Basil and Oregano by Melissa Capriglione

 
Basil and Oregano by Melissa Capriglione

My Rating: ★★

Basil Eyres is doing everything in her power to be the top student at Porta Bella Magiculinary Academy. They have big dreams, and one of them is to eventually open their own restaurant. However, Porta Bella is a very expensive school. Basil and their friends are competing to be the top student so that they can continue to get scholarships that reimburse their parents for their education. Things are harder now that Arabella Oregano, the daughter of a famous chef, has transferred to the academy. Basil really likes her, but will their friendship and potential for more be put on the line over who will be the next top student?

This book is such a cute read. We follow Basil, a student of a prestigious academy where the competition for top student puts everyone at odds. However, Basil has found true friends during their time at the school, which is something that’s helping them keep afloat. Everything changes when Arabella enters the picture. Not only is Arabella the daughter of an extremely well known chef, but she’s also Basil’s crush, friend, and newest competition.

While I loved the story, it wasn’t truly cohesive. The timeline made absolutely no sense and the real reason behind the need to be top student was not explained until way later. There’s a lot going on at all times and a lot of things don’t make sense because we barely touch on them. The story seems to want to touch on several things but it just doesn’t spend enough time on a lot of those things. I think it would’ve worked out better if this was a multiple volume story that was able to expand on each of many of these things so that they made sense being in the story. Even the top student part of the plot, which is a major plot, ultimately fails due to the lack of time spent on expanding on the basic points of it. I think it also would’ve helped a lot if the story had a solid timeline.

Even though I have several valid complaints about the story, I really did enjoy reading it, which is part of why I wish there was time spent on developing basically anything outside of Basil and Arabella’s friendship turned romance. However, there are a lot of good things. While the book barely touches the surface of Basil’s friendships, it was clear that their friends at school are very supportive and positive relationships. We also get a glimpse at how things are not always how they appear on the surface, which is nice because we see a bit of how Basil perceives things and then some of what’s actually happening. I loved that the author made sure that they covered pronouns and gender identity as well as there being so many LGBT+ characters throughout the story.

All in all, I think this story had a lot of potential and could’ve been a lot better if it was fully developed. It has a lot going for it, but it seemed like the artwork carried the story more than its own storytelling. I am looking forward to checking more of the author’s work out because there is a lot of potential here, and I think that they will come out with some great things as they continue to work on developing their ideas in their storytelling.

Protection Spells for New Witches by Jess Carlson

 
Protection Spells for New Witches by Jess Carlson

My Rating: ★★★★

I received a copy from Callisto Media, Rockridge Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you’ve been wanting to start protection spell work but were never sure where to start, this is the book for you! Inside, you will find everything from how to do protection spells for yourself to how to do protection spells for others if they wish. There’s also a variety of ways to do that and the spells cover water, amulets, candle spells, and more.

The opening of the book is pretty good and covers the basics everyone new to spell work should know, such as practicing ethically, how to ground and center yourself, and how to cleanse a space or object. One of the things covered that I really like is that the author gives many alternatives to using white sage due to its cultural appropriation as well as how it is now also an endangered plant. There are eight other alternatives listed as well as some tips on where to look for the ingredients listed throughout the book.

Overall, the spells are pretty straightforward and not overwhelming for anyone new to spell work. While the book is aimed at people just starting out with practicing their own spells, it’s also a great book for more seasoned folks to have on hand. It also makes sure readers know that they should be realistic in their expectations since magic doesn’t work the way it does on a fictional level. It doesn’t make the spells any less powerful, but caution should always be exercised with and without protection spells.

The Truth About Cads and Dukes (Rescued from Ruin #2) by Elisa Braden

 
The Truth About Cads and Dukes by Elisa Braden

My Rating: ★★★★

When Colin Lacey befriends the seemingly quiet and shy Jane Huxley, it’s an unlikely friendship that Jane knows will never turn to romance. At least, she trusted him as a friend until he duped her into thinking she was helping him retrieve his late mom’s necklace! The deception burns as Jane’s reputation goes up in flames and she finds herself quickly marrying Colin’s older brother, Harrison. Marrying the Duke of Blackmore is one of the worst matches Jane can think of, and now she’s doomed to a loveless marriage with someone she hates. At least, she thinks it’s loveless until she learns there’s a lot more than meets the eye. Is there still a chance for an epic romance for Jane?

I’ve been enjoying this series a lot. Since I loved Jane whenever she appeared in the previous books, I was really excited to see her find her happily ever after. In this book, we mainly follow Jane and Harrison through their rotating perspectives along with an occasional chapter from Colin’s perspective. I really enjoyed Jane and Colin’s friendship of sorts, though I wish it wasn’t born from ill intentions. I could see them having a true friendship in the long-run if he’s ever given a chance to uphold a true friendship. However, I don’t think we’d really see that happening in real time given the format these books follow.

