Meal Prep in an Instant: 50 Make-Ahead Recipes and 7 Prep Plans for Your Instant Pot

 

Meal Prep in an Instant is a nicely curated collection of recipes and tutorials dedicated to the instant pot and developed by Becca Ludlum. Due out 15th Dec 2020 from Penguin Random House on their DK imprint, it's 160 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats. 

I love my Instant Pot beyond all reason. It's a staple of my kitchen and it gets used almost every day for food prep. I'm also a busy person with a job that eats up a significant amount of my time. This book cobines some of the strengths of the instant pot cooker with the efficiency of meal prep and planning. 

I liked the efficient and accessible layout of this book. A general introduction covers what meal planning and prep entail, some food handling & safety tips, and a solid tutorial for cooking with the Instant Pot. 

The recipes have their ingredients listed bullet style in a sidebar. Measurements are given in US standard with metric measures in parentheses. Special tools and ingredients are also listed, along with yields and cooking directions. The ingredients are all easily sourced at any moderately well stocked grocery store.

The 7 meal plans are arranged weekly. Each week contains shopping lists and pantry supplies, recipes and full instructions. Recipes contain an introduction and special features, prep times and yields. Ingredients are listed bullet style in a sidebar with American and metric measures (yay!). Step by step instructions for preparation and storage as well as basic nutritional info are included. There book does include an abbreviated index with meal plan weeks and recipes listed. 

The photography is sufficient but not plentiful; roughly 10% of the recipes are pictured. The photos which are included in the cookbook are well done, clear, appealing, and (for tutorial photos) easy to follow.

Nicely done. This book would make a great gift/housewarming for someone looking for instant pot recipes as well as fans of food prep planning / batch cooking. It would also make a nice selection for library collections.

Five stars.

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

The Future of Nutrition: An Insider's Look at the Science, Why We Keep Getting It Wrong, and How to Start Getting It Right

The Future of Nutrition is an expostulatory essay/survey of nutrition and health by Dr. T. Colin Campbell. Due out 15th Jan 2020 by BenBella Books, it's 350 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. 

This is a well written and science based look at whole food plant based (WFPB) nutrition, through the lens of marketing, political movements, government intervention, and the formal academic science establishment. I would point out that the author makes no effort to be completely objective, he does build up a convincing argument, but the arguments he presents are in support of his original premises: namely that health is tied directly and inextricably to nutrition and that to enjoy good health, humans should largely depend on a plant based diet made up of whole (and mostly unprocessed) food as close to its natural state as possible. 

The layout is logical and the language will be accessible to most readers. The introductory chapters build up the connection between disease and nutrition along with a capsule survey of the state of disease treatment today. 

When I was a young person in secondary school (in the USA) I can remember vividly how quickly the established and accepted pyramid of food groups changed seemingly overnight from a very meat heavy recommended diet to more vegetables and fruits but even then, there was an emphasis on avoiding fats, oils, and refined sugars. The author spends a fair bit of content building up the connection throughout history of the influence of commercial interests on the recommendations which generations of consumers have followed. The changes which came and went rapidly led to confusion and resentment (what can we eat when *everything* is bad for us). 

The last section includes the author's conclusions and a call to reflection where (for me personally) he veers off into an uncomfortable judgement of some parts of the formal medical establishment including a scathing rebuke of cytotoxic cancer treatment regimes (chemotherapy).

The author definitely "shows his work". I enjoyed poring over the notes and the  exhaustive bibliography and full chapter notes and annotations (did I mention that this is an academic work?). The notes and references are likely worth the price of admission for anyone interested in the subject and there's obviously been a career spanning amount of time spent on research and resource gathering on the part of the author.

I found the entire book quite interesting and fascinating. It is, admittedly, a niche book and will appeal to readers interested in biology, nutrition, and the process of disease, but might not appeal to readers looking for an easy read. The language is rigorous and formal. I definitely don't think it's inaccessible for the average reader, but it will take some effort (and I think that's a good thing). This would make a good support text for classroom or library use, for nutrition and allied subjects, as well as a superlative read for the particularly bio-history-interested.

I do not necessarily agree with all of his conclusions in every detail, but I certainly agree with the basic premise that WFPB diets are good for us and for the planet (and not necessarily good for powerful mega-agro-businesses' bottom line).

Five stars. This is well and deeply researched and engaging.

