Fix Freeze Feast: Prepare in Bulk and Enjoy by the Serving, Kati Neville and Lindsay Tkacsik

Fix Freeze Feast by Kati Neville and Lindsay Tkacsik

As with most of my books, I picked this up second hand but if I knew ahead of time what a great cook book it was, I would gladly have bought it brand new from the store. I love freezer prepping meals so I can just pull something out and cook it without giving it much worry, and this is one of the top freezer prep cookbooks I have come across. I have already tried so many of the meals inside, and they have all been winners so far! Each recipe makes three meals, so you can cook one if you want and freeze two, or you can divide the recipe by thirds if you just want to make one meal, no issue. This is definitely a book worth investing in full price brand new! 

Would you like to buy me a book, or help keep my little free library stocked and maintained? You can donate here: paypal.me/AmyVanGaasbeck 

 

The Illustrator's Notetaking Bible, Holman Christian Standard Bible

The Illustrator's Notetaking Bible

I purchased this to take with me on a mission trip to Kenya in 2017, I thought the pages for coloring would help keep me busy while traveling. I think it's the only time I have colored in it, which seems weird, considering I am an artist. 

I have a problem in that I have a lot of fun coloring books but don't use any of them, because I feel like if I am going to sit down and doodle or color, I should be making something that I can sell. I need to get over this and enjoy creating just for the sake of creating, not just to be productive.

I started reading this in 2017 but wasn't using this version daily until 2021, so it took me roughly two years of reading daily to finish it. I prefer King James, but it's nice getting a modern language translation. 

One has to be aware of changes that are made, though, such as removing words like virgin and replacing them with young woman, which can completely change not only the meaning of a sentence, but also doctrine. This seems to be something a lot of Bible manufacturers are doing, and they need to be careful to keep things accurate to the original translations, as much as possible, instead of pandering to modern viewpoints. 

I am reading through the Bible again. I am not sure how many times I have read the Bible all the way through in my life--twice in high school, and at least 4 times as an adult, I think. It is something I will continually be working on. The version I am working on now is the King James version, and is the Bible I used in grade school and high school. 

Would you like to buy me a book, or help keep my little free library stocked and maintained? You can donate here: paypal.me/AmyVanGaasbeck 

 

On the Beach, Nevil Shute

On the Beach, by Nevil Shute

This paperback was sent to me by Bookcrosser Dad-i-Libri for my Little Free Library. It sounded interesting so I decided to read it first. This is a post-apocalyptic story written in the late 1950s, and unlike most post apocalyptic stories, this one is more rooted in possible reality. 

The world had gone to war and pretty much destroyed itself. Atomic bombs were used by Russia, China, America, and Middle Eastern countries and they pretty much bombed themselves out of existence. The Northern Hemisphere was all radioactive, and the radioactive fallout was slowly but steadily making its way through the Southern Hemisphere, killing every living person and animal in its path, through radiation sickness. All that's left now is Australia, New Zealand, the southernmost parts of Africa and South America. Everyone else is dead, and those living know that this is it, they will not survive. 

This is the story of a few people in Australia and how they spend their last year of life--an American submarine captain searching for life, an alcoholic young woman trying to find purpose and love, a young family taking care of their home and baby, a scientist with a love for racing cars.

I didn't understand why they all just rolled over and accepted this was the end--no attempt at building a fallout shelter or bunker by anyone--just no hope.

It was sad and depressing but I had to read to the end. I would view this as a cautionary tale of what could happen as a result of nuclear war.

This will be going into my Little Free Library.

Would you like to buy me a book, or help keep my little free library stocked and maintained? You can donate here: paypal.me/AmyVanGaasbeck 

 

What Hollywood Believes, Ray Comfort

What Hollywood Believes

Ray Comfort

This book gives excerpts of interviews from a myriad of actors and celebrities regarding their personal spiritual beliefs, whether Christian, atheist, Scientologist, Mormon, humanist, or whatever the belief may be. It was published in 2004 so there are a lot of celebrities in here who have passed on, or who might not be very relevant in today's pop culture. I would love to see an updated version of this book, and I would also like to see the author actually interview some of these people, rather than just gather the information from interviews with other journalists, talk show hosts, etc. However, it does give you a good idea of the forces that create the entertainment that we consume, what they believe, where they come from, and also brings home the point that everyone might have their own viewpoint on God or gods, spirit, and the afterlife, but in reality, only the truth will make a difference as to what happens to us after death. As Jesus Christ stated, "I am the way , the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except by me." That's about as simple and absolute as it gets. 

Would you like to buy me a book, or help keep my little free library stocked and maintained? You can donate here: paypal.me/AmyVanGaasbeck 

 

Japanese Folktales, Yei Theodora Ozaki

 Japanese Folktales, Classic Stories from Japan's Enchanted Past

Compiled by Yei Theodora Ozaki

If anyone knows me, they know I love learning about Japanese culture. So I was excited to come across this little paperback book of Japanese folktales. Some of these were already familiar to me, but most I had never heard of before. Many of them feature the Dragon King Rin Jin ruler of the sea, portraying him as both a genteel host as well as a powerful force to respect and fear.

I will be adding this to the Asian culture section of my personal library.

Would you like to buy me a book, or help keep my little free library stocked and maintained? You can donate here: paypal.me/AmyVanGaasbeck 

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society 

/Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

I pulled this out of a Little Free Library and am so glad I did! This book was a lovely read, about post-war Great Britain and the Isle of Guernsey, which was cut off and occupied by Nazis during WW2. A man reaches out to the main character, who is a reporter, and asks her about a certain author. He got one of her personal books that she had donated to a second hand shop, and he wanted to know more about the author and how he could go about getting more of his books. They began corresponding, and she learned of the book club that he and his friends started as a way to get together and eat without the Nazi soldiers knowing. She smelled a story worth writing about and traveled to Guernsey and became close to the members of the literary society, learning more about them and their war story,

After reading this, I learned that there was a movie, too. It was on Netflix so I watched it as soon as I could. The book, of course, is better, but the movie is definitely enjoyable and worth watching, but please read the book first!

Would you like to buy me a book, or help keep my little free library stocked and maintained? You can donate here: paypal.me/AmyVanGaasbeck 

 

The Golden Son, Shilpi Somaya Gowda

 

The Golden Son, Shilpi Somaya Gowda

I have  no idea where I got this book, probably from a little free library. I found it in my Mt. TBR pile and it looked like it could be a good read. I have only read one other book based in India and its culture, so it was enlightening to learn about their customs and long held traditions, cultures, and way of life. This is the story of a boy and a girl from two different families, but best friends, and the life paths they take, and their connection and relationship to each other. Anil pursues a degree in medicine, leaving his family in India to go to Dallas, Texas, where he finds a world and culture completely different from his own but does find some friends and roommates from India, and we see their friendship and character growth. Anil has to deal with racism on a few different levels, and the impact it has on his life. 

Leena stays in India and her parents arrange a marriage for her, which becomes a nightmare, and we follow her choices of how to deal with the trauma she endures, and what the culture says about her decisions and how it affects her. The two meet again after time passes, and some interesting things happen for the both of them.

This is definitely worth reading, even if you have no more knowledge of India than the Diwali episode of The Office, the author paints a vibrant and full picture of life in India, making it easy to immerse yourself in the story.

Would you like to buy me a book, or help keep my little free library stocked and maintained? You can donate here: paypal.me/AmyVanGaasbeck