Book Review: The Uninvited Guests

Title: The Uninvited Guests
Author: Sadie Jones
Publisher: Harper
Book: Hardcover, 272 pages
Buy: Amazon.com

Synopsis:
         One late spring evening in 1912, in the kitchens at Sterne, preparations begin for an elegant supper party in honor of Emerald Torrington's twentieth birthday. But only a few miles away, a dreadful accident propels a crowd of mysterious and not altogether savory survivors to seek shelter at the ramshackle manor—and the household is thrown into confusion and mischief.

        
         The cook toils over mock turtle soup and a chocolate cake covered with green sugar roses, which the hungry band of visitors is not invited to taste. But nothing, it seems, will go according to plan. As the passengers wearily search for rest, the house undergoes a strange transformation. One of their number (who is most definitely not a gentleman) makes it his business to join the birthday revels.

         Evening turns to stormy night, and a most unpleasant parlor game threatens to blow respectability to smithereens: Smudge Torrington, the wayward youngest daughter of the house, decides that this is the perfect moment for her Great Undertaking.

         The Uninvited Guests is the bewitching new novel from the critically acclaimed Sadie Jones. The prizewinning author triumphs in this frightening yet delicious drama of dark surprises—where social codes are uprooted and desire daringly trumps propriety—and all is alight with Edwardian wit and opulence.

Review:
         This novel sounded like one of those old-school dinner mystery type of stories. Even the cover, which is beautiful, invokes a certain dark sense of the book and seems to allude to what is inside. All Emerald wanted to do was have a lovely dinner party for her birthday, but fate had other plans. The accident that occurs not far from their secluded house brings unexpected guests by the masses and they are forced to not only put them up in their rooms, but feed them as well. As the night continues, the guests become even more unwelcome and the birthday celebrations have to be put on hold to accomodate the wanderers.
          You feel a sense of pity for Emerald and her family, who have this unfortunate thing happening to them on such a special night. Yes, the guests were in an accident, but the author paints them as annoyances more than troubled people finding a place to go. You should feel the most bad for the accident victims, but in this novel, they are merely an inconvenience.
          Smudge, Emerald's little sister, has plans of her own while all of this is happening and decides to pull off a big stunt that will eventually bring everyone together to solve the mess she got herself into. One of the accident victims, who seems to be of higher rank, decides to join the party himself and becomes a most unwelcome addition, throwing the whole celebration into turmoil and upsetting the lady of the house.
           This novel has adventure, distress, drama, humor, and resolve, which are all bound together to make an interesting book. I definitely enjoyed some parts of it; the house sounded beautiful from the way it was described and each character certainly had their part to play. I wasn't as drawn in as I had liked to be as a lot of the characters were not endearing or easy to relate to. When the uninvited guests came, it felt like they were coming in on my party I was so annoyed. The author certainly writes well and follows through to the very end and gives us a totally new story to share. I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the publisher in order to create this review. The opinions expressed are of my own. Thank you to Trish at TLC Book Tours. 

Book Review: I, Iago: A Novel

Title: I, Iago: A Novel
Author: Nicole Galland
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Book: Paperback, 400 pages
Buy: Amazon.com

Synopsis:
           From Nicole Galland, acclaimed author of The Fool's Tale, comes a marvelous evocation of a distant time and place . . . and a breathtaking reexamination of one of literature's classic villains

           From earliest childhood, the precocious boy called Iago had inconvenient tendencies toward honesty—a failing that made him an embarrassment to his family and an outcast in the corrupt culture of glittering Renaissance Venice. Embracing military life as an antidote to the frippery of Venetian society, Iago won the love of the beautiful Emilia and the regard of Venice's revered General Othello. After years of abuse and rejection, Iago was poised to achieve everything he had ever fought for and dreamed of . . .

         But a cascade of unexpected deceptions propels him on a catastrophic quest for righteous vengeance, contorting his moral compass until he has betrayed his closest friends and family, and sealed his own fate as one of the most notorious villains of all time.

         Inspired by William Shakespeare's classic tragedy Othello—a timeless tale of friendship and treachery, love and jealousy—Galland's I, Iago sheds fascinating new light on a complex soul, and on the conditions and fateful events that helped to create a monster.

