Wordless Wednesday 234

Red Maple Buds, 2013

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Today's Read (& Giveaway): Dark Secrets by Michael Hjorth and Hans Rosenfeldt

What if the police decided a missing person's report is nothing to worry about, figuring it is just a sixteen-year-old boy up to normal teenage antics? But what if the boy is still missing days later? The local police finally send out a search team to comb the woods and waters. The report is sent to one of Sweden's most senior police chiefs:

Torkel knew that this was exactly the kind of case the tabloids loved to get a hold of. It didn't help that the preliminary cause of death—established where the body was found—indicated an extremely violent assault, with countless stab wounds to the heart and lungs. But that wasn't what bothered Torkel the most. It was the short final sentence in the report, a statement made by the pathologist at the scene.

A preliminary examination indicates that most of the heart is missing.

—Dark Secrets by Michael Hjorth and Hans Rosenfeldt (Hachette Book Group / Grand Central Publishing, 2013, pp. 27-28)

Quick Facts

• Setting: Vasteras, Sweden, and surrounding areas
• Circumstances: a young boy is brutally murdered; the police and criminal profiler must catch the killer before he strikes again
• Characters: Roger Eriksson (the victim) and his mother and girlfriend; Torkel Hoglund (police chief); Sebastian Bergman (psychologist and profiler); various townsfolk and police officers; the killer
• Genre: thriller; mystery
• Themes: besides the twisted mind of the killer, Bergman is going through some personal issues concerning his family
• Miscellaneous: originally published in Swedish; has been made into a TV series in Europe

The Giveaway

To celebrate today's release of Dark Secrets, Grand Central Publishing has offered to send a copy of the novel to two of my readers. To enter for a chance to win, just fill out the following form. Because the publishing company will be mailing the books, only people with U.S. or Canadian mailing addresses are eligible for this giveaway. I'll pick the winners via a random number generator on April 30. Once the winners have been confirmed, I'll delete all personal information from my computer. Good luck!



Buy Dark Secrets at an indie or at a bookstore near you. (Link leads to an affiliate program.)
ISBN-13: 9781455520756
Copyright © cbl for Beth Fish Reads, all rights reserved (see review policy).

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Review: April Selections for the Scholastic Mother-Daughter Book Club

Remember when I introduced you to the Scholastic Mother Daughter Book Club for middle readers? I'm committed to featuring or reviewing all the books selected for this club because I think Scholastic has picked winning titles that have broad appeal.

Don't forget that the Scholastic book club site includes more information about the books, recipes, reading guides, and contests. The resources are perfect for book clubs, teachers, homeschoolers, and any one who wants to get more out of reading books with middle grade readers.

Although this month's selections share some elements, they will appeal to different types of young readers. The first is a fun mystery and the second is a thriller/spy novel turned on its head. But each one stars an appealing young teen who is observant and likes to solve puzzles. Both books are also the first installment of a series.

Jane B. Mason and Sara Hines Stephens's Play Dead introduces us to Cassie Sullivan, twelve-year-old daughter of the town's police chief. Cassie definitely takes after her mother because she just can't help trying to solve whatever case her mom talks about at the dinner table.

Cassie isn't alone, though, she has her trusty ex-K-9 dog, Dodge, who also loves to sniff out clues. The pair is inseparable, and Dodge's police training comes in handy when Cassie begins to figure out what happened to the man who went missing, leaving behind his mansion and estate.

The story is told both from Cassie's point of view and from Dodge's. The dog's chapters are especially fun because he is sometimes distracted by food smells and has an ongoing dislike of the family cat. There is plenty of action, and kids will easily fall for the mystery-solving duo.

Besides solving crimes, Cassie is a normal young teen. She has friends, goes to school, and has chores at home. She also helps out at the local animal rescue shelter, and we learn a little bit about how to care for abandoned pets. We also get to know the Cassie's sister, brother, and dad.

Young readers will find a lot to talk about after reading Play Dead. The main topics will likely revolve around dogs and pets, friendships, and family as well as how Cassie and Dodge solve the mystery. The recipe at the Scholastic book club site is particularly appropriate because one of Cassie's friends loves to bake treats, especially ones with pecans.

The second selection is Jeffrey Salane's Lawless, featuring twelve-year-old M Freeman. Although M (not a nickname) has been home-schooled by tutors all of her life, her mother suggests that it's time for the girl to go to school with other kids, and the school she has picked is the one M's late-father attended.

Within twenty-four hours after her interview, M realizes that Lawless is no ordinary school. It's really a training institution for learning to spy and pull off heists and thefts! Not only does M discover that her exceptional observational skills are perfect for her new life path but she learns that her parents are also involved in the criminal world.

This is an action-packed story that will capture teens' attention. Besides trying to pull off her initiation mission, M must adjust to being in school with other kids and making new friends. She also discovers that the school has enemies and that her dad's death may not have been accidental.

