Reflection Point Book Review

I was excited to get to the sixth book in the series, Reflection Point: An Eternity Springs Novel by Emily March.  I had enjoyed all of the books in the series so far and I was excited to see which characters were featured in this book.  I was happy and surprised to see that the sheriff, Zach Turner, was the focus of this book. 

Savannah Moore arrives in Eternity Springs alone, determined to put her troubled past behind her. Her handcrafted-soap shop fits right in with the magic of this warm and welcoming community—but the sexy, suspicious local sheriff promises to upset her hard-won happiness.

Zach Turner knows this woman means trouble: Maybe to his town. Possibly to his friends. Definitely to his heart. Something about this simmering Southern beauty does crazy things to his committed bachelor status, taunting him with possibilities far beyond his dedication to his sometimes dangerous job. So when Savannah’s dark past follows her to town, wreaking havoc with both their lives, Zach will fight for all he’s worth—for a love he can’t afford to lose.

Zach has been a staple character in every book as the town sheriff but frequently dating people that he knows aren't right for him.  He finds the right person for him in a new resident, Savannah Moore, and she decides that she isn't right for him.  There is the drama between the two of them going on through the whole book.  At the same time, Savannah is welcoming her teenage nephew into her home to try to raise.  She is trying to build her life on her own after a tough life and she is set that her nephew isn't going to have to live the same hard life.  There are a lot of twists and turn but the end is the biggest surprise which had me quickly picking up the next book to find out what happens next.  I hope that you check out this book and the rest of the series because I think that you will be surprised at all the action and intrigue.  I enjoyed this book and the rest of the series and I hope that you do too.

Menu Plan Monday 8/7

Monday- Chicken fries, Buffalo Chicken with homemade fries
Tuesday- Pasta
Wednesday- Tacos
Thursday- Worchestershire Chicken with white rice
Friday- Leftovers
Saturday-Homemade Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Sunday- Leftovers or something creative

 Last week went okay but on Tuesday when I was supposed to make pasta, my husband got a free pizza for work so we got to have pizza and I didn't have to cook.  It was a big win in my book because I didn't have to worry about cooking or any of the dishes.

I got it stuck in my head that we were having tacos on Wednesday but luckily after correcting what I took out, I made the salsa sloppy joes but I realized that I hadn't made the rolls before dinner (insert eye roll) so I started the rolls in the bread maker knowing that they wouldn't be done until after dinner.  I promptly fell asleep on the couch after dinner and forgot about the dough until I went to shut off the kitchen light.  I then formed the rolls and had to let them sit for 30 minutes before baking.  I was wide awake with all that so I started to watch some TV with my husband who fell asleep. 

Thursday was supposed to be grilled chicken and white rice but I forgot to take out the chicken to thaw so I decided that I would use the leftover night because we were going to do pizza at the pool on Friday instead of leftovers.  It was a quick rearrangement but I guess that means that we might have to actually read the menu plan ahead and remember to take things out of the freezer....hopefully better next week.

Friday was pizza and we had pizza Saturday for lunch at a birthday party so I am all pizza-ed out.  I didn't want dinner on Saturday night but my son had spaghetti and my husband had the brats from the fridge.  I decided to be better on Sunday so I made some chicken and white rice.

I tried my best to keep up with the dishes although it was a daily battle to get everything clean.  I think that I did okay with running the dishwasher and getting the other dishes washed.  I cleaned the kitchen and wiped down the counters on day to only make a huge mess 10 minutes later which my husband claims I love to do.  It is like I see a blank canvas and I am read to bake and cook.  I really don't think that way but I do like to start working in a clean kitchen for sure.  Anyone else out there clean the kitchen before they start baking and mess it all up again?? 

I hope that you have a tasty week!!

Dangerous Minds Book Review

I was excited to put the next book in the Knight and Moon series on reserve when I saw it but it came in on my reserve shelf unexpectedly after all that waiting.  Dangerous Minds: A Knight and Moon Novel by Janet Evanovich is the newest book in the series.  I knew that I needed to start on it right away so that I could return it before it was due since I don't get renewals on books with holds.  I went straight to work on it and didn't put it down much until I was done.

