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Cookie Cravings by Maria Lichty and Heidi Larsen We all have cookie cravings. Popular food blogger Maria Lichter decided to put them into something deliciously original: A baking book featuring 30 recipes you won’t find anywhere else.


Dog by My Side by Adam Schnitzer This charming collection of original, vintage photos shows us that as long as there have been cameras, we’ve wanted to photograph our canine best friends. As a special bonus, there’s a glossary of the early photographic methods used in the original images.


Around the World with a Toy Camera by Giorgio Giussani Perfect for the photography or graffiti-art fan on your list. This book is an explosion of gritty color that explores the wonders of street art and analog photography.


Food Stories by Elena Scott A short, wonderfully illustrated collection of recipes (and food stories) that will inspire you to pick up the knife and spatula—or just pen and paper.

Things I Love by Carol Nehls and Jessica Rose Illustrated and written many years apart by a mother and daughter, this sweet rhyming story told by a fox is pure joy for all ages.


Patent Pending by Jordan Natyshen Chicken goggles, air-conditioned rocking chairs, monkey jockeys for greyhounds… humankind has invented and sought to patent some amazing and crazy things. Illustrator Jordan Natyshen illustrates some of the strangest in this history of odd inventions.


Tiny Horses are Everywhere by Thea Lux The perfect stocking-stuffer for fans of off-beat humor, this undeniably nutty book is based on a Tumblr blog and combines simple photo collages of small horses in human environments with incredibly funny captions.

Rouleaux by Anastassia Elias What can you do with an empty roll of toilet paper? If you’re French artist Anastassia Elias, you create tiny dioramas inside of the discarded tubes. Inspired by art and movies, these pieces are beautifully crafted, fun, and unbelievably detailed.


Low Fidelity by Bobby Grossman If you, or someone you love, listened to New York punk and new wave in the 70s, chances are your favorite artist can be found in this book. Bobby Grossman photographed Iggy Pop, David Byrne, The Ramones, Debbie Harry, Andy Warhol and many more. This book is a time capsule of—and a love letter to—a legendary time, place, and sound.




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Waiting on Wednesday 243


Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine, and it is a way to show off the books you can't wait to be released!!

This week I chose:

"The Falconer"
by Elizabeth May
Chronicle
Release Date:  May 6, 2014

The following description is from goodreads.com:

Heiress. Debutant. Murderer. A new generation of heroines has arrived.

Edinburgh, Scotland, 1844

Lady Aileana Kameron, the only daughter of the Marquess of Douglas, was destined for a life carefully planned around Edinburgh’s social events – right up until a faery killed her mother.

Now it’s the 1844 winter season and Aileana slaughters faeries in secret, in between the endless round of parties, tea and balls. Armed with modified percussion pistols and explosives, she sheds her aristocratic facade every night to go hunting. She’s determined to track down the faery who murdered her mother, and to destroy any who prey on humans in the city’s many dark alleyways.

But the balance between high society and her private war is a delicate one, and as the fae infiltrate the ballroom and Aileana’s father returns home, she has decisions to make. How much is she willing to lose – and just how far will Aileana go for revenge?
Historical + Fantasy + a strong heroine! Sounds perfect!

What are you waiting for this week???

Review: "My Lady Quicksilver"

"My Lady Quicksilver"
by Bec McMaster

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Release Date: Oct 1, 2013
Source: sent by publisher

My Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

Summary from goodreads.com:
Determined to destroy the Echelon she despises, Rosalind Fairchild is on seemingly easy mission. Get in. Uncover the secrets of her brother's disappearance. And get out.

In order to infiltrate the Nighthawks and find their leader, Sir Jasper Lynch, Rosalind will pose as their secretary. But she doesn't count on Lynch being such a dangerously charismatic man, challenging her at every turn, forcing her to re-evaluate everything she knows about the enemy.

He could be her most dangerous nemesis—or the ally she never dreamed existed.
My Review:

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite series of books! I look forward to this author's new books more than any others right now. Even though this newest installment was more loosely linked to the other books, it's still the same world that was already built. The main characters from the other two books were so intertwined with each other, so it's a little strange they aren't in this book aside from a few references. However, I think the next book will continue on with characters from this one. And while I may have missed my favorite characters from the other books, it didn't take away from this story in any way. I'm happy to keep reading about this world and the politics I already know.

The romance between the two leads was very exciting. The whole mistaken identity plot always keeps me thoroughly entertained, and this was no exception. Lynch knows Rosalind as both Mercury, his dangerous masked enemy, as well as his mild mannered secretary, Rosa. It's very interesting to see the conflict Rosalind has because she knows Lynch is attracted to both versions of herself, while feeling that both are just "roles" she is playing, and neither is her true self. I will admit, I had all of these scenarios built up in my mind of how Lynch would find out the truth. It was exciting to read and wait for that to happen. And don't worry, there isn't any cheating to deall with, it's all woven together perfectly.

Another great thread in the story is about learning about your enemy's point of view. Both Rosalind and Lynch find out that maybe the political conflict isn't so black and white. They learn to see from each other's point of view and understand where the other person is coming from.

