Review: The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

Don Tillman, professor of genetics, has never been on a second date. Then a chance encounter gives him an idea. He will design a questionnaire—a sixteen-page, scientifically researched document—to find the perfect partner. She will most definitely not be a barmaid, a smoker, a drinker or a late-arriver. Rosie Jarman is all these things. She is strangely beguiling, fiery and intelligent. And she is also on a quest of her own. She’s looking for her biological father, a search that a certain DNA expert might just be able to help her with—even if he does wear quick-dry clothes and eat lobster every single Tuesday night. Review The rather sweet and quirky story of Don and Rosie. Sweet on Rosie’s part and definitely quirky on Don’s. I enjoyed listening to the audible book and found myself grinning at Don’s odd language and behavior on more than one occasion. I am thankful that Audibles chose it as their freebie this month and I will absolutely be getting the subsequent books.

Sharing Photos on Social Media

Being a graphic designer, I often ‘create’ my photos using a variety of mediums, not many are simply photos I have taken on a whim. Some are of course, let me reassure you that not all my pictures are fake. But I do like to get creative, particularly when I am listening to an Audible book or reading on my Kindle, which can be a bit boring photographic wise. 

One great tool I use is The 3D Book Cover Creator at Diybookcovers. When I am reading on my Kindle or listening on my phone, I will often use this to create a ‘real’ book for my photos. Books are represented in hardback, paperback, Kindle or phone format and even have composite versions so you can have a little bundle of book formats if you wish. It is very simple to use and produces a realistic book. I tend to use the templates which show the edge with the pages rather than the spine as not many book images show the spines and it becomes tiresome having to actually create the spines first. You will see what I mean if you give it a go. I save the images as png files so that they have a transparent background and I can then pop them into a photo and make them look like they belong there. I have had some fun with this, creating interesting visual effects and adding in shadows etc. I use a collage creator on my phone which is easy and quick, but I also create them using Adobe inDesign because, as I said, I’m a graphic designer. As to photos, if I don’t have my own picture of what I want, I use a wonderful website called Unsplash. Photographs are uploaded by photographers and are free to use. I try to remember to credit the photographer when I use their work, but it isn’t a requirement of the site, just appreciated. There is a huge variety of photographs available and I am particularly happy with the effects that I can get using the flat lay technique. So next time I post a new blog or on Litsy, check out my photos and see if you can tell whether they are ‘real’ or ‘created’. 

Review: When She Returned by Lucinda Berry

Kate Bennett vanished from a parking lot eleven years ago, leaving behind her husband and young daughter. When she shows up at a Montana gas station, clutching an infant and screaming for help, investigators believe she may have been abducted by a cult. Kate's return flips her family's world upside down--her husband is remarried, and her daughter barely remembers her. Kate herself doesn't look or act like she did before. While the family tries to help Kate reintegrate into society, they discover truths they've been hiding from each other about their own relationships. But they aren't the only ones with secrets. As the family unravels what happened to Kate, a series of shocking revelations shows that Kate's return is more sinister than any of them could have imagined. Review: A great concept which started off brilliantly but fell a bit flat towards the middle. The pacing of the story stalled and practically stopped and I had questions which weren’t touched on until near the end. Thankfully the ending redeemed the book but I really wish that I liked it more. Still a pick but with reservations. #NetGalley