The BTC Old-Fashioned Grocery Cookbook

The B.T.C. Old Fashioned Grocery Cookbook is absolutely beautiful. I haven’t had the opportunity to prepare any of the recipes in the book yet but there are a lot that I really want to try. This cookbook is beautifully laid out with a lot of different recipes. It is also chocked full of stories. I especially like the chicken story at the end it made me giggle. I’m from the south so the recipes were familiar to me with some twists. I will say that the recipes use a lot of spices but all are relatively easy to find at the grocery store.

The book is also full of small town photographs that are done very well. I’m a little bit of a photography nut so I really loved looking at them.  The section on soups is divided in subsections based on seasons of the year when the vegetables will be fresh and available. I can’t wait to try the fried pies that aren’t really fried but oven baked. We always fry them in oil so this recipe looks a tad bit healthier if you can call a fired pie healthy, haha. I wouldn’t say this book is a “healthy” cookbook if that is what you are looking for but I believe if you love good southern cooking you will love this cookbook. It would also make a nice gift for a new cook going out on their own. The recipes are clear and easy to follow and many include photos of what the final product should look like.

I received this book at no charge from bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest review. You can purchase this book here.

June Bride

 

I wish there were a little more to June Bride. I’m afraid Marybeth Whalen’s idea “It was good to wonder” may leave something a little flat in the ending. I enjoyed the storyline. Wynne the main character had been rejected by her high school sweetheart and fiancé. Her friend convinced her to send in a tape to “The Rejection Connection” and she got on the show. She chose to marry Andy but is she really in love with him and is she over Callum?

I believe the author was trying to make this novella a little less predictable but in the end I’m not sure it works. When one is reading this novella they expect a happy ending. Not that there is or isn’t a happy ending in this book. It is all in the way it is perceived. It just feels unfinished. I would also have liked to have gotten to know Wynne’s family and friend a little better. The characters were there but I just didn’t feel like I learned much about them and that maybe they were just a filler in the story.

I wouldn’t say this novella was awful by no means but it wasn’t my favorite. If you are looking for a story like previous ones in this series you may be a little disappointed but overall I think you can still enjoy it.

I received this book at no charge from www.booklookbloggers.com in exchange for an honest review.

A Table by the Window

I enjoyed A table by the Window by Hillary Manton Lodge. I’m not particularly a person who absolutely loves food. I do enjoy eating but usually only eat because I need to.  This book has several recipes peppered throughout the chapters and they do look very good. It’s a story about a family who have been in the restaurant business all of their lives. With several story lines you really don’t get bored at all. The family has been really fun to get to know. There is a little romance, family health issues, and family mystery.  I love the family being close with one another even though they can get on each other’s nerves.

The story is centered around food writer Juliette D’Alisa who is dealing with her job, her mother’s illness, her siblings, her guilt from a love gone wrong, and her grandmothers death. And now she is trying to decide if an online relationship that is also a long distance one is worth it.

This book is obviously going to be a series and ends with a “cliffhanger” I don’t really like the way it ended leaving so many loose ends but for the most part I really liked reading. If you are a person who really loves food this book is for you. Even if you aren’t there is enough going on that it will hold your interest. I’m looking forward to the next book just to see what happens next. Be warned it will make you hungry Juliette’s life is centered around food and food is mentioned a lot.

I received this book from bloggingforbooks.com at no charge in exchange for an honest review. You can purchase a copy of it here.

May Bride

I’ve read the other Bride series and was really looking forward to reading May Bride by Meg Moseley. I have loved everything I have read by her and was not disappointed by this one. Once again as I have stated in my earlier reviews of these series of books I enjoyed this one also. If you are looking for a quick, short read you’ll like this one. There isn’t much that isn’t predictable in this book just like the others.

Ellie, a real estate broker, who enjoys gardening at a local church even though no one knows she is there doing it. It is her way of relaxing. Then one early morning while on her secret gardening mission she accidently gets mixed up in a “guerrilla wedding” on the church grounds. She tries to hide to keep from being notice but in the end she is noticed by Graham Witby better known as Gray. Their story proceeds from there.

This is a short romantic novella that is great for an afternoon or evening read and only takes a few hours to complete. If you have read and enjoyed other novellas in this series you will love this one. The characters are believable and Ms. Moseley does a great job introducing them to us.

I received this book at no charge from Booklookbloggers.com in exchange for an honest review.

 

 

Modern Pioneering

Modern Pioneering by Georgia Pellegrini will make a wonderful addition to those who are seeking information on starting a homesteading/pioneering lifestyle. This book is full of beautiful illustrations, recipes, tips, and information on several different topics. It gives wonderful information on how to start a small backyard, raised garden. It also gives ideas on container gardening. This is wonderful for people who have limited space but still want to grow their own food. She also includes a section on which crops are easy to grow. Then she includes some wonderful recipes using some of the things you grow.

This book would also be great for a younger person who may be going out on their own. There are tips on changing tires, picking locks, survival in emergency situations. Basically there are all kinds of information to help life a self-sufficient lifestyle. The top it off she even includes some crafting projects.

It is very well put together, beautiful illustrations and pictures, fun ideas and very easy to understand. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to get started in growing their own food. I received this book at no charge from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

You can purchase this book here.

