Sarai Henderson's Blog, page 184

Bohemian Rhapsody | Movie Review

Title: Bohemian RhapsodyGenre: Historical Fictional BiographyRelease Date: November 2nd, 2018Rating: 8.1 out of 10 IMDBCast: Summary from IMDB: The story of the legendary rock band  IMDB Trailer
Review: I grew up listening to Queen. I remember listening to Bohemian Rhapsody over and over again on long car rides with the parents, everyone belting out the lyrics. This bad has been infused into my system like my own blood. So, naturally, when I heard there was a movie coming out I was over the top excited. 
Now, I've heard that there isn't much historical accuracy to the story, but damn its a good story none the less. 
The music is epic. We blasted it through the surround sound with the front door open so the neighbors could share in our joy. All the wonderful songs of Queen, how could you not love this movie. 
I really hated Paul. He was such a leach. The movie made him feel like he was the down fall of Freddy, but who knows if that was the real truth. Either way, I really enjoyed this movie.

The Fight Continues | Theater of Spies by S.M. Stirling

Title: Theater of SpiesBy: S.M. StirlingGenre: Historical ThrillerPages: 400Release Date: May 7th, 2019Publisher: Ace
Summary from Goodreads: The second novel in an alternate history series where Teddy Roosevelt is president once more right before WWI breaks out, and on his side is the Black Chamber, a secret spy network watching America's back. 
After foiling a German plot to devastate America's coastal cities from Boston to Galveston, crack Black Chamber agent Luz O'Malley and budding technical genius Ciara Whelan go to California to recuperate. But their well-deserved rest is cut short by the discovery of a diabolical new weapon that could give the German Imperial Navy command of the North Sea. 

Luz and Ciara must go deep undercover and travel across a world at war, and live under false identities in Berlin itself to ferret out the project's secrets. Close on their trail is the dangerous German agent codenamed Imperial Sword, who is determined to get his revenge, and a band of assault-rifle equipped stormtroopers, led by the murderously efficient killer Ernst Röhm.  From knife-and-pistol duels on airships to the horrors of the poison-gas factories to harrowing marine battles in the North Sea, the fight continues--with a world as the prize.
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Review: This would not have been a book that I would have normally picked up, but I managed to finish 90% of the book in one day, that's how much I was involved in the story. I think it was the interesting alternative history that the story portrays. You want to keep reading because you want to know what is different than reality. This is a book about spies and the thrill of chase. A wonderful story. 
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

What I'm Reading This Week | #WeeklyMenu Week #292

Monday... Again... Spring break is coming up and the whole family has vacation this week. I'm excited. We might go to the beach and we might go to the mountain. Choices, choices. I love living here in the Pacific North West. We are an hour or two from whatever we want to do. Its a beautiful part of the country.

This weeks book is going to be The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine. I've had this book on my list to read for a while and it was my random pick of the week. I'm excited to dive into it. Who's with me?

I've made a few adjustments to the menu this week. Normally I've been really into HelloFresh. Its an easy place for me to find some amazingly delicious recipes, but I feel like they are getting a little repetitive, so I'm switching sites to see if I like something else. Lets try Home Chef and see if they compare. Lets get cooking.




Monday- Southwestern Chicken Cutlets 
Tuesday- Salmon with Hazelnut Sauce 
Wednesday- Korean Pork Noodle Bowl
Thursday- Cowboy Steak Sandwiches 
Friday- Marsala Mushroom Chicken Skillet 
Saturday- Sirloin Steak with Balsamic Sauce 
Sunday


- Leftovers Night

Camp Half-Blood | The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

 Title: The Lost HeroBy: Rick RiordanGenre: Urban FantasyPages: 557Release Date: October 12th, 2010Publisher: Disney-Hyperion Books
Summary from Goodreads: Jason has a problem.He doesn’t remember anything before waking up in a bus full of kids on a field trip. Apparently he has a girlfriend named Piper, and a best friend named Leo. They’re all students at a boarding school for “bad kids.” What did Jason do to end up here? And where is here, exactly?

Piper has a secret.
Her father has been missing for three days, ever since she had that terrifying nightmare about his being in trouble. Piper doesn’t understand her dream, or why her boyfriend suddenly doesn’t recognize her. When a freak storm hits during the school trip, unleashing strange creatures and whisking her, Jason, and Leo away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood, she has a feeling she’s going to find out.

