Author: Kathy Harriott

My husband, Mike, and I moved from NJ to Southwest Florida in September 2006. I currently work for the local county Facilities Dept. and fill my free time with crafts, reading and my experiments in the kitchen.

Cookbooks that I love

How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman was the first cookbook that I received when I got married.  My copy has been through it all.  I even set it down on a burner that was lit and it is now burnt.
 
Another favorite is the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook.  I just picked this one up on clearance at the bookstore. 
 
 
 
Table for Two: A cookbook for couples by Chef Warren Caterson is a terrific cookbook and should be given to every newlywed or child going off to college.  Great practical tips and wonderful recipes.  You can also book Chef Warren for cooking demonstrations or to cook for your dinner party.
 
I hope you get a chance to look at these books.  Check your local library or independent bookstore.

Review: The Girl From the Sea by Shalini Boland

A woman washes up on the beach and is found by a woman walking her dog. She doesn’t know her name or how she got there…

This is how The Girl From the Sea by Shalini Boland begins.  When the CID (Criminal Investigation Department) gets a missing person’s report and, upon further investigation, determine it is a match. The woman is identified as Mia James by her boyfriend, Piers Bevan-Price.  Mia still has no memories but Piers tries to spark her memory when he brings her home by acting like nothing happened.  Mia is just not ready to return to “normal” because she can’t remember what “normal” is.
 
While Mia tries to rediscover her memories, she finds out that she loves rowing, she is extremely rich, and she is estranged from her mother and half sister.  Mia begins having a dream where a menacing woman comes towards her.  With Piers help, she figures out the the dream is set at the rowing club Mia belongs to.  She visits the rowing club to see if it will spark her memory and meets Jack, one of the rowing instructors.  She feels drawn to him as she feels like she and Piers are not meant to be together. As she and Jack get closer, more memories keep coming back until, finally, the truth behind what happened to Mia and the events leading up to this event are revealed.
 

If you like twist endings, you will enjoy this book.

You can order The Girl From the Sea at Amazon or check with your local independent bookstore or library.

Thanks for reading.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley in return for my honest review.

 
 
Thanks for reading.

Tried something new – Good Table Freezer to Plate by General Mills

The other day I was walking through Publix, hunting Pokemon, when I spotted something new.

Good Table Freezer to Plate by General Mills.  There were four choices:  Lemon Garlic Herb Chicken, Southwest Chicken, Chicken Marsala, and Teriyaki Chicken.  I love Marsala, yet have yet to make it from scratch and have it be really good.  My main problem when I make it is trying to remember what kind of Marsala wine to buy.  Now I don’t have to.

How easy is this meal?  Let me tell you….EASY!!!  Add water and frozen chicken to what is in the box, cover, bake and YUM!

I was pleasantly surprise by the Sodium content. Both my husband and I enjoyed the meal.  I think we will try some of the others in the near future.

Check them out here.

Pokemon Go at the Library

I know this is a book blog but I have to make a very difficult confession. It is one that I am almost embarrassed to admit.  I LOVE POKEMON GO! Yes, it is true.  I have caught Pokemon Go fever. I blame my husband.

The one and only time I won a gym battle

One of the reasons that I have been enjoying it so much is the fact that the library where I work is a Pokestop.  This means that every 5 minutes, I can visit the Pokestop and refresh my supply of Pokeballs, potions, and various other things needed to play the game.  Here are some of the things I have caught since I started playing.   Please note, these were caught during break time or while preparing a Facebook post on the library Facebook page.

Look who showed up for work! Drowzee
Meowth wants to come home with me

 

You never know when you will see an Oddish shopping at Target

 

Magikarp looking for a DVD to watch

 

Ekans was sitting in my coworker’s hand

 

Koffing chilling at the check-in station

 

Someone keeps on putting Lures out at the library where I work and I catch the weirdest stuff

Soon, I will return to my regular book reading and blogging, but I had to let you know that I did get sucked into this crazy new game.  Gotta catch ’em ALL!!!!

Loving on my cozy mysteries. Follow me on Twitter for a chance to win.

I’m preparing to do a big “I love cozy mysteries” blog and review.  In celebration of finishing Feta Attraction by Susannah Hardy and making the Greek Lemon and Thyme Chicken (see picture of chicken served in a pita below) recipe from the book, I am giving away two copies of this ebook.

Here is the link to the giveaway:  https://giveaway.amazon.com/p/c639133aabb26dd3

Thanks for reading and GOOD LUCK!

