Review: The Vegetarian Reset: 75 Low-Carb, Plant-Forward Recipes from Around the World

Title: The Vegetarian Reset: 75 Low-Carb, Plant-Forward Recipes from Around the World
Series: Stand Alone
Author: Vasudha Viswanath
Illustrator: N/A
Publish Date: January 17, 2025
Publisher: The Collective Book Studio
Genre: Cookbook
Age: All Ages
Started Reading: January 16, 2025
Finished Reading: January 17, 2025
NetGalley?: Yes

Book Summary from Goodreads:

The Vegetarian Reset celebrates a lifestyle where a foodie sensibility intersects with healthy eating. It solves the never-ending dilemma that all plant-based eaters Is life fun when you eat salad every day, or is it worth it to let your health take a backseat to enjoy a big bowl of rice or pasta without enough protein?

In her debut cookbook, Vasudha Viswanath takes readers on a little trip around the world, drawing inspiration from an array of traditional and global cuisines that are rich in whole foods like vegetables, legumes, and healthy fats. Seasonal vibrant recipes are moderately low-carb and put vegetables front and center , while also being gluten-free ! Learn to bake healthy bread from scratch, make paella out of cauliflower rice, transform paneer into gnocchi, and sweeten brownies with dates! Whether you already follow a low-carb lifestyle or simply want to add more healthy dishes into your rotation, The Vegetarian Reset will delight and inspire vegetarians, vegans, and omnivores alike to eat well, fully nourish, and reset your body.

My Two Cents:

Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars

While I am not Vegetarian (and likely never will be) I do want to increase the amount of veggies in my diet. I decided to check out The Vegetarian Reset to see if I could find some new options to add into my personal rotation. I don't know that I could get my kids and hubby onto some of these recipes, but they'd be perfect for me. I really enjoyed the variety of vegetables used, and the effort to move away from just salads and smoothies. Tying in various cultural dishes from around the world gave a fun chance to branch out from the norm. I loved that most of the dishes were gluten free, this made things much easier for me as someone with Celiac Disease as I didn't have to worry about converting. The fact there are options for vegan alterations as well allows easy accommodations for when my vegan relatives come over. My only, mild, issue was how often pasta and rice seemed to be villainized. The substitution of cauliflower rice, or zucchini noodles was fine, and it was mentioned that you can just use rice or pasta, but it felt a bit heavy handed on not using grains and starches in any of the dishes. Definitely a book I'll be adding to my shelf, and meals I'll be adding to my menu. I read this digital ebook through NetGalley.

To Sum Up: A wonderful variety of recipes from different cuisines to liven up your dinner table.

Review: The Vanishing Bookstore

Title: The Vanishing Bookstore
Series: Stand Alone
Author: Helen Phifer
Illustrator: N/A
Publish Date: January 7, 2025
Publisher: Bookouture
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery
Age: 16 +
Started Reading: January 2, 2025
Finished Reading: January 18, 2025
NetGalley?: Yes 

Book Summary from Goodreads:

‘Every story needs a happy ending. And you can’t have yours until you find the bookstore.’

1692. On the outskirts of Salem, a bookstore stands covered in overgrown vines. Inside, a young woman hides a linen-wrapped journal under a loose floorboard and runs away, panicked by the sound of hounds barking in the distance. The bookstore vanishes into thin air…

Present day. Stepping inside a pale-pink house on one of the oldest streets in Salem, Dora can’t believe she’s about to finally meet the mother she thought died tragically when she was just a child. But the excitement is short-lived. Dora’s mother has fear in her eyes, and with a trembling voice she ‘my life is in danger, and now so is yours…’

Desperate not to lose her mother all over again, Dora digs into her family’s mysterious past, and stumbles upon a seemingly impossible secret: the key to their survival is hidden in a bookstore that no one has seen for generations.

Losing herself amongst thorny brackens and twisted ferns, Dora eventually finds the path that leads to the bookstore. But someone is watching her. They’ve been waiting for her.

