Book Review: Attracting and Feeding Hummingbirds by Stan Tekiela (eBook on Hoopla)

Attracting and Feeding Hummingbirds
by Stan Tekiela (Hoopla eBook)

This little 48-page guide is part of the “Backyard Bird Feeding Guide” series focusing on numerous species of birds you might encounter in your yard, many of these have been authored by naturalist and photographer Stan Tekiela. The book is broken up into three sections — the first identifies all the hummingbird species native to the United States (and their normal breeding and migration zones) — only one of which (the Ruby Throated Hummingbird) can normally be found east of the Rocky Mountains. Next, Tekiela discusses the proper formula for hummingbird food and some of the “do and don’t” tips for keeping hummingbirds healthy — quick note: you don’t need to put unnecessary red dyes in the liquid as long as your feeder has lots of red accents to attract their attention. The dies can often be unhealthy for the birds to ingest. And the book also covers popular hummingbird feeder designs and the positives and negatives for each style.

 

Tekiela is know as much for his nature photography as he is for his writing — I really enjoyed the beautiful photos he uses to illustrate this short book!

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Fastest Things on Wings: Rescuing Hummingbirds in Hollywood by Teresa E. Masear, A Field Guide to the Hummingbirds of North America by Sheri Williamson, The Hummingbirds of North America by Nebraska author Paul Johnsgard, The Hummingbird Book: The Complete Guide to Attracting, Identifying, and Enjoying Hummingbirds by Donald W. Stokes. I also recommend A Hummingbird in My House: The Story of Squeak and Hummingbirds: My Winter Guests, both by Arnette Heidcamp — although they are no longer in the libraries’ collection, they are available to borrow through InterLibrary Loan.)

 

( Stan Tekiela’s official NatureSmart.com web site )

 

See Scott C.’s review of Hummingbirds: My Winter Guests by Arnette Heidcamp in the August 2004 Staff Recommendations here on BookGuide!
See Scott C.’s review of Fastest Things on Wings by Teresa Masear in the July 2016 Staff Recommendations here on BookGuide!

 

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

Have you read or listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

Book Review: Have I Told You This Already? by Lauren Graham

Have I Told You That Already? Stories I Don’t Want to Forget to Remember
by Lauren Graham (Biography Graham)

This is a quick, feel-good read! Lauren’s little writing “quirks” make for funny, enjoyable essays geared toward those that are fans of Graham’s work (think Gilmore Girls and Parenthood). This book includes personal anecdotes from ranging from stories about attending various “health camps”, being an up-and-coming actor living in LA, and even stories about orange marmalade (read to find out!) and her dog.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try more non-fiction by Lauren Graham, including Talking as Fast As I Can, In Conclusion, Don’t Worry About It, or Someday, Someday Maybe; or the TV series Gilmore Girls and Parenthood.)

 

( publisher’s official Lauren Graham web page ) | ( Wikipedia page for actress/author Lauren Graham )

 

Recommended by Amanda S.
Gere and South Branch Libraries

 

Have you read or listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

Book Review: The Man Who Went to the Far Side of the Moon by Bea Uusma Schyffert

The Man Who Went to the Far Side of the Moon
by Bea Uusma Schyffert (j629.45 Sch)

This little gem of Apollo 11 Moon mission history is intended for middle graders but I found it informative and enjoyable, especially from the perspective of a ‘senior’ adult who witnessed the event via television as a 9-year-old. It combines photographs, quotes, drawings, comparison charts, mission data, and quick facts — all with an emphasis on the “The Story of Apollo 11 Astronaut Michael Collins” per the subtitle. Collins had the responsibility of piloting the command capsule multiple times around the moon while Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin landed on the surface and walked into epic history. Originally published in Sweden in 1999, just 30 years after the Moon Landing, this American edition came out in 2003. If you are at all interested in the space program (NASA in particular), the lives of astronauts, the history of technology, or anything associated with the “Right Stuff”, this is a wonderful presentation of it.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try I Love You, Michael Collins by Lauren Baratz-Logsted, Apollo, The Epic Journey to the Moon by David West Reynolds or Apollo 11 directed by Douglas Miller.)

