Review: Every Day is a Holiday

Title: Every Day is a Holiday
Series: Stand Alone
Author: Greg Kincaid
Illustrator: Alessia Girasole
Publish Date: February 3, 2025
Publisher: 4U2B Books & Media
Genre: Children’s Fiction
Age: 4-7
Started Reading: January 21, 2025
Finished Reading: January 21, 2025
NetGalley?: Yes

Book Summary from Goodreads:

A heartwarming tale of love and family!

When six-year-old Allie McCray finds an abandoned puppy in a box outside her local animal shelter, she struggles to give the adorable pup a name. But after bringing the little hound home and reflecting on the most important things in her life, Allie comes up with the perfect name for the new addition to their family!
 
Every Day Is a Holiday is a celebration of the bonds of love and joy we form with the furry friends we adopt into our families. And for longtime fans of Greg Kincaid’s Crossing Tails series, it brings full circle the story of belonging, love, and friendship.

My Two Cents:

Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars

This book is really cute, with a special visit from the dog Christmas to tie in to the author's adult series. My daughter (5) loved hearing about how Allie took care of the animals at the shelter ("she feeds them like I feed the cats mommy!") and was fascinated by the puppy sling. She loved all of the different name ideas, but Jack was her favourite as Halloween is her favourite holiday. We talked about how some animals go to the shelter and that's how they find their families, and also about the questions at the end and how, with one of the cats we adopted before she was born, we should have verified a bunch of information to know he wouldn't get along with our other cats at home. This book is excellent if you're looking to adopt a new animal. It has an information page at the end with things to discuss and consider, and helps kids understand the process a bit more. The illustrations are adorable, and Allie is just cute as a button. We really enjoyed this book! We read this ebook through NetGalley.

To Sum Up: A very cute book that helps teach about adopting pets. 

Review: The Lost House

Title: The Lost House
Series: Stand Alone
Author: Melissa Larsen
Illustrator: N/A
Publish Date: January 14, 2025
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Age: 16+
Started Reading: January 20, 2025
Finished Reading: January 24, 2025
NetGalley?: Yes 

Book Summary from Goodreads: 

In Melissa Larsen's The Lost House comes the mesmerizing story of a young woman with a haunting past who returns to her ancestral home in Iceland to investigate a gruesome murder in her family.

Forty years ago, a young woman and her infant daughter were found buried in the cold Icelandic snow, lying together as peacefully as though sleeping. Except the mother’s throat had been slashed and the infant drowned. The case was never solved. There were no arrests, no conviction. Just a suspicion turned into a the husband did it. When he took his son and fled halfway across the world to California, it was proof enough of his guilt.

Now, nearly half a century later and a year after his death, his granddaughter, Agnes, is ready to clear her grandfather’s name once and for all. Still recovering from his death and a devastating injury, Agnes wants nothing more than an excuse to escape the shambles of her once-stable life—which is why she so readily accepts true crime expert Nora Carver’s invitation to be interviewed for her popular podcast. Agnes packs a bag and hops on a last-minute flight to the remote town of Bifröst, Iceland, where Nora is staying, where Agnes’s father grew up, and where, supposedly, her grandfather slaughtered his wife and infant daughter.

Is it merely coincidence that a local girl goes missing the very same weekend Agnes arrives? Suddenly, Agnes and Nora’s investigation is turned upside down, and everyone in the small Icelandic town is once again a suspect. Seeking to unearth old and new truths alike, Agnes finds herself drawn into a web of secrets that threaten the redemption she is hell-bent on delivering, and even her life—discovering how far a person will go to protect their family, their safety, and their secrets.

Set against an unforgiving Icelandic winter landscape, The Lost House is a chilling and razor-sharp thriller packed with jaw-dropping twists that will leave you breathless. 

