Stacked (61)

Hello, Sunday! Hope everyone is having an awesome weekend so far. This week I received a few e-galleys from NetGalley. I am trying not to go on as often but sometimes I just have to peek. I think these are all going to be great reads over summer. Let's check them out.

Seeing Red by Jill Shalvis - I am a fan of Shalvis's Lucky Harbor romance series. I have not read any of this firefighter series but hello - hot firefighters? Count me in. Also, random funny story. My friend's little brother is a volunteer firefighter and one day, for some reason, he sent them all a picture of him shirtless with his firefighter outfit on. It was pretty hilarious only because it make him look like he was posing for a calendar, or a romance novel. :)

On Every Street (The Artists Trilogy #0.5) Karina Halle - I enjoyed Sins & Needles, Halle's first full length book in this series. I did not love the characters but I did find them compelling. This novella is a prequel and shows us what happened between Ellie and Javier before the events of Sins & Needles.

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas - The book I am most excited about. I had my issues with Throne of Glass (most obvious love triangle ever) but I still found it highly entertaining and fun. I really want to know what happens in book 2 and now I have a copy. Yay!

What else is everyone up to this weekend? I am hoping to see World War Z this week and maybe hit the beach. I also owe you guys several recaps from recent author events that I attended. Hopefully taking some time off of work will allow me to catch up. Stay cool!

 

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On Vacation

Yup, I am officially on vacation. I'm not going anywhere super exciting. Just another trip up to see my parents and my family. But it'll be a nice break from L.A. and work. Plus, I think it's going to be 100 degrees here and my parents live in much balmier climates.  I plan on eating a lot of home cooked food and, of course, reading. I've been in a real reading slump for about a month and I am hoping the down time will let me catch up on reading and reviews. Wanna see what I'm packing?

It's a bit foggy but you can see a few library books I am bringing as well as my ARC of Scarlet, which I shamefully have not read yet. A few bottles of nail polish (there's I am bringing way more np home) and my knitting are also making the trip with me. I am also bringing my Kindle which has a whole buttload of books that I need to read. I really do love having a Kindle when I travel.

Anyone else agonize about what books to bring on vacation? Do you pack an e-reader or go old school - or both? I'd love to know. Alright - have a great weekend. Even though I am on vacation I'll still be posting so you'll see me next week. :)

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Shades of Milk and Honey - Review

Shades of Milk and Honey (Glamourist Histories #1) 
by Mary Robinette Kowal

Publication date: 03 Aug 2010 by Tor

ISBN 10/13: 076532556X | 9780765325563
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Indiebound

Category: Adult Historical Fiction
Keywords: Historical, romance, Austen, magic
Format: Paperback, eBook
Source: library

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Shades of Milk and Honey is an intimate portrait of Jane Ellsworth, a woman ahead of her time in a version of Regency England where the manipulation of glamour is considered an essential skill for a lady of quality. But despite the prevalence of magic in everyday life, other aspects of Dorchester’s society are not that different: Jane and her sister Melody’s lives still revolve around vying for the attentions of eligible men.

Jane resists this fate, and rightly so: while her skill with glamour is remarkable, it is her sister who is fair of face, and therefore wins the lion’s share of the attention. At the ripe old age of twenty-eight, Jane has resigned herself to being invisible forever. But when her family’s honor is threatened, she finds that she must push her skills to the limit in order to set things right–and, in the process, accidentally wanders into a love story of her own.

Review:

Shades of Milk and Honey is a charming and imaginative read that fans of Jane Austen and light historical fare will enjoy. Set in Regency England, Shades of Milk and Honey is the story of Jane Ellsworth, the oldest daughter in a well to do family. Jane is an extremely talented "glamourist." This means that she has a talent for magic and is able to manipulate what they eye sees. In Jane's society, glamourists are artists, using their skills to create lifelike images and scenes that enhance every day life. But Jane's talents are often overlooked by the physical beauty of her sister.

