Left Neglected - Lisa Genova

Summary:  Sarah Nickerson is like any other career-driven supermom in Welmont, the affluent Boston suburb where she leads a hectic but charmed life with her husband Bob, faithful nanny, and three children—Lucy, Charlie, and nine-month-old Linus.

Between recruiting the best and brightest minds as the vice president of human resources at Berkley Consulting; shuttling the kids to soccer, day care, and piano lessons; convincing her son’s teacher that he may not, in fact, have ADD; and making it home in time for dinner, it’s a wonder this over-scheduled, over-achieving Harvard graduate has time to breathe.

 A self-confessed balloon about to burst, Sarah miraculously manages every minute of her life like an air traffic controller. Until one fateful day, while driving to work and trying to make a phone call, she looks away from the road for one second too long. In the blink of an eye, all the rapidly moving parts of her jam-packed life come to a screeching halt.

   
A traumatic brain injury completely erases the left side of her world, and for once, Sarah relinquishes control to those around her, including her formerly absent mother. Without the ability to even floss her own teeth, she struggles to find answers about her past and her uncertain future.

Now, as she wills herself to regain her independence and heal, Sarah must learn that her real destiny—her new, true life—may in fact lie far from the world of conference calls and spreadsheets. And that a happiness and peace greater than all the success in the world is close within reach, if only she slows down long enough to notice.
Summary and cover photo from indiebound.org

My Review: "Vice-President of human affairs at Berkley Consulting Firm" are likely the first words to fly from Sarah Nickerson's mouth when asked to define herself. This thirty-something woman is also the wife of a career-driven business professional and the mother of three young children. Then one fateful day Sarah has an accident on her way to work and life as she knows it comes to an abrupt end. The accident results in a brain injury leaving Sarah with Left Neglect, a condition where the patient is entirely unaware of the left-side of any space.

Lisa Genova, author of Still Alice, does a phenomenal job explaining the puzzling condition of Left Neglect. Sarah's struggle to see anything on her left, to realize she still has a left arm, to learn to walk with an unresponsive left leg, to find the food on the left side of her plate, to read a watch after one hand slips past the six is at once both heartbreaking and inspiring. Sarah's plight brings new meaning to her life as she finds that although she can only witness half of the world she is now seeing more than she did in that corner office. Somewhere along the way Sarah comes to the realization that who a person is isn't necessarily defined by what that person does for a living.

This book is a fast-paced read as the reader is invited into the Nickerson family. An intimate relationship with the characters is formed early on. The children are named for Peanuts characters, yes that's right...Charlie, Lucy and Linus, and Sarah's intense work drive over all else was a bit hard to relate to. Yet it's impossible to read this novel and not feel each character's emotion with full force, regardless of if those feelings are justified or not.

As frequently happens with authors of an outstanding first book, this novel didn't quite hold up to expectations. It was good, very good actually but not as amazing as Still Alice. There were points in Still Alice where the Alzheimer disease transposed itself onto the reader. With Left Neglected sympathy is felt for Sarah and her struggle but the line to empathy is only toed, never crossed. That being said, this remains a novel I will be recommending.

My Rating: 4 Stars

To sum it up: An uplifting novel that gives insight into a rarely heard of condition and bestows the miracle of second chances.

A Red Herring Without Mustard - Alan Bradley

Summary: Award-winning author Alan Bradley returns with another beguiling novel starring the insidiously clever and unflappable eleven-year-old sleuth Flavia de Luce. The precocious chemist with a passion for poisons uncovers a fresh slew of misdeeds in the hamlet of Bishop’s Lacey—mysteries involving a missing tot, a fortune-teller, and a corpse in Flavia’s own backyard.

Flavia had asked the old Gypsy woman to tell her fortune, but never expected to stumble across the poor soul, bludgeoned in the wee hours in her own caravan. Was this an act of retribution by those convinced that the soothsayer had abducted a local child years ago? Certainly Flavia understands the bliss of settling scores; revenge is a delightful pastime when one has two odious older sisters. But how could this crime be connected to the missing baby? Had it something to do with the weird sect who met at the river to practice their secret rites? While still pondering the possibilities, Flavia stumbles upon another corpse—that of a notorious layabout who had been caught prowling about the de Luce’s drawing room.

Pedaling Gladys, her faithful bicycle, across the countryside in search of clues to both crimes, Flavia uncovers some odd new twists. Most intriguing is her introduction to an elegant artist with a very special object in her possession—a portrait that sheds light on the biggest mystery of all: Who is Flavia?

As the red herrings pile up, Flavia must sort through clues fishy and foul to untangle dark deeds and dangerous secrets.
Summary and cover photo from indiebound.org 

My Review: Say hello again to Flavia de Luce, the preteen amateur sleuth readers have come to love in The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie and The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag. Once again readers find themselves following Flavia as she unravels the latest mystery to hit Bishop's Lacey, this time a brutal assault on a gypsy and the murder of the town idler. Her mission is made more difficult as she dodges her older sisters' cruel pranks and remains constantly vigilant of Investigator Hewitt, who attempts to chase her away from the case.

Flavia manages to juggle her love for chemistry and her loathing for her sisters while she gathers facts relating to the case. A hodgepodge of mismatched information seems to assemble and it's not until the final pages that the pieces fit together. During her journey Flavia receives some insight into her own family's workings which in turn mends fences and builds new bonds. An unexpected friendship also enters into this tale with a colorful character who will hopefully be seen again in future adventures.

This book, while still entertaining, seemed to lack something. There was not as much suspense as I had come to expect from Bradley as the perpetrator was fairly obvious early on. Flavia didn't seem to have to dig herself out of  many sticky situations, which had added an additional element of humor to the past books.The banter between Flavia and her sisters was also not nearly as amusing as I had hoped. I didn't find myself on edge of my seat or chuckling as much as in the past. However the author's note to reader at the end of the book did provide one last smile. And when all is said and done this book is still witty and fun.

My Rating: 3.5 Stars
Sensitive Readers: This book, as with the previous books, is pretty much spotless. With an 11-year-old protagonist it would really be a great fit in the young adult genre.


