Review: Monet, the Ultimate Impressionist by Sylvie Patin

 In 1874 Claude Monet's Impression, Sunrise caused uproar among the critics and a revolution in painting. His inventiveness was inexhaustible: with the Haystacks, Poplars and, finally, the enchanting Water-lilies of Giverny, Monet captured light in all its fleeting qualities.

At last, almost blind – 'I fear the dark more than death' – he feverishly produced near-abstract landscapes of water and reflection, a vision of nature that paved the way for the art of our own times. 

Including hundreds of beautiful reproductions and contemporary illustrations,comprehensive text, documentary witness accounts and letters, Monet: The Ultimate Impressionist, a pocket-sized book, is perfect both for the lover of Monet and of the history of Impressionism. 

Sylvie Patin worked at the Jeu de Paume and the Musée de l'Orangerie before being appointed curator of paintings at the Musée d'Orsay. (via nationalgallery.co.uk)

Though I know very little about it, art has intrigued me for the past few years and impressionism, in particular, has really captured my interest. So, as I have a few months to go until my next university course kicks off, now seems like the perfect time to begin learning a little more about this form of creative expression.

After recently taking an audio tour around the National Gallery and finding myself admiring Monet's work more than most others, this book caught my eye in the giftshop. Unlike many art books that I've seen, this one, published by Thames and Hudson, comes as a compact paperback, making it easy to lug around outside the house without being too much of a nuisance. It's filled with full colour images and plenty of commentary, tracing Monet's life through various sources of direct evidence including the art, various letters, and a transaction log book kept by the artist himself.

Though the book is relatively short (175 pages, many of which are illustrated), there is a wealth of information about Monet's life and everything is unveiled in chronological order. I can't share everything that fascinated me (I would probably end up listing everything in the book!), but here are a few tidbits.

• It was enlightening to find out how much Monet struggled during his career. He was frequently rejected by exhibition organisers, critics often mocked his work, and he was forced to sell his paintings for prices lower than their worth just to have money to live on.
  
• He formed very deep friendships and support systems with fellow impressionists such as Manet, Renoir, and Pissarro. He even appealed to Manet for monetary loans quite frequently, and of course he obliged, though Monet always paid him back. Vincent Van Gogh's brother, Théo, even bought some of Monet's work and had them exhibited.
• The back pages of the book include various documents written by Monet, his friends, critics, and admirers. Here's a fraction of a letter that Vincent Van Gogh sent to H.M. Levens in admiration:

  "There are many things to see here .... In Antwerp, I never even knew what the Impressionists were; now I have seen them, and although I am not yet one of their club, I am a great admirer of some of their paintings ... [notably] a landscape by Claude Monet." (Paris, summer or autumn 1886)

I also think my understanding of how to read a painting has improved. From what I gather, the most important thing to observe is the composition, for example the lighting, shadows, and the use of colour. But all you art lovers in-the-know can tell me if I’m right or wrong there!

Still, the book wasn't perfect. The compact size compromises the quality of the prints, and so it makes it slightly more difficult to appreciate what the author is trying to convey. Also, the pages are cluttered with information. There are notes explaining each of the illustrations alongside the more detailed main paragraphs, where perhaps readers might just benefit from the name of the piece and a reference to a footnote at the back of the book.

Altogether, though, I found this a very informative and enjoyable read. If you're looking for a good pocket-sized book to learn more about Monet, then this would be a good choice. However, if you'd prefer to something with more high quality prints, I would suggest something published by Taschen. I have several art books by Taschen, and though I haven't read them in great detail, they can be very affordable options (an A3 hardcover can be as little as £8.99, while this Thames and Hudson A5 paperback was £7.95).

Rating: 3.5 / 5

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Like what you've heard? Get your copy at The Book Depository.

Quote of the Week

I love a good quote, whether it's funny, inspiring, completely bonkers, book related, non-book related, etc. I don't discriminate! So, I've decided that each Monday, I'll be posting a Quote of the Week.

For this very first installment, I've chosen some enlightening words from a celebrated artist (who I also happen to be reading about right now)...

“What I do here will at least have the merit of being unlike anyone else's work ... because it'll simply be the expression of what I personally felt myself.”

- Claude Monet

Review: I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

I've lost it. The only thing in the world I wasn't supposed to lose. My engagement ring. It's been in Magnus's family for three generations. And now, the very same day his parents are coming, I've lost it. The very same day. Do not hyperventilate, Poppy. Stay positive!! 

