Book Review: The Illustrated Herbiary: Guidance and Rituals from 36 Bewitching Botanicals by Maia Toll, Katherine O'Hara

The Illustrated Herbiary: Guidance and Rituals from 36 Bewitching Botanicals is a guide written by Maia Toll, with illustrations by Katherine O'Hara. Rosemary is for remembrance; sage is for wisdom. The symbolism of plants — whether in the ancient Greek doctrine of signatures or the Victorian secret language of flowers — has fascinated us for centuries. Contemporary herbalist Maia Toll adds her distinctive spin to this tradition with profiles of the mysterious personalities of 36 herbs, fruits, and flowers. Combining a passion for plants with imagery reminiscent of tarot, enticing text offers reflections and rituals to tap into each plant’s power for healing, self-reflection, and everyday guidance. Smaller versions of the illustrations are featured on 36 cards to help guide your thoughts and meditations.

The Illustrated Herbiary: Guidance and Rituals from 36 Bewitching Botanicals is a lovely book for both exploring to expand your knowledge and understanding of herbs, and to narrow in on a certain plant and better understand it. I like that the book explains the path to knowledge that led to the book I also really enjoyed the artwork, beautiful regardless of if it is there to decorate a section's beginning or to illustrate the herb being explained and explored. As someone that grows their own herbs and enjoys explore their uses, understands that most medicine began with the basics of herbal knowledge, and the belief in science and study I found the idea and approach of this book to resonate with me on several levels. For those looking for a new way to center themselves or meditate these rituals could be just what they are looking for. Since I was reading a digital copy I did not have the botanical cards, and so did not got to try the layouts and ideas offered at the end of the book for their use. However, I did like the ideas for rituals and the new ways of looking at some of my favorite herbs, and some that I had never thought too much about. 

This book is exactly what you would expect from the title, and has lovely illustrations alongside the text throughout the entire book. If this is the type of information and ritual that hold interest for you, this book will be a valuable addition to your library. 

Book Review: P is for Pterodactyl by Raj Halder, Chris Carpenter, Maria Beddia

P is for Pterodactyl: The Worst Alphabet Book Ever written by by Raj Halder and Chris Carpenter,and illustrated by Maria Beddia. Turning the traditional idea of an alphabet book on its head, this book is perfect for anyone who has ever been stumped by silent letters or confused by absurd homophones. This unique book takes silent letter entries like "K is for Knight" a step further with "The noble knight's knife nicked the knave's knee." Illustrations offer context clues, and alliterative words help readers navigate text like "a bright white gnat is gnawing on my gnocchi" with ease. Everyone from early learners to grown-up grammarians will love this wacky book where "A is for Aisle" but "Y is definitely not for Why."

P is for Pterodactyl is a great picturebook for almost all ages. I think it might be confusing for the youngest readers that are still working on sight words and figuring out the basics, but it might be an entertaining book for family sharing, or in a classroom setting. I can picture an upper elementary, or even higher, class using this book to show how strange our language can be, and get a better grasp on some of those oddities. I have to admit that I found the pronunciation key at the end of the book very helpful, because there were some words that I knew I had been mentally mispronouncing for years, because I had only seen them in books but never spoken. The illustrations are cute and bright, and offer a good amount of context clues to help readers figure things out. 

I think P is for Pterodactyl will be a big hit with a particular group of readers, and will be useful to others. I just do not see it having a broad or widespread appeal. 

Book Review: Yankees New England Adventures from the editors of Yankee Magazine

Yankees New England Adventures, from the editors of Yankee Magazine, offers readers a go-to source for in-depth travel information, with the photography and practical know-how that Yankee readers have come to expect. Whether you are interested in exploring the vibrant culture of tiny villages or big cities, eating outstanding meals in colonial inns or vintage diners, rambling through art museums or up steep wooded hills, this is the guide for you. An island stuck in the 19th century? A walk-in, stained-glass globe? A place where you can eat Thanksgiving dinner every day of the year? From the golden dunes of Nantucket to the alpine tundra of the White Mountains, from the blue waters of Lake Champlain to the green grass of Boston Common, travelers and residents alike will find over 400 local secrets, out-of-the-way places, and unique experiences in all six states of this remarkable region of America. Live the Yankee lifestyle and get on the road with Yankee’s New England Adventures.