Review:
         This novel grabbed me right from the very start. The story of Iago as a boy and then a man in miliary life in Venice is enthralling and adventerous. He meets a beautiful woman, becomes the General's best friend and confidant, and seems to have the world at his feet. But jealousy and desire take over his life and affects everything that is dear to him and the ending is as Shakespearean as you can get.
         I loved how the novel was put together and that it was told from Iago's point of view. The detail and imagery were very descriptive and it took me to Renaissance Venice every time I picked it up. Some people think it's easy to retell a story that's already been told, but to do it from another angle and enhance it as much as the author did takes skill.
          I love the descriptions of the masquerade balls and how Iago never let society change who he was or how he acted. Imagining how daunting and intimidating Othello must have seemed to everyone else was an important aspect of the story. He totally rattles Venice society but soon after earns their love and respect. All the events that transpired afterwards made this a page turner.
          I highly recommend this book to Shakespeare fans, historical fiction afficianados, or anyone who wants to be taken back in time to a shiny, elegant, and militaristic Venice. This is definitely a book to keep and cherish for a long time. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the publisher in order to create this review. The opinions expressed are of my own. Thank you to Trish at TLC Book Tours. 

Zoya Earth Day Haul

My long time followers know my love of nail polish, and Zoya specifically. Zoya is a brand that provides toluene-free, formaldehyde-free, DBP-free and camphor-free nail polishes. Plus, they have hundreds of color options, the most I've ever seen.

Each year, Zoya does their part and has an Earth Day promotion. For a few days, they let you buy as many nail polishes as you want (6 polish minimum) for half-off (plus shipping) if you promise to send in any non-Zoya nail polishes that they can dispose of properly. It's their way to give on Earth Day and help the environment.

Last year, I couldn't participate, but this year I had all my old polishes stored and ready to go when the promotion came around. Some of them were pretty much used up, some did not have a great texture, and some I just knew I wouldn't wear.  

I sent 3 Revlons, 3 Sally Hansens, 1 Sinful Colors and 1 Essie to be disposed.

As for the colors I chose to replace them, let's just say I really paid attention to what I was missing in my ever-expanding nail polish collection. I received them a couple of days ago and I can't wait to try them all!

L to R - Marley, Ivanka, Wednesday, Yasmeen, Evangeline, Jacy, and Tart

Marly, Ivanka, Wednesday and Yasmeen

Evangeline, Jacy, and Tart

Do you have a lot of polishes?

Chalkboard DIY

My husband recently bought a nice stainless steel kegerator so he could keg the homebrews he and his friends make. We decided to place it in the kitchen since it matched the rest of our appliances. One thing I've wanted to do for awhile is paint a chalkboard in the kitchen, and this gave me a great excuse to do so.

I love when bars have chalkboard that list what is on tap for the day; it's a great way for them to erase and update when needed. I used that inspiration to paint the chalkboard above where the kegerator was being placed.

I started by taping of the area I wanted to paint. 

 Once that was done, I went ahead and painted the first coat, waited a day, then painted the second and final coat. I removed the tape and voila! I will eventually put a wood border around it, but for now it looks great. 

Once the first beer was in the keg, I wrote it on the board (and my friend added the pretty details on the left). I love how easy it is and it will be great for when we have parties.

 One recommendation I would give to anyone that wants to paint a chalkboard wall is to sand down the wall before painting. I assumed the paint would be thick enough to cover the textured wall and leave it smooth, but I was wrong. Textured walls will be harder to write on but it's not the end of the world.

This is also a great idea for kids rooms and I've seen examples all over the internet. You can buy chalkboard paint in any hardware store and it comes in chalkboard green and black.

Would you paint a wall in chalkboard paint?

Book Review: Survival Mom

Title: Survival Mom: How To Prepare Your Family For Everyday Distasters and Worst-Case Scenarios
Author: Lisa Bedford
Publisher: HarperOne
Book: Paperback, 336 pages
Buy: Amazon.com

Synopsis:
            Everything You Need to Know to Keep Your Family Safe and Secure—No Matter What

Undaunted by the prospect of TEOTWAWKI (The End of the World as We Know It), Lisa Bedford tackles every what-if and worst-case scenario head-on, offering practical advice on how to prepare your family for whatever might come your way. From a few days without electricity to an unexpected job loss or total chaos after the destruction of a tornado, Survival Mom provides everything you need to become self-reliant and establish plans for your family, including:

• preparing the home for a natural disaster
• alternative sources of energy in a power's-out situation
• everything you need to know about food storage
• personal protection (do I really need to learn how to shoot a gun?)

            Deep inside every mom is a Survival Mom whose passion for her family drives her to make the best of the present and prepare for the future. So tap into your Mama Grizzly instincts and channel your worries into action. Whether you're a full-fledged "prepper" or just getting started, with real-life stories and customizable forms and checklists along with Lisa's "you can do it" attitude, Survival Mom replaces paranoia and panic with the peace of knowing YOU have the power to keep your loved ones safe and secure.

