Category: book review

December 19, 2019

The Katie Clemons Journals Review

Looking to celebrate life and those special moments? Create deeper bonds with your children and those around? Look no further – Katie Clemons will help you celebrate those special moments.

We Are So Thankful: A Shared Gratitude Journal

This journal is a thoughtful, creative way for families to connect with one another. Some days, you may be overflowing with reasons to give thanks―capture them so you can always remember, and look back to when you need a pick-me-up. Other days, being thankful isn’t always easy, and you may need to stretch yourself to “choose gratitude.” Through the engaging prompts, kids and parents can discover and celebrate all the things they are grateful for together. Keep record of the little things that brighten up your family’s life―in good times and bad―and foster an attitude of gratitude that will last for ages.

You can purchase a copy of this on Amazon.

Between Dad and Me: A Father Son Keepsake Journal

This engaging prompt journal is the perfect tool to build father-son relationships. Kids can record memories, swap stories, compare perspectives, and explore common and unique interests with their dads! Interactive lists and letters back and forth invite both dad and son to reflect, write, and doodle about topics timely to their lives as kids, build self-confidence, and improve their penmanship.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Between Mom and Me: A Mother Son Keepsake Journal

This engaging prompt journal is the perfect tool to build mother-son relationships. Kids can record memories, swap stories, compare perspectives, and explore common and unique interests with their moms! Interactive lists and letters back and forth invite both mom and son to reflect, write, and doodle about topics timely to their lives as kids, build self-confidence, and improve their penmanship.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Love, Dad and Me: A Father Daughter Keepsake Journal

This engaging prompt journal is the perfect tool to build father-daughter relationships. Kids can record memories, swap stories, compare perspectives, and explore common and unique interests with their dads! Interactive lists and letters back and forth invite both dad and daughter to reflect, write, and doodle about topics timely to their lives as kids, build self-confidence, and improve their penmanship.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Love, Mom and Me: A Mother Daughter Keepsake Journal

This engaging prompt journal is the perfect tool to build mother-daughter relationships. Kids can record memories, swap stories, compare perspectives, and explore common and unique interests with their moms! Interactive lists and letters back and forth invite both mom and daughter to reflect, write, and doodle about topics timely to their lives as kids, build self-confidence, and improve their penmanship.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Awaiting You: A Pregnancy Journal

Lower the volume of your busy life and savor the heartbeats thumping inside of you with this lovely pregnancy journal. Thoughtful prompts guide you to capture memorable moments and milestones, beautiful and complex feelings, and future dreams. You’ll feel your emerging mother-baby bond strengthen as you collect memorabilia and compose a series of love letters to your child.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

My Thoughts

These stunning keepsake journals are a beautiful memory and moments for you to share with the ones that mean the most to you – your children. I love my children more then words can begin to describe and I am always looking for ways to connect with them. These books give parents a great way to connect with their child, share their past and things that make them happy in an easy, stress free, fun manner.

Each book comes with conversation starters, plenty of blank space to write, draw and get creative. You can use the journals any way you want – front to back, skipping pages, complete it together or maybe separate. The most important part is that it gets you two talking and sharing about the things that mean a lot to you. You engage and truly listen to each other and share things that may be hard to share vocally and face to face.

These books make a great gift to new parents, young families and families with older children (especially older children who sometimes stop sharing how they feel). They are a truly beautiful collection of journals that will get you talking, sharing and connecting on a deeper level.

About the Author

Katie Clemons is an avid storycatcher, mom, and fifth generation Montanan whose super power is asking questions. Her mission-Let’s celebrate your story!-began in elementary school when Katie craved a consistent, fun way to capture and write her stories. Today, she’s a No. 1 bestselling author who’s shared her story on HGTV’s “You Live in What?,” given a TEDxTalk, created a storycatching community, and received numerous awards and press for her innovative approach to journaling. Katie and her journals have been featured by media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, Good Housekeeping and Pregnancy and Newborn.

Katie’s work helps both children and adults celebrate their life stories and nurture deeper bonds with their families while finding greater joy and gratitude. Find Katie and share her storycatching discoveries at www.katieclemons.com or @katierclemons on social media.

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

December 19, 2019

Cookies for Santa: The Story of How Santa’s Favourite Cookie Saved Christmas

The Kringle family cookbook has gone missing, and Santa can’t remember the recipe for the special cookies he makes every year. But where can he turn for help? From the experts at America’s Test Kitchen comes a new twist on a holiday tradition.

About Cookies for Santa: The Story of How Santa’s Favourite Cookie Saved Christmas

Millions of people bake special Christmas cookies during the holidays―including Santa! In fact, every year he bakes his family’s favorite cookie and gives them to the elves and reindeer to show them how much he cares, just like his father and grandfather did. But it’s just days before Christmas, and the Kringle family cookbook is nowhere to be found! If he has no recipe, he can’t bake his cookies. And if he can’t bake his cookies, Christmas might as well be canceled! Luckily, a little girl finds the cookbook and, with the help of America’s Test Kitchen, inspires families from all over the world to work together to make sure that Santa and his family have a happy holiday.

