Book Review: Gardening to Eat: Connecting People and Plants by Becky Dickinson

Gardening to Eat: Connecting People and Plants by Becky Dickinson is a nonfiction book. Embrace a plant-based lifestyle all the way from seed to plate. This inspiring and informative book takes the mystery out of gardening and reveals how to grow an array of fruits and vegetables using simple, organic techniques. Packed with fresh ideas for turning home-grown produce into delicious, nutritious meals, you'll find heaps of no-nonsense recipes created for real people with busy lives and healthy appetites. No fads, no fuss, no fancy ingredients, just real, honest, ethical food. With a passion for connecting people and plants, Gardening to Eat brings the garden into the kitchen. For people who love food and love to know where it's come from.

Gardening to Eat is a book for those that want to be more self sufficient, and grow their own fresh fruits and veggies. I liked the idea of the book- and there was some good advice. However, some of it was over the top. Many of us do not have the room for things like greenhouses or the processes of crop rotation, and in that regard I think the book felt a little uneven. Support for even growing some herbs indoors is given- and then the importance of going large and going all out is stated. Once the book got to the individual crop possibilities- and recipes for the rewards and possible over abundance- I was much happier with the read. Granted, I am in the states so there were a few things that were not relevant to me (like hedgehogs for slug control) a great deal was universal.

Book Review: Murder at the Beacon Bakeshop by Darci Hannah

Murder at the Beacon Bakeshop by Darci Hannah is the first book in a new series. More interested in kneading dough than adding it up, Lindsey's breakup inspired her to set up the shop she always wanted in a place that always made her happy. She'd spent many childhood summers near this beach community and converting the old run-down lighthouse into a bakery café and home offers a perfect fresh start for Lindsey and her devoted Newfoundland dog, Wellington. But not everyone in town has a sweet tooth. The preservation society won't have the lighthouse's history sugar coated by lattes and cakes--and a protest group crashes Lindsey's Memorial Day opening. Then her ex-fiancé Jeffrey Plank and his girlfriend Mia Wong arrive to trash the place. In the ensuing chaos Mia chokes on a donut and dies. An autopsy reveals cyanide in Mia's bloodstream and Lindsey is the police's prime suspect. To clear her name, she's going to need to combine ingredients found in the town's checkered past to uncover the identity of a desperate killer.

Murder at the Beacon Bakeshop is a good series starter, but still manged to keep the mystery on point. I really enjoyed the character building. I liked Lindsey and her approach to the world. I liked Rory as a mysterious neighbor, and the growing circle of friends and acquaintances. I thought the ghost story and added mystery was a good touch, and was woven into the larger story very well. The food talk, and the recipes at the end, were also welcome extras to the story.  I adored the small town feel and the truth that even the smallest towns have secrets.I though the murder mystery was very well plotted and executed. While I had my suspicions about some aspects of the case, the final reveal was a surprise to me. I was glad to be taken by surprise, and see how everything came together at the end. I am interested to see where the series goes from here.  

Murder at the Beacon Bakeshop is a mystery with a nice balance of world building for the series and twists and turns to keep the reader guessing.

Book Review: The Leaf Detective: How Margaret Lowman Uncovered Secrets in the Rainforest by Heather Lang

The Leaf Detective: How Margaret Lowman Uncovered Secrets in the Rainforest by Heather Lang is a nonfiction children's book. Meg Lowman was always fascinated by the natural world above her head. The colors, the branches, and, most of all, the leaves and mysterious organisms living there. As a scientist, Meg set out to climb up and investigate the rain forest tree canopies-- and to be the first scientist to do so. But she encountered challenge after challenge. Male teachers would not let her into their classrooms, the high canopy was difficult to get to, and worst of all, people were logging and clearing the forests. Meg never gave up or gave in. She studied, invented, and persevered, not only creating a future for herself as a scientist, but making sure that the rainforests had a future as well. Working closely with Meg Lowman, author Heather Lang and artist Jana Christy beautifully capture Meg's world in the treetops.

The Leaf Detective is a beautifully illustrated and designed book. The artwork would make this book well worth looking at even if there were no text at all. However, the text is well written and very engaging- so this book is a win on both fronts. Meg's efforts and perseverance makes her story easy to get invested in, and her efforts to get through or around the obstacles in her path just might inspire those that read this book to put the effort in to do the things they are passionate about even if the way will be challenging. I liked the way facts and quotes from Lowman were included in the book- bringing home that this is real life not fiction. I loved the look, content, intent, and and feel of the book.The digital formatting on my galley was a little off, making it a little harder to read, but I am confident that this will not be a problem in the final version. 