Poppy Wyatt has never felt luckier. She is about to marry the ideal man, Magnus Tavish, but in one afternoon her 'happy ever after' begins to fall apart. Not only has she lost her engagement ring but in the panic that followed, she has now lost her phone. As she paces shakily round the hotel foyer she spots an abandoned phone in a bin. Finders keepers! Now she can leave a number for the hotel to contact her when they find her ring. Perfect!

Well, perfect except the phone's owner, businessman Sam Roxton doesn't agree. He wants his phone back and doesn't appreciate Poppy reading all his messages and wading into his personal life. 

What ensues is a hilarious and unpredictable turn of events as Poppy and Sam increasingly upend each other's lives through emails and text messages. As Poppy juggles wedding preparations, mysterious phone calls and hiding her left hand from Magnus and his parents... she soon realises that she is in for the biggest surprise of her life. (via Goodreads)

If you've read any of Sophie Kinsella's other books, it's likely that you'll recognise the same traits in Poppy as you would expect to find in Kinsella's other protagonists. Poppy is a professional young woman with a heart of gold who tends to put that heart first instead of her head. The result is a series of unexpected, yet self-provoked, incidents with the undeniable ability to make a person cringe!

And cringe I did, especially at the beginning! I found Poppy to be very annoying. Not that I was surprised by this – Kinsella's characters all have a tendency to test my patience at some point. What I didn't like about Poppy were the people-pleasing aspects of her personality which tended to get her into large muddles with those around her. The only person she didn't seem all that interested in pleasing was Sam, the owner of the mobile phone she finds in a hotel lobby bin.

But, the story really grew on me. After I got past my initial hang-ups and became used to Poppy, I began to accept her. The best thing about the book was seeing her relationship with Sam grow, and observing all the ways they end up helping each other.

Also, Kinsella's writing is still on top form here. I really admire that certain cinematic flow her books seem to have; as if you can imagine them being played out on screen with little adaptation.

I've Got Your Number is a very clever story, and once you get past all those initial annoyances it's easy to enjoy. Definitely worth a read!

Rating: 4 / 5

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Like what you've heard? Get your copy at The Book Depository.

Beads and Bracelets

Around two months ago, I became interested in making jewellery. It's not something I think about doing as a career but rather as a fun, and perhaps profitable, hobby. A girl can hope, right?

Since I've spent a small fortune on supplies (can you say, carried away?!), I've gotten around to creating these pretty elastic beaded bracelets. Even though they're simple to make, you can come up with some excellent and professional designs. Personally, I love beaded bracelets like these. They're usually the first thing I lock eyes on in the jewellery/accessories section of a store (I have more store-bought beaded bracelets than I know what to do with!)

So, I've put together a few of my own creations and opened a shop on Etsy. If you'd like to look at what I've got on offer at the moment, please check out my shop here.

There's also a chance to win a bracelet in my big May giveaway, especially made just for you! You can enter that here.

If you'd love to have something handmade and totally unique, now's definitely the time to get going!

In the future, I'm hoping to start making more intricate jewellery using wire instead of elastic. We'll see how that goes. First, I need to find a local beading class... where are they hiding?

For now, here are some of my current creations. Hope you like them!

This one has just been sold. It's made of glass beads and Tibetan silver. If you would like to have one for yourself, I've got enough supplies left to make another exactly like this. Price was £1.80 excluding postage.








On sale now for £2.00 excluding postage. The parrot charm is Tibetan silver, and the beads are all glass. Four are imitation pearls and the rest are turquoise and yellow crackle effect beads.

Very similar to the one above, except the glass beads are fuschia and yellow. On sale now for £2.00.

A light green bracelet, also all glass. There is one oval blue and clear crackle bead, two white hearts with flower detail, and two Tibetan silver dividers. I haven't put the bracelet on Etsy yet, but expect to see it soon.

Review: A Good Year by Peter Mayle

Max Skinner is a man at the heart of London's financial universe until his employers embark on a little asset- stripping of their own. Himself. Amid the grey London drizzle, there is one potential ray of sunshine: Max's Uncle Henry has left him his estate in his will - an eighteenth-century chateau and vineyard an hour's drive from Avignon. Out of a job, and encouraged by his friend Charlie about the money in modern wine, he heads for France. What Max discovers is a beautiful house, wonderful weather and a bustling village. The downside is the quality of the wine in his vineyard, but when Max suggests calling in an expert, Roussel, a former employee of his uncle's, is resistant. Help is at hand, however, when a beautiful blonde Californian arrives unexpectedly at the chateau. Peter Mayle's delightful novel will enchant the audiences who bought A YEAR IN PROVENCE and TOUJOURS PROVENCE in their millions. (via Goodreads)

The reason I decided to read this book was because one of my favourite films, also called A Good Year, was based on it. There are quite a few big plot differences between the two, but I won't go into the specifics of that now. Let's just say that if you've seen the film before you've read the book, or vice versa, these differences will probably intrigue more than annoy.

