Zen Camera

When I saw this book I thought it was going to be like one of those 30-day challenge type of books that encourages the reader to take certain types of pictures everyday. However, this was not the case. This book is just as much about zen as it is about photography. The book takes the reader through pages of the practice of finding new things in each photo, even when the photo is taken mindlessly. The book is full of beautiful images and practical lessons on how to get the most out of each moment we decide to capture on our camera of choice.
Although this book looks promising and interesting amidst the world of busy technology and selfies, my attention was not held for long. The book itself did not seem very interesting to read and was more enjoyable as a book to flip through pictures to get inspiration. However, this book is not only pictures and has a lot of content about finding a regular practice of taking pictures and learning to appreciate them. I did not enjoy it as much as I hoped but I still enjoyed the beautiful images.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for my honest review.

How to set a table

How to set a table from Clarkson Potter publishing is a cute little book that gives a quick overview on table setting. The book is divided by different types of tables such as dining table, coffee table, breakfast bar, picnic blanket, bistro table, etc. The book gives a brief overview of different types of plates, cups, and utensils but doesn't go too in depth about table setting. The book gives plenty of examples and tips & tricks to set up a table but no clear guide on how to do that. In that sense, this book is not a very good place to look for guidelines on how to set up a table. However, if you use some creativity and use the basic guidelines provided, one might be able to think up some nice table settings with what they have at home.

The book has a fabric soft cover that gives it a nice touch. The book overall is cute and nicely put together in a way that would be entertaining on a coffee table. I would give this as a gift to anyone who is interested in hosting guests in their home and enjoys table setting.

I have received this book from Blogging for Books for my honest review.

The Essential Instant Pot Cookbook

When I saw this cookbook I knew it would be a great addition to my cooking library since I already had an instant pot. I had actually never used the instant pot for much beyond hard boiled eggs because I didn't understand how to use it. The user interface on the instant pot definitely takes some time to figure out and one should probably study the manual before trying to use it. However, I was lazy and just wanted something to tell me what to do. That's where this cookbook comes in. 

The Essential Instant Pot Cookbook is great because it take you step-by-step on what settings you need to put the instant pot at. In order to test this cookbook I let my husband choose a recipe in the book and so it was decided that we would be having Cajun Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya (p. 66). The instructions were clear and the ingredients were not hard to come by. The recipe as well as the instant pot also allows for some flexibility because I'm pretty sure I didn't do everything exactly right. The jambalaya was definitely decent on its own but with some tabasco it added a kick of delicious! Though the meals may not look as appetizing as the pictures within the book the dish was definitely solid and for something that only took about 10 min of prep and 10 min of cooking time, it was worth it. 

The book itself is nicely made and full of appetizing pictures to pull at your stomach and make your mouth water. I will definitely be trying out more recipes from this cookbook and would recommend it for instant pot owners.

I have received this book from Blogging for Books for my honest review.

Understanding Color in Photography

As a new photography enthusiast, I was ecstatic to get this book by Bryan Peterson. Peterson is a veteran photographer with so much wisdom and insight to share. Within this book, you find so much information and tips on how to work with color and adjust accordingly to render the best images possible.

The book itself is full of beautiful images with vibrant colors. With every turn of a page, you find yourself looking at another pop of color and descriptions on how that image was captured. I enjoyed how many of these images had short stories to them about how the photographer came across the shot. There is also a section of the book that talks about different colors and gives a brief background to the color. The author describes the color, the mood it imbues, and complementary colors.

Overall, this is an informative book on how to be effective as a photographer when using color. All of the pictures in the book also provide for great examples and is simply pleasing to the reader who just wants to flip through.

I have received this book from Blogging for Books for my honest review.

Start Where You Are Notecards by Meera Patel

I had the chance to receive this darling collection of watercolor prints on notecards all designed by Meera Patel. Meera is a self-taught artist who creates things to encourage others, which is apparent in this set of notecards. Each notecard has a beautiful illustration with some sort of message or quote that seeks to inspire the receiver. I think these notecards will be perfect to give to my family and friends especially if they are in need of some encouragement.

The physical cards themselves are on nice and simple, white cardstock with envelopes. I think the best part about this set is that even if you give the cards away (if you decide to part with them!) you are left with the cute box that can be used to store some small trinkets!

This set of notecards are beautiful and unique to give to loved ones and I know the recipient will appreciate the illustrations as well.

I received this product from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.

Hello, Bicycle

Hello, Bicycle by Anna Brones is a cute book that covered more than just bicycles. The book is a nice overview about everything related to bikes and is very nicely organized so that it doesn't become too wordy or boring. The set up of the book is very straight forward and covers everything from why you should bike, how you can look into getting a bike, how to take care of your bike, and how to incorporate biking into your life. This book isn't simply about bikes but rather what you need to know in order to bike efficiently and also have fun with it!

The book is pleasing to the eye and has cute pictures scattered all throughout the pages. I thought it was interesting that the book even had a section with some recipes on snacks to take on-the-go as a biker. All-in-all, this is a very informative book that encourages people to get on a bike and how to incorporate biking into all aspects of your life such as commute, exercise, business, and leisure. However, if you want a more comprehensive book about bikes (i.e., anatomy of the bike, bike parts, and how to fix bikes) this book is not for you. Simply put, this book is more a general overview about biking as a lifestyle.

I received this product from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.

Punderific

I got this game because I was intrigued by the idea of making puns for a game. It's an interesting concept but it definitely requires some thinking for people who are not adept at making puns. I personally have a hard time making puns on the spot and it may also be difficult for others. Also, the concept of this game is unappealing for some because it may sound "boring" to people who don't enjoy a good pun or two. I think it can get boring pretty quickly as well.

The game itself is made up of good quality cards in a nicely made box. The game is pretty straight forward and the game provides a small pad of paper to start you off but depending on how much gameplay it gets you may need to provide your own paper. Overall, the game is an interesting concept but may not be enjoyable for people who want a simple mindless game or do not enjoy puns.

I received this product from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.