studiomikarts's reviews
90 reviews

Sherlock Holmes: The Definitive Collection by Arthur Conan Doyle

adventurous dark funny hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

I'd read a good deal of the original Sherlock Holmes stories before starting this audiobook but it was here that I finally experienced them all. Stephen Fry was a phenomenal narrator! Excellent character voices, foreign accents, emotional delivery at all the right times--I suppose that's what you get when someone with true acting chops reads you some of the best stories ever written~ I don't think I'll ever be able to listen to anyone else narrate the Holmes canon. The inclusion at the beginning of each book of a foreword by Fry himself was an excellent move. Not only did I learn a ton about the stories and their author, I learned things about the narrator that tied him to the Holmes fandom and just made him more interesting than ever as a person. I'm sure this won't be the last time I listen to this audiobook!

Content Warnings

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

The Hobbit is my number one favorite book of all time. I'm very happy to report that Andy Serkis's narration not only does it justice, it brings it into the realm of artistic performance. I laughed out loud, I was riveted, I got chills, and I was moved deeply, even though I've read these words countless times before. The only negative is that the singing parts can be a tad bit awkward, but combined with the rest of the amusing and powerful reading, it actually works to give the listener an experience akin to having the story read by one's favorite uncle, perhaps sitting as a family around the crackling fireplace as dusk falls~ It's a simultaneously cozy and enthralling audiobook! Ultimately, I felt like this was what the most recent live-action movie adaptations should have been, especially considering some of the same melodies for the songs are used here!

Content Warnings

The Legend of the Christmas Witch by Julia Iredale, Aubrey Plaza, Daniel Murphy

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adventurous dark fast-paced

3.5

Well this book did not end how I expected! It's very rare for me to read an open-ended conclusion like this, especially in a picturebook. I'm not sure how I feel about it. I think it's interesting and surprising to leave off in a way that makes it seem like the most exciting part may be yet to come (not in a sequel way; rather, it almost feels like a ghost story, where the audience is left to ponder it and perhaps spook themselves later with their own thoughts). But the ending also had too much of a real-world influence. The idea that

global climate change is on its way to releasing the witch, who may then unleash either good or evil upon the world

is a bit too much on the nose. There are other similar instances like that throughout the book, as well. Just being a little too eager to make a modern Christmas tale that addresses modern concerns about equality and the environment. Keep in mind that this is the opinion of a very liberal minded reader; I love stories that give females prominent and starring roles, and change expectations and the status quo, and more important still, stories that encourage compassion and care for animals and the environment, but I still wish it would have been more subtly attempted in this story. For instance, instead of

Kristtorn's brother literally telling her there's no place for her in the world and that she'd best stay hidden, which comes across strongly as a man telling a woman to know her place, or in other words, that women 'belong in the kitchen'

, surely there was a more artful way? I asked myself that question at many places throughout the book, unfortunately. There was also a single typo in the middle of the book that was a bit silly and rather ruined the mood and immersion on that page.

Setting the issues with the writing aside, I loved the illustrations throughout the book. They are gorgeous and make The Legend of the Christmas Witch worth owning, even with its other shortcomings. If you enjoy picturebooks primarily for the imagery, this is definitely one worth adding to your collection!

The Great Stink: How Joseph Bazalgette Solved London's Poop Pollution Problem by Colleen Paeff, Nancy Carpenter

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funny informative lighthearted fast-paced

5.0

What an excellent non-fiction picturebook! It tells a story few today have heard (at least among my circles) and does it in an accessible, engaging way. The text is well-placed and the information easy to understand. The illustrations are both humorous and detailed, rendered in an easy, loose style that modestly hides how much planning and design must have gone into each spread. The inclusion of modern day information on poop pollution and ways individuals can help curb it is an excellent conclusion!

