Tag Archive: paperback



Embrace Your Weird: Face Your Fears and Unleash CreativityEmbrace Your Weird: Face Your Fears and Unleash Creativity by Felicia Day
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This has been on my Currently Reading list for a year! It wasn’t that I was struggling to read it. It was digesting and doing the homework. I highly suggest doing it the way a friend and I did it. We held each other accountable as we worked through all the tasks, well, most of them. We often thought about bringing other people on board but realized adding anyone else would make it harder to stay on task.

Both my friend and I found many of our creative issues met through Ms. Day’s carefully set up agenda toward creativity.

Felicia kept us going, her sense of humor lightening some old personal issues of social anxiety and performance anxiety, worries if our art is good enough, and seeing us through those walls we had built up for ourselves. Ms. Day told us about her own issues and helped us see from another point of view. And though her problems were from a young mother’s perspective, we could relate, having been through her issues, and could apply the precepts to our seniors years. We all feel insecure about our soul searching writing and artwork.

Whether or not you use the book in the buddy system or solo, I think you will find depths in your own abilities if you take your time and work on the tasks.

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The Beginners Method for Soprano and Alto Recorder, Book 1 (Hargail Performance Series)The Beginners Method for Soprano and Alto Recorder, Book 1 by Sonja Burakoff
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I picked up the Kindle version of this book first. Later I ordered the paper version so I would have the book online or without electronic aid. I had a soprano recorder I was learning to play and decided to try the alto, too. I love how the book showed the fingering for both recorders and even combined to make duets that both recorders would play a part.

Every couple of pages, the book gives a new note or two. I am happy to say that I have played all the songs in the book, the soprano melody, and the alto melody. I am glad they were, for the most part, easily recognizable folk songs. That meant that this first go-round, I could concentrate on the fingering, which is far different from the piano that I’ve played all my life.

After a music hiatus, this book was the perfect way to get back in and enjoy music.

Though I have played the melodies, I plan to use this book the following way. I have an app or two that will help me. One will play the metronome, and then I will record each part of the duets presented. It seems like a fun way to get even more acquainted with the fingering I have mastered. I know I still need work on breath and tempo.

After this book, I have many more beginning recorder books to play with. Each has different approaches and ways to perfect what I know to get to the next level.

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Bountiful Women: Large Women's Secrets for Living the Life They Desire
Bountiful Women: Large Women’s Secrets for Living the Life They Desire by Bonnie Bernell

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a slow read for me. Not that the writing was bad, but because it was the paperback version and the font was small. But it wasn’t so small that I couldn’t take it in small doses.

Going deeper, the information that gave reminders that all of us need; that we are okay as we are. Fat shaming has never helped a bountiful woman or man to lose weight. That those who are of bountiful size have had enough with dieting that doesn’t work. That trying to hide so as to avoid the critical voices, hides us from those who might be our friends or more.

Did I learn anything new here? No. Just some affirmations I had forgotten. Moreover, I wish the book had started with the ending stories. The beginning seemed a dream for those of us who have fixed incomes. The suggestions we go to health spas or invest in counseling that can also be exorbitant. Instead offering ideas to find those positive beings to come into our lives that create the kind of support we all need.

So, sorry, it’s just okay but worth the read. Find the bits, as I did, and pass it on.

I registered this one with BookCrossers, the BCID here:  473-12817834

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Blue Is the Warmest Color
Blue Is the Warmest Color by Julie Maroh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I actually finished reading this a few days ago but… well… life happened and I haven’t been on the internet much. Good things, friends, furniture acquisitions, etc. So now that things are settling down, I feel I can revisit this wonderful book.

Let me start with what I didn’t like. The font. Though I loved the cursive feel that reflected entries in the diary of this teen, the font was just too small to read in large chunks. I think if I could have read faster and more, I would have been much more emotionally invested.

The story wins five stars plus. It introduces to us the way many of our youth discover their sexuality. The pain of being called names just for attempts at love. And this during the most vulnerable time of our lives: adolescence. Hopefully parents and teachers read it to see how they might help kids go through this as graceful as possible. Hopefully, the judgement will die as folks learn that people are people and love is just love.

The illustrations were marvelously done. I loved the subtlety of color gradually introduced after the blue haired sweetie. This stays in my permanent collection as I know I will want to read it again and again, just to enjoy the drawings.

Because I couldn’t leave the story behind, I had to find the movie on Netflix streaming. It is in French with subtitles so I have taken my time watching/reading it. Actually, I have to say I am watching a bit before sleep every night as it is the quietest time so I can pay attention; fewer distractions for me at that time of night. The actresses are well selected and … the French can make a better movie than we Americans with all our hang-ups. I feel this may be the movie to watch over and over and teach myself French–among other things. 😉

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Doctor Who The Pirate Loop
Doctor Who The Pirate Loop by Simon Guerrier
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

What was I thinking? Me? Reading a paperback? These old eyes can’t handle that small font. I had to read it in short chunks, about 10 pages was all I could handle without my eyes hurting. But it was Doctor Who. My favorite Doctor. And I like Martha. So, since I knew the people I didn’t get lost like I might have without the visual aids in my brain. Also, this is a book full of dialogue to make the paragraphs short with lots of space between lines.

I only gave this book three stars. Not because of any great fault in the writing. But because there were things said and done that weren’t characteristic for the Doctor or Martha. Example: ‘Wosname’ is said often in Terry Pratchett books, but the Doctor doesn’t say this on the show. There were other bits like that that pulled me out of the program. For some reason I can’t remember the other examples.

Still it was a fun read and would be a great beach read. I think it would have been fun as an episode of the Doctor with David Tennant. And probably for those with good eyes this would be a quick read.

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Review: Ashes


Ashes
Ashes by Linda Laforge
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: I won this paperback version from First Reads giveaways on GoodReads.com Thank you!

This is the first ‘tree’ book I have read in a long, long time. Most of the time I have a hard time with font and line spacing and find myself frustrated and getting headaches. The font in this book was dark against white background and was large enough to allow short periods of reading. Still, I miss the text-to-speech help and the ability of instant dictionary lookup.

This book is strange. Science fiction gone wonky and scary. Maybe because of that it is best that I did take it in small doses. There is dystopia and questions of paranoia to keep you wondering what is really happening. But stay with it. The story is good, and very imaginative. I am so glad I read it.

On the downside, I think the book could use more editing as there are misspelled words and sentences that make no sense. It isn’t often enough to pull one out of the story but it is there. Oh, and without giving any spoilers, the lisping is the worst to read. The message given is strong and I think would stand better without that constant impediment.

Anyway, I think most sci-fi buffs will like this book, especially those who like apocalyptic dystopias.

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