This book also includes the delicious cookie recipe.

Our Thoughts

Cookies for Santa is a beautiful book about the true meaning of Christmas, people working together for a greater cause and the warmth of family and friends.

In Cookies for Santa, Santa can’t find his cookbook which holds all of the recipes handed down from generation to generation. Santa loves to bake and he loves to share this love with the people, elves and animals that mean the world to him. When he loses the book, he feels all is lost and doesn’t know if he can go on with Christmas. A young girl finds his cookbook and comes up with the brilliant idea to bake cookies for Santa with the help of America’s Test Kitchen! Soon, kids all around the world are showing their love for Santa by helping bake his favourite cookies.

I love to bake for others, there is something so satisfying when you can share the time and energy you put into baking with someone you love. I can only imagine how Santa would have felt losing his cookbook – I love the recipes that my Dad cooks, they hold so many memories. I would be devastated losing something like that.

What was so beautiful about this book, was the way the community came together to support and show their love for Santa. People all over the world made his favourite cookies as a symbol of their love and support. This was a beautiful gesture and so very touching.

We loved the illustrations and the ease of reading this book aloud. It was a beautiful story that showcases the true meaning of Christmas. A huge bonus was the delicious Santa’s Chocolate Krinkle Cookies at the back of the book, that your child and you can bake together!

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

About the Author

AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN is the most authoritative resource for reliable, kitchen-tested recipes and cooking information. They value process, curiosity, practicality, and honesty. They believe everyone can learn to be a successful cook and their mission is to test recipes over and over until they understand how and why they work, and arrive at the best version.

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

December 19, 2019

Dear Santa Book Review

A beautiful story of honesty and the spirit of Christmas.

About Dear Santa

When Ms. Holly asks the class to write their letters to Santa, Parker gets nervous. He has done some things this year that might put him on the naughty list. Like feeding Brussels sprouts to his dog and staying up past his bedtime. Should he gloss over his mistakes like his classmates do, or take responsibility for his actions? Deciding that honesty is the best policy, and hoping that Santa understands, Parker hands in his letter and hopes for the best.

Christmas morning arrives and Parker finds a big surprise under the tree ― PLUS a letter from Santa!

BONUS: Kids can write a letter to Santa using the festive holiday-themed stationery included in every book. Parents can also visit putmeinthestory.com/dearsanta for a FREE downloadable personalized letter from the desk of Santa Claus, or get a letter and official ‘Nice List’ certificate sent in a magical envelope all the way from the North Pole! It’s never been easier to make your child’s Christmas wishes come true.

Our Thoughts

Dear Santa is the perfect Christmas book that will make you laugh, smile and start all of those important conversations with your child around their actions and being the best person that they can be.

Writing a letter to Santa is a tradition that we have all done every year as a child. It is so important to children and for the magic of Christmas. It can also cause a bit of anxiety, as children tend to worry if they have been good enough for gifts, if they should be showing off all of their good deeds and if Santa will put them on the good or bad list. It can be quite a stressful time for a child!

This beautiful book follows Parker, a young boy who is tasked with writing a letter to Santa at school. He listens to his classmates writing their letters and is shocked when they write about how good they are. Because to be fair – no one is perfect 100% of the time. Parker knows he is not perfect and he doesn’t want to lie to Santa, even if it means he may not get any presents on Christmas. So Parker explains to Santa how he tried to be good and why he wasn’t.

This was an adorable, sweet and funny book that we loved from start to finish. Parker’s fears are something that every child can relate to and it is such an important lesson for children to learn. It is okay to make mistakes and to not be perfect – it is when we own those mistakes that we grow as a person and become better individuals. I loved how this book explained this concept in a way that children can understand – we don’t want our kids to be perfect, just the best version of themselves.

This will become a favourite holiday read in your home and is perfect for children of all ages. We also loved that the book came with beautiful paper in the back for your child to write a letter to Santa to, as well as with a free Santa letter download.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

About the Author

Susanna Leonard Hill is the New York Times bestselling author of Moon’s First Friends, as well as many other award-winning books for children. She does frequent school and library visits, teaches picture book writing, and offers picture book critiques. She lives in New York’s Mid-Hudson Valley with her children and two rescue dogs.

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

December 17, 2019

Llewellyn’s Little Book of Empathy

Empathy is one of the most important tools you have for connecting with others. It supports the mutual exchange of love and nurturance, and it helps foster community, cooperation, belonging, and a sense of spiritual vitality.

About Llewellyn’s Little Book of Empathy

But sometimes empathy can present challenges, especially for people who experience too much empathy. Difficulty can also arise for those who feel too little empathy or twist their sense of empathy to manipulate others. Llewellyn’s Little Book of Empathy shares effective solutions for working through your under- or over-empathic tendencies, and it shows how you can process the underlying issues that lead to manipulation. You will also learn about the different kinds of empathy: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. Popular author and long-time intuitive counselor Cyndi Dale shares dozens of exercises and quick tips to prevent empathic downsides and support the positives of this ability.

