Book Review: The Best Cook in the World: Tales from my Momma's Table by Rick Bragg

From the book's blurb:
"Margaret Bragg does not own a single cookbook. She measures in "dabs" and "smidgens" and "tads" and "you know, hon, just some." She cannot be pinned down on how long to bake corn bread ("about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the mysteries of your oven"). Her notion of farm-to-table is a flatbed truck. But she can tell you the secrets to perfect mashed potatoes, corn pudding, redeye gravy, pinto beans and hambone, stewed cabbage, short ribs, chicken and dressing, biscuits and butter rolls. Many of her recipes, recorded here for the first time, pre-date the Civil War, handed down skillet by skillet, from one generation of Braggs to the next. In The Best Cook in the World, Rick Bragg finally preserves his heritage by telling the stories that framed his mother's cooking and education, from childhood into old age. Because good food always has a good story, and a recipe, writes Bragg, is a story like anything else."




My thoughts:
My children did not grow up near their grandparents on either side, but that does not stop them from remembering and talking about the good foods and smells they always remember from Mama and Papa's Southern home. Even son-in-law John tells of walking into their home for the first time and seeing and smelling two stoves overflowing with delicious southern food and two refrigerators housing desserts. Real food. Good old-fashioned food. 

That's basically what Rick Bragg is talking about in The Best Cook in the World. Of course, he thinks that title belongs to his mother. In true Rick Bragg fashion, he has given us down home country southerners, his family,'s stories, a glimpse back into the day, an aha moment because we had the same experiences at our best cook's house, and a taste of home. Get ready Alabama families and all Southerners, even those who had to get here later in life or who still live in other places. This is the book you must have. Full of memories, stories, and 74 Southern recipes!

Now available at book outlets and online.

Book Review: Occupied by Kurt Blorstad: A Novel Based on a True Story

From the Books Blurb: 
As WW II breaks out, a father finds himself in the U.S. while his wife and sons are home in occupied Norway. Based on the son’s true-life journals from 1935-1945, this is the story of a family separated by war and uncertainty.

My thoughts:
Occupied is told through one continuous flashback which shows 70 year old Trygve taking his son to the place in Norway that means so much to him and telling his story. It is formatted as a journal might be; each chapter has as its title, the date. This is very helpful and one gets the feeling of reading the actual journal. That feeling is so authentic that in a few instances I thought the narrative was rather long and drawn out, just as a young boy might have written in. This only happened a couple of times and certainly did not detract from the overall reading experience.

As Occupied begins we meet the young brothers, Trygve and Thoralf, and other members of their immediate family in Norway. The boys are portrayed in such a way that the reader feels they know them, or at least someone like them. They're cute, rambunctious, and totally believable. I can just picture those boys questioning their relative about the journey to the bus station. "This isn't the road to the bus station." They are then told that they will be going by small boat across the fjord  to reach the bus station. I would have loved that experience. 

We watch the boys grow from youngsters unaware of the world falling apart around them to young men who want to help protect their world. From small childlike activities that help the war effort to clandestine activities of teenagers, the boys are caught up in the war. 

Many countries in Europe have their WWII stories overshadowed by larger countries, especially in marketplace literature. This story introduces us not only to two special boys, but to the country of Norway and its people as they traverse the dangerous landscape of WWII. It was a welcome adventure into a less traveled land.

I don't think the book was written as a middle school level book, but I think it should be considered at that level as well as for adults. Often middle school boys cannot find historical fiction books with protagonists they can relate to. Here is one that middle school history and literature teachers should consider for their male readers. With some format editing of the longer paragraphs and the margins in the print version (middle schoolers do still like white spaces when reading), I think this could be an excellent middle school historical fiction and the genre needs more of those.

Occupied will be published April 9, 2019. You may pre-order your copy through various book vendors.

Book Review: I Want You Gone! By Miranda Rijks

From  the description:

Laura Swallow is dead. 
A life cut tragically short, says the newspaper obituary.
But that’s a lie. 
Estate agent Laura did not die in a car accident. She is alive and well.
At first, Laura thinks it’s a sick joke. 
But multiple announcements of her death are followed by increasingly sinister real-life events. Already fragile, struggling to recover from a recent divorce, Laura is plunged into a living nightmare. 
Who can she trust? Her new lover? Her clients and work colleagues? What about her ex-husband and his smug fiancée? Can Laura even rely on her best friends? And why is it that Laura’s present troubles are so tied up with her sister’s sudden death all those years ago?
But one thing Laura is sure of – someone out there wants her to suffer. Wants her gone. 
Forever.

I cannot believe how quickly this book pulled me in. I was just going to read the first chapter but simply could not put it down. The main character was well drawn and likeable. The plot moved quickly and held my interest until the end which was unexpected. Great weekend read.
#iwantyougone

                              Available as an ebook for 3.99

Book Review: The Paris Secret by Lily Graham: WWII Paris

Book Review The Paris Secret
From the book's blurb: 
"The last time Valerie was in Paris, she was three years old, running from the Nazis, away from the only home she had ever known.

Now as a young woman all alone in the world, Valerie must return to Paris, to the bookshop and her sole surviving relative, her grandfather Vincent, the only person who knows the truth about what happened to her parents. As she gets to know grumpy, taciturn Vincent again, she hears a tragic story of Nazi-occupied Paris, a doomed love affair and a mother willing to sacrifice everything for her beloved daughter."

Valerie has questions, many questions, about her mother, her past, and even the Aunt who raised her. As I read the book I formulated possible answers to each of her questions. Some I answered correctly, some not, but the book was well written so I kept searching for the answers. Even when I guessed the solution to the biggest question, I didn't mind that I had to keep reading for conformation.

