Book Review: Kitchen Counter Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn

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The Kitchen Counter Cooking School cover imageI already like to cook, and most of the time I think I do a pretty good job whipping up things in the kitchen. So when I started to read The Kitchen Counter Cooking School: How a Few Simple Lessons Transformed Nine Culinary Novices into Fearless Home Cooks by Kathleen Flinn, I thought I would enjoy her story but not find much to learn about cooking. From the first chapter, I knew I was wrong.

Flinn’s narrative about working with 10 women who didn’t feel comfortable in the kitchen is fascinating on many fronts. It all started with Flinn’s encounter with a woman in a grocery store who was buying mostly boxed foods to prepare at home, because she didn’t feel she could cook anything that would taste as good. From there she recruited 10 volunteers who opened up their pantries and fridges to Flinn, then prepared her something they would often cook. The lessons that followed were geared toward novices, but they hold something worthwhile for experienced cooks as well.

The volunteers learned everything from how to hold a knife and chop vegetables, to how to cut up a chicken, use leftovers, make soup and more. Each chapter of the book recounts the lesson and comes with recipes at the end. Flinn’s style is conversational, and she includes little bits of fascinating information about cooking and food throughout the story.

I found myself reading passages out loud to my husband and checking my own cupboards each time Flinn went through a new lesson. And I was inspired to make several of the recipes even while I was reading the book. Things I previously thought were too much trouble to make, like chicken stock and homemade bread from scratch, Flinn demystifies and makes easy. I really enjoyed taking the opportunity of getting out of my rut in the kitchen and learning new things that I believe will serve me for a long time to come.

I’m keeping my copy of The Kitchen Counter Cooking School right alongside my Joy of Cooking and my Cajun cookbooks. I’m also planning to give this as a gift to several friends who have commiserated with me over their lack of skills at the stove.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book for review.

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Book Review: Gandhi a Manga Biography by Kazuki Ebine

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Gandhi cover imageAward-winning manga artist Kazuki Ebine has created a new book about one of the world’s greatest men. Gandhi, A Manga Biography follows Mahatma Gandhi from the time he remembers seeing injustice against his countrymen when he was a child, until he takes his last breath. In between, the illustrations and narrative tell the compelling story of Gandhi’s journey from being a “fine English gentleman” to the beginnings of his passive resistance in South Africa, and ultimately, to his rise as a symbol of peace, hope and freedom for India and the rest of the world.

Manga obviously cannot capture all the details of Gandhi’s story, but this biography captures the heart of the great man as well as the impact he had on millions of people and great governments. For those interested in other manga biographies, Penguin Books also offers one titled Che Guevara and another called The 14th Dalai Lama.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book for review.

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Summit Series Offers Parenting Advice, Interviews Me About Book Clubs With Your Kids

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I’ve recently discovered a new website that offers great parenting advice on a quite a few topics. It’s called Summit Series For Families, and parents can find lots of different advice, tips and other information there.

Topics covered include Raising Responsible Kids, Technology, Bullying, Divorced and Blended Families, and one of my favorites, Literacy. In fact, I was thrilled when Elaina Daniels from the Summit Series for Families contacted me recently to talk about how parents can create book clubs with their kids. Here’s the story she wrote after we talked. It’s called How to Start a Book Club With Your Kids.

You may want to check out lots more information while you’re at the Summit Series for Families website.

Book Review: Boomerang Kids by Carl Pickhardt, PhD

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Boomerang Kids cover imageEvery parent of teens expects difficulties as their children go through adolescence. But what’s less expected and talked about are the issues that arise when children move into their late teens and early 20s and move away from home to either continue their education or work full time.

In his new book, Boomerang Kids: A Revealing Look at Why So Many of Our Children Are Failing on Their Own, and How Parents Can Help, Carl Pickhardt, PhD, looks at many of the issues both parents and young adults face during this time. Pickhardt begins with the premise that late-stage adolescence is when parents need to move from managing their children to mentoring them. He goes on to examine 11 challenges young adults commonly face, and he talks about what parents can do to encourage their ultimate success.

Pickhardt has the experience to back up his advice. He is a psychologist in private counseling, writes a weekly parenting blog for Psychology Today, and is the author of many other parenting books. He talks directly to parents without relying on a lot of industry terminology, and the examples he uses make it easy to understand each challenge and how to approach it.

Chapters also end with helpful “parenting prescriptions” that recap what came before and include suggestions for how parents can react to the challenge presented. My daughters are both in the age range Pickhardt writes about, and they are on the cusp of what he refers to as “trial independence.” I imagine I will keep this book handy and refer back to it for years to come, as my husband and I move through this stage with our daughters. I can also see how it would be helpful to parents of younger adolescents, as it can help them understand some of what their children are going through and how that may play out in the future.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book for review.

 

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Book Review: Possum Summer by Jen K. Blom

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Possum Summer cover imageThe first time P (short for Princess) picks up the tiny possum she knows she’s in trouble. For one thing, she knows her Dad doesn’t allow pets on their Oklahoma farm. For another, she doesn’t even know what baby possum’s eat. But after her dog killed the baby’s mama, P can’t just leave the little critter to die.

So begins Possum Summer, a delightful story about an eleven-year-old girl with a lot of determination, a hard-work ethic, and a dream to be responsible for the farm while her dad is away in Iraq. At moments funny and at others tender, Possum Summer also takes a serious look at important issues. P looks up to her dad, but he rarely seems to notice her accomplishments. There’s also the question of the role animals play on a farm, and whether or not wild creatures should be tamed or returned to the wild when possible.

