The Sunday Salon and New Books and Old Posts with a nod to 17 years of Blogging on Chick with Books!

Welcome to The Sunday Salon! It's the place where Book Bloggers from around the world share their bookish finds with one another in a virtual place called The Sunday Salon. Thank you to for Deb at ReaderBuzz keeping us all together on Sundays and hosting The Sunday Salon now! I also visited with Kim at The Caffeinated Reader, another Sunday gathering place for us bookish people called The Sunday Post!

It's been a busy week on the blog. February 18th was my 17 year anniversary for Chick with Books and I decided to look back a little this week on some of the fun posts I had written way back when. I finished a great YA Fantasy/Romance book that I'll be sharing today and I got some great eBooks from publishers this week. I feel a bit scatter brain right now. Where to start? Well, let's talk about the books I bought for my TBR pile this week...

And Now, Back To You by B.K. Borison... "Two competing meteorologists are forced to find common ground in this opposites attract, When Harry Met Sally inspired romance, from #1 New York Times bestselling author B.K. Borison.

Jackson Clark and Delilah Stewart have had their fair share of run-ins over the years, often ending in disaster. While Jackson thrives on routine and organization from the comfort of his radio booth, Delilah loves the spontaneity and adventure out in the field. When they’re partnered against their will to cover a historic snowstorm, they find themselves scrambling to figure out how to work together.

Eager to be taken seriously as a journalist, Delilah offers Jackson a deal: If he can help her ace this assignment, she’ll help him rediscover his long-lost fun side. With unexplored chemistry burning beneath their clashes, the unlikely partnership quickly tumbles into an easy and surprising friendship.

But when other feelings start to enter the equation, can Jackson and Delilah withstand the storm? Or does what happens in the mountains stay in the mountains?"

I bought this book this week because it is the March 2026 Indie Next Pick. Are you familiar with the Indie Next Pick? Each month independent booksellers choose 25 upcoming book releases they are excited about. From that list the #1 pick of the month is chosen. I always look to see what's on the list and always make a mental note of what the #1 pick was. I was a bit surprised at And Now, Back To You being the #1 pick. I just thought it was basically a light rom-com, not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just I usually see more literary fiction as #1 picks. This book looked like so much fun... and after cracking the spine, it is perfect! After reading some more heavier books this week, I wanted fun and I started it right out of the mailbox and am really enjoying it. Bright, fun, well written. Recently published this February 24th by Berkley Publishing, you can pick up a copy at your favorite bookstore now. And I would definitely put this on your TBR list.

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Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir... "Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission—and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish.

Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it’s up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery—and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.

And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he’s got to do it all alone.

Or does he?

An irresistible interstellar adventure as only Andy Weir could deliver, Project Hail Mary is a tale of discovery, speculation, and survival to rival The Martian—while taking us to places it never dreamed of going.

In anticipation of the movie coming out the end of this month, I thought I would read the book first. Andy Weir seems to be the king of desolate space movies and I'm hoping it will be as good as all the buzz behind it! Did you read or watch The Martian? I did enjoy that movie. Published by Ballantine Books way back in May of 2021, you can pick up a copy with either the movie cover with Ryan Gosling or the original cover. Personally I HATE movie covers, but Ryan Gosling is kinda cute.

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The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins and Sawyer Robbins... "A Life-Changing Tool Millions of People Can’t Stop Talking About. What if the key to happiness, success, and love was as simple as two words? If you've ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or frustrated with where you are, the problem isn't you. The problem is the power you give to other people. Two simple words—Let Them—will set you free. Free from the opinions, drama, and judgments of others. Free from the exhausting cycle of trying to manage everything and everyone around you. The Let Them Theory puts the power to create a life you love back in your hands—and this book will show you exactly how to do it.

In her latest groundbreaking book, The Let Them Theory, Mel Robbins—New York Times bestselling author and one of the world's most respected experts on motivation, confidence, and mindset—teaches you how to stop wasting energy on what you can't control and start focusing on what truly matters: YOU. Your happiness. Your goals. Your life.

Using the same no-nonsense, science-backed approach that's made The Mel Robbins Podcast a global sensation, Robbins explains why The Let Them Theory is already loved by millions and how you can apply it in eight key areas of your life to make the biggest impact. Within a few pages, you'll realize how much energy and time you've been wasting trying to control the wrong things—at work, in relationships, and in pursuing your goals—and how this is keeping you from the happiness and success you deserve.

