Ivan Ramen

Ivan Ramen: Love, Obsession, and Recipes from Tokyo's Most Unlikely Noodle Joint

by Ivan Orkin, Chris Ying

3 stars

224 pages

Expected publication: Oct. 29, 2013 by Ten Speed Press

 

This half-biography/half-cookbook completely turned my American version of ramen on its head.  I have been completely clueless about what "real" ramen is supposed to be. I have been used to the 15-cents-a-package version you boil for three minutes, add the powdered flavor and away you go!

Real ramen, I've learned is not this AT ALL. Ramen is a near religion for some in Japan. It is an intensely precise and patience-demanding endeavor. If you're looking for very authentic Japanese noodle recipes, this is a great book. ‘Cause these recipes take a bit longer than three minutes.

I am a ramen neophyte and was hoping to get some good beginner noodle recipes from this book – something accessible. After reading it, though, I'm not sure I can actually embark on the journey  Orkin presents – the recipes are definitely for an ambitious, intermediate-to-advanced cook, who is well-versed in Asian cuisine and terminology.

Orkin recommends making the first recipe – shio ramen – over the course of a week! He freely admits that his recipes are “daunting,” but doable with patience. He starts his “gold standard” shio ramen recipe by first laying out the recipe, and second, defining each component that is included in recipe. There are eight. And each of these eight components has a recipe of its own – all from total scratch. Home cooks will find this approach frustrating and unrealistic for families busy with homework, soccer, and dance and tae kwon do lessons.

But for an experienced cook with time and ambition to spare, this book is perfect. It allows a cook to revel in the history, flavor and energy each ingredient brings to the table – or pot in this instance.

Orkin also provides many recipes to use up all those hard-earned – and now leftover – ingredients from the shio ramen. All look to be about the same difficultly level as the shio ramen.

Some of the ingredients – actually most – are hard-to-find. Orkin provides a resource page at the end of the book to point you in the right direction to obtain these elusive ingredients. The main idea: The Internet is your friend.

One big complaint I have with the prose is that the language is too lowbrow and features waaay too many curse words. Ramen is treated in such a highbrow manner in this book; it just seems disrespectful for the author to debase his passion with base words. It lowers the quality of the entire book.

I loved the photos found inside, although I wish there were more of them. Cookbooks can never have too many photos in my opinion.

I can recommend this cookbook to those wanting to try challenging recipes with a splendid payoff.

Thank you NetGalley and Ten Speed Press for allowing me to review this book.

Inhuman

Inhuman (Fetch #1)

by Kat Falls

4.5 stars

384 pages

Expected publication: Sept. 24, 2013 by Scholastic 

 

Dystopia-lovers, REJOICE!

I finally get to share a book with you that ranks up there with the best sellers, because this one is definitely going to be on that list!

Recently, I had fallen into an "I'm bored" slump with many of my books, so it took me a week to pick up this novel and start reading. But when I did, somehow my fingers developed super glue! This book mutated me into a part human, part raccoon who can't let go of that shiny something.

A fantastic premise (Think an I Am Legend/The Island of Dr. Moreau hybrid),  excellent writing, quick pacing and insightful character development make this the next "TO READ" for any teen or adult. I enjoyed every gripping minute I was immersed in the wild, colorful, dystopian, violent world of "Inhuman," by Kat Falls.

The only reason I docked a half-star was the love triangle that is developed. I'm so tired of the widely overdone Bella/Edward/Jacob formula. I adored both male love interests, so I despised the choice that our heroine is faced with. But that's the only beef I have with the book. I'm not going to overly analyze it either, because I just want to enjoy.

I cannot wait until I can get my paws (sorry!) on the next book in the series. I can only hope it's as good as this initial offering. Kat Falls has a winner on her hands - much to the joy of the millions of dystopian fans that roam the earth.

Thank you NetGalley and Scholastic Inc. for the opportunity to review this wildly good new book!

Skulk

Skulk

by Rosie Best

4 stars

Expected publication: Oct. 1, 2013 by Strange Chemistry

It's official. I'm excited about this book! A fresh new voice in YA fiction has made her debut with panache and creativity. I am anxious to see where her career goes and how many awesome books Rosie Best can churn out.

Her debut, Skulk, is filled with fast pacing, horrible Roald Dahl-esque parents, an eclectic group of shape-shifters, a seriously evil bad guy, betrayal, wonderful writing and clever plot. It has been a while since I read a book I couldn't put down - this revived my faith in great YA novels.

Her character development is stellar. As a reader, you can easily know what is going on in the mind of the main character - her thoughts and feelings - allowing you to connect and sympathize with what she's going through. Some of the other characters are a bit flat, but I'm hoping/assuming more will come with Book Number 2 in the series.

I would have loved to give this book 5 stars, but there are aspects that prevent me from doing so.

