Lock & Mori by Heather Petty: A Book Review

Title: Lock & Mori (Lock & Mori #1)
Author: Heather W. Petty
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Retelling
Release Date: November 1st 2015
Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

In modern-day London, two brilliant high school students—one Sherlock Holmes and a Miss James “Mori” Moriarty—meet. A murder will bring them together. The truth very well might drive them apart.

Before they were mortal enemies, they were much more…

FACT: Someone has been murdered in London’s Regent’s Park. The police have no leads.

FACT: Miss James “Mori” Moriarty and Sherlock “Lock” Holmes should be hitting the books on a school night. Instead, they are out crashing a crime scene.

FACT: Lock has challenged Mori to solve the case before he does. Challenge accepted.

FACT: Despite agreeing to Lock’s one rule—they must share every clue with each other—Mori is keeping secrets.

OBSERVATION: Sometimes you can’t trust the people closest to you with matters of the heart. And after this case, Mori may never trust Lock again.

I'm a huge Sherlock fan. So it went without saying that I needed to read this book. Although, now that I have read it, I have mixed feelings about it. 

I thought it was a clever take on the classic Sherlock Holmes and James Moriarty relationship. Having them play the opposite sex, with a love/hate type feeling coming from Mori towards Sherlock. Does she like him? Does she not like him? I can tell you that Mori had a lot of personal demons in this book that she was unwilling to let go of from the start. A lot of hatred building up inside her as well.

The story was alright. The reader gets a lot of back story and flashbacks that seems to blend too much with the current story or drone on and on. One point we were in the present and then a memory comes up and 2 pages later we are back to the present. Another point the past blended with the present and you didn't know where you were. This, I was not a fan of whatsoever. The story also was pretty predictable from the first murder on. I pretty much saw where all this was going right away, which I like to be guessing for a while instead of being hit with it right away.

All in all I have to give this 3 stars simply for creativity. However, I will not be revisiting the rest of the series.

YA author of the LOCK & MORI series (available from S&S BFYR). Awkward Witch of the Forest. High Cat Lady of Reno. Kdrama addiction specialist.

Find Heather: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Cookbook Review: Home Cooked by Anya Fernald & Jessica Battilana #cookbookreview @anyafernald @jbattilana

Title: Home Cooked
Author: Anya Fernald & Jessica Battilana
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Genre: Cooking, How-To
Release Date: April 5th, 2016
Source: Blogging for Books

A recipe collection and how-to guide for preparing base ingredients that can be used to make simple, weeknight meals, while also teaching skills like building and cooking over a fire, and preserving meat and produce, written by a sustainable food expert and founder of Belcampo Meat Co.

Anya Fernald’s approach to cooking is anything but timid; rich sauces, meaty ragus, perfectly charred vegetables. And her execution is unfussy, with the singular goal of making delicious, exuberantly flavored, unpretentious food with the best ingredients. Inspired by the humble traditions of cucina povera, the frugal cooking of Italian peasants, Anya brings a forgotten pragmatism to home cooking; making use of seasonal bounty by canning and preserving fruits and vegetables, salt curing fish, simmering flavorful broths with leftover bones, and transforming tough cuts of meat into supple stews and sauces with long cooking. These building blocks become the basis for a kitchen repertoire that is inspired, thrifty, environmentally sound, and most importantly, bursting with flavor. Recipes like Red Pepper and Walnut Crema, Green Tomato and Caper Salad, Chickpea Torte, Cracked Crab with Lemon-Chile Vinaigrette, Veal Meatballs, Anise-Seed Breakfast Cookies, and Ligurian Sangria will add dimension and excitement to both weeknight meals and parties.

We all want to be better, more intuitive, more relaxed cooks—not just for the occasional dinner party, but every day. Punctuated by essays on the author’s approach to entertaining, cooking with cast-iron, and a primer on buying and cooking steak, Home Cooked is an antidote to the chef and restaurant books that leave you no roadmap for tonight’s dinner. With Home Cooked, Anya gives you the confidence, and the recipes, to love cooking again.

