Book Trailer Friday [@RandomHouse @TransworldBooks]

Beth Dorey-Stein's From the Corner of the Oval - a tale of being the White House stenographer during the Obama administration will be released on the tenth. Any book (or book trailer) that can suggest looking like, "a librarian . . . or a well paid prostitute," has me curious to what the author (and her life) are like. Here's the trailer:

\.

about From the Corner of the Oval:

The compulsively readable, behind-the-scenes memoir that takes readers inside the Obama White House, through the eyes of a young staffer learning the ropes, falling in love, and finding her place in the world.

In 2012, Beck Dorey-Stein was just scraping by in DC when a posting on Craigslist landed her, improbably, in the Oval Office as one of Barack Obama's stenographers. The ultimate DC outsider, she joined the elite team who accompanied the president wherever he went, recorder and mic in hand. On whirlwind trips across time zones, Beck forged friendships with a tight group of fellow travelers--young men and women who, like her, left their real lives behind to hop aboard Air Force One in service of the president. But as she learned the ropes of protocol, Beck became romantically entangled with a consummate DC insider, and suddenly, the political became all too personal. Set against the backdrop of a White House full of glamour, drama, and intrigue, this is the story of a young woman making unlikely friendships, getting her heart broken, learning what truly matters, and discovering her voice in the process

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Spiegel & Grau // July 10, 2018 // 352 pages // Goodreads // Book Depository // Amazon

Manderley Forever: A Biography of Daphne du Maurier ~ Tatiana de Rosnay review [@tatianaderosnay @StMartinsPress]

Manderley Forever: A Biography of Daphne du Maurier
Sam Taylor, translator
St Martin's Press
April 18, 2017
340 pages
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The nonfiction debut from beloved international sensation and #1 New York Times bestselling author Tatiana de Rosnay: her bestselling biography of novelist Daphne du Maurier.

“It's impressive how Tatiana was able to recreate the personality of my mother, including her sense of humor. It is very well written and very moving. I’m sure my mother would have loved this book.” ― Tessa Montgomery d’Alamein, daughter of Daphné du Maurier, as told to Pauline Sommelet in Point de Vue

As a bilingual bestselling novelist with a mixed Franco-British bloodline and a host of eminent forebears, Tatiana de Rosnay is the perfect candidate to write a biography of Daphne du Maurier. As an eleven-year-old de Rosnay read and reread Rebecca, becoming a lifelong devotee of Du Maurier’s fiction. Now de Rosnay pays homage to the writer who influenced her so deeply, following Du Maurier from a shy seven-year-old, a rebellious sixteen-year-old, a twenty-something newlywed, and finally a cantankerous old lady. With a rhythm and intimacy to its prose characteristic of all de Rosnay’s works, Manderley Forever is a vividly compelling portrait and celebration of an intriguing, hugely popular and (at the time) critically underrated writer.

"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again."So beings Daphne du Maurier's novel Rebecca. It is probably one of the best known first lines of a book ever but I did ot know very much, at all, about the author. Written by Tatiana de Rosnay, the author of Sarah's Key and other novels, Manderley Forever is the first (at least according to the text) French biography of du Maurier.

This biography tells Daphne du Maurier's life story using the houses she lived in and loved. A fitting method considering Manderley has to be one of the best known hones, fictional or otherwise.

I loved finding out about Dapne's famous grandfather, her famous actor father, their family's relationship with J.M. Barrie and the Llewelyn Davies. It's always interesting to be able to fit pieces - and people - of history that you knew of separately, together. From her childhood relationships with her parents and sisters their governess and friends/society Daphne is expected to behave a certain way around, we learn a lot about the little girl, her love of storytelling, and distaste for conventional gender roles. It is especially interesting and thought provoking when we see how those same relationships transform (or sometimes, don't) as du Maurier ages.

Possibly in part because this book was originally published in French, likely just because its fact, there is a lot of focus on the du Maruier's connections and visits to France. Whether it's because of where the book was first published or not, I really appreciated those parts of the story, what it said about Daphne, her family's past and then their present/future.

It works surprisingly well that de Rosnay does not try to provide a modern context or interpretation to many occurrences, statements, writings, etc that readers are shown in the novel. Things are written in such a way that they speak for themselves and readers are able to draw their own inferences, have their own interpretations.

There is quite a bit of description of the plot of du Maurier's (and her grandfather's, as well) writings so if you are someone who has not read them (and wishes to) you may want to skim those passages.

Manderley Forever gives readers a very real, truly human look at the life of Daphne du Maurier, from her childhood playing Peter Pan with her sisters, to her walks along the beach in Cornwall with her dogs, from her marriage and children to her publishing successes and failures. Tatiana de Rosnay has written a biography that is both compelling and complete.

Action Presidents: George Washington ~ Fred Van Lente & Ryan Dunlavey [@HarperChildrens @fredvanlente]

Action Presidents #1: George Washington
Ryan Dunlavey, illustrator
HarperCollins
February 06, 2018
128 pages
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Where the history is real and the jokes are fake!

The first Action Presidents book will turn even the most reluctant reader into a history buff. George Washington, ultimate founding father and awesome American, practically jumps off the page.

We all know that George Washington was our first president and a hero of the American Revolution, but did you also know that he didn’t want to be president and had teeth so bad that he hated to smile?

Wimpy Kid meets the Who Was … series in these hilarious new graphic novels from New York Times bestselling comic book author Fred Van Lente and award-winning cartoonist Ryan Dunlavey.

U.S. history comes to life like never before! Historically accurate and highly entertaining, Action Presidents is perfect for curious minds. With timelines, maps, charts, and more, readers will keep learning until the last page.

This series has the weirdest narrator: a turkey named Noah the Historkey. There is an explanation for his name and why he's off telling these kids about history and the presidents - but it's still odd. Odd that gets your attention and makes the book a bit different, though.

