Audiobook Review: Haunted in America: True Ghost Stories From The Best of Leslie Rule Collection by Leslie Rule, Narrated by Lisa Flanagan

Haunted in America: True Ghost Stories From The Best of Leslie Rule Collection by Leslie Rule, narrated by Lisa Flanagan, is a compendium of the best of Leslie Rule’s ghost explorations and interviews. With the most-spine tingling stories from the author’s previous four books, Coast to Coast Ghosts, When the Ghost Screams, Ghosts Among Us, and Ghost in the Mirror, along with new and updated accounts and theories, Rule brings her original voice to this omnibus of chilling, fascinating tales.

Haunted in America is an interesting listen for believers and skeptics alike. I liked that while there are plenty of tales of encounters, some spooky and others hopeful, there was great importance placed on respect for the current owners of these locations, the people that have had the experiences, the souls of those that might be trying to communicate, and the families that are left behind. I thought that the focus on history, research, and respect was a bit gratifying and quite the change from attitude many ghost researchers and hunters seem to have in the field, and the way media presents it. I thought that the narrator did a great job of telling the stories with the respect and solemnity due the subject matter- especially when relating the details of tragedies and death that often come hand in hand with tales of hauntings. I did not always agree with the authors take of certain situations and stories, but I did appreciate the honest and well researched relating of both her experiences and those she discovered in interviews and through research. 

Book Review: Holding Space: Life and Love Through a Queer Lens by Ryan Pfluger

Holding Space: Life and Love Through a Queer Lens by Ryan Pfluger features 100 stunning color photographs of queer, interracial couples taken by a renowned photographer for the New York Times Magazine, Time, Rolling Stone, and more, this incredible photo and story collection depicts modern love and relationships in all their joy, vulnerability, and affection. Throughout 2020 and 2021, during a time of intense personal and political upheaval, artist, advocate, and photographer Ryan Pfluger set out to capture intimate images of queer, interracial couples, along with personal insight into their relationships in today’s world. Featured together for the first time in Holding Space, this unique collection of modern love in its many forms across the spectrum of race, sexuality, and gender identity and gives space to these couples to share short, revealing stories about their relationships.

Holding Space: Life and Love Through a Queer Lens is a wonderful collection of honest and frank interviews about the featured couples and their relationships and experiences. There is discussion on how they make their relationships work, and in some cases why they did not work out. But there is also discussion about the discriminations and challenges that come from society's expectations, bigotry, and the so much more. This is a great exploration of identity, diversity, and relationships that is accessible to anyone. It was lovely to get fresh and differing perspectives on the impact that family, race, gender identity and its fluid nature, and society can have on individuals and couples. 

Book Review: A Hard Day for a Hangover (Sunshine Vicram) by Darynda Jones

 A Hard Day for a Hangover is the third, and final, instalment of the Sunshine Vicram trilogy by Darynda Jones. Some people greet the day with open arms. Sheriff Sunshine Vicram would rather give it a hearty shove and get back into bed, because there’s just too much going on right now. There’s a series of women going missing, and Sunny feels powerless to stop it. There’s her persistent and awesomely-rebellious daughter Auri, who’s out to singlehandedly become Del Sol’s youngest and fiercest investigator. And then there’s drama with Levi Ravinder—the guy she’s loved and lusted after for years. The guy who might just be her one and only. The guy who comes from a family of disingenuous vipers looking to oust him—and Sunshine—for good.

A Hard Day for a Hangover is a solid wrap up to this trilogy. I still love the crazy cast of characters and the development they have in the story. Even the secondary and less vital characters and moments added value and interest to the larger story. I like that we get multiple points of view, and that the sardonic humor that I have come to expect from the author continues to be in full effect. I will say that I saw one part of this puzzle coming a mile away, and had moments when I just wanted to scream the answer at the characters, but they all got there in the end. I felt like all the loose ends were tied up nicely, and the story was engaging throughout. I think this is a must read for those that have read the two previous books, as they will not be disappointed. I look forward to seeing what Jones has in store for readers next. 

Book Review: Going Places by Jody Hildreth

Going Places by Jody Hildreth is a cute picturebook for all ages. Do astronauts use the bathroom? What about Santa Claus? Can you go while on the go? Everyone's got to go to the bathroom. That's a fact of life! Readers will join whimsical acorn characters in hilarious scenarios in which people have to find a bathroom while out and about. With rollicking rhyme and plenty of humor, this story is sure to make young readers laugh out loud.

Going Places is exactly what you might expect from the cover. Cute acorn figures in a variety of places needing to 'go'. The text is cute and easily understood, and the images of the acorn figures are well staged and enteraining. I think this is an all around fun book that readers of all ages can enjoy.

Book Review: By a Thread by Lucy Score

By a Thread by Lucy Score was an accidental reread for me. I saw the cover on Netgalley and I thought it looked familiar, but requested it any way. I should have trusted my instincts, but it has been awhile so I went with it. 

I got her fired. Okay, so I'd had a bad day and took it out on a bystander in a pizza shop. But there's nothing demure about Ally Morales. She proves that her first day of her new job, which just happens to be in my office. And I can't fire her, because it's my mother the CEO who hired her...technically, Ally doesn't work for me, and she makes it clear she doesn't have to listen to me either. So maybe her colorful, annoying, inexplicably alluring personality brightens up the magazine's offices that have felt like a prison for the past year. Maybe I like that she argues with me in front of the editorial staff. And maybe my after-hours fantasies are haunted by those brown eyes and that sharp tongue. But that doesn't mean that I'm going to be the next Russo man to take advantage of his position. I might be a second-generation asshole, but I am not my father. She's working herself to death at half a dozen dead-end jobs for some secret reason she doesn't feel like sharing with me. And I'm going to fix it all. Don't accuse me of caring. She's nothing more than a puzzle to be solved. If I can get her to quit working here, I can finally peel away all those layers. Then I can go back to salvaging the family name and forget all about the dancing, beer-slinging brunette.

By a Thread has a lot going for it. I like the humor and the heat. The exchanges between Dominic and Ally are great, and the sense of community she forms with those around her was fantastic. I love some good enemies to lover banter- and found family- so all of that works great for me. I thought the handling for Ally's situation and her father's health was done well and realistically. I thought the secondary characters and non-romance of the story were just as engaging and entertaining as the heart of the story. I have to be honest though, I really do not like Dominic, at all. He is painted as the alpha hole with the heart of gold, but even in the epilogues continues to do the one thing Ally asked him not to- make big decisions for her or with no conversations about it. He never learns to respect that one boundary- but because she is just so in love with him and can't think around him she just keeps letting it happen.  That kind of takes the shine off the story for me, because there was the opportunity for him to change that trait- and it never happened. 

By a Thread definitely has some entertainment value and serious heat. 

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.