 

( Wikipedia page for Bea Uusma )

 

Recommended by Becky W.C.
Walt Branch Library

Have you read or listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

 

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

Book Review: Betty White's Pearls of Wisdom by Patty Sullivan

Betty White’s Pearls of Wisdom
by Patty Sullivan (Biography White)

This book’s author, Patty Sullivan, is the wife of blind singer and motivational speaker Tom Sullivan (a fixture on TV talk shows of the 1970s and 1980s). Before Patty and Tom were even married, when Tom was singing in a Cape Cod bar, actress Betty White and her husband Allen Ludden (who were both appearing in a play nearby) saw Sullivan’s musical act and befriended the young couple. From this point in their lives and beyond, Patty and Tom became a close part of Betty’s life, especially after Allen passed away. Over the years, Betty became Gram III to Patty and Tom’s two children, and they often spent the holidays together as a family, either at Patty and Tom’s home in the Los Angeles area, or the oceanside home in Carmel, CA that Betty and Allen had had constructed before his passing.

 

This book is Patty’s recollections of the more-than-fifty years relationship she had with Betty White, and the “Pearls of Wisdom” she acquired from watching how Betty lived her life. A large percentage of her recollections deal with Betty’s love for the animal kingdom and the environment. Patty also goes into a lot of detail of how everyone around Betty coped with her aging in the last 15-20 years of her life.

 

Pearls of Wisdom had a lot of great moments and memories but also became a tad repetitive. None-the-less, to see through the eyes of someone who was so close to Betty was invaluable, as are the large number of full-color photos used to illustrated this book. Anyone who loves animals, or who loved watching Betty throughout her superstar career on television should definitely enjoy this one.

 

(If you enjoy this, Betty wrote several books herself, all of the following of which are available through the libraries: Pet-Love: How Pets Take Care of Us (1983), Betty White In Person (1987), Here We Go Again: My Life in Television (1995), If You Ask Me (and Of Course You Won’t) (2011) and Betty & Friends: My Life at the Zoo (2011).

 

Mentioned within Pearls of Wisdom are three books she co-authored with Tom Sullivan, The Leading Lady: Dinah’s Story (1991), Together: A Novel of Shared Vision (2008) and Alive Day: A Story of Love and Loyalty (2009). The latter two novels are available in electronic formats, but the libraries don’t own The Leading Lady — you can order it through our InterLibrary Loan service for only a very small fee.

 

In 1971-72, Betty hosted a TV series, The Pet Set, for 39 episodes. All 39 episodes of this series are available through the libraries’ Hoopla Digital service, though each episode is a separate check-out and you are limited to 4 Hoopla check-outs per month.)

 

( Wikipedia entry for Betty White ) | ( publisher’s official Patty Sullivan author web page)

 

See Charlotte M.’s review of If You Ask Me (and, Of Course, You Won’t!) by Betty White in the January 2012 Staff Recommendations here on BookGuide!

 

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

Have you read or listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

Book Review: The Cookie That Changed My Life and More Than 100 Other Classic Cakes, Cookies, Muffins by Nancy Silverton

The Cookie That Changed My Life and More Than 100 Other Classic Cakes, Cookies, Muffins
by Nancy Silverton (641.865 Sil)

I am one of those people who cannot pass up a good cookbook with a catchy title or excellent photo on the cover when I look at the New Book Display. I checked out this one because I wanted to see what recipes renowned chef Nancy Silverton picked out as “classic” recipes but with her own touch on each of them. The cookbook is an excellent assortment of dessert recipes with step-by-step instructions as well as detailed information about the ingredients you should buy and the equipment you should use in baking each recipe. What I enjoyed most about the book is the commentary provided by Ms. Silverton describing what she was looking for in the recipe to create “perfection.” In some cases, she took a recipe by some other famous cook and made it her own by adding different ingredients (this is the case with the cookie that changed her life — a simple recipe for peanut butter cookies that she improved upon by adding a peanut butter topping and roasted Spanish peanuts). Nearly every recipe includes a large glossy photo of the finished product — something that I especially look for in cookbooks. This is an excellent book for browsing or for adding to your collection, especially for those new to cooking desserts. I highly recommend this.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum.)

