Let’s Bake! A Pusheen Cookbook by Claire Belton & Susanne Ng

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

I’m not sure when I first became aware of Pusheen, the round grey cartoon cat with a sunny attitude and penchant for snacking, but I was pretty much charmed immediately.  I think the first thing I got was the calendar, followed by the book.  Of course, more merchandise appeared in short order for people who just couldn’t get enough the adorable feline.

Since Pusheen is very food oriented, it seems only natural that edible Pusheen items would start popping up on social media and then voila! A Pusheen cookbook. 

In keeping with Pusheen’s penchant for pastries and dessert, most of the recipes are for sweets of some sort:  cookies, doughnuts (a Pusheen favorite!), cakes, and even ice cream. The full color photos show absolutely adorable and mouth-watering treats. There are a few non-sweets, such as Pusheen pizza.

The recipes are rated in terms of difficulty and there is a yield listing.  The list of ingredients is nicely specific (for example, butter “slightly softened but still cold” is very helpful to me, otherwise the butter might be a puddle) and the steps of mixing and decorating are well illustrated with photos. Templates for Pusheen shapes are included in the back, including different sizes for different projects.

I was delighted by the book for all the creativity, part of which is in the presentation. Candy stars surround Pusheen marshmallows, for example, as well as attention to detail.  Pusheen doughnuts have white chocolate chips added before being coated to give that Pusheen “feet.”

Where I think I would have trouble is in the decorating. Steady hands and some degree of talent seems to be involved.

There’s one more impediment for me:  I don’t bake.  Or cook, for that matter.

For anyone who is looking for clever and cute ideas for cup cakes, cookies, cakes, etc., this is a fine choice.  The only problem is they might be too pretty to eat!

The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen

Reviewed by Ambrea

Josey Cirrini is the daughter of Marco and Margaret Cirrini.  Margaret, a true southern belle and town beauty, and Marco, the city’s golden boy and favorite son, were a perfect couple; however, Josey was far from a perfect child.  Now twenty-seven-years-old, Josey has realized she will never live up to her mother’s expectations—and so she hides a stockpile of treats and paperback romances in her closet to escape to each night, wishing for circumstances to be different.

When she discovers Della Lee Baker hiding in her closet, Josey finds her last sanctuary has been taken from her.  Suddenly, she’s stuck with Della Lee’s tough love approach to life and she’s soon expanding her small world, befriending Chloe Finley—a young woman who has a startling talent for finding books when she most needs them—and talking to her longtime crush, Adam.

But Della Lee has a secret, a secret that’s been hidden from Josey for more than twenty years.

Like Garden Spells, Allen’s previous novel, The Sugar Queen has little threads of magic laced throughout the novel:  Josey with her uncanny ability to detect secrets, even if she doesn’t understand them; Chloe with her books, which magically appear when she needs them; Rawley, who always keeps a promise he makes, no matter the cost to his heart; Julian with his magnetic personality that compels any and every woman’s attentions; and Marlena with her surprising skills at chasing away ghosts.

Allen has a special skill in portraying her characters.  She gives careful descriptions of her characters, and she pinpoints the little unexpected (read:  magical) things that populate their lives, linking them inextricably to a thin veil of magic that permeates the town.  And she’s meticulous in showing character perspective, allowing her readers a peek into the lives of her characters—such as the way Josey equates the best things in life with sugary sweets, or Chloe recounts her moods and experiences in the books that follow her—by showing the world through their eyes.  In Sugar Queen, I found this simply added another layer to her characters.

Although I enjoyed The Sugar Queen, I’m afraid I just couldn’t enjoy it as much as Garden Spells.  I don’t know why, but I simply found Garden Spells more appealing in its style and its plot—and, more importantly, in its portrayal of magic.  While I liked the magical elements of The Sugar Queen (specifically, I liked the idea of Chloe having books that followed her around on a regular basis, reflecting her moods and needs), it felt a little more obvious.  Garden Spells, except for the apple tree, felt more subtle.  The Waverly sisters have peculiar gifts, but they aren’t advertised overtly; rather, their magic is woven into the fabric of their family, like fine threads, and it feels almost like a secret.  The Sugar Queen doesn’t have that:  magic feels more like a nuisance than a gift.

Overall, however, I enjoyed The Sugar Queen and I would definitely recommend it for fans of Sarah Addison Allen.