(April) Middle Grade Book Challenge

Are you reading middle grade books this month? If so, which titles and from which authors? Please share your reviews with us.

The rules again are really simply all you have to do is commit to reading 12+ Middle Grade books and posting your review and then come back and sharing your link in this post. You have from now until December 2011 to complete this challenge.

Just add your blog link/name to the Linky below. Your blog name and book titles will be fine.

Just to let everyone know I have given it some thought and I think I am going to go ahead and do a monthly giveaway. Please note it won't be a big prize just because I will be mailing it and I live in Canada so shipping can get kinda of expensive so some ideas will be a gift card for coffee, a bookmark etc.

So the only rules are in order to qualify all you have to do is come back and link your reviews and for every one you add for the month of April will count for one entry into the bowl.

Have fun and happy reading.

The Mailbox Post

Welcome to one of my all time favorite memes. I love being able to sneak a peek into other bloggers mailboxes to see what they got. This is a good thing and a bad thing because usually that means I have added new books to my wishlist but then again I see this ever growing list of books and wonder if I will ever get to read them or buy them.


As you know Mailbox Monday is originally hosted by Marcia from Printed Page but has since gotten a new look and a blog name. You can now follow Marcia at A Girl And Her Books.

Last year Marcia decided to put Mailbox Monday on a blogger tour and the host for April is Amy who blogs over at Passages To The Past. Amy is a new to me blogger and I have had the chance to hop over and check out her blog and I have to say if you haven't already checked her blog out then you really should.

Another blogger who hosts In My Mailbox is Kristie who blogs over at The Story Siren and this one is geared towards the YA bloggers.

The blog host for May is Mari who blogs over at Mari Reads. Mari is a new to me blogger but looking forward to reading more of her blog throughout the month of May.

Its hard to believe that April is almost over. Where did the month go? It just seemed to fly by but you know what? That is really okay because I am hoping that May will be a better month weather wise.

This past week three books managed to make there way to my mailbox. They all sound like super fun reads and I can't wait to start reading them all very soon.


Thanks to Random House Children I got this book. Thanks Random House. I think will have to go to the library to borrow the previous books in this series.


Thank You to Penguin Canada for sending me this book to read. I have been dying to get my hands on this one and I can't wait to read it.


Thanks to the awesome rep at Sourcebooks who sent me this one.

So this is what came to my mailbox this past week, what about you guys?

(Review & Tour) Stones for my Father (part 2)

Title: Stones for my Father
Author: Trilby Kent
Publisher: Tundra Books
Pages: 170
Pub date: March 2011

Source: I received a copy of this book from Tundra Books to read and review.

About the book:
The Boer War was disastrous for the British: 22,000 of them died. Close to 7,000 Boers died. Nobody knows how many Africans lost their lives, but the number is estimated to be around 20,000. This tragic, and little remembered, chapter in history is the backdrop for Trilby Kent’s powerful novel.

Corlie Roux’s father has always told her that God gave Africa to the Boers. Her life growing up on a farm in South Africa is not easy: it is beautiful, but it is also a harsh place where the heat can be so intense that the very raindrops sizzle. When her beloved father dies, she is left in the care of a cold, stern mother who clearly favors her two younger brothers. But she finds solace with her African maitie, Sipho, and in Africa itself.

Corlie’s world is about to vanish: the British are invading and driving Boers from their farms. The families who do not surrender escape to hidden laagers in the bush to help fight off the British. When Corlie’s laager is discovered, she and the others are sent to an internment camp.

Corlie is strong and can draw on her knowledge of the land she loves, but is that enough to help her survive the starvation, disease, and loss that befalls her in the camp?

Today I am lucky enough to be one of the host on the tour for Stones for my Father. You can check out the other blogs who have toured the book so far and read their reviews and interviews with the author Trilby Kent. Thanks Tundra Books and Slyvia for allowing me to be a part of this tour.

In 2009, I got to read and review Trilby's debut YA novel called Medina Hill and really enjoyed it so when I was given this chance to review Stones for my Father I couldn't resist.

Stones for my Father is completely different from Medina Hill. The story is set during the Boer War in South Africa.

If you are a regular reader of my blog you know that I don't read historical fiction or anything on wars but I am always willing to make the exception when it comes to an author I have read in the past and enjoyed. I do remember learning about the Boer Wars briefly in history class when I was in high school but sadly history wasn't my strong point so needless to say as I started to read the book little bites and pieces would surface and I would say "Oh yea I remember that now."

