iiiiReader Book Reviews

Delicious Desserts: An Adult Coloring Book with Whimsical Cake Designs, Easy Pastry Patterns, and Beautiful Bakery Scenes for Relaxation and Stress Relief

By: Jade Summer

Rating: 5 of 5

This is a really sweet coloring book of desserts. The variety range from wedding and birthday cakes to counter displays of penny candy. It is the perfect set of designs for those who like to color delicious and sweet treats. The desserts are displayed in a beautiful manner rather than just a cake or such. You will see a full table design with drinks or backgrounds in many of the illustrations. It certainly makes it a lot more fun to color when I can imagine the whole table set with deliciousness.

The designs are detailed but not what I consider intricate with small areas to color. I am able to use a wide variety of coloring medium on these designs.
While you can have access to .PDFs when you purchase this book, my review is based on the book as it is received from Amazon. That way you will know what the pages look like and how they accept color. I like that the publisher provides the digital version as well so you can choose the paper you wish to use and/or to color the pictures as many times as you choose.
This is what I found while coloring in this book and testing the paper with my coloring medium:
25 x 2 each Dessert inspired Designs covering a wide range of subjects
Paper is typical of CreateSpace: white, thin, slightly rough and non-perforated. The back of the page is printed black which is something I am find typical of Jade Summer coloring books.
The designs do not merge into the binding. There is a heavy framing line at the outer edges of the design to give the project a more finished look, especially for framing. There is a slight shadowing effect to the framing line which gives the image an almost 3D effect.
Glue Binding (there is room to cut the pages out if you choose to do so.)
Though you cannot see the bleed-through easily due to the back of the page being printed in black, I recommend the use of a blotter page when working in this book. I use a page of card stock or several sheets of heavyweight paper under my working page. It keeps seeping ink and marring dents from ruining the pages below.
Alcohol-based markers bleed through the page quickly.
Water-based markers bleed through in spots.
Gel pens and India ink pens leave shadows on back of the page. India ink can bleed through if you apply heavily or multiple coats.
Coloring Pencils work well with this paper. I found that I could layers the same color for deeper pigment or multiple colors and I could blend easily using a blending stick. I tested both oil and wax based pencils. I also found that hard lead pencils leave dents through the paper.

The Magical Garden: Creative Art Therapy For Adults (Creative Colouring Books For Grown-Ups) (Volume 2)

By: Mel King

Rating: 5 of 5

The Magical Garden is a smaller format book (8.5 x 8.5 inches.) The designs are extremely detailed with many small and intricate spots to color. The designs are inspired by plants and animals in a garden setting. The animals are drawn realistically though some are wearing clothes and are involved in more human type activities. The designs range from cute to pretty and elegant and are a good challenge to color.

While I enjoy coloring in detail, this is not a book I would suggest for anyone who has vision or fine motor issues. It is a book for individuals who like a bit of a challenge in their projects and who enjoy charming idyllic settings.
This is what I experienced while coloring in this book and testing my coloring medium on the paper.
54 Garden setting Inspired Designs by a variety of illustrators (not including title and intro pages) in a smaller format book
Designs are printed on one side of thin, slightly rough non-perforated paper typical of CreateSpace. While the paper is actually white, the background of the designs are printed in black.
Glue Binding
Easy to open to flat position for coloring
Designs do not merge into the binding and have a double framing line at the outer edge of the design. This makes for a natural stopping place for coloring and adds to a more finished looking project.
Alcohol and water-based markers bleed through the page to some degree. Water-based bleed through in spots while alcohol-based bleed through freely
Gel pens and India ink pens leave shadows of color on the back of page. India ink can bleed through if you use multiple layers or apply heavily.
Colored pencils work well with this paper. Both oil and wax based provide good color when I use multiple layers of the same color. I am easily able to blend (using a pencil style blender stick) and layer multiple colors as well. Hard lead pencils leave dents through the back of the page.
Because of the bleed through and dents, I suggest (and use) a blotter page below my working page no matter what medium I use. I prefer card stock but several sheets of heavyweight paper work as well.

Colour Your Own Historical Maps (Colouring Books)

By: British Library

Rating: 4 of 5

I have collected antique maps for more than twenty years. I enjoy having a piece of history framed and part of my home. I was very happy to find this coloring book as it meshes so well with one of my hobbies.