This first Action Presidents has a logical choice for its subject, the first United States President, George Washington. While 'Presidents' is in the title, the book starts with Washington's early life. I will admit to knowing very little about his childhood (other than the infamous - and fictional - story of George Washington and the Cherry Tree). I liked that the book started there and told readers both that it was untrue and how it came to to be.

The book addresses Washington's adolescence,  his time in the Revolution and then as President. There was a good mix of his military life, accomplishments and setbacks and his personal life - his marriage to Martha, how his career impacted their lives, etc.

Action Presidents #1: George Washington will probably appeal more to boys than girls (at least the dysentery jokes) but is a good way to introduce or refresh American History to readers not likely to read it in other forms. (And as a fun way to get toe information, even if you will read/learn it elsewhere.)

I do wish these books had page numbers. It is easier to keep track of where you are in a book or to remember where in the book a bit of information was that you wanted to remember or share with someone.



Action Presidents #2 focuses on Abraham Lincoln . .






finished copy received from publisher, for review consideration

We Can't Be Friends ~ Cyndy Etler (earc) review [@SourcebooksFire @cdetler]

We Can't Be Friends: A True Story
Sourcebooks Fire
October 03, 2017
304 pages
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The companion to The Dead Inside, "[An] unnerving and heartrending memoir" (Publishers Weekly)

This is the story of my return to high school. This is the true story of how I didn't die.

High school sucks for a lot of people. High school extra sucks when you believe, deep in your soul, that every kid in the school is out to get you. I wasn't popular before I got locked up in Straight Inc., the notorious "tough love" program for troubled teens. So it's not like I was walking around thinking everyone liked me.

But when you're psychologically beaten for sixteen months, you start to absorb the lessons. The lessons in Straight were: You are evil. Your peers are evil. Everything is evil except Straight, Inc.

Before long, you're a true believer.

And when you're finally released, sent back into the world, you crave safety. Crave being back in the warehouse. And if you can't be there, you'd rather be dead.

 “This is what happened to my mind and my heart and my soul and my relationship with humanity.”

-Cyndy Etler (Mooresville Weekly article, May 31, 2013*)

Everything that you wanted to hope was going to be okay or fixed or normal after the ending of The Dead Inside for Cyndy Etler's life? We Can't Be Friends shows you just how much it is not.

The present tense narration continues in this follow-up/companion to The Dead Inside. Reading it as if it is currently happening, not something from years ago (even as you know it's in 1989/1990) makes everything that much more real. What's happening is something Cyndy - and you as the reader - are experiencing. You feel one less step removed from things.

So, so many times I wanted to ask the people in her life if they really, truly believed what they were saying, what they seemed to think of Cyndy. If they actually thought it was appropriate or remotely logical.  (Though there was one adult I did want to thank or hug or something.)

I appreciated that the author didn't try to just tie a big bow on things and pretend it was all neat and tidy once she left Straight. There is no way to spend sixteen months - especially not as young as the author was - under those circumstances, with that kind of daily treatment and not have it mess with your head. This memoir is incredibly honest and we see all the stupid, misunderstood, painful, confused, naive and needy things she does.

I understood Cyndy's mother even less here than I did in The Dead Inside. Cyndy could have a horribly low opinion of herself, but when people have spent sixteen months convincing you you're 'a druggie whore' and that you're always one step away from slipping back into addiction, it's kind of hard to think you're great. We Can't Be Friends shows you just how much Straight Inc harmed Cyndy Etler (and so many others) but also how much of a difference a few people (or birds, even) can make.

I applaud the author for giving us two such honest, real memoirs. She doesn't shy away from things that might make her look 'bad' and it means we really get the full story, as painful, heartbraking, ahd hopefully, ultimately, hopeful as it is.






*the author originally published her memoir Straightling in 2012


digital review copy received from publisher, via NetGalley

Dear World ~ Bana Alabed (earc) review [@AlabedBana @SimonSchuster]

Dear World: A Syrian Girl’s Story of War and Plea for Peace
Simon & Schuster
October 03, 2017
224 pages
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“A story of love and courage amid brutality and terror, this is the testimony of a child who has endured the unthinkable.” —J.K. Rowling

“I’m very afraid I will die tonight.” —Bana Alabed, Twitter, October 2, 2016
“Stop killing us.” —Bana Alabed, Twitter, October 6, 2016
“I just want to live without fear.” —Bana Alabed, Twitter, October 12, 2016


When seven-year-old Bana Alabed took to Twitter to describe the horrors she and her family were experiencing in war-torn Syria, her heartrending messages touched the world and gave a voice to millions of innocent children.

Bana’s happy childhood was abruptly upended by civil war when she was only three years old. Over the next four years, she knew nothing but bombing, destruction, and fear. Her harrowing ordeal culminated in a brutal siege where she, her parents, and two younger brothers were trapped in Aleppo, with little access to food, water, medicine, or other necessities.

Facing death as bombs relentlessly fell around them—one of which completely destroyed their home—Bana and her family embarked on a perilous escape to Turkey.

In Bana’s own words, and featuring short, affecting chapters by her mother, Fatemah, Dear World is not just a gripping account of a family endangered by war; it offers a uniquely intimate, child’s perspective on one of the biggest humanitarian crises in history. Bana has lost her best friend, her school, her home, and her homeland. But she has not lost her hope—for herself and for other children around the world who are victims and refugees of war and deserve better lives.

Dear World is a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit, the unconquerable courage of a child, and the abiding power of hope. It is a story that will leave you changed.

Bana Alabed's Dear World does what all of the news reports and articles cannot really do: it shows you what life in Syria was like before the before the war. And how the war impacted people. Not the grand, big picture idea of 'the Syrian people,' but their family, their friends, their neighborhood. It allows you to see things on a more human, individual level.

Of course, many pieces of  life in Syria were different than in the United States or England or France or wherever but reading how Bnaa liked to go to the pool with her father or about their family's bedtime routine shows how much was the same, too.

I really liked that while most of the story was told by Bana, there were sections from her mother, as well. Having that adult perspective on some of the same matters put some things into a different light or allowed you to really see the child's interpretation versus the parent's, the mother's.

