Review: The Illustrated Crystallary by Maia Toll

Title: The Illustrated Crystallary: Guidance and Rituals from 36 Magical Gems and Minerals
Author: Maia Toll
Format: eARC
Pub. Date: June 9th 2020
Source: Netgalley / Storey Publishing


Book Description:

In the ancient world there were three medicine kingdoms: animal, vegetable, and mineral. Following her previous acclaimed volumes on animal (The Illustrated Bestiary) and vegetable (The Illustrated Herbiary), Maia Toll fulfills the call for mineral with The Illustrated Crystallary , exploring the mystical qualities of 36 fascinating crystals and minerals, including gold, silver, copper, amethyst, hematite, mica, smokey quartz, emerald, ruby, and more. Combining bits of ancient wisdom with her own insights, Toll explores the aspects and energy of each stone and, through rituals and reflections, the life guidance it might offer contemporary readers. Obsidian’s shiny surface and sharp edges reflect the shadowy corners of the self and serve as the tool for cutting them loose. The sky-like color of earthly turquoise provides balance between opposing forces. The stunning illustrations of Kate O’Hara magnify the symbolism of each crystal throughout the book, and are also featured on 36 oracle cards included in an envelope bound in the back of the book.

Also available: The Illustrated Herbiary Collectible Box Set and The Illustrated Bestiary Collectible Box Set.

Review:

★★★★★

This book is absolutely gorgeous.

There are 36 crystals in this book. Each one has a beautiful illustration to represent it, as well as a description of what that crystal means or represents, its rating on the Mohs Hardness Scale, a self-reflection guide, and a ritual that utilizes that crystal. It's easy to read in one go, but because it describes individual crystals, it's also easy to set down, or to use as a reference guide.

Peppered throughout this book are little fun bits, such as quotes, questions to ponder as you reflect, and small stories of history and mythology. There's a good variety of types of stories, including Nordic, Renaissance, ancient Egypt, Rome, and more.

Some of the crystals that are described in this book include Azurite, Salt, Carnelian, and Larimar.

If you use crystals or practice magick, this is a beautiful book to have at your reference. Or, if you just are a fan of gorgeous mystic art, this book is worth looking through.

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review. Thank you!

Review: The Magick of Food by Gwion Raven

Title: The Magick of Food: Rituals, Offerings & Why We Eat Together
Author: Gwion Raven
Format: eARC
Pub. Date:January 8th 2020
Source: Netgalley / Llewellyn Publications


Book Description:

Delight Your Senses and Your Soul with a Feast of Recipes, Rituals, and Spells

Discover a magickal collection of lore, recipes, and practices from modern and ancient cultures of the world. The Magick of Food reveals how to transform the mundane task of fueling your body into an opportunity for deep nourishment and connection to loved ones and the divine. This powerful book provides detailed information on food magick and rituals, from edible aphrodisiacs to feasts for the gods.

Whether you're preparing boar tacos for Bacchus or a vegetable frittata to celebrate the equinox, this book helps you find community through food and build your kitchen witch skills. Using history, magick, and more than forty delicious recipes, you'll breathe new life into your devotional practice while you connect with ancestors and deities.

Review:

★★★★★

This book was absolutely what I needed.

I love to cook. And I love to bake. And I love to feed people. It is one thing I am good at and it is something that helps me express how much I care about someone else. Food comes from the heart, and this book is a complete celebration of that for a kitchen witch.

There are a wide variety of topics covered in this book, such as history, mythology, recipes, and rituals. I found the sections on history fascinating. It's interesting to read about how similar our traditions are in the 21st century (such as feasts like Thanksgiving) and also how very differently we enjoy the same things (like feasting when DoorDash delivers to us).

I appreciated how this book made me think of common things I do just a little bit differently. The biggest of these was a glaring example of cooking with intention that I'd never thought about before: chicken soup for those who are sick, and how we make it for them with the intention of them to drink it and feel better. It made complete sense, but I'd never framed it that way before.

It's also clear that the author did a fair amount of research for this book. It's littered with footnotes, references, and samples of texts by other writers. But as much as there were references cited, it never felt like it was a textbook. The author tells such heartfelt personal stories that it feels as though he was writing this paper just for me, friend to friend. I really liked that sense of comfort and familiarity. (And also he talks about how he goes to witch camp. I wanna go to witch camp!).

Another thing that I really appreciated is that Gwion Raven addressed the fact that not everyone has access to supplies, let alone groceries. He discussed food deserts, and how things can be substituted or adapted based on what you do have. So many magick publications just assume you have access to every single herb and ingredient on the planet and that you have endless space and equipment and it's not true for so, so many people. It was nice to see it addressed by someone.

The recipes included here are also pretty varied. I wish there had been a bit more of them, but there's still a pretty good number. They include things like ancient recipes, recipes for the sabbats, cocktail recipes, every day recipes, and even a section on aphrodisiacs.

Some of the recipes that I'm the most eager to try include: Kykeon (Ancient Greek horchata of sorts), Boar Tacos with Spicy Berry Salsa, Roasted Goat Leg with Grape Molasses, and Samhain Pot Roast for one.

I think that this is a great book for those who partake in magick and who also love food. It's a good mix of history, ritual, and recipe book that make it easy to read, and easy to bookmark for later reference.

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review. Thank you!

Review: Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Title: Me Before You
Author: Jojo Moyes
Series: Me Before You #1
Format: Paperback ARC
Pub. Date: July 30th 2013
Source: Half Price Books


Book Description:

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Giver of Stars, discover the love story that captured over 20 million hearts in Me Before You, After You, and Still Me.

They had nothing in common until love gave them everything to lose . . .

Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life—steady boyfriend, close family—who has barely been farther afield than their tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex–Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair bound after an accident. Will has always lived a huge life—big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel—and now he’s pretty sure he cannot live the way he is.

Will is acerbic, moody, bossy—but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living.

A Love Story for this generation and perfect for fans of John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars, Me Before You brings to life two people who couldn’t have less in common—a heartbreakingly romantic novel that asks, What do you do when making the person you love happy also means breaking your own heart?

Review:

★★★★★

It's rare that I whole-heartedly and so positively adore a book. Me Before You was absolutely fantastic. It was beautifully written and raw and honest and optimistic and heartbreaking in the most perfect of ways. This was my first time reading anything by Jojo Moyes, but it certainly won't be my last.

