Category: book review

Dead Sea Rising Book Review

Dead Sea Rising Book Review

From #1 New York Times bestselling author, Jerry B. Jenkins comes a heart stopping adventure of historical proportions in Dead Sea Rising.

Dead Sea Rising Book Review

About Dead Sea Rising

Nicole Berman is an archaeologist on the brink of a world-changing discovery. During her first dig in Jordan, she believes she has found concrete evidence of a biblical patriarch that could change history books forever. But someone doesn’t want the truth revealed. While urgently trying to connect pieces of an ancient puzzle, a dangerous enemy is out to stop her.

“From a criminal investigation in Manhattan to the birth of Abram in ancient Ur, Jerry Jenkins weaves together a tale of drama and suspense that will draw you into the lives of two families separated by 4,000 years of history yet sharing remarkably similar struggles of faith. Dead Sea Rising combines the thrill of a whodunit with the moral and political intrigue of the ancient, and modern, Middle East. But be prepared. Once you begin, you won’t be able to stop until you reach the final page!”  — DR. CHARLIE DYER, PROFESSOR-AT-LARGE OF BIBLE, AND HOST OF THE LAND AND THE BOOK RADIO PROGRAM

My Thoughts

Dead Sea Rising is an intense thriller crossing two time periods with a connection that will astonish you.

The novel covers the life of Nicole Berman who is an archaeologist following in her Father’s footsteps. She has put in a request to complete a dig in Saudi Arabia – a location that she feels holds a secret that will rip apart everything we ever knew about religion and history. While this is in the background of our plot, Nicole’s Mother is attacked in their family home which was made to appear as a fall. This quickly escalates as the police are forced to investigate whether this was domestic abuse, an attempt by Nicole to harm her Mother or worse – an attempt of murder. As the story progresses we learn new revelations about her Father’s history and how this attempt on her Mother’s life may be tied to Nicole’s work and potential dig in Saudi Arabia.

This story flips back and forth with the story of Terah and the birth of his son, Abraham. We view the struggles of Terah both morally and religiously as he battles between the Gods of his ruler and the God of his wife. We watch as he makes painful decisions that alter the life of others around him and ultimately himself.

This was an amazing story from start to finish – I loved how he managed to intertwine the two stories but at the same time develop each one fully so that you are left on the edge of your seat never knowing what was coming next. This is a definite must read novel.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Jerry B. Jenkins’s novels have sold more than 70 million copies. Twenty of his books have reached the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. The phenomenally bestselling Left Behind series inspired a movie starring Nicholas Cage. Jenkins has been featured on the cover of Newsweek and his writing has appeared in Time, Guideposts, and dozens of other periodicals. He and his wife, Dianna, have three grown children and live in Colorado.

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

Continue Reading

The Golden Scepter Book Two

The Golden Scepter Book Two

In the second book of The Dragon Artifacts, The Golden Scepter, magic and chaos rule the land.  For lovers of wizards, magic, mighty kingdoms, elves, and dragons, don’t miss this series.

The Golden Scepter Book Two

About The Golden Scepter

The Western continent is in turmoil. The Dragon King, Bakari, and his riders have lost their dragons to an evil queen bent on conquering the land. High Wizard Roland Tyre has other ideas about how to save the people.  Driven by the pounding call of his scepter to unify the land, he sets out to bring one nation after another to his banner

Will the power of the scepter drive Roland to madness or glory?  Will The Dragon King get the power of the dragons back?  Or will darkness cover the land under the reign of an evil queen?

My Thoughts

Book Two in this series is a fast paced, action packed adventure that you will not want to put down.

Their world seems to have been plunged into a magical darkness and without the power of their dragons, all seems almost hopeless. Bakari has such a good heart and does what is right but has this led him to his downfall? Did his kind heart and compassion cause him to lose the dragons to a ruthless new leader? My heart went out to him in this book, he lost such a big part of him when he lost his dragon which forced him to question his decisions. I loved how he still stayed true to his nature and his morals regardless of what happened. He still wants to save the world, get the dragons back and save his friend but he would do it in a way that he could live with.

