Review: Traitorous Toys (Cozy Corgi Mysteries #2) by Mildred Abbott

It’s Christmas in Estes Park, Colorado: cozy fires, twinkling lights, soft snowfall, and… murder.

The winter holidays in charming Estes Park lulls Winifred Page and her corgi, Watson, into thoughts of spiced chai and gingerbread as they settle into their new home. Fred’s dream bookshop is becoming a reality, and with Christmas only days away, her only concerns are spending time with family, enforcing Watson’s diet, and finding the perfect gifts.

The toy store beckons Fred and her friend Katie, who dash in out of the cold, during a shopping spree to discover handmade toys, cuddly stuffed animals… and a dying man on the floor.

When Katie’s desperate attempts to save the man ends in her being taken in for his murder, Fred once again dons her detective hat. She puts aside her Christmas list and—with Watson sniffing around—begins a list of suspects. But as quickly as clues point to one person, new discoveries shift the spotlight to another.  

With Katie’s freedom in the balance, Fred has little time to think about gifts or to enjoy the holiday lights and music. A killer is on the loose, one who became violent in a picture-perfect Christmas toy shop, and Fred and Watson can’t begin to predict what might happen next… ~ Goodreads

Source: KU

Read for: The #DDoS Reading Challenge hosted by La La in the Library & Jo’s Book Blog Dog Days of Summer 

Review:

I’m getting a kick out of this series.

Fred is settling into her new town of Estes Park, Colorado, getting her new bookstore ready to open and meeting the quirky neighboring shop owners.

This is a cozy mystery, and as such, it follows a predictable formula. A body is discovered by our plucky heroine and she dives in to clear a close friend accused of the murder. In this installment, the victim is the gorgeous owner of the local toy store, and the accused is her best friend, Katie.Watson and Fred are reluctantly drawn into the case, since she managed to clear her step father in the previous book.

This mystery kept me on my toes a bit longer than the first (which I figured out right away) but it also didn’t make a ton of sense to me. I mean it did…but it was unnecessarily convoluted to get there maybe? 

I love Fred, Watson and the Estes Park community enough to roll with it though. Fred makes a few new friends (including two additional corgi’s!) and continues being flustered by two romantic suitors.

I hate love triangles but I’m not overly concerned in this case. One of the dudes is ringing all sorts of red alarm bells for me and Watson has clearly chosen - so I’ll just say – I’m on team Watson on this one.

I also like how Fred is a bit reserved – having been burned by a cheating spouse and a business partner who betrayed her. She is also still deeply affected by the loss of her father even though it was years ago. Her mom has since remarried and she loves her step dad and his extended family but she’s got a bit of an edgy side. She can be a bit judgmental. She lets people in but is cautious about it. She’s loyal as hell but trusts her own instincts and won’t do anything just to make someone else feel better and I really like that about her.

These are such quick reads and are available on KU so they’re the prefect palate cleanser read for me.

Review: Puppy Love (Forever Home, #1) by Lucy Gilmore

A brand new series from debut author Lucy Gilmore, featuring service puppies who might just be matchmakers in the making...
Sophie Vasquez runs Puppy Promise, a service puppy training organization. Sophie's always been treated as the frail baby of the family—a thing she hates but doesn't know how to change. Until, that is, she meets her newest client.

Harrison Parks is a wildfire firefighter who isn't allowed back in the field unless he finds a service dog. Reluctantly, he agrees, never expecting to be assigned a skittish Pomeranian and the equally skittish woman who's supposed to wrangle them both into order. As it turns out, they all have something to prove…and more than enough room in their hearts for a little puppy love. ~ Goodreads

Source: Library

Read for: DDoS (Dog Days of Summer) hosted by La La in the Library & Jo’s Book Blog Dog Days of Summer & book #2/36 for the Library Love Challenge – Angel’s Guilty Pleasures


Review:

Tamara Morgan for years. Her Winter Rescue series even centers around rescue dogs. I wouldn’t have realized it was her except for seeing the same author photo. Anyway – pen names baffle me sometimes and I’m glad I noticed it was the same person, because I quite liked her books under the Morgan pen name. Plus, I needed more books for the #DDoS reading challenge and I KNOW she would not harm a dog in her books.

The hype for this series kind of made me giggle when it first came out in May. It was being promoted as *debut author* Lucy Gilmore’s first book but I’ve been reading & enjoying her books under the name

But back to Puppy Love!

Puppy Promise is a service puppy training organization run by three sisters. Sophie Vasquez, who is in remission from childhood Leukemia, is still treated like a fragile child within her family, and finds the challenge she is looking for in grumpy wilderness firefighter, Harrison Parks. He goes to the service looking for a “manly” dog to train to detect his low blood sugar after being pulled off duty when he went into a diabetic coma.

