Review: The Montessori Kitchen

Publisher: Workman Publishing

Pages: 320

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads: The kitchen is the ideal Montessori learning environment at home, and now award-winning cookbook author Kristen Miglore and bestselling Montessori author Junnifa Uzodike team up to create a hands-on guide for parents and children to play and learn together through cooking.

The kitchen is the perfect playground for children to tackle new skills and experience everything―the play, the science, the math, the magic―that preparing food has to offer. New groceries coming in and out. Colorful vegetables being washed and prepped and cooked. Different ingredients being scooped and measured and transformed, with so many points along the way to see, smell, touch, taste, and listen. And endless opportunity for conversation with their grown-ups.

The newest book in the bestselling Montessori series offers parents a new way to think about time spent in the kitchen with their young children, with over 60 delicious, nutritious, interactive recipes. The fun starts before baby is born, with nourishing foods for the pregnant and postpartum parent. The book takes parents through those early months in the kitchen wearing―and talking to―baby while prepping dinner, to creating baby and toddler friendly areas in the kitchen, to developing those first kitchen skills, eating together, and fostering their growing independence in the kitchen.  

Children can practice scooping and pouring with Pantry Hunt Granola, exercise agency with Juicy Tomato Caprese Salad, hone fine motor skills with Sweet Potato Gnocchi, and cultivate patience with Blueberry Yogurt Pops. And through it all, experience the Montessori way of growing and connecting in the kitchen.  

Kritters Thoughts:  In my effort to try new things when it comes to parenting, I am thoroughly enjoying reading all sorts of books to gather all sorts of ideas and implement some of them.  When Caleb was ready to start transitioning from "boob juice" as welike to call it to food, I got excited about all the ways we could introduce him to food and decided I wanted to try them all.  

I am intrigued by the Montessori way of learning, so to see this book that focuses on Montessori in the kitchen with food - sign me up! I focused my reading on the 6-9 month baby led weaning, purees and such since that was where we are when this book releases, but I am excited to revisit this book when Caleb can join me in the kitchen and try his hand at being my sous chef.  

This book felt approachable and suggestive not instructive which I adored.  I loved the list and visuals on how to set up your kitchen to run smoothly while trying this way of cooking and feeding your little one.  I may add this book to my buy list for new moms and expectant moms.  

Rating:

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Netgalley.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Things We Do in the Dark

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Pages: 352

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  When Paris Peralta is arrested in her own bathroom—covered in blood, holding a straight razor, her celebrity husband dead in the bathtub behind her—she knows she'll be charged with murder. But as bad as this looks, it's not what worries her the most. With the unwanted media attention now surrounding her, it's only a matter of time before someone from her long hidden past recognizes her and destroys the new life she's worked so hard to build, along with any chance of a future.

Twenty-five years earlier, Ruby Reyes, known as the Ice Queen, was convicted of a similar murder in a trial that riveted Canada in the early nineties. Reyes knows who Paris really is, and when she's unexpectedly released from prison, she threatens to expose all of Paris's secrets. Left with no other choice, Paris must finally confront the dark past she escaped, once and for all.

Because the only thing worse than a murder charge are two murder charges.

Kritters Thoughts:  A mystery book that had just the right amount of pace that kept me reading and reading even when the things of life were trying to distract me from curling up with this book.  

With an opening scene where Paris Peralta is being put into a police car, I was hooked and ready to find out why the heck she was in a police car and was she really guilty of said crime or not.  From the death of her husband to an abrupt turn of getting to know an exotic dancer in Toronto and her past, I was wondering for a moment how these two things would connect and thankfully they did at just the right moment.  Of course, I won't spoil a thing, but Jennifer Hillier seemed to unfold a clue or the answer at just the right moment when I needed an answer.  

My first Jennnifer Hillier book and for sure not my last.  I am excited to dive into her backlist and see what other mysteries she has to share.    

Rating:

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Minotaur Books.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: How to Stop Yelling up the Stairs

Publisher: Kregel Publications

Pages: 280

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads: Lead with love when your last nerve is shot.

You a peaceful home where you model self-control.

