Early Book Review: Hidden Places by Claudia Martin

Hidden Places by Claudia Martin is currently scheduled for release on April 14 2024.  From the psychedelic salt mines of Yekaterinburg in Siberia to the rugged, green-tinted Copper Canyon in the Sierra Madre in Mexico, Hidden Places roams across the globe in search of hidden treasures and secret places off the beaten track. Explore the Silfra Deep Trench in Iceland, where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet to create a remarkable rift and freshwater dive site; experience the weirdest of woodland walks through the Crooked Forest in Pomerania, Poland, where a grove of 400 pines are uniformly curved; marvel at the colourful, gold-plated temple of Doi Suthep in northern Thailand; or visit the world’s highest sand dune, Grande Dune du Pilat, on the Bordeaux coast. Each location is accompanied by a caption explaining the geography and history of the place. Illustrated with 180 colour photographs, Hidden Places ranges from the sparse landscape of the Arctic Circle to the rich rainforests of the Amazon basin. Read this book and discover the special, hidden places that will come to define your bucket list – many of which are much closer to home than you think.

Hidden Places is a lovely collection of images with a brief disruption about each photograph and what really makes the location special and relatively unknown by travelers. I thought the chosen photographs were stunning, and they focused on the wonders of the landscape for the most part but with select human structures where appropriate. I am not much of a traveler, but I found that this book gave me a bit of wonderlust. However, I am going to channel that into finding some quiet and beautiful locations a little closer to home than those in this book. 

Early Book Review: Pretty Ugly by David Sedaris

Pretty Ugly by David Sedaris is a beautifully gross picture book that is currently scheduled for release on February 27 2024. Anna Van Ogre’s lovely monster face turns into that of a sickeningly adorable, rosy-cheeked little girl—and it’s not switching back! Can she find a way to stop looking like an ugly human and regain her gorgeous monstrosity of a face? The dynamic duo of nationally acclaimed comedian David Sedaris and renowned children's book author Ian Falconer comes together to ponder the perpetually relevant question: is true beauty really on the inside?

Pretty Ugly is a new look at several old adages. Our young hero finds out that when you are making silly, funny, or scary faces it really can stick that way. Even us parents thought it was made up and just an attempt to make the madness stop! I love the illustrations, and how poor Anna tries so hard to stop looking so darn cute. I also love her literal interpretation that beauty is on the inside. This is an all around fun book, with splendid illustrations, and I hope this will become a favorite for many, and that no one tries Anna's beauty secrets. 

Book Review: Beauty and the Beast of Paradise Lost , Volume 1, by Kaori Yuki

Beauty and the Beast of Paradise Lost , Volume 1, by Kaori Yuki is the start of a new graphic novel series. It presents the story of Belle and her beast as you've never seen it before, with sinister, creeping shadows suffusing a door to a wider, magical world. Young and rambunctious Belle insists on going out to play in the forbidden woods, but her adventurous streak abruptly ends when her mother is spirited away by a beast known to kidnap beautiful women. Twisted by the loss of his wife, Belle’s father keeps his daughter and her unusual violet hair locked away in an effort to “protect” her from prying eyes. Years later, news of the beast’s reappearance coaxes Belle back to the woods where it all began—but her desperate search for the truth may be more perilous than she could have ever imagined. 

Beauty and the Beast of Paradise Lost is a new and engaging story. First off, I loved the art style and think the graphics do a great job of illustrating the mood and action oft he story while adding a great deal to the story as a whole. I enjoyed the twist on the beauty and the beast idea, and think the characters, action, and plot are all well build and carries through out the story. I thought the emotional scars for Belle and the other characters were just as evident as their more obvious attributes. Belle and the Beast had me wanting to know more about them and how everything would come together right from the start, and I was disappointed to see the last page of this volume because it felt like all of the groundwork had been laid and everything was just about to get even more interesting. I must admit that there were a few moments where I got a bit lost as to exactly where the characters were, and how certain things came to pass, but those moments were definitely the exception rather than the rule. I really enjoyed this read and look forward to the second volume. 