I think had they made history a little bit more fun I think I would have enjoyed it more and thankfully thanks to blogging it has given me the chance to experience and enjoy books that I would normal not pick up and read.

Once I started to read about Corlie (a twelve year old girl) I quickly became engrossed in the story and managed to read it in one sitting. The story isn't just about the Boer War but one girls struggle to survive when it seems like the odds were stacked up against her.

There was times that I wished I could have jumped in the book and stood up for Corlie when it was evident her mother was mean and nasty towards this little girl. I think living in this siutation forced Corlie to grow up sooner that she needed too. Her mother was a real piece of work and you could see through out the story that she favored Corlie's brothers over her.

When the family has to leave because the British are coming they take what little they can and head to meet up with the others at the laagers. Shortly after meeting up at the laagers they are invade and the women and children are sent to the internment camp.

Life at the internment camp isn't all that perfect, people are dying from dieases and starvation. Food and water is rationed and if you are lucky you will get food but barely enough to survive. Thankfully Corlie and her family are able to get food but Corlie manages to help out the other women of the camp to get some extra food. Things are going good until Corlie makes a mistake and does the wrong thing. Before she knows it she is being called a thief and is kick out of the tent by her mother.

Will she survive on her own? Or will someone come to her rescue?

(Author Interview) Stones for my Father (part 1)

Today I am honored to have the chance to interview Trilby Kent the young adult author of Medina Hill and her newest ya book Stones for my Father. Come back tomorrow for my review of this book.

About the author:
Trilby was born in Toro
nto and grew up in London, Miami and Boston. A graduate of Oxford University and the LSE, she has worked as a rare books specialist at a leading auction house, a freelance journalist contributing investigative, arts and feature writing to the Canadian national press and publications in America and Europe, an academic editor, and a creative writing tutor with one of the UK's leading distance learning schools.

Trilby, I just wanted to say that I truly appreciate you taking the time out of your very busy schedule to sit down and answer my questions. Thank you so much.

Cindy: Having lived in Canada and now in the UK, what is the one thing you
miss about Canada?

Trilby: My family.



Cindy: What was the inspiration behind Stones for my Father?

Trilby: The remarkable and heartbreaking story of the Anglo-Boer War, and the people on all sides who were touched by it (including some of my own ancestors).

Cindy: For a reader reading Stones For my Father, what one thing would
they be surprised to discover?

Trilby: That the depth of inter-racial/linguistic/cultural tensions in South Africa go back far beyond the institutionalization of apartheid in 1948.

Cindy: When you're not writing what else do you like to do?

Trilby: Read; hang out in museums; watch movies; shoot hoops. I'll also admit to a fair amount of procrastinating online...

Cindy: I wish I would have asked what are you reading right now but I didn't get the chance perhaps if you read this you could let us know. I think we all do alot of procrastinating online at least i know I do. LOL If you main character, Corlie, had a theme song what would it be and why?

Trilby: That's an interesting one! I guess 'Gimme Shelter' by the Rolling Stones is a little obvious. Likewise 'Imagine'. A less anachronistic choice might be 'Sarie Marais', which is a song from the period. It's all about the Boers' fear of being sent into exile abroad and a yearning to return to 'the old Transvaal'.

Cindy: I am not sure if this is the right song but I hope it is:


Thanks again Trilby. Check back tomorrow for my review of Stones for my Father.


A huge Thank you to Trilby for sending me this link for the above version of the song.

(Review) Across The Universe

Title: Across The Universe
Author: Beth Revis
Pub Date: January 2011
Pages: 416

Source: I received a finished copy from the lovely Vimala at Penguin Canada. Thanks so much Vimala.

About the book:
A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

When I first heard about the book I was super excited and wanted to read it because it sounded really good and I have to admit that I love the cover of the book. Although I have to say that I was a little worried because its a fantasy/sci fi kind of book and that is a genre I could never get into but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised because not only was it fantasy/sci fi but there was also a bit of a mystery thrown in as well. I made it a point not to rush in reading the book although there was times I had a hard time to put it down.

This is Beth Revis debut novel and apparently it will be a three book series. I can't wait to read the others now.

The book is narrated by Amy, who is the teenage girl who goes into a frozen sleep and is scheduled to wake up three hundred years later but is awaken fifty years too soon. The other narrator is Elder who is also an teenager but soon to be leader on the Godspeed ship. He is being trained by Eldest who will hand over the ship to him when the time is right.

