Who doesn't love a baking show?!

    I found this show earlier this year playing on PBS and love it. In this show they make breads, pies, tarts, biscuits, cakes, pastries, etc. They just started airing, at least in my area, the second series on PBS that is on Sunday nights. I missed the first episode and the second episode that aired this past Sunday the contestants made various types of breads. The contestants make three different items with a similar theme in each episode, some of which are of their own making and other items they are given a rough recipe to follow per the judges. At the end judges decide which contestant should leave, and they originally start with twelve people. One thing I like about this series is to see each persons personality and clips of what the people do besides baking.  Next weeks episode will be about desserts. On PBS website they do list some of the recipes for free from the bakers themselves. I love to get more inspiration of what to bake and ideas.

Couldn't finish this one either...

 

I received a free copy of this book from the Booklook Bloggers in exchange for my honest review per FTC regulations. I couldn't finish this book and I think that is because I wasn't convinced that most people didn't know about Carolyn's secret especially since Joshua's family didn't live that far from hers. Also with Amish families being so big I would also assume some from Carolyn's district at some point would have married into Joshua's, hence then everyone would know about who Ben's mother really was. I also didn't care for Carolyn's brother and was surprised how angry he appeared to be after his sister's choices even 15 years later. Joshua also seemed pretty weak as far as not having very many opinions himself and only doing what his mother told him too. I only give this a 2 out of 5.

Never going to be able to finish this book!

 I had gotten this book for free from Blogging For Books in exchange for an honest review per FTC. I thought that would love this book as I am a huge fan of history and diaries, etc. Emma of Aurora by Jane Kirkpatrick is based on the real life of Emma who was part of religious colony in Missouri. She has her eyes on a man who she wishes to marry and then the leader of the colony decides that they need to travel west. This book is based on historical documents, diaries, etc. This book is actually three in one and is almost 1,200 pages. I got partway into the second book. I just couldn't stand the character or at least the way it was written. She seemed highly immature and after she got married complained why her husband didn't seem to share her affections, opinions, etc. I am thinking perhaps this is because they didn't really know each other and she was the one who pushed for a marriage in the first place. On the trip to the West it was only worse, and while I did have some sympathy when they started to try and create a new colony it only lasted so long. I only got to the part where she was constantly fighting with her in-laws that had arrived. The book from the part I read was really slow and very drawn out. I really wished that I could have liked this book, and after trying several times to continue reading I had to finally give up. I only give this book 2 out of 5 stars.

A friend helps me with the mini flower quilt...

This is my friend that always wants to know what I am making and likes to keep me company of course. Here are the latest results of progress that I have made on this quilt. The piece is now big enough that when I add more pieces to it that the cat tries to get underneath the quilt top, I guess to to try and take a catnap, lol.

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? 9/14/15

 Lately for a book club I have been reading the book Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. I am almost finished reading and it is a whopper of a book with almost 900 pages. Each of her books as far as I know are about this length. I have read the book years ago in the 90's and read to book three in the series. I had stopped reading them since there were so many years in between books, sometimes five years for each one. It also became hard to remember where the plot was at while waiting for a new book to come out. Now, however I have been enjoying the tv series and rereading the first book. Since, I have taken such a big break in not reading this series now there are a total of eight books out, so I have quite a bit of catching up to do. I think the 9th book will be out next year. Have you read this series before and what did you think? I know it isn't everyone's cup of tea but I like the series for a variety of reasons; history, romance, time travel, and culture about the clans of Scotland.

Classics Club August Meme and overall progress

  The Classics Club is revisiting some of their previous meme's and for the month of August the question to answer is by BookerTalk, "Have you made changes to your list since you first created it? If you added any new titles or removed some, why did you make those changes?”

I have not added any to my list, but of course added books to my overall bookcases that I want to read in the future. So far I haven't removed any as of yet, although perhaps there is one that I might end up doing. I have tried to read this book a few times and just can't get into it, The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. I was previously reading the books in the order that it is on my list, but have given up on that. The last two years or less I haven't read as much as I would like, but recently did finish reading Persuasion, so far since August 2012 I have finished 11 books out of 67. I of course have quite a ways to go. Currently, I have started reading Little Dorrit for the spin that is due in October. What are you currently reading? Have you changed your list? If your not already a member you can join at anytime.

Persuasion Review

The Jane Austen book Persuasion is the shortest out of all of her works, however it is also the most unique writing style as well. There is very little dialogue at all in this book, which may bother some people, but I found it to be interesting. The book is told in a background story and the views of the main character Anne Elliot. She happens to be in her late 20's and in previous years was in love with Frederick Wentworth, however at the time this occurred a relationship was out of the question. Anne's father is a Baron and known as Sir Walter Elliot and puts great stock in the nobility. However, he only has daughters and is currently in bad financial circumstances. On the other hand Frederick Wentworth has returned and is now a Navy Captain that has made his fortune. We meet several different characters in this book friends or in-laws of young people a few are shallow or vain, while others are quiet or overlooked.  Anne Elliot was a quiet character who seemed to keep most of her opinions to herself, perhaps this is why her family often takes her for granted or they seem not to notice her at all. I wasn't a fan of most of her relatives. I am sure though that in writing the characters of the sisters that status and money were mostly all that was thought of at the time, especially in real life, women in the nobility/aristocracy needed to uphold or further advance themselves or their family by both status and financially. This book takes place in several locations including Bath in England, which from the previous Jane Austen books I have read is unusual. I did like the writing style but did wish this book was a little more in-depth in some instances and that the ending of it wasn't so rushed (this maybe because Jane Austen died and this book was actually published after her death). I was a little surprised though that for quite a while Frederick was nowhere around physically.

This book will be part of my Austen in August and The Classics Club review.