In January 2022, as part of our South Branch BooksTalks on Zoom, Monica K., from the Gere and South Branch Libraries, presented an equine-themed talk on the topic "The Real Life Horse Whisperer and Other True Tales" -- featuring ten books related to horses.
Check out Monica's list of recommended reads, in this booktalk booklist on BookGuide at the following link:
I really loved this book for what it was: A beautiful, Pinterest-y inspiration book. I have it on my dining table and every time I open it, I feel inspired to clean and organize. My favorite part of the book, and her magazine for that matter, is her detailed calendar. Her monthly calendar is stellar and I always look forward to it the most when I read her magazine. This book delights me because it has all of the calendar months neatly organized inside one, glossy, confectionery binding. I devour cleaning and organization books and this one is, by far, the prettiest.
I am always astounded when I pick up a cleaning/organization book and its contents are not cohesive. Martha does not disappoint in the slightest. Every chapter is neatly organized, flowing from section to section with ease. She details how to clean and organize based on the items she listed in her monthly calendar. For example, In the month of November she has “Assemble a Winter Car Kit” and “Make Holiday Crafts.” The following pages are dedicated to describing exactly the best way to detail the car and make holiday crafts. I love it!
Aside from the visual delight, I enjoy how streamlined the book is with check lists, calendars, and tasks. She presents a year’s worth of chores in a manageable, easy-to-follow format. It is no wonder she is able to handle such a busy life. She also dedicates a good portion of the year to leisurely activities. Reminding us to ice-skate, horseback ride, and gather with friends and family. After all, it is important to celebrate and enjoy the fruits of your labor.
If you are looking for a deep, philosophical kind of organizational book, I would stick to something like Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up or anything by The Fly Lady. If you are wanting Pinterest-in-book-form, then look no further!
[ official Martha Stewart corporate web site ]
Recommended
by Monica K.
Bennett Martin Public Library – Public Service
Have you read or listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?
New reviews appear every month on the Staff
Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that
page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog
individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the
reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!
The Rural Diaries, by Hilarie Burton Morgan is as dreamy as a nonfiction book can get; like a soft-filter picture with a little quote underneath. The Rural Diaries reads like a fairy tale for adults – where the prince is dressed in leather and the castle is a farmhouse.
The
author shares her journey from single actress (One Tree Hill) to Madame of
Mischief Farm. Hilarie and her husband, actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan
(Supernatural), set out to make a beautiful life together. As singletons, they
had attained their dreams of becoming successful actors. As a couple, they had
a new dream: One that was far from the glitz and glam of Hollywood. They dreamt
of an idyllic life with babies, a garden, and bison frolicking across a
100-acre farm.
This
book gently stirred my emotions. I smiled as they explored a quaint village,
got teary-eyed when they welcomed their first child, and laughed out loud when
she suggested that she bewitched Jeffrey by lacing his coffee with cinnamon.
There are moments where she is frustrated with the little things but overcomes
the big things. She is both authentic and whimsical.
I
really love that the book is sprinkled with practical advice. She gives a lot
of sage tips to the novice willing to brave the unknown. She covers gardening,
old-fashioned recipes, and animal husbandry. The book is very encouraging to
those of us (ahem) who wish to one day make our way out of the city and into
the country, all without sugar-coating the struggle. One of my favorite
chapters that embodies this, is “The Fun of Failure.”
All
in all, this is a beautiful and uplifting read. It may be a diary, but it is
also a love letter to Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Mischief Farm, and her babies. I
give this book a 9 because it is really good — I would definitely recommend it
— and I have nothing but good things to say!
[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Honey Farm Dreaming by Anna Featherstone, or Country Grit by Scottie Brown Jones.]
[ publisher’s official Rural Diaries web site ] | [ official Hilarie Burton Morgan Instagram feed ]
Recommended
by Monica K.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service
Have you read or listened to
this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?
New reviews appear every month on the Staff
Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that
page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog
individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the
reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!
I pick up somewhere in the neighborhood of, oh I would say, 50 cookbooks a year. I browse through the majority of them and put them back on the shelf. A few make it out of the library and into my kitchen, and even fewer impress me. Sheet Pan Suppers: 120 Recipes for Simple, Surprising, Hands-off Meals Straight from the Oven by Molly Gilbert impressed me! The book is full of beautifully photographed meals and easy to follow recipes.
So far, I have made 7 of the recipes in the book. Every recipe was absolutely delicious and surprisingly easy to make. The kettle kale chips and the baked turkey meatballs with slow roasted tomatoes were healthy and straightforward options. I paired the coconut shrimp with spicy orange dipping sauce with king crab legs from Hy-vee for a fancy Friday night dinner. It was a crowd pleaser. Rack of Lamb with Herby Breadcrumbs and Buttered Carrots was my absolute favorite! I swapped Dijon for Horseradish mustard and it was fantastic.
For lunch options I tried the Italian Meat and Cheese Stromboli. I enjoy the fact that Gilbert provides multiple breading options. I used phyllo instead of pizza dough, as it was mentioned in another of her recipes. The Portabella Cap Pizzas with Garlic knots which have become a new weekly tradition in my house. For dessert, I tried the Big Dutch Baby with Meyer Lemon Sugar. I recommend pearl sugar and a long nap afterwards!
If you are looking for a no-fuss cookbook with delicious recipes that impressed a rather picky palate, I highly recommend Sheet Pan Suppers by Molly Gilbert. I give this cookbook a 10 out of 10 as it is excellent, one of my new favorites. I will read this again, and again, and again. I am planning on buying it and adding to my collection for many future uses and family meal memories!
[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try One Pan & Done: Hassle-Free Meals From the Oven to Your Table, also by author Molly Gilbert.]
[ official Dunk & Crumble (Molly Gilbert) web site ]
Recommended
by Monica K.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service
Have you read or listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?
New reviews appear every month on the Staff
Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that
page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog
individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the
reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!
The
pandemic has altered every dimension of our lives. With all this change, even
the most optimistic may be struggling to maintain happiness. So, I wanted to
review a book that focused on maximizing mental wellness. I reached out to a
friend who is active in the field of psychology, and she recommended The How of
Happiness by Sonja Lyubomirsky. Although It was published in 2008, it is still
regarded as a cornerstone for understanding what makes people happy. Her book
has recently been featured in articles on Washington Post, The New York Times,
and The Atlantic.
The
How of Happiness is an empirically-based book with practical advice on how to
increase your happiness by up to 40%. The premise of this book is that 40% of
what determines happiness is within our control. The other 60% is out of our
control: genetic set-point and certain life circumstances. She provides several
diagnostic quizzes to determine where you land. Then she provides 12
proven-to-make-you- happier activities, recommending the top four activities
that will be most beneficial to you personally.
Many
self-help books are products of limited research, opinions, and anecdotal
musings. Sonja Lyubomirsky is a well-respected psychologist who received her
training at Harvard and Stanford University. This is one of the first books
written on ‘happiness’ written by a research psychologist. Every exercise,
diagnostic questionnaire and activity is supported by scientific research.
I
followed the activities laid forth in this book and found my own happiness
levels to improve. A natural skeptic, I was particularly impressed with the
author’s dedication to providing the details of the studies that she conducted.
All of the studies are clearly sourced within the pages of this book. I had to
push through ‘debunking’ the myths as well as some of the more, as she put it,
“corny” exercises, but it was well worth it!
[ official The How of Happiness page on the
official Sonja Lyubomirsky web site ]
Recommended
by Monica K.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service
Have you read or listened to
this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?
New reviews appear every month on the Staff
Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that
page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog
individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the
reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!
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