Category Archives: Book Review

Book Review: Glimmers by Barbara Brooke

Glimmers, the first of a trilogy of novels by debut author Barbara Brooke, twists women’s fiction with the element of time/memory travel.

Paige Mackenzie’s life is calm and lovely but missing that bit of passion, of spark. Though she lives the suburban dream (doting husband, nice house, two wonderful kids) she occasional imagines stepping into someone else’s shoes for just few hours.

When she finds a pair of 80’s suede ankle boots on a thrift store treasure hunt, her life gains some of the spice she’d been craving. With just a touch, her vision goes high-def, the room spins, and she is transported from her kitchen to an avacado green flashback. She caught a “glimmer” of memory and now sees the world through the eyes of Delilah, a teenager from West Virginia. Though she feels like she is experiencing Delilah’s brush with young love, first job, and burgeoning cooking talents over an entire summer, when the episode ends, she has been gone only minutes. Paige’s experience leaves her exhilarated, unsettled, and with new culinary skills.

Back in her normal life, she resumes the position of her sister Hailey’s wedding-planning lackey. Paige jumps at Hailey’s beck and call — she stands in for her at her wedding gown fitting, she picks up her engagement ring from the jewelers. Unable to resist the allure of the sparkling diamond, she slips the ring onto her finger and slides into Hailey’s life. Through her sister’s eyes, she discovers how passionate love can be — with someone other than her fiancee.

Before Paige can condemn her sister’s reckless behavior, she latches onto a glimmer of memory from a pair of cameo earrings. The family heirloom sends her back to the British Regency Era as Emma, a headstrong young woman who longs to follow her heart instead of the proper path of her times.

Paige wrestles with the reality of what her startling new power means and what she should do with the insights her glimmers have given her. Each glimmer helps her grow as a person and she works to untangle the threads that tie each person’s memories to her life.

Glimmers is a fresh mash-up of women’s fiction, romance, with flashes of fantasy. It’s light summer read perfect for a day by the pool (or in my case, curled up on a rainy day) and tame enough for audiences from YA to grandmothers — no offensive language or explicit sex (though a few inferences are there). Paige is a relatable character, and I can imagine hanging out with her and discussing our days over a glass of wine.

Though the novel just skims the surface of the powers involved in living memories via touch, I hope to discover more about the unique trait passes down through Paige’s family in later books. I look forward to seeing how Brooke develops the characters in the next installment, Beyond Glimmers, due later this year.

Glimmers by Barbara Brooke
248 pages
$9.99 (paperback)
$3.99 (Kindle edition)

Glimmers will be available on audiobook in September, with the voice of Ann Richardson bringing Paige and her adventures to life.

Connect with Barbara:

http://barbarabrooke.wordpress.com/

Twitter @Barbara_Brooke

Facebook

DEMETRIE’S Infamous CHOCOLATE PIE {you know the one I’m talking about}

I simply could not resist trying Demetrie’s Chocolate Pie from The Help by Kathryn Stockett. If you read the book (it must have been in the movie, too) you know the pie I’m talking about — the best chocolate pie south of the Mason-Dixon line — with a little extra bit of something dark and rich in it if you happen to be a nosy racist b*tch.

*recipe courtesy of The Book Club Cookbook by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp*

1 2/3 cups water
5 tbsp. Sweetened cocoa powder, such as Ghirardellis (must not contain milk)
3 tbsp. Cornstarch
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
3 egg yolks, beaten
2 tablespoons butter
1 tsp. Pure vanilla extract
1 9-inch ice shell (plain or graham cracker) **See graham cracker recipe below
whipped cream (or if it’s not too humid, you can top with meringue)

In a medium-size cool saucepan, mix water, cocoa, and cornstarch with a whisk until all the lumps are gone, making a paste. Stir in condensed milk and egg yolks. Heat to just under a boil and stir until it’s thick.

Reduce heat to low and stir in butter. Add in your good vanilla, and keep stirring well. Turn off the heat and let it cool some. Pour into a prebaked pie shell, store-bought if that’s how you do things.

