I'm gonna review the last four books I've read. The first one was a Barbara Kingsolver book, Animal Dreams.
It was a decent book. I have read other Kingsolver books that I liked better, but this one did not disappoint. (The Poisonwood Bible was by far my favorite... I'm thinking of rereading it soon.) This one didn't seem quite as preachy, but there was still a message about taking care of the land and the river. I've never read a bio on Kingsolver but if you've ever read any of her books, you can tell she has a soapbox. I don't have an issue with it, myself. I don't mind learning a little when I'm reading a good book.
So, anyway, this one is a bit of a love story, plus a bit about a woman who feels uprooted and not belonging anywhere... then of course, in the end, she finds out where she belongs and blah blah blah, but seriously, it wasn't that bad. LOL Nothing near as bad as the last book I plan to mention in this review. :)
Then it was A Million Little Pieces. Hmm. Interesting book.
I already knew there was some controversy about this book and I wasn't even going to read it. But I got it on sale really cheap and thought, what the heck. You know?
It was a really good book. You have to get over the weird way he writes, but if you can just hang in there for a few pages or more, then you can deal. It's really sad and depressing for the most part, ugh. But really, drug users are a sad and depressing bunch, don't you think? Especially once they get to the point where they have to go into rehab... if they're lucky enough to have that option.
I kind of like reading non-fiction/memoirs anyway, so I enjoyed this book. Afterwards, I got online and tried to find out what was real and what wasn't.
Next I read Hannibal Rising. Again, not one of his best books, but it wasn't THAT bad.
It seemed like he just threw this one together so he could have a book
for a movie or something. It just seemed short and not as 'robust'
maybe? as his other books. If you liked the other Hannibal books (Red Dragon, Silence of the Lambs & Hannibal) then you will like this one. I didn't see the movie, but I bet it's the same as the book.
In this story, you find out what pushed him over the edge to be the killer (and cannibal) that he is. He apparently had a little sister that he adored once upon a time, and something happened to her. Not going to give any spoilers, don't worry. :)
So, that leaves me with the last book that I've read. Just finished it this morning. It was by far the worst of the bunch, but it wasn't soooooooo bad that I couldn't finish it. I have never read any of Barbara Delinsky's other books and honestly, I won't read another, either.
![An Accidental Woman [Large Print]](http://a1.vox.com/6a00d4142f63cd3c7f0110183a5a59860f-120pi)
I hate to be a book snob or anything but how anyone can read this is beyond me. LOL. Even *I* enjoy a easy read that I can zip thru, but this was just... I don't know... too predictable and simplistic. I guess. When I want a quick read, I like to grab a Stephanie Plum or Alex Cross book.
And it wasn't even that it was a romance novel because there wasn't anything explicit in here. Just one sex scene (that I skimmed, lol) but it wasn't too risque, really. Just mushy and icky. Heh.
Sometimes it's hard for me to really put into words why I do or don't like a book. Maybe it's just the dialog that doesn't ring true or something. Maybe it's character development?? Maybe if I had taken some literature courses in college, I could pinpoint what makes a book suck. LOL All I know that I didn't really like it, I just tolerated it. I'm glad it's off my TBR list now. :)
So, anyway, this one is a bit of a love story, plus a bit about a woman who feels uprooted and not belonging anywhere... then of course, in the end, she finds out where she belongs and blah blah blah, but seriously, it wasn't that bad. LOL Nothing near as bad as the last book I plan to mention in this review. :)
Then it was A Million Little Pieces. Hmm. Interesting book.
It was a really good book. You have to get over the weird way he writes, but if you can just hang in there for a few pages or more, then you can deal. It's really sad and depressing for the most part, ugh. But really, drug users are a sad and depressing bunch, don't you think? Especially once they get to the point where they have to go into rehab... if they're lucky enough to have that option.
I kind of like reading non-fiction/memoirs anyway, so I enjoyed this book. Afterwards, I got online and tried to find out what was real and what wasn't.
Next I read Hannibal Rising. Again, not one of his best books, but it wasn't THAT bad.