The irrepressibly charming duo of Emerson Knight and Riley Moon returns in another gripping mystery by #1 New York Times bestselling author Janet Evanovich.

Buddhist monk Wayan Bagus lost his island of solitude and wants to get it back. The island was about two hundred miles northeast of Samoa. It had a mountain, beaches, a rain forest, and a volcano. And now it’s gone. Poof! Vanished without a trace.  Brilliant and boyishly charming Emerson Knight likes nothing better than solving an unsolvable, improbable mystery. And finding a missing island is better than Christmas morning in the Knight household. When clues lead to a dark and sinister secret that is being guarded by the National Park Service, Emerson will need to assemble a crack team for help. Since a crack team isn’t available, he enlists Riley Moon and his cousin Vernon. Riley Moon has a Harvard business degree and can shoot the eyes out of a grasshopper at fifty feet, but she can’t figure out how to escape the vortex of Emerson Knight’s odd life. Vernon has been Emerson’s loyal and enthusiastic partner in crime since childhood. He now lives in an RV behind Emerson’s house.  Together, this ragtag, mismatched trio will embark on a worldwide investigation that will expose a conspiracy one hundred years in the making.

So funny as this series so often is even though it is filled with mystery and action.  This book has both Emerson Knight and Riley Moon who were featured in the last book who always bring humor and adventure with their stories.  It also has Vernon, Emerson's crazy cousin who really might be a little special in his thinking.  In this book, Wayan Bagus brings even more humor with his island disappearing and the funny Buddist sayings that he throws into every conversation.  I was totally amused and laughed out loud at some parts while I was sitting on the edge of my seat because they were trying to escape the government men that were hunting them down for saving the universe.  I hope that you enjoy this book and check out the rest of the silly series!  I think that you will enjoy it as much as I have!!   I know that I couldn't put down any of these novels and I hope that it is works the same for you!

Nightingale Way Book Review

I was excited to get back to this wonderful series with the fifth book in the series, Nightingale Way: An Eternity Springs Novel by Emily March.  I really didn't know anything about the series or details on the books before starting but I was glad that I got to reserve all the books at the library so that I could read through them at my leisure.  The great thing is that this series is a little older so there are a bunch so with this book, I am about halfway through the series so excited to read the rest because it normally goes into more details about a character that you have met through other books in the series.

Dark, brooding Jack Davenport hides his secrets well, never telling his wife about the dangers of his job, never sharing his thoughts or worries . . . never sharing himself. After tragedy strikes, their marriage shatters. Now a threat to Catherine Blackburn’s life brings her back into his—and gives them a second chance.  A reporter whose most recent investigation has ignited a national controversy and put her in harm’s way, Cat thinks she can handle herself. So when Jack grabs her off the street and sweeps her to his home above Eternity Springs, she’s furious.  In the warm sanctuary of the Eternity Springs community, Jack and Cat face the heartache that drove them apart. But can they find the courage to pick up the pieces of a shattered love?

I was interested when I started this book because it started in Alexandria Virginia which is very close to where I live.  Wondering what this new location was going to bring to this series and all of the characters were new to the series, I was starting the book.  There was a quick turn of events and Cat was kidnapped from Alexandria and dropped in Eternity Springs by her ex-husband.  The very interesting thing about this book is that some of the mystery from the last book was revealed because she had appeared in the last book although you didn't know who she was then.  I loved to watch the two exes fight and try to work through problems that had not when they split 5 years before.  Eternity Springs is supposed to heal the past so find out what happens when you pick up this book.  I hope that you check out this book and others in this series soon.  I know that you will enjoy them as much as I have.

