Book Review: Photographs from the Edge {Blogging for Books}

This post contains Amazon affiliate link(s). See Disclosure/Policies. 

Photographs from the Edge, Art Wolfe with Rob Sheppard
ISBN: 9781607747819
Hardback, 288 pages
Publisher: Amphoto Books (Crown Publishing)
Retail: $32.00

About the book (from Blogging for Books):
Legendary nature photographer Art Wolfe presents an intimate, behind-the-scenes guide to the experiences, decisions, and methods that helped him capture images from some of the most exciting locations across the globe.

In Photographs from the Edge, you'll discover the secrets behind forty years of awe-inspiring photography from around the world. Wolfe takes you from the mountains of the Himalayas to the sandy shores of Mnemba Island, with stops in the crowded streets of India and the alkali lakes of Africa along the way. You’ll learn the equipment, settings, and creative choices behind each photograph. From endangered species to cultural celebrations to natural wonders, Wolfe brings each subject to life through his stunning photography and the stories he shares in this one-of-a-kind photo safari.

About the author (from the back cover):
Art Wolfe's photographs are recognized throughout the world for their mastery of color, composition, and perspective. He is a recipient of the Photographic Society of America's Progress Medal, the coveted Alfred Eisenstaedt Magazine Photography Award, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the North American Nature Photography Association. Wolfe's award-winning television series, Art Wolfe's Travels to the Edge, airs on PBS stations throughout the country and worldwide. He is a popular educator and speaker for such companies as Microsot, IBM, and Sheraton Hotels, and is the author of many books, including The New Art of Photographing Nature and The Art of the Photograph.

See more of Art Wolfe's work at his website: http://artwolfe.com

My thoughts:
My first thought was that it was a beautiful book. Then I realized there is a lot more than just photographs in this book. I am not well acquainted with different types of cameras; mainly I use a point-and-shoot (or my phone) for photos. This book has a wide range of cameras and settings being shown (Nikon, Canon, Leica; Canon being most prevalent). It was nice though to read this in the introduction:

"I have no sentimental attachment to my equipment- I'll use whatever I can afford or get my hands on at the time...Truthfully, it's all about the camera you have in your hands: I'm not above shooting with my iPhone while walking through a market square and, yes, these images have found their way into my archives as well." p.6

(I don't have an iPhone but still it made me feel some better.)

For each image we get to read which camera and settings were used, which is nice, but we also get the story behind the photograph. That is why I wanted this book. I like to know the story behind the image. Also, the images range over 30-years-time, so we can see the progression of what was perhaps important to the photographer, from the image and the way he relates the experience.

My daughter grabbed the book to look through before I did and she pored over the images and read through the descriptions. It's a good book to have for aesthetics as well as informative for those who wish to attempt photography of various aspects of nature and people.

Disclaimer: I received this book for free as part of the Blogging for Books program. They give me free books; I give my honest opinion. 

Book Review: The Illustrated Book of Sayings {Blogging for Books}

I reviewed the first book put out by Sanders here.

I received this book for the purpose of an honest review. I received no compensation. See Disclosure/Policies.

Illustrated Book of Sayings by Ella Frances Sanders
ISBN: 978-1607749332
Hardcover, 112 pages
Publisher: Ten Speed
Retail: $14.99

About the book:

From the New York Times bestselling author of Lost in Translation comes this charming illustrated collection of more than fifty expressions from around the globe that explore the nuances of language. From the hilarious and romantic to the philosophical and literal, the idioms, proverbs, and adages in The Illustrated Book of Sayings reveal the remarkable diversity, humor, and poignancy of the world’s languages and cultures.

About the author: ELLA FRANCES SANDERS is a writer out of necessity and an illustrator by accident. She currently lives and works in the city of Bath, UK, without a cat. Her first book, Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World, was a New York Times bestseller and is now, perhaps ironically, being translated into many other languages. She still doesn’t know exactly how it all happened, but things seem to be going OK.
She can be found at ellafrancessanders.com and various other social media places.

My thoughts: Love it! It's a lot like her first book, and includes not so well known phrases from other languages. I like how there are comparable reasons for the saying in another language as there are in English.
I would really have liked a pronunciation of the saying. We like languages in our home, but if we only see the words with no guide on pronunciation... it's not generally a phrase well hold onto. There's always Google Translate, I suppose.
The illustrations are fun, adding to the book's charm.
If there is another book like this from Sanders, I'd like to add it to my collection! 

Book Review: Dead Wake {Blogging for Books}

Dead Wake: The last crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson*
ISBN: 9780307408877
Publisher: Broadway Books
Paperback, 452 pages
Retail: $17.00

*This post contains an Amazon affiliate link. See Disclosure/Policies.

About the book: On May 1, 1915, with World War I entering its tenth month, a luxury ocean liner as richly appointed as an English country house sailed out of New York, bound for Liverpool, carrying a record number of children and infants. For months, German U-boats had brought terror to the North Atlantic. But the Lusitania was one of the era's great transatlantic "greyhounds" -the fastest liner then in service- and her captain, William Thomas Turner, placed tremendous faith in the gentlemanly strictures of warfare that for a century had kept civilian ships safe from attack.
Germany, however, was determined to change the rules of the game. As the Lusitania made her way toward Liverpool, an array of forces both grand and achingly small- hubris, a chance fog, a closely guarded secret, and more- all converged to produce one of the great disasters of history. Gripping and important, Dead Wake captures the sheer drama and emotional power of a disaster whose intimate details and true meaning have long been obscured by history. 

About the author: Erik Larson is the author of five national bestsellers, including The Devil in the White City and In the Garden of Beasts, which have collectively sold more than 6.5 million copies. His books have been published in seventeen countries. 

