Monday, March 30, 2009

Mailbox Monday


Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page. We share what books that we found in our mailboxes last week. I had a full mailbox last week. Here is what I got:












What books came into your house last week?

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Guest Post with Erica Bauermeister Author of The School of Essential Ingredients




I'm very honored to welcome Erica Bauermeister, author of The School of Essential Ingredients for a special Guest Post here today at Redlady's Reading Room.

Last month, I shared my rave review of this wonderful book which you can read here. I have been talking about this book a lot and it is high on the list of my most favorite books that I've read this year.


As I mentioned in my review, reading The School of Essential Ingredients is like finding the perfect recipe to escape the mundane day to day fast food pace of life and cooking that many of us subscribe to. It will allow you to vicariously savor the varied ingredients in the dishes that the class create and it may even inspire you to create some of your own. If you haven't yet read this magical book, I highly encourage you to pick up a copy.


I want to thank Erica for taking the time to write a special guest post for the readers here at Redlady's Reading Room. Erica has given us an added bonus by including a very special fondue recipe taken from the book. She adds her own magical touch to the details, so please read on...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


On Fondue and Magic
by Erica Bauermeister, author of The School of Essential Ingredients


People often ask me where they can find a restaurant or a cooking class like Lillian’s in The School of Essential Ingredients – a place where needs that you didn’t even know you had are met, where you realize that life can be beautiful or sad, but in any case is meant to be lived. My response is that Lillian’s is fictional, but that magical restaurants exist. Sometimes you just stumble across them.

Which leads me to fondue. In The School of Essential Ingredients, fondue is a way for Lillian’s cooking class to celebrate Valentine’s Day, so it was with a feeling of serendipity that I found myself on Valentine’s Day weekend this year in New York City with my 21-year-old daughter, trying to track down a fondue restaurant in the East Village that a friend had told her we HAD to find. It was called The Bourgeois Pig.

We decided to locate it while we were out exploring in the afternoon, just so we would know where to go that evening. We walked right by the address – no restaurant. We asked at a shop two doors down; the clerk had never heard of the place. We asked people on the street. Nothing. Finally, while getting our lunch order at a (fabulous) porchetta sandwich shop we mentioned it. Oh yes, they had heard about it. They pointed across the street to a blank building facade, its windows closed with wooden shutters. We went and found “The Bourgeois Pig” painted in small, curling letters on the door frame.

We came back at 7 pm to find magic – Paris in another century. The shutters open, candle-light flickering inside the windows. A man with a delicious resemblance to Johnny Depp standing at the door, dressed in cape and cravat, letting people in two at a time. We entered to find dim lighting, red flocked wallpaper, the tables pressed up against each other like lovers. The fondue was lush and warm and into it we dipped an incredible array of crusty bread and grapes, apple slices and roasted rosemary potatoes. The wine was cold; we talked about everything and nothing for hours; a (real) frenchman sitting at the bar sent my daughter a glass of champagne. Oh my.

Readers have been asking for recipes – so here is Helen’s fondue, with some variations as suggested by a magical evening in New York City.

~Helen’s fondue~
garlic clove, cut in half

1 1/2 cup white wine

2-3 T kirsch

1/2 lb Emmenthaler
1/2 lb Gruyere

1-2 T cornstarch

a pinch of nutmeg


Rub fondue pot with garlic clove. Add white wine and kirsch and heat. Grate cheese and put in plastic bag with cornstarch; shake until cornstarch covers cheese. Add cheese slowly to pot, stirring in a figure-8 motion. Add a small pinch of nutmeg at the end...


What shall you dip in your fondue? Try:

crusty french bread, cut in cubes

grapes

apple slices

roasted rosemary potatoes (cut new red potatoes in chunks, brush with olive oil, toss with a bit of salt and pepper and rosemary, then roast in a 375 degree oven until as soft as you like them – figure 30-45 minutes).



If you’d like to learn more about The School of Essential Ingredients, you can check out http://www.ericabauermeister.com/. Other recipes are being sprinkled throughout the internet and will eventually be compiled on my website...


