RECIPE: Pasta with Pumpkin Sage Cream Sauce and Prosciutto

My favorite way to eat pumpkin will always be in the form of some sweet treat such as pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake (yum!), pumpkin ice cream (double yum!) and even pumpkin smoothies. Every once in a while, though, it's nice to venture on the savory side with pumpkin, but up until now, I've only ventured that way while dining out--not at home. So after getting a large Long Island pumpkin and a bunch of fresh sage in our organic co-op recently, I decided to try to make a pumpkin cream sauce with sage to serve with pasta.

There are many recipes out there for pumpkin cream sauce, of which the base ingredients are always pumpkin and cream with some variation of additional savory ingredients. I came up with this recipe that I think emphasizes the pumpkin and uses just a bit of half and half to make the sauce creamy. I also added a little bit of crispy prosciutto to each serving, which added more depth of flavor to the dish. It can certainly be omitted for a vegetarian version. I'm happy with the way this recipe turned out and hope you give it a try sometime. I'd love to hear from you if you do!

Pasta with Pumpkin Cream Sauce with Sage and Prosciutto
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup fresh pumpkin puree
1/4 cup half and half
1 tablespoon butter
fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced
salt & pepper

1-2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into small pieces

1/2 lb. dried pasta, cooked al dente

freshly grated parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta al dente according to package directions.

2. While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add the onion, garlic and four or five thinly sliced sage leaves, cooking until the onion begins to soften, about 2-3 minutes.

Tip: Add the sage sparingly at first, tasting the sauce as it cooks and adding more sage to suit your taste.  

3. Lower the heat to medium low and add the pumpkin puree, stirring often. Season with salt and pepper and cook until hot.

Tip: Fresh pumpkin puree is best for this dish, but if you use canned pumpkin you may need to thin it with some water or broth to get the proper sauce consistency. 

4. While the pumpkin sauce is cooking, heat a teaspoon or two of olive oil in a small skillet until hot. Add the cut up prosciutto and cook until crispy. Remove from heat and keep warm until serving.

5. Add the half and half and stir until heated through. If the sauce is too thick, it may be thinned with chicken broth or water.

6. When the pasta is ready, remove the pumpkin cream sauce from heat and add the butter, stirring until melted. Add minced fresh sage leaves and check for seasoning.

7. Toss sauce with hot pasta, sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese, crispy prosciutto and additional sage leaves, if desired. Best served immediately while hot!

Enjoy!

This is my first time participating in the weekly blog event Weekend Cooking hosted by Beth Fish Reads. Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food related post to share--a food related book review (fiction or nonfiction), cookbook review, movie review, a recipe, random thoughts, gadgets, food quotations, photographs, etc. Visit Beth's blog for more information.

What's a Kiwi Berry?

Kiwi berry variety "Aloha Annas"
from Kiwi Korners
KiwiBerry.com 
(click on photo to enlarge)

Have you ever had a kiwi berry before?

I'm willing to bet most of you will say no. Kiwi berries are rare in the US, which is why I thought it would be fun to share some info about these delicious berries. Then maybe the next time you see kiwi berries at your local market, you'll try them. Or ask your grocer to stock them!

We get these delicious little powerhouse fruits in our organic co-op once or twice a year around this time of year [mid autumn] and I look forward to them all year long. I even bought extras from the farm the share prior.

As I sat down to write what I knew about kiwi berries--all of which I learned through my co-op newsletter, I thought I'd better do a little research to make sure I had my facts straight. So I did a google search and read through a few sites. I found one site in particular that was very informative. I went to the fridge and looked for the name of the farm from which my kiwi berries came and guess what? The informative kiwi berry website I was reading is the website of the farm from which my kiwi berries came! My kiwi berries come from Kiwi Korners farm in Pennsylvania where Dave the kiwi berry farmer  tends his kiwi crops. His website is KiwiBerry.com [Hi Dave! Thanks for growing these delicious, nutritious, organic kiwi berries for me and my family! :) ]

Kiwi berries are the perfect size for popping in your mouth!

