Currently Reading: The Inglorious Heresies by Lisa McInerney

I recently picked up a copy of this bright yellow book, and I'm glad I did. From the first page, the prose is deft and hard-hitting.
With lots of crazy characters and a unique and well-described world, this book is a refreshing change from other "family novels."
Thanks to Blogging for Books for this review copy!

Currently Reading: The Inglorious Heresies by Lisa McInerney

I recently picked up a copy of this bright yellow book, and I'm glad I did. From the first page, the prose is deft and hard-hitting.
With lots of crazy characters and a unique and well-described world, this book is a refreshing change from other "family novels."
Thanks to Blogging for Books for this review copy!

Getting Back to Journaling

For me, writing has always been an escape. When I'm enraged, shocked, or overwhelmed, I write about it. I have a hard time just sitting down and writing "on demand." It's weird that although I absolutely hate thinking of writing as an assignment or any type of work, I love writing prompts. They get me in the right head-space to trigger memories and images to write about.
As such, I was excited to try out a journal called Extraordinary Ordinary Moments by Jorey Hurley. It's a thick paperback with cute illustrations and topics on each page, such as "things you don't want to end." While the journal is cute, it's not too cute, and would probably work for all ages and genders.

A Fun & Unique Coloring Book

I like to believe that I started the whole adult coloring book trend because I've always loved the unique Dover sticker and coloring books sold at book and gift stores. These often feature natural scenes or focus on a classic fairy tale. While these things are all lovely and quaint, it would be nice to see a coloring book that's a little more punk rock. That's why I was excited to hear about Marked In Ink, the coloring book by tattoo artist Megan Massacre. This coloring book looks like a lot of fun and is great for tattoo enthusiasts. The designs are basic but detailed enough to let you go crazy with color, and the pages are perforated and one-sided for easy sharing or hanging.

I was thrilled to receive a free copy from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Unfair by Adam Benforado

Unfair seeks to outline the science behind many issues facing the criminal justice system in the United States. Classic and not-so-classic psychological research is cited alongside (only slightly related in many cases) anecdotes about unfair situations that have really happened. The lack of citations was extremely annoying, leaving the reader to look everything up in the back of the book. Many cited experiments and the accompanying anecdotes lacked a concrete link. For instance, I find it extremely hard to believe that DNA result interpretation bias is widespread, and the author doesn't provide a single example of this happening, only cases where jury bias persists in spite of exonerating DNA evidence. Overall, I would recommend this book, especially to someone without much of a psychology background, as a primer and a jumping off point for major discussions that need to be had in our country. I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

Plated Cookbook Offers Formula to Get Dinner on the Plate

Plated is a cookbook from the meal delivery service of the same name. The recipes included are simple, fresh, and arranged by occasion. While there is nothing too exciting or mind-blowing, this is a great cookbook for people who are struggling simply to get food onto the plate for dinner. Most recipes include sides, which is very convenient. Recipes call for simple, but flavorful and fresh ingredients. To bolster meals even more, most recipes include seasonal substitutions. There are recipes for generic rubs, dressings, and easy and fresh sides. Overall, the cookbook is a staple for someone needing simple and straightforward meals. I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Cookbook Tested and Reviewed: Country Cooking from a Redneck Kitchen

I was excited to try Country Cooking from a Redneck Kitchen by Francine Bryson, as the recipes didn't seem too complicated. There are over 100 recipes, and they are all family-friendly recipes, except maybe the squirrel casserole that is thrown in to make it truly authentic! I found many dishes that sounded great for dinner, such as meatloaf, a chicken casserole with homemade cream of chicken soup, lemonade rolls glazed with Country Time mix, and the Sunday Supper Pie.
This evening, I made the Redneck Hawaiian chicken and it came out great. It actually restored my husband's faith in me that I may be able to feed him. Here is a picture of it simmering in the slow cooker:

In addition to the awesome dinners, there's also a bunch of dessert bars and other treats included, since the author is an award winning baker. As an amateur cook with simple tastes, I will get tons of use out of this book, and am happy to have received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.