Saturday, June 7, 2014

The Supreme Macaroni Company - TLC Book Review




The Supreme Macaroni Company by Adriana Trigiani

  • Paperback: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Harper Paperbacks; Reprint edition (May 6, 2014)

  • Summary from Amazon:

  • For more than one hundred years, the Angelini Shoe Company in Greenwich Village has relied on the leather produced by Vechiarelli & Son in Tuscany. This ancient business partnership provides a twist of fate for Valentine Roncalli, the schoolteacher-turned-shoemaker, to fall in love with Gianluca Vechiarelli, a tanner with a complex past . . . and a secret.
    But after the wedding celebrations are over, Valentine wakes up to the reality of juggling the demands of a new business and the needs of her new family. Confronted with painful choices, Valentine remembers the wise words that inspired her in the early days of her beloved Angelini Shoe Company: "A person who can build a pair of shoes can do just about anything." Now the proud, passionate Valentine is going to fight for everything she wants and savor all she deserves—the bitter and the sweet of life itself.


    Golden Lines

    "The big Christmas Eve moon appeared out of nowhere, like the diamond on my hand.  From the roof of the Angelini Shoe Company, as far as I could see, it seemed the world had stopped spinning." (1)

    "You would think after the Feast of Seven Fishes, sweet timbale, cannolis, and cookies that we wouldn't have any more room to stuff down one more bite.  But our family wasn't done eating until the overflowing nut bowls, nutcrackers, and silver picks had been placed on the dining room table.  Somehow, there was always room for nuts." (42)

    "I hope I wasn't too rough tonight.  I can be a little opinionated," Feen said in a rare moment of self-examination.  "You know I live alone and don't have anybody to talk to day in and day out, so when I get an audience, I don't modulate." (55-56)

    "I've noticed that in America you think you can have everything your heart desires on your own terms."
    "Isn't that the definition of happiness?"
    "In Italy, we look at things with a little more common sense.  A sense of reality, if you want to call it that..." (103)

    "It's in you, like it was in your grandfather and your grandmother.  Sometimes we forget that talent is a gift and we take it for granted.  But it's important.  You have a gift, and you should always be a guardian of your art." (136)

    "If that's what you want, then leave me now.  I don't want to be your butler, or your cook, or your tanner.  I want to be your husband.  For me, that means that I guard what you hold precious, I stand with you, I work with you, I make sure you have rest when you need it, I open the books and we figure out the finances, I build a space where you can create and I can help you get your creations out into the world." (163)

    "There.  He said it.  Italy was home.  Not Perry Street, not Youngstown's Main Street - but Arezzo in Tuscany.  He couldn't tell me how much he missed being in Italy, but he didn't have to - I could see it, I could feel it.  My husband wanted to take Angelini shoes back to Italy, but he wanted it to be my idea." (191)

    "What kind of factory was this?" I asked.
    "They made pasta.  It was called the Supreme Macaroni Company." 
    "I like it," I said. 
    "But you're not making macaroni, Valentine." 
    "It doesn't matter.  It's a place, not a product.  Besides, I like macaroni." (209)

    "...I have no desire to go anywhere else or do anything else ever again."
    "If only you meant that."
    "I do mean it."
    "Until your American ambition comes rushing back like a fever."
    "You think my ambition is a disease."
    "No, I'm proud of you.  But sometimes it overtakes you."
    "Not when I'm looking at the Mediterranean Sea." (242-243)

    If I had to go back and pinpoint the moment I fell in love with Gianluca Vechiarelli, I know it was for sure when I saw him press leather for the first time.  His hands smooth and drape leather skillfully.  He has a command of the delicate - he can do the smallest detail work - and yet he can lift and cut and press and roll with strength of purpose.  He's an artist. (274)

    Once family, always family.  And once a wife, forever one, even in divorce.  I had to share Gianluca with Mirella.  It was the Italian way. (304)

    "The only time I let go of the pain is when I'm creating." (319)


    What I Liked

    Culture - food, family, language, customs, dialogue, humor, etc...it's here...all of it and more.  There were several times I laughed out loud at the dialogue.

