101 Super Cute Cat Things to Draw

Draw, doodle, and color a plethora of purrfectly pawsome felines and quirky cat mash-ups

by Lulu Mayo

Pub Date 14 Jun 2022 by Walter Foster Pub.

A ton of super, super cute cartoony cats for anyone wanting to draw a bunch of really creative kitties incorporated into all sorts of shapes and frames. I can't wait to try some of them. There are some waving and horoscopes ones that I won't be tackling but there are tons of others like cat dragons, cats with clothes and accessories, sushi cats (and other foods), cat crockery, cactus cats, stationery cats, holiday cats and artist cats.

The step-by-step instructions are easy to follow and there are some frames for you to fill in. Really a jump start for you to use your creativity to draw any type of cat.

5 stars for me!

 

The Urban Sketching Handbook Spotlight on Nature

Tips and Techniques for Drawing and Painting Nature on Location

by Virginia Hein; Gail L. Wong

Pub Date 14 Jun 2022 by Quarry Books

Nature gets the spotlight this time in this new instalment of the excellent Urban Sketching Handbook series. And it is another worthwhile title!

Because this is drawing and painting nature in an urban sketching context, the main focus is on incorporating nature in a scene, and not so much nature in close up  that you might see in nature journaling (though there are a few of that.) Major chapters include finding the character of a place and also finding nature in a city. Tips and techniques abound and are great information for beginners and good refreshers for the more experienced urban sketcher (typical of this fantastic series.)

I enjoyed looking at all the sketches in the book (just as I did for all the previous titles in the series.) Loved looking up the instagram accounts of some of the artists featured (something I loved to do from the previous titles too.)

I wonder what the publishers will come up next for this wonderful series. Can't wait! I’m fast running out of superlatives as this series gets bigger and bigger!

 

The Final Hunt

by Audrey J .Cole

Narrated by Stacey Glemboski

Pub Date 07 Jun 2022 by OrangeSky Audio

I've found a new favorite suspense/mystery author in Audrey J. Cole! I absolutely could not tear myself away from this audiobook and listened to it in about 3 sittings. Great storyline, great writing and you couldn't help but root for the female main character. It was refreshing to have a strong and decisive heroine who is also a pilot, no less!

It's also so wonderful to have a secular book with no profanity and explicit scenes, though there was some expected blood and gore.

The narrator is top notch with the right tones and inflections for different characters. One of my pet peeves for narrators is females who lower their pitch too much for male characters but Stacey Glemboski made it just right. Excellent job!

 

All Aboard the London Bus

by Patricia Toht

Pub Date 07 Jun 2022 by Quarto Publishing Group –  Frances Lincoln Children's Books

Lots of boxes are ticked for this delightful children’s book about the attractions of London. Rhymes (even one haiku), colorful  illustrations with lots of details to look at, accurate depictions of the landmarks, and some creative placement of the texts.

I would give this to a child just about to visit this most wonderful city to ramp up the excitement and anticipation.

5 stars. Lovely book!

 

Little Prayers for Ordinary Days

by Tish Harrison Warren; Flo Paris Oakes; Katy Hutson

Pub Date 31 May 2022 by InterVarsity Press

What a wonderful little prayer book. The prayers with God are literally conversations. Not always asking for things, though there are some of those. Sometimes just talking with God about the present day and thanking Him for blessings, big and small.

The illustrations are top-notch too. Just love them! I might have preferred them in color instead of monochromatic, but who's to say you or your child can't use some color pencils and make the book more personalized. 

For sure, a nice little present for any young child or for parents/grandparents to snuggle and read together with their tiny loved one. A superlative way to instill a love of praying and to teach them that every day or every hour can be the right time to talk to God.

5 stars from me!

The Wild Year

a story of homelessness, perseverance and hope

by Jen Benson

Pub Date 07 Jun 2022 by White Lion, Quarry Publishing group

 The first question I had when I first came across this book was : how on earth does one camp in winter? I have lived in the UK for a few years and I vividly remember how cold it could get even in spring! My curiosity as to how this family with a baby and toddler to boot survived and even thrived!

I must say I found the story quite engrossing  but I sure am glad they are doing better now and no longer have to live in tents!

4 stars.

 

Drawing and Painting Beautiful Flowers

Discover Techniques for Creating Realistic Florals and Plants in Pencil and Watercolor

by Kyehyun Park

Pub Date 14 Jun 2022 by Quarry Books

Gorgeously painted watercolor flowers make my heart very very glad. So it was a joy for me to leaf through this book and see all the beautifully rendered flowers. Can't wait to pick up my brushes to try out a few of the projects. What I liked most of all is that step by step instructions with pictorials are given for each type of flower in different positions so they aren't all facing you directly. Maybe what is missing is something similar for all the leaves as well, though there are a couple of those.

