Category Archives: Reviewettes

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Linkity hates trying to figure out if that was a firework or a gunshot

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Randonymity

  • Tiny (the journal is 3″ x 5″) composition book stamped journal page:

  • Bright journal page:

  • Watery journal page:

Contest(s)

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Think, Learn, Do, Make

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Teh Cute

Reading Update
The Brutal Telling (Three Pines #5) by Louise Penny. Very good mystery which really shakes things up in Three Pines! 😮

“I disapprove of the number of pillows on this couch, as they greatly reduce the amount of space I have to sprawl out.” -Chaos

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Linkity warns of melted cats on the floor

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Randonymity

Contest(s)

Bookity

Think, Do, Make, Learn

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Reading Update
A Rule Against Murder (Three Pines #4) by Louise Penny. Good continuation of the series – the Chief Inspector and his wife are staying at a lodge to celebrate their anniversary when death visits the unhappy family reunion also at the lodge.
Aspertools: The Practical Guide for Understanding and Embracing Asperger’s, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and Neurodiversity by Harold S. Reitman. DNF @ 33%. I really wanted to like this book. I liked some of the information in it, but unfortunately I found the author’s style too annoying to continue reading. YMMV.
Doodles Unleashed: Mixed-Media Techniques for Doodling, Mark-Making and Lettering by Traci Bautista. DNF at 43%. Maybe the formatting of the ebook made this seem kind of chaotic? Maybe the paper book is less a nonstop and thus somewhat overwhelming list of prompts? YMMV.

“BoredBoredBoredBoredBoredBoredBoredBoredBoredBoredBoredBored…” -Mayhem

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

In which linkity suffers a fortunately non-fatal cute burn

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Congrats to Courtney S, who won Collusion (Diversion #2) (2nd ed) by Eden Winters! Collusion will be released by Rocky Ridge Books on June 20.

Contest(s)

Bookity

Think, Learn, Make, Do

Cookity

Gluten Free

Crafty

Cool

Cool or Wha…?

Wha…?

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Teh Cute

Reading Update
No Excuses Art Journaling: Making Time for Creativity by Gina Rossi Armfield. So-so – perfect if you’re looking for a very structured approach to art journaling at $50-$97/year. No thanks, although I did enjoy some of the sample journal pages in the book.
A Fatal Grace (Three Pines #2) by Louise Penny. Very good continuation of this series. The Chief Inspector and his team return to the magical village of Three Pines, where a nasty interloper has been murdered. Lots of setup for the next book, too – have I mentioned how much I hate foreshadowing?!
The Cruelest Month (Three Pines #3) by Louise Penny. Good mystery continuing the series with a return to Three Pines after someone dies at a seance. All the foreshadowing from the previous book culminated near the end of this one, but felt a bit too pat.

*being adorable* -Mayhem

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Higgeldy piggeldy linkity

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Congrats to MarMight, who won The Champion’s Secret (Red Dragon #4) by Becky Black!

Bookity

Think, Make, Learn, Do

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Gluten Free

Crafty

Cool

Cool or Wha…?

Wha…?

LOL

Teh Cute

Reading Update
I Think I Might Be Autistic: A Guide to Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis and Self-Discovery for Adults by Cynthia Kim. Excellent little book for those of us who’ve come to suspect we’re neurodiverse instead of neurotypical. Defines autism spectrum disorders, describes the process of getting an official diagnosis (and how that might not even be possible for everyone), and discusses how to properly self-diagnose. Highly recommended.
Still Life (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #1) by Louise Penny. Very good mystery set in Quebec, in a thriving little town that’s not on any of the maps (the Chief Inspector checks as they’re driving out from Montreal), after an elderly and much-beloved town resident is found dead. Accidental death… or murder? I’m already on the wait list at the library for the next two books in the series. 🙂

“Clean face, clean face, I’m going to have a clean clean face!” -Chaos

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Linkity tries to catch up

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Congrats to Trix, who won Kick at the Darkness by Keira Andrews! Kick at the Darkness was released on May 28 by KA Books.

