The Urban Sketching Handbook by Stephanie Bower

The Urban Sketching Handbook by Stephanie Bower ISBN-13: 9781631597657 Paperback: 112 pages Publisher: Quarry Books Released: November 5th 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Illustrator, architect, and international workshop instructor and Urban Sketcher Stephanie Bower has collected 101 of her best insider drawing tips, hacks, and techniques and shares them in this fully illustrated, portable book. Learn shortcuts to getting your perspective right, determining your composition, and balancing your light and shadow. This book collects many basic drawing techniques into one handy volume.

The book also features beautiful example illustrations from Urban Sketchers around the globe! Whether you are new to sketching or are an experienced artist, this book is chock-full of useful, practical, and clever tips to take your drawing to the next level.


My Review:
The Urban Sketching Handbook provided 101 drawing tips with a focus on urban drawing. The author provided tips that would be helpful to an absolute beginner at drawing as well as some tips that would be helpful to someone more experienced who wanted to learn to draw urban environments better. She started by talking about what materials to use for urban drawing and the basics about drawing lines and shading. She gave some very good tips on determining and including perspective in your drawings. She also gave tips on composition and how to use watercolor with your drawings. Overall, I'd recommend this book to artists interested in learning how to make more expressive and accurate urban drawings.


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 Grimy 1800s by Andre Gren

The Grimy 1800s by Andre Gren ISBN-13: 9781526731401 Paperback: 136 pages Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Released: December 19, 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
In the nineteenth century, as towns grew, Britain became increasingly grimy. The causes of dirt and pollution were defined legally as 'nuisances' and, in 1835, the new local authorities very rapidly appointed an army of 'inspectors of nuisances'.

This book is the inspectors' chronicle: it offers their eye-witness accounts and a plethora of details pertaining to the workings of the scrutinising Parliamentary Committees that were set up in an attempt to ease the struggles against filth. Inspectors battled untreated human excreta in rivers black as ink, as well as insanitary drinking water, home to tadpoles and portions of frogs so large that they blocked taps. They dealt with putrid animal carcases in cattle markets and slaughter-houses, not to mention the unabated smoke from mill chimneys that covered towns with a thick layer of black grime. Boggle Hole Pond was a source of drinking water full of dead dogs; ice cream was coated in bugs; stinking rotting crabs, poultry and pigeon smells polluted the air. Even the dead floating out of badly drained burial grounds were 'nuisances', leading to the practice of burning the remains of the dead.


My Review:
The Grimy 1800s summarizes reports given by Inspectors of Nuisances in England on various sanitation topics between 1846 and 1915. These inspectors were created in the mid 1800s and reports were recorded by Parliamentary Committees over the years. The author summarized the contents of these reports, selecting ones that he felt were the most interesting. He covered overcrowding, privies, poor or no drainage, improper human waste disposal, lack of availability of clean water, water pollution, food safety, bad smells, reporting of infectious diseases, excess smoke from mills and such, and what type of ground made for a good cemetery. I'd recommend this to anyone researching specific examples of these problems (what town and at what time). It gets a little repetitive if you just want a general overview of the problem.


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.

The Vegan Spiralizer Cookbook by Barb Musick

The Vegan Spiralizer Cookbook by Barb Musick ISBN-13: 9781641528177 Paperback: 288 pages Publisher: Rockridge Press Released: October 8th 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
The Vegan Spiralizer Cookbook is your how-to guide for vegan dishes with a twist—literally. It serves up 101 recipes that can be prepared with a spiralizer, making it easy and fun to eat more plant-based meals and create delicious, healthy options where fruits and veggies are the star, not just a sideshow. Whether you’re completely vegan, trying to cut back on calories, or just want to sneak some more vegetables onto your loved ones’ plates, this spiralizer cookbook can change the way you cook. No vegan or spiralizer experience required.

The Vegan Spiralizer Cookbook offers a huge variety of flavor-packed recipes for every meal, including pancakes, soups, and even fancy drinks! How to purchase, maintain, and safely use both hand crank and hourglass spiralizers. Find handy references for what to spiralize, how to spiralize it, and how to cook it—plus lists of other kitchen tools to keep on hand.


