Speed Read Tour de France

Speed Read Tour de France is a tutorial guide and survey history of Le Tour de France. Released 7th May 2019 by Quarto on their Motorbooks imprint, it's 160 pages and available in ebook and paperback formats.

Every summer the world tunes in for the pageantry of the competition and the incredible scenery of the French countryside. For many spectators, especially casual watchers, having some background information and strategy would greatly enhance the experience. This book provides an incredible amount of history and detail in a clear and accessible manner.

The book is divided up logically, starting with the structure of the actual race and moving on to the history and development of the competition. So much has changed over the race's 116 year history, including the technology and materials of the bikes and gear the riders and teams use for racing, training, and equipping the riders.  There is a chapter discussing all the behind the scenes communications and commentary as well as how the race data is compiled, interpreted, and presented to the viewers. There are chapters covering the teams, the different jerseys and what they represent, the differences between the stages and a very informative chapter on the darker side of cycle sports (doping and scandals).

The ebook version includes a handy interactive table of contents and hyperlinked index. 

All in all, a very balanced and objective informational guide which can be enjoyed by reading cover to cover as well as a handy encyclopedia to consult whilst watching the race.

Four stars. Lots of great info here, well organized and understandable.

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

Knighthood for Beginners

Knighthood for Beginners is an illustrated chapter book aimed at middle grade readers. First published in 2017, this re-release is due out 2nd July 2019 from Silver Dolphin. It's 208 pages and will be available in ebook and paperback formats.

This is an exuberantly appealing book. There are many genuinely funny moments and I really loved Small Dragon Dave and his feisty sidekick Albrecht the Goat. The author/artist Elys Dolan has a deft and sure hand with both narrative and illustration. There is a rollicking farcical quality to the narrative, but she manages to include themes of friendship, honesty, integrity, cooperation, and not least, being true to oneself. Just a wonderfully funny, uplifting, and happy book.

The inclusion of the epilogue at the end of the book with illustrated "where are they now" sidebars, and adverts just slayed me. What a wonderful imagination and sense of humour the author has!

This would be a superlative reading circle book or read-along. There is limitless potential for funny voices and sound effects whilst reading this one aloud. It would make a wonderful library book or gift for a bookish 7-11+ year old.

Five stars. I adored this book.

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

Babel: Around the World in Twenty Languages

Babel: Around the World in Twenty Languages is an interesting survey of modern linguistics in the form of a discussion of the 20 most widely spoken languages in the world. Released 4th Dec 2018 by Atlantic Monthly Press, it's 361 pages and available in hardcover, ebook, and audio formats. Author Gaston Dorren is a linguist and language writer.

This is a very well written overview of the 20 most widely spoken languages in the world in the modern era. The prose is interesting and accessible to the layperson. Each language gets a chapter discussing the unique aspects of the language as well as its similarities to other languages with common influences. The chapters all have an introductory sidebar with bullet points including the self designated name of the language, the language family to which it belongs, its script/alphabet, grammar highlights, and other capsule previews.

The languages included (in ascending order of use by world population) are: Vietnamese, Korean, Tamil, Turkish, Javanese, Persian, Punjabi, Japanese, Swahili, German, French, Malay, Russian, Portuguese, Bengali, Arabic, Hindu-Urdu, Spanish, Mandarin, and English.

This is not a language primer; there's no vocabulary here, and reading the book won't help you learn any languages. What it does (and does well) is to illustrate in an accessible manner, some of the underlying structures which are unique to individual languages or which they have in common (and which ones).

I found this super interesting and cool. I was also surprised at some of the 'biggest' languages in the world which had made the list. If I had been asked -before- reading the book, I would have gotten about half the languages correct.

This is a wonderful resource for linguistically interested readers and would make a superlative support text for language learners.

Four stars. Super useful and there don't seem to be many general linguistics books aimed at the casual layman; this is a good one.

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

The Weeping Books Of Blinney Lane

The Weeping Books Of Blinney Lane is the first book in a cross realms fantasy/cozy/light romance series by Drea Damara. Released 27th Sept 2018 by BHC, it's 400 pages and available in hardback, paperback, ebook, and audio formats.

I absolutely love the genre. The world building and setup are intriguing and this could be a solid start to a wonderful series. For me it failed to live up to the premise. The characters are two dimensional and especially in the case of Ricky (the annoyingly surly teen-aged nephew) ridiculously vexing. The characters refuse to communicate with one another in any meaningful way and just stampede from one crisis to the next.

The language is a little rough (mostly to show how nasty the curse they're living under can be). When they use bad language, the curse causes physical manifestations like burning and blistering and welts to appear on their bodies. I found myself wishing that main character Sarah was a lot less damsel in distress and didn't need to be saved by muscular attractive men quite so often. She's apparently been living under this curse for more than a decade and never questioned that her ancestors (and she herself) could literally write other realms into existence. The blacksmith can create magic swords willy-nilly. The author has a lot of fun creating fauna in the fantasy realm such as stroomphblutels, wickrits, roomples, tierumpts, and mucka amongst others.  TWBoBL is written in an alternating third person omniscient point of view which works well for the constantly shifting primary PoV. The changes are clearly delineated and don't cause any confusion, however.....

