Review: 'Cold Press Juice Bible' by Lisa Sussman

Cold Press Juice Bible: 300 Delicious, Nutritious, All-Natural Recipes for Your Masticating Juicer by Lisa Sussman, 2014, Ulysses Press, $14.95, softbound, 192 pages. Cover: colourful. Genre: cookbook. Where we got it: publisher. Where you can get it: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million.

This is a cookery book, but it also has loads of information on why and how one should juice. There are lots of useful tips on buying a juicer, as well.

The ideal four parts vegetable, one part fruit ratio of your juices may be unpalatable at first, so Sussman suggests counteracting the strong flavour with lemon, salt, carrots, ginger, apples, or cucumbers (among other things). She has a section on how to mesh flavours, too. And you might want to add watery fruits and veg or a splash of liquid to prevent your juice looking and tasting like so much green sludge.

Sussman also has a section dedicated to keeping your juice safe (some veg can be eaten raw, but some need to be cooked first).

The recipes are divided into seven 'mealtimes,' and there are four categories of juices (green, root vegetable, fruit, and milky juices). Each recipe lists the ingredients and three other ways to try it. For example, 'Peanut Butter Cup' is made with spinach, chia seeds, chocolate protein powder, peanut butter, and honey – but you can make it rooty by adding a sweet potato; or milky by adding banilla-infused almond milk; or fruity by adding fresh cherries.

If you like this one, try: The Green Teen Cookbook, edited by Laurane Marchive and Pam McElroy.

Review: 'A Grave Matter' by Anna Lee Huber

A Grave Matter by Anna Lee Huber, 2014, Berkley Prime Crime, $16.00, softbound, 421 pages. Cover: excellent. But we thought she was supposed to have dark hair. Category/Genre: historical mystery. Where we got it: publisher. Where you can get it: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million.

The third in the Lady Darby mysteries, this book takes place two months after the events of the previous book. Lady Kiera Darby is still reeling from the loss of a dear friend and finds herself attending – rather unwillingly – the annual Hogmany Ball with her older brother, Trevor.

The festivities are ended when news of a murder comes: the family caretaker, Dodd, was shot and killed, and a body is missing from the family plot at the abby. Because the town doctor is inebriated, Kiera – who has experience with dead bodies and investigations – is asked to view Dodd's body and shed whatever light she can.

She is also soon asked to contact Sebastian Gage, a gentleman investigator, and ask that he come to solve the mystery and retrieve the missing bones. Kiera agrees to this somewhat reluctantly; she and Gage have a past, and she's still not certain of her feelings on the matter – or of his feelings for her, for that matter.

Nonetheless, the investigation and Gage's company combine to draw her out of her dark mood. Soon she is painting again, a talent which has of late eluded her. And sooner than she expects, she has an answer to how Gage feels about her.

The mystery of the body snatching, however, is not so easy. Though the team gather clues, nothing seems to lead them anywhere. Could it be that these body snatchers are just too clever to be caught?

Once again, Anna Lee Huber has woven together an intriguing plot and Scottish history and culture.

Note: mild language.

If you like this one, try: The Anatomist's Wife, by Anna Lee Huber; Mortal Arts, by Anna Lee Huber; Some Danger Involved, by Will Thomas. 

Review: 'The Hollow Hills' by Mary Stewart

The Hollow Hills by Mary Stewart, 1973, Eos, $15.99, softbound, 475 pages. Cover: good, but Arthur looks a bit too much like a model. Category/genre: fantasy. Where we got it: publisher. Where you can get it: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million. 


This, the second installment in Stewart's Arthurian saga, takes place the morning after the events in The Crystal Cave. Merlin returns to his cave and discovers his magic is gone. But he is still needed in Arthur's life even this early on: the queen, Ygraine, wants Merlin to take the child and raise him once he is born. 

But it's decided that until the boy is weaned, he will be cared for by Moravik, Merlin's old nurse, and Ralf, Merlin's assistant. Then he will be raised in secret by Count Ector, a friend of the king. Merlin will meet Arthur when it is time. 

When it's time for Arthur to come into his own, Merlin will have to face an old enemy and see that Arthur is declared king before it's too late. 

Stewart's imagining of the Arthurian legend is one of the best you'll ever come across. Her historical accuracy and rich characters, coupled with a rather mundane take on Merlin's skills as a magician make this an unusual read. 

If you like this one, try: The Last Enchantment, by Mary Stewart.