My Tips for Beginner Photographers (Part 1)

Welcome back to Musings of an Arthritic Artist!

Today I'm going to be giving tips for beginner photographers. I will be using examples. All of these photos are mine. 

With the descriptions I use (and the fact that I'm using my own photos), it may seem as if I'm being arrogant, but I'm not. I just don't want to get in trouble for copyright, which is why I use my examples and only mine.

I will be doing multiple parts to this just because I don't feel like I can put all my tips into one post.

Let's get into the tips!

King, Alexandria. Musings of an Arthritic Artist. 2021,

1. Learn the Jargon

Every skill has a language. If you intend to pick up that skill, then knowing the terminology is crucial. Initially, it may not seem that important, but if you read photography tips online, blog posts and articles will always use terminology. Cameras will as well. There will be options to change the ISO. You'll hear or read words such as aperture, bokeh, exposure, DOF, DSLR, F-stop, golden hour, HDR, JPEG, macro, manual, shutter speed, and vignetting, though there are many others.

I will define what some of these are here.

1. The general definition of aperture is a hole, opening, or gap. In photography (and optics), the aperture is a space through which light passes. The F-stop controls the aperture on a manual or DSLR camera. F-stops don't always exist on digital cameras or point-and-shoot cameras. The smaller the aperture, the less exposure there is, leading to a darker photo, while the larger the aperture, the more exposure there is, leading to a brighter photo.

2. Bokeh is a photo style. When done right, it leads to a photo with soft edges. When done right, the photo will have little balls of color and light. It's hard to explain, so let me just show you an example.

Holiday Spirit. November 27, 2016. Samsung WB1100F.

This is a basic example of bokeh. I took this in 2016 at my local airport. This was a wreath they had up for Christmas. This isn't a perfect nor great example of bokeh, but it does show the basic photo style.

White Bokeh. November 27, 2016. Samsung WB1100F.

This photo is a better example of bokeh. I showed the other one just to show what the subject of each photo is supposed to be. This is the same wreath in a more bokeh style kind of photo. 

3. DOF is an acronym for depth of field. Depth of field is basically the distance between the nearest and farthest objects that are in sharp focus in a photo. There is a shallow depth of field and deep depth of field, but there are also depth of fields that fall between these. A shallow depth of field has a blurry background with a sharp focus on the subject, while a deep depth of field has everything from the background to the foreground in focus. 

Rose Garden. October 27, 2017. FujiFilm Finepix XP80.

This photo above would be an example of a deep depth of field, while the photo below this text would be an example of a shallow depth of field.

Sunflower. May 25, 2018. Samsung WB1100F.

2. Know Your Camera

You have to know your camera almost as well as yourself or your best friend. You have to know what it can do and what it can't do. You have to know how to use it and what modes it has. Knowing your camera is a key part of photography. Even if the camera you use is simply the one on your iPhone, you still have to know it. 

As far as cameras go, just remember: the camera you have doesn't determine your skill as a photographer. While all cameras have a different photo quality, they don't determine your skill. You just have to play to the strengths of your camera. 

The price of the camera doesn't matter, especially if you're a beginner. Having a better or expensive camera won't make you a better photographer. You still have to put in the work to get great shots. The first camera I used when I began my photography journey was my father's iPhone 5s.

3. Photograph Anything and Everything

This helped me so much when I began doing photography. I would take photos of anything and everything. It's helped me find out what things I like to photograph most. Taking your camera everywhere and taking photos of whatever you see is very helpful. 

It helps you learn composition and lighting, especially if you prefer to learn things organically like I do. Just make sure that when you take photos, you do it lawfully.

Some stores don't like photography in their stores. I have been guilty of this because I didn't know. At the same time though, the employee who asked me to not take photos made a weird point that I'm not sure is fully valid considering I haven't done the research for it. I will likely share this story later.

Make sure that wherever you are allows photos. Some places allow photography but not videography and it is very helpful to know which places. Check the FAQs for museums, particularly art museums if you want to film or take photos there. Some museums are stricter than others.

Check store policies if stores are something you frequent often and occasionally photograph in. There are also places where you can photograph legally but where most photographers like to ask. This is usually in the case of street photography. 