Kiwi berries are related to the regular kiwi with which most people are already familiar. Kiwi berries are about the size of a large grape, have a thin skin and no fuzz. The flesh of a kiwi berry is similar in taste to a regular kiwi, but perhaps a little bit sweeter and more complex. As far as nutritional value goes, kiwi berries are low calorie and very healthful. In fact, they're considered one of the super fruits--containing a range of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and are a good source of fiber, too! Check out the full nutritional profile of kiwi berries at KiwiBerry.com/nutrition. Even if kiwi berries weren't so incredibly nutritious, I'd still recommend you look for them at your local market and give them a try. They're so delicious!

The variety we got in our co-op today are the Aloha Annas. According to the KiwiBerry website, this variety has the flavor of kiwi, pineapple and a slight hint of mint. Let's see if I can confirm this. .... *pops one in my mouth* ... hmmm... maybe I need another one to be sure. *pop pop pop* *kid pops few* mmm. All gone. ;)

Another NEW romance from Lisa Kleypas!

Did you know Lisa Kleypas has a new book coming out in January 2012?

If you've followed my blog for a while, you know I'm a big fan of Lisa Kleypas, so naturally I'm super excited to hear she has another new book coming out soon!

Rainshadow Road is a contemporary romance and takes place in one of my favorite places--the Pacific Northwest. Isn't that cover just so pretty?

Needless to say, I cannot wait to read Rainshadow Road!

For a sneak peek, you can read an excerpt from Rainshadow Road on Lisa's website following this link: http://bit.ly/j5qdP8.

I'm sure Rainshadow Road will make it to your wish list once you read the excerpt, too!






NOTE: I am one of "Lisa's Divas" - a group of select fans who share info & content related to Lisa's novels and get sneak peeks & swag in return.

Random Bits

My friend Lisa who blogs at Book Lists Life does a Random Friday post most weeks, which I love to read so I thought I'd give it a try, too. Lisa loves to read and craft--she's very talented with the sewing needle! Best of all, Lisa has three adorable little kids who bring all sorts of adventures to her days. Stop by her blog and say hello.

• My 16 year old (11th grade) now has her driver's learning permit and is asking to drive all the time. It's a little terrifying. Please send me calmness or strength or ... something!  
• She is also in the very early stages of the whole college process. She recently took the PSATs and is starting to think about college options. She went to her guidance counselor this week to find out her GPA and it's a 3.94! (wow!) She's an honors student, does sports and is involved with a club or two and actively pursues photography recreationally and for the school. We are so proud of her!
• My 12 year old (7th grade) is driving us crazy half the time with her tween attitude. Thank goodness she's so cute and sweet and fun the other half of the time. ;o) 
• Right now, I'm in the middle of reading four different books, something I rarely do. I find it extremely distracting and I make no progress reading any of the books. I'm going to focus on just ONE book at a time starting today with the one due back to the library the soonest and that would be The Girl Who Circumvented Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente. It's a charming middle grade novel about a girl who does all fun stuff in the title, meeting all sorts of fascinating beings along the way. The writing is whimsical and pretty insightful to this journey of life we're all on. 
• After much deliberation on my part, I agreed on a 2 hour bike ride with my cycling partner last Saturday morning at 7:30am when it was barely light out [the morning before the time change] and only 34 F (1 C)! Brrr! I don't have all the proper technical clothing for this sort of riding, but I made do with some layers, wool ski socks and a borrowed bacaclava [like this one] from my husband, which helped a lot. I actually wasn't as cold as I thought I'd be on the bike, especially since we climbed three tough hills during the ride to keep warm. ; ) My toes were pretty much cold the entire time, though, so I don't know if I'd want to ride more than 2 hrs. in cold weather and probably only when there's no wind. The wind chill on the bike is cold enough!
• Yesterday we cleaned up the branches and tree limbs in the yard that fell in last weekend's freak snow storm and I used a chain saw for the first time ever! It was actually kind of fun. Now we have a decent sized wood pile in our backyard. Would be nice if we had a fireplace to go with it... 
• Halloween was a week ago today and I still haven't had a single piece of Halloween candy, BUT I have had some cookies and ice cream and a piece of coconut layer cake in the past week, though, so I I've essentially lost my bragging rights on this one... : /   
• Normally I try to pretend not to notice all the Christmas stuff in stores until at least Thanksgiving weekend, but Trader Joe's has put out their holiday cookies and candies and other holiday treats and I admit I investigated. Everything is so tempting... maybe I'll buy something on my next visit. You know... for taste testing purposes so I know what would make a good hostess gift or something like that during the holiday season. 
• Now that I mentioned Christmas, I may as well ask if anyone started their Christmas [or Hanukkah] shopping yet?  I have a few gift ideas for my family, but that's about as far as I've gotten. 