For me, this just was not the book for me. I had had such high hopes for this one, thinking that it would be like things grandma had made, but this definitely was not anything like grandma made. With recipes containing hearts, tongue and squid, I must say that I have to pass on this one. However, the photos in this book were amazing and detailed the food wonderfully. The recipes were written wonderfully as well.

While this book may not be for me, it just may be up your alley. Why not give it a try?

Disclaimer: *I received a copy of this book from Blogging for Books for free to review, this in no way influenced my review, all opinions are 100% honest and my own.

Anya Fernald is a sustainable food expert and the co-founder and CEO of Belcampo. She has appeared as a judge on the Food Network's Iron Chef America and The Next Iron Chef.                                                                                                                                                                                                       Find Anya: Website | Twitter

Jessica Battilana writes about food and the people who make it. A former cheesemonger, caterer and private chef (and East coast transplant), she now lives in San Francisco and spends her days chronicling chefs and restaurants, developing and testing recipes and otherwise messing around in the world of food. Potatoes are her desert island food, and she always chooses chocolate over vanilla.                                                                                                                                                                    Find Jessica: Website | Twitter

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3 Star Review: The Shrunken Head by Lauren Oliver #3Star #BookReview @OliverBooks #giveaway

Title: The Shrunken Head (The Curiosity House #1)
Author: Lauren Oliver, H.G. Chester
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
Genre: Middle Grade, Adventure, Fantasy
Release Date: September 29th 2015
Source: NightOwl Reviews
Purchase: Amazon

What you will find in this book:

– A rather attractive bearded lady

– Several scandalous murders

– A deliciously disgusting Amazonian shrunken head

– Four extraordinary children with equally extraordinary abilities

– A quite loquacious talking bird

Blessed with extraordinary abilities, orphans Philippa, Sam, and Thomas have grown up happily in Dumfrey’s Dime Museum of Freaks, Oddities, and Wonders. But when a fourth child, Max, a knife- thrower, joins the group, it sets off an unforgettable chain of events. When the museum’s Amazonian shrunken head is stolen, the four are determined to get it back. But their search leads them to a series of murders and an explosive secret about their pasts.

This sensational new series combines the unparalleled storytelling gifts of Lauren Oliver with the rich knowledge of the notorious relics collector H.C. Chester.

What you will NOT find in this book:

– An accountant named Seymour

– A never-ending line at the post office

– Brussel sprouts (shudder)

– A lecture on finishing all your homework on time

– A sweet, gooey story for nice little girls and boys.

I have never read a book by Lauren Oliver. To be honest I was a bit skeptical about it. I have read too many reviews where people have complained about her writing style, or she didn't do her research on some books, but that wasn't the case with this one. 

It starts out by welcoming you to the Dumfrey's Dime Museum of Freaks, , Oddities and Wonders. Almost like you are at a circus. Then it takes you in and starts to introduce you to the characters and then there is a bit of an information drop. It's like the reader at parts of this book gets way too much information about everything before it finally gets back into the story.

I did, however, enjoy the plot of the story. These 4 extraordinary children decide to take the law into their own hands and investigate the stolen shrunken head from their museum and the unexplained deaths that seemed to go along with it. They get into trouble along the way and meet some shady characters. But the ending seemed to fit quite nicely with the story. Except for one part, which might be cleared up in the second book.

Overall, this was a pretty great book. Once you get into the book, you get sucked up into the adventures.

Disclaimer: *I received a copy of this book for free to review, this in no way influenced my review, all opinions are 100% honest and my own.

Lauren Oliver is the author of the YA bestselling novels Before I Fall, Panic, and Vanishing Girls and the Delirium trilogy: Delirium, Pandemonium, and Requiem, which have been translated into more than thirty languages and are New York Times and international bestselling novels. She is also the author of three novels for middle grade readers: The Spindlers; Liesl & Po, which was an E. B. White Read Aloud Award nominee; and Curiosity House: The Shrunken Head, co-written with H. C. Chester, and a novel for adults, Rooms. A graduate of the University of Chicago and NYU’s MFA program, Lauren Oliver is also the cofounder of the boutique literary development company Paper Lantern Lit.

