REVIEW: The Secret Lives of Murderers' Wives by Elizabeth Arnott

Synopsis

A remarkable trio whose lives were cracked wide open by their husbands’ crimes unite to catch a serial killer in this dazzlingly captivating novel.

Beverley, Elsie, and Margot are not your average housewives. They are all wives of convicted killers. During the sun-drenched summer of 1966, the three women form an unlikely friendship after the discoveries of their husbands’ brutal crimes. With their exes—some of California’s most infamous serial killers—dead or behind bars, they are attempting to forge a new future for themselves.

Headstrong Beverley compulsively tries to maintain control of everything around her, all while raising two children. Bookish Elsie fights day in and day out for the chance to make a name for herself in the newsroom, working among men who sneer at her career goals. Glamorous Margot refuses to take anything seriously and devotes all her energy to upholding the appearance that everything is fine—anything to quell the shame from her husband’s deceit.

They know people look at them and think only one thing: How could they not have known, when their husbands were right under their noses, committing horrific crimes? How much guilt is theirs to carry? And yet when a string of killings hits the news, the three women—underestimated, overlooked, shrewd—decide to get to work.  After all, who better to catch a killer than those who have shared their lives and homes with one?

At once a riveting portrayal of shattered trust and a story of gripping suspense, The Secret Lives of Murderers' Wives is a testament to the intricacies of women’s lives and how the deep bonds of female friendship can empower, uplift, and lead us to endure.

Format 320 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication March 3, 2026 by Berkley
ISBN 9780593952993

My Thoughts

The Secret Lives of Murderers’ Wives opens with a compelling setup. Beverley, Margot, and Elsie share little in common: Beverley is a single mother with striking blond good looks and a driving need to control her environment; Margot is fiery and pragmatic, a woman who clawed her way up from nothing only to lose everything; and Elsie is principled, bookish, and determined to build a career in a male-dominated world. Their lives converge in the summer of 1966 for one grim reason—they were all married to serial killers.

Only they understand what it’s like to question your own judgment, to replay every memory wondering how you could have missed the truth. They know the weight of suspicious glances from neighbors, the isolation, the paranoia, and the way danger seems to lurk everywhere once your life has been shattered and proven to have a dark and dangerous side you were oblivious to.

When a new serial killer emerges, the women become convinced there’s no one better suited to find him than themselves—the women who loved, lived with, and trusted men capable of unspeakable violence.

It’s an intriguing premise, and initially it feels as though it might offer a fresh perspective on the crime genre. Unfortunately, the author rarely pushes the concept beyond its surface potential.

The characters are serviceable but not particularly memorable. While their backstories suggest emotional complexity, these threads are only lightly explored. The pacing drags through repetitive stretches, then abruptly rushes through moments that should have carried far more emotional weight and depth. The mystery itself is competently constructed, but experienced crime readers will likely anticipate the twists well before they arrive.

Arnott’s prose is readable, though largely unremarkable, and the dialogue sometimes feels stiff rather than natural. There are glimpses of deeper themes—guilt, loyalty, denial, and the question of complicity—but they never fully coalesce into something solid.

Five words: promising, absurd, disappointing, shallow, lacking

Buy Now:

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Amazon

IndieBound

My final word: Overall, I found The Secret Lives of Murderers’ Wives to be an adequate crime novel that does what it sets out to do, but little more. It’s an easy, undemanding read for genre fans, yet it struggles to distinguish itself in a crowded field. The development falls short, the ending feels rushed, and by the final chapters the plot veers into territory that feels more preposterous than provocative. Fine for passing the time—but not a story that lingers once the last page is turned.

Warnings:

Violence, smoking

My Rating:

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The Cerebral Girl is a middle-aged blogger just digging her way out from under a mountain of books in the deep south of Florida.

I received a copy of this book to review through BookBrowse in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not financially compensated in any way, and the opinions expressed are my own and based on my observations while reading this novel. 

REVIEW: The Words That Made Us by Andrea Busfield

 

Synopsis

After fleeing their home in Romania, Mala and her family travel to the South of France to make an offering to Sara e Kali – patron saint of the Roma whose statue rests in a small church in Saintes Maries de la Mer. Once the family’s pilgrimage is complete, they seek refuge among their own to consider their future during a time when anti-Roma sentiment is running high.

As the government begins to expel hundreds of foreign-born ‘gypsies’, a local man arrives at the travellers’ camp eager to learn their history, and it falls to Mala to speak to him.

Beginning in India she recounts the fall of Kanauj and the relocation of tens of thousands of Indians to Ghazna as prisoners of war. Mala then speaks of the Roma’s flowering in Constantinople, before the plague forced them westwards – into 300 years of slavery. After recounting the horrors of the Second World War, Mala ends with her own story – of her life in present-day Romania, and the tragedy that stole the smile from her young daughter’s face.

Five stories covering one thousand years, The Words That Made Us chronicles the mistrust, misunderstandings and monstrous cruelty that has followed a scattered nation whose only crime was that of being different.

Format 371 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 18, 2024

About the Author

The author only humbly and simply states on Goodreads that she's a "journalist and writer". I will add that she's a bit of a nomad who's lived in numerous places, she loves cultural diversity, she's a vegetarian, and a momma to horses, dogs, cats, and literally has the birds eating from her palm. She currently resides in Ireland.

My Thoughts

I have a name though it's unlikely you've heard of it. Instead, you'll recognise and claim to know me through words of your own making such as gitano, ijito, gjupci, sipsiwn, and yiftos. In England - the birthplace of Shakespeare and Dickens - I'm known as gypsy, my people as gypsies. In other places, at other times, there have been other names, most of them stemming from a medieval belief that we were Egyptian. Sometime later, when this was clipped to 'gypcian, we lost not only the truth, but also entitlement to a capital letter - something the rest of the world's nations appear to enjoy.

I was introduced to author Andrea Busfield through her book Born Under a Million Shadows, and thus began my love affair with her. So, this time I decided to explore her lesser-known book The Words That Made Us.

