Book Review: The Recipe Box by Sandra Lee

  A PERFECT addition for your cookbook collection!!

Ok, so maybe for your bookshelf, but this book does double duty as both a sweet novel AND with the added bonus of Ms. Lee's amazing recipes! 

Not only do I own most of Sandra Lee's cookbooks, and absolutely love her show, but now she can add accomplished author to her repertoire because this book is a keeper!! 

Grace Holm-DeAngelo is a workaholic, recently divorced, and most important, the mother to fourteen year old Emma.  She's just moved to Los Angeles to work on her newest adventure, a television vampire series "The Lost Ones."  She loves her work and often spends more of her time with her work family rather than her own distressed daughter who desperately needs her during this tremendous time of adjustment. 
As if there isn't enough turmoil in her life, she's just lost her best friend to cancer and is dealing with secrets from her past that have come back to haunt her. 
Reeling with almost every emotion, Grace returns to her hometown of New London, Wisconsin to figure out what to do with herself and what is best for her daughter.  Emma wants to be in Chicago, Grace wants to be back at work in Los Angeles, but Wisconsin seems to be the best for both of them.  Grace has found new love, and maybe a new relationship with her estranged mother; Emma is finally doing well in school; and Grace has renewed a love she once had for cooking.  But as a forty-something woman, should she stay where she is happy, or return to L.A. to begin the newest chapter in her life? 

Sandra Lee has written the sweetest, most delicious book I've read in quite some time.  I love books about starting over, and when you include recipes, well then, I'm sold.  I mean how can you go wrong?  Lovely story about friendship and family bonds, all mixed with Cinnamon Rolls and Blood Orange Sheet Cake!! 

For anyone who enjoys Foodie Fiction, this is a book for you.  In many ways it reminded me of The Ladybug series by Donna Ball, so if you've read those and enjoyed, this is a sure hit!

Thank you Hyperion and Net Galley for the ARC of this most fabulous fun read!!! 

Now, I'm off to go bake something!!  Happy Reading!!!

Book Review: Muckross Folly by J.L. Austgen

The BEST book you haven't read!!

 
This is one amazing read! 

For some reason, I haven't seen many reviews on this book - YET!  Austgen is a force to be reckoned with and in this case, has in my opinion, should be viewed as a fantastic up and coming writer.  

Muckross Folly is Austgen's second novel, the follow up to Keyser Run, which I have not yet read, but after this, it's definitely on my To Be Read (TBR) list!

FBI Agent, Evelyn Morgan is struggling after several members of her team, including her lover, have just been killed by Omar Ben Iblis, an assassin like none other.  He is merciless, cunning, and has just snuck into her apartment to taunt her.  It's the case of a lifetime, and Iblis is personally announcing his retirement to her after the most recent bloodbath he's created.  However, Morgan has vowed at all costs, to catch the man who destroyed her team and her love life.  

Just when she thinks her chances are fading, she learns that not only has tragedy struck yet again, it's also closer to home than she'd like to admit.  Her investigation leads her to an old college friend, Washington big wigs, and ultimately her estranged father.  Not to mention Iblis' protege who may be more deadly than him.  

Morgan needs to act quickly before the retirement before her legendary case grows cold and she's never able to collar the killer who may be the world's most deadly assassin.

This book kept me turning the pages so quickly that had it not been school holidays, I would've finished it in one setting.  It's really that good!  For some reason it demonstrated Girl with the Dragon Tattoo elements, yet with the pace it equally had the intensity of a James Patterson novel.  

I can't remember what initially drew me to this book, but I was so excited to read it, and  very much look forward to reading more by this author.  

I highly recommend this book for anyone who's interested in mysteries and thriller.  And bonus.....it's a steal for your Kindle on Amazon right now.  

Thank you Net Galley and Dreampipe Publishing for this most wonderful read, and introducing me to yet another fantastic writer!!

Enjoy!!!

Book Review: The Comfort of Lies: A Novel by Randy Susan Meyers

Author of The Murderer's Daughters by Randy Susan Meyers has done it again.  The Comfort of Lies is is a beautiful tale of Motherly Love that exemplifies the meaning of love, although maybe not in the most traditional way.

The story follows the lives of three women, unknown to each other initially, but came to know one another by means of a child.

Tia was madly in love with Nathan, a man she couldn't have because he was married.  When she found out she was pregnant, Nathan told her to "take care of it".  Knowing she could never harm her baby from the man she loved, much less take care of an infant having no job, she gave the baby up for adoption. 

Juliette, Nathan's wife and mother of Nathan's two boys, was a loving devoted wife who was still struggling after learning of her husband's infidelities.  She was trying everything to keep her family intact and her husband happy. 

Caroline, the workaholic adoptive mother, brought Tia's baby home to please her husband.  It's only after she is officially Mom, does she reconsider her new life role. 

After five years of the women going about their lives, one day changes all of them; they learn about Savannah.  

Savannah, the most loved baby it seems, in all of Boston.  She has an adoptive mother who loves her, but isn't always present; she has a biological mother who unknowingly loves her more than she'll ever know; and even Juliette feels connected to her because she is her husband's daughter. 

Together they all want what's best for Savannah, but apart, this news brings on struggles that could change all of their lives forever. 


What an incredible story.  The story is well written, and the characters are so believable and real, I could really relate to them.  I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good drama and is interested in a fabulous read!!

Thank you Atria Books, via Net Galley, for this most amazing book.  

Aussie writers - HELP!?!?!?!?!?!?

Whew, as usual, my posts are about as neurotic as I've been lately, but here I am!  I think!  As you know we moved from Denver to Australia in January.  Then in June my husband decided he wanted to move back to the US, we packed up AGAIN and moved back to Denver.  Ok all is good, NOT.  After only 8 days in Colorado he once again decided to uproot us and return us to Australia so here we are!!
So now that we are here I've joined a group on Goodreads - my personal favorite social networking site (if that's what you want to call it) and joined a group of Australian readers.  That group does the best thing in that they have reading challenges to help me get my reading back on, and wow, does it work!  Their Winter Challenge, from June - July (funny since I'm used to that being summer) asked the readers to pick 12 books based on certain particulars and read them.  Lucky for me I have SO many books on my To Be Read shelf, I was able to read everything on my list except for one!  Fantastic!  Reduces my bookshelves and gets me reading too!  So in doing my homework picking the books for my challenges, I've learned that Australia does not import books.  In order for them to be sold here (at MUCH higher prices than I'm used too) they must be printed and published in Australia.  Not good for me since I'm not familiar with most Australian writers.  The newest Challenge for my group is asking for us to read an Aussie writer's YA novel.  Ok, first, I'm not overly excited about the whole YA phenomenon, yes I read Twilight and The Hunger Games, but I find that the overwhelming majority of most YA books involve vampires or werewolves, which frankly, just isn't my thing.  Nonetheless, I've read one, creepy as it is, called Doll House by Anya Allyn. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13565822-dollhouse 
 It was a really great read, but it is a trilogy and I'm not sure I'm interested in reading any more, but who knows.  So I'm asking for help of anyone who knows great Australian writers for me to explore.  I'm open to any and all suggestions, but prefer fiction to non-fiction and probably a little more believable than vampires and werewolves. 






On another note, I've just read one of my most all time favorite writers, Sarah Allen Addison's The Peach Keeper http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8546358-the-peach-keeper

and can not recommend it enough.  It is a most magical book that is just an absolute beautiful read.  She is an amazing writer and I can't wait for more.  For some reason, the only reason I didn't devour her books as soon as they were released was because I always want to have a great book on hand!  She is wonderful!

Happy Reading kids and hope to hear some suggestions from you soon!!!!

P.S. - This weekend is the first weekend of Spring in Australia - lookout beach, here we come!!!

Book Recommendation

Ok, so I've put this blog on the back burner a bit, but here I with my first book recommendation of the new year. Signora DaVinci by Robin Maxwell. For those of you who enjoyed The Girl with the Pearl Earring and The Other Boleyn Girl, here is just another fabulous historical fiction novel. I did find it to drag a bit towards the end, but I found the religious element to be slightly unnecessary. However, I find the time period deliciously intriguing and I think I'll be putting more of Robin Maxwell's books on my list!!!

If you've read it, I'd love to hear your feedback as my book club will be discussing it this weekend. Should be fun and I can't imagine anyone not liking it!!

Happy reading!!! And please feel free to send me any book recommendations!!

Here we go!!!!

Ok, so I'm still a little new to this whole blogging thing, but thought - hey, what the heck. And there's nothing I love more than reading blogs about knitting, books and cooking to get ideas. So here I am adding to the mix of the other 3 million blogs out there about the same thing!!

My hope is to discuss my current knits and may throw out a few pleas for help as I'm a fairly new knitter (only about 1 1/2 years experience) but I LOVE trying new things. I'll post pictures of my projects and hopefully can inspire a few of you to join me in my love for this old, but wonderful hobby!!! I absolutely love that it's coming back in style to knit and love doing it.

I will also keep you posted on my current reads. I've been a little slow reading as of lately. Maybe it's my knitting or my two lovely toddlers who keep me so busy, so I'm hoping this blog will inspire me to read a little more and you to fill me in on all the good reads that are out there!!!!

Finally, I LOVE to cook. So I'm hoping to share a few of my favorite recipes and am always looking for kid friendly foods, as my little peanuts are not so in to food right now!!

I hope you'll enjoy this blog and please, ANY suggestions or help are always welcome!! Let's let the fun begin!!!!

Welcome to the Knit-Lit-Kitchen Witch!!!! (I'm not REALLY a witch I just liked the name!)