Crystal Watanabe

So, I think it’s safe to say that this book had it all. Mystery, romance, intrigue. Oh, as well as cyborgs, magic, and brainwashing.

The way the author weaves different timelines, subplots, and characters together is done beautifully to create an engaging read with an explosive ending. Each character had a broad personality, and the choices that they made were carefully explored. Worldbuilding was amazing. It’s not easy to blend together all the genres in this book, but the author did it with finesse.

While very complex, this is definitely a worthwhile read for people who love both dystopia and fantasy.
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My wife and I checked out and read Crystal Watanabe and Maki Ogawa's previous book, Yum-Yum Bento Box: Fresh Recipes for Adorable Lunches. We made a couple of the recipes and found it was easier than we thought. For the most part, we loved just browsing through the various recipes and imagining making them. I think people do that a lot with various cookbooks.

In any case, this follow-up book of 52 recipes (one per week divided up by 13 for each of the four seasons) is just as clear and direct, with the same excellent quality of photographs.

As a librarian, I'm partial to things like indexes, and this small book has a pretty good one. You can easily look up terms like "stir-fry" or "tempura" and be directed to the appropriate Bento meals. It also has a very nice Glossary section, additional recipes, and Resources section (Bento web sites, Etsy, eBay, etc.). The design and organization of this book is top notch.

A final note (this from the authors). You don't have to just make Bento lunches - this is a neat resource for creating holiday themed dishes and hors d'oeuvres.… (mehr)