Bead Style … reviewed by LilyPearl

Okay, I’m a bead fanatic, I admit it!! Bead Style, published by Kalmbach, is my favorite bead magazine and I have been learning from it for years. I consider it my “beading bible of baubles.” It’s full of fabulous ideas from necklaces and earrings to bracelets and home decor crafts. The magazine includes photos of finished items, instructional photos and bead resources. Whether it’s a sparkling swarovski creation, a pair of Bohemian earrings or a one-of-a-kind Lucite Vintage flower necklace, Bead Style has it. I make and sell my own jewelry and enjoy every step of the process. Beading has opened the door to confidence and patience for me. There’s nothing better than to mastermind a design that’s all your own. Just to warn you, the only problem with beading is that you will want to make something for every piece of your existing attire!!

Some of my favorite beading supply stores:

Michaels (with their 40% off coupon)
Country Beads on West 4th Ave. in Vancouver
Shipwreck Beads in Lacey, Washington (absolutely a must to visit!!)
Fire Mountain Gems (on-line only. Their catalogue is on-line or it can be purchased)
Bead FX in Toronto (They are on-line, too)

Dive into the world of beading and have a BLAST!

Feel free to leave a comment or rate this magazine.

The Power to Soar Higher – reviewed by patron Eunice

While I was at the library on Sunday I met the most interesting and entertaining gentleman who was kind enough to share a book with me.  The book was called The Power to Soar Higher and the gentleman was Peter Legge. I read the book and found it  full of inspiring stories and comforting quotes.  My favorite and the one most fitting my own experience was right there in the introduction.

“You need to find a person with the following three qualities:

1. Integrity
2. Intelligence
3. Energy

The most important of these is integrity, because if they don’t have integrity, the other two qualities – intelligence and energy – are going to kill you.”

It was the first of many, many giggles I had throughout my afternoon with this gem. By the end I had spent hours thinking about the best and the worst of my entrepreneurial experiences with a huge smile and light heart.  I had become blessedly detached from the big things that go right and wrong in my business, the things that feel like they will swallow me whole some days. With each chapter and each story I settled comfortably and cozily back into the small things that are fun and fulfilling to do. The things that created all of the opportunities in the first place and the ones that really matter.

If you are looking for your “little engine that could” spirit, here it is. It is an uplifting book that reminded me of what I can laugh at and what I can let go of along with an infusion of encouragement on every page.

Have you read this? Leave a comment or rate it.

The Art of Racing in the Rain … reviewed by Leslie

Garth Stein’s Labrador, Enzo, is a philosopher who understands many things other dogs don’t.  His special human, Denny Swift, is an aspiring race car driver, and hours of watching races on TV while Denny explains the action have given Enzo insight into the way to win in life. Even when Denny’s wife dies after a long battle with cancer and her parents sue for custody of daughter Zoë, Enzo remains Denny’s strongest supporter and ardent fan.  In The Art of Racing in the Rain, you’ll meet the best friend one man can ever have.

Have you read this? Please feel free to leave a comment or rate it.

Boom! … reviewed by Deborah

Mark Haddon is the author of the popular adult novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time.   Boom! was his first children’s book originally written in 1992.  When a teacher wrote to him to say she read it to all of her classes,  he updated it for a new audience.  Teens Charlie and Jimbo are fun-loving trouble makers who accidentally get into far more trouble than they were counting on.  When they put a walkie-talkie in the teachers’ lounge, they overhear a mysterious foreign language conversation between two teachers who claim not to speak another language.  The clues keep coming: a teacher’s eyes flash with a strange blue light, a stranger threatens them by melting a table with his finger, and mysterious wristbands allow the boys to hear foreign words in their minds.  Before he knows what’s happening, Jimbo finds himself searching for Charlie in the wilds of Scotland on a motorcycle driven by his 16 year-old sister who has never driven before.  “Spleeno ken mondermill.”  “Spudvetch!”  Laugh out loud fun, and a great read aloud.

Have you read this? Feel free to leave a comment or rate this book!

The Picture of Dorian Gray – reviewed by Dean (patron)

First published 1891, this classic tale of vanity was Oscar Wilde’s only full-length novel.  It is unfortunate he wrote the only novel, considering how well-written it is.  The homosexual overtones of the story were shocking for readers at the time.  The story, however, was overshadowed by Wilde’s even more shocking personal life when he was imprisoned in 1895 for sexual misconduct with underage Lord Alfred Douglas.  Wilde died in Paris, France 3 years after he was released.

Dorian Gray is as obsessed with his own beauty as two of his admirers (and though it’s never plainly written, it’s clear that both are in love with him) appear to be.  One is Lord Henry Wotton; the other is artist Basil Hallward.  Hallward paints a portrait of Dorian, which he considers to be a masterpiece.  Fearful of growing old and ugly Dorian makes the fateful wish that the picture will age while he remains beautiful and youthful.  As Dorian Gray leaps into a world of devious behaviour (again it is never clearly stated that he participates in homosexual acts, but it is clear enough), the painting banished to the attic becomes increasingly weathered and ugly.

Eventually, accusations of murder and other misdeeds drive Dorian Gray to make his tragic end.

Have you read this literary classic? Let us know; your comments are welcome!