The Everything Nut Allergy Cookbook: 200 Easy Tree Nut– and Peanut-Free Recipes for Every Meal by Lisa Horne

 

The Everything Nut Allergy Cookbook: 200 Easy Tree Nut– and Peanut-Free Recipes for Every Meal by Lisa Horne
My Rating: ★★★★★

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

Anyone with food allergies, especially any one of the top nine major food allergies, knows that a lot of places and brands are not things we can eat. If the items don’t directly use the allergen, they are manufactured with them, and it is sad times. I developed food allergies in my mid-20s and the first year of allergy life was definitely an experience. I couldn’t believe how many things are manufactured with peanuts as well as how many restaurants had cross contamination with peanuts. This isn’t even including the places I vowed to never eat at after speaking to managers and cooks who didn’t make the connection between peanuts and peanut products (peanut oil, peanut butter, etc.)!

While adapting recipes to not include my allergens is easy, it’s just really nice to pick up a book that is allergy friendly. One of the things that I like about this book is that it addresses allergies to readers who have allergies as well as readers who don’t have allergies but are related to or friends with someone who does. There’s information on the difference between food allergies and intolerances as well as keeping an allergy free kitchen space. There’s also a quick guide on allergy substitutes for nuts, diary, flour, and soy sauce. The recipes also let you know if the recipe includes any of the top nine allergens before you get into the recipe itself. I instantly knew this was going to be a great cookbook!

So many of the recipes look and sound absolutely delicious. I wasn’t hungry every time I picked this book up, but I was sure hungry when I put it down. I recognized many recipes, but I also found new recipes that I want to try out. I’m most excited about the coffee cake recipe just because that’s one of my favorite things that I haven’t had for a long time, even before I developed food allergies. I’m extremely excited to make several of the recipes included and even found some things my younger brother will like that don’t have dairy in it, or even dairy substitutes, since he is dairy intolerant and has issues with some dairy substitutes.

All in all, this is a wonderful book that is great to have on hand.

The Last Fallen Star (Gifted Clans #1) by Graci Kim

 
The Last Fallen Star by Graci Kim

My Rating: ★★★★★

Riley Oh has grown up learning about magic and an entire magical and fantastical world the average person has no idea about. The only problem is that she’ll never be able to practice that magic herself. You see, she’s a non-magical person adopted by a magical family, so she’s grown up watching while being unable to practice herself. Everything is about to change now that she and her sister, Hattie, have learned that they can share Hattie’s magic with the help of a spell. Riley will no longer be the odd one out with bullies calling her a fake witch. When things go wrong, Hattie is left near death, and it’s up to Riley to embark on a quest to find a lost magical artifact: a fallen star. Armed with her best friend, Riley has no idea what she’s doing, but what she does know is that she’s determined to make sure Hattie survives this.

I knew I was going to love this book, but I didn’t know how much I was going to actually love it and phew. I was in for an amazing ride! We follow Riley, who has always felt like an outcast. She never fit in the magical community, and she never quite fit in the non-magical community. All Riley has ever wanted, above all, was to be accepted. That’s something most people can relate to, especially younger readers. During her adventures, she truly learns who she is, what she’s capable of, and what’s most important to her.

I loved following Riley as she traveled around the magical and non-magical world. One of my favorite parts, other than all the strong family bonds, was when she learned that not everything is always what it seems to be. I grew up hearing that there were always three sides to a story: what both parties involved thought happened, and what actually happened. Riley and company got to see this play out as they learned that there was what the excommunicated clan thought happened, what the other clans thought happened, and then what really happened.

It was also great to see Riley learn that there’s also more than what we see on the surface. She has one person who is particularly mean to her, and somewhere along the way, she learns more about this character. Riley sees that there’s a lot more to this character and that Riley, for whatever reason, is just the person they took their anger out on. Granted, it’s not right, and even Riley questions why she was targeted, but it’s great to see someone who appeared to just be a very minor side character receive such character development.

It’s also wonderful to see Korean culture and mythology be so present from beginning to end. While I’m not Korean, I know that many readers are going to be excited to see their culture and characters who represent them go on such an amazing adventure. I’m looking forward to seeing where this series goes, and I know it’s going to be an amazing one.

The Dictionary of Dreams: Over 1,000 Dream Symbols, Signs, and Meanings by Gustavus Hindman Miller; Sigmund Freud; Henri Bergson

 
The Dictionary of Dreams: Over 1,000 Dream Symbols, Signs, and Meanings by Gustavus Hindman Miller; Sigmund Freud; Henri Bergson
My Rating: ★★★★

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

Interpreting dreams is always fun, so I knew I had to pick up this book and see what it had to say. Inside, there’s various texts on interpreting dreams from Sigmund Freud as well as Gustavus Hindman Miller. Plus, there’s over a thousand interpretations of objects and situations that turn up on our dreams. It covers everything from nightmares about teeth falling out to searching for people or objects.

