Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel - a minha review

Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel, de Mariah Marsden, foi-me cedido pela Netgalley e pelo editor para que eu fizesse uma apreciação honesta deste livro. Não há de momento edição em português. Publiquei a minha opinião na Amazon e no Goodreads com 5/5 estrelas e a seguinte "review":

Written by Mariah Marsden
Illustrated by Brenna Thummler
Age Range: 7 – 12
Paperback: 232 pages
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing (2017)
ISBN: 978-1449479602

Do you have a ten-year-old daughter (one or several around this age!), who likes to read, fantasize and be overwhelmed by irresistible characters? Do you want to introduce her to literary characters she can’t help but love? Do you want to share a magical reading moment between mother and daughter? If so, this book is for you.

This book is an adaptation of the classic Anne of Green Gables, the 1908 novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery, transformed into a graphic novel.

This book is beautiful. I was so absorbed in it’s reading that I was surprised and sorry when it came to an end. In the end, it leaves you delighted. We return to the charm and the enchantment of Avonlea, the vibrant personality and imagination of Anne (always with an -e), her heartbreaking need to be loved and accepted in the beginning, the quiet, discreet love of Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert for the always extraordinary orphan, the faithful friend Diana, the teasing boy Gilbert Blythe.

This graphic novel respects and honors the original.

The illustrations are gorgeous, the colors beautiful, there are pages with only one illustration filling it like paintings, you go through the book marveled by its flowing.

However, I don’t know if this graphic novel version of the classic could stand alone, without the backup of the worldly known original book. The story is logically truncated, condensed by this art genre.

Yet, it’s a work of art in its own right.

I received this book as an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

"Write Smart, Write Happy: How to Become a More Productive, Resilient and Successful Writer": a minha "review"

"Write Smart, Write Happy: How to Become a More Productive, Resilient and Successful Writer", de Cheryl St. John, foi-me cedido pela Netgalley e pelo editor para que eu fizesse uma apreciação honesta deste livro. Não há de momento edição em português. Publiquei a minha opinião na Amazon e no Goodreads com 4/5 estrelas e a seguinte "review":

"I’ll start to confess that I went to check how many books Cheryl St. John had published: the answer is dozens of them. She knows what she is talking about. She’s a prolific writer that was already getting published in the nineties.

This is not the usual book about the writing process, inspiration, emotion and momentum. This is not about the magic of creation. It’s about organized work and productivity. It's about showing up. It reminds me of some books about time management and setting goals. All this applied to creative writing, with multiple examples. Good book.

I received this book as an eARC from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review".

"Storytelling for Pantsers: How to Write and Revise Your Novel Without an Outline": a minha review

"Storytelling for Pantsers: How to Write and Revise Your Novel Without an Outline", de Annalisa Parent , foi-me cedido pela Netgalley e pelo editor para que eu fizesse uma apreciação honesta deste livro. Não há de momento edição em português. Publiquei a minha opinião na Amazon e no Goodreads com 5/5 estrelas e a seguinte "review":

This book is about a particular way of creative writing. It’s a guide for pantsers. Pantsers are the opposite of plotters. A plotter is someone who plans out their novel before they write it. When they start to write they already know how it is going to end. Because they made an outline. A pantser is someone who doesn’t plan out anything. Pantsers like the freedom of not being stuck following an outline. They can take their novel in any direction they want. That, speaking from my own experience, can be nowhere. Having no plan can mean you end up moving in circles and you don’t know where to go with your story or your characters. You get stuck.

If you are a pantser like me, with unfinished stories hidden in a drawer, read this book. It has great tips on writing in an intuitive, disorganized, untamed way, without an outline or previous plot. Thus, the importance of revising is well explained in this book. It presents pearls of wisdom on a pot (not in!). Really. The whole book is written with a great sense of humor. It’s really easy and enjoyable to read. The author’s writing is vivacious and funny. I recommend it to every fiction writer, not just pantsers.

I received this book as an eARC from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

"Quiet Girl in a Noisy World: An Introvert's Story": a minha review.

