Sarai Henderson's Blog, page 63

Book Review: The Storm Sister by Lucinda Riley

 My review on The Storm Sister by Lucinda Riley.

Title: Storm Sister

By: Lucinda Riley

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 720

Release Date: October 20th, 2015

Publisher: Pan

Rating: ★★★★☆

 

Summary from Goodreads:Following the bestselling The Seven Sisters , The Storm Sister is the second book in Lucinda Riley's spellbinding series based loosely on the mythology surrounding the famous star constellation. Ally D'Aplièse is about to compete in one of the world's most perilous yacht races, when she hears the news of her adoptive father's sudden, mysterious death. Rushing back to meet her five sisters at their family home, she discovers that her father – an elusive billionaire affectionately known to his daughters as Pa Salt – has left each of them a tantalizing clue to their true heritage. Ally has also recently embarked on a deeply passionate love affair that will change her destiny forever. But with her life now turned upside down, Ally decides to leave the open seas and follow the trail that her father left her, which leads her to the icy beauty of Norway . . . There, Ally begins to discover her roots – and how her story is inextricably bound to that of a young unknown singer, Anna Landvik, who lived there over a hundred years before, and sang in the first performance of Grieg's iconic music set to Ibsen's play 'Peer Gynt'. As Ally learns more about Anna, she also begins to question who her father, Pa Salt, really was. And why is the seventh sister missing?

 

Add on Goodreads

 

Review:There is so much I have to unpack with this book.
I picked up this book after I saw Pink reading it on her Instagram. Yes, I'm that kind of girl. If its good enough for Pink, its good enough for me. No one told me there would be 3 books all wrapped up under one cover.
The story starts off with the death of the beloved father who leaves his 6 daughters clues to who they really are. I was thinking this was going to be a really cool mystery story with lots of twists and turns, but that's not what I found.
Ally goes through more tragedy with the loss of her fiancé, and during that time, she realizes the only thing she has left is the search for her birth parents. During her search she comes across an old book telling the story of a farm girl with a beautiful voice that has the amazing opportunity to sing in the big city. Here is where I have the issue.
This story of the poor farm girl comes in the form of another book inside the book I was already reading. After reorienting myself to this historical fiction I was now reading, the book cuts off toward the end when the story climaxes just because the main character from the first book, Ally decided to skim over the rest of it... I was sooo invested in this new story, I wanted closure. Didn't get it. Just a vague explanation of what might have happened.
As the first story picks up, Ally finds out more info about her family and is given a second story, more recent, but still historical and she begins to read it throwing me into another book that I didn't agree to read, but have to. Does the author finish this story? Hell no! She leaves me hanging again.
Although the main story wraps up nicely with the promise of another book around the corner and another sisters story, I still don't have the answers I absolutely need to complete this trilogy.
I only gave this book 4 stars since I was invested from the very beginning, but I really wanted to give it 2 stars for pissing me off and leavening me hanging. I'd love to hear what Pink thought of the book.

Reading through the Star Wars Universe Part 9

 

I've read a lot of Star Wars books lately since I'm in a really familiar part of the storyline and I'm absolutely enthralled.
I've picked up the trail of Han Solo at the beginning of his story and have taken a deep dive into Thrawn which has been great since the Ahsoka show is out and they are hunting Thrawn.
Lets check out the next 5 books in the Star Wars universe in part 9 of my reading challenge.
My Rating: ★★★★☆
Tarkin
James Luceno"Of power, I could tell you much. One must seize the moment, and strike." --Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin
He’s the scion of an honorable and revered family. A dedicated soldier and distinguished legislator. Loyal proponent of the Republic and trusted ally of the Jedi Order. Groomed by the ruthless politician and Sith Lord who would be Emperor, Governor Wilhuff Tarkin rises through the Imperial ranks, enforcing his authority ever more mercilessly . . . and zealously pursuing his destiny as the architect of absolute dominion.

Rule through the fear of force rather than force itself, he advises his Emperor. Under Tarkin’s guidance, an ultimate weapon of unparalleled destruction moves ever closer to becoming a terrifying reality. When the so-called Death Star is completed, Tarkin is confident that the galaxy’s lingering pockets of Separatist rebellion will be brought to heel—by intimidation or annihilation.

Until then, however, insurgency remains a genuine threat. Escalating guerrilla attacks by resistance forces and newfound evidence of a growing Separatist conspiracy are an immediate danger the Empire must meet with swift and brutal action. And to bring down a band of elusive freedom fighters, the Emperor turns to his most formidable agents: Darth Vader, the fearsome new Sith enforcer as remorseless as he is mysterious, and Tarkin—whose tactical cunning and cold-blooded efficiency will pave the way for the Empire’s supremacy . . . and its enemies’ extinction.