This book is essentially a series of short stories within a story as Mala, a keeper of Roma history, shares their stories with a couple of outsiders referred to as gadje (essentially "peasants" in Romani). 

I am just as familiar with anti-Romani propaganda as the next person. We've been taught that they are all thieves and con artists; they abuse, sexualize and exploit their children, and are unclean. They're "gypsies".

This book has helped to open my eyes to my own bias, to the larger picture explaining why many Romani in America seem to skirt around the fringes of society, and even why those we see in grocery store parking lots pulling things like the violin-playing scam may have to resort to such things just to survive in a world where they have repeatedly been victimized, persecuted, hunted and run out of towns-- for a thousand years. A proud people who are dedicated to their culture, who have had to evolve to adapt to the environments they've found themselves in as they have spread across the globe seeking safety, peace, and a place to call home.

While some Romani still live as outsiders as a nomadic people seeking labor in the housing and metalworks industries, or running violin scams in parking lots and selling flowers at streetlights, others have become well-assimilated into American culture. Here in America, we have had renowned Romani like Rita Hayworth and Tracey Ullman who have succeeded in Hollywood, and others have succeeded in public service and politics. Bill Clinton is even said to have the blood of the Romani running in his veins.

Romani Americans have served as experts on official delegations to meetings and conferences in the U.S. held by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). At an OSCE Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting on Roma issues in November 2013, Nathan Mick, who is Romani American, delivered the U.S. delegation's intervention and participated in working sessions on improving respect for the rights of Romani people. Another American Roma Dr. Ethel Brooks served as a moderator at this same event; she also spoke at the UN Holocaust Commemoration in New York in 2013 in commemora- International Efforts to Promote Roma Rights 79tion of the Romani genocide during World War II. In January 2016, former President Barack Obama named Dr. Ethel Brooks to serve on the Holocaust Memorial Council, making her the only Romani American on the council since President Bill Clinton appointed Ian Hancock in 1997.  (Wikipedia)

All this to say that the Romani are a complicated people, just like the rest of us. They have suffered hardships and persecution, they are proud of their heritage, and they want peace and safety for their children just like everyone else. 

The author takes the reader through the origins of the Romani, a thousand years of distrust, hatred, misunderstanding, enslavement, abuse, and slaughter. But through it all they have persevered and never lost sight of who they are or where they came from. The author does an admirable job of bringing humanity to an oft-reviled people, of portraying them as a prideful people without making them feel cold, of explaining why so many Romani still hold themselves apart from general society, and shares with the reader a history that has helped form who the Romani are today as they have been continually chased out of towns through the generations, or worse.

Five words: Insightful, humane, heartbreaking, determined, inspirational

Buy Now:

Amazon

My final word: Andrea Busfield's The Words That Made Us is a thought-provoking exploration of the power of words and the persecution of the Romani people. Busfield masterfully takes the reader through the historical and cultural impact of bias and bigotry against a race of people who refused to bow to societal expectations and have held fast to their culture and history. Andrea always knows how to stir me, to reach a place that not many can touch. Her writing is well-researched; nothing is ever shallow or without depth. There's always a feeling of reading someone's private diary, being privy to their deepest hopes and fears and suffering. If you want a story within a story, an inspiring journey through history, well-researched and well-crafted, pick up this one! And then afterwards, grab her book Born Under a Million Shadows. You'll thank me and will quickly find yourself a Busfield fan, too!

Warnings:

Cruelty and violence

My Rating:

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The Cerebral Girl is a middle-aged blogger just digging her way out from under a mountain of books in the deep south of Florida.

REVIEW: Kowbird by Matt Horn

Synopsis

If you are like most people, you eat a lot of chicken. But chances are you haven’t had chicken like Matt Horn’s chicken. Now you can! Learn how to make the best chicken on the planet, from a true master of the art, in this fun and inspiring book.

Celebrated chef Matt Horn spent years perfecting his chicken recipes before he opened his widely acclaimed mecca for chicken cookery, Kowbird, in Oakland, California. Even to this day, he continues to experiment with different cuts of chicken, with a host of sauces and spice mixtures that bring out the best flavors in chicken, and with all sorts of cooking techniques that make this popular food explode with flavor on the palate. In the richly photographed pages of Kowbird, he shares his hard-won wisdom and his brilliantly creative culinary wizardry, elevating the humble bird to its rightful place at the center of the plate—and as the star of the meal.

Matt gives you 65 recipes packed with flavor and creativity for everything from comforting weekday dinners to spectacular weekend feasts. It’s time to set aside the tired old chicken spaghetti, chicken parmesan, and unadorned chicken cutlets and dig.

With recipes for grilling, smoking, sautéing, brazing, baking, broiling, pan-frying, deep-frying, and more, this is a book that takes chicken to delectable places you’ve never dreamed of before.

Format 176 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication May 28, 2024 by Harvard Common Press
ISBN 9780760387412 (ISBN10: 0760387419)

My Thoughts

I chose to review this book from Netgalley as one of those books acting as a catalyst for getting me back into reading and reviewing after a long hiatus. The cover is one of the things that drew me to this book. A delicious spicy chicken sandwich with dripping sauce and pickles. I can almost taste it and feel the crunch of the chicken crust and the bite of the dill pickle, wiping a smear of sauce from my chin.

Inspired by his Oakland restaurant Kowbird, the author Matt Horn begins the book talking about the humble chicken, and its background and history as a staple in Southern cooking. I never knew that someone could have so much to say about chicken, and with such passion and adoration! He would argue that the chicken is not so humble and is such a versatile protein that can be downplayed or elevated and is a perfect representation of cooking in the south.

The book starts with an introduction to Southern cooking and the chicken's place in it. The collard greens and fried okra, chicken roasted or fried or in chicken and dumplings. This cookbook is broken into eight chapters: "Why did the chicken cross the road?", "The southern roots of Kowbird: Chicken, culture and community", Chicken Mains, Southern Sides, Desserts, Southern Sauces, Gravies for Chicken, and Seasonings for Chicken. 

