Sarai Henderson's Blog, page 55
January 5, 2024
Book Review: Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
My book review on Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston.
As President Claremont kicks off her reelection bid, Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret relationship with Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations. What is worth the sacrifice? How do you do all the good you can do? And, most importantly, how will history remember you?
It was easy to fall in love with Alex. He seemed open and brave, but Henry on the other hand had a tendency to be distant for me. I'm not sure if it was the unknown of how the character was reacting to things or if he was portrayed in a way that was more culturally to England that I'm not privy too, but it all came together in the end.
There was a wonderful scene toward the end where Henry's mother gave the queen the what-for and I loved it. Take that you old bag.
Title: Red, White and Royal Blue
By: Casey McQuiston
Genre: Romance
Pages: 423
Release Date: May 14th, 2019
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Rating: ★★★★☆
Summary from Goodreads:First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz is the closest thing to a prince this side of the Atlantic. With his intrepid sister and the Veep’s genius granddaughter, they’re the White House Trio, a beautiful millennial marketing strategy for his mother, President Ellen Claremont. International socialite duties do have downsides—namely, when photos of a confrontation with his longtime nemesis Prince Henry at a royal wedding leak to the tabloids and threaten American/British relations. The plan for damage control: staging a fake friendship between the First Son and the Prince.
As President Claremont kicks off her reelection bid, Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret relationship with Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations. What is worth the sacrifice? How do you do all the good you can do? And, most importantly, how will history remember you?
It was easy to fall in love with Alex. He seemed open and brave, but Henry on the other hand had a tendency to be distant for me. I'm not sure if it was the unknown of how the character was reacting to things or if he was portrayed in a way that was more culturally to England that I'm not privy too, but it all came together in the end.
There was a wonderful scene toward the end where Henry's mother gave the queen the what-for and I loved it. Take that you old bag.
Favorite Quote:
“That's the choice. I love him, with all that, because of all that. On purpose. I love him on purpose.”
This book received a solid 4 out of 5 stars from me. I was interested the whole book and read it in one sitting.
January 3, 2024
Book Review: The Stalker by Sarah Alderson
My book review of The Stalker by Sarah Alderson.
When one morning, they wake to find a message scratched into the window, their worst fears are confirmed. They aren’t alone on the island.
And this stranger wants them dead.
I love a good creepy horror/thriller and this one fit the bill. The suspense grew slowly, but steadily as the story progressed until, WAM! It hits you in the face with a plot twist. I didn't see it coming and I'm usually pretty good at spotting the killer from a mile away.
The Way Sarah Alderson was able to make me believe what I was reading was the truth all the way to the end was incredible. She really has a wonderful writers voice that gives you a calm sense of foreboding. Its a great place to be.
If I could go back and read this book again and have the same anticipation as before, I would. That's how much I loved this story. Pick up The Stalker by Sarah Alderson. You won't regret it. 4 out of 5 stars.
Title: The Stalker
By: Sarah Alderson
Genre: Horror
Pages: 368
Release Date: July 8th, 2021
Publisher: Avon
Rating: ★★★★☆
Summary from Goodreads:Newly-weds Liam and Laura are spending their honeymoon in paradise: just the two of them on a remote island off the coast of Scotland.But they soon discover that all is not as it seems, and the island has a tragic past. And they can’t shake the feeling of being watched…
When one morning, they wake to find a message scratched into the window, their worst fears are confirmed. They aren’t alone on the island.
And this stranger wants them dead.
I love a good creepy horror/thriller and this one fit the bill. The suspense grew slowly, but steadily as the story progressed until, WAM! It hits you in the face with a plot twist. I didn't see it coming and I'm usually pretty good at spotting the killer from a mile away.
The Way Sarah Alderson was able to make me believe what I was reading was the truth all the way to the end was incredible. She really has a wonderful writers voice that gives you a calm sense of foreboding. Its a great place to be.
If I could go back and read this book again and have the same anticipation as before, I would. That's how much I loved this story. Pick up The Stalker by Sarah Alderson. You won't regret it. 4 out of 5 stars.
January 1, 2024
Weekly Menu #538 And The Book Of The Week
Hello Monday! Can you believe its January 1st, 2024? The first day of the new year and the first post of the year. Hello 2024!To jump start the new year, I'm going to read A Soul as Cold as Frost. This book sounds like a wonderfully scarry Christmas tale that I can't wait to sink my teeth into.
Lets keep this nice and short today as I know most of you have stayed up far too late ringing in the New Year, myself included. Now, get some rest and have a spectacular week. Enjoy!