Written as an easy-to-understand guide, Robbins shares relatable stories from her own life, highlights key takeaways, relevant research and introduces you to world-renowned experts in psychology, neuroscience, relationships, happiness, and ancient wisdom who champion The Let Them Theory every step of the way.

The Let Them Theory will forever change the way you think about relationships, control, and personal power. Whether you want to advance your career, motivate others to change, take creative risks, find deeper connections, build better habits, start a new chapter, or simply create more happiness in your life and relationships, this book gives you the mindset and tools to unlock your full potential."

I have been seeing this book EVERYwhere. I actually follow Mel Robbins on Facebook for her wisdom and funny posts. I read the first chapter after I got this yesterday and found it to be pretty interesting... The very first thing she talks about in the book is her 5 second rule... this is for when you are unmotivated to do something or afraid to do something. She will begin a countdown (she likens it to a NASA launch countdown) at 5-4-3-2-1 and then move... get up, make that phone call, feed the cat... whatever it is, when you hit that 1, it's time to change directions. I will be trying this next time I need to. Supposedly millions of people use this technique now. She first talked about it during a TED talk. I'm looking forward to the rest of the "lessons". Published by Hay House back in December of 2024! 

Weekly Wrap-up!

Monday... Memoir Monday with a little bit of Hannibal Lecter?! You'll have to read it to believe it!

Tuesday... Book Release Tuesday! 3 New books released on Tuesday that you are going to want to put on your TBR list! Click the link and read about them on tuesdays post!

Wednesday... Bye, Bye, mass market paperbacks... read about the demise of the cute little books you can fit in your purse!

Thursday... 17 years of Chick with Books this February! Time sure flies when you're having fun! And we sure did have fun the past 17 YEARS! Read about it on thursdays post!

Friday... Book Review of Immortal Game by Allison Saft. I didn't know chess could be so much fun. But Shea Fury and her other fellow chess players weren't having much of it in Immortal Game. A fantasy with Fae, mysteries, some magic. Read my review and put this on your TBR list too! 

First Lines Friday... An oldie but goodie where generations come alive. Follow the link and read what book I'm talking about on First Lines Friday!

On Friday and Saturday I posted some of my favorite posts from the years before. Follow the links to read the posts. It's fun to look back, but they're still relevant today... especially the shrimp Remoulade!

    Is Romance Just for Women (February 2009)

    Review of Dracula in Love by Karen Essex (July 2009)

    Review of Down South Cookbook by Donald Link (August 2014) *recipe too!

    Review of Delirium by Lauren Oliver (January 2011)

    A Farewell to my Reading Buddy, BJ (March 2012)

    Are eReaders Taking Over the World? (September 2010)

Whew, that was a lot to read! Hope you had a great week too! And how about any new books you've found?! Please share them!! Come back next week for more great books and bookish talk!

Happy Reading... Suzanne

17th Anniversary Look Back... Are eReaders taking over the World? Here's my post from May 12th... All about those new digital reader things

Wow, it seems like eReaders have been around forever, but 16 years ago on Sept 5th, 2010 I took a look at all the eReaders available to us. Fun to look back and see how far eReaders have come...

Sunday, September 5, 2010

The Sunday Salon... Are eReaders Taking Over the World?

Imagine someday that "dead tree" books are the rarity, and that the "now" generation has grown up never having to turn a page.. at least not one made of paper. It may not be so far fetched... at least to an extent. I remember going to a show in NYC where a mentalist was performing. The mentalist asked for audience members to shout out numbers one at a time so he could write them down on this huge gridded board. He then asked a boy to come up on stage and help him with the next part of the trick. The boy was 8 or 9 years old. The next part of the trick involved the boy to hold onto a special cassette tape. The mentalist then went back to the board, added up all the numbers and turned to the boy. He told the boy that he could now put the cassette tape into the player, turn it on and we could all listen to what the mentalist had already predicted all those random numbers to add up to-- except the boy had never seen a cassette player before. The boy wasn't embarrassed, acted like the cassette player was an antique from the 16th century, the audience laughed and all of us who knew what a cassette player was felt very old... Could the "dead tree" book go the way of the cassette player? Only time will tell...