    Aunt Feen - she reminds me of Stephanie Plum's Grandma Mazur...very opinionated, crazy, and verbal.  

    This family - they are what Trigiani does so well...you feel as if you're at a family reunion...and that you've actually met these people!

    What I Didn't Like

    predictable - I felt like I'd read this story before...or at least parts of it :(

    wedding stuff - there were lots of chapters on wedding prep, honeymoon, and baby stuff ...meh

    The Ending - the house, the Bret foreshadowing, how everything seemed to fall together so smoothly despite enormous challenges?

    The pace - one of the fastest through the years books I've ever read.  I needed more...more detail, more time, more build up.  

    Overall Recommendation

    Because The Supreme Macaroni Company is part of a series, I certainly wouldn't skip it...but I'm not so sure it's one that you can read and feel a connection to the characters if you haven't read the others.

    The Author




    Other Stops on the Tour

    Tuesday, May 6th: More Than Just Magic
    Wednesday, May 7th: Bibliotica
    Thursday, May 8th: nightlyreading
    Friday, May 9th: Literary Lindsey
    Monday, May 12th: The Infinite Shelf
    Thursday, May 15th: Books, Books Everywhere!
    Monday, May 19th: Books on the Table
    Monday, May 26th: Calico Critic
    Monday, June 2nd: Open Book Society
    Thursday, June 5th: Jo-Jo Loves to Read!
    Friday, June 6th: Peppermint PhD
    Monday, June 9th: Patricia’s Wisdom

Friday, March 14, 2014

The Sound of Broken Glass by Deborah Crombie - TLC Book Tours

The Sound of Broken Glass by Deborah Crombie

  • Series: Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James Novels (Book 15)
  • Paperback: 384 pages
  • Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; Reprint edition (February 25, 2014)

Source? the publisher via TLC Book Tours
**FTC Disclaimer - the publisher provided me a copy of The Sound of Broken Glass in exchange for an honest review.  The review below and the opinions therein are my own and offered without bias.

Title?  Not at all obvious...but very effective...made me say "Ahhhhhhh, nice touch" when I put all the pieces together.

Golden Lines

"...I learned years ago that he would never make a real effort to defend a woman.  It was as if he made an automatic assumption of guilt." (119)

The sound faded out.  She stood, paralyzed, as little animated rain clouds began to move across the map of Britain on the screen.
It couldn't be.  It couldn't be him.
What on earth had she done? (140)

The bastards had followed him home.  And they had seen Nadine. (147)

Cleaver Square is a paradox.  Sandwiched between two busy streets, it provides a sense of eerie calm rarely seen outside of a Hitchcock movie. (155)

"The way Melody talked about that guitar chap yesterday - did you notice?  I didn't like it.  Something's up, and I want to know what it is." (163)

"Another barrister?  Strangled?  Dear God.  This is turning into a royal balls-up.  What the hell is going on here?" (166)

"...Just play, Andy."  She touched one of the geranium blossoms.  "No one has been kind to me except you.  Think of it as red for red." (186)

"You, Andy?  Of all people.  I thought you were my friend." (265)

"We all need looking after.  It's the greatest of mistakes to think otherwise.  No one knows that better than me." (352)

Summary from Amazon

Scotland Yard detectives Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James are on the case in Deborah Crombie’s The Sound of Broken Glass, a captivating mystery that blends a murder from the past with a powerful danger in the present.
When Detective Inspector James joins forces with Detective Inspector Melody Talbot to solve the murder of an esteemed barrister, their investigation leads them to realize that nothing is what it seems—with the crime they’re investigating and their own lives.
With an abundance of twists and turns and intertwining subplots, The Sound of Broken Glass byNew York Times bestselling author Deborah Crombie is an elaborate and engaging page-turner.