Your turn. What random bits do you have to share? 

What I Read Last Month

October was a fantastic reading month for me. I read nine books, but two were novellas so as for quantity it was pretty average, but the quality was really noteworthy. I thoroughly enjoyed every book I read which made me remember why I gave up giving ratings or grades for books for a while. How in the world do you delineate between excellent, fantastic and wonderful?

Here's a look at what I read:

Romance ........... 4
Young Adult ...... 2
Mystery ............ 1
Urban fantasy .....1
Graphic Novel .... 1 [non-fiction biography]

Of the romance novels read, two were contemporary and two were historical.

1. The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa
Iron Fey, Book #3
I really enjoy this young adult series. It's a contemporary teenage story blended with a classic faerie-style story influenced by Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream, mixed together with adventure and romance, all made even more complicated by the advance of modern technology. The story and characters are great, but I've developed a little hang-up over the romance. While I understand the attraction between Meghan and Ash, I feel like I missed the part where their attraction and interest in each other turned to a deep and devoted love. The Iron Queen is a fast paced, exciting romantic adventure.
GRADE: B

2. Something About You by Julie James
FBI, Book #1
A contemporary romance that's heavily entwined with a suspenseful murder mystery. The romance is between Cameron Lynde, a confident, successful female Assistant U.S. Attorney and Jack Pallas, FBI Special Agent. These two crossed paths several years before on a case that ended controversially and put a huge professional and personal rift between them, even though they work for the same side of the law. They're once again work together in this book, although very reluctantly, and through the course of the story are able to correct misunderstandings from the past, solve a murder and of course, fall in love.
GRADE: B+

3. Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris
Harper Connelly Mystery, Book #4 
I debated between a four and five star rating for this book, finally deciding on five because it turned out to my favorite book of the series--a series that I started just a few months ago and found myself reading all four books in such a short time, which says a lot about the author's ability to capture my attention and keep me interested in more. This story had all the mystery, drama, sadness that I've come to love from this series and it also provided the kind of closure for Harper and Tolliver that they deserved, however, not before some very shocking revelations that I admit brought tears to my eyes. I honestly hadn't realized how important it became for me as the reader to know what had happened to Harper's sister Cameron who went missing eight years ago. While the ending isn't the sweet kind of happy ever after of 'feel good' or romance novel--it's almost bittersweet, but definitely the kind of realistic, positive ending that should leave most readers content, as it certainly left me.
GRADE: A

4. When Beauty Tamed The Beast by Eloisa James
A charming version of a Beauty and the Beast type tale. The dialogue in this novel is very entertaining and really brings the characters to life. In addition, the unique setting adds interest and depth to the story. Most of the story takes place at the Earl of Marchant's castle in Wales which he has set up as a pseudo-hospital where the Earl, his cousin and a small handful of promising doctors-in-training strive to provide alternative health care to patients which is in fact the correct direction medicine needs take during this time period to save lives and prevent infections. This aspect of the story was extremely fascinating and the author effectively tied this to the romance plot as well. There is also a charming secondary romance plot featuring the Earl's mother and father that was a very sweet touch to the book.

