Mama Bear Reviews

I just finished The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin. This is a self help book that takes a new approach to the topic of the personality test. According to Rubin, there are four basic areas in which people fit. These are upholder, obliger, rebel and questioner. The author provides a test in the book as well as access to a website for individuals to discover their own personal personality type. The book is broken into sections so that after one has discovered their personality type, they can learn how to best thrive with this information. There is also information on how to deal with other people within a personality type. I took the test and found that I am an obliger. I found myself agreeing to most of the information in the section that describes obligers. I also found some useful tips as to how I as an obliger can be more productive. Overall, I found this book really interesting. If you are looking for a way to stay motivated and want to better understand your own actions or...

I received a wonderful photography book today. Understanding Color in Photography by Bryan Peterson and Susana Heide Schellenberg is not only full of beautiful photography but great tips as well. I think I may have mentioned before that photography is one of my hobbies. This means that I have read many books on the subject. I found this one to offer fresh and unique ideas. One of the things that I really appreciate about the authors is that they emphasize trying to get things right in camera versus trying to correct with editing software. I think this stance is something that really sets this book apart from others on the subject. The authors offer up unique ideas that everyone can try regardless of skill with a camera. There is one photograph of a women surrounded by wonderful blurry colors that were created by using a window box of flowers. I cannot wait to try out this idea and will be on the lookout for flower boxes until I do. I recommend this book if you have an interest in ...

I love cooking with my slow cooker! I feel so productive when I can put all the ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning and know that supper will be waiting. Martha Stewart just released a new cook book full of wonderful slow cooker recipes titled Martha Stewart's Slow Cooker . Not only is this book full of yummy recipes and beautiful photographs but they are up to the quality of Martha Stewart. Usually when I cook things in the slow cooker, the meal comes out looking a bit like mush. The photographs in this book show images that will look as though the cook slaved over the meal for hours. Another thing that I appreciate about this book is that there is a vegetarian section. I cannot wait to try Martha Stewart's spin on macaroni and cheese in the slow cooker! I was really impressed with this book and it lives up the Martha Stewart name. I look forward to testing out many of the recipes this fall. I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review

I tend to avoid thrillers because I always seem to be annoyed by the outcome. I was very pleasantly surprised with how much I loved Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker. This is a book that I was lucky enough to win in a Goodreads giveaway. As I have said before, I really love these giveaways because I end up reading books outside of my normal comfort zone. Three years ago Cass and Emma disappear from their home. The clues seem to show that the girls were not together yet they both vanished on the same night. Now three years in the future, Cass returns to her home and slowly relates her story of what happened on that night and over the time that she has been gone. She urgently shares this information so that the detectives can find her sister. I love the way that this story played out. There is something slightly off with Cass and that becomes more apparent as the story goes on. I found myself unable to put this book down because I wanted to know what happened to Emma and what parts ...

I have reviewed quite a few art books over the last few months and always feel so inspired by the different techniques and styles. This week I received a copy of Foundations of Drawing: A Practical Guide to Art History, Tools, Techniques, and Styles by Al Gury . This is a really beautiful collection of art, history, and tips for drawing. The book begins with an art history lesson which is very insightful. It is neat to see the changing styles over time. The next section covers the different tools that artists use. I like this section because it explains different materials such as charcoal and how they would be used. The third section is probably the most in depth covering the topic of drawing skills. This is where the author dives into providing information for the reader to know how to go about drawing. There is a lot of interesting information in this section such as measuring and types of lines. The last two sections are also very informative covering the topics of drawing ae...

Today I am reviewing The Two of Us by Victoria Bylin. This is a brand new book that actually comes out tomorrow. I feel that this book would fit in the category of Christian fiction or Christian romance. With that said, this is a bit of a different genre for me but I was pleasantly surprised. The story centers around the stories of Mia and Jake. The two of them meet unexpectedly in Las Vegas only to find that they are both there for the same wedding. They work together in the best interest of the bride and the groom and try to help them set up their life together. In the process, Mia is trying to decide what her true calling in life is and Jake is trying to figure out his next step in life after an explosion knocked him out of the police force. Mia and Jake form a slow building relationship amongst themselves and the rest of their families. The character that is Mia was a bit wishy washy at times and honestly I really wanted to scream at her to make a decision. I however really lo...

I have reviewed a few different art books on my blog and am always fascinated with the different techniques of the artists. I was lucky to receive a copy of Colored Pencil Painting Portraits by Alyona Nickelsen. This book if full of great tips on using colored pencils to create realistic portraits. I was actually really surprised about how detailed the author is and how much information is included in this book. Something that I really like and that helps colored pencils to be less intimidating is the step by step process that the author displays in this book. She will take an image and show it in the various stages of having more detail added. This really helps to know what should be done first and how the image comes to be a finished product. This is especially helpful for people such as myself that do not have much knowledge with colored pencils. I think this book is a great introduction for those wanting to dive into the world of colored pencil art. The book is full of beautif...