There is something unbelievably honest about how children see the world - even those things that they should never have to see. That absolute honesty, the way that Bana's telling of what she experienced, what happened to people in Syria, what her family endured and how it isn't rephrased or muted (nor does it seem overdone or trying to shock) makes things resonate that much more. It makes it all that much harder to read and to grasp that those things could actually have happened.

This is a book you are not likely to forget. It shows us what life in Syria, for one family, was like before the bombings, before the war. And it shows us what life was like during those bombings, how, in particular, one young girls' life was impacted.


"I hope you like my book. I hope it makes you want to help people."
-Dear World Author's Note






digital review copy received via NetGalley, from publisher

Escape from Camp 14 ~ Blaine Harden review [@VikingBooks] (repost)

This is a repost of an earlier published Book Sp(l)ot Reviews review. (The original post.)


Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West
Viking Adult
March 29, 2012
224 pages
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The only person known to have been born and raised in one of North Korea's prison camps and then escape* (others, brought to them have been released after some years), Shin Dong-hyuk lived more than two decades in North Korea's Camp 14.

Estimates have between 150,00-200,000 people living in North Korea's political prison camps. Isolated, starving, routinely beaten and cut-off even from the rest of their country, those living in these camps know very little (if anything) of the outside world. While most in North Korea are taught of South Korea and the United States' evil, growing up in Camp 14, though, Shin heard none of this. Expected to work long 15 hour days from a young age (10-year-olds worked together to push two-ton coal cars up a hill), prisoners subsisted (just barely) on corn, cabbage and salt.

Beatings were routine - from the guards, from family members, from other prisoners - and life was beyond hard, everyone sold everyone else out.

It would be no wonder that people wanted to escape. But few seemed to dream of it and even fewer try. Those, like Shin, who has always known this life didn't know there was a better world - with more food, something called love and friendship and trust. Not only that, the consequence for escape, attempting it, or even talking about it made it, often too dangerous: death.

Until the idea for escape did form in his mind. And he acted on it.


While the reading level of Escape from Camp 14 is not difficult (especially compared to many nonfiction books), it's the content that makes reading Shin's story hard at times.

Harden admits, quite frequently, that there is not, truly, a way to fact check Shin's story. He can't go to the camp and do interviews, he can't call anyone up and ask them questions, he can't even go into North Korea. While this does make the reader slightly dubious of Shin's story - especially when it's acknowledged that the story has changed in some dramatic places - the tale has been vetted in a way. Other memoirs have been published about people's experiences in the camps (those that were released or former guards) and different groups have led investigations/inquiries. These individuals and groups do contend that Shin's recollections are  in line with what happens in the prison camps. He has the physical scars, as well.

Harden's background as a reported and knowledge of the area adds some great extra information to the book. I learned a lot more about not only North Korea and its politics, history, and practices but also about South Korea and China as well (including their relationships with North Korea and its defectors).

While Shin's life and the life of those in Camp 14 was so separate from what was happening elsewhere in North Korea, it was very nice to know what was happening concurrently in the rest of the country.

The book doesn't wait for a nice, neat ending; it shows us how Shin's life is today. How he's adjusting to life, learning about being a regular human being whose life is not completely controlled, under constant threat of violence by prison guards. I wish him well.





*This according to the book, the synopsis on Goodreads makes it sound as if there are others, so if my review is wrong, I apologize. I'm basing it on the text of the book.

Weird School Books ~ Dan Gutman, art by Jim Paillot reviews [@HarperChildrens @DanGutmanBooks ]

Mrs Master is a Disaster! (My Weirdest School #8)
Harper Collins
June 20, 2017
112 pages
(ages 6-10)
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With more than 11 million books sold, the My Weird School series really gets kids reading!


In this eighth book in the new My Weirdest School series, it s Grandparents Day at Ella Mentry School! Alexia s grandmother Mrs. Master makes weird inventions for a living, but A.J. and the gang come up with the weirdest invention of all. And they re going to make a bazillion dollars from it! Will they succeed? Or will their great big idea be flushed down the drain?

Perfect for reluctant readers and word lovers alike, Dan Gutman s hugely popular My Weird School chapter book series has something for everyone. Don t miss the hilarious adventures of A.J. and the gang!

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My Weird School Fast Facts: Explorers, Presidents and Toilets
HarperCollins
June 20, 2017
192 pages
(ages 6-10)
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Think fast with A.J. and Andrea from My Weird School!

Did you know that the word “independence” never appears in the Declaration of Independence? Did you know that soldiers in World War I collected thousands of glowworms in jars to help them see at night?!

Learn more weird-but-true U.S. history facts with A.J. and Andrea from Dan Gutman’s bestselling My Weird School series. This all-new series of nonfiction books features hundreds of hysterical facts, plus lots of photos and illustrations.

Whether you're a kid who wants to learn more about our country's history or simply someone who wants to know how many Americans are involved in toilet-related injuries each year, this is the book for you!

With more than 11 million books sold, the My Weird School series really gets kids reading!

These were the first two Weird School books I read and they were a fun discovery. The My Weirdest School book does seem able to be read individually, out of series order. (Though, other books likely explain some aspects: My Weirdest School #1: Mr Cooper is Super probably explains their teacher dressing like a superhero.) The nonfiction Fast Facts books can definitely be read separately from the Weird School series books.

My Weirdest School #8: Mrs Master is a Disaster! was a cute look at the process of inventing something. The process was definitely simplified and sped up, but included some useful information (you need to think of what people need but don't already have, making a prototype, etc_.

The parts about Grandparents' Day at the school have some bits that parents/older readers will get (one about being at Woodstock) but kids may just miss.

It is a fun, cute story that should be good for young readers.


