Her Royal Spyness - Rhys Bowen

Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen
Publisher - berkley
Publish Date - 7/1/08
Genre - Mystery
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

I first heard about this book from a daily news email called The Skimm. First things first – if you haven’t heard of The Skimm, just go sign up for it. I really hate the news but still want to know what’s going on in the world and The Skimm takes care of that for me. It’s an easy, fun, cheeky way to get your daily news without being depressed at the end of it. You won’t regret it, trust me.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s talk about this book. I can’t say that I’m very well read in British authors but I do enjoy a good English jaunt every now and again. Her Royal Spyness is CLASSIC British murder-mystery comedy at its finest.

Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie is the main character of this story and she just happens to be 34^th in line for the throne. She is broke and decides to run away from her brother’s boring, prison-like estate in Scotland to try to make her own way in the world. Growing up royalty, she has virtually NO basic survival or home making skills. Hilarity ensues as Georgie attempts to learn how to light her own fires and make a few bucks by cleaning other people’s houses incognito.

Upon her arrival in London, the Queen calls on her and gives her a mission. She wants Georgie to spy on her son and report back on the horrid woman he is intent on marrying. Then, a Frenchman shows up on her doorstep and threatens to take away her family’s entire estate. When the Frenchman ends up dead, Georgie has to work to clear her family’s name.

This story engaged me from the very first page. I couldn’t help but love Georgie and was desperate to see what sort of hilarious situation she got herself into next. It was funny, charming and (from an American’s perspective) so gloriously BRITISH. This was the perfect beach read – easy and light. This was the first book by Rhys Bowen that I’ve read but it will not be the last! I will definitely be going out to pick up the rest of the Royal Spyness series.

Pair This With: Rouge Cerise - Delfosse Vineyards

I first tried this wine at a wine festival and fell in love with it. Delfosse Vineyards is a local winery to me here in Virginia and they have some really great wines! To pair with this funny, light hearted novel, I wanted something easy drinking and light. Rouge Cerise is made from 100% Merlot grapes with a soft, sweet flavor of cherries and a little bit of spice. It’s a perfect summer wine and even tastes delicious served cold. This wine did cost a bit more than my usual budget allows ($22) but it was worth every penny.

Recipe Alert - Strawberry Lime Moscato Punch

Sadly, summer is quickly coming to a close which means it’s almost Christmas, right? That’s what it looks like in the stores anyway. I always have mixed feelings about this time of year. I love summer because I love warm weather but fall is my favorite decorating/recipe time of year.

Since there are still a few glorious weeks of warm weather left, I wanted to share one last summer drink recipe with you. I recently made this recipe up for a neighborhood gathering I highly recommend you throw this together, go sit on your porch and soak up the last amazing rays of summer. I got this recipe from Real Housemoms so go check them out. The link to Pinterest is below so you can save it for later.

Strawberry Lime Moscato Punch

1.5 liter Moscato Wine

1 can frozen limeade concentrate (thawed)

1 cup strawberries diced

1 cup strawberries sliced

1 lime sliced

2 liter 7Up

This drink is so delicious and so ridculously easy to make but don't tell your friends because they will be super impressed with you!

Gather up all your ingredients

Now take your diced strawberries and 1/4 cup of the limeade concentrate and puree it together. The recipe says to thaw your concentrate but I didn't and it seemed to work out just fine!

Run your puree through a strainer directly into your pitcher to help remove most of the seeds. Then pour the Moscato and remaining Limeade concentrate into the pitcher.

The original recipe says to garnish with limes and strawberries and chill the mixture then add 7Up to each glass as you serve it. I opted for a different method since I was serving it immediately and it was delicious. I poured the entire 2 liter of 7Up into the pitcher then added sliced strawberries and limes. Then I added ice to give it an extra chill.

Now, serve in glasses and enjoy! 

Do you have any favorite drink recipes? I'm always on the lookout for new wine drinks so share away!

Wine 101 - Merlot

MERLOT

Merlot is a dark colored, red wine varietal and is one of the most popular red wines out there. The Merlot grape originally hails from Bordeaux, France and is thought to be a reference to "merle" which is French for "blackbird". Fitting, since this grape has such a deep, blue-purple coloring. This grape's ability to adapt makes it popular among winemakers and is used both on its own and as a blending varietal. Today, there are two main styles of Merlot production - International Style and Bordeaux Style.

