Happy Reading!
#DEARBASICBUDDYREADS APRIL SELECTION
It’s that time of the month again. Katie @basicbsguide and I have decided on our April #dearbasicbuddyreads Backlist Buddy Read and we are thrilled to announce that our pick is 𝘚𝘢𝘭𝘵 𝘛𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘦𝘢 by Ruta Sepetys.
We will be reading this YA Historical Fiction novel the month of April and will have a fabulous discussion ( as always 😉) at the end of the month via a private Instagram chat.
@freethetruth
I am so thrilled to be writing to you about a brilliant debut novel that completely captivated me. Truth and Other Lies by Maggie Smith is Women’s Fiction at its finest. Politics, journalism, and family dynamics line the pages of Smith’s book and I happily read every word. Let’s take a peek, shall we?
A Trio of Books Just For You
I have three books for you today and they are all so very different from one another. These three works of fiction each have their own unique vibe and I am thrilled to share them with you. I am offering up a man in search of his soul, a courtroom drama set way into the future, and a mystery around some Nazi stolen artwork. I can honestly say that I was swept away by all three of the books below. I was shocked, entertained, made to think, and above all…simply wowed by these three authors. I do believe there is something for everyone in today’s round-up. Happy reading and listening!
Crocodile Rock
Today I am wishing a VERY Happy Pub Day to The Duchess Countess by Catherine Ostler!!! To say I was a happy camper reading this book would be an understatement. Give me anything related to a scandal, royal courts, and an adventurous woman during any century prior to cell phones or electronics and I am in heaven. This magnetic biography was my first introduction to Elizabeth Chudleigh and certainly won’t be my last. Let me share with you why I am officially obsessed with this beguiling woman from the Georgian era.
#DEARBASICBUDDYREADS MARCH SELECTION
he moment you have all been waiting for 🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁 𝐓𝐡𝐞 #𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐛𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐲𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 is 𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘴 by Amy Poeppel 🎶🎶🎶. Katie @basicbsguide and I are so excited to lighten up the reading vibe in March with a book that PEOPLE MAGAZINE calls, “𝐀 𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲, 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫-𝐢𝐧-𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞.”
True Love
Happy Valentine’s Day my friend! Roses, chocolates, conversational hearts, and sweet kisses fill this day of love. Today I am sharing with you one of my favorite graphic novel series that absolutely has all the feels and is perfect for this very special day or any day for that matter. Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper series is an all-encompassing story of friendship, first love, and coming out…all during the awkward time of being a teenager. I borrowed this series from the library to read and have officially decided to purchase all four Heartstopper books because they left such a huge impression on my heart and now need a permanent place on my bookshelf. This book series had me squealing with absolute delight.
Yes or No
Britney King is BACK. I know you recognize her because I write to you often about her books. Words can not express how excited I get when I hear that she (my favorite author of psychological thrillers) has a new book coming out. When I received an early copy of King’s latest creation The Secretary, I immediately cleared my Friday night plans (I have so many these days 😂😂). I rushed through dinner with my family, passed all driving duties over to my husband, locked up my chickens and ducks, then quickly landed in my cozy bed with all my snuggly blankets and a piping hot mug of tea. Some may call this boring or uneventful, but this forty-something-year-old dreams of nights like these. I read The Secretary late into the night and finished it up first thing in the morning. Can you say absolute BLISS?
February Book Selection
Katie @basicbsguide and I cordially invite you to join in our February Book Selection for #𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐂𝐁𝐔𝐃𝐃𝐘𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐒. We will be reading the 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝗪𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 and 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐘𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫, 𝘚𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘜𝘯𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥, 𝘚𝘪𝘯𝘨 by Jesmyn Ward.
Nothing Lasts Forever
There is nothing more thrilling to me than reading a debut novel. Because I have no preconceived notions or backlist titles to compare it to, I have the opportunity to absorb the writing while getting to know the writer one page at a time. With that said, I just finished Julia May Jonas’ debut novel, Vladimir, and I can honestly say that I was dazzled by her beautiful writing.
I’ll Drink To That
I absolutely love reading about the Regency era in England. It was a time when securing a good-fit marriage was a full-time job, and waggish conversation and gossip were all the rage. Throw in a sprinkle of niceties and fashion galore and the Regency era basically shimmered with delight. But if there is one star of this luscious time period it was the lovely libations that were passed around the seductive soirees. The Regency Book of Drinks: Quaffs, Quips, Tipples & Tales From Grosvenor Square by Lady Thornwood is dazzling with delicious cocktails for you to enjoy minus wearing the “short corsets”.
Cheers to Getting it On
I am so thrilled that my latest piece just came out on @momsdonthavetimetowrite yesterday. A big thank you to Zibby Owens and the whole MDHTTW crew for polishing up my sexy little tale and putting a GIANT smile on my face and hopefully on yours!
Happy Reading & Cheers to Getting it On!
xoxo,
Kelly
Crooked Jesus
Today, I am over the moon to share with you Kerri Maher’s latest creation, The Paris Bookseller. Maher brings to life the extraordinary Sylvia Beach. Beach is known for her famous English language bookstore and lending library, Shakespeare and Company which she opened in 1919 in Paris. But what many may not know is that she (Shakespeare and Company) was the first to publish the book, Ulysses by none other than Irish writer, James Joyce. Beach was THE champion for Joyce’s highly controversial book and made it her life’s work (at the time) to not only get it published by Joyce’s 40th birthday (February 2, 1922) but to fight for its seriousness in America where it was banned for so long. Beach was a force to be reckoned with leaving a huge literary stamp on the world for women, writers, and book lovers everywhere.
