Weekend Tidbits {#7} What I've Baked Recently

I haven't done a Weekend Tidbits since last year, and I figured I might as well write up a short post since I want to talk about a recipe I tried out on Monday. I'll throw in some pictures below.

Since Monday was Memorial Day, I wanted to try out something I haven't done before as long as it wasn't too hard or time consuming. And I wasn’t finding what I was looking dormitory in my old stack of recipes—that's what the internet is for. I decided to try rough puff pastry again, since puff pastry takes so long to make from scratch. The first recipe I tried for rough puff pastry was at least a year ago and it turned out just alright. However, my internet search paid off, and I found another recipe that I ended up being happy with.

The pastry was light, flaky, and buttery, which is how it should be. It paired nicely with the left over strawberry pie filling I had sitting in my refrigerator.  I didn't do many changes since the recipe was already simple. I just cut the butter instead of grating it, and chilled the dough in the freezer to reduce the cooling time. You can check out the recipe here: Rough Puff Pastry. Suffice to say, I will definitely be making this pastry dough again.

My choice today is sugar cookie sleigh ride (the straggler tea left over from the holiday season). I'm trying to watch how much of this tea I drink, since it won't be available again till later this the year.

The Friday 56 (64) Rain: A Natural and Cultural History by Cynthia Barnett

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

Synopsis from Goodreads...

Rain is elemental, mysterious, precious, destructive...

It is the subject of countless poems and paintings; the top of the weather report; the source of the world's water. Yet this is the first book to tell the story of rain. Cynthia Barnett's Rain begins four billion years ago with the torrents that filled the oceans, and builds to the storms of climate change. It weaves together science—the true shape of a raindrop, the mysteries of frog and fish rains—with the human story of our ambition to control rain, from ancient rain dances to the 2,203 miles of levees that attempt to straitjacket the Mississippi River. It offers a glimpse of our "founding forecaster," Thomas Jefferson, who measured every drizzle long before modern meteorology. Two centuries later, rainy skies would help inspire Morrissey’s mopes and Kurt Cobain’s grunge. Rain is also a travelogue, taking readers to Scotland to tell the surprising story of the mackintosh raincoat, and to India, where villagers extract the scent of rain from the monsoon-drenched earth and turn it into perfume.

Now, after thousands of years spent praying for rain or worshiping it; burning witches at the stake to stop rain or sacrificing small children to bring it; mocking rain with irrigated agriculture and cities built in floodplains; even trying to blast rain out of the sky with mortars meant for war, humanity has finally managed to change the rain. Only not in ways we intended. As climate change upends rainfall patterns and unleashes increasingly severe storms and drought, Barnett shows rain to be a unifying force in a fractured world. Too much and not nearly enough, rain is a conversation we share, and this is a book for everyone who has ever experienced it...

""We live submerged at the bottom of an ocean of air." But when it came to describing and talking about the rain, neither science nor letters could ever sum it up quite so tidily. Rain's chaotic nature made it among the hardest parts of the weather to measure--and even to name."--Rain: A Natural and Cultural History by Cynthia Barnett

Comments: My pick this week is taken from page 75 instead of 56. I liked this paragraph better than the choices I had to choose from actually on page 56. Out of the nonfiction books I've read this year, I don't think I've picked up one that was specifically about rain. So far, I really like this book. What are you reading this week? 

ARC Review: Oleah Chronicles: Justice by Michelle Johnson

Title: Oleah Chronicles: Justice
Author: Michelle Johnson
Source/Format: Author, EARC
More Details: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal
Publisher/Publication Date: Michelle Johnson, May 15, 2016

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

After discovering the truth about her Oleah origins, Angel thought she could still have a normal life, consisting of normal things – like her seventeenth birthday party. But there is no such thing as normal for Angel anymore. She learned that the hard way after Sindrell – the most powerful sorceress in the universe - crashed her party, destroyed the city, and took her best friend, Julie, captive. Determined to defeat Sindrell for good, Angel must risk her life, along with the fate of the entire universe to get Julie back…alive. The only way she can do this successfully, is to embrace her Oleah instincts and learn what it takes to become a true warrior. Problem is, Sindrell has an insurance policy of her own that will put millions of lives in danger - including Zander’s - to ensure her quest for power is brought to fruition. One way or another. In order to protect Zander, and save Julie, Angel has to make a choice... but will it be the right one?

