The Marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman

The Marriage of Opposites
by Alice Hoffman
narrated by
Gloria Reuben
Tina Benko
Santino Fontana

Published: 2015
Publisher: Simon Schuster
Genre: Historical, Romance, Art, Jewish, France
Hardback: 371
Rating: 4
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Website

First sentence(s):
I always left my window open at night, despite the warnings I'd been given.

Growing up on idyllic St. Thomas in the early 1800s, Rachel dreams of life in faraway Paris. Rachel's mother, a pillar of their small refugee community of Jews who escaped the Inquisition, has never forgiven her daughter for being a difficult girl who refuses to live by the rules. Growing up, Rachel's salvation is their maid Adelle's belief in her strengths, and her deep, life-long friendship with Jestine, Adelle's daughter. But Rachel's life is not her own. She is married off to a widower with three children to save her father's business. When her husband dies suddenly and his handsome, much younger nephew, Fréderick, arrives from France to settle the estate, Rachel seizes her own life story, beginning a defiant, passionate love affair that sparks a scandal that affects all of her family, including her favorite son, who will become one of the greatest artists of France.

My two-bits:
Oh, the frustrations of struggles with family and love in a culture trying to maintain its traditions.

~*~
* listened to audio version

* part of monthly theme: SciFi, Supper, Love, Sex and Marriage

* part of ibc book club (here)

Paris Letters by Janice MacLeod

Paris Letters
by Janice MacLeod
narrated by Tavia Gilbert

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Published: 2014
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Genre: Memoir, Art, France, Paris
Paperback: 272
Rating: 5

series:
Paris Letters
A Paris Year

First sentence(s):
I'm in love with the butcher," I told Summer.

Finding love and freedom in a pen, a paintbrush...and Paris

How much money does it take to quit your job?

Exhausted and on the verge of burnout, Janice poses this questions to herself as she doodles on a notepad at her desk. Surprisingly, the answer isn't as daunting as she expected. With a little math and a lot of determination, Janice cuts back, saves up, and buys herself two years of freedom in Europe.

A few days into her stop in Paris, Janice meets Christophe, the cute butcher down the street-who doesn't speak English. Through a combination of sign language and franglais, they embark on a whirlwind Paris romance. She soon realizes that she can never return to the world of twelve-hour workdays and greasy corporate lingo. But her dwindling savings force her to find a way to fund her dreams again. So Janice turns to her three loves-words, art, and Christophe-to figure out a way to make her happily-ever-after in Paris last forever.

My two-bits:

LOVED this memoir of making it in Paris with romance to boot.


Artwork: July in Paris letter available at Etsy shop

~*~
* New York Times bestseller, 2015

* Listened to audiobook version.

* part of Paris in July (here)

The Italian Teacher by Tom Rachman

The Italian Teacher
by Tom Rachman
narrated by Sam Alexander

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Published: 2018
Publisher: Viking
Genre: Historical, Art, Italy
Hardback: 352
Rating: 4

First sentence(s):
Seated in a copper bathtub, Bear Bavinsky dunks his head under steaming water and shakes out his beard, flinging droplets across the art studio.

Rome, 1955

The artists are gathering together for a photograph. In one of Rome's historic villas, a party is bright with near-genius, shaded by the socialite patrons of their art. Bear Bavinsky, creator of vast, masculine, meaty canvases, is their god. Larger than life, muscular in both figure and opinion, he blazes at art criticism and burns half his paintings. He is at the centre of the picture. His wife, Natalie, edges out of the shot.

From the side of the room watches little Pinch - their son. At five years old he loves Bear almost as much as he fears him. After Bear abandons their family, Pinch will still worship him, striving to live up to the Bavinsky name; while Natalie, a ceramicist, cannot hope to be more than a forgotten muse. Trying to burn brightly under his father's shadow - one of the twentieth century's fiercest and most controversial painters - Pinch's attempts flicker and die. Yet by the end of a career of twists and compromises, Pinch will enact an unexpected rebellion that will leave forever his mark upon the Bear Bavinsky legacy.