There is this thing called the Right to Privacy, which is not a thing explicitly included in the U.S. Constitution nor the U.S. Bill of Rights but is something that was determined with court cases. I'm not going to go into detail with what this means because it isn't fully relevant.

The reason being is this: the First Amendment in the U.S. Constitution is the freedom of speech and expression. The one photographers fall under when it comes to their photos is the freedom of expression. If someone--or something--is in a public space and can be seen by the public eye then a photographer can legally take photos without someone's consent. This changes when it comes to private property, wherein the photographer does need permission to photograph. There technically isn't a right to privacy case when in a public space.

Despite this legality though, many photographers prefer to ask permission. While it is legal to, let's say, take a photo of someone's dog in public, most photographers like to ask that way they won't get sued if that photo ends up online. 

It's also polite, especially if you want to take a close-up. It's more of a protection and kindness thing than anything else. You don't have to ask for someone's permission to photograph them or their pets if they're in public, but most photographers like to in order to avoid being sued over it.

4. Be Creative

Creativity is an artist's best friend. That applies to photographers as well, though it might be a secondary best friend considering their camera is the first.

Let's take this example: 

A Photographer's Nightmare. October 24, 2018. Samsung WB1100F.

I took this photo just before Halloween in 2018. A camera is a photographer's most prized possession, for good reason. A photographer's greatest fear (pertaining to their hobby/career) is losing their camera or their camera being stolen. Most photographers don't like other people touching their camera unless they give permission. 

I decided to use this to my advantage. At this moment in time, I was very interested in photos with shadows as the subject. The story is that a camera is briefly left unattended. This leads the camera to be stolen. 

This is both creative and artistically pleasing. The composition is off to the side, which is general photo advice photographers give to beginners. It's referred to as the 'rule of thirds' wherein you place the subject of the photo on an intersecting line using a grid that can be found in a camera's settings.

Following the rule of thirds in most cases will make photos appear more attractive, sometimes even more professional. The rule of thirds doesn't always have to be followed (despite it saying 'rule'), but it's a great technique to know to improve photo composition.

Magnifying Light. September 22, 2018. Samsung WB1100F.

Let's now take this photo. I also took this in 2018. This one took a few tries to get right. This was a photo of the ceiling fan in the living room of my old house. The black shadow is my left hand, while the big ring in the middle is a magnifying glass.

5. Experiment

You never know what photo you are going to get until you take it. One tip I can give for experimenting is to change the framing of the photo. How can you elevate a landscape photo? You can frame it using nature. Let's take these examples:

Wish. May 16, 2019. Samsung WB1100F.

Reaching Out. May 16, 2019. Samsung WB1100F.

Spiral. May 16, 2019. Samsung WB1100F.

All of these were taken in 2019. That year I was really interested in photoshoots. It may seem like I took these in a forest. They weren't. Not exactly, anyway. These photos were taken in the backyard of my aunt's old house. Notice how the leaves frame the subject (my sister). 

Camouflage. May 20, 2019. FujiFilm Finepix XP80.

The photo above was also taken in 2019. I can't remember what zoo I took this at, but it was either the Little Rock Zoo, Memphis Zoo, or Atlanta Zoo. In this photo I framed the reptile's face using the leaves in the exhibit. 

However, not only frames made of nature can frame a subject. Man-made objects can as well. Look at these examples: 

Tower of Power. September 3, 2017. FujiFilm Finepix XP80.

I took this photo at Six Flags Over Texas in 2017. I took this photo of the Superman: Tower of Power ride from the Oil Derrick observation deck. I decided to use the chain-link fence on the observation tower to frame the ride.

Gated Gator. December 31, 2016. Samsung WB1100F.

I took this one at SeaWorld San Antonio in 2016. For this one I used the short exhibit fence to frame the alligator's eye. Experiment with framing. Anything can be used as a frame. Even household objects. Perhaps even candy.

Candy Cane Frame. December 25, 2016. FujiFilm Finepix XP80.

I took this photo in 2016 at SeaWorld San Antonio. This isn't one of my all-time best--nor favorite--photos, but it is an example of framing. I tried to frame a cupcake by using a candy cane.

