Adopt Your Stray Vampire Today

Time to get back into the routine of my book posts. Sadly, it's been a while, not just since I did a book post, but since I picked a book that really grabbed me. I had a bit of a drought in August and September. But I finally got hooked by a book that's quite apropos for the coming month of October.

The Basics
Harper, Molly. The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires. New York: Pocket Books, 2012. Print.

Molly Harper originally made her living as a journalist for the Paducah Sun. Eventually she transitioned from reporting to fiction writing, and her Nice Girls series got published. The Nice Girls series, which you'll be hearing about in a week or two, follows an ex-children's librarian turned vampire through her unlife in Half-Moon Hollow, Kentuky. There she dodges interfering mothers, conspiring sisters, and a murderer or two.

The Book
Why dwell on the other series so much? Well, The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires is also set in Half-Moon Hollow and runs at a slight parallel to Harper's other series, involving many of the same characters.  Originally, I picked this book up for laughs as it passed through the library (you see why the other series appeals, yesh?). I saw the title and cover and read the back and, frankly, thought the book looked freaking ridiculous (I mean, really, look at that cover). Naturally I had to see what was inside. I'm so glad I did, not only did I discover a great little not-so-urban fantasy with a dash of romance, I also found an author whose writing, humor, and snark I love.

As I've said before, if I'm going to read a romance novel, I want there to be a whole lotta plot. In fact, if the I can have plot with a smidge of romance, that's what I'd prefer. As a result, I tend to be a little suspicious of books billed as supernatural romance (admittedly, Twilight might have a lot to do with my skittishness). The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires definitely fits the bill. The story focuses on Iris Scanlon, a young entrepreneur who owns a vampire concierge service, fulfilling the daytime needs and errands of Half-Moon Hollows undead population. Life is going swimmingly until she stumbles, literally, over Cal the vampire, an investigator who drags her into his mystery solving. I really enjoyed the overall plot, as Cal and Iris try to track down the source of poisoned synthetic blood.  The mystery kept me guessing for a good long while, and the reasoning behind it was delightfully unexpected and twisted.

So, what did I like about this book? What didn't I? Now, some might draw parallels to the Sookie Stackhouse series, and the similarities are definitely there: a coming out, synthetic blood, southern. But really, that's where the similarities end. Harper takes good advantage of vampire lore while tweaking it here and there to create her own version for her universe. Harper's books would be well suited to fans of the Harris series (especially since I think they might be a tad better. Le gasp!).

The main characters Harper crafts are highly believable. Iris, especially, is nicely multi-dimensional. Her history and motivations are well thought out and consistent. I like her background as a botanist, which is unique, and her dual roles as parent/guardian of her younger sister and woman in her early twenties creates an interesting character.  Gigi, the sister is a believable teen, smart and sassy but still capable of the profound lack of common sense that teens often struggle with.  Cal is less complex than the two sisters, but he makes up for it with mystery. I'm sure his character will grow as Harper expands the series; she's left herself plenty of room.

My favorite part of the novel was the humor. Harper is clearly one snarky, snarky lady.  This particular book had me not just laughing out loud, but howling and slapping the sofa in mirth. It was that good.  For example, Gigi accuses her sister of sending her away for something other than protection from their vampiric house guest, "Is this all a very convincing act put on to get me out of the house so you can spend the weekend humping like deranged howler monkeys?" (61). Hi-(wait for it)-larious.

So yeah, all around great read. I read it start to finish in less than a day, and after a month and a half of trying to push my way through one book (which shall remain nameless, wallowing in its own boredom), that was nicely refreshing. I highly recommend this book, so why are you still here and not at a bookstore already? 

Extras
But, before you go, here are a few links:

• Take a peek at Molly Harper's website. While you're there, make sure to check the Fun Stuff Page, which features some recipes. (Do not, I repeat, do NOT watch the book trailer. It's soooo boring, it'll bore the pants right off of you, which is really a rather unique approach for a romance novel to take).
• There a great extended author biography over on the Simon and Schuster website that I highly recommend perusing.
• And lastly, check out the author's blog, Nice Girls Don't Write Naughty Books. I was especially appreciative of her dream cast post.