My thoughts: "Larson is one of the modern masters of popular narrative nonfiction...(New York Times book review)" This is my first time reading a book by Larson, though I now own four of his books. This will definitely not be my last Larson book. 
I had long thought that Larson's books were fiction, through and through. Loosely based on historical events but with much license for making it more interesting. Well, truth can be stranger- or in this case, more interesting- than fiction.
Pardon my little tangent here: Recently I attended an education conference where one of the speakers, Dr. Carroll Smith, talked about the importance of narrative in our learning. What is 'narrative' exactly? According to Wiki: "A narrative or story is any report of connected events, real or imaginary, presented in a sequence of written or spoken words, and/or still or moving images." In the talk by Dr. Smith, I learned that the amygdala (small portion of the brain that deals with emotions) is activated when reading a story just as if it were happening in reality. The emotions are firing 'mirror neurons' in our brains, allowing us to mentally and emotionally connect with the situation. Those connections are what help us retain what we read. Okay, back to the book and my thoughts of it.
I was interested to read about the last crossing of the Lusitania because it is given such a small part in the history books. Interestingly, I did not know {rather I did not recall} that there was a span of almost two years from the sinking of the Lusitania to the United States entering the war. On top of that many more civil ships were sunk by the Germans, killing more Americans, after the sinking of the Lusitania, than I had previously known. 
A general curiosity started me on the book. The writing style and personal stories of the people who were on the Lusitania (the captain, crew, passengers), who had command of the Lusitania (administration at Cunard), who were in charge of military movements (British prominent leaders, Room 40), and even the behind-the-scenes take on the German's who were influential in the whole thing (the submarine captain, military leaders, and others) was what kept me going. There is a good portion that talks of Woodrow Wilson's life during this time. 
Some of the passengers were from places I've lived: Oregon, Cleveland, Ohio, and Wyoming. There were so many different reasons for making the trip via ship: fastest ship at the time, most secure (they thought for sure there'd be military escorts), and dare I say, naiveté. These people were on their way to see family, to make business transactions, to get a vacation, and so many more reasons. 
Really appreciate this book. There were some points that I am really unsure why they were included, other than to get a full sense of the times, but they were not distracting. I'd read that another reader did not care for the inclusion of Wilson's love-life {it's so super mild; nothing inappropriate} but I found it to be a new view on Wilson. A side I'd not known about. 
The book includes the following at the back: Notes, Bibliography, Index, Reader's Guide, A Conversation with Erik Larson, and An Essay from Erik Larson: "Where Ideas Come From"
I am very much looking forward to my next Larson read: In the Garden of Beasts. 

**Disclaimer: I received this book for free for review from Blogging for Books. Do you blog? Do you love books? Then sign up! 
No compensation was given and I'm never required to submit a positive review. 

Book Review: Vinegar Girl {Blogging for Books}

Vinegar Girl (Hogarth Shakespeare) by Anne Tyler

ISBN: 9780804141260

Paperback, 240 pages

Publisher: Random House

Advanced Reader Copy

About the book (from Amazon): 

Pulitzer Prize winner and American master Anne Tyler brings us an inspired, witty and irresistible contemporary take on one of Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies.

Kate Battista feels stuck. How did she end up running house and home for her eccentric scientist father and uppity, pretty younger sister Bunny? Plus, she’s always in trouble at work – her pre-school charges adore her, but their parents don’t always appreciate her unusual opinions and forthright manner. 

Dr. Battista has other problems. After years out in the academic wilderness, he is on the verge of a breakthrough. His research could help millions. There’s only one problem: his brilliant young lab assistant, Pyotr, is about to be deported. And without Pyotr, all would be lost.

When Dr. Battista cooks up an outrageous plan that will enable Pyotr to stay in the country, he’s relying – as usual – on Kate to help him. Kate is furious: this time he’s really asking too much. But will she be able to resist the two men’s touchingly ludicrous campaign to bring her around?

About the author (from the back cover):

Anne Tyler is the author of twenty bestselling novels. She was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1941 and grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina. She graduated at nineteen from Duke University and went on to do graduate work in Russian studies at Columbia University. A Spool of Blue Thread, Anne Tyler's New York Times bestselling twentieth novel, was short-listed for the Man Booker Prize; her eleventh novel, Breathing Lessons, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1988. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. She lives in Baltimore, Maryland.

More about this Hogarth Shakespeare series (from the inside flap):

For more than four hundred years, Shakespeare's works have been performed, read, and loved throughout the world. They have been reinterpreted for each new generation, whether as teen films, musicals, science-fiction flicks, Japanese warrior tales, or literary transformations. 

The Hogarth Press was founded in Virginia and Leonard Woolf in 1917 with a mission to publish the best new writing of the age. In 2012, Hogarth was launched in London and New York to continue the tradition. The Hogarth Shakespeare project sees Shakespeare's works retold by acclaimed and bestselling novelists of today.

My thoughts:

Thankfully, one doesn't have to know Shakespeare's play, The Taming of the Shrew, to understand the book; but it does help. I found it very difficult to get into the book. I haven't read Shakespeare's play but I know the premise and have read many summaries. This is one of my daughter's favorites of Shakespeare so I let her read the book first. She really liked it!

I'll just be right upfront here: I did not like the book. That is until I was mostly done with it. I was trudging through it because 1) I requested it as a review book and it was given to me for free, and 2) dd *really* liked it! So I plugged away and eventually liked the book as well.

We are not supposed to like Kate, and believe me, I didn't! But to be honest, I didn't really care for any of the characters. I mean, what is up with her dad? He is the typical absent-minded professor, er, scientist perhaps. And his assistant is...well, a foreigner. That sounds bad, doesn't it? But really that is how he is painted in the book! He is not up to speed on American English phrases or mannerisms, he blunders a lot, but he really is the most likable character. Kate's sister Bunny is an annoying teen girl with serious self-image issues. I don't think she is as ditzy as she lets on though. No, sir.

So, if you have read the original play, you know that there is a plot to marry off the older daughter. I believe in the play, though, that is because someone also wants to marry off the younger daughter. Well, this is the 21st century and you don't do that with 15 year olds. Bunny is 15 (or is it 16? either way- underage!) and while she is interested in boys, obviously, there is no plot to marry her off. Quite the contrary; her father and Kate both mention that she is too young for much of anything (except her clothes; she's much too old for the clothes she wears). 

Kate's dad and his assistant apparently have cooked up a scheme to get the assistant a green card so he can stay in the States to continue the research they have been doing for 3 years. In order to get that green card he would need to be married. Well, Kate isn't doing anything important, so why wouldn't she mind marrying this guy? Right? Makes perfect sense! 