In this story, you find out what pushed him over the edge to be the killer (and cannibal) that he is. He apparently had a little sister that he adored once upon a time, and something happened to her. Not going to give any spoilers, don't worry. :)
So, that leaves me with the last book that I've read. Just finished it this morning. It was by far the worst of the bunch, but it wasn't soooooooo bad that I couldn't finish it. I have never read any of Barbara Delinsky's other books and honestly, I won't read another, either.
And it wasn't even that it was a romance novel because there wasn't anything explicit in here. Just one sex scene (that I skimmed, lol) but it wasn't too risque, really. Just mushy and icky. Heh.
Sometimes it's hard for me to really put into words why I do or don't like a book. Maybe it's just the dialog that doesn't ring true or something. Maybe it's character development?? Maybe if I had taken some literature courses in college, I could pinpoint what makes a book suck. LOL All I know that I didn't really like it, I just tolerated it. I'm glad it's off my TBR list now. :)
I've had this book in my TBR pile for a long time. If I had known it was short stories, it would still be there too! I'm glad I didn't know, because I'm glad I read it. The first story, The Lilac Bus, was the longest and the best, IMO. I would have liked for it to continue, but you know how short stories are... you just get a taste and it leaves you wanting more.
Maeve Binchy is turning out to be a writer that I really enjoy. I always seem to hesitate before picking up one of her books, but when I finally just do it, I'm glad I did. I noticed she has several more so I guess I will add them to my TBR pile.
Right now though, I"m trying to get caught up on all the series that I'm currently in the middle of. Stephanie Plum, Myron Bolitar, Discworld, Vampire Chronicles, Harry Potter... so Binchy will be on hold for a little while.
So many books, so little time.
Maeve Binchy is turning out to be a writer that I really enjoy. I always seem to hesitate before picking up one of her books, but when I finally just do it, I'm glad I did. I noticed she has several more so I guess I will add them to my TBR pile.
Right now though, I"m trying to get caught up on all the series that I'm currently in the middle of. Stephanie Plum, Myron Bolitar, Discworld, Vampire Chronicles, Harry Potter... so Binchy will be on hold for a little while.
So many books, so little time.
How to Make Crockpot Chicken Tacos
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
With minimal preparation, you can make a delicious Mexican-style meal for your family or double the recipe and entertain a crowd. A bonus is that the leftover chicken is incredibly versatile and can be used for a number of dishes.
Ingredients
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- A chopped onion (optional)
- A chopped green pepper (optional)
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 16 ounces salsa (that's 2 cups if you're using a larger bottle).
- Flour tortillas, corn tortillas, or taco shells
- Toppings: your choice of lettuce, sour cream, grated cheese, tomatoes, salsa, olives, guacamole, etc.
Steps
- Put the chicken in a Crockpot. Add the onion and pepper if you want.
- Mix the seasoning with salsa and pour over chicken. You can add some more water if you think it needs more liquid, but the salsa and the chicken will produce ample liquid as it cooks.
- Cover and cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or low for 6 to 8 hours.
- The chicken is done when it can be shredded easily with a fork.
- Lift the chicken out and shred it with a fork.
- Serve with soft flour tortillas, a spoonful of the veggies if you used them (lift them with a slotted spoon to drain out excess liquid), and your favorite toppings. Try any combination of lettuce, sour cream, shredded cheese, and tomatoes.
Tips
- Use leftover chicken to make tortilla soup. Combine chicken taco meat with 32 ounces of chicken broth, 1 can of mild Ro-Tel tomatoes, 1 can of corn or 1 1/2 cups of frozen corn, 1 tablespoon lime juice and 2 tablespoons of chopped, fresh cilantro. Simmer for 15 minutes and serve with crumbled tortilla chips and shredded cheese.
- Try this chicken to fill enchiladas or quesadillas or top a taco salad.
- Add this chicken to beans and, if you like, rice and use it for burritos.
Related wikiHows
- How to Make Taco Soup
- How to Stuff Tacos
- How to Make a Taco
- How to Make Creamy Chicken Broccoli
- How to Make Noodle Salad
Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Make Crockpot Chicken Tacos. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
So, I finished another afghan. I made this one for a co-worker who is expecting a baby any day now. I think it turned out really nice and I hope they like it and I hope they USE it! :)
It's not too heavy and I think it would be perfect for using in the car seat, carrier or stroller.
