Bookish Review: One of Our Thursdays is Missing

I'm a big fan of the Thursday Next, but be warned: this one is really for only hard-core book nerds. It's kind of meta-fiction, drowning in literary allusion and even typesetting humor--if you only occasionally dip your toe into reading, it's really not for you. The books are very complex, so make sure you start with the first one.

In this one, the real Thursday Next is missing and it is up to the written Thursday to figure it all out. She races through the Book World and even makes a foray into the real world to try to uncover the mystery--all while trying to keep control of her series.

Another fun one from Fforde. Fans of Thursday will enjoy it.

Bookish Giveaway!

The publishers of Illusion by Frank Peretti were kind enough to give me an ARC to give away! If you'd like to get your hands on it, just leave a comment and make sure you include your email address. If you're the winner, I'll email you for your address and send it off to you--US only, please. I just ask that after you read it, you write a review on Amazon or Barnes & Noble or your blog and send me a link so I can share it here. Good Luck!

Cookish: What's for dinner?

I wanted these potatoes: http://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/detail.php?docid=26327&Extcode=N1JSPHA00

Om nom nom.

So I made them with little Yukon Golds. To go with them, I cut up some cauliflower and tossed with oil, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and garlic powder. When the potatoes went back in on the top rack, I put the cauliflower on the bottom rack. When I moved the potatoes to the bottom rack, I moved the top rack down one rung and then roasted for 10 more minutes.

In the meantime, I cut some chicken breasts into nuggets, tossed with salt, pepper, and coated with dijon mustard. Then I coated them with a mixture of bread crumbs, parmesean cheese, and garlic powder. When the potatoes and cauliflower were done, I turned down the oven to 375 and baked the nuggets for 10-15 minutes.

Yum!

Bookish Review: A Red Herring Without Mustard

Flavia de Luce is at it again! More mayhem and murder are happening in Bishop's Lacey, and who will solve the mystery if not Flavia? Flavia is still dealing with her sisters' tormenting as well as her father's impending bankruptcy--and there are gypsies in town! Another entertaining romp from Bradley; Flavia is one of my favorite characters. Make sure you read the first two in the series before this one. I'm sure you'll love Flavia too.

Bookish Review: The Sisters Brothers

Full disclosure: I received a free copy of this book. I don't remember why--maybe I won a contest? At any rate, the fact that I received a free copy did not affect my review.

I had read numerous glowing reviews of this book before I read it, but the descriptions didn't make it seem like my kind of story. A Western about a pair of assassin brothers? Not my usual cup of tea.

However, the reviews were right. The book is imminently readable and DeWitt has given the narrator a unique and compelling voice. It's a very different and unusual book, but I recommend it. DeWitt might consider a new author photo, though.