The characters were wonderfully well written. Even if you didn't like a character (and believe me, there are a few), you still got a sense of who they were and the roots and complications of why you disliked them. Louisa is quirky, but never in the annoyingly common YA way of "omg I'm not like other girls". She's just unapologetically herself, and I admire that. I wish I had the confidence to wear, I dunno, pink zebra leggings with a festive hat and sparkly shoes and to say things without thinking too much about them. She's realistically awkward and charming, and I get what Will and her employers see in her.

And then there's Will. Poor, complicated, devastatingly handsome Will. Despite his demeanor and how he speaks to people, he's oddly endearing and you root for him to be better, to let down his walls. As he grows fond of Louisa, you can't help but to fall in love with him as she does. Even knowing damn well he's going to break all of our hearts.

The setting is also really well done. I feel like I could walk around their town with no map and feel at ease, and when they're traveling, I was swept away to be with them too.

Moyes does a brilliant job bringing up a topical and complicated topic and making it relatable, personable, and understandable. She gave me a lot to think about.

And I cried. Of course I did. I always do. I knew what was coming, and still, I cried. This is the most emotionally connected to a book and characters that I have felt in a long time. I know this book is a few years old, but this is the best book I have read this year. It was beautiful, touching, and haunting, and I absolutely recommend it. It's funny, charming, absolutely devastating, and strangely peaceful, and if you don't mind a little heartbreak and young love, this book is for you.

Review: I'm Not Missing by Carrie Fountain

Title: I'm Not Missing: A Novel
Author: Carrie Fountain
Format: Paperback ARC
Pub. Date: July 10th 2018
Source: Goodreads First Reads


Book Description:

When Miranda Black’s mother abandoned her, she took everything—the sun, moon, and stars—and Miranda found shelter in her friendship with Syd, who wore her own motherlessness like a badge of honor: Our mothers abandoned us. We won’t go begging for scraps.

When Syd runs away suddenly and inexplicably in the middle of their senior year, Miranda is abandoned once again, left to untangle the questions of why Syd left, where she is—and if she’s even a friend worth saving. Her only clue is Syd’s discarded pink leopard print cell phone and a single text contained there from the mysterious HIM. Along the way, forced to step out from Syd’s enormous shadow, Miranda finds herself stumbling into first love with Nick Allison of all people and learning what it means to be truly seen, to be finally not missing in her own life.

Review:

★★★★★

I was absolutely blown away by this book. I was shocked to learn that this is Carrie Fountain's first novel. It's beautiful, haunting, and just straight up well written.

However, I definitely wasn't surprised to learn that her first two publications are books of poetry. It's clear that Fountain has a way with words. The way that the writing flows is beautiful. It's a bit slow paced, but I liked that. This book is set in the desert area of the US, so for me the tempo of the writing matched the slow, low heat of the setting that the author drew me into.

I like that all of the characters were multi-faceted and had depth to them. You learn who Miranda is both at the side of her best friend Syd, and rediscover her along the way when Syd is no longer there. You learn who Nick is both through the eyes of Syd, who hates his guts, and through Miranda, who yearns for him even after he makes some questionable decisions. Even her father, who isn't really a main character, you learn to see the fatherly, put together side that Miranda sees and the scientific genius version that the rest of the world sees.

I like that Miranda was a little weird, and that she's relatable. She's flawed, like all of us. She respects prayer because of her family roots, but she isn't into the praying thing herself. So when she needs to sleep, she recites a historical speech to herself aloud instead. She breaks a romantic tension moment by laughing. She struggles with friendship and loss in a way that I think is just so human.

And then there's the case of the missing friend. Well, "not missing" friend. I actually wasn't sure where this plot arch was going, in a sort of a "who done it" type mystery style. I won't give spoilers, but I will say that I did not see the book taking the twists that it did, and it took me by surprise. But in a good way.

My only real criticism of this book has to do with the ending. I felt like there was still a few loose ends left frayed by the time the book was over. I'm a little disappointed that Miranda's mother wasn't a bigger part of the plot line. I would have really liked to have followed that path to learn more about what happened and why.

This book is gritty and emotional, but also full of twists and even quite a few laughs. Reading the slow paced, flowing language made it very relaxing and soothing to read, despite all of the drama and issues that are presented in the book. Be warned, there's some hard to swallow for some topics, like sex, abuse, and abandonment.

I hope this isn't the last novel by Carrie Fountain, and I recommend this to anyone who likes realistic fiction with a darker, problematic side to it.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you.

Review: Hades Speaks! by Vicky Alvear Shecter

Title: Hades Speaks!: A Guide to the Underworld by the Greek God of the Dead
Series: Secrets of the Ancient Gods
Author: Vicky Alvear Shecter
Illustrator: J.E. Larson
Format: Hardcover, 128 pages
Pub. Date: September 1st 2014
Source: Blog Win


Book Description:

Hades, god of the dead, welcomes readers on a dangerous tour of his underworld kingdom, filled with monsters, furies, giants, and vampire demons. Along the way, he reveals ancient death rites and sinister curses, tells hair-raising stories, and cracks jokes to die for. With his witty voice and ghoulish sense of humor, Hades is the perfect guide through this fresh and imaginative work of nonfiction that reads like a novel. Includes a glossary, bibliography, and index.

Review:

★★★★★

It's no secret that I love mythology. I have a degree in ancient civilizations and classics for a reason! No matter if they're historical texts or picture books, I'm always a sucker for myths. Of the Grecian pantheon, my favorite god is the often misunderstood and underrated Hades. So when I saw this book, I had to give it a go. I wasn't disappointed.

Hades Speaks! is a book that stands apart to me because it's actually written from the perspective of Hades giving the reader a tour of the Underworld. That's such a cool way to present this information, especially since it's a middle grade-ish age book. It makes learning fun, and makes it easy to forget that you're even learning at all.

I appreciated that Hades wasn't boring or cookie cutter. He had some depth and development as a character. He was bitter towards his siblings and a bit of a complainer- which if you've read anything about Hades, that's pretty accurate. But he cracks a few jokes and just wants to clear up his side of history that pop culture has gotten wrong. There's even a reference to Harry Potter & Fluffy.

The journey through the afterlife of the fallen Greeks is a very enjoyable one. There's a good flow. The information is explained by way of story telling, so it's not just an information dump of Greek facts. You're introduced to different monsters and underworld inhabitants that aren't really mentioned much, at least here in the US. (Shoutout to my girl Hecate who never gets much representation).

There's also illustrations throughout the book. They're well done, and really accentuate the texts.

