Clifton Manor (Episode One) - Victoria Spencer

I tried this and was unable to finish. When Anna came in to serve at a party with her skirt tucked into her knickers (the author says underwear--I live in England, nobody says underwear now, they definitely didn't say it then) I had to stop reading. I don't like American or modern jargon in Edwardian stories and I don't like modern plots and subplots in period pieces where they would never happen. I'm not an absolute stickler for authenticity, but it does have to be believable. No manor house would ever--EVER--have "Welcome to..." carved out in flowers and shrubbery unless the manor house was at Disneyland. This is England, and old money does not pander to theme park gardening. This story, while it may have potential, goes the wrong way too fast. It didn't take me very long to determine this wasn't a series I could get into. It just wasn't for me.

TWO STARS

Amazon Link: Clifton Manor - Episode One

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Awake Your Dreams - Rachanaa Jain

Rachanaa Jain opens our eyes to the reality of procrastination and its detrimental effects on all facets of our lives in her book, Awake Your Dreams: Stop Procrastinating! Start Achieving! This self-help guide starts with a straightforward definition of what procrastination is, what type of procrastinators we are, and the emotional and physical baggage that bogs us down and prevents constructive use of our time and energy. This is followed by the introduction of Rachanaa Jain's six step Dreams System, which then further trickles down into eleven methods. Simple, concise, easy to follow and understand diagrams, charts, checklists, and sample letters to ourselves throughout tie the concept and the application of her system together seamlessly.

I found Rachanaa Jain's approach in Awake Your Dreams: Stop Procrastinating! Start Achieving! maintained the delicate balance of candid personal identification and gentle guidance required in a book designed to help a reader better themselves. I admit that I ticked more boxes than I had hoped to on the procrastination test, but found the genial counsel which followed not only made sense, but would be easy to apply and quick to implement. There were some parts that felt a little elementary, but they are not hard to forgive in the context of making the Dreams System approachable and as uncomplicated as a procrastinator might require. Overall, I think Rachanaa Jain's Awake Your Dreams: Stop Procrastinating! Start Achieving! is a good addition to round out anyone's self-help library, and a valuable tool for self examination and discovery.

This review was written for Readers Favorite.

FOUR STARS

Amazon Link: Awake Your Dreams: Stop Procrastinating! Start Achieving!

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Medieval Tastes: Food, Cooking, and the Table - Massimo Montanari

I'll admit (again) that I initially selected Medieval Tastes thinking it would be a recipe book. I know. I really have to work on these impulse clicks. Anyways, having recently relocated to England and slowly making my way through museum after museum, I have become somewhat obsessed with all things medieval. When I opened the book, my disappointment at it not containing page after page of recipes was quickly squashed. What it did contain was an absolute treasure trove of information about all things culinary during this fascinating time period.

Well researched and incredibly thorough, Montanari's Medieval Tastes is essential to anyone with an interest in gastronomy, the origins of most modern food, and all things medieval.

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from Net Galley and the publisher Columbia University Press.

FIVE STARS

Amazon Link: Medieval Tastes: Food, Cooking, and the Table (Arts and Traditions of the Table: Perspectives on Culinary History)

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The Adrenal Experiment (Book One) - Sheri Peckover

Following an accident that he thinks is purely coincidental, Jake Broderick meets the ethereal Dr. Jewel Quasnikoff, the smart and sexy Pacific Research Clinic surgeon. Jake quickly evolves from little more than a prospective specimen in Jewel's eye, to an intern, and then to more. Both Jake and Jewel bring plenty of their own psychological and external issues along the road to romance, but there is more in store for the pair as The Adrenal Experiment races down the corridor of tension, bringing me—the happy reader—along for the ride.

This wasn't a book I would have necessarily chosen had it not come with a good recommendation, but having read it, I am so glad I took the leap beyond my usual genre. With layered characters and detailed development, along with witty dialogue and an engaging storyline, The Adrenal Experiment is another book to add to your beach blanket "must" list this summer.