The First Task. November 18, 2016. iPhone 6.

This photo would be another example of framing. This is a photo of Chapter 20: The First Task in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I took this photo in 2016 as well using a magnifying glass, which I decided to use to frame the words that begin the chapter.

Potterheart. November 19, 2016. Samsung WB1100F.

The last example of framing is this photo. I made the black heart shaped cutout that this photo showcases. This is a DIY (do-it-yourself) lens filter.

Light Walk. February 4, 2018. Samsung WB1100F.

While we're on the topic of experimenting, I thought it'd be good to use the photo above as an example. This falls under knowing your camera as well, but it fits really well here. The camera I used to take this photo has a light trace option. This option is commonly used to take photos of moving cars. It leads to a really cool line of light. 

I decided to attempt this feature with Christmas lights in a local neighborhood of mine. It leads to these really intriguing photos. No two photos end up the same, which is the really cool part of this camera option. 

Light Trail. December 15, 2019. Samsung WB1100F.

Let's take this photo. This is the same neighborhood photographed using the same light trace feature one year later.

6. Change the Lighting

Lighting makes a difference when it comes to photos. I mentioned this in my 2016: A Year in Photos post, but I used to be on National Geographic's My Shot, which was a children's photography social media type platform before it went defunct. 

One of the photos I took was of a sunflower (photo below). A moderator commented on it and complimented me, and that comment has stuck out to me since they said that. Because of that, I try to use this as much as I can. 

Sunny Dew. July 14, 2016. iPhone 6.

The lighting can really impact the photo you're taking, and I'm not just talking about natural light. I'm talking about the type of light you use. I took this photo whilst holding an iPhone 6 in my right hand, and a flashlight in my left hand. 

The reason I did this was because it was fairly late at night and I didn't want to disturb my neighbors or their dogs with the flash option since using a flash is very sudden and bright. So, I used a flashlight. This ultimately made this photo better. 

The comment I received was that the use of a flashlight was a good choice because a flash tends to leave a more bright, harsh light, whereas flashlights provide a more soft type of light, as you can see by how the flower has a kind of gradient. 

I would definitely recommend trying to take photos with a flashlight instead of a flash. It requires more practice and more positioning, but overall, you may be surprised with the shot you get, and you may get a better photo because of it.

That's it for this post! I hope you enjoyed it! 

Until next time, 

Lexi K🖌

My Tips for Capturing Photos in Winter

Welcome back to Musings of an Arthritic Artist!

Today I'm going to be giving tips for taking photos in winter. I will be using examples. All of these photos are mine. 

Let's get into the post!

King, Alexandria. Musings of an Arthritic Artist. 2021.

1. Play Around with Framing

Framing and composition is a key part of photography. Framing and composition can elevate a photo to the next level. There isn't really a 'sweet spot, one size fits all' kind of composition and framing. It all depends on the look of the photo you want. The rule of thirds helps, but it doesn't always apply despite it being called a rule. There are many ways to approach composition and framing.

Holly Jolly Holiday. November 25, 2016. Samsung WB1100F.

I took this photo inside Target. This is technically an edited photo, but the composition and framing are exactly the same as in the unedited, original photo. For this photo, the ornament is a little off-center. Part of it is in the center, but part of it isn't. 

Kaleidoscope. December 25, 2016. FujiFilm Finepix XP80.

For this photo, the composition is directly in the center because I wanted to use light as the subject.

Candy Cane Frame. December 25, 2016. FujiFilm Finepix XP80.

For this one I also decided to play around with framing. I used a candy cane to frame a cupcake.

2. Take Photos in a Winter Wonderland

This one is dependent on if you actually get snow near you or if you travel. I live in a desert. This means that it's usually hot. It does usually snow in winter, but not typically in December. If it snows at all we typically have to wait until January or February. The example photos shown below were actually taken in Colorado Springs, Colorado, which is why they're so snowy. 

Winter Forest. February 10, 2018. FujiFilm Finepix XP80.

Garden of the Gods. February 10, 2018. FujiFilm Finepix XP80.

Mountain Range. April 17, 2017. Samsung WB1100F.

