AUTHOR: Kate Quinn

NARRATOR: Saskia Maarleveld

RATING: ★★★★

REVIEW: Another amazing book by Kate Quinn! The fact that this story is about a female sniper intrigued me more than anything, and I loved getting to know Mila Pavlichenko, the real-life Russian sniper the book is based on. But before I delve more into my review, I feel like I should get a disclaimer out of the way first, so here goes. If you're triggered by graphic details of war and death, then this probably isn't the book for you. I want to also note that it's clearly stated in the description this book is about a SNIPER, which basically equals death. So, yeah...just don't read it if that bothers you. Mila's one badass heroine in this story, and I admired her courage and bravery in the face of war and many other tragedies. It's always evident how Kate Quinn does a ton of research for her books, and I appreciate that, as a reader and as a learner. You get a little bit of everything with this story - suspense, romance, humor, revenge - just to name a few. I lost count of the many times I oohed, ahhed, gasped, and cheered while listening to this audiobook. And, of course, I can't end this review without gushing over my favorite narrator, Saskia Maarleveld. As always, she does a FANTASTIC job making each individual character come to life. I can't recommend The Diamond Eye enough, especially if you love historical fiction as much as I do.

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, coconut milk, maple syrup, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, lemon zest, vanilla, and salt until smooth and no lumps are visible. Equally pour into ten 4-ounce ramekins and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Custards should jiggle slightly in center when removed from oven. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve with whipped cream, if desired. 

NUTRITION INFO: 1 ramekin, Calories: 124.5 kcal, Carbohydrates: 25 g, Protein: 5 g, Fat: 7 g, Saturated Fat: 4.5 g, Cholesterol: 111.5 mg, Sodium: 63.5 mg, Fiber: 2.5 g, Sugar: 3.5 g

(Recipe and photo courtesy of Skinnytaste)

Happy Tuesday, dear readers! This week’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt from That Artsy Reader Girl is the books I plan on reading this fall. Are any of these on your TBR list? Have a great day! (NOTE: Book summaries from NetGalley).

🆘 The Lies We Leave Behind by Noelle Salazar - Somewhere in the Pacific, 1943. Kate Campbell is a nurse who bravely flies back and forth from the front to rescue wounded soldiers, amid long days, harsh conditions and often dangerous weather. Driven by a deep personal need to help in the war effort, she is conflicted when an injury results in her reassignment to the relative comfort of the English countryside. Love has never been part of her plan, but despite herself, she falls for an officer with three bullet wounds, startling blue eyes and a wicked sense of humor. For the first time, Kate sees a future far from the horrors of war and hate. But before she can pursue it, a secret from her past calls her to duty, and she'll have to travel back into danger one more time to rescue a part of herself she'd left behind. But will she make it back? And will that future still be waiting for her if she does?

🌴 The Life Impossible by Matt Haig - When retired math teacher Grace Winters is left a run-down house on a Mediterranean island by a long-lost friend, curiosity gets the better of her. She arrives in Ibiza with a one-way ticket, no guidebook and no plan. Among the rugged hills and golden beaches of the island, Grace searches for answers about her friend’s life, and how it ended. What she uncovers is stranger than she could have dreamed. But to dive into this impossible truth, Grace must first come to terms with her past.

🏡 We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes - Lila Kennedy has a lot on her plate. A broken marriage, two wayward daughters, a house that is falling apart, and an elderly stepfather who seems to have quietly moved in. Her career is in freefall and her love life is . . . complicated. So when her real dad—a man she has barely seen since he ran off to Hollywood thirty-five years ago—suddenly appears on her doorstep, it feels like the final straw. But it turns out even the family you thought you could never forgive might have something to teach you: about love, and what it actually means to be family.

🌊 The Sirens by Emilia Hart - 2019: Lucy awakens from a dream to find her hands around her ex-lover’s throat. Horrified, she flees to her older sister’s house on the Australian coast, hoping she can help explain the strangely vivid nightmare that preceded the attack—but Jess is nowhere to be found. As Lucy awaits her return, the rumors surrounding Jess’s strange small town start to emerge. Numerous men have gone missing at sea, spread over decades. A tiny baby was found hidden in a cave. And sailors tell of hearing women’s voices on the waves. Desperate for answers, Lucy finds and begins to read her sister’s adolescent diary. 1999: Jess is a lonely sixteen-year-old in a rural town in the middle of the continent. Diagnosed with a rare allergy to water, she has always felt different, until her young, charming art teacher takes an interest in her drawings, seeing a power and maturity in them—and in her—that no one else has. 1800: Twin sisters Mary and Eliza have been torn from their loving father in Ireland and forced onto a convict ship bound for Australia. For their entire lives, they’ve feared the ocean, as their mother tragically drowned when they were just girls. Yet as the boat bears them further and further from all they know, they begin to notice changes in their bodies that they can’t explain, and they feel the sea beginning to call to them. 

🎧 Over the past couple of months I’ve become obsessed with listening to audiobooks narrated by Saskia Maarleveld (she is AMAZING). Here are some audiobooks narrated by Saskia that I currently have on my TBR list: The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn (currently listening), The Briar Club by Kate Quinn, The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin , The Keeper of Hidden Books by Madeline Martin, Switchboard Soldiers by Jennifer Chiaverini, and Resistance Women by Jennifer Chiaverini.

