ALL THE CROOKED SAINTS by MAGGIE STIEFVATER | Review

Review copy provided by the publisher for review. Maggie Stiefvater is a masterful storyteller. Her latest, All the Crooked Saints, is a wonderful, strangely beautiful story with rich imagery, and a compelling message about the role we play in our own miracles. I think of Maggie's previous works as having an urgency about them, but this…

ByMichelleNovember 3, 20170Comments

Book Reviews

BONFIRE BY KRYSTEN RITTER | 4 Star Review

Bonfire, Krysten Ritter's debut novel, is out November 7. Bonfire is a smart, surprisingly complex novel about the tangled relationships we have with our pasts. The writing is gorgeous, and Krysten Ritter’s characters are razor-edged and ruthless. A must-read for fans of Megan Abbott. If you were drawn to Bonfire because you've seen Ritter…

ByMichelleOctober 17, 20170Comments

Book Reviews

The Ghostwriter by Alessandra Torre | Review

**ARC provided via NetGalley** Alessandra Torre has a winner with the Ghostwriter. The plot feels fresh, the writing is evocative and the characters, especially Helena Ross, quickly come into sharp focus. 4 stars. The Ghostwriter occupies a sweet spot between women’s fiction and suspense. On the one hand, you’re trying to unravel the mystery. On the other, it’s…

ByMichelleOctober 2, 20170Comments

Book Reviews

Autoboyography by Christina Lauren| 5-star Review

I wrote my initial Goodreads review of Autoboyography, Christina Lauren’s latest, about a month ago. I felt that urgency to capture my first thoughts and reactions after reading the book, giving it a 5-star rating. But I needed the last month to just sort of let it sit with me, because that’s the kind of…

ByMichelleSeptember 7, 20170Comments

Book Reviews

Chris Bianco Demystifies Pizza & More in BIANCO: Pizza, Pasta and Other Food I Like

James Beard award winning chef Chris Bianco's new cookbook, BIANCO, demystifies the pizza fundamentals that made him a big papa of artisanal pizza, and delivers simple, straightforward recipes in which the ingredients are as important as the intention. ****************** A few years ago we visited Phoenix for a wedding. Other than the nuptials, Pizzeria Bianco was on…

ByMichelleJuly 25, 20170Comments

Book Reviews

The Marriage Pact by Michelle Richmond | Review

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley 5 stars In The Marriage Pact, a therapist and his musician-turned-lawyer wife find themselves invited to join a secretive, exclusive community dedicated to ensuring a successful marriage that lasts forever. By any means necessary. Set against a backdrop of San Francisco Bay Area affluence,…

ByMichelleJuly 21, 20170Comments

Book Reviews

The Party by Robyn Harding | Review

**ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley** Birthday. Booze. Boys. Tragedy. Revenge. Mid-life Crises. Comeuppance. Robyn Harding's The Party exposes when what *looks* perfect is terribly, terribly flawed. 3.5 stars The Party opens on the day of Hannah Sanders’ 16th birthday, diving right into establishing the family dynamic. Dad Jeff is a…

ByMichelleJune 27, 20170Comments

Book Reviews

Mister Romance by Leisa Rayven | Review

**ARC provided by author's PR in exchange for review** Mister Romance is a classic opposites attract story with a side of “will-they-or-won’t- they?” Straight up: it’s the ultimate beach read. 4 stars. On the surface, the premise might be a stretch for some readers: Clickbait journo Eden stumbles on the exposé of a lifetime and needs to…

ByMichelleApril 26, 20170Comments

Book Reviews

Book Review: Vibrant India by Chitra Agrawal

Masala dosa with potato curry and cilantro coconut chutney from Chitra Agrawal's Vibrant India. **ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley** Vibrant India melds tradition with the modern, capturing and adapting South Indian dishes for the home cook, whether you grew up eating Indian food, or it’s all new. The book suggests vegetable variations for…

ByMichelleMarch 21, 20170Comments

Book Reviews

Book Review: Nine Kinds of Naughty by Jeanette Grey

Jeanette Grey’s latest is a steamy, sexy, scorcher of self-discovery. **ARC won in a Twitter contest from the author/publisher** Jeanette Grey has a serious knack for bringing together gorgeous European locales, smokin’ hot sexy times and stories of self-discovery. Seven Nights to Surrender and Eight Ways to Ecstasy explored the theme with an aspiring artist and a…

ByMichelleFebruary 22, 20170Comments