Thursday, March 26, 2009

Review: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules

Diary of a Wimpy kid: Rodrick Rules is the sequel to Diary of a Wimpy Kid and the second in the series. As I shared in my review of Diary of a Wimpy Kid (You can read the review HERE) that this is one of my son's favorite book series. My son AJ who is 10, was so happy that I read the first book and when I finished it, he lined up book 2 and 3 in the series on my nightstand. What mother could say no to that?!

This book picks up after summer vacation when school starts for Gregory. He continues writing in his diary or as he prefers to call it a journal as diaries are for girls. The book is largely focused on Gregory's escapades with his older brother Rodrick who is in high school and has a band called the "loded diaper". Rodrick knows a secret about Gregory, something that happened over summer vacation that Gregory does not want anyone to know. So, Gregory ends up helping Rodrick with his homework and covering his share of chores to avoid his "secret" from being exposed. His secret is finally exposed but as things turn out it isn't as bad as Gregory thinks it will be as the story gets twisted in translation. Gregory is turned into a hero and Mr. popularity and he never expected that. These books address issues that kids often deal with including teasing, bullying, sibling rivalry and more. If you read it along with your child, you can discuss these issues with them. It has the kind of humor that kids like and adults often do as well.

The reading level for these books are ages 9-12 but they are fun for adults to read as well. This is a great book for boys and girls, well read and reluctant readers as it will draw them in through humor and the comics. According to the author, Jeff Kinney's website, the series started off as a web comic online at Funbrain.com . There is another book in the series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid Do- it-yourself Book(an interactive journal)and a third book that was just released in January of 2009 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series. They are enjoyable and funny books and I like being able to read a book that my son likes. He had fun talking to me about the book asking me questions about what parts I had read and it was a nice dialogue and way to connect with him. He has the next book lined up for me on my nightstand so I will be starting that soon.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Review: Deep Dish by Mary Kay Andrews

Deep Dish is a light, southern foodie story that would make a good beach or summer read. The main character in Deep Dish is Gina Foxton, a 30-something chef who hosts a public TV cooking show focusing on healthier, fresh southern cooking. She is devastated when her show is cancelled because the producer (also the boyfriend of Gina) has slept with the shows sponsors wife. They find out that the Cooking Channel is looking for a new show and Gina decides this is her only option to save her career. The Cooking Channel is also interested in another southern cooking show hosted by an outdoors man style chef fondly referred to as Kill It and Grill It Tate Moody and his sidekick dog Moonpie. The Cooking Channel decides to create a competition between the two into a reality style cooking show. The winner will get the new show on The Cooking Channel. The competition turns into a romance but this takes awhile to develop and is fairly drawn out. There is a twist in the end as to who actually wins the competition which makes for an interesting conclusion to the book.


This was the first book that I have read by Mary Kay Andrews but I'm not sure that it was one of her best. I found the characters fell flat and some parts were drawn out. I did like the cooking show emphasis as I enjoy reading foodie type books. Parts of the competition reminded me of some of my favorite reality show cooking shows, one scene was reminiscent of one of my favorites, the new show Chopped on Food Network. There are some nice recipes in the back of the book as well as an author interview and readers guide. If you are a fan of southern fiction and chick lit and/or enjoy foodie type books, I think that you will enjoy this book.


I read Deep Dish as part of the Book Club Girl Online On Air Discussion with the Author. The show airs this Wednesday, March 25th at 7 PM EST. You can find more information about the show and listen in live at Book Club Girl. I am looking forward to being part of the discussion with other readers and especially the author Mary Kay Andrews.


For a different perspective on Deep Dish check out the review at Booking Mama.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page. We share what books that we found in our mailboxes last week. Here is what I got this past week:




The Laws of Harmony by Judith Hendricks


Herbert's Wormhole by Peter Nelson and Rohitash Rao




The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett

Jane Austen's Letters by Jane Austen, Deirdre Le Faye


What books came into your house last week?

