One Chapter

You’d Be Home Now by Kathleen Glasgow

I felt there were a lot of issues in this book, issues that Emma had to sort through as they couldn’t be ignored. Her family had money but putting money on these issues wouldn’t be the answer. With a respectable and prominent family name, I felt that money had been the families answer before the accident. Money can’t fix the challenges the family is facing now but first, the challenges must be identified and acknowledged.

Emma thought her brother Joey just liked weed but he also tested positive for heroin the night that Candy was killed. Checking into Blue Spruce, Joey sought treatment. Emma would miss Joey but she wouldn’t miss the constant fighting that he had with their parents. Emma’s prescription for pain medication for her injuries in that accident wouldn’t be filled, as their mother feared that Emma would also become a drug addict just like Joey. It didn’t matter how much pain her fractured kneecap was giving her, there would be no prescription. Mother was so bossy.

Mother seemed to be more concerned about how her appearance in the community than with the own children. Having an established business in the community, mother’s top concern seemed to be how she looked in the community now that something had tainted their family’s name. She was scared of losing her high status in the community. Little else did she know, what else was happening that would affect her and the family’s name.

My heart ached for Emma as I read. What more could she do? The expectations that were placed on her were high and the only activity that Emma discovers that provides her any kind of happiness had me shaking my head. Oh Emma!! I thought the author did a fantastic job with the details of this story. There were times that I thought this book was slow but I had to know what happened to Emma and her brother so I continued reading and I’m so glad I did. 4.5 stars.

Cooking for Jeffrey by Ina Garten

I’ve always liked Barefoot Contessa recipes and this cookbook was one that missed my radar. After looking through the recipes, reading some of the articles and recipes, I’m glad that I picked it up from the library. It was interesting to read how Ina got into cooking and to know that this is her 10^th cookbook. I don’t think I have read all of them yet so I’ll need to check into that next. I liked her comment, “It doesn’t really matter what the occasion is – big or small – but it’s the connections that we have with people we love that nourish our souls. Entertaining isn’t just about making dinner parties. It’s about celebrating those connections and I think that’s what makes life worth living.”

In essence, I feel this cookbook is not for me. It recipes felt too fancy and/or the ingredients just didn’t hit my tastes. I found only a few recipes that I would actually make. The rest seemed to elaborate or had ingredients that I don’t care for. Dishes like Vanilla Rum Panna Cotta, Vanilla Cream Cheese Pound Cake, Lamb Stew with Spring Vegetables, Perfect Poached Lobster & Corn or Kasha Varnishkes with Wild Mushrooms are just a few of the recipes that were included in this book, that I realize I would never make. I will say though, that the pictures in the book look very appetizing. If I didn’t see and read the recipes, that are located on the opposite page of these pictures, I might be tempted just to try a sample of that dish.

This cookbook consists of 6 different categories: cocktails, soups, salads & lunch, dinner, vegetables & sides, bread & cheese, and finally dessert. The book begins with a thank you and an intro and wraps up with two different indexes, a list of Jeffrey’s all time favorite dinners (which could come from outside sources) and a resource page. All of her recipes have a picture attached to them and how many the recipe will serve. There is a short paragraph about the recipe before the ingredient list and the instructions are listed out in paragraph form. Ida does include some little suggestions and ideas on the margins of the recipes. There is no nutritional information provided.

I liked the layout of this book and the text fonts that were used. The book image inside and out is crisp and sharp and it doesn’t look cluttered. I wished there would have been more recipes that I liked though. 4 stars

Big Love Cooking: 75 Recipes for Satisfying, Shareable Comfort Food by Joey Campanaro and Theresa Gambacorta

I loved the cover of this cookbook from the moment my eyes caught a glance at it. That dish on the cover was definitely calling my name and the title caught my eye. The title never promised me anything, in fact, the author was giving me something personal and I had to see if they were really something I wanted.

I liked immediately how the book was printed on bright white, heavy paper. To me, the heavy paper and the bright paper give off an upscale and elegant appearance. Although there weren’t as many pictures of the recipes as I would have liked, those that were present, looked fresh and delicious. I felt as if there were about 1 picture for every 4 recipes in this book which was disappointing.

In this book, you will find a Foreword, Introduction, Big Love Pantry (flours, spices, cheeses, pasta, etc.), Big Love Cooking Essentials (kitchen tools & gadgets), 8 Chapters of recipes, Afterwards, Acknowledgments, and an excellent Index. In each chapter, you’ll find some personal information about that chapter’s topic and a list of recipes with page numbers at the beginning. I have to say, this book is very personal and I enjoyed reading about this famous chef and his various topics. Opening up his family pictures to us, we’re allowed to get a look inside at his family and see how they inspired him and what their life is like today. There are 8 chapters in this book: Brunch, Soups and Salads, Vegetables, Pasta, Meat and Poultry, Fish and Seafood, Sunday Supper, and Dessert.

