Sarai Henderson's Blog, page 193

5 Books to Read for Greenpeace Day

Tomorrow is Greenpeace day. A day where we put on our Birkenstocks and do something good to save the planet. I put together a list of some of my favorite books that don't have anything to do with saving the planet... and everything to do with the color green. Enjoy!

Jade Green - "Then at the end of the street, the house--the large brown house with the two eyes--made me suddenly clutch at the driver's arm as if to say, Turn back! Turn back!" At the first sight of her uncle's house--her future home--an inexplicable cloud of foreboding engulfs orphaned teen Judith Sparrow. Unfortunately, her fears are confirmed when she hears a mysterious scratching at the back of her closet and senses a ghostly presence hovering over her at night. Even more chilling, Judith learns of the death of a girl named Jade Green from the town gossip--a girl who lived in her uncle's house before Judith and died a horrible death on the attic stairs. As it turns out, Jade dearly loved the color that was her name. Suddenly, Judith knows the reason she was forbidden by her uncle to bring anything green into the house. She fears that by smuggling in a small green picture frame, she has roused the sleeping ghost of Jade Green and assured the doom of all who sleep under her uncle's roof!
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan - In nineteenth-century China, in a remote Hunan county, a girl named Lily, at the tender age of seven, is paired with a laotong, “old same,” in an emotional match that will last a lifetime. The laotong, Snow Flower, introduces herself by sending Lily a silk fan on which she’s painted a poem in nu shu, a unique language that Chinese women created in order to communicate in secret, away from the influence of men.
As the years pass, Lily and Snow Flower send messages on fans, compose stories on handkerchiefs, reaching out of isolation to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments. Together, they endure the agony of foot-binding, and reflect upon their arranged marriages, shared loneliness, and the joys and tragedies of motherhood. The two find solace, developing a bond that keeps their spirits alive. But when a misunderstanding arises, their deep friendship suddenly threatens to tear apart.



Matched -  In the Society, officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die.

Cassia has always trusted their choices. It’s hardly any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one…until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path no one else has ever dared follow—between perfection and passion.

Matched is a story for right now and storytelling with the resonance of a classic.


Voyager - From the author of the breathtaking bestsellers Outlander and Dragonfly in Amber, the extraordinary saga continues.
Their passionate encounter happened long ago by whatever measurement Claire Randall took. Two decades before, she had traveled back in time and into the arms of a gallant eighteenth-century Scot named Jamie Fraser. Then she returned to her own century to bear his child, believing him dead in the tragic battle of Culloden. Yet his memory has never lessened its hold on her... and her body still cries out for him in her dreams.Then Claire discovers that Jamie survived. Torn between returning to him and staying with their daughter in her own era, Claire must choose her destiny. And as time and space come full circle, she must find the courage to face the passion and pain awaiting her...the deadly intrigues raging in a divided Scotland... and the daring voyage into the dark unknown that can reunite or forever doom her timeless love. The End of Oz - Ding dong—Dorothy is dead.I watched as the Emerald Palace crumbled to the ground, burying Dorothy, the Girl Who Rode the Cyclone, under the rubble. And now that the rightful ruler, Ozma, has been restored to the throne…

Oz is finally free.

My name is Amy Gumm. You might remember me as the othergirl from Kansas. When a tornado whisked me away to the magical land of Oz, I was given a mission: Dorothy must die.

But it turns out girls from Kansas are harder to kill than we look.

Now the Road of Yellow Brick is leading me away from Oz to the dark world of Ev, where I have a new, powerful enemy to deal with: the Nome King. And—surprise—he has a gingham-clad bride.

With my magical shoes and a shrinking group of allies, I have one final chance to fulfill my mission, and save not only what’s left of Oz, but Kansas, too. As the line between Good and Wicked blurs even further, I have to find a way to get rid of Dorothy once and for all—without turning into a monster myself.

Dorothy once said there’s no place like home. Can I stop her from destroying mine?

Who's Watching You?

Anyone else as excited for this show as I am? When I first heard that this awesome book by Caroline Kepnes was being converted into a tv series, not just a movie, I was super excited. I quickly read the book and I am now hooked. If you like creepy psychological thrillers, you really need to read this book.

