Bring On Lemons

Review by Crystal J. Casavant-Otto Action, intrigue, and a detailed plot makes “The Faberge’ Entanglement” by Lesley Meryn and Elle Brookes an excellent read. This is a book you will easily finish in a weekend if not a single afternoon. The fact there is romance included in this tale makes it even more gripping. The chapters are short and they keep you at the edge of your seat. If asked to describe “The Faberge Entanglement” in simplest terms, I would say it’s a romance novel mixed with a mystery/thriller or is it a mystery/thriller mixed with romance. The tension between characters keeps readers wanting more. I appreciate how well the characters were developed throughout the story. I didn’t think the book was predictable at all, and as I said before, it’s a very quick read. The unusual circumstances pulled me in from the beginning of the book and the excitement of the plot kept me wanting more until the very end. Official Book Summary: Sabinne ‘Saber’ Darrieux’s father, the...

Book Review by Crystal J. Casavant-Otto: After finishing “Nannion” by Andreas Androutsellis-Theotokis, I am left absolutely fascinated. This is not a typical book for me to read, and yet I would read it again and I’m interested in other titles this author may have penned. The combination of nature, science, and mystery is very fascinating. The environment changes in ecosystems can easily correlate to real-life. The book is well written and well edited making it easy to enjoy. It was not necessarily a quick read but I think that was because it was truly interesting and I often slowed my pace to take it all in. That said, the book kept my attention from cover to cover. Even if you don’t usually reach for science fiction, you’ll appreciate the beauty of this book. The characters are interesting (the main character being a cat) and the book is engaging. It is so much more than just an adventure story of a cat. This is a thought-provoking tale that will stay with you long after you f...

Book review by Crystal J. Casavant-Otto with the help of Carmen Otto: I read Danny Chaucer’s Flying Saucer  - by Christopher Peter, and also asked my 10 year old daughter, Carmen (in 4th grade) to read it and help with the review as well. It didn’t take me long to get through the book and it took my daughter 3 hours. It’s a quick read and fabulous for the young reader in your life. As a mom, I appreciate the well written characters and the moral of the story. Keeping secrets is a sticky wicket in the parenting world. You teach your children that keeping secrets is bad and then they ruin their brother’s Christmas surprise by spilling the beans…(yes, that happened at our house more than once). I appreciate that secrecy, friendship, and loyalty were all addressed in an enjoyable read. Carmen thought the book was fun, easy to read, and she mentioned it reminded her of some Veggie Tale books we read when she was younger. After some thoughtful discussion, what she meant was that she...

Happy Saturday from Wisconsin...where Mother Nature is throwing some sort of tween temper tantrum. A few days ago we were outside enjoying the sunshine without our sweatshirts on. Today, I wish I had my winter jacket, scarf, and mittens. I just had a fabulous conversation with a long time friend. She's busy with her first baby who isn't even a year yet, and she just found out she's expecting another little love nugget. I remember like it was yesterday... You love your first baby with your whole heart. The moment you see the + on the pregnancy test, you fall in love and that love deepens when you hold them in your arms. Your heart is so full of love. The first time they say "Ma Ma" you are certain your heart is going to explode. Of course you are tired, some days you aren't sure you were cut out for this important role, but at the end of the day you are totally and completely in love with this tiny human. Fast forward - you are having another one. Exc...

We originally purchased the Snuggle Me Organic to use with our newest addition (expected this October), but as soon as it arrived, our 9 month old niece who stays with us during the week gave it a test drive and absolutely fell in love. She had been napping in the rock n play but with her new found ability to crawl and pull herself up on things, the rock n play was no longer a safe option (even with the belt fastened - she seemed to wriggle into some odd positions). To complicate things, she refused to sleep in her crib because laying so flat and being so alone just didn't feel quite right. The Snuggle Me Organic is the perfect answer. She can sleep anywhere (the floor of the bathroom while I shower, in bed next to me, laying on the living room floor, etc...) now and she feels cozy and comfortable and I know she's safe. At her age, she can easily just crawl out after nap time, but she doesn't really want to - it's just her happy place. We are absolutely looking forwar...