What makes an artist? In The Italian Teacher, Tom Rachman displays a nuanced understanding of twentieth-century art and its demons, vultures and chimeras. Moreover, in Pinch he achieves a portrait of painful vulnerability and realism: talent made irrelevant by personality. Stripped of egotism, authenticity or genius, Pinch forces us to face the deep held fear of a life lived in vain.

My two-bits:

This story got into the truth and consequences of the people involved in an artist's life.

It also tackles the questions of what makes an artist and what/who influences artist in a painful and truthful way.

~*~
* Listened to audiobook version.

* part of the Tournament of Books 2019 (here)

Cruising Through the Louvre by David Prudhomme

Cruising Through the Louvre
by David Prudhomme

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Published: 2016
Publisher: NBM Publishing
Genre: Graphic Novel, Art, France, Paris
Hardback: 80
Rating: 4

Louvre Collection series::
The Cross-Eyed Mutt
On The Odd Hours
Sky Over The Louvre
The Museum Vaults
Cruising Through The Louvre
Rohan At The Louvre
Glacial Period
Guardians Of The Louvre

An artist’s unique take on the museum experience: peoplewatching

Author and artist David Prudhomme meanders through the Louvre, feeling as if in the panels of a giant comic while he himself is creating his own is this graphic novel. In this institution, all manner of people from all over the world rub elbows quietly. So Prudhomme decides to cruise through the museum, not to look at the world famous art, but to observe the people and their interaction with it. As he wanders, he discovers a group of students somehow stuck together just as in the shipwreck on the Raft of the Medusa; a man standing behind the Seated Scribe, as if attempting to read over his shoulder; and in the hall of antiquities, a woman placing her head in a lion’s mouth. This work presents readers a strange, silent, and casual choreography, danced in the midst of one of the most prestigious museums in the world.

PeekAbook:

My two-bits:

Mostly views of people looking at art. Along with famous art pieces scattered throughout the book, prodigious amounts of cell phones - seems like one per page.

~*~
* part of Paris in July (here)

Blog All About It: Art

I participated in Artseed's 10th annual Art-a-thon (details & donation). I managed to complete a few projects that I had pending and started a couple before the event's end.


FLIP THROUGH:

Diane Arbus, Magazine Work
by Diane Arbus
contributor Thomas Southall
-Art, Photography
Amazon | Goodreads
I also saw some of Arbus works at the SF MOMA and did a little sketch. This one reminds me of the twins that appear in the Stephen King horror film The Shining.

WATCH:

Claire's Camera (2017)
La caméra de Claire (original title)
Director/Writer: Sang-soo Hong
Stars: Isabelle Huppert, Min-hee Kim, Mi-hee Chang
-Drama, France, South Korea | imdb | my review
This film is artsy and incorporates photography.


GO:

I visited the Asian Art Museum and was taken with the new installation of the Collected Letters by Liu Jianhua made of porcelain (details).

The Divine Bodies exhibition inspired me to take some notes on Buddha head depictions.


CHECK OUT: tomorrow!

50/50 Day
April 26, 2018
(details)
Join us for the second annual 50/50 Day on April 26, 2018, and the greater #GettingTo5050 Movement. There are already over 32,000 events and 52 countries signed up in companies, schools, classrooms, museums, and homes around the globe to work toward getting to a more gender-balanced world that’s better for everyone across all parts of society, from the economy and politics to culture and home. Whether you are hosting a big event or participating as an individual, make sure to sign up to engage with our short films, action pledges, discussion materials, and a full day of live-streamed programming featuring speakers, live events, and more. Everything is free.


~*~
* part of the Blog All About It Challenge (here)

The Animators by Kayla Rae Whitaker

The Animators
by Kayla Rae Whitaker
narrated by Alex McKenna

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Published: 2017
Publisher: Random House
Genre: Contemporary, Art, Women's Fiction
Hardback: 384
Rating: 5

Zombie sighting:
Because everyone knows that a zombie's eyes are always empty.
chapter Sleepwalk, page 311

First sentence(s):
Introduction to Sketch was held in Prebble Hall, a building professor McIntosh called "Ballister's dirtiest secret" during our first class.

