Category: book review

December 2, 2019

Complete Massage Book Review

Want to really understand the health and wellness benefits of massage? Interested in practicing massage at home or considering taking a course? Let this be your guide on everything from effleurage to epineuria.

About Complete Massage

Annotated anatomy and physiology illustrations show you how different levels of pressure work the muscles, and the profound effect massage can have on the nervous system and on cardio and lymphatic health.

Learn how to prepare physically and mentally, and get the lowdown on oils and massage beds, diffusers and candles. And if you’re receiving a massage, find out why drinking water before and after is important and how focusing on breathing enhances muscle relaxation.

All the core strokes and massage techniques that form the foundation of massage practice are shown photographically with detailed annotations and integrated arrows showing the direction and application of pressure.

Familiarize yourself with the key disciplines, from Swedish to shiatsu, reflexology and hot stone therapy. Access over 30 bespoke massage sequences, tailored to treat specific complaints and special client groups, such as pregnant women, babies, and those recovering from surgery.

Become an expert in the simple but profoundly effective power of touch and share its miraculous health benefits.

My Thoughts

I love massages – I think they bring such an inner peace and relaxation on top of the physical benefits of pain relief. I love receiving massages but I also love giving massages too. If I could go back in time, I would have definitely completed a RMT program after my Kinesiology degree. It is just great practical application of the things that you learn in a very rewarding manner. How can you not love helping people feel better?!

This book is an excellent resource for the many, many different types of techniques, disciplines and even how to target specific areas during treatment. The book starts off with a basic introduction to the human body, including the musculoskeletal system, nervous system, lympathic system and circulatory system (all very important systems to understand at the basic level for the purpose of this book). The book then jumps into basic techniques during massage therapy, including strokes, vibration, pressure and passive movements. I recognized many of the techniques that have been used on me during treatment which I thought was pretty cool, this included the slide and glide strokes (so soothing!). What is extremely helpful is that the book also helps you put those techniques together because it is great to know each method but the how you apply it, is just as important. They help you put this all together in a section called, The Whole Body Massage.

The book also contains all the different specialties and I was amazed at how many there were. This included some familiar ones and some not so much such as, Biodynamic massage, manual lymphatic drainage, Ayurvedic massage, Chinese Tui Na and Shiatsu. My personal favourites were the facial rejuvenation massages, it was so relaxing.

My youngest frequently suffers from sore leg muscles (over use from soccer and running) and I loved that I could implement some of the techniques that I learned in the book in order to help him. I felt confident performing these minor massages to help decrease the pain he felt and improve his range of motion. It left me with that feel good feeling that I was able to help him with his pain and can be of help for future pains.

This is an excellent resource for those who want to learn more about massage therapy, perhaps those who are interested in a future career in this field or those who want to provide calming relief for their kids and partner at home.

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.

November 26, 2019

A Cowboy Like You Book Review

In the Heart of Texas, a heartthrob cowboy may get his second chance at love.

About A Cowboy Like You

Danny Oldman, the handsome Lone Star sheriff, is still single. He tells himself, and anyone who asks, that he is married to his job—and what matters most is keeping the people of his beloved Texas hometown safe. The truth? Danny still hasn’t gotten over his high school crush. She moved away after graduation and took Danny’s heart with her.

Skylar Long never thought she would have to flee Houston and return home—where it all began for her. But that’s what happened after the man of her dreams turned out to be an actual nightmare. Now, Skylar is desperate to escape her obsessive boyfriend. Nothing shocks her more than seeing Danny again and realizing that their long-ago attraction is more powerful than ever. But can she and Danny find a way to fight against Skylar’s wealthy, powerful ex who is dead set on tearing them apart?

My Thoughts

This drama filled novel focuses on Danny, a somewhat jaded small town sheriff and Skylar – the girl he admired from afar who is looking to escape an abusive relationship.

Danny has seen a lot in his role as a sheriff and it has definitely dragged him down both emotionally and mentally. In the opening of the novel, you can see his struggles and to be honest I can’t imagine how seeing the things you see in this position affect you and the nightmares that they may cause. He is married to his job – preferring solitude to a relationship.

By chance, he is there to witness a domestic abuse which he stops and the woman ends up being Skylar. Skylar was a young woman whom in high school, he had a huge crush on but never acted on. Strangely enough, she also admired him as well. It was almost as though fate brought them together in an interesting and sad way. Together they not only have to navigate a stalking ex, a domestic abuse charge but also their own attraction and feelings for each other.