To Sum it up: Another entertaining installment in the chronicles of Flavia de Luce, though not the best by far.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Rebecca Skloot

Summary: Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cells—taken without her knowledge—became one of the most important tools in medicine. The first “immortal” human cells grown in culture, they are still alive today, though she has been dead for more than sixty years. If you could pile all HeLa cells ever grown onto a scale, they’d weigh more than 50 million metric tons—as much as a hundred Empire State Buildings. HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer, viruses, and the effects of the atom bomb; helped lead to important advances like in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping; and have been bought and sold by the billions.

Yet Henrietta Lacks remains virtually unknown, buried in an unmarked grave.

Now Rebecca Skloot takes us on an extraordinary journey, from the “colored” ward of Johns Hopkins Hospital in the 1950s to stark white laboratories with freezers full of HeLa cells; from Henrietta’s small, dying hometown of Clover, Virginia—a land of wooden slave quarters, faith healings, and voodoo—to East Baltimore today, where her children and grandchildren live, and struggle with the legacy of her cells.

Henrietta’s family did not learn of her “immortality” until more than twenty years after her death, when scientists investigating HeLa began using her husband and children in research without informed consent. And though the cells had launched a multimillion-dollar industry that sells human biological materials, her family never saw any of the profits. As Rebecca Skloot so brilliantly shows, the story of the Lacks family—past and present—is inextricably connected to the dark history of experimentation on African Americans, the birth of bioethics, and the legal battles over whether we control the stuff we are made of.

Over the decade it took to uncover this story, Rebecca became enmeshed in the lives of the Lacks family—especially Henrietta’s daughter Deborah, who was devastated to learn about her mother’s cells. She was consumed with questions: Had scientists cloned her mother? Did it hurt her when researchers infected her cells with viruses and shot them into space? What happened to her sister, Elsie, who died in a mental institution at the age of fifteen? And if her mother was so important to medicine, why couldn’t her children afford health insurance?

Intimate in feeling, astonishing in scope, and impossible to put down, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks captures the beauty and drama of scientific discovery, as well as its human consequences.
Summary from book, cover photo from indiebound.org

My Review: Chances are you have heard of Hela cells. They make regular appearances in articles and on news channels as scientists use them in research to discover how human cells react to various toxins and come up with new medications and vaccinations from studying them. But not much has been said about where these cells originated from. This book takes us behind the scenes of Hela cells back to the woman whose body they were cut from more than fifty years ago - Henrietta Lacks.

This book is more than a scientific study on Hela cells. It's a touching story of the Lacks family - a mother who died of cancer too early leaving her young children and husband behind. It's about the legacy of Henrietta Lacks, whose body passed on but whose cells not only still live but continue to reproduce at astonishing rates.

This book is perfectly laid out to create a beautiful, yet educational story. It contains some interesting information on chromosome mapping, cell reproduction, and cell research in general. The information is provided mostly in layman’s terms making it easy to understand and read. At the same time it brings light onto the woman who was Henrietta Lacks from her childhood to beyond her death with a detailed look inside the lives of her children. The author has done an amazing job of reporting as a neutral party (for the most part) and yet humanizing the Lackes. There were a few parts toward the middle that felt a bit over dramatized. Yet there is no doubt that Henrietta's children suffered greatly, especially her daughter, Deborah. Their torment is adequately portrayed.

This book will leave the reader puzzled with feelings on the equity of tissue ownership. Parts produce outrage toward the abuse of power by the medical profession, Yet where would we be without the medical advancements led to by Hela? What a miraculous legacy Henrietta left behind. This would certainly make for an excellent book club discussion with some warmer moments.

My Rating: 4 Stars

To Sum it Up: So much more than a scientific article yet so much more than a memoir, this is a book that begs to be read.

Unbroken - Laura Hillenbrand

Summary: On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood.  Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared. It was that of a young lieutenant, the plane’s bombardier, who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard.  So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War.

The lieutenant’s name was Louis Zamperini.  In boyhood, he’d been a cunning and incorrigible delinquent, breaking into houses, brawling, and fleeing his home to ride the rails.  As a teenager, he had channeled his defiance into running, discovering a prodigious talent that had carried him to the Berlin Olympics and within sight of the four-minute mile.  But when war had come, the athlete had become an airman, embarking on a journey that led to his doomed flight, a tiny raft, and a drift into the unknown.

Ahead of Zamperini lay thousands of miles of open ocean, leaping sharks, a foundering raft, thirst and starvation, enemy aircraft, and, beyond, a trial even greater.  Driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini would answer desperation with ingenuity; suffering with hope, resolve, and humor; brutality with rebellion. His fate, whether triumph or tragedy, would be suspended on the fraying wire of his will.

In her long-awaited new book, seven years in the making, Laura Hillenbrand writes with the same rich and vivid narrative voice she displayed in her blockbuster bestseller, Seabiscuit.  Telling an unforgettable story of a man’s journey into extremity, Unbroken is a testament to the resilience of the human mind, body, and spirit.
Summary from book, cover photo indiebound.org

My Review: Before he was drafted into the army during World War II, Louis Zamporini was an Olympic runner. His successful running career was surprising to many. His survival of WWII was miraculous to all. Unbroken is the inspiring true story of Louie's life.

Laura Hillenbrand, author of Seabiscuit, has dug deep to research Zamporini's life. She opens with a brief overview of Louie's youth, giving the reader a feel for his character and determination. She then settles into WWII where the bulk of the story takes place. Mixed into this compelling story is a plethora of information on WWII POW camps housed in Japan.

When the bomber he was aboard crashed into the ocean, Louie managed to survive weeks on a small raft surrounded by sharks with minimal provisions. Against all odds he reaches land only to be met by Japanese forces who quickly sweep him off as a POW.  Soon it becomes clear that Louie's fight for his life has only just begun.

This is an engrossing story read with clamped hands and an accelerated heart-rate yet told in a compassionate manner. The material is many times disturbing but written with balance of detail to portray the horror while not overly done for pure shock value. Unbroken is a swiftly moving story that is quickly consumed but will not be forgotten.

My Rating: 5 Stars

To sum it up: An account of one man's sacrifice for his country and his will to survive.

The Distant Hours - Kate Morton

Summary: A long lost letter arrives in the post and Edie Burchill finds herself on a journey to Milderhurst Castle, a great but moldering old house, where the Blythe spinsters live and where her mother was billeted 50 years before as a 13 year old child during WW II. The elder Blythe sisters are twins and have spent most of their lives looking after the third and youngest sister, Juniper, who hasn’t been the same since her fiance jilted her in 1941.