Let the pie set up in a cool spot, like a plug-in refrigerator, covered with waxed paper so you don’t get a skin. Dollop cream on tip, or top with meringue.

Yield: One 9-inch pie, 6 to 8 servings.

**Now, needless to say, I made the scrumptious chocolate pie sans the special ingredient. (If you read the book, you what I’m referring to.) Show up at your book club with this pie and your cohorts will most likely force you sample a slice first. Once they see the chocolate bliss on your face, they will dig right in and the compliments and bathroom humor will start flowing.

This is simply the best damn pie crust in the world. It’s easy (as pie!) to make and makes everything taste better. Everything. {Sorry Mom, the secret is out. . .}

prep time: 5 minutes
bake time: 10 minutes

9 whole graham crackers (1 1/3 cups crumbs)
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 stick melted butter or margarine ( 1/2 cup)
**optional 1/4 cup shredded coconut

*If starting with whole graham crackers, put them inside a gallon sized ziploc bag. With a meat mallet, or wooden rolling pin mash to fine crumbs. {Great way to get out stress for a minute!}

Mix together crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon. Add melted butter/margarine. {I usually pour all but 2ish tablespoons in and mix. It should be moist, but not soggy. Add in the rest if necessary.}

Press mixture firmly and evenly on bottom and up the sides of a greased pie pan. {sometimes wax paper or foil helps, but this is easy}

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Check out the FULL BOOK REVIEW @ BOOKSHELF BOMBSHELLS and make your next book club meeting a feast for your brain and your palate.

and for more ideas check out The Book Club Cookbook.com

Review: There’s a Puma in the Kitchen and Other Unexpected Tales of Motherhood

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It is with great pleasure I introduce a debut author to you, Heather J. Kelly. Well, new to you — I’ve known about her brilliance for over twenty years. . .

My collection of essays, “There’s a Puma in the Kitchen and Other Unexpected Tales of Motherhood,” Provides a glimpse into all of the things I expected about pregnancy and motherhood… and all the things I actually found awaiting me. You will read about my broken boobies, my inability to let my youngest daughter sleep through the night and, oh yeah, that time I dented my oldest daughter’s forehead. ~H.J.K.

Personal bias aside, I loved this collection. Kelley’s transparent writing and irreverent voice made me feel as if I was sitting around having a drink with an old friend, sharing ~~war~~ parenting stories. Likeable, relatable, and real. Sometimes I wanted to be laughing beside her, sometimes I wanted to drag her out for a much needed drink, and sometimes I just wanted to reach out and hug her as she endured the struggles of parenthood.

The book is a collection of twenty-three essays capturing the bright, bemused tone of a blog post even when tackling ticklish topics. Yet they’re far from frivolous: the longer essays venture further into the all-access zone than most bloggers would dare tread. I was amazed how much deeply personal stuff Kelley actually put out there. It’s one thing to relate the story of how you picked out baby names, but another to describe your breast reduction and breakdowns (which we all have endured, but don’t necessarily have the balls to talk about). She bravely lets it all hang out as she takes us on her journey to find sanity amidst two toddlers, a husband, a full-time job, and a puma dwelling in her kitchen.

Many women will appreciate the “Crazy In My Head” essay about the author’s struggles with postpartum depression. The last few paragraphs of the essay were some of the strongest in the entire collection — every mom will read it and think, “Yes, yes, that’s IT. . . “

Honestly, I wish I had read a collection like this BC (before child). It’s helpful, it’s fun, it’s entertaining — it’s the warning that none of us received— yet it also speaks of the joys outweighing the chaos. Well. . .usually. . .

Recommendation: BUY IT. It’s only $2.99 on Amazon, and it would make a fabulous read whenever you don’t want to feel alone as your kids are giving you one of those days.