If you, or your children, are interested in learning about Greek gods, this book is a great way to learn. Hades Speaks! should be a welcome addition to any classroom or library. I look forward to reading other books about the gods in this series.

Review: Can a Princess Be a Firefighter? by Carole P. Roman

Title: Can a Princess Be a Firefighter?
Author: Carole P. Roman
Illustrator: Mateya Arkova
Format: Paperback, 36 pages
Pub. Date: March 25th 2016
Source: Author


Book Description:

Two little girls pepper their father with questions about whether or not they can be a profession and still be a princess. Motivated by her granddaughter's fascination with all things 'princess,' Carole P. Roman penned this adorable poem celebrating all the wonderful possibilities waiting ahead for them.

Review:

★★★★★

What a wonderful children's book.

First, I'd like to talk about the actual story. As the title suggests, the lead little girls ask the question, "Can a Princess Be a Firefighter?" I think all of us as little kids grow up with some version of this dream job that smooshes multiple jobs together. Maybe an astronaut who studies dinosaurs, or a ballerina veterinarian. When the world is our oyster, and we aim for the sky. This book reaffirms that girls can do anything they put their minds to. There's nothing wrong with wanting a stereotypically "girly" career- like a ballerina, a nurse, or a princess. But there is also nothing wrong with wanting to be in a STEM field, a doctor, an astronaut, a cop. The sky's the limit. It's a message worth repeating, and not just to our daughters but our sons too.

The book is written in a rhyming, nursery story way. It makes it more fun to read aloud, and also is a clever way of making the story flow. As a kid, my favorite stories were always the ones that rhymed!

And then there's the artwork. It's very fun and detailed, and very colorful. It'll hold a young reader's attention, and the pictures match well with the text on the page.

I recommend this to the parents and teachers of young children. This story has a great message, and goes about exploring it in a really fun way.

Mini Review: Rutabaga the Adventure Chef by Eric Colossal!

Title: Rutabaga the Adventure Chef
Series: Adventure Chef #1
Author: Eric Colossal
Format: ARC
Pub. Date: March 31st 2015
Source: Won


Book Description:

A fantasy graphic novel series follows an "adventure chef" named Rutabaga, who travels to a fantasy land to find bizarre ingredients to cook in his enchanted cauldron. The books will include pages straight out of Rutabaga's cookbooks, with recipes that readers can make at home.

Review:

★★★★★

This is the cutest book. I was intrigued by it because I love stories to do with cooking and food. My dad was a chef and I grew up in the kitchen, so it's a nice relatable bit of nostalgia for me.

The artwork is adorable. It's fun for kids with good details and even better facial expressions. I could very easily see this as a fun anime-styled cartoon on the Cartoon Network or Nickelodeon, or even PBS Kids. It's a high adventure mixed with a lot of humor. Reading it made me smile even as an adult, and I think that says a lot for a book aimed at younger folks. My ARC was not a full color copy, though the finalized version is in full color I'm told. I think the color would certainly make it more fun, but even in black and white it was well received.

I think it's cool that there's little recipes and cooking steps throughout the book. Some of them are for fantastical ingredients that the chef finds on his culinary adventures, but others are things that kids can try to make at home.

It's a silly, funny quest that I think elementary school kids will love. Like a Baby Einstein's version of the show No Reservations. I'd definitely pick up the second book in this series.

Review: Sweet Revenge by Heather Kim

Title: Sweet Revenge: Passive-Aggressive Desserts for Your Exes & Enemies
Author: Heather Kim
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: January 1st 2018
Source: Netgalley


Book Description:

50+ killer cakes, cookies, and candies for your exes and enemies. Dumped by your beefcake boyfriend? BFF steal your one-and-only? Lab partner a more-than-periodic no-show? Don't take these battles online. (Seriously, don't do that, okay?). Get out your heaviest rolling pins, sharpest cleavers, and most blistering torches, and kill your enemies and exes . . . with kindness. That's right - bake that loser ex a pan of Go Fudge Yourself. Gift your former friend a You're the Devil Cake. And give that annoying admirer a Donut Call Me Again. Let them taste your over-them happiness and see what comes next . . . Pastry chef and tattoo artist Heather Kim serves up sinfully delicious recipes and bittersweet advice.

Review:

★★★★★

This is one of the best books I read in 2017. No, not just cookbooks. One of the best books full stop. It's delicious, snarky, and hilarious, and is right up my alley. I'd keep this in my kitchen for sure.

The recipes are divided into sections by type, including an introduction, Bite Sized Treats, Cakes and Cupcakes, Breads and Pastries, Candy Creams and More.

The tone of this book is hilarious. It's snarky and funny- like if one of your girlfriends was psyching you up after a bad break up and helping you get your bullshit together. It gives it a familiar, friendly tone, which makes the book even better.

This book is great for beginners. Some of the ingredients that are used are home-baker friendly, such as jarred jams. There's cute little tinder bios to help explain what different types of sugar are for. The steps are super helpful and are written in layman's terms; "Plop the dough down" and "crank that oven up" are examples that immediately come to mind. This book is definitely accessible.


Some of the dishes that sounded the most delicious include You've Got a Latte Balls (PSL balls), Suck It Up and Grow a Pear (cheesecake), and When I Think of You I Scream (flamin hot ice cream sammiches).

This book is a great cookbook, whether you're baking away thoughts of your terrible ex, or if you're just hungry. It's well written both in tone and instruction, and I think it'd be a great gift.

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The War of Jokes and Riddles by Tom King & Mikel Janín

Title: The War of Jokes and Riddles
Series: Batman, Volume III TPB #4
Authors: Tom King, Mikel Janín
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: December 19th 2017
Source: DC Comics


Book Description:

Early in Batman’s career, the Joker and the Riddler would seemingly be natural allies. But each man determined that he and he alone must be the one to kill the Bat...and either would sooner burn down Gotham than be beaten to the punch line.

Untold until now, one of the darkest chapters in Batman’s history sees all of Gotham’s villains choosing sides in a battle of wits that soon turns into a full-blown war—complete with civilian casualties. In the War of Jokes and Riddles, only one side can claim victory...but the scars it leaves will shape Batman’s future as he makes the most important decision of his life.

From the critically acclaimed, best-selling creative team of Tom King (GRAYSON, The Vision) and Mikel Janin (JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK), the epic graphic tale BATMAN: THE WAR OF JOKES AND RIDDLES has quickly embedded itself as one of the great stories in the Dark Knight’s mythology. Collects issues #25-32.

