Must Reads 24th April 2019
Well the sun has definitely hidden itself away again in my wee part of the world this week, and coupled with the fact that exams for my teenager are firmly underway, trying to maintain the Zen in this household has become a daily challenge - although there's always the escape of a good book right? Here are my picks of this weeks releases:
Swimming for Sunlight by Allie Larkin
(General Fiction)
When recently divorced Katie Ellis and her rescue dog Bark move back in with Katie’s grandmother in Florida, she becomes swept up in a reunion of her grandmother’s troupe of underwater performers - finding hope and renewal in unexpected places, in this sweet novel perfect for fans of Kristan Higgins and Claire Cook.
Aspiring costume designer Katie gave up everything in her divorce to gain custody of her fearful, faithful rescue dog, Barkimedes. While she figures out what to do next, she heads back to Florida to live with her grandmother, Nan.
But Katie quickly learns there’s a lot she doesn’t know about Nan - like the fact that in her youth Nan was a mermaid performer in a roadside attraction show, swimming and dancing underwater with a close-knit cast of talented women. Although most of the mermaids have since lost touch, Katie helps Nan search for her old friends on Facebook, sparking hopes for a reunion show. Katie is up for making some fabulous costumes, but first, she has to contend with her crippling fear of water.
As Katie’s college love Luca, a documentary filmmaker, enters the fray, Katie struggles to balance her hopes with her anxiety, and begins to realise just how much Bark’s fears are connected to her own, in this thoughtful, charming novel about hope after loss and friendships that span generations.
Aspiring costume designer Katie gave up everything in her divorce to gain custody of her fearful, faithful rescue dog, Barkimedes. While she figures out what to do next, she heads back to Florida to live with her grandmother, Nan.
But Katie quickly learns there’s a lot she doesn’t know about Nan - like the fact that in her youth Nan was a mermaid performer in a roadside attraction show, swimming and dancing underwater with a close-knit cast of talented women. Although most of the mermaids have since lost touch, Katie helps Nan search for her old friends on Facebook, sparking hopes for a reunion show. Katie is up for making some fabulous costumes, but first, she has to contend with her crippling fear of water.
As Katie’s college love Luca, a documentary filmmaker, enters the fray, Katie struggles to balance her hopes with her anxiety, and begins to realise just how much Bark’s fears are connected to her own, in this thoughtful, charming novel about hope after loss and friendships that span generations.
Discover a More Authentic, Balanced, & Joyful Motherhood from Within
(Parenting & Families / Religion & Spirituality)
This book is not a book about breastfeeding verses formula, sleep training verses co-sleeping. MAMASTE is a holistic guide to becoming a balanced, authentic, and joyful mother by better understanding yourself through harmony and balance within.
Accessible and encouraging, MAMASTE provides foundational tools for parenting, relatable examples, and exercises to build self-awareness and mindfulness. Guiding new mothers along a journey of self-discovery, these practices ultimately lead to a more enriching and contented experience for both mother and child.
Introducing the "five expressions of motherhood" - Action Mama, Flow Mama, Rebel Mama, Vulnerable Mama, and Free Mama - Lori offers supportive advice, exercises, meditations, and yoga practices to cultivate a healthy balanced life and stronger bonds.
Once readers realise that they embody all five expressions of motherhood, they won’t be able to judge other mums who do things differently, because in fact, there is an aspect of that mum inside of them.
Accessible and encouraging, MAMASTE provides foundational tools for parenting, relatable examples, and exercises to build self-awareness and mindfulness. Guiding new mothers along a journey of self-discovery, these practices ultimately lead to a more enriching and contented experience for both mother and child.
Introducing the "five expressions of motherhood" - Action Mama, Flow Mama, Rebel Mama, Vulnerable Mama, and Free Mama - Lori offers supportive advice, exercises, meditations, and yoga practices to cultivate a healthy balanced life and stronger bonds.
Once readers realise that they embody all five expressions of motherhood, they won’t be able to judge other mums who do things differently, because in fact, there is an aspect of that mum inside of them.
(Historical Fiction)
When Mary Todd meets Abraham Lincoln in Springfield in the winter of 1840, he is on no one’s short list to be president. A country lawyer living above a dry goods shop, he is lacking both money and manners, and his gift for oratory surprises those who meet him. Mary, a quick, self-possessed debutante with an interest in debates and elections, at first finds him an enigma. “I can only hope,” she tells his roommate, the handsome, charming Joshua Speed, “that his waters being so very still, they also run deep.”
