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Tag: July 2022
book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2022 Squadpod Squadpod Book Club Squadpod Recommends
REVIEW: All About Evie by Matson Taylor
Post date 28th Dec 2022
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Published: July 21st, 2022
Publisher: Scribner UK
Genre: Domestic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical Fantasy, Literary Fiction
The year is almost over so I'm finally sharing my long-overdue review for what is one of my favourite books this year. Thank you to Matson Taylor and Scribner UK for the gifted proof copy of this book, which was our Squadpod Book Club pick for July.
EVIE EPWORTH IS TEN YEARS OLDER. BUT IS SHE ANY WISER?!
Ten years on from the events of The Miseducation of Evie Epworth, Evie is settled in London and working as a production assistant for the BBC. She has everything she ever dreamed of (a career, a leatherette briefcase, an Ossie Clark poncho) but, following an unfortunate incident involving a Hornsea Pottery mug and Princess Anne, she finds herself having to rethink her future. What can she do? Is she too old to do it? And will it involve cork-soled sandals?
As if this isn't complicated enough, her disastrous love life leaves her worrying that she may be destined for eternal spinsterdom, concerned, as she is, that 'even Paul had married Linda by the time he was 26'. Through it all, Evie is left wondering whether a 60s miseducation really is the best preparation to glide into womanhood and face the new challenges (strikes, power cuts, Edward Heath's teeth) thrown up by the growing pains of the 70s.
With the help of friends, both old and new, she might just find a way through her messy 20s and finally discover who exactly she is meant to be…
When the previous book in a series is not only one of your favourite books of that year, but of all time, there is some trepidation about reading the follow up. Would I enjoy this one as much and still love Evie with the same fierceness? The answer is yes! Once again Matson Taylor has knocked it out of the park with this hilarious, heartwarming and addictive novel that feels like a cup of Yorkshire tea and a piece of parkin on a cold day.
This time, Taylor transports us to the Summer of 1972, 10 years after the events of The Miseducation of Evie Epworth, to reunite us with the eponymous heroine for more entertaining exploits. Evie is working for the BBC and living the life she's always dreamed of in London when a mishap involving Princess Anne and a Hornsea mug leads to her dismissal, and Evie is now forced to reassess her life. But what direction will she choose from the overwhelming number of possibilities open to her? And then there is her love life. At the ripe old age of 26 and a half she feels in danger of becoming over-the-hill and wonders why she hasn't yet met Mr. Right. There is fun, laughter and lots of emotion, as Evie embarks on her greatest journey of self discovery yet.
Oh, Evie. How I love her. She truly feels like an old friend and I never get tired of reading her. She's an iconic northern heroine who pole-vaults off the pages and straight into your heart. It is a slightly more sophisticated and wise Evie we meet in this book, yet she's still the same feisty, funny, quirky and unforgettable Yorkshire lass we love. It has been great to watch her grow and I loved her metamorphosis from teenager to young woman in this story. And the snippets of information about her ex boyfriends were hilarious.
Matson Taylor is a comedy genius and had me laughing out loud within the first few pages. He has a talent for writing witty, offbeat and uproarious characters and storylines that are also heartfelt. He paces the story perfectly, switching seamlessly between the serious and lighter moments to ensure things never feel too heavy. There are so many moments that were pure comedy gold and still make me laugh when they randomly pop into my head many months after reading the book. The evocative imagery and attention to detail brought 1970s London to life so vividly it felt like I'd stepped into a time machine and appeared in 1972. The book is filled with blasts from the past: Old Jamaica bars, Wimpy burgers, cheese and pineapple hedgehogs etc. I was assailed by memories and the nostalgia took over and thoroughly enjoyed the walk down memory lane.
Uplifting, witty and utterly magnificent, All About Evie is another must-read from Mr. Taylor. And that ending! I need book 3 now!
Matson Taylor grew up in Yorkshire (the flat part not the Brontë part). He comes from farming stock and spent an idyllic childhood surrounded by horses, cows, bicycles, and cheap ice-cream. His father, a York City and Halifax Town footballer, has never forgiven him for getting on the school rugby team but not getting anywhere near the school football team.
Matson now lives in London, where he is a design historian and academic writing tutor at the V&A, Imperial College and the Royal College of Art. Previously, he talked his way into various jobs at universities and museums around the world; he has also worked on Camden Market, appeared in an Italian TV commercial and been a pronunciation coach for Catalan opera singers. He gets back to Yorkshire as much as possible, mainly to see family and friends but also to get a reasonably-priced haircut.
He has always loved telling stories and, after writing academically about beaded flapper dresses and World War 2 glow-in-the-dark fascinators, he decided to enrol on the Faber Academy 'Writing A Novel' course. The Miseducation of Evie Epworth is his first novel.
Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx
Tags All About Evie, Book Review, Domestic Fiction, Evie Epworth Series, favourite authors, Five stars, Historical Fantasy, historical fiction, July 2022, July Books, Literary Fiction, Matson Taylor, Recommended authors, Scribner UK, Squadpod, Squadpod Recommends, The SquadPod Book Club, The SquadPod Collective
Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2022
BLOG TOUR: The Setup by Lizzy Dent
Post date 31st Jul 2022
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Published: June 9th, 2022
Genre: Romance Novel, Contemporary Romance, Holiday Fiction, New Adult Fiction, Coming-of-Age Story
Format: Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook
Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this funny, heartwarming and uplifting rom-com. Thank you to Ellie at Viking for the invitation to take part and the gifted ARC.
SHE HAS A PLAN . . .
FATE HAS OTHER IDEAS.
There are two men in my life. But this is not a love triangle.
Mara Williams reads her horoscope every day – but she wasn't expecting to be in a whole other country when destiny finally found her. Just as a fortune teller reveals that her true love is about to arrive, a gorgeous stranger literally walks into her life. And now Mara is determined to bring them together again . . . Surely even fate needs a nudge in the right direction sometimes?
But while Mara is getting ready for 'the one', the universe intervenes. Her new flatmate Ash is funny, and kind, and sexy as hell . . . There was no predicting this: it's as if her destiny just arrived on her doorstep.
So will Mara put her destiny in fate's hands – or finally trust herself to reach for the stars?
*An edgy, hilarious rom-com from the author of The Summer Job. For fans of Beth O'Leary, Starstruck and New Girl.*
"Fate always knows how to deliver."
Lizzy Dent has done it again! Charming, witty and uplifting, The Setup is a fabulous summer read that has cemented her place as one of my Queens of rom-com.
Alone in Budapest after her best friend Charlie dropped out of their girls trip at the last minute, Mara decides to go visit a fortune teller. She tells her that she will meet the love of her life imminently, a prediction that seems to come true when the very man she described literally walks through the door shortly after. But life is never simple and it seems that the universe has another plan, one that includes Mara's sexy new flatmate, Ash. Will Mara follow fate or finally trust herself to choose what she wants?
I became an instant fan of Lizzy Dent when I read her debut, The Summer Job, last year and was excitedly anticipating this follow up. I had the pleasure of meeting Lizzy recently at The Book Party and she is every bit as charismatic, funny and delightful in person as she appears online, something she also brings to her books. I love how she cleverly plays with the familiar romance tropes, making them feel fresh and entertaining and injecting them with laugh-out-loud humour and valuable life lessons. I couldn't put it down, reading the first ¾ of the book in one sitting and staying up until almost 2am without realising the time. And that ending! It couldn't have been more perfect.
"I've never understood how people can know themselves so well that they know exactly where they're going and what to do to get there. How to make clear decisions that truly come from just them. It's a mystery to me."
Mara is a wonderful character. Quirky, shy, awkward but totally endearing, she is someone I loved from the start. A horoscope enthusiast, she is so invested in the idea of fate and destiny that she doesn't trust her own instincts or feelings and won't make even the smallest of decisions without consulting what her horoscope says. I particularly loved her system for choosing which movie to watch. It certainly saves the many hours of flicking through the choices and trying to make a selection that is familiar to us all. Mara is also a lonely character, her shyness leaving her with only one real friend who she feels like she's drifted apart from lately, so I enjoyed watching her create new friendships as she tries to improve herself, especially with Samira. I also really liked her relationship with Ash which, though predictable, felt very real and natural. I was rooting for them and definitely Team Ash over Team Joe. When she would waver I wanted to shake her and tell her to forget a dream and go for what was right in front of her. But would she?
Funny, heartwarming and sweet, The Setup is a feel-good romance that should be on everyone's tbr.
Lizzy Dent (mis)spent her early twenties working in Scotland in hospitality. After years travelling the world making Music TV for MTV and Channel 4, and creating digital content for Cartoon Network, the BBC and ITV, she wrote three Young Adult novels as Rebecca Denton published in the UK. This is her debut adult novel. She lives between London, Austria, and New Zealand with her young family.
Tags Blog Tour, Book Review, Coming-of-Age Story, Contemporary Romance, Emma's Anticipated Treasures, favourite authors, Four star reads, Holiday fiction, July 2022, July Books, June 2022, Lizzy Dent, New Adult Fiction, Recommended authors, Romance Novel, The Lobster Army, The Setup, Viking
Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Support Debuts
BLOG TOUR: Ginger and Me by Elissa Soave
Post date 22nd Jul 2022
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Genre: Mystery, Dark Comedy, Coming-of-Age Story, Urban Fiction
Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this poignant, funny and affecting debut. Thank you to HQ for the invitation to take part and the gifted copy of the book.
Wendy is lonely but coping.
All nineteen-year-old Wendy wants is to drive the 255 bus around Uddingston with her regulars on board, remember to buy milk when it runs out and just to be okay. After her mum died, there's nobody to remind her to eat and what to do each day.
And Wendy is ready to step out of her comfort zone.
Each week she shows her social worker the progress she's made, like the coasters she bought to spruce up the place, even if she forgets to make tea. And she even joins a writers' group to share the stories she writes, like the one about a bullied boy who goes to Mars.
But everything changes when Wendy meets Ginger.
A teenager with flaming orange hair, Ginger's so brave she's wearing a coat that isn't even waterproof. For the first time, Wendy has a real best friend. But as they begin the summer of their lives, Wendy wonders if things were simpler before. And that's before she realizes just how much trouble Ginger is about to get them in…
An unforgettable debut novel from the winner of the Primadonna Prize 2019 which will stay with you long after the last page.
"Ginger and me were best friends that summer, she was the first best friend I'd ever had. I wish we could have stayed that way forever."
Ginger and Me opens in Polmont Prison with narrator Wendy sure that she will be set free as soon as the mysterious reason she is there is cleared up. When she's sent back to prison to await her trial after the initial hearing she is shocked and confused.
We then jump back to a year earlier. Wendy is living a solitary life following the death of her mother. She drives her bus and goes home, her only visitor is her support worker, Saanvi, who comes by weekly and encourages Wendy to step out of her comfort zone. Following her advice, Wendy befriends Ginger, a teenager she meets on her bus, and joins a local writing group. It's the happiest she's ever been and it is all about to spiral into tragedy…