I found the dialogue intelligent and witty, but I have to admit there were a few instances toward the beginning of the book when I felt pulled out of the story because a line or two of the dialogue all of a sudden sounded contrived or cliche. Maybe it was just my unfamiliarity with the language of the time period. Also, I expected the Earl to be more beast-like in looks and mannerisms and aside from being extremely direct and rather unorthodox in his medical practices, he was otherwise normal enough and according to Miss Linnet, very attractive.
GRADE: A-

5. Anne Frank: The Anne Frank House Authorized Graphic Biography 
by Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colón
Don't underestimate the power of this book on the merits that it is a graphic novel. While this book will be shelved in the young adult section of most libraries, I highly recommend it to readers of all ages and backgrounds. Many people are familiar with the story of Anne Frank and her family through her world renowned diary, and this graphic novel makes the perfect supplement, expanding on Anne's story with accurate historical facts.

This book delivers a serious historical and emotional punch as it provides detailed insight into the frightening and horrific time for thousands and thousands of innocent people who suffered unnecessary and intolerable injustices and deaths leading up to and including the years of The Holocaust. What an awful, heartbreaking time this was in the history of our world.

I had the wonderful opportunity to visit the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam last summer and was profoundly moved as I toured the Secret Annex and learned about the life and plight of Anne Frank and her family. Again, reading this biographical novel added new layers of knowledge and emotion to my trip to Amsterdam that I won't likely ever forget.
GRADE: A

6. I Love The Earl by Caroline Linden
The Truth About the Duke, prequel
I Love the Earl is a prequel novella to Ms. Linden's newest historical romance trilogy, The Truth About the Duke, the first book of which is titled One Night In London, just released in September 2011. I Love the Earl takes place several decades before One Night In London and tells the love story of Margaret de Lacey and Rhys Corwen, the Earl of Dowling. Margaret is an untitled spinster of mediocore means who suddenly becomes a worthy catch when her brother suddenly inherits a dukedom and offers a generous dowery on her behalf. She catches the attention of numerous fortune hunters, and in his attempts to win her favor, the desperate Welsh Earl, Rhys Corwen actually falls in love with her.

I really loved this novella. It's greatest shortcoming is that it isn't a full length novel. The premise of the story is simple, but the characters are interesting, their dialogue genuine and entertaining and the romance just charming.
GRADE: A-

7. Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh
Guild Hunters, Book #2
Review to come...
GRADE: A

8. Until There Was You by Kristan Higgins
Read my review HERE.
GRADE: A

9. Summer's Crossing by Julie Kagawa
Iron Fey, Book #3.5
***CAUTION: Possible spoilers from previous books***
This Iron Fey novella takes place immediately after events of The Iron Queen and before The Iron Knight. Puck and Ash are about to seek out Grimalkin for help getting them into the Iron Realm where Meghan is. Only before they go, Leanansidhe shows up and calls in the favor Ash owes her, sending Ash and Puck into the Summer Court to retrieve an item that was stolen from her. While Puck is not exactly a welcomed sight in the Summer Court since defying King Oberon, he still remains loyal to his homeland. Ash, however, is literally putting his life on the line by entering enemy territory, presenting Puck with the opportunity to eliminate his biggest rival once and for all. Puck's loyalty and renowned prankster skills are truly tested in this story.

Summer's Crossing is told from Puck's point of view and offers a delightful look into his charming, mischievous, warm-hearted and loyal heart. The tension between Puck and Ash and the dynamics of their is pretty high without Meghan around to temper them both, but there's also this subtle vibe between these two that gives the reader hope that they'll one day reconcile to the best friends they used to be long ago. Highly recommended to anyone who reads the series!
GRADE: A-

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My favorite books this month were Archangels' Kiss by Nalini Singh and Until There Was You by Kristan Higgins. The novella, I Love The Earl by Caroline Linden was very, very good. I'm very optimistic about One Night in London and am looking forward to reading it!


