Canning for a New Generation: Bold, Fresh Flavors for the Modern Pantry by Liana Krissoff

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The postal carrier made my day this afternoon when she delivered my birthday gift from my sister, Sherri. I've been lusting after it for so long on my amazon wish list that when I first opened the package, I thought it was something I already owned. I love the photos, I love the font, I love the print of the section pages and I love the paper on which those photos and fonts and prints are created.



In short, I love this book! Not only does it have amazing recipes for everything from Raspberry jam with lavender and lemon to Smoky Corn Chowder, but additional recipes of what to DO with said canned goods. It's broken into season and then further separated out into fruits and vegetables. Makes my little wanna-be organized heart go pitter patter. Actually, it makes it so that my procrastinating nature can flip to the season we're actually in and make something RIGHT NOW. There is a local lavender farm that is currently having their 'Lavender Daze' celebration, so I'm going to snap up some fresh lavendar for the jam this weekend. There are little sticky notes popping out of every section of this baby.



I. Can't. Wait. The hot water bath is calling my name...



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Beside Still Waters by Tricia Goyer

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Beside Still Waters starts out like many of the other Amish-centered books that I've read, particularly two series that I really like by Beverly Lewis. In addition to the standard internal conflict brought upon children in the Amish community who are in the thick of their Rumschprimge, eighteen year-old Marianna Sommer also has a family tragedy to contend with; The day of her birth also marks the day her family experienced a defining tragedy. Feeling like she'll never be enough to replace two sisters, Marianna has always strived to be an exceptional daughter and member of the Amish community. With two daughters gone and a son who's chosen to live outside the faith, her parents decide that a cross-country move will be just the fresh start their family needs.

Marianna is devastated, because she feels that a proposal from Aaron is just around the corner and is afraid they won't be able to survive the distance. As an eighteen year-old, she could technically stay behind, but doesn't feel that's a real choice as she's a big source of support for her parents in tending to the younger siblings and helping around the house.

For me, there's always been something fascinating about the Amish and conservative Mennonite traditions and way of life, so I am usually drawn to books about them. This book was no exception in being a 'nice' story. There is no real conflict that makes your guts wrench (other than the narrative about the family's tragedy) and the author is clearly of a conservative Christian bent, as is demonstrated when the family settles in Montana and marvel at the 'friendship' that the local Christian church members seem to have with God, as opposed to their strict reverence of Him.

It bothered me that she insinuated that the relationship that the Amish had with God was less personal or less impactful than that which the members of the local Christian church (it wasn't ever specified, so I'm thinking it was a non-denominational gathering?) have with Him. That presumed bias, while evident, didn't change my enjoyment of the story, which is not anything spectacular, but is certainly a quick read and kept me company over a few days in the backyard watching my kids play, and soaking up the sun.

It also felt a little untrue to the characters that her parents (strict and conservative members of the Amish community) once they arrived in Montana, were fairly quick to start 'coming around' to the ways of the local church: Her father ordered an English Bible, and started making other small changes that they were worried would happen before they moved because it was rumored that the Montana Amish community was much more lax than that which they left in the Midwest. Maybe the lack of prying eyes from the neighbors finally allowed them to take the time to be introspective and figure out what really works for them. If that's the case, I hope they invite their oldest son back into their lives at some point, as it would seem hypocritical otherwise.

Although the writing style was fairly simplistic, it held my attention enough that I would read the upcoming installments. I'd love to see if Marianna and Aaron end up together, as she seemed so firm in her faith that she'd join the church in the Fall, or if she starts to question their compatibility and instead falls for a local boy with a relationship with God that is so foreign to her.

Having an easy Summer read is never a bad thing in my opinion, so I'd still recommend this to friends who've enjoyed similar stories in the past.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of the Beside Still Waters Campaign and received a copy of the book and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

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Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This one is hard to review for me, because I feel a little underwhelmed with how things panned out. Katniss Everdean finds herself, once again, at the center of President Snow's attention in his quest to maintain Capital control over all of Panem. She has her same rag-tag team of experts and confidantes, but it's becoming less clear who she can, or should, trust. Holed up in District 13, it's all just one big PR stunt to try and get the rebels riled up to resist against The Man.



While I can't say I'm disappointed in the ending, it did seem to wrap up rather neatly. Yes, there are some disappointments, and maybe I'm a little cold, but the one death (don't want to spoil) that is at the crux of the story doesn't affect me as sharply as it probably should have. Maybe because I never really connected to that character, or maybe it was because I knew that there was no way the story would end with all the relevant characters alive and well. Either way, I tore through this trilogy in one week, so it certainly kept me hooked even though parts of it were fairly formulaic. The level of moral corruption is pretty astounding when you actually think about the things that are happening instead of it just being a far-off novel of a dystopian future.



Overall, it's a good trilogy and worth reading. I'm glad it's a trilogy only, because I think further installments would just be beating that dead horse. I'm giving it four stars not because it's superb writing, or even because it's a crazy original idea, rather it's because it's a well-developed idea that I'm sure you can find more and more layers to if you read it multiple times.



