My Review of "Eleanor"

Jason Gurley's Eleanor: A Novel is a real page-turner, a treat for those who love mysteries and are suckers for stories about the power of love and loyalty in families.

Eleanor felt drawn to the sea. When she was a girl, she swam competitively. But then she fell in love, got married, and had a baby -- and that was enough for a while. Until she started feeling like she was only alive when she swam in the sea. Her husband would take her. He was very understanding. Then one day she went to the sea and never came back.

Eleanor, though, is more about her name-sake -- her granddaughter, also a twin whose sister is ripped from her through death at a young age, and subsequently grows up in a family of sorrow and rage.

So the twinless twin continues on through the years, with a now alcoholic mother who blames her, and a sporadically absent father. Her only solace is her friend Jack, a kindred spirit. Then strange things starts to happen. Doorways pull Eleanor to other worlds, some beautiful and some scary (and some nothing that have characters of their own as well) and back again, losing time when she returns. If she doesn't figure out what's going on and how to control it, her loved ones will be in even more pain than ever before.

The story is compellingly tragic -- its characters all lost from loss, anger erupting from a seemingly endless reservoir. And in between is a supernatural rift of nothing, which may hold the key to soothing all the hurt.

I won't give more of the story away. Because this is a novel I recommend so highly that I think it's best experienced, not described.

I received a free copy of this book as part of the Blogging for Books program in exchange for my honest review here.

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My Review of "Come as You Aren't"

Come as You Aren't: A Role-Playing Game for Adventurous Couples is a simple role-playing kit for couples who want to explore and experiment in ways to seduce one another that they simply wouldn't have imagined otherwise. The set is meant to offer one partner who draws a Who, a What, and a Where card at random and places them in an envelope for the other partner. From there, it's up to them to enact the scenarios as they see fit. The instructions are printed on the back cover of the box and the deck comes with a few blank cards for couples to customize. This is a fun little gift for couples -- and just in time for the holidays. I received a free copy of this game from the Blogging for Books review program in exchange for my honest review here.

tasting rome -- a book review

Parla and Gill's Tasting Rome: Fresh Flavors and Forgotten Recipes from an Ancient City contains more than 85 recipes that bring some of Rome's characteristic cuisines to the home cook in our own kitchens. These recipes reflect some of the "spirit of Roman flavors" that have been part of historical dishes and community-specific recipes that make this collection a real treat itself. I particularly love the section on traditional Roman pasta dishes -- which gives us cacio e pepe, amatriciana, and two methods for preparing pasta alla carbonara. There are multiple twists on bread and pizza, and the vegetable section champions local favorites such as artichokes, fava beans, and greens. This is a solid introduction to Roman cooking that every kitchen needs. I received a free copy of this book as part of the Blogging for Books program in exchange for my honest review here.

My Review of "Roadfood"

Jane & Michael Stern's Roadfood gives us another (this is the 10th edition!) gastro road trip across the US. Roadfood is like a road map through backroads and interstates for some of the best food in each state and region in the US. Roadfood celebrates venues most travelers would never venture near, let alone enter. Most of the state-by-state listed restaurants are, however, for dining on the cheap. Like Litton's in Knoville, TN -- which really does have amazing burgers. While one could hardly map a road trip by the Sterns' restaurant finds -- some cities, like Chicago, are overrepresented, while the rest of Illinois is all but ignored -- this fun and fanciful volume is pure pleasure. I received a free copy of this book as part of the Blogging for Books program in exchange for my honest review here.

The Mrs. & the Minister

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