Doodletopia Fairies- Review

What a pleasant surprise Doodletopia Fairies turned out to be! The simple (yet helpful) tips and illustrations in this book are exactly what I was hoping for. The author, Christopher Hart, is "renowned for up-to-the-minute content and easy-to-follow steps." This book starts with sketching basic fairy heads, then bodies, followed by clothing, accessories and wings. It also demonstrates extra things such as personality, magical powers, musical instruments, and fairy dwellings. I love that Hart designed this book to be interactive. Space is allotted for practicing fairy sketches within the same pages as the technique instructions. Printed on quality paper, this book should hold up well over time.

Doodletopia Fairies exceeded my expectations. This will be the perfect gift for my very creative and artistic 8 year old daughter. The instructions and pictures are simple enough for her to follow, but fun enough that I too would enjoy an afternoon sketching fairies and their habitats.

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

Fraying at the Edge- Book Review

I just finished reading Fraying at the Edge, by Cindy Woodsmall. This book kept my attention from front to back and was hard to put down! As with the first book in the Amish of Summer Grove series, Woodsmall leaves the reader in suspense at the conclusion. Unfortunately, book 3 hasn't been released yet but I will definitely be looking forward to reading it!

This series is about 2 girls who were accidentally switched at birth 20 years previously. Ariana Brenneman was raised Old Order Amish while the true daughter, Skylar Nash, grew up in the "Englischer World." When the discovery of the mistake became known, Ariana's biological father forces the girls to switch places for a year. As an atheist, he is appalled to learn his daughter has been raised in such a rigid, closed minded, religious society. The man creates a bucket list for his daughter in hopes of broadening her perspective of life. Skylar faces culture shock as well. Every modern convenience is stripped from Skylar and she must deal with her drug addiction and deep loneliness.

Fraying at the Edge deals with difficult subjects such as adultery, drug addiction, family expectations, blended families, and legalism verses love. Woodsmall is to be commended for her skillful handling of these topics while weaving a thought provoking story worth reading.

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