Audiobook Review: The Creative Lives of Animals by Carol Gigliotti, Narrated by Sheri Saginor

The Creative Lives of Animals was written by Carol Gigliotti, and the audiobook was narrated by Sheri Saginor. Most of us view animals through a very narrow lens, seeing only bits and pieces of beings that seem mostly peripheral to our lives. However, whether animals are building a shelter, seducing a mate, or inventing a new game, animals' creative choices affect their social, cultural, and environmental worlds. Drawing on a growing body of scientific research, Carol Gigliotti unpacks examples of creativity demonstrated by animals through the lens of the creative process, an important component of creative behavior, and offers new thinking on animal intelligence, emotion, and self-awareness. With examples of the elaborate dams built by beavers or the lavishly decorated bowers of bowerbirds, Gigliotti provides a new perspective on animals as agents in their own lives, as valuable contributors to their world and ours, and as guides in understanding how creativity may contribute to conserving the natural world. Presenting a powerful argument for the importance of recognizing animals as individuals and as creators of a healthy, biodiverse world, this book offers insights into both the established and emerging questions about the creativity of animals.

The Creative Lives of Animals was a hard listen for me for a few reasons. First, I thing the research done to write this book and the information included is important and interesting. However, I have to admit that I almost Did not make it through the introduction. I was expecting the book to focus more on the example and actual experiments and examples of how animals demonstrate creativity. I felt like the book was more aimed at people in the field, or with a particular frame of mind rather than just regular folks that wanted to learn more about the creativity and intelligence of animals. There were times where the tone of the writing felt very pretentious to me, and that always make a nonfiction read harder for me to enjoy. I felt like the narrator tried to do a solid job, using inflections to avoid falling into a monotone, and I think they did the best they could with the material. However, While I was listening I felt like I was in a grad school lecture rather than listening to an audiobook. It might work much better for other readers/listeners, but it just did not work for me.

The Creative Lives of Animals covers and interesting subject matter, and is well researched. However, I felt like it was aimed more at other researchers and scholars rather than readers like me. 

Book Review: Hex Appeal by Kate Johnson

Hex Appeal by Kate Johnson was release on October 1st 2022. Essie Winterscale lives in a huge and ever-changing house in the village of Good Winter, in deepest, darkest Essex. She lives with various witches of various ages, one of whom is still a bit salty about having been burned at the stake in 1635, one who keeps accidentally casting fertility spells, and one who knits things that create the future. All Essie ever wanted was to have a normal life but in the end she found herself drawn back to Beldam House because she just can’t stop her witchiness (although the ability to instantly chill wine is pretty awesome, even she has to admit). Into this coven of chaos stumbles gorgeous, clueless Josh, their new landlord – and he’s just discovered his tenants haven’t paid rent since the 1700s! As Josh is drawn further into the lives of the inhabitants of Beldam House, Essie is determined to keep him at broomstick’s length. That is, until a family secret, lying hidden for centuries, puts Josh firmly under her spell.

Hex Appeal has a lot to it, much more than I expected to be honest. I thought the character work on Essie, Josh, and the whole town was very well done, as was the world and story building surrounding the witchiness of Essie's home and family. I liked the balance of romance, mystery, and danger that is woven through the story, and even when I expected a twist I rarely anticipated all of the pieces before the story revealed them. I thought that magical aspects of this book were my favorite, and would enjoy a book just about how Bedlam house came to be, and how the magical combinations and shifts were started and how they continue- the house and its residents fascinated me and I want more. I think there is room for more to be told here, beyond my personal desire for more history. There is plenty of room for sequels or campion books, despite the very satisfying ending this book provided. I would love to revisit the characters and world that was created here. 

Hex Appeal is a solid witchy romance, with solid world and character building.

Early Book Review: Rich in Your Love (Tickled Pink) by Pippa Grant

Rich in Your Love is the second book in the Tickled Pink series by Pippa Grant and currently scheduled for release on December 13 2022. You do not absolutely need to read the series in order to enjoy the story, but I do highly recommend it. 

Secrets always catch up with you. The world knows me as Tavi Lightly, sugar-free social media influencer. But my true purpose lies in secretly restoring a cacao farm in Costa Rica. Unfortunately, to save the farm, I need access to the trust fund that my grandmother has frozen. She’s requiring me to do charity work in Tickled Pink, Wisconsin, and until I meet her ultimatum—no trust fund. So to Tickled Pink I go. My first grandmother-approved charity project? Helping local reformed bad boy Dylan Wright. He has secrets too, like how he’s hung up on his married best friend. Kick-starting his dating life is as easy as making him famous through association with me. Not so easy is the fact that we’re falling for each other. He belongs in Tickled Pink, and I belong on my farm. We might share our secrets with one another, but can we really share our lives too?

