Sarai Henderson's Blog, page 70
June 7, 2023
Book Review: The Porcelain Maker by Sarah Freethy
Title: The Porcelain Maker
By: Sarah Freethy
Genre: Historical
Pages: 384
Release Date: November 7th, 2023
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Rating: ★★★★☆
Summary from Goodreads:Two lovers caught at the crossroads of history.A daughter's search for the truth.
Germany, 1929: Under the dazzling lights of Berlin, two people are drawn together: Max, a Jewish architect, and Bettina, a beautiful and celebrated German avant-garde artist. But their bright beginning is soon dimmed by the rising threat of Nazism. In time, Max is arrested and sent to the concentration camp at Dachau where only his talent at making exquisite porcelain figures stands between him and death. Everything Bettina has done up until now has been meticulously planned to try to save Max. She would rather die than live another moment without him—but can one moment last a lifetime?
America, 1993. Bettina’s daughter Clara embarks on a journey to trace her roots and discover the identity of her father, a secret her mother has kept from her for reasons she’s never understood. As Clara starts piecing the puzzle together, we are transported back in time, where life is lived on a razor’s edge, and deception and death lurk around every corner.
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Review:They get me every time! Historical fiction happens to be a weakness of mine. The deep inspiring stories of love withstanding war touch me down to my soul. This story didn't disappoint.There were a lot of memorable characters throughout this story. Max, with his sweet demeanor and determination. Bettina and her strong will to do whatever she needed to do to keep her daughter safe, and Clara, desperate to find the father she never knew. These people were the driving force of this story.
There was a point in the book when Bettina and Max find themselves making art again, but under the cover of war. One is a prisoner and the other a wife of a German officer. If anyone found out about their past, everything would fall apart, but still... They kept seeing each other, unable to let go. It was beautiful.
Favorite Quote:“Max?”He looked back.“Please don’t lose hope, you found each other once before.”“I wish I could believe you,"
I rated this book 4 out of 5 stars. It was a wonderful read with all the pain and true love a WW2 story should have. There were tears and joy, but ultimately heartache. If you only read one historical fiction this year, let it be The Porcelain Maker by Sarah Freethy. Can you believe this is her debut novel? I sure can't.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
June 6, 2023
May 2023 Wrap up
Well, May is over and what a month it was. The sun is finally out and my family is on the move. We had a wonderful month exploring our beautiful state of Oregon and spending time outside of these four walls we call home. Loved it.
Lets recap the last month.
Mothers Who Can't Love: A Healing Guide for DaughtersSusan Forward, Donna FrazierWith Mothers Who Can't Love: A Healing Guide for Daughters, Susan Forward, Ph.D., author of the smash #1 bestseller Toxic Parents, offers a powerful look at the devastating impact unloving mothers have on their daughters—and provides clear, effective techniques for overcoming that painful legacy.In more than 35 years as a therapist, Forward has worked with large numbers of women struggling to escape the emotional damage inflicted by the women who raised them. Subjected to years of criticism, competition, role-reversal, smothering control, emotional neglect and abuse, these women are plagued by anxiety and depression, relationship problems, lack of confidence and difficulties with trust. They doubt their worth, and even their ability to love.
Forward examines the Narcissistic Mother, the Competitive Mother, the Overly Enmeshed mother, the Control Freak, Mothers who need Mothering, and mothers who abuse or fail to protect their daughters from abuse.
Filled with compelling case histories, Mothers Who Can’t Love outlines the self-help techniques Forward has developed to transform the lives of her clients, showing women how to overcome the pain of childhood and how to act in their own best interests.
Warm and compassionate, Mothers Who Can’t Love offers daughters the emotional support and tools they need to heal themselves and rebuild their confidence and self-respect.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves: The Road to NeverwinterJaleigh JohnsonEvery adventuring party has a starting quest. Join Edgin Darvis and his team of heroic (well, occasionally heroic) heisters in this official prequel to the film Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.A thrilling original novel, set before the events of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.