What I Liked

The map - I love the penciled map drawing at the beginning of the novel...Crombie uses the real life Crystal Palace and surrounding areas as the main geographical focus of The Sound of Broken Glass.  Even though I've never been to London, nor did I ever feel lost while reading, I enjoyed looking back a the drawing from time to time...and especially once I was completely done with the story.


The twists - By page 140, I thought I had it figured out...by page 318, I realized I was wrong...and had been very willingly duped by Crombie :P  Well played, Ms. Crombie...well played.

The lingo - I won't apologize for being a language lover...I could listen to/read different accents, different cultural sayings all day long.  There's something about it that makes you feel as if you're actually there.  I think it's like giving a blind person cotton balls to help them understand what clouds look like.  Yes, I'm an academic who thinks too much...why do you ask? :/

The way the past slowly weaves its way into the present - very possibly for the first time, after finishing The Sound of Broken Glass, I thought about how the writer's craft is not just a story but a well designed puzzle.  Those puzzles make all the difference in the world to a reader...and those puzzles very quickly separate the good from the bad.  Crombie is most definitely one of the best serial writers I read.  

Jagger and Ginger - Michael and Tam's German Shepherd dogs - not even gonna apologize for this :P

What I Didn't Like

The Sound of Broken Glass is only my 2nd read of this series.  My first foray into the Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James mysteries was No Mark upon Her.  Don't get me wrong; I never felt left out of anything...I just want to know these characters better.  It's like meeting new people who have a history together and you want to sit around asking questions so you get the whole picture.  That is certainly no fault of Crombie's; as a matter of fact, I love her writing even more that she can make her characters that real.

Overall Recommendation

Don't shy away from this series because it's a series.  Crombie's books are have enough depth to satisfy even if you don't want to read the entire series.  


The Author





Other Stops on the Tour

Tuesday, February 25th: The Best Books Ever
Wednesday, February 26th: she treads softly
Monday, March 3rd: The Year in Books
Tuesday, March 4th: Kelly’s [Former] France Blog
Thursday, March 6th: Book Dilettante
Monday, March 10th: No More Grumpy Bookseller
Tuesday, March 11th: Jen’s Book Thoughts
Wednesday, March 12th: 5 Minutes for Books

Monday, March 10, 2014

The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro - TLC Book Review


The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro
  • Paperback: 464 pages
  • Publisher: Harper Paperbacks; Reprint edition (February 4, 2014)

Source? the publisher via TLC Book Tours
FTC Disclosure - The publisher provided me with a complimentary copy of The Perfume Collector in exchange for an honest review.  The review below and the opinions therein are my own and offered without bias.

I was reminded of? Under the Tuscan Sun

What Now? Now, I think I shall have to go to Paris :)
In the meantime, I'd love to read some of Tessaro's other books.  She is definitely a writer I will come back to.


Golden Lines

'...What would you like to do with it?' he pressed.
Grace thought for a moment.  'Live,  Monsieur Tissot.  I'd like to live in great comfort.  And peace.'  And then she added, quite to her surprise, 'With no one to tell me what to do or how to do it.' (80)

As soon as she entered, the smell of perfume hit her.  Not flowery or whimsical but sophisticated, strong.  Like a hand reaching out across the impossible distance to pierce the veil that separated them, it pressed hard against her solar plexus, stopping her in her tracks.  (97)

'There is nothing more difficult than simplicity,' Madame added, turning her back on them. 'And therefore, nothing more refined.' (143)

'One cannot underestimate the importance of a train being on time.  Or leave to chance the space between the plane and the bomb.' (161)

'I don't know why,' she confessed, 'but I've always loved the smell of rain.' (178)

Madame considered a moment. 'What if knowing more meant that your life would change?' (222)

His muse possessed him, saturated him the way water soaks into a flimsy cloth until the fabric is more liquid than solid. (327)

And she'd smelled of something familiar, something so natural, so elemental that for ever afterwards and for reasons she could never quite place, Grace would associate the sudden drop in temperature, the darkening of the sky and the low growl of thunder, with peace and comfort. (386)