Alli’s plight made my heart so sore! She has been my favourite from the day that I picked up his series of books and to see her in such a state. She still remains her fierce and strong self but she has lost that independence and her own history and true strength.

Roland is truly something else in this story – he is usually carefree and driven for power and fame but it takes on a different tone in this book. His desire for power and admiration has grown to the point where it almost seems to consume him. When he uses the Golden Scepter it brings out a new side to him (or a side from the Scepter itself?) which seems to want him to do good (unite the people under one banner, one vision) but all of that power in one person doesn’t just sit right for his friends and colleagues.

This is another excellent addition to this series – I couldn’t put the story down. You become so invested in these characters (they become your friends!) and you had to see if Roland could help Alli, if Roland makes a mistake with the Scepter and if Bakari can rescue the dragons. A definite must read for young adults and adults alike.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Mike is now on his fourth YA fantasy series. For information on his new releases, book reviews, and other relevant info, please join him at www.MichaelSheltonBooks.com.

Mike was born in California and has lived in multiple states from the west coast to the east coast. He cannot remember a time when he wasn’t reading a book. At school, home, on vacation, at work at lunch time, and yes even a few pages in the car (at times when he just couldn’t put that great book down).

Other than reading, Mike enjoys the outdoors, disc golf, and spending time with his family. He has worked in corporate finance for most of his career, publishing his first books in 2016. He has now published 15 YA fantasy books full of adventure, magic, and wizards!

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

Continue Reading

Spring Thaw Book Review

iRead Book Tours

In today’s hectic world, many whodunit fans don’t have time to get their mystery fix diving into a whole novel. Lauren Carr’s SPRING THAW AND OTHER MYSTERY SHORT STORIES is for these fans—but that doesn’t mean whodunit fans who do have time can’t dive in as well.

Spring Thaw Book Review

About Spring Thaw

A novella, Spring Thaw features retired federal agent Chris Matheson from Lauren Carr’s newest bestselling cold case series. When his late father’s former friend is indicted for the seven year old murder of a church bishop, Chris renews old broken friendships to thaw out the cold case.

Featuring Mac Faraday from Lauren Carr’s popular Mac Faraday Mysteries, an estate auction turns into a deadly affair after Gnarly’s antics cause Mac to purchase a gem of a dress, which isn’t his color in Killing Bid. (Previously published in Lauren Carr’s BEAUTY TO DIE FOR.)

Beauty to Die For features the Lovers in Crime, Joshua Thornton and Cameron Gates in a race against the Angel of Death to clear the name of a dying woman’s son, who was framed for murdering Miss Pennsylvania. (Previously published in BEAUTY TO DIE FOR).

Countdown to Murder returns to the Lovers in Crime where Cameron and Joshua try to solve the murder of a young pregnant widow before it happens.  (Previously published in BEAUTY TO DIE FOR).

Mystery fans will see that every dog has his day, especially if that dog is Gnarly. In Lucky Dog, Gnarly helps Mac Faraday to solve the murder of a wealthy society girl.  (Previously published in BEAUTY TO DIE FOR).

Dog Loving Mystery Fans will get a special treat when they read The Gnarly Rehabilitation Program. In this Gnarly Mystery Short, Bert and Ernie learn the hard way that crime does not pay when they dog nap Gnarly. (Previously published as a bonus feature with A WEDDING AND A KILLING).

Gnarly, the rambunctious German shepherd, is also features in Lauren Carr’s Christmas short, A Gnarly Christmas. It is Christmas day and Gnarly has been up to his old tricks again. Now he’s in the dog house–or rather the boathouse–after stealing the Christmas feast! Moments after Archie and Mac leave Spencer Manor, Gnarly hears a call for help from Rocky, the Maltese down the street. Four assassins for hire have invaded the home of Rocky’s elderly owners. While the home invaders wait for instructions from a mysterious caller, Gnarly must plot to stop them. Can Gnarly save Christmas with only the help of an 8-pound Maltese dressed in an elf suit? (Previously published as a single short story by the same name).