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Now a Lifetime series!

“Hypnotic and scary.” —Stephen King

“I am RIVETED, AGHAST, AROUSED, you name it. The rare instance when prose and plot are equally delicious.” —Lena Dunham

From debut author Caroline Kepnes comes You, one of Suspense Magazine’s Best Books of the Year, and a brilliant and terrifying novel for the social media age.

When a beautiful, aspiring writer strides into the East Village bookstore where Joe Goldberg works, he does what anyone would do: he Googles the name on her credit card.

There is only one Guinevere Beck in New York City. She has a public Facebook account and Tweets incessantly, telling Joe everything he needs to know: she is simply Beck to her friends, she went to Brown University, she lives on Bank Street, and she’ll be at a bar in Brooklyn tonight—the perfect place for a “chance” meeting.

As Joe invisibly and obsessively takes control of Beck’s life, he orchestrates a series of events to ensure Beck finds herself in his waiting arms. Moving from stalker to boyfriend, Joe transforms himself into Beck’s perfect man, all while quietly removing the obstacles that stand in their way—even if it means murder.

A terrifying exploration of how vulnerable we all are to stalking and manipulation, debut author Caroline Kepnes delivers a razor-sharp novel for our hyper-connected digital age. You is a compulsively readable page-turner that’s being compared to Gone Girl, American Psycho, and Stephen King’s Misery.

What I'm Reading This Week | #WeeklyMenu Week #265

Hey, Monday! This is the first Monday all my children will be in school. I don't know what I'm going to do with myself... Scratch that... I'm not going to do anything! Well, except dishes, laundry, grocery shopping, the usual. Other than that I am a free woman.
This week is going to be super exciting. Monday is Marvel movie night with some of the ladies from work. We are making our way through the Marvel timeline, excluding the TV shows because that would take forever. We are currently on Captain America Winter Soldier. The ladies have requested chicken, so that is what you will be getting for tonight. I hope you like it. 
Sunday is the first family night in 15 months. So much has happened over the last year and a half. Things that kept my husbands family from spending time with us at our house. We've always traded Sundays until last summer and I am excited to start cooking for others again. 
This is that part that I know you've been waiting for, what book I'm going to be reading this week. The book of the week is A House with a Clock in its Walls. I saw a commercial for a new movie that's coming out. Jack Black is in it so it must be good. Lets see what this little ditty has to offer.
That's enough talking for today. Enjoy this weeks menu!
Monday - Marvel Movie Monday- Presto Pesto Panko Chicken
Tuesday- Korean Beef
Wednesday- Fun Day Fajita Bar
Thursday- Crispy Frico Cheeseburgers
Friday- Pulled Pork Fiesta Bowl
Saturday- One Pot Cheese Tortellini 
Sunday - Family Night- Herbed Chicken Cutlets

5 Songs to Lighten Your Mood | Bad Blood Playlist

Hello, and welcome to my playlist. I am such a dork. This week has been rough one, and I've been using music to help me cut through the emotional tape. So, if you are having a bad day, try this Bad Blood playlist.

Sorry, not sorry - Demi Lovato
Look what you made me do - Taylor Swift
Somebody that I used to know - Gotye
Bleeding out - Imagine Dragons
Praying - Kesha

August 2018 Wrap Up

Its wrap up time. August was a good month. Read 12 books that I'm excited to share with you. I wish I could have read more, but between the week long vacation to the California Redwoods and the stress at home and at work, there wasn't much time to do much of anything. 12 is a pretty good number though.

Here are the best of the best...