Rich in Your Love is exactly what I have come to expect from Grant. Well developed characters and setting with plenty of humor, fun, and angst to keep me turning the pages. I loved getting a better look at Tavi and Dylan, who I remember well from the first book in the series. I thought the community and family drama were handled well, and I liked that even the characters that I though were downright evil in the first book grew and developed right along side the characters I was rooting for from the beginning. I really enjoyed both Tavi and Dylan as characters- neither was perfect but neither was looking for perfect from others. Even with all the baggage they were both carrying around- the thought they each put into helping others and being better people than they have been in the past made me look forward to seeing where they would go next and do next. And, in true Pippa Grant fashion, the whole time I was just as engaged in what the secondary characters were doing and what would happen next to both the Lightly family members and the town. I an greatly looking forward to what ever comes next.

Rich in Your Love is another enjoyable read from Pippa Grant. Fans and many other romance readers, will definitely want to pick it up. 

Audiobook Review: Serwa Boateng's Guide to Vampire Hunting by Roseanne A. Brown, Narrated by Soneela Nankani

Serwa Boateng's Guide to Vampire Hunting is a middle grade novel by Roseanne A. Brown. The audiobook is narrated by Soneela Nankani. For most kids, catching fireflies is a fun summer activity. For twelve-year-old Serwa Boateng, it's a matter of life and death. That's because Serwa knows that some fireflies are really adze, shapeshifting vampires from the forests of Southeastern Ghana. Adze prey on the blood of innocents, possessing their minds and turning them into hulking monsters, and for generations, slayers like Serwa and her parents have protected an unknowing public from their threats. Serwa is the best adze slayer her age, and she knew how to use a crossbow before she could even ride a bike. But when an obayifo (witch) destroys her childhood home while searching for a drum, do Serwa's parents take her with them on their quest to defeat her? No. Instead, they dump Serwa with her hippie aunt and cryptic-obsessed cousin in the middle of Nowheresville, Maryland "for her own safety." Now, instead of crossbows and battle armor, she's dealing with mean girls and algebra, and for the first time in her life she doesn't have to carry a staff everywhere she goes, which is . . . kind of nice, actually. Just as Serwa starts to get the hang of this whole normal girl who doesn't punch vampires every day thing, an adze infiltrates her school. It's up to her to whip some of her classmates into monster-fighting shape before all of them become firefly food. And when she uncovers a secret that upends everything she thought she knew about her family's role in the slayer vs. adze war, Serwa will have to decide which side of herself--normal girl or slayer--is the right one. After all, seventh grade is hard enough without adding vampires to the mix.

Serwa Boateng's Guide to Vampire Hunting is a wonderful middle grade adventure with a solid foundation in Ghanaian folklore. I was very happy to learn more about legends I only knew a bear minimum of, and was very glad that I listened to the audiobook version so that I had the correct pronunciations rather than looking them up and still getting them wrong. I thought the balance between magic and the realities of trying to fit into a new environment and dealing this prejudice and preconized notions was very well done, and I felt for Serwa through out the book and was wholly engaged in the story the entire time. I thought the twists and turns of the story were well handled, and while some I suspected long before they were revealed, I think they might take younger readers by surprise, as intended. I will say that I felt a bit like this installment of the series could have ended at an earlier point, and the last few chapters been the start of the next book, but since I do not know the full plan for Serwa and her future adventures there is likely a very good reason for moving forward the way it was. I enjoyed the read, and look forward to what will come next in the series. 

Serwa Boateng's Guide to Vampire Hunting is a great start to a new series that will appeal to a wide range of readers. 

Book Review: How to Embroider Almost Every Cute Thing: A Sourcebook of 550 Motifs + Beginner Stitch Tutorials by Nihon Vogue

How to Embroider Almost Every Cute Thing: A Sourcebook of 550 Motifs + Beginner Stitch Tutorials by Nihon Vogue includes 550  embroidery motifs for just about everything you could ever want to depict with needle and thread. From cheeseburgers and chihuahuas to earmuffs and exercise equipment, among the many charming motifs are flowers, food, animals, clothing, vehicles, sports and hobbies, letters, numbers, and decorative designs from Japan’s leading embroidery artists. Use the motifs to embellish t-shirts, socks, bags, table linens, and more! What you’ll find inside includes finished stitched examples, stitch guides templates for all the motifs, and essential step-by-step tutorials for key stitches and techniques.

