Category: book review

May 7, 2018

All the Way to Italy Book Review

All the Way to Italy is a tale for those in search of a balance between wanderlust and the necessity to come home, a reminder that although we may be fragments, we are never a lost cause.

About All the Way to Italy

Until her dad died, Little considered herself a Californian. Now, thanks to half a letter, a symbol she can’t quite remember, and writer’s block, she finds herself back in Italy, the country of her birth. In a headlong rush to return to her beloved San Francisco, Little will journey throughout Italy, hoping to find the answers she needs to move on with her life so she need never look back. She’ll enlist the help of the woman who raised her, Sira, her father’s sister; but Sira has secrets she’s kept for decades, and Little underestimates the power of the country she fled years before.

In this powerful story of mixed cultures in a world trying to globalize, one girl’s struggle to leave her home behind will lead her back to the women in her family and the memories each of them has safeguarded through the generations. From war-torn Italy to the belpaese of today, All the Way to Italy is a tale for those in search of a balance between wanderlust and the necessity to come home, a reminder that although we may be fragments, we are never a lost cause.

My Thoughts

A beautiful story of finding yourself when you feel torn between two very different cultures. Little born in Italy, grew up in America due to family conflict. She has always identified as an American and embraced the culture and language with open arms. Her aunt who cared for her in Italy became the Mother and Father that she did not know, despite her Father being alive in Italy.

It is the death of her Father and her aunt’s plea to return to Italy, that sets Little off on her journey of self-discovery. What Little thinks will be a trip to close the door on her Father’s death, actually opens more doors to her past. She learns more about her Father and discovers they shared a lot in common and that he loved her more than she could even begin to imagine. She falls in love again with the slower culture, the beauty of the history and surroundings but also learns how the changing economy has affected the people more than she could have ever imagined. I loved how we are given glimpses of her past growing up with her Father and her favourite places to visit.

I felt instantly connected to Little who is torn between two worlds and at times between two people. She becomes your best friend who you want to reach out and hold, to journey with her and to help her throughout her journey. Her Aunt is the Mother who never left her and my heart broke for her that she never knew her Mother (although she never lacked for love or family). There were a few difficult moments in the novel that made my heart sore for her but she continued to move forward, growing and forgiving. I loved learning about her family history through the war and you may even be able to draw similarities to your own family who lived through those times.

This is an excellent novel that I could not put down. You will fall in love with Little’s spirit and journey of self-discovery. A must read that you will love from start to finish!

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

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Born just outside of Rome, Flavia Brunetti grew up bouncing back and forth between Italy and California, eventually moving back to the Eternal City and confirming her lifelong commitment to real gelato. Flavia holds a Master of Arts degree in Government and Politics from St. John’s University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from John Cabot University. Today she travels the world working for an international humanitarian organization and spends her free time writing and wandering around her beloved Roma in constant search of bookstores and the perfect espresso. You can find her city blog on Rome at whichwaytorome.com and her portfolio of published writing at flaviinrome.com.

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.

May 4, 2018

Biodynamic Gardening #DKCanada Book Review

Biodynamic gardening makes use of natural cycles and mindful planting to take organic gardening to the next level.

About Biodynamic Gardening

Whether you’re just getting started in biodynamic gardening, or you’re an experienced biodynamic farmer wanting to learn more, Biodynamic Gardening is the right resource for learning more about the biodynamic method of organic gardening. This clear, practical guide gives you tried-and-true advice on biodynamic gardening and tips on this ultra-green, organic gardening method. Full-color photographs and easy-to-understand charts and graphs are helpful tools in organizing information in a way anyone can understand and use in biodynamic gardening.

Biodynamic gardening makes use of natural cycles and mindful planting to take organic gardening to the next level, and Biodynamic Gardening covers everything. Topics include soil preparations, lunar charts, composting, cycles of rest, rich and healthy soil, organically controlling pests, ripening plants, and more. Grow delicious vegetables and healthy food, or grow beautiful blooms and flowers with the information you’ll find in Biodynamic Gardening.

My Thoughts

The biodynamic approach to gardening and agriculture is not a new method of gardening but instead pulls on old methods and research. The methods are holistic in nature and focus on the connection between the Earth, planets, our environment and animals. Using this more natural approach helps to enrich the soil naturally and organically while lessening our impact on our home. Biodynamics has been recognized as one of the first organic methods of agriculture!

I thought I knew a bit about this method of gardening but I was clearly lacking knowledge in this subject. This book covers the all of the basics with providing great resources for tools, homemade soil fertilizers and more. I loved learning about the connection of the Earth to the moon and planets and how this affects planting and growing. It is something that I had never paid attention to before but when you begin to read more into it in this book, it makes sense. We are given quite a few great guides on how to create homemade solutions to fertilize the soil, take care of the plants, etc. Most were quite easy and practical (for example using dandelion) and used excellent step by step instructions with large photographs to follow along which is extremely helpful for those who are new to this method of gardening.