Money Secrets of the Amish Book Review

I am not really sure how I found this book while searching on the computer at the library but I am glad that I did.  I put it on hold and it came in fairly quickly.  It was copy written in 2011 so it isn't a super new book and this copy of the book smelled like incense.  I started to get used to it while reading through the humorous book.  It was a fast read and well worth looking it up if you haven't read it before.  Money Secrets of the Amish: Finding True Abundance in Simplicity, Sharing, and Saving by Lorilee Craker is a cheaper book on Amazon at $9 if you can't find it in your library, maybe add it to your wish list or check out the preview.

Take one thoroughly modern gal with a recessionary income problem, mix with the practices of a culture that has proved to be recession-proof, and what have you got?
A financial planner in a straw hat.
When writer Lorilee Craker learned that the Amish are not just surviving but thriving in the economic downturn, she decided to find out why.  What she found was about a dozen tried and true financial habits the Amish have employed for generations that will make your cash last longer and help you build wealth.  Craker provides tips to...

• use it up, wear it out, make do, or do without
• rethink your gift giving
• repurpose, recycle, and reuse
• eat like royalty for a peasant's pittance

Endorsements:

Packed with practical, simple, and smart money saving ideas and teeming with great insight into the sensible Amish ways, Money Secrets of the Amishwill entertain you with stories and retrain your brain to be the savvy money saver you always dreamed you could be.  --Beth Wiseman, best-selling author of Plain Promise and Seek Me With All Your Heart
Sometimes touching, sometimes humorous and always helpful, author Lorilee Craker pulls us into the family rooms of the Amish and shows us how they make ends meet. Story after story illustrates savvy money management: trading for goods and services, shopping for bargains, living with less, avoiding debt, curbing the desire to impress others. And Craker’s journalistic bent provides plenty of takeaway value for the non-Amish. A very worthwhile read whether your bank account is bursting or busting.  --Suzanne Woods Fisher, author of Amish Peace: Simple Wisdom for a Complicated World and Lancaster County Secrets (Revell)
This book is like an Amish basement shelf loaded with Mason jars full of Plain money wisdom.  Self-confessed “Fancy” gal Lorilee Craker rolls up her sleeves and cracks them open one-by-one, figuring out how to fit Amish principles to a non-Amish life.  She succeeds, and so can you―read Money Secrets of the Amish and add weight to your wallet.  --Erik Wesner, amishamerica.com; author ofSuccess Made Simple: An Inside Look at Why Amish Businesses Thrive
Money Secrets of the Amish is a practical, doable guide, and it's such fun to read.  Lorilee's voice is as engaging and lively as ever, and the wisdom she shares from the Amish community is both inspiring and instructive. I just finished the last page, and my mind is buzzing with all sorts of ways to waste less, want less, and spend less.  --Shauna Niequist, author of Cold Tangerines and Bittersweet

Lorilee inspires and impacts your everyday life with this marvelous little read. From buttons to bakery you suddenly realize this conversation is not about just pinching a few pennies but about transforming how we view our everyday lives. I applaud Lorilee for asking the hard questions and pressing in to find honest answers. Forget the mall, kick back and soak up the delicious wisdom of a life well lived. Thank you Lorilee for shaping my everyday!  --Tracey Bianchi, author of Green Mama
Money Secrets of the Amish isn’t so much about making money; it’s about family, discipline, and redefining what wealthy means. This is a great read that helps us all to see more clearly what’s really valuable in our lives.  --Jeff McMahon, award-nominated musician and national director/runner with the Team McGraw endurance program

I thought that it brought some of the same ideas that I already use but it was filled with funny stories and strong reminders on how to be frugal.  These 14 chapters help describe how the Amish live that makes them more immune to the economic downturn then other Americans.  There are many ideas such as using things up, not paying bills late, not using credit, rethinking gifts, saving, buying in bulk, and bartering.  There are many lessons in this book and I know that the last chapter talking about the best things in life are free really brings the book to the natural conclusion.  We can all be reminded of great things that Amish do and things that we can do to make more frugal decisions even if we are already making them.  This book puts very funny stories with these lessons that make it even more fun and enjoyable.  I think that this book is a great summary for those who couldn't make it through the whole Tightwad Gazette with all the wonderful ideas.  I highly recommend checking this book out if you can find it at your local library!!  Hope you enjoy it as much as I have!

