Matylda, Bright and Tender gets 5 stars {middle grade fiction, coming of age}

A co-worker and fellow-librarian was on a mission to get this book checked out more so it doesn't get weeded.  It just doesn't seem to get the love it deserves.  She loved the book, and I'm all about reading great books.  I will say I'm so glad I checked this book out.  

Matylda, Bright and Tender by Holly M. McGhee is a beautiful, well written character driven story about loss/death, healing, and love.  

Sussy (short for Susquehanna) Reed and her best friend Guy Hose have a beautiful friendship, and do many things a child can relate to.  When they are in 4th grade they are able to convince Sussy's parents that they need a pet to "love all their own."  That's when Matylda makes her appearance, and she has a valuable roll in this coming of age story.   

Holly McGhee's debut novel is fantastic.  The writing and feel of the story reminded me of Sharon Creech's books, or Jerry Spinelli's Stargirl.  

Matylda, Bright and Tender gets 5 out of 5 stars. This book is a gentle moving story, but at 200 pages it's a quick read as well.  I loved the writing.  McGhee wrote the tough parts, like death, quite well.  She wrote the emotions Sussy was feeling well.  The only part I didn't love is the stealing part, and I wish there was more explanation in that connection and Sussy's healing and growth.  

This would be a fabulous book for anyone that wants to heal from loss and relate to someone.  This would be a great classroom read aloud, or nightly read with your kids.  All in all, Matylda, Bright and Tender is a fabulous book that deserves more attention.  

Happy Middle Grade Fiction Heartwarming Coming of Age Reading! 


Matylda, Bright and Tender by Holly M. McGhee
Rating: 5/5 stars
Best For: 8 -14 yrs old, 3rd grade- 8th grade
# of Pages:  210
Clean Read: Yes.
Worth a Check Out: Yes.  Similar feel to Sharon Creech novels.
Buy It or Not: Yes.  Especially, if you know a child or teen that lost a loved one.  This would be a great book for bibliotherapy reasons regarding death and healing.   
Read Aloud: Yes this would make a great classroom read aloud for 3rd-5th grade class room, or with a parent at night.  
Lesson Ideas: Death. Pets. Pet Care. Love. Guilt. Forgiveness. Stealing. Friendship. Family Relationships. Character Driven Story. 

Have you read Matylda, Bright and Tender? What did you think of it?



A few quotes from Matylda, Bright and Tender that I had to share with you: 

"That's when I knew I loved him- not in a fairy-tale way with a princess or prince or anything like that.  I just loved him, the way you love the people closest to you." pg 2

"Don't look down, forget you can fall, fool yourself that way." pg 51

"I know it sounds silly, but sometimes a simple change on the outside can make you feel new." pg 131

Love and Gelato gets 4 Stars {ya lit, contemporary fiction, romance}

Tuscany. Romance. Sweet story. Delicious bakeries. Gelato.  

Seriously, there's not much you can't like about this sweet young adult book.  

Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch is a fun book that any teenage girl would enjoy.  There's romance, mystery, great character development, and some deep subjects, like cancer, as well.  A fun book with some depth in topics is hard to find.  There's a lot to love with Love and Gelato, and therefore it's well deserving of it's 4 out of 5 stars rating.  

This novel is a quick read, and even though the story line was almost completely predictable, I'm pretty sure only adults reading this ya book would care about that.  I did feel the growth Lina experienced in the story was great.  I loved seeing, in a glossed over way I believe, how Lina dealt with her mother's death from cancer.  I loved seeing Lina find a father-like figure.  I believe there's a good chance this book could benefit others who have to deal and work through a death in the family especially a parent. 

Overall, this book was the light fun read I was looking for after a heavy book like Ghost Boy. 

If you pick this YA book up, enjoy! 

Happy Fun Light Romance in Tuscany YA Reading!  

Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch
Rating: 4/5 stars
Best For: 13-18 year old girls, 7th grade and up 
Clean Read: Yes, a little language.   
Worth a Check Out: Yes, when you are looking for a fun light read.
Buy It or Not: Yes if you like chick-lit, Meg Cabot, or Ally Carter type of books.  
Book Club Discussion: Did Lina feel obligated to go to Tuscany b/c it was her mother's wish, or her mother's death-bed wish?  Why do you think Lina felt like it was difficult to be social after her mother's death? Cancer is always tough, but do you think it was tougher on Lina b/c she was a teenager?  Would you consider this story a "coming of age" story, if so why?

Did you read Love and Gelato?  What did you think? 

A quote I loved from Love and Gelato: 

"You know, people come to Italy for all sorts of reasons, but when they stay, it's for the same two things." 
"What?"
"Love and gelato."

My Dear Hamilton gets 4.5 Stars {historical fiction, adult}

20 minutes.  That's how long I sat telling my husband about My Dear Hamilton.  It was one of those books I wanted to talk with someone about, but I didn't know anyone else that had read it.  Therefore, my poor husband becomes my sounding board.  

I shared with him the things that shocked me such as Alexander's well known scandal as well as the things Eliza found out after his death.  I was baffled that Gentlemen Duels lasted as long as they did.  I was surprised how Lafayette explained why an affair doesn't mean the husband doesn't love his wife.  I'm inspired with Eliza's dedication to serving and helping others.  I shared with him how wise her father, Philip Schulyer, was about what he chose to do with his wife's questionable actions.  I am amazed that Eliza was able to forgive and love through all that she suffered.   

Now, it took me far longer than 20 minutes to read this almost 700 page book. At times I felt like I was reading an incredibly well written US History book b/c the amount of factual history found inside these pages was impressive.  However, I do think the 637 pages was a bit excessive, and though I was anxious to turn the pages to find out what happened there were some moments that lulled and moved slower than I would've liked.  To be honest, I think that was my only qualm with the book.  

Hence the reason why My Dear Hamilton: A Novel of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie earned 4.5 out of 5 stars in my review.  

This book is fantastic.  It's a well written historical fiction novel with a story line that shocks (and per the author note at the end, all of the shocking things are factual), inspires, and educates you all at the same time.  I felt Eliza really grew and developed as a character, and the emotions you felt for her were captivating.

My Dear Hamilton, though long, is a great novel that is definitely worth a check-out.  Though, be warned that this new release novel will usually give you a limited check-out window from the library, so you'll have to read fast.      

My Dear Hamilton: A Novel of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Best For: Adults
Clean Read: Yes.  Though, there is talk of affairs, drinking,  homosexuality, and violence. 
Worth a Check Out: Yes.
Buy It or Not: If you love Historical Fictions and US History then buy it.
Read Aloud: No.
Book Club Discussion Ideas: There is an entire section in the back for book club questions; a few of my questions are: The Schuyler family's motto was Semper Fidelis- Always Faithful, Always Loyal. How does this play out in Eliza's life? Why was it important for Betsy to start going by the name Eliza? What did you think of the relationship among Eliza, Angelica, and Alexander?  How did Eliza's opinion of slavery evolve as she matured and aged? What did Eliza and her family sacrifice for the sake of the nation? What were Eliza's most important choices she made in her life?

This is an excellent, though long, historical fiction.

Just a few quotes I loved from My Dear Hamilton:  

"God put us here to make a better world." Eliza's mission her entire life. 

"The people we love are not exactly knowable. Even to themselves. But we love them anyway."

"Life, like backgammon, is a game of perseverance in which you're forced to choose the best move, even if it is only a choice between evils." 

"The only just way to judge a person is by the sum of their deeds, good and bad.  And in the balance, your father did far more good than harm.  That's all any of us can aim to do with our lives." 

Happy Interesting US History reading!  As always, I love to hear your thoughts on the book. 

The Great Alone gets 4.5 Stars {adult fiction}

I absolutely adored Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale; it earned 5 stars from me and remains one of the best books I've ever read.  When I saw that Hannah wrote another book I was anxious to check it out.  Even though it comes in at almost 450 pages, The Great Alone is a fast read; it's a page turner.  I found the story to be captivating, riveting, and pulls on your heart strings. 

The Great Alone follows the Allbrights, a family in the 1970s who move a lot and finally settle in Alaska.  Ernt, the father was a POW in Vietnam and suffers from PTSD, leads his family to Alaska to get away from most of civilization and claim some land and a cabin Ernt's war buddy gifted him.

