The Anime Chef Cookbook: 75 Iconic Dishes from Your Favorite Anime by Nadine Estero

 
The Anime Chef Cookbook: 75 Iconic Dishes from Your Favorite Anime by Nadine Estero

My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from the Quarto Publishing Group through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is truly a recipe book meant for anime fans whether or not they can make many of the dishes before seeing this. I mean, who can’t pass up on a cookbook inspired by some of the most iconic dishes featured in anime? In true anime style, even the photos in the book are beautifully illustrated photos rather than pictures taken of the real life dishes. It’s so much fun!

The book is separated into sections: appetizers, main dishes, desserts, and drinks. There’s also a list of tools and ingredients that one will need to make all the recipes found in the book. The ingredient list is pretty nice and explains what each item is and specifies the type to buy if it’s not specified in the recipe. For example, if the recipe doesn’t specify a specific oil, it tells us that we can use whatever our preferred neutral oil is.

One of the things that I love about this cookbook, other than the delicious recipes of course, is the beautiful artwork. It’s taking me back to all the times I was watching a show and all the food looked delicious even though it was animated, and here we are with a bunch of beautifully illustrated pictures of the dishes to get everyone hungry. If you think you can’t get hungry looking at food illustrations, you are absolutely wrong and this is the hill I’m planting myself on! Plus, each recipe is easy to follow and also includes what anime it appeared in as well as how it connects to the characters and the story. There’s occasionally a little bit of humor, information on the dish, or what extra bits of inspiration was behind the particular recipe featured. All in all, it’s a wonderful cookbook and I’m excited to make some of the recipes and drinks that I’ve had before but never made myself.

Bob Ross Cross Stitch: 12 Happy Little Cross Stitch Patterns by Haley Pierson-Cox

Bob Ross Cross Stitch: 12 Happy Little Cross Stitch Patterns by Haley Pierson-Cox

My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from the Quarto Publishing Group through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re a fan of Bob Ross and either interested in cross stitching or already a cross stitcher, this is a must have! It has 12 wonderful Bob Ross inspired patterns that include some of his inspirational wisdom. Each pattern is simple and easy to follow in addition to including some project prepping tips for beginner cross stitchers next to each pattern. Speaking of new cross stitchers, the opening is full of easy to follow instructions on how to cross stitch ranging from tips and tricks on how to prepare to great finishing instructions. There are also a few graphs on the basics of stitching, but I think some people may do well with looking up a video as well since the graphs are limited.

All in all, this is a great book that is a must have for any crafty fan of Bob Ross, whether you’re new to cross stitching or a seasoned stitcher.

It's in His Kiss (Bridgertons #7) by Julia Quinn

It's in His Kiss by Julia Quinn

My Rating: ★★★★

As Hyacinth Bridgerton begins another season on the marriage market, she’s begun to wonder why she hasn’t come across a suitable man that she might be interested in marrying. Just when she starts to wonder if the problem is her, not that she would entertain the idea for more than a second, Gareth St. Clair stumbles into her presence. Sure, he’s good looking, but what Hyacinth needs and wants is someone who can keep up with her wit. Luckily for her, Gareth doesn’t mind if a woman is smart and doesn’t feign ignorance. He just needs to get his head on straight, first…

Like the previous novels in this series, we follow the protagonists through rotating perspectives. I was extremely excited to start this novel because the more we saw of Hyacinth in the later installments, the more I liked her. I’ve come out of this book declaring that she’s my favorite Bridgerton. She’s such a funny, smart, and sassy character. I would honestly follow an entire series with her as the protagonist if that was something in the cards. I’m happy to see that she was matched with Gareth, who is equally hilarious and sassy while also being smart. Of course he’s smart. He’s gotta be on the same page so he can keep up with Hyacinth!

Gareth is a new character with a complicated backstory that leaves him at odds with his father. There’s a lot of trauma, hurt, and bitterness there. The more we learned about his dad and their dynamics when Gareth finds himself in his father’s company, the more I found myself supporting Gareth. His father is a truly awful person all around and I’m glad he’s not real because that would be just one more terrible person in the world going around inflicting psychological trauma on people.

