Category: book review

Reconnect With Family Game and Activity Time #PlayTestShare

Raincoast Books

With school starting up this month and the return of many after school activities, the focus on family down time can be pushed to the back burner. While we sometimes have to do a give and take at home, it is so important to carve out time for your family. This could be setting aside twenty minutes a day or a couple of hours together once a week. It is important to choose what works for your family so that way you know you will stick to it.

The best way to use that family time? Play fun and interactive games and activities that get you talking and laughing!

Reconnect With Family Game and Activity Time #PlayTestShare

Raincoast Books has put together nine games, activities and books that help strengthen the family bond through laughter. We tested out Royal Bingo and After Dinner Amusements: Family Time and had an amazing time!

Reconnect With Family Game and Activity Time #PlayTestShare

About Royal Bingo

This majestically illustrated bingo game features portraits of 64 royal icons from around the world. Spot famous faces like William and Kate, or meet some less familiar figures such as the playboy prince Wenzeslaus of Liechtenstein. Each royal is further brought to life in an accompanying booklet, which details their personalities, foibles, gaffes and romances. Who will reign supreme?

Who doesn’t love learning about the royal families? When I saw this game I thought immediately of my Mom who is a HUGE royalty fan. She loves the English royal family but will read books, magazines and more about all the royal lineages. This game was pretty cool as you were able to learn about more than just the popular royal names and you were given a bit of background about each one. It takes Bingo to a whole new level while being great for young and adult players a like although I have a feeling that adults will love and appreciate this one a tad bit more!

Reconnect With Family Game and Activity Time #PlayTestShare

About After Dinner Amusements: Family Time

This is a fun little twist on classic games and activities and offers easy amusement during family dinners, holiday gatherings and road trips! This miniature deck of cards features fifty thoughtful and playful questions about the past, present, and future – a great way for family members to connect and learn new things about one another.

Reconnect With Family Game and Activity Time #PlayTestShare

This was an amazing way to get our kids and us talking about our family – what we loved and more! It had great questions and thought starters. We pulled it about an hour before bed time and let the kids choose three questions. While we answered the questions we also found ourselves discussing even more about what we want to see more of in our family time, what we want to do in the upcoming year, etc. We also set a monthly mini golf challenge and formed our teams. It was fantastic to have this time dedicated to talking about us.

The other seven titles include:

Animal Friends on a Parade Puzzle

From a gorilla in a party hat to a hedgehog rat-a-tat-tatting on his drum, these animal friends from different habitats—the jungle, farm, woodland, and Arctic—know that togetherness is something to celebrate. Featuring twelve double-sided uniquely die-cut pieces by artist Junzo Terada, this fun puzzle offers (nearly) endless combinations, providing hours of entertainment.

Say Zoop!

The newest book from Herve Tullet magically responds with bursts of color and moving shapes, empowering children by letting their imaginations liberate and direct each page’s reaction. Tullet’s books define the genre of participatory bookmaking, encouraging readers to explore and interact with the physical book in all its dimensions. The reward is tremendous: a journey of whimsy and sheer fun that extends well beyond the book’s pages.

Donner Dinner Party

Who’s safe when there are cannibals hiding among you? That’s the question at the heart of this fast-paced game of social deduction in which cannibals and pioneers face off in a fight for survival. Set in the winter of 1846, players are members of the ill-fated Donner Party wagon train, stranded atop a mountain with no food. Rowdy, outrageous, and full of deception, this party game packs a delightfully wicked twist!

Ghost Story Box

Based on a unique and original format, this game contains 20 story-telling puzzle pieces printed on both sides. Each piece can be interchanged or flipped over to allow for all kinds of plot twists and turns, and there are even two alternative endings! When all the puzzle pieces are used, they stretch out to over 8-feet long to tell your own mega ghost story!

Make and Move Mega: Dinosaurs

Press out, slot together and play with your very own T-Rex, Triceratops, Apatosaurus, Stegosaurus, and Pteranodon. Created by talented paper artist and engineer Sato Hisao, each of these detailed 3D models comes with easy-to-follow assembly instructions. No scissors or glue required!

Star Wars: Super Graphic

Graphic design guru Tim Leong presents STAR WARS trivia via playful pie charts, bar graphs, and other data-driven infographics. From a Venn diagram of Yoda’s idiosyncrasies to an organizational chart of the Empire to a line graph of Grand Moff Tarkin’s management decisions, STAR WARS SUPER GRAPHIC shines a new light on the much-adored universe. Equal parts playful and informative, this visual love letter to the vast STAR WARS universe will enchant fans of all ages.

