The Ultimate Mediterranean Diet Cookbook by Amy Riolo

 
The Ultimate Mediterranean Diet Cookbook by Amy Riolo
My Rating: ★★★★★

This is one of the books I picked up when my dietitian highly recommended the Mediterranean diet. Inside this book, you’ll find 100 delicious recipes. The recipes fall under simple and fast to make all the way to more labor intensive, and each and every one of them sound delicious. There are also tips on substituting gluten to make the recipes gluten-free when applicable! You will find everything from plant based meals all the way to dairy based meals.

Even though this is another book calling it the Mediterranean diet, it’s not a diet in the way we think of but rather than an entire lifestyle change that doesn’t include diet restricting. I like that the author explains why this is actually a lifestyle change rather than a diet, so therefore it’s much easier to sustain. I’ve heard of the Mediterranean diet before and noticed it comes in and out of trend, but I can see why it’s more sustainable. It’s about consciously making better food choices while also not restricting. The end result should be healthier meals that are also more fulfilling. The author makes sure to mention that this is not a diet one should go on to lose weight, though it is possible for one to lose weight while making better food decisions.

There is a wide variety of recipes covering everything from main dishes, side dishes, snacks, and even some desserts. It’s also clear that the recipes are inspired by the many places the author has visited, but they also talk a little about where the recipe came from at times and why they are incorporating it into the book. There are so many delicious recipes included that reading them made me hungry. However, there are some delicious looking pictures to go with the recipes while not including photos for every one of the recipes included. The recipes are very clear and easy to follow with the occasional cooking tip thrown in.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and am excited to try some of these recipes. I already picked up the few ingredients I didn’t already have so that I can make a few of them!

Mediterranean Diet: 70 Easy, Healthy Recipes by Good Housekeeping, Susan Westmoreland

 
Mediterranean Diet: 70 Easy, Healthy Recipes by Good Housekeeping, Susan Westmoreland

My Rating: ★★★★

When the Mediterranean diet was highly recommended by my nutritionist, I decided to start looking at cookbooks to see what it was all about. In this book, you will find 70 delicious sounding recipes that will make you hungry by just reading! Plus, each recipe is adjustable for anyone who has food allergies! There isn’t a single recipe in here that is 100% off the table due to food allergies.

The book is organized by the type of recipe: main dishes, small plates, soups, vegetarian, and so on. Desserts aren’t featured, so if you’re looking for desserts that fit under the Mediterranean diet, you’ll have to look elsewhere! The opening explains what this diet is and that it’s not actually a diet in the way we all think when we hear the word “diet” thrown around. Sure, one can lose weight while eating like this, but it will depend on how much carbs, sugar, and calories one consumes.

That said, everything in this book looks absolutely delicious as well as healthy. I particularly liked that it opens with a good variety of seafood dishes as I’m someone who loves seafood. While there aren’t pictures for every recipe, there are pictures for a good amount of the recipes, which will make the book more enticing for people who would like to see pictures of the dishes. The recipes themselves are simple and easy to follow, but some are more labor intensive than others. I also like that the serving size and nutritional value is included, especially since many people want or need to track the calories, carbs, and sugar they consume.

Another thing I really like is that there are tips included at the end of each recipe. Some of the tips are simple, like giving ideas for what to do with your leftovers to turn them into a whole new meal the next day or dropping some possible substitutes for an ingredient. Other tips are extremely useful, such as how to pick a swordfish, which is great because I’ve never bought or cooked swordfish before! 

All in all, I think this is a great book and I’m looking forward to trying some of the recipes, especially the plum tomato and eggplant shakshuka recipe.

My First Book of Cats by Morgan Grassi

 
My First Book of Cats by Morgan Grassi

My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from Callisto Media, Rockridge Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re looking for a cute book about cats for young readers, this may be the book for you! In this short read, you will find a variety of interesting facts about cats that are simple enough for kids 3 to 5-years-old to understand. Even though the book is simplified for young readers, it’s not boring at all for adults, especially if you love cats! I’ve loved cats since I was very young and absolutely loved reading this. I even learned why cats have tails and the tail’s overall purpose.