Instead, he gets Bubbles the Pomeranian, who was rescued from a puppy mill and is afraid of fire. Harrison is SO not on board with this plan but needs to make it work in order to be allowed back to active duty. He’s sure his surly, intimidating nature will get the petite dog trainer to back down but nope – she and Bubble’s worm their way into his heart.

This is a low key kind of story but filled with heart and humor as the three prop each other up and overcome long held fears to move forward.

I always have a tough time reading about dogs (all pets really). Having worked for vets, shelters and training them, I get a little irritated about inaccuracies - but I will say that Gilmore handled it all well. Although I would not have matched a dog afraid of fire with a firefighter who needs a dog to be calm during dangerous situations - it does work out – and Sophie does use conditioning training so it all works out (mostly) realistically. I had to turn off that part of my brain a bit. lol

Both Sophie and Harrison are good people. A little hurt by life but with people helper cores. They seemed different at first (she’s small and timid – while he was big and grumpy) but they weren’t really. They’re a great match and I love how they stood up to and for each other whenever needed.

Bubbles was a key part of this story and Harrison learning to knit her little sweaters was beyond cute. So if you’re looking for something sweet, with a bit of humor and dogs that get their HEA along with the couple – check this one out.

* And I highly recommend reading Gilmore’s books under the Tamara Morgan pen name – my favorite is her Getting Physical series.

Tell Me Something Tuesday

Tell Me Something Tuesday is hosted by Rainy Day Ramblings and discusses a wide range of topics from books to blogging.

Question: Why do you read blog posts?

Answer: After 10 years, reading posts is so routine to me that I wouldn't know how NOT to do it. I've started taking weekends off (from the entire internet/social media - not just blogs) but I start missing everyone by Monday.


via GIPHY

I, of course, get great book recommendations and like talking about books - but it's more than that for me at this point. You all feel like friends and I want to know how you're doing, what you did over the weekend and all that good stuff. (& vent about my own crap hehe)

This is how my introverted self likes to *hang out* lol Virtually....



via GIPHY

Why do YOU read blog posts?

My Monday Musings

I spent Sunday morning driving around my park taking pictures of squirrel bridges for my much anticipated Squirrel Fest post! It will break the internet! lol

Okay – so maybe it’s not all that anticipated but it will, most likely, make you laugh, so there’s that. I hope to have that up this week as well as a few more doggie themed book reviews for the last week of the #DDoS reading challenge.

You will also be happy to know that I did not get locked in anymore bathrooms over the weekend! And the one public restroom I did use had only ONE lock - as God intended lol

For now, Here’s my reading update.

Reading:

    

Dine with Me by Layla Rayne (for review)
Traitorous Toys (Cozy Corgi Mysteries #2) by Mildred Abbott (for the #DDoS challenge)

Read:

   

One Day to Fall by Therese Beharrie – 4 stars
Puppy Love (Forever Home #1) by Lucy Gilmore – review coming this week
The Right Swipe (Modern Love #1) by Alisha Rai – DNF review

Netgalley Approval:

American Love Story (Dreamers #3) by Adriana Herrera – One of my favorite series right – super excited to start this one!

Amazon Vine:

I received The Revolution of Birdie Randolph by Brandy Colbert, this super cute Wind Wind Took shoulder backback, and The Music of What Happens by Bill Konigsberg for review.

Reading Challenge:  I hit my 50 books read goal so I upped it to 80 and I’m moving along. I should hit it (& maybe even raise it again). 

2019 Reading Challenge

Karen has read 63 books toward her goal of 80 books.

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63 of 80 (78%)

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What are you reading/watching this week?

Review: Cruel Candy (Cozy Mysteries #1) by Mildred Abbott

Estes Park, Colorado: picturesque mountains, charming shops, delightful bakeries, a cozy bookstore… and murder.

Winifred Page and her corgi, Watson, move to Estes Park to hit the reset button on life. Fred is about to open her dream bookshop, and the only challenges she anticipates are adjusting to small town life, tourists, and living close to her loveable mother, Phyllis, and hippy stepfather, Barry.
When Fred steps into her soon-to-be-bookshop for the first time, she expects dust bunnies and spiders… not the dead body in the upstairs kitchen. The local police have an easy suspect—Barry.

Determined to prove quirky Barry innocent of murder, Fred puts on her detective hat, and with Watson by her side, she explores her new town and gets acquainted with her fellow shopkeepers. Could one of her friendly neighbors be the real culprit? And what would be the motive for killing the owner of the Sinful Bites candy store? The secrets Fred discover put her at odds with the local police sergeant and threaten her cozy future in Estes.

With snow falling outside, all Fred wants to do is curl up by the fire with a good book and Watson snuggled at her feet. But before she can begin her new life and put her plans for her bookshop into action, Fred and Watson have a mystery to solve… ~ Goodreads

Source: Kindle Unlimited (recommended by Anna from Herding Cats & Burning Soup

Read for: Dog Days of Summer

Review:
I read Cruel Candy for La La in the Library & Jo’s Book Blog Dog Days of Summer celebration.

