Beautiful Lego

Title: Beautiful Lego

Author: Mike Doyle [Blog]

Publisher: No Starch Press

ISBN: 9781593275082

Length: 263 pages

Why this book?:

I saw it on Wowbrary and thought my nephew would get a kick out of it.

Comments:

This is a photograph book of various Lego creations. Some are simply breathtaking in their details. Others are more simple. Some are amusing. Others inspire more serious emotions. Some are familiar scenes or characters, etc. Others are not.

Some pages I found especially appealing. For instance, there is a series done only in black and white or crumbling houses that really struck me. Another, called "Grandpa! You better not be using my loofah again!" Had me grinning in amusement. (My nephew pointed that one out, giggling, because he's naked and you see his butt).

Some Lego creations have close-up pictures along with the regular photographs to allow a better view of the details.

Both of my nephews enjoyed the book, as did I.  Overall, I am very glad I checked this out and took the time to look at it.

Audio Interview with Beyond the Brick:

Trains (How Artists See Jr.) (Children's Book)

Title: Trains

Author: Colleen Carroll; Illustrations by a variety of artists

Publisher: Abbeville Press Publishers

Series: How Artists See Jr, Bk. 4

ISBN: 9780789209719

Obtained: Library copy

Why this book?  The cover has Time Transfixed on the cover... This is a picture I have loved for years (I have a poster of it too).  Plus trains are right up my youngest nephews alley.

Comments:

I've never read any How Artists See books, but apparently it's a series that can be used to instruct children in art appreciation.  How Artists See Jr. is the preschool version of that.

At the beginning of this board book is a page titled "Tips for Using This Book."  Listed are questions you can ask young children while looking at the artworks presented.  When I read this with the kiddos, we first flipped through all the pics, then I went back and asked some of the questions.  They picked the trains they would ride, and we discussed whether it was day/night, summer/winter, and whether the trains were fast/slow.  

Overall, it is a very interesting book that brought me, as an adult, to look at some aspects of art more closely.

 

The Art Forger

Title: The Art Forger

Author: B. A. Shapiro aka Barbara Shapiro; Read by Xe Sands

Publisher: HighBridge

ISBN: 9781611749274

Length: 8 discs; 10 hours

Obtained: Library copy

Why this book?:

I'd seen it and heard about it for awhile.  But then I saw on someone's blog (for the life of me I can't remember whose) about how great the audio was, and... the time was right.



Comments:

When I first started listening to this I recognized the voice.  I hadn't payed attention to who the narrator was before I started, but I recognized Xe Sands voice immediately from Objects of My Affection by Jill Smolinski.  This meant at first it was difficult for me to separate Claire Roth in this story from Lucy Bloom in Objects of My Affection.  But soon Claire's character came through (helped, no doubt, by Xe Sands wonderful reading), the story went its own unique way, and I was immersed.

The story is told from three alternating points.  I'd be listening to one, hanging on, if you will.  And then the story would change to the next.  And while I found each perspective interesting and wanted it to continue on, I became frustrated with each switch.  The same frustration you might feel when a commercial comes on right at that point of a favorite television show or movie.

Anyway, Claire and her happenings bring about such a conflict.  Morals - for she most certainly is not acting legally.  Plus you just know she's going to be caught.  And yet.  You (or at least I) want things to go well for her.  Surely she's due for something to go right?

Beyond the conflict of Claire's situation (her Faustian bargain as the blurb on the cover says), there is the mystery of just what is going on with the Degas painting.  What did happen all those years ago with Isabelle Gardner?  And I have to say this part I partially guessed.  But still, I had to listen on.

And speaking of mystery.  This apparently is one, even though I wouldn't have classified it as such on my own.  Hmmm.

I would definitely listen to more of Xe Sands - in fact I just did listen to some of her #GoingPublic reading.  And I'm interested in reading some of more by Barbara Shapiro - whose name is naggingly familiar, though I didn't recognize any of her previous works.