Category: Books

No Excuses Art Journaling by Gina Rossi Armfield

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no excusesKiss those excuses goodbye! “I don’t have time.” “I don’t know what to journal about.” “I can’t keep the momentum going.” Sound familiar? What are your excuses for not spending time with your art journal? Get ready to cast those excuses aside because Gina Rossi Armfield’s No Excuses Art Journaling offers a no-fail approach to art journaling.

Using a day planner as your art journal, you’ll find daily, weekly and monthly prompts that you can adapt to fit your real-life, busy schedule. Along the way, you’ll learn fun and convenient techniques to add sketching, watercolor painting, collage and more into your journal, all while setting goals, creating art and chronicling your unique life. Inside you’ll find more than 20 mixed-media art journaling techniques demonstrated step-by-step so you can add color, style and life ephemera to your journal, 6 pages of journaling prompts and tips for every month of the year, dozens of inspirational art journal pages by Gina and 12 guest artists to show how you can make the No Excuses program decidedly yours.

Grab your journal and pen, and kick your excuses to the curb! (description from publisher)

Smithsonian Civil War – Inside the National Collection

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smithsonian civil warSmithsonian Civil War – Inside the National Collection is a lavishly illustrated coffee-table book featuring 150 entries in honor of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. From among tens of thousands of Civil War objects in the Smithsonian’s collections, curators handpicked 550 items and wrote a unique narrative that begins before the war through the Reconstruction period.

The perfect book for history lovers, Smithsonian Civil War combines one-of-a-kind, famous, and previously unseen relics from the war in a truly unique narrative. Smithsonian Civil War takes the reader inside the great collection of Americana housed at twelve national museums and archives and brings historical gems to light. From the National Portrait Gallery come rare early photographs of Stonewall Jackson and Ulysses S. Grant; from the National Museum of American History, secret messages that remained hidden inside Lincoln’s gold watch for nearly 150 years; from the National Air and Space Museum, futuristic Civil War-era aircraft designs. Thousands of items were evaluated before those of greatest value and significance were selected for inclusion here. Artfully arranged in 150 entries, they offer a unique, panoramic view of the Civil War. (description from publisher)

Weeknight Wonders by Ellie Krieger

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weeknight wondersFood Network host and registered dietician Ellie Krieger makes frequent appearances on national morning shows as one of America’s leading nutrition experts. Ellie has long been loved for her no-nonsense (yet delicious) approach to healthy eating. She is the first to recognize that people won’t succeed at eating right if they feel that they’re being deprived. That’s why Ellie’s recipes often start with favorite foods and familiar recipes, and then she works her magic to remake them without all the fat and cholesterol. Weeknight Wonders is no exception, including 150 recipes like Parmesan Chicken Breasts and Goat Cheese Frittata (plus no-guilt desserts), that can be prepared any day of the week, even after a long day at work.

As always with Ellie’s recipes, there will be minimal fuss about cooking techniques or hard-to-find ingredients, so people can stay focused on eating well. (description from publisher)

The World Atlas of Street Art and Graffiti

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world atlas of street artPainted murals first appeared in Latin America in the early 20th century; in the 1950s, spray-can graffiti associated with Latino gangs followed, notably the “cholo” graffiti of Los Angeles. Today, street art has traveled to nearly every corner of the globe, evolving into a highly complex and ornate art form.

The World Atlas of Street Art and Graffiti is the definitive survey of international street art, focusing on the world’s most influential urban artists and artworks. Since the lives and works of urban artists are inextricably linked to specific streets and places, this beautifully illustrated volume features specially commissioned “city artworks” that provide an intimate understanding of these metropolitan landscapes. Organized geographically by country and city, more than 100 of today’s most important street artists – including Espo in New York, Shepard Fairey in Los Angeles, Os Gêmeos in Brazil, and Anthony Lister in Australia – are profiled alongside key examples of their work. The evolution of street art and graffiti within each region is also chronicled, providing essential historical context. With contributions by the foremost authorities on street art and graffiti, this landmark publication provides a nuanced understanding of a widespread contemporary art practice.

 The World Atlas of Street Art and Graffiti emphasizes urban art’s powerful commitment to a spontaneous creativity that is inherently connected to the architecture of the metropolis. (description from publisher)

The Can’t Cook Book by Jessica Seinfeld

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can't cook bookAre you smart enough to dodge a telemarketer yet clueless as to how to chop a clove of garlic? Are you clever enough to forward an e-mail but don’t know the difference between broiling and baking? Ingenious enough to operate a blow-dryer but not sure how to use your blender? If you are basically competent, then Jessica Seinfeld’s The Can’t Cook Book is for you.

If you find cooking scary or stressful or just boring, Jessica has a calm, confidence building approach to cooking, even for those who’ve never followed a recipe or used an oven. Jessica shows you how to prepare deliciously simple food – from Caesar salad, rice pilaf, and roasted asparagus to lemon salmon, roast chicken, and flourless fudge cake. At the beginning of each dish, she explains up front what the challenge will be, and then shows you exactly how to overcome any hurdles in easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions.

