I disliked the new narrator for the audiobook. The story involved an array of characters barely distinguishable from each other because of the generic French accent that started even muddying up every character, save for one or two outbursts from Tom just to remind us some of these characters were English. Hero was also sidelined for too much of the story for my taste.

Three and a half stars is more accurate but rounding up because ATK is quality even in excess. I have a number of Cook's Illustrated collections and several ATK books already so this really was more of a capstone purchase for me. I'm fully willing to blame my COVID-isolation mindset but in reading through most of the recipes I was fatigued instead of enthused to jump in.

And yet, the Pork, Fennel, and Lemon Ragu with Pappardelle was absolutely delicious when I made it. So the quality IS here, if you have the will to dive in or the excuse to go "all out". These are definitely more "all out" recipes than daily dinners but really, isn't that what celebrating a 20th anniversary about?

Best of the recent books in the series.

Intense, powerful, a smarting but beautiful read.

Three and a half stars. The middle is a muddle of character names constantly interacting with or musing about each other with shifting motivations and suspicions. But there's a cleverness in the banter and several passages of really sparkling prose. I can see a better follow-up from here.

Loved this story

I loved this book. Fair warning, friends: on the other side of pandemic distancing, I'm gonna be talking about eels!

This really had the feel of an old school radio play, told through phone conversations and voice mail messages. Entertaining characters and a story that takes a tragic, frightening turn. Very well done.

This book is a 4.5 from me. More than a listing of recipes, Crescent Dragonwagon's writing style is conversational, personal, educational and informative. I've seen the strangest commentary from people who seem bewildered that a cookbook with the theme of beans included recipes for fresh string beans, that a vegetarian cookbook author's book about *beans* did not include more meat ("yet another vegetarian cookbook," he complains even though several of the *bean recipes* do include instructions for including meat), or that the recipes are "bland" despite including chile peppers, vinegars, handfuls of fresh herbs, and a number of condiments and sauces (harissa, chipotles in adobo sauce, mustard pickle) as ingredients.

This book was exactly what I was looking for in a bean-themed cookbook.

Started reading this ebook and wasn't sure I was going to like it. Megan Abbott's opening story really didn't hit my noir button, not that it was a bad story or anything. Lawrence Block's story came a lot closer, hitting the subject matter straight but with a little twist in the telling. Then I got to good ol' Joe Lansdale and BANG, that's what I'm talking about when I think noir. That's as far into it as I got on the first foray but at about 30% through it's so far, so good.

Update: now that I've finished I have to say I really ended up being of two minds about the collection. Was left with the impression that several of the stories really weren't noir stories at all. Still, as a free anthology add-on for a video game, it was surprisingly solid and I feel almost bad rating it as a 3 but in the end I just didn't like several of the stories too much.

Quite a cast of characters in this one, but what pushes this audiobook over the top is the stellar narration by Will Patton.

Many of the reviews of this book are for the audiobook version and many reviewers talk about their fondness for the author's voice, her podcasts, and things other than this work. I came to this serial through the ebook version, so I have none of that other stuff to influence me (for better or worse). It reads like a YA book with its teen characters and their continual befuddlement at virtually everything around them. I'm not sure if that was the author's intention but having great a lot of YA in recent years I'm comfortable considering this book alongside that material. As it was written as a serial and as there are now an additional four volumes that have been released in the six years since this first book was released I am put in mind of Jim Butcher's first Dresden book, written for a class challenge. There is a lot to build on in this first book and I feel like rating it with kindness that many things other reviewers saw as flaws in the story or characters will be smoothed out through the follow up works. In any case, Heaven was interesting enough to bring me back to he series looking for the next installment.

This series remains cute and funny, even in the face of some of Chet's limited and almost over-used catch phrases. Just when I think it's going to be too much I find myself chuckling. I'm a soft touch when it comes to Chet, I guess.

I loved this book. My paternal grandmother was orphaned as a girl, separated from her older half-brothers and baby sister, growing up in Northern Minnesota during this time period. So much about this story touched home for me. Loss, hardship, perseverance, right down to the stoic Lutheran charity and St. Olaf college.

Loved this book, could not read it fast enough. I was pulled along by the story and the characters in a way I haven't felt often or recently. Very glad Felicia Day, Bonnie Burton, and the ladies of the Vaginal Fantasy book club chose it or I might never have picked it up. A delight!