Madame Zed passed her the final vial.  Choses Perdus, she said.  'It means "Lost things". This is the accord Eva was obsessed with - the heart of the fragrance Hiver can't reproduce.' (427)

'What matters now, all that matters now, is what Grace Munroe chooses to do next.' (456)


Summary from Amazon

A remarkable novel about secrets, desire, memory, passion, and possibility.
Newlywed Grace Monroe doesn’t fit anyone’s expectations of a successful 1950s London socialite, least of all her own. When she receives an unexpected inheritance from a complete stranger, Madame Eva d’Orsey, Grace is drawn to uncover the identity of her mysterious benefactor.
Weaving through the decades, from 1920s New York to Monte Carlo, Paris, and London, the story Grace uncovers is that of an extraordinary women who inspired one of Paris’s greatest perfumers. Immortalized in three evocative perfumes, Eva d’Orsey’s history will transform Grace’s life forever, forcing her to choose between the woman she is expected to be and the person she really is.
The Perfume Collector explores the complex and obsessive love between muse and artist, and the tremendous power of memory and scent.


What I Liked

Eva d'Orsey - She's a flawed scrapper and a survivor...and that's most definitely my favorite kind of female protagonist.

Madame Zed - Even though her world didn't last and she harvested some pretty strong hurt against both Valmont and Eva, she didn't let it devour her in the end and decided to turn that around into something good for Grace.

Valmont and Lambert - both men who played integral roles in Eva's life.  They were both flawed, of course, and while certainly not perfect characters, I do think neither of them had any intention of hurting her.  They were more her equals and saw in her a young woman with intellectual gifts that needed to be refined...of course, not always for good...but they were surviving.

I'm a fan of the past/present narrative...but I've seen it done well and not so well.  I usually am drawn more to one than the other, but Tessaro made me want to know both stories equally, and I think it's because the threads that hold the stories together are so intricately sewn.  I never felt like I was switching perspectives...The Perfume Collector just reads like one story...not two that eventually come together in the end.

What I Didn't Like

Roger - even before Tessaro gave me a really good reason to dislike him, I disliked him.  What an ass.

Miss Waverley - I have no nice words at all for this woman...I guess someone could say Miss Waverley taught Eva survival tactics and gave her a great gift in the process, but she also lied, manipulated, offered Eva up as a sacrifice, and then left her for dead. That's evil in my book...Eva was just a kid.  I dislike her more than Roger.


Overall Recommendation

I'm in a little bit of a reading slump right now...I can't seem to find books that hold my attention very well, so I'm having to be very selective with what I pick up.  By the time I arrived at pg. 80 of The Perfume Collector when Grace told Monsieur Tissot that she wanted to live in peace with no one telling her what to do (see Golden Line #1 above), I was hooked and didn't put the book down until I was finished.
Best of all, I'm re-energized to read the next book on my list!!!
Gotta love an author who can pull you out of a slump!


The Author




Other Stops on the Tour

Tuesday, February 11th: Svetlana’s Reads and Views
Wednesday, February 12th: The Blog of Lit Wits
Thursday, February 13th: Read. Write. Repeat
Tuesday, February 18th: A Bookish Affair
Thursday, February 20th: Sidewalk Shoes
Monday, February 24th: Ageless Pages Reviews
Tuesday, February 25th: Bibliotica
Wednesday, February 26th: Walking With Nora
Thursday, February 27th: Kritters Ramblings

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Ripper by Isabel Allende - TLC Book Tour


Ripper by Isabel Allende
  • Hardcover: 496 pages
  • Publisher: Harper; First Edition edition (January 28, 2014)
  • Language: English

Source? the publisher via TLC Book Tours

**FTC Disclosure - The publisher provided a complimentary copy of Ripper for an honest review.  The review below and the opinions therein are my own and offered without bias.

Why?  My first Isabel Allende book was Maya's Notebook, and I loved it!  