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

The Beginner's Guide to Mushrooms

The Beginner's Guide to Mushrooms is a tutorial and informational guide to mycology, cultivating, and foraging presented by Britt Bunyard & Tavis Lynch. Due out 22nd Dec 2020 from Quarto on their Quarry imprint, it's 160 pages and will be available in paperback format.

This is an appealingly colorful guide with good general information for beginners. The format is logical and accessible. The authors provide a good basic primer including safety, reliability, responsible foraging, and identification. A short introduction leads into the majority of the content in the forms of an herbal. ID sections are divided by morphology: agarics with pale spores, pink spores, brown spores, dark spores, stalked mushrooms, aspitates, shelf like, ball shaped, and so forth. Part 3 includes a good DIY tutorial for cultivating mushrooms. I liked that the authors didn't just essentially say "buy a kit" (which defeats a lot of the fun and challenge). They show growing on straw and other substrates. The final section includes some good general recipes and some tips for preservation.

This is not a one-size-fits-all manual. Readers -will- need more resources in the form of positive ID field guides or (even better) a mentor/guide who can positively identify finds safely and reliably. I also found the recipes quite generic. It is however a dandy guide for beginners and advanced beginners to whet the appetite and appreciation for foraging and culture (and use) of native mushrooms.

This would be a superlative addition to the smallholder's library, maker's groups, foraging groups, libraries and the like. Five stars.

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

The Urban Sketching Handbook: Drawing Expressive People

 

Drawing Expressive People is a part of the Urban Sketching Handbook series - this volume with tutorial instruction by Róisín Curé. Due out 22nd Dec 2020 from Quarto on their Quarry imprint, it's 112 pages and will be available in flexibound and ebook formats. 

This is a concise and well made book covering some essential concepts for capturing people in an urban setting. The emphasis is on speed, fluidity, building technique and consistency, distilling the essential personality of the subject and rendering them into the sketchbook reliably and aesthetically. Although the book is aimed at moderately advanced students to professionals, there are takeaways here for artists of every level.

The layout is logical; the first section contains tutorial "keys" of varying difficulty: tools, supplies and techniques, challenges, proportions, poses & action, color & light. The second section contains a series of galleries: on the move, light & shadow, creative color, and capturing memories. 

The study tutorials are arranged thematically: architecture & cityscapes, understanding perspective, people & motion, and working with color. The overall feel of the book is rich in technique, useful, and varied and I saw so many things which got my fingers itching to jump in and start drawing. I think most (non)artists are a lot more shy about drawing on paper/media and this book has a lot of good suggestions for picking up materials and making a start.

Four stars. I really liked this book but I'm not exactly sure what takeaways were  valuable for me personally. A great deal of the information was diffuse and philosophical. (Not without value, just less specifically relevant to rendering specific human subjects reliably and with improved technical expertise).  It could possibly make a valuable text for more formal classroom/group type instruction. There's a *lot* of information included here. 

The authors have also included a useful checklist of personal goal challenges to tick off as they're achieved (practice drawing feet, subjects on their phones, sketch the hair of 5 people in unrealistic colors, and many more). The challenge checklist could also make a nice starting point for assignments in a classroom or lecture setting.

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

After The War: The Tales of Catt Fisher

 

After The War: The Art of the Steal is an anthology of four new novella length works set in the fictional world of Redemption's Blade and After the Fire. Released 1st Dec 2020 by Rebellion on the Solaris imprint, it's 400 pages and available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. 

With shared worlds anthologies, the writing is often hit-or-miss. Authors have widely divergent styles, and collaborative settings don't translate to collaborative, cohesive results. Happily most of the snares seem to have been bypassed in this collection and all four stories are well written, entertaining, and work as standalones. They can be read in any order and don't get in the way of one another at all. The editor says in the foreword that there were some potential continuity pitfalls, but I didn't notice any glaring problems. 

There really should be an official delineation for the fantasy subgenre with protagonists who are librarians/antiquarians/collectors/ with or without also being ruffians. This is another such and a delightfully diverting read. I read it without having read the previous "main" stories and had no trouble following along with enjoyment. 

I recommend this anthology to fans of the genre as well as readers familiar with the series.

Four stars.

