​Amy Weinland Daughters reconnected on Facebook with one of her camp friends that made an impact on her over 30 years ago.  Amy learned that her friend Dana's son was going through cancer treatment and wanted to connect with her on a more personal level than Facebook comments or likes.  Amy sat down to write her a letter but realized she didn't have her address.  Amy started to wonder what being a Facebook friend meant.  When Dana's son Parker died, Amy continued to write Dana letters to support her in a more meaningful way.  These letters made Amy wonder what would happen if she wrote all 580 of her Facebook friends a handwritten letter, no matter how awkward or tenuous the relationship. 

Dear Dana is a humorous and heartwarming memoir about a task combining contemporary relationships on Facebook with the lost art of letter writing to dig deep into the meaning of friendship. I loved Amy's forthright and honest style of writing about her letter writing adventure as well as her sense of humor.  I could relate to Amy wanting to reach out to an old friend in a time of need and have often seen people on Facebook going through a hard time, I applaud her bravery and #CONSTANT help.  Religion is a big part of Amy's life and while this aspect didn't resonate with me, I did appreciate her new forged relationship with Dana.  I also loved how many of her letters found people in their time of need.  Through her letter writing Amy discovered what it means to be a friend and connect with people on a personal level.  I enjoyed seeing how many people felt more comfortable sharing personal things in written form and revealing that everything may not be as it seems online.  Amy's journey was insightful on many levels and while I don't think I'll be writing letters to all of my Facebook friends anytime soon, I am more encouraged to reach out to those in need in letter form.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

​J.A. Mills began her career as a journalist but did not find her passion until she fell into a story about the plight of Asiatic Bears being farmed for bile and body parts.  Mills made a promise to help the bears and was soon working for conservation organizations such as TRAFFIC, the World Wildlife Fund and Conservation International.  While working in the field, she was introduced to a similar issue for tigers.  Through some daring work, Mills uncovered the full extent of the tiger farming trade in China.  After seeing the damage being done to tigers in the wild and on the tiger farms, Mills goes to battle against major forces for this majestic and endangered species. 

In this nonfiction memoir, Mills recounts her struggles and triumphs in the international wildlife conservation field.  Mills takes us on her exciting, heartfelt and emotional journey into the underbelly of wildlife trade.  While I have some knowledge of the wildlife trade, I was not aware of all of the major players and their deep rooted interests in the trade.  As Mills dives further into trade, I was surprised at the risks she took in order to find out the truth behind what was going on.  I was also surprised at the major players, their motivations and the amount of money animal trade brought in.  I admired Mills tactics on befriending some of the players within the trade and getting the people of China on her side.  While focused in Asia, Mills also explores a bit of wild animal trade in the USA.  In some instances, the USA is contradictory in policy for other countries and what it allows in it's own borders. Mills also visits Carole Baskin's Big Cat Rescue and remarks on the man we know as Joe Exotic.  Written six years ago, Blood of the Tiger is just the beginning of the tiger's struggles and what people have done to stop wildlife trade.  While there have been significant strides during this time, wildlife trade is unfortunately still an issue.  Reading this during COVID creates an even stronger plea to end wildlife trafficking as China's bushmeat trade is the likely cause of the outbreak. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

​History is Delicious is a vibrant book filled with food from around the world and information on how the food was developed through different cultures.  The book focuses on several countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.  Each section focuses on how the culture and cultural diffusion through colonization, war, immigration, and trade created the signature foods of the area.  Must-try dishes and other food features important to the region are also included.  

History in Delicious is a middle grade level book perfect for a budding foodie.  I do wish there were more recipes and pictures.  Even I had a hard time picturing all of the delicious sounding foods that were described and there was only one recipe per geographic area.  However, all of the different foods described did spark my interest in going out and trying some different things.  I also think maps would have been helpful to pinpoint where exactly each food was from.  I did enjoy the honesty in showing how food has blended through history and passed through cultures
Definitely made me want to try some new dishes and expanded my sense of what foods are out there. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

​Have you ever wanted to change something in the world around you?  Have you ever been mad about how you are being treated?  Have you wanted to do something about it but didn't know where to start?  Girls Resist! is the perfect place to start.  Girls Resist!  is a step-by-step guide to activism providing a realistic and broken down approach that anyone can follow so that activism is a reachable goal. KaeLyn artfully guides you through the activism process from empowerment through campaign plans, demonstrations and rallies to phone banking, fundraising and being a successful ally and preventing burnout.  Using practical approaches, down to earth language and practical tips, Girls Resist!  makes creating change feel possible.  


Broken up into eight sections, Girls Resist! not only offers how-to knowledge, but breaks down important information on privilege, bias, equity, inclusion, diversity, and intersectionality.  Understanding these roles in your own life are key to creating effective change.  I found these sections particularly insightful, even as an adult in helping me to understand where I stand in the world and how to help others where I am.  Girls Resist! is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to find the power within themselves to resist.