"Things hadn't gone exactly as planned but still, the bond between us was getting stronger with every meeting. It had taken me a long time to find my soulmate but now that I had, there was no way I was going to mess it up."
Heartfelt, moving and achingly real, Ginger and Me is an accomplished debut that explores loneliness, grief, friendship, obsession and self-discovery. It claimed my attention quickly, the author holding me in the palm of her hands as she wove her lingering tale. Steadily paced with a suspenseful atmosphere that looms over every page, it is a cornucopia of heartbreak, tragedy and trauma with heart and humour woven in to help bring light to the darkness. And while we know from how it begins that Wendy will end up in prison, we don't know what led her there, keeping me guessing and adding to the tension which builds to a shocking climax. And that ending! I still have chills.
"She was charismatic and fun, that's what people forget when they focus on what happened later. I mean, if you read a book and your favourite character did something terrible on the first page, they'd never get the chance to become your favourite character, would they? No, you have to get to know them a bit first, learn what they are and what it is you like about them. Later when they do things you can't deal with, well, it's too late because you're committed to liking them regardless."
The story is narrated by Wendy, who talks directly to the reader, creating an intimate connection. She is a likeable, quirky and interesting character who is very literal, doesn't see the world the way others do, and often misses what people mean or is really happening. It gives her an innocence and vulnerability that made me feel protective of her and there were times her lack of self-awareness broke my heart or made me cringe. I wished I could jump into the book and gently explain what was going on to help her avoid embarrassment and heartache. Ginger and Diane are also compelling characters. We only ever see them through Wendy's eyes yet the author manages to create unique connections between them and the reader too. I felt a particular affection and maternal instinct towards Ginger, who is a troubled and often melancholy teenager who has a terrible home life and much darker problems that Wendy doesn't quite grasp. I could see how she was desperate to be rescued but there was no one to save her. Elissa Soave took me on an emotional journey alongside these characters that lingers long after turning that final page.
"I think if you read books, it calms you down. And it makes you realise there's a place for everybody, no matter how weird. It's like, there's a whole world out there and no one can stop you from entering, it's open to anyone who wants to be part of it, even me. "
As a bibliophile, I love a book about books or characters who love books, so the fact that this book had both of those things made me so happy. felt a deeper connection to Wendy because of her love of books and could understand some of her feelings towards Diane as I know that feeling when an author seems to be writing what you're thinking. All of the references to literature made this an even greater joy to read and made my bookish heart sing.
Funny, dark and poignant, Ginger and Me is a memorable debut you need on your TBR.
TW: Sexual abuse, death of a parent
Elissa Soave is a Scottish writer. She won the Primadonna Prize 2019 and her debut novel, Ginger and Me, will be published by HQ Stories (HarperCollins) on 21 July 2022.
Elissa's fiction is set in the domestic but often dangerous world of ordinary people. Her characters tend to be alienated, damaged, and often angry, but their perspective on the world and the way in which they deal with their problems will reassure readers of the resilience of the human spirit.
Tags Blog Tour, Book Review, Coming-of-Age Story, Dark Comedy, Elissa Soave, Emma's Anticipated Treasures, Ginger and Me, HQ, July 2022, July Books, mystery, Support Debuts, Urban Fiction
BLOG TOUR: The Daves Next Door by Will Carver
Post date 19th Jul 2022
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Publisher: Orenda Books
Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Fiction, Crime Fiction, Urban Fiction, Political Fiction, Religious Fiction
Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this atmospheric and compelling novel. Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part and Karen at Orenda for the eBook ARC.
The lives of five strangers collide on a London train carriage, as they become involved in an incident that will change them all forever. A shocking, intensely emotive and wildly original new thriller from Will Carver…
A disillusioned nurse suddenly learns how to care.
An injured young sportsman wakes up find that he can see only in black and white.
A desperate old widower takes too many pills and believes that two angels have arrived to usher him through purgatory.
Two agoraphobic men called Dave share the symptoms of a brain tumour, and frequently waken their neighbour with their ongoing rows.
Separate lives, running in parallel, destined to collide and then explode.
Like the suicide bomber, riding the Circle Line, day after day, waiting for the right time to detonate, waiting for answers to his questions: Am I God? Am I dead? Will I blow up this train?
Shocking, intensely emotive and wildly original, Will Carver's The Daves Next Door is an explosive existential thriller and a piercing examination of what it means to be human … or not.
Five strangers' lives collide on a carriage on the London Underground during a shocking event. But was it fate? Did they have the power to change what would happen to them?
Told from multiple points of view over three parts, The Daves Next Door is a sinister, scathing and stylish social commentary that explores the question of fate versus choice and asks if there are such things as good and evil. It makes you question the way you think, examining our prejudices and apathy, potentially changing the way you see the world around you.
"Is there such a thing as destiny? Is the path laid out? The story already written?"
The characters are familiar, flawed and fascinating. They could be our neighbour or the person next to us on the bus. Each of them are richly drawn and complex, allowing us to find compassion for the villain and dislike for the hero in places. The many threads of the story appear unconnected at first but are slowly woven together, keeping the reader guessing at every step. It takes a lot of talent to make a story that opens with references to how it all ends still feel unpredictable, but Carver pulls it off expertly.
Will Carver is a tour-de-force in fiction. His singular style is instantly recognisable, the quirky, intelligent, playful and affecting prose pulling you into the world he created and holding you captive from beginning to end. His original and visionary style make his books absolute must reads.
Fierce, intelligent, atmospheric and unapologetic, The Daves Next Door is a must-read. Add it to your TBR now!
Will Carver is the international bestselling author of the January David series and the critically acclaimed, mind-blowingly original Detective Pace series that includes Good Samaritans (2018), Nothing Important Happened Today (2019) and Hinton Hollow Death Trip (2020), all of which were ebook bestsellers and selected as books of the year in the mainstream international press. Nothing Important Happened Today was longlisted for both the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award 2020 and the Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award. Hinton Hollow Death Trip was longlisted for Guardian's Not the Booker Prize. He spent his early years in Germany, but returned to the UK at age eleven, when his sporting career took off. He turned down a professional rugby contract to study theatre and television at King Alfred's, Winchester, where he set up a successful theatre company. He currently runs his own fitness and nutrition company, and lives in Reading with his children.
Orenda | Waterstones* | Amazon* | Bookshop.org*
Tags 4.5 star review, Blog Tour, Book Review, crime fiction, Emma's Anticipated Treasures, Favourtie Author, July 2022, July Books, mystery, Orenda Books, Political Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Random Things Tours, Recommended author, Religious fiction, suspense, The Daves Next Door, thriller, Urban Fiction, Will Carver
BLOG TOUR: The Phone Call by A. J. Campbell
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Published: June 26th, 2022
Publisher: Code Grey Publishers
Genre: Thriller, Psychological Fiction
Format: Paperback, Kindle
Today is also my stop on the tour for The Phone Call. Thank you to A. J. Campbell for the invitation to take part and the gifted eBook ARC.
Sometimes the guilty are innocent
Joey Clarke was just fifteen when his dad died, leaving him to raise his much younger siblings as his mum dealt with the trauma of bereavement and her failing health. Ten years on, Joey's only pleasure is spending time with his friend Becca, the love of his life. It's the one escape from his dead-end job, his ever-increasing debts, and the fear that enforcement agents will knock on his front door any day.
So when a phone call brings Joey the chance to ease the burdens of his life, he grabs the opportunity, even though he knows things are not entirely as they should be. He justifies it to himself as a way to get back on his feet. But when he finds himself party to a crime involving Becca, he panics.
As Joey tries to find a way out, he becomes further embroiled in a web of secrets, lies, and deceit. At risk of losing everything and everyone he holds dear, Joey must consider the unthinkable.
A psychological suspense thriller, full of twists and turns, perfect for readers of Lisa Jewell, Frieda McFadden, Shari Lapena, Adele Parks, Miranda Rijks, Jackie Kabler, Lucy Foley, Sally Hepworth, and Daniel Hurst.
Joey Clarke receives a phone call from a friend that offers the chance to make some easy money. With the bills piling up and debt collectors about to knock on his door he feels he has little other option but to take the opportunity.
All he has to do is deliver two packages. The first delivery goes fine, but when he goes to deliver the second package things go wrong and he finds himself an accessory to a shocking crime. Even worse, the crime is linked to people he knows. Should he confess or keep quiet and hope his secret is never discovered?
A tangled web of secrets, lies and desperation that simmers with suspense, The Phone Call is a tense and twisty psychological thriller. I've read all of A. J. Campbell's books and this one had the most intense atmosphere yet as Joey's desperation and despair leap from the page. He is drowning in hopelessness with no life raft to save him, though I wished I could throw him one. It was painful to read as he struggles to bear the part he played in what happens and wrestles with his conscience while trying to decide what he should do. It feels like an impossible dilemma, particularly when combined with the threats of what would happen to him and his family if he dared to go to the police hanging over him. Campbell has a skill for writing characters who are relatable and real, something that shines in this book as they pull you in and make you feel for them. The combination of this with familiar life struggles, drama and sinister secrets, raise the tension and make this a book that will have you on the edge of your seat.
On the subject of characters, I want to take this opportunity to thank the author. Joey's mum has Fibromyalgia, a condition I also live with. To see someone with this condition written in a realistic way that doesn't contain the usual cliches about painkiller addiction, hypochondria or laziness was refreshing. This is the kind of representation of chronic illness we need in literature and it was wonderful to see.
Fast-paced, suspenseful and twisty, this intense thriller is a quick and compelling read that I'd recommend.
AJ CAMPBELL is the author of the Amazon bestselling debut novel Leave Well Alone. She writes in the psychological suspense genre and promises stories full of twists, turns and torment. Her fourth book The Phone Call was released in July 2022. AJ draws inspiration for her novels from seemingly unbelievable situations in which ordinary people find themselves. She creates compelling characters that resonate with her readers. AJ lives in the UK on the Essex / Hertfordshire border with her husband, sons, and cocker spaniel, Max. A dog lover, Netflix junkie, wine and Asian food enthusiast, either reading or writing, AJ enjoys nothing more than getting stuck into a twisty book!
Tags A. J. Campbell, Blog Tours, Book Review, Code Grey Publishing, Four star reads, July 2022, July Books, June 2022, June Books, Psychological fiction, The Phone Call, thriller