My Weird School Fast Facts: Explorers, Presidents and Toilets is a nonfiction book with A.J. and Andrea from the Weird School books giving the information. The book does a great job presenting the information at an age-appropriate way. It doesn't stick with what you often learn as a kid: that Columbus discovered America in 1492. Readers learn about how the Native Americans were already here, how the Vikings came, and more, but without certain details that you don't need at that age.

The book had a lot of things I did learn through school, many of which I had forgotten about. It also had quite a few things I had never heard before (things involving oyster ice cream, pigeons in war or the movie Psycho, for example).

The explorers facts transition very well to those about the presidents and the combination seems natural. The inclusion of facts about toilets seems a little odder, but adds a bit of levity, seems to fit with A.J.'s character and might entice additional readers.

There was a joke repeated from Mrs Master is a Disaster but . . . whatever.

The photographs included in the book were of disappointingly low print quality, however. Many of the black and white images didn't have enough contrast, in the printed book, to really be seen. Based on web previews, the ebook versions seem clearer. I also wish they were larger.

Books like this one are ones I would have loved as a kid, with interesting facts put forth in a very entertaining and readable way.








books received from publisher for review consideration

One Day We'll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter ~ Scaachi Koul (earc) review [@picadorbooks @Scaachi]

One Day We'll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter: Essays
Picador
May 02, 2017
256 pages
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For readers of Mindy Kaling, Jenny Lawson and Roxane Gay, a debut collection of fierce and funny essays about growing up the daughter of Indian immigrants in Canada, "a land of ice and casual racism," by the irreverent, hilarious cultural observer and incomparable rising star, Scaachi Koul.

In One Day We ll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter, Scaachi deploys her razor-sharp humour to share her fears, outrages and mortifying experiences as an outsider growing up in Canada. Her subjects range from shaving her knuckles in grade school, to a shopping trip gone horribly awry, to dealing with internet trolls, to feeling out of place at an Indian wedding (as an Indian woman), to parsing the trajectory of fears and anxieties that pressed upon her immigrant parents and bled down a generation. Alongside these personal stories are pointed observations about life as a woman of colour, where every aspect of her appearance is open for critique, derision or outright scorn. Where strict gender rules bind in both Western and Indian cultures, forcing her to confront questions about gender dynamics, racial tensions, ethnic stereotypes and her father s creeping mortality all as she tries to find her feet in the world.

With a clear eye and biting wit, Scaachi Koul explores the absurdity of a life steeped in misery. And through these intimate, wise and laugh-out-loud funny dispatches, a portrait of a bright new literary voice emerges."

I owe this book's cover and title a thank you. I don't read very much nonfiction that isn't historical  biography or memoir nor do I read many books of essays but because of the title and cover, I read this one - and really enjoyed it.

Through her essays, Scaachi Koul (a writer I was not previously familiar with) covers a lot of pertinent, current topics and issues. It is all through stories of her life: growing up, college, work, family, family vacations, clothes shopping, etc. Each essay finds a way to not  only give you a glimpse into her life, into who she is and how she's experienced the world, but to also highlight some 'issue,' all while being relevant to nearly everyone, in one way or another. Oh, and it is incredibly funny nearly the whole while.

From body image (weight, hair) to racism and sexism to rape culture to xenophobia to talking about yoga (versus, well, doing it), One Day We'll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter covers tackles a lot of those hot button issues through how they've played a part in Koul's life but also how the affect us all. Her life, her story includes immigrant parents, being Indian, being a woman but none of that has to be true for the book to be relevant (and entertaining) to you. My grandmother lived her whole life in the Southern United States but several thing Koul's mother did or said, I could absolutely hear her saying or doing. (Especially the part around bust measurements.)

If you already read Scaachi Koul's BuzzFeed articles you likely know her writing - including about her father and his emails which are fantastic - but if not, do yourself a favor and pick up One Day We'll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter.

Scaachi Koul's website & BuzzFeed articles

digital copy received for review from publisher, via NetGalley

The Dead inside ~ Cyndy Drew Etler (earc) review [@SourcebooksFire @cdetler]

The Dead Inside
Sourcebooks Fire
April 04, 2017
288 pages
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For readers of Girl Interrupted and Tweak, Cyndy Etler's gripping memoir gives readers a glimpse into the harrowing reality of her sixteen months in the notorious "tough love" program the ACLU called "a concentration camp for throwaway kids."

I never was a badass. Or a slut, a junkie, a stoner, like they told me I was. I was just a kid looking for something good, something that felt like love. I was a wannabe in a Levi's jean jacket. Anybody could see that. Except my mother. And the professionals at Straight.

From the outside, Straight Inc. was a drug rehab. But on the inside it was...well, it was something else.

All Cyndy wanted was to be loved and accepted. By age fourteen, she had escaped from her violent home, only to be reported as a runaway and sent to a "drug rehabilitation" facility that changed her world.

To the public, Straight Inc. was a place of recovery. But behind closed doors, the program used bizarre and intimidating methods to "treat" its patients. In her raw and fearless memoir, Cyndy Etler recounts her sixteen months in the living nightmare that Straight Inc. considered "healing."

The Dead Inside is one of those books that you want to pretend is fictional, but you know it is not. You want to believe it wouldn't be possible for that many people to act that wrongly, but, again, you know that they did.

The things the author describes as having happened at Straight are things I not only never would have imagined but had difficulty even imagining how they came to be. They weren't things where you (or I, at least) could see the good intentions they'd begun with and understand that they'd degraded or diverged into their present state. These were things that I couldn't interpret some other, more benign, not abusive and manipulative way.

I appreciated that the author gave us a look at her life prior to entering Straight, Inc at fourteen. We really got to see who she was, what she was facing at home, how she was dealing with it, and how it all affected her. It made it even more disheartening or, rather, heartbreaking, when you then read what she experienced at Straight. Even if it had been a 'proper' drug rehabilitation, it's hard to imagine she had any place there.

I loved that this memoir is presented in the present tense. Reading as if Cyndy is currently experiencing these things, rather than an adult recollecting them really gives it that much more impact. It also allows us to really understand her mindset and how Straight, their practices and her time spent there got into her head. (And how abuse had shaped her way of thinking and reacting even before she was sent there.)

It is a bit like if you took The Program, removed all of the nice or sanitized or logical pieces, then made it both worse and real . . . then you might have something almost close to Straight, Inc and what the author endured. Knowing this was all fact made for a troubling read but one I think you really do need to read.






digital review copy received from publisher, via NetGalley

Almost Adulting ~ Arden Rose review [@harperteen @ardenrose]

Almost Adulting: All You Need to Know to Get It Together (Sort Of)
Harper Collins
March 28, 2017
208 pages
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For fans of Grace Helbig and Alexa Chung comes a fresh, hilarious guide to growing up your way from social media influencer and lifestyle vlogger Arden Rose.

In Almost Adulting—perfect for budding adults, failing adults, and eaters of microwave mug brownies—Arden tells you how to survive your future adulthood. Topics include:

-Making internet friends who are cool and not murderers

-Flirting with someone in a way to make them think you are cool and not a murderer

-Being in an actual relationship where you talk about your feelings in a healthy manner??? To the other person???????

-Eating enough protein

-Assembling a somewhat acceptable adult wardrobe when you have zero dollars

-Going on adventures without starting to smell

-How sex is supposed to feel, but, like, actually though

By the end of the book—a mash-up of essays, lists, and artwork—you'll have learned not only how to dress yourself, how to travel alone, how to talk to strangers online, and how to date strangers (in PERSON!), but also how to pass as a real, functioning, appropriately socialized adult

It feels like a lot of Arden Rose's Almost Adulting is about doing what's best for you, really being you but in a responsible way where you still pay your traffic tickets and eat more than Oreos. The book covers things from decorating your apartment to online dating to sex and more.

The strongest parts of this book the beginning and the end where the author is not only helping readers to understand what is a smart way of doing something (keeping your apartment clean, for example) but also providing some ways of actually accomplishing that (change your sheets x often, etc). These more specific ideas keep Almost Adulting from just being another person/book/thing/whatever telling you what you should be doing. (Most who aren't cleaning enough or buying the right things at the store aren't not doing it simply because no one's ever suggested they should. It's about knowing how to go about it.)

The middle of the book seems to lose some of these more specific, helpful bits and feels more specific to the author's life. It focuses more on Arden Rose's life: meeting her boyfriend, the beginnings of their relationship and doesn't seem to cover as much or advise as broadly.

I do think that Almost Adulting has a certain kind of adult (or almost adult) in mind and is geared more towards that person. It seems to best fit someone who had/has supportive parents, who was - at least - relatively financially secure, who is employed, and generally healthy (both physically and mentally). It is still relevant to others but seems to apply most to someone like that. (The author does discuss her mental health and the issues she's faced but sentences like, "Ir's time to understand that you determine yow your body and mind operate at any given time based on what you're fueling it with." [pg 17] are why I say this.)

Almost Adulting covers things you might, technically, already know (eat well, keep things clean, etc) but does a nice job giving some specific ideas for everything from decorating your apartment to finding the right birth control. Whether you're familiar with Arden Rose from YouTube or not (I was not), if you're looking to adult (or just know how), you might want to check out Almost Adulting: All You Need to Know to Get it Together (Sort Of).

(Also? Roasted Brussels Sprouts really are very good, I definitely agree.)

finished copy received, for review, from publisher

The Really Quite Good British Cookbook ~ William Sitwell (Ed.) [@nourishbooks @WilliamSitwell] #TRQGBC

The Really Quite Good British Cookbook: The Food We Love from 100 of Our Best Chefs, Cooks, Bakers and Local Heroes
Nourish
March 21, 2017
426 pages
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What do you cook for the people you love? Asked this question, 100 of Britain's food heroes have shared their most beloved recipes to make this extraordinary cookbook. Nigella Lawson divulges how to bake her Chocolate Guinness Cake and Rick Stein fries up Shrimp & Dill Fritters with Ouzo. Yotam Ottolenghi would serve Pea & Mint Croquettes and for Jamie Oliver, an unrivalled Fantastic Fish Pie. These are just a few of the incredible recipes provided by the best and brightest on the British food scene, including chefs such as Raymond Blanc, Gordon Ramsay, Delia Smith, James Martin, Nigel Slater, Thomasina Miers, Mark Hix, Jason Atherton, Marco Pierre White, Claudia Roden and more.

Compiled by award-winning food editor and author William Sitwell, The Really Quite Good British Cookbook is keenly anticipated and a stunning object in its own right. Ultimately it is a celebration of the breadth, creativity and richness of Britain's unique food culture.

The Really Quite Good British Cookbook is a collection of recipes from one hundred contributors (but more than one hundred recipes). Many of the contributors are chefs, food writers, but the cookbook also features recipes from a food historian, a home baker, a beekeeper and more.

The recipes are organized into six sections: Breakfast; Entrees & Snacks' Fish & Seafood; Poultry, Meat & Game; Pasta, Risotto & Sides; Baking & Desserts. Each recipe is laid out well, providing number of servings, prep time, cook time, skill level (either 1 [easy] or 2 [moderate]), a few sentences about the dish from its' creator and then 'Ingredients' on the left and 'Method' in the center/right. It's a very clean, easy to read and follow format.

I have not yet been able to actually try making any of these recipes but I have read through many of them and their directions seem well written. With such variety in the contributors, you really get a bit of everything in this cookbook. Some (like Shrimp & Dill Fritters with Ouzo or Grilled Skirt Steak with Anchovy Cauliflower Cheese) are appealing and I'm curious to try. A few, I probably won't (Okay, really just the Roast Woodcock on Toast one . . . it's a whole bird roasted, it's head split open, its intestines, heart, and liver cut into a paste and then put on toast and I have a thing about eating things with heads currently on them.) But even the recipes I don't want to try, are unique.