 

( Nancy Silverton entry on Wikipedia )

 

Recommended by Kim J.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

Have you read or listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

Book Review: Just Jerry - How Drawing Shaped My Life - A Memoir

Just Jerry: How Drawing Shaped My Life: A Memoir
by Jerry Pinkney (j Biography Pinkney)

I learned about this book at a Library Conference that I attended recently. As a fan of Jerry Pinkney’s illustrations for many years, I was thrilled to hear that a biography of the award-winning author had been published just this year. The book was written to encourage young people to fulfill their dreams in spite of obstacles that stand in their way. For Jerry, those obstacles included dyslexia, which had not even been named as a condition when he was young, and being Black, at a time when schools were still segregated and opportunities for a young Black youth far and few between. Jerry describes in great detail the difficulties he had in school until he gets the opportunity to express himself through his art with the encouragement of his teacher. Once Jerry decides on a career in art, he fought racism to be able to win a scholarship to art school beyond high school and began a career which demonstrated his talents over many decades. This was a wonderful true story of one boy’s dream to become an artist and all the people who believed in him and helped him to make his dreams come true. I really enjoyed the art and the story of his life; I highly recommend this book.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Art of Beatrix Potter by Beatrix Potter.)

 

( official Jerry Pinkney web site )

 

Recommended by Kim J.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

Have you read or listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

Book Review: Making It So by Patrick Stewart

Making It So
by Patrick Stewart (Biography Stewart)

This autobiography is not simply for Trekkies or fans of the X-Men franchises. This well-written autobiography covers Stewart’s life from a young boy living in astonishing poverty with a violent father, to his interest in stage plays, to getting some semi-regular work in plays and working his way up to more prestigious playhouses, to eventually the pinnacle of Shakespeare playhouses — Royal Shakespeare Company.

 

At RSC he finally had regular work at a decent income, and was able to play many characters in Shakespeare’s plays for over 15 years. He mentions veteran and current actors and actresses that fans of British TV, American TV, and movies will recognize. With RSC he was able to travel the world and work with his idols and I enjoyed those stories.

 

Then came along Star Trek: The Next Generation and Capt. Jean-Luc Picard. ‘Everyone’ said it would last only a year. They offered an astonishing amount of money so he decided he could give them a year of his life. Well, we know how that went. His insider stories of fellow actors, several of whom became dear friends, were humorous and interesting as the stage actor had to learn to navigate the television world.

 

When he finished “The Next Generation” he was eager to jump into Shakespeare again but was offered the role of Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men movies. His thoughts at the time? “No more fantasy. No more sci-fi. I’m done with that.” But, his involvement in the movies is when he and Ian McKellen became best of friends. And a movie franchise allowed him to continue his beloved work in his Shakespeare plays whereas a weekly television contract did not.

 

His writing is eloquent as he pulls you into of his stories and experiences. As any good biography has there are photos in the middle of the book. And I admit to re-listening to my copy of his A Christmas Carol audio performance while washing up Thanksgiving dishes. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

 

( publisher’s official Making It So web site ) | ( Wikipedia page for Patrick Stewart — Sir Patrick Stewart has official accounts on Facebook, X, TikTok, Instagram and more… )

 

Recommended by Charlotte M.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

Have you read or listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

Book Review: Hollywood: The Oral History by Jeanine Basinger and Sam Wasson

Hollywood: The Oral History

by Jeanine Basinger and Sam Wasson (791.43 Bas)

 

As the authors say, in their introduction, this book is compiled from interviews conducted by the American Film Institute, beginning in 1969, with individuals from across the spectrum of movie-making. Basinger and Wasson were given total and unprecedented access to all of the the AFI’s Harold Lloyd seminars, oral histories, and complete archives, featuring more than 3000 guest speakers and almost 10000 hours of conversation.

 

The authors then pulled quotes and organized them into thematic chapters: Beginnings, Comedy, Silent Directors, Silent Actors, Sound!, Studio Heads, Studio Style, The Studio Workforce (itself broken in ten sub-chapters), The Product, The End of the System, Identity Crisis, New Hollywood, The Creep Up, The Deal, Packaging, Everybody’s Business, and Monsters.

 

This book makes for absolutely fascinating reading but it is also a bit stop-and-go. Anyone who is interested in the history of movie-making here in the United States should find much of the content of this volume essential reading. However, at the same time, it doesn’t make for fast-flowing reading, as the voices jump back and forth between people you recognize and people from the industry that you may never have heard of.

 

I ended up loving Hollywood: The Oral History, while at the same time wishing that it was a video documentary, so I could have actually seen the individuals as they were being interviewed. None-the-less, a marvelous book on Hollywood and film-making history! Nearly every page has some nugget of information I never heard about before!

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try It Happened on Broadway: An Oral History of the Great White Way by Myrna Frommer, though it deals with stage productions rather than film.)