Alaska is a place of strength, but its winters are full of dark days.  The winters are tough, and one must be prepared for them.  The Allbrights don't know how to prepare, but the small community pulls together to help them, and that same community then help them survive the many dark days of the winters there.  Cora and her 13 year old daughter Leni also strengthen one another and have a beautiful relationship.   

I had several thoughts while reading this story.  One of them was, "Wow! Alaska sounds beautiful and amazing." and the other thought was, "I wish I was tough enough to handle Alaska."  Another thought I had was that I hope we all can have a Large Marge sometime in our life, or maybe the time in our life we need the most help. I especially loved the character Large Marge; she is maybe one of my favorite characters of all time.  She is smart, tough, kind, and fighter through and through.  

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah gets 4.5 out of 5 stars in my book review.  I thoroughly loved this book.  I loved the depth of the story line that involves abuse, friendship, and making the tough decisions that can define and change our lives.  I loved the entire story from beginning to end.  Sure, there were times the characters with their naivety frustrated me, but their strength and growth had me cheering along with them.  I was concerned, happy, scared, and worried throughout the novel.  I loved how the story seemed realistic, but that realism also caused predictability in a climatic moment.   Overall, The Great Alone didn't leave me in WOW like Hannah's previous book, but it's a really great read. Definitely check it out.  

One thing I love about Kristin Hannah's books are the strong female characters and that every day people can be heroic.  Her books are really just fantastic, and inspire greatness!  Love. 💗 

I also loved reading the epilogue and the personal connection Hannah has with the story.  It was powerful, and maybe made me love the story a bit more.  

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Best For: Adults, and 16 year old+ teens who like Picoult books.
Clean Read: Yes. There's a little language, action, spouse abuse, and sex is mentioned.  
Worth a Check Out: Yes.
Buy It or Not: It's a great book to purchase, but I won't be buying it.
Read Aloud: No, but it is a great audiobook too.
Book Club Discussion Ideas: Vietnam War and the culture in America there.  Are we ever really prepared for the harsh winters of our life?  Could you survive life in Alaska? Abuse, is it harder to get away in solitude? Alcoholism.  PTSD. How do you cope with the Dark Days?

Did you read The Great Alone? What did you think? 

Just a couple quotes and thoughts I loved from The Great Alone:

"You know what they say about finding a man in Alaska: the odds are good but the goods are odd." 

"Leni will always ache for the dad she always wanted and Matthew aches for the mom he lost." 

Secrets of a Charmed Life gets 5 Stars {adult, historical fiction}

World War II. London Blitz. Fate. Mystery. Family. Dreams.  

Secrets of  Charmed Life by Susan Meissner is a beautiful WWII historical fiction story of resilience, family, mistakes, chasing dreams, and the makings of a happy life.  This novel is fantastic; I loved every minute of it.  There was excellent character development, an unpredictable story, and powerful moments that are impactful.  

The story of Julia and Emmy set during the time of the London Blitz not only opens your eyes to how extensive the bombings in London were, but also how resilient the community was with the motto, "Keep on and carry on" spoken.  Julia and Emmy's stories have similar threads of love and acceptance.       

Susan Meissner is a wonderful author.  I loved Fall of Marigolds, but I enjoyed Secrets of a Charmed Life even more.  If you are looking for a great clean adult historical fiction read, you must check out Meissner's books. 

Happy London Blitz Historical Fiction Reading! 


Secrets of a Charmed Life by Susan Meissner
Rating: 5/5 stars
Best For: Adults.
Clean Read: Yes. There's action, and intensity regarding war time, but considered it clean. 
Worth a Check Out: Yes. The audiobook is a great check-out as well.
Buy It or Not: Buy, especially if you love historical fictions.
Read Aloud: The historical aspect of the London Blitz and the mystery that goes along with it would make a good read aloud with the right group/class.  It'd make a great book club book.
Book Club Discussion Ideas: How extensive the London Blitz was, Resilience, Impact of choices, Is it ever okay to lie?, People make mistakes, Fate and providence, What makes up a happy life?


