February challenge

[Sheila]

I just finished The Lost Wife by Alison Richman. What a beautiful story! It is a story of Terezin ghetto during WWII. Lenka is an artist who is sent there after Germany invades Czechoslovakia. Josef is her husband who left with his family to go to America. Lenka would not leave her family since Josef's family could not get visas for Lenka's family. The story is told between their two viewpoints. Lenka struggled more physically but both are scarred emotionally. Just beautifully told. Some of the characters in Lenka's tale were real people and Terezin and the art hidden or smuggled out was also true. Alison Richman brought that world to life. Keep a box of kleenex next to you when you read it.

[Kristy]

Thanks for the mystery recommendations Chuck i will check those out.



Read a hot cocoa cookbook this afternoon, but I lacked he motivation to get off the couch and make some. But it had a bunch of great ideas for gifts and unusual recipes. I'm thinking for my next get together night I'll make the crockpot recipe.

[Sheila]

Finally! I found a chocolate chip cookie recipe that doesn't come out flatter than a pancake. They taste good, too! I used Baking: New Frontiers in Baking. I'm so happy.

[Tatum]

8. Undead and Unemployed by MaryJanice Davidson
Rating: 3/5
Review: I enjoyed the second installment of this series quite a bit more than the first. It had the things I liked in the first one and less of the things I didn't. There's still a lot of silly humour in this book and it's fast-paced, easy reading. There's less swearing (though it's still there) and the erotic part of this novel makes sense in the context.

I still wouldn't pay retail for the series mind you, but I will be reading the third book. Also I tentatively think that you could start reading with this one and still make sense of the plot so not have to read through the first novel of the series. There's something of a recap of the important points.

In short, if you like silly humour and don't mind some swearing a bit of sex, this is quite possibly worth checking out.

***********************
(I hope this qualifies for fire, it has dragons and dragon fire in it).
9. You Slay Me by Katie MacAlister
Rating: 4/5
Review: I very much enjoyed this book. It is well written and witty and I like the author's style of humour. The added intrigue of a little mystery and some spicy romance held the book together and kept me reading. Set in what is ostensibly our world, but with the addition of magic users, demons and dragons, MacAlister has created a setting that is enjoyable to escape to and holds my attention. I will be checking out the rest of this series as well as her other novels.

10.SMART SCHOOL TIME RECIPES by Alisa Marie Fleming
Rating: N/A
Review: I made the Pear/Apple Crisp from this cookbook this weekend. I only got to have one serving before the family demolished the rest, so it was a success!

Sadly I had to abandon Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler and there is no time to pick another. I got nearly half way through and just could not bring myself to finish. If I was to rate it now it would be 1 star. I read somewhere that it's the last book she wrote before her death and I sort of wonder if it's unfinished and not edited how she would have. In any case, not for me.

So I finish this month with 8/9 challenge books read + 2 bonus books for a total of 10. I am very pleased with that actually :)

[Kristy]

Finished the Big Frickin' Motorcycle Adventure last night. Bringing my monthly total to 12! Yay!

[Sheila]

Fantastic!