There were so many instances in the book where new information was just tossed in deus-ex-machina style. There was a fair bit of narrative padding; scenes are developed without ever being mentioned again and I spent most of the book with reader's whiplash. The prose is often so very purple that it was somewhat painful to read. Happily, the later eARC and release versions of the book have apparently been well edited because my version did not contain most of the 'creepy' issues mentioned by other reviewers.

There is a lot of potential here. The author is clearly very creative and the worlds and premises in the book are imaginative and intriguing. I really wish I could've liked the characters more.

Three stars. Would probably work best for YA/NA fantasy readers. There are some potential trigger issues (wrist injuries and skin cuts/welts are one of the manifestations of the curse in the book, as well as near death experiences by drowning being the method to cross back into the 'real' world).

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

Murder in Park Lane

Murder in Park Lane is the 5th Detective Lavender mystery by Karen Charlton. Released 12th Feb 2019 by Amazon on their Thomas & Mercer imprint, it's 313 pages and available in paperback, ebook, and audi formats.

This is a cozy historical murder mystery. 1812 and Regency England is fighting with basically everyone (France, the US, Spain, etc). Lavender and sidekick Woods are called to the scene of a locked room murder in an upscale neighborhood in London. They're soon on the hunt for a murderer (or murderers).  The plot is appealingly twisty and the characters are fairly well defined. There is humor to be found here and some of the interactions are lightly comedic. 

I found the author's use of casual endearments somewhat wearying and quite a lot of the dialogue was tough going. I was repeatedly yanked out of the story by anachronistic turns of phrase and if -any- policeman, however highly placed, had dared speak to even minor nobility like Lavender does, he'd have been horsewhipped at the very least. Start to finish, this was a book with modern sensibilities and interactions written for modern audiences. Also, the phonetic dialect was hard going for most of the book. I didn't find it added much verisimilitude and most of the time it just made me roll my eyes internally.

Much of the language and slang used in the book are British and American readers may have to use the 'lookup' feature on their e-readers; but that doesn't present any problems. Possibly worth noting for Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is included in the KU subscription library, along with the other books in the series.

Three and a half stars. 

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

Magical Experiments

Magical Experiments is an unabridged reformatting and republication of a science manual for young people from 1894. Originally published as Magical Experiments, or Science in Play, this edition due out 12th June 2019 from Dover is 336 pages and will be available in paperback format.

For anyone who has read through the Dover catalogue (all of us at one point or another) and thought "Wow, there's an audience for obscure 14th century Danish textile arts!?" (some of us at one point or another) and marveled that Dover is out there guarding and shepherding this great ship of ephemera, history, vitally important information, and weirdness... Here's another good one.

Author Arthur Good was a French engineer, DIY guru, and layman scientist who wrote a weekly column syndicated for publication and was, apparently, something of a 19th Century Bill Nye, the Science Guy. This book is a collection of some of those posts and will teach the reader how to pierce a coin with a needle, balance eggs on the neck of a bottle, spin a plate balanced on a needle, and lots more tricks guaranteed to have parents everywhere covering their eyes (and probably yelling 'What WERE you thinking?!').

For me, probably the best part of the entire book is the engraved illustrations which accompany each experiment. They're sort of surreal compositions with knives and forks balanced from corks in gravity defying positions.

Really cool and fun experiments. Many of these are almost in the nature of 'bar tricks'. The science of -why- they work isn't really explained; for all I know physicists and chemists of the day might have been somewhat hazy on the theoretical basis of why.

Five stars. Worthwhile. Five perennial stars for Dover, long may they reign.

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

The Sect of Angels

The Sect of Angels is a novella by Andrea Camilleri, who is well known as the author of the Montalbano mysteries. Released 30th April 2019 by Europa Editions, it's 176 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats.

Prolific and engaging, Camilleri's books are readable and always enjoyable. I have been following his work for years. I found this story, based on true events from 1901 in a rural town in Sicily, a lot heavier going than the Inspector Montalbano books which are lighthearted and fun.

The central themes of duplicity and exploitation of the weak and naive by people in power (religious and political leaders) has too many parallels in today's world to make for entirely comfortable reading. The author's deft hand with plotting and dialogue are masterful as always. Camilleri's a very adept judge of human character and the responses of the villains of the piece to having their sordid acts exposed are all too believable; they band together and drive the would-be whistleblower to exile under threat of death.

This is a standalone book and as all of Camilleri's oeuvre, most excellently written. The themes of sexual abuse, patriarchal rigidity, sexism, and rampant machismo make the book an all-too-believable tragedy.

Four stars. Difficult themes.

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

Exploring Nature Activity Book for Kids

Exploring Nature Activity Book for Kids is a guided activity project book by homeschooler, nature educator, and blogger Kim Andrews. Due out 28th May 2019 from Rockridge press, it's 134 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.

The book begins with an introduction and short expository letters aimed at the readers, both adults and young people. 10% of the page content covers safety concerns,  do's and don'ts of field activity, and the aims of the book.

The introductory chapters are followed by 5 chapter sections with 10 activity tutorials each. Each of the 10 tutorials are roughly grouped by subject: General naturist subjects, Seasons and Weather, Water Soil and Stone, Wild Creatures, and Growing Things.