Each recipe has a list of ingredients needed, how many it was make, and how to prepare it, in paragraph form. The ingredients are listed in metric also (1 cup (140 g) whole wheat flour and 1/3 cup (45 g) fresh blueberries). Looking over the ingredients for these comfort dishes, I see that they’re not complicated, “there’s no wild goose chase here,” for what the author states is true. They’re made from “fresh ingredients that are readily available at the supermarket,” which I see is true, for the most part. Some of the items may be seasonal and some items may depend on where you shop, but most items I can find at my local store.

I thought the commentary before each recipe was interesting. These personal stories felt as if he was actually talking to me, giving me advice about the recipe. Sometimes his personal touch continued into the recipe when I read the recipe and he’d mention why something was done a certain way or he’d mentioned options and tell me the difference between the options. I liked that. So, what did I find? Snickerdoodles with Salted Carmel, Monday Baked Ziti (I love pasta), Little Owl Gravy Meatball Sliders (I have to try these as he mentions them a lot), Little Owl Pork Chops with Parmesan Butter Beans, Chicken Cacciatore, Fontina Sausage Biscuits, (there’s a bunch more). This cookbook looks doable, I can’t wait to get started. 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for providing a copy of this book for me to review in exchange for an honest opinion.

Long Way Down: the Graphic Novel by Jason Reynolds

I loved Long Way Down, also written by this author, so when I saw this graphic novel, I knew I had to read it. Long Way Down touched me on so many different levels as the story played out. Jason used space and time to tell this story, the words arranged just right, letting my emotions take over. I love this about free verse; the reader can put a piece of themself into the story.

In Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel, I felt that my attention was centered more on the elevator ride than on the emotions in the story. I was concerned about the individuals on the ride: trying to figure out who Will would encounter each time the elevator door opened on each of the floors and what that individual would mean to him. This book’s focus was totally different than what I had with Long Way Down. I enjoyed learning more about how these individuals mattered and why they were important to Will which I don’t remember focusing on when I read Long Way Down. Whereas Long Way Down was more emotional for me, this graphic novel explained more [SS1] of Will’s story to me. To me, they complimented one another.

There is a lot of information in this book, this isn’t a graphic novel that you can speed read through. This story is emotional but I think the feelings were angrier and heavier than what I had felt with the other book, when they felt hurtful and heartbreaking. I thought the book was easy to follow and I enjoyed the illustrations. I liked how the illustrations show just enough information not to take away from the text. 4.5 stars.

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The American Dream?: A Journey on Route 66 Discovering Dinosaur Statues, Muffler Men, and the Perfect Breakfast Burrito by Shing Yin Khor

I’m sure glad that I found this book as I enjoyed traveling with Shing and her dog as she made her journey traveling through parts of the United States and her road trip provided for me, some interesting history. Shing Yin Khor has lived in Los Angeles for ten years after having grown up in Malaysia. Although Shing is now an American citizen, Shing feels that she needs to see more of her new country to actually feel like an American and I thought this was an excellent idea. With some preformed images in her head of America, she now wants to experience America personally, she’s ready to step out of her “Los Angeles bubble” and experience a more historical look at America.

Beginning in California, Shing and her dog Bug, start traveling Route 66 to Illinois. What a fun and brave adventure! She gets lost, she talks about sleeping in her car, she meets up with a biker, she explores a variety of attractions and she meets such a wide variety of individuals. I liked how she provides the brief, interesting facts and commentaries about each of her stops, in the different states that she visits. Her remarks make me want to visit them. She does have her moments where she misses parts of being home but she knows that, she needs this journey. The water-colored illustrations provided just enough color to add to her journey, making this graphic novel an interesting and entertaining read. I read this book as part of the Read for a Better Tomorrow Winter Reading Program Jan 2022. 4 stars

The Man Who Lost His Head by Claire Bishop

These are definitely Robert McCloskey illustrations which are terrific to look at. If you’re unfamiliar with him, he’s known for Homer Price, Make Way for Ducklings, or Blueberries for Sal. I like the detail that he brings to his drawings and the faces on the characters, for they look life-like. You can’t just glance at his illustrations, you have to stop and take in every detail that he has included because it’s marvelous, from the hair on the man’s arm, to the tin cup lying on the ground, to the untied shoelaces on the young boy. Such detail and that’s just the illustrations in this book! I thought the story was funny and I wasn’t expecting that ending. “BouliboulibouliboulibouliBANG!”

“Once upon a time there was a man who lost his head,” this is how this story begins. The illustration on this page shows a man waking up in his bedroom, his hands fumbling around, reaching up for his head. His pillow is indented which tells me that he did have a head sometime while he was sleeping so, what happened to his head? The man searches and searches but can’t find it. He even sits down to try to remember but “it is very hard once you have lost your head!” His hands and feet remember something which starts him off on his adventure. He’ll go search there but he knows that he must get dressed and take care of another important task, finding a replacement.

