Handmade Nation

Handmade Nation: The Rise of DIY, Art, Craft, and Design by Faythe Levine

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
Mini-profiles of different well-known craftsters from throughout the country, broken up by region. This is insterspersed with essays about the current craft movement and its significance in a society known for its bloated consumerism. Some of these people come from fine art backgrounds, some do not. Some politicise their actions, some do not. While I believe that this was meant to show diversity within this movement I can't help but wonder whether we are really all so white. I know: this is a perennial criticism for anyone with a liberal arts degree, but it remains so for a reason.



Overall I thought the book was uplifting, if not quite meaty enough. I also thought the West was sadly under-represented and I take issue with the way the book is broken up by region. Can Austen, TX really represent a whole multistate region almost completely on its own?



The last curious thing I noticed was how often those profiled refer to themselves as "makers" rather than crafters, craftspeople, artisans or artists. While I can't really fault anyone for being unhappy with the term "crafter" when it so often seems to be applied to people making a different kind of craft (ie those who are, shall we say, aesthetically challenged), labeling oneself a maker rather than a crafter does seem... well, hoity-toity and just the tiniest bit twee. But if that's what this movement is doing, well, who am I to argue?


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The Baron in the Trees by Italo Calvino

The Baron in the Trees by Italo Calvino

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
When he was a child, the Baron climbed up into the trees of his family's orchard because his parents had made him angry. He petulantly promised he would never come down. This is the story of how he kept that promise.



Fantastic.


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Little House on a Small Planet by Shay Saloman

Little House on a Small Planet: Simple Homes, Cozy Retreats, and Energy Efficient Possibilities by Shay Salomon

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I was interested in small houses before I found this book, but now that I'm reading it I am convinced that small houses are the way to go. In the US it seems like having a small house has become a sign of deprivation, and it's hard to get around that mental block or to believe - really believe - that less is more. And having a small house would mean, logically, having less stuff. Less stuff can translate into less time cleaning, more time to do other things, more energy to spend on the activities and the people you really enjoy. Smaller houses may also mean less money in heating and cooling costs, less money on rent or mortgages which means more money to save, travel, or simply the freedom not to work full-time. Small houses are often greener than large ones; smaller footprint, lower energy usage and hopefully a more mindful consumerism, which means less waste.



Small houses. Yeah.


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Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
Girl sees fairies all her life and knows the rules: don't attract their attention, don't let them know you see them. She's good at staying under their radar; she knows that fairies aren't nice, fairies are bad.



So, girl sees fairies. But one day, fairy sees girl. And it isn't just any fairy who's taken a fancy to her, but a king. He wants her. He's convinced he needs her. And one way or another, he intends to have her. What happens next will change her forever.


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Haters by Alisa Valdez-Rodriguez

Haters by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
Girl moves from Taos to CA when her dad's comic book makes it big. In her new rich school she tries to fit in, a task made harder by the fact that the queen bee of her school is jealous of her for her dirt bike skills and for the attention she gets from a hot boy. And - oh yes - although she tries not to be, she is conversant with the spirit world, and the spirits are warning her of danger.


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Kin (The Good Neighbors, Booke One) by Holly Black and Ted Naifeh

Kin by Holly Black

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
Girl must solve the mystery of why her mother has disappeared and whether her father is really guilty of the crime he's been accused of: murdering one of his students. And, oh yeah, faeries peek out from every corner and ivy is mysteriously growing up over buildings and cars all over the city.



Ted Naifeh's art is fantastic, as always.


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Savvy by Inrid Law

Savvy by Ingrid Law

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
The Beaumonts are a special family. When a Beaumont turns 13, they get their savvy. They might be able to make storms, they might be able to create electricity or move mountains, but whatever they do they have to keep their special talent a secret from the outside world.



On the eve of her 13th birthday, Mibs Beaumont's father is in a terrible car crash. He might not wake up. When her mother takes leaves for the hospital several hours away she takes only Mibs' oldest brother, leaving Mibs to celebrate her most special birthday on her own with the remaining Beaumont children and the church pastor's nosy wife and kids. Mibs is convinced that her savvy will save her father, but does she fully understand her new power?



I like the book's premise, and I can see why it got a Newbery Honor. It was fun and I would recommend it to kids. The rollicking language became a little distracting after a while, but I think it adds interest to the writing.


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