P.S.  I have another giveaway for Hera’s Revenge here:  https://giveaway.amazon.com/p/0bbf92135f0d0c9e

My mind was blown at "Librarianpalooza"

I had a plan.  Really, I did.  When I found out that I was being given the chance to attend the American Library Association annual conference 2016 (#alaac16) in Orlando for one day, I was so excited.  I poured through the programs and speakers that would be there on my day.  I chose three programs I wanted to attend. I went through the exhibitor list and wrote down my top 5 must see booths.  I was PREPARED!!

Upon arrival at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, I was amazed at the size of the place.

This is the South building.  It is the most distinctive building and catches your eye as soon as you see it.

The West Building, where the event was held, is a whopping 1,103,538 square feet! This photo doesn’t give the West building credit.

I wish I had thought to take a photo of the exhibit hall.  When I walked into the exhibit hall, I felt like a country bumpkin seeing the big city for the first time.  Everywhere there was something to look at.

I managed to make it to two of the three programs I had chosen.I really wish I hadn’t missed the Raspberry Pi programming one.  It was my #1 choice but it was not in the main conference area.  I would have had to take a shuttle and would have missed my ride back home.

The Active Shooter program was very good.  It is sad that we have to be prepared for something like this but I feel better knowing that I have some preparation now.

We headed into the Exhibit Hall next. Imagine walking into a room that is FILLED with aisle upon aisle of your favorite thing in the whole world.  This was me.

It took me about an hour to get through the first aisle of booksellers, authors, and publishers.  It was BEAUTIFUL!!!  I started at the last row because I wanted to find the booth where my friend Patty’s book was displayed.  I was so happy when I finally found it!!

After grabbing some lunch and seeing some more exhibits, we headed to our next program, which was about Maker Spaces and other programs in the library.  Ninety minutes later, full of knowledge and ideas, we headed out to see what we would do next.  We decided to head towards the van and head home since two of the three who were traveling together were not feeling well.

My loot haul from the conference:

I would say that my first ALA conference was a great experience.  I am looking forward to putting what I learned into practice.

P.S.  To celebrate my return from the ALA conference, I am giving away one ebook written by one of the authors I met at the conference.  Enter here.

Thanks for reading!

Review: Cavendon Trilogy by Barbara Taylor Bradford

I received an advanced copy of The Cavendon Luck from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Shortly before The Cavendon Luck by Barbara Taylor Bradford was released on June 7, 2016,  I began reading the first book in the trilogy, Cavendon Hall.  This is my first time reading this author’s works.  St. Martin’s Press graciously offered me free access to all three books in the series and asked that I share my thoughts on the books.
If you are a fan of Downton Abbey and historical fiction, you will probably enjoy Barbara Taylor Bradford’s three book series telling the stories of the Ingham and Swann families.
In Cavendon Hall (3 stars for me) which is home to Charles Ingham, the sixth Earl of Mowbray, and his wife, Felicity, their son Miles and four daughters, Deirdre, Daphne, DeLacy, and Dulcie.  Walter Swann is the Earl’s valet and his wife, Alice, is a seamstress who makes the beautiful clothes for the ladies in the family.   The Ingham family and the Swann family have lived side by side for centuries.  When Daphne is attacked on Cavendon land, the Swann family comes to her aid.  Will what happened to her ruin Daphne’s chances for happiness?  Not if the Swann’s can help it.  As WWI begins to affect the world, the Ingham and Swann families must depend on each other during the hard times.  I enjoyed getting to know both families. I saw a lot of similarities to Downton Abbey in this book.  It did not detract from the Ingham/Swann family story though.
Cavendon Women (3.5 stars for me) book 2 of the series, continues the story of the Ingham and Swann families.  It is now 1929 and the financial turmoil of the times had begun to affect the aristocracy.  Great houses are selling off their valuables and allowing tourists to pay to view their living quarters to make ends meet.  As the investments made by the men in the family fall apart, it is the women of the Ingham and Swann families that come to the rescue. This was a fast and enjoyable read.  I liked the fact that the women were not written as damsels in distress as is the case in most “romance” novels.  These are strong, smart women.
The Cavendon Luck (4 stars for me) is the newest release in the series.  It’s 1938 and eldest daughter, Deirdre, is back working for the War Department. As Hitler and the Germans begin their assault on Europe, the Ingham and Swann families begin to prepare for the worst, an invasion of England by the Germans.  From victory gardens, war casualties, to air raid sirens, the reality of WWII England is here in full color.  This was probably my favorite book of the three.  Intrigue, family secrets, and a little bit of romance made it hard to put this book down.
While not as compelling as Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale or Ken Follett’s Century Trilogy, the Cavendon Chronicles will satisfy your Downton Abbey withdrawal.
Thanks for reading.