Travel Matching Game

Mix and match with this classic matching game, which includes 36 robust, jumbo-size cards featuring charming illustrations by Greg Pizzoli that will have kids ready to pack up their bags and explore the world! Children will adore pairing colorful images of suitcases, taxis, stop signs, and other classic travel imagery as they develop memory, concentration, and identification skills.

The Giveaway!

Now my Canadian readers have the chance to win one of the above games or activities of their choice to help them plan out their own family activity night! Enter via the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

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Disclosure: I received two of the above mentioned books in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Sky Throne Book Review

iRead Book Tours

In Sky Throne, on his way to becoming king of the Greek gods, Zeus will learn to seize power, neutralize his enemies, and fall in love.

The Sky Throne Book Review

About Sky Throne

Duality dwells at every turn, and an adolescent Zeus will learn that all too well when Hyperion attacks his family on Crete.

When the dust settles, his mother is unconscious and his best friend left for dead.

Stacking epic insult upon fatal injury, Zeus discovers the woman who raised him is not his biological mother. But to ensure her safety while she recovers, a heavy-hearted Zeus leaves her behind to seek answers at Mount Olympus Preparatory Academia.

Zeus embarks on a quest to discover who ordered the attack on his home, avenge the death of his friend, and find his birth mother. When some of his new schoolmates vanish, Zeus’s quest is turned upside down, and the only way to make things right is to access the power of The Sky Throne, confront a most dangerous enemy, and take his life back.

My Thoughts

I LOVE Greek history (well all history in general) and this book had all of my favourite Greek Gods but from a whole new view-point – before they became the Gods that grace the pages of history books and classes.

The story focuses around Zeus who is a light-hearted prankster who yearns for more than the life of taking care of sheep that he is leading. He is such a funny sweet young man who it is almost hard to imagine in the beginning that this young man will become the great Zeus. It is when his best friend is murdered and his Mother injured that Zeus sets out on a quest to learn more about his past, avenge his friend’s murder and to find his place in the world.

This is when we meet with some of the other God’s and get an intimate look into their youth and personalities. Zeus enters a very special and elite school with very few of the other God’s. They are in a constant competition with the neighbouring school who broke apart from Mount Olympus Preparatory Academia. This is when the story gets really exciting! The plot begins to centre around the Sky Throne, the disappearance of his friends and a battle between (what felt like) good and evil.

I loved every moment of this exciting story and felt it would be great for young adults and adults alike. It gave such a unique and different look at the lives of the Gods before they became famous in history. We saw them as they begin to grow into their roles, as somewhat normal teens trying to find their place in the world. It was definitely a novel that I could not put down and have read several times over since receiving this book. It is a definite must read!

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon, Amazon Canada, Barnes & Noble and Book Depository.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Chris Ledbetter is an award-winning author of short fiction and novels for young adults. “Jason’s Quest,” a short story retelling of the Jason and Medea Greek myth was published in the anthology, Greek Myths Revisited. His first full-length novel, Drawn earned him two awards, Library of Clean Reads Best YA 2015 and Evernight Publishing Readers’ Choice Award Best YA 2015, as well as a USATODAY “Must Read” recommendation. His second novel, Inked, concludes that duology. The Sky Throne is his newest young adult novel. The second book in the series is set to release in 2018.

He’s a proud member of SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) and a strong supporter of the Need for Diverse Books. He now writes and lives in Wilmington, NC with his family, including three cats.

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Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Life Long Book Review

iRead Book Tours

Like so many Americans before him, he travels through unfamiliar territory with no clear way of knowing who will help and who will harm him. And he may well find himself on the wrong side of the border with a mind that has no borders.

Life Long

About Life Long

Ray Lopez is on the run with a duffel bag full of cash. Both drug dealers and the police are after him. But Ray is not a criminal. His last brush with the law was over traffic tickets. Recently released from the hospital with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, he is haunted by voices, auditory hallucinations, that frighten him and cause him to question his every move.

Ray’s journey from California to Laredo is perilous. Like so many Americans before him, he travels through unfamiliar territory with no clear way of knowing who will help and who will harm him. And he may well find himself on the wrong side of the border with a mind that has no borders.

My Thoughts

Life Long is an emotionally charged, thought-provoking novel. Our main character, Ray, suffers with schizophrenia. I found this left him open to people who would use him, hurt him and prey upon his fears and worries. Ray was at the heart of things a truly kind and warm individual who wanted to help others. His mental illness caused him to act and say things he normally wouldn’t at times. It also caused him to live in fear and do things he probably shouldn’t but because he couldn’t process things the way others may, people took advantage of this. My heart broke for Ray at so many times throughout this story.