 

( publisher’s official Hollywood: The Oral History web site ) | ( Wikipedia page for Jeannine Basinger )

 

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

Have you read or listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

Book Review: Sit, Stay, Heal: What Dogs Can Teach Us About Living Well by Renee Alsarraf

Sit, Stay, Heal: What Dogs Can Teach Us About Living Well
by Renee Alsarraf (Biography Alsarraf)

This book will take you on an emotional journey.

 

Dr. Alsarraf is a veterinary oncologist helping her clients to the best they can for their pets. When she gets diagnosed with cancer it changes her, and this is her story.

 

She not only discusses the good and bad outcomes for her clients as she deals with her own cancer treatment, she also has to deal with the diagnosis and treatment of her own beloved Boxer, Newton.

 

I loved and hated this book, I loved the inspiring stories, but I also cried several times as well. Dr. Alsarraf is an exceptional writer and a wonderful story teller. If you love animals, this book will be one to read.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Education of Will: A Mutual Memoir of a Woman and Her Dog by Patricia McConnell or The Neuroscientist Who Lost Her Mind: My tale of Madness and Recovery by Barbara Lipska.)

 

( official Sit, Stay, Heal web site )

 

Recommended by Marcy G.
South and Gere Branch Libraries

 

Have you read or listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

Book Review: Q's Legacy by Helene Hanff

Q’s Legacy
by Helene Hanff (B H1907q)

One of the most memorable books I have ever read is titled 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff. Not only did she have a big hit with the release of this book, but it also became a hit play in London, then later went on to Broadway, and finally a film. Helene Hanff was a playwright and writer who took charge of her own education by studying literature and essays recommended by Sir Arthur Quiller-Conch, Professor of English Literature at the University of Cambridge, England. Many of the books she wanted to read from Quiller-Conch’s list were not available in New York City, so she wrote to a small bookshop located in London at the address which became the title of her book. Thus began a long overseas relationship with the people who worked at this bookshop, their families, and Miss Hanff. The story doesn’t end there: Q’s Legacy goes into great detail about what led to the author’s years of self study and how that led to her becoming a well-known writer in her own right. Miss Hanff does eventually get to go to England and meet the people that she had only known through correspondence. Not only does she meet the Marks and Co. families; she also meets the fans who loved her book and want to share their favorite parts of England with her. Hanff gets to be part of the London stage production of her book (behind the scenes) and keeps a diary of her experiences to be made into another book later. This is a wonderful book for anyone who loves England, English literature and bookshops. I recommend that you read 84, Charing Cross Road first. Underfoot in Show Business is also biographical with more background about her attempts to get published.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try 84, Charing Cross Road, Underfoot in Show Business or The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street , all by Helene Hanff.)

 

( Wikipedia entry for Helene Hanff )

 

Recommended by Kim J.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

Have you read or listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

Book Review: The Lighter Step by Step Instant Pot Cookbook by Jeffrey Eisner

The Lighter Step by Step Instant Pot Cookbook
by Jeffrey Eisner (641.7 Eis)

My first thought upon seeing this cookbook was, “Do we really need another Instant Pot book?” I can amend that to, “Yes, we do!” I stumbled across this book on a library table where someone else had left it and I ended up taking it home.

 

First of all, there are photos of every single finished product – as any good cookbook should have. Secondly, he provides photos of each step in the process. I found that so helpful.

 

Eisner created his own “General Cooking Charts” of often-cooked items that you might not remember how long to cook in the instant pot. His chart covers more than just beef or poultry, but also includes Pasta; Rice & Grains; Seafood; Vegetables; and Beans & Legumes.

 

These recipes really are an attempt at a “lighter” version and are further coded as to whether they can be classified as Keto, Paleo, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian, and Vegan. All of the recipes have the nutritional values listed, and he also provides an inventory of his pantry staples.

 

The Table of Contents includes categories such as Basics for Now & Later; Soups & Stews; Pasta; Rice & Grains; Poultry; Meat; Seafood; Vegetables & Sides; and Dessert. There is a section, “How to Use Your Instant Pot, In a Nutshell” complete with photos of everything!

 

This turned out to be a well-rounded, basic instant pot cookbook that also provides a wide-variety of recipes and information. I ended up running out and buying this book, cuz, yeah, one really does need another Instant Pot book.

