings and calories and how to make the dish.

There are no photos and no nutritional information.

Other works by the author are listed at the end.

Chicken Cookbook: Healthy Chicken Soup, Salad, Casserole, Slow Cooker and Skillet Recipes Inspired by The Mediterranean Diet (Free Gift): Mediterranean Diet Cookbook (Healthy Cooking on a Budget 1) by Vesela Tabakova 

Book starts out with an introduction about the Mediterranean Diet and how this book will help you get the nutrition you need.

Salads starts out the first chapter. Each recipe includes a title, servings and list of ingredients along with directions on how to make.

There are no pictures. There is no nutritional information but the ingredients are healthy for the most part. You should be able to substitute for your healthier dietary needs.

Soups and main dishes, and bonus recipes smoothies are included.

4 Ingredient Cookbook: Timesaving Recipes For Great-Tasting Food by Bonnie Scott   

Book starts out with an introduction about how simple you can make meals. A cutting board, very dark brown shows in white the menu of recipes-very hard to read.

Each recipe includes a title, list of ingredient-most will have prepackaged items to save you time in the kitchen.

Instructions and a color photo. No nutritional information but you should be able to substitute for your healthier dietary needs: low sodium, low fat, etc.

Not all recipes have a photo and some include servings.

Would be a lot healthier if you used your own garden vegetables rather than canned with lots more sodium included.

Other works by the author are highlighted at the end.

Mexican Cuisine: Authentic Recipes for the Home Chef by J. R. Stevens 

Starts out with other works by the author, table of contents and an introduction about Mexican cooking and what foods are used.

Each recipe includes a title, prep and cook time and servings.

List of ingredients and you should be able to substitute for your healthier dietary needs: low sodium, low fat, etc.

Directions are included but there is no pictures and no nutritional information.

Lots of categories, even drinks and desserts among the regular ones.

Other works by the author are again listed at the end.

Tex-Mex Recipes - 100 Recipes to Spice Up Your Appetite by Tera Davis 

This book starts out with what Mexican food is and about it's history dating back to the 1520's. 

Each recipe includes a title along with a list of ingredients-not sure why you need to use store bought products when you can make some of this yourself, along with freshed chilies, rather than from a can.

Directions are included. There are no pictures.

There is no nutritional information and you should be able to substitute for your healthier dietary needs: low sodium, low fat, and low sugar, light varieties.

There's just 2 bread recipes and a handful of dessert recipes. 

Holly and Ivy by Fern Michaels
Starts in Pine City, NC Dec 2008 Ivy and John have twins. Her father owns his plane company so they have no problems with air travel.
She's just learned her family has died in a crash..
2016 we find Holly who's involved in school projects. Daniel is her dad and he hates musicals. Her mother had died when she was very young and she's not to bring it up to her father.
Story alternates between the two and how they cope with their situations.  Ivy blames the pilot. She was still on the payroll and had John's money so she drank her life away. She buys everything on line so she won't have to socialize with anybody.
Ivy's father George remained running the company and he knows he has to move into retirement-have her run the company or sell it, along with the house.
Love how the trails bring the woman and girl together. 
They all suffer so much pain from one unexplained act of disaster, will they ever heal?
Received a review copy from Netgalley via Kensington Books and this is my honest opinion.

A Texas Hill country Christmas by Johnstone_ William W - Johnstone_ J. A
Has been a while that I read a book by the Johnstones and have enjoyed the westerns.
Love this audio book as each character has a different voice associated with it.
I am familiar with the characters and what a great time to catch up-with a holiday read.
Central TX and it's Christmas time surrounded by the younger crowd of the family.
Ellen educates the kids on who Sam and Luke, Ace and Chance were. Story starts back in the day...
Chance and his twin brother, Ace went down to TX from CO thinking it'd be warmer during the winter months.
Just rain for weeks as the card game wins Chance money.  Love the humor as they pair up with others in a bar fight...  Luke Jenssen is the bounty hunter and is used to trouble.
Twins decide to go with Porter so he can stop the woman from marrying the larger man.
Sam and his wife Sally have also left CO and will holiday with a family they hope to do business with.
Things don't go as smoothly as they all had hoped.  Lots of action, adventure and good family memories, rogue Indians,  bank and stage robberies,
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

25 Silly Dog Pictures for Kids & Adults: Pictures of Dogs to Make You LOL by Jean Bean
Cute colorful book for kids and adults that will make you laugh out loud.
Quite the imagination.

Kiplinger's Retirement Report July_ 2017
Lots of helpful information about alz disease and what is out there for resources.
Who to leave your 401k to and why, great advice! Lots of other financial information and changes to laws is discussed.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

Christmas by the Sea: A Surf's Up Novella by Beth Wiseman
Have not read any books by this author and know I will seek them out for the future as I really enjoyed the read.
Seems to lifelike to me as the Galveston area just went through a cat 5 hurricane and left devastation to many for many months.
Book starts out with Parker and he's late leaving the island after evacuation is announced. He gets caught up and his leg is trapped under the rising water. He prays to God that he gets to see his son again and he hopes his deceased wife will be his guardian angel.
Book also follows Alexandria who's just leaving the area  and notices the man and leaves her car, calls 911 for help and attempts to help him. Her father is not doing well and she knows it won't be long til he passes away.
She gets to him but is not able to free him and he tells her to go and don't look back as the last attempt for him to breathe has come and gone. EMT's do arrive in time but she's not able to accompany him to the hospital. Love that she stayed with him til he was free and she kept his mind off his troubles by talking about his family.
He also keeps her mind off things as she describes the Christmas holiday and eating fish tacos with her dad along the beach.
Story is so much like real life it is scary. She knows she will never see him again and him her as they don't even know each others last names.
Can't wait to read more from this author. Other books and excerpts are included at the end along with author bio information.
Received this review copy via Amazon from Story Cartel and this is my honest review.

Your Simple Guide to Making Afghan Crochets: Learn How to Make Afghan Crochet in 1 Day! by Angelina Dylon
This book starts out with an introduction about what the book offers. Has categories for afghan crochet.
Has several colorful photos of the work with detailed instructions on how to make what is shown. Some important things are yarn selection and crochet hook size as that will help determine the size of what you want to make.
Tells you about some different methods and goes into detail but it could be a lot clearer with pictures or diagrams.
Tells you how to hold the afghan hook the correct way-there is no correct way in my opinion, whatever works for you.
Some tricks and tips are included.  Patterns are rather hidden in words and not written out in standard pattern format. Good read but no where near being a great resource book.