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Review: Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

Diary of a Wimpy Kid is one of my son's favorite book series. This is the first in the series of 3 so far, and the author is to be writing at least 2 more in this series. How could I say no to reading this book when my 10 year old son AJ, put this book on my nightstand and asked me to read it. He told me, "Mom, you can even write a review on your blog and you're gonna' love it!". I have to say that I really did enjoy this funny book about a boy named Gregory in middle school (the 6th grade). Gregory's mother bought him a diary over the summer and he actually wanted a journal as he didn't like the idea of a diary as he thought that was for girls. The book is about his daily entries in the diary along with comics that complement the tales he writes about.


Gregory has a regular family, mom and dad an older brother Rodrick who is in high school and a younger brother Manny who is in preschool. Rodrick has a band and for the most part they get along with a few typical brotherly tricks up their sleeves. Gregory seems to be a bit jealous of Manny as he seems to get away with almost everything and gets most everything he wants. Gregory also writes about experiences with his best friend Rowley. Gregory has some interesting insights and thoughts on his life experiences, some good and some bad. He learns along the way about friends, bullies, being popular and what happens when you're not always honest and that it usually catches up with you.


This book was laugh out loud funny in many parts and the comics that supplement each entry are perfect. The reading level for these books are ages 9-12 but they are fun for adults to read as well. This is a great book for boys and girls, well read and reluctant readers as it will draw them in through humor and the comics. According to the author, Jeff Kinney's website, the series started off as a web comic online at Funbrain.com . There is a 2nd book in the series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, Diary of a Wimpy Kid Do- it-yourself Book(an interactive journal)and a third book that was just released in January of 2009 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series. They are enjoyable and funny books and I like being able to read a book that my son likes. He had fun talking to me about the book asking me questions about what parts I had read and it was a nice dialogue and way to connect with him. He has the next book lined up for me on my nightstand so I will be starting that soon.


Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Review: Transforming Family



I had the opportunity to receive a life coaching lesson via telephone with a wonderful Family Life Coach, Tracy from Transforming Family. Life coaching is a way that you can talk with someone about challenges and struggles that you would like to discuss and brainstorm ways to improve and resolve. It's not therapy, but more of a guidance process to empower you to find answers that are right for you. Tracy describes on her website:


"Coaching is a co-creative relationship.... it is to provide support, truthful dialogue, and new perspectives all designed to empower you to make the desired shifts in your life. You will connect with your true self and achieve the goals you desire to live your new transformed life."


As a Life coach, Tracy is trained and certified and follows the International Coaching Federation guidelines.


I had my lesson yesterday, and spoke with Tracy by phone. For me, talking with Tracy was like talking to a friend that was not judgemental and who listened with an open mind. She was very easy to talk with and I felt comfortable very quickly with her kind and calm approach. Tracy is a mom as well and she has a background in Early Childhood Education which enhances her understanding of children and family life. I have some challenges with my 10 year old son that I discussed with Tracy. It is a situation that has had me frustrated as I have tried several approaches and have not had success with. Tracy has her own personal philosophies that she shares as tools she has found successful in her family. I asked her about these philosophies and was able to take away several ideas that I found may work for me and my situation within our family. Some of Tracy's philosophies are different than my own and she is not pushy or forceful about them if you are not interested in these ideas. I did find myself opening up to new ideas and a different approach of switching away a bit from my own need to control a situation and allow my son to have some of his own control and choices. I found myself taking a different and calmer approach with my son yesterday and today and it was more effective. It's definitely a trial and error process that will take time and patience. I'm so glad that I had this opportunity to talk with Tracy. I feel that after our life coaching lesson that I have a few more tools to try and resources that I can explore.

I asked Tracy to share some of her favorite books that she would recommend.