As she pushes open the beautiful blue door hidden amongst the sharp brambles, and stands in front of rows of crumbling leatherbound books with faded pages, she has no idea of the secrets she is about to uncover. Or that her life is in more danger than ever before…

My Two Cents:

Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars

This was a really interesting book for someone who went through a Salem Witch Trials phase as a teenager. Taking very real facts, and in some cases people, and working fiction around it is a fine line to follow without falling over. I think this book did a good job of it! The story was fun without being too over the top, it didn't push the facts too much, even with multiple lives and an immortal witch hunter. The hopping back and forth through the timelines was handled well, telling the story without being too confusing, leaving just enough questions needing answered to keep you going. I did find myself somewhat wanting with the explanation of the curse that was the thing that started the whole plot. In fact, I felt that the 'curse' that as referenced many times in the story was kind of forgotten and a completely different explanation was given for what was happening.

I listened to the audiobook of this, and for the most part it was fantastic. The variety of voices was well done, and the narration was clear and even soothing. My main issue is likely a director decision, but it's a big issue that kept bugging me. In this 'lifetime' the FL grew up in London, England from the time she was a few weeks old. A number of times characters remark that she's British, clearly reflecting a British accent, however, and possibly so that the accent didn't change between lifetimes, the character is read with an American accent. It's not a deal breaker, but it was something I found a bit jarring with the text.

All told, I really enjoyed this book, much more than I initially thought I would. I think if I were to pick it up to read again, I'd get the text format to avoid the dissonance of the accent. I listened to this audiobook through NetGalley.

To Sum Up: A interesting, suspenseful, and fun story, but possibly better read than listened due to an accent issue.

  

Top 5: Christmas Gifts

 

With reading to my kids, I'm finding that I start to get a backlog of books we've read but I haven't had time to sit down and do a full review post about. Especially when we've just passed our month of birthdays and Christmas (yes, the kids both have birthdays near Christmas), and everyone knowing how much this family enjoys reading, we have a bunch of new books on our shelves.

To list out everything we've read this month would take eons, so I figured I'd whittle it down to a top 5. All of these books we have in hard copy and are fully released. No ARCs or Galleys on this list. Just plain old fun books that you can run out and get yourself.

These books come in no particular order, because to try and rank them would change by the hour or second. These are just the 5 books received at Christmas that are getting the most requested at reading time.

1. Twinkle Twinkle Dinosaur by Jeffrey Burton, Illustrated by Zoe Waring

Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars (We Loved It!)

While this may seem like a simple book, it was a favourite for Munchie. From the age of 3 to just over 4 we had to read this nightly before bed. The board book sadly broke, and it's taken us a while to find another copy. We now have it for Biggie to help him go to sleep, as Twinkle Twinkle is his favourite song, and he just loves dinosaurs. The illustrations are adorable, and the kids like pointing different things out (one dinosaur in the book looks like a favourite stuffy we call Denver). The new lyrics were written well to fit with the song, so the kids can sing along and the rhythm remains the same, no crowding words in to make them fit. We read this nightly for well over a year, and now that it's come back to the house, I'm sure it will be on regular rotation again.

2. Dinosaurs in Trucks Because Hey, Why Not? by Sandra Boynton

Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars (We Really Liked It)

Dinosaurs and trucks, Biggie's favourite things! I got him this book for Christmas, and he very much enjoys going through and telling us where all the dinosaurs are. The final page is especially fun as he says goodbye and goodnight to all the dinosaurs on the page. The illustrations are very cute, the story is clear and sweet. I only wish that the dinosaurs weren't given random names, as we don't really meet and follow them, so the names feel just grabbed out of the air. A great board book for toddlers who like dinosaurs and trucks.

3. A Potato on a Bike by Elise Gravel

Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars (We Loved It!)

This is currently Biggie's favourite book. He loves to bring it to us, tell us what the pictures are (Carrot, bath!) and exclaim "NOWAY!" until he gets to the end where he tickles the baby in the book while waiting for us to tickle him. The repetition works for him, and the pictures show the words perfectly so even though he's not reading, he understands what's being shown. For me, the pictures are hilarious, and the situations are fun, I love that he's recognizing things in the book and getting used to flipping the pages and following a 'story'. We read this easily a doze times a day, and I'm thinking of grabbing another copy in anticipation of this copy's inevitable demise due to use.