BLOG TOUR: Listen To Me by Tess Gerritsen (Rizzoli & Isles 13)
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Published: July 7th, 2022
Publisher: Bantam Press
Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Crime Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Hardboiled, Crime Series
Format: Kindle, Kindle, Audiobook
Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for the latest in the Rizzoli and Isles series. Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part and Bantam Press for the eBook ARC.
Rizzoli & Isles return, in the nail-biting new thriller from Sunday Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen.
The murder of Sofia Suarez is both gruesome and seemingly senseless. Why would anyone target a respected nurse who was well-liked by her friends and her neighbours? As Detective Jane Rizzoli and Forensic Pathologist Maura Isles investigate the baffling case, they discover that Sofia was guarding a dangerous secret — a secret that may have led the killer straight to her door.
Meanwhile, Jane's watchful mother Angela Rizzoli is conducting an investigation of her own. She may be a grandmother, not a police detective, but she's savvy enough to know there's something very strange, perhaps even dangerous, about the new neighbours across the street. The problem is, no one believes her, not even her own daughter.
Immersed in the hunt for Sofia's killer, Jane and Maura are too busy to pay attention to Angela's fears. With no one listening to her, and danger mounting in her neighbourhood, Angela just may be forced to take action on her own…
"Maura could dissect a body, examine its tissues all the way down to the cellular level, but what the dead knew and saw and felt as the lights blinked out would remain a mystery."
Rizzoli and Isles has been one of my favourite crime series', and Tess Gerritsen one of my favourite authors, since I borrowed The Surgeon from the library almost twenty years ago. So when I heard that Rizzoli and Isles were back after a five year break I was thrilled. I couldn't wait to not only be back with the familiar characters, but also immerse myself in Gerritsen's darkly atmospheric words. It did not disappoint, reminding me of why she is known as the Queen of Crime.
In the thirteenth instalment in the series Detective Jane Rizzoli and Forensic Pathologist Maura Isles are investigating the gruesome murder of Sofia Suarez. There are no immediate motives for the crime, but when Rizzoli discovers that Suarez was guarding a dangerous secret, everything changes.
Meanwhile Rizzoli's mother Angela is busy keeping a watchful eye on her neighbours when she notices something strange about the new couple across the street. Her daughter and the police department dismiss her as a busybody, but Angela is sure there is something sinister going on and begins her own ameteur investigation, little realising the danger she is walking into…
"That was the burden of working in homicide; you are always too late to change the victim's fate."
Gerritsen has knocked it out of the park yet again. Sharply written, cleverly crafted and perfectly paced, this is suspense at its best. You can feel yourself in the hands of a masterful storyteller as Gerritsen expertly takes the everyday and merges it with the macabre. I was on tenterhooks as she intricately wove the threads together until the full, shocking picture emerged.
Despite an absence of a number of years I found it easy to step back into Rizzoli and Isles' world, the characters feeling like old friends. I've always loved how she fills this series with such strong, nuanced and familiar female characters that are richly drawn and easy to like. I particularly enjoyed Angela Rizzoli's character in this story and liked how Gerritsen used her to highlight how older women are often invisible and easily dismissed. I felt for Angela as her concerns were pushed aside yet she felt so sure there was something wrong. It was great to see her shine after spending so long as more of a background character.
If you're a fan of dark, tense, twisty and gripping thrillers then this should be on your TBR. While having read the other books in the series is recommended because they are so good, it isn't necessary and you could also enjoy it as a standalone.
Internationally bestselling author Tess Gerritsen took an unusual route to a writing career. A graduate of Stanford University, Tess went on to medical school at the University of California, San Francisco, where she was awarded her M.D.
While on maternity leave from her work as a physician, she began to write fiction. In 1987, her first novel was published. Call After Midnight, a romantic thriller, was followed by eight more romantic suspense novels. She also wrote a screenplay, "Adrift", which aired as a 1993 CBS Movie of the Week starring Kate Jackson.
Tess's first medical thriller, Harvest, was released in hardcover in 1996, and it marked her debut on the New York Times bestseller list. Her suspense novels since then have been: Life Support (1997), Bloodstream (1998), Gravity (1999), The Surgeon (2001), The Apprentice (2002), The Sinner (2003), Body Double (2004), Vanish (2005), The Mephisto Club (2006), The Bone Garden (2007), The Keepsake (2008; UK title: Keeping the Dead), Ice Cold (2010; UK title: The Killing Place), The Silent Girl (2011), Last To Die (2012), Die Again (2014), Playing With Fire (2015), and I Know A Secret (2017). Her books have been published in forty countries, and more than 30 million copies have been sold around the world.
Her books have been top-3 bestsellers in the United States and number one bestsellers abroad. She has won both the Nero Wolfe Award (for Vanish) and the Rita Award (for The Surgeon). Critics around the world have praised her novels as "Pulse-pounding fun" (Philadelphia Inquirer), "Scary and brilliant" (Toronto Globe and Mail), and "Polished, riveting prose" (Chicago Tribune). Publisher Weekly has dubbed her the "medical suspense queen".
Her series of novels featuring homicide detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles inspired the TNT television series "Rizzoli & Isles" starring Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander.
Now retired from medicine, she writes full time. She lives in Maine.
Thanks for reading Bibliophiles 😊Emma xxxx
Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the tour
Tags Bantam Press, Blog Tour, Book Review, Compulsive Readers Tours, crime fiction, Crime series, Emma's Anticipated Treasures, July 2022, July Books, Listen To Me, mystery, Psychological Thriller, Rizzoli & Isles Series, suspense, Tess Gerritsen
BLOG TOUR: The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager
Post date 9th Jul 2022
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Genre: Suspense, Psychological Fiction, Horror Fiction
Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this unexpected, darkly atmospheric thriller. Thank you to Ollie at Hodder & Stoughton for the invitation to take part and the gifted copy of the book.
The master of genre-bending suspense is back with a brand new edge-of-your-seat thriller.
Recently widowed actress Casey Fletcher has escaped to her family's lake house for peace and quiet. She's been happily losing herself in her thoughts and several bottles of bourbon, until the glamorous couple across the lake catch her attention. They look so perfect – just like Casey and her husband used to be.
But is anyone what they seem?
Casey has a detective sat at her kitchen table.
She has a man bound and gagged upstairs.
Casey will uncover dark truths so life-changing that nothing will ever be the same again.
International bestselling sensation Riley Sager is back with his most ambitious thriller yet. With his trademark blend of sharp characters, psychological suspense and gasp-worthy twists, The House Across the Lake will shock readers from the first page to the last.
"The last thought I have before spiralling into unconsciousness is a memory of the sound that woke me up. With it comes recognition.
I now know what I heard.
It was a scream."
Wow. What on earth did I just read? Riveting, unexpected and surprising, this was a wild and crazy ride that I couldn't put down. Punchy, sharp and oozing with foreboding, the writing is compelling. Moving between dual timelines, I loved how we would get a short, sharp and ominous 'Now' section that ended on a cliffhanger before jumping to a longer 'Before' section, notching up the tension and leaving us on the edge of our seats.
This was my second time reading a Riley Sager book but I was an instant fan and couldn't wait to read more. This book had a different feel to his last book, more of a traditional thriller. While I was enjoying it, it seemed predictable and I thought I had it all figured out. Then, bam! With one twist he takes the story from zero to sixty, turning everything on its head and changing everything you thought you knew. It instantly became all the more tantalising and I couldn't read fast enough. One of my favourite things about thrillers is when an author shocks you with something completely unexpected and seemingly out of left field but when you look back you can see the clues carefully hidden on the pages, which in this case are small hints of the paranormal. In the hands of another author it could have been a ridiculous turn, and I think it will be a bit of a marmite book because of this, but I thought Sager pulled it off expertly and made the unbelievable feel possible.
"The lake is darker than a coffin with the lid shut.
That's what Marnie used to say, back when we were children and she was constantly trying to scare me. It's an exaggeration, to be sure. But not by much. Lake Greene's water is dark, even with the light trickling through it.
A coffin with the lid cracked. "
I love an unreliable narrator and Casey certainly fits that bill Flawed and tortured, she's drinking herself into oblivion each day to numb the pain of her husband's death and being back at the place that haunts her, where his death happened, is far from helping. She craves an escape, and alcohol offers that. I liked her and enjoyed her drunken and paranoid musings, even though she obviously needed to get sober and stop watching and obsessing over the Royces. The other characters are equally as compelling and unreliable, leaving the reader constantly second guessing themselves and adding to the suspense.
Atmospheric, unnerving, twisty and completely over the top, this is perfect for anyone who enjoys a thriller that is a little bit different.
Riley Sager is the New York Times bestselling author of six novels, most recently Home Before Dark and Survive the Night. His first novel, Final Girls, has been published in 30 countries and won the ITW Thriller Award for Best Hardcover Novel. His latest book, The House Across the Lake, will be published in 2022 by Dutton Books.
A native of Pennsylvania, he now lives in Princeton, New Jersey.
Tags Blog Tour, Book Reivew, Emma's Anticipated Treasures, Four star reads, Hodder & Stoughton, Horror Fiction, July 2022, July Books, Psychological Thriller, Riley Sager, suspense, The House Across the Lake
BLOG TOUR: The Halfways by Nilopar Uddin
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Genre: Literary Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Coming-of-Age Story
Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this powerful and striking debut. Thank you to HQ for the invitation to take part and the gifted copy of the book.
A breathtaking debut novel from an exciting new voice in fiction – coming July 2022!
Nasrin and Sabrina are two sisters, who on the face of things live successful and enviable lives in London and New York. When their father, Shamsur suddenly dies, they rush to be with their mother at the family home and restaurant in Wales, and reluctantly step back into the stifling world of their childhood.
When Shamsur's will is read, a devastating secret is revealed that challenges all that people thought and loved about him. It also profoundly changes the lives and identities of the sisters, and creates an irreparable family rift…
Moving between London, Wales, New York and Bangladesh, this is an epic family drama that spans over four decades. A story of mothers and daughters, of fathers and daughters, of sisterhood, it is a tale that explores belonging, family and what makes forgiveness and redemption possible.
When their father, Shamsur dies suddenly, sisters Nassrin and Sabrina return home to Wales to be with their mother and reluctantly step back into the stifling traditional ways, creating a clash of culture as old meets new. The tension rises when Shamsur's will is read and the revelation of a long-held secret sends shockwaves through the family, tearing them apart and creating a rift that seems beyond repair…
