The Constellation of Moon

Hungry Hearts Food Crawl! Moments to Return by Adi Alsaid

Posted on June 17, 2019

Hungry Hearts: 13 Tales of Food & Love edited by Elsie Chapman & Caroline Tung Richmond

From some of your favorite bestselling and critically acclaimed authors—including Sandhya Menon, Anna-Marie McLemore, and Rin Chupeco—comes a collection of interconnected short stories that explore the intersection of family, culture, and food in the lives of thirteen teens.

A shy teenager attempts to express how she really feels through the confections she makes at her family’s pasteleria. A tourist from Montenegro desperately seeks a magic soup dumpling that could cure his fear of death. An aspiring chef realizes that butter and soul are the key ingredients to win a cooking competition that could win him the money to save his mother’s life.

Welcome to Hungry Hearts Row, where the answers to most of life’s hard questions are kneaded, rolled, baked. Where a typical greeting is, “Have you had anything to eat?” Where magic and food and love are sometimes one and the same.

Told in interconnected short stories, Hungry Hearts explores the many meanings food can take on beyond mere nourishment. It can symbolize love and despair, family and culture, belonging and home.

Amazon | Goodreads | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository | IndieBound

Elsie Chapman grew up in Prince George, Canada, and has a degree in English literature from the University of British Columbia. She is the author of the YA novels Dualed, Divided, Along the Indigo, and Caster as well as the MG novel All the Ways Home, and co-editor of A Thousand Beginnings and Endings and Hungry Hearts. She currently lives in Tokyo, Japan, with her family.

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram

Caroline Tung Richmond is an award-winning young adult author, whose historical novels include The Only Thing to Fear, The Darkest Hour, and Live In Infamy. She’s also the co-editor of the anthology Hungry Hearts, which features stories about food and will come out in June 2019 from Simon Pulse. Her work is represented by Jim McCarthy of Dystel & Goderich.

Caroline is also the Program Director of We Need Diverse Books, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that advocates for diversity in children’s publishing.

After growing up in the Washington, D.C. area Caroline now lives in Virginia with her family.

Welcome to my stop in this delicious Hungry Hearts Food Crawl! Today we’re going to talk about Adi Alsaid’s story, Moments to Return.

Adi Alsaid was born and raised in Mexico City, where he now lives, writes, and spills hot sauce on things. He’s the author of several YA novels including LET’S GET LOST, NEVER ALWAYS SOMETIMES, and NORTH OF HAPPY.

Website | Goodreads | Twitter

Moments to Return is about a tourist from Montenegro desperately seeking a magic soup dumpling to help cure his fear of death. And it starts with him inside the restaurant trying to decide what he would like to eat because he’s made the choice to try to cure his fear with food. The story made me extremely hungry and to crave delicious soup dumplings (the ones that have the soup inside them, if you’ve never had them, you should, it’s worth it!). The first time I had them, I also didn’t know the trick our narrator is told, which is to bite the top off to let it cool down a tiny bit and well, of course I burnt my mouth. Woops!

However, the reason he’s having this magical food is to cure his fear of death and as I read this story I couldn’t help but keep thinking of how differnet the perspective on death is and how tied to food it is even in my own culture (Mexican).

I now live in the UK, but Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos) is one of my favourite parts of our culture. Now, I didn’t really know other countries were drastically different in treating death, for me it was something that happens and inevitable but we do our best to celebrate what has been rather than regret and be sad about it (it doesn’t mean we don’t do grief).

Anyway, once I moved to the UK, I realised how different the perspective on death was and how much of a taboo subject it was, so I decided to host my own Day of the Dead celebration explaining the culture, sharing food and bringing people together because at the end of the day, the magic of food is how it connects us and bring us together.

A feast of salsa’s, dips, toppings and chips to eat with the rest of the meal.

Being Mexican means I love preparing too much food and making people smile with food. And Day of the Dead is about making the favourite foods of those that passed away, going to visit our dead and talking to them, but also, sharing that food with others to rejoice in the life that was lived. It is a celebration of life, full of colour, with many skulls everywhere (I couldn’t get my hands on the classic sugar candy skulls we make, but those are a treat).

However, I made Pan de Muerto, which has a “brioche” base, a slight orange blossom flavour and it is rich and buttery, and the top has a cross of “bones”. Some say it is to represent the way the Dead have to go and to guide them home and back to the Land fo the Dead, others say it comes from Aztec knowledge of gods. To me it has always been a representation of our dead and to share with others.

Pan de Muerto, tortillas in a teacloth to keep warm, vegetarian taco filling and meat taco filling.