Review:

★★★★★

I wasn't sure exactly what to expect from this book. I'm what I'd like to think of as a casual Batman fan- I know characters, I've read some comic books, and seen some movies. But I'm a far stretch from an expert, and I definitely haven't even scratched the surface of all the Batman comics out there. But when I see there's The Joker involved, sign me up. I was left blown away.

This book is so well done. It's dark, emotionally driven, and intense. It shows the psychotic, cold calculating Joker that tends to get lost in the folds of comic book franchises becoming part of more mainstream pop culture. It was gritty and there were so many moments that were both tragic and fascinating.

The artwork reflects the writing, with darker schemes and great detail. They match the writing perfectly, and carry out this fantastic story telling.

It's not a perfect collection- there are some plot points that seemed jarringly out of place, or that didn't quite seem to work. But by and large, this is a book worth reading. I can't really say how it compares to other Batman stories, as I'd quickly be out Batman-ed by other readers. But I can say that I personally really enjoyed it, and will definitely be looking for more of this particular arc.

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review. Thanks, DC!

My Boo's Review: Shirtless Bear-Fighter! by Jody LeHeup, Sebastian Girner

Every once in a while on here, I'll be posting my fiancée Emily's reviews on here. She doesn't blog on her own, but sometimes she needs to let her book feelings out in the world, and that's where Bitches n Prose steps in. (She also drew that banner. Ain't she cute?)


Title: Shirtless Bear-Fighter!
Illustrators: Nil Vendrell, Mike Spicer
Authors: Jody LeHeup, Sebastian Girner
Format: Paperback, 164 pages
Pub. Date: December 6 2017
Source: Goodreads First Reads


Book Description:

"After being betrayed by the bears that raised him, the legendary SHIRTLESS BEAR-FIGHTER wanders the forest he's sworn to protect, fist-fighting bears, eating flapjacks and being the angriest man the world has ever known!

When wild-eyed, super-strong bears attack the citizens of Major City, Shirtless ventures into the human world to do what he does best...PUNCH THOSE BEARS IN THE FACE! But all is not as it seems. Someone is manipulating Shirtless...and only by confronting the demons of his past can Shirtless hope to save his future!

A heart-filled, hilarious, tall tale for the ages...you don't want to miss SHIRTLESS BEAR-FIGHTER!

Collecting SHIRTLESS BEAR-FIGHTER! #1-5"

Review:

★★★★★

In a world where bears run amok all around the globe, the world turns to one man.... SHIRTLESS BEAR-FIGHTER! Betrayed by the bears who raised him, Shirtless has vowed to fight ALL bears and protect the forest in this timeless epic adventure.

Y'all, I was so excited when I received this book in the mail that I started reading it immediately. The bear punching action started only a few page flips from the cover, in all of Shirtless's naked, pixelated dongle glory. This man does not like to wear pants, he lives in a bear-house, and god help you if call his flapjacks "pancakes". Shirtless has a heartbreaking past akin to every vigilante superhero. It's like Wolverine and Batman had a feral, bearded baby. I love him.

Enter FBI agents Burke and Silvia, who come to the forest to ask Shirtless to fight the bearrorists who are attacking the nation. Burke, the senior agent in command, has been in more wars than humanly possible, and he will definitely make you question his age and his sanity when he recounts the battlefields he's fought on. The only one who seems as confused about Burke's 14 American Conflicts is agent Silvia, a young agent keen on playing by the book and following orders until she learns her instincts are more important.

There is a malicious force behind the bear attacks, someone who has been feeding them magic bacon to control them, and bend their bear-will to his own. His motives are for shitty revenge against Shirtless, all for the growth of his three-ply TP company.

All in all this was a fantastic read. There was always something to make me laugh on pretty much every page. The whole story seems to be parodying big name superheroes while also creating a superhero. It's hilarious and I'm 100% here for more Shirtless adventures.

I give this book 5 out of 5 bear-stars.

I received this copy in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Title: Delirium
Series: Delirium #1
Author: Lauren Oliver
Format: Paperback, 393 pages
Pub. Date: 2011
Source: HPB


Book Description:

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing.

They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

Review:

★★★★★

I didn't really know what to expect going into this book. I was sort of intimidated by it. I remember when the series first came out, and everyone was obsessed. Almost every blog that I followed was reading it and talking about it. I'm always a bit hesitant when there's a fuss- I have a tendency not to enjoy them the way I wish I did!

But, I get it guys. I absolutely loved (oh no. I must be diseased) this book.

The world building is fascinating and well written. It created a very vivid landscape, one that is simultaneously beautiful and peaceful, but looming and violent. You have the guards enforcing rules, well armed and lurking coupled with the electric fence around the city and the mandated cure for the disease of "love" which set up quite the scary dystopia. It gives a disturbing insight into what life would be like without love and passion. It's chilling. But there's also the forests, the night skies, the beach, and the (albeit chilling) peace that ensues when everyone is a suburban loveless zombie.

I really enjoyed the characters. Mostly. I didn't so much care for the lead, Lena, so much. It's not personal. I am just really, really tired of the "ho hum I'm a boring brunette who is average looking and woe is me" mentality. I understand why it's done, and why it's done so much. But at the same time, no thanks. Her love (gasp) interest is captivating, and I understand her attraction to him.

The disease aspect is the most fascinating to me. What I didn't take into account is how big of an umbrella term "love" is. I originally was thinking "so you don't love your partner, meh". Not that that's not terrible, but is small potatoes. You wouldn't love anything. Not your favorite food, or music, or painting or sports or reddit or whatever other past times and hobbies you have. And that would be an awful life.

I was admittedly blindsided by the ending (I probably shouldn't have been but). This book definitely ends in a cliffhanger, which I'm also not entirely fond of.

Nonetheless, I have the other two books and I'll surely finish the series. This was a strong start, and quickly became one of my favorites. It's a good read for fans of YA dystopia and romance (and maybe a forthcoming triangle, can't tell yet).

Review: The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O'Neill

Title: The Tea Dragon Society
Author: Katie O'Neill
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: October 18th 2017
Source: Oni Press


Book Description:

From the award-winning author of Princess Princess Ever After comes The Tea Dragon Society, a charming all-ages book that follows the story of Greta, a blacksmith apprentice, and the people she meets as she becomes entwined in the enchanting world of tea dragons.

