The Undercard by David Albertyn

What a timely book to be reading right now!  

Tyron, Antoine, Keenan, and Naomi were friends growing up in Las Vegas, but when Tyron returns home after having served in the Marines, it seems everything has changed. Antoine spent some time in prison, but is now a boxer in the undercard before a highly anticipated big match. Keenan became a police officer who was just acquitted for killing an unarmed black teenager. Tyron has always loved Naomi but she married Keenan instead, and with everything that's happened, their marriage is a shambles.  There are also murders, crooked businessmen, dirty cops, and a march for Black Lives Matter in this fast-paced book. Tyron finds he has to make tough choices between his head and his heart, his loyalty to his old friends, and standing up for what he believes is right.

It is easy to see why this book was a finalist for the Canadian Forest of Reading Evergreen Award. I gave this book 5 stars.

Juvenile Review - That's Not Mine by Anna Kang

We've all heard children fight over who had something first. This book has two friends fighting over a chair they both feel is theirs. They try to outwit each other to regain control of it until they finally realize it isn't worth fighting about. I love the ending! A great book for resolving this issue between siblings or classmates. I gave this book a rating of 5 stars.

Juvenile Review - You Are Not Small by Anna Kang

Cute and clever! This book goes to show that size is relative and depends on each person's experience and perspective. A great book to read to primary classes! I gave this book 5 stars.

Juvenile Review - Eraser by Anna Kang

Another good message from author Anna Kang. No one appreciates Eraser's contributions, making her feel insignificant. It is only when the other school supplies try to do a big project without Eraser that they realize her value. A great tool for teaching primary students that everyone has something of value to add to the whole. I gave this book a rating of 4 stars.

Frying Plantian by Zalika Reid-Benta

Frying Plantain was nominated as a finalist in the Canadian Forest of Reading Evergreen category.
This book is a collection of twelve short stories about Kara Davis, as she grows through elementary school to high school graduation. She lives with her mother, who seems to anger easily and keeps close control of everything Kara says and does. Kara's grandparents came from Jamaica and have a very unstable marriage.  These coming of age stories deal a lot with relationships, culture and racism.  I felt the last story ended the book abruptly without tying the whole book together. I look forward to reading more from this author! I gave this book a rating of 4 stars.

Healthy Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker Cookbook by Nancy Loseke

My husband loves to grill and smoke meat, so Healthy Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker Cookbook was exciting to look at. The author clearly knows what she's doing, and provides helpful information and tips about the pellet grill and smoker that both beginners and the more experienced will learn from. The recipes include nutritional information with each recipe, and, while there aren't photos for every recipe, the ones that are included are tantalizing. There are even sections for soups, salads, and side dishes.  We tried two recipes from this book: Naked Juicy Lucy Burgers and First-Timer's Pulled Pork.  The burgers lived up to their name - juicy - and our family really loved the smoked flavor and the sauce. However, we were disappointed with the First-Timer's Pulled Pork. We couldn't really taste the smoke even after 8 hours on the grill.  We also found the sauce too runny, but we normally cook our pulled pork in sauce in the slow cooker. This recipe calls for low-carb beer or sugar-free dark-colored soda, but no where in the recipe does it tell you what to do with it! It is listed separately from the sauce ingredients but there is no mention of putting it on the meat when you season it with salt and pepper. This omission could be why we were disappointed, and was the reason for my rating of 3 stars instead of 4.
I would like to thank NetGalley for allowing me to look at a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. #NetGalley #HealthyWoodPelletGrill&SmokerCookbook