How to Embroider Almost Every Cute Thing: A Sourcebook of 550 Motifs + Beginner Stitch Tutorials offers readers exactly what the title promises, a wide variety of embroidery motifs with instructions and valuable information about getting your project done the way you envision it. I thought the book was well organized and easy to navigate to find exactly the pattern or bit of instruction that you are looking for. The only complaint I had is that I would have liked the stich guides to be a little bigger, some of the little details felt crowded and hard to read, but that is more on me and my eye sight that the book. think the best part about this is that it gives readers the inspiration to make things their own, and a solid starting point in creating their own pieces or embellishments. 

Book Review: City of Night (Secrets & Sin) by Linsey Hall

City of Night is the first book in the Secrets & Sin series by Linsey Hall. When I inherit a haunted bookstore in New Orleans, I go from demon hunter to my dream job. Unfortunately, there’s a dark side to my beautiful new life—the gorgeous demon who seems to think he owns the place. The attraction between us is insane, and we can’t keep our eyes off each other. But I don’t trust him one bit—especially not the way he uses his seductive charms to try to compel me to work for him. When a young girl is kidnapped from right outside my house, he’s the first person on my mind. I just can’t figure out if he’s the culprit or my fiercest protector. But I do know he has answers. And I have to resist his dangerous allure, because to give in is to risk losing everything—including my life.

City of Night is an urban fantasy that sets the stage nicely for a series. I felt like there were many teases about what happened in the past, and what might tie the many players together beyond attraction. I really liked the world building and the small town feel that the New Orleans neighborhood is given. I liked the secondary characters, and I thought the mystery and set up were all very well done. I did feel like certain aspects of the story were a little predictable, and since I have read other things from the author everything felt very familiar. I double checked a couple times that I hadn't already read this series, or a companion book to the series, which I could find no evidence of. The result was a bit like rereading a favorite but with the surprises of solving the mystery and meeting the characters for the first time.

City of Night is a solid urban fantasy that kept me engaged and reading. 

Book Review: Southwest Heat (Southwest Supernatural Society) by E.L. Adams

Southwest Heat is the first book in the Southwest Supernatural Society series by E.L. Adams. Addyson Owings is the best at what she does—working as an investigator for the Southwest Supernatural Society, where crimes come in all shapes and sizes. But when her ex shows up after seven years, partnering with her on a serious crime, she’s faced with not only figuring out why a family was killed without a single mark on their bodies, but also with the lingering attraction to the man who broke her heart. Cooper Braxton plans to get his woman back. He has one weekend to help solve a complex crime that combines the world of paranormals and humans while also convincing Addyson to give him a second chance. His success rate is high, and he doesn’t plan to lose now. But when a traitor takes a kid as a hostage, Cooper and Addy must overcome their past while saving the innocent, stopping a killer, and trying to salvage any chance of their happily ever after.

Southwest Heat is a mixed bag of second chance romance and suspense. I thought Cooper and Addy were good characters, although I do not feel like I know either of them well. I liked the premise and the potential of everything this book could be, but while it was an enjoyable read it did not quite meet my hopes for the read. Because of the second chance romance aspect of the book I felt like I did not get a whole lot of character building, and I felt like because of the series aspect of the book some of the world building was not quite as developed as I might have liked because there will be room for that later in the series. I thought the suspense as to how they were going to save victims was good, but again it felt very surface level with very little actual detective work happening. I think there were many great ideas, but each could have stood for more attention. Like perhaps have the pair do some sleuthing rather than getting busy in other ways, or have them figure out their relationship a bit more in depth and then hunt for the bad guys. It just felt like watching the trailer to a movie- just the big moments- and none of how we got there.

Southwest Heat is an interesting and engaging read but I felt there could have been more depth. 

Book Review: Puppy Life: The First Eight Weeks of Bonding, Playing, and Growing by Traer Scott

Puppy Life: The First Eight Weeks of Bonding, Playing, and Growing by Traer Scott is a nonfiction book that follows the stages of development of six litters of puppies across breeds from birth through eight weeks. Featuring 120 full-color photographs from best-selling animal photographer Traer Scott, this book takes readers on a photographic journey through puppyhood with a visual diary of how dogs mature and grow, as well as information about each stage of puppy development leading up to the day each puppy goes to its forever home. Follow the stories of these litters across different ages, with informative text about each breed and developmental stage: English Setters, Great Pyrenees, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Labradors, and Mixed Breed.