The first chapter walks you through the "chicken's journey through the culinary landscape". It's the ability for chicken to transport you back in time to your grandmother's kitchen with the smell of chicken stew simmering on the stove. Memories of picnics and Sunday dinners. And the author lauds the chicken's ability to "unite".

In a world brimming with differences, the love for chicken is a universal thread. It's a silent reminder that simple joys and flavors bind us all, regardless of where we come from or where we're headed.

The author then offers up a primary on chicken breeds, temperaments and reputations of each, and for what kind of dishes each breed is preferred. His restaurant Kowbird is about community:

Kowbird is more than just a nod to my Southern roots, though it is about building bridges, reviving communities, and fostering entrepreneurship.

The chapter on "The Southern Roots of Kowbird" explores "chicken, culture and community". The author acknowledges some other culinary establishments around the country from which he's garnered inspiration, such as the hot chicken from Prince's Hot Chicken Shack in Nashville or the chicken at Honey's Kettle. He explores the origins of ingredients like black-eyed peas and deep-frying techniques being attributable to the slave trade and enslaved Africans. How many Southern dishes were born of hardship:

Many Southern dishes-- often labeled soul food-- originated during times of hardship, particularly during slavery and the subsequent eras of segregation and economic disparity. Enslaved peoples often made do with the least desirable ingredients, which they transformed into nourishing and delicious meals with creativity and resourcefulness: pork intestines became chitterlings, pig's feet became a pickled delicacy, greens slow-cooked with ham hocks were sublime, and cornmeal transformed into grits.

This cookbook offers up main dishes like Chicken Brunswick Stew, the Kowbird Chicken Smash Burger, and Georgia Peach Chicken Thighs as well as Southern staples like Southern Fried Chicken and Chicken and Dumplings. Dive into Southern Sides like Southern Green Beans with Bacon and Biscuits with Honey Butter. Finish off your meal with Desserts like Sweet Potato or Mississippi Mud Pie, 7Up Cake or Peach Cobbler. Additionally, you have recipes for things like Country Sausage Gravy and Memphis Dry Rub.

My final word: This is such a thorough southern cookbook of everything chicken! It has beautiful photography, passion, history, and above all else, pride. This is a chef who takes pride in his Southern roots and wants to share the flavors and love and novelty and versatility with the world. If you love Southern cooking, or if you just love the humble chicken, I strongly recommend this cookbook!

Chicken is a "comforting constant, reminding us of shared tales and the magic of simple, unadulterated flavors."

My Rating:

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The Cerebral Girl is a middle-aged blogger just digging her way out from under a mountain of books in the deep south of Florida.

I received an e-book copy of this book to review through Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not financially compensated in any way, and the opinions expressed are my own and based on my observations while reading this cookbook. 

REVIEW: Book Nooks by Vanessa Dina, Claire Gilhuly

Synopsis 

Home is where the books are. This inspiring home decor book is brimming with photos of cozy places to read and creative ways to display books at home.

For stylish bookworms and bookish stylists, this covetable home décor book merges the literary appeal of Jane Mount’s bestselling Bibliophile with the aspirational allure of Emily Henderson’s bestselling Styled. Discover beautiful bookshelves adorned with lovely objets d’art, handsome home libraries with snug armchairs, reading areas for kids that ignite the imagination, and cookbook corners in quaint kitchens—and learn to replicate these in your own space. From bedside tables to bar carts, leather-bound collections to color-coded shelves, here are book nooks and styling techniques for every room and aesthetic. Reading lists from Gillian Flynn, Jasmine Guillory, Alex Elle, Joanna Goddard, Nik Sharma, and more offer plenty of recommendations for stocking your shelves (and your TBR list).

In a stunning package with a tasteful hint of gold foil on the case, this sumptuous book is perfect for browsing, displaying on a coffee table, or gifting to the reader, book lover, designer, or creative in your life. Filled with clever design ideas and dreamy spaces, Book Nooks is an irresistible invitation to curl up with a book, whether this one or another.

Format 144 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication September 17, 2024 by Chronicle Books

ISBN 9781797225876 (ISBN10: 1797225871)

My Thoughts

Let’s face it: Professional readers, hobby readers, book bloggers…most of us tend to have a thing for books and anything bookish, and we covet bookshelves, bookcases, and book nooks! So, which of us wouldn’t be enticed to open a book that promises a wealth of bookish displays? 

This book is divided by “types” of book nooks, i.e. Bedside, Baby, The Collector, Colorful, etc. Each chapter opens with an introduction to that book nook style and includes tips on how to achieve it in your own home. Each section includes book nook porn interspersed with descriptions of how to achieve certain effects like creating functional book stacks and using color to create a fun space for books and games.

I like the photography and the articles at the beginning of each chapter, but I would like to have seen more pictures of true sitting nooks rather than so many photos of small "nooks" that are just a couple of shelves or a table. And maybe more DIY instructions on how to achieve some special effects.

As bookworms know, home is where the books are. As stylists know, books are an essential element of home decor. A home without books is less, well, homey and less stylish.

My final word:  If you've been dreaming of creating your own cozy book nook, whether one to show off to everyone, a cozy nook for your kids, or maybe one tucked away in the corner of your bedroom, this is a great book to give you a little inspiration.

My Rating:

QUICK REVIEW: The Soup Cleanse by Vivienne Vella and Angela Blatteis

Synopsis

Souping is the new juicing!

When Angela Blatteis and Vivienne Vella set out to create Soupure, the LA-based soup company at the forefront of the souping movement, they wanted to share the power of healing soups with the world. With a few simple, delicious recipes they've helped people lose weight, boost their energy, and feel better every day. Now with THE SOUP CLEANSE they are bringing their satisfying, 100 percent good-for-you, whole food-based soups straight into your kitchen.

With more than 50 delicious recipes and a flexible, easy-to-follow detox program, you'll learn how to nourish and purify your body while flooding it with essential nutrients. You will sip your way through high-fiber soups packed full of regenerative whole food ingredients. Unlike juicing and many other quick-fix diets, THE SOUP CLEANSE is built on simple, satisfying recipes that won't leave you feeling hungry or deprived, making it accessible and easy to stick to-even for those with the busiest lifestyles.

