Book Review: The Mirror

The Mirror

by Marlys Millhiser
My rating: 4 of 5 hearts

Synopsis:

In this twisting time-travel thriller, a woman faints on the eve of her wedding and awakens at the turn of the century in her grandmother’s body…

Review:

Hi all, Thanks for visiting. I've finally finished re-reading and writing this review. Once again, I apologize for any confusion caused by my earlier version of this review.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I recommend this book to anyone who is “into” the paranormal/time travel genre. Sadly, the internet goblins ate my first review of this work. I decided that a second read was warranted to be sure that the nuances of the story were fresh in my mind. That being said, I couldn’t put the book down, even on the second read. I was, once again, completely immersed in the story as it unfolded. Due to my love of all stories paranormal, I was immediately drawn by the book’s cover, and in fact, it was a major factor in my deciding to read it. So simple, yet so effective. The spooky image of a girl trapped in an ornate mirror. It’s safe to say that even before I read the synopsis, I knew that we would soon meet up over a steaming cup of coffee.

The characters, settings, and plot were excellently developed through a wide use of exceptional descriptors and “old time” language. I felt like I knew each character intimately and lived through their experiences as they did. Even the ancillary characters were memorable, from the stern Cornish mother-in-law all the way to the kooky antique’s dealer. Marlys artfully brings each character to life, as we read; we see the personal growth experienced in each. In addition to the awesomely quirky and loveable characters; the time-period references and descriptors were so vivid that I could almost see the scenes developing before my eyes. I loved traveling back to rural times; remembering that although so many hardships existed in the past, their way of living was so much more relaxed…. I suppose when it's man versus world many things are insignificant. Watching the town grow to present day technology was a treat as well. Marlys also transitions from past-time to present-time skillfully.

The heart of the story though is the development of the dual main characters. As I became more immersed in the story; I couldn’t help but worry about what the other character was experiencing at the time.

Book Review: Crochet Stories: E. T. A. Hoffmann's The Nutcracker

Crochet Stories: E. T. A. Hoffmann's The Nutcracker

by Lindsay Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 hearts

Synopsis:

Experience the enduring charms of the holiday classic in an entirely different way! This version of the beloved tale is illustrated with full-color images of crocheted characters. Each chapter of the adventure ― from the Christmas Eve party to the fierce battle between the Nutcracker and the Mouse King to the visit to Toyland and beyond ― features complete instructions for crocheting charming representations of the story's personalities and props.

Twelve easy-to-follow patterns depict Marie and her Nutcracker, the Mouse King, the enchanted clock, a Christmas tree surrounded by wrapped gifts, and other festive figures. Well-illustrated instructions specify yarn colors, materials, gauge, and abbreviations for stitches; a Techniques section offers guidance to crocheters. All patterns specify yarns that are readily available in craft stores. The ideal gifts for all Nutcracker enthusiasts, these amigurumi figures are keepsake treasures that will brighten every holiday season.

Review:

This time around I'm reviewing something a bit different. I read tons of crochet books every year, but this is the first time that I'm actually reviewing one. I've been doing yarn-work for over 20 years and my collection of instructional and pattern books is immense. If this goes well, I may be tempted to review a bit more. As the holiday season rushes upon us I will be spending most of my time on handmade items for decorating and also as gifts to my friends and family. This generally means that the bulk of my upcoming reading will most likely be instructional books. Ok, so here goes.

I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley as a kindle download in exchange for an honest review. My main issues with the book are not content based. The rendering was horrible. Some of the words were cut off and some images (thankfully non that accompanied the patterns) appeared blank. Well, I supposed I shouldn't say blank as the background did come up. This is the only reason why this book did not get a 5/5 from me. Everything else was absolutely beautiful.

Urban Life

So it's been some time since I last posted, work definitely got the best of me. So after yet another weekend spent working, I've decided to dip back into the mode of getting some writing done every night. Hopefully this will put me back on track. I decided to go a bit light with my first post back and brows through some of my street photography. One of the perks of city living is never feeling like you're alone. Well, that's actually both a perk and a curse, but today I'm focusing on the positive side of the coin.

Street photography has long been a passion of mine. I chalk it up to my some-what voyeuristic nature. The following pictures are from my wanderings in New York City. I've segmented them by location.

Bryant Park

Reading in the Park

Last Snow

The Park

Book Review: Tiger Boy

Tiger Boy

by Mitali Perkins
My rating: 5 of 5 hearts

Synopsis:

When a tiger cub escapes from a nature reserve near Neel’s island village, the rangers and villagers hurry to find her before the cub’s anxious mother follows suit and endangers them all. Mr. Gupta, a rich newcomer to the island, is also searching—he wants to sell the cub’s body parts on the black market. Neel and his sister, Rupa, resolve to find the cub first and bring her back to the reserve where she belongs.

The hunt for the cub interrupts Neel’s preparations for an exam to win a prestigious scholarship at a boarding school far from home. Neel doesn’t mind—he dreads the exam and would rather stay on his beloved island in the Sunderbans of West Bengal with his family and friends.

But through his encounter with the cub, Neil learns that sometimes you have to take risks to preserve what you love. And sometimes you have to sacrifice the present for the chance to improve the future.

Review:

I received this book through the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book gets a very loud RECOMMEND! The story touched me from the start. I initially chose it on NetGalley because I was looking for a book to share with my children. Sadly, I had to leave them behind as I got to the meat of this book. I still plan on going back to it and completing it with them, but I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. The first thing that drew me into this book was the cover art. It is both simple and beautiful. The use of bold, ethnic colors keeps with the themes of strength, and nature conservation which throughout the book.