WEEKLY MENU
Monday
Kids - Mac and Cheese
Tuesday
Wednesday
Kids - Cheesy French Fries
Thursday
Kids - Cheese Quesadillas
Friday
Kids - Chicken and Noodles
Saturday
Kids - Chicken and Rice
Sunday
Leftovers Night
December 31, 2023
Sunday Confessions #231
Welcome back to my Sunday confessions where I recap what went down on the blog this last week. Enjoy!
Sunday Confessions #230~Weekly Menu #537 And The Book Of The Week~Book Review: The Fragile Thread of Power by V.E. Schwab~Book Review: Banana: The Fate of the Fruit that Changed the World by Dan Koeppel
Weekly Menu #538 And The Book Of The Week~Book Review: The Stalker by Sarah Alderson~Book Review: Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston~Sunday Confessions #232
FourFiveSeconds by Rihanna, Kanye West and Paul McCarthy.
140/100 2023 Reading Challenge~58/196 in my Star Wars Legends challenge~70/341 Gilmore Girls challenge~90/100 in my 100 books before you die challenge
We're down to the last day of 2023. I'm super proud of the headway I've made on the challenges this year and can't wait to finish them off next year.
Happy reading, my friends!
December 29, 2023
Book Review: Banana: The Fate of the Fruit that Changed the World by Dan Koeppel
My book review for Banana: The Fate of the Fruit that Changed the World by Dan Koeppel.
To most people, a banana is a banana: a simple yellow fruit. Americans eat more bananas than apples and oranges combined. In others parts of the world, bananas are what keep millions of people alive. But for all its ubiquity, the banana is surprisingly mysterious; nobody knows how bananas evolved or exactly where they originated. Rich cultural lore surrounds the fruit: In ancient translations of the Bible, the 'apple' consumed by Eve is actually a banana (it makes sense, doesn't it?). Entire Central American nations have been said to rise and fall over the banana.
But the biggest mystery about the banana today is whether it will survive. A seedless fruit with a unique reproductive system, every banana is a genetic duplicate of the next, and therefore susceptible to the same blights. Today's yellow banana, the Cavendish, is increasingly threatened by such a blight -- and there's no cure in sight.
Banana combines a pop-science journey around the globe, a fascinating tale of an iconic American business enterprise, and a look into the alternately tragic and hilarious banana subculture (one does exist) -- ultimately taking us to the high-tech labs where new bananas are literally being built in test tubes, in a race to save the world's most beloved fruit.
Here's the skinny. I have to do a presentation at work. Everyone did something that was work related, but I've been holding out on this presentation because I really don't want to do it. I figure if I was going to do something that was going to make me extremally uncomfortable, everyone else was going to be uncomfortable with me. So here I come with info on Banana's. They will never see it coming.
Anyway... I picked up this book to find out more interesting info on the whole banana world that wasn't easily found with a google search. Turns out there is a deep banana underworld where countries have laterally thrived or fallen on the backs of the banana plant. There are deep conspiracies involving the CIA and the elder George Bush.
The most important info I gleaned from this treasure trove of banana info was the truth about the sustainability of the fruit. It can't reproduce on its own and the Panama disease is threatening the banana from every corner of the world.
If you are prepared to deep dive into how bananas changed the world, you have to read this book.
Title: Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World
By: Dan Koeppel
Genre: Non-Fiction
Pages: 281
Release Date: December 27th, 2007
Publisher: Hudson Street Press
Rating: ★★★★☆
Summary from Goodreads:A gripping biological detective story that uncovers the myth, mystery, and endangered fate of the world's most humble fruit
To most people, a banana is a banana: a simple yellow fruit. Americans eat more bananas than apples and oranges combined. In others parts of the world, bananas are what keep millions of people alive. But for all its ubiquity, the banana is surprisingly mysterious; nobody knows how bananas evolved or exactly where they originated. Rich cultural lore surrounds the fruit: In ancient translations of the Bible, the 'apple' consumed by Eve is actually a banana (it makes sense, doesn't it?). Entire Central American nations have been said to rise and fall over the banana.
But the biggest mystery about the banana today is whether it will survive. A seedless fruit with a unique reproductive system, every banana is a genetic duplicate of the next, and therefore susceptible to the same blights. Today's yellow banana, the Cavendish, is increasingly threatened by such a blight -- and there's no cure in sight.
Banana combines a pop-science journey around the globe, a fascinating tale of an iconic American business enterprise, and a look into the alternately tragic and hilarious banana subculture (one does exist) -- ultimately taking us to the high-tech labs where new bananas are literally being built in test tubes, in a race to save the world's most beloved fruit.