There’s also plenty of pictures of cats throughout the book along with short and easy to understand information about various cat breeds. I do think that some of the information, such as the general size of each breed, might fly over the heads of younger readers. However, I also think that it’ll be easy for parents and guardians to use something about the same size as the measurements listed to show their kids around how big a particular cat may be.

All in all, I think this is a wonderful book that can introduce cats to kids as well as bring interesting facts and information about cats to kids who already love cats.

The Ultimate Mediterranean Diet Cooking for One Cookbook by Kelly Jaggers

 
The Ultimate Mediterranean Diet Cooking for One Cookbook by Kelly Jaggers

My Rating: ★★★★

I received a copy from Adams Media through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

After the Mediterranean diet was highly recommended by my nutritionist, I decided to start looking at some books and check it out. In this book, you will find 175 recipes that are perfect for when you’re cooking for just yourself. However, like most recipes, it’s extremely easy to adjust each recipe for when you find yourself cooking for more than just yourself.

The book is organized by type of recipe: breakfast, appetizers, vegetarian main dishes, poultry, dessert, soups, and so on. It’s easy to jump to what kind of recipe you’re looking for and find a variety of tasty sounding easy to follow recipes. I do wish there were more pictures to go with the recipes, but I don’t mind that it’s lacking in photos. However, I do think that a lot of people find the recipes more enticing when there’s a picture to go along with each one, so I think more pictures would’ve been a great addition to the book.

Each recipe is detailed and easy to follow. Some of the recipes are labor intensive, but if anyone finds that daunting or otherwise can’t commit to that much work in one go, the author recommends doing the prep work in advance. Actually, there are some pretty good tips in the opening of the book before we even get to the recipes. I really liked the section on how to plan ahead and stop wasting food. It’s easy to buy a little too much or have extra veggies and such leftovers from what one needed to make a meal. There are some pretty good tips on how to avoid buying too much but also what you can do with things such as leftover unused herbs so they don’t go to waste.

Overall, the recipes are clear and sound delicious. I actually already eat some variations of a portion of the recipes, but I think that makes the stuff I haven’t eaten before seem more promising. The book is clearly laid out, has excellent tips, and clear instructions for anyone new to cooking. I think it could’ve had more pictures of the finished foods, but otherwise, I think it’s an excellent recipe book that’s great for new and experienced cooks.

Fat Witch Summer by Lizzy Ives

Fat Witch Summer by Lizzy Ives

My Rating: ★★★★

I received a copy from Sword and Rose Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It’s usually a moment of excitement when someone first shows signs of possessing magic. For 16-year-old Thrash, it’s just another stressor in her life. She’s always dreamed about receiving the Gift of Sight, but she knows her mom, Osmarra, is obsessed with giving her the Gift of Glamour. It wouldn’t be that big of a deal if people could choose their own Gift, but everyone’s parents choose their Gift, and Osmarra is completely against Sight. Just as Thrash thinks she can live with being stuck with the Gift of Glamour, she’s offered the chance of a lifetime: run away with three witches from school with plans to steal their Gifts. Thrash thinks it’s a crazy idea, but when faced with Glamour, she’d rather take her chances than get stuck in a life she never asked for.

The title and cover of this book drew me in and I’m sure glad it did! We follow a group of teenage girls who are determined to take their lives into their own hands: Thrash, Em, Cresca, and Saki. Together, the three of them plan to break in and steal the Gifts they aren’t legally allowed to choose for themselves. Along the way, we see what each of them struggle with, their secrets, and how this crazy plan that has them flying by the seat of their pants teaches them to appreciate their abilities somewhere along the way.