Get ready to rejuvenate, revitalize, and reclaim your health-one sip at a time!

Hardcover, 240 pages
Published December 29th 2015 by Grand Central Life & Style
ISBN 1455536660 (ISBN13: 9781455536665)


My Thoughts

I came upon this book quite fortuitously. I had learned of Soupure on the Today Show, and checked them out online where I learned of this book. I thought, "I wonder whether Netgalley would have this book?" Sure enough, it did!

I got side-tracked by the flu, and this book wound up expiring before I was able to give it a thorough review and try any of the recipes. However I can tell you the following:

• There is an introduction to how the company Soupure began, and the thinking behind the soup cleanse.
• The book includes beautiful photography, and I loved the colors that reminded me of cantaloupe and honeydew melon and lemons.
•  It offers up guidelines for several cleanse options, including one-day, three-day and five-day cleanses. You can make the cleanse as extreme or easy as you wish. Go totally raw with no dairy or meat, or do a modified cleanse.
• It includes a list of ingredients that are great for detoxification, like almonds, flax, pineapple and turmeric.
• It instructs how to choose and prepare for your cleanse.
• It includes a detox journal and worksheet for you to log physical complaints before you start the cleanse, and how you feel after the cleanse has been completed.
• It includes broths, cold soups, hot soups and even infused waters.
• It also includes some other recipes for a less restrictive "mini-cleanse", like Grilled Lemon Chicken Salad with greens and cherry tomatoes, and even a dessert of Chocolate Soup with Sea Salt, Almonds and Whipped Coconut Milk.

I definitely think if you enjoy soup, this is a great option that can even be included in your regular diet.  And if you like to do the occasional cleanse, this is much more appetizing and satisfying than simply drinking juice, or honey and lemon water.

Check out the Soupure website, to get a better idea what they are about, or to order their book.

My Rating: A-

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The Cerebral Girl is a forty-something blogger just digging her way out from under a mountain of books in the deep south of Florida.

I received a copy of this book to review through Netgalley, in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not financially compensated in any way, and the opinions expressed are my own and based on my observations while reading this novel.

QUICK REVIEW: The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian

Synopsis

From the New York Times bestselling author of Midwives and The Sandcastle Girls comes the spellbinding tale of a party gone horribly wrong: two men lie dead in a suburban living room; two women are on the run from police; and a marriage is ripping apart at the seams.
 
When Richard Chapman offers to host his younger brother's bachelor party, he expects a certain amount of debauchery. He sends his wife, Kristin, and young daughter off to his mother-in-law's for the weekend, and he opens his Westchester home to his brother's friends and their hired entertainment. What he does not expect is this: bacchanalian drunkenness, a dangerously intimate moment in his guest bedroom, and two naked women stabbing and killing their Russian bodyguards before driving off into the night. In the aftermath, Richard's life rapidly spirals into a nightmare. The police throw him out of his home, now a crime scene; his investment banking firm puts him on indefinite leave; and his wife finds herself unable to forgive him for the moment he shared with a dark-haired girl in the guest room. But the dark-haired girl, Alexandra, faces a much graver danger. In one breathless, violent night, she is free, running to escape the police who will arrest her and the gangsters who will kill her in a heartbeat. A captivating, chilling story about shame and scandal, The Guest Room is a riveting novel from one of our greatest storytellers.

Hardcover, 336 pages
Published January 5th 2016 by Doubleday
ISBN 0385538898 (ISBN13: 9780385538893)


About the Author

Lincoln, Vermont’s Chris Bohjalian is the author of 18 books, most of which were New York Times bestsellers. His work has been translated into over 30 languages and three times become movies.

Hi new novel, The Guest Room, a story of a human trafficking, a marriage in crisis, and two remarkable women, just went on sale.

His books have been chosen as Best Books of the Year by the Washington Post, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Hartford Courant, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, Bookpage, and Salon.

His awards include the ANCA Freedom Award for his work educating Americans about the Armenian Genocide; the ANCA Arts and Letters Award for The Sandcastle Girls, as well as the Saint Mesrob Mashdots Medal; the New England Society Book Award for The Night Strangers; the New England Book Award; Russia's Soglasie (Concord) Award for The Sandcastle Girls; a Boston Public Library Literary Light; a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Trans-Sister Radio; and the Anahid Literary Award. His novel, Midwives, was a number one New York Times bestseller, a selection of Oprah's Book Club, and a New England Booksellers Association Discovery pick. He is a Fellow of the Vermont Academy of Arts and Sciences.

He has written for a wide variety of magazines and newspapers, including the Washington Post, Cosmopolitan, Reader's Digest, and the Boston Globe Sunday Magazine. He was a weekly columnist in Vermont for the Burlington Free Press from 1992 through 2015.

Chris graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude from Amherst College, and lives in Vermont with his wife, the photographer Victoria Blewer. Their daughter, Grace Experience, is a young actor in New York City. Among the audiobooks she has narrated are Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands and The Guest Room.

Check out the author's website
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My Thoughts

Richard Chapman presumed there would be a stripper at his brother Philip's bachelor party. 

I was introduced to author Chris Bohjalian through his book The Sandcastle Girls. I enjoyed that book, so when offered the chance to read his new book The Guest Room, I jumped at the chance.

Richard somewhat begrudgingly throws his younger brother Philip a bachelor party. He finds the home he shares with his wife and little girl filled with men he doesn't particularly care for, and seeing things he didn't plan on seeing. He knew that there would probably be strippers, but he gets way more than he bargained for when the girls begin having sex with his brother and other attendees, and even doing so right in front of him and the other party goers. Then before he knows it, he finds himself in an upstairs guest room with one of the strippers lying naked on the bed.

Fast forward a short while later, and Richard is left standing in a living room splattered with blood and two dead men. The strippers have killed their "bodyguards", and run off armed and with money lifted off the bodies.

