Usually, cookbooks are not on my list of books to browse through when I go into a bookstore unless I’m just looking at pictures. I struggle with following recipes because I am a very impatient person and tend to get ahead of myself. But my sister, Kat, is a chef and she is fascinated with Korean cuisine. I figured I would get a cookbook for her and this one seemed interesting, plus, I LOVE food!

Koreatown by chef Deuki Hong and writer Matt Rodbard

I may not be a chef, but this book is beautifully made, and it offers the reader a look into Korean culture when it comes to the food. The cover jumped out at me, and its texture is smooth with the title embossed. I love when books have an added texture to it. I’m not quite sure what type of paper was used, but it’s smooth and soft without having a gloss to it even though it looks glossy. It’s wonderful.

The book is separated into different sections and offers the reader interviews and tips when it comes to recreating different Korean dishes. It’s filled with gorgeous photography that captured moments of food bliss, and if they don’t make your mouth water, I don’t know what will My favorite thing about cookbooks, when I look at one, is how the pictures look. I like to know how the dish I’m preparing is supposed to look especially if it’s from a specific type of cuisine.

The book is separated into different sections and offers the reader interviews and tips when it comes to recreating different Korean dishes. It’s filled with gorgeous photography that captured moments of food bliss and if they don’t make your mouth water, I don’t know what will My favorite thing about cook books, when I look at one, is how the pictures look. I like to know how the dish I’m preparing is supposed to look. Especially, if it’s from a specific type of cuisine.

The layout of the recipes is displayed with your ingredients on either the left or right side of the page in a column. It shows you precisely what you will need and the amount of each ingredient. Each recipe gives advice on the ingredients you will be using, such as what to keep in mind when choosing the type of vegetable, etc. Very helpful for people like me, who know nothing about produce or anything involving food. Aside from eating it.
I’ve already flagged all of the recipes I want to try first, so here’s hoping the roomie will assist in the actual making of the dish. But for those of you who lack having access to a real chef worry not, the book lays out the instructions in an easy to follow manner. I believe even I could follow it.

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

I want to start this review by saying, this book is gorgeous! Camilla d’errico is an unbelievable artist.

Her twist on surrealism is just breathtaking. I love how she adds animals, food, or even the look of elements to her paintings. The color of the cover pops at you, which would make this book the perfect companion for any coffee table. The girls in her paintings each have her signature pouty lips and textured hair. And she explains her techniques in such a way, you may not be able to mimic fully, but you may even discover your technique in the process.

“You are born an original, so don’t die a copy.”- Camilla d’errico

 She offers the reader tips and answers questions you may have concerning tools and materials. Helpful for anyone aspiring to paint or anyone interested in the topic of painting. The book is broken into two parts and then into different chapters that concentrate on certain areas such as sketching, blending, composition, etc. In my opinion, this would better assist someone who has some beginners knowledge in drawing or painting. But don’t let that deter you from testing out her advice even with no arty knowledge.

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

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.

3370 COM HISTORY OF CINEMA

Kim Vera

TITLE:  Amélie

RELEASING COMPANY & DATE: UGC (France) Miramax (USA) 2001

PRODUCER: Jean-Marc Deschamps, Claudie Ossard DIRECTOR: Jean-Pierre Jeunet

WRITER: Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Guillaume Laurant

CAST: Audrey Tautou, Mathieu Kassovitz, Andre Dussollier

PRINCIPAL ARTISTS/CRAFTSMEN: Yann Tiersen, Bruno Delbonnel

THEME OF FILM: Voyeurism

PLOT: The story of a quiet girl who worries about fixing the lives of others. She pays no attention to her own life and does not attempt to change her quiet life for the better. It takes just one interesting person to catch her attention, a boy who collects torn photographs. She almost lets her shyness prevent her from meeting the photo boy. But she finally breaks free from her normal quiet life of watching others and focuses on her own life.
REVIEWER’S COMMENTS:
This has to be one of my favorite movies. I love how the colors play throughout this film. Lots of greens and yellows, make this film to me artistic. I also enjoyed how the narrator would narrate, and then the character Amelie (Tautou) would then repeat the same words. Every time I watch this film, it makes me want to do something creative. It has a story of fantasy quality that encourages me to write a story of my own. One of my favorite scenes would have to include the part where she is this close to talking to her unusual love interest when he leaves. After he goes, she melts, a relatable feeling, most people experience when dealing with a potential significant other.
PLACE IN HISTORY:
This film won several awards such as best original screenplay along with Best Film and Best Director.