French Food: Top 30 Healthy, Easy, Tasty And Popular French Appetizer And Dessert Meals by Sadia Saeed
Starts out with offer of free ebook. Table of contents and introduction about cooking in France. Book is broken up into different categories: appetizers and dessert recipes.
Each recipe includes a title, small color photo, list of ingredients and directions on how to make. There is no nutritional information and you probably have to follow the directions and not substitute for ingredients as the end product will not come out right.
Have plans to make the French crepes as I enjoy the flavor but would give 97% of them away as they would not be too healthy for us.
Author bio is included at the end along with her other works highlighted.

Can We Keep Them? The Ocean by Carla Faraldo
What I liked about this colorful children's book are the sea creatures shown and highlighted.
Book starts out with a mother and father and bring their daughter to the beach. She finds many sea creatures and wants to take them all home but the parents explain they need to stay at their own homes.
Didn't care for some print that was hard to read because of the background color and that I was not able to increase the font size on my tablet.
Has a good ending, sweet dreams.

The moon is down by John Steinbeck
Had no idea what this book was even about, had just seen who it was by and knew I wanted to read it.
I'm often asked who I'd want to have dinner with and I would always pick John Steinbeck. Have read many of this other works and have enjoyed them.
This one is about wartime in Denmark and how the residents are treated, they band together, some are traitors. Didn't even know the country had coal mines and liked how the kids found the explosives in the snow.
His books make you think about things a bit more deeply.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

Instant Pot Cookbook: 500 Instant Pot Recipes to Cook at Home by Heather Perkins
Introduction starts out with why the instant pot should be your number one appliance for every meal.
Found a few recipes to try in our pressure cooker.
Each recipe starts out with a title, prep and cook times, servings. List of ingredients and you should be able to use low sodium and low fat products for a healthier choice for your dietary needs.
Directions and some nutritional information: calories, fat  NOT broken up into good and bad, fiber, carbs, protein and sugar. NO sodium levels mentions.
There are no pictures. Some items also want other accessories for the pot to be implemented.
Lots of choices in the different categories available.

Instant Pot Cookbook: 500 Instant Pot Recipes to Cook Healthy Meals by Ben Bailey
Some of the recipes were probably transferred from a different type of pressure cooker because there are problems with translation.
Also some of the ingredients are from foreign counries. Some recipes require you put the dish in the oven after to brown things so it's a bit time consuming.
Each recipe includes a title, prep and cook time and servings. List of ingredients could be healthier by using low sodium and low fat products. Directions are clear and I like having the right button selection in the recipe.
Some nutritional information: calories, fat=NOT broken up into good and bad, fiber, carbs and protein, NO sodium. There are also no pictures.
There are many categories to choose from in the table of contents. Free gift is available. Introduction is about how this unit can replace up to 6 other appliances in your kitchen and they are right about that. Love cleaning section but it doesn't tell you how much vinegar to use.
Some recipes want other accessories to be put in the instant pot before you can cook them-muffin tins, etc.
I would try a few recipes out of the 500 using lower fat, sodium products but nothing really stood out for me.

The Halloween Cookbook: Over 80 Ghoulish recipes for appetizers, meals, drinks, and desserts by Susan Evans
This book struck me as being funny because the foods you are making are regular meals but because of the Halloween names they are off the wall, making them funny.
Free bonus available. Categories are appetizers, entrees, desserts, and drinks.
Short intro from the author. Measurement conversion chart.
Each recipe has a title, servings, prep and total time along with ingredient list and you might be able to substitute for a healthier choice due to your dietary needs.
Directions are included but there are no pictures. There is no nutritional information.
This would be a big seller if pictures were included with the recipes.

Give Thanks: Thanksgiving Stories for Kids by Uncle Amon
This book starts out with a table of contents and the offer of a free book.
Story starts out with Sam offering to help his mother in the kitchen and she almost drops the platter she's holding because he never asked before...
It's Thanksgiving time and he just wants to show appreciation for all she does.
Love that each around the table has to state what they are thankful for-we do the same thing. An activity is also given for your family to try.
Other stories tell of how thankful others are in their homes and communities. Love giving back.
Sharing dinner with others and jokes for the holiday are also included.
Very colorful Thanksgiving themed pictures throughout the book.

Donuts free audio book an illustrated story about a squirrel, his wish and a loyal friendship

This colorful children's story starts out Merl the squirrel and he's the last one. He wishes for a nut to grow on the oak tree....

He is so hungry just eating leaves and grass and he meets a man sitting on the bench with a donut. Before he knew it the crumbs made a donut tree and everybody came to see it.

The acorns flew one day and spelled out a special word! 

Some words are difficult to see because the background color is too near the color of the font. Also not able to click to magnify the pages.

Other works by the author are highlighted at the end.

A Perfect Pet for Sam and Sarah by Carla Roman

Colorful children's story about Sam and Sarah and they want a pet but are not sure what to get. This is a bilingual book where English words are at the top and Green words at the bottom.

They go through different choices that show the animal doing things unnormal for them=a dino eating pizza, monkey reading a book. So silly.

Great educational tool as there are lots of different colors and animals to name. They finally make a wish...

Great question: what would you wish for and there's a page showing all other types of animals and insects to select. 

Budding Reader Book set 1: Cat and Rat By Melinda Thompson and Doug Oglesby with Melissa Ferrell
This book starts out with other books in the set
There are no words, that I can see, just pictures of a cat and a rat. I think you are to ask what is happening and the child can create their own story.
Second book is called See and using the same pictures from the first story you can 'see' what others are seeing.
See the rat is next 'the rat' is highlighted word to learn
Cat is next word in next chapter to learn. Can is the next.
You, at, look, and, stop, that are new words and look at the sentences you can create.
There is also a free parent guide available.

123 to the farm
very colorful children's book showing things on a farm and the pages ask questions about how many items you see., very basic question and answer. 10 animals and then we get into colored animals.
Cute story, so educational for numbers and letters and colors. and things found on the farm.