People!!! Do you realize how hard it is to find a HAPPY dog book???? This was cozy mystery featuring a grumpy pup named Watson. It was also on KU - so free was good lol

I haven’t read a cozy mystery since my earliest days of blogging. They can get quite repetitive and easy to solve but this series has a few things going for it.

It has a modern sensibility. Most cozy mysteries take place in small towns and feel like they’re stuck in time. While the Cozy Corgi Mysteries has the requisite nosy neighbors, small town cop and close proximity family – it also has a bit more diversity, including a same sex couple, and a pot smoking step dad and a legal marijuana dispensary as it's backdrop. Winifred’s (Fred) family is a bit wacky but not overly intrusive and Fred is a divorcee, a successful business woman and 38 years old. It was refreshing to see things updated while keeping it’s comforting charm.

Fred moves to Estes Park to open a bookstore after a fallout with her publishing business partner. Her mom and stepdad own several local buildings and offer her the spot where the local taxidermist was. And of course…he was MURDERED.

While Fred and her clue & treat sniffing Corgi, Watson, are exploring the new place she finds another body. That of the baker next door. Her stepdad, Barry, is arrested for the crime after evidence point sin his direction.

So Fred does what any self respecting cozy mystery heroine does and starts investigating to clear his name - with Watson in tow. To be honest, I figured it out immediately but the journey was still fun.

Fred’s dad was a detective (killed in the line of duty) so her knowledge of investigations and crimes makes sense, the residents are all complex enough that they come off as both friendly and suspects shaking the plot up a bit.

Not every single thing was wrapped up so that’s kind of fun. One crime was resolved and another is kind of brushed off but I get the feeling it will come back into play in the future.

There’s also a bit of set up for a love triangle. NOOOOOOOOO!!! But really, it wasn’t the focus so I didn’t care but she did get stupid around both men and that was a tad annoying.

This series is on book #13 so there are plenty of adventures ahead but they’re short, so they just take a few hours to read. And there’s a yummy recipe at the end of each book!

Tell Me Something Tuesday

Tell Me Something Tuesday is hosted by Rainy Day Ramblings and discusses a wide range of topics from books to blogging.

Question: Have you found a way to cut back significantly on your TBR pile?

Answer: Yes! I have to be honest though - there's no magic (easy) formula you have to read more books than you take in. Period.

Here' is my TBR pile in 2017 when I decided to seriously tackle the beast.

There were @ 148 books. I tried and failed to do this many, MANY times. I only counted my physical TBR pile - I don't keep a Goodreads TBR shelf. And this does not include the Kindle - although that's down to under 50 books - after tackling that a few years prior.

Current TBR pile....drum-roll please - UNDER 50!!!

It took years to do and I'm sure I could fall off the wagon at any moment but here are a few of my strategies.

Incoming!

~ Netgalley - I only allow myself 2 books at a time on there. Once I read and give my feedback, I can request something else. To be perfectly honest, I don't spend a lot of time there or over request. To me, requesting a book there means obligations, deadlines and a bad feedback ratio if I don't read/review. I don't want that so it's easy for me to keep in check.

~ Resist the one-click. This was BY FAR one of my biggest weaknesses. Every time I saw a twitter frenzy about a book sale - especially - freebies, .99-$2.99 - I clicked. It seemed so cheap and worth trying at that price point but I couldn't read it all and a lot of it was crap so I read reviews first now and end up passing on most of them.

~ Book conferences (which I didn't attend this year) I started doing my research beforehand instead of grabbing things based on cover or hype. I had brought home soooooo many books that I didn't want to read once I took a closer look.

~ I'm a big library fan right now. At least 80% of my books come from there. I think this is the BEST method to avoiding book hype (If it's an option available to you). It's a great way to try authors/genres before buying and I can just hit return if it isn't working for me.

~ Avoid the hype!!! If something doesn't work for you - fantasy, mystery, contemporary, romance - chances are it won't. I'm all for trying new genres and authors but I used to feel out of the loop when everyone was raving over a book - then I hated it when I tried it. The only thing worse than being the only one not reading a popular book is being the only one that hated it. lol

The Purge!

~ When I sat with that giant pile in the first picture - I got real. Do I still like this genre/author? Do I even remember this book? I spent several days on Goodreads with my stack, pouring through reviews to see if any of these were worth keeping. My reading tastes have changed dramatically. A good 20-30 were eliminated that way.

~ Is there someone (blogger/reader/library/group/schools) that could use this book more than me? If I knew I couldn't get to a book for a long time but thought it could get better attention or find the right reader - I passed it on. It wasn't doing anyone any good getting lost in that pile. Especially arc's. Another 20-30 books off to happier homes.

~ Then I just read. I always have one or two library books going, I'll buy maybe one or two books per month, request one or two and then read a few from my TBR pile. It's so small now that I'm comfortable with it.

Under 50 seems perfect. High enough to have a selection to read from but small enough to feel doable - no pressure.