After discovering a lost tea dragon in the marketplace, Greta learns about the dying art form of tea dragon care-taking from the kind tea shop owners, Hesekiel and Erik. As she befriends them and their shy ward, Minette, Greta sees how the craft enriches their lives—and eventually her own.

Review:

★★★★★

This is the best graphic novel that I've read in 2017. I absolutely loved it.

For me, the most important part is of course the artwork. The aesthetic is adorable. It's a lot of kawaii, pastel type illustrations. It catches the eye and is well done. The tea dragons- there are different types of tea dragons, to match different types of tea of course- are the absolute cutest. They are reminiscent of Pokemon almost. I want stuffed animal versions of them, to be completely honest with you.

In addition to the artwork being visually appealing, the drawings are well paired with the text, so when blended together, it goes nicely.

Which brings us to the text, naturally. It's a heartwarming, feel good sort of book. I was very much more upset than I expected when I ran out of story and pages. The tone is very sweet, and very cozy. It feels almost like a bed time story, it's playful but has a focused plot, and has characters that you want to know more about as the night wears on.

So many different types of characters are represented in this book, without making a fuss. It's simply "these folks are all together" and that's sort of beautiful in a way. There's LGBT representation, disability representation, different skin tones and even different species all harmonious in the same place.

This is a great book for those who love either dragon or teas, as well as kawaii style artwork. And of course, children who enkIt's a quick read but it has lovely characters and a charming plot.

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Dark Goddess Craft by Stephanie Woodfield

Title: Dark Goddess Craft: A Journey Through the Heart of Transformation
Author: Stephanie Woodfield
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: November 8th 2017
Source: Llewellyn Publications


Book Description:

Discover how to use the many faces of the dark goddess to navigate the process of deep and rewarding change. This practical guide looks at the misconceptions surrounding dark deities and encourages you to draw on the power of the dark goddesses to work through aspects of yourself or your life that you wish to change.

Organized into three sections--the descent, challenge, and rebirth--Dark Goddess Craft guides you into your own darkness and helps you emerge renewed. Stephanie Woodfield presents the goddesses you will meet along your path of transformation and explains each one's role in helping you. This book will light your way through the shadows and show you how to become the best version of yourself.

Review:

★★★★★

This book is fascinating from cover to cover. It's interesting and soothing, enlightening and thought provoking. This is a Llewellyn Publication that I would happily place on my spirituality/pagan shelf, and it is a book that I will almost certainly read again.

The book is divided into four sections, not counting the expansive bibliography and index at the end of the book. These sections are: Who is the Dark Goddess?, The Descent, Challenge, and Rebirth.

Part one of this book covers a sort of background information chapter. There's information about the concept of what it means to be "dark" and how goddesses are looked at both in the past and the present. There's a lot of clearing up of misconceptions that arise when the phrase "dark goddess" is heard, such as the lack of evil intentions or the devil, things like that. In short, it's like a nice little intro course. Dark Goddesses 101. It's what you need to know about the subject, and the deities, before you continue onward down the path of this book. If you're pretty well versed in the subject, it serves as a nice refresher course.

Part two, The Descent, covers goddesses that are associated with the afterlife. Or more specifically, as you might have gathered from the title (of both the book and the chapter), goddesses that are associated with the underworld.

Part three, Challenge, covers more of the goddesses. But this time around, it is the ones that are associated with overcoming obstacles and getting ahead in life.

The final part, Rebirth, covers more goddesses still. Though in this part, they are the ones who are most commonly associated with the ideas of both transformation and independence.

This book contains so much information and celebration. There are rituals and prayers, there are devotionals. There are stories/myths for each and every goddess that is mentioned throughout the course of the book. I was very pleasantly surprised by the wide variety of goddesses that are in here. Generally speaking, most books I pick up deal mainly with the Roman and Greek pantheons. Especially when it comes to the underworld. I was expecting a ton of Persephone with maybe a bit of Hecate thrown in (sigh, my poor underrated Hecate). But these are global representations. Admittedly, I hadn't even heard of some of them before.

The cited works section alone is worth a look at, it's clear that the author did her research and feels strongly about the topic.

This is part history book, part religious book, part motivational book, and wholly full of engagement and interest. If you are of this spiritual/religious/pagan path, and especially if you walk the nocturnal path, this is a book I think that you'll enjoy.

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.

HOLIDAY COUNTDOWN Review: The Artful Baker by Cenk Sonmezsoy

Title: The Artful Baker: Extraordinary Desserts From an Obsessive Home Baker
Author: Cenk Sonmezsoy
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: October 17th 2017
Source: Harry N. Abrams


Book Description:

A collection of more than 100 extraordinary desserts—all with photos and meticulous instructions—by Cenk Sönmezsoy, creator of the internationally acclaimed blog Cafe Fernando.

Written, styled, photographed, and designed by Cenk Sönmezsoy, The Artful Baker shares the inspiring story of a passionate home baker, beginning with his years after graduate school in San Francisco and showcasing the fruits of a baking obsession he cultivated after returning home to Istanbul. Sönmezsoy’s stories and uniquely styled images, together with his original creations and fresh take on traditional recipes, offer a thoughtful and emotional window into the life of this luminary artist.

The Artful Baker is comprised of almost entirely new content, with a few updated versions of readers’ favorites from his blog, such as Brownie Wears Lace, his signature brownies topped with blond chocolate ganache and bittersweet chocolate lace (originally commissioned by Dolce & Gabbana and awarded “Best Original Baking and Desserts Recipe” by Saveur magazine); Raspberry Jewel Pluot Galette, a recipe inspired by Chez Panisse’s 40th year anniversary celebrations; and Devil Wears Chocolate, his magnificent devil’s food cake that graces the cover of the book.

Each chapter highlights a variety of indulgences, from cookies to cakes and tarts to ice creams, including recipes like Pistachio and Matcha Sablés; Tahini and Leblebi (double-roasted chickpeas) Swirl Brownies; Sakura Madeleines; Sourdough Simit, the beloved ring-shaped Turkish bread beaded with sesame seeds; Isabella Grape and Kefir Ice Cream; Pomegranate Jam; and Blanche, a berry tart named after the Golden Girl Blanche Devereaux.

Every recipe in The Artful Baker has gone through a meticulous development phase, tested by an army of home bakers having varying levels of skill, equipment, and access to ingredients, and revised to ensure that they will work flawlessly in any kitchen. Measurements of ingredients are provided in both volume and weight (grams). Where a volume measurement isn’t useful, weight measurements are provided in both ounces and grams.