My Review:
The Vegan Spiralizer Cookbook is a vegan cookbook that uses a spiralizer to chop the vegetables and fruits in a visually interesting way rather than shredding or otherwise cutting them into pieces. She started by talking about how to buy and use a spiralizer and what vegetables and fruits work well with it. She used a lot of tofu in the recipes and would also use things like vegan cheese, vegan sausage, vegan butter, etc. Most of these recipes were made with ingredients that should be easy to find. The meal recipes usually served 4 to 6 people. Some recipes took under 20 minutes while others took over an hour.

She had 15 recipes for breakfast, 10 recipes for "bowls," 10 recipes for sides, 10 recipes for sandwichs, wraps, and burgers, 11 recipes for soups and salads, 20 recipes for main meals, 15 recipes for desserts, 5 recipes for drinks with a spiral of fruit or vegetable, and 5 recipes for sauces. Each recipe included preparation and cooking time and contained the nutritional information of calories, fat, carbs, fiber, sugar, protein, and sodium. She also indicated if a recipe was gluten-, soy-, or nut-free. There was a picture of one recipe in each section. While I usually don't mind if there is a lack of pictures, I think I would've liked more pictures this time since the point was how the spirals added visual interest.


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.

Vegan Everything by Nadine Horn; Jörg Mayer

Vegan Everything by Nadine Horn; Jörg Mayer ISBN-13: 9781615195886 Paperback: 224 pages Publisher: The Experiment Released: Nov. 1, 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
100 gorgeously photographed, accessible recipes for every meal! Vegan Everything is the ultimate uncomplicated cookbook for everyone interested in plant-based foods. No matter what your skill level in the kitchen, these meals come together quickly, easily, and inexpensively. Here are recipes for pizza, falafel, burgers, banh mi, quesadillas, curry, ramen, jambalaya . . . in short, vegan versions of every dish you’re likely to look for.

But you won’t just find delicious vegan dinners here. Vegan Everything also contains a tempting array of breakfasts, snacks, and desserts. From bagels and frittata to brownies and ice cream sandwiches, veteran vegan authors Nadine Horn and Jörg Mayer have got readers covered. These 100 recipes can feed you all day, every day.


My Review:
Vegan Everything is a vegan cookbook covering a wide variety of recipes. I liked that she didn't always mimic meat-lover favorites but sometimes created unfamiliar dishes. She did use gluten-containing grains and occasionally even added gluten (seitan), but there were some gluten-free recipes. She did use soy, but there were plenty of recipes without soy, too. Because of this variety, probably everyone can find some new recipes that they can use.

The author occasionally used store-bought vegan "dairy" or "meat" in a recipe. Some recipes added oil or sugar or used less healthy options like white bread. But other recipes used whole grain bread or used fruit for sweetening. Most of the ingredients can be found in my grocery store. I also felt like I could easily make substitutions to the recipes to suit my tastes.

Each of the 110 recipes had full-color picture of the finished product. The recipes usually served 2-4 people. There were 11 recipes for Breakfast, 8 for Snacks (including chips, salads, crackers), 10 recipes for 20-Minute Meals (for which the prep time was 10-20 minutes, but the cook time added another 20-40 minutes), 11 for One Pan Used Meals, 12 for Family Dinners, 8 for Date-Night Dinners, 9 for Party Hits, 7 for Breads, 25 for Dips, Spreads, etc., and 9 for Sweets. I intend to try out a good number of these recipes.


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.

The Draw Any Animal Book by Robert Lambry

The Draw Any Animal Book by Robert Lambry ISBN-13: 9781631598418 Paperback: 176 pages Publisher: Quarry Books Released: October 15th 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
In the 1920s and 30s, French artist Robert Lambry (1902–1934) created a series of charming step-by-step lessons for drawing animals for a weekly children’s paper. They were later compiled into a book Les Animaux Tels Qu'ils Sont (Animals as They Are) and now, almost 100 years later, these beautiful lineworks will guide you to drawing perfection. Lambry breaks down the process of drawing realistic animals into a series of simple shapes and lines, enabling you to recreate even the most complex creatures in just a few steps. Use the no-slip, wood-free pages to copy 100 wonderful animals—including big creatures, like an elephant, rhino, giraffe, and hippo; small creatures, like a snail, frog, butterfly, beetle, spider, and fly; all kinds of birds, like a swallow, peacock, turkey, heron, and swan; domestic animals, like a cat, dog, chicken, and cow; a range of wild cats, like a tiger, lynx, lion, and panther; Ocean creatures, like a whale, lobster, and seal; and more!


