Smitten with cooking

Deb Perelman loves to cook. She isn’t a chef or a restaurant owner—she’s never even waitressed. Cooking in her tiny Manhattan kitchen was, at least at first, for special occasions—and, too often, an unnecessarily daunting venture. Deb found herself overwhelmed by the number of recipes available to her. Have you ever searched for the perfect birthday cake on Google? You’ll get more than three million results. Where do you start? What if you pick a recipe that’s downright bad?
So Deb founded her award-winning blog, Smitten Kitchen, on the premise that cooking should be a pleasure, and that the results of your labor can—and should—be delicious . . .  every time. Deb is a firm believer that there are no bad cooks, just bad recipes. She has dedicated herself to creating and finding the best of the best and adapting the recipes for the everyday cook.
And now, with the same warmth, candor, and can-do spirit her blog is known for, Deb presents her first cookbook: more than 100 recipes—almost entirely new, plus a few favorites from the site—all gorgeously illustrated with hundreds of her beautiful color photographs.Enriched Content Provided by Syndetics

I'm dead anyway...

 Arthur Cathcart considered himself a lucky man. A self-proclaimed nerd and a meticulous market researcher, he somehow won the affections of the lovely Florencia, owner of an insurance-brokerage firm, and their marriage was solid and happy, built on mutual respect, admiration, and love. Then his world implodes. He survives the carnage but decides to let the world assume he's dead, the better to stay safe while he tries to discover what happened and who's responsible. Chris Knopf, in Dead Anyway crafts a high-energy, very savvy thriller. Connecticut-based Cathcart has no time for police procedure and instead acts on his instincts, using his research skills to help him find the way and even becoming a badass when necessary. The novel generates enormous tension, and the mild-mannered number-cruncher is definitely an appealing hero. It's unclear if the novel is intended to be a stand-alone, or if it will launch a new series, but we'd very much like to see more of the engaging Cathcart.-- Booklist

The Literary Life

What would you do to have it all? That is exactly what Frances Thorpe has to answer when a random encounter with a dying woman gives her a chance to fulfill her dreams. Frances is a shy editorial assistant for a London’s Questioner newspaper. She has put in her time but nothing seems to be moving in the right direction. While returning to London one rainy evening she notices an accident. Since the road is basically deserted, she stops to help. She calls emergency and speaks with Alys, the accident victim, until the crew arrives. After making a statement to the patrol officers, she picks up her dull life once again. Frances is contacted by a sergeant and informed of Alys' passing. The family would like to meet Frances and thank her for her assistance. When she agrees to this, Frances’ life begins to change. Alys, Always by Harriet Lane is a twisting tale about coming to terms with grief and pursuing an aspiration. Intriguing. DB

Death, Politics, and Roadtrips

Fascinated by presidential killings and their public commemoration, author and NPR contributor Sarah Vowell helms a whirlwind tour of American history in Assassination Vacation.  She visits sites and artifacts related to Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley -- all the while weaving in her trademark humor and social commentary.  If you like this title, check out some of Vowell's other books -- The Partly Cloudy Patriot, The Wordy Shipmates, and Unfamiliar Fishes.  HM

Prediction

Million Death Quake - The Science of Predicting Earth’s Deadliest Natural Disaster by Roger Musson.  “Million Death Quake” makes quite the headline, doesn’t it?  Roger Musson has been studying earthquakes for three decades and tells you everything you’ve ever wanted to know about earthquakes (and tsunamis).  This book is a scientific look at seismology including how it is used as a way to monitor nuclear testing.  If you don’t think you are interested I want to share an interesting quote from chapter 6:  “There has even been speculation that some ancient societies were so weakened by the effect of a disastrous earthquake that they collapsed altogether…”  But proceed with caution.  As Musson explains – as seen in Peru in the 1980s the consequences of earthquake prediction can be an economic disaster (and result in a lot of embarrassed scientists). SG

The Questioning Catholic

Jenny McCarthy may be too young to have her say, but she doesn’t let that stop her. The outspoken actress, former playboy bunny and best-selling author speaks her mind in Bad Habits: confessions of a recovering Catholic. McCarthy grew up on the south side of Chicago, in a working -class neighborhood. She was one of four girls. Jenny attended Catholic schools and eventually went off to college and then on to bigger but not always better things. She writes about questions that have plagued her along the way: choices, God, and traditional practices. Although the book is funny and often offensive it is none-the-less direct. McCarthy has come to terms with her life experiences, her religion and her relationship with the Divine. If you are looking for your own answers consider reading this work.DB

Hungry Girl!

Attention Hungry Girl Fans – Lisa Lillien has a new book out Hungry Girl to the Max! The Ultimate Guilt-Free Cookbook.  For those of you who don’t know her Lisa Lillien, aka Hungry Girl, is the star of the hit cooking show Hungry Girl which airs on both the Food Network and Cooking Channel.  She also has a free daily email service which can be found at Hungry-Girl.com.  She’s written six N.Y. Times bestsellers – my favorite being the Hungry Girl Supermarket Survival book.  This new book H.G. to the Max! is a cookbook with over 650 recipes including meatless meals, single-serving recipes and dishes with five ingredients or less.  She includes meatless recipes and her pasta dishes are fantastic, ranging from a mere 141 calories to a little over 300 per serving.   At 290 calories the Hungry Girlfredo White Lasagna is a must try, but my vote is for the Chicken Girlfredo pizza.  Next up I’ll be trying the Crazy Glazy Roast Pork Tenderloin which has a simple marinade and the added bonus of a glaze that includes cranberry sauce, apricot preserves, rice vinegar and balsamic vinegar.  Making you hungry yet?  Then you'd better check this book out!  SG