It’s not long, though, before she sees the Lincoln that Speed knows: an amiable, profound man who, despite his awkwardness, has a gentle wit to match his genius, and who respects her keen political mind. But as her relationship with Lincoln deepens, she must confront his inseparable friendship with Speed, who has taught his roommate how to dance, dress, and navigate the polite society of Springfield.
Told in the alternating voices of Mary Todd and Joshua Speed, and inspired by historical events, Courting Mr. Lincoln creates a sympathetic and complex portrait of Mary unlike any that has come before; a moving portrayal of the deep and very real connection between the two men; and most of all, an evocation of the unformed man who would grow into one of the nation’s most beloved presidents. Louis Bayard, a master storyteller, delivers here a page-turning tale of love, longing, and forbidden possibilities.
It’s not long, though, before she sees the Lincoln that Speed knows: an amiable, profound man who, despite his awkwardness, has a gentle wit to match his genius, and who respects her keen political mind. But as her relationship with Lincoln deepens, she must confront his inseparable friendship with Speed, who has taught his roommate how to dance, dress, and navigate the polite society of Springfield.
Told in the alternating voices of Mary Todd and Joshua Speed, and inspired by historical events, Courting Mr. Lincoln creates a sympathetic and complex portrait of Mary unlike any that has come before; a moving portrayal of the deep and very real connection between the two men; and most of all, an evocation of the unformed man who would grow into one of the nation’s most beloved presidents. Louis Bayard, a master storyteller, delivers here a page-turning tale of love, longing, and forbidden possibilities.
A Practical Guide to Vegetables
(Cooking, Food & Wine)
This is not your typical cookbook - it is a how-to-cook book for a variety of vegetables.
Author Abra Berens - chef, farmer, Midwesterner - shares a collection of techniques that result in new flavours, textures, and ways to enjoy all the vegetables you want to eat.
From confit to caramelised and everything in between - braised, blistered, roasted and raw - the cooking methods covered here make this cookbook a go-to reference.
This book is a treasure trove of 300 recipes spanning 29 types of vegetables - from asparagus to zucchini - each chapter opens with an homage to the ingredients and variations on how to prepare them.
140 photographs show off not only the finished dishes, but also the vegetables and farms behind them.
Ruffage will help you become empowered to shop for, store, and cook vegetables every day and in a variety of ways. You’ll learn about the life and life-giving properties of plants the way a farmer sees them, build experience and confidence to try your own original variations, and never look at vegetables the same way again.
Author Abra Berens - chef, farmer, Midwesterner - shares a collection of techniques that result in new flavours, textures, and ways to enjoy all the vegetables you want to eat.
From confit to caramelised and everything in between - braised, blistered, roasted and raw - the cooking methods covered here make this cookbook a go-to reference.
This book is a treasure trove of 300 recipes spanning 29 types of vegetables - from asparagus to zucchini - each chapter opens with an homage to the ingredients and variations on how to prepare them.
140 photographs show off not only the finished dishes, but also the vegetables and farms behind them.
Ruffage will help you become empowered to shop for, store, and cook vegetables every day and in a variety of ways. You’ll learn about the life and life-giving properties of plants the way a farmer sees them, build experience and confidence to try your own original variations, and never look at vegetables the same way again.
(Multicultural Interest / Romance)
A second chance doesn't guarantee a touchdown in this new contemporary romance from the author of Intercepted.
Single mother Poppy Patterson moved across the country when she was sixteen and pregnant to find a new normal. After years of hard work, she's built a life she loves. It may include a job at a nightclub, weekend soccer games, and more stretch marks than she anticipated, but it's all hers, and nobody can take that away. Well, except for one person.
T.K. Moore, the starting wide receiver for the Denver Mustangs, dreamt about playing in the NFL his entire life. His world is football, parties, and women. Maybe at one point he thought his future would play out with his high school sweetheart by his side, but Poppy is long gone and he's moved on.
When Poppy and TK cross paths in the most unlikely of places, emotions they've suppressed for years come rushing back. But with all the secrets they never told each other lying between them, they'll need more than a dating playbook to help them navigate their relationship.
