Saturday, December 26, 2015

#REVIEW - The Christmas Joy Ride by Melody Carlson


Description:
Miranda did not put adventure on her Christmas list, but thanks to her eighty-five-year-old neighbor Joy, that's exactly what she's getting this year. When Joy tells Miranda that she plans to drive an old RV decked out in Christmas decorations from their Chicago neighborhood to her new retirement digs in Phoenix--in the dead of winter, no less--the much younger Miranda insists that Joy cannot make such a trip by herself. Besides, a crazy trip with Joy would be more interesting than another Christmas home alone. Unemployed and facing foreclosure, Miranda feels she has nothing to lose by packing a bag and heading off to Route 66. But Joy has a hidden agenda for their Christmas joyride--and a hidden problem that could derail the whole venture.


No one captures the heartwarming fun of the Christmas season quite like Melody Carlson. Fasten your seat belt, because it's going to be an exciting ride!

MY TAKE:
5 STARS!!!
MY TAKE: 5+++ Stars!!! LOVED IT!!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!!!
I can’t let this beauty of a Christmas gem slip by this year without sharing this book with you! I HIGHLY recommend this! It’s a quick 175 page read, and I was left CRAVING MORE!!! First, I LOVE Melody Carlson’s writing SO MUCH!! Did you happen to know she also wrote Christmas at Harrington’s?! Yes! Then Hallmark made a movie out of it, and they really were spot-on! Hallmark played it quite a bit since Halloween day this year and since they made it! Check it out if you haven’t yet! I, and this author both have the same last name, and I sure WISH we were related!!! Maybe some of her excellence in writing could have rubbed off on me! LOL!
Seriously, if you want a wonderful Christmas story you can COUNT ON this author being able to foot that bill in every story I’ve read by her so far! She is definitely true to the season, and her books are just a whole, round, great Christmas read! This book will give you exactly that, so enjoy it!!! I sure
did!!
The description of this book tells a LOT, so I don’t want to tell you too much more about the book, so the rest of this review will be light.  
Miranda didn’t quite know everything she was getting herself into when she told her eighty-five year old friend, Joy, “Yes, she would love to accompany her on her trip across the midwest in her RV from their home in the Chicago area all the way to their ultimate goal in Arizona.” Little did Miranda know what was about to happen! Hold on, Miranda! Even though Joy is eighty-five, with her energy levels , you would NEVER know her true age! I HOPE if I am lucky enough to live to the age of eighty-five I have the energy levels like Joy does in this book!
Joy has a radio show and people were to email her their Christmas wishes. She read them and chose the most deserving of people to be blessed. Little did Miranda “yet” that Joy did this and was going to play Santa to fill those wishes for certain people. So on we go, decorating the bus first, and off they go in the Christmas bus to their first stop, which happens to be a huge party for little kids. Joy plays a Secret Santa, but before she even gets to that point, she has just gone shopping for decorations and ALL the toys for the party, food, and anything else that was needed! Wow! Makes me tired  would be making with Miranda to help Joy along the way. Joy was glad that Miranda was with her, and felt a sense of comfort knowing she was not alone on this big trip that has taken her well out of her way and put them in jeopardy now with a snow storm here now. There were many other stops and a huge, but scary surprise happens which threatens Joy’s life. This is well-worth the read, and the enjoyment you get out of it for people doing for others! Don’t let this season go by without reading this one! You’ll miss out if you do!

I received this book for FREE from the publisher, Revell and NetGalley, in exchange to read and write a review about this book. It is NOT required for this review to be either positive or negative, but of my own honest opinion. "Free" means I was provided with ZERO MONIES to read this book nor to write this review, but to enjoy the pure pleasure of reading it. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.



ebook: $8.54

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Christmas Wishes, 2015, to you and yours!



MERRY CHRISTMAS 2015, EVERYONE!
Take this day and enjoy it with your families, to all of you, from myself and my family, too!