The book goes through trivial meetings of Kate and (totally drawing a blank on the guy's name) the assistant, as well as a lot of her being confused by what is going on. But there are also strange little 'insights' of Kate tossed in that we really do not get to fully understand how she, being who she has been painted to be, could have come to those conclusions. They don't logically flow. But the story builds up, you move along with the flow, and you get to the end. 

My daughter wrote a paper on this play a few years ago in high school and honestly it intrigued me enough to request this book now to review. In her paper she talked about how critics, modern ones mostly, are often up in arms over this whole marrying off a woman to get further in whatever pursuit a man has. Also in the play, but not really so much the book that I could tell, Kate is picked on to the point that she pretty much breaks down her stubbornness. Many find this disrespectful of women. Eh. Like I keep saying, I haven't read the original play, only this book. 

I can imagine that there are those who will have a problem with Kate's treatment (and I should hope the portrayal of Bunny! but maybe not so much that one with the push for teens to read/listen to books that advocate teen s*x- but to be clear, there is nothing so extreme in this book) and the general plot to marry her off to some guy that she herself didn't pick, choose, ask to, or even want to marry of her own free will. To be sure, though, she does marry him of her own free will. She isn't forced. 

At the end Kate grows into a much better, likable person. I think, if this were all a real story, even if she didn't marry the guy, she would have grown a lot.

And so, a book that I had to force myself to start reading came out to be a good book worth finishing. Now I really need to read the original play!

***Disclaimer: I freely received an Advanced Reader Copy from the Blogging for Books program for the express purpose of an honest review. All opinions are my own; I am never required to give only a positive review. See Disclosure/Policies.***

Book Review: Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook {Blogging for Books}

Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook: Eat up and slim down with more than 350 healthy recipes by Pearl Barrett and Serene Allison
ISBN: 9781101902660
Paperback, 512 pages
Publisher: Harmony
Retail: $27.99

***This post contains an Amazon affiliate link. See Disclosure/Policies.***

About the book (from Penguin Random House):
In their debut cookbook, the Trim Healthy Mama’s share hundreds of delicious, healthy recipes to help readers successfully slim down while eating well.  This companion cookbook to the bestselling Trim Healthy Mama Plan is just what readers have been waiting for. It features simple, mouthwatering, recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner—including slow cooker and one-pot meals, hearty soups and salads, omelets and waffles, pizzas, breads and more.  No Trim Healthy Mama should be deprived, so there are also favorite snacks, delectable desserts, and the smoothies, sippers and teas fans love. With  pantry-stocking advice, time-saving tips, and information on how to cook for the entire family, the Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook offers a delicious and nutritious way to make trim and healthy meals with less stress—so you have more time with your loved ones.

About the authors (from the back of the book):
Pearl and Serene are sisters who share a passion for healthy eating. They both have large boisterous households and love to experiment in the kitchen on ways to best nourish their families and stay slim and healthy in the process. They were recording artists with a Christian music label and traveled extensively, but they relinquished their touring careers to embrace a life at home with children, dinners, dishes, and diapers. They have never looked back. Learn more at TrimHealthyMama.com

My thoughts:
I preface my review with this: I've been on the THM wagon for about 2.5 years now. I lost 30 lbs while on plan and completely believe the plan is sound. I bought the original THM book in pdf form after being interested in a friend's new eating habits in 2013. The recipes were...weird. I'm the kind of person who already used coconut, almond, and flax 'flour' (or meal if you prefer), and lots of coconut oil. But still the recipes were quite different than I was used to. I am also a very simple kind of food person. Oatmeal was my favorite food for a long time at the start of THM. Honestly, not many of the original recipes became favorites in our house.

I finally bought the original book in physical form just this year because it is nice to have an actual book to flip through. I'd gotten used to the recipes more and had learned how to tweak them to suit me better. When the new cookbook came out, well, other than it was supposed to be a better print job, I wasn't expecting it to be a lot better than the original.

I was wrong.

This book is my favorite cookbook! I have a few in my cupboard that I'm always wanting to love. But this one is my favorite. The recipes are more 'normal' than the original. I don't know if that is because I am just more used to the ingredient list or it is because of the beautiful photographs of the yummy prepared foods.

Have a look inside at this Amazon affiliate link*.

The recipes now include some ingredients that were not in the first- most noticeably to me are the addition of okra, inclusion of sprouted tofu, and sunflower lecithin. I do not like okra and won't try it. There I said it. I also won't do the tofu, sprouted or not, because soy and I do not get along. Otherwise, I have tried the sunflower lecithin and rather like it.

Also, since the original book, THM has come out with their own label of foodstuffs, like THM Baking Blend, and Not Naughty Noodles. These are often included in the recipes in this book. But there are also No Special Ingredients (NSI) tweaks included in some recipes. Unfortunately the authors don't consider things like the THM Baking Blend and konjac noodles to be a 'special' ingredient as I do.

Throughout the book (or at least the beginning) there are little 'shout outs' that give tips, hints, notes, etc.

I had a little difficulty finding recipes because I couldn't recall exactly their given names. In the end I took a suggestion from another THMer to put tabs in the book.

In this cookbook all the photographs were taken by one person. And they are wonderfully done. Admittedly, my attempts have rarely resulted in the same look but the visuals make me want to try more and more of the recipes in the book. My son, who is stubbornly against THM meals (he's a teen and just stubborn to be stubborn), was the first of us to actual pick and make something from this cookbook. And he declared it to be good.

That's a win.

There are many recipes in this book that now have a little heart by their titles. That means they are approved by everyone in the family. I didn't have any hearts in the original book...

So, my final thoughts- which I think I've made clear already- are that this is an awesome cookbook for those who are familiar with THM. It is presented in an aesthetically pleasing way and it is improved from the original cookbook portion of the THM book. I still think it is difficult to find recipes through the index but have circumvented this somewhat with the tabs. I think it is important to understand the THM plan (the plan book is available through many booksellers, such as Amazon*) to get the most benefit from the recipes in this cookbook. I am thankful for the opportunity to review this book through the Blogging for Books program for free.

