Diamond Boy - Michael Williams

Patson Moyo has lived in Bulawayo for all of his life with his little sister, Grace, and his parents. When their mother dies, Patson's father, Joseph, remarries "the Wife", a selfish, uncaring woman whose greatest desire is to live in the lap of luxury. Joseph struggles to make ends meet for his family with various teaching positions, but, despite being one of the best teachers available in the area, the government is unable to pay him anything of worth. The Wife receives a message from her brother James Banda in Marange, where he runs a diamond mining operation. Soon, she has convinced Joseph that, unless they want to starve to death, they must go to Marange. Believing he has secured a teaching position there, Joseph concedes and they begin the trek to the mining fields. Before they have even reached the fields, trouble strikes; the driver James hired to bring them to Marange abandons them on the edge of the fields and insists they go through the bush to avoid the police roadblocks. They enlist the help of Boubacar, a rough-looking Congonese man, to make it through the wilderness. On the way, they are forced to hide from murderous soldiers who are patrolling the outskirts of the fields; it is only through pure chance that they run into a member of the Banda family, who is able to escort them to the mining operations hub. The Wife is happily received, but after their initial welcome, the rest of the Moyo family is moved from the main house into tobacco sheds.

Although the original plan was for Patson and Grace to attend school while Joseph taught, they soon find that the school has been closed down and overrun by a different kind of "school" run by women. Stuck in Marange with no way of providing for themselves, they realize the only way they will survive is to become diamond miners themselves. Patson is eager to mine, knowing he can find a girazi, a pure diamond, and change his family's fate. Eventually, he is accepted into a gwejana syndicate with other young miners, each of which smuggles ngodas, small industrial diamonds, out of the fields when they are able. With the help of Boubacar, Patson is able to sell them and divvy up the proceeds to members of the syndicate. Getting caught withholding diamonds from James Banda has serious consequences, so when Patson finds his first girazi, he carefully hides it away. Then the soldiers come.

When the government realizes how much money is leaving the country in the form of precious diamonds, they send Commander Jesus, a ruthless taskmaster, to take over Banda Hill and the surrounding fields. When he and the soldiers arrive, they kill many of the miners and force the rest to continue searching for diamonds. With his father assumed dead and his sister being held up at the main house, Patson finds his second girazi, managing again to avoid detection. The gwejana syndicate makes plans to escape, all except for Patson and Arves, Patson's best friend who lives with HIV and has become very sick due to the withholding of his medication. While the rest of the syndicate escapes, Patson goes to get the medication that keeps Arves alive. After he returns, he finds yet another girazi, but this time he won't go unnoticed. Commander Jesus forces Patson out of the fields and into a trap where he is severely injured. Through the persistence of Boubacar, he manages to escape, but the injury has left him debilitated. Now, with nothing but the thought of rescuing his sister to sustain him, Patson must try to avoid the greedy commander and track his sister with Boubacar's help.

I could not put this book down. It had been sitting on my shelf for a while, and I finally decided to pick it up. I wasn't expecting much, but boy was I surprised! Despite being more of a fantasy/mystery reader, I was drawn in by the promise of hope that led Patson and his family (except the Wife, because she is one evil witch). Patson's journey, both geographically and mentally, is so engaging that you can't help but sympathize with him. To make it even more interesting, the diamond fields of Marange are real and just as ruthless as those in the novel. I read up a little on the subject and what went on there is truly frightening. I will say that this is a very intense read; James Banda is a tyrant from the start, one of the characters struggles with HIV, and there is a lot of physical violence. Plot-wise, it does stretch out quite a bit, and there are some jumps that are a little hard to follow. I've also read that it inaccurately reflects real life in Zimbabwe, painting a much more gruesome picture of the culture and government than is actually the case, but since I don't know enough on the topic, I'll withhold any comment.

Pros:

• Historically based story
• Character arc is through the roof
• Engaging 

Cons:

•  Might be a little intense for younger readers
• Some plot incongruity
• Brief instance of strong language

Lemon Bars

After futilely raiding the cabinets for an evening snack, I pulled this recipe out of a Southern Living cookbook I got at a garage sale. When all was said and done, it was about 11 PM, so imagine my surprise when I got up the next morning to find that literally half of it was gone already. I think it's safe to say my family liked it; even my "I don't even want to smell it if it contains anything remotely resembling fruit" sister loved it. Although I've never made a tart-ish thing like this, it still turned out really well! It's 50% shortbread style crust and 50% creamy, delicious lemon filling. Maybe like .005% powdered sugar on top, if you're really counting. Apologies for the semi-vague picture, but there wasn't much left for a photo shoot!