In the days to follow, Richard learns that the "strippers" are actually believed to have been victims of human trafficking-- possibly Russian sex slaves. And his life soon begins to spiral out of his control as he must suffer the consequences of his poor decisions that night, and must answer to more than just his wife.

My final word: This was an interesting book. I'm feeling a wee bit ambivalent about it. I liked it okay, but it felt a little light. It sort of felt like a short story-- a little abbreviated, not too much depth to most of the characters (other than Alexandra). It was "okay". It was good enough to recommend for consideration for my book club, but it just wasn't a really exciting or deep read.

Buy Now:

Barnes and Noble
Amazon
IndieBound

My Rating:
B+
 

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The Cerebral Girl is a forty-something blogger just digging her way out from under a mountain of books in the deep south of Florida.

I received a copy of this book to review through Netgalley, in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not financially compensated in any way, and the opinions expressed are my own and based on my observations while reading this novel. The book that I received was an uncorrected proof, and quotes could differ from the final release.  

REVIEW: Cut the Sugar, You're Sweet Enough by Ella Leche

Synopsis

Energy, lightness, vitality - life without sugar is sweet indeed!

Cut the Sugar, You’re Sweet Enough is a practical, real-life approach to reducing sugar the healthy way so you don’t feel deprived. This is not a sugar-detox book but an inspiring cookbook and guide to change your relationship with the foods you love and address your cravings properly. There are over 100 delicious and easy recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and yes, even dessert!

Ella Leché, the voice behind the popular food blog Pure Ella, used to consider herself a healthful eater. She ate salads; she drank water. But like so many of us, she also looked forward to her daily sweet treats. It wasn’t until her health fell apart due to a rare illness that she began to make the food-health connection.

Back in 2008, just months after the birth of her first child, Ella developed debilitating weakness to the point where she collapsed numerous times. She had difficulty getting up from the bed and could barely breathe and eat. The diagnosis was myasthenia gravis, a neuromuscular autoimmune condition for which there is no medical cure. The medication she was put on wasn’t helping, and she decided to try and heal through food. She treated candida and eliminated many culprits such as processed foods, wheat, dairy, and, most important, sugar. Slowly she began to feel stronger and healthier. She found sugar was also triggering her frequent headaches, mood swings, and energy slumps. Now she is inspiring others to eat healthier and apply her approach to cut the sugar, not quit sugar entirely!

With emphasis on real, nutrient-dense whole foods—all presented deliciously and beautifully photographed by Ella herself and written in her encouraging, upbeat, grounded voice—Cut the Sugar is an inspirational and accessible guide to the sweet life . . . because you’re sweet enough already!

Recipes include both fan favorites as well as many all-new offerings, including:

Millet-Apple Breakfast Cake
Creamy Avocado-Cucumber Rolls
Chocolate-Dipped Almond & Cacao Nib Biscotti
Raw Berry Swirl Raw Cheesecake
Healthy Three-Ingredient Chocolate Pudding

Paperback, 240 pages
Published January 5th 2016 by Andrews McMeel Publishing
ISBN 1449470718 (ISBN13: 9781449470715)

My Thoughts

Sugar is my arch-enemy. I could live on sugar... well, emotionally I could live on sugar. Physically sugar is killing me. Last summer I tried the Whole 30 diet, which was a strict elimination diet that required I avoid lots of things, and one of those was sugar. And I mean avoidance to the nth degree! You were supposed to completely eliminate all refined sugar. Not even things like mayonnaise or ketchup were allowed. And I noticed a lot of physical changes during this 30 day elimination-- positive changes. My skin cleared up, my cough disappeared, I no longer felt bloated, and I had more energy. I'm not sure how many of those changes can be attributed to the elimination of refined sugar, or how many were influenced by the other things I had eliminated like grains, but there was a marked difference.

And then the 30 days were over, and the sugar crept back into my diet. I swear I'm hopeless, but I keep trying.

So I grabbed this book when it became available on Netgalley.

The book begins with the author's story. She tells of her debilitating health issues, and how eliminating sugar from her diet resolved those issues.

Then she offers an introduction to sugar, and the easy steps to eliminating sugar. She teaches you how to fill your pantry with "superfoods" to help you not miss the sugar. Things like Cinnamon, Cacao Powder and Nutritional Yeast.

She educates you on how to sprout beans, lentils and seeds, and how to make your own nut and seed milk, i.e. almond milk.

The cover of this book shows waffles and fruit, and the cheerful colors of red, white and blue. And as you begin paging through it you see strawberries and lemons, and this got me expecting that this cookbook would be more desserts and breakfast. You know, healthier alternatives for sweets.

However it wound up being more about alternatives to sweets. It categorizes recipes by Breakfast, Salad & Appetizers, Soups, Mains & Sides, Desserts, Snacks and Drinks. It offers up the normal breakfast options like oatmeal and yogurt parfaits, and then other high protein options like Avocado Toast, or Caramelized Onion, Leek & Potato Chickpea Frittata.

My final word: This book is a good option for some, but not for me. It uses a lot of gluten-free ingredients (and I'm not looking to go gluten free, although you could probably easily use gluten options instead), and it uses sweeteners like stevia and rooibos (another thing I'm not looking to get into). Some of the recipes intrigue me (like Chocolate-Cherry-Chia Pudding), but many of the recipes (particularly those for the mains and sides) I just have no interest in. They simply don't suit my taste buds. It has beautiful photography and is informative, but it just isn't a good fit for me.


Buy Now:
Barnes and Noble 
Amazon
IndieBound 


My Rating:

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The Cerebral Girl is a forty-something blogger just digging her way out from under a mountain of books in the deep south of Florida.

I received a copy of this book to review through Netgalley, in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not financially compensated in any way, and the opinions expressed are my own and based on my observations while reading this novel. 

QUICK REVIEW: Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons

Synopsis

Winner of the 1933 Femina Vie Heureuse Prize, COLD COMFORT FARM is a wickedly funny portrait of British rural life in the 1930s. Flora Poste, a recently orphaned socialite, moves in with her country relatives, the gloomy Starkadders of Cold Comfort Farm, and becomes enmeshed in a web of violent emotions, despair, and scheming, until Flora manages to set things right.