In the male-dominated field of animation, Mel Vaught and Sharon Kisses are a dynamic duo, the friction of their differences driving them: Sharon, quietly ambitious but self-doubting; Mel, brash and unapologetic, always the life of the party. Best friends and artistic partners since the first week of college, where they bonded over their working-class roots and obvious talent, they spent their twenties ensconced in a gritty Brooklyn studio. Working, drinking, laughing. Drawing: Mel, to understand her tumultuous past, and Sharon, to lose herself altogether.

Now, after a decade of striving, the two are finally celebrating the release of their first full-length feature, which transforms Mel’s difficult childhood into a provocative and visually daring work of art. The toast of the indie film scene, they stand at the cusp of making it big. But with their success come doubt and destruction, cracks in their relationship threatening the delicate balance of their partnership. Sharon begins to feel expendable, suspecting that the ever-more raucous Mel is the real artist. During a trip to Sharon’s home state of Kentucky, the only other partner she has ever truly known—her troubled, charismatic childhood best friend, Teddy—reenters her life, and long-buried resentments rise to the surface, hastening a reckoning no one sees coming.

A funny, heartbreaking novel of friendship, art, and trauma, The Animators is about the secrets we keep and the burdens we shed on the road to adulthood.

My two-bits:

Loved this story of friendship, collaboration, and life of two artists in the animation business.

Got me thinking of the life of artists, their creations, their transitions and their inspirations.

~*~
* part of Tournament of Books 2018 (here)

Woman No. 17 by Edan Lepucki

Woman No. 17
by Edan Lepucki
narrated by Cassandra Campbell

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Just released: May 9, 2017
Publisher: Hogarth
Genre: Art, Women's Fiction
Hardback: 320
Rating: 4

First sentence(s):
It was summer, the heat had arrived harsh and bright, bleaching the sidewalks and choking the flowers before they had a chance to wilt.

High in the Hollywood Hills, writer Lady Daniels has decided to take a break from her husband. Left alone with her children, she’s going to need a hand taking care of her young son if she’s ever going to finish her memoir. In response to a Craigslist ad, S arrives, a magnetic young artist who will live in the secluded guest house out back, care for Lady’s toddler, Devin, and keep a watchful eye on her older, teenage son, Seth. S performs her day job beautifully, quickly drawing the entire family into her orbit, and becoming a confidante for Lady.

But in the heat of the summer, S’s connection to Lady’s older son takes a disturbing, and possibly destructive, turn. And as Lady and S move closer to one another, the glossy veneer of Lady’s privileged life begins to crack, threatening to expose old secrets that she has been keeping from her family. Meanwhile, S is protecting secrets of her own, about her real motivation for taking the job. S and Lady are both playing a careful game, and every move they make endangers the things they hold most dear.

My two-bits:

Another one of those novels that include unlikable characters left and right. But, the story managed to keep me interested despite knowing the general downward path. The curiosity of how far will it go was the draw.

Liked the concept of life imitating art and pushing its limits.

~*~
* Listened to audiobook version.

* part of BookSparks Reading Challenge, Summer (here)

Frida Kahlo: An Illustrated Biography by Zena Alkayat

Library of Luminaries:
Frida Kahlo: An Illustrated Biography
by Zena Alkayat
illustrated by Nina Cosford

Find out more about this book and author:
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Published: 2016
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Genre: Biography, Art
Hardback: 128 pages
Rating: 5

Library of Luminaries series:
Jane Austen
Coco Chanel
Frida Kahlo
Virginia Woolf

First sentence(s):
"i paint myself because i am so often alone, because i am the subject i know best." -Frida Kahlo

Step into the world of one of history's most celebrated artists and feminist icons: Frida Kahlo. This beautifully illustrated biography is full of colorful details that illuminate the woman behind the artwork, including excerpts from Kahlo's personal letters and diaries on her childhood dreams of becoming a doctor, the accident that changed the course of her life, and her love affairs with famous artists. Featuring handwritten text alongside lovely illustrations in a charming case with foil stamping and debossed details, Library of Luminaries: Frida Kahlo provides a captivating window into the vibrant life, work, and creative vision of the beloved Mexican artist.

