Celebrate Every Season, the sisters' newest cookbook, is another fun one.  As its title suggests, the collection is organized by month and focuses on traditional U.S. holiday/seasonal cuisine.  There's a variety of offerings, including snacks, desserts, non-alcoholic drinks, appetizers, etc.  At the end of each month/chapter is a section called "Traditions," which gives additional suggestions for fun ways to celebrate the season.  These include craft/gift ideas, recipes (food and non-food), party tips, and more.  I haven't had the time to try any of the recipes yet, but I've definitely got my eye on some (I'm looking at you, Christmas Tree Brownies!).  

If you haven't quite gotten the picture yet, let me just lay it out for you:  This is a thick, beautiful cookbook that's bursting with awesome.  You definitely want to snag yourself a copy.  It would also make a lovely Christmas or birthday gift for any home cook who digs simple, tasty meals.  What a grand coincidence!  It just so happens that I have an extra copy to give away, courtesy of the lovelies at Shadow Mountain.  I'm even willing to brave the post office in December to get it to the winner by Christmas, so be sure to enter the contest.  See the Rafflecopter below for details. 

(Readalikes:  The Six Sisters have published five other cookbooks, all of which should be available wherever books are sold.  Also, be sure to subscribe to their website for lots of free recipes and more.)

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If this were a movie, it would be rated:

To the FTC, with love:  I received two finished copies (one to keep, one to give away) of Celebrate Every Season from the generous folks at Shadow Mountain.  Thank you!

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Want to win a gorgeous copy of Celebrate Every Season for your very own?  Use the widget below to enter.  Giveaway is open to readers with U.S. and Canadian mailing addresses only.  Contest ends December 18, 2017.  Book will be mailed December 19, 2017—in plenty of time for Christmas giving 😀 

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

New York City has always been an exciting place full of life, energy, and mystery.  In the alternate city presented in York by Laura Ruby, it's even more so.  It's all thanks to the Morningstarrs, a set of twins who arrive in 1798 to create a technologically-advanced city full of wondrous marvels the likes of which the world has never seen.  The pair realize some of their ambitions, but disappear without a trace in 1855.  Their most enduring legacy?  The Old New York Cipher, a puzzle with clues based on the glittering city itself, ostensibly leads to untold wealth.  Now, nearly 200 years since the Morningstarrs vanished, no one has come anywhere close to solving the cipher.  Many doubt its existence, seeing the whole mess as a joke left behind by troublesome pranksters.

Tess Biederman doesn't agree with the skeptics.  In fact, the 13-year-old is determined to solve the cipher once and for all.  If she fails, her family could lose the home where Bidermanns have been living for one hundred years.  She can't let her beloved building, one of the original Morningstarr constructions, fall into the hands of some soulless developer.  Especially when he's about as sketchy as they come.  Along with her twin brother and their friend Jamie Cruz, Tess will solve the cipher.  She won't stop until she's able to save her home—and that will only happen when she has the Morningstarr treasure in her hands.  Of course, it won't be easy to solve a 200-year-old mystery, especially when you're not the only one hot on the tail of an answer that leads to wealth untold ...

From its striking cover to its action-filled plot, York—the first installment in a planned series—provides a fun, inventive adventure story that has timeless appeal.  It also offers a mystery that's intelligent and compelling.  Young readers will appreciate the nod to their acumen.  They might, however, be put off by the novel's length and detail, both of which do require some patience.  Their fortitude will pay off in the end as York really is an entertaining romp.  It definitely gets long, but it's worth it.  Mostly. True, I didn't absolutely love the book—I did enjoy it overall, though. 

(Readalikes:  Reminds me a little of Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein)

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If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for violence

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of York from the generous folks at HarperCollins.  Thank you!

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Snow-in-Summer Martin lives an idyllic life in the lush mountains of Appalachia.  She frolics in the hills with her lovely mother and wraps herself in the magic of her father's abundant garden.  With a baby on the way, the Martins are all feeling especially content.  For them, life is simple but happy.

Everything changes when the infant and his mother die.  Paralyzed with grief, Lemuel Morton barely seems to remember that he has a daughter.  If it weren't for the kindly ministrations of Cousin Nancy, Snow-in-Summer would be completely forgotten.  Things get even worse when Lemuel marries a mysterious woman whom Snow is convinced must be a witch.  As life becomes increasingly difficult for the young woman, she makes a horrifying discovery—Stepmama, whose power feeds off the life force of others, has plans for her bewitching stepdaughter.  Very sinister plans, indeed ...

I find the people and culture of Appalachia endlessly intriguing, so when Lark recommended Snow in Summer by Jane Yolen to me, I knew I had to read it.  I've never been a big fan of Snow White, but the mountain setting with its natural beauty and magic, both charming and chilling, kept me riveted to the page.  The story is familiar, of course, but Yolen adds enough intrigue to make the tale interesting.  While I didn't absolutely adore the novel, overall I found it entertaining and enjoyable.  

(Readalikes:  A little like Fairest and Winter, both by Marissa Meyer)

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If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for brief, mild language (no F-bombs) and violence

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

There's nothing 29-year-old Nina Redmond likes more than a swoony, satisfying happily ever after.  Whether that sweeping high comes from her own reading or from helping a hungry reader find the right book, it doesn't matter.  As a London librarian, Nina's greatest joy comes from seeing the perfect HEAs come to fruition.  If only she could find one for herself.

When Nina becomes redundant at work, she's adrift, wondering how to find meaning in her newly unemployed state.  Before she can talk herself out of it, she finds herself traveling to the Scottish Highlands to buy an old bus.  In her mind's eye, she can see what the rusty vehicle is truly meant to be—a mobile bookshop.  London has no need for such a thing, but the folks in tiny Kirrinfief do.  As Nina sets about turning her dream into reality, she becomes more and more comfortable in the tiny Scottish village.  Is it possible she's stumbled upon not just her life's calling, but also a place where she can truly feel at home?  Between her new business challenges, the attention of a handsome Latvian train driver, and the relationship she thinks she might be building with her enigmatic sheep-farming landlord, Nina's once humdrum life has taken some surprising, very intriguing new turns.  What's lurking at the end of that twisty road?  Could it be Nina's long-awaited, much sought-after happily ever after?  

The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan is a warm, fun novel about the power of books to transform lives and communities.  It's also about the risk and rewards of taking a chance, even (especially?) a crazy one.  Nina's a lovable heroine whose passion will resonate with anyone who loves books.  Her antics are entertaining and it's easy to root for her happiness.  Perhaps Nina's HEA, especially with her business, comes without enough struggle (as was suggested by my friend Jenny in her recent review of this novel), but that doesn't bother me all that much.  I enjoyed this one, however far-fetched it may be.  This was my first foray into Colgan territory, but it certainly won't be my last.

(Readalikes:  I feel like I should be able to think of a million comparable titles, but nothing's coming to mind.  Help?)

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If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language (a few F-bombs, plus milder expletives), sexual innuendo, and mild sexual content

To the FTC, with love:  The Bookshop on the Corner came from my personal library, although I'm not sure how it got there.  #bookhoarderproblems