ROADFOOD by Jane & Michael Stern

July 26, 2014

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The Coast-to-Coast Guide to 900 of the Best Barbecue Joints, Lobster Shacks, Ice Cream Parlors, Highway Diners, and Much, Much More (9th edition)

Long before Guy Fieri hit the road (Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives,) indeed long before there was even a Food Network, Jane and Michael Stern took to the road to find the best places to eat on a coast to coast drive. Their first edition of Roadfood came out in 1978 and was subtitled, “the coast to coast guide to over 400 of america’s great inexpensive regional restaurants all within 10 miles of a major highway.” Their 9th edition of this classic book now includes more than twice that number of restaurants.

The first thing I looked for was Florida restaurants. That’s where I live, and most of my road trips extend to traveling around my state. Sadly, south Florida was seriously under-represented here, but the rest of the state seems pretty well covered.

That said, if I was driving across the country, I would treasure these recommendations. You will not find any chain restaurants here, but rather the best places that locals frequent.

The Sterns include location information, website and phone numbers, a brief history of the restaurant, a short review, suggested menu items, and pricing guidelines. Most restaurants are inexpensive, this is not the book  for the best restaurants in major cities. For instance, the few New York City restaurants recommended include Katz’s Deli (think When Harry Met Sally) and John’s of Bleeker Street (terrific pizza,) not Per Se, Peter Lugers or El Posto.

The book is divided into geographical regions – for instance Florida is in the “Deep South.” Other regions include New England, Mid-Atlantic (New York is here,) Mid-South, Midwest, Southwest, Great Plains and West Coast. The back of the book includes a quick guide, an alphabetical listing of restaurants by region.

Even with the price of gas, people still love road trips. And this is the best book you can take along for the ride.

7/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

ROADFOOD by Jane & Michael Stern. Clarkson Potter; 9 edition (March 4, 2014). ISBN 978-0770434526. 640p.

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SILVER BAY by Jojo Moyes

July 25, 2014

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For Mike Dormer a trip to Silver Bay, Australia begins as just another work assignment. His firm has set its sites on the area as a location for a new, high-end family resort. The town has little to offer currently, with one exception – whale and dolphin watching – and the locals have almost everything resting on this industry. Even more so, they care about the animals that make their way past the bay every season.

Not only would the new development threaten Silver Bay’s main source of tourism, but it would also threaten the animals themselves. The more time Mike spends in Silver Bay, the more convinced he becomes that his company is making a mistake. Further complicating matters is the fact that his time in Silver Bay has also left Mike more than a little emotionally attached to the locals.

This is one of Moyes’s older titles, recently re-released by Penguin in e format. There are quite a few commonalities between this one and Moyes’s latest, One Plus One. Mike is quite reminiscent of Ed, for example, and the book shares the same multi-viewpoint format.

I did love Silver Bay as a setting and the added element of the whale and dolphin watching industry. These make the book stand out as unique, particularly considering I read both Silver Bay and One Plus One fairly close together.

Liza’s story was another great stand out. It’s clear from the start that she and her family are hiding things, but it’s not until close to the end that the gravity of her story really becomes clear.

The romance element is nice, and – again like One Plus One – evolves in a quite natural way. No love at first sight, insta-romance here. Instead, Mike and Liza warm up to each other gradually in spite of everything that stands in their way.

Silver Bay is out now as an eBook and will be available in paperback in August.

7/14 Becky Lejeune

SILVER BAY by Jojo Moyes. Penguin Books (August 26, 2014). ISBN 978-0143126485. 384p.
Kindle: Penguin Books (April 29, 2014). ASIN: B00GSB2F5S.

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SOMETHING SWEETER by Candis Terry

July 24, 2014

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I should have known from the name of this book and the name of this series, “Sweet, Texas” what I was getting into, but I forged ahead anyway. I haven’t read any of the other books in this series (that I can recall, anyway) but from the publisher’s info it could be read as a standalone. I did have the feeling that I would have appreciated it more had I read the earlier books in the series and been more invested in these characters.

Allison Lane is a wedding planner from Seattle who takes herself off to he tiny town of Sweet, Texas when her father tells her he’s getting married. Allie’s parents had a horrible marriage and an even worse divorce, and despite her occupation, she does not believe in happily ever after. She’s worried that her father is making another mistake and she wants to meet the woman who has ensnared him.