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

The Illustrated Book of Mindful Meditations for Mindless Moments

 The Illustrated Book of Mindful Meditations for Mindless Moments is a sweetly whimsical and gentle little book full of tips for living in the present. Due out 29th Dec 2020 from from Simon & Schuster on their Adams Media imprint, it's 304 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

The idea that we can alleviate stress, improve our mental and physical well being, and generally have a higher quality of life if we're focused on the present and perform our tasks intentionally, is well documented. That is beyond the scope of this book, but the author has taken all the everyday tasks (laundry, brushing teeth, cleaning, travelling, etc) and shown how we can be more *present* even in our mundane moments. 

The tasks are arranged more or less thematically: meditation at home, on the go, at work, and with loved ones. Each chapter contains several different situations where we can use our skills to meditate and be more present in the tasks. These are very (often VERY) simple moments. The illustrations throughout the book are whimsical and restful - with small anthropomorphic inanimate objects (water fountains, sponges, pads of paper) smiling and looking serene carrying out their tasks. 

This is an engaging little book. I'm sure many readers could use a little more calm in their lives. I would possibly recommend it for gifting to a friend whose tastes one is sure of (the sweet friend who is into meditation and has a large collection of crystals and seashells?).

Three and a half stars. Four for readers in the target audience. I enjoyed the illustrations very much. The information and meditations are *very* basic.

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

Homemade Sourdough: Easy, At-Home Artisan Bread Making

 

Homemade Sourdough is a technique tutorial and cooking guide with recipes developed and curated by Jane Mason. Due out 29th Dec 2020 from Quarto on their Chartwell Books imprint, it's 160 pages and will be available in hardcover format.

Despite being prizewinning expert bakers, the authors have written an accessible, understandable, usable book about sourdough for the rest of us. An introductory chapter covers the basics including demystifying the process, the different steps involved, ingredients, and moving on to a very (very) basic tutorial for making and maintaining a starter. This is one of those "if I can do it, ANYONE can do it" situations. It's not hard and for a long time I've been intimidated by the process, but I just followed the instructions and it worked without any tears.The author has done a good job of breaking down the basic tools and supplies and a good tutorial for a basic loaf to get readers started.

The recipes/tutorials are arranged by base flour (rye, wheat, flavored wheat, sweet breads and buns). Recipes include a short description, ingredients in a bullet style list in a sidebar, and step by step directions. Ingredient measures are provided in American standard and metric (yay!). Most (but not all) ingredients will be easy to source at a relatively well stocked grocery. Some specialty flours might need to be bought from bakers' supply or a specialist grocer. The photography is not abundant, not all of the loaves are accompanied by pictures. The photos which are included are clear and attractive and serving suggestions are appealing and appropriate. The tutorials are accompanied by step-by-step photos which are clear and easy to follow.

The book includes a cross referenced index with ingredients and recipes listed. There are many recipes included in each category; definitely enough to keep bakers busy for a long while. This would be a superlative gift or for the home cook's library. I couldn't think of any sourdough recipes which weren't included (and indeed there are many more in this volume that I was previously familiar with).

Five stars.

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

1000 Mediterranean Meals: Every Recipe You Need for the Healthiest Way to Eat

 

1000 Mediterranean Meals is a well written attractive cookbook with recipes developed and curated by Valentina Harris. Due out 15th Dec 2020 from Quarto on their Chartwell Books imprint, it's 256 pages and will be available in hardcover format. 

I liked the writing style and presentation of this book. The format is logical and easy to follow. I can imagine that the author is a gifted teacher in her cooking classes.  

Although covering a large number of cuisines from several Mediterranean areas, the recipes are arranged by category: antipasti meze & tapas, soups & salads, breads & pizzas, vegetables & vegetarian, pasta & rice, meat & poultry, fish & seafood, and desserts & fruit.

Ingredient measurements are supplied in American standard measurements with some metric measures included (yay!).  The nutritional information is not included.  Each recipe includes a header with a short description of the recipe and approximate servings. Extra tips or recipe alternatives are listed in text boxes in the recipes. The recipes themselves are fairly straightforward and are made for the most part with easily sourced ingredients. Many are very simple, none of them are overly complex. The photography is abundant and clear; most of the recipes are illustrated simply and clearly. Pictures accompany the recipes set into a sidebar.

This is a large collection of recipes and even allowing for the fact that some of them are very similar to others in the same category, this will keep Mediterranean cooking fans going for ages. There are many simple "everyday" recipes which are anything but boring alongside fancier "special" dinner recipes. We tried several dishes and all of them were tasty and well written. (We didn't try any of the bread or dessert recipes, but I found no glaring errors with a quick read-through).