Here's the skinny. I have to do a presentation at work. Everyone did something that was work related, but I've been holding out on this presentation because I really don't want to do it. I figure if I was going to do something that was going to make me extremally uncomfortable, everyone else was going to be uncomfortable with me. So here I come with info on Banana's. They will never see it coming.
Anyway... I picked up this book to find out more interesting info on the whole banana world that wasn't easily found with a google search. Turns out there is a deep banana underworld where countries have laterally thrived or fallen on the backs of the banana plant. There are deep conspiracies involving the CIA and the elder George Bush.
The most important info I gleaned from this treasure trove of banana info was the truth about the sustainability of the fruit. It can't reproduce on its own and the Panama disease is threatening the banana from every corner of the world.
If you are prepared to deep dive into how bananas changed the world, you have to read this book.
December 27, 2023
Book Review: The Fragile Thread of Power by V.E. Schwab
My book review on The Fragile Threads of Power by V.E. Schwab.
But barely a glimpse of them have been seen in the last seven years―and a new Antari named Kosika has appeared in White London, taking the throne in Holland's absence. The young queen is willing to feed her city with blood, including her own―but her growing religious fervor has the potential to drown them instead.
And back in Red London, King Rhy Maresh is threatened by a rising rebellion, one determined to correct the balance of power by razing the throne entirely.
Amidst this tapestry of old friends and new enemies, a girl with an unusual magical ability comes into possession of a device that could change the fate of all four worlds.
Her name is Tes, and she's the only one who can bring them together―or unravel it all.
I love V.E. Schwab, but this was not the book for me. Not saying there won't be others, as Schwab as put out some amazing reads, but I was lost most the time. If I treated the bouncing around like individual stories, I was entertained.
Don't get me wrong, the characters were wonderful and the stories written well. In true Schwab fashion, all these things worked. I was just not thrilled with the bouncing around.
These are my preferences. If you don't mind the back and forth, you will absolutely love this book. I would highly recommend it for you, but for me and my dyslexia, I will stick to the one character plot lines.
3 out of 5 stars from me.
Title: The Fragile Threads of Power
By: V.E. Schwab
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 648
Release Date: September 26th, 2023
Publisher: Tor Books
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Summary from Goodreads:Once, there were four worlds, nestled like pages in a book, each pulsing with fantastical power, and connected by a single city: London. Until the magic grew too fast, and forced the worlds to seal the doors between them in a desperate gamble to protect their own. The few magicians who could still open the doors grew more rare as time passed and now, only three Antari are known in recent memory―Kell Maresh of Red London, Delilah Bard of Grey London, and Holland Vosijk, of White London.
But barely a glimpse of them have been seen in the last seven years―and a new Antari named Kosika has appeared in White London, taking the throne in Holland's absence. The young queen is willing to feed her city with blood, including her own―but her growing religious fervor has the potential to drown them instead.
And back in Red London, King Rhy Maresh is threatened by a rising rebellion, one determined to correct the balance of power by razing the throne entirely.
Amidst this tapestry of old friends and new enemies, a girl with an unusual magical ability comes into possession of a device that could change the fate of all four worlds.
Her name is Tes, and she's the only one who can bring them together―or unravel it all.
I love V.E. Schwab, but this was not the book for me. Not saying there won't be others, as Schwab as put out some amazing reads, but I was lost most the time. If I treated the bouncing around like individual stories, I was entertained.
Don't get me wrong, the characters were wonderful and the stories written well. In true Schwab fashion, all these things worked. I was just not thrilled with the bouncing around.
These are my preferences. If you don't mind the back and forth, you will absolutely love this book. I would highly recommend it for you, but for me and my dyslexia, I will stick to the one character plot lines.
3 out of 5 stars from me.
December 25, 2023
Weekly Menu #537 And The Book Of The Week
Hello Monday! Welcome back to my weekly menu where I share all the delicious recipes we will be making this week. Of course, its Christmas and I'm super excited to spend time with my family and share food and drink with them. Its going to be a good day. I hope you all have some place warm and wonderful to be today.This weeks read is not a Christmas tale, but the promise of a quirky tale of romance. My friend from work said this was a book wroth reading, and she's usually not wrong. Dive into Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston with me after we've eaten far to many Christmas goodies.
