Adults and Coloring Books

Secret Garden:
An Inky Treasure Hunt and Coloring Book
by Johanna Basford
Amazon | Goodreads
Experience the phenomenon that has sold 2 million copies worldwide and launched the coloring craze for adults.

This beautiful and interactive coloring book features delicate and highly detailed pen-and-ink illustrations—all waiting to be brought to life with color. As added entertainment, tiny garden creatures are hidden on the pages, waiting to be found, and a key and index are included in the back. The book's cover and jacket are also colorable.

=====> This seems to be the most popular of the bunch out there.

Coloring books aimed at adults are the latest craze these days. There is such a variety available to tickle your fancy. As a form of meditation or as an off-line activity, it is a fun way to be interactive with favorite, beautiful or funky images.

I plan to try my hand at some coloring soon, especially when the ones below are released.

LET me know if you are in the coloring craze and what do you use to color - crayons, colored pens or pencils?


On my want list:

Fantastic Cities:
A Coloring Book of Amazing Places Real and Imagined
by Steve McDonald
Release date: August 11, 2015
Amazon | Goodreads -signup for giveaway that ends Aug 10
This unique coloring book features immersive aerial views of real cities from around the world alongside gorgeously illustrated, Inception-like architectural mandalas. Artist Steve McDonald's beautifully rendered and detailed line work offers bird's-eye perspectives of visually arresting global locales from New York, London, and Paris to Istanbul, Tokyo, and Melbourne, Rio, Amsterdam, and many more. The adult coloring book's distinctive large square format offers absorbingly complex vistas to color, the crisp white pages are conducive to a range of artistic applications, and a middle margin keeps all the artwork fully colorable. Complementing the cityscapes are a selection of mind-bending labyrinthine architectural illustrations for still deeper meditative coloring adventures and imaginative flights of fancy.

=====> This one appealed to the traveler in me.

Based on tv shows:

George R. R. Martin's Official A Game of Thrones Coloring Book
(A Song of Ice and Fire)
by George R. R. Martin
Amazon | Goodreads
The perfect gift for fans of George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire and HBO’s Game of Thrones, this one-of-a-kind coloring book features more than forty-five exclusive illustrations!

ALL MEN MUST DRAW

In a world where weddings are red, fire is green, and debts are paid in gold, countless images leap off the page (or the screen) thanks to the eye-popping intricacy of the vivid settings and details. Now, for the first time, fans of this blockbuster saga can fill in the blanks and marvel as this meticulously imagined universe comes to life, one sword, sigil, and castle at a time. With dozens of stunning original black-and-white illustrations from world-renowned illustrators Yvonne Gilbert, John Howe, Tomislav Tomic, Adam Stower, and Levi Pinfold, this unique collector’s item expands the reach of an international phenomenon with flying colors.

Diana Gabaldon's Official Outlander Coloring Book
by Diana Gabaldon
Release date: October 27, 2015
Amazon | Goodreads
=====> The cover for this is not yet revealed. I am sooooooo curious about it ;-)
But, I imagine it will be something like this fan art created by noctemus (here)

Stacking the Shelves - 7.25.15

Stacking the Shelves
hosted by Tynga's Reviews (details)
Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

~*~
Bought:

The Blue: A Novel
by Lucy Clarke
-Mystery, Thriller
Amazon | Goodreads
=====> Looks like a good one and wanted to add this to my Armchair Summer Travel reading list.

For Review:

Beautiful Affliction
by Lene Fogelberg
-Memoir
courtesy of book tour by BookSparks
Thanks !
Amazon | Goodreads

Never Said
by Carol Lynch Williams
-YA
courtesy of BookSparks YA Summer Reading Challenge 2015
Thanks !
Amazon | Goodreads

Summer by Summer
by Heather Burch
-YA
courtesy of BookSparks YA Summer Reading Challenge 2015
Thanks !
Amazon | Goodreads

The Red Sun
by Alane Adams
-Fantasy, YA
courtesy of BookSparks YA Summer Reading Challenge 2015
Thanks !
Amazon | Goodreads

The Looney Experiment
by Luke Reynolds
-YA
courtesy of BookSparks YA Summer Reading Challenge 2015
Thanks !
Amazon | Goodreads
Library:

Beautiful Disaster
by Jamie McGuire
-New Adult, Romance
Amazon | Goodreads
My rating: 5
The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University's Walking One-Night Stand.

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs—and wants—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

=====> A guilty pleasure kind of read. I inhaled this one and loved it!

UNBOXING:

From Powell's Indiespensable club package (details & signup):
Powell's subscription club delivers the best new books, with special attention to independent publishers. Signed first editions. Inventive, original sets. Exclusive printings.... Every six weeks, another installment to read and admire. Plus, every package is stocked with exciting surprises!