Beauty and the Beast of Paradise Lost is a solid start to a new series, and I am intrigued. I look forward to following the story as it continues. 

Book Review: The Beauty of Chemistry: Art, Wonder, and Science by Philip Ball

The Beauty of Chemistry: Art, Wonder, and Science by Philip Ball is a visual and intellectual treat. Chemistry is not just about microscopic atoms doing inscrutable things; it is the process that makes flowers and galaxies. We rely on it for bread-baking, vegetable-growing, and producing the materials of daily life. In stunning images and illuminating text, this book captures chemistry as it unfolds. Using such techniques as microphotography, time-lapse photography, and infrared thermal imaging, The Beauty of Chemistry shows us how chemistry underpins the formation of snowflakes, the science of champagne, the colors of flowers, and other wonders of nature and technology. We see the marvelous configurations of chemical gardens; the amazing transformations of evaporation, distillation, and precipitation; heat made visible; and more.

The Beauty of Chemistry: Art, Wonder, and Science does a great job of showing the wonder of chemistry to those that might not otherwise look to closely. I was in awe at the images, and think the book is well worth a look to enjoy based on those pages on their own. However, I found the explanations of the images and science involved to be well written and accessible. In fact, I found some beauty in the structure and details of the science itself. I think this is a wonderful book showing the true beauty that we do not often appreciate in our world- sometimes because it is so big or small that we cannot see it, and sometimes because we are just not noticing. I liked that there was a glossary, list of sources for the used quotations, and other important pieces of information in the the endpages. That is something that sometimes gets left out, and seeing it included always makes me happy.

The Beauty of Chemistry: Art, Wonder, and Science is a great book to simply look at and enjoy the stunning images, but it is also a book that explains the wonder of science and the natural world that creates these things.

Early Book Review: Badass Braids: From Vikings to Game of Thrones, 50 Maverick Looks for Sci-Fi and Fantasy Fanatics by Shannon Burns

Badass Braids: From Vikings to Game of Thrones, 50 Maverick Looks for Sci-Fi and Fantasy Fanatics by Shannon Burns is currently scheduled for release on April 3 2018. When she’s not studying for her PhD in social neuroscience, Silvousplaits (a.k.a. Shannon Burns) is creating and posting weekly instructional videos on her YouTube channel of DIY hair art that mimics the hairstyles of valiant men and women in the best historical, sci-fi, and fantasy shows and movies. Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, Vikings, and The Hunger Games--oh yeah, she's done them all. In Badass Braids she shows you how to transform your hair step-by-step. You'll look just like your favorite heroes and heroines in no time. With an introduction to the styling techniques for different kinds of basic braids, interviews with behind-the-scenes stylists and actors, and original styles inspired by fan-favorites.

Badass Braids: From Vikings to Game of Thrones, 50 Maverick Looks for Sci-Fi and Fantasy Fanatics has me wishing I had my long hair back, and willing to go through the awkward regrowth process so that I can try more of these out. This book offers readers a good deal of information on the tools and tricks for perfect braiding. I liked the amount of detail given about the different combs, brushes, other tools and decorations that could be used and how or why you might want to use one or another. The tips and instructions are all well done and very detailed, but never talk down to the readers, which sometimes happens in how-to books of every variety. I also like that there is information on the character each style is based on with each style, both including who they are portrayed by and some information on the real character from history, literature, and so on. The combination of photographs, illustrations, and step by step instructions make the process easy to follow on your own.

Badass Braids: From Vikings to Game of Thrones, 50 Maverick Looks for Sci-Fi and Fantasy Fanatics is a wonderful book for hair and braid lovers, and those looking to emulate the characters from various shows and movies. It could also be helpful for cosplay, conventions, and other costumed events. While not everyone needs this book, anyone wanting to expand thier knowledge of hairstyles in general, and braiding in particular, would do well to get this book.