Friday, August 30, 2024
Review - The Rose Code
AUTHOR: Kate Quinn
NARRATOR: Saskia Maarleveld
RATING: ★★★★★
Summary (from Goodreads): The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Huntress and The Alice Network returns with another heart-stopping World War II story of three female code breakers at Bletchley Park and the spy they must root out after the war is over.
1940. As England prepares to fight the Nazis, three very different women answer the call to mysterious country estate Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes. Vivacious debutante Osla is the girl who has everything—beauty, wealth, and the dashing Prince Philip of Greece sending her roses—but she burns to prove herself as more than a society girl, and puts her fluent German to use as a translator of decoded enemy secrets. Imperious self-made Mab, product of east-end London poverty, works the legendary codebreaking machines as she conceals old wounds and looks for a socially advantageous husband. Both Osla and Mab are quick to see the potential in local village spinster Beth, whose shyness conceals a brilliant facility with puzzles, and soon Beth spreads her wings as one of the Park’s few female cryptanalysts. But war, loss, and the impossible pressure of secrecy will tear the three apart.
1947. As the royal wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip whips post-war Britain into a fever, three friends-turned-enemies are reunited by a mysterious encrypted letter--the key to which lies buried in the long-ago betrayal that destroyed their friendship and left one of them confined to an asylum. A mysterious traitor has emerged from the shadows of their Bletchley Park past, and now Osla, Mab, and Beth must resurrect their old alliance and crack one last code together. But each petal they remove from the rose code brings danger--and their true enemy--closer.
REVIEW: What an incredible story! This was my first time reading Kate Quinn, and I have since added several of her other books to my TBR list. I love historical fiction, and I can usually tell when an author hasn’t done much research for their book, and Kate Quinn is NOT one of those authors. Stories set during World War II are some of my favorites to read, and her understanding of the intricacies of code-breaking and that entire era of history just blew me away. I also loved how she included details about the actual events and people in her author notes. (Bletchley Park is now officially on my list of places to visit). This story really put my emotions through the wringer. I laughed out loud over Osla’s antics and vibrant personality. I cried and grieved with Mab. I gasped over certain “revelations”. (Sorry…can’t give away any spoilers). My heart ached for Beth, and I totally swooned over Mab and Frances’ love story. Kate Quinn is such an amazing author, and I highly recommend The Rose Code to everyone. I listened to the audiobook version, and I’m very glad I did because the narrator, Saskia Maarleveld, is truly amazing. (This was my first time listening to her too). She has such a wonderful way of pulling you into the story with her captivating accent, and the way she gives each character their own unique voice made me feel like I was listening to a whole cast of narrators instead of just one. Kate Quinn and Saskia Maarleveld are an unbeatable pairing. As soon as I finished The Rose Code, I snagged The Alice Network audiobook, and I can’t wait to get started!
Wednesday, August 28, 2024
Recipe - Cheddar Corn Chowder with Bacon
- 6 strips center-cut bacon, chopped
- 2 small yellow onions, chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose or gluten free flour
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 small Yukon gold potatoes, diced
- 1 12-ounce wedge cauliflower, stem intact
- 1 pound frozen corn kernels
- 1 cup whole milk
- 4 ounces shredded white sharp cheddar cheese
DIRECTIONS: Place bacon in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot and sauté over medium heat, until cooked and crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel lined plate. Set aside.
With the pot still over medium heat, add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the onions, add turmeric, thyme, salt and pepper, to taste, and cook for an additional minute, stirring constantly.
Add the broth, potatoes and cauliflower and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping the bottom of the pot (this releases the caramelized bits on the bottom). Bring the pot to a boil then decrease to simmer, cover and cook 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat 4 ounces (about 2/3 cup) of the corn with a splash of water in a small microwave safe-dish until just defrosted, about 1 minute.
Remove the lid from pot and transfer the cauliflower, 1 cup of the soup and warmed corn to a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer puree back to the pot.
Add the remainder of the frozen corn, the milk and cheese. Mix then simmer for 3 minutes or until the cheese is melted and soup is heated through. Taste and adjust salt, if necessary. Serve topped with reserved bacon pieces.
NUTRITION INFO: Serving: 1 2/3 cup, Calories: 309 kcal, Carbohydrates: 42 g, Protein: 15 g, Fat: 11 g, Saturated Fat: 5.5 g, Cholesterol: 27 mg, Sodium: 638 mg, Fiber: 5.5 g, Sugar: 10 g
(Recipe and photo courtesy of Skinnytaste)
Monday, August 26, 2024
New Sweet Romance Books in the Little Free Library
Gave the Little Free Library a good cleaning this weekend. If you like sweet romance stories, there are two new Debbie Macomber books available. The Good Morning America August book club pick, The Seventh Veil of Salome, is also still available. (If you read it, please consider returning it so others can enjoy it. Thank you!)