There’s a Puma in the Kitchen and Other Unexpected Tales of Motherhood [Kindle Edition] by Heather J. Kelley (Author), Richard Trimarche (Illustrator)

You can find Heather at her writing blog:

Heather Kelley Writes

Win Confessions of a Scary Mommy for Mother’s Day!

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Unless you live under a cyber rock (or you have yet to endure the pleasure of childbirth, adoption, or raising a child in any way), you know that Jill Smokler (a.k.a. Scary Mommy) wrote a book — a snort-coffee-out-your-nose funny book Confessions of a Scary Mommy.

Jill buzzed through MY town last weekend (okay, she took some time out from schmoozing at the Social Media Moms Conference and blitzing through Disney) and held a book signing at my local Barnes and Noble. Of course, I was there.

And I must tell you, she was as witty, candid, and utterly delightful in person as she is on her blog and in her book…and much thinner. (No, I’m not saying that to kiss ass, but because she writes about her body image issues, but she could totally qualify as MILF material. Just saying.)

Yes, that’s the copy YOU can win right there in my hand.

Jill read from her book (the chapter on family vacations — how apropos), dished the dirt on a few topics she can’t write about online, and discussed the ever-changing worlds of blogging and publishing. It was enlightening and depressing and through-provoking all at the same time. And laced with some trademark language that would make a sailor blush, as well.

I met few bloggers I knew online, and it’s always a wonderful experience to have a moment to talk with someone who “gets” you (because you know all those non-bloggers just think we’re weird).

I had to buy a book while I was there, support blog-to-book writers and all that jazz, but since I already owned a signed advance review copy, I decided to buy a copy for you. Someone out there can win a signed copy of Confessions of a Scary Mommy just in time for Mother’s Day. How’s that for a rocking present?

So…do you want to win?

My fabulous book review is over at Bookshelf Bombshells today.

To enter, you MUST head over there first AND:

Choose one or more of the entry methods: Must leave a separate commentfor each thing that you do!
Mandatory entry:
* Leave a comment (including your email address) on the Bombshells website telling us why you or someone you love is a Scary Mommy.
Optional Entries:
*Follow @BookShelfBmshlson twitter and leave your twitter name on your comment.
*Follow Bookshelf Bombshells on Facebook and leave a comment that you are a follower.

On this site:
You can get some additional entries by:
* Liking me on Facebook and/or
*Twitter and leaving separate comments here also.
And if you tweet about the contest, maybe we’ll give you another entry, too.

The giveaway will close on Friday, May 11th at 9pm ET. Winner will be chosen from the comments at random by Random.org and will be contacted via email.

(click here to visit BookshelfBombshells.com)

Review: Confessions of a Scary Mommy

Fifty Shades of Hype

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Source: shine.yahoo.com via Vinobaby on Pinterest

From: Vinobaby, an avid book lover and budding novelist
Subject: Fifty Shades of ~~Hype~~ Grey
Date: March 22, 2012
To: Mature Readers Everywhere (that means Mom & Grandma, this is NOT for you)

I fell for the hype. From the Today Show’s segment on the new mommy porn and the countless articles about the sultry Twilight for grown-ups overtaking the suburbs, Fifty Shades of Grey was everywhere, a publishers wet dream. I had to see what it was about.

I wanted to be floored. I wasn’t impressed.

Fifty Shades of Gray is the story of Anastasia Steele, a naive young virgin, and her romance with Christian Grey, a beautiful billionaire. Days before her college graduation, young, immature Ana fills in for her sick best friend/roommate and interviews the powerful CEO of Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc. for her college magazine. He is devastatingly handsome. He is rather young himself, especially for a self-made billionaire. He is an utter control freak. Plain, normal Ana falls for him, and even though she is just an “every-girl,” the filthy-rich hunk falls for her, too.

Right.

We discover quite quickly that Christian is not one for a normal relationship. No touching. No staying the night. Just lots of kinky sex. He opens Ana up to the world of chain-filled playrooms, spankings, and calling her boyfriend “Sir.” He is a dominant and she is supposed to be his submissive. . .she just has a few other ideas in mind.