TASTE PROFILE:

Fruit Flavors - Black Cherry, Raspberry, Plum

Other Flavors - Tobacco, Vanilla, Mocha, Clove

Oak Aged - Medium, typically 8-12 months

Serving Suggestion - Between 50 and 65 degrees

Now, let's talk about the differences between the two main styles of Merlot wines.

The Last Days of Dogtown - Anita Diamant

The Last Days of Dogtown by Anita Diamant
Publisher - Scribner
Publish Date - 7/18/06
Genre - Historical Fiction
Buy on Amazon
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When I’m browsing the aisles at a bookstore looking for my next read, I absolutely judge books by their cover. If the cover looks interesting, I will pick it up and read the synopsis. Unless someone else gives me a suggestion or an actual book, this is how I make all of my purchases.

The Last Days of Dogtown was kind of an exception to this rule. It was the strange title that made me pick this book up, the cover didn’t do a whole lot for me but it got my attention nonetheless. I honestly can’t even really tell WHAT this woman on the cover is doing. If someone has any input on this, please let me know.

This novel takes place in Massachusetts during the 1800’s, specifically Cape Ann, and is directly inspired by the real Dogtown settlement. It gets its name from a pack of wild dogs who roam in and out of the crumbling town. Dogtown is full of interesting characters like orphans, alcoholics, prostitutes and widows all trying to make their living in this relatively barren town. Ms. Stanley runs the town’s brothel. Black Ruth is a stonemason who dresses like a man. Judy Rhines is unmarried and takes Cornelius, a freed slave, as her lover. Most outsiders to Dogtown believe these people are witches and thus, most of the population of Dogtown is shunned.

Diamant takes you on a journey with each of these characters as they try to survive and make the best of life in a small town on the decline. It’s a startling and revealing look at humanity during a rarely remembered chapter of early American History. I found myself having a bit of trouble keeping interested in the details of the plot but Diamant’s prose is beautiful and haunting.

You can probably discern from the title where this book finally ends but getting there is a journey. If you are into books with happy endings, I wouldn’t recommend this to you. I can honestly say that while reading this book, I felt pretty sad and depressed. I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing but rather it speaks to how affecting the novel was, even if the plot development wasn’t gripping.

Pair This With: Doña Paula 2012 Malbec

I wanted a rich, full red wine that could hold up to the dark tone of this novel and this Malbec was perfect. The wonderful people at Wine Chateau sent me this wine to try and I loved it. Doña Paula Estate is in Argentina and has been producing wine since 1990. Argentina is definitely a close second to Spain when it comes to my favorite wine regions. Overall this Malbec is a medium-bodied wine with hints of blackberries and violets. I got a lot of tannins which makes the wine full of flavor but it is still very easy to drink.

Author Spotlight - Kate Morton

This is my first Author Spotlight that I’ve done on my blog but I’m so excited to share this with all of you. If you haven’t heard of KateMorton, go check her out right now. Her books are awesome. If I had to pick a favorite (and trust me, this is NO easy feat – I loved all of her books) I would choose The Secret Keeper.

I received a sneak peek this morning in my email of Kate Morton’s new book The Lake House and I can’t wait. Since her book will be released this October, I thought this would be the perfect time to introduce all of you to her.

Straight from her website – here’s a bit about her:

Kate Morton is the eldest of three sisters. She was born in South Australia and moved with her family numerous times before settling, finally, on Tamborine Mountain. There she attended a tiny country school and spent much of her childhood inventing and playing games of make-believe with her sisters.

Kate fell avidly in love with books very early. Her favourites were those by Enid Blyton, and Kate escaped many times up The Faraway Tree or with the Famous Five into Smugglers Cove. It was a love deeply felt, for it is still mysteries and secrets that dance around the edges of Kate’s mind, keeping her awake deep into the night, turning or typing pages.

Morton has written 5 books, including her yet to be released new novel and has some serious accolades to back up her stories. Her books include The House at Riverton, The Forgotten Garden, The Distant Hours, The Secret Keeper and The Lake House.

The House at Riverton was a Sunday Times #1 bestseller in the UK in 2007 and a New York Times bestseller in 2008. The Shifting Fog won General Fiction Book of the Year at the 2007 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA), and The House at Riverton was nominated for Most Popular Book at the British Book Awards in 2008.