   

It's the Great Pumpkin . . . Pie, That Is!

Continuing with our Halloween themed posts, this weekend's food post features pumpkin pie. Because any other Halloween themed food post just wouldn't be right without pumpkin pie. Or, you know, pumpkin at the very least. I don't make mine completely from scratch, instead I tend to use Libby's canned pumpkin. But if you want to do yours that way, get 1 sugar pumpkin. Scrape out all the innards (also known as seeds) and set them aside for toasting. Then scrape or cut the flesh of the pumpkin away from the outer shell and cook it until mashable. Voila!

What You'll Need

Supplies

Large mixing bowl                                                          Measuring cups

2 glass pie plates                                                            Measuring spoons

Mixing spoon

Ingredients

2 cans pumpkin pie filling (30 oz)                                  2 tsp cinnamon 

2 cans evaporated milk (24 oz)                                      1 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups light brown sugar                                         1/2 tsp ground ginger

4 eggs                                                                              1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 pie shells                                                                      1/4 tsp ground cloves

Now Let's Make Pumpkin Pie

The great thing about this recipe is that it is super easy.  Ridiculously so (this is going to be a really short post, guys. What? Stop cheering!). Start by preheating your oven to 425F; don't forget, cause you definitely have to preheat on this one.

Line your pie plate with the pie crusts. (Again, I harbor a special loathing for doing pie crusts from scratch, so I did Pillsbury). Try to get the crust centered in the plate before you press it down and to the edges.  This will make doing the edges a lot easier.  Fold the excess pie crust into the shell and press into the sides.  This should create a smooth edge right at the rim of the pie plate.  Then, go around the pie plate and pinch the crust between your fingers, forming a small peak.  Repeat this process all around the pie shell, spacing your peaks evenly about a finger width apart.

Set your crusts aside and break out your large mixing bowl.  Now, I like to mix the filling one pie at a time, so that's what the instructions will do here, essentially halving the ingredients listed above. However, you're welcome to try it as is (that ups your chances of unevenly filled pies, though, and who wants that?). Add to your bowl 1 can (15 oz) of pumpkin pie filling and  1 can (12 oz) of evaporated milk (which is never as "evaporated" as I expect). Now measure out 3/4 cup of light brown sugar, making sure it's firmly packed into your measuring cup, and add it to the bowl.  Add two eggs, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp ground ginger, and 1/8 tsp ground cloves.  Mix all this up well, making sure that the spices are thoroughly blended and there are no pumpkin filling lumps.   Pour the filling into one of your pie shells.  Rinse your bowl and repeat for the other shell. (Yes, I know that first picture is less than appetizing).

Bake the pies at 425F for 15 minutes. Go ahead and set a kitchen timer, since this really isn't one you can eyeball. After 15 minutes, reduce the heat to 350F and bake for an additional 40 minutes.  These pies should rise as they bake, so don't worry if the center becomes higher than the level of the pie plate; this is normal.  Remove pies from oven and set aside to cool. The pies may not seem firm when removed, but the center will set as they cool.  Serve warm with whipped cream, or store pies in refrigerator. (But until then, enjoy the before and after shots below)

"I want my pumpkin pie!"

This particular version is a fairly light, very (delightfully) creamy, not overly sweet pumpkin pie. Also, the subtle spicing balance flavors the pie while still allowing the pumpkiny taste to shine. It's the perfect after Thanksgiving dinner dessert.  And also, you have some very easy and yummy pumpkin pies with which to impress your friends!

    Follow @TheBookPantry

Double, Double, Toil and Trouble

So, as you see, we're getting a little festive here at The Book Pantry.  In preparation for the upcoming All Hallow's Eve, I've decided to do some special, themed posts for the week.  Tonight's post will feature Halloween-themed books - for kids! (Because I'm too much of a fraidy cat to read something for adults).  Since this is a little different than your average book post and young children's books are a little on the short side, I'll be featuring a total of 4 books.  These range from cute to Halloweeny to down-right spooky, and hopefully you'll find something that'll fit the kid in your life (even if that's just you) from among them!

Squeeeeee! Kitty!

The Cute: Pumpkin Cat
This book was written and illustrated by Anne Mortimer and published by Katherine Tegen Books in 2011.