Wednesday, December 23, 2015

#REVIEW: The Time Chamber, A Magical Journey and Coloring Book by Daria Song


Description:
A dazzlingly beautiful coloring book for all ages, this sequel to The Time Garden, 350,000 copies sold, will sweep you away into a whimsical cuckoo clock–inspired world, created in intricate pen and ink by the internationally best-selling Korean artist Daria Song. Then, explore the magical world outside the clock through the eyes of a fairy in the sequel, The Time Chamber: A Magical Story and Coloring Book.


This book features the voyage of a red-headed fairy who, when the cuckoo clock chimes midnight, enters the human world. To the tiny fairy, everything seems enormous and magical, from the curtains to the chandelier to a mystical rowboat that takes her further into an inky adventure. With her she packs her favorite items, which colorers can find throughout the book’s pages: an owl-feathered pen, a star-scented spray, a time tape measure...even the key to the time chamber itself.


(The publisher sent me some paperwork with these coloring books, and I added some of what was on that paperwork HERE in these paragraphs to add more to what these books are about. Some sentences are word-for-word of what the publisher had written on the papers.)


Journey through the doors of a mysterious cuckoo clock into its inky innerworkings to discover a magical land of clock gears, rooftops, starry skies, and giant flying owls—all ready for you to customize with whatever colors you can dream up.


Cuckoo . . . cuckoo . . . cuckoo . . . When the clock strikes midnight, you’ll wonder, was it all a dream?


The Time Garden features extra-thick craft paper, ideal for non bleed-through coloring, and the jacketed cover with flaps is removable and colorable. Special gold-foil stamping on the cover and spine and a To/From page make it perfect for gifting to adults and kids alike.


MY TAKE:
5 STARS!
Wow! These coloring books by this author, Daria Song, are just top-notch GORGEOUS! I MUST tell you you HAVE to get the PRINT copy of this book, or else what good is it in the ebook format? It's not! You NEED the physical copy. Enjoy it!!! I decided to take this book and try my hand at coloring in this book with colored watercolor pencils, but I was careful enough to not soak the pages through, yet at the same time, these pages are thick! You don't have to worry barely at all about ruining the next drawing on the next because of the quality of the paper. These pictures to color appealed to me more in this book than in the other book, and I can tell you why. There are a lot more girly-girl pages to color, and I am a true, through and through, girly-girl! Perfume bottle pages, flowers, cute little photos of the fairy peeking through, chandeleirs, and more. To let you in on a secret, if you would like to see the ENTIRE BOOK, yes! ALL the pages in this book you can color, I will have this book’s link down below, click on it, click on “See Inside”, and you can see every single page in this book! I couldn’t believe it when I saw that in the other book! I sure was hoping this book had that same option, and sure enough, it does!
You have an enormous choice of what type of medium you want to use to color these drawings with, too! Pencils, paints, watercolors, and more! The paper these drawings are printed on is SO THICK, you have those options to be able to choose from! For a coloring book, this has such a high quality to it, I can’t begin to sing MORE praises for it! I have NEVER seen such a high quality coloring book like these!
There is a little story that starts at the beginning and goes all through the book until the end. It’s kind of neat to read because it’s like a little story for us older kids that kind of looks like it might be for kids. Not this time! This time it’s for us! This drawings in this book are entirely clean, as you can see when you look inside of it at Amazon. I think the BEST PART is that this is available to us so WE can color, too! How many of you out there like to color? I do! I was talking about how I used to print off mandellas when I could find them, and I have been having a hard time finding them of late, and now I know why! They are going into coloring books like these!
Coloring is SO relaxing! Don’t you remember when you were a kid how quiet, good and into your creative self you felt when you were coloring? How you would look forward to coloring? Here you go! I DO recommend this book extremely high because you are going to be thinking about coloring all day until you get the chance to just sit down and do your therapy!
I want to thank the Publisher, Penguin Random House/Watson-Guptill Publications for giving me this book to review for you.
I received this book for FREE from the publisher whom I just mentioned, (and if you would EVER like to grace me with such beautiful books again for like this for review, I am MORE than willing to do so for you!!! Being given this book was in exchange for me to read and write a review about this book. It is NOT required for this review to be either positive or negative, but of my own honest opinion. "Free" means I was provided with ZERO MONIES to read this book nor to write this review, but to enjoy the pure pleasure of reading it. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.


