Beside the Seaside by John Heywood

Beside the Seaside by John Heywood ISBN-13: 9781526704641 Paperback: 192 pages Publisher: Pen & Sword Released: Jan. 31, 2018

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from NetGalley:
Almost all of us have happy memories of excursions and holidays spent beside the sea. For many in the UK, these will have included the Yorkshire coast which runs unbroken for more than one hundred miles between the two great rivers, the Tees and the Humber. Within those boundaries are the popular seaside resorts of Whitby, Scarborough, Filey and Bridlington as well as numerous smaller and quieter but equally well-loved destinations.

How did the love affair with the area start and how did it develop? Over the years, all the ingredients for the perfect holiday are there - the spas, the sea and sun bathing, board and lodgings, entertainment and just as importantly, the journeys there and back. “Beside the Seaside” takes a detailed but entertaining look back at the history of these resorts over the last four hundred years. Packed with information, this book is fully illustrated with photographs, old and new, together with paintings and etchings. Coupled with the thoughts and memories of tourists and travellers from the 17th century through to the present time, it gives a fascinating insight into how our ancestors would have spent their time at the coast.


My Review:
Beside the Seaside describes the development of the Yorkshire coast seaside resorts from their origins to the present day. He talked about Scarborough, Whitby, Filey and Bridlington as well as Redcar, Saltburn, Hornsea, Withernsea, and others. He included some quotes from journals about people's experiences at the resorts throughout the years and some newspaper accounts about notable happenings at the resorts. There were also photos and illustrations of the resorts and some ads for them. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting book to anyone curious about how the Yorkshire coast resorts developed over the years.

He started in 1620 when the first spring was promoted for health-giving properties and followed their development into the early 1900s. After covering several aspects of the early development, he looked at the overall development of the resorts in the 1900s to present day, exploring how the World Wars affected these towns and how they've continued change. The first part of the book was organized topically: the development of the spa buildings around springs; the rise of sea bathing (including information about bathing machines, changing huts, etc.); the changing fashions in bathing suits; where people stayed (hotels, lodging houses, camps, etc., including the names of people offering lodging as listed in a guide book) and the building, updating, and closings of various hotels; how people traveled to these resorts (carriages, trains, cars, and such) and the building of roads, cliff lifts, and bridges to help people get to the beaches; the rise of excursions and day visitors; entertainment options found on the beach; entertainment options in the town (ballrooms, orchestras, etc.); and the building of and accidents involving the pleasure piers.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Storytelling Art Studio by Cathy Nichols

Storytelling Art Studio by Cathy Nichols ISBN-13: 9781440349355 Paperback: 144 pages Publisher: North Light Books Released: July 17, 2017

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from NetGalley:
Storytelling Art Studio is the guide that will show you how to create mixed media art that tells impactful stories. It's a creative guide for mining your own life to manifest imaginary worlds, emotional narratives and clever characters. Each chapter presents a new subject--you may paint a tree, collage a landscape or use sgraffito to create a scene. You will begin with inspirational warm-up exercises, then learn how to do it with a step-by-step demonstration and even get to see alternate versions of the piece that explore the magic and impact of different choices.

Perfect for you no matter what your skill level or style, this guide does not have to be read in order. Simply choose what you would like to do and go for it! 10 projects and 10 inspiration exercises!


My Review:
Storytelling Art Studio is an art instruction book about making mixed media art that tells a story. The author has 10 projects that cover different aspects of story telling: using color to convey emotion, creating characters and sidekicks, setting a scene, creating conflict, adding text, using symbolism, repeating a motif, selecting a title, and such. She started each project by providing a creativity prompt to get you thinking and suggesting reference material for you to gather. Then she provided a step-by-step demonstration project. She broke the project down into simple steps with useful instructional text and photographs for each step.

She used paint chips (like for wall paint) to help select a color scheme. She usually used small wood panels (6"x6" to 8"x10") and acrylic paints for the projects as well as gel pens, ink pens, photographs, card stock, etc., for the mixed media aspect. Each project used a wide variety of materials, but the finished project is relatively small (which I like). Overall, I found her take on telling stories through art to be pretty basic (as you're creating just one scene) but interesting and easy to follow.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Painting Tools & Materials by Walter Foster Creative Team

Artist’s Toolbox: Painting Tools & Materials by Walter Foster Creative Team ISBN-13: 9781633222823 Paperback: 112 pages Publisher: Walter Foster Publishing Released: Dec. 1, 2017

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from NetGalley:
The Artist's Toolbox series provides easy-to-use reference guides for beginning and aspiring artists. While many instructional art books gloss over important concepts, focusing instead on how to simply replicate a piece of art, the Artist's Toolbox series breaks down the whats, whens, whys, and hows of each relevant tool or technique, clearly demonstrating its purpose and how to employ it to achieve desired effects.

