July 2011

Tolpin, Jim. The New Cottage Home. Newtown, CT: Taunton, 1998. Print.

This is a book I would buy as an eBook, since it’s too hefty to make the commitment to for the long term!  However, it’s another wonderful Taunton book I’m happy to know the library has, so I can refer to it over time.  The copy I got had three pages torn out, unfortunately – who even does that?  (I asked my husband to put another copy on hold so I can see what I’m missing.)

The houses range from tiny (600 square feet) to over 3,000 square feet, but all manage to express a “cottage-y” feel.  Not all are on the water, either; he has chapters on cottages in the city and cottages in  fields rather than forests.  Some were built very cheaply, either on a very tight budget or by using salvaged materials.  They didn’t feel the need to look for cottages that were perfect in every way; it wasn’t until I read it the second time that I realized that in some houses, they didn’t show any pictures of the upstairs or the kitchen, for instance.

The introductory chapter on the history and notable architects (the usual Downing and Davis are mentioned, but also Bernard Maybeck) is interesting, and the final chapter on design is incredibly useful.  I’ve got a lot of good ideas for both our old farmhouse and another little project I have in mind.

Scott, Jerry. You’re Making That Face Again: Zits Sketchbook 13. Kansas City, MO: Andrews McMeel Pub., 2010. Print.

My son picked this up at the library, and when I saw it in the living room I grabbed it up to glance through.  I have to say I enjoyed it a lot – there is a surprising depth and subtlety to the “Zits” depiction of teenage-dom that I’d forgotten about.  Fortunately this 13-year-old of mine doesn’t (yet?) shut me out of his thoughts, and I hope we can continue to jointly laugh at things that might hit a little close to home.

Hobbs, Valerie. Sheep. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2006. Print.

I expected to love this book; after all, my parents have an adored border collie, and it’s a children’s book recommended through LibraryThing.  It fell a bit flat, though.  I read it out loud with an 11-year-old at bedtimes, and it was a good length for that.  Halfway through we could both see the ending coming, though, and that kind of ruined my enjoyment.

The descriptions of adoption at an orphanage; the kids and parents lined up and shaking hands, and the prospective parents driving off with the kid they picked – made me hope that the book was set in the past, but since there was no particular evidence of it other than that, I was a bit dismayed at that portrayal.

Anderson, Bob. Stretching. Bolinas, Calif: Shelter, 1980. Print.

I wanted a book on stretching a few years ago, when my lower back was causing me problems and I was trying to do some DIY at-home help for it.  For some reason I didn’t come across this excellent book, which I’ve had out from the library for the last 9 weeks.  Unfortunately it didn’t become part of my routine, but I intend to stretch before I take it back tonight, and go back and get it again tomorrow!

The first part of the book describes various stretches – how to do them correctly, with lots of detail and description.  It’s organized by body part, roughly.  The second part of the book is organized by sport, with a one- or two-page spread for each sport or activity that you might want to stretch before or after.  The sketches are shown in a format that would make a nice poster, actually, with references back to the page where each one is described in detail.  It’s a great book for everyone, not just athletes – there are stretches to do before and after gardening!  (But not shoveling snow).

Asensio, Cerver Francisco., and Wendy Griswold. Small Apartments. New York: Harper Design International, 2003. Print.
I was intrigued by this book, which I got off the library shelf because it caught my eye.  It has a pronounced international flavour, without being dominated by minimalist interiors that I can’t relate to.

I’ll start with my only complaint, which is really a small one; on page 7 they say “While none of the apartments exceeds 800 square feet…”, but the very first project, on page 11, is 850 square feet.  This is a fairly petty point, though, and the fact that the apartments are all 850 square feet or less is a big difference from the last book reviewed, which thought that a 2000 square foot house was “small”.

There is a loose organizational structure to this book, with the five sections concentrating on furnishings, color, movable panels, restraint, and exterior.  I particularly liked the section on color, since the prevailing wisdom is that white, or at least pale colours, makes a space look bigger.  The cover picture, in fact, is from that section, showing the kitchen/dining area of an apartment in Barcelona that uses bright colours to demarcate the various spaces in the apartment.

Floor plans are given whenever they would be helpful.