PeekAbook:

My two-bits:

This is a gem of a book with colorful whimsical illustrations presenting Frida Kahlo's life. The text is brief and basic which was a great quick way to learn about Frida.

Not really a part of the baby book or children's genre.

Bad Girls Throughout History by Ann Shen

Bad Girls Throughout History
100 Remarkable Women Who Changed the World
by Ann Shen

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Release date: September 6, 2016
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Genre: History, Art
Hardback: 216 pages
Rating: 5

First sentence(s):
This is a book about women. This is a book about girls who had a ton of fear and personal flaws and faced insurmountable obstacles but did amazing things anyway. This is a book about those who came before us, who knocked up against that glass ceiling and made a tiny fissure or a full-on crack.

Aphra Behn, first female professional writer. Sojourner Truth, activist and abolitionist. Ada Lovelace, first computer programmer. Marie Curie, first woman to win the Nobel Prize. Joan Jett, godmother of punk. The 100 revolutionary women highlighted in this gorgeously illustrated book were bad in the best sense of the word: they challenged the status quo and changed the rules for all who followed. From pirates to artists, warriors, daredevils, scientists, activists, and spies, the accomplishments of these incredible women vary as much as the eras and places in which they effected change. Featuring bold watercolor portraits and illuminating essays by Ann Shen, Bad Girls Throughout History is a distinctive, gift-worthy tribute.

PeekAbook:

My two-bits:

Loved this colorful illustrated book with essays of women both well-known and not.

This is one of those books to put on the coffee table for instant inspiration, herstory and eye candy.

~*~
* review copy courtesy of publisher

Paris Sketchbook by Fabrice Moireau, Mary Kelly

Paris Sketchbook
illustrated by Fabrice Moireau
text by Mary Kelly

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Published: 2001
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Genre: Art, Illustrations, France
Hardback: 96 pages
Rating: 5

First sentence(s):
Everyone develops his or her own personal relationship with Paris. It begins with a visit, a book or a film but then it seems to take on a life of its own.

Paris is seen through the eyes of artist Fabrice Moireau, with sketches in watercolor and pencil perfectly matched by an introduction by Mary A. Kelly. These residents of the world's most romantic capital city are the perfect guides to its streets, monuments, gardens and delightfully hidden corners.

PeekAbook:

=====> Shakespeare and Company is a MUST go-to spot for book lover ;-)

My two-bits:

I loved looking through this book of watercolored sketches. This collection of illustrations brings about a cozy feeling with its use of warm subtle colors of old architecture and street scenes.

Some of the sights get into the nooks and crannies of the historic centre, Northern Paris, Eastern Paris, Southern Paris and Western Paris. Each scene includes a brief description of the location and some with trivia bits.

This is a good travel book as well when planning a trip to Paris. I found that there are still so many places and things to see in Paris. Southern Paris with its Hong Kong-style eateries is an area that caught my attention in the book. I plan to visit one of its noodle shops on Tolbiac and Porte de Choisy in the 13th arrondissement.

If you like coffee table art books, this is one to get that should be left open to random pages to enjoy when you walk past.

~*~
* part of October Paris virtual book event (schedule)

Steampunk Soldier: The American Frontier by Philip Smith and Joseph A. McCullough

Steampunk Soldiers
The American Frontier
by Philip Smith and Joseph A. McCullough
Illustrated by: Mark Stacey

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Just released: May 24, 2016
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
Genre: Art, Reference, Steampunk
Hardback: 96 pages
Rating: 4

Steampunk Soldiers series:
Uniforms & Weapons from the Age of Steam
The American Frontier

Even as the discovery and exploitation of hephaestium helped bring the Civil War to its close in 1869, the arms race it engendered resulted in a cold war just as bitter and violent as the open hostilities had been. With neither side willing to rely solely upon the talents of their scientific establishments, saboteurs, double-agents, and assassins found ample employment. Against this backdrop of suspicion and fear, thousands of Americans - Northerners and Southerners alike - headed west. Some to escape the legacies of the war, some to find their own land, some for the lure of that great undiscovered strike of hephaestium that would make them rich, and some simply to escape the law. Ahead of these pioneers stood the native tribes, behind them followed the forces of two governments, while to the north and south, foreign powers watched closely for their own opportunities.