You regrettable reactions when the kids baptize the cat.

Your children, whom you dearly love and usually like, are bickering upstairs, baiting each other across the invisible line on the back seat, or causing the laptop to bellyflop on the linoleum. The end of your rope vanished along with the chance to enjoy a hot cup of coffee. How can you handle your real-life kids and real-life stress without flipping your lid or locking yourself in the bathroom?

With been-there humor, Janel Breitenstein offers wisdom and practical strategies pulled from God's approach to conflict. In this boots-on-the-ground field guide, you'll find empowering tips to parent smarter, not harder—with greater emotional intelligence and intentional discipleship; thoughtful questions to help you dive into the "whys" beneath your anger; group discussion prompts, and "cooling" prayers.

It's time for an inner exploration that will clear your path and your mind. You can calmly and confidently raise your kids, lower your voice, and shape a home of peace.

Kritters Thoughts:  I am new to this parenting thing, both as a step parent and bio parent, so I am mixing in between my normal reading some parenting books to help get any tips and tricks to be the best at it that I can.  This book passed my way on netgalley and I loved that it integrated scripture and promoted a type of parenting where discipline still occurs but with a layer of kindness.  

What I adored about this book was the author incorporated her own stories and stories from many many parents and no one claimed perfection!  I enjoyed a book where Christians were involved, but claiming fault and missteps and hoping to be a better parent the next day.  I loved the realness that was presented in the book.  I also appreciated comparing my parenting to how God parents me, that was very eye-opening.  I had quite a few AH HA moments that made me think of disciplining and parenting differently and for that I am so grateful.  I want to keep this audiobook handy to listen to when I am having a hard parent moment.   

If you are not a Christian, this book may not be for you as it is very rooted in scripture, but if you are like me and may not be attending church every week, but still define yourself as a Christian then this one can be right up your alley. 

Rating:

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Netgalley.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Permission to Fly

Pages: 268

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  PERMISSION TO FLY tells the true story of boy born into a kind and happy family who grows to realize the executive world his father inhabits may not be his destiny. Thanks to his remarkable mother, Layng is given "permission to fly" early on. Armed with optimism, curiosity, creativity, determination and a wry sense of humor, he begins his amazing journey of many painful-but-educational steps and missteps. PERMISSION TO FLY is about love, raising kids, sticking to what matters and paying the price for doing that. It's about recovering from failure and heartbreak, maintaining friendships, and it's about how much help we all need to get anywhere good in the world. Walking Layng's uncharted path beside him, we witness the highest degrees of love, risk, hilarity, tragedy, resiliency and success. We encounter fabulously colorful characters and experiences that propel him towards the freedom and fulfillment he craves. Layng Martine Jr. is a master storyteller. He writes his most American and inspirational of stories with charm, humor, and humanity.

Kritters Thoughts:  There are times when I love to pick up a good memoir and read away.  Reading someone's recollection of their life and sharing their own ups and downs just grounds me.  I loved taking a moment to dive into Layne Martine Jr.'s life which is so far from mine and see how all the decisions made to the life that he lead.  

It is so weird to review someone's actual life, but I will say this book was well written and it was so easy read.  It was so quick to get into this book and it was also hard to put it down.  I even wished that I heard more about Layne's more personal life because we had plenty of his work life - which was for sure interesting, but I could have loved more about his family life with his wife and kids.  It was fun to read this book because it gave me even more insight to the behind the scenes of the music industry and to hear more about how a song goes from an idea to on the radio.  I would love to follow this book up with a book from one of the artists that recorded his work and hear their story.   

Rating:

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Netgalley.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: When No One Else Will

Publisher: Kensington

Pages: 369

Format: eARC 

Buy the Book: Amazon 

Goodreads:  In the fall of 1939, while Europe grapples with the outbreak of war, Mimi Lukas wages a private battle in her Chicago neighborhood. Her husband, Stan, once a promising White Sox player, has been sidelined by a broken leg. His hopes of returning to baseball are dwindling along with their savings. As Stan sinks into inertia, Mimi resolves to go back to nursing.

