3 stars A humorous story in the tradition of “The Magic Porridge Pot” with important lessons about paying attention and following rules. When Strega Nona leaves to visit a friend, Big Anthony seizes the opportunity to try out her magic pasta pot. The pot begins to produce pasta for all the townspeople. Unfortunately, Big Anthony…
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4 stars A fascinating blend of science fiction and the supernatural paired with romance, music, found family, and questions of what makes a legacy. I really enjoyed the genre mixing. Donut-making aliens, deals with the Devil, and passion for music collide in such a unique way. Like the Béla Bartók piece that plays such a…
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by Shauntay Grant Illustrated by Letícia Moreno 5 stars A delightfully cozy story of a young girl’s visit to Nana’s house filled with good food, good music, and good conversation. Nicely written with straight-forward text. I love how the proverbs are worked into the story as the girl shares what she has learned at Nana’s…
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by Yuta Takahashi Translated by Cat Anderson 5 stars Cozy, reflective, and soothing. The Chibineko Kitchen provides a unique opportunity. There you can receive a special kagezen, a remembrance meal, which may come with the chance to talk to a deceased loved one again. Told through a collection of interconnected stories, follow those seeking connection…
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Translated by Philip Gabriel 3 stars The Night Library is unique in its mission. It solely houses the private libraries of deceased authors. Otoha Higuchi takes a job there and delves into a world of passionate book-lovers, odd patrons, book-themed dishes, and a few mysteries. I loved the cozy atmosphere of the Night Library. The…
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by Carina Wohlleben 2 stars An okay read. Originally published in German, I feel like the translated title is a bit misleading. The book focuses on arguments for veganism and connecting more with nature. There isn’t a whole lot in the Buy Less and Slow Down departments. It also comes from a very privileged perspective…
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Translated by Taylor Engel 3 stars The party continues their decent into the dungeon to rescue Falin. Along the way they encounter golems, orcs, treasure insects, ghosts, living pictures, mimics, and a kelpie. This series is growing on me a little. Laois still weirds me out and I didn’t particularly like the kelpie chapter in…
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Illustrated by Estrela Lourenço 5 stars An energetic and humorous tale that shows the value of variety. In a kingdom served by the Knights of Dinner, no knight is everybody’s favorite but every knight is somebody’s favorite. That is, until Taco Knight decides every night should be Taco Knight. But can you have too much…
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5 stars A love story to San Francisco and a new take on the sci-fi genre. I never knew I needed a cozy sci-fi story in my life. This is such a sweet book. Staybehind wakes up to find that he and his robot coworkers, Cayenne, Sweetie, and Hands, have been shutdown and the restaurant…
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Illustrated by Keenan Gaybba 2 stars Okay story with silly humor and fun 90s-style artwork. Back from his world tour, Dracula is ready to host his brunch club, only to learn his nemesis, Constantine, has taken over and banned all humans. With help from his friends, he’ll have to save the brunch club and human-vampire…
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