"Quiet Girl in a Noisy World: An Introvert's Story", de Debbie Tung , foi-me cedido pela Netgalley e pelo editor para que eu fizesse uma apreciação honesta deste livro. Não há de momento edição em português. Publiquei a minha opinião na Amazon e no Goodreads com 5/5 estrelas e a seguinte "review":

Quiet Girl in a Noisy World: An Introvert's Story is a comic book by Debbie Tung about a girl growing to accept her introversion as a feature instead of a flaw.

This book is SO me! I've always been an introvert and I used to feel inadequate. Now I'm older and ok with it. It's who I am and I know there is nothing wrong with it.

The author of this book really understands introverts, she must be one. Her portrait of introverts is accurate. The comics are short and to the point. The drawings are simple, in black and white and very expressive. They convey well, and without the help of much text, the message.

This is a good reading for introverts: it demystifies introversion. (I smiled as I recognized myself in some funny situations, I felt understood).

It's also a good book for extroverts who want to understand introverts. (I already told my husband, who is an extrovert, to read this book so he understands me better).

Yet, don't think that introverts don't like people, they do. They just get tired and drained after some time around people. They need some time alone.

There is another quirk to which I relate to the main character: I'm also a bookworm. I love to stay home with my kids, my husband, and my dogs. And also alone, in my corner, reading my books and recharging batteries.

I received this book as an eARC from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

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"Make a List: How a Simple Practice Can Change Our Lives and Open Our Hearts": a minha "review"

"Make a List: How a Simple Practice Can Change Our Lives and Open Our Hearts", de Marilyn McEntyre , foi-me cedido pela Netgalley e pelo editor para que eu fizesse uma apreciação honesta deste livro. Não há de momento edição em português. Publiquei a minha opinião na Amazon e no Goodreads com 3/5 estrelas e a seguinte "review":

A different approach to lists

I always do to-do lists. Lists of Christmas presents to buy. Lists of things to take on vacations. Lists of groceries to buy. I did a list of names when I was to chose my younger daughter. I also have a list of dreams and this Marilyn McEntyre would understand. For her, lists can be much more complex than our daily to-do lists. They therapeutic and a tool for self-discovery.

Lists serve a surprising variety of purposes. Here are a few reasons to make them:
To discover hidden feelings
To name what you want
To clarify your concerns and fears
To notice what you might have missed
To unburden our sorrows
To claim what gives you joy and what you are grateful for

The author presents “rules” or suggestions in list-making to make lists useful, beautiful, and fun.Lists can be a way of opening up “play space". There is a whole section that is an invitation to play with lists.

The book ends with an appendix which suggests several original lists. A good one is "Why children enchant us". I have three children and my list will be endless.:)

This is an entertaining book with several good ideas to inspire us.

I received this book as an eARC from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

"The Workplace Writer's Process: A Guide to Getting the Job Done": a minha "review"

"The Workplace Writer's Process: A Guide to Getting the Job Done", de Anne Janzer, foi-me cedido pela Netgalley e pelo editor para que eu fizesse uma apreciação honesta deste livro. Não há de momento edição em português. Publiquei a minha opinião na Amazon e no Goodreads com 5/5 estrelas e a seguinte "review":

"The Workplace Writer’s Process" is not only about writing, it's a book about structure and organization. It teaches how to write for an organization, how to handle those who influence your writing work and how to overcome external and internal obstacles to a text that is useful to the reader.

This is a book for those whose writing is their job but I think it is also useful for those who simply have writing as a hobby. This book teaches you about discipline, time management, the importance of planning and the fabulous idea of "the incubation effect". So true!

Another truth written by this author is about research: "Excessive research is a dangerous form of procrastination". I know it! But it's good to have it explained!

And "Inspiration tends to follow action, not precede it".

In the end, go to Anne Janzer's site and download the worksheets and checklists from the book. And subscribe to her Writing Practices email list. She really gives good advice about writing!

I received this book as an eARC from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review".

Podem saber mais no site da autora.