Thursday, August 22, 2024
Recipe - Crock Pot Picadillo
- 2 1/2 lbs 93% lean ground beef
- 1 cup minced onion
- 1 cup diced red bell peppers
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup minced cilantro
- 1 small tomato, diced
- 8 oz can tomato sauce
- 1/4 cup alcaparrado, manzanilla olives, pimientos, capers or green olives
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 2 bay leaves
- Kosher salt and fresh pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS: Brown meat in a large deep skillet on medium-high heat; season with generously with salt and a little pepper. Use a wooden spoon to break the meat up into small pieces.
When meat is no longer pink, drain all the liquid from pan. Add the onions, garlic and bell peppers to the meat and cook an addition 3-4 minutes.
Transfer the meat to the slow cooker, then add tomato, cilantro, tomato sauce, 1 1/4 cups water, alcaparrado (or olives), then add the spices.
Set slow cooker to HIGH for 3 to 4 hours or LOW for 6 to 8.
After it's ready, taste for salt and add more as needed. Discard the bay leaves and serve over brown rice.
Makes about 5 3/4 cups.
NUTRITION INFO: Serving: 1 /2 cup, Calories: 207 kcal, Carbohydrates: 5 g, Protein: 28 g, Fat: 8.5 g, Saturated Fat: 3.5 g, Cholesterol: 74 mg, Sodium: 477 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 3 g
(Recipe and photo courtesy of Skinnytaste)
Wednesday, August 21, 2024
Sullivan Book Nook August Update
Added a few more books to the Little Free Library. Stop by if you see something you’d like to have, but please don’t take more than three books at a time. Leave some for others to enjoy. Thank you!
Tuesday, August 20, 2024
Top Ten Tuesday - The Swoony Stuff
Happy Tuesday, dear readers! This week’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt from That Artsy Reader Girl is all about books with relationships I would like to have or be a part of. (Examples: Characters I’d like to date, be friends with, be enemies with, etc. - you get the picture). But since I racked my brain and couldn't come up with any of those, I decided to just post some of my favorite swoon-worthy reads. Have a great day!
👩❤️👨 The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab - All I'm gonna say is..."I remember you". I cried. I melted into a puddle. It broke my heart and made me swoon all at the same time. If you know you know.
💋 Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers - He's a Godly Christian man, and she's a prostitute. I don't know how Francine Rivers came up with such an intriguing couple dynamic and plot, but I'm glad she did. (Oh, and the movie is great too).
👩❤️👨 The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren - This book cracks me up, and it's my all-time favorite of Christina Lauren's. I adore an enemies to lovers plot, and this story is full of SO many awesome snarky comments between the hero and heroine. I laughed all the way through it.
💋 Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens - Tate and Kya are such a beautiful couple. I mean, come on...he taught her how to read! How can you not fall in love with someone like that?
👩❤️👨 Things We Left Behind by Lucy Score - I love ALL the Knockemout books by Lucy Score, but this one is my favorite because...again...I love the enemies to lovers trope. Sloane and Lucian seriously hate each other (in the beginning), and that makes for some very serious (and HOT) sexual tension. When they finally get together...WOWZA!
💋 Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt - This isn't a romantic relationship, but the closeness between widow Tova and Marcellus the octopus melted my heart. I went into this story thinking it would be too weird to enjoy, but it's one of my favorite books.
HAPPY TUESDAY!
Tuesday, August 13, 2024
Review - Weyward
AUTHOR: Emilia Hart
RATING: ★★★★
Summary (from Goodreads): I am a Weyward, and wild inside.
2019: Under cover of darkness, Kate flees London for ramshackle Weyward Cottage, inherited from a great aunt she barely remembers. With its tumbling ivy and overgrown garden, the cottage is worlds away from the abusive partner who tormented Kate. But she begins to suspect that her great aunt had a secret. One that lurks in the bones of the cottage, hidden ever since the witch-hunts of the 17th century.
1619: Altha is awaiting trial for the murder of a local farmer who was stampeded to death by his herd. As a girl, Altha’s mother taught her their magic, a kind not rooted in spell casting but in a deep knowledge of the natural world. But unusual women have always been deemed dangerous, and as the evidence for witchcraft is set out against Altha, she knows it will take all of her powers to maintain her freedom.
