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Book Review: Before and Again By Barbara Delinsky

BEFORE AND AGAIN

By: Barbara Delinsky

Published: June 26, 2018

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Fiction

Barbara Delinsky is the queen of family dramas. This is the fifth of her numerous novels that I have read, all usually dealing with some sort of family drama or secret. This one takes a current topic and plays it out for a young couple. Mackenzie Cooper is the wife of Edward Cooper, a venture capitalist and the mother to five-year-old Lily. They live an idyllic life in New England. While driving Lily to a playdate through an unknown neighborhood, she becomes lost. A quick glance at her GPS results in their lives being changed forever. One glance, one life gone. 

Fast-forward to four years later. We meet Maggie Reid, cosmetologist at a well-known inn and spa in Vermont. Due to media outrage, criminal charges, a trial, and even a new law in her name, Mackenzie has left her old life behind including her marriage, her family and started over as Maggie Reid. She has told no one her secret past and has been keeping her probation officer happy by staying under the radar. Then, her best friend's son is charged with a federal crime. Due to her connection and loyalty to them, her secret will likely come out and her life will again be splashed all over the papers.

Delinsky's setting in Vermont is the perfect place for someone to hide out. The quaint tourist town thrives off of traffic but also craves its privacy and doesn't ask for the local residents to explain what drew them to their community. Maggie feels like her life is as good as it will ever get. But, when things start to crash around her and people from her past start appearing, she doesn't manage these new changes well. I can't begin to imagine the deep loss that occurs after losing a child and then a marriage, but Maggie's constant hatred of herself was frustrating and repetitive. As people are showing her love and forgiveness, she just can't seem to accept it and as a reader, I felt it was a bit over-dramatic.

Maggie had cut off everyone from her past life but didn't let anyone from her new life get to really know her. Yes, she had friends, but now that her past was coming out, she was afraid of how everyone would see her and the judgments they would have against her. Her ex-husband reappears and her connection to him reignites a passion they had both missed. Delinsky portrays a couple full of hurt, anguish, betrayal, love, and forgiveness and doesn't hold back.

Recently on social media, we are seeing parents vilified for how they discipline their children. In another case, a woman is receiving death threats for calling the police after the video of the call is shared thousands of times on social media. Delinsky's story is current and displays the changes in how news is shared and interpreted by millions of viewers whether on social media or through news outlets. Everyone seems to want their fifteen seconds of fame, but in these types of situations, fifteen seconds can turn into a lifetime of horrors. After reading this book, I've looked at these types of situations differently, knowing we are only getting half of the story and wondering what is the motivation behind the people sharing the story.

Maggie's message of living through something so tragic and finding a way to continue on is an important one. No matter what life throws at you, people will remember how we handled the challenging days. Maggie's biggest obstacle was forgiving herself and until she did that, no one else was going to be allowed to love her or be loved by her. This book offers many life lessons for readers along with a dramatic story weaved through the past and present choices we all make every day. Living with those choices and making sense of the past is just one of the many hurdles towards moving on. Even though this is a fictional story, it offers a chance for the reader to reflect and maybe make an effort to love those who are hurting, not be so quick to judge, and take part in less social media drama.

Barbara Delinsky - source

Barbara Delinsky, author of BEFORE AND AGAIN, BLUEPRINTS (2015), SWEET SALT AIR (2013), ESCAPE (2011), and NOT MY DAUGHTER (2010), has written more than twenty-two bestselling novels with over thirty-five million copies in print. She has been published in thirty languages worldwide. 

Barbara's fiction centers upon everyday families facing not-so-everyday challenges. She is particularly drawn to exploring themes of motherhood, marriage, sibling rivalry, and friendship in her novels. 

A lifelong New Englander, Barbara earned a B.A. in Psychology at Tufts University and an M.A. in Sociology at Boston College. As a breast cancer survivor who lost her mother to the disease when she was only eight, Barbara compiled the non-fiction book Uplift: Secrets from the Sisterhood of Breast Cancer Survivors, a handbook of practical tips and upbeat anecdotes. She donates her proceeds from the sale of this book to her charitable foundation, which funds an ongoing research fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital. For more information, check out her website, HERE. 