These are a list of Tracy's top 5 books:

In addition this is a link that has just about every book and a summary of the books that are related to Tracy's philosophy : Consensual-Living

FREE 30 MINUTE SAMPLE COACHING SESSION:

Tracy is offering FREE 30 minute coaching sessions to experience what coaching will be like. I encourage you to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity and experience this for yourself. Don't be afraid to try it, Tracy is NOT pushy and it is a FREE sample session. For your FREE session, go directly to Transforming Family at this LINK.
For more information about Tracy or life coaching please visit:




Sunday, March 15, 2009

Book Review: The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker


The Little Giant of Aberdeen County is a story of two sisters who are very different in many ways. Serena Jane was born first and is two years older than Truly. Serena Jane is the pretty and petite one that everyone adores. Truly is very different in appearance as she is oversized and plain and becomes the outcast. Truly becomes the heroine of the story and her spirit and strength grow in comparison to her physical size. The reader has no idea how large Truly really is and it is left up to the imagination in many respects. Truly is the narrator of the story and the story is told through her viewpoint after her mother died giving birth to her. Their father has trouble raising the girls and then they end up being seperated and living with two different families in town. The story unfolds as Truly and Serena Jane become adults and the paths that they are led down. I found myself rooting for Truly throughout her many challenges and often being in the position of the underdog. I didn't like some of her choices but she was often put into positions of defending and protecting those that she loved. Truly had a large heart to go along with her large size and she was very loyal to her friends and loved ones.

The story started out slow for me and I wasn't sure that I would like the book. I stuck with it and ended up not being able to put the book down and read it in two days. I felt a protectiveness toward Truly as she was someone who is different and not accepted because of it. She ended up being the strong one and was able to stand on her own and stick to her own beliefs and values. This is definitely a different and quirky tale and a very enjoyable one at that.

*Advance Reading Copy from Hachette.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Review: Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson

I received Sundays at Tiffany's from a book giveaway that I won from Alyce at At Home with Books. I've read a few of James Patterson's books and knew that this would be generally, an easy and quick read. It's been a busy and stressful week so this book fit the bill perfectly. I read the book quickly, in a matter of two days. It's the story of Jane who is a lonely child with an overbearing mother when the book opens. She has only one friend, an imaginary friend named Michael. He must leave her when she turns 9 as that is the rule of imaginary friends. She is not supposed to remember these details as most children do not. Jane is the exeption and remembers every detail of her wonderful imaginary friend Michael. Jane ends up meeting a man named Michael in her 30's and the rest is the story of the power of love.

There is one touching quote that stuck with me and I wanted to share it. In real life, James Patterson's son said to him when he was four: "Love means you can never be apart". How wise for a four year old to say that. This is very fitting for this story as well and the quote is also used in the book. For me, it makes me think about loved ones in my own life and when my son went to kindergarten and we read The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn.


I adored Michael's sweet and loving character and that Jane was finally able to connect to true love even though it is a fantasy type of love. I did like that Jane eventually grew a back bone and stood up to her overbearing and dominating mother. This is definitely a feel good kind of book that leaves you with a smile on your face after you read the last page.


Monday, March 9, 2009

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet Winners!



Thanks to everyone for entering the giveaway contests for the ARC copy of the book as well as the audiobook edition of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. I used random.org to pick the winners.



The Winner of the ARC copy of
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is:


Molly from My Cozy Book Nook


************************************************************************


The Winner of the Audiobook edition of
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is:


Debblou



Thanks to Jamie Ford for providing the Audiobook edition for this giveaway.
************************************************************************
Please enter my current giveaway for 3 winners to win an Audiobook edition of
Survivors Club by Ben Sherwood. For details, Go HERE.

Mailbox Monday



Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page. We share what books that we found in our mailboxes last week. Here is what I got this past week:
Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz (Hachette Books)




Palace Circle by Rebecca Dean (Random House)






Sunday, March 8, 2009

Giveaway: Audiobook Edition The Survivors Club by Ben Sherwood


3 WINNERS!!



Hachette Books has given me the opportunity to host this giveaway for 3 winners to each receive an audiobook version of The Survivors Club by Ben Sherwood. This is an unabridged set of CD's that is read by the author.