An absorbing debut that is as beautiful on the inside as its striking cover, The Halfways is a kaleidoscopic family saga. Melodic, lyrical, vibrant and evocative, it is a glorious tapestry of a novel. Nilopar Uddin is a gifted storyteller who has crafted an atmospheric, layered, enthralling story filled with humanity. As she explores the many facets of family, culture, identity, belonging and forgiveness, Uddin leads you through the story gently, like a tranquil stroll on a summer's day. It feels light, yet bursting with imagery and emotion, dreamlike, with a stylish and cinematic edge that feels like you're seeing the story vivid technicolour. This isn't a book you simply read, but one that you step into.
The story is told by multiple narrators over four decades, taking us between London, New York, Wales and Bangladesh. Moving fluidly between narrators, places and timelines, the vignettes from the past offer us a glimpse into the history of this complex family, slowly revealing who they are and what secrets they have been keeping. The chorus of richly drawn, flawed, yet very different, characters draw you into their lives, allowing us to step into their shoes and feel everything that they do: their heartache, grief, struggles, inner turmoil and betrayal.
Tender, moving and heartfelt, The Halfways is a captivating and lingering debut from exciting new talent.
Nilopar Uddin was born in Shropshire to Sylheti parents who, like the fictional family in The Halfways, owned and ran an Indian restaurant in Wales. Every summer her family would travel for their holidays to Bangladesh to visit extended family, and this affection for the country has continued into adulthood.
Nilopar has had a successful career as a financial services lawyer practising in both London and New York, a city that she fell in love with. She now lives in London with her husband and two daughters. She has an MA in Creative Writing from City University where she first started working on The Halfways.
Waterstones* | Amazon* | Bookshop.org*
*These are affiliate links
Thanks for reading Bibliophiles Emma xxx
Tags Blog Tour, Book Review, Coming-of-Age Story, contemporary fiction, Emma's Anticipated Treasures, Four star reads, HQ, July 2022, July Books, Literary Fiction, Nilopar Uddin, The Halfways
book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Social Media Blast
SOCIAL MEDIA BLAST: The Ruins by Phoebe Wynne
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Publisher: Quercus
Genre: Gothic Fiction, Suspense, Coming-of-Age Story
Happy Publication Day to this atmospheric and compelling novel. Thank you to Quercus for the invitation to take part in this social media blast and the gifted copy of the book.
Amidst the glamour of the French Riviera lies the crumbling façade of Chateau de Sètes, a small slice of France still held by the British aristocracy. But this long since abandoned chateau is now up for sale, and two people are desperate to get their hands on it despite its terrible history.
Summer, 1985: Ruby has stayed at the chateau with her family every summer of her twelve years. It was her favourite place to be, away from the strictures of her formal childhood, but this year uninvited guests have descended, and everything is about to change…
As the intense August heat cloaks the chateau, the adults within start to lose sight of themselves. Old disputes are thrown back and forth, tempers rise, morals loosen, and darkness begins to creep around them all. Ruby and her two young friends soon discover it is best not to be seen or heard as the summer spirals down to one fateful night and an incident that can never be undone…
Summer, 2010: One of the three young girls, now grown and newly widowed, returns to the chateau, and in her fight to free herself from its grip, she uncovers what truly happened that long, dark summer.
With riveting psychological complexity, The Ruins captures the glittering allure of the Mediterranean, and the dark shadows that wait beneath the surface.
"She pictured three girls bound tightly together in the back seat of the car, holding each other. Their hot breath, clammy palms, and her overshadowing fear of the man at the front, the man driving. "
The Ruins is a story about family, secrets, legacy and trauma that explores the events of a long, dark summer that can't be forgotten. Behind the idyll of a beautiful chateau in the French Riviera and the scorching heat of the summer sun are dark shadows, cracks in the bright façade, and things hurtle towards that fateful night that can never be undone…
The book opens with a note from the author warning the reader of what we are about to read and offering those who would rather stay away from the dark but timely subject matter on these pages. I think this was a good move as it serves as both a content warning and sets the tone for what's to come. Then comes the prologue with all of its ominous intrigue and the scene is set for this hauntingly atmospheric novel that I couldn't put down.
"When was it, she asked herself, that her youthful joy turned sour, when this strange exterior rose up and crystallised around her? She knew exactly. It was that summer."
Though I have her debut on my shelves, this was my first time reading one of Phoebe Wynne's books. Her writing is alluring, immersive and almost dreamlike, making me feel like there was a haze that lingered over every word as I read. The subject she examines in this story is a timely but difficult one that feels all too human and familiar. Wynne writes with understanding, sensitivity and honesty, making it hard to read in places but never gratuitous. I also liked how she wove Greek Mythology into the story. Wynne cleverly uses them as an analogy of what is happening that summer and as someone who loves the myths it made the story all the more enjoyable to read.
"All the stories from that summer had haunted her – all those women, tossed about for the desire and ambition of their male counterparts. Those had seemed to repeat themselves through her life, like some infectious, cruel joke."
This layered and nuanced story is composed of dual timelines that are expertly plotted and paced to keep you guessing. As the events of the summer of 1985 slowly unfold we move between timelines, jumping forward to 2010 when one of the young girls has returned to France to confront the trauma that has haunted her all these years. There is an air of foreboding and mystery in this timeline that adds a sinister tension to the past narrative as we try to guess what happened all those years ago. The author seamlessly weaves the narratives together, making them collide in unexpected ways. And that ending! A punch-to-the-gut finale that made me gasp out loud in shock and horror.
"Mrs Cosgrove woke up agitated; she had dreamed about the château again. That grand house perched by the water, tinged with sunlight and heat. The memory of it was permanently lodged in her mind, like an azure blue aneurysm, sharp and painful with every blink."
There is a cast of vividly drawn and recognisable characters, of which the adults are hideous, possessing few redeeming qualities and displaying monstrous behaviour that is a stark contrast to the innocence of the young girls. Our young protagonist, Ruby, lives in a time when children are expected to blindly obey their elders and be seen and not heard and the adults' abhorrent behaviour is protected by this, as well as a culture of secrets, shame, propriety and obedience. The fear, isolation and claustrophobia that the girls feel is palpable and it is impossible not to feel horrified at the lack of parental care given to these children and how terribly each of them was failed by the adults they trusted. I wanted to leap into the book and rescue each of them from their nightmare.
Unnerving, tense and compelling, The Ruins is an important and thought-provoking novel that I highly recommend. I now intend to prioritise Ms. Wynne's debut which is screaming at me from my shelves even louder after reading this.
TW: Sexual abuse
Phoebe Wynne studied Classics at Royal Holloway, University of London and Education at King's College, London. She worked in education for eight years, teaching Classics in the south of England as well as English Language and Literature in Paris, France. Phoebe left the classroom to focus on her writing; she went on to hone her craft in writing classes in Los Angeles and in London. Phoebe has dual British and French nationality and spends her time between England and France. 'MADAM' is her debut novel.
Tags Book Review, Coming of Age fiction, Emma's Anticipated Treasures, Four star reads, Gothic Fiction, July 2022, July Books, Phoebe Wynne, Quercus, Social Media Blast, suspense, The Ruins
BLOG TOUR: Dark Objects by Simon Toyne
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Publisher: Harper Collins UK
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Fiction, Police Procedural
Today is my stop on the blog tour for the compelling thriller Dark Objects. Thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part and Harper Collins UK for the gifted eBook ARC.
'Count to three,' her mother told her, the last words she would ever speak.
An Impossible Crime Scene
A wealthy woman is found brutally murdered in the locked fortress of her London mansion. Surrounding her are four mysterious objects, including a book on forensics by Dr Laughton Rees.
An Inescapable Past
As a teenager, Laughton's life was destroyed after witnessing her mother's brutal murder. Now a mother herself and forensic analyst, she is an expert on how to read crime scenes – but never works live cases.
An Uncatchable Killer
Pressured by the lead detective to help with the investigation, Laughton begins to realise that the objects left by the body are not just about the victim, they're also about her. Her childhood was destroyed by one killer. Now she must catch another before her daughter's is destroyed too.
"A murder is like a slow explosion.
It starts off small, a single act of violence.
But very soon the consequences of this singular act start to spread, like ripples on a pond, ever widening until they can stretch as far as the horizon all around."
When cleaner Celia Barnes arrives at the Miller's London Mansion it seems like any other work day. Then she sees the blood on the walls and finds the body of Kate Miller, splayed out like a crucifixion with four strange objects positioned around her. DCI Tannerhill Khan is called in to investigate and links are soon made to forensic analyst Laughton Rees. Laughton never works live cases but Tannerhill tries to convince her to help with the investigation. When further links to her traumatic past are discovered and it seems that she and her daughter are in danger, Laughton must decide how far she's willing to go to protect them from a killer.
I love a dark, sinister, twist-filled thriller, so as soon as I read the synopsis for this book I knew I had to read it. It was my first time reading any of Simon Toyne's books and it did not disappoint. Cunningly crafted, fast-paced and brimming with tension, this well-written thriller had my heart racing from the first chapter and I was on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Tonye kept me guessing as he intricately wove things together, ensuring all of the twisty threads collide in surprising ways.
"She feels sick, like the darkest chapter of her life is re-emerging from the place she buried it, that death and danger are being brought to her door and, yet again, her father is the cause of it."
The story is told from multiple points of view using mixed media. Not only do we get characters narrating the story but also included are extracts from news articles, snippets of WhatsApp conversations and extracts from Laughton Rees book, How To Process a Murder, which was left at the feet of Kate Miller's body. The author has filled the story with a mix of flawed, shady and very real characters who are fascinating to read. Some are easy to like while others I couldn't stand but with each one Tonye makes you feel all of their emotions and confront the shades of grey that motivate their actions. The parts narrated by the killer are also some of the most chilling and nerve-shredding pages I've ever read and I liked that he crafted a complex killer, someone who is violent, rage-filled, frenzied and chaotic yet calm and ordered enough to create something so elaborately staged. It not only made the story more interesting but is a masterclass in thriller writing.
A suspenseful, intelligent and compelling thriller that packs a punch, I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys a darker thriller.
Simon Toyne is the international bestselling author of Dark Objects, the Sanctus trilogy and the Solomon Creed series. He wrote Sanctus after quitting his job as a TV executive and it became the biggest selling debut thriller of 2011 in the UK. His books have been translated into 29 languages and published in over 50 countries.
Tags Blog Tour, Book Review, Dark Objects, Four star reads, Harper Collins UK, July 2022, July Books, mystery, Police Procedural, Pscyhological Fiction, Random Things Tours, Simon Toyne, suspense, thriller