print book: $8.85

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

#REVIEW - The Time Garden, A Magical Journey and #Coloring #Book by Daria Song


Description:


A dazzlingly beautiful coloring book for all ages, The Time Garden will sweep you away into a whimsical cuckoo clock–inspired world, created in intricate pen and ink by the internationally best-selling Korean artist Daria Song. Then, explore the magical world outside the clock through the eyes of a fairy in the sequel, The Time Chamber: A Magical Story and Coloring Book.


Journey through the doors of a mysterious cuckoo clock into its inky innerworkings to discover a magical land of clock gears, rooftops, starry skies, and giant flying owls—all ready for you to customize with whatever colors you can dream up.


Cuckoo . . . cuckoo . . . cuckoo . . . When the clock strikes midnight, you’ll wonder, was it all a dream?

The Time Garden features extra-thick craft paper, ideal for non bleed-through coloring, and the jacketed cover with flaps is removable and colorable. Special gold-foil stamping on the cover and spine and a To/From page make it perfect for gifting to adults and kids alike.

MY TAKE:
5 STARS!!!
Coloring books? Why, YES! Prior to receiving these books, I had a friend who taught me the relaxing technique that coloring has on you when you do it. She was into coloring mandellas. (The spelling of this word has different ways, and the way I used it is the way the UK and we, here in the US, spell it.) I used to scour the internet looking for these, and lately (probably because they are so simple to pick up and just color some stress away!) I have not been able to find any. I wondered why, and now I know! The artists who are make these must be keeping them as collections like this book, and putting these into coloring books like these! 
I have a clip board that holds all my mandellas/clip art and other things I have found here and there. I used to color or even just collect because I added them onto scrapbook pages, or just to enhanced my photos with flowers, etc., I did all sorts of things like that! I loved it, and having always enjoyed this type of thing, and was really into it especially when I did it more. Making cards is still a favorite of mine, especially given the cost to purchase one! I used to use to hold all of these together, save them, use them, and color them and more, and I still do! So I really missed these when I couldn't find them anymore. Guess what? They're back, and SO BIG NOW, and it looks like they are in book form. Yeah!
#GIVEAWAY - I LOVE this/these coloring books for adults! I STILL love these books, and since I got TWO of these, I would like to share one of these with YOU during this Midwinter's Eve Giveaway Hop! This couldn't be a better fit than to share THIS BOOK HERE with one of you so you can see what I am talking about, and another nice Christmas present for YOU! The giveaway for this book is HERE! (Ends 12-31-15) so this is temporary and NOT part of this review, and this paragraph will be removed after the giveaway is over as it's ONLY purpose is to tell you I am giving one of my copies to you!
This author/publisher sent me two of these coloring books, each different, and parts one and two of the Time series. These are both SO GORGEOUS!!! WOW! I am going to review The Time Garden first. The quality of paper these books are printed on is extremely heavy, making for a beautifully finished product no matter how you want to fill these in, and you can use whatever types of color you choose to use because this paper is that thick nothing is going to hold you back. I can see colored pencil, which is my favorite, I can also see adding a little water to turn that into some watercolors, and paints! Oh! You can have so much FUN with these! The books do come in completely black and white, of course, and that is because they are waiting for YOU to add color to the pages with whatever medium you choose to color these beautiful pages in with!
In the paperwork that came with this book, it has a paragraph that explains the story behind it. Yes, both books do have a story that goes along with them Here is what it the paperwork that came with them says:
"The adult coloring craze has been covered by the New York Times and NPR, and fans are clamoring for the next book as soon as they finish coloring their last page. Fans of grown-up coloring have come to the hobby from alongside their kids at the kitchen table, while on the porch of a beach vacation home, or as a way to cope with their jobs. Coloring clubs are springing up around the country, and books are flying off the shelves."

