May Book Club Mini Reviews

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I should have known better than to listen to this book as an audiobook.  I should have realized that I would be caught crying in my car.  Even though I spent the last three days of listening to this story sobbing on my drives to and from work, it was completely worth it.  This story was amazing.

I became invested in the lives of these characters. I've said this in a lot of reviews but this is the most important part of reading to me. I need to feel connected and this book was a glimpse into the lives of Augusts and Hazel. Their dialogue was great and almost seemed like something out of Gilmore Girls; fast paced and witty. They were teenagers even through everything they were dealing with, they still came across as teens.

I loved Hazel's mother and her enthusiasm for holidays.  I enjoyed Issac's sense of humor through his tough times. Lidewij Vliegenthart was great.

This is a must read book.

Wife 22 by Melanie Gideon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I picked this book up at random while we were browsing the shelves at the book store.  The cover caught my eye followed by the title.  Then the description sounded really interesting.  Since one of our members recently started working at a research company we thought it would be a nice addition to our first story (also a lighter story to counterbalance the heaviness of The Fault in Our Stars).

At first I was having a hard time getting into the story and was getting angry with myself for picking it up. I forced myself to keep reading and all of a sudden I read a line (not going to share and spoil it for those reading) that completely changed my feelings about the story.

At first I didn't like that you didn't get the questions that Wife 22 is answering.  Just having her answers seemed weird, but as I read on I started to realize that you didn't need the questions.  The questions don't matter, it's her answers that matter.  It's her conversations with Researcher 101 that matter.

This book is worth picking up to read.

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Book Trailer Thursday - Truth or Dare by Jacqueline Green

ABOUT THE BOOK:When a simple round of truth or dare spins out of control, three girls find it's no longer a party game -- it's do or die.

It all started on a whim: The game was a way for Tenley Reed to reclaim her popularity, a chance for perfect Caitlin "Angel" Thomas to prove she's more than her Harvard application. Loner Sydney Morgan wasn't even there; she was hiding behind her camera, as usual. But when all three start receiving mysterious dares long after the party has ended, they're forced to play along -- or risk exposing their darkest secrets.

How far will Tenley, Caitlin, and Sydney go to keep the truth from surfacing? And who's behind this twisted game?

Set against the backdrop of Echo Bay, an isolated beach town haunted by misfortune, Truth or Dare is a highly charged debut that will keep readers in suspense from beginning to end.

This sounds interesting.  I'm adding it to my TBR list.  I will say I really liked the typewriter in the trailer...I miss using one, even though I only played on one as a child.

Book Review - Hooch: Simplified Brewing, Winemaking, and Infusing at Home

Hooch: Simplified Brewing, Winemaking, and Infusing at Home by Scott Meyer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.

Publisher Description:

For anyone who has considered brewing a batch of beer or mead at home, or making a custom barrel of wine with local fruit, this thorough guide will clear a path to the bottle. It demystifies the process: from planting hops and fruits to pruning, harvesting, fermenting, flavoring, and bottling one-of-a-kind drinks from your own backyard. It serves as a starting point not only for wines and beers, but also hard ciders, meads, and infusions, and even touches on at-home distilling

Perfect for the city-dweller, urban gardener, or anyone with limited space and a desire to make custom concoctions, Hooch offers projects to suit any lifestyle. With recipes for brews made from grapes, hops, and herbs, DIY boozers will find everything they need to begin a brewing journey.

My Review:

I have never considered brewing any type of alcohol but the concept is interesting and I like to read up on interesting things. As the description says this book is a great starting point for any one interested in home brewing.  Chapter one covers the basics of fermentation including the supplies you'll need, the science behind the process and a step by step guide. Chapters 2 through 5 cover the different types of alcohol you can home brew: wines, beers, hard ciders, and honey based wines. Each chapter gives background information on the type of brew and what goes into making these drinks.

For example Chapter five covers honey based drinks.

You probably don't want to think about it quite that way, but bee vomit is one of Nature's most extraordinary substances.  Honey, a much more appealing name than "bee puke," is more than just spoil proof food for queen bees and their children. It is a natural preservative for human food, and an antibacterial dressing for wounds, and an anti-inflammatory when consumed.

First off, I don't want to think about honey being "bee puke" but other than that did you know that it can be used as an antibacterial dressing for wounds? I didn't, and this wasn't the only interesting thing I learned in this book.

Chapter 6 covers distilling and makes a point to clearly state that it is illegal to distill in the US and in most countries without a proper license. Then they go on to talk about the processes of distilling and the different things you make.  One of these things is Absinthe, besides what I've seen in movies I know very little about it, so this section was intriguing.

Besides the brewing and distilling information this book shines a spotlight on different wineries and distilleries that are known for the related brew.  

Going into this book I had no interest in home brewing.  The book does provide recipes for infusions and I think I might be making Limoncello sometime soon.

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