Sarai Henderson's Blog, page 189

Even if it Costs Her Everything | The Blood Spell by C.J. Redwine

Title: The Blood SpellBy: C.J. RedwineGenre: Fairytale RetellingPages: 400Release Date: February 12th, 2019Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Summary from Goodreads: Blue de la Cour has her life planned: hide the magic in her blood and continue trying to turn metal into gold so she can help her city’s homeless. But when her father is murdered and a cruel but powerful woman claims custody of Blue and her property, one wrong move could expose her—and doom her once and for all. The only one who can help? The boy she’s loathed since childhood: Prince Kellan.
Kellan Renard, crown prince of Balavata, is walking a thin line between political success and devastating violence. Newly returned from boarding school, he must find a bride among the kingdom’s head families and announce his betrothal—but escalating tension among the families makes the search nearly impossible. He’s surprised to discover that the one person who makes him feel like he can breathe is Blue, the girl who once ruined all his best adventures.

When mysterious forces lead to disappearances throughout Balavata, Blue and Kellan must work together to find the truth. What they discover will lead them to the darkest reaches of the kingdom, and to the most painful moments of their pasts. When romance is forbidden and evil is rising, can Blue save those she loves, even if it costs her everything?

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Review: Oh snap! I think this is my favorite book in this series. Talk about Cinderella retelling, this has to be one of the most unique ways to tell the tail of a nobody who marries a prince. There are witches and vampires and magic and the whole shebang. I loved every aspect of it. 
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.


This book was so awesome I gave it my Blogger's Choice Award!

What I'm Reading This Week | #WeeklyMenu Week #274

Why does it have to be Monday again? The kids don't have school today and I still have to do my grocery shopping and all the house work. Today sucks for me. I'm going to make this short, because the boys are already going crazy.
This weeks book is going to be Mortal Engine. I saw a movie trailer and as I usually do, I look to see if there is a book that the movie is based off of. This movie is coming out in December, so I thought I would get a head start. This week's menu is going to be amazing. Enjoy! 

Monday- Chicken Cheddar Fajitas 
Tuesday- Cherry Balsamic Pork Chops 
Wednesday- Pulled Chicken Rice Bowl
Thursday- Honey Glazed Pork Tenderloin 
Friday- Beef Chili Dinner
Saturday- Sausage Orzotto 
Sunday- Leftovers Night

Dinner and a Book | Chicken Salad and Drums of Autumn

If you follow my blog on a regular basis, you know that I am a huge fan of food and cooking. My husband and I cook most meals together and I plan my weekly menus and share them here on my blog. My husband and I have also been known to share a good read. The last book we read in tandem was Read Player One. That was such an epic read, we both loved it. It was a race to see who could finish it first, lol. If you haven't read it yet, please do. You will not be disappointing.

With the release of Outlander season 4, I've been dying to pick up another book in the series and dive right in. Along with this large chunky read, a great meal is all you need. But since the book is so heavy, you might need a light meal to balance it out. My friends over at Jen Reviews has shared a wonderful Citrus Chicken Salad that I am dying to make. It seems like the perfect meal to sit in the light of the window and read Drums of Autumn. I mean, check out that photo. Delicious!!!!
The salad works well with the autumn feel of the book because of its more rustic vibe with the sweet potatoes and cranberries. Its almost like a thanksgiving salad that you can share with your family this holiday season.  

Check out the recipe here, at Jen Reviews
And make sure you pick up Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon and join the millions of fans that can't seem to put this series down.

In this breathtaking novel, rich in history and adventure, #1 New York Times bestselling author Diana Gabaldon continues the story of Claire Randall and Jamie Fraser that started with the now-classic novel Outlander and continued in Dragonfly in Amber and Voyager. Once again spanning continents and centuries, Gabaldon has created a work of sheer brilliance. 
What if you knew someone you loved was going to die? What if you thought you could save them? How much would you risk to try?
Claire Randall has gone to find Jamie Fraser, the man she loved more than life, and has left half her heart behind with their daughter, Brianna. Claire gave up Jamie to save Brianna, and now Bree has sent her mother back to the Scottish warrior who was willing to give his life to save them both. But a chilling discovery in the pages of history suggests that Jamie and Claire's story doesn't have a happy ending.
Brianna dares a terrifying leap into the unknown in search of her mother and the father she has never met, risking her own future to try to change history . . . and to save their lives. But as Brianna plunges into an uncharted wilderness, a heartbreaking encounter may strand her forever in the past . . . or root her in the place she should be, where her heart and soul belong. 
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7 Books Every Child Should Read

My youngest son is finally at the age where he really loves to be read to. We've been doing a lot of it the last few weeks. I think its because his kindergarten teacher reads to him every day, and he has found the joy of hearing a good story and going on an adventure.