Landscape. April 17, 2017. Samsung WB1100F.

Snow Rock. February 10, 2018. FujiFilm Finepix XP80.

Icy. February 11, 2018. Samsung WB1100F.

Snow Bridge. February 11, 2018. FujiFilm Finepix XP80.

Winter Wonderland. February 10, 2018. FujiFilm Finepix XP80.

Frost. February 10, 2018. FujiFilm Finepix XP80.

Tree Frame. February 10, 2018. FujiFilm Finepix XP80.

Three Rocks. February 10, 2018. FujiFilm Finepix XP80.

Kissing Camels. February 10, 2018. FujiFilm Finepix XP80.

3. Use Christmas Trees, Ornaments, and Presents to Your Advantage

This is an especially handy tip if you would rather stay out of the cold and take photos inside. Most people put up Christmas trees. Even if you don't, many places in your town or city will. Use those trees to your advantage. Get close up and personal if you can. Close up photos of lights and ornaments can look very cool. The best examples I can think of are the ones I included in my framing tip, so if you want to see which photos fall under this as examples, you can scroll back up and look at those. 

Presents can also be subjects, though I don't have any example photos for that as I honestly tend to forget to take photos of presents. 

4. Be Creative

Some of the best photos will be creative ones. The photo could be full of intentional creativity or accidental creativity. Both are valid. The more you have fun taking photos, the more creative you'll get. The more photos you take, the more ideas you can get and the more you can build off of some techniques you've learned along your photography journey.

5. Just Take Photos

Maybe this sounds confusing. After all, why read a post about tips for taking winter photos if the last one is going to be 'just take photos?' This is why. Photographers (amateur, advanced, intermediate, or professional) will typically say that the best photos are the ones that were unintentional--the ones that weren't completely planned. 

If I'm going to be honest, the best photos I've taken were intentionally unintentional. Maybe that's not what most amateur/aspiring photographers want to hear. Let me explain that further. Most of the photos I've taken were intentional, meaning that I meant to take them. However, there is an unintentional part to that, which can be as simple as how much light the camera takes in.

The only photos I methodically planned out were my sister's 2019 grad photos, but I didn't plan her poses. I picked places to take photos and everything else was unintentional. For another, when you're an amateur, planning out photos isn't always the best strategy. Photography is likely a skill/hobby that you've barely begun. How can you fully plan out something you have barely practiced for? 

If you don't have that foundation or that experience of, "I've taken a photo like this before, how do I apply this now?" then you can't necessarily plan exactly how you'll take your photos. It isn't impossible by any means, but it will be more difficult. 

I didn't plan out photos that much when I began the craft. I would just steal my father's phone (or ask to borrow it) and take a photo of anything and everything. I would steal my mother's cameras and I studied them by using them. I played around with their modes and researched photography on the internet. I shared my photos through National Geographic My Shot and Your Shot for a few years. 

Honestly, when I began, I knew little to nothing about photography. All I knew was that you needed a camera. I've spent pretty much my whole life around a camera of some kind, even if it was one just on a Samsung M140 from 2009. 

Not all of your photos are going to be perfect, and that's okay. Even the most professional photographers have photos they aren't that proud of. Every photographer messes up. Every photographer has photos that are blurry or imperfect, but as long as you keep trying and don't give up, you'll get there.

That's it for this post! I hope you enjoyed it! 

See you Thursday, 

Lexi K🖌

My Favorite Holiday/Christmas Movies

Welcome back to Musings of an Arthritic Artist!

Today I'm going to be listing my favorite holiday/Christmas movies. These movies aren't in any particular order. Each of these movies has a synopsis, courtesy of IMDB. 

This post is shorter than many of my other ones, primarily because I didn't know what to say about them.

Let's get into the post!

Elf (2003)

Raised as an over-sized elf, a human travels from the North Pole to NYC to meet his biological father who doesn't know he exists and is in desperate need of some Christmas spirit.

Elf is a modern-day classic. My family and I watch this movie every year in December. 

A Christmas Story (1983)  

In the 1940s, a young boy named Ralphie attempts to convince his parents, his teacher and Santa that a Red Ryder BB gun really is the perfect Christmas gift.