Golden Lines

"Your homework for the next week is to come up with theories about the case," the games master said before signing off.  "You all know the drill: motive, means, opportunity, suspects, method." (133)

In my line of work, he thought, I've seen too many horrors to harbor any illusions about human beings: they're capable of the worst atrocities. (190)

She climbed into the seat between him and Attila, who never gave up his window seat for anyone. (192)

The deputy chief had no wish to see Elsa's son behind bars, to see him joinn the 2.2 milliion convicts in America - a higher number than in any other country, including the worst dictatorships, making up 25 percent of the world's prison population: a nation imprisoned within a nation. (214)

Attila delightedly sniffed the combination of essential oils that pervaded the apartment.  The dog hated artificial smells but was a sucker for natural aromas, which explained his fondness for Indiana, whom he cherished among human beings. (241)

"We all make mistakes from time to time, Ryan - we fall flat on our faces, then pick ourselves up again.  Now get dressed."
"I can't move."
"Aw...the poor little Navy SEAL! Get up! You're coming with me." (250)

Ryan moves in front, flanked by Attila.  The dog is kitted out with a bulletproof jacket, goggles, headphones for receiving orders, and a camera mounted on his head, streaming images back to base.  Attila is still a frisky pup - but when his service harness is strapped on, he becomes an armor-plated, almost mythical beast.  (262)

"I might not be able to keep a promise like that, Indi."
"If you can't, I'll go for you," she replied..." (270)

Celeste Roko's predicted bloodbath had become an indisputable fact. (327)

"I don't know what's wrong with me, Pedro.  I used to be able to keep a cool head under machine-gun fire, and now a five-minute spat leaves me with a blinding headache." (326)

Until now, as Amanda kept him informed of the discoveries she and the other Ripper players had made, her father had simply dismissed this as five kids and an old man playing online games, until finally - reluctantly he had to agree that they were right.  The bloody murders plaguing San Francisco were the work of a serial killer. (340)

And he hated himself, as he looked at the photos, for not having loved and looked after her the way she deserved, for having blown his chance to make a loving home for her where Amanda would have flourished. (379)

"The Wolf attacks under the full moon," she concluded.  (391)

Summary (from Amazon)

The Jackson women, Indiana and Amanda, have always had each other. Yet, while their bond is strong, mother and daughter are as different as night and day. Indiana, a beautiful holistic healer, is a free-spirited bohemian. Long divorced from Amanda’s father, she’s reluctant to settle down with either of the men who want her—Alan, the wealthy scion of one of San Francisco’s elite families, and Ryan, an enigmatic, scarred former Navy SEAL.
While her mom looks for the good in people, Amanda is fascinated by the dark side of human nature, like her father, the SFPD’s Deputy Chief of Homicide. Brilliant and introverted, the MIT-bound high school senior is a natural-born sleuth addicted to crime novels and Ripper, the online mystery game she plays with her beloved grandfather and friends around the world.
When a string of strange murders occurs across the city, Amanda plunges into her own investigation, discovering, before the police do, that the deaths may be connected. But the case becomes all too personal when Indiana suddenly vanishes. Could her mother’s disappearance be linked to the serial killer? Now, with her mother’s life on the line, the young detective must solve the most complex mystery she’s ever faced before it’s too late.


What I Liked

Indiana and Amanda - different as night and day, but melded together with a love that only a mother and daughter can appreciate.

Family - from Bob's extended family to Indiana's father, the godmother, the fierce protection of each other despite their personal issues and shortcomings, these people loved each other to the core...and stuck it out through the end.  


Immigration issues, the ills of society, cultural differences, alternative medicines, the prison system, Child Welfare programs, PTSD, psychological theories, etc...you name it, Allende carefully embedded life's definitions, beliefs, and complications into this storyline.  It's what I've come to love about her stories :)


Bob and Indiana - While their relationship as husband and wife didn't work (and couldn't work), they've found a way to co-exist and still honestly care for each other.  How many times do we see this?  


