Category: book review

North Pole / South Pole: Pole to Pole A Flip Book

Fully-illustrated and with a fun and innovative flip-book format, the book provides the perfect way to explore and compare the extreme environments of the two Poles.

About North Pole/South Pole: Pole to Pole A Flip Book

Take a trip to the ends of the earth and discover the extreme environments of the North and South Poles. Find out which animals live where, what the weather and climate is like and the effect global warming is having. 

Beginning with the North Pole, the book introduces the geography and climate of the Arctic. Readers will discover how climate change is affecting sea ice and why multi-year ice is so important to walruses and polar bears. Find out what ice floes are and what lives under the ice. The many uses of the Arctic are explained, from the home it provides to whale hunters to the rocket and missile test sites it houses. 

And then flip the book over and you arrive in the South Pole… The famous race to reach the pole in 1911 is retold and readers will discover why the orca is the ultimate polar predator. The huge tabular icebergs, sub-glacial lakes, and ice chimneys of the Antarctic are brought to life in all their impressive glory, not to mention the sea spiders, ‘death star’ starfish and other undersea giants!

My Thoughts

Pole to Pole: A Flip Book is one of the most beautiful, unique books that I have ever read with my child. The book explores the two extreme yet beautiful environments of the North and South pole. I think we are all intrigued by these two wild and beautiful environments, from the weather to the incredible animals that call these places home.

The book covers a wide range of topics for both poles, I learned a great deal about the geography of the South pole – I never knew that the South Pole has the most active volcano, Mount Erebus! The sides of the volcano have openings in the ground called fumaroles, where steam and hot gases escape (I had such a hard time picturing this in my mind when I think of the South Pole – I still struggle picturing lava and an active volcano in a place that I picture as cold and harsh). We learned about the animals that call these places home, we learned about new animals (Crabeater seal, Antarctic shag, and so many more) that encouraged us to do our own additional research.

The illustrations in this book are beautiful and suits the tone of the book (the colours felt warm, calming and made me think of softness versus the harshness I associate with the North and South pole). The book has a great balance of information and beautiful illustrations that both parent and child will appreciate.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

About the Author

Michael Bright is an executive producer with the BBC’s Natural History Unit. He and his colleagues are based in Bristol, England, but they scour the entire world for stories and images. He is the author of over 75 natural history books, including Andes to Amazon; the producer of countless television and radio programs, including the award-winning television series Natural World and Wildlife on One; and has been editorial consultant on several reference works.

Nic Jones graduated from the University of Bolton with a degree in Animation and Illustration. She often finds herself inspired by the intricacy and beauty of the natural world, and applies this to her illustration and design. Her illustrations are influenced by a passion for traditional drawing techniques, and they combine rich, vivid colors, with explorative, textured brushstrokes. Nic creates her bold illustrative work in Photoshop, and she has masterfully adapted her digital painting style to convey traditional illustration techniques, whilst maintaining the commercial advantages of working digitally.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book, all opinions expressed are my own.

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A History of Magic, Witchcraft and the Occult

Discover the beguiling history of witchcraft, magic, and superstition through the centuries in this stunningly illustrated title.

About A History of Magic, Witchcraft and the Occult

A History of Magic, Witchcraft and the Occult charts the extraordinary narrative of one of the most interesting and often controversial subjects in the world, covering everything from ancient animal worship and shamanism, through alchemy and divination to modern Wicca and the resurgence of the occult in 21st-century literature, cinema, and television.

Providing readers with a balanced, and unbiased account of everything from Japanese folklore and Indian witchcraft to the differences between black and white magic, and dispelling myths such as those surrounding the voodoo doll and Ouija, the book explores the common human fear of, and fascination with spells, superstition, and the supernatural.

The perfect introduction to magic and the occult, this wide-ranging volume explores forms of divination from astrology and palmistry to the Tarot and runestones, mystical plants and potions such as mandrake, the presence of witchcraft in literature from Shakespeare’s Macbeth to the Harry Potter series, and the ways in which magic has interacted with religion.

The most comprehensive illustrated history of witchcraft available, A History of Magic, Witchcraft and the Occult will enthrall and fascinate you with its lavish illustrated, accessible entries, whether you are a believer or skeptic.