FIVE STARS

Amazon Link: The Adrenal Experiment (Book One)

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Harem: The World Behind the Veil - Alev Lytle Croutier

Harem: The World Behind the Veil is the 25th anniversary republishing of Alev Lytle Croutier's 1989 book by the same name. It delves into the history of the old harems (primarily in Turkey), their purpose, how and why they were formed, the women who lived in them, the eunuchs who ran them, and the sultans who ruled over it all. Complete with historical accounts, referenced paintings and drawings, as well as letters, documents, and all manner of the limited evidence—Harem is virtually an encyclopedia of information on the mysteries of the gilded Ottoman existence many were tied to.

When I initially selected Harem, I admit I was expecting a cool fictional story and not a non-fiction book. In a haste that was prompted by my excitement of the Grand Odalisque on the cover, my fingers clicked "download" before my eyes went to the actual description. But it wasn't a waste. Some of the historical accounts included by Alev Lytle Croutier certainly read like a good fiction, and for all we know, a few of them are. There is hardly anything left to tell us what the real harems were like, but what we do know (or think we know) has been collected by Croutier and nicely packaged into her manuscript. I would give this book five stars, but the quality of writing occasionally lets the content down. Recommended.

FOUR STARS

Amazon Link: Harem: The World Behind the Veil

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The Dark Side of Chemistry - S.J. Higgins

The Dark Side of Chemistry is probably the only cliff-hanger in history that didn't piss me off. The story wraps love, lust, humor, and spine-tingling intrigue into one of the best thrillers I have read in a while. It kicks off with Skyla and Trent saying goodbye as Trent leaves for Afghanistan on a mission involving a military serum trial. We then meet someone close to both Trent and Skyla, before the carpet is pulled out from under us and the real adventure begins.

Intelligently written, witty, and impossible to set down, SJ Higgins takes us from punch to punch in her masterful story. I am excited to read book two when it comes out and wholeheartedly recommend The Dark Side of Chemistry as your "beach blanket must" this summer.

FIVE STARS

Amazon Link: The Dark Side Of Chemistry (The Chemistry Series Book 1)

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The ABC's of Sexual Assault - Michelle Ditton & Laurie A. Gray

Michelle Ditton, RN and Laurie A. Gray, JD's The ABC's of Sexual Assault is a guide to the medical protocol and legalities following a sexual assault. The book covers everything from basic human anatomy and definitions of sexual assault, to the response, reporting, and courtroom proceedings that occur in its aftermath. Detailed and comprehensive, despite its disclosure that it isn't all-encompassing, the scope of Michelle Ditton, RN and Laurie A. Gray, JD's The ABC's of Sexual Assault seems to leave no stone unturned. It further aids professionals in law enforcement, the medical field, and in the legal practice in weeding out their own misconceptions and myths about what is and isn't possible, with a chapter of "Bunks"—inducing the acknowledgement and re-education of several incorrect, but all too common, beliefs.

I found Michelle Ditton, RN and Laurie A. Gray, JD's The ABC's of Sexual Assault to be immensely informative and extremely well assembled. Intelligently written, the guide presents a sensitive subject matter in a professional and easy to read and understand manner. As a layperson, this book opened up my eyes to a topic I knew virtually nothing about, but did so in a way that invited every possibility to be explored. The use of real-life situations and stories—from both the perspective of the victim and the many professionals involved in a case—compel a reader to see not just the relevance of what is presented, but the necessity of knowing it. I would absolutely recommend Michelle Ditton, RN and Laurie A. Gray, JD's The ABC's of Sexual Assault as a foundational guide, not just to professionals who deal with the subject matter, but to parents, school teachers, and anyone else who may have cause to have an understanding of everything associated with sexual assault.

Reviewed from a free ARC for Readers' Favorite.

FIVE STARS

Amazon Link: The ABC's of Sexual Assault: Anatomy, "Bunk" and the Courtroom

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