What I'm Loving This Month: Good Stuff

I'm back with another list of recommendations. I hope you find some great things here.

Book

Star Mother by Charlie N. Holmberg was a lovely surprise, as this was a fantasy I wasn't so sure I wished to read...but I got it for free, so I gave it a whirl. I'm so glad I did. The novel is beautiful, with a gentle love triangle that caught me by surprise. Very much a cuddle in your chair with a cup of coffee or tea on a rainy day type of read.

 

Amazon

Fun to Follow

Have you checked out Hot Ones by First We Feast on YouTube yet? If not, you've been missing out. Host Sean Evans asks his celebrity guests questions while they attempt to complete rounds of chicken wings coated in spicy hot sauce. Watching actors and musicians trying to pimp their latest releases while shouting in pain shouldn't be this funny, but it is. Bonus is that Evans is such a well-informed and brilliant interviewer. 

https://www.youtube.com/c/FirstWeFeast

 

Hot and Tasty

While we're on the subject of spicy, if you're an aficionado of hot sauces as I am, I've found an absolute treasure. Or four, actually. Cooper's Small Batch hot sauces are incredible where flavor is concerned, which Hubs and I discovered after I gave him some sampler collections for Christmas stocking stuffers. Our faves were Jal-up-in-yo Tomatillo (very mild), Leche Diablesa (hot), Jamaica Killer Sauce (hot), and Peaches En Regalia (med/hot). Grab yourself some samplers and give these a try.

https://www.cooperssmallbatch.com/

Good Sips

There's a foodie theme this month for some reason. I mentioned reading my book pick with some tea or coffee. I have recommendations for both.

Blue Lotus Traditional Chai is amazing. When my heart doctor told me I had to cut back on my caffeine (the humanity!!!), this replaced my afternoon and evening coffee, and you know...this former coffee addict didn't miss her java. Blue Lotus has several flavors of chai to choose from. Traditional and Golden are my favorites. You can pick up a sampler from Amazon.

 

As for coffee, if you're a chocolate addict like me, I suggest you try Cafe Godiva Chocolate Truffle Ground Coffee. I still get to have caffeine in the morning, though I have to do half-decaf (the horror). There's enough chocolate goodness in Godiva to overcome that less stellar flavor. Truly delicious. Also available at Amazon if you can't find it anywhere else.

 

Enjoy!

What I’m Loving – A Grab Bag of Good Stuff

I have opinions, like everyone else. I have a blog that I don’t do enough with beyond talking about my own books. So I’ve decided to post a few opinions on miscellaneous items that have won my recent interest (even though little here is new). Maybe you’ll find some good stuff you didn’t know about.

 

Book

It makes sense an author would talk about the books she finds fab. I just finished Sleeping Beauties by Stephen King and his son Owen, published back in 2017. If you’ve ever thought the world would fall apart if men were left to fend for themselves in a womanless world, the Kings are in your corner. A little bit horror and a lot of modern fantasy make this a terrific read.

 

Amazon

B & N

Apple

Google

Kobo

*As a side note, I keep a list of recommended reading on Bookbub’s site. You can see what I’m in love with at https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tracy-st-john.

 

Music

When I latch onto a band, I become downright obsessed. For the last few months, I’ve been all about the Finnish symphonic metal group Nightwish. Pounding rock framed in orchestral and operatic drama and the greatest female singer alive in their third vocalist Floor Jansen (fight me on this, I dare you)…how have they been around for twenty-five years and I’m just finding out about them? Oh well, better late than never. Highest recommendations for their studio CDs One (with original singer Tarja Turunen), Imaginaerum (with second singer Anette Olzon), and Endless Forms Most Beautiful (with the vocal goddess herself, Floor). Any of their live CDs and videos are well worth checking out. Have a look at a couple of live performances, the epic “Ghost Love Score” and rock anthem “Last Ride of the Day” (links below) and be amazed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47e_961OQWE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzIMx7Dqa_M

 

Fun to Follow

Facebook: Every time a post pops up on FB by brothers James or Robert Welsh, I have to stop and watch. James is a skincare expert, and Robert is a fantastic makeup artist. Though they are geared to a more youthful audience than I belong to, they still have great tips for everyone…and are often hilarious, especially when they get together and try bad makeup hacks posted by popular influencers.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/JamesWelsh.Videos/

https://www.facebook.com/watch/RobertWelsh.Videos/

 

Twitter: Well, this one isn't fun. It’s honestly heartbreaking. But one of the most important Twitter accounts out there is https://twitter.com/AuschwitzMuseum. They post the unvarnished history of the infamous concentration camp, along with bios of those who perished there. Well worth the sadness to remember what must never happen again.

On the opposite end of the spectrum come the witty posts of https://twitter.com/JortsTheCat. After recently being CATapulted (sorry, had to do it) into fame because of an AITA post, which you’ll find on Jorts’ pinned tweet, this adorable feline has an ardent following for good reason. He’s insightful, funny, falling into the trash, and currently unbuttered (again, check the pinned tweet thread).

 

Favorite Indulgence

Handmade boots in the coolest styles. Need I say more? Pricey, but the kicks at Freebird (www.freebirdstores.com) are amazing. My boot collection is already ridiculous, especially for someone who lives waaay down in the sweaty South, and it’s only getting bigger thanks to this site.

 

What good stuff are you finding out there? Drop your loves in the comments section, kudos for any links available. Unfortunately, I have yet to find out why I can’t post comments myself…Blogger is completely wrecked for me in that regard…but do feel free to converse amongst yourselves. I’ll be reading to find new goodies too.