Category: Miscellaneous
Review of Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols
Or, My Thoughts On One Of My Fave YA Novels
I love everything Jennifer Echols writes, but this story rings the most honest and realistic of the bunch. My grandmother grew up in a series of low-rent trailer parks, was raised by a negligent out-of-work waitress mother, and had sex early. Just like Leah, the heroine of Such a Rush. Echols got the feelings and insecurities perfectly, in my opinion.
Leah learns to fly, which gives her a path out of trailers and debt collectors and loser boyfriends, but only if she fights to stay on that path. There are a lot of setbacks along the way, and just when it seems all is lost for poor Leah, she figures out how to be happy and secure in her life.
I highly recommend!
<3 Anna
Review of Texas Rain by Jodi Thomas
Or, Why More Subplots Aren’t Always Better
The main romantic plot is great and worth reading. The writing is solid, the characters are layered, but the subplots just aren’t that interesting. Specifically, the subplots are snoozers. I skimmed A LOT of stuff that was just happening. It felt to me like the author padded a good romantic plot with a bunch of stuff because she had to make her word count, but if she’d cut all the subplots about pies and whores and kooky boarding house customers, the story would have made a fantastic novella.
My favorite part was the section where the hero and heroine open up to each other through letters, writing personal things they never would have said out loud to each other in person.
<3 Anna
Review of Jennifer Echols’ Major Crush
Or, A Re-Reading Of One Of My All-Time Faves
Reading Major Crush, or reading it for the third time, is such an unexpected pleasure. It’s a sparkly, hilarious, witty, frothy YA delight from beginning to end.
Virginia has a lot of problems. Her best friend is in love with her. The boy she crushes on doesn’t know she exists. She’s not getting along with her dad. And she has to share being drum major of her high school band, even though she deserves to be the one-and-only girl in charge.
If you love funny, sweet, smart YA then you won’t go wrong with Major Crush. Or anything Jennifer Echols writes, to be honest.
<3 Anna
Divergent by Veronica Roth Book Review
Or, My Thoughts On An Exciting YA Novel
I enjoyed the story, which is very similar to the Hunger Games, and am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. I especially liked watching Tris’ development from a shy, weak little girl into a tough, independent young woman.
I felt like it fell apart a little at the end as suddenly the book, which had been about a girl discovering her inner strength and going through initiation trials, became a more political story. But overall, very fun and entertaining.
<3 Anna
The Best Cashew Chicken Recipe
Or, Let Rachel Ray Plan Your Dinner Tonight
This is the absolute best asian style chicken meal I’ve ever made. Way better than Chinese take-out and very easy to make. It comes from Rachel Ray’s Top 30 30-Minute Meals: Kid Food cookbook. She calls it “Cashew! God Bless You Chicken with Jasmine Rice,” but I call it my family’s new favorite.
Ingredients:
1 box jasmine rice (or 2 pouches of pre-cooked, ready-to-heat jasmine rice)
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced and mashed (or a couple dashes of garlic powder)
2 tablespoons rice wine, rice vinegar, or dry sherry
Black pepper and red pepper flakes, to taste
1 large carrot, peeled and diced into cubes
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 can (7 oz) sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped
3 heaping tablespoons hoisin sauce (from the asian foods aisle in your grocery store)
A couple handfuls of unsalted cashews
3 green onions, thinly sliced
Optional: broccoli florets
Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine chicken with half the sesame oil plus the garlic, rice wine, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Set aside and let it hang out.
2. Heat remaining sesame oil in wok or large skillet over high heat until it smokes.
3. Add carrot (and broccoli) and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the marinate chicken and cook another 3-4 minutes. Toss in the bell pepper and water chestnuts. Heat through for 1 minute.
4. Add the hoisin sauce and toss to coat evenly.
5. Place chicken on a bed of jasmine rice and top with cashews and green onions. Feeds 4.
What I love best about this recipe, aside from its taste, is that with the basic chicken and sauce I can play with the veggies. We don’t like green onions, but we like broccoli. My daughter won’t eat the bell peppers, but she likes the carrots. Add or subtract until it tastes right for your family.
Enjoy!
<3 Anna
Manscaping, Anyone?
Or, I Can’t Stop Giggling at This Trailer
Every time I drive by this landscaping company’s truck and trailer my mind reads manscape. I can’t help it. They should really choose another font.
<3 Anna
Christina Perri’s Human
Or, The Song I Can’t Get Out Of My Head
I dare you to listen to this song and not fall in love with it and Christina Perri. Her voice is hypnotic and so beautiful.
Bonus quote from “Jar of Hearts:”
You’re gonna catch a cold
from the ice inside your soul.
<3 Anna
Fun at the Carnival
Or, Hanging Out At The County Fair
I am not a fan of heights. I can fake bravery and act like it’s all cool, but I really do not like heights. Add that to sketchy ride operators and (I’m assuming) nonexistent safety inspections and I can freak out a bit at the carnival.
Okay. Honestly? I cried once.
And that’s all I’m going to say about it.
<3 Anna