The opening chapter is about Amy and her tough decision if she should follow her parents that are going to be frozen so that they can be a part of a new planet because they are essentials to this mission because of the skills they have that will allow them to form this new planet in three hundred years. Her mother goes first, Amy thinks she will go next but her father goes next but tells her that she can go with them or she can remain on planet Earth. Staying on Earth will allow her to be with the rest of her family, her boyfriend and life will be like it was. Amy is torn but in the end decides to go with her parents.

With just fifty years left into the trip Amy is unplugged and is unfrozen quickly and almost dies from it. The mystery around this is that they have no idea who could have done this. Who could have unplugged Amy before her time and why?

Amy begins to realize that everyone on the ship is alike (dark skin, dark hair and eyes) with her being the different one (red hair, pale skinned and opinionated). They are all non-ethic. Everyone on the ship is controlled because they all know there places, roles and its all peace, love and happiness there. (This was my impression of the ship)

Elder who was born on the ship doesn't know about anything outside the ship like Amy does. He believes what he has been told and we soon realize that everything about the outside world has been alterated to the Eldests liking. So what Elder thinks he knows isn't the truth.

Eldest makes sure to keep Amy away from everyone because he knows that she will be trouble and warns the ship that she is different and to stay away. Amy is forced to live in the hospital with everyone else that is labelled different such as the artists and musicians.

Before long more of the frozen bodies are being unplugged and no one can figure out why and who would be doing this. Amy and Elder take it upon themselves to figure out who the person is that is slowly unplugging people and allowing them to die. With the list of suspects slowly narrowing down could Amy and Elder's life be in jeapordy?

One of my favorite things about the book is the cover because if you flip it over you get to see what the ship looks like and it comes in handy with when reading the book because you can see exactly where the locations are.

As I was getting ready to write my review I was on Beth Revis site and discovered that Across The Universe has a website site devoted to the book where there is an interactive map of the ship and so much more.

If you are looking for something to read then I have to suggest this book. You will not be disappointed. I know I wasn't and I am so glad I was given the chance to review this.

Happy Easter

Happy Easter Everyone.

The Mailbox Post

As you know Mailbox Monday is originally hosted by Marcia from Printed Page but has since gotten a new look and a blog name. You can now follow Marcia at A Girl And Her Books.

Last year Marcia decided to put Mailbox Monday on a blogger tour and the host for April is Amy who blogs over at Passages To The Past. Amy is a new to me blogger and I have had the chance to hop over and check out her blog and I have to say if you haven't already checked her blog out then you really should.

Another blogger who hosts In My Mailbox is Kristie who blogs over at The Story Siren and this one is geared towards the YA bloggers.

It was a short mail week this past week and next week will be another short mail week.

Nothing came to my mailbox this week, nothing was bought and nothing was gifted to me.

Hope you had an awesome book week.

Happy Birthday

Its hard to believe that my little munchkin is 8 years old today.

Happy Birthday Michael.

(This is Michael thinking about what to wish for.)

(Review & Tour & Give Away) Beside Still Waters

Title: Beside Still Waters
Author: Tricia Goyer
Publisher: BH Publishing Group
Pages: 258
Pub Date: April 2011

Source: I received this book from Litfuse on behalf of BH Publishing for my honest review.

About the book:Marianna Sommer believes she knows where her life is headed. Nineteen years old and Amish, her plan is to get baptized into the church, marry Aaron Zook, and live in the only community she's ever known.

When Marianna's family moves from Indiana to Montana she discovers life and faith will never be the same. As she builds an easy friendship with local guy, Ben Stone, Ben not only draws her heart, he also gets her thinking about what loving God and living in community is all about.

As Marianna struggles to find "home", she also encounters God in intimate ways.

One of my favorite genres of books is the Amish Fiction. I have always been fascinated with the Amish and their way of life. Reading this book it makes you realize that even though we are different in many ways be still feel the same way and care about people the same way.

Growing up Marianna knows that no matter what she does she will never replace her two dead sisters that died in a tragic buggy accident but she tries her best to remain on the right path.

Marianna and her family live in a strict Amish community in Indiana. Marianna has always thought that her life would be in that community married to Aaron Zook and raising her family. When Marianna's brother Levi decides that he doesn't want to lead the Amish life he leaves his family and decides to live with the English.

Marianna's father fears that his other children will follow the lead of their big brother so he decides to move the family to Montana. Thinking that if they are away they will remain faithful to the Amish way of life. This news upsets Marianna because she fears that if she leaves Aaron will choose another to marry. Of course Marianna doesn't have to leave she can live with family but feels as though she is obligated to go with the family.