Inside the decaying castle, Edie begins to unravel her mother’s past. But there are other secrets hidden in the stones of Milderhurst, and Edie is about to learn more than she expected. The truth of what happened in ‘the distant hours’ of the past has been waiting a long time for someone to find it.

Morton once again enthralls readers with an atmospheric story featuring unforgettable characters beset by love and circumstance and haunted by memory, that reminds us of the rich power of storytelling.
Synopsis and cover photo from barnesandnoble.com

My Review: I adore Kate Morton's writing style, as evident from my reviews of The House at Riverton and The Forgotten Garden. Her plots are guaranteed to contain a magical blend of past and present, always perfectly balanced with a Gothic feel. Her characters are captivating and her vivid settings are absolutely lovely. Her third novel, The Distant Hours, contains all of the above.

The Distant Hours, begins with a lost letter delivered decades after it's intended arrival date. Had this letter arrived on time lives would have been drastically altered. This tale however is not centered around the letter, it is just the starting point for a novel that details the lives of the sender, Juniper, and the recipient, Meredith. Two lives riddled with mysterious secrets.

Eddie is Meredith's daughter. As a self declared woman who is good with words but not the spoken kind, she is virtually impossible not to like. Eddie witnesses the reaction of her mother as the long-lost letter is opened and knows at once that secrets are being kept from her. Her journey to unravel her mother's mystery will bring her to Milderhurt Castle where three eldery sister live with their own tragedies and the walls speak the distant hours.

This story takes off at a pleasant leisurely pace and slowly becomes more hurried as the story progresses. By the time the mysteries are uncovered it is almost impossible to tear away from the book. Though entertaining, this novel was not of the same caliber as Morton's previous novels. Some of the situations feel a bit too convenient while the resolution contains an overwhelming amount of detail. The outcome to this mystery, while not being entirely predictable, is certainly not as surprising as I had come to expect from Morton.

These few complaints barely detract from the overall essence of Morton's writing. Fans of classics, such as Jane Eyre, will appreciate the metaphors regarding reading, books, and the power of words. Morton writes "All true readers have a book, a moment when real life is never going to be able to compete with fiction again." These moments are found with the pages of Morton's novels.

My rating: 4 Stars

To sum it up: Another beautiful work of art from Kate Morton, though by far not her best work.

The Frugalista Files - Natalie McNeal

Summary: Natalie McNeal opened her bills in January 2008 to find that she was a staggering five figures—$20,000!—in debt. Young, hip and gainfully (if Dilbert-ly) employed, Natalie loved her lifestyle of regular mani/pedis, daily takeout and nights on the town, but clearly something had to give.

And so The Frugalista Files was born. Through her blog, Natalie confessed her spending habits to the world—and it turns out she wasn't the only one having trouble balancing the budget! From the drastic "no-buy" month that kicked it all off to the career gamble that threatened to put her deeper in the hole, The Frugalista Files shares Natalie's personal and professional transformation from cubicle rat to take-charge career girl.

It is possible to get ahead without giving up on the fabulous life. This is personal finance in peep-toe pumps—the empowering true story of one woman's personal and professional transformation and your ultimate guide to living the Frugalista lifestyle, too.
Summary from book, cover photo from thefrugalista.com, book received free for review


My Review: As Natalie McNeal finds herself more than $20,000 in debt she knows she must make a change. The debt is wearing on her yet she desires to continue her fashionable, socially-active lifestyle. With the new year she pledges to get herself debt-free while maintaining her current way of life. It all begins with a month long spending freeze which Natalie documents on a blog through her work at the Miami Herald.

Natalie's goal is commendable and the idea behind the story is intriguing. This book starts out witty, with plenty of humorous moments at the author's expense. Natalie's desire to live extravagantly on a limited income is easy to relate to. I was enthusiastic about the book as I began reading. I couldn't wait to learn all her fantastic frugal secrets.

However by the mid-way point this story begins to ramble and becomes a bit whiny. It develops into merely the recounting of the author's day-to-day life...what she is going to eat, what she will wear, what party will she attend and where she will park once she arrives. What started out as a charming writing style quickly becomes annoying as the author over uses "LOL" and "SOOOO" and "heehee" followed by little happy faces. Suddenly instead of reading one woman's flight for financial freedom this book takes on the feel of a teenager's diary. In other words, it gets annoying and rather dull.

If you are looking for frugal living tips you will not find anything innovative inside these pages. Everything Natalie does you probably do as well, or have at least thought of (i.e. going without manicures, styling your own hair, eating out less). This novel ends up feeling like just another way to make some more money off a simple idea.  While there is very little substance in this book, I have to admit her journey out of debt is motivating. If you long to be a frugalista start by saving the money you could spend on this book and checking out her website instead at www.thefrugalista.com.

My Rating: 2 Stars

To sum it up: A good idea but is poorly executed, lacks substance and is recounted in an immature narrative. If you already know that prescription strength ibuprofen (800 mg) is the equivalent to four over-the-counter pills look elsewhere for money advice.

The Kitchen House - Kathleen Grissom

Summary: When a white servant girl violates the order of plantation society, she unleashes a tragedy that exposes the worst and best in the people she has come to call her family. Orphaned while onboard ship from Ireland, seven-year-old Lavinia arrives on the steps of a tobacco plantation where she is to live and work with the slaves of the kitchen house. Under the care of Belle, the master's illegitimate daughter, Lavinia becomes deeply bonded to her adopted family, though she is set apart from them by her white skin.
Eventually, Lavinia is accepted into the world of the big house, where the master is absent and the mistress battles opium addiction. Lavinia finds herself perilously straddling two very different worlds. When she is forced to make a choice, loyalties are brought into question, dangerous truths are laid bare, and lives are put at risk.