Her first night in town, she meets Jesse Wilder, one of five boys in the Wilder family and the town Lothario. There is instant attraction, but Allie has more important things to do that get into a one night stand, so she sneaks out on him. Much to her surprise, Jesse turns out to be her father’s fiancée’s son and they are thrown together quite a bit.

Jesse has never met a woman who didn’t believe in marriage, and he is determined to change her mind about love. Meanwhile Allie just adores his mother, and the rest of the family, and when one of the brother’s upcoming wedding gets severely off track, Alli steps in to help.

The basic boy meets girl, boy loses girl and then gets girl back again are all in play here, but at a very superficial level. This is a simple, sweet love story of what I call the fluffy as cotton candy type. And sometimes cotton candy just hits the spot.

7/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

SOMETHING SWEETER by Candis Terry. Avon (June 24, 2014). ISBN 978-0062237262. 384p.

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JENI’S SPLENDED ICE CREAM DESSERTS by Jeni Britton Bauer

July 21, 2014

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The second cookbook from this professional ice cream maker is a must have for anyone who loves ice cream. This book builds on her first cookbook, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home, which included mostly recipes for ice cream and a small section on things like toppings and sauces.

Jeni’s basic ice cream recipe is bit different than any other I’ve ever tried, and best of all, it’s foolproof and freakin’ delicious! I have a Cuisinart ice cream maker that I bought at Costco several years ago, and that is the machine she tested her recipes with so perfection was in the making. In the new book, she used a newer model Cuisinart and the quanitities in some of the recipes are slightly different, but I didn’t have any problems using my old machine. I have a friend who uses a different brand altogether, (Breville, I think,) and these recipes worked beautifully for her as well, so I would venture a guess that any type of home ice cream maker should work here.

This new cookbook is more of a companion to the first. The basics are not here – vanilla, chocolate, strawberry ice creams are in the first book. There are lots of new flavors here like Sweet Cream Ice Cream; Extra-Strength Root Beer Ice Cream; Black Forest Cake Ice Cream; Graham Cracker Ice Cream; Hummingbird Cake Ice Cream; Mango Manchego Ice Cream; Dark Chocolate & Rye Whiskey Ice Cream (Steve, this one’s for you!)  Also included are other types of frozen desserts like Crème Sans Lait, a dairy & egg-free ice cream for vegans, Stone Fruit Sorbet; Fresh Ginger Frozen Yogurt; Middle West Eggnog Frozen Custard; Buttermilk Soft-Serve (yum!)

Then there are the desserts, and if you don’t want to make ice cream you can use store bought to create  incredible desserts like Macaroon Cake; Apple Rhubarb Bette; Pear & Blackberry Crisp With Almond Streusel; Sweet Empanadas; Cast-Iron Pancake and many more. Also included are sauces like Whiskey Caramel (delicious!) and Honey Spiked with Chilies, and Jeni’s famous “gravels,” crunchy toppings for sundaes, like Salty Graham Gravel and Everything Bagel Gravel. But I think it is the ice cream cakes that really put this book over the moon. Who can possibly resist Skunk as a Drunk Cake, “black and white and whiskey all over” or Cocoa Rococo, “four different chocolates kick up the luxe factor.”

Jeni is now selling her ready made ice cream at my local Fresh Market for $10/pint, but I haven’t tried it yet. I am having a lot of fun this summer with this cookbook and know I will for years to come.

7/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

JENI’S SPLENDED ICE CREAM DESSERTS by Jeni Britton Bauer. Artisan (May 20, 2014). ISBN 978-1579655921. 224p.

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HAVE YOU SEEN MARIE? by Sandra Cisneros

July 20, 2014

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I fell in love with Sandra Cisneros when I read her literary treasure, House on Mango Street. This new book is an illustrated fable, a bit of a departure, but her voice is still there, whispering on every page. The illustrations are by the artist Ester Hernández, and they are lovely.  

The story is a simple one; two friends  search a San Antonio neighborhood for a lost cat named Marie.  One of the women has recently lost her mother, and she is dealing with the loss and her grief. Ms. Cisneros explains in the aftermath that she recently lost her mother, and this story grew out of that experience.