Review:

★★★★★

This is one of the most beautiful cookbooks that I have read in 2017. The photographs are stunning, the recipes are delicious, and it really is like looking through an art book.

The book is divided into types of dish, including: Cookies, Brownies, Cakes Muffins Cheesecakes and Meringues, Tarts Galettes Pie Quiche Cobbler and Crumble, Bread and Pastries, Ice Cream Frozen Yogurt and Sorbets, Confections and Drinks, Jams and Jellies, Base Recipes, and Ingredients, Equipment and Conversions.

There's a lot of personal stories and name dropping in this book, making it clear that the author has a level of not just passion, but pride in what they do. You learn why they included the recipes and ingredients they did, and what makes them the best.

In addition to the recipes, there's also a TON of extra tips and techniques in this book. There are step by step photos of how to deal with vanilla beans, there's a whole section on perfecting macarons, there's a guide to tempering chocolate. It's clear the author wants to help you succeed with their recipes! There's also a lot of storage advice, which is appreciated.

As I mentioned, the photos are beautiful. A lot of the things look too beautiful to eat (I mean, not that that'd really stop me, but you know what I mean). There's an abundance of photos too, at least one per recipe though there's often more.

One of the downsides is that some of the ingredients are relatively hard to find, like sakura flavored white tea leaves. You'd need to plan well in advance for some of these recipes, they don't all lend themselves to spur of the moment baking.

Some of the recipes that sound the best to me include Sour Cherry and White Chocolate Macarons, Sakura Madeleines, and Isabella Grape and Kefir Ice Cream.

This book is fantastic, and any home bakers looking to up their game or to more finely hone their baking techniques would find something to benefit from in this book.

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Selection by Kiera Cass

Title: The Selection
Series: The Selection #1
Author: Kiera Cass
Format: paperback ARC, signed
Pub. Date: April 24th 2012
Source: Won


Book Description:

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

Review:

★★★★★

This is one of the best books I've read in the last year.

I was admittedly afraid to read this one, because SO MANY bloggers were talking about it; good, bad or otherwise. Hype makes me nervous. But I had a copy on my shelf and the time had come, and I'm so mad at myself that I waited so long to get into this story. It sucked me in hook, line, and sinker, and immersed me into the story line.

The characters were well written and well described. They were written unique from one another, and it was easy to keep track of who is who, despite the large cast of characters. By the end of the story, I was emotionally tied to America, Maxon, and Aspen. I cared so hard about what happened, and was emotional along with them on the roller coaster that is The Selection competition. The relationships between characters- be it romance, family, or friendship (or hatred, even) are well developed and evolve over the course of the story in a way that helps the plot.

Genre-wise, this book is kind of a hodgepodge of a lot of different things, but it works so well. It's definitely a heavy dose of dystopian science fiction a la Hunger Games, where there is One Good Place To Live And Thing To Be and a bunch of lessers who don't matter as much to the nation/society/kingdom. Not to mention the Girl Who Ain't Having It. There's a bit of fairy tale to it, as the girls wear beautiful gowns and compete for the love of the fair prince of the land. There's a guilty pleasure reality show component, because The Selection is like teenage The Bachelor: So You Wanna Be A Princess Edition. Which sounds awful but I love me some reality shows (I will deny this) and it works well.

The world building is also really good. I felt like I knew everything that was happening, and I wasn't left with any info-dumping to fill me in on this society, nor was I left with a million questions. It was a nice balance of the author's world design and things left to my own imagination. The dresses, the food, the mansion, they're all so gloriously described that I want to be there to see it all (I mean but also not, because, dystopia).

I will 100% continue the rest of this story. I can't wait to continue America's journey as it unfolds. I recommend it to fans of YA romance and dystopian fiction, as long as having a few common tropes won't bug you.

Mini College Review: The Whipping Man by Samuel French

Title: The Whipping Man
Author: Samuel French
Format: Paperback, 84 pages
Pub. Date: November 3rd 2009
Source: SIU Bookstore


Book Description:

Drama / Characters: 3 male It is April, 1865. The Civil War is over and throughout the south, slaves are being freed, soldiers are returning home and in Jewish homes, the annual celebration of Passover is being celebrated. Into the chaos of war-torn Richmond comes Caleb DeLeon, a young Confederate officer who has been severely wounded. He finds his family's home in ruins and abandoned, save for two former slaves, Simon and John, who wait in the empty house for the family's return. As the three men wait for signs of life to return to the city, they wrestle with their shared past, the bitter irony of Jewish slave-owning and the reality of the new world in which they find themselves. The sun sets on the last night of Passover and Simon - having adopted the religion of his masters - prepares a humble Seder to observe the ancient celebration of the freeing of the Hebrew slaves from Egypt, noting with particular satisfaction the parallels to their current situation. But the pain of their enslavement will not be soothed by this tradition, and deep-buried secrets from the past refuse to be hidden forever as the play comes to its shocking climax. The Whipping Man is a play about redemption and forgiveness, about the lasting scars of slavery, and the responsibility that comes with freedom. "A mesmerizing drama." - Peter Filichia, Newark Star-Ledger "A cause for celebration. Mathew Lopez has come as close as any author could to producing a microcosm of the genesis of a wide range of today's Black American males." - Bob Rendell, Talkin' Broadway "I can see why director Lou Bellamy chose this play for Penumbra, whose most famous alumnus is playwright August Wilson. In its complex welter of issues, in its interior explorations...The Whipping Man is Wilsonian." - Rohan Preston, Minneapolis Star-Ledger "Succeeds with an uncanny maturity in using sharply drawn characters and rich metaphor to wrestle Wilson-like with epic American issues of race, religion, and responsibility. Someone must succeed Wilson; it might as well be Lopez" - Tim Gihring, Minnesota Monthly

Review:

★★★★★

I had to read "The Whipping Man" in my American literature course in college. It is the best piece of fiction that I got to read the whole semester.

This play is absolutely fantastic. I can honestly say that I've never read a story like this one.

The characters are a mix of Jewish home owners and slaves during the Civil War era. I can honestly say in all my years of education (and reading for fun) I've never read a story that weaves these two points of view together. But the incredible way that French has written this story, it seems like a common sense pairing. It works so well.

The characters are well developed. They're distinct, and they feel real. I had feelings toward them all. Not all of those feelings were positive, but I was emotionally invested in the way these characters developed and grew, the way their backgrounds are teased to the surface, the way each of them struggle and have faith in their own way.