The Kitchen House is a tragic story of page-turning suspense, exploring the meaning of family, where love and loyalty prevail.
Cover photo and summary from barnesandnoble.com

My Review: In hopes of providing a better life for their children, Lavinia's parents board a ship headed for America in 1791. Unfortunately both parents succumbed to illness aboard the ship leaving their two children orphans. Lavinia is merely six years old when she is seperated from her brother to become the captain's indentured servant. She is placed in the kitchen house and is raised by the captain's salves, particularly Belle. Lavinia becomes embedded in her new "family". As she matures Lavina is transfered to a realitive's home because it is considered uproper for a white girl to be raised among slaves. There she is treated almost as a family member. As the years pass it becomes quite clear that there is no keeping Lavania away from the only home she has ever know, the kitchen house.

Lavinia and Belle share the narrating of this story, each from her own unique voice. The two forge a strong bond to one another in the few short years they are housed together. Their mother-daughter relationship creates another twisted branch within an already tangled family tree. The story comes alive with each girl's narrative as their two very different perspectives are played out.

This is a story of heartache and love, a story of secrets and deceit, a story of violence and new life. This novel is emotionally difficult to read yet impossible to pull away from. Though the story touches on many facets of slavery, the darker side seems to be focused on most frequently. As the characters make mistakes, many of which would have been avoided had so many secrets not been so carefully guarded, the reader is forced into a powerless hold where all that can be done is to take a deep breath and watch the horror unfold.

Buried inside this story is a powerful message of love's ability to cross racial boundaries and create unbreakable ties. There is a moral regarding honor and standing up for what is just. Freedom is represented at several points with Lavinia's love of birds. This seems at odds with the prevailing themes of isolation and entrapment until the end when the truth is revealed and a sense freedom manages to peek through.

My Rating: 4 Stars
Sensitive reader: There are many uncomfortable moments in this book yet it is mostly just eluded to with few details.

To sum it up: A story of slavery set in the early 1800's that is both powerful and horrific. I wouldn't want to read it again but was unable to put it down once I began.

Girl in a Blue Dress - Gaynor Arnold

Summary: At the end of her life, Catherine, the cast-off wife of Charles Dickens, gave the letters she had received from her husband to their daughter Kate, asking her to donate them to the British Museum, “so the world may know that he loved me once.” The incredible vulnerability and heartache evident beneath the surface of this remark inspired Gaynor Arnold to write Girl in a Blue Dress, a dazzling debut novel inspired by the life of this tragic yet devoted woman. Arnold brings the spirit of Catherine Dickens to life in the form of Dorothea “Dodo” Gibson–a woman who is doomed to live in the shadow of her husband, Alfred, the most celebrated author in the Victorian world.

The story opens on the day of Alfred’s funeral. Dorothea is not among the throngs in attendance when The One and Only is laid to rest. Her mourning must take place within the walls of her modest apartment, a parting gift from Alfred as he ushered her out of their shared home and his life more than a decade earlier. Even her own children, save her outspoken daughter Kitty, are not there to offer her comfort–they were poisoned against her when Alfred publicly declared her an unfit wife and mother. Though she refuses to don the proper mourning attire, Dodo cannot bring herself to demonize her late husband, something that comes all too easily to Kitty.

Instead, she reflects on their time together–their clandestine and passionate courtship, when he was a force of nature and she a willing follower; and the salad days of their marriage, before too many children sapped her vitality and his interest. She uncovers the frighteningly hypnotic power of the celebrity author she married. Now liberated from his hold on her, Dodo finds the courage to face her adult children, the sister who betrayed her, and the charming actress who claimed her husband’s love and left her heart aching.

A sweeping tale of love and loss that was long-listed for both the Man Booker Prize and the Orange Prize, Girl in a Blue Dress is both an intimate peek at the woman who was behind one of literature’s most esteemed men and a fascinating rumination on marriage that will resonate across centuries.
Summary from book, cover photo from barnesandnoble.com

My Review: The inspiration for this tale was drawn from Charles Dicken's failed marriage and the rumors surrounding it. The author has taken certain fictitious liberties in creating this story by changing all names and certain circumstances, for example Dodo bears eight children and loses two during their childhood whereas Catherine had ten children and only lost one. Yet many facts, such as the love Alfred has for Catherine's sisters and how he deeply morns the passing of one, remain true to history.

Set in Victorian society, the essence of Dickens is preserved within the life-like characters Arnold creates. Dicken's character is played by Alfred Gibson, an essentric writer with an uncanny ability to dazzle woman. Dorothea (Dodo) is cast in Catherine's role and she narrates this tale as an abandoned hermit woman set in the weeks following her estranged husband's death. The narrative alternates between Dodo's present and her past beginning as a love-struck priviledged teenager.

As the tale winds in and out of the past and present through trials and celebrations it is quite easy to become entirely absorbed. The message of  love's power is encountered in many forms and in the end demonstrates it's ability to make one forgive the unforgivable. This great work of art from a first time novelist entertains all the way through ending in a completely satisfying manner.

My Rating: 4 Stars

To Sum it up:  A tale of undying love and forgiveness spun from the threads of Dicken's failed marriage.

The Naked Gardener - L.B. Gschwandtner

Summary: In a remote forest of northern Vermont, Katelyn Cross takes five women on a wilderness canoe trip where they hope to come up with ideas for saving their dying town. Although the river is not always what it seems and the women have not left their problems behind, a painting ritual creates a new way to look at the world - and themselves.

Artist Katelyn Cross loves Greg Mazur and he loves her. He wants to be married but a previous relationship that went sour has made Katelyn overly cautious about any permanent commitment. And what about Greg's first wife? He lost her to cancer and Katelyn worries that he's only looking for a replacement. What's a girl to do? Canoe down a river with five gal pals, camp out, catch fish, talk about life and men. The problem is, a river can be as unpredictable as any relationship and just as hard to manage. On their last day, when the river turns wild, the women face the challenge of a lifetime and find that staying alive means saving themselves first while being open to help from a most unlikely source. As Katelyn navigates the raging water, she learns how to overcome her fear of change in a world where nothing stays the same. When Katelyn returns to her garden, she'll face one more obstacle and the naked gardener will meet the real Greg Mazur. What readers are saying about The Naked Gardener: Lyrical ... Scandalous ... Empowering ... Exhilarating ... Honest ... Sensual ... Fun ... Gentle ... Pleasurable ... Transporting ... Timeless In her first novel, award winning writer L B Gschwandtner explores the push and pull of love, a woman's need to maintain her individuality within marriage, and the bonds that can make women stronger even when the world feels as if it's breaking apart.
Cover photo from goodreads.com, summary from book, book received free for review

My Review: This book arrived beautifully packaged with a matching packet of seeds tied with ribbon around the front cover. Truth be told, I was worried that what I would find inside the cover would not live up to the outer beauty. I was pleasantly surprised that this was not the case. This is a light, easy flowing novel with gorgeous characters and a pleasant story line.