48/100 2023 Reading Challenge~51/196 in my Star Wars Legends challenge~58/341 Gilmore Girls challenge~59/100 in my 100 books before you die challenge
May was a great month with some awesome reads. Hoping for another wonderful reading experience this month. Happy reading!
June 5, 2023
Weekly Menu #509 And The Book Of The Week
Hello Monday!I think I over worked myself this weekend, lol. There are too many projects I've been waiting to do, and now that the driveway is done, I'm diving in head first. Yesterday, we worked more on our dry creek bed in the front yard. Not only does it look really cool with rainbow rocks that change color when they are wet, but it keeps the rain from pooling in the front yard, and making a mud puddle. Dual use. Maybe next week we will finish up the outdoor dinning area...
This weeks read is Honor Among Thieves: The Druid's Call by E.K. Johnston. I really enjoyed the other prequel to the movie that I finished last week, and E.K. Johnston has written some of my favorite Star Wars books. Its a win win.
Lets get to this weeks menu. Enjoy!
WEEKLY MENU
Monday
Baked Chicken Ricotta Meatballs
Kids - Mac and Cheese
Tuesday
Kids - Grilled Cheese
Wednesday
Kids - Cheese Quesadillas
Thursday
Kids - Chicken and Fruit Salad
Friday
Kids - Chicken Ramen
Saturday
Roasted Drumsticks with Tomatoes
Kids - English Muffin Pizzas
Sunday
Leftovers Night
June 4, 2023
Sunday Confessions #202
Hello Sunday!
We had some ups and downs last week on our trip to the Oregon coast. That's to be excepted with autistic kids. Some of them loved the train ride and others didn't. I thought it was pretty cool, but the town it dropped us off in for a two our layover before we rode the train back was stupid. There wasn't a single trinket shop or kid friendly restaurant in sight. We ended up going to Dairy Queen, which we can do at home and then found a pier to go out on to see the bay. It was a bust, but now we know.
If you want to see the highlights from our trip, check out my Instagram.
Sunday Confessions #201~Weekly Menu #508 And The Book Of The Week~Series Review: 1883~Book Review: No Perfect Places by Steven Salvatore~Book Review: An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce
Weekly Menu #509 And The Book Of The Week~May 2023 Wrap up~Book Review: The Percaline Maker by Sarah Freethy~Book Review: These Hollow Vows by Lexi Ryan~
Sunday Confessions #203
Whatever it takes - Imagine Dragons
Happy for the new seasons of Expedition Unknown and Master Chef. Also looking forward to see what Future Food Stars has to offer.
47/100 2023 Reading Challenge~51/196 in my Star Wars Legends challenge~58/341 Gilmore Girls challenge~59/100 in my 100 books before you die challenge
Another great week on the blog. hope to see you back soon. Happy reading.
June 3, 2023
Book Review: An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce
Title: An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
By: Ambrose Bierce
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 36
Release Date: January 1st, 1890
Publisher: St. Petersburg
Rating: ★★★★☆
Summary from Goodreads:The condemned man stands on a bridge, his hands bound behind his back. A noose is tied around his neck. In a moment he will meet his fate: DEATH BY HANGING. There is no escape. Or is there? Find out in . . . An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.
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Review:In the blink of any eye... This story unfolds in a flash. What could happen, or not happen within the seconds before death.I could almost feel the deep breaths of the main character Peyton Farquhar as the rope was lowered over his head. The panic and the desperation. It sucked me into this mans story.
Most the action took place on or near the bridge, painting a picture of rushing water below and the wild sound of a roaring tyrant lapping at the rocks. It was easy to picture the scene unfolding in my mind. It wasn't until the end that I realized not all was as it seems. And BOOM! Just like that, the story ended.
Favorite Quote:
“Death is a dignitary who when he comes announced is to be received with formal manifestations of respect, even by those most familiar with him. In the code of military etiquette silence and fixity are forms of deference.”