“In Mexico they say when someone you love dies, a part of you dies with them. But they forget to mention that part of them is born in you…”

When I lost my mother, I remember thinking that I was now an orphan. My son, a writer & editor, assured me that I was way too old to be an orphan – the term is limited to children under the age of 18 who lose their parents. Despite the definition, that was how I felt, so I was not surprised to see Ms. Cisneros felt likewise. I really related with her way of grieving in this book, and I would think almost anyone who has lost someone will as well.

While it is over 100 pages, it is laid out like a typical picture book, with large illustrations on each page along with just a line or so text, so it’s a very quick read. Ostensibly a fable for adults, children may also enjoy it.

7/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

HAVE YOU SEEN MARIE? by Sandra Cisneros. Vintage (April 8, 2014). ISBN 978-0307743862. 112p.

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THE BEST HORROR OF THE YEAR edited by Ellen Datlow

July 19, 2014

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Volume 6

From nightmarish visions to vengeance of the worst kind, editor Ellen Datlow’s latest anthology features new horror of every possible imagining.

In “The Fox” by Conrad Williams, a family vacation takes a dark and treacherous turn. Priya Sharma’s “The Anatomist’s Mnemonic” features a character whose fetish becomes an obsession he can no longer ignore. Neil Gaiman’s “Down to a Sunless Sea,” which first appeared in The Guardian and later in the Fearie Tales collection edited by Stephen Jones, is a chilling tale of death at sea. Hitchcock himself makes an appearance of sorts in Kim Newman’s “The Only Ending We Have.” And Brian Hodge takes readers back to Lovecraft’s Innsmouth in “The Same Deep Waters as You.”

Each of the twenty-four tales appearing in the anthology were new in print in 2013 and interestingly eleven of the authors included are completely new to this anthology series. Some of the stories are horrifying while others are more eerie and quiet and some are downright bizarre. Whatever your particular horror taste may be, though, this latest Best Horror of the Year is sure to have something perfect for you and may even turn you on to a few new authors as well.

Table of Contents:
“Apports” by Stephen Bacon
“Mr. Splitfoot” by Dale Bailey
“The Good Husband” by Nathan Ballingrud
“The Tiger” by Nina Allan
“The House on Cobb Street” by Lynda E. Rucker
“The Soul in the Bell Jar” by KJ Kabza
“Call Out” by Steve Toase
“The Tiny Flutter of the Heart I Used to Call Love” by Robert Shearman
“Bones of Crow” by Ray Cluley
“Introduction to the Body in Fairy Tales” by Jeannine Hall Gailey
“The Fox” by Conrad Williams
“The Tin House” by Simon Clark
“Stemming the Tide” by Simon Stranzas
“The Anatomist’s Mnemonic” by Priya Sharma
“The Monster Makers” by Steve Rasnic Tem
“The Only Ending We Have” by Kim Newman
“The Dog’s Paw” by Derek Künsken
“Fine in the Fire” by Lee Thomas
“Majorlena” by Jane Jakeman
“The Withering” by Tim Casson
“Down to a Sunless Sea” by Neil Gaiman
“Jaws of Saturn” by Laird Barron
“Halfway Home” by Linda Nagata
“The Same Deep Waters as You” by Brian Hodge

7/14 Becky Lejeune

THE BEST HORROR OF THE YEAR edited by Ellen Datlow. Night Shade Books (June 3, 2014). ISBN 978-1597805032. 448p.

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EVERYONE LIES by A.D. Garrett

July 18, 2014

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Nick Fennimore nearly lost his mind when his wife and daughter went missing, and allowing him to overstep his bounds earned DCI Kate Simms a demotion. She fought her way back and when heroin overdoses start multiplying in a seedy part of town, no one really cares until a pop star joins their ranks.

The case is dumped on Simms, who quietly enlists Fennimore’s help. Then another prostitute turns up dead, brutally beaten, tortured and raped, and Fennimore really needs to put his skills to the test. Misogynistic bosses and lying witnesses are thwarting Simms in her investigation, but she soldiers on, until her family is threatened, and then things really come to a head.

Working around the clock puts her family life in shambles, and there is some definite tension between Fennimore and Simms, but their back story is tantalizingly glossed over, adding more intrigue to these characters.