“I’m no longer angry with him, I suddenly feel unbearably shy. I don’t want him to go. For the first time I wish he was — normal — wanting a normal relationship that doesn’t need a ten-page agreement, a flogger, and carabiners in his playroom ceiling.“

It’s not literature. Not because of the sex scenes, but because it’s just not written that well. Anais Nin and Henry Miller spun controversial and steamy stories, but their works still can be found on the literature shelves of bookstores and libraries. Fifty Shades has the distinct feel of a YA novel, just a NC-17 version. The characters are flat, immature, and Ana’s inner dialogue made me want to scream. Her budding inner goddess thinks, “Holy $hit” every other page. It got old. She was supposed to be a lit student who easily scored a job with a publishing house. Yet she never owned a laptop. Or, judging by her 13-year-old vocabulary, a thesaurus.

Then there’s the whole brouhaha about possible copyright infringement. The novel supposedly developed from the author E L James’s Master of the Universe fan fiction piece, a Twilight takeoff. While I don’t read fan fiction and the idea of making money on another author’s back is odious, honestly, I don’t see how it’s an issue here. There are some similarities, yes. Both of the heroines are naive, unremarkable every-girls who blossom under the watchful eyes of their constant beaus. Only their necessary side of spunk makes them tolerable and different from wet dishrags. And I get it — girls like bad boys with a hidden sensitive side and a sob-story past. Both Edward and Christian are otherworldly handsome, filthy rich, and scarily jealous and controlling. That whole possessive deal is one of the key issues that scared me with the Twilight saga — millions of young girls and older Twilight Cougars in love with such a controlling freak. {That’s why I was Team Jacob.}

Speaking of Jacob: his would-be parallel character, Jose, is barely mentioned, not developed at all, and seemingly thrown in just to illustrate Christian’s overwhelming anger and jealousy. But that is nothing new to fiction, and even a well-developed love triangle is not copyrightable.

There are also none of Twilight’s subplots (or much plot at all, really). I kept waiting for a rival pack of rich and carnally hungry dominants to raid the town, leaving a trail of deflowered young girls — some element of mystery or danger. Instead it is 372 pages of I know I shouldn’t like this guy or this crazy sex, but I think I kinda do anyway..holy crap…

Honestly, a young woman falling for a sparkling, sexless (at least for a while) vampire seems more realistic to me than a college-educated virgin jumping panties-first into a BDSM relationship, complete with contract and all. I couldn’t bother to root for any of the characters.

I don’t think this book would have received any of the publicity, sales, or a massive book deal if it hadn’t hitched its steamy wagon to the nonstop Twilight train. It’s just not that good. I wanted to attack the manuscript with a red pen in hand, because apparently it was thrown into print without a copy editor. Others have said it’s an emotional roller coaster, heartbreaking, and thrilling — I found it to be utterly flat, and as exciting as Disney’s Hall of Presidents. But hype is everything now, and this book is rivaling Blue Ivy and the slut controversy.

If you are looking to read some smut, excuse me “erotica,” but you are to nervous to go to your local bookstore to pick some up, I guess this may be worth your time. {But, just so you know, you can order online and no one will ever know.} I’m certainly not recommending this book though. I would have put it down after the first ten pages (long before it got to any of the good stuff) if I wasn’t so curious about all the hype. I’m rather disappointed it didn’t live up to any of it.

Have you read Fifty Shades? What did you think? Five star or one (or a shade of grey somewhere between)?

I Should Have Been a French Parent

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We’ve all heard how American kids are spoiled, whiny, co-dependent little zealots who are permitted to survive on boxed mac and cheese while their mothers drift off to Zanax-land because their demanding darlings still won’t sleep through the night at age four. Whether or not you agree with this is immaterial. This is how much of the world sees us.

We give into our kids food cravings because we are afraid they will starve themselves to death.

We permit them to wake as often as they want at night, always rushing in to sooth them at their first call.