What was the best book you read last month?  

Fitness Challenge Report Card: October 2011

Hello November! What a wacky few days we just had around here with that freak snow storm and the damage it caused. The kids were back in school today and things are mostly back to normal, but in some areas here and there it feels like you're in a labyrinth trying to figure out how to get from A to B with some roads still closed due to broken tree limbs and power lines in the streets. As far as our school calendar, it's going to be an interesting year. We already have one day taken away from our spring break in April and no snow days to get us through the winter. Let's hope it's a mild winter and all snow storms take place on the weekends!

Thankfully, our town allowed trick-or-treating on Halloween, because I heard that some other New Jersey towns "cancelled" trick-or-treating because of the safety hazards. My girls were out for a while and came home with several pounds of candy--including at least a dozen Reese's peanut butter cups [my favorite] but only one Twix bar [my other favorite]. And yet I am reporting to you with immense pride and astonishment that I have successfully resisted the evil temptation of Halloween candy for 48 hours! I haven't had a single piece! NOT ONE! This is major, people. I don't think there's EVER been a time in my life when I haven't eaten Halloween candy. We're talking four+ decades! Where this resolve came from, I do not know. Maybe it's because I know exactly how freaking hard I have to work just to burn 100 calories! Speaking of which...

Did you track your fitness challenge miles* in October?

What kinds of exercise have you been getting?

My ongoing goal is to reach 100 fitness challenge miles* every month. I came in at 119.65 for October, exceeding my goal by a nice chunk this time. I only took two days off from working out this month. One day because of those monthly cramps [omg how many YEARS am I going to go through this? For a lovely rant, see my post from 2008 titled Don't Do the Math in which I do the math. Add on a few dozen days for the last three years... ]. The other was the day after the snow storm when the gym had no power and it was just too dangerous out there to exercise under the trees!

Here's a summary of what I did in October to rack up all those miles:

Cycling [on road]....... 31
Strength training........ 25
Running [outdoors].... 28.65
Spin class [in gym].... 16
Kickbox class ........... 14
Cardio Interval class... 4
Swim [indoor pool] ... 1

TOTAL fitness miles ....119.65

I did a lot of cycling in October. My friend Maureen and I are planning to bike in a Gran Fondo, next September [100 mile bike course], so we started training by doing some longish rides together. We spent over 8 hours biking over four weekend days, logging over 118 miles. :)

I ran two 5K races in October, which was pretty fun. The first one was on my birthday in which I ran my new personal best of 30:02! I am very excited about that, but hope to break 30 minutes in my next 5K, which will probably be in January. [5K = 3.1 miles]

Empty Sky 9/11 Memorial
Liberty State Park
Jersey City, NJ
Photo taken on October 16, 2011
NJ Make-A-Wish 5K Run

The second 5K I ran took place in Liberty State Park along the pier where I had views of the New York City skyline, Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty for the whole run. There is also a new 9/11 Memorial in the park that was opened just this September called Empty Sky Memorial. If you stand in front of the memorial [as I was when I took the photo on the left], the memorial fills in the skyline where the twin towers once stood. The names of all those who died on 9/11 are engraved along the wall of the memorial. When you get to the other side, you see the skyline as it is today... an empty sky. I like the design of this memorial a lot and think it's a very meaningful and appropriate addition to Liberty State Park. If you're in the area, I recommend you see it for yourself.

I still miss my Friday 5:45 am Bootcamp class. Okay, I don't miss the 5:45 am part, but I DO miss the friends with whom I took the class and I miss how freaking hard it was. At least now I get to sleep in until 6:45 am on Fridays and then I go running with my friend Marie after the girls are off to school. I have to admit it's nice to exercise in the daylight instead of just before sunrise, and Marie and I get to chat the whole time. Plus fall weather is the best for running! Not too warm, not too cold and the foliage is pretty, too.