Of course, the party was a success, making people a little bit less shy about death and more open to talk about their loved ones that have gone ahead of us/them. It was a moment of sharing a meal, talking and opening up. Maybe there wasn’t the magic to cure fear of death, but it definitely makes you a little bit less afraid, a little more human and glad to have others there to share with.

In the end, food has magic, and all the stories in Hungry Hearts let you experience some of that magic. Because making food is a kind of magic but eating it is also magic.

It delights you, fills you, and provides nourishment, what else do you need?

Come join the rest of us in our delightful food crawl (and probably go find some awesome places to eat delicious food, because you will be hungry after reading each of the short stories in it!).

Hungry Hearts Food Crawl Schedule:

June 10th – Introduction
Vicky (Welcome + Interview)

June 11th – Karuna Riazi
Naadhira (Review)

June 12th – Rin Chupeco
Bianca (Review + Creative Post) & Kate (Review + Recipe)

June 13th – Jay Coles
Nikki (Review + Creative Post)

June 14th – Elsie Chapman
Kevin (Review + Creative Post) & Natalia (Review + Creative Post)

June 15th – Sara Farizan
Em (Review)

June 16th – Caroline T. Richmond
Lili (Review + Creative Post) & Tiffany (Review + Creative Post)

June 17th – Adi Alsaid
Moon (Review + Creative Post)

June 18th – Sandhya Menon
Aimal (Review + Aesthetic/Mood board) & Dia (Review + Fave Quotes)

June 19th – S. K. Ali
Mish (Review + Creative Post)

June 20th – Phoebe North
Kayla (Review + Aesthetic/Mood board)

June 21st – Rebecca Roanhorse
Lila (Review + Aesthetic/Mood board) & AJ (Review + Aesthetic/Mood board)

June 22nd – Sangu Mandanna
Nandini (Review + Creative Post) & Prags (Review + Fave Quotes)

June 23rd – Anna-Marie McLemore
Nox (Review + Creative Post)

June 24th – Closing
CW (Review + Food Crawl)

Book Review

Galaxy Girls Review

Posted on June 16, 2019

Another informal review because I couldn’t even add this book to my Goodreads challenge, woops.

Lydia Fenwick is an illustrator I have been following for a while, so whne she offered her Galaxy Girls as a Kickstarter, I only had one question and it was “what tier should I choose?”. [I am pro supporting artists/creators, so I try to spend in Kickstarter, Etsy, other small businesses when I can.]

I actually can’t remember what the tier I chose exactly was, but somehow I ended up with an amazing amount of goodies (I love the whole “unlock new bonuses for everyone if we go past our goal and this amount”). Amongst them, the original book with gorgeous holographic pages and a “this is how I do it, and this are the materials” plus I am in the backers page at the back :). There were was also a collection of postcards, as you can see, there are so many they have holographic stuff and foiled too, best quality (it was so hard to take a good picture because of all the shiny). There’s also a collection if gorgeous stickers, a print of the cover illustration, a bookmark (bottom center, it has gold around her head) and a pin (on top of the bookmark).

The quality fo everything is top notch and I couldn’t ask for more. And the artwork as you can already see is wonderful. I wish I could draw and paint as gorgeously as that.

Hope this small review/showcase makes you follow her as she’s an awesome artist (plus she keeps chameleons and other critters, they’re really fun too).

Book Review

The Art of Brave Review

Posted on June 14, 2019

This is an informal review, in the sense that usually I follow a particular format, but not for this book (it isn’t the first time and won’t be the last).

The Art of Brave had been on my wishlist for a long long time. I am picky with my Art Of books, as they are expensive but also if done well, they tend to inspire my art and own ideas a lot. And they serve as study material for my art.

Obviously, it was an easy choice to buy this when it went on sale on Forbidde Planet, so I did and I do not regret it. The book has a lot of art, yes I know, it is an “art of” but some of them have more of this is how we did stuff and stock images that turned into this. We have some of that here, but also a wonderful quantity of sketches on the various approaches and potential ways of showing each integral character, and even smaller parts, like the will’o’wisps.

It is gorgeous, good quality and I am a happy fox, so I recommend that if you like Art of books, you may consider this one. Plus, maybe watch Brave alongisde (I ended up watching it after going through this book because it is like having a new perspective into it! I love that).

Finally, have a glimpse itno this book, with the page spread for Angus.

Books, Subscription Boxes

Darkness Calls Litjoy Crate Unboxing

Posted on June 12, 2019

This is my last LitJoy for a while, as the shipping has spiked up and the box hasn’t really been giving me as much joy as I wish (and I have to decide where to spend my money). But let’s see what we had, starting top right with the contents booklet.

