“Okay, okay. When we’re back in Ketterdam, take me out for waffles.” Now Inej did laugh. She dropped her hands and appeared to speculate. “Dessert for a life? I’m not sure that seems equitable.” “I expect really good waffles.” – Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo Could you say you expect yummy waffles? The gang from… Continue reading Recipe: Pahdj’s Yummy Waffles (inspired by Crooked Kingdom)
Tag: ya
(Mockturtle) Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Pumpkin spice cake with cream cheese frosting, moist and rich with hints of nutmeg and brown sugar mixed together with sweet roasted pumpkin that melted lusciously in the mouth all layered with velvety decadent cream cheese frosting, and in a whim she had topped it off with shreds of toasted coconut, adding a hint of crunch and extra sweetness. —Heartless by Marissa Meyer
I was so excited to read Heartless after finishing Marissa Meyer’s Lunar Chronicles. Such a great series. While Heartless didn’t live up to Cinder, it was still an entertaining origin tale of the Queen of Hearts. Not to mention overflowing with baking inspiration!
Book Review: Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye
“I liked hearing her earnest chatter, I liked the bizarre dishes served alongside our tea–buttered sandwiches, yes, but also a curry-scented bread which drove memories of Aunt Patience’s arrogant tiered refreshments straight from my mind.” For a Jane Steele inspired curry recipe, click here. 4/5 stars
Review: Illuminae: The Illuminae Files_01 by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Ezra Mason: Yeah. So all hell breaks loose, and Kady is yelling at me and I’m yelling back. All this stuff that’d been building up for the last year and boiling just under the skin. Like, I loved her. I love her. But she had this way of just . . . It was so stupid. The world is ending all around us and we’re screaming about college applications and commitment and
$%!*&. I mean, can you believe that?Interviewer: You’re seventeen, right?
Ezra Mason: Almost eighteen.
Interviewer: Then yes, I believe it.
Ezra Mason: Cold, chum. Real cold.
For an Illuminae-cover inspired Coconut Cream Fruit Tart recipe, click here.
5/5 stars
Review: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas (Throne of Glass, #2)
“Is that…chocolate cake?”
“I thought you might need some.”
“Need, not want?”
A ghost of a smile was on her lips, and he almost sagged in relief as he said, “For you, I’d say that chocolate cake is most definitely a need.”
Click here for a Crown of Midnight inspired chocolate cake recipe.
Click here for a review of the first book in the series, Throne of Glass.
The Story:
At the cost of nearly her life, Celaena has won the title of champion. Now she’s her enemy’s assassin, dispatched to remove the King of Adarlan’s dissenters. She’s living luxuriously off her blood money in the glass castle, but her friend Nehemia won’t allow her to enjoy these comforts, and neither will Celaena’s conscience. It’s time for Celaena to decide whose side she’s truly on and her reluctance to choose will come at a price.
Review: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
5/5 stars
For a Nina-inspired cake recipe, click here.
The Story:
Cruel mob boss Kaz Brekker has a new job: break into the most impenetrable prison ever built. Enlisting the help of five other criminals from the Ketterdam slums, the six are staging a heist that will make them rich beyond their wildest dreams. The journey strains Kaz, though, breaking through his armor to reveal a seventeen-year-old vulnerable boy with a haunting past. … Continue reading
Review: Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1) by Sarah J. Maas
5/5 stars
The Story:
A slave in the Endovier salt mines, eighteen-year-old Celaena Sardothien is one day released by a royal guard and presented to the crown prince who invites her to participate in the King’s competition seeking a Champion. Why her? Because she was once the country’s greatest assassin. Sponsored by the womanizing and flawless Crown Prince Dorian Havilliard, trained by the also handsome though less politically refined Captain of the Royal Guard Chaol Westfall, Celaena prepares to compete against 23 men for the spot as the King’s Champion. In the midst of hiding her true identity, recuperating from a year working as a slave underground in the mines, training for her competition, and staying in the competition, Celaena must also battle a darkness that’s threatening the castle.
Sarah J. Maas creates a diverse and action-packed fantasy world and one example of that diversity is the main character, Celaena. She’s physically strong, mentally tough, and has a soft spot for the finer things in life. I’ve gathered some of my favorite scenes that demonstrate Celaena’s sometimes hilarious character.
Review: Siege and Storm (Grisha Trilogy, #2) by Leigh Bardugo
5/5 stars
“A few dim memories flashed through my mind. A shallow dish of cooked beets, the slippery feel of them between my fingers as they stained my hands red.”
See here for a Siege and Storm inspired borsch recipe.
The story:
Siege and Storm continues Alina Starkov’s journey to master her new found powers as the Sun Summoner while chasing a legendary creature that could magnify those powers. News of the Sun Summoner is out, though, and thrones are vying for her strength. Alina must choose which side she is on.
The second installment of Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha Trilogy is a heartbreaking story of cost and sacrifice. As a suspenseful sequence, I’m struggling to say much without giving away everything, especially for those who haven’t even read the first book yet. And so, without further ado…
Spoilers begin here. You have been warned.
Book Review: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
3.5/5 stars
“I would kill for a cheeseburger. Honestly. If I stumbled across someone eating a cheeseburger, I would kill them for it.”
See here for a 5th Wave inspired burger recipe.
Book Review: Shadow and Bone (Grisha Trilogy, #1) by Leigh Bardugo
What’s to love?
- Fresh fantasy world with Russian influences
- Tender love story between dynamic characters
- A plot to save…or end…the world
Find my review of book two, Siege and Storm, here.
The Story:
Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone tells the story of Alina Starkov, a scrawny orphan girl who’s in love with her devastatingly handsome best friend, Mal. As a soldier serving her war torn country, Ravka, Alina prepares to cross the “Unsea,” an area of land covered in darkness and populated by flying monsters called the Volkra. Trying to protect herself and Mal when their convoy is attacked, Alina discovers a power she didn’t know she had, making her a member of the elite Grisha, the people who practice magic (but don’t call it magic to their faces, they call it the “Small Science”). Now, the Grisha leader, the Darkling (enter tall, dark handsome potential love interest number two) believes Alina’s power is the answer to saving Ravka from the power of the “Unsea.”
Spoilers begin here. You have been warned! … Continue reading
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