​Martha Matilda Harper was a young Canadian immigrant who came to Rochester, NY as a domestic servant in the late 1800's.  Martha dreamed of doing more with her life and used a hair tonic recipe to catapult her into the business world.  Martha opened a series of salons that focused on inner health promoting outer beauty.  She hired former domestic servants like herself and trained them in her method- The Harper Method, creating what we now know as the franchise.  The Harper Method, products, and inventions thrived until the 1970's, 20 years after Martha's death; however, her legacy seemed all but forgotten. 


Martha Matilda Harper and the American Dream is an eye-opening and revealing biography about a woman whose legacy might have been lost to time.  Biographer, Jane Plitt became interested in Martha's story after finding out that Martha was one of the first women in the Chamber of Commerce.  From there, Jane became determined to uncover Martha's story.  While many details of Martha's story have been lost, Jane has uncovered parts of Martha's life from her childhood in Canada to her death in 1950.  Martha Matilda's story should be one we learn about alongside suffragists such as Susan B. Anthony and inventors like George Eastman.  Extensive research has been done to attempt to put back together Martha's life and legacy. I was amazed at Martha's impact during her time and her tenacity to overcome obstacles.  I hope her story continues to unfold.

Collard Green Curves is an inspiring biography of a life that led to momentous change in a community through a series of trials, misfortunes and perseverance. Theresa Bowick reflects on her life growing up in  Rochester, NY with sincerity and genuine contemplation of the events that shaped her, both positive and negative.  Through Theresa's heartfelt and down to earth writing, I could easily relate to Theresa's story even though hers is so different than my own.  Theresa puts her whole self on the page in order to show the high and low curves of her life through her youth, relationships, schooling, marriage,  and body image struggles to show her growth and ability to change herself and the world around her.  I was continually impressed by her strength and capacity to build herself back up.  Even more than changing herself, Theresa became a positive force within her community rallying a community that told her 'people don't exercise here' to become healthy. ​

​Upon her move from Manhattan to Bucks County, Pennsylvania author Margaret Delaney moves from city living to rural life on a 100 acre farm.  The farm is bound to come with difficulties and one of the biggest is an injured horse named Allie.  As Margaret recounts the many challenges she has faced on the farm, she looks back on the lessons that every obstacle has taught her and how they may help her see the brighter side with Allie.  

The Parables of Sunlight is a heartfelt memoir that just about anyone can relate to who has gone through a rough time. Dulaney takes the reader on a journey of hope as she describes the arduous healing process with Allie and the emotional toll it took on her.  With enticing writing, Dulaney examines her faith and looks back on other occasions that fate has intervened in her life at challenging times to create a lens of hope while working with Allie.  As a horse enthusiast and animal lover, I was intrigued and inspired with Allie's healing process and the methods used.   The whole process provided a unique way to examine life, death, grief and relationship in life. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

​Pollinator numbers in the wild have been decreasing.  With most of our food sources relying on one pollinator or another, this is a problem that we all have to be aware of and begin solving. Protecting Pollinators: How to Save the Creatures that Feed Our World  presents the information on our declining pollinator species including insects, birds and bats.  Told through stories and specific studies, the information is presented in a way that is interesting and easy to understand.  Each study highlighted focuses on a different species and cause for their decrease.  Focused mainly on native pollinators in the Western Hemisphere and the invasive species that pose a threat to them from the Eastern Hemisphere, this book will mainly appeal to people in North America.  In addition to learning more about the ecology of our many native pollinators, I enjoyed learning about the people who are fighting for them, the studies they are carrying out and what I can do to help these animals myself.  Inspiring, enlightening and easy to follow, Protecting Pollinators presents what is happening to our pollinators, why it is happening and how we have to help them now.

Timestamp is a collection of written works by Marcus Granderson, a Harvard Graduate and young black man.   As Marcus states in the introduction, the works are not related in any way.  The works range from essays, poetry, lists, observations as well as speeches.  The themes of the writings give a fresh perspective on what it's like to be coming of age in the world today with a highlight on racial disparity.  I was able to identify with many of the writings about life during and directly after college very well and remember those feeling. However, what I enjoyed reading the most were the pieces that gave insight to the author's experience a a young black person in today's world.  Oreo was a brilliant introduction to the collection and allowed me to get a clear view of his perspective. Some of my other favorite pieces were Hallelujah Anyhow, Last Night, Sunrise and Hair Like Mine.


This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

Easy as Pie is a good primer for anyone who is beginning their foray into baking or just new to baking pies.  The book begins with some pie basics and a step-by-step guide to crusts.  This is probably the most important part for anyone to read since I strongly believe that a crust can make or break a pie. From there, the recipes are split by season.  Spring and summer pies cover the traditional fruit pies as well as a few pies to beat the heat.  Fall and Winter covers several apple and pumpkin pie variations as well as some other sweet and savory varieties.  Anytime pies journeys into some fun and unexpected pies such as PB& J Pie and Whiskey-Butterscotch pie as well as several meat pies.  For Thanksgiving, I tried the recipe for the Cranberry-Pear Galette.  The directions kept it simple and easy to understand.  I went with the suggested almond shortbread crust as well, which I wouldn't have done on my own.  The galette came out a good consistency and tasted great as well.  My suggestion for this book would be more pictures of the finished products or even some more step-by-step pictures.  

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.