When a friend tells her of a women's clinic in need of a nurse, Mimi hesitates. Such places are illegal and at odds with her religious upbringing. But Dr. Gabler’s office isn't the dingy establishment Mimi envisioned. The space is clean, bright, and welcoming, the staff skillful. Patients are treated with dignity and compassion, even as they are sworn to secrecy about what happens within its walls.

The patients, too, are not who Mimi expected. Some are heartbreakingly young. Most are married, and many already have children. Police and state prosecutors are paid handsomely to turn a blind eye. As Mimi finds kinship with her colleagues and with an officer on retainer, she begins her own private reckoning between what is legal and what is necessary, no matter how painful or inconvenient. But Mimi senses the tide turning against them. She knows, too, that soon she must decide how much she will risk to defend the ideals she's come to embrace through hard-won experience . . .

Kritters Thoughts:  A historial fiction book set in the time of World War II, but only shows the effects of war and instead shares how Americans in Chicago are surviving - specifically women.  Mimi Lukes had a pretty great life, her husband was a professional baseball player and her two kids were enjoying life in a Chicago neighborhood until an injury changes the course of their lives.  Mimi knows that she can lean on her previous nursing skills and hopefully keep them from being homeless until her husband can get back on his feet. 

I have read many many books set at this time, but most to all of them center around the war and in countries where the war was physically taking place.  It was a breath of fresh air to read a book that was set during this time, but in a place where the war wasn't next door, but the effects of the war were still showing up.  AND even more so the signs of the time were prevalent as women's freedoms were still limited. Mimi ends up in a clinic that focuses on women's health and primarily reproductive health and even in 2026 is still causing controversy.  I will not get into a political debate, but will say that I loved reading about this time in our country and reading about how women were trying to help other women survive.  

This was my third book of Amanda Skenandore's that I completed and I have three left to complete her back list and I have enjoyed each one - enough to add her to my historical fiction shelf in my personal library and collect her books in order to share them with others. 

Rating:

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Netgalley.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: This is Me

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Pages: 320

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Hayden Panettiere’s career in entertainment began before she could talk. From her first gig as a Michelin baby to roles in cult classics like Remember the Titans and Raising Helen, as well as popular soap operas Guiding Light and One Life to Live, Hayden built an impressive resume by the time she entered middle school. Throughout the early 2000s, she starred in millennial favorites like Racing Stripes, Heroes, and Scream 4 & VI and earned two Golden Globe nominations for her starring role of Juliette Barnes in Nashville. The squeaky-clean face of Neutrogena, she was Hollywood’s girl next door and subjected to all the fame, attention, and expectations that came with it. In an era of relentless paparazzi with an appetite for celebrity breakdowns, naysayers were certain this young starlet would crash and burn. Not one to disappoint, she did.

In this irreverent, intimate, and inspiring memoir, Hayden holds nothing back. What started as a fun job for a child took a decidedly darker turn as she came of age. She exposes the pressure and exploitation young stars face before they’re old enough to know themselves, and how easy it is for them to lose control of their own narrative and, ultimately, their lives. Hayden was the target of brutal tabloid headlines picking apart her body, and she performed storylines onscreen that mirrored her real-life trauma. She suffered post-partum depression, addiction and recovery, domestic abuse, and the loss of her beloved little brother. Despite everything, Hayden managed to take these experiences, which she calls “lifequakes,” and emerge from them stronger, no longer afraid to use her voice or show her true self. She’s played the part of a misfit hero, a superstar, a survivor, a cheerleader, and an all-American fresh face. In This Is Me, Hayden stars in her most heart-wrenching and unforgettable role herself.  This is her story, on her terms.

Kritters Thoughts:  A book that I read back in May and unfortunately forgot to post my thoughts until now, after her passing.  From my reading, Hayden Panettiere had an extreme childhood with high highs and low lows that seemed to lack a proper family support system that could have helped her navigate the business of Hollywood as a child.  With a mother who wanted to pursue acting herself and from Hayden's point of view was living vicariously through her daughter which in my opinion isn't the most healthiest life.  And then a father who was trying to work a regular job to keep the family afloat AND maintain a "normal" childhood for Hayden's younger brother. 

