If you love Jones' Chrestomanci books, don't miss these short stories! Warlock at the Wheel is somewhat reminiscent of O. Henry's "The Ransom of Red Chief" and, although funny, probably the weakest story of the bunch. Stealer of the Souls features the friendly faces of Cat and Tonino, and thus really feels like it's part of the Chrestomanci canon. I probably enjoyed Carol Oneir's Hundredth Dream the most, probably because I get a kick out of Carol the "child star" and her overly involved mother. The Sage of Theare reminds me the most of reading Chrestomanci for the first time - new, unfamiliar world with a sense of something much larger going on.

I tried two recipes from this cookbook, the Mac & Cheese and the Millet Bread. The Mac & Cheese tasted pretty good, though it calls for way more fake cheese than I normally feel comfortable using. It ended up making a ton of cheese sauce, more than I think the pasta really calls for, so I would recommend taking the fake cheese down from 3 cups to 2 or 2 and a half. The Millet Bread turned out somewhat horribly, but mostly because I think I overkneaded the dough and didn't let the oven completely preheat. The inside ended up not cooking through, which I didn't notice until I'd already removed it from the oven and let it cool. The taste (from what I could salvage) is very delicate, so if you're confident in your gluten-free breadmaking skills, this might be one to try.

If you are looking for imaginative cuisine with bold flavors, this is not the book for you. While the recipes are very quick, and feature inexpensive, easily found ingredients, there's not much else to recommend it. Of the recipes I've tried, everything tastes okay (except the Pumpkin Sage Pasta, which I did not like at all), but nothing is particularly exciting. The Tempeh Chili Mac was probably the most interesting in texture and flavor, and would make a good "throw together at the last minute" meal on a busy weeknight. If super low key is what you're looking for, then give this book a try. For more adventuresome vegan cooking, try Veganomicon, Vegan Eats World, or Vegan Soul Kitchen.

EDIT: I made the Cajun Chickpea Patties today and they were actually quite delicious! If you check out this book, be sure to try this recipe.

Thoroughly charming and very sweet story! Cute pictures, too.

Well-crafted and thoroughly mysterious, though not quite as charming as his Series of Unfortunate Events series.