This is package #53. (sorry - this is sold out, but you can signup for the next one)

Box includes:

The Diver's Clothes Lie Empty
by Vendela Vida
signed first-edition
in a custom slipcase exclusive to Indiespensable
Amazon | Goodreads

Above the Waterfall
by Ron Rash
Release date: September 8, 2015
Amazon | Goodreads
Also in the box:

* A collectible booklet featuring the Powells.com interview and Indiespensable Q&A with Vendela Vida
* Fuller Foods Serious Cheesy Puffs: Sriracha and Cheddar. Just had a couple and YUM. Nice blend and not too spicy.

AND binge watching:

Outlander
tv series, season one, volume one
-Adventure, Romance
Amazon | imdb
Follows the story of Claire Randall, a married combat nurse from 1945 who is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743, where she is immediately thrown into an unknown world where her life is threatened. When she is forced to marry Jamie Fraser, a chivalrous and romantic young Scottish warrior, a passionate relationship is ignited that tears Claire's heart between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

Based on this book...

Outlander
by Diana Gabaldon
-Romance, Scotland
Amazon | Goodreads
~*~
* some of these may be offered as giveaways within the next two months

* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently

* per usual, check out the sidebar for my current giveaways offers

Stacking the Shelves - 6.27.15

Stacking the Shelves
hosted by Tynga's Reviews (details)
Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

~*~
Kindle freebie:

Outlander
by Diana Gabaldon
-Romance, Scotland
Amazon | Goodreads
=====> I read this and loved it years ago. And, just had to snag this when it was offered up for free on Amazon. Also love the original cover art.

For Review:

It’s You
by Jane Porter
-Women's Fiction
courtesy of BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge 2015
Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

Ross Poldark:
A Novel of Cornwall, 1783-1787
by Winston Graham
-Historical, Romance
courtesy of tour in July
Thanks !
Amazon | Goodreads

Demelza:
A Novel of Cornwall, 1788-1790
by Winston Graham
-Historical, Romance
courtesy of tour in July
Thanks !
Amazon | Goodreads
Library:

The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook: Wickedly Good Meals and Desserts to Die For
edited by Kate White
-cookbook
Amazon | Goodreads
Hard-boiled breakfasts, thrilling entrees, cozy desserts, and more--this illustrated cookbook features more than 100 recipes from legendary mystery authors. Whether you're planning a sinister dinner party or whipping up some comfort food perfect for a day of writing, you'll find plenty to savor in this cunning collection. Full-color photography is featured throughout, along with mischievous sidebars revealing the links between food and foul play. Contributors include Lee Child, Mary Higgins Clark, Harlan Coben, Nelson DeMille, Gillian Flynn, Sue Grafton, Charlaine Harris, James Patterson, Louise Penny, Scott Turow, and many more.

=====> I flipped through this and found yummy recipes mostly in the comfort food zone. Each recipe had an intro to the mystery author and their mystery genre specialty which I liked.

OTHER things on my shelf: kinda book-related

Thanks to Alexia's Books and Such... for introducing me to this fun video...


I'm Reading a Book by Julian Smith

AND binge watching:

Sons of Anarchy
tv series, season one
-crime, drama
Amazon | imdb
A man in his early 30s struggles to find a balance in his life between being a new dad and his involvement in a motorcycle club.

AND there is a comic series of this...

Sons of Anarchy #1
by Christopher Golden
illustrated by Damian Couceiro
-comic series, season one
Amazon | Goodreads
~*~
* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently

* per usual, check out the sidebar for my current giveaways offers

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite Heroines From Books

Top Ten Tuesday
meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish -details
Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Note: I will do a variation of this meme with my Top 3 picks.

~*~
February 24: Top Ten Favorite Heroines From Books (Or you could pick movies/tv): We've done this topic before so you could always do heroines you love since the last time we did this topic, heroines in a particular genre, etc.

CLAIRE
Outlander
by Diana Gabaldon
Amazon | Goodreads
=====> She is tough and independent. She is modern and a mover and shaker in whatever time period she inhabits.

FLAVIA
BOOK
by Alan Bradley
Amazon | Goodreads
=====> She is spunky with a logical and inquisitive mind.

LISBETH
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
by Stieg Larsson
Amazon | Goodreads
=====> She has mad computer skills with fierce attitude and fight in her.

~*~
* Who are your top 3 heroines from books?

Stacking the Shelves - 12.14.13

Stacking the Shelves
hosted by Tynga's Reviews (details)
Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

~*~
Kindle: for $1.99

A Plague of Zombies:
An Outlander Novella
(Lord John Grey)
by Diana Gabaldon
For Review:

Waking Up Dead
by Margo Bond Collins
paperback copy courtesy of author
Thanks Margo!