Katelyn Cross and her partner Greg have carved out a little piece of heaven to spend their summers. The two of them spend the school year working at a university in the south and then take life back to a simpler time by heading north each summer. They bought a run down farm and live inside the chicken coop. This summer is a bit different as Kate ponders a big decision...take a year-long fellowship in Europe or finally buckle down and marry Greg. The result of this dilemma is a canoe trip with five other women allowing time for Katelyn to ponder over her life.

There is an odd mix of women on this trip; from the rich man's wife to the obese happily married baker, the religious virgin to the man-loving marriage-hating self dependent. These ladies come alive within the pages of this novel, each with her individual struggles. Through laughter and tears, Katelyn finds that her dilemma is not so monumental after all.

The trip is a pleasant one full of humorous moments. There is a bit of drama at the end but nothing that shakes the novel up too much. While the novel began with a focus on Katelyn and Maze's relationship it quickly turned more towards a theme of female empowerment. Mostly this is just a laid back float on the river among friends, where each woman discovers a bit more of herself. This is a perfect light read, yet could also make for some interesting conversation at a book club.

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

To Sum it up: A novel that will leave you longing for a leisurely weekend among girlfriends.

The Calligrapher's Daughter - Eugenia Kim

Summary: In early-twentieth-century Korea, Najin Han, the privileged daughter of a calligrapher, longs to choose her own destiny. Smart and headstrong, she is encouraged by her mother—but her stern father is determined to maintain tradition, especially as the Japanese steadily gain control of his beloved country. When he seeks to marry Najin into an aristocratic family, her mother defies generations of obedient wives and instead sends her to serve in the king’s court as a companion to a young princess. But the king is soon assassinated, and the centuries-old dynastic culture comes to its end.

In the shadow of the dying monarchy, Najin begins a journey through increasing oppression that will forever change her world. As she desperately seeks to continue her education, will the unexpected love she finds along the way be enough to sustain her through the violence and subjugation her country continues to face? Spanning thirty years, The Calligrapher’s Daughter is a richly drawn novel in the tradition of Lisa See and Amy Tan about a country torn between ancient customs and modern possibilities, a family ultimately united by love, and a woman who never gives up her search for freedom.
(summary and cover photo from www.thecalligraphersdaughter.com, book received free for review)

My Review: The Calligrapher's Daughter is set in the early-mid 1900's in Korea at a time when the Japanese were invading Korea. The Korean culture, heritage and individual identities were gravely threatened as the Japanese attempted to control everything from media to education. It is during this struggle that the narrator, at the age of nine, discovers that she does not have a name. She is referred to as the Calligrapher's daughter (her father's profession) or the daughter of the woman from Nim. Thus she grows up without her own identity.

Covering just over two decades, the main thread weaved throughout the story is that of identity. The narrator fights to find a balance between living up to the values of her heritage and surviving and seeking out a life of her own filled with happiness. All the while her basic survival is at stake. Maintaining the image of the family name is the utmost importance regardless of personal sacrifice yet an underlying message of love, though subtle at times, is there throughout the story.

Eugenia Kim does a fantastic job of bringing this era to life. She produces characters to love and some to despise. She brings a large amount of emotion to her tale. It is a historically informative tale, yet enjoyable. It is beautifully written with a poetic feel. This is a moving novel encompassing family bonds and loyalty. Emotions roar loudly throughout yet the novel, against all odds, manages to come to a satisfying close.

My Rating: 4 Stars

To sum it up: A culturally rich work of historical fiction.

The Cookbook Collector - Allegra Goodman

Summary: Heralded as “a modern day Jane Austen” by USA Today, National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestselling author Allegra Goodman has compelled and delighted hundreds of thousands of readers. Now, in her most ambitious work yet, Goodman weaves together the worlds of Silicon Valley and rare book collecting in a delicious novel about appetite, temptation, and fulfillment.

Emily and Jessamine Bach are opposites in every way: Twenty-eight-year-old Emily is the CEO of Veritech, twenty-three-year-old Jess is an environmental activist and graduate student in philosophy. Pragmatic Emily is making a fortune in Silicon Valley, romantic Jess works in an antiquarian bookstore. Emily is rational and driven, while Jess is dreamy and whimsical. Emily’s boyfriend, Jonathan, is fantastically successful. Jess’s boyfriends, not so much—as her employer George points out in what he hopes is a completely disinterested way.

Passionate, surprising, rich in ideas and characters, The Cookbook Collector is a novel about getting and spending, and about the substitutions we make when we can’t find what we’re looking for: reading cookbooks instead of cooking, speculating instead of creating, collecting instead of living. But above all it is about holding on to what is real in a virtual world: love that stays.

My Review: I waited weeks on the reserve list at the library to get my hands on this book. A new fictional culinary novel sounded, well, delicious to me. I dug into this book almost immediately only to find that it was far from what I had anticipated.

This story centers on two sisters living very different lives. The elder sister, Emily, is the CEO of a successful tech start-up. She is smart, savvy and determined. The younger sister, Jess, is an environmental activist who navigates life with her heart rather than her head. Intermingled within these pages is an odd collection of side characters; George, the rich owner of a collectors bookstore; Jonathan, Emily's finance who has his own tech start-up across the country; a couple of Jonathan's employees; the girls' father and his second wife and small children; two Jewish Rabbis and their families; and the list goes on.

Just as the characters are an odd mix so are their separate tales. The novel is composed of several stories that touch one another but never quite intertwine. Themes of secrets kept, love passed over, money gained and lost, and religion all play into this story. While all these ingredients are tasty on their own, the mix is not so appetizing (sorry, since this book lacked culinary rhetoric I couldn't resist adding my own). In case you are wondering there is a cookbook collector that makes an appearance about halfway through the book but he drops out of the story a short time later without adding much flavor.

While the author's writing is engaging and at times beautiful, it lacks balance. It seems she is either overdoing the story with frivolous details or leaving out parts that would have made the book click. Most of my time inside this novel was consumed with the wait for a story to really begin and in the end I found that what I was looking for never really takes place.