#DEARBASICBUDDYREADS
January 10, 2021 Dear Book Lovers! Hello, all of my gorgeous book friends! I am here to formally share my online buddy read I host with my friend Katie @basicbsguide from Texas. Katie and I met online years ago through our love of reading. We co-hosted our first buddy read
Family Ties
All I have to say is that 2022 is HOT with fabulous books. In two days, A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham will be hitting bookstores everywhere and I CAN’T WAIT for everyone to get their hands on this GEM! Willingham’s debut “thrilling” novel unfolds one suspenseful page at a time leaving her readers gasping for more. Let me share with you why this story is a “must-read”
One Letter, Three Books
Happy New Year! I don’t know about you, but I love the start of a brand new year. Clean slate, endless possibilities, and of course…new books. Today I am sharing one book that came out in September 2021 and two that were published TODAY! Three books for the price of one letter to you is not too shabby. Let’s see what I’ve got, shall we!
A Few More Cooking Delights
Today I am sharing two books I have been enjoying lately. Home Made Basics: Simple Recipes From Scratch by Yvette Van Boven and Filipinx: Heritage Recipes From Diaspora by Angela Dimayuga and Ligaya Mishan. Homemade staples and some Filipino flavors are on tap to brighten your mealtime game.
A Mouth Watering Year
It has been a year. A rollercoaster of highs and lows graced our lives once again, but one thing remains true…my love of food and fabulous drinks. I know you can relate to this. Think raw oysters with a “faint metallic taste”, Rioja wine, crusty white bread, and a piping hot cup of coffee. See what I mean! Despite EVERYTHING that has happened in 2021, Southern Living managed to deliver mouth watering recipes each month to celebrate the seasons of great food in their latest book, Southern Living 2021 Annual Recipes: An Entire Year of Recipes. Cooking is one of those things that keeps me grounded no matter what is going on. Whether I am happy, sad, stressed, or mad, food nourishes my soul and connects me to the people I love most. Southern Living’s recipe game is STRONG. This annual wrap up of the season’s best of the best has earned a front row seat on my cookbook shelf. Let’s take a peek.
Delicious Books
I hope you are HUNGRY. I have two brand new cookbooks to share with you today that will have you drooling for something delicious too eat. The first one is all about cheese. Anything and everything about this creamy delight is yours for the taking between the covers of Erika Kubick’s new book. The second book takes a deep dive into the Alsace region of France and all of the mouth watering recipes that come from this unique area. Gabriel Kreuther will make your stomach growl with hunger.
Indigenous Delights
Did you know that November is Native American Heritage Month? How perfect is it that I am sharing my latest cookbook obsession, New Native Kitchen: Celebrating Modern Recipes of the American Indian by Chef Freddie Botsoie & James O. Fraioli? This cookbook gives new meaning to “farm to table”. It is overflowing with recipes that come from ancestral traditions from Indigenous people all over North America. The food is simple, stunning to look at, and highlights the unique ingredients used from all the different regions. Let’s take a peek.
Party Hearty
Hello again! I am back today talking about ANOTHER fabulous cookbook. Perfect timing for the holidays. Being the “hostess-with-the mostess” is a hard gig unless you are Martha Stewart. Arty Parties: An Entertaining Cookbook by Julia Sherman takes this role to a whole new level, one that makes a lot of sense to me. Instead of focussing on the finished product in the kitchen, let’s enjoy the process and the company that comes along with it. Creative messes in the kitchen are my kind of messes. Let’s take a look.
Take Me Out To My Kitchen
I am back again talking about my love of cooking and COOKBOOKS! I firmly believe that one can NEVER have too many of them in their kitchen. Because of this, I am sharing yet again, another culinary gem to add to your shelf. Peace, Love, and Pasta: Simple and Elegant Recipes From a Chef’s Home Kitchen by Scott Conant has everything you need to make a simple and elegant breakfast, lunch, dinner, or sweet treat. Let’s take a look at this delicious creation.
The Golden Baker’s Cap
Have you seen NETFLIX’s show Nailed It!? It is wicked cute and perfect for the whole family to watch. The show is co-hosted by world-renowned pastry chef Jacques Torres (Mr. Chocolate) and comic Nicole Byer. My son and I just had a wonderful night cooking something from the new cookbook, Nailed It!: A Family Cookbook by The Creators of The NETFLIX show.
My Rain Drenched Flower
There is something about you writers from the early 20th century that fascinates me. Especially all of your juicy personal lives. I obviously started this journey with you and your four wives, then quickly became obsessed with F.Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda (click here to see my favorite book about these guys). Today, I can’t get enough of Irish writer James Joyce and the lovely Nora Barnacle. The love, the lust, the writing, the atmosphere…I need to know it all. Nora: A Love Story of Nora and James Joyce by Nuala O’Connor is my latest historical fiction read. O’Connor’s book opened my eyes to a whole new woman for me to explore. Let’s take a look.
Its Begining to Look a Lot Like Christmas
Ahhhhh, fall is officially in full force here in Maine. Scarecrows are posted, mums are planted, and pumpkin spice lattes are flowing like a river. I am in absolute heaven. There is only one thing better than this time of year…CHRISTMAS!!!!! And guess what? It’s only a blink away. I am already planning and plotting my holiday moves with my new book, 2021 Christmas With Southern Living. I am literally drooling over all of their decorating ideas, holiday menus, and entertaining tips and YOU WILL BE TOO. Let’s take a look.