I gave this read a 4 out of 5 stars for that rousing ending. I'm not going to give away the surprise, but just know this short book is worth the read for that twist.
June 2, 2023
Book Review: No Perfect Places by Steven Salvatore
Title: No Perfect Places
By: Steven Salvatore
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 384
Release Date: May 30th, 2023
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Summary from Goodreads:From lauded author Steven Salvatore comes a YA about twins whose incarcerated father dies and leaves behind a life-changing secret.
When their father was imprisoned for embezzlement, twins Alex and Olly Brucke lost everything except their strong bond with each other. But after their dad dies unexpectedly, the twins start to fracture. Alex is spiraling, skipping classes to get drunk or high. Olly is struggling with a secret his dad ordered him to keep: they have a secret half-brother, Tyler.
So when Tyler shows up in their lakeside town for the summer, hoping to get to know his siblings, Olly hides the truth from Alex. But as Alex and Tyler start to form a friendship, the lies become harder to juggle. If they can’t confront their father’s past and fix their relationship, Olly and Alex each risk losing two siblings forever.
A thought-provoking novel about grief, family secrets, and figuring out how to belong against the odds.
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Review:Frustrating and half baked. This book kept my fight or flight mode on high alert throughout the whole story, making me feel burnt out and disconnected before the story was even over.Each character had their own issues and for the most part, they were fairly relatable issues, but where the daunting feelings came from was the consistent bickering and fighting between the twins that circled around and around until I was dizzy. The most of it came from Alex. She consistently did the wrong thing, seemingly on purpose and for no reason. I found it really hard to even care about her character and struggled with hoping she was ok in the end and wanting her to disappear all together.
My favorite scene was where Olly is taking to his dad in prison. This was the first time we met these characters and it set the tone for the story. It also made me realize how fractured Olly and Alex were already.
Favorite Quote:
"I exhale. “Where do I begin?”" This is the final line of the book. Very powerful.
This book was a 3 star for me. The frustration with the characters was too much for me and took away from the story that was struggling to unfold.
After reading so many other reviews of this book, I realize I'm in the minority here and although this author seems to have a large following of dedicated readers, this read didn't really do it for me. Not to say I wouldn't try reading another book by Salvatore in the future.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
June 1, 2023
Series Review: 1883
Title: 1883
Genre: Historical
Release Date: December 19th, 2021
My Rating: ★★★★☆
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
Cast: , , ,
Watch On: Paramount +
Summary from IMDB: Follows the Dutton family as they embark on a journey west.
Review:This review almost didn't happen.
Like so many people who have been invested in the Dutton story from the very beginning, we longed to know where the whole saga began. My husband and I tuned into the first episode the day it was release last December. We quickly found out after two or three episodes the dark cloud that hung over the story content and slow paced story telling was far to draining for us. We quickly abandoned the show and moved on to brighter pastures.
It wasn't until today how much I realized how deep this story cut through my soul. Watching a young woman, tear down the walls of society, embracing rebellion and purpose of self. Falling in love, probably too many times in a short six months, and facing death head on. Elsa was the driving character in this show.
Favorite Quote:
"I know death now. I've seen it. It had no fangs. It smiled at me, and it was beautiful."
The reason I gave this show 4 out of 5 stars was the slow pacing at the beginning.
Bring the tissue. I write this review with tears rolling down my cheeks, grieving for a fictional character who feels as real to me as my own family. I don't know when and where she changed my mind, but I draw strength from her.
May 29, 2023
Weekly Menu #508 And The Book Of The Week
Hello Monday! Happy Memorial Day.I hope you are outside on this glorious three day weekend, soaking up the sun and doing something fun. My family had an amazing trip yesterday to the Oregon coast. We rode the train and I'm pretty sure most the kids liked it. My oldest actually fell asleep on the ride back, which is not like him, but I will take that as a win. Lulled to sleep by a rickety old train car bouncing side to side. Sounds terrible, lol. Catch up on the sights of the Oregon coast on my Instagram. Link on the right side bar.