Attila - surely this doesn't surprise anyone?  Beligian Malinois, trained military dog...oh yes, thank you, Mrs. Allende :)


The realistic way the character Ryan Miller is portrayed...Indiana's relationship with Ryan could have very easily turned into some kind of sappy romance...but it doesn't.  And, that's the way it should be.

The ending made me cry...I can't tell you why, of course, but it's very emotional...and right. 


What I Didn't Like

I wasn't crazy about the character Ayani...I felt she wasn't developed enough...the reader is given a lot of background for her, and it seemed as if she would play a major role...and then she didn't.  That confused me a bit.

I never really got into the online Ripper game...don't get me wrong; I still really enjoyed this book and this part of the premise, but I wanted to know these characters more in depth as well.  I still felt like they were strangers to me by the end of the book.  

Allen Keller - really, Indiana?   As much as I disliked Allen, I despised his family. 



Overall Recommendation

Ripper is a murder mystery with depth and social, political, and familial consequences.  If you like a little thought along with your mysteries, then you'll enjoy this one. 


The Author



Other Stops on the Tour

Tuesday, January 28th: Jen’s Book Thoughts
Wednesday, January 29th: Book Club Classics!
Tuesday, February 4th: Bibliotica
Wednesday, February 5th: Literally Jen
Thursday, February 6th: Little Lovely Books
Monday, February 10th: bookchickdi
Tuesday, February 11th: BoundbyWords
Wednesday, February 12th: The Book Wheel
Thursday, February 13th: M. Denise C.
Friday, February 14th: Peppermint PhD
Monday, February 17th: she treads softly
Tuesday, February 18th: In Bed with Books
Wednesday, February 19th: Bibliophilia, Please
Thursday, February 20th: Literary Feline
Monday, February 24th: Between the Covers
Tuesday, February 25th: Savvy Verse & Wit
Wednesday, February 26th: Under a Gray Sky
Thursday, February 27th: The Scarlet Letter

Monday, January 20, 2014

Organic Beauty with Essential Oil by Rebecca Park Totilo


Organic Beauty with Essential Oil by Rebecca Park Totilo
  • Paperback: 328 pages
  • Publisher: Rebecca at the Well Foundation (January 13, 2013)

Source? the publisher via Premier Virtual Author Book Tours

FTC Disclosure: The publisher provided me a copy of Organic Beauty with Essential Oils in exchange for an honest review.  The review below and the opinions therein are my opinion.

Why? My family and I have been trying to slowly switch over as many products as possible to those that are more natural.  We know they're better for us, they're easy to get, easy to make, and most don't test on animals either.  While Totilo's book is not about the animal testing aspect, I have vowed to find other options other than the big name companies that still test cosmetics on animals.  More natural living is what's best for us, Earth, and our animal friends.  I can't imagine why someone would not want to know more about this.

What Now?

GIVEAWAY!

While I'm trying out more essential oil products from Organic Beauty with Essential Oils, the publisher has allowed me to give away one copy to a reader.  Just post a comment below with your blog address and email.  Also, tell me what experience you have with essential oils and natural beauty products.  


Looking for that perfect all-natural aromatherapy bath product? One that will keep your skin looking great, is appealing to smell, has actual therapeutic benefits, and doesn't break the bank? Well, here it is! Sweep aside all those harmful chemically-based cosmetics and make your own organic bath and body products at home with the magic of potent essential oils!
In this book, you'll find a luxurious array of over 400 Eco-friendly recipes for skin care and hair care such as Exotic Patchouli Massage Oil, Zesty Banana-Lemon Foot Cream and Jasmine Bath Bombsfilled with breathtaking fragrances and soothing, rich organic ingredients satisfying you head to toe.
Designed with the naturalist in mind, each formula draws from essential oils' well-known skin rejuvenating effects, showing you how to best care for your unique skin and hair type using all-natural botanicals. Included you'll find helpful tips and customizable recipes - all with step-by-step instructions - so you can have the confidence knowing which essential oil to use and how much when creating your own body scrub, lip butter, or lotion bar!
Discover how easy it is to make bath treats like fragrant shower gels, dreamy bubble baths, luscious creams and lotions, deep cleansing masks and facials for literally pennies using only a few essential oils and ingredients from your own kitchen with Organic Beauty with Essential Oil.