To purchase a copy of BEFORE AND AGAIN, click the photo below:




My review for SWEET SALT AIR by Barbara Delinsky.





Thanks to the publisher for sending an e-copy of this book for the purpose of this review. This review is my honest opinion. If you choose to purchase this book through the above link, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase. 

Children's Book Review: Adventures in Science - The Human Body By Courtney Acampora

ADVENTURES IN SCIENCE 
The Human Body

By: Courtney Acampora

Published: December 12, 2017

Publisher: Silver Dolphin Books

Non-Fiction/Activity Kit

Stop the summer slide and keep kids excited to learn about science by teaching them about our amazing human body. This kit is more than just a boring book.

Besides the book, there is a poster with stickers, flash cards and a skeleton for kids to put together. The book covers all parts of the human body from cells and tissues to the five senses, to the brain, digestion, and even the importance of exercising to stay healthy. 

The book offers lots of photography and small fact sections to give kids just enough information to keep them interested and not overwhelm them. Explaining how our muscle and tendons or even our digestive system work can be confusing, but the details in this book make it easy for kids to grasp. 

The flash cards included are just the right size and offer a way to quiz or find information quickly. I would have loved playing school with this set as a kid. This is also a great set for homeschooling families or students that need extra help with science.

I was excited about the included skeleton, but unfortunately found it quite frustrating to put together. I finally gave up. I was able to get part of it together until it would fall apart and I would have to start over. I can see that this would definitely frustrate elementary aged children and would need parent support to help put this together. 

The accompanying poster and stickers are also an excellent way to quiz and check for understanding of all the body parts including the bones and internal organs. I was disappointed in the fact that these stickers are a one-time use. It would have made more sense to make this a laminated type of poster with reusable stickers for multiple uses. For a homeschooling family that may want to reuse this resource several times, the stickers were not made for that. 

So, even though this is a great resource, it does have its limitations. There is still much to learn from the book alone about the how the amazing human body works and offers lots of important information. This kit can still be a helpful resource for elementary classrooms and homeschooling families. 

To purchase a copy of ADVENTURES IN SCIENCE: The Human Body, click the photo below:

All summer I'll be sharing books for children and youths that are great choices to keep your children interested in reading and learning. These may be books that encourage reading, play, and kindness as well as keeping kids interested in science and history all while continuing to read. The summer slide is real and teachers will appreciate kids that continue to keep their minds active along with their bodies. See all the Summer Read-to-Learn books, HERE. 

I will be linking up this review on Booking Mama's regular Saturday feature, Kid Konnection. This is a place for bloggers to share posts related to children's and YA books. You will find spotlights, reviews, and sometimes even giveaways by clicking HERE, every Saturday.


Other posts you may be interested in:

Two Books for Back-to-School

B is for Breakdancing Bear

How to Ace the National Geographic Bee

National Geographic Kids Almanac 2018

Three Career Books from National Geographic Kids

Science Encyclopedia

How Things Work

Thanks to the publisher for sending a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. This review is my honest opinion. If you choose to purchase this book through the above link, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase. 

Cookbook Review and Recipe: Young & Hungry By Gabi Moskowitz and Diana Snyder

YOUNG & HUNGRY
Your Complete Guide to a Delicious Life

By: Gabi Moskowitz and Diana Snyder

Published: April 11, 2017

Publisher: Freeform

Non-Fiction

Gabi Diamond is the character on the Freeform produced TV show, "Young & Hungry". The show was loosely based on the life of Gabi Moskowitz, the editor-in-chief of the nationally-acclaimed budget cooking blog BrokeAssGourmet and an author of several cookbooks. Moskowitz is also the co-producer of "Young & Hungry". Author Diana Snyder is a full-time writer for Freeform's "Young & Hungry".

YOUNG & HUNGRY is more than just a cookbook, but a guide to setting up your life and home as you enter the adult world. As stated in the introduction, there comes a time in everyone's life when you need to learn how to cook and get a decent apartment. This book begins to set young women (the target audience) up with a stocked pantry and medicine cabinet, how to handle those first job interviews, handling stressful situations, and lots of easy recipes to feed yourself or company.