My Thoughts

Spring Thaw is a collection of some of the best short writing mysteries that you will find around. I find that sometimes short stories can be missing information, move too fast or feel too disjointed at parts. This was not the case in this collection from Lauren Carr – we still had her great build up of the plot and character development that she is famous for but just not the length. The stories were easy to read one at a time and put down and come back to (but to be honest, I just couldn’t I had to keep reading – I love the characters so much!). The plots were well designed for a short story and well written – you felt engaged and a part of the story at all times.

Gnarly takes centre stage near the end of the story! He is such a cheeky, clever and adventurous dog (you just want to give him a cuddle but only if you are on his good list!). He is that little bit of comic relief that you need in such intense mysteries.

This is an excellent collection of short stories to cherish over and over – you will not be disappointed with this collection.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Thorny Rose Mysteries—over twenty titles across three fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!

Now, Lauren has added one more hit series to her list with the Chris Matheson Cold Case Mysteries. Set in the quaint West Virginia town of Harpers Ferry, Ice introduces Chris Matheson, a retired FBI agent, who joins forces with other law enforcement retirees to heat up those cold cases that keep them up at night.

Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr’s seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, crime fiction, police procedurals, romance, and humor.

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She lives with her husband, and three dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

The Giveaway!

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Continue Reading

Time To Get Dressed Book Review

Time To Get Dressed

Time To Get Dressed features cute and colorful full-page pictures and a sing-song storyline – meant to teach children how to get ready for their day and was inspired by the duo author’s two-year-old son, Cooper.

Time To Get Dressed

About Time To Get Dressed

“We wrote a CHILDREN’S BOOK y’all!!! Time To Get Dressed is so special to us,” exclaimed Shawna. “It started out as a song Keifer would sing to Cooper and has evolved into a book everyone can read to their kiddos! We’re thrilled to be able to share a part of our family with yours.”

Written by the Country duo’s Keifer and Shawna Thompson and illustrated by Ana Patankar, Time To Get Dressed features cute and colorful full-page pictures and a sing-song storyline – meant to teach children how to get ready for their day and inspired by the duo’s two-year-old son, Cooper.

Our Thoughts

Getting your child dressed can be one of the toughest moments as a parent, especially as they get older and want to become more independent. You will have fights over wanting to wear something too small, too large, too tight, not wanting to wear a sweater even though its -10C outside and why would you wear boots in the snow? Running shoes are much more appropriate!

But these moments are special and can make you laugh. They are excellent teachable moments as well, you need to give your child the tools to make good decisions when getting dressed and the independence to do it on their own. And why not do it using rhyme and song?

This is a sweet and fun book, that you can’t help  but sing the words instead of just reading them out loud. Cooper is learning how to get dressed – starting from the basics – from his toes to finding the right shirt based on the weather and what fits your body (no belly hanging out!) and how to put your pants on properly (this made me laugh – how many times has your child put both legs down one pant leg?!). The illustrations are precious and suit the book perfectly (I loved his beautiful, big eyes!).

This is an adorable, sweet and fun book that will have your child excited about getting dressed in the morning and as they learn the words – they will gain the independence needed to get themselves dressed all on their own.

Learn more about Thomson Square and order their book here.

