The Secret History of Food: Strange but True Stories About the Origins of Everything We Eat

Today’s post is on The Secret History of Food: Strange but True Stories About the Origins of Everything We Eat by Matt Siegel. It is 288 pages long and is published by Ecco. The cover is a picture of the title with different foods in places of the letters. The intended reader is someone who is interested in the history of food. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- An entertaining look at the little-known history surrounding the foods we know and loveIs Italian olive oil really  Italian, or are we dipping our bread in lamp oil? Why are we masochistically drawn to foods that can hurt us, like hot peppers? Far from being a classic American dish, is apple pie actually . . . English?

“As a species, we’re hardwired to obsess over food,” Matt Siegel explains as he sets out “to uncover the hidden side of everything we put in our mouths.” Siegel also probes subjects ranging from the myths—and realities—of food as aphrodisiac, to how one of the rarest and most exotic spices in all the world (vanilla) became a synonym for uninspired sexual proclivities, to the role of food in fairy- and morality tales.

Review- A fascinating historical overview of food and how we make it. Siegel has both great knowledge of his subject and a great sense of humor about it too. He had me laughing many times over the course of the book with his witty asides. Siegel gives an excellent insight into how food is made, stories about how some of the most famous foods were created, and how food has changed in the millenniums that we have been eating. I listened to this as an audiobook and the reader was Roger Wayne and he did a great job. I enjoyed this book very much and I would recommend it.  

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library. 

Love in Focus, Vol. 1

Today’s post is on Love in Focus, Vol. 1 by Yoko Nogiri. It is 160 pages long and is published by Kodansha Comics. The cover has the three main characters on it. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this manga. The intended reader is someone who is interested in shojo manga, coming of age stories, and mild romance. The story is told from third person close of the main character, Mako. There Be Spoilers Ahead. 

From the back of the book- Mako's always had a passion for photography. When she loses someone dear to her, she clings to her art as a relic of the close relationship she once had...Luckily, her childhood best friend Kei encourages her to come to his high school and join their prestigious photo club. With nothing to lose, Mako grabs her camera and moves into the dorm where Kei and his classmates live. Soon, a fresh take on life, along with a mysterious new muse, begin to come into focus!

Review- Mako is trying to deal with the death of her grandfather and her oldest friend invites to come to his high school which has a great photography club. That is the set-up for this coming of age story. Mako is a good main character, she is willing to try new things but she knows what she wants from life and isn’t afraid to go after it. The two male leads are her oldest friend, Kei, and the shy boy Amemura. Very normal set-up so far but I'm hopeful that in the next volume we get something interesting and different from the normal shojo coming of age but even if not I’m still enjoying the series. 

I give this volume a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

The Last Word

Today’s post is on The Last Word by Ellery Adams. It is 313 pages long and is published by Berkley. The cover has a house with a broken window and a big poodle, Captain Havland in front. There is mild foul language, very mild sex and sexuality, and some violence in this book. As it is the third volume in the series and you need to have read the first two to understand the characters. The intended reader is someone who likes cozy mysteries, character driven stories, and very pleasant writing.  The story is told from third person close of the main character, Olivia. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the blurb on Hoopla- Olivia Limoges and the Bayside Book Writers are excited about Oyster Bay's newest resident: bestselling novelist Nick Plumley, who's come to work on his next book. But when Olivia stops by Plumley's rental she finds that he's been strangled to death. Her instincts tell her that something from the past came back to haunt him, but she never expects that the investigation could spell doom for one of her dearest friends...

Review- This continues to be a wonderful found family series with a mystery to tie it all together. Olivia is continuing to grow and change as she comes out of the shell that she made of herself. The murder is a backdrop to the characters and their growth, and I am here for it. I like all the characters in this series from Olivia as she tries to change into a better person to the Bay Side writers and the sheriff. They are the reason you read the series, you want to spend time with the characters and watch them grow. Olivia continues to be a fairy godmother to everyone she meets but I like that about her. I like that she wants to help others and uses what she has to do so. I look forward to the next volume. 

I give this volume a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library’s Hoopla account.

Don't Call It a Cult: The Shocking Story of Keith Raniere and the Women of NXIVM

Today’s post is on Don't Call It a Cult: The Shocking Story of Keith Raniere and the Women of NXIVM by Sarah Berman. It is 321 pages long and is published by Steer Forth Press. The cover is a picture of a road with a washed out house on the left side. The intended reader is someone who is interested in true crime, cults, and women’s survival stories. There is foul language, sex, sexuality, rape, and violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- They draw you in with the promise of empowerment, self-discovery, women helping women. The more secretive those connections are, the more exclusive you feel. Little did you know, you just joined a cult.

Sex trafficking. Self-help coaching. Forced labour. Mentorship. Multi-level marketing. Gaslighting. Investigative journalist Sarah Berman explores the shocking practices of NXIVM, a global organization run by Keith Raniere and his high-profile enablers (Seagram heir Clare Bronfman; Smallville actor Allison Mack; Battlestar Galactica actor Nicki Clyne). Through the accounts of central NXIVM figures, Berman unravels how young women seeking creative coaching and networking opportunities found themselves blackmailed, literally branded, near-starved, and enslaved. With the help of the Bronfman fortune Raniere built a wall of silence around these abuses, leveraging the legal system to go after enemies and whistleblowers.

