Quirky, artsy, and a little nerdy

I had so much fun with Matt Sewell's "A Charm of Goldfinches and Other Wild Gatherings."  As a bit of a grammar-nazi and a nature lover, I enjoyed learning new words/collective nouns for animals.  The book itself is very well presented with cute, well-drawn illustrations.  I also appreciated the cover of the book:  it's hard-cover and accurately represents the contents of the book.  It would be appropriate as a gift, and a versatile gift at that - for the art lover, the language lover, or anyone who enjoys a fun, quirky read!

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this honest review.

"The Mountain Between Us" (Charles Martin)

The original reason why I was so intrigued by this book was the fact that it is a movie tie-in.  Normally, I see a movie come out that was based on the book, and very rarely, there's a book that comes out based on a movie.  However, how strange it is that a book and movie come out at the same time!

But once I started reading, it was more than the first intrigue that drove me to keep flipping the pages.  Could not put it down!  A doctor and photojournalist, victims of a plane crash in the middle the harsh High Uintas Wilderness, rely on each other for survival, and a love story with a lurking tinge of nostalgia results.

I can't wait to see it in theaters now - it stars Idris Elba and Kate Winslet (my two favorite actors)!

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Customizable Planner

I get extremely picky when it comes to buying a new planner; it's always my first battle during a new year.  I realize that my personal taste may be totally different than others, and I have rarely found another person who is as particular down to the tiny details.  So, it means a lot to me saying that I was overall satisfied with Meera Patel's "Start Where You are - Week-at-a-Glance Diary."

The first thing I noticed (and I know this sounds weird) was the "hand feel" of this planner.  It's almost like a rubberized surface for the front/back covers, but extremely smooth rubber (not sticky rubber).  The cover itself is beautiful (a little on the girly side for me, but regardless, still beautiful).  The BIGGEST con for me was that the planner does not open flat.  If it were a book, I would not bring this up, but as something that I am planning on writing in a lot, it is annoying to have to keep the thing open constantly.

For people who do not use a planner every single day/month, this is VERY useful!  Have you ever bought a yearly planner and only ended up using a few months and wasting the rest of the space?  Patel's planner allows you to utilize as much space as possible depending on your needs.

Other cons:  8 wasted pages on "contacts" (which are much less relevant these days), paperback and not something more durable, monthly quotes are a little on the cliche side, the cursive font doesn't stand out.

Considering all of my personal (extremely) nit-picky tastes with planners, I am still overall happy with this product!  It really is a very innovative usage of space for a week-at-a-glance, given how customizable it is.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Colored pencil revolution

I have often ambled through galleries where a certain painting catches my eye - it looks exactly like real life, and it takes me a minute to realize that the painting is not in fact a photograph.  I always wondered how the artist could accomplish such a feat, replicating the depth of life.

Here's how!  Alyona Nickelsen walks the reader through the process of imitating real-life portraits in bite-size steps.  I did not feel overwhelmed at the material covered in "Colored Pencil Painting Portraits," which was surprising, given just how in-depth and insightful Nickelsen's details were.

The star of this book was the last few pages:  Nickelsen outlines, in detail, the pros and cons of various solvents that work well with colored pencils.  I definitely will refer to these few pages in my future endeavors with colored pencils.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Art, guided by Al Gury

Al Gury's "Foundations of Drawing" is a guide in many ways - an impressively seamless weaving of art history, tools, techniques, and styles.  I have almost always read books about one of those topics, individually.  To my surprise, Gury gracefully ties in a general history of art as well as informative tips for the amateur (like myself) seeking insights on the actual practice of art.  Each component that makes up the "Foundations of Drawing" complements each other.  My understanding of the techniques and science behind the making of art deepened and was deepened by the outline of art history provided by Gury.

As a general and expansive guide through art (such a large, vague topic!), this is definitely a solid investment.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

A good everyday read

James Kakalios presents "The Physics of Everyday Things" while walking the reader through a normal day and explaining the wonders of science behind each "everyday thing."  This is a very approachable book, and you do not have to be a science expert to understand Kakalios' explanations!
As a science nerd myself, I will note that this book is more for the everyday common knowledge - if you're already familiar with how household appliances or electronics work, you may find yourself flipping through many of the chapters.

That being said, "The Physics of Everyday Things" was a very enjoyable read while simultaneously providing insights to the objects that we use every day yet do not think about.  Reading this book made me appreciate the countless scientists who shaped and made possible our lives as we know it.  (And that Bill Gates quote kept running through my head as read Kakalios' book:  "I choose a lazy person to do a hard job.  Because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it.")

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this honest review.

Min Kym's Amazing Grace in "Gone"

I found so many personal parallels with Min Kym's tale that were simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming.  As a violinist, I have experienced the immense and irreplaceable pleasure of feeling like my violin is an extension of my arm.  To be able to "bond" with a rare, legendary Stradivarius is something that I cannot even imagine - something that is close to finding the one true love.

This was the special bond that Min Kym, a world-class violinist, shared with her rare 1696 Stradivarius violin that was suddenly taken from under her.  One day, while Kym was on tour, her Stradivarius violin was stolen in a London cafe, and thus her life as musician was unraveled.  As she recovers from the sudden loss of her violin, she starts to rediscover her life on-stage as well as off-stage.

Min Kym's tumultuous life journey is beautifully intertwined with the rediscovery of her musical and non-musical voice.  This is definitely worth the read and any reader will surely find (more) appreciation for the magical bond between artist and instrument.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.