hissingpotatoes's reviews
1395 reviews

The Complete Bag Making Masterclass: A Comprehensive Guide to Modern Bag Making Techniques by Samantha Hussey

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2.5

Outlines common parts of bag making, then puts them together into several projects. I like that this book talks a little more about using faux leather than other books. The projects looks good and offer a variety of designs. However, the font is strangely small, and there aren't nearly enough pictures to go along with the instructions. 
The Better Bag Maker: An Illustrated Handbook of Handbag Design - Techniques, Tips, and Tricks by Nicole Mallalieu

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2.0

Not enough pics, confusing/muddled instructions, more complicated than necessary, projects named after random cities with no apparent connection. 
The Bag Making Bible [With Pattern(s)] by Lisa Lam

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3.5

Well organized with tons of techniques presented in useful, scaffolded steps. The pages are very busy visually which might be intimidating for a beginner, but I wouldn't want any of that information removed. 
Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle

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4.0

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A solid adventure at the intersection of horror, queerness, social commentary, and storytelling.

The story mentions a lot of in-universe horror media and characters that really showcase the author's creativity and make the world feel like it has depth. The horror elements are done well and with variety, so not just endless gruesome descriptions or just anxious anticipation or just cosmic horror. It is a nice combination and homage to the horror genre. I had a very visceral, cringing reaction to the gruesome bits, so the author is successful in getting that imagery across in text.

The book explores a lot of themes with finesse: being queer, coming out, consumerism of stories (particularly queer stories, both in general and in horror), the unfettered capitalistic hellscape that commodifies everything, creativity as an outlet, art vs capitalism, and the ways these things interweave with each other.

Even though I knew by the end what purpose the scenes told in third person serve, at first they were really confusing and ultimately seem like a complicated and tangential method for getting to that story point. The audiobook full-cast narration with sound effects gives those scenes a lot of weight that didn't pan out into anything substantial story-wise. Otherwise the audiobook narration is very good.

The author uses the word "questioned" instead of "asked" for probably every single instance of those question dialogue tags, which sounds strange to my ear and jarred me out of the book a little every time. There is a lot of Misha referring to characters as "my boyfriend" or "my friend" in the narration, which also sounds strange and weakens the writing a bit.*

I got hooked into the story and characters pretty early. I read through the book fairly quickly because the momentum caught me up and I just had to know what happened next. The journey was worthwhile and satisfying and made me reflect on the themes mentioned above. If you're a horror fan this book fits the bill, and if you're not normally a horror fan (I'm not), this book is a good entryway into the genre.

You might like this if you like: The Newsflesh series by Mira Grant 

*Edit: Chuck Tingle posted that characters referring to people by tags like "my boyfriend" and "my friend" reflects how many autistic people think. I learned something new and am glad of it.
The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst

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4.0

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is peak cozy, and I am 100% here for it.

I adore the role of magic, the research and experimentation that ensue to get it right, and the sometimes fun and unexpected results that follow amateur magical spellwork.

One of the central themes focuses on finding and building home. Between Kiela's parents' past expectations and the potential of the future at hand, Kiela struggles to figure out what she wants after she's uprooted, let alone whether or not she can obtain it.

Part of building home in this book is developing a strong found family, not just for Kiela but for other characters as well. I loved meeting the quirky, diverse characters as Kiela did; the sentient plants, bear-shaped tree spirits, a baker, a flying healer, a four-armed harpist, merpeople, merhorses, winged cats, and even a chicken are all treated as equally important. The found family grows in branches and strength very organically and satisfyingly throughout the story, culminating in the safety net that gets everyone through the challenges they face, stronger together.

Another central thread I like is the importance of kindness. Fortunately the book doesn't promote toxic kindness no matter how horrible people are—it doesn't excuse/ignore characters' terrible actions—but it does show how kindness as the flip side of that coin is a choice that can and often should be made.

It's a delight to watch Kiela, our socially awkward main character, come into her own as she builds her connections, her survival strategy, her confidence, and her convictions. She doesn't inherently change who she is—she's still a socially awkward introvert—but she has the opportunity to really define herself and finds a place that welcomes her as she is. Her internal monologue as she considers how to respond to situations resonates very strongly with me and probably will to any other socially awkward introvert.

The romance is woven in with all the other plotlines and is very cute and satisfying. The amount of times Kiela mentioned Larran's tallness could have been reduced.

I appreciate that the book pushes against oppressive institutions in a gentle way without hiding the negative impacts such institutions have on individual and systemic levels.

The deftness with which building home, finding family, showing kindness, being yourself, resisting oppression, and doing magic unfold gradually throughout the book really makes it shine. The more I reflect on the story, the more I realize how subtly well crafted everything is.

I enjoyed every moment of reading and actively looked forward to picking the book back up again (considering I'd been in a reading rut, this is huge for me). The audiobook narrator is excellent. Highly recommend for a cozy happy time.

You might like this if you like: The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune, Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree, Witchful Thinking by Celestine Martin, The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna 
Create Your Own Artist's Journal by Erin O'Toole

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2.5

There is some specific information for crafting a journal and drawing in it at the beginning, but the majority of the book is more for generic inspiration. Everything is basically "sit still and draw what you observe" without much more detail. There are lots of examples with the author's notes about when she drew them. The book is more an exploration of the author's art journal than a how-to. 
Funny Story by Emily Henry

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4.0

Emily Henry's books just make me happy, not least because of the humor and lack of toxic masculinity. I like the way she weaves the romance and friendships with the characters working through their personal hangups. The ending could have lasted a little longer between resolution and epilogue to give more space for some of the issues (like with Daphne's father), but overall the tension was well paced. I read the book in two sittings because I didn't want to put it down. 
Refashioned Bags: Upcycle Absolutely Anything Into High-Style Handbags by Faith Blakeney, Justina Blakeney

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2.5

The instructions seem thorough and include diagrams. However, almost all of the projects look obviously DIY. Many just don't look nice at all, sometimes because of baffling materials like bubbled bath mats. I like the idea behind reusing suit coats and such but the executions don't impress me. 
Sewing Perfect Little Bags & Totes by Carolina Moore

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4.0

This is a great bag sewing book focused on techniques, not projects. The projects are all simple totes or pouches, each showcasing a different technique. Most steps have an accompanying photo, sometimes two! The instructions are clear and useful with lots of helpful tips. 
99 Ways to Cut, Sew, Trim, and Tie Your T-Shirt into Something Special by Faith Blakeney

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0.5

There are no photos of the finished projects, just highly stylized illustrations. The instructions are laughably bare minimum. Many of the designs look hideous/impractical and/or just include random cutouts as if that makes a style.