I think that Hyacinth and Gareth are well matched. I love their dynamics as well as how they are truly into each other. I also loved seeing the Bridgerton family accept Gareth into the folds as a Bridgerton. They know he only has one family member who loves and cares for him, and they instantly accept him as a new family that will never leave him feeling like there’s no one again. Plus, well, he’s going to need all the help he can get to keep up with his new bride. Hyacinth gets an idea in her head and runs with it, leaving everyone in her dust. I think they make a great duo.

It was also nice revisiting some of our favorite characters. I loved how much time we got to spend with Lady Danbury. She is one of my favorite characters in the show and the book series, so I loved how much we got to see of her since she’s close with Hyacinth. The friendly yet hilarious relationship between the two characters had me laughing so hard that I had tears in my eyes. It was also hilarious to see Anthony again. Without giving any spoilers, I can say that just about anyone is going to love when he turns up.

Now that I’ve finished the seventh book, I’m going to be sad when I finally finish the series! I’m looking forward to seeing what’s in store for Gregory, but I’m also not ready because it’s the final book. I know there’s a few spin-offs, so I’ll likely check those out next.

A Haunted History of Invisible Women: True Stories of America's Ghosts by Leanna Renee Hieber, Andrea Janes

 
A Haunted History of Invisible Women: True Stories of America's Ghosts by Leanna Renee Hieber, Andrea Janes
My Rating: ★

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

I requested this ARC because I was interested in the stories behind the hauntings of America in addition to the known hauntings and ghost sightings of women that sounded extremely interesting. I don’t know if the final edit of the book is better than what I read, but the ARC I read is in a state of confusion. It can’t seem to decide what it wants to be: the story behind hauntings, historical events, historical sights, famous hauntings, feminist manifestos, feminism and justice, but sometimes something about justice but the exact point didn’t quite land. I think all of these things would make great subjects on their own as well as smaller groups of them in combination, but not all of them together in one book.

I also find it strange that not a single haunting covered throughout the chapters were personally witnessed by the authors. That seemed like it would be a given due to the author’s personal experiences. One runs a ghost tour company in addition to being a tour guide for said company. The other declares that they have a long history with spirits. However, we don’t get to see their personal experiences with any spirits or any kind of ghost sighting at any point throughout the book. The opening was wonderful and interesting. It made it seem like we, the readers, were about to be in for quite the read given their experiences in addition to wanting to bring facts to the table. That fizzled out fast and I read a mishmash that wasn’t quite sure what it wanted to be while also not having personal experiences with at least one of the hauntings.

That said, there was some good and interesting information covered. There were even some historical facts on things that happened that I was unaware of. I had heard of the events, but I didn’t know what happened after or about the alleged hauntings. However, these things were overshadowed by the rest of the book, which made me reach the final chapter feeling like I had some kind of metaphorical whiplash. Parts of it were solid on their own, but together, I think that different parts of the book would’ve worked out much better being explored as separate books.

Night Cry by Borja González

Night Cry by Borja González
My Rating: ★★★★

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

In a small town, Teresa runs a little used bookstore that sells anything from rare to obscure books, including ones that cover the occult. She’s bored, lonely, and just wishes for something different to happen. One night, Teresa uses one of the books in her store to summon Laura, a demon who will grant one wish before returning to the pages of the book. The problem? Teresa has no idea what to wish for, so the pair are stuck together until she finally thinks of something to wish for.

I found this slice of life story to be cute yet sad. We follow three different characters starting with the protagonist, Teresa, who seemingly wants something more than the small town she lives in can give her. Then we have Matilda, a frequent customer of Teresa’s shop who also buys copies of all of her fanzines that no one else is interested in. Finally, Laura the anime obsessed demon who just wants to go to Japan rounds out the story with a paranormal aspect. The three characters develop a friendship of sorts, and while Matilda has no idea that Laura is a demon, they seem to get along very well.

The artwork is the true stunner here because it’s absolutely beautiful. None of the characters are given faces, which makes the artwork itself very unique for a graphic novel. Borja González manages to make the characters very expressive through their body language and the colors of the panels. Facial expressions? Those are thrown out the window, which I found very interesting and different in a good way.

That said, the story itself is a slice of life that lets us have a glimpse into these character’s lives for a short period of time. There’s an air of terror throughout, as girls and women are going missing in town. None are found throughout the pages, and we’re left with an open-ended conclusion that leaves many questions unanswered. We’re given bits of information that allow us to come to our own conclusions, and I have a few ideas of what I think happened, but I don’t think we’re meant to have a conclusive answer. I don’t think this story is for everyone, but I really liked it.