One of the things I like about this book is that Thrash, the main character, is plus size and proud. Books primarily following plus size characters who aren’t an insulting depiction are hard to come by, and we’ve got Thrash, who is very proud of her appearance. If anything, she resents how her mom is so focused on appearances and how the Gift of Glamour will help her fit in… by appearing smaller than she is. We also have a well rounded cast of interesting and amazing characters with a few “bad guys” thrown into the mix. It really makes every character wonderful to follow!

I found this book to be funny and heartwarming. Sure, there’s some sad moments that tug on the heartstrings and are relatable at times, but it was fun and really supports the fact that believing in oneself makes a difference. There’s a nice cast of characters outside of the four we follow, and I do wish we saw a little more of some of those characters. For example, there’s a lot more to Osmarra’s familiar but we never get to see it.

My only complaint is that the book doesn’t seem to finish up some of the storylines. The main one being the plot about magic and what the Gifts can do. We’re supposed to believe that it’s a huge deal for Thrash to steal Glamour when there’s, ultimately, nothing to support that in the long run. It fizzles out by the end and it’s almost like the ending was to a different book. It’s so light and carefree when the entire magic system as the characters know it is being challenged and changed. I just wish this major plotline was better planned and executed because we get to the end and it’s almost like the high stakes were fake all along. I think that this will make much more sense if it turns out this is really a series opener. Otherwise, I’m just disappointed about that particular plotline nearly evaporating by the end.

The Gifts That Bind Us (All Our Hidden Gifts #2) by Caroline O'Donoghue

The Gifts That Bind Us by Caroline O'Donoghue

My Rating: ★★★★★

After spending one magical summer with her friends, Maeve is not ready to return to school. Why can’t she spend more time pretending everything is okay and that nothing will change? Now that the new school year has started, the cracks she’s been trying to outrun are getting even bigger. The Leaving Cert is looming over everyone but Roe, and the pressure is on. Maeve’s friendship with Fiona is on the rocks due to recklessness born out of fear and loneliness, Lily still isn’t speaking to her, and Roe’s music career is picking up. Plus, The Children of Brigid are getting stronger, and their school seems to be the focus. What is Maeve and her newfound coven going to do now that their relationships are seemingly cracking and a cult is slowly brainwashing the town?

I absolutely love this series. The first book had me fully absorbed in the story every chance I had to read, and this book was no different. We pick up shortly after where the first book left off, and we see Maeve struggling to come to terms with her new powers. While being able to read people’s minds sounds cool, it really just gets her feelings hurt left and right and she knows she can’t complain because she’s the one who took a peek at their thoughts. It’s interesting to see how her abilities differ from Fiona, Roe, and Lily’s and how she feels hers doesn’t really compare.

We also see how the events from the previous book continue to affect each of the characters even when they’re masking. I feel the most bad for Fiona and Lily, who have been affected the most by everything that happened and they don’t really have anyone to talk to about it. Fiona is left with the nightmarish memories of Maeve and Roe sacrificing themselves, and Lily has been affected in more ways than anyone could’ve ever predicted by her time as a river.

One of the things I loved about this book is the friendships as well as the struggles these friendships go through. We’ve got Maeve and Fiona with their friendship on the rocks after Maeve does something out of fear of being split up from her best friend during their last year of school. Fiona and Lily are building a friendship with Fiona not judging her for how she came back differently from life as a river. Roe is starting life after school and meeting people who don’t judge them for who they are. There’s relationship struggles between everyone, but then we also see how they work through it and what changes due to the choices they each make.

Honestly, the cult aspect of the story is the scariest because I can picture something like this happening whether or not there were magic wells to be drained. While the majority of the brainwashing is done through magic to control, the way the Children of Brigid sink their hooks into our core characters is what’s scary. When you take away the magic, it’s so realistic because it boils down to pure manipulation with very evil intentions.

