Author: cvegnad

April 8, 2020

Act of Murder Book Review

Doc Brady soon realizes that the old adage remains true: The love of money is the root of all evil.

About Act of Murder

Doc Brady became an orthopedic surgeon to avoid being surrounded by death. But now it’s everywhere around him.One spring day in 1994 Houston, Dr. Jim Bob Brady witnesses his neighbor’s ten-year-old son killed by a hit-and-run driver. An accident, or an act of murder? After the death, Brady enlists the help of his twenty-year-old son J. J. and his wife Mary Louise in chasing down clues that take them deeper and deeper into a Houston he never imagined existed. In the process, they discover a macabre conspiracy stretching from the ivory towers of the largest teaching hospital in Texas, to the upper reaches of Houston’s legal community, to the shores of Galveston.Doc Brady soon realizes that the old adage remains true: The love of money is the root of all evil.

My Thoughts

Act of Murder starts off with what appears to be a hit and run that results in the death of a young boy. As our story unfolds, a plot is revealed that has quite a few twists and turns that will leave you on the edge of your seat.

Doc Brady is an orthopedic surgeon, his patients are generally healthy (no terminal cancer patients), he has a great routine, an amazing relationship with his wife and a grown child that is out of the house (who we later learn has some incredible hidden talents!). Life was great for him as he went about his days, until the hit and run of his young neighbour. Doc Brady was one of the first people on the scene but unfortunately there was nothing he could do for the young boy. This was a young boy who he had treated several times in the past for a rare disorder of the bones that caused them to fracture easily. While he knows that there was nothing he could have done for the young child, the pain of the death is still there.

This event is the catalyst for how our story unfolds – why would anyone leave the scene after hitting such a young boy? And how could this ever be viewed as a murder? Who could commit such a crime? We soon find out that money and greed are powerful factors and some people will do anything for money.

I loved the plot in this novel, it was fast paced but not too fast that you felt as though you missed something. I really enjoyed the way the story unfolded and we learned how the characters were connected in such small but extremely important ways. Each character played an important role in the death of the young child and the resulting investigations and mysterious deaths that stem from this. The book is well written and highlights how greed can be a powerful motivator for evil actions. A definite must read novel.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 4.5/5

About the Author

John Bishop MD practiced orthopedic surgery in Houston, Texas, for 30 years. An avid golfer and accomplished piano player, Bishop is honored to have once served as the keyboard player for the rhythm and blues band Bert Wills and the Crying Shames. The Doc Brady medical thriller series is set in the changing environment of medicine in the 1990s. Drawing on his years of experience as a practicing surgeon, Bishop entertains readers using his unique insights into the medical world with all its challenges, intricacies, and complexities, while at the same time revealing the compassion and dedication of health care professionals. Dr. Bishop and his wife, Joan, reside in the Texas Hill Country.

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

April 7, 2020

The (Not) Bad Animals Book Review

Learn all about those animals that were given a bad name in The (Not) Bad Animals – a perfect book for kids and adults alike.

About The (Not) Bad Animals

We all have a certain creature that makes our skin scrawl and give us the ‘heebie jeebies’. Spiders that make us scream, mice that make us jump on top of furniture until the coast is clear, or bats that make us shudder at the thought of them flapping around our hair. There are creatures big and small all over the world that make us squirm and wriggle in our seats just at the mere thought of them.

But what did these animals ever do to deserve such a bad reputation? Most of the time it’s humans that have labelled them ugly, dangerous and downright gross. But it’s one false acquisition too many for these little guys. They’ve had enough of being called scary, slimy, nasty and ewwy. They’re here to dispel these false acquisitions and set the record straight once and for all!

With laugh-out-loud illustrations from the immensely talented Sophie Corrigan, uncover the truth behind the animal and learn all about how each creature plays an important role in our world. With bitesize text that will leave you giggling and a fact box about each misrepresented creature, this is the perfect introduction to over 30 critters big and small who really aren’t all that bad at all!

Our Thoughts

This book contains many of the creatures that make my skin crawl – from spiders and ants, to mice and slugs and centipedes! The book examines common misconceptions of those animals that have gained an undeserved bad reputation and why they are really good.

There were quite a few animals that I expected to see on their list but quite a few I didn’t think of like pigeons, pigs and snapping turtles. I loved the tone of this book – it is written as though the animals were telling the story (which is super cute). They tell their tale, the common misconceptions about them and tell you why you shouldn’t believe those rumours.