Will Marianna be able to remain true to her Amish up bringing when an English boy catches her eye? When given the chance will Marianna return to her old Amish community to be with Aaron or is it too late?

I really enjoyed the book and honestly I managed to read this in one sitting. before I started the book I went to the author's site and realized that there would be a book two and after reading this one I am super excited to read the next one because I have so many questions that I hope will get answered.

Another thing I loved about the book was the few recipes that were included in the back of the book such as: haystacks, oatmeal butter crisps, and a few others.



Link to buy the book: http://triciagoyer.com/contemporaryfiction.html#BesideStillWaters

Give Away
To celebrate the release of the first book in the Big Sky Amish series Tricia is giving away 10 copies of Beside Still Waters and a pair of super cute antique Amish salt & pepper shakers.


Details at Tricia’s blog, It’s Real Life: http://triciagoyer.blogspot.com/2011/04/beside-still-waters-giveaway.html

BONUS! Each person who enters the giveaway will receive a FABULOUS Montana Amish Calendar. Hurry, it’s only available while supplies last! I just checked and the calendars are no longer available.

About the Author:

Tricia Goyer is the author of twenty-six books including Songbird Under a German Moon, The Swiss Courier, and the mommy memoir, Blue Like Play Dough. She won Historical Novel of the Year in 2005 and 2006 from ACFW, and was honored with the Writer of the Year award from Mt. Hermon Writer's Conference in 2003. Tricia's book Life Interrupted was a finalist for the Gold Medallion in 2005. In addition to her novels, Tricia writes non-fiction books and magazine articles for publications like MomSense and Thriving Family.

Tricia is a regular speaker at conventions and conferences, and has been a workshop presenter at the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) International Conventions. She and her family make their home in Little Rock, Arkansas where they are part of the ministry of FamilyLife. Visit Tricia Goyer for more info.

The next book in the series scheduled to be released in October 2011 is:


Here is where the book will be stopping by today:

Sheri at The Shades of Pink
JHS at Colloquium
Carol at Books Before Food
Kat at Reviews From The Heart
Lynetta at Open Book
Melissa at Book Reviews
Alexia at The Mommy Rambles

Reviewing Opportunity

Recently I was given the opportunity to do some posts for EdenFantasys. You might think of them as an adult site but when you look around you will see that they have so much more then just that.

Some of the great stuff they have is:


Illume the 23 Collectioncandle is a high-quality soy wax with lead-free wicks, burns cleanly and evenly. Currently they only have Valencia Orange which is a sunny, bright, and uplifting scent in stock. This seems like the perfect candle for me to be burning right about now with all the gloomy weather we have been having lately.


Here is another item that caught my eye its called Chemistry Bubble Bath Set. Each 5 1/2" long tube is full of colorful bubble bath in one of four scents; relaxing lavender, romantic rose, stimulating lemon mint and sensual pomegranate.

I am going to admit that I am a huge candle and bath product person. If I spot a candle(s) I like, I will buy it even though in reality I don't need it and the same goes for bath products. My bathroom cupboard is over filled with all kinds of bath stuff. I love being able to fill the tub with a great bath product and getting in and relaxing. I am looking forward to picking up these two products to add to my routine.

So just remember they have a wide assortment of products so be sure to check them out.

Armchair BEA

If you are a book blogger you know that the week of May 23rd is BEA (Book Expo America) in NYC.

You can tell its coming pretty quickly from the chat on twitter and the blog posts that are starting to appear on people's blogs. I am sure I speak for everyone that the excitement is starting to build up, am I right?

Sadly, I won't be attending this year but I will be there next year in 2012. I was lucky enough to go last year and let me tell you it was crazy. Sheer madness but honestly it was so much fun that I would do it again in a heart beat. To be able to surround yourself in NYC, bloggers, authors and books ws truly amazing. Last year I got to go with my fellow Montreal bloggers and it was so much fun.

If you are like me and can't go this year but want to take part in all the action and fun (virtually), don't worry because a bunch of awesome bloggers have got our backs and started up the second annual Armchair BEA.

Registrations are now open so just head on over to the site and fill in the form to register for Armchair BEA. I did and I am hoping to offer a few give aways.

The Mailbox Post & Books Bought

As you know Mailbox Monday is originally hosted by Marcia from Printed Page but has since gotten a new look and a blog name. You can now follow Marcia at A Girl And Her Books.