"Filled with gorgeous spreads featuring fantastical scenes of clock gears, rooftops, starry skies and giant magical flying owls, this book's beautiful little details are perfect for customizing with whatever colors one can dream up. Fans of Korean pop art and Academy-Award winning animated films like Spirited Away will be drawn into Ms. Song's wonderfully surreal manga-like artwork.

By clicking on the link to go to Amazon, you will be able to see EVERYTHING that is inside this book!
Down below is the link to Amazon, the rectangular box we all can see. Click on that, it will take you right to THIS BOOK, and you WANT and NEED to take a look at it! Next, click on “LOOK INSIDE”. This will give you a look at EVERY SINGLE PAGE INSIDE THIS COLORING BOOK! I was SHOCKED! I’ve NEVER seen enough pages out of ANY book in this section to be satisfied enough, and here is the ENTIRE BOOK! I was so shocked! I was happy because now YOU get to really see ALL the pages you'll get to color! Finally, whoever did this needs more than a pat on the back! (Thank the publisher if you get a chance!!) They have accomplished what I wish more books would do in this section!
Have you looked at it yet? Don't you just LOVE the pages to color! WOW! There are SO many!

I HIGHLY recommend getting this book, and enjoy EVERY second of it while you color how YOU want it to look, to become! This will be YOUR photo, YOUR thing to design, color, build, to make it look however YOU want it to look like!!! Have fun and enjoy it! 

The story continues on October 13th, 2015, with The Time Chamber, and they DID send that book to me as well! I will be reviewing that book next!

About the Author:
I do not have a photo of the author, but I have a 'description' of her! 
Daria Song is an author, artist, and curator with a master's degree in fiber arts from the Ewha Womans University Graduate School of Fine Arts. Winner of the Kyung Hyang Arts Contest, Song has exhibited at numerous galleries in Korea, Singapore, Turkey and Hong Kong including Imazoo Gallery, Young gallery, Sun Gallery, and Seoho Museum of Art. She lived and studied in San Francisco for three years before returning to Korea to create the art for the internationally best selling adult coloring book, The Time Garden. She lives in Seoul, Korea.

The Time Garden: A Magical Journey and Coloring Book (Time Series) by Daria Song
print book: $8.85


Thanks for coming by!
Enjoy the rest of your day!
Laurie

Monday, December 21, 2015

Midwinter's Eve #GIVEAWAY #BLOGHOP NOW to 12-31-15 at midnight!

           Thanks to our Sponsors, Bookhounds and I Am A Reader     

Welcome everyone!!! Thanks for stopping by! I want to wish you EVERY Merry and Happy Holiday there is between now and the end of the year! We are going into Winter now, so this is the PERFECT Hop for that! I want to wish all of you wonderful time spent with your families during ALL of these different holidays we all observe! Okay! What am I giving away?

1 print book to 
1 winner 
US only (due to postage, sorry)

The book is: 




The Time Garden by Daria Song - Waiting for YOU to color it!!! I am doing this review after I post this, so I'll come back and edit in the review link so you can click on it, OR, you can look in the Review Archive in the RIGHT SIDE COLUMN! This is a coloring book for ADULTS! You'll LOVE it! It has a little bit of a story to it, and don't worry, the drawings/the art to color is GORGEOUS and not offensive but BEAUTIFUL!!! Wow! I just can't say enough for this book! It is SO relaxing! I used to go online and search for medallions to color online, but you cannot easily find them anymore. This is why - they are in BOOKS now! Let this be a Christmas gift for YOU!  . . . more to come!!!

