I didn’t quite time my reading right and I had to rush the last few pages before mystery book group started tonight. I did get my book read just in time but I hate it when that happens. Anyway, we met to discuss The Cold Dish by Craig Johnson.

I think most people enjoyed it quite a bit, unfortunately I didn’t like as much and I so wanted to like it. There were some parts I enjoyed but there were a couple of things that didn’t work as well for me including the ending. I’ll try to write up a review of it and share more thoughts but having said that, would I read another? Sure, I probably wouldn’t mind checking another out but just not anytime soon.

Next month we’ll discuss The Last Child by John Hart, which seems like it has gotten a lot of good reviews.

While I was at the bookstore I saw that the latest Bookmarks Magazine was out and has a special section on mystery and crime fiction. I meant to buy it but totally forgot to go back to get it after the discussion. I guess that means another trip to the bookstore is in store for later this week.

But now, I’m off to spend the evening with Masters: Collage. My husband got me this book and it is such eye candy! I love it.

“Drawing is like making an expressive gesture with the advantage of permanence.” ~ Henri Matisse

Last Thursday evening we went to see the Matisse As A Printmaker exhibit at the Blanton Museum and we had such a great time. The exhibit was lovely and the museum was much bigger than I expected actually. We’ve vowed that we must go back for a better tour. I briefly walked through one of the galleries that had early 20th century photography and I really want to go back for a closer look.

Anyway, this was an exciting collection for me to see because when I think of Matisse, I think of vibrant colors and bold strokes. Seeing this collection of 63 prints shows that Matisse was also fearless in trying different art processes such as etching, aquatint, monotype, lithography, woodcut and linoleum cut. I think it’s so interesting to see what artists go through in their artistic process/transformation, don’t you?

I don’t know too much about Matisse but I found this book, Matisse the Master, which sounds like it would be a wonderful account of his life. I’m adding that one to my radar. Does anyone know of any novel that has a fictionalized account of his life? I know some other painters like Eduard Manet, Frida Kahlo and Vermeer have been at the center of some novels and it’d be interesting to see if there was one about Matisse.

As Matisse was French and lived and produced some of his most famous works while living in Paris, I’m counting this museum visit as part of my Paris in July experience. I’m still reading a book set in Paris so hopefully another post to come about my armchair travels to France.