Gore - quite explicit gore, actually - is peppered throughout the book. Also, the language is rough - one f-bomb and some strong British cursing - mar the overall fantastic-ness of Best's story.

I am ecstatic that a new - and great - author has made an appearance on the vast stage of YA literature. If her writing continues on the same vein as Skulk, Best will be a powerful player for years to come.

Thank you NetGalley.com and Strange Chemistry/Angry Robot Ltd. for allowing me to review this fantastic ARC.

Dream of Time

Dream of Time

by Nancy J. Price

4 stars

424 pages

Published July 9, 2013 by Synchronista LLC

I must say, I was pleasantly surprised with this debut novel by Nancy Price.

If you can get past the bland title, and the confusing beginning pages, this book will reward you with hours of entertainment and rich San Francisco history. A perfect beach read.

Time travel is a tricky subject to get right to have it be believable.  Price solves the problem and impossibility of physical time travel by having her main character’s psyche travel back and occupy the body of a girl who has “died.” Basically her “host” was brain dead, and Robin – the heroine – takes her over.

I was enthralled with the story – once I figured out what was going on. Perhaps the author meant for this confusion to be present, since it mirrors the confusion the main character deals with in the book’s opening pages. The writing flows well, and the pacing is steady and well done.

The ending was complete and logical. It was a mite predictable, but happily Price throws in a bit of an unpredictable twist to make it more interesting.

Through the entirety of the book, bits of San Francisco history are worked into the story. Obviously, the author loves the city and has a depth of knowledge to match – the book is not only a love story between a man and woman, but between an author and a city. Price has clearly done mountains of research, which only fleshes out and humanizes historical San Francisco.

I loved Robin. Price develops her protagonist extremely well. She is a modern single mother who loves her children fiercely. I connected with her on this level and could see myself thinking the same thoughts Robin does. I also admired how Robin wasn’t obsessed with greed and trying to make her “Now” self rich by abusing her “Then” status. She only wanted to help others and prevent bad things from happening to people. I’m not sure how many people presented with such an opportunity would go down that path. I’d probably invest in something!

The love story between Travis and Robin/Gennie is genuine and lovely. And I appreciated the glossed-over sex. I also respected the lack of cursing and general bawdiness that usually accompanies adult fiction – especially when there is a romance angle. This is a book I would be comfortable recommending to my friends.

I am delighted I got to read this book. A solid first performance for Price, and I genuinely hope there many encore performances from her.

Thank you NetGalley and Synchronista LLC for the opportunity to review this fabulous ARC.

A Sinner in Paradise

A Sinner in Paradise

by Deborah Hining 

4 stars

426 pages

Expected publication: Aug. 28, 2013 by Light Messages Publishing

When I picked up this ARC, I wasn't sure what to expect. Is it a romance? A smarmy cheesefest? A fictional memoir?

Instead, I found it to be an uplifting tale of a woman named Geneva who journeys from the throes of immaturity to a life filled with wisdom and humility by eschewing city life and returning to her roots in rural West Virginia. I was happily surprised with how much I liked it!

The writing was fluid and easy to read. I usually hate it when accents are phonetically spelled out, but the author Deborah Hining does it well. It’s actually easy to read. I could hear the accent in my mind.

The ebook had some punctuation problems, but that is easily overlooked in favor of the prose.

Hining has a knack for descriptive writing. Her descriptions of the mountain country where Geneva lives were beautiful, and they transported me to the times I have been in the mountains and experienced that natural splendor.

One theme of the book: every person in your life can be a source of knowledge. Every person on earth is equal, and they all have the ability to enrich your life. Geneva starts out looking down her nose at the “hillbillies” she meets and morphs into a woman who appreciates and loves them. She learns from every person that she meets.

There are religious elements to the story, but it only gets overly preachy two or three times, and those are towards the end of the book when the main character is discovering and trying to fix her flaws.

My favorite characters in the book are Lilly and Sally Beth. Whenever those two show up together in the prose, you know you are going to get some hilarious bickering. I loved it. I delighted in discovering that there was more to Sally Beth than a bickering cousin. She made me want to look at people differently.

One reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is that the ending was a bit abrupt. All the concerns that Geneva brings up about her situation are not resolved satisfactorily.  The ending also leaves the other three men in Geneva’s life hanging – they were all in love with her. It seems unfair to leave them unhappy – they were all good men. There is also a smattering of mild swearing and premarital sex.

I can recommend this book to those in the mood for an uplifting, Christian book.

Thank you NetGalley and Light Messages Publishing for the opportunity to review this book.

Emma: A Latter-Day Tale

Emma: A Latter-Day Tale

by Rebecca H. Jamison

3 stars

256 pages

Expected publication: Aug. 13, 2013 by Bonneville/Cedar Fort, Inc.

