Nicholson, A Biography by Marc Eliot

My latest book from #BloggingForBooks is a biography by Marc Eliot on the life of Jack Nicholson.

  Nicholson, by Marc Eliot, touches on all the main points in Jack's life including his complicated family tree, his movie career highs and lows, and his many loves. This book also  includes loads of references for in-depth coverage of the star's life, and insightful quotes from Jack himself. It's an honest portrayal that makes for a fascinating read.
 Jack's lived a real Hollywood life and the stories are epic. The author devotes pages in each chapter to the movies Jack's made (and a comprehensive listin the back of the book that will inspire you to seek out the rentals) There's a story behind each movie, both onscreen and off with just the right balance of biography and juicy stories to keep the book from getting too long.
 Jack Nicholson has always kept a low profile, and I recommend this book to any fan who wants to dig beneath the surface of this colorful personality.

Billy Joel by Fred Schruers

I just finished the Billy Joel biography I got from Blogging For Books. This is a comprehensive history of the musician's life and career.
My Pluses and Minuses:
Pluses:
1. The author  has some actual quotes from Billy Joel himself, so you know these are authentic stories that get Billy's seal of approval.
2. He covers the marriages, the car accidents, the tiffs with Elton John, and even interviews the ex-wives.
3. You really come off the book liking Billy Joel even more. He's a good guy. There's nothing in the novel that would make you think differently about him.

Minuses:
1. The only minus were the parts that got a little wonky about the music business. I skimmed over the manager troubles, it's just not of interest to me.

Overall, I give it 4 out of 5 stars. It was everything a biography on a star like Billy Joel should be.

Gone Girl

Some of my pluses and minuses from Gone Girl:

Pluses:
1. Amy's a Nutcase. There's nothing like a well written Nut, they just make for good reading.

2. The plot is unique. Amy starts as a likeable lovey-dovey wife and flips the story halfway through.

3. This book never put me to sleep. Not one nodding-off, so it really is a page turner.

Minuses:
1. Amy's plan of revenge is toeing on the line of implausible (The jar of vomit)

2. The writing gets too be pretty hipster or 'meta' or whatever you call it.

3. Amy 'gets away with it'. You have to read it to know what I mean. Desi should get a little justice.

Overall, the book lives up to it's hype. I'd give it 4 and a half stars.

A Thanksgiving to Remember (A Harlequin book)

Oh, Harlequin....This story from 2000 features a nurse tending to a man with amnesia. The man has been seen fleeing a murder scene with a gun with the ID number chiseled off, a fake ID, and an address from a field in Missouri. So what does Nurse Tina do? She invites him over for dinner, and a week later asks him to move in, because 'He can't be guilty! He's too handsome!'
 Of course he's not guilty! He hits his head on the counter and remembers everything - He's a FBI agent!! So he's the good guy Tina thought he was after all. Still.....Tina's a Ditz for trusting him.
 A head shaking, yet enjoyable read!

Knitting Block By Block by Nicki Epstein

I was really excited to receive the latest book from #BloggingForBooks-Knitting Block By Block. I'm a big fan of knitting and this book is LOADED with design ideas!

 The best part about this book is you don't have to be a fancy advanced knitter to do these projects; if you know how to knit and purl, you can make any of the designs in this book. The amount of projects you can make with these squares is endless. You could sew them together in a blanket, a scarf, a pillow, a handbag....I'm currently making a diamond weave in navy blue with a 3-D twining rose and I still haven't decided if it will be a bag or a pillow. Your creativity will go wild with these patterns! Play around with the colors, the textures, the size...anything you want. There are print patterns, panda patterns, skull patterns-mix and match for a one of a kind creation.

 This book comes with a 5-Star recommendation from me. This would be an awesome present for any knitter you know (hint,hint!). With Christmas coming up and a long winter ahead, this would be the perfect gift.

 Here is my project. This is about 3 days work at an hour a day:

Knockout Knits by Laura Nelkin

The latest book I received from #Bloggingforbooks is Knockout Knits by Laura Nelkin.

Knockout Knits features scarves and accessories in fun new patterns, including a new style that incorporates beads into your knitting.
 The designs features in this book are probably best suited for intermediate to accomplished knitters. Beginners can try their skills on the write cuffs and work their way up to lacy shawls and beaded tams as they get more comfortable with the advanced skill levels. New skills are described in detail among the pages, with graphics to help you along.
 I've been a knitter for 10 years now and I like learning new advanced skills. I can't wait to start the beaded tam, and I'll post pics as soon as I start!
 Note: Circular needlles and cable needles are good supplies to have if you plan to complete some of these patterns :-)

Time for some fun....

The latest book I received from Bloggingforbooks.org  is Draw-a-saurus by James Silvani and a personal favorite.
 Draw-a-saurus is a fun novelty book for leisurely doodlers and sketchers. It's written in a friendly style that makes it accessible from ages 8 and up, but if you're an adult, don't be afraid to check out the book, too! No one is too old to enjoy the occasional dinosaur drawing!
 The book offers step by step pictorials to start the outline of your dinosaur (with many varieties to choose from) and shows you how to fill in the details. Real fun for all ages.
 Here is my first attempt and you can see the stages advance from the basic stick figure dino to a more detailed one....