Bored No More: A Children's Book about Creativity by Jen Burn
Children's book about how to entertain yourself. Starts out with the kids are so bored because they cleaned the day before.
On his way to take the trash out he notices a bin of reyccling things and thought he could do things with them.
They used the cardboard boxes, glue, scissors and other things. Mom was amazed at what they had done.
Bit hard to read at times as the font changes constantly among the diagrams of things on the pages.
Some are double lettered and in color.  Love team work.
Also included is a note to parents. Free printables are available.
Another book in this series is also available: book about decluttering among several other books.

Upcycling Crafts: A Compilation of 197 Upcycling Crafts for Beginners - Includes All of Kitty Moore’s Best Selling Upcycling Books! 

Like the ideas in this book about how to use old clothes and recycle them for a different use.

Problem I have is the link to view the picture online takes you to a site but they want you to sign up and the images aren't viewable right away.

Each project comes with a title, link to an online image, material and step by step instructions on how to make.

Like the authors other books this one contains a lot of ads for other things and other places on the net.

Says to click for instant access to the images-they are not even visible.

I tire quickly from a book when it doesn't deliver what it says.

Upcycling: 31 Crafts to Decorate Your Living Space & Refresh Your Home (3rd Edition) by Kitty Moore
Starts out with an introduction about this guide and how easy it is to use.
Each item has a title and a link to see the image on the net-not sure why they can't include it in the book but there's a lot of other popups on the net page and it's hard to actually find the item.
Includes in the book a list of materials you will need and instructions step by step.
Ads for free bonus books in the book. They should keep them to the front of the book or back, not in between the projects.
Some projects are very easy, common sense rules.
More ads for things than there are for projects. Poor choice.

Let’s Meet In The Kitchen: From Drawers to Dinners: Easy Organizing Tips for the Kitchen
Have downsized a few times over the past several years and want to just use what I have on hand rather than buying the latest gadgets.
Book starts out with getting an inventory of what you have.. Then organize. Has list of things to think about: what do you like, what works well, don't like and doesn't work well.
Same approach to cabinets and other areas-a type of downsizing. Great time to also clean off the shelves, spring cleaning.
Also a section on how to place things on countertops. Works well in refrigerator and for making grocery and shopping lists.
Time management and communication skills are discussed.

Exercising For Health: How Exercise Extends Your Life by C.D. Shelton
Starts out with a preface and then Grandpas' story then onto the health benefits of exercise.
Which exercise regimen can prolong your life is discussed.  Lots of statistics are quoted and conversations between different people to prove a point.
Use a fit tracker and I can tell not only have my steps increased, more REM sleep but I go for longer periods of time -endurance and stamina along with weight training to get back loss muscle.

Natural Yogurt: How to Make Homemade Yogurt by Liz Vidal
This book explains how to make yogurt with a yogurt maker. We have an electric pressure cooker that can make it overnight. Want to see if I can learn any other secrets as it comes out different every time.
Benefits of making are discussed along with it being a weight loss super food. Lots of pictures along the way through each stage.
as it explains what is happening. Also includes recipes with healthy ingredients, no pictures there and there is no nutritional information.
Muffins look easy and quick to make and along with adding a flavoring or zucchini, carrots or bananas it'd be real good.
Other books by the author are highlighted at the end. Also table of contents is listed.

Instant Pot Cookbook: Easy & Tasty Pressure Cooker Recipes for Everyday
Starts with an intro about the book and what it's based on, a guide and how easy it is to use, simple, savings, clean and safe.
Shows different parts of instant one pressure cooker and how it all works.
Tells you what buttons on the cooker will help you do and what to cook using it.
Recipes start with a title, list of ingredients using metric and how to cook. Some substitutions should be made to meet your dietary needs. Shows prep, total servings, calories, protein and total fat  NOT broken up into good or bad, and total carbs along with a small picture.
Not sure why in the same recipe they use grams and cup measurements, hard to figure ingredients out.
Vegan and vegetarian recipes also but not worth my time translating into American English terms.

PRESSURE COOKER: DUMP DINNERS: Delicious Quick and Easy Recipes for all the Family by Charlotte Moyer

Starts with an introduction about pressure cooker and how its been updated since the 50's. Recipes start with a title, ingredient list and servings and prep time and how to make.
You should be able to substitute for low fat low sodium products for your dietary needs. Problem I have is there is no regulator on new cookers to set, it's all in the lid and gasket. Not a good translation from older cookbooks to machines of today.
We also can not set for pounds of pressure. we have low medium and high settings.
Recipes look good but not directions on how to cook them.
Some of the recipes are also in metric not American measurements. Not sure why the mix, why not just one or the other?
One recipe says to cook until the whistle blows-not pressure cookers of today.
Conclusion and other works by the author and the second half is in a foreign language-Spanish translation.

Fat For Energy Cookbook: 50 Weight Loss Rule Breaker Meals-Rev Up Your Body’s Fat Burning Engine by Brian Clifford
Book starts out with a table of contents and introduction about the ketogenic diet, low carb, high fat diet which makes your glucose levels go down. Also helps lose weight and helps fight other diseases.
Chapters on understanding the diet plan along with nutrient guides also included.
Recipes includes a title, ingredient list and how to make.

Air cheesecake. Cookbook: top 25 recipes (baked and no-bake cheesecakes) by Daniel Hall
Book starts out by offering a free ebook gift, table of contents where it shows the different categories of cheesecakes: chocolate, fruit, peanut butter,and no bake and pudding and cream cheesecakes.
Introduction talks about 3 different methods for baking a cheesecake and talking a bit about that.
Recipes start with a title and color photograph, Prep and cook time and servings.
List of ingredients and directions on how to make. There is no nutritional information. You might be able to substitute some items for low fat, low sodium, fat free for your dietary needs.
Some recipes also call for canned pie filling and store bought cookies.
Very rich for my tastes.
Conclusion talks about calories in a slice of cheesecake along with fat content. Talks about health benefits of cheesecake and how no bake ones are a bit healthier as they contain less calories and less fat.

Pie Cookbook: 52 Best Baking Recipes For a Festive Table (Baking Series Book 3)  by Jane Willan
Start out with table of content and introduction where it talks about different pie crusts and different fillings that could even be used for everyday dessert.
Each recipe includes a title, ingredient in metric measurements for tart and ingredients for filling along with how to prepare it.
There are no pictures and no nutritional information.
Half way through the book the ingredients are listed in parenthesis for American English. Not sure why the two formats.
Not sure how to measure one glass of sugar as I have many different sizes and shapes of glasses to choose from.

