Sarai Henderson's Blog, page 56
December 18, 2023
Weekly Menu #536 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.We are one week away from Christmas. I'm pretty sure we are prepped and ready for the day, but I'm not sure about my menu yet. We shall see what I can come up with.
This weeks read is The Stalker by Sarah Alderson. It promises a creep factor of 10, along with newly weds on their honeymoon and a Scottish setting. What more could a reader want.
Well, lets get to this weeks menu. Enjoy!
WEEKLY MENU
Monday
Smoked Sausage and Potato Skillet
Kids - Chicken Tenders and Fries
Tuesday
Kids - Chicken Sandwiches
Wednesday
Kids - Nachos
Thursday
Kids - Chicken Tenders and Rice
Friday
Kids - Pancakes
Saturday
Sunday
Leftovers Night
December 17, 2023
Sunday Confessions #229
Hello Sunday! Welcome back to my confessions where I share what has been happing on the blog this week.
Sunday Confessions #228~Weekly Menu #535 And The Book Of The Week~Book Review: Starter Villain by John Scalzi~Book Review: Calamity by Constance Fay
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~Sunday Confessions #230
Wicked Game by Chris Isaak
I'm not sure how this show stayed off my radar for so long. Its incredible!
The series is based on Julia Childs life and Sarah Lancashire, who plays Julia, is wonderful. She is hilarious and so expressive. Even when she is not saying her lines, her face really portrays how the character is feeling in the moment.
Also, the relationship between Julia and her husband is wonderful. They both have so many layers. They fall apart and come back together over and over, with an obvious love for each other. Wonderful!
136/100 2023 Reading Challenge~58/196 in my Star Wars Legends challenge~70/341 Gilmore Girls challenge~89/100 in my 100 books before you die challenge
I didn't really have the want to read this week. I think there is just too much going on with the holidays. Maybe next week that feeling of wonder will be back. Happy reading, friends.
December 15, 2023
Book Review: Calamity by Constance Fay
My book review of Calamity by Constance Fay.
She’s got a ramshackle spaceship, a misfit crew, and a big problem with its sexy newest member…
Temperance Reed, banished from the wealthy and dangerous Fifteen Families, just wants to keep her crew together after their feckless captain ran off with the intern. But she’s drowning in debt and revolutionary new engine technology is about to make her beloved ship obsolete.
Enter Arcadio Escajeda. Second child of the terrifying Escajeda Family, he’s the thorn in Temper’s side as they’re sent off on a scouting mission on the backwater desert planet of Herschel 2. They throw sparks every time they meet but Temper’s suspicions of his ulterior motives only serve to fuel the flames between them.
Despite volcanic eruptions, secret cultists, and deadly galactic fighters, the greatest threat on this mission may be to Temper’s heart.
Temperance Reed, or Temper as she is know for some pretty apparent reasons once you get to know the character, has been set on a task by some pretty powerful people. She's pretty sure there are alternative motives, but her crew needs the job. To make things worse, an unwanted hotheaded crew member has been added to the ranks.
Although there were romance elements, they were subtle and didn't get in the way of the amazing action going on in the foreground. This book was an excellent adventure that I was lost in from start to finish.
Title: Calamity
By: Constance Fay
Genre: Scifi
Pages: 309
Release Date: November 14th, 2023
Publisher: Tor Trade
Rating: ★★★★☆
Summary from Goodreads:Bramble's inaugural debut is equal parts steamy interstellar romance and sci-fi adventure, perfect for fans of Firefly and Ilona Andrews.
She’s got a ramshackle spaceship, a misfit crew, and a big problem with its sexy newest member…
Temperance Reed, banished from the wealthy and dangerous Fifteen Families, just wants to keep her crew together after their feckless captain ran off with the intern. But she’s drowning in debt and revolutionary new engine technology is about to make her beloved ship obsolete.
Enter Arcadio Escajeda. Second child of the terrifying Escajeda Family, he’s the thorn in Temper’s side as they’re sent off on a scouting mission on the backwater desert planet of Herschel 2. They throw sparks every time they meet but Temper’s suspicions of his ulterior motives only serve to fuel the flames between them.
Despite volcanic eruptions, secret cultists, and deadly galactic fighters, the greatest threat on this mission may be to Temper’s heart.
