Winter Blogfest: Zelda Benjamin

This post is part of Long and Short Reviews’ Winter Blogfest. Leave a comment for a chance to win a $25 gift card to Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Recipes/baking tips cards.

Let’s Bake Some Memories: Holiday Glitter and a Kitchen Renovation by Zelda Benjamin

T’was 2 weeks before Christmas/Chanukah several years ago. My kitchen renovation was almost complete. New countertops would arrive any day.

As things happened, I was asked to bake dessert for a family holiday party. Most people would explain the situation and offer to bring a store-bought treat. Not me. After all, I had a working oven and a refrigerator. The missing countertops were a minor inconvenience.

I called my usual assistances, my grandchildren. They agreed on mini cupcakes with all the trimmings. Not a problem. To save time, I would bake the cakes and have them ready for them to decorate.

We cleared the coffee table in the family room and decorated two-dozen little cupcakes with glitter and sprinkles. The tiny space versus my soon-to-be beautiful spacious counter was no problem.  

The slight dilemma was a lesson that proved anything is possible.

My grandchildren are older and off to college and take what they learned from our baking experiences.

Baking is precise and reinforces the importance of reading directions carefully.

Math is involved. It’s not all basic like teaspoons to tablespoons. Sometimes you need to convert grams to ounces.

Everyone brings something to the table. My granddaughter has an eye for color and style. Her attention to decorating details works for me. Unfortunately, I’m a better-than-average baker but a terrible decorator.

My grandson’s attention to detail is precise and orderly. He’s the best assistant when working with Puff Pastry. Perfectly cut and aligned corners and edges make the pastry look professional.

We still find time to share new baking experiences. I look forward to this year’s holiday baking with enthusiasm. They may want to bake a fancy cake or cookie trending on social media. I’m open to any suggestions.

Bake your memories.

Zelda

Sophia MacLennan Porter grew up in an environment of wicked duplicity with a stepmother who was nice to dad and mean to his daughter. A series of events brings her to the upstate New York town of Highland Falls and her late aunt’s bakeshop. Highland Falls is a town of Scottish descendants, well-kept secrets, and the best shortbread cookies for miles. No one in this town is immune from the secrets of their ancestors or greedy developers.

When Ian Campbell, a handsome Scottish research professor appears in her life, she struggles with the chance to put romance on the menu. Sophia is more concerned with the future of her bakeshop than the lives of her dead ancestors. Reluctantly, she finds herself drawn into his investigation of the history of her family’s clan.

Zelda Benjamin writes sweet, sassy romances. She has a passion for baking, chocolate, and traveling with family.

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Buy the book at Amazon.

Winter Blogfest: Kathleen Buckley

This post is part of Long and Short Reviews’ Winter Blogfest. Leave a comment for a chance to win an eBook edition of A Peculiar Enchantment. NOTE: Despite the cover and the title, this is a traditional romance, not a fantasy or paranormal.

Memories of Meat-and-Cinnamon Stuffing by Kathleen Buckley

For holidays most of us want the dishes we grew up with, and those traditions change slowly. When I was growing up, the basics of our Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners were always the same: turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, mince and pumpkin pies. A very middle-America dinner…except for two things. The first was that my father cooked it because he loved to cook. The second was the stuffing. My mother hated it, having grown up with turkey dressing consisting of soggy seasoned breadcrumbs. I preferred his stuffing, which he said was more like what was used in the eighteenth century.

It was not a dish for the cholesterol-conscious, consisting of cooked ground beef and bulk pork sausage. The breadcrumbs and sauteed onion played a minor supporting role. The spices included cinnamon: a lot of cinnamon.

I still make my father’s meat-and-cinnamon stuffing,forcemeat as it would have been called two hundred years ago. Now it warms up in a casserole instead of in a turkeybecause the last few years the main course has featured a turkey hindquarter. But the rest of the menu has altered, too. Hold the mashed spuds and gravy as neither I nor my roommate care for them. Gelatine salad? Ummm, no. Waldorf salad instead. The pumpkin pie contains chile (yes, here in New Mexico that is the correct spelling) and chopped candied ginger, not pumpkin pie spice. The mincemeat pie has not changed.

I’ve added a couple of recipes for holiday treats: first Russian tea cakes and then, since moving to New Mexico, bizcochitos. They’re the state cooky and by long tradition they contain lard, brandy or sherry, anise, and cinnamon in addition to the usual cooky ingredients.

 

What can you look forward to when your only relatives call you ugly, unbalanced, and a scandal? What would you do if your only friend was threatened? Dependent on her half brother, the Earl of Lamburne, Adelaide knows. She wants to escape.

Gervase Ducane, invited to Lamburne’s home to court his daughter, is torn. He needs to marry well and soon but not this spiteful chit. Should he buy a commission instead? Seek a wealthy merchant’s daughter? As a marquess’s brother, he has at least a noble connection to offer an heiress apart from his good manners. And why is he only now meeting the earl’s delightful half sister?

Ordered to stay away from the house party, Adelaide rebels. She will make her unwelcome, embarrassing presence known to avenge herself and her pet. Sometimes when you least expect it, magic happens.