Here is the Description:

A dazzlingly beautiful coloring book for all ages, The Time Garden will sweep you away into a whimsical cuckoo clock–inspired world, created in intricate pen and ink by the internationally best-selling Korean artist Daria Song. Then, explore the magical world outside the clock through the eyes of a fairy in the sequel, The Time Chamber: A Magical Story and Coloring Book.

Journey through the doors of a mysterious cuckoo clock into its inky innerworkings to discover a magical land of clock gears, rooftops, starry skies, and giant flying owls—all ready for you to customize with whatever colors you can dream up.

Cuckoo . . . cuckoo . . . cuckoo . . . When the clock strikes midnight, you’ll wonder, was it all a dream?

The Time Garden features extra-thick craft paper, ideal for non bleed-through coloring, and the jacketed cover with flaps is removable and colorable. Special gold-foil stamping on the cover and spine and a To/From page make it perfect for gifting to adults and kids alike.

Catch my review HERE!

How do you enter? 

YOU MUST FILL OUT THIS FORM BELOW! After filling out the form, please scroll down further on this page and you'll see the other blogs in this Hop! Make sure to HOP over to all of their Giveaways, too!




Here are the rest of the blogs in this Hop! Good luck!

URGENT ANNOUNCEMENT!!! 12-21-2015

ANNOUNCEMENT:

MY 

         BLOG  IS STAYING:  "OPEN"!

A few people misunderstood me when I wrote in yesterday's post that I stated the Sunday Post of the NYTimes 15 (20) Bestsellers will be ENDING. ONLY THAT POST WILL END - NOT MY BOOK BLOG!!! UNLESS I GET COMMENTS BACK TELLING ME YOU "WANT" THAT POST! PLEASE LET ME KNOW! THANKS!!

I'M SORRY IF YOU THOUGHT THIS BOOK BLOG WAS CLOSING THE WAY IT WAS WORDED. NEVER! AT LEAST NOT FOR A LONG WHILE RIGHT NOW!!! ARE YOU KIDDING? 
I "LOVE" DOING THIS BOOK BLOG! IT HELPS ME FORGET THE 'STIFF PERSON SYNDROME' I HAVE BY GETTING TO FOCUS ON BOOKS AND THE STORIES THEY HOLD, AND SO "MUCH" MORE! 
WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHY I WRITE THIS? READ "ABOUT ME"! TO LEARN MORE!

THANKS FOR ALLOWING ME TO INTERRUPT YOU!

THANKS FOR BEING SUCH FAITHFUL AND WONDERFUL FOLLOWERS!!!


Sunday, December 20, 2015

#BooksandBenches Week 4 of #Christmas book #Giveaways !!! Come on over and #enter NOW to 12-26!


Welcome
to the fourth week of our Books for Christmas giveaway event! Featured
this week are authors Casey Dawes, Kathi Oram Peterson, and Kaki Warner.

Week Four Giveaway is 12.20.15 - 12.26.15. 

Winners will be announced on 12.27.15

Don't forget to scroll all the way through to the END to view and enter each giveaway!


TAKE NOTE! Some giveaways are limited shipping, and others are open internationally (US and worldwide).
Those of you who aren't on Facebook or Twitter, you can still enter.
Each Rafflecopter has a 'Leave a Comment' option. We don't want to leave
anyone out!  Please also note
that if you leave one comment, you can "mark" that off for all the
entries. 


**You do not have to leave a comment for each giveaway**


Connect with Kaki!

Connect with Kathi!

 Connect with Casey!


a Rafflecopter giveaway


**You do not have to leave a comment for each giveaway**

Keep scrolling down for one more Rafflecopter form to enter!!!

