Review of The Art of Beatrix Potter: Sketches, Paintings, and Illustrations by Emily Zach

From goodreads.com:

The Art of Beatrix Potter: Sketches, Paintings, and Illustrations by Emily Zach

Published to coincide with the 150th anniversary of Beatrix Potter's birth, this magnificent collection celebrates the artist behind The Tale of Peter Rabbit and numerous other beloved children's books. Brimming with famous images and rarely seen gems—ranging from character sketches and notebook pages to watercolor landscapes and natural history illustrations—this monograph explores Potter's artistic process and reveals the places that inspired her timeless work. Organized geographically and featuring more than 200 images from the artist's oeuvre, The Art of Beatrix Potter includes illuminating essays by Potter scholar Linda Lear, illustration historian Steven Heller, and children's book illustrator Eleanor Taylor. It is the definitive volume on one of the world's most influential authors, a woman whose artistry, until now, has not been fully celebrated.
Hardcover, 256 pages
Published November 22nd 2016 by Chronicle Books
ISBN145215127X (ISBN13: 9781452151274)

Leona's review:

This is a beautiful, hardcover, coffee table book. The drawings takes one to English gardens, and I loved the drawings of the animals and small creatures. Page 194 has "Studies of Kep, the collie". c1907, done in pencil and watercolor. The mouse, page 79 is really cute. There are landscapes as well as indoor and outdoor scenes. There are drawings of plants as well as archaeological tools and bones. (page 127)


I did not know Beatrix Potter was an artist as well as an author. Her books have  been read and cherished for many years.  I personally think of Peter Rabbit and Mr. McGregor when I think of Beatrix Potter. A wonderful book about a woman, her life and her talents.

From page 154. The next page is the art of the gardens done in pencil, pen-and-ink, sepia ink and watercolor. The colors are soft with some red flowers that stand out. There is a garden gate and a pathway with the cat sleeping.

"The Garden at Fawe Park, with visiting cat, unused background for The of Benjamin Bunny, 1903.
In August, the Potter family spent another summer on Derwentwater at Fawe Park, a less formal estate neighboring Lingholm, but still an easy trip to the shores of the lake. The large house was beautiful and comfortable, and Potter was taken by its gardens. With formal flowerbeds and landscaping bordering three sides of the house, the estate also contained orchards and productive kitchen gardens down the hillside toward the lake. Potter gathered her watercolors  and sketches in the Derwentwater sketchbook she had begun, preparing the setting for her next "rabbit book".
Using the Fawe Park gardens for Mr. McGregor's garden in this sequel to The Tale of Peter Rabbit, she portrays Peter and his cousin Benjamin Bunny setting out, while Mr. and Mrs. McGregor went away, to rescue Peter's clothes from the scarecrow that now wears his blue jacket and slippers. That task complete, the two decide to take a present of onions back to old Mrs. Rabbit, but they are soon trapped under a basket by an unknowing cat. The rescuers become the rescued as old Mr. Benjamin Bunny comes upon them and chases the cat away. The naughty bunnies are given a whipping but old Mrs. Rabbit forgives Peter when she sees he has brought back his shoes and coat, as well as the gift of  the onions, which she strings up with her herbs and "rabbit-tobacco".(lavender)"

Contents:

Foreword: Beatrix Potter's Artistic Spell by Steven Heller    page 6

Introduction: Observation and Imagination by Linda Lear  page 8

A Sense of Place: The Art and geography of Beatrix Potter page 11

Part One: Becoming Beatrix Potter page 17

Part Two: London and the South  Coast page 57

Part Three: Scotland page 93

part Four: The Lake District page 137

part Five: Wales and Beyond page 221

Afterword: An Illustrator's World by Elizabeth Taylor page 240

                 Acknowledgments page 242

                 Bibliography page 243

                 Image Credits  page 245

                 Index page 250

I won a complimentary copy of The Art of Beatrix Potter from LibraryThing and Chronicle Books. The opinions are my own.

I give it a 5 star plus. It really is a beautiful book.

Easter is coming and this would make an excellent book, along with the Peter Rabbit books for the Easter basket for a child or an adult. A gift like this can be read and re-read for many years.

It can also a gift for yourself or someone in your life on any occasion.

