The Binge Watcher's Guide to Supernatural by Jessica Mason

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Riverdale Avenue Books in exchange for an honest review.

The timing of this book was fortuitous. I have just started bingewatching Supernatural for the first time ever with my friend, and it seemed like the perfect time to read this book alongside it. Unfortunately, this was not the fun experience I was hoping for.

This book is written by a megafan which would be a good thing if it wasn't so cringey to read. It's very rare that I'll use that word but this book is just full of bad vibes. The author constantly drools over and sexualises the main actors in a very 'Tumblr' way. The blurb states 'Think of this as John Winchester's journal, guiding you through trivia and tribulations to enrich watching this incredible show'. I don't think John Winchester would describe his sons in this way, despite the tendency for the show to include some incestuous vibes.

Bafflingly, she praises the amazing acting skills at several points whilst berating the campier episodes of the show. I may be in the minority here but I feel like Supernatural is the kind of show to be enjoyed for its campiness. The acting is very bad, especially during earlier seasons. That is part of the fun and the charm, and it makes the watching experience for me.

I am willing to accept this part is down to personal taste. If you love the show unironically and think it is a fantastic piece of drama, maybe you will enjoy this book more. Having said that, there are still many flaws to be found here. Despite being a watcher's guide, there are spoilers throughout for later episodes. These are marked but if you avoid them, you miss out on a lot of content. You honestly don't gain much insight or clever commentary for any episode. You might as well read someone's blog on Tumblr for the depth and extra trivia you acquire. Certainly the blog might be less uncomfortably thirsty.

Overall, this book just wasn't for me. I wanted so much more and it barely scratches the surface. I have enjoyed other books in this series so it won't put me off reading those, it's just a shame this one was such a miss.

Overall Rating:

Extra Salty by Frederick Blichert

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher ECW Press in exchange for an honest review.

This book was such a treat to read! It is essentially a collection of essays about the film Jennifer's Body, exploring the various themes and its cultural impact both when it was released and now. The mistreatment of the film at its time of release might not be an entirely new story to everyone, but this still covers a lot of detail and factors which I wasn't aware of personally and that I enjoyed reading about. The various essays about  characters and themes are expertly written and are immensely enjoyable for any fans of the film. There is a strong focus on feminism throughout and what Jennifer's Body says about being a teenage girl. Overall, this is a brilliant book for both fans of the film and fans of movie analysis, and it is well worth checking out. I shall be trying to get the others in the series.

Overall Rating:

Healthy Easy Mexican by Velda de la Garza

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher The Experiment in exchange for an honest review.

Mexican food is without a doubt some of my favourite food to cook and eat, but I will admit that my own recipes lack that authenticity. I was very excited by the idea of this book as I am always looking for new Mexican flavours to mix things up. I also have a tendency to just pile cheese on everything, which is not ideal now I am trying to eat healthier.

The layout of this book is fantastic. The recipes are split into clear sections, the presentation of each recipe is as simple as possible and it also includes detailed nutritional information which is exactly what you want from a health-focused recipe book. At the top of each recipe, there is also a detailed breakdown of which ingredients are good for you and how they help which was a really nice touch. I think more healthy cookbooks should do this as it encourages education and experimentation.

Now to the recipes themselves. I think there is a fine selection but unfortunately a large portion of them aren't personally suitable to me. The sections are: Salsas & Dips, Appetizers & Sides, Soups & Breads, Salads, Meat & Fish, Poultry, Meatless, Rice & Beans and Desserts. As you can probably tell, the bulk of this book was not main meals which was a bit of a shame as that's what I was looking for. Having said that, I am a little biased in that I don't eat soup or salads and I am unlikely to make dip which already rules out three whole sections. Add in my partner being veggie and you can see I have a more limiting set of circumstances than most.