Bluebonnet Bride

 

Colleen Coble’s Bluebonnet Bride novella is a great little read very true to her style of writing only in a small package. Although this is a novella and not a full novel I found the story satisfying and not rushed. The novella is set in Austin, Texas in the early 1900’s and is a romantic story about Elli Korpela who is a mail order bride of sorts. She comes to Texas to marry Nathan White but soon finds out he wants someone to help raise his niece. His sister is deceased and agreed to raise Hannah. Elli immediately fell in love with little Hannah but she fears she will put her and Nathan in danger. Her secrets will have to be shared to keep them safe.

If you are looking for a quick summer read and love historical romance once again Colleen Coble doesn’t disappoint. I do wish it had been a full novel because I love everything she writes and love to get lost in her stories. This again is a predictable novella but even being so short she is able to complete the story and give you a great storyline.

I received this book from BookLook.com at no charge for an honest review.

Echoes of Mercy

Echoes of Mercy by Kim Vogel Sawyer is a historical novel set in the early 1900s. When suspicious activities happen at the Dinsmore’s World-Famous Chocolate Factory Caroline Lang goes undercover to investigate. She had a difficult childhood and some of the practices at the factory really bother her. She is thrown into several different situations that is making her investigation difficult.

If you really like historical novels you will like this one. There are many characters in this book that are fun to get to know. Many different lives that become entwined with one another to spin this story into an enjoyable read. I find it very difficult to find books that don’t have predictable endings and this one wasn’t much different as far as that goes but it still had a wonderful story line and I found myself going back in time and really getting into the book. There are a few little surprises but overall still predictable. It’s a good light read with some romance stuck in there. I would still recommend it because I really did enjoy it.

I received this book from Blogging for Books at no charge in exchange for an honest review. You can purchase this book here.

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An April Bride

An April Bride novella by Lenora Worth is from the A Year of Wedding Series. It is a short novella that is read quickly just like the others in this series. It is about high school sweethearts, Marshal and Stella, who are planning on getting married in April but Marshal gets deployed to the Middle East. Marshal is wounded and will be coming home soon. The storyline is around Marshal’s injuries and whether or not he can overcome the obstacles in his life in time to marry Stella. The couple faces problems their future may hold.

This book just like the others is pretty predictable and not deep but it is a fun little read for a relaxing day in the sun. If you love romance novels you will like this one. And if you have read any of the other Novellas in this series this one is similar to all of the others. I enjoyed the characters and the plot. It deals with real issues that people must face when they have a soldier in their life who has sacrificed for our country. This would be a good vacation read.

I received this book at no charge from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for an honest review.

Distortion

Terri Blackstock’s book Distortion is the second book in the Moonlighters series. It is a continuation of Truth Stained Lies.  Juliet Cole’s husband is murdered before her eyes. Secrets begin to emerge and she realizes that she and her children are in danger.

True to Mrs. Blackstock’s writing this book is full of action and mysteries, twists and turns. I have yet to read a book by her that I haven’t liked and this one is no different. I would suggest reading Truth Stained Lies first so that you can get to know the characters but I believe one could pick this one up and easily follow the story line with no problem without reading the other one. The characters are fun and easy to get to know. I feel like I can walk right into her story.

I can’t think of any cons in this book other than it is her typical writing style so nothing new in the way of depth but still so enjoyable to read. It is somewhat predictable for people who have read a lot of her books.

If you love a little mystery, a little crime fighting, and a little romance you will enjoy this book. If you love Terri Blackstock’s books this one will not disappoint you.

I received this book at no charge from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for an honest review.

Cloak of the Light

As I read reviews of Cloak of the Light: Wars of the Realm, Book 1 by Chuck Black I was concerned about ordering it. Many people said it was slow in getting started but I disagree. I think the author did a good job introducing his characters and their backgrounds. I’m glad I went with my gut feeling and went ahead and ordered this book.

The main character, Drew, is a teenager getting ready to enter college. He and his mother have faced  many struggles after the death of his father. Drew befriends Ben in high school, a boy who believes aliens are going to invade the world. They eventually move on to college together and a horrible accident leaves Drew blinded. As the story goes on Ben becomes more “paranoid” and disappears. Drew begins to heal but he is seeing things that he doesn’t understand and is on a mission to figure it out.

Cloak of the Light is probably geared more toward young adult or older teenagers. I enjoyed reading the book but I found it a little unbelievable with the “aliens” and what is starting to unfold. I think I would have preferred a more realistic or believable account of the beings that Drew is seeing. I’m not sure the time machine is believable enough to make him see what he is seeing although I do understand where the author is going. I like series books but I also like for each book to have an ending that leaves me feeling like the book is complete. I’m not familiar with Chuck Black’s style of writing, this is the first book of his that I have read, but the book left me feeling as if the story wasn’t complete. I realize that he left it as a “cliffhanger” but that isn’t my preference when reading a book. I do look forward to reading more of this series.  The author did a good job of drawing me into his story and kept my attention. His characters were interesting and fun to get to know. If you enjoy Sci-fi mixed with some spiritual indications you will enjoy this book. Keep in mind it is geared toward a younger reader you won’t find deep spiritual characters, but more juvenile characters.

I received this book from Waterbrook-Multnomah at no charge in exchange for an honest review. You can purchase this book from here.

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