Puppy Life offers readers exactly what the title and blurb promises. Detailed information on the first eight weeks of life, development, and growth for five litters of puppies. The photographs were very cute, and helped to show how fast puppies change and grow. I always new puppies grew up fast, but as someone that has only had cats in my adult life, and adopted full grown rescue dogs with my family when I was a kid, sometimes seeing that growth documented is much more real that the knowledge of the subject. I thought the text was accessible and did a nice job of talking about the breeds and the specific litters that are covered, without getting deep enough to become too much. I think this would be a great book for fans of shows like Too Cute, which does something similar, and as a discussion starter in families talking about getting a puppy. 

Book Review: The Solar System: Exploring the Sun, Planets and their Moons by Robert Harvey

The Solar System: Exploring the Sun, Planets and their Moons by Robert Harvey is a nonfiction book featuring more than 200 intriguing images taken by space probes travelling billions of kilometers from Earth, The Solar System is an exhilarating exploration of the mysteries of our local planetary space. Within the span of a human lifetime, our spacecraft have visited all eight planets of the Solar System, together with several dwarf planets, asteroids and comets. We have mapped the surface of Mercury and Venus in exquisite detail, landed rovers on Mars, placed orbiters around Jupiter and Saturn, and parachuted to the surface of Titan. Our emissaries have visited icy worlds five billion kilometers from home and continued onwards to reach interstellar space. The pictures and science returned by these intrepid travelers have transformed our understanding of the Solar System in which we live.

The Solar System: Exploring the Sun, Planets and their Moons is an accessible and visually stunning look at our solar system, what we have learned, and our place in it.  I thought the text was well written and pairs well with each of the chosen images.  The images are absolutely stunning and the star of this book. I like that there were some artist renditions as well, which were also of great quality.  I thought the text was understandable and added context to the images making them more impactful. without getting too technical or overwhelming. I think middle grade and older readers could get just as much out of the book (particularly if they are interested in the subject matter).  This is a lovely coffee table book that will stand up to rereading and flipping through when the mood strikes. 

Audiobook Review: A Haunted History of Invisible Women: True Stories of America's Ghosts by Leanna Renee Hieber; Andrea Janes, Narrated by Linda Jones

A Haunted History of Invisible Women: True Stories of America's Ghosts was written by Leanna Renee Hieber and Andrea Janes, and the audiobook is narrated by Linda Jones. From the notorious Lizzie Borden to the innumerable, haunted rooms of Sarah Winchester's mysterious mansion, this book explores the history behind America’s female ghosts, the stereotypes, myths, and paranormal tales that swirl around them, what their stories reveal about us—and why they haunt us. Sorrowful widows, vengeful jezebels, innocent maidens, wronged lovers, former slaves, even the occasional axe-murderess—America’s female ghosts differ widely in background, class, and circumstance. Yet one thing unites them: their ability to instill fascination and fear, long after their deaths. Here are the full stories behind some of the best-known among them, as well as the lesser-known—though no less powerful. Tales whispered in darkness often divulge more about the teller than the subject. America’s most famous female ghosts, from from ‘Mrs. Spencer’ who haunted Joan Rivers’ New York apartment to Bridget Bishop, the first person executed during the Salem witchcraft trials, mirror each era’s fears and prejudices. Yet through urban legends and campfire stories, even ghosts like the nameless hard-working women lost in the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire —achieve a measure of power and agency in death, in ways unavailable to them as living women.

 A Haunted History of Invisible Women offers a readers a variety of ghostly legends, including the research into the people and places involved, all through the lens of feminism. The social constructs, expectations, and realities of life as a woman have colored even the most factual hauntings, and this book dives into how this has shaped specific stories, and how our perception and interest in the stories has been shaped as well. I love a good ghost story, and more than that I love looking into the historical research of what really happened, particularly what we do know and what is lost in time and legend because of record keeping and unsolved crimes. I like that this book focused on the history, lives, and treatment of the women that these ghostly legends are based on, and the spiritualists and women that are drawn to the subject matter. While every time I hear ghost stories I think about what can be proven, what can be debunked, and the real lives of the people at the heart of the story, I think this book made me even more conscious of how our societal expectations and stereotypes shape  the stories and how we think about them. I think this book offers exactly what it promises and while I was well acquainted with many of these tales, it offered me bits of history and some new perspectives to consider with other stories I already know, or might hear about in the future.