Thursday, May 1, 2025

Spacewalking With You, Vol. 1 by by Inuhiko Doronoda

 
Spacewalking With You, Vol. 1 by by Inuhiko Doronoda
My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from Kodansha Comics through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Kobayashi is struggling in and out of school. Even his best friend is making bets on how long he’ll last at his latest part time job! Now he finds himself wanting to befriend Uno, the new transfer student at their all boy school. While Uno is different from the other kids, he doesn’t let that stop him from living his life, and he’s inspired Kobayashi to do the same. This budding friendship is leading the duo to learn new things about themselves and life in this gripping read!

I absolutely loved reading this. We follow Kobayashi, a high school student struggling with both school and work. He hasn’t lasted long at any of his jobs because he has trouble doing his work, but everything changes when he meets Uno. Through Uno, he learns new ways to learn and has even become interested in school again.

I loved the characters, the story, and how well Inuhiko Doronoda captures some of the realities of the neurodivergent experience. While some details are exaggerated for storytelling purposes, they aren’t insulting in any way, and they work to make these characters feel real. When I got to the end of the book, I was glad it’s the first in a series because I wanted to continue reading the story ASAP. I can’t wait to eventually read the second volume!

Tuesday, April 29, 2025

Knit a Box of Socks by Julie Anne Lebouthillier

 
Knit a Box of Socks by Julie Anne Lebouthillier
My Rating: ★★★★★

If you’re looking for some cute and simple to follow sock patterns, then this is the book for you! Inside, you will find 24 patterns, including a very basic and simple starter sock pattern. I’m an experienced knitter who has mostly kept away from knitting socks, so I wanted to hop back into sock knitting with this book! I like that there’s a range of patterns for all experience levels, so anyone can pick this up and find something they can knit. I also like that there’s a range of helpful tips in addition to the guide that's already included. I don’t think anyone can go wrong with this book.

Sunday, April 20, 2025

Embroidering Animals with Color and Texture by Jessica Long

Embroidering Animals with Color and Texture by Jessica Long
My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from Landauer Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re looking for an embroidery book and you like the patterns on the cover, then I say pick this up! I have Jessica Long’s other embroidery book, so I jumped on this ASAP. Inside, you will find 25 really cool embroidery patterns complete with detailed instructions. There is also a comprehensive stitch guide as well as detailed information on stumpwork and thread painting. I’d never heard of stumpwork before and now I’m obsessed. I can’t wait to try it!

I think this has some pretty good information for beginner to advanced embroiderers. There’s a variety of patterns, so you can pick something you feel comfortable with stitching or want to challenge yourself with. There’s a lot of information and advice, and I like how it gets you pumped up to start stitching before you get to the patterns. I can’t wait to purchase this book when it drops.

Sunday, April 13, 2025

Cryptids, Creatures & Critters: A Manual of Monsters & Mythos from Around the World by Rachel Quinney

 
Cryptids, Creatures & Critters: A Manual of Monsters & Mythos from Around the World by Rachel Quinney
My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from Andrews McMeel Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you are someone who has always been interested in cryptids, folklore, and mythology, then this is going to be a good book for you! Inside, you will find information on everything from unicorns to Medusa. There is so much information packed inside that you’re bound to enjoy it whether or not you’re already familiar with it. I love that it also makes a point to cover the origins and how the stories have been impacted and changed by colonization, religion, and technology. There’s also pictures included all throughout the book. I think this is an excellent read that I cannot recommend enough.

Friday, April 11, 2025

I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I'm Trapped in a Rom-Com (Cosmic Chaos #1) by Kimberly Lemming

 
I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I'm Trapped in a Rom-Com by Kimberly Lemming
My Rating: ★★★★★

Dorothy Valentine, aka Dory, is on the edge of proving her family wrong about her life dream. Instead of becoming a pageant queen or finding herself a husband her mom can brag about, she’s spent years pursuing her PhD. Unfortunately for Dory, things go awry while she’s getting some excellent footage of the meerkats she’s been studying. Not only does she get attacked by a lion, but she also gets abducted by aliens! Now she’s determined to escape this strange planet full of extinct animals from Earth all while caught up in a throuple!