Contains a brief excerpt from "Star Wars: Heir to the Jedi" by Kevin Hearne.
My Rating: ★★★★☆Chaos Rising
Timothy ZahnDiscover Thrawn’s origins within the Chiss Ascendancy in the first book in an epic new Star Wars trilogy from bestselling author Timothy Zahn.
Beyond the edge of the galaxy lies the Unknown Regions: chaotic, uncharted, and near impassable, with hidden secrets and dangers in equal measure. And nestled within its swirling chaos is the Ascendancy, home to the enigmatic Chiss and the Nine Ruling Families that lead them.

The peace of the Ascendancy, a beacon of calm and stability, is shattered after a daring attack on the Chiss capital that leaves no trace of the enemy. Baffled, the Ascendancy dispatches one of its brightest young military officers to root out the unseen assailants. A recruit born of no title, but adopted into the powerful family of the Mitth and given the name Thrawn.

With the might of the Expansionary Fleet at his back, and the aid of his comrade Admiral Ar’alani, answers begin to fall into place. But as Thrawn’s first command probes deeper into the vast stretch of space his people call the Chaos, he realizes that the mission he has been given is not what it seems.

And the threat to the Ascendancy is only just beginning.
My Rating: ★★★★☆
Queen's Hope
E.K. JohnstonSearching for hope in a galaxy at war . . .
Padmé Amidala is a former queen, a current senator—and a new wife. But her marriage to Anakin Skywalker must remain a secret, since Jedi are not allowed to marry. And unfortunately for the newlyweds, they are rarely together, with Anakin on the front lines of the Clone War and Padmé fighting her own battle for peace in the Galactic Senate.
Former handmaiden Sabé has returned to Tatooine to once again try to free the people enslaved there, but Padmé summons her to Coruscant with an urgent request. Padmé has to leave on a mission of utmost importance, and no one can know she's gone. Sabé is the only one who can convincingly take her place in the Senate for a long period of time.
Sabé agrees, and her decision sets both women on a course that will force her to examine who they are, who they are not, and who they cannot be—and will forever change their futures.
My Rating: ★★★☆☆
Greater Good
Timothy ZahnThrawn and his allies race to save the Chiss Ascendancy from an unseen enemy in the second book in the epic Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy trilogy from best-selling author Timothy Zahn.
Thrawn's latest triumph still rests newly on his shoulders. Despite leading the Chiss to victory and bringing glory to the House of Mitth, the true threat to the Ascendancy has not yet been extinguished. Their foes do not send threats or ultimatums, or mass ships on the edge of the Chaos. Their weapons come cloaked in smiles and generosity: gifts offered freely. Services granted unconditionally.
Across the Ascendancy, seemingly inconsequential events could herald the doom of the Chiss. As Thrawn and the Expansionary Defense Fleet rally to uncover the enemy plot, they discover a chilling truth: rather than invade Chiss capitals or pillage their resources, they strike at the very foundation of the Ascendancy, seeking to widen the rifts between the Nine Ruling Families and the Forty Great Houses below. As rivalry and suspicion sow discord among allies, each warrior must decide what matters most to them: the security of their family, or the survival of the Ascendancy itself.
My Rating: ★★★☆☆
Lesser Evil
Timothy ZahnThe fate of the Chiss Ascendancy hangs in the balance in the epic finale of the Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy trilogy from bestselling author Timothy Zahn.

For thousands of years The Chiss Ascendancy has been an island of calm, a center of power, and a beacon of integrity. Led by the Nine Ruling Families, their leadership stands as a bulwark of stability against the Chaos of the Unknown Regions.

But that stability has been eroded by a cunning foe that winnows away trust and loyalty in equal measure. Bonds of fidelity have given way to lines of division among the families. Despite the efforts of the Expansionary Defense Fleet, the Ascendancy slips closer and closer toward civil war.

The Chiss are no strangers to war. Their mythic status in the Chaos was earned through conflict and terrible deeds, some long buried. Until now. To ensure the Ascendancy's future, Thrawn will delve deep into its past, uncovering the dark secrets surrounding the ascension of the First Ruling Family. But the truth of a family's legacy is only as strong as the legend that supports it. Even if that legend turns out to be a lie.

To secure the salvation of the Ascendancy, is Thrawn willing to sacrifice everything? Including the only home he has ever known?