Temperance Reed, or Temper as she is know for some pretty apparent reasons once you get to know the character, has been set on a task by some pretty powerful people. She's pretty sure there are alternative motives, but her crew needs the job. To make things worse, an unwanted hotheaded crew member has been added to the ranks.
Although there were romance elements, they were subtle and didn't get in the way of the amazing action going on in the foreground. This book was an excellent adventure that I was lost in from start to finish.
December 13, 2023
Book Review: Starter Villain by John Scalzi
My book review on Starter Villain by John Scalzi.
Charlie's life is going nowhere fast. A divorced substitute teacher living with his cat in a house his siblings want to sell, all he wants is to open a pub downtown, if only the bank will approve his loan.
Then his long-lost uncle Jake dies and leaves his supervillain business (complete with island volcano lair) to Charlie.
But becoming a supervillain isn't all giant laser death rays and lava pits. Jake had enemies, and now they're coming after Charlie. His uncle might have been a stand-up, old-fashioned kind of villain, but these are the real thing: rich, soulless predators backed by multinational corporations and venture capital.
It's up to Charlie to win the war his uncle started against a league of supervillains. But with unionized dolphins, hyperintelligent talking spy cats, and a terrifying henchperson at his side, going bad is starting to look pretty good.
In a dog-eat-dog world...be a cat.
The writing style is set up like a memoir. A day in the life of the main character Charlie. His life is mundane, nothing out of the ordinary, but after a series of odd events happen, Charlie is thrown into the belly of the beast as a starter villain.
My favorite scene and the moment when I realized I wasn't actually reading a memoir, was when the cat started typing on the computer to communicate. This came as a shock to me as I hadn't refreshed my memory on what the book was about before I started reading. Imagine a typical biography and bam! The cat has its own safe house.
Title: Starter Villain
By: John Scalzi
Genre: Scifi
Pages: 264
Release Date: September 19th, 2023
Publisher: Tor Books
Rating: ★★★★★
Summary from Goodreads:Inheriting your uncle's supervillain business is more complicated than you might think. Particularly when you discover who's running the place.
Charlie's life is going nowhere fast. A divorced substitute teacher living with his cat in a house his siblings want to sell, all he wants is to open a pub downtown, if only the bank will approve his loan.
Then his long-lost uncle Jake dies and leaves his supervillain business (complete with island volcano lair) to Charlie.
But becoming a supervillain isn't all giant laser death rays and lava pits. Jake had enemies, and now they're coming after Charlie. His uncle might have been a stand-up, old-fashioned kind of villain, but these are the real thing: rich, soulless predators backed by multinational corporations and venture capital.
It's up to Charlie to win the war his uncle started against a league of supervillains. But with unionized dolphins, hyperintelligent talking spy cats, and a terrifying henchperson at his side, going bad is starting to look pretty good.
In a dog-eat-dog world...be a cat.
The writing style is set up like a memoir. A day in the life of the main character Charlie. His life is mundane, nothing out of the ordinary, but after a series of odd events happen, Charlie is thrown into the belly of the beast as a starter villain.
My favorite scene and the moment when I realized I wasn't actually reading a memoir, was when the cat started typing on the computer to communicate. This came as a shock to me as I hadn't refreshed my memory on what the book was about before I started reading. Imagine a typical biography and bam! The cat has its own safe house.
Favorite Quote:
“Did you train that cat to attack people?” Jacobs asked. “No,” I said. “She’s just a good judge of character.”
This book receives a 5 out of 5 stars from me. I LOVED IT! Entertaining from start to finish with so many twists and turns it left my head spinning, but in a great way. A must read for scifi readers.
December 11, 2023
Weekly Menu #535 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.Here's a reminder that you only have 14 days until Christmas. Get that shopping done, menu's finalized and then rest until the big day.
This weeks read is Fall of Ruin and Wrath by Jennifer L Armentrout. I love this author's style of writing, so this read should be great. Can't wait to start it.
Lets get to this weeks menu. Enjoy!