*******************************************

COMING NEXT WEEK! 
Catherine Bybee, Genevieve Graham, and MK McClintock



a Rafflecopter giveaway


Giveaway Disclaimer
Giveaways end December 26, 2015 at 11:59 PM EST. Open to anyone who can legally enter. Prizes cannot be shipped to PO Boxes.  Winners will be selected by
Rafflecopter and be notified by email. Winners have 48 hours to respond before
a new winner is selected. Please note that Books & Benches and MK
McClintock are not responsible for sponsors that do not fulfill their
prizes.  I have represented each author with the expectation they will
fulfill their prize and in a timely manner. I will contact the author regarding
your prize(s). The authors, in all cases, are shipping/sending their items to
you directly. I will make every effort to assist you obtaining your
prize.  The books offered for each giveaway are free of charge, no
purchase necessary.  Facebook, Twitter and Google+ are in no way
associated with this giveaway.  By providing your information in this
form, you are providing your information to me and me alone.  I do not
share or sell information and will use any information only for the
purpose of contacting the winner.

The #NYTimes Top 10 of 20 for the week ending Dec 20th, 2015 plus blog updates!


Welcome! It's been another week of GREAT books and GREAT reading! Please share with us in the comments below what you read this week and how much you liked it! This post is always up by NOON at the latest every Sunday, so if you don't see it, please come back!

Always be sure to check in the LEFT side column for Giveaways!

ANNOUNCEMENT: After today, I will no longer be doing this column. I've been doing it for about three years now, and my heart is just no longer in it. It takes me about three hours to do this each week, and really puts a dent in my reading, writing reviews, and just being able to do things I need or want to get done on the weekends, such as spending time with my husband, and maybe more time with the grocery list. I don't like that it interferes with everything, and I'm just starting to really dislike writing this column. I HOPE you all can understand this. At the same time, I WILL miss writing this column, too! I will do something, I'm just not sure yet. I WILL be posting Blog Updates HERE on Sundays in this SAME SPOT when needed! I'll list what is coming up for the week, the Giveaways that are going on or will be coming, etc! I think that sounds like more fun than the Bestseller list!

Ideas for this post? "PLEASE", write them in the comment box, or email me at laurieisreading at gmail dot com. Thanks!!!

Today I will do books ONE through TEN. I will post the LINK for YOU to go to and check the bestsellers for the rest of today, right - - - HERE - - - ! 

If anyone has any comments OR does NOT want to see this column go away, please let me know! That's another thing. No one has ever left ONE COMMENT after I type all this up! It makes me wonder if anyone is interested, so I think not, and I don't want to spend 3 HOURS typing this up if no one is all that interested. I am sorry, everyone, but there will be . . .
BETTER THINGS TO COME!!

Thanks for being a dedicated reader of this column for as long as you have! I truly appreciate it!

Let's hit books 1-10!

FICTION: COMBINED EBOOK AND PRINT

1.   Rogue Lawyer by John Grisham
ebook: $12.99
print:   
$17.37




2. Cross Justice by James Patterson
ebook: $14.99
print:   $14.39



3. The Guilty (Will Robie series) by David Baldacci
ebook: $14.99
print:   $10.59




4. The Martian: A Novel by Andy Weir
ebook: $8.99
print:   $9.00




5. Ashley Bell: A Novel by Dean Koontz
ebook: $13.99
print:   $16.80



6. Tom Clancy Commander in Chief: A Jack Ryan Novel by Mark Greaney
ebook: $14.99
print:   $16.47



7. See Me by Nicholas Sparks
ebook: $12.99
print:   $14.56



8. Tricky Twenty-Two: A Stephanie Plum Novel by Janet Evanovich
ebook: $13.99
print:   $15.51



9. All the Light We Cannot See: A Novel by Anthony Doerr
ebook: $13.99
print:   $11.78



10. The Girl on the Train: A Novel by Paula Hawkins
ebook: $11.99
print:   $  8.00







Friday, December 18, 2015

#REVIEW - DOODLETOPIA CARTOONS, Draw, Design, and Color - Your Own Super-Fun Cartoon Creations by Christopher Hart


Description:


An interactive doodle book from a best-selling art instruction author and cartoon master that pairs illustrating insights with drawing, designing, and coloring activities for aspiring artists.