A Good Year is the perfect book to read if you've been dying to escape the never-ending conveyor belt of rainclouds hovering over Britain for the past month or so. You're instantly transported from a grey and repetitive existence which, aptly enough, is exactly what the main character experiences during the first two chapters of the book before relocating to the south of France.

The way Mayle describes the beautiful French countryside is so blissful and inviting. It made me feel like I was stepping into the story – like I was in Provence and I could feel 'the glorious shock of heat' with Max as he walks out of the airport (something I always treasure whenever I arrive at a hot destination).

The plot itself is a little slow paced and not overly intense. This is something I usually complain about when reading but here it didn't bother me at all. It just seemed to add the the overall gentility and the implied laidback, idyllic lifestyles that the people of Provence experience.

I would say that if you enjoy wine, food, beautiful scenery and good company, a hint of crime and charming laugh-out-loud humour, A Good Year can provide you with plenty of it all. It's the perfect companion on a rainy day or even for those moments when you're basking in the sun.

Rating: 4 / 5 

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Like what you've heard? Get your copy at The Book Depository.

Collecting vintage postcards

You might be wondering why the last items up for grabs during my giveaway are handmade bracelets and vintage postcards. They're not exactly bookish items, but they're two things I have recently become very interested in.

I've enjoyed purchasing various postcards over the past few years – from cities I've visited to fine art prints from various galleries – but it wasn't until about two months ago while I was visiting my talented friend, Jackie (check out her website!), that I became inspired to start a collection of vintage postcards.

My collection ranges from as early as 1900 to the 1960s. The prices you can expect pay for postcards can vary, but most I've paid for a single card on eBay is around £6 including postage. There is also an amazing antique shop a few miles from where I live, The Antique Cellar in Brackley, which has a whole section full of vintage postcards with hundreds of them only costing a mere 50p each! Needless to say, I have become quite eager to expand my collection.

To date, I have probably got just over a hundred vintage British, American and Asian postcards (the majority British), including a beautiful Edwardian postcard album that Jackie gave me for my birthday.

Now to share some of my favourites! All of those seen here are British, apart from the two which are indicated. You can also see more vintage postcards (some of which I've purchased) on my Pinterest board.

My Edwardian album (1916), which holds 400 postcards

A birthday greetings postcard, posted in 1921

Two song cards from World War I

A studio photograph postcard, posted in 1913. Studio photographs seem to have been quite popular in the early 20th century












The back of a postcard which was sent from the US Naval Hospital, Hawaii in 1942. See the front here.











An embossed birthday greetings photo postcard. Not sure of its exact date, but I'm guessing it's from around the 1910s.

A handpainted Japanese postcard from the 1950s








Hope you've enjoyed these! I'll be sharing more details about my handmade bracelets in the next couple of weeks.

Closed for entries | Surprise! MAY Month Giveaway Bonanza!

NOW CLOSED

To celebrate post-exam relief and my birthday (which is on May 10), I've decided to hold a big international giveaway! Check out the prizes below and then fill in the Rafflecopter form to enter. The more you do, the more chances you have of winning!

The MAY Month Giveaway Bonanza! will begin May 1st and end at 12.01am EST on June 1st. Winners will be announced on June 2nd so make sure you check back to see if you've won!

Good luck everyone!

Each entry will have the chance to win one of the following...

1 x US$10 towards any choice of books from The Book Depository

2 x paperback copies of Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James (one for each winner)

1 x paperback copy of Complete Novels of Jane Austen

1 x paperback copy of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
1 x eBook copy of Taste by Kate Evangelista

2 x Glass bead bracelets (handmade by me!) and vintage postcards (one for each winner).

Guest Post: The Evolution of Taste by Kate Evangelista

Kate's debut young adult novel, Taste, was released today! She's also here to share the story of its evolution. Here she goes!


I was a high school teacher when the beginnings of Taste first came to me. At the school I taught at, there was this practice of ringing a bell in the afternoon to signal that all remaining students on campus must be at the guardhouse to wait for their parents to pick them up. I always wondered why they did this. What was it about the campus during the afternoons that students aren’t allowed to roam around after a certain time? The practical reason would be that the nuns who ran the school were at prayer and need absolute silence. But the writer in me would not leave it at that. The practice of ringing the bell sparked my imagination. I began thinking of more supernatural reasons as to why students didn’t need to be on campus past a certain hour. This is why the beginning of Taste shows Phoenix waking up in the library to the ringing of bells.

