Sunday, April 26, 2020

Sweet weekend read.

I enjoyed this small town love story. It was a great weekend, cuddle up with a blanket, feel good book. It had romance, tension, and humor. Amber, single, career driven, protective mother of two year old Raven, finds love when she is not looking for it. Tyson is a hotel manager, supportive of Amber’s career, willing to wait for her, but will he understand that she has a daughter and has kept it from him?

This was the first book I have read from Tamara Hart Heiner. I look forward to reading other books written by her.

I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Happy Thanksgiving!

The feeding frenzy has begun. My family spends the afternoon eating snacks. Everyone brings a new dip, cracker, cheese, weenie snack, specialty chip, or tortilla roll up to have taste tested. This year's favorite is the cheddar lil smokies wrapped in bacon and seasoned, followed by the lamb jerky sticks. It amazes me that my family can put away all of the offerings and still have room for the turkey, fixings and pies.The best part about the kids growing up and becoming adults is that they help out with the cooking, clean up and entertainment. I truly am grateful for this day.

I am grateful for my family and for my dear friends. I am grateful for board games and my daily "Words with Friends". I am grateful for my co-workers and for my students. I am grateful for Anna and her delicious pies. There are so many things to be grateful for, but nothing is as important as God's grace. Thank you Lord for the blessings that you have bestowed upon me and my family. We are grateful.

Bold and Rich Indian Recipes

The New Indian Slow Cooker: Recipes for Curries, Dals, Chutneys, Masalas, Biryani, and More by Neela Paniz is a must for anyone who loves good Indian foods. Childhood memories of the sweet, spicy and bold smells of lamb curry simmering on the stove guided my book selection. My mother spent hours in the kitchen prepping, sautéing and simmering to create masterpieces that would have your taste buds watering in anticipation. I have never had that patience, nor the love of cooking to spend that much time in the kitchen, so this book was a must have.

I was immediately impressed by the information that was presented within the pages of this lovely book. The dishes are beautifully plated and photographed making each recipe tempting. The introductions are not only informational, but also personal and give authenticity to the book. The section "the Indian kitchen" not only gave you a spice guide, but substitution choices and preparation how-to's. I also have appreciated the glossy pages and cover that are easy to wipe clean.

Some may say that this is not a true slow cooker recipe book, but I disagree. Yes, there is still sauté time and prep time, but the use of the slow cooker does give you the ability to walk away and forget-it for awhile. I used the basic curry mix recipe and made chicken curry and it was delicious. I look forward to trying more. I will be investing in a "masala dabba" and the time saved by using the crock pot will be spent shopping for ingredients in the nearest Indian store.


I received this book from www.bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for this review.

Sunday, September 7, 2014

Beautiful, Inspiring, Showcase of Art

Little Book of Book Making-Timeless Techniques and Fresh Ideas for Beautiful Handmade Books is not a "how-to book" for beginners, but instead an inspiration book.It is a beautifully illustrated book that showcases various artists and the techniques, material and styles that they employ in their art. The beautiful pictures and illustrations make this a perfect gallery of hand bound books.
As someone who has very little background in making books, I find the tutorials at the back of the book overwhelming. I appreciate that there is a list of resources, including websites to find the beginning instructions that I need.
Overall, I think this is a beautiful collection of art and I am inspired to learn more about book making.
I received this book from www.bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for this review.

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Appreciation of the Graphic Novel

I was never interested in comic books as a child, mostly because the selection for girls was limited in the 70's. My older brother was always reading them and had an endless pile stacked up by his bed. He would read and re-read them and then store them in boxes under the bed to read again later. The key point here is that he was reading and re-reading. His fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension were improving with each reading and the comics would leave him waiting in anticipation for the next episode. Yet, they were not widely accepted as appropriate reading material.

Fast forward 35 years and we find that the comic book has morphed into the graphic novel. You still won't find the pamphlet style comics on a library bookshelf, but if they are formatted as a book they become a graphic novel. Also, the selection of graphic novels now include non-fiction, fiction, biographies, autobiographies and are written for adults and children. They are accepted by almost everyone as approved literature. The graphic novel is no longer just for boys, but for everyone.

I have been using the graphic novel for quite a few years now with reluctant readers. Happy if I get them to read an entire book, but I didn't even think about the other benefits that they are gaining. Fluency from reading and re-reading, the interesting and unique vocabulary that is presented in context and the ability to use the graphics to decode the text and meaning. The graphic novel has come a long way and I look forward to incorporating them into my curriculum as rich and complex text.

Monday, August 18, 2014

Yes, I will have a syllabi!

Today was my first venture into my new classroom. It was a bit overwhelming. Empty walls, empty shelves and no curriculum. The only advice is to teach to the Common Core. So, my first year in middle school will be interesting. It is going to be an adventure. Wish me luck!!!!

Monday, August 11, 2014

Pilgrim's Wilderness: A True Story of Faith and Madness on the Alaska Frontier ( 2002)

Pilgrim's Wilderness: Faith and Madness on the Alaska Frontier by Tom Kizzia is captivating and disturbing at the same time. Kizzia documents the story of Robert Hale and his large family in a journalistic factual manner, yet he grabs your attention with his foreshadowing and tone. As I was reading, I had to keep reminding myself that it is a true story and not a Hollywood movie script. Robert Hale was not the loving, devoted father that he portrayed in public. But instead he was tyrant that had total authority over his children. It is terrifying to realize that there are people that live, worship and think as the main character in this epic story. It is even sadder to think that his children had to live through the events. I had chills and was horrified, but could not put the book down. I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.