Book Eight: Devil's Food Cake Murder

This is a cute series, it reminds me of the lady detective series in a way that the mystery is there but it is very soft. What shines through this book, like tld, is the strong community culture, the lady leads character, and the food. This book was an absolute pleasure. I can't wait to cut into the next book. Only thing that annoyed me (about this library pick) was that I couldn't easily tell the order of the series. Therefore, I'm not reading the books in order which is slightly annoying.

Book Summary
Hannah Swensen has to admit life is pretty sweet. Things are going well in the romance department and her bakery's delectable confections are selling as fast as she can bake them. Even her good friend Claire is head over heels with her new husband, Reverend Bob Knudson. If only they could find time to take their honeymoon! When Bob's childhood friend, Matthew Walters, comes to town, it seems like divine intervention. Matthew, like Bob, is a Lutheran minister with a stubborn sweet tooth. Since he's on sabbatical, Matthew is happy to fill in for Bob while he and Claire take that long-awaited honeymoon. It sounds like the perfect plan - until Hannah finds Matthew face-down in a plateful of Devil's Food Cake, a single bullet in his head. It will take some sleuthing to sift out the killer, but Hannah is sure of one thing: even the most half-baked murder plot can be oh so deadly...  
http://www.amazon.com/Devils-Murder-Hannah-Swensen-Mysteries/dp/0758234929/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1334594606&sr=1-1
 
Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (75 customer reviews)
 

Book 7: Getting to Happy

Really Terri Mcmillian? Are you kidding me? I was so disappointed by these characters. As Nana put it, the story felt like she rushed to get it out there. Everything in this book felt rushed, fake, and so far away from "reality" I didn't believe this for one moment and I didn't feel close to the characters that  I fell for so many years back with waiting to exhale. To be honest, I felt like the characters were lost. I think terri should have taken some advice from Drake and taken her time with this book. Make sure it was on point. I would not recommend this book if you are looking for reconnecting to the Waiting To Exhale characters.

http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Happy-Terry-McMillan/dp/0451233344/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1334594438&sr=1-1

From Publishers Weekly

Fifteen years after Waiting to Exhale, McMillan brings back Savannah, Gloria, Bernadine, and Robin--now in their 50s--for a disappointing and uninspired outing. As the story opens, Gloria is very happy, Savannah believes she might be happy, Bernadine is fighting addiction and losing ground, and single mother Robin is trying to resign herself to being alone while things at her job begin to unravel. Within the first few chapters, Gloria and Savannah are struck by disaster, and things go rapidly downhill from there for everyone. Most of the misery has to do with men who lie, steal, cheat, or disappear, or with adult children who face similar problems. Unfortunately, the beloved cast isn't given a story worthy of them; instead, this reunion reads like a catalogue of personal catastrophes annotated with very long, rambling discussions, with more emphasis on simple drama than character.

203 Reviews

5 star:		(58)
4 star:		(37)
3 star:		(38)
2 star:		(47)
1 star:		(23)

 

Book Six: Sugar

Incredible! Its been over a month since I read this book and the characters are still with me. There were so many unbelievable turns, twist, and tear worthy moments. My goodness, this book is so well written - the picture is so vivid - even during moments that you wish it weren't. This was a great read - I definitely recommend it. Just know that it is extremely heavy.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sugar-Novel-Bernice-L-McFadden/dp/0452282209/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1334594152&sr=1-2

