Good Reads

 Books, books and more books!  

I absolutely LOVE reading!  Not that I have all that much time for it, but I do try to read a little every day for enjoyment!  After 15 years of reading for an $80,000 piece of fancy paper, visually undressing a book for fun is such a wonderful turn of events.  I firmly believe that everyone needs to read something that takes them away from the realities of life because it's just too easy to get caught up in the scary of the unknown future, the constant responsibilities of today and the heartaches of yesterday.  

Reading totally takes you to a place where you can let you mind wander into a more creative and peaceful state.  It's like another form of Lamaze!!!  Now if you're like me, you can get your claws into a good book and end up ignoring everything, including the errands, food and kids, all day.  This doesn't happen often I assure you, but every once in a great while I get so sucked into a book I fear that putting it down will somehow cause my life to go an entirely different direction.  Obsessive?...maybe :) That's why it doesn't happen often. 

Whether your reading preferences lean towards Fiction/Sci-fi Fantasy (like mine), murder mystery, history or hobbies, I hope you're able to escape this plane of reality for just a little bit and enjoy all that us writers have to share. And speaking of sharing...here are some of my all-time favorite and latest reads!  

Becca's Fav's (Top 5)

5. Love You Forever ~ Written by Robert Munch, Illus. by Sheila McGraw

I can't make it through this book without experiencing a quiver chin.  Being a parent and watching your child grow up and knowing (hoping) that some day they'll take care of you just pulls at my heart strings.

 

 

 

 

4. Hunger Games Trilogy ~ Suzanne Collins

I didn't jump on the bandwagon with this one at first, but I'm glad I finally bought in.  It looked violent, and it was, and the concept behind it is really twisted.  However, Suzanne Collins is a magnificent author and absolutely stole my time and attention with the developing plot between Peeta and Katniss.  Not recommended for readers under 13 (in my opinion). 

  3. Twilight Saga ~ Stephenie Meyer

I read through these with such quickness I had to reread them to make sure I caught all the details.  Not sure what it is about stories surrounding young love.  Maybe it's a way to relive what we felt was our own young love or possibly the young love we wish we'd had.  Either way, I was sucked in.  I'm totally on Team Jacob!

 

2. Fifty Shades of Grey Series ~ E. L. James

All I can say is...OMG!  Is there a drool smiley or something I can use?  I will being keeping my eyes peeled for ANY other E. L. James books. Definitely not for youth but highly recommended to share with your love interest.


  

 

 

 

1. Kushiels Legacy Series - Jacqueline Carey

Many of you have probably never heard of this series, but if you like a thick, twisted, scandalous, HOT, deep kind of read, this is one tale that won't disappoint.  There are 9 books in total and each one was completely captivating, building to an intense crescendo of the earth-shaking variety.  I am amazed at the level of writing and can only wish to be so good in my wildest fantasies.  Not recommended for young readers or those wanting a light casual read.

I know, kind of an eclectic group, but that's just how I roll....

 

Latest Reads

As of late, I've stumbled into the Steampunk genre.  To be honest with you, I'd heard the phrase but didn't know anything about it.  However, my trusty Nook Tablet provided me with some insight as I came upon a novel by the name of Viridis, by Calista Taylor.  The description had Steampunk written all over it, literally, and the front cover illustrated a woman in what I'd call Old World clothes, which is a style I've always admired.  And when I say Old World Clothes, I'm referencing what looks like the Sherlock Holmes era.  Manners were important, people were courteous, corsets were tight and scandal was just as juicy as ever. Personally, I adore the fancy language, London/Scotland setting and style of writing Ms. Taylor weaves so well.  The plot is thick enough to entice the reader to stay awake and read just a little longer, but not to drown in it.  Character development is at just precisely the right amount and easily transferable to the reader.  Lastly, the twists, teases and turns can make a cold night warm This genre may not be for everyone, but I'd recommend giving it a try.  Worst case scenario, you don't like.  If you have a Nook or other eReader device, see if someone will Lend the bookto you or if you can borrow it from the local library.  I would even consider Lending it through my Nook if you're interested.    

So, there you have it.  I will continue to post more about what new and interesting books I find and would love to hear about your favorites.  Have you read any of these?  What are you opinions on them?  I'd love to know!

1/21/13 Dinner Menu

This next week is going to be a doosey, so I'm aiming for easy and early prep options.  Rememeber, I'm all about planning meals, not coming up with new recipes.

 1. Brown Sugar & Soy Sauce Marinaded Salmon with sauteed green beans and garlic bread.

Salmon: The recipe linked above from Kuntal's Kitchen is for the beginning steps and marinade but instead of just putting the marinade and salmon in a large bag, lay your salmon on alumnimum foil and brush on a generous amount of the marinade.  Wrap it up tight, and if you want additional coverage against spills, put the foil-wrapped salmon in a large resealable bag and let it marinade in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Then when you are read to cook, remove the wrapped salmon from the resealable bag and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. 

Green Beans: This is really my own recipe but I'm sure someone else someone where does it the same way.  Fresh Green beans are the best!  Whether or not you choose to cut off the ends is up to you, but give them a good rinse before cooking.

• Set a large skillet to medium heat.  
• Toss in 2 tbsp of butter and let it melt to coat the pan. 
• Toss in your green beans and make sure the get coated with the melted butter.
• Add a few sprinkles of salt, cover and allow to cook 5-7 minutes.  Be sure to stir things up just a bit to keep from burning
• When the green beans are heated through and bright green, add a light layer of honey over the top and stir.
• Then add bacon bits, however much is to your liking.  I usually just sprinkle enough to give it color and a hint of the bacon.  The combination of the sweet honey and bacon adds just right flavor with green beans.  (We like them sweet)
• Serve quick because they'll get cool pretty fast.  Enjoy!

2. Crock pot Chicken and Dumplings from the Fix-it and Forget-it Cookbook   (Holler out if you want the full recipe)

3. Crock Pot Breakfast Casserole from a fellow blogger Crock-a-doodle-do.  She has some really ideas for healthy family recipes.

4. Spaghetti and Meatballs with a side salad and breadsticks.  This is pretty explanitory.  We prefer Rosario's brand with Italian Seasonings, but any kidn will do.

5.  Homemade pizza's on french bread.


Here's the menu, but I'll be adding to it shortly.

Enjoy!