 

Kathleen Buckley has loved writing ever since she learned to read. After a career which included light bookkeeping, working as a paralegal, and a stint as a security officer (fascinating!), she began to write as a second career, rather than as a hobby. Her first historical romance was penned (well, word processed) after re-reading Georgette Heyer’s Georgian/Regency romances and realizing that Ms. Heyer would never be able to write another (having died some forty years earlier). She is now the author of eight published Georgian romances: An Unsuitable Duchess, Most Secret, Captain Easterday’s Bargain, A Masked Earl, A Duke’s Daughter, Portia & the Merchant of London, A Westminster Wedding, and A Peculiar Enchantment.

Warning: no bodices are ripped in her romances, which might be described as “powder & patch & peril” rather than Jane Austen drawing room. They contain no explicit sex, but do contain mild bad language, as the situations in which her characters find themselves sometimes call for an oath a little stronger than “Zounds!”

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Top Ten Tuesday: Books on My Winter 2022-2023 To-Read List


Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Here are ten books scheduled to be released this winter that I’d like to read.

The Love Match by Priyanka Taslim

Publication Date: January 3

Why It Interests Me: It’s a retelling of Pride and Prejudice.

 

Organizing for the Rest of Us by Dana K. White

Publication Date: January 11

Why It Interests Me: I love the idea of having an organized house, but the actual process of figuring out how to organize things makes me feel anxious and overwhelmed. Maybe this book can help?

 

This Is Not a Personal Statement by Tracy Badua

Publication Date: January 17

Why It Interests Me: Dreams don’t always come true…or at least not in the way one thinks they will. My ears perked up when the blurb mentioned this begins after the main character’s application to attend her dream college was rejected. it will be interesting to see what adventures she has as she figures out what to do instead.

 

Someone Else’s Life by Lyn Liao Butler

Publication Date: January 17

Why It Interests Me: Stalking is such an interesting (albeit disturbing) topic. I hope this will be a good exploration of what encourages someone to behave that way.

 

Transitional: How to Live Your Authentic Life by Munroe Bergdorf

Publication Date: February 1

Why It Interests Me:  It’s interesting to read the perspectives of people who have experience gender dysphoria and who have transitioned. I’ve never really had to think about many of the topics they’ve needed to figure out, and I hope to learn all sorts of helpful stuff in this memoir.

 

Cold People by Tom Rob Smith

Publication Date: February 7

Why It Interests Me: Antarctica is a harsh environment. It would be extremely difficult for people to survive there longterm without regular replenishment of their supplies from the outside world, so I’m curious to see if these characters will figure out how to do it.

 

The Friendship Breakup by Annie Cathryn

Publication Date: February 7

Why It Interests Me: Losing a friendship can be just as painful as losing a romantic partner, and yet there are very few books that talk about what happens when friends are no longer part of each other’s lives. This looks like a great read.

 

Venco by Cherie Dimaline

Publication Date: February 7

Why It Interests Me: The thought of a magical spoon makes me giggle. Isn’t it marvellous when authors come up with creative stuff like this?

 

The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz

Publication Date: February 21

Why It Interests Me: Some paranormal horror stories rely on honestly rather flimsy reasons for characters to want to remain in a home that turns out to be haunted, but I can see how the promise of a large cash prize and a a quiet place to write would be enticing for a lot of people!

 

My Dear Henry – a Jekyll & Hyde Remix by Kalyan Bayron

Publication Date: March 7

Why It Interests Me: I’ve never actually read the original Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde story. Maybe this will convince me to give it a try so I can compare and contrast these books?

Top Ten Tuesday: Quotes About Presents


Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Since this week’s topic is a freebie post and the holiday season is rapidly approaching, I decided to use it to share some quotes about presents. This is an inclusive topic that can be applied to many different solstice and winter celebrations that are currently happening or will soon be happening.

Literal presents are mentioned in this list, but there are also quotes about the gifts we all sometimes receive in life that can’t be wrapped up or bought in any store.

 

“One can never have enough socks,” said Dumbledore. “Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn’t get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books.” 

― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

 

“What greater gift than the love of a cat.” 

― Charles Dickens

 

“Advice is a dangerous gift, even from the wise to the wise, and all courses may run ill.” 

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

 

“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” 

― Pablo Picasso

 

“I think, at a child’s birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift would be curiosity.” 

― Eleanor Roosevelt

 

“The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work.” 

― Émile Zola

 

“A gift is pure when it is given from the heart to the right person at the right time and at the right place, and when we expect nothing in return” 

― Anonymous, The Bhagavad Gita

 

“If you love someone, the greatest gift you can give them is your presence” 

― Thich Nhat Hanh

 

“Happiness is a gift and the trick is not to expect it, but to delight in it when it comes.” 

― Charles Dickens, Nicholas Nickleby

 

“Time, as far as my father was concerned, was a gift you gave to other people.” 

― Michelle Obama, Becoming

 

 

Top Ten Tuesday: Books About Pie


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!

Movie Review: My Apocalyptic Thanksgiving

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.

 

 

 

Top Ten Tuesday: Series I’d Like to Start


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.

Top Ten Tuesday: Halloween Films Based on Books


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?

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Words


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

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


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.