Leo has a way with tools.
When he sees his cabin at Camp Half-Blood, filled with power tools and machine parts, he feels right at home. But there’s weird stuff, too—like the curse everyone keeps talking about, and some camper who's gone missing. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist that each of them—including Leo—is related to a god. Does this have anything to do with Jason's amnesia, or the fact that Leo keeps seeing ghosts?
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Review:  Another fantastic book by Rick Riordan. I always like diving into the Percy Jackson world and the half-blood Olympians. Its a unique world that never disappoints. We don't really follow Percy Jackson in this one. In fact, he's missing and a group of half-blood must save him. There were a lot of cool new characters and villains to adore and many adventures that Riordan is so well known for. Loved it and you will to.

Dangerous Little Lies | Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

I had the opportunity to join a book club that a friend was hosting and it was a blast. February was the first meeting, so we spent the time discussing what we wanted to read. It was book after book and they all sounded amazing. It took a while to pick what we would spend the next few weeks reading, but we did it. It was hard, but we did it.
Of course, I already finished it, but I couldn't help myself. This would not be my normal read, but I was sucked in. Keep reading for my review...


Title: Big Little LiesBy: Liane MoriartyGenre: Contemporaneity Mystery Pages: 460Release Date: July 29th, 2014Publisher: Berkley
Summary from Goodreads: Big Little Lies follows three women, each at a crossroads:
Madeline is a force to be reckoned with. She’s funny and biting, passionate, she remembers everything and forgives no one. Her ex-husband and his yogi new wife have moved into her beloved beachside community, and their daughter is in the same kindergarten class as Madeline’s youngest (how is this possible?). And to top it all off, Madeline’s teenage daughter seems to be choosing Madeline’s ex-husband over her. (How. Is. This. Possible?).

Celeste is the kind of beautiful woman who makes the world stop and stare. While she may seem a bit flustered at times, who wouldn’t be, with those rambunctious twin boys? Now that the boys are starting school, Celeste and her husband look set to become the king and queen of the school parent body. But royalty often comes at a price, and Celeste is grappling with how much more she is willing to pay.

New to town, single mom Jane is so young that another mother mistakes her for the nanny. Jane is sad beyond her years and harbors secret doubts about her son. But why? While Madeline and Celeste soon take Jane under their wing, none of them realizes how the arrival of Jane and her inscrutable little boy will affect them all.

Big Little Lies is a brilliant take on ex-husbands and second wives, mothers and daughters, schoolyard scandal, and the dangerous little lies we tell ourselves just to survive.
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Review: The books starts off with the suggestion that someone has been murdered. What a way to draw you in to a story. We bounce back to a few months before the murder and find out some info about our characters. Around chapter 6 is when stuff gets good. At the kindergarten orientation, a little girl is attacked by another child. When her over bearing bitch of a mother asks her who did it, she blames poor little Ziggy. The whole book is one big poop show, with mothers at each others throat. Petitions to get Ziggy kicked out of school, and the truth that seems to be elusive, but what does this have to do with a murder you might ask?... You are going to have to read the book, because someone gets whats coming to them. 
Loved this book. Gave it five stars and the bloggers choice award from Confessions of an ExBallerina.

What I'm Reading This Week | #WeeklyMenu Week #291

Monday, Monday! Here we are again and what a week it has been. We are dealing with sickness again and the weather has decided to be cold with a hint of snow. Not enough to get anyone out of work and school, but just a dusting to give you the sense of winter, but not the satisfaction of it. Its driving me nuts. 

Anyway, my husband and I were able to see Captain Marvel. We've been planning this little outing for months now. Bought our tickets in advance and booked the ever elusive baby sitter. It was nice to get out for a few hours without having to worry about the boys. The stress of all the normal everyday routines builds up after a while and makes me crazy. That's the life with autism children. 