My Two Cents:

Goodreads Rating: 3 Stars 

This book was, ok. It felt like a not great movie that you enjoy watching with your friends while shouting at it and throwing popcorn. The decisions of the FL had me wanting to bash my head against the wall, and it seemed like everything happened too fast. It was crammed into 10 days of time, so things that would take time to build up, like trust and relationships, happened at lightning speed. I had a strong guess for who the murderer was about half-way through the book, but that didn't ruin the climax. I will say that the last quarter of the book is the strongest part, once the ball really got rolling for the final confrontation things got fun and I enjoyed the ride. There were a lot of different conflicts going on: the cold case mystery, the podcast, the FL physical and mental health issues, substance abuse, a missing girl, and then half-way through a messy relationship gets added to the mix. It just felt like too much all at once.

I listened to the audiobook and have to say that the reader was really good with the voices. There were times I was almost convinced they'd changed narrators for the mens' voices. I can't say whether or not her Icelandic accent was any good, but it did differentiate the locals from the tourists. I listened to this audiobook through NetGalley. 

To Sum Up: A decent mystery that feels rushed due to a too short timeline. 

Review: The Vegetarian Reset: 75 Low-Carb, Plant-Forward Recipes from Around the World

Title: The Vegetarian Reset: 75 Low-Carb, Plant-Forward Recipes from Around the World
Series: Stand Alone
Author: Vasudha Viswanath
Illustrator: N/A
Publish Date: January 17, 2025
Publisher: The Collective Book Studio
Genre: Cookbook
Age: All Ages
Started Reading: January 16, 2025
Finished Reading: January 17, 2025
NetGalley?: Yes

Book Summary from Goodreads:

The Vegetarian Reset celebrates a lifestyle where a foodie sensibility intersects with healthy eating. It solves the never-ending dilemma that all plant-based eaters Is life fun when you eat salad every day, or is it worth it to let your health take a backseat to enjoy a big bowl of rice or pasta without enough protein?

In her debut cookbook, Vasudha Viswanath takes readers on a little trip around the world, drawing inspiration from an array of traditional and global cuisines that are rich in whole foods like vegetables, legumes, and healthy fats. Seasonal vibrant recipes are moderately low-carb and put vegetables front and center , while also being gluten-free ! Learn to bake healthy bread from scratch, make paella out of cauliflower rice, transform paneer into gnocchi, and sweeten brownies with dates! Whether you already follow a low-carb lifestyle or simply want to add more healthy dishes into your rotation, The Vegetarian Reset will delight and inspire vegetarians, vegans, and omnivores alike to eat well, fully nourish, and reset your body.

My Two Cents:

Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars

While I am not Vegetarian (and likely never will be) I do want to increase the amount of veggies in my diet. I decided to check out The Vegetarian Reset to see if I could find some new options to add into my personal rotation. I don't know that I could get my kids and hubby onto some of these recipes, but they'd be perfect for me. I really enjoyed the variety of vegetables used, and the effort to move away from just salads and smoothies. Tying in various cultural dishes from around the world gave a fun chance to branch out from the norm. I loved that most of the dishes were gluten free, this made things much easier for me as someone with Celiac Disease as I didn't have to worry about converting. The fact there are options for vegan alterations as well allows easy accommodations for when my vegan relatives come over. My only, mild, issue was how often pasta and rice seemed to be villainized. The substitution of cauliflower rice, or zucchini noodles was fine, and it was mentioned that you can just use rice or pasta, but it felt a bit heavy handed on not using grains and starches in any of the dishes. Definitely a book I'll be adding to my shelf, and meals I'll be adding to my menu. I read this digital ebook through NetGalley.

To Sum Up: A wonderful variety of recipes from different cuisines to liven up your dinner table.

Review: The Vanishing Bookstore

Title: The Vanishing Bookstore
Series: Stand Alone
Author: Helen Phifer
Illustrator: N/A
Publish Date: January 7, 2025
Publisher: Bookouture
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery
Age: 16 +
Started Reading: January 2, 2025
Finished Reading: January 18, 2025
NetGalley?: Yes 

Book Summary from Goodreads:

‘Every story needs a happy ending. And you can’t have yours until you find the bookstore.’

