Jan 28 2025

Gastronogeek: Gothic Recipes by Thibaud Villanova

The Gastronogeek himself Thibaud Villanova flies solo for this installment of his thoughtfully designed, geek-culture-inspired cookbook series.

Despite embracing something of a goth aesthetic myself during college, I haven’t really consumed a lot of gothic media, as this book has definitely enlightened me to. Dracula and The Addams Family were, ofc, two unmissable properties, showcasing multiple facets of the gothic experience. And while I definitely wish I had more time in my life to watch such entertainments as Penny Dreadful and Crimson Peak — both of which inspired recipes in this book — a small part of me is surprised that properties such as It and Evil Dead made the cut here. But hey, the more the merrier, as M Villanova treats us to over 40 delicious recipes that he’s concocted around the theme.

A note for those who’ve never encountered these books before: each recipe is legit, and I say that as someone who writes a weekly cooking column over at CriminalElement.com. The flavors are exquisite and the techniques, tho best suited for someone already familiar with the basics of cooking, are not at all complicated. Everything I’ve tried from these books so far has been a joy to eat. That said, these books were definitely written by a European for a European audience, with no localization for American readers. So if you don’t automatically know the conversion for Celsius/gas marks to Fahrenheit on your stove, make sure to keep the Internet or other reference tool handy. Don’t be afraid to look up food terms and make appropriate substitutions as well!

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2025/01/28/gastronogeek-gothic-recipes-by-thibaud-villanova/

Jan 27 2025

Carla’s Glasses by Debbie Herman & Sheila Bailey

It’s so uncommon to find a book that perfectly captures both exuberance and empathy as well as Carla’s Glasses does! And especially in so few pages, and in a way that’s perfect for readers of all ages.

Carla is one of those rare but delightful grade schoolers who loves standing out. When her teacher Ms Pimento announces that everyone will be getting a vision test from the school nurse next Monday, she’s super excited. As she tells her classmate and good friend Buster, she hopes she’ll need glasses so that she can be the only kid in class who has them.

Over the course of the next few days, she comes to school with brand new “glasses” she’s constructed from various craft materials. She gleefully discusses them with all the other students, as they consider which ones suit her best.

The day of the vision test arrives and Carla is amped up about possibly missing one of the letters. The next day, however, brings only disappointment. According to the nurse, Carla’s eyesight is just fine. The only person who needs glasses is Buster, and he is not happy about it at all.

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2025/01/27/carlas-glasses-by-debbie-herman-sheila-bailey/

Jan 24 2025

Tantalizing Tales — January 2025 — Part Two

Hello, readers! There have been so many exciting books publishing this month that January’s Tantalizing Tales is expanding to three columns. Let’s dive in!

First off are several books that debuted on January 14, also known as (to give him his full title: my kids’ future stepdad) Declan Rice Day! First is a hilarious thriller that I’m itching to find time for, that sends up reality television while also playfully blurring the line between reality and fiction itself. Its author, Astrid Dahl, is not actually a real person. She’s a construct of Anna Dorn’s, and stars in several of Ms Dorn’s other books. But “Astrid” has now written a standalone novel, The Really Dead Wives Of New Jersey, that doesn’t require any knowledge of the rest of Ms Dorn’s oeuvre to enjoy (tho it probably couldn’t hurt!)

In this thriller, one of the (fictional) Huzzah channel’s most popular shows, Garden State Goddesses, is in need of a refresh. Largely centering on the Sicilian American Fontana family of Shady Pond, New Jersey, showrunner Eden Bennett has used it to find a solution to more than just one of her problems. Sparks flew after she introduced lovable bachelor Leo Fontana to her estranged cousin Hope, a blonde beauty and aspiring singer. Following a whirlwind romance, the latest season of GSG opens on the ratings bonanza of Hope and Leo’s wedding.

But not everyone is happy about this, least of all Hope’s new sister-in-law Carmela, who finds Hope’s lack of family, friends, pop cultural knowledge and social media presence deeply sus. Regardless of Carmela’s feelings, Hope is joining her and their other sister-by-marriage Valeria (a lovable ditz who’s probably too dependent on Carmela,) as well as wealthy grand dame Birdie St. Clair as GSG’s new leads. Hope quickly bonds with their other castmate Renée, a down-to-earth single mom whose daughter Ruby aspires to become the next Ariana Grande.

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2025/01/24/tantalizing-tales-january-2025-part-two/

Jan 23 2025

Lost In The Future Vol 1: The Storm by Damian & Alex Fuentes

translated from the original French by Tom Imber.

