The Marvellous Light served with Fish and Chips

The Marvellous Light by Freya Marske and served with Fish and Chips 

This was a fun one!  To be honest I bought this book because I loved the cover and the description intrigued me.  The cover is just so fabulous!  

Not exactly sure what genre I'd place this in...  Fantasy,  Romance, mystery.    It has a bit of all of that.  This is set in Edwardian England and it turns out there is a community of magicians that have gone unnoticed by the rest of the population.  We are introduced to it in chapter one and we see something really bad is happening.  Someone is being tortured to give away a secret.  Jump forward and non magical Robin is mistakenly assigned to the position to investigate magical circumstances.  He has no idea what that means!  We meet Edwin who is trying to figure out what happened to Robin's predecessor Reginald (Who was being tortured in chapter 1) .  Edwin is magical though he has some limits to what he can do.   We get pulled into this mystery of why was  Reginald being tortured, what was he hiding, where is this thing and why is someone now trying to kill Robin over it.   There is the magic, the mystery and a love story between the 2 main characters.   

This was really fun.  I enjoyed the magical element and found the romance lovely.  I was not expecting it to be so steamy.  To be honest I mainly read closed door romance and this was wide open door!  I think it might be my first romance between to male characters and it was perfect but maybe a bit graphic!  I enjoyed the yearning and longing from both characters and the sweet romance but maybe could have cut out some of the sex.  

I would have liked to have learned more about how big this magical world is and to maybe get to know some of the other characters a bit more.  I totally got confused by all of the people at Edwin's house and none of them really stood out.  I kept asking- who is that?   

Overall a solid ⭐⭐⭐⭐, fun, entertaining read.  I am looking forward to the sequel, A Restless Truth , due out in November. 

I knew i had to make something very English for this.  I went with Fish and Chips.  Well...  in this case, fish and tater tots.    I made them in the air fryer. 

https://bluejeanchef.com/recipes/beer-battered-fish/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=pinterest&utm_campaign=tailwind_tribes&utm_content=tribes&utm_term=1031574406_47865340_220701

thought this recipe was okay but not the best.  Felt like it needed a bit more flavor.  AND i did not coat it enough with cooking spray and the entire bottom stuck to the tray and tore off when i removed it. 

paired with with some tater tots, not homemade, and a lovely ale.  

Enjoy! 

The Spanish Daughter served with Mexican Hot Chocolate and Chocolate Muffins

The Spanish Daughter by Lorena Hughes served with Mexican Hot Chocolate and Chocolate Muffins. 

I've been wanting to try one of those book boxes that comes with little gifts related to the story.  So, I decided to try one of the backlist from "Once Upon a Book Club " and I ordered the Spanish Daughter box.   You get a cool box, the book, an author book plate, some questions and information on the book and 4 gifts to open as you read.  They are numbered with the page and the book also has post- it's telling you when to open.   Cool idea. 

The book was good.  It is the story of Puri who is traveling from Spain to Ecuador.  Her father has died and she is to inherit part of a cocoa estate.  During the ocean crossing, she is attacked by someone who wants to prevent her from arriving.  Her husband defends her and is killed in the process.  (this all happens in the first chapter so not giving anything away)    Because she knows someone wants her dead, she assumes her husbands identity and tells her Ecuadorian family that she died on the ship and that she, Cristobal, is here to get her inheritance.   We meet her new family and others from the small town.  The story is a bit of a mystery of who wants her dead and part family saga.   

I liked this story but didn't love it.   Here is what I liked- super interesting to learn about cocoa and it was fascinating that those working on the estate had never tried chocolate!  I liked the family drama and would have liked more about the sisters.   What I didn't like- I had a hard time believing her fake beard and clothes fooled people for so long.  I also felt like the end was really rushed.  Something happens that changes everyone's future and it is wrapped up in the last chapter.  what the heck! 

The box gifts included a fan, some earrings, a hat and a chocolate mold for making Chocolate balls.  I really like the gift box idea but not sure it was worth the money.    

