Top Ten Tuesday: Books About Pie

November 22, 2022 By 22 Comments


Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Thanksgiving isn’t a big holiday in my family, but we sure do love pie. My favorite flavors of it are lemon meringue, pumpkin, and cherry, but I don’t think I’ve ever met a pie I didn’t like.

Here are ten books about pie (among other topics, of course) that make me crave that dessert even more.

1. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (Flavia de Luce, #1) by Alan Bradley

2. How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman

3. Love, Lies and Lemon Pies by Katy Cannon

4. Pie: A Global History by Janet Clarkson

5. Pies and Prejudice (A Charmed Pie Shoppe Mystery, #1) by Ellery Adams

6. Lemon Meringue Pie Murder (Hannah Swensen, #4) by Joanne Fluke

7. Flapper Pie and a Blue Prairie Sky: A Modern Baker’s Guide to Old-Fashioned Desserts by Karlynn Johnston

8. Pie Squared: Irresistibly Easy Sweet Savory Slab Pies by Cathy Barrow

9. Pie Is for Sharing by Stephanie Ledyard

10. How to Bake the Perfect Pecan Pie by Gina Henning

 

What types of pie or other desserts do you like? If you celebrate this holiday, do you stick with Thanksgiving classics like sweet potato pie or pumpkin pie, or do you branch out to other sweets?

Happy Thanksgiving from everyone at Long and Short Reviews!

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Musings Tagged With: ,

Movie Review: My Apocalyptic Thanksgiving

November 14, 2022 By Leave a Comment

Movie Review: My Apocalyptic Thanksgiving

Director: Charles B. Unger

Writer: Richard Soriano

Stars: Joshua Warren Bush, Ray Chang, and Chris Wu

A zombie-obsessed, special needs adult searches for his absent mom while a Korean family and gang compete to be his family.

Rated: 4 Stars

Review by: Astilbe

 

It’s hard to change the future when you can’t remember the past.

Just like Marcus, I was once obsessed with zombie movies. Some of the most memorable scenes were the ones that explored his interest in this topic and how the lessons he learned from that genre bled over into real life for him. I also loved seeing how his race, age, and disabilities influenced his understanding of that genre. Zombie flicks are so often written from the perspective of white men who don’t have any disabilities, so it was refreshing to see those same tropes play out for someone outside of that group.

Marcus’ inability to safely live on his own was such a major portion of the storyline that I was surprised to see how little time was spent explaining his backstory or diagnoses. His social worker and group home owner briefly discussed the fact that both his mental illness and developmental delay were the reasons for this, but they never went into anymore detail about that. I found myself wishing that they’d have either given him specific diagnoses or spent a scene describing his strengths and weaknesses when it came to why he needed to live in a group home. These labels were an important part of understanding later plot developments, and the storyline would have been tighter if the audience was given more direction here.

I loved the mishmash of genres in this film. Sometimes I couldn’t quite tell what was genuinely happening versus what Marcus’ vivid imagination wished would happen next. That not only fit his personality well, it also gave the comedy, drama, holiday, horror, and light speculative fiction genres a chance to rub up against each other in ways that I don’t see too often. As much as I want to dive deeply into this topic, it’s best if other viewers go into the first scene with as few assumptions about what will happen next as I did.

My Apocalyptic Thanksgiving was a thought-provoking, funny, and rewarding film.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Musings, Movie Review Tagged With:

Top Ten Tuesday: Series I’d Like to Start

November 8, 2022 By 58 Comments


Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

All of these series have been on my TBR for ages. Someday I do plan to read them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #1) by Rick Riordan

 

 

2. A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1) by George R.R. Martin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. The Maze Runner (The Maze Runner, #1) by James Dashner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium, #1) by Stieg Larsson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Interview with the Vampire (The Vampire Chronicles, #1) by Anne Rice

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #1) by Patrick Rothfuss

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. Dune (Dune #1) by Frank Herbert

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. Foundation (Foundation, #1) by Isaac Asimov

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9. The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle, #1) by Maggie Stiefvater

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10. The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency (No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, #1) by Alexander McCall Smith

 

If you’ve read any of these series, I’d love to hear your thoughts on them.

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Musings Tagged With:

Top Ten Tuesday: Halloween Films Based on Books

October 25, 2022 By 27 Comments


Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Happy Halloween from everyone at Long and Short Reviews!

Go pop some popcorn and grab some of your favorite Halloween candy, because today we’re talking about Halloween films based on books and other bookish things.

The first five entries on this list are family friendly. The last five are more appropriate for teens and adults.

Most of these films are not gory because I prefer psychological horror to other types of frights.