It's Sunday! The week has passed like a flash, and I'm reeling from a busy week. It seems that my week has been filled with reading on my Kindle, and hearing other eReader news. So I thought I would devote this Sunday's Salon to take a look at the new pricing of eReaders and some new offerings that will surely make a choice of an electronic reader even more difficult. But choice is good, right?! As even more eReaders and Tablets flood the market, prices are coming down... at least for the eReaders themselves...

The Kindle 3 from Amazon, the latest generation of Kindle has been arriving in homes steadily since the end of August. It's lighter, smaller, has redesigned controls and the all new wonderful e-ink Pearl display. Feels great in my hands. I can read any PDF documents I send to it easily, I can navigate easier with the new navigation square, and it's just so nice. The screen is beautiful, sharp with more contrast. Kindle offers the ability for multiple family members under the same account to share books, and even read them at the same time. In fact most Kindle ebooks can be loaded on up to 6 devices, such as iPhone, iPad, Mac or PC. After using this latest Kindle offering, my Kindle 2 feels big and heavy! Pricing on the new, latest generation Kindle's:

• Kindle 3G & WiFi... $189 (choice of white or graphite)
• Kindle WiFionly ... $139 (graphite color only)
• Kindle DX with 3G, and BIG 9.7" display... $379 (graphite color only)

The Kobo eReader from Borders was really on the right track... Originally wanting a smaller, thinner eReader for ePub books made me look at the Kobo. The design of it is so nice- it's thin, simple controls, feels nice to hold with a rubbery like quilted back and could fit easily in one hand. The Kobo ebook store was easy to navigate, and I could read my Kobo ebooks from multiple platforms. Although customer service was a bit lacking at first. Kobo was really a separate company from Borders, so when I was having a software issue right out of the box, I had to navigate between Borders customer service and Kobo customer service in Canada. Very frustrating, but it eventually worked out. I was looking for a bare bones, nothing fancy ePub reader and I thought that this was the answer, BUT the text was not sharp on the screen. Or maybe just not sharp enough for my liking... Prices have slowly come down for the Kobo. And they needed to because for the price of the bare bones Kobo, you could just about buy yourself either a WiFi only Kindle or Nook. And WiFi is a nice feature. Price for the Kobo...

• Kobo ... $129.00

The Nook from Barnes & Noble has really come a long way. I had tried a Nook when they first came out and was having problems accessing my library, and it was slow navigating. I now chock that up to growing pains. I really wanted to love that Kobo, but after my DH got a Nook for reading ePub books I had to admit that the Nook's screen display was just so much nicer than the Kobo. I liked the design of the Kobo, but it all really comes down to the screen and being able to read, so back went the Kobo and the Nook became the eReader of choice for ePub books. The screen is so nice, with e-ink technology, sharp and variable font size. The design itself is nice and very comfortable to hold while reading. I am getting use to using the touch screen on the bottom to navigate, which at first seemed a bit awkward, but is slowly becoming second nature. It is also SO EASY to download ebooks from my library using Adobe Digital Editions! We opted for the WiFi only and it's perfect since we have WiFi at home. Barnes & Noble has also been running a promo for free B&N classics for the Nook this past month. A nice way to add some great ebooks to your Nook for free. And a great way to promote the Nook! Prices on the Nook...

• Nook with WiFi only... $149
• Nook with WiFi & 3G... $199

Sony has always seemed to be the third wheel after the Kindle & Nook exploded on the scene. My first eReader was a Sony Pocket Reader and I loved it. I still like it. It's small, the screen is sharp, enough contrast, and easy to navigate controls. There is no WiFi or 3G, but it's very easy to plug it into the computer, access your Sony library and buy and download your books. At the time it was a novelty, there wasn't much of a selection of ebooks, and libraries hadn't really jumped on the ebook lending band wagon. Things have changed... Sony just announced the Sony Reader Pocket edition and the Sony Reader Touch edition are getting a revamp. A updated design, and some great new features. First they've stream lined both readers. They are thinner, the controls have been updated, no more wheel