All in all, this was an absolutely amazing book and I’m very excited to read the final book in the trilogy. I’m very interested in seeing how the series wraps up as well as how everyone is going to pull together since I’m assuming the final book will pick up with Maeve and her friends during their post-school lives.

The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows (Feminine Pursuits #2) by Olivia Waite

 
The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows by Olivia Waite

My Rating: ★★★

Agatha Griffin has been busy keeping her printing business going ever since her husband passed away. Not only does she want to keep the business safely running, but she also wants to see her son finally help run things with her. However, Sydney is busy rubbing elbows with fellow radical thinkers and wooing Agatha’s apprentice. It’s just the icing on the cake when Agatha discovers that there’s a bee colony living in her warehouse. That’s where Penelope Flood, a skilled beekeeper, comes in. Agatha thought she was ready to be done with the bees as soon as possible, but there’s something about Penelope that sucks her in. The feeling is mutual as Penelope finds herself forging a friendship with the lovely widow…

I’ve been a fan of this series, which made me excited to finally read the second installment. This time around, we follow Agatha and Penelope through their rotating perspectives as they slowly fall in love with one another. Both are excellent characters who bring a lot to the table. I found them to be extremely interesting, so it was fun getting to see them slowly fall in love and introduce each other to their respective circles. There’s also an excellent supporting cast that I enjoyed getting to know, and I found myself delighted when some of these characters kept gracing the pages.

The romance itself is a very slow and cute one. The whole opening was fun and I really liked seeing Agatha and Penelope slowly fall in love between their correspondence as well as visits. As Penelope is a skilled beekeeper, it was fun to see bees leave their mark on the story. I’m not knowledgeable about bees, so I can’t tell you if all the information was accurate, but I do know at least some of it was based on what I do know. It was really cute to see bees slowly bring these two characters together and break Agatha out of her shell.

I’m not sure if I would call this a romance novel, though. The romance was not the main plot and it really took a break for what I’m assuming was supposed to be a major side plot. I thought what is actually a major plotline along with the side plots were interesting and well written, but the romance basically flew out the window for a good portion once they all got rolling. It wouldn’t have been so bad if the romance was slowly ramping up during this time, but it seemed to be almost completely forgotten unless you count Agatha wishing that Penelope wasn’t a married woman from time to time.

That said, I really did enjoy the book. It has an excellent cast of characters that I will miss, but there wasn’t a good balance between the main plots and the romance for a good portion of the book. I think that the romance could’ve continued with the cute slow burn during this time if it wasn’t going to ramp up the romance. I will say that once the romance finally starts getting going again, it goes hard. However, I think it missed the mark a bit as a romance novel since that ended up being a side plot.

Bittersweet in the Hollow (Bittersweet in the Hollow #1) by Kate Pearsall

 
Bittersweet in the Hollow by Kate Pearsall

My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from Penguin Group (Penguin Young Readers Group/G.P. Putnam's Sons for Young Readers) through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Linden has grown up in Caball Hollow, a small town with whispers of its paranormal history. Some of those whispers have a smidge of truth mixed in with the rumors, and she would know this better than anyone since she was born into the latest generation of James women and their distinct abilities. When a girl from town goes missing and is found dead, the town’s whispers about the James women grow louder and louder. This disappearance is eerily similar to Linden’s own disappearance the previous summer, and she can’t seem to remember anything about that night. As many in town begin to grow meaner, louder, and bolder, Linden and her sisters lean into their abilities to find out who is behind the murder… or murders.

When I picked up this book, I was not expecting it to be as much of a mystery and thriller that it actually is, and that’s a good thing! I was sucked into the story so fast. We follow Linden, a teenager whose life was turned upside down after she went missing a year before where the story starts. It all began with a silly game of Moth-Winged Man, which is played like a game of Bloody Mary but in the National Forest and without a mirror. The only problem is that Linden can’t remember much about that night, and it’s caused a divide between her and all her friends. She’s just been waiting for the whole thing to finally blow over when a friend of hers, Dahlia, goes missing around the National Forest.