I'd give the book and the box ⭐⭐⭐ 1/2 out of 5. 

I made Mexican Hot Chocolate and chocolate muffins.  The muffins came out just okay so I'm going to skip over those!  but the Hot Chocolate was sooooo  good.   I found the recipe on Pinterest but didn't save it and now I can't find it.  So, here is what I did... 

half a can of sweetened condense milk, 1 cup of regular milk, 6 oz of chocolate chips, a dash of vanilla and a few pinches of cayenne pepper.    I heated the milks and then added the chocolate chips. then the vanilla and pepper.   This is the kind of chocolate you want to drink in a sipping cup.  For the photo I did a big mug but I could drink all of that.  Much too rich.  I used one of my sipping cups and the batch I made lasted me all week.   It as a nice treat each evening.  Enjoy! 

Meet me in the Margins served with Donuts

 Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson and served with donuts.

I wanted a quick and easy romance and that it what I got.   Savannah is a book editor but dreams of becoming an author.  She works at a publishing house that turns it's nose up on fiction and especially romantic fiction which is exactly what she is writing.  So, of course she must keep her manuscript a secret.  He new boss, Will , is hoping to turn around the publishing house but he'll have to fight his mother to do it.  Savannah leaves her manuscript in the secret attic room and comes back to find that someone has edited it and left notes in the margin.  Because she is desperate to get published, she starts following the notes.  Meanwhile she is getting closer to Will and dealing with her crazy sister and ex boyfriend who is now engaged to her sister. 

What I liked; 

    quick and easy read.    Fun that it's set in publishing and it's always great to read about books.   Kind of a nice little flirtation back and forth with his notes to her. 

What I didn't like ; 

    The family thing was annoying. Living with her sister and ex boyfriend just felt really unrealistic.  Her sister came across as crazy and you knew the entire time that he still have feelings for Savannah.  Also I was hoping for  little bit more romance. 

Overall a solid 3 stars  ⭐⭐⭐.   

I decided to make donuts...  again ...  for a few reasons.  They have donuts in their break room and today is national donut day!   Plus my besties got me a nifty donut pan.   

Found a simple and delicious recipe on Sally's Baking addiction.  They were so good but as with most donuts, you really need to eat them on day one.  By day 2, they just aren't the same.  

https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/maple-glazed-donuts/

Enjoy! 

Atlas of the Heart served with fried artichoke hearts

 Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown and served with air fryer Artichoke Hearts 

I have read several Brene Brown books over the years and listed to her podcast.  This book is about emotion, what emotions mean and the words we use to describe them.  I know it doesn't sound like a riveting subject, put believe me it is.   At the beginning she says they asked people to name emotions and the average person was able to name 3.  I tried it and I was able to name 6.  I thought i was just super smart but it turns out she is taking us through the journey of 80+ emotions!   

I don't think you need to read this book in one sitting.  In fact, I picked it up and put it down over a couple of months.  At work, a group of us read it as a book group discussion which was nice.  It allowed me to slow down and dig in.  We met every 2 weeks and discussed 2 chapters.  I also watched the HBO series which comes directly from the book.   Overall I would say this book helped me think about what I was feeling and how to navigate that emotion.  It also made me think about the "Near Enemies" to so many emotions.  For example, sometimes people say they are curious when they are actually just trying to shoot down whatever you are saying.  We label something but then we do something slightly off from that.  You might say you are supportive but it is really controlling.   I'm sure I'm not explaining it well so read the book.    

With so much sadness these past 2 weeks over the senseless deaths caused by gun violence, it was helpful to go back and reread the stress and anxiety parts of the book.   And as the politicians started squawking their stuff, I thought about "Self Righteousness".  

I recommend this as a journey.  Pick it up as you need it, soak it in, discuss it with someone and think about it.   ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I paired this with Artichoke Hearts because I thought I was being super smart 😁  I also steamed a full artichoke.  I didn't grow up eating artichokes and didn't have my first taste of them until my sister moved to California and visited her.  I still remember thinking, this is the weirdest food.  You scrape it with your teeth and barely get anything!   I felt like it was more of a spoon to eat mayonnaise!  But I do love artichoke dip so I figured they can't be all bad. 