Under the booklet, we have the author letter. The art is kinda cool.
More collectible cards, I think it’s the last few but I am not sure I got them all as you had to get the Harry Potter boxes.
Night Court Stationery, it’s nice not too fussed, could’ve been nicer.
Hot pads, I like them, but again. nothing special.
Nocturna by Maya Motayne, super excited to read this one!
A Prince Cardan cushion cover, also not fussed (see, a pattern emerges). The art is cool but not my thing.
Malfoy Men Magnets, made a friend very happy with them.

Basically, I kept the book, the hot pads and that’s it? Which isn’t a really good outcome considering it had to come from the US and it costs the shipping fee and everything.

I have to say I wish the stationery had been a bit nicer, more fancy, more thoguht inot it as I would’ve loved to have more of that (I am not keen on paper items but good stationery is good!).

Books, Subscription Boxes

The Final Frontier Illumicrate Unboxing

Posted on June 10, 2019

I am glad I chose a six month subscription when Illumicrate moved into monthly boxes. Because it meant easily being able to get this box. Yes, it had Aurora Rising in it and it is pink! But let’s go around and see every nice thing in it. Starting from the book and going clockwise:

A hot pink Aurora Rising with sprayed edges also in hot pink. I thought purple was awesome, but hot pink is also awesome!
An engineering dreamy pillowcase (this is how you do awesome pillow cases) with Kaddy and Ezra on one side and AIDAN quotes on the other.
A sampler of Emily Eternal peeks from the right corner (I really wanted to showcase that pillowcase, so much case here!).
Another sneaky sampler, but this time for The Furies. This sampler has been in almost every single box I’ve had recently, did they not sell enough copies or what? Instead of selling the book to me it’s making me not want to read it.
Howler luggage tag. Snazzy, relatively discreet but unique and matches my suitcase.
Illumicrate items booklet.
Space sticky notes. They have a moon for this Moon so I am in love. (All the gorgeous Moon themed stuff and I will love your book box)
Squad 312 (characters from Aurora Rising) glasses pouch. I’ve never used one of those despite wearing glasses most of my life. Probably won’t keep but it is nice (it’s due to not using it, not to not liking it).
The collectible magnet coin thing. I am still not sold on them and find them a waste of “space” (but they are small so whatever)
And a Lunar Chronicles cooler bag. I like cooler bags but this one doesn’t have a self closing system. I gave it away to a friend that loves them so that made her happy (I do use cooler bags).

All in all, a box that made me quite happy with only a couple of items I won’t keep (and that collectible but it seems I am just not into this thing and I am not seeing any reason that will make me like it) and I am still happy with the exclusive edition and that pillowcase.

Book Review, Books

Magic warriors and transgender thoughts

Posted on June 8, 2019

Mulan

The Hand, the Eye and the Heart by Zoë Marriott

[TW: deadnaming and misgendering]

When the Chinese empire is under the threat of the cunning Leopard and his merciless men, every man and boy able to contribute to the protection of the realm are called into duty. Zhilan’s father Hua Zhou, also known as the Wild Tiger, is a retired man with a bad leg, who was severely injured during his time serving as an high ranked officer. Still, the army calls him once more. Zhilan’s mum and younger siblings are devastated, and Zhilan is fearing for both of her parents lives. In a bold move, she uses her very special gifts to transform herself into Hua Zhi, the Wild Tiger’s oldest boy, now ready to fight in his fathers place. From that on, the story is rapidly spinning into a carousel of lies and deception, but also that of a new understanding of oneself and others. And when the war is over, it’s not that sure that Zhilan will ever return.

Rating: 🐖🐖🐖

I’m a cis-woman, and I can only take on this book from my own, sometimes very narrow, experiences and understandings of gender. With that disclaimer put out there, I do feel like this is a very sensitive depiction about the fluidity of gender identity, rolls and norms; a story that tries to explore different perspective on sex and the perception of belonging, rather than trying to explain or “own” a certain point of view. It’s also a very emotional journey, that makes me relate to and feel for Hua Zhi in a way that I normally wouldn’t with a typical soldier and hero figure in this kind of tale.

The Hand, the Eye and the Heart is a retelling of the legend behind Mulan but, as described above, with a hundred more layers, dimensions and complications. The war, that has to be said to be at least one of the novel’s main conflicts, isn’t action-packed or filled with the kind of one-liners that usually makes me page forward until the word “sword” isn’t appearing twenty times in every sentence. It’s still a thrilling and exciting story, but the focus on identity and relationships makes it deeper and more low-key than other fantasy retellings of the like. However, it took me a long time to get through the book. It’s still a bit too epic for my taste, and even though it’s interesting and thought provoking, it’s not brilliant or especially outstanding.

