Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Milk Soaps



Faiola, Anne-Marie. Milk Soaps: 35 Skin-Nourishing Recipes for Making Milk-Enriched Soaps, from Goat to Almond. North Adams, Massachusetts: Storey Publishing, 2019.

If you are interested in making soaps, look no further than this guide by Anne-Marie Faiola. She gives step-by-step instructions, each of which is accompanied by a photographic illustration. The soaps range in creation difficulty from fairly simple to very complex. She explains differences in ingredients and explains chemical reactions and textures that might be achieved. She even includes a section at the end which anticipates questions users might have, such as the need for distilled water versus tap water. The milks used in recipes include mammals, such as cows and goats, nuts, and grains. She explains the process of creating milk from the last two sources. She discusses molds, from simple disposable ones to more elaborate ones. She provides lists of "kitchen tools" soapmakers need. The soaps are lovely and would make wonderful gifts. It's a fascinating book, but I'm a bit intimidated by it, probably because of the complexity of some of the more advanced recipes. Workman Publishing sent me an email offering me an egalley of the book which was offered through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Tuesday, April 23, 2019

Sad News from Loudon County

Last week the world watched as Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral burned. This week East Tennesseans are watching a fire burn the Loudon County Courthouse. The county mayor says it is a significant if not total loss.

The only thing we know for certain was rescued at this point is a flag. Efforts were underway to salvage what they could.

Fortunately many records are microfilmed by Tennessee State Library & Archives. These same records are available in Knoxville's Calvin M. McClung Collection in the East Tennessee History Center. FamilySearch offers a handful of records in comparison to the holdings of Tennessee State Library & Archives.

Many researchers know about Tennessee's county archives program. Sadly Loudon's archives is classified as partial or inactive.

I don't have a photo to share because of copyright issues. This news story offers a photo at the moment, but it may be updated as the evening progresses.

I hope early records are saved, but I'm thankful many records are preserved through microfilming and digitization.

UPDATE: The local news reports many historic documents were recently removed because a "historic preservation society" was being established. I wonder if that means a county archives. Hopefully we'll learn more soon.

Thursday, April 18, 2019

Mr. Finchley Discovers His England



Canning, Victor. Mr. Finchley Discovers His England. 1934. Reprint, Richmond, United Kingdom: Farrago, 2019.

Mr. Finchley who serves as clerk for a London firm finds himself taking a 3-week vacation for the first time in years. The new manager insisted he take it. He books himself for a trip to Margate, but from the beginning of his trip things take a strange turn. Mr. Finchley finds himself in one adventure after another. Mr. Finchley is not one to be on the wrong side of the law, but he finds himself skirting it on several occasions because he is too trusting of shady characters he encounters along the way. The humor comes mostly from seeing what one considers a straight-laced person in the situations in which he finds himself. He learns quite a bit about himself along the way. The novel is not a new one. It first appeared in print in 1934. Although I enjoyed the book, I found it was one I could easily put down. I received an electronic galley in exchange for an honest review of the book.

Tuesday, April 02, 2019

Crazy Plant Lady



Serna, Isabel. Crazy Plant Lady. New York: Workman Publishing, 2019.

I might have enjoyed this book more if I were truly a crazy plant lady, but I'm more of a crazy cat lady, and one illustration said "Plant lady is the new cat lady," a sentiment with which I strongly disagree. The book seemed more repetitive than the cat lady volume. The illustrations are nice, and it's a gift book I'm sure plant ladies will enjoy. Workman Publishing invited me to download an electronic galley through NetGalley. NetGalley's terms expect an honest review for e-galleys received.

Crazy Cat Lady



Loonstra, Agnes and Ester Scholten. Crazy Cat Lady. New York: Workman Publishing, 2019.

This is a perfect gift book for a cat-loving female like myself! The illustrations and text provide content to which we can relate. Workman Publishing invited me to download an electronic copy which was delivered through NetGalley. NetGalley's terms expect an honest review in exchange for electronic galleys.

Muddy: The Raccoon Who Stole Dishes



Ondaatje, Griffin and Linda Wolfsgruber. Muddy: The Raccoon Who Stole Dishes. New York: NorthSouth Books, 2019.

While most of the raccoons learned it is best to leave the garbage on the other side of the river alone, Muddy braves it each night. The other raccoons fear it will get him into big trouble. One day he crosses the river, goes into the restaurant, steals a plate, and pushes it across the river, heaping the plate with others he's stolen. The other raccoons help him wash the dishes and return all the plates, clearing the restaurant in the process. This book, first published in Switzerland, offers nice illustrations, but the story may not resonate with some readers.I received an advance electronic copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.