Tuesday, May 16, 2017

What's Your Favorite Book? (Careful with Your Answer)


Can we talk about one of my biggest bookworm pet peeves? It has to do with the simple question "What's your favorite book?"

I often ask this question when I'm looking for a new book recommendation. I want something that I can check out from the library, read in three weeks, enjoy, and return. There are literally hundreds of thousands of options to choose from, but somehow when I ask, "What's your favorite book?" so many people name a series instead of a single title. 

Harry Potter is not a book title.
The Lord of the Rings is not a book title. 
The Lunar Chronicles is not a book title. 
The Hunger Games...technically is a title, but you know they're not just talking about the first book. 

I am by no means bashing on trilogies, sagas, chronicles, sets or series. In fact, a good chunk of the books on my shelf are boxed sets. All of the series listed above I've read and loved and own. (I own part of the Lunar Chronicles, but only because I'm poor and need to buy food instead of books.)

It's frustrating to look up a title recommendation only to find there are five other books I'll need to read in order to have the full plot resolved. That's not a three week read, that's an investment!

So please, the next time someone asks you, "What's your favorite book?" answer the question correctly. Not books. Not book series. Just book. 

The Lord of the Rings
The Hunger Games
Harry Potter...I'm missing book two!


Monday, May 1, 2017

The Exquisite Book of Paper Flowers

The Exquisite Book of Paper Flowers

When you use the word "exquisite" in your title, you're setting the bar for your book pretty high. The Exquisite Book of Paper Flowers delivered!!!! Not only are the flowers exquisite, but the instructions are clear and easy-to-follow and there are templates for each project in the back of the book. Let's just say that thanks to this book, paper flowers are officially my new favorite hobby. 

I first found paper flower crafts on Pinterest (surprise, surprise). While the step-by-step photo instructions seemed clear, my flowers never turned out like the ones in the Pinterest pictures (surprise, surprise). I looked at a few paper flower books and after flipping through their pages at Barnes & Noble decided that The Exquisite Book of Paper Flowers looked like I was getting the most bang for my buck.

You can see from the pictures on this post that, while I am not going to be opening an Etsy paper flower shop anytime soon, the flowers actually look like flowers! There are 27 different types of flowers featured in the book. Each one comes with a template, a list of materials needed, step-by-step instructions, photos, and tips so that you can learn how to make poppies, roses, and sweat peas (to name a few). 

I can't say enough good things about this book! Instead, head over to my Instagram account @bookfaire to win a copy for yourself!


Title: The Exquisite Book of Paper Flowers 
Author: Livia Cetti
Publisher: Stewart, Tabori, & Chang
Published: April 8, 2014