If I had to pick one Christmas movie to be my family's Christmas movie, it would definitely be A Christmas Story. This is a movie my mother and I occasionally turn on even if it isn't December. It could be June and this movie could be on. This is a movie that my family and I quote pretty frequently. It's just such a good movie.

The Santa Clause (1994)

When a man inadvertently makes Santa fall off of his roof on Christmas Eve, he finds himself magically recruited to take his place.

This is another movie my family and I watch every year. It's funny. I wouldn't place this as high on my favorites list as some of the other movies in this post, but it's still one my family and I watch every year. 

Home Alone (1990)

An eight-year-old troublemaker must protect his house from a pair of burglars when he is accidentally left home alone by his family during Christmas vacation.

Who doesn't like Home Alone? It's funny and an overall good time. This movie has been out 31 years and it never gets old. Of all of the movies in this film franchise, the first one is my favorite. 

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)

A misfit reindeer and his friends look for a place that will accept them.

This is a classic Christmas movie. Who doesn't love Rudolph? As a child, my empathy levels usually shot through the roof while watching this movie, solely because I didn't understand why everyone was so rude to Rudolph. I still don't fully understand it to be honest, but it doesn't hit me as hard emotionally as it used to.

Despite that, I loved this movie. It's a movie my family and I typically watch every year in December. It's a cute movie and a holiday classic.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys (2001)

When the Evil Toy Taker takes all of Santa's toys, it's up to Rudolph and his friends Hermey, Yukon Cornelius and the Abominable Snowman "Bumbles" to stop him and bring Christmas to the children of the world.

This movie takes place after the events of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. I love the music for this movie. As a child I related greatly to the toys on the Island of Misfit Toys. 

The animation in this movie isn't the best, but it's a cute enjoyable movie that has good music and a heartwarming story.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Jack Skellington, king of Halloween Town, discovers Christmas Town, but his attempts to bring Christmas to his home causes confusion.

This is technically more of a Halloween movie, but my family and I typically toss this on the TV for both Halloween and Christmas. It isn't the first Christmas movie we toss on (that's usually A Christmas Story), but it is one we tend to toss on. 

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)

A young girl is transported into a magical world of gingerbread soldiers and an army of mice.

Many people didn't like this movie, but I loved it. I liked the story of The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E.T.A Hoffmann, which I read many years ago. I saw the Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker a few years ago at a local venue, and I absolutely loved it. 

When I heard that Disney was going to release a movie based on the Nutcracker, I knew I had to see it. This is a new movie that I've tossed on every year for the past couple years. I've watched it at least 3 times. 

That's it for this post! I hope you enjoyed it! 

Until next time, 

Lexi K🖌

Book Characters I Relate To Most

Welcome back to Musings of an Arthritic Artist!

Today I'm going to be listing the book characters I relate to and explain why I relate to them. None of these characters are in any particular order. This is just the order I thought of them in.

Let's get into the post!

King, Alexandria. Musings of an Arthritic Artist. 2021.

Jem Carstairs

First up is Jem Carstairs from The Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare. I just relate to Jem's personality. Another factor is his illness. Due to being poisoned by a demon as a child by yin fen (a demon poison which can be turned into an addictive drug), Jem is forced to routinely take the drug to live due to his body becoming dependent of it. 

However, this is a double-edged sword that is pretty much lose-lose, due to the fact that he can't live without the yin fen, but the yin fen is killing him, so he has an overall short lifeline. I'm not terminally ill, so the fact that the yin fen is slowly killing Jem isn't the aspect of him--or his illness--that I relate to. It's in some of the things he says and just the way his personality is.  

Kaz Brekker

Next is Kaz Brekker from the Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo. I've only read the first book in this series, but I doubt the relatability will end there for me. Kaz is overall a generally hard person to relate to for me, particularly because of his personality and how cold and calculating he is. He's also a gang leader and a criminal, which is most definitely not something I relate to. 

However, there is the small matter of his leg and the fact that he walks with a cane. I have never personally had to use a cane to get around, but I related strongly to Kaz's leg issues as well as some of the pain he mentioned. Due to my autoimmune disease, I tend to limp when my body is in the middle of a flare. Because of this, I relate strongly to Kaz and believe he's one of the best representations of disability I've come across in books. 

