Review: Shadow of Night

Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I just finished reading Shadow of the Night. While I enjoyed A Discovery of Witches, it started out great but the Diana/Matthew relationship felt a bit Twilight-esque. I was just annoyed with the whole damsel in constant distress is saved by big vampire man.

Well, this book was a complete turnaround. Diana was strong and didn't need saving, she managed herself. I love Elizabethan historical fiction so that just added to a great story. You just felt like a fly on the wall with such vivid descriptions.

I loved this book. In fact, I've been reading it nearly nonstop for the last couple of days and when I finished tonight, I had to keep reminding myself I was no longer in this magical world of witches, vampires, and daemons.

Don't you love it when you get so deep into a book that once you pull yourself out of it, you have to sort of wake up and realize it's not real life?

I can't wait for book 3!!



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Shredded Pork Deliciousness & My Top 5 of 2012

First of all, I have to share this recipe.  I made shredded pork last night for the very first time (or as my husband and children refer to it as "pork butt" as they snicker -- yes we are rather juvenile here.) from Pioneer Woman's blog.  It's made with Dr. Pepper and chipotle peppers.  We ate it on hamburger buns for bbq sandwiches.  It came out so deliciously moist, I would have never guessed.  Halfway through cooking, I was flipping it over and not liking the smell or the looks of things, but when it was finally done...to die for!  The only difference in mine was that I only had a 3 lb roast versus her recommendation of 5-7 lbs, so the Dr. Pepper was cut in half to 1 can, I only used a half a can of chipotle peppers, and the cook time was just 3 hours from start to finish at 300 degrees. 

Check out the recipe here. I was uber impressed that mine actually looked like the pictures when I pulled it out of the oven at the end.  Hubby was in heaven and ate like a pig.  Definitely a recipe that will become a staple around here.

Back to business....I can't believe 2012 is ending and we're on to 2013.  Where does the time go? My babies are growing up too fast.  I swear the older I get, the faster time flies.

What are you doing to celebrate? This is the first time in 3 years my two older children weren't in Oklahoma with their dad.  We're having a little party with Grandbea, my mother-in-law.  We will be counting down the hours with lots of games from my husband's  much-loved show, Table Top.

For eats, I've planned piglets in blankets (little smokies wrapped in crescent rolls), homemade dutch oven bread, crockpot mac n cheese, copycat Chili's skillet queso, homemade hot apple cider, and chocolate muffins (at the request of Miss Molly). Plus, some champagne for the grown ups.

Since we are coming down to the wire tonight, I thought it would be fun to post the Top Five most popular posts from my little blog from the entire year.

Top Five Sewing Chick Posts of 2012

#5 Fleece Sunflower Pillow Tutorial.  This tutorial I came up while actually making someone else's tutorial project.  It was a peony-like fleece flower. I kept thinking how bright and sunny a sunflower pillow would look, so I whipped one up and loved it so much I had to share. 

#4 Upcycled T Shirts into Rosette Embellishments  I'm always surprised at what's really popular on my blog.  This was the fourth highest on my blog.  It's a fun little embellishment.  I love to make these rosettes because no matter what, they always come out looking fabulous.

#3 Ribbon Flower Baby Headband tutorial.  I love these little headbands on Miss Molly.  I happened to be playing around with the ribbon to make an accessory to go with her outfit and I just loved how the flower came out. 

#2 Jointed Waldorf doll tutorial.  This is one of my most popular posts even lately.  I love to make these Waldorf dolls and it's fun to share my love with everyone else.  If you haven't tried one, they really aren't as scary to make as you might think. 

 

#1 Spiral Hot Dogs.  Who knew such a simple idea could make hot dogs so delicious?  I was surprised at the popularity of this post.  In fact, it was a spur of the moment that I decided to take pictures of my husband making them. 