From Publishers Weekly

With her eponymous anti-heroine, debut novelist McFadden breaks the mold of a venerable stereotype. Here, the hooker with a heart of gold is instead a hooker with a past so tarnished no amount of polishing can change her fate. As a baby, Sugar is abandoned by her mother and raised by a trio of prostitutes who run an Arkansas bordello. Turning tricks at age 12, and leaving town four years later to try her luck in St. Louis and then Detroit, brings more degradation, along with an ever-hardening heart. Upon her mother's death in 1955, Sugar is willed a modest home in Bigelow, Ark., but when she moves into town, and supports herself the only way she knows, the female population rises in wrath against her. All except Pearl, Sugar's next-door neighbor, who more than a decade ago lost her beloved daughter, Jude, to a vicious rapist/murderer. Pearl is struck by Sugar's uncanny likeness to Jude, and is determined to become Sugar's friend in spite of vocal disapproval. Although the two women are opposites in nearly every way, they bring out the best in each other: Sugar convinces Pearl to loosen up and accompany her to a Saturday night juke joint, and Sugar promises to go to church for two months of Sundays. Hypocritical gossip spreads among the townsfolk and tension grows when it turns out that nearly every married man in Bigelow pays a visit to Sugar, leaving the apparently frigid wives planning to run Sugar out of town. Pearl gives it her best shot to transform Sugar, but both women's painful pasts come back to haunt them in a crescendo of violent reenactments, betrayals and surprising revelations leading to a poignant, bittersweet ending. While hampered by a forced and compressed backstory, a surfeit of maudlin moments and some overwriting that is inadvertently funny, this ambitious first novel will appeal to readers who can appreciate Sugar's determination to come to terms with her past and fashion a viable future. Agent, James Vines. (Feb.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

195 Reviews 5 star:  (148) 4 star:  (31) 3 star:  (10) 2 star:  (3) 1 star:  (3)

Average Customer Review 4.6 out of 5 stars (195 customer reviews)

Oppss....Slippin'

Just like in the summers with my mom and in grade school - I read the books, but always dreaded the reports. Now, I don't know why I will sit around and write whatever floods my mind, but when it's time to add some structure into my life - I choke. I procrastinate. I don't do it. So, in order to get the books that I read out there and to extend a little empathy to myself - I've decided to give short descriptions and my review on the books. I will also include the amazon page for each book.

Book 5: Desert Flower

Ashley wrote a review on it and she definitely hit it on the head!

But for my rating, I would give it a B+, because I found it to be both interesting and also educational. Ashley read it in two days. Yes, the main character annoyed me - she definitely seemed unappreciative. But then again, she survived encounters with lions, men, a woman that mutilated her genitals (without pain killers) and the crazy world of modeling...for that BRAVO.

Although she is a harsher critic than I (ratings wise), to be honest, Ashley's review is amazing and why fix what's not broken:

Click here for her full article.
Recommended by: Shelby, but she was slightly apprehensive when handing it over.  “Let me know what you think about this one.  It’s…interesting.”

Genre: Non-fiction

Synopsis: Waris Dirie, a Somalian supermodel, shares her personal journey from being a nomad in the Sahara desert to finding superstardom.

My Recommendation: C.  I greatly appreciated the rags-to-riches story she presented, but was greatly disappointed in her lack of humility and sense of entitlement that she expressed throughout.  She was brutally honest about everything from her torturous personal account of her own female genital mutilation rite of passage to her flight from an arranged marriage with a 60+-year-old man, to her time spent playing maid/housekeeper in London for Somalia’s ambassador to her time struggling to obtain a legal passport that enabled her to become an international supermodel.  On the other hand, she seemed quite unappreciative of all the liberties she enjoyed as a result of others bending over backwards for her…she describes how harshly she spoke/treated to others around her and lacked a certain level of humility that I would expect people, of all cultures to have when interacting with others.

Final Thoughts: I still can’t get over how Dirie confronted Iman about why Iman didn’t use Dirie, a fellow Somalian, to model for Iman’s cosmetic line.  Dirie did it with such a level of aggression, hostility and entitlement that it turned me ALL the way off.  For a second I contemplated not finishing the book.  I was so over her and her diva tactics.  If you can see past that, I guess it was a good read.  Ultimately, it left a sour taste in my mouth.


 Click here for Ashley's list...

 Here is the movie trailer for the movie, Desert Flower, just in case you are more of a film person


P.S. Did you guys notice my FAVORITE model in the world, Liya Kebede, plays the lead. I definitely want to see this film!!!

Book Four: Hunger Games

Recommended by: Deniece
Amazon Review: 

4,538 Reviews 5 star:  (3,479) 4 star:  (652) 3 star:  (203) 2 star:  (96) 1 star:  (108)

Average Customer Review 4.6 out of 5 stars (4,538 customer reviews)

 Book Description: Katniss is a 16-year-old girl living with her mother and younger sister in the poorest district of Panem, the remains of what used be the United States. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games." The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed. When Kat's sister is chosen by lottery, Kat steps up to go in her place.