Book Review: Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison

My book review on Rachel Harrison's new book, Black Sheep.

Title: Black Sheep

By: Rachel Harrison

Genre: Horror

Pages: 336

Release Date: September 12, 2023

Publisher: Berkley

Rating: ★★★★★

 

Summary from Goodreads:A cynical twentysomething must confront her unconventional family’s dark secrets in this fiery, irreverent horror novel from the author of Such Sharp Teeth and Cackle.
Nobody has a “normal” family, but Vesper Wright’s is truly...something else. Vesper left home at eighteen and never looked back—mostly because she was told that leaving the staunchly religious community she grew up in meant she couldn’t return. But then an envelope arrives on her doorstep.
Inside is an invitation to the wedding of Vesper’s beloved cousin Rosie. It’s to be hosted at the family farm. Have they made an exception to the rule? It wouldn’t be the first time Vesper’s been given special treatment. Is the invite a sweet gesture? An olive branch? A trap? Doesn’t matter. Something inside her insists she go to the wedding. Even if it means returning to the toxic environment she escaped. Even if it means reuniting with her mother, Constance, a former horror film star and forever ice queen.
When Vesper’s homecoming exhumes a terrifying secret, she’s forced to reckon with her family’s beliefs and her own crisis of faith in this deliciously sinister novel that explores the way family ties can bind us as we struggle to find our place in the world.

 

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Review:Can we just start off by saying how much I absolutely love this book.
I don't generally read horror books since I don't usually find them scary and all the books that have been recommended to me have been predictable, but this book threw me for a loop right off the bat.
Right off the back, Vesper alludes to her strange upbringing. We quickly find out she was in a cult as a child and once she left, she was forbidden to ever go back. After receiving an invitation to her best friend and cousins wedding, she decides to go home for the sake of her cousin, but this is the start of some pretty crazy things.
I don't want to ruin the wonderful surprises between these covers, so I will leave it there, but trust me when I say, you will not believe what kind of cult this is.

Obviously, I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. It was one twist and turn after the next. A wonderfully sinister story that made my toes tingle with every evil page. Great read!

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

Weekly Menu #522 And The Book Of The Week

 

Hello Monday!

Welcome back to my weekly menu where I share the recipes that I will be preparing this week and the read that I will be focusing on.

Did anyone else have a rough first week of school? I know a lot of other school districts have been back to school for weeks, but Oregon City usually waits until Labor day. I kinda like it. It gives my kids one last holiday to look forward to before their schedule is flipped up side down. We made it though. We survived... Barely...

This weeks read is The Red Scholar's Wake by Aliette de Bodard. I'm about 15% of the way into it and I'm already hooked. Hoping the rest of the book keeps me interested. Make sure you come back later for my review.

Lets get to this weeks menu. Enjoy!

WEEKLY MENU

Monday

Mongolian Beef Noodles

Kids - Beef Ramen

 

Tuesday

Ground Beef Tacos

Kids - Cheesy Taco Sticks

 

Wednesday

Instant Pot French Dip

Kids - Grilled Cheese

 

Thursday

Feta and Spinach Chicken Patties

Kids - Chicken Nugget Salad

 

Friday

Chicken Schnitzel

Kids - Chicken and Biscuits

 

Saturday

Epic Beef Nachos

Kids - Nachos

 

Sunday

Work Picnic

Ramen Noodle Salad

Sunday Confessions #215

Hello Sunday! Welcome back to my confessions.
I confess, it has been a long week and I've taken on too may books to read, but I'm stubborn and ready to read like the wind. Here we go.

Sunday Confessions #214~
Weekly Menu #521 And The Book Of The Week~
August 2023 Wrap Up~Book Review: Mislaid in Parts Half-Known by Seanen McGuire~Recipe: Blackberry Oatmeal Cookies~
Book Review: Most Wanted by Rae Carson~Life Confessions: Post #9

Weekly Menu #522 And The Book Of The Week~
Book Review: Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison~
Reading through the Star Wars Universe Part 9~
Book Review: The Storm Sister by Lucinda Riley~Life Confessions: Post #10~
Sunday Confessions #216





I might have gone a little overboard with the amount of books I'm reading right now...


This show is not making me happy. You can't just change everything we love about the Wheel of Time and expect us to fall in line. Not cool Amazon!

86/100 2023 Reading Challenge~56/196 in my Star Wars Legends challenge~63/341 Gilmore Girls challenge~71/100 in my 100 books before you die challenge

What are you reading this week? leave me a comment.