It's rugged. It's gritty. It's real. It feels almost like you could be watching this unfold from through the window. There's a particularly gnarly leg amputation that is very well detailed, that sets the tone of dirt and blood and alcohol and grit that gives this play a distinct tone. That said, it's not all drama and heartbreak. It's rather comedic, which I did not anticipate even a little. I was pleasantly surprised, and it keeps you reading and connects you to particular characters.

It's a short play, but there's so much packed into these 90 pages.

I sincerely hope I get the chance to see this on stage. It's fantastic, and I can't recommend it enough.

Review: Donabe by Naoko Takei Moore & Kyle Connaughton

Title: Donabe: Classic and Modern Japanese Clay Pot Cooking
Author: Naoko Takei Moore & Kyle Connaughton
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: October 27th 2015
Source: Netgalley/Ten Speed Press


Book Description:

A beautiful and lavishly photographed cookbook focused on authentic Japanese clay-pot cooking, showcasing beloved recipes and updates on classics, with background on the origins and history of donabe.

Japanese clay pot (donabe) cooking has been refined over centuries into a versatile and simple method for preparing both dramatic and comforting one-pot meals. In Donabe, Tokyo native and cooking school instructor Naoko Takei Moore and chef Kyle Connaughton offer inspiring Japanese home-style recipes such as Sizzling Tofu and Mushrooms in Miso Sauce and Dashi-Rich Shabu-Shabu, as well as California-inspired dishes including Steam-Fried Black Cod with Crisp Potatoes, Leeks, and Walnut-Nori Pesto or Smoked Duck Breast with Creamy Wasabi–Green Onion Dipping Sauce. All are rich in flavor, simple to prepare, and perfect for a communal dining experience with family and friends. Donabe also features recipes from luminary chefs such as David Kinch, Namae Shinobu, and Cortney Burns and Nick Balla, all of whom use donabe in their own kitchens. Collectible, beautiful, and functional, donabe can easily be an essential part of your cooking repetory.

Review:

★★★★★

So real talk, this the best cookbook that I've read in a long time. I got this book because I love Japanese food, but I've never cooked it myself. This book made me want to, immediately.

The recipes are divided by technique/type of pot. There's an intro, a section of how to use the pots, how it's made, there's a section for planning menus, one for sauces and stocks. And at the end, there's a glossary and resources.

The photography is absolutely stunning. It's like an art book. Everything looks professional and delicious and like I want it. And I think that's what the photos of a cookbook should do.

It seems to be middle of the road, difficulty-wise. It's not super easy, 101 level stuff, but there's nothing here that looks like only an Iron Chef can prepare it. It seems both approachable and elegant at once.

The recipes are well written, with plenty of tips on cooking and technique catered to each dish. Each recipe includes how many people it'll serve, the courses, and what equipment you'll need to make it. There's also personal stories that make this seem like a book from the heart, as well as history about the dishes.

I like that they tell you "if you don't like it, change it". It encourages personal twists and substitutions, which sets a relaxed tone that follows throughout the book. A lot of the recipes, because of this, are vegetarian friendly or easily adaptable.

The things that jumped off the page by being super delicious sounding include Smoked Duck Breast with Creamy Wasabi-Green Onion Dipping Sauce, Fried Scales-On Tilefish with Winter Melon Tagliatelle, and Green Tea Rice Balls.

I highly recommend this if you love to cook, love Japanese food, or even if you just like to flip through cookbooks for the pictures. It's worth it.

Cookbook Review: The Violet Bakery Cookbook by Claire Ptak!

Title: The Violet Bakery Cookbook
Author: Claire Ptak
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: Sep 29 2015
Source: Ten Speed Press


Book Description:

Violet is a bijou cake shop and café in Hackney, east London. The baking is done with simple ingredients including wholegrain flours, less refined sugars and the natural sweetness and muted colours of seasonal fruits. Everything is made in an open kitchen for people to see. Famed for its exquisite baked goods, Violet has become a destination.

Owner Claire Ptak uses her Californian sensibility to devise recipes that are both nourishing and indulgent. With real thought about taste and using the purest ingredients, she has created the most flavoursome iterations of classic cakes, as well as new treats for modern palates. Over 100 recipes include nourishing breakfasts, midday snacks,
teatime treats, puddings to share, pantry preserves, and stylish celebration cakes. For example:

Morning – Buckwheat Granola or Cinnamon Buns
Midday – Squash, Brown Butter and Sage Quiche or Mozzarella, Rosemary and New Potato Tarts
Teatime – Butterscotch Blondie or Ginger Molasses Cake
Desserts – Cherry Cobbler or Fig Leaf Ice-cream
Party Party – Loganberry-vanilla Birthday Cake or Coconut-cream Trifle Cake

This book is about making baking worth it: simple to cook and satisfying to eat.

Review:

★★★★★

I absolutely love this cookbook. It's vibrant, easy to follow, and full of amazing sounding recipes. The year is almost over, and this is so far one of the best cookbooks I've gotten to review in 2015.

It's sorted by the time of day and the type of event. There's also an introduction, a guide to a mise en place, tips, tasting tips, and even notes on foraging for fresher ingredients.

A nice touch to this book is the amount of personal stories that are inside. It makes the book clear that it's written as a labor of love, and that the authors really care about food and cooking. The directions are written concisely, and are easy to follow. That makes it pretty approachable for any skill level of cook. There's a nice blend of both sweet and savory recipes, which I wasn't expecting but nonetheless it is a pleasant surprise. There's also conversions on each recipe page for American use. I really appreciated this method, instead of shoving a chart in the back. This way, I wasn't constantly switching pages back and forth in order to know what I'm supposed to be doing.

The photography included in The Violet Bakery Cookbook is absolutely stunning. It's one of those books that's damn near art, it's aesthetically pleasing enough to just flip through and look at the pictures, if we're being honest. But just as importantly, there's also a lot of photos included. This is a huge plus for me- I don't buy a cookbook if I know there's little to no pictures inside. I like knowing how my food is supposed to look when it's finished!

I really like this book because there's a lot of elegant, light, and floral flavors. I love cooking with flower ingredients, and I'm happy to have more in my baking arsenal. The three dishes that I'm most excited to try from this book are: Honey and Rose Water Madeleines, Olive Oil Sweet Wine Cake, and Fig Leaf Ice Cream.

