Formerly, the Fallen Daughter of the Duke, Vol. 5 by Ushio Shirotori; Ichibu Saki

Formerly, the Fallen Daughter of the Duke, Vol. 5 by Ushio Shirotori; Ichibu Saki

My Rating: ★★★

When Claire decided to use her magic to switch to a previous save point, she didn’t realize how hard it would be. However, she’s determined to use the knowledge she has to prevent tragedy from occurring again. Claire finds herself in Paffuto as a noblewoman given special treatment by the royal family, but that’s not the only change in this new timeline. Prince Vik has an older brother who seemingly didn’t exist before, and she may not be the only one who remembers the other timeline. Now Claire is forced to think quickly as she’s getting a grasp of everything she might be facing.

I was interested in seeing how the big shakeup would pan out, but I can’t say that I feel super invested in it after this volume. The story was choppy on and off, and Claire couldn’t seem to figure out why events were different this time around despite making different choices before she even got to Paffuto. There weren’t any huge changes in events, so we mostly watched Claire reflect on people, events, and sometimes herself as she relived events in a slightly different way. Her reflections were often repetitive, so it felt like a chore to read at times.

Overall, I did still like reading this, but it felt like we were just going through the motions. I’m hoping this changes in the next volume since I was left wondering if retconning might’ve been a mistake. I’ll be picking up the next volume anyway, so I’ll be finding out soon enough.

The Unofficial Disney Parks Retro Cookbook: 60+ Nostalgic Recipes and Stories of Yesteryear by Julie Tremaine, Carly Caramanna

The Unofficial Disney Parks Retro Cookbook: 60+ Nostalgic Recipes and Stories of Yesteryear by Julie Tremaine, Carly Caramanna

My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from Harper Celebrate through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re a fan of any of the Disney parks, then this may be a book for you! Inside, you will find 60+ recipes inspired by dishes, desserts, and drinks going all the way back to when Disney first opened. The recipes are separated by the inspiration, which also includes information about the park, dining experience, and even quotes from Walt Disney himself. The book is also peppered with photos of the delicious items in question to make you even hungrier!

I really enjoyed reading this. Recipe books like this are a lifeline for people like me with food allergies, especially if you’re like me and have one of the top five most common food allergies: peanuts. I don’t remember much of any of the food I tried at Disneyland as a kid, but I do remember the overall happy experience, so I always jump on any Disney cookbook. Instead of asking why different dishes and whatnot are no longer around, I couldn’t even try them if I wanted to. Insert people like the authors recreating the recipes and allowing the Disney magic of food and drinks come alive at home!

The recipes are pretty straight forward on top of looking and sounding delicious. It’s easy to modify them for allergen reasons, or turn some of the alcoholic beverages into non-alcoholic drinks, and make some truly tasty items. I’m looking forward to testing out some of these recipes, especially the desserts! I also really liked the additional information provided about where these recipes came from. It felt like we were hopping in a time machine and taking a tour around the Disney parks. You really can’t go wrong with this book!

World's Okayest Oracle (Reluctantly) Seeks Demon (Supernatural Entanglements #2) by Olivia Dade

World's Okayest Oracle (Reluctantly) Seeks Demon by Olivia Dade

My Rating: ★★★★

Gwen Wexloff is the only oracle in her family. Unfortunately, she’s also the exact opposite of what is expected of an oracle. Instead of having groundbreaking visions, hers are considered mundane and useless. Everything changed when she had a vision of apocalyptic levels while fighting zombies. If she doesn’t get that info to the right people, it’s game over… and that’s how she found herself at Hugh Blacke’s door while dressed like she’s about to hit Flavortown. Will he believe Gwen even after witnessing how badly she failed her oracle verification text twenty years ago?

I was so excited to pick this up since I really enjoyed the first book and it did not disappoint! We pick up right where the previous novel left off, but this time, we’re following Gwen. I loved her in the first book, so I was super excited about following her! Other than being dressed like Guy Fieri, she’s pregnant, loves cheese, and is a deeply caring person. She also failed her oracle verification text in spectacularly memorable fashion, so she hopes that Hugh doesn’t take that into consideration when she reveals her vision!

This time around, we got a lot more worldbuilding, which I enjoyed since the lack of worldbuilding was one of the few complaints I had about the previous book. I love how much we learn about oracles and demons in particular, especially since we follow Gwen, and she spends a lot of time with Hugh, the demon from her past. Between the worldbuilding and the rundown of the events from the previous book, you could read this book first. However, I think that it’d be a lot more enjoyable if you read the books in order.

That said, we continued with the great cast of characters from the previous book, which I loved. Gwen spent most of her time with Hugh, so we got a lot of history on both oracles and demons. We also meet more characters, but it won’t be overwhelming unless you’re starting the series with this book. Gwen is so much fun to follow. She’s sweet, funny, and a truly caring person. I think that she’s really easy to like, but if you weren’t a fan of Edie from the previous book, you might not like Gwen either.