Ray was used by a person that was close to him and who should never have treated him the way he did. He was taken advantage of and this left him caught in the middle between drug dealers and the police. Because of the way he processes situations, he felt that his only option was to run. Which is what he did. We quickly see just how unprepared he is to move out into the world when he has been so sheltered for so long.

He finds himself on a journey that he was so unprepared for – including not having enough of his medication to help keep the voices caused by the schizophrenia at bay. He feels he has no other option but to cross the border into Mexico to look for medical help. His trusting and nervous nature makes him a quick target.

Life Long is an intimate look into the struggles of a young man dealing with a mental health condition. He is unprepared and unsure of the world around him – as he is always second guessing his decisions, is it the voices or is this a good decision? My heart broke so many times throughout this novel at the unfairness that he was dealt with and how resilient he was. Life Long is a definite must read novel for young adults.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, IndieBound.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Born and raised in Fresno California – Educated at St. Mary´s College California, University of California Berkeley, University of San Francisco – Practiced law from !966 to 2003 as a Deputy District Attorney, a criminal defense attorney, and a Deputy Public Defender – Appointed to the California Agriculture Labor Relations Board by Governor Jerry Brown in 1974 and later served as the District Attorney of Santa Cruz County California.

Ronald L. Ruiz has published 5 novels and a memoir. Happy Birthday Jesus (1994), Giuseppe Rocco (1998), The Big Bear (2003), A Lawyer (2012), Jesusita(2015). and Life Long (2017).

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Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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The Winner

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Bright, emotive, and told through dual narrators, The Winner examines the costs associated with winning, the internalization of parental ambition, and the effect of gendered roles on and off the dance floor.

The Winner Book Review

About The Winner

Nina Fortunova wasn’t supposed to end up almost thirty, divorced, with her dreams of winning shattered. She teams up with Jorge Gonzalez, a Latin dancer, to reinvent the flashy Smooth style. When the Chairman of the Judges offers to throw the competition in their favor, Nina must decide how far she will go to win, even if it means losing Jorge

Carly Martindale is doing everything she’s been taught not to do—placing her happiness first by dancing with Trey Devereux, the former three-time champion who’s returned to competition for mysterious reasons. Carly becomes obsessed with Trey and allows him to control her every move at great risk to her physical and emotional health. How far will she sacrifice herself, so Trey and she can win? Co-workers, then friends, and now arch competitors, Nina and Carly face off to determine who will be the winner.

Bright, emotive, and told through dual narrators, The Winner examines the costs associated with winning, the internalization of parental ambition, and the effect of gendered roles on and off the dance floor. A literary romance, The Winner is perfect for readers who love Dancing with the Stars, Strictly Come Dancing, So You Think You Can Dance, and the old-school elegance of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

My Thoughts

The Winner is a powerful story of winning at all costs. The story focuses on two main female characters both from very different backgrounds but both feel the pressure to win and would do so in any way.

Nina is a second generation immigrant whose parents gave up everything to come to America for her to succeed. As many parents of immigrants know (and even third and fourth generations) there is an expectation placed on you – that every generation achieve something greater. You would go to University, get a better job, gain more wealth and then give back even more to the next generation and to your parents. For Nina, this expectation is what drove her. Her Mother gave up and did anything for her to achieve her dancing dreams. The only thing she wanted to give back to her Mother? Winning the Nationals. It was this dream that led her decisions and because of this she lost so much in her life.

Carly is a young girl who loves her family especially her autistic brother but she gave up on all of her dreams to take care and help support her family. The pressure became too much for her and when she had a chance to live out her dancing dreams she took it. She is the type of person who would do anything to help another person even put her own needs on the back burner for those she loved. While a good quality it meant she was used a lot.

Both women learn several hard lessons throughout the novel, most notably that while winning is good sometimes the sacrifices are not worth it. We can lose family, friends, dreams and more if we don’t see the bigger picture. The Winner was an excellent story from start to finish and is one of those novels that you just don’t want to put down. You have to keep reading one more chapter long past when you promised yourself you were going to sleep. I loved how hope, love, healing and forgiveness were intertwined in the story. I really hope there is a second part to this story! This is an excellent book for young adults and adults alike regardless of whether you are a dance fan or not.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

A native of Richmond, Virginia, Erin Bomboy trained as a classical ballet dancer before spending a decade as a professional competitive ballroom dancer. She holds an MFA in Dance Performance and Choreography from New York University Tisch School of the Arts. She lives in New York City with her husband and daughter where she works as a writer, editor, and teacher in the dance field. In her free time, Erin enjoys bacon, books, cats, and wine.

