Author: cvegnad

March 7, 2017

The Secret Life of Anna Blanc

In The Secret Life of Anna Blanc, it’s 1907 in Los Angeles. Mischievous socialite Anna Blanc is the kind of young woman who devours purloined crime novels, but must disguise them behind covers of more domestically-appropriate reading.

About The Secret Life of Anna Blanc

It’s 1907 Los Angeles. Mischievous socialite Anna Blanc is the kind of young woman who devours purloined crime novels, but must disguise them behind covers of more domestically-appropriate reading. She could match wits with Sherlock Holmes, but in her world women are not allowed to hunt criminals. Determined to break free of the era’s rigid social roles, Anna buys off the chaperone assigned by her domineering father and, using an alias, takes a job as a police matron with the Los Angeles Police Department. There she discovers a string of brothel murders, which the cops are unwilling to investigate. Seizing her one chance to solve a crime, she takes on the investigation herself. If the police find out, she’ll get fired; if her father finds out, he’ll disown her; and if her fiancé finds out, he’ll cancel the wedding. Midway into her investigation, the police chief’s son, Joe Singer, learns her true identity, and shortly thereafter she learns about blackmail. Anna must choose – either hunt the villain and risk losing her father, fiancé, and wealth, or abandon her dream and leave the killer on the loose.

My Thoughts

The Secret Life of Anna Blanc is an amazing story from start to finish! I fell in love with the character, she is independent, free spirited and full of life. She is stuck in a world that discourages everything she stands for. But she still finds a way to follow her dreams and the path that is truly meant for (even if she has to lie a little bit to do so!). I admired her courage and even her naivety at times. She makes rash decisions but most of them are made with her heart and will good intentions. She becomes your best friend through the audiobook.

When a series of murders at brothels is swept under the covers by the police department, she takes this as the opportunity she has always wanted – to solve her own mystery. She has so much riding on this – she can prove herself to the world but if caught she will have to face her father, her fiance and even the police department! It seems as if the whole world is against her. But with her optimisim, she sets out to discover the truth.

The Secret Life of Anna Blanc is well written and narrated with plenty of twists and surprises that keep you hanging on to every word. Adventuours, suspenseful and with a perfect main character that makes you just fall in love with her – this is the perfect read for young adults and adults a like.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and Audible.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Jennifer has been a block layer, a nurse’s aid, a fragrance model, and on the research faculty at UCLA, where she spent 11 years conducting studies to inform health policy. A native of Southern California, she now lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband and two teenagers. She’s currently writing book three in the Anna Blanc Mystery series. Book two, THE WOMAN IN THE CAMPHOR TRUNK, is coming out in Fall of 2017 from Seventh Street Books.

About the Narrator

Moira grew up in teeny-tiny Rutland, England’s smallest county, which is fitting as she never managed to make it past five feet herself. Moira’s work spans the pantheon of the voiceover world: plays for BBC radio, plays for NPR, video games, commercials, television promos, podcasts, cartoons, movies and award winning audiobooks. She’s won Multiple Audie Awards, Earphone Awards, as well as Audible’s prestigious Book-of-the-Year Award. She has lately set foot in front of the camera again, appearing in “Pretty: the Series” and the Emmy-winning “Dirty Work.”

Disclosure: I received an audiobook in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

March 7, 2017

Kikoriki: Legend of the Golden Dragon Giveaway

Kikoriki: Legend of the Golden Dragon, is the first of two Kikoriki movies and is set to release March 7th, 2017 from Shout Factory.

About Kikoriki: Legend of the Golden Dragon

The lovable simple residents of peaceful Kikoriki Island are thrown kicking and screaming into big adventure when their resident scientist invents an amazing device – a helmet called “the Improverizor” – which takes personality traits from one person and swaps them with someone else’s!