In November, I'm thinking of running a 5 Mile Race on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. This is the same race that I did a few weeks after I first started running back in November 2009. I can't believe that was just two years ago--I've come such a long way since then. Anyway, I ran that 5 Mile race in 1:01:47 and would like to see what kind of time I could get now. Other than that, I'll just aim for 100 fitness miles again this month.

What are your fitness or exercise goals for November?


Interested in joining the Fitness Challenge? Please visit the Sign Up post for more information, including the challenge rules. You may leave a comment there or on this post if you'd like to join. Be sure to include your fitness miles goal in your comment.

*ONE fitness challenge miles = 1 mile walked or run for fitness OR = 15 minute increments of other exercise for fitness such as cardiovascular or strength training exercises.

Big Bird and Black Swan

Happy Halloween!  I hope everyone had a fun and festive day today. I have to admit that the freak snow storm we had here on the east coast this past weekend has thrown us for a loop and Halloween wasn't as exciting or festive as it has been in the past.

Our town has an area of barely 5 square miles and we had 100 trees and over 240 power lines come down in roadways, creating hazardous conditions and knocking out power for many people. This snow storm wasn't particularly violent nor did it produce that much snow. We got maybe only 2-3" of snow, but it was very heavy and wet. Which again, isn't particularly noteworthy except for the fact that most of the trees still have most of their leaves, giving the snow a lot of surface area on which to fall and accumulate. The branches just couldn't bear that kind of weight and huge tree limbs were snapping everywhere. It was very dangerous out there!

Schools were closed today, bringing our total school closures for the 2011-12 school year to three and and it isn't even winter yet! [The first two were in September due to hurricane Irene]. Right now schools will have a delayed opening tomorrow, but there's a possibility it will turn into another closure by morning! Any more days off and they'll have to take days off our spring break in April. Ugh. :(

As for Halloween festivities, the girls went trick-or-treating today, so at least there was some Halloween spirit around here. And alas, now there's a ton of candy around here...

My youngest dressed up as Big Bird from Sesame Street this year. One of her friends went as Cookie Monster. You can't quite see it in the photo, but she has Big Bird eyes and a beak on her headband. Very cute.

My teenager dressed up as the Black Swan and her friend was the White Swan. They put the costumes together all on their own. They purchased one or two things and everything else was borrowed or from their own collection of dance wear. Very pretty!

Now my biggest challenge will be to ignore the presence of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups in the house.

ONE Reese's Peanut Butter Cup
115 calories [calories I burn running 1.3 miles]
7.5g fat
        2.3g saturated fat
11.5g carbs
        10g sugar
3g protein
70mg sodium

In Death Series Reading Challenge October 2011

Interested in joining the Challenge? Anyone is welcome to join in at any time of the year at wherever in the series you currently are. See the sign up post HERE
and join the fun!

It's that time again to share which In Death books we've read this month. I'm currently reading Origin In Death [Book #20], but don't think I'll finish by tomorrow night. Hopefully others have had a more successful month!

CHALLENGE PARTICIPANTS:
Link up any In Death posts you made this month below. If you made a post on your blog, whether it be a review or commentary, please grab the link to your post and enter in the Mr. Linky below along with your name so we can find each other's latest In Death posts easily. You can also just use the link to your goodreads or other virtual bookshelf as well.

BOOK REVIEW:
None from me this month...

SERIES DISCUSSION:

I always find it sad when characters make a reference to something that all children should know and Eve just draws a blank. That she missed out on anything and everything simple and happy that a child should experience. In the book I'm reading now--Origin In Death, Eve drew a blank when a reference was made to the Humpty Dumpty nursery rhyme and a few scenes later when Peabody referred to Barbie dolls. That Eve doesn't know common nursery rhymes is heartbreaking enough because she never had a loving, attentive adult teach them to her, but to also not be familiar with Barbie dolls suggests that not only did she not have toys, but that she probably never saw the inside of a toy store nor did she ever watch television of kids' shows because otherwise she would have seen commercials for the dolls at some point. Instances like these throughout the series are sad reminders of just how much Eve was deprived of love and any form of a childhood whatsoever.