Of course, things only get worse when Linden discovers Dahlia’s body, only she was pulled to it like a magnet. She and her old friend, Cole, keep dancing around each other as she and her sisters try to figure out what happened. Linden doesn’t want to accept Cole’s help given how their friendship broke apart, but it seems that he’s not as weirded out by her as she thought. I think the differences between Linden and Cole investigating and Linden and her sisters investigating were really fun. We see Linden and her sisters using their abilities, such as contacting the spirits, to see what they turn up. However, when she’s working with Cole, we see just two regular teenagers trying to connect the dots. It was really interesting, especially because we get to see how each method of poking around uncovers new information that helps them all move forward. I especially loved seeing Linden and her sisters bond, bicker, and support each other every step of the way.

The mystery itself was excellent. It went so far back and was connected to everyone in so many different ways. It was really interesting to see how the decisions of some of the characters we get to know impacted how the events played out. I also really liked that the central plot leads Linden on a path of discovery about her family and how her ancestors really ended up in town. There are so many twists and turns throughout the story that it’s easy to tell how much planning went into this. It was truly an excellent read. I wasn’t happy about the final chapter, but that was because it went from high stakes to instant closure when I was hoping we’d get more information about the aftermath of the previous chapters. However, since this is the first in a series, I think it’s very likely that we’ll see the aftermath of those events play out in the next novel.

Ever Yours, Annabelle (Rescued from Ruin #0.5) by Elisa Braden

Ever Yours, Annabelle by Elisa Braden

My Rating: ★★★★

Annabelle Huxley has always lived and breathed all things Robert Conrad. After an unfortunate accident caused by her own recklessness, Robert was left with a shattered body and a very difficult recovery. Life as he had known it was over, and it led him to banning Annabelle’s name from even being mentioned in his presence. After seven hard years, Annabelle is on the market for a husband, but the only man she’s willing to marry is the one person who wants absolutely nothing to do with her. It’s just her luck that she’s been given a very special assignment this season: help Robert find a suitable spouse. Of course, there’s no way in hell she’s going to help him marry anyone but her!

I decided to start this series with the prequel and I have to say that I’m very happy with that decision. We follow Annabelle and Robert through their rotating perspectives starting with the accident that changed their lives. Fast-forward to their present and we’ve got two people on the market for marriage. Annabelle has turned her nose up to legitimate potential husbands because they’re not Robert. Meanwhile, Robert has hit the marriage market at the request of his grandfather. Saying Nathaniel Conrad requested his grandson to marry isn’t exactly true… it was really a demand down to mentioning he doesn’t have much time left on this planet. Either way, it certainly brought Robert to the marriage market at the right time before Annabelle marries anyone but him!

The writing was excellent and drew me in right away. It was extremely difficult to put this book down every single time I picked it up. The writing is that good. It’s also very easy to follow Annabelle and Robert despite the two of them failing to communicate or listen properly. So much would’ve been solved right away if they bothered to have a heart to heart with open ears, but they were too busy going back and forth between sassing each other being full of lust. They certainly were made for each other and are a great match.

I also enjoyed meeting the range of different supporting characters. Nathaniel is my favorite character and I would love to see a prequel with him as the main character. I doubt that’s something that would ever happen, but I can dream! He’s so serious yet hilarious in his own way. I really love no BS kind of characters. While he gives it to you straight, he never does it in a malicious way so that just makes him an even better character. I did like some of Annabelle and Robert’s friends, but I’m very excited to see more of Lady Wallingham as I jump into the full series.

My only complaint is the seemingly random murder mystery that pops up in the book. While I know it’s supposed to really drive home the gravity of Annabelle’s secret, it was super out of place. It just had the characters running around in circles and Robert acting downright silly. It’s the one thing I wish didn’t make it into the book. Otherwise, I really enjoyed reading this and look forward to checking out the first book in the series.