My Review: B+. This was my "out of my shell" book. When I saw this book was young adult literature, I literally wanted to put the book right back on the shelf; however I'm happy I didn't. This was a HANDS DOWN page turner. I never read during the day. That said, I can honestly say, I rushed home to read this. Only reason why it's not an A, is that the characters were teens - kinda hard for me to fully commit to teenagers and the romance was "off" for me. But honestly, other than the romance, the characters' ages, a few "wish I had more details" moments, and my overall detachment - this book was great! I honestly, get why people loved it and debated (heavily) giving it an A. I hands down recommend this book - there's not a lot to say other than it's a thrilling page-turner. To briefly explain my detachment,  I found myself enjoying this book the way that one enjoys a fairy tale. Although I admired Katniss,  I didn't feel connected to the characters (okay Rue tugged at my heart strings). I will say, though, when Kat steps in her younger sister's place - I GOT THAT! I'm the older sibling of two amazing people, I get that need to protect. I totally responded to that loyalty - I would DEFINITELY take Renny's (or Kenny's) place when she was 12, now that she is 20, and when she is 77.

All in all, this book didn't leave me pondering life, wanting to be a better person or to travel to a foreign land - it was just a great story (point-blank). Loved it! 

Pairing: This book pairs well with your favorite childhood candy and soda. I had the best time reading under the hairdryer, nails freshly painted, enjoying Sour Patches and Pineapple pop.

Book 3: Nectar in a Sieve

Genre: Fiction/Signet Classics
Paperback: 208 pages 134
Average Amazon Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars (134 customer reviews)
Review Breakdown:  5 star: (40) 4 star: (56) 3 star: (16) 2 star: (11) 1 star: (11)

Brief Amazon Book Description: Named Notable Book of 1955 by the American Library Association, this is the very moving story of a peasant woman in a primitive village in India whose whole life was a gallant and persistent battle to care for those she loved. 

Review: Rukmani, a peasant from a village in India, lives a life of constant struggle, yet she is a source of strength for many. At age twelve she marries a man she has never met and moves with him to his rented farmland. Over the years their marriage fills with love, mutual respect, and children: one daughter and many sons. A tannery built near their village forever alters Rukmani's life, for the tannery takes away farmland and silence, and while it provides jobs, they come with great costs. The changes in village life from an agricultural to an industrial community frighten Rukmani; her life becomes one of "Hope and fear. Twin forces that tugged at us first in one direction and then in another...Fear, constant companion of the peasant. Hunger, ever present to jog his elbow should he relax. Despair, ready to engulf him should he falter."

My Review: A-. Literally could have been one of  the most depressing books I've EVER read (similar to the sadness I felt while reading, The Kite Runner), but it wasn't. For me, it was like reading the most beautiful love story. It's funny, because there were so many characters - all dealing with their sadness, pain, hunger, depression - to feel sorry for.  In this book there was prostitution, the hungry were killed,  children with rotten teeth and limbs missing, our heroine dealing with an overwhelming amount of tragedy, and all around destitute; however there was a love story...not the traditional love story...not the butterflies in your belly love story...or the passionate lust love story...but this unknown kind of love story. It was so beautiful to me that I found myself, putting the book down, because it was so heavy and I needed time to digest it all. The speaker is point-blank inspirational. If you are going through a "ingrate" phase, which we all do, please read this book. It will definitely give you a jolt of gratefulness.

Pairing: This book is best with black tea, esp. Darjeeling and Ceylon (an Indian black tea). I also really enjoy Orange Pekoe (combined with a coconut based black tea). Make sure to add cream or milk to all teas - along with a touch of honey. And I believe all black tea should be accompanied by a sweet tea biscuit with jam (preferably Mango jam - keeping to the Indian fruit tradition). I also found myself yearning for Indian cuisine - the descriptions are fantastic.

Memorable Quote: There were so many, but I loved

"Bend like the grass that you do not break."