What toy from your childhood stands out the most in your memory? Either one you had or one you always wanted?

Some classics from my childhood are Barbie dolls [I had a tent camping set, but always wanted the RV or airplane play set], Baby Alive [battery operated doll with a motorized mouth that "ate" baby food and soiled its diaper]. I always wanted an EZ Bake oven and Lite Brite. Finally got to play with those when I became I mom and got them for my own daughters. ;)

REVIEW: The Greyfriar by Clay and Susan Griffith

Think you've had enough of vampire fiction? You may want to reconsider and give this one a try. The Greyfriar is a the first book in the steampunk fantasy Vampire Empire trilogy written by husband and wife author duo Clay Griffith and Susan Griffith. After thousands of years of dormancy, vampires inexplicably emerged from their hiding places and swiftly massacred scores of humanity, irrevocably changing the demographics of human life and technology on the entire face of the earth. The Greyfriar story begins a century and half after the emergence of the predatory vampire clans with humans and vampires on the brink of war. Princess Adele, the daughter of the emperor of Equatoria, the largest human nation, is sent to tour the outskirts of human territory when her airship is attacked by vampires. The airship crashes and in the chaos of the battle that ensues, the princess is rescued by The Greyfriar -- the legendary and mysterious slayer of vampires and defender of humans. The Greyfriar has sworn to protect Adele and return her to Equatoria, which is no simple task when the vampire empire's most powerful clan is hunting for the princess so that they can use her as a political pawn against Equatoria. Adele's journey quickly becomes more than a mere physical journey home. She is literally fighting and fleeing for her life within vampire territory and inevitably learns more about vampires than probably any other human on Earth. She also learns some very interesting things about herself--things that have her questioning her very own views of the world and consequently, her role as Princess and heir of the Equatorian Empire.

The story is a fast paced, action packed adventure teeming with classically terrifying vampires, political strifes within and between empires, personal adventure and a touch of romance--all set in a fascinating and epic steampunk alternate history. Princess Adele and the Greyfriar are compelling characters, both of whom grabbed my attention immediately upon introduction and for whom my affection grew with every turn of the page. The story is certainly focused on the events that serve as political catalysts for war between the empires, but it would be remiss to say the story is not also a personal one. The relationships Adele forges during her journey home are equally tender as they are strong and may possibly be what saves both empires from future destruction. The Greyfriar is thoroughly entertaining. I loved this story and am terribly anxious to read the next book in the trilogy, The Rift Walker, already available now.

GRADE: A

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Steampunk Challenge Update: 

The Greyfriar is the only full length steampunk novel that I've read during Steampunk Challenge hosted by Rikki on her blog The Bookkeeper.

Challenge: Read steampunk books from October 2010 through October 2011.

I did also read a steampunk romance novella that was absolutely fantastic. That story is "Here There Be Monsters" by Meljean Brook in the Burning Up anthology, which includes additional [non-steampunk] stories by Nalini Singh, Angela Knight and Virginia Kantra.


"Here There Be Monsters" is a prequel story to Meljean Brook's Iron Seas series. It is, in my opinion, extremely challenging for authors to write really stellar short stories, particularly in the romance genre, but Meljean has once again met that challenge in spades. The world building is impeccable and fascinating, the plot clever, the characters diverse and the romance is both believable and memorable. A romance for which the characters had to really fight, too! Now I'm looking forward more than ever to reading the first full length novel in this series, The Iron Duke. A task I must attend to ASAP as Heart of Steel--book two in the Iron Seas series, comes out in just a few days! 

REVIEW: Until There Was You by Kristan Higgins

I'm wearing circles under my eyes all this week because I stayed up way too late the other night reading Until There Was You by Kristan Higgins. I was glued to the pages and could not put it down until I finished!