My Thoughts

This is a stunning book that covers many time periods and beliefs accompanied by gorgeous photos and historical quotes and events.

This book is broken down into the following time periods: Ancient Roots (prehistory to 400CE), Curse or Cure (400-1500), Scholars and Sabbats (1500-1700), Secrecy and Ceremony (1700-1900) and Modern Magic (1900 and onward). Each time period highlights many different magical beliefs, cultures and practices with stunning imagery to accompany each page. They provide you with just enough information to explain the topic but it also encourages you to learn more by doing your own research. The information is presented to you as facts – they do not add any bias commentary to sway the reader in any way. This is the practice at that time, right or wrong, and this is what happened and this is how it evolved.

I love how this book shows how much the belief of the supernatural (magic) is intertwined with culture and religious beliefs. I grew up fascinated by witchcraft and would spend hours reading books on this topic. For me, this book is a treat – exposing me to new information and encouraging me to learn more. I have quite a few topics that I want to learn more about after reading through this book.

As a reader, you can read through it from start to finish, you can go to specific time periods, you can glance over some areas but I guarantee that you will find something that will spark your curiosity to learn more. This is a great library addition for those readers, who love to learn about history, cultures and beliefs.

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

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

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Act of Revenge Book Review

Dr. Jim Bob Brady once again finds himself doing a bit of investigating, this time on behalf of a colleague.

About Act of Revenge

Plastic surgeon Lou Edwards’s life is complicated by two major issues.

One, his wife has lupus, possibly due to leaking silicone from breast implants that Edwards himself inserted. And two, his malpractice insurance has been canceled (as it has been for many other plastic surgeons) due to the breast implant problem.

But it gets worse.

Shortly after Edwards threatens an insurance company president on national TV, that same president is found murdered in his penthouse.

Dr. Jim Bob Brady once again finds himself doing a bit of investigating, this time on behalf of a colleague. But how well does he know this colleague? Is the investigation worth the threat to Jim Bob’s own life? Will he discover that it was a burglary gone bad? A lover’s quarrel? Or is this an act of revenge?

My Thoughts

I love the Doc Brady series – Dr. Brady is a man of many talents – including investigating crimes! He does so while balancing home life and a busy schedule as an orthopedic surgeon.

In this novel, a chance encounter (a quite funny one at that too) brings together Dr. Brady and Dr. Edwards and takes them down a path of murder, malpractice, death threats and more. Doc Brady wants to believe Lou, especially after the bond his wife makes with Lou’s wife, but Lou is making it very hard to believe in him. He says and does things he should not to do, making him a prime suspect in a murder!

But Doc Brady has a soft spot for both people and solving crimes, he cannot resist getting his hands dirty solving this case. He dives right in with the investigation, following leads that even the police did not uncover. The plot is complicated, and what seems like an easy open and close case is so very far from that as Doc Brady uncovers. There are many complex, interwoven layers of lies and Doc Brady must move quickly to connect them (while protecting his own life as he quickly learns). I was quite surprised by the end of the novel, it was not what I was expecting but was fitting to the way the story evolved.

Act of Revenge is a well written novel with characters that you can’t help but adore. You could definitely read this novel as a stand alone but I would strongly recommend reading the other two novels in this series, Act of Murder and Act of Deception.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Dr. John Bishop has led a triple life. This orthopedic surgeon and keyboard musician has combined two of his talents into a third, as the author of the beloved Doc Brady mystery series. Beyond applying his medical expertise at a relatable and comprehensible level, Dr. Bishop, through his fictional counterpart Doc Brady, also infuses his books with his love of not only Houston and Galveston, Texas, but especially with his love for his adored wife. Bishop’s talented Doc Brady is confident yet humble, brilliant yet a genuinely nice and funny guy who happens to have a knack for solving medical mysteries, and above all is the doctor who will cure you of your blues and boredom. Step into his world with the first three books of the series, and you’ll be clambering for more. 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.

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The Science of Goo! Book Review

The glorious world of goop and gunk this book has it all – from pus, snot, and mucus to mud, snail slime, and sticky plants!