I have never even heard of the TV show "Young & Hungry" before so I asked my teen daughter about it. She hadn't either but was willing to go through the book and give me her thoughts. Even though I thought this was marketed to teen girls, I would say it is written more for high school to college-aged girls. When my daughter pointed out the essentials for a medicine cabinet and condoms were listed, I realized the target audience was likely a bit older. But, I had her go through the recipes and choose one she wanted to try. She agreed there were other helpful tips and liked the homemade recipes for a body scrub and face mask. I'm glad she skipped the part about office tips as there were discussions about Tinder and not sleeping with your boss. The tips for online dating were straight-forward and honest, just again, not for a teenager.

So, while I think this is a book that offers helpful tips and recipes, it is a bit misleading in the presentation. When the show "Young & Hungry" receives five nominations for the Teen Choice Awards, you assume it is for teens. This book is not unless you just focus on the recipes.

There are plenty of quick and easy recipes included in this book like Roast Chicken, Overnight Oatmeal, Strawberry Basil Lemonade, and Magical One-Pot Spaghetti to name a few. The recipe we chose to make was the Hand Pies. They were a perfect idea for Father's Day as we could cater the pies to each family member's personal tastes. They were fun and easy to make and quite delicious.

HAND PIES

Click HERE for Printable Version

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Makes 6

Ingredients

All-Purpose Flour
Parchment Paper
1 Standard Pie Crust (found in the dairy section of most stores)

Filling Ideas

Jam
Smores: Mini Marshmallows, Chocolate Chips, and Graham Crackers (broken up)
PB&J: Peanut Butter and Jam
Lemon Curd
Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
Pumpkin Pie: Pumpkin Puree, Brown Sugar, Pumpkin Pie Spice, and a Pinch of Salt
Hot Pepper Jam and Cream Cheese
Brown Sugar and Cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Dust the counter with flour.
4. Roll the dough out into a smooth oval about 1/8 inch thick.
5. Use a glass or round biscuit cutter to cut the dough into circles about 4" in diameter or whatever size you have.
6. On half of the circles, cut a tiny "X" in the middle of the circle.
7. Fill the circles without an "X" with a tablespoon or two of filling into the center of one circle.
8. Wet your finger and circle the border of the dough with the filling on it.
9. Place the circle with the "X" on the top of the dough with the filling.
10. use your fingers to pinch the pieces of dough together to form a tight seal.
11. Use the back of a fork to gently seal the edges of the dough.
12. Repeat with remaining circles of dough.
13. Arrange on a baking sheet making sure there is space between each pie. 
14. Bake for 28-30 minutes, until golden brown.
15. Let cool on a rack for 5 minutes and serve.

We rolled out the dough and cut circles with a glass.

 Since the pie crust package came with two doughs, we rolled out both and made 11 pies.  

These were the toppings we chose for our pies: 

marshmallows and mini chocolate chips, strawberry rhubarb jam, cookie butter, and lemon curd. 

Each circle got a dollop of ingredients in the center.

Then each circle was dabbed with water before placing the top circle on.

The hand pies are ready to go in the oven.

A college student or recent graduate starting off in her own apartment will find this book helpful in decorating and setting up apartment and office space. The recipes are simple and useful in both entertaining or feeding yourself. The presentation of material is honest and fun. It's a girls' guide to being young, single, and starting off life as an adult.


To purchase YOUNG & HUNGRY, click the photo below:

I will be linking up this post as part of Beth Fish Reads' Weekend Cooking. Weekend Cooking is open to anyone that has a food-related post to share including a book review (fiction or non-fiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. Grab the button and link up on Saturdays, but you can post any day of the week. To see all the Weekend Cooking posts and this week's link up, click, HERE.



This post includes affiliate links. If you choose to purchase I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase. 

