Apartment Therapy - Complete + Happy Home

This is a great primer for anyone new to interior design. If you’ve just moved into your first apartment or you’re gearing up to buy your first home, this book has some pretty solid tips and advice.

Unfortunately, the title is a bit of a misnomer. I understand that the title is based off of the website, however, there’s not a lot of “therapy” in here for apartment dwellers. A lot of space is dedicated to choosing the right floor plan for your lifestyle – something that isn’t really realistic if you’re renting an apartment.  In most cases, an apartment dweller actually needs some “therapy” to help them utilize the space that they have available.

That being said, the advice does come in handy if you’re looking to buy a home (or an apartment, for that matter).  There’s some practical advice on the various types of homes, basic floor plans, etc. and how to choose the right style for your lifestyle and preference.

I also quite enjoyed the practical approach to addressing each area of the home. There wasn’t anything particularly groundbreaking, but for the average homeowner, the advice is concise, clear, and easy to follow. Unless you’re aiming for a serious career in interior design, you’ll find plenty in here that’s helpful.

From a design standpoint, the cover is absolutely gorgeous. The letterpress title, the cover imagery, and the binding are all really beautiful. Unfortunately, there are some fairly significant flaws in the interior layout (i.e. cut off text, etc.). I did receive an advance copy, so hopefully these issues will be addressed before the retail copy is released.

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Black Earth - Timothy Snyder

If you are just beginning your study of the Holocaust, this probably isn’t a great place to start. In fact, I’d venture to say that you should probably have a solid background of reading on Holocaust history before you delve into this one. I do have to say though, that there are better books on the subject.

It’s a fascinating, detailed book, certainly. It was very compelling, well-written, and thought-provoking. Unfortunately, it clearly shows that we’ve learned very little from history. As a result, we may be set up to repeat many of our past errors.

There’s a lot in this book that’s worth the read. I do think though, that readers should go into this one understanding that Snyder is presenting a number of hypotheses that are just that and no more. Perhaps he’s trying to put a new spin on the Holocaust (seeing as there are numerous books on the subject already), and it does work to an extent. 

Disclaimer: I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for this review.