Last year Marcia decided to put Mailbox Monday on a blogger tour and the host for April is Amy who blogs over at Passages To The Past. Amy is a new to me blogger and I have had the chance to hop over and check out her blog and I have to say if you haven't already checked her blog out then you really should.

Another blogger who hosts In My Mailbox is Kristie who blogs over at The Story Siren and this one is geared towards the YA bloggers.

This past week was an awesome week in books. I love each and every one of the books I got and can't wait to dig into them and read them. Hmm I'm thinking I might have to push some up on my reading pile to do so.


From Knopf
The Red Blazer Girls: The Mistaken Masterpiece (book 3 in the series) by Michael Beil

(Thanks to Diane and Knopf for sending this to me. This is an ARC set to be released in June.)

From Sourcebooks:
The Undertaker: Rise of the Corpses by Ty Drago

(Thanks Kay for sending this to me. Sounds really good. This will be reviewed for my MG Challenge. Stay tuned for a guest post by Ty)

From Penguin Canada:
-Wake Unto Me by Lisa Cach
-Eona (book two) by Alison Goodman
-Jacob Wonderbar and the cosmic space kapow by Nathan Bransford (May 2011 release)
-Mal and Chad: The biggest, bestest time ever by Stephen McCranie ((May 2011 release)
-Relic Master: The Dark City (book 1 in a fantastic new series) by Catherine Fisher (May 2011 release)

A huge Thank you goes out to Penguin Canada for sending me these amazing books. I can't wait to read them. I literally did the happy dance when I opened up the package.

Gifted to me:
I met up with Tina from Bookshipper last week for the Dorval Library Friends of the Library booksale and she gave me Project 17 from Laurie Faria Stolarz. Thanks again Tina.

I also bought two books last week, even though I said I wasn't going to buy anything more. I picked up:
-Playing Hurt by Holly Schindler
-Entwined by Heather Dixon (I absolutely love the cover for this book.)

This is what came to my door last week, what about you?

(Tour & Give Away) There's Lead in Your Lipstick

About the book:
By the time she heads out the front door, the modern woman has spritzed, sudsed, and slathered herself in more than 127 different chemicals, many of them more toxic than beautifying.

So how can you look and feel great while safeguarding your health? Get smart and go green from head to toe with the help of eco-expert Gillian Deacon. In The Green Body Guide, you'll learn how to read the ingredients to identify and understand the preservatives that are bad for your body and damaging to the earth, including formaldehyde in deodorant, nail polish, soap, shampoo, and shaving cream; coal tar in hair dyes; lead in lipstick; and many more. This is an indispensable handbook of personal-care choices that are sustainable, both for your health and for the earth.

I want to thank Penguin Canada for allowing me to be the fifth stop on the There's Lead In Your Lipstick blog tour. I am super excited to be a part of this tour.

I have a question for you, do you read the ingredients on your beauty products? Maybe yes, maybe no. I have to admit that up until a few years ago I never read that because honestly its so confusing. I mean half the stuff is words you can barely pronounce.

As women, we use alot of beauty and health care products succh as shampoos, conditioners, hair products, deodorant and the list goes on and on. Did you know that many of those products contain chemicals such as diethanolamine, sodium lauryl (ether) sulfate or triclosan?

Researchers in Finland tested eighty-eight colours
from twenty-five brands and found forty-nine eyeshadows
contained lead, cobalt, nickel, chromium,
and arsenic. Eyeshadows also often contain petrochemicals,
such as mineral oil, dimethicone to make the powder stick to
the eyelid, and a binding agent like methacrylate, which in
addition to being a strong skin irritant is also a contributor
to 1,4-dioxane, a known carcinogen. Glitter eyeshadows use
pure aluminum to create the shimmery effect; the aluminum
can migrate into the eye and cause injury to the cornea.

From There’s Lead in Your Lipstick by Gillian Deacon (Penguin Canada). Copyright © Backbone Inc. FSO Gillian Deacon, 2011

Personally for me I have been trying to clean up on what I eat and use in my daily life with myself and my family. Sadly I didn't get a copy of this book for review but after hearing so much about it I am putting this on my to get asap.

Gill Deacon is very much an advicate for women's health after being a brest cancer survivor. She started this book when she got diagnosed and completed the book when she was finished with her treatment.

Sadly we can't rely on someone else do to this for us we have to be an advicate for ourselves and read those labels and not purchase products that are harmful to us.