I've always thought that some things are better taught by video as it can hard to visualize the steps. Though the instructions are very well written, I was glad to find that at least some of the painting processes can be found in the author's Instagram account. I think that is something that should be done for all painting books. So, a big kudos for Ms Park and I hope all painting authors will emulate her.

5 stars!

 

Endangered Animals

by Tom Jackson

Pub Date 14 Jun 2022  by Amber Books

This is a book full of nothing but stunning photos and brief informative captions about creatures that may one day disappear from the face of the earth if we are not careful.

Worthwhile for a space on your coffee table, and any public library. May it spark a passion for preserving the lives that God created for our beautiful world. It can also be used as a starting point to search for more knowledge about these endangered animals.

4 and a half stars from me.

 

The "I Love My Air Fryer" Three-Step Recipe Book

From Cinnamon Cereal French Toast Sticks to Southern Fried Chicken Legs, 175 Easy Recipes Made in Three Quick Steps

by Michelle Fagone

Pub date 28 Jun 2022 by Adams Media

Cookbooks with everyday recipes are so useful as quick references in the kitchen as we cook our daily meals. It’s even better if it requires only a few steps and ingredients you likely already have sitting in your pantry. This one really fits the bill and is for those of us who have air fryers in our house.

I’m not sure about the 3-step thing though. It seems to me that many of the recipes involve more than 3 steps. But the processes required look simple enough i.e. nothing fussy.

You won’t find a photo for each recipe but those that are there are beautiful!

Overall, a nice book and would make a great gift together with an air fryer for a wedding perhaps. Though I am on a therapeutic low carb diet,  I did spot many I can tweak to make it low carb,

4 stars.

 

Rizzoli & Isles: Listen to Me

A Novel

by Tess Gerritsen

Pub Date 05 Jul 2022 by Ballantine Books

A true gauge of how hard it is to put down a book is whether my kindle leaves the bedroom with me as I usually just read before bedtime. If I am engrossed, I would read anywhere in the house.

":Listen to me" was a kindle everywhere-in-the-house book for me. It was not as dark as the previous title in the series and even had a bit of humour which I appreciated. 

I liked that Rizolli's mother had a big part in this story. First rate writing as always from an author I've enjoyed for many decades. Can't wait to see what Tess Gerritsen will come up with next.

5 stars from me.

 

 

In Honor's Defense 

by Karen Witemeyer

Pub Date 07 Jun 2022 by Bethany House

I almost couldn’t put this book down. And when I did put it down, I looked forward to picking it up again. I see now why Karen Witemeyer is such a popular author. She writes skilfully. The Christian elements are incorporated really well and it was refreshing to have a tough main character who sprouts Bible verses every now and then.

The romance was top notch too, though I may have been irritated with the constant chest bursting sensations experienced very often by the love birds. Ha! The story did feel a bit familiar but all  in all, it’s a worthwhile read. I will consider buying this title for the church library because of the good spiritual lessons.

4 stars

 

I'll Be Seeing You

by Robin Lee Hatcher

Pub Date 07 Jun 2022 By Thomas Nelson

I found this book quite hard to put down. Not that it is the type of novel you want to read word by word (in fact I did skip some passages), but I found myself very curious how things would turn out with the main characters.

Not my favourite style of writing but any writing that does not yank me out of the story is a win for me.

Many elements of spiritual development here but not overwhelmingly so. The main characters go to church. This is the type of book I would consider buying for the church library.

4 stars

 

Collage Your Life

Techniques, Prompts, and Inspiration for Creative Self-Expression and Visual Storytelling

by Melanie Mowinski

Pub Date 21 Jun 2022 by Storey Publshing

Just as you can write in a journal to document your life or clarify your thoughts and feelings, you can collage to record or reflect on your life. That's what this book sets out to help you do and, to me, the author did a fabulous job.

I like the thought-provoking prompts. There is a wide variety to help you get started - one of the most difficult things to do sometimes. Lots of examples and inspirational stories from various artists help a lot as well.

Collaging would make a great activity to do with a child or a small group of people. One of the best things is that you can use material you can find around your house.

I love the bonus at the back of the book that shows you how to make your own books!

 

Free Fall

by Nancy Mehl

Pub Date 14 Jun 2022 by Bethany House

Nancy Mehl still ranks way up there as one of the few top mystery suspense authors I would recommend to Christians. Her writing is absolutely top notch, and that is a rare statement coming from me. In Free Fall, she had me engrossed from page one. Besides the fine writing, her storyline and plot kept me on the edge of my seat, making me want to rush to the end to find out what happens.

I also liked the spiritual elements that the author so skillfully incorporates into the story. One of the sentences in the book had me stop and ponder for several moments in relation to my own life. There are prayers and Bible verses, and a light sprinkling of the supernatural. 

The romance bit was good too. You couldn't help but root for them.

You don't really have to read the earlier volumes of the series beforehand to understand this one, but it might be preferable.

