Extra! Extra! Eat All About It!: Recipes and Culinary Curiosities from Historic Wisconsin Newspapers by Randi Julia Ramsden

This was such a fun book! I live in Indiana so this really hit home for me even though I don't live in Wisconsin. I LOVED the format of this book. Like most cookbooks, this book was broken into sections, drinks, breads, desserts, etc. Within each section there alternated between a historic recipe and a well written chapter on the historical origins of food, cooking techniques, cooking equipment, etc. I also loved that both the recipes and the the historical section included the original newspaper clippings that they came from. What a fun concept and enjoyable read. I learned so much! Some of the recipes were kind of bizarre, but some also looked really good. As a vegetarian I can't normally eat a lot of recipes from older cookbooks, but I could more than half of the ones included in here, I was impressed! I wish all states did something fun like this. What a great way to highlight newspapers and other archival material!

Somali and the Forest Spirit

This was such a cute little start to a series. The art is beautiful and it's such an adorable cozy fantasy. I am not always the biggest fan of manga, but this was such a cute premise and I love the artwork. Humans have been hunted almost to extinction and goblins, spirits, ghouls, and witches rule over all. When  a golem discovers a human child he makes it his mission to track down her parents or other humans. The golem doesn't have much of a life left to for, so he may as well leave his forest and go on one final quest. Wonderful. I can't wait to read the rest of the series. 

Dead Man's Ransom

When I was younger my mother got me hooked on the Masterpiece Theater Cadfael Mysteries. We watched the crud out of them and they hold such a soft place in my heart now that my mom has passed. I am slowly trying to work my way through the whole series (not in any order). The audiobook is good, but I do wish Derek Jacobi was narrating it. This series is about a Benedictine monk who solves murders in the 12th century. Dead Man's Ransom is about a sheriff who arrives ill but alive, in a ransom transfer. He is soon found dead and no one is above suspicion. The trade is off until they can find out who killed the sheriff. Even though it's a murder mystery it's like a warm cozy read. Loved it.

The Oyster Book

I am definitely not the target audience for this book but I did find it extremely interesting and impassioned. I'm a vegetarian so I don't eat meat (or fish) BUT I still gained a lot out of this book Prior to reading this I didn't know a single solitary thing about oysters except for pearls were in them (sometimes). This book described oysters, the varieties, the historical importance, and the impact they have on humans and the environment. If you are a meat eater and you are looking to be healthier and smart about saving the environment oysters are the way to go. I had no idea how much they cleaned the waters, they should be everywhere. If a vegetarian can find this interesting so can you!  

The Garden

Nick Newman (adult pen-name of Nicholas Bowling) is most notably know as the author of several children’s novels including Witchborn and In the Shadow of Heroes, but his adult fiction debut, The Garden is a chilling dystopian with a startling premise. Two elderly sisters have not left the borders of their garden in decades. They have no concepts of what lay beyond the walls, only their mother's dire warnings. Evelyn and Lily rely on their mother's almanac and it hasn't steered them wrong. But the eerie and lonely monotony of isolation has taken a toll on both of the sisters. When a young boy breeches the wall they are shocked. They haven't seen another living person in ages. What should they do with him?Can he be trusted? The sisters begin to question their loyalty to the land and to each other. What is outside the garden walls? This cli-fi (climate fiction) dystopian is dark and evocative. Hauntingly narrated by Nicolette McKenzie, whose childlike voice and deprecating prose perfectly encapsulates the two sheltered sisters. Verdict - Fans of Gray Gardens and climate fiction will enjoy this claustrophobically captivating tale about two sisters who must decide if the garden walls are a prison or a sanctuary. - Erin Cataldi

That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Human

A fitting conclusion to cap off this trilogy. So fun, irreverent, and sexy. These are fun, fluffy, feminist, fantasy, smut and I can't read them fast enough. I hope there are more books in this series because it is so much fun. The drama is relatively low stakes, the romance is slow burn, and the banter is so witty and fun. 

Shell Shocked

This mystery novel would be good for middle grade or teen readers who are into marine biology or more specifically, turtles. On her sixteenth birthday, Alex's only birthday wish is that she get to volunteer with the Turtle Sanctuary and help protect Cataluna Island's vulnerable turtle population. She and her best friend Avery, feel an affinity for these beautiful sea creatures and think it's their duty to protect their nests and habitats. When they find some turtle she's with weird markings they know the turtles are in danger, but they don't know from who. Alex, Avery, and Maya (biologist) must get to the bottom of the mystery before any other turtles get injured or killed.  It's an important story but could have used a lot more editing. A lot of very repetitive phrases, weird plot holes, and ridiculously easy "clues," made this story a little too simple. It's honestly more of a novella anyway, it's quite short. Final gripe, what does the cover have to do with anything? There is no underwater maze reef. The only thing in common with the story is that it features a turtle. The cover should match the illustrations included in the book. Important material, just needed more finessing. 