This newly unearthed collection of the works of Miles Vandercroft fills a considerable gap in our knowledge of the travels of that remarkable individual, and also provides a fascinating guide to the costume and equipment of the forces active in the great drive westwards.


My two-bits:

This is a good companion to Steampunk Soldiers: Uniforms & Weapons from the Age of Steam. The format is the same with brief descriptions of mostly guns and garb along with color illustrations.

The focus is on "the look" in the United States of America which did not have too much of the steampunk metal look I am accustomed to seeing (in general). The various makes and models of the guns were emphasized.


~*~
* review copy courtesy of publisher

Steampunk Soldier: Uniforms and Weapons by Philip Smith and Joseph A. McCullough

Steampunk Soldiers
Uniforms and Weapons
by Philip Smith and Joseph A. McCullough
Illustrated by: Mark Stacey

Find out more about this book and author:
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Published: 2014
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
Genre: Art, Reference, Steampunk
Hardback: 156 pages
Rating: 4

Steampunk Soldiers series:
Uniforms & Weapons from the Age of Steam
The American Frontier

First sentence(s):
In this modern world of personal cmputrs, cybernetic prosthetics, and supersonic train travel, where wars are as often fought in cyberspace as in the real world, it can often be hard to imagine a past where machines were loud, clunky, and inefficient.

Between 1887 and 1895, the British art student Miles Vandercroft travelled around the world, sketching and painting the soldiers of the countries through which he passed. In this age of dramatic technological advancement, Vandercroft was fascinated by how the rise of steam technology at the start of the American Civil War had transformed warfare and the role of the fighting man.

This volume collects all of Vandercroft's surviving paintings, along with his associated commentary on the specific military units he encountered. It is a unique pictorial guide to the last great era of bright and colourful uniforms, as well as an important historical study of the variety of steam-powered weaponry and equipment that abounded in the days before the Great War of the Worlds.

My two-bits:

As steampunk is a genre that is popular due to its aesthetics, books such as this one that emphasize illustrations and visuals is perfect.

This book is a wonderful guide and reference to uniforms and weapons of soldiers from this genre representing several countries. Colorful images with brief descriptions of mostly the garb and guns run through this book.

I was amused with the description for a Highlander Battlesuit - "the suit also includes a built-in set of automatic bagpipes."

The illustrations were of frontal view of soldiers. In some instances, I would have liked to see more than one image. Different angles, back views and close-ups on the gear would enhance the guide - even if they were not Vandercroft originals.

~*~
* review copy courtesy of publisher

I Have The Right To Destroy Myself by Young-Ha Kim

I Have The Right To Destroy Myself
by Young-Ha Kim
translated by Chi-Young Kim

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Published: 2007
Publisher: Harcourt, Inc.
Genre: Korea, Mystery
Paperback: 119 pages
Rating: 4

First sentence(s):
I'm looking at Jacques-Louis David's 1793 oil painting, The Death of Marat, printed in an art book. The Jacobin revolutionary Jean-Paul Marat lies murdered in his bath. His head is wrapped in a towel, like a turban, and his hand, draped alongside the tub, holds a pen.

"I don't encourage murder. I have no interest in one person killing another. I only want to draw out morbid desires, imprisoned deep in the unconscious. This lust, once freed, starts growing. Their imaginations run free, and they soon discover their potential... They are waiting for someone like me."