The Princes Bride - The Princess Bride is a true fantasy classic. William Goldman describes it as a "good parts version" of "S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure." Morgenstern's original was filled with details of Florinese history, court etiquette, and Mrs. Morgenstern's mostly complimentary views of the text. Much admired by academics, the "Classic Tale" nonetheless obscured what Mr. Goldman feels is a story that has everything: "Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Poison. True love. Hate. Revenge. Giants. Hunters. Bad men. Good men. Beautifulest ladies. Snakes. Spiders. Beasts of all natures and descriptions. Pain. Death. Brave men. Coward men. Strongest men. Chases. Escapes. Lies. Truths. Passion. Miracles."
Storm of the Gods - Thirty years ago, the gods of Greek legend returned to the world. Their return restored their powers, which had been spent in a cataclysmic battle with the Titans. With the ancient deities imprisoned in Tartarus, the Olympians now reside in Néo Vasíleio, formerly known as California.
Twenty-four-year-old Derek Aerios is a war scion, a descendent of Ares, the God of War. He and his brother, eighteen-year-old Liam, capture mythological creatures and rogue scions as part of Ares’s elite military force. As he struggles to cope with his violent powers and the scars of a traumatic childhood, Derek tries to keep the two vows he has made: protect his brother, and never kill a human again.
But when Ares forces him to hunt and kill four rogue scions under Athena’s control—by threatening Liam’s life—Derek chooses to go after the scions in order to save his brother and keep his promise to himself.
Yet the closer Derek gets to the scions, the more he realizes that his orders are part of a deeper conspiracy that put him at odds with his mission and his conscience. Athena may not be the enemy, a traitor could be in their midst, and the Titans could be closer to freedom than ever before.
The Rest...
 
 
 

What I'm Reading This Week | #WeeklyMenu Week #264

Hello Monday, I'm so glad you are here. Its been a long time coming. We had a rough week dealing with things going on inside our home that had gotten out of control. It was tough to confront, but it had to be done. Now, we don't have to put our lives on hold anymore. We are able to move on and do the things we've put of for the last 15 months. Like I said... A long time coming.

I have a huge reading list this week. Not sure how it got so big or why I can't seem to put any of them down. The book of the week is going to be Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn. My coworker told me I had to watch the show, but since I don't have the channel it is on, the book is the next best thing. This is the one I'm most excited to read. That and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Adrift, Crazy Rich Asians and To all the Boys I've Loved Before. I told you it was a long list. To top it all off, I still have to finish the two reviews I started. The Last Time I Lied and Not Her Daughter. Also the oldest book on my TBR pile that I started last week, Clockwork Angel. Its going to be a busy reading week. Yeah, baby!


Enjoy this weeks menu!

Monday- Taco Night
Tuesday- Veggie Loaded Orzo and Sausage
Wednesday- Arby's Night
Thursday- Hot and Honey BBQ Chicken
Friday- Shake it up! Pork Cutlets
Saturday- Steak and Tomato Basil Sauce
Sunday- Leftovers Night

The Gernesy Literary and Potato Peal Pie Society | Movie Review

Title: The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peal Pie SocietyGenre: Historical Fiction Release Date: April 20th, 2018Rating: 7.4/10 IMDBCast: Lily James, Jessica Brown Findlay 
Summary from IMDB: In the aftermath of World War II, a writer forms an unexpected bond with the residents of Guernsey Island when she decides to write a book about their experiences during the war.
IMDB Trailer
Review: My sister spoke of this Netflix movie the other day. She said it was an amazing story of love, loss and triumph during the WW2 era. I loved this movie. It was touching and heartfelt.
An author is drawn to the island of Guernsey after hearing their tale of how they formed a book club in order to hid from the Germans. The twisted tale tells of a mystery where a woman from the island is taken by the Germans. The author must try and figure out what happened to this woman and bring her home for the sake of those who love her, all while trying to hold her own love life together. You have to watch this movie. I'm waiting for my copy of the book, because I've been told its even better. 
Five stars and the bloggers choice award for The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society.

The only thing that makes a witch burn | Seventh Born By Monica Sanz

Title: Seventh BornBy: Monica SanzGenre: Urban FantasyPages: 400Release Date: September 4th, 2018Publisher: Entangled: Teen
Summary from Goodreads: Abomination. Curse. Murderer. All names hurled at eighteen-year-old Seraphina Dovetail. As the seventh-born daughter to a witch, she's the cause of her mother losing her powers and, in turn, her life.
Abandoned as a child, Sera dreams of becoming an inspector and finding her family. To do that, she must be referred into the Advanced Studies Program at the Aetherium's Witchling Academy. Her birth order, quick temper, and tendency to set things on fire, however, have left her an outcast with failing marks…and just what Professor Nikolai Barrington is looking for.