We're definitely going to try more of these recipes.  Well written book, tasty recipes.

Five stars. This is a massive recipe book which will be used. It would make a superlative housewarming gift to a friend or family member living on their own - college student, new graduate, newlyweds, kids flying the nest, etc or a friend trying to eat more health consciously with better quality ingredients as well as a nice acquisition for the home library.

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

The Complete Guide to No-Dig Gardening: Grow beautiful vegetables, herbs, and flowers - the easy way!

 

The Complete Guide to No-Dig Gardening is a tutorial and technique guide for no-till no-dig gardening written by gardening guru and speaker Charlie Nardozzi. Due out 15th Dec 2020 from Quarto on their Cool Springs Press imprint, it's 128 pages and will be available in paperback format.

The author has an informal and encouraging style of writing. The information is accessible and presented in a logical way which almost all readers will find useful - there's something here for everyone. The introduction covers the basics - what no-dig gardening is, what it encompasses, and what the benefits are. Following chapters contain practical information about soil, building a no-dig garden from scratch, converting existing gardens to a no-dig format, planting & growing, variations and improvements, containers, and indoor gardening. 

The book also includes a nice abbreviated resource list (including online links and channels), and a cross-referenced index (which wasn't included in the review material). The photography throughout is clear, colorful, and plentiful.

Overall, a very useful and well presented tutorial guide, written in an accessible no-nonsense manner. I would recommend it to community garden libraries, public/school library acquisitions, or the home gardener's library. Five stars.

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

A Whisker of a Doubt (Cat Cafe Mystery #4)

 

 A Whisker of a Doubt is the 4th Cat Cafe mystery by Cate Conte. Released 1st Dec 2020 by Macmillan on their St. Martin's Press imprint, it's 320 pages and available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is an enjoyable and well written holiday themed small town cozy mystery with an appealing female protagonist. I had read the first couple of books in this series, then sort of lost track of it and hadn't read any of them for more than a year.  I didn't have any trouble following the story or keeping the main characters straight in my head whilst reading.  The setting is a small relatively isolated island community in New England which gives the author broad scope to pepper the narrative with "eccentric" local characters.

There's a fair bit of unnecessarily drawn out romantic drama which I found mildly annoying (since a 10 second face to face chat would've rendered it moot) but readers who enjoy heartfelt longing and regret from their characters will undoubtedly find it worthwhile. 

The denouement was perhaps a trifle heavily foreshadowed, but nevertheless well written and executed. The cats (as always) are delightful and add a lot of whimsy to the story. 

Four stars. This will appeal to lovers of small-town cozy mysteries (with cats). 

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

Mastering Mindful Eating: Transform Your Relationship with Food, Plus 30 Recipes to Engage the Senses

 

Mastering Mindful Eating is an objective and information dense look at our emotional and physiological relationships with food and eating and how they relate to one another. Released 1st Dec 2020 by Sasquatch Books, it's 208 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats. 

Reading the introduction, I found myself nodding along at several points thinking "Wow, I do that all the time". I know that I have had a troublesome (and emotionally loaded) relationship to food and eating which has spanned a large portion of my life. The author makes a lot of valid and sensible (and compassionate) observations about the unhealthy and stressful stigmas associated with obesity and how to begin to disentangle emotions from our eating and develop kind and compassionate habits to help ourselves.

This was an emotionally loaded book for me personally. I found myself touched (and/or teary-eyed) at several points, especially in the first section. Most of the studies referenced and the general discussions are slanted toward the population of the USA, but there are good takeaways for readers living outside the US. 

The second section of the book contains a number of recipes to engage the senses. There are recipes to appeal to sight, smell, taste, hearing, and feel. The ingredients are listed in a bullet style format with American standard measurements (no metric equivalents). Step by step preparation instructions follow and are clear and easy to follow. The dishes are well photographed and serving suggestions are attractive and appropriate.

The book does include a resource list, solid bibliography for further reading, and cross referenced index as well as a short author bibliography. 

This is a holistic book with fairly broad scope. It's not a complete treatise on either mindfulness/eating or cooking, but does both of them well enough. Four stars. 