The Leaf Detective is a wonderful book that should be added to school library, classroom, and public library collections. I think there are many readers that would reread a personal copy as well, including my daughter.

Book Review: The First Man (From Connemara With Love) by Alex Kelly

The First Man is the second book in the From Connemara With Love series by Alex Kelly. While you do not have to have read the first book to enjoy this one, I find that the complex relationships and characters read better if read in order.

Shane, Do you want to know what it means to live like me? It means being forced not to look at him, not to touch him, not to be left alone in the same room as him. Not to seek him out. Not to want him. Not to love him. Do you know how it feels to spend your entire life pretending to be someone else? Do you know what it’s like to love someone who doesn’t want to be loved? I’ll tell you how it feels. It feels as if you’re living in constant torment: you know which path you should follow, but you also know that, if you follow that path, you can never turn back. And I can’t do that to him. Every day I come back, because I know that he’s waiting for me. Every day I promise him that he will never have to live without me. Andy, Do you know what it means to live like me? It means being forced not to touch him, not to kiss him, not to be able to leave the room while he’s still in it. Not to breathe him in, not to lust after him. Not to love him. Do you know how it feels to spend your entire life pretending to be someone else? Do you know what it’s like to love the only person you’re not allowed to love? I’ll tell you how it works. You can’t seem to feel anything other than him; when you walk away, you know that you’re turning your back on the only thing that’s good in your life. Yet you still walk away. Every day I leave, knowing that he will be standing there, watching. Every day I ask him to promise me that I will never have to live without him.

The First Man is romance with main players that are very conflicted about themselves. I was glad to get to know Shane and Andy better- and to follow them towards their happy ever after. This was much more about their emotional understanding of themselves and each other than any external conflict. I will admit that there were moments that I just wanted to kick them and tell them to open their eyes and get over themselves or simply sit down and talk it all out. However, I am glad I stuck with it to the end. I am a fan of the town, and complicated families and friendships, and the community of Connemara. While I do want to know what happens next with them all, I am not sure my heart can take any more. The story is all emotional conflict, with very little external input, and while I am a huge fan of character driven stories I was occasionally looking for something a little more immediate or tangible to shake things up. Then I got it- that is for sure. While things have make progress with our first to couples, things are far from perfect and it feels like there is much more to tell about this group of characters. If you enjoyed the first read, you will want to pick this one up, and likely continue on. 

The First Man is a good follow up to The Best Man, and an emotional read. 

Book Review: Calculated Risks (InCryptid) by Seanan McGuire

Calculated Risks is the tenth book in the InCryptid series by Seanan McGuire. It is the second book in Sarah's point of view. I highly recommend reading this series in order (not just because I love it, but because it will help with the nuances of character personality and motivation). If you do not want to start from the very beginning, at least start with the beginning of Sarah's story arch. 

Just when Sarah Zellaby, adopted Price cousin and telepathic ambush predator, thought that things couldn't get worse, she's had to go and prove herself wrong. After being kidnapped and manipulated by her birth family, she has undergone a transformation called an instar, reaching back to her Apocritic origins to metamorphize. While externally the same, she is internally much more powerful, and much more difficult to control. Even by herself. After years of denial, the fact that she will always be a cuckoo has become impossible to deny. Now stranded in another dimension with a handful of allies who seem to have no idea who she is--including her cousin Annie and her maybe-boyfriend Artie, both of whom have forgotten their relationship--and a bunch of cuckoos with good reason to want her dead, Sarah must figure out not only how to contend with her situation, but with the new realities of her future. What is she now? Who is she now? Is that person someone she can live with? And when all is said and done, will she be able to get the people she loves, whether or not they've forgotten her, safely home?

Calculated Risks is a continuation of a great story on so many levels. Sarah has fought so hard to come back to herself- only to get kidnapped and bring about dimensional travel and mayhem. Trying to figure out how it all happened, and how to fix it, she has to deal with the mental gaps the whole thing has caused in her family and the innocent bystanders that have gotten caught up in the whole thing. I think that as usual, the depth of character and world building here is fantastic, even the secondary and even less important characters have complexity to them, and feel real even if readers do not get all the details about them. I felt for the college kids trapped on campus, the strangers they meet, and the depth of history and emotion forgotten by Sarah's core support system. Fans of the author and series will need to read this, anyone foolish enough to start here will be utterly lost and confused (but hopefully inspired to go back and start at the beginning). My only disappointment is the same that I feel at the end of each of these books- that this part of the story is over and I have to wait for the next installment.  

