Peasreads: Daughters of Olympus by Hannah Lynn

 

Retelling of mythology is one of my favorite genres right now and Hannah Lynn writes them so well. This one is about Demeter and her daughter Core, later Persephone. It's a story about living, learning, yielding, a mother's love, a daughter's faithfulness, and the events that shape us. 

The story is written around and built up around what we've been told about Demeter, Core, Hades, and Zeus. It creates such a lush rounded story that is a page-turner.

I would read this again. It's one of my favorites from Hannah. 

Description

A daughter pulled between two worlds and a mother willing to destroy both to protect her...

Demeter: a goddess of life, living half of one.

Demeter did not always live in fear. Once, she loved the world and the humans who inhabited it. After an act of devastating violence, though, she hides herself away among the grasses and wildflowers. Her only solace is her daughter… 

Before she was Persephone, she was Core. 

Peasreads: Puggleton Park by Deanna Kizis

 

HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY!

(This review has spoilers.)

My thoughts:

This book (and number two in the series) is written by Deanna Kizis with fun illustrations by Hannah Peck is a cute book for dog lovers and early readers. The story is about a Pug during the Regency era that gets lost in a London park. He is eventually rescued by a lady who tries to find the Pugs owner. It's adventurous and fun. However both the Pug and the rescuer start to form a bond. They both struggle with knowing they will have to be apart once the original owner is found. 

Spoiler: they end up finding the original owner. She left a letter saying that she had to go take care of a sick family member who was allergic to dogs and she hoped that a new owner would take the Pug in. I only mention this spoiler because I know that many people might read this as abandonment. So just a heads up. 

Peasreads: Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier

 

Dragonfruit

Dragonfruit is a Pacific Island mythology inspired tale. It has dragons, pirates, magic, and mystery. I absolutely enjoyed reading this story. The description says romance, it has a little romance which to me was not the focus and that made it great. It is so much more. This is such a great story about family, friendship, belonging, forgiveness, and strength.

The main characters were likeable. I wanted them to succeed.  The word building beautiful and lush 

It is a clean read. Great for YA and Teens also.

Description: 

From acclaimed author Makiia Lucier, a dazzling, romantic fantasy inspired by Pacific Island mythology.

In the old tales, it is written that the egg of a seadragon, dragonfruit, holds within it the power to undo a person's greatest sorrow. An unwanted marriage, a painful illness, and unpaid debt...gone. But as with all things that promise the moon and the stars and offer hope when hope has gone, the tale comes with a warning.

Every wish demands a price.

Hanalei of Tamarind is the cherished daughter of an old island family. But when her father steals a seadragon egg meant for an ailing princess, she is forced into a life of exile. In the years that follow, Hanalei finds solace in studying the majestic seadragons that roam the Nominomi Sea. Until, one day, an encounter with a female dragon offers her what she desires most. A chance to return home, and to right a terrible wrong.

Samahtitamahenele, Sam, is the last remaining prince of Tamarind. But he can never inherit the throne, for Tamarind is a matriarchal society. With his mother ill and his grandmother nearing the end of her reign, Sam is left with two choices: to marry, or to find a cure for the sickness that has plagued his mother for ten long years. When a childhood companion returns from exile, she brings with her something he has not felt in a very long time-hope.

But Hanalei and Sam are not the only ones searching for the dragonfruit. And as they battle enemies both near and far, there is another danger they cannot escape...that of the dragonfruit itself.

Find more book reviews here under Peasreads.

Amazon reviews Katereviews.

Goodreads reviews.

I received this book from NetGalley and Clarion books. I was under no obligation to post a review. All opinions are my own. I am disclosing this per the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Thank you NetGalley and Clarion books for this galley. All opinions are my own, I was not expected to give a review. 