4. The Bad Seed by Jory John, Illustrated by Pete Oswald

Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars (We Really Liked It)

The Bad Seed is quickly becoming a very helpful book in our house. We have read it a number of times. Using the Bad Seed's story, we've discussed how his bad feelings came from bad things happening to him, but that the way he behaved in response to those bad feelings made others think poorly of him. Munchie has been having some issues with aggression at school, and this book has assisted us with conversations on how to work through her feelings and that she, like the Seed, can make the choice to be Nice. I appreciate that the Seed doesn't do a complete 180 and he still has trouble with his bad behaviour. This allows kids to learn that perfection isn't expected, and improvement can be small and still noticed. Overall, I'm very glad to have this book on our bookshelves, and also very glad Munchie is enjoying reading it so much.

5. The Good Egg by Jory John, Illustrated by Pete Oswald

Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars (We Really Liked It)

The Good Egg is becoming a favourite in my household. We've read it a number of times. Munchie's picking up on how the Good Egg was trying to make everyone behave in ways that might not be who they are, and it's helping us have conversations on how to be aware of her behaviour and not worry about the behaviour of others. This is becoming quite handy to use in regards to her brother and classmates. While the book takes the egg leaving to the extreme, in that he goes on his own journey far away from home, it's a good representation of stepping away and taking some time to yourself. I also appreciate that the book promotes working together in that the Good Egg goes back to those who were causing so much havoc in his life and finding a compromise.

As you can see, we have quite the variety of books, but we're really enjoying going through them together. What is your favourite book so far this year, holiday gift or otherwise?

Review: Kawaii Café Ramen: Classic, Fun, and Delicious Ramen Meals to Make at Home

Title: Kawaii Café Ramen: Classic, Fun, and Delicious Ramen Meals to Make at Home
Series: Stand Alone
Author: Amy Kimoto-Kahn
Illustrator: Amy Kimoto-Kahn
Publish Date: January 14, 2025
Publisher: Rock Point
Genre: Cookbook
Age: All
Started Reading: January 2, 2025
Finished Reading: January 6, 2025
NetGalley?: Y

Book Summary from Goodreads:

Satisfy your ramen cravings at home (and affordably)!  Kawaii Café  Ramen includes over 60 easy-to-follow recipes, beautifully illustrated in a fun anime style.

Kawaii Café Ramen covers everything you need to know, including how to put together a bowl of piping hot ramen in a myriad of ways with a choice of four soup bases, ramen noodles (homemade or store-bought), and traditional and non-traditional ingredients. Enjoy bowls of pork, chicken, and beef ramen, or branch out with seafood, vegetarian, and spicy soups—and even cold ramen and a breakfast version topped with bacon and a poached egg. Make your soup base in advance and you have a quick, easy, and special midweek family meal.

Each accompanied by exciting anime-style illustrations, the recipes include:

• Indonesian Pork Ramen with Coconut Curry Soup
• Chicken Meatball Ramen
• Teriyaki Beef–Wrapped Asparagus Ramen
• California Ramen with Crabmeat, Avocado, and Cucumber
• Spicy Tofu Ramen
• Crispy Greens Ramen with Swiss Chard, Kale, and Brussels Sprouts

With yummy recipes, down-to-earth writing, and a delightful design, Kawaii Café Ramen is the ultimate guide to this global phenomenon.

My Two Cents:

Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars

I'm going to start this off by saying, I love ramen! I've been a huge fan of it since the early 2000's when I'd first moved out and had a little restaurant that made 'real' ramen just down the street. Then I got Celiac Disease and sadly went about with whatever I could make at home by myself with various rice noodles, but it was never the same. This book has upped my game! While I'm still stuck with the rice noodles, now I can bring the good soup bases and toppings home and have something much closer to the real deal! The recipes are clear and the language used around everything is optimistic and very encouraging. The shining star of this book, I think, is the section on side dishes. This is what elevates this book from being a one trick pony to a fantastic resource. The illustrations are very cute, but I would have liked to see a couple of pictures to show what to expect of the actual finished product. I will be using this book a lot in the future. I read this digital advanced copy through NetGalley.

To Sum Up: A very cute and inspiring cookbook with a wonderful variety of recipes. 