I really like the coloring books in many ways but found that many of the intricate elements are so small that it takes (me, at least) an extremely sharp and hard pencil (such as Prismacolor Verithins or Tombow Irojiten) to be able to color them. I wish that the book had been made in a larger format such as the artist editions that many designers use so that the details could have been enlarged.
Apart from that, the book is extremely nice. The paper quality is super and the subject of the maps well done. In addition to the 22 designs (printed one side of the page), the inside of the front and back cover has color thumbnails of the maps the designs are based on.
The book is presented in landscape with a white smooth cover with a colored map depicted on it. It has a few gold metallic accents as well. The binding is glue notepad style so you can easily remove pages in whole if you wish to do so, perhaps for framing. The back of the book includes a heavyweight card board page which gives a wonderful and stable surface to color on.
Each map is printed in landscape mode on the page and has a framing line around the outer edge. I really like this as it gives a defined stop for coloring and makes the finished project that much better. In addition, there is a small blurb at the bottom of the page about the map, its cartographer and a interesting information pertaining to one or the other.
The designs are well printed and I am finding them interesting to color now that I have chosen the medium I list best for my skill set. I don’t suggest this coloring book for anyone who has fine motor or vision issues due to the intricate designs.
The paper quality is very nice. It is white, heavy weight (almost light card stock), and somewhat smooth. Alcohol-based markers bled through the page. Water-based markers, India Ink pens and gel pens did not bleed through. As I mentioned, I preferred colored pencils for my projects. The paper has enough tooth to give good pigment and I was able to layer and blend well with it as well.

Floribunda: A Flower Coloring Book

By: Leila Duly

Rating: 5 of 5

This is a beautifully published book with gorgeous floral illustrations. The inside of both the front and back covers have color botanical depictions of the flowers that are included in the designs should you wish to color their natural tones. While there are no framing lines at the outer edges, all of the floral elements are finished at the edges so there are no dangling elements left to deal with.

The cover of the book is hinged with a secondary cover beneath it. The actual pages are glue bound but with the type of binding that allows you to remove pages easily and in whole (think of a notepad type of binding.) The paper, which is a light weight card stock, is a light cream tone with a slight amount of roughness to it. The paper is such a nice quality, it will be easy to remove and frame these if you wish.
My various coloring medium all worked well with this edition. I tested a variety of alcohol-based makers with the paper. The paper works fantastic with these markers with only the slightest amount of bleed through. I would still use a blotter page of card stock below my working page to keep seeping ink from marring the rest of the book.
Water-based markers, India ink pens, and gel pens did not bleed through at all. The gel pens required more drying time than usual. Both oil and wax based pencils worked well with this paper with go=ood pigment, layering and blending.

Amy Brown Faeries Coloring Book 2

By: Amy Brown

Rating: 5 of 5

I own a couple of coloring books by Amy Brown. She has a unique style and look to her faeries that is really fun to color. I was really pleased to see that other of her older and out of print books are being re-printed once again. This is the second book in her series of Faeries.

The designs has some detailed elements but are, for the most part, open and easy to color. I like the sense of movement I feel when I am coloring one of Ms. Brown’s designs. There is always a feeling of flow and grace to her lovely creatures.
This is what I experienced while coloring in this book and testing my coloring medium on the paper.
20 Hand-drawn Faerie Designs by Amy Brown
Designs are printed on one side of thin, slightly rough non-perforated paper typical of CreateSpace.
Glue Binding
Easy to open to flat position for coloring
Designs do not merge into the binding and there is plenty of room to cut pages out if you choose to do so
Alcohol and water-based markers bleed through the page to some degree. Water-based bleed through in spots while alcohol-based bleed through freely
Gel pens and India ink pens leave shadows of color on the back of page. India ink can bleed through if you use multiple layers or apply heavily.
Colored pencils work well with this paper. Both oil and wax based provide good color when I use multiple layers of the same color. I am easily able to blend (using a pencil style blender stick) and layer multiple colors as well. Hard lead pencils leave dents through the back of the page.
Because of the bleed through and dents, I suggest (and use) a blotter page below my working page no matter what medium I use. I prefer card stock but several sheets of heavyweight paper work as well.

Star Trek: The Original Series Adult Coloring Book

By: CBS

Rating: 5 of 5

I have been a Star Trek fan since I was very young. The Original Series is the one that I first watched and one that I go watch many times over the years. This coloring book really takes me back into the series. The character illustrations (of scenes/episodes) are easily recognizable and are well done.

