Get Jiro! by Anthony Bourdain

I picked up Get Jiro! because a graphic novel written Bourdain sounded to interesting to pass up. I really enjoyed this very bloody romp.

Yes, this is the Jiro from Jiro Dreams of Sushi. Jiro has a small sushi bar in Los Angeles. Los Angles has become split by two rival food ideologies, the purists and the locavore. I loved how Bourdain skewers food culture.  People are waiting years to dine at some restaurants, Getting into fist fights to get into restaurants. The two heads of each faction acting like mafia bosses. It's all very funny and tongue in cheek. But it's also very bloody. It is like a mafia movie. Lots of feeding people to the pigs. It is very bloody and violent, definitely not for the squeamish.

I found the story interesting but the characters were a little flat. I need to read more by Bourdian. He;s funny. Others who shared their thoughts on Get Jiro!:Well Preserved, Kei's Kitchen, and iFanboy.
This is my eighth read of the Foodies Read Challenge.

The Art Of Baking Blind by Sarah Vaughan

I picked up The Art of Baking Blind after seeing some positive reviews. I'm really glad I did. First, it's about baking. While I like cooking more than baking, I still enjoyed hearing about the various pastries. Second, the story is told though multiple characters. Reminded me of Moriarty's books. Enjoyed seeing the story from so many angles.

Kathleen Eaden is a baking icon. The wife of a supermarket mogul, she's revered for her baking even after her death. Her late husband's store decides to look for a "heir" to the throne, a new Mrs Eaden. Five constants are chosen: Jenny, a middle aged wife who's put her family first her whole life, Vicki, a young mother who struggles to manage her only son, Mike, a father who used baking to overcome his grief, Karen, a woman who puts on a front and hides from her family, and Claire, a young single mother, struggling to provide for daughter. I loved watching the characters interact in this competition. Vaughan really allows you to get to know the characters from all sides. Even provides the view from Jenny's daughters, Karen's son, the administrator of the contest, and the judges. Sometimes I had trouble figuring out who's viewpoint we were looking at, but it usually made sense pretty quickly.

And the baked goodies. This book is set in England so many of the deserts were foreign to me. Battenburg cake, lardy cake, Maderia cake, Victoria sponge. But it all sounded delicious. Made me want to bake more often. I always shy away because it has to be so precise. Cooking is a little more liberal. But there's something about baking from scratch that sounds so adult.

Overall I enjoyed The Art of Baking Blind. I look forward to reading more of Vaughan's books. Others who shared their thoughts: Rhapsody in Books, Book Chick City, 20something Reads, and Novelcious.
This was my seventh read for the Foodies Read Challenge.

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and me that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.

Prelude To A Scandal

I have enjoyed Marvelle's other books. I hope I like this one too.

Hello, Goodbye, and Everything In Between

I've heard a lot of good things about Smith's books. I when I saw this one the shelf, I grabbed it.

The Wild Rose

I am determined to finish this series this year. 

What did you get this week? Add your loot below!

Teaser Tuesday-The Art of Baking Blind by Sarah Vaughn

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"She sighs and imagines how she must have been viewed by those sifting through the applications, young adults, she assumes, not much older than her three newly grown-up girls. Hair cropped in a sensible short bob: unflattering, boring, but eminently fitting for the wife of a local dentist and member of the W.I."
pg 18 The Art of Baking Blind by Sarah Vaughn

Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

A friend of mine had raved about Poison Princess so I picked it up. I haven't been reading many post-apocalyptic books lately so I enjoyed Poison Princess. I had been reading a lot more post-apocalptic books a while ago so I'm glad I took a break. That allowed me to enjoy Poison Princess.

Evie is a regular 16 year old girl. She's a cheerleader, has a hunky boyfriend, and terrifying visions of death and destruction. One day, her visions start coming true and she is thrust into action. Accompanying Evie on her journey is her gorgeous, from the wrong side of the tracks classmate, Jackson. Will Evie survive? Will more of her visions keep coming true?

Evie is no Katniss. She can't hunt or defend herself very well. She manages well just after the devastation but she's pretty spoiled and used to having things handed to her. Jackson has never had anything handed to him and has had to fight his whole life. Now that everyone else does to means Jackson has to work hard to keep himself and Evie alive. But even though Evie isn't a born leader or super crafty, I still liked her. She did want things to back to before but I think most people would. I also liked that Evie kept her wits about her when it came to Jackson. Drop dead gorgeous and looking to make Evie his bed mate, Evie doesn't let him deter her from her goal. There are definitely some steamy parts.