Jet Black and the Ninja Wind
by Leza Lowitz and Shogo Oketani
courtesy of author
Thanks Leza!
Gift: from fellow blogger

Two Moons of Sera
(Omnibus Edition)
by Pavarti Tyler
Thanks Freda of Freda's Voice!
~*~
Library:

The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories
Volume 1
by Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Such a cute gem of a book with illustrations and ditties to think on.

~*~
From Powell's Indiespensable club package (details):
Powell's subscription club delivers the best new books, with special attention to independent publishers. Signed first editions. Inventive, original sets. Exclusive printings.... Every six weeks, another installment to read and admire.

Plus, every package is stocked with exciting surprises!

This is package #44.

The Best of McSweeney's
edited by Dave Eggers
(McSweeney's)
~*~
* most of these will be offered as giveaways within the next two months

* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently

* per usual, check out the sidebar for my current giveaways offers

Triton's Tavern: meetup

Triton's Tavern
When barkeep McAvoy looks up to see who has entered the tavern, he drops the glass he is polishing and stands agape.

Oy, Tilly, tis the Pirate Sami, thar! She be in the lead of the rum + plunder hunt these days (take a look at sidebar for standings). Her pockets be overflowing with gold coins! Make sure to treat her nice, now.

Och! me manners be prim and proper like, you knows me to be such. Mayhaps we get Jamie to tend to her. Tilly picks up the dropped glass and returns it to McAvoy.

Aye, he be a handsome lad. He may well help lighten Pirate Sami's pockets... McAvoy smiles and winks as Tilly bustles away to look for Jamie.


(fer those of you not knowin', Jamie Fraser is a scottish fella in Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. he does have a stint as a pirate in book 3, Voyager.)

And so, now we find Jamie turning on his charm with Pirate Sami and he learns about her favorite RMT: Pirates! posts to date, mayhap you should visit them too to see if they are to your liking and possibly pick up GOLD COINS of your own...
join the hunt for coins
to win pirate booty!

One o’ me favorite stops so far be Lady Violet’s feature o’ Lai Choi San. Wonderful t’ learn about such a stern pirate lady!

Lai Choi San’s White Satin Robe
created by Liana's Paper Doll
And o’ course, how t’ talk like a pirate from Dr. Stravagante’s Traveling Book Circus. Thanks t’ Dr. Stravagante an’ The Pirate Guys, now even landlubbers be talkin’ like the most seasoned o’ sea dogs.

An’ I cannot forget Liana’s Paperdoll Blog, featurin’ information about The Gambler, Jacquotte Delahaye, an’ an outfit t’ go with it! I expect more wonders when I be settin’ sail again. Pirate Sami lifts her mug up for more ale.

~*~
The 10 Best Pirate Comic Books - Ever!
at MTV Geek


Terry and the Pirates
One of the most long running and influential comic strips ever, Milton Caniff’s Terry and the Pirates – like Hawks of the Sea – created a visual language for comics that didn’t exist before. An American named Terry Lee heads to China, only to encounter the titular pirates, matching wits, and outsmarting even the most dastardly among them. Caniff left the strip long before it ended (and long before the mid-90’s reboot), but his legacy stands the test of time. btw: Terry is also mentioned on this pirate queen post


Polly and the Pirates
Ted Naifeh’s exhilarating, hilarious, and touching story about a young sheltered blonde girl who becomes the most feared pirate ever is easily our favorite pirate comic ever. Not only is it a wholly original pirate story, but its great for every member of the family, mixing Naifeh’s patented dark humor with cartoonish pirates that manage to be both side-splitting and scary at the same time. You know, a perfect pirate story? Yeah.

Find out the rest in this top ten.

~*~
Blimey!
Looks who be sitting in the back corner of the tavern ordering grub. Pirate Penelope! She be in cahoots with Pirate Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (film opens US today - squeeee)

PeekInside:



~*~
* image sources: Jamie Fraser

* Pirate Sami aka Samantha of Kakashisgf's World

~-~~-~ ...and a bottle o'rum schedule ~-~~-~

SRR Outlander Reading Challenge

SRR Outlander
Reading Challenge
hosted by JennJ
November 17, 2009 to November 17, 2010
signup & review links

Series Reading Order:
books by Diana Gabaldon

1. Outlander
2. Dragonfly In Amber
3. Voyager
4. Drums of Autumn
5. The Fiery Cross
6. A Breath of Snow and Ashes
7. An Echo in the Bone
Optional: The Outlandish Companion

This is a series of time travel, romance and history is one I've been meaning to re-read and catch-up with for like, ever.

When I started with the series I read books 1 to 4 consecutively and then waited for the release of book 5 in 2001. Got book 5 and then started reading. I got to the third chapter and realized I wanted to re-read the previous books to get back in touch with who's who and what's what. Since then book 6 and 7 have come out.

Also, picked up the Outlandish Companion which I've poked through, but not seriously.

Next year will be a good time for another Outlander marathon of reading before I get too far behind. Plus, it will be more fun with others reading along.