A lot of the books I've been reading him are books from my childhood, but there have been a few books that are new to me, but still so good. Check out these seven books that you need to read to your child.



 
I think my favorite was the giving tree, but Green pants was my son's favorite. Do you remember these books? What was your favorite?

What I'm Reading This Week | #WeeklyMenu Week #273

I think I say this every week, but welcome back to Monday. It really is one of my favorite days of the week and this week is even more special... It's my Birthday!!! Been waiting all year for this day, lol. You know what I get to do today, I get have my blood drawn and take care of some school stuff for the boys. Yes, its my birthday, but life goes on. Tomorrow however, is going to be a party. Took the day off work. Boom!

Its funny how the only book I read this last week was Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss and I read it to my five year old. He thoroughly enjoyed it, of course. Needless to say, I am still working on last weeks read of The Blood Spell so I think this weeks read is going to be a shorter book to fill in the space. I was thinking And the ocean was our sky by Patrick Ness. Its a flip flopped book about whales fighting an ongoing battle against the world of men. I can't wait to finish my current book and dive into that one.

This weeks menu is going to be delicious, but then again, I believe that every week is delicious. Enjoy!



Monday- Roasted Pork Tenderloin
Tuesday- Jalapeno Popper Burgers
Wednesday- Chicken Breast in a Shallot Sauce
Thursday- Buttered Up Steak
Friday- Breaded Parmesan Chicken 
Saturday- Pork Bulgogi Meatballs
Sunday- Leftovers Night

October 2018 Wrap up

Its been an amazing month. October seemed to go by so fast and the books that I've reading have been great. I can't wait to share them with you. What was your favorite October read? Here are mine...


Thomas Edison was expelled from school for behavior that today would label him as having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), but his mother understood how to salvage his self-esteem and prepare him for a lifetime of success. In The Edison Gene Thom Hartmann shows that the creativity, impulsiveness, and distractibility that are characteristic of ADHD are not signs of a disorder at all, but instead are components of a highly adaptive skill set utilized by our hunting and gathering ancestors. These characteristics have been critical to the survival and development of our modern civilization and will be vital as humanity faces new challenges in the future.
Hartmann, creator of the “hunter versus farmer” theory of ADHD, examines the latest discoveries confirming the existence of an ADHD gene and the global catastrophe 40,000 years ago that triggered its development. Citing examples of significant innovators in our modern era, he argues that the children who possess the “Edison gene” have neurology that is wired to give them brilliant success as innovators, inventors, explorers, and entrepreneurs. He offers concrete strategies for helping Edison-gene children reach their full potential and shows that rather than being “problems,” such children are a vital gift to our society and the world.
Jules Ember was raised hearing legends of the ancient magic of the wicked Alchemist and the good Sorceress. But she has just learned the truth: not only are the stories true, but she herself is the Alchemist, and Caro—a woman who single-handedly murdered the Queen and Jules’s first love, Roan, in cold blood—is the Sorceress.

The whole kingdom believes that Jules is responsible for the murders, and a hefty bounty has been placed on her head. And Caro is intent on destroying Jules, who stole her heart twelve lifetimes ago. Jules must delve into the stories that she now recognizes are accounts of her own past. For it is only by piecing together the mysteries of her lives that Jules will be able to save the person who has captured her own heart in this one.
Like flowers denied water, people are wilting under the emperor's tyranny.

Rose will not rest until the Gardener is dead. But there are bigger battles to fight, and Rayce—leader of the rebellion and the only man Rose has ever loved—believes their best chance at winning the war is to join forces with her sworn enemy.
Saving innocent people is more important than her quest for revenge. But their new ally can’t be trusted—and he knows her darkest secret. One betrayal could leave the war and Rayce’s life hanging in the balance, and Rose will need to make the ultimate sacrifice to save them all.
Robin of Locksley is dead. 

When news comes that he's fallen in battle at the King's side in the Holy Land, Maid Marian doesn’t know how she’ll go on. Betrothed to Robin, she was free to be herself, to flout the stifling rules of traditional society and share an equal voice with her beloved when it came to caring for the people of her land.
Now Marian is alone, with no voice of her own. The people of Locksley, persecuted by the Sheriff of Nottingham, are doomed to live in poverty or else face death by hanging. The dreadful Guy of Gisborne, the Sherriff’s right hand, wishes to step into Robin’s shoes as Lord of Locksley, and Marian’s fiancé. Society demands that she accept her fate, and watch helplessly as her people starve.
When Marian dons Robin's green cloak, and takes up his sword and bow, she never intended that anyone should mistake her for Robin, returned from the Holy Land as a vigilante. She never intended that the masked, cloaked figure she created should stand as a beacon of hope and justice to peasant and noble alike. She never intended to become a legend.
But all of Nottingham is crying out for a savior. So Marian must choose to make her own fate and become her own hero...
Robin Hood.