 

( official Jeffrey Eisner web site )

 

Recommended by Charlotte M.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

Have you read or listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

Book Review: Snow: A Scientific and Cultural Exploration by Giles Whittell

Snow: A Scientific and Cultural Exploration
by Giles Whittell (551.578 Whi)

This guy loves snow! Whittell is a chief staff member of the London Times and has also authored some other nonfiction books and a novel. As we are (hopefully) done with snow for a while in these parts, this will give some context to the nature of snow and people’s reactions to it. The book is not thick but is densely packed with technical, statistical, and anecdotal information about the form of precipitation with which humans have a love-hate relationship. Types of snow, deadly avalanches, champion skiiers and snowboarders, Vladimir Putin, and other snow-related and snow-dependent topics are covered!

 

( official Giles Whittell Twitter feed )

 

Recommended by Becky W.C.
Walt Branch Library

 

Have you read or listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

Book Review: Number One is Walking: My Life in Movies and Other Diversions by Steve Martin and Harry Bliss

Number One is Walking: My Life in the Movies and Other Diversions
by Steve Martin and Harry Bliss (Biography Martin)

Comedian/actor/musician/writer Steve Martin and cartoonist Harry Bliss team up for a second collaborative book, following their 2020 release, A Wealth of Pigeons.

 

This time, it’s even more autobiographical than it was the last time. The first 60% of the book is Steve Martin’s reminiscences about his years in the motion picture industry, where he made over 40 films before ultimately becoming disenchanted with the film-making process and walking away. This portion of the book is told through a series of cartoons of Steve and Harry taking a walk with Harry’s (talking) dog, and Steve throwing out bits and pieces of memories, which Harry then illustrates. The book is crammed with dry, wry humor and fond memories. And Harry’s artwork, while occasionally fanciful, also includes absolutely stunning recreations of many of Steve’s co-stars or the other celebrities in whose orbit he occasionally found himself.

 

The latter 40% of the book is a collection of (mostly) single-panel cartoons co-created by both Martin and Bliss — which feel very much like Bliss’ frequent contributions to the New Yorker magazine.

 

I enjoyed Number One is Walking a great deal, and constantly found myself in awe of Harry Bliss’ ability to capture the essence and personalities of so many recognizable entertainers and celebrities in a few simple brush strokes. However, as much as I enjoyed reading this, I left this book feeling like I wanted more than I was given…it feels very lightweight, especially in comparison to most celebrity biographies. On the other hand, even if each of Steve’s show biz memories is only 2-4 pages long, the artwork brings them all to life! So…it’s a bit of a mixed bag.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try A Wealth of Pigeons by Steve Martin and Harry Bliss, or the autobiography Born Standing Up by Steve Martin, or possibly Steve’s humor book, The Ten, Make That Nine, Habits of Very Organized People. Make That Ten. The Tweets of Steve Martin.)

 

( official Harry Bliss web site ) | ( official Steve Martin web site )

 

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

Have you read or listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

Book Review: The I Love Cookies Recipe Book by Jacquelyn Parkes

The I Love Cookies Recipe Book
by Jacquelyn Parkes (641.865 Par)

Let’s get this out of the way right off — there are not photos of every recipe in this book. Which is a major drawback otherwise I wouldn’t have recognized how fabulous “Peanut Butter Crispy Brownie Bars” are simply from the recipe. Seriously, photos of every single recipe are necessary in recipe books.

 

Aside from that, I enjoyed browsing through this book and nabbed a few recipes for my kitchen.

 

What drew me to this recipe book is the cookie yields are small: 24, or 36, or 48 — some are even 12 or 16 (okay, what actually drew me to this book was the photo and recipe for Chocolate Thin Mint Cookies). With the lower yield, you don’t have massive amounts of cookies if there are only one or two of you at home (for example, the original Toll House cookie recipe yields 60 cookies — assuming you aren’t eating the dough along with the baking…). Nor are you struggling to find a large enough container to store them all (again, assuming you baked all of the dough). Neither are you spending the entire afternoon mixing, baking, and cleaning up the kitchen.

 

The author claims these are 100 of our favorite cookie recipes. I think she did a fine job of giving us a favorite assortment of Drop Cookies, Brownies and Bars, Shaped Cookies, Rolled Cookies, Slice and Bake Cookies, and Holiday Favorites. She also gives us a US/Metric Conversion Chart.

 

The I Love Cookies Recipe Book begins with Cookie Basics, including Equipment and Pans: Essential Equipment, and Not Essential but Nice to Have (I always enjoy looking at the extra fun equipment you might buy). There’s also a segment Gilding the Lily: Decorating Tips, and a small section on Tools for Decorating.

Each recipe is only one page in length — so there aren’t a lot of intricate steps — and also includes nutrition information, since we all recognize how nutritious cookies are for us.