Paris, WWII, a bookstore, and a grumpy old man, this book provided enjoyable reading. Peopled with just the right number of characters who were interesting, with action moving along at a good pace, most historical romance readers who want more romance than history will enjoy this book. 

The publisher describes the book as an "epic". It is not an epic, but it is a pleasure to read.

Available at major bookstores and online.

Book Review: Past Tense: Lee Child's Jack Reacher

Lee Child's Jack Reacher is back in the highly readable Past Tense.

From the books blurb:
"Jack Reacher hits the pavement and sticks out his thumb. He plans to follow the sun on an epic trip across America, from Maine to California. He doesn’t get far. On a country road deep in the New England woods, he sees a sign to a place he has never been: the town where his father was born. He thinks, What’s one extra day?He takes the detour."

Any reader of suspense knows taking the detour will not be a one extra day affair. No, Jack finds his father's hometown and oh, so much more. Why does no one want him to stay around town. Even the good guys want him gone.

There are two plots : Finding our roots: Just who was his father?  What kind of young man was he?
                                  The Most Dangerous Game: Why are maniacs chasing a young couple? Do either the young couple or the maniacs have any relationship to Jack Reacher? The chase here is reminiscent of The Most Dangerous Game, one of my all-time favorites. 

I had never read a Lee Child novel before this one, but it will not be my last. It was well written, moving the action along quickly and with interesting side characters, good and bad. 

All Lee Child and Jack Reacher fans should love this book. 
I was sent this book for an honest review. Available at all bookstores and online.'s

Book Review: Lessons from Lucy by Dave Barry.

If you are on my book receiving Christmas list, get ready...you're getting a copy of this wonderful book.

From the book's blurb:
"Faced with the obstacles and challenges of life after middle age, Dave Barry turns to his best dog, Lucy, to learn how to live his best life. From “Make New Friends” (an unfortunate fail when he can’t overcome his dislike for mankind) to “Don’t Stop Having Fun” (validating his longtime membership in a marching unit that performs in parades—and even Obama’s inauguration), Dave navigates his later years with good humor and grace. 
Lucy teaches Dave how to live in the present, how to let go of daily grievances, and how to feel good in your own skin. The lessons are drawn from Dave’s routine humiliations and stream-of-consciousness accounts of the absurdities of daily life, which will leave you heaving with laughter and recognition."

Steven King said, "I laughted until I fell off my chair." My reaction was, 'yeah, sure, Steve.' But now I believe him. I laughed so hard, I almost choked to death, several times. I think Dave Barry has been stalking me and then writing about this old lady. It was all so honest and spot on for those of us in Dave's age group. 

If you love dogs, you'll love this book. I can just see all the dog lovers in my family smiling and thinking 'yep, that's my dog.'

If you have trouble with today's technology, you'll you love this book. I truly believe Dave watched me trying to take photos with my phone and then rushed home and wrote about it. My grandchildren are going to roll their eyes and think, 'that's Mimi' when reading this chapter.

If you've lost touch with so many old friends and don't care to make the extra effort to make new ones, you'll nod with understanding and some nostalgia as you read about Dave's friendships.

If you've ever tried to order refills of your medications, or unsubscribe to something, or get help from a cable company, you will be shouting your agreement with Dave when he tells of his experiences along that line.

You get my drift. This is a book we can ALL relate to. And I'm not exaggerating, all my families with get a copy of this book for Christmas. Even the 'non'readers. 

Thank's for the laughs, Dave. Sometimes we all need to laugh at ourselves and know that we are not alone in our misery.

I received my copy of Lessons From Lucy through Net Galley. Thank you so much. Book is not available until late October but you can preorder as I am. Now if only I can catch up with Dave when I get my box full and have him autograph them for me. But no one comes to Tally for book signings.  Not even Dave!

Book Review: The Romanov Empress...by C.W. Gortner

Book Review The Romanov Empress: A Novel of Tsarina Maria Feodorovna

From the book's blurb: 

"Even from behind the throne, a woman can rule. 

Narrated by the mother of Russia’s last tsar, this vivid, historically authentic novel brings to life the courageous story of Maria Feodorovna, one of Imperial Russia’s most compelling women, who witnessed the splendor and tragic downfall of the Romanovs as she fought to save her dynasty in its final years."

This lovely historical novel is the story of Dagmar, called Minnie, a teenager from an improvished line of Royals in Denmark. She seemed doomed to a second or third place in history, but she rose to become an Empress of Russia through her marriage to Alexander III and she became the Mother of the last Tzar of Russia, Nicholas. She lived in splendor and in hiding and depravation.  Both were vividly described by the author.

More importantly for me, the author brought to live all the various members of the Russian royal family. So often they are not as clearly delineated, one from another, and they simlply become a mass of humanity. This time the characters were real, with real foibles and strengths.

The Empress is shown as a daughter, wife, and mother. She is loved and honored, and sometimes used by those in power, but through her strength of character she proves that even from behind the throne, a woman can rule. I liked Tsarina Maria Feodorovna, Minnie. Thank you, C. W. Gortner for making her come alive for me.

Last week, July 17th, was the 100th year anniversary of the Imperial family's murder. The Empress was not with the family during their imprisonment, so she escaped their fate. In Grotner's novel we learn of her later years as she tried to find her place in the world after the Russian Revolution.

This is a must read if you like good historical fiction about the Romanov's. Now svailable online and at major outlets. I received an advance reading copy from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.