Summer ideas for stuffed fruits. 25 easy recipes for every day by Daniel Hall
Starts out with an offer for a free book, table of contents and introduction page about how healthy fruit is.
Each recipe starts with a title, a small color photograph of the finish item, cooking time, and servings. Ingredients are listed and you should be able to substitute for a healthier choice: low fat, low sodium, fat free, etc.
Step by step instructions are included. There is NO nutritional information.
Think chocolate strawberries without ice cream would be my choice.
Other works by the author are highlighted at the end.

30 Delicious No-Bake Refrigerator Cake Recipes by Lori Burke
Starts with an introduction and how the author got started on making special cakes.
Next chapter talks about healthier options and gives you a list of substitutions that will help you when making the items.
Each recipe starts with a title, ingredient list and how to amke
There are no pictures. There is no nutritional information.
Some recipes call for prepackaged items like cookies, boxes of pudding  or cake mixes.
Defeats the purpose if you can't see what it's supposed to look like. Some sound really good.
Table of contents is at the end of the book

DASH Diet: The DASH Diet for Beginners: Quick and Easy Steps to Lose Weight in 14 Days with DASH Diet (Low Fat, Low Blood Pressure, Prevent Diabetes, Low Cholesterol, Fat Loss, Weight Loss Diets) by Emma S Fisher
 This book starts out with an introduction talks about what DASH means and how it will improve your health.
Discussions on rising overweight people and the history of DASH . It also has to do with eating the right foods, exercise and sleep. There are substitutes for the food you eat now, low sodium, low fat, fat free and light varieties.
Menu talks about different food groups you should have and what foods are in them.
Also how many servings and calories one should intake.
Recipes start with a title, servings and list of ingredients and how to make it There are no pictures and nutritional information includes servings, calories, total fat, carbs, . Some dishes include also sat. fat protein, fiber, sodium, potasium, magnesium and calcium
Some also include old and new point WW system and different list of sodium without salt and cholesterol.  Not sure why the same listings aren't used throughout-probably copied from another book?
Handful of meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Would be hard to locate a recipe for a certain food item as there is not an index or table of contents.

Donuts  The Ultimate Recipe Guide – Over 30 Delicious & Best Selling Recipes by Danielle Caples, Encore Books
Free bonus books available and then table of contents where donuts are broken up by main ingredients: buttermilk, yeast,, etc
Each recipe starts with a title, prep and cook time and ready in along with servings.
List of ingredients and directions on how to make.There are no pictures and there is no nutritional information. Some recipes use prepared dough making it very high in sodium. Some are fried also.
Not sure you can substitute for your dietary needs. We have made healthy cake donuts with low fat, low sodium products.

50 Superfoods Recipes - 50 Nutritious, Healthy and Delicious Breakfast, Dinner and Side Dish Recipes by Rebecca Fallon
Starts out with table of contents then introduction about what superfoods are giving each a paragraph to explain their special properties.
Recipes start with breakfast, Each has a title, prep and cook time, servings. List of ingredients and how to make. Comments follow also.
There are no pictures. There is no nutritional information but most of the ingredients are freshly picked and not from cans or processed.  You should be able to substitute for low sodium, low fat or fat free products.
Recipes also include some smoothie drinks.
Another section is about dinner dishes.  Like the idea of making your own catsup and snack bars.

American Pies: Delicious Homemade Pie Recipes by Roselyn Heart
Enjoy making healthy pies now that we use my mother in laws recipe for the crust. Love combinations and textures and like having something a bit more fancy for a family gathering than just cookies.
Starts out with an introduction and then onto the recipes. Each recipe has a title and list of ingredients-not sure if you can substitute the butter for a healthier option as it will change the consistency of the dough.
Directions on how to make is included. There are no pictures. There is no nutritional information.
Like all the different fruit flavors in the recipes, quite a variety.

Power Pressure Cooker XL Cookbook: 200 Irresistible Electric Pressure Cooker Recipes for Fast, Healthy, and Amazingly Delicious Meals by Vanessa Olsen
Starts with an introduction about using your cooker and staying healthy.
Chapters on how the pressure cooker works and health benefits. Owners manual guide shows settings and what they are used for.
Starts right in with mac and cheese recipe that includes a title, list of ingredients-not sure if you can substitute for your dietary needs and how to use the pressure cooker..
Cleaning section is one of my favorite as we use an electric pressure cooker with a seal inside. Has common problems and solutions section.
Like the section on converting slow cooker recipes to the pressure cooker. My cooker actually has a slow cooker button.
Next chapter is about breakfast items. Each recipe starts with a title, servings, time to make along with a paragraph about the dish.
List of ingredients and how to make it.
Nutritional information includes total calories, pretein, carbs, fat-NOT broken up into good and bad, fiber and no sodium levels are listed either.
Should be able to substitute for healthier options for ingredients; low sodium, low fat.
I always select manual and might try the rice/risotto button instead.
Other chapters are beef, poultry, lamb, pork, seafood, soups and stews, pasta and rice, sides and snacks, Paleo dishes, vegan and holiday foods, stocks and sauces,  and desserts.
Other books by the author are highlighted at the end.
chocolate chip cookies, 2 of them sound like a great idea.

101 Quick & Easy Chicken Recipes by Victoria Steele
Introduction and then table of contents then onto the recipes.
Skillet chicken dishes are first: each recipe has a title and a tip on certain things and a list of ingredients. Should be able to substitute for healthier options by using low fat, low sodium products.
Instructions and servings are included. There are no pictures. There is no nutritional information.
Baked is another section, baked with bones, grilled, salads and sandwiches, soups, chilies, stews (some of these use canned processed foods),
slow cooker recipes and microwave.

The BEST Holiday Cooking Recipes: Easy Party Recipes for Special Occasions by Emma Buckley
Table of contents and introdction about traditionally feasts. Love that they tell you to substitute ingredients!
Appetizers start out the recipe section.
Each recipe has a title and a few paragraphs about the dish. List of ingredients and directions. Servings at the end of the recipe. There are no pictures and no nutritional information.
Other sections include: soups, side dishes, party dishes and casseroles, cookies and sweets, desserts, and beverages
Don't think there is much you can substitute 3 sticks of butter with and not change the texture of the dish-will be hard to make them healthier.
Nothing that really stood out for me to try.