This weeks book is The Porcelain Maker by Sarah Freethy. This book sounds interesting and I can't wait to see what it has to offer. What book are you reading this week?
Lets get to this weeks menu. Enjoy!
WEEKLY MENU
Monday
Kids - Beef Ramen
Tuesday
Kids - Cheese Quesadillas
Wednesday
Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Peppers
Kids - Grilled Cheese
Thursday
Sheet Pan Italian Sausage Heros
Kids - Chicken Tender Dogs
Friday
Kids - Chicken Nugget Salad
Saturday
Kids - Fruit Salad
Sunday
Leftovers Night
May 28, 2023
Sunday Confessions #201
Hello Sunday!
What a weekend. My husband and I ran our butts off all all weekend and we are exhausted, but our outdoor dinning area is finally started. We ran into a slight issue while putting the posts for the walls in, but after some creative thinking, and a purposefully crooked wall, issue is fixed.
Keep up with our build on my Instagram. Link on the right.
Sunday Confessions #200~Weekly Menu #507 And The Book Of The Week~Book Review: Dracula By Bram Stoker~Book Review: Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
Weekly Menu #508 And The Book Of The Week~Book Review: No Perfect Places by Steven Salvatore~Book Review: An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce~Sunday Confessions #202
One of my favorite recipes is smothered Fritos bowls. Its like ground beef tacos on a bed of crunchy Fritos chips.Its salty and flavorful. A wonderful dinner.
The Morbid podcast is doing a deep five part dive into H.H. Holms that I'm totally here for. Obsessed!
I also purchased the entire Church of Scars album by Bishop Briggs. Absolutely wonderful.
Down to the last episode of 1883. I would have finished it today, but my children had other ideas.~You really need to watch Rainn Wilson and the Geography of Bliss. He takes a wild tour of some of the worlds happiest and not so happy places. Its just hilarious and thought provoking.
42/100 2023 Reading Challenge~51/196 in my Star Wars Legends challenge~58/341 Gilmore Girls challenge~59/100 in my 100 books before you die challenge
It was a wonderful and exhausting week both at home and on the blog, but so worth it. Can't wait for next week. Happy reading.
May 26, 2023
Book Review: Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
Title: Ugly Love
By: Colleen Hoover
Genre: Romance
Pages: 333
Release Date: August 5th, 2014
Publisher: Atria Books
Rating: ★★★★☆
Summary from Goodreads:When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she knows it isn’t love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her.
Never ask about the past.Don’t expect a future.
They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can’t handle it at all.
Hearts get infiltrated.Promises get broken.Rules get shattered.Love gets ugly.
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Review:This story was raw and emotional.Although the entertainment aspect of this read was through the charts, I found it hard to push through. The storyline was a bit rough for my taste with too many secrets and not enough of a slow drip of info to keep me wondering. Still, I found myself drawn to Miles and Tate, hoping they would push through their troubles and finally find solace in each others arms.
I find it hard to pick one character that I was attached to more than the others. Miles and Tate were great although Miles really needed to let go of his past and Tate needed to be more real with herself. Her brother, Corbin gave me an overly buff jock kind of vibe, which I'm not sure I'm into, but it was sweet the way he took care of his sister... I guess...
My favorite scene was the very first time we met Miles, drunk in the hallway. There was something about the way he interacted with Tate from the beginning that made me have a soft spot for Miles.
Favorite Quote:
"When life gives you lemons, make sure you know whose eyes you need to squeeze them in.”
My rating for this book was 4 out of 5 stars. This might be a bit of a stretch for me as the story didn't progress past "sexy time" until the very end of the book, but it was eye catching.
Would definitely recommend this book to smut enthusiasts as the romance scenes were extraordinarily graphic and spine tingling.
