The Sunshine Caper

The Sunshine Caper
Author: Molly Schreier
Publisher: iUniverse
Total Pages: 78
Release: 2023-04-23
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 1663250820

In this illustrated children’s book, a group of cousins on vacation uncover a message in a bottle that points them to buried treasure. It’s summertime in Beach Haven Terrace, and seven cousins (Molly, Emma, Caroline, Grace, Maggie, Ellie, and Lucy—all named after the book’s young co-authors) are staying with their grandmother before “the boys” arrive from summer camp. The eldest look after the younger girls and play on the sandy beaches. One day, they find a bottle in the sand, supposedly sent by crewmembers on a lost Spanish ship, which contains an English-language message of hidden treasure, and the girls collaborate to follow a list of clues to its source. The authors offer realistic sisterly dynamics (“ ‘Women! And you are my women!’ Molly said, imitating the voice their Pop Pop”) and have a documentary eye for the experience of adolescent vacationing. The girls take a tour of their summer town on buses and tandem bicycles, spurred by their own imaginative sense of adventure. The historical context of in this light, low-stakes mystery becomes increasingly implausible; one clue, for instance, is related via a musical performance on a family-fun pirate ship. Leslie’s ink-and-watercolor images feature appealing composition and provide helpful accompaniment to the text with serene Atlantic overcast beaches, lighthouses, grasses, and sandy shoes. However, the images’ small size makes the details hard to see. Overall, this collaborative project captures real affection and a feeling of leisure and adventure that will be comforting to emerging chapter-book readers. The mystery lacks polish, logic, and clear resolution (“And who was it, exactly, who had left the girls those clues? I leave it to you, dear reader....”). Still, the O’Meara, Schreier, and Hennessey team deliver a pleasant work . An often charming summer story, hampered by some puzzling story elements.

The Corsican Caper

The Corsican Caper
Author: Peter Mayle
Publisher: Vintage
Total Pages: 127
Release: 2014-05-13
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0307962873

Here is Peter Mayle at his effervescent best—his master sleuth, Sam Levitt, eating, drinking, and romancing his way through the South of France even as he investigates a case of deadly intrigue among the Riviera’s jet set. Billionaire Francis Reboul is taking in the view at his coastal estate, awaiting the arrival of vacationing friends Sam Levitt and Elena Morales, when he spies a massive yacht whose passengers seem a little too interested in his property. The yacht belongs to rapacious Russian tycoon Oleg Vronsky, who, for his own purposes, will stop at nothing to obtain Reboul’s villa. When Reboul refuses to sell, Vronsky’s methods quickly turn unsavory. Now it’s up to Sam—he’s saved Reboul’s neck before—to negotiate with an underworld of mercenaries and hit men, not to mention the Corsican mafia, to prevent his friend from becoming a victim of Vronsky’s “Russian diplomacy.” The dire situation doesn’t stop Sam and Elena from attending glamorous fêtes where the wines and starlets alike sparkle, and enjoying sumptuous meals—from multicourse revelations to understated delights like the first asparagus of the season, on which one must make a wish. But as Sam’s sleuthing draws him closer to the truth of Vronsky’s schemes, he realizes Reboul might not be the only one unable to enjoy the good life for long. Brimming with entertaining twists, sparkling scenery, and mouthwatering gustatory interludes as only Peter Mayle can write them, The Corsican Caper is a one-way ticket to pleasure, Provençal style. This eBook edition includes a Reading Group Guide.

Swamp Story

Swamp Story
Author: Dave Barry
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 320
Release: 2024-05-07
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1982191341

Pulitzer Prize–winning and New York Times bestselling author—and actual Florida Man—Dave Barry returns with a “hilariously funny” (Steve Martin) caper full of oddballs and more twists and turns than a snake slithering away from a gator. Jesse Braddock is trapped in a tiny cabin deep in the Everglades with her infant daughter and her ex-boyfriend, a wannabe reality TV star who turned out to be a lot prettier on the outside than on the inside. Broke and desperate for a way out, Jesse stumbles across a long-lost treasure, which could solve all her problems—if she can figure out how to keep it. The problem is some very bad men are also looking for the treasure, and they know Jesse has it. Meanwhile, Ken Bortle of Bortle Brothers Bait and Beer has hatched a scheme to lure tourists to his failing store by making viral videos of the “Everglades Melon Monster.” The Monster is, in fact, an unemployed alcoholic newspaperman named Phil wearing a Dora the Explorer costume head. Incredibly, this plan actually works, inspiring a horde of TikTokers to swarm into the swamp in search of the Monster at the same time villains are on the hunt for Jesse’s treasure. Amid this mayhem, a presidential hopeful arrives in the Everglades to start his campaign. Needless to say, it does not go as planned. In fact, nothing in this story goes as planned. This is, after all, Florida.

The Sunshine State Cookbook

The Sunshine State Cookbook
Author: George S. Fichter
Publisher: Pineapple Press Inc
Total Pages: 220
Release: 2002
Genre: Cooking
ISBN: 1561642142

Part deep-South, part subtropical, part Latin, part everywhere that its immigrants have come from, Florida is unique in its variety. And Florida's kitchens reflect this delicious diversity. In this collection you will find easy-to-follow recipes that range from the comforting to the fantastical. You will become acquainted with the exotic fruits and vegetables found in the Sunshine State, get tips on the proper ways to handle and prepare seafood, and find new ways to liven up familiar vegetables and meats. Try papaya as a vegetable, baked while still green Serve a juicy pineapple dessert, baked with rum and flaming Treat yourself to a luscious conch chowder or curried lobster Cook chicken strips inside a fresh coconut for a taste you never imagined Whether you're a Florida visitor, newcomer, or resident, let gourmet cook George S. Fichter tempt your palate, and join The Sunshine State Cookbook's celebration of Florida's plenty.

Kadee's Capers

Kadee's Capers
Author: Andrea Bassham Taylor
Publisher: WestBow Press
Total Pages: 66
Release: 2016-05-16
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1490898492

Few things add as much amusementand loveto our lives as our pets. Whether theyre cats, dogs, or other special animals, memories of our pets can quickly bring a smile to our face and warmth to our hearts. In Kadees Capers, Kadee, a black-and-white lab mix, shares stories of her life after being rescued from an animal shelter. With the help of her new owner, Andrea Bassham Taylor, Kadee describes her adjustment to a new home and a new life. Learn how Kadee finally earned her parents trust and was allowed out of the basement and into the house, including the bed. Youll share Kadees zest for life and passion for adventureand roast beef. For Kadee, life with her new family is like a giant playground. Kadees Capers is funny, thought-provoking, heartwarming, and sometimes sadjust like life. The deep love pets and their families share is brought to life as well as the important role they play as members of the family.

Seasons of Love

Seasons of Love
Author: Lorna Collins
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 385
Release: 2017-01-04
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1682999920

"Spring's Fling" by Sherry Derr-Wille:When Spring Morrison asks the Easter Bunny for a perfect man, she has no idea that her mother will use the opportunity to play matchmaker with Wade Parker. Does mother know best? "Summer's Challenge" by Luanna Rugh: Summer Woods is starting a new life with a new identity. Can Officer Nathan Lockhart protect her from her past while he’s falling in love with her? "Autumn's Blessing" by Christie Shary:Young and pregnant widow Deidre feels her life is over until she becomes the patient of Dr. Jeremy Saunders. Can he help her let go of the hurts and burdens that weigh her down and embrace life again? "Winter Song" by Lorna Collins:To Dan Jensen, life seems hopeless. But when he gets railroaded into performing in a Christmas musical, a lovely young woman named Amy Roberts provides more than musical assistance. She brings hope and the promise of a new life.

The Global Pantry Cookbook

The Global Pantry Cookbook
Author: Scott Mowbray
Publisher: Workman Publishing Company
Total Pages: 713
Release: 2023-10-10
Genre: Cooking
ISBN: 1523525495

Two James Beard-Award winners show how to unlock the secrets of the global pantry and elevate all your favorite foods Make the most succulent pot roast ever with oyster sauce. Transform a broiled salmon filet with miso. Give an irresistible kick to chicken wings with gochujang. Turn out the crunchiest French toast with panko breadcrumbs. Use Mexican chorizo to add depth to a quick skillet chili. Enliven a no-churn ice cream pie with freeze-dried berries. Impart a savory kick to shrimp and grits with sambal oelek. Add coconut milk to banana pudding—it’s magical. And even your best ribs will take on a sticky new deliciousness with sweet soy sauce. In more than 120 recipes, here’s how—with just a dash here or a tablespoon there—you can elevate your cooking using 65 common pantry items from around the world.

The Kokoschka Capers

The Kokoschka Capers
Author: Alessandra Comini
Publisher: Sunstone Press
Total Pages: 264
Release: 2015
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1632930773

In this third book in the Megan Crespi Mystery Series, a major double portrait by the Viennese Expressionist artist Oskar Kokoschka showing himself with his lover Alma Mahler has been stolen from the Basel Museum in Switzerland. Left in its place is an exact duplicate, except that Alma has been replaced by an unknown woman. Retired professor of art history Megan Crespi, an expert on Viennese art, is called in to help with the investigation. Then, a second theft of fourteen crates of unknown Kokoschka artworks from a Viennese storage vault takes Megan to Vienna. There she meets by accident the mysterious multimillionaire Desdemona Dumba. A stunning anorexic, Desdemona feels it is her role in life to bring Kokoschka’s lost works together and away from public scrutiny. Meanwhile, two individuals, Leo Lang and Bruno Fichte-Mahler, harbor fanatical interest in Kokoschka and go to extreme measures either to desecrate or to protect the artist’s images of Alma. An endangered Megan pursues leads that take her from Basel and Vienna to Berlin and finally to Xenia, Desdemona’s remote islet off the Greek island of Corfu. Includes Readers Guide.