Review: Easy Meal Prep: Save Time and Eat Healthy with over 75 Recipes

Title: Easy Meal Prep: Save Time and Eat Healthy with over 75 Recipes
Series: Stand Alone
Author: Erin Romeo
Illustrator: N/A
Publish Date: January 14, 2025
Publisher: Rock Point
Genre: Cookbook
Age: All
Started Reading: December 13, 2024
Finished Reading: December 15, 2024
NetGalley?: Yes 

Book Summary from Goodreads:

Conquer your healthy eating plan while saving time and money!

In Easy Meal Prep, nutrition coach and meal prep expert Erin Romeo, the Food Prep Princess (@foodprepprincess on Instagram), guides you through the essentials of meal prep, a key component to any diet—whether you’re high-protein, vegetarian, dairy-free, gluten-free, low-carb, or just trying to eat healthy. This highly accessible guide includes:

• How to prep a week’s worth of meals in a few hours
• Over 75 healthy and delicious recipes
• How to meal-prep in 5 easy steps
• 5 meal-prep plans to get you started
• Tips and tricks for food planning

So, skip the takeout and never be at a loss for a healthy meal again with this essential guide to easy meal prep.

My Two Cents:

Goodreads Rating: 3 Stars (It was ok)

I will start off by saying that this book is not what I expected it to be. If you are looking for a book that is mostly recipes, with some diet plans, and a small intro to the method of meal prep, this book is for you. I, being a busy mom of 2, was looking for a more in depth book on meal prepping and easy to make meals without lists of 'approved foods' and diet plans. While the book does claim to reduce your prepping/cooking/cleaning time down to just 2 hours or so per week, it also means that the majority of your meals are eaten as reheated leftovers. While I appreciated the inclusion of a gluten free option, as someone who lives with Celiac Disease, it seemed much more geared to those who were eating that way by choice, rather than necessity. I did not try the recipes, or get much past the merely 4-5 pages of instructions in the introduction, as I personally found my current collection of family favourite recipes were sufficient for my needs. I read this digital book through NetGalley.

To Sum Up: A healthy eating/diet book with a good selection of recipes if that’s what you’re looking for.

  

Review: Single Player

 Title: Single Player
Series: Stand Alone
Author: Tara Tai
Illustrator: N/A
Publish Date: January 7, 2025
Publisher: Alcove Press
Genre: Romance, LGBTQIAP+
Age: 18+
Started Reading: December 12, 2025
Finished Reading: December 27, 2025
NetGalley?: Y 

Book Summary from Goodreads:

Two video game creators go head-to-head in this delightful, queer enemies-to-lovers workplace romance debut.

Cat Li cares about two things: video games and swoony romances. The former means there hasn't been much of the latter in her (real) life, but when she lands her dream job writing the love storylines for Compass Hollow—the next big thing in games—she knows it’s all been worth it. Then she meets her boss: the infamous Andi Zhang, who’s not only an arrogant hater of happily-ever-afters determined to keep Cat from doing her job but also impossibly, annoyingly hot.

As Compass Hollow’s narrative director, Andi couldn’t care less about love—in-game or out. After getting doxxed by internet trolls three years ago, Andi’s been trying to prove to the gaming world that they’re a serious gamedev. Their plan includes writing the best game possible, with zero lovey-dovey stuff. That is, until the man funding the game’s development insists Andi add romance in order to make the story “more appealing to female gamers.”

Forced to give Cat a chance, Andi begrudgingly realizes there’s more to Cat than romantic idealism and, okay, a cute smile. But admitting that would mean giving up the single-player life that has kept their heart safe for years. And when Cat uncovers a behind-the-scenes plan to destroy Andi’s career, the two will have to put their differences aside and find a way to work together before it’s game over.

My Two Cents:

Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars

To start off I will say, I quite enjoyed this book. Overall it was a cute romance, and that was what I was looking for. That being said, there were some issues I had. First, the main relationship is between a Manager and their Intern Employee, while there are many other reasons the characters think of for why they can't get together, this power dynamic is hardly a throw away thought once or twice. This dynamic broke up the Try Guys, I was expecting it to be a bigger hurdle to get over. Second, apparently the universe's only goal was to get these two together because the amount of 'coincidental meetings' that happened required a bit of suspension of disbelief. I listened to the audio book for this and Natalie Naudus does a fantastic job of switching her voice between POV chapters. The writing was well done, the geeky references were fun, and the periodic 4th wall breaking wasn't too off putting. The intimate scene was enjoyable and just the right length and descriptiveness. All told this was a nice romance with a fun geeky twist. I listened to this audiobook through NetGalley.

