Category: book review

September 28, 2015

Little Robot by Ben Hatke

Little Robot is a heart warming tale of friendship and overcoming fears that will be cherished by all.

About Little Robot

When a young girl finds a little robot in the woods, she presses a button and accidentally activates him for the first time. Now, she finally has a friend! But the big, bad robots are coming to collect the little guy for evil purposes, and it’s all up to a five-year-old armed only with a wrench and a fierce loyalty to her mechanical friend to save the day!

My Thoughts

I love children’s books. They give me a chance to unwind with my boys, to make-believe and to talk about important subjects in a neutral and easy way.

Ben’s Little Robot is beautifully illustrated with vibrant colours and images. Presented in a comic style, there are no long sentences that children sometimes find hard to follow. Instead we have thought bubbles with a few key words. The illustrations flow together so well that you can easily put together the story as you read it aloud. In fact, after I finished ‘reading’ it to my son, my youngest read it and then our eldest. We each were able to put our own little spin on it and be silly as we read our own version.

Little Robot teaches us about true friendship that goes beyond language and is found in our hearts, through compassion and listening to non verbal cues. Both the young girl and the little robot had a lot to learn about friendships throughout the story.

Little Robot is truly a beautiful illustrated story from start to finish that can be picked up by any age group and will be cherished.

You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon and Chapters.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Ben Hatke is the author and illustrator of the New York Times bestselling Zita the Spacegirl graphic novel trilogy and the picture book Julia’s House for Lost Creatures. He lives and works in the Shenandoah Valley with his wife and their daughters. His latest book mentioned above, is Little Robot.

In addition to writing and drawing comics, he also paints in the naturalist tradition and, occasionally, performs one-man fire shows. You can connect with him on his blog, so head over there and find out more about this fantastic author and illustrator (and as a bonus you can see him doing fire-breathing!).

Watch this clip to learn just a little bit more about Ben as he facilitates a discussion with his colleagues.

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

September 28, 2015

Wasp’s Nest by Gabriel Valjan

Book Two in the Roma series is Wasp’s Nest, with just as many (if not more) twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat and unable to put it down.

About Wasp’s Nest

In the highly anticipated sequel to Roma, Underground, Bianca (Alabaster) returns to the U.S. for her former employer, the covert organization Rendition. She is to investigate Cyril Sargent and Nasonia Pharmaceutical. Although ambivalent about the assignment and uneasy about her online “friend,” Loki, she is enticed into researching what Sargent is doing with insect genetics. His research might upset the world of cancer research and treatment. Old friends Farrugia and Gennaro uncover a twisted conspiracy from their past and join Bianca in Boston where they will experience conflicted loyalties, question allies, and confront uncertain enemies, as they’re drawn into the wasp’s nest.

My Thoughts

Part two of the Roma series will not disappoint you in the slightest. It is well written, full of suspense with just enough information, adventure and action at each stage of the story. Each movement is cleverly laid out and slowly unravels like a nest would so you can find the truth and meaning behind each step.

I love how this novel pulls from the first just enough to tie the stories together. We see and find out items that were unresolved in the first novel that were closed in this story but only to bring to light a new and completely different problem. There is never any duplication or too slow parts in the novel at all.

Wasp’s Nest is so well written with many hidden under plots that it is truly a treasure to open and read each page. The ‘wasp’ is cleverly wrapped into this story in a very intriguing way (don’t want to give too many spoilers!) but the title which I first did not understand becomes very clear by the end of the novel. A fantastic read from start to finish!

You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Gabriel Valjan lives in New England, but has traveled extensively, receiving his undergraduate education in California and completing graduate school in England. Ronan Bennett short-listed him for the 2010 Fish Short Story Prize for his Boston noir, Back in the Day. His short stories and poetry have appeared in literary journals and online magazines.

The Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

September 25, 2015

Roma Underground

In the first book in the Roma Series, Roma Underground, we are introduced to savvy Alabaster Black who is currently in hiding in Rome.

About Roma Underground

Savvy forensic accountant Alabaster Black is hiding in Rome from her former employer, covert U.S. organization “Rendition.” While there under an assumed name she meets Dante, an investigator, erstwhile explorer and member of the Roma Underground, a band of amateur archaeologists who map the city beneath Rome. With Italian artifacts disappearing at an alarming rate, Alabaster and Dante search for answers and create a trap for the thieves. Through a mysterious online contact Alabaster learns she is being followed, and with her safety at risk she is forced to rethink her chosen alliances and discover hidden truths about herself.

My Thoughts

Suspense, adventure, history and a little bit of romance. Roma Underground has all of this and more. Alabaster is an incredible female character in this story. I love how strong she is both physically and mentally. The work she does is incredible in this story! It gives female readers a great character to look up to and connect with.

The plot line is fantastic and will leave you not wanting to put it down (which is literally what I did!). I loved my time in Rome so it was pretty neat to get to read about it from this perspective from a woman in hiding who is falling in love with the Roman lifestyle and culture. How they trick the thieves in this story is mind-blowing.

