Book Review: How Music Works

We all know that music moves us in some way or another. We also know that there are times a catchy tune (whether it's a song you love, or that jingle you just can't get out of your head) will make it's mark on us at some point. We laugh, cry, reminisce. 

But why does music it do that? How is it that something can change drastically over thousands of years, but still evoke something in us? 

How Music Works by David Byrne dives into that .

There is a lot of information about musical roots and how musicians worked to perfect their sound according to what worked best with their style. 

Byrne gives us his take on music in a style that is very pleasant, straightforward, and conversational. He comes across as someone whose wide-ranging, collaborative experience and creative intelligence combine with an everyday kind of modesty.

Byrne simply goes through the music creation process (ideation, performance, recording, manufacturing, promotion, etc.) piece by piece and explains them to the best of his ability. Those with little to no music experience, would better understand what goes on in an musician's head when they are creating a masterpiece. 


The book would be a great gift or recommendation for someone--especially a young person--who's passionate about listening to music but who hasn't really thought about it in any structured way, or alternatively for someone who has *only* had formal instruction.

I was given this book for free in return for my honest, open opinion. No monies have been paid.

Book Review: Oil Painting Essentials

I have always loved oil painting. It's been YEARS since I've done it. I have to admit that I am also intimidated by it - especially doing portraits. Landscapes are slightly easier - thanks to watching The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross since I was like 4 years old.

After reading the book, and deciding to make a go at it myself again, I can say that the advice given in this book is great for anyone that has a little working knowledge of some sort of art/ painting. I wouldn't recommend an complete novice to dive in to this. Of course, you will learn some great techniques, but for a novice painter, you really need to start with the basics.

Even though I haven't painted in ages, I was able to pick up the techniques outlined in this book. STILL extremely sketchy on doing portraits, but I'm willing to work at it! You won't get any better at it if you don't practice!

The only thing that I was kind of bummed about was that it focused a LOT on portraits. I would have liked to see more, or an even balance of all the subjects listed in the books. The landscape painting section got the least amount of attention. Overall, still a good reference book.

Infuse (Oil, Spirit, Water)

For awhile now, I've wanted to learn how to infuse olive oil. It all started when I made a stop at a friend's house. We decided to have a salad along side dinner and she told me she got a bottle of Lemon Infused Olive Oil to try, so we decided to put it over the luscious greens. I was in Heaven.

Along came infuse. I was blown away by the different varieties of recipes for the oil, spirits, and water. I got excited when I read them because I wanted to try a lot of them. Now, some of them are super easy and only take a few hours to maybe a day to do. Some..take a little longer (we're talking weeks here, people). I haven't tried those yet.

My only downfall with this book is the fact that they have a special lid to use for a lot of them. Since they are made in mason jars (and I have 5 kazillion of them because I drink out of them like they are going out of style), I would have to purchase the lid. Or, I could cheat and use other containers that had the shaker lids. I haven't personally made any of the recipes yet, but I borrowed the book to a friend of mine that does a lot of her own mixed drinks. She said the recipes were really easy and easy to follow. She also mentioned that the pictures alone were making her hungry (or thirsty).

Looking forward to trying a lot of these myself and contiuing on my journey with being all domestic-y and making things myself instead of buying into Big Box America.

*NOTE* I received this book in return for an honest review for Blogging for Books. The views in this blog are my own personal opinions on product. I am not receiving any compensation for my reviews. 

Just Add Watercolor...

I love art. I recently revisited watercolor as a medium to learn to paint with. I was so happy when I saw this book from Helen Birch was available for review from Blogging For Books.

This pint size book has over 200 watercolor pictures from different artists, incorporating different styles and mediums. In the beginning is a contents of thumbnail size images along with the page that they are on. On the opposite page there is a description of what kind of watercolor it is, a summary of the artist/painting, and a tidbit to help a budding artist.

This book is small, but it is packed with information for those that like to look at art, those looking to explore a new medium, those looking for inspiration, and those that just simply need a gift for an artist friend/family member.

I enjoyed looking through it and I will be keeping it on my coffee table and art desk for inspiration.

**NOTE: I received this book in return for my honest review from Blogging for Books.**