First I want to start off by saying, THANK YOU! Thank you for the kind words, the advice and the general welcome that my newly designed blog has received. We are still working on things so let me know ANY of your suggestions or thoughts! Just a reminder to hit the SUBSCRIBE button on my home page and to share and comment below! Blogging is about communication and I love that I have the chance to have more of a dialogue with readers now! One way to encourage conversation is to share with you all what I have been reading!
I am so incredibly excited to share my January and February reading list with you! I have been busy these past two months reading, reading, and reading, so that I can share my favourite books from the past few months with you! For the new year I picked books based on three different themes Black History Month, Valentine’s Day, and new beginnings! Please let me know if you have read any of these books and what you thought of them! Just a reminder, you can click on the book title to connect to my affiliated Amazon page!
A House In The Sky by Amanda Lindhout & Sara Corbett
I loved National Geographic as a child, it was my escape as well. I really connected with Amanda, especially being around the same age and coming from the Canadian prairies. That’s where the recognition ended. Everything about this book is foreign to me. It made me think, Google, and cry. What an amazingly honest book about things, places and people that I have no idea about. Wow. I cannot believe this is a true story. Heartbreaking, hopeful, educational and just an important book that I’m so happy that I read.
Camp Zero by Michelle Min Sterling
Set in 2049 in northern Canada, written by a Canadian I feel like I’m getting all my Can Con in lol. I’m not sure about this book. Halfway through I still wasn’t quite sure what was going on, but I was completely invested. Even though it’s set in the future, the main issues are the same ones that we face today, climate change, gender roles, and wealth inequality. Definitely gave me a lot to reflect on.
American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson
As a political nerd, this was an interesting read because it is set in the 80’s and discusses US/Russian ties, gender inequality, racism, communism, and South African politics of the time. I really liked Marie, the main character, and how she told her story.
In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
This book hit me in all the feels. I loved all the characters and did not see the twists coming. This is a a story that shows that nothing is a guarantee in life, you can’t plan everything and not everything is always as it seems. While sometimes you feel like you have to continue going down the path you’ve chosen, you can always take a quick right and end up in a completely different life. This was a good book!
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
Wow! My kids read graphic novels, I’ve never seen the appeal but this book opened my eyes to lots of different things. I loved how it was written, like spoken word poetry. The illustrations were as graphic as the words. Powerful. This book was a glimpse into the life of a 15-year-old living in a cycle of guns and revenge. Heartbreaking and eye-opening.
I love this book so much because of the nuances. This is a fantastic book that really highlights white privilege. There are so many aspects of this book that I found relatable, teachable, and frankly, just a great story with complicated characters. At first I was rooting for Alix, but as I read more, that really made me examine my own privilege. I loved Emira and her outlook. Can’t wait to read more from this author!
It took me a while to get into this book, it is a big one full of mystery, 2 timelines, family drama and murder. I love books with hidden diaries, and although this one might be a little predictable, I really loved learning about Australia, and all the twists and turns in this beautifully written book.
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
This was a great book set in 2 different time periods (1960’s and 2018) somewhere on a small Caribbean island. I had to look up terms, foods and words because this part of the worked is new to me. I loved the different perspectives of growing up mixed races, in the commonwealth, and the questions of what is traditional when it comes to colonization. A great book about family dynamics, love, hardship, and a little murder mystery to keep you wondering until the very end.
Love, Theoretically by Alicia Hazelwood
What a fun book! I absolutely love Elsie and the way she thinks! I am a big fan of puns, and the scientific wordplay in this novel made me laugh, a lot. It is a super nerdy novel filled with science jokes, romance and honesty.
This was a very interesting book that I wouldn’t normally read. Shelley is a wife, mother, and CEO of a tech company. She is highly efficient, super driven, ambitious to a fault, and knows exactly what she wants. When glitches start to appear in her personal life, work life, and within her sense of morality, Shelley needs to make some major decisions about what is truly important.
Check out, How Was Your Week, Honey? Episode #364: Two of Hearts We get together after a snow filled week to discuss: American friends, strawberries, new blog, anxiety, vandalism, Frost Fest, listener email, Songs Of the Week, and new albums.
Before Christmas, Ninja and SBean made this AMAZING no bake Gingerbread Cream Pie. It was SO tasty, ridiculously easy to make and was a hit with my FIL! This would make a perfect Valentine dessert, or a Sunday dessert that feels right with all this snow falling around us! This pie is light, tasty and decadent!
Ingredients
1 5.1 oz box instant vanilla pudding mix
2 cups cold milk
2 tablespoons molasses
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 9-inch pie shell, blind baked
Directions
In a large bowl, whip vanilla pudding with milk. Let sit 3 minutes to thicken, then stir in molasses and spices.
In a separate bowl, whip heavy cream with powdered sugar until stiff. Fold one third into pudding mixture and then pour into baked pie shell.
Top with remaining cream, sprinkle with a little nutmeg for garnish. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
This week was snowy. We officially got hit by winter. While Ninja was out with our team shovelling, I kept the house running. I did yoga when I was feeling well enough to do it, Took Oliver on snow filled walks, and got the Kids to school. SBean is building a TS Monopoly board and sadly someone smashed out one of Sparky Blue’s (our work truck) canopy windows. We had a fabulous weekend here in Penticton! It was the BCHL All Star Weekend and Downtown Penticton put on the First Annual Frostfest with hockey games running all day, inside and outside, activities for the Kids, and an awesome ski/snowboard railslide comp to end the night! We met Dylan Playfair, watched the BCHL Alumni game, had a snowball fight on the beach, picked HBear up from work and had dinner at Match. On Sunday we took it easy as I was SORE from walking with heavy boots on the day before… what has my life become?? LOL My Sis FINALLY let go of our family sectional that we have used for over 35 years! So many memories. HBear studied for finals, SBean did Lego and played us MORE TS songs on her keyboard, we watched football, hockey, SBean prepared a lovely bubble bath for me with matching accessories to my book lol and enjoyed each other’s company before we start it all over again.
6 thoughts on “January Reading List & Gingerbread Cream Pie”
As a bookseller, I LOVE seeing these posts. Have you ever read Elena Aarmas at all? If you like Ali Hazelwood, you will love her work. Stopping in to visit from Senior Salon Pit Stop. Have a wonderful week!
Jennifer
Yay! I love books! I haven’t read anything by that author but I will add to my list! Thanks for the suggestion!!
That pie does look #YumYum
Thanks so much for participating and sharing at SSPS 294. See you again next week!
I”m impressed with all the books you got read. I have been stuck on this boring Brain book myself. I wanted so badly to finish it, but I don’t think it’s going to happen. The pie is beautiful!!
Thank you! I was in a reading rut, and I too like to finish books, but then I made a decision. I realized there are far too many good books out there to stay reading one that didn’t capture my attention! Put it down and grabbed one that sparked your passion to read again! Last year after I put that dud down, I read 67 books and this year I’m going for 70!
Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner party. Have a great weekend and see you tomorrow!