Single mother Poppy Patterson moved across the country when she was sixteen and pregnant to find a new normal. After years of hard work, she's built a life she loves. It may include a job at a nightclub, weekend soccer games, and more stretch marks than she anticipated, but it's all hers, and nobody can take that away. Well, except for one person.
T.K. Moore, the starting wide receiver for the Denver Mustangs, dreamt about playing in the NFL his entire life. His world is football, parties, and women. Maybe at one point he thought his future would play out with his high school sweetheart by his side, but Poppy is long gone and he's moved on.
When Poppy and TK cross paths in the most unlikely of places, emotions they've suppressed for years come rushing back. But with all the secrets they never told each other lying between them, they'll need more than a dating playbook to help them navigate their relationship.
(Humour / Teens & YA)
Power struggles. Bitter rivalries. Jealousy. Betrayals. Star-crossed lovers. When you consider all these plot points, it’s pretty surprising William Shakespeare didn’t write Mean Girls. But now fans can treat themselves to the epic drama - and heroic hilarity - of the classic teen comedy rendered with the wit, flair, and iambic pentameter of the Bard. Our heroine Cady disguises herself to infiltrate the conniving Plastics, falls for off-limits Aaron, struggles with her allegiance to newfound friends Damian and Janis, and stirs up age-old vendettas among the factions of her high school. Best-selling author Ian Doescher brings his signature Shakespearean wordsmithing to this cult classic beloved by generations of teen girls and other fans. Now, on the 15th anniversary of its release, Mean Girls is a recognised cultural phenomenon, and it’s more than ready for an Elizabethan makeover.
We Carry Kevan by Kevan Chandler
Six Friends. Three Countries. No Wheelchair.
(Biography & Memoir)
Kevan is just one of the guys. It's impossible to know him and not become a little more excited about life. He is an inspiring man permeated by joy, unafraid of sorrow, full of vitality and life! His sense of humour is infectious and so is his story.
He grew up, he says, at "belt-buckle level" and stayed there until Kevan's beloved posse decided to leave his wheelchair at the Atlanta airport, board a plane for France, and carry him around Europe to accomplish their dream to see the world together! Kevan's incredible friends travelled to Paris, England, and Ireland where, in the climax of their adventure, they scale 600 feet up to the 1,400-year-old monastic fortress of Skellig Michael.
In We Carry Kevan the reader sits with Kevan, one head-level above everyone else for the first time in his life and enjoys camaraderie unlike anything most people ever experience. Along the way they encounter the curiosity and beauty of strangers. We Carry Kevan displays the profound power of friendship and self-sacrifice.
Six Friends. Three Countries. No Wheelchair.
(Biography & Memoir)
He grew up, he says, at "belt-buckle level" and stayed there until Kevan's beloved posse decided to leave his wheelchair at the Atlanta airport, board a plane for France, and carry him around Europe to accomplish their dream to see the world together! Kevan's incredible friends travelled to Paris, England, and Ireland where, in the climax of their adventure, they scale 600 feet up to the 1,400-year-old monastic fortress of Skellig Michael.
In We Carry Kevan the reader sits with Kevan, one head-level above everyone else for the first time in his life and enjoys camaraderie unlike anything most people ever experience. Along the way they encounter the curiosity and beauty of strangers. We Carry Kevan displays the profound power of friendship and self-sacrifice.
(Children's Fiction)
When Helicity Dunlap flies for Texas to spend time with her best friend Mia she hopes to leave the tragedies of the devastating tornado and flash flood back in Michigan - at least for a little while. Her responsibilities at Mia's Aunt Suze's beachfront bed and breakfast are pretty simple and leave her lots of time to enjoy hunting for sea glass, sunbathing, and exploring a summer romance. But Helicity comes by her name honestly - Helicity means to spin - and her troubles from home follow her south. Her concerns about her older brother Andy intensify - even though he shows up to surprise her in Texas. And if there's one place in the world that has weather to rival Michigan's, it's Texas. She and her friends go out for a day sail and get caught up in a derecho - a line of intense, widespread, and fast-moving windstorms that once again turn her boat - and life - upside down. She'll have to face her fears and muster all her strength and knowledge to fight her way out of the nightmare.
Classic Stories from a Mennonite Cook and Her Friends
(Biography & Memoir / Cooking, Food & Wine)
What is a Pie Lady moment?