There are 45 designs in the coloring book and are done by a team of illustrators which is something that I have noticed is common in the new Dark Horse coloring books. In this case, the team is made up of Ivan Fernandez Silva, Juan Frigeri, Alejandro Giraldo, Gabriel Guzman, and Federica Manfredi. While there are subtle differences in style, I think that the illustrations work well together.
The designs are detailed and a few have intricate and small spots to color. The designs are printed on one side of the page with the episode/quote on the opposite facing page. I wish there were a few more scenes in space and that the designs stopped short of the binding. However, on the whole, I am really enjoying coloring these designs.
This is what I found while coloring in this coloring book and testing the paper with my coloring mediums.
45 Designs based on episodes and scenes from Star Trek, the original series.
Designs printed on one side of page with quotes and Stardates printed on the back of the page
Paper is white, heavy weight, somewhat smooth, and non-perforated
Hybrid glue and sewn binding (lots of small stitches). These are near impossible to snip to remove pages. I suggest cutting pages out instead if you so choose.
Designs merge into the binding area. Cutting out pages will result in some loss of design.
I was able to get the book to open fairly flat with some effort by breaking/creasing the spine.
Alcohol-based markers bleed through the paper.
Water-based markers, India ink pens and gel pens do not bleed through but do leave shadows on the back of the page.
Colored pencils worked well with the paper. I could layer well for deeper pigment and blending easily using a blender stick. Hard lead pencils did not leave dents through the page.
I suggest the use of a blotter page with alcohol-based medium. I like card stock but a couple of pages of heavy weight paper will work as well.

Pride & Prejudice: An Adult Coloring Book with Romantic Country Scenes, Historical English Women, and Vintage Floral Dresses (Inspired by the Best-Selling Novel by Jane Austen)

By: Jade Summer

Rating: 5 of 5

I’m a huge fan of Jane Austen’s novels, especially Pride and Prejudice. I remember the first time I read it (when I was in elementary school), I kept a flashlight by my bed so I could sneak and read after bedtime. It is a book that I have read many times over the years and I love to watch movies/series based on it and now am happy to find coloring books that are inspired by it.

The designs cover the book pretty much from beginning to end. There are many scenes that are iconic to me from the book from Mr. Darcy rebuffing Elizabeth Bennet as no being handsome enough to Elizabeth and Lady Catherine de Bourgh having it out in the garden. It is fun to see another artists interpretation of the characters.
The designs are very detailed with but not what I consider intricate. There are many areas to color but I can use most coloring medium without any issues. I think crayons might be more difficult unless you can sharpen them to a fairly fine point.
While you can have access to .PDFs when you purchase this book, my review is based on the book as it is received from Amazon. That way you will know what the pages look like and how they accept color. I like that the publisher provides the digital version as well so you can choose the paper you wish to use and/or to color the pictures as many times as you choose.
This is what I found while coloring in this book and testing the paper with my coloring medium:
25 x 2 Designs based on Pride and Prejudice
Paper is typical of CreateSpace: white, thin, slightly rough and non-perforated. The back of the page is printed black which is something I am find typical of Jade Summer coloring books.
The designs do not merge into the binding. There is a heavy framing line at the outer edges of the design to give the project a more finished look, especially for framing. There is a slight shadowing effect to the framing line which gives the image an almost 3D effect.
Glue Binding (there is room to cut the pages out if you choose to do so.)
Though you cannot see the bleed-through easily due to the back of the page being printed in black, I recommend the use of a blotter page when working in this book. I use a page of card stock or several sheets of heavyweight paper under my working page. It keeps seeping ink and marring dents from ruining the pages below.
Alcohol-based markers bleed through the page quickly.
Water-based markers bleed through in spots.
Gel pens and India ink pens leave shadows on back of the page. India ink can bleed through if you apply heavily or multiple coats.
Coloring Pencils work well with this paper. I found that I could layers the same color for deeper pigment or multiple colors and I could blend easily using a blending stick. I tested both oil and wax based pencils. I also found that hard lead pencils leave dents through the paper.

Color Me Enchanted: A Coloring Book of Fairy Tales from Around the World

By: Masha D’yans

Rating: 5 of 5

This is a really beautiful coloring book of fairy tales/stories from around the world. The designs are quite detailed and have intricate and small areas to color. I really appreciated that the artists (Masha D-Yans and Gala Lazuli) included the name of the fairy tale and the country of its origin. That way, if I did not know the tale, I could easily look it up to become familiar with it. Each one also as a short excerpt from the story which is fun as well.

