Seven Riddles to Nowhere By: A.J. Cattapan

Book #59 for #ReadMyOwnDamnBooks.

This book was one of the books sent to me from Beverly from the Books n’ BLoggers swap.  This is a middle grade book that is similar in feel to The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin.  It is a quick read and entertaining.

It is about a young boy who participates in a scavenger hunt that was set up for heirs of an estate.  If the heir solved all seven clues, they would receive the fortune.  Young Kameron does not speak in front of adults in public places, so he enlists the help of his friends so that he can save his school from closing.  They travel through the churches of Chicago looking for the answers to these riddles.

There is some religious elements in this book but I wanted a bit more background story about Kam and why he doesn’t speak.  I guess if I were a middle grader reading this book, I wouldn’t even notice that there is no back story for Kam.

For what this book is, I give it 4 crowns.

 

Under the Tuscan Sun By: Frances Mayes

ABOUT UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN from PenguinRandomHouse.com

20th Anniversary Edition with a New Afterword

Twenty years ago, Frances Mayes–widely published poet, gourmet cook, and travel writer–introduced readers to a wondrous new world when she bought and restored an abandoned villa called Bramasole in the spectacular Tuscan countryside. Under the Tuscan  inspired generations to embark on their own journeys–whether that be flying to a foreign country in search of themselves, savoring one of the book’s dozens of delicious seasonal recipes, or simply being transported by Mayes’s signature evocative, sensory language. Now, with a new afterword from the Bard of Tuscany herself, the 20th anniversary edition of Under the Tuscan Sun brings us up-to-date with the book’s most beloved characters.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

FRANCES MAYES is the author of four books about Tuscany. The now-classic Under the Tuscan Sun–which was a New York Times bestseller for more than two and a half years and became a Touchstone movie starring Diane Lane. It was followed by Bella Tuscany and two illustrated books, In Tuscany and Bringing Tuscany Home. She is also the author of the novel,Swan, six books of poetry, and The Discovery of Poetry. Her books have been translated into more than twenty languages.

My Review:

This is one of my favorite books and I can’t believe it was first published 20 years ago.  This memoir and the movie adaptation are my “go-to” when I want something uplifting. Frances Mayes has written the story of her spontaneous purchase of a house in Tuscany and the days following with the renovations.  Her descriptions transport you to that house and that town with those people whom you want to befriend.

Her afterward in this 20th anniversary edition just reminded me how much I loved this story.  Frances Mayes has a way of making her words- dare alla luce- give to the light. If you haven’t read this yet, please give yourself a gift and read this!

This is a 5 crown read!

I received the 20th anniversary edition of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

The Promise Kitchen By: Peggy Lampman

Published on September 27, 2016

Description from Netgalley

Food, friendship, family, and a fresh start.

Shelby Preston, a young single mother, is at a crossroads. She feels suffocated by her hardscrabble life in rural Georgia and dreams of becoming a professional chef. Lord knows her family could use a pot of something good.

In Atlanta, Mallory Lakes is reeling from a bad breakup. The newspaper food columnist is also bracing for major changes at work that could put her job at risk. Determined to find the perfect recipe for how to reinvent herself, she gets involved in the growing farm-to-table movement. But an emotional setback threatens to derail everything she’s worked for.

Shelby and Mallory couldn’t be more different. But through their shared passion for food, they form an unlikely friendship—a bond that just might be their salvation.

This heartwarming and lyrical tale reminds us that family isn’t necessarily whom you’re related to—it’s whom you invite to your table.

This is a new release of a previously published edition titled Simmer and Smoke; it contains twenty delightful recipes.

 

My Review:

From reading the description of this novel, I figured this is right up my alley.  It sounds like something I would devour and enjoy.  Unfortunately, I found this book to be a bit slow.  I wasn’t too invested in the characters and felt that they were given very little depth.  The food element in this story was lacking for me and some of the descriptions of slaughtering animals were thrown in and a turn off.

This story line could’ve been really good if it was developed more.  The book itself was long but the emotional connection to the characters was missing for me.  I was disappointed.  I was given an E-ARC of this book from the publishers through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I gave this 2 crowns.

