What I Read October

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Hey loves. Last month was a great book month. I grabbed a few cookbooks to try and find some new recipes and found a series that I couldn't put down. I also started back with an audiobook ... Lets take a look (in the most random order too)

Total physical/kindle books: 10

Total audible: 1

Total books for 2022: 66


 


Title: The Secret of Us

Author: Lucinda Berry

Genre: Thriller

How I Read It: audiobook 

My Rating: 4 out of 5

Amazon Description: Foster sisters Krystal and Nichole have always been there for each other, so when Nichole is committed to a psychiatric hospital after trying to kill her husband, Krystal drops everything to defend her.

Scarred by a hard upbringing, Nichole and Krystal managed to construct comfortable lives for themselves. Krystal became a respected lawyer, and Nichole was happily married to an architect—until Nichole starts raving that her husband isn’t her husband, believing that he’s an imposter.

Driven by fierce loyalty, Krystal starts asking questions, but she’s not sure she can bear the answers. Her investigation leads to the sisters’ dark shared past…to a horrible tragedy and a well-guarded lie that cemented their sisterly bond.

But that lie can’t kill the truth—the battered, gasping, clawing truth that’s coming for them both. Now Krystal and Nichole must both fight for the lives they’ve built before they’re consumed by the one they left behind.

My Review: I could not listen to it fast enough to find out what happened next. I finished it in two days. So many twists in the plot and a few questions left unanswered but overall I loved it. 




Title: Easy Soups from Scratch and Quick Breads to Match

Author: Ivy Manning

Genre: cookbook

How I Read It: ebook from Library

My Rating: 2 out of 5

Amazon Description: Nothing is more comforting at the end of the day than a hearty bowl of homemade soup accompanied by freshly baked bread, and this book shows home cooks how to do it in under an hour. Easy Soups from Scratch with Quick Breads to Match makes it simple to create delicious, nourishing soups and warm, toothsome breads for any day of the week with straight-forward, time-saving recipes. With 70 soups and breads to mix and match, soup lovers can choose from cozy classics like Farro Minestrone with Roasted Garlic Focaccia or international flavors like Barbecue Pork and Miso Ramen with Flaky Green Onion Pancakes. Readers can rely on helpful troubleshooting tricks and get-ahead tips to make these winning combinations come out perfect every time.

My Review: Simple recipes but nothing new to me. Also hard to read a cookbook as an ebook.



Title:
Healthy in a Hurry

Author: Danielle Walker

Genre: cookbook

How I Read It: borrowed from the library

My Rating: 3 out of 5

Amazon Description: Beloved author Danielle Walker proves that healthy cooking is both doable and oh-so-satisfying. In Healthy in a Hurry, Danielle presents more than 150 paleo recipes inspired by her sunny California lifestyle and diverse cuisines from around the world, including: 


• No-cook lunches: Pesto Chicken, Nectarine & Avocado Salad; Thai-Style Shrimp Salad; Steak Lettuce Wraps with Horseradish Cream Sauce
• Freezer-friendly meals: Pork Ragu over Creamy Polenta; Turkey Chili Verde; Baked Pepperoni Pizza Spaghetti with Ranch
• Delicious pasta dishes: Curry Noodles with Shrimp; Mac & Cheese; Creamy Roasted Garlic, Chicken Sausage & Arugula Pasta
• Sheet pan dinners: Mediterranean Salmon with Artichokes & Peppers; Lemongrass-Ginger Pork Chops with Crunchy Jicama & Mint Salad; Peruvian Steak & French Fries
• Easy grills: Skirt Steak Tacos with Sriracha Aioli; Hawaiian BBQ Chicken with Grilled Bok Choy & Pineapple; Chipotle Cranberry–Sweet Potato Turkey Burgers

Each recipe is shaped by Danielle's capable hands to be free of gluten, grains, and dairy—and most have just ten ingredients or fewer. And if that weren't good enough, every recipe is photographed and all are fast to make, giving busy people with dietary restrictions lots of ways to eat well on a tight schedule. With prep times and cook times, dietary guidelines, a pantry of sauces and spice mixes, and six weeks of meal planning charts, 
Healthy in a Hurry will help you become the calm, organized cook you've always aspired to be.

My Review: Lots of yummy looking recipes to try. My favorite part of the book is recipes for "building blocks" to make with healthier ingredients like ketchup, sauces, and spices. 


Title:
Eat Better Feel Better

Author: Giada de Laurentiis

Genre: cookbook

How I Read It: borrowed from library

My Rating: 3 out of 5

Amazon Description: This book is the culmination of a ten-year journey. . . .  I’ve made a conscious effort to take control of my health because it had finally become impossible to ignore the fact that the choices (or lack thereof ) I’d been making for the past twenty years just weren’t working for me anymore.


In Giada’s most personal book yet, she gives you an inside look at her path to wellness and how she maintains a balanced life. Giada walks you through how to select food that can actually make you feel better and curate a personalized wellness routine to support a healthy mind and body. She shows you her own process of reconfiguring her diet to control inflammation—and how you can use the same steps to turn your life around. Giada also includes information on how to use complementary wellness tactics like intermittent fasting, meditation, and other self-care routines to optimize your well-being.
 
