I helped to crowdfund this so was very excited to see my copies arrive yesterday! Small Robots is a Twitter account which regularly posts drawings of I helped to crowdfund this so was very excited to see my copies arrive yesterday! Small Robots is a Twitter account which regularly posts drawings of robots designed for very specific tasks. For instance, Booksbot swoops in and hides your new books so you don't have to feel guilty about adding to the pile of books you already have waiting on your TBR! Teabot brings you tea (and only tea). Guestshowerbot helps you figure out the arcane controls on your friend's shower.
This book contains 100 robot friends, along with crochet patterns for two of them (I haven't tried the patterns yet). The drawings are adorable and often funny; sometimes the bots are uplifting (like Hopebot) and sometimes they're bizarre (Bingliesbot); this collection includes commentary on their purpose and designs which is also often adorable and/or funny. It's a chunky little book and one which can be dipped into at will.
True story: my copy fell open at Booksbot when I first picked it up, and given I hadn't even previously been aware of this bot, it felt like fate. I need a bookmark with this friend on, at the very least......more
This is a gorgeous bit of work: a slipcase with a hardcover book of information on the making of the maps and what they depict, and a book-cover type This is a gorgeous bit of work: a slipcase with a hardcover book of information on the making of the maps and what they depict, and a book-cover type folder which contains the four maps, folded up but completely separate (so if you wanted to frame and mount them, that’d be possible). It’s a beautiful collection, and the book itself is gorgeous too. The type-set is the same as most copies of The Hobbit I’ve seen, which I liked, and the layout too. Various illustrations — sketches and full colour — are included, with Brian Sibley describing the events and locations on each of the four maps.
It’s not hugely informative if you’re familiar with the geography and history of Middle-earth, but looking at things laid out like this can be different, and it’s a gorgeous collection, too....more
You Are Here is a gorgeous book, a collection of photographs taken by Chris Hadfield during his time on the ISS. He shows us Earth in all its variety:You Are Here is a gorgeous book, a collection of photographs taken by Chris Hadfield during his time on the ISS. He shows us Earth in all its variety: the densely inhabited cities lighting up the night, the marks we've left on the landscape, and then also the stretches of empty desert, the glorious geologic features of mountains and volcanoes, the places where meteorites have impacted. It's much better than looking at the photos on a computer, as he says in the introduction: it seems so much sharper and clearer, the colours truer.
There's not much by way of editorial content here -- some explanations of what you're looking at, short inset paragraphs with Hadfield's comments, but mostly the photographs speak for themselves....more
The Sleeper and the Spindle is a gorgeous book: the illustrations are all in black and gold, and there are some really beautiful pages. Riddell was juThe Sleeper and the Spindle is a gorgeous book: the illustrations are all in black and gold, and there are some really beautiful pages. Riddell was just the right illustrator to bring the story to life, I think. The copy I have is really great: the dust cover is transparent, with the pattern of roses on it; the cover of the book itself is the sleeping woman.
If you know Neil Gaiman's work, the rest of this is perhaps not surprising. It takes both Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, and puts them in a unified world that is a little darker, a little different, a little more mature than the sanitised stories we see so much of now. This ain't Disney. It's still a fairytale, but it's something different, too -- something a little bit creepy, even.
The LGBT representation that I have seen this book being lauded for is... not exactly. There's one kiss which appears to be so if you see the illustration on its own -- and it's a gorgeous illustration -- but it doesn't mean what it seems to mean, in context. Which is a little bit of a cop-out, really, since there's excitement around this book on the back of it.
But really, romance isn't at the heart of this fairytale. A search for autonomy is really what's going on; a shrugging away from the familiar fairytale 'happy ever after'....more
I got this to review from Headline via Bookbridgr. Like I needed another source of goodies! Anyway, I hadn't read this short story before, so my firstI got this to review from Headline via Bookbridgr. Like I needed another source of goodies! Anyway, I hadn't read this short story before, so my first experience of it was this version with Eddie Campbell's illustrations and the slightly odd partial graphic novel format (which I wanted to kill with fire because for whatever reason I found the lettering hard to decipher, I don't know if I'm the only one).
Viewed as a sort of fable/folk tale, I enjoyed it. The structure is great, too: the slow unspooling of information so that it all comes together close to the end, and if you were to start reading it again right away, you could appreciate the little clues. The art worked well for me, too, slightly unsettling and vivid, without any attempt to be photo-realistic.
What didn't work for me so well was the treatment of women. The frankly unnecessary rape scene in the middle -- I'm not going to tone it down and say it was "almost" a rape scene: it was a man having sex with his frightened wife after beating her, let's call it what it is -- and the idea of an independent, fierce young woman dying because her hair is tied to a thorn bush. That sort of works in a fairytale sense, but in reality... if I had to separately break every strand of my hair to get free, I would (yes, even back in the days when I had long hair and it was my pride and joy). I'm pretty sure 99% of people with long hair would value their lives over their hair.