One would think that because of my burst of inspiration, I would have begun writing Taste, but that wasn’t the case. Being a teacher took over every aspect of my life. I only had time to sleep, and there was barely enough of that. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed teaching. Every time I saw understanding in the eyes of my students after a lesson, I was elated—I actually helped someone learn something. But, deep down, I knew teaching wasn’t for me. Every time I woke up in the morning, I would ask myself: Is this what I want to do ten years from now? And the answer was always no. It took me a couple of years to get around to writing Taste. I finally realized that being a writer, sharing the stories of the characters in my head, was my life’s work.

Now, when inspiration strikes, I don’t wait years before I act on it. I know this is a cliché, but time really is too short to waste on doing something you don’t find fulfillment in. Okay, I’ve digressed from the main point of this post. Bear with me because it might happen again at some point!

Anyway, when I finally sat down and started writing Taste, it was still titled Lunar Heat. I was going for a play on words that involved the Lunar Garden in the story. For those who’ve read Taste, you know where the Lunar Garden is. At the time, I didn’t know anything about writing. Sure, I could write, but formatting, proper grammar, and pacing was beyond me. I didn’t even understand how to properly use the first person narrative. But the lack of know-how didn’t stop me. I kept writing until I had a first draft ready.

When the first draft was complete, I made the mistake of asking my friends to help edit. What I love about friends is that they will never hesitate to compliment you on everything you do. For a writer, this is a good ego boost, but it doesn’t necessarily help you grow within your craft. Unless you have a friend who is willing to give you constructive criticism about your work, stay away from letting friends edit your work. That’s one lesson learned in this process.

The first draft was around the time I started doing my research about the writing process. I even had the guts to submit Lunar Heat to agents without the manuscript even being close to ready. This endeavor ended in a pile of rejection letters. Save yourself the agony and make sure to learn a thing or two first. I wish someone had told me that at the beginning. But, of course, like with many of us, we learn things on our own. So, I started following blogs that had anything to do with writing. And one of them actually featured an ad for a writer who was looking for a critique partner. I didn’t know what a critique partner was, but I took a leap of faith and answered the ad. This leap led me down the path of many emails exchanged between many critique partners. Some of them I still keep in contact with. One of them even became my sister in writing. Check the dedication of Taste and the acknowledgement section to understand what I mean.

Armed with new knowledge about writing, I set about editing Lunar Heat to the ground. When you think you’ve edited your manuscript enough, that’s a sign that you need to edit it some more. But one thing I learned through this process is that you don’t need a perfect manuscript. There is no such thing as a perfect manuscript. Those are mythical creatures. Why is this? Because your future editor will still ask you to change many things within the story. What you need to do is get your manuscript to a point where editors will see the potential in the story and want to help you make it better. How do you know when you’re there? When you start getting request for partial or full submissions.

After editing for about a year—yes, you got that right, a year—I began submitting Lunar Heat to agents. And after six months, I finally got “The Call”. I thought to myself, finally, I have an agent, next stop, publishing. So, I eagerly waited for my agent’s editorial notes for Lunar Heat. Yes, folks, more editing. When he was satisfied that Lunar Heat was ready for submission, we changed the title to Taste and he sent it out to editors. Long story short, and saving you from all the heartbreak that comes with this part of my life, after five rejections from editors, my agent lost confidence in submitting Taste. It was downhill from there. Another lesson learned, you never want an agent who losses confidence in your writing. Nothing good comes of it.

So, after a year of nothing happening with my agent, I decided to let him go and start querying Taste to other agents and smaller publishing houses. My goal was to get Taste published so I could share Phoenix’s story with the world. This meant more editing. And when requests started filling my inbox from agents and publishers about full submissions, I thought to myself, here we go again. Another chance.

Finally, two months after parting ways with my agent, I received an email from Crescent Moon Press. They wanted to publish Taste! I was finally going to be a published author. My dream was coming true. And you know what I realized after my excitement and elation wore off? More editing to come.

Basically, Taste evolved the way it is today because of all the editing that’s been done to it. The biggest lesson I learned through writing Taste was to love the editing process. I realized that getting the story onto the page is important, but it is through editing where you find the diamond in the rough. Editing is where you find the real story, where your creativity is challenged the most. Some hate editing, and rightfully so, because it’s not the easiest process. You need to learn compromise and always remind yourself that all the notes and suggestions are for the good of the story. At least, that was what I kept reminding myself. Once I opened myself up to the editing process, I realized that there was so much more to learn when it comes to being a writer.