Welcome to Doodletopia! Your first stop in this paradise of creativity? The world of cartoons. Your tour guide Christopher Hart is ready to introduce you to the interactive, artistic possibilities of creating your own exciting, hilarious, off-the-wall cartoon characters, gags, and more.


Unlike other doodle books that leave you stranded, with no help at all, Doodletopia: Cartoons pairs fun doodle-based activities with the sort of insightful (and laugh-out-loud funny) advice and tips that countless readers have come to expect from cartooning master Christopher Hart. For the first time ever, you can pick up your pencils, pens, markers, or crayons, and draw, doodle, or color right on the same page as the author.


From finishing cartoon faces to selecting costumes to completing wacky cartoon scenes, the opportunities for creative expression are endless. So what are you waiting for? Open up and start doodling!

MY TAKE:
"5" STARS!!!
RUN to your bookstore NOW, or get online and go to your favorite online bookstore and buy this book, or several for everyone on your gift list! This book is plain ole' FUN! It's a book that would be an excellent choice for ANYONE no matter what their age is, and no matter what they may tell you about their talent or non-talent to draw - they CAN with this this book! It is so much FUN to do the lessons and learn how to draw these cartoons and other things as you go along in this book! This book is for everyone and you cannot go wrong in giving this as a gift to anyone!
Why do I say all that? I got a copy of it in the mail from the publisher out of the blue! It looked like so much FUN! I took a good look at it, then I started to draw in it and do some of the lessons it provides, and I had a riot!! The author is AMAZING how he gets right in there and teaches you exactly how to draw these what looks like such difficult, hard drawings to do, and they become easy-peasy! Easier than what you possibly think, but you won't know that unless you try it first! Therefore, I challenge you! Let's GO!!!
Also, before I could review this book and either tell you this is a great book or not-so-great book this is, I "had" to do some of the drawings in this book and at least try it out first. Not to fear, these are SO EASY AND FUN!!! YOU MUST TRY THEM OUT!! I HAD A BALL! 
The first thing I suggest to do is to make a gift tag so while at that crowded family christmas party, you know who the book goes to! You’ll find that more towards the end of this book. Or, using what you have learned in this book, if there is not anything you would want to use as a gift tag, then use what the author has taught you and make your own! He teaches you so much
I have to admit and tell you my talent for drawing is pathetic! Pathetic! I am the first to admit it! I've had more laughs from people than 'Oooh's and Ahhh's' for my not-so-amazing talent with drawing! LOL! I can draw simple flowers and little itty-bitty things like that to accompany a few of my favorite hobbies which is scrapbooking and rubber stamping, so I have some beautiful colored pencils to color these in too, but none of these things involved drawing from scratch!
The problem - “I” was going to have to draw a PERSON as a CARTOON! HA! I knew this was NOT going to work OR I was going to need a LOT of erasers! Guess what? I got the erasers I knew I was going to need, so I knew I could at least attempt this!
Now with pencils, colored pencils, erasers, a pencil sharpener by my side, and a few blank pieces of paper on a clip-board, I was ready to start! 
The first thing this author has you start to draw in cartoon style is a penguin. I LOVE penguins! They are so cute! I have a good portion of my christmas tree decorated in penguins that I made with pony beads! If I were to draw these penguins on some cardstock, use my tool to poke a tiny hole at the top, I could have MORE penguin christmas ornaments for the tree! The penguin was a LOT of fun to draw!
As I went along, I learned you do not need extra paper as you can draw right “inside” of the book, and it was designed exactly for that! This author teaches you as you go along just how to draw and how to do it correctly! He gives you hints and teaches you to use horizontal and vertical lines to keep your cartoon characters straight. I was so excited about that! I wish my printer was working correctly so I could show you how nice the things “I” drew DID end up coming out so nicely! These are “ALL” SO MUCH FUN TO DO! Not only are these fun to do, but you can get lost doing these! Talk about forgetting anything going on in the world around you, wipe any stress in your life, etc.!
These will be excellent gifts for ANY person you need to give a gift to!
I sincerely hope you enjoy this book as much as I did! I think this book will go far and hit the TOP of ANY of the charts out there because it is so much fun!
Have a GREAT time! I sure did!
I received this book for FREE from the publisher, Watson-Guptill Publications/Berkley in exchange to read and write a review about it. It is NOT required for this review to be either positive/negative, or any type of suggested rating, but of my own honest opinion. "Free" means I was provided with ZERO MONIES to read this book nor to write this review, but to enjoy the pure pleasure of reading it. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