Hermione Granger

Hermione from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling was one of the first characters I related to. This one is due to personality. Hermione loves to learn. I love to learn as well. Hermione is just one of those characters I aspired to be. My work ethic isn't the best, so when I read this series, I used her as a role model to get a better work ethic. I would study random subjects. I would try to study smarter, not harder. Overall, I tried to be the student (and person) Hermione was. 

There are many facets of Hermione's personality that I relate to. She relies a lot on logic, and I know that I do as well. I don't always need proof of things, but when it comes to certain subjects I do need proof. She and I can both be pretty perfectionistic as well.

Hermione can also be blunt, sometimes to the point of tactlessness, and this is something I strongly relate to. When it comes to me, my family knows that if you want the truth, I'll give the truth. I don't mince words if it isn't necessary. If one of my parents asks me how their meal that they cooked is, I will answer honestly regardless of if the answer is good or bad. I don't give answers just to make someone feel good, especially if they're asking for my opinion. Like Hermione, I also don't like lying.

Annabeth Chase

Next is Annabeth Chase from the Camp Half-Blood Chronicles. I related to Annabeth in a similar way to Hermione. Annabeth is very logic based, like I am. She is also wise, which I was called a couple times as a child. Annabeth can also be very stubborn. She loves knowledge and learning new things. She tends to talk very philosophically. I love having philosophical conversations. I find them very enjoyable and educational. They're just overall fun discussions to have.

Isabel Garfinkel

Isabel is a new addition to my relatability list. She is the protagonist in a book I recently read called Sick Kids in Love by Hannah Moskowitz. I have a review for this book coming in February. Isabel has rheumatoid arthritis (I'll go into more detail with this in my review), however (even though it's not stated in the book) she really has juvenile idiopathic arthritis. If I had to guess, I'd say that she has RF (rheumatoid factor)-positive polyarticular JIA which is the opposite type of polyarticular arthritis that I have (I have RF-negative). 

Because of Ibby's diagnosis, I related strongly to her. There were aspects of her personality that I definitely didn't relate to, but her joint issues were never really unrelatable to me. Most of the stuff she and Sasha (the love interest) discussed when it came to chronic illness and disability were things I resonated with. Isabel is definitely high on my list for characters I relate to.

Leo Valdez

Leo Valdez is one my absolute all-time favorite characters. I related to Leo for multiple reasons. One reason is because he's a Texan. I didn't grow up in Houston, nor did I even grow up near Houston, but I've been to the city a couple times since I was a kid.

Two is because Leo is Hispanic, particularly Mexican descent. I loved this. Leo is a fantastic character who is so layered and I related to many parts of his personality as well. He's mischievous and can occasionally be a troublemaker, though never to the point of actual harm. Leo also uses a lot of self-deprecating humor, which is the type of humor I use the most. I also related to how he loved machines and working with his hands. Machines have always been something I'm fascinated with.

Though Leo's fatal flaw is never explicitly stated, it's suspected that it's feelings of inferiority and being unwanted or not trusted. If this is the case, then I relate to this. My self-esteem isn't the best, to be honest. It's gotten better over the years, but I think it's lower than most people despite how confident I act around people. 

Laia of Serra

Laia is one of the main protagonists from the An Ember in the Ashes series by Sabaa Tahir. Laia is fiercely loyal to her family and friends. She's also very compassionate. While these were things about her personality that I related to, I related most to her protectiveness and love toward her family. The way Laia cared about her family was so admirable and relatable. 

To me, the best thing on Earth is my family. I love them and would do pretty much everything for them. If my sister were in a position like Darin's (Laia's older brother), then I wouldn't hesitate to do the same things Laia did. 

Newt

Newt was my favorite character from The Maze Runner series by James Dashner. The main reason was his limp. It's similar to the section where I talked about Kaz Brekker. I limp when my knees are affected in the middle of a flare. I loved that Newt had a limp. It made for an instant connection between him and I. 