I'm adding to this post a few days later to share the list of recipes I have tried (and liked!):
Cajun Cream Chicken (p. 36)
Wipe Your Mouth BBQ (p. 43)
Smarty-Pants Stroganoff (p. 44)
Swedish Meatballs in Cream Sauce (p. 61- this one has three hearts!)
Egg Roll in a Bowl (p. 62)
Alfredo Sauce (from the Chicken Alfredo recipe) (p. 67)
Creamless Creamy Chicken (p. 78)
Lentil Soup (p. 89)
Sweet Potato and Oat Soup (p. 102)
Wonder-wrap-ful Lasagna (p. 148)
Cheeseburger Pie (p. 149)
Fussless Fuel Pull Quiche (p. 151)
Potsticker Patties (p. 175)
Wonder Wraps (p. 204)
Perfect Pizza (p. 211)
Troodles (p. 222)
Light and Lovely Coleslaw (p. 231)
Big Fried-egg Trick (p. 243)
Banana Creamy Grains (p. 253)
Bring on da Buttah Pancakes (p. 262)
Chocolate Waffles with Strawberries (p. 265)
Brainy Blueberry Muffin (p. 275)
Luscious Lemon Cake (p. 289)
Trimtastic Chocolate Zucchini Cake (p. 296- with two hearts)
Bust-a-myth Banana Cake (p. 298)
Zapple Crumble (p. 337)
Collagen Berry Whip (p. 375- but I made it 'fruit', not berries...)
Skinny Chocolate (p. 377)
Treeces (p. 378- another two hearts!)
Skinny Peppermint Patties (p. 380)
Pay Off Day Candies (p. 381)
Good Girl Moonshine (p. 397)
The Shrinker (p. 400)
Pumpkin Pie Sipper (p. 401)
Winter Wonderland Sip (p. 405)
Thin Mint Chocolate Chip Shake (p. 410)
Trimmy Lite (p. 430)
Trimmy Rich (p. 430)
Hot Chocolate Trimmy (p. 431)
Vanilla Rooibos Trimmy (p. 433)
Turmeric Toddy Trimmy (p. 433)
Body-burn Mayonnaise (p. 470)
Peanut Junkie Butter (p. 481)
Trimquik (p. 494)

Book Review: The Elements of Landscape Oil Painting {Blogging for Books}

The Elements of Landscape Oil Painting- Techniques for Rendering Sky, Terrain, Trees, and Water by Suzanne Brooker

ISBN: 978-0-8041-3755-3

Hardcover, 198 pages
Publisher: Watson-Guptill Publications
Retail: $35.00

***This post contains Amazon affiliate links. See Disclosure/Policies.***

About the book (from Blogging for Books):
A landscape painting guide for oil painters that breaks landscapes down into component elements from nature, and showcases tools and techniques used by classic and modern oil painters for bringing these scenes to life.
Landscape painting is one of the most popular subjects for painters working in the medium of oils--from classic masters to contemporary artists. In The Elements of Landscape Oil Painting, established Watson-Guptill author and noted instructor/painter Suzanne Brooker presents the fundamentals necessary for mastering landscape oil painting, breaking landscapes down into component parts: sky, terrain, trees, and water. Each featured element builds off the previous, with additional lessons on the latest brushes, paints, and other tools used by artists. Key methods like observation, rendering, and color mixing are supported by demonstration paintings and samples from a variety of the best landscape oil painters of all time. With The Elements of Landscape Oil Painting, oil painters looking to break into landscape painting or enhance their work will find all the necessary ingredients for success.

About the author (from Penguin Random House):

Suzanne Brooker received her BFA at the California Institute of the Arts in 1979, attended by invitation the Whitney Museum Independent Study program in New York City, and pursued her drawing studies at the School of Visual Arts. In 1990 Brooker returned to the West Coast and studied life drawing with Gary Faigin at the Gage Academy of Art and completed her MFA in figurative painting under Domenic Cretera at California State University, Long Beach. The author of Portrait Painting Atelier (2011), Brooker currently paints and teaches drawing and painting at the Gage Academy.

My thoughts:

Beautiful book that I *hope* will help me learn to use oil paints to paint landscapes. I have heard both pros and cons to oil painting. This book makes it seem doable! And the chosen paintings in the book are wonderfully chosen to illustrate how to follow through with techniques. 

You can see the table of contents at this Amazon affiliate link*. 

I'm including just a couple shots of the book so you can see what I mean (but you can see more of how beautifully it is presented by looking at the link above). 

Now I do not have oil paints yet. If you are like me and were waiting to see some paint brand recommendations, you'll be somewhat disappointed. There are no real recommendations for paint brands. Rather there are guidelines on what to look for in paint. It is more about the use of the materials; or as she says in the beginning chapter, "The first rule regarding materials is to never let them get in the way of your success!" (p. 22).

With that said, paint recommendations was not why I decided to review this book. It talks about the how to paint landscapes with oil paints. As the subtitle states, the focus is on sky, terrain, trees, and water. In each of these settings she discusses observations, drawing concepts, toned grounds (on the canvas), palettes, brush techniques, and some demonstration paintings. All of these topics are covered in a nice easy conversational manner; there is a sense of having a teacher who really wants you to learn this, not just a teacher who really wants to show off what they know.

With this book, I do think working with oil paints will be doable. I just have to now get the supplies- of which I guess I will need to look elsewhere for specific recommendations as I am a complete beginner.

Translating what you see into a painted image is a complex process, combining perception and the technical language of paint. It is never merely copying what you literally see...Your job as a painter is not to be literal, especially when working from photographic sources in the studio; instead, you should think of yourself as a visual conductor, arranging, editing, and elaborating on the elements that present themselves in a scene (p. 2).

Overall a very well-done book. I would recommend it to those who have some prior oil painting knowledge rather than a beginning oil painting book. (Not that the author or publisher ever suggested this was a beginners book.) I am thankful I've had the opportunity to receive this book free through the Blogging for Books program for review.  

Book Review: Daily Painting {Blogging for Books}

Daily Painting: Paint small and often to become a more creative, productive, and successful artist by Carol Marine

ISBN: 9780770435332

Paperback, 182 pages

Publisher: Watson-Guptill Publications

Retail: $22.99

About the book (from the back cover):

Do you want to being the joy back into your art?