The back cover jacket makes this book sound much more like a mystery than it is. This is very much a slice of life, a peek into the every day world of Regency England mixed with a little magic. The pacing of the story reminded me very much of an Austen novel. It's a little slow and is mostly filled with the actions of every day life. Some might find this boring, but I really enjoyed meandering through this world with Jane and learning it through her eyes. I liked the concept of magic as an art form and really liked the way that Kowal seamlessly integrated it into the world. Though the book touches a little on issues of class, it really doesn't probe too much and the social commentary is left to a minimum.

I really liked Jane's character. I always relate more to the long suffering sister in these stories than the fresh, young ingenue. I felt bad for Jane living in a household in which she always seemed to be overlooked. Part of this is her own fault though and I wish she had stood up for herself more.  Melody treated her especially bad and I really wanted Jane to just smack her. Despite her lack of a backbone most of the time, I found Jane to be smart and generous, and I truly liked her.

Of course, as a romance lover, I also enjoyed the romantic elements of this book. It's a Regency novel, so nothing too scandalous goes on but there are plenty of misunderstandings and meetings in dark corners and walks in the garden to keep it interesting.  The love interest (who I will keep a secret) is also quite swoon-worthy.

This would be a great summer beach read or a book to pick up when you're looking for something lighthearted and fun. A wonderful blend or Regency romance and magic combine to create a unique and enchanting world that you won't want to leave. I, for one, cannot wait to read the sequel and see where Jane's adventures take her next.

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Visit the author online at www.maryrobinettekowal.com and follow her on Twitter @MaryRobinette


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Uncovered (70): The River of No Return

Hello again. Thanks for stopping by Uncovered, my weekly book cover feature. This week I have a book I spotted a few weeks ago while I was browsing at Mysterious Galaxy bookstore. This is The River of No Return by Bee Ridgeway. It's illustrated which already makes it a winner in my book. I really like the branch motif the colors used. It's bright but stark at the same time. It makes me think of winter and ice. I also like how the title is incorporated into the cover instead of just sitting on top of it. It's a very simple but striking cover. 

This book seems to have romance and intrigue in it as well as time travel. It doesn't get any better than that (well maybe throw in a vampire or zombie :) ) I don't think I would have picked this book up if it hadn't been for this cover so, good job, cover!

Happy Friday!

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Angels' Blood - Review

Angels' Blood (A Guild Hunter Novel)
by Nalini Singh

Publication date: 3 March 2009 by Berkley 

ISBN 10/13: 0425226921/978-0425226926
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo | Audible | Book Depository | IndieBound

Category: Adult Urban Fantasy
Keywords: Angels, Vampires, paranormal romance
Format: Paperback, mass market paperback, eBook, audiobook
Source: Purchased

Synopsis from GoodReads:

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux knows she is the best- but she does not know if even she is good enough for this job. Hired by the dangerously beautiful archangel Raphael, a being so lethal that no mortal wants his attention, Elena knows failure is not an option—even if the task is impossible.

Because this time, it's not a wayward vamp she has to track. It's an archangel gone bad.

The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other—and pull her to the razor's edge of passion. Even if the hunt does not destroy her, succumbing to Raphael’s seductive touch just might. For when archangels play, mortals break. 


Review:

Yes, I'm late to the party.  Several people have repeatedly recommended Nalini Singh to me and for whatever reason I haven't read any of her books.  Finally, I dove in with Angels' Blood, the first book in the Guild Hunter series. Singh has created a twist on the typical vampire story.  Archangels are the ones who can create a vampire and in exchange the vampire must serve the angel for 100 years.  Of course, there are some vampires who want to get away and then vampire hunters must track them down.

Elena Deveraux is a highly skilled vampire hunter working for the Guild.  Raphael, the Archangel of New York City, arranges with the Guild to have Elena work on a special assignment.  Readers learn quickly that Raphael is temperamental and easily angered.  Elena recognizes that Raphael is likely to kill her in some manner at the end of her job or usefulness to him.  However, even recognizing that Raphael can kill her, Elena repeatedly finds ways to irritate him.