Paperback, Deluxe edition, 233 pages
Published March 28th 2006 by Penguin Classics (first published September 8th 1932)
ISBN 0143039598 (ISBN13: 9780143039594)

About the Author

Stella Dorothea Gibbons was an English novelist, journalist, poet and short-story writer.

Her first novel, Cold Comfort Farm, won the Femina Vie Heureuse Prize for 1933. A satire and parody of the pessimistic ruralism of Thomas Hardy, his followers and especially Precious Bain by Mary Webb -the "loam and lovechild" genre, as some called it, Cold Comfort Farm introduces a self-confident young woman, quite self-consciously modern, pragmatic and optimistic, into the grim, fate-bound and dark rural scene those novelists tended to portray.

My Thoughts

The education bestowed on Flora Poste by her parents had been expensive, athletic and prolonged; and when they died within a few weeks of one another during the annual epidemic of the influenza or Spanish Plague which occurred in her twentieth year, she was discovered to possess every art and grace save that of earning her own living.

Flora is a young single woman of nineteen years who has found herself orphaned after losing her parents during a flu outbreak. Now alone with only a modest annual allotment to sustain her, and no desire to marry or work in order to support herself, she has to decide who she will choose to take her on and see to her well being.

"I am only nineteen, but I have already observed that whereas there still lingers some absurd prejudice against living on one's friends, no limits are set, either by society or by one's own conscience, to the amount one may impose upon one's relatives."

She chooses to go live with distant relatives in Sussex, who seem to feel some sort of obligation toward her, due to a mysterious wrong that was done to her father Robert Poste.

My final word: I loved the description of the house in Sussex and its history, and the names of the dairy cows: Graceless, Pointless, Feckless and Aimless. This story was very symbolic. I didn't catch the symbolism at first, but by the end of the story I was picking up on it. There were odd character names, like Mrs. Smiling (who was actually a bit of a downer) and Mr. Mybug. And then there’s landmarks like Ticklepenny’s Field. Quirky and outrageous, and a bit farcical, this story had its moments, but overall it fell flat. I think it would make a much better play or BBC series than book, giving the story a little life that is currently missing.

My Rating:

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The Cerebral Girl is a forty-something blogger just digging her way out from under a mountain of books in the deep south of Florida.

This book was the December 2015 selection for the Cape Coral Bookies.

REVIEW: Brother by Ania Ahlborn

Synopsis

From the bestselling horror author of Within These Walls and The Bird Eater comes a brand-new novel of terror that follows a teenager determined to break from his family’s unconventional—and deeply disturbing—traditions.

Deep in the heart of Appalachia stands a crooked farmhouse miles from any road. The Morrows keep to themselves, and it’s served them well so far. When girls go missing off the side of the highway, the cops don’t knock on their door. Which is a good thing, seeing as to what’s buried in the Morrows’ backyard.

But nineteen-year-old Michael Morrow isn’t like the rest of his family. He doesn’t take pleasure in the screams that echo through the trees. Michael pines for normalcy, and he’s sure that someday he’ll see the world beyond West Virginia. When he meets Alice, a pretty girl working at a record shop in the small nearby town of Dahlia, he’s immediately smitten. For a moment, he nearly forgets about the monster he’s become. But his brother, Rebel, is all too eager to remind Michael of his place…

Paperback, 322 pages
Published September 29th 2015 by Gallery Books
ISBN 147678373X (ISBN13: 9781476783734)


About the Author

Born in Ciechanow Poland, Ania has always been drawn to the darker, mysterious, and sometimes morbid sides of life. Her earliest childhood memory is of crawling through a hole in the chain link fence that separated her family home from the large wooded cemetery next door. She’d spend hours among the headstones, breaking up bouquets of silk flowers so that everyone had their equal share.

Author of eight novels, Ania's books have been lauded by the likes of Publisher's Weekly, The New York Daily News, and The New York Times. Some titles have been optioned for film.

Hailing from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Ania currently lives in Portland, Oregon.

Check out the author's website
Like the author on Facebook
Follow the author on Twitter

My Thoughts

Michael twisted in his bed, the threadbare blanket he’d used all his life tangled around his legs. A girl was screaming bloody murder outside.

"One of these things is not like the other." Michael is a sensitive and sweet boy underneath the twisted outer shell created by his demented family. Adopted into the family as a young boy, he is now a conflicted young man trapped in a life of terror without a clue how to escape, forced to play his part in his family's sick games.

Michael's brother Rebel (born Ray, he renamed himself "Rebel" when he was a boy) is a sick and twisted man with an eerie bad boy charisma that attracts the ladies. He is Michael's big brother, and he never lets Michael forget that he belongs to Rebel and his life is at his mercy.

Sister Misty is sweet and twisted. Where Rebel is cruel and twisted, Misty is just addled, her mind twisted by years of abuse and from listening to the screams outside her window.

The entire family lives in fear of Momma. If Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.

Momma made them special. She made them what they were.

Being Momma's husband, Wade seems to be just a boat without a rudder, steered by Momma's winds. He generally seems dispassionate or even uncomfortable or disagreeable with what often lands at his feet, but performs whatever duties Momma wants.

Creepy story with even creepier characters, this one in a sense is a slow burner. You can tell from the opening teaser above that it starts right off with a bang, but then it's just a slow burn getting you to the climax. You know very bad things happen in this story, but it takes a long time to get there. This about drove me nuts, but in a good way! It's suspense at its best.

My final word: This story had some very difficult subject matter, but it is presented in a very readable way. Eerie. That's what it is. Eerie. All is not okay at the Morrow farm.This is one of those scary, creepy Appalachian mountain family stories. You come upon an old farmhouse with a beat up old cellar door deep in the mountain woods, souped up antique car parked out front, and you know that nothing good happens there. But it does make for a good story!

