Book Review: Diary of the Cat Named Carrot by Erin Merryn

Diary of the Cat Named Carrot by Erin Merryn is a nonfiction book for all ages. Bailey was certainly no ordinary cat—an orange tabby who gained fans around the world when his humanlike antics went viral. Sadly, when 14-year-old Bailey died, his family grieved their loss. They’d never find a cat quite like him—or would they? Then along came Carrot, an orange tabby kitten born as a stray, who appeared just as Erin Merryn and her young girls Abby, Hannah, and baby Claire were mending their broken hearts. Written in the voice of Carrot, follow her remarkable journey from shelter cat to top Instagram celebrity feline. Much like Bailey did, she loves spending time with her human family: making mischief with her girl gang; going joyriding in a pint-sized pink Barbie Jeep; doing arts-and-crafts projects; modeling a pink tutu and flowery headband; enjoying a spa day complete with fluffy robe and cucumber eye treatments; celebrating Christmas, Easter, and every holiday in between.

Diary of the Cat Named Carrot is a lovely story about welcoming a new kitten into a family that is missing their late cat. I thought that it was neat to have the story from Carrot's perspective, and the pictures did a great job of documenting the family's journey together and how much Carrot (and the kids) grew. It is a quick, mostly happy read, formatted to be blog like- so it matches what fans of Carrot would already be used to. The pictures are fun, and while some of the text got to be a little to long for me, this book still works well and would be a nice read for any cat fan. It might also be a good book choice to start a discussion about getting a cat with children.  

Book Review: When Life Gives You Vampires by Gloria Duke

When Life Gives You Vampires by Gloria Duke is a contemporary paranormal romance. Twenty-five year old Lily Baines is used to waking up hungover, overweight, and underemployed. Waking up with fangs? Not so much. But when it turns out a little light necking has more serious consequences than she ever imagined, Lily's determined to get to the bottom of it. Tristan hadn't meant to turn Lily-it's against vampire law-but now that she's here, they need to team up to save their hides. They strike a truce, fending off other vampires, Lily's work-rival-turned-slayer, and her mother's tone-deaf romance and fitness advice-all while Lily faces down her insecurities about the fact that she lives in a diet-obsessed world with a body that will never age, never die, and never change. Can she learn to love the (plus size) woman she'll be forever more?

When Life Gives You Vampires had a fun premise and a lot of things going for it. In general, I liked the main character ad thought her best friend and the quality of that friendship was fantastic. I liked the honesty and heart to hearts they had together, and Lily's honesty with herself.  I thought some of her contemplating her size and hang ups was well done and on point, however as a larger girl myself I felt like it was overdone and maybe could have been handled differently or left out all together in some scenes. I also felt the male characters all fell a bit flat, very little depth in comparison with the female characters, more functions of the story rater than full fledge characters in their own right. I liked most of the plot twists and storyline ideas, but felt like focusing on one or two at a time rather than all of them in a single book might have made for a more engaging read. Since so much of the book is Lily's coming to terms with herself, perhaps some of the story could have been saved for a second book and more time could have been spent in her figuring things out with her best friend and mother rather than vampiric drama. There is so much more room for sequels, that I felt that some of the storylines could easily have been put on hold for them. I did enjoy the read, and it was entertaining, but I see so much potential for it to be even better that it was a little disappointing in some regards.

When Life Gives You Vampires is a entertaining read with great potential. I look forward to seeing what the author does next. 

Book Review: Superheroes of Nature: Incredible Skills to Survive and Thrive by Georges Feterman

Superheroes of Nature: Incredible Skills to Survive and Thrive by Georges Feterman is a children's nonfiction book with full color photos and interesting text celebrating biodiversity and nature. From the Borneo ant to the flying dragon, find out all about these amazing animals and the extraordinary abilities that make them the superheroes of our planet. For example a hammerhead shark can see 180 degrees, the webbed gecko can glide across the desert sand, and the springbok is super fast! For each animal readers will discover their superpower, super stats, and super facts about them and some additional information about how they used their super skills in the wild. 

Superheroes of Nature is another visually appealing book from the Animal Powers series, like Superpowers of Nature: Wild Wonders of the World, which I also recently read and reviewed. The chosen photographs are attention grabbing and does a delightful job of illustrating the features and actions described in the text of the book. I though the book was well organized and balanced, delivering interesting and informative text in accessible lengths along with the bight photographs. I think this book, and the series to be honest, will be a hit with readers interested in animals and science. It would be a valuable addition to school and classroom libraries as well as the public library and personal collections. 