Each of the stories featured in this book has one or two designs representing it. The tales/stories in this book include: Thumbalina, The Tortoise with a Pretty Daughter, The Boy who drew Cats, The Wizard of Oz, the Snow Queen, Firebird, Masha and the Bear, Alice in Wonderland, The Star Maiden, The Selkie Bride, The Little Mermaid, Swan Lake, Cinderella, The Snake Prince, Gypsy Queen, The Fair Maid and the Snow White Unicorn, Vasilisa the Fair, Beauty and the Beast, The Dragon Princess, Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, Tsar Saltan, Rapunzel, The Bamboo Cutter and the Moon Child, Snow White, and the Princess and the Pea.
While at first I thought there were a number of wall-paper style repeating designs, when I looked closely as I started to color, I found that one only one design was a repeating page. That one (of various animals near the end of the book) is charming and should be fun to color. The other pages had similar elements but a close look revealed that there were differences through the page(s) which is not what I consider wall-paper designs.
This is what I experienced while coloring in this book and testing the paper with my coloring medium.
96 pages of designs inspired by fairy tales (includes title and intro pages)
Printed both sides of the page
Paper is medium weight, white, slightly smooth and perforated.
Glue binding
Many designs spread across two pages
Designs cross over the perforations into the binding area
If you remove pages, especially on the two-page spreads, you will lose integral portions of the designs.
The book opens fairly flat for ease of coloring.
Alcohol-based markers bleed through the paper rapidly.
Water-based markers and India ink pens spotted through the paper and left shadows of color on the back of the page.
Gel pens did not bleed through but required additional drying time.
Colored Pencils worked well with this paper except for blending with a pencil style blending stick. While it is somewhat smooth, it still has sufficient tooth (roughness) to grip pigment well. I tested both oil and wax based pencils and liked both with this paper. I was able to get deep pigment with multiple layers of the same color.
Where I had problems was with a pencil style blending stick. I found that the blender smeared the lines of the artwork to the point that my page looked bad. I tried various wet blenders and found that those worked well.

Star Trek: The Next Generation Adult Coloring Book

By: CBS

Rating: 5 of 5

What fun to have a well done Star Trek The Next Generation coloring book. I noticed that it seems to stop mid-series, so perhaps there will be another book in the future.

There are 45 designs in the coloring book and are done by a team of illustrators (Juann Cabal, Gabriel Guzman, Daniel Maine, Stefano Martino, and Bill Mudron.) I found that their styles meshed well together and the continuity of the designs was well done throughout the book.
The designs are mostly spot-on character scenes from various episodes and it was great fun to remember which one was which. I’ve started re-watching the series because of the coloring book as it reminded me how much I enjoy the series.
The designs are detailed but not what I would call intricate though there are parts of designs which have small areas to color. The designs are printed on one side of the page with the episode/quote on the opposite facing page. There are only a couple of things that would have made this book even better for me more scenes in space and designs that stopped short of the binding. On the whole, I am really liking these designs.
This is what I found while coloring in this coloring book and testing the paper with my coloring mediums.
45 Designs based on episodes and scenes from earlier seasons of Star Trek The Next Generation
Designs printed on one side of page with quotes and Stardates printed on the back of the page
Paper is white, heavy weight, somewhat smooth (but with tooth), and non-perforated

Bluetooth Headphones – Safari Wireless Earbuds for Running Workout Gym or Other Sports with Built-in Mic for Hands Free Calling

By: SafariTech

Rating: 5 of 5

This is a book of beautifully drawn women of various Asian cultures. The designs are extremely detailed and intricate with many small areas to color.

The fabric of the clothing is covered in beautiful patterns and flowers. It makes for a more advanced coloring project requiring good lighting and a steady hand. I would not suggest this book for anyone who has vision or fine motor issues.
On the other hand, for those of us who like a project which requires a lot of thought and time, this is a wonderful book of designs. The women, their clothing, and the scenes they are set in are really lovely.
This is what I experienced while coloring in this book and testing the paper with my coloring medium.
35 Designs inspired by women of various Asian cultures.
Printed one side of the page
Paper is medium weight, white, slightly smooth and perforated.
Glue binding
Designs do not cross over the perforations. If you remove pages, you will not lose any portion of the design.
The book opens fairly flat for ease of coloring.
Alcohol-based markers bleed through the paper rapidly.
Water-based markers and India ink pens spotted through the paper and left shadows of color on the back of the page.
Gel pens did not bleed through but required additional drying time.
Colored Pencils worked well with this paper. While it is somewhat smooth, it still has sufficient tooth (roughness) to grip pigment well. I tested both oil and wax based pencils and liked both with this paper. I was able to get deep pigment with multiple layers of the same color. I was also able to layer multiple colors well and to easily blend colors using a pencil style blending stick.