My Rating: 2 stars

To Sum it Up: This book is the equivalent to preparing a dish with a poor combination of mouth-watering ingredients and then under-cooking it.

The Girl Who Played with Fire - Stieg Larsson

Summary: Part blistering espionage thriller, part riveting police procedural, and part piercing expose' on social injustice, The Girl Who Played with Fire is a masterful, endlessly satisfying novel.

Mikael Blomkvist, crusading publisher of the magazine Millennium, has decided to run a story that will expose an extensive sex trafficking operation. On the eve of its publication, two people are brutally murdered and the fingerprints found on the murder weapon belong to his friend, the troubled genius hacker Lisbeth Salander. Blomkvist, conviced of Salander's innocence, plunges into an investigation. Meanwhile, Salander herself is drawn into a murderous game of cat and mouse, which forces her to face her dark past.
Summary from book, cover photo from barnesandnoble.com

My Review: After reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo I was anxious to discover what Larsson had in store for his readers in this next trilogy installation. This book is every bit as suspenseful and intriguing as the first. The story is well-paced, interesting throughout with the last hundred pages impossible to tear away from.

Quite fitting, this novel addresses the one mystery that was left open ended in the first book. It deals primarily with the secrets of the lead female character, Lizabeth Salander, also known as the girl who played with fire. There was more depth brought to all the characters in this book, allowing the reader to develop more intimate relationships. New characters, some evil and some good, are also introduced.

While I enjoyed this book immensely, I do have one complaint. The author addresses his characters by their last name the majority of the time and these are Swedish names, many with the same beginning sounds, that I am unfamiliar with. Thus I had a difficult time keeping the secondary faces straight. Just when I thought I had it figured out a first name would pop up leaving me guessing all over again. Really this is a mild complaint considering the brilliance of this novel overall and by the end, when it really mattered, I had it all figured out.

This book closed a bit more open ended than I would have preferred but the main mystery came full circle and was brilliant. Stieg Larsson was one of those writers with creative energy to spare. Both books contain intricately woven plots packed full of drama and betrayal, power abuse and deceit. I am excited to pick up the final book in this trilogy, The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, and can only imagine where we will be lead to next.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars, not a book for sensitive readers- sex, violence, language

To Sum it up: A well-written sequel full of mystery and intrigue with compelling characters who will worm their way into you head every waking moment and occasionally into your dreams.

Stargirl - Jerry Spinelli

Summary: Stargirl. She's as magical as the desert sky. As strange as her pet rat. As mysterious as her own name. And she captures Leo Borlock's heart with just one smile.

But when the students of Mica High turn on Stargirl for everything that makes her different, Leo urges her to become the very thing that can destroy her: normal. In celebration of nonconformity, Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli weaves a tense, emotional tale about the perils of popularity - and the inspiration of first love.
Summary of back of book, cover photo from barnesandnoble.com

My Review: Stargirl is the new girl at school and to say she doesn't quite fit in is a gross understatement. This girl dances completely to the beat of her own drummer never noticing that she is out of sync with those around her. She is her own person, making no effort to conform to the norms of high school. When Leo, the narrator of the story, falls in love with her it is because of her differences. What he fails to realize is that by loving her originality he also makes himself an outsider.

When the kids at school begin to shun Stargirl, and by proximity the narrator himself, suddenly Stargirl's differences are not as likable. The narrator begins to talk with Stargirl about the importance of fitting in. The change he is desiring in Stargirl is the exact thing that will tear the two apart.

This is a well-written tale of the importance of remaining true to yourself. It is a tale that will appeal to all but will have a special meaning to tweens and young teens. Stargirl begins the story as the feared unknown and ends as role model. This tale accurately protrays the typical emotions of a high school universe in which individuality contends with conformity. Spinelli allows his narrator to make a fool of himself and fall on his head a couple times as all students must do. He illustrates the highs and lows of his characters with remarkable strength. With a focus on developing character traits, this is an ideal read for the 9-12 age group.

My Rating: 5 Stars

To Sum it up: A tale carrying my favorite message...the importance of being yourself

Musical Chairs - Jen Knox

Summary: Musical Chairs is candid, darkly humorous and wholly engaging. Taking place in Ohio, this gripping memoir recounts the story of a runaway girl and the family that stood by her.

After being struck by a severe panic disorder in 2003, Jen begins to explore her past. In doing so, she becomes enamored by the mysterious nature of her family's history. She discovers a pattern of mental health diagnoses and searches to define the cusp between her '90s working-class childhood and the trouble of adapting to a comfortable life in the suburbs.

Inspired by the least likely source, the family she left behind, Jen attempts to reconcile with this past. She reflects upon years of strip-dancing, alcoholism, and estrangement while maintaining impressive narrative control. This story is about identity, class, family ties, and the elusive nature of mental illness.
Summary from book, cover photo from amazon.com, book received free for review

My Review: Jen Knox neatly weaves the tale of her coming-to-age years within the pages of Musical Chairs. Jen struggles to find her identity and in the process makes some difficult choices, including leaving home at a young age and stripping to support herself. The title, Musical Chairs, is fitting as Jen finds the mental illness within her family tree comes full circle. Reliving these painful moments while writing this book had to be heart-wrenching. The manner in which the author takes full responsibility for her own mistakes is refreshing.

Though overall Jen's tale is not incredibly remarkable her depiction of it is. Lancaster's beautiful writing style keeps the reader engaged. Her raw emotion is fully captured within these pages. Though this tale feels as if it were written for the purpose of providing some personal closure, it's end result is a true work of art as it showcases Jen's extraordinary writing talent. She is currently working on her first fiction novel which I will quickly snatch up as I am quite certain it will be delicious.

My Rating: 3.5 Stars Sensitive readers - this story contains sex, drugs and some choice language.

To Sum it up: A healing memoir from a promising new writer.

