Book Review: Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough

Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough

First line(s): “Pinch myself and say I AM AWAKE once an hour. Look at my hands. Count my fingers. Look at clock (or watch), look away, look back. Stay calm and focused. Think of a door.”

Summary: Louise is a single mom, a secretary, stuck in a modern-day rut. On a rare night out, she meets a man in a bar and sparks fly. Though he leaves after they kiss, she’s thrilled she finally connected with someone. When Louise arrives at work on Monday, she meets her new boss, David. The man from the bar. The very married man from the bar … who says the kiss was a terrible mistake but who still can’t keep his eyes off Louise. And then Louise bumps into Adele, who’s new to town and in need of a friend, but she also just happens to be married to David. David and Adele look like the picture-perfect husband and wife, but then why is David so controlling, and why is Adele so scared of him? As Louise is drawn into David and Adele’s orbit, she uncovers more puzzling questions than answers. The only thing that is crystal clear is that something in this marriage is very, very wrong, but Louise can’t guess how wrong — and how far a person might go to protect their marriage’s secrets.

Highlights: I couldn’t put this book down. It grabbed me from the first page, and I found myself thinking about what “the twist” was going to be even when I wasn’t reading it!

Lowlights (or what could have been better): There were a few parts in the book that really asked you to stretch reality, but I didn’t mind because those parts made the story SO good.

FYI: I feel like this is a very overused statement, but this book will appeal to fans of “Gone Girl” and “Girl on a Train.”

Save

Save

Save

Book Review: The Pho Cookbook by Andrea Nguyen

The Pho Cookbook by Andrea Nguyen

First line:  “Pho is so elemental to Vietnamese culture that people talk about it in terms of romantic relationships.”

Summary: Vietnam’s most beloved culinary export pho is now within the reach of any home cook.
Andrea Nguyen first tasted pho in Saigon as a child, sitting at a street stall with her parents. That experience sparked a lifelong love of the iconic noodle soup, and here she dives deep into pho’s lively past, visiting its birthplace and then teaching how to successfully make it. Options range from quick weeknight cheats to 5-hour weekend feasts with broth and condiments from scratch, as well as other pho rice noodle favorites. Over fifty versatile recipes, including snacks, salads, companion dishes, and vegetarian and gluten-free options, welcome everyone to the pho table. With a thoughtful guide on ingredients and techniques, plus evocative location photography and deep historical knowledge, “The Pho Cookbook “enables anyone to cook this comforting classic.

Highlights: I LOVE PHO, and this beautiful book gave me so many new ideas to try. If you are a Pho lover like I am it will inspire you to get in the kitchen and prepare one of the amazing recipes ASAP!

Lowlights (or what could have been better): I think in an effort to make this book pop out from the others of its kind, the author put more of the same recipes (with little tweaks)  in than were actually needed and they became a bit redundant.

FYI: Since this book features several exotic ingredients it probably isn’t for the shy, first-time cook.

Save

Save

Save

Save

For the love of Victoria!

I don’t know about you, but I’m obsessed with the PBS series “Victoria”!
I’m experiencing some SERIOUS withdrawal after the season finale! So, I’m really looking forward to the presentation, “Dressing for Success, Victorian Style” on March, 18 at 11:00 a.m. with Kansas Humanities Speaker, Sara Jane Richter. Hopefully this will help get me through what is sure to be a rough time until another one of my other favorite PBS shows comes along.

Here is a little bit about the presentation:

“Dressing for Success, Victorian Style”

Victorian women in the United States and Britain took upward of
4 hours to dress themselves per day, and they usually had a maid to help them dress. Layer upon layer of prim and proper clothing was worn, from bare necessities to gloves, hair pins, umbrellas, shoes, and brooches. There were outfits to be worn in the morning after rising, at mid-morning, at early afternoon, and in the evening. This presentation explores why these women endured such restrictive and sometimes deadly clothing, as well as the elements, purpose, and the proper way to put it all on.

Presented by Sara Jane Richter.
Sara teaches English and is Dean of the School of Liberal Arts at Oklahoma Panhandle State University in Goodwell.