1692. On the outskirts of Salem, a bookstore stands covered in overgrown vines. Inside, a young woman hides a linen-wrapped journal under a loose floorboard and runs away, panicked by the sound of hounds barking in the distance. The bookstore vanishes into thin air…

Present day. Stepping inside a pale-pink house on one of the oldest streets in Salem, Dora can’t believe she’s about to finally meet the mother she thought died tragically when she was just a child. But the excitement is short-lived. Dora’s mother has fear in her eyes, and with a trembling voice she ‘my life is in danger, and now so is yours…’

Desperate not to lose her mother all over again, Dora digs into her family’s mysterious past, and stumbles upon a seemingly impossible secret: the key to their survival is hidden in a bookstore that no one has seen for generations.

Losing herself amongst thorny brackens and twisted ferns, Dora eventually finds the path that leads to the bookstore. But someone is watching her. They’ve been waiting for her.

As she pushes open the beautiful blue door hidden amongst the sharp brambles, and stands in front of rows of crumbling leatherbound books with faded pages, she has no idea of the secrets she is about to uncover. Or that her life is in more danger than ever before…

My Two Cents:

Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars

This was a really interesting book for someone who went through a Salem Witch Trials phase as a teenager. Taking very real facts, and in some cases people, and working fiction around it is a fine line to follow without falling over. I think this book did a good job of it! The story was fun without being too over the top, it didn't push the facts too much, even with multiple lives and an immortal witch hunter. The hopping back and forth through the timelines was handled well, telling the story without being too confusing, leaving just enough questions needing answered to keep you going. I did find myself somewhat wanting with the explanation of the curse that was the thing that started the whole plot. In fact, I felt that the 'curse' that as referenced many times in the story was kind of forgotten and a completely different explanation was given for what was happening.

I listened to the audiobook of this, and for the most part it was fantastic. The variety of voices was well done, and the narration was clear and even soothing. My main issue is likely a director decision, but it's a big issue that kept bugging me. In this 'lifetime' the FL grew up in London, England from the time she was a few weeks old. A number of times characters remark that she's British, clearly reflecting a British accent, however, and possibly so that the accent didn't change between lifetimes, the character is read with an American accent. It's not a deal breaker, but it was something I found a bit jarring with the text.

All told, I really enjoyed this book, much more than I initially thought I would. I think if I were to pick it up to read again, I'd get the text format to avoid the dissonance of the accent. I listened to this audiobook through NetGalley.

To Sum Up: A interesting, suspenseful, and fun story, but possibly better read than listened due to an accent issue.

  

Review: Kawaii Café Ramen: Classic, Fun, and Delicious Ramen Meals to Make at Home

Title: Kawaii Café Ramen: Classic, Fun, and Delicious Ramen Meals to Make at Home
Series: Stand Alone
Author: Amy Kimoto-Kahn
Illustrator: Amy Kimoto-Kahn
Publish Date: January 14, 2025
Publisher: Rock Point
Genre: Cookbook
Age: All
Started Reading: January 2, 2025
Finished Reading: January 6, 2025
NetGalley?: Y

Book Summary from Goodreads:

Satisfy your ramen cravings at home (and affordably)!  Kawaii Café  Ramen includes over 60 easy-to-follow recipes, beautifully illustrated in a fun anime style.

Kawaii Café Ramen covers everything you need to know, including how to put together a bowl of piping hot ramen in a myriad of ways with a choice of four soup bases, ramen noodles (homemade or store-bought), and traditional and non-traditional ingredients. Enjoy bowls of pork, chicken, and beef ramen, or branch out with seafood, vegetarian, and spicy soups—and even cold ramen and a breakfast version topped with bacon and a poached egg. Make your soup base in advance and you have a quick, easy, and special midweek family meal.