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

Dragon Lesson (Supernatural Consultant #7)

Dragon Lesson is the 7th book in the Supernatural Consultant series by Mell Eight. Originally released in 2017, this reformat and re-release by NineStar Press is out 30th Nov 2020. It's a novella length short read at 99 pages and available in ebook format.

All of the books in the series are fun and quick reads full of romance and romantic drama. It's been entertaining to watch the dragon kits grow up and find their ways into young adulthood. This story provides some deeper backstory for the returning characters as well as providing returning readers the happy dragon family they have come to expect. 

It does work well as a standalone story, the author is adept at providing setting and background without info dumping or overwhelming the reader. The story is a sweetly written short interlude episode in a continuing series. The romantic relationships in the series are mostly M/M. 

Four stars. I recommend it for readers of romance who like happily-ever-after endings.

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

Air Fryer Instant Pot Cookbook: 100 Recipes to Cook with Your Air Fryer & Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

 

Air Fryer Instant Pot Cookbook is a tutorial guide and cookbook for the air fryer and electric pressure cooker with recipes developed by Sara Quessenberry, et. al. Released 1st Dec 2020 by Quarto on their Chartwell Books imprint, it's 160 pages and available in hardcover and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

A short introduction with tools and supplies and some safety do's and dont's leads directly to the cookbook. The recipes are arranged thematically: breakfasts, appetizers, sides, beef & lamb mains, poultry mains, pork, seafood, vegetable mains, and desserts. There are 100+ recipes, enough to keep even the most obsessed cook going for ages. 

The recipes are given with English (American) measurements and metric equivalents in parentheses (yay!).  The ingredients are listed in a bullet list sidebar format along with special info in the headers including tips and background and serving suggestions.  There are very few (none, really) which require difficult to source ingredients. Nutritional info is not included.  The specific cooking machines (air fryer and/or instant pot) are indicated with a little icon in the header of each recipe. There are numerous vegetarian options

We're definitely going to try more of these. The book is not abundantly photographed (about 25% by my rough count), but the photos which are included are well done and serving suggestions are attractive and appropriate.  Well written book, tasty recipes. I've dinged half a star for the dearth of photographs. For cooks who -need- photographs for serving ideas, this might be problematic. 

Four and a half stars.

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

 

Creative Watercolor and Mixed Media: A Step-by-Step Guide to Achieving Stunning Effects--Play with Gouache, Metallic Paints, Masking Fluid, Alcohol, and More

 

Creative Watercolor and Mixed Media is a new tutorial and technique guide by Ana Victoria Caderón. Released 30th Nov 2020 by Quarto on their Quarry imprint, it's 144 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats. 

This is an exuberant and colorful art tutorial with an emphasis on spontaneity and flexible results using gouache, metallic paints, masking fluids, alcohol inks, pigments and more. The artist has an encouraging and easy to understand style of teaching. I can imagine taking a workshop or class led by her would be rewarding and fun. The introduction gives a short background to mixed media techniques, tools, and supplies. I liked that the author didn't advertise for any particular brand of supplies and encourages readers to try a wide variety of products to find the best results for their own work. 

The chapters are arranged logically - with several shorter tutorials building up techniques thematically: watercolor + other media, basic techniques, horizons (skyskapes), celestial compositions, gems/crystals, and earth & sacred geometry. The projects are very well photographed and include tools/materials in a bullet point list, and step by step instructions. The photos are clear and easy to follow. 

The book also includes an index and resource lists. 

Five stars. This would make a good addition to a home studio library, maker's group library, guild or public library or similar. 

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

101 Lasagnas & Other Layered Casseroles

 

101 Lasagnas & Other Layered Casseroles is a recipe collection developed by Julia Rutland. Due out 8th Dec 2020 from Simon & Schuster on their Tiller Press imprint, it's 192 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.

The introduction contains a good capsule survey of baking & casserole dishes and pans, as well as noodles, meats, cheese, and other ingredients as well as lasagna construction. The recipes are arranged by category: meat, poultry, vegetarian, seafood, and dessert. I really appreciated the inclusion of plant based dishes. Many of these are -hearty- one-dish mains that even my meat loving family really devoured (without complaining). 

Ingredient measurements are supplied in American measurements only. There's a conversion chart for metric measures in the appendices. There's no included nutritional information.  Extra tips or recipe alternatives are listed in sidebars with the recipes. The recipes themselves are fairly straightforward and are made with easily sourced ingredients. Many are very simple, none of them are overly complex.