Gregor the Overlander - Suzanne Collins

Summary: When Gregor falls through a grate in the laundry room of his apartment building, he hurtles into the dark Underland, where spiders, rats, cockroaches coexist uneasily with humans. This world is on the brink of war, and Gregor's arrival is no accident. A prophecy foretells that Gregor has a role to play in the Underland's uncertain future. Gregor wants no part of it -- until he realizes it's the only way to solve the mystery of his father's disappearance. Reluctantly, Gregor embarks on a dangerous adventure that will change both him and the Underland forever.
Summary from barnesandnoble.com, Cover photo from www.suzannecollinsbooks.com

My Review: Join Gregor and his baby sister, Boots, as they slide miles beneath New York City to the underland. Here you will patronize with the light-skinned violet-eyed people of this obscure world. You will ride on enormous cockroaches and fly on top of bats. You may encounter some sinister spiders, who though useful for their spinning of clothing and catchcloths (diapers), have treacherous webs one must be cautious not to become entangled within. Also beware of the six foot rats. With their razor sharp claws and teeth, they are your most dangerous enemy.

Collins vividly paints the world of the underland so the reader is quickly engulfed within this mysterious world. As you travel with Gregor on his quest to find his father you will find yourself laughing out loud one minute and holding your breath the next and then finally gasping in surprise. This author has a knack for ending each chapter with suspense, making the book virtually impossible to put down. As I read this fantasy with my eight-year-old son I delighted in the emotions the tale was able to evoke.


This is fun fantasy perfect for the 8-12 age group. It is sure to leave children with a delight for reading. With a total of five books, this series promises to be every bit as addicting as the Harry Potter novels, only at a more simplistic level. Worth 8 accelerated reader points, this the perfect series to get your young one hooked on reading. My son and I quickly embarked on the next adventure, The Prophecy of Bane, after closing the covers of this one.

My Rating: 4 stars for me, 5 stars from my 8-year-old

To sum it up: A fun adventure series for the emerging reader.

Also reviewed by Kari.

Room - Emma Donoghue

Also reviewed by Mindy.

Summary: To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It is where he was born and grew up; it's where he lives with his Ma as they learn and read and eat and sleep and play. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits.

Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it is the prison where Old Nick has held her captive for seven years. Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for Jack. But she knows it's not enough...not for her or for him. She devises a bold escape plan, one that relies on her young son's bravery and a lot of luck. What she does not realize is just how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work.

Told entirely in the language of the energetic, pragmatic five-year-old Jack, ROOM is a celebration of resilience and the limitless bond between parent and child, a brilliantly executed novel about what it means to journey from one world to another.  Summary and cover image from indiebound.org

My Review: Upon opening this book you are thrust into the world of a five-year-old. Jack narrates this story through the eyes of an innocent child. At first it is a struggle to get into character but within a few pages the transport from adulthood back to childhood is complete. It must be quite a challenge to write from this perspective, yet Donoghue masters it flawlessly.

Jack is an energetic, inquisitive and creative five-year-old. Other than being particularly bright, he is the average child. Yet his surroundings are anything but typical. Jack and his mother live locked within a 12 by 12 foot room. Knowing no different, Jack is quite content in his singular world with his mother, a small television, his snake friend made from egg shells and his Sunday treats. His mother, however, knows Room to be a life-draining prison, one they must escape before it smothers them both.

This powerful novel is at once absolutely appalling and undeniably beautiful. This is an all-consuming book which begs to be read in a single sitting. Jack's innocence is presented with bits of humor and heartache. His mother's battle between doing right by her son and her need for freedom will capture the hearts of readers. Her struggle to remain courageous while being absolutely powerless perfectly displays the undeniable bond between a mother and her child. Book clubs take note this is a story that demands to be discussed.

*See the room and hear Jack's voice at www.roomthebook.com, a very cool addition to the book that puts it all into perspective

My Rating: 5 Stars, though the nature of the story is rather dark there are really no details into the terrifying events and, other than a choice word or two, this book is clean.

To sum it up: A tender and horrific tale told in the most unique voice.

Savvy - Ingrid Law

Summary: Mibs Beaumont is about to become a teenager. As if that prospect weren't scary enough, thirteen is when a Beaumont's savvy hits - and with one brother who causes hurricanes and another who creates electricity, it promises to be outrageous... and totally thrilling.

But just before the big day, Poppa is in a terrible accident. Suddenly, Mibs's dreams of x-ray vision disappear like a flash of her brother's lightening: All she wants now is a savvy that will save Poppa. In fact, Mibs is so sure she'll get a powerful savvy that she sneaks a ride to the hospital on a rickety bus with her sibling and the preacher's kids in tow. But when the bus starts heading in the wrong direction only one thing is certain: After this extraordinary adventure not a soul on board will ever be the same.

Reading the fantastical tale of the Beaumont family will leave you as changed as if you'd just discovered your own savvy - and who's to say you won't, once you've learned how to look?
Summary from book, cover photo from barnesandnoble.com

My Review: Mibs Beaumont is approaching that all important birthday, thirteen, when the savvy surfaces for all Beaumont children. She is anxiously awaiting the reveal of her magical power when tragedy hits, resulting in the hospitalization of her father. With her mother and eldest brother at her father's side, Mibs is forced to face her time of change virtually alone. She becomes convinced that her power is meant to save her father so she attempts to make her way to the hospital and thus the drama unfolds.

Mibs has always been an outsider in school and when she finds herself aboard the bus with an older popular girl who has consistently taunted her in the past she is afraid at first. Over time Mibs realizes that maybe this bully isn't as strong as she makes herself out to be, her rough exterior is only covering for a soft insecure interior. Mibs also discovers that she is not the only one with secrets. The message sent young readers is that they are never as alone in the world as they may feel.

This is a fun story ideal for the 8-12 year-old audience. Kids will be able to relate to the quirky characters inside these pages, flaws and all. As the mystery unfolds at a perfect pace, this story is sure to keep readers with their noses in the book. At the heart of this novel is the moral of embracing differences and unconditional love. This will be a sure-fire hit within it's genre and I am anxious to read it with my eight-year-old son.

My Rating: 4 Stars

To Sum it up: A magical tale with a female heroine that will capture hearts

Bill Warrington's Last Chance - James King

Summary: Bill Warrington's three children escaped their father’s domineering presence long ago, but with a new diagnosis that threatens his mind and his most cherished memories, this monumentally stubborn ex-Marine is determined to patch up their differences before it’s too late.

