Home and Garden Book Reviews

No, I'm not Martha Stewart. Nor will anyone accuse me of it, well, ever. But that doesn't mean that I don't like to scan the H&G section of the book store. These two from NetGalley caught my eye.

 From Goodreads:

An Outside-the-Box Guide to Outdoor Living. Lets face it: most of us have the confidence to improve the inside of our homes with a fresh coat of paint, new rugs, furniture, and fixtures. But when it comes to the outside of our most prized possession, we dont know where to start. Thats where Julie Moir Messervys The Landscape of Home comes in. The acclaimed landscape designer walks the reader through the process of turning any property into the home outside youve always dreamed of. Focusing on key concepts like Finding Your Comfort Zone and Placing the Pieces, Messervy presents breathtaking plans for remarkable front and back lawns, entertainment areas, and contemplative retreats, as well as innovative ways to create a better flow between the inside and outside of a house. 

This is one of those books I love at this time of year. Everything is dying and some days you just need to look at a little green. Plus, if you actually want to do some landscaping at your home, now is the perfect time for planning your space. You can go huge and even find some professional help. There is a section in the book on doing this. Or you can even go much smaller. You have some money to spend, but not much. There is a sections (my favorite part) that deals with a shoestring budget. Even if you are stuck to apartment living with no outside to garden at all, just drool at all the beautiful pictures.

For example:

or even:

Ah... I can almost feel the peace coming. Of course to have a space like this you have to maintain it and the book also gives you clues on that. However, for the time being I'll stick to the less stressful type of gardening by being a page turner. ;)

The other book I've had in mind is something food-wise. Yes, if you know me at all and have heard me complain, you know I do not like to cook. I do, however, like to decorate. And even though this might be a bit late in the season, I present:

From Goodreads:

The cupcake craze is still going full blast, and the invasion of cupcake shops spreads across the planet. But if there’s one thing that sticks in the throat, it’s that those cupcakes are so damn cutesy. Zombie Cupcakes will rise up through the ranks of sugary-sweet cupcake books by featuring a ghoulish army of delicious little creations that are anything but sugar-coated. Recipes range from Zombie Flesh, to Zombie Brain, Gravestones, Maggots, Night of the Living Cupcake, 28 Cupcakes Later, and more! The recipes feature complete cooking and icing techniques, along with full-color photos and even illustrations of some of the more difficult techniques, making the book perfect for beginners and more accomplished pastry chefs alike. Each recipe also features a difficulty rating, prep time, and cooking time, and sidebars of zombie trivia will be sprinkled throughout the book. 

I know you are thinking what am I doing with a book like this AFTER Halloween? Well, I look at it this way. Perhaps someone has a birthday with a zombie or gory theme? How about scaring Aunt Mildred on Thanksgiving. I mean, hey, she did criticize your turkey to everyone in town last year. Might as well give her something to really talk about! If nothing else, this book is fun. You have several sections on making many horrorific cupcakes you want to devour.

Just check out this one:

or this:

if nothing else, you can consider it brain food and so by that logic it is good for you. 

I hope you enjoyed a little look into these books. I know I have. I received these books from NetGalley and received no compensation for my review.