A big 5 stars from me. A worthy addition to any home or church library. Can't wait to read Nancy Mehl's next book!

 

Yellow Cab

by Benoît Cohen

Pub date 17 May 2022 by IDW Publishing

Who knew getting a license to drive a taxi in New York could be this difficult and drawn out! 

The art in this graphic novel (well, actually not a novel, more of a memoir in graphic form) is top notch, with expressive faces and great storytelling. I found the passenger stories much more interesting than the tedious process he went through to get his license. 

For the general reader, the passenger stories rather than the application for license side would be more interesting as it shows a slice of life in the city. I can't help but think that the story from a woman's perspective would have been much more engrossing - something he originally mooted. For someone aspiring to become a taxi driver in the Big Apple, this maybe essential reading with lots of entertainment thrown in.

Content: Language is surprisingly quite clean except for some off-colour jokes and stories in the speech.

Where the Road Bends

by Rachel Fordham

Narrated by Coleen Marlo

 Where the Road Ends in audiobook format was an engrossing listen for me. Finished it in a few sittings. The story is one filled with hope and second chances, though the faith elements are very very light. The only thing that slightly spoiled it for me is that there is an element of failure on the part of the male protagonist. Glad that the ending was satisfying enough!

The narrator did a great job, though I think I caught a couple of times when she used the wrong pitch for a character (eg a low voice for a female) and also a couple of times when she used a conversation tone when the character was no longer speaking. But those are minor issues. I'm just being fussy.

All in all, a 4 star for me for both the book and the narration.

 

A Fortunate Woman

A Country Doctor’s Story

by Polly Morland

Pub date 9 June 2022 by Pan Macmillan, Picador

After a harrowing experience with a private hospital where it seems that money is all they want, this book was like a breathe of fresh air with renewed faith in the medical profession. Though the star of the book is never named and she is always referrred to as “the doctor”, you find photos of her in the book. That should be enough to identify her and give her an award for her dedication to and love for her community!

I loved the stories about her patients, especially how she would go above and beyond what most doctors would think of as their duties.

This book is well written, lyrical even. I was engrossed for the most part. I have never read the original Dr John book but loved learning a bit about him too.

To me, another must-read for any doctor or doctor to be because we all hope to have a doctor like her!

5 stars.

 

James Patterson: The Stories of My Life

by James Patterson

Pub date 9 June, 2022 by Random House UK, Cornerstone, Century

It's nice to read autobiographies by well known authors as they are bound to be well written. I found James Patterson's highly engrossing. A lot of humor, a lot of name dropping and a lot of questions answered (especially how he co-writes)! It's sweet that he seems so eager to show himself as a good, humble, likable personality with lots of friends. Something rare for a celebrity who rubs shoulders with Presidents and other celebrities, I suppose!

Definitely a must-read for writers and die hard fans of the author's! Must-buy for public libraries.

5 stars from me, for all the chuckles!

 

Read It, See It, Say It, Sing It

Knowing and Loving the Bible

by Hunter Beless

Pub Date 19 Apr 2022

B&H Kids

A rhyming book about the Bible! I really like rhyming books for children and this one was good. And nicely illustrated too, with vibrant and colorful pictures throughout. 

Will definitely consider buying one for the church library, as I think this would be a subject gap.

5 full stars

 

Make Your Own Cake Toppers

by Darren Allford

Published 30 March 2022 by Pen and Sword, White Owl.

Wonderfully cute and sweet toppers for a special person's cake! What a lovely idea to make customised toppers. It would be so meaningful.

The step by step instructions are accompanied by color photographs and are adequate for even a beginner to start with this craft. There is enough information to go on with your own designs with inspiration from this book. Love it!

Full 5 stars.

 

Atlas of Perfumed Botany

by Jean-Claude Ellena

Pub date 5 April 2022 by MIT Press

Perfumed botany. A phrase that conjures up the magic, beauty, elegance and wonders of flowers that smell heavenly! That’s partly why this book appealed to me, and I was not disappointed.

I enjoyed the history and stories, some from the author’s own experiences, and just getting to know about the plants and the perfumes they make possible. They made me want to visit the places with fields and fields of colours and scents.

The art is not too bad, but I would have loved to see more traditional floral arts, preferably in watercolor.

 

This Is Your Captain Speaking

Stories from the Flight Deck

by Doug Morris

Pub date 5 April by ECW Press

Many of the questions you’ve ever wanted to ask about being a pilot, about airplanes or as an air passenger will be answered here. All the info is presented in a Q&A format which you can pick and choose to read according to your interests. I found myself more interested in the stories and the answers that concern passengers, and not so much about a pilot’s career path or general plane mechanics. Those passages about turbulence may come in handy for nerve-soothing again soon!

A fun and worthwhile book for a potential pilot or anyone interested in the airline industry.

4 stars.