Rating: 5/5

About Thomson Square

Thompson Square is an internationally renowned Country duo created by the husband-and-wife team of Keifer and Shawna Thompson. Since breaking out in 2010 with the 2X-PLATINUM #1 smash “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not,” the duo have gone on to score two Top 5 albums and romantic #1 hits in the U.S. and Australia (GOLD-certified “If I Didn’t Have You” and “Everything I Shouldn’t Be Thinking About”), while also racking up multiple GRAMMY nominations and three trophies as Vocal Duo of the Year from the ACM and CMA Awards. Beloved by modern Country fans, they have earned five Top 20 hits in total, with streaming numbers surpassing 600 million and a social media following of nearly 2 million. Thompson Square have been featured on mainstream TV franchises including TODAY, Fox & Friends, The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Conan and CBS This Morning, and have also earned critical praise from Rolling Stone, People, Glamour, Elle, USA Today and much more. After welcoming the birth of their first child in 2016, Thompson Square have released their third studio album,MASTERPIECE, which was produced by the duo with Grammy winner Nathan Chapman (Taylor Swift), perennial hit maker Dann Huff (Keith Urban) and Ilya Toshinskiy.

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

Continue Reading

Step Into Your Moxie Book Review

The word moxie has become synonymous with vigor, verve, pep, courage, nerve, aggressiveness, skill, and know-how, and in Step Into Your Moxie, leadership coach Alexia Vernon presents a soul-stirring call to action for women to speak up for themselves and the ideas and issues that matter most to them.

Step Into Your Moxie Book Review

About Step Into Your Moxie

“I love the word moxie because it suggests a way of thinking, a way of feeling, and a way of behaving that activates speaking up and disrupting the status quo,” writes Alexia. “This is what Step into Your Moxie is all about — amplifying your voice, visibility, and influence in the world — even if, especially if, you have previously struggled to do so in your work, your community, and your personal life. My desire, during our journey together, is for you to discover, and never forget, that you can walk into any room, or onto any stage, and speak with moxie — and inspire other people to do the same.”

Through her coaching and training programs and extensive speaking engagements, Alexia, who was dubbed a “Moxie Maven” by the Obama White House Office of Public Engagement for her potent approach to empowering women, has helped tens of thousands of individuals speak with power and impact at work and in business, with their friends and family, onstage, on camera, and above all, to themselves. In Step into Your Moxie, she distills the communication discoveries she has made throughout her dynamic career into simple, effective, and practical recommendations women can use to experience deep and lasting transformation in all facets of their communication.

Wise, witty, and with just the right amount of woo, Step into Your Moxie is a book women want by their side as they have that daring conversation, give an important presentation, run for office, or tell the people closest to them to step back from those boundaries they’ve just trespassed. Whether they are at the start of their careers, messily shuffling between work and motherhood, or established leaders looking to mentor other women, Step into Your Moxie is a refreshingly playful self-help book that has the power to make women laugh, quite possibly make them cry, and above all, help them speak with unshakeable presence and undeniable impact so they can create the legacy they were born to make.

My Thoughts

“We love seeing raw truth and openness in other people, but we’re afraid to let them see it in us. We’re afraid that our trust isn’t enough – that what we have to offer isn’t enough without the bells and whistles, without editing, and impressing” – Brene Brown

Step Into Your Moxie is a definite must have, powerful book for women of all ages to read, re-read and re-read again one more time.

I feel like too often as a woman we are told to act and speak in a way that reflects what society feels we as women should do. It is usually the complete opposite of what our body and mind tells us to do but we have become used to following suit. This can be supressing how we feel at work and at home, taking on extra work because we feel obligated to, not standing up for ourselves, apologizing for having an opinion and the list can go on.

I found myself over and over in this book. I am the bunny (definitely not the dragon) and if you want to learn that definition you have to read the book! I can often be found to start sentences with an apology, I overthink everything and because I hate to disappoint others, I take on things I shouldn’t, I don’t say no and I have a hard time creating boundaries. Whew – that was a lot to get off my chest! Where has that left me? Not feeling confident in myself and resentful at times.

While this book can be seen as a tool for obtaining leadership roles, I think this is an excellent tool and resource for taking charge in all areas of your life. As you work through each chapter, there is a section where you can reflect, work through problems (which in turn helps you to learn a lot more about yourself) and help you to develop stronger professional and personal skills. Each chapter builds upon the previous one and if you get stuck, she re-directs you back to a previous chapter for review.