 

( publisher’s official I Love Cookies Recipe Book web page ) | ( publisher’s official Jacquelyn Parkes web page )

 

Recommended by Charlotte M.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

Have you read or listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

Book Review: Creature by Shaun Tan

Creature: Paintings, Drawings and Reflections
by Shaun Tan (YA 741.64 Tan)

I have been a fan of the artistic work of Shaun Tan since stumbling across his phenomenal wordless graphic novel The Arrival many years ago, and always enjoy seeing a new book from this Australian artist.

 

Creature is not a typical book — it is more of an artistic retrospective of his career from the mid-1990s through 2020, viewed through the lens of some over-arching themes in his work. Tan offers up some explanatory essays on the themes “Lost Things”, “Companions”, “Myth & Metaphor” and “Birds”, followed by dozens of examples of his own work that embody those themes. His fantastical fantasy illustrations embody both whimsy and alien-ness. His drawings and paintings are as likely to included a misfit robot, made of household objects merged with otherworldliness, as they are a jovial yet monstrous alien critter the size of a house. And next to these will be tiny birds, playing with tentacled and feathered pocket-sized figments of the imagination.

 

Tan explains his passion for shining the light on “lost” objects, and on normalizing the abnormal — the beautiful illustration on the book’s cover is a perfect amalgamation of Tan’s career — showing the ease with with a giant, one-eyed, feathered “creature” can befriend a young girl, who things nothing of the oddity of their friendship but simply revels in it.

 

The last fifth of the book is an appendix in which Tan offers background information on most of the pieces of artwork found in the book, explaining what inspired each piece or what his intentions were in creating them.

 

Tan is a true contemporary genius in the field of fantasy art. Creature would be a great introduction to his work for anyone who hasn’t seen it before. However, I would even more highly recommend his books that actually tell a story within a narrative structure, such as The Lost Thing, The Arrival, Cicada or Tales From the Inner City.

[NOTE: Although this has been cataloged as a Young Adult item, it didn’t feel like it — I’m reviewing it here as a recommend for adult readers.]

 

( official Creature page on the official Shaun Tan web site )

 

See Scott C.’s review of Shaun Tan’s graphic novel Cicada, in the June 2019 Staff Recommendations here on BookGuide!

 

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

Have you read or listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

Book Review: Everything I Never Dreamed by Ruth Glenn

Everything I Never Dreamed: My Life Surviving and Standuing Up to Domestic Violence
by Ruth Glenn (Biography Glenn)

I happened to see this book on our New Book Display and became intrigued with the book after reading the blurb on the cover. This book was not an easy read. There are many stories of domestic violence against women and children, told by the survivors or their families in explicit detail. The courage that these individuals have shown to escape their abusive partners and to speak out against domestic violence is nothing short of incredible. Glenn tells the stories of survivors through her own experience as a wife and mother who was kidnapped, abused, and shot at close range by her husband. As a national spokesperson of organizations devoted to ending domestic violence, she brings hope to victims everywhere through her work and her personal story. I was especially impressed with the statistics throughout this book, demonstrating how our society has turned a blind eye to domestic violence and left these victims without a legal system to help them escape the horrors of abuse at the hands of people who are supposed to keep their partners and children safe. Glenn finishes the book with suggestions that we as individuals and as a society can do to work towards ending domestic violence. I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the subject or as the parent, friend or family member of someone who is currently in an abusive relationship.

 

( publisher’s official Everything I Never Dreamed web page ) | ( official Ruth Glenn info on the American Bar Association site )

 

Recommended by Kim J.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

Have you read or listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

Book Review: Fatty Fatty Boom Boom: A Memoir of Food, Fat and Family by Rabia Chaudry

Fatty Fatty Boom Boom: A Memoir of Food, Fat and Family
by Rabia Chaudry (Biography Chaudry)

Rabia Chaudry is a bastion in the true crime world as an attorney and advocate for the wrongfully convicted, but this gives us a personal look at her as a daughter, wife, mother and woman. This is much more than a food or weight loss memoir and there is no ‘woe is me’ vibe here. What there is: is a lot of humor and honesty as Rabia shares her story of learning to accept her body even if it doesn’t conform to societal expectations. This is also a fascinating look at an immigrant family’s experience with American food and a woman’s discovery of her own heritage through food.

 

( official Fatty Fatty Boom Boom page on the official Rabia Chaudry web site )

 

Recommended by Jen J.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

Have you read or listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!