1. The Witches

Based on The Witches by Roald Dahl

 

2. A Series of Unfortunate Events 

Based on A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

 

3. Coraline

Based on Coraline by by Neil Gaiman

 

4. It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

Based on the Charlie Brown comic strip by Charles Schultz

 

5. The Nightmare Before Christmas

Based on the poem “The Nightmare Before Christmas” by Tim Burton

 

6. Sleepy Hollow

Based on The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

 

7. I Am Legend

Based on I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

 

8. Frankenstein

Based on Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

 

9. It

Based on It by Stephen King

 

10. The Woman in Black

Based on The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

 

What are your favorite Halloween films based on books? Which books do you think would make fantastic films for the spooky season in 2023 and beyond?

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Musings Tagged With: ,

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Words

October 18, 2022 By 38 Comments


Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Here are ten of my favorite words. I like the way they roll off my tongue.

1. Aurora

2. Idyllic

3. Moiety

4. Scintilla

5. Coalesce

6. Jovial

7. Onomatopoeia

8. Lagoon

9. Dulcet

10.  Zephyr

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Musings Tagged With:

Top Ten Tuesday: Books On My Fall 2022 To-Read List

September 20, 2022 By 78 Comments


Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Here are ten books that I’m looking forward to reading this fall. If there isn’t a release date included, that title was already published earlier this month.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas

Why It Interests Me: It’s been a long time since I’ve read any high fantasy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix by Anna-Marie McLemore

Why It Interests Me: I was not a fan of The Great Gastby when I read it back in high school. Maybe I’ll like it more as a retelling? People’s tastes can change over time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Sweet and Sour by Debbie Michiko Florence

Why It Interests Me: The friendship between the two main characters looks so sweet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. The Gathering Dark: An Anthology of Folk Horror edited by Tori Bovalino

Why It Interests Me: Can you believe that Halloween is less than six weeks away? I need to start thinking about what spooky stuff I should read for it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Vanessa Jared’s Got a Man – A Novel by

Release Date: Today

Why It Interests Me: There’s nothing like cleansing your palette with a fluffy romance novel after reading something really scary if you ask me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Soulmates by Susan Lee

Release Date: Today

Why It Interests Me: Don’t laugh, but I love puns in titles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson

Release Date: September 27

Why It Interests Me: This is the perfect time of year to read about vampires. I mean, would Halloween really be Halloween without them?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. Anne of Greenville by Mariko

Release Date: October 4

Why It Interests Me: As the editors of Long and Short Reviews have already noticed, I love new finding Anne of Green Gables retellings. Who knows? Maybe I’ll review this one for them after it comes out, too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9. The Age of Goodbyes by Li Zi Shu, Y.Z. Chin (translator)

Release Date: November 8

Why It Interests Me: The blurb makes this sounds like a dense but ultimately rewarding read. It also reminded me of some stories from my ancestors that sometimes conflict with each other or with what the history records officially say. The truth can be rewritten so easily that it can be hard to tell what really happened in certain cases!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10. We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds

Release Date: November 29

Why It Interests Me: Every single subplot in this book sounds intriguing to me, from the stress of switching schools to dealing with prejudice to having a seriously ill relative. Some of it reminds me of what I had to juggle alongside my studies when I was a teenager.  You never know what other people are quietly struggling with in life or what you might share in common with a stranger.

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Musings Tagged With: ,

Top Ten Tuesday: Books with Geographical Terms in the Title

September 13, 2022 By 54 Comments


Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Volcanoes were my geographic term of choice for this week’s prompt.

Who else was a little scared of volcanoes when you were a child? I saw so many cartoons about characters falling into them or suddenly being surrounded by lava that I think I believed people in real life experienced the same thing more often than is generally the case, too.

If you’ve ever seen lava or a volcano in person, I’d love to hear your stories about those experiences in the comment section below.

In the meantime, here are ten fiction and non-fiction books that include the word volcano in their titles.

1. A Volcanic Affair by Xanthia Rhodes

2. In the Shadow of the Volcano by Caryn Jenner

3. On The Volcano by James Nelson

4. Volcanoes: Fire and Life by Jon Chad

5. Volcano: The Eruption and Healing of Mount Saint Helens by Patricia Lauber

6. A Private Volcano: A modern novel of science and imagination by Lance Sieveking

7. Aerial Geology: A High-Altitude Tour of North America’s Spectacular Volcanoes, Canyons, Glaciers, Lakes, Craters, and Peaks by Mary Caperton Morton

8. Volcano Watch (Forensic Geology #3) by Toni Dwiggins

9. Ring of Fire: An Encyclopedia of the Pacific Rim’s Earthquakes, Tsunamis, and Volcanoes by Bethany D. Rinard Hinga

10. The House on the Volcano by Virginia Nielsen

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Top Ten Tuesday: Nonfiction Science Books That Are Good Reads

August 30, 2022 By 40 Comments


Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

I had some fantastic science teachers in elementary school, but my science teachers in later grades were unfortunately not so good at sharing their love of chemistry, biology, and other topics with their students in ways that I could relate to.