Content Warnings

When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops? by George Carlin

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challenging dark funny fast-paced

3.0

George Carlin was my favorite comedian for most of my life, but as the years have gone by, and especially with the rise in extremist politics in America and the start of the pandemic (among a great many other things) it's hard to find the darkest parts of his irreverent comedy funny anymore. There are people today who espouse such views honestly, not sarcastically or in jest. I know people who have heard the most twisted things Carlin said and modeled their lives on them, using them as excuses for appalling behavior and opinions. Seeing this unfold in my lifetime has ruined what used to be nothing more than irreverent comedy, and I came to realize that in reading this book.

Even so, there are still some nuggets of pure comedy, witty language, and striking insight in this book (and in Carlin's material as a whole). I wish someone would make a fan edit of just the best stuff, but I suppose it's all a matter of opinion, so the only one who could do that to my satisfaction would be myself 😅 Here are a few quotes that I loved:

I'm not a person who thinks he can have it all, but I certainly feel that with a bit of effort and guile I should be able to have more than my fair share.
These anti-war demonstrators are really unimpressive people. They're against war? How groundbreaking; what a courageous stand. Listen, angry asshole, pick something difficult. Like religion. Why don't you get out on the street and start marching around against religion―something that's really harmful to mankind. War is simply nature's way of doing things; of keeping down the count. Religion is the problem. Get rid of religion and you've done the planet a favor. So how about getting out there next weekend and marching around with a sign that says Ho ho ho! Religion must go!? Come on, protesters, show some balls.
There are caregivers and there are caretakers, and yet the two words are not opposites. Why is this?
I wish the ecology people would save one species that would make a dramatic comeback and then wipe us all out.

There were a lot of gems like the above, but outside the negative issues I mentioned already, there was also a LOT of repetitive content that was so boring I just skimmed over it whenever I realized it was happening again. It was mostly the euphemisms sections, but there were other instances as well, usually long lists of similar words. I think that kind of material works much better delivered in a standup routine. Sometimes, I will grant, the repetition worked in the book's favor, and I'd look forward to certain bits, especially the bullet lists of random thoughts or questions, which always showed Carlin's wit and warmth.

Overall, three stars feels good as my rating. No higher, no lower. But I think this and my other Carlin book will be leaving my personal library after this. The good stuff is really good, but the bad stuff is too much.

Content Warnings

The Unofficial Harry Potter Vegan Cookbook: Extraordinary plant-based meals inspired by the Wizarding World by Imana Grashuis, Tylor Starr

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adventurous funny hopeful informative inspiring fast-paced

5.0

Absolutely five-star cookbook! For TL;DR: the recipes are delicious, the book beautiful, and the information about veganism and vegan cooking both helpful and inspiring!

If you're a Harry Potter fan, get this cookbook! It doesn't matter if you're not vegan, forget about the stereotypes, this food is indulgent and beautiful and absolutely satisfying. The good you'll be doing for animals, the environment, and your own health can just be considered bonuses! It's easy to forget, but the book itself is a beautiful showpiece as well, with a silky, embossed cover; patterned endpapers; well-organized, easy-to-read text; and full-page, color photographs included with every recipe.

Before I describe my experience with the half-dozen recipes I've already tried, here are some highlights from the other sections of the book:

Enthralling foreword by Evanna Lynch. If you're already vegan, your passion for the cause will be set ablaze ❤️‍🔥 For those who are veg-curious, you may be moved to finally take the next step!
Listing the reasons to go vegan and tying them to the Wizarding World we all know and love~
Vegan alternatives section that can help veganize any recipe or allow you to throw together a quick vegan meal without instructions.
Fun and helpful Kitchen Witch Tips. A bit too new age witch (spiritual/religious) and not enough fantasy witch (my view of the Wizarding World) for me, so I came up with my own versions because I did like the core ideas being presented (such as clean the kitchen before cooking, get as much light into the kitchen as possible when working, be mindful and grateful as you cook, etc.).
The appendix section that lists all recipes, including by which Harry Potter book they're from (such a good idea!), and the metric conversion page (I grew up with Imperial but I prefer metric for its precision!).

