AUTHOR: Jenni L. Walsh

NARRATOR: Fiona Hardingham

RATING: ★★★★

REVIEW: This was my first time reading Jenni Walsh’s work and what a beautiful story! I’m always drawn to historical fiction, especially those set during World War II, and learning about the Women’s Royal Navy Service (the “Wrens”) was such a treat. I never even knew they existed and what an incredible group of women! I really enjoyed learning about their jobs as dispatch motorcycle riders during the war, but one of my favorite parts was learning about the women who took care of the carrier pigeons that relayed important intel during wartime. I loved all of the characters, even the secondary characters, because they each contributed something special to the book. You get so much with The Call of the Wrens - romance, suspense, drama, joy, heartache, etc. And I can’t say enough great things about the narrator, Fiona Hardingham. I absolutely adore her voice and accents. 

The only thing that distracted me about this audiobook was the pronunciation of Evelyn (Ev-lin) as Eve-lin. Yes, it’s a minor thing, but it kept throwing me off, especially since my mother’s name is Evelyn, and I’ve never heard it pronounced any other way than Ev-lin. Regardless, it certainly wouldn’t stop me from recommending this book because it’s such a wonderful and thought-provoking story. I can’t recommend it enough, and I look forward to reading more of Jenni Walsh’s work in the very near future.

(DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this title from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own).

4 cups baby red potatoes (cut in small pieces*) 

1/2 cup green bell pepper (finely diced) 

1/4 cup red onion (finely diced) 

3 scallions (diced) 

1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 

1 tablespoon reduced fat mayonnaise  

salt and fresh pepper (to taste) 

DIRECTIONS: Bring a pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until soft, approximately 10 minutes. Drain. While the potatoes are boiling, combine red onion, green pepper, mustard, olive oil, vinegar and mayonnaise and season with salt and pepper. Once the potatoes are done, toss them into the bowl with dressing and add scallions and additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve room temperature or refrigerate until ready to serve. 

NOTES: *Measure them cut up. Variations: If you can’t find baby red potatoes, use larger red skin potatoes, russet potato or yukon gold potatoes cut in bite-sized pieces. Swap the red onion for shallots. If you want to omit the mayo, swap it with full fat Greek yogurt. Add additional optional ingredients like dill pickles, celery, garlic powder, or chopped hard-boiled eggs. 

NUTRITION INFO: Serving - 3/4 cups, Calories: 107kcal, Carbohydrates: 17.8g, Protein: 2.2g, Fat: 3.2g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Fiber: 2.1g - WW Points: 1

(Recipe and photo courtesy of Skinnytaste)

TITLE: The English Masterpiece (audiobook)

AUTHOR: Katherine Reay

NARRATORS: Saskia Maarleveld and Fiona Hardingham

RELEASE DATE: June 10th, 2025

REVIEW: After a very long month recovering from surgery, I was so excited to get back to reading. You would think being off work and home healing from surgery would give me a lot of time to read, but unfortunately that wasn't the case between doctor visits and whatnot. Anyway...this was my first time reading Katherine Reay's work, and what a wonderful story! If you've read any of my reviews, then you already know that I'm a huge fan of historical fiction, especially when I have the opportunity to learn something new, and I really enjoyed the interesting facts about the art world that Reay sprinkled in throughout this book. The plot was very intriguing and kept me guessing the entire time. There's mystery, romance, drama...you get a little bit of everything with this story. The fact that it was narrated by one of my favorite narrators, Saskia Maarleveld, was an added bonus. Fiona Hardingham is quite incredible too. It was my first time listening to her, and I adored her soothing British accent. Between her and Saskia, I was thoroughly enraptured in this book from beginning to end. I would highly recommend it to everyone, and I can't wait to read more of Katherine Reay's work. 

(DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this title from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own).