To Sum Up: A cute romance with a geeky twist.

 

Review: Ping's Perfect Pot

Title: Ping's Perfect Pot
Series: Stand Alone
Author: Helen H. Wu
Illustrator: Zihua Yang
Publish Date: January 7, 2025
Publisher: Beaming Books
Genre: Children's Fiction
Age: 3-7
Started Reading: December 16, 2024
Finished Reading: December 16, 2024
NetGalley?: Yes 

Book Summary from Goodreads:

 KNEAD, MUSH, MASH. Ping molds a pot for Lunar New Year.

When Ping and Grandpa bring a tangerine tree home for Lunar New Year, Ping decides to make the perfect pot to go with it. But making a pot is hard. With Grandpa's encouragement, she tries again and again to get it just right. The first is too clumsy, the second crumbles, and the third is too flimsy. What if she can't make the perfect pot? Will it ruin the new year?

For anyone feeling discouraged over learning something new, Ping's Perfect Pot reminds them not to give up when something isn't immediately easy. Perfection takes practice, patience, and, in the end, the love and effort you put into it. Backmatter provides more context and the deeper meaning of Lunar New Year traditions and symbols found within the story, as well as around the world.

Munchie and My Two Cents:

Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars (We really liked it)

This book is great for showing practice makes perfect, but also that there is greatness in imperfection. The traditions and meanings behind Ping's attempts to make the perfect pot were told in a way that was understandable to my daughter (5). We are not from the culture this book shows, but my sister-in-law is and my daughter very much enjoys learning about how her Aunt grew up and what holidays she celebrates. The information section at the back of the book explaining Lunar New Year and the traditions around it was a fantastic inclusion to teach those who don't know and to introduce them to children. The drawings of the people were a bit flat and seemed a tad copy/paste, but that was just something I noticed, it didn't bother my daughter at all. I read this digital book through NetGalley.

To Sum Up: A lovely book for teaching practice, traditions, and cultural differences, an excellent learning tool with a sweet story to back it up.

 

Review: Friday Night Cocktails

 

Title: Friday Night Cocktails: 52 Drinks to Welcome Your Weekend
Series: Stand Alone
Author: AJ Dean
Illustrator: N/A
Publish Date: Nov 7, 2023
Publisher: The Collective Book Studio
Genre: Cookbook
Age: 19+
Started Reading: December 2, 2024
Finished Reading: December 12, 2024
NetGalley?: Yes

  

Book Summary from Goodreads:

Friday Night Cocktails invites readers to welcome their weekend with open arms... and a Negroni Sbagliato.

"With its elegant photographs and gleaming, gilt-letter packaging, Friday Night Cocktails is a crowd-pleasing guide for those who raise their glasses to the weekend." – Foreword Reviews

Friday Night Cocktails is for anyone interested in a well-made, non-fussy, homemade mixed drink. The 52 cocktails (plus numerous variations) are made with common ingredients that readers can easily keep on-hand. Including old stand-bys (e.g., Gin & Tonic) as well as new takes on the standards (e.g., Blood Orange Margarita), the book’s message is “Try something new, but be mindful of the tried-and-true.”

With 50+ stunning images, Friday Night Cocktails closes the door on the week and welcomes the weekend. And what better way to do that than with a chilled cocktail? 

My Two Cents:

Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars (We really enjoyed it)

This book is exactly what it says. Drink recipes for the whole year, split into seasons. The variety is wonderful, and the fact that every drink has a variation gives a 2 for 1 feel. The preface gives a nice history of the cocktail, as well as an equipment list and explanation. A number of specialty ingredients have recipes or tips found within the book.

The photography is lovely, and all of the drinks pictured look amazing.

My husband and I tried the Hot Toddy, Espresso Martini, Cranberry Mule (virgin and full blast), Hot Buttered Rum, Irish Coffee, Lemon Drop, Gin and Tonic (a classic), and Mojito. (Not all in one night, it was December, there were holiday parties). We found the recipes easy to follow and all turned out nicely.

The downside is that the ingredients list is extensive. To make all of the drinks in the book does require some investment. There are a number of fancier drinks that use very specific liqueurs or flavoured bitters that may be difficult to find. Some are given substitutes, but some are not.