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Back Eat & Drink » Food Culture » Bánh Trung Thu: From Traditional Festive Fare to Asia's Answer to Fruitcake
Bánh Trung Thu: From Traditional Festive Fare to Asia's Answer to Fruitcake
Monday, 12 September 2016.
Written by Khoi Pham. Illustration by Henry Chi-Hieu Nguyen.
While Saigoneer's previous installment in our Food History series touched on the evolution of bánh xèo, a light, airy crepe that screams summer with every bite, this week's dish belongs to the other end of the spectrum: bánh Trung Thu, or mooncake, whose rich, savory taste perfectly encapsulates the essence of autumn.
The most significant clue of the origin of this ubiquitous baked pastry is included in its name. "Trung Thu" means mid-autumn, a special occasion in countries that still utilize the lunar calendar, like Vietnam and China. Every lunar year, the 15th day of the eighth month is reserved for moon-themed celebrations and family reunions. In a way, it's like September's version of Tet. This timing can be attributed to the ancient Chinese agricultural timeline, as farmers of old usually finished their harvests by mid-autumn, which marks the end of the harvest season and the best time for some much-deserved baking and boozing.
Ancient Chinese farming communities had already been celebrating mid-autumn as a harvest festival for years before the Song dynasty (960 – 1279) officially earmarked this day as the "mid-autumn festival". It's safe to assume that this tradition made its way to Vietnam during the country's period as a Chinese colony, along with many other cultural traits and celebrations, such as Tet. However, the festive occasion has been largely contextualized since then to fit in with local customs.
While China, Malaysia and Singapore's mid-autumn festivals, and even South Korea's Chuseok festival, place more emphasis on familial celebrations and giving thanks for a bountiful harvest, in Vietnam, Trung Thu has taken on a different meaning as a children's festival. This unique focus is reflected in the way Vietnamese bake mooncakes: the pastries are sometimes made from molds shaped like animals. These can take the form of creatures from the Chinese zodiac, or characters from Vietnamese mid-autumn folklore such as rabbits and golden carps.
Mid-autumn is mainly a children's festival in Vietnam. Photo via VnPhoto.
Determining the exact year when ancient Vietnamese started celebrating Trung Thu with mooncakes is not an easy feat, as the cultural festival is barely mentioned in historical literature. However, the existence of bánh Trung Thu is undoubtedly rooted in a long-enduring Asian tradition of moon worship. Mooncakes are almost always round, symbolizing the moon. They are baked mainly as a shared dish to be relished as a family on the day of Trung Thu; and secondly, as aesthetically pleasing creations to be gifted to friends and family.
Mooncake bakeries may want you to believe that there are thousands of different forms of mooncakes, but in reality, in Vietnam, they boil down to two main types: baked mooncakes (bánh thập cẩm) and sticky-rice mooncakes (bánh dẻo). The former is pretty self-explanatory, as one only needs to take a stroll down Nguyen Tri Phuong or Hoang Van Thu to see them in the wild, at a dime a dozen. The latter, despite being made from the same base as Japanese mochi, tends to be harder and doesn't share the same tantalizingly viscous quality of the Japanese dessert. Well, at least the mass-produced ones don't, anyway.
Most of Vietnam's baked mooncakes are descendants of Cantonese-style mooncakes, which originated in China's Guangdong Province. This is evidenced in the savory filling one almost always comes across in baked mooncakes: a form of roast protein, typically chicken or pork; melon or lotus seeds; and various forms of nuts and dried candied fruits. Vietnamese bakers usually add salted egg yolks to balance out the sweetness of the other ingredients. The number of yolks ranges from one to four, depending on the price of the cake, but the number four is ideal, as it represents the four phases of the moon. The addition of egg yolks also ties in to the festival's overarching theme of moon worship, as the yolks resemble the moon.
Baked mooncakes are usually enjoyed with hot green tea to balance out their sweet taste. Photo via Maxxelli-Blog.
Sticky-rice mooncakes are decidedly simpler than their baked counterparts, usually featuring only one or two fillings, typically classic Vietnamese flavors such as pandan, taro, coconut or mashed mung beans. In recent years, young chefs from contemporary bakeries have added a modern twist to the old mid-autumn fare, experimenting with new filling flavors such as tiramisu, matcha or even ice cream, with various degrees of success.
Through centuries of tradition, these pastries have become an indispensable part of mid-autumn festivities, although it's a huge letdown that they have also come to symbolize an ugly aspect of local gift-giving obligations. The reality is that for years now, the local market has been inundated by mass-produced cakes that have, quite frankly, made a mockery out of proper mooncakes. These haphazardly rendered pastries are impossibly dense, cloyingly sweet and pack as much as 1,000 calories per cake. Recently, the Hong Kong government even issued a PSA to its citizens cautioning them against consuming too much of the festive treats and advising them to "maintain a balanced diet and avoid excessive eating of mooncakes".
Premium mid-autumn gift sets on offer. Photo via Bao Moi.
The reason why these store-bought cakes are so bad ties in with the aforementioned gift-giving culture, in which buyers don't care about the taste of the cakes, while those who do don't buy them. Trung Thu has taken on a different significance, more than just a mere occasion for kids to have fun: it's now also a time to shower one's professional network with gifts, and the innocent mooncake has become the inadvertent centerpiece of this complicated social contract. Nowadays, a lavish mid-autumn gift set ranges in price from VND2 million to VND14 million, while the gift boxes also boast choice liquors and even gold-plated cutlery.
However, some Vietnamese bakeries are also steering their cake-making traditions in a more positive direction, where younger indie bakers churn out homemade, healthier renditions of the traditional mooncakes. With a simple search of local social media, one can find a plethora of small bakeries offering small batches of mooncakes, partially capitalizing on recent public concerns over mass-produced products with questionable ingredients. These new pastry chefs are also infusing their creations with new touches from Western cuisine, such as making use of cream cheese or fresh fruit to improve the flavor profile of their cakes, giving the pastries a fresher edge.
At the end of the day, despite their overly sweet nature and recent bad rap, mooncakes are without doubt an important holiday feature, without which the mid-autumn celebration in Vietnam would be incomplete. So the next time someone offers you a piece of mooncake during a visit home, grin and bear it, because that's what the cake was originally meant to be: a decadent treat to be shared between friends and family.
- [Photos] Vietnam's Mooncake Masters
- The Evolution of Bánh Xèo: A Street Food History
- From Kuy Teav to Hu Tieu: A Street Food History
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70% of D1's Street Food Vendors Don't Meet Food Safety Standards: Report
The majority of District 1's street vendors do not comply with health standards, according to a recent report, but the situation has improved since 2015.
A Brief History of Curry in Vietnam
It is well documented that southern Vietnam's cuisine has been influenced by the French, but it is also undeniable that the fare has been influenced by another of France's former colonial hubs: the po...
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A Brief History of Hanoi's Iconic Bia Hơi Glass
Hanoi's iconic bia hơi glass is more than meets the eye.
A Food Folk Tale: The Savage Clapback That Turned a Girl Into a Pineapple
Growing up in Vietnam, it seems that everything – from common household objects to fruits – has an origin story. Some of these local folk tales have a decidedly romantic angle, but others – like the l...
A Food Folk Tale: Vietnam's Unexpected Watermelon Tycoon
If you've been around a traditional Vietnamese household during Tet, you have probably noticed the presence of gargantuan, child-sized, dark green watermelons on the altar. These behemoths are both in...

