Mmm...Mmm Good!

Hungry Girl 1-2-3
By Lisa Lillien
St. Martin's Press
Retail price $19.99
Amazon Price: $10.50

Book Description:

With more than 200 recipes and two-ingredient “couples” to choose from, you’ll never be hungry again! Get ready to chew on:

Crazy Pineapple Salmon Teriyaki (347 calories)
Mom-Style Creamy Chicken ’n Veggies (307 calories)
Queen-of-the-Castle Sliders (254 calories)
Caramel Swirl Cream Puffs (121 calories)
Corndog Millionaire Muffins (160 calories)
Chili Cheese Dog Nachos (218 calories)
Turkey & Veggie Meatloaf Minis (142 calories)
Planet Hungrywood Sweet & Cap’n Crunchy Chicken (234 calories)
Shrimp & Grits . . . for Hungry Chicks! (380 calories)
Cannoli-Stuffed French Toast Nuggets (228 calories)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

READING ROOM REVIEW

My motto is that if it says "Hungry Girl," it's got to be good! Lisa Lillien's latest book, Hungry Girl 1-2-3 is another winner! I tried several of the recipes this weekend and each and every recipe I tried was easy to prepare and came out delicious. I went through and bookmarked the pages of the recipes I'd want to try and had to give up because there were just too many to mark. I will have to try them all! One of the things I like about Hungry Girl recipes is that they use REAL ingredients that you use in everyday life and the recipes are simple to prepare. All recipes include nutritional information and Weight Watcher "points". I enjoy using this innovative cookbook.

Who Do I Lean On?
by Neta Jackson
Thomas Nelson
Retail Price: $14.99
Amazon Price: $10.11



Book Description:

Now that Gabby is back on her feet after being in a homeless shelter, she has a new dream that will stretch her faith farther than ever.

Gabby expects a fight from her husband over custody of their boys, but she is taken aback when he leans on her for a loan to cover his gambling debts. When she turns him down, Philip makes a desperate move that puts Gabby, her friends at the shelter, and even the House of Hope at risk.

The props Gabby usually leans on--Jodi, her Yada Yada prayer partner; her friend Harry, the ex-cop; and Lee, her lawyer, who has fallen in love with Gabby--are not always there when she needs them most. Gabby must make a decision that could change the course of her life. But is it for better--or for worse?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

READING ROOM REVIEW


This book is part 3 in series of books by Neta Jackson, A Yada Yada House of Hope . This entire series is a spin off from her first series Yada Yada Prayer Group. I've read every single book of this series and have enjoyed them all. I have followed this House of Hope series very carefully. For some reason, this series hit home with me. Maybe because it is so real.

I received an advanced readers copy of Who Can I Lean On just a few days ago. I dove into it the first chance I got and I'm finished already. I just couldn't put it down. I've been following the story of the main character, Gabby, for 2 books and I couldn't wait to see how this ended.

The story is written in the first person from the perspective of Gabby and you really feel you know her. Jackson has a way of drawing you into the story and you feel like you are part of it. Gabby could be your own friend and you cheer for her and cry with her as the story unfolds.

If you've been reading the House of Hope series, I recommend that you get the book as soon as it comes out on June 15. Better yet, pre-order it so you are automatically sent your copy! If you haven't read any of the series yet, get yourself a copy of the first two so you will be ready for #3 in June. You don't want to miss this one.

I'm not a huge fiction buff. I read mostly non-fiction books that I can learn and grow from. However, this fiction title is full of good advice, life lessons, and spiritual insights and you find yourself examining your own life and making positive changes. To me, that is Christian fiction at its best.

Kudos to the author for another great book. She left enough "unfinished business" at the end of the book to give me hope for a sequel. I'm sure hoping there will be a number 4!

Intriguing

The Help
By Kathryn Stockett
Putnam
Retail price $24.99
Amazon Price: $9.50


Book Description:

Be prepared to meet three unforgettable women:

Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.

Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.

Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

READING ROOM REVIEW

What a wonderful book about the civil rights in the South. I hadn't
realized how poorly African-American's were treated as recently as
the 1960s. It was well written; I just couldn't put it down. The
author demonstrated compassion, humor, love, and dedication for
a cause she believed in. The book was the story of women who wanted
and deserved a better life.

Even though I loved the book, I did not like the ending. I truly
wished it had ended differently.

~Reviewed by Alice B.

Third Time is Charming!

Third Time's a Charm
By Virginia Smith
Revell
Retail price $14.99
Amazon Price: $10.19

Book Description:

Tori Sanderson has the professional opportunity of a lifetime. If she can prove she's executive material, she's in line for a big promotion. But there's only room for one new account executive, and her co-worker has his eye on the job--and on Tori. Her matchmaking sisters have a handsome handyman in mind for her. But how can she consider romance when she couldn't hold on to the one man who was supposed to love her forever--her own father? The time has come for answers, and Tori decides to search out the father who deserted her twelve years ago. While Tori may find the answers she craves, will she ever be able to love again? A heartwarming story of sisters, retail therapy, and love that endures, Third Time's a Charm is the satisfying conclusion to Virginia Smith's SISTER-TO-SISTER series.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
READING ROOM REVIEW

Let me start by saying that this was a great series and that author Virginia Smith did an outstanding job writing it. I love the Sanderson sisters and how the interact with each other. Smith captures the essence sisterhood in a very realistic manner and her characters come alive to the reader.