Angels' Blood draws readers in from the beginning.  In addition to finding Raphael and Elena interesting, there was excellent chemistry between the two.  Both are flawed in many ways which was part of my attraction to them.  There were numerous secondary characters that provided layers to the interactions and increased my interest in the story.

Overall, I really liked the book.  However, despite how sexy and attractive Raphael was, he was never my favorite character.  His arrogance and domineering behavior was often annoying, and I wasn't fond of how he treated Elena.  I wanted to like Raphael more and even at the end, I still had mixed feelings about him. Elena is strong on many levels but she is often left in the dark regarding who she is to hunt and why it is critical.  There are also several "skeletons" in her past that Singh refers to but never resolves in this book. I assume Singh deals with those issues further in future books.

One interesting thing about this book, I was pleased to see that it was more than your average Paranormal Romance.  I would probably actually classify this one as Urban Fantasy.  Please don't get me wrong, the romance in this book definitely has a "hot sexy" factor. However, the book wasn't just about the romance between Raphael and Elena.  Singh creates a balance between the general plot line of the book and the relationship between Elena and Raphael.

Would I recommend this book? Most definitely.  Who would I recommend this to? Anyone who is already a fan of Urban Fantasy or Paranormal Romance.  Additionally, I would recommend it to those looking for a twist on the typical angel or vampire stories that are out there.  I know I will continue with the series in order to see where it goes and how my questions might be answered in future books.

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Visit the author online at www.nalinisingh.com, her blog, like her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter @nalinisignh

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Top Ten Books I've Read So Far In 2013

Hi and welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish each week. This week's topic is Top Ten Books I've Read in 2013 so far. 

I'm actually really behind in my reading goal for this year. The last couple of months have been super slow for me and I just haven't been reading that much. I have plenty of books in my TBR pile though and will hopefully catch up a bit over 4th of July. But here are my tops reads so far this year (in no particular order).

Winterblaze (Darkest London #3) by Kristen Callihan - I love all of the books in this series but I especially enjoyed Win and Poppy's relationship. I didn't think a married couple could be this hot but the chemistry between then is off the charts.

The Indigo Spell (Bloodlines #3) by Richelle Mead - Again, I really like whole series but chose the book with the most making out (one track mind, I know). :)

The Prince (Original Sinners #3) by Tiffany Reisz - OMG I love Kingsley. If you have an open mind and like complex characters, you really need to read this series. 

Heart of Obsidian (Psy-Changeling #12) by Nalini Singh - One of my favorite books in the series. This is a story a lot of people have been waiting for and changes in the world occur that affect the future of the series.

Magic Bleeds (Kate Daniels #4) by Ilona Andrews - I am so glad I finally read this series. I have a new obsessions. They're all good but I love Magic Bleeds because Kate and Curran finally resolve their differences.

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd - I really enjoyed this gothic re-telling of The Island of Dr. Moreau. A book hasn't given me the creeps like this in a long time.

Lover At Last (BDB #11) by JR Ward - Ahhhh! My friends and I had been waiting for this book for so long and it did not disappoint. Blay and Quinn are awesome.

 
I don't think that's quite 10 but it's close. I really need to start reading more because I have a huge list of book in my queue and I think many of them are going to be awesome. I just need to find more time in the day. Let me know what your favorite read of 2013 so far has been and I just may add it to my TBR pile. :)

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Manicure Monday (21): Siege and Storm

Well it's Monday again. Funny how it keeps coming around week after week. :) But the good thing about Mondays is that it means another manicure that I get to show off. I am cheating a bit this week and am using a manicure that I did a couple of weeks ago. I attended the Siege and Storm launch party earlier this month and wanted to create a special manicure for the event. I actually had some trouble coming up with ideas for this manicure and had a couple of failed attempts before hitting on this one. However, I was very happy with the final result and it's one of my favorite manicures to date. Take a look.