For the fried artichoke hearts,  I had a jar of whole hearts, I drained them and cut them in half.   I put them in a baggie with some mayo, salt and pepper and shook them up!  Then I dumped them in a bowl of Italian bread crumb and parmesan cheese.  Once they were coated, I put them in the air fryer, 370 for 12 minutes.   They were delicious!   I dipped them in some ranch dressing.   

For the full artichoke, I had to search how to cook one and just followed all of the directions on triming it and steaming it.   There seems to be a debate on whether the correct dipping is mayo or butter.  I tried both and liked the mayo the best.   Still not sure the work is worth what you get.   But, it was kind of fun.  Enjoy! 

 

One Italian Summer served with Lemon Torta Caprese

 One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle and served with Lemon Torta Caprese 

This book had so much buzz on Bookstagram.   I was excited to read it and ended up having some mixed feeling about it.  

In a nutshell, Katy's mom has died and she is a mess.  She doesn't know how she will go on and decides to leave her husband and take the Italian vacation that she and her mother had been planning.  It is two weeks in Positano which was where Katy's mom Carol spent time as a young adult.   Katy goes and while there, she meets Carol, a young Carol.    The story is about the 2 weeks and Katy learning about her mother and coming to terms with her death. 

Here is what i liked, the Italian setting is wonderful.  I wanted to go there right now for a vacation.  I liked the magical realism and at first I wasn't sure if she was time traveling or imagining this or what.  I think it was a cool concept for the daughter to start to discover her mother, not as a mom but as a woman. 

What I didn't really like was the main character Katy.  She kind of bugged me that she just dumped her husband and left.  I know everyone grieves differently but she is like- I can't go on!  I just felt like she made some bad decisions.   

I'd give this 3.5 stars ⭐⭐⭐.5/5  

I've read several books in Italy this year and decided to go with a dessert for this one.  Found this delicious sounding recipe for Lemon Torta Caprese by Giada De Laurentils.   It was pretty easy to make and it is so good.   Just the right about of lemon and not too heavy.  I will definitely make it again. 

Lemon Torta Caprese https://giadzy.com/recipes/lemon-torta-caprese-giada-de-laurentiis/ 

One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot served with cucumber sandwiches

 One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margo by Marianne Cronin and served with cucumber sandwiches. 

This was a good one!  

Lenni is 17 and is on the terminal ward of the hospital.  There she meets Margo who is 83 and also in the same ward.  Lenni and Margot end up in an art class for seniors and decide to do 100 pieces of art to represent their combined 100 years.   The story goes back and forth from Lenni telling what is happening in the hospital and Margo's stories of her life.  We learn of a short sad marriage, a forbidden love and another marriage Throughout all of Margot's stories, we go back to Lenni.  Lenni and her friendship with Father Arthur and the nurses.  We see her struggles to stay alive and we feel the deep friendships she has made. 

While this book might be about some people dying, it is really about friendship and life and I really loved it.    I often find that we you have 2 separate storylines it is hard to get the reader engaged in both but the author did it .  I wanted to know about Margo's life but I also wanted to hear from Lenni.  I Loved both storylines.   

A strong ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I made cucumber sandwiches.  When Lenni visits Father Arthur in the church chapel, he tells her about his lunch everyday with is a sandwich.  I'm pretty sure he said watercress sandwich but not sure what else is on it.  To be honest, i wasn't exactly sure what watercress was.  I looked it up and it is a lettuce.   I decided to make a cucumber sandwich with a yummy cream cheese/dill spread.  It just felt like something Father Arthur would eat.  

I made a cream cheese, dill spread and sliced up an English Cucumber and there you go!  Enjoy 

These Precious Days served with Buffalo Cauliflower

 These Precious Days by Ann Patchett and served with Buffalo Cauliflower.   

