Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The shelf was loaded with plastic bottles and canisters identified with labels like SMOKE-BLACK, SMOKE-WHITE, SMOKE-GRAY and KA-BLAM!

Review: Eating Rome by Elizabeth Helman Minchilli

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Elizabeth Minchilli has been eating her way through Rome since she was 12 years old. Eating Rome, based on her popular blog Elizabeth Minchilli in Rome, is her homage to the city that feeds her, literally and figuratively. Her story is a personal, quirky and deliciously entertaining look at some of the city’s monuments to food culture. Join her as she takes you on a stroll through her favorite open air markets; stop by the best gelato shops; order plates full of carbonara and　 finish the day with a brilliant red Negroni. Coffee, pizza, artichokes and grappa are starting points for mouth-watering stories about this ancient city. Illustrated with Minchilli’s beautiful full-color photos and enriched with her favorite recipes for Roman classics like vignarola, carciofi alla romana and carbonara, Eating Rome is the book that you want if you are planning your first trip to Rome or if you have been to Rome a dozen times. And even if you just want to spend a few hours armchair traveling, Elizabeth Minchilli is the person you want by your side.

MY TAKE:
I love watching food and travel shows on TLC, and this book read a little bit like a cross between a blog and a TLC show.

In Eating Rome, the author shares stories from her life in Rome and her tips for eating like a Roman and where the best places to go are. There are also recipes you can do at home, even if you're miles away from Italy.

I know I say this a lot, but I learned a ton of new things from this book. The recipes all looked good, but what I found fascinating and the best parts of the book, were the cultural lessons like food isn't really eaten on the go unless it's gelato or pizza bianca. For a lot of the chapters, there were short lists that told you the rules you needed to know when it came to eating things like, say, pasta. There's also a list of restaurants for each chapter and what each restaurant does best.

I had no idea how complicated going to the market was in Rome. I mean, we have something similar here in my country (regulars are called "suki"), but I don't think it's as strict as the system in Rome. It's pretty cool, though, and I would love to see it for myself someday. There were other interesting anecdotes too, like how you should always ask about the vegetables and the side dishes when going to restaurants because they are not listed in the menu.

Aside from the invaluable information, I also enjoyed the author's stories. It gave the book a personal touch and kept me interested in the chapters. It was easy to imagine her life in Rome, and although I think my eating and cooking habits make me a terrible fit for Rome in the long run, for short visits, I would definitely enjoy staying there.

If you're planning on going to Rome in the future, you should definitely get this. It's a really good starting point and guide, especially if you want to get an authentic experience.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the e-ARC.

THE GOOD:

1. You will learn a lot.
2. The recipes all look delicious.
3. It will help you make the most out of your experience in Rome.  

THE BAD:

1. I would have loved it if there were more pictures. 

READ IT IF:

1. You are thinking of traveling to Rome.
2. You love Italian food.
3. You like food and travel shows. 

RATING:


SOUNDS INTERESTING?

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

FROM NETGALLEY:

Some Kind of Normal by Juliana Stone
Rebels of the Lamp, Book 1 Rebels of the Lamp by Peter Speakman, Michael Galvin

Review: Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

NOW IN PAPERBACK!
The finish line is only the beginning…
Annie hates running. No matter how far she jogs, she can’t escape the guilt that if she hadn’t broken up with Kyle, he might still be alive. So to honor his memory, she starts preparing for the marathon he intended to race.
But the training is even more grueling than Annie could have imagined. Despite her coaching, she’s at war with her body, her mind—and her heart. With every mile that athletic Jeremiah cheers her on, she grows more conflicted. She wants to run into his arms…and sprint in the opposite direction. For Annie, opening up to love again may be even more of a challenge than crossing the finish line.
"Breathe, Annie, Breathe is an emotional, heartfelt, and beautiful story about finding yourself after loss and learning to love. It gave me so many feels. Her best book yet." -- Jennifer L. Armentrout, New York Times bestselling author of Wait for You

MY TAKE:
I remember hearing some good things about this book and author, so I was curious to read this one for myself.

In Breathe, Annie, Breathe, Annie is trying to honor her boyfriend's memory by running a marathon that he had wanted to run. She's not very good at running, so with the encouragement of a teacher, she signs up for a training program. There she meets Jeremiah, who is very interested in her. Annie thinks she may feel the same, but is she ready to love, and possibly lose, someone again?

I thought the premise and the plot itself was very good. It's something that's not tackled often in YA and more often than not, the previous relationship is treated like it didn't mean much. In this book, there was an effort to both respect Annie and Kyle's relationship, as well as Annie and Jere's.

I was sort of on the fence about Annie and Jere. By that, I mean, in the beginning, I was all for them. Then, for some reason, when people around them kept trying to push them together, even though Kyle had passed away less than a year ago, and Annie herself had said she wasn't ready yet, that pissed me off and made a part of me want Annie and Jere's relationship to not work out. It's one thing to help someone recover and move on, but just because you feel that someone should move on doesn't mean you should push them. You're not living their life. You don't know how they're coping, and pushing them to move, most likely so you can feel better about yourself since they're not moping around anymore, is just plain disrespectful and selfish.