Calculated Risks is exactly what I needed from this series, it left me satisfied but craving more. 

Book Review: Hit Me With Your Best Scot (Wild Wicked Highlanders) by Suzanne Enoch

Hit Me With Your Best Scot is the third and final book in the Wild Wicked Highlanders series by Suzanne Enoch. The MacTaggert brothers have one task, to find English brides or lose their land! Two out of three have found love, but the oldest is still holding out. I do recommend reading this in order, as a series. While the individual romance does stand fine enough alone, the inside jokes and characters are much more interesting to those that have the bigger picture. 

Coll MacTaggert, Viscount Glendarril, is a big, brawny Highlander who doesn’t like being told what to do—not even by his exasperated English mother who is determined to see her eldest son wedded and bedded. However, when he comes to the rescue of an irresistibly beautiful woman, Coll discovers that he may have found his perfect match. The challenge isn’t that Persephone Jones is famous, wealthy, independent, and smarter than anyone he knows.The problem is that she isn't interested in marrying any man—especially not a hot-headed Scot—even if he is the only man who seems to understand who she really is even when she’s not sure herself. When Coll learns that Persephone is actually a lady-in-hiding and someone is willing to kill her for what she stands to inherit. Well, Coll has never been one to turn down a fight. When hearts are involved, nothing comes between a Highlander and his lady.

Hit Me With Your Best Scot is exactly what I was hoping for to finish off this trilogy. Coll and Persephone are both complex characters, not what everyone expects them to be, and I think that is why the are so drawn to each other. I really enjoyed the wit that both displayed, and found them to be characters that I could root for right away. The drama and danger surrounding Persephone was very well done, as was the emotional conflicts they both faced about who they are and the future. I really love seeing strong minded characters like these come together ad find a happy middleground rather than having one throw away their history or plans without a care. This makes me enjoy a story so much more, and while not every question about the future is answered, the was they will make decisions together is. As usual, the secondary characters were just as interesting and complex as the main players and I enjoyed trying to figure out the mystery right along side our couple. I think that fans of the author, and this series in particular, will be very happy with this read. 

Hit Me With Your Best Scot is a historical romance with a good blend or humor, emotion, and danger. I am sad to see the series come to an end.

Early Book Review: The Magic of Sleep: A Fascinating Guide to the World of Slumber by Vicky Woodgate

The Magic of Sleep: A Fascinating Guide to the World of Slumber by Vicky Woodgate is currently scheduled for release on March 2 2021. We spend about 26 years of our lives sleeping, but how much do you really know about what happens when your head hits the pillow? This book answers all your questions about what goes on in your head when you snooze, including the difference between light and deep sleep, where dreams come from, and how essential sleep is to staying healthy. Discover fascinating facts about how people slept in the past, and how people sleep in different ways around the world. Did you know that the oldest mattress was found in South Africa and is 77,000 years old? As well as humans, learn about the sleeping habits of other animals, from bears hibernating to how bats sleep upside down. Even plants sleep! Finally, learn how you can get a proper night's sleep with practical tips and ideas for meditation to calm your mind before bedtime. 

The Magic of Sleep is a well written, illustrated, and organized book about sleep for young readers. I thought the chosen information was well phrased. It made the information interesting and engaging while not crossing the line into being condescending. I thought the illustrations did a good job of demonstrating the facts while keeping or increasing the interest of the reader. I will admit that I recently listed to an audiobook on the same topic, for the same age group. They started of very similar, and shared many of the same facts,  so it was hard for me to separate the two in my mind. However, since both covered the topic so well, and with such a high interest level, being compared did nothing to decrease my enjoyment of either. I enjoyed that the time was taken to include a glossary and index, to allow for a closer reading and understanding for interested readers. 

Early Audobook Review: Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price

Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price is scheduled to be released in print and audiobook on March 9 2021. I listened to a simulated audiobook, where a computer generated narration is provide. So, I cannot speak to the skill of the narrator, but I will say that the program did a very good job and there were only occasional moments of stilted speech that reminded me that I was not listening to a person.

This is the first book in the Jane Austen Murder Mysteries series and a retelling of Pride and Prejudice that reimagines the iconic settings, characters, and romances in a whodunit. When a scandalous murder shocks London high society, seventeen-year-old aspiring lawyer Lizzie Bennet seizes the opportunity to prove herself, despite the interference of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, the stern young heir to the prestigious firm Pemberley Associates. Convinced the authorities have imprisoned the wrong person, Lizzie vows to solve the murder on her own. But as the case—and her feelings for Darcy—become more complicated, Lizzie discovers that her dream job could make her happy, but it might also get her killed.