Have you landed in a frustrating rut? Are you having trouble selling paintings in galleries, getting bogged down by projects you can't seem to finish or abandon, or finding excuses to avoid working on the studio? Author Carol Marine knows exactly how you feel- she herself suffered from painter's block, until she discovered "daily painting." The idea is simple: do at (usually small) often (how often is up to you), and if you'd like, post and sell it online. Soon you'll find that your block dissolves and you're painting work you love- and more of it than you ever thought possible!

With her encouraging tone and useful exercises, Marine teaches you to:

-Master composition and value

-Become confident in any medium

-Choose subjects wisely

-Stay fresh and loose

-Photograph, post, and sell your art online

-Become connected to the growing movement of daily painters around the world

About the author:

Carol Marine is an artist and the creator odd the popular blog 'A Painting a Day (or Almost)'. She is a member of Daily Paintworks, a distinguished group of daily painters, and she teaches daily painting workshops around the country. Marine lives in Eugene, Oregon. Visit www.dailypaintworks.com

My thoughts:

I am beginning to really appreciate Watson-Guptill's books, as so far they've all been art books.

The print is admittedly a little small for my liking, but the artwork is wonderful. I used to be extremely picky about art. It had to be super realistic for me to call it 'good', no matter the medium. I've come to appreciate impressionistic and somewhat abstract art more as I've gotten older. This book features quite a few types of paintings. One of the points Marine makes is that doing small painting gives more freedom to experiment. I can see how that would be true. 

This book also emphasizes posting and selling online the artwork that is created. This might be good for some but personally, I don't see myself doing this. Guess we'll see.

The book features other artists who have taken to the daily painting lifestyle, along with their short stories and tips. 

It is short on materials but I suspect that is because this meant for those who already *are* painters. Marine gives some pointers on choosing materials, subjects, and settings. 

When we get to chapter 4, Value, Marine goes more in depth. She says, "Getting the  values right is by far the biggest thing I have to help my students with."

She covers color, proportion, perspective, and composition. Chapter 8 is dedicated to using oil paints, as this is her preferred medium. Chapter 9 includes advice from other painter's pointers on artist block and other related painting topics. The last two chapters are on photography, editing images, posting online and selling.

Overall I like the book but it isn't a book for those who do not have the slightest idea about painting.

Disclaimer: I received the above book free from the Blogging for Books program for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own. See Disclosure/Policies.

Book Review: The Postage Stamp Garden {Blogging for Books}

The Postage Stamp Vegetable Garden: Grow tons of organic vegetables in tiny spaces and containers by Karen Newcomb

ISBN: 9781607746836

Paperback, 224 pages

Publisher: Ten Speed Press

Retail: $18.99

About the book
This classic gardening bestseller (over 500,000 copies sold) uses ecologically friendly, intensive biodynamic methods to produce large amounts of vegetables in very tiny spaces. Revised for an all new generation of gardeners, the 40th anniversary edition includes brand new information on the variety of heirloom vegetables available today and how to grow them the postage stamp way.

To accommodate today’s lifestyles, a garden needs to fit easily into a very small plot, take as little time as possible to maintain, require a minimum amount of water, and still produce prolifically. That’s exactly what a postage stamp garden does. Postage stamp gardens are as little as 4 by 4 feet, and, after the initial soil preparation, they require very little extra work to produce a tremendous amount of vegetables–for instance, a 5-by-5-foot bed will produce a minimum of 200 pounds of vegetables.

When first published 40 years ago, the postage stamp techniques, including closely planted beds rather than rows, vines and trailing plants grown vertically to free up space, and intercropping, were groundbreaking. Now, in an ever busier world, the postage stamp intensive gardening method continues to be invaluable for gardeners who wish to weed, water, and work a whole lot less yet produce so much more.

About the author
Karen Newcomb has contributed to and co-written eight gardening books with her late husband, Duane. She is a lifetime vegetable gardener, garden blogger, and avid writer, and has been a writing teacher for more than twenty years. She lives in Rocklin, California.

My thoughts:

I don't like the paper this is printed on. There I said it. I feel like it is going to tear any moment. I don't feel it is a book I can take outside while I am actually doing my gardening. Okay, that's out of the way. 

Follow this link to see an excerpt and table of contents of the book. 

I do not do well with plants of any kind. We've had a garden for almost every year since 2005 and I have done terribly every single year. No joke. Last year the most prolific plant was the green bean which yielded approximately 1 large bag of beans. The size of bag you'd find in the freezer section at the store. My husband called them the $600 dollar green beans. Yeah, I really do not do well with plants.

I requested this book in hopes it would help me do better with less space. We have a greenhouse that is pretty small. I wanted to grow vegetables in containers, both in the greenhouse and out. I'm desperate, you see. That is why I requested this book. 

Unfortunately, at this time I don't have time to read every single line in the book. But you can't simply search something in the index, flip to that page and know what you need to know. Really, and this may be common to everyone else but me, you have to go from the front to the back with this book. It is set up different than other gardening books I've looked through. Or so it seems to me. 

Since I have not read it cover to cover, I cannot definitively say it's a good/bad gardening book. Also, I am not a good gardener so my opinion may be worth nothing in that regard. I think it has potential and I am going to give it another go. When I do take that much needed time to thoroughly consume the book, I am sure the sections on soil preparation, placement of containers (in sun, in shade, near the house, away, etc.) will be very helpful. 

Oh, another point, it doesn't help if you have deer eating your plants. The book does tell some tips for keeping smaller animals like rabbits and birds out of your garden. 

**Disclaimer: I received this free for the purpose of this review from the Blogging for Books program. No compensation was given. See Disclosure/Policies.**

Book Review: Against the Grain {Blogging for Books}

Against the Grain by Nancy Cain
ISBN: 978-0-385-34555-2
Paperback, 400 pages
Publisher: Clarkson Potter/Publishers
Retail: $27.50

About the book:

Revolutionary all-natural recipes for gluten-free cooking- from the owner of Against the Grain Gourmet.