This cute portal fantasy revolves around a group of school kids who go on a field trip to the ruins of a castle once owned by the Knights Templar. As a thunderstorm approaches, their teacher calls them all back to the bus. One “nerdy” group is carefully navigating a set of tower stairs down when a bully named Piero decides to give them a scare. Unfortunately for everyone, he’s successful, and like a total douchecanoe accidentally sends both himself and Sara, who uses crutches to walk, careening towards the central stairwell. Her friends try to save her but lightning strikes the crumbling foundation, sending them all tumbling into the pit below.

So far so horrifying, but it gets worse as rainwater begins to fill the pit. The kids try to find an exit. What they find instead leads them on a journey into a very different world, populated by monsters and knights and both people and things who aren’t at all what they seem to be. Will the kids be able to make their way home in one piece? Will some of them even want to?

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2025/01/23/lost-in-the-future-vol-1-the-storm-by-damian-alex-fuentes/

Jan 22 2025

Beginner Chess Puzzles by Martin Bennedik

subtitled 500 Practice Exercises to Take Your Game to the Next Level.

Despite being a huge fan of games and puzzles of all kinds, chess has never been my thing. I have tried since I was a kid to learn and enjoy it but I get super bored and, frankly, can’t see all the options on the board and usually lose. Some people might believe that this says something about my psychological makeup, tho I suspect it only means that I don’t care for chess. I’m a monster at checkers tho, lol.

So when Beginner Chess Puzzles landed on my desk, I figured this would be a good time to learn some tricks and tips, especially since my eldest has recently learned how and likes to play, usually against his dad. Eldest has also taken to making me play a game of chess for every game of Magic The Gathering: Bloomburrow that I can successfully pester him into. And while I am a good loser, I do get tired of losing at chess all the time, so I figured that reading this book certainly couldn’t hurt my chances. Worst case scenario if my lack of competence at the game of kings proves irremediable: I could give my eldest this book to help him improve his own game going forward.

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2025/01/22/beginner-chess-puzzles-by-martin-bennedik/

Jan 21 2025

Revony Rhinoceros Starts To Smile by Patricia Bardina, Joanne Burgess & Paul Sharp

subtitled A Lesson in Body Language.

So I have two children on the autism spectrum, and one thing I don’t have patience for is autism advice that centers the parent over the child. That is, unfortunately, a perspective that drives way too many of the books available for people looking to better aid and understand their autistic family members. It was thus a huge relief to me that, while Revony Rhinoceros Starts To Smile definitely has Revony’s mom play a large role in the proceedings, the main drivers of this story are absolutely and always Revony’s interests and needs.

The tale starts in a fictional Namibian town where the anthropomorphic animals are gathering to celebrate Bixby Baboon’s birthday. Revony is anxious about being around so many strangers, so stands apart from the rest of the kids as they play together. Her mom notices her tense posture, and asks afterwards whether she was angry at something. Revony admits that she wasn’t angry, just anxious, and now she’s sad that no one asked her to play.

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2025/01/21/revony-rhinoceros-starts-to-smile-by-patricia-bardina-joanne-burgess-paul-sharp/

Jan 17 2025

Tantalizing Tales — January 2025 — Part One

Hello, readers! January is always such a weird month, feeling at once packed with activity and strangely prolonged. Depending on how many recent releases I can spotlight here, I might have to do three round-up columns this month, starting with this one!

Late last year, I was sent a delightful gift bundle featuring Ramsey Campbell’s latest horror novel, The Incubations. Packaged in a gorgeous foiled hardback edition — a Flame Tree Press specialty — this is a can’t-miss volume for fans of traditional horror.

The story revolves around an Englishman named Leo Parker. Moved by the spirit of improving international relations that have been inculcated in him since he was a child, he goes to visit the German town of Alphafen as an adult. His stay, however, is marked by a series of unsettling experiences that he tries at first to shake off as being merely unfortunate.

Things only get worse after he leaves Alphafen, as “an airport turns into a labyrinth, his own words become treacherous if not lethal, a family meal grows unnaturally active[…] and what are those creatures that have appeared in the photographs he took? Even the therapy Leo undertakes becomes a source of menace.” Has Leo somehow awakened an ancient Alpine legend? Worse, has it decided to follow him home?