Life Confessions: Post #9

 

The lifestyle of a PNW mom, avid reader, exballerina and food lover. 

It has been a long week. The boys are back to school and I'm trying to get used to our new schedule. It makes it harder since I don't have backup anymore with my husbands new work hours. I'm now the only ride they have to school in the morning, which is one after the other. 

I have a lot of photos of kittens this week since they are the only ones around right now. The long haired tabby disappeared for three weeks and then came back. She always does this. 
Made the boys funfetti pancakes for their last day of freedom before school. Of course, none of them wanted to eat them. Husband had a tall stack of sugar-loaded pancakes. Yum!
The crazy baby kitten rolled in her own puddle of pee and then sat in the water bowl... I don't know if she's smart or dumb. We shall see.
Had a wonderful dinner last week of Mongolian Beef. Super delicious.
Back to the grind. See you next week.

Book Review: Most Wanted by Rae Carson

 A book review on Star Wars Most Wanted by Rae Carson.

Title: Most Wanted

By: Rae Carson

Genre: SciFi

Pages: 348

Release Date: May 25th, 2018

Publisher: Disney Lucasfilm Press

Rating: ★★★★☆

 

Summary from Goodreads:Set before the events of Solo: A Star Wars Story! Han and Qi'ra don't have a lot in common other than not having a lot. They're street kids on the industrial planet Corellia, doing whatever it takes to get by, dreaming of something more. They each jump at a chance to prove themselves in the perilous world of Corellia's criminal underbelly, only to discover they are on the same mission for the same unscrupulous boss. When the job goes disastrously wrong, Han and Qi'ra are on the run--from pirates, a droid crime syndicate, the Empire, and their boss--and will have to learn to trust each other if they are going to survive.

 

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Review:Although this book is set before the Solo movie, from the opening scene, I really thought it was the movie book. I don't know if Rae Carson was trying to play off the fact that Han is always late to everything, so in this book he follows the same routine he always does, just like in the movie, or if this was just an oversight with a scene that is far to close to the movie.
Either way, I loved this story. It gives us back story into both Han and Qi'ra and how they fell in love, but also insight into why she fell away from Han after he left Corellia.
There was one thing that stuck out for me. From what I remember of the movie, Han didn't have a last name until he was forced to pick one when he signed up for the imperial military... This book references his last name "Solo" quite a bit.
Either way, I loved this read. It was exciting and quick paced.

Favorite Quote:

“When you had nothing, your secrets were everything.”

Recipe: Blackberry Oatmeal Cookies

 

OMG, check out these delicious oatmeal, blackberry and white chocolate cookies. 

These were so much fun to make and tasted super good. I used blackberries from my own back yard. They were sweat and fresh. It was wonderful.

Of course, the blackberries can be replaced with your favorite berry. I'm sure blueberry or raspberry would also be delicious.  

Course: Dessert

Servings: 2 dozen

Time to Make: 22 minutes

Ingredients:

1 Cup butter at room temperature

1 Cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 Cup white sugar

2 Eggs

2 tsp Vanilla extract

1 1/4 Cups flour (I used gluten free)

1/2 tsp Baking soda

1 tsp Salt

3 Cups quick oats

1 Cup white chocolate chips

1 Cup blackberries

Instructions:

1. Cream together the butter and sugars until smooth, then add in the eggs and vanilla, making sure you mix them all together well.

2. Mix in the dry ingredients. Flour, baking soda and quick oats.

3. Gently mix in the white chocolate pieces and blackberries, trying not to break them up. Although, if they are really ripe, they will probably do just that.

4. Use a cookie scoop or spoon to drop dough onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 12-13 minutes at 325 degrees.

5. Cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

6. Enjoy!

Book Review: Mislaid in Parts Half-Known by Seanen McGuire

 A book review on Seanan McGuire's new read, Mislaid In Parts Half-Known.

Title: Mislaid in Parts Half-Known

By: Seanan McGuire

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 160

Release Date: January 9th, 2024

Publisher: Tordotcom

Rating: ★★★★★

 

Summary from Goodreads:Dinosaurs and portals, and a girl who can find both in the latest book in the Hugo and Nebula Award-Winning series.
Antsy is the latest student to pass through the doors at Eleanor West's School for Wayward Children.

When her fellow students realize that Antsy's talent for finding absolutely anything may extend to doors, she's forced to flee in the company of a small group of friends, looking for a way back to the Shop Where the Lost Things Go to be sure that Vineta and Hudson are keeping their promise.