There were moments when I felt like Annie and Jere's relationship was just lust, especially in the beginning. However, there were also moments, especially when Annie was unsure of continuing the race that I felt that maybe they really do love each other. At the very least, Jere really did feel that way, because what he said is something that you can only say if you have the person's best interest at heart.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the e-copy.

THE GOOD:

1. As a non-runner, it was interesting to see what goes into training and running a marathon.
2. There was a conscious effort to respect Annie's past relationship.
3. The characters were complex. 

THE BAD:

1.  Some of the people in Annie's life meddle too much.

READ IT IF:

1. You feel like you can't move on from a relationship.
2. You're scared of falling in love again.
3. You're a runner. 

RATING:


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Review: Coffee Gives Me Superpowers: An Illustrated Book about the Most Awesome Beverage on Earth by Ryoko Iwata

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

For coffee lovers and those who love them, Coffee Gives Me Superpowers is a fun, graphic design-centered book focused on one of the world's most addictive and beloved substances--coffee.
If coffee is the foundation of your food pyramid, then this is your book. Inspired by Ryoko Iwata's popular Web site, I Love Coffee (en.ilovecoffee.jp), Coffee Gives Me Superpowers is overflowing with infographics and fun, interesting facts about the most awesome beverage on earth written by Ryoko, a Japanese coffee-lover living in Seattle.  The book includes the most popular pieces on the site, such as "Your Brain on Beer vs. Coffee," "10 Coffee Myths," "The 15 Most Caffeinated Cities in the U.S.," "The Best Time of Day to Drink Coffee (According to Science)," and "10 Things You Probably Didn't Know about Caffeine," plus 25 percent new, original material that is available only in this book.

MY TAKE:
The moment I saw the cover of this book, I thought "Sold!"

Coffee Gives Me Superpowers: An Illustrated Book about the Most Awesome Beverage on Earth is chocful of infographics, trivia and fun illustrated lists about coffee.

The book summary says that this book is for coffee lovers and those who love them. Usually, books that have phrases like that ("for fans of..., etc."), the book isn't a perfect fit for that demographic. Here, it's true. If you're a coffee lover, there's a very, very good chance that you will love this book.

I loved the font and colors used, and the illustrations were cute and funny. The style of some of the infographics was very much like ones I've seen on The Oatmeal, whom the author collaborated with for this book in the comic at the end.

There were plenty of cool and interesting information contained in the book. Some of the most interesting infographics for me were: beer versus coffee; best time to drink coffee; basic espresso drinks, coffee personality test, and the Starbucks coffee calorie count comparison. The Starbucks calorie count thing was a little frightening, but it was nice to know that my preferred drinks didn't contain a lot of calories and the equivalent food wasn't a terrifying amount of junk food.

I learned a lot of things from this book, which is great since I felt that reading this book was an excellent use of my time. The most interesting thing I learned today? That saucers weren't originally there just for you to place the cup or spoon in. It's there for you to drink the coffee from!

Thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the e-ARC.

THE GOOD:

1. The infographics are colorful and fascinating.
2. You'll learn a lot of new things.
3. There's plenty of information here that you can use in your everyday life, especially if you love coffee.

THE BAD:

1. It feels like the book was a little too short.

READ IT IF:

1. You love coffee.
2. You need coffee to function.
3. You know someone who is a fan of coffee. 

RATING:


SOUNDS INTERESTING?

Review: Zoo Orchestra by Manuel Diaz

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Everyone is invited to the Zoo Orchestra!
Enter the delightful world of the Zoo Orchestra, where animals embody the instruments they masterfully play.
The fanciful sounds of the clarinet are played by the angelic pig, who, like his instrument, has a circular snout perfect for making all kinds of sounds.
The gravity-defying squirrel uses a piccolo to whistle out tunes; its pocket-size is very much the large bass players’ envy!
Don’t forget the gentle koala, whose rich-sounding viola is an important addition to every orchestra.
The gravity-defying squirrel uses a piccolo to whistle out tunes; its pocket-size is very much the large bass players’ envy!
Author Manuel Díaz combines his own imaginative paintings with the knowledge and experience as a concert viola player to present a world where any age of reader can learn about the world of classical music. Zoo Orchestra uses humor, imagination, and original art to create a magical symphony of animals that all audiences will enjoy!

MY TAKE:
I was intrigued by this book because the painting on the cover reminded me of Chinese paintings.

In Zoo Orchestra, readers get to see paintings showing animals playing instruments, and they get to learn more about the instruments and animals depicted.