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Q: The specified framework 'Microsoft.AspNetCore.App', version '2.1.0' was not found I tried to upgrade my web app from .net core 2.0 to .net core 2.1
I did:
1) Install Visual Studio Professional 2017 Preview Version 15.8.0 Preview 1.1
2) Installed the .net core 2.1.3 RC1 SDK from here: https://www.microsoft.com/net/download/dotnet-core/sdk-2.1.300-rc1
3) Updated all of my aspnetcore nuget packages to the latest version.
After doing both of these things, when I start my project I get this screen:

HTTP Error 502.5 - Process Failure Common causes of this issue:
The application process failed to start
The application process started but then stopped
The application process started but failed to listen on the configured port

Troubleshooting steps:
Check the system event log for error messages
Enable logging the application process' stdout messages
Attach a debugger to the application process and inspect

For more information visit:
  https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=808681

and in my Output window from ASP.NET Core Web Server, I get this:
The specified framework 'Microsoft.AspNetCore.App', version '2.1.0' was not found.
  - Check application dependencies and target a framework version installed at:
      C:\Program Files\dotnet\
  - Installing .NET Core prerequisites might help resolve this problem:
      http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=798306&clcid=0x409
  - The .NET Core framework and SDK can be installed from:
      https://aka.ms/dotnet-download
  - The following versions are installed:
      2.1.0-preview2-final at [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
      2.1.0-rc1-final at [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
It was not possible to find any compatible framework version
The specified framework 'Microsoft.AspNetCore.App', version '2.1.0' was not found.
  - Check application dependencies and target a framework version installed at:
      C:\Program Files\dotnet\
  - Installing .NET Core prerequisites might help resolve this problem:
      http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=798306&clcid=0x409
  - The .NET Core framework and SDK can be installed from:
      https://aka.ms/dotnet-download
  - The following versions are installed:
      2.1.0-preview2-final at [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
      2.1.0-rc1-final at [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]

A: By updating all NuGet packages, you seem to have upgraded from the RC version you started out with (which is installed on your system) to the RTM version currently being released (and thus already available on NuGet but not installed on your system).
The Microsoft.AspNetCore.App NuGet packages are supposed to be referenced without a version so that the installed tooling can pick an appropriate version.
Update your .csproj file to remove the Version attribute and only reference that package through:
<ItemGroup>
  <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.AspNetCore.App" />
</ItemGroup>

A: .NET Core SDK 2.1.300 is now available: https://www.microsoft.com/net/download/windows Install it, this fixed the problem for me.

A: .NET Core 2.1 SDK will be released this week. If you can't wait until then, add this to your *.csproj
<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Web">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>netcoreapp2.1</TargetFramework>
    <RestoreAdditionalProjectSources>
        https://dotnetfeed.blob.core.windows.net/orchestrated-release-2-1/20180515-07/final/index.json
    </RestoreAdditionalProjectSources>
  </PropertyGroup>

  ....
</Project>

And download the final SDK from: https://dotnetcli.blob.core.windows.net/dotnet/Sdk/2.1.300/dotnet-sdk-2.1.300-win-x64.exe
For more details visit: https://github.com/aspnet/Home/wiki/2.1.0-Early-Access-Downloads

A: Looks like it's available on chocolatey now https://chocolatey.org/packages/dotnetcore-sdk/2.1.300
Not yet on the normal dotnet distribution sites. Crazy.

A: *

*uninstall previous version

*Download and install version 2.1 sdk

*After the whole process reboot your PC

It should work.

A: I opened the Visual Studio installer, went to Individual Components, selected .NET Core 2.1 Runtime (LTS), and installed it.
Solved my problem.

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Our Showtime middle school show choir and Encore upper school show choir participate in competitions across the southeast. This year both groups had outstanding seasons and brought home numerous awards. Showtime won its division in two competitions and received numerous awards for vocals, choreography, and show design. Encore won its division at the Petal Invitational, placed in others, and was selected for finals in two competitions where the group then competed against the top show choirs from all divisions, earning an overall ranking. Encore also competes against show choirs from across the country at FAME in Orlando.
Click here for photos from their performance for the student body.