Pride and Premeditation is an engaging work of historical fiction and mystery that had me second guessing my memories of Pride and Prejudice as I read.  I enjoyed getting to see the characters in a new light, and was trying to put the clues together right with Lizzie. The spirited exchanges Lizzie has with Darcy, and just about everyone to be fair, are entertaining and add some more humorous moments to the mystery at hand. I also like that while the details have changed, the spirit of the original still felt very present to me. I also liked that the author included information about the changes she made to the story, and what historical details she had to alter to make her story happen. I think Austen would appreciate the liberties Price took, and most likely wished the freedom she offered characters in the book had been reality in her time. The twists in turns in the investigation, and the way the characters deal with them were well done, and I was fully invested in the characters and the conclusion through the entire book. I am very much looking forward to more in this series, and am disappointed that I listened to a galley so early, because that means I will have to wait that much longer before getting my hands on the books that will hopefully follow. 

Pride and Premeditation is an intriguing and well written book that fans or Jane Austen and Agatha Christie alike will enjoy. 

Early Book Review: Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert

 Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert is the third book about the Brown sisters, and while fantastic as a series they do each stand up on their own. It is currently scheduled for release on March 9 2021.

Eve Brown is a certified hot mess. No matter how hard she strives to do right, her life always goes horribly wrong. So she’s given up trying. But when her personal brand of chaos ruins an expensive wedding (someone had to liberate those poor doves), her parents draw the line. It's time for Eve to grow up and prove herself—even though she's not entirely sure how. Jacob Wayne is in control. Always. The bed and breakfast owner’s on a mission to dominate the hospitality industry and he expects nothing less than perfection. So when a purple-haired tornado of a woman turns up out of the blue to interview for his open chef position, he tells her the brutal truth: not a chance in hell. Then she hits him with her car, supposedly by accident. Now his arm is broken, his B&B is understaffed, and the dangerously unpredictable Eve is fluttering around, trying to help. Before long, she’s infiltrated his work, his kitchen, and his spare bedroom. Jacob hates everything about it. Or rather, he should. Sunny, chaotic Eve is his natural-born nemesis, but the longer these two enemies spend in close quarters, the more their animosity turns into something else. Like Eve, the heat between them is impossible to ignore, and it’s melting Jacob’s frosty exterior.

Act Your Age, Eve Brown is a thoughtful look at romance between two characters that have never felt like they fit in. I loved watching Eve come into herself, exploring her own wants, skills, and needs rather than trying to fit into the roles others have tried to shove her into, and that she willing tried to fit into because it was less drama that way. Similarly, Jacob has his own struggles and issues, and seeing Eve and Jacob figure things out together was an enjoyable ride. Clearly, not everything goes smoothly so there are some moments that had me shaking my head or dreading the next sentence- but everything fit the characters and situation. I really enjoyed the read and the honest way neurodiversity and some of the struggles that come with it can affect people. I also liked that the range that diversity is acknowledged- and that there is some much possibility and joy that can be found if only we take the time to understand ourselves and each other. 

Act Your Age, Eve Brown had me grinning from the start, and took me on a wonderful ride. Hibbert is now on my must read list after two fantastic reads in a row (I still need to go back and read the first Brown sister book).

Early Book Review: Odd Bods: The World's Unusual Animals by Julie Murphy

Odd Bods: The World's Unusual Animals by Julie Murphy is a nonfiction book for young readers which is currently scheduled for release on March 2 2021. Long snouts, bright-red lips, pointy heads; the animal kingdom is full of critters with unique features. Learn about the incredible adaptations that help these creatures, and their odd bods, survive and thrive all around the globe! This album introduces strikingly unusual looking members of the animal kingdom from around the world.

Odd Bods is a great look at some of the unusual creatures we share the planet with. I have always loved the underdog, the oddball creatures with so ugly they are cute faces and strange abilities. This book gave me bold, full color, photographs of some of these creatures along with simple text that let readers know how that odd feature helps them survive. Sometimes as camouflage,  or to help them eat or drink in their environments, and sometimes to help build a cozy home. I really liked that at the end of the book there is even more information about the featured creatures, and suggestions for further reading. I think this is a must have for young readers with a love for animals and science, including in lower grade classrooms and libraries.