In Painting Tools & Materials, artists will discover the important differences in brush styles, sizes, shapes, and types; how each brush is used to create different types of strokes; and how different types of brushes interact with various paints and supports. Artists will learn how to properly load brushes with paint, how to shape brushes to create specific strokes and effects, when to choose synthetic-hair over natural-hair, and much more. Experienced art instructors focus on the key concepts and practical aspects of working with specific tools, materials, and mediums to impart a complete understanding for those seeking to learn the fundamentals of painting.


My Review:
Painting Tools & Materials is a very basic, beginner's art instruction book about painting. They covered the basics about using watercolors, acrylics, and oil and explained which media work well together for mixed media. They talked about the types of brushes and how they're used, supports, mediums, easels and other work surfaces, lighting, storage, and safety issues. They covered color theory, color mixing, and various painting techniques including those specific to a certain type of paint (like watercolor). They provided good pictures of the various materials and techniques.

At the end, they provided six step-by-step demonstrations (2 watercolor, 1 acrylic, 2 oil, 1 mixed media) that used the various techniques discussed in the book. While most art instruction books cover tools and materials, they usually do so quickly and often assume you understand more about the materials and techniques than complete beginners really do. This book goes in depth into these basics so that you can better understand art instruction books and know what tools and materials you actual need for the painting you want to do.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Lee Hammond's All New Big Book of Drawing by Lee Hammond

Lee Hammond's All New Big Book of Drawing by Lee Hammond ISBN-13: 9781440343094 Paperback: 224 pages Publisher: North Light Books Released: Jan. 24, 2018

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from NetGalley:
Two books in one. The first half is a comprehensive course on using pencils to capture shape, form and likeness. The second half explores adding color using colored pencils.

88 step-by-step projects. You will learn to draw everything with this book! Starting with a simple sphere and working up to sea shells, sunsets, flowers, birds, horses, clothing, people--and so much more!

Lee covers it all--from big picture concepts (selecting tools, shading techniques, making sense of perspective) down to techniques for creating the look of feathers, capturing skin tones, and making surfaces look shiny or transparent. Using her straightforward, three-stage approach to lifelike drawings, Lee makes any subject approachable, from still life and landscapes to animals and even people. This project-driven tome will help you create realistic, frame-worthy artwork. Project by project and subject by subject, you will gain confidence and cultivate great joy in drawing.


My Review:
Lee Hammond's All New Big Book of Drawing is an art instruction book on using graphite and colored pencils. The first half of the book was about how to do the author's blended, realistic style of graphite drawing. He has you use the grid method to get your initial shapes correct and teaches readers about shape, light and shadows, and blending. He covered perspective and drawing shiny surfaces, glass, metal, textures, flowers and foliage, landscapes, furry and feathered animals, people (head, hands, feet), and fabric (folds and patterned).

The graphite step-by-step projects were: sphere, cylinder, eggs, garlic, stone well, shiny vase, a marble, silverware, wood, seashell, tree, leaf, rose, butterfly, long and short fur, animal eyes, nose, and mouth, head and shoulders portraits of a kitten, dog, and horse, feathers, a bird, human nose, lips, facial hair, eyes, eyeglasses, ears, hair, whole head, male and female hands (plus tips on old versus young hands), baby feet, hanging towel, and sleeve.

The second half of the book was how to use color pencils, specifically Prismacolor colored pencils. He used colors from the 48 pencil set. He covered many of the same subjects as he did in the graphite section, only using color and layering or burnishing to create the desired look. As in the first half, the step-by-step projects were three (sometimes four) steps long. He described which colors he used in which order. He described creating light or darker skin tones when teaching about facial features.

The colored pencil step-by-step projects were: a sphere, brown egg, peppermint candy, grapes, water droplets, onion, crystal goblet, drinking glass, marbles, pitcher, brass spittoon, wood grain, pearl, green leaf, autumn leaf, two butterflies, two flowers, clouds, sunset, dog eye, dog nose, long and short fur, head and neck of a horse, leopard head, swan, sparrow, human nose, mouth with teeth showing, mouth with facial hair, eye, ear, long and wavy hair, short and curly hair, baby hand, baby feet, hanging towel, and draped fabric.