I've been listening to audiobooks again lately. FUN! :) It's been a while.
First I listened to Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. That one was kind of hard to understand at first, but then I finally got "into the groove" and it was easier to get. I got it for free from LibriVox (check it out!) and put it on my iPod. Cool. I can't wait to get a few more. As for the story itself, it was enjoyable. I'm not really into "romance" but it wasn't your typical romance novel at all. I enjoyed it. I think I saw that it was a movie, so I might have to check that out. :)
Phantom... so awesome. I love Phantom. A new fan here. :)
I got Phantom from the library on some new gadget called a Playaway. I've never heard of it until my sister-in-law told me about it a couple weeks ago. I thought I would check it out. It's a pretty handy. I wouldn't pay the money for it, but then again, I don't buy audiobooks, period. LOL If you DO buy audiobooks, or get them from the library, check into the Playaways. They're neat.
First I listened to Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. That one was kind of hard to understand at first, but then I finally got "into the groove" and it was easier to get. I got it for free from LibriVox (check it out!) and put it on my iPod. Cool. I can't wait to get a few more. As for the story itself, it was enjoyable. I'm not really into "romance" but it wasn't your typical romance novel at all. I enjoyed it. I think I saw that it was a movie, so I might have to check that out. :)
Phantom... so awesome. I love Phantom. A new fan here. :)
I got Phantom from the library on some new gadget called a Playaway. I've never heard of it until my sister-in-law told me about it a couple weeks ago. I thought I would check it out. It's a pretty handy. I wouldn't pay the money for it, but then again, I don't buy audiobooks, period. LOL If you DO buy audiobooks, or get them from the library, check into the Playaways. They're neat.
This is the fourth book in the series and it's much better than the 3rd one, thankfully. The 3rd was just too OUT THERE. I should go and see if I wrote a review on it... nope. Bummer.
Okay, so anyway, like I was saying, this one was much better than the 3rd book in the series. I can't really remember what I thought of the 2nd one, but apparently it was good enough that I wanted to read 3 and now, 4.
(The first one was the best one!)
The only thing I didn't like about this one is that he doesn't really see any dead people. He didn't even see those scary dementor things. (I can't remember what he called them! lol) That's something that I like about this series. In this book, he uses his intuition a lot and manages to save a LOT of lives. He also runs into someone else kind of similar to himself. Maybe we'll see more of her in another book.
Speaking of seeing someone in another book, there also another girl that we meet in this book that I'm sure will be in the next book. At least I hope so!!
Okay, so anyway, like I was saying, this one was much better than the 3rd book in the series. I can't really remember what I thought of the 2nd one, but apparently it was good enough that I wanted to read 3 and now, 4.
(The first one was the best one!)
The only thing I didn't like about this one is that he doesn't really see any dead people. He didn't even see those scary dementor things. (I can't remember what he called them! lol) That's something that I like about this series. In this book, he uses his intuition a lot and manages to save a LOT of lives. He also runs into someone else kind of similar to himself. Maybe we'll see more of her in another book.
Speaking of seeing someone in another book, there also another girl that we meet in this book that I'm sure will be in the next book. At least I hope so!!
This book was actually much better than I expected. I only read it because it's a John Grisham book. Otherwise, I probably would have never picked it up. I mostly enjoy reading his stuff, so I thought "what the heck".
It's about a guy who goes to Italy to play football (because no one in the NFL wants him on their team.) If you don't like football at all, you might not enjoy it much because it does go into play by play during games... altho it's fairly brief. I like football so it didn't bother me at all. It's just the highlights. :)
The rest of the book is about him settling in, meeting people, eating good food, sightseeing, etc, etc. It's good and parts are not as predictable as I thought they would be. Grisham did a good job. But we knew he could write other stuff anyway (The Painted House).