Review: A Discovery of Witches

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



This is the story of Diana Bishop. A expert in chemistry and alchemy of the 17th century who happens to be a witch. Which she hates, so she pretends she is human and avoids magic. That is, until in her research she comes across a very old and very odd manuscript that has been bewitched. Her breaking its spell brings out the creatures including more witches, vampires,,and demons. This book has apparently been lost got hundreds of years and has the secrets of the beginnings of each of these creatures.

Because of this, Diana becomes a target for many, including a gorgeous vampire named Matthew who sweeps Diana off her feet. Danger ensues and they must hide from it, which eventually leads Diana and Matthew into "time walking" or time travel. All of which sets the stage for an adventure told in a trilogy.

While I really did enjoy this story and I'm anxious to read the rest of the trilogy, I did not care for the way Diana seemed to go from successful expert professor who takes care of herself to pitiful Bella Swan when she finds her soulmate in Matthew the vampire. This is a successful woman who has made it all the way to Yale tenured professor all by herself. Yet, she meets this vampire and suddenly she's a helpless witch who can't take care of herself. She just falls into obeying him and going along with his pack mentality. WTH? This is a vampire and he's a vampire with rage issues. Why does she just turn into this helpless little girl who keeps getting hurt and needs to be saved and then sedated by him? Like I said, I enjoyed the story, but it definitely had shades of Twilight -- including the lack of sex and her always wanting it.

And furthermore, if her magic is spellbound and she can ONLY use it when she needs it why the heck was she so useless when Satu kidnaps her? Shouldn't her witch abilities come out in that time of need?







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Review: The Forest of Hands and Teeth

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I have not finished the trilogy for this book yet. I will probably come back and write more in this review once I have.

This is the story about a girl named Mary who lives in a village surrounded by fencing. It's run by this mysterious Sisterhood who provide everything to everyone in the village. The fence keeps out the Unconsecrated, basically zombies.

Mary dreams of leaving the village to see the ocean. Her mother told her stories about her great-great-great grandmother swimming in the ocean. No one has left the village for generations.

On the morning of Mary's marriage to a boy she doesn't love, the village is swarmed by zombies and all that are left are Mary, her betrothed, her best friend and her best friend's betrothed (whom Mary loves), a little boy, and her big brother and sister-in-law. There are gates that lead further into the forest with narrow fenced paths that no one has ever used. But, when the zombies take over, the only choice this group has is to start down the paths.

It is a nailbiting journey, but that seems to be all it is. It seems the only things that happen are zombies and people being killed. Mary keeps making selfish, childish decisions that end up killing people she loves.

I liked it, but I wish there was more depth to the characters and the back story. It just seems the story starts out many many generations into the future where all they have ever known are zombies and the mysterious Sisterhood and no one questions it. Who are the Sisterhood? Where did they come from? Why are they so damn religious? Why are there so may zombies in this forest?

I did enjoy the story, so I am anxious to read books #2 and #3 to see if there is more depth to the story besides zombies and dying.



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Review: The Weight of Silence

The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I have really enjoyed Heather Gudenkauf's books. This one is a fast read. I couldn't put it down for 2 days straight. The anticipation of what happens to these two little girls was driving me to want to skip to the end, but I fought the urge.

I wish Petra's story would have been told a little more. While there were little bits and pieces in the book to give you clues to what happens to her, I just wished it had been explored more in the story. With everything else in the story being "real time," it just seems odd that you find out what happens to her after the fact.

Antonia drove me crazy. Her relationship with Louis drove me insane, too. Why dump your childhood sweetheart for a nasty drunken idiot just because he goes to better himself at college for a few years? They had this unbreakable bond since 2nd or 3rd grade and then you hate him because he is going off to college? And another thing about her was the whole relationship with Griff. For Toni to be this amazing girl with big brothers who would and could not deter her as she grew up, and then she ends up a battered wife just doesn't seem realistic to me. Who would not run from someone who threatens you on your "first date?" I just find it hard to believe her mother dying just drove her to stupidity.

I did enjoy the epilogue from Calli. I always hate when a book just ends after a huge ordeal, and you end up wondering what happened to the characters.



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