I don't want ZERO books. I'm not a monster!!! lol

Do you have any TBR tackling strategies? Or are you happy being smothered in a sea of books? (Which is also ok if it makes you happy!!!)

My Monday Musings…

I am SO tired. I had an exciting 3 days - a concert in the park, a movie in the park, getting stuck in park bathrooms and Squirrel Fest – BE JEALOUS of my life! lol

Thursday night was the last of the Lake Sacajawea concert in the park series & we brought Fonzi. I made a picnic every week and the music has mostly been cover bands (The Cars, Neil Diamond) and party music (70’s, 80’s Top 40 hits) So much fun! Everyone gets up and dances, kids are running around playing and it’s the sweetest thing ever.

Friday night was a movie in the park. You can bring food, blankets, sleeping bags, wear pj’s & at dusk the movie starts. People get super inventive with seating - like these cardboard box/duct tape movie seats! This week was Mary Poppins Returns and this week is the last movie – Spiderman Enter the Spiderverse – which I LOVED! Can’t wait.

Then Saturday we went to Vancouver for the Farmers Market. They had a car show going on, We had brunch and bought the best slice of German Chocolate Cake from Bleu Door Bakery, found this adorable Harry Potter window display at Dickens Children’s books & Publishing Lab. It was closed but I can’t wait to go back when it’s open.

And…I got stuck in a public bathroom in the park. I locked the top lock and, apparently, that was the wrong lock. I couldn’t turn it back to open (it was a deadbolt style lock). A homeless man (who has obviously had to save other people) used Kevin’s pocket knife to get me out. It was a really long 5 minutes. It was steamy in there lol Thank God for people writing on the walls so I had a distraction. I am super claustrophobic and get panic attacks so that could have gone really bad if that guy hadn’t found me and helped.

So later that day, at Squirrel Fest – that requires a separate post lol – I went into the bathroom and immediately locked the bottom lock because no way am I ever locking the top lock again and see this – TWICE IN ONE DAY!!!

a) Why do all bathrooms in WA have two locks?
b) If they’re broke why don’t you fix or remove them?
c) At the very least cover them so I WILL NOT LOCK MYSELF IN

At least this one seemed to be an easy one and I got myself out so whew!

I didn’t drink anything the rest of the night because I refuse to have to pee when I’m out anymore lol

Reading!

I need to recover from all that activity and I’m listening to The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai

Indie Love Read-a-Thon - hosted by Tracey from Cornerfolds is open to sign-ups!

Check out all the details here.

I'll be clearing out the Angelfall trilogy and hopefully a few other indie books for this one & hope you join in! 

What were your weekend adventures?

 What are you reading this week?

Review: Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian

It's 1989 in New York City, and for three teens, the world is changing.

Reza is an Iranian boy who has just moved to the city with his mother to live with his stepfather and stepbrother. He's terrified that someone will guess the truth he can barely acknowledge about himself. Reza knows he's gay, but all he knows of gay life are the media's images of men dying of AIDS.

Judy is an aspiring fashion designer who worships her uncle Stephen, a gay man with AIDS who devotes his time to activism as a member of ACT UP. Judy has never imagined finding romance...until she falls for Reza and they start dating.

Art is Judy's best friend, their school's only out and proud teen. He'll never be who his conservative parents want him to be, so he rebels by documenting the AIDS crisis through his photographs.

As Reza and Art grow closer, Reza struggles to find a way out of his deception that won't break Judy's heart--and destroy the most meaningful friendship he's ever known. ~ Goodreads

Source: Library – audiobook

Like a Love Story = Heartbreaking. An issue book. Angsty. Bittersweet.

These are all things I HATE in my reading life. Without a doubt this book broke me & made me cry. Twice. And I hated the feeling. I like to escape and be happy when I read. Solid HEA’s only please. But I loved this book so, so, so much anyway.

Set in the late 80’s against the backdrop of the AIDS epidemic with the music of Madonna as a catalyst, Like a Love Story is the stunning coming of age story of three teens caught in a complicated relationship dynamic.

Art, an out and proud gay boy, and his best friend Judy, an aspiring fashion designer with an uncle dying from AIDS, meet Reza – the new Iranian boy. Reza is terrified of his feelings for Art (& of AIDS) and ends up dating Judy.

I know! I know! You’re all like - a love triangle!! I hate teen angst! But this book is not that. Well, okay it is, but it has so many layers – and layers within the layers.

I remember 1989 and the AIDS crisis vividly;  ACT UP, the die-ins, the AIDS memorial quilt being unfurled on the National Mall, Ryan White. This book perfectly captures the fear and desperation as the LGBQT community, literally, fought for their own lives. But also offers levity and hope with the pop culture references as well as a timeless coming of age tale & enduring friendships.

Nazemian so brilliantly captures the era, the activism, the fear, the death, the LOVE, the intimacy, the pop culture all at once without ever skipping a beat. It’s all done so seamlessly. Family, by birth and found, also feature prominently.