All in all, this was such a fun read. It was great to see some of my favorites from the previous book while continuing the story with different people trying to save the world. There’s a lot more world building this time around, which might be too information heavy for anyone who hasn’t read the previous book. However, you could still read this book first if you wanted to. Plus, the epilogue has me really excited for the next book, so I’m excited for the eventual publication announcement!

Strange Kawaii by Mag Hokkyoku

Strange Kawaii by Mag Hokkyoku

My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from Z Lab through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re looking for a super cute coloring book for yourself or a teenager, then this might be the book for you! Inside, you will find 30 kawaii coloring pages covering a range of images that will delight you. Whether it’s adorable characters or kawaii landscapes, you’re bound to enjoy coloring each page!

I found this so cute. It’s complex enough to keep your mind busy while also not going overboard so that teenagers can enjoy coloring the pages as well. I really like that they are one sided coloring pages so you don’t have to choose which page to sacrifice to markers that will bleed through the pages. Plus, there’s a page designated just for tearing out and sticking between the page you're currently coloring and the page after it! I really enjoyed this and look forward to checking out more from the artist.

Curious Book of Creepy Crochet: 25+ Oddball Amigurumi Creatures by Carolyne Brodie

Curious Book of Creepy Crochet: 25+ Oddball Amigurumi Creatures by Carolyne Brodie

My Rating: ★★★★★

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

If you’re looking for a good Halloween theme pattern, then this book might be perfect for you! Inside you will find 25+ perfectly spoopy patterns that demonstrate that amigurumi can really be anything you want it to be. You will also find a comprehensive supply list complete with pictures, the basics of crochet, a small assembly guide, and a quick rundown on how to read crochet patterns. Plus, there’s a step-by-step crochet guide with pictures to help guide you as you learn any stitches you may not know.

Halloween is my favorite holiday, so of course I had to pick this up! I really liked the variety of patterns included. My favorites are Velvet the Bat, Revna the Raven, Squash the Pumpkin Doll, Rotten Ralph the Zombie, and Patch the Scarecrow. However, all of the patterns are wonderful! I love how each pattern comes with its own story about the character. You’ll also discover that each pattern is rated anywhere from beginner to intermediate, which will help you decide if it’s something you’re ready to make! The fact that there’s so many in-progress photos included with each pattern is excellent as well. It will be a huge help to beginner crocheters or anyone who is new to amigarumi.

All in all, this is an excellent pattern book! There’s a nice variety of patterns and it’s perfect for crocheters of all levels. I really like that there’s photos of some of the more technical aspects of each pattern, and that there are some tips and tricks included early in the book before you get to any of the patterns. Plus, the patterns are pretty straightforward and easy to read. I can’t wait to make some of them!

The World of Jumbo Amigurumi: 30 Easy Crochet Designs for Huggable Plushies by Genna Tatu, Elysa Weitala (photos)

The World of Jumbo Amigurumi: 30 Easy Crochet Designs for Huggable Plushies by Genna Tatu, Elysa Weitala (photos)

My Rating: ★★★★★

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

If you’re interested in making amigurumi with bulky to jumbo weight yarn, then this is the book for you! Inside you will find 30 adorable beginner friendly patterns along with a comprehensive supply list. Plus, there is information about how to read patterns, and a short but comprehensive guide on how to crochet in addition to other various skills you may need to learn.

I have some jumbo yarn I want to use, so I decided to check out this pattern book. I can’t wait to make the Sweet Strawberry and Shane the Silly Shark patterns! All of the patterns are absolutely adorable. The patterns are also pretty straight forward and beginner friendly, so I think a lot of people are going to love adding this to their collection. It’s also a great book for beginners because it has a lot of excellent information and the instructions on how to crochet are super clear and easy to follow. The photographs for each pattern are absolutely wonderful as well. I can’t wait to make some of these patterns!

History's Greatest Drinking Games: From the Notorious to the Wisely Forgotten by Elliot Martyn

 
History's Greatest Drinking Games: From the Notorious to the Wisely Forgotten by Elliot Martyn

My Rating: ★★★★

I received a copy from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Socializing while drinking is not a new pastime. If you’ve ever been interested in learning about the history of drinking games, then this might be the book for you! It’s interesting to learn how far back drinking games go back along with any information available about the types of games people played. Now I don’t know about you, but I didn’t know politics were involved with drinking games throughout time, so I think you’re bound to learn some new things!

I really liked that it didn’t just cover drinking games throughout time, but also covered the culture and political history as well. Context is important, so it was great to read about anything I hadn’t previously known that made the games make even more sense. However, it was so expansive at times that I think it should’ve been marketed differently. The official summary makes this sound like it’s going to be a super light and fun read. What you actually get, at least the time that I received the ARC, is an interesting history book that’s information heavy and with very dry writing. I was expecting something different, but this is something I still would’ve picked up even if it wasn’t presented as a silly and fun non-fiction book on a range of drinking games throughout history.