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Will Taylor

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14+ verk 129 medlemmar 4 recensioner

Verk av Will Taylor

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Coming Home (2014) — Bidragsgivare — 7 exemplar

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This novel is a Lone Star 2023 novel. If you liked _Thanks a Lot Universe_, you'll like this novel. It builds to a beautiful story; when you finish, you'll think it's one of the best books you've read lately.

Jeremy says little, but he thinks a lot about his life. He knows that he prefers boys for future dating. He doesn't know what his parents will think, and he can't ask/tell them because they communicate poorly. In fact, his parents decide to divorce. His mother embraces the freedom, yet she never forgets to include Jeremy. She teaches him to be responsible; his ability to take care of himself comes from her. His dad has always been the fun one, not known for "adulting" well even though he's a successful professor. For two weeks Jeremy and his dad will live on the coast of Oregon in one of his uncle Becker's rent houses while Jeremy's mom moves to her new home in her new town to start her new job. His mom thrives. Jeremy's dad struggles. How can he tell his parents when they are experiencing life changing events as well?

Jeremy anticipates a quiet two weeks as he gets to decide which town he will live in when school starts. He looks forward to looking through the fashion magazines that he loves, but he hides this fascination because it helps him hide who he is. He's watching the water and the birds when he sees a boy running by. His eyes follow him. Good--no one saw him looking at a boy. He's so scared of being discovered that he assumes he'll be outed as gay if he merely looks at a boy. After going to check out the town, he meets the running boy, Evan. Evan is friendly and outgoing. He gives Jeremy his number even though cell coverage is very iffy on the beach. Their texting seems to defy the cell phone waves, for Jeremy can never contact his mom, but he gets every text it seems from Evan. They start hanging out. His time with Evan becomes a time of growth. Evan teaches him to run, but their main passions are the birds. They have nicknames for all of the birds that create a secret language for just them. Jeremy finds himself needing Evan, for Evan helps him enjoy life. He finds himself talking, being friendly, and making a friend.

Meanwhile, Jeremy's dad isn't faring so well. Jeremy never lets Evan around his dad because he fears what his dad will think. [As an adult (me talking), this feeling seems weird. Wouldn't he merely think that his son has found a friend to hang out with for two weeks?] Jeremy fears having a friend who is a boy will make him look gay. His dad and his uncle sit around teasing him about girls and they drink a lot. Jeremy doesn't realize how much until he discovers the empty bottles. Jeremy's dad struggles with being a responsible parent, making the "rules of the house" confusing for Jeremy. Jeremy finds himself hearing his mother's voice and taking care of chores in the house to help his dad, but his dad's moods shift constantly. He's a different man As Jeremy is a quiet kid, he doesn't say anything. His escape is always with Evan.

Of course, everything has to come together for a climax. You'll see the train wreck coming the entire novel, but you also discover that people have more within them than you assume. You meet Evan's grandmother, Jeremy's dad's girlfriend, the gem store's owner, and Jeremy's uncle, Becker. Becker shows Jeremy that he's more than he appears. I really loved the adult characters. I loved the honesty of the father's character--his character shows that adults struggle and, unfortunately, it can hurt the kids. Can both grow/forgive? The end is beautifully revealed and it's true to life, especially about summer friendships. Because of the current political climate, I feel that I have to say this statement. There are no inappropriate scenes. I hate the words "inappropriate" when used by some people. The book has been reviewed by professionals and is for upper elementary to about 8th grade. After reading the novel, I agree. Our main characters are 12 and 13 year old boys. They are innocent boys--there's nothing dirty or wrong about them. There's nothing inappropriate about them. No one kisses in this novel--they are too young and innocent. One does kiss the other on the forehead once. My only criticism is that the mother isn't mentioned at the end. Considering her role, it would bring her off-stage character completion--as it should be for the family unit that started the novel. Yes, you need to read this beautiful novel.
… (mer)
 
Flaggad
acargile | Dec 4, 2022 |
Taylor wants your home to make you smile, to be personalized to suit your taste, which is as it should be. I always find it bizarre when someone has a decorator bring in every detail of a room from stores. He has a definite touch, and even though he presents eleven different styles, they all have similarities. He really loves white and blue. It’s a common element in several styles. He’s big on texture, especially on walls. There are lots of industrial touches, especially in the lighting fixtures. He’s big on furniture from the mid-century. All the houses are perfectly neat and tidy- despite the emphasis on displaying things that you love, the homes are all rather spare.

The first part of the book presents Taylor’s seven parts of design: color, pattern, texture, furniture, lighting, storage, and display. Photos of the eleven houses illustrate each element. Then we are presented with the eleven styles and homes.

The book is extremely well put together. It’s physically a joy to hold, with the heavy covers and thick paper. The photography is wonderful. It’s laid out well. It’s a great book- but most of it isn’t to my taste. I like more color on my walls and more ‘stuff’. His displays are, as he says, ‘curated’ (is anyone else really tired of that term?!) and mine aren’t so much. To me, the book is a great starting point- I’d just pile more color and stuff into the houses.
… (mer)
 
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lauriebrown54 | 1 annan recension | Jul 3, 2016 |
The key to discovering {what} you are drawn to, is to consciously take note when you pause to do a double take.

Will Taylor believes that home should be a place that evokes dreams, especially in the form of memories of beloved times and places experienced elsewhere. In this beautiful book, he first calls the reader’s attention to a number of “decorating elements,” for example, the use of color, pattern and texture. Then, over another 170 lavishly illustrated pages, he explores those elements via 11 “decorating styles,” from hip to beach-y and chic to country, in homes throughout Europe and the US (primarily New York and California).

It’s visually lovely, the full-color, often full-page or two-page, photographs printed on heavy matte-finish paper, with accompanying text that deconstructs the style. And, per my opening quote here from Will, I did consciously take note of what captured my attention. Unfortunately for me, it was most often something I was drawn to negatively. That “Will Taylor clashes patterns to create visual interest” certainly seems true, and also that he’s drawn to rustic, reclaimed, distressed looks (the Scandinavian homes are the welcome exception). Decorating preferences are so individual; his aren’t mine, but if they’re yours, this book will be a joy to you.

(Review based on a copy of the book provided by the publisher.)
… (mer)
 
Flaggad
DetailMuse | 1 annan recension | Jun 29, 2016 |
I received this book as a Goodreads first-reads giveaway.

The title takes you right to the point--a Bright Bazaar. It is like a bazaar, busy (almost cluttered), hard to focus. More like wandering through Pier I Imports than rooms in an actual home. Fun, but would I actually do any of these things? The answer is "yes, but not all in the same room."
I especially liked the ideas for the little nooks and crannies in a room, the interesting things to do with the awkward spaces under or next to stairways, and the narrow spaces in halls.

The subtitles tells that it will "Make-You-Smile" and it did. A few combinations made me laugh out loud. Not so much at the color combinations, but rather at the mixes of geometric patterns.

Still, if we are looking at decorating books to get ideas this one has plenty.
… (mer)
 
Flaggad
seeword | Jun 1, 2014 |

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Statistik

Verk
14
Även av
1
Medlemmar
129
Popularitet
#156,299
Betyg
½ 3.5
Recensioner
4
ISBN
29
Språk
2

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