The characters are flawed, and disappointing at times, but totally true to who they are and when the author ties it all back together with a bittersweet ending – it’s not with a tidy bow - but with something better. Something real. Something lasting. Something hopeful even in it’s sadness. All three protagonist's have such distinctive voices and play effortlessly off each other even if it’s painful at times. This is a messy, messy story but felt so realistic.

I know this review doesn’t make a whole lot of sense – because I never do well with reviews for my 5 star books but I highly recommend this book if you love flawed, but realistic characters, want to learn more about queer history, love pop culture (specifically queer pop culture), and love strong friendships that stand the test of time.

I listened to this one on audio and the three narrators were FANTASTIC (Lauren Ambrose – Judy), Vikas Adam – Reza (& Uncle Stephen in short passages about LGBQT+ history/figures), Michael Crouch – Art.

*For a more coherent review – this one I found on Goodreads is excellent.

*And if you loved this book - please give the TV series Pose a try. Set in the same era against the back drop of ball culture, it follows a lot of the same themes.

Tell Me Something Tuesday

Tell Me Something Tuesday is hosted by Rainy Day Ramblings and discusses a wide range of topics from books to blogging.


Question: What mistakes have you learned to stop repeating when it comes to reading and blogging?

Answer: I LOVE this question and I’m really curious to see what other say!

Here's what I've learned over the years...

~ PACE YOURSELF!!!

I do not need to post 7 days per week or stay on top of every book in order to be relevant. There’s no way you can last for 10 years (how long I’ve been blogging) and stay at that level of productivity. Or at least, not while sacrificing other things – like a life.

~ I stopped worrying about what everyone else is reading.

Blogging will introduce you to genres and authors you’ve never heard of & that’s wonderful! I think it’s important to test your comfort zone once in awhile. But it’s also fine to let all the trends pass you by without any guilt. If YA, romance, sci-fi….whatever…is not your jam then it’s not your jam. I do try new things but I’ve also stopped worrying about what I’m missing when everyone else is going crazy over a book in the blogosphere.

If you don't get out of that loop you will waste time reading books you hate and not be able to read at all!

~ Only take on what I have time for.

I rarely do any guest posts/tours or anything like that anymore. I also cut WAY back on arc’s and have never been happier with my reading.

I got too bogged down in trying to help everyone out. nothing wrong with that! But again, I was getting caught up in things I wouldn't necassairly have read otherwise and it was a huge time suck with very little payoff and time to do what I really love - READ.

~ I gotta be me! (& you do you)

I read blogging advice posts, I take what’s relevant and toss the rest. I can only be me.

There was a really big push to make us all blog a certain way a few years ago and has, thankfully, seemed to run it’s course. But man, those were stressful times and we lost a lot of good bloggers who felt they couldn't fit the perfect blogger mold.

If you want to make money, get arc’s or hit certain traffic stats – then yes, you have to blog differently than someone blogging just for fun. Both are valid – and both can be done without losing your own unique voice and still have a solid following.

Blog one day a week (or month), blog 7 days a week or twice a day – it’s all good!

~ I take breaks when needed

This was SO hard to do at first. You feel like you're going to lose all your followers or become irrelevant after all your years of hard work. Not gonna lie - your stats suffer (I don't look at mine anymore) but I have found that I sometimes need that break to come back refreshed. And if the options are only quit because of burnout or take a short break and come back with fewer followers - I choose the break because I would miss this creative outlet and my friends too much.

And guess what? Almsot everyone understands and comes back! Everyone is pretty busy in their own life and don't even notice you were gone. lol We all get the need for a break!

~ HAVE FUN HAVE FUN HAVE FUN

When I start getting stressed about having posts up or reading a certain # of books – I step back and remind myself why I’m doing this. It’s a hobby for me. Hobbies should be fun!

What mistakes have you learned to stop when it comes to reading and blogging?

My Monday Musings

Since I’m down to under 50 books on my TBR pile (WHOOP!!) it frees up some time to try a few other bookish things.

Dog Days of Summer Celebration – hosted by La La in the Library & Jo’s Book club
The goal is to read as many dog related books during the month of August. There are giveaways, an IG BINGO challenge and lots of fun posts.

I don’t know exactly what I’ll be reading for this but – DOG DAYS OF SUMMER – I mean – I had to join in right??

I’m also hoping to tie this in with my library challenge below.

I’m joining in with Cornerfolds 10 day event indie book event (September 1–10th) hosted by Tracey from Cornerfolds

I’ll be using it to clear the Angelfall trilogy off my shelf. I have the whole series and even started it last year but keep losing track some how. I’m also hoping to add 1 or two other posts for the event as well.

There will also be mini challenges, a treasure hunt, and giveaways. There are no set books you need to read – you can read any indie book you want! but there are participating authors (with books available on Hoopla, KU and even a few review copies.

