The Sun and the Sand and a Book in my Hand

Author: Melissa

Nonfiction Book Review: Trail of the Lost by Andrea Lankford

Nonfiction Book Review: Trail of the Lost by Andrea Lankford

I have such a fascination with the Pacific Crest Trail and those who choose to hike it. It is a place where a person can disappear from their everyday life, but it can be brutal and some can disappear unintentionally. I devoured this book in…

Cooking Through the Recipe Box: Spicy Oatmeal Cake

Cooking Through the Recipe Box: Spicy Oatmeal Cake

The first recipe I tried from my aunt’s recipe box was Spicy Oatmeal Cake. I was looking for something to make that didn’t require me to go to the store and I had the ingredients for this one! I was skeptical at first because I…

Life Fully Cooked: Cooking Through Heirloom Recipes

Life Fully Cooked: Cooking Through Heirloom Recipes

Over the past few months, we have moved my elderly Auntie Carol into memory care and have sorted through her belongings. One of the things that I’ve always had in common with Carol is that she loves to bake and cook, and I do as…

Spoiler Alert! The Drowning Woman by Robyn Harding

Spoiler Alert! The Drowning Woman by Robyn Harding

Sorry for the long absence, I have been dealing with some family issues over the past few months and they have taken priority over almost everything else in life (as they should!) I’m back with another spoiler post as well as a new category coming…

Thriller Review: Everything She Feared by Rick Mofina

Thriller Review: Everything She Feared by Rick Mofina

I’ve been a fan of Rick Mofina’s work for a long time: Last year’s Her Last Goodbye, and Their Last Secret from a couple of years ago are standouts, but he has had a long career full of surprising mystery books. Everything She Feared is…

Review: I Love it When You Lie by Kristen Bird

Review: I Love it When You Lie by Kristen Bird

I read this author’s book The Night She Went Missing last year, and I thought it was decent, but veered into some outlandish situations. I am very impressed by this year’s offering, and feel like she has stepped up her game a bit and written…

Review: It’s One of Us by J.T. Ellison

Review: It’s One of Us by J.T. Ellison

I always love when Ellison releases a new book, because most of the time, I really enjoy her twisty thrillers. My favorite so far is Lie to Me, but they are all unique and fascinating. I also adore her e-mail newsletter (see below for author…

Spoiler Alert! Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger

Spoiler Alert! Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger

I thought this latest book was better than Unger’s previous book (Last Girl Ghosted) but it still had a few issues. Warning, spoilers ahead about this book. If you don’t want to know what happens in this book, then stop reading now! I voluntarily reviewed…

Spoiler Alert! All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers

Spoiler Alert! All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers

I must admit right away that I wasn’t a huge fan of this book. I found it to be an okay debut novel, but I thought too much of the plot was culled from the author’s suppositions about what happened to JonBenet Ramsey. There are…

100 Things to Do in the Caribbean Before You Die

100 Things to Do in the Caribbean Before You Die

If you know anything about me, you know that my husband and I are huge travel buffs and the Caribbean is one of our favorite places on earth. After reading through this book, however, I have come to realize that we have so much more…