Book clubs will want to explore a variety of topics after reading Lawless, such as right from wrong, paying attention to minute details, different types of private schools, family, friendships, and adventure. The recipe at the Scholastic book club site is great way to get a boost of energy after a long day of spying or before doing homework.

This post will be linked to Kid Konnection, hosted by Julie at Booking Mama.

Buy Play Dead at an Indie or at a bookstore near you (link leads to an affiliate program).
Scholastic Press, 2013; ISBN-13: 9780545436243
Buy Lawless at an Indie or at a bookstore near you (link leads to an affiliate program).
Scholastic Press, 2013; ISBN-13: 9780545450294
Source: Review (see review policy)
Copyright © cbl for Beth Fish Reads, all rights reserved (see review policy).

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Weekend Cooking: The Four Season Farm Gardener's Cookbook by Barbara Damrosch and Eliot Coleman

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post.

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There is nothing I love more than a hardworking cookbook. Barbara Damrosch and Eliot Coleman are well-known for their books on organic gardening and for their own Maine property, The Four Season Farm. In addition, Damrosch has quite a following for her popular "A Cook's Garden" column for the Washington Post.

Their new book, The Four Season Farm Gardener's Cookbook, takes us from seed catalog to the garden and into the kitchen. The first half of the book is devoted to growing your own fruits, vegetables, and herbs, and the second half focuses on how to turn your crops into delicious meals.

I know I sound like a broken record, but I love the designers at Workman Publishing, and the visual appeal of the Gardener's Cookbook meets my expectations. The earthy colors and fun (but clear) fonts make the book a joy to read, and the scrumptious photographs of gardens, vegetables, and completed recipes are so inviting that you'll be inspired to either get weeding or get cooking or both! You'll also find useful and pretty garden drawings, fun lists, and practical charts.

I want to say very quickly that you do not have to be a gardener to love this book. Although Damrosch and Coleman make a good case for all the reasons you might want to grow your own food, you can take their ideas and recipes to the farmer's market, local farm stand, and even the grocery store. They stress the emotional connection we make to the food we grow and harvest, not to mention the startling full flavors of just picked produce.

As I mentioned, the first half of the book concentrates on gardening. Damrosch and Coleman talk about soil, help us with garden planning and figuring out what to grow, and tell us how to make our gardens flourish. They even share their tips and hints and favorite tools to make the job easier. Newbies will appreciate their casual style and sane advice, and veteran gardeners are sure to learn some new ticks. I love their reassuring attitude:

It isn't about having a green thumb. In fact, it isn't even about you. It's about the generosity of the natural world. Given a few basic skills, there is very little you can't accomplish in the garden if you trust the systems that are already in place. Plants want to grow, and despite what you might have heard, there are not armies of pests, plagues, and other misfortunes lying wait, poised to thwart your efforts. (p. 5)

The second half the book is all about making delicious fresh meals for your loved ones. Although many of the recipes are meat free, this is not a vegetarian cookbook. The principal philosophy behind the Gardener's Cookbook is to eat seasonally fresh foods. This is just the type of cookbook a gardener or member of a CSA needs. The key is first to harvest (or buy) produce that is at its peak and only then plan your meals. This can be a difficult mental switch for those of you who are used to planning meals and then going shopping.

Yet no matter how you go about putting meals on the table, you'll love the recipes Damrosch provides. From appetizers to desserts, the flavors are varied but not extreme. There are a couple of dishes geared for the home gardener (like stuffed squash blossoms), but all the rest will work for those of us who rely on others to grow our food.

Here's a recipe from each chapter that calls to me or that has already inspired me in the kitchen:

• Roasted Pepper and Tomato Dip
• Fish Soup with Tomatoes and Fennel*
• Chicken Salad with Spiced Peaches
• Broccoli Bread Pudding
• Couscous with Pine Nuts and Raisins*
• Summer Tart with Roasted Tomatoes
• Cabbage with Caraway Butter
• Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Onions and Bacon
• Sesame Chicken Breasts with Vegetables*
• Plum Custard

The asterisks mean I either made the recipe as given or used it to create my own kitchen creation.

The directions are all straightforward, the ingredients are readily available, and the tips and recommended substitutions help you find success. Furthermore, you'll be able to use this book all year round, because there are plenty of cold-weather dishes and the gardening section gives you advice on how best to store summer's bounty.

At the back of the book you'll find helpful charts and resources for both gardeners and cooks. Plus the index is excellent, meaning you'll quickly be able to find whatever it is your looking for.

Whether you harvest your own veggies, shop for locally grown produce, or hit the supermarket, Barbara Damrosch and Eliot Coleman's The Four Seasons Farm Gardener's Cookbook will inspire you throughout the year.

