::bookworm::

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! 

We'll, I am a little disappointed. I had entire blogpost written out on this iPad and it disappeared. >:( 

How very frustrating that is. Especially since it was a bookworm post and that takes time! 

So I guess I have to start all over again. Ho hum. 

I trust that everyone had a safe and fun night last night ringing in the New Year! I had a quiet night ringing 2014 in with my little family. I made an oven-baked chicken and we watched Roasts on Comedy Central. I must admit I fell asleep just after 10:30pm! Thankfully Travis woke me up quarter to 12am so we could ring in the New Year with some sparkling wine, a smooch and the puplets. :) 

I just want to say that if you have never baked a chicken in a cast-iron skillet ~ do it!! You will not regret it!! Thanks again to Kev for that skillet. It's amazing. If you don't have one in your kitchen then get one! Some of the best chicken I have made and tasted. 

Today, since everything is closed, we are laying low and watching the Winter Classic. 

My Christmas vacation is coming to a close and I can't believe how fast it's come and almost gone. Throughout the break I have been voraciously reading. A reading machine! Anything I can get my hands on really. And of course there are so many sales on because of Boxing Day and New Years. 

Oh before going on, Candice Kumai is going to be coming out with a new book in Spiring 2014! I am so excited since I loooove her. I have been reading tunz of her blog too. :) 

Books really are my weakness. They fill me with a joy like no other and I seriously will have my own little library when I have my own house. :)  

Let's get on with it shall we? And maybe you can find a gem within my list. 

City of Fallen Angels ~ $8.98 

&

City of Lost Souls ~ $19.99

both by Cassandra Clare 

Both of which are the last two instalments in the five book series that I am obsessed with. I just finished book three and *SPOILER ALERT* I knew the two main characters weren't brother and sister!! Hahah! I am so smart! Anyways. I just want to keep reading! When I get into a series I really get into them! Cassandra Clare is a great writer too and really can suck you into her books. 

Why the price difference? We'll, the first is a mass paperback and Lost Souls probably hasn't been released in mass paperback yet and is the last book in the instalment too. I guess I could wait for the paperback. I just hope the last book doesn't disappoint! 

Innocence by Dean Koontz ~ $19.44

I have been waiting for a novel by Koontz for a long while. I do enjoy the suspense and the paranormal undertones in his writing. 90% of the time he doesn't disappoint and I hear his latest creation does doesn't disappoint either. 

"In Innocence, Dean Koontz blends mystery, suspense, and acute insight 

into the human soul in a masterfully told tale that will resonate with readers forever.

He lives in solitude beneath the city, an exile from society, which will destroy him if he is ever seen.

She dwells in seclusion, a fugitive from enemies who will do her harm if she is ever found.

But the bond between them runs deeper than the tragedies that have scarred their lives. Something more than chance—and nothing less than destiny—has brought them together in a world whose hour of reckoning is fast approaching."

The Real Girl's Kitchen by Haylie Duff ~ $15.16

Well I didn't know that Hilary Duff's sister had a cookbook! I stumbled upon this when Amazon suggested some cookbooks to me, since I am in love with ones by Sophie Dahl, Rachel Khoo and Candice Kumai…so I can't imagine that this one will disappoint and it's said that this one is rather pretty. So am looking forward to seeing what this one is all about. The cover is gorgeous - so can only imagine what the inside looks like. 

I am definitely going to be eating more natural and healthier foods this year…so need to get more books like this one. :) 

"Though she is best known as an actress, Haylie Duff feels quite at home in her kitchen. When she started serving up easy and elegant recipes, kitchen tips, and entertaining advice on her blog, Real Girl's Kitchen, the site quickly grew into a destination for fans and foodies alike. 

Now everyone's favorite recipes—along with dozens of new dishes—are available in a gorgeous, hand-held volume. The Real Girl's Kitchen covers it all: breakfasts, salads, soups, appetizers, snacks . . . even recipes for your "cheat days"!