I finished Big Little Lies in like three days, it was that good of a book. I'm not trying to finish The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan and A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabalden this week, but that might be a little more than I can chew. We shall see. 
Monday- Pesto Presto Chicken
Tuesday- Steak with Shallot Sauce 
Wednesday- Taco Soup
Thursday- Apricot Ginger Chicken
Friday- Southwestern Beef Tacos
Saturday- Southwestern Chicken Cutlets 
Sunday- Leftovers Night

Revenge on Everyone | The Stiehl Assassin by Terry Brooks

Title: The Stiehl AssassinBy: Terry BrooksGenre: FantasyPages: 368Release Date: May 28th, 2019Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Summary from Goodreads: After The Black Elfstone and The Skaar Invasion comes the next chapter in the Fall of Shannara, a saga more than four decades in the making.
The Skaar have arrived in the Four Lands, determined to stop at nothing less than all-out conquest. They badly need a new home, but peaceful coexistence is not a concept they have ever understood. An advance force under the command of the lovely princess Ajin has already established a foothold, but now the full Skaar army is on the march--and woe betide any who stands in its way.

But perhaps the Skaar victory is not quite as much of a foregone conclusion as they all assume. The Druid Drisker Arc has freed both himself and Paranor from their involuntary exile. Drisker's student, Tarsha Kaynin, has been reunited with Dar, chief defender of what is left of the Druid order, and is learning to control her powerful Wishsong magic. If they can only survive Tarsha's brother and the Druid who betrayed Drisker Arc, they might stand a chance of defeating the Skaar. But that is a very big if...as Tarsha's brother now carries the Stiehl--one of the most powerful weapons in all the Four Lands, and is determined to take his revenge on everyone he feels has wronged him.
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Review: Another great installment from Terry Brooks. I always love anything to do with this series and this book didn't disappoint. Brooks has painted a wonderful story where we follow Drisker on another skin tingling adventure. This was a fairly quick read and that is why I love Brooks stories so much. They aren't the long drawn out epic fantasies. Don't get me wrong, I do love the epic fantasies, but a good short fantasy is a nice read every once and a while. Read this book. You won't be disappointed. 
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

February 2019 Wrap Up

Another month gone. I can't believe its March already. I've been a little slow at reading this year, but there has been so much going on that reading is now a luxury. Still, there were a few books that I added to my read pile in February. Here they are...

What I'm Reading This Week | #WeeklyMenu Week #290

Hello Monday! These weeks just keep getting shorter and shorter. We are already in March and I'm so ready for Winter to be over. The snow can't decide whether or not its going to stick around. We get a dusting in the morning and school is closed, but by afternoon its gone. Not even enough to make the roads icy. If its going to snow, there needs to be enough to have fun with.

This weeks book is going to be Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. I joined a book club recently, and this is the book we all agreed to read. I've already started it and so far I'm intrigued. Lets see how it turns out. Who's with me?

No for the food. Enjoy!

Monday- Mexican Chicken Rice Bowl
Tuesday- Monterey Jack Burgers 
Wednesday- Italian Meatball Soup
Thursday- Steak and Brussels Sprouts 
Friday- Southwest Chicken and Rice Skillet
Saturday- Pesto Presto Chicken
Sunday- Leftovers Night

Before He Destroys Their Lives | The Dysasters by P.C. and Kristin Cast

Title: The DysastersBy: PC Cast and Kristin CastGenre: Urban FantasyPages: 320Release Date: February 26th, 2019Publisher: Wednesday Books
Summary from Goodreads: Foster Stewart knows she's different. Her life has never been "normal." Talking to plants and controlling cloud formations aren't things most seventeen year olds are into. Tate "Nighthawk" Taylor is perfect. Star quarterback and all around dreamy boy next door he never thought about his "extra" abilities. What quarterback wouldn't want night vision? That's not weird, right? It's cool! 
But on the night of their first meeting a deadly tornado brings them together and awakens their true abilities - the power to control the element air. Unbeknown to Tate and Foster, they are the first in a group of teens that were genetically manipulated before birth to bond with the elements. Which truly sucks for Foster, as she has to face the fact that Dr. Rick Stewart, her beloved scientist father, betrayed her and now wants to use her and the others for his own nefarious world domination plot. 

Foster and Tate must stop Dr. Stewart and his minions before he destroys their lives and the world.
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Review: This book was quick from start to finish. The beginning of the story throws you right into the action and really doesn't stop. At times it felt a little overwhelming without any rest to breath. Even with the fast pace there was still a wonderfully exciting story behind all the adventure. I really enjoyed this read.   
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.