I thought about mimicing some of the lines on the book but then decided against it since doing straight lines is hard for me. Instead I decided to focus on the dragon on the cover, namely the scales. They're not very prominent on the cover, but you can see them on the edges of the book cover.

To create the scales I used a black creme (Wet N Wild Black) as a base. I then stamped a pattern from Cheeky plate CH4 over it using Urban Outfitters silver holo, an awesome holographic polish. I originally tried stamping with a different pattern but it didn't look scale-like enough for me and I ended up switching to this pattern, which I like a lot better.

For my thumb, I knew I wanted to do an accent nail. I tried doing a sort of sunburst with red and grey but I totally messed it up because I didn't let it try long enough before taping it off. I wiped that all off and was going to try again but, after putting on my base (a burgundy from CND), the idea crept into my head to try drawing the dragon onto my nail. I really wasn't going to attempt this because I was already tired and thought  it was going to turn out terrible. But, like most of my decisions in life, I decided not to go with common sense and just went for it. Happily I think it turned out really well.

For the dragon I used a white striper. The brush was a little too long for fine work but I managed. Added orange accents on the mane and a tiny red eye. I am actually really impressed with myself for not messing this up. I ended up wearing this manicure for almost a week without any chips. I loved seeing the rainbow scales in the sunlight and my tiny little dragon every day. 

I hope you liked this week's manicure. Thanks for coming by. If you decide to participate, please leave your link in the widget below. Have a great week!

 

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Stacked (60)

Hello and happy Sunday. Is everyone enjoying the first week of summer? It's always warm where I live so it is sometimes hard to separate summer from all of the other seasons. I try to eat lots of ice cream to help me get in the summer mood. :)  I had a pretty good week this week. Work was alright and I got myself a few books. I also get to see my family this weekend as my brother is taking his wife and kids to Disneyland. I am excited to see them all as I haven't seen the baby in a couple of months and had to miss her birthday party last weekend. But enough about me, you came here for books, so let's get to it.

eBooks for review

The Mistress by Tiffany Reisz - Thank you NG and the Harlequin auto-approved list. Super excited to read this one though I have to read my book club book before I can start this.

The Marquess Who Loved Me by Sara Ramsey - Requested this on a whim from NG and am glad that I did. A story of lovers reunited after 10 years and they're not very happy with each other. First time reading Ramsey but not my last.

Bought & Borrowed

The Wig in the Window by Kirsten Kittscher - This is a middle grade mystery. I went to the launch party for this earlier in the week and got a signed copy. You can read my recap here.

Paradigm by Helen Stringer - At the Wig book signing, I ran into Helen Stringer who is friends with some of my friends. Helen was kind enough to give me a copy of her new YA novel. It's sounds a bit dystopian/apolcalyptic. Unfortunately I can't find it on Goodreads yet but I have linked to Helen's author page.

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan - Snagged this at the library. I've heard that it's very good.

This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith - Another library score. I really enjoyed Smith's first novel and am looking forward to this one.

Last but not least is Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris. Yes, yes many of you will probably say that this series jumped the shark a while ago. I don't disagree but I have read every book in this series and I am going to see how it ends. Crossing fingers that I like it better than the last one.

That's my book haul this week. What's in your mailbox?

**Almost forgot to mention that one of my manicures was featured on Book Riot this week in a post about awesome YA inspired manicures! They featured my most recent manicure for Love and Other Perishable Items and I am beyond happy to be included in such great company. Check out the link to see all of the manicures featured. Alright, I'm out for real now. Happy Sunday!

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Uncovered (69): No One Else Can Have You

Thanks for stopping by Uncovered, my weekly cover love post.