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The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Enter the world of Panem, the region that was once North America, which houses the Capitol and 12 surrounding Districts. Each district is responsible for a different segment of industry, and the Capital rules with an iron fist. Each year, one boy and one girl from each district are picked as tributes to play in the Hunger Games, an event that is a fight to the death with only one winner. The odds of getting picked are stacked against the poor and hungry, and to the victor go the spoils.



Katniss is a sixteen year-old girl who's been providing for her mother and little sister, Prim, since the death of their father in the coal mines several years ago. When Prim is chosen as the Tribute for District 12, Katniss immediately volunteers to take her place and a chain of events is set into action.



Brutality and strife sell, and the Hunger Games capitalize on it all, creating events in the arena to make 'good TV' and generally forgetting that they're dealing with the loss of human life with each gory scene they display for all to see.



This is a YA series, but it's written so well that you don't feel like you're lowering yourself to a lower reading level to enjoy it. I really liked it, and can't wait to start Book Two: Catching Fire. I'm so glad I listened to friends who said I should have all three books ready to go, because once you start, you won't want to stop!



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Bumped by Megan McCafferty

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I was a huge fan of the Jessica Darling series, so when I heard that McCafferty had a new book out, I quickly bought it (and read it basically in one sitting). At first, I didn't know what in the world was going on with all the wink, wink, double-blinking, but quickly realized that because it was set in the future, the characters no longer needed to have their smartphones with them to update their status on MiNet on the fly, all they had to do was roll their eyes and do a series of clicks, ha! The whole premise is pretty disturbing, but that is certainly the point. I loved all of the social commentary, specifically the fact that the firm for whom her 'Surrogette' agent works is called UGenXX.

The inside cover gives a great synopsis, but I liked looking (as did my sister who recommended this book to me) at the conversations with McCafferty about where she drew her inspiration for the novel. As with most topics of personal freedom, and specifically reproductive freedom, every decision or absolute can lead down a very slippery slope. McCafferty certainly knows how to make it a great ride!



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Swamplandia! by Karen Russell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


There is so much to say about this book, but I'll try to limit it to non-spoiler comments. The first 50-60 pages really suck you in, and then there's a slight lull in the middle. After finishing, though, I feel like the majority of what was in those pages was necessary for plot and character-development. A coming-of-age tale that spins in some magical realism (or does it?) and also provides a great social commentary, this is a great book club pick because I felt like it was after discussion that I realized how much I liked it.

It may be one that I read again, but not for awhile. There's a lot to think about and digest, but it's wonderfully written, and there are so many places that give the reader pause. Will you get sucked into Ava's voice and naivete, or will you remain skeptical with all of your adult knowledge? I definitely found that I'm a cynic (but maybe only because I've seen the worst too many times). Travel deep into the swamp to be introduced to a world that will seem magical, if only because it's foreign, Swamplandia! is sure to make you start googling alligator parks you can visit in real life!



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3M Natural View Screen Protector

I was invited to review the 3M Natural View Screen Protector by MomCentral. I finally got my wish when Verizon released the iPhone 4 and I became part of the non-blackberry smart phone community. It is glorious! The customer service folks tried to get me to purchase a screen protector, but I was not swayed. Well, after about a week, I was elated when I saw the chance to try some out for free, because my screen was a smudge magnet!

I have to say that I am always fairly terrible at putting things that include adhesive or static cling on in a way that does result in air bubbles. This was, unfortunately, no exception. I cleaned the screen thoroughly, then attempted to put on the protector. There was a tiny piece of lint (hint: they mean it when they say to use lint-free cloths when cleaning your screen, ha ha!) that made a giant bubble. Once I'd removed the offending particle, the screen protector then had a smudge on the underside, so I was happy it was a two-pack. After practicing a few more times I'm sure I'd be able to get it on bubble-free, though I'm sure I won't be heading out to do a DIY tint on my car windows with my new found confidence.

While it's still not a perfect fit (because I didn't get it on straights) and there are bubbles at the edges (again, operator incompetence), it is protecting my actual screen from getting smudges, but is not the glass clear surface portrayed in the above video. However, the point of it is to protect the screen, so I'd say it fulfilled its job.

Also, the version I got was made specifically for the iPhone4 and does fit it exactly as it should without you having to trim any edges, which always made my screen protectors look even more terrible before. Also, I've had it on for two weeks and the edges aren't peeling up or moving around, so I'm happy with it.

I use my iPhone as my iPod when going on runs and my run last weekend was over 14 miles in a soggy downpour. I had it in a protective sleeve, but still, the screen protector stayed put and didn't fog over or otherwise impede my use. I didn't really expect miracles from this product, so I'm overall happy with it, and feel like the fit and function of it are great, but as for the smudge-proof properties? I don't know of anything that would resist the smudge of fingerprints or make-up, so it wasn't a deal-breaker for me.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of 3M and received a Natural View Screen Protector to facilitate my review and a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.