Tin Camp Road by Ellen Airgood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
4.5 stars
This book is absolutely wonderful. It’s a quiet book about a single mom and her daughter as they struggle with poverty and homelessness while they work hard to make their way through the world. The force with which this mom loves her daughter and the genuine struggles of the choices she is faced with and trying to understand how to do what’s right by her daughter make for a meaningful read. I kept waiting for some insane twist or terrible disaster to befall them which is a sentiment to how over the top books have been lately. Sad things happen in this book but it’s not flashy, it’s not trying to mess with your emotions, it’s quiet and real and absolutely beautiful.
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Mixed Media Color Studio: Explore Modern Color Theory to Create Unique Palettes and Find Your Creative Voice–Play with Acrylics, Pastels, Inks, Graphite, and More by Kellee Wynne Conrad
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
what a fantastic book this is!
I love color and really enjoy books that talk about color, so when I saw this book, I knew I would love it but, as it worked out, I had no idea how much I would love it.
I don’t know this artist and had never seen any of her work. This book contains sections on color theory and then some example step by step projects, many of which I really loved. As i read it, i felt really inspired to create and found myself filled with excitement and joy.
with gratitude to quarto books and edelweiss for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
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Drawing Is for Everyone: Simple Lessons to Make Your Creative Practice a Daily Habit – Explore Infinite Creative Possibilities in Graphite, Colored Pencil, and Ink by Kateri Ewing
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
If you’d like to start drawing but don’t know where to start or if you’re stuck in general, this is such a gentle book to help you get started. it has 21 lessons, with several different styles and drawing tools (graphite pencil, colored pencil, and ink)
It contains art by the author and by some of her students so you can see a variety and range.
I really enjoyed the encouraging voice of the book and would recommend it to anyone who is itching to get started.
with gratitude to edelweiss and Quarry Books – Quarto for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review
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Get Messy Art: The No-Rules, No-Judgment, and No-Pressure Approach to Making Art – Create with Watercolor, Acrylic, Markers, Inks, and More by Caylee Grey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This lovely book is full of encouragement to let go of any of your preconceived rules and regulations around creating art. It encourages you to let loose, jump in with both feet and just have fun.
There is a great tutorial on binding your own art journal and then a lot of lovely ideas for art journal pages. These ideas vary in range and mediums they use but they are each filled with joy and relatively easy to get your creative juices flowing.
If you’ve wanted to start art journaling and didn’t know how, this book will be a fantastic start. If you’re stuck, if you need a good pep talk, if you want a friend cheering you on, this is the book for you!
with gratitude to quarry books and edelweiss for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review
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A Little Hope by Ethan Joella
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
“She has learned from his dying that there is much she can do. She has also learned some things are unfixable. Which is this?”
This book takes place in the small town of Wharton, Connecticut and moves around different characters who are connected to each other, some loosely, some tightly. It tackles a lot of life events like cancer, addiction, suicide, loneliness, and more.
The characters are so real in this quiet and lovely book that it reminded me of both Anne Tyler’s novels and Olive Kitteridge. It’s a similar feeling of getting more and more attached these ordinary characters who are experiencing ordinary and tough life situations and they are so real that you can’t help but feel their feelings alongside them.
“Good for them, Freddie thinks. Good for them. She could write an essay about forgiving Greg for anything if it meant they could get to Alex and Kay’s age. She could get over any single thing—an affair, a gambling problem. Two affairs even. She never felt that way before, but now she knows, without hesitation, she could get past anything. She could forgive Greg for a whole list of things, except dying.”
I loved every single second I spent with this book. I cannot recommend it enough.
with gratitude to Scribner, netgalley and edelweiss for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review
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To Sir, with Love by Lauren Layne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is an absolutely predictable, completely delightful read. Just the exact right thing when you want something sweet, uncomplicated, soft and tender. I loved it.
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Zen Wisdom for the Anxious: Simple Advice from a Zen Buddhist Monk by Shinsuke Hosokawa
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
this little book packs in oodles of wisdom. it contains 52 aphorisms broken into seasons with beautiful illustrations and reminds the reader to focus on the present moment. these are the types of reminders we need again and again and it’s the kind of book you can grab and open up into any one section and quickly feel grounded. helpful for the anxious and all others.
with gratitude to tuttle publishing and edelweiss for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review
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Where the Truth Lies by Anna Bailey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a rich, atmospheric mystery read. When a girl disappears in a small, religious town, everyone’s secrets slowly start surfacing. Not a lot of likeable characters in this story but they were all very 3-dimensional and I like that there weren’t plot twists just for the sake of shock value.
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A Million Things by Emily Spurr
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What a gem of a book. This story of a girl who has to fend for herself for 55 days while her mother is gone is an absolute gem. It’s full of heart and it will break your heart and slowly put it back together. It’s a fantastic read, highly recommended. Grief, coping, friendship, companionship, loneliness.
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No Hiding in Boise by Kim Hooper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
What a fantastically well-written mystery of a novel. This is about the aftermath of a bar shooting. You get to experience the perspective of those who die, a survivor, the mother of the shooter, and the wife of an injured party. The characters are rich and well-done. The story is layered and engaging and creates room for you to empathize with each character. Beautifully done.
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The Break-Up Book Club by Wendy Wax
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
super-fun light read about several women who, for different reasons, are experiencing break ups, separations, divorce or widowhood. They are brought together by a book club at their local book store and they support each other. Very enjoyable.
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Trusting the Gold: Uncovering Your Natural Goodness by Tara Brach
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Tara Brach is right at the top of my list of people whom I can never read enough. I’ve listened to her classes for years, I’ve read all of her books and I’ve learned something new each time. I’m reminded of things I’d learned and forgotten already and things that I know I need to hear again and again. She never ever disappoints and I cannot recommend this book enough. It’s a distillation of a lot of her stories, thoughts, encouragements, and lessons. As always, it’s told in her gentle style and it’s gold.
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projects for twenty twenty-six
projects for twenty twenty-five
projects for twenty twenty-four
projects for twenty twenty-three
projects for twenty twenty-two
projects for twenty twenty-one
projects for twenty nineteen
projects for twenty eighteen
projects from twenty seventeen
monthly projects from previous years
some of my previous projects
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