Nancy Cain came to gluten-free cooking simply enough: Her teenage son was diagnosed with celiac disease. After trying ready-made flour mixes and finding the results rubbery and tasteless, she pioneered gluten-free foods made entirely from natural ingredients- no xanthan or guar gums or other mystery chemical additives allowed. That led her to adapt many of her family's favorite recipes, including their beloved pizzas, pastas, and more, to this real-food technique. In Against the Grain, Nancy finally shares 200 groundbreaking recipes for achieving airy, crispy breads, delicious baked goods, and gluten-free main dishes.

For any of these cookies, cakes, pies, sandwiches, and casseroles, you use only natural ingredients such as buckwheat flour, brown rice flour, and ripe fruits and vegetables...You'll be able to use ingredients already in your pantry or easily found at your local supermarket. 

With ample information for gluten-free beginners and 100 colorful photographs, this book is a game changer for gluten-free households everywhere.

About the author:

Nancy Cain is the owner of Against the Grain Gourmet, a line of gluten-free breads and pizzas available at supermarkets and natural food stores nationwide. She live with her gluten-free family in Vermont.

My thoughts:
I really like this book. I have not gotten many gluten-free cookbooks because honestly, the foods I get at the store that are labelled gluten-free really don't taste that good to me. They are coming along though. I have attempted to come up with my own recipes for gluten-free and they are often flops. 

I like this book because it is simple. The recipes are easy to follow (mostly), and have things I might actually have on hand. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find the light buckwheat flour that the author likes so much. It would have been nice to have had included a resources guide for these ingredients but perhaps with everything almost literally at our fingertips, she felt it wasn't necessary? I would have liked it.
I have tried a few recipes and marked up plenty to-try.
Yes, I'm happy with this cookbook.

Here is a photo of my son's fresh banana cheesecake, from the cookbook.

I received this book free for the purpose of this review from Blogging for Books. Thanks!

{See Disclosure/Policies}

Book Review: Lincoln in the World {Blogging for Books}

Lincoln in the World: The making of a statesman and the dawn of American power by Kevin Peraino
ISBN: 978-0-307-88721-4
Paperback, 423 pages {of which the last 100 or so pages are notes/references}
Publisher: Random House
Retail: $15.00

About the book: 
A captivating look at how Abraham Lincoln evolved into one of our seminal foreign-policy presidents—and helped point the way to America’s rise to world power.

This is the story of one of the most breathtaking feats in the annals of American foreign policy—performed by one of the most unlikely figures. Abraham Lincoln is not often remembered as a great foreign-policy president. He had never traveled overseas and spoke no foreign languages. And yet, during the Civil War, Lincoln and his team skillfully managed to stare down the Continent’s great powers—deftly avoiding European intervention on the side of the Confederacy. In the process, the United States emerged as a world power in its own right.
Engaging, insightful, and highly original, Lincoln in the World is a tale set at the intersection of personal character and national power. The narrative focuses tightly on five distinct, intensely human conflicts that helped define Lincoln’s approach to foreign affairs—from his debate, as a young congressman, with his law partner over the conduct of the Mexican War, to his deadlock with Napoleon III over the French occupation of Mexico. Bursting with colorful characters like Lincoln’s bowie-knife-wielding minister to Russia, Cassius Marcellus Clay; the cunning French empress, Eugénie; and the hapless Mexican monarch Maximilian—Lincoln in the World draws a finely wrought portrait of a president and his team at the dawn of American power.

In the Age of Lincoln, we see shadows of our own world. The international arena in the 1860s could be a merciless moral vacuum. Lincoln’s times demanded the cold, realistic pursuit of national interest, and, in important ways, resembled our own increasingly multipolar world. And yet, like ours, Lincoln’s era was also an information age, a period of rapid globalization. Steamships, telegraph wires, and proliferating new media were transforming the world. Global influence required the use of “soft power” as well as hard.

Anchored by meticulous research into overlooked archives, Lincoln in the World reveals the sixteenth president to be one of America’s indispensable diplomats—and a key architect of America’s emergence as a global superpower. Much has been written about how Lincoln saved the Union, but Lincoln in the World highlights the lesser-known—yet equally vital—role he played on the world stage during those tumultuous years of war and division.

About the author: Kevin Peraino is a veteran foreign correspondent who has reported from throughout the world. He spent a decade at Newsweek, most recently as a senior writer and bureau chief in the Middle East. He was a finalist for the Livingston Award for his foreign-affairs reporting, and was part of the team that won a National Magazine Award for its coverage of the 2004 presidential campaign. A graduate of Northwestern University and a term member at the Council on Foreign Relations, he lives in Connecticut with his wife and children. Follow him on Twitter @KevinPeraino.

My thoughts: What was I thinking when I chose this book to review? I wanted a good book on Abraham Lincoln. This book is that but it's much more. On the front cover, Foreign Affairs says this is "an important step toward a richer and more useful understanding of the American past." I believe this is true, if you can get through the book.

I am not finished with this book and honestly I do not know when I will finish it; but finish it I will. It is well written, utilizing many primary sources. Each chapter, although with titles like "Lincoln vs. Seward" and "Lincoln vs. Napoleon," is not necessarily a pitting of Lincoln and the other individual. And each chapter includes much more than just the two names on the titles. As it says in the "About this book," there are characters from all over in this book. They are characters that Lincoln came into contact with, knew about, dealt with, or had to be knowledgable to some degree. Many he did 'spar' with due to differences of opinions, and authority.

I think this book does quite well in painting a picture of what was really going on in the world, but primarily the United States, during Lincoln's time. It helps readers see how Lincoln influenced the future of the United States, with and without the help of others. It is heavy on politics, which I am not well-versed; because of this, I find it in some places to be above my head. However, the use of Lincoln's and others own words is extremely helpful. I wish all history books were written this way!

It does have some rough language and incidences portrayed that may be distasteful for some, just a warning.