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Read an excerpt of this book!
So Much More: An Alabama Summer Novella
by J. Daniels J. Daniels
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Originally published as part of the USA Today bestselling anthology Eye Candy, So Much More is the perfect addition to New York Times bestselling author J. Daniels' Alabama Summer series!
All four couples from the Alabama Summer series—Ben and Mia, Luke and Tessa, Beth and Reed, and CJ and Riley—come together on Halloween night in this thrilling addition to the series. Between unexpected surprises, haunted mazes, sexy stolen moments, and good old-fashioned trick-or-treating, this Halloween promises shocks, thrills, and happiness for the beloved Alabama Summer crew.
Alabama Summer Series
J. Daniels is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Sweet Addiction series, the Alabama Summer series, and the Dirty Deeds series. J grew up in Baltimore and resides in Maryland with her family.
"Happy Halloween, Daddy!"
I wince when Nolan — my six-year-old — pounces on top of me, his bony knees digging into my sides and his elbows jamming between my ribs.
"Halloween's tomorrow," I say, peeking an eye open.
Dressed in his Captain America costume, minus the mask, Nolan presses against my chest and sits up tall. "No, it isn't. Mommy said it was today. She showed me on the calendar." Worry pinches his eyebrows together. "It's today. I know it is."
I smile and bend my arm up underneath my head.
"Daddy, are you fibbing?" Nolan leans closer to me and studies my face. "You're fibbing, aren't you?" I squeeze his side until he giggles.
"I knew it! I knew today was Halloween!"
"Are you excited to go trick-or-treating?" I ask.
"Oh yeah!" He pumps his fist into the air. "And to go to the party tonight! I'm gonna get so much candy. Mommy said I can have whatever Chasey can't eat, so that's gonna be a lot. I'm gonna be set for life, I think."
I glance at the empty side of the bed and sit up, yawning and scrubbing my hands down my face. "Where is Mommy?"
"She's in the bathroom with Chasey trying to get him to pee." Nolan shakes his head. "I don't think he's ever gonna stop using diapers, Dad. He's just not getting it like we did."
Laughing, I rustle his dark hair. "He's only two. Give him time. He'll get there."
"I don't know ... Mommy said he's stubborn like you."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yep. I heard her. She said it."
Mm. Stubborn, huh? I'll show her stubborn.
"Daddy! Daddy!" Chase yells, running into the bedroom wearing his pajamas.
"Nobody is ready except me," Nolan grumbles.
"We have, like, eight hours, Nolan. Relax."
"That's not a lot of time."
I lean over and pull Chase up onto the bed when he struggles to climb up by himself. "Did you go potty, little man?" I ask against his cheek.
"No potty!"
Nolan sighs. "See? I told ya."
"Captain 'Merica!" Chase bends sideways and reaches for his big brother. I let him go, and the two of them giggle and tumble over together onto the bed.
I smile watching them.
They look alike and they don't. It's the dimples that tie them together. And the big gray eyes they both share. Other than that, Nolan looks more like me, and Chase resembles Mia. He has her full lips and milk-chocolate-brown hair. He acts like Mia too. Chase gets quiet when he thinks, where Nolan will tell you every thought that's going through his head as he's thinking it. There isn't anything he won't share with you.
"I gotta poop."
I laugh under my breath, watching Nolan scramble off the bed and run out of the bedroom.
Chase giggles around the thumb stuck in his mouth and looks over at me. "Poop," he mumbles.
"Yeah. He's going potty like a big boy. Are you gonna go potty?"
I grab his ankle and pull him closer to me, biting his belly until he squeals in delight.
"Mom!" Nolan hollers down the hallway. "I gotta get in there! Hurry up!"
Mia says something I can't make out, and then Nolan is running back into the bedroom with the top part of his costume hanging around his waist, mumbling something about Mia taking forever. He darts into the master bathroom and slams the door shut.
The hallway bathroom is the kids' bathroom. They use it. We don't, unless we absolutely have to. Anyone with little boys knows what goes on in their bathrooms. It's like a war zone in there. Nolan's been potty-trained for years, and he still gets distracted when doing his business. If he hears the slightest noise outside that door, he's turning around mid-stream to check it out and pissing all over the place.
So why is Mia using it right now? That doesn't make sense.
I stand from the bed and tug on my sweatpants, staying shirtless for now, then I pick up Chase. "Come on, little man. Let's go get Mommy."
He wraps his hand around my neck and watches me closely as I carry him out into the hallway, blinking those big, round eyes at me while he continues sucking on his thumb. He giggles when I slowly lean in.
Goddamn, I got the cutest kids.
"Mia?" I knock on the bathroom door. "You better not be cleaning in there. You know I'll do that."
Mia does everything else. I think it's only fair I handle the piss accidents.
The door unlocks and swings open, and before I have the chance to say anything else, question what Mia was doing in there, or simply take another breath, she's grabbing my face with both hands, pulling me down, and kissing the shit out of me.
I no longer give one fuck about what she was doing in that bathroom.
Mia shoves her tongue inside my mouth and moans when she feels mine. I grip her soft waist through the shirt of mine she's wearing, and tilt my head when she tilts hers. I tug her against me, groaning. She tastes like coffee and that sweet vanilla creamer she uses. So ... fucking ... good. And I'd keep kissing her. I would — it doesn't even bother me that Chase is watching this happen. I'm sure he's seen it plenty of times before. My boys should be immune to the PDA that goes on in this house. Besides, we're clothed. Mostly. Mia isn't wearing pants, but she's covered. But she seems to get enough and drags her teeth across my bottom lip before finally dropping her arms and pulling away.
"Happy Halloween," she says softly, grinning from ear to ear and looking like a damn temptress doing it.
I adjust my dick. "Jesus. It's starting off good, that's for sure."
Mia giggles and looks at Chase when he reaches for her. "Hi, baby boy," she coos, kissing his hands. "My little stubborn man. Are you ready to go trick-or-treating and get some candy?"
"I'm ready!" Nolan hollers, walking toward us. "We don't need to wait until it's dark outside. I'm pretty sure people are ready for us now."
"We're eating breakfast first, Nolan. No candy before breakfast," Mia says.
"And we'll go when it's dark outside," I tell him. "A lot of people wait to buy candy until the last minute. If you go too early, you'll get what they have laying around, like apples and canned food."
Nolan scrunches up his face. "Like those beans Mommy makes? They really give those out?"
"Gross. Forget it. We'll wait."
"Baby," Mia plucks Chase out of my arms, kisses his cheek, and then sets him on his feet. "Go with Nolan. You boys go ahead downstairs and play. Daddy and I will be down in a second."
I give Mia a look. Quickie?
She blushes, her fingers pressing to her lips, and shakes her head no.
Nolan grabs Chase's hand and tugs him along. "Come on, Chasey. Let's go make some pancakes."
"Nolan, do we need to have another talk about messing with the stove?" I ask.
My son is in a hurry to be a man. He's always doing shit he shouldn't be doing yet.
"I was just kidding!" he yells. "I'm not gonna cook anything."
Arms drawing across my chest, I shake my head and watch my boys disappear down the stairs.
Just kidding my ass.
I know my son. He's one unsupervised meal away from burning the house down.
"Ben."
I turn back to Mia and watch her slowly back away so she's standing inside the bathroom again. She crooks her finger at me.
"Come here."
I cock an eyebrow.
She bites her lip.
Fuck. Yes.
I move quickly, grabbing her waist and pressing her up against the sink. She moans when I lick her neck. Her fingertips dig into my shoulders.
"Ben." She's breathless.
"Mm?"
Mia gasps when I bite the soft skin above her collarbone. I squeeze her ass until she's standing on her toes and tipping into me, her hip rubbing against my hard cock.
I groan. "Fuck, Mia ..."
We fucked twice last night, but you wouldn't know it. This need — this overwhelming desire to taste and touch and fuck this woman — never goes away. Never lessens in the slightest. It's always there. A plea whispering in my ear. An itch underneath my skin. I need her.
I need this. Us. Always.
She reaches behind her back, and when I hear objects moving I think Mia's clearing a space and giving us room to do this fast and now, right now, and I swear to God, I'm not going to last, but then she's bringing her hand between us and whispering in my ear, "Look," as she presses something hard against my chest.
I lean back enough to see what she's trying to show me. I look at the object in her hand.
I blink.
I look.
I blink again ...
What the fuck?
"Mia?"
Her soft laugh lifts my head. She has tears in her eyes and she's nodding and telling me, "Yes," like she knows what I'm going to ask her.
And I do. I need to ask. I need to hear her say it ...
"You're pregnant?"
"Are you ... holy fuck, are you sure? Really?" I take the test from her and look at it again, studying the two pink lines in the tiny window. I bring it closer to my face.
Why the fuck can't they make this shit any bigger?
"Ben," Mia giggles, grabbing my face with both hands and forcing me to look at her. "I'm sure. Two lines means I'm pregnant. I'm very pregnant. Look."
She twists sideways and allows me to see the counter behind her. There's another test lying there next to the sink.
"You took two?" I ask, setting the test in my hand down next to the other and studying them both now.
Four lines. Plain as day. Right there.
Holy fuck, this is happening.
"I wanted to be sure," Mia answers, her hand wrapping softly around my arm. "I have more. I've been hiding them in here so you wouldn't know I've been taking them. They're in a bag underneath the sink."
She shrugs when I meet her eyes. "I wanted to surprise you. And I didn't want you worrying if they weren't positive. You know how you get, Ben."
I straighten fully and give her a look, making her smile. "How long have you been taking tests?"
"Not long. Three months. No ..." She tilts her head. "Four. I've been taking them for four months."
"Four months?"
What the fuck? How did I not know?
I knew Mia stopped taking her birth control five months ago, the weekend of Reed's wedding. We decided then we wanted more kids. And even though it's not something we talk about every second, it's constantly on my mind.
It's there, in the back of my head, every time we're together.
Did it work? Is this it?
How did I not know she was in here worrying all alone about this for the past four months? Where the fuck have I been?
"Ben." Her hands cup my face again, lifting it.
I look at her, at the one person I would do anything for, no questions.
It wasn't always like this between us. But it's strange — I can't remember all those years I spent hating her when we were kids. It's like she was never my sister Tessa's annoying best friend. She was always my Mia, the way she is now.
My mind goes quiet when her thumb tenderly strokes my cheek.
She's like a drug. Just Mia's touch alone can still me. She calms me down and eases my mind, even when I don't necessarily want her to. Like now. I want her to know how I feel about her being alone in this the past four months, but I don't. I can't. I stare deep into her eyes and ask in a hoarse voice, "Yeah?" When I'm really saying, "Anything. I'll give you anything."
"Hey," she whispers, her thumbs sweeping over my cheeks. "Talk to me. Are you happy?"
I blink. "Yeah. Fuck yeah, I'm happy. Are you kidding?" I grip her waist and pull her closer, feeling her body relax. "Sorry. I'm just thinking about you being in here by yourself taking these. I don't like it."
"Babe ..."
"Were you sad? Disappointed?"
She shrugs. "I don't know. I guess I was a little disappointed when the tests would come out negative." She links her hands behind my neck. "But I knew we'd get pregnant again eventually. I wasn't worried."
"Doesn't matter."
Her brow furrows. "What doesn't matter?"
"You were disappointed, Mia. You were in here alone feeling that. I should've known about it. You don't go through anything without me. Nothing. Not even this."
"But I wanted to surprise you."
I dip my head and get closer to her, explaining, "I would've been surprised standing here staring at that test with you every time you took it. And when it was negative, I would've held you the second you felt anything. I didn't get to do that."
Mia stares up at me, eyes soft and tear-filled. "Fuck. Sorry." She shakes her head, blinking fast. "I'm sorry."
"Fuck?" I chuckle, running my nose along hers. "Yeah? You wanna?"
She bumps her fist against my chest, sniffling, her tears falling past her cheeks. "I messed it up."
"No, you didn't. Hey." I get her eyes again. "We're having a baby. How could you mess that up?"
"We're having a baby," she echoes, smiling up at me as her worry leaves her. "I'm so happy, Ben."
"Me too, angel."
"Do you want to tell the boys with me? I know it's like, really early. I'm probably only a month along, but I really want to tell them. I think Nolan will be excited."
I smile, picturing his face.
"Yeah, we can tell them. In a minute though." I drop down to one knee and lift her shirt to expose her stomach.
She gasps watching me. Mia loved when I did this when she was pregnant with Chase.
I press my lips to her skin, whispering, "Hey" and "We can't wait to meet you." I close my eyes. I can't stop kissing her.
Mia pushes her fingers through my hair. She doesn't rush me. She gives me this, knowing I need it, knowing me, and only suggests we get downstairs before Nolan gets tired of waiting after I stand and pull her into my arms.
"I love you," I say into her hair.
"I love you more."
"Not possible."
She tilts her head back, gives me a long, adoring look, and softly kisses me. "Let me love you more today," she requests against my lips. "Just today, Ben. Let me have that. Please?"
I look down at her and brush my thumb along her cheek. "Just today," I tell her, knowing she needs this. Knowing Mia.
I can give her a day.
She smiles and kisses me once more. "I know you're excited and probably want to tell everyone the second we get to McGill's tonight, but let me talk to your sister first, okay? I want her to find out before the group does."
Tonight is the Halloween party Beth, Reed's wife, is throwing together. She works at McGill's Pub, a bar we all frequent, which is owned by her aunt and uncle. We're all meeting up there later after trick-or-treating. It should be a good time. I know Nolan's excited about it.
"You can't call my sister now?" I ask, thinking we can handle this ahead of time so I don't have to keep my mouth shut when we get there.
Mia's right. I want to tell everyone, and I don't want to wait.
"No. I want to tell her face-to-face. It's important," Mia explains. "I know she'll be happy for us, but with her and Luke having difficulties getting pregnant ... I don't know. I just feel like she should find out before anyone else, you know? I'm just thinking about her, that's all."
I know how hard things have been on Tessa. And I get Mia's reasoning. That's her girl. She'd do anything for my sister.
I would too.
So, I agree to this while thinking of a way I can help ease her mind. "Yeah. All right."
"Promise me you won't announce it the second we walk in the door."
I smile. I can't help it.
She narrows her eyes. "Ben ..."
"I'm excited, Mia. I might not be able to control myself."
"Well, I suggest you do, or no funny business later with me in my costume."
I cock an eyebrow. "Funny business?" I chuckle. "You mean fucking?"
"Are you gonna put on that hot-as-fuck angel getup you bought and deny me, baby? That's just cruel."
Her cheeks warm instantly.
Yeah fucking right. We both know I'm getting some later.
"I can try," she says, sounding determined. She smiles and gives me another kiss before stepping out of my arms and moving around me. "Let me go put on some pants, then we'll go downstairs and tell the boys."
"I'd prefer you didn't."
She gives me a cheeky look over her shoulder on her way out of the bathroom.
And ... cue erection.
Yep. Like fucking clockwork with her.
We find the boys in the kitchen after Mia pulls on a pair of sweats.
They're sitting at the table — Chase on his knees as he pushes his toy truck back and forth and Nolan across from him, his drawing pad opened and colored pencils nearby.
I watch him flip to a blank page, and I know he's getting ready to draw another picture for that girl he's absolutely fucking crazy for. I know it before he even taps out the pink colored pencil to use.
He's in love. Full-blown, out-of-his-mind in love already at six years old. And if this was any other kid, I'd laugh, knowing they didn't mean it.
Six-year-olds don't feel love like this. Little kids don't meet one time and feel what adults feel. It isn't possible.
But this is my son. And I know he loves that little girl as much as I love Mia. Crazy, but it's true. He hasn't been this obsessed with something since the first time he saw a knight on TV.
Mia kisses the top of Chase's head and looks across the table at Nolan. "What are you drawing, baby?"
"I don't know yet. I'm still deciding." Nolan lifts his head and looks at me. "Daddy?"
"Yeah, buddy?"
"I'm gonna marry Ryan."
Mia gasps and grabs hold of my hand as something warm spreads underneath my ribs. "I know you are," I tell him, smiling proudly.
"I really am. I mean it. She says she's my friend, but I just love her so much. Do you think she loves me too?"
"Ben," Mia whispers.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "So Much More"
Copyright © 2018 J. Daniels.
Excerpted by permission of St. Martin's Press.
Title Page,
Copyright Notice,
REED,
CJ,
NOLAN,
About the Author,
Don't miss these other titles from New York Times bestselling author J. DANIELS,
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Former "The Voice" champion Craig Wayne Boyd and wife Taylor welcome their second child together, a son named Graydon Scott Boyd.
Craig Wayne Boyd and his wife, Taylor, are parents again!
The two welcomed a bouncing baby boy into the world on Thursday, Dec. 28, and he is just perfect.
Graydon Scott Boyd was born in Nashville, and arrived at 10:18 p.m. He weighs 6 lbs., 4 oz. and measured 19 inches long, People confirms exclusively.
His name, Graydon, has such a sweet inspiration. It's actually in honor of Craig's great-grandfather.
The Boyds have a full house now, and Craig couldn't be more thrilled! Graydon joins Craig's older son, Jaxon, from a previous relationship, and 2 year-old Dakota Lynne, his first child with Taylor. They'll no doubt be awesome siblings!
That's right. The last week of December will always be big for the Boyds, because Craig will celebrate his 39th birthday on Sunday, New Year's Eve, which is also daughter Dakota's second birthday!
You may remember that Craig won the seventh season of "The Voice" as a member of Team Blake. He has since been hard at work balancing his career and his family, and he's doing a mighty fine job if we do say so ourselves.
We hope he gets to enjoy some good time at home with baby Graydon and the rest of the Boyd bunch before he hits the road again in 2018! Craig's website shows dates scattered throughout the new year into July, so check out his site for more information.
Congratulations to this precious family! Everyone at Rare Country sends our warmest wishes to you and your new bundle of joy.


