About Me: Baking

One of my resolutions this year (and to be honest almost every year) is to talk more about myself on the blog. Me in a nutshell: I'm a Librarian. I'm a blogger. I'm a reader. Here's a little bit about me outside the bookish world.

If you follow me on Instagram - I post a LOT of pictures of food. First because it's easy to snap a picture. And second because I like to eat - a Lot. 

I don't mind cooking but my real love is baking. 

Most of the time, I find it relaxing. Although sometimes I don't read the recipe all the way through and that causes issues. 

I have a Good Eats board on Pinterest - mostly filled with desserts with over 1200 pins. Some of it is more substantial food. Lots of bread too! Yes I'm addicted to Pinterest.

I love tasting desserts in restaurants, but often I'm disappointed.

I think I could make it better. Or more the way I would like it.

I'm not crazy about fancy desserts. I'm more of a brownie - cookie - cake kind of girl. 

How did I get this way?

Well, both my Grandfather and my Father have the same sweet tooth. My parents like to bake and it just seemed natural to me. I would get care packages in college with homemade cookies from my dad. It was the best! Having a homemade baked good makes me happy. Plus it's one of the ways I show people I care.

So what kinds of things are my specialty?

Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes 

Lemon Rolls

Apple Crisp

Chocolate Peanut Butter Whoopie pie

Not Pictured: Brownies, S'more Rocky Road Brownies, cookies, Blueberry Cake, donuts...you get the idea.

Do you have a favorite dessert?

Review: Dating on the Dork Side

A chance encounter in the tutoring room gives Camy a look at a secret school website - for the boys. They rate the girls in the school. So far the boys say that she smells good and that she tutors.

Then Camy checks another girl's page - complete with comments and pictures. Camy immediately sends Elle a link with the website details.

She's not at all surprised to get an email later that night with a phone number, asking her to call. They come up with a plan.

They round up the girls mentioned and show them the comments. So they round up the names of all the guys who have posted or commented. Then they agree to boycott all the boys - no connection with the boys until this is over. Boyfriends are dumped. Boys can't find dates.

Things get ugly. But the girls mean business and this is war. Can they force the guys to start treating them with the respect they deserve? 

My Thoughts: I really Loved the authors' previous book The Geek Girl's Guide to Cheerleading. And I think they've done it again, I devoured this book. 

I like how Camy and Elle teamed up to take action. I really liked the friendship formed between the girls in the group - especially the unlikely friendships. I like how they start supporting each other and becoming closer.

I like how the more popular girls started dating the nerdy guys. 

Everything tumbles out and the hurt spreads - but so does healing. I like how this one ended.  

Cover Thoughts: Love the sneaker stepping on a heart
Source: Book sent for review

If You Like:

Review: Trouble with Destiny

Liza needs this trip to go well; the legacy of the band depends upon it. As their drum major, she decides not to tell their band that the future funding for them might be cut. Instead, she locates a potential way to earn the money - a talent show contest on a cruise ship.

Could there be a better way to spend their Spring vacation?

But from the start, nothing goes according to plan. First off, Liza realizes that her band will have to compete with her ex-BFFs singing group. Then there's the fact that she's stuck babysitting the football jock who got himself sent on this trip as punishment. Plus, Liza reunites with her former camp crush during the trip.

The more Liza's plans keep failing, the more tense she gets. Can she let anyone help her or will she single handily destroy the one thing she's desperately trying to save?

My Thoughts: I really liked this book. I really like Liza, although I felt bad that she took so much upon herself and refused to share the burden. 

I liked the pranks between Liza's band and Demi's singers. 

I liked the interactions between Demi and Liza - especially their views on their friendship dissolved. 

I loved mischievous fun loving Huck - his antics made me laugh. And he's such a great friend. 

I loved Sofia and her advice to Liza

I loved how everything went wrong and how the romance took Liza by surprise.

Cover Thoughts: Fantastic
Source: Book sent for review

Final Thoughts: A fantastic book on how nothing goes the way you planned, but everything has a way of working out.

Top Ten Tuesday: New to the TRB List

This week's topic is recently added to my TBR list - which is one of the easiest lists to make!

- meme from The Broke and the Bookish

Middle Grade:

YA: 

Nonfiction

Adult:

Upcoming Tween Tuesday Review: Girl in the Tower

Violet has never known life outside the tower -except for a few stolen moments in the garden. She's always hungry and cold, but she never lets her misfortunes shape her.

When the queen learns about her stolen moments in the garden with the hummingbirds flocking around her, everything changes for Violet. She's offered a place in the palace and a chance to become a Princess.

For the first time, she's warm enough, she has a cozy bed to sleep in, and she has a enough food to fill her stomach. What she doesn't have is her mother. And she doesn't know the queen's secretly plotting against her.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book! I'm such a fan of the authors that it was a must read for me. I liked the dreamy aspect of it, it reminded me of The Little Princess. I enjoyed the multiple perspectives from Violet, the birds, Violet's parents, and even the queen.

I loved Violet's character and how nothing (not even the luxuries) changed her thoughts on the world. She's still sweet and kind.

I loved the two servants of the queen who attempted to make Violet and her mother's life better - even though it went against the queen. 

I love how her father kept looking for her even though he was under a spell and how her mother tried to make the best life for her daughter out of a bad situation. 

Spells, secret identities, true friendship, love, and good hearted characters make for a winning combination!

Cover Thoughts: Sweet and enchanting
Source: ARC sent for review
Release Date: March 29th 2016
Illustrations appear throughout this book.

Final Thoughts: Readers of fairy tales will take delight in this enchanting charming read. Add this one to your reading list!

Agent Carter Returns

I'm excited for the second season of Agent Carter. I can't wait to see how she takes Hollywood by storm.

Last year, I created a list of books I thought this feisty heroine might read. Check them out. 

Review: Ink and Bone

* First in a new series *

In a different world, the library of Alexandria survived. The library governs the people, selecting knowledge to filter to the people.

People are no longer allowed to own books and the libraries have scribes creating the books. While the printing press was designed, the library disposed of Gutenberg and any one else with a similar idea.

Jess's father works as a book smuggler. He decides that Jess's value lies in his future - at the library as a spy. He forces Jess to take the entrance exam. Jess passes he exam and heads off for basic training.

And that's where everything changes...Jess isn't sure who to trust. The Library's orders seem out of place. Jess knows he'll have to use all his wits to get himself out of the mess.

My Thoughts: I really liked the idea of this book and I enjoyed the book. It took me about 50 pages to get into in and then I was hooked.

I loved the idea that knowledge was power. And whoever controlled the knowledge controlled the world.

I really liked the differences between those in training with Jess. I liked the romances, the friendships, and the enemies. I liked how they all had to come together eventually and learn to trust each other. 

I liked the alternate history and the what if questions.

I really liked Scholar Wolfe - he grew on me as the book continued.

I can't wait to see what happens next.

Cover Thoughts: Interesting - I love the books on the bottom
Source: My Library