I could see that Jane and Harrison would be a good match in the long-run from the start. Jane always has her nose in a book and enjoys a good romance while Harrison is her well-meaning and seemingly harsh and brooding romantic partner. Once she peels away all his protective walls, Jane finds that she and Harrison are mostly on the same page. Now they just have to work their way through all the hiccups in their relationship. Honestly, I think they pair well together, especially with how dreamy and intense their marriage is.

While it takes a while for Jane to slip into her new role as the Duchess of Blackmore, it was really nice to see her come into some of her newfound confidence as the book continues. We do see her struggle with other people’s perception of her, especially Lady Mary and her mother’s shenanigans. I really would’ve liked for their antics to come to light to more than just Jane and Victoria. I seriously doubt being put in their place once would be the end of it, but I’ll accept the resolution of this plot as it stands.

I truly enjoyed seeing the character growth for Jane, Colin, and Harrison. While I wish that Jane and Harrison didn’t periodically lose who they were because they were blinded by love, I really enjoyed reading this. There were quite a few funny moments and I loved following one of my favorite characters throughout her own book. It’s always nice to see how the characters from different books in the series know each other and pop up in each other’s lives, so it’s always exciting when we see one or a few of them pop up. Of course, it’s always great to see Lady Wallingham. It’d be interesting if she got her own novella at some point! All in all, I highly recommend this series.

The DC Book of Pride: A Celebration of DC's LGBTQIA+ Characters by D.K. Publishing, Jadzia Axelrod

The DC Book of Pride: A Celebration of DC's LGBTQIA+ Characters by D.K. Publishing, Jadzia Axelrod

My Rating: ★★★★★

If you’re looking for a LGBTQIA+ characters of DC glossary of sorts, this is the book for you! Inside, you will find just under 60 characters from all across DC. The author mentions that there are actually hundreds of characters who are LGBTQIA+, but this is just a selection of the characters. This is not meant to be a complete list, but they do want this to be thought of as a celebration of sorts that encourages people to check out all the characters!

It’s a very easy read with every character having two pages dedicated to them. Why two pages? Well, one page is stunning artwork of the character while the other page is dedicated to their bio and data file. I like that if a character is new to a reader, a quick glance at the data file tells one which comic series (and volume number when applicable) we can find them in! It’s also fun to see the character’s likes and dislikes after we learn about them through their bio.

All in all, this is a great book dedicated to showcasing just under 60 LGBTQIA+ DC characters. The artwork of each character is absolutely stunning, and we can learn all about each character as well as which series and volume we can see them first appear in. While it’s a quick read, it’s a good one at that.

Cute & Cuddly Crochet: Learn to make huggable amigurumi animals by Lauren Bergstrom

 
Cute & Cuddly Crochet: Learn to make huggable amigurumi animals by Lauren Bergstrom

My Rating: ★★★★★

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

If you’re looking for some super cute crochet patterns, this is the book for you! Inside, you will find 12 super cute patterns. It also opens with a list of supplies one needs for all of the patterns, such as crochet hooks, pins, and stuffing. There’s also a small explanation for why you need each of these items. For example, pins are extremely helpful with pinning pieces together prior to sewing rather than trying to hold them in place by hand!

There is also a how-to guide for the stitches one will use while crocheting the patterns included. Of the books I’ve read over the years, the stitch guide is among the best ones I’ve seen! The graphs and written instructions are excellent and will work well for most people learning how to crochet with this book. Outside of that, videos are the next best thing to these graphs and instructions! I also like that there’s a small section devoted to teaching new crocheters how to count their stitches. It’s something that usually gets skipped over even in other books written for beginners, so it was nice to see it included.

The patterns are absolutely adorable and easy to follow. While there isn’t a difficulty scale, I think that nearly all of the patterns would work very well for someone’s first project. I also like that there’s a small section devoted to tips and tricks, and absolutely love that the stitch abbreviations that are seen in the patterns are presented before the patterns begin. I’ve seen them appear at the end of pattern books before, and it never makes sense to me. It’s also printed in large font and a way that makes it eye-catching, so it’ll be easy for anyone who needs to reference the abbreviations to spot it fast.

All in all, I think that this is an excellent book with some very cute patterns. It’s simple enough for beginners and includes an excellent stitch guide as well as a number of other helpful tips that will be useful. While it’s written with people new to crocheting in mind, it’s an excellent pattern book for people of all levels of experience.