Giada devotes an entire chapter to her 3-day reboot—which she follows several times a year—and offers more than two dozen dairy-free, sugar-free, and gluten-free recipes to accompany the plan, as well as a 21-day menu outline that makes good, healthy cooking easy to implement at home. Even though it’s so much more than a cookbook, 
Eat Better, Feel Better also offers 100 new recipes, ​from Italian-influenced ones like Fusilli with Chicken and Broccoli Rabe and Pan-Roasted Pork Chops with Cherry and Red Wine Sauce to her everyday healthy favorites including Quinoa Pancakes; Sheet Pan Parmesan Shrimp and Veggies; Roasted Cauliflower and Baby Kale Salad; and Chocolate and Orange Brown Rice Treats. 
 
Eat Better, Feel Better is the perfect jumpstart to wellness.

My Review: I will admit I didn't read about the book before I grabbed it from the library. The book is all about gut health and an inflammation diet with a cleanse. I didn't read everything in the beginning of the book as I was just looking for new recipes to try. I did find a few. If you are wanting an inflammation diet this would be a great book for you. 


Title:
Ocean's World

Author: Carlos and Alexa Penavega

Genre: Children's picture book

How I Read It: early release ebook as part of street team

My Rating: 5 out of 5

Amazon Description: Join Ocean and Kingston as they explore the ocean, discover wildlife, and learn fascinating marine facts in Ocean's World, an action and adventure story for kids!

Ocean and his little brother, Kingston, explore the beautiful island of Maui in search of a sunrise shell for their mom’s birthday gift. But with a rumbling volcano and so much to unearth, will the boys ever find the special shell?

Celebrity couple Carlos and Alexa PenaVega, known for their starring roles in Big Time Rush and Spy Kids, respectively, debut their first picture book, inspired by their firstborn son, Ocean, and their home in Hawaii.

As Ocean and Kingston's adventure unfolds, you'll encounter so many fun and educational surprises along the way! During their journey you'll learn

  • how high a dolphin can jump;
  • how long it takes for a sea-turtle egg to hatch;
  • different types of shells including the cone, cowrie, puka, and Triton’s trumpet; and
  • types of animals in the ocean. 

Whether they're surfing the waves, scouring the beach, or snorkeling in the tide pools, Ocean and Kingston are determined to learn everything the island can teach them.

With lively illustrations and sea-sational facts, Ocean's World

  • is ideal for kids 4 to 8, especially fans of Octonauts or Magic School Bus;
  • is a perfect gift for baby showers, Christmas, or birthdays, as well as a just-because gift for curious kids; and
  • fits on a child's lap or in a gift basket.

Kids will so love exploring the island and ocean--and all the wonders they have to offer--that they won't want their island adventure to end!

My Review: Such a cute book that kept my kids interested and now they also want to go to Hawaii and swim in the ocean. I love that they are learning while reading and they don't even realize it.  


Title: The Next Right Thing

Author: Emily P Freeman

Genre: personal development

How I Read It: kindle unlimited 

My Rating: 4 out of 5

Amazon Description: Nothing gets our attention like an unmade decision: Should I accept the new position? Which schooling choice is best for my kids? How can I support my aging parents? When we have a decision to make and the answer isn't clear, what we want more than anything is peace, clarity, and a nudge in the right direction.


If you have trouble making decisions, because of either chronic hesitation you've always lived with or a more recent onset of decision fatigue, Emily P. Freeman offers a fresh way of practicing familiar but often forgotten advice: simply do the next right thing. With this simple, soulful practice, it is possible to clear the decision-making chaos, quiet the fear of choosing wrong, and find the courage to finally decide without regret or second-guessing.

Whether you're in the midst of a major life transition or are weary of the low-grade anxiety that daily life can bring, Emily helps create space for your soul to breathe so you can live life with God at a gentle pace and discern your next right thing in love.

My Review: This book came recommended to help with a decision that has been laying on me. This book helped to make me think of what I really want. 



Title: Miranda Writes

Author: Gail Ward Olmsted

Genre: chic-lit 

How I Read It: kindle unlimited

My Rating: 4 out of 5

Amazon Description: A disgraced attorney seeking redemption. A single mother desperate to regain custody of her son. Two women willing to risk it all to put a sexual predator behind bars.

Former Assistant District Attorney Miranda Quinn is on the brink of a career comeback when she gets a phone call. It's a witness who disappeared three years earlier, resulting in a violent criminal going free. Miranda got fired as a result, but the witness has re-surfaced with a shocking story to tell; one that implicates Miranda and her ex, defense attorney Adam Baxter. And now, there's a new victim.

Miranda's legal advice blog-turned-podcast Miranda Writes is about to become a daytime TV show, but the negative press could destroy her credibility. Will the network stand behind her?

When it comes to the law, Miranda has all the answers, but the questions are getting harder and the stakes are getting higher. The dangerous web of lies and cover-ups she exposes leaves her questioning just how much she is willing to risk. She has the right to remain silent, but needs to speak up... doesn't she?