Definitely a book to check out if you'd like to up your cocktail game, or just learn how to make some of the classics.

I read this book as a free digital offering through NetGalley.

To Sum Up: A fantastic set of recipes that may require some initial investment to your bar.

 

Review: Just One More Story

Title: Just One More Story
Series: Stand Alone
Author: Perry Emerson
Illustrator: Sean Julian
Publish Date: January 7, 2025
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Genre: Children's Fiction
Age: 3-7
Started Reading: January 2, 2025
Finished Reading: January 2, 2025
NetGalley?: Yes

Book Summary from Goodreads:

Pip and Bun are two very different bunnies. Pip LOVES reading. Bun does not. Then one day, Bun opens a book filled with action and adventure. Could it be the perfect way for Bun to learn to enjoy reading?

Munchie and My Two Cents:

Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars (Really good!)

Quite an adorable story about two sibling bunnies and how they work together to find a way to tell stories that interests both of them. Muncie (5) absolutely loved the illustrations. She thought the different stories talked about were funny (A penguin on a motorcycle... WHAT?!) When the bunnies started misbehaving and fighting she stopped the book to talk about how they were not nice, and was very happy to see that they made up and went back to playing. On my part I very much enjoyed reading this book. There were a bunch of parts I could make interactive, and playing with the bunnies' voices was fun. Seeing my daughter recognize and discuss the not so great moments was good too, and the showing how both came to a point of reconciliation on their own was a very good example. I like how it showed a believable sibling relationship with ups and downs, and allowed for conversation about it. We read this digital picture book through NetGalley.

To Sum Up: This was a very cute book with a realistic view on sibling relationships, and showed how one can encourage the other to read.

Review: Kawaii Cafe Ramen

Title: Kawaii Cafe Ramen: Classic, Fun, and Delicious Ramen Meals to Make at Home
Series: Stand Alone
Author: Amy Kimoto-Kahn
Illustrator: Amy Kimoto-Kahn
Publish Date: January 14, 2025
Publisher: Rock Point
Genre: Cookbook
Age: All
Started Reading: January 2, 2025
Finished Reading: January 6, 2025
NetGalley?: Yes

Book Summary from Goodreads:

Satisfy your ramen cravings at home (and affordably)!  Kawaii Café  Ramen includes over 60 easy-to-follow recipes, beautifully illustrated in a fun anime style.

Kawaii Café Ramen covers everything you need to know, including how to put together a bowl of piping hot ramen in a myriad of ways with a choice of four soup bases, ramen noodles (homemade or store-bought), and traditional and non-traditional ingredients. Enjoy bowls of pork, chicken, and beef ramen, or branch out with seafood, vegetarian, and spicy soups—and even cold ramen and a breakfast version topped with bacon and a poached egg. Make your soup base in advance and you have a quick, easy, and special midweek family meal.

Each accompanied by exciting anime-style illustrations, the recipes

Indonesian Pork Ramen with Coconut Curry SoupChicken Meatball RamenTeriyaki Beef–Wrapped Asparagus RamenCalifornia Ramen with Crabmeat, Avocado, and CucumberSpicy Tofu RamenCrispy Greens Ramen with Swiss Chard, Kale, and Brussels Sprouts
With yummy recipes, down-to-earth writing, and a delightful design, Kawaii Café Ramen is the ultimate guide to this global phenomenon.

My Two Cents:

Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars (I really liked it)

I'm going to start this off by saying, I love ramen! I've been a huge fan of it since the early 2000's when I'd first moved out and had a little restaurant that made 'real' ramen just down the street. Then I got Celiac Disease and sadly went about with whatever I could make at home by myself with various rice noodles, but it was never the same. This book has upped my game! While I'm still stuck with the rice noodles, now I can bring the good soup bases and toppings home and have something much closer to the real deal! The recipes are clear and the language used around everything is optimistic and very encouraging. The shining star of this book, I think, is the section on side dishes. This is what elevates this book from being a one trick pony to a fantastic resource. The illustrations are very cute, but I would have liked to see a couple of pictures to show what to expect of the actual finished product. I will be using this book a lot in the future. I read this digital advanced copy through NetGalley.

To Sum Up: Lots of really great, easy to follow recipes, could use a real photo or two for the finished products.