It's about a guy who goes to Italy to play football (because no one in the NFL wants him on their team.) If you don't like football at all, you might not enjoy it much because it does go into play by play during games... altho it's fairly brief. I like football so it didn't bother me at all. It's just the highlights. :)
The rest of the book is about him settling in, meeting people, eating good food, sightseeing, etc, etc. It's good and parts are not as predictable as I thought they would be. Grisham did a good job. But we knew he could write other stuff anyway (The Painted House).
Wow, I can't believe how far behind I am in posting my "book reviews". (Not really sure you can call them that. HA.) I guess I better get caught up. Not that everything would come crashing down if I didn't write a little something, but you know... I like to do it for my own benefit.
If I'm not mistaken, this book was written a long time ago and then dug up again and published. I think it says so somewhere... in the foreword or something. But even if I didn't know that, I would have still guessed it. The ending sucks!!!
Okay, maybe it wasn't THAT bad, but anyone who has read all or most of Kings books, know that he had a problem with endings.
This book was really good. Very good actually. I had a hard time putting it down. Maybe I didn't like the ending because I just didn't want it to end. Let me know what you thought of the ending.
If I'm not mistaken, this book was written a long time ago and then dug up again and published. I think it says so somewhere... in the foreword or something. But even if I didn't know that, I would have still guessed it. The ending sucks!!!
Okay, maybe it wasn't THAT bad, but anyone who has read all or most of Kings books, know that he had a problem with endings.
This book was really good. Very good actually. I had a hard time putting it down. Maybe I didn't like the ending because I just didn't want it to end. Let me know what you thought of the ending.
Went to the opera last weekend! Saw Phantom. Totally awesome!
It was a last minute decision. Someone mention that it was the last weekend and that it had been 12 years since they had been in Tulsa. I was like "OMG!" I have to go now or else!
So, I talked my son into going with me and got online to purchase tickets. No good. The only way we would be able to sit together is if we sat in the very last row (uh, no) or if I bought the most expensive tickets (ouch). When I told him that we couldn't sit together, he said "nevermind". Which is what I expected him to say. So, guess what, I went by myself.
It was great and it wasn't weird at all to be by myself. Once it starts, no one notices who's with someone or not anyway. The only problem I had was understanding what they were saying. Most of you that know me well, know I was born with a hearing loss. I wear hearing aids and rely heavily on lip reading. That wasn't happening at the opera. Plus, they sang almost everything and that makes it worse. I was kind of lost at times because I've never seen the movie or anything. I didn't know what it was about other than there was a guy with a mask who lives under the opera house and he fell in love with an actress. When I got home, I got online and wikipedia has a great act by act synopsis. Anything I didn't get was cleared up.
At the very end, I understood pretty clearly what was going on and I had tears running down my face. Man, how heartbreaking is that?
I hope it comes back sooner than 12 years. I'm definitely going again. I'm also going to see The Color Purple in January and Wicked next July.
I'm a little behind in my postings!! Oh well. So, I read a couple of Harlan Coben books. Drop Shot is the 2nd book in the Myron Bolitar series. So far, so good, I guess. It's just like any series, I suppose. In this one, he's an agent for a tennis player. (Myron Bolitar is a sports agent.) Another tennis player gets killed and he decides he's going to find out why.
The next one I read was Hold Tight. It's not part of a series. :) I enjoyed it and towards the end, I had a hard time putting it down. I really wanted to keep reading because it was getting pretty good. After it was all over, I thought it was an okay book. Not a masterpiece or anything, but not horrible either. I will probably forget what it was about eventually.... it's just not that memorable. But I enjoyed it while I was reading.
Recent Comments
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Whatsername said:
Practice!!!! That's all it takes. Wait til the boys are older, that's what I did. :) read more
on Finished Project -
CeeCeeVee said:
beautiful work, D! i can crochet, but you put me to shame ;):*carolyn. read more
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CeeCeeVee said:
that wasnt her kid, but someone else's that she was holding. the photos of her and the baby were all... read more
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CeeCeeVee said:
hi D! wow, yes how very interesting. it is sad that israel is now deceased :( i really enjoyed the... read more
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The baby was finally born! Sept 5th. She's so pretty. read more
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