Did you read Secrets of a Charmed Life? What did you think? 


Just a couple quotes and thoughts I loved from Secrets of a Charmed Life:

"Don't chase only the dream. Life is a journey not a destination."

We play the cards we've been dealt and other cards around us are impacted by the cards we play.

A happy life is not made up of what you dreamed of or achieved, but who you poured your  life into and who poured theirs into yours.  Love for others should be the motivation.

God Made Mommy/Daddy Special- Instagram Giveaway Too!

Just sweet.  Sweet, cute, simple, and fun stories for Mommy's and Daddy's to read with their little ones.  

God Made Mommy Special and God Made Daddy Special by Glenys Nellist is a sweet rhyming story about various animals and their little ones.  

Glenys Nellist really has wrote some super cute books.  I first found her when I bought this Christmas book for our family.  We now have this cute Easter book as well.  If you haven't read any of Nellist's books, you need to check them out. 

The animals in the Mommy book and the Daddy book are different, and that makes it even more fun for kids.  You must check out these cute books, especially if you have toddlers or preschoolers.

Lucky for you, you have a chance to win them on my Instagram @ Alohamoraopenabook.   Be sure to look for the post today.  You'll have two days to win.  If you aren't lucky enough to win through my Giveaway, there is word on the street that you could win next week over at With The Huddlestons.

Good luck!  

Hopefully, you'll be able to win these for a great Father's Day gift.  We all need Father's Day ideas, and this will make things a bit easy.   


Happy Sweet, Simple, and Fun Books' Reading! 

The Sun is Also a Star gets 4 Stars {ya lit, printz honor, contemporary literature}

"What a difference a day makes." That alone is the perfect sentence to describe Nicola Yoon's new book, The Sun is Also a Star.  

A day can determine if you meet someone, go to college, be deported, enjoy a good book, or a myriad of other events.  A day really can make such a difference for good or for bad; the key is what we do with that day.  

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon won a Printz Honor Award this year; basically she got 2nd place for one of the best books for young adults/teen that were published in 2016.  

This is the second Yoon book I've read, and her second book.  Everything Everything  was published almost two years ago, and I just found out a movie based on the book, that shares the title, is going to be out this year.  I love Book Based Movies; I guess that is probably why I wrote my thesis on it.

I really enjoyed Everything Everything, and I should probably write an official review of it since I read it over a year ago.  I thought the story line was creative, the character development was well done, and I really found myself cheering for Maddy.  If you liked The Fault in Our Stars you should definitely read Everything Everything. 

Sorry about that book review interruption.  Let me get back to the Printz Honor winner at hand.  I give The Sun is Also a Star 4 out of 5 stars.  I liked it, I really did.  I felt the diversity and the immigration/deportation issue to be poignant and relevant.  I felt the story line was fun, romantic, creative, pushed complex issues, and all around great.  I really think it deserved the honor award, and b/c of the complex issues it presented I see why it was awarded a Printz Honor.  

With all of that said, I only gave it 4 stars b/c it was just good; it wasn't great in my mind.  I actually enjoyed Yoon's first book a tad more.  I enjoyed the reason for the title, The Sun is Also a Star, and how that was explained.  It was deeper, and perfect for an English paper analysis.

In the book, I thought the survey was cute.  I liked that it was a romance, but completely realistic.  I liked that the characters followed their dreams.  I liked the ending and that it wasn't your perfect unrealistic ending.  I liked the complexity of the relationships with the families situations and viewpoints as well as the interracial dealings.  I liked Daniel as a character and I liked Natasha as a character.  I thought Yoon did a great job writing this story, and I'm glad I read it.  

I would definitely recommend this book to boys or girls in high school, but probably only if they were readers.  I don't think this is a book for a reluctant reader.  I don't remember anything being highly inappropriate.  There wasn't any sex, but there was reference to it if I remember correctly.  There was some language, but I would say it was a pretty clean read.  

The Sun is Also a Star is a great story.  It wasn't amazing in my mind, and it didn't have the wow factor.  However, it was really great, and the realistic love story of sorts made it perfect for this week.  I just had to share it with you.  