Happy Friday, all. Summer's in full swing here and I really cannot believe that June is midway over. This year is seriously flying by. So this week's cover love goes to No One Else Can Have You by Kathleen Hale. This just calls out to the knitter in me. I really get a kick out of seeing knitting featured like this. I also like that it looks like a sweet little fair isle sweater until you look a little closer and see the moose in a noose (whoa, rhyming!). I like slightly subversive crafts and this cover is definitely fun and unique.  The premise of the book sounds promising as well. A murder and teen sleuthing? Sign me up!

Small towns are nothing if not friendly. Friendship, Wisconsin (population: 688) is no different. Around here, everyone wears a smile. And no one ever locks their doors. Until, that is, high school sweetheart Ruth Fried is found murdered. Strung up like a scarecrow in the middle of a cornfield.

Unfortunately, Friendship’s police are more adept at looking for lost pets than catching killers. So Ruth’s best friend, Kippy Bushman, armed with only her tenacious Midwestern spirit and Ruth’s secret diary (which Ruth’s mother had asked her to read in order to redact any, you know, sex parts), sets out to find the murderer. But in a quiet town like Friendship—where no one is a suspect—anyone could be the killer.

No One Else Can Have You doesn't come out until Jan 2014 unfortunately, which means I have quite a wait for it. Anyone else excited about this one?

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The Mistress Files - Review

The Mistress Files (The Original Sinners #3.5) 
by Tiffany Reisz

Publication date: 01 June 2013 by Harlequin MIRA

ISBN 10/13: 1459239091 | 9781459239098
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iTunes 

Category: Adult Erotica/Romance
Keywords: Romance, erotica, BDSM, short stories
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Kingsley Edge, king of kink himself, wants Mistress Nora to write a training manual to instruct his other professional Dominants how to take better care of their clients. But Mistress Nora can't put pen to paper without churning out a sexy short story and Kingsley's training manual quickly turns into true tales of her adventures with her favorite clients.

A female submissive who can't orgasm.​

A male Dominant too scared to do kink with his blind wife.​

A rock star with a secret.​

A vanilla gay woman with an embarrassing little problem. ​

A male switch with an itch for more than just pain.​

These are their stories.

Review:

I hate to give this collection such a low rating. I am a really big fan of The Original Sinners series and was looking forward to The Mistress Files. While The Mistress Files was entertaining, there was just something missing from these stories that I can't put my finger on. Maybe I just have high standards after reading the first three books in the series but I really expected more from this collection.

The "files" start off in first person but then switch to third person, and thank goodness for that. Nora's inner monologue is a little too manic for me and starts to grate if left unchecked. I much prefer her in third person.

The majority of the stories are not not memorable to me. They were entertaining but I wasn't invested in any of the characters. I've read all of Reisz's free short stories on her website and I love most of them.This collection is very flat and felt very clinical. There was kink but I was missing some of the emotional connection that I usually have with her characters. They felt a little rushed and the characters under developed. The exception to this was The Story of the Secret Switch, which is about Kingsley, and is my favorite of the bunch. I love Kinsley and this story showed a different side to him. I really liked seeing the dynamic between him and Nora and it gave me some insight into their relationship. It was also ridiculously kinky and hot.

If you're looking for something to tide you over until The Mistress hits bookshelves and you've already read her free short stories, I think this is still worth the $1.99 price tag. The Story of the Secret Switch alone is worth the price of the book for me. While you don't have to have read the whole series before reading this, I would definitely recommend at least reading The Siren. You don't have to. You won't be lost without it but I think you'll get more out of it if you do. While this wasn't my favorite release by Tiffany Reisz, I am still really excited about The Mistress. I love Nora, Kingsley and Soren and can't wait to see what happens next!

 

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Visit the author online at www.tiffanyreisz.com and follow her on Twitter @tiffanyreisz


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Manicure Monday (20): Love and Other Perishable Items

Hi, everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and Father's Day. I spent most of yesterday just vegging out and watching Fringe with some friends as I recovered from me weekend shenanigans. I was a bit uninspired this week for Manicure Monday. Not sure what it was but I just wasn't feeling super creative. Despite this, I still ended up liking the final look a lot.