Each tutorial guide includes a featured skill set and what can be learned by the activity, a materials list, and a step by step guide. Extra observations and alternative enhancement activities are scattered throughout in highlighted sidebars.

The eARC version I received (presumably also available in the release ebook version) has a very handy interactive table of contents and is linked throughout. There is also a good glossary included as well as a hyperlinked resource section. The links are mostly aimed at readers in North America, but useful for readers in other areas as well.

This would make a fine addition to a classroom or children's library. The included projects would be wonderful for a variety of settings from camp or youth club activities, classroom field trips, homeschooling or weekend family activities. 

Possibly worth noting for Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is included in the KU subscription library. This is a fun and worthwhile book with lots of creative ideas for enrichment and learning in an outdoor setting.

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

The Grown-Up's Guide to Making Art with Kids

The Grown-Up's Guide to Making Art with Kids is a fun tutorial guide for teachers, parents, and other resource people full of ideas for drawing with kids.  Released 7th May 2019 by Quarto on their Walter Foster imprint, it's 128 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats.

This is a book absolutely full of exuberant step by step tutorials for drawing any number of creatures and objects with a whimsical style which will appeal to kids and in a manner which anyone can do. This includes the 'I can't draw a stick figure' people out there. 

The books introduction (circa 17% of the page content) covers materials and a little bit of color theory, with tips and extra info highlighted in sidebars. The following chapters are paired in an alternating format with the first chapter covering how to draw animals, moving objects, buildings, people etc, and the following containing a step-by-step project tutorial incorporating the items from the previous chapter. The project tutorials include pop-up scenes, collages, shadow puppets, a map, and several others.

I am not familiar with many art books aimed specifically at adults in a context of drawing in a way to please and appeal to the small people in their lives. This one is excellent and would make a superlative support book for classroom teachers, facilitators, homeschoolers, librarians, parents, babysitters, camp staff, etc.

Five stars. This is a really useful and appealing book for all ages.

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

Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching: A Book about the Way and the Power of the Way

Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching: A Book about the Way and the Power of the Way is a modern rendition and release of the ancient Chinese text with commentary by Ursula K. Le Guin. This book, in all its retellings and re-translations is such a part of the fabric of human existence that it's familiar to virtually everyone who's lived in the last several hundred years.There's a great deal of obscure philosophy that can be maddeningly inaccessible and even though the translations mostly start with the same source material, they can be subtly changed by the actual translation.

This edition, released 14th May 2019 by Shambhala is 208 pages and available in ebook format. Other formats are available in earlier editions.

Most of the value of the book for me personally comes from the 'liner notes' and verse commentary from Le Guin herself. I grew up with her works and it's not an exaggeration to say her books molded a great deal of my internal landscape and my views on gender, race, kindness and what it means to be human came to me from (among a few others) her. Especially since her death in Jan. 2018, I've been revisiting her earlier works and this new book with her own observations on life, death, and the meaning of everything is such a profoundly moving experience.

Five stars. I miss Ursula K. Le Guin.

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

Drawing: Horses: Learn to draw step by step

Drawing: Horses: Learn to draw step by step is part of a series of tutorial art booklets aimed at beginning to intermediate artists for equestrian subjects. Released 7th May 2019 by Quarto on their Walter Foster imprint, it's 40 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats.

The titles in this series are all formatted in a similar manner and this one is no exception.

A short general introduction (10%) covers tools and materials including pencils, paper, blending tools, etc. The intro is followed by a group of non-specific tutorials on graphite techniques, shading, light, shapes and perspective. The following tutorial chapters are specific for different parts of horse anatomy: eyes, muzzles, ears, etc, leading to some full body breed specific studies. 

It's worth noting that the ebook version of the eARC includes a very handy interactive table of contents. I really liked that. Each of the tutorials include 4-6 steps start to finish.

I like these tutorial booklets, they're inexpensive and full of useful info for artists looking for improvement in their own work.

Five stars - for what it covers and for a very short tutorial guide, it does the job admirably well.

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

Murder By Ghostlight

Murder By Ghostlight is the third murder mystery featuring a fictionalized Charles Dickens solving crime in partnership with his friend Superintendent Sam Jones.  Released 24th Jan 2019 by Sapere, it's 277 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats.

This is a genuinely entertaining and well written historical mystery interwoven into a framework of historical fact. The dialogue and plotting are well paced and the setting (early Victorian Manchester) is enough of a departure from the almost de rigueur London to add another level of enjoyment for me. The characters are very well drawn and the plot is well paced. My only minor quibble with the characterizations is the slightly twee inclusion of secondary characters throughout the books who figure heavily into the historical Dickens' actual oeuvre. I don't doubt that Dickens used real people as inspirations for his characters - there's enough actual canonical documentation to prove that he did. I just found it distracting that one popped up every couple of chapters in this book.

Possibly worth noting for Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is included in the KU subscription library. This is a fun and worthwhile series especially for lovers of historical British crime fiction.

Four stars.

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

The Vanishing Man

The Vanishing Man is the second book of a prequel trilogy in the historical mysteries featuring Charles Lenox. Written by Charles Finch, it's an engaging and twisty Victorian mystery set in London and environs.  Released 19th Feb 2019 by Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 304 pages and available in all formats.

