We are getting extremely close to the end of 2019 and time has passed so fast. I started my second semester of university two weeks ago and am trying to make time to read daily. I have much more time this semester compared to the last since my coursework is more spread out than having to produce an A2 drawing every week.

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In the past month, I was able to attend my first book launch! A friend of mine, Carol, launched her book, The World is a Dark and Lovely Place during MyWritersFest2019. It was my first time attending a book launch and there were over 10 authors gathered that day to share on their newest brainchild.

In the past month, I had 3 weeks of holidays before starting my second semester. In that short amount of time, I spent my days meeting up with friends before they leave for their studies, watching Youtube videos, catching up on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air on Netflix and trying to get myself ready mentally for semester 2.

I didn’t do much reading but here’s a short summary of what I’ve read:

1. The Four by Scott Galloway

I’ve been wanting to read this for a while now and had my eye on it for a long time. It was only during the Popular Bookfest back in June where it was on sale and I had to buy it.

I’ve enjoyed learning about the companies and how they’ve differentiated and made a name for themselves. Galloway’s side commentary definitely made it more interesting and I really liked his style of writing and his constant salt for these companies. Nonetheless, I felt like he went out of topic and lost his point towards the last chapter.

 

2. A Field Guide to Color by Lisa Solomon

A Field Guide to Color was a title I requested from NetGalley after reading Anywhere, Anytime: Art. I’ve learnt more from Lisa Solomon than I had in my art classes.

I felt really motivated to do the exercises as Lisa instructed and had fun with them. This is definitely a good guide to have if you’re learning water-based colours.

Check out my review of it here.

 

3. Minus by Lisa Naffziger

It felt long since I’ve read my last graphic novel so I decided to read this one. It was also a mystery which I really liked however, Minus felt lacking.

I didn’t really enjoy it. I thought it was okay, nothing much, but really appreciated the values and the underlying meanings within the story.

Check out my review of it here.

 

 

4. Third Year at Malory Towers by Enid Blyton

This one was a reread for me. Malory Towers is my favourite children’s series and it was pleasant to read it again as an adult and still felt the same way I did as when I was 14.

I have another 3 more books to the end of Malory Towers. I might check out St.Claire’s since it has the same gist. Either way, a wholesome story never fails to make me feel warm and happy inside.

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Another 3 months until the end of 2019 and I have another 14 books to read before reaching my target of 45 books. With my bookshelf right at the foot of my bed, I wake up being reminded of the number of books I have yet to read.

This month, I hope to target 4 review copies. Currently, I am halfway through two review copies at the moment and am also halfway through Upper Fourth at Malory Towers.

I also hope to read some poetry books in order to increase my reading count since it isn’t as emotionally and mentally taxing as some other books.

    

What are you reading this October?

When it comes to art, colour plays a big role. However, colour isn’t easy to pick up and understand immediately without the guidance of someone more knowledgable. Lisa Solomon sheds some light on how to use water-based medium and encourages the readers to take it easy, have fun and explore colour.

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A Field Guide to Colour
by Lisa Solomon

purchase it here

BOOK SUMMARY

Color is one of the most profound ways we have to express our person­alities. In this creative workbook, you’ll discover fresh ways to connect with color in your art and life. Using watercolors, gouache, or any other water-based medium, explore color theory while playing with paint through a balanced blend of color experiments and loose color meditations. Make a personal color wheel while exploring tints and shades. Experiment with color mixing while you make as many of one color as you can. Through playful prompts and artistic examples—with lots of room for painting—this inspiring workbook will change the way you relate to color.

BOOK REVIEW

4.5 stars
*An e-copy was given to me through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I learnt more through about colours through this book than I had in my last two semesters learning art in college (just to clarify, I’m not in a school for art but we do learn a little about it, graphite drawing mostly but a little of painting). A lot of this I wish I knew back when I was doing my assignments since it would’ve helped me to understand water-based colours better. I remember for one activity, we had to paint an avocado from reference and it was difficult to match the colours. I didn’t know which colours to mix together hence I mixed a whole bunch of colours together just to find out it wasn’t what I wanted at all and ended up wasting it.

It begins with Solomon reminding that this is just to experiment around with colour. Hence, there were many pages that were left blank for us to test out our paints. She began explaining the different types of paint, the materials needed for the exercises and gave helpful tips all around.

The book was able to clarify what hues, tints and shades are (which I can now confidently say I know) and had exercises where we learn about colour schemes, one of my weak points. Solomon also encouraged the readers to have fun and experiment through the many different exercises like making your own black, paint chart box and mixing your favourite and least favourite colours together to see what colour it makes.

I really liked the exercises since it encourages to explore the paints ourselves and giving us ideas to do so. I would’ve never thought to make as many shades or tints or variations of colour and it would definitely help me understand colour mixing more.

If you are someone who is interested in painting, do pick this up as it is easy for a beginner to understand and a beginner might even be able to understand and use paint easier after reading this. I know I would’ve been making fewer mistakes if I had a book like this to guide me when I first started.

Since I am reviewing a skill-based book, of course I had to try it out!

As for me, since I had an e-copy, my dad ordered some mix-media papers for me online a while ago and I put off testing it. I also bought a set of gouache paint when it was on sale months ago and only used some colours once so I thought this would’ve been a good time to test what I’ve learnt.

I ended up switching to gouache since I most of my watercolour paints have been mixed. My tube of paint had hardened and I need to find a solution another day. I didn’t want to do gouache since I put off cleaning the new palette to prep for the paints but this definitely was a good chance for me to learn my paints better.