AUTHOR: Madeline Martin

NARRATOR: Saskia Maarleveld

RATING: ★★★★

REVIEW: So, for the past couple of months I've become obsessed with books narrated by Saskia Maarleveld. I don't know what to say other than she is absolutely incredible. The way she makes SO many character voices different and unique in one book recording is simply amazing. Her voice is also very soothing, and I love the many accents she uses. Madeline Martin is a new-to-me author, and The Last Bookshop in London captured this old librarian's heart right from the start. I believe anyone who treasures the written word will fall in love with this book. (I actually jotted down several titles mentioned in this story that I had never heard of and plan on reading soon). On another note, I always appreciate when an author does extensive research for their books, and it was obvious from the beginning that Madeline did her homework. My favorite types of historical fiction are set during World War II, and I learned many new things about the era while reading this story. The heroine, Grace Bennett, was a woman after my own heart, and it thrilled my soul to see her blossom into a voracious reader. And the last chapter...oh my goodness...I wept. Such beautiful writing that really tugs at the heartstrings. I look forward to reading more of Madeline's work in the future, and I would highly recommend The Last Bookshop in London to everyone. 

It’s that time of year again! 🍂 Time for all things PUMPKIN! Enjoy! 

DIRECTIONS: In a small pan combine milk, pumpkin butter and sugar or sweetener of choice and simmer over medium heat, stirring, until boiling. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and pumpkin spice. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth (or whisk well with a wire whisk). Pour into two mugs, add the hot espresso and top with fat free whipped cream and a dash of pumpkin pie spice on top. 

NUTRITION INFO: 1 latte, Calories: 115 kcal, Carbohydrates: 21 g, Protein: 6.5 g, Cholesterol: 4 mg, Sodium: 100 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 5 g

(Recipe and photo courtesy of Skinnytaste)

AUTHOR: Kate Quinn

NARRATOR: Saskia Maarleveld

RATING: ★★★★

REVIEW: I have to admit I've become addicted to Kate Quinn's audiobooks with Saskia Maarleveld as narrator. Saskia does such a wonderful job making each character sound unique in their own individual way, and I'm pulled into the story from the very beginning. Although Kate's book The Rose Code is still my favorite, I thoroughly enjoyed The Alice Network, and I would highly recommend it to everyone. Kate does an incredible job bringing historical fiction to life, and I feel like I'm always learning something new when I read her books. I'm a huge fan of fiction based during the World War II era, and with Kate's impeccable writing and Saskia's exceptional narrating, I feel as if I'm part of the story. All of The Alice Network characters play an important role in this book, and I love how Kate makes each character beautifully flawed and REAL. I laughed. I cried. I gasped. I also cheered and clapped like a madwoman. (Revenge can be so sweet. If you know...you know). I look forward to my next Kate Quinn and Saskia Maarleveld encounter. I have no doubt it will be amazing. 

DIRECTIONS: In a large pot or dutch oven, brown ground meat on high heat and season with salt. Drain fat if any, reduce heat to medium-low, then add peppers, onions and garlic. Cook about 5 minutes on low heat. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, marjoram and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. Serve about 1 1/2 cups of soup in each bowl and top with 1/2 cup cooked brown rice.

NUTRITION INFO: Serving: 1-1/2 cups soup and 1/2 cup rice, Calories: 285 kcal, Carbohydrates: 37.5 g, Protein: 21.5 g, Fat: 5 g, Saturated Fat: 2 g, Cholesterol: 46.5 mg, Sodium: 621 mg, Fiber: 4.5 g, Sugar: 6.5 g

(Recipe and photo courtesy of Skinnytaste)

Happy Tuesday, dear readers! This week’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt from That Artsy Reader Girl is all about books that provide a much-needed escape from the real world. All books offer some kind of escape for me, but I'll try and narrow the list down to a few of my favorites. Have a great day!

🧛 Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer - Okay...shoot me. It's a series about falling in love with a vampire, and since the odds are I'll never actually meet a vampire in real life...why not? 

🌕 Midnight Bayou by Nora Roberts - I'm not a huge Nora fan, but this book reeled me in because it's part romance and part haunted antebellum home in New Orleans. What's not to love? 

⚔ Outlander by Diana Gabaldon - If I'm going to be hurled back in time, then please toss me into the waiting arms of a hunky Scottish man like Jamie Fraser. *swoon* 

⚡ Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling - I probably should have listed this one first because if I had to choose a book to escape into it would definitely be the complete Harry Potter series. That would be A.W.E.S.O.M.E! 

HAPPY TUESDAY! 

DIRECTIONS: Instant Pot: Assuming your electric pressure cooker has a saute option, or if using the Instant Pot, press the saute button and let the pressure cooker get very hot, when hot spray with oil, add the ground beef and salt and cook until browned breaking the meat up into small pieces as it cooks, 3 to 4 minutes. When browned, add the onion, celery and carrots and saute 4 to 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, cabbage, beef stock and bay leaves, lock the lid cook high pressure 20 minutes. Let the steam release naturally. Remove bay leaves and serve. Makes 11 cups. Stove top: Follow the same directions as above in a large pot or Dutch oven, cook covered low 40 minutes.

NUTRITION INFO: Serving: 1 1/2 cups, Calories: 181 kcal, Carbohydrates: 14 g, Protein: 15.5 g, Fat: 6 g, Saturated Fat: 2.3 g, Cholesterol: 40 mg, Sodium: 592 mg, Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 4.5 g

(Recipe and photo courtesy of Skinnytaste)