We spend our lives shuttling them from Gymboree to gymnastics from toddlerhood on, intent on giving them structured play time so they never feel bored.

We play with them on demand so they never feel ignored or unloved, and push off our chores until they have finally drifted to dreamland, sacrificing our chance for some leisure time to catch up on laundry.

We turn ourselves inside out trying to appease our little major generals. They rule our world. And they know it.

The French, simply don’t.

We all knew those French were different. But, zut alors, perhaps we didn’t know how different. First we discover French women don’t get fat, and now they are better parents as well?

According to all the buzz, Bringing up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting celebrates les Français strict, yet hands-off approach to parenting. Pamela Druckerman, an American journalist raising her children in France, dispels the myths of typical American parenting vs. the traditional French approach in her new book.

For example:

French kids eat real food. Sitting at a table, with adults, using silverware and napkins and manners. Their plates are more likely to be filled with broccoli and brie than chicken nuggets.

French babies sleep through the night at a very young age. It is the typical French practice to start teaching infants how to sleep through the night as early as two or three months, supposedly not through a strict Feberization, but more of an “attentive listening” process.

French children throw far fewer temper tantrums than their American counterparts. They are taught to delay gratification, that they can’t always get what they want (sing it, Mick), and they are allowed to figure out how to resolve their own spats while their parents watch and nibble on a croissant.

The French parenting ideal is called the cadre or frame. Children have strict, set rules for things such as school/daycare arrivals and departure times, meals, and naps. But how they spend the rest of their time is up to them. Boredom is encouraged, so children to learn how to amuse themselves.

French parenting, as described by Druckerman, is “a combination of being very strict about a few key things but also giving children lots of freedom.” No helicopter moms in French airspace.

French parents claim to be far more relaxed and laid back. Their children are not the center of the universe at all times. “French mothers assume that even good parents aren’t at the constant service of their children and that there’s no need to feel guilty about this.”

Happy parents lead to happy children, non?

Honestly, this sounds quite a bit like how I parent. And I cannot tell you the amount of merde I get for my parenting style.

Since I can’t afford to move to France (yes, it is a dream — lavender fields, good food, fine wine…) I will appease myself by reading this book, so I can discover if the French really do have more of a clue about parenting.

Vive la différence?

Oui or non?

Confessions of a Scary Mommy: The Book, The Review

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I shall start by assuming you all know about Scary Mommy. If you have somehow lived under a cyber rock for the last few years, here’s the rundown:

The blog: Scary Mommy: an honest and irreverent look at motherhood — the good, the bad, and the scary. Thousands of moms flock to her site religiously for a daily dose of wit with a side of mom-bonding.

The woman behind it: Jill Smokler, a Maryland mom of three, and the reigning queen of dishing out motherhood’s dirty little secrets. “Erma Bombeck-style insights…about the underbelly of marriage and parenting…to a new generation of women.” …yeah, yeah, yeah… She’s funny, she’s real, you’ll wish she lived next door so you could vent together over margaritas.

Confessions of a Scary Mommy
by Jill Smokler
Gallery Books, 208 pages
$10.20 [hardcover] $9.99 [Kindle]

*I won a copy of this book fair and square. I did not receive any monetary compensation. The opinions expressed are my own. I cannot guarantee a positive review for any product or services, but I can promise a review written with honesty and integrity. Others opinions and experiences with this product may differ from my own.

Potato, Prosciutto & Fontina Cakes — Flippant Foodie Friday

Flippant Foodie Friday: Crepes {part un}

1 Reply

Have you checked out Bookshelf Bombshells yet? If not, got there…now.

I have a fabulous review of Cooking For Geeks: Real Science,Great Hacks, and Good Food by Jeff Potter up on the site. Check it out. It will prove that I am a real writer and occasionally intelligent, as well. The holidays (there are more of them than just Christmas, folks — get over it) are rapidly approaching, and I always have some guys in my life that are just impossible to shop for. You know who I’m talking about: your techie brother who rarely looks up from a screen, the dear friend who decided to make Napalm in his backyard at age twelve just to see if he could (and still thinks dangerous things are cool) — this book is perfect for them, and perhaps you too. Read the review and see for yourself.