Review by Crystal J. Casavant-Otto The JunoTrilogy by Larry Kilham moves as a fast pace. I didn't feel that the book was overly predictable even though it was well described in the official book summary that I read prior to purchase. I rather enjoyed the concept of right versus wrong in the artificial intelligence world. The authors imagination comes through and after reading his biography, I couldn't help but want to know more about this intelligent man. I was pleased to see he has written many other books with some diverse content. The characters were not very deep and there wasn't much dialogue, but it was not necessary to keep me turning the pages. The dynamic relationship of computer and human was really interesting and I enjoyed each of these three books from cover to cover. Official Book Summary Larry Kilham's Juno, part woman yet all brilliant machine, is the pulsing supercomputer at the heart of The Juno Trilogy. Kilham's three fast-paced thrillers...

Review by Crystal J. Casavant-Otto Awesome storytelling can be found in the fast paced mystery Once Upon a Lie by Michael French! This book does not disappoint. I love how journaling plays such a special role in the story. I can't wait to read more books by Michael French. The story of O nce Upon a Lie is captivating from cover to cover. This is a very quick read because the characters draw you in from the very beginning. The plot is well developed and even though it is a work of fiction, there are many topics that readers can relate to (race relations, love, mother child relationships, etc...). The characters of Jaleel and Alex will stick with you long after you've finished the final pages of this thrilling novel. The unlikely friendship of the two main characters isn't short lived and it's enjoyable to watch how that friendship grows and changes over the years. This is a book that will appeal to many, because just like real life, there are so many layers to t...

Review by Crystal J. Casavant-Otto The Diary of an Immortal (1945-1959) by David Castello will grab you during the first few pages. More important, it will keep you guessing from cover to cover. Each character is well written with sufficient background information to help you understand them quite well. Just when the reader thinks they know what will happen next, there’s a plot twist. There are many twists and turns and you’ll stay engaged until the very end. Castello’s writing is descriptive, the characters are entertaining, and the story itself is engrossing. The Diary of an Immortal is a quick read. Once you begin, you won’t want to put it down. Yes, the story is about a young U.S. Army combat medic Steven Ronson, a man who escapes the constant inundation and threat of death in World War Two after he discovers an immortality formula designed for Adolf Hitler during the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp in April of 1945. No, I am not generally a fan if war stories, ...

For those of you I don't have the pleasure of knowing in real life, I'll give you a back story about our babywearing adventure and then introduce you to the game changing baby carrier by Tula. First, let me introduce myself, I'm nearly 40 (feel free to send gifts now, or wait until July) and expecting my last child (#6 or baby E as we call him or her). I started baby wearing in 2007 after Carmen was born. I'm pretty sure it happened about the time I found out I was expecting Andre. These two lovable children are 14 months apart and I was a single mom living on the 2nd floor of an apartment building. I starting using a Sling-Ezee ring sling as a way to survive. I wouldn't have been able to carry groceries and 2 small children safely up the stairs had it not been for babywearing.  Those first few months were awkward to say the least. Ring slings can be confusing at first. I had other mothers come over and try to help me, but ultimately, the best way to lear...

There has been plenty in the news about farming - I'm not even going to get into it because it's truly something that has caused so much pain for me personally...but I just want you to know something about those farmers effected by the current economy. I didn't know anything about farming until 6 years ago when I fell in love with a farmer and 5 years ago we fulfilled his dream of buying a farm. I can't speak for 2nd and 3rd generation farmers, but I can shed some light into what it looks like to be first generation dairy farmers on a small family farm in 2017. This is partially in response to some of the hurtful comments on social media about "those greedy farmers", "those dumb farmers", "those people who rape cows", etc... My husband had a dream as a little boy. He would play with his tractors and dream of being a farmer. He knows each of his cows and when they are sick he sits with them and provides comfort and care. He still drives ...