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.
I don’t know about you, but I wish that time would slow down when I was reading so I could get more reading done. And with the number of new books that look like they just must be read, my to-be-read list grows much longer and less likely to ever be finished. I’m sure I am not alone in this dilemma, am I? Here are several more new releases that will be released March 21 and 28 and that could end up on your to-be-read list.
March 21: “The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane” by Lisa See —
As she has done so beautifully in her previous novels, See introduces readers to the customs of another ethnic minority in China, in this case, the Akha. In a remote Yunnan village, a young woman, one of the few educated women on the mountain, has a baby out of wedlock, and abandons her in the nearest city. The infant is adopted and raised in California. Mother and daughter search for answers and find them in the tea that has shaped their family for generations. 4.22 stars on Goodreads
“Girl in Disguise” by Greer Macallister will be released March 21.
March 21: “Girl in Disguise” by Greer Macallister —
Kate Warne is the first female Pinkerton detective on the streets of Chicago during the Civil War. Kate is able to infiltrate the seedy side of the city in ways her fellow male detectives are not. A “desperate widow with a knack for manipulation,” Kate has a hard time earning respect, but danger is always nearby. This novel is inspired by the real story of Kate Warne, who helped sway the fate of the country. 3.93 stars on Goodreads
“The Hope Chest” by Viola Shipman will be released March 21.
March 21: “The Hope Chest” by Viola Shipman —Mattie, who is fiercely independent, is diagnosed with ALS, and Don, her husband of nearly 50 years is having a hard time imagining life without Mattie. When Rose, Mattie’s new caretaker, and Rose’s daughter, Jeri, enter Mattie and Don’s life, some happiness returns. Mattie is able to share the memories she has stored in the hope chest from her mother. This story reminds us that love and hope may be found where we least expect. 4.43 stars on Goodreads
March 28: “The Women in the Castle” by Jessica Shattuck —
Marianne von Lingenfels is the widow of a resistor who is murdered in the 1944 plot to assassinate Hitler. Marianne creates a makeshift family of the widows and family members of two of her husband’s co-conspirators. As the group assembles at the once-grand castle of Marianne’s husband’s ancestors, the women each have to come to terms with the choices they’ve made and face their own sets of unique challenges. For readers of “The Nightingale” and “The Light Between Oceans.” 4.23 on Goodreads
March 28: “It Happens All the Time” by Amy Hatvany —
“It Happens All the Time” by Amy Hatvany addresses timely topics such as sexual consent.
What happens when best friends Amber and Tyler share a drunken kiss? Find out in this provocative new novel. Amber and Tyler have been best friends since they were in high school. To Amber their relationship has always been platonic, while Tyler has held out hop that it might become something more. Amber is home for the summer after college graduation and is engaged to her college sweetheart. After a flirtation develops between Amber and Tyler, on a night fueled by alcohol, Amber kisses Tyler and what happens next changes everything. 4.12 stars on Goodreads
March 28: “The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley” by Hannah Tinti —
Samuel Hawley moves with his daughter Loo to his late wife’s hometown, after spending years on the run. He bears twelve bullet scars from a criminal past that comes back to haunt them both in this thrilling story that travels through time and place until they two of them are forced to face a reckoning. 4.13 stars on Goodreads
Summary: Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a woman in Victorian England? Therese Oneill brings the clothes, lifestyle and manners of the 1800s to us in an easy and funny guide of the day to day lives of women in one of the most romanticized times in history. Pictures of the time are combined with tidbits of information about fashion, married life and medical knowledge. This is a laugh out loud book that will make you want to reread your favorite Jane Austen with a new understanding.
Highlights: The cover! It is beautiful and draws the eye. The humor is undeniable. I laughed very hard throughout the book. The little captions of the photos would leave tears in my eyes. Very serious subjects were made much more enjoyable by the added humor comparing the 1800s to now. But it was still informative and gave a look into a time that has continued to be popular among authors and movie makers alike.
Lowlights: The only complaint I would have is that some sections were a little longer than were needed.
I had never heard of Mata Hari until reading this novel, so it was fascinating to learn about this woman who took Europe by storm in the early 20th century. She built her life from nothing but her imagination. She was beautiful and talented and shetraded on that to become an icon. The author describes her beautifully, which led me to search for pictures of her.
Mata Hari
I really loved this book. It was hard to put down. (I actually read it in two days!) This book was beautiful and over too soon. It has average reviews on Goodreads but I highly recommend this! Another great novel by Michelle Moran.
Katherine Arden’s debut novel, The Bear and the Nightingale, is like living in a Russian fairy tale. The language was beautiful and it filled you with images of magic, hardships, cold and beauty. I read this covered in blankets and felt the cold creep off the pages. There is a lot of build up to the end but each piece of the story plays an important part. All the characters are complex and wonderfully written. You understand people even as you hate them. This book was amazing! Highly recommend but don’t expect a fast easy read because this has so much detail and beauty it is meant to be savored.
Reserve a copy of The Bear and the Nightingale today!
I was really excited to read The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher. I grew up with Star Wars thanks to my dad and am really excited for the upcoming movies! I have never read any of Carrie Fisher’s other books but I think I will now. She is witty and smart and likes to ramble which is great for a laugh. Reading about her time on the set of Star Wars was fascinating. Seeing the making of such an iconic movie through the eyes of one its stars is wonderful. I cannot imagine being 19, starring in a movie and becoming an instant star. She describes the 3-month time on set through her poetry and journal entries. It was fun to get some insight into who she is, was and what it’s like to be a celebrity in a world that is once again obsessed with Star Wars. I like that she has insecurities like most people and seems down to earth. I am looking forward to seeing where she and her alter ego, Princess Leia, go in episodes VIII and IX. Thanks for the entertaining read Carrie!
“Dark Matter” by Blake Crouch was the December selection for our Hauntingly Good Reads book club. We had a great discussion about the book. Here’s my review of it (originally posted on my Goodreads page):
Jane and her reindeer Peppermint shared “Dark Matter” by Blake Crouch with library patrons.
This book might make you re-think your reality. While it’s definitely science fiction, the science doesn’t overwhelm the fiction and the story moves along at a great pace. The characters are well-developed and the settings are a vital part of the story. I had a hard time putting this book down once I started it. I genuinely wanted to know what was going to happen to the characters, and I like having a protagonist that I’m invested in.
There are plenty of unexpected plot twists, but none that feel artificial or forced. I love a novel that offers up plenty of suspense and this one does.
If you’ve ever wondered what might have happened in your life had you made a different choice at any juncture in your life, this book is for you. I highly recommend it.
about it in terms of romantic relationships.”