Luckily, adults have much more say in what they learn about, so I have rekindled my appreciation for science with books like these.

1. The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee

2. The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales by Oliver Sacks

3. Cosmos by Carl Sagan

4. Ask Me Why I Hurt: The Kids Nobody Wants and the Doctor Who Heals Them by Randy Christensen

5. Darwin’s Ghosts: The Secret History of Evolution by Rebecca Stott

6. The Glass Universe: How the Ladies of the Harvard Observatory Took the Measure of the Stars by Dava Sobel

7. The Long Summer: How Climate Changed Civilization by Brian M. Fagan

8. The Vaccine: Inside the Race to Conquer the COVID-19 Pandemic by Joe Miller

9. My Beloved Brontosaurus: On the Road with Old Bones, New Science, and Our Favorite Dinosaurs by Brian Switek

10. The Killers Within: The Deadly Rise Of Drug-Resistant Bacteria by Michael Shnayerson

What did you think of science classes when you were a student? Can you recommend any other nonfiction books about science?

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LASR Anniversary Scavenger Hunt: Abundance by Shanna Swenson

August 26, 2022 By Leave a Comment

Thanks for joining us on our 15th anniversary scavenger hunt! There are two ways to enter to win and it’s easy to play– first read the blurb below, then answer the question on the first Rafflecopter. You might win a $100 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC (along with other prizes). Follow and visit authors’ social media pages on the second Rafflecopter and you’re entered to win another $100 Amazon/BN GC (along with other prizes)!

Misfortune comes to us all in some form…

For Natalie Cameron, misfortune came in the most unspeakable way imaginable, now she must try and rebuild her life while fighting her own dark demons, the town speculation, her arrogant brother and her raging desire for the kindest man she’s ever met.

Natalie Cameron, along with her young daughter, Dallas, is on the run from a past that threatens to destroy her sanity. When her car breaks down on the side of a two lane Texas road, Jack Kinsen, her parent’s ranch foreman, unknowingly comes to her rescue. His kind eyes and sincere charm make him an easy target for Natalie’s trust issues and pent-up aggressions. But it doesn’t take her long to realize that her attitude towards him has a lot less to do with jealousy and a lot more to do with the fact that his closeness sets her on fire like no one else ever has. His sincerity begins to disarm the front she guards so vigilantly. If she isn’t careful, she could find herself lost to him….

At first glance, Jack Kinsen is fascinated by Natalie Butler Cameron and her child with her most curious gift. Natalie is the beloved only daughter of Jack’s employers and he’s not only baffled by her indifference to him but mystified by her unwarranted anger. She starts to awaken something primal within him, but will his compassionate nature be enough to break down the walls she hides behind or are her wounds simply too deep to heal?

Just as Natalie’s fate begins to turn around, unknowing danger lurks on the horizon. Natalie’s disturbing past is about to make an unexpected return…and with vengeance.

Abundance is a charming novel that will sweep you away with romance, drama and suspense as it expresses the depth of raw human emotion and the strength it takes to overcome tragedy.

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Filed Under: Guest Blogs, Romance Tagged With: ,

LASR Anniversary Scavenger Hunt: Kat Out of the Bag by Wendy Kendall

August 26, 2022 By Leave a Comment

Thanks for joining us on our 15th anniversary scavenger hunt! There are two ways to enter to win and it’s easy to play– first read the blurb below, then answer the question on the first Rafflecopter. You might win a $100 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC (along with other prizes). Follow and visit authors’ social media pages on the second Rafflecopter and you’re entered to win another $100 Amazon/BN GC (along with other prizes)!

From designer bags to body bags. When celebrated international purse designer, Katherine Watson hosts the party for her Purse-onality Women’s History Museum, she never expected the next day’s headline to read: ‘Murder at the Gala Premiere.’ A dead body is discovered during the event. Working to solve the murder, Katherine matches wits with a local cop Jason Holmes and his K-9 partner Hobbs. Although Holmes and Watson disagree often, there’s an undeniable attraction between them. They’ll have to put feelings on hold and focus on solving the murder, before Katherine becomes the killer’s next knock off.

Buy the book at Amazon.

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