He included samples of his work to illustrate his points plus in a gallery section at the back of the book. I felt he clearly explained his methods of using graphite and colored pencils, and a beginner will find this book helpful. If you've read his shorter books on Still Life, Nature, Animals, and People and Clothing, the introduction to this book said you'd mainly be getting what he said in those books plus a few new projects to practice.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Creating Celtic Knotwork by Cari Buziak

Creating Celtic Knotwork by Cari Buziak ISBN-13: 9780486820330 Paperback: 128 pages Publisher: Dover Publications Released: Jan. 16, 2018

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from NetGalley:
Whether you're a complete beginner or have already attempted to learn the art of Celtic knotwork, this is the book for you! Artists at all levels will treasure this guide, which not only demonstrates how to duplicate patterns from a rich and varied gallery of examples but also how to take the next step to creating your own unique designs.

This newly revised edition of Creating Celtic Knotwork features a wealth of added material and revisions. Author Cari Buziak draws upon her extensive teaching experience to present easy-to-understand, well-illustrated instructions that explain all the basic techniques of Celtic patterns. In addition to spirals, mazes, and step patterns, the designs include dragons, hounds, and other animals as well as human forms. Exercises and tips encourage experimentation that will allow you to develop your own variations on traditional forms. Information on drawing tools, painting materials, transferring patterns, and other practical aspects will help you get started right away.


My Review:
Creating Celtic Knotwork is a art instruction book on how to create Celtic knots. The author described how to make a basic knot, provided grids to practice making some traditional knots, and explained how to modify the basic knot to make your own knot patterns and unique flourishes. She described how to make a trefoil knot and knots in borders, corners, rings, and crosses. She also showed how to make spirals, maze and step patterns, and add animals (snakes, dragons, dogs, birds, etc.), people, and chalices into the knots. At the very end, she explained how to transfer the design created on the grid onto your project and provided suggestions on coloring it.

The author broke the process down into easy steps and illustrated those steps. A couple times, I wouldn't have known what she intended from the text alone, but the illustrations were very easy to follow. The book contained a square and a circle grid that you can make copies of, and she described how to make your own grids using grid paper. Overall, I'd recommend this book to those interested in learning how to make their own Celtic knot designs. I've never tried to make Celtic knots before, but the author makes it seem do-able and I've been happy with the basic knots that I've tried so far.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

101 Textures in Colored Pencil by Denise J. Howard

101 Textures in Colored Pencil by Denise J. Howard ISBN-13: 9781633223400 Paperback: 128 pages Publisher: Walter Foster Publishing Released: Dec. 12, 2017

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from NetGalley:
101 Textures in Colored Pencil provides artists with step-by-step instructions for drawing a wide variety of the most common textures and surfaces, including sand, water, metals, foliage, wood, fabrics, stone, grass, hair, and many more. Each page is a comprehensive resource on how to create a specific texture, complete with two to three easy-to-follow steps and a final, detailed image of the finished artwork. Plus, the book is organized into sections based on subject matter, making finding what exactly what you need a breeze.


My Review:
101 Textures in Colored Pencil provides instructions on how to produce 101 textures using Prismacolor Premier colored pencils. She used white Stonehenge paper (a fine-toothed paper) and Prismacolor Premier colored pencils for all of the examples in the book. In her directions, she used the pencil names rather than describing the actual color. So we're told to "go over almost all the lemon yellow with a wash of a sharp Spanish orange" or "go over almost all the pale vermilion with a wash of a very sharp crimson lake." (The "sharp" refers to how sharp your pencil is, and "wash" refers to a technique that she described earlier.)

She assumed that you know the basics of drawing and even of using colored pencils, though she did explain the main techniques she used in making textures. There were four illustrations for each step-by-step description of how to produce a texture. Sometimes she demonstrated making a small patch of texture, like fur, but left it up to you to apply this to the animal's whole body. Other times, she demonstrated a completed object, like an eye. At the end, there was a short gallery of her finished works, and she indicated what textures from the book were in each picture.

You can see exactly what's covered in the table of contents, but she basically covered people (hair, skin, eyes, nose, lips), animals (fur, mane, scales, skin), fabrics (burlap to silk, leather, lace), woven basket, glass, stone, ceramic, wood, metal, various food textures, and nature textures like bark, grass, water, clouds, leaves, and fire. You can get an idea of how to create a texture from the directions, but this book is really most useful to a person who owns a Prismacolor Premier colored pencils set.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

March Forward, Girl by Melba Pattillo Beals

March Forward, Girl by Melba Pattillo Beals ISBN-13: 9781328882127 Hardcover: 224 pages Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers Released: Jan. 2, 2018

Source: ARC review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
From the legendary civil rights activist and author of the million-copy selling Warriors Don't Cry comes an ardent and profound childhood memoir of growing up while facing adversity in the Jim Crow South.