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar, divided
1 cup cold butter, cut up
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
4 large eggs, beaten
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice

Directions:

1. Combine 2 cups flour and 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Cut butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. 
2. Spoon flour mixture into a 13 x 9-inch pan; press into pan evenly and firmly, using fingertips. Bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.
3. Combine 1/2 cup flour and baking powder; set aside. Combine eggs, 2 cups sugar, and lemon juice; beat well. Stir dry ingredients into egg mixture, and pour over crust.
4. Bake at 350 F for 22-25 minutes or until lightly browned and set. Cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup powdered sugar, and cut into bars.

Source: Southern Living: All Time Favorites

A brief tangent - I can't even think of lemon bars without thinking of Nancy Drew, and since this is also a book blog, it all works out okay in the end. Nancy's housekeeper, Hannah, is apparently famous for her lemon bars, something that comes up in the 2007 movie when she randomly pulls them out of her bag in perfect little tins to distribute to unsuspecting informants. It's actually a pretty good movie, if a little cheesy. At the very least, it's got plenty of humor, some of which you can see in the trailer below.

Sweet 'n Spicy Pork Chops

Mmmmm... pork chops. It's only recently that I've discovered a feeling other than hatred for pork chops. The meaty slabs of my youth were bland, tough, and always curled up on themselves, making them unappetizing and hard to eat. But now I've seen the light. With the right seasoning and cooking technique, pork chops can be good! In fact, they can be great! This recipe is one of my favorites; the chops come out sweet and a little spicy, but always juicy!

Ingredients: 
2 boneless pork loin chops (1/2 inch thick and 4 ounces each)
Dash of salt and pepper
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard

Directions:

1. Sprinkle both sides of pork chops with salt and pepper. Place on a rack in a foil-lined broiler pan. Broil chops 4 inches from the heat for 5 minutes. 
2. Combine the remaining ingredients. Turn chops; spread with brown sugar mixture. Broil 5-8 minutes longer or until juices run clear. Serves 2.

Source: Taste of Home - Simple & Delicious Cookbook  

Blonde Ops - Charlotte Bennardo & Natalie Zaman

When Bec gets booted from yet another boarding school for her not-so-surreptitious hacking, she expects her mom to send her packing for the next one. What she doesn't expect is to be shipped off to Rome to be an intern for a prominent fashion magazine. With the promise of homework to occupy any free time she ends up with, Bec flies to Italy to become the errand runner of Parker Phillips, co-editor of Edge magazine. Soon, she's fetching espressos, sorting outfits, and trying to get a glimpse of the dashing fashion blogger, Taj, not to mention striking up a relationship with the handsome Italian bike messenger, Dante. It's not all sunshine and roses though; tempers are shorter than the deadlines facing the magazine and there always seems to be one more thing to do.

Despite the work, Bec is enjoying her stay in beautiful Rome... until Parker is involved in a mysterious car accident and hospitalized with serious injuries. In Parker's absence, Edge is taken over by Candace Worthington, a pompous ex-supermodel who doesn't waste any time putting Bec on a (proverbial) leash to keep her out of trouble. For her part, Bec wants to find out who was behind the car crash that hospitalized Parker and why they took her out. With the First Lady heading to the Edge offices for a fashion shoot, Bec starts to suspect that Parker's "accident" is the least of their worries. As she investigates further, she uncovers a plot that is using Edge to get close to the First Lady for less-than-charitable purposes.

I'm a huge fan of spy girl novels and Rome (thank you, study abroad!), so I was almost certain I would love this book. Unfortunately, it fell a little short of the mark for me. There were a few loose ends that never got wrapped up, and the weird circumstances just kept piling up. What parent would send their kid to Italy alone to intern after being kicked out of school (again) for hacking? Where did Bec learn her "hacking" skills (some of which are dubious at best) and why does she have no problem going/making out with both Taj and Dante? Questions, questions, questions. Despite these somewhat bewildering points, it was still an okay read once I started just going along with things.

Pros:

•  Rome!
•  Rome + high fashion
•  Entertaining, if somewhat unbelievable

Cons:

•  Bec often comes across as a rebellious punk who doesn't like it when things don't go her way
•  Overly obvious ending
•  Unlikely events (e.g. lifting fingerprints with makeup and Scotch tape, being attached to Parker after knowing her for all of 5 minutes, etc.)

If you love fun spy novels with witty main characters, underground romances, and awesome Hogwarts-style castles, I would highly recommend the Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter. I'm planning on posting a full-length review for it at some point in the future. For now, suffice it to say that it's everything you would have expected from Blonde Ops, but fully delivered. Secret spy academy disguised as a preppy rich girls' school? Check. Boy troubles? Double check. Handsome covert operations teacher, absent-minded (but brilliant) mad scientist, and gorgeous "knows-how-to-kill-you-with-a-Kleenex-in-four-ways" headmaster? Triple check. Murder, mayhem, and mystery? Double triple check. In case you hadn't guessed, I'm a wee bit fond of the series. If you were disappointed by Blonde Ops, this might be a winner for you!