Bookity

Think, Learn, Make, Do

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Reading Update
Girls Growing Up on the Autism Spectrum: What Parents and Professionals Should Know about the Pre-Teen and Teenage Years by Shana Nichols, Gina Marie Moravcik, & Samara Pulver Tetenbaum. I skim-read this not as a parent, but as an adult with an ASD looking looking for better understanding. I do think this would be an excellent resource for parents – it’s very well-researched and practical.
Nerdy, Shy, and Socially Inappropriate: A User Guide to an Asperger Life by Cynthia Kim. Excellent book about the life-changing discovery that you’re autistic in your 40s. (Oh, how I could relate to THAT.) Based on Cynthia Kim’s blog, Musings of an Aspie, this book is packed full of everything Kim’s learned since her diagnosis, backed by research and supported by stories from Kim’s life.
Indexing by Seanan McGuire. Good contemporary fantasy about the ATI Management Bureau, an agency devoted to keeping fairy tale narratives from gaining power and warping reality. First person narrator and ATI team leader Henrietta Marchen is herself a Snow White in abeyance. (Maybe it was just me, but I definitely wondered if this story was inspired by the Thursday Next novels of Jasper Fforde).

Sad but true story – I can’t quite figure out whose tail that is. (It’s been over six months since I took the picture.) Chaos has a slight kink near the end of his tail, and there could sort of be a kink near the end of the tail in the picture, right??! Plus it looks more like his fur than May’s. I’m pretty sure…

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes, Tales of the Neighborhood

Linkity’s jammin’ with Paul Bunyan

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Congrats to Monica, who won Owner of My Heart (Mending the Rift #2) (2nd ed) by Valentina Heart!

Randonymity

Bookity

Think, Make, Learn, Do

Cookity

Gluten Free

Crafty

Cool

Cool or Wha…?

Wha…?

LOL

Teh Cute

Reading Update
Ideas & Inspirations for Art Journals & Sketchbooks by Suzanne McNeill. Ok short collection of examples from McNeill’s own “Sketch-Journals”, along with some tips for starting your own such journal and a list of basic supplies.
Painting Nature in Watercolor with Cathy Johnson: 37 Step-By-Step Demonstrations Using Watercolor Pencil and Paint by Cathy Johnson. Very good book about using watercolors (primarily watercolor pencils) to capture scenes from nature, ranging from forests to mountains to water to desert. Lots of great detail about technique and materials, too. (In the conclusion, Johnson mentions her friend Hannah Hinchman – I can definitely see similarities in their styles and subject matter!)
I am AspienGirl: The Unique Characteristics, Traits and Gifts of Females on the Autism Spectrum by Tania A Marshall. This was an odd book. Each page had a quote from an “AspienGirl”, another from some sort of adult caregiver (parents, teachers, grandparents, psychologists, etc), and a photo. The appendices had additional detail about typical characteristics/symptoms of females with Aspergers/high functioning autism and how female characteristics differ from those of males. The overall effect was chaotic and shallow. Plus the whole “AspienGirl”(r) annoyed me…

“…zzzzzzzzzzzzzz…” -Chaos

“…zzzzzzzzzzzzzz…” -Mayhem

I am not sure how May can breathe whilst sleeping on her face like that…

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes, Tales of the Neighborhood

Linkity is done and ready to be scheduled and it still doesn’t have a title

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Reading Update
Basic Colored Pencil Techniques by Bet Borgeson. Very good book that’s exactly what’s on the tin. 🙂 I think I saw this used in Uptown a couple weeks ago – I’m going to check to see if it’s still there. It’ll be easier to use as a reference if I have a physical copy on hand, instead of repeatedly borrowing the ebook from the library. (Found it used at Magers & Quinn – yay!)
Journal It! Perspective in Creative Journaling by Jenny Doh. Gorgeous and inspiring words and images on keeping an art journal from 19 artists. Since I had to take a break in the middle of reading it to go art, I’d definitely recommend it for those looking for inspiration.

*trying to decide if Mayhem is being annoying enough by existing that he needs to go find somewhere else to nap* -Chaos

*vaguely annoyed by the giant catlick cowlick Chaos left behind her right ear* -Mayhem

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Looking for Loch Ness linkity

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Contest(s)

Bookity

Think, Learn, Do, Make

Cookity

Gluten Free

Crafty

Cool

Cool or Wha…?