Your Perfect Steak: Signature Steaks by You by Bell Parc
Starts out with what a signature steak is and anintroduction to the author and how he was raised.
List of reviews from authors other cookbooks at Amazon.
Disclaimer and dedication pages.
Introduction about what  a signature steak is.
Chapters on where, what and why. Sidenotes also are highlighted in a different background color so you get the key notes easier.
Steak terminology is next. I don't know about you but I just really want to get to the cooking part. I don't think I really need to know the intricate details.
Charts, diagrams and how to select your steak.
Colorful pictures throughout.  Everything you need to know about grilling, cleaning, etc. Liked the story of him visiting his Aussie friend to discover the filthy grill he had to clean first.
Recipes, once you get to them show a colorful photo and list of ingredients. Not sure if you can substitute for healthy dietary needs. Preparation and cooking instructions are included.
There is no nutritional information.
Different utensils needed for the grill are shown and discussed at the end.
Didn't care for this book because it was so long I just wanted a brief intro and then onto the recipes. This is anything but that. It's so involved and at times complicated.

Freshly baked bread at home in the oven by Ryan Hart
Starts out with a free bonus book and then disclaimers.
Table of contents and then introduction about how easy and less ingredients your really need to make bread.
Explains the differences between whole grain, multigrain, enriched, bagel and crackers.
Each recipe has a title, color photo, prep and cook time and servings.
List of ingredients where measurements in the same recipe are American and sometimes metric.
Directions are very precise step by step. There is no nutritional information and I do not think you can substitute for healthier dietary needs.
Lots to choose from.

Superfood Salad Recipes: A Clean Eating Cookbook for Easy Weight Loss and Detox: Fuss Free Dinner Recipes That Are Easy On The Budget by Vesela Tabakova
Table of contents then introduction about how superfoods are found in our own back yards. The reason they are called superfoods is discussed in detail.
Next section goes into each food (not all are vegetables) alphabetical order with a paragraph on each.
Herbs and spices are next talked about in alphabetical order.
Salads themselves with main ingredients: chicken, turkey, beef, fish and ham recipes follow.
Each recipe has a title, servings and list of fresh ingredients along with how to make.
There are no pictures.  There is no nutritional information  but you should be able to use a substitute for your dietary needs for olive oil, iceberg lettuce (use romaine) use low fat sour cream.
Don't care for the inconsistency in measurements: 1/2 cup or .50 all within a recipe. keep it uniform.
Like that the ingredients are not canned or processed but things you can pick out of your garden.
Lots of choices. Bonus recipes at the end for making homemade beatury solutions.

The Language of Sisters by Cathy Lamb
Like the story line enough to want to read this but it's over 450 pages long.
Russian parents come to the US with their three daughters and they open a restaurant. What I like about this is although it's about a Russian family it could easily be a Portuguese one(my nationality) as there is much that upsets the mother. Oregon, what a lovely area.
One daughter wants to marry an Italian and that sets off her creating new dishes for the restaurant because she is that upset.
Antonio is asked to fix all the problems-she's a reporter/writer.  Love the understanding of the language between the sisters as it's a family trait. You know when another is hurting or happy.
At times I am lost as to what era we are in as the book goes back to Russia, then to present then back to when they first arrived. So when Toni writes a  resignation letter I'm not sure where we are as she goes to work for the next week. Hot romances and work situations.
Kind of funny that one sister is a lawyer and is charge of bringing those to justice and her teaches the twins about self defense and they bring it to class for show and tell and the teacher gets upset when she explains how to get out of trunk of a car if kidnapped. It is useful information...
Lots of drama and action from them all.  Chapters go back in time so we can understand what happened in Russia before they came to the US. You wonder what will become of the wedding that is being planned as everybody is fighting over everything. So many secrets. X ending didn't see it ending like this.
X read but just took too long.
I received this review copy from The Kensington Books and this is my honest review

My blind friend has a pattern and she needed help so I went online and this was one that I could understand. I know braille also being blind but she needed help with the cells. This does show where to put the bobbles and that's all we needed to know as we had other calculations done. Directions are a bit confusing when you read them as they are not written like a typical standardized pattern from the publishers. I am a designer, published and we had guidelines that had to be met. This will do ok in a pinch if you really know what it is you are doing.

https://www.craftsy.com/knitting/patterns/knit-braille-blanket/315086?bvdata=action%3Drr_submit_review%26campaignId%3DBV_PIE%26userToken%3D51673b66e789b79fd0985e49a95454bb3d94b58aca083e50f67ae971fc0f09cb66623d3f26656d61696c616464726573733d6a6261727265747435253430636f782e6e6574267573657269643d3338343137267375626a6563746964733d3331353038362676657269666965647075726368617365723d5472756526646174653d3230313730393232266d61786167653d3330%26messageType%3DPIE%26recipientDomain%3Dcox.net%26productId%3D315086%26notificationId%3D1a7f8e0c-9f95-11e7-80bf-123db4e59500

The Bee Who Was Different
This colorful children's story is about a bee. He lives with his parents and has lots of friends.
The life of a bee is not quite how we think of it. This bee had something terrible happen and he's not able to walk or fly.
He knows what he can do when a bear comes to take the beehive. Like how it shows even though you can't do things everything else can you have special things you can do.

Katy bakes smarty cakes by Kurt Zimmerman
This colorful children's story starts out talking about Katy. She had to make one for school. She organized everything she'd need-recipe included, and followed the instructions. She got some answers about things from her mother.
She had a hard time finding the baking powder so selected the q powder instead. After each kid at school takes a piece and then takes the test and all pass they called it brain food.
She wanted to make the kids even smarter so put in more q powder but the kids just itched all day, boys grew colorful hair, girls were laughing and couldn't stop. Good lesson learned here.

Alex Goes To School! by Kurt Zimmerman, Michelle Zimmerman
Starts out showing children playing with summer inner tubes and it's time for school, kindergarten for Alex.
He just wants to stay home and play. He was worried nobody would like him and want to be his friend at school. bus was even scary to him.
Cute colorful children's book with great pictures to show what is going on as you read the words.
Mother takes him shopping for school supplies and a backpack. He gets to pick out what color he wants.
Kids at the bus stop were nice and ride was fun. Shows what they do all day long at school-so many fun things.
Other works by the authors are highlighted at the end.

