YA Buccaneer's Summer Reading Challenge Update

I'm not sure how two entire months of the YA Buccaneer's Summer Reading Challenge have gone by already. I'm grateful that there is still a month left to go as I still have several books to read!

Here is my progress (purple = complete):

Banned Book- Um... any recommendations?

Set During Summer- Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

Historical Novel- I'm working on A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly

Book with Diverse MC- The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

Adapted Into a Movie- not sure yet but I do have Paper Towns sitting on a shelf

Published your Grad Year- A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

Book by your Favorite Author- Hearts Made Whole by Jody Hedlund

Freebie- The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson

Graphic Novel- Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

Road Trip Book-  One Plus One by Jojo Moyes (I had this under a different category but it fits here just fine)

Translated From Another Language- Emerald Green by Kersten Gier

Rory Gilmore Book- ?

Book you Own but Haven't Read- ?  I have so many choices...

Set on a Different Continent- Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan

Non-fiction/writing/craft- I'm working on Deconstructing Penguins by Lawrence and Nancy Goldstone

So, nine down, six left to go. Totally doable. Right?

Book Review- Salsas and Moles by Deborah Schneider

I am still on my cookbook reviewing binge! It has been amazing in stretching my cooking repertoire and has reminded me of how much I love trying new recipes and reading through cookbooks. My latest review book is full of salsas and a multitude of other Hispanic sauces. Yum!

This book is the perfect choice for anyone who loves Mexican cuisine. There is a salsa or sauce to go with pretty much anything and it even has hints on what sort of food pairs well with which salsa. The vivid illustrations complement the bold flavors they are representing. Several of them had my mouth watering.

There are so many recipes that I can't wait to try but so far I have made the Simplest Enchilada Sauce. Yeah, I never want to use canned sauce again. The process was true to its title. It doesn't use any canned or processed ingredients yet it goes together with just enough work to leave you feeling accomplished, not worn out. I saved the leftover sauce in a mason jar in my fridge and had enough for a second 8x8 pan of enchiladas. It would be easy to adjust the level of heat by subbing in different peppers, I would think. There are charts about the different sorts of peppers, their flavors and heat levels for people like me who love salsa but don't know anything beyond the fact that jalapeños are spicy.

This book left me feeling very inspired. I make tacos on a regular basis and now I have all sorts of possible combinations to experiment with. If you have read any of my other cookbook reviews you'll know how much I enjoy a cookbook that is full of information. This one definitely qualifies!

I received a copy of this book to review from Blogging For Books. 

YA Buccaneer's Summer Reading Challenge Update

I haven't blogged about it until now, but I've been participating in the YA Buccaneer's Summer Reading Challenge. I've updated on twitter but I love talking about books so much I thought a post was in order.
It's not to late to join in the fun (there are some amazing giveaways going on including a fabulous two year anniversary giveaway).
Here are the basics. To check out the complete post, go here.

WHAT ABOUT A READING CHALLENGE?

Funny you should ask. It wouldn’t be summer without a YAB Summer Reading Challenge, and we’d love it if everyone would start reading with us today. Yes, today! Download a copy of our challenge card and choose a square. There are plenty of options and we want you to try for all of them. We’ve got non-fiction, books you’ve been meaning to read forever, and even a Rory Gilmore reading square. That girl had great taste!

Leave us a comment below to tell us which book you’re going to start with right away. Each Friday, we’ll do a check-in post to see how everyone is getting along. Tell us about a great new book you read, or revisit an old favorite and let us know if it was as wonderful as you remembered. We’re all about discussing books this summer, and we want the conversation to include YOU!

Here is the challenge!

So far I have read:

Book by Your Fave Author: Hearts Made Whole by Jody Hedlund

You can read my review here.

Freebie! Book of Your Choice: The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson

This book was not my favorite. I really wanted to love it... 

Set During the Summer: Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

I loved the setting and characters in this book but being a mom with a very opinionated daughter, I found myself worrying about the teen years... This girl did a lot of things that made my mom heart cringe. The writing was gorgeous though and I'm glad I finally read it. 

Set On A Different Continent: One plus One by JoJo Moyes.

I listened to this on Audible and the narration was fantastic. One of the best I've ever listened to. 

I don't read many adult books and this one does have some language and adult content but the story is hilarious. I am so in love with the characters in this story! I chose the book for this category because it is set in Great Britain and Scotland but it is also a road trip story so if you need something for that square it would be a fun choice (think quirky family, rich helpful guy, big slobbery dog and every imaginable obstacle). 

I'm currently reading The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh for my Book with a Diverse MC. I haven't had much time to read but this one keeps calling my name. The main character is spunky, the setting is exotic and it's a retelling of 1,001 nights. Yup. I want to go read now. 

What are you reading this summer?