I'm a fan of historical mysteries and this series is superlatively well written. The mystery and characters are seamlessly interwoven around real historical facts and personages. I've enjoyed all the books in the series and this prequel trilogy is a nice addition, seeing the development of gentleman consulting detective Lenox. I really loved his interactions with the Duke of Dorset and Dorset's dysfunctional family.

Lenox's family and household are endlessly entertaining and I absolutely loved his cousin Lancelot. The book is well plotted and moves along at a good clip. I never noticed my interest flagging at all and the dialogue is witty and (to my eye) not too anachronistic.

Lady Jane, friend and neighbor, is so appealingly well written. She intelligent and outspoken and a perfect foil for Lenox. Readers who are familiar with the other books which occur later in the series are already familiar with future plot developments, but it's nice to see their friendship and emerging partnership developing.

Just a really enjoyable book. Five stars.

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

How to Draw and Write in Fountain Pen: A Modern Guide

How to Draw and Write in Fountain Pen: A Modern Guide by Ayano Usamura is a tutorial guide and graphic essay in praise of the humble (and not so humble) fountain pen. Originally published in Japan as Simple Sketching (シンプルスケッチ) by Graphic-Sha in 2017, the English language release is due out 17th Sep. 2019 from The Experiment. It's 128 pages and will be available in ebook and paperbound formats.

This is an appealingly illustrated, logically arranged guide with special emphasis on journaling and decorative papercrafts featuring letting and inking primarily with fountain pens.

The introductory chapter gives a quick overview over materials and supplies, papers, inks, and tools, as well as a short but very useful troubleshooting guide ("Fountain Pen Don'ts).

There are four main sections. They cover simple line drawn sketches of familiar daily objects (kitchenware, clothing, outdoors things, etc), lettering, embellishments, and more advanced techniques. The last segment includes some tutorials for toothpick flags, personalized table cards, planners, stick on labels, and more.

I've been a fountain pen fan for ages. This book would make a lovely gift with a good quality starter fountain pen or as a standalone book with lots of fun ideas for the journalers and papercrafters.

High quality, accessible, appealing. Four stars.

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

Raffia Crochet

 Raffia Crochet is a tutorial guide for 10 crocheted projects (13 including alternative finishes) using Ra-Ra Raffia, a proprietary yarn from Wool and the Gang. Due out 18th June 2019 from Sewandso,  it's 72 pages and will be available in paperback format.

Wool and the Gang's catalog and this tutorial book are full of punny music related titles (Worn This Way hat, Paper Gangsta market bag, Money Honey clutch, and more). Even the company name is a play on the iconic Kool & the Gang. I appreciate the 'hipness' of the tutorials and I sincerely wish them luck in convincing a new and vibrant generation of fibrecrafters that these are not-their-grandma's-market-totes.

10% of the page content is given over to an introduction of the difficulty categories in the book as well as the company and materials. The following 70% includes the 10 tutorials as well as tips and alternate finishing techniques. The final parts of the book include a comprehensive how-to-crochet tutorial, finishing techniques, a company statement, and a short index.

Ra-Ra Raffia is 100% biodegradable wood fibre and put-up is 100gram/250m balls. The aesthetic is very young, urban, and fashion forward. As far as I can tell with a project search on the designer's website and Ravelry, several of these projects are unique to this book and not available elsewhere. Approximately half of the patterns are available individually from the website as kits (including the raffia yarn). The price of the kits on W&tG's website would more than cover the purchase price for the book with just one project; in other words, the pattern instruction prices on their website for one project, paired with the yarn cost about the same as the entire cost of this 10 project book (+ the yarn). It also should be said that one of the included projects is for a macrame plant hanger. That is made with chain-crocheted strings though, so it could be said that it's crochet also. (pic below).

I was not supplied with yarn for the review, but I did test out some of the patterns with another yarn I had lying around and found no factual errors in the tutorials.

This would make a really great gift for a fashion conscious young person (young adult, professional, etc) who wants to learn to crochet. The tutorials are simple enough for complete beginners; advanced crocheters will likely find little here to challenge them.

Four stars.

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

In an Absent Dream

In an Absent Dream is the fourth book in the Wayward Children series by Seanan McGuire. Released 8th Jan 2019 by Tor, it's 203 pages and available in hardcover, ebook and audio formats.

Despite not reading much YA literature, I have really connected with this series. The characters are well written and follow their internal motivations perfectly. The world building and atmosphere are where the series really shines. Each of the four novels (this one is a long-ish novella) are set in the same world, but can be read as standalones. This one fills out the backstory for Lundy, a returning character who works with Eleanor West at the school for wanderers. The plotting is well paced, and surprisingly for a YA novel, there are very few (none?) romantic drama subplots. If there is romance there, it's implied rather than explicit. The author's craft and control with character interaction and especially dialogue is sublime.

The writing is ethereal and superb. It is at places surreal and dreamlike. For readers who need to have everything explained to them 100% clearly by the end, this will annoy like having an unmovable piece of something stuck pushing your teeth apart.

I'm still thinking about this book a long while after finishing it.

Four stars. Very well written speculative fiction is a joy. 

