Today's my birthday so I'm giving you a present!

Natural Color: Vibrant Plant Dye Projects for Your Home and Wardrobe

Natural Color is an astonishingly informative and beautifully put together book. As a pysanky (Ukrainian egg) artist, and a person with health issues, I have wanted to experiment more with natural dyes. I've saved my onion skins, gathered hibiscus flowers, and hoarded walnuts. I've tried a few dyes here and there, mostly without guidance, and had some moderately pleasing results.

This book, though, made me lust. And that was with the knowledge that I'd be working on a totally different material (egg shell) rather than textile. I still have many, many questions, but mostly from my end of the art spectrum, because Duerr is quite thorough and detailed in everything from how to set up your space (sigh-- if only I had the luxury of that kind of space, even without dyes! My pysanky pals, and other artists, who see where I create my art now cannot believe that I make it all happen in the fragments of scattered space I usurp in our home) to step by steps for making dye and applying to projects. Her voice is very approachable, her methods clear. Will it work on eggshell? I don't know. Will I be able to try it? Maybe.

As I said, I still need to check out specifics for my own art (i.e. How long does the dye last? Can you do layers? Will it be impacted by the removal of the wax used to make designs? How would it respond to varnish? etc.) but dang it! I want to try! Bottom line practicality for me is this may not be the book I need in writing pysanky, but it's a marvelous reference, for sure.

tags: 2016-read, art, blogging-for-books, firstreads-goodreads, great-cover, i-liked-the-pictures, inspirations, nonfiction, read, taught-me-something, wow

Results May Vary by Bethany Chase

I picked up this book because I came a brief review of it and though I usually try to avoid books with blatant infidelity as a plot point, something in the review grabbed my interest. What I found was a very thoughtful, well told story of how one can react, can grow, when faced with the sure knowledge that what was held true is false. The power of secrets can be mighty, and the author pitted that fierce strength against the equally bold, often underplayed, power of self. But what I think I really liked the best was how the author incorporated quotes of love and relationships, by writers, artists, philosophers, as chapter headings. Sometimes the quotes, so eloquent and evocative, were sheer beauty in their own, sometimes they were foreshadowing for that chapter, sometimes both, but for me, they were always that little chocolate candy, wrapped up in glittery paper, to savor along with a well told tale.

So yes, this is the story of a woman who finds out her husband, who was her high school sweetheart and only love, has been unfaithful with another man, and then goes on to discover even deeper betrayals, but it also is a story of survival, and reshaping your life when you thought it perfectly shaped. It's not a "stages of grief" novel, but there is movement and growth. It also reminded me quite clearly that I am several decades older than the characters in this novel, but it didn't put me off their lives and world.

One of my favorite quotes for the book, comes from the mouth of a local folk artist the main character knows.
"And there you go. Honey, aside from love, art is the most subjective thing there is. You're never gonna have a predictable result."

To that I'd add since writing is a form of art, books, and thoughts on books are highly subjective, too.

Tags: 2016-read, didn-t-want-to-put-it-down, i-liked-it, made-me-think, read, read-on-recommendation, sometimes-fluff-is-good, thank-you-charleston-county-library, thought-provoking

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick

Arthur Pepper and I got together by one of those lists that offers e-books right there in your mailbox. I chose it because I wanted the reading equivalent of comfort food, and because I have dear friends named Pepper, who I miss a great deal. The novel starts with Arthur at that time of life I never want to be: one year after the passing of his wife. He's a bit of a stick in the mud, hiding from neighbors who only want to offer kindness, wearing the same drab outfit every day, grumbling about just about everything. His only friend is a fern he keeps on his window sill and waters daily. But, on that year anniversary, he decided it's time to clear out some of his wife's clothing from the wardrobe, and in doing so, discovers a charm bracelet, hidden away in the toe of a boot. It's a pretty little thing, and he's absolutely never seen it before.

What happens next is a true journey of several sorts. Arthur begins on a quest to discover more about the charm bracelet and in doing so, discovers more about his wife of many years-- things he'd never known. But there's also the challenge of self-discovery and the possibility of reshaping his own life.

A charming novel, for sure.