About the Author:

Christopher Hart

I started drawing character designs for a small animation studio in San Diego, California, when I was still in High School in Los Angeles. I used to drive 136 miles, each way, on the weekends, when I was 16, just for the opportunity to get paid to draw. Cartooning was a magical experience to me.


I graduated from High School, and attended the character animation program at the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia, California. At Cal-Arts, we had to do a lot of intense animation, which I found tedious. I was more interested in character design, and story, rather than drawing twelve poses to create one second of movement. It wasn't for me.


So I left and enrolled in, and graduating from, New York University. The social scene at Valencia consisted of a sandwich shop, where you could buy a magazine, if you got there early enough. New York city had slightly more to offer.

After I graduated, I worked as a staff writer on several NBC prime-time, comedy-variety television shows. I also wrote for 20th Century Fox, MGM-Pathe', The Showtime Cable TV Network and Paramount Pictures. But then the Writer's Guild went on strike. Writers in Hollywood weren't allowed to work for TV or the screen. So I went back to my cartooning roots. And I began writing for the Blondie comic strip, and began contributing regularly to Mad Magazine, and did some cartooning for magazines.

My cartoon work got noticed by Watson-Guptill, a premier publisher of art books. They asked me to do a book for them on drawing cartoons. They had never done that before. The result was 'How to Draw Cartoons for Comic Strips,' and it sold briskly. They asked me to do another, and then another. Well, I've sold over 3 million books domestically since then, have 19 translations, and I'm still at it.

My book, 'Manga Mania: How to Draw Japanese Comics,' quickly became the number one selling art book in the country (source: Bookscan). It is also the winner of the prestigious New Jersey Library Association's Garden State Teen Book Award for 2004 in the category of nonfiction for grades 6-12.

The Young Adult Library Services Association selected two of my books for their prestigious "2003 Quick Picks for Young Adults." Those titles are: "Anime Mania: How to Draw Characters for Japanese Animation" and "Mecha Mania: How to Draw the Battling Robots, Cool Spaceships, and Military Vehicles of Japanese Comics." my title, 'Manga Mania: How to Draw Japanese Comics,' was selected for 2002.

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) chose my book, 'Drawing Faeries: A Believer's Guide,' for their 2004 'Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults' reading list. The 'Children of the New Earth' online magazine awarded the book its 'CNE seal of Excellence.'

My book, "Manhwa Mania," which introduces Korean style comics to manga audiences, was chosen as a "Quick Pick for Relunctant Young Readers" by the American Library Association in 2006, ages 12-18.

In 2004, I was asked by the Loew-Cornell Art Supply Company to develop a series of eight top-quality art kits, which would feature my manga, cartooning and comic drawings. The kits are now completed. They will be available, on Amazon, in fall, 2006.

My work has also been been featured in such publications as American Artist, Newtype (the premier manga publication), Mad Magazine, Highlights for Children, Crayola Kids, Ranger Rick, Cat Fancy, Dog Fancy and Boy's Life. My tutorials have been featured on Animation World Network, one of the leading websites of the animation industry. I've also been a cover story on the industry trade magazine, "Publisher's Weekly."

And if you've read this far into my bio, then I'm more impressed with you than you are with me!

Thank you so very much for letting me offer some inspiration to you in your art adventures. Keep Drawing!

Chris