Category: book review

June 1, 2014

Get Started Preserving #DKCanada #review

If you haven’t noticed already I am really big on learning and even more so on how to make clean foods at home for our family to enjoy. A big part of this is freezing and preserving food during their in seasons (talk about a money saver too!).

DKCanada’s Get Started Preserving was the perfect selection for me in their May Boutique. It had everything I could possibly need to start preserving and to expand my knowledge as my expertise grows. The book starts off with simple freezing and preserving techniques and then develops on this basic knowledge.

Get Started Preserving also contained numerous recipes to help get you started on preserving your own delicious jams, sauces and more! Ever since we moved into our new home I have had dreams of creating a fruit cellar full of preserved items and I am now on my way there. The book also included helpful tips, tricks as well as very specific rules to prevent contamination.

As berries become more in season and on sale more often in store, I began by freezing my first batch of raspberries! I have to say I think they turned out perfectly and will be the perfect addition in my morning smoothies.

Have you checked out the boutique yet at DKCanada? Don’t miss out on all of their fabulous sales! Check it out now.

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

May 29, 2014

Spider Man: Character Encyclopedia #DKCanada #MayBoutique

Our youngest son is a HUGE Spider Man fan! He loves his super heroes but there is something special about Spidey that he just loves.

Spider Man is one of the most famous super heroes and is part of the Movie Maniacs May Boutique at DKCanada. DKCanada also has up to 30% off at their Movie Maniacs May Boutique this month so if you haven’t taken advantage of this you really should!

The Spider Man Character Encyclopedia takes a closer in depth look at the famous Spider Man. The Encyclopedia contains more than 200 of Spider Man’s friends and foes as well as tons of facts on the famous Spider himself. Each profile is full facts, statistics and original comic book art!

Our son loved his character encyclopedia. He learned about the different versions of Spider Man and all his friends. Some of them were new to me but most of them I knew (which they were proud of). The comic art was incredible – I felt like I was going back in time looking at the art. He fell in love with the whole book and we are still slowly working our way through the book at bed time with him.

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

May 29, 2014

Marvel Avengers: The Ultimate Character Guide #MayBoutique #DKCanada

DKCanada is celebrating Movie Maniacs in the May Boutique with a fantastic line up of guides and books that will suit all ages.

I was able to surprise my kids with the Marvel Avengers: Ultimate Character Guide last week and they were over the moon!

The Ultimate Character Guide comes in a hardcover format and contains all the Avengers from super heroes to super villains. The guide takes you in alphabetical order and gives you details about their powers, weaknesses, enemies and origins.

We loved how the Guide encompassed many years of Avenger history – there are characters that we had no idea who they even were prior to reading this book together! There are plenty of bright, colourful pictures to keep our youngest entertained as we read through the book. Our eldest loved how each character was broken down and all the special information on each character that was given. The book comes in a hardcover which I love as my youngest tends to rip the covers of his superhero books (not on purpose but when he brings them to bed with him soft cover books covers rip easily).

You can now purchase a copy at the May Boutique Movie Maniacs at 30% off!

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned book at no cost in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

May 27, 2014

Thankful by Shelley Shepard Gray #review

Thankful written by Shelley Shepard Gray is the second book in the Return to Sugarcreek Series.

Christina Kempf has always known that God chose Aden Reese to be her husband. As children, he was there to save her life when she fell through ice while skating and he has been by her side ever since. After his parents tragic death in a car accident, the Kempf’s raised Aden as one of their own and everyone sees them as brother and sister. Christina has never given up hope that Aden will one day ask her to be his wife.

Aden had always planned to court Christina. He loved her gentle ways and her faith. Losing his Mother and Father changed everything except his love for her. Her parents generously welcomed him into their home and treated him like a son. He could not betray their kindness by admitting his feelings for the girl who is like a sister but so much more.

Pressured by her parents to court, Christina begins to accept the attentions of Sugarcreek’s young men and now Aden must make a choice. Will he stand by and watch the love of his life slip away? Or will he risk losing the trust of the family he holds dear to tell Christina how he truly feels?

Thankful is wonderfully written with the stories of three families intertwined in Sugarcreek. I loved how Shelley intertwined their stories and gave a wonderful picture of life in Sugarcreek. Christina and Aden’s romance was beautiful. They had loved each other for so long but were so timid and scared to admit to it. I love how they grew through out the story and began to feel more comfortable in their feelings for each other and their strength. Thankful is well written and pulls you right in. Loved every moment of it!

You can find more reviews of Thankful on the Litfuse blog tour here. You can purchase a copy of the book here.

Rating: 4.5/5

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

May 23, 2014

The Heart’s Pursuit #review

The Heart’s Pursuit written by Robin Lee Hatcher (one of my personal favourite authors!) follows the story of Silver Matlock, a bride that was left at the altar and in financial ruin. She meets Jared Newman, a bounty hunter seeking revenge for his family.

They decide to travel together despite traveling together being bad for Silver’s tarnished reputation and Jared’s secret mission for revenge. But Silver is determined to track down the rogue who had not only left her at the altar but stole the last remnants of her father’s fortune. Jared is in a hurry to hunt down the murderer who destroyed his family but Silver is too distractingly beautiful for comfort.

The two take off over the mountains, past bleak homesteads and raw mining towns, hot on the trail of two villains who took what was not theirs to take. Soon supplies dwindle, secrets emerge and suspicion leaves Silver and Jared at odds when they really need each other the most. To confront an enemy deadlier than desert rattlesnakes and rocky cliffs, Silver and Jared must learn to forgive and trust and face the question they have not dared to voice: What happens next?

I love novels set in the West during this time period – the cowboys, the farm life and the simplicity. Tie this in with the lack of law and a spirited young woman determined to regain what was stolen from her – you have a pretty fantastic book! Silver is an incredibly brave woman who goes against the norm in order to save her family after her fiance stole all their money. She teams up with a bounty hunter (which is completely unheard of!) and they set off to track down this man. I loved how their stories ended up intertwining together and how the story evolved.

You can find more reviews of The Heart’s Pursuit on the Litfuse blog tour here. You can purchase a copy of the book here.

Rating: 4.5/5

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