"Lord of Pleasure" de Erica Ridley: a minha review

"Lord of Pleasure", de Erica Ridley, foi-me cedido pela Netgalley e pelo editor  para que eu fizesse uma apreciação honesta deste livro. Não há de momento edição em português. Publiquei a minha opinião na Amazon e no Goodreads com 4/5 estrelas e a seguinte "review":

"Erica Ridley is a pleasant surprise. "Lord of Pleasure" is the first book by this author that I read. This historical romance is well-paced and engaging. It's very easy to relate to the main characters. They show their true selves when they have their masks on (literally). They didn't like each other, or even themselves, when they performed the part society expected them to. Yet, when they didn't have the burden of public expectations on them, they easily fell in love.

I also liked the heroine's sisters. Very amusing.

Sometimes, when reading this genre, I get bored around the middle of the plot: that was not the case with this book. It was very entertaining to read it.

I received an ARC edition from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review".

"12 Startup Success Secrets" de Eddie Yu: a minha "review"

"12 Startup Success Secrets - Mindset and Strategies workbook for building a Successful Online Business" foi-me cedido pela BookTasters e pelo autor, Eddie Yu,  para que eu fizesse uma apreciação honesta deste livro. Não há de momento edição em português. Publiquei a minha opinião na Amazon e no Goodreads com 5/5 estrelas e a seguinte "review":

"This is an extremely comprehensive book about the opportunity we all have to create a successful online Internet business in nowadays’ world context. Who doesn’t want to do something one is passionate about and with the freedom to work how and when one chooses? Eddie Yu teaches 12 lessons that can make you achieve that perfect lifestyle. These lessons come from his experience as a self-made entrepreneur. He describes his inspiring, courageous and bold journey from unemployment to wealth and, most of all, freedom.

It all starts with cultivating the right mindset. Action follows. It is extremely important to push yourself to the limits of your comfort, believe that you are ready to build your dream business, be creative and resourceful. It is determinant to invest in self-improvement by learning the skills necessary. And be unafraid. It’s difficult! It’s a difficult and challenging personal journey to make, especially if you have family who depends on you financially.

This is a book that comes at the right time in my life, its reading motivating and empowering. Without a doubt, an enriching reading.

I’m going to use his idea about vision journals. I loved it. I liked the authors approach to the whole journal concept, and how he created a relationship between journaling and his software platform".

8 dicas para escrever boas resenhas de livros / "8 tips for writing good book reviews"

Janice Harayda é escritora, jornalista e fundadora do site  One-Minute Book Reviews.

Aqui fica a transcrição das suas 8 dicas para escrever boas resenhas de livros:

1. Seek out books that you can review uniquely well, and say what you alone can say about them.

2. Report facts accurately. Every reviewer’s judgments are at times flawed. But you can build trust with readers, authors, and publishers by getting the facts right even if you’re wrong about the merits of a book. Don’t trust your memory. Go back and check every fact and quote, and the spelling of every character’s name, before you post a review.

3. Answer these questions in every review: What makes this book different from all others? And why should anyone care?

4. Write conversationally. Read your reviews aloud and rewrite or cut anything you wouldn’t say to your smartest friend.

5. Purge your work of “reviewese,” words and phrases you see mainly or only in reviews. Avoid more than obvious clichés such as  “a must-read,” “ripped from the headlines” and “sends chills down your spine.”  Kill “relatable,” “unputdownable” and other publishing-industry neologisms, too.

6. Criticize the book, not the author, if you don’t like what you’ve read. Focus on what’s on the page, not a writer’s character defects.

7. Never review a book by a friend or an enemy. Make this part of a strict ethics code that includes avoiding any conflict of interest or appearance of a conflict. (The trouble is, as others have noted: You don’t know who your enemies are until you review their books.) If an editor asks you to review a book and you have a conflict of interest, say so before you accept the assignment. Have you and the author interacted on Facebook, Twitter or in real life? Editors may or may not consider those conversations a conflict, so spell them out before you before you take an assignment. If you’re reviewing a book for your own blog, disclose any conflicts in the review or a tagline at the end.

8. Find paper mentor, a great critic whose work you love. Read his or her work regularly and take it apart to see how it works. Hand copy the critic’s reviews or parts of them (with a pen or by typing them into a computer) to absorb their rhythm and structure.

© 2013 JaniceHarayda. Fonte: NetGalley