Sex and Sexuality in Medieval England commits a common sin in histories of culture. It is overloaded with names and dates. Perhaps if I was related to the people mentioned, I would find that revelatory. Unfortunately, I just found it boring. However, the conclusions were interesting. One in six childrenContinue Reading
Usually, I pick up books to review based on what I think my blog readers might like to read. However, this week I chose three books just because I wanted to read them. My beach-themed family room needs some decorations so I thought I would begin a new hobby whileContinue Reading
I’m not even from the East Coast but I remember Crazy Eddie from the satires of him on Saturday Night Live. I never heard that his whole empire was based on scams until I read Retail Gangster. As a former internal auditor, I found this book a hoot! You canContinue Reading
I love the introductions written by this author for the golden age mysteries published by British Library Crime Classics, but they always leave me wanting more. This book, The Life of Crime, includes all the details and backstories I have been wanting on famous, and not so famous, mystery writers.Continue Reading
With grocery prices rising fast, who doesn’t want to save money and live healthier by eating more plants. But if you are unfamiliar with vegan or vegetarian cooking, your plant recipe repertoire may seem like a menu of side dishes. This book addresses that problem by explaining How to EatContinue Reading
Decorative Needle Felting Projects has fully illustrated instructions showing how to turn wool into cute designs for your home and jewelry chest. The book begins with an extensive section on tools and techniques. It then includes twenty projects: five per season. They include Easter eggs for Spring, a brooch forContinue Reading
As a person gets older, they begin to reflect on decision points where their life could have moved in a completely new direction. Ice-T, and his former companion in crime, Spike, must be at that point. In Split Decision, they look at each of those points and try to seeContinue Reading
If you child has dreams of winning Master Chef Junior, Kids Cook Gluten-Free is a good way to learn to cook easily. The author includes extra steps that aren’t in regular recipes, like wear oven mitts to take items out of the oven, to help teach kids how to cookContinue Reading
Every person who has watched a John Wick movie has thought They Shouldn’t Have Killed His Dog. It is the last straw that pushes him down a path the bad guys are not going to enjoy. This book itself goes down two paths. The first third is an almost scholarlyContinue Reading
Hoop Quilts for Beginners is exactly that. Hoop quilts are wall decorations that are hung with the hoop still in place. They definitely have an old-fashioned vibe. Not even grannycore more like rustic cabincore, if there is such a thing. There are fifteen hoop projects and one additional pattern thatContinue Reading
If you have a garden and want an alternative to canning, you need Freeze Fresh. It clearly and concisely explains how to freeze your abundant harvests (or farmer’s market/supermarket sale finds). It covers 55 fruits, vegetables and herbs. It also includes recipes used before freezing and many more using theContinue Reading
Once you have been a book blogger for a while, you have many options for books to review. I chose The Color Meditation Deck because I want to remove the stress of using the new watercolor supplies that I received for Mother’s Day. What stress could water coloring cause? IContinue Reading
The 60-Something Crisis details the author’s difficulty with turning 60. I agree that reaching 60 is likely to contain both regrets and joyful memories. However, this book is less how to deal with either and more about the author venting about rich people problems. The 60-Something Crisis is less aContinue Reading
Crazy high gas prices and travel costs shelving your summer vacation plans? Use The Unofficial Disney Parks EPCOT Cookbook to travel the world from your kitchen. With recipes as diverse as the Lobster Poutine from the Canada Pavilion to the Froot Loops Shake from the International Flower & Garden Festival,Continue Reading
With fifty foods to choose from, everyone is sure to find something they like in the Complete Guide to Anti-inflammatory Foods. The book begins with an explanation of what inflammation is and what horrors it may do to your body. It also includes a chart of inflammatory foods to avoid.Continue Reading
What used to take an hour of research in a library can now be found in a few minutes with Google. But can our poor brain retain all that information? Can it combine it effectively to create something new? Maybe…but it is more efficient to offload some of that informationContinue Reading