Monthly Archives: December 2015

Takane To Hana by Yuki Shiwasu

Posted on December 31, 2015 by Talvi

Takane to Hana is a surprisingly engaging romance featuring a very unusual love interest. I found I wanted to keep reading just to see where the author was going to take this different kind of shoujo story. The first volume … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, manga, romance | Leave a comment

Gambit by C. L. Denault

Posted on December 31, 2015 by Talvi

As can be recognized by my rating, I did not enjoy Gambit (though I did read it to the end). The book is a surprisingly quick read despite the page count and I didn’t find any areas where it really … Continue reading →

Posted in ARC, Book Reviews, dystopian, romance, YA | Leave a comment

Surviving The Emotional Roller Coaster by Sheri Van Dijk

Posted on December 30, 2015 by Talvi

Surviving the Emotional Roller Coaster is a very serious book that is oriented mostly toward troubled teens with serious emotional issues (especially sensitive ones/those dealing with emotional dysregulation). The author doesn’t mince words: this is a book that needs to … Continue reading →

Posted in ARC, Book Reviews, home schooling, homeschooling, non fiction, nonfiction, parenting | Leave a comment

Smart Fat by Steven Masley, Jonny Bowden

Posted on December 28, 2015 by Talvi

Smart Fat is written by a team who have worked in the health profession for years and recently changed the way they (and hopefully we) view diets as it relates to fat and protein. Using the latest knowledge (probiotics, avoiding … Continue reading →

Posted in ARC, Book Reviews, cookbook, fitness/diet, non fiction | Leave a comment

One Magic Square by Lolo Houbein

Posted on December 27, 2015 by Talvi

One Magic Square provides a starting point for creating a small home garden. By starting with just a 3 foot square, a sustainable garden can be created and then slowly expanded upon over time. The book is comprehensive and easy … Continue reading →

Posted in ARC, Book Reviews, hobbies, non fiction, nonfiction | Leave a comment

My Little Pony Equestria Girls by Ted Anderson, Katie Cook

Posted on December 27, 2015 by Talvi

My Little Pony Equestria Girls features two stories at roughly 88 pages. The book ties in to the movie/TV series: Sunset Shimmer begins as an antagonist but by the middle is regretting sabotaging and manipulating the EQ girls. Of course, … Continue reading →

Posted in ARC, Book Reviews, Fantasy, graphic novel | 1 Comment

Chickpeas: Sweet and Savory Recipes by Einat Mazor

Posted on December 27, 2015 by Talvi

What we have with Chickpeas is a beautifully presented cookbook with a very sophisticated list of recipes. Neither health nor vegetarian oriented (though recognizing both within), this is designed to provide a variety of uses for the chickpea – some … Continue reading →

Posted in ARC, Book Reviews, cookbook, cooking, non fiction, nonfiction | Leave a comment

Cookie Classics Made Easy by Brandi Scalise

Posted on December 27, 2015 by Talvi

The author has a very no-nonsense approach to this book and it definitely lives up to the ‘made easy’ title. With only a quick introduction, the meat of the book is many different types of cookies that typically have under … Continue reading →

Posted in ARC, Book Reviews, cookbook, non fiction, nonfiction | Leave a comment

Iron Dominance by Cari Silverwood

Posted on December 27, 2015 by Talvi

Iron Dominance falls more into the sexy fantasy romance genre than erotic steampunk. The hero is very idealized, kind, and loving while the heroine is fairly passive despite being raised as an assassin. As such, this is more of a … Continue reading →

Posted in ARC, Book Reviews, romance, Steampunk | Leave a comment

Coding Games in Scratch by DK Publishing

Posted on December 26, 2015 by Talvi

Coding Games in Scratch is a beautifully presented, friendly, and very easy to use book designed to introduce kids to coding through creating their own games. The language used is Scratch and is easily available; kids also learn about basics … Continue reading →

Posted in ARC, Book Reviews, childrens, home schooling, homeschooling, middle grade, non fiction, nonfiction | Leave a comment

Boy 1 by H. S. Tak , Amancay Nahuelpan

Posted on December 26, 2015 by Talvi

Boy-1 is a near future science fiction exploring issues of genetic manipulation and the nature of humans. Although the story tries to go for deep ideas, too many of the themes have already been explored, frequently, and over the last … Continue reading →

Posted in ARC, Book Reviews, graphic novel, science fiction | 3 Comments

The Nine Lives of Jacob Tibbs by Cylin Busby

Posted on December 26, 2015 by Talvi

The Nine Lives of Jacob Tibbs is a grounded historical adventure novel told from the perspective of a ship’s cat in the 1800s. The writing is smooth and the author adds many nuances to the ship’s sailors – raising them … Continue reading →

Posted in ARC, Book Reviews, childrens, Historical | 1 Comment

Shinobi Yoru Koi Wa Kusemono by So Kirishima

Posted on December 25, 2015 by Talvi

Shinobi Yoru Koi Wa Kusemono (roughly translated as “love come secretly”) is another favorite that recently finished at 5 volumes. Sadly, there is no North American license so this remains unavailable in English. The artwork here is beautiful – intricate … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, manga, romance, urban fantasy | Leave a comment

Communication Skills for Teen by Michelle Skeen, Matthew McKay, Patrick Fanning, Kelly Skeen

Posted on December 25, 2015 by Talvi

Communication Skills for Teens is a focused book discussing ways to deal with difficult situations as they relate to interpersonal skills. Written for teens, it doesn’t talk down to them nor go over their head; it is straightforward and uses … Continue reading →

Posted in ARC, Book Reviews, home schooling, homeschooling, non fiction, nonfiction, schooling | Leave a comment

Hana No Kish by Mai Nishikata

Posted on December 25, 2015 by Talvi

Hana No Kishi (flower knight) has been a favorite of mine since it first came out. Nishikata really knows how to draw subtle emotions and I appreciated that this isn’t a story about cute girls who get cute guys. The … Continue reading →

Posted in alternate universe, Book Reviews, manga, romance | Leave a comment

Idol Dreams 2 by Arina Tanemura

Posted on December 25, 2015 by Talvi

With this second volume, we get a much better view of the characters, especially Tokita (the scientist). What at first looked like a simple story of a 31 year old reverting to 15, becoming an idol, and eventually finding the … Continue reading →

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Idol Dreams 1 by Arina Tanemura

Posted on December 25, 2015 by Talvi

Idol Dreams represents a change in Arina Tanemura’s work. Recognizing that her longstanding fans have grown up and become adults, she has written a series for them. Published in a tankouban targeted to women rather than girls, the same magic … Continue reading →

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Bleach 66 by Tite Kubo

Posted on December 25, 2015 by Talvi

The battle continues as Captain Mayuri proves once again that he is completely psycho – and probably the only one who can deal with the particular opponents he’s facing. With this volume, things are never what they seem in all … Continue reading →

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World’s Greatest First Love 4 by Shungiku Nakamura

Posted on December 25, 2015 by Talvi

World’s Greatest First Love Volume 4 continues the stories of Ritsu/Takano and Shota/Yukina (mostly Ritsu/Takano). The theme continues to be a mix of publishing industry behind the scenes / romance in equal parts. In this case, the busy Christmas season … Continue reading →

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Skip Beat 36 by Yoshiki Nakamura

Posted on December 25, 2015 by Talvi

With Volume 36, we draw the Cain siblings arc to a conclusion. Nakamura clearly had fun putting the two together in a ‘cosplay’ situation (echoing what she did in previous series Tokyo Crazy Paradise when Tsukasa had a personality change … Continue reading →

Posted in ARC, Book Reviews, manga, romance | Leave a comment