Yankees New England Adventures is a lovely book for those that live in New England (like myself) and wonder what fun or beautiful things they might have missed over the years, and for those planning a visit. I am glad to say that I have visited most of the listed locations for my home state, and a good number of the locations in the others. I enjoyed seeing the photographs and reading the practical and succinct descriptions of locations that are familiar to me, and some that I have yet to visit. While not all of the information is absolutely correct, for instance Sleeping Giant State Park is still mostly closed- but who involved in publishing this book could have predicted a crazy tornado hitting Connecticut and causing the amount of damage it did to the area. However, I still think this is a great resource for planning a day trip or staycation if you are local, or a lovely time away for those coming from further away. I enjoyed the information and images, and the ideas the read gave me about where I can drag my family the next time I get the urge to explore.

Book Review: The Frog Princess Returns (Tales of the Frog Princess) by E.D. Baker

The Frog Princess Returns by E.D. Baker is a return to the Frog Princess series, in fact it is the ninth book for those keeping track.Two weeks after Emma's birthday, Prince Eadric—having been turned from a frog into a human again—is still in Greater Greensward. One day, a beautiful princess named Adara arrives at the castle in Greater Greensward for a visit, claiming to be Emma's distant cousin. But Adara has other motives that threaten Emma and Eadric's blossoming romance. Meanwhile, something is very wrong in Greater Greensward. Crops are dying, streams are drying up, and large sections of trees in the enchanted forest are withering—all because the Fairy Queen has disappeared. Without her, there is no peace in the magical kingdom, and dangerous foes threaten to take advantage of her absence. Only brave, tenacious Emma with her knowledge of the land can restore order but first she must set out on a journey unlike any before.

The Frog Princess Returns is an entertaining return to the world of the Frog Princess. Emma and Eadric are dealing with a princess attempting to win Eadric's attention and a crisis in the fairy population. The queen is missing, and in the attempts to choose a new leader there is chaos and deceit. The group needs to get the bottom of the fairy problems, which is much more complex than they were quite prepared for. I loved watching Emma and Eadric work together and talk things out together.  The journey they took was well done, with plenty of new dangers and characters, letting new readers and faithful fans enjoy the read equally. There are plenty of references to the previous books so returning readers can remember past adventures, but newcomers or those that have missed a book or two in the series will not be left behind. It was an enjoyable read that was more complex than I expected, and I love that kind of surprise. It was a joy to read.

The Frog Princess Returns is a fun continuation of the series, with a fun combination of adventure and character growth. Fans of the series, and the author, will want to pick this one up.

Book Review: Sugar (Cake) by Lauren Dane

Sugar is a follow up novella to Cake by Lauren Dane. I somehow missed reading Cake, but have read related romances in the Whiskey Sharp series, so I did have a good understanding of the characters and their friends and family.

Bad-boy artist Gregori Ivanov wants nothing more than to marry Wren Davis. He’s asked her before—more than once—but she insisted on waiting until she’d established her own career. Now that the time is finally right, Gregori has one hell of a celebration in mind. Restaurants, museums and NYC luxury all the way…on top of all the newlywed sex they’ll be having. The universe, unfortunately, did not get the message. When their plane is grounded in Idaho, they’re forced to improvise a road trip to get back to Seattle instead of the romantic getaway Gregori painstakingly planned. But that they’re together is what’s important, and with giant roadside potato museums, funky galleries in towns with little more than two stoplights and some seriously great diner food—in between all the great sex—Gregori and Wren find a honeymoon as unique and memorable as their love.

Sugar is sweet, obviously. It is great fun seeing Wren and Gregori struggle with ruined plans. Wren is upbeat and willing to try anything. She is willing to make the best of anything and finds joy in some of the quirkiest roadside attractions. Gregori is much more stoic and grumpy, with a love for Wren and sweets that is unstoppable. I really enjoyed reading about the loving pair finding their way together and finding joy in moments that others might not. I liked how they compromised and find a path that makes them both happy. The conflicts are situational rather than threats to the pairs happiness, which makes the book a fun and easy read with plenty of humor and heat.  

Sugar is a fun, feel good read with great character interactions and plenty of heat. This read is a great way to spend a fall weekend.

Book Review: The Book of Ingeniously Daring Chemistry by Sean Connolly

The Book of Ingeniously Daring Chemistry by Sean Connolly, the master of messy and dangerous (and therefore extra fun!) science, offers readers more than 20 hands-on experiments that introduce kids to chemistry, element by element. It starts with the basics of chemistry,  some history and discovery facts, and experiments that are easy enough to try at home or at school. 