The Itinerant Photographer: Photographs from Five Years of Wandering with Wildlife and the Stories behind Them by Max Allen
Introduction starts us off where the author tells of his travels and how he loved the wildlife, photographing it all.
Each picture is shown along with where it was taken and what settings on the camera and then a paragraph or two about it.
Love picture of the pine cones in CO the best, so simple and unique and ocean sunrise in Maine. So much in each photo, great composition.

Mexican Appetizer Cookbook: 25 recipes of Mexican Appetizers, Salads, Snacks & Salsa for ANY Occasions by James Miller
Starts with introduction and most important parts of the recipes-the ingredients. Each special ingredient has a picture and what it is and why it's great for the recipes used.
Each recipe starts with a title, color photo and a summary of the dish. Cooking time, servings and a list of ingredients.
How to make the dish but there is no nutritional information.
You should be able to substitute using low fat, low sodium products. Some recipes use canned soups thus more sodium is included.
Not sure why you couldn't use fresh tomatoes instead.
Salsa would be our choice to make.

Donut Cookbook: 55 Easy and Popular Sweetened Homemade Donut Recipes to Fry or Bake at Home (Donut Series Book 1) by Jane Willan
Starts out with a short introduction then onto the recipes.
They are broken up into sections as to the leavening agent used.
This is written with the person being in England as the measurements are metric and I don't know what 2 pieces of an egg is.
Each recipe starts with a title and list of ingredients and how to prepare them.
There are no pictures. There is NO nutritional information. You probably will not be able to substitute for a healthier dietary needs.
In some recipes the ingredients are listed using American and some have England measurements-all within the same recipe. Why not just one it's confusing enough already.
Some come from around the world.

Sous Vide Cookbook: Modern Sous Vide Recipes – The Art and Science of Cooking For Perfectly Low-Temperature Cooked Meals by Tina B.Baker
Free ebook gift and table of contents: eggs,  fruits and vegetables, poultry, beef and lamb , pork, fish and shellfish, cocktails and infusions , sauces and condiments and desserts.
This book starts out with an introduction discussing what sous vide is. We vacuum seal some foods so I can follow along easily with this book.
History of the technique and how to cook using items you have.
Machines and alternatives and chapter two discusses them in detail-the things you need.
Each recipe starts with a title and summary of the dish. Prep and cook time and servings. Nutritional information includes calories, fat-NOT broken up into good and bad, sodium, carbs, fiber and protein.
List of ingredients-look very fresh and how to make the dish.
Some recipes include a photo.  We do make our own yogurt but we use the electric pressure cooker=same outcome.

French Cuisine: The Ultimate Recipe Guide by Jackie Swansen
Starts with offer of free ebooks, table of contents-not in any specific order and then the recipes.
Each recipe includes a title, prep and cook time and servings.
Ingredients and directions. There are no pictures. There is no nutritional information and I'm not sure if you can substitute using low fat, low sodium products for your healthy dietary needs.
Chocolaty crepes would be my choice to make as you can use 2% milk.

Mediterranean Diet For Beginners by William Watts
Table of contents then an introduction. Understanding what the diet is all about. Has strong points about the diet and how it can benefit your body.
Food pyramid is explained using pictures and words about each category.
Also talks about not just a diet but exercise and sleep are important.
7 day meal plan is included. Starts out with breakfast recipes.
Each recipe includes a title color photo, prep cook total time, servings and calories.
List of ingredients and how to make.
Nutritional information includes calories, fat, sat. fat. cholesterol, carbs, sugar, fiber, protein.
Very healthy ingredients and so many choices. Quick meals in oven, pan, grill. Lots of charts to help you determine what you should be eating.
A KEEPER!

The Amazing Asparagus Cookbook: 25 Brilliant Asparagus Recipes by Robert Pratt
Love this vegetable and always looking for new ways to make it. Free gift is mentioned at the beginning of this book.
Table of contents and introduction about this vegetable.
Each recipe includes a title, color photo, prep time and servings. List of ingredients and I think you might be able to substitute for a healthier choice due to your dietary needs-low sodium, low fat.
Directions on how to make but there is no nutritional information.
Very well laid out cookbook.

Jerky :The Ultimate Recipe Guide - Beef jerky, Turkey jerky, Venison jerky, Alligator jerky, and more!
Short intro and table of contents. Each recipe starts with a title, prep and cook time, servings. List of ingredients and directions on how to make.
No pictures and no nutritional information but you can tell from the ingredients it will contain high volumes of sodium-something we can't have in our diet.
Was hoping to find one that we could eat.
Quite a large variety of choices of main meat used.
Free ebooks offered at the end.

40 Fabulous Chicken Recipes For Dinner For Your Slow Cooker (Easy Dinner Recipes - The Chicken Slow Cooker Recipes Collection Book 1)
Starts out with a short introduction, free ebook offered. Starts right in with the recipe that include a title and list of ingredients and how to make and serve.
There are no pictures and there is no nutritional information but you should be able to substitute for your healthier dietary needs.
There are also no servings so you might be making a dish for 2 or 20. Everything goes in the crocket pot-slow cooker and some require you brown the chicken in a pan on the stove before adding everything to the slow cooker.
Too many pans to clean up. I'd just use our pressure cooker that can do this and more and be done in 30 minutes time or use slow cooker setting.
Author page at the end.

Crockpot Cuisine: Easy Meals for a Busy Family by J. R. Stevens
Starts out with listing of other books by the author, table of contents and then the recipes.
Each recipe starts with a title, prep and cook time, and servings.
Ingredient listing, some include prepared foods and then directions.
There is no nutritional information and no pictures.
Should be able to substitute for your healhier dietary needs.
Nothing struck me as they are basic meals that you can make in your crock pot.

Other books by the author are highlighted again at the end.

The ABC Animal Picnic by Janina Rossiter
Have enjoyed this authors other works. This one starts out with a very colorful depiction of the alphabet.
Each letter has 4 different examples of the letter. Words are to the left, pictures to the right so the child can point them out.
The side that lists the words-there is more to them than meets the eye.
Start out with a persons name, an animal, an action word and a noun. This is so cool!
Love that the colors are not overpowering and you can see the objects in the picture.
Other works by the author are highlighted at the end. Love the illustrations!
My favorite is the D letter, shades of blue are so pretty and remind me of the water.