Roma Underground is a fantastic start to this series – I can’t wait to see what happens to Alabaster and where the ending in this book will take her.

You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

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

September 23, 2015

Inspector Dewey

Get ready to meet Dewey, Inspector Dewey.

About Inspector Dewey

My name is Dewey–Inspector Dewey.

I live in the big green house on Hampshire Avenue with my family: Thumper, Lily, and Anna. I am the Big Cat—responsible for keeping everyone safe and in order. I do this quite well, in spite of the fact that managing my family is like, well, herding cats!

Mostly our life is peaceful. But one night it wasn’t. That was the night the bad guy showed up on our block. Of course, I knew exactly how to outsmart the outlaw, but miserable mullet would Anna and the police understand my instructions?

To find out how the adventure ended, you’ll have to read my book. But I’ll give you a hint: there’s a reason I’m called Inspector Dewey.

My Thoughts

I love children’s books, I love the images, the flow and story. Inspector Dewey is no exception. From the cover alone, you can tell that this will be a book to treasure.

Our favourite reading time is just before bed time, snuggled up on the couch or under the covers in bed. Inspector Dewey has illustrations that are warm and inviting and perfect for bedtime reading. The illustrations were adorable and melt your heart. Those faces on them – too cute!

The story itself flows very nicely and is a heart warming story of how three little cats and their human, Anna, save the day and town. The cats are full of love, daring and adventure. which completes this wonderful story. This reminds every little reader, that regardless of size we can do and accomplish anything we put our minds to.

**Fifty percent of the profits from the sale of this book will fund veterinary care for pets whose families are in financial need, so that the animals can remain in their homes and out of the shelter system.**

Isn’t that incredible?

You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Marketing Officer, Strategy Expert, Innovator and Brand Builder, Kristen’s business career spans 20+ years serving the biggest brands in industry and the biggest hearts of start-ups and entrepreneurs. Kristen revels in bringing compelling products and services to life and helping leaders and individuals with big dreams realize their big goals.

Kristen’s life joys include her 2+ year obsession creating the most beautiful self-published picture book possible, the breathtaking forests and lakes of her Minnesota birthplace, the family that really does love her no matter what, and her three magnificent Norwegian Forest Cats who together, with Kristen, helped catch the bad guy on their block that inspired her upcoming book (stake out and high-speed chase included!)

She holds a master of science in eCommerce from Carnegie Mellon University, an MBA from the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management, and a BA from the University of St. Thomas. As the great transformer in her life, Kristen supports others’ education and literacy as an adjunct professor of business and strategy and, more recently, through her children’s book, Inspector Dewey (Available September 2015).

Kristen’s site for her work “Inspector Dewey” will be premiering on May 31st, 2015. In addition, you can read more about Kristen’s work at threenorwegians.com, also live on May 31st.

The Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

September 22, 2015

A Wedding at the Orange Blossom Inn

In A Wedding at the Orange Blossom Inn, a wedding brings two widows together to find love that they thought would never be theirs again.

About A Wedding at the Orange Blossom Inn

Emma Keim was heartbroken when her husband, Sanford, passed away, leaving her to raise three young daughters alone. Though several years have passed, her relatives have made it no secret that they expect Emma to remain a widow, mourning Sanford indefinitely. But when she meets Jay Hilty, a handsome widower with three young sons of his own. Emma is delighted to have a new friend who understands her struggles. Still, she is dismayed that her family is so opposed to their friendship and the idea of it ever becoming anything more. She honors her husband’s memory every day but is she destined to be alone forever?

Emma’s gentleness with Jay’s boys stirs something in his heart that’s been quiet for far too long. But when his oldest son becomes engaged to a local woman, suddenly Jay, Emma, and their children are swept up in wedding preparations. Witnessing his son’s joy, Jay wonders if it’s time for him to move forward, too, and find happiness again.

Once again, love has come to Pinecraft. But can these two parties of four become a happy, healthy family of eight?

My Thoughts

I love this series of books from Shelley Shepard Gray where we are introduced to new characters but our old favourite characters are intertwined in the new series and evolution of this beautiful town. In A Wedding at Orange Blossom Inn, we meet Emma who is a very young widow who at the time does not feel lonely until she meets a young man, also a widow, with young children.

This is a man who can understand her struggles, her fears and her need for friendship. He understands the way she thinks and how to talk with her. But they both fear moving forward. They fear what others will say and think. That maybe the other person may not love or be interested in them. It is a lovely story of honouring the past but moving into the future, to trust in God and the path that he has set before us.

You can purchase a copy of the book here. You can find more reviews of A Wedding at the Orange Blossom Inn on the Litfuse Blog tour page.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Shelley Shepard Gray is a two-time New York Times bestseller, a two-time USA Today bestseller, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time Holt Medallion winner. She lives in Southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town’s bike trail.

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