#StoryTimeLiveWire

Earlier this month my co-worker, Amazing Miz L, and I started talking about Twitter. I can't recall what sparked the conversation, but it moved onto an exciting new idea - live tweeting our storytime! People live tweet conferences and other events in their lives, why not storytime?

If you are familiar with Twitter, you know that hashtags can be key in following conferences, locations, humor, campaigns, etc. #StoryTimeLive was already taken, so we needed another unique tag. We put our heads together (and dug through the thesaurus) and decided to go with #StoryTimeLiveWire.

It's been an exciting new adventure! While one of us leads storytime, the other live tweets. It's a fun new way to share what we're doing with others as well as connect with authors, illustrators, and musicians. I'm looking forward to continuing this hashtag adventure. Want to join the fun? Start live tweeting your storytime with #StoryTimeLiveWire!

Review: The Postage Stamp Vegetable Garden

The Postage Stamp Vegetable Garden: Grow Tons of Organic Vegetables in Tiny Spaces and Containers by Karen Newcomb

The Postage Stamp Vegetable Garden is a best-selling book that has been revised and reprinted. I have not read any previous printings of The Postage Stamp Vegetable Garden, so I cannot compare the 2015 printing with other printings. Newcomb's introduction covers the background of her book and the new addition of heirloom seed varieties.

As a beginner gardening, I gleaned some very helpful information about gardening from this book. I've had an interest in small space and container gardening and The Postage Stamp Garden offers a variety of plants to grown and garden sizes. The first couple chapters share information about soil mixtures, when/how to plant, and watering the garden. Newcomb added illustrations, diagrams, and graphs to help illustrate the text, but the book is word heavy vs. picture heavy. (Don't let that deter you, reader!) The largest chapter focuses on the vegetables and herbs that work the best (and not so best) in a postage stamp garden. It's not just a list of plants in that chapter. The plants listed include information on planing, crop stretching, varieties, harvesting, storage, growing tips, and typical problems. The book ends with chapters and appendixes on companion planting, pests, compost, and seed sources. It's quite an in depth book about a little garden.

I think gardeners of any age or ability will enjoy this title. It's a faster read than I thought it would be. I also appreciated the soft tones in the printed version of this book. The paper is cream instead of white and the text is brown and dark green instead of black. It's natural and calming style book. Thank you, Blogging for Books for this review copy! I cannot wait to try a postage stamp garden this summer.

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review.

Title: The Postage Stamp Vegetable Garden
Author: Karen Newcomb
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
ISBN:  9781607746836

Storytime: Boots

Boots are a fun winter storytime theme to explore! Many little ones (and adult) wear boots when they go out in the wintertime. At storytime, I wore my dress boots, but I noticed many of my little friends wore their winter boots in the story room. Ironically, we talked about boots, but none of the boot books I used were actual books with winter boots. Oh, well! There will be more storytimes to come!

OPENING Snowbie POEM:
"Do Robots Wear Red Rubber Boots?" from
Rainbow Shoes by Tiffany Stone, illustrated by Stefan Czernecki


BOOKS:
Ooh La La Polka-Dot Boots by Ellen Olson-Brown, illustrated by Christiane Engel
Ollie the Stomper by Olivier Dunre
Ladybug Girl: Do You Like These Boots? by Jacky Davis and David Soma

SONGS:
Walkin' Shoes by Miss Carole from MacaroniSoup

Review: The Soup Club Cookbook

The Soup Club Cookbook: Feed Your Friends, Feed Your Family, Feed Yourself by Courtney Allison, Tina Carr, Caroline Laskow, and Julie Peacock


Two years ago, Soup Night: Recipes for Creating Community Around a Pot of Soup by Maggie Stuckey was published (Storey Publishing, LLC - 2013). I fell in love with that soup community builder. I shared it the friends with the intention of we should do that someday.

When I saw The Soup Club Cookbook by Courtney Allison, Tina Carr, Caroline Laskow, and Julie Peacock (Clarkson Potter, 2015), I knew I wanted to read it! It had to be similar to Soup Night with a new twist. And it is! Both books are about creating a community around soup (and other amazing dishes, sides, and drinks). While Soup Night revolves around one night of soup with bring-your-own-bowl fun, Soup Club is about continued fun throughout the year, or years.

Soup Club came from a small idea to share soup with friends. And quickly, a rotation was created between four friends and their families. The authors share the ins-and-outs of creating the soup club, then they share their soup (and other) recipes. Each recipe features a personal note which gives a little history of how the soup was brought to the group. Along the way, there are tips and treats to pair with the dishes. It's definitely a book that will make your mouth water.

Not all the recipes will suit your tastes, but the authors encourage cooks to adjust the recipes as they see fit. The recipes are made in large batches, because this book was intended to share soup with a group. It can be shared in batches to each club member or by make a large pot and hosting a soup night!

I cannot wait to share this book and the soup club idea with friends. I'm so happy that Courtney, Tina, Caroline, and Julie were discovered and created this cookbook together. Thank you, ladies!

Thank you, Blogging for Books for this review copy! I heartily enjoyed this delicious cookbook.

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review.

Additional information about The Soup Club Cookbook is available from Random House.

Review: Love Unexpected

Love Unexpected by Jody Hedlund

Book 01: Beacons of Hope series

Emma and Ryan Chambers (sister and brother) are on a steamboat when it is attacked by pirates. They are rescued and brought to the small settlement of Burnham's Landing. The lightkeeper, Patrick Garraty, is their rescuer. Their brief contact with each other is soon deepened when Emma and Patrick are wed. Patrick needs a wife to care for his young son and Emma wants an occupation to give her brother freedom from his obligation to care for her.

Love Unexpected is about finding freedom, understanding, healing, hope, and home. Jody Hedlund wrote a very captivating novel. She also included an interesting author's note at the end. She shared her love of lighthouses and a bit of history about Michigan's lighthouses and the real Emma Garraty - Mary Chambers Garraty, "Mother to a Lighthouse Dynasty."

I'm looking forward to the next installment in Beacons of Hope series. Will it feature another lighthouse with new light keepers or will it feature some of the characters from Love Unexpected? I feel this series could go either way!

Time Period: 1859
Location: Presque Isle, Michigan, USA

Reviewed from a library copy.

Review: My Perfect Pantry

My Perfect Pantry: 150 Easy Recipes from 50 Essential Ingredients by Geoffrey Zakarian


Any Chopped fans out there? That's my personal tie to Geoffrey Zakarian. GZ created this cookbook with Amy Stevenson and Margaret Zakarian with photographs by Sara Remington. He dedicated it to Madeline, Anna, and George - "May your pantry always be full."

Zakarian offers a unique look at the pantry. He pares down the essentials to 50 items which does not include spices. If you add spices, it jumps to sixty-nine essentials. It all depends on how you feel about math, spices, and food.

My Perfect Pantry is a beautiful book. The jacket offers photographs for each item listed in the book as well as the cover shot of GZ next to a pantry. It's clean cut and concise. The jacket's theme carries through to the book. Each essential is photographed with a small introduction and a few tips followed by a couple recipes featuring the essential.

Zakarian's essentials might not suite everyone. (I personally do not purchase a couple of his listed essentials.) But that's one of the joys of cooking - trying new things or customizing a recipe to your taste. I might not be ready to chuck out all my purchased goods and start over again with 50 essentials and 19 spices, but it's definitely food for thought.

Thank you, Blogging for Books for this review copy! I enjoyed this beautiful book.

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review.

Christmas Book Reviews 2014

From Thanksgiving to Epiphany The True Book Addict shares a Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge. This post will feature the holiday books that were read during the challenge dates. If you would like to join the challenge, sign up at The Christmas Spirit blog. Happy Christmas reading, friends!

The Greatest Gift by Phillip Van Doren Stern
I enjoyed the audiobook version of this modern classic. My complete review is available on my audiobook blog: Adolescent Audio Adventures.

Fa La La La Films 2014

During the Christmas Season, The True Book Addict runs a Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge. There are numerous levels of participation for holiday reading as well as options for movie viewers and reading books with children. It's a full and fun holiday extravaganza! What Christmas movies do you enjoy over the holidays? I hope to view quite a few before the Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge ends on January 6, 2014. I'll share my Christmas watchlist below. Let me know your favorite holiday movie in the comments. Happy viewing, friends!


Holiday Movies for Adults
Last Holiday
The Holiday
You've Got Mail
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (live-action)

Holiday Movies for Families
VeggieTales: The Little Drummer Boy
Disney's: The Small One
Disney's: Pluto's Christmas Tre
Disney's: Mickey's Christmas Carol
Elf
Ernest Saves Christmas
Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause
A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa
The Christmas Quiet Book
Charlie Brown Christmas
Meet Me in St. Louis
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (animated)

Rankin/Bass Productions
Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Santa Claus is Coming to Town

Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge 2014

The True Book Addict's Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge 2014 is here! The reading challenge goes 'til January 6, 2013 (Twelfth Night or Epiphany). That's over a month of holiday reading to read and review.  My goal is to read holiday books, watch films, and read a few Children's books as well. It's going to be so much fun to focus on Christmas books this month (and part of the next month as well).  If you would like to join the challenge, sign up at The Christmas Spirit blog. Happy Christmas reading, friends!

 

 

Review: Food a Love Story

Food: A Love Story by Jim Gaffigan


Do I read it, or rub it on my face?

Yes! Read it! Read it and eat something while you're at it. This book will make you hungry. If you're not eating while you're reading, you'll want to eat when you finish. Better yet, eat before you read. Reading isn't swimming, so feel free to read on a full stomach.

If you are familiar with Gaffigan's standup, you'll know that he loves to talk about food. Yes, you'll recognize bits and bites of his routine in the book, but he adds so much more. He shares photos and diagrams along with his thoughts, ideas, and humor. The book does ramble, but how is the best way to write a book on food? Do you start with breakfast and end with dessert? Do you write about cooking and end with supper clubs? Do you wrap everything up in a bacon wrapped hot pocket? There is no rhyme or reason to an foodie eatie's story. The reader can consume a large portion of this reflective book or sample little bits along with the way. It's a delicious read, that just might make milk* come out of your nose. (*Depends on what you're drinking or eating at the time.)

If you're not acquainted with Jim Gaffigan, you'll get a large dose about one of his life's passions. You might want to view a bit of his comedy before jumping in or watch a bit after you're done reading. It's good, clean humor that a large audience can appreciate.

The audiobook is read by Jim Gaffigan. Keep in mind listeners...he is reading his book and not sharing a seven hour standup routine. He does add bits of flare here and there, but it's mostly Jim, reading Jim. I really appreciated that Gaffigan read his own book. I doubt that the humor would come across if another talent read his story.

Reviewed from a library copy and a Blogging for Books copy. The audiobook arrived on the hold shelf the same time the hard cover arrived in the mail! It was pretty exciting to read and listen to Food: a Love Story. Thank you, Blogging for Books for this review copy. I heartily enjoyed it.

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review.

View all my reviews