Author Michelle Johnson is back with the next installment of the Oleah Chronicles. Oleah Chronicles Justice is another amazing young adult fantasy/paranormal novel. And unlike some young adult novels, there are edgy moments between Angel and Zander, but the romance never overshadowed the plot. The intense action filled moments are also well done. They are so vividly depicted that I can only imagine this series playing out on the screen.

In this second installment of the Oleah Chronicles, it begins with training day as Angel learns discipline and self-control, before taking on Sindrell, the most powerful sorceress, in an attempt to save her friend, Julie, and all of humanity. Johnson does an amazing job of bringing the reader into the moment with the depiction of the emotional turmoil that Angel experiences and the action sequences throughout the novel. One difference found in Justice is that it immediately takes on a dark tone as it picks up where Truth left off. Angel is the key to peace; yet she has some growing up to do as she struggles with overcoming her guilt while she learns to use her gifts to save her friend Julie. I loved the fact that she maintained her teen persona with her quirky comments and reactions to certain situations as she was being transformed into a kickass warrior. I also liked the fact that she looked to her parents for advice and approval-Let me just say that their relationship was very ordinary in a supernatural setting.

Although this story was a bit gory, the fluid writing, well-developed characters and engaging storyline hooked me from the beginning. If you haven’t read the first book in the series, Truth, I would suggest that you pick up a copy and start at the beginning, because Justice begins at the point in which Truth ended—a point that left me longing for Oleah Chronicles: Justice to be released. And now… I ‘m eagerly awaiting the next installment of the Oleah Chronicles and future work by Michelle Johnson! (Actual Rating 4.5)

This copy of the book was provided by the author for this review, thank you!

About the Author...

Throughout my childhood I was always told I had a very creative imagination. I was drawn to stories of mythical creatures and all things that would usually give my peers the heebie geebies. Shows like Tales from the Crypt Keeper and Buffy the Vampire Slayer were among some of my favourites. I developed a strong passion for design and illustration, drawing the ideas that arose in my head and finding great excitement in bringing them to life. This led me to pursue a career in graphic design and marketing so that I could always use my creativity to the fullest. I have always loved reading and the way a compelling story would allow my mind to absorb its detailed imagery. I began to use writing as a tool to bring my creative thoughts to fruition one day, which has brought me to this moment. I'm a romantic at heart and a sucker for stories about true love which is reflected in my writing and helped bring the Oleah Chronicles to life. I hope you enjoy my first book and through it you experience the eccentric vision that began in my mind so long ago.

The Friday 56 (63) Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

Synopsis from Goodreads...

Darcy Patel has put college and everything else on hold to publish her teen novel, Afterworlds. Arriving in New York with no apartment or friends she wonders whether she's made the right decision until she falls in with a crowd of other seasoned and fledgling writers who take her under their wings…

Told in alternating chapters is Darcy's novel, a suspenseful thriller about Lizzie, a teen who slips into the 'Afterworld' to survive a terrorist attack. But the Afterworld is a place between the living and the dead and as Lizzie drifts between our world and that of the Afterworld, she discovers that many unsolved - and terrifying - stories need to be reconciled. And when a new threat resurfaces, Lizzie learns her special gifts may not be enough to protect those she loves and cares about most...

"The three of them waited for her to go on, but a familiar paralysis crept over Darcy. It was always like this when someone asked about her novel. She knew from experience that whatever she said now would sound awkward, like listening to a recording of her own voice. "--Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld

Comments: Afterworlds has been on my TBR list since 2014. I picked this one up when I got Founding Myths by Ray Raphael.

What are you reading this week?

Review: Founding Myths: Stories that Hide Our Patriotic Past by Ray Raphael

Title: Founding Myths: Stories that Hide Our Patriotic Past
Author: Ray Raphael
Source/Format: Purchased, Hardcover
More Details: Nonfiction, History
Publisher/Publication Date: MJF Books, August 11, 2007

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Much of what you thought you knew about American history is wrong...

Our best-loved tales actually sell America short, Raphael says. This nation was founded not just by the handful of "founding fathers" we have come to admire, but also by the revolutionary activities of innumerable and nameless patriots who are not mentioned in textbooks. Why should only a select few get the credit? The collaborative spirit and effort of the American people is an important concept for children (and adults) to learn...

“The stories work best because they clarify and vindicate who we are—but they also conceal who we don’t want to be.” (p.244).