Did you know that Formaldehyde is banned in Canada, Japan and the European Union but is deemed safe for use in cosmetics in the United States, despite the US EPA classifying it as a carcinogen. Isn't that scary?

If you can't get out to buy the book or its not available Gill has provide a tips card that you can print from her site here. I have mine printed already and its in my purse.

A special Earth Day message from Gillian Deacon that she wrote especially for this tour:

Earth day shouldn't just be an annual tip of the hat to greener living. This year, make it the day you recalibrate your everyday patterns to be more earth-friendly all year long.


You don't have to be a treehugger to care about avoiding toxins in your everyday bodycare. Synthetic chemicals in personal care products contaminating groundwater and wildlife is alarming enough—but they’re also contaminating us. Those hard-to-read ingredients you squint at on the back of a product label? They’re building up inside your body and in your children’s bodies—on Earth Day and everyday.

Make today the day you start paying attention to that fine print. Turn a product over and read the ingredients label before you are seduced by the “green” imaging on the package. The good news is, there are lots of safer products on the market.

Good luck and I hope you’ll check out There’s Lead in Your Lipstick for more ideas on how to clean up your act!

Blogs that are taking part in this tour are:
April 11 Rayment’s Readings, Rants and Ramblings
April 12 My Ever Expanding Library
April 13 Jacob’s Beloved
April 14 Bella’s Bookshelves
April 15 Cindy’s Love of Books (thats me)
April 18 Rowangarth Farm
April 19 Lost for Words
April 20 Curled Up With a Good Book and a Cup of Tea
April 21 A Bookworm’s World
April 22 KimWerker.com
April 25 A Mom After God’ Own Heart
April 26 The Literary Word
April 27 Just a Lil Lost
April 28 In the Next Room

Give Away time:

Prize details: one prize pack of There’s Lead In Your Lipstick and an Eco Kiss kit from Saffron Rouge. SRV is $48.95

RULES:
-Sorry this is Canadian only as per the publishers request with a valid mailing address (No Po Boxes)

-Please leave a way to contact you should you be the winner (IE email address)

-Answer this question: In honor on the upcoming Earth Day, what are you doing to make a difference?

Contest closes April 30th at 11:59pm. A winner will be notified on May 1st. Please note you have 48 hours to reply to the email I send.

(Review) Heartland The Cookbook

Title: Heartland The Cookbook
Author: Judith Fertig
Publisher: Andrews McMeel
Pub Date: April 2011
Pages: 304

Source: I received a copy of this book from an awesome rep at Andrews McMeel who knows I love cookbooks. Thanks so much.

About The Book:
Although much of the nation is only beginning to embrace the farm-to-table movement, residents of the Midwest have been living off the bounty of the land since the pioneer days. Judith Fertig's Heartland melds contemporary cooking with an authentic and appreciative approach to the land, presenting 150 recipes for farm-bounty fare with a modern twist. With a focus on ethnic food traditions as well as seasonal and local flavors of artisan producers, heirloom ingredients, and heritage meats, Heartland embraces the spirit and flavors of the modern farmhouse. Inside, offerings such as Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Blackberry Syrup, No-Knead Caraway Rye Bread, and Brew Pub Planked Cheeses comingle with recipes such as Wild Rice Soup with Flyover Duck Confit, Heartland Daube with White Cheddar Polenta, and Italian Fig Cookies.

In addition to the mouthwatering recipes and time-proven wisdom, Heartland includes an ample mix of humorous storytelling, literary and cooking references, and lush full-color landscape and food photography that showcases the heart of American cooking from the nation's heartland.

I am always surprised when I opened a package from Andrews McMeel because I never know what they are going to send me. I love getting surprise packages from them especially when they involve cookbooks. I love cookbooks and trying new recipes.

This was no exception. When I first opened the cookbook I started to read the introduction and Judith discusses the history and geography of the midwest as well as the foods most commonly found in the region and what the kitchens are like.

There are a ton of great photographs that feature not only foods but of the animals, people and landscape found in the midwest. The only thing I wish was included in the photographs were more of the actually recipe foods. I love to see what the end product will be like.

Last summer I got to travel in some of the midwest and loved it and I have to say that eating the fruits and vegetables there was amazing. I always thought that we had fresh fruits and veggies here in Canada but wow I was blown away. Everything was crunchy and crisp. It tasted like it was all just fresh picked.

