Looking for Your Next Book

Art is so often a product of the artist's surroundings.  Throughout history, still lifes and the natural world are probably the most common subjects for artists. Where an artist lives and to where an artists travels is likely to be represented in the art.  Author Travis Elborough picks up on this and provides a brief biography and travelogue for thirty influential artists to reveal "the repercussions of those travels on the painters’ personal lives and the broader cultural landscape" with the intent to bring "each of these trips to life with fascinating insights into the stories behind the creation of some of the world’s most famous paintings" (quotes from the book description on Goodreads). The brief narratives are well researched and nicely presented though you probably need to have some knowledge of the artist and their background to understand what their journey meant to them. Elborough does a rough sketch of this background, but for me, it definitely made m

On one hand, as a person who really enjoys learning about Norse mythology, I am really glad to see that publishers believe there's still enough interest in the Norse legends to keep putting out the books.  On the other hand, how many books about Norse mythology do we really need? I suppose, though, that we're only one blockbuster movie about a superhero named Banshee away from suddenly having a rush on Irish Mythology. This probably sounds as though I'm not happy about this book, but that is very much not true. I really liked this book.   this strikes me as being targeted toward school-aged readers (middle school and up?) but anyone wanting to get a better handle on who the main players in the Norse legends are can get a great snapshot with this book. Reading translations of Snorri Sturluson's Eddas can be daunting, but author Kelsey A. Fuller-Shafer, PhD hits all the highlights perfectly (okay ... it seems strange to add the author's degree when mentioning the pers

I am a big fan of the Choose Your Own Adventure concept and series of books.  This is only slightly unusual because when the series brand was publishing, in the 1980's and early 1990's, I was not doing very much reading. But the idea of a reader getting to dictate the path of a journey is appealing to me (why are all these books targeted to young readers - do adults not want to choose a path?).  When I saw this new Choose Your Own Adventure book, I was eager to get a copy. What I didn't realize was that this was a graphic novel, which, when I opened the book, I thought was going to be distracting. But it's quite the opposite. Adding the art enhances this! It's hard to define the story when the book is actually many stories in one but the general concept, as you might guess from the title, is an undersea adventure. From the natural world of large aquatic animals to the fantasy world of underwater bipeds and their kingdoms, these adventures can take you to many places

I really love this art book series! As I've noted before, in the review of one of the other books in the series, there is no shortage of 'how to' art books.  I've bought more than a handful myself, and rarely do I come away actually feeling enlightened in regards to a new technique or a new way of looking at something.  But I do come away from this Urban Sketching Handbook series feeling as though I've picked up something new. Spotlight on Nature , by Virginia Hein and Gail L. Wong, provides a number of tips and tricks for artists including the natural environment in their work. This isn't just about landscapes or drawings/sketches of flora, but the inclusion of natural elements in a sketch. The book isn't really for the beginning artist (though I think a true beginner will still pick up some valuable tips here) but for the artist with some general art skills looking to build those skills. Rather than spending entire chapters with detail explanations and ste

  I know next to nothing about dragonflies and damselflies but I've been very interested in learning more, and when I saw this book available, I was eager to request a copy. The title, Chasing Dragonflies , really spoke to me, and I love the painted rather than photo cover. Chasing Dragonflies is an apt title as author Cindy Crosby seeks out new dragonfly and damselfly experiences the way bird watchers will take trips with the hopes of catching sight of a new bird to add to their lists. But Crosby's journey is almost too personal. It sometimes appears cathartic - particularly as Crosby reflects on her cancer, aging, and family. She nicely ties these thoughts to the peaceful pursuit of dragonflies (and damselflies). And as a memoir, I really enjoyed this book and Crosby's quite poetic language. As a "Natural History" (part of the book's subtitle)?  This is a little less clear. There is some solid science and fact woven into this "Personal History" bu