Book Review: Deus X by Stephen Mack Jones (August Snow #4)

Deus X by Stephen Mack Jones
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is Stephen Mack Jones' fourth book in the August Snow series, which are all set in Detroit.  I have seen this author at local book festivals and have been a fan ever since the first book.  I always feel like an insider picking out the metropolitan Detroit locales.  This book is quite a page-turner, focusing on mysterious circumstances within Catholic church.  Needless to say, August gets involved to right the wrongs brought upon innocent people.  We have many of the wonderful characters from the previous books, plus some new ones.  I highly recommend this book (and the other three books in the August Snow series) -- great fast-paced adventure!  I received this book as an advance reader copy from NetGalley and appreciate the opportunity to read it prior to it's November 7, 2023 publication date. 

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Book Review: All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me by Patrick Bringley

All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me by Patrick Bringley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Patrick Bringley's memoir is about the 10 years he spent as a guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC.  He was in his mid-20's, fresh out of school and working at The New Yorker in NYC when his older brother developed cancer and passed away.  Wanting to do something completely different, something where he could grieve, he applies for a job as a guard at the Met.  This book focuses both on the art in the Met but also life as a museum guard.  He talks in-depth about a wide variety of pieces of art in the museum, and also focuses on his favorites.  Recommended for anyone who loves museums, art, and the feeling you get when viewing masterpieces that have survived for hundreds of years.  The appendix which gives information on all the art covered in his book, but the incredible bonus is the link from his website which the links to each piece of art with an image and background information for each!  Find it here - https://www.patrickbringley.com/art.  

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Book Review: The Lazy Genius Kitchen: Have What You Need, Use What You Have, and Enjoy It Like Never Before by Kendra Adachi

The Lazy Genius Kitchen: Have What You Need, Use What You Have, and Enjoy It Like Never Before by Kendra Adachi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Kendra Adachi writes a very supportive and informative book for those individuals who are just starting out in the kitchen -- who don't like to cook, don't want to cook, don't know how to select a recipe, or don't know what to do in the kitchen.  She covers everything from kitchen equipment, how to grocery shop, how to organize your kitchen, what to make, and how everything fits into your family's priorities.  I did appreciate her 13 Lazy Genius Principles which are guidelines for really anything, not just cooking (#1 - Decide Once; #2 - Start Small, etc.).  I gave the book three stars because it didn't speak to me in this season of my life.  I've been cooking for my family for years and definitely could have used this 25-30 years ago!

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Book Review: Drowning by T.J. Newman

Drowning by T.J. Newman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An airplane crashes into the Pacific Ocean just minutes after taking off from Honolulu.  Many of the passengers escape, but a handful are trapped inside as the plane sinks in the ocean.  Thus begins the almost 300 pages of breath-holding, book gripping, hand-sweating excitement of the underwater rescue.  Lots of technical information about deep sea diving, underwater rescues and equipment, but that didn't get in the way of the riveting story.  This was quite a page-turner and I was just disappointed that I didn't have time to read it all in one day!!  This is the second novel by T.J. Newman and I think I enjoyed it even more than the first.  Both are highly recommended, but only if you have time to immerse yourself in the book to the exclusion of everything else in life.

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Book Review: The Samurai's Garden by Gail Tsukiyama

The Samurai's Garden by Gail Tsukiyama
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An absolutely beautifully written story set in the late 1930's Japan, right before WWII.  Stephen is a young Chinese artist with tuberculosis who is sent to the family's vacation home in Japan to recuperate for more than a year.  There he is cared for by the housekeeper and gardener, Matsu.  This is a character-driven story which unfolds slowly.  We gradually get to know Stephen, Matsu, and Sachi, Matsu's life-long friend who has leprosy and lives in a neighboring village.  Stephen is away from his family, and the pace of life is so different from what he is used to.  We learn about the Japanese food, tea ceremony, gardens, village celebrations, traditions, and way of life.  This book immediately immersed me in a wonderful world and culture, and was a welcome escape from reality.  Very highly recommended, and probably one of the best books that I will read this year.  The book cover pictured here is SO much better than the one on the paperback copy I read.

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Book Review: Meal Prep Magic: Time-Saving Tricks for Stress-Free Cooking, A Weelicious Cookbook by Catherine McCord

Meal Prep Magic: Time-Saving Tricks for Stress-Free Cooking, A Weelicious Cookbook by Catherine McCord
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I downloaded this book from my local library and read it in Hoopla while on vacation.  It was a quick read with a lot of practical information on meal planning, food storage, kitchen organization, etc.  I think a beginning cook would benefit immensely from this book.  Lots of recipes included which have straightforward ingredients and instructions. 

Lots of pretty pictures too, but to be honest I don't have the time to arrange my pantry, refrigerator and freezer by color and put everything in matching containers!  She also advocates keeping things in glass containers in the frig, which I think is a great suggestion but I can foresee what would happen if I did this in my house.  "Clean up on Aisle 3!!"  She also plans all of her meals a month at a time.  Then every Sunday she cleans out the frig, grocery shops, preps all the ingredients, makes chicken stock, roasts vegetables, steams rice, and cooks chicken breasts.  I'm exhausted just thinking about doing all that on one day!

Lots of great suggestions, but not all of them will work for everyone.  I'm sure that we can all glean some helpful hints from this book. 

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Book Review: Jacqueline in Paris by Ann Mah

Jacqueline in Paris by Ann Mah
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A fascinating historical fiction account of 20-year old Jacqueline Bouvier and the year she spent in Paris in 1949 -- her junior year at Vassar.  She stays with a family in Paris, along with several other girls from Smith College.  She has broken free from the close confines of her mother and family life, and gets to explore what she wants to, unencumbered.  She immediately loves the Parisian life -- restaurants, clubs, theater, making friends, seeing the sites, a burgeoning romance, etc.  It is said that Jacqueline Bouvier felt that this year was the most impactful and influential part of her life.  The reader gleans a true sense of time and place in post-war Paris; the sparkling as well as the remnants of war.  

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