Go check this one out, or give it a listen.  It's a good audiobook as well.  

Amazon has the following book review from School Library Journal: 

"It is Natasha's last day in New York City, where she has lived for 10 years. Her family, living as undocumented immigrants in a small Brooklyn apartment, are being deported to Jamaica after her father's arrest for drunk driving. Natasha is scouring the city for a chance to stay in the United States legally. She wants the normal teen existence of her peers. Meanwhile, poetic Daniel is on his way to an interview as part of his application process to Yale. He is under great pressure to get in because his parents (who emigrated from South Korea) are adamant that he become a doctor. Events slowly conspire to bring the two leads together. When Daniel and Natasha finally meet, he falls in love immediately and convinces her to join him for the day. They tell their stories in alternating chapters. Additional voices are integrated into the book as characters interact with them. Both relatable and profound, the bittersweet ending conveys a sense of hopefulness that will resonate with teens. VERDICT This wistful love story will be adored by fans of Rainbow Rowell's Eleanor & Park and by those who enjoyed the unique narrative structure of A.S. King's Please Ignore Vera Dietz."

Is young adult realistic fiction/contemporary fiction your cup of tea? It's my favorite genre so I gravitate to these types of books. 

Did you read The Sun is Also a Star? If so, do you think it was Printz Honor worthy?  As always, I love to hear your thoughts.  

Happy Diverse Complex Contemporary Fiction Award Winning reading!

  

Going for a Sea Bath gets 4 Stars {picture book} {concept] {math}

If you love marine life, math concept books, and picture books with a good father-daughter relationship then this book may be a good fit for you.  

Going for a Sea Bath by Andree Poulin is a sea animal bath time book with a counting concept theme.  The family relationship portrayed is fun and good as well.  The illustrations are superb; I love the entire look, colors, style, etc.   

I give this fun picture book 4 out of 5 Stars in my book review.   As stated above, the illustrations and story idea is cute.  I love the math counting, and I love that the math counting terms were bold.  I feel the variety of adjectives for great (such as terrific, magnificent, marvelous, etc.) is superb, and would make this book perfect for a 6 writing traits Word Choice lesson.  This book could also be used for a writing prompt or writing Ideas lesson.   

There were only a couple things in Going for a Sea Bath that made it lose a star.  I felt the layout was a little random when it came to the bold words.  I loved that the math counting concepts were bold; however, I was not a fan of the other random words and sentences that were bold.  I also felt the writing was just okay.  This book had potential to be really great if it was edited a bit more.  I think a little more editing the story would've felt tighter and mroe powerful.   

All in all, I felt this kidlit picture book is fun and cute.  I think preschoolers through 1st grade, 2nd grade tops, would enjoy this read and enjoy it as a read aloud.  This book is definitely worth a check-out, and if you love sea animals it may be worth a purchase.  

Amazon had the following book review from School Library Journal: 

"Leanne does not have the standard tub toys. She bathes with real turtles, eels, clown fish, and sea horses. Her dad delivers them to her footed bathtub after she complains about her boring bath-time. Each time he runs to the beach behind their house, he returns with a successive number of animals. The tub becomes too full when 10 octopuses are dropped in, so the dad and the daughter have a sea bath outside in the ocean. The humor in this story is reminiscent of Robert Munsch's writing. It's over-the-top but heartfelt, and the bright cartoon art is a hoot. Seeing all of the creatures of different sizes, textures, and colors in the tub is anything but boring. VERDICT A fun addition for those looking for new bathtime or numbers books."


Happy Marine Life, Bath time, Counting, and Fun picture book reading!


I received this book from Myrick Marketing in exchange for my honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.  

Homemade Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

I grew up with two large rhubarb plants growing in our backyard garden in Colorado.  These plants were amazing and resilient to the cold winter months or our lack of watering during the rest of the year.  Somehow, these rhubarb plants just grew no matter we did, and I unfortunately did not take advantage of this abundance of rhubarb.   

Now, that I live in Arizona, and we learned that we couldn't keep a rhubarb plant alive for long enough to produce edible fruit.  The summer months are brutal and you have to keep rhubarb going for 2 years before you can enjoy it.  Therefore, I have to buy rhubarb now; it's a sad story b/c it is not always available.  

