Category: Non-fiction

The Green Witch’s Coloring Book by Arin Murphy-Hiscock & Sara Richards

subtitled From Enchanting Forest Scenes To Intricate Herb Gardens: Conjure The Colorful World Of Natural Magic. Whether or not you’re already familiar with Arin Murphy-Hiscock’s Green Witch oeuvre, this is a delightful way to get to know it better. The experienced will love the way this coloring book enhances their existing practices, providing an activity …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2023/09/12/the-green-witchs-coloring-book-by-arin-murphy-hiscock-sara-richards/

The P Word: A Manual For Mammals by David Hu & Ilias Arahovitis (GIVEAWAY)

Growing up, I never thought I’d be the mother to three boys. I always imagined having daughters whom I would try to guide through life with grace and thoughtfulness based on my own experiences. While my sons are a delight, there are certain subjects I feel less than perfectly equipped to advise them on. Unsurprisingly, …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2023/07/11/the-p-word-a-manual-for-mammals-by-david-hu-ilias-arahovitis-giveaway/

The Couscous Chronicles by Azzedine T. Downes

Stories Of Food, Love, And Donkeys From A Life Between Cultures. With a foreword by Dr Jane Goodall. I am so glad Azzedine T Downes’ friends persuaded him to write a book about his travels, because this memoir is amazing! Funny and thoughtful, it’s a wonderful debut and hopefully the first of many more fascinating …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2023/07/03/the-couscous-chronicles-by-azzedine-t-downes/

Kids Ask About: Bears by Christopher Nicholas

with terrific wildlife illustrations by Pedro Julio Gonzalez. If your kid ever goes through a hyperfixation stage on bears, then this is absolutely the book to get them. Chock-full of fun facts and interesting data, this slender volume is the perfect gift for any kid who wants to know more about the omnivorous mammal. Presented …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2023/06/01/kids-ask-about-bears-by-christopher-nicholas/

Skip To The Fun Parts: Cartoons And Complaints About The Creative Process by Dana Jeri Maier

It’s fitting that there’s an entire section on relatability in this part-cartoon, part-essay treatise on struggling with the muse. Skip To The Fun Parts is so deeply relatable for any creative who’s ever suffered from self-doubt — so, every creative — that it feels like Dana Jeri Maier has been watching me try to work …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2023/05/11/skip-to-the-fun-parts-cartoons-and-complaints-about-the-creative-process-by-dana-jeri-maier/

Thinking Of You (but not like in a weird creepy way): A Comic Collection by Beth Evans

This is a sweet collection of affirmations featuring Beth Evans’ cute blobs telling you that someone is always in your corner, even if they don’t know you and you don’t know them. Because it’s true, innit? There are millions of people like Ms Evans who genuinely care about the well-being of others. We may not …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2023/05/02/thinking-of-you-but-not-like-in-a-weird-creepy-way-a-comic-collection-by-beth-evans/

Bitches In Bonnets: Life Lessons From Jane Austen’s Mean Girls by Sarah J. Makowski

Okay, I know that no retrospective of Jane Austen’s work is complete without Anne Elliott, but why on earth would she have her own chapter here when she is about as far from a Mean Girl as I can think of in this canon? Elizabeth Elliot, absolutely. Ending on Anne is just a weird thematic …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2023/04/26/bitches-in-bonnets-life-lessons-from-jane-austens-mean-girls-by-sarah-j-makowski/

Magical History Tour Vol. 12: The Samurai by Fabrice Erre & Sylvain Savoia

As someone who has spent a patently absurd amount of time playing Legend Of The Five Rings, a role-playing game heavily inspired by Far Eastern cultures, it’s always fascinating to me to see how lacking my knowledge of Japan actually is. Books like this one gently correct my misperceptions, in the most interesting way possible. …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2023/04/19/magical-history-tour-vol-12-the-samurai-by-fabrice-erre-sylvain-savoia/

The Story Of The Saxophone by Lesa Cline-Ransome and James E Ransome

If you think of the saxophone nowadays, you think of jazz musicians, perhaps John Coltrane and Stan Getz if you’re of a certain musical inclination, perhaps Lisa Simpson and Kenny G if your knowledge of the instrument tends more towards mainstream pop culture like my own does. But the saxophone has a long and storied …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2023/03/29/the-story-of-the-saxophone-by-lesa-cline-ransome-and-james-e-ransome/

OMFG, BEES! by Matt Kracht

with the absolutely delightful subtitle: Bees Are So Amazing and You’re About to Find Out Why. I am 100% the target audience for this humorous non-fiction book extolling the benefits and wonders of bees. Heck, I even wrote a hybrid role-playing/board game, Honey Hex, that benefits the National Wildlife Federation’s efforts to protect pollinators. In …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2023/03/28/omfg-bees-by-matt-kracht/