One thing I liked about the recipes themselves is that they are all fairly simple or at least, contain ingredients which aren't too hard to get. I have a strong preference for recipes I am realistically likely to cook and that tends to mean easy to follow, relatively cheap and ingredients that won't go to waste. This book had plenty of those and a lot of them also provided great opportunity for adaptation and experimentation.

Overall, I would recommend this book if you are looking for a good, all-round Mexican cookbook which also happens to have a healthy skew. I think even if you're not specifically looking for the health aspect, having detailed nutritional information is always a bonus, and the recipes definitely aren't just for people trying to be healthier or lose weight. Advanced chefs might not find enough to offer them here but for most people, it's a great place to start.

Overall Rating:

The Dark Side of Alice in Wonderland by Angela Youngman

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Pen & Sword in exchange for an honest review.

The Dark Side of Alice in Wonderland is a nonfiction book focusing on various interpretations and properties surrounding Alice in Wonderland. The first few chapters focus on contextualising the life of Lewis Carroll/Charles Dodgson and Alice Liddell, with some discussion of the darker elements. I found the very first chapter decent enough but I skimmed most of the second as I am not hugely interested in Carroll's life outside of his work as an author. However, these chapters may be of interest for history buffs and I did enjoy the discussions of Carroll potentially being Jack the Ripper, farfetched as the theory might be.

The rest of the book has each chapter focus on a theme (eg. drugs, sex, horror etc) and then talk about various adaptations or experiences that are Alice-themed based around that chapter topic. I enjoyed this section of the book the most and I felt like it covered a wide range of different adaptations/experiences. The chosen topics all made sense and fit the 'dark' theme well, on top of just being interesting topics in of themselves.

I think this book fell slightly flat for me for two main reasons. Firstly, I didn't realise it would be focused so much on the discussion of properties outside of the book itself. I know Alice in Wonderland is short but I would have liked a bit more of a focus on how elements from the book fit with the chapter topics, with the discussion centered on the book itself rather than everything created from it. Secondly, while this book does cover an impressive range of adaptations/experiences (no easy feat) the result is a little shallow in parts. Some things get a good chunk of thought/page space dedicated to them but some are almost name-checked without adding much.

Having said that, I still think this is a well-researched and very engaging nonfiction book. I did genuinely enjoy reading it and I felt like it does cover everything you would expect a book like this to. The writing is extremely accessible without sacrificing any academic merit. If you love the world of Alice in Wonderland, then this book does have a lot to offer you.

Overall Rating:

The Binge Watcher's Guide to Black Mirror by Marc W. Polite

 I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Riverdale Avenue Books in exchange for an honest review.

So the first thing I would like to say about this book is that it is a guide and not any kind of deep analysis. I was initially disappointed by this but I realised it was my own expectations causing that disappointment and so I think it's important that as a reader going in, you are not expecting any kind of detailed essay format. The second thing I would like to say is I really enjoyed it.

This is a fun, short guide to every episode of Black Mirror, with the bulk of the content being episode summaries and there being some additional commentary at the end in the form of four short chapters/sections. It is clearly written by a fan and it was nice to relive the episodes in this way. It definitely made me want to rewatch the show and experience it anew.

There is brief discussion of the themes/purpose of each episode but I found this very limited. I think I noticed it most for USS Callister and Striking Vipers where there is barely a mention of any feminist/sexual/queer themes despite those being huge parts of those episodes. Perhaps the author thought these were too obvious to mention but it felt odd to read about a lack of STDs in videogame encounters in Striking Vipers being appealing while the incredibly complex relationship in that episode is brushed over. As I said, deep analysis is not promised or expected here but there is an attempt on commentary and this sometimes falls flat.

Having said that, the main joy of this book is the enthusiasm of the author. It is clear which episodes the author likes the most and it's always nice to read about a TV show from the point of view of someone who does genuinely love it. I read this book almost entirely in one sitting and it was a wonderful experience, so if you are a fan of the show then I strongly recommend checking this out.

Overall Rating:

The History of Sweets by Paul Chrystal

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Pen & Sword in exchange for an honest review.