Lets get to this weeks menu. Enjoy and Merry Christmas!WEEKLY MENU
Monday
Kids - Nachos
Tuesday
Wednesday
Kids - Cheese Quesadilla
Thursday
Kids - Chicken Nuggets and Cheese
Friday
Kids - Chicken Tenders and Ranch
Saturday
Kids - Mac and Cheese
Sunday
Family Dinner
With steak and pork tenderloin
December 24, 2023
Sunday Confessions #230
Hello Sunday! Welcome back to my confessions, where I recap what's happened on the blog.
Sunday Confessions #229~Weekly Menu #536 And The Book Of The Week~Book Review: The Lotus Flower Champion by Pintip Dunn~Book Review: The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden
Weekly Menu #537 And The Book Of The Week~Book Review: The Fragile Thread of Power by V.E. Schwab~Book Review: Banana: The Fate of the Fruit that Changed the World by Dan Koeppel~Sunday Confessions #231
Currently catching up on The Amazing Race.
138/100 2023 Reading Challenge~58/196 in my Star Wars Legends challenge~70/341 Gilmore Girls challenge~90/100 in my 100 books before you die challenge
Tomorrow is Christmas so I can't imagine I will get much reading down, but you never know. Have a great holiday and happy reading.
December 22, 2023
Book Review: The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden
My book review on The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden.
January 1918. Laura Iven was a revered field nurse until she was wounded and discharged from the medical corps, leaving behind a brother still fighting in Flanders. Now home in Halifax, Canada, she receives word of Freddie’s death in combat, along with his personal effects—but something doesn’t make sense. Determined to uncover the truth, Laura returns to Belgium as a volunteer at a private hospital. Soon after arriving, she hears whispers about haunted trenches, and a strange hotelier whose wine gives soldiers the gift of oblivion. Could Freddie have escaped the battlefield, only to fall prey to something—or someone—else?
November 1917. Freddie Iven awakens after an explosion to find himself trapped in an overturned pillbox with a wounded enemy soldier, a German by the name of Hans Winter. Against all odds, the two men form an alliance and succeed in clawing their way out. Unable to bear the thought of returning to the killing fields, especially on opposite sides, they take refuge with a mysterious man who seems to have the power to make the hellscape of the trenches disappear.
As shells rain down on Flanders, and ghosts move among those yet living, Laura’s and Freddie’s deepest traumas are reawakened. Now they must decide whether their world is worth salvaging—or better left behind entirely.
This was an amazing historical fiction, with twists and turns that pushed the story forward in a delicate way, but entertained with ease. Not a genre I would have expected from Arden, but more proof that she can write whatever she puts her mind to.
WW2 stories tend to have a sadness that breaks the heart, but Arden has weaved a wonderful tale of hope in a time of great pain.
The story is split between Freddie Iven and his sister Laura. Freddie is knee deep in the trenches of war when a disaster happens. By all counts, he should be dead, but by sure luck he is alive, but trapped. In the darkness, there is another sole with him, a German soldier. Their lives are now intwined for better or worse.
When Laura hears of her brothers fate, she doesn't believe it. In her quest to find the truth about Freddie, she forms bonds that cannot be broken, but the truth might be harder to swallow than Laura had hoped.
I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. It was a wonderful story. Heartwarming, hopeful and amazing. I can't wait to see what Arden brings to the table next.
Title: The Warm Hands of Ghosts
By: Katherine Arden
Genre: Historical
Pages: 336
Release Date: February 13th, 2024
Publisher: Del Rey
Rating: ★★★★★
Summary from Goodreads:During the Great War, a combat nurse searches for her brother, believed dead in the trenches despite eerie signs that suggest otherwise, in this hauntingly beautiful historical novel with a speculative twist from the New York Times bestselling author of The Bear and the Nightingale
January 1918. Laura Iven was a revered field nurse until she was wounded and discharged from the medical corps, leaving behind a brother still fighting in Flanders. Now home in Halifax, Canada, she receives word of Freddie’s death in combat, along with his personal effects—but something doesn’t make sense. Determined to uncover the truth, Laura returns to Belgium as a volunteer at a private hospital. Soon after arriving, she hears whispers about haunted trenches, and a strange hotelier whose wine gives soldiers the gift of oblivion. Could Freddie have escaped the battlefield, only to fall prey to something—or someone—else?
November 1917. Freddie Iven awakens after an explosion to find himself trapped in an overturned pillbox with a wounded enemy soldier, a German by the name of Hans Winter. Against all odds, the two men form an alliance and succeed in clawing their way out. Unable to bear the thought of returning to the killing fields, especially on opposite sides, they take refuge with a mysterious man who seems to have the power to make the hellscape of the trenches disappear.
As shells rain down on Flanders, and ghosts move among those yet living, Laura’s and Freddie’s deepest traumas are reawakened. Now they must decide whether their world is worth salvaging—or better left behind entirely.
