Tuesday, December 27, 2016

The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah - This book is absolutely a five star read!

The Nightingale
by Kristin Hannah (Goodreads Author)
I loved this book. It was so engrossing and the characters were so real.  The story was all wound around two sisters and their Father during WWII.  The sisters have a relationship that is tested constantly and as they split, they find themselves doing things they never would have thought possible, things they never knew about each other.  Their Father has no idea what they are doing to help the resistance in France against the Nazi's.  Each sister is involved in the resistance in ways they must keep secret from everyone including their families.  I was absolutely sure I had read a true story about the thing one of the sisters did that it was either true or written about in another book but I can't find it, so perhaps i t may not be true.  Anyway, the book is awesome, the characters strong and real, and you won't be able to put it down.
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review. I can’t seem to remember from where it came, but I am posting my reviews in at least two places in hopes that eventually the person who sent me the book will find that I have done as they requested.

Here is the description as found on Good Reads: The Nightingale
by Kristin Hannah
Despite their differences, sisters Vianne and Isabelle have always been close. Younger, bolder Isabelle lives in Paris while Vianne is content with life in the French countryside with her husband Antoine and their daughter. But when the Second World War strikes, Antoine is sent off to fight and Vianne finds herself isolated so Isabelle is sent by their father to help her.

As the war progresses, the sisters' relationship and strength are tested. With life changing in unbelievably horrific ways, Vianne and Isabelle will find themselves facing frightening situations and responding in ways they never thought possible as bravery and resistance take different forms in each of their actions.

Saturday, December 17, 2016

Nourishing Meals: 365 Whole Foods, Allergy-Free Recipes for Healing Your Family One Meal at a Time - I gave this one 3 Stars!

Nourishing Meals: 365 Whole Foods, Allergy-Free Recipes for Healing Your Family One Meal at a Time

I was really looking forward to the recipes in this book.  I have a very long list of allergies that keep me from enjoying eating much lately.  I thought perhaps this book would be the one that would help me with that.  As always, the authors, they did their homework, they wrote a lot of information in the front of the book to be helpful to understand and getting around allergies, as well as Celiac disease.  I did find that with the current trend they tended to use coconut oil or milk quite a bit in the recipes and I’m allergic to that.  I have found some substitutes so some of the recipe’s will be helpful.  As with every well written book on allergies, I find information that was either never told to me, or I had forgotten!  So the book was great for me that way.  The recipes, she still uses quite a bit of the known and usually avoided allergens.  There were recipes with tree nuts in them, and the desserts were a lot of them with chocolate so I didn’t find any new recipes for desserts.  I have more allergies than you need to know about it believe me I looked hard.  The book though for the person wanting to eat, or feed their family better and they may have someone who is allergic to a few things or has celiac, this book is for them!  The information in the front part of the book is very well researched and written.  It’s just me, and all of my allergies that keep me from using this book often which is why I give it three stars.
Here is the description as found on Good Reads:
From two popular bloggers and leaders in the functional medicine movement, here is the "ultimate" guide to eating healthfully as a family a simple, practical cookbook that shows how easy it is to ditch processed foods one meal at a time with 365 delicious, whole food-based, allergen-free recipes that the entire family will love. 
It can be daunting to live a whole foods lifestyle in today s busy world even more so to prepare plant-rich, allergen-free meals that ll get the whole family around the table. Popular blogger Ali Segersten and functional medicine expert Tom Malttere are a team devoted to teaching their children and readers the importance of living a whole foods lifestyle. "Nourishing Meals" makes it easy and fun with dishes that burst with flavor, such as their Cherry Pecan Salad, Butternut Squash and Pinto Bean Enchiladas, Chipotle-Lime Roasted Chicken, and Banana Coconut Cream Pie. 
Every recipe in the book is free of the most common allergens: gluten, soy, eggs, and dairy, as well as refined sugar. And these dishes are designed to appeal to everyone, including vegan, vegetarian, seafood, and meat-eaters. In addition to wonderful food, Ali and Tom offer easy, doable steps to help you change your family's health, tips for making the transition easier, and ways to get the kids excited about wholesome foods. They map out the best foods and recipes for every stage of having a family, from pre-conception and pregnancy through each year of a child's life." "And they explain in accessible terms what makes their recipes so effective for achieving optimal health. Originally self-published with an avid following, this edition will feature more than 30 new recipes, and many of the original recipes have been updated. This new edition will also include 100 beautiful all-new food photos featured in two inserts. 
With an easy, tasty recipe for every day of the year, it’s never been simpler to adopt a healthy, whole foods lifestyle!"
"I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review."
Unfortunately I was unable to find information on this author so I couldn’t put her information here for you.