on the bottom for navigation or buttons on the front side, now you have can turn your pages with forward/backward controls on the bottom OR swipe your finger across the page! E-Ink is still the technology of choice for these screens as well. Sony has also added the ability to highlight and scribble notes right on the screen with the help of a stylus! And you are suppose to be able to export those notes too! Adjustable font sizes and styles, along with the ability to read both ePub files and PDF's puts Sony back in the running. I do prefer the page turning forward/backward to be at the sides of the readers, but with touch technology, I'd probably be swiping anyway. Also, the screen on the Sony Pocket Edition is 5 inches, just slightly smaller than the other eReaders, but still a nice size to read and this also makes it one of the smallest eReaders. BUT the Sony Reader Touch Edition has the full 6 inch screen size found on the other eReaders. Sony has this great video on their site promoting their new readers, just make sure you're looking at under "overview" and click on the play button. Now pricing is a bit steep, but Sony has a great reputation, and products, and this might keep them in the game. Prices may drop too, and you can still get the previous generation Sony Pocket Reader at a great reduced price. The new Sony Readers will start shipping 9/16. Prices on the Sony Readers...

• Sony Reader Pocket Edition (prs-350/new model) available in silver or pink... $179.99
• Sony Reader Touch Edition (pre-650/new model w/ 6"screen) available in black or red... $229.99
• Sony Reader Pocket Edition(prs-300/old model) available in silver, rose or blue... $116.99

And another choice...

• Aluratek's eLibre Pro sold by Borders... ePub & PDF reader w/ 5i nch screen. Even though this does not have e-Ink technology, I've heard that the screen is very just as nice, with good contrast and sharp fonts. NORMALLY priced at $119.99, it is ON SALE until 9/14 for $99.99! Hey, it also comes with a built in mp3 player!

We haven't even touched on Tablet Readers! Which included The Cruz Tablet at $199, the Pandigital Novel (looks like a tablet) at $249, the iPad starting at $499!

So what do you think about the future of "real" books? Brian Palmer wrote a post for Slate Magazine entitled Should You Ditch Your Books for an E-Reader? pointing out some of the environmental issues of Paper vs. Plastic reading, including you'll need to read 23 new books to break even environmentally with your Kindle. Of course, borrowing books from the library and sharing your own books is also great for the environment!

Next Sunday, back to Books with Buzz! And a sneak peek at this coming week.. Historical fiction fans be on the lookout for a giveaway of Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel! Details on tuesday! And in the meantime, let me know what eReader you just love and why!

Happy Reading, digital or paper... Suzanne 

17th Anniversary Look Back... A Fond Farewell to My Reading Buddy, March 25, 2012

 

Sunday, March 25, 2012

A Fond Farewell to My Reading Buddy

There's a saying that "Every DogHas It's Day". BJ was my best friend, my constant companion and yes, reading buddy and he had many such days. His personality was infectious, his smile broad, and you just couldn't help but want to be near him. I was the lucky one though, because he shared all of that with me. We ran agility courses, until an ACL surgery prevented that; we swam together, until he fell in one day and got spooked; we went hiking, until a laryngectomy last year made it harder for him to breathe when he exerted himself. He lead a quiet life the last year...

Life has been crazy for me the last many months too. Trying to get through a divorce, figuring out where life was going to take me next at that grand ole age of 50, and spending some time down South with some new friends and planning an eventual move down there. Having BJ near me helped me get through a lot of that. Days and nights, where I was cleaning and packing had BJ lying down near me. He was happy just to be near me, while I had to do all this other "stuff", and I felt comforted by his presence even though I had so much else to do.

The last month saw BJ struggling to get up and down the stairs; needing to get up in the middle of the night to go out, sometimes more than once; Sometimes he couldn't hold it at all... Sometimes it was frustrating for both of us, but we loved each other unconditionally. He was the bread and I was the butter...

This past weekend was the worst of all... With a high fever and sudden weakness, and very sick, we found out he had a mass on his spleen... I lost my best friend and my constant companion of 13 years. At a few months old, when he walked into the house for the very first time, not only did he take over the run of the place, but he stole my heart too. He held onto my heart for a very long time and with a few gentle licks of my face he placed it back where he found it and gave me his to keep.

Give your furry best friend a hug from us today. Read to them, not because they can understand the words, but because they will enjoy the warmth of your voice and the time you spend with them. Be thankful for the time you have with them because it really is shorter than you think.

Get to know BJ a little better by visiting BookHounds, where BJ was interviewed in 2009! He had a blast answering those questions!

And he had a great life and made my life great too!

Happy reading... Suzanne

P.S. As you can see BJ was an avid reader himself!

