Review: Dining on a Dime: 1000 Money Saving Recipes and Tips

Dining on a Dime: 1000 Money Saving Recipes and Tips by Tawra Jean Kellam

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



For experienced frugalistas, there won't be much in there that hasn't been read somewhere else, but this is a great compilation. This would be a good starter book for people just beginning to think about how to reduce their grocery bill or who want to make their own detergent but don't know where to start. Definitely a useful book to have on hand to reference.



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Review: Museum of Thieves

Museum of Thieves by Lian Tanner

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I can't believe I liked a tween book this much, but I did. The city and the guardians aren't they main story - it's more about this wild museum and it's belongings. I enjoyed the story and the rooms. It had the sense of Hogwarts in that it shifted and changed where you were going but it was nothing like Hogwarts in it's inhabitants and belongings. Imagine a building that stores everything that mankind has eradicated for it's dangerous-ness. And then imagine if all of those dangerous things tried to escape. It was a great read and one I'll encourage my kids to read in a year or two.



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Review: Rot & Ruin

Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I've never read a zombie book. I've watched a few zombie movies but none really impressed me. I watched the Walking Dead on tv but it was too gory. So why did I read it? Well, I've been trying to force myself into new genres this year and this came up on Recommendations because of my recent foray into teen dystopian.

I didn't expect to like it but I loved it from the first page. In fact, the part about zombie killing simulations at scouts hooked me. I read it twice and had my husband read it. He was not interested at all...but it was too late for me.

The zombies in this post-apocalyptic book are not the zombies of the movies. They are gravity-driven, stay-at-home types of beings, only driven to eat the living when they stumble into them. Easily distracted by fluttering flags and unable to open a door, they are mindless forms that used to be human.

I'm glad this is a series - I'm ready to see where Benny goes next!



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Review: Hell House

Hell House by Richard Matheson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



The ultimate haunted house story. That's it. Can't say any more than that.



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Review: 175 Best Babycakes Cupcake Maker Recipes: Easy Recipes for Bite-Size Cupcakes, Cheesecakes, Mini Pies and More!

175 Best Babycakes Cupcake Maker Recipes: Easy Recipes for Bite-Size Cupcakes, Cheesecakes, Mini Pies and More! by Kathy Moore

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Is it wrong to love a cookbook for a product you will never own? Because I do.

Turns out that Babycakes is a mini cupcake maker that makes a whopping 8 cupcakes a time. But not 8 cupcakes, exactly...it's actually eight MINI cupcakes. I can't even wrap my mind around that. Why would someone even make something that pointless??

But the book. Oh my goodness, the book! I love it. Creative recipes, easy to make foods and easily adapted to regular cooking. I've enjoyed several recipes already and my kids thought the vanilla wafer s'mores were an excellent after school snack today. I'd requested this through my library, not realizing that it was a brand-specific book. I'm so unhappy about returning it, however, that I've added it to my Amazon wish list!



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Review: Divergent

Divergent by Veronica Roth

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I picked up this book at the library this afternoon and couldn't put it down. I finally finished it and can go to bed!

I really liked this book. It's similar in concept to Hunger Games and Maze Runner - a dystopian future where teens are faced with challenges that will upset the current regime while likely creating a new one.

This book was a GoodReads recommendation and I was fascinated. I requested it at the library that night. This is the first of many recommended books I've requested and so far I'm loving GoodReads' success rate!

When I was a teenager, dystopian reading amounted to "1984." I hated 1984 then and I hated it just as much when I re-read it this summer. I'm thrilled with this new sub-genre in youth fiction.



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Review: Insanewiches: 101 Ways to Think Outside the Lunchbox

Insanewiches: 101 Ways to Think Outside the Lunchbox by Adrian Fiorino

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I love this book, as does my family. In fact, my 9 year old had this in his room for a week. Both of my kids have requests in for the birthday cake sandwich and there are several more they would love to see in their lunch boxes! Most of these sandwiches are easy to make and would be a cute addition to a meal. Will I eat something that advertises itself as a clot-wich? Well, no...but does banana bread, ice cream and hot fudge sound delicious? Definitely! This book is a great way to show what a little effort can create!