Leona Olson

http://www.mnleona.blogspot.com

Review of Bayou Wolf by Debbie Herbert

  

Bayou Wolf by Debbie Herbert

From the back of the book.

The taming of the shrew… 

Tallulah Silver is tough. She has to be—because she's the Choctaw tribe's only female shadow hunter, and because she doesn't know how else to survive the loss that almost destroyed her. Payton Rodgers has devoted his life to protecting his pack. But when mauled bodies start to pile up in the bayou, Payton begins to wonder if Tallulah might be right about werewolves deserving the blame. As darkness gathers around them, Tallulah will have to decide if she can risk opening herself up to love again. And Payton will have to determine where his true loyalties lie.

Leona's Review:

First, I will say I am not usually into these types of books but this was a winner.  It was a stand alone book even though are previous books in this series. I will have to read the other books. They are Bayou Shadow Hunter and Bayou Shadow Protector.

Tallulah Silver was a very feisty woman (sorry, Debbie. I used this word and then re-read your opening statement to the readers. I still will use it).  I liked her as a main character and also Payton Rodgers.  Payton and his crew are lumberjacks and were hired to clear trees at Bayou La Siryna, Alabama; Tallulah is trying to protect the trees. She becomes a problem to Payton right away.

Tallulah is a shadow hunter and Payton is the leader of the pack of werewolves.

This is a supernatural book with werewolves, deaths, some customs and legends of the Choctaw and romance.

I received a complimentary copy from the author, Debbie Herbert. The opinions are my own.

I will give Bayou Wolf a 5 star rating and its definitely a re-read for me.

Debbie Herbert is a goodreads.com author.

Her website is: http://www.debbieherbert.com

Leona Olson

http:www.mnleona.blogspot.com

Review of Silent Night Man by Diana Palmer

  

 

 

 

Book review of Silent Night Man by Diana Palmer.

 

From goodreads.com:

Silent Night Man by Diana Palmer

This Christmas, New York Times bestselling author Diana Palmer revisits a tale of danger and true love under the mistletoe…What does Millie Evans want in her stocking for Christmas? Just one thing…to feel safe. Even though her stalker is dead, he arranged for a hit man to kill her. Now the special government agent Millie has loved from afar for years has vowed to protect her. The man of her dreams seems finally within her grasp… In order to keep Millie safe, Tony Danzetta moves the prim librarian into his home. He insists on keeping her in sight 24/7, but their proximity causes Tony to question what he really wants for the holidays. Can the agent resign himself to keeping Millie at arm's length—or can their secret connection blossom into a real happily-ever-after?

 

Leona's Review:

This is a re-read of Silent Night Man for me. It is a fast read, only 120 pages, and so things move quickly. I wanted to re-read so I could do a review.

Tony has Millie move into his place so he can protect her. His friend, John, had been a stalker of Millie, unknown to Tony. He had originally blamed her for the suicide death of John. Now, he knew there was a death contract out for Millie and she needed protection.

Millie had worked with the foster mother of Tony and knew a lot of Tony, but not the whole story of his youth. She had been in love with him for years and he had no interest.

There is some sexual content but very little. No bad language.

I loved the ending of the book. 

I am giving this a 4 star rating as I liked the book.

 

Diana Palmer may be found at  http://www.dianapalmer.com/

 

Leona Olson

http://www.mnleona.blogspot.com

 

 

 

 

Life into Mist by Haidji

Life into Mist by Haidji

From the back of the book:

Life into Mist is a story about life, love, pain and wishes.

...that creates images in a reader's mind, as would each word

be a brushstroke inside the paintings of your imagination.

Leona's Review:

This was a poetic book that made me feel the ocean and her paint brushstrokes. Characters are added all the time and fit into the story.

My feelings is that I thought it was the end of one's life but another review thought it was the beginning.

I am sure when I re-read Life into Mist, I will  see something different.

It was somewhat strange to me but easy flowing.

I will give it star rating because it was different.

I received a complimentary from the author, Haidji, and LibraryThing.

Haidji is a writer, artist, painter, designer, photographer, performer.

She calls herself  "just Haidji".

www.haidji.blogspot.com

Leona Olson

http://www.mnleona.blogspot.com