Designed to put the nervous cook at ease, “The Can’t Cook Book” is perfect for anyone who wants to gain confidence in the kitchen – and, who knows, maybe even master a meal or two. (description from publisher)

Follow the Money by Steve Boggan

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follow the moneyWhat do you do if you want to really understand a country, to understand its people and feel its heartbeat? You can follow the rest of the tourists, or you can take the advice of Watergate reporter Bob Woodward’s source, ‘Deep Throat’, and ‘follow the money.’

Starting out in Lebanon, Kansas – the geographical center of America –  journalist Steve Boggan did just that in Follow the Money by setting free a ten-dollar-bill and accompanying it on an epic journey for thirty days and thirty nights through six states, across 3,000 miles armed only with a sense of humor and a small, and increasingly grubby, set of clothes. As he cuts crops with farmers in Kansas, pursues a repo-woman from Colorado, gets wasted with a blues band in Arkansas and hangs out at a quarterback’s mansion in St Louis, Boggan enters the lives of ordinary people as they receive – and pass on – the bill. What emerges is a chaotic, affectionate and funny portrait of the real modern-day America. (description from publisher)

The Oxford Project

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oxfordprojectIn 1984 photographer and University of Iowa art professor Peter Feldstein set out to photograph all 676 residents in his town of Oxford, Iowa. Over the course of the summer he succeeded in photographing 670 individuals “as they were”: in street clothes, some lugging shopping bags or carrying pets or children. Peter returned in 2005 to re-photograph as many of the original residents as he could, this time bringing along University of Iowa journalism professor Stephen Bloom to interview residents. The Oxford Project compiles the photos and interviews to provide a case study of small town life in America.

The biographies are concisely written and give you a glimpse into the lives of the residents: their personal triumphs and tragedies, their accomplishments and regrets. This book highlights the differences 20 years brings but also the striking similarities in dress, posture, and overall demeanor that people tend to maintain throughout their lives. Like any good book, The Oxford Project encourages the reader to reflect on their own life. In 20 years, what will you look back with satisfaction or regret the chances you didn’t take?

 

 

 

Everyday Thai Cooking by Katie Chin

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everyday thai cookingI’m an adventurous eater, but I’m an easily intimidated cook.  I grew up making things out of boxes, so I tend to go with what is simple or familiar now that I cook mostly from scratch.  I figured out how to make a basic red chicken curry, and that has become my go-to (only) Thai recipe for years, despite Thai being one of my favorite cuisines.  That is, until I found Katie Chin’s Everyday Thai Cooking.

Everyday Thai Cooking is smart and accessible, and features easy-to-follow recipes, appetizing photographs, and informative tips and alternatives.  Most of the recipes clock in around 30 minutes or less, and the substitutions are especially helpful.  From Thai staples like Pad Thai and Spring Rolls to new favorites like Crispy Mango Chicken, the book has recipes for inexperienced and experienced cooks alike.

You Don’t Know Me but You Don’t Like Me by Nathan Rabin

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youdon'tknowmeYou Don’t Know Me, But You Don’t Like Me: Phish, Insane Clown Posse, and My Misadventures with Two of Music’s Most Maligned Tribes is an odd mixture of memoir and pop culture journalism that works despite itself.  Phish followers and Juggalos seemingly have little in common, but Nathan Rabin’s two-year journey following Phish and the Insane Clown Posse (ICP) helped him explain why both groups are typically scorned or ignored in mainstream culture and how that cultural disinterest has helped strengthen the bond between the groups and their respective fans.

The former head writer at The Onion’s AV Club and the author of three previous books, Rabin is a talented writer with a really strong grasp of pop culture (he coined the phrase “manic pixie dream girl”) and this is especially evident in his chapters about ICP and the Gathering of the Juggalos.  His connection with ICP and their fans develops from professional to personal, and his analysis of the socioeconomic and social factors that lead people to ICP is fascinating.  Rabin really made me examine my own snap judgments and cultural snobbery, and it was refreshing to hear a media critic talk about how much he enjoys something.  There are times when the book goes off the rails a bit (these tend to involve lists of the songs Phish played and their respective greatness), but the overall thesis and writing are strong enough to help carry through the moments of weakness. Recommended for fans of Chuck Klosterman, Marc Maron, and Dave Eggers.

The Property by Rutu Modan

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thepropertyIn Rutu Modan’s The Property, Mica and her grandmother, Regina are traveling from Israel to Warsaw, Poland. Just before World War II Regina had married and moved to Israel. Years later, as the only surviving member of her family, she was contacted and inform that she was entitled to reclaim her family’s property.  For twenty years she left the property unclaimed, but following the death of her son and Mica’s father, Reuben, she decided to make the trip.

Returning to Warsaw, Regina is overwhelmed with the guilt and shame of a long hidden family secrets. Modan beautifully illustrates how our perceptions of ourselves and our world are shaped by cultural and personal histories, and The Property successfully (and subtly) exposes the generational divide in a family and in a city.  With charming illustrations reminiscent of Hergé’s Tintin and a witty sense of humor, The Property is a graphic novel sure to win over some skeptics of the genre.  I would recommend to fans of Maus by Art Spiegelman, Unterzakhn by Leela Corman, or Stones from the River by Ursula Hegi.