***Disclaimer: I received this book free from the Blogging for Books review program for the purpose of this review. All opinions stated are my own. See Disclosure/Policies.***

Book Review: Sketch! {Blogging for Books}

Sketch! The non-artist guide to inspiration, technique, and drawing daily life by France Belleville-Van Stone
ISBN: 978-0-385-34609-2
Paperback, 144 pages
Publisher: Watson-Guptill
Retail: $18.99
About the book:
An inspirational manual for integrating sketching into daily life for artists and non-artists alike.
Urban sketching--the process of sketching on the go as a regular practice--is a hot trend in the drawing world. In this aspirational guide, French artist France Belleville-Van Stone offers motivation to move beyond the comfort zone, as well as instruction on turning rough sketches into finished work. By sharing her own creative process, which includes sketching by hand and digitally, Belleville-Van Stone emboldens readers to craft a method of their own and devote more time to art, even if it's just 10 minutes a day. Sketch will inspire artists both established and aspiring to rethink their daily practice, sketch for the pure joy of it, and document their lives and the world around them.

About the author: FRANCE BELLEVILLE-VAN STONE is a self-taught French artist who loved cars and drawing as a child. As an adult, she studied English instead of going to art school, and became a public school teacher. She has been living and teaching full-time in the U.S. since late 2004.

My thoughts:
Initially this was a book I chose because of the subtitle: "The non-artist guide..." I am an artist because I draw already. I had drawing classes in elementary, middle, high school and college. But my kids, who I consider artists as well because they draw all the time, have not had formal drawing. This book I thought would be helpful for giving them techniques and tips for drawing. 
Admittedly, I was a little disappointed when I actually got the book. My disappointed stemmed from the author's natural talent, which I took to mean that this was not really a book for non-artists since the author was undoubtedly a true artist. Yes, yes; it was a foolish assumption. Perhaps fueled partially from envy of how well the author does draw. She didn't have much in the way of formal training and yet she does so well, naturally. The illustrations in the book are all very well done. Many look as if they were painstakingly drawn, when I am guessing from my reading, that they really didn't take a lot of effort on her part. That's one of the beauties of having natural talent. Even so, she does make the good point that drawing daily will make it a habit. 
The tips in the book are helpful. She goes through the different tools of the trade and one thing I like here is that she doesn't necessarily promote the fancy-schmancy items, but rather her tried and true tools. My daughter loves to draw with a .07 lead mechanical pencil that we bought at a local drug mart. And she does well with it. I prefer to use a General's drawing pencil and different soft pencils when I draw. My son uses whatever is handy. This book's author is fine with that and encourages that to be part of the way to really draw.
There are other mentions of course in the book that are helpful but uh, I sort of skimmed over the section on papers because like my pencils, I prefer Strathmore paper and have only ventured a few times away from it. Perhaps I will look again at what she suggests in this section but I again like the way she advocates using what you have and what you like. 
Finally that end of the book is an alphabetical prompts, A-Z, for drawing. I especially liked this portion of the book and feel that this will be the part I use the most, with the others ready for referencing. 
Overall, I do like this book and it's a good addition to our arts section of our home library. 

***Disclaimer: I received this book free from Blogging for Books program for the purpose of this review. No compensation was given. All opinions stated are my own. See Disclosure/Policies.***

Book Review: The New American Herbal {Blogging for Books}

The New American Herbal by Stephen Orr

ISBN: 978-0-449-81993-7

Paperback, 384 pages

Publisher: Clarkson Potter

Retail: $27.50

About the book: 

From modern garden master Stephen Orr comes a new, definitive book on herbs to finally replace the dusty and outdated classics. Here are entries on hundreds of plants that are extraordinarily useful in cooking, homeopathy, and more; dozens of recipes and DIY projects; and beautifully styled photographs so you know just what you're growing.

With more than 900 entries, each accompanied by brand new photography and helpful growing advice, The New American Herbal takes the study of herbs to an exciting new level. Orr covers the entire spectrum of herbaceous plants, from culinary to ornamental to aromatic and medicinal, presenting them in an easy to use A to Z format packed with recipes, DIY projects, and stunning examples of garden design highlighting herbal plantings. Learn about the herbs you've always wanted to grow (chervil, chamomile, and lovage), exotic herbs (such as Artemisia, the bitter herb used in Absinthe, or the anti-inflammatory Meadowsweet), and ornamental varieties (Monkshood and Perilla). For cooks there is indispensable guidance on planting and maintaining a bountiful kitchen garden and crafters will delight in dozens of exciting new uses for fresh, dried, and distilled herbs. Here, too, are 40 delicious recipes such as Ragu Bolognese with Fennel and Lemon Semolina Cake with Lavender, as well easy steps for projects such as a hanging herb garden and instructions on how to plant, dry, and preserve your garden’s bounty.

Meticulously researched and exhaustive in its scope, The New American Herbal is an irresistible invitation to explore the versatility of herbs in all their beauty and variety.

About the author:

STEPHEN ORR is the author of Tomorrow’s Garden and the former Editorial Director for Gardening for Martha Stewart Living. Previously he was the garden editor for House & Garden magazine and has written extensively for Domino,The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. He has been a regularly featured gardening expert on The CBS Early Show and Today, and lectures at garden clubs around the country. Orr writes about extraordinary gardens on his blog, What the Skies Were Like.

My thoughts:

Great book for reference. As can be read in the 'about this book', it contains diverse listings of herbs. For each herb the author has included recipes, DIY projects, how/when/where to grow, positive and negative characteristics of the herb, and other aspects. An example is that at the start he tells how to make dyes. Each herb also has photographs of it growing, how it's used, or in other appealing ways. As soon as we received the book, my daughter sat herself down on the kitchen floor to flip through it. Almost 30 minutes later she was still there! 

The recipes are kinds that we've never really tried before but they definitely look interesting and are tempting to try. We also appreciate the cultural and historical information that is included about the herbs. 

All in all, we would recommend this resource for others who are interested in herbs, their uses, growing them, or just for information's sake. The price is pretty reasonable for the size of the book along with the color photographs. 

***Disclaimer: I received this book free from Blogging for Books for the purpose of this review. The opinions stated are my own or those of my family. See Disclosure/Policies.***

Book Review: Make Comics Like the Pros {Blogging for Books}

Make Comics Like the Pros by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente
ISBN: 978-0-385-34463-0
Paperback, 160 pages

Publisher: Watson-Guptill

Retail: $22.99

About the book from the Blogging for Books website:
A step-by-step guide to all aspects of comic book creation--from conceptualization to early drafts to marketing and promotion--written by two of the industry's most seasoned and successful pros. 