You can also write a variety of posts styles - reviews, lists, host a challenge! There’s still time to join in so contact Tracey if you’re interested.

2019 Library Love Challenge – Hosted by Angel’s Guilty Pleasure #LibraryLoveChallenge

As most of you know, the majority of my reading is from the library now. A HUGE change for me since it used to be ZERO. So I decided to join in with Angel’s library love challenge. I’ve already read about 25-30 library books but I didn’t keep track that well so I’ll start with August and pick the Overdrive Junkie – 36 books level

You can sign up at any time – and earn entries for giveaways with reviews.

Goodreads

2019 Reading Challenge

Karen has read 54 books toward her goal of 80 books.

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54 of 80 (67%)

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I met my 50 book goal in July so I’m upping it to  80

Are you participating in any challenges? Any dog book recommendations for me? NOTHING SAD!!

Review: Notes from a Young Black Chef by Kwame Onwuachi, Joshua David Stein

A groundbreaking memoir about the intersection of race, fame, and food, from the Top Chef star and Forbes and Zagat 30 Under 30 honoree

By the time he was twenty-seven, Kwame Onwuachi had competed on Top Chef, cooked at the White House, and opened and closed one of the most talked about restaurants in America. In this inspiring memoir, he shares the remarkable story of his culinary coming-of-age. Growing up in the Bronx and Nigeria (where he was sent by his mother to "learn respect"), food was Onwuachi's great love. He launched his own catering company with twenty thousand dollars he made selling candy on the subway, and trained in the kitchens of some of the most acclaimed restaurants in the country. But the road to success is riddled with potholes. As a young chef, Onwuachi was forced to grapple with just how unwelcoming the world of fine dining can be for people of color, and his first restaurant, the culmination of years of planning, shuttered just months after opening. A powerful, heartfelt, and shockingly honest memoir of following your dreams--even when they don't turn out as you expected--Notes from a Young Black Chef is one man's pursuit of his passions, despite the odds. ~ Goodreads

Source: Library

Review:
Notes from a Young Black Chef had a rocky start. It seemed to lack a focus or a solid voice but, as it got going, you realize it’s much like it’s young black chef, Kwame Onwuachi, struggling to find his path and his own voice throughout. It picks up steam and it's almost impossible to not hold your breath, hoping that each opportunity is THE big break he’s looking for.

I love books about cooking and chefs but this one feels more like a coming of age story and I don’t mean that as a negative and, of course, food is the common thread and where Onwuachi always finds solace and strength. Over the course of his career, as a Nigerian-American, he has to keep from being pushed into the cliché chicken and southern food endeavors people expect from him and instead focuses on bringing the complex story of his own life, told through food, to the people.

He had such an interesting journey, originally working with his mother’s catering business, living and cooking with his grandfather in Nigeria, then on the Deepwater Horizon clean up ship during the oil clean up, and progressing to his own catering company, attending the CIA, competing on Top Chef & finally opening his own fine dining restaurant, that ultimately crashes and burns in 3 months.

I think there are a  few things that set this chef biography apart for me. He doesn’t start out having this singular dream of being a chef and he pretty much hits rock bottom – as a drug dealer and user. Broke– but scrappy, he manages to hustle his way into a few big breaks just doing what comes naturally to him. Feeding people.

Is he cocky and over confident? Yes, and I think you have to be in order to survive this brutal industry but he doesn't have that type of arrogance that makes you demean others in order to raise your own relevance.

His experience with an abusive father and a complicated relationship with his mom, drives him to find a better way to work with his staff. In all the #MeToo fallout that has hit restaurant industry, it’s important to acknowledge that there’s still work to be done with other communities as well. Onwuachi is given, and grabs hold of, amazing opportunities but is also the target of racism in (& out of) the kitchen.

Each chapter explores a period of time in his life that was pivotal in the making of Kwame Onwuachi’s story and ends with a relevant recipe that is actually felt like something I could make.

Notes from a  Young Black Chef is so much more approachable, with it's young with modern sensibilities chef, than most foodie biographies that I’ve read. Despite his confidence, he always seems slightly insecure and unsure if he can really make it and it’s really endearing.

On the other hand, co-writer Joshua David Stein keeps the tone a little too light and presents Kwame more as a *brand* that keeps the book from hitting another, deeper level and the ending is fairly abrupt – considering it ends in failure of his first fine dining establishment. It needed some type of closure or reflection in my opinion but still a good addition to the genre.  

*This has also been optioned for film with Lakeith Stanfield starring as Kwame Onwuachi
Eater

Tell Me Something Tuesday

Question: Are there genres that you keep trying only to be disappointed?

Answer: YASSSSSSSSS!!

Sci-fi – in general but specifically time travel, multiverse (sorry Roberta lol).