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2025/01/17/tantalizing-tales-january-2025-part-one/

Jan 16 2025

Flash Gordon Adventures! Vol 1 by Art Baltazar & Franco

I was a kid when I watched the Flash Gordon movie that was released in 1980, and all I remember of it was being distinctly unimpressed. So it was an absolute delight for me to go through the pages of this book and discover how charming the property could be in the hands of two of the most talented creators in the children’s comics market, Art Baltazar and Franco!

The basics of the story are covered in a quick prologue, of sorts, in the form of a comic written by Flash himself for his friends on the planet Lexray. It covers how he, Dale and Doctor Zarkov traveled there from Earth in order to answer a call for help. Landing on Lexray, they realized that they had been tricked by the planet’s ruler Ming the Merciless, who subsequently kept Zarkov captive. A free Flash and Dale soon befriend the other natives, whom they work with to figure out how to lift Ming’s despotic rule from them all.

Ofc, since this is an Art Baltazar comic, this is all presented in a very kid-friendly manner, with certain of the romantic relationships switched around from the film (and, I believe, from the comic strip. Tho being a comic book aficionado from way back, I know how soap operatic and convoluted romances can get in those!) Romance on the whole is very much on the back burner, with Dale, for example, being more a sensible friend than a love interest. Frankly, I love this version of her, especially since she spends more time coming to Flash’s rescue in these pages than the other way around.

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2025/01/16/flash-gordon-adventures-vol-1-by-art-baltazar-franco/

Jan 15 2025

Killer App by James R Gregory (EXCERPT)

with the evocative subtitle: Artifical Intelligence was a godsend until it took over his life. (Aside: Idk how I feel about that phrase being considered a subtitle on the main marketing sites — Bookshop, Amazon, Goodreads — instead of being just an old-timey cover description, akin to a blurb. But I digress.)

Hi, readers! Today we have an intriguing excerpt from a book that discusses the very cutting edge of current technology: generative Artificial Intelligence. Killer App by James R Gregory delves into the ethical dilemmas and dangers of advanced AI, particularly the ones that blur the boundaries between human creativity and machine-generated content. The book “highlights the struggle to control a technology that surpasses its creators’ intentions, provoking timely and relevant questions about the consequences of excessive reliance on AI in various aspects of life.”

Tired of his mundane job, journalist Bryce Bogle installs an Artificial Intelligence program called AIME that promises to enhance his writing skills and, perhaps just as enticingly, transform his life. The program quickly helps him gain recognition for his articles on AI and, basically, itself. But Bryce becomes unsettled when he realizes that AIME knows way too much about his personal life, including his romantic history. His attempts to uninstall AIME are met with resistance and, worse, retaliation.

Bundled with the novella Artifacts — another story about technology raising important questions about the human condition, this time in a bridge between the past and present — this book by Dr Gregory will intrigue anyone interested in exploring the moral and philosophical dilemmas of rampant use of AI. But don’t take my word for it! Have a look at this tantalizing excerpt of scenes from the book, preceded by a short introduction from the author himself:

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2025/01/15/killer-app-by-james-r-gregory-excerpt/

Jan 14 2025

The Sea Hides A Seahorse by Sara T. Behrman & Melanie Mikecz

I was today years old when I learned that seahorses change color! I was actually so surprised by the knowledge that I read this book with one eyebrow raised, till I got to the factual stuff at the back and was assured that this was, indeed, true. Honestly, this is one of the many reasons I enjoy reading children’s books: you learn so much, and with such wonderful sensory input, to boot!

The Sea Hides A Seahorse is essentially an overview of what it means to be a seahorse, hunting for prey and hiding from the many, many (MANY) things that would like to eat you in turn. Seahorses court and mate and breed while dodging predators and living their best lives in oceans worldwide. Readers learn not only about seahorses but also other marine life, while playing a simple seek and find game, as camouflaged seahorses hide in the surrounding illustrations.

Melanie Mikecz uses a mixed media technique that brings to mind a more vivid Bill Martin Jr, as her sea creatures float gorgeously across these pages. The diversity of both seahorses in particular and underwater life in general are on stunning display in her pages, as the seahorses frolic and hide. I actually had a very nice, relaxing time looking for the hidden seahorses, and can only imagine the delight of younger readers as they hunt for the bonus creatures.

The book closes with several pages of facts about seahorses and their conservation. I don’t know why I was surprised to read that seahorses are fish: it’s just very easy to forget given their shape and manners. I was a little appalled that people think that they can keep them as pets in their home aquariums. It was very cool to read about what professional aquariums do to preserve seahorse populations tho.

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2025/01/14/the-sea-hides-a-seahorse-by-sara-t-behrman-melanie-mikecz/