Book Review: Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan

Good Morning! Happy Friday!

Now that I am co-hosting an online book club with Danielle of the Love Danielle Blog, I decided to start doing book reviews of the books we read each month. Today is book club day (we open up our discussion for comments on the book) and I am sharing my full review of Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan instead of doing my traditional Friday Five post.

This book has excellent reviews and has been a #1 Amazon bestseller. It is being adapted as a movie that will star Tom Holland as the stories hero, Pino Lella, an Italian teenager who unexpectantly becomes a part of the resistance against the Axis powers and a spy in the German military.

I was so excited to read this book because I LOVE WW2 history. It is by far my favorite period to learn about and read about. However, I know the least about the Italian theater of the war so this book was very educational for me on that front.

Overall, I loved the book. It was a little slow to start but once it hooked me I couldn't put it down. There were three distinct sections in the book- the beginning where Pino was not involved in the war, his time in the Mountains accompanying Jews over to Spain on Ski's (which I enjoyed reading about because I am an avid skier) and his time as a Nazi soldier and spy for the Allies.

All three parts of the story take place while Pino is 17-18 years old... he was still a child and yet he risked his life over and over to help the war effort and fight the Nazi's in every way he could. We also learn in the book about Pino after the war and how he lived his life during peace. He is still alive to this day and lives in Italy. There are several colorful characters in the book that either incited my adoration or my anger.

I don't want to give away too much but I will say that there is much more to this book than just war and heroism. There is currents of strong friendship, the love of family, the strength of faith in hard times and a dash of romance, humor, and tragedy. Overall, I fell in love with the idea of an Italian teenager who ended up in the middle of a war and instead of choosing to keep his head down and just get by, he jumped into the effort with both Ski's and did his part of the war effort. He is an inspiring figure and I am so glad that his heroic story was not lost to history. I wish I could thank Mark Sullivan personally for sharing the story of Pino Lella and making sure he gets the recognition he deserves for his heroism during one of the darkest times in our history.

5 out of 5 stars!

If you are interested in our online book club, here is some more info:

• There will be a book chosen at the beginning of each month
• We have no specific genre. We are just picking books we think are interesting and are always open to suggestions or ideas. 
• We will have a private discussion board for members of the Book Club to discuss, compare opinions and get to know each other. This will be hosted on GoodReads and the link to our group is here: A Novel Idea Online Book Club 
• Toward the end of each month, we will have a "book club day" to discuss the book and our thoughts on it. 
• We will also be having some guest bloggers to choose the book of the month and moderate the discussions to shake things up

If you are interested in joining the Book Club (everyone is welcome!), please follow this link to sign up for the email list: https://goo.gl/forms/159wUDKpxqXXZySD3

Have a great weekend everyone!

Latest Purchases

Happy Monday!

Today I am posting a round-up of all of my most recent purchases. I am a bit of a shopaholic... I love clothes and Amazon and Target. I try to be mindful of the budget so I do usually confine my shopping to things that are on sale. And there is NOTHING I love more than a good sale!! So here is a round up of everything I have bought over the last few weeks.

AMAZON

I bought one of these quartz rollers to put on my face serum. It is supposed to encourage circulation in the skin. So far I like it! It was less than $10.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D27145L/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B07D27145L&linkCode=as2&tag=thelegduc-20&linkId=94025483f5c4ddb2b99b37c58d0e5e2e

I ordered this to use on my face at night. Hyaluronic Acid is SO good for your skin and I love that this is a gel- it goes on SO smooth. It is also less than $15- score!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NR1YQHM/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00NR1YQHM&linkCode=as2&tag=thelegduc-20&linkId=2a74ba17bbbddcd1306dc3a0e1a4318b

I needed a new pop socket for my phone but I got this instead. It is so cute in the Mickey Mouse shape and works great! I got a 2 pack for less than $7!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077CLVFFZ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B077CLVFFZ&linkCode=as2&tag=thelegduc-20&linkId=cdb00bb3193871b3ac71635d1265c487

These leggings are AMAZING and under $12!! The even have the pocket for your phone and come in a million colors. They are super comfy and wash well.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07F2GXW2Z/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B07F2GXW2Z&linkCode=as2&tag=thelegduc-20&linkId=05c1930ed4dcb2a7400e53126477d9b2

I made a new years resolution to pack my lunch every day and these are perfect to pack in!! You get so many for the low price!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079QKJ6CQ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B079QKJ6CQ&linkCode=as2&tag=thelegduc-20&linkId=aaf4587d6a18d82f1eef4c31503dabaf

J. CREW & J. CREW FACTORY 

This was my latest J. Crew Factory order. I LOVE J. Crew in general and they always run such good sales on the regular and Factory site. I was able to get all of this for less than $100 thanks to the code CLEAROUT!!!!!

https://factory.jcrew.com/p/J6140?color_name=hthr-graphite&N=2

https://factory.jcrew.com/p/K2187?color_name=black&N=2

https://factory.jcrew.com/p/K4944?color_name=black&N=2

https://factory.jcrew.com/p/J0584?color_name=wild-berry-white&N=SMALL

This was my latest J. Crew order. I snagged this whole order for $110 thanks to the 70% off promo code GOFORIT.

This cute bathing suit was around $11 for both pieces.

https://www.jcrew.com/p/J2489?color_name=CERISE&srcCode=EMOP00001&utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=order-confirmation

https://www.jcrew.com/p/H8449?color_name=CERISE&srcCode=EMOP00001&utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=order-confirmation

This gorgeous Tweed Jacket was under $60.

https://www.jcrew.com/p/K3783?color_name=BLACK%20METALLIC%20MULTI&srcCode=EMOP00001&utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=order-confirmation

This adorble gingham suit was under $20 for both pieces.

https://www.jcrew.com/p/H7650?color_name=WISTERIA%20IVORY&srcCode=EMOP00001&utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=order-confirmation

https://www.jcrew.com/p/J1771?color_name=WISTERIA%20IVORY&srcCode=EMOP00001&utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=order-confirmation

Friday Five 1/18/19

Happy Friday!

My week has been a bit up and down. Classes were good, work is going well and I did some planning on some exciting things for my future. There is snow on the ground which always makes me happy. Unfortunately, there was also a lot of downs in my week and some bad news.... just asking for some prayers if anyone has a spare moment.

I am looking forward to a long weekend at home with my family and horses. It is much needed at the moment.

Now on to my Friday Five.


1. Walmart Grocery Delivery

I tried Walmart Grocery Delivery for the first time this week and it was AMAZING! I ordered online and they were delivered at 9am by a super nice guy named Blake. It saved me so much time and was so simple and straightforward. If you are short on time, seriously consider trying this out!

2. Game of Thrones
I know I am about 10 years late to this party but my husband and I finally started Game of Thrones. So far I am confused but hopefully I will start to keep everyone straight. Everyone says it is great so here goes nothing!


3. Yeouth Face Serum 

I have been using this for about a month and I am SO pleased with it! It is a perfect base full of good stuff for your face but I like that it goes on more like a moisturizer than a serum.

4. Space Force 

I saw this news and I AM SO EXCITED! The Office is basically the greatest show of all time so something new from those guys is the greatest news ever.

5. The Secret Rescue by Cate Lineberry 

I finished this book this week and it was so good! It is a very interesting story about something that history has largely forgotten. I am not very familiar with Albania nor did I realize that so many nurses ended up behind enemy lines in WW2. I would highly suggest this if you like informative, historical reads like me!

All About the MPRE

I bet some of you 1L's out there won't even recognize the term MPRE... I know I had no idea what it was until like my 2L year. Turns out, it is something you have to take and pass in almost every state in order to sit for the Bar exam. I am posting this to help others know and understand the MPRE before it's upon you.

It has been a while since I took the MPRE but I hope this overview helps those of your out there wondering exactly what the MPRE is and how to prepare to pass it.

Easy Slow Cooker Chili Recipe

Happy Sunday!

My Eagles are playing today so we have Chili cooking in the crockpot for the game. FLY EAGLES FLY! (I grew up outside of Philidelphia so I am a lifelong Eagles fan)

Few things go together better than Chili and football. My husband and I make this Chili recipe all the time and it is one of my FAVORITE recipes of all time. It is quick and easy and SO good. I keep the ingredients on hand at all times because it is just one of those meals that always sounds good and is easy to put together.

This is one of those recipes that anyone can make regardless of cooking skill. Perfect for busy families or student life!

Perfect Sunday Football Chili Recipe 

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1/4 tsp. Onion Powder
• 2 tsp. Chili Powder
• 1 tsp. Paprika
• 1 tsp. Ground Cumin
• 1 tsp. Sea Salt
• 2 cans Kidney Beans 
• 1 can Black Beans 
• 1 can Sweet Corn
• 2 cans Tomato Sauce
• Optional: a few dashes of Tobasco to heat it up

Toppings/Sides 

• Sour cream 
• Cheese 
• Scallions 
• Olives 
• Chili
• Corn chips 
• Cornbread

Directions

1. Brown ground beef in a skillet
2. Once brown, add to slow cooker
3. Add beans, corn and tomato sauce to crockpot
4. Add onion, garlic, & chili powder, paprika, salt, pepper & cumin to crockpot
5. Cook in a crockpot for 3-4 hours on HIGH or 6-8 hours on LOW

• Serve in a bowl and add any of the toppings you want. Cornbread my favorite side. 

• Store in airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days
• Perfect as leftovers for lunch

Right click on the recipe to print!