Overall I enjoyed Poison Princess and I'm looking forward to getting my hands on the next in the series, Endless Knight. Others who shared their thoughts on Poison Princess: Love Vampires, Biblodaze, and Book Chick City.

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and me that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.

The Falconer

I spotted this on the shelf and thought it looked good.

Rolling In The Deep

I enjoy Grant's writing. Looking forward to this short story about mermaids.

The Rest of Us Just Live Here

I've heard good things about this one.

What did you get this week? Claire's got the linky this week.

Teaser Tuesday-Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"Today Mel wore a crisp navy shirt and a red baby-doll T-shirt that probably cost half a grand and would never be worn again. Her bright Dior lipstick was a classic red to match, her auburn hair tied with a navy bow."
pg 18 Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid

I picked up Let's Get Lost because I love road trip books. I'm glad I did because it was an engaging story.

Leila's on a road trip to see the Northern Lights. Each chapter is told by a different person she meets on her trip (Hudson, Sonia, Bree, and Elliot). Each person is going through a difficult time when Leila enters their life and she tries her best to help them through it. But each person doesn't learn a lot about Leila. In fact the reader doesn't learn much about her til the very end. I thought that was clever. I wanted to know more about Leila and not just through someone's eyes. But I enjoyed Leila's road trip and I enjoyed the wait in getting to know her better. I enjoyed how she met the other characters and how she tried to help them. Hudson, small town mechanic, has the big college interview the day after Leila rolls into his life. I wasn't sure where this was going to go. Hudson falls for Leila and she turns his life upside down. Bree has a lot of family drama and Leila doesn't fall her bull and forces Bree to come to terms with her decisions. Elliot. I loved this 80's rom com loving boy. I was sad that his heart was broken but I loved Elliot and Leila's adventures in getting the girl. Sonia is greiving and thinks that running away will solve her problem. But that only complicates things and Leila and Sonia have to find a way back to Canada without a passport. By the end of the book, I wanted to her Leila's story. And I was glad I stuck around to hear it.

Let's Get Lost is a good solid read. Perfect for a rainy afternoon. While there are some deeper messages in the book, Alsaid does a great job of not making the book preachy. I'd read more of Alsaid's work. Others who shared their thoughts on Let's Get Lost:Writer of Wrongs, The Perpetual Page-Turner, and Miss Page-Turner's City of Books.

What To Eat This Week

It's been a couple of weeks since I did this and I can't remember what I made. 

Dinner Out

Pan Roasted Chicken Thighs

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Garlic

Salisbury Steak with mushroom gravy

Skillet Chicken with Bacon and White Wine

Dinner out

Crockpot Cherry Balsamic Pork Tenderloin

 What's on your menu this week

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and me that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.

The White Rose

Ever since the cliffhanger ending of The Jewel, I've been waiting to see what happens with Violet.

All That Is Solid Melts In Air

This one just sounded interesting.

What did you get this week? Add your link below.

Teaser Tuesday-Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"One of Hudson's hands rested on Leila's waist; the other held her hand. He looked up at the stars in his Mississippi sky, thinking to himself that he never wanted to leave."
pg 55 Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid

A to Z Blog Survey

It's time for another getting to know you meme since I can think of what else to blog about!

A – Age: 39

B – Biggest Fear: Clowns, falling from a great height.

C – Current Time: 6:25pm.

D – Drink You Had Last: Tea

E – Easiest Person To Talk To: Tai

F – Favorite Song: Right now Downtown by Macklemore

G – Grossest Memory: I have quite a few memories of friends getting pooped on by birds. Not funny at the time but so funny now.

H – Hometown: Bellevue, Wa.

I – In Love With: Tai.

J – Jealous Of: People who travel frequently.

K – Kindest Person You Know: I have a lot of people in my life who fit this category!

L – Longest Relationship: 9.5 years with Tai!

M – Middle Name: Maria

N – Number of Siblings: One. 

O – One Wish: For my current project to work out.

P – Person You Spoke To On The Phone Last: My dad.