But when spineless young Wally tries to use the untested device to cure his cowardice, he ends up even more spineless – by getting accidentally body-switched with a squirmy little caterpillar. Now he’s got more to fear than he ever dreamed, and so do his fellow villagers, as they’re dragged into a madcap adventure packed with plane crashes, mistaken identities, erupting volcanoes and angry natives on the warpath. Boy, do the Kikoriki Сrew wish they could switch places now – with anyone!

My Thoughts

Kikoriki: Legend of the Golden Dragon is an adorable movie with loveable characters, especially Wally. Wally is scared of everything and just wants to be brave and show his friends that he can be just like them. He would do just about anything – even use a device to improve himself! This backfires on him and he turns into a caterpillar and this is when the adventure really begins.

Wally needs to change bodies back otherwise he will be stuck as a caterpillar and eventually a butterfly. He enlists the help of his friends but nothing seems to go right. They are met with danger, angry villagers, tomb raiders and more. Wally is tested to his limits at each obstacle and meets it with grace and courage.

Kikoriki is a beautiful story of having the courage to stand up and believe in yourself no matter your size or how brave you are. We all have courage inside of us, we just need to find it. Wally was just a little caterpillar but he managed to save the day and his friends. The movie reminds us that even though we may wish we were someone else, no one can be a better you. You are special and a gift to this world in your own way.

You will fall in love with the adorable creatures, great graphics and fun music. It was a true delight to watch from start to finish.

Rating: 4.5/5

Trailer

Now my Canadian and American readers can now enter to win their own copy of Kikoriki: Legend of the Golden Dragon. Enter via the Rafflecopter form below – good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received a DVD of this movie in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

March 6, 2017

India Book Review

“Sensory overload in a glance” is an apt description of a country that is always in movement.

About India

I have always been fascinated by the sheer beauty and diversity in Indian culture. “Sensory overload in a glance” is an apt description of a country that is always in movement. To be able to stand still in the middle of all that movement allows me to really “see” her people and absorb the flow of life from birth to death.

From learning how to make yellow ink from cow urine to watching funeral pyres burn in Varanasi, I realized that I would have to spend a lifetime here to grasp the immense value of her art, stunning architecture, fascinating food and love of all that is beautiful.

My Thoughts

A stunning collection of images of a place that is magical, full of history and adventure, India. The images are unique and look at every aspect of life in this beautiful country and it’s beautiful. Whether it is driving down the street, relaxing in the open air, a historical building or nature – Debra has captured it all. One of my favourite quotes came at the beginning of the book, “India is not an underdeveloped country…in the context of its history and cultural heritage, a highly developed country in a state of decay” Shashi Tharoor.

I can clearly see why Debra fell in love with the country. From the lifestyle to the food to the people, there is so much to love. You can see how rich the culture and heritage is just from the images alone. While view as underdeveloped, there is so much we can learn from their culture.

This beautiful collection of images will steal your heart away with its warmth, compassion, sense of adventure and history. It will leave you wanting to pack your bags to escape to the beauty of India. A very well put together and laid out album of photos!

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon, Blurb, iTunes and her website.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Debra Schoenberger aka #girlwithcamera.

“My dad always carried a camera under the seat of his car and was constantly taking pictures. I think that his example, together with pouring over National Geographic magazines as a child fuelled my curiosity for the world around me.”

I am a documentary photographer and street photography is my passion. Some of my images have been chosen by National Geographic as editor’s favourites and are on display in the National Geographic museum in Washington, DC. I also have an off-kilter sense of humour so I’m always looking for the unusual.

You can connect with her on her website, Facebook and Instagram.

Book Trailer

The Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

March 2, 2017

Paint March Away with Artist’s Painting Techniques

Love to paint on a variety of mediums? Maybe you love the look of watercolour but not too sure on how to start a painting? Artist’s Painting techniques will show you the hows to create beautiful watercolour, acrylic and oil paintings.

About Artist’s Painting Techniques

Artist’s Painting Techniques is your practical guide to learning how to bring out your inner artist with a wide range of painting styles, whether you want to learn how to use acrylics, watercolors, or oil paints.