While this book can be read and enjoyed without reading the first two, I don't recommend it. You will want to read the previous books to make the most of your reading experience.

I'm sorry to see the series end.

~Reviewed by Deb M.

Fun Read!

Plain Jayne
By Hillary Manton Lodge
Harvest House Publishers
Retail price $13.99
Amazon Price: $10.07


Book Description:
Talented new author Hillary Manton Lodge brings a new twist to the popular Amish novel.Jayne Tate loves her life as it is—living in a big city, working as a reporter for a fast-paced newspaper, and dating a guy who knows nothing about her past. When her father passes away though, she’s forced to take another look at what she wants out of life. After losing out on the big career opportunity she was hoping for, she decides to escape to Oregon Amish country, seeking solace and maybe a big story.

Even in this land of buggies and bonnets, Jayne finds life more complicated than she expected. Can she persuade herself that her growing friendship with the mysterious and handsome Levi Burkholder is just about research? And what’s a latte-drinking, laptop-using, motorcycle-riding reporter to do when this new life starts to change her? With humor, faith, and unexpected romance, Plain Jayne will delight readers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

READING ROOM REVIEW

What a wonderful new take on the Amish lifestyle! I'm not big fan of Amish novels, though many of my staff reviewers are, but I thought I'd give this one a shot. I'm so glad I did. It was an intriguing book with a good message. I found my self laughing out loud at some of Jaynes antics! An extremely fun read.

30 Minute Read:

30 Minute Read: Stress Proof Your Marriage
By Cory & Heidi Busse
Our Sunday Visitor
Retail Price: $4.95
Amazon Price: $4.95

Book Description:

The world is full of one-stop, quick-fix, magic-bullet promises that any problem can be solved in an instant.

But, while we all know marriage can certainly be broken in an instant, it will never be fixed that way. Whether you're just starting out in a marriage or are longtime marriage "veterans," we can all use a road map to making our marriages stronger, happier, and more resilient when faced with inevitable difficult times.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

READING ROOM REVIEWS

This is great little book packed full of information on how to have a great marriage. While the authors take the subject of marriage seriously, they are masters at getting to the point using humor. This book will make you laugh while you take a look at what improvements you can make in your marriage. A must read!

Simple Compassion

Simple Compassion
By Keri Wyatt Kent
Zondervan
Retail price $12.99
Amazon Price: $10.39


Book Description:
Every woman longs to make a difference in her world, but sometimes the needs just seem too big and the days are already too full of errands and obligations.

This fifty-two-week devotional offers fresh inspiration and encourages every woman to see that she is uniquely gifted by God to make a difference right where she is. Poignant stories and powerful Bible passages demonstrate that small acts of compassion matter to God. Along with gaining a clear vision of God's heart for the poor and marginalized, readers are challenged to nurture the twelve characteristics of women who overflow with creative compassion. Each weekly devotional reading includes principles and action steps for carrying God's love and grace to those in need.

As readers are equipped and motivated to put their faith into action, they'll find their eyes and hearts opened to countless opportunities to carry out small acts of compassion and justice in the midst of daily living. Simple Compassion infuses women with the confidence that they can change the world, one life at a time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Reading Room Review

Keri Wyatt Kent is one of my favorite authors. Her books are always relevant and cutting edge. Simple Compassion speaks to directly to our hearts. Here she calls us to action to make a difference in our communities...and she makes it easy for us! If you are at all interested in the issues of poverty, social justice, or just making a difference in your sphere of influence, you will want to read this book.

Silver Lake, New York: A Brief History

Silver Lake, New York: A Brief History
By Dan Miller
Dog Ear Publishing
Retail Price: $15.00
Amazon Price: $15.00

Book Description: Dog Ear Publishing presents a new book that includes the dramatic rise of a small community through the rise and fall of a railroad, tourism, religiosity, cultural activity and pioneer way of life in Silver Lake, New York. This book emanates out of the purchase of land and putting up a home on silver Lake and having the old railroad bed running in the backyard.

The author traces the evolution of the area through the Seneca Nation to early white settlers who originally called it Little Lake, a sea serpent hoax, a burgeoning tourism trade with the advent of the railroad and ice houses, to religious fervor gripping the area in contrast to a museum exuding the pioneer way of life to a present-day resort area. Through it all, religious fervor gave way to camping, the arts and education in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Both Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt spoke tehre in the summer months to upwards of 20,000 people who attended daily.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Reading Room Review

Being that I live about forty minutes from Silver Lake and had spent many a summer day there in both at camp and staying at cottages of friends, I found this book of great interest. I never realized that Silver Lake had such a extensive history! The small book written by Dan Miller, was packed full of interesting information about the area that allowed me to see what it must have been like during its heyday. There were also a section that included pictures that helped give the reader a visual as well as written history of this part of Western New York.

If you are from Western New York, or if you just would like to experience a slice of small-town Americana, then pick up a copy of this book. You won't be disappointed!