What if the Revolutionary War could not be defined by simple paragraphs that summarized the events that transpired? What could be the reason to twist fact and mix it with speculation—to make for a better story? Sometimes the cause was poor record keeping at the time, or simply a romanticization of facts to make historical events into a favorable story—good vs evil. All those things and more were explored in Founding Myths by Ray Raphael.

Founding Myths can be summed up by one simple phrase: food for thought. This book gave me a lot to think about. The founding myths, as explored in this book, painted a grim but realistic picture of history, in contrast to the almost rosy-hued lens that gave misconceptions popularity among fact. This selective isolation of stories overshadowed real accomplishments, struggles, and suffering—and gave a narrow view to a broad history. One thing that I noticed while reading the book is that there were a few common themes: effort, collaboration, and strategic planning/preparation. Founding Myths offered an organized look at the events that gradually led to the Revolutionary War. The book also made mention of the ordinary people who had taken part in such monumental events in history instead of focusing on one limited group—as well as the state of politics/alliances abroad during the same time period.

The best books, whether they're nonfiction or fiction, leave a lasting impression. That was my reaction to Founding Myths, and I’m glad I decided to give it a chance. (Actual rating 4.5)

My Thoughts: Brain Freeze Journal by Potter

Title: Brain Freeze Journal 
By: Potter
Source/Format: Blogging for Books, Review Copy
Publisher/Publication Date: Potter, May 10, 2016
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Description...

This blank journal features a soft cover that mimics the chocolate cookie of an ice cream sandwich as well as dyed page edges and an exposed spine to complete the look of the chocolate, vanilla, strawberry goodness of an ice cream sandwich. The interiors feature strawberry- and chocolate-colored lined pages. To complete the package, the words BRAIN FREEZE are stamped in gold foil on the cover...

Today, I'm going to be sharing my thoughts for this ice cream themed journal I received for review. This review is going to be a little different because this isn't a work of fiction. Basically, I'm just going to talk about how much I like the journal, stuff like that, and I'm going to break it down into sections to keep my thoughts a little more organized. Lets get started...

Initial Thoughts…

This journal is very cute. The look and size are perfect, and it really does resemble an ice cream sandwich. I didn’t photograph the sides, but the pages are actually brown white and pink to match the colors of strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla ice cream.



The Cover…

The cover is described as being soft, and I have to say that the texture is as promised. It is soft but solid, and really does resemble an ice cream sandwich. Another plus was the overall look of it. The left side of the binding is left open, leaving the pages exposed so the colors are consistent on each side. The size is smaller than a normal book and the height is about the length of my hand—so, it is pretty small. However, there are a lot of pages, and I feel like that compensates for the smaller size.

The Paper…

The paper doesn’t exactly match the picture above, because there aren’t any words on the side—but I never felt like that was necessary anyway. Another thing I like is the layout of the pages. The lines are colored according to the sides of the journal—the top is brown while the lower lines are pink. It doesn’t have that many lines, but the blank section in the middle of each page is perfect for doodling. Also, the paper is considerably thick and does pretty well with ink.

Final Thoughts…

I didn’t expect to like this journal as much as I do, but it’s really great. The look and style are fun, and the textured cover is an added bonus to the already whimsical appearance.

This copy of the journal was provided by Blogging for Books (publisher) for this review, thank you!

About the author...

POTTER, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, is a lifestyle gift imprint, specializing in design, health, humor, stationery, and other gift books and paper products.

The Friday 56 (62) Founding Myths by Ray Raphael

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

Synopsis from Goodreads...

Much of what you thought you knew about American history is wrong...

Our best-loved tales actually sell America short, Raphael says. This nation was founded not just by the handful of "founding fathers" we have come to admire, but also by the revolutionary activities of innumerable and nameless patriots who are not mentioned in textbooks. Why should only a select few get the credit? The collaborative spirit and effort of the American people is an important concept for children (and adults) to learn...

"Not until patriots and Redcoats had engaged in pitched battles for the better part of a year did Samuel Adams publicly advocate a total break from Britain."--Founding Myths by Ray Raphael

Comments: I finished this book earlier in the week, and it was pretty interesting. It offered an interesting perspective on historical inaccuracies.

What are you planning to read this weekend?

Review: The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

Title: The Darkest Part of the Forest
Author: Holly Black
Source/Format: Won, Print ARC
More Details: Young Adult, Paranormal 
Publisher/Publication Date: Little Brown Books for Young Readers, January 13, 2015
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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Children can have a cruel, absolute sense of justice. Children can kill a monster and feel quite proud of themselves. A girl can look at her brother and believe they’re destined to be a knight and a bard who battle evil. She can believe she’s found the thing she’s been made for...

Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist side by side. The faeries’ seemingly harmless magic attracts tourists, but Hazel knows how dangerous they can be, and she knows how to stop them. Or she did, once. At the center of it all, there is a glass coffin in the woods. It rests right on the ground and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives. Hazel and Ben were both in love with him as children. The boy has slept there for generations, never waking. Until one day, he does…

As the world turns upside down, Hazel tries to remember her years pretending to be a knight. But swept up in new love, shifting loyalties, and the fresh sting of betrayal, will it be enough?

I’m no stranger to Holly Black’s books. I enjoyed her Modern Faerie Tale series and liked the work she did with Tony DiTerlizzi on The Spiderwick Chronicles. Next on my list was The Darkest Part of the Forest.

At first, I had some reservations about how the story would work. The book is a standalone and the hype was tremendous at the time of its release. So, I was expecting a complete story with an ending good enough to be considered satisfying. Thankfully, I got what I was expecting. The story was good, and I did enjoy the book.

Black knows how to write faeries well, and does it in a style that’s shows the grittier, darker nature of the fey while playing off common themes—such as the magic and allergy to iron—while twisting them to suite the story. As with Tithe, Valiant, and Ironside before it, The Darkest Part of the Forest seemed to hold true to some of these themes. The setting of Fairfold complemented the atmosphere of mystery and magic that embroiled the character’s lives.

Hazel and Ben, brother and sister, were right in the middle of the mystery surrounding the glass coffin and the boy who slept within. After all, they had grown up in Fairfold, surrounded by magic and faeries their entire lives. Black showed how the environment had begun to affect them in different ways over time—shaping them into the characters that took center focus in the book.

Amidst the trouble brewing in Fairfold, really, The Darkest Part of the Forest was Hazel and Ben’s story—about their past and their present, and how their decisions were interpreted and the unforeseen consequences for their actions.

The ending was good, and the last several chapters consisted of my favorite parts. That is to say, there were plenty of surprises, and I was pretty happy about that. So, I definitely wasn’t disappointed by The Darkest Part of the Forest.

Musing Mondays (53) What I'm Reading

Musing Mondays is a weekly meme hosted by Jenn at Books and a Beat, that asks you to muse about something book related each week.

My Musings for the Week...

Random weekly question: What do you think is the most overrated book?

I think any book can be overrated, depending on the person who you're asking. A probable cause could be personal preference in regards to taste in books. Needless to say, I've had that thought more times than I can count on one hand. However, some of the books weren't bad, I just didn't love them. Anyway, one book that, for me, was a little overrated (or too hyped would be a better way to describe it), was Alice in Zombieland. The book wasn't necessarily the worst thing I've every read, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. The hype surrounding it drove my expectations up way too high, and the story I got wasn't what I was expecting. Still, the plot itself was alright, and the coolest part were the zombies. I don't typically read books that feature zombies, which is saying something since that happened to be my favorite part about Alice in Zombieland. So, two thumbs up for well-done zombies.

Other Musings...

To start out this week, I’m taking a short break from fiction with my current read, Founding Myths by Ray Raphael. I picked this book up at Barnes & Noble since it was on sale for a good price. I started reading it over the weekend, and so far it’s been really interesting to see the historical inaccuracies that are commonly mentioned/interpreted as being true, while also being based on actual fact.

Synopsis from Goodreads...

Much of what you thought you knew about American history is wrong...

Our best-loved tales actually sell America short, Raphael says. This nation was founded not just by the handful of "founding fathers" we have come to admire, but also by the revolutionary activities of innumerable and nameless patriots who are not mentioned in textbooks. Why should only a select few get the credit? The collaborative spirit and effort of the American people is an important concept for children (and adults) to learn...


What are you planning to read this week?

The Friday 56 (61) The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE


Synopsis from Goodreads...

Children can have a cruel, absolute sense of justice. Children can kill a monster and feel quite proud of themselves. A girl can look at her brother and believe they’re destined to be a knight and a bard who battle evil. She can believe she’s found the thing she’s been made for...

Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist side by side. The faeries’ seemingly harmless magic attracts tourists, but Hazel knows how dangerous they can be, and she knows how to stop them. Or she did, once. At the center of it all, there is a glass coffin in the woods. It rests right on the ground and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives. Hazel and Ben were both in love with him as children. The boy has slept there for generations, never waking.