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

The Modern Cast Iron Cookbook

The Modern Cast Iron Cookbook is a new cookbook and technique manual for using, caring for, cooking with, and enjoying cast iron cookware by pastry chef, food writer, and blogger Tiffany La Forge. Due out in paperback 21st May (or available now in ebook format) from Rockridge Press, it's 162 pages. The ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents including interactive recipe and chapter headings.

I inherited my grandmother's cast iron dutch oven and skillets which had belonged to -her- grandmother. They're still exactly as useful and in the same condition as when my great-great-grandmother used them. I love that connection. The problem is that apart from frybread, cornbread, pinto beans, and fried potatoes, I never used them. This cookbook has already changed that. I really enjoyed testing some of the recipes in this collection.

The book begins with an introduction and short history of cast iron cookware, and iron's suitability as a material with regard to durability. There are tutorials for choosing pans and what styles and weights are commonly available. There's a good tutorial on conditioning and caring for the cookware followed a really sensible guide to reducing food waste and kitchen economy. These pages fill out 15% of the total content of the cookbook.

The recipes are arranged by category: Breakfast & Brunch, Biscuits & Bread, Vegetables & Sides, Vegetarian & Vegan Mains, Fish & Poultry, Beef Pork & Lamb, and Desserts. I really appreciated the inclusion of plant based dishes. These are -hearty- mains that even my meat loving family really devoured (without complaining). 

The recipes are given with English (American) measurements. There is a very minimal conversion table included at the back of the book with metric equivalents which is nice, but readers would be as well off with a google converter. It's a nice gesture, though.

I tried three recipes in preparation for writing this review.

• Cheese Pupusas with Curtido: The prep for this dish was fairly involved and took more than 24 hours... but definitely tasty and very filling. I was unaware of the existence of curtido (or pupusas) prior to this cookbook. 
• African Chicken Stew: I was surprised how easy it was to source the ingredients for this dish. It reminded me a lot of black eyed pea gumbo with chicken instead of pork/seafood. Really delicious. There's cilantro as a garnish. I'm the only one in my family who loves cilantro, so it does work quite well without.
• Reuben Grilled Cheese: Divine. This will be a staple at our house. Also, the tip to use a 10 inch skillet as a press when grilling the sandwiches in a 12" skillet is inspired. Works perfectly.

There are a lot of different cuisines represented here. There are very few difficult to source ingredients.

We're definitely going to try more of these recipes.  Well written book, tasty recipes. I've dinged half a star for the near-total lack of photographs. For cooks who -need- photographs for serving ideas, this will be a disappointment.

Four and a half stars.

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

Awesome Engineering Activities for Kids

Awesome Engineering Activities for Kids is a STE(A)M tutorial with activities aimed at young readers and their resource people/guardians. Author Christina Schul is an educator and homeschooling mom/blogger has collected 52 fun labs for learning with kids 5-10 years old. Released 14th May 2019 by Rockridge Press, it's 256 pages and available in ebook and paperback formats.

Critical reasoning skills, planning, experimentation, and willingness to learn are basic necessary life skills. Children are naturally curious and willing to learn. These directed activities provide many hours of enjoyment and learning without being strident or preachy.

Each of the included activities includes a step by step tutorial, materials lists, and many have extension activities to refine or modify the results. Each of them includes a short sidebar explaining what relevance it has to the different branches of engineering. 

There are some drawbacks. Though this book is admittedly aimed at an American readership, I was surprised to see that the measurements in the book are all in English (American) units; inches, feet, yards, etc. There is no conversion table included in the book. It's a small quibble, but for a STEAM book, it was surprising. The photography is limited, but the photographs which are included are clear and illustrative. I did appreciate that the young scientists pictured in the experiment tutorials were an inclusive bunch with children of many ethnicities and both sexes included. It may be a small thing in the grand scheme of things, but when I was being educated as an engineer, seeing -any- other girls/women represented was a big thing to me.

The ebook version includes an interactive table of contents Possibly worth noting for Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is included in the KU subscription library.  There's also an interactive resource links list (slanted toward readers in North America). The chapter subheadings are also linked for easily paging back and forth to other areas of the book.

This is a fun and worthwhile book. It would make a great classroom library book, resource book, homeschool resource book, or support text for a module on STEAM subjects for kids 5-10(ish). There's also a wide range of activities and most of the experiments use easily sourced materials.

Four stars.

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

The Lifelong Gardener: Garden with Ease and Joy at Any Age

The Lifelong Gardener: Garden with Ease and Joy at Any Age is a new tutorial and resource gardening guide by adaptive gardening lifestyle expert Toni Gattone. Due out 20th Aug 2019 from Timber Press, it's 216 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

The term adaptive gardening has been on an upward trend lately. There is undisputed proof of the therapeutic benefits of physical exercise and motion as well as the benefits of gardening both mental and physical. For people who experience limited mobility from aging, chronic illness, injury, etc, gardening can be daunting or impossible.  This manual explores methods of compensating for those issues by gardening smarter, using adaptive devices, ergonomic tools, raised beds, and other methods of doing the work we wish to do within the constraints we have.

The author's introduction gives a good overview of how she came to write the book and how she herself got interested in and motivated to adapt her gardening to her chronic back problems.  Her writing style is encouraging, humorous, and very positive and quite a lot of fun to read.