Tags: 2016-read, e-book, first-novel-or-book, i-liked-it, read

The Peculiar Miracles of Antoinette Martin by Stephanie Knipper

Magical realism, the language of flowers, a child on the autism spectrum but seemingly with the power to heal, a wounded family in need of reuniting-- all the makings of a book to capture my interest, and it did. Special kudos to the author for her portrayal of life with a special needs child, both from the child's perspective and from that of those around her. My heart went out to Rose, in those early days, when Antoinette's behaviors and meeting of milestones were raising questions. It was depicted beautifully, as were all the types of love that found their way onto the pages of this book. (And the dedication to the book just about overwhelmed my heart with the love there.)

Many thanks to the LibraryThing early readers program, and the ever fabulous Algonquin Publishers for sending a copy my way.

tags: 2016-read, early-review-librarything, made-me-look-something-up, magical-realism, read, taught-me-something


From the publisher:

Sisters Rose and Lily Martin were inseparable when they were kids. As adults, they've been estranged for years, until circumstances force them to come together to protect Rose's daughter. Ten-year-old Antoinette has a severe form of autism that requires constant care and attention. She has never spoken a word, but she has a powerful gift that others would give anything to harness: she can heal things with her touch. She brings wilted flowers back to life, makes a neighbor's tremors disappear, changes the normal course of nature on the Kentucky flower farm where she and her mother live.

Antoinette's gift, though, puts her own life in danger, as each healing comes with an increasingly deadly price. As Rose—the center of her daughter's life—struggles with her own failing health, and Lily confronts her anguished past, they, and the men who love them, come to realize the sacrifices that must be made to keep this very special child safe.

Written with great heart and a deep understanding of what it feels like to be “different,” The Peculiar Miracles of Antoinette Martin is a novel about what it means to be family, and about the lengths to which people will go to protect the ones they love.

Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff

A friend gave me this book saying it was the best book she read all summer. I read it and am thinking I need to seriously re-evaluate our friendship. I know this received rave reviews from many quarters, but for the most part, it did absolutely  nothing for me. I did like the opening chapters, particularly the second, with the story of Lotto's birth. There was a slightly magical feel to it all, and, had the book continued in that vein, I might have loved it, too. However, it didn't, and I had a hard time continuing to the end of the book, for I could find no further foothold to boost my interest, or even my sympathy, with the characters. Even the style of the writing, and the he said/she said viewpoint,  couldn't overcome the distaste I felt for pretty much every single character after those initial pages of delight.

I guess I sometimes just don't run with the crowd. My apologies to Ms Groff. I may try another book in the future, because I admire skill in telling a story, even if it is one that doesn't appeal to me, personally.

Tags: 2016-read, everyone-else-liked-it, give-me-my-time-back, not-to-my-taste, read, read-on-recommendation, thought-i-was-gonna-like

Baggage Check by MJ Pullen

Not too long ago, a friend of mine started posting the books for which he had been a beta reader. From what I know, he's a big science fiction/fantasy/general fiction reader, so I was more than a little surprised to see a hot pink book cover as one of the books  for which he'd been an early reader. Then, I was even more surprised to see that same book on the shelf as a new arrival at my library, thought the coincidence too much, and checked it out. I also broke one of my  unspoken rules about picking up books in mid-series (I made that rule after trying to jump into The Wheel of Time® series on book three. That worked out well, she lied.)

Anyhow, I was pleasantly surprised by the story. Usually the "group of women friends" books make me want to chomp down on some hard core fiction to get the taste of sweetness out of my mouth, but this one actually tackled some interesting issues. I'm not sorry I didn't read the others in the series (especially as one of my least favorite characters was featured in one of them) but I did enjoy the interactions between the women, their sweethearts/husbands, and families. And I did like the value placed on friendship, support, and most of all honesty and humor.

Bottom line? Families are not perfect: both those we're born into and those we make for ourselves. But if you face challenges together, there's a lot that can be worked thorough, even if it's festered for a while. MJ Pullen created a group of characters that seem genuine, who both care for each other and grow, and maybe make a mistake or two. But it's done with a light touch and a crisp writing style that made the book a pleasure to read.

tags: 2016-read, i-liked-it, part-start-of-a-series, read, set-in-the-south, sometimes-fluff-is-good, thank-you-charleston-county-library