73% Geek

As someone who has never worked with leather but would like to I was intrigued when I saw this title available for review on NetGalley.

Leather Crafting Starter Book has an overview of recommended tools, all pictured in clear photos which I found very helpful. It also explains to complete beginners the differences in tanning methods and leathers. The 16 projects included range from wallets, to small dinosaurs and even a bag, and include patterns. Most projects use hand tools, but a sewing machine is also used for a few of them.

My only criticisms are a lack of photos of the adorable leather dinosaurs on the cover, and that I'm not sure I'd make many of the projects. I would, however, definitely use the techniques demonstrated to make my own leather goods. All in all, this seems like a nice book to have as part of a novice leather crafter's library. I certainly intend on buying a copy.

Thanks to NetGalley, I enjoyed a few weeks access to a copy of Home Cheese Making, 4th Edition by Ricki Carroll. I have yet to try any of the recipes so I can't say whether or not this book will help you make good cheese, but I can tell you this book is amazing.

Part 1 is all about getting started and begins with a short introduction to the history of cheese, before moving to an in-depth overview of ingredients which spans about 21 pages. Chapter 2 is all about equipment needed, and how to sterilise it. Next follows a deliciously long chapter 3 on cheese-making techniques, with lots of clear photos. It includes plenty of helpful directions, definitions, procedures, and ends with suggestions for storing finished cheese properly.

Part 2 is contains the cheese recipes, divided into the following sub-sections: Fresh Cheese, Soft and Semi-Soft Ripened Cheese, Hard and Semi-Hard Cheese, Blue Cheese, Goat Cheese, Whey Cheese, and Cultured Dairy Products. This last chapter includes recipes for items such as butter, yogurt, ghee, clotted cream, kefir, labneh, etc.

Part 3 is all about how to eat the cheese. Chapter 11 contains tips and techniques for serving cheese including how to create satisfying cheese boards. Chapters 12 through 16 are all recipes that include or complement cheese, from breakfast foods, dips, breads, snacks, soups, salads, main courses to drinks and desserts.

For me this was as close to a perfect how-to book as I've ever seen. I wish more subjects were covered in the same way Carroll does here. I will probably never make my own cheese, but I loved this book so much I will be buying a copy for myself anyway.

Thanks to NetGalley, I was able to read Sewing Shirts With A Perfect Fit by David Page Coffin. The book is split into two main sections, the first section has 5 chapters on fit and draping, the second section covers various projects. Rather unexpectedly, Coffin's book is all about sewing woven shirts that fit using draping rather than flat patterns, or taking measurements.

Section 1 begins with a chapter on the basics of shirts and how they fit, while chapter 2 delves deep into draping. The remaining chapters of section one are about how to drape shirts for specific shirt styles, loose-fitting, fitted and tight-fitting shirts respectively. It also includes information on cloning bodies using foil, and making body forms from the resulting foil wrap.

Section 2 is dedicated to 4 projects to practice the skills you've picked up; a loose, lined shirt jacket, a fitted v-neck dress shirt, a fitted wrapped shirtdress, and a tight denim western shirt.

This is a great book, it is absolutely packed with information and photos. The writing, photos, and explanatory diagrams are clear and easy to understand, and made me want to try. And, not only am I seriously considering trying to sew a shirt using the techniques taught, but definitely going to try making a body form from a foil wrap. I will absolutely be adding this to my collection of sewing books as soon as possible.

Thanks to NetGalley I received access to a digital ARC of Hand Sewing Magic by Lynn Krawczyk in exchange for an honest review.

The book is split into five main sections, beginning with The Handstitcher's Toolkit, then followed by 4 sections of stitches classified by type, from utilitarian stitches to dimensional ones. There are also templates and stitch guides at the back, and a chapter on resources.

The first section is thorough and covers thread types, embroidery hoops, needles, fabrics, essential and pattern transfer tools, tension, troubleshooting and how to best stitch whilst ensuring you aren't straining your eyes, hands or body as you work.

The sections on stitches are divided into the following useful categories: Utilitarian Stitches, Outline and Filler Stitches, Decorative Stitches, and Dimensional Stitches. Each stitch gets at least one page with thorough directions and large, clear photos of how to stitch it. There are also smaller, captioned photos showing variations of the stitch shown at the bottom of each page. At the end of each section are ten small projects showing how to utilise the stitches, from corner bookmarks to embellished coats.

This is a very good book with lots of photographs, and clear descriptions. Because of the name, I was rather surprised to find it focused so much on embroidery and decorative stitching. As I would like to acquire basic hand sewing skills for sewing in buttons correctly, and finishing off seams in plush toys invisibly, this was not the book I was looking for. Though I won't be adding this to my collection of sewing books as soon as possible, this book is certainly on my short list of books to buy should I develop an interest in embroidery or using hand stitching as an embellishment.

Thanks to NetGalley I received access to a digital ARC of Fashion in the Middle Ages by Margaret Scott in exchange for an honest review.

A foreword by Elizabeth Morrison is followed by an introduction and then the three main chapters, Dressing for the Moment, Dressing for the Job, and Dressing for Another Time, Another Place, before a glossary of terms, and suggestions for further reading.