This is an amazing book for women (and in many ways men) with no age limits. I actually wish I had read this in my teens when I first started to develop insecurities in myself, my voice and my opinions. It is full of tools, resources, life examples and more. Alexia uses humour and real life examples to relate to you on an individual level – you feel as if you know a part of her at the end and recognize many moments in yourself. It is a book that you will come back to more than once and leave feeling empowered and ready to take charge (but not in a dragon lady kind of way!) of your personal and work life. A definite must read!

You can purchase a copy of Step Into Your Moxie on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Alexia Vernon is the author of Step into Your Moxie. Branded a “Moxie Maven” by President Obama’s White House Office of Public Engagement, she is a sought-after speaking and leadership coach who delivers transformational keynotes and corporate trainings for Fortune 500 companies and other professional groups and organizations, including the United Nations and TEDx. Alexia holds graduate and undergraduate degrees in women’s studies and has been featured on CNN, NBC, ABC, and CBS and in publications like Forbes Woman, Women’s Health, and The European Business Review. Visit her online at http://www.alexiavernon.com.

Question and Answer

What does it mean to “step into your moxie”?

Stepping into your moxie is the ability to walk into any room, or onto any stage, present your ideas, unapologetically, and have them move people to take action. I love the word moxie because it suggests a way of thinking, a way of feeling, and a way of behaving that activates speaking up and disrupting the status quo. This is what Step into Your Moxie is all about — amplifying your voice, visibility, and influence in the world — even if, especially if, you have previously struggled to do so in your work, your community, or in your personal life.

Are you somebody who was born with a lot of moxie?

Oh. Heck. No. Fortunately, moxie is a mindset, heartset, and skill set that you can develop, because I was most definitely not born with it. During the first quarter of my life, I experienced an on-again-off-again relationship — with my own voice. One moment I felt like I was tap-dancing on eggshells, striving to be liked, give the right answers, and not be called out for failing to be enough of whatever I conjectured other people wanted me to be. Then at other times, often in close proximity to those former times, I had an insufferable need to be recognized and praised for my achievements. I knew I was born to make a big, positive impact on the world, but until I learned how to redirect away from thinking about what other people were thinking of me — and toward making the impact I professed that I wanted to make — most of the time when I spoke my voice quavered, I used diminishing words and body language, and my speaking did not move people to take action.

Why is Step into Your Moxie relevant to women during this historical moment?

While shopping Step into Your Moxie to publishers, some of the feedback I received was, “I’m not sure women’s empowerment or citizens’ marches and protests will still be a thing by the time the book comes out.” Then, while writing the book, #MeToo and #TimesUp happened, millions of Americans continued to march on behalf of #BlackLivesMatter, #MarchForOurLives, and #KeepFamiliesTogether, and so forth. However, while women have marched and spoken up and out on behalf of themselves and others, it’s one thing to go to a rally or broadcast your views in an angry (or empowering) social media post. It’s an altogether different thing to tell yourself, and actually believe, that you possess the power and ability to advocate for yourself — especially if you are in an environment, professionally or personally, in which the people around you are complicit in maintaining the status quo. Media outlets such as CNN, PBS, and Inc. predicted that 2018 would be “the year of the woman,” but how many of us really feel like we have the moxie we need to consistently speak up, tell our truth, and create the future we want for ourselves and our loved ones? In Step into Your Moxie, I give women a pathway to cultivate their personal power so they can use it to speak up for themselves and the issues and causes that matter most to them. As I say in the book, when you step into your moxie, it is an act of divine service to yourself—and also to the world.

You say that at any given moment, most of us are strolling around with at least one of three voices prattling on in our heads — the Critic, the Cop, or the Cheerleader. Please give us a brief description of each of these self-talk voices.