BJ was a special little guy. I still miss him to this day, 14 years later. 

17th Anniversary Look Back... I'm Delirious for Delirium by Lauren Oliver... A Review from 2011

January 5, 2011

Delirium by Lauren Oliver... A Review

I'm Delirious for Delirium by Lauren Oliver! It's "the dystopian Romeo & Juliet", filled with memorable characters and a wonderfully detailed and believable world. It's about friendship & love and about what makes us truly human.

Imagine a world where the simple act of love is against the law. Love is declared a disease, and at the age of 18 you have "the procedure", the "perfect cure", so that you'll be safe. You'll be happy too, because love is a sickness, it makes you crazy at times, it impairs your reasoning, makes you preoccupied, have periods of euphoria, despair, insomnia and changes in appetite.

"Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love - the deliria - blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy."

But isn't love what makes us truly human? The ability to care, to laugh, to feel? Lena understands this from when she was a young girl and her mother use to secretly dance with her, laughing and carrying on. But her mother couldn't be cured... her mother was diseased... at least this is what Lena learned later, after her mother committed suicide. Now Lena tries to be the "good" girl, obedient and trustworthy. Her sister Rachel and she were taken in by her Aunt Carol after their mother dies and she lives her life in perfect harmony with society... That is until the unthinkable happens... she falls in love...

And the love story is wonderful, filled with all the tenderness and discovery you'd expect from first love. Awkward, 17-year-old Lena blossoms as that disease "love" slowly takes hold of her, also opening her eyes to the world around her. Things just don't seem "right". Is it because she's sick or because she's been lied to all her life by the adults around her? There is this internal conflict that Lena is struggling with that makes her have such genuine vulnerability.

The world Lauren Oliver creates in Delirium is so rich with details - sights, sounds & smells - that you feel as if you are walking down the streets and alleyways yourself, feeling the breeze off the water, smelling the salt water. I thought at first that this was going to be similar in tone with the Uglies by Scott Westerfeld, but in my opinion Delirium is better. The story feels bigger. There is the love story, but also the wonderful aspect of the life long friendship between Lena and her BFF Hana, two girls who couldn't be more different, and whose friendship is tested as they each test the boundaries of their freedom. And of course we can't forget the society that serves as the launching pad for the story. At first it seems to be so "perfect" and accepted by all, but then the cracks begin to show. Of course, that's true of most dystopian societies, and Oliver does a great job creating one.

If you consider yourself a romantic, you will love this book! It was everything I could have asked for and Lauren Oliver does a wonderful job with her lyrical prose to put butterflies in the readers stomach too! I would also say, readers who enjoy dystopian novels, such as Uglies, will enjoy this as well. Oliver does a great job of creating a complex, layered society. It is just a wonderful read! I found I could not put it down. And the ending... OMG! There is a twist at the end that left me breathless! It also left me wanting to start reading the next book, because there definitely will be one! Delirium is the first book in a trilogy!

Delirium by Lauren Oliver will be available from your favorite bookstore February 1st! Delirium will also be available for your Kindle! I received a copy of Delirium as an ebook and want to thank HarperCollins for the opportunity to review it!

This was another great book. It's fun to look back on how I felt about this book 15 years ago.

17th Anniversary Look Back... Let's Cook with Donald Link and From His Book, Down South, August 16, 2014

12 years ago I was cooking from Down South by Donald Link!I almost forgot how fun this was to cook and share on the blog! And how delish it was!

The Sunday Salon and Sunday Cooking with… Down South by Donald Link (A Review and RECIPE!)

Welcome to the Sunday Salon! It's that one day of the week we talk BOOKS! And today I want to share a wonderful cookbook! Way back when I was growing up, Sunday's use to be family and food. A big Sunday dinner with family and friends to share the hours with. Things are a bit different now, but I still think of Sunday as a day for cooking, and what better way to spend it virtually then with our heads in a cookbook! Not only am I sharing the cookbook, BUT a great recipe the publisher gave me permission to share. A recipe I tried out to see just how good these recipes were. At the very bottom of today's post, you can see some of the photos from the "cooking journey"...

OMG, talk about gorgeous covers and that's not where it stops! Absolutely beautiful food photography all throughout the book AND mouth watering, easy to follow recipes to boot!