Q – Question You’re Always Asked: "Don't I know you?" I look like everyone's sister's cousin's best friend's sister. I always get mistaken for someone. 

R – Reason To Smile: I have about a million right now.

S – Song You Last Sang: "The Hills" by The Weekend

T – Time You Woke Up: 8:30am

U – Underwear Color: clear. Pretty boring today. 

V – Vacation Destination: Right now, I'd like a beach vacation. The idea of laying by the ocean and reading sounds very appealing. 

W – Worst Habit: Procrastination. 

X – X-Rays You’ve Had: Recently at the dentist. I'm getting Invisalign.

Y – Your Favorite Food: Cheeseburgers. Always cheeseburgers.

Z – Zodiac Sign: Capricorn.

October Goals Update

How did I do this month on my goals?

1. Make one meatless meal for dinner a week. Not happen right now. Tai's cut wheat and dairy from his diet. I don't feel like trying to figure out dairy free meatless meals right now.

2. Continue working on my fitness and lose another 30 lbs. Still loving my kettlebells and biking. No movement on the scale but my clothes are fitting better.

3. Go back to meal planning. This has been happening.

4. Schedule one do nothing, stay home weekend a month. I don't think I got a full stay home weekend but I did get a couple of days to stay home.

5. Plan one trip with Tai this year. We went to Westport for a long weekend. It was lovely and we can't wait for next year to go back. We also want to stay there longer.

6. Get a will and other necessary estate planning documents. Haven't even thought about this. This will probably wait for next year.

7. Clean and declutter one room a month. I'm going to start ramping up on the cleaning and decluttering.

8. Do one things for myself a month. Got a pedicure.

9. Watch one older (pre-2014) movie a month. Watched Big Trouble In Little China. Good movie.

10. Learn to make 5 Japanese dishes.  Haven't thought about what I want to make.

11. Stop complaining and start sharing my gratitude. I've been a lot better about this.

12. Take 2 cooking classes. The tamale class was good. I would take more classes from that site.

October Book Tally

American Catch by Paul Greenberg
When Good Earls Go Bad by Megan Frampton
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simison
Unprocessed by Megan Kimble
Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
Rain Is Not My Indian Name by Cynthia Leitch Smith
Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
Fables vol 5 by Bill Willingham
Alex + Ada vol 3 by Jonathan Luna

Such a low number read. I was hoping to have reached 150 by now. I didn't read that much during the October Read a thon. This house hunting has taken more time than I thought it would. It's cutting into my reading time. Maybe I'll finish it next month.


Stats:

What's In A Name Challenge: this month: 0 (challenge complete) YTD: 6

Graphic Novel and Manga Challenge: this month: 3 (Nimona, Fables vol 5, Alex + Ada vol 3)
YTD :47

Historical Reading Challenge: this month: 1 ( When Good Earls Go Bad) YTD: 18

Foodies Read Challenge this month: 2 (American Catch & Unprocessed) YTD: 6

Total: 134

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and me that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.

Displacement

I've enjoyed the other graphic novels I've read by Kinsley. Looking forward to another good one.

The Unquiet

Sounded interesting. 

What did you get this week? Claire's got the linky this week.

Teaser Tuesday-A Red-Rose Chain by Seanan McGuire

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"Then she turned to look at the little living space behind her. Everything was still there, except for the carved redwood wardrobe that had once dominated an entire side of the room."
pg 48 A Red-Rose Chain by Seanan McGuire

October Graphic Novel Review

Nimona

Really glad I finally picked this one up. Great characters, interesting story. Very much enjoyed it.

Alex + Ada vol 3

Good conclusion to the series. I had a problem with how one thing played out but overall I enjoyed it.

Fables vol 5

I just keep enjoying this series.

What To Eat This Week

Cracklin' Chicken-The best chicken ever. I actually made it twice last week. It was that good.

Pork Chops with cherry-cranberry sauce-Delicious. I'll be making this again.

Thai Beef with Cabbage-Bland. Added soy sauce and Sriracha to make it tasty.

Honey and Garlic Lime Chicken

Taco Cabbage Stir Fry

Easy Garlic Chicken

Bacon Apple Smothered Pork Chops

Dinner out

Spaghetti

Salmon

 What's on your menu this week?