And you know, the main character... I could forgive him wanting vengeance, and I could forgive him for the thing he can't forgive himself for. What I can't forgive him for is lying there on the floor of a hut where a woman has given him hospitality while she is beaten and raped for doing so -- after he got her to come out from where she was hiding with promises she wouldn't be harmed. Especially as it's all focused on how uncomfortable he thinks about it -- I'm pretty sure a woman in that situation would be feeling worse.
I know it's set in a different culture, etc, etc, but it isn't even necessary to the narrative or characterisation. Passing the woman's husband outside would yield the same information, and we could avoid the whole sorry episode....more
This was my silly Christmas present from Dad this year, since my first (and still my favourite) teddy was a hippo, Helen. He sent me the song in late This was my silly Christmas present from Dad this year, since my first (and still my favourite) teddy was a hippo, Helen. He sent me the song in late November, and then followed it up with some I Want A Hippopotamus for Christmas themed gifts. The art is really cute; the hippo's facial expressions are pretty amazing.
In case you're wondering, I did also get a hippo for Christmas: the hippo from the Silent Night ads, complete with a duck in his pocket....more
I originally entered the LibraryThing Early Reviewers draw for this and didn't get it, so when I spotted it on Netgalley I picked it up right away. AnI originally entered the LibraryThing Early Reviewers draw for this and didn't get it, so when I spotted it on Netgalley I picked it up right away. Antigone is a figure who always fascinated me: her burning passion for her duty, her righteousness, her tragedy... but also the sense that this was a sort of teenage rebellion against authority; the worry that she was acting more for her own sake, to be a symbol, than for her brothers.
This collection of art and poetry was apparently originally created in the 70s. I'm no particular judge of art (but I know what I like, as people say), and the art didn't really appeal to me. The poetry felt fragmentary, hard to connect with the figure of Antigone at times and then at other times perfectly clear. There are some bright, sharp images that I really liked; at other times I was ambivalent....more
Understanding Comics is a pretty clever book, using the medium of comics to talk seriously about comics -- which is very likely to be dismissed by thoUnderstanding Comics is a pretty clever book, using the medium of comics to talk seriously about comics -- which is very likely to be dismissed by those who either insist comics should all be fun (and therefore if they're not interested in this, it's no good) or all comics are fun (and therefore have no serious value). That's a mistake. I hadn't heard of this before I started the Coursera course I'm doing on comics, but I don't need any prompting to take it seriously.
Possibly my favourite insight from it is about the idea of closure -- the space between panels during which the reader has to figure out what's happening -- and how that makes the reader complicit in every act in a comic....more
This biography of the 3rd Marquess of Bute, John Crichton-Stuart, is definitely an exhaustive one. It covers his life from birth to death, lingering oThis biography of the 3rd Marquess of Bute, John Crichton-Stuart, is definitely an exhaustive one. It covers his life from birth to death, lingering on his relationships with his family and with the church, with the architects and artists that he collaborated with to build, decorate and furnish his beautiful homes, chapels, churches, etc. It can feel a bit too exhaustive at times, but it reveals a fascinating man, one not overly concerned with his position in life and devoted to his family, deeply in love with his wife and doting on his children. I also learnt that he struggled with depression and anxiety, which for me is a surprising personal link with the man.
The book also includes full colour photographs of many of the buildings and artworks Bute designed, inspired or commissioned. It's pretty much worth it for that alone, if you can't get to these places to look around. Castell Coch remains my favourite, but narrowly....more
Visual porn of bookshelves and books, but really far too much on the side of bookshelves and not enough of books. What I mean is, they're all artsy anVisual porn of bookshelves and books, but really far too much on the side of bookshelves and not enough of books. What I mean is, they're all artsy and that's great as art but as a practical way of storing books? Most of them are totally unappealing.
There are some good thoughts -- a book rocking chair, for example, could store the books I'm currently reading so I don't have to get up if I want to switch......more
I did not buy this. Matthew Inman is a jerk, as proved when for disagreeing with him, I got showered with abuse from thousands of his followers who heI did not buy this. Matthew Inman is a jerk, as proved when for disagreeing with him, I got showered with abuse from thousands of his followers who he set on me for three days. You wouldn't believe the misogynistic, homophobic crap they spouted at me and which he encouraged. I won't repeat it, but it was the usual sort of thing.
Unfortunately, I used to like reading his stuff, so I was tempted by this and flicked through. I do think it'd be a good gift for someone if you don't mind throwing money (and therefore support and implicit approval) in this guy's direction: there is nothing of the homophobic/misogynistic/bullying behaviour here. Just stuff about cats. His bit about how to tell cats are planning to kill you has always struck me as pretty true.