When I first picked up Down South by Donald Link and Paula Disbrowne, it was love at first sight. The cover was gorgeous, the book itself had a nice heft to it and of course, the recipes were something my Southern boy at home was going to enjoy- " a collection of remembrances and recipes meant to make you hungry, make you laugh, and convey what it's like to be both a chef and an eater in today's South."

Down South starts out with "Drinks", such as a Chuck Berry made with fresh blueberries and Prosecco, or an Antiguan Julep made with rum and Simple Syrup (also included as a recipe). Then we move on to "Cocktail Parties", with appetizers that are tempting just reading about them. There's Parmesan Bacon Gougeres, Crab Louis with Toast Points, and Shrimp Remoulade, which can be either an appetizer or a light meal (this is the recipe we made to give this cookbook a tryout and did it pass with flying colors!! psst… I'm going to share this recipe with Ya'll!) And we cannot forget about the Spicy Roasted Peanuts! It's a take on the spicy boiled peanuts you'll find everywhere down South, and if you've never had them, you need to drive there to have some!

Then we move to the main courses… "Cook it Outside", grilling and some smoking, with recipes such as Chicken Chivito Sandwich with Ham and Olive Spread, made with boneless, skin-on chicken thighs, and smoked ham or Grilled Chicken with Alabama White Barbecue Sauce. "Roast, Braise, Simmer and Fry" with recipes including Smothered Chicken, Tupelo Honey-Glazed Ham and Guinea Hen Gumbo. "Heads, Feet, Necks and Bones" with recipes for how to make your own Breakfast Sausage, Pork Rillons, and Beef Short Rib Sugo. "Seafood from the Gulf and South Atlantic", including recipes for New Orleans Barbecued Shrimp, and Crisp Fried Frog Legs.

We wrap up the cookbook tour with… "Fresh, Seasonal Southern Sides", including Smoked Ham and Rice Salad, Ham Hocks and Crowder Peas, and Cajun Macaroni Salad. And of course desserts, or "Southern-Style Sweets" including Salted Caramel Peanut Brittle Ice Cream, Spiced Apple Pecan Bread and Banana Pudding with Moonshine Whipped Cream.

Each chapter has an introduction to the particular types of recipes and the foods involved, and the story behind them. There's a little tidbit or "introduction" to each recipe too, talking about its origins, a cooking tip on preparation or buying, or how it's related to Southern cooking. It's another reason why this is so much more than your average cookbook. Down South is packed with Southern Charm. It's good food, a good story and rooted in great tradition. It's an oversized cookbook with large enough print to read the recipes with ease. AND the recipes are easy to follow with fully explained directions. Nothing too hard here, with ingredients that should be easy to find too. Want to see for yourself?! Follow this link to read the FIRST CHAPTER!

Now, I like to try out a recipe before making my "final judgement" on a cookbook I'm reviewing, and for that purpose I chose Shrimp Remoulade. I love shrimp and I love trying new sauces and this recipe filled both bills. Shrimp Remoulade is a cold dish. It's in the "Cocktail Parties" section, but it also states in the recipe it can be a light meal as well. How many times have you just eaten shrimp for dinner?! I was game and so was my Southern boy. Courtesy of  the Publisher, Clarkson Potter, a division of Penguin Random House, I have permission to share the recipe with YOU! Here it is (with my photo)…

*Shrimp Remoulade 
(serves 4 to 6 as an appetizer or light meal)                                            1 Cup kosher salt
1 tablespoon cayenne
10 bay leaves
2 lemons sliced
2 pounds medium-large shrimp in the shell
1 cup Sauce Remoulade (recipe follows)
1/2 head iceberg lettuce thinly sliced                                                      
                                                                                                   

Combine the salt, cayenne, bay leaves and lemon slices in a large pot with 1 gallon of water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the shrimp and cook until the shrimp are bright pink and just cooked through, 3 to 3 1/2 minutes. Immediately pour 2 gallons of ice into the pot and allow the shrimp to cool completely in the poaching liquid. (this should take 5 to 10 minutes) Peel.

Toss the peeled shrimp with the sauce and serve over the lettuce.

*Sauce Remoulade
(makes 1 1/2 cups)

You'll need only a portion of this recipe for 2 pounds of shrimp. The remainder will keep in the fridge for two to three days, and will make a quick mean when tossed with more shrimp or crab, or slathered on a fried fish sandwich.