Each accompanied by exciting anime-style illustrations, the recipes include:

• Indonesian Pork Ramen with Coconut Curry Soup
• Chicken Meatball Ramen
• Teriyaki Beef–Wrapped Asparagus Ramen
• California Ramen with Crabmeat, Avocado, and Cucumber
• Spicy Tofu Ramen
• Crispy Greens Ramen with Swiss Chard, Kale, and Brussels Sprouts

With yummy recipes, down-to-earth writing, and a delightful design, Kawaii Café Ramen is the ultimate guide to this global phenomenon.

My Two Cents:

Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars

I'm going to start this off by saying, I love ramen! I've been a huge fan of it since the early 2000's when I'd first moved out and had a little restaurant that made 'real' ramen just down the street. Then I got Celiac Disease and sadly went about with whatever I could make at home by myself with various rice noodles, but it was never the same. This book has upped my game! While I'm still stuck with the rice noodles, now I can bring the good soup bases and toppings home and have something much closer to the real deal! The recipes are clear and the language used around everything is optimistic and very encouraging. The shining star of this book, I think, is the section on side dishes. This is what elevates this book from being a one trick pony to a fantastic resource. The illustrations are very cute, but I would have liked to see a couple of pictures to show what to expect of the actual finished product. I will be using this book a lot in the future. I read this digital advanced copy through NetGalley.

To Sum Up: A very cute and inspiring cookbook with a wonderful variety of recipes. 

Review: Easy Meal Prep: Save Time and Eat Healthy with over 75 Recipes

Title: Easy Meal Prep: Save Time and Eat Healthy with over 75 Recipes
Series: Stand Alone
Author: Erin Romeo
Illustrator: N/A
Publish Date: January 14, 2025
Publisher: Rock Point
Genre: Cookbook
Age: All
Started Reading: December 13, 2024
Finished Reading: December 15, 2024
NetGalley?: Yes 

Book Summary from Goodreads:

Conquer your healthy eating plan while saving time and money!

In Easy Meal Prep, nutrition coach and meal prep expert Erin Romeo, the Food Prep Princess (@foodprepprincess on Instagram), guides you through the essentials of meal prep, a key component to any diet—whether you’re high-protein, vegetarian, dairy-free, gluten-free, low-carb, or just trying to eat healthy. This highly accessible guide includes:

• How to prep a week’s worth of meals in a few hours
• Over 75 healthy and delicious recipes
• How to meal-prep in 5 easy steps
• 5 meal-prep plans to get you started
• Tips and tricks for food planning

So, skip the takeout and never be at a loss for a healthy meal again with this essential guide to easy meal prep.

My Two Cents:

Goodreads Rating: 3 Stars (It was ok)

I will start off by saying that this book is not what I expected it to be. If you are looking for a book that is mostly recipes, with some diet plans, and a small intro to the method of meal prep, this book is for you. I, being a busy mom of 2, was looking for a more in depth book on meal prepping and easy to make meals without lists of 'approved foods' and diet plans. While the book does claim to reduce your prepping/cooking/cleaning time down to just 2 hours or so per week, it also means that the majority of your meals are eaten as reheated leftovers. While I appreciated the inclusion of a gluten free option, as someone who lives with Celiac Disease, it seemed much more geared to those who were eating that way by choice, rather than necessity. I did not try the recipes, or get much past the merely 4-5 pages of instructions in the introduction, as I personally found my current collection of family favourite recipes were sufficient for my needs. I read this digital book through NetGalley.

To Sum Up: A healthy eating/diet book with a good selection of recipes if that’s what you’re looking for.

  

Review: Friday Night Cocktails

 

Title: Friday Night Cocktails: 52 Drinks to Welcome Your Weekend
Series: Stand Alone
Author: AJ Dean
Illustrator: N/A
Publish Date: Nov 7, 2023
Publisher: The Collective Book Studio
Genre: Cookbook
Age: 19+
Started Reading: December 2, 2024
Finished Reading: December 12, 2024
NetGalley?: Yes

  

Book Summary from Goodreads:

Friday Night Cocktails invites readers to welcome their weekend with open arms... and a Negroni Sbagliato.