I loved the sections on the plants as each plant has almost its own page dedicated to it. We are given excellent suggestions on how to plant and what plants accompany each other naturally (I never realized I shouldn’t be planting spinach and tomatoes together!). We are given the tools on how to start the seedlings, planting times and how to harvest. Again beautiful bold pictures accompany these pages making it easy to follow and understand for those of all gardening levels.

When I first picked up this book I didn’t realize how much work went into the biodynamic process. I usually plant and go with just a little thought into soil preparation at the beginning and watering throughout the season. This book helped me to understand the full cycle of gardening from fall through to summer and what we should be doing in each to prepare as well as to appreciate the different plants properties and how this works together to help achieve a great harvest. This is a great resource for those looking to expand their gardens using more organic and natural methods.

You can purchase a copy of this book on DK Canada and Amazon.

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

May 1, 2018

The Practical Houseplant #DKCanada Book Review

The Practical Houseplant Book is the essential guide for the indoor gardener!

About The Practical Houseplant Book

Twelve inspiring projects, plus 200 in-depth plant profiles with detailed useful information and care instructions to help you cultivate and care for your houseplants.

Learn how to choose which plants to use where, care for your houseplants to keep them healthy, and use plants to best effect in your home, with trusted advice, creative inspiration, strong visual aesthetic, and practical step-by-step detail. Two hundred plant profiles provide information and care instructions for a wide variety of plants, including ferns, orchids, and succulents, while a dozen step-by-step photographic projects offer exciting ideas for using plants to decorate your home or greenhouse–from eye-catching terrariums to a living succulent wall to a floating kokedama “string garden.” With information on plant care, propagation, pests and diseases, pruning, and problem-solving, The Practical Houseplant Book is the essential guide for indoor gardeners.

My Thoughts

I love houseplants – they go such a long way for improving a home’s appearance and making you feel better (almost as if you are away on vacation or at a resort). My only problem? I am not really good at deciding what kind of houseplants to choose, the design, where to put them and even what type of houseplants work well for me, its purpose and my family. I definitely don’t think I am alone in this!

The Practical Houseplant book from DK Canada guides you through the entire process of choosing houseplants from start to finish. The book begins by looking at rules of houseplanting (yes there are rules), designing for YOUR space which includes lighting, temperature and purpose and then dives into the deeper stuff like projects, different types of houseplants, care and trouble shooting.

The first part of the book is so important as I think we tend to just purchase plants because they look pretty not really thinking of what purpose will they hold in our home, what space do we actually have and will the plant thrive in the environment we are putting it in. When I began to read more into these sections, it was like a light bulb going off! Now I knew why none of my houseplants ever survived – I was not choosing properly for my space and lighting. I was choosing plants based on aesthetics and that was just not enough to help them thrive.

The book contains almost eighty pages of plant profiles which contains important information about what they need including lighting, height, temperature and how to care for each plant. Also included are plant projects that uses everything from containers to wreaths to frames and shelves to help you design and craft beautiful plant decorations for your home. There are so many options for to you choose from that will suit any type of space and style.

This is an excellent book for those new to indoor gardening and those who want to upgrade their skills (maybe you are an avid outdoor gardener but looking for ways to beautify your indoor space – then this book is for you!). It is easy to follow and understand with loads of information that will help you create the calming, relaxing and beautiful indoor home garden that you will fall in love with.

You can purchase a copy of this book on DK Canada and Amazon.

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

May 1, 2018

The Magical Mindful Day Book Review

The Magical Mindful Day, combines mindfulness and heart-based practices to teach children the importance of a society based on the principles of love, respect, kindness, and compassion.

About The Magical Mindful Day

Arriving in the United States at age 24 from El Salvador, author Deborah Salazar Shapiro learned at a young age to appreciate life. At only five years old, Salazar Shapiro’s family decided to seek refuge in Mexico, after a bomb detonated next to her childhood home in El Salvador.

“The stress of exile life and the long-lasting effects of living in an environment of chaos and war took its toll,” says Salazar Shapiro. Within a few years, she was left with a fractured family, with only her, the youngest of four, and her mother returning to their homeland. At the young age of eight, Salazar Shapiro knew she wanted to dedicate her life to easing the pain and suffering of others, later choosing psychotherapy as her future course of study.

These experiences have culminated in the production of her new book, The Magical Mindful Day, in which Salazar Shapiro combines mindfulness and heart-based practices to teach children the importance of a society based on the principles of love, respect, kindness, and compassion.

A dedicated practitioner of mindful meditation for almost a decade and a teacher for several years, Salazar Shapiro explains, “From the beginning of my career, I have enjoyed working with children. I rejoice in their curious nature and pure hearts. I believe if children are taught mindfulness, loving-friendliness and compassion at a young age, they can be our hope for a society based on the same.”