Out to the garden, he picks up a pumpkin. Carving out some facial features, he pops it on his head. On his way, he meets some village people who recognized him. They discuss what happened yesterday. The man misunderstands them and he returns home to find something else to wear as a head. Digging up a parsnip, the man tries again to head out and again he meets up with another bunch of village people. This head looks so funny (it’s so skinny and tall). They also talk about what occurred yesterday. Again, the man doesn’t understand so he quickly leaves and returns home. This time the man decides to carve a wooden head. Let’s try this again. He finally makes it to the fair, exactly where his hands and feet remembered. IT’s a busy place and as he looks, he also takes advantage of what the fair offers. Resting, he’s approached by a “kind-hearted and very bright boy.” The boy actually thinks he can help the man, really?

I’m glad that I grabbed this book when I saw it at a sale. I saw Robert’s name on the cover and I knew it had to be good. 5 stars.

There’s a Ghost in This House by Oliver Jeffers

Oliver does it again! I never know what to expect from Oliver but this time, he really knocked it out of the park. I loved this book! There is a ghost in this house, actually there are a lot of ghosts!!

One page one, we’re invited inside the central hall of a house that was built in 1760l. With a yellow and gray striped dress on, she’s there to welcome us. We’ll just try to ignore that she has green hair and her skin matches her hair. She wants our help. She’s heard about a ghost in the house and she can’t find it. She’s not quite sure what she’s looking for but she’s already looked, can we help her?

Turning the pages of the book, we search different parts of the house. I love how this book is put together! As you open up the book and have two-page spread in front of you, one page will have the text to read and one page will have the illustration. The illustration features a specific part of the house in shades of brown and white. Using minimal words, this text carries the same mysterious elements with it as the house. In the center, of most (but not all) of these two pages is a sheet or two of hard plastic transparent paper. How you read this book, is up to you, for I read it a variety of ways.

This is the clever, entertaining book!! Oliver did an outstanding job constructing his book as these sheets added so much to this story. Such talent and exceptional craftsmanship is illustrated with this gem of a book! . 10 stars!!

Bunny Book Club by Annie Silvestro

This is a super cute book about reading, sharing and loving books. The book is about a bunny who loves books. He secretly listened to individuals reading to their children in the park and he listened along with the children outside the library as the librarian read, rabbit hid in the bushes. Problems arose when the summer program ended and all the activities moved back inside the library, leaving rabbit outside without his stories. He could watch them through the window but bunny couldn’t hear about the adventures that were inside those pages.

Bunny couldn’t handle life without books so he decided to sneak into the library. Wow, so many books awaited him! After creating a huge pile, Bunny found his way out of the library with his books and he hurried home to start reading. Bunny was so happy!

What a happy, positive story about reading and the love of sharing this with others. I thought it was funny how bunny’s house was getting full of books and I loved how bunny gathered a variety of books. As his friends joined in on his adventure, I liked the titles that they were looking into and I loved that they all got together to share this common activity. The illustrations were adorable! This book is a treasure. I see that there is a sequel to this book, I’m going to have to grab that. 5 stars!!

Cat Problems by Jory John

If you ever had a cat or had a close relationship with a cat, you have to read this. The story is not complicated, in fact, it’s very simple. It’s the cat and its attitude that will get you laughing. The world revolves around this little black cat but isn’t that what all cats think: the world revolves around them.

The vacuum cleaner is a monster but luckily, it only comes around once a week. The little yellow cat in the house seems to be sitting in all of little black kitty’s spots just when he wants to sit in them. Little black kitty thinks he would eat the cute little squirrel outside, fortunately for the squirrel, there’s a screen on the window! This little black cat had me laughing out loud as I read his reflections. Oh, the life of little black cat.

What a funny picture book. I’ve had cats pretty much my entire life so this book was a perfect fit for me. The cat’s attitude and the illustrations went perfectly together. I really enjoyed this book. 5 stars

Santa in the City by Tiffany D. Jackson

Definitely pick this one up! I thought this was a great story as it answers many of those tough questions about Santa that children ask. How does Santa get inside my house, if I don’t have a chimney? The North Pole is so cold, how can Santa live there? How can Santa be at the mall, at the animal shelter and be at the mall across town all in one day? I thought this was a fun, adorable book about Deja who is concerned about Santa’s visit. Deja is at that age where some of her friends don’t believe in Santa but Deja is looking for the answers to her important questions. It’s all about his arrival and how Santa will find her on this important night.

On glossy paper, this picture book has bright illustrations, I’m sure this book will be read over and over again as children explore the illustrations. Deja asks a lot of great questions and with the easy-to-read text, the story was an entertaining and fun read. 5 stars