His humour does get pretty repetitive, though....more
I'm not geek enough to understand the math/science jokes in xkcd, but I do love the Firefly reference ones, and ones that make me smile wryly like thiI'm not geek enough to understand the math/science jokes in xkcd, but I do love the Firefly reference ones, and ones that make me smile wryly like this. Obviously, if you buy this book, you're paying for something that you can find easily online and for free -- and it's only a selection, and there's no guarantee that your favourite strips are in here... Still, it's a fun retrospective of xkcd and I found a couple I'd never come across before....more
Looking at all the depictions of King Arthur in art over the years is a pretty tall order, but Muriel Whitaker does a good job of it here. A lot of thLooking at all the depictions of King Arthur in art over the years is a pretty tall order, but Muriel Whitaker does a good job of it here. A lot of the works she discusses are reproduced in this volume, although if you want to have room for the text, they can't all be -- sadly. I mostly flicked through this, art history not being my thing, but even just looking at the pictures is fascinating....more
This is a lovely coffee table book -- I was allowed to view it on Netgalley, but I imagine I'll get a copy for myself. And I don't even have a coffee This is a lovely coffee table book -- I was allowed to view it on Netgalley, but I imagine I'll get a copy for myself. And I don't even have a coffee table. It reproduces the really gorgeous art of the Hildebrandts, and includes explanations of how each painting was posed and tweaked to make the art that has become so iconic. If you're interested in Tolkien's world, there are some lovely graphical representations to admire, here; if you're interested in artwork, you might also be interested in the commentary....more
I only skim-read this, as I was mostly getting it for the illustrations -- it's a handy volume for seeing the sheer spread of Arthurian art over the cI only skim-read this, as I was mostly getting it for the illustrations -- it's a handy volume for seeing the sheer spread of Arthurian art over the centuries, reproduced in colour. It'll be useful for reference if I need to reference any art in my dissertation or thesis: it has most of the important Arthurian works of art that I can think of.
The actual level of the text is more an overview for someone who is casually interested, not for an academic audience. Could be useful to prepare for a course or something, though....more
Two days after surgery to remove one of my internal organs, I think I can be forgiven for lapsing into extreme nostalgia... at least I haven't reachedTwo days after surgery to remove one of my internal organs, I think I can be forgiven for lapsing into extreme nostalgia... at least I haven't reached for my illustrated copy of Heidi yet? I didn't actually have an illustrated copy of The Secret Garden, growing up -- or if it did have illustrations, they were few and far between, and in black and white. But I read the book to bits (I still have a copy held together with brown tape), and even a non-visual person like me builds up some mental image of the characters and so on, apparently. It took me a while to get used to the artwork in this illustrated edition, but I eventually decided it matched very well and I could get along with it just fine.
As to the story itself, well, I am too biased to really comment. I used to lie awake at night reading it and listening to the wind "wuthering" -- the fact that the book was set in Yorkshire, where I grew up, added to its attractions for me. I loved the start of the book, the idea of the girl left alone in that deserted place: I used to love to imagine that, and also to imagine her later explorations of the mansion in Yorkshire... Despite her being "Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary", I think I liked to imagine myself in Mary's place -- I guess everyone would like to be the breath of fresh air that mixes everything up and changes everything for the better, so maybe it's not too surprising....more
Picked this up in Waterstone's because I do love reading about Ancient Egypt, etc, and it's been one of those things I keep coming back to lately. ThiPicked this up in Waterstone's because I do love reading about Ancient Egypt, etc, and it's been one of those things I keep coming back to lately. This book is mostly a collection of photographs with brief descriptions, not even necessarily grouped in a sensible manner, and including all sorts of things related to just two "great Pharaohs": Tutankhamen and Ramesses II. I won't comment too much on the choice of which Pharaohs to include: I suspect it relies more on which Pharaohs left behind a mass of photogenic artefacts that anything else.
As a book of photographs, loosely themed, it's well done, but hardly a great addition to scholarship or anything like that....more
Another borrowed volume which I'd one day like to own. It contains a lot of Alan Lee's sketches from when he was working on The Lord of the Rings filmAnother borrowed volume which I'd one day like to own. It contains a lot of Alan Lee's sketches from when he was working on The Lord of the Rings films, and his commentary on the work he did then. And some interesting titbits about the man himself, too (like the fact that he doesn't Do lists: if he's packing to go away somewhere, he draws his suitcase with the things he needs to take).
Worth a look, if you're interested in Middle-earth, the making of the films, or Alan Lee's work....more
Worth owning, if you're a Tolkien fan (sadly, I only borrowed it). It's full of reproductions of beautiful paintings. Not all of them capture my visioWorth owning, if you're a Tolkien fan (sadly, I only borrowed it). It's full of reproductions of beautiful paintings. Not all of them capture my vision of Middle-earth, which is always a danger, but a surprising number of them do. Alan Lee's probably my favourite Middle-earth artist, but I liked Ted Nasmith, John Howe and Roger Garland most. Nobody quite gets hobbits just right, for me, though...
Includes mostly paintings of Middle-earth -- The Hobbit, The Silmarillion, and The Lord of the Rings -- but also one of Smith of Wootton Major....more
