Book Review: Go-To Dinners: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten

Go-To Dinners: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another wonderful cookbook by Food Network favorite Ina Garten!  She developed these recipes during the pandemic, and her focus is on easier and more comforting meals.  The majority of these recipes can be made ahead of time, are easy to prepare, and often are made in just one pan (the person who washes the dishes thanks you, Ina!).  As usual, she makes it all look so easy and delicious.  There are quite a few recipes in this collection that I would like to try.  Unfortunately I had to return the book to the library, but will be purchasing my own copy very soon. 

View all my reviews

Book Review: Home is Where the Eggs Are by Molly Yeh

Home is Where the Eggs Are by Molly Yeh

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a delightful cookbook to read.  Molly Yeh's recipe notes are much more lengthy than any other cookbook, and her writing is charming and familiar.  She has a way of transporting you to her kitchen with her food descriptions.  I love the way that she involves her daughter Bernie in all the food prep and cooking.  I also appreciate the fact that she occasionally can't find the necessary ingredients at her local Midwestern grocery and gives the reader alternatives.  I'm not sure that I will be making any of the recipes, but that didn't stop me from the enjoyment of reading her cookbook. 

View all my reviews

Book Review - Don't Overthink It: Make Easier Decisions, Stop Second-Guessing, and Bring More Joy to Your Life by Anne Bogel

Don't Overthink It: Make Easier Decisions, Stop Second-Guessing, and Bring More Joy to Your Life by Anne Bogel

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have been reading Anne Bogel's blog entries and listening to her podcast for years.  I ordered this book even before it was published.  I felt that the topic spoke to me and some of my worrying and overthinking tendencies.  Why, why, why did I wait so long to read it?  It languished on my bookshelf for more than two years.  i finally picked it up this week and finished it quickly.  Anne writes in a very approachable and understandable way.  She also provides MANY excellent concrete examples of how to stop the overthinking cycle.  I feel like she is one of my neighbors or friends, and we can share our books and overthinking problems over a cuppa tea.  I have already suggested this book to one of my friends, and would highly recommend it to others. 


View all my reviews

Book Review - The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A fascinating non-fiction account of two separate events in Chicago during the 1890s:  the Chicago World's Fair (the Columbian Exposition) and the macabre account of the physician (Dr. H. H. Holmes) who was killing young women alone in the city.  The backstory about the planning and building everything needed for the fair is fascinating.  They encountered delays, personnel changes, building problems, weather situations, and more which made it a miracle that the White City was ready in time.  The author intersperses the chapters so we read about the White City (the fair) and then quickly switch to the Devil (the killer).  I started reading the book three other times, but each time set it aside.  I picked it up before Christmas and devoted all of my reading time to this book.  I was immediately engrossed and finished it quickly. 

View all my reviews

Book Review - Winter Storms by Elin Hilderbrand

Winter Storms by Elin Hilderbrand
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm continuing to read about the Quinn family on Nantucket this Christmas; this is the third in the series but I just found out that there is a fourth entry as well. The family continues to experience a LOT of drama, and this book differs from the other two in that it isn't just set in December. We read about the Quinns throughout the year. I love the feeling of Christmas that the book imparts, and have to laugh at some of the predicaments that the family members get into. Come join the Quinns on Nantucket with this series -- you will laugh, you will cry, and they will draw you in to their lives. All in all, a wonderful Christmas series.

View all my reviews

Book Review: Heartburn by Nora Ephron

Heartburn by Nora Ephron

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have been a long-time fan of everything that Nora Ephron creates (books, blogs, movies) and am reading my way through the compilation of her work, The Most of Nora Ephron.  As I read her words, I can hear her voice in my head -- a rare occurrence which happens with only a couple of authors (Anthony Bourdain being another one).  This is the fictionalized novella of the breakup of her marriage to Carl Bernstein.  Somehow she makes it laugh-out-loud hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time.  Because the main character is a food writer, she intersperses humorous recipes which are so vague that the reader wonders how they would ever turn out edible.  The book reads more like a monologue than a novel, but still...it's a Nora Ephron monologue.  Oh, Nora, we miss you so!

View all my reviews

Book Review: The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel

The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a tough book to read, to describe, and to categorize.  I was trying to decide between 4 and 5 stars, but when I realized that it's been three weeks since I finished reading it and I'm STILL thinking about it, that bumped it up to 5 stars.  I have to admire the construction of the book and to be honest, it would be interesting to re-read it knowing the story line.  I tend to like linear storytelling, which this definitely is not.  The plot jumps from person to person at the beginning, characters come and go, only to reappear later in the book, and the reader isn't sure exactly who the main character is or what the plot is supposed to be.  I read this for book club, and the discussion was lively and varied.  It's a perfect book club selection since you'll definitely want to talk about this book after you finish it.

View all my reviews

Book Review - Desert Star by Michael Connelly (Harry Bosch #24 / Renee Ballard #5)

Desert Star by Michael Connelly

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Renee Ballard and Harry Bosch are working together again, in the 24th book in the Bosch series and 5th book in the Ballard/Bosch series.  Renee is now the team leader for the newly reopened Open Unsolved Unit, and asks Harry to join her.  Once again, they work well together as a team.  The book follows two cold cases:  the first is the murder of a councilman's sister, and the second is one of Harry's last cases on the job -- the murder of an entire family.  Michael Connelly is a skilled writer, and his books just seem to get better as the years go by.  It's very rare that I stay with a book series as long as I have with Harry, which is a huge testament to Connelly's expertise.  A page turner, which I would highly recommend.  However, if you haven't read the previous Bosch books in the series, do yourself  a favor and start with the first one!

 View all my reviews