There are so many great recipes in the book that you almost don't know where to start. In the first chapter gives you get to see what is in a Heartland pantry and offers recipes such as making your own Farmhouse Butter, Farmhouse Egg Pasta, Smoke Roasted Tomato Sauce, preserves, plus the basics for canning and making syrups such as blackberry-lavendar and fresh herb.

The second chapter is all about breakfast and brunch. Who doesn't love making a haymaker's hash along with some wholewheat pancakes? This is where I made my first recipe and its called Baked Eggs with Prosciutto and Asiago Cream. I couldn't find any Asiago cheese so I ended up switching it for cheddar cheese and we all loved it.

The next recipe I made was the Heartland Scramble. Its basically scrambled eggs with cheese, onions and crumbled sausage. I thought Michael would have enjoyed this more but funny enough he doesn't like scrambled eggs.

The other chapters in the book include the breadbasket (recipes for no knead breads, muffins, rolls and more), appetizers and drinks (making home made chips, assorted flatbreads, popcorn with gouda, farm girl cosmos and lemonade), salads and soups, main dishes and finally no cookbook is complete without desserts.

Looking through the recipes you will find them well written and easy to follow with a detailed list of ingredients.

I can't wait to make more recipes from this fantastic cookbook.

It's Monday What are you reading? # 14

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

The wonderful host of this weekly meme is Shelia from Book Journey. You can check out her blog to find out all the details on how to take part in this fun weekly meme. I should warn you though that this can add to an ever increasing TBR pile or wishlist.

Its hard to believe its time for another It's Monday, what are you reading post. Where did the week go?

Sadly I didn't get a whole lot of reading done last week. The reason is because I was super busy in real life doing things. In a matter of 10 days Michael will be turning 8 years old (where does the time go?) and in 12 days we will be having a family party so I have been doing a massive spring clean up getting the house ready for company.

So those piles of books I have lying around need to be put away. So I managed to put two boxes of books away to drop off at the school very soon and now I need to box my other books to clean up the shelves. I am hoping over the summer to have my bookcases built in the basement's family/play room so that I can put them all back into place.

My current read last week and current read this week is:

I am still reading it and I can say I am a little more the half way through it.

I also had to start:

This is for an upcoming tour next week.

This week the plan is to finish Across the Universe and Beside Still Waters. What about you?

The Mailbox Post & Books Bought

As you know Mailbox Monday is originally hosted by Marcia from Printed Page but has since gotten a new look and a blog name. You can now follow Marcia at A Girl And Her Books.

Last year Marcia decided to put Mailbox Monday on a blogger tour and the host for April is Amy who blogs over at Passages To The Past. Amy is a new to me blogger and I have had the chance to hop over and check out her blog and I have to say if you haven't already checked her blog out then you really should.

Another blogger who hosts In My Mailbox is Kristie who blogs over at The Story Siren and this one is geared towards the YA bloggers.

I am actually really bummed, I recorded an IMM vlog but for some reason I can't get it to download onto Youtube or through my blog. I have to admit I am not quite sure why it wouldn't download but it just kept saying it failed. If anyone could offer some advise that would be great and truly appreciated.

Anyways its time for another IMM post. Where does the week go? Its already the middle of April, well it soon will be.

I love IMM posts/vlogs because its a great way to share what books have come in the mail. Its nice to see books that are going to be coming out or are already out that honestly you might not already know about. Saying this it can also lead to an ever increasing wishlist.

This is what I got this past week:


For review I only got one book and that was Karma by Cathy Ostlere. Thanks Penguin Canada for sending this out to me.

The following books were gifted to me by my lovely and amazing book friend:
-City of Fallen Angels # 4 by Cassandra Clare (My friend has read my previous three books & Clockwork Angel and couldn't wait for it to come out in paperback so she bought it and has already read it.)
-The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong. (I turned my friend onto Kelley's YA books so she couldn't resist buying this one.)
-Eon by Alison Goodman (Funny story, my friend dropped off these books to me Wed morning and that afternoon I had a email from my lovely rep at Penguin Canada offering me book two, Eona of course I couldn't pass it up seeing as book one was given to me.)
-Shimmer by Alyson Noel. (She read my copy of Radiance and loved it.)

Now the following are books bought:
-Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready (There is a reason I bought this and you will see why below. This has actually been on my wish list since it came out last year.)

For Michael we bought him the first two Pokemon graphic novels in the Diamond and Pearl Adventures.


Then on Saturday we had to go back to Chapters and pick him up 3 and 4 because he actually read the first two in a matter of two days. (He got books 1 and 2 Thursday night.)