The Cursed Among Us by John Durgin

The Cursed Among Us by John Durgin
My Rating: ★★★

Howie Burke and his friends are obsessed with horror movies. There’s not much to do in the small town of Newport, but they love their horror movies, and they love their film class at their local high school. Now that they’re filming their latest mini horror movie, they’re finding themselves inching closer and closer to the woods that the town has banned everyone from entering. The Black Heart Killer who terrorized the town twenty years ago made those woods the hiding place for his victims, and the town just wants to forget all about it and those woods. One night, Howie and his friends venture deep into the woods to film and stumble upon the grave of someone. They will soon learn why the town banned everyone from entering those woods…

My best friend and I were looking for a thrilling mystery to read together when we stumbled upon this book. While this is not a thriller, we were pulled in by the paranormal aspects and overall compelling summary. It sounded like it’d be a pretty good read, so we both got a copy and dove in. We follow Howie and his small group of friends, Cory, Todd, and Ryan through each of their perspectives all book long. Each of these teenagers have their own private horror stories they carry with them, whether it’s in their personal lives, their social lives being peppered with bullies, or the curse that is about to be unleashed on them by accident. We mainly follow Howie, but we do jump around to each of his friends as well as the occasional short lived random character. Out of the group of four friends, I think we got to know Cory the least.

One of the things that I like about this book is that we spend some time getting to know the core cast before the paranormal shenanigans really get rolling. I liked the core plot, but I think we’re missing some information because I was left with a lot of questions. While I can ask the silly ones, like why fight a demon with a stapler when you’re a core member of a coven, I really just want to know what the town’s coven had been up to for the last twenty years. No one bothered to look for the grave in the forest and no one prepped for if someone were to accidentally release the demon. Even those facing the demon who knew what it took to face them did nothing but run around like chickens with their heads cut off. The whole coven aspect of the story ended up being one giant plot hole leaving me with a bunch of questions and no answers.

That said, I did like the story. Howie, Cory, Todd, and Ryan were very realistic characters. I feel bad for all of them. Howie goes home to an abusive home life, Todd is anxiety riddled, Ryan has always been a target for bullying, and Cory is just the semi-weird kid pining after Bethany. Don’t even get me started on Bethany, though. We rarely see her and her entire purpose is to be Cory’s prize if he survives accidentally rereleasing a demon on the town. As far as characterization goes, it was interesting to see the group of friends be jealous of different aspects of each other’s lives. For example, Howie is jealous of Ryan for having really sweet and loving parents while poor Ryan is just desperately trying to make friends and keep them.

Plus, the book is extremely fast paced and a surprisingly fast read. I was confused by the way time worked since it’d be night but then there was daylight before it was night again. I didn’t mind having information dumped on me, but sometimes it was done at the most random times or in strange ways. Some of the character building on characters who were about to push up daisies was done in the same way and that was kind of odd too. However, I think the author had something good going here and I think they have a lot of potential. I’m looking forward to checking out some of their future works because I think they’re someone who is going to continue to improve and eventually put out a lot of really good and solid novels sometime in the future.

Retro Girl Embroidery: 20 Vintage Patterns Inspired by the 1970s by Erin Essiambre

 
Retro Girl Embroidery: 20 Vintage Patterns Inspired by the 1970s by Erin Essiambre
My Rating: ★★★★★

I’ve been following Erin’s Instagram, @saltwaterstitches, for some time because her embroidery is absolutely stunning. When she announced this book, I was so excited to be able to support her but also be able to make some of her patterns! The opening of the book explains a little bit about herself and how she got into embroidery before diving into the basics of learning how to get started.

When I say the basics are covered, I really mean it! There’s information about embroidery hoops, fabric, needles, and the types of thread yarn used. The pattern transferring options are also covered as well as the pros and cons of each method, so it’s really a matter of preference. Of course, a number of basic and special stitches are explained with written instructions that are accompanied by photos. And yes, the fluffy cloud technique is explained, so if you’ve been eyeing Erin’s work and hope to learn how to do the clouds… you are in luck! She spills on her techniques in the pages of this book. 

There’s a number of beautiful patterns featured that range from retro to fun in the clouds and stars. All of the pattern photos and instructions are easy to follow and explain any extra techniques that may or may not be needed for the pattern. I’m very happy with this book and I can’t wait to make a couple of these patterns!