The book is split into 3 main sections. The first third covers the realities of our limited physical bodies. There are a number of tips for compensating, working better and smarter, not harder, stewarding our strength and using it well, resting after exertion, accepting help, and more. These general tips are followed by several profiles of gardeners putting the concepts to use in their own adaptive gardens. There's a lot of sensible and encouraging philosophy here. It's not just empty 'Pollyanna' you can do it, either. There are concrete and sensible ideas for implementation included such as placing resting areas and balance handholds throughout the garden for resting and stability.

The second section of the book is a working plan to get from the possibly unsafe or unmanageable garden the reader has to the safe, sustainable, satisfying the reader needs. There's a wealth of information and practical suggestions for making a realistic plan through to executing it.

The third section provides techniques and tools lists for implementing the plan to make a sustainable, accessible, useful, and pleasing garden for the reader.  There are a lot of sidebars and tips throughout the book which are really useful and smart for all gardeners, not just ones with mobility issues.

The book also includes sections for reader supplied ideas, notes, plans, and other specific info.  There's a solid links and resources section (slanted toward the reader in North America, but useful for gardeners in other areas as well). The index is cross referenced.

The photography is lush and abundant. The photos are clear and illustrative. I loved that there is nothing whiny or apologetic about this book in the slightest. It's very much a 'roll up your sleeves and get gardening' book. 

Wonderful and uplifting.

Five stars.

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

Cartooning: Animation 1 with Preston Blair

Cartooning: Animation 1 with Preston Blair is a tutorial guide to series line drawn cartoon style characters. Released 7th May 2019 by Quarto on their Walter Foster imprint, it's 40 pages and available in paperbound format. Artist/inspiration Preston Blair's iconic style will be instantly recognizable to anyone who has ever watched a classic cartoon from Disney, Tex Avery's MGM, or Hanna-Barbera. It's very nice to see his work being presented in an accessible format to a new generation of art students.

Roughly 10% of the page content is used in the introduction and techniques chapter. There's a general tools and materials intro which leads directly into the unit chapters showing how to draw different units (heads) as well as tutorials for changing the basic shape and perspective (squashing, elongating, facial expressions etc).
The tutorials show action and position through simplified line drawings in sequence, animation style. The artist provides helpful diagrams showing both the incorrect and corrected positions to illustrate movement and follow through. I found those very helpful. There are times when the student knows that a drawing isn't quite right but can't put their finger on exactly what is wrong. These side by side comparisons help.

The simplified series drawings are followed by several character type tutorials showing different positioning, anatomy, facial expressions and ratios for 'pugnacious', 'cute', 'screwball' and other characters.

Approximately 25% of the page content contains 'flip book' style series drawings showing range of movement, with characters sneaking, skipping, running, walking etc. This includes 2 and 4 legged characters. These series are packed in 4 or more per page and are very simplified. There are also several specific step by step tutorials that cover several pages showing individual characters sneaking, running, etc.

There's also a very useful tutorial on mouth and face anatomy while speaking. Different mouth and face positions are shown for individual letters and words.

The book is clearly aimed at students of animation, but I can see it being very useful for anyone who wishes to learn to draw in that classic animation cartoon style.

Five stars, lots of info here.

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

Oil & Acrylic: Land and Sea: Learn to paint step by step

Oil & Acrylic: Land and Sea: Learn to paint step by step is an expanded reprint and reformatting of a tutorial manual originally published in 2003. Re-released 7th May 2019 by Quarto on their Walter Foster imprint, it's 40 pages and available in ebook and paperbound formats. The electronic version of the book has a very handy interactive table of contents along with hyperlinked internal chapter and tutorial headings.

Roughly 10% of the page content is used in the introduction and technique chapter. There's a general tools and materials chapter followed by a very abbreviated technique and color theory chapter. These are followed by  15 complete painting tutorials.  The painting tutorials range from 1 page studies to 3+ pages for more complete paintings. The tutorials presuppose a fair amount of familiarity with techniques and materials. I would say that intermediate to advanced painters will get much more out of the tutorials than complete beginners.

The chapters are full of page sidebars with useful tips and technique tricks. Each of the painting chapters includes a palette with color mixtures used. The photos and illustrations are high quality enough that in the full page finished paintings, you can make out some of the artist's underlying brushwork.

This is a useful manual (and a useful series) for the moderately advanced artist.

Four stars.

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

Drawing: Flowers with William F. Powell

Drawing: Flowers with William F. Powell is part of a series of tutorial art booklets aimed at beginning to intermediate artists in a variety of subjects and media. Released 7th May 2019 by Quarto on their Walter Foster imprint, it's 40 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats.

The titles in this series are formatted in a similar manner and this one is no exception.

A short general introduction (10%) covers tools and materials including pencils, pens, paper, blending tools, etc. The intro is followed by a group of non-specific tutorials on shading, light, shapes and perspective for types of flowers. Following the intro chapters are 25 flower specific step-by-step tutorials. These are beautiful but -very- simplified. I liked seeing the roughed out first steps, but the last of the first steps (very rough) is followed by the final step which is beautiful but remotely connected (in my case at least) from the previous step.

It's worth noting that the ebook version of the eARC includes a very handy interactive table of contents. I really liked that. Each of the tutorials include 4-6 steps start to finish.

