I find myself holding him like I don’t know what else to do and he’s holding me like I’m sinking and I think he kisses the top of my head but it might just be a snowflake but he definitely whispers “Nobody cries alone” or it might have been “Nobody dies alone” and I feel that as long as I stay here then there might be some kind of tiny chance that there is something remotely good in this world and the last thing I remember thinking before I pass out from the cold is that if I were to die, I would rather be a ghost than go to heaven.

I’m not crying,,,, but I too would rather be a ghost

Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985)

Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985)

I don’t ever remember not being serious. As far as I’m concerned, I came out of the womb spouting cynicism and wishing for rain.

Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985)

Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985)

“ On the Edge of Emerald Forest ” by Ivan Grozdanovski

Acrylic painting

“ On the Edge of Emerald Forest ”…Impressionistic style…….SPECIAL PRICE!!! ….Painted with expressive moves………..with a lot of emotion!!!… I’m giving …

150 Best of the Best House Ideas
By Francesc Zamora Mola
Harper Design, 2016

In the spirit of my critiques and comments on the books I rate, I am re-aiming my gaze away from white, cisgendered female authors. My first zag isn’t necessarily the widest turn possible, (follow @wehavethoughts​! for more coming up): Francesc Zamora is an architect from Barcelona, Spain and he has written plenty on designing homes. But, my public library had 150 Best available, so it looks like we’re starting here!

This book is thicqq. My hardcover copy was nearly 500 pages. The title 150 Best aptly prefaces the contents, which really zoom in to design elements of residential dwelling design, although to me the selection of sample houses to demonstrate those ideas was a bit monotone. Overall, Zamora’s title earns 3 out of 6 geese: rich in detail but not super accessible.

150 Best is an excellent survey of contemporary architectural details. The 42 houses on display share both magazine-quality photographs of interiors and exteriors, but also include floor plans and cross-sections (basically blue-prints from the side). This contribution would definitely interest readers with a background in engineering, construction, and architecture. I thought they were really cool additions, as design is more than just aesthetics. 

The book departed from most of my previous books for review, mainly because it concerned designing the home’s construction rather than furnishing or styling the home’s interior. The one thread, of course, is the understanding that the material objects around us create –one of my favorite words– space. It is this space that one is actually ‘designing’ for living functionally, and hopefully living happily. I appreciate Zamora’s attention to the site of building and that the home harmonizes with the ecology around it.

There’s not a ton of text in 150 Best, which you either like or don’t. The 2-page introduction I thought was very articulate and thoughtful, perhaps ‘enough’ to support the whole book. I can see how the writing could be hard to understand to those not familiar with the vocabulary of designing homes, but it takes up much less space than the pictures which speak volumes on their own.

My main critique is the one-note nature of this book. The majority of homes have the same contemporary style, and many were pretty redundant, especially as 38 were from Anglophone countries: USA 26, Canada 8, and Australia 4. There was only 1 from India, 2 from Chile, and 1 from South Africa. So I’d say that the selection wasn’t exactly wide spread, although of course all the houses were insanely luxurious. It was also interesting to read about environmentally-conscious innovations. However, consider the inside front-cover, which ends with:

“Whether you’re looking to purchase a new home or renovate your current house, this in-depth visual resource offers an extensive showcase of houses designed by renowned architects and provinces a wealth of ideas on how to maximize the potential of any home.”

My gut is reading ‘elitist vibes’ which it does not enjoy. I do think the book does what it says it does, and would be a nice coffee table book because of the pretty, up-scale showcase. A little inspirational getaway, perhaps, if you’re into the style (too sterile and bougie for me). I do not, however, think this book necessary would help the average person looking to be more active in designing their space as a lot of this book deals with construction instead of decoration.

With loving curiosity,
DesignMod

Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985)

“Tell me something interesting about you,” says Michael

I think for a moment. “Did you know that I was born on the day that Kurt Cobain killed himself?”

I was born on the same day (but not year) as Sylvia Plath killed herself

Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985)

ARC Review: How Do We Relationship?, Vol. 2 by Tamifull

ARC Review: How Do We Relationship?, Vol. 2 by Tamifull
⭐⭐⭐⭐

How Do We Relationship?, Vol. 2 by Tamifull
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A romance of convenience between two college women soon becomes the real thing.
Shy Miwa has always dreamed of finding love, but living in small-town Japan made finding the right match difficult—especially since she likes girls! Even going away to college didn’t seem to help, until one day her outgoing classmate Saeko suggests…

View On WordPress

Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985)

Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985)

I don’t know what the piece of music is. It doesn’t matter. Because sometimes I hear a piece of music and I can’t do any thing but sit there. Sometimes in the morning, the radio turns on and a song is playing and it’s so beautiful that I just have to lie there until it’s over. Sometimes I’m watching a film, and it’s not even a sad scene, but the music is so sad that I can’t help but cry.

Again mood

Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985)

Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985)

Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985)