Pumpkin Cat is a pretty tame introduction to Halloween, since it's one nod to the holiday is the pumpkin theme. Otherwise, it's a book about gardening.  I love the cover (I mean, it's a black cat, come on!) and the illustrations.  Illustrations can make or break a children's book, and this one has adorable, realistic pictures done in paint (not sure what kind, but it doesn't look like watercolor) with nice vivid colors.  Mortimer incorporates a nice sense of movement and personality into her animals, which I found kept my attention engaged nicely. The story has a cute premise, featuring Cat who wants to know where pumpkins come from and Mouse who teaches Cat to grow one.  The book ends when the pumpkin is harvested and Mouse turns it into a surprise for Cat.  The book has a repetitious structure that's great for developing early literacy skills in kids, making it a nice choice from an enrichment standpoint, too.  I also thought the instructions for growing pumpkins at the end of the book was a neat addition and a potentially fun project. (And, did I mention the cat, cause there's a cat)

"I'll do you such a trick!"

The Halloweeny: The Vanishing Pumpkin
This book was written by Tony Johnston, illustrated by Tomie dePaola, and published by G.P. Putnam's Sons in 1983.

The Vanishing Pumpkin is one of my absolute favorite children's books, Halloween aside.  Growing up, this was the Night Before Christmas of Halloween in our house.  This book covers a range in audience, being tame enough to read to a very young toddler but complex enough to be enjoyed by older children (hey, I still love having read to me).  It again features repetition, but in a more complex form.  It builds on itself, which makes it easy to hold kids' attention and encourage their participation as they catch on to the form. It also features some really great alliteration ("in fact, they fairly flew").  All of which are great for building reading skills.  The illustrations are fun and very cartoon-like and look to be done with mixed media. The story follows an 800-year-old man and a 700-year-old woman on a search for their missing pumpkin and pumpkin pie. It provides a great opportunity to do some voices as you read, like the old man, old woman, various critters, and wizard (my Da did great voices). It's just an all-around great Halloween choice, so be prepared for multiple reading requests.

D'awww.  Kitty.

The Witchy: Cat Nights
This book was written and illustrated by Jane Manning and published by Greenwillow Books in 2008.

Cat Nights again features a story great for a range of ages in kids.  In this book, we meet Felicity, who just turned 263 years old, gaining the ability to change into a cat 8 times; she loves being a cat, but if she changes a 9th time she'll be stuck as a cat forever. You'll have a great time guessing what she'll choose to do.  I liked the names in the book: Wanda, Willa, and Woo are model witches, while Felicity is more feline.  This creates some nice (though subtle) letter associations for kids to pick up on.  The illustrations are also very nice, with a unique cartoony style done in watercolor. You'll love how cute the warty little witches (I know, sounds oxymoronic) and Felicty's orange cat form are. There's also a nifty note at the end that ties the premise of the book to the Irish mythology surrounding cat nights.  This is definitely a new favorite of mine.

Those pumpkins are awesome!

The Spooky: The Bones of Fred McFee
This book was written by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Kurt Cyrus, and published by Harcourt in 2002.

Let me just say that this book would have scared the pants off me as a kid (my imagination is way too active).  That said, it's not really a horribly scary book.  In the story, a brother and sister hang a plastic skeleton in a sycamore tree that does a little bit more than dance in the wind.  The book has some great features from a reading and literacy standpoint.  There is a very distinct rhyme scheme, alliteration, and a definite pattern to the rhythm of lines that creates a constant "sound" to the book.  This also adds to the spooky feel.  The artwork is in a comic book style that combines ink and watercolor.  The dark, graphic lines of the ink enhance the overall creepy factor.  It's a fun book, but only read it to kids if you want to spook them a bit (it'd be a great campfire story).

So, I hope this inspires you to grab a book and a kid (your own, of course, don't be a creeper) and read together.  Hopefully you'll have some time to scurry to a library or bookstore and snag some of these great Halloween picks.  In the mean time, know that these books come with the Sebastian R. Gato seal of approval:

My name is Sebastian R. Gato, and I approve of this message.
(Not pictured: Cat Nights)

    Follow @TheBookPantry