What a story - a true story but still.  Hayden had quite the career but behind the scenes she was battling all sorts of life's demons and its sad to know that she was on the rise but maybe not at her peak yet.  I will always rewatch and her enjoy her fiesty character in Remember the Titans.  I loved reading about her audition for this movie and what she learned from being on this movie set. 

I really love reading these Hollywood memoirs and this one was so interesting as I wasn't completely familiar with her resume, but I was drawn to watch her work and am even more so now after her sad untimely passing.   

Rating:

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Netgalley.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Instead of recapping June, July and August separately, I will spend this labor day catching up on my blog and writing a few reviews to post in September.  I can already tell a few days into September that the fall reading season will be a great one for me with cooler temps pulling me to curl up under a blanket with a good book. 

1. When No One Else Will by Amanda Skenandore

2. Supergay by Franke Grande

3. In Gad We Trust by Josh Gad

Total pages read, clicked, and flipped:  961

Where Have I Been Reading?:

Chicago, IL

Review: You've Been Summoned

Publisher: Experiment 42

Pages: 376

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  A suspicious host. A skeptical guest list. A historical manor. Everyone’s hiding something. It's up to you to solve the mystery in this interactive puzzle.

During a long weekend in March, a group of twentysomethings from Virginia meet for an overnight costume party. For their venue, the host has rented the historical Sophomore a place where the most prestigious socialites of the 1940's and ‘50s partied until the celebrity owners mysteriously went missing.

The event began innocently enough: cocktail toasts, elaborate costumes, and exchanged pleasantries. But at the height of the party, Jane Parks notices her twin has vanished from the scene. It isn’t until Jane finds her sister’s body that the real guessing game begins.

That’s where you come in. It’s up to you, detective, to expose a present-day link between the victim, the guest list, and Sophomore Manor’s unsolved history.

Kritters Thoughts:  A unique story in the way that it is presented - through clues, interviews, files and so on.  The reader is being asked to be a part of the investigative team and review the files to find out why a woman went missing and who is responsible.  

There are actually two mysteries within this book, the current storyline as a journalist Jane is attending a party in this mansion in Virginia that her twin Sillian is hosting and Sillian is the one that goes missing.  The other storyline takes place in the past and a set of sisters move into this same mansion in arranged marriages of sorts and things happen.  While I liked the "Clue" nature of this book and the overt use of putting the reader in control of the story, in the end it didn't work for me.  What I wanted was more of the historical storyline and I wanted more about this beautiful home.  

I am intrigued to read this author's other book to see if same author different format would work better for me. 

Rating:

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Netgalley.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Coming Home to Seashell Harbor by Miranda Liasson

Publisher: Forever

Pages: 384

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Hadley Wells swapped her dreams of saving the planet for the glamour of Hollywood. But when a very public breakup reveals cracks in her not-so-perfect life, she returns to her hometown to reassess what it is she truly wants. Unfortunately, Seashell Harbor has some trouble of its own—including the first man to ever break her heart.

A serious injury forced footballer Tony Cammareri into early retirement—now he’s determined to reboot his life with a splashy new restaurant venture. He knows better than to expect a happy reunion with Hadley, but he’s determined to make up for the way things ended between them. Yet when Tony and Hadley end up vying for control of the town’s future, they find themselves once again on opposing sides.

As their rivalry intensifies, they must decide what’s worth fighting for—and what it truly means to be happy.

Kritters Thoughts:  Hadley Wells has been hit with not just a breakup but one that is playing out in the very public eye, so retreating to Seashell Harbor seems like the best way to recover.  Injured footballer Tony Cammareri is in Seashell Harbor also, to literally recover and with the past meeting the present, these two are the main characters of this first book in the series.  

Another romance book where the characters have a past and have to get over old wounds to have a chance at a possible future and these are ones I love.  I find that when the characters have a past it is easier for me to watch them grow into love quicker knowing that they can skip the get to know you - and maybe because I am know enjoying a relationship with someone who has come back from the past! 

My first Miranda Liasson book and most certainly not my last as I for sure want to continue in this series as I both loved the charcters and the setting of this one.  