Golden Lines

The chemical constituents found in essential oils actually work in harmony with your body and have an amazing ability to rejuvenate your skin, unlike synthetics.  Essential oil-based treatments are far more effective than the ones the cosmetic companies churn out. (4)

As a sensual body ritual, women understood that bath oils not only helped to retain their skin's youthful glow but that they reduced cellulite and fat, promoted healing, and relived stress. (54)


What I Liked 

Charts - all throughout Totilo's book, after she discusses a particular process or type of product, she then provides the reader with a chart of basics, amounts, kinds of essential oils, dilution rates, when, for what condition, or what skin type on which to use which oils, etc. 

Backache Relief Bath Oil (58) - as a runner, I'm constantly battling achy muscles and joints.  I knew at first glance that I wanted to try this "recipe."  Eucalyptus makes me feel peaceful no matter what, so mixing it with almond oil and thyme...oh my, thyme...just gave the entire bathroom an incredible smell, not to mention me, and of course how much better I feel afterwards :) 

After Totilo provides the basics, the charts, and recipes of her own, she then provides a very basic template which the reader can customize with her own favorite scents.  Very helpful for us beginners!

I love the little oil bottles and the suggestions for gifts.  These were my favorite pictures :) 

Most of the recipes seem very easy...there are some (soaps, for example) that you do have to cook, but if Bug Off Citronella Soap (108) can naturally keep Mississippi mosquitos off my family this summer, it will be well worth the a little extra prep time.  

Coffee Body Scrub (141) - I made and used this on a cold Saturday morning shower...I'm a coffee lover already, but I wasn't sure about how I would feel smelling like coffee.  Oh. My. Goodness.  I didn't really like coffee...just a crisp, warm, smell...and I was ready to take on the day with silky smooth skin to boot!

The chapter on Lip Balms and Glosses - my girls and I go through tons of this stuff...tons.  Once I started paying attention to what was in the sticks we were using, I was appalled. Can't wait to make lots of these!! 


What I Didn't Like

I'm a very visual person, so I like to see lots of photos and illustrations in cookbooks, how-to's, etc.  


Overall Recommendation

Anybody who's interested in healthier products for body care should spend some time with Totilo's book.  I've only been able to try a few of the product recipes, but I have tons more marked to try next! 

The Author





Other Stops on the Tour

Follow the Tour:
So Many Precious Books Jan 2 Review & Giveaway
Teena in Toronto Jan 3 Review
Daddy Blogger Jan 5 Interview  7 pm pst Google Hangout- Live
Saving for Six Jan 6 Review
Taking Time for Mommy Jan 7 Review
Library of Clean Reads Jan 8 Review
Just Another New Blog Jan 8 Review & Giveaway
Indie Review’s Behind the Scenes Jan 10 Live Radio 7pm
Luxury Reading Jan 13 Review & Giveaway
Daddy Blogger Jan 15 Review
Let’s Talk About Books Jan 16 Review
Deal Sharing Aunt Jan 17 Review (postponed)
Princess Gummy Bear Jan 17 YouTube Video Demo
Peppermint Ph.d Jan 20 Review & Giveaway
Mrs. Mommy Booknerds Jan 21 Review
Beagle Book Space Jan 22 Review
Joy Story Jan 23 Review
I’d Rather Be At the Beach Jan 24 Review & Giveaway
Thoughts In Progress Jan 27 Review & Giveaway
Sincerely Stacie Jan 28 Review
Beauty Is a Sleeping Cat  Jan 29 Review
Sammy The Bookworm Jan 30 Review  & Giveaway
Genuine Jenn Feb 3 Review