Some things I dream about have obvious meanings, so I wouldn’t look them up. For example, if I’m looking for the bathroom and something is wrong with the bathroom making it unusable, it’s because I need to use the bathroom and haven’t woken up yet. However, there’s many things that turn up in dreams that I’ll wake up wondering what they mean, and that’s when a resource like this comes in handy. While there’s many possible reasons behind objects and scenarios turning up in dreams, books like this open the door on some of those possible meanings and that’s why it’s great to have a couple books on the topic on hand.

Hitorijime My Hero, Vol. 1 by Memeko Arii

 

Hitorijime My Hero, Vol. 1 by Memeko Arii
My Rating: ★

Masahiro Setagawa has spent his life catering to other people. Stuck as a gofer for a group of bullies, he’s content with having a place to go. This all ends when a Kousuke Ohshiba, a guy wearing a shirt with a bunch of sayings all over it known for beating up bullies, shows up and beats everyone up. Unsure of what to do next, Masahiro Setagawa finds himself helping someone from school and an abandoned kitten. Who knew that the kid and the cat turned out to be the mystery hero’s little brother! Soon, Masahiro Setagawa finds himself cleaning and cooking for Kousuke Ohshiba, his brother, and all their friends.

Honestly, the only thing I liked about this book was the cute cat drawings any time the cat appeared in the story. Otherwise, I spent a good portion of this book very confused, which I guess makes sense since it turns out that it’s the spin-off of another series from the author. I haven’t read that series, so I’m not familiar with it or the characters from it and I can’t say if that would help with the confusion I had for a good portion of the book. 

That said, I also would not call this a romance either. There’s a massive age difference between Masahiro Setagawa and Kousuke Ohshiba. The age difference would be fine if they were both adults, but they are not. In fact, one is in school, and the other is their much older teacher who is pushing 30! I thought Kousuke Ohshiba was an older student at first, but it turned out he’s actually a teacher who goes around beating up bullies in his free time. He basically takes Masahiro Setagawa in to clean and cook after school since he’s friendly with his younger brother.

The only thing that’s clear is that for some reason everyone at casa de Masahiro supports the two characters getting together. There’s so much wrong here and it’s being presented as a romance that’s supposed to be cute. It’s presented as the story of kid being saved from his bad situation by a hero that he’s now developed a crush on, but it’s actually the story of a teacher abusing his position of authority to take advantage of a student and friend of his younger brother.

The Night Shift by Alex Finlay

The Night Shift by Alex Finlay
My Rating: ★★★★★

It’s New Year’s Eve and everyone is expecting Y2K to hit with a bang. Instead of a total digital collapse, the Blockbuster massacre happens in Linden, New Jersey. It leaves one survivor, and the killer flees, never to be seen or heard from again. At least, that’s what everyone thought until an eerily similar massacre occurs fifteen years later in the same town. Everyone assigned to the case is left wondering if they have a copycat killer on their hands, but the only way to know is to dive back into the original massacre.

I really enjoyed this fast paced and truly wild book. Told through rotating narrators, we jump back and forth between the years 1999/2000 and the present as we watch the mysteries behind the cases get fully uncovered. We mainly follow Keller, Ella, and Chris. Agent Sarah Keller is an FBI agent who is at the end of her pregnancy with twins. She assigned to the new massacre and finds herself with multiple mysteries on her hands the longer she looks into it alongside the Blockbuster case. Ella Monroe is a therapist who has been called in to counsel the survivor of the new ice-cream shop massacre. She’s uniquely qualified for the case as the lone survivor of the original massacre that this new case mimics. Finally, Chris Ford is a state prosecutor who hopes to find his brother Victor, who has been on the run for the last fifteen years.

Throughout the book, we learn a lot about nearly every character we meet. For a while, there’s more questions than answers but I can promise you that every question does get answered. In fact, that’s something I really like about this book. Every question gets answered rather than leaving the major questions up in the air when it ends. Plus, it’s easy to like the characters that we follow along with some of the characters we meet several times.

As far as the mystery goes, it’s one wild ride. I fell for one red herring and was convinced they were the real killer all along. Was I in shock when all was said and done? Yes. However, all the answers make sense and I found this to be a truly complex and wild read from beginning to end. It’s not the most fast paced and wild book I’ve read, but I would say that it’s not far behind the book that wins that award.

All in all, I’m looking forward to checking out Alex Finlay’s other books. Just don’t pick up this book expecting a lot of 90s and early millennium vibes because of Blockbuster and the Y2K memories. I can tell you that you won’t find that here, but what you will find is a very well written mystery that will take you for one crazy ride.

The Big Book of Tarot Meanings: The Beginner's Guide to Reading the Cards by Sam Magdaleno

The Big Book of Tarot Meanings: The Beginner's Guide to Reading the Cards by Sam Magdaleno
My Rating: ★★★★

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

I’ve been reading Tarot on and off for several years now, and I enjoy picking up new books on it because sometimes there’s something new to learn. I also like to find books I think will be great for people who are new or newer to reading Tarot. In this book, one will find a good amount of information about what each card means. For people new to Tarot the information covers what the card could mean when it comes up reversed or right side up for general, romance, life, money, professional and other types of readings. I think that information will be very helpful to new folks because it can be confusing when one we are new to it, especially as we’re learning to trust our instincts on the messages we’re receiving that don’t fall under what we learned.