I guess, at the beginning of this post, I set out to show all of you how Taste’s story evolved through the years, but in the end, I showed all of you how I evolved. It’s funny how things work out that way. With Taste’s release on April 30, 2012 (which is so surreal, by the way, that I’m at this point already) I know that my journey to being a writer is just beginning. That I have more stories I want to share with the world. That I have so much more to learn and so many more people to meet.

I would like to take this moment, to thank Sophie for letting me take over her blog today.
Sophie, your continued support means a lot to me. We may live a pond away, but one day we will meet and the first thing I want to do is give you a big hug. Thank you for always being there. And Ireland is becoming a reality now more than ever.

~

Kate, you're a fantastic writer and person, and I'm so happy for all your success! It's a pleasure to have gotten to know you. Ireland, here we come!

~

To learn out more about Kate, her novels, and to find out where to purchase a copy of Taste, please visit her blog.

Review: Delicacy by David Foenkinos

Reminiscent of the work of Nick Hornby and Muriel Barbery, "Delicacy" is a funny, sweet-as-candy story about a young widow who comes to find love with the unlikeliest of people--her clumsy and unassuming coworker. (via Goodreads)

I bought this book last week solely because it was the Kindle Daily Deal, and who can resist a promising story for a bargainous 99p?

Unfortunately, though, I didn't love it. While it is charmingly written and feels quite European (it is, after all, translated from the original French), I didn't appreciate its quirky presentation. Various chapters are really short, with some just containing a quote or even John Lennon's post-death discograph. I also found the story quite slow moving even though the book is quite short.

So, though the story's plot and its characters are intriguing, there just wasn't enough within the content to keep me wanting to turn the pages. If you're interested in reading novels with a bit of a different feel to them, then this might be for you.

Rating: 2.5 / 5

The tale of a Kindle convert

I've always been apprehensive about eReaders. I thought they were 'soulless' machines unable to offer readers the depth of pleasure that the physical aspect of holding a paperback or hardback provides. Who wants to stare at a grey screen which takes away about one third of the reading experience: the aesthetic pleasure. The feel of paper, that shiny cover, and the scent of the pages?

But a few months ago I opted for an affordable, and gloriously hot pink, Sony Reader solely for the purpose of reading eBook review copies sent by authors and publishers Sure, it took away the strain of having to read hundreds of pages on an LCD screen, but beyond that I wasn't impressed. There was no wifi so everytime I wanted to transfer something I'd have to connect it to the computer. There was also no way to drag-and-drop files onto the eReader directly because Sony make you download their special software. And this, rather stupidly, can only be authorised for use on one computer. The times that I bought an eBook out of pure intrigue from Waterstones.com or downloaded something from NetGalley, it took me at least fifteen minutes each time to get it transferred onto the Sony software because of its complex nature. The eReader itself was also uninviting – turning a page consisted of at least a two second delay and a sudden black-and-white flash, fonts on PDF files would be different sizes and different styles on each page, the screen was dim and very small. Ultimately, it did very little to change my opinion or my buying habits.

Then, three weeks ago and on a complete whim, came along Kindle!

I think it's now fair to say that my Kindle has converted me to the eBook realm. When I compare it to the Sony, it's blatantly obvious that so much more effort has gone into the Kindle's hardware and software design. Ergonomically, it's a dream. The page-turn buttons on either side of the Kindle and ability to change the screen orientation make it so that you can feel comfortable holding onto it in just about whatever position you're reading in. Font sizes and styles can be changed easily, page turning is fast and flashing is limited. Plus, it's slim and lightweight, and the size and colour of the screen are perfect. Well, okay, so I'd prefer it if the cover art could be displayed in colour, but other than that I have very little to complain about!

And could the Kindle store be any better? The selection is so immense! I love that there are thousands of books you can download for free, including classics like Pride and Prejudice and Treasure Island. Then there are the daily deals, the hundreds of newspapers and magazines from all around the world, 99p books, the ability to preview the first chapter before committing to a purchase, etc. All downloaded so simply via a one-click wireless connection!

Though I won't be purchasing all my books electronically in the future, I can see myself buying less physical books – especially if I can get the same book for the same price. Having said that, if there's a book that I have enjoyed particularly, I'm still going to have to buy the paperback version. Sometimes I just don't feel I own enough of a book if it's not sitting on my shelf! Is anybody else like that? Also, some of the eBook prices I just don't understand – why do some of them still cost £8 even though you're not paying for something printed? That can't really be justified (unless someone can enlighten me).

We'll see. Perhaps my Kindle 'new toy' enthusiasm will waver in another few weeks. But I think it's safe to say that Amazon have done a bloody good job with this one!

What are your thoughts about eReaders? Do you own a Kindle or another device? How have your book buying habits changed?