This book is fascinating and I'm so grateful for having the chance to read it. Tons of interesting information illustrated by lots of pictures with illuminating (heh) captions. In my copy many photographs were of very low quality making it hard to make out the details described by in the text, but I assume that is a feature of the digital ARC and not part of the final copy.

I enjoy reading historical fiction, biographies of historical figures, and playing faux-medieval fantasy roleplaying games, so this book was very much a delight for me. The glossary alone is exceptionally helpful when trying keep the difference between miniver and ermine straight in my head, or remembering just what samite was again. I will happily add a copy of this book to my collection as soon as possible.

Thanks to NetGalley, I was able to read a digital ARC of The Complete Book of Calligraphy & Lettering: A comprehensive guide to more than 100 traditional calligraphy and hand-lettering techniques. The book begins with a short overview of calligraphy, and then is split into three main parts; Traditional Calligraphy, Modern Hand Lettering and Creative Lettering Projects.

The first part, Traditional Calligraphy, has five chapters, and is fantastic. Chapter 1 deals with the tools and materials needed, how to set up a work area, how to get started and then moves on to the parts of the letters and how to prepare the paper correctly. Chapter 2 discusses the various basic calligraphy styles, while chapter 3 shows a variety of traditional alphabets. Chapter 4 is all about illuminated calligraphy, both the supplies needed and techniques used, and even has information on colour theory. Chapter 5 deals with contemporary calligraphy and highlights the different fundamentals and techniques used in more modern lettering.

Part 2, Modern Hand Lettering, is split into the following three chapters; Flourishes and Embellishments, Illustrated by Hand, and Chalk Lettering.

Part 3, Creative Lettering Projects, is by far the shortest part of the book and contains three different projects to tackle. Starting with making personalised journal covers, moving on to making quotable art, and finally an idea for calligraphied place settings.

The first part of the book is tremendous, and easily my favourite part. With so much good information for beginners, I think the book is worth buying for the first five chapters alone. The second part is also interesting and has lots of helpful information, but I didn't think the projects in the third part lived up to the rest of the book. However, my lack of enthusiasm for the projects didn't detract from the rest of the book which is very good. I will be adding this one to my shelf.

Thanks to NetGalley, I was able to read Not Your Mother's Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook by Lucy Vaserfirer. In the introduction Vaserfirer discusses why to use cast iron cookware, and which types she recommends. She also details what one can cook in cast iron, and what the various sizes of skillet are suitable for. I particularly appreciated that the skillet sizes were listed in both inches and cms here. She then goes over the various tools and utensils that are useful for cast iron skillet cooking, some of which are also pictured in a keyed photo. An in-depth overview of different cooking methods follows, before a couple of exhaustive sections on cleaning and maintenance, another on seasoning and then finally restoration. The introduction ends with a section full of information on the recipes to follow, and the ingredients they use.

There are six recipe chapters; Eggs and Breakfast, Starters and Snacks, Mains, Sides, Sweets and Bakes, and finally Spices and Sauces. Each recipe has an introduction with serving suggestions and yield, a recommend skillet for preparation, the cooking method used, followed by the ingredients and then finally the directions. The ingredients are listed both in cups and grams or ml, and the size in both inches and cms. Oven temperatures when applicable, are listed both in Fahrenheit, Centigrade and gas marks.

I haven't tried any of the recipes yet, but the way they are presented is wonderful and I truly wish all cookbooks would list them in the same manner. Even if the recipes haven't been tested in metric, not having to convert cups to grams is a huge boon, and makes life easier for those of us who prefer to use scales in the kitchen. My only quibble, and it is a small one, is that I would have loved more photos of the finished dishes. Other than than, I think this is a very nice book and I will be attempting quite a few of these dishes once I've seasoned my skillet.

Thanks to NetGalley, I was able to read a digital ARC of Creative Coding In Python by Sheena Vaidyanathan. Important things first, I love the robotic octopus gracing the cover, it's so ominously cute, and this book teaches Python 3.

The book dives right in with a short introduction covering what coding is, why to learn to code specifically in Python, how to install Python, your first line of code, functions, errors, algorithms, pseudocode, and flowcharts! A lot of information is squished into these first few pages, but I think it's explained well, and without too much detail which can bog a beginner down.

The rest of the book is split into into five chapters which teach you to create your own simple chatbots, art masterpieces, adventure games, dice games, and finally your own apps and games. Each chapter focuses on a main topic and a project to code, and also introduces various concepts along the way, ending with a number of on-topic exercises. Some of these exercises are new, while some use newly acquired skills to develop further complexity to code written for previous chapters.

Creative Coding In Python is well-written with clear, concise explanations, is aesthetically pleasing, includes a number of exercises to tackle, and even introduces some rather advanced topics, such as graphics and GUIs. Plenty of ideas and resources for further development of coding skills are listed at the back as well as a handy glossary of terms.

I'd have thought this book was brilliant as a tween, and I think it's pretty great as an adult. Definitely a book to buy!