Peasread: A Spartan's Sorrow (The Grecian Women Trilogy, #2) Hannah Lynn

 

A Spartan's Sorrow (The Grecian Women Trilogy, #2) 

My thoughts:

This retelling of the life of Clytemnestra and later in the book her son, Orestes. The focus is on Queen Clytemnestra's life during the Trojan War. The King, Agamemnon, her husband is away with many of the men in the kingdom. Many await the return of their loved ones, and Clytemnestra hopes the King never returns. Agamemnon does the unthinkable and sacrifices their oldest daughter to a goddess. Clytemnestra is determined to keep her remaining children safe. 

This is a story about a mother's love, revenge, and obligation. I am a fan of Hannah Lynn and this subgenre. This is a great retelling. There is depth and complexity to the characters. If you liked Circe you'll love A Spartan's Sorrow.

Peasreads: The Rock in My Throat by Kao Kalia Yang

 

Description

At first, no one noticed when I stopped talking at school.

In this moving true story, Kao Kalia Yang shares her experiences as a young Hmong refugee navigating life at home and at school. Having seen the poor treatment her parents received when making their best efforts at speaking English, she no longer speaks at school. Kalia feels as though a rock has become lodged in her throat, and it grows heavier each day. Although the narrative is somber, it is also infused with moments of beauty, love, and hope.

My thoughts

This book is beautiful. It truly shows that kindness, understanding, companion can go a long way. My heart hurt for the author. Being a first generation Lao American the language barrier can make quite the chasm between people. I hope this book gives hope to those who need it and inspire those who can help lift others up

Find more book reviews here under Peasreads.

Amazon reviews Katereviews.

Goodreads reviews.

I received this book from NetGalley and Lerner Publishing for this review. I was under no obligation to give a positive review. All opinions are on my own. I am disclosing this per the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Crispy Pork Belly Vermicelli Salad

 

The Crunchy Pork Belly method can be found HERE.

The dressing recipe is here. Just dilute a bit and add more sugar if you prefer a sweeter dressing.

Peasreads: Goodnight Night Sweats A Parody for the Menopausal (and their Perimenopausal Friends)

 What a hilarious parody this is! For those of you who have been following Give Peas a Chance since my first lunch post in 2007 . For my oldest child who is now a full-on (young) adult by the way, yikes! Some of you were young mothers like I was and I loved learning from you all. Sharing lunches, recipes, and crafts, mostly on my Facebook page. We used to pack lunches in the morning and tuck our kids in at night and recite (because by the fifth time it was requested I know you memorized it) Goodnight Moon before kissing those babies. Now here we are. If you're anything like me your body is a vile betrayer and doing all sorts of wrong things, at the wrong times, for no reason at all. Well, to you all I raise a glass in solidarity and present to you:

Goodnight Night Sweats

A Parody for the Menopausal (and their Perimenopausal Friends)

by Haut Flasch and Mina Pauze (Brenda Bowen and Jessie Hartland)

I laughed. I groaned. I may have had a hot flash in between. Who among us was fully prepared for this stage in our lives? Not I! I heard of night sweats... did you know that they also come DURING THE DAY!? Why am I constantly sweating? Who turned the heat on in here!? Are you SURE I'm not premenopausal, doc? Surely there is SOMETHING you can do for me? I hope you ladies have a tribe that you can grumble to about all the trials of menopause AND celebrate all the freedoms that come with it together!

Grab a copy of this for all of your girlfriends and let's celebrate our hard-won battle scars (after this hot flash passes!), toss our silver manes of wisdom, and walk proudly into this new season of life together.

Peasreads: Noodles, Rice, and Everything Spice A Thai Comic Book Cookbook

 

Noodles, Rice, and Everything Spice

A Thai Comic Book Cookbook

by Christina de Witte; Mallika Kauppinen

This is a fun comic book style Thai cookbook written by two people. their stories of childhood food memories make the book fun to read. Easy-to-follow recipes have some substitutions or resources for harder to find Thai ingredients. It has fun drawings. Not all of the recipes have photos, I do wish there were more actual food photos, but then again how many photos can you add to a comic book?  All in all a charming book that I would gift to a fellow foodie.

Description

An approachable, fun comic book cookbook tour of Thai culture and cuisine with 50 recipes and stories from the country's main culinary regions