The book is steamy, dramatic and full of suspense. It may be triggering for some readers due to the content (her ex stalks and abused her) but it also highlights how she chose to fight back. We watch as two individuals who have been dealt hard dealings in life, struggle to come to terms and move forward. It is a beautiful story of second chances and learning not to be afraid to move forward in life.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 4/5

About the Author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Donna Grant has been praised for her “totally addictive” and “unique and sensual” stories. She’s written more than thirty novels spanning multiple genres of romance including the bestselling Dark King stories, Dark Craving, Night’s Awakening, and Dawn’s Desire. Her acclaimed series, Dark Warriors, feature a thrilling combination of Druids, primeval gods, and immortal Highlanders who are dark, dangerous, and irresistible. She lives with her two children, a dog, and four cats in Texas.

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

November 19, 2019

Three Paws Book Review and Giveaway

Learn the importance of friendship, never giving up and acceptance in Three Paws.

About Three Paws

An Alaskan grizzly bear cub survives a tragic accident, leaving him with one limp paw. But despite his physical challenge, his dream of becoming a great salmon catcher spurs him to take personal risks as he befriends an injured billy goat. Boots, the bear cub, will do anything necessary to accomplish his dream. When the injured goat offers a promise of possibilities in the hopes that Boots will not eat him, the three-pawed cub must face unexpected consequences. Can Boots trust the goat to deliver on his promise? The surprise ending will even surprise you!

Our Thoughts

In Three Paws, the brave, adventurous Boots hurts his front paw – damaging the bones and making it impossible to use. He does this doing something his Mom warned him not to do (aww the joys of having kids!). All he wanted to do was prove that he was brave and the best salmon catcher, now he begins to doubt whether he will ever be able to catch salmon again. He lets his fear bother him internally, until he meets a goat who was also injured during a fall. Boots helps the goat and in return, the goat helps him to realize that you don’t need four paws to be the best salmon catcher if you can think outside of the box. He does so despite the doubts of the other cubs.

This is a beautiful story from start to finish of a young bear who faces a situation that could harm him (not being able to use his paw to fish, could cause starvation and death for the young cub) and when he shows another animal compassion, he learns a very valuable lesson. The goat (an unlikely friend and hero), shows him how to live again, to gain confidence and to think outside of the box. In the face of a great challenge, Boots shows strength and courage while earning a new friend.

This is a great book for young children with that important reminder that we can do anything we set our mind to – nothing is out of our reach if we are willing to think differently and work hard. A fantastic story from start to finish that you will enjoy reading with your child.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

About the Author

Karen Struck discovered the joy of children’s literature as she read to her daughter each night. She was inspired by the Harry Potter book series and decided to take writing courses through the Institute of Children’s Literature. Three Paws is the first book published in the Three Paws Series.

Karen is a registered nurse and works in the aesthetic industry, performing laser treatments combined with injectables for skin rejuvenation. She works with her husband, Steve, a plastic surgeon in Atherton, California. They live in Los Gatos, California. She has a daughter named Rachel and two stepchildren, Danni and Evan Struck.

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.

November 13, 2019

Bread Bags & Bullies: Surviving the ’80s

This hysterical coming-of-age tale is jam-packed with enough nostalgia to satisfy anyone who grew up in the ‘80s or at least had the good fortune to travel through them.

About Bread Bags & Bullies: Surviving the ’80s

It’s the winter of 1984. Twelve-year-old Herbie and his two brothers—Wally and Cockroach—are enjoying the mayhem of winter break when a late Nor’easter blows through New England, trapping their quirky family in the house. The power goes out and playing Space Invaders to AC DC’s Back in Black album is suddenly silenced—forcing them to use their twisted imaginations in beating back the boredom. At a time when the brothers must overcome one fear after the next, they learn that courage is the one character trait that guarantees all others.

Our Thoughts

Bread Bags & Bullies: Surviving the ’80s was a fantastic, heart felt, laugh out loud read. Steven has a personal way of writing that is honest, fresh and down to earth. You feel as though you are right there experiencing every moment with the family. It reminded me of all the good laughs you have with friends over the good old days.

The ’80s were definitely a simpler time (I was a very young child growing up but I still remember the endless days of being outside until it was dark and those bread bags (or any bag in general!). We used to spend hours riding up and down the street on bikes with no care in the world. This book brings back some great memories and makes you wish you could take a trip back in time. I loved the emphasis on family and spending time together – this is sometimes lacking now in society, where everyone is so busy all the time. Families may not have been perfect but they put family first.

This book starts off with Herbie breaking up a fight between his own two boys and then he begins to tell the tale of a week long adventure in his childhood home during the middle of winter and one bad storm.

I fell in love with this family, they were quirky but they were real. I am pretty sure you will be able to find similarities in some of the characters to your own family. They absolutely love each other but have a very unique way of showing it – a result of the times that they grew up in (a perfect example, the brothers could tease poor Cockroach but definitely not their friends!). The brothers learned how to handle situations themselves, they did have their parents but they were independent for the most part which ensured that they had the life skills they needed. We witness the struggles of having little money and doing everything you can to keep the family afloat. It was his childhood and the lessons he learned that guided him in his own journey of fatherhood – we grow from all the good and bad things that happen to us.