Received this review copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.

Sweet Christmas Kisses 4

The Gift of Yesterday by Milou Koenings
Book starts out with Bailey and she moving forward with her life and career after all the living relatives have passed away and left her much in the way of inheritance.
She moves back to Green Pines where she grew up with Joe 15 years earlier. Each chapter alternates with Bailey and Joe as life goes on in the town.
An old fashioned fair during the fall months excites her so she can get the word out she's open for business. She also meets others in town that help her and she's able to solicite her pastries to the local diner who wants to sell them.
She recalls the Larsons who are in the ministry and she hopes to get together with them and maybe Annie who's in Africa (from a previous book). The woman who answers the door gives her information about the Larsons and sets it back...
Love how strong and so sure of herself as she sets out to prove she can do the shop and make a go of it. Carnival time in town and so much activity going on, can't even imagine the smells from the place!
She fits in as her food is used to help many who need the goods. Friends are trying to set Joe up with females and they aren't having any luck...such fond memories of when they grew up and the things they did-very similar to our childhood.
Some twists and turns along the way. Easy going holiday read, light romance, loved it!
Other works by the author are highlighted at the end along with reviews from her other works.
Received this review copy from the author and this is my honest review.

Comfort from a country quilt by McEntire_ Reba
This book starts out talking about the life of Reba throughout her years.
Love the correlation of the quilt and the pieces of her life as they are depicted on the quilt. My mom also made quilts and you knew how much time she spent making them as I make them myself.
They are so treasured now that she's gone just as treasured when she gave them to you.
Found it interesting to learn how her singing career started as I don't follow country western singers. Enjoyed this story.
Loved all the chapters of giving back and memories of riding in back seat of car across country as my husband described it also to me with 7 siblings.

I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

Tangled in Time, (Miss Main Street Book 1) by Angela Castillo
This book starts with Darcy as she arrived from LA after being notified she's her grandmothers beneficiary of her shop and everything in TX.
Kaley owned the bakery next door and was great friends with her gran. Darcy will take over where her gran left off and not sell it she'll run it herself.
She's not in a good space with her boyfriend, Jared in LA and he dictates where they go, what she will wear, etc. She's had it with him and prays to God to advise her.
Kaley next door also has man problems as she overhears a conversation. She hopes to comfort her.
Ramsey has stopped by, a boy from school and the neighborhood and he invites her to visit his parents for a meal soon.
Love mystery of the secret room as she get advice from contractors to come to the shop.
Love how the community shop owners welcome her to the area and are able to give her suggestions on how to be a hit.
Handmade items-traditional. Yorefest-I can just imagine people from 1860's showing their trades.
Like how she handles her ex and father showing up and also the new man in her life. Darcy has many episodes of remembering her grandmother and things she'd do, precious but heartbreaking at the same time.
Someone is out to get her and her business as they turn her shop to the inspectors. She wonders if the underground railroad is part of her secret room as the inspector notices some discrepancies.
Few characters and it's easy to keep track of them all. Love how the mysteries are solved and the outcome.
She prays to God often to help guide her. You wonder how she will survive on her own and without her grandmother but lots of help from others in the community. Excerpt from the next book in this series is included at the end.

Received a review copy of this book via Story Cartel and this is my honest review.

Book Review Banzai: The Unknown Author's Ultimate Guide to Getting Amazon Reviews
Useful information about how authors should approach book bloggers to get their books read and reviewed online.
As a reviewer I'm happy when an author solicits their book for me to read. Hate when they just assume I will read it because they sent it to me. I read a ton, over 700 books this year, some are child, cookbooks, gardening, real 400 page books, wide variety of subjects.
I want to know a bit about the book then I'll decide if I want to read it and post reviews to about 15 different social media sites.  Don't push it down my throat, ask me first. Always like a more personal letter, about something we have in common, even weather or geographical location.
The author knows what a blogger is and what an author is and how to match them together.

Fruit Popsicles :The Ultimate Recipe Guide - Over 30 Healthy & Homemade Recipes

What I liked about this book was the healthy ingredients for the most part-some used high fructose syrup-too much sugar for us.

Introduction tells you about the book and how you can control the healthy ingredients. For all recipes you do need Popsicle molds and sticks.

Each recipe starts with title, prep and cook time and servings. List of ingredients and they do list low sodium, low fat varieties along with how to make the item.

There are no pictures and there is no nutritional information but you should have no problem finding one that will fit your dietary needs.

Other works by the author are highlighted at the end.

Forever His by Shelly Thacker

Starts out 1299 with a tournament and the men decide instead of wiping out the family of heirs that they work together.

The king states he must have a relative marry the other side. She was in the nunnery and ready to devote herself to God.

They are never to raise their blades or they lose everything they have.

1993 in France, Celine Fontaine is enjoying the festivities and knows something important is about to happen. Her sister Jacqueline is trying to set her up with a man.

Celine had given up modeling and now works in fibers...the physical therapy is going well but not many know of her injuries...

The two worlds collide as they try to figure things out...she's arrived in 1300 and has no clue as to what is at stake....

Good, funny at times time travel book. Gaston wants her to be a maid now doing chores? 

Loved learning about how the estate was run in 1300's and what was important to wealth and security.  Love how she steps up to the plate and  teaches others throughout the house how to make things easier and helps with the children. Hot spicy sex scenes as they get to know one another.

She is able to learn how to get back to the future...

Received this ebook free from smashwords and this is my honest review.

Bottled Water: What to BUY & What to AVOID (The Truth About Bottled Water Book 1) by Kate Bernhardt 

What I like about this book are the facts. Never knew only a handful of companies actually own the labels behind the water that you buy.

Water bottles are not created equally, so much to learn about this. We drink a lot of water and they tell you what to watch out for.

Like the quiz that accompanies the book as there are right and wrong answers.There's only 5 rules when it comes to bottled water and I won't spoil the fun you can have in learning about them for yourself.

Interesting book and learned so much!

Living Frugal And Loving It: 40 Creative Ways To Save Money And Live Debt Free For Life (Simple Living Book 2)  by Kathy Stanto

Lots of ideas on how to save time and money in many different areas of your life. We do a large majority of them already: cut cable bill, use magicjack for phone, low end banking, coupons, etc.