Dr. Bea approves

If you’re in for more mythical retellings, have a look at A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston. Totally different story, but similar in style and feels.

Book Review, Books

Empire of Sand Review

Posted on June 6, 2019

Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri

A nobleman’s daughter with magic in her blood. An empire built on the dreams of enslaved gods. Empire of Sand is Tasha Suri’s captivating, Mughal India-inspired debut fantasy.

The Amrithi are outcasts; nomads descended of desert spirits, they are coveted and persecuted throughout the Empire for the power in their blood. Mehr is the illegitimate daughter of an imperial governor and an exiled Amrithi mother she can barely remember, but whose face and magic she has inherited.

When Mehr’s power comes to the attention of the Emperor’s most feared mystics, she must use every ounce of will, subtlety, and power she possesses to resist their cruel agenda.

Should she fail, the gods themselves may awaken seeking vengeance…

Rating:

One thing I learned while taking this picture is a I need a more ornate knife/dagger.

Empire of Sand was one of those preorder I did that I am not sure what sold me initially on it, but I think it was the Mughal India and the magic system. And I am ever so glad that I preordered and bought.

I enjoyed this book SO much. Mehr isn’t the perfect strong female character. She has lived a sheltered life and despite having ordeals, those are minor compared to what is to come.

Because she is half Amrithi, she has been kept mostly in the dark about a lot of her heritage, to “blank” it out and to make sure she fits nicely in her father’s world. Sadly no one really bothered to explain much as to why this was a good thing and how this was a way to protect her (but I mean, adults do, do this and then there is politics and sometimes the less we know the safer we are in a way).

The world, or rather the Empire, is very well built and I could easily picture it in my head. And Mehr is a very real character. She has flaws, she has a temper (but not the “plot only” type of temper, but rather the kind that sometimes is triggered when you are tired or hangry, or just someone rubs you the wrong way, you know that kind, the one you regret soon enough), and she has a love for dancing. Oh and she has magic, but she’s just one of many that have magic.

Then she catches the eye of the Mara and well, she’s suddenly in a more sticky situation than what she thought wasn’t ideal life. I loved the concept of what an oath/promise means to the Amrithi, and I absolutely adored the relationship between Mehr and Amun was one of my favourite things. I kept cooing at them and just thinking that I wish there were romances as nice as this and wow was he a soft man inside and just aww. It is my favourite type of romance, what I call “love comes softly”.

I am a mess doing this review because I enjoyed this book so much. It is a delightful one in the style of Trudi Canavan, Robin Hobb, Robin McKinley and the rest of the wonderful female writers, and I just wanted to be part of that world (even if it is a harsh one).

The Daiva are also a wonderful element of the story as is all the lore that makes it so rich. I highly recommend this book.

(One caveat, do not come at it thinking it is a Western book and do not expect a YA book, despite the character’s age. This book explores topics in a way that isn’t exactly YA centric and is more an adult SFF book than a younger audince, this however doesn’t mean a teenager won’t enjoy it, more on how to approach it to avoid feeling out of sorts with it).

Books, Subscription Boxes

Seize The Crown Book Box Club Unboxing

Posted on June 4, 2019

A box for royalty, or at the very least, a box with a royal theme. Let’s start from the top left with the main thing, the book!

Romanov by Nadine Brandes. I think it is a retelling of Anastacia so I am intrigued.
Evil Queen mirror, maybe it will tell you who is the fairest of them all, or at the very least show you if your makeup is spot on 😛
Lost Princess candle, I wasn’t too keen on the scent of it but maybe it is just me and that sweet orange isn’t my thing.
A pair of socks inspired by The Cruel Prince. I like them even if I am not into that book.
Bathing salts, which look glorious and I am so happy for them being in the box (plus they match teh candle perfectly in looks)
Two psotcards for other books, Beauty Sleep which I reviewed recently and the sequel to Fandom
A bookmark to match the book.
The clubhouse invite, which lets you chat with the author and ask questions (alongisde the rest fo the subscribers but it is still awesome!)
The theme card in the center.

Probably not my favourite box, but not the worst either and I like receiving and, plus I am intrigued by the book and how well it will go (I am not always keen on retellings as some are not idea but some are really good. so wondering which way this will go).