Each animal has four pages devoted to it – the first two explore the common misconceptions people have about them and the second two pages give the animal viewpoint about why none of that is true. I was actually surprised at how many of the misconceptions I had heard before but maybe did not pay too much attention to or assumed it was true. I was even more surprised as we turned the page to see the truth. One that I was not aware of was that hyenas actually catch 50% of their own meals! I had no idea, I thought they only scavenged for their food.

The illustrations are spot on, I loved how the first two pages show the animals how we picture them (creepy, mean, and scary) and in the next two the animals are kind, sweet and show a truer representation of them. I could almost feel bad for the mouse (okay I did, they made them look so cute!).

The (Not) Bad Animals is a fun book to read with your child as you work through some common misconceptions and maybe talk about your own fears with your child. The book is a bit longer so we would read about a few animals at a time and then talked about how we felt about those animals and our own fears.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

About the Author

Sophie Corrigan is a full-time freelance illustrator based in the UK. She graduated from University of Central Lancashire in 2013 with a first class degree in Illustration, and has recently completed a Masters degree in Children’s Book Illustration, for which she received a Distinction.

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

April 7, 2020

50 Reasons to Love Animals Book Review

In case you needed a reminder – check out these 50 reasons to love animals!

About 50 Reasons to Love Animals

Discover 50 reasons to love animals! Lions have magnificent shaggy manes, penguins go tobogganing on their tummies, bears wiggle and dance as they scratch, whales sing songs, and elephants can feel sadness. But all the animals in this book especially need our love – now more than ever. Learn about their habitats, what makes them special, and show them you care with simple activities you can do at home.

Our Thoughts

We love animals in our home – from taking care of our own dogs to learning about new animals and experiencing rescue shelters on our trip to Botswana. Animals are a huge part of our life and we all should do everything we can to protect these beautiful creatures.

50 Reasons to Love Animals looks at six habitats and the animals that call it home. We look at the dry savanna, the coral reef, icy poles, evergreen forests, the open ocean and tropical forests. The book gives a brief overview over several pages of the habitat and the animals that live there. Each two page spread contains roughly three featured animals of that habitat and an interesting fact about them. I have to admit, I learned some pretty cool facts about animals from this book (I never knew that hippos released their own fluid to help protect their skin from the sun!). You can also find suggestions on how to protect and show your love for a particular animal throughout the book.

50 Reasons to Love animals is a wonderfully illustrated and easy to read book for young children. The illustrations are lovely and capture the innocence of the animals perfectly (I personally loved the eyes the most on each animal, they just drew me right in). The book itself is easy to read with your child and encourages you to do more research and help give back. You have suggestions on how to show your love for these animals that are easy to accomplish for a child, for example creating a list of ways that your child can help fight climate change at home. The book flows nicely and has the right amount of text to illustration to capture a child’s attention and interest.

This is a beautiful book for a child that loves animals, who wants to learn more and is passionate about protecting our animals and environment.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

About the Author

Catherine Barr studied Ecology at Leeds University and trained as a journalist. She worked at Greenpeace International for seven years as a wildlife and forestry campaigner and has a long-running interest in environmental issues. While working as an editor at the Natural History Museum, she researched and wrote two major summer exhibitions: Dinosaurs of the Gobi Desert and Myths and Monsters. She is now a partner in communications company bwa design. She lives on a hill near Hay-on-Wye in Herefordshire with her partner and two daughters. She is a proud Patron of Reading for a local school, and mother of two teenage girls. Catherine’s first book, The Story of Life, was shortlisted for The English Association Picture Book Award.

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

April 7, 2020

The Mother: A Novel

A touching story of love, marriage, divorce, illness and starting over – The Mother will make you cry, laugh and be reminded of the most important things in life.

About The Mother

After her father’s death, 25-year old Helen Miller needs a fresh start. She finds a job that takes her to Paris. But when her charming new boss, the rich 45-year old Jake Klein, begins dating her, Helen can’t resist falling for him despite the age difference.

Shortly after a fairytale wedding, Helen discovers disturbing news about her husband’s past. Feeling homesick, dealing with a difficult pregnancy and her troubled marriage lead Helen to return to DC. She tries to start a new life with Jake and their daughter Daisy, but finds it impossible to ignore Jake’s infidelity. She divorces him not knowing she cannot escape Jake’s manipulative actions.