The Complete Guide to Runes: An Essential Reference for Runelore, Meanings, Divination, and Magic by Wayne Brekke

 
The Complete Guide to Runes by Wayne Brekke

My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from Callisto Media, Rockridge Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re interested in runes and are learning or looking to learn how to read them, then this is the book for you! Inside you will find a pretty good guide covering everything from the known history to the guide itself. I took a class on runes last year, and I think this is a great supplemental book to go with what I learned in that class. It also appeals to my love for learning history because the opening covers what is known about the history of runes as well as the differences between the Elder and Younger Futhark.

All in all, I found this to be a pretty good guide. I like that it also encourages one to make their own rune set if they wish, but it also teaches about what types of rune sets to look into based on your needs and how you plan on reading them. I also like that it teaches the multiple ways one can work with runes, which isn’t just about reading rune sets. I think this is an excellent book for beginners as well as people further in their rune journeys.

The Madness of Viscount Atherbourne (Rescued from Ruin #1) by Elisa Braden

 
The Madness of Viscount Atherbourne by Elisa Braden

My Rating: ★★★★

On the surface, Victoria Lacey has the perfect life. She comes from a respectable family with extremely caring brothers that she’s close to and she’s landed a good fiancé. The Flower of Blackmore is set to have a safe and wonderful future. The issue? It’s so safe that Victoria is doomed to marry a kind but extremely boring man! At least, that was her future until Lucien Wyatt seduced her at a party, publicly destroying her image in the process. The Flower of Blackmore is no more, and she’s about to marry the man who is using her as part of his revenge plot against her brother!

I am loving this series! The writing is excellent and the stories are gripping. While this one drags for a little bit in the middle, it was almost as good as the prequel novella of sorts! We follow Victoria and Lucien from the day they destroy her reputation all the way through the early days of their marriage. It was interesting to see Victoria go from lamenting about her boring future to entering a marriage with someone who ignites her from within. What a huge difference!

The twist was quite interesting. I’m really interested in seeing how that continues to affect various characters as the series goes on. I think the relationships are truly the shining star in this book. Victoria has a relationship with several characters, and I particularly loved her relationship with her new friend Jane. I’m excited to see more of Jane in the next book, which I believe follows her in addition to Victoria’s brothers! I also liked the dynamic between Victoria and Harrison as well as Colin even though we didn’t get to see much of it due to the revenge plot.

While we got to know several of the characters, I feel like we didn’t get to know Lucien as well as Victoria even though he was one of the protagonists. We got to know what was most important about him, but it was otherwise superficial and mostly about his lust and love for his wife. I think that’s part of why the middle of the book dragged for me. At that point, it was mostly about how in love and in lust the two were for each other while waiting for the other shoe to drop without the high stakes. However, it seemed like we knew Lucien about as well as Victoria did at that point other than knowing that he’s a pretty solid dude at the chore.

Otherwise, it’s a pretty good book! I found it believable that Victoria and Lucien fell fast and hard for each other. It seemed like we danced around getting to know Lucien all book long, but there’s a good cast of characters and a great story on top of excellent writing. I’m looking forward to seeing more of the characters as well as their dynamic with one another in the next book!

The Exorcist Legacy: 50 Years of Fear by Nat Segaloff

The Exorcist Legacy: 50 Years of Fear by Nat Segaloff
My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from Kensington Books, Citadel through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re a fan of The Exorcist books, films, or TV show, this is the book for you! Inside, you will find a lot of interesting information about its entire legacy beginning with the inspiration for the book. I have actually never read the book, but I’ve seen the movies as well as the TV show and loved them. There was some very interesting information throughout the book. I knew some of it, but I definitely didn’t know all of it! I never did see the rerelease of the first movie that is, essentially, the writer’s cut. However, the scenes that were added back into the film are explained in detail along with the general comments made about them. I can see why the cuts had been made at the time of its original release, though I understand why the author wasn’t exactly happy about those cuts.

I was a big fan of the TV show back when it was on, so it was particularly interesting to read a little about what went on behind the scenes, especially because I hadn’t learned about it before. It was interesting and it is a little sad to think about how it would’ve done if it was a show picked up by a streaming network over cable TV. The first season, in particular, was spectacular. Season two was pretty good up until a certain point before it just suddenly dove straight down a hill. However, overall, the show was very good and I never would’ve guessed how rushed they felt getting the first season going.

All in all, this is a very interesting read. I think that if you are a huge fan who knows a lot about The Exorcist Legacy, there may not be much new information for you to learn while reading this. However, I think most fans will find it an enjoyable and interesting read!