Review:
             I'm not a mother, but I was curious to read this book and see just how prepared my husband and I needed to be. The author has run a successful blog on this very topic and has stocked up her knowledge to write the book and give a how-to to every mother out there wanting to protect her family.
             There is a lot of useful information in this book. She covers food and water storage in several chapters and gives great recipes for meals, both with regular ingredients, and what she calls "survivalized" ingredients, which are mostly freeze-dried, dehydrated, or canned. Emergency kits are covered in every aspect; from the house to the car and even if you have to evacuate, and she includes the kids on the kit preparing as well. There is a great chapter on home safety and how important it is for the mother to know how to operate and own a gun (she tells you the 3 guns you need to keep in your home and when to use them). The best feature I liked was her Baby Step tips on the side. If you don't have the time or money to prepare as she describes, she suggests baby steps that can cover a week of food or finding a safe room in your house and preparing it sparingly instead of full force. She also has great worksheets and forms after each chapter that you can fill out to put together your family's plan.
            However, I deemed some of this book as being a bit too overzealous. No doubt the author is extremely prepared (3 months prepared to be exact), but some of her suggestions bordered on doomsday prepping, which she claims she is against. She says every family needs to have enough food and water stored to last them 3 months. She spends all her extra time and money buying these ingredients to keep her house fully stocked. Because of the space all of that would take up, she suggests places you can put it all; under beds, behind books in bookcases, anywhere where there is extra space. She also suggests that the "safe room" of the house needs to have a solid wood or steel door, 3 deadbolt locks, super strong drywall, security cameras and monitors, and wired glass or security film for windows. The author even covers finances, of which you should have 8 months of savings set aside, some gold or silver purchased for back-up against inflation, and a financial plan.
             One thing that this book stresses is preparing only for the emergencies and disasters that can happen to you given your location. People in Arizona rarely have to worry about floods or hurricanes while myself in Florida will probably never have a major earthquake occur. Knowing what natural disasters can happen to you will help you prepare better with the right tools. Hurricanes are a big problem in Florida, and this book definitely made me aware that I need to store at least some water and canned goods in case things get bad. One thing I will not be worried with is preparing 3 course meals with dehydrated food when canned goods and non-perishables will do.
             I am glad I read this book because it definitely made me think about what I need to do to protect myself and my husband and where I need to start to prepare for the unknowable. I won't go to the extremes the author has, but I will be more mindful in the future. Regardless of how too prepared the author is, this is an extremely helpful book and for that, I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the publisher in order to create this review. The opinions expressed are of my own. Thank you to Trish at TLC Book Tours. 

Follow Me on Pinterest!

Well, I finally caved in and joined Pinterest. I had a lot of friends saying it would be right up my alley and I could display some of the neat things I've done so far. I haven't gotten addicted yet but I'm sure I will get there. For now, I am going through my blog and pinning anything that looks interesting. I would love to have my blog followers also follow me on Pinterest and vice versa! I have posted a follow me link on the right side of the blog or you can click here

If you're on Pinterest, let me know so I can follow back! Happy Pinning everyone!

Back from the Nation's Capital

               Hello Lovelies! Sorry I haven't been around, I was working hard and preparing for our trip to Washington D.C. to celebrate our 4 year anniversary. We just got back yesterday and we had a blast!

We stayed at the gorgeous Hotel Palomar in Dupont Circle, which I highly recommend, and we ate and drank our way through DC. We had a beautiful anniversary dinner at BLT Steak Thursday night and got treated to some great culinary dishes. After dinner, we walked down to the mall to take some night photos, including this one of the Washington Monument.



 

On Friday, we went to the National Zoo and had fun seeing all the animals, especially the Panda. We came back our way for lunch and then headed off to the Natural History and American History museums. We ate at a gourmet pizza place near our hotel and traveled to another bar to try some beers we can't get in Florida. 

 

 Saturday, we went to the Butterfly and Sculpture Gardens and then the National Gallery of Art. I couldn't believe how big and expansive the museum was, and the artists being exhibited is amazing. I saw pieces from Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet, Da Vinci, Rembrandt, and more. This one particular Monet was one of my favorites.

After seeing the art and grabbing a bite, we went to the Air and Space Museum and spent hours looking at all the aircrafts and space memorabilia, which was amazing. I also took pictures of the different buildings, including the Archives building below.

Saturday night got a bit rainy, so we ate near our hotel and hunkered down in our hotel with some drinks. The next day was our last, so we ran in the rain to get breakfast and cupcakes to bring back. Don't they look delish?

We hopped in a taxi and headed towards Dulles, stopping at the Udvar-Hazy Museum to see their new centerpiece... the Space Shuttle Discovery!

Then we grabbed some drinks at the airport before jetting back home. We had a great time in DC and had some great cultural experiences while we were there.

Have you been to DC?