Would be a super book if it had a checklist enclosed that you could print so you can watch your progress. Really enjoyed this book.

Mediterranean Diet: 250+ Heart Healthy Recipes & Desserts + 100 Mediterranean Diet Beginner’s Tips, Tools, & Resources. (Mediterranean Diet Cookbook, Lose Weight, Slow Aging, Fight Disease & Burn Fat by Kevin Hughes 

Don't care for some of the discussions in this book as our nutritionist told us to limit our salt intake due to husband's heart attack. This book says Med diet is high in salt-I totally disagree with that.

I know what I can sprinkle on our food to make it healthy.

Recipes in this book do not have pictures. The nutritional information they do contain is different for each of the recipes, most will have  protein, fat-not broken up into good and bad fats, carbs and calories.  Each recipe has a title and servings and list of ingredients. When you have to use a can of beans and just rinse it off the brine is already in the beans, USE FRESH!

Some items I have no idea what they even are: tahini. Also has directions in how to make. Not all recipes even have nutritional information. Some of format is different for some of the recipes.

There  are to me, a lot of useless information in the book. Introduction starts out with what the Mediterranean diet is and to check wtih your doctore first.

I totally disagree with having red wine at dinner. our doctor told us if you do not drink wine, don't start because of this diet. To us it's a new lifestyle as we combine exercise and sleep with the good diet.

Not sure if you really need to know about what kitchen utensils and appliances you should be using. Some of my appliances do the job of 6 other appliances.

There are listings of other sites online to check out along with apps to use.

Funny how it states to use low fat butter and other products but recipes don't use them as ingredients, they use real milk, etc.

We use low fat, low sodium and have no problems when the recipe calls for regular.

This book I could modify but it still doesn't list good and bad fats nor sodium which is what we are more interested in than calories or carbs. So lacking.

Contemporary Cables Classic Aran Reimagined in Current Styles by Jody Long
Viewed this book on my tablet so the paperback copy might be a bit different.
Always been fascinated by knitted cables and what you can do with them as I experiment myself.
starts out with an introduction from the author about what fascinated her at the beginning.
Each sweater is pictured along with its name and book page number for easy reference.
Love the very basic of diamonds with seed stitch, you can see the stitches clearly, enough to make the design yourself.
Besides the intro there is are short paragraphs on basic things, yarn, amount, equipment, guage, basic stitches, casting on, joining, working stripes, from a chart, seams, etc a bit of everything to make a complete garment.
I can just imagine some of the patterns featured, not made up in a sweater but a scarf or hat even.
Each pattern starts with a color photo and what I like about them is that you can see the stitches, cabling and the background doesn't blend right in so you lose what you are looking at.
Has a star skill level, then chart by size so you can be sure of a good fit.
Other materials listings-what was used to make the sweater and gauge and special abbreviations along with how to work them.
Row by row instructions on how to make the pattern and how to assemble and finishing touches. Very detailed instructions. Also small photo of back of the sweater as well.
Chart diagrams showing measurements are also included along with special stitches.
Charted pattern is also enclosed if you follow instructions that way.
Like different types of shoulders and necks in the patterns.
Besides sweaters, wraps, shrug, there is a pattern for mittens, beret and a scarf.
What I also like about this book is the styles for men!  Abbreviations are available at the end of the book and how to make them also a conversion chart for US/UK needle sizes
Never realized the author was a man til I got to the last page, super that he shares his knowledge with us in this book.

I received this book from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

A Stash of One's Own Knitters on Loving, Living with, and Letting Go of Yarn by Clara Parkes

Love to read stories of other knitter's concerns with having enough yarn to last their lifetime.

This is a book from other knitter's about how to they feel about the subject matter.

Should be a relaxing read as it will relate to me directly.

Most are very well known knitters to me, some are new. Each chapter features one author  who is a knitter.

Loved the story about inheriting something from your mother-I got the knowledge of learning from my mother and am very happy with what I can create with it, for others.

Love hearing what yarn means to others as it does to me. Love section on the contributors and their life.

I received this book from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

1.  

Educating Dr. Mayfield Book 3 by Rebecca Heflin
Have read the other books in the series and have enjoyed them.
Delaney Driscoll is at the bar with her friends who are only talking about their love lifes and marriages.
Dating service also talks abut blood test that will find your match from the previous book.
Sterling University, she has submitted her curriculum and hopes the university approves her schedule.
She approaches a man at the bar, so unlike her, Delvon Mayfield, the tall, dark and handsome man.
He's the dean and has the goal to get a higher ranking for the university. They keep getting thrown together with the other couples and they spend a lot of time together.
He actually takes the blood test to find his histocompatible mate and it's obvious who his perfect match will be.
Bit predictable but with some twists along the way.  Love hearing of interpretations of literary works.
Profanity, adult situations and sexual scenes.   Love how the book catches up with other couples from previous books but if you've not read them they introduce you to them.
Other works by the author are highlighted at the end.
Received this book via the author and this is my honest review.

BOOK REVIEW:

Piper's Passion by Lee Carver
This is another book in the Jungle series and is a stand alone book.
This one starts out with Piper who's an airplane mechanic and a pilot for her father's firm in South America. She hopes to get her parents back together and after leaving the medical field.
Kyle is there as a missionary and he intervenes when another male is getting too close to Piper.
Loved learning about the culture, food, hugs and history of how the company was started. Have seen pictures of the area at Rio De Janeiro on TV during the Olympics and the descriptions in this book really made it come alive.
Piper and her brother get into deep discussions about her place with the company and hopes he has direction.
Story also follow Kyle and he's still mourning the loss of his wife years ago and still wearing the ring. Her relatives advise him to move on and give them grandbabies as they will always be around.
Love the aviation mechanic industry and learning about it. Throughout the book God is present in many ways.
She's terrified of her father and what direction he wants her life to go.
Her faith in God and visiting church again help her achieve the things she wants to do with her life, spiritually and physically.
Love hearing of the medical journey while on an excursion-real life jungle life and other medical emergencies and how she is able to help.
She is able to advise one about how to avoid drug running... so dangerous! Love how she takes charge of what will be her role in a new venture, so courageous.
So much action, adventure, learning new things, travel, jungle and everything surrounding it, culture of those living there, foods, activities and how God breaks through to those in doubt.
Pray you home, great prayer for one traveling, love it.
Excerpt from the next book in the series is included at the end.