Wakela Runen's World

The Wonderful World of Amigurumi by Khuc Cay This book has got to have some of the cutest creations that I have ever seen.  Each one is so darling and special in its own way.  Thankfully, Khuc Cay has provided great instructions that make it easy to create these special animals.   She starts with basic instructions on how to crochet and even embroidery work.  Of course, she provides a list of which types of supplies you will need to finish these projects, as well as which brands of yarns that she likes to work with.  There are also great tips such as putting blush on the cheeks of your creations to increase their cuteness factor.  She also gives tips on how to make them bigger if you would like.   Before the instructions for each amigurumi, she tells you a little bit about its personality.  For instance, the picture on the cover of the book is of Onni the Platypus and he likes to hang out near the water eating ice cream.   The instructions include information on who it is rated for (be

Once Upon a Murder by Samantha Larsen narrated by Marni Penning This may be the 2nd book in the Lady Librarian book series, but it is the first one that I have read.  Not knowing what occurred in the 1st book did not hamper my enjoyment of this book.  It would have been nice to know more about some of the situations that were referenced though.  I do plan on going back to read the 1st book since I want to know what happened in it. Take a step back to 1784 and ride along as Tiffany attempts to clear both her and Samir's name of murder.  It seems in the prior book; Tiffany had dressed up as her brother and started working for the Duchess of Beaufort as the librarian.  In this book, she is now known as herself and is working as the librarian and also as nanny for the young Duke.  There are some really cute parts with Tiffany and the young pirate interacting.   This book had way too many juxtapositions of contradicting ideas.  Some of them actually concerned me and took me out of the t

The Witches Workshop by Melissa Jayne Madara First, I would like to note that I reviewed the eBook edition.  I wanted to mention this since I have already said that I focus on audiobooks.  However, with a book of crafts or recipes, I feel that it is necessary to be able to see the process instead of listening and trying to figure it out in my head.  It is less noisy this way. Now on to the book itself.  This book is a witch's guide to creating your own tools.  The first thing that came to mind when I saw this title was that by crafting your own incense, dyes, or oils you can already start to put your intentions into them while crafting.  This way you will have the added benefit during your spell or ritual work.  Whereas, if you are buying mass produced items, you don't have the energy already starting.   I know that many people skip introductions in this type of book.  There is a lot of great information in this section.  The author attempts to show how the very definition of a

Crocheting Reversible Amigurumi Projects by Jesse Van In These animals are so cute!  I know that this is going to show my age with this comment, but they sort of remind me of Popples!  The big difference is that Popples only turned into a ball.  Whereas these darlings turn into other things depending on the project you choose.  For instance, the pattern for the fox has an inside that is a cat.  The otter becomes a seashell.   The other cool thing is that you don't have to make them reversible if you don't want.  You can actually make them one sided and seal them closed.  So, if you only want that adorable panda bear, then you make the panda part of the pattern and then fill it with stuffing and seal it off.  Then you have a cute stuffed panda. There are so many handy tips and guidance in this book that even beginners like me have a chance at creating these cuties.  I know that it will take me awhile to finish one of these patterns, but I am working my way through one at the mom

A Midnight Puzzle by Gigi Pandian narrated by Soneela Nankani I have been impatiently waiting for this audiobook to be released.  I was excited when I learned that I could review the eALC for NetGalley. First, let me tell you how I learned of this great series.  I am a HUGE fan of the narrator.  I absolutely love the work of Soneela Nankani and I was wanting something to read, but really didn't feel like tackling my TBL pile.  Well, I did a search to see what books Soneela Nankani narrated and came across this series about a stage magician, locked room mysteries and hidden rooms.  I was intrigued.   Let me tell you that Soneela doesn't disappoint with her voicing of the characters.  From creating the accents for the Indian grandparents to the Scottish grandmother to her American friends, Soneela seems to manage it all without skipping a beat. As for the story, most cozy mysteries you can skip around in the series without an issue.  However, in this particular book, I advise tha

Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan narrated by Stephanie Németh Parker This book is listed as a horror-mystery.  I do feel that it is more of just a horror book.  That is perfectly fine with me.  I spent my teen years reading Clive Barker and Leigh Nichols (Dean Koontz pseudonym).  Plus, being a teen in the 80s, I spent time watching horror films such as Nightmare on Elm Street.  So, going into this book, I was ready for horror and blood.   This book is based on the Romanian mythology of the Strigoi.  I know that many people are not aware of the stories surrounding them.  So, the picture on the cover doesn't really make sense to many.  The Strigoi are a mix between a vampire and a zombie.  They start out as a zombie/ghoul type of being that will feed on humans and gain strength.  As they gain strength, they will start to appear more and more human.  In the original tales of the Strigoi, they can turn invisible and shapeshift.  That didn't occur in this book though.  However, the be

Deadly to the Core by Joyce Tremel narrated by Hilary Huber First, I need to fan girl about the narrator a little bit!!  I absolutely love Hilary Huber. 😍 She narrates some of my favorite series and does a fabulous job.  So, when I hit play and heard her voice I was overjoyed!  There are three narrators that I will go out of my way to look for books that they do, and Hilary is one of them.  I always know that she will do a great job with the characters.  Ok, gushing over Hilary over.   Let's get on with the review of the actual book.  This is a new to me author and I am glad that I found her.   Kate physically survived a crash that took her beloved husband away from her, but mentally she feels like she died with him.  Or at least she wishes that she did.  That is until her Uncle Stan passes away and leaves her an orchard.    She uproots her life and moves to the orchard in the hopes of starting fresh and healing from her past.  However, the orchard manager and her uncle's trus