Why? Sci-fi in general because I don’t understand a lot of the jargon so I just hear – “Captain W blasted the neutron designator capacitator into the dartrekian cosmiplasma”  & that makes reading haaaaard…*whines* lol

Time travel & multiverse specifically because it seems no matter what plot you follow – it can be erased in an instant with time travel or the mutliverse explanation.

This is not always the case, of course, but I’ve seen many a poorly written tv show or book use that gimmick to write themselves out of a corner. Like, if someone died - yay! They're alive now! Which is a good thing, I guess but then you can't trust anything you're watching anymore.

I especially hate it when it comes to romance. I like everyone to be happy and working to their HEA. Don’t take away my HEA. Don’t have them dating other people in different times and different universes.


via GIPHY

Thrillers/mystery – Why? I get bored. I can usually figure everything out by the first chapter (occasionally by the blurb! It’s happened twice) & I hate investigations and interviews lol

The Fae – Why? I want to like the fae but this is another – they lie so much that it’s frustrating and means that almost everything can be reversed plot wise. Again, if I can’t trust anything I’m reading then I don’t get invested and stop caring.

Historical fiction – Why? So boring. So. boring. lol



via GIPHY

Exceptions!

There area always exceptions and the key to mine is romance or a solid character that I can connect to.

For example, for sci-fi, I love Murderbot by Martha Wells (Goodreads)– Murderbot is snarky with a tender underbelly that he himself doesn’t quite understand. He also mixes a lot of of pop culture (tv binge watching) with the sci-fi lingo and that helps keep me grounded with the story. His love for his crew and the people he meets gives me an emotional connection.

Chaos Station trilogy by Jenn Burke, Kelly Jensen (Goodreads) – you can always hook me with a good romance and Chaos Station has it – as well as a fantastic supporting crew and rip roaring space adventure.

The Dred Chronicles by Ann Aguirre (Goodreads) is another gritty, Prison Break in space, sci-fi adventure that I loved.

A few fae books I enjoy are The Cruel Prince by Holly Black (Goodreads) – this is mostly because I like Jude – a human in a fae world and the fact that she has to navigate so many treacherous people in her life. I hope she takes them all down! And I think all the fae misdirection is done well. Once the truth is unraveled, you can see how there was no other outcome. It makes sense. It's not just there to throw the reader off or escape a messy plot. I do have a few other issues with the series but the fae aspect isn’t one of them.

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black (Goodreads) – this felt more like a Grimm fairy tale, so even though it had the usual fae trickery, I loved how it played out.

Last Seen Leaving by Caleb Roehrig (Goodreads) – this was a fun, twisty little YA thriller with a coming of age twist/romance that kept me hooked.

I do like historical romances but ones that are probably historically inaccurate lol I like the women to be fiesty or for them to be about something other than the typical Duke and a ruined woman. I hate the ton and details about life in those times.

I love K.J. Charles M/M Society of Gentleman series (Goodreads) and I’m looking forward to reading Alyssa Cole’s The Loyal League series (Goodreads). Both are about different people/classes than the usual HR.

TBH – I’m somewhat of a lazy reader and I like to escape and be happy while reading. If I get too far from that zone or happiness is not in sight – then it’s usually not the right book for me. No matter what genre. But if you can offer me that – then I will take a gamble in a genre I usually avoid.

So I never say never.

Are there any genres that you typically avoid?

My Monday Musings: July Wrap-Up & August Goals

July was a weird reading month. Apparently, I read 13 titles, but don’t remember reading most of them lol

Here’s the link to all the book from my July shelf on Goodreads

The (random) Breakdown:

Lazarus, Vol. 1& 2, Raven were Graphic Novels – that’s a fairly new format for me but I’m liking it.

Tyler Johnson Was Here, Riven, Fix Her up were on audio so I’m continuing to progress on that front and I believe that’s how I got the total read up so high for the month.

A Small Zombie problem was my only review book.

Death Prefers Blondes was the book I FINALLY finished!

Prince of Killers and Top Secret were both M/M romance.

Kill the Queen was high fantasy but read more like UF to me.


Library Love: All books, except Top Secret, Death Prefers Blondes (bought) and Hilariously Ever After (freebie) were from the library.

I want to join in the Library Love Challenge that I saw over at Feed Your Addiction because I think I’m killing it! and would love to see how much I’m saving by using my local library this year.

This is pretty new to me. I just got a card in FL last year but didn’t start using it until this year. I have read about 30 library books so far for this year!

* BTW - the challenge is hosted by Angel’s Guilty Pleasures and you can join here at any time)\

Favorite: Hard to say – I enjoyed Lazarus Vol. !, Raven, Tyler Johnson Was Here and Top Secret a lot

Least favorite: Prince of Killers. I almost DNF’d several times, it took me forever to read AND it had a cliffhanger. Not a huge fan of The Friend Zone either and Lazarus, vol. 2 dragged a bit.

I completed my 2019 Goodreads Reading Challenge!