The younger Warringtons, however, have their own issues to contend with: Marcy's struggles to raise her headstrong teenage daughter on her own; Nick's inability to move on with his life after his wife’s death; and Mike’s ego maniacal, self-absorbed philandering that threatens his career and his own family. When all three grown siblings greet Bill's overtures with wary indifference, he improvises a scheme none of them could have foreseen: skip town with Marcy’s fifteen-year-old daughter, April, whose twin ambitions to learn how to drive and to find rock stardom on the West Coast make her his perfect--and perfectly willing--abductee.

Despite his carefully crafted clues as to their whereabouts, Bill's plan to force a family reunion soon veers dangerously off course. His dementia worsens more quickly than anticipated, and April finds herself behind the wheel of his beloved Chevy Impala, dealing with situations no fifteen-year-old should face while gaining surprising insights into a complex family history that emerges from Bill's fragmented flights into the past. With the American heartland yielding to the Rockies, and her mother and uncles grappling with their own recollections as they scramble to find her, April’s resolve to protect her grandfather--and honor his final lucid wishes for them all--culminates in a tour de force of reconciliation and atonement.

A rich multi-generational saga, Bill Warrington's Last Chance soars with humor, compassion, and unflinching insight into the pain and joy of all family life, while the promise of a new generation shines bright against the ravages of aging in a man who does not go gently… anywhere.
(Summary from book, Cover photo from barnesandnoble.com, BOOK RECEIVED FREE FOR REVIEW)

My Review: The premise of Bill Warrington's Last Chance is at two different ends of the spectrum. It is a coming-of-age tale mixed with the story of a grandfather's battle with dementia. It is the bittersweet tale of a young girl discovering her identity while her grandfather quietly loses his own. The result is a remarkable book full of drama yet laced with humor, leaving the reader sighing in satisfaction. This is a beautiful story of new-found respect and unconditional love between a grandfather and his granddaughter.

The characters within these pages will leap from the pages to pull the reader in. Each character has flaws yet processes enough redeeming qualities that you can't help but to care for each and every one. Most remarkably the reader will be able to recognize and relate to some aspect in every character.

This story remains interesting throughout. The writing flows making it an easy read. And while all is not neatly tied up and presented with a pretty bow in the end, the overall package is appealing and completely satisfying. It's a memorable novel that I will be recommending frequently.

My Rating: 4 Stars

To Sum it up: A remarkable tale of a teenage girl's discovery of life at odds, yet harmoniously told, with her grandfather's loss of reality.

Brave New World - Aldous Huxley

Summary: Aldous Huxley's tour de force, Brave New World is a darkly satiric vision of a "utopian" future—where humans are genetically bred and pharmaceutically anesthetized to passively serve a ruling order. A powerful work of speculative fiction that has enthralled and terrified readers for generations, it remains remarkably relevant to this day as both a warning to be heeded as we head into tomorrow and as thought-provoking, satisfying entertainment.
summary and book cover from indiebound.org

My Review: In Brave New World, Huxley has created a society with the sole objective of keeping people happy. This new population is given jobs, food and happiness drugs to ensure peace. No longer are people born they are engineered, developed within bottles and then decantered. Natural selection is gone as the controllers decide not only how many babies are produced but also where each will fit on the social ladder.

Brave New World was written in the 30's about a futuristic world. I am floored that this book is not dated and seems to be even more relevant today. It is interesting to see how close we have come to some of the things Huxley touches on in his fiction novel. The growth of babies in tubes with choice on their genetic make-up is no longer so far-fetched. The idea of keeping our bodies young by eliminating the sagging and wrinkles of aging is progressing more all the time. Society has already lost many of the morals when it comes to sexuality and while promiscuous behavior is not exactly socially acceptable current views sure do differ from the 30's.

I had read this book back in high school and have since forgotten about the role sexuality has in the plot. These characters are encouraged to be promiscuous from toddlers and monogamy is unheard of. Sex is no longer used for reproduction but is purely social. As an adult I can now see why some would object to the ideas presented within this book. Though there is no detail in the recreational sex the subject is a major focus of the book. There were spots where I was a bit uncomfortable. Yet I feel that the issues the book brings to the surface outweigh the negative effects of addressing this taboo matter. Subjects such as overpopulation, over organization, subconscious and chemical persuasion, loss of individuality, brainwashing and true happiness are all important for us to ponder.

This book is still very relevant in today's classrooms. Young minds will thrive on the thought-provoking material brought to light within these pages. It would also make an enticing book club read with a deep discussion to follow.

**This book has been challenged for themes dealing with sexuality, drugs and suicide.

My Rating: 4 Stars

Summary: An intellectually stimulating classic

Cooking from the Garden: Best Recipes from Kitchen Gardener - Ruth Lively

Summary: Rising food prices, the slow food movement, and the green movement have revived interest in finding delicious food close to home. The backyard vegetable garden is making a comeback even in urban areas. Why grow grass (that you have to mow) when you can pick the best tasting tomatoes right outside your door? Taunton's Kitchen Gardener magazine was ahead of its time in trying to raise the bar on food prepared with home-grown food.

The recipes collected here are innovative and tasty, and most are relatively simple to prepare. Not only do they help home gardeners find ways to make use of abundance, they show how to do it with style and expertise. The recipes apply equally to good seasonal buys in the supermarket or farmer's market as to produce from a home garden.
Summary from book, cover photo from Taunton Store, Digital Galley received free for review

My Review: I received a free digital galley of Cooking from the Garden last month for review and it couldn't have come at a better time. As my own garden began to ripen I was anxious for new ideas to put my produce abundance to use. This cookbook did not fail, with everything from sauces to appetizers, main dishes to desserts and even a section on canning. Soon I had depleted my own harvest and headed to farmer's market in search of additional cheap produce.

Many of main dishes weren't to the taste of my children, (it's difficult to convince them to eat risotto with leeks and peas or cornbread sandwiches with goat cheese and roasted tomatoes). The side dishes, however, were spot on. These easy recipes will leave you looking like a pro regardless of your cooking level. I adored the simple canning recipes that will allow us to enjoy our reaping throughout the year. I also liked the idea of the seasonal menus, though I am rarely ambitious enough to serve more than one course. The tips dispersed throughout on everything from drying herbs to preserving lemons were helpful as well.

My Rating: 4 Stars

To Sum it up: A good resource full of new ideas for seasonal fruits and vegetables.