Tasty. Healthy. Cheap. By Kevin Tatar

 

Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not otherwise compensated and all opinions stated are 100% my own. 

KWOOWK is all about fun and flavor without breaking the bank. As a self-taught home cook, Kevin has made it his mission to help students and young adults in the pursuit of healthy, affordable, and approachable home cooking.

My thoughts-

I am not a college student or a young adult, but I am a newly single mother of 3 kids with an incredibly significant income decrease, and right as grocery prices are skyrocketing. I have 3 teenagers who never seem to get full, and I need to feed 4 adult sized people on a lower income. When I saw Kevin's book, I liked the description since I am always looking for ways to save money on groceries without sacrificing taste. I had never heard of the Youtube channel Kwook (but I will definitely be subscribing to it now!), so the author and his cooking advice and style were completely new to me. I am impressed. I am a foodie who loves a good meal. I have marked so many recipes in Tasty. Healthy. Cheap. across all categories. They are mostly healthy (but delicious!) meals too! There is everything from banana pancakes to black bean burgers. There are also meals that start out simple and cheap that you build upon as well like the instant ramen upgrade. The desserts are always my favorite of most cookbooks and I love that in this one they are all healthier, but without sacrificing decadence. Tasty. Healthy. Cheap.  will definitely be a go-to cookbook for me! It is available for pre-order on Amazon. 

*this post may contain affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission if you decide to purchase the product in the link.*

Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language by Amanda Montell

 "A brash, enlightening, and wildly entertaining feminist look at gendered language and the way it shapes us, written with humor and playfulness that challenges words and phrases and how we use them."

*Trigger warning: This book may upset someone who is easily offended.*

I absolutely adored Wordslut. I listened to it on Audible and I think that is the best way to consume this particular book. The author is also a great narrator. One of my favorite things about Wordslut was learning the history of so many words that I have wondered about in the past. Learning the origins of some of these words was incredibly interesting. Amanda Montell has given us a gem of a book and food for thought on how language develops and how it continues to develop, as well as what direction it is going in.  Combined with wit and humor, Wordslut is the perfect book to read for any word nerd who is interesting in and enjoys language and language development. 

Disclaimer: this blog post may contain affiliate links. I bought and read this book of my own accord. No compensation was received. Opinions stated in the post are 100% my own. 

New Beginnings

 

I have been MIA for quite some time from here. I have been busy working full time and taking care of my three teenagers full time. I am in the process of a divorce after being married for 16 years. I never thought I would be here. If you were to go through this blog and you read some of the things I have posted in the past, you might not ever have thought I would be here either. It is a prime example of you just never know what is going on behind closed doors. I was never physically abused but I am so happy to be out of a marriage in which I (and my children) were consistently neglected except for on the rare occasion that he wanted to tell everyone what a great person he was so he would do something grand so he could show off what an "amazing" person he was. It is also a lot easier to be a single parent when you are actually a single parent and there isn't that disappointment or stress that the person you were relying on being your partner and teammate just stays checked out. I am so much happier on my own and I can't wait to get back to who I used to be before he stole all of my joy through emotional abuse and neglect. That part of my life is in the past, and this part of my life is something I really missed. So I will be back here posting reviews again. It will probably be mostly book reviews since that is my main source of entertainment, but I will probably write some other reviews as well, and post about any travels that occur. I may also write about my journey into being a single woman in my 40's with three teenagers, two cats, and a dog. I am so glad to back!

Curry Compendium by Richard Sayce

*Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own. 

About the book-

Richard Sayce, the man behind Misty Ricardo’s Curry Kitchen, is renowned by his many fans for quality recipes, attention to detail and his affable style. Having sold more than 50,000 copies of his first books, and amassing over six million views of his recipes on YouTube, there is a huge appetite for this new magnus opus packed with mouth-watering, easy-to-follow recipes.

Curry Compendium includes starters, side dishes, curries, rice and bread, along with a generous portion of traditional and street food style recipes. Readers benefit from supporting YouTube tutorials for the majority of recipes, each with a QR code to scan with a smartphone/tablet to watch online instantly. 

My thoughts-

I grew up around Indian food. My step dad is from Pakistan and food from these regions was often present in our home, especially when his family came to visit. Ironically, I didn't really fall in love with the taste of Indian food until I was 19 and found myself in London with my family on vacation. It may have been because it was familiar in a very unfamiliar place, but I think a lot of it was the the food was exceptionally good. Curry Compendium is a cookbook dedicated to the art of the British version of Indian food. This type of cuisine is not an easy one to conquer in the kitchen, so I really appreciate the very detailed efforts of this cookbook. The beginning introduces you to the spices, the tools necessary to make the food, and the step by step process of how to make the spice and curry mixes. The rest of the cookbook is dedicated to mouth watering recipes. Yes, Indian food is a labor of love, but the finished product is worth the effort, and Curry Compendium gives you the tools necessary to great the best BIR (British Indian Restaurant) curries possible.