Wha…?

LOL

Teh Cute

Reading Update
Art for Kids: Drawing: The Only Drawing Book You’ll Ever Need to Be the Artist You’ve Always Wanted to Be by Kathryn Temple. Good basic overview of a wide variety of drawing concepts. I’ve tried a few of the exercises in my sketchbook and plan to try a few more before returning this book to the library.
The Gluten-Free Revolution: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know about Losing the Wheat, Reclaiming Your Health, and Eating Happily Ever After by Jax Peters Lowell. DNF. Not going to rate this. I didn’t realize it was the third edition of Lowell’s Against the Grain: The Slightly Eccentric Guide to Living Well Without Gluten or Wheat, which was a really important read for me after I was diagnosed with celiac disease in 1997. Lowell’s no-nonsense, seize-the-day attitude was so completely different from every other book about celiac and the gluten-free diet – it was refreshing and freeing. But I’m in a very different place now with the gluten-free diet and this time Lowell’s style was just rubbing me the wrong way.

“Don’t think I’m not keeping an eye on you, Mom!” -Chaos

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

The pitter patter of little linkity drops

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Congrats to Ali G, who won I’m the Guy You Hate by Isa K!

Congrats to Mary B, who won LIMBO by Clare London!

Randonymity

Bookity

Think, Make, Do, Learn

Cookity

Drinkity

Gluten Free

Crafty

Cool

Cool or Wha…?

Wha…?

LOL

Teh Cute

Reading Update
Urban Watercolor Sketching: A Guide to Drawing, Painting, and Storytelling in Color by Felix Scheinberger. Good overview of a wide range of watercolor techniques, emphasizing a more on-the-go and dynamic style of watercolor painting than most other introductory books.

And of course – hockey fics! 🙂

*still judging, still prettily* -Mayhem

*grumping about dinner being late, two hours before dinner time* -Chaos

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

In which linkity celebrates the installation of new windows

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Bookity

Do, Learn, Make, Think

Cookity

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Crafty

Cool

Cool or Wha…?

Wha…?

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Teh Cute

Reading Update
A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains by Isabella L Bird. Very good tale, written in a series of letters to her sister in England, of Isabella Lucy Bird’s extensive (and mostly solitary) travels in the Colorado Rocky Mountains during the late summer and fall of 1873. I am in complete awe of her – I’m pretty sure I would’ve curled up into a little ball and refused to continue once the temperature plummeted! And I enjoyed her compulsively readable style enough that I will definitely read more of her travels, some of which you can find at Project Gutenberg.
A Year in the Life: Journaling for Self-Discovery by Sheila Bender. Meh. Disappointing book about the benefits of journaling, complete with a year of rather contrived journaling prompts. As I first read, then skimmed, I kept muttering to the author, “Do your own work. Do your own work.” I’m not sure there was a single page on which the author didn’t quote from or refer to another writer and it quickly became very, very annoying.
Writing as a Way of Healing: How Telling Our Stories Transforms Our Lives by Louise DeSalvo. DNF. I made it about 35% (into Part Two) before I put it down and decided I didn’t want to bother reading more. I found Part One weirdly off-putting as the author repeated over and over, in slightly different and not-so-different ways, what the Exact Specific Only Type Of Writing That Is Therapeutic was.
Creative Journal Writing: The Art and Heart of Reflection by Stephanie Dowrick. The title sums it up well. 🙂 This is a book that I’ll have close by when I’m feeling stuck and need some inspiration – there are thoughtful, thought-provoking exercises throughout and a list of 125 helpful prompts at the end.
Note to Self: On Keeping a Journal and Other Dangerous Pursuits by Samara O’Shea. Only made it to page 32 before I gave up. It just felt obnoxiously self-absorbed to me, in a way I couldn’t relate to at all. It has been donated to the nearest Little Free Library.
Learn Watercolour Quickly by Hazel Soan. Perhaps a bit too quickly…

“I’m blaming you for how scary and disruptive getting the new windows installed was!!” -Mayhem