This week's MM book is Love and Other Perishable Items by Laura Buzo. I have heard good things about this book and it looked like a fun, contemp read. I really like it so far though I am only about 20 - 30 pages in right now. I told you I haven't had time to read lately. I decided to go pretty literal with this manicure and did a simple design that mimicked the title font and also incorporated the cool heart on the cover.

I used a white base of OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls (from the Spiderman collection) and made the letters using a raspberry ultra fine Sharpie. I really wish I'd had a Sharpie the same dark red as the cover but I just didn't. I have never written on my nails with Sharpie before and I think it worked OK. It was a little hard but the end result is fine. If I'd had a really fun paintbrush, I might have attempted to paint it. Or a nail polish pen would be good if you had one. Be careful if you decide to put a top coat on it though. I tried it on one finger and the Sharpie wanted to smear.

For the heart, I mixed American Apparel Downtown LA and Berry together to get a darker red and painted it on with a brush. Then I used American Apparel Hassid (a black) to shade in the edges. All in all, it was a pretty easy manicure to accomplish.

Has anyone else read this book yet? I am hoping to finish it this week. Thanks for visiting. Link up your Manicure Monday post below.

ETA: I can't seem to get the linky button to pop up so, if you are participating, just leave your link in the comments below and I'll check it out. Thanks!

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Stacked (59)

Good morning! I am probably asleep or recovering from my friend's wedding the previous day but the time you read this. There's been a lot of stress leading up to this wedding but I think it's going to be worth it in the end and I am going to go ahead and say I had a really good time. This week on Stacked, I have some ebooks and my haul from a really awesome book sale. Check it out!

ebooks!

A Blood Seduction by Pamela Palmer - I actually think I may have a physical copy of this one already...but it was free for Kindle one day last week and I grabbed it. Now I can read it at home or on the go. :)

Painted Faces by L.H. Cosway - A blog I read mentioned that this book was on sale for $0.99 and I decided to give it a try. It's about a woman who becomes involved with a cabaret performer.

Burn For Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian - This was the Kindle daily deal a couple of weeks ago and I've been wanting to read it so I picked it up.

Obsession by Jennifer L. Armentrout - I still need to read the last book in Armentrout's Lux series of which Obsession is a spin off of. But I could not say no to this when I saw it for $0.99. I love a good book deal!

Speaking of good book deals, I went to the Mrs. Nelson's annual warehouse sale this week. I missed most of the 70% off books but there were still plenty of awesome books that were 40% off on the second day. I wanted to buy more but I controlled myself (a little)

Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry - I have been wanting to read this series for ages and actually have books 2 and 3 already. Finally have book 1. Now there's no excuse not to start it. 

Sweethearts by Sarah Zarr - This was the one book I bought from the 70% off section. It's been on my radar for a little while now, and that cookie on the cover looks delicious. 

The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancy - Yay! Snagged a copy of The Fifth Wave for 40% off.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness - This has been on my wishlist for a long time and I was really happy to find it at the sale.

Smitten Kitchen - I have way too many cookbooks that I don't cook out of but I love them. Flipping through them is so inspiring. I have had my eye on this one for a while.

This Moose Belongs To Me by Oliver Jeffers - There were a lot of really awesome picture books at the sale but I only left with this one. I am a big Oliver Jeffers fan. Can't wait to finally read this one.

 

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LA Times Festival of Books Recap - 2013 Edition

This post is (more than) a little bit overdue. I look forward to the LA Times Festival of Books every year. I mean, what's more fun than a giant, free book festival? This year was a little different for me than previous years. I didn't have a big agenda or a large list of panels or authors I wanted to see. I kind of wanted to just go and wing it. I was meeting some fun, bookish friends there and I was excited to just hang out and see what caught my eye. I only went on Saturday this year, instead of both days.

