Billie Eilish by Billie Eilish

Billie Eilish by Billie Eilish-336 pages

 

I am not a fan of Billie Eilish's music, but this seemed like an interesting read for this month's biography challenge. It is mostly filled with photos with commentary by Eilish. I learned that she is a car enthusiast and loves photography, even if she's not a great photographer. She views photos as a way of remembering moments in life and reliving those moments (which I would tend to agree). The book contains some cute and cool photos of Eilish and her family. I also learned that she is close with her brother, Finneas. It was cool to learn a few things about her even though I'm not a fan of her music. It's a pretty good read. 

Say Cheese and Die! (Goosebumps #4) by R.L. Stine

Say Cheese and Die! (Goosebumps #4) by R.L. Stine-136 pages

Greg and his three friends, Shari, Bird, and Michael find an old camera in the basement of the scary old Coffman House near their neighborhood. They start taking pictures with it, but the pictures don't turn out right. The pictures seem to show the future because whatever they show seems to happen soon after the pictures are taken. For instance, Greg takes a photo of his family's new car and it shows the car wrecked, totaled. The day after the photo is taken, Greg's dad is in a bad wreck and totals the new car. Other similar strange occurrences happen, also. Greg and his friends begin to wonder if the camera simply shows the future or if it is something more sinister, more evil. Perhaps the camera itself is evil and causing these tragedies! One must read the book, as I did, to find out!

Portrait in Death by J.D. Robb

Portrait in Death by J.D. Robb - 354 pages

Eve Dallas is dealing with a murderer who is killing people for their "light".  Meanwhile, Roarke is dealing with revelations about his past that change everything he's ever thought about himself.  Can Eve balance her personal and professional problems?

This book was a little different in the Eve Dallas series in that it focused quite a bit on Roarke's character development rather than Eve's.  The murder mystery was interesting and kept me reading.  A good entry in the series.

Saint Louis Seen and Unseen by Michael Kilfoy

Saint Louis Seen and Unseen by Michael Kilfoy, 160 pages

This is a beautifully illustrated book with all the sights one thinks of when it comes to St. Louis.  Whether you are a resident of St. Louis or a tourist, you will enjoy this book.  Published in 2006, this book contains photos of the old Busch Stadium as well as the building of the new stadium.  From the Arch to the Jewel Box to the Fabulous Fox, this book will remind you why you love St. Louis.  Not only are the photographs fantastic, each page contains a few facts about the photos.

Wet Dog - Sophie Gamand

Wet Dog - Sophie Gamand - 144 pages

Okay, so this is one of those things that I don't generally go for: a coffee table book.  I don't even like coffee.  I don't need a table for it.  But this, this glorious, giggle-inducing collection of photography, has absolutely made my day on several occasions.  It started at the library, when someone featured it in a place of honor in one of our end-of-shelf easels.  Every day, I'd pass it on the way to the copy machine or as I was shelving (sometimes deviating from the shortest path just to peep at this little dude's adorable face), and then I saw it at the bookstore and I realized I had to have a copy all to myself.  It's one of those silly things like cat memes and kawaii faces on foodstuffs that never fails to put a smile on my face, no matter what kind of day I've been having.  Who doesn't need more of that in their life?

Portrait in Death by J.D. Robb

Portrait in Death by J.D. Robb - 354 pages

Eve Dallas has another murder case to solve.  Someone is killing college kids to "capture" their light and become immortal.  But that isn't the only thing Eve has to deal with.  Roarke has just discovered a secret about his past that has completely thrown him for a loop.

This is one of the many books in the Eve Dallas mystery series by J.D. Robb, pseudonym of Nora Roberts.  I enjoyed the story even though I pegged the murderer pretty early on.

The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime - Ree Drummond

The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime - Ree Drummond - 400 pages

So, I don't usually read cookbooks cover to cover, but I like Ree's blogger style; that's were she started, so this isn't a book that's just page after page of recipe with no explanation or context.  She tells the story of each recipe with humor, levity, and humility, plus a huge side of gorgeously rich photography.  I only buy cookbooks with lots of pictures, but this one blew the holy cheddar cheese wheel out of pretty much everything else on my shelf.  It is, in a trite and overused word: GORGEOUS!  The layouts are fantastic and feature step-by-step photos, the recipes are doable for a home cook but rich and relatable, and mingled in between those recipes is the story of her family and their lives on the ranch.  Little details make the relevant content pop: scrollwork borders, floral accents, nature photos and silly captions.  The recipes are great, and the delivery is just as engaging as the food.

Included here are strategies for maximizing your pantry potential, plan-ahead components and meals that freeze for emergencies and sharing, side and main dishes offering a wide variety of culinary tastes (Asian to all-American), soups, salads, and suggestions at the end of each recipe for what recipes play nicely with it from the rest of the book.  Between the authoring and editing, this book was really well thought out, and it's organized in a way that's simple and accessible.  Yee haw, Ree!

Humans of New York Stories by Brandon Stanton

Humans of New York Stories by Brandon Stanton, 428 pages

I highly recommend picking up this book.  Before this was a bestselling book, Brandon Stanton had written a blog in the same fashion.  In this book, Brandon takes some amazing pictures of thousands of people on the streets of New York.  Some photographs are accompanied by one sentence or phrase.  Other pictures are accompanied by life stories and advice and opinions on living life. This book will touch your heart.  Humans of New York is also a very appropriate read for this time of year as we give thanks for things we have in our lives.

Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs by Henry Carroll

Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs by Henry Carroll
by Henry Carroll - 128 pages

This small book (it might fit in your camera case) covers composition, exposure, light, lenses, and just really seeing the object area.  Photos are provided to illustrate techniques and textual information.  Tryout these new hands-on techniques.  No techie jargon to wade through.

Prime Cut by Diane Mott Davidson

Prime Cut by Diane Mott Davidson, 320 pages
Book 8 in the Culinary Mystery series finds our favorite caterer fighting a competing new caterer in town.  He seems to have an unfair advantage over Goldy - endless supplies of money and no conscience!

Goldy teams up with her culinary teacher for a photo shoot for a holiday catalog, but is soon devastated by his untimely death.  Of course, she must try to solve his murder herself - and then must also defend herself against an unknown murderer AND her ex-husband.

Be sure to watch for the scrumptious recipes scattered through out the book!

Understanding Close-Up Photography: Creative Close Encounters with or Without a Macro Lens by Bryan Peterson

Understanding Close-Up Photography:  Creative Close Encounters with or Without a Macro Lens by Bryan Peterson - 160 pages

In another great to-the-heart-of-the-matter book, Peterson manages to provide great information and sample shots for both close-up and macro photography.  In addition to little tricks with the camera and ways to tweak the camera settings, Peterson also writes about ways to use external equipment, such as extension tubes, reflectors, and ring flashes, to achieve professional quality results.  Unlike an earlier book of Peterson's I reviewed, the tips in this book will work with all camera types, though point-and-shoot with macro capabilities or SLR are preferred.

As this is one of my preferred categories for my personal photographic compositions (landscapes and wildlife are the others), I think this book convinced me of the need to go out and but a silver/gold reflector and ring flash.  I also want to try the trick Peterson presented of using a glass plate with raindrops to form a multi-focal fish-eye lens.

The Snappin Sistas Present Secret Spots for Photo Ops In Missouri and Illinois by Judy Coday

The Snappin Sistas Present Secret Spots for Photo Ops In Missouri and Illinois - 181 pages

This book us a guide to off-the-map places for photo opportunities within 150 miles of St. Louis. It provides not only the places to go, but also directions, handicap access notes, and nearby places to eat. The book is written in a frank and zany style.  In addition to the over a dozen locations covered, the book also contains chapters on street photography and creative ways to display photographs.

Understanding Shutter Speed: Creative Light Action and Low-Light Photography Beyond 1/125 Second by Bryan Peterson

Understanding Shutter Speed:  Creative Light Action and Low-Light Photography Beyond 1/125 Second by Bryan Peterson - 160 pages

Understanding Shutter Speed is a great resource for photographers.  While aimed at the amateur, I am sure some of the more creative techniques covered would also appeal to the professional.  While in the past I have tinkered with the ISO settings (light sensitivity) on my camera, I had not really tried out the aperture (size of the lens opening; often affects focal point and light settings).  This book provided several great examples of ways to combine the ISO and aperture settings to create professional looking photos without relying on the camera's automatic settings.  At the end of the book, it the author also discusses more creative techniques that create images similar to that in impressionist paintings and some filters to use to achieved best results on landscape photos.  I cannot wait to get into the field and try out some of what I learned.

Disclaimer:  The techniques mentioned in this book will only work with SLR or Bridge (SLR in a point-and-shoot body) cameras because most point-and-shoots do not have ISO or aperture setting options.

Portrait in Death by J.D. Robb

Portrait in Death by J.D. Robb - 354 pages

Someone is killing college students to steal their "light".  He's taking the best and brightest kids, killing them, and sending photos to the news.  Eve Dallas must work quickly to stop him.  But she's distracted by Roarke.  Roarke has just discovered everything he thought he knew about his mother was a lie and it has caused him to go into a tailspin.  Eve must help Roarke and solve the murders before too many are hurt.
I pick and choose which of the J.D. Robb books I read based on what the description sounds like.  This one was interesting in that it gave most insight into Roarke.  He wasn't just the perfect man in this book -- he fell apart.  The murder story was also interesting and kept you guessing.

Powerful Days: Civil Rights Photography of Charles Moore, by Charles Moore

Powerful Days: Civil Rights Photography of Charles Moore, by Charles Moore, 208 pages

Charles Moore can be remembered for some of the most stirring photographs of the civil rights movement (I'll leave the google image-searching to you).  Each section in this book explains what was going on in the time period that each group of photos represents.  From police dogs attacking protestors, to the funeral procession at Medgar Evers' funeral, the photographs largely speak for themselves.  I thought this was a good reminder of how close such a massive injustice sits in our country's past.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs - 352 pages

Young Jacob has always idolized his mysterious Grandpa Portman.  When Grandpa dies under mysterious circumstances, Jacob is thrust into trying to figure out if the fantastic tales Grandpa told him about his childhood in Europe after escaping from the Nazis might actually have been true.  Intriguing real-life period photographs are scattered throughout the book and add a whole other layer of creepiness to an already haunting narrative.  This book was marketed for teens but definitely has enough action and higher level writing to appeal to adults.  Fans of the Dark is Rising and Lemony Snicket will find much to love here.