A spectral, nameless narrator haunts the lost and wounded of big-city Seoul, suggesting solace in suicide. Wandering through the bright lights of their high-urban existence, C and K are brothers who fall in love with the same woman - Se-yeon. As their lives intersect, they tear at each other in a struggle to find connection in their fast-paced, atomized world.

Dreamlike and cinematic, I Have the Right to Destroy Myself brilliantly affirms Young-ha Kim as Korea's leading young literary master.

My two-bits:

Artsy feel to this one with a grim reaper feel to it.

Although I read this to get a sense of Korea, the story is one that speaks to all in regards to life and living and could have very well taken place anywhere in the world.

About the author:

Young-ha Kim was born in Hwacheon. He moved from place to place as a child, since his father was in the military. As a child, he suffered from gas poisoning from coal gas and lost memory before ten. He was educated at Yonsei University in Seoul, majoring business administration, but he didn't show much interest in it. Instead he focused on writing stories. Kim, after graduating from Yonsei University in 1993, began his military service as an assistant detective at the military police 51st Infantry Division near Suwon. His career as a professional writer started in 1995 right after discharge.

Kim previously worked as a professor in the Drama School at Korean National University of Arts and on a regular basis hosted a book-themed radio program. In autumn 2008, he resigned all his jobs to devote himself exclusively to writing. He currently lives in Seoul, Korea.

The Sculptor by Scott McCloud

The Sculptor
by Scott McCloud

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Just released: February 2015
Publisher: First Second
Genre: Art, Graphic Novel, Romance
Hardback: 496 pages
Rating: 5

David Smith is giving his life for his art-literally. Thanks to a deal with Death, the young sculptor gets his childhood wish: to sculpt anything he can imagine with his bare hands. But now that he only has 200 days to live, deciding what to create is harder than he thought, and discovering the love of his life at the 11th hour isn't making it any easier!

This is a story of desire taken to the edge of reason and beyond; of the frantic, clumsy dance steps of young love; and a gorgeous, street-level portrait of the world's greatest city. It's about the small, warm, human moments of everyday life…and the great surging forces that lie just under the surface. Scott McCloud wrote the book on how comics work; now he vaults into great fiction with a breathtaking, funny, and unforgettable new work.

My two-bits:

Loved the illustrations which are tinged in blue in this chunky graphic novel.

This is not a superhero story, but it kinda felt like it because the protagonist obtains incredible art abilities that makes him a sculptor with mad skills.

This story tackles what it is to be an artist although works for creative/talented people too. What it takes to be known, to be great, to be remembered.

Got me thinking of the meaning of art and what constitutes art.

PeekAbook:

~*~
* added this to my Bookish Bingo challenge - square: Illustrated cover

Blue Sun, Yellow Sky by Jamie Hoang

Blue Sun, Yellow Sky
by Jamie Hoang

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Release date: April 25, 2015
Publisher: HJ Press
Genre: Art, Women's Fiction
Paperback: 298 pages
Rating: 3.5

Hailed as “One of the best technical painters of our time” by an L.A. Times critic, 27 year-old, Aubrey Johnson's work is finally gaining traction. But as she weaves through what should be a celebration of her art, a single nagging echo of her doctor’s words refuses to stay silent—there is no cure. In less than eight weeks Aubrey is going blind.

Traveling on a one-way ticket around the world with childhood friend Jeff Anderson, Aubrey is in complete denial. But a blindfolded game of tasting foreign foods in China jolts her into confronting the reality of her situation. So begins her quest.

In this adult coming of age story, Aubrey struggles to make sense of her crippling diagnosis. But on her journey she finds a deeper understanding of herself and her life—sometimes fragmented and complex, but always with relentless truth.

My two-bits:

This tale is a combination of travel, art, coming of age and transformation - with also a touch of romance.

Most of the book is a journey to different parts of the world which includes some wonders of the world. The descriptions of some of the places visited got me adding them to my destination to travel wish list.

Because the main character is an artist, the perspective of things had a creative and colorful quality.

Although the main topic of going blind is a bit heartbreaking, it is handled well with a positive attitude.