Miranda Writes is a story of how far we'll go to protect those we love and the power of second chances.

My Review: A legal thriller with some romance twirled in. The characters were likable and I couldn't put the book down wanting to know who did what with a bunch of twists.



Title: Dark Witch and Creamy

Author: H.Y. Hanna

Genre: cozy mystery

How I Read It: kindle unlimited

My Rating: 1 out of 5

Amazon Description: She came to England to search for her family. She didn't expect to find witches, magic, romance, chocolate... and murder. 

"...the perfect blend of magic and mayhem. This series has me completely bewitched!"
Caitlyn's world changes when she learns that she was found as an abandoned baby and adopted by her American family. Now, her search for answers takes her to a tiny English village where a man has been murdered - and where a mysterious shop selling enchanted chocolates is home to the "local witch"...
Soon Caitlyn finds herself fending off a toothless old vampire, rescuing an adorable kitten and meeting handsome aristocrat Lord James Fitzroy... not to mention discovering that she herself might have magical blood in her veins!
When she's dragged into the murder investigation and realises that dark magic is involved, Caitlyn is forced to choose. Can she embrace her witchy powers in time to solve the mystery and save those she loves?

This book follows British English spelling and usage.
Clean read: no graphic violence, sex, or strong language.
Genre: contemporary fantasy, paranormal fantasy, paranormal cozy mysteries, witch cozy mystery, culinary cozy mysteries, cat cozy mystery series, British mystery

My Review: I was looking for a cute Halloween book. I just couldn't get into this book. 



Title: Praise 

Author: Sara Cate 

Genre: erotica

How I Read It:  kindle unlimited

My Rating: 4 out of 5

Amazon Description: He calls me perfect.

His flawless pet.

His good girl.

Broken down and wounded by my emotionally neglectful ex, I wanted someone to tell me I was good enough.

Then, I stumbled into a new job with a boss who brings me to my knees—literally. He has me do things a real secretary would never do.

Emerson Grant tells me I’m more than just good enough.

I’m worthy of his praise.

There are a million reasons why I should stay away. The owner of the Salacious Players’ Club is not just my new boss, he’s twice my age.

And my ex-boyfriend’s father.

With him, I am treasured. I am adored. I am his.

I’m a good girl, but I’m falling for the wrong man.

Emerson Grant knows what he wants—

And he wants me.

So how far will I go to hear his approval?

My Review: I was hesitant to read as ex-boyfriend dad / age-gap isn't my preferred reading but I was intrigued. I wanted to know how the son felt, how the relationship evolved ... I ended up enjoying this book and wanted more. I like that it is a series but you can read one without the other. 



Title: Eyes On Me

Author: Sara Cate

Genre: erotica

How I Read It:  kindle unlimited

My Rating: 4 out of 5

Amazon Description: I’m a voyeur—it means I like to watch.

And in my line of work, that’s a gift.

As one of the four owners of the Salacious Players’ Club, I’m comfortable on the sidelines. This is what I was made to do, and I work better alone.

Until the day I stumble on a certain cam girl app and find myself watching the one person I should never have watched—my step-sister.

There are three big problems with this.

One, Mia and I can’t stand each other.

Two, she has no idea I’m the man on the other end of the video.

And three…I’m hooked—on the app and on her.

Now, Mia has me wanting and doing things I said I’d never do again, like opening upand getting attached. I’m falling for her, but she’s falling for the mystery man I’m pretending to be.

If I’m going to make this right, then I have to do more than just watch.

But how far will I go to keep her eyes on me?

My Review: This book did not disappoint. A plot that kept you interested, hot scenes, and a lot of creativity. 



Title: Give Me More

Author: Sara Cate

Genre: erotica 

How I Read It:  kindle unlimited

My Rating: 5 out of 5

Amazon Description: I’m a scoundrel

Playboy. Man whore.

Basically, I get around, and I’m not afraid to admit it.

So when my best friend opens up Salacious Players’ Club and asks me to head the construction, how could I say no?

Now we’re on a cross-country road trip touring other kink clubs, and I couldn’t be happier.

Life is good.

Then Hunter suddenly asks me to sleep with his wife…while he watches.

I’ll do anything for my best friend, but this is the one request I should say no to.

Isabel is the woman of my dreams, but she’s his.

And the exact reason I should say no is the one reason I say yes.

Because it’s not only Isabel I want.

These are the two most important people in my life, and if we go down this path, how will I ever be able to walk away?

I’m not sure my best friend understands just how much I’m willing to do for him—and why.

My Review: OMG I didn't want it to end. I loved this book it is my favorite out of the series (so far atleast) The chemistry, the hotness, the ideas, best friends to lovers, the plot... all of it. If you don't like smut books it won't be for you. 



Currently Reading


Local Woman Missing

What I ordered for December....





Not a book but I sign up to do a new advent series with Annie F Downs

What are you reading this month?

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XOXO


3 comments

  1. Wow! You read a lot in October.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Build Your Own Christmas Movie Romance looks fun! Hope it's enjoyable. And I love a good thriller so that first one intrigues me.

    Lauren @ www.shootingstarsmag.net

    ReplyDelete

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