This is not your cozy British mystery but rather a gritty urban thriller like those of Jeffery Deaver, Ken Bruen or George Pelecanos.

A.D. Garrett is a pseudonym for author Margaret Murphy and forensics Professor Dave Barclay.

Copyright ©2014 Booklist, a division of the American Library Association.

7/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

EVERYONE LIES by A.D. Garrett. Minotaur Books (July 15, 2014). ISBN 978-1250045720. 432p.

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ONE HUNDRED NAMES by Cecelia Ahern

July 17, 2014

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Kitty Logan is one misstep away from unemployment. A disastrous feature story has landed her in court for libel and now no one in journalism will touch her. No one except her longtime friend Constance.

Constance gave Kitty her first job and has been her friend and mentor ever since. Even in the wake of the current disaster, Constance hasn’t given up on her. But Constance is sick and doesn’t have much time left. On her one and only visit, Kitty asks her if there was ever a story she wished she’d written but never had the chance – the one that got away. Constance tells her there is and instructs Kitty to retrieve a file titled “names” from her home, promising to tell her all about it on their next visit. Sadly, Constance passes away never having explained the story.

Now, Constance’s magazine wants to put together a special edition to honor their founder and Kitty is given the opportunity to write Constance’s last story. Unfortunately for Kitty, all she has to work with is a list of one hundred names. With time running out, she knows this story is her chance to redeem herself while also paying tribute to the one person who never lost faith in her. But first, she’ll have to figure out what the story is really meant to be.

Each new book by Cecelia Ahern is a gem, and while I’m sure to love every new release, I know I can expect something completely different with each new book.

In One Hundred Names, Kitty not only has a lot to learn about herself but also has a ways to go to earn back the respect of her friends and colleagues. Her infamous story cost a man his reputation and could have been avoided if she’d not lost sight of the essential wisdom Constance imparted on her at the start of her career. It is relearning her passion and how to appreciate the things around her that become important in teasing out Constance’s story.

One Hundred Names is a charming tale, one that will stay with you long after you finish.

7/14 Becky Lejeune

ONE HUNDRED NAMES by Cecelia Ahern. William Morrow Paperbacks (May 6, 2014). ISBN978-0062248633. 496p.

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ALIAS HOOK by Lisa Jensen

July 16, 2014

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For two centuries, James Benjamin Hookbridge has been trapped in Neverland. Forced into battle after battle with the eternal boy Pan, Hook has long since tired of the life. Unfortunately for Hook, there seems to be no way out of the curse that has left him here. Until now.

Lisa Jensen’s Peter Pan retelling is so much fun. Not only is it for adults but it’s told completely from Hook’s perspective. Jensen’s version of the tale paints the nefarious villain in a truly new light giving him new depth via a backstory and history.

I liked, too, that Jensen kind of turns the story on its head without really going too far. Here Pan is actually a dark character, the Lost Boys age out, and there are many Wendys. In spite of all of that, Jensen does manage to stick closely to the essence of the original while deftly and convincingly adding her own spin on the story.

7/14 Becky Lejeune

ALIAS HOOK by Lisa Jensen. Thomas Dunne Books (July 8, 2014). ISBN 978-1250042156. 368p.

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THE CATCH by Taylor Stevens

July 15, 2014

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In this sequel to The Doll, Vanessa Michael Munroe is utilizing her gift for learning languages, living in Djibouti as Michael, a man, working as an interpreter for a private maritime security company. Her boss, Leo, forces her into working on a ship, which she quickly discovers is running guns.

The ship is attacked by pirates off the Somali coast, but Munroe escapes, taking the captain with her. Turns out the captain is really what the pirates were after, and she hides him in a small private hospital while she tries to figure out her next move. She contacts Leo’s wife, who is desperate to get her husband back and Munroe agrees to help. They figure out that they are going to have to hijack the ship back, and those negotiations are complicated and deadly.

This action adventure thriller moves along at breakneck speed with the requisite violence peppering most pages. Munroe is a smart, fiercely strong yet damaged woman in the vein of Lisbeth Salander, who could hold her own with Robert Ludlum’s Jason Bourne or Barry Eisler’s Rain.

Copyright ©2014 Booklist, a division of the American Library Association.

7/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE CATCH by Taylor Stevens. Crown (July 15, 2014). ISBN 978-0385348935. 352p.

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