1/2 cup grated yellow onion
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon or chervil
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Use a rubber spatula to combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

*Recipe Reprinted from Down South. Copyright (c) 2014 by Donald Link. Photographs copyright (c) 2014 by Chris Granger. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.

Since we were making this just for the 2 of us, I tweaked the recipe a little. I made it with only 1 pound of shrimp, and we halved the recipe for the sauce, and had plenty left to enjoy on other food. We also used super hot "fresh" cayenne pepper from the natural foods store, which may or may not have added extra heat to this dish.

Now let me tell you about the flavor… It was delicious! The shrimp absorbed all this wonderful flavor from the poach, and even as you bit into the shrimp, which were cooked perfectly at 3 minutes, and had the wonderful "hot flavored" creamy remoulade sauce on top, you could tell the shrimp had a heat all their own.

My final verdict… A+! If you enjoy cooking, like Southern food, or want to try some Southern cooking, this would be a great cookbook to have. Easy flavorful dishes that will satisfy all your tastebuds! There's something for everyone here. A Big Thank you to Blogging for Books for sending along this cookbook for me to review!

Here are some random photos from our cooking journey with Shrimp Remoulade...

The Final Dish…And it was YUMMY!

17th Anniversary Look Back... Dracula in Love... A Review from July 10, 2009

July 10, 2009

 "I stared into the flames as they resurrected images and memories from my first days with him in this very room so many lifetimes ago. There is no explanation for love; no spoken words compare with its silent exhilaration. If that was true of the ordinary love between two mortals - if love is ever ordinary - then it was truer of a love that has contorted itself into different bodies in different eras over the centuries." ...Mina Murray

Dracula in Love by Karen Essex is seductive. It is the telling of a love story that had endured centuries, the love story between Count Dracula and Mina Murray, and part of that story is Count Dracula's rich history and how he became immortal. Karen Essex's prose is beautiful, draping itself around you and slowly drawing you in. Dracula in Love is erotic and passionate, and everything you'd want in a gothic love story. It's haunting, it's wonderful and I LOVED it!

In the original story by Bram Stoker, Dracula was everything that embodied evil, a blood sucking monster who almost destroyed the lives of a young naive lawyer he had hired, Jonathan Harker, and Harker's "prim & proper" fiance & soon to be wife, Mina Murray. Dracula's ultimate seduction of Mina was an act of revenge. But in Dracula in Love, the story of Dracula is told through Mina's eyes, with a backstory that has Dracula as Mina's soulmate, with a power over her that 700 years of yearning could not break. Even as she marries Jonathan Harker, she is drawn to him... in vivid erotic dreams she shares herself with the mysterious man she later knows to be Dracula. Her seduction is far from undesired, as the stirred memories of her past life with Dracula slowly open up a world that her victorian sensibilities should reject, but instead draw her even farther into the arms of Dracula.

Walk the dark, damp streets of Victorian England... Listen to the faint whispers of the night... watch out for the unnatural ones called vampires... OK, just read it! Karen Essex does an amazing job of creating a handsome, brooding, passionate Dracula any girl would love to invite in for a bite. And Mina is the ultimate heroine at first gentle and bound by the Victorian morals imposed on women of the time, but whose strong will and determination give her the strength to become so much more. And as if the love story weren't enough to satisfy any reader, Karen does a wonderful job of painting a true portrait of the women of the late 19th century, and what their place in society was. If walking the dark streets of Victorian England appeal to you, if a brooding handsome seductive vampire makes your knees weak, and if you love a girl who knows her own mind you will enjoy Dracula in Love! I was so fortunate to receive an ARC of Dracula in Love from Doubleday! Now I'm going to have to check out the other books Karen Essex has written because her writing in Dracula in Love was just so beautiful I want to read more.

Mark your calendars for August 10th, because that's when Dracula in Love will be coming to a bookstore near you!

I loved this book. One of my favorites still. AND, Dracula in Love by Karen Essex just got a reprint with a new cover design earlier this month (February 2026!).

17th Anniversary Look Back... Is Romance Just for Women? A great post from 2009...

Monday, February 23, 2009

Is Romance Just for Women?