I was so excited when I saw that this book was on the way. I really enjoyed the Mead Mishaps series, so I was READY for this to drop. We follow Dory, a wildlife biologist, as her entire life is turned upside down. Instead of getting closer to finally having her PhD, she’s abducted by aliens after almost getting killed by a lion. While trying to find a way off of a strange planet full of extinct animals from Earth, she finds herself partnering up with the lion that tried to kill her as they face off with a whole bunch of prehistoric animals from Earth.

If this book sounds up your alley and you’re looking for something fun to read, I highly recommend picking this up. This was such a crazy and fun story! Plus, there’s a great cast of characters. Toto (the lion) ended up being my favorite character, but I loved a number of the characters, including Intern. We also see Dory become a member of a throuple and see everyone go on one hilariously crazy journey together. If you think you know where the story is going, I promise you that you’ll discover that there are still some hilarious surprises.

Tuesday, April 8, 2025

Cult of the Kraken (Avery & Carter #4) by Shane Carrow

 
Cult of the Kraken by Shane Carrow
My Rating: ★★★

The Great War may be over, but Lucas Avery and Sam Carter are working to get to the bottom of paranormal mysteries. This time around, they’re guests aboard the HMS Pathfinder to figure out why ships are sinking around the same area. While most believe there’s a perfectly good reason since the ocean has a mind of its own, there are some who believe there may be some paranormal activity going on. Once Avery and Carter lock eyes with a Kraken neither even entertained as a possibility, they know this is exactly why they were sent to investigate.

While the previous book was a disappointing read, I’m excited to announce that Shane is back on his A-game with this one! We follow Avery and Carter as they’re sent aboard the HMS Pathfinder on a mission to investigate what has been sinking ships in the area. However, seeing a Kraken for themselves is enough to leave them a little shaken! Once they wash up on Uskay, they quickly discover that it’s the unexpected real source of the mystery.

I really enjoyed reading this! One thing I love about this series is the friendship and banter between Avery and Carter, and that is something we missed out on between the duo in the previous book. However, they’re back together and forging ahead at full speed this time around, and it was so exciting to read! I hope to see this continue once Emily reenters the story. The plot was excellent, and without spoiling the story, you’re going to be Team Kraken. Trust me on this. While what they were doing wasn’t right, it was also 100% understandable given the circumstances and how badly they’d been wronged.

However, I do wish there was foreshadowing rather than being told what was going to happen before it happened, but I can live with that since the story was pretty good. My only other complaint is that the Spanish in this book is spelled wrong and appears to have English grammar rules applied to it. I’m not even fluent in Spanish and these mistakes took me straight out of the story.

All in all, this was an enjoyable read and it really breathed life back into the series. I’m excited to eventually pick up the next book and see where Avery and Carter go from here!

Saturday, April 5, 2025

Men of the Harem, Vol. 1 by Alphatart

 
Men of the Harem, Vol. 1 by Alphatart
My Rating: ★★★★

I received a copy from Ize Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Latrasil Valentine Tarium is soothing a broken heart after the love of her life decides to marry someone else. Not only did she have to hear the news from someone else, but he also had the nerve to ask for her to wait five years for him. In the midst of everything, Latrasil learns that her older brother is abdicating and that she will be inheriting the throne when her father passes. Throwing herself into her studies, she also hatches a revenge plan. She’s going to take multiple consorts once she’s emperor, and then make her ex select one of her consorts. Oh my!

While this wasn’t what I was expecting, it was still a pretty good read. We follow Latrasil from the time that she meets her first love up until she’s a scorned woman ready to put her revenge plan into effect. It was more serious than I was expecting, and politics ended up being a much larger plot than I was expecting. However, it’s not always serious. There’s some pretty funny events, which allows us to see another side to the characters. I really enjoyed reading this and look forward to seeing where the story goes from here. Plus, the artwork is stunning! If an art book for the series came out somewhere down the line, I would be all over it.