However, every time I see rhubarb at the grocery store I buy a few stalks, chop them up, and freeze them.  Then when I really want to surprise my husband I pull out the rhubarb and make his absolute favorite pie ever.  

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie is pretty much the best pie flavor ever.  This homemade, from scratch version, is the best of the best.  No joke.   

This recipe was passed on to me from my Gma, who was honestly the absolute best pie maker known to mankind.  Seriously, this is no exaggeration.  I am fully aware that every kid thinks their grandma is the best, but mine really was.  

You will definitely want to pin, share, bookmark, print, and/or save this recipe for the next time you can get your hands on some rhubarb.  It's amazing!

Use this super simple from scratch pie crust recipe, or buy a crust from the store to make this strawberry rhubarb deliciousness.  

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Recipe: Alohamora slightly adapted from GmaJ
Active Time: 40 minutes
Inactive Time: 40 minutes + cooling time
Servings: 1 9-10 inch pie

Ingredients: 

4 c. rhubarb, cut in 1/2 in slices
1 c. sugar
2 c. strawberries, diced
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp tapioca
1/2 Tbsp water
1 two-crust pie crust

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 
2. In a medium bowl mix the top six (all of the ingredients except the crust) ingredients together.  You can use frozen or fresh strawberries, but if you use frozen strawberries with sugar you will not need as much sugar.  If you strawberries and/or rhubarb is frozen you will use a little less water.     
3. Let the pie filling sit while you make the crust.  I think this crust is so so easy to make, but you can use any crust recipe you prefer. 
4. Prepare your pie pan, and lay the uncooked bottom pie crust layer on the bottom of the pie.  I prefer to use a deep dish pie pan.
5. Pour the filling into the prepared pie pan. 
6. Lay your top crust layer on top of the pie, seal the edges, and vent the top crust with a sharp knife in whatever design you desire.
7. Bake your pie at 425 degrees for 30-40 minutes.  For the majority of the baking time I like to use one of these cheap crust protectors; they are awesome!  
8. Let the pie cool until you are ready to serve.  The pie tastes delicious cold, like my husband prefers, or warm for dessert or even breakfast. :)  
9. Enjoy! 
10. Store leftovers on the counter or in the fridge covered.  

Happy Amazingly Delicious Homemade Strawberry Rhubarb Pie eating! 

Leaving Time gets 4 Stars

Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult is her latest book, and it is a book that caused me to think about deeper issues a little less, but be surprised about the mystery and where Picoult took the story a bit more than her other novels.  

Basically, Leaving Time is a mystery like story about elephants, a 13 year old girl looking for her scientist mother, complex situations, and unlikely people coming together.  I enjoyed it, and for that reason I gave it 4 out of 5 stars in my book review.  

I thought the story was unique, and I was completely surprised by the ending.  I  thought it wasn't as emotional of a struggle as many of Picoult's books, but it was still well done.  While reading this latest Picoult book, it reminded me of Nicholas Sparks Safe Haven book b/c they both are a little out of the author's norm.  

I did think the book was a bit slow at times, and I found myself wanting to speed read instead of savoring the written text.  I also felt at times, while reading (and it makes sense why at the end), that things were just too perfect for Jenna while she was searching for her mother.  She was able to travel on the bus w/o buying a ticket b/c she "snuck" herself in with a family.  That event was followed by another just too perfect situation of Jenna finding a truck that goes to the elephant sanctuary she is trying to reach and hiding in the bed.  

While reading those "perfect" situations I was a bit disappointed that it didn't have any sort of conflict.  The "perfection" and the slowness at times is mainly while Leaving Time lost a star my book review.  

However, I would still recommend this book to those looking for a good interesting read, and I think a high school library as well as public libraries should add this novel to their collection.  High school students (11th and 12th grade), especially honor, AP, and dual credit students could use this book for a literature review paper;  there is a lot they could discuss and analyze.  

This adult fiction novel is actually quite clean; there is little language and instances that implied sex, but there were no real details were given.  