I pick one recipe to “officially” review per selection, and I simply had to experiment with Jeff Potter’s formula for crepes. I have had a secret love affair with crepes since I first discovered them at a French Club banquet in high school, but they can be tricky and time consuming to make. This recipe worked. The directions were clear and easy to follow. And they made sense.

I doubled the ingredients and ended up with 12 thin and pliant crepes. My taste testers swooned over them at dinner (with an Apricot-Dijon Chicken filling — I’ll feature THAT recipe next week). And for dessert, Nutella and banana crepes with a chocolate drizzle. {drool} Try it. Your friends and family will thank you.

1-2-3 Crepes

Whisk or puree until entirely mixed, about 30 seconds:
1 cup (250g) milk (preferably whole milk)
2 large (120g) eggs
1/3 cup (40g) flour (all-purpose)
Pinch of salt

Let rest for at least 30 minutes, preferably longer, so that the gluten in the flour has a chance to thicken the batter. (Stash the batter in the fridge if you’re going to leave it for more than half an hour.)

Making crepes is like riding a bicycle: it takes practice before it’s easy. Expect to completely screw up the first few you make (training wheels!), and keep in mind that while the batter is easy and the technique simple, the error tolerances are actually pretty tight, so don’t get discouraged! Like riding a bicycle, it’s far easier to :: fast; going slow is hard.

Start with a nonstick frying pan over medium-high up the pan for about 30 seconds, or until a drop of water sizzles when dropped into it. Once your pan is at temperature, plan to work quickly: butter, wipe down, pour batter in while swirling, flip, flip again, add fillings, plate, and repeat. Because they’re fast and cheap, crepes are great for dinner parties or brunches, but you should definitely practice beforehand.

Butter: Grab a cold stick of butter with the wrapper partially pulled back, and using the wrapper part as a handle, spread a small amount of butter around the pan.

Wipe down: Use a paper towel to thin out the butter over the surface of the pan, wiping up almost all of it (and on repeats, any crumbs left behind from the previous crepe). The pan should look almost dry; you want a super-thin coating of butter, not noticeable streaks.

Pour: Pour in the batter while swirling the pan. Pour about 1/4 cup / 60 ml of batter into a 10″ / 25 cm pan, adjusting as necessary (you want enough batter to just coat the bottom evenly). While pouring in the batter with one hand, use your other hand to hold the pan in the air and swirl it so that the batter runs and spreads over the surface of the pan. If you can pour batter out of the pan after swirling, you’re using too much. If you’re short on batter, you can “spot pour” a bit in to fill in the gap. This is also the point at which you should check the heat of the pan; it should be hot enough that the batter develops a lace-like quality — little holes all over the crepe as the steam tunnels up through the batter. If your crepes come out whitish, turn up the heat.

Flip: Wait until the crepe begins to brown. Don’t poke, don’t prod; just let it cook. Once the crepe has begun to brown around the edges, use a silicone spatula (one of those folding spatulas works well) to push down the edge all around the circumference. This will release the edge of the crepe so that it lifts off the pan. Carefully grab that little edge to flip the crepe with both hands.

Flip Again: Let the crepe cook on the second side for half a minute or so, until it’s cooked. The first side should come out a uniformly brown tone, so flip the crepe again before adding the fillings. This will leave the better-looking side on the outside of the finished crepe.

Add fillings: Add whatever fillings you like. You can heat and even cook the fillings by leaving the pan on the heat during this step. Or, you can move the crepe to a plate and fill it off the heat if you’re using something cold (e.g., lox, cream cheese, dill). Crepes are a great vehicle for almost any filling, either savory or sweet. If a combination of ingredients works on pizza or in a pie, it’ll probably work in a crepe.

– From Cooking for Geeks by Jeff Potter