Dear Mister Essay Writer Guy by Dinty w. Moore

• Cover: As usual, the cover of a book is the first thing that sparks my interest. And this one has a fascinating style — simplistic yet exciting. Of course, the title also grabbed my attention. Not that you have had to be interested in writing to enjoy this book, I think sharing the same experiences expressed in the writing help you appreciate it more. So, yes, this is probably more geared towards writers or people that at least enjoy writing a bit more than your average joe.
• Voice: The author is hilarious in his stories and advice. The type of style I would like to write in.
• Style: Since this is an advice column for writers, this book does one of my favorite things. It introduces each question on an envelope and even has the questions typed up as if by typewriter. There are also illustrations that might pertain to said question. One in mind is the question about cocktail napkins. Moore answered it by writing on cocktail napkins. I enjoy that style. Makes it seem more hands-on when a book does things like this. When they print maps and letters, it’s my bread and butter in the book world.

*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review

For my second book, I chose Design the Life You Love by Ayse Birsel.

This was something that caught my attention right away, and the title had this positive message without the cover giving away too much of what was in store once cracking the spine. I’m a huge fan of positive books with doodles in them. However, I’m not sure this particular book is for me. I would probably prefer if this book were only self-help rather than a hands-on type of self-help. I know it acts as a reminder of the fact that you cannot just take another person’s experience and call it your own or have it work the same way for you. Life doesn’t work like that. This guide does it’s best to create a way to brainstorm, a way to relearn certain things like not feeling guilty for rambling or doodling on the corner of each page. There are prompts throughout the book that sort of make it feel like school.

They give you a “time limit,” but I feel like it’s the book giving the reader permission to allow time for things in general and not just for this tiny prompt. The purpose of this book is to provide you insight and perhaps look at things differently. Outside of the box/comfort zone insight.

Now don’t get me wrong, this book has a lovely idea behind it, and I plan on giving it more time before I write it off as “not for me.” But at the moment I’m still on the fence about it. Not due to lack of interesting topics, because the interactive part is fun, but perhaps my mood is just not in the right place for this particular book even though I require some positive energy and this book has plenty of that. I need to make the time for it and to remember to play sometimes.

 * I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

I’m excited to share a review with you today.

I’m sure most of you are aware of the recent trend that is…”adult” coloring books. I’m not a fan of this term; being creative should be acceptable for all ages. Not all of us can express ourselves creatively, and these coloring books can give you a project without needing a time frame or an end product. You’re free to color and take your time like you did when you were younger.

The Time Garden is a beautiful coloring book; on my version, there is a beautifully drawn tree which is featured more throughout the book. The dust jacket has gold foiling on the title, and so do some of the leaves that sprinkle the front of the book. The inside of the actual cover has a field of stars surrounding a little girl, her face hidden. This page is also featured later on in the book so that you can have the thrill of coloring this page.

One thing I feel that sets this book apart from a few of the other coloring books out in the market is that there is a story that is connected to it. A story that makes me think- Nutcracker meets Alice in Wonderland yet at the same time maintaining its own story. 

The pages are a nice weight, and I’m using a mixture of color pencil and my Staedtler Triplus fine-liner to color in the pages. If you press too hard or go over an already colored section too many times with the fine-liner, there may be bleeding on the other side. But you shouldn’t run into that problem, too often. The only reason I ran into it was that I didn’t like my color choice and went over it with another color. I have yet to try using watercolor, but since the paper isn’t a certain type of texture, I wouldn’t recommend using that medium. But ultimately it’s up to you. I don’t want to ruin the book by showing you each page, so at the bottom is a teaser flip through of its pages.

I also wanted to share what’s written on the back of the book, if this -plus the gorgeous illustrations don’t make you fall in love with this book then I don’t know what will.

The Time Garden will sweep you away into a whimsical cuckoo clock-inspired world, created in intricate pen and ink by Korean artist Daria Song. Journey through the doors of the clock into its inky innerworkings to discover a magical land of clock gears, rooftops, starry skies, and giant flying owls-all ready for you to customize with whatever colors you can dream up. 

Cuckoo…cuckoo…cuckoo…

When the clock strikes midnight, you’ll wonder, was it all a dream?

I’ve enjoyed coloring in this book, and it has been a nice way to clear my head and spend a little time daydreaming. I think we often forget to take some time for ourselves. I chose this book for my first review because I wanted something crafty and fun. Keep your eyes open for the next one, let me know in the comments if you enjoy this or other coloring books. But it’s quite alright if you don’t.

*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.