My Review:
The Draw Any Animal Book teaches how to create simple but accurate line drawings of a variety of animals. Text was only used when the author needed to point out how he created a distinctive feature of the animal. Each lesson was basically 3 to 5 drawn steps showing how to create each animal, and the steps were clear and easy to follow. Common animals were often shown from different angles – like the side, front, and back – and in different poses. He covered around 150 animals, from cats and dogs to reptiles, rodents, rabbits, turtles, bugs, fish, and many more. His method basically uses simple lines to get the correct proportions in place and then he added distinctive details so that a person seeing the line drawing can tell which animal it is supposed to be. Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants to draw simple line drawings of animals, especially children and crafters.


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.

No Gluten, No Problem Pizza by Kelli & Peter Bronski

No Gluten, No Problem Pizza by Kelli Bronski; Peter Bronski ISBN-13: 9781615195411 Paperback: 240 pages Publisher: The Experiment Released: Oct. 1, 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Inspired by the popularity of their Sunday family pizza night, the Bronskis have created a cookbook that divulges the secrets behind their perfect pizza pies, including: Recipes for a number of gluten-free doughs and styles, including New York–style thin crust, Chicago-style deep dish, as well as other Italian-American classics like Stromboli, pepperoni rolls, flatbreads, calzones, and more.

In addition to the classics, the Bronskis also provide flavor profiles that go well beyond the Italian-American core (such as Mexican, BBQ, Thai, and other flavors), and they also offer modifications for crafting pizzas without refined sugar, yeast, Top 8 allergens (nuts, peanuts, soy, etc.), dairy—you name it!—with vegetarian, vegan, grain-free and Paleo options along the way.

A guide to making pizza using a variety of techniques, whether it’s a typical 13-inch pizza pan, pizza steels, a cast iron skillet, wood fire oven, or grill. Packed with tips, tricks, and a bunch of scrumptious recipes, No Gluten, No Problem Pizza is the definitive guide to homemade, pizzeria-style pizza and more, without any of the gluten, yet all of the heavenly flavor.


My Review:
No Gluten, No Problem Pizza is a cookbook with recipes for gluten-free pizzas. The authors included 14 recipes for different types of crusts (thin, thick, bendable, etc.) plus recipes for different pizza topping combinations. They included New York style, Neapolitan, thin crust, deep dish, grilled, California style, grain-free, pizza pockets, flatbread pizzas, buckwheat pizza, breakfast and desert pizzas, and how to cook these pizzas over a campfire. The crust recipes use several types of flours, starch, and gums for each type of crust, so you will need to have six or more ingredients on hand just for this aspect of the crust. I had hoped for an explanation as to why the different flours and such were used (what they added to the finished product), but we're simply given their favorite results from extensive testing. The toppings were often what you'd already have on hand for your favorite pizza. The pizzas were about 12-13" across. If you're gluten-free and want restaurant-style pizzas made at home, then this cookbook will be helpful.


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.

Spinning and Weaving by Lynn Huggins-Cooper

Spinning and Weaving by Lynn Huggins-Cooper ISBN-13: 9781526724526 Paperback: 128 pages Publisher: Pen and Sword History Released: Novemeber 1, 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
This book offers a whistle-stop guide to the history of spinning and weaving. The story begins in prehistory when people first wove yarns to create clothing and blankets. The book explores the ways in which spinning and weaving has continued to be important throughout human history (or should that be herstory), in artistic, economic and functional terms.

The second part of the book brings us up to date, via interviews with modern day spinning and weaving artisans. These textiles artists generously allowed the author a window into their studios and discussed the way they use and adapt traditional methods, techniques and tools for the twenty first century. Photos of their work, and their working environment offers a unique view into the world of this ancient craft.

Finally, if you are inspired to try your hand at this fascinating and most ancient of crafts, the book also has a resources section. It includes a valuable list of suppliers of fibre, dyes, tools and yarn, as well as information about training courses, useful websites and more - everything you need to get started.


My Review:
Spinning and Weaving looked at spinning and weaving throughout history and as a modern handcraft. The author started by explaining what type of tools were used for spinning and weaving in ancient times and what fibers were used for clothing. She then talked about the new technologies that changed how spinning and weaving were done up until modern day. The second half of the book contained interviews with modern weavers who talk about how they got into traditional weaving, what they make, what tools they use, how they learned the skills, their advice to others, what their business is like and a typical day. At the back of the book, there were lists of suppliers and educational websites. I'd recommend this book to someone interested in trying out weaving who wants some background on the possibilities for learning and using the skill.


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.