Garden Spells

RECOMMENDED: Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen is $1.99! This author became an auto-buy for me after I read this book as a part of a GoodReads reading challenge. I would liken this book to women’s fiction with a magical realism slant. It’s heartwarming and beautiful and has a 4-star rating on GR. The biggest complaint seems to be the book is a little predictable, but we all need an easy read now and again. It’s the first book in the Waverley Family series.

In a garden surrounded by a tall fence, tucked away behind a small, quiet house in an even smaller town, is an apple tree that is rumored to bear a very special sort of fruit. In this luminous debut novel, Sarah Addison Allen tells the story of that enchanted tree, and the extraordinary people who tend it.…

The Waverleys have always been a curious family, endowed with peculiar gifts that make them outsiders even in their hometown of Bascom, North Carolina. Even their garden has a reputation, famous for its feisty apple tree that bears prophetic fruit, and its edible flowers, imbued with special powers. Generations of Waverleys tended this garden. Their history was in the soil. But so were their futures.

A successful caterer, Claire Waverley prepares dishes made with her mystical plants—from the nasturtiums that aid in keeping secrets and the pansies that make children thoughtful, to the snapdragons intended to discourage the attentions of her amorous neighbor. Meanwhile, her elderly cousin, Evanelle, is known for distributing unexpected gifts whose uses become uncannily clear. They are the last of the Waverleys—except for Claire’s rebellious sister, Sydney, who fled Bascom the moment she could, abandoning Claire, as their own mother had years before.

When Sydney suddenly returns home with a young daughter of her own, Claire’s quiet life is turned upside down—along with the protective boundary she has so carefully constructed around her heart. Together again in the house they grew up in, Sydney takes stock of all she left behind, as Claire struggles to heal the wounds of the past. And soon the sisters realize they must deal with their common legacy—if they are ever to feel at home in Bascom—or with each other.

Enchanting and heartfelt, this captivating novel is sure to cast a spell with a style all its own…

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Surprise-Inside Cakes

Surprise-Inside Cakes by Amanda Rettke is $1.99! This baking cookbook is about putting cakes inside of cakes. Cake-ception. The concept originally started as a blog and features many fun cake ideas for various celebrations. There does seem to be a learning curve based on some of the GR reviews, but many applaud the creativity and time it takes to make these surprise cakes. And nothing beats cutting into a cake to find a rainbow center!

From Amanda Rettke, founder of the popular blog I Am Baker, comesSurprise-Inside Cakes with recipes and techniques to make dozens of stunning, imaginative cakes for every occasion, each with something special inside.

Whether it’s a striking, all-white cake with a secret red velvet heart baked inside; a birthday cake, complete with a surprise balloon cake in the middle; or the gorgeous hydrangea cake that took the blogosphere by storm; Amanda’s cakes are downright revolutionary—and really fun to prepare.

This beautifully designed cookbook contains eye-popping color photos and step-by-step instructions to create incredible surprise-inside cakes in your own kitchen.

For Amanda Rettke, every cake is a gift to be shared with family and friends, a special treat that should be lovingly prepared and meticulously designed—from the inside out.

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Darkfever

RECOMMENDED: Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning is $1.99! This is the first book in the Fever series. I’ve read the entire series, with the except of the latest book, which changes protagonists. In my opinion, the series starts out great, and it begins with an urban fantasy plot rather than paranormal romance. Many readers felt the setting was one of the strongest things about the story, but a few couldn’t get on board with the heroine, MacKayla. It has a 4.1-star rating on GR.

“My name is MacKayla, Mac for short. I’m a sidhe-seer, one who sees the Fae, a fact I accepted only recently and very reluctantly.

My philosophy is pretty simple – any day nobody’s trying to kill me is a good day in my book. I haven’t had many good days lately. Not since the walls between Man and Fae came down. But then, there’s not a sidhe-seer alive who’s had a good day since then.”

When MacKayla’s sister was murdered, she left a single clue to her death – a cryptic message on Mac’s cell phone. Journeying to Ireland in search of answers, Mac is soon faced with an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to master a power she had no idea she possessed – a gift that allows her to see beyond the world of man, into the dangerous realm of the Fae…

As Mac delves deeper into the mystery of her sister’s death, her every move is shadowed by the dark, mysterious Jericho…while at the same time, the ruthless V’lane – an alpha Fae who makes sex an addiction for human women – closes in on her. As the boundary between worlds begins to crumble, Mac’s true mission becomes clear: to find the elusive Sinsar Dubh before someone else claims the all-powerful Dark Book – because whoever gets to it first holds nothing less than complete control both worlds in their hands…

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Skinny Bitch Bakery

Skinny Bitch Bakery by Kim Barnouin is $1.99! This is a vegan baking cookbook and vegans love baked goods just as much as everyone else. Those who bought this book loved the vegan tips, like a list of vegan substitutes for most baking staples, though most said this book doesn’t really revolutionize the concept of vegan baking. Any vegan bakers in the house?

For vegans and non vegans, bakers and non bakers alike, an essential guide to vegan baking from the nutritionist who’s been leading the vegan zeitgeist for years as the nutritionist co author of the bestselling Skinny Bitch series.

Veganism has quickly gone from the domain of zealous health nuts to the favorite lifestyle of many-thanks in no small part to the smart and fearless Skinny Bitch books. Now co-author Kim Barnouin is back with a baking cookbook that everyone who’s been a part of this phenomenon will want in their collection. Recent surveys suggest that there are around 3 million vegans in the United States. And the number of people giving veganism a try has been skyrocketing in recent years. Skinny Bitch Bakery is an easy, user-friendly cookbook for anyone who wants to indulge in the joy of baking while keeping themselves and their families healthy.

Barnouin’s fun, no-nonsense voice and vast expertise sparkle on every page, and she tantalizes the reader with delicious and unique recipes. From pies to cookies, this cookbook includes 80 fully tested recipes and features 20-25 full-color recipe photographs and 8-10 full-color food photographs of delectable vegan baked goods.

Whether you want to try baking for the first time or have been a devoted baker for years, Skinny Bitch Bakery is a cookbook that will bring out the best vegan baker in everyone.

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