I was very excited to read this book. Look at that cover! This is essentially what it says on the tin, a brief history of different kinds of sweets and famous (mostly UK) companies. I live in York and I have a friend who lives in Birmingham so I had some background knowledge of the history of sweets with regards to the companies that operated in those areas. Chrystal clearly has a specialty in York knowledge so I did really enjoy that angle from a personal point of view.

This book hits all the key aspects you would expect and it is quite neatly organised. It firstly does a quick run through of different types of sweets, their historical origins and some interesting facts about their development. Next it hones in on some particularly important sweet companies and periods of time, before discussing advertising, wartime rationing and other factors of sweet history.

I really enjoyed reading this book and I felt like I learned a lot. I particularly liked the broad range of sweets it covered and I felt there was enough detail without it being overwhelming. This book is a little dry compared to some nonfiction books, but it was very readable and accessible. I felt it hit the information level just right and enabled me to seek out further details on certain things if I wanted to. Just be aware that it is written in a more academic style than pop-history.

Overall, I definitely recommend this book for a good overview of the history of sweets and chocolate. It was easy to dip in and out of and I had a lot of fun learning more about this topic.

Overall Rating:

How Love Actually Ruined Christmas by Gary Raymond

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Parthian Books in exchange for an honest review.

I have no strong attachment to Love Actually. I saw it for the first time two years ago and found it pretty ridiculous but one of the better Christmas movies (honestly there are few Christmas movies I actually like, which in itself is a kind of crime). The second I saw this book though, I was excited. I love sarcastic takedowns of romcoms and honestly, one of the things I love about the genre is how insane the plots can get and how unrealistic they are. I was not disappointed with this book!

This review will be short because honestly, the cover tells you everything you want to know. I was worried this book would be bitter, an adult man cheerlessly tearing apart a movie aimed at women with no awareness of his lack of a place in doing that. Thankfully this book was extremely funny and one of the reasons the author dislikes the movie is the misogyny contained in the film so there was no trace of 'girl hate'. The best way to describe this book is imagine you're watching the movie along with a funny friend who hates it. It is framed as a scene-by-scene recap with comments inserted about the film/plot/production. No deeper analysis is offered particularly (except for a brief intro dissecting the cultural impact of the film) but it isn't needed. This is clearly a book written for entertainment rather than academic merit.

Overall, if you want a fun nonfiction Christmas book to entertain you while the TV shows Love Actually for the fourth time this year, then you can't go wrong with this. I loved the light, humorous style and I think the author did a fantastic job of getting the balance right between hatred and entertainment.

Overall Rating:

The Unofficial Disney Parks Cookbook by Ashley Craft

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Adams Media in exchange for an honest review.

I was very curious and a little skeptical when I saw this book. I have never been lucky enough to go to Disneyland USA and so, while I have seen many photos of delicious-looking food online, I have never been able to try any myself. When I saw this book I really wanted to give it a read and I'm so glad I did!

Firstly, this book is perfectly presented. It really captures the Disney feel and I loved how the recipes were divided by park, with a cute map to tell you exactly where each food is sold. I wasn't sure how accurate this book would be in terms of recipes, but it is genuinely all food from the park and it doesn't just stick to the generic recipes either. The effort is clear on every page and it really pays off.

The recipes themselves are pretty varied and there's a great mix. I like how many of them are very accessible and either don't require a great deal to make or else they require things you would likely already have as a cook. I will say, this is an american book and some of the ingredients aren't super common in the UK. This isn't a huge issue as you can usually get the ingredient somewhere (or substitute it) and it was maybe 3 or 4 of the recipes it applied to, but it's something to be aware of as a UK reader.

Overall, this book is a real treat for Disney fans. It was everything I wanted from the title and the recipes themselves seem a whole lot of fun. I definitely recommend it for the Disney fan in your life.

Overall Rating:

Cursed Objects by J. W. Ocker

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Tantor Audio in exchange for an honest review.

