2 stars A simple look at how pickles are made for early readers. Simple narration paired with bright stock photos provides an overview of how pickles are made. Doesn’t provide much detail beyond pick, scrub, add brine, seal, and wait. Short, simple sentences between 1 to 7 words long. I did enjoy the infographic at…
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by Amy Bruni 4 stars A fascinating read that pairs historically-inspired recipes with haunted places around the U.S. I always love a cookbook that you can read all the way through and this one offers plenty of interesting tidbits about paranormal research, history, hauntings, and true crime. A brief history is given for each place…
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Translated by Jesse Kirkwood Narrated by Hanako Footman 5 stars I had no idea what I was getting into with this one but was pleasantly surprised. This is my new favorite interpretation of cozy mystery. Father and daughter team, Nagare and Koishi, run the Kamogawa Diner, known for serving delicious meals. But the pair also…
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Illustrated by Jem Milton 2 stars Layne Green wants nothing more than to secure a spot on the extreme cooking competition, Voyage de Gourmet. But when he’s finally invited on the show… his former best friend will be his partner, leaving him a little confused. Can they get past their falling out to make it…
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Illustrated by Chloe Burgett 3 stars An adorable story of perseverance, ingenuity, and creative problem solving. One summer day Eva starts a lemonade stand with roaring success. But as the competition mounts, she isn’t sure she’s cut out for the business world. With a little encouragement from her brother, Eva comes up with a brand…
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Translated by Amber Tamosaitis 5 stars Absolutely adorable. A nice, slow-paced story exploring human connections and overcoming past trauma. Yutaka has a hard time eating with other people. He isn’t close with his family and he finds it difficult to connect with others. But after a chance meeting with two brothers, their cooking sessions soon…
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Illustrated by Bhagya Madanasinghe 5 stars Adorable, heartfelt, and delicious! Noor wants to have a samosa party with her friends, but keeps running into problems along the way. With reminders of her Dadijaan’s advice, she pushes through and puts her own unique spin on a family recipe. Such a sweet story. Great themes of perseverance,…
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by Vivien Chien Narrated by Cheryl May 2 stars A fine cozy mystery. I enjoyed this well enough and appreciated the spin on the genre. I do think it kind of dragged by the end but it works fine as a relatively quick, low-stakes read. I listened to the audiobook though and the narrator did…
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Illustrated by Alina Chau 5 stars A wonderfully sweet story of family, love, and chocolate. The narrator’s family is welcoming a new member. To make his adopted sister feel safe and comfortable, he helps introduce her to the family’s baking traditions and shares their love of chocolate. Such a sweet book. I love that it…
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Illustrated by Shiho Pate 4 stars A delicious story about patience, practice, perseverance, and family. Hiro sets out to make the perfect bowl of ramen just like his dad and his dad’s dad. He’s watched his dad thoroughly and taken detailed notes. But once he gets started, things don’t go to plan. Adorable artwork. I…
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