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Review: The Lincoln Lawyer

The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I don't read lawyer books. It's a long-standing habit of mine. However, a friend of mine was reading Michael Connelly and raved about it so I checked it out.

I am so glad I did. Excellent book. The plot twisted and turned and I found myself nervously listening to parts, afraid that things would go wrong for Mickey. The reader was fabulous - as the book started, I thought, "Wow! That's actually what a shark lawyer would sound like!" and it helped push the book up even further in my estimation. I can't say much about the story as I don't want to hint at anything that would give away any of the surprises in the book.

I'm excited to see that Goodreads is listing this book as "Mickey Haller #1" because it suggests that we'll hear more about Mickey! I'll definitely read more!



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Review: Curtain

Curtain by Agatha Christie

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Poirot's last case? It was inconceivable. Surely Agatha Christie wouldn't kill off one of the greatest detectives of all time! Alas, that is exactly her intent.

This is one of my favorite Christie books. It's a return to Styles and includes both Poirot and Hastings and it shares the quaintness that all her books have gained over the decades. It's so difficult to write a review for a mystery so I will say only that I was completely surprised by the end of the book - both the revelation of the murderer and the last thoughts of Poirot.



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Review: 5-Minute Recipes

5-Minute Recipes by Authors & Editors of Instructables

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Love this. To be fair, this is more of a compilation than a cookbook and everything in the book can be found online...but it's fabulous to have the recipes pulled and organized without having to find them! Everything in here can be made with kids and you need only supply supervision and control the mixer.

Each recipe is fully illustrated, which if my preference for cooking books, and includes pics for each stage of preparation. They also label pics to explain things that new cooks might not know, such as a picture of egg whites that have been formed into peaks. After each recipe, they provide links to similar recipes and each of those include a picture of the final product. In addition, the table of contents in the ebook links to each recipe, making this book easier to use. You can scroll through the table, find a recipe for dog treats, click on it, then see the recipe and also find links to other recipes that might interest you.

This is one that I will keep in iBooks indefinitely. When the kids are in the mood to cook or I need to whip up a snack in a hurry, I will have inspriation at my fingertips.



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Review: Smart School Time Recipes

Smart School Time Recipes by Alisa Marie Fleming

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I added this book to my iPod because I needed some packed lunch inspiration. It was exactly what I needed! The kids will appreciate the delicious lunches and I'll enjoy knowing that they are eating something healthy. And did I mention it was FREE??

The recipes are allergy-friendly and include milk, wheat, egg and nut-free foods. I plan to keep this on my iPod for many months :)



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Review: Left Neglected

Left Neglected by Lisa Genova

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Once I started this book, I was addicted.

Sarah, a high-level executive with a demanding job, two mortgages, three children and a husband, is in a car accident. Eight days later she wakes up and realizes that she has lost her left. Her brain, as a result of the traumatic injury, is no longer able to able to even comprehend the idea of left. Not only does her body not have a left half, but neither does anything else. This "left neglect" is the focus of the story and we are able to travel the path of recovery with her. She learns a new life and faces challenges that are incomprehensible to me.

Early in the story she is explaining to a frustrated husband that it isn't as easy as looking around. She asks him to list everything in the room and he complies. When he's finished the list, she tells him to imagine being told that there is actually twice as much there and that he just needs to look harder to find it. Imagine trying to figure out a way to see something when you have no idea how there is another way to look. At that point, I was hooked.

I can hardly wait to listen to Still Alice!



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Review: Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy: The Special Education Survival Guide

Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy: The Special Education Survival Guide by Peter W.D. Wright

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Excellent resource for the IEP process. I feel that so many parents are unaware of their ability to advocate for their children and don't know that they have the power to push back against schools' decisions. It's intimidating to go against a school, especially when you don't understand the laws completely or are unsure of what to request. This book walks you through the entire process and is filled with advice designed to help you get the support your child needs. I recommend this for any parent that believes their child needs an IEP.



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Review: What I Eat: Around the World in 80 Diets

What I Eat: Around the World in 80 Diets by Peter Menzel

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Another great read from Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio! As with all of their books, the main idea is fascinating but the supporting info is just as interesting. These diets are actually glimpses into lifestyles most of us will never see or experience. The photos and the stories combined to make another book I couldn't put down!



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