The Book of Ingeniously Daring Chemistry is more about the details and background of chemistry than the experiments that I was looking forward to. While I understand that understanding the science behind he experiments is important- not just for safety but for education.  However, I think that embedding that information into the experiments would be more effective and interesting for readers. The information is well written and understandable, it would be useful in a classroom or homeschooling setting as well as for personal study. I have not contemplated chemistry outside my kitchen for more years than I care to admit, but I still was able to follow the information. 

The Book of Ingeniously Daring Chemistry is a good resource, and offers a good amount of information at a accessible pace. I was disappointed in what I found in the book, but because I was expecting it to be more about the experiments than the periodic table. It is good at what it offers, I was just looking for something different.

Book Review: Tap: A Love Story by Tracy Ewens

Tap: A Love Story by Tracy Ewens is a stand alone romance by Ewens. The books do build on each other and make for a more satisfying read when read together, but they stand beautifully together or alone. I greatly enjoyed the books I have read, and am going to go back and read some of the ones I have missed.

Cade McNaughton is the last man standing. His brothers have all found love. Despite his recent oh-so-revealing Instagram nightmare and his family’s subsequent disappointment, Cade is ready to fall for a woman who cares more about the last book he read and less about his body. But amid the buzz and banter of tending Foghorn Brewery’s bar, Cade is not exactly settle-down material. All that’s about to change, starting with buzzing off his fauxhawk and sporting a cardigan that has everyone talking. Sistine Branch has more bills than money, yet she’s fine eating barbecue chips for dinner if it means keeping her knitting shop open. But when her lights go out and the electrician puts a ten-thousand-dollar price tag on renovations, Sistine’s back is against an old and crumbling wall. For the past two years, she’s relied solely on herself, which makes selling out to the one woman from her past who can ruin everything the worst decision ever. Cade and Sistine are backgammon and end-of-the-bar friends. One rejection, a literal fall into Cade’s arms, and a dinner date with farm animals has them enmeshed in feelings neither thought possible. But, it only takes one lie, a literal fall from grace, and a date with the she-devil to unravel everything they’ve come to know. If they want a real shot, they’ll need to start from the beginning and realize that love is often a tangled mess, sometimes a funny T-shirt, but never perfect.

Tap: A Love Story is a contemporary romance with fun characters and fans of the love story books from Ewens will recognize most of the characters and enjoy seeing the continuation of the previous stories in the background of Cade and Sistine's story. I like both characters, and how they are both a little quirky and fun, while still being good hearted and sweet. The uses of social media and animals was very well done, although I think it might date the books a little in the long run, after Instagram runs it course, but maybe I am wrong there. I did think that Sistine's big secret was not as big of a deal as she thought it was- and that if she had just come out about it in the beginning it would not have even been an issue- and that it was a bigger problem even at that point that I thought it should have been. However, I did think the characters and complications that come with them were fantastic. I am hoping to see more about Sistine's family in future books by Ewens and plan on reading more in the future.

Tap: A Love Story is a delightful romance with quirky characters that made me smile. THere was only one aspect of the book I did not love, but the rest was on point and I think readers will enjoy the read as much as I did.

Early Book Review:Chilly da Vinci by Jarrett Rutland

Chilly da Vinci by Jarrett Rutland is a picturebook that is currently scheduled for release on December 4 2018. While others do “penguin” things, Chilly da Vinci is a self-declared inventor penguin. He builds machines that don’t work as intended, at least not yet! Can his inventing solve the problem, that he just might have caused. 

Chilly da Vinci is a cute picturebook. I love the artwork, the penguins are very cute and the yellow/brown paper hinting at Leonardo da Vinci's sketches add a great touch. Chilly's efforts and persistence is another great aspect of the story. His first invention, and second, and third, all cause trouble instead of meeting Chilly's hopes for them. I think showing the invention processes and how much Chilly needed to be himself while not liking how others often treated him because of it is important for readers of all ages to understand. I thought the story could have been a little more involved, or more focused on one or two of the inventions. I liked the illustrations, the animals were cute and the use of yellowish brown paper for the inventions was a nice touch. I liked the perseverance and effort of Chilly, and the discussion about being yourself and empathy that this book might inspire. I just never really got invented in the story, it felt like something was missing. Not that I know what was lacking, if I did I would be making the big bucks, or at least bucks, for all this book reading. 