Haylie tackles everything from healthful green smoothies, to drinks for an impromptu gathering, to whipping up an impressive meal for a date. Each recipe is accompanied by full-color photos, along with a personal story from Haylie's life.

The Real Girl's Kitchen shows readers not only how to eat to live, but how to love to eat along the way."

Easy Chinese Recipes: Family Favorites from Dim Sum to Kung Pao by Bee Yin Low ~$17.52.

I was really looking for a good Chinese cookbook…and have been perusing Amazon for quite some time…finally found one with aweosome reviews…and one thing that I loved was that one Amazon customer and reviewer posted a video. This cookbook is chock-full of recipes and pictures for every single one. It's also been said that these recipes are so simple to make. 

I really want to try *new* things this year. This cookbook is just the things for me. 

"Growing up in a Chinese household in Malaysia where cuisine and culture were inseparable, Bee Yinn Low developed a deep love and appreciation for food. Her early memories of helping her mother prepare steamy and fragrant Chinese meals solidified into a way of life for Bee as a working woman in Southern California. A love of Chinese food didn't translate well to a modern Western lifestyle due to time and ingredient constraints. Rather than give up her favorite foods, Bee experimented with recreating the unforgettable flavors of her youth with her limited time and using ingredients found in local supermarkets. She managed to develop versions of her favorite Chinese dishes that had all the taste—but were a lot less work!

In Easy Chinese Recipes, Bee shares her passion and expertise in Chinese cooking. It features a collection of Bee's all-time favorite dishes—the foods she loves to cook and eat at home. She includes updated traditional family recipes along with her own versions of the best Chinese restaurant dishes from around Asia, such as Crispy Shrimp Dumplings, Kung Pao Chicken, Sweet-and-Sour Pork, Homestyle Chow Mein Noodles and Mongolian Beef.

Building off her passion, expertise and the avid following she has on her website, rasamalaysia.com, the Internet's most popular Asian food and cooking site, Easy Chinese Recipes is sure to become the go-to book for cooks interested in creating Chinese meals at home."

All In by Arlene Dickinson ~ $16.60

&

The Cold Hard Truth on Men, Women and Money by Kevin O'Leary ~ 16.07

I couldn't decide which book I wanted to get…Travis and I watch Dragon's Den regularly…and even though I am not a huge fan of Mr. Wonderful on the show because sometimes he just isn't very nice, I hear that his book is full of *really* good advice and it gives you a look into his past and just why the way he is so it's something that really interests me. 

I then also saw Arlene Dickinson on a show that I watch almost every night called The Chew and I have her first book called Persuasion and it gives you a look into how you can start your own business but also have a personal life. 

It's something that interests me because ultimately I would like to own my own successful business. 

I think I would like to read both of these books in the future they both seem like interesting reads. 

The Start Here Diet: Three Simple Steps That Helped Me Transition From Fat to Slim…for Life by Tosca Reno ~ $17.52

This book was finally released! It came out December 31st and I have been waiting for it. I love Tosca reno, Oxygen Magazine and just everything about clean eating so since this is going to be my new lifestyle this year and I am determined this time to make it a lifestyle I feel like I need this book on my shelf along with all of Tosca's other ones that I have. :) I can't wait to see what tidbits of advice Tosca has for us now.

"In this life-changing book, bestselling author Tosca Reno, delivers an approachable plan designed to help you gently lose your problem pounds without a big lifestyle change. Her three simple steps help you isolate your emotional barriers to weight loss, identify the "hidden foods" that literally weigh you down, and encourage you to move a little every day--offering 50 small movements to choose from--without drastically changing your routine. Tosca also offers 28 days of suggested meal plans and 30 easy and absolutely delicious recipes that are simple to make at home."

There you have it. Can you believe this post took me two days to write? Disappeared on me once and then it just takes a while to get things together. Lol. Next post will be a recipe one I believe. 

Hope you can take something out of this one though and head to your bookstore and curl up under the blankets and read! I know that's what I'll be doing today. It's -27C out there!! So cold! 

But I hope to get these books onto my shelves within the next few months. :)

Again, Happy New Year everyone!! xo

-S.*