In his introduction, the editor mentions how much is available in British supermarkets, if all of the ingredients used in these recipes are readily available, then I'm quite jealous. (From quail's eggs to fresh curry or kaffir lime leaves to woodcock, guinea fowl or pheasant, there are some things I don't have easy access to.)

The book has a comprehensive index that not only sorts things, as might be expected, by title but by main ingredients as well. That 'Roast Woodcock on Toast with Wild Mushrooms' for example is listed under 'bread,' 'mushrooms,' 'woodcock,' and the title's under the R's. There are website or Twitter addresses for most of the contributors and information on where their recipes were previously published.

A portion of the book's proceeds will benefit The Trussell Trust which runs food banks in Britain (there's a page at the end of the book explaining what they do and why's it's so vitally important).

My advance copy did not feature any images but those I have seen through Amazon's book preview are very nice. They're simple but colorful and really seem to showcase the food.






digital review copy received thanks to publisher, via NetGalley

Civilianized ~ Michael Anthony (earc) review [@warvetauthor @ZestBooks]

Civilianized: A Young Veteran's Memoir
Pulp
December 27, 2016
192 pages
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After twelve months of military service in Iraq, Michael Anthony stepped off a plane, seemingly happy to be home—or at least back on US soil. He was twenty-one years old, a bit of a nerd, and carrying a pack of cigarettes that he thought would be his last. Two weeks later, Michael was stoned on Vicodin, drinking way too much, and picking a fight with a very large Hell’s Angel. At his wit’s end, he came to an agreement with himself: If things didn’t improve in three months, he was going to kill himself. Civilianized is a memoir chronicling Michael’s search for meaning in a suddenly destabilized world.

I really appreciated and enjoyed the honesty in Michael Anthony's Civilianized memoir.

"I'd had enough. It wasn't that I wanted to die; it was just that I didn't want to live." (pg 13)

Back home now after a year spent in Afghanistan, it's not exactly the joyous, celebratory homecoming many would expect. Being in a war, Anthony had to find certain ways to adapt, ways to fit with that life. Now, back home with everyday life, it's hard to adjust. Those things that make you a good soldier in awar, don't make for a good guy down the street at home.

Those were things I had heard and/or read before but in Civilianized we're given examples, the chance to see how the little things (talking to girls, dinner with family, going to bars, etc) can be different and difficult. This book - and its author - do a really nice job showing us what can be hard about a veteran's return home, things not necessarily unique to Anthony but also giving us his specific story, the things that happened to and with him.

This book was under HMH Children's Books (Zest Books and its imprint Pulp are distributed by HMH Books) but it is much more of an adult or, really, New Adult non-fiction read. It doesn't gloss over the author's difficulties upon returning home, in fact, they are much of the story, and that may be a bit much for younger readers. Michael Anthony is twenty-one at the time the book takes place, though, he joined the military at age seventeen and his former classmates and friends are college-age, it's something NA and older YA readers should read. And really think about.

I liked being able to read about Michael Anthony's return home from Afghanistan and war, his struggle to move back into civilian life, seeing how others treated him, learning from the facts and anecdotes both included.

The United States has had members of our military serving in war zones and/or other areas of conflict (nearly continuously, but in larger numbers) for over a decade but we often don't know much about the individual people or what life is like for them once they come home. Civilianized, through Michael Anthony's story, gives us a glimpse into that.







received for review from publisher, via NetGalley

Top Ten Tuesday: Books from Santa

hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This week's Ten:

Ten Books I Wouldn't Mind Santa Leaving Under My Tree

I decided to focus on Nonfiction Books - mainly biographies - because I have been listening to a lot of them lately but I hate that when I'm listening it's so hard to highlight/bookmark/otherwise note quotes, facts, etc  would like to remember. I think having some print (or ebook) copies of these for reading would be great.

Fever by Mary Beth Keane

Trainwreck: The Women We Love to Hate, Mock, and Fear . . . and Why by Sady Doyle

The Lost Tudor Princess: The Life of Lady Margaret Douglas by Alison Weir

The Six: The Lives of the Mitford Sisters (aka Take Six Girls) by Laura Thompson

Romantic Outlaws: The Extraordinary Lives of Mary Wollstonecraft and Her Daughter Mary Shelley by Charlotte Gordon

The Wicked Boy: The Mystery of a Victorian Child Murderer by Kate Summerscale


Eleanor Roosevelt, Vol 1, 1884-1933 by Blanche Wiesen Cook


Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis: The Untold Story by Barbara Leaming


Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War by Karen Abbott

and number ten will require some sort of Santa magic because I can't remember/figure out the title or subject (oops!). I know it's written by a woman, it's a biography, it's about a man and I read about it somewhere and thought it sounded really interesting. Not much at all to go on but I'll figure it out sooner or later. (I thought I'd added it to Goodreads but maybe not.)

Please leave a comment and let me know what books you'd like to receive this holiday season!

Damn Delicious ~ Chungah Rhee (earc) review [@damn_delicious @oxmoor_house]

Damn Delicious: 100 Super Easy, Super Fast Recipes
Oxmoor House
September 06, 2016
240 pages
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The debut cookbook by the creator of the wildly popular blog Damn Delicious proves that quick and easy doesn't have to mean boring.

Blogger Chungah Rhee has attracted millions of devoted fans with recipes that are undeniable "keepers"-each one so simple, so easy, and so flavor-packed, that you reach for them busy night after busy night. In Damn Delicious, she shares exclusive new recipes as well as her most beloved dishes, all designed to bring fun and excitement into everyday cooking. From five-ingredient Mini Deep Dish Pizzas to no-fuss Sheet Pan Steak & Veggies and 20-minute Spaghetti Carbonara, the recipes will help even the most inexperienced cooks spend less time in the kitchen and more time around the table.

Packed with quickie breakfasts, 30-minute skillet sprints, and speedy takeout copycats, this cookbook is guaranteed to inspire readers to whip up fast, healthy, homemade meals that are truly "damn delicious!"