The tall, brooding, yet exceedingly handsome young professor makes her a proposition: become his assistant and he'll give her the referral she needs. Sera is quickly thrust into a world where witches are being kidnapped, bodies are raised from the dead, and someone is burning seventhborns alive. As Sera and Barrington grow ever closer, she'll discover that some secrets are best left buried…and fire isn't the only thing that makes a witch burn.
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Review: A seventh born is considered to be the lowest of the low. They have to fight for everything they want, and are discarded like trash. This book seems to follow along with the Harry Potter craze. They go to school to learn the ways of magic so they can make their way in the magical world. The story was hard to get into for me. It seemed slow and daunting. The story did pick up eventually and I really enjoyed the twists and turns. The ending was great, it was just getting there. If you liked Harry Potter, you will probably like this book. Three stars for Seventh Born. 
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

She Could Never Have Imagined | Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett

Title: FoundrysideBy: Robert Jackson BennettGenre: FantasyPages: 512Release Date: August 21st, 2018Publisher: Crown
Summary from Goodreads: In a city that runs on industrialized magic, a secret war will be fought to overwrite reality itself--the first in a dazzling new fantasy series from City of Stairs author Robert Jackson Bennett.  
Sancia Grado is a thief, and a damn good one. And her latest target, a heavily guarded warehouse on Tevanne’s docks, is nothing her unique abilities can’t handle. 
 
But unbeknownst to her, Sancia’s been sent to steal an artifact of unimaginable power, an object that could revolutionize the magical technology known as scriving. The Merchant Houses who control this magic--the art of using coded commands to imbue everyday objects with sentience--have already used it to transform Tevanne into a vast, remorseless capitalist machine. But if they can unlock the artifact’s secrets, they will rewrite the world itself to suit their aims. 
 
Now someone in those Houses wants Sancia dead, and the artifact for themselves. And in the city of Tevanne, there’s nobody with the power to stop them. 
 
To have a chance at surviving—and at stopping the deadly transformation that’s under way—Sancia will have to marshal unlikely allies, learn to harness the artifact’s power for herself, and undergo her own transformation, one that will turn her into something she could never have imagined.
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Review: When a book throws you into the sewers right off the bat, you can either hold on for the ride or soak in the smell. It takes guts to put a reader in this situation, but it was well written and worth the trouble. I loved the little key. It fit in with the character and pushed the story along. There was so much to this story that sometimes I got lost, but was able to quickly catch up and keep reading. This was a good weekend read that I'm excited to share with you. Three stars for a good read. 
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

Closer to Freedom | Storm of the Gods by Amy Braun

Title: Storm of the GodsBy: Amy BraunGenre: Urban FantasyPages: 362Release Date: August 28th, 2018Publisher: Amy Braun
Summary from Goodreads: Thirty years ago, the gods of Greek legend returned to the world. Their return restored their powers, which had been spent in a cataclysmic battle with the Titans. With the ancient deities imprisoned in Tartarus, the Olympians now reside in Néo Vasíleio, formerly known as California.
Twenty-four-year-old Derek Aerios is a war scion, a descendent of Ares, the God of War. He and his brother, eighteen-year-old Liam, capture mythological creatures and rogue scions as part of Ares’s elite military force. As he struggles to cope with his violent powers and the scars of a traumatic childhood, Derek tries to keep the two vows he has made: protect his brother, and never kill a human again.

But when Ares forces him to hunt and kill four rogue scions under Athena’s control—by threatening Liam’s life—Derek chooses to go after the scions in order to save his brother and keep his promise to himself.

Yet the closer Derek gets to the scions, the more he realizes that his orders are part of a deeper conspiracy that put him at odds with his mission and his conscience. Athena may not be the enemy, a traitor could be in their midst, and the Titans could be closer to freedom than ever before. 
Add on Goodreads

Review: Its been a while since I've been pulled into a story like this. There was so much depth and intrigue with the characters that I had a hard time putting it down. It was an interesting story line with the Greek gods taking over California. The one thing that I would say was a little distracting was the use of telling instead of showing. The story was good enough though, to look past this. Still, four stars for Amy Braun.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.