Renee Shelton

Renee Shelton - Butcher, baker, bibliophile.

Twitter: @121degreesC
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Blog: http://www.sandandsuccotash.com

baking    barbecue    barbecue smoke    bbq    beef    broiling    cookbook    cooking methods    cooking techniques    deep frying    fish    fish cooking    fishing    how to cook fish    poaching    pork    regional food    rubs    sauces    sauteing    seafood    seasonings    simmering   

• Vestal Virgin on July 24, 2011
  
  This is a captivating story of a vestal virgin and the two men who either desire her or want to possess her. It is engrossing because while reading it you seem to be a part of the story with all the smells, sounds, and sights of that time period. Which is why it is hard to put down once you begin reading it - you get hooked on the characters and what will happen to them next. Christianity plays a large role in the book, and some characters of the bible come to life as the events that take place long ago are interwoven in the story. But as wholesome as that sounds, this book has graphic sexual situations and images of corruption, drug abuse, and scandal throughout that ring true to the times. People follow whoever has supreme power in the book, no matter how distasteful and shocking their actions are. The characters historically are correct, and Roman mythology is talked about. A really fine read: the characters are well developed, the imagery is defined, and the situations that the characters are place in seem real for the times. All in all a really great fictional story set in Roman times.
  
• Moonflower on July 16, 2012
  
  I really loved this book. Josie is a teenager who awakes after a major car accident in a forest in a different world. As she struggles with finding her way back home, she encounters one of two brothers who saves her from a dangerous encounter. She ends up staying with the brothers and learns of their royal blood lines and shapeshifting capabilities, and then truly finds herself liking both of them. Josie is very likable as a character and I found myself unconsciously rooting for one brother. The brothers are the opposite extremes, and both of Josie's mind and body are pulled between their strengths and weaknesses. While this is YA fiction, the story will appeal to anyone who enjoys paranormal romance or fantasy writing. I found it hard to put down once I began. The writing is very well done and I pictured myself having the same reactions as Josie if, like her, I were thrust into a different world. The book ends with the possibility of a sequel (I'm hoping for one), and I look forward to more of EDC Johnson's work.