And of course, there’s the little possum that P names Ike. He will certainly steal the hearts of readers aged 9 to 12 and their moms. Possum Summer is written by Jen K. Blom and illustrated by Omar Rayyan.

The author provided me with a copy of this book to review.

Book Review: Crazy U: One Dad’s Crash Course in Getting His Kid Into College by Andrew Ferguson

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Carzy U cover imageAny parent who’s had a child apply for college will be able to relate to Andrew Ferguson’s look at the process in Crazy U: One Dad’s Crash Course in Getting His Kid Into College. But the ones who will get the most out of reading the book will be anyone with a kid who’s in high school as well as the students themselves.

I read Crazy U with my daughter and our mother-daughter book club with girls who are nearly 17 and looking at completing college applications in the fall of 2011. Most of them have older siblings who have already gone through the process, so both moms and daughters are familiar with what to expect. Even so, Crazy U is an eye opener in many ways, and Ferguson’s ability to humorously focus on the absurdities in the system makes it fascinating to read.

It was also interesting to get a “behind the scenes” look at things like the college rankings put out by U.S. News and World Report, the SAT, marketing strategies colleges use, writing the college essay and more. I’m not sure my daughter will drastically change her approach to filling out applications as a result of having read Crazy U, but I think it has helped to demystify the process more and help her relax—at least a little bit.

As for me, I’m recommending Crazy U to every parent of a high schooler I know. As one of the “kitchen people” Ferguson describes, I have a new outlook on the role I play in helping my daughter through the process. We’ll see if I can keep that attitude until next May.

This book was a reading selection of my mother-daughter book club.

 

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Book Review and Giveaway: Unforgettable by Loretta Ellsworth

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Unforgettable cover imageBaxter remembers everything since he was three. Doctors say a fall from a swing rewired his brain, and now he remembers every detail of everything that has ever happened to him, particularly the events surrounding his court testimony that sent Dink, his mother’s boyfriend, to jail.

Elementary school, where he was known as the Memory Boy, was a disaster, and after three years being homeschooled, he has a chance to start over in a new town where people don’t know he’s a freak. He’s especially interested in renewing his relationship with Halle, a girl he knew in kindergarten who doesn’t remember him from before, Trouble is, Dink’s out of jail, and Baxter is sure he’ll find them and seek revenge.

Unforgettable by Loretta Ellsworth is a great book for mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged 14 and over to read. At 15, Baxter wants what most teens want, which is the ability to have friends, fit in, feel normal and be involved in something he believes in. Baxter is reading The Great Gatsby, and while he sees parallels between his own life and Gatsby’s, he desperately needs to believe his story can be different.

Book clubs can talk about the choices Baxter makes and how they influence what happens to him. They can discuss the challenges of embracing things that make a person unique without being ostracized from the crowd for being different. There is also a great subplot about environmental concerns as they relate to industrial safety and how that affects everyone in town in some way. Unforgettable covers multiple issues and Ellsworth expertly weaves the threads of these issues into an unforgettable story. I highly recommend it.

For more information on Unforgettable, you may want to check out the book trailer.

Intrigued? Comment here to win your own copy of Unforgettable. The giveaway will run through midnight (PDT) on Friday, October 14 and is open to entrants with U.S. and Canadian addresses. (Please note: the giveaway is closed. Congratulations to April on winning.)

The author provided me with a copy of this book for review.

Book Review and Giveaway: With a Name Like Love by Tess Hilmo

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With a Name Like Love cover imageWith a Name Like Love is a new book by Tess Hilmo that explores themes of friendship, pursuit of what’s right, and standing up for someone who is unpopular. Geared to readers aged 9 to 12, it will resonate with those even older. In a previous post, author Tess Hilmo offered her thoughts on The Power of Words. Below you’ll find my review of the book. I’m also thrilled to be able to offer a copy of this quiet but powerful book to two readers at Mother Daughter Book Club. com. To enter your name to win a copy (U.S. and Canadian addresses only please), just leave a comment here by midnight (PDT) on Wednesday, October 12. If you’d like, you can talk about a time when you took a stance that was unpopular with those around you, but that you were ultimately glad you took. Here’s my review:

When the Love family pulls into the town of Binder, Arkansas, Ollie has no reason to believe her time there will be different from any other place they’ve been. Her daddy, Everlasting Love, will preach in a field for three nights and the people will come from far and wide to receive comfort from his words. Then she and her four younger sisters will be off with their parents to the next town.

But when Ollie meets a boy named Jimmy whose mama is falsely accused of murdering his daddy, she feels maybe she can help do some good as well. The trouble is, there are some folks in this small town who would rather things stay the way they are, and they would resort to violence in order to encourage the Loves to leave. Ollie is determined to do what’s right for Jimmy and ultimately, for the townspeople, but first she has to convince the rest of her family to put down roots for a change.

With a Name Like Love by Tess Hilmo reveals the whole of human nature through the eyes of a 13-year-old girl. Ollie admires her daddy’s ability to be calm and bring comfort to his family members as well as to those who hear him preach. She also recognizes the restlessness in him that keeps the Loves on the road when she would dearly love to stay in one place for a while and make friends. She sees the goodness in people who will help out their neighbors, and the indifference that will make them look the other way when something goes wrong. Ollie also is a witness to the darkness that can live in a human soul, and the fact that even when you shine a light on it, the darkness may not go away.

Tender and moving, With a Name Like Love is also a bit of a mystery and crime thriller that will have you rooting for the town of Binder, Jimmy and his mama, and most of all, Ollie and all of the Love family. I highly recommend it for mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged 9 to 12.

The author provided me with a copy of this book for review.

 

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