Daisy’s illness and an inexplicable turn of events force Helen to ignore Jake and concentrate only on her daughter’s happiness, not knowing that a new love is waiting for her in an unexpected place.

My Thoughts

I loved every moment of this emotionally charged and powerful novel, I could not put it down!

Helen is just like any Mom that you may know – she loves her child with all of her heart and would do anything to protect her. She showers her with unconditional love, supports her and would do anything for her daughter. Helen has not had an easy past – she was the caregiver for her dying father, she divorced her husband after finding out about his past and this has left a lasting mark on her. It has affected her relationship with her Mother, her relationships with others around her and I think even explains her personality and actions. Helen is a giver, she cares so much for others even at her own expense. When her daughter falls ill, Helen dives right in ready to fight for her daughter. She will do whatever it takes to see her daughter well and happy again. She does so even at the expense of her own health and at times you worry about Helen and want to reach out and give her a hug.

This is an amazing story of love, forgiveness and second chances. Helen is the type of person so many of us are – we give and give until we push ourselves to the point of exhaustion and illness. Helen is her daughter’s champion and will fight for her every step of the day. The two have their ups and downs in the book, sometimes making you cry but their relationship is strong and you know the two will get through it. I loved the story, the characters and how the emotions poured off the pages. At a time with so much uncertainty around this, this novel reminds us what is truly important – our health, our family and love. This is a definite must read novel.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Farin Powell practices law in Washington, DC. In addition to many legal publications, she has published short stories and poems in various literary magazines and poetry anthologies. She is the author of the book of poetry A Piece of Heaven and the novels Two Weddings, and Roxana’s Revolution.

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

March 31, 2020

Highland Sword Book Review

From USA Today bestselling author May McGoldrick comes Highland Sword, the third book in the Royal Highlander series.

About Highland Sword

Fleeing to the Highlands after her father’s murder, fiery Morrigan Drummond has a score to settle with Sir Rupert Burney, the English spymaster responsible for his death. Trained to fight alongside the other rebels determined to break Britain’s hold on Scotland, she swears to avenge her father’s death—until a chance encounter with a barrister as proud and principled as she is presents her with a hard choice…and a bittersweet temptation.

Aidan Grant has never encountered another woman like dangerous beauty Morrigan—and he has the bruises to prove it. Yet she could be the key to defending two innocent men, as well as striking a death blow to the reprehensible Burney. Convincing Morrigan to help him will take time, but Aidan is willing to wait if it means victory over corrupt government forces and freedom for his people…and Morrigan’s hand in marriage. Can two warriors committed to a cause stand down long enough to open their hearts to a love fierce enough to last…forever?

My Thoughts

I was introduced to this series of books a few months ago and fell in love with the strong female leads and the passionate plots. The stories takes place in Scotland during a time when England was doing everything they could to destroy their way of life. It is in this backdrop that we have a group of incredibly strong women ready to fight to maintain their way of life and beliefs. You don’t need to read the other books in this series to enjoy this one, but I would highly recommend it so that you gain a better understanding of the characters history and the way that they connect to each other.

Morrigan has seen many awful things in her young life, including the murder of her Father. She has vowed revenge and will stop at nothing. She is full of fire and determination, she has learned to fight and goes on many missions. It is this fierceness that tends to get her in trouble but is also what attracts Aidan to her.

Aidan is the calm in her storm. He is a barrister who fights for justice. He wants to see his people free and he will do anything within the law to ensure this. He falls for Morrigan but understands how vulnerable she is and how she has been hurt in the past. He is patient and kind – always in tune to her feelings and mindful of them (how can you not fall in love with his character!). He will do anything to protect her. Their feelings for each other evolves slowly and at times you worry that her past will prevent them from having a future together. This was a beautiful story during a time period that was not kind, that you will not want to put down.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 4.5/5

About the Author

Authors Nikoo and Jim McGoldrick (writing as May McGoldrick) weave emotionally satisfying tales of love and danger. Publishing under the names of May McGoldrick and Jan Coffey, these authors have written more than thirty novels and works of nonfiction for Penguin Random House, Mira, HarperCollins, Entangled, and Heinemann. Nikoo, an engineer, also conducts frequent workshops on writing and publishing and serves as a Resident Author. Jim holds a Ph.D. in Medieval and Renaissance literature and teaches English in northwestern Connecticut. They are the authors of Much ado about Highlanders, Taming the Highlander, and Tempest in the Highlands with SMP Swerve.

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