Some General Updates -- Including Blogging For Books

Sometimes, in life, there are opportunities that are too good to pass up; a solid for instance on that, front from my end, is Blogging for Books.

As much as I love bread – enough to name this blog after it, so you know my commitment to carbs is legit – I love books. Reading is one of the only hobbies that holds steady. No matter how much or many things change, words remain. From fiction, to memoirs, to cookbooks, to Christian lifestyle books (like ones I hope to someday write), and beyond, I’m pretty much insatiable.

That said: books are costly. I know I could get the E-reader ones on my phone, but I’m trying to cut down on blue light before bed to help me sleep better and that means I need the paper and ink kind of book. My solution to this expense is 3-fold:

1. actually read the books I already own and haven’t yet read – of which there are many
2. create an exhaustively long Amazon Wish List mostly full of books and hope people get me them for my birthday
3. Blogging for Books!

So, what is BFB?

With your activated account, you choose one book at a time which they then send you for free (including shipping!). Once you’ve received the book, you read it (obviously) and then write up a review of the book on your blog and the Blogging for Books website.

What do you need to do BFB?

All you need are: a mailing address, a love of books, access to the internet, the ability to string a sentence together, and a blog.

Why did you write this blog post?

I didn’t want anyone to be confused by the sudden uptick of sponsored posts or the completely unrelated subject matter of the books I will sometimes review. What’s the point of getting free books, after all, if they aren’t the ones you’ve been wanting to read?

That said, I am also reading a lot of books that do pertain to bread and The Bread of Life, so if you want recommendations on that front let me know and I will absolutely hook you up.

Right now, for instance, I’m reading Jesus Feminist by Sarah Bessey – which is fantastic so far – and I’m getting ready to start Proverbs 31 Ministries Online Bible Study of 5 Habits of a Woman Who Doesn’t Quit by Nicki Koziarz next week.

Hopefully, aside from book reviews, I’ll be posting more content and more regularly in the days to come. There might be previews from my upcoming 365-Day Devotional Book, For God’s Sake (working title), there will definitely be cooking adventures, and it’s likely I’ll get all fired up about my First and Most Love and need to share again soon. So … talk to you then?

Affectionately, B

“Food with Friends: The Art of Simple Gatherings” by Leela Cyd: A Review

First off, my bar-none favorite thing about this book was the photography. Leela Cyd is my new muse. She took pictures of plums and cheese that made me understand why the judges on Chopped sometimes call food sexy – I still think it’s very strange but I kind of get it now – and pictures of bruleed citrus that I want prints of for my kitchen. In addition to her skills behind the lens, Cyd comes off as kind and welcoming at every turn of the page. I’m so glad I got the chance to read through what I would classify as a culinary and visual experience; uniform in taste profile and aesthetic.

In the categories of breakfast and desserts, Cyd pushed my limits a little but in an intriguing way that made me anticipate my next excuse to get in the kitchen - excited anticipation, not nervous (an important differentiation). I’m most anticipating sinking my teeth into that same bruleed citrus that I want prints of, the Bircher muesli, and the chocolate marcona mini muffins from the morning section. Desserts that had me drooling included the lemon-strawberry tart and blueberry galette. Despite their fancy, spell-check defyingly, foreign names, every single thing I just listed – maybe even everything in the book – truly did look like something even a novice in the kitchen like myself could make.

Now let’s talk about the differences between could, should, and would.

While breakfast and dessert had a lot to offer, the center 1/3 of the book remained almost unmarked for me. The sections entitled “Teatime,” “Happy Hour,” and “Potlucks & Picnics,” caused the difference between Cyd’s lifestyle in California and mine in the rural Midwest to become glaring. Our definitions of “simple” are clearly miles apart. Cyd has friends who casually pose with Rhubarb Rose Floats; my friends are about as likely to eat or anything with “rhubarb” or “rose” in the name as they are to miss the Rose Bowl.

While I loved the glimpse into Cyd’s version of simple and firmly believe there’s nothing wrong with either of our ways of life, under no circumstances would I not get laughed out of the room if I brought “Purple Cauliflower Hummus” to the next family holiday.

Also, am I the only one who had no clue that cauliflower even comes in purple?

I guess what I’m saying is simply this: know what you’re getting into. Food with Friends is a beautiful book written by a likable author with a lot of interesting suggestions, some handy tips on décor, and some easy to make recipes that may or may not have any place at your table. 

I was lucky enough to get this book for free through Blogging for Books, but I still gave you my unadulterated opinion. Scout's Honor.

"Mother, Can You Not?" : A Book Review

"Mother, Can You Not?" is the best way I've recently spent a handful of hours. Kate Siegel is witty, good-humored, likable, and instantly relatable.
In the pursuit of being straight-forward, this book is definitely pg-13. There are numerous sexual topics and bawdy discussions - which anyone who has even seen the Instagram account that started it all @crazyjewishmom should not be surprised by.
However, with that grain of salt taken, I really enjoyed it. The stories are the exact amount of insanity that have me entirely convinced that not only did these things happen to Kate and Ms. Friedman, but if things go my way they could happen to me too.
Going into this book, I thought I would be Kate - gently shaking my head at the crazy antics of her mom - but it turned out that in reality I'm quickly growing into Kim... And I'm increasingly ok with that.
FYI, I got this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for the review but all the opinions in the review are totally true and totally mine.