I was recently doing some very important research on Pinterest (wink, wink, nudge, nudge), when I came across the concept of book sculpting. In book sculpting, artists use one or multiple books as their medium and carve, cut, fold and paint them to create unique pieces of art. I have to admit that the idea of carving up a book made me a bit squeamish at first, but I also recognize that this is a great way to recycle unwanted books. So, once my toes uncurled, I was able appreciate the beauty of many of these pieces. Continue reading
Author Archives: mmelland
Book Review: The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
The Silent Patient, currently flying high on the bestseller lists, is a psychological thriller that lives up to its hype. A clever, twisty plot and creepy psych ward atmosphere will certainly appeal to fans of this genre. Continue reading
Book Review: The Martian by Andy Weir
The Martian is a hugely entertaining novel about an astronaut who is stranded on Mars and has to rely mostly on his own ingenuity to survive and eventually get rescued. It’s funny and hopeful and packed with technical whiz bangery that would put MacGyver to shame. Continue reading
Book Review: People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
The book in the title is a centuries old Jewish prayer book that has survived the Inquisition, Nazi occupation and a ton of conflict in between. Now it’s threatened again. Smart and creative, People of the Book is a very satisfying read. Continue reading
Book Review: Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
Pachinko follows four generations of a Korean family as they fight poverty and prejudice in Japan. Although there were some good qualities, this National Book Award finalist just didn’t work for me. Continue reading
Happy Birthday, Blog! Top Picks from Three Years of Blogging about Books
Book Thoughts from Bed is 3 years old this month. I have truly enjoyed interacting with new friends I’ve met through the blog and old friends that I have reconnected with (some from high school and college!). To all my blog readers, thanks for indulging my need to talk about books! Continue reading
Book Review: Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
At a very simplistic level, Lonesome Dove is the story of four former, ageing Texas Rangers who undergo a cattle drive from southern Texas to unsettled Montana in the latter half of the 1800s.
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Reader Rec’s Page Is Updated!
I get some fantastic recommendations from you, my blog readers, and they can be found on the Reader Rec’s tab. It’s updated once a year (thanks to my right hand gal, Alison), and with the latest additions there are about 130 books on the list. I have also added links to my blog posts if I’ve read a book on the list. And after going through that exercise it’s clear that I have a lot more reading to do!
Hope you find it to be a handy tool for picking out your next great read! You might even want to bookmark it. 😉
Book Review: From Fire, by Water: My Journey to the Catholic Faith by Sohrab Ahmari
This Lenten season, I decided I needed to do something to enhance my faith. People often give up something for Lent – chocolate, swearing, Twitter, etc. But I’ve always liked the idea of adding something meaningful, so I chose to read From Fire, by Water, which is a conversion story. Continue reading
Book Review: Faithful Place by Tana French
Faithful Place is the third installment in Tana French’s highly popular Dublin Murder Squad series. Rich atmosphere, complex characters, and great writing make this a very satisfying mystery. I read it is part of the 12 Months of Reading Goodness challenge. (March’s challenge was to read a book by an Irish author.) Continue reading
Book Thoughts from Bed 