Book Review: The Girls' Guide to Conquering Life by Erica and Jonathan Catherman

THE GIRLS' GUIDE TO CONQUERING LIFE
How to Ace an Interview, Change a Tire, Talk to a Guy and 97 Other Skills You Need to Thrive

By: Erica and Jonathan Catherman

Published: May 15, 2018

Publisher: Revell

Non-Fiction

As a parent, I hope that I send our kids off into the world as fully capable adults able to handle situations and tasks on their own. Teaching them things like doing their own laundry, boiling water for pasta, leaving a proper tip, or cleaning their bathroom seem obvious. This book covers all of these plus many others that didn't see as obvious, but just as important.

From Guys/Dating/Social Skills/Manners to Work Ethics and Money Management there are several great tips about self-confidence, listening skills, manners, and handling yourself in a job interview. For the Health/Beauty/Clothes and Fashion sections, there are lots of personal hygiene tips as well as tips for caring and shopping for your clothing. The book shares basic lessons in sports like how to throw a football or how to throw a dart. There are several recipes included to cover all kinds of meals. Car care and fix-it jobs round out the chapters. When I lived in my own apartment after college, I had to learn a few of these things through trial and error, but for the most part, my parents did a great job of teaching me all the things I needed to know. This book fills in the gaps.

Each lesson offers an illustration, items needed, the time required, steps to take, and then a fact or quote at the end. This book offers an easy-to-read format and makes it convenient to look up what you want to learn or to read a few tips at a time. Everything is explained, for example, when cooking pasta it states to place a colander in the sink. For those who maybe wouldn't know what a colander is, that is also explained. Everything is detailed and precise.

Tween-teen girls are the target audience for this book making it a great gift idea for graduations, confirmations, and birthdays. This book gives girls a head start in life, making sure they are ready for various situations and going into them with confidence and knowledge.

Erica Catherman - source

Jonathan Catherman - source

Erica Catherman has spent more than twenty years mentoring young women as a coach to middle school, high school, and college students. Committed to raising up the next generation to be kind, confident, and capable, Erica has served as a youth group leader, community volunteer, and advocate for gender equality in sports. She is a certified Yoga Alliance and Group Fitness instructor.

Jonathan Catherman is the author of the bestselling The Manual to Manhood and The Manual to Middle School. An award-winning cultural strategist and a leading education trainer specializing in the character and leadership development of youth, Jonathan speaks worldwide about the principles and strengths that empower greatness in children, teens, and young adults.

The Cathermans live in North Carolina, where they work together to raise their family, which includes teenagers and a couple of big dogs. Learn more at their website, HERE. 

To purchase a copy of THE GIRLS' GUIDE TO CONQUERING LIFE, click the photo below:

All summer I'll be sharing books for children and youths that are great choices to keep your children interested in reading and learning. These may be books that encourage reading, play, and kindness as well as keeping kids interested in science and history all while continuing to read. The summer slide is real and teachers will appreciate kids that continue to keep their minds active along with their bodies. See all the Summer Read-to-Learn books, HERE. 

I will be linking up this review on Booking Mama's regular Saturday feature, Kid Konnection. This is a place for bloggers to share posts related to children's and YA books. You will find spotlights, reviews, and sometimes even giveaways by clicking HERE, every Saturday.


Other books you may be interested in:

I Will Always Write Back

One Good Thing About America

Thanks to the publisher for sending a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. This review is my honest opinion. If you choose to purchase this book through the above link, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase. 

Children's Book Review: History's Mysteries By Kitson Jazynka - Summer Read-to-Learn Series

HISTORY'S MYSTERIES
Curious Clues, Cold Cases, and Puzzles from the Past

By: Kitson Jazynka

Published: October 17, 2017

Publisher: National Geographic Kis

Non-Fiction

National Geographic has taken some of the biggest mysteries in the history of our world and dug deeper into what may or may not have happened. Think Stonehenge, Amelia Earhart, the Yeti, and UFOs. These mysteries aren't solved in the pages of this book, but instead, the book offers the theories, the research, and the best guess for the what may or may not have happened.

A lot of the mysteries were ones I had already heard of, but there were several that I had never heard of before. I had no idea there was a monument in Elberton, Georgia that no one knows how it got there. You assume that this monument had been there for ages, but no, it appeared in 1980. No one knows who had this large granite sculpture created and moved to this spot and what its message means.