The photography is not at all abundant; very few of the recipes are illustrated, but at least most of the photographs which are included are clear and well done.  I wish there had been more serving suggestions, but I do understand that extra photography increases the price of book projects very quickly. The photography also has a very retro feel - it reminds me of 80s-90s ladies' magazine layouts (not necessarily a bad thing, but it is something to consider).

The recipes we tested were without major errors and were tasty and appealing. 

Three and a half stars (mostly because of the lack of photography).

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

The New Fondue Cookbook

 

The New Fondue Cookbook is a tutorial and recipe collection written and developed around fondue. Due out 8th Dec 2020 from Simon & Schuster on their Adams Media imprint, it's 160 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

I grew up a child of the 70s and can remember many family dinners and my parents entertaining around fondue. I love all kinds of fondue and hot-pot meals from chocolate fondue with breadcubes and banana slices to Mongolian hot pot. All of my remembered recipes are here along with a cross section of other more modern twists on the method.

A short introduction with tools and supplies and some safety do's and dont's leads directly to the cookbook. The recipes are arranged thematically: Savory fondues (with nods to an impressive number of world cuisines - European, Asian, South American, North American and more) and sweet fondues (chocolate, marshmallow, flambé (oooooh) etc). There are 100+ recipes, enough to keep even the most fondue obsessed cook going for ages. 

The recipes are given with English (American) measurements only. There is a minimalist conversion table included at the back of the book with metric equivalents which is nice, but readers would be as well off with google conversion. It's a nice gesture, though. The ingredients are listed in a bullet list sidebar format along with special info in the headers including tips and background and serving suggestions.  There are very few (none, really) which require difficult to source ingredients. Nutritional info is not included.  The authors have included an alphabetical recipe index including ingredients (have chicken? find appropriate recipes listed under "chicken"). 

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

Four and a half stars.

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

Healthy, Quick & Easy Baby Food: 100 Naturally Wholesome, No-Fuss Purees, Finger Foods and Toddler Meals

 

Healthy, Quick & Easy Baby Food is a tutorial and recipe guide to wholesome nutrition for the smallest family members developed and presented by Kathryn M. Doherty. Due out 8th Dec 2020 from Penguin Random House on their DK Alpha imprint, it's 176 pages (print version) and will be available in paperback and ebook formats. 

Nearly everyone would agree that ready made canned food is inferior in most ways to homemade. Baby food is no exception and providing healthy nutrition to the youngest members of our families should be a high priority. This author provides easy to follow instructions for making healthy and appealing baby food effectively. 

The author provides an excellent introduction to baby foods, finger foods, snacks and toddler meals including preparation methods, uses, and other practical considerations. Important info is highlighted in concisely written, colored text sidebars. The recipes themselves are grouped by the age of the baby: 6 month 1-ingredient purees, 6-8 months combination purees, 9-12 months finger foods, and 12-36 months big kid meals.

Recipe ingredients are listed in a sidebar. Measurements are given in US standard only. Special tools and ingredients are also listed, along with yields and cooking directions. Icons in the footers highlight gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, nut-free, etc.

Most (but not all) of the ingredients are easily sourced at any moderately well stocked grocery store. Nutritional information is not included.  Tips and optional variations for each recipe are included in a text boxes in the recipes. 

The book also includes a cross referenced index. The formatting, typesetting, and margin illustrations are attractive, but the biggest plus for me personally was the beautiful photography. It's not entirely trivial to make pureed food attractive and the colors and textures and serving suggestions were colorful and attractive. I find that I'm a very visual cook, and the photos were a surprisingly big deal for me. 

Five stars. This would make a good selection for busy cooks wanting an accessible way to incorporate more plant based food and healthy and varied baby foods into their home cooking routines. I would recommend this book highly as a gift for an expectant parent, for library acquisitions, for the home library, or maybe for mom's groups/kindergarten/similar groups.

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

Murder in Old Bombay

 

Murder in Old Bombay is a standalone historical mystery set in India in the middle Raj period written by Nev March. Released 10th Nov 2020 by Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 400 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is such a beatifully imagined and richly rendered story full of compassion and honor and readable relatable characters alongside a thumping good mystery story. Though modern, the feel and writing remain true to the Victorian style and hearken back to classic authors of the period; Conan Doyle, Rudyard Kipling, RL Stevenson, H.R. Haggard and others beloved of the time (and now).  