Along the way, temptations are dangled, decisions are reinforced, and a departure to a world populated by dinosaurs brings untold dangers and one or two other surprises!

A story that reminds us that finding what you want doesn't always mean finding what you need.

 

Add on Goodreads

 

Review:I love this series. Short and to the pain, Seanen McGuire can lay out a wonderful story in a short amount of time with just enough excitement to keep you reading. With every book, my understanding of the door system and magical creatures beyond widens. I absolutely love these worlds.
Antsy is back and in this new story, she plays a pivotal roll in helping those drawn to the doors. He character is wonderful and well written. I love reading about her.
I had to give this book 5 out of 5 stars. It only took me a few hours to get through and I did it in one sitting. We meet back up with some of our favorite characters from some wonderful worlds and I absolutely love it.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

August 2023 Wrap Up

 

Hello! Welcome back to the August wrap up.
August brought a lot of fun and with it, not as much time as I would have liked to read. I did manage 13 books last month. Not too shabby if I say so myself. 

Rebecca
Daphne du Maurier"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again..."
Ancient, beautiful Manderley, between the rose garden and the sea, is the county's showpiece. Rebecca made it so - even a year after her death, Rebecca's influence still rules there. How can Maxim de Winter's shy new bride ever fill her place or escape her vital shadow?
A shadow that grows longer and darker as the brief summer fades, until, in a moment of climatic revelations, it threatens to eclipse Manderley and its inhabitants completely...
The September HouseCarissa OrlandoA woman is determined to stay in her dream home even after it becomes a haunted nightmare in this compulsively readable, twisty, and layered debut novel.
When Margaret and her husband Hal bought the large Victorian house on Hawthorn Street—for sale at a surprisingly reasonable price—they couldn’t believe they finally had a home of their own. Then they discovered the hauntings. Every September, the walls drip blood. The ghosts of former inhabitants appear, and all of them are terrified of something that lurks in the basement. Most people would flee.
Margaret is not most people.

Margaret is staying. It’s her house. But after four years Hal can’t take it anymore, and he leaves abruptly. Now, he’s not returning calls, and their daughter Katherine—who knows nothing about the hauntings—arrives, intent on looking for her missing father. To make things worse, September has just begun, and with every attempt Margaret and Katherine make at finding Hal, the hauntings grow more harrowing, because there are some secrets the house needs to keep.
Black Sheep
Rachel Harrison
A cynical twentysomething must confront her unconventional family’s dark secrets in this fiery, irreverent horror novel from the author of Such Sharp Teeth and Cackle.
Nobody has a “normal” family, but Vesper Wright’s is truly...something else. Vesper left home at eighteen and never looked back—mostly because she was told that leaving the staunchly religious community she grew up in meant she couldn’t return. But then an envelope arrives on her doorstep.

Inside is an invitation to the wedding of Vesper’s beloved cousin Rosie. It’s to be hosted at the family farm. Have they made an exception to the rule? It wouldn’t be the first time Vesper’s been given special treatment. Is the invite a sweet gesture? An olive branch? A trap? Doesn’t matter. Something inside her insists she go to the wedding. Even if it means returning to the toxic environment she escaped. Even if it means reuniting with her mother, Constance, a former horror film star and forever ice queen.

When Vesper’s homecoming exhumes a terrifying secret, she’s forced to reckon with her family’s beliefs and her own crisis of faith in this deliciously sinister novel that explores the way family ties can bind us as we struggle to find our place in the world.
Mislaid in Parts Half-Known
Seanan McGuire
Dinosaurs and portals, and a girl who can find both in the latest book in the Hugo and Nebula Award-Winning series.
Antsy is the latest student to pass through the doors at Eleanor West's School for Wayward Children.

When her fellow students realize that Antsy's talent for finding absolutely anything may extend to doors, she's forced to flee in the company of a small group of friends, looking for a way back to the Shop Where the Lost Things Go to be sure that Vineta and Hudson are keeping their promise.

Along the way, temptations are dangled, decisions are reinforced, and a departure to a world populated by dinosaurs brings untold dangers and one or two other surprises!

A story that reminds us that finding what you want doesn't always mean finding what you need.







86/100 2023 Reading Challenge~56/196 in my Star Wars Legends challenge~63/341 Gilmore Girls challenge~71/100 in my 100 books before you die challenge

Another wonderful month. I'm looking forward to making more headway on my challenges, especially the 100 books before you die challenge. I want to get that one done since its the smallest.
Here's to a great September.