Every Little Thing by Payton Cosell Turner

 Every Little Thing by Payton Cosell Turner is a new coloring book just for adults.  The new adult coloring book genre is becoming mainstream as it gains popularity among upscale adults, and stay at home moms.  This new coloring book is just a little bit different from the coloring books normally found in this genre. This coloring book features quickly drawn sketches- each scene resembles repetitious patterns of doodles rather than an actual picture.  Unlike other coloring books that have a simple story line or feature traditional, serene and beautiful and artistic images, the art in this book resembles quick doodles or cartoons.  This retro themed coloring book may take you back to your high school days of doodling in notebooks.  The  images on each page,  as a whole is more like an abstract patter.  For those who enjoy fine art or classical art, the rough style of these doodles may not be too appealing.  With the amount of time it takes to color a single page, some readers may prefer to pass this up if they prefer more beautiful art.  For those readers who are more free spirited and less rigid, they may be willing to invest some time into a new coloring book style.  As a blogger I received a copy of this book published by Potter style. 

NIV, Understand The Faith Study Bible, Grounding Your Beliefs In The Truth Of Scripture By Christianity Today Intl.

The NIV, Understand The Faith Study Bible, Grounding Your Beliefs In The Truth Of Scripture By Christianity Today Intl., is the newest themed bible published by Thomas Nelson.  The book is modern yet minimalist with red toned graphic touches in the interior and the sturdy, textured hard cover.  This bible is very attractive and would make a nice gift as well as a good personal choice for daily reading for anyone who is new to the bible or looking to upgrade their old bible.

As far as the articles and content- this is a great introduction bible to introduce newer believers in the faith to basic bible principals. For those who are used to extensive study bibles with foot notes, this bible is less indepth as it does not have study notes for the actual bible text.   This is not meant to be a study bible- but rather a simple, reader friendly presentation of the bible side by side with relevant articles.  Within the book are truly motivational and inspirational articles- full of substance. One can say this is a pretty bland bible if you compare it to the full color study bibles on the market.  This bible contains fit a real need- and one can say without all the "extra" features, one can focus on scripture.

As far as content, this bible is a good choice- a step above the standard pew bible. With all the niche bibles out in the market- there is truly a bible for every taste.    This is a better  bible choice for a beginner.  As a blogger for Booklook I received a copy of this bible published  by Thomas Nelson for the purpose of writing this review.

Art Students League of New York on Painting by James L. McElhinney and the Instructors of The Art Students League of New York

 Art Students League of New York on Painting by James L. McElhinney and the Instructors of The Art Students League of New York is a hybrid between an art book and an instruction book.  The beautiful hardcover is a compendium of student as well as professional art ranging from abstract modern to realism.  Any art enthusiast will find something to appreciate in this unique one of a kind volume.  There are many gifted artists whose work is featured.   I especially enjoyed the realism of LoPresti, Pelpko and the surreal, detailed abstract art of Winiarski.  The art of Vavagiakis is so realistic and exact that the human figures are almost indistinguishable from photos.  Yet the poignant faces are expressive.  This artist's still life works were just as impressive and ominous.  

Personally, I did not care for the large amount of paint-splotch styled modern and abstract art included in this book.  Abstract spots and splashes of color on a canvas never appealed to me.  I never appreciated the artistic style that mimics paint splatter.  Perhaps some readers appreciate modern art like this- and may actually enjoy it.  In my opinion it is monotonous and I feel perhaps one or two samples of this modern abstract style would have been sufficient.  I would have preferred more traditional and classical art to be depicted instead of ultra minimalist modern styles.  Overall the reader will find unique art that is not to be found anywhere else. There are a lot of unique pieces of art featured in this book. For any art student or art enthusiast who wants to increase their exposure to newer and unknown artists - this is the book to read.  As a blogger I received a copy of this book published by Watson Guptill productions- an imprint of Crown Publishing group.  

Adventure Bible for Little Ones by Catherine DeVries, illustrated by Jim Madsen

The small, puffy board book, Adventure Bible for Little Ones by Catherine DeVries, illustrated by Jim Madsen is a perfect way to introduce your baby or toddler to the bible.  This thick padded board book contains a few of the most popular bible stories accompanied by bold and colorful illustrations.  The word "Bible" in the title may be misleading and should be replaced with "Bible Stories".  This might be confusing  for some parents as this book contains short bible stories and in no way resembles a bible.

This book contains some of the art from a previously published "Adventure Bible Storybook" which more resembles a "bible" than this new book.  If you already own the "Adventure Bible Storybook", you may notice that this padded book is appropriate for babies who may be rough with regular books.

Cassidy is sixteen months old and recognized the familiar face of Jesus as well as the animals in the ark.  She was excited when I gave her this book.  The small sturdy pages were easy to turn on her own.  This sturdy board book with its reinforced binding and heavy weight pages will stand up to wear and tear.  My baby has a way of tearing through flimsy board books, but I feel this book is sturdy enough to withstand her mouth and hands.  As a blogger for Booklook I received a copy of this book published by Zonderkidz for the purpose of writing this review.

The Elements of Landscape Oil Painting: Techniques for Rendering Sky, Terrain, Trees, and Water by Suzanne Brooker

The Elements of Landscape Oil Painting: Techniques for Rendering Sky, Terrain, Trees, and Water by Suzanne Brooker is an instruction book and a work of art rolled into one.  This full color book is an instructional text on oil landscape painting.  The photographs of the art contained are beautiful masterpieces- which will inspire and educate the reader.  This large sized quality hardcover book would make a perfect gift as well as a coffee table accessory for even the most discriminating home decor.  There is something in this book tailored for every skill.  As a blogger I received a copy of this book published by Potter/ Tenspeed/ Harmony for the purpose of writing this review.