Children begin by loving their parents; as they grow older they judge them; sometimes they forgive them.
-- Oscar Wilde 

 My Rating: A-

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The Cerebral Girl is a forty-something blogger just digging her way out from under a mountain of books in the deep south of Florida.

I received a copy of this book to review through Netgalley and the publisher, in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not financially compensated in any way, and the opinions expressed are my own and based on my observations while reading this novel. The book that I received was an uncorrected proof, and quotes could differ from the final release.  


 

REVIEW: The Chia Cookbook: Inventive, Delicious Recipes Featuring Nature's Superfood by Janie Hoffman

Synopsis

Mamma Chia founder Janie Hoffman presents recipes for incorporating superfood chia seeds into flavorful smoothies, snacks, meals, and desserts.

The newest "nutritional 'it' item" according to the "New York Times," chia seeds are packed with eight times more healthful omega-3s than salmon, three times the antioxidants of blueberries, and 70 percent more protein than soybeans. As the founder of Mamma Chia juice company, Janie Hoffman has become the face of this new health trend, and her cookbook invites readers into her kitchen to learn the secrets of incorporating chia into healthy breakfasts, snacks, salads, dinners, and sweets. This mouthwatering collection that makes eating well an appetizing lifestyle choice with Chewy Chia and White Chocolate Granola Bars, Cayenne Chia Lemonade, Green Superfood Smoothies, Sundried Tomato Gluten-Free Chia Crackers, Ancient Grains Salad with Roasted Asparagus, Tart Cherry-Chia Cocktails, and more.

Paperback, 160 pages
Expected publication: September 30th 2014 by Ten Speed Press
ISBN  1607746646 (ISBN13: 9781607746645)


My Thoughts

As the book preface states, chia seeds are "...minuscule seeds in the mint family with an astonishing amount of omega-3s, protein, fiber, calcium, antioxidants-- and more-- packed within their tiny shells." This superfood packs a punch!

...gram for gram, the seeds have 70 percent more protein than soybeans, 25 percent more fiber than flaxseed, 600 percent more calcium than milk, 200 percent more potassium than a banana, and 30 percent more antioxidants than blueberries.

And they are chock full of heart-healthy omega-3s!

Chia seeds may be eaten different ways. They may be sprinkled on salads, sandwiches, or on any food. Bake them into baked goods, add them into smoothies. The author points out that chia may be used to add crunch to any meal or to make soup creamy. Chia is a whole food that takes on the flavor of whatever ingredients it's paired with.

However a popular way to use chia seeds is to make "chia gel" (made from whisking chia seeds with a liquid and letting it sit for about 20 minutes.) Chia gel may be used in salad dressings, to make pudding, or can be used in place of eggs in baking.

To replace one large egg, combine one tablespoon chia seeds with three tablespoons of room-temperature purified water. Whisk and let sit until the gel forms, about 20 minutes.

Note that chia adds water to a recipe, so if you're using the gel as an egg substitute in baking, your baked goods may turn out slightly moister than they would if you were using eggs. If you're aiming for a drier texture, simply add a few minutes to the baking time to allow the excess liquid to evaporate.

Or you may substitute one of four eggs in a dish like an egg frittata.

I tried making the Sticky Brown Rice with Sunny-Side-Up Egg, but I didn't really care for it. It has a very strong onion and soy sauce flavor that I wasn't fond up with the fried egg. However there are a number of other recipes I am eager to try soon.

My final word: The pictures were beautiful. The concept was great (I want to learn how to incorporate chia into my regular diet). However I just had a hard time with many of the recipes. Many didn't appeal to me, or they had ingredients like Amaranth and pistachio oil that are harder to come by. And I was disappointed that there wasn't a recipe for chia pudding, since that was one thing I have heard that chia is great for, and I looked forward to finding a great recipe for it in this cookbook. But that being said, this is a fine primer for someone looking to learn more about chia and the uses of it.


Buy Now:

On sale September 30th.

My Rating:

 

Disclosure:

I received a copy of this book to review through Netgalley, in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not financially compensated in any way, and the opinions expressed are my own and based on my observations while reading this novel. The book that I received was an uncorrected proof, and quotes could differ from the final release.

REVIEW: Forty Acres by Dwayne Alexander Smith

Synopsis

What if overcoming the legacy of American slavery meant bringing back that very institution? A young black attorney is thrown headlong into controversial issues of race and power in this page-turning and provocative new novel.

Martin Grey, a smart, talented black lawyer working out of a storefront in Queens, becomes friendly with a group of some of the most powerful, wealthy, and esteemed black men in America. He’s dazzled by what they’ve accomplished, and they seem to think he has the potential to be as successful as they are. They invite him for a weekend away from it all—no wives, no cell phones, no talk of business. But far from home and cut off from everyone he loves, he discovers a disturbing secret that challenges some of his deepest convictions…

Martin finds out that his glittering new friends are part of a secret society dedicated to the preservation of the institution of slavery—but this time around, the black men are called “Master.” Joining them seems to guarantee a future without limits; rebuking them almost certainly guarantees his death. Trapped inside a picture-perfect, make-believe world that is home to a frightening reality, Martin must find a way out that will allow him to stay alive without becoming the very thing he hates.

A novel of rage and compassion, good and evil, trust and betrayal, Forty Acres is the thought-provoking story of one man’s desperate attempt to escape the clutches of a terrifying new moral order.

Hardcover, 384 pages
Published July 1st 2014 by Atria Books
ISBN 1476730539 (ISBN13: 9781476730530)


About the Author

Working professional screenwriter represented by Resolution and Circle of Confusion. I have sold or optioned six spec screenplays and I have been hired by studios for numerous rewrites. Currently I have two movies in post-production, STUCK and THE CLOSET. Both are due to be released in 2014.

My first novel, a thriller titled FORTY ACRES, is scheduled for release by Simon & Schuster July 1st, 2014.

