Half a King Book Review

Book: Half a King (Shattered Sea Book One)

 

Author: Joe Abercrombie

 

Given by: Random House Publishing Group

 

Rating: 5/5 Won-derfuls (Amazing!)

 

This book was great! My review sat in Drafts growing dust long after I thought I had posted it. For shame! Anyway, I can now say that months after reading this book it has stuck with me. Here’s the review I failed to post earlier:

 

Half a King was fast to catch my attention and reluctant to release it. I quickly found myself cheering for our hero, young Yarvi, who made a promise: “I swore an oath to avenge the death of my father. I may be half a man, but I swore a whole oath.” In his own mind and in the minds of others Yarvi is weak – too weak to become the king he was meant to be. A crippled hand makes many physical tasks impossible, but Yarvi comes to find that strength comes in many forms. We follow him on his quest for revenge and watch him grow into a courageous man worthy of respect.

 

Abercrombie possesses incredible skill at bringing the reader into the setting. I can hear keys click in locks, smell the sweat of oarsmen, and feel the betrayal in the air when immersed in the pages of this book. Every paragraph is saturated in detail without becoming tedious. The characters are human and multifaceted, the lines of good and evil are not always clear, and the emotions palpable. I am recommending this book to everyone I know. I want them all to read it so I have someone to talk to about all the twists and turns! If you are searching for adventure, look no further. Abercrombie delivers again!

 

Interested? Find out more here.

Bookish Paris: Shakespeare and Co. Bookstore

On our honeymoon my husband and I had a nine hour layover in Paris during which we completed a whirlwind tour of the city. Many of our stops were bookish (of course!). One of the first sites we went to was Shakespeare and Co. bookstore.  

This place has been on my bucket list for ages! The store's close proximity to Notre Dame made the stop doable on our tight schedule. I would have loved to see the original store that was open prior to WWII, but the more recent one was still really neat.  Many English language speakers were gathered discussing literature and food. The Bohemian feel was palpable. One of my favorite parts about going to the store was seeing the Wallace fountain out front. 

These beautiful and functional water fountains give me some faith in humanity. Combined with the atmosphere of the store, this structure and its water are downright magical. Affordable clean water and quality conversation for all.  My heart was full!  I would love to spend more time there when we aren't in such a rush.  This is definitely worth the stop if you find yourself in the area.

Healthy, Happy, and Back!

Planning a wedding, getting married, going on a honeymoon, surgeries, hospitalization, and job change led to a year of mostly silence for the blog. I am happy to say that I’m back and well (and married)! In addition to reviewing books, talking about bookish travel, and completing bookish crafts I will be adding posts in the “Randoms” section that have nothing to do with books at all. Succulents! I have been succulent and cactus gardening like mad. This has absolutely nothing to do with books, but I am dying to share my pictures, successes, and failures somewhere. This new micro-hobby of mine isn’t enough to make a blog nor am I knowledgeable enough to provide information on more formal sites – so random posts on Won Books it shall be! As I finish non-bookish crafts I may start adding those as well. Time shall tell. If not a person reads a single post I will feel good know that my pictures and thoughts are out in the world at large instead of nesting in my mind. Happy reading to all!

Bookish Wedding Flowers

I'm super excited about our bookish wedding flowers! You can check them out here.

Harry Potter Graffiti

I couldn't help but giggle when I saw this at Arizona State University when I went to speak.

 

Makeup Makeovers Book Review

Book: Makeup Makeovers in 5, 10, 15, 20 Minutes

 

Author: Robert Jones

 

Given by: Quarry Books

 

Rating: 4/5 Won-derfuls (I loved it)

 

I loved a lot of things about this book. First, it was immediately apparent that there were a variety of faces in this book. The many face shapes and skin tones made it a much more inclusive book than many. There were tips throughout to accentuate whatever features a woman's lovely face has. 

Second, the beginning of the book had great information. Different types of makeup and tools were described. Recommendations were made for building up one's makeup supply with the right products. This was really helpful to me because my makeup experience is next to nil. I felt like I had a good enough grasp to move into the actually tutorials. 

I put the lessons listed to good use. I used them to complete my makeup for a wedding I was in and for the save the date pictures for my own wedding. It is nice to have a handbook to be able to choose out of and then have the right information to complete the look.

I don't think I would complete any of these for my every day look because there is a lot that goes in to the contouring and it is just not a priority to me. However, I will use this for all kinds of special occasions and for nights out.

On a different note, these looks certainly took me much longer than it said, but with practice I know I will speed up. I also did not want to spend the money to buy a whole new set of makeup, so I purchased a few essentials and moved forward with what I already had. Over time I can build up and be able to complete more of the looks in the book.  

If you are looking for a great reference book for complete makeup makeovers, look no further. Natural to dramatic, you will find it all here. Jones is very talented and I think it is just fabulous that he will share his knowledge. It makes me want to be famous so that he will come do my makeup! Check the book out. I think you'll like what you see.

Interested? You can find the book here.

DIY Bookish Mother's Day Card

My mom is the one who started my love of books. When I was a kid she read to me, took me to the library as often as I wanted to go, and looked the other way when I read long past bed time. Now we recommend books to each other, talk about what we've read, and exchange paperbacks. In short, my mom gave me a lifelong love of books! I can access adventure, love, suspense, and philosophical thinking whenever my heart desires. What better gift could a mom give her daughter?

When I was thinking about what kind of Mother's Day card to make this year I decided it should be bookish for sure. I remembered coming across this tutorial a couple years ago and decided to use it. I added a few elements of my own to make is more personalized. Below you can find pictures of my process. They'll make much more sense after watching the video I linked above.