BibliovoRX: in which I cure what ails you

Dr. Bibliovore here, armed to the teeth with a slew of new prescriptions.  Having water woes?  Aching for architecture?  Feverish with a lack of flavor?  I have your cure.  Below, find remedies for these problems and more.  I'm not a real doctor, of course, I just play one on a book blog (it's rather like being a traveling snake-oil salesman), so here's a handy little disclaimer: mixing medications can have unpredictable effects, and Cellulose with a Side of Ink, Inc. can't be held responsible for any spontaneous mutations from casual reader into insatiable bibliophile.


If a pipe bursts in the apartment next door and your carpet is consequently squelching underfoot, try:
Some New Kind of Slaughter by mpMann and A. David Lewis

This short graphic novel was borne in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and the Indian tsunami.  Some New Kind of Slaughter uses deceptively simple illustrations and muted colors to very cleverly intertwine diluvian myths (that's "flood stories") from different cultures and religions into a cohesive and engrossing story.  Told through the visions of the Babylonian king Ziustruda as he floats across the ocean on his great ark, each page brings a new thread of the plot to the fore to be woven skillfully into the story.  Most readers will recognize at least one of the flood stories, and are sure to enjoy learning of parallel myths from other parts of the world.  Side effects may include rushing out to buy galoshes, a compulsive need to constantly check the weather forecast, and a sense of relief that as wet as your apartment is, it could always be worse.

If you've just about given up on finding books for your "tweenage" daughter that feature strong and capable female protagonists, check out:
The Wish Stealers by Tracy Trivas

The heroine of this book is a plucky sixth grade girl named Griffin Penshine who loves to make wishes every chance she gets.  Her story starts when an evil old woman tricks her into accepting a box of shiny Indian Head pennies that correspond to people's wishes stolen out of fountains over the course of several decades.  Duped into becoming a Wish Stealer, she races to fulfill the stolen wishes as best she can, because if she doesn't, her good wishes will never come true again.  It's a cute book with an eminently likable protagonist: Griffin is artistically and musically inclined, has a strong and loving relationship with her family, and starts a "save the earth" charity as a school project.  Side effects may include approving of your child's choice of reading material, a marked increase in the number of wishes made on loose change, and fielding questions from your daughter about Shakespeare, philanthropy, and vegetarianism.

If you're suffering under the belief that houses in Texas are all ranch-style cookie cutter buildings, you absolutely need to see:
Luxury Homes: An Exclusive Showcase of Texas' Finest Architects and Builders by Jolie Carpenter

You will not find a single "cookie cutter" home in this book.  Here, 75 of Texas' most talented and respected architects and builders are featured along with the jaw-droppingly gorgeous homes they had a hand in creating.  The people and their backgrounds are as diverse as the styles of home they're best known for -- Brian A. Bailey of Austin infuses Texas-casual with European-elegant effortlessly, and Mac Chesney of San Antonio brings an an understated French sophistication to the tonier communities in this southern Texas city.  The hundreds of photographs are stunning, and entice viewers into taking second, third, and fourth looks.  Side effects will most definitely include coveting thy neighbor's magnificent property, envy, and being inspired to incorporate the ideas this book inspires into your own home.

If you feel like you've been eating the same bland meal for as long as you can remember, do yourself a favor and read:
The Spice Kitchen by Sara Engram and Katie Luber with Kimberly Toqe

You will have absolutely no excuse for cooking yourself flavorless meals after you're done reading this cookbook.  As a matter of fact, you may find that your knowledge of herbs and spices increases to the point of near-omniscience on the subject.  Engram and Luber make sure would-be chefs have a thorough grounding in both the history of spices and the flavors, geographical origins, and uses of dozens of herbs and spices before ever diving into the recipes section.  The recipes are absurdly easy to follow, and highly flavorful.  Want a new spin on your chicken salad sandwich?  Done.  How about adding a kick to your mashed potatoes?  Got that, too.  Tasty, tasty stuff.  Side effects may include recognizing 24 different herbs and spices by sight, smell, and taste, a better understanding of the spice trade, and the inability to cook anything boring from here on out.

If your significant other hauls out to Corpus with his wetsuit and surfboard as often as possible, and you've never so much as touched a surfboard in your life, you'd do well to read:
The Book of Surfing by Michael Fordham

To be fair, surfing veterans would probably get even more out of this book than raw beginners, but for the neophytes, this is a Surfing 101 crash course with a few bonus advanced lessons thrown in for fun.  In just 275 pages, readers can learn about types of waves, types of boards and how to ride them, legendary surfers and classic surf movies, places to surf, and surf culture -- including but not limited to the surf wagon, t-shirts, the "code," the wetsuit, surf music, surfing hazards, food, fitness, beach parties, and photography.  At the end Fordham provides a helpful glossary and index, as well as a tutorial on choosing your first board.  Written in a playful and tongue-in-cheek voice, The Book of Surfing is a highly entertaining read.  Side effects may include ability to recognize a feral surfer, desire to build your own surfboard, and becoming incapable of recognizing "surf" as a real word after reading it too many times in a row.