3370 COM HISTORY OF CINEMA

Kim Vera

TITLE: Persona

RELEASING COMPANY & DATE: AB Svenska October 18, 1966

PRODUCER: Ingmar Bergman          DIRECTOR: Ingmar Bergman

WRITER: Ingmar Bergman

CAST: Bibi Andersson, Liv Ullmann

PRINCIPAL ARTISTS/CRAFTSMEN: Sven Nykvist

THEME OF FILM: Doubling, self loathing and uncertainty

PLOT:

A nurse is hired to help an actress who loses her power of speech. They check into a private cottage, and they become entirely dependent on each other. “It’s the case of the cure being worse than the affliction…”

REVIEWER’S COMMENTS: After watching this film, I still wasn’t quite sure as to what the doubling meant. Alma is the only who talks throughout the film, and Elisabet merely listens — not having anyone to interact would drive a person mad. And even though Elisabet and Alma have formed a sort of bond, there is some tension and jealousy between the two characters. There is also a scene where Alma says, how she would like to become Elisabet on the inside, and how easy it would for Elisabet to become her. My initial thought was that both Alma and Elisabet were the same person. In the scene where Mr. Volger appears, Alma acts as if she had forgotten who she was. Later in the famous scene where both Alma’s and Elisabet’s face morph into one, she argues with her demanding she is Alma and not Elisabet. After the film is over, I am still unsure who is who and whether or not they are two individuals or one.

PLACE IN HISTORY:
A Bergman masterpiece, and considered one of the significant works of the 20th Century.

3370 COM HISTORY OF CINEMA

Kim Vera

TITLE: American Graffiti

RELEASING COMPANY & DATE: Universal Pictures August 11, 1973

PRODUCER: Francis Coppola, Gary Kurtz DIRECTOR: George Lucas

WRITER: George Lucas, Gloria Katz, Willard Huyck

CAST: Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Let Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips, Harrison Ford, Suzanne Somers

PRINCIPAL ARTISTS/CRAFTSMEN: Jan D’Alquen, Ron Eveslage, Haskell Wexler, Verna Fields, Marcia Lucas

THEME OF FILM: Coming of age

PLOT: This film is about high school graduates who are unsure of their future. On the night before leaving for college, they experience one last night of before they go off and start their lives as adults. A series of ups and down cause them to question their lives.

REVIEWER’S COMMENTS:
The typical life of a high school graduate, this movie is relatable for anyone. Throughout the movie, the factor that stuck out the most was that it was heavily driven by music. The dialogue was rather enjoyable and humorous. This movie further proves that teens have barely changed. Their lives are still focused on hooking up, and driving around looking for something to entertain them. This film also dives into the fear most feel when they are about to enter the “real World.”

PLACE IN HISTORY:
One of the first quintessential teen flicks and gained worldwide success financially and critically, even winning an Academy Award.

3370 COM HISTORY OF CINEMA

Kim Vera

TITLE: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

RELEASING COMPANY & DATE: Famous Players-Lasky, Paramount Pictures

PRODUCER: Adolph Zukor        DIRECTOR: John S. Roberson

WRITER: Thomas Russell, Sullivan, Clara Beranger, Robert Louis Stevenson

CAST: John Barrymore, Martha Mansfield, Charles Lane, Nita Naldi

PRINCIPAL ARTISTS/CRAFTSMEN: Roy F. Overbaugh,

THEME OF FILM: Good vs Evil

PLOT:
Dr. Jekyll is determined to isolate the evil from good in the human psyche. He creates a potion and morphs into Hyde, who does everything he cannot. It is almost as if he uses this as a chance to be free and not worry about the repercussions.

REVIEWER’S COMMENTS:
It was interesting to see how they showed the difference between night and day. When it was the night the tint of the film changed to blue and day/lighted room was a sepia tint. John Barrymore did an excellent job in portraying the roles of both Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In the end scene, Jekyll fights with his alternate persona. It’s as if it is symbolizing the inner struggles we sometimes have with ourselves. After watching this film, I’ve realized how helpful facial expressions are. Words are not always needed to understand someone.

PLACE IN HISTORY: N/A