 

They Were Christians By: Cristobal Krusen

Synopsis from Goodreads:

What do Abraham Lincoln, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Louis Pasteur, Frederick Douglass, Florence Nightingale, and John D. Rockefeller Sr. all have in common? They all changed the world–and they were all Christians. Now the little-known stories of faith behind twelve influential people of history are available in one inspiring volume.
They Were Christians reveals the faith-filled motivations behind some of the most outstanding political, scientific, and humanitarian contributions of history. From the founding of the Red Cross to the family crisis that drove America’s favorite president to his knees and cracked his religious skepticism, the fascinating stories of these faithful history-makers will inspire, encourage, and entertain readers of history and biography.

My Review:

Book #58 for #ReadMyOwnDamnBooks.

Ok, just looking at the cover and title of this book, most of you are probably wondering what I was doing reading this.  I don’t enjoy historical reads and non-fiction isn’t my either.  However, the author of this book is a family friend and I was asked to review it.

I read and enjoy Christian literature so that was the surprising part for me when reading this book.  What surprised me the most is how much I enjoyed each chapter.  It didn’t feel as if I was reading a history textbook or a religious doctrine.  This was beautifully written and it flowed seemlessly with some autobiographical connections from the author.  It taught me more about the lives of some of the historical figures that I knew a bit about and also about the lives of people I didn’t know much about.

Christobal’s writing style is beautiful and easy to read.  This easily could have come across as “preachy” or boring but it didn’t.  I am glad that I read it.  If you want to know more about some of our historical figures and their views of Christianity, then pick this up.

I gave this 5 crowns.

Ten Thousand Skies Above You (Firebird #2) by: Claudia Gray

Book #57 in #ReadMyOwnDamnBooks.

I received this ARC at BookCon last year and finally picked it up after listening to the first installment.  I immediately had to continue on with the story and listened to this on audiobook as well.

This second book was just as good as the first one and had a bit of a mysterious element attached to it.  Again, the cover design is amazing and it mimics the story line perfectly.  The next book in the series comes out November 1st and I can not wait.  This was narrated once again by Tavia Gilbert and she did a splendid job.

I gave this book 5 crowns.

Snow White A Graphic Novel By:Matt Phelan

Description from Netgalley

Award-winning graphic novelist Matt Phelan delivers a darkly stylized noir Snow White set against the backdrop of Depression-era Manhattan.

The scene: New York City. The dazzling lights cast shadows that grow ever darker as the glitzy prosperity of the Roaring Twenties screeches to a halt. Enter a cast of familiar characters: a young girl, Samantha White, returning after being sent away by her cruel stepmother, the Queen of the Follies, years earlier; her father, the King of Wall Street, who survives the stock market crash only to suffer a strange and sudden death; seven street urchins, brave protectors for a girl as pure as snow; and a mysterious stock ticker that holds the stepmother in its thrall, churning out ticker tape imprinted with the wicked words “Another . . . More Beautiful . . . KILL.” In a moody, cinematic new telling of a beloved fairy tale, extraordinary graphic novelist Matt Phelan captures the essence of classic film noir on the page—and draws a striking distinction between good and evil.

My Review:

I received an E-ARC from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was very disappointed in this “retelling” of Snow White.  It was not so much a new story but just a change of a few details.  The illustrations were nice but the few lines of text were ridiculous.  I do not think that this graphic novel is worth the read.  I rather recommend the illustrated version of Snow White that I reviewed earlier this year.

I gave this 1 crown.

 

Blameless by: Gail Carriger

Book #56 for #ReadMyOwnDamnBooks.

This is book #3 in the Parasol Protectorate series.  This takes place right after the aggravating end to the second book and we are focused a bit more on Alexia in this story.  She is desperately trying to put the shredded pieces of her life together and we follow her on that journey.

This took me a while to get through but it was a good story.  I think I was annoyed with some of the characters in this book.  I hope the last two books of the series picks up the pace a bit.  This was my least favorite so far.

I gave this 3 crowns.