Thanks to NetGalley, I was able to read a digital ARC of Draw Like an Artist: 100 Faces and Figures by Chris Legaspi.

The book begins with two pages on how to best use the book, detailing suggested materials, the basic drawing process, using gesture lines, constructing the image and how to add details and clean up your artwork. This is followed by another couple of pages of tips on how to improve line control.

The rest of the book is split into three main sections, faces, features and figures, respectively. Each page has the same drawing in various stages of detail, beginning with the simplest outline, and progressing through more detailed stages, until finally reaching the finished line-art image. The cover picture shows this progression well, and is indicative of the book's content.

I'm currently learning to draw better and this is an extremely helpful book. It's very clear and easy to follow. I enjoyed it so much I've purchased a paperback copy already! Definitely a book to buy for developing artists!

Thanks to NetGalley, I was able to read a digital ARC of Drawing: Faces & Features by Debra Kauffman Yaun.

This booklet is divided into topics consisting of two to three pages of information on the various subjects, beginning with some pages dedicated to “Tools & Materials”, “Shading Techniques”, and “Basic Anatomy”, before moving on to adult faces and capturing proportions and features correctly. It also briefly deals with how to capture likeness and draw from life before moving on to drawing different views, lighting, backgrounds, developing hair, depicting aged faces and then ending the adult section with a couple of pages on facial hair.

The rest of the book is devoted to much the same topics as applied to children's and babies faces, before ending with a brief lesson on establishing values.

As each topic is presented very briefly, I feel this book is lacking in steps for the beginner, while also not delivering enough high-level information to satisfy an already accomplished artists. It's a fine booklet, with some good tips, but ultimately I'm unsure of who this book is actually meant for.

Thanks to NetGalley, I was able to read a digital ARC of Drawing: Dragons by Michael Dobrzycki.

This booklet begins with about eight pages on choosing tools and materials, shading techniques, creating textures and constructing creatures. The remaining 30 pages or so are divided into projects showing how to construct and detail nine different types of dragon or drake.

This is a very spare book, and for my personal tastes not detailed enough. The pages on shading techniques and creating textures were very interesting and I wish there had been more on those topics. My tastes aside, I think this is a book kids into drawing dragons would love and have a lot of fun with.

This is such a lovely book ❤️

I was very much looking forward to reading the third instalment of the Road To Nowhere trilogy, and thanks to NetGalley I got to do it even earlier than I'd hoped.

The Book of Flora continues the tale first started in The Book of the Unnamed Midwife, and links directly to events from The Book of Etta. Fair warning to those new to the series, I'm not sure I'd have enjoyed this book as much as I did had I not actually read the two preceding novels.

Though the Road to Nowhere series is set in a very grim dystopia, The Book of Flora felt less dark to me. Flora, the protagonist and narrator's journey is the main focus, and we follow her exploration of the world, her place in it and how it relates to her. I loved learning more about Flora, she was such an interesting character in the previous novel. I just wish (as always) life wasn't so hard for her. Elison and her world can be very rough on her characters. I did feel the end was a little rushed, and I really wanted to delve into both the happier, more peaceful times implied in Flora's retrospective narrative passages, as well as the revelatory change discovered at the very end.

I find the Road To Nowhere novels quick reads, but not because they are easy. On the contrary they are set in a grimdark world full of terror and violence which strike me as uncomfortably plausible. Even so, the first novel, The Book of the Unnamed Midwife, remains my favourite of the trilogy, and one of my all-time favourite novels.

Anyone who has enjoyed any of the other novels in the series should definitely read The Book of Flora, and those who haven't should give them a try! Meg Elison's writing is compelling, flows well, and her ideas are as fascinating as always.

I'm, at best, passable with a pencil, but I would like to get better. As such, I'm always on the look out for instructional material which can help me improve. Thanks to NetGalley I got to read The Little Book of Cartooning & Illustration which looked very interesting.

The Little Book of Cartooning & Illustration bills itself as a collection of tips and techniques for drawing characters and expressions in a traditional cartoon/animation style. It definitely looks stylistically traditional to me, a novice and know-nothing.

The book begins with a brief overview of physical tools and materials, and an even briefer aside about digital ones, before getting straight to business. As a beginner I would have liked a little more handholding, but after a very short intro to the basics of drawing a human head, a page with a template follows for your own attempt.

Assuming you now have assimilated the rules, the book delves into how to break them for conveying emotion, character or motion cartoonishly. Quickly moving through drawing heads, body parts, emotions, and bodies, and adding colour, part 1 ends with a series of full step-by-step character drawings.

Part 2 concerns itself with animals and inanimate objects, and driving home the point that in cartooning, less really can be more. Part 3 spends about 8 pages on two step-by-step walkthroughs illustrating scenes and gags, respectively. Part 4 consists entirely of two step-by-step caricatures, spending about 5 pages per character.

I'm so happy I got to read this book, but ultimately it isn't for me. I'm not interested in the style taught in this book, and I also found it a little intimidating as someone who isn't proficient enough with a pencil to be able to simply draw a character. I need more info on the basics of how to draw characters, not just how to change the style or expressions of them.