With progression in mind, this master class will teach you the basic principles of painting and then inspire you to move on to new challenges and create masterpieces of your own. It explains which tools, materials, and methods should be used along the way, but lets you develop your artistic skills on your own terms rather than providing a series of steps to be followed.

Whether you are a beginner wanting to take up a new hobby or an experienced artist who wants to expand your horizons and learn new styles, Artist’s Painting Techniques will set you on your path to creativity.

My Thoughts

I love to paint – water colour is one of my most favourite mediums but I have started to branch out into oil painting. My first worry when I start new mediums, I am always unsure of how to start, how to use the new paintbrush and the new paint strokes. Believe it or not it is not just as easy as throwing some paint on a piece of paper or canvas.

The book starts off with the basics everyone show know: colour theory, perspective, pencil drawing basics and how to create tone. While these may seem basic, they are very important when you start your own composition especially when you begin to mix colours and even the different type of pencils and how they affect detail and shading!

The book is then divided into watercolours, acrylics and oils, while further being divided into beginner, intermediate and advanced techniques. I really liked that the beginning of each section took some time to explain the time of brushes you will need, the paints you will be using and the extra supplies needed as well as brushstrokes. Sometimes the hardest part can be figuring out how to hold the brush!

Regardless of which stage you are on, the instructions were very easy to follow in all three sections and were accompanied by pictures showing how to hold and achieve the effect. If you ever get stuck with some of the terms, they also include a glossary at the back of the book to help you out.

When I first picked up the book, I went through each page just admiring the work and running my hands over the design. There are so many beautiful pieces of work in this book. I also have to mention that the actual cover of the book has parts of the cover elevated (the brush, printing and the yellow paint). I am one of those people who when I see artwork in a book I am always touching the drawings and working my mind through the design, so I truly appreciated the extra touch of care to the cover of this book. This is truly a special book for the art fan in your life, that they will treasure for a long time.

You can purchase a copy of Artist’s Painting Techniques on the DK Canada website.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

March 2, 2017

Supercraft Your March Break #MakerMarch

Do you love to craft in your spare time but are never quite to sure where to start? Then Supercraft is the book for you!

About Supercraft

52 creative craft and sewing projects easy enough to complete in just one weekend, designed to keep crafters busy all year long.

Supercraft is packed with DIY craft and sewing projects that use everyday materials and innovative techniques so you can up cycle your way to creating something new and stylish. Embroider a notebook, print fabric with star fruit, make a hanging garden for your bathroom, and much, much more.

Each of the 52 projects in this book include everything you need to know, with step-by-step photographs and detailed instructions, and are simple enough to finish in a weekend. Craft your way through spring, summer, winter, and fall with Supercraft.

My Thoughts

Are you looking to change up your home for the season? Maybe add some small but sensational pieces that put some life back into the room. Then Supercraft is for you!

The book is divided up into seasons with easy, medium and more difficult crafts to complete. There is a good collection of crafts for the home and personal items. I love that you can incorporate recycled items from outdoors and indoors into these new crafts (a hanging garden, pressing leaves, leaf prints, etc..). There are even some great projects that you can do with your children, they were very excited to make Mommy a special coffee mug just from them.

The instructions are all easy to follow and never leave you feeling confused. Each stage of the instruction also comes along with a helpful photo in case you do get a bit confused but I promise you wont. The authors also include templates, basic embroidery and stitching skills at the back of the book in case you need to brush up on some of your skills before you tackle some of the projects.

There are a total of fifty two project ideas in this book, which makes it the perfect year long craft partner. It will help you to never run out of ideas!

You can purchase a copy of Supercraft on the DK Canada website.

About the Author

Designer Sophie Pester is the founder of one of the largest craft fairs in Germany. Author and designer Catharina Bruns has written about creative inspiration in the workplace. Together, they founded Supercraft, a popular craft box subscription service in Germany. They are widely known in the craft blogger scene and are often featured in women’s and craft magazines.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.