I can't decide what to make of this book. I'm torn between finding it tiresome and funny, sourly off-key and charmingly quirky. For much of the book I gritted my teeth as despicable characters went on at length in ridiculously flowery detail that stretched even the bounds of satire, and at other times I recognized scenes and interactions that I knew well and had personally experienced (which is not to say I found them funny or anything I was eager to interact with again even in book form). Eventually enough was revealed about our title character's story that I stopped hating her but she never became the quirky-but-lovable heroine it seems the author intended. Ultimately unsatisfying, but maybe that's just because I don't get the supposed hilarity, possibly because I don't find Seattle "simply not funny" or laugh uproariously at Canadians being made objects of vitriol for their niceness. Yeah, not all bad, but a book that leaves me very conflicted despite some actual sharp and funny moments. Not what I expected, I guess.

I'm in love. Can I please have a self-assured thief, art forger, and not-quite-spy fall in love with me and my autism-spectrum quirks? Because I may not be a genius full-on autistic but little ol' Aspie-inclined me could not be more in love with this romantic pairing, this adorable Scooby Gang, or this series of improbable yet satisfying mysteries.

I've read the book but haven't tried any of the recipes yet so I'm going to hold off rating until I have some practical experience with the recipes under my belt. I like what I've seen, though!

Solid 3.5 stars for this book. Likable characters, strongly written protagonist, the villain(s) just a little too "mua-ha-ha" evil and unhinged for my liking but definitely a workable thriller and characters I would enjoy seeing again in other books.

Ok, so maybe I'm rounding up with this book but it's just what I needed and I read the whole thing in a single session. There was no way to tear me away from the climax of the story... and of course MacLeod Andrews is always a great narrator. This was a really fun book.

Early in the book I wasn't sure the story would grab me and I desperately wanted to go into editor mode to strip down some of the wordiness but it wasn't long before the characters came into their own and did, indeed, grab me. By the end I cared about poor Jax, being tossed around on the stormy emotional seas that surrounded her and by the time I read the words The End I knew I was fully engaged because I wanted to hear more. I hope to see more from this author as she continues to hone her craft and polish her style.

Rounding up from 3.5 stars. There is much to love about this series but the last two books have bogged down somewhat for me, especially with this book's focus on he civil war. Perhaps if they were not sold under the "mystery" subtitle I'd feel more forgiving? In any case, I'm still enjoying the harassers enough to keep on, though maybe not with as much enthusiasm as I' expected after book #1

In a surprise to no one, I loved this behind the scenes look at the show and the cast.

I enjoyed this book right up to the point that the main character started acting irredeemably stupidly and obnoxiously. Unfortunately, I wasn't nearly as fooled or shocked at the big reveal as the main character and that really brought the book to an unsatisfactory conclusion for me. That said, I very much enjoyed the trip almost all the way to the end and if not for the feeling of frustration at not being able to follow the main character all the way through, I would have given this book 4 stars or more.

This is a fantastic book. The 50 plant entries are addressed in a standard format that includes a full write up of the nutritional benefits, covering everything from common vitamins and minerals to less commonly-discussed antioxidants, fatty acids, and phytochemicals. Each entry talks about how to choose, store, and quickly prepare the fruit or vegetable in question and gives three quick serving ideas before listing out three fully-fledged recipes featuring the ingredient. I got this book from the library, thinking that I might end up noting a recipe or two that were unique enough to make a note of. A couple of dozen notes later, I had to admit that I want this book at my fingertips so I can try out things like Cactus in Black Bean Soup, Grilled Mozzarella-stuffed Chard with Black Rice, or Thai-style Carrot Soup with Chrysanthemum Leaves for myself. Another clever bonus of this book is that for virtually every recipe that isn't already vegetarian, there is a vegetarian variation suggested. As an omnivore, this leaves me with several welcome similar-but-different recipes to choose from as a bonus. This is going on my wish list immediately.

Reviewers calling this a brilliant thriller were not kidding. Plus, I know know much more about the Isle of Man. Loved it.

I haven't made any of the recipes but there were a couple of dozen that I marked as being interesting enough to try and the book was a good and interesting read about baking with unusual grains like amaranth, quinoa, and teff, among others.

Kate and I are unabashed fangirls for this series, especially with James Marsters on the audiobooks.

Can't help it, I love a smartass. Spenser as a middle-aged tough guy, cracking wise and missing his lady love while eating (and "detecting") his way across Europe and Canada is an irresistible combo.

I think this is the strongest of the three books by French that I've read. Having "met" Frank as a character in "The Likeness" I enjoyed getting to delve into his character in detail in this story. Sure, there's a murder mystery but the book isn't so much about what happened or even who did it as it is about how Frank and the reader get through to the end. The characters are vivid and flawed and brilliant. Very fun read. I'd give it a 4.5 if I could.