2019 Reading Challenge

Karen has completed her goal of reading 50 books in 2019!

hide

52 of 50 (100%)

view books

I’ll be raising it to 100 and hopefully Kevin won't make me move cross county again and I can meet that goal. Ha!

August Goals:

Zip. Zilch. Nada.

I don’t have any review books and no plans so I will let the book winds take me wherever…

I’m currently reading Notes from a Young Black Chef, A Memoir by Kwame Onwuachi and while typing this, my audiobook hold for Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian came in!

***FLAIL***

And I wanted to share this picture! This is ALL the books on my TBR shelf. FORTY THREE books. That’s it. They all fit on this small cart. Not the room full of IKEA bookshelves I had to by to fit them all in the past.

When I first started to tackle the TBR (physical books only) I had 148 books so this is amazing!!! Since I won’t be attending any book conferences any time soon – it’s also sustainable.

How was your July reading month? What do you have planned for August? Is there a book I should be reading this month?

The Friday 5

It’s been awhile since I’ve recapped what I’ve been watching so here we go!

Russian Doll – Netflix


Nadia keeps dying and reliving her 36th birthday party. She's trapped in a surreal time loop -- and staring down the barrel of her own mortality.

I didn’t immediately love this show but after the 3rd episode I was all in. It’s trippy, funny, clever and poignant. And it’s one of the few shows set in NYC that actually looks like NYC.







The Boys – Amazon Prime

THE BOYS is an irreverent take on what happens when superheroes, who are as popular as celebrities, as influential as politicians and as revered as Gods, abuse their superpowers rather than use them for good. It’s the powerless against the super powerful as The Boys embark on a heroic quest to expose the truth about “The Seven,” and their formidable Vought backing.


This is a much darker (but funny) take on the super hero genre and not for the squeamish but I’m really enjoying it. I have 2 episodes to go.

When I looked this up, I found out it is based on the comic series, of the same name, written by Garth Ennis. He also wrote the Preacher comic book series (like the Boys, was also adapted for tv by Seth Rogen) and I can really see the similarities in style and tone – even though that show is quite different.

I’m a little curious as to why it’s called The Boys as there are a lot of female characters in this one that are not just background characters to further the *boys* stories and are major characters in their own right. maybe that was as strong an element in the comics?

Alternatino – Comedy Central


Follow Broad City's Arturo Castro as he attempts to navigate life as a modern Latino man – whatever that means. Watch Arturo reach the highest highs and lowest lows as he becomes a voiceover artist extraordinaire, tries to spice up his love life and attempts to keep his mother happy.

Sketch comedy can be hit or miss but Arturo Castro has far more hits and very few misses in this show. It’s very fast paced and funny with a fresh voice in comedy.






The Rain S2 – Netflix

The world as we know it has come to an end, due to a rain-carried virus that wiped out nearly everybody in Scandinavia. Six years after that event, two Danish siblings emerge from the safety of the bunker where they have been staying.

Siblings Simone and Rasmus are on the run with their rag tag group and I mostly liked S2. Mostly.  I like how tough choices have to be made and they break, otherwise solid, relationships. I’m always a fan of exploring ethics and moral dilemmas and think that’s where this show excels.

However, it veers off too much this season, separating the  group and throwing them in danger that is so repetitive that I started hoping they would die just to make it stop. They also set up a certain characters story line to build them up to get an emotional payoff but it didn’t deliver in the end. It felt more like a time waste.

Simone is getting so caught up in saving Rasmus that she's ignoring more important things. I get he’s your brother but girrrrrrl – let him go before he gets you all killed. And stop letting him find girls to fall in love with!!! It never ends well. lol

#TeamMartin! – trust no one kill and move on!

Black Spot – Netflix

A police chief and an eccentric new prosecutor investigate a string of grisly crimes and eerie phenomena in an isolated town at the edge of a forest. 

I haven't watched this yet but Greg from Book Haven has been talking this one up so I hope to check it out this weekend.






Have you watched any of these? Have any TV/movie recommendations?

*Linda - I know you're going to have a thing or two to say about the Rain 😜

A blogoversary giveaway!!

No, I’m not celebrating my blogoversary – yet. Check back in December for my 10th year blogging..YIKES.

Today I’m hosting a giveaway to help celebrate Lauren – from Shooting Stars Mag’s – 12 year blogoversary. She’s put together 12 giveaways, hosted by multiple bloggers during the months of July and August.

My contribution is one book up to $25 value from either The Book Depository - INT (make sure your country is listed here) or Amazon – US

Wish Lauren a happy blogversary in the comments to enter and give Lauren a follow on Twitter or FB for extra entries and of course visit her wonderful blog!

Easy peasy!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

MORE giveaways!

Lauren is hosting her own giveaway of a years worth of books here

Lisa from Lisa Loves Literature is giving away a $10 book from TBD or 2 books from her giveaway pile here

Life As Louise is hosting a Harry Potter themed giveaway here

* they all end on various dates and new ones will be added throughout the month so keep checking in with Lauren’s blog.