Her second book, The Forgotten Garden, was a #1 bestseller in Australia and Spain, and a Sunday Times #1 bestseller in the UK in 2008. It won General Fiction Book of the Year at the 2009 Australian Book Industry Awards and was an Amazon Best of the Month pick and a New York Times bestseller in 2009.

The Distant Hours was an international bestseller in 2010 and won General Fiction Book of the Year at the 2011 ABIAs.

The Secret Keeper debuted at #8 on the New York Times Bestseller List and has won a number of other awards and accolades including the 2013
 ABIA for General Fiction Book of the Year and The Courier-Mail’s People’s Choice Queensland Book of the Year.

Kate’s books are published in 38 countries and in 32 languages.

All of Morton’s novels take you on a journey through time, usually with 2 parallel stories – one in the present and one in the past. They are full of mystery, family secrets and are written with passion and grace. The characters pull you in from the very first pages and don’t let you go. Her stories are enthralling adventures of growth, discovery and love. Once you pick them up, you won’t want to put them down.

Throwback Thursday - Misty of Chincoteague

Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry

Publisher - Aladdin
Publish Date - 1947
Genre - Children's Book
Age Range - 8-12 years
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

I read A LOT as a child; it was one of my favorite things to do and has obviously carried through into my adult life. Some of my best memories of my childhood involve books. I would hide under my covers with a flashlight late into the evenings reading until my Mom caught me. One of my Aunts also helped instill a love reading in me. She would give me books for every holiday and some of those turned in to my favorite childhood stories.

It’s only fitting that I kick off my new “Throwback Thursday” segment in her memory with my favorite childhood book that she gave to me – Misty of Chincoteague.

Hostess with the Mostess – Throw Your Own Awesome Wine Tasting Party

One of my favorite things to do is share my love of wine with people around me. I also love to entertain. Luckily, when you put these two things together you get a Wine Party! For me, parties are all about the details. I don’t think you could plan any detail that is too small. I believe that the details are what make a party memorable.

I’ve thrown my share of wine tasting parties but I’m constantly reinventing and coming up with new ideas. Here are some tips from me to you so that you can throw the most awesome wine tasting ever.

   

1. Decide What Type of Tasting You Want To Do

            There are a couple of options when it comes to a Wine Tasting Party. First, you can choose to have a “blind tasting” where you put each bottle into a bag. This is a pretty fun way to explore wines you may not usually try. If you don’t want to do a blind tasting, then you can choose to serve either all Whites or all Reds. If you want to really pair up your foods with your wines, I suggest doing it this way. If you really just want to throw a party as an excuse to drink a lot of wine then throw caution to the wind and serve a mixture of everything!

   

Roses - Leila Meacham

Roses by Leila Meacham
Publisher - Grand Central Publishing
Publish Date - 1/6/10
Genre - Southern Fiction
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

It’s no secret that the bookstore is one of my favorite places to go and hang out. I could walk up and down the aisles for hours just browsing and sipping on a coffee. My favorite place IN the bookstore though? THE BARGAIN TABLE. I love this table more than I can even properly express in words. It is the best place to find amazing reads for, of course, a BARGAIN!

Roses is one of those books that I found on the bargain table. I was immediately drawn to it because on the cover it says “Like Gone With the Wind, as gloriously entertaining as it is vast. ROSES transports.” Now, I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this before but Gone With the Wind is pretty much my most favorite book of ALL TIME. When I saw this reference to it, I was immediately skeptical. How could any other book even come close to the masterpiece that is GWTW. I thought it impossible, so obviously, I had to read it.

I usually save my personal opinions for the end of my posts but this time, I just can’t. This book was AWESOME.

Winery Wednesday - 101 Best Wineries in America

You think I would have learned my lesson about other people's list after my Trash the List post earlier this year. But, I keep going back to lists because while other people's lists may not suit my EXACT tastes, I do enjoy reading them and giving some of their suggestions a try.

My mom sent me this list from MSN.com of the 101 Best Wineries in America and of course I was intrigued. The competitive side of me came out (yes, I'm competitive even with myself!) and I wanted to know how many I had either visited or at least tasted their wines.

It's a cool slideshow that takes you all the way from #101 to #1. Of course, California dominated this list. I was a little disappointed that only 2 wineries from Virginia made this list. Maybe I'm a bit biased but, we have some really awesome wineries here!

I was also disappointed in myself that I had only visited 3 of these wineries. Here are the ones I've been to: