#17 -- The Donut Book by Sally Levitt Steinberg

The Atkins Diet? Phooey! The South Beach Diet? Feh! What Americans really want to eat is something deep-fried and sugar-packed . . . hence our undying love affair with the beloved donut.

And if anybody knows donuts, it's Sally Levitt Steinberg, America's Donut Princess. As a member of America's royal donut dynasty (her grandfather, Adolph Levitt, invented the donut-making machine), she knows more about this sweet indulgence than anyone else. The Donut Book is the product of Sally's personal charm and life-long, in-depth donut scholarship. 

She covers high points in donut history: the arrival of the first donuts in America with the Dutch settlers in the 17th century, and the donut in World War I, when it became the favorite nosh of the boys in the trenches. She celebrates donut-loving celebrities, from Admiral Byrd to Bill Clinton, as well as some of the most gifted donut bakers on the planet. She visits the campus of Dunkin' Donuts University and reveals the secret that makes Krispy Kreme donuts irresistible. And she identifies the most popular donut in America (glazed) and the runner-up (chocolate).

Then there are the recipes: 29 mouth-watering, soul-satisfying ways to achieve the ultimate sugar rush, from New Orleans beignets to Portuguese malasadas, from Boston crèmes to Alain Ducasse's upscale Donut. And for donut lovers who are willing to hit the road to find their favorite confection, the book comes with an illustrated Donut Lover's Guide to bakeries that serve up the lightest, fluffiest, best dressed, and tastiest donuts.


http://www.amazon.com/Donut-Book-Sally-Levitt-Steinberg/dp/1580175481

I thought this was a cute little book. I now wish I had a deep fryer so I could try some of these tasty sounding recipes.  I certainly learned a few new things about how doughnuts came about and how popular they are.

#16 -- Nine Days a Queen: The Short Life & Reign of Lady Jane Grey

In NINE DAYS A QUEEN, author Ann Rinaldi brings to life the fascinating story of Lady Jane Grey. In the opening of the novel Lady Jane Grey is a young girl of nine who is living with her parents, the Duke and Duchess Suffolk. Jane had two younger sisters, Catherine and Mary. Later that same year, in 1546, Jane is sent to court to live with Queen Catherine Parr, the sixth wife of King Henry VIII. She is to learn important social skills that govern life at the Royal Court.

Jane's parents were very cruel and mistreated her. This is why she is pleased when Thomas Seymour, Catherine Parr's second husband, invites Jane to live with them. Her father agrees to the arrangement and Jane spends several happy years living in their home. When Catherine becomes ill after giving birth and dies, Jane's life changes for the worse.

Jane is treated as a pawn in her parents' quest for power. She is betrothed to Guildford Dudley even though she does not like him. Jane's parents, along with Guildford's parents, have formed a plan to ensure that Jane will become Queen of England. They succeed with their plan and Jane serves as Queen for nine days before being overthrown. The second half of the novel is filled with exciting twists and turns. Even though Lady Jane Grey only lives to the age of sixteen, her life is filled with more drama and excitement than most people will ever experience.

History will come to life for readers of NINE DAYS A QUEEN. Lady Jane Grey led a life filled with privilege and emotional pain. Her heartbreaking life story will stay with the reader long after he or she puts the book down.

http://www.teenreads.com/reviews/nine-days-a-queen-the-short-life-and-reign-of-lady-jane-grey

#15 -- Jeannie Out of the Bottle by Barbara Eden

     I saw this book at the library and since I love I Dream  of Jeannie I thought this would be an interesting read.  Her biography was so amazing that I couldn't put it down.  I learned about her childhood and how she got into show business.  I read about some of the experiences she had with producers and fellow co-stars.   I learned so much about the exciting parts in her life as well as the harder parts.

     Here is a description of the book, "Over the past four decades, the landmark NBC hit television series I Dream of Jeannie has delighted generations of audiences and inspired untold numbers of teenage crushes on its beautiful blond star, Barbara Eden. Part pristine Hollywood princess and part classic bombshell, with innocence, strength, and comedic talent to spare, Barbara finally lets Jeannie out of her bottle to tell her whole story.
 
     Jeannie Out of the Bottle takes us behind the scenes of I Dream of Jeannie as well as Barbara’s dozens of other stage, movie, television, and live concert performances. We follow her from the hungry years when she was a struggling studio contract player at 20th Century Fox through difficult weeks trying to survive as a chorus girl at Ciro’s Sunset Strip supper club, from a stint as Johnny Carson’s sidekick on live TV to tangling on-screen and off with some of Hollywood’s most desirable leading men, including Elvis Presley, Clint Eastwood, Paul Newman, and Warren Beatty. From the ups and downs of her relationship with her Jeannie co-star Larry Hagman to a touching meeting with an exquisite and vulnerable Marilyn Monroe at the twilight of her career, readers join Barbara on a thrilling journey through her five decades in Hollywood.
 
     But Barbara’s story is also an intimate and honest memoir of personal tragedy: a stillborn child with her first husband, Michael Ansara; a verbally abusive, drug-addicted second husband; the loss of her beloved mother; and the accidental heroin-induced death of her adult son, just months before his wedding. With candor and poignancy, Barbara reflects on the challenges she has faced, as well as the joys she has experienced and how she has maintained her humor, optimism, and inimitable Jeannie magic throughout the roller-coaster ride of a truly memorable life. 
 
     Illustrated with sixteen pages of photographs, including candid family pictures and rare publicity stills, Jeannie Out of the Bottle is a must-have for every fan, old and new."

http://www.amazon.com/Jeannie-Out-Bottle-Barbara-Eden/dp/0307886948

I would totally recommend this book to any fan of hers.

#14 -- Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin

This book was out of my normal reading selections.  I had heard about this book before but had never read it.  I saw it at the library and snatched it up and was determined to read it.  At first I got into it and then it became a little more difficult, but I kept reading page after page reading about all his experiences.

Here is a description about the book, "In the Deep South of the 1950s, journalist John Howard Griffin decided to cross the color line.  Using medication that darkened his skin to deep brown, he exchanged his privileged life as a Southern white man for the disenfranchised world of an unemployed black man.  His audacious, still chillingly relevant eyewitness history is a work about race and humanity-that in this new millennium still has something important to say to every American."
http://www.amazon.com/Black-Like-John-Howard-Griffin/dp/0451208641

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a smart read and learn a little bit about the history and the south.

#13 -- The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

     This book was indeed a bit mysterious.  What caught my eye besides the cover was the back of the book.  Here is a quick description of the book:

"Dozens of children respond to this peculiar ad in the newspaper and are then put through a series of mind-bending tests, which readers take along with them. Only four children-two boys and two girls-succeed. Their challenge: to go on a secret mission that only the most intelligent and inventive children could complete. To accomplish it they will have to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules. But what they'll find in the hidden underground tunnels of the school is more than your average school supplies. So, if you're gifted, creative, or happen to know Morse Code, they could probably use your help."
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/83369.The_Mysterious_Benedict_Society.
     It is a bit of a lengthier book and took me a little while to get through, and it did tread on at times.  Sometimes it was so thrilling I couldn't put it down, while other times I felt like it was a bit predictable.