WEEKLY MENU
Monday
Kids - Chicken and Rice
Tuesday
Kids - Mac and Cheese
Wednesday
Kids - Grilled Cheese
Thursday
Kids - Chicken With Ketchup and Green beans
Friday
Kids - Chicken and Soup
Saturday
Sunday
Family Dinner
December 10, 2023
Sunday Confessions #228
Hello Sunday! Welcome back to my weekly confessions where I recap everything that's been happening on the blog in the last week.
Sunday Confessions #227~
Weekly Menu #534 And The Book Of The Week~Book Review: Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra~November 2023 Wrap Up~Book Review: The Ickabog by J.K. Rowling
Weekly Menu #535 And The Book Of The Week~Book Review: Starter Villain by John Scalzi~Book Review: Calamity by Constance Fay~Sunday Confessions #229
Three recipes stood out on last week menu found here.Pork Schnitzel and Mashed PotatoesChicken SouvlakiHomemade Sausage Stuffing
After the last Indiana Jones movie, I was reluctant to watch this final installment, but I was pleased at the end. Wrapped up nicely.
Chicken Mexican Haystacks from Together as Family~Some really cool pants you can buy me. Almost half off right now on SooLinen.~Easy no bake Eggnog Pie from Love from the Oven. I need to make this.
131/100 2023 Reading Challenge~58/196 in my Star Wars Legends challenge~70/341 Gilmore Girls challenge~87/100 in my 100 books before you die challenge
We've had a great week. Here's to another one. Happy reading, friends!
December 8, 2023
Book Review: The Ickabog by J.K. Rowling
My book review of The Ickabog by J.K. Rowling.
But even in this happy kingdom, a monster lurks. Legend tells of a fearsome creature living far to the north in the Marshlands... the Ickabog. Some say it breathes fire, spits poison, and roars through the mist as it carries off wayward sheep and children alike. Some say it's just a myth...
And when that myth takes on a life of its own, casting a shadow over the kingdom, two children — best friends Bert and Daisy — embark on a great adventure to untangle the truth and find out where the real monster lies, bringing hope and happiness to Cornucopia once more.
Now, before you all come at me, let me explain. The story of Harry Potter is wonderfully thought up, but its the execution of it. It was all very longwinded. Now with that being said, this book was far more refined and thought provoking.
The story of the Ickabog is a fun adventure with keynotes of morality. It was a nice 180 from what I'm used to with this author.
Title: The Ickabog
By: J.K. Rowling
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 304
Release Date: November 10th, 2020
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Rating: ★★★★☆
Summary from Goodreads:Once upon a time there was a tiny kingdom called Cornucopia, as rich in happiness as it was in gold, and famous for its food. From the delicate cream cheeses of Kurdsburg to the Hopes-of-Heaven pastries of Chouxville, each was so delicious that people wept with joy as they ate them.
But even in this happy kingdom, a monster lurks. Legend tells of a fearsome creature living far to the north in the Marshlands... the Ickabog. Some say it breathes fire, spits poison, and roars through the mist as it carries off wayward sheep and children alike. Some say it's just a myth...
And when that myth takes on a life of its own, casting a shadow over the kingdom, two children — best friends Bert and Daisy — embark on a great adventure to untangle the truth and find out where the real monster lies, bringing hope and happiness to Cornucopia once more.
Now, before you all come at me, let me explain. The story of Harry Potter is wonderfully thought up, but its the execution of it. It was all very longwinded. Now with that being said, this book was far more refined and thought provoking.
The story of the Ickabog is a fun adventure with keynotes of morality. It was a nice 180 from what I'm used to with this author.
Favorite Quote:
“Tears can heal a mind, as well as laughter.”This book received 4 out of 5 stars for me. I'm not going to lie, I really enjoyed this read. It was fun and exciting. I think my kids would love this book.
December 7, 2023
November 2023 Wrap Up
Welcome to the November book wrap up. We are so close to the end of the year. I'm finished with my goal of 100 books read this year and I've made some amazing headway on my other reading challenges. How have your goals gone this year?
Lets recap the great reads that have graced the blog in November.
Watership DownRichard AdamsSet in England's Downs, a once idyllic rural landscape, this stirring tale of adventure, courage and survival follows a band of very special creatures on their flight from the intrusion of man and the certain destruction of their home. Led by a stouthearted pair of friends, they journey forth from their native Sandleford Warren through the harrowing trials posed by predators and adversaries, to a mysterious promised land and a more perfect society.