My Thoughts

Empathy is an important skill and gift to have – it can make you a better parent, sibling, friend, co-worker and supervisor. It helps you connect with others and to understand them better. It gives others the confidence to confide in you and know that they can trust you. You are fully able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and feel what they are feeling without judgement.

I first have to appreciate how adorable and warm this book is – it can easily fit into the palm of your hand and it has a warm, comforting green cover. The cover is simple, which fits the tone of the book. The shades of green and gold are found throughout the book and I loved the font and design of each page. It helped to make the concepts easy to follow and you felt connected to the book.

While I thought I was familiar with the definition of empathy, this book opened my eyes to the many forms including physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. Cyndi broke down each of these topics and uses easy to understand terms and relates them to real life experiences. For example, in physical empathy she uses several examples of individuals feeling the actual illness, or having an illness manifest in themselves over the physical empathy they were feeling for another (an example was a young girl with her dying dog).

Cyndi doesn’t just explain the topics but also provides helpful exercises and tips. Each exercise first breaks down why we are doing the exercise and then uses steps to help guide you through each part of the exercise. She keeps the exercises easy to follow and to the point. You are never left feeling overwhelmed or confused. Throughout the book, Cyndi also shares helpful tips with the reader to help better connect you with the content.

This is a beautiful book that covers such an important topic. It is great for those who are wanting to learn more about empathy and for those who may know they are an empathetic individual and need guidance on how to better manage and guide their skills.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Cyndi Dale (Minneapolis, MN) is an internationally renowned author, speaker, healer, and business consultant. She is president of Life Systems Services, through which she has conducted over 65,000 client sessions and presented training classes throughout Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Cyndi is the author of more than a dozen books, including Llewellyn’s Little Book of Chakras, The Spiritual Power of Empathy, and Awaken Clairvoyant Energy.

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

December 16, 2019

Firewall Book Review

Action-packed and full of twists and turns, this third book of the Emma Streat Mystery series does not disappoint!

About Firewall

Former opera singer Emma Streat has survived the murder of her husband and the destruction of her beautiful old house. Now a full-time single mother, she struggles to move forward and make a home for her two sons. Because of her detection skills, she has become a go-to person for help―so, when her rich, feisty, socialite godmother is blackmailed, she turns immediately to Emma.

Soon, Emma founds herself thrust into the dark world of cybercrime. Mounting challenges take her to exclusive European settings where she mixes with top people in the financial and art collecting worlds and has intriguing and emotion-packed experiences with men―including her dynamic ex-lover, Lord Andrew Rodale. When she is targeted by a cybercrime network using cutting-edge technology, it takes all of Emma’s resilience and wits to survive and bring the wily, ruthless criminal she’s hunting to justice.

My Thoughts

Firewall is an action packed novel with a powerful female main character in Emma that you will not want to put down. .

We are introduced to Emma, who has made a second career for herself solving crimes for the government. We learn that this was after the murder of her husband where she refused to take the simple answer and decided to investigate the case herself. This marked the start of her new career and life as a single mother. I did not realize there were other books in this series but this did not impact my comprehension or enjoyment of the book. Eugenia gives you enough information to understand the current plot and how it is connected to Emma’s past but doesn’t overload you with the previous plots and history.

I loved that we have a single, strong female character who has flaws that so many of us have but she embraces them which makes us love her even more. She is loving, kind, thoughtful but also vulnerable, honest and looking for more in life. She has been through a lot with the loss of her husband and having to reinvent herself but she comes through it fighting each step of the way. Eugenia does a great job with her female characters – Emma’s Godmother who we meet at the beginning at the novel, is feisty and full of fire. I loved how she developed her female characters in this novel – they were the heroes and did the rescuing, something we need to see more of in novels.

The plot was very well planned and laid out in the novel. Emma travels around the world solving what started off as the blackmailing of her Godmother. Eugenia keeps us on our toes, continuously guessing what will happen next as Emma solves multiple cyber crimes. Emma is put to the test many times throughout the novel to solve a string of seemingly unrelated crimes but as we find out later in the novel are woven together expertly by Eugenia.

This is an excellent novel from start to finish – it was fun, thrilling and I could not put it down.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 4.5/5

About the Author

Eugenia Lovett West (known to her friends as Jeannie) was born in Boston, MA. Her father was Reverend Sidney Lovett, the widely known and loved former chaplain at Yale. She attended Sarah Lawrence College and worked for Harper’s Bazaar and the American Red Cross. Then came marriage, four children, volunteer work, and freelancing for local papers. Her first novel, The Ancestors Cry Out, was published by Doubleday; it was followed by two mysteries, Without Warning and Overkill published by St. Martin’s Press. West divides her time between Essex, CT and Holderness, NH, where she summers with her large extended family. Visit her at www.eugenialovettwest.com.

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