~*~
* review copy courtesy of author

* added this to my Bookish Bingo challenge - square: April release

* fyi: BLUE SUN, YELLOW SKY was a finalist in the North Texas RWA’s “Great Expectations” Contest, and was recently named one of Kirkus Reviews’ Indie books of the Month (February 2015 issue).

The Golden Mean by Nick Bantock

The Golden Mean
(Griffin & Sabine Trilogy #3)
by Nick Bantock

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Published: 1993
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Genre: Art, Epistolary, Romance
Hardback: 48 pages
Rating: 5

Griffin & Sabine Trilogy series:
Griffin & Sabine
Sabine's Notebook
The Golden Mean

I received your Paris card. I waited but you did not returne the 23rd. I waited until the 31st, but you did not return. What happened? Where are you?
--Sabine

Sabine's Notebook ended with a disturbing disclosure--Griff and Sabine had somehow eluded each other once again. The Golden Mean beings with an even more disturbing development:

I was sure I understood. Yet you were not here when I returned and there was no sign that you ever had been here... Today comes your card saying you were in this house for three days after my return. I am bewildered...
--Griffin

It seems that each cannot exist in the presence of the other. Yet neither can continue without the presence of the other. And so, in this final volume of the Griffin & Sabine trilogy, they struggle against the mysterious forces that keep them apart. Time is running out: Sabine's crystalline visions of Griffin's artwork grow cloudy and dim, and a threatening stranger begins to appear everywhere she goes. The Golden Mean is the tale of Griffin and Sabine's journey towards one another, sometimes dreamy, sometimes desperate, sometimes nightmarish. The golden mean--the harmony of perfect balance--is what they seek in the haunting conclusion of this extraordinary correspondence.

Told in the compelling style of the first two best-selling volumes of the trilogy, The Golden Mean allows readers to open richly decorated envelopes and draw forth intricately illustrated letters, to decipher the quirky handwritten postcards with their macabre and magical artwork, to indulge, in other words, in the wonderfully illicit activity of reading someone else's mail.

My two-bits:

Finally got around to reading the last of this trilogy. It was just one of those books that I took for granted. You know, the kind of book that sits in your tbr pile with the expectation that it will be an automatic 5-star rating. So, you leave it sitting on the shelf for later. Then it turns out to be waaaay later until an opportunity arises that brings it out onto the forefront again.

In this case, it is the Winter Bingo challenge that makes this book jump to the top of my reading pile. The bingo category is Epistolary. This is a category that has limited selection compared to something like Romance.

Fortunately the bingo challenge enabled me to "hit two birds with one stone."

And, indeed the book was indeed a 5-star gem.

The relationship between the two characters concludes in a satisfying way, but first with mystery, uncertainty and a bit of suspense.

The artwork and whimsical nature of the book and how the story literally unfolds (in actual letters) created the same wonder and excitement I had when I first came across the first book in this trilogy.

~*~
* added this to my Bookish Bingo challenge - square: Epistolary

The Curse of Van Gogh by Paul Hoppe

~*~

The Curse of Van Gogh
by Paul Hoppe

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Just released: July 29, 2014
Publisher: SparkPress
Genre: Art, Thriller
Paperback: 344 pages
Rating: 3.5

Series:
The Curse of Van Gogh
Chasing Mona Lisa - tba

Tyler Sears, art thief, just released from a Federal prison, vows never again. He slides into a simple life bartending in NYC until one day an invitation arrives to the hottest art event of the season, where Tyler meets Komate Imasu, famed art collector.

Suddenly Tyler's vows of abstinence slip away as Imasu uses threats against Tyler's family. Tyler quickly learns that gambling against a ruthless billionaire is never a good idea.

Forgetting his own safety, Tyler plunges headfirst into a world of art forgers, hit men, Yakuza, a femme fatale named Chanel N°5, and the hideous curse of van Gogh, in order to pull off...the greatest art heist in history.

