My Review of "The Alphabet of Grief"

Andrea Raynor's The Alphabet of Grief: Words to Help in Times of Sorrow is an important little book. And has proven to be an important and timely one in my own personal life. It's written for those navigating the process of grief.

Written in a warm, pastoral way that combines pastoral excellence with scriptural integrity, Raynor uses each letter of the alphabet to present a systematic way of coping with loss. The stories are honest, the emotions are raw, and, at the end of it, you will emerge a stronger person because of the hope dispensed by Raynor's writing.

The author does an excellent job of using biblical stories and principles in a way that avoids platitudes, truisms, and other cliches and does not knock them over the reader's head. I highly recommend this book for pastors and parishioners who are trying to understand mortality in the scope of eternity.

I received a free copy of this game from the Blogging for Books review 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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