1942: As World War II rages, Violet is trapped in her family's grand, crumbling estate. Straitjacketed by societal convention, she longs for the robust education her brother receives––and for her mother, long deceased, who was rumored to have gone mad before her death. The only traces Violet has of her are a locket bearing the initial W and the word weyward scratched into the baseboard of her bedroom.
Weaving together the stories of three extraordinary women across five centuries, Emilia Hart's Weyward is an enthralling novel of female resilience and the transformative power of the natural world.
REVIEW: First off, the fact that this is a debut novel just blows my mind. Emilia Hart writes with the flawless ease of someone who’s been writing and publishing books for years. The story is told by three Weyward women from three different generations, but it all flows together so beautifully and is very easy to follow. Each of their stories is captivating, and in the end I found myself cheering them on as they faced their struggles head on. (Kate’s defining moment had me on my feet clapping like a lunatic. My husband thought I’d lost my mind. LOL). I chose the audiobook version, and I’m so glad I did because the narrators (Aysha Kala, Helen Keeley, and Nell Barlow) are absolutely incredible. Their smooth as silk voices and stunning accents drew me in from the very beginning, and I didn’t want the book to end. I really look forward to reading more of Emilia Hart’s work in the future.
Monday, August 12, 2024
Recipe - Strawberry Yogurt Bark
- 2 cups nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, divided, ½ cup sliced
- 1/4 cup honey
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- ¼ cup whole raw pistachios
DIRECTIONS: Line a small 13 x 9-inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a food processor or blender pitcher, add yogurt, honey, 1/2 cup of the strawberries, vanilla, and pinch of salt. Blend on high until smooth throughout, roughly 10-15 seconds.
Pour mixture onto baking sheet, and use an offset spatula to spread out evenly.
Top off with the remaining strawberries and nuts.
Set in the freezer for roughly 2 hours to set. Cut into 12 pieces and eat frozen.
NUTRITION INFO: 1 piece, Calories: 60 kcal, Carbohydrates: 9 g, Protein: 4 g, Fat: 1 g, Saturated Fat: 0.5 g, Cholesterol: 1 mg, Sodium: 15 mg, Fiber: 0.5 g, Sugar: 7.5 g
(Recipe and photo courtesy of Skinnytaste)
Thursday, August 8, 2024
GMA Book Club Pick Available in My Little Free Library
Book summary (from Goodreads): A young woman wins the role of a lifetime in a film about a legendary heroine — but the real drama is behind the scenes in this sumptuous historical epic from the author of Mexican Gothic.
1950s Hollywood: Every actress wants to play Salome, the star-making role in a big-budget movie about the legendary woman whose story has inspired artists since ancient times.
So when the film’s mercurial director casts Vera Larios, an unknown Mexican ingenue, in the lead role, she quickly becomes the talk of the town. Vera also becomes an object of envy for Nancy Hartley, a bit player whose career has stalled and who will do anything to win the fame she believes she richly deserves.
Two actresses, both determined to make it to the top in Golden Age Hollywood—a city overflowing with gossip, scandal, and intrigue—make for a sizzling combination.
But this is the tale of three women, for it is also the story of the princess Salome herself, consumed with desire for the fiery prophet who foretells the doom of her stepfather, Herod: a woman torn between the decree of duty and the yearning of her heart.
Before the curtain comes down, there will be tears and tragedy aplenty in this sexy Technicolor saga.
Tuesday, August 6, 2024
Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Favorite Books from Ten Series
Happy Tuesday, dear readers! This week’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt from That Artsy Reader Girl is Ten Favorite Books from Ten Series. Unfortunately, since most of what I read are standalone books, I only have four on this list instead of ten. So, with that being said, here are my top FOUR favorite books from FOUR series. 😊
📕 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling - Not only my favorite book in the series, but also my favorite movie in the series too. I could read these books and watch these movies over and over again and never tire of them.
📙 Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer - I guess you could call this book part of the Twilight series. Although I loved the first four books, there was something about reading Edward's point of view in Midnight Sun that really stuck with me.
📗 Things We Left Behind by Lucy Score - The whole Knockemout series by Lucy Score is amazing, but book three is my favorite. Not only is the main female character, Sloane, a librarian like myself, which I love, but the love of her life/rival/lover/enemy, Lucian, is...well, he's HOT. 🔥 I highly recommend this series if you love steamy romances.
📘 Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews - I remember reading this book for the first time in 8th grade and thinking how messed up it was and how it felt like I was reading something "taboo". Such a great series!
HAPPY TUESDAY!
Subscribe to:
Posts
(Atom)
Currently Listening
Currently Reading
Popular Posts
NetGalley Badges
Goodreads Updates