Amazon had the following book description: 

"Throughout her blockbuster career, Jodi Picoult has seamlessly blended nuanced characters, riveting plots, and rich prose, brilliantly creating stories that “not only provoke the mind but touch the flawed souls in all of us” (The Boston Globe). Now, in her highly anticipated new novel, she has delivered her most affecting work yet—a book unlike anything she’s written before.
 
For more than a decade, Jenna Metcalf has never stopped thinking about her mother, Alice, who mysteriously disappeared in the wake of a tragic accident. Refusing to believe she was abandoned, Jenna searches for her mother regularly online and pores over the pages of Alice’s old journals. A scientist who studied grief among elephants, Alice wrote mostly of her research among the animals she loved, yet Jenna hopes the entries will provide a clue to her mother’s whereabouts.
 
Desperate to find the truth, Jenna enlists two unlikely allies in her quest: Serenity Jones, a psychic who rose to fame finding missing persons, only to later doubt her gifts, and Virgil Stanhope, the jaded private detective who’d originally investigated Alice’s case along with the strange, possibly linked death of one of her colleagues. As the three work together to uncover what happened to Alice, they realize that in asking hard questions, they’ll have to face even harder answers.
 
As Jenna’s memories dovetail with the events in her mother’s journals, the story races to a mesmerizing finish. A deeply moving, gripping, and intelligent page-turner, Leaving Time is Jodi Picoult at the height of her powers."

Are you a Jodi Picoult fan?  I still think My Sister's Keeper may be my favorite Picoult book; which one is your favorite?

Happy Reading!

Steak and Mango Salsa Tacos {Healthy} {Gluten Free}

We're supposed to have our first 100 degree day this week.  It has me a bit depressed b/c that means we have at least 5 months of ridiculously hot weather.  To be honest, it isn't the warm days in June, July and August, but it's the 100+ degree temps late at night and early in the morning.  I've played soccer at 9pm at night and it was still 109... that's a bit ridiculous if you ask me.  

Tho, I think the hardest part about the heat down here is the hot days in September and October.  I'm used to, in all the other places I've lived, the temperatures cooling down come September.

Oh well, I guess we can't always have amazing weather.  We don't live in paradise or at least Hawaii. :)

With the warmer summer heat coming whether we like it or not these lite, refreshing, and flavorful Steak and Mango Salsa Lettuce Tacos you can cook on the grill are perfect.  

Steak and Mango Salsa Tacos
Recipe: Alohamora
Active Time: 30 minutes
Inactive Time: 2 hours
Servings: 4

Ingredients: 
For the Steak
1 steak, (the size or cut doesn't matter, as long as it isn't too think so you can still grill it)
3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp Montreal Steak Seasoning
Salt and Pepper

For the Salsa
2 tomatoes, diced
2 mangos, diced
1 pepper, chopped
1/4 c. roasted corn (fresh roasted, or frozen roasted corn from Trader Joes)
2 Tbsp green onion

For the Tacos
romaine lettuce, washed

Directions: 

1. First you need to marinate the steak.  Place your steak in a shallow dish with edges.  Pierce both sides of your steak with a fork.  Sprinkle salt, pepper, and Montreal Steak Seasoning on both sides of the steak. Finally pour the Worcestershire sauce over the steak and place it in the refrigerator to marinate.  I like to let it marinate for at least 2 hours, but you can do it as long or as short as you desire. 
2. Grill the steak over a medium flame until it is cooked to your desire.  It took me about 25 minutes on the grill to cook it almost well done.  Depending on how you like your steak it will take you a bit longer or shorter.  A grilling tip from my grandpa: flip the burgers or the steak when you start to see blood on top.  However, that only applies to the first time you flip the meat. 
3. While your steak is grilling cut your salsa ingredients.  
4. Using a grilling pan or a pan on your grill grill your salsa for 5 minutes.  You can also cook your salsa on the stove.  
5. Cut your steak into bite size pieces. 
6. Using the lettuce, or warmed corn tortillas, make your tacos with your steak and salsa. 
7. Enjoy. 
8. Store leftovers in the fridge. 

Happy healthy Steak and Homemade Mango Salsa Taco eating!