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.

Starting 2025 With a Clean Slate

 

I opened my Goodreads in December, looked at my TBR, took a deep breath.... and removed everything.

The last time I updated that list was in 2016, and to say I'm a different person now would be an understatement. While there were a number of books there that I do still want to read, many were on there for specific challenges from groups that are currently not active. 

So I decided to start 2025 with a clean slate.

Just looking at the list was making me feel overwhelmed. I'm going to use it as a place to keep the books I'll be soon reading, rather than a list of hopefuls, sometime in the future.

My plan for this year are to review all the books I read (excepting the many repeats of kid's books... one review per book is my limit). I'm pretty sure most of the grown up books I read will be through NetGalley as that is just the easiest way to access books for me right now. I'm finding I'm having difficulty with getting the books I want to read in the time I want to read them through the library. Many books I search either aren't in the catalogue or have months long waiting lists. That's not very conducive to buddy or challenge reads.

My goals this year are:

1. Read 12 grown up books this year. I think planning on 1 per month is reasonable, and I may even get more!

2. Read 1 new book to the kids each week. Considering their books take less than 10 minutes to go through normally, this is totally achievable. I'm mainly doing this so we don't get stuck in a rut of re-reading the same 5 favourite books over and over.

3. As stated above, review all books that I read, and as a subsection to that, start cross posting to social media. Any NetGalley books will obviously be reviewed there, however I want to get my reviews on here, as well as Goodreads. I have Instagram, TikTok, and Bluesky, and it would be nice to get them going with reviews. I'm not looking to become a Bookfluencer or anything, just to honestly review stuff for the authors and people looking. Especially the kids books because there isn't as much out there as for those written for adults.

4. Be more active on my Goodreads groups. I'm part of Challenge Corner, NetGalley Readers, and NetGalley Buddy Reads and I just want to be more active and part of the community.

5. Continue to be active on Librivox. I host the podcast, proof listen, and book coordinate over there and I want to continue what I've started. The only issue with being a proof listener rather than listening to the finished story is that I quite often listen out of order, so I'm not sure I can count those books. I may include a Librivox post each month just to keep track of my activity and give it a little promo.

6. Play around with the NetGalley Reading Journal. I don't expect this to be something I actively update throughout the year, at least not on a book by book basis. I'd like to at least do the Month Summary pages though.

I think these are all reasonable goals for the year. The biggest challenge will be time, but I'm planning on taking that time after the kids are in bed now, even if it means hopping out to a coffee shop to get it done.

What goals or plans are you looking at for the year?

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.

Dusting Off and Gearing Up

 My goodness, it's been a while!

Looking at my last post, apparently the post vacation hangover took me out for longer than expected. Followed by me expanding my family by 2.

In the ensuing years of motherhood, my brain did not have the energy to read anything, much less review what I did have a few braincells to read. So this poor blog ended up vacant and dormant.

Now, however, my children are sleeping through the night, and old enough for me to foster a love of reading in them. So I am back to log what I'm reading and review so others can find the good, the bad, and the ugly.

While I am still an eclectic reader, and enjoy a lot of different genres, I will be including children's books as my kids and I dive into them. 

My kids at this stage are Munchie, my daughter who just turned 5 and has been reading independently for about 8 months, and Biggie, my son who just turned 2 and is just learning his letters and numbers, but is figuring out how to sit long enough to get through a board book.

Munchie's nickname comes from her having a penchant for biting while nursing when she was a baby, my Hubby thought it was hilarious, I suffered.

Biggie's nickname is due to the fact that he is a giant. He is off the growth charts that the doctors use, and is currently in 3T clothes.

I still get most of my books from my local library's online catalogue, but I've also just joined NetGalley and have been thoroughly enjoying reading and reviewing the eARC's on there. Having another place to link a review is one of the main reasons I'm getting this blog started up again.

I will be following the same reviewing pattern that I previously used, though on kid's books I'll include whatever comments I get from the kiddos because a kid's book isn't fully reviewed until a kid weighs in.

I have some catching up to do with the books that I've read this year, so expect to see a flurry of posts in the next few weeks while I get those reviews out.

Thank you for joining me on this journey, and please feel free to comment with requests or suggestions on what we should read next!

Vacation Book Hangover

Ever have one of those vacations where you come back and just aren't up to doing anything? Yup, that happened to me.

Between rushing through a couple of challenge books before my vacation, and reading 8 books over the course of the week I was on vacation, I came home with a huge book hangover.

Though I must say, that the warmth and sun of the Domincan Republic was the perfect place to read and relax from the Canadian Winter.

I kept telling myself that I had to write a blog, but I was brain dead by the time I came home from work. Then when I was finally getting to the point of being motivated to write, my husband's grandfather died and we had to deal with the outcome of that.

Now with that sob story done, lets do a quick run down of what reviews you have to look forward to in the near future.

Prior to vacation I read:

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter
Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini
Julian by William Bell
Peeps by Scott Westerfield

On Vacation I read:

Rebel by Amy Tintera
Cress by Marrissa Meyer
Fairest by Marrissa Meyer
Winter by Marrissa Meyer
Their Kidnapped Bride by Vanessa Vale
Alpha by Jasinda Wilder
Promises of Mercy by Vella Day
Command Me by Geneva Lee

I'm currently in the middle of a review copy I have that I need to finish and get the review up for, and that has priority because I'm super behind on that. These won't be necessarily reviewed in the order I read them, but they will all be reviewed over the next while. Keep an eye out for that!

What are your favourite books that you've read on vacation?