For one family, it’s breakfast on the patio. For another, it’s Mom serving up creamy chicken and noodles. These are Pie Lady moments: times of goodness and glamour in the middle of ordinary days.
In The Pie Lady, Mennonite homemaker Greta Isaac ushers readers into the kitchens of Velda, Shyla, and other Pie Ladies as they whip up confections and concoctions that please the mouth and nourish the soul. Fans of Ruth Reichl, Sherry Gore, and Ree Drummond will love Isaacs’ intimate, delectable writing. Home cooks will love the recipes that appear in each chapter.
Maybe you drop grapefruit slices in a glass of water. Maybe you brown the gravy and salt it from eighteen inches up. (Forget for now the sink full of dishes.) Each cook has her own Pie Lady moments. Each has a story to tell.
Hear straight from Amish and Mennonite people themselves as they write about their daily lives and deeply rooted faith in the Plainspoken series from Herald Press.
For one family, it’s breakfast on the patio. For another, it’s Mom serving up creamy chicken and noodles. These are Pie Lady moments: times of goodness and glamour in the middle of ordinary days.
In The Pie Lady, Mennonite homemaker Greta Isaac ushers readers into the kitchens of Velda, Shyla, and other Pie Ladies as they whip up confections and concoctions that please the mouth and nourish the soul. Fans of Ruth Reichl, Sherry Gore, and Ree Drummond will love Isaacs’ intimate, delectable writing. Home cooks will love the recipes that appear in each chapter.
Maybe you drop grapefruit slices in a glass of water. Maybe you brown the gravy and salt it from eighteen inches up. (Forget for now the sink full of dishes.) Each cook has her own Pie Lady moments. Each has a story to tell.
Hear straight from Amish and Mennonite people themselves as they write about their daily lives and deeply rooted faith in the Plainspoken series from Herald Press.
Over 200 Delicious, Free From Recipes for Every Occasion
(Cooking, Food & Wine)
The definitive collection of gluten-free, dairy-free recipes from one of the most trusted names in free-from cookery.
Whether you're following a gluten-free or dairy-free diet, then this is the only book you will ever need to eat well and feel great!
With over 200 recipes for everything from breakfasts and light lunches to weeknight dinners and show-stopping mains, plus delicious desserts and a whole section on gluten free baking, this book is the perfect guide to free from cookery.
Start your day with Buckwheat and Blueberry Pancakes or Muesli with Summer Fruit Compote, and discover dinnertime recipes that the whole family will enjoy, such as like Chicken Sesame Nuggets, Courgette and Sage Spaghetti Carbonara, or the best gluten free, dairy free lasagne. For special occasions, there are dinner-party dishes such as Beef Wellington, and to finish, why not try a classic Sticky Toffee Pudding?
From celebration cakes to cookies, sourdough loaves to salads, these are tried-and-tested recipes from one of the most respected names in gluten free cookery. Grace Cheetham has spent the last 10 years educating readers on the best way to cook without allergens. This collection is the ultimate celebration of her best-loved recipes.
Whether you're following a gluten-free or dairy-free diet, then this is the only book you will ever need to eat well and feel great!
With over 200 recipes for everything from breakfasts and light lunches to weeknight dinners and show-stopping mains, plus delicious desserts and a whole section on gluten free baking, this book is the perfect guide to free from cookery.
Start your day with Buckwheat and Blueberry Pancakes or Muesli with Summer Fruit Compote, and discover dinnertime recipes that the whole family will enjoy, such as like Chicken Sesame Nuggets, Courgette and Sage Spaghetti Carbonara, or the best gluten free, dairy free lasagne. For special occasions, there are dinner-party dishes such as Beef Wellington, and to finish, why not try a classic Sticky Toffee Pudding?
From celebration cakes to cookies, sourdough loaves to salads, these are tried-and-tested recipes from one of the most respected names in gluten free cookery. Grace Cheetham has spent the last 10 years educating readers on the best way to cook without allergens. This collection is the ultimate celebration of her best-loved recipes.
I can't wait to read these books so watch this space for reviews!
If you liked this post have a look at my complete list of Reading Lists or my complete list of What I Learned full review posts.
Happy Reading!
If you liked this post have a look at my complete list of Reading Lists or my complete list of What I Learned full review posts.
Happy Reading!
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