I spotted Vacations From Hell on the bargain table so I grabbed that one. I love the cover.



Then on Friday I received the above package from Jeri Smith-Ready and its because I am on her Street Team. So this is why I went out and bought Shade. She sent me: a cute little button that is signed, a signed book plate to put in my copy of Shade, a ton of book marks for both Shade and Shift (I have a few signed ones) and then 3 chapter books that includes a chapter of Shade (which just happens to be signed). There is also chapters by Becca Fitzpatrick, Daniel Waters, Christine Johnson, Sarah Rees Brennan and Elizabeth Chandler. Thanks so much Jeri I loved getting this package and can't wait to read your books.

This is what I got, what about you?

It's Monday What are you reading? #13

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

The wonderful host of this weekly meme is Shelia from Book Journey. You can check out her blog to find out all the details on how to take part in this fun weekly meme. I should warn you though that this can add to an ever increasing TBR pile or wishlist.

Its hard to believe its time for another It's Monday, what are you reading post. Where did the week go?

As I am writting this I am sick. Thankfully it really started on the Friday and I was able to rest since Michael had no school which meant we were in for the day and in for the weekend. I thought at first it was allergies but once the headache sat in with the stuffiness I knew it was a head cold.

My current read last week and current read this week is:

I am still reading it. Once I got sick I didn't pick up the book.

I ended up reading:

All I have to say is OMG why didn't I read this sooner. I loved both books. I can't wait for the third one to come out.

Since I was coughing, sneezing and dabbing a watery eye it was hard to hold a book so I decided to use my kobo this weekend. Sadly as I was going through my Kobo wondering what I was going to read and I quickly realized that I lost alot of my ARCs because the time had expired on them. I think for some reason I thought once I downloaded it onto my Kobo that it would be okay and that I would have them sadly I was mistaken. Lesson learned!

This is when I realized I only had a few days left to read Red Glove so I picked up White Cat from my TBR pile and read that and loved it and I was so happy I had Red Glove to read right after.

This week the plan is to finish Across the Universe.

Random Acts of Kindness Post

You have probably been seeing this around the blogosphere for a little now. I have decided that I am going to take the plunge and join in this month for the first time.

Isalys and Vanessa from Book Soulmates are the bloggers behind this idea. If you haven't checked out their blog yet you really should. I have been reading there blog for awhile now and only realized recently that I am actually not a follower. Well I fixed that today.

Here is the link that will take you directly to the April Sign up form.

Rules:
• Sign up each month you'd like to participate in. (Join when you want)
• Show off your participation! Grab one of the buttons available :)
• Create a wish list and post it in the Google Doc located in each R.A.K post for the month.
{Post on your blog, Amazon, where ever as long as there's a link to it.}
• If you choose to do a R.A.K for someone, check out their wish list and contact that blogger for their address.
• At the end of the month, SHOW US YOUR R.A.K!
Make a post saying 'Thank You' to whoever granted one of your wishes and share it with us :)

OPEN TO EVERYONE!
Let's keep our International bloggers in mind and in our hearts.
Remember, there's always the Book Depository and they offer FREE shipping!

My wish list can be seen here

The Mailbox Post & Books Bought

As you know Mailbox Monday is originally hosted by Marcia from Printed Page but has since gotten a new look and a blog name. You can now follow Marcia at A Girl And Her Books.

Last year Marcia decided to put Mailbox Monday on a blogger tour and the host for April is Amy who blogs over at Passages To The Past. Amy is a new to me blogger and I have had the chance to hop over and check out her blog and I have to say if you haven't already checked her blog out then you really should.

Another blogger who hosts In My Mailbox is Kristie who blogs over at The Story Siren and this one is geared towards the YA bloggers.

So this past week I have to report that I have received NO books for review. The only books I got in my mail were books that I bought from Anderson's Bookstore in Napierville, IL. The books that I bought were:

The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan. Carrie did a booksigning at Anderson's last week. I have the previous two books in this series and include was some swag such as Carrie's business card and a post card.


Then a little while ago Anderson's was one of the stops in the Darks Days of Supernatural Tour and I wanted to take advantage of it so I ordered the following books and got them signed as well:


Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting (book two in the series)



The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting (first book in the series.)


AngelFire by Courtney Allison Moulton (A 2011 debute author)


Once in a Full Moon by Ellen Schreiber (I love the cover of this one)

I also got my sample pack of business cards from Moo. What do you think?

This is what came to my mailbox this past week, what goodies did you get?