This is a fantastic book from start to finish, you will laugh, get anxious and take a trip down memory lane. It is so well written that you will not be able to put it down.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Steven Manchester is the author of the #1 bestsellers Twelve Months, The Rockin’ Chair, Pressed Pennies and Gooseberry Island; the national bestsellers, Ashes, The Changing Season and Three Shoeboxes; and the multi-award winning novels, Goodnight Brian and The Thursday Night Club. His work has appeared on NBC’s Today Show, CBS’s The Early Show, CNN’s American Morning and BET’s Nightly News. Three of Steven’s short stories were selected “101 Best” for Chicken Soup for the Soul series. He is a multi-produced playwright, as well as the winner of the 2017 Los Angeles Book Festival and the 2018 New York Book Festival. When not spending time with his beautiful wife, Paula, or their four children, this Massachusetts author is promoting his works or writing.

You can connect with him on his website, Facebook and Twitter.

The Giveaway

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Providence Book Promotions for Steven Manchester. There will be seven (7) winners. Two (2) winners will each win one (1) Amazon GC and five (5) winners will each win a copy of Bread Bags & Bullies: Surviving the ’80s by Steven Manchester (eBook). The giveaway begins on November 1, 2019 and runs through January 2, 2020. Void where prohibited.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

November 12, 2019

The Tender Birds Book Review

“The wording is both elegant and poetic… the author, accomplished painting vivid images within my mind’s eye that will never be forgotten. Overall this book is unique, being unlike anything I have read before. Go get a copy! You will not be disappointed.” —Readaholic Zone

About The Tenders Bird

Matthew Reilly is a busy academic, a lonely priest haunted by secrets. Young Alison is the shy and devoted keeper of Daisy, a falcon which suffered an accident and can no longer fly. The three of them meet in a Boston parish, but Matt has forgotten a momentary but disturbing meetup with Alison, homeless eight years earlier in Toronto. Close to exhaustion, he’s forced to reflect on what’s become of his life, including the loss of a son that no one knew he’d fathered. Alison and Matt had a fateful encounter during her homeless period, but Matt doesn’t connect that frail teenager with the healthy young woman she’d become. It’s left to Alison to uncover Matt’s past and for Matt to come to terms with it.

My Thoughts

The Tender Birds is a powerful book that left me in tears and touched my heart.

The author starts the book off with an individual rushing to make a flight but unfortunately missing his flight. As we turn the page, we learn that the flight he missed was the flight that crashed into the World Trade Center Towers. The story continues to unfold in a beautiful, mysterious way as we discover how the lives of our two main characters, Alison and Matt are interwoven. We learn how their decisions have impacted another individuals life and how far reaching this was.

It is a beautiful story about understanding, forgiveness, compassion and faith. Our actions (or lack of action) can have an impact on someone’s life that we may never understand, see nor appreciate. We don’t truly even appreciate the impact of Matt’s decisions until we hear Alison’s story in the second half of the book. While Matt’s story is one of an individual seeking forgiveness, of a person who doesn’t quite seem able to connect with others or even know himself or the consequences of his actions – Alison’s story broke my heart. The events that she had to deal with in her life, could have broken her but instead it was her Father’s memory, her faith and her belief in goodness that slowly helps her heal. She is just a truly good person, who sees the beauty and light in everyone and everything (especially in birds). She makes mistakes but she is also honest about them and seeks to correct and forgive. She could have never forgiven nor let go of her past but instead she tries to move forward, slowly making friends, shows compassion to others and teaches those around her to show compassion to those less fortunate. She doesn’t do it in a flashy way, she is always humble and almost doesn’t even realize the lessons she is teaching others.

While the ending of the book is sad, it is also full of hope, understanding and forgiveness. Alison has learned and grown so much and you can’t help but feel proud of her. I was sad when this book ended because I would have loved to have read her next chapter. This is an excellent novel that does not disappoint.

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

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Carole Giangrande is the award-winning author of ten books, including the novella A Gardener on the Moon (winner of the 2010 Ken Klonsky Award) and the novel All That Is Solid Melts Into Air (2018 Independent Publishers Gold Medal for Literary Fiction). The Tender Birds is her fourth novel. She’s worked as a broadcast journalist for CBC Radio (Canada’s public broadcaster), and her fiction, poetry, articles and reviews have appeared in literary journals and in Canada’s major newspapers. In her spare time, she loves exploring nature with her partner Brian, photographing birds and studying French.

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.