Zombie sighting:
"Please understand, the medication was used as a tool to pacify your brother. I know you think we turned him into a zombie, but he already was one when he walked through the doors. Our concern all along has been to keep him from harming himself, and as I said to eliminate the horrible nightmares."
-chapter 26, page 149

My two-bits:

While it was interesting to learn a bit about the art world and art forgery, this book took awhile for me to get into. I felt the story was slow paced until the last quarter of the book. Also although the main characters were likable, they were not very interesting to follow.

It would have been interesting to read more on the doings of Van Gogh's curse besides the one story presented.

However, the book ends with a doozy - in a good way.

~*~
* review copy courtesy of Summer Reading Challenge 2014. It's not too late, join the reading challenge here. @booksparks #SRC2014!

A Love Letter to the City by Stephen Powers

A Love Letter to the City
by Stephen Powers
Just released: February 2014
Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press
Genre: Art
Paperback: 176 pages
Rating: 4.5

Series:
Steve Powers: A Love Letter for You
A Love Letter to the City by Stephen Powers

Stretched across city walls and along rooftops, Stephen Powers's colorful large-scale murals sneak up on you. "Open your eyes / I see the sunrise", "If you were here I'd be home," "Forever begins when you say yes."

What at first looks like nothing as much as an advertisement suddenly becomes something grander and more mysterious—a hand-painted love letter at billboard size.

Combining community activism and public art, Powers and his team of sign mechanics collaborate with a neighborhood's residents to create visual jingles— sincere and often poignant affirmations and confessions that reflect the collective hopes and dreams of the host community.

A Love Letter to the City gathers the artist's powerful public art project for the first time, including murals on the walls and rooftops of Brooklyn and Syracuse, New York; Philadelphia; Dublin and Belfast, Ireland; São Paolo, Brazil, and Johannesburg, South Africa.

My two-bits:
Love letters, indeed, short and to the point. Loved the concept for this art project which incorporated words in art form. I found the background stories behind the photographed pieces helped me better understand and appreciate the project. The stories also provided some explanation as to what I was looking at and how it related to each city.

~*~
* review copy courtesy of publisher

100 Ghosts: A Gallery of Harmless Haunts by Doogie Horner

100 Ghosts:
A Gallery of Harmless Haunts
by Doogie Horner

Visit Doogie:
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Just released: yesterday! September 10, 2013
Publisher: Quirk Books
Genre: Art, Comedy, Ghosts
Hardback: 208 pages
Rating: 5

Amazon | BarnesNoble

Cut two eyeholes into a bedsheet and BOO!

You’ve got yourself a classic Halloween icon. But what happens if you tie the bedsheet in knots?

What happens when you set it on fire, hang it from a clothesline, or put a llama underneath it?

100 Ghosts is a brilliantly simple artistic exploration of an icon as familiar as a grinning jack-o-lantern or an arched black cat.

It’s a delightful gift for adults, kids, and anyone who enjoys spooky design.

My two-bits:
In-a-word(s): ghosts galore
Little (4.50" x 6.14") gem of a book with pages and pages of cute illustrations of themed ghosts to flip through. This is a fun one to have on the coffee table especially during the Halloween season.

May favorite ghost from the collection...

--~ Book Giveaway courtesy of publisher ~--
signup to win this book
~*~
* review copy courtesy of publisher

* part of event: Ghostly Ghosts

Dreaming of France - 5

Dreaming of France
meme created by An Accidental Blog
join this week's round and add your link here
Grab a copy of the photo above and link back to my blog. Share with the rest of us your passion for France. Did you read a good book set in France? See a movie? Take a photo in France? Have an adventure? Eat a fabulous meal or even just a pastry? Or if you're in France now, go ahead and lord it over the rest of us. We can take it. Maybe we can all satisfy our yearnings for France, until we get there again.

~*~
Today I will feature a painting by french artist, Pierre Auguste Renoir.

Strawberries
by Pierre Auguste Renoir
featured in
The William S. Paley Collection:
A Taste for Modernism
September 15, 2012 - December 30, 2012
de Young Museum
This was the one piece that spoke to me from the exhibit. The lushness of the berries and soft edges makes this piece delectable.