book review: Blightfall by Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️  4/5

Thank you Random House Children's Books for providing an ARC for review consideration via NetGalley! All opinions are my own.

I was first introduced to Brandon Sanderson through his writing lectures at Brigham Young University, but Blightfall -- a collaboration with Janci Patterson and Book 1 of the Riftwake series -- is my very first venture into reading his work. 

While Blightfall is classified as Young Adult (ages 12+), I found it thoroughly compelling as an adult. Its accessible world-building and streamlined plot depth actually made it the perfect, welcoming entry point to Sanderson's universe.

The story follows a diverse cast of humans from the Defiant Defense Force alongside aliens, Kitsen, and slugs. Tasked with escorting diplomats to a distant human settlement to re-establish contact after decades of alien oppression, what should be an easy mission quickly goes awry. Upon discovering a debris field and hostile forces surrounding the planet, the team must explore the surface to uncover its secrets and find a way home, taking the reader along on a mysterious, high-stakes adventure.

The fast pace and imaginative world-building made this a page-turner! The narrative strikes a perfect balance: it is accessible enough to enjoy as a light space romp, yet detailed enough to satisfy science enthusiasts who want to pause and ponder. I loved exploring what life would look like when interacting with alien species across the galaxy. The characters are diverse, and important themes -- like navigating relationships, effective communication, teamwork, compassion, and acceptance -- are woven naturally into the plot.

My only minor gripe was the overuse of slang like "star" and scud." While I appreciated the creative sci-fi profanity, these words were peppered so frequently throughout the narrative that they became a bit distracting. They would have carried much more impact if used sparingly.

I will definitely be continuing this series as new books are released! I highly recommend this to sci-fi veterans and general fiction readers alike. If you enjoyed the Bobiverse series, you will love this as well.

book review: Under Story by Chloe Benjamin

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️  5/5

Thank you Putnam for providing an ARC for review consideration via NetGalley! All opinions are my own.

This is easily one of the best books I've ever read - so much so that a single review can't fully capture why it's so amazing. It's also a story best experienced with limited information.

So, all I will say is if you love the accessible hard science of Cixin Liu, the atmospheric, philosophical prose of Emily St. John Mandel, and the deep character immersion of Sally Rooney, you will absolutely be drawn in with this blend. I am so excited that Warner Bros. and Heyday Films have acquired the screen rights -- I'm crossing my fingers for a cinematic adaptation styled after Netflix's Dark, which would be a perfect fit for this story. 

local hardware store finds - pickled vegetables

If you're from the Midwest, you might be familiar with Fleet Farm and Menards. I see them as between Home Depot/Lowe's and an Ace Hardware in both size and assortment. While they all have a selection of household supplies, wood, tools, etc., Fleet Farm caters more to a farming customer and Menards maybe to a typical homeowner that just wants the lowest price and doesn't need a wide selection to choose from. 

I, myself, head to Fleet Farm when I want snacks. They have an insanely large area with bulk bags of Fleet Farm brand snacks, including caramel nut clusters, sesame stix, trail mix, and chocolate covered pretzels and nuts. I find myself there most often in the Fall when I have a craving for candy corn. When one of my sisters comes we always stop in to see what clothing finds they have. We typically walk away with something Carhartt. And, on one visit, I scored a pair of $2 grey sweat pants that are about five sizes too large, yet are my absolute favorite pair of cozy bottoms to wear around the house! 

I am one of the typical homeowners I mentioned that head to Menards to get the cheapest price from a tailored assortment of products. If I want anything on trend such as a lighting fixture or a new door that comes anywhere close to this era, then I might head elsewhere. But for everything else Menards is great. There are two categories of things I pick up from Menards that aren't typical hardware fare -- dog toys and Watkins spices and extracts. The dog toys are an ever-changing assortment piled into a pallet sized cardboard bin in the center of an aisle near the pet section. The toys are just a few dollars and are more durable than any other brand I've paid four times as much for. They also have an in-aisle display of Watkins products at great prices. I often pick up a large bottle of vanilla extract. 

My neighbor mentioned loving some of the jarred pickled items from Menards. So I scouted those out on my most recent visit. I am IN LOVE! There are fourteen different kinds from the Old World brand, including pickled tomatoes, garlic pickles, beet and leek salad, traditional Polish salad, traditional German salad, traditional Greek salad, sauerkraut with carrot, green tomato salad, diced baby beets, marinated peppers, pickled red cabbage, pickled mushrooms, red cabbage with apples, and sweet cucumber salad. I haven't opened all of them yet, but the pickled mushrooms was the first I tried and it certainly is unique and fun! That particular one does have sulfites, but since I limit those in general I would probably buy them again regardless. I've also tried the pickled tomatoes and beet and leek salad and I enjoyed those as well. 

While shopping this section of the store, I noticed a number of other products I want to grab next time. Preserved Harvest is a brand that has mostly pickles and jams, but also spiced peaches, vanilla peaches, pears, sweet pickled garlic, and pickled dilly corn. Marcella Gourmet also has unique items, including pickled snap peas, green tomato relish, corn relish, red sweet pepper relish, as well as jams, pasta sauces, and pesto sauces. Leone's is another great one with pickled asparagus, spicy pickled carrots, spicy pickled green beans, muffuletta, and various pickles and olives. 

Do you have any favorites from Fleet Farm or Menards? Or, do you have your own local chain of hardware stores that has great finds like these? Let me know in the comments.