*This post may contain affiliate links

The Santa Suit by Mary Kay Andrews

 

*Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions are 100% my own. 

About the Book- 

When newly-divorced Ivy Perkins buys an old farmhouse sight unseen, she is definitely looking for a change in her life. The Four Roses, as the farmhouse is called, is a labor of love—but Ivy didn't bargain on just how much labor. The previous family left so much furniture and so much junk, that it's a full-time job sorting through all of it.

At the top of a closet, Ivy finds an old Santa suit—beautifully made and decades old. In the pocket of a suit she finds a note written in a childish hand: it's from a little girl who has one Christmas wish, and that is for her father to return home from the war. This discovery sets Ivy off on a mission. Who wrote the note? Did the man ever come home? What mysteries did the Rose family hold?

Ivy's quest brings her into the community, at a time when all she wanted to do was be left alone and nurse her wounds. But the magic of Christmas makes miracles happen, and Ivy just might find more than she ever thought possible: a welcoming town, a family reunited, a mystery solved, and a second chance at love.

My thoughts-

I love the magic of this novella. The Santa Suit Ivy finds ties together the whole story in the end which was absolutely lovely. I always like a good Christmas romance and Mary Kay Andrews delivered just that. I love the added touch of suspense surrounding the mystery of the letter to Santa from the little girl thats in the pocket of the suit, as well as Ivy's sweet relationship with her elderly neighbor. If you love small town Christmas romance, you will love The Santa Suit.

Dear Santa by Debbie Macomber

*Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions are 100% my own. 

About the book-

 Lindy Carmichael isn’t feeling particularly joyful when she returns home to Wenatchee, Washington, for Christmas. The man she thought was “the one” has cheated on her with her best friend, and she feels completely devoid of creativity in her graphic-design job. Not even carolers or Christmas cookies can cheer her up—but Lindy’s mother, Ellen, remembers an old tradition that might lift her daughter's spirits.

 
Reading through a box of childhood letters to Santa and reminiscing about what she'd wished for as a young girl may be just the inspiration Lindy needs. With Ellen's encouragement, she decides to write a new letter to Santa, one that will encourage her to have faith and believe just as she’d done all those years ago. Little does Lindy know that this exercise in gratitude will cause her wishes to unfold before her in miraculous ways. And, thanks to some fateful twists of Christmas magic—especially an unexpected connection with a handsome former classmate—Lindy ultimately realizes that there is truly no place like home for the holidays.

My thoughts-

I am in the camp of people that think Hallmark movies are absolutely wonderful, and I count down the days every year leading up until it is time to watch them. I also love books that read like Hallmark movies, and find myself reading them often between August and December. Dear Santa is the perfect sweet small town romance with a twist of Christmas magic to make you soon. The characters were well developed, and the story was a page turner. I highly recommend to my fellow hopeless romantics. 

Falling in Love on Willow Creek by Debbie Mason

*Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions are 100% my own. 

About the book-

Fall in love with thelatest Highland Falls romance about a single mom-to-be's surprise delivery and the undercover FBI agent who rescues her and her heart in the small town of Highland Falls.

Single mom-to-be Sadie Gray will do anything to find her younger brother before the law catches up with him. Even if it means returning home to the small town of Highland Falls with a baby due any moment. But when that moment comes sooner than expected, and Sadie finds herself stranded on the top of a mountain—in labor--she couldn’t be more grateful for the park ranger who finds her and helps deliver her daughter safely. Soon they’ve formed a tight friendship, and while he may be hinting at more, Sadie isn’t planning to stick around after she finds her brother.

FBI agent Chase Roberts wasn’t looking for love when he agreed to go undercover as a park ranger to find an on-the-run informant. But he can’t help being drawn to beautiful, warm-hearted Sadie and her sweet baby daughter. He’s always longed to put down roots and start a family. But how can he hope to keep Sadie’s trust when she finds out that his job is to arrest the brother she’s been looking for? 

My thoughts-

I have really liked all of the books in the Highland Falls series so far and Falling in Love on Willow Creek fell right into line. I don't think any of the books in the series will top Christmas on Reindeer Road for me, but I really enjoyed this one. I liked the mix of suspense with the traditional romance elements of the series. It kept me turning the pages to find out what happened. What I love most about small town romance series is that we get to know pretty much everyone in town, so it feels like you are living there and a part of the action yourself. I will be looking forward to the next book in the series!