The Intellectual Devotional by David S. Kidder & Noah D. Oppenheim

Devotionals don't usually appeal to me since I'm not religious, but this is a devotional of a different sort. This collection has a page for each day, loaded with information about influential authors, books, works of art, artists, religion, math, and science. Even the educated can learn something in this handy tome...the true story of the strange circumstances leading to Mozart's death, what makes Ulysses such a special book, why religions treasure certain places and things, and what lead to now-common mathematical equations we all had to learn in high school. This book can pique interest in subjects you've never read about, and can inspire you to reread a beloved book. I myself had such fun with this book that I used it as inspiration to jot down some ideas for short stories and books. The only thing that disappointed me is that the music section was devoted to classical music only (I was hoping to read a passage on the Beatles, even though I'm pretty well versed in their history [huge fan!]), but luckily a second edition will be making its way to bookshelves soon. This is a wonderful read that can be enjoyed one bit at a time, and you can even skip through and/or use the index if you want to read about certain things. I really loved this book - a combination of educational and fun!

Having It And Eating It by Sabine Durrant

After having my boyfriend move in with his teenage boys and becoming engaged, I find myself attracted to books about family life and marriage. This book caught my attention with its clever cover, and the back containing an excerpt of the chance encounter between Maggie Owen, a woman raising two small children and living with her boyfriend Jake, and Claire, the girl she's idolized since high school. When Claire reenters Maggie's life, Maggie finds herself questioning her choices and constantly wondering about Claire's seemingly glamorous lifestyle. When Claire begins opening up to Maggie and confessing that she's worrying about time running out for her to have children of her own, she also reveals she's fallen in love with a married man and is currently dating another one. Maggie can't help but notice that Jake is spending a lot of late nights at the office and seems distant, and that the gardener that lives in Claire's basement keeps flirting...and she's starting to flirt back.

This book surprised me because just when I thought I had the characters figured out, something happened that surprised me. Durrant writes all of them believably, from the nosy mothers who join Maggie at the playground to Jake's seemingly chauvenistic friend Ed, who seems all to happy to drag Jake away from his family life. The ending is quite satisfying, although somewhat sad, as characters are forced to live with their choices and realize that the grass is indeed greener on the other side (regardless of who's in charge of gardening it).

Gluten Free Girl by Shauna James Ahern

Shauna James Ahern cannot eat anything with gluten in it. That is to say, she can't consume any food that has wheat, barley or rye in it, or any derivative of these three basic grains.

That means no cookies, no bread, no pasta. No beer. No CAKE!

Shauna has something called Celiac Disease. It means her body cannot process these foods, and it will make her sick, and will damage her intestines.

But is she upset about it? No way! She was just grateful to know what was wrong with her. And f...more Shauna James Ahern cannot eat anything with gluten in it. That is to say, she can't consume any food that has wheat, barley or rye in it, or any derivative of these three basic grains.

That means no cookies, no bread, no pasta. No beer. No CAKE!

Shauna has something called Celiac Disease. It means her body cannot process these foods, and it will make her sick, and will damage her intestines.

But is she upset about it? No way! She was just grateful to know what was wrong with her. And feeling better than she ever has is enough for her to do without gluten. But Shauna doesn't stop there. She embarks on a journey to find foods that are naturally gluten-free and bursting with flavor. And let me tell you, this woman can write. Her essays about food and her recipes make a person salivate. I tried quite a few of the recipes in the book (Pan Seared Salmon with Blackberry Sauce, and Shaved Fennel Salad were awesome!) and will definitely try more. Shauna tries to impart to her readers that someone who must be gluten-free does not have to feel deprived or depressed . There is a big beautiful world of food out there just waiting for you if you are brave enough to try it.

Shauna also says that statistics show that 1 in every 100 Americans is probably a Celiac, yet only 3% have been diagnosed.

This is a fantastic book for anyone who loves food, and not just for those who can't eat gluten.

I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloan Crossley

I loved this book purely for its title. Anytime there is cake is a good time in my book. But Sloan Crossley made me laugh out loud at her essays. Mostly biographical, Sloan talks about bridezillas; a Jewish girl at a Christian summer camp; being a lackluster volunteer; and purposely losing Oregon Trail so the character you named after your hated Algebra teacher dies of dysentery. (That is so awesome!) Sloan Crossley is not afraid to lay bare her less appealing character traits, and I was embarra...more I loved this book purely for its title. Anytime there is cake is a good time in my book. But Sloan Crossley made me laugh out loud at her essays. Mostly biographical, Sloan talks about bridezillas; a Jewish girl at a Christian summer camp; being a lackluster volunteer; and purposely losing Oregon Trail so the character you named after your hated Algebra teacher dies of dysentery. (That is so awesome!) Sloan Crossley is not afraid to lay bare her less appealing character traits, and I was embarrassed to see myself in some of them. (I'm not telling which ones.) Embarrassed, but also amused and relieved that I am not the only one.

Sepulchre by Kate Mosse

OMG! This was so good. I had devoured Ms. Mosse's first book, Labyrinth and loved it, and I have to say that this was even better.

This story is split between 1891 and present day. Leonie Vernier is a seventeen-year-old girl living in Paris when mysterious circumstances her older brother Anatole won't disclose send them to their aunt's house in the South of France. In the small town of Rennes-Les-Bains, Leonie encounters dark stories, a mysterious sepulchre in the woods, and unexplain...more OMG! This was so good. I had devoured Ms. Mosse's first book, Labyrinth and loved it, and I have to say that this was even better.

This story is split between 1891 and present day. Leonie Vernier is a seventeen-year-old girl living in Paris when mysterious circumstances her older brother Anatole won't disclose send them to their aunt's house in the South of France. In the small town of Rennes-Les-Bains, Leonie encounters dark stories, a mysterious sepulchre in the woods, and unexplained supernatural events. Meanwhile Anatole and their Aunt Isolde are battling their own demons in the form of a strange man named Victor Constant. And above all this is a pack of tarot cards that always seem to be a presence.

In the present day Meredith is in France researching a biography she is writing on Claude Debussey for graduate school. She takes a detour from Paris to Rennes-Les-Bains in the hopes of finding a trail of her unknown ancestors. She has a bizarre tarot reading in Paris, and strange things keep happening to her at the Domaine De La Cade, a very old estate now turned into a hotel. When the two stories merge, it is thrilling.

The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

This book was hyped to be "the Gossip Girl novel of the 19th century." Set in Manhattan during the Gilded Age of the late 1800's, the young elite of New York society bed hop, smoke, drink, and generally get down to the business of being rich and spoiled. I was totally jacked to read this.

But it fell kind of flat for me. There were good elements, but the story was predictable, and I totally saw the "twist ending" from a mile away. Oh well.