All in all, I think that this is a great baking book for anyone who likes to bake, no matter if it's sweet or savory. I look forward to using this for one of my teatime parties! I received a copy of this guide in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Crumb by Ruby Tandoh

Title: Crumb: The Simple Pleasures of Baking

Author: Ruby Tandoh

Format: egalley

Pub. Date: April 28th 2015

Source: Ten Speed Press



Book Description via Goodreads:

A baking cookbook from the young and talented Ruby Tandoh, with a focus on charming, flavorful, and practical dishes that celebrate the pleasure of casual baking.

Crumb's explanatory and evocative prose promotes everyday baking without sacrificing the joy of the craft, defying the style of both showy, highly decorated baking as well as the dry, informative tone of "serious" baking books. A delight to read as well as to bake from, recipes like Sweet Potato Doughnuts, Pecan and Rosemary Tartlets, Raspberry Whisky Pavlova, and Blood Orange Polenta Cake are interspersed with the virtues of different types of apples, a reminiscence about Belgian buns, and a passage on the need to knead. Covering a range of baking projects from sweet to savory, chapters include cakes, cookies, bread, pastries, pies, tarts, and more.

Review:

★★★★★

I love baking. I am constantly on a search for new treats to try and add to my repertoire. Crumb is everything I wanted it to be and more, and I'll definitely be getting a copy to keep on stand-by in my home kitchen.

It starts out with a nice introduction, that includes helpful information about the ingredients used and the equipment needed for some of the recipes in the collection. The book is divided into chapters according to type of baked good, including sections like Bread, Pies and Tarts, and Cookies and Crackers. The chapter then gets broken into smaller sections for more specificity.

The steps are numbered and very well detailed, so you're not left wondering what the heck a step means. There's also good tips peppered in, like how to knead and how to fix common mistakes, like when something is too dry. There are also some "photo steps" included, like how to braid breads. The ingredients are listed in grams (I'm an American, so that's not a thing I can do easily, admittedly), but I really appreciated that the conversions are behind it in parenthesis, so I didn't have to constantly flip to a chart in the back or anything.

This collection of recipe includes both sweet and savory dishes, which I also appreciated. There's lots of variety in both ingredients and techniques- some difficult, some more basic. It's approachable to new bakers.

There are some pictures, but not for everything. However, the ones that ARE included look phenomenal. This is going to sound like a weird compliment, but they looked normal. Often times when I look at a picture, be it in a cookbook or on Pinterest, I think "My frosting will never be that perfect" or "my cookies will never be so flawless". These desserts look BEAUTIFUL, but they look like just a normal baker made them, and I really like that.

I would be hard pressed to try and find recipes in this book that I don't want to try, but I'll only share a few in this review. I'd most like to make Rose & Burnt Honey Florentines, Gooseberry Elderflower Cake, Passion Fruit Curd Jelly Roll, and Chocolate Lime Mud Cake.

If you love to bake, whether it's sweet or savory, this is an excellent book to add to your collection. It's approachable, delicious, and well written.

I received a copy of this in exchange for my honest review.

PRIDE Month Review & Giveaway: Best Lesbian Erotica edited by Laura Antoniou!

Title: Best Lesbian Erotica 2015

Author: Laura Antoniou

Format: Paperback, 232 pages

Pub. Date: Feb. 17th 2015

Source: Cleis Press



Book Description via Goodreads:

"Everyone needs a little magic in their life."

Best Lesbian Erotica 2015 features the fiercest, freshest lesbian erotica of the year, curated by the legendary Laura Antoniou, million-selling author of The Marteketplace series. These stories will make you want to call your girl in the middle of the afternoon and tell her things that make her squirm. Images of girlsex will take over your brain. Read these stories and you'll be compelled by sheer erotic need.

Review:

★★★★★

I was so, so super excited when I got asked to review Best Lesbian Erotica 2015 to help celebrate PRIDE month! As many of my regular readers know, I am an out-and-proud member of the LGBT community (pansexuals and demisexuals represent!). This book is the perfect anthology to help celebrate LGBT love. What I love best about Cleis Press anthologies is that it's more than just sex. Don't get me wrong- this is an erotica anthology. It's explicit. It's sexy. But what I mean is that the talented writers who contribute their short stories care about more than just the sexy bits. There's emotions at play here, there's plots. There's characters and POVs that have been given life. That's what makes anthologies such as Best Lesbian Erotica 2015 so great: there's twenty stories here, and each one is different and diverse. From the writing styles, to the kinks, to the relationship pairings, to even some fantasy, it's a celebration of all things girl love, and I absolutely adore that.

Of course, this is an anthology. This means that they all follow the central theme of girl on girl erotica, but are free to explore anywhere else within that bubble. Because there are twenty small, independent stories, it's easy to read this book one delicious bite at a time, or to just read it all the way through like a novel. Again, because it's an anthology, there is some hit-and-miss going on. I loved some stories, and disliked others, while some fell more towards the middle. However, when looking at the whole rather than the parts, I think this is a really good selection of stories that any one- male or female- who enjoys reading about F/F love shouldn't miss out on.

As always, I'm going to highlight the three stories that I liked the best in lieu of mini-reviewing all twenty stories. These are in no particular order, and are the ones that I most recommend reading (though, seriously, read the whole book. You won't regret it.). The first story I'm choosing to highlight is called "Learning to Cook" by Nan Andrews. This short story involves a picky customer, a fiery chef, and a dinner date that neither of them is soon to forget. I am a huge foodie, and because my father is a chef, I was pretty much raised in a kitchen. I loved the setting and the passion that was shown here. After all, if you can't handle the heat, stay out of the kitchen ;). The second story that I most enjoyed is called "Lovely Lady Liberty" by Nicole Wolfe. This story centers around a WASP pilot, a beautiful USO performer, and one helluva Fourth of July celebration. I really liked the unique setting of a USO show on a military base for this one. Plus, it's close to the fourth so I'm feeling extra patriotic. You'll feel more than just the sparks from the sparklers in this lovely lady's routine, I promise you. The last story I'd most recommend is titled "Arachne" by Catherine Lundoff. This erotica weaves a story (see what I did there?) of the famous Arachne and her challenge to Athena- but I've never seen it told quite like this before. I adore mythology, being a Classics minor myself. I loved the fantasy/myth interpretation of lesbian erotica.

All in all, read this book. If you love girls, if you love girls who love girls, if you just love a really good sex story now and then- this is the book for you. This is probably the best anthology I've read so far this year. Thanks so much for the copy, in exchange for my honest review.

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway