Friday Finds | 02-14-2025 | Welcome
Happy Friday and Happy Valentine’s Day! Whether you’re celebrating with chocolates, a cozy book, or a heart-shaped lasagna (yes, that’s a thing!), I’ve got a great lineup for you today.
This week’s Friday Finds is packed with bookish delights—from middle-grade adventures to spicy romantic suspense—plus a few fun extras like delicious recipes and creative DIYs. There’s even a little indie publishing history for the literary buffs!
Read on to explore the reviews, spotlights, fun-time question of the week, and more. As always, let me know in the comments what caught your eye. I love hearing from you!
Enjoy & happy reading!
Peace & Love,
Gina
Friday Finds | 02-14-2025 | Book Reviews, Spotlights, Posts
Click on the images to see my post.
BBNYA 2024 Finalist Tour ~ 16th | The Nameless by Stuart White | #Science Fiction #Fantasy #Dystopian
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Fanny Fitzpatrick and the Sirens by Dana Hammer ~ #BookReview #RecipesFromTheBook #MiddleGrade
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Bullets and Dandelions by Gail Koger (Gemma Stone #0.5) ~ Spotlight ~ Excerpt #Spicy #RomanticSuspense
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Hijinks, Hitchhikers, and Mayhem by Gail Koger (Coletti Warlord Series) #action #adventure #RomCom #Fantasy
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[Spotlight] Bad Guy by Ana Diamond #Mystery #Thriller #Romance #Mafia
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Secret Plans: Vol. III: 40+ Years of Cartoons for Climbers by Tami Knight ~#Cartoons #Climbing #Adventure
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Picture A Garden by Linda Hornberg #MiddleGrade #NonFiction #Gardening #Outdoors
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Here’s a look back at last week’s Friday Finds, in case you missed it
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Sourdough Bread Baking & Best Sellers – Limited Time Deals!!
Shop best-selling baking cookbooks & recipe books for all levels with current promotional offers!! By Callisto Publishing.
*The above books are part of an affiliate promotion. I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.*
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Friday Finds | 02-14-2025 | Recipes
Red Velvet Cake with Raspberry Filling and Butter Cream Frosting is a very special cake for a very special occasion. It can be for a romantic dinner for two or more, a special anniversary, or just because I love you and want to make you a very special cake. (Recipe & image courtesy of Miz Helen’s Country Cottage)
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This heart-shaped lasagna is filled with red meat sauce that oozes out when you slice into it, making it the perfect Valentine’s Day supper whether you love the holiday — or hate it. (image & recipe from The Food Network)
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Today’s exclusive recipe in the email newsletter was Healthy Blueberry Muffins.
Friday Finds | 02-14-2025 | Fun Time
What is a special act of kindness you can do for someone this month?
Share your answer in the comment section to be included in the next fun-time drawing!
Here’s the updated list of prizes being offered.
- A featured block on the website sidebar
- A BookShop or Etsy gift card
- A donation to the charity of your choice
Do you have any suggestions for questions, prizes, topics, or features?
Friday Finds | 02-14-2025 | Book Shelf
Paper Daffodils (A Rosie and Dawn Adventure) by Titania Tempest
Women over sixty should be calm and reserved. Dignified, even. Not mad-capping about, finding mischief, and falling in love. Right? Well… apparently, Dawn and Rosie didn’t get the memo.
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The Story of Arthur Truluv (Mason Book #1) by Elizabeth Berg
A life-affirming novel about an unforgettable character, a wise and loving man whose humor and unconditional love create for himself and others second chances at happiness.
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The ABCs of Black History (The ABCs of History) by Rio Cortez
It’s a story of hope and love.
In addition to rhyming text, the book includes back matter with information on the events, places, and people mentioned in the poem, from Mae Jemison to W. E. B. Du Bois, Fannie Lou Hamer to Sam Cooke, and the Little Rock Nine to DJ Kool Herc.
Click each image to learn more!
Friday Finds | 02-14-2025 |Independent Author News
No news was reported this week, so I’m featuring one of the bestselling Indie Published books of all time!
Found on almost every single English Lit syllabus in the Western world, Paradise Lost, a Biblical epic written in verse, is considered one of the most important pieces of writing of recent times. And to think that it almost didn’t see the light of day… The first edition of Paradise Lost was published by subscription. That is, Milton ran ads in local papers to describe his project in the hopes of garnering interest. Readers, or subscribers, then stood for the production costs (kind of like how crowdfunding works today). It may not be self-publishing in the modern sense of the word, but it’s fair to say that without Milton’s own initiative, Paradise might truly have been lost. (Reedsy)
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Friday Finds | 02-14-2025 | Fun Creative Finds
Let The Shenanigans Begin DIY Door Hanger Kit | St. Patrick’s Day Sign | Laser Cut Wood Craft Kit | DIY Spring Decor | Unfinished Paint Kit | Woodland Ridge Laser (currently 40% off, but that price won’t last)
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Shamrock Garland Crochet Kit, Learn to Crochet
Perfect for first-time, beginner, or experienced crocheters! Our Learn to Crochet Video Guide is included with every kit and will walk you through each step, from holding your hook and yarn all the way to completing your first project. If you already know those skills, you can skip right to the written crochet pattern!
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See you next week for more Friday Finds Fun!
Gina
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Hi Gina, love all the book selections, once again.
I had to click on the “Heart-Shaped Lasagna Bundt” recipe, too. I’ll pass that one on to our son. He loves making Lasagna for his wife on special occasions.
Have a great rest of the month!
I had to see what heart-shaped lasagna looks like, but then I almost dropped my phone seeing that arresting guy on the cover of Hijinks, Hitchhikers and Mahem.
I think some good acts of kindness are to comment and interact with small businesses on social media. It’s so tough on social media anymore. I remember when FB first started and I started my page. I used to get likes and comments on my posts without too much hassle. Now, it’s near impossible to get any interaction. So I try to interact with others to help them out.