I don't really read many essays.  In fact probably the only essays I've read are David Sedaris.   But, I love Ann Patchett and this book kept getting rave reviews on Bookstagram and it was recommended to listen to it.  I needed a new audio book so I downloaded it.  It was great!  It is read by the author and she does an excellent job.  Not every essay hit the mark for me but several did.    I loved the essay on her fathers and what they each mean to her.  I could so relate to her essay on remaining childless.  So many of the parts of that essay hit home for me.  Her essay on children's author Kate DeCamillo made me rush out to buy one of her books.  (That review will come next!)  and finally the title essay about her unexpected friendship with Sooki was the best.  Sooki was a friend that stayed with her those first few month of the pandemic because she was battling cancer at the local hospital.  She hadn't meant to move it but with COVID, everything changed.     That essay is 2 parts and the majority of the book.  It was lovely and heart breaking.  I wanted that friendship and it also made me do the ugly cry at the end.   These precious days indeed.  The essay will make you stop and just think about what you should be enjoying around you.  The people and the moment.  Ugh.   
 

Listening to this book was perfect as I walked and did house chores.  It was like talking to a friend.  I give it ⭐⭐⭐⭐.  This is a book full of 5 star essays with a few 4 stores tossed in.  

I decided to make buffalo cauliflower because Ann and Sooki are both vegetarians and they reference the challenge of food.  I eat mainly vegetarian but not completely.  I still will have the occasional hamburger when i go out to dinner but I don't prepare meat in my house.  Actually....  when i do prepare meat in my house it is 99% of the time seafood.   

Buffalo cauliflower is super easy in the Ninja insta pot!  

1 head of cauliflower - Chopped up into bite size pieces 

Mix 1/4 cup of cornstarch and 1/4 cup of flour together.  

shake up cauliflower in a large baggie with the flour mixture till all of the cauliflower is coated. 

Melt 6 Tbsp. of butter and add 1/2 cup of buffalo sauce.  (I use a milder version because i don't care for the super spicy.)  

Run the coated cauliflower through the sauce and place in the air fryer.  Cook for 12-15 minutes.   

Dip in Ranch and enjoy!  

A Thousand Ships served with Greek Lemon Rice, chicken and a greek salad

 A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes and served with Greek Lemon Rice, Chicken and a greek salad. Oh this was sooooo good!  I listened to this on audio and the author reads it.  She is perfect! 

 

I read Song of Achilles earlier this year and Circe last year.  Having read those two, I knew many of the stories of the Trojan war and the heroes  within that war.  This telling is from the women.  Each chapter is a bit of her story and scene through her eyes.    We get Hecabe, Priam's widow, and Cassandra and Helen and even the Goddesses who started the war.  I think my favorite is Penelope's parts.  She is reading the letters she wrote to Odysseus as she waits for his return.  We hear of all of his adventures through her eyes and she calls him out for his arrogance and pride and puts him in his place.  And yet, she yearns for the return of her husband.  So many stories!   The stories are not told chronological so be prepared that it does jump around as a collection of stories and not a novel.    I really loved this one.  In fact I went out and bought her other book on Women in Greek Myths- Pandora's Jar.   

I highly recommend this one and I highly recommend it on audio.  I would be really interested in this has the same impact if you have read Song of Achilles and Circe first.  These just feel like the perfect trio.   I kind of want to listen to it again!  

I was going to do Chicken kabobs and Greek rice but i don't own a grill and it feels like kabobs should be grilled.  Ended up just doing a nice lemon paprika chicken in the oven put it on top of the Greek rice.

 

I had some tomatoes and cucumbers, added some feta cheese and topped it with a little tzatziki sauce.   delicious.    For the Greek rice, 

olive oil in a pan.  add 1/2 an onion minced and some garlic.  I did 3 cloves because i like it garlicky!  

add in 2 cups of rice and stir until the onions are clear. Add  4 cups of chicken broth.  The recipe called for greek seasoning and i wasn't really sure what that was.  I did some dried oregano, dried thyme, some garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley and salt.  