Uncovered (68): Boneshaker

Hi, everyone! Happy Friday to you all and thanks for stopping by this week's Uncovered post. This week I have a really great cover from Cheri Priest's Clockwork Century series. Boneshaker is the first book in the series and what a looker it is. I picked this one up just recently at the LA Times Festival of Books. I'd had my eye on it before then but finally purchased it just a few months ago (which reminds me that I need to finish my recap of LATFoB still).  I really love this cover though. I love illustrated/painted covers in general and I think this cover is really eye catching and well done and really gives you a flavor for what the book is going to be like.

I really like the extreme close up on the face, which you don't normally see on steampunk or urban fantasy books. I like that you can see the dirigible in the reflection of the goggles (and what says steampunk more than goggles and dirigibles?). I also love the muted palette and how the gold goggle really pop against it. Throw in a great font and it all adds up to a pretty awesome looking cover. I can't wait to read this one! :)

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Relish: My Life In The Kitchen - Review

Relish: My Life in the Kitchen
by Lucy Knisley

Publication date: 2 April 2013 by MacMillan/:01First Second

ISBN 10/13: 1596436239/978-1596436237 
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | iTunes | IndieBound | Book Depository

Category: Memoir, Biographical, Nonfiction
Keywords: Food, Graphic Novel, Memoir, Recipes
Format: Paperback, e-book
Source: Purchased

Synopsis from GoodReads:

A vibrant, food-themed memoir from beloved indie cartoonist Lucy Knisley.

Lucy Knisley loves food. The daughter of a chef and a gourmet, this talented young cartoonist comes by her obsession honestly. In her forthright, thoughtful, and funny memoir, Lucy traces key episodes in her life thus far, framed by what she was eating at the time and lessons learned about food, cooking, and life. Each chapter is bookended with an illustrated recipe—many of them treasured family dishes, and a few of them Lucy's original inventions.

A welcome read for anyone who ever felt more passion for a sandwich than is strictly speaking proper, Relish is a book for our time: it invites the reader to celebrate food as a connection to our bodies and a connection to the earth, rather than an enemy, a compulsion, or a consumer product.

Review:

This may seem odd, but I love reading cookbooks and cooking magazines.  When I have time, I love cooking and sharing meals with friends. I also enjoy a good graphic novel.  So, when a friend told me about Relish: My Life In The Kitchen by Lucy Knisley, I knew I had to check it out.

I started reading Relish while hanging out at one of my favorite little cafés, Heirloom Café in South Pasadena.

Doesn't this look like the perfect treat to snack on while reading a book about food?!  By the way, this deep dish caramel apple pie was fabulous.  But back to the book...

Knisley's description of her early years.

Knisley begins by introducing herself as "the child who was raised by foodies".  Her memories of childhood were associated with food.  I got a laugh out of her making salad dressing with her father in the evening and "tossing back a capful of Kressi vinegar" or learning to open an oyster with her uncle.  She would hang out in the kitchens where her mother worked snacking on all kinds of gourmet treats.  When her parents divorced, Lucy moved out of New York City to upstate New York and the food adventures continued.

Recipe for Huevos Rancheros included in the book.

Each chapter of the book looks at a different aspect of Knisley's life from birth to college.  At the end of the chapter, readers will find a special recipe (Carbonara, Huevos Rancheros, her favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe to name a few)  that relates to the memories being shared.  The book is filled with fond memories of family and friends, the various vacations taken with her parents, and even her rebellion against her parents by choosing junk food.  Knisley manages to fit a lot into 173 pages, and if the saying "a picture is worth a thousand words"is true then the use of the graphic novel format was a wise choice.

Whether you love food memoirs, recipes, graphic novels or something with a little of all of them in it, Relish is a fun read that will have you planning your own food experience.

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Visit the author online at Live Journal, www.lucyknisley.com, like her on Facebook, on vimeo, and follow her on Twitter @lucyknisley

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