City of a Thousand Dolls - Miriam Forster

Nisha has lived in the City of a Thousand Dolls for almost as long as she can remember. Abandoned at the city gates with nothing but a mysterious tiger mark and no distinguishable caste mark, she is raised in a secretarial  role to the Matron of the city. As an errand runner, Nisha has limited access to all of the training Houses in the city: Pleasure, Beauty, Music, Jade, Combat, and Flowers. Although she's not technically part of any of them, she is given permission to train in Combat and Music so that she may be considered at the Redeeming, when all of the eligible girls are showcased to be bought for their various skills and inducted into a caste. Her past isn't the only secret either; Nisha is able to mind-speak with the local tribe of spotted cats, said to bring good luck to the city. They are that and more for Nisha, especially Jerrit, her closest confidant outside of Tanaya, a House of Flowers trainee who has been selected to be the wife of the Prince. She has also cultivated a relationship with Devan, the city's messenger, even though his higher caste could cause serious trouble if anyone ever found out. Although she lives in fear of discovery, she continues to sneak out to meet him, hoping that he will claim her at the Redeeming as his wife. However, all of her plans are pushed to the back of her mind when the body of one of the initiates is found on the city grounds.

The first girl's death could have been suicide, but soon after, another girl is found floating in the maze fountain, poisoned. Tension starts to build as people start to realize that there may be a murderer on the loose. Meanwhile, Nisha discovers that the Council has plans to sell her instead of letting her attend the Redeeming, thinking they will get a better price for her. Desperate to avoid becoming a slave, she offers to gather information and try to track down the murderer, realizing that her unique position in the City could help her discover things that would remain hidden to others. Soon, she is deeply embroiled in a plot that could have national consequences, not to mention potentially fatal ones for her and her closest friends. As she searches for clues, she uncovers secrets about herself and the City of a Thousand Dolls that have remained buried for years. But can she catch the murderer before she becomes a victim herself?

Let me start off by saying that this book seems to have really negative online reviews. There's not enough character development, the world-building is lacking, the plot is boring... and so on and so forth. While I agree with some of the points reviewers made, I actually really liked it. The culture is kind of a Chinese/Indian hybrid and I thought it was interesting, but I also enjoyed the plot itself. The combination of mystery and the new culture were enough to keep me reading straight through the book and the ending was surprising. The fact that I seem to like books that are generally un-liked by the online reading community is somewhat worrying as it seems to reflect badly on my reading tastes and maturity, but oh well - what can you do?

As I said, there are some things I didn't like. For starters, Nisha's relationship with Devan is super shallow; they basically seemed like make-out buddies with no real emotional attachment, and the ending reflects this. However, we do have to take into consideration that she lives in what is essentially an all-female city and has little outside interaction with men, so we can't exactly expect her to have this amazingly deep relationship with the first male she happens to come across. The other thing that really bugged me was the founding principle of the city itself. Historically speaking, it's not exactly far off the mark, but the idea of girls being trained for certain skills and then sold off to the highest bidder is very irksome to me, especially for skill sets like those learned in the House of Pleasure (and I'm sure you can guess what those are). In addition to that, there's no secret made of the fact that many of the girls are to be wed to men many times older than themselves, and it's even intimated that one of the girls commits suicide to avoid this. The Matron saw the City as a way to rescue unwanted girls from worse fates, but it still made me feel uncomfortable. Despite these two main flaws, I thoroughly enjoyed the novel and would probably recommend it. (Plus, the cover art is pretty nifty!)

Pros:

• Fantasy murder mystery (three words that should be in the same sentence more often)
• Fascinating cultural aspects
• Unexpected plot twists

Cons:

• Shallow, unrealistic relationships
• The premise of the city may be disturbing (or, at the very least, moderately irritating), albeit historically accurate
• Some of the notions and plot mechanisms seemed a little cheesy, e.g. talking cats that know more about your past than you do and guide you to your destiny (or what-have-you)

And, because I am all about that trailer life (and some people hate reading long digressions when they can get the gist in under a minute), here's one for the book:

The A.B.C. Murders - Agatha Christie

A brief but enthusiastic history lesson on Dame Agatha Christie:

1.  She's the best-selling novelist of all time (!!!)
2.  She became a mystery herself when she disappeared for 11 days at age 36
3. She's an absolutely brilliant mystery writer

Even if you haven't actually heard of her, you've probably heard of some of her works: arguably her most well-known novel, Murder on the Orient Express or And Then There Were None (my personal favorite, to date). If you love mystery, you just can't skip Christie. (Hehe, that rhymed. And I wasn't even trying.)

Hercule Poirot receives an unexpected visit from his old friend, Captain Hastings, who has returned for a visit after a spell in South America. While he is there, Poirot receives an ominous letter; some unknown evil is to take place in Andover on the 21st of the month, and it is expected that he will intervene. It is signed, simply, A.B.C. Scotland Yard assures Poirot that it's probably a prank, and he uneasily accepts this conclusion. The 21st rolls around and Poirot is notified that a woman by the name of Ascher has been murdered in Andover. The only clue left at the scene of the crime is an A.B.C. railway guide. Coincidence? Maybe. But then the second letter arrives, warning of a crime that will take place in Bexhill. When Betty Barnard is found murdered in Bexhill next to an A.B.C. guide, Poirot realizes that there is a serial killer with an alphabet complex on the loose. Betty Barnard is followed by Sir Clarke of Churston. Still, the letters come and Poirot is unable to discover the killer's identity. Will he ever be able to catch the murderer, or will he (or she) continue undaunted?

As previously stated, Agatha Christie is an absolute genius. Like with all good mystery novels, you're sure you have everything figured out by the end, but Christie upends the whole plot right when you think it's over. I've read this one before, but it's been so long that I still managed to be shocked by the ending. Although I do my best to try to equally balance pros and cons for the books I review here, I legitimately can't think of any cons for this one. It's a murder mystery without being obvious, it's got hints of humor to balance the somewhat macabre story line, it's intriguing... I could go on, but you probably get the idea.

Pros:

• Murder! Intrigue! "I can't believe that just happened" ending!
• Belgian detectives who love their moustaches 
•  Have I mentioned the "I can't believe that just happened" ending?

Cons:

• Nothing
• Zilch
• Nada

Since I spent a whole paragraph telling you about the merits of Agatha Christie, I thought this might be a good time to stick in a blurb for one of my other favorite things, and that is Doctor Who. It's a beautiful thing when your two favorite things come together, and I'm happy to say that there is, in fact, a Doctor Who episode featuring Agatha Christie. It's not for this novel, but still. Time-traveling alien meets famous 20th century writer and solves an intergalactic mystery that appears to be your regular murder mystery on the surface. Also, it doesn't hurt that the time-traveling alien is David Tennant. ;) Trailer below if you're interested!

White Chicken Enchiladas

Alright, let's be real with each other. That picture doesn't show you anything except a gloopy pile of what might be rolled up tortillas. To be honest, tortillas covered in delicious, gooey cheese sauce are really challenging for unskilled photographers like me. Especially since we'd eaten half of them already. That being said, they taste AMAZING. Comfort food to the max. It takes a while to put together, but it's worth it!

Ingredients:
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
2-3 hot chiles, such as jalapenos or serranos
1 large onion, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
1 TBSP. canola oil
2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth, plus more as needed
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp. paprika
Dash of salt
4 TBSP. (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup sour cream, plus more for serving
10 small corn tortillas*
Cilantro, for serving (optional)
Salsa, for serving (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Begin by roasting the bell peppers and chiles on a grill (or directly under the broiler) until the skin is mostly black. Throw the chiles into a plastic storage bag and seal it. Let them steam inside the bag for 30 minutes or so. Core and seed the peppers, then scrape off the black skin. Chop and set aside.
3. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the onion and jalapeno in the canola oil until the onion is translucent, 2-3 minutes. Throw in the chicken, then stir in 1 cup of the chicken broth. Add 1 cup of heavy cream, 1/2 tsp. of the paprika and salt. Then, add half of the chopped peppers. Stir the mixture around and let it cook for a couple of minutes, then set aside. 
4. In a separate skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk it together to combine. Cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Pour in the remaining 2 cups of chicken broth, stirring constantly. Stir and cook until the mixture is smooth, 1 to 2 minutes, then pour in the remaining 1/2 cup heavy cream, remaining 1/2 tsp. paprika, and 1 1/2 cups grated cheese. Finally, stir in sour cream and the rest of the chopped peppers. If the sauce needs thinning, splash in as much broth as you need. Taste the sauce and add salt if needed. 
5. Warm the tortillas in the microwave until they're very soft. Place a small amount of the chicken mixture and a small amount of cheese in the center of a tortilla. Fold over the edges, then place them seam side down in a baking pan. Pour the sauce over the top and sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup grated cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until bubbly. Serve with cilantro, sour cream, and salsa, if desired.

*NOTE: I hate corn tortillas with a passion, so I subbed in flour tortillas and it came out fine. More than fine, actually. They were amazing.

Source: Food From My Frontier by Ree Drummond (a.k.a. The Pioneer Woman)