As for the exercises, I chose to do a colour wheel since I learnt a few tips from Solomon and wanted to try it out. I also wanted to make my own black but I already liked the black provided since it was dark enough and had a consistency that was easy to paint. I can’t say the same for the purple (Mauve) though since it had an almost gel-like consistency and the colour wasn’t my thing. So in the end, I mixed a whole bunch of colours and of course, another tip, writing down what paints I used and the ratio.

I’ll definitely be trying out more exercises when I have the time!

After a whole month of not reading and posting reviews due to college workload, I’m finally back from a hiatus and ready to resume blogging! Today’s post is one that I’ve had prepared a long time ago but had to wait in order to publish it near the time of the book publication.

The author, Carol Chu, is currently holding a giveaway for her debut poetry collection on her Instagram until the 17th of September. It is open internationally so as long as you’re 18 and over and have permission to give your address, feel free to participate!

If you’re a Malaysian reader residing in Selangor, Carol will be launching her book on the 16th of September in Intermark Mall during the #MYWritersFest2019, 2PM alongside with 9 other Malaysian authors. I hope to see you guys there!

Continue reading “ARC REVIEW: The World is a Dark and Lovely Place” →

Minus
by Lisa Naffziger

get it here

BOOK SUMMARY

Beck is on her way to college, thrilled at the possibilities of the next exciting chapter, barely holding it in as she clutches her childhood favourite toy in the family car with her loving dad behind the wheel. And that’s where Beck’s shared experience with the rest of her freshman class abruptly ends and the tangled mysteries of her astonishing life start to unravel. Homeschooled and raised in isolation by the jumpy, over-protective Gill, Beck isn’t allowed online or out of the house alone. Even a quick pit stop on their quiet family road trip takes some negotiation before they finally pull into a remote gas station, where their cautiously stable peace is jolted by gunfire. Beck emerges from the restroom to find her father gone and a dead body on the floor. Beck is in the world now, and she’s beyond not ready for it.

A taut suspense thriller that challenges our perceptions of family and identity, MINUS is a coming-of-age tale where a teen’s new discoveries might be best kept in the shadows.

BOOK REVIEW

3 stars
An e-ARC was given through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I remember setting it aside around the second or third chapter just because I didn’t feel like it captivated me enough, only to get back into it another day and finishing the rest of the book in one sitting.

Minus is a fast-paced thriller, family drama that starts with a very calm car ride and the main character, Beck telling her dad that she wanted to pee. Then everything turns messy after that. Throughout the book, there was a main story and flashbacks of the past that adds on to the confusion that was happening. It didn’t really make much sense to me until it was all revealed towards the end. And even still, I was confused.

I liked the idea that someone who isn’t your biological father can be more of a father to you than the biological one. It shows that loyalty and love aren’t because of blood-relations but because of time, effort and care. I also really liked that the characters were all somehow linked which made it very interesting.

Personally, it was a little too fast-paced since half the time I was confused about the flashbacks and the whole police department/ interrogation scene/big reveal made me feel very lost about who’s who. Thankfully, everything was clear to me before the final scene.

Meet Dennis D. Feeheley, the author of ‘Travelin Man: Across the Sahara and Beyond’, a top-selling travel memoir that reached #51 on Amazon in its category. Dennis was only 19 years old when he went on this crazy adventure across the Sahara desert with his brother. At that time, there were no phones or GPS, just two young adults going on a nearly impossible journey with very little money and no idea if they were going to make it out alive. Read on to hear about the Feeheley brothers’ journey!

Continue reading “AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Dennis Feeheley” →

Parallax
by Lance J. LoRusso

get it here

BOOK SUMMARY

Step into the Minds of Law Officers as They Confront Crime

“What is the one thing all law enforcement officers have in common?
Each knows they may not come home if they do their jobs and fulfil their oaths of office.”

In the first volume of author, cop, and lawyer Lance J. LoRusso’s new series True Crime Tales, LoRusso weaves true-life tales based on experiences law enforcement officers all over the country endure every day. Be it coming face to face with a sociopathic killer, hunting down a child predator, to grieving the loss of a fallen brother in blue, the limits of these heroes’ bravery and dedication to the law know no bounds.

Each story taps into the psyche of the men and women behind the uniform, and sometimes even the perpetrator. In “Running,” LoRusso steps into the viewpoint of a cop killer on the run, while in “Parallax,” a team of officers must outmanoeuvre a crazed robber holding up a bank. The catch? An officer’s daughter is inside. No matter the narrator—lawyer, perp, or cop—each story is written with poignancy and depth, showcasing LoRusso’s own extensive experience in the realm of law enforcement.

“Parallax”, Volume 1 of True Crime Tales, delivers the spectrum of human emotion— anguish, love, terror, and gratitude — that each and every law enforcement officer experiences in his day-to-day life, one story at a time.

BOOK REVIEW
4 STARS

*I received an advance review copy from BookSirens for free, and am leaving a voluntary review.*

Despite watching many crime shows on the TV, reading it makes it seem more real. There’s a constant reminder in my head telling me that this is what some police and detectives face on a daily basis and these are stories from their lives.

I really enjoyed reading this. Sounds totally messed up since it’s a reflection of our world and this is what actually happens and what the police and detectives deal with but I’m just so intrigued. Altogether there are 5 short stories centred around different cases and situations that each cop or someone they know faced.

Parallax shares about the lives of the police and what they go through for the sake of others. You are reminded that behind the badge, there’s a person, a family, feelings, fear and aftereffects from their job. Amongst the 5 short stories, I definitely have a few favourites. Some I could tell that I would like it from the start, some others that take me longer to like it.

I really like how LoRusso wrote each description in this true-crime tales collection, from the thought process to the subtle actions, making it seem as if I am watching the whole scene right before me. I just kept on reading and reading without letting myself have the time to feel the suspense.

LoRusso is a great storyteller and it definitely makes me want to read the second volume, and the third, and fourth, as many as there are.