In the Kitchen

Interested in experimenting in the kitchen? Here are some fun and simple recipes to get you started!

Pizza Skewers

Taco Cheeseburger

Macaroni and Cheese (not from a box) - or you can try the even simpler Mac & Cheese in a Mug.

Cocoa Brownies

Looking for more recipes? You can find these books for beginning cooks at the library.

How to Cook in 10 Easy Lessons by Wendy Sweetster

Starting from Scratch by Sarah Elton

Cooking Class by Deanna Cook

And a few more meals you can make in a mug!

You can also sign up for our Cooking Club on April 13th. 

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

 Ready Player One by Ernest Cline takes place mostly in a virtual reality simulation called the Oasis, while the outside world of 2045 is in a dystopic downward spiral. Five years before the book opens the co-creator of the Oasis, James Halliday, died and upon his death his Oasis avatar, Anorak, announces that he has hidden an Easter Egg inside the Oasis and whoever discovers it (after decoding riddles and completing challenges) will inherit his vast fortune. However, half a decade later and the score board remains unchanged, until Wade Owen Watts (a poor high school senior from Oklahoma, with a depressingly low level avatar) figures out where the first key is. Wade's avatar, Parzival, becomes an instant celebrity, and an instant target. A corrupt corporation is also after Halliday's Easter Egg, and with endless technology and resources Wade finds himself in both virtual world and real world peril. There's battles, sabotage, a love interest, an impressive virtual world, and pretty much all of the 80s, all in one page turning package.

I listened to the audio version of this book and it is one of the best audiobooks I have ever listened to! Wil Wheaton narrates it fantastically. I listen to audiobooks while driving, and there were multiple times I drove around the block or just sat in my parked car to find out what happened next. I know audiobooks aren't for everyone, but if you're ever going to try one this would be a great first.

eBook

Lisa

If you like this:
The Eye of Minds by James Dashner
Insignia by S.J. Kincaid

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - Trailer

Check out the series before the movie is released on September 30th!

I am Princess X by Cherie Priest

 I am Princess X has an interesting premise: May and her best friend Libby created the comic Princess X, May writing the story and Libby drawing the pictures, but then Libby (and her mom) died in a car crash. Fast forward several years and May sees a Princess X sticker while walking down the street one day, leading her to the Princess X webcomic that someone has been publishing, using Libby's drawings, but not May's writings. The more May reads and the more she looks into Libby's death the more she becomes convinced that Libby is actually alive, leaving May clues to come and rescue her. Snippets of the Princess X webcomic are included throughout the novel. Despite the intriguing plot it lacked depth. I didn't feel the emotional connection between May and Libby and as the mystery progressed it all fell a bit flat. If you're looking for a quick read, I am Princess X is short and the format is fun, but if you have limited time to read I'd look for something else.

Lisa

Anti-Valentine's Day Books

Need a break from "epic" romances this month? Check out some of these titles for more awkward (and normal) portrayals of crushes, first dates, and new relationships.

The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness
It can be difficult living in a world where an apocalypse type event pops up every generation or so, but you and your friends aren't the chosen one (or even really friends with them). Mikey just wants to get through high school, survive whatever new great danger has awakened, and maybe ask his friend Henna out on date.

Kissing in America by Margo Rabb
After bonding over family tragedies Eva thinks she's found her "soul mate" in classmate Will. So much so, that when he heads out to California she and her best-friend come up with an over the top scheme to travel across the country to see him. But what is she willing to risk and sacrifice for a guy she's barely been on a date with?

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler
The title says enough.




Need a total break from romance of any kind? Check out Nimona by Noelle Stevenson. Title character Nimona decides to become the sidekick to Lord Ballister Blackheart, the greatest villain around, but as their antics ramp up readers question not only who the bad guy(s) really is, but who Nimona really is.


Lisa