Rating:

My best reading month in a while, but maybe because a few books were short AND I am trying to sleep train an infant in the dark and my kindle has become my companion!  Hoping for June to be a great reading month with some airplane travel and a few quiet days. 

1. I Love Disney's Magic Kingdom by Danielle Kelly and Ian Wilson

2. Justice by CS Runn

3. What Does It Feel Like? by Sophie Kinsella

4. You've Been Summoned by Lindsey Lamar

5. This is Me by Hayden Panettiere

6. The Answer is No by Fredrik Backman

Total pages read, clicked, and flipped: 1,135

Where Have I Been Reading?:

Florida

Utah

England

Virginia

Review: Combing Through the White House

Publisher: Harper Celebrate

Pages: 256

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads: Discover a fascinating and novel look at the U.S. presidents, the first families, and American history—all through the lens of hair. With meticulous detail, engaging storytelling, and full-color visuals, encyclopedia editor Theodore Pappas combs through American history, teasing out long-forgotten and little-known ways that hair has influenced the presidency and the public and private lives, personal scandals, and tragedies, of the men and women who have occupied the White House.

Go deep into the history of such topics

Abraham Lincoln's famously ridiculed appearance and the surprising role hair played in both his presidency and assassinationJohn F. Kennedy's connection to James Bond and how hair factored into his vast image-making and infidelitiesThe lush tradition of collecting hair as a way of honoring leaders, remembering our loved ones, and preserving their memoriesScientific hair analysis and how DNA has been used to solve long-standing presidential mysteriesThe connection of hair to the lives, loves, scandals, and tragedies that shaped presidents, first ladies, and the nation at large 

This unique window into the past shines entertaining new light on the decisions, relationships, and tragedies that have shaped the role of the president and the place of the U.S. in the world. Whether you're interested in presidential trivia or historical mysteries, Combing Through the White House personalizes the past through an element of life we can all relate to—hair—giving us new glimpses into our country and even ourselves.

Kritters Thoughts:  Have you ever thought about the venn diagram of hair and the White House?  Not just the hair currently on a President or First Lady's head but after they pass, YES this book goes from President to President and talks about hair has had one impact or another on them and their time in the office.   

This book motivated me to really get started on a reading project that I have been pondering for years.  For a long time, I lived right down the road from Mount Vernon and always wanted to read a book about each President in order of their presidency in hopes to get to know more about that President and our country at that time.  After reading about how hair in different ways impacted the White House, I now want to read more and more about each President.    

There were a few moments where the book got a little repetitive, but it did make me think a little differently about a few presidencies and how hair played an impact on them. 

Rating:

Review: The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

Publisher: Crown

Pages: 281

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Every morning, Sybil Van Antwerp sits down to write letters – to her brother, to her best friend, to the president of the university who will not allow her to attend a class she desperately wants to take, to her favourite authors to tell them what she thinks of their latest books, and to one person to whom she writes often yet never sends the letter.

Because at seventy-three, Sybil has used her correspondence – witty and wise – to make sense of the world. But beyond the page, she has spent the last thirty years keeping the people who love her at arms’ length... Until letters from someone in her past force her to examine one of the most painful periods of her life.

Now, Sybil must send the letter she has been writing for all these years - and find forgiveness within herself in order to move on.

Kritters Thoughts:  Told through the exchange of letters, Sybil Van Antwerp is an older protagonist and she has lived a life.  Through letters she both sends and receives, we the reader, find out about her past, present, and future.  

I loved that the stories that Sybil sent were to all sorts of people - her family, friends, and even some famous authors.  I am glad that the book included both letters that Sybil wrote but also that she received, so the reader gets to not only hear Sybil's thoughts but could also get to know the others in her life through their own words.  I read this book in the middle of the hype and I for sure went into it with some expectations that it would be a good read, but I am glad to say it lived up to the praise it received.    

This book inspired me to want to start writing letters.  I would love to exchange letters with a variety of people and to have a record of my thoughts and feelings for future generations to hopefully be able to get to know me.  

Rating:

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Edelweiss.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.