I made several recipes from this book for Thanksgiving this year and I was able to provide my family with a complete and magical vegan feast! In fact, I had to make some recipes the weekend after the holiday because I chose way more things than I could make 😅 Here's what I made and how it was:

Rabbit Food Grazing Board: So delicious, so filling, perfect for a big gathering or party! The grilled olives were an awesome, unusual addition that I loved, and it was treat to have pomegranate seeds for the first time since childhood (they went well with everything), but the star was the tzatziki sauce. I will make this sauce any time I want tzatziki from now on!
Dragon Roasted Nuts: These were a big hit with my entire family, one of the things people called out as particularly delicious. The best thing is, they have a flavor that is both seductively familiar and yet wholly unique. It's hard to stop eating them because you just want more and more of that enchanting taste!
Fang's Boarhound Treats: I made these as my pups' Thanksgiving treat and they LOVED them. Absolutely no hesitation or polite curiosity, just munch, munch, down the hatch! Being vegan, these treats are made with stuff humans wouldn't mind eating, like applesauce, peanut butter, and vegan yogurt. I might have to reserve one for myself next time...
Butterbeer Three Ways: For Thanksgiving, I chose to make the hot butterbeer and kept it warm in a small slow cooker. The only downside is the calculation necessary to quadruple the recipe, as it only serves two normally. This was another item that was particularly praised by everyone in my family!
Pumpkin Patch Brownies: SO INDULGENT. So rich and delicious~ To simplify the recipe, I replaced the cubed pumpkin, coconut oil, and gingerbread spices with canned pumpkin pie filling. It worked great (the pumpkin pie flavor sat evenly with the rich chocolate) and cut off at least a good half hour of cooking/prep work!

To make cooking easier for Christmas this year, we've ordered catering for the main meal, and I'm just going to make some desserts and drinks, several of them from this book, including the Apple Pie and Arthur's Eggnog 🤤 And there are so many holiday appropriate recipes still remaining, not just for the end-of-year holidays. How about Liquid Luck for New Year's? Amortentia for Valentine's Day? The Great Feast for Independence Day? Full Moon Cookies for Halloween? Not to mention Happee Birthdae Cake for all those special days! And there are plenty recipes more for whatever you're in the mood for, such as Cheery Owl Breakfast Donuts, Buckbeak's Stuffed Pumpkins, Coconut Snow Cones, Caramelized Devil's Snare, Ernie's Sandwich, Slithering Snake Ravioli, Polyjuice Potion, and Treacle Tart (Harry's favorite!).

I hope everyone will try this cookbook and enjoy all its magical offerings~!

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts One and Two by J.K. Rowling

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adventurous dark mysterious sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

I finally decided to try reading this again for the first time in years because it was the December selection for the Protego Foundation book club, which I had only recently discovered. The first time I attempted to read this, back when it was first published, I only got a few pages in before completely losing interest. This time, my second attempt, I got a bit farther. I found it easy to read, and even though I'm extremely busy this time of year, I was able to finish Part One before the book club meeting.

By that point, I am disappointed to say, I didn't care if the meeting ended up spoiling Part Two. There was so much that was off about the story, the characters, and their relationships. I did my best to give a generous amount of leeway, in consideration of the fact that this is the script for a stage production and not a novel, but that wasn't enough. A word I found myself constantly using in my reading notes was "unbelievable". Examples:

The father-son issues between Harry and Albus felt contrived, even forced. The Trolley Witch throwing explosives and growing spikes from her hands as a method of keeping passengers onboard the Hogwarts Express was utterly ridiculous; I think most people would jump overboard in fear, not quietly return to their seats! And the big drop, Cedric turning Death Eater because he was publicly embarrassed. Truly unbelievable to anyone who is a fan of the main series of novels. But that was not the worst moment. The poor taste of including a scene where adult Harry literally stands there and watches his parents being murdered: sickening, and out of line with everything we have come to expect from the Harry Potter stories.

There were plenty more complaints along those lines, but I don't want to spend any more time on this book than is necessary to express my deep disappointment. The only reason I finished it at all, after the book club was over, was because it was so easy to read. Even without the impetus of interest, I was able to breeze through it without any effort. I think that's perhaps the reason I gave it one star, instead of zero.