Find Lauren: Website | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Goodreads

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3 Star Review: Royal Wedding by Meg Cabot #BookReview #3Star #Giveaway @megcabot

Title: Royal Wedding (Princess Diaries #11)
Author: Meg Cabot
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Release Date: June 2nd 2015
Source: NightOwl Reviews
Purchase: Amazon

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Princess Diaries series, comes the very first adult installment, which follows Princess Mia and her Prince Charming as they plan their fairy tale wedding—but a few poisoned apples could turn this happily-ever-after into a royal nightmare.

For Princess Mia, the past five years since college graduation have been a whirlwind of activity, what with living in New York City, running her new teen community center, being madly in love, and attending royal engagements. And speaking of engagements. Mia's gorgeous longtime boyfriend Michael managed to clear both their schedules just long enough for an exotic (and very private) Caribbean island interlude where he popped the question! Of course Mia didn't need to consult her diary to know that her answer was a royal oui.

But now Mia has a scandal of majestic proportions to contend with: Her grandmother's leaked "fake" wedding plans to the press that could cause even normally calm Michael to become a runaway groom. Worse, a scheming politico is trying to force Mia's father from the throne, all because of a royal secret that could leave Genovia without a monarch. Can Mia prove to everyone—especially herself—that she's not only ready to wed, but ready to rule as well?

I had a hard time with the latest installment to the 'Princess Diaries' series. Maybe it's because the last time I read the series it was over 6 years ago and Princess Mia was still maybe 16 years old and a bit immature. However, when you come back to it, it's still written in diary format, but Princess Mia is now 25, her father is being arrested, her stepfather has passed away, and her longtime boyfriend is about to propose, all the while she still acts like she's a teenager and not in her mid twenties.

While I liked the concept of coming back and revisiting Princess Mia and the gang, I really think this one should have been left the way it was.I may try to re-read this in the future, but as for now, I could not finish this one, but still give it 3 stars simply because it's the Princess Diaries.

Disclaimer: *I received a copy of this book for free to review, this in no way influenced my review, all opinions are 100% honest and my own.

Meg Cabot was born in Bloomington, Indiana. In addition to her award-winning adult contemporary fiction, she is the author of bestselling young adult fiction, including The Princess Diaries and the Mediator series. More than twenty-five million copies of her novels for children and adults have sold worldwide. Meg lives in Key West, Florida, with her husband.

Find Meg: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube

**Giveaway is for 1 paperback copy of Royal Wedding by Meg Cabot.
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3 Star Review: Seriously Wicked by Tina Connolly #bookreview #3star @tinaconnolly

Title: Seriously Wicked
Author: Tina Connolly
Publisher: Tor Teen
Genre: Teen, Fantasy, Paranormal
Release Date: May 5th 2015
Source: Publisher for Review
Purchase: Amazon

The only thing worse than being a witch is living with one.

Camellia’s adopted mother wants Cam to grow up to be just like her. Problem is, Mom’s a seriously wicked witch.

Cam’s used to stopping the witch’s crazy schemes for world domination. But when the witch summons a demon, he gets loose—and into Devon, the cute new boy at school.

Now Cam’s suddenly got bigger problems than passing Algebra. Her friends are getting zombiefied. Their dragon is tired of hiding in the RV garage. For being a shy boy-band boy, Devon is sure kissing a bunch of girls. And a phoenix hidden in the school is going to explode on the night of the Halloween Dance.

To stop the demon before he destroys Devon’s soul, Cam might have to try a spell of her own. But if she’s willing to work spells like the witch...will that mean she’s wicked too?

This was a pretty decent book. I haven't read anything else by this author yet (even though I have the Ironskin trilogy sitting on my shelves), so I really don't have anything to compare this to. However, for the first time reading this author, I think that I can honestly say that I will be reading more by her.

This book, to me, starts off kind of slow. It took me until about the 50th page to finally grab on to the story and go with it. You have this girl who is being raised by a witch and this witch tries so hard to get her into magic and spells, and Camellia just doesn't want anything to do with it. She rather just go to school and do whatever it takes to make sure the witch's spells don't work.