Jane Austen fan fiction goes Mormon!

This novel follows the plot almost exactly of Austen’s much-loved tale Emma, but with Mormon lingo, doctrine and spirituality. Uplifting and squeaky clean, this book would feel right at home between the “Book of Mormon” and “Pride and Prejudice.”

I’ve read some Austen fan fiction and have been less than impressed with most. This adaptation is an easy, light read – totally predictable, but everyone knows how the original Emma ends, so no biggie. It is a book that I can recommend to my mom or those who are intimidated by Austen’s antiquated language (it does take me a while to get into the rhythm of Austen’s original works). 

But I so wish the author had at least changed all of the names. Emma, Knightley, Mrs. Bates, etc., are all named characters within.  I would have enjoyed trying to figure out who was who instead of having it handed to me on a platter.

Those who are not LDS or Mormon will struggle a bit with the lingo, but this book is so obviously geared toward Mormons, that I wouldn’t worry about audience. 

So if you are LDS (or are familiar with the lingo) and are looking for a good beach read that won't tax your synapses, this is the perfect book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Cedar Fort, Inc. for the opportunity to review this book.

Starry Night

Starry Night

by Debbie Macomber

3 stars

384 pages (on my e-reader, 142 pages)

Expected publication: Oct. 8, 2013 by Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine

Debbie Macomber has made a name for herself writing sweet, little love stories using a formula that guarantees a happy, uplifting ending. If you are looking for angst-ridden romances strewn with sex, language and grit, Macomber is not for you. I happen to like these innocent, little novels. But not every day … or even every month. Her plotlines are eerily similar, and if you read them one after another, this is easily seen. But as a guilty pleasure – or a palate cleanser after a particularly gruesome, bad or stupid book – these little novels are perfect.
Starry Night tells the story of a female journalist who is challenged with finding a reclusive, “no-interviews-ever” best-selling author who lives in Alaska. If she succeeds, she can have her pick of any beat at the newspaper. So … predictable? Of course it is. That’s why you read these books! You know what’s going to happen. The joy is in the journey. How do they get together?
My only gripe is that I wish that the romance were developed further. It seems that within 24 hours (if that), the two are madly in love. I like my love stories drawn out just a tad bit more.
And an Epilogue would have been appreciated, too.
Yet for all its shortcomings, I will be reading Macomber again. She’s a bit addictive.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the opportunity to review this book.

Soup Night on Stanton Street

Soup Night on Stanton Street: 99 Recipes for Finding Community in a Bowl of Soup

by Maggie Stuckey

5 stars 

288 pages

Expected publication: Oct. 22, 2013 by Storey Publishing 

 

As a rule, I am not a gushy person, but I am going to gush about this cookbook/giver-of-hope to society.

If you don’t know your neighbors and don’t care to, please don’t read this book – you might just grow a heart and start to feel neighborly. If you like your neighbors and/or want to get to know them better, this is the perfect facilitator.

Humans live in groups for a reason – to help each other, to fill that basic need for human interaction. Only recently have people become hermits – glued to their computers and gaming systems. No human contact needed.

Is this healthy? No.

Soup Night on Stanton Street provides a recipe to counteract this isolationism. Before I picked this ARC up to review, I had no idea what Soup Night specifically was. It’s basically one night a month that a neighborhood gets together and bonds over delicious soups. What a simple idea, but it provides bounteous returns.

And it’s a neighborhood trend popping up around the nation. It gives one a sense of belonging, community and love. Soup Night, per se, is not an original idea, but it’s one that’s making a comeback. We do it in my church every 2^nd Sunday. But we call it a Linger Longer, and it’s a pure potluck. We don’t specify soup only. We get to visit and chat with each other and build stronger ties. Because of this monthly get-together, we are quite a close congregation – no one feels alone.

I’m not going to go into all the great positive things that come from Soup Night (there are too many to list here!) – buy the beautifully designed book and read about them. It’s totally worth it.  Be aware, you’re going to get a bit of positive social history along with your cookbook. Happily, the writing is great, so it’s actually fun to read others’ stories. They flesh out the book and give depth to the recipes.

Speaking of the recipes – which come from Soup Night groups all over the country – they look delectable and totally doable, for novice to expert. Besides a wonderful seasonal collection of soups, bisques, chowders, etc., there are breads, desserts, cookies, salads, garnishes, and a slew of other soup “accompaniments.”

And for the beginning cook, the book also explains different cooking techniques – like how to make a roux, for example.

Feel inspired? Step-by-step directions in Chapter 6 tell you exactly how to start your own community Soup Night, complete with checklists and advice from organizers from across the country.

This cookbook not only gives my stomach cause to rejoice, but it also gives me hope in people. Soup Night will nurture your body and soul. 

Thank you NetGalley and Storey Publishing for allowing me to review this ARC.