I think I'm generally quite a generous reviewer and an easy-to-please reader, but this book was horrible. I kept thinking, well, at least it can't get worse than this, and I kept being proven wrong! At the book club, I was hesitant to present a sure opinion, but it was already strongly unfavorable. Now that I'm done, I can say for sure I hated this story!

P.S. The Protego Foundation is an animal rights charity, so I read this with a focus on the depiction of animals. While there weren't many animals in it, I can't say I ever saw a positive mention. They were either used as weird insults (like 'only animals wet the bed' wtf?) or as symbols of evil, when they weren't rehashed elements from a previous Harry Potter novel or weak jokes (

a book club member pointed out that it's ridiculous to suggest Harry had no problem with the filthy owlery at Hogwarts but finds pigeons creepy because they're dirty?

). Even when reading it from this unusual perspective, there was nothing good about Harry Potter and the Cursed Child...at the book club, many people espoused the opinion that the actual performance is much better than the book. At the time, I said I'd probably see the play if I ever had the opportunity. Now I don't feel that way. I feel like it would be saying all the things that were so miserable about this reading are acceptable so long as something else is there to cover them up.

Content Warnings

A Man and His Cat, Volume 1 by Umi Sakurai

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

This was such a touching, heartwarming manga! It's very reminiscent of Chi's Sweet Home, both being cute tales told mainly from the point of view of cats who find new homes with loving humans. If you enjoyed Chi's story, I'm sure you'd love this. A Man and His Cat is a bit more bittersweet, with hints of past tragedy and more moments of sadness, but it's also full of humor and cuddly scenes that make you smile. The artwork is well done: pretty and easy to digest. When I finished this first volume, which I waited a long time to purchase so that I could save money by buying used, I immediately ordered all the following volumes--used if I could get them, but new if that was the only option--because that's how much I wanted to continue the story! If you're in the mood for something uplifting and fluffy, and especially if you were already considering reading this manga, I encourage you to give A Man and His Cat a try~

The Art of Slow Writing: Reflections on Time, Craft, and Creativity by Louise DeSalvo

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hopeful informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

5.0

It's hard to decide where to begin or what to include in my review. I have so many glowing remarks swirling inside me, I think I may end up saying less than I could, just because remarking upon all the individual points that make this book so informative and valuable would take too long! I think every writer should read this book, and just as is recommended in the book itself, they should read it slowly, while engaging in their writing practice. When I read that part, it convinced me to finally settle into a purposeful writing routine, with this book as my daily warmup. It is no exaggeration to say that the thousands of words I've added to my manuscript this year are hugely due to the constant, gentle encouragement this book provided. It didn't matter if the advice was relevant to what I was writing at the time. I absolutely filled the book with written sticky notes, marking things I want to remember later, things that I'll need when I finally get to that point in the process, things to be reminded of when I'm starting my next project, and things that are just good advice for any creative professional engaging in long-term projects.

I just happened to come across this book when shopping at Barnes & Noble one day, looking to use a coupon. The title caught my eye because it had already been years since I started my current novel and I still hadn't finished chapter one of my first draft. Who knew it would become my favorite book on writing, a paper teacher, encouraging and informing, and a magic talisman, spurring me on through darkness and doubt? It may sound overdramatic, but that's really the feeling I have toward this book. You can bet I will be reading it again and again throughout my writing career.

Olivia by Ian Falconer

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funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

What a charming book! I am so lucky to have snagged it from a Little Free Library 😊 It's no wonder it is a Caldecott honor book, what with how beautiful, elegant, and skillfully reserved the illustrations are. The character designs for Olivia and her family are so lovable. My favorite parts are the truly pig-like legs, the huge mouths, and the tiny eyes. So expressive! Seeing these characters engaging in all kinds of activities, from dress-up to art-making, is mesmerizing. The writing is spot on, as well. I laughed out loud a couple times! I added the Olivia box set to my wishlist; I want to read all of her adventures!

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studiomikarts's reviews 90 reviews

studiomikarts's reviews
90 reviews