The Critic – When the Critic in your head holds the mic, you never believe you are enough. I’m not smart enough. I’m not experienced enough. I’m not skinny enough. I’m not curvy enough. I’m not hairless enough. (Okay, maybe that last one is just my Critic speaking.) You doubt your decisions and the choices you have before you. You feel as if, in every moment, the world is seeing you as a contestant on a reality TV show the minute she lands in the bottom two — and everyone watching, including the contestant, knows she’s about to lose and be voted off.

The Cop – The Cop, as Cops are wont to do, polices your decision making and turns everything into a dichotomy. In other words, there are a maximum of two options in any situation — and they are at odds with each other. There are good people and bad people. There’s the right vocation; all others are my karmic mismatch. I can be a rock star, or I can be the roadie. When your Cop directs the show in your head, she strives to make everything black-and-white. As a result, you forget that most of life exists in the gray, too often underused, space between these extremes.

The Cheerleader – The Cheerleader is, as the name suggests, extremely adept at cheering you on. She tells you messages like: I’m cool with my client’s passive-aggressive emails or I can pull a second consecutive all-nighter to get that financial report done. Now the Cheerleader voice, in moderation, isn’t such a bad thing. In moments when you have to bulldoze through something uncomfortable and necessary, you definitely want to empower this voice. However, when you go to her by default rather than by design, ultimately, you are going to feel frustrated, get sick, wear out, and step out of your moxie because you aren’t addressing the real issues in your life.

In Step into Your Moxie, I also introduce the Coach, the voice you want to invite in to your mental menagerie to talk back to your Critic, Cop, or Cheerleader. I also share how to empower the Coach to turn your inner monologues into dialogues, rewrite your mental script, and prompt feelings that support your most high-powered speaking. Through this process, you’ll also be set up to address the source of your unproductive self-talk. And if you want to use equal parts heart-centered and high-impact communication, you must shift self-talk from self-critical to self-compassionate.

What advice can you offer women who need to have a daring conversation but aren’t sure where or how to begin?

This is one of my favorite chapters in the book, “Conflict Is the Pits, Until It Isn’t.” When you find yourself in situations in which you know conflict is possible, and similarly know that a conversation needs to happen to prevent you from feeling like you are trying to tread water in a sinkhole, you have four choices. First, you can avoid the conversation. Second, you can wing the conversation. Third, you can mentally script what you plan to say, and have the conversation over and over in your head. Or fourth, you can plan out your conversation, role-play it, and then show up and have it. Clearly, my preference is for readers to choose number four. In order for it to feel like a viable option, it’s important to shift from seeing the kind of conversation you know you need to have as “difficult” to seeing it as “daring.” For difficult conversations happen when you see yourself as the recipient of conflict (real or perceived) rather than as the cocreator of your situation. When you choose compassion, curiosity, creativity, and collaboration, you shift a difficult conversation into a daring one.

How has becoming the mother of a daughter shaped your views on women, communication, and leadership?

There is so much I want for my daughter. I want her to be able to be tender — and fierce. To trust her instincts. To speak up and be seen as assertive — rather than bossy. And, above all, for her opportunities to be dictated by her aptitude and hard work, and not because she did or did not win the genetic lottery. At the time of the book’s publication, my daughter is four-and-a-half — the same age I was when I spoke up about the sexual abuse I was experiencing in my family. Every day I strive to integrate my desire to protect my daughter from what I experienced with my matching desire for her to take risks, fail, dust herself off, and try again. Like me, my daughter is already experiencing a bit of her own on-again-off-again relationship with her voice. While she confidently tells her father and me her opinions, and fortunately, she’s got one on almost everything, during her preschool class play at the end of the year she froze up on stage. Even though we talk about sensation and how to play nicely with it when you feel uncomfortable being visible, her stage fright got the better of her. So, one of my biggest lessons has been sharing my teachings and experiences with my daughter and then unhooking from the outcome. I remind myself (or at least, try to remind myself!) she is on her own journey — that I need to let her have her own moxie-building experiences, good and bad.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of the above mentioned book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Continue Reading
Working Mommy Journal
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.