Also bought a bottle of Greek wine to enjoy! 

The Ten Thousand Doors of January served with Jelly Donuts

 The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow served with Jelly Donuts.  

Well that was fun!  I kind of picked this book because I loved the cover so much AND I read A Spindle Splintered by this author last year and really liked it.   This one is about a young girl in the early 1900's named January.  She lives with her guardian, Mr Locke , while her father is off hunting artifacts for him.  She is sad and lonely and finds a door that takes her to a new world.  But, once she is back, she is locked away in the Locke mansion.   Without giving too much away, she gets a book that tells her the story of her parents and more doors! Turns out there are doors everywhere and they are being closed up for good!    There are several villain's here and a couple of heroes.  There is a chase and a little bit of love and some big action! 

What I liked, I really liked January ,Jane, Samuel and Bad.  They made a great team and I was rooting for them.  I enjoyed the story within the story.  The whole thing is super inventive and captured my attention.  I read this pretty quickly because once i got into it, I had to know what would happen! 

I did get confused more than once.  I don't read a lot of fantasy so a few times i was like... Ummmm what is happening here?  While the story within the story was great, it also added to some of the confusion. 

Really fun read and a solid ⭐⭐⭐⭐.  

I made Jelly filled Donuts for this one.  2 reasons, when you bite into a filled donut there is that surprise for what's inside similarly to when January goes through the doors. The other reason I made there is for the prompt on Bookstagram for a contest called "Donut judge a Book".  I can win some fun kitchen stuff.  
I used a recipe I found on Pinterest that i'm attaching here.  It was a bit of work because these are yeast donuts so we must wait for the rise!  I added some edible glitter and they were delicious!  

https://natashaskitchen.com/baked-donuts/

The Giver of Stars served with Pinto Beans and Cornbread

 The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes served with Pinto Beans and Cornbread.   

This was for my book group discussion planned for April.  It is set in Kentucky and focuses on the Packhorse librarians.  This was a program started by Eleanor Roosevelt during the depression to help get books into the hands of the less fortunate.    The main character is Alice who is English and marries a Kentucky man who is vacationing in Europe.  She is hoping to escape her confined English life but gets more than she bargained for.  Once in Kentucky, she isn't finding married life with Bennet to be what she expected.  She signs up to be a packhorse librarian and there we meet Margery who is a tough broad who runs the librarians.   Together with a group of other women, they ride the back trails of Kentucky delivering books.  There is a love story, a murder mystery and plenty of family drama.  

Here is what I liked, the whole Kentucky packhorse Librarian thing is super interesting.  Love any story about books and the power of reading.  I felt like the author did a nice job of setting the surroundings.  I liked the story of the women's friendship and overall really liked the women. 

It was a bit slow for me in the first half.   I just felt like it dragged a tiny bit.  And it all felt a bit predictable with the lame husband and mean father in law.    

Glad I read it and would recommend it.  ⭐⭐⭐ 1/2  

Last year I read the Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek and enjoyed it.  There was such a controversy on line around the fact that the books came out in a close time period and were focused on the same topic.   I think they were both different enough that it is all good.  I mean we have 100's of WW2 books and no one loses their mind that they came out around the same time.   No controversy for me.  Both were good and glad i read both though I am kind of glad I separated them by a year! 

I knew pretty quickly that I had to make Pinto Beans and Cornbread for this story.  They mention cornbread multiple times in the book.  My folks grew up in the deep mountains of West Virginia and pinto beans and cornbread were a staple on their tables.   My mom fixed it every couple of weeks when i was a kid.  Probably wasn't my favorite meal back then but now I think back on that with such comfort!

For years i didn't eat it but about 10 years back I made my own version minus the giant slab of fat in the beans.  I added onions and garlic and a little tiny bit of red peppers just to give it a kick. Mom's cornbread was NOT sweet cornbread.   When I moved to the west coast, I found that most of the cornbread was on the sweeter side.   

I made a giant pot for this book and ate it all!    Delicious!