For curious children, this book encourages critical thinking and problem-solving. Children and parents can read the mysteries and then talk about all the possibilities. By comparing their solutions with those by the researchers your child can come up with their best guess as to why the mystery occurred. If your child likes solving puzzles, asking all the questions, and satisfying all their curiosities then this book is for them. The end of the book includes an interview with National Geographic explorer and archeologist, Chris Fisher. Kids may find this is a dream career for them.

To find out all about the author, Kitson Jazynka, check out her website, HERE.


To purchase a copy of HISTORY'S MYSTERIES, click the photo below:

All summer I'll be sharing books for children and youths that are great choices to keep your children interested in reading and learning. These may be books that encourage reading, play, and kindness as well as keeping kids interested in science and history all while continuing to read. The summer slide is real and teachers will appreciate kids that continue to keep their minds active along with their bodies. See all the Summer Read-to-Learn books, HERE. 

I will be linking up this review on Booking Mama's regular Saturday feature, Kid Konnection. This is a place for bloggers to share posts related to children's and YA books. You will find spotlights, reviews, and sometimes even giveaways by clicking HERE, every Saturday.



Other books you may be interested in:

Bet You Didn't Know

Ultimate Dinopedia

National Geographic Kids Almanac 2018

Shackles from the Deep

How Things Work

History Series from Carole P. Roman

The Boo-Boos that Changed the World




Thanks to the publisher for sending a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. This review is my honest opinion. If you choose to purchase this book through the above link, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase. 

Quick Lit: Mini Reviews of Some Recent Reads - June Edition

I'm trying to read more books that I choose for my own reading enjoyment. Not for review, but because I've been wanting to read them or they caught my attention. Most of them have been talked about ad nauseam or have been on my to-read list for a long time so they don't really need a full review. But, I'd still like to give them some space here on the blog.

I'll be linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy and her monthly Quick Lit link up. Be sure to head over to see others link up their Quick Lit posts.

The last month left very little time for reading. Between State Track, Graduation, Graduation Party, Graduation Party clean up, and other events sprinkled throughout, I didn't have much time for reading in the last month. Not even audiobooks, which I tried to listen to. But, my library hold ran out before I finished, so I'm patiently 😉 waiting for my turn to finish them up. 

I've recently reviewed some great children's books and just this week finished the new book from Karen White, DREAMS OF FALLING. I'm in my reading groove again now and am anxious to share what I've been reading in the next few months.

GRACE, NOT PERFECTION

Embracing Simplicity, Celebrating Joy

By: Emily Ley

Published: October 11, 2016

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Format: Hardcover

I have been a fan of Emily Ley for awhile and purchased her Simplified Planner for this year and I LOVE IT!! She's a Christian, a mom, and so down-to-earth that I just feel like I know her. Plus, she loves and grew up in Pensacola. My favorite place in the world!  I wish I could have read this book when our boys were toddlers. I would have been so much kinder to myself. 

I have been reading her book slowly and reflecting on it, which she encourages you to do. I highly recommend purchasing the hardcover as there is space at the end of each chapter to write and reflect. I highlighted so many pages I'm not sure where to begin. The chapter titled "The Empty Well" spoke to my life. I'm overbooked and overcommitted most of the weeks and I feel like I am not giving my best to my family or anyone else I've committed myself to. Saying "yes" is saying "no" to someone or something else and this has been such a great reminder for me in the last few months. The "Cultivate Contentment" chapter at the end of the book brought this theme full-circle for me. Ley stated, "Just like the pages of our planners, our lives could use more white space." Yes! And my summer is full of white spaces!

If you are a young mom, a professional, a college student, or an "old" mom like me, I think this book would be beneficial to you. If you are interested, check out her Instagram where she shares inspiration often. 

I just purchased her newest book A SIMPLIFIED LIFE and can't wait to dig into it. 

Other posts you may enjoy:

Quick Lit - May 2018

Quick Lit - April 2018

Quick Lit - March 2018

Quick Lit - February 2018

Quick Lit - January 2018