Long before she was one of the Little Rock Nine, Melba Pattillo Beals was a warrior. Frustrated by the laws that kept African-Americans separate but very much unequal to whites, she had questions. Why couldn’t she drink from a "whites only" fountain? Why couldn’t she feel safe beyond home—or even within the walls of church? Adults all told her: Hold your tongue. Be patient. Know your place. But Beals had the heart of a fighter—and the knowledge that her true place was a free one.

Combined with emotive drawings and photos, this memoir paints a vivid picture of Beals’ powerful early journey on the road to becoming a champion for equal rights, an acclaimed journalist, a best-selling author, and the recipient of this country’s highest recognition, the Congressional Gold Medal


My Review:
March Forward, Girl is a memoir about Melba Pattillo Beals' childhood and is intended for readers age 10 and up. She talked about growing up in the 1940s and 1950s under heavy segregation laws and the threat of Ku Klux Klan violence against blacks who didn't submit. She mainly remembers the fear and humiliations and recounts some of her worst memories. She also talked about a few encounters with kind whites and a brief visit to St. Louis, where things were so different that she didn't want to leave. The book ended with her being chosen to attend the previously all-white high school in Little Rock as one of the Little Rock Nine. The brief epilogue summarized the year she spent in that school.

She writes from her viewpoint as a child, so we only get hints of the a wider context of what was going on. A young reader might be left with the belief that the author's childhood impressions and worst memories represent what daily life was like for all Southern blacks. While it's good for people to learn what Melba feared and endured, I would have liked a little more wider context. Her memoir only very briefly explained why things got that way, how things were changing, and that life was different in other areas.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Plant-Based Nutrition, 2nd Edition by Julieanna Hever M.S., R.D.; Raymond J. Cronise

Plant-Based Nutrition, 2nd Edition by Julieanna Hever M.S., R.D.; Raymond J. Cronise ISBN-13: 9781465470201 Paperback: 353 pages Publisher: DK Released: Jan. 9, 2018

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from NetGalley:
The science confirms that a diet rich in whole, plant-based foods can help your body thrive. In fact, a growing number of physicians advocate a completely plant-based diet for many of their patients who suffer from diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. In this all new edition, leading plant-based dietician, Julieanna Hever, and Ray Cronise, the mastermind behind magician Penn Jillette's 100-pound weight loss transformation, team up to give you everything you need to know about following a plant-based diet, including:

A wealth of information on the most nutrient-dense foods in the plant kingdom

New perspectives on macronutrients, and why categorizing protein, carbs, and fats as food groups causes unnecessary confusion about what to eat

The latest science on oxidative priority and how it explains why many common recipes drive unintentional weight gain

Healthspan and longevity recommendations based on the latest research

45 all new recipes from celebrity chefs: Matthew Kenney, Dreena Burton, Jazzy Vegetarian, Kathy Patalsky, Robin Robertson, Fran Costigan, Jason Wyrick, and Matt Frazier

Sample menus to get you started on a plant-based lifestyle

Tips for stocking your kitchen, boosting the nutritional content of your favorite dishes, and dining out healthfully


My Review:
Plant-Based Nutrition, 2E provides the basic information needed to understand the benefits of eating a whole-food, plant-based diet and how to do it. The authors kept the information pretty basic--what you need to know to eat healthy in a practical sense rather than lots of scientific discussions. The authors talked about why a whole-food, plant-based diet is desirable, the nutrition you need (protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals) and how it's generally easy to meet the minimum requirements from whole, plant foods. They talked about what supplements you might need to take and which do more harm than good.

They talked about dietary guidelines, nutrition myths and controversies (obviously just the most common ones), understanding nutrition claims on products at the store and how to shop successfully. They described the benefits of exercise and some basics about length and types of exercise. They talked about special nutrition considerations during pregnancy and for babies, children, seniors, athletes, and weight loss. They covered how a whole food, plant-based diet helps heal chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, and more.