My Thoughts

This book geared towards young children has two very powerful messages that are important for individuals of all ages to recognize and pay attention to: protecting and playing our role in taking care of our Earth and mindfulness.

In this book we meet Gaby a young girl with a kind heart who is spending the day at the beach when she plastic rings wash up on shore. She then meets Oreo, the talking cat, who strikes up a conversation with her about our Earth, our home and being open and mindful in every one of our actions. Together they go on a journey together to explore how to take care of our home, how to be kind and loving to everyone and how to use specific techniques to help us being mindful. I loved how she showed how we are all connected (animals, humans and nature) and we can show our gratitude and love through small actions. Oreo helps guide her on this journey and I love the ending when Oreo reminds her that she can always find him in her heart.

Mindfulness is a technique that many individuals are taught to help them calm their mind and escape from the racing day-to-day journey we are on. Some use it to help control anxiety, others to unwind after a busy day and others to reconnect with their surroundings and loved ones. It helps us to focus on how we are feeling, what is going on around us and being more in touch with ourselves and others. It is an extremely powerful tool, that I am quite happy to say my children have had it introduced to them at school so that when we read the book together my youngest would say I know how to do that. If you are not familiar with the techniques, she shares some throughout the story but there is also a note at the end to parents and teachers to help guide them as they teach themselves and in turn their children.

This is a beautiful children’s book with a very powerful message that is important for children of all ages, not to mention a great reminder for adults! Life can be so busy that we get out of tune with others and ourselves and forget about the importance of caring for ourselves, others and nature. This was a great read with beautiful illustrations – an excellent addition to your child’s home library!

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Deborah Salazar Shapiro, MSW, is a psychotherapist, mindfulness teacher, author, and artist who was born and raised in San Salvador, El Salvador. She has been working with children and families for over 15 years. Deborah holds an MSW from the University of Southern California and a master’s-level degree in psychology from the University Dr. Jose Matias Delgado in San Salvador. She lives in San Diego, California with her husband, two daughters, and a wise cat named Thay.

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

April 30, 2018

Sometimes You Fly Book Review

From Newbery Medalist and bestselling author Katherine Applegate, Sometimes You Fly is a sweet book of encouragement, filled with humor and insight into the effort behind any meaningful accomplishment in life.

About Sometimes You Fly

This gorgeous gift book, equally perfect for preschool graduations or college commencements, baby showers or birthdays, is an inspirational tribute to the universal struggles and achievements of childhood. Beginning with a first birthday, the scenes travel through childhood triumphs and milestones, coming full circle to graduation. A magical blend of succinct text and beautiful watercolors renders each moment with tenderness and humor and encourages readers to remember then, with every try, “sometimes you fail . . . sometimes you fly.”

My Thoughts

One of the hardest lessons to learn in life is to get back up after failure. This never gets easier as we get older, we just learn how to do it quicker and with less heartache (most of the time).

As parents, one of the greatest gifts we can give our child is the opportunity to make a mistake and to fail but also to encourage them to try again. That this one moment will not define them – that they will make it through. The unknown is scary, even more so for young adults and children who have never had to deal with anything like it before. We have to show them that it is okay to take a leap of faith, to try something new but also step back and allow them the freedom to make a mistake and not jump in to fix it. Not the easiest task for parents as it feels like since day one our main job has been to protect them!

I fell in love with this touching book that would make an excellent graduation gift, even though it seems like it would be geared towards younger children. It explores from birth to adulthood all the major milestones that at the time seem impossible but looking back they seem so small. We can cherish every accomplishment and know that for every failure, we picked ourselves up and tried again. With every risk we take in our lives, there is always a chance of failing but there is also a chance to soar into something new and exciting. That is what makes every risk and jump of faith worth it.

This beautifully illustrated book came at the right time for my family as a reminder that it is okay to make mistakes and to fail. Failure does not define us as a person but instead it gives us the chance to leap into something new. Sometimes You Fly is a special book for young children and adults alike as they move forward in their life and need that little bit of encouragement and pat on the back to say it will be okay.

You can find more information on this book on Raincoast Books and purchase this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Katherine Applegate ‘s many children’s books include the Newbery Award-winning novel The One and Only Ivan, the bestselling novels Wishtree and Crenshaw, the bestselling Animorphs series, and the picture books Ivan and The Buffalo Storm . She lives in California. Visit her online at katherineapplegate.com and on Twitter at @kaauthor.

When her elementary school classmates said they wanted to be firemen, doctors, and vets, Jennifer Black Reinhardt declared she wanted to draw the picture on greeting cards. Today her diverse body of work includes not only greeting cards but chapter books and picture books, including Yaks Yak by Linda Sue Park and Sometimes You Fly by Katherine Applegate. Jennifer lives with her family in Iowa City, Iowa. Visit her online at jbreinhardt.com, on Twitter @jblackreinhardt, and on Instagram @JenniferBlackReinhardt.

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