For the Chimichurri Sauce: 

DIRECTIONS: Using sharp knife, lightly score the steak about 1/8 inch deep on both sides in a crisscross pattern at 1/2-inch intervals. In a small bowl, combine the cumin, garlic powder, oregano, freshly ground pepper and kosher salt. Season both sides of the steak with season spices. For the chimichurri, mix all ingredients together. (Note: this tastes best when you chop everything by hand rather than in a food processor) Prepare the grill on high heat. Grill the steaks to desired doneness, about 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare, turning steaks 1/4 turn after 1 1/2 minutes to form crisscross grill marks, if desired. Transfer steaks to cutting board; let rest 5 minutes. Thinly slice steaks across grain. Transfer to platter and top with chimichurri sauce. 

NOTES: For more authentic chimichurri, omit the onion and add 2 more garlic cloves. 

NUTRITION INFO: Serving: 3oz steak with 4 tsp sauce, Calories: 232kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 0.5g, Cholesterol: 77mg, Sodium: 343mg - WW Points: 2

(Recipe and photo courtesy of Skinnytaste)

DIRECTIONS: Add the dates to a bowl and cover with very hot water. Cover and let sit for 15 minutes. Drain, pat dry, and cut in half, removing the pit. Spray an 8-inch pie plate with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Add the soaked dates, nuts, and salt to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse together until the mixture is finely chopped. The mixture should hold together when pressed between your fingers. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pie plate. Lightly spray your hands or the bottom of a flat dry measuring cup with nonstick spray and gently press the crust out to cover the base and the sides of the pie plate. In a medium bowl, mix together the yogurt, vanilla bean paste, orange zest, and honey. Spoon the mixture into the pie plate and smooth into an even layer. Arrange the fruit in your desired pattern. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving. Slice into wedges and use a small offset spatula to remove the slices. 

NUTRITION INFO: 1/10th of pie, Calories: 251kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 11.5g, Saturated Fat: 1.5g, Cholesterol: 4mg, Sodium: 40mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 28g - WW Points: 7

(Recipe and photo courtesy of Skinnytaste)

🥗 More Than Just Books - I started off with the intention of blogging ONLY about book reviews, but I’m not a fast reader, and I knew there wouldn’t be many posts if I stuck with that trend. So, I decided to add other things I enjoy, like recipes. 

❌ No Time for Bad Books - Life is short, so if I can’t get into a book within the first few chapters, then I will move on to something else. That’s one reason you’ll more than likely never see a book review with less than three stars on my website. 

🎧 More Than Print Books - The first few reviews on my site are from print books only. I didn’t listen to my first audiobook until I started working as a librarian in June of 2021. Now, with a 45-minute commute to work, I fill that time listening to audiobooks, and I’m so glad I decided to give them a try. I LOVE them. 

📚 The Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth - Once upon a time, I was so worried about offending people with my book reviews, especially the authors. I used to write romance books several years ago, and I know how scathing reviews can sting, but if I’m not being honest then I don’t feel like I’m helping anyone, so I try to remain truthful. (Still, I don’t like writing bad reviews, and that’s another reason I only start and finish books I really enjoy). 

DIRECTIONS: Mix chicken and fish sauce in medium bowl. Add cornstarch; toss to evenly coat. Set aside. Heat 1/2 tablespoon of the oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add garlic and ginger; stir fry 30 seconds. Add bell peppers, chili pepper if using, and pineapple; stir fry 3 to 5 minutes or until peppers are tender-crisp. Add sauce; cook and stir until heated through. Remove from skillet. Heat remaining oil in the skillet. Add chicken; stir fry 5 minutes or until cooked through. Return bell pepper mixture to skillet; stir fry until well blended. Garnish with cilantro. 

NUTRITION INFO: 1 1/4 cups, Calories: 276kcal, Carbohydrates: 22g, Protein: 27g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 83mg, Sodium: 593mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 14g, WW Points: 7

(Recipe and photo courtesy of Skinnytaste)

Hello, dear readers! Reporting to you live from hospital room #3306! Yep, I had surgery yesterday to remove part of my colon, so I’ll be out of commission for a couple of weeks, but I wanted to make sure I got my Top Ten Tuesday post up and running. This week’s prompt from Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl is Books with ____ in the Title, and I chose two words - LIBRARY and BOOK. Happy Tuesday!