About The Science of Goo!

If you’ve ever wondered how much snot you make, or how spider silk is made, this is the book for you. Full of strange but true science, The Science of Goo! explores all manner of gunge, sludge, ooze, and goo!

Awesome CGI illustrations and stunning photography will show goo in all its glory, while fun trivia and scientific explanations will make you an expert in all things sludgy. For example, did you know that sea cucumbers can vomit their sticky insides when threatened, yet still survive?

The Science of Goo! is here to give you a new appreciation of the weird and wonderful world of gooey matter, in all its many kinds and wherever it shows up.

Our Thoughts

Science is fun, exciting and gross all at the same time. It is so important to get children interested in it at a young age by making science fun, interesting and something that they can relate to. We want to encourage young children to love science so that they don’t give up on it as they move into their pre-teen and teen years.

Kids love gooey, gross, slimy things and this book is full of it! This book teaches us all about fungus, slime, snot, eyeballs, saliva, snails, mucus, pimples and so much more. Each topic in this sixty page, soft cover book has two pages dedicated to it. We learn fast facts, the science behind the goo and even cool facts (I loved this one: In one week, a person makes enough saliva to fill 30 soda cans – gross!). While each page is full of information, it is also engaging with bold photos and colours that will engage your child and want them to learn more. The imagery and colours work well to help guide you through the information so that you don’t become overwhelmed.

We loved The Science of Goo! – it is full of great facts on things we never thought we wanted to know and even encouraged us to learn more. This will make a great gift for that budding scientist in your home.

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

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

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The Stone Wall Book Review

Will Anna find true love and the truth about her grandmother’s past in Lancaster County? Or will she find only heartbreak?

About The Stone Wall

Anna is eager to begin a new chapter as a Lancaster County tour guide in the area where her Plain grandmother once stayed. Anna wishes she could talk with her grandmother about those days, but the elderly woman suffers from Alzheimer’s, and beyond a vague hint about an old stone wall, much about that time is a mystery. Thankfully, Martin Nolt, a handsome Mennonite, takes the young Beachy Amish woman under his wing for her training, familiarizing her with the many local highlights, including Peaceful Meadows Horse Retreat, which serves children with special needs. The retreat’s mission inspires Anna that she returns to volunteer, and she quickly strikes up a friendship with Gabe Allgyer, the young Amish widower who manages it.

As Anna grows closer to both Martin and Gabe, she finds herself faced with a difficult choice. Will Anna find true love and the truth about her grandmother’s past in Lancaster County? Or will she find heartbreak? 

My Thoughts

The Stone Wall is a beautiful blend of past and present, where we see love come full circle.

Anna is feeling a calling, she is not quite sure what it is but she trusts in God and in her heart. She feels that she is being called to the gorgeous Lancaster County as she tries out a not so new role as a tour guide. She has heard bits and pieces about her grandmother’s time there but as she now suffers from Alzheimer’s, it is hard to speak to her about this new journey (something that hurts her as the two were so close). But this trip sparks something in her grandmother’s mind and she shares small pieces from her past – a stone wall and waiting for someone. Anna is not quite sure what it means but would love to understand the connection, as her Grandmother means everything to her.

Anna finds adjusting to the different lifestyle easily, she is welcomed into the community and is viewed as a blessing by those she meets and stays with. Her heart though is torn in two when she meets two young men – one whom she knows her parents would want her to pursue and the second, one she feels a deep connection with but she knows her parents would not approve.

Anna is an amazing character, full of strength, compassion and determination. She has a gentle, kind soul and you can see this in her interactions. It takes her a while to see what her heart already knew and my heart was sore for her with this decision she must make. It is her faith in God that brought me so much joy, she has a deep connection to her faith and trusts in herself and the decisions she makes are what has been chosen for her. I loved how we saw love come full circle and how the story ended, it made me cry! This is a beautiful story from start to finish.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 4/5

About the Author

Beverly Lewis penned her first story at age nine while living near Lancaster County Amish farmland, where she grew up. She welcomes her many reader-friends each day on Facebook and personally replies to fan mail. Lewis lives with her husband in Colorado near their family. Visit her website at www.beverlylewis.com.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

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