I haven’t heard a lot about coloring books lately. Remember when the marketplace seemed to be flooded with them? Personally, I was sad to see the trend die down. Coloring is a wonderful creative outlet for people like me that love visual arts and are not good at creating them. Which is a polite way to say I can’t draw, okay?
It’s why I was delighted when a publicist reached out to me about “The Peaceful Protectors: Coloring Collection” by Real Weng. She is a freelance artist originally from Taiwan and she has created a beautiful coloring book based on Asian mythology. “The Peaceful Protectors” is 64 pages and features 15 mythical characters turned into 30 floral integrated unique coloring pages and an additional introduction page of the specific character with each image hand drawn by Real Weng.
The artwork is beautiful, and more importantly, done in a way conducive to an enjoyable coloring experience. Hopefully, you’ve never experienced the annoyance of a coloring book that doesn’t accommodate for a person trying to color in the picture. I have, it sucks.
There is no denying that this would be a fantastic holiday gift. You can learn more here.
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“Keith Haring: 31 Subway Drawings” features a handful (31 to be exact) of examples of Haring’s prolific New York subway graffiti era. The contributions of several authors (Jeffrey Deitch, Henry Geldzahler, Carlo McCormick, and Larry Warsh), including a reprinting of “The Subway is Still My Favorite Place to Draw” by Keith Haring that originally appeared in “Art in Transit: Subway Drawings”, “31 Subway Drawings” re-examines this important era in Haring’s art and public art of the era in general.
It is here again. That magical time of the year where I pretend Oprah and I are somehow on the same level and rivals by doing my annual “Favorite Things” list. As always, my list is superior to hers in every way.
5. The Ancestral Power of Amulets, Talismans, and Mascots: Folk Magic in Witchcraft and Religion by Nigel Pennick
There was a lot of excitement leading up to the release of Deborah Blake’s latest book, “The Eclectic Witch’s Book of Shadows: Witchy Wisdom at Your Fingertips,” and it was well deserved. I do not know who pitched this book idea and its format, but a hearty round of applause to everyone involved.
The combination of Blake’s timeless wisdom, Mueller’s whimsical art, the sturdy hardcover format, and the owner’s personal reflections, gives “The Eclectic Witch’s Book of Shadows” the potential to become a cherished heirloom for magical families. In a marketplace flooded with books on the topic, Llewellyn put together the perfect team to create a standout.
If you know anything about me it’s that I am ALWAYS looking for an excuse to eat or drink. It is safe to say that Ulysses Press has caught on to that fact because they offered me the chance to review “Mixology and Murder: Cocktails Inspired by Infamous Serial Killers, Cold Cases, Cults and Other Disturbing True Crime Stories” by Kierra Sondereker.
Obviously, it wouldn’t be a review if I didn’t try out a recipe, so welcome to “Big Mother Ship Brew!” Sondereker writes, “A coffee-flavored cocktail for the serial killer whose last meal was a cup of coffee. Aileen Wuornos also had some interesting last words: ‘I’ll be back like Independence Day, with Jesus. June 6, like the movie. Big mother ship and all, I’ll be back, I’ll be back.” Why this one? Well, I found the idea of coffee and tequila interesting, and I already had everything I needed for the recipe.
Thorn Mooney gets it. “There was a time,” Mooney begins in her latest book “The Witch’s Path: Advancing Your Craft at Every Level”, “particularly toward the beginning of my practice of the Craft, when I would have planned an elaborate working to mark the occasion. The full moon is a great time to work magic, and I would have taken advantage of the opportunity. Maybe a spell for wealth or luck. Maybe I would have written a meditation and blended an appropriate incense to encourage visions. Maybe I would have cleansed and reconsecrated my altar and simply sat in silent prayer.”
I need another favorite tarot deck like I need a whole in the head. I wanted to pick a few decks to work with repeatedly in an attempt to improve my overall tarot/oracle reading skills and after AGONIZING over deciding ultimately could only narrow it down to six. SIX IS STILL A LOT! Then comes along the female forward, goddess oriented “Intuitive Night Goddess Tarot” by Linzi Silverman and the count may come up to seven! In case you weren’t aware, seven is EVEN MORE THAN SIX! Sigh…..
It is the design that makes this deck truly stand out! No one card is particularly linked to a specific deity, it deals more in archetypes. The Fool become Potential, The Magician becomes The Witch, The Emperor becomes The Monarch, The Hierophant becomes The Mystic, and more! The Minor Arcana suites are Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles, however Page, Knight, Queen, and King are replaced with Nymph, Warrior, Queen, and Spirit. 
“Living Magic: Contemporary Insights and Experiences from Practicing Magicians” by Frater U∴D∴ is a collection of essays about magic from the founding members of the Bonn Workshop for Experimental Magic in Germany. Although anticipating discussions about magic, I wasn’t prepared from the biographical angle of the book. You’ll find interviews and personal recollections. I didn’t mind because I’m nosey by nature and love to learn about the practitioners as much as the practice, but it is something to keep in mind.