We love cooking greens, and I make them at least twice a week. Here's a dish from Gardener's Cookbook that we both loved, although I'd cut the maple syrup in half the next time. The recipe calls for beet greens, but a tip tells us we can use any strong-flavored green. We used mustard greens.

Beet Greens and Scallions
Serves 4 as a side dish

• 2 ounces slab bacon or salt pork, cut into ¼-inch cubes (¼ cup)
• 1 pound beet greens, leaves sliced into ribbons and stems cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 bunch scallions (about 6 ounces), both white and green parts, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1½ tablespoons maple syrup
• Salt and pepper to taste

Saute the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring, until the pieces crisp uniformly and cook to a tan color, about 7 minutes. Remove the bacon pieces to a plate with a slotted spoon and set them aside, leaving the bacon fat in the skillet.

Add the beet greens, beet stems, and scallions to the skillet, cover and cook over low heat, stirring from time to time, until the beet stems are tender and the scallions have turned slightly golden, 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the size and age of the greens.

Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the maple syrup and the reserved bacon. Season with salt (if needed—the bacon might be salty enough) and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Buy The Four Season Gardener's Cookbook at an Indie or a bookstore near you. This link leads to an affiliate program.
Workman, 2013
ISBN-13: 9780761156697
Rating: A-
Source: Review (see review policy)

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Imprint Friday: The Pink Hotel by Anna Stothard

Welcome to Imprint Friday and today's featured imprint: Picador USA. Stop by each week to be introduced to a must-read title from one of my favorite imprints. I know you'll be adding many of these books to your wish list.

Ever since Anna Stothard's The Pink Hotel was long-listed for the Orange Prize, I've been curious about it. If you too missed the initial publication of this moving novel, you're in luck. Picador's paperback edition is due to be released on Tuesday, and I encourage you to pick up a copy.

Here's the publisher's summary:

A seventeen-year-old girl pieces together the mystery of her mother’s life and death among the bars and bedrooms of Los Angeles in this dazzling debut novel.

A raucous, drug-fueled party has taken over a boutique hotel on Venice Beach—it’s a memorial for Lily, the now-deceased, free-spirited proprietress of the place. Little do the attendees know that Lily’s estranged daughter—and the nameless narrator of this striking novel—is among them, and she has just walked off with a suitcase of Lily’s belongings.

Abandoned by Lily many years ago, she has come a long way to learn about her mother, and the stolen suitcase—stuffed with clothes, letters, and photographs—contains not only a history of her mother’s love life, but perhaps also the key to her own identity. As the tough, resourceful narrator tracks down her mother’s former husbands, boyfriends, and acquaintances, a risky reenactment of her life begins to unfold. Lily had a knack for falling in love with the wrong people, and one man, a fashion photographer turned paparazzo, has begun to work his sinuous charms on the young woman.

Told with high style and noirish flare, Anna Stothard’s The Pink Hotel is a powerfully evocative debut novel about wish fulfillment, reckless impulse, and how we discover ourselves.

Right from the first page, Anna Stothard sets the mood that prevails throughout the entire novel. Like our unnamed protagonist, we're dropped into the end of Lily's story and can't quite find a way to anchor her in reality based on the scant initial clues. Yet, like the girl, we are compelled to know and understand Lily, hoping that each fact or person will offer a key and let us in on the secrets. Who was this woman of multiple husbands, who left her three-year-old daughter, who was once a nurse turned model turned hotel owner, who rode motorcycles and wore silk dresses?

The Pink Hotel is difficult to describe. It's a well-proportioned mix of coming of age, contemporary commentary, and character study. But it's also an observational narrative, as told by the teen. The girl definitely has street smarts, but they are tempered by a level of naivete that befits her age and experience. At the same time, little escapes her attention, and it's the details she notices combined with her strong desire to connect with her mother that eventually help her get a handle on the past.

Stothard doesn't provide her protagonist with an easy path, but once you start reading The Pink Hotel, it's near-impossible to leave the teen on her own. Although you never learn the girl's name, you'll come to know her and hope she finds all she seeks.

I'll leave you with a passage I flagged to share:

At the bus stop everything was two-dimensional in the afternoon heat with the smoggy sunlight flattening the palm trees to the concrete buildings and the glassy yellow sky. Everything was stuck flat to everything else, like the cardboard cut-out background of a child's puppet theater. (p. 126)

Picador USA is a featured imprint on Beth Fish Reads. For more information about the imprint, visit the Picador's website. While there, take a look at the Picador book club and reading guides and sign up for their newsletters. For up-to-date news, don't miss their Tumblr site or Facebook page and follow them on Twitter.

Buy The Pink Hotel at an indie or at a bookstore near you. (Link leads to an affiliate program.)
Published by Macmillan / Picador 2013
ISBN-13: 9781250026804
Copyright © cbl for Beth Fish Reads, all rights reserved (see review policy).

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