They provided tips for eating out at restaurants, for the holidays and such, and information on how to convert recipes to animal-product-free versions (with dairy, egg, meat, oil substitutes). Then we got 45 recipes from various people. In general, they seemed to serve about 4 people and didn't look too complicated. Overall, this book is a good resource if you want basic information about a whole-food, plant-based diet.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Cræft: Traditional Crafts by Alexander Langlands

Cræft: Origins and True Meaning of Traditional Crafts by Alexander Langlands ISBN-13: 9780393635904 Hardcover: 352 pages Publisher: W. W. Norton Company Released: Jan. 2, 2018

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
In the midst of a seemingly endless supply of mass-manufactured products, we find ourselves nostalgic for products bearing the mark of authenticity—hand-made furniture, artisan breads, craft beers, and other goods produced by human hands. Rediscovering craft helps us more fully appreciate human ingenuity and the passing on of traditions from generation to generation.

Archaeologist and medieval historian Alexander Langlands argues that our modern understanding of craft only skims the surface. Reaching as far back as the Neolithic period, he combines history with scientific analyses and personal anecdotes. We follow the author as he herds sheep, keeps bees, tans hides, spins wool, and thatches roofs. We learn that scythes work much better on tall grass than the latest model of weed trimmers, that you can spin wool using a large wooden spoon, and that it was once considered criminal to work on animal hides before a requisite twelve-month soak.


My Review:
Cræft is a mix of the author's experiences and thoughts about various traditional skills that were once vital to our survival. The author is an experimental archaeologist who was involved in BBC shows like Victorian Farm, Edwardian Farm, and Warime Farm. He told stories about his experiences while trying a craft or using the products of traditional crafts. He also contemplated the costs of modern ways of doing things and some advantages of using traditional methods. For some crafts, he described the labor that went into gathering the raw materials and how the craft is done. He provided enough detail that I could understand the basic principles of how it's done, but it's not a how-to guide. It's more an attempt to get readers to fully appreciate traditional crafts.

The author periodically delved into the origins of various words, and he started off with cræft and how it's meaning has changed over time. Then he talked about the tools and considerations that go into haymaking, evolutionary flint tool development, various ways we still use sticks (like in shepherd's crooks), making wicker hives and beekeeping using these hives, building drystone walls and maintaining hedgerows, taking flax and wool from harvesting/shearing to making yarn and weaving, and making wattle hurdles.

He examined the various local materials that were used in thatching and how they were used to thatch a roof. He talked about how leather was tanned and the many ways leather has been used (like shoes and harness). He talked about his visit to a traditional farming spot in Iceland and about how British farms used to be very diversified. He talked about dew ponds and how livestock ponds were traditionally constructed, the many ways that pottery and baskets were used in the past, how baskets are made, and his adventures in lime burning. He also talked about digging, both as an archaeologist and in clearing land for a garden.

The one thing I found lacking was pictures. Except for one set of sketches showing some tools, there were no pictures of the places or objects he talked about nor pictures of people doing the craft. I think I would have been able to follow his explanations better if there had been some pictures. Overall, though, it was an interesting book about the author's involvement with traditional crafts.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

The Undercover Edge by Derrick Levasseur

The Undercover Edge by Derrick Levasseur ISBN-13: 9781492650591 Hardcover: 320 pages Publisher: Sourcebooks Released: Jan. 1, 2018

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from NetGalley:
In a televised social experiment before millions of viewers, police sergeant Derrick Levasseur demonstrated that techniques used by undercover detectives could help people achieve their goals in everyday social situations. The result: he walked away with more than half a million dollars.

In The Undercover Edge, Derrick shares advise about human behavior and motivation. He provides easy tools based on experience acquired while overcoming personal adversity and working more than a decade in law enforcement. He shows readers:

• The power of observation and creating a profile
• The effect of using silence to extract and evaluate information
• The benefits of interpreting body language and developing your sixth sense
• The importance of self-awareness and adapting to your environment
• The value of developing a personal ops plan with a defined mission

Derrick's approach allows readers to create a solid foundation in their lives, build confidence personally and professionally, and push themselves to become stronger, more capable leaders.


My Review:
The Undercover Edge is an advice book about how to succeed in life using techniques the author learned as a police officer and through adversity in his life. It's written in an encouraging, easy-to-read and -understand way. Basically, he teaches good communication, leadership skills, how to spot what motivates the people around you, and how to use that knowledge to everyone's advantage. He used examples from his life and fictional business-world scenarios to illustrate his points. Overall, I'd recommend this book to people who want to be more proactive in achieving their goals.

He started by encouraging the reader to analyze your own strengths and weaknesses and to set goals and achieve them through smaller steps. He explained the advantages of "profiling" the people around you. He gave general advice about staying healthy, creating financial stability, and developing relationships. He talked about how to effectively listen to others and to watch their body language. He gave leadership and management advice and talked about visualization techniques, growing through adversity, and the importance of having good mentors/roll models.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.