I like these tutorial booklets, they're inexpensive and full of useful info for artists looking for improvement in their own work.

Four stars.

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

Janis: Her Life and Music

Janis: Her Life and Music  is a biography and cultural retrospective about the life and impact of Janis Joplin. Due out 22nd Oct 2019 from Simon & Schuster, it's 384 pages and will be available in hardback, ebook, and audio formats. Author Holly George-Warren is a well known culture writer, producer, and music consultant.

This is a competently written factually based chronological biography of the iconic singer. It begins with a family history going back several generations and provides information about Janis' parents' families and her early childhood in Texas. This biography covers her adolescence and school years extensively. There is a lot of minutiae included (and I found it interesting), but it's not always seamlessly woven into the rest of the narrative. There were some places in the book that I found myself wondering what the significance was; it often seemed included for verisimilitude. I have no doubts about the veracity of the factual claims in the book.  The book is meticulously researched and there are exhaustive references.  Possibly one of the best aspects of the book for me was as a basis for further reading. There are good footnotes and sources for further reading that will keep the audience going for many more hours.

The early eARC I received of the book for review purposes doesn't contain the images to be included in the book, but from the notes and credits describing them, they seem to be impressively complete and extremely plentiful. Much of this book's value, in my opinion, will come from the photos and documents of Janis' life and career.

Competently written, sometimes dry, I did enjoy the book but wasn't completely enthralled.  I believe the inclusion of the photographs and documentation to come in the final release, along with the author's competent prose will elevate this book.

Four stars.

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

The Stone Circle

The Stone Circle is the 11th book in the Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffiths. Released 7th May 2019 by Houghton Mifflin, it's 368 pages and available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats.

This is the 11th book in the series and at this point, the characters have taken on a life of their own. Their internal motivations and aspirations are so well defined and 'real' that they feel like living people. I've noticed that for a lot of other series (especially 'serious' series) that the authors have either really hit their strides or developed an acute antipathy for their characters and it generally shows. I detect no whiff of ennui or antagonism in Ms. Griffiths writing toward her characters (even the odious Phil, whom I'd often like to box 'round the ears personally). 

It's a really quality series of books. I like that Ruth is intellectual, not wispy and simpering. She is a realist and competent and broad minded, but also vulnerable where her emotions are concerned.  I adore slightly goofy but pure Cathbad and his family as well as the interrelations and families which have developed over the course of the books.

This is not really a standalone book. I adore the series and would recommend reading them more or less in order, especially since this book refers very much to the previous books and earlier occurrences. It is possible to understand the plot with this book as an entry point, but be warned there are spoilers aplenty if you read them out of order.

My only hope is that when they cast the characters for TV/film that they don't find some wispy waifish 20 year old to play Ruth. (I'm so in awe of ITV for casting Brenda Belthyn for Ann Cleeves' Vera, that's what I'm talking about)!

Wonderful book, wonderfully well written and engaging series.

Five stars

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

The Big Book of Female Detectives

The Big Book of Female Detectives is an encyclopedic anthology of detective fiction featuring female characters (and a fair number are actually written by women). Released 16th Oct 2018, by Knopf/Doubleday on their Vintage Crime/Black Lizard imprint it's a mind boggling 1136 pages and available in ebook and paperback formats.

Editor Otto Penzler has done another astounding job of collecting these stories together and providing insightful background and history as well as context. There are more than a dozen other 'Big Book' anthologies curated by Mr. Penzler, and this one really delivers.

The book's introduction is a capsule survey of the representations of women in detective fiction from the late 19th century to today. Penzler writes well and with deep knowledge of his subject. There is also a short introduction to each story which gives interesting background and some publishing history for each of the entries.

The stories themselves are a mixed bag (including some with female antagonists, or at least anti-heroes). They're arranged in sections grouped roughly into time periods starting with the Victorians and Edwardians, and continuing through Pre-WWI, the Pulps, Golden Age, Mid-Century, and the Modern Era.

This is a really worthwhile collection and is honestly valuable just for the historical information about the origins and development of detective fiction along with the comprehensive acknowledgements and publishing info at the end. Along with the stories, the reader has over a thousand pages of classic fiction from giants of the genre and from some lesser known authors past and present. I love these anthologies because I always manage to find some new-to-me authors to read further.

Five huge stars. This was a whopper of a book and really supremely enjoyable for readers of historical detective fiction.

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

Duplicate Death

Duplicate Death is the 7th mystery featuring inspectors Hannasyde and Hemingway by Georgette Heyer. Originally published in 1951, this reformatting and re-release was published 7th May 2019 by Sourcebooks. It's 400 pages and available in paperback, ebook, and audio formats.

This is a well written classic British murder mystery with varied characters (many unlikable and rather awful) in a high society setting. I will say that this mystery shows its age more than a lot of her other books which I've read. There were a number of fairly offensive racist/sexist/intolerant themes in the book which diminished my enjoyment somewhat. Even the otherwise decent and evenhanded Inspector Hemingway's descriptions of one character's 'flamboyant' homosexuality made me sad and uncomfortable.  I do know that the book is a product of its time, and to read 60+ year old books means that the reader should be prepared to do so with the understanding that we're viewing them through the lens of our (supposed) progress.

There's a surprising amount of humor throughout the book and the denouement is well written and the 'whodunit' plays by the rules of fair play.

