Chalk man

This is a spoiler-free review of "The Chalk Man."

Although C.J Tudor's "The Chalk Man" is set in an English village, the novel isn't an old-fashioned cozy-style mystery. Instead, Tudor treats us to a very contemporary psychologically-driven suspense novel featuring a Generation X perspective, some graphic content, and a few nightmares that momentarily seem to nudge the novel into supernatural territory. There are some very disturbing scenes and surprises buried within. Indeed, if this were a film, it would definitely be rated "R."

The strong characterizations help make this novel work. While the story seems to have been inspired by Stephen King's "Stand By Me," the characterizations of the lead characters are vivid and all contain a British sensibility about them. As the novel skips back and forth between 1986 and 2016, there are multiple opportunities to compare these characters' childhood personalities to their somewhat somber and melancholy adult attitudes. All the lead characters nurse a sense of regret about their actions in their younger days, and this colors much of the "2016" storyline.

Tudor also knows where and when to emphasize atmosphere and sociological details. The "1986" portions of the novel, thankfully, do not reek of Eighties nostalgia, and the "2016" portions often use a backdrop of dementia and being an adult caregiver to great effect. While there is a subplot involving the media exploitation of tragedies, Tudor wisely avoids turning this subplot into a distracting media satire.

It's worth your while to check this out.

Fliers

'Fliers' by Nathaniel Russell is a collection of original "lost and found" type posters that have a creative spin to them. When I originally saw this book I knew I had to get it because this is the exact type of humor my graphic designer husband LOVES. And it did not disappoint!

There are 20 fliers included in the book. Each page is pretty thick, like card-stock paper. The author created them this way so that the pages can be torn out and used as posters also. You can get a good feel of what this compilation is all about by looking at the cover of the book since it includes one of the pages from inside. The jacket can also be taken off of the book and used as a poster, which is a nice touch.

The fliers I thought were really funny included the "So bummed right now" and "Feeling Tired?" ones. My husband really liked the "Burn Your House Down" one.

This is a fun, conversation starting, coffee-table book to have around the house. I think our friends would get a kick out of it whenever they come by. I really enjoyed it.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Girl next door

I’m finding the YA genre an extremely worthwhile addition to current literary offerings. Although these books tend to be light on eroticism and heavy on gutter language and/or violence, it is my perception that they deal honestly with the real traumas present-day young people experience.

“A Short History of the Girl Next Door” by Jared Reck has our narrator-protagonist Matthew suddenly coming to the realization that his best friend and almost-sister Tabby is dating Liam, a senior and star basketball player in their high school. It is immediately obvious that Matt also loves Tabby as more than a friend, but is helpless to deal with the impact of this shift in the emotional landscape. What Matt goes through from this point on, and the extremely wise and sensitive intervention of his grandfather when the inevitable crises occur, elevate this novel from the “good story” to the “superlative narrative” level. Highly recommended, despite the somewhat disturbing ongoing use of some of the less pleasant obscenities from which, it seems, one cannot escape anywhere except on prime-time TV, where frequent bleeping may replace what we all know is being said.

Come as you aren't

This isn't a book... or a game... it is a way to role play with your partner when you aren't feeling super into being creative yourself. The box is cute and has a very nice matte finish. The insides include cards and an envelope. I feel like his would be extremely easy to recreate at home with the right materials. 

Joy

this journal was nice. It has many different things to do in it, although, I did find it to be a semi religious book, which I probably should have known, considering the title and such. I feel like this book would have been a lot more usable if it were longer than one month... although they would need to rename the whole book, lol.
If you are bored and need something to do, I would recommend you get this. I would also recommend a wreck this journal over it though.
Will this book bring you joy? I don't think so, I feel like you will need more than this book if you are very sad.

Cherry Bombe by Kerry Diamond & Claudia Wu

 Cherry Bombe celebrates the fusion of women and food. It is an outstanding and artistic women-centric food magazine; so, I had high expectations for their first cookbook. The cookbook is gorgeous, as expected, but I was really struck by the variety and approachability of the 100 recipes. This cookbook will be in regular rotation in my kitchen. It also would be a beautiful gift.  Cherry Bombe is a beautiful cookbook chock full of beautiful and delicious recipes. They range from simple recipes with as few as four ingredients to complex multi-step masterpieces, but each and every recipe is given star treatment with gorgeous photos displaying a pop art sensibility that challenges the shabby-chic dominance of contemporary food aesthetics.

With more than one hundred recipes from more than one hundred women who are head chefs at famed restaurants, food bloggers, food stylists, and food companies. Coming from many different areas of the food industry, each recipe comes with a short introduction explaining its origin or inspiration. Some are family recipes, some are original creations. All of them look beautiful and most of them sound beautiful—except the ones with beets, but that’s an issue of personal animus toward that benighted vegetable.

I like Cherry Bombe a lot. The authors, Kerry Diamond and Claudia Wu recruited a wide range of contributors who offer a brilliant variety of recipes. I love that they focus on ingredients that won’t take a trip to a specialty store, though the soda bread really should have currants, not raisins, in my opinion. I don’t think currants are that unusual an ingredient. They have them at WinCo. However, valuing ingredients that ordinary people have in their homes without making a trip to the store is something I value highly.

There are recipes from all over the world, Scandinavian hash, Haitian pumpkin soup, Filipino chicken wings, and American burgers. While there are many super healthy recipes using wheat berries, barley and other complex grains, there are also decadent desserts and indulgent meat dishes. Variety is the North Star in this cookbook, so there is more than one something for everyone.

What I love more than anything though is the visual aesthetic. I have mentioned in other cookbook reviews that I am tired of the messy table with herbs and flour and mess sprinkled all over—a sort of shabby chic look-at-the-mess-I-made style that everywhere. Cherry Bombe is clean, the photos are spare and clean. It’s very op-art, visually strong and powerful. It all looks delicious, and the bold forms of a knife in a brisket, a teal plate against a white background are inviting and visually inviting. I love the color aesthetic, too. Pink is not a color I associate with foodies, but it works. It’s very Sixties, recalling the days of Melmac® and those bold anodized aluminum tumblers that never insulated your hands from the icy cold water they held, so perfect on a hot, humid summer day.

I received a review copy of Cherry Bombe from the publisher through Blogging for Books.

Another journal!

This is your typical 5 year journal. I do not know if I would describe it as lie changing or amazing. It is quite religious based, which I probably should have known from it being called "spiritual" but hey! It's good to try new things. If you are looking for something to help you alone with your day to day, I say try this. But remember-- it only will help if you are actually participating and thinking about the questions and answers.

This keepsake daily journal prompts you to record what is happening in your heart and spirit. The short questions at the top of each page are quick to answer—but their impact could be life changing! You’ll go back and answer the same question a year later for five years in a row, creating a time capsule of soul transformation.
 
With questions about…

·  your view of yourself (“What three words would people use to describe you?”),
·  your view of God (“What attribute of God are you thankful for today?”),
·  your current circumstances (“Who do you wish you could talk to today?”)

…this journal keeps a beautiful record of your hopes, thoughts, and spiritual journey.