Until one day, he does…

As the world turns upside down, Hazel tries to remember her years pretending to be a knight. But swept up in new love, shifting loyalties, and the fresh sting of betrayal, will it be enough?

"And they did run, the barghest just behind them, weaving between the trees like a leopard."--The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

Comments: I'm really excited to read this book because I've been a fan of Holly Black for some time. I've read a lot of her books, so The Darkest Part of the Forest was one I was obviously going to read eventually. What are you reading this week?

Review: The Body at the Tower by Y.S. Lee

Title: The Body at the Tower
Author: Y.S. Lee
Source/Format: Purchased, Paperback
More Details: Young Adult, Historical, Mystery
Publisher/Publication Date: Candlewick Press, August 10, 2010

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Now nearly a full-fledged member of the Agency, the all-female detective unit operating out of Miss Scrimshaw's Academy for Girls, Mary Quinn is back for another action-packed adventure. Disguised as a poor apprentice builder and a boy, she must brave the grimy underbelly of Victorian London - as well as childhood fear, hunger, and constant want - to unmask the identity of a murderer. Assigned to monitor a building site on the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament, Mary earns the confidence of the work crew, inching ever nearer her suspect. But if an irresistible desire to help the city's needy doesn't distract her and jeopardize her cover, unexpectedly meeting up with an old friend - or flame - just might...

So, I finally reread The Body at the Tower by Y.S. Lee. I was surprised by how much I didn’t remember about the book, but that made the reading experience all the more better. More often than not, I found myself getting into the book. The writing was highly engaging, and the plot ended up being really exciting and a complete page-turner as Mary Quinn took on her next case for the Agency.

Clearly, I now remember why I got into this series in the first place.

The Body at the Tower was basically about Mary and her continued employment with the Agency—which was an all-female agency of spies handling cases that are difficult to solve. The time period of the novel was historical, and featured many elements common to the genre. But, because of the setting, the continued existence of an organization like the Agency and its secretive activities was all the more awesome. Mary’s current case is as the title suggests, and her investigation takes her to the construction site where the clock tower is being built.

The plot, as I stated above, was really exciting even though I’ve read the book before. From the characters to the mystery, there were a lot of things I liked about The Body at the Tower. I was hooked again by Lee’s ability to craft a historical spy novel with plausible situations and emotional repercussions that worked well with the setting.

Mary’s backstory was pretty developed in the last book, but in The Body at the Tower, she grew even more. She had faults and emotions—some she understood well, and others she didn’t—and her past really shaped who she was. Mary was a well-rounded character.

Some of my other favorite characters from the last book were back—especially the “old friend” mentioned in the synopsis. I felt like that part of the story played out well, but never took the spotlight away from the mystery aspect of the novel.

Now, I’m really excited to reread the next book in the series, The Traitor in the Tunnel. Plus I’m going to look into getting the last book in the series. I don’t know when exactly I’ll get a copy, but I do want to see how it all ends for Mary and her friends.

Musing Mondays (52) It's All Historical...

Musing Mondays is a weekly meme hosted by Jenn at Books and a Beat, that asks you to muse about something book related each week.

My Musings for the Week...

Random weekly question: What is the best book you read LAST year?

The beginning of last year was significantly better for me, in terms of reading. 2016 has been pretty hit or miss—mostly hits, but the handful of misses happened back-to-back, and almost had me in a reading slump. Luckily, I avoided that.

Other Musings...

Today, I'm  sharing some of my favorite historical fiction, alternative history, and historical fantasy novels/series. Basically, books with settings based in some kind of historical time period no matter how altered, strange, or mysterious. Honestly, historical based novels are something I don’t read enough of, considering how much I tend to enjoy the books. However, I have read enough to compile a short list for today’s post.

• The Madman’s Daughter by Megan Shepherd
• Wonderstruck, The Marvels, and The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
• The Agency Series by Y.S. Lee
• Kat, Incorrigible series by Stephanie Burgis
• The Diviners by Libba Bray
• Curtsies & Conspiracies by Gail Carriger
• Leviathan, Behemoth, and Goliath by Scott Westerfeld

By now, I know which genre’s I immediately reach for, and clearly, I’ve still got some work to do when I pick out books. I still fall into the same pattern of picking fantasy, which is hard to get away from when there are so many books I want to read from that particular genre. It’s a real dilemma sometimes.

Anyway, what are you reading this week?