Jasper Cullen

Jasper from the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer is an addition I came across last year when I read this series. Jasper was a pleasant surprise considering I didn't care for this series much. The way I relate to Jasper is on an emotional basis. Jasper is very empathetic. He can feel the emotions of others as if they're his own. Those emotions can affect him in some cases. 

He can also manipulate the emotions in rooms, which, while I can't do on an extreme level or due to vampiric abilities, I can pull off in certain situations. Jasper was the main character I continued reading this series for. His level of empathy was just so unlike anything I've ever read before, and I loved and related to it so much.

Tin Man/Tin Woodman/Nick Chopper

I've always related to the Tin Man from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. While I haven't finished this series--nor even read the first book in its entirety--I know the backstory of the Tin Man, or Nick Chopper, as he was called before the Wicked Witch of the East enchanted his axe to make him cut off his own limbs. 

While I did say book characters, I relate more to Tin Man in the 1939 movie due to not finishing the book yet. I related to the parts of the movie where Dorothy had to oil him so that he wouldn't rust. Due to my arthritis, I feel stiff sometimes, especially as a child. 

I have oiled my joints with Extra Virgin Olive Oil since I was a child when my mother began to try it. It has always made me be in less pain as well as make me feel less stiff. Because of this, the Tin Man has always been a relatable character for me. He needed oil to fully function, and I needed oil to fully function. 

That's it for this post! I hope you enjoyed it! 

See you Thursday, 

Lexi K🖌

Book Review: All Fall Down by Ally Carter (spoiler free review)

Welcome back to Musings of an Arthritic Artist! Today I am going to be doing another book review, this one a spoiler-free review of All Fall Down byAlly Carter. 

I read this book in March 2019, so it's been a little while. This book is the first book in the Embassy Row trilogy.

With that aside, let's get into the review!

Like I said in the introduction, All Fall Down is the first book in the Embassy Row trilogy by Ally Carter, the author of the Gallagher Girls series. 

This is the synopsis Goodreads gives: 

Grace Blakely is absolutely certain of three things:

1. She is not crazy.
2. Her mother was murdered.
3. Someday she is going to find the killer and make him pay.

As certain as Grace is about these facts, nobody else believes her -- so there's no one she can completely trust. Not her grandfather, a powerful ambassador. Not her new friends, who all live on Embassy Row. Not Alexei, the Russian boy next door, who is keeping his eye on Grace for reasons she neither likes nor understands.

Everybody wants Grace to put on a pretty dress and a pretty smile, blocking out all her unpretty thoughts. But they can't control Grace -- no more than Grace can control what she knows or what she needs to do. Her past has come back to hunt her . . . and if she doesn't stop it, Grace isn't the only one who will get hurt. Because on Embassy Row, the countries of the world stand like dominoes, and one wrong move can make them all fall down.

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The plot was intriguing. It was engaging. This book took about a week and a half for me to read. I thought the plot was very interesting. I also enjoyed the characters. From what I remember, the writing wasn't fantastic, but it wasn't awful either. The mystery aspect was incredibly interesting. It was enjoyable to journey with Grace as she tried to find out who killed her mother. 

The plot twist was also shocking. I didn't see it coming whatsoever, but it makes sense. I find it interesting how Ally Carter included it. If you've read the book you know what I'm talking about. If you don't know what I'm talking about, I'm not going to explain it as this is a spoiler free review.

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As for characters, I found Grace to be very interesting. She was unlike many female protagonists I've read about. She was an interesting person to follow. I was really interested in her story and her journey. I also really liked her familial relationships, particularly the one with her brother, Jamie, even though he's not really in this book. We never get to meet him, but Grace mentions him a few times, which made me really excited to meet him.

I also found Alexei and Noah interesting. I thought for sure that Noah would be a love interest for Grace, but it was quite clear that another character seems to be the love interest. I'm interested to see how this relationship involves.

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I'm excited to pick this series back up and read its two sequels. I'm also excited to meet Jamie in See How They Run. I started reading the second book, but I dropped it and need to pick it up again.

Overall, I really enjoyed All Fall Down. I rated it 5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. I really want to know what happens to Grace in the rest of the series. Hopefully, it won't disappoint.

That's it for this review! I hope you enjoyed it! 

Until next time, 

Lexi K🖌