Confessions of a Part-Time Sorceress

I'm excited to read Confessions of a Part-Time Sorceress by Shelly Mazzanoble. I first came across this book last year and immediately ordered a copy for my library. Since we put it on the shelf it's regularly checked out and that confirms something I already knew. Girl Gamers are a mystery and people want to know more.

The author has a great conversational style, she makes it easy to understand the basic concepts of Dungeons & Dragons and table top games in general. I laughed several times while reading this book. It made me think back to my early experiences with D&D and wish I could get a game started up once more. Considering it's been a few years since I played D&D that's a big boost in the books favor. There were only two things I didn't care for with this book.

Number 1: The only accent color is a bright, almost obnoxious pink.
Number 2: Ms. Mazzanoble does a great job at debunking the gamer stereotype, but she plays up and comes across as delighting in the girl stereotype that women think of nothing more than shopping, hair, beauty, ect. As a female gamer that bugged me a bit, but this book is geared more towards women who are drug into the game by their significant others so maybe that stereotype fits the "target audience" better.

Overall it's a great book, one that is a fun read whether you're just getting into D&D and table-top gaming in general, or you're a veteran gamer and just want a bit of nostalgia.

Yule: Celebration of Light & Warmth

This is a short review because I already knew this was a good book. Yule: The Celebration of Light & Warmth is part of Llewellyn publishers Sabbats and Esabats product line. I've read other books in out of this line and enjoyed them. Yule provides some of the history of the holiday, the similarities between Yule and Christmas, and some great recipes. The rituals are laid out nicely with explantions for many - though not every step.

It's easy to read and entertaining. A great way to help get into the seasonal spirit!

This is the last review for the book-a-month challenge - even though some of the reviews were posted late (like this one) I still managed to finish. It's been enjoyable trying to choose books that fit the monthly themes.