"With its elegant photographs and gleaming, gilt-letter packaging, Friday Night Cocktails is a crowd-pleasing guide for those who raise their glasses to the weekend." – Foreword Reviews

Friday Night Cocktails is for anyone interested in a well-made, non-fussy, homemade mixed drink. The 52 cocktails (plus numerous variations) are made with common ingredients that readers can easily keep on-hand. Including old stand-bys (e.g., Gin & Tonic) as well as new takes on the standards (e.g., Blood Orange Margarita), the book’s message is “Try something new, but be mindful of the tried-and-true.”

With 50+ stunning images, Friday Night Cocktails closes the door on the week and welcomes the weekend. And what better way to do that than with a chilled cocktail? 

My Two Cents:

Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars (We really enjoyed it)

This book is exactly what it says. Drink recipes for the whole year, split into seasons. The variety is wonderful, and the fact that every drink has a variation gives a 2 for 1 feel. The preface gives a nice history of the cocktail, as well as an equipment list and explanation. A number of specialty ingredients have recipes or tips found within the book.

The photography is lovely, and all of the drinks pictured look amazing.

My husband and I tried the Hot Toddy, Espresso Martini, Cranberry Mule (virgin and full blast), Hot Buttered Rum, Irish Coffee, Lemon Drop, Gin and Tonic (a classic), and Mojito. (Not all in one night, it was December, there were holiday parties). We found the recipes easy to follow and all turned out nicely.

The downside is that the ingredients list is extensive. To make all of the drinks in the book does require some investment. There are a number of fancier drinks that use very specific liqueurs or flavoured bitters that may be difficult to find. Some are given substitutes, but some are not.

Definitely a book to check out if you'd like to up your cocktail game, or just learn how to make some of the classics.

I read this book as a free digital offering through NetGalley.

To Sum Up: A fantastic set of recipes that may require some initial investment to your bar.

 

Review: Just One More Story

Title: Just One More Story
Series: Stand Alone
Author: Perry Emerson
Illustrator: Sean Julian
Publish Date: January 7, 2025
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Genre: Children's Fiction
Age: 3-7
Started Reading: January 2, 2025
Finished Reading: January 2, 2025
NetGalley?: Yes

Book Summary from Goodreads:

Pip and Bun are two very different bunnies. Pip LOVES reading. Bun does not. Then one day, Bun opens a book filled with action and adventure. Could it be the perfect way for Bun to learn to enjoy reading?

Munchie and My Two Cents:

Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars (Really good!)

Quite an adorable story about two sibling bunnies and how they work together to find a way to tell stories that interests both of them. Muncie (5) absolutely loved the illustrations. She thought the different stories talked about were funny (A penguin on a motorcycle... WHAT?!) When the bunnies started misbehaving and fighting she stopped the book to talk about how they were not nice, and was very happy to see that they made up and went back to playing. On my part I very much enjoyed reading this book. There were a bunch of parts I could make interactive, and playing with the bunnies' voices was fun. Seeing my daughter recognize and discuss the not so great moments was good too, and the showing how both came to a point of reconciliation on their own was a very good example. I like how it showed a believable sibling relationship with ups and downs, and allowed for conversation about it. We read this digital picture book through NetGalley.

To Sum Up: This was a very cute book with a realistic view on sibling relationships, and showed how one can encourage the other to read.

Review: Kawaii Cafe Ramen

Title: Kawaii Cafe Ramen: Classic, Fun, and Delicious Ramen Meals to Make at Home
Series: Stand Alone
Author: Amy Kimoto-Kahn
Illustrator: Amy Kimoto-Kahn
Publish Date: January 14, 2025
Publisher: Rock Point
Genre: Cookbook
Age: All
Started Reading: January 2, 2025
Finished Reading: January 6, 2025
NetGalley?: Yes

Book Summary from Goodreads:

Satisfy your ramen cravings at home (and affordably)!  Kawaii Café  Ramen includes over 60 easy-to-follow recipes, beautifully illustrated in a fun anime style.