Book Review: Shelved Under Murder (Blue Ridge Library) by Victoria Gilbert

Shelved Under Murder is the second book in the Blue Ridge Library series by Victoria Gilbert. I do recommend reading this series in order, to understand exactly who everyone is and how they are connected. I have read the previous book, and enjoyed it, however it did still take me a few pages to get back into this setting and remember the characters- mainly because I am also reading another librarian mystery series.

October in Taylorsford, Virginia means it’s leaf peeping season, with bright colorful foliage and a delightful fresh crew of tourists attending the annual Heritage Festival which celebrates local history and arts and crafts. Library director Amy Webber, though, is slightly dreading having to spend two days running a yard sale fundraiser for her library. But during these preparations, when she and her assistant Sunny stumble across a dead body, Amy finds a real reason to be worried. The body belonged to a renowned artist who was murdered with her own pallet knife. A search of the artist’s studio uncovers a cache of forged paintings, and when the sheriff’s chief deputy Brad Tucker realizes Amy is skilled in art history research, she’s recruited to aid the investigation. It doesn’t seem to be an easy task, but when the state’s art expert uncovers a possible connection between Amy’s deceased uncle and the murder case, Amy must champion her Aunt Lydia to clear her late husband’s name. That’s when another killing shakes the quiet town, and danger sweeps in like an autumn wind. Now, with her swoon-inducing neighbor Richard Muir, Amy must scour their resources to once again close the books on murder.

Shelved Under Murder is an entertaining read, and the balance of emotion, sleuthing, and danger was well done. It started slow for me, but only because I wa trying to recapture the thread of the series, mostly because of the number of cozy mysteries I read, particularly those about librarians and other book related themes. However, once I was back in the groove I was fully invested in Amy's story, her relationships, and the mystery of the murdered artist. I like that the murder lead to more complicated revelations and mysteries that personally effect Amy's world, and that the stories of town residents and their relations to each other continued evolving and growing even as the mystery unfolded. I also liked that we got to know more about the past, and were able to see Amy and Richard become closer and understand each other. The danger and complications involved in the murder was very well done, there are multiple levels to the crime and I really enjoyed the depth and twists involved. I feel like the story as a little deeper and more dense than most cozy style mysteries, but I just worked out well and felt right as I was reading.

Shelved Under Murder is a fun and fast ride with plenty of twists and turns.  While I had suspicions as to the final twists, and was right, I still enjoyed the ride and am still planning on continuing with the series.

Book Review: The Magician's Secret by Zachary Hyman, Joev Bluhm

The Magician's Secret is a picturebook written by Zachary Hyman and illustrated by Joe Bluhm. Charlie loves when Grandpa comes to babysit because he always brings his magical imagination. Grandpa was a magician who knows the most amazing tricks; he can pull a rabbit from a hat and make a coin disappear. But what Charlie loves most are his wonderful adventure stories, and they all begin with something his grandfather has saved in his Magic Story Chest. An hourglass is a reminder of how he defended the treasure in King Tut's tomb from raiders. A long white scarf inspires the story about Grandpa's dogfight with the notorious Red Baron, the great First World War fighter pilot. A coconut shell heralds the story about his encounter with a nasty Tyrannosaurus Rex. Charlie's parents, though, aren't too sure they like Grandpa's stories and warn Charlie that they're just "tall tales." What is Charlie to believe? How can his grandpa convince him that all you need to do is believe and a dream can be turned into something real?

The Magician's Secret is a wonderful story about intergenerational relationships, and the power of imagination. Charlie's grandfather tells him fantastic stories, and he love the bond they share. However, his mother worries that he is taking the stories too seriously when they could not have really happened, and tells him that they are all pretend. When I love that Charlie feels safe enough with his grandfather for clarification, too often connections with adults can have barriers that prevent this kind of honesty and openness. Grampa assures him that while he might not have actually lived the adventures, that does not mean the stories are not real. They come from dreams, from imagination, from exploring. I love tat this encourages Charlie to dream big, to read, to explore, and most importantly to have his own adventures and stories to tell. 

As lovely as the story is, and its message, I also loved the artwork. The illustrations have their own story to tell, and are crisp and lovely to look at in their own right. The book was a delight to read and I hope it becomes a favorite.