Review: The Journey of Clementine

 

Title: The Journey of Clementine
Series: Stand Alone
Author: Alessandro Montagnana
Illustrator: Alessandro Montagnana
Publish Date: March 4, 2025
Publisher: NubeOcho
Genre: Children's Fiction, Picture Book
Age: 4-8
Started Reading: January 2, 2025
Finished Reading: January 2, 2025
NetGalley?: Yes

Book Summary from NetGalley:

Clementine doesn't know what animal she is, she was just born and there is no one like her around. She meets Cricket and Moth, who explain that she is an insect, but they don't remember which one. She thinks she might be a star because she has light, like the ones they see in the sky.
That very same night, a little girl leaves her house to chase the small lights that illuminate the forest. They will meet and become friends. Will the girl be able to help Clementine understand who she is?

Munchie and My Two Cents:

Goodreads rating: 4 Stars (Really good!)

This is a very sweet little book about a firefly trying to find others like her. Munchie (5) very much enjoyed the drawings, and the characters. Seeing a little girl like her help the firefly made her very happy. She was engaged and followed the emotions through the story, feeling sad when Clementine was sad, and nervous when things got tense. We chatted about her feelings with the story, and she was so happy when the the little girl showed up. For my part I think this book was well written, the story is clear and easy to follow. The illustrations are adorable, and even when a 'scary' moment happens, the illustrations remain on theme. Clementine's journey is a very cute little book, and to some effect, helped my daughter to see bugs as other creatures and not scary things. Definitely one we'll be looking to pick up in hard copy for the bookshelf. We read this digital picture book through NetGalley.

To Sum Up:

This was an adorable book about bugs that was engaging enough for my 5 year old to be invested at bedtime.

Starting 2025 With a Clean Slate

 

I opened my Goodreads in December, looked at my TBR, took a deep breath.... and removed everything.

The last time I updated that list was in 2016, and to say I'm a different person now would be an understatement. While there were a number of books there that I do still want to read, many were on there for specific challenges from groups that are currently not active. 

So I decided to start 2025 with a clean slate.

Just looking at the list was making me feel overwhelmed. I'm going to use it as a place to keep the books I'll be soon reading, rather than a list of hopefuls, sometime in the future.

My plan for this year are to review all the books I read (excepting the many repeats of kid's books... one review per book is my limit). I'm pretty sure most of the grown up books I read will be through NetGalley as that is just the easiest way to access books for me right now. I'm finding I'm having difficulty with getting the books I want to read in the time I want to read them through the library. Many books I search either aren't in the catalogue or have months long waiting lists. That's not very conducive to buddy or challenge reads.

My goals this year are:

1. Read 12 grown up books this year. I think planning on 1 per month is reasonable, and I may even get more!

2. Read 1 new book to the kids each week. Considering their books take less than 10 minutes to go through normally, this is totally achievable. I'm mainly doing this so we don't get stuck in a rut of re-reading the same 5 favourite books over and over.

3. As stated above, review all books that I read, and as a subsection to that, start cross posting to social media. Any NetGalley books will obviously be reviewed there, however I want to get my reviews on here, as well as Goodreads. I have Instagram, TikTok, and Bluesky, and it would be nice to get them going with reviews. I'm not looking to become a Bookfluencer or anything, just to honestly review stuff for the authors and people looking. Especially the kids books because there isn't as much out there as for those written for adults.

4. Be more active on my Goodreads groups. I'm part of Challenge Corner, NetGalley Readers, and NetGalley Buddy Reads and I just want to be more active and part of the community.

5. Continue to be active on Librivox. I host the podcast, proof listen, and book coordinate over there and I want to continue what I've started. The only issue with being a proof listener rather than listening to the finished story is that I quite often listen out of order, so I'm not sure I can count those books. I may include a Librivox post each month just to keep track of my activity and give it a little promo.

6. Play around with the NetGalley Reading Journal. I don't expect this to be something I actively update throughout the year, at least not on a book by book basis. I'd like to at least do the Month Summary pages though.

I think these are all reasonable goals for the year. The biggest challenge will be time, but I'm planning on taking that time after the kids are in bed now, even if it means hopping out to a coffee shop to get it done.

What goals or plans are you looking at for the year?