Batcat, Vol. 2: Sink or Swim!

Batcat Sink or Swim is the second graphic novel featuring everyone's favorite BatCat hybrid by Meggie Ramm. Released 16th April 2024 by Abrams on their AbramsKids imprint, it's 96 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats. 

This is a delightful mystery adventure appropriate for all ages. When Batcat visits the Mermaid Lagoon, he finds the residents very upset. Their tails are losing their shiny rainbow colors and turning grey! They promise to give Batcat their world-famous fish tacos if he can get to the bottom of the mystery.

Batcat's adventures continue through an exciting and satisfying denouement. 

The format is a modified 4 panel comic/graphic novel page setup with clear and *very* colorful and appealing art and easy to read dialogue bubbles. For such simple characters, the author/artist does an amazing job with expressive facial and body emotions. 

Although it's the second book in a series, it works perfectly well as a standalone and doesn't need to be read in order.

Four and a half stars. Really wonderful. This would be a great choice for public or school library acquisition, home use, and gift giving. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Container Gardening―The Permaculture Way: Sustainably Grow Vegetables and More in Your Small Space

Container Gardening―The Permaculture Way is a tutorial and informational guide to sustainable and restorative gardening in small areas by Valéry Tsimba. Originally published in French in 2021 as Mon balcon nourricier en permaculture, this reformat and re-release in English translation from The Experiment is 160 pages and is available in flexibound and ebook formats. 

This is a well photographed and accessible record of the author's tiny (2 x 22 feet!) balcony garden and her experiences and challenges utilizing the space with permaculture techniques to provide edible fruits and vegetables in her very urban (Paris) area. 

The book has a logical and easy-to-follow format. She covers permaculture and restorative agriculture in the introduction, gives a good how-to overview of container gardening including setup and planting, followed by a short almanac of examples of what to plant and when to plant it, and a nice chapter on community and sharing the information and love of gardening with others. 

The author/publisher have included an abbreviated links list and bibliography for further reading, and a cross referenced index. 

The translation work is seamless, and it doesn't read like a book which was translated.

Four and a half stars. The author's philosophy of restorative gardening and "do what you can with what you have where you are" resonate very deeply. This would be an excellent choice for public or school library acquisiton, for makers' groups, gardening/allotment/community garden libraries, for suburban and urban gardeners, and for gift giving (maybe bundled with some seeds and simple tools).

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Fermented Vegetables, 10th Anniversary Edition: Creative Recipes for Fermenting 72 Vegetables, Fruits, & Herbs in Brined Pickles, Chutneys, Kimchis, Krauts, Pastes & Relishes

Fermented Vegetables, 10th Anniversary Edition is an updated and reformatted 2nd edition of the classic volume by Kirsten & Christopher Shockey. Released 16th April 2024 by Hachette on their Storey imprint, it's an encyclopedic 440 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. 

This is a truly encyclopedic volume. Everything from arugula to zucchini is covered. The authors have included a deep dive into microbes and fermentation which can be pored over -or- skipped straight to the recipes (and they are legion). The layout is logical and easy to use. Information is arranged with page numbers by type of vegetable in the frontspiece, as well as by thematic chapter: introduction (brines, tools, etc), basics (kraut, condiments, tsukemono, pickles, and kimchi), an A to Z listing of vegetables to pickle and ferment, and sample meal ideas to use the ferments (including breakfast to dessert (!! yes, really)). 

The volume is beautifully photographed throughout and the photos are clear and easy to understand. Recipe ingredients are mostly relatively easy to source at any well stocked grocery store in North America. The recipes are written with an introduction and description, ingredients in a bullet list, and followed by step-by-step preparation instructions. Measurements are given in imperial (American) units, with metric units in parentheses (yay!). 

This is an encyclopedia and reference and belongs on every kitchen shelf. It's also a very *useful* volume full of delicious healthy recipes. 

Five stars. This would be an excellent choice for public library, homesteader/smallholder, home cook, as well as for gift giving. It's a definitive reference classic.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Feline Fatale: A Mrs. Murphy Mystery - Mrs. Murphy #32

Feline Fatale  is the 32nd book in the Mrs. Murphy mystery series by Rita Mae Brown (& Sneaky Pie Brown). Released 16th April 2024 by Random House on the Bantam imprint, it's 304 pages and is available in hardcover, ebook, and audio formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

This is another one of those anthropomorphic animal cozy mystery series which is like a visit with an old friend. It's a perennial, long running series (since 1990), and always like a beloved sweater; comfortable and warm. Happily the series quality has always been good, and unlike most decades long series, it's never felt "phoned in" or stale. There certainly is a soothing quality to the plotting and the returning characters; it's safe and escapist reading, something that is therapeutic and necessary given the current state of the world. This one sees the animal and human crew delving into politics to solve the death of a page/assistant to the state delegates.