Check out my husband Greg's review HERE.

To Enter: Please leave a ccomment here on the review of The Survivors Club which you can find just below this post or through this link.

Rules of the Giveaway:
  • Three copies of The Survivors Club audiobook version will be given away.
  • Make sure that you include your email or that your email is in your blog profile. If I have no way of contacting you by email, your entry will automatically be withdrawn.
  • Only residents of the US or Canada are eligible to win.
  • No PO Boxes please!
  • Contest ends at midnight EST, on Sunday March 15th, 2009. I will use random.org to determine the winners. The Winners will have 2 days to respond via email with their mailing addresses or another winner will need to be chosen.

Review: The Survivors Club by Ben Sherwood



~Another Review from my husband Greg~

*This is a review on the audio book edition*


As the executive producer of ABC’s Good Morning America, Ben Sherwood became fascinated by the many astounding survival stories presented by a variety of guests on the show. He came to wonder what it took to make it through impossible situations and live to tell about it, especially considering that most of those involved were often otherwise ordinary seeming individuals. This fascination lead to both a book and a web site dedicated to the phenomenon.

Be careful though, this is not a MacGyver style survival guide. It is more about the personality traits and belief systems involved in survival. And when we speak of “survival”, it is not limited to plane crashes, car accidents and the like; rather it is in the broader context of all of life’s greater challenges which includes such things as health conditions, loss of loved ones, and financial hardship.

I found most of the survival anecdotes fascinating, although quite frankly, some of them did make me cringe a bit. I’ll refrain from revealing too much, but among those I found most compelling were; the woman impaled by a knitting needle through her heart and how it saved her life, the only pilot known to survive an ejection at over Mach 1 (faster than the speed of sound), and the Serbian flight attendant who made it into the Guinness Book of World Records for being the person who survived a free fall from the greatest height, namely 33,000 feet!

In addition to exploring a repertoire of survival experiences, the book also includes a toolkit to help you discover your own “survivor personality”. This portion of the book relies heavily on "The Survivors club" website ( you can link to HERE) which includes a sophisticated survivor profile test along with many other survivor oriented resources. Unfortunately, I was unable to take the test due to the site’s insistence that I either upgrade or switch to a different browser. You don’t have to be a software engineer like myself to understand that this is inexcusable when there are several trillion websites already out there that work perfectly fine with Internet Explorer 6.0. So for me, the site remains a mystery. Still, I was able to infer my survivor profile from the description of the five types (The Fighter, The Believer, The Connector, The Thinker, and The Realist).

The audio book concludes with an interview with the author along with some words on how this research has personally affected his own life.

Aside from its educational and entertainment value, the book is a solid resource for those looking to both assess and improve their awareness and survival quotient for a range of crisis situations, some uncommon and some mundane, those which many of us will inevitably face. I’ll rate the book 4 out of 5 in its class (5 once the website is fixed). This book has life changing potential for its readers and I firmly believe that lives will be both saved and extended as a result of disseminating the wisdom garnered from this book.


Unabridged version is available in CD and Digital Download formats.
Also available in hardcover and e-book.
Find out your Survivor IQ by taking the quiz.


Thanks to Anna at Hachette Book Group.

*Enter the giveaway to win your own copy of the audiobook edition of The Survivors Club.

Find all of the details HERE.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Review: A Single Thread by Marie Bostwick


This is a gentle, wonderful story about the miracles of friendship and is testament to the saying that "when one door closes, another one opens". This happens for Evelyn, the main character in A Single Thread. Evelyn's husband of close to thirty years surprises her one day with the announcement that he wants a divorce. This changes the course of Evelyn's future and she ends up moving from Texas to a small town in Connecticut. Evelyn has always had a dream to open a quilt shop and she is able to do this in this small, tourist town. She meets wonderful friends along the way that truly become her angels as she goes through some challenging experiences. The story is told through the voices of Evelyn and her new friend and patriarch of the community, Abigail in alternating chapters. This enhances the book as you experience the story through both of the characters thoughts and experiences. Quilting is a part of the story that brings the friends together and is the single thread of their connections. You don't need to be a quilter to enjoy this book. I am not a quilter and enjoyed these parts of the story very much. I was thrilled to read at the end of the book that this will be a series and is titled the Cobbled Court series. In the Advanced Reading Copy, there is a sneak peek you can read of the next book in the series as well as a reading guide.