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What are Canadian blue chip stocks?
Canadian blue chip stocks are big, well-established, dividend-paying corporations in Canada with strong business prospects.
Canadian blue chip stocks are investments in companies that also have sound management that should be able to make the right moves to keep competing successfully in a changing marketplace.
The root of the term "blue chip" stems from the game of poker, as the blue chips represent the highest value. Investing in blue chip stocks can give you an additional measure of safety in today's turbulent markets.
Most of the best Canadian blue chips offer both capital gains growth potential and regular dividend income. The dividend yield is certainly one of the most concrete indicators of a sound investment. It is the percentage you get when you divide the current yearly dividend payment by the share or unit price of the investment. It's an indicator we pay especially close attention to when we select stocks to recommend in our investment newsletters.
Most of the Canadian blue chip stocks you hold in your portfolio should offer good "value"—that is, they should trade at reasonable multiples of earnings, cash flow, book value and so on. Ideally, they should also have above average-growth prospects in expanding markets.
TRANSCONTINENTAL INC. (Toronto symbol TCL.A; www.tctranscontinental.com) is the largest commercial printer in Canada and the fourth-largest in North America. It also publishes newspapers and magazines.


BISSELL® SpinWave® features two counter-rotating microfiber pads that scrub your hard floors for hands-and-knees-thorough cleaning without the effort.
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BISSELL® SpinWave® is great for everyday cleaning of your sealed hardwood floors, yet easy enough to pull out for a quick clean before guests arrive.
Includes 8-oz Multi-Surface formula that cleans tile, linoleum, and sealed hardwood floors.


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Bacău er et distrikt i Moldavien i Rumænien med 706.623 (2002) indbyggere. Hovedstad er byen Bacău.

Byer
 Bacău
 Oneşti
 Moineşti
 Comăneşti
 Buhuşi
 Dărmăneşti
 Târgu Ocna
 Slănic Moldova

Kommuner

Demografi

Bacau
Bacău

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


During the ceremony hours, customers' access to the Museum will be restricted.
A Wedding ceremony is scheduled to be held at the Music Hall on July 8th.
A Wedding ceremony is scheduled to be held at the Music Hall on June 17th.
A Wedding ceremony is scheduled to be held at the Music Hall on May 27th and 28th.
A Wedding ceremony is scheduled to be held at the Music Hall on May 21st.
入場制限がある時間帯は4月30日(日)11:40~12:30となっております。 A Wedding ceremony is scheduled to be held at the Music Hall on April 30th.During the ceremony hours, customers' access to the Museum will be restricted.
A Wedding ceremony is scheduled to be held at the Music Hall on December 11th.


In Washington State, the county is an important unit of local government. Kitsap County operates with a three-member Board of County Commissioners, and elects seven Superior Court and three District Court judges. A mayor and seven city council members govern the City of Port Orchard. Kitsap County sales tax is 8.65%, and there is an additional .05% City of Port Orchard Sales Tax.
Over 56,000 active duty, dependents and retired military live in Kitsap. Naval Base Kitsap operates with over 30,000 military and civilian personnel jobs. Port Orchard is the home of the WA State Veterans Home at Retsil, as well as the National Guard Port Orchard Armory. Just outside of Port Orchard is the Manchester Fuel Depot and directly across Sinclair Inlet is the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.
In order to register to vote in the state of Washington you must meet the following criteria: be a US Citizen, be a legal WA state resident, be 18 years or older by Election Day and have retained your civil rights. You can register in the Kitsap County Clerk's office at the Kitsap County Administration building (located at 614 Division St.) in Port Orchard.
Photos courtesy of Washington State Senate and Washington State House, respectively.
New residents to the area are required to apply for a Washington driver's license within 30 days of becoming a Washington state resident. Residency is established when a person arrives and begins to establish a permanent home in WA, if they register to vote, receive state benefits, get any Washington state license at resident rates, or receive in-state tuition fees. The Dept. Of Licensing has three locations in Kitsap County, found in Poulsbo, Bremerton, and Port Orchard. For information on licensing pets, please contact the Kitsap Humane Society.


In the western part of the world when people consider growing their own staple grains, they generally think of wheat or oats. Rice is predominantly grown in eastern countries, but that's largely due to historical preference. Rice can be easily grown on a small homestead, even in cold climates.
While rice is typically thought of as a tropical plant, there are actually two sub-species, one of which is hardy in cold climates. Long-grain rice varieties such as jasmine or basmati can only be grown in warm southern regions. Some varieties of short-grain rice, however, are cold tolerant and can be grown in short-season cold areas, all the way up to zone 4. It's currently grown in cold climates such as northern Japan, Romania and the Ukraine.
Cold-climate rice strains thrive where average summer temperatures are as low as 68 degrees, though it's ideal is 68 to 86 degrees. Still, farmers in areas where the average summer temperatures only hits the low 60s are having some success and harvesting adequate crops, even in the northernmost parts of New England.
Farmers in the Northeastern United States are beginning to cultivate rice on a small scale, and selecting for cold-tolerant strains. At this point, the primary selection criteria are quick maturity and disease resistance. As more strains become available, farmers will eventually have the option to select for high yields and better taste.
To aid the plants' survival, a few cold-climate adaptations have been developed, and cold-climate rice producers must take extra steps to ensure a harvest. Rice is soaked to stimulate germination before being started in greenhouse flats well before the last frost date. At four weeks before the last frost, the rice is transplanted outside into paddies. Water levels are kept high during times of increased frost risk to provide extra protection for the plants.
While rice is grown semi-submerged in patties, it cannot be successfully grown in wetlands. Wetlands are protected areas in most places, and not available for cultivation. Beyond that, the water level needs to be carefully controlled, which is generally not an option in a wetland. The ideal soil is poorly drained, but not an actual wetland, like a soil that has a clay hardpan under layer that prevents full drainage. From there, runoff is controlled and a series of ponds are created to help manage water levels.
Before the water gets to the paddy, it flows through a series of warming ponds that are shallow, dark bottomed and exposed to the sun. This pre-heated water prevents cold snow melt and rain runoff from cooling the growing ponds and helps accelerate the growth of the plants while at the same time buffering them for cold nighttime temperatures.
Rice grown in marginal poorly drained agricultural soils that currently grow second-class hay can yield as much as two tons per acre. A small homestead quarter-acre patch could yield as much as 1,000 pounds of rice in a good year, or enough rice to supply a family of four with about half of their calories in a year.
In many parts of the world, rice is still tended and harvested by hand, making it ideal for a small homestead without specialized equipment. For harvest, the rice is cut and bundled by hand, and then threshed against logs to dislodge the grains.
Rice paddies also can be beneficial in other ways, by preventing flooding and managing runoff. With a series of ponds, water is held on the land, which prevents erosion, rather than quickly running off and damaging the topsoil.
Ducks are often incorporated into rice paddies to increase yields and add a harvest of meat and eggs from the same land. Ducks cannot consume rice or rice plants because they have too much silica for the ducks to digest. Ducks can, however, consume insects that infest the rice and weeds that compete with it in the paddy. Their droppings help to enrich the paddy and add fertility.
Most duck species are capable of feeding themselves and raising young independently in this environment, even without supplemental feed. By adding ducks to the operation, most farmers reduce their workload, increase their rice yields and add meat and eggs to their table. Ducks tend to fare better than chickens in cold climates, which is an added bonus.
If you want to grow rice on your land, try starting with a series of plants in 5-gallon buckets. This will allow you to monitor the progress of your rice and test viability before investing in creating a series of ponds and patties.
Next: Drowning In Tomatoes? Try Something Different This Year.