The Book Nook - Jane Davenport Beautiful Faces Review.

Hello,
and welcome to a monthly feature here on the blog 'Book Nook' Where I'll review an art and journal related book on here and also on my Youtube channel. Once a month I'll do a written and verbal review for you guys! This month I've decided to chose a very in demand book Beautiful Faces by the lovely Jane Davenport. Not only do I adore Jane as a teacher but as a person, but she has created a book that stormed the amazon charts for mixed media taking number one spot for many weeks! Even now shes at number 6 and I only think its there currently because the colouring book craze is mammoth at the moment.

This book is filled with not just eye candy, but it is also bursting with information, techniques, ideas and inspiration. I feel personally there isn't a book like it on the market. Published by Quarry books (where I feel the best art/mixed media books are published) Jane's book is not just a book, but an experience.

I did not get sent this book in exchange for a positive review, I purchased this book with my own money, as I have done with almost all of her classes. Others were gifts, and also a scholarship. Now you all know I am a mumma on a family budget, so I make sure I am buying things I think are worth the price tag, and let me tell you this book is.

I've taken many of Jane drawing classes and they are always the ones I recommend to people first, 'Supplies Me' is still by far my very favourite of her courses on offer, for beginners and beyond! even with all the class videos, this book is fantastic reference material for when I'm on the couch or at my desk and want to just draw! instead of watching a video refresher.

Beautiful faces is slightly different to everything else out there, for while Jane was writing this book, she was also filming a sister class, so the pages were bought to life in front of your very eyes. Now I am not a member of this class YET, but it's on my classes to take, I have friends in the class and have only heard great things. Like I said this book in an experience on its own, but I can imagine how amazing it would be to watch them be created layer by layer face by face.

 I have enjoyed sitting with the technique pages,  just pouring over every single detail. This alone is so lovely to be able to do, as with the classes I've taken I spend more time rewinding to catch things than I'd like to admit! But with this book, I spend ample amount of time on each step, so that I too can get the right amount of shading, or my face symmetry right. These book literally has endless tips and beauty to behold...I'll admit more than I expected before purchasing.

The step by step images are all very close up, so the detail you can see is truly helpful when you have the book only as a reference. (I'm just a glutton and want the class as well) I don't want to show too much of the tutorial modes within the book, as that will spoil it for you, but know there is lots of step by step guides for you to fawn over not just for eye candy but for genuine help with your own artworks.

Within the pages of the book is also supply advice! giving you some of Jane's very much love supplies, which are photographed beautifully and also very tempting to buy everything she says is lovely...That is one thing with Jane she will never steer you wrong when it comes to supply buying, I have yet to hate something shes recommended to me. Including paper tips...

All in all I think Jane's book was well worth the pricetag! and I can see myself purchasing copies of this for my nieces as gifts when they are a touch older. I can already picture my niece Sophia losing her mind at all the colours and the step by step guides and shes 7 next weekend. This book is a fantastic one to have in your collection for the beauty and for the brains.

If you'd like the book and the course pop on over to Jane's Website where all the links to all the things are! its a very magical place over there!
On my review scale I give this book a 9/10, truly a must to have in your collection. If I ever manage to squirrel away enough cash for the course as well I'll review it too!

If you have any questions about the book, or have a book you'd like me to review for next month, pop it in the comments! I'd love to hear recommendations!

Tomorrow I'll be filming the youtube review which will go up on Friday the 12th of June, when its uploaded I'll add the video down here  for you to watch aswell.

Take care, Cx 

The Reading Nook - Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda Review

 I recently finished Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Adgenda by Becky Altertalli and here are some of my thoughts on the book.

 

This book took me completely by surprise, being a visual person the cover was ashamedly what drew me in to begin with, but that soon faded as I started reading.

This is contemporary YA book which was witty and funny in all the right places. Centered around Simon our 16 year old protagonist who is exploring his sexuality as he faces the highs and lows of highschool life.
This book follows a cute and adorable love story between our beloved Simon and a boy who we first only know as 'Blue' an anonymous  and rather charming email buddy. At first our not-so-openly gay Simon and Blue exchange harmless daily emails that soon turn into a blossoming e romance before our very eyes.

I enjoyed the fast pace nature of this book, the quirky ins and outs of friendships and the beautifully written family dynamic when it came to Simon's family. There are some very lovely moments written into this book,Some I loved and some I didn't really care for.  It showed the many facets to how people react when finding out someone in their life is gay. Which I really appreciated, it wasn't all just Oreo's and rainbows which is appealing to me as a reader.
Following Simon on his journey to revealing to the world that he is in fact gay, we  are taken on his journey as he deals with this development and how he comes to terms with this in a high school setting.
We watch as Simon lusts after a boy through email conversations while trying to keep a normal persona in school, which in time becomes hard to do as news gets out about his sexual preference.
 

I think a lot of people will connect well with this book, as memories of my teenage years flashed before my eyes during certain scenes in the book, the way love was portrayed within the pages was bang on how I remember it as a 15 year old girl, and I love that about this book, its a heart strings puller.

Most characters in this book aren't fleshed out, which is a shame because I feel the writer has created such a colour cast of characters that I wanted to get to know a little better, but never got the chance to. That really is my only criticism to this book. I just wanted some more meaty characters as Simon is such a well fleshed out character, I expected his friends to be on the same level within the book.

Overall I thought this book was a lovely light read, a little too perfect when it came to the ending, but certainly not a book that disappoints. Even though this book is like nothing I've ever read, I am quiet surprised how quickly and easily I read this. Simon's character makes this book worth picking up alone. And of course who doesn't love a good romance.  

I gave this book a 4/5 stars on goodreads. 

I got an E Arc Copy of this book from http://www.penguin.com.au/ and this in no way shapes my review. 

Seeya Soon! with some art! 

x Courtney