Chungah Rhee's blog Damn Delicious is all about 'Simple Ingredients, Elegant Dishes,' so that you don't have to take long to prepare our meal - and that's what her cookbook is about, too.

No, this is not the healthiest collection of recipes (there are a lot of fried things, using bacon grease, etc) but it also isn't claiming to be a 'health' food book. And there is a, 'Speedy, Simple, & Skinny' section with healthier recipes like Smoked Salmon Cobb Salad, Avocado Pasta and Zucchini Lo Mein.

One of my favorite things about the salads in this book is that several also include recipes for the dressings - like the Southwestern Chopped Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing.

Each recipe's direction fit on a single page and have four or five (or less) steps. Yes, some individual steps are several sentences and actual actions but the division between steps works well. As with all recipes, you just need to read through everything first.

The photography in this book is going to make you want to try just about every single dish - even the ones where the words don't entice you so much. The beginning of the book features some great tips on how to really speed up your prep time and make getting dinner on the table easier. My favorites recipes (so far) are the Zucchini Tots (pg 186) and Cajun Shrimp and Grits (pg 91).

Sections in the cookbook:

• Put the Fast Into Breakfast
• One Pot Comfort in 30 Minutes (One pot dishes)
• (Better Than) Takeout Express (mostly copycat takeout/restaurant recipe)
• Speedy, Simple & Skinny (healthier meals)
• Quick-Fix Slow Cooker
• 30-Minute Super Sprints
• Appetizers & Sides In A Snap
• Last-Minute Drinks & Desserts

You can read a bit more about the Damn Delicious cookbook, see some of the included recipes and some of the photos on the Damn Delicious blog here 

digital copy received for review from publisher, via NetGalley

Unlikely Friendships: Dogs ~ Jennifer S Holland (earc) review [@WorkmanPub]

Unlikely Friendships: Dogs: 37 Stories of Canine Compassion and Courage
Workman Publishing Company
August 23, 2016
248 pages
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A new book from the New York Times bestselling series.

Enhanced with beautiful full-color photographs, these true stories of camaraderie, affection, and remarkable bravery are from the author of the New York Times bestsellers Unlikely Friendships, Unlikely Loves, and Unlikely Heroes, as well as other books and calendars, with nearly two million copies in print.

Meet Rex, a Belgian Malinois who learned to love and trust again through the improbable friendship of a goose. The pit bull named Dolly, whose antics with her best friend, Sheldon the tortoise, include games of tag.

For the millions of dog lovers, this heartwarming and inspirational book celebrates 37 stories of unusual canine companionship.

Unlikely Friendships: Dogs is a great book that shows just how amazing, surprising and loving dgs can be. There are dogs who have helped mother kittens, one who likes hanging with their birds (see the cover), a dog wo looks after a goat and dogs who've helped save lives - of all kinds.

There are a few stories in the book that are more about dogs doing jobs than friendship. They are still amazing and are 'friendships' of a sort, but I mention them because they don't really fit the theme.

A few stories are 'classics' from the other Unlikely books (ie reprinted, exactly, from those earlier books) so if you've read them you may recognize a few animals and their stories. I was still happy to have them included, though.

Aside from the great/humorous/loving/sweet/astounding/beautiful stories about dogs and the, honestly, unlikely friendships they sometimes can form, I loved who was included in this book. Holland's narratives for each story could be cutesy but they seemed to give the best parts of the friends' tale.  What was great was that they were several dog breeds included that I did not know about before. Seeing them here was a great introduction. There was also mention (and usually a brief description) of some rescue organizations, animal welfare groups, service dog trainers that I am glad to now be aware of.

Not all of the friendships in Unlikely Friendships: Dogs have happily ever after endings. I thought that it was very nice that the author still uncluded those. The animal kingdom itself does not always allow for happy endings (in fact, those almost endings are how several friendships began) and to include tales that might include death or (required) separation at some point was appreciated.








digital copy received for review from publisher, via NetGalley

Shelter Dogs in a Photo Booth ~ Guinnevere Shuster (earc) review [@AndrewsMcMeel]

Shelter Dogs in a Photo Booth
Andrews McMeel Publishing
May 03, 2016
128 pages
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Man's best friend! What better way to showcase adoptable dogs than by letting their true personalities shine in a photo booth! In the tradition of the best-selling dog photography book, Underwater Dogs, Shelter Dogs in a Photo Booth wins the heart of all dog lovers.

Often seen as sad, rejected, and behind cold metal bars, it's no wonder people would avoid images of shelter dogs awaiting forever homes. From talented photographer (and now public figure and adoption champion) Guinnivere Shuster comes Shelter Dogs in a Photo Booth, a guaranteed-to-make-you-smile photo book featuring shelter dogs in a brand-new light. Get ready to see the cutest canine portraits you’ve ever seen! Guinnevere’s fantastic photos went viral and have been featured on websites, in magazines, and on television programs all over the world: Good Morning America, NBC, ABC, MSNBC, The Huffington Post, Time, The Daily Mail . . . even celebrities have gotten in on the action: Amy Poehler, Cesar Millan, and Zooey Deschanel have made statements and posts declaring their love of Guinnevere’s work. After the adorable and up-for-adoption photos of these furry friends were seen and enjoyed by millions, adoption rates at Utah's Humane Society skyrocketed.

The book features 100 dog photo booth style photographs, each accompanied by a short story about the dog's personality, how the dog ended up in the shelter, and the adoption date. A follow-up will conclude the book, with photos of some of them with their new families.

A portion of the proceeds of this book will benefit the Humane Society of Utah and Best Friends Animal Society.

If you love dogs and  looking at cute, funny, adorable, hilarious photos they can take and/or supporting animal shelters, Shelter Dogs in a Photo Booth is just for you.

I heard a while ago that taking more flattering, attractive photos of dogs (and cats) up for adoption works much better than the standard, quick photo usually used. It's more endearing and the animals look more like who you'd want to be your new family member. I knew it but this was the first time I saw more than one or two examples.