While the information is great, each card gets a page featuring the artwork on the card alone. Each of these pages are stunning to look at with all the vibrant colors featured. The artwork pages won’t cover every deck, as each deck has its own artwork, it’s still great to see them featured so largely on their designated pages.

I think this is a great book to have or gift because it’s a great guide to have on hand. It’ll be great in aiding those new to Tarot, but also to have on hand for the moments we’re questioning ourselves while on our learning path.

The Marlow Murder Club (The Marlow Murder Club #1) by Robert Thorogood

 
The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood
My Rating: ★★★★★

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

Judith Potts is living her best life in an old mansion she inherited from her beloved late aunt. Things are going great until she overhears the murder of her very sweet neighbor while she’s having her usual swim in the Thames. Unfortunately for her, the police don’t believe her neighbor’s demise was murder, and Judith is left to investigate the poor man’s death herself. As the killer strikes again, Judith must hurry up and find who the killer is before the number of victims continue to increase, which quickly becomes an investigation that makes her two unlikely new friends.

This new series sounded like it would be a wonderful read, and I’m happy to say that it was! We mainly follow Judith, a 77-year-old woman who is happy creating crosswords for the newspaper, drinking, and swimming. While she doesn’t have any friends or family connections anymore, she’s content until overhearing the murder of her kind neighbor hits her life like a storm. Along the way, she makes two unlikely new friends: Suzie, a straightforward and friendly but nosy dog-walker, and Becks, the friendly wife of a Vicar.

Together, the trio find themselves in a variety of hilarious to awkward situations as they investigate the murders. Some of the shenanigans they were involved in were absolutely hilarious. The shenanigans were a nice touch of humor as we watched these three characters blossom and discover a cure for the loneliness the three didn’t realize they were experience: each other. I loved watching their friendships with each other grow as each character developed, leaving me wondering what will happen next and how we’ll see the three of them blossom as the series continues.

One of the things that I liked about the book is that there wasn’t a romance plot. Romance plots are great, and it would be cool to see one for an elderly character like Judith, but she’s not interested so I can’t see that being in the cards. It’s one of the reasons I really liked that there wasn’t a romance plot, especially because we won’t get a long love triangle as Judith’s slowly forced to choose between two different love interests. It’s just refreshing to not deal with a romance plot, especially a love triangle, and see the core relationship drama be between three friends as they grow closer.

The ending of the book was a bit flashy, but do I care? No! It was truly wild and one piece of it confirmed a theory I had about Judith about her past. I can’t wait to see what Robert Thorogood has in store for all us readers when the follow-up novel eventually drops!

Modern Asian Baking at Home: Essential Sweet and Savory Recipes for Milk Bread, Mooncakes, Mochi, and More; Inspired by the Subtle Asian Baking Community by Kat Lieu

Modern Asian Baking at Home: Essential Sweet and Savory Recipes for Milk Bread, Mooncakes, Mochi, and More; Inspired by the Subtle Asian Baking Community by Kat Lieu
My Rating: ★★★★★

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

I love food, so it’s no surprise that I love cookbooks. I picked up this book because I also love baked goods. I have food allergies, so I enjoy finding recipes for all the tasty things due to small number of restaurants and bakeries I can eat at. Surprisingly, many of the recipes featured here do not require the use of an oven! 

While the recipes are simple and easy to follow for many, the beautiful pictures and wonderful stories the author shares before each recipe is another draw. Kat Lieu shares a combination of anecdotes ranging from memories about her favorite dish that inspired her to her version of the recipe to stories about her adventures perfecting the recipe. Depending on the recipe, there’s also information about the traditions and holidays connected to them.

I can’t wait to try some of these recipes, especially the mango lassi with sago and spicy flourless chocolate. I saw several recipes that I know my family will love, so I can’t wait to try my hand at them. The book is full of recipes that range from beginner friendly to those for the more experienced folks. One cannot go wrong by picking this up.

Save Me! (From Myself): Crushes, Cats, and Existential Crises by So Lazo

Save Me! (From Myself): Crushes, Cats, and Existential Crises by So Lazo
My Rating: ★★★★★

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

I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when I started this book, but I knew it was going to be relatable based on the title. Inside is a journal told through a series of drawings and some text. We’re taken on a journey through a variety of events and feelings that are extremely relatable. From funny to sad, so many panels hit hard while throwing in a good amount of humor. I think many people will see at least one page that metaphorically sets a spotlight on them while setting their hair on fire.

I had a great time reading this and am extremely glad that I picked it up. Between the funny to sad but usually relatable many pages and the fun and bright artwork, I think So Lazo has a new fan in me. Whether or not you are familiar with them or their work, I think this is the perfect book to pick up and dive straight into.