Welcome to Weep | Strange The Dreamer by Laini Taylor

Title: Strange the dreamerBy: Laini TaylorGenre: FantasyPages: 536Release Date: March 28th, 2017Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Summary from Goodreads: The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around—and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he’s been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance or lose his dream forever.

What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving?

The answers await in Weep, but so do more mysteries—including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo’s dreams. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? And if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?

Welcome to Weep.
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Review: Picked up this read because my books club suggested it. It was weird... I have to admit... The whole time I was reading it, I was wondering why. Why am I tuning the page. Why am I still intrigued. Even though there were these thoughts of doubt about the book, I still couldn't put it down. This chunk of a read took me a few days, but the strange nature of the story was excellent.  

5 Favorite Outlander Quotes

One of my favorite books and tv shows is Outlander. I love the whole concept. Time travel, romance, It all blends so well. The series has been copied so many times, but never found anything comparable. With the new Outlander series coming out on November 4th, I'm taking a page out of the Goodreads book and sharking my five favorite quotes from Outlander.
 “Ye are Blood of my Blood, and Bone of my Bone,I give ye my Body, that we Two might be One.I give ye my Spirit, 'til our Life shall be Done.” 

“Does it ever stop? The wanting you?" "Even when I've just left ye. I want you so much my chest feels tight and my fingers ache with wanting to touch ye again.”

“It was a beautiful bright autumn day, with air like cider and a sky so blue you could drown in it.”

“Don't be afraid. There's the two of us now.”

“I can bear pain myself, he said softly, but I couldna bear yours. That would take more strength than I have.”

Looking For Answers | Limetown by Zack Akers, Skip Bronkie and Cote Smith

Title: LimetownBy: Zack Akers, Skip Bronkie and Cote SmithGenre: ThrillerPages: 304Release Date: November 13th, 2018Publisher: Simon Schuster 
Summary from Goodreads: From the creators of the #1 podcast Limetown, an explosive prequel about a teenager who learns of a mysterious research facility where over three hundred people have disappeared—including her uncle—with clues that become the key to discovering the secrets of this strange town.

On a seemingly ordinary day, seventeen-year-old Lia Haddock hears news that will change her life forever: three hundred men, women, and children living at a research facility in Limetown, Tennessee, have disappeared without a trace. Among the missing is Emile Haddock, Lia’s uncle. 

What happened to the people of Limetown? It’s all anyone can talk about. Except Lia’s parents, who refuse to discuss what might have happened there. They refuse, even, to discuss anything to do with Emile.

As a student journalist, Lia begins an investigation that will take her far from her home, discovering clues about Emile’s past that lead to a shocking secret—one with unimaginable implications not only for the people of Limetown, but for Lia and her family. The only problem is…she’s not the only one looking for answers. 

Zack Akers and Skip Bronkie are first-rate storytellers, in every medium. Critics called their podcast Limetown “creepy and otherworldly” (The New York Times) and “endlessly fun” (Vox), and their novel goes back to where it all began. Working with Cote Smith, a PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize Finalist, they’ve crafted an exhilarating mystery that asks big questions about what we owe to our families and what we owe to ourselves, about loss, discovery, and growth. Threaded throughout is Emile’s story—told in these pages for the first time ever.
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Review: I've never listened to a pod cast, although, they sound like something I would enjoy. I picked up this book hoping to find a connection and explore a whole new opportunity for me. I have to say that this book started off really slow for me. There was a lot of back story and lead up that by the time the actual good stuff came around I was burnt out. The end of the story was good and kept me involved, but getting there was a chore. 
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

What I'm Reading This Week | #WeeklyMenu Week #272

Hello Monday! Welcome back to my usual weekly ranting about my life and what I've been reading. Doesn't that sound like fun?

Its been a long week. Had a tooth pulled, family came from Florida and marvel movie night happened. We are now up to Captain America Civil War. Good movie. My favorite part is where Ant Man turns super huge and starts laughing. Love it. Any way, Family time was good. I didn't have much of it because of this little thing called work, but what I did have was good times.

I know this is the part that you all read and show up for my weekly menus because its time for the book of the week. In my opinion, it is the best part of this post, but have you tried that cashew chicken? Its delicious.

This weeks read is going to be The Blood Spell by C.J. Redwine. The forth book in an amazing series that I am super excited to read. If you like fairytale retellings, then you should try this series out. It takes a new age twist on an old style, bringing the stories current. Love them.

Well, that's all I have to say this Monday. Please check out the menu below to help make your week a little easier and definitely more delicious. Enjoy!

Monday- Cashew Chicken Stir Fry
Tuesday- Tuscan Sausage Soup
Wednesday- Presto Pesto Chicken
Thursday- Sausage and Tomato Risotto 
Friday- Crispy Cheddar Burger 
Saturday- Pork Carnitas Tacos 
Sunday- Leftovers Night