Discover the Secrets of Your Favorite Comic Book Creators

Do you want to break into the comics industry? There are many creative roles available—writer, penciller, inker, colorist, letterer, editor, and more. Each creator serves a vital function in the production of sequential art at companies such as DC, Marvel, Image, and Valiant. In Make Comics Like the Pros, veteran comics creators Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente team up with a who’s who of the modern comic book scene to lead you step-by-step through the development of a comic. With these two fan-favorite writers as your guides, you’ll learn everything from script formatting to the importance of artistic collaboration to the best strategies for promoting and selling your own sequential art masterpiece. Pak and Van Lente even put their lessons into practice inside the pages of the book—pairing with Eisner Award–winning cartoonist Colleen Coover (Bandette) to produce the swashbuckling, adventure comic Swordmaids, and giving you front row seats to their creative process. Make Comics Like the Prosprovides all the answers you’ve been seeking to take your comic book–making dreams all the way to professional-level reality.

About the Authors: 
Greg Pak is an award-winning comic book writer and filmmaker currently writing Batman/Superman and Action Comics for DC Comics, Turk Dinosaur Hunter for Dynamite Entertainment, and Eternal Warrior for Valiant Comics. He directed the award-winning feature film Robot Stories, wrote the epic "Planet Hulk" and "World War Hulk" comic storylines, and co-wrote (with Fred Van Lente) fan-favorite Incredible Hercules for Marvel Comics.
Fred Van Lente is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Marvel Zombies, Incredible Hercules (with Pak), Odd Is on Our Side (with Dean R. Koontz), and the American Library Association award-winning Action Philosophers. His original graphic novel Cowboys & Aliens (co-written with Andrew Foley) was the basis for the major motion picture. Van Lente's other comics include The Comic Book History of Comics, Archer & Armstrong, and  The Amazing Spider-Man.
Pak and Van Lente are both residents of Brooklyn, NY.

Thoughts of Fox {since I'm really not into comics...}:
Want to learn everything on comic-making? Then this book is a great guide for you! This book covers the jobs of everyone who makes the comic: The storywriter, the penciler, the inker, the colorer, and the letterer. It also covers getting your finishes comic out into the world. 
The book is filled with lots of helpful (and some not so helpful) tips and advice. One of the most useful things I found in the book was the script template. It is found in the first chapter, and very helpful! They show how to make it on Microsoft Word. I also use the template with pen and paper. Having a script helped me immensely on making my comics.
One thing I liked about the book was that as they showed you what one person does, they had a comic, one made for the book, being made throughout the book following the explanation. 
The book was well-written, and I enjoyed it. Thankfully there was humour throughout. There were a few things I didn't like, such as including a quote with a curse word. Another thing is that they want the reader to join Twitter to promote your comic. Okay, that is just personal preference there. 
So, what is the final say on the book? 
Great book for information, and to understand how much it takes to make even the simplest comic book. I don't agree with everything they say, but the book has been a great help. Overall I say 4.5/5 stars, and would suggest the book for ages 12 and up.

I received this book free for the purpose this review from Blogging for Books. See Disclosure/Policies.

Book Review: Lost in Translation {Blogging for Books}

This post contains *Amazon affiliate links. See Disclosure/Policies.

Lost in Translation by Ella Frances Sanders*
ISBN: 9781607747109
Hardcover, 112 pages (6.9 x 7.8 x 0.6 inches)
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Retail: $14.99

About the book: Did you know that the Japanese language has a word to express the way sunlight filters through the leaves of trees? Or that there's a Finnish word for the distance a reindeer can travel before needing to rest? 

Lost in Translation brings to life more than fifty words that don't have direct English translations with charming illustrations of their tender, poignant, and humorous definitions. Often these words provide insight into the cultures they come from, such as the Brazilian Portuguese word for running your fingers through a lover's hair, the Italian word for being moved to tears by a story, or the Swedish word for a third cup of coffee.

In this clever and beautifully rendered exploration of the subtleties of communication, you'll find new ways to express yourself while getting lost in the artistry of imperfect translation.

About the author: Ella Frances Sanders is a twenty-something writer and illustrator who intentionally lives all over the place, most recently Morocco, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland. She likes to create books with real pages while drawing freelance things for charming people, and she is not afraid of questions or bears. You can find her at ellafrancessanders.com 

My thoughts:
Cute little book! Lately we've been focusing a lot on words of other languages as we attempt to learn a second language (in the mix are German, Spanish, and Japanese). This little book is right up our alley.

Here are a few pages/words that we especially enjoyed. 
"Hiraeth: Welsh, n. a homesickness for somewhere you cannot return to, the nostalgia and the grief for the lost places of your past, places that never were."

"Komorebi: Japanese, n. the sunlight that filters through the leaves of the trees." 

"Drachenfutter: German, n. literally, "dragon-fodder." The gift a husband gives his wife when he's trying to make up for bad behavior."

I really liked the different words that were chosen for the book. Some, like the very first word, PALEGG (I had to cap it all so the computer wouldn't change it!), which is Norwegian, deals with food, followed by a word that means to be moved to tears (the Italian word for being moved to tears by a story). The words are wonderful because if we really think about it, our English equivalents are often choppy or just not right. It's hard to find the right word sometimes. This little book is full of ways to say what can't be said with just one word in English. 

In the 'about this book' blurb, it says that we get a glimpse into the cultures of some of the people that speak these languages, and I think this is very true. I think I must be Swedish- as "tretar" makes so much sense for a third cup of coffee, which leads to "fika", drinking coffee and breaking from the daily routine.

Two more words that I really liked were commuovere, which is that Italian word mentioned above, and tsundoku, Japanese for a book that has been purchased but not read and then piled with other books that have the same fate. My daughter went through the book and took some for her commonplace book. 

We all like this book and would recommend it to others who enjoy words and/or original illustrations. It's small and easy to read, again and again. 

***Disclaimer: I received this book free from the publisher via Blogging for Books for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own or those of my family. No compensation was given. See Disclosure/Policies.***