Don't Call It a Cult shows that these abuses looked very different from the inside, where young women initially received mentorship and protection. Don't Call It a Cult is a riveting account of NXIVM's rise to power, its ability to evade prosecution for decades, and the investigation that finally revealed its dark secrets to the world. It explores why so many were drawn to its message of empowerment yet could not recognize its manipulative and harmful leader for what he was—a criminal.

Review- A well-written if horrifying book about a cult that almost got away with everything from blackmail to sex trafficking's. Berman, as an investigative journalist, can get access to the former members of NXIVM and they are more than willing to talk to her about everything they survived. At times this is a very hard book to read because Berman makes it so clear that anyone  could be these women. Keith Raniere studied other cults and MLM practices to perfect his art and for more than twenty years, it worked just fine. But like many cult leaders before him, Raniere thought he was untouchable. He began to push the inner circle of women too far and everything he worked for came down. Berman’s notes are an excellent resource at the end of the book.  I would recommend this book if you are interested in cults or just want to know about NXIVM in particular. 

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library. 

Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter Vol. 5

Today’s post is on Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter Vol. 5 by Reia (original author), Suki Umemiya (Artist). It is 162 pages long and is published by Seven Seas. The cover has Iris and her friend on it looking at the reader. As it is the fifth in the series you need to have the first four volumes to understand the story. The intended reader is someone who likes political shojo manga. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this series. The story is told from third person close of the main character, Iris. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- All’s fair in love and war

With the thread of civil war looming, Iris must figure out how to protect her fiefdom. To her surprise, her most dangerous opponent might be an old rival in love, Yuri. Yuri has the second prince twisted around her finger, and seems to be the driving force behind the kingdom’s unrest. Will Iris figure out Yuri’s plan, or will she lose once again?

Review- This volume picks up right where volume four left off with Iris still in the capital trying to see what is going on. The blurb makes it sound like Iris and Yuri meet and are having some kind of face off when that is not what happens. It is more like Iris is discovering that Yuri is more than just the original heroine of this world and she may be a villain in disguise. As this is a more political manga than a love story we get more information about social structure and how to progress a society into a better and healthier one. I am curious about Iris going to learn next about Yuri and what plans she may have for the future. 

I give this volume a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

Yarn to Go

Today’s post is on Yarn to Go by Betty Hechtman. It is 294 pages long and is published by Berkley. The cover has a cute black cat playing with yarn on it. It is the first in her Yarn Retreat Mystery series. There is no foul language, no sex, and very mild violence in this novel. The intended reader is someone who likes cozy mysteries. The story is told from first person close of the main character, Casey. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Dessert chef Casey Feldstein doesn’t know a knitting needle from a crochet hook. But after her aunt dies unexpectedly, leaving Casey to run her yarn retreat business, the sweets baker finds herself rising to the occasion—and trying to unravel a murder mystery…

When Casey finds out that her late aunt’s business, Yarn2Go, has one more yarn retreat scheduled, she decides to go ahead and host the event, despite her complete lack of experience as a knitter. At least the retreat is on the beautiful Monterey Peninsula.

But the idyllic setting is soured when a retreat regular is found murdered in her hotel room. Feeling a sense of responsibility, Casey begins to weave the clues together and detects a pattern which may shed light on her aunt’s suspicious death. Despite the danger, the last thing Casey plans to do is retreat. She’ll catch this killer…or dye trying.

Review- A very cute and engaging first novel with cute characters. Casey has just lost her aunt, the only family member who understood her, and is still trying to settle her affairs, when Casey discovers that she cannot cancel a knitting retreat that her aunt planned before her death. So Casey has to host it and during the process discovers a lot about herself, some about her aunt, and killer too. This is a very normal cozy mystery but don’t let that stop you from reading it. It has excellent characters, a fun mystery, and a great small town atmosphere. If you are a fan of cozies then you should give this one a try. 

I give this novel a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this novel with my own money.

Takane & Hana, Vol. 4

Today’s post is on Takane & Hana, Vol. 4 by Yuki Shiwasu. It is 200 pages long and is published by Shojo Beat. The cover has Takane and Hana on it lighty glaring at each other. As it is the fourth in the series you need to have read the first three volumes. The intended reader is someone who likes over the top characters, humor, and coming of age stories. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in the volume. The story is told from third person close of mostly Hana but sometimes from other characters as plot needs. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- It’s summer, but Takane is so busy with work that he doesn’t have much time to spend with Hana! Enter Takane’s new assistant Eiji Kirigasaki, an efficient helper who gains Takane’s trust and allows Takane to have more free time. Despite all the support he’s giving, however, Kirigasaki might have an ulterior motive that could lead to Takane’s downfall! 

Review- We finish with the beach story and move into a more serious story about Takane’s uncle wanting to take him down. He is jealous of how favored Takane is by his grandfather, so Takane’s uncle sends a spy into Takane’s office. The spy is his new assistant but because Takane is really good at his job Eiji doesn’t have anything other than Hana to bring to the uncle. And Eiji doesn’t want to do that as Takane has impressed Eiji. But Hana is more in the  background in this volume and I was fine with that as we got to see more of what Takane has had to overcome to get where he is now. I am curious about what his uncle is going to do now. 

I give this volume a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.