What a wonderful treat for the spooky season! Cursed Objects is a nonfiction book all about various cursed objects/relics from around the world. It presents a whole host of various objects with their legends and mostly leans on the skeptical side, giving it a really fun and enjoyable tone. I really liked the format of this book. It is split up into fairly small chunks (each segment of the audio book is around 5-10 minutes) which makes for very easy listening. I loved that I could dip in and out of it, and that listening to the end of each section wasn't a huge commitment.

The audiobook itself is pretty short but it is absolutely packed full of information. It covers a large range and variety of cursed objects, and I found every story interesting in some way. I will say, while I did enjoy the audiobook enormously I would probably recommend buying this as a physical book rather than an audio one. It was a great  audiobook but you are told that the physical book has illustrations which I am sad I missed out on, and I think the information would have been slightly easier to digest had I read it with my eyes rather than my ears. But if you want something to listen or experience more casually, then the audiobook is definitely the way to go.

Overall, I strongly recommend this audiobook/book. It's a fun collection of spooky information told well, and I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it.

Overall Rating:

Mediterranean Every Day by Sheela Prakash

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Quarto Publishing Group – Harvard Common Press in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great recipe book with a lot of interesting things to make. It cuts down on the faff whilst still maintaining a sense of charm and warmth from the author. It starts off by explaining what a Mediterranean diet means followed by some simple basics to make for various recipes (flour, sauces etc). Recipes themselves are split into several sections: snacks, soups/salads, grains, pasta, larger dishes and desserts. My favourite sections were probably the pasta and larger dishes as they seemed both the most straightforward to make and also the tastiest-looking.

In terms of the recipes themselves, there's a good mix here. At a first glance a lot of the dishes look fancy but when you read the ingredients, they are mostly simple to make. They included a lot of flavours and things I wouldn't normally cook which is exactly what I was looking for, without the downside of being hard to try to make. There were a few exceptions but for the most part, this makes the recipes very accessible. My favourite recipe was for a base risotto with four seasonal variations to then make depending on the time of year. This was a great idea as it felt like the author put in extra effort to think about what would be in season and easy to buy, and I wish this had been done for other recipes. I appreciate it doesn't always work though.

Overall, this is a well put-together recipe book with a lot of neat things to try. It's easy to follow and it is clear a lot of thought has been put into how it has been constructed and the content of the recipes. It looks far fancier than it is and I recommend giving it a read if, like me, you're wanting to expand what you cook without breaking the bank.

Overall Rating:

The Curious History of the Riddle by Marcel Danesi

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Quarto Publishing Group – Wellfleet Press in exchange for an honest review.

What a fantastic walkthrough of riddling history! I have been a lifelong fan of riddles. The Riddler from Batman is one of my favourite fictional characters of all time, and when I was a child I had a book about dragons which had a whole section dedicated to riddles. I couldn't have been more excited when I saw this book available to request, although I was a little skeptical it had anything to offer a devout riddle fan. I couldn't have been more wrong!

This book is split up into sections, loosely arranged in chronological order and walking the reader through the oldest riddles all the way to modern day more jokey ones. I found all of the sections well-written and very informative. There are riddles within each section and then a set of riddles to solve yourself after each section, with the answers at the back. In general, these were fun but they did vary in difficulty greatly. I appreciate it's hard to control for that sort of thing but the riddles from the first two chapters were near impossible, whilst later ones verged on too easy. Sometimes the hints were too direct as well which is why I can't give this book a full 5 stars. However, the informative sections were great. I particularly enjoyed the literary riddles chapter, and the section dedicated to the Riddler (which was a fantastic surprise).

Overall, this book was insightful and easy to read. I loved learning more about riddles and their place in history, and I had fun trying to solve the riddles throughout. This book would make a fantastic present and it's the perfect kind of read to dip in and out of. I highly recommend it to all fans of riddles.

Overall Rating:

.5