The Lost Passenger

Frances Quinn (historical author of The Bonesetter Woman and The Smallest Man) dazzles with a fresh new take on the Titanic tragedy. When the cotton king's daughter, Elinor Coombs, marries into an aristocratic family; she and her father couldn't have been more proud; her children would one day be nobles! Too late she realizes that their wedding will never result in love or respect, she discovers that her husband was forced into the marriage because they needed her family's money to keep the estate alive and well. Parenthood isn't the delight she anticipated either, after giving birth to a darling baby boy; her in-laws insist on keeping her from him, because that is the way things are done with heirs. When her father, the cotton king, invites her and her family on the maiden voyage of the Titanic she jumps at the chance to get away from her in-laws and get to interact with her son. When the ship sinks, Elinor finds the strength and the courage to fake their deaths and reinvent themselves in America. Trying to pass herself off as her son's nanny is much harder than she ever anticipated, she's never worked a day in her life but to keep her precious son, Teddy, safe and out of the grip of her in-laws she will do anything. Enchantingly narrated by Heather Long; her English accent helps bring both the aristocracy and the working class to life. Verdict: Engaging, heartfelt, and earnest. A fresh new voice to add to the legions of Titanic literature out there.

That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf

A fun, fantasy, frolic, that is sexy, zany, and an absolute blast. While this is the second in a romance series it could easily be read as a standalone, but why would you want to miss out on the fun of the first one?! Brie is seemingly unlucky in life and in love. When she throws a drink at a man who won't take no for an answer, she discovers that her aim is atrocious and ends up hitting a werewolf instead. And to make matters worse apparently the drink she threw was a love potion and now the werewolf will not leave her alone! Part of her is annoyed and part of her is wondering if what she read in all those were fantasies is true. I can't wait to read the next one in this series! 

Little Beach Street Bakery

Wholesome, quirky, cute. This book wrapped you up like a warm blanket and the soothing English accent of the narrator made it such a fun listen. Polly Waterford has lost it all, her money, her boyfriend (good riddance), her job, and her flat. Everywhere in the city is too posh and expensive so she finds herself a little fixer upper on an island in the middle of nowhere. It isn't much, the roof leaks, their is grime everywhere, and the lighthouse light gives her a fright in the evening. But soon she finds herself warming up to her new neighbors and surroundings. Desperate for a job she opts to help a curmudgeonly old women run her bakery and finds out she loves it. Soon she is baking, happy, and meeting new people. Including a handsome fisherman and American beekeeper. Who new a fresh start could be so exciting?!

The Museum of Ordinary People

A quick and sweet read with a quirky concept. A museum saved with things that people don't have space for, but have sentimental attachments to. Jess stumbles upon this quirky little museum while trying to find a place for the encyclopedia set her mother gifted her as a child. Since her mom's death she has been tasked with clearing out everything as the only surviving family member. She lives in a posh apartment with her boyfriend and there isn't space there for the book set, but she can't bear to throw them out. Enter The Museum of Ordinary People. Soon her life will change in ways she never expected. A light cozy read filled with real emotion and warmth. 

Snowed In with the Boss

A quick and salacious little read, Snowed In with the Boss, is a cute, romantic, and steamy. January is a disc jockey at a radio station in a sleepy little mountain town and she is tired of her best friend badgering her to go on a date. When she finally works up the courage to get a dating app and sets up a date, she finds herself stood up. Just her luck. But when a mystery man from last night (that's another story) shows up looking to grab a bite to eat, the two hit it off and decide to make a night of it. What's the worst that could happen? After some mind blowing sex, her mystery man makes a thoughtless remark and ruins the whole thing. Oh well. January is at least grateful for a good lay, but when she shows up to work and discovers that her mystery lay is her new boss things get awkward quick. A quick read, that's fun and has some genuinely likable characters. I also liked the alternating chapters between Ryan and January and the song choice to accompany each chapter. I will have to read more by Christy Pastore!

The Seed Keeper

Compelling, heartbreaking, and so important. I loved that this story spanned generations and connected us with so many different people. Rosalie Iron Wing is adrift. Orphaned at a young age, placed into foster care with white folk, she later found herself married to much older white man. She helps him care for his family's farm but the loss of her Dahkota community is hard. She holds fast to her father's teachings and tries to impart them onto her son. But he is stubborn and doesn't view the land the same way that she does. How they view and treat the farm becomes a wedge between them and Rosalie doesn't know how to bridge the gap. When her husband dies, she leaves the farm in her sons care and retreats to the shack she grew up. Powerful and informative; The Seed Keeper is about family, heritage, tradition, and confronting the atrocities of the past. 

Dirtbag Queen

Andy Corren's debut memoir was inspired by the viral obituary he wrote for his mother during the pandemic in The Fayetteville Observer. Dirtbag Queen is a love letter to a woman who didn't bother herself with any motherly or traditional housewife duties. Renay Mandel Corren was a chain-smoking, dirty mouthed, vulgar Jewish redneck who was good at bailing kids out of jail, rolling joints, and making sure she was never without a pedicure, but not so good at doing laundry or keeping food on the table. Brash, loud, hilarious, heartbreaking, and unforgettable; Dirtbag Queen is a fitting tribute to a one of a kind woman. Renay may not have won any mother of the year awards but you wouldn't have known that by the way her six kids practically worshipped the ground she walked on. Fantastically narrated by the author himself, Dirtbag Queen pulses with delightful frenetic energy that listeners will find themselves sucked into. Andy Corren's indignant, sassy, emotional, and engaged narration make this a truly unforgettable listen. Fans of David Sedaris and Jenny Lawson will adore this audiobook. Verdict: Hilarious and heartfelt, the outstanding narration really elevates this memoir.