The language is clean, the murders are bloodless, the denouement and resolution are satisfying and well done. Everything that readers could want from a cozy mystery. Yes, it's a known quantity, and that is a positive benefit.

The monochrome illustrations by Michael Gellatly give a sweetly nostalgic feel to the book. This is the same artist who illustrated earlier books in the series.

Four stars, I love Ms. Brown's work, and her ability to combine deep social commentary with humor and wit is always a joy to read. For readers who are new to the series, nearly all of them work very well as standalone reads, with the codicil that the characters develop over the series and their relationships change, so there may be spoilers if read out of order.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

The Art of Morgana and Oz: Learn to draw your favorite characters from the popular webcomic series with behind-the-scenes and insider tips exclusively revealed inside!

 

The Art of Morgana and Oz is a tutorial technique guide for drawing the characters from the very popular webcomic in their familiar style. Released 9th April 2024 by Quarto on their Walter Foster imprint, it's 96 pages and is available in paperback format.

The layout has a fresh and unusual (for Walter Foster) format. It's set up very much like a webcomic, with breakaway panels and a comics layout and flow. An beginning chapter introducing the characters in colored panels is followed by a surprisingly thorough step-by-step tutorial section.  There's also a QR code which links to online content/the latest episode of the webtoon.

The author/publisher have included colored full page panels with the hexadecimal values for the shades used in the pictures to help with color selection. The tutorials are moderately advanced, but do-able for a determined beginner, and will give artists enough accomplishment to keep going, which is the most important part.

This is a beginner to advanced booklet but full of good technique for anime style art/cartooning and will provide some useful takeaways for the majority of readers/artists who are interested in the style. The pages (and there are many) dealing with positioning, emotional expressions, and facial features are especially detailed and useful (not just for drawing these particular characters). 

Five stars. This would be an excellent choice for public or school library acquisition, home use, activity/makers' groups libraries, home studio, or gift giving, maybe with a sketch pad and markers/pens.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

The Mystery of the Hidden Fortune

 

The Mystery of the Hidden Fortune is the first book in a cozy series by Christine McHaines. Released 3rd July 2023 by The Book Folks, it's 245 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free. The followup books in the series, are also currently available on KU. 

This is a lightly humorous cozy featuring a hapless, honestly unlikely and rather unlikable anti-hero. He's a bit shiftless, a huge underachiever, not terribly honest, and lazy into the bargain. His parents decamped Britain for the Antipodes (at his father's insistence) to try to force him to grow up and stand on his own two feet. He inhabits his late great aunt's house (rent free) and when he almost literally trips over a hidden treasure, his immediate response is to dip into the unexpected windfall for his own benefit. His natural antipathy to animals (especially a cat) didn't make him more appealing, either; not precisely -cruel- but not nice, either.

The mystery itself is competently plotted and the action was reasonably well paced, but the dialogue and characterisation are often hard going. The language is clean, there are a few instances of "bloody" and nothing worse. There are also a few lightly described consensual sex scenes. 

Three stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Making Fairy Garden Accessories: 22 Enchanting Projects for Your Backyard

Making Fairy Garden Accessories is a well written and appealing tutorial guide to creating whimsical fairy garden pieces written by Anna-Marie and Andrew Fahmy. Released 19th March 2024 by Fox Chapel, it's 128 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. 

Well written tutorials with step by step instructions and lots of clear color photos. The general vibe is very whimsical, fun, and full of nature-themed small pieces which will have all the local fairies clamoring to move in. 

The introduction covers tools, materials, and techniques as well as some style advice. The tutorial chapters are further divided thematically into: doors, houses, furniture, and accessories. Each of the tutorials tools and materials in a bullet list (measurements are given in imperial (American) units with metric in parentheses) followed by step by step clear instructions. Every tutorial contains multiple clear color photos of the finished projects along with some process shots. 

The authors have included tips and tricks for customization and construction in highlighted text boxes throughout the book.There's also a color photo gallery for inspiration included as well (the projects in the gallery are not in the book, they're just for ideas and inspiration). 

The project tutorials are written in a manner which doesn't require template use, so templates are not included in the volume.

Four stars. This would be a good choice for public or school library acquisition, makers' groups, activity/scouting groups, home use, and similar.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Once Upon a Murder - A Lady Librarian Mystery #2

 

Once Upon a Murder is the second book in the Lady Librarian historical cozy mystery series by Samantha Larsen. Released 20th Feb 2024 by Crooked Lane, it's 304 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

This is a charming historical cozy with an appealing protagonist who employs creative and intelligent solutions to counteract some of the harsher realities of Regency history (women often lived lives of tenuous and terrifying insecurity). She's smart and generally honest and clever as well, and easy to relate to. Although she's sworn off murder and investigation after the last time, she's now stumbled over the frozen body of a former footman of the estate of her patroness and employer, The Duchess of Beaufort, and must use her abilities and intelligence to clear her name and her love interest Samir.

The book is well written and the author has a firm grasp on the nuts and bolts of plot, setting, and characterization. It's a light cozy with a strong romance subplot and a surprising amount of effective humor. It's a bookish book, and there are book titles and period book/library trivia and title-dropping throughout. 

Happily, the author mostly ignores the more rigid realities of race, parentage, and class which would have precluded many of the interactions and relationships in the book.

Four stars. This would make an appealing short binge/buddy read, as well as a good choice for public library acquisition.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

 

 

Lola Meets the Bees

Lola Meets the Bees is an adorable and information packed picture book for the youngest readers by Anna McQuinn. Released 9th April 2024 by Charlesbridge, it's 32 pages and is available in hardcover format. 

Little Lola goes with her mom to visit a family friend who has beehives. Lola is fascinated to learn about bees and how they gather nectar and pollen. The whole adventure is illustrated very well by Rosalind Beardshaw. The pictures are colorful and detailed and show the life-cycle of the bees and a simplified explanation of what beekeepers do and how they help the bees. 

The text is written in simple and understandable free verse and will be understood by even very young kids. Lexile measure is AD560L (2-5 years). 

Five stars. This would be an excellent choice for public or school library acquisition, reading circles, or bedtime reading.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Norway: Land of Mountains and Fjords

 

Norway: Land of Mountains and Fjords is a well written and beautifully photographed pictorial tour of Norway by Claudia Martin. Originally released in 2020, this reformat and re-release by Amber Books out 14th April is  224 pages and is available in hardcover format. An earlier edition of the book was published in flexi-bound format. This is book 15 of the Visual Explorer Guide series. 

Norway is full of awe inspiring "pinch me" scenery and this book highlights the vast expanses of mountainous terrain, glaciers, fjords, wilderness, and urban areas beautifully contrasting austere ice-fields, charming small fishing villages, and big city night life side by side. 

Five stars. This would be a good choice for public or school library acquisition, home use/display, or gift giving. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

 

Abandoned Towns

Abandoned Towns is a fascinating pictorial record of abandoned places documented by Chris McNab as part of a series of books with similar themes. Released 14th April 2024 in the UK and due out 11th June outside the UK from publisher Amber Books, it's 224 pages and will be available in hardcover format.

This is a gorgeous coffee table book full of color photos and descriptions of international destinations which were once thriving and are now abandoned. Many of them are being slowly (or quickly) taken back by nature, and the dichotomy is striking. 

Four stars. A beautiful book. It would be a good choice for public or school library acquisition, home use, and gift giving purposes. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

The First Bright Thing

The First Bright Thing is an alt-time fantasy full of found family and good vs. evil, imagined and written by J.R. Dawson. Released 13th June 2023 by Macmillan on their Tor imprint, it's 352 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback format due out June 11th 2024 from the same publisher. t's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. 

Based around a traveling circus setting, the performers are all magical savants with different talents. The circus is a haven for a collection of special folks; they're a steely resolute band of psychics, mutants, and savants, who collect people like them, and help change the lives of people at crossroads who need guidance. 

Their forces for good are hampered at every turn by darker forces who want to (literally) own them and control them for their own malign purposes. There is a sense of creeping dread throughout with foreshadowing of an ultimate good vs. evil Armageddon type war coming in the future.

It's very well written and engaging with three dimensional characters. It's not at all derivative in plot or characters, but readers who enjoyed The Night Circus and Mr. Penumbra's 24-hour Bookstore will likely enjoy this one as well.

Four stars. It would be a good choice for fans of alt-history fantasy, timeslip, and queer-friendly found family books. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Otis & Peanut Forever and Ever

Otis & Peanut Forever and Ever is the second outing for the best friends (a guinea pig and a naked mole rat) by Naseem Hrab. Due out 16th April 2024 from Owlkids Books, it's 80 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

This is a sweetly appealing, poignant, and sensitively written early chapter book (three stories) about friendship with themes of loss, remembering, holding on to memories, and making new ones. The stories are gentle and can be read without particular emphasis on the loss of Peanut's sister Pearl (it's never explicitly stated in this book). The friends remember Pearl by making (and eventually eating) Pearl's favorite cake recipe, learning to make the jam she always made, and when Peanut plants a garden with seeds she left for him. 

They also go on some adventures and make new memories together. The art by Kelly Collier is simple and fun with lots of small details which invite readers to take a closer look. The illustrations are in color throughout the book. 

Four and a half stars. Surprisingly deep, but never maudlin. Although one of the themes is the loss of Peanut's sibling, it's never directly stated in this book and could be glossed over if reading in a group. This would be an excellent choice for public or school library acquisition, for home library, or gift purposes.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes

Kids' Sewing Workshop: 26 Projects for Young Makers (Landauer) Learn-to-Sew Projects Kids Ages 7-12 Will Love to Make, Wear, and Use - Clothes, Bracelets, Bags, and More

Kids' Sewing Workshop is a tutorial and technique guide by Karine Thiboult-Demessence. Released 5th March 2024 by Fox Chapel on their Landauer imprint, it's 96 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats. 

This is an accessible and fun book aimed at tweens/beginning sewists filled with cool tutorial projects. There are 26 projects in the book, including personal clothing items, crafts pieces like a change purse, and soft furnishings.

The projects are attractive and fun, but some will either need an advanced beginner who has some experience with the techniques or access to a teacher/guide/facilitator. 

The photography throughout is clear and high quality.

Four stars. It would be a good choice for public or school library acquisition, home use, makers/activity groups, scouting, etc. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Logical Fantasy: The Many Worlds of John Wyndham

Logical Fantasy: The Many Worlds of John Wyndham is a restrospective and homage collection dedicated to one of the unmatched architects of the Golden Age of speculative fiction. Due out in second quarter 2024 from Subterranean Press, it's 424 pages and will be available in hardcover format in this edition. 

Included are 18 stories from the author's oeuvre mainly from the late 30s to the 60s. The stories are varied in tone, length, and style, but all are very clearly written with precision, and classic prose which is a nostalgic pleasure to read. 

Most long time fans of science fiction will have already read some of the author's work, but for the happy ones who are unfamiliar with him, this is a real treat. and a good survey course in some of the most solid speculative fiction out there. 

The stories hail from the pages of the vanished pulps and periodicals such as Amazing Stories, Wonder Stories, and Fantasy magazine. The new cover art by Bob Eggleton is classic and nostalgic and beautifully complements this edition.

Four stars. This would make a great choice for public library acquisition, home use, or gift giving. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

The Stradivari Formula

The Stradivari Formula is a well written mystery thriller/espionage novel by luthier Grit Laskin. Released 1st June 2024 by indie Canadian publisher Fitzhenry & Whiteside, it's 334 pages and is available in paperback format. 

Engaging, very much action driven plot which features a well known fictitious luthier tasked with repairing a Stradivarius guitar (yes, his studio apparently made some). It's a little bit of wish fulfillment, the author's a talented luthier himself, and why not? Although it's not derivative in any way, there's a definite "Da Vinci Code" vibe, with a medieval/renaissance mystery come down to the protagonists almost accidentally from the past, full of secret agents and ruthless bad guys. 

It's a fun romp, and very theatrical. It would make a good action movie. Being deeply personally knowledgeable about stringed instruments and the high-end world of luthiers and their customers has definitely helped with the verisimilitude. It's full of really interesting (otherwise hidden to regular people) facts and minutiae on guitars, wood, music, crafting processes, and musicians. 

There is some violence, though not egregious. The opening scene is painful to read (destruction of personal property on a catastrophic scale), but the book resolves satisfyingly. 

Four stars. It would be a good choice for public library acquisition and home collections. Since it's from an indie publisher, it might not be on the general ALA radar lists. Worth the effort to acquire. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

In These Hallowed Halls: A Dark Academia anthology

In These Hallowed Halls is an anthology of 12 new-to-this-volume short fiction fantasy pieces by well known authors. Released 12th Sept. 2023 by Titan Books, it's 368 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats. Paperback format due out from the same publisher in Sept 2024. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout.

This is a nice collection of varied short "dark academia" themed fiction from 2023 and all are appearing for the first time in this collection. The editors have done a good job of blending the (very) disparate works into a somewhat cohesive whole. Their introduction is erudite and interesting, and shows a glimmer of the selection processes. As always, some of the included authors will be less familiar to each reader, and as always, there are good "name drop" titles to add to readers' TBR piles.

The stories are varied, there were (as always) some which didn't grab me personally, but all were well written and competently plotted. They were mostly in the 4 star range(ish) with a smattering of really standout stories. This is a well curated solid anthology of stories in the 3-5 star range.

One reason I prefer collections and anthologies is that short fiction is really challenging.  It's spare and the author doesn't have a wealth of wordage to develop characters or the plotting.  Well written short fiction is a delight. I also love collections because if one story doesn't really grab me, there's another story just a few pages away.  I can only recall a few times where I've read a collection (or anthology) straight through from cover to cover as I did this one.  

Four stars on average. It's a diverting read.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes. 

 

Whisterpoop — Once More, with Feeling

Whisterpoop is the second in a series slice of life comedy(ish) novel by R. J. Corgan. Released 9th Sept. 2023, it's 189 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free. The first book in the series, Whisterpoop, is also currently available on KU. 

The style is a bit frenetic and thoroughly whimsical would be a moderately good description. The main character is irascible, disinclined to be helpful (including toward her own family), and facing imminent retirement with one element on her bucket list; "get a life".

There are humorous moments, and the book overall is enjoyable and, potentially uplifting for readers (especially over middle age, who will sympathize with Karen's kvetching). 

Despite being the second book in a series, it works perfectly fine as a standalone.

Three and a half stars. Worth a look for a short, light read. This author also has an exceptionally clever and engaging campy academic mystery series featuring a field geologist which is -very- well written and worth chasing down. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes

Macarons Can Be Murder - A Paris Kentucky Bakery Mystery #1

 

Macarons Can Be Murder is the first book in a -very- light cozy romance mystery by Rose Betancourt. Released 11th July 2023 by Crooked Lane, it's 288 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.  It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

This reads more like a romance-y drama filled light novel than a well constructed mystery (even for a cozy). The characterizations are two dimensional and mostly superficial. The main character's name (Marcie Beaucoup) is cringeworthy, and definitely reads like the pun occurred to the author who proceeded to write a whole series around it.  The secondary characters are tacked on and just show up and disappear when their scenes are done.  The action and plot developments were strongly foreshadowed and there are few twists and turns to the denouement.

The writing is uneven, and the dialogue is a bit rough, but as a first novel, and series starter, it's possibly worth a look for fans of very light cozies who don't mind insta-love and MC mooning like a love-struck 13 year old. 

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 7 hours 6 minutes and is capably read by Nan McNamara. She has a well modulated alto voice and delineates the characters accurately. Sound and production quality are high throughout the read.

Three stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

The Official Boyfriends. Coloring Book: 46 original illustrations to color and enjoy

The Official Boyfriends. Coloring Book is an appealing coloring book based on the popular webtoon with 46 double page illustrations to color. Due out 9th April 2024 from Quarto on their Walter Foster imprint, it's 96 pages and will be available in paperback format. 

Each of the 46 coloring pages is faced by a pastel 4 color print of the same illustration colored as it was in the webtoon. The pictures are fun and show the 4 different characters in various activities like playing video games, skating, eating, and interacting. The illustrations are appropriate for all ages (there are a few kissing illustrations, but not many, and they're quite chaste). 

It should be noted for readers who aren't familiar with the webcomic, that the characters are all boyfriends with one another in a polycule. None of the illustrations are titillating or inappropriate. They're just cute and colorful. The author/publisher have included some QR codes with weblinks to the comic for readers' convenience. 

This is a refreshingly open and happy representation of nonconformity and gender expression. For older/conservative readers who are willing to read with an open mind, it could be a good basic explanation with an appealing and entertaining plot.

Four and a half stars. Sweetly romantic, innocent, and with an appealing almost retro vibe (although one of the characters is goth (and trans, and ace), and it's set in the modern day). 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.