Making It So: A MemoirPatrick StewartFrom his acclaimed stage triumphs to his legendary onscreen work in the Star Trek and X-Men franchises, Sir Patrick Stewart has captivated audiences around the world and across multiple generations with his indelible command of stage and screen. Now, he presents his long-awaited memoir, Making It So , a revealing portrait of an artist whose astonishing life—from his humble beginnings in Yorkshire, England, to the heights of Hollywood and worldwide acclaim—proves a story as exuberant, definitive, and enduring as the author himself.
Starter VillainJohn ScalziInheriting your uncle's supervillain business is more complicated than you might think. Particularly when you discover who's running the place.
Charlie's life is going nowhere fast. A divorced substitute teacher living with his cat in a house his siblings want to sell, all he wants is to open a pub downtown, if only the bank will approve his loan.
Then his long-lost uncle Jake dies and leaves his supervillain business (complete with island volcano lair) to Charlie.
But becoming a supervillain isn't all giant laser death rays and lava pits. Jake had enemies, and now they're coming after Charlie. His uncle might have been a stand-up, old-fashioned kind of villain, but these are the real thing: rich, soulless predators backed by multinational corporations and venture capital.
It's up to Charlie to win the war his uncle started against a league of supervillains. But with unionized dolphins, hyperintelligent talking spy cats, and a terrifying henchperson at his side, going bad is starting to look pretty good.
In a dog-eat-dog world...be a cat.
131/100 2023 Reading Challenge~58/196 in my Star Wars Legends challenge~70/341 Gilmore Girls challenge~87/100 in my 100 books before you die challenge
10 Books in November. Not too shabby.I think my favorite book last month was Making It So by Patrick Stewart. I'm a huge Star Trek fan and it was really fun to read about someone I used to watch on TV as a child.
What was your favorite read last month? Leave me a comment below.
December 6, 2023
Book Review: Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
My book review of Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes.
Don Quixote is a well read man who's mind has twisted those stories into reality. Because of this, Quixote and his ever faithful companion, Sancho Panza go on many hilarious adventures.
I gave this classic book 4 out of 5 stars. A wonderful read.
Title: Don Quixote
By: Miguel de Cervantes
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 1023
Release Date: January 1st, 1605
Publisher: Penguin Books
Rating: ★★★★☆
Summary from Goodreads:Don Quixote has become so entranced by reading chivalric romances that he determines to become a knight-errant himself. In the company of his faithful squire, Sancho Panza, his exploits blossom in all sorts of wonderful ways. While Quixote's fancy often leads him astray—he tilts at windmills, imagining them to be giants—Sancho acquires cunning and a certain sagacity. Sane madman and wise fool, they roam the world together, and together they have haunted readers' imaginations for nearly four hundred years.
Don Quixote is a well read man who's mind has twisted those stories into reality. Because of this, Quixote and his ever faithful companion, Sancho Panza go on many hilarious adventures.
Favorite Quote:
“To dream the impossible dream, that is my quest.”I gave this classic book 4 out of 5 stars. A wonderful read.
December 4, 2023
Weekly Menu #534 And The Book Of The Week
Hello Monday. Welcome back to the weekly menu where I share all the delicious recipes we will be making this week.I managed to read a few books last week. Between Doctors appointments, taking the kids to school and work, my book count is 3. One of those books was a hefty 648 pager that took me several days to finish. I'm finally making headway on those backed up reads I've had hanging out for a while.
This weeks read is The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden. Arden is one of my favorite authors and I'm excited to dive into this one. Come back to see the review.
Well, lets get to the weekly menu. Enjoy!WEEKLY MENU
Monday
Crockpot Chicken Parmesan Soup
Kids - Nutritional Yeast Chicken Noodle Soup
Tuesday
Kids - Chicken Tenders and Rice
Wednesday
Kids - Refried Bean Tacos
Thursday
Kids - Cheesy Orzo
Friday
Trejo's Grilled Chicken Tacos
Pg 94 of Trejo's Tacos
Kids - Cheese Quesadillas
Saturday
Kids - Bacon Grilled Cheese
Sunday
Leftovers Night