This was an amazing historical fiction, with twists and turns that pushed the story forward in a delicate way, but entertained with ease. Not a genre I would have expected from Arden, but more proof that she can write whatever she puts her mind to.
WW2 stories tend to have a sadness that breaks the heart, but Arden has weaved a wonderful tale of hope in a time of great pain.
The story is split between Freddie Iven and his sister Laura. Freddie is knee deep in the trenches of war when a disaster happens. By all counts, he should be dead, but by sure luck he is alive, but trapped. In the darkness, there is another sole with him, a German soldier. Their lives are now intwined for better or worse.
When Laura hears of her brothers fate, she doesn't believe it. In her quest to find the truth about Freddie, she forms bonds that cannot be broken, but the truth might be harder to swallow than Laura had hoped.
I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. It was a wonderful story. Heartwarming, hopeful and amazing. I can't wait to see what Arden brings to the table next.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
December 20, 2023
Book Review: The Lotus Flower Champion by Pintip Dunn
My book review of The Lotus Flower Champion by Pintip Dunn and Love Dunn.
It looks like paradise…only it’s not.
This was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime family trip to Thailand. One last wish for my dying mama. Instead, we’re stranded on a lush, stunning island with ten strangers—held captive as Thai mythology unfolds around us…and within us.
Now we’re being tested. We’re expected to face our greatest fears—and possible deaths—in hopes of awakening some kind of dormant gift…or curse. One by one, we’re transforming, echoing the strange and sometimes wondrous abilities found in Thai folktales.
But my mama has only days to live, my papa is missing, and I’m forced to trust a group of strangers…including our evasive, dark-eyed tour guide, who resembles a minor god. Toss me in the ocean and feed me to the naga now.
Only I’m no hero. My days are managed by numbers and the compulsions that used to keep me safe.
I have to prove how far I can go. To survive. To protect my family.
And to find a way off this perilous island where everything is a lie…including reality.
The story starts off like a normal fiction. At first I thought I was being taken on an exotic romantic adventure, but things quickly changed to a thriller mystery and then by the end a fantasy. Even though it was a strange change of events, It all worked really well together.
I loved Alaia and the growth her character goes on throughout the story. She has OCD and is struggling with her anxiety, but by the end of the book, she has learned how to use her OCD to her advantage. Its a wonderful progression.
Although there were some weird elements like to crocodile people and in the end, the story of the Lotus Champion that didn't really fit in with the rest of the story, I really loved reading this book. It was entertaining and kept me wondering what was going to happen next.
Another wonderful read from Dunn. Gave it 4 out of 5 stars.
Title: The Lotus Flower Champion
By: Pintip Dunn and Love Dunn
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 400
Release Date: October 3rd, 2023
Publisher: Entangled: Teen
Rating: ★★★★☆
Summary from Goodreads:No escape. Follow the rules. And don’t count on reality—in this uniquely vibrant romantasy from NYT bestselling author Pintip Dunn and daughter Love Dunn…
It looks like paradise…only it’s not.
This was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime family trip to Thailand. One last wish for my dying mama. Instead, we’re stranded on a lush, stunning island with ten strangers—held captive as Thai mythology unfolds around us…and within us.
Now we’re being tested. We’re expected to face our greatest fears—and possible deaths—in hopes of awakening some kind of dormant gift…or curse. One by one, we’re transforming, echoing the strange and sometimes wondrous abilities found in Thai folktales.
But my mama has only days to live, my papa is missing, and I’m forced to trust a group of strangers…including our evasive, dark-eyed tour guide, who resembles a minor god. Toss me in the ocean and feed me to the naga now.
Only I’m no hero. My days are managed by numbers and the compulsions that used to keep me safe.
I have to prove how far I can go. To survive. To protect my family.
And to find a way off this perilous island where everything is a lie…including reality.
The story starts off like a normal fiction. At first I thought I was being taken on an exotic romantic adventure, but things quickly changed to a thriller mystery and then by the end a fantasy. Even though it was a strange change of events, It all worked really well together.
I loved Alaia and the growth her character goes on throughout the story. She has OCD and is struggling with her anxiety, but by the end of the book, she has learned how to use her OCD to her advantage. Its a wonderful progression.
Although there were some weird elements like to crocodile people and in the end, the story of the Lotus Champion that didn't really fit in with the rest of the story, I really loved reading this book. It was entertaining and kept me wondering what was going to happen next.
Another wonderful read from Dunn. Gave it 4 out of 5 stars.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