She is the author of The Piece: A Contemporary Ballet Novel and The Winner: A Ballroom Dance Novel. Her next novel, tentatively titled The Pas de Deux: A Classical Ballet Novel, will explore the relationship between a ballerina at the end of her career and the much-younger dancer with whom she falls in love. Taking the shape of a traditional pas de deux, it will premiere in 2018.

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Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Blood Divine Audiobook Review

In Blood Divine, in order to protect the only man he’s ever loved, Cooper must embrace the dark power threatening to consume him, and choose sides in a deadly war between the righteous and the fallen.

Blood Divine Audiobook Review

About Blood Divine

Cooper Causey spent a lifetime eluding the demons of his youth and suppressing the destructive power inside him. But a disconcerting voicemail lures Cooper back home to the coast of South Carolina and to Warfield, the deserted plantation where his darkness first awakened. While searching for his missing grandmother, Cooper uncovers the truth about his ancestry and becomes a pawn in an ancient war between two supernatural races. In order to protect the only man he’s ever loved, Cooper must embrace the dark power threatening to consume him, and choose sides in a deadly war between the righteous and the fallen.

My Thoughts

Blood Divine starts off with a story in the past when Cooper was a child and had a terrifying experience with the ghost of Blue, a slave who led a revolt that killed many people. Cooper left his hometown and never looked back.

Cooper was living a life of self-indulgence focusing on himself and his own needs (who knows how much of his childhood had this effect on his personality) but when he receives a voicemail from his Grandmother Lillie Mae, he is terrified and feels very much guilty as he ignored her calls to indulge in himself and a partner. She sounded scared and the voicemail cuts off with her warning him not to come. He finds he has no choice but to return to Georgetown to look in on her. When he finds her gone and a message left for him stating simply, Warfield, he knows that something is wrong. This sets him down a path of trying to find Lillie Mae and he uncovers some startling facts and he is introduced to the world of vampires, vampire slayers and more as well as to the power within himself.

Blood Divine is an exciting paranormal (with just a little bit of romance between Cooper and Randy but not enough to take away from the plot) that leaves you craving for more. We have the struggle between good and evil, fighting for what is right and embracing our own true nature and skills. The plot is very played out and engaging as well as the narration is perfect for the tone and story of this audiobook. I really enjoyed this engaging audiobook which put a new spin on the supernatural.

You can purchase a copy of this audiobook on Audible, Amazon and iTunes.

Rating: 4/5

About the Author

Greg Howard grew up near the coast of South Carolina, or as he fondly refers to it, “the armpit of the American South.” His hometown of Georgetown, South Carolina is known as the “Ghost Capital of the South,” (seriously…there’s a sign), and was always a great source of material for his overactive imagination.

Raised in a staunchly religious home, Greg escaped into the arts: singing, playing piano, acting, writing songs, and making up stories. After running away to the bright lights and big city of Nashville, Tennessee with stars in his eyes and dreams of being the Dianne Warren of Music City, he took a job peddling CDs and has been a cog in the music business machine ever since.

Now an adult with a brain, Greg finds the South Carolina coast to be a perfectly magical place where he vacations yearly. Currently, Greg resides in Nashville, TN with his husband, Steve, and their three rescued fur babies. Molly, Toby, and Riley.

Greg’s debut adult paranormal novel, BLOOD DIVINE, was released by Wilde City Press in September 2016. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers acquired Greg’s debut young adult novel, SOCIAL INTERCOURSE, which will be released in Summer 2018.

About the Narrator

Gary Furlong grew up in Wexford, Ireland. Throughout his life he has worn many a hat: He has worked as a teacher in Niigata, Japan; a puppeteer in Prague; an improv artist in Memphis, Tennessee; and as a singer and actor all over Ireland. He started narrating audiobooks in late 2015 and hasn’t looked back.

Gary made his acting debut in the musical Godspell as a student. Since then he has pursued acting both on the amateur and professional circuits. Notable roles include Tom Collins in Bare Cheek’s production of Rent in 2010.

Over the course of his five years in Japan, he was an actor, director, and audio producer. It was during this time that he discovered his interest in audiobooks and voice-over.

He now works full-time as an audiobook narrator and voice actor from his home in Ireland.

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Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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