One of the reasons that I love this series is because there is a perfect balance of adventure and romance. The romance is always in the forefront (it IS a romance after all) but there is enough action for readers who enjoy that also. I love the steampunk world in the books, it's not too much or overpowering, but there is enough that you feel like you are in a true fantasy world. It's such a great escape from present day life.

Main Characters: 5/5
Supporting Characters: 5/5
Setting: 5/5

Romance: 5/5

Uniqueness: 5/5
Cover: 5/5 (The man doesn't resemble Lynch to me, but who cares!)
Writing: 5/5


Bottom Line: Another fantastic installment of one of my favorite series! I can't wait for the next book!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Sunday Shout Out 42


Recently, I introduced a new feature here at In the Hammock on Sundays. It's called "Sunday Shout Out" and it's a place where I can give a special shout out to those publishers and authors who have sent me books over the week, as well as those bloggers who have hosted contests that I've won! I'll also be giving shout outs to any other cool books, blogs or bookish news that I've spotted during the week.

For Review
"Copperhead" by Tina Connolly

 
"Finding It" by Cora Carmack


"Forgiving Lies" by Molly McAdams


"Rule" by Jay Crownover


"The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories 3" by Joseph Gordon-Levitt




Book-Inspired Holiday Gifts from Modcloth and a 24 Hour Sale!



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Novel Tee Sweatshirt in Jay from ModCloth - $42.99
from: ModCloth
This "The Great Gatsby" sweatshirt has been on my wishlist for SO long!


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from: ModCloth
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Disclosure: This is a sponsored post with affiliate links.

Giveaway and Review: "Lost in London"

"Lost in London"
by Cindy Callaghan

Publisher: Aladdin

Release Date: Oct 15, 2013
Source: sent by publicist

My Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars

Summary from the publicist: 

A tween’s foreign exchange experience lands her in London luxury—and some hot water as well! Twelve-year-old Jordan isn’t unhappy, but she’s definitely bored. So when she gets the chance to take part in a London exchange program, she’s thrilled to ditch her small town in Delaware and see the world across the pond.
Unfortunately, Jordan’s host sister in London, Caroline, isn’t exactly enthusiastic about entertaining an American girl. Despite the chilly welcome, Jordan finds herself loving the city and Caroline’s group of friends, who are much nicer than Caroline herself.
And then a major misstep leaves Jordan and Caroline trapped together overnight—inside Daphne’s, the world’s largest department store. Given they have complete access to all the fancy shoes, designer dresses, and coolest makeup around, there are worse places to be stuck. But when the girls’ fun has not-so-fun consequences, Jordan’s wish for excitement abroad turns into a lot more than she ever bargained for...

My Review:

This was such a fun middle grade/tween book! I was so caught up in Jordan's (aka JJ) adventures, that I couldn't put the book down. While it's still a very age appropriate book for middle grade readers, I think it would satisfy an older MG reader, who is not quite ready for YA but wants something a little more sophisticated.

I love that JJ and her friends romp around London completely unsupervised by adults. It's a great way to see tweens earning their independence and stretching their boundaries. All of the characters in JJ's group are very well rounded and multi-faceted. None of their personalities are stereotypical teens.

The ONLY drawback that I saw in the book was the focus that JJ seemed to have on clothes, makeup, etc. While her style does mirror her transformation, I just would have liked for JJ to focus on the other ways she was developing as a person, not just her style.

Otherwise, this was a super fun, fast-paced romp through London by five friends (and maybe one frenemy). It was fun to see London through the eyes of the jaded Londoners, and the young American tourist. You could really see the ways they bonded and helped each other see new things every day. The action was a mile-a-minute, and made for a book that was hard to put down.


Main Characters: 5/5
Supporting Characters: 5/5
Setting: 5/5

Uniqueness: 5/5
Cover: 4/5
Writing: 5/5


Bottom Line: This was such a fun read for tweens, with enough action and drama to keep even older MG (and adult!) readers interested. Highly recommended!

About Cindy Callaghan: Cindy grew up in New Jersey and attended college at the University of Southern California before earning her BA in English and French, and MBA from the University of Delaware. She recently exited corporate America after nearly twenty years, and is now fully entrenched in business consulting, writing, and family.  She is very involved with her children’s activities, including coaching the occasional soccer team. Cindy lives, works and writes in Wilmington, Delaware with her family and numerous rescued pets


Find Cindy on the web:

Buy the book:
http://bit.ly/LondonBook - Books a Million
http://bit.ly/getlondon - Barnes & Noble
http://bit.ly/lostinlondon - Amazon



GIVEAWAY RULES
The publicist and publisher have generously provided TWO copies of this book for two lucky readers of my blog.
All you have to do is fill out the Rafflecopter form below.
  • US only
  • Prizes will be mailed out by the publicist
  • Must be 18 or over 
  • Ends Nov 17
Thanks to everyone for entering! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publicist in exchange for an honest review.