Book Review: Cities of the Dead: The World's Most Beautiful Cemeteries by Yolanda Zappaterra

Cities of the Dead: The World's Most Beautiful Cemeteries by Yolanda Zappaterra is a nonfiction book and collection of photography. Readers will discover the fascinating stories of the world’s most beautiful cemeteries, featuring spectacular photography, unique histories and famous residents. The book invites readers on a tour of memorial sites, ranging from monastic settlements to grand cathedrals, Shinto shrines to Gothic chapels, tombs and crypts. Enjoy tales of myths and monsters, grave-robbers, pilgrimages, spiritual retreats, remembrance and community. Marvel in cemeteries with a hundred thousand to a handful of graves which feature famous headstones, weeping angels, ocean views, woodlands, thousands of glowing lanterns and a tomb of poets. From London's famous Highgate Cemetery, which houses famous names from Karl Marx to Malcolm McLaren, George Eliot to Christina Rosetti, to Hawaii's breathtaking Valley of the Temples, this book spans the globe to bring you the most fascinating, intriguing and evocative cemeteries across cultures and continents. Together with the photographs, the stories behind these notable burial sites bring these sanctuaries to life, detailing the features that make them special, highlighting both similarities and differences between time periods, religions and cultures, and showing how cemeteries are about and for the living as much as the dead.

Cities of the Dead is a fascinating read and visually captivating. I thought the information provided for each site was well researched and written, with just enough information to give readers an understanding of the location, and perhaps inspire some further research for the locations that really speak to them. I have to admit that I was much more interested in the photography, but that is more on my personal preference and visual nature than any lack on the author's part.  It was nice to see the beauty ad dignity of these locations, rather than the focus of dark and spooky that I mostly see particularly this time of year. The serenity and magnitude of some of the locations was interesting and I liked the variety of locations and seasons and time of day in which the pictures seemed to be taken. I found some of the images sad, like the cramped crowd of tombstones of Beth-Chaim in Prague, and some of the less well tended expanses, however other locations seems so restful and carefully tended that they exude peace. The contrasts of how history and people shape these things is important, and too often forgotten. I like that the author included a guide to the symbolism in cemeteries, visitor information on the featured locations, an index and the full list of photograph credits. These important details too often are lost in the process, and I love digging into these kids of details at the end of a nonfiction book.  I think my only complaint is that the number of photographs per cemetery seemed a bit uneven, some locations only had one while others had several pages. I understand that this is partially because of image availability and cemetery size and accessibility, but it still bothered me in the end.

Book Review: Better Than Balderdash by Owen Janssen

Better Than Balderdash by Owen Janssen is a collection of interesting facts and trivia for all ages. For instance: Did you know that you can heat up a cup of coffee by yelling at it? How about the fact that bananas are radioactive? Or that Google hires goats as gardeners? Or that competitive slapping is a sport in Russia? Our world is chock-full of fascinating facts, unbelievable but true stories, and mind-blowing trivia. This book is your one-stop guide to all the extraordinary, shocking and enthralling information you didn’t know you needed to learn. Impress your friends and family with a vast knowledge of topics guaranteed to stimulate interesting conversations! If you want to learn some of the world’s most intriguing stories to pass the time at work, fuel the fire on your next trivia games night, or are looking for top-notch entertainment for that family road trip, then you need this book.

Better Than Balderdash is a fun and entertaining read that easily kept me entertained. I love random trivia, from Jeopardy to the bathroom readers that the author mentions in the opening in this book. I squirrel away bits of strange but interesting information because you never know when they will come in handy. That being said, I new several of the stranger facts shared in this book (like the bat bombs) because of the weird history and science shows that I have running in my house all the time. But, I did learn some new things. My whole family loves this kind of this, and I am thinking that this book will make a great addition to my son's book collection. 

Early Book Review: The Greatest in the World! by Ben Clanton

The Greatest in the World! by Ben Clanton is the first installment of a new and hilariously silly graphic novel chapter book series that is currently scheduled for release on November 8 2022. Rot is a mutant potato who wakes up feeling great, maybe even…the greatest in the world! But that only makes Rot’s brother Snot the grumpiest in the world. The only solution? An epic contest to prove who is the greatest once and for all, judged by the only impartial party they can find—their small fry little sister Tot. But as the stakes get higher through the muddy potato sack race, sacred hot potato roll, and a hilarious laughing contest, their rivalry spirals out of control. Suddenly Rot’s not feeling so spudtacular anymore. Will this tater trio ever be able to determine who the greatest in the world really is?

The Greatest in the World! is a well drawn and written graphic novel for some of the youngest readers, and that will hold appeal to older readers and their adults as well. I thought the relationship between the three wacky potatoes was fairly accurate based on my own childhood (not as a potato) and from what I see in my own kids (also not root vegetables). I thought the illustrations were charming, and will capture the attention and interest of readers. I think the lesson woven in the story about sibling connections and behavior is subtle enough that kids will relate to it, and just maybe see themselves in some of the less stellar moments of behavior in the book and make some adjustments, or at least be more aware of how it makes the other person feel. I also loved the random potato facts and drawing tutorial included at the end of the book. This is an all around fun book for young readers. 

The Greatest in the World! is a fun and engaging graphic novel that I think many young readers will enjoy. 

Early Book Review: Knot Bad Amigurumi: Learn Crochet Stitches and Techniques to Create Cute Creatures with 25 Easy Patterns by Vincent Green-Hite

Knot Bad Amigurumi: Learn Crochet Stitches and Techniques to Create Cute Creatures with 25 Easy Patterns by Vincent Green-Hite is currently scheduled for release on November 8 2022. Create the unexpected: a smiling rocket ship, a jubilant glass of boba tea, a joyful acorn, a breezy beach hat, and much more. These modern characters spring from the imagination of crochet artist Vincent Green-Hite (Instagram: @knot.bad; TikTok: @knotbad), who loves sharing his designs and techniques with the world. In addition to beginner-friendly patterns, the book includes a rundown of basic materials such as yarns and hooks, step-by-step stitch tutorials, instructions for embroidering appealing faces, advice on working with color, and ideas for customizing patterns.  You’ll learn how to give your amigurumi a clean, professional look with easy methods for stuffing, attaching, and finishing pieces. Build your skills and become a more confident creative as you work your way through each charming pattern.

Knot Bad Amigurumi is a well written and organized instructional book. I thought the information of supplies and technique were accessible and understandable, and I think novice crocheters will find it that way as well. My favorite thing about this book is that the designs and projects are different. They are not the some animals, creatures, and objects that you can find in a hundred other books and online. They are also very cute. I am very much looking forward to trying my hand at several of these patterns. I will say that I learned something, because I never really thought about 'Yarn Punk" even though I never really felt like I fit in with the typical fiber arts folks, or really wanted to. I like the emphasis here on crafting the style and way you want to, without trying to fit a particular mindset or the expectations of others. I wholly support that idea and always have, and love seeing that individuality encouraged here. 

Early Book Review: Fiona, Love at the Zoo by Richard Cowdrey

Fiona, Love at the Zoo by Richard Cowdrey is a picturebook scheduled for release on November 15 2022. Join your favorite hippo, Fiona, the adorable internet sensation from the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens, as she visits her zoo friends and celebrates how love makes the world more beautiful. Learn with Fiona as she discovers how different animals show their affection and love.

Fiona, Love at the Zoo does a great job of making the animal illustrations fun, cute, and welcoming to all age groups, but still looking realistic rather than completely cartoonish. It is a hard balance to reach, but I think Cowdrey does a good job here. The text is very accessible, and the rhymes are sweet and fun without being cloying. I loved getting a glimpses of so many of the Cincinnati Zoo's residents, and so many different behaviors we consider affection in their family units. I think this is well done, and I will admit to going back for a second look at the illustrations- they are just well done and adorable. 

Audiobook Review: Nomads: The Wanderers Who Shaped Our World by Anthony Sattin

Nomads: The Wanderers Who Shaped Our World, written and narrated by Anthony Sattin, is an adult nonfiction book. It explores the transformative and often bloody relationship between settled and mobile societies. The story of the shifting, umbilical connections between these two very different ways of living presents a radical new view of human civilization. From the Neolithic revolution to the twenty-first century via some of the lesser-known Eurasian steppe cultures, the great nomad empires of the Persians, Arabs, Mongols, and Mughals, as well as the mobile native North American peoples, nomads have been a perpetual counterbalance to the power of the settled and their cities. Exploring evolutionary biology and the psychology of restlessness that makes us human, Anthony Sattin's sweeping history charts the power of nomadism from before the Bible to its decline in the present day. Connecting us to mythology and the records of antiquity, Nomads explains why we leave home, and why we like to return again. This is the groundbreaking history of civilization as told through its outsiders.

Nomads is a fascinating read (or listen) and I think the author's enthusiasm for the subject is clear in print or audiobook format. I have always been firm in the belief that history is written by the colonizers rather that giving us a full view of our past, and Sattin explores one aspect of our missing history. I like that he included the way people have looked and and interpreted tales that started as oral tradition, and how the views of mobile versus settled people has evolved and changed just as much as people themselves have. I did feel like certain groups of nomadic people were not included in the book as more than a quick mention, and I have to admit that there were several moments that I completely lost track of where the book was in the timeline and thought we were covering certain periods of time more than once- but I was also listening while driving so very well could have missed something here or there. However, I did feel like I learned a great deal on the subject, and Sattin's interest in the subject mater and his adventures was a bit contagious and I became more and more interested in the topic as I listened to the book. 

Early Book Review: Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree is a fantasy for young adults and adults current scheduled for paperback release on November 8 2022. After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time. The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success, not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is. If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won't be able to go it alone. But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed.

Legends & Lattes was a engaging and entertaining read. I really enjoyed getting to know the characters and setting. I thought that Viv was a great character, and the fact that she was often unsure of things made her a better character in my opinion. I thought the story was fun on several levels, and while advertised as low stakes fantasy, I will say there are some moments that felt very high stakes emotionally for me- even though the fate of the world was not at risk. I greatly enjoyed the cast of characters, and my only complaint is that I want more of all of them. I want prequels and sequels so I can get to know this characters even better.  I would love some companion stories while we are at it, because I want more on several of the secondary characters, not just the main group. I really enjoyed settling in to read this, and it was just what I needed to get excited about reading again and break me out of a reading slump where I was having trouble getting excited about anything I was reading. 

Legends & Lattes was a delightful read, and I am so glad I found it. I am hoping for more!