Is Romance just for Women? A funny thing happened at work the other day... I work in a male dominated workplace, but quite a few of us are avid readers and always have a book in hand. One day one of the guys had finished his book and asked one of the girls if she had anything he could borrow. She did - a romance! Well, Brian (I’ll protect his identity by not using his last name) is a reader and took it. Now I wasn’t there for the initial exchange, I come into the story later on while some of the other guys (that includes you Eric) I work with were talking about the book Brian had borrowed. That book was making the rounds! Now I had to ask what book they were ALL reading? I can’t write the comments I heard about the book here, but suffice it to say that this wasn’t your sweet love story - it was sizzling! And they couldn’t believe the “secret” we were keeping from them - romance books. The book was Scent of Darkness by Christina Dodd. Not only was it sizzling the story was good too! Secretary has secret desire for rich boss, who doesn’t know she exists. Secretary decides to seduce boss, but accidentally catches him transforming from a wolf to a man. From there the adventure begins. This is the first in Christina Dodds Darkness Chosen series-a paranormal/fantasy romance series. Just goes to show you - we all enjoy a little romance. And that brings up another question- has romance changed in the 21st century? Look for that in my next posting....

Immortal Game by Allison Saft is coming August 4, 2026! Mark Your Calendars and read my Review...

“Chess opens a door between two souls.”

That line lives at the heart of Immortal Game by Allison Saft — and it’s exactly what this book does. It opens a door. Step through it and you’re no longer in the ordinary world. You’re in the Otherworld, where the Fae are immortal, the magic hums beneath every breath, and Mortals are allowed to cross the veil only once every hundred years… to play a game of chess that could cost them everything.

I am not your typical fantasy reader. I don’t usually gravitate toward Fae courts and ancient magic systems. And yet? I was completely swept away. Allison Saft builds a world that feels lush and dangerous and achingly alive. The Otherworld isn’t just a setting — it pulses. The Fae cannot lie. The landscape shifts with thought. Magic is woven into speech, into bargains, into love. And at the center of it all is the Immortal Game, where chess becomes more than strategy — it becomes fate.

The characters are what truly anchored me.

Shea, a chess prodigy, is driven by fierce, almost desperate love for her sister Aideen. Every move she makes — on the board and off — is shaped by that devotion.

Daniil, brooding and sharp-tongued, carries his own complicated loyalty to his sister. His seriousness hides something tender, and I found myself softening toward him with every chapter.

Ciara, the Fae princess who adores everything mortal, brings spark and warmth into a realm that could easily feel cold.

And then there is Midir, the Fae King — immortal, powerful, and in love with Aideen enough to steal her away beyond the veil.

As for Fuamnach… trust me. You’ll want to meet her yourself.

What makes this story so compelling is how these characters — from different worlds, with different loyalties — collide over the chessboard. The relationships layer and tangle in ways that feel real and earned. Alliances shift. Motives blur. Love becomes both weapon and shield.

And the chess? It’s brilliant. Whether Allison Saft is secretly a grandmaster or simply did amazing research, she makes the game feel electric. The terminology, the strategy, the references to real-life masters — it’s all woven into the narrative so seamlessly that it never feels like a lecture. It feels like tension. Like you’re holding your breath between moves. I actually pulled out my old chess set just to follow along with some of the moves.

Immortal Game isn’t just about magic or competition. It’s about devotion. About the cost of love. About what we sacrifice for the people who define us. There were twists I didn’t see coming, tenderness that caught me off guard, and moments of quiet heartbreak that lingered.

When I reached the final page, I wasn’t ready to leave the Otherworld — but I was satisfied. The story closes its loops. The emotional threads are honored. Nothing feels rushed or abandoned.

If you’re hesitant about fantasy, let this be your doorway. Walk through "The Veil". Sit at the chessboard. Let Allison Saft show you what happens when strategy meets soul.

Immortal Game by Allison Saft is coming out on August 4th, 2026! Mark your calendars because you won't want to miss this one! (Categorized as YA teen, romance and LGBTQIAP+)

I want to thank St. Martin's Press for sending along an advanced copy for me to read and review. I really enjoyed it. 

BTW, Isn't that cover gorgeous!!

                           My travel chessboard and mini iPad

P.S. Shea Fury, our chess prodigy in Immortal Game reminds me of Judit Polgar, a 12-year-old who became the youngest Grandmaster in history, and eventually beat world champion Garry Kasparov. I watched a great documentary about her called Queen of Chess on Netflix. Her life was chess and the documentary shows how and why her Father raised her to become a world champion.