Marie Bostwick writes in a style reminiscent of Debbie Macomber with the contemporary style and craft themes of the Blossom Street series. Don't get me wrong, she has her own unique style which has more of a gentle, christian feel. This is her first contemporary fiction novel and she has written several historical fiction novels. I enjoyed the charm of the small town and quilt shop as well as the friendships developed in this book. I highly recommend A Single Thread to those who enjoy books with these qualities.

You can read more about Marie Bostwick and her novels on her website HERE. She has a quilt pattern available for download for her registered friends that was inspired by this novel, A Single Thread.





Thank you to Marie Bostwick for sending me an ARC copy.


Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Book Giveaway Carnival:Giveaway #2 Audiobook Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet


**CONTEST HAS ENDED**

Here's another fabulous giveaway as part of the Book Giveaway Carnival hosted at Bookroom Reviews. I am thrilled to anounce my next giveaway for several reasons:
First, Jamie Ford contacted me and graciously offered an addition to the Book Giveaway Carnival, an unabridged,audiobook edition of:

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford


Secondly, this giveaway is open Internationally!! I know that my blog readers outside of the US and Canada will be thrilled to be included. Jamie Ford will send this directly to you, isn't that great?!!

You can read my review HERE.

Jamie Ford's Website

**CONTEST HAS ENDED**

To Enter:

  • For One entry: Please leave a comment and make sure that you include your email or that your email is in your blog profile. If I have no way of contacting you by email, your entry will automatically be withdrawn.
  • For a second entry: Blog about this giveaway ( a post or in your sidebar is fine), leave a seperate entry with a link to your post.


Rules of the Giveaway:

  • Make sure that you include your email or that your email is in your blog profile. If I have no way of contacting you by email, your entry will automatically be withdrawn.
  • This contest is open INTERNATIONALLY!!
  • Contest ends at midnight EST, on Sunday, March 8th, 2009. I will use random.org to determine the winner. The Winners will have 2 days to respond via email with their mailing address or another winner will need to be chosen.


Good Luck!

Monday, March 2, 2009

Book Giveaway Carnival: Giveaway #1~Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

**CONTEST HAS ENDED**
This is the week for the Book Giveaway Carnival hosted at Bookroom Reviews. I will be giving away several books and here is the first one:



Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

(Gently Read Advanced Reader's Edition which includes a conversation with the author)


Read my review HERE.
**CONTEST HAS ENDED**

To Enter:
  • For One entry: Please leave a comment and make sure that you include your email or that your email is in your blog profile. If I have no way of contacting you by email, your entry will automatically be withdrawn.
  • For a second entry: Blog about this giveaway ( a post or in your sidebar is fine), leave a seperate entry with a link to your post.



Rules of the Giveaway:

  • Make sure that you include your email or that your email is in your blog profile. If I have no way of contacting you by email, your entry will automatically be withdrawn.
  • Only residents of the US or Canada are eligible to win.
  • Contest ends at midnight EST, on Sunday, March 8th, 2009. I will use random.org to determine the winner. The Winners will have 2 days to respond via email with their mailing address or another winner will need to be chosen.

Good Luck!

Mailbox Monday



Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page. We share what books that we found in our mailboxes last week. Here are my treasures:



Summer on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber
(Galley Copy ,To be released May 2009)

Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites by Giada De Laurentiis (Paperbackswap, Brand New!)


The Fiction Class by Susan Breen (Paperbackswap)



The Mercy Seller by Brenda Rickman Vantrease (Paperbackswap)


The Lost Recipe for Happiness by Barbara O'Neal (Paperbackswap)