I've been a fan of Kristan Higgins' novels ever since I read Catch of the Day a few years ago. I've since read--and loved-- five other books by Kristan Higgins books, including her latest book, Until There Was You, which was released earlier this week on October 25, 2011. [I still have to read Fools Rush In and Just One of the Guys]. I wasn't at all surprised at how much I enjoyed Until There Was You because I adore Ms. Higgins' quirky, yet familiar characters and down-to-earth story telling--the layers of humor, familial issues, female drama and those sad moments of life that we never forget and how they shape who we are-- all wrapped into a charming romance and tied with a satisfying happily ever after ending. All of which is consistent in all of Kristan's books.

Thirty-four year old Cordelia "Posey" Osterhagen owns a salvaging company in her hometown of Bellsford, New Hampshire. Posey was a very shy, skinny and awkward teenager and consequently doesn't have many great memories of her high school years. In fact, she was at her lowest back in high school when her heart was broken by her long time crush and high school bad boy, Liam Murphy. Posey is a kind, generous and well adjusted adult now and happy enough in life. She has a great business, a loving family, a handful of close friends and even has a boyfriend of sorts. Until Liam Murphy shows up in town after all these years, that is, widowed and raising a teenage daughter on his own and as attractive as ever. His arrival sends her heart in a tailspin and Posey knows right away that she has to distance herself from him before she falls unrequitedly in love with him all over again. As if she ever stopped...

Liam Murphy had a troubled family before he moved in with his uncle and attended high school in Bellsford all those years ago. Once in Bellsford, girls were constantly throwing themselves at Liam and he took advantage of it. Until he fell for the smart, pretty and popular Emma Tate, whom he followed to California after high school. Emma got pregnant and she and Liam married and became parents at a young age. Fifteen years later, Emma dies from leukemia and a few years after that, Liam decides to return to Bellsford with his teenage daughter, Nicole so she can be closer to her grandparents.

While Posey has matured and moved on from high school, she still has some insecurities--mostly about her body image, a bit caused by some family dynamics and in general, she tends to herself short in a lot of ways. I think these are things that most women can relate to at some point in our lives.

Women still hit on Liam wherever he goes, much to his annoyance [except Posey!], but he's not the same person he was as a teenager. He's matured and has learned a lot about love and loss. Not to mention how becoming a father has changed him in ways he never imagined. Despite all his fears about parenting all by himself, and knowing first hand what teenage boys are like, he's responsible, attentive and tries so hard to understand and be there for Nicole. He's ultra protective of her, but truly a great dad. Liam's relationship with his daughter is definitely one of the strengths of his character.

Despite Posey's attempts to put a wide berth between herself and Liam--they continuously cross paths and rekindle a tentative friendship that they sort of had back in high school when he worked in her parent's restaurant and slowly begin to see each other for the person they have each become. Both of them have clearly been affected by their pasts and haven't quite gotten over a lot of their teenage insecurities, but over time they kind of show each other how to see themselves in a different light, move on, live and love. They're there for each other in ways they both truly need and deserve. It was simply heartwarming to see Posey and Liam at ease with each other, having fun and finally being loved for just who they are.

I just loved reading Until There Was You--it's entertaining and heartwarming. There are numerous little side stories threaded throughout Posey and Liam's story involving their friends and family that tie the story together in a really fun, but also meaningful way. All of those little subplots reveal details about Posey and Liam's character and how they see themselves. Posey and Liam are on a soul searching journey of sorts as they figure out who they are, where they belong and what kind of life and love are they worthy of, and in the end, how to fight for it. Most of all, it's a story about a second chance at love and how we all deserve a happily ever after. Until There Was You is a charming story that shouldn't be missed.

Visit author Kristan Higgins on her website at http://kristanhiggins.com/.

Ms. Higgins' next novel, Somebody to Love is coming out in May 2012. This new romance will brings us back to the same town in which Maggie and Malone from Catch of the Day live and I hear we get to see snippets of them again! I can't wait!

GRADE: A