The Pickled City: A Biography of New York Pickles by Paul van Ravestein, Monique Mulder, Sandor Ellix Katz (Foreword)

 

The Pickled City: A Biography of New York Pickles by Paul van Ravestein, Monique Mulder, Sandor Ellix Katz (Foreword)

My Rating: ★★★★★

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

If you’re a fan of pickles and interested in learning about pickles and their history in New York, then this is a good book for you! Inside, you will find so much interesting information about pickles along with other pickled foods in New York and around the world. There’s so much history covered, which not only covers food, but the communities and different cultures involved.

I learned so much while reading this, and the passages of a few chapters along with the photographs reminded me of stories my grandpa used to tell. He loved telling stories about him and his brother vs one particular man and the pickle barrel that sat right outside his shop to bring people in. It was fun remembering family stories while reading this.

All in all, this was a fascinating read. It was interesting learning about how some big brand names like Heinz, Vlasic, etc. began, especially while knowing how big and well-known they are now. It may seem like this book is only about pickled food, but there’s so much more to it. Even if it’s not something you’d normally be interested in, I think it’d be worth checking out because of how well-researched and informative it is.

All I Wanted Was Sushi But I Got Abducted By Aliens Instead (Bubble Babes #1) by Petra Palerno

All I Wanted Was Sushi But I Got Abducted By Aliens Instead by Petra Palerno

My Rating: ★★★★

All Opal wanted was to inhale her sushi after work. Instead, she got abducted by aliens and woke up on a whole other side of the galaxy. Just as she’s about to start her new life as a dancer of sorts, she discovers that some things never change no matter what planet you’re on: traffic! As luck would have it, the prince of Sontafrul 6 is stuck only one vehicle over, and he’s just realized she’s his fated mate. Can’t a girl just get her sushi?!

If you’re looking for a fun trashy book, then you might’ve just found your next read! This was the most ridiculous book I’ve picked up in a while, and I mean that in a good way. I picked this up because it sounded like some good trashy fun, and I’m always down for that! That said, there are some serious and bleak plot lines in between all of the humor that makes up this book, so make sure to check the trigger warnings before picking this up.

We follow Opal and Prince Ke’ain through their rotating perspectives, but this is ultimately Opal’s story.  She and Ke’ain were such cool characters to follow. They’re funny and caring, so it was easy to get behind them. Plus, some of the other characters seemed pretty interesting even though we only saw most of them in brief spurts. I’m looking forward to seeing them again in future books, especially since I’m pretty sure several of them will be getting their own stories.

Honestly, this was one wild read. So much stuff happened that it doesn’t even matter that a lot of worldbuilding occurs at random and on the fly. It just works! I wasn’t expecting a masterpiece, but I was expecting something that would be hilarious and enjoyable to read and that is exactly what I got. I’m definitely going to check out the next book!

Deathly Fates by Tesia Tsai

 

Deathly Fates by Tesia Tsai

My Rating: ★★★★★

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

Kang Siying is a family oriented ganshi priestess who just wants to get her dad better medical care before it’s too late. It’s why she took a well paying job that would require her to travel from Sian to Wen despite their political strain to guide the body of a dead soldier home. She quickly learns why her client offered so much money: the dead soldier is actually the second prince of Sian, Prince Meng Renshu! Plus, the very dead prince didn’t reanimate when she performed the ritual; he came back to life! Now she finds herself playing exorcist so that Ren can absorb the qi from the purified spirits and finish binding his spirit to his body before he dies again. 

I absolutely loved reading this. We follow Siying from the moment she arrives to look for the deceased soldier she’s being paid to reanimate and guide home for proper burial. From the moment Ren comes back to life, we’re taken on a wild ride where everything that could go wrong does go wrong. Plus, there’s a bit of mystery not only about Ren’s death, but also the spirits they purify along the way.

The worldbuilding is incredible, the characters are interesting to follow, and the romance is a very cute slow burn. I really enjoyed following them and learning about their lives and the lives of the spirits they purify. I also really enjoyed getting to know the different people they meet and work with along the way. The strain between Sian and Wen was felt throughout the entire novel, so if political strain and possible war is not something you want to read about, you might want to skip this. That said, I found this to be an absolutely amazing read. I was sucked into the story right away and now I’m looking forward to seeing what Tesia Tsai publishes in the future.

The Failure at God School, Vol. 2 by Modomu Akagawara (Artist), Natsu Hyuuga (Original Story), SEIKAISHA (Character Design)

The Failure at God School, Vol. 2 by Modomu Akagawara (Artist), Natsu Hyuuga (Original Story), SEIKAISHA (Character Design)

My Rating: ★★★★★

Now that Nagi is at god school, she’s determined to find out what her ability is… but first, she has to make it through a 3-day survival camp with her classmates! Tempers are flaring, magic is flying, and everyone is being forced to work together to complete every task and collect their stamps. Nagi is determined to help her team in any way she can, becoming closer to even the crabbiest among them along the way.

I loved the first volume, so of course I had to pick this up! We picked up right where we left off, which had Nagi stumbling upon a very confused and drained Tsukuyomi. One of the things that I like about this series is that there’s a pretty good balance between being funny, serious, and sad. I think there will be some major backstory coming for a few more characters in the future, and I have no doubt that it will be executed just as well as we did back in the first volume.

All in all, I really enjoyed reading this. The artwork is stunning, it’s heartwarming, and the story is excellent. I’m looking forward to seeing Nagi discover what her abilities are, especially given how much she’d love to be able to reopen her family’s shrine. I also love seeing how the characters are being fleshed out along with seeing everyone’s friendships grow. I’m looking forward to picking up the next volume in February.

Zomromcom (Supernatural Entanglements #1) by Olivia Dade

 

Zomromcom by Olivia Dade

My Rating: ★★★

Edie Brandstrup is just living her life as best as she can inside the Containment Zone when everything goes awry. Unfortunately for her, a pack of zombies living underground have somehow escaped, and now she has to save her hot neighbor, Bro Chad, from them with a burrito! It turns out that Bro Chad is not really a Chad, nor is he human. There’s also something weird going on, and Edie is determined to make sure the zombie breach is fully reported even if her hot and snooty vampire neighbor insists on accompanying her!

My first read of the new year was a good one! We follow Edie from the moment she decides that she wants to save her neighbor with an ill-formed plan involving a burrito. As the title states, this is a romantic comedy, and it truly feels like we’re watching a romcom movie in some of the best ways possible. It’s absolutely hilarious while being serious and thoughtful at times. I had an absolute blast reading this.

Unfortunately, there was a lack of world building all around. We’re occasionally fed bits and pieces that not even the general human public knows from Max from time to time, but otherwise, we’re mostly left in the dark on the supernatural front as well. I think it’s a fun book, but I also think that the lack of world building does ultimately hurt the story.

All in all, I had a great time reading this. I wanted to start the new year with something fast paced and hilarious, and that is exactly what this was. Unfortunately, there is a lack of world building, and I do think it fizzles out at the very end, but I don’t regret picking this up.