Book Review

The Devouring Gray Review

Posted on June 2, 2019

The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman

Branches and stones, daggers and bones,
They locked the Beast away.

After the death of her sister, seventeen-year-old Violet Saunders finds herself dragged to Four Paths, New York. Violet may be a newcomer, but she soon learns her mother isn’t: They belong to one of the revered founding families of the town, where stone bells hang above every doorway and danger lurks in the depths of the woods.

Justin Hawthorne’s bloodline has protected Four Paths for generations from the Gray—a lifeless dimension that imprisons a brutal monster. After Justin fails to inherit his family’s powers, his mother is determined to keep this humiliation a secret. But Justin can’t let go of the future he was promised and the town he swore to protect.

Ever since Harper Carlisle lost her hand to an accident that left her stranded in the Gray for days, she has vowed revenge on the person who abandoned her: Justin Hawthorne. There are ripples of dissent in Four Paths, and Harper seizes an opportunity to take down the Hawthornes and change her destiny-to what extent, even she doesn’t yet know.

The Gray is growing stronger every day, and its victims are piling up. When Violet accidentally unleashes the monster, all three must band together with the other Founders to unearth the dark truths behind their families’ abilities—before the Gray devours them all.

Rating:

This book surprised me. I wasn’t sure what to expect, as Justine warned about some animal violence and a previous book with it left me a bad flavour.

There is a lot of grief, and a lot of confusion. And at first I felt as confused as Violet. However, there was enough to keep me going rather than giving up. Each of the founder children (they’re teens but since there are technically still adults from some of them children it is for now) has their own “secret”. Justin is hiding one that will cost him his status and reputation if it is revealed.

May has a hidden ability and the cost of reading the Death Omen, meaning she has to tell the truth on what the cards say (even if it hurts, even if it is not what others want to hear).

Violet is dealing with grief and trying to figure out what her ability is and her ritual, plus, how do you manage to live in this odd town?

Harper is managing without a hand and making her best effort while being shunned by Justin who used to be her best friend (oh the betrayal of best friends, sad sad indeed)

And Isaac who is the only one from his family that stayed after his ritual happened.

All of it going on and the stakes keep getting higher and higher as Violet tries her best to figure out what she ought to do to get control of her powers. But it is hard in a town that is drowning under so many secrets and that has a Beast lurking in the Gray…

As I said, this book surprised me a lot and I was so invested in it but as the end became near I couldn’t understand why it hadn’t wrapped everything up but then it made sense that it had to be two books. However I didnt feel cheated or overfilled with other stuff to expand the book into two. Instead I liked the fact we learnt so much in this one even if it meant we didn’t get everything sorted out. The main secrets however were definitely sorted out and a lot of things that didn’t make sense suddenly did, and it was a little scary. The good thing is that it was scary because there was so much at stake, not just for the sake of scaring.

Good book, can’t wait to read the next one!

Books, Subscription Boxes

Epic Adventures Owlcrate Unboxing

Posted on May 31, 2019

May’s Owlcrate had the theme of Epic Adventures and I am a bit unsure on it. I mean, it fits the book really well, but I mean more on the items. So I will do the unboxing, starting on the theme card on the top left and going clockwise:

Theme card, the artwork is cute and at the same time full of longing.
Underneath everything there is a pillowcase that is what I would put in a kids room if I had a child or a guest room. I would need a matching duvet to go with this if I were to use it. Plus I don’t use pillows so pillow covers don’t do much for me. (And even I did this one doesn’t do much anyway).
A sleep mask, which I like except that is the design that is in everything SJM themed and like yeah, love a sleep mask, SO tired of the SJM mountains and stars and quote thing. There are many other options that could be quoted on a sleeping mask.
The collectible pin which was designed by the author of the book, so woohoo as that is pretty neat, right?
A sticker for Howl’s Moving Castle which is super cute and one of my favourite things from this box.
The book, We Hunt the Flame which I had been looking forward to so happy to have this one and it has silver instead of gold and somehow I like that more so bonus points.
Character artwork.
A passport wallet. This is a fun idea and I like it but I have never been sold on it as you still need to get your passport out of the holder when you’re going through customs… But the wallet is nice nevertheless.
A glass water bottle. It is smallish and apparently it has broken for people (it does come with tbhe caveat that it appears it isn’t tempered glass, and well, it really should be). Haven’t used it but a glass water bottle doesn’t appeal to me and bottles with just quotes on them in pretty calligraphy aren’t my thing anyway.

That’s all there was, the box felt a bit weaker this time than previous months and that’s a bit sad. Hopefully June’s box will be nicer.