This story felt like it was rushed though. I mean, I know that there are only 205 pages, but it seemed like towards the middle of the book the author just wanted to get through this fast and rushed the rest of the story. And even though the story felt rushed, I really did enjoy it and I did like the ending of the story, even if it was easy to figure out halfway through (well some of it was).

With likable characters, a good story (even though rushed at times) and good writing by a great author, I do recommend this book to everyone ages 12 and up that like fantasy.

Disclaimer: *I received a copy of this book for free to review, this in no way influenced my review, all opinions are 100% honest and my own.

TINA CONNOLLY lives with her family in Portland, Oregon, in a house that came with a dragon in the basement and blackberry vines in the attic. Her stories have appeared all over, including in Strange Horizons, Lightspeed, and Beneath Ceaseless Skies.



Find Tina: Website | Twitter | Goodreads

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3 Star Review: The Colossus Rises by @PeterLerangis #seriesreview #3star

Title: The Colossus Rises (Seven Wonders #1)
Author: Peter Lerangis
Publisher: HarperCollins
Genre: Fantasy, Mythology, Middle Grade
Release Date: February 5th 2013
Source: Purchased
Purchase: Amazon

One Boy

Jack McKinley is an ordinary kid with an extraordinary problem. In a few months, he’s going to die.

One Mission

Jack needs to find seven magic loculi that, when combined, have the power to cure him.

One Problem

The loculi are the relics of a lost civilization and haven’t been seen in thousands of years.

Seven Wonders

Because they’re hidden in the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

I have to admit, this was the first book that I have ever read by this author. And I wasn't actually going to read it until I had the opportunity to get a copy of book 4, The Curse of the King, from Night Owl Reviews, and that's only because it really didn't seem like it would be my cup of tea. But you know what? I actually enjoyed the book for the most part.

This story follows 4 teenagers as they are told they are the heirs to the lost city of Atlantis. Being told that their only chance to survive is by being given special treatments in a secret lab, a lab that not even their parents know about. And, speaking of parents, their parents don't even know where they are or what they are supposed to set out to do.

So far, this story has some pull. It does pull you into a world of action and adventure. However, there are some key flaws, in my opinion. The story seems to go smoothly and then it seems as if the author kind of pushes you through certain parts. As an example, literally, in the span of two paragraphs you go from being thrown around in a airplane to sitting in a cab looking around Greece. Sometimes you don't know what is going on and you have to back track a couple of paragraphs just to make sure you weren't missing anything.

But, other than the story being rushed in certain parts and being slightly confused at times, I really enjoyed the book and can't wait to read the second book, Lost in Babylon.

Peter Lerangis is the author of more than one hundred and sixty books, which have sold more than five million copies and been translated into thirty-three different languages. His books include The Colossus Rises and Lost in Babylon in the New York Times bestselling Seven Wonders series, and two books in The 39 Clues series (The Sword Thief and The Viper's Nest). Peter is a Harvard graduate with a degree in biochemistry and has run a marathon and gone rock climbing during an earthquake—though not on the same day. He lives in New York City with his wife, musician Tina deVaron, and their two sons, Nick and Joe. In his spare time, he likes to eat chocolate.

Find Peter: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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3 Stars: Franklin Barbeque: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto by Aaron Franklin & Jordan Mackay

Title: Franklin Barbeque: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto
Author: Aaron Franklin, Jordan Mackay
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Genre: Cooking, How-To
Release Date: April 7th 2015
Source: Blogging for Books
Purchase: Amazon

A complete meat- and brisket-cooking education from the country's most celebrated pitmaster and owner of the wildly popular Austin restaurant Franklin Barbecue--winner of Texas Monthly's coveted Best Barbecue Joint in Texas award.

When Aaron Franklin and his wife, Stacy, opened up a small barbecue trailer on the side of an Austin, Texas, interstate in 2009, they had no idea what they’d gotten themselves into. Today, Franklin Barbecue has grown into the most popular, critically lauded, and obsessed-over barbecue joint in the country (if not the world)—and Franklin is the winner of every major barbecue award there is.