Kawaii Café Ramen covers everything you need to know, including how to put together a bowl of piping hot ramen in a myriad of ways with a choice of four soup bases, ramen noodles (homemade or store-bought), and traditional and non-traditional ingredients. Enjoy bowls of pork, chicken, and beef ramen, or branch out with seafood, vegetarian, and spicy soups—and even cold ramen and a breakfast version topped with bacon and a poached egg. Make your soup base in advance and you have a quick, easy, and special midweek family meal.

Each accompanied by exciting anime-style illustrations, the recipes

Indonesian Pork Ramen with Coconut Curry SoupChicken Meatball RamenTeriyaki Beef–Wrapped Asparagus RamenCalifornia Ramen with Crabmeat, Avocado, and CucumberSpicy Tofu RamenCrispy Greens Ramen with Swiss Chard, Kale, and Brussels Sprouts
With yummy recipes, down-to-earth writing, and a delightful design, Kawaii Café Ramen is the ultimate guide to this global phenomenon.

My Two Cents:

Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars (I really liked it)

I'm going to start this off by saying, I love ramen! I've been a huge fan of it since the early 2000's when I'd first moved out and had a little restaurant that made 'real' ramen just down the street. Then I got Celiac Disease and sadly went about with whatever I could make at home by myself with various rice noodles, but it was never the same. This book has upped my game! While I'm still stuck with the rice noodles, now I can bring the good soup bases and toppings home and have something much closer to the real deal! The recipes are clear and the language used around everything is optimistic and very encouraging. The shining star of this book, I think, is the section on side dishes. This is what elevates this book from being a one trick pony to a fantastic resource. The illustrations are very cute, but I would have liked to see a couple of pictures to show what to expect of the actual finished product. I will be using this book a lot in the future. I read this digital advanced copy through NetGalley.

To Sum Up: Lots of really great, easy to follow recipes, could use a real photo or two for the finished products.

Review: A Little Labradoodle Christmas

Title: A Little Labradoodle Christmas
Series: Stand Alone
Author: April M. Cox, Kairi Fullerton
Illustrator: Remesh Rem
Publish Date: Nov 5, 2024
Publisher: Little Labradoodle Publishing, LLC
Genre: Children's Fiction, Picture Book
Age: 4-8
Started Reading: December 10, 2024
Finished Reading: December 10, 2024
NetGalley?: Yes

Book Summary from Goodreads:

When a grumpy old cat grumbles his way through the holidays, two playful Labradoodles and a kind-hearted little girl set out on a mission to change his mind. Together, they embark on a heartwarming adventure, determined to show the cat that Christmas is about more than just decorations and gifts—it's about love, kindness, and reaching out to those who need it most.

Perfect for children ages 4-8, this beautifully illustrated story promotes important messages about compassion, making a difference, and embracing the spirit of giving. Cozy up with your little ones and share this delightful holiday story that will warm hearts and inspire smiles.

Inspired by the imagination of 7-year-old Kairi and brought to life with the loving guidance of her Nana, April Cox, A Little Labradoodle Christmas combines the wonder of a child's perspective with the craftsmanship of a seasoned storyteller. As the fourth installment in The Little Labradoodle series, this charming tale will resonate with young readers and families alike.

Munchie and My Two Cents:

Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars (We both thought it was Amazing!)

Munchie (5) and I very much enjoyed this book. The story had her thinking and talking about those who don't have as much as we do. She loved the pictures, and was especially happy when the kitty got his bow. She stated it was a 5 star book, and I agree. Seeing that the main character was based on a real little girl and that she helped write the story was something that caught my daughter's attention. When I asked her if she would like to read the book again she said "not right now, but maybe Saturday" (Saturday being her favourite day when she does her favourite things, so that was a vote towards it going into the regular rotation). The gift at the end was nice and we will be reading the additional book. I read this book as a free digital version through Netgalley.

To Sum Up: This is a very cute Christmas story with a good message about including those around us.