Menu Plan Monday 7/31

Monday- Chicken fries, Buffalo Chicken with homemade fries
Tuesday- Papa John's leftovers from my husband's work
Wednesday- Salsa Sloppy Joes with mac and cheese
Thursday- Spiedies Chicken with white rice
Friday- Pizza at the Pool
Saturday- Honey Mustard Chicken
Sunday- Leftovers??

Last week went well with enough time to get everything done and still make a batch of chocolate chip muffins and rolls before the week started.  I also got a loaf of bread and peanut butter cookies made during the week.  I woke up early one morning and made blueberry bread which came out of the oven before my husband had to go to work and it was hot and yummy!  I was hoping to get a few more things made but it took a little bit more time then I had with all the other activities we had going on.  I know that it helps to get my baked good made so I stretch the time before I have to go back to the store but I never leave enough time or creativity to get them made.

Last week went mostly according to plan except that I didn't take the chicken tenders out for Saturday because I wasn't looking at the calendar so I made a Chopped Salad with croutons and pepperoni for my husband and I.  I cooked up two Brats that I bought at the store that day for my husband and my son wanted spaghetti so we made that instead.  We had a birthday party on Sunday so we got home and were exhausted after all that so we just had leftovers so I moved the spicy chicken with leftover breadcrumbs to this weekend.

I had the whole post done and didn't take a picture of the calendar so I totally forgot that I didn't schedule the post ahead of time...oops!!  I hope that you have a tasty week!!

Debt to Pay Book Review

I got Robert B. Parker's Debt to Pay (A Jesse Stone Novel) by Reed Farrel Coleman out of the library because it was the next book in the Jesse Stone series.  I was excited to start it but it always got put farther down in the pile because it was such a big and heavy book that it seemed hard to figure out why I would want to carry it.  I finally started it and got to read most of it at home.

All is quiet in Paradise, except for a spate of innocuous vandalism. Good thing, too, because Jesse Stone is preoccupied with the women in his life, both past and present. As his ex-wife, Jenn, is about to marry a Dallas real-estate tycoon, Jesse isn’t too sure his relationship with former FBI agent Diana Evans is built to last. But those concerns get put on the back burner when a major Boston crime boss is brutally murdered. Despite all evidence to the contrary, Jesse suspects it’s the work of Mr. Peepers, a psychotic assassin who has caused trouble for Jesse in the past.

Peepers has long promised revenge against the Mob, Jesse, and Suit for their roles in foiling one of his hits—and against Jenn as well. And though Jesse and Jenn have long parted ways, Jesse still feels responsible for her safety. Jesse and Diana head to Dallas for the wedding and, along with the tycoon’s security team, try to stop Peepers before the bill comes due. With Peepers toying with the authorities as to when and where he’ll strike, Jesse is up against the wall. Still, there’s a debt to pay and blood to be spilled to satisfy it. But whose blood, and just how much?

I was excited to get started on this next book in the Jesse Stone series.  It was another one that was hard to put down because I needed to find out what was going to happen next.  Jesse is looking into someone who is shooting out the tires in the cars around Paradise but making no progress.  Jesse gets an invitation to his ex-wife Jenn's wedding.  He is set that he isn't going to be going until he puts together the shot out tires with another two crimes that were committed by Mr. Peepers.  Mr. Peepers sends Jesse a picture with a note on the back that he is going to harm Jenn so Jesse and his girlfriend, Diana head to Texas to help protect Jenn.  At the same time, things are going on in Paradise and they realize that they are needed back there to help the rest of the people that would be targets.  There is so much action going on in this book and you need to pick it up to see how everything ends up but I think that you will be surprised and amazed.  I was sad to come to the end of this book because I think that it might be the last book currently published.  I am going to have to keep my eye out for the next book in this great series!!  I hope that you check out this book and the rest of this series and enjoy it as much as I have!!!