The First Ride: The Real Story of Santa Claus by Gary Paul Bryant
Love how the book starts out in 1873 from the grandfather's journals about how Nicholas and Anna came to live at their farm.
Love how this story is told about the small town and how others help the neighbors.
Lots of strange things happen but there are explanations. Love the ride!
The Reckoning by John Grisham
Story starts out with a man who's preparing to execute his plan. Once you find out what it is it's rather haunting. Very detailed description of what's going on but we don't know why.
As time goes on, after the trial and execution the book goes back in time to when he was in his 20's and what happened in his life. His story is detailed of his war years and experiences among falling in love and having kids.
You understand what happens as the light bulb goes on and realize just who is who and why and how they are related. Rather abrupt ending I felt.
Love reading this man's detailed books, I can picture them in my mind.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
The Paris seamstress by Lester_ Natasha
Story follow a young woman as she is sent to the US as Paris is falling and she will not be safe there. Her journey to NY, staying with a relative and things unfold that are confusing at first til you understand how everybody is related.
More people are introduced to really complicate the story a bit.
Love hearing of her design work and how she breaks through for a showing after all her hard work.
Cool to hear how everyone is related-didn't see that coming.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
Stranded by Don and Stephanie Prichard
Starts out so typical of a cruise, people are boarding and enjoying getting to know one another.
Things go downhill from there as they are escorted off the ship to life boats and told not to put on life vests.
An aunt and her neice tip over and another helps them to stay afloat but the boat is blown up. Story also follows a man left on the ship and he walks into something that is not right...
That ship ends up blowing up and they all wash ashore on an island. They are able to help one another and love hearing about what they discover.
Didn't see this book going that way but others come to the island as if the creatures on the island aren't enough to deal with.
Like the ending but didn't as it's left open to what happens next...
Almost want to get the second book but don't...
Holiday Luv Bundle by Alicia Street
Four stories of the Holidays...
A note from the author and then the book sstarts.
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The Christmas Honeymoon
Serena and she's just noticed the man with his wife and family..
She's a waitress and the man feels she's pushing holiday food where she serves at the diner...
They spend time together and she decorates a tree for his house but others in town want her gone and they are blackmailing her into turning her cousin's diner in to the health dept...
Love how she stands up to the library board, WHOA! We also learn why the holidays are so rough for Damien-heartbreaking!
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Be Mine for Christmas-
Ellie finally finds her son, Brandon in a workshop at the Christmas tree farm. The man offered her a free tree but she's not a charity case and has a job lined up for the next day.
Dressed as an elf she's working at the appliance center handing out candy canes til Reese shows up again-trying to protect her he ends up losing her the job but he has a holiday job for her at the shop...
She opens up to him with her problems and he knows he'd make a great dad for Brandon.
Love hearing all about the Christmas shop she works at=so very festive! He recalls her when he had a life threatening accidend-she was able to keep him alive-his angel.
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The Christmas Wedding Cake
He is now a chef trainer and the cookoff want Natalie to be matched with him-they are old sweethearts.
She was hoping for exposure to her diner but doesn't want to be the blunt of it.
Interesting backstory about Shane and his sister Robin. His teen years with his musical group and his location to the west coast.
Mysterious part of this is when they do get back together they exchange notes about the email sent to one another breaking up-neither had sent it.
They have an idea who did though...love cooking tips along the way.
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His Christmas Promise
Story of a woman who's been in an accidnet and her dog has run away. With help from others and flyers they are able to get a call that he's been found.
Justin has found the dog and taken a liking to and wanted to buy him. He's back from the military-helicopter commutes, which she had taken a few with him.
Ronnie-Veroninca arrives ant ehy are able to remninsce with one another...
Love hearing about the therapy dog and the good they are able to do for many.
Love the bartering, so prescious.
Received this review copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.
The Cranny by Vincent James Vezza
Read the allegory about this same subject and loved it.
Like how the author has names for the tadpoles-=a to j and that they have a story also.
Like how the bible is brought into this book along with the passages.
Her Christmas Secret by Alicia Street
Lila Belle has brought her toys and accessories to the big city. She has the opportunity to show it off on a table in a big store.
She hopes to meet the president of the company in hopes he'd want more of her items and that would help fund her endeavor.
She meets the maitenance man and he helps her and even accompanies her to a nearby party of friends.
Misunderstanings occur before he can tell her who he really is...she jumps to conclusions on her own...
She gets a proposal from Wendell and a bit more than that which turns her off but she has to come up with a way to fund the toys for her sister and their family...
Grant is still interested in Lila and can't get her out of his mind...love the events they are able to go to.
Other works by the author are highlighted at the end.
Received this review copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.
Back to Christmas by Dennis Canfield
Read a previous years version and now this one as it's been updated:
It's a very different book than the last version. This one is mostly about how people are placed on the naughty and nice lists.
Part I love the best are when the elves intervene and the technology no longer works and after standing in lines for hours they do work.
Love also how the family gets to know things about one another because they have/make the time to actually talk to one another, rather than using technology.
Kudoos to the elves who helped!
Received this review copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.
Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Cookbook: 575 Best Instant Pot Recipes of All Time (with Nutrition Facts, Easy and Healthy Recipes) by Rachel Collins
Starts with dedication page, table of contents where the pot is discussed in detail and recipes are broken up into meals and food categories.
Each recipe starts with a title, servings, prep and cook times.
List of ingredients which you should be able to substitute for your healthier dietary needs: low sodium, low sugar, low fat products and fresh vs canned.
Directions on how to make are included.
There are NO pictures and there is some nutritional information per serving: calories, carbs, protein, fat-NOT broken up into good and bad, sugar and sodium levels.
Huge section on making your own stock and we tried it. Works awesome for making your own soups from the stock.
Want to try the pumpkin bundt cake as I can make it healthy for us to eat. Resources are listed at the end along with a section about the author.
A KEEPER!
Quick Bites Cookbook: Easy Antipasto Recipes
Offer of a free ebook and table of contents where recipes are not in any special order.
Each recipe starts with a title and list of ingredients and how to make thie dish.
There are NO pictures. There is NO nutritional information. The recipes do not start at the top of a new page.
You should be able to substitute for your healtier dietary needs: low sodium, low fat, low sugar products and substitute fresh for canned items.
Lots of variety for quick bites and appetizers.
25 Days of Christmas Treats: Delicious, no-fail recipes to please even the pickiest eater! Barb Asselin
Book starts out with a table of contents where recipes are broken up into meals.
Short intro and one about the 25 days schedule.
Tells you what foods/drinks are made on certain days.
Each recipe starts with a title, color photo and list of ingredients along with directions to make the dish.
There is NO nutritional information but you should be able to substitute for your healtiher dietary needs: low sodium, low fat, low sugar products.
Like the recipes for fudge as they are easy and will taste just right.
Frog recipe looks just like our no bake cookies but an ingredient or two different. They are good.
Other books by the author are highlighted at the end.
Good holiday keepsake.
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