Honestly, I thought this would be a picture book or a children's book, since one of its NetGalley category is Children's Fiction. I didn't notice the Teens & YA Category until I was ready to review the book. The book, I think, is more of a middle grade book than a children's or teens' book. The text explaining each instrument is usually long, and there are many words that most young children will not know, such as leverage. There are also some technical jargon (instrument parts, etc.) that may be hard for some kids and preteens to imagine if they have no experience with instruments.

All that aside, I thought the concept of this book is interesting. The descriptions for each instrument not only described it, it also sometimes had historical facts included. Some of the lines were pretty funny too. The descriptions for the animals were shorter, but that's okay since most kids will already be familiar with most of them. I really liked the Listen part for each painting the most. Here, the author suggests a song or part of a song featuring the instrument that was just mentioned. It's a great way for kids to hear the instrument at work, as well as listen to classical music.

I thought the paintings, while not always at par with professional artists, were usually excellent likenesses of the animals. However, the overall effect of the paintings may not appeal to some children, especially those who are used to or prefer drawings that are more cute and pretty.

The only thing that I really didn't like was the layout. The arrangement was painting, then description of the instrument, then description of the animal, then the listening suggestion. Each section had a header in a different font and color, but everything else was just plain text on white background. It was a bit like reading a report for school. I think this book would benefit from more color and variety when it comes to the layout.

Thanks to NetGalley and Mill City Press for the e-copy.

THE GOOD:

1. You learn more about instruments.
2. The paintings are generally quite good.
3. The Listen part of each painting is a nice addition. 

THE BAD:

1. The layout could be more exciting. 

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

The bear in the painting is mad at the conductor for giving a small suggestion about playing "in tempo." 

READ IT IF:

1. Your child likes instruments.
2. Your child likes animals.
3. You want to encourage your child to listen to classical music. 

RATING:


SOUNDS INTERESTING?

Review: The Truth About Us by Janet Gurtler

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Sometimes the person who's most different from you is the one who makes you feel like you belong. When Jess is caught drinking and inappropriately face-timing boys, her dad orders her to spend the rest of the summer volunteering at the local soup kitchen.Thrust into a world where her own problems no longer seem so insurmountable, Jess meets Flynn, a guy from her high school who comes to the soup kitchen for meals with his adorable little brother. Slowly, Jess and Flynn begin to know and trust each other, despite their different backgrounds and the prejudice of their families. But as their relationship intensifies and outside pressures escalate, can they find the strength to stay together?

MY TAKE:
The rich-girl-poor-boy trope is one of my favorites, so I figured I might enjoy this book.

In The Truth About Us, Jess is a rich girl who has been drinking and acting out in order to cope with a messy home life. When her father finds out, she gets sent to volunteer at a shelter. There, she becomes good friends with some of the employees, as well as a guy who she ends up falling in love with. However, Flynn is not rich like her, and others around them think that this could be a problem for both of them.

While a lot of the plot points are things I've seen before, I still more or less enjoyed the book. The friendships that Jess developed with Wilf and Kyle made me smile. The interactions seemed genuine and felt organic to the story.

The whole thing with Jess and her first best friend, as well as with Nance and Jennifer, was a good call, in the sense that it was able to show that Jess didn't really mean to be a party girl and that wasn't who she was and wasn't what she'll be forever.

Jess' family drama wasn't entirely unexpected, but I didn't really like how Jess initially approached it. She wasn't very empathic and thought only in terms of how her family's behavior affected her and didn't really think why they acted that way or how they felt.

Jess reminded me of a smarter Cher Horowitz. She's privileged, optimistic and naive. It was a little disturbing, though, to see some of her thoughts on the poverty at the shelter, and later at Flynn's house, although she didn't think of it in a mean way. I forget sometimes that some people in first-world countries have never even imagined the kind of poverty that can exist in the rest of the world, or even in their own country. Perhaps that's why I never truly warmed up to Jess, although I didn't really feel angry or annoyed at her.

Flynn seems like a good guy, and he was exactly what I hoped to see in this kind of story. However, my favorite characters weren't Flynn or Jess. I really liked Wilf and Penny. Wilf is a cranky grandfather-type of man, but he's a lovely soul. Penny, on the other hand, seems like a very good friend and there was just something about her I instantly liked.

Despite being meh about Jess, I quite liked her and Flynn's romance. Usually, when I'm not completely sold on a character, I end up disliking the romance too. Here, though, I still wanted them to end up together. I didn't think the last blow-up between them was necessary, though, since there were already so many things that happened to keep them apart.

THE GOOD:

1. Jess and Flynn make their romance trope work.
2. Wilf and Penny are great supporting characters.
3. There's an effort not to make the romance the center of the story. 

THE BAD:

1. Some of the plot twists are predictable. 

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

"Well, let's say in your day, I think rainbows were in black and white." 

READ IT IF:

1. You're a fan of stories about a rich girl and a poor boy.
2. You like stories that have something about families, friendships and relationships.
3. You like strong supporting characters.

RATING:


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