This is a book of fantastic pictures of dogs and you can really see how they helped the canines find new homes. Each page features four photos of the dog and a short paragraph about their personality, how they came to the Humane Society of Utah shelter, and when (sometimes how quickly) they were adopted. It's really only a few sentences but knowing just that bit more about the dog, usually including an age and breed/mix, was nice.

(You can check out the Humane Society of Utah's Instagram to get an idea of what the photos look like - and maybe find yourself a new friend!)

There are a few photos, at the end, of the dogs after they were adopted, some with their new families and a page about the Humane Society of Utah.

It really is all about the dog photos, though - and supporting the shelter, of course.

Shelter Dogs in a Photo Booth is the book to get if you like looking at dogs and supporting pet adoption.






review copy received from publisher, via NetGalley

The Borden Murders ~ Sarah Miller (earc) review [@SMillerBooks @schwartzwade]

The Borden Murders: Lizzie Borden and the Trial of the Century
Schwartz & Wade
January 12, 2016
304 pages
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Here’s middle-grade nonfiction that reads like a thriller. With murder, court battles, and sensational newspaper headlines, the story of Lizzie Borden is compulsively readable and perfect for the Common Core.

Lizzie Borden took an axe, gave her mother forty whacks. When she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one.

In a compelling, linear narrative, Miller takes readers along as she investigates a brutal crime: the August 4, 1892, murders of wealthy and prominent Andrew and Abby Borden. The accused? Mild-mannered and highly respected Lizzie Borden, daughter of Andrew and stepdaughter of Abby. Most of what is known about Lizzie’s arrest and subsequent trial (and acquittal) comes from sensationalized newspaper reports; as Miller sorts fact from fiction, and as a legal battle gets under way, a gripping portrait of a woman and a town emerges.

With inserts featuring period photos and newspaper clippings—and, yes, images from the murder scene—readers will devour this nonfiction book that reads like fiction.

Lizzie Borden took an axe

And gave her mother forty whacks.

When she saw what she had done,

She gave her father forty-one

Nearly everyone - if not, in fact, everyone - has heard the rhyme about Lizzie Borden, but few actually know the facts of Lizzie Borden and her trial. In a very readable book, Sarah Miller gives us some of those facts.

The book begins with Lizzie's bloody discovery that August morning in 1892. It continues through the immediate investigation - and its shortcomings both by modern and historical standards - the suspicion cast on Lizzie, the trial and its aftermath.

Though this is a middle grade nonfiction title, it should appeal to both older readers and those who do not often read nonfiction. The Borden Murders really does read like fiction.

The examination of how different people acted and reacted around the murders and towards Lizzie Borden are interesting on their own, but the author does a great job providing context (historical or otherwise) so that you understand the full ramifications of things.

I was more impressed with what is included in the book and how easily it reads after reading the 'Notes' section at the end of the book and seeing that the dialogue in the book was taken (nearly always, if not always) directly from quotes in articles, transcripts, etc. It lends an extra air of authenticity to the title while all of that dialogue really does make for a lively, engrossing story. It is a great way of getting readers the facts while connecting them with the characters and story at the same time.

Author Sarah Miller does a fantastic job presenting readers with the facts of the murders of Andrew and Abby Borden and the trial, for those murders, of Lizzie Borden. It is a compelling read that will certainly make you think about some things.

received, for review, from publisher, via NetGalley

Complete Children's Cookbook ~ review [@dkpublishing]

I can't give you (or take you to or make you) an actual Sunday Brunch, so, instead, here's the review version!

Complete Children's Cookbook
DK Children's
May 5, 2015
304 pages
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Delicious dishes kids will really want to make. More than 150 fabulous recipes, divided into nine themed chapters (Breakfast, Soups and Salads, Light Bites, and more) will have you and your child in the kitchen and cooking in no time. From French toast to rainbow salad, vegetable lasagna to tomato soup, and ice cream to mini muffins, Complete Children's Cookbook has a recipe for every occasion. And with beautiful full-color photography, simple instructions, and a focus on safety, each one makes an ideal cook-together project that will have children excited to try the new flavors in the dishes they helped make. The step-by-step instructions are easy to follow and feature a picture for every step, so children can see clearly just what to do as they build basic cooking skills, safe kitchen practices, and adventurous palates.

The Complete Children's Cookbook really is a complete cookbook aimed very well at children. From the very beginning with the contents page (Before You Begin, Breakfast, Soups and Salads, Light Bites, Main Meals, Cakes and Muffins, etc.), the cookbook is well organized, colorful and aesthetically pleasing.

Before we even get to the recipes, there is the 'Before You Begin' section with tons of useful information for children (and any kitchen novices, as well). From what makes up a good diet (and ideas on portion size) to food/cooking safety, measurements names and abbreviations, and what to do before beginning a recipe, it's all useful. The Equipment pages are full color photos of any equipment (spatula, whisk, colander, grill pan, etc) the cook is likely to need. There's a page on the different ways to cook with a photo and explanation for each (i.e. broil, grill, poach), one on preparation methods (i.e. chop, mash) and some on baking techniques (i.e. knead, fold, separate an egg).

After a quick rules reminder and a how-to on reading and following the recipes, it's time for the recipes themselves.

Each is nicely set-up with a box listing the estimated time required, number of servings, ingredients and equipment. Most recipes included large, color photographs accompanying and demonstrating each step. In addition there are great photos of the finished food or drink and 'tips' for substitutions, storage, etc.

With recipes from the more everyday (pancakes, four ways to cook an egg, gingerbread, apple pie, tomato pasta) to the perhaps less so (vegetarian moussaka, chicken and ham pies, pea and mint soup, mini pumpkin pies), Complete Children's Cookbook will show kids how to cook their favorite dishes and introduce them to some new ones.

Whether you have (or are) a child wanting to learn to cook and bake, or an adult who never did learn, Complete Children's Cookbook seems like a great place to start!







review copy received, from the publisher, via Edelweiss