The thing about Georgette Heyer is that the reader pretty much knows exactly what they're getting and it's always an enjoyable journey.

I appreciate Sourcebooks for making these books available to a new generation of readers, and especially in electronic format.

Four stars.

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

Woodworking and Furniture Repair - Repairs and Utilities - War Department Technical Manual TM 5-613

Woodworking and Furniture Repair is a reformatting and reprint of a war department manual originally published in 1946. Due out 28th May 2019 from F+W media and Popular Woodworking, it's 144 pages and will be available in flexibound paperback format.

The book has a forward written by Popular Woodworking's Editor in Chief, with some interesting historical notes about the original purpose and use for the manual.

The manual itself seems to be a facsimile or the original typeset with the same illustrations, technical drawings, and photos. It's neat to see the machinery and tools, which have changed remarkably little in the intervening 73 years. It was also fun to see the woodworkers demonstrating the techniques. Many of them were wearing fedora hats and neckties (safely secured, of course).

The book includes diagrams, materials lists, cutting/measurement lists, and photographs for more than 20 fairly advanced designs. The supporting chapters cover the construction, gluing, joinery, etc in very general terms. This manual aimed to be used for furniture repair also, and includes a number of specific cutting lists for the types of furniture (beds, tables, desks, chests, shelves, chairs of several types) as well as maintenance advice for existing furniture. There is also a well illustrated short chapter on repairing upholstered furniture (the illustrations are chiefly line-drawn).

Some of the drawings and photographs are dated; it's a product of its period. I found it very interesting from a historical standpoint as well as for the woodworking and furniture detailing information.

It must be noted for the modern woodworker that proper safety procedures are an absolute must. Much of the information in this manual includes the use of primers and solvents which have been found to be highly carcinogenic in the intervening years.

Some really neat info included in this book. It would make a great gift, library book, or addition to the traditional woodworker.

Four stars.

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

Midwestern Strange

Midwestern Strange is a series of case studies of the weird/paranormal by essayist B.J. Hollars. Due out 1st Sept. 2019 from the University of Nebraska press, it's 224 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.

I really enjoy expository writing and I also enjoy essays.  This book is what happens when an academic writer turns to unusual, somewhat outré subject matter. This is a study of the author's personal study of Midwestern, generally rural stories of sightings of UFOs, monsters, wolfmen, gigantic turtles, aliens and the like. 

I've been impressed with other titles from the University of Nebraska press and this one was so odd and at the same time well written that it was quite refreshing to read. The author does a remarkable job of remaining unbiased whilst recounting his road trips across the rural American heartland talking to the descendants of the original witnesses and researching newspaper files and photographs. 

I don't honestly know how to solidly classify these stories. The author draws no specific conclusions, nor does he attempt to lead the reader, so it's not really technically expository writing.  It is, however, quirky and charming and I read it cover to cover in one sitting.The author is adept and the writing is crisp. 

Four stars. Five for fans of Roswell, X-Files and the like. 

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

Orchid Modern

Orchid Modern is a gardening and design guide aimed specifically at orchids. Author Marc Hachadourian is a botanist and orchid expert and curator of the orchid collection of the New York Botanical Gardens. Due out 25th June 2019 from Timber Press, it's 272 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.

Orchids have had a weird reputation for ages. From the earlier modern times, they were extremely costly and rare. They often were collected in the wild, threatening natural habitats and stressing the plants to the point of death. They (unfairly) also got the incorrect label of 'difficult' and 'fussy'. With the advent of sterile culture and flasking techniques along with aseptic microculture, it's perfectly possible to reproduce desirable orchids, both species and hybrids, at low cost and with good results. This has led to many millions of orchids being reproduced and shipped to big box stores and even grocery stores. People buy them, take them home and when they fail to thrive, quite possibly through no error of the owner, they wrongly assume that the fault lies with them, and not with a stressed or unhappy plant.

That's where this book comes in. The author understands the botany and biology behind the mechanisms orchids use to grow, thrive, and reproduce. The introductory chapters include a bit of history, some layman accessible botany, a seasonal task based calendar, and wonderfully lush illustrations and photography. There's also a good basic photographic introduction on some of the different types of orchids which are available and how they differ from one another.

The middle 25% of the book has a number of really interesting and appealing tutorials for arranging and culture of orchids (instead of just bunging them into a pot and leaving it at that). The terraria are very reminiscent of 19th century naturalist style with glass-paned copper foil containers. I really love them. The showstopper of the 10 included tutorial projects has to be the orchid (and tillandsia) bonsai tree which is just breathtaking.

Roughly the final 30% of the book is a reference listing different orchids, their culture, habits, and other info.

The author has also included a comprehensive and wonderfully useful listing of ethical plant vendors and resources for further education and sourcing materials. I spent literally hours link-hopping from one vendor to the next.  The links listed are for vendors worldwide and are just amazing. Along with the vendor list is a list of worldwide botanical gardens with displays of orchids (and links to their collections, if available).

This is a beautifully written and presented book with -gorgeous- projects and so very many more orchids to introduce to the home hobbyist than just the Phalaenopsis with which we're all familiar.

Five enthusiastic stars. I will be recommending this book to all my gardening friends.

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