Check out the author's website


My Thoughts

Martin is a black lawyer whose career is taking off, when he is approached by Damon Darrell, another black lawyer who is well known and well respected in town. Damon reaches out to Martin as a friend, and their friendship quickly grows into a bond like that found between brothers. Damon introduces Martin to his other group of friends-- all of which are successful black men. One day Martin is invited on a getaway with this group of impressive and powerful friends, and it leads him to some startling revelations and the discovery that his friends are involved in white slavery, and followers of an old black man by the name of Dr. Kasim.

At times this story seemed awkward and somewhat childish in its simplified assessments.

There was also the all-white staff to consider. How awkward must it be for them to just stand there, listening to a story of how their ancestors committed genocide against people who looked a lot like their current employers.

And I always get frustrated with storylines like this that have some mentor spewing crap that everyone views as genius. It seems preposterous to me when the sensible protagonist Martin almost immediately seems to seriously consider the madness as a truth (even if he eventually decides it isn't). Why even pollute and convolute a perfectly fascinating storyline with such ridiculousness? Why not just have simple revenge as the motivating factor? Rather than ridiculous theory and propaganda that fuel this group of mad lunatics, make them simply a group of angry and cruel black men? That would have been more believable, but perhaps the author didn't want to risk playing into the "angry black man" stereotype? I just always have a hard time falling for the group that seem to be under mass hypnosis, perhaps because I am such a strong-minded individual.

My final word: I had such high hopes for this story, but in the end I wound up having a really hard time with the main character Martin, and all of his justifications for his own actions. I thought it was a fascinating idea, but it wound up preposterous. It would have been much better if it had been built on simple revenge, but instead it was convoluted with Dr. Kasim and his propaganda. I don't know. I had high hopes, but in the end I would up pretty disappointed and not liking it all that much.

Buy Now:

Barnes and Noble
Amazon
IndieBound


My Rating:

 
Disclosure:

I received a copy of this book to review through Netgalley, in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not financially compensated in any way, and the opinions expressed are my own and based on my observations while reading this novel. The book that I received was an uncorrected proof, and quotes could differ from the final release.

REVIEW: Eat Raw, Not Cooked by Stacy Stowers

Synopsis

Can spinach really taste like chocolate ice cream? YES!

Just try Stacy Stowers’s Happy Shake—cupfuls of nourishing greens, plus a dash of raw cacao, a big handful of blueberries, and a few other delicious fixings that you can blend up every morning and enjoy with a spoon!

Stacy travels the country teaching families like yours how to add more whole, raw, unprocessed foods into their diets in the simplest, most satisfying way possible. Her clients soon discover they stop eating out of bags, bottles, cans, and boxes—and start feeling healthier, lighter, and more energetic. Eating raw is easier and tastier than you think. The gift of Stacy’s approach is that it’s not about becoming a “raw foodist” or joining some food religion; it’s about adding foods that will make you thrive.

What are the potential benefits of eating raw? Weight loss and management, more energy, relief from chronic pain and allergies, better moods, and a younger appearance—to name just a few! From Stacy’s comforting and crispy Cheatos and enticing Rainbow Fajitas, to her rich, delectable Chocolate Macaroon Fudge Bars, her more than 70 recipes will give you and your family an irresistible nutritional boost. 

Paperback, 240 pages

Published April 22nd 2014 by Gallery Books

ISBN  1476752079 (ISBN13: 9781476752075)

My Thoughts

I became a pescatarian about four years ago, and since then I've been inching forward toward healthier eating. I'm not always that good at it. Sometimes dinner will be some greasy chips, or a pint of ice cream. But other times I'll eat something like an uber-healthy meal of a raw marinara made with tomatoes and red peppers, served over steamed spaghetti squash. My life is a measure of two steps forward-one step back.

So when I saw this cookbook available on Netgalley, I jumped at the chance to give it a little looksy. And am I glad that I did! The book is chock-full of great ideas for eating raw foods. Why eat raw? Well, what could be healthier? When you are eating food raw, you are eating it whole, with its fiber intact and without the nutrients cooked out of it. Not cooking it also means saving calories that may be added when cooking in oil or butter. That's healthier eating all around!

The author came to healthy eating at 39 years of age after finding herself plagued with health issues, which started with a valley fever infection at the age of 22. 

In 2013, New York Times described valley fever (coccidioidomycosis) as a "disease without a cure." After just ten days of eating my food raw and unprocessed, I started feeling better! My head was no longer foggy and the pain in my body: gone. I immediately went to work learning everything I could about raw food.

The book stresses eating alkaline, as when our bodies enter an acidic state, we feel lethargic, bloated, dehydrated, and some suffer from chronic pain. The author has since converted her family to her diet by showing them how good the food can be!

One thing I was surprised to see was the use of the dehydrator in raw food preparation. It seems it gives it more of a "cooked" feel, when removing some of the water from the vegetables. The pictures of these dishes made in the dehydrator looked and sounded so good, I was inspired to buy a dehydrator (although I haven't had time to try it out yet). Dishes like the Rainbow Fajitas and China Bowl. 

I tried the Spring Rolls, which are raw julienned vegetables in rice paper wrappers, with a simple soy marinade for dipping. They were rather tasty! And I selected from the wealth of desserts available and chose one that I've heard about for years and always wanted to try, which is a chocolate pudding made from avocado. The book has a recipe for Vermont Joe's Chocolate Moose, and it was quite tasty, too! It's mainly just avocado, cocoa powder, a little agave or honey, and vanilla.

This morning I tried a variation adapted from the recipe for the Happy Shake. My variation was a couple cups of spinach and water blended to a puree, then a frozen banana, a cup or so of frozen blueberries, and a handful or two of frozen cherries thrown in with 2-3 tablespoons of unsweetened Special Dark cocoa powder, and a drizzle of agave nectar.

Yum! It was like a thick, creamy, rich shake made from chocolate-cherry ice cream. And so good for me, too! 

My final word: Looking to eat healthier? Cut calories? Eat whole foods? Check out this book and the benefits of eating raw. You won't regret it!

My Rating: B+

Disclosure:

I received a copy of this book to review through Netgalley and the publisher, in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not financially compensated in any way, and the opinions expressed are my own and based on my observations while reading this novel.