The fictionalized plot is interwoven around real historical events and characters and like with all good writing, it's seamless and not clear where history shades into imagination. 

I was blown away by the technical expertise of the writing - the dialogue flows very well (if formally), and I didn't get yanked out of the story once because of clunky or anachronistic elements. The story itself is warm and compassionate and the characters are engaging and interesting. The societal mores of the time along with the setting obviously play a central role and the author does a good job of compassionately presenting the realities of the time period (along with the crushing racism and often brutal standards of living for people of mixed race) without being depressing or cruel. 

The word which springs to mind when thinking about the writing and story is "genteel". It's a very genteel and civilized book, and I'm gobsmacked that this is a debut effort. I sincerely hope readers have many more treats in store from this talented author.

Five stars. This would also make an excellent selection for library acquisition, book clubs, or discussion groups. Highly recommended.

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

Mimi Lee Reads Between the Lines

 

Mimi Lee Reads Between the Lines is the second book in the Sassy Cat cozy mystery series by Jennifer J. Chow. Released 10th Nov 2020 by Penguin Random House on their Berkley imprint, it's 320 pages and available in paperback, library large print, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is an entertainingly fluffy cozy murder mystery with a strong romance subplot. The writing is light and engaging and the character driven plot is breezy and whimsical. For readers who enjoy anthropomorphic cats (is there a proper subgenre for that?) this series has them in spades. Pet groomer, Mimi Lee, owner of Hollywoof, spends part of her days grooming pets and a fair bit of time solving unpleasant murders with her genetically enhanced telepathic cat Marshmallow riding shotgun. He's got a sarcastic, wisecracking, old-guy schtick going on which some readers will enjoy (and some will not). He speaks to Mimi telepathically, but she speaks to him audibly, which leads to some inevitable "who are you talking to" scenes in the book. The significant plot threads concerning Marshmallow and the mad scientist/shady project responsible for her augmented cat (and his kitten sidekick) take up roughly half the book. Since it's a series, the unfolding information about how her psychic cat (and kitten Nimbus) came to be, provide continuity from book to book. Although it's a series, it works well enough as a standalone read. The author is adept at providing the necessary backstory without info dumping to an annoying degree.

The mystery itself is outlandish and unnecessarily convoluted, but readers who enjoy talking cats (including me) won't find it impossible to read and enjoy. The denouement was maybe a bit telegraphed and oddly resolved, but all in all, satisfying. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy the subgenre. The language is clean and there's no scandalous or disturbing content. My only annoyance came from a minor plot element which could've been resolved a *lot* more easily and cleanly by the simple expedient of a direct question to the main character's father. (My eyes were rolling). 

Four stars, will probably delight talking-cat-cozy-mystery fans. 

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

Upon a Once Time

 

Upon a Once Time is a very well curated anthology of fairy tale retellings, blendings, reinterpretations, and mash-ups. Released 1st Nov 2020, it's 232 pages and available in paperback format. 

One reason I prefer collections and anthologies is that short fiction is really challenging.  It's spare and the author doesn't have a wealth of wordage to develop characters or the plotting.  Well written short fiction is a delight. I also love collections because if one story doesn't really grab me, there's another story just a few pages away.  These 21 stories were a mixed bag; there were some standouts, a few middle-of-the-road, and only one I wasn't engaged enough to finish. I read it more or less cover to cover, which is unusual with me for anthologies; I generally hop around. 

I picked up this title because of my familiarity with some of the contributors. I was surprised to find that the stories which really engaged me and kept me enthralled were from the authors with whom I hadn't developed a previous reading relationship. It's always wonderful to find authors to follow, and for this reason alone, this was a useful reading pick. 

A short search online leads me to believe that these are all previously unpublished stories. The publisher and other reviewers have provided better précis than I could. I will say that a couple of the high points of this collection for me, personally, were ones which I saw panned by other reviewers.  The stories run the gamut from light fantasy, through fantasy realism, as well as horror. The base source material for the stories is taken from a wide variety of countries and cultures.

The art by Serena Malyon is absolutely sublime - what a delight!

It's an entertaining and worthwhile collection. I'm fascinated (and happy) to find that it was at least partially a kickstarter project. I have admittedly been worried about the future of indie publishing given the current world situation and knowing that really top shelf fiction can successfully be crowdsourced is reassuring. 

Four strong stars, several 4.5 - 5 star stories here.

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