In this much-anticipated debut, Franklin and coauthor Jordan Mackay unlock the secrets behind truly great barbecue, and share years’ worth of hard-won knowledge. Franklin Barbecue is a definitive resource for the backyard pitmaster, with chapters dedicated to building or customizing your own smoker; finding and curing the right wood; creating and tending perfect fires; sourcing top-quality meat; and of course, cooking mind-blowing, ridiculously delicious barbecue, better than you ever thought possible.

Who doesn't love a good barbecue? In our house, we bbq at least once a week, and we always like to try new things. So when I was offered this book for review, I totally jumped on the opportunity, thinking that this would be completely awesome, that we would find one or two new recipes to try, at the very least. However, I was sadly wrong. In 213 pages, you would think that you would find some pretty amazing recipes, right? Well, you couldn't be more wrong. This book has a total of twelve recipes, 12! So unless you are looking to make baked beans, coleslaw, potato salad or one of four bbq sauces and maybe a rub for either pork, beef, ribs, turkey or brisket (which are pretty close to the same rub), this book is not for you.

This cookbook reads more like a cooking biography. It takes you from the beginning of Franklin Barbecue all the way until now. It also teaches you his techniques on smoking and barbecuing. But that is pretty much all this book covers. So, unless you want a smokehouse biography and not a recipe book, I would not recommend this one.

 

Disclaimer: *I received a copy of this book for free to review, this in no way influenced my review, all opinions are 100% honest and my own.

Aaron Franklin is a Austin Texas based barbecue cook, restaurant owner, educator and writer. Aaron is a self taught bbq expert, who has quickly risen to be one of the most well known pit bosses in the barbecue world. He never cuts corners on choosing quality meats and spending the time it really takes to make the best bbq in the country. (even if he is losing sleep).

Find Aaron: Website | Facebook | Twitter

Jordan Mackay is the wine and spirits writer for San Francisco magazine. His writing has also appeared in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Decanter, The Art of Eating, Food & Wine, Gourmet and many others. He is the author of Passion for Pinot and (with Rajat Parr) the James Beard Award-winning Secrets of the Sommeliers. Currently, he is working on a book about Texas barbecue and two more books on wine. He lives in San Francisco.

Find Jordan: Instagram | Twitter

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3 Star Review: Fribbet the Frog and the Tadpoles by Carole P. Roman #Giveaway #Review

Title: Fribbet the Frog and the Tadpoles
Author: Carole P. Roman
Publisher: Createspace
Genre: Children
Release Date: February 8th 2015
Purchase: Amazon

Fribbet the Frog and the Tadpoles is another great voyage into problem solving and friendship, as well as an adventurous trip into the imagination.

Join the Captain No Beard and his friends as they learn the value of sharing our troubles with others and that help is always there when we need it.

**Review contains Spoilers**

I wasn't as thrilled with this book as I thought that I would be and to me, it was somewhat of a let-down. The ideal of the story was great. Teaching kids that being a big brother or sister is a good thing, however, the ending of this was not hitting it home for me. A little girl in it, states that she would love to be a big sister and at the end, her mom comes home with a brand new baby. The little girl acts surprised. To me, it's just not that realistic. However, for the importance of the story, I am giving this the rating of 3 stars.

Disclaimer: *I received a copy of this book for free to review, this in no way influenced my review, all opinions are 100% honest and my own.

Named to Kirkus Reviews' Best of 2012 for her first book, award winning author Carole P. Roman started writing as a dare from one of her sons. Using an imaginary game she played with her grandson as a base, Captain No Beard was born. It has followed with four more books to the series.Motivated by her love of yoga, Roman has written a book that not only teaches four poses, but shows how easy and accessible yoga can be.

She has just finished the first of six books in a groundbreaking new nonfiction series about culture around the world. "If You Were Me and Lived in..." combines her teaching past with her love of exploration and interest in the world around us.

Writing for children has opened up a whole second act for her. While she is still working in her family business, this has enabled her to share her sense of humor as well as love for history and culture with the audience she adores. Roman lives on Long Island with her husband and near her children.

Find Carole: Website | Twitter | Goodreads 

Giveaway is for 1 paperback copy of Fribbet the Frog and the Tadpoles.

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