Category: books

June 22, 2020

The Menu Book Review

The Menu is a spiritual journey involving a modern-day tale that reaches far beyond the boundaries of reason.

About The Menu

Blessed with a high emotional IQ, Phinn Reed enters the world with the promise of finding his soul mate. With heaven’s memories erased, his romantic quest teaches him that the heart often sees clearer than the eyes—and that not everyone has ordered the same items from The Menu. Evidence that love stories come in many different forms, The Menu is a spiritual journey involving more than just a man and a woman; it is a modern-day tale that reaches far beyond the boundaries of reason.

My Thoughts

The Menu is a beautiful story that really touched me, with perfect timing given the situation so many of us find ourselves in right now. Our lives are guided by a series of choices we make and the prices we have to pay for those choices.

This story starts with a very special menu and conversation between Phinn and God. Phinn must make important choices for his own life before starting on his journey but there are a few important things to note – not everyone will make the same choices and there is always a price that comes with each choice. Phinn is a beautiful soul who is troubled at first, he is upset about some of the choices he makes and choices others make that he could not control. He appears to feel lost and is searching for love – he receives some of the best advice from a young boy (don’t kids always seem to give the best advice? They have such an honest way of looking at the world around him). It is only when he embraces the advice, that he finds the love and purpose that he was looking for. They share a beautiful love – you laugh and cry reading their story. The end of the novel was not quite what I was expecting but perfect for the story and an excellent reminder that things happen in our lives for a reason.

This is a beautiful story with important messages woven throughout the whole story. Life is a series of choices that we must make, some have great impacts and others become little bumps in our lives that we barely notice. Every choice comes with a price and it was interesting to see it played out the way it was in this story. I also loved the way our characters were tied together in this story, it really drove home that we are never alone. Even in our darkest moments, God is always there if we are able to open up and listen with our hearts and minds. What can be the hardest to deal with in life is that sometimes life throws things that us that hurt us, cause great pain and we struggle to see why this would happen to us but in the grand scheme of things, it has great importance.

The Menu is a beautiful story from start to finish, a definite must read.

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; the multi-award winning novel, Goodnight Brian; and the beloved holiday podcast drama, 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 children, this Massachusetts author is promoting his works or writing. Visit: www.StevenManchester.com.

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

June 1, 2020

A Goddess Among Men

From the primitive ruggedness of the Amazon rainforest to the privileged society of New York, three generations experience triumph and tragedy in this saga of loyalty, corruption, greed . . . but one woman has the power to change it all.

About A Goddess Among Men

In 1907, Julian Welch and Alan Reid meet by chance in the jungles of the Amazon attracted by the riches of the rubber boom. Pioneers in an era of uncertainty, they form an unlikely alliance and establish the foundation for a successful empire, Reid & Welch. However, with Julian’s death, the empire is left to Alan, as is the responsibility for Julian’s newborn daughter, Christel.

Yet for Christel, there’s no growing up as a privileged heiress. Instead, Alan subjects her to a life few endure, much less overcome. Through her will to survive and being as uncompromising as she is beautiful, Christel puts the horrors of her past behind her and begins to build a seemingly bright future. But when the success built on corruption starts to crumble, Christel will be forced to address the past or pay for the sins of the fathers.

My Thoughts

I was very intrigued when I saw this book cover and read the description, I had to read it! The book is multi-generational and covers a wide range of topics – greed, betrayal, deceit, family secrets and more (so many aspects that creates a novel that you don’t want to put down).

The story I feel is based on this odd relationship that is formed between Julian and Alan. They have an unique first encounter – which Julian first feels like the luckiest man alive but is soon left to deal with Alan’s consequences. This starts this odd relationship they have, Julian is the kind, thoughtful person who wants to earn enough to just make it in the world, have a wife and do good, while Alan is the smart but cruel businessman (who will do anything to get what he wants). Alan seems to be lacking any compassion, understanding or care for others (and as we get glimpses of his childhood, we begin to start to understand the damage that was done there). Together they build an empire, which from the outside seems to be a sound, wealthy business with good practices but on the inside the empire holds dark secrets, which we only begin to learn how evil some of it truly is near the middle to the end of the book. Just before Julian’s death, he finds out he is a father and to ensure his daughter’s safety he entrusts Alan (warning bells here) with her care and to ensure she receives Julian’s portion of the company. I am sure you can just picture what Alan does to his daughter, Christel.

Christel spends all of her childhood as part of an experiment that Alan commissioned and later becomes a weapon for Alan, as she uses her beauty to gather secrets. She is physically, sexually, emotionally and mentally abused. She almost becomes a shell of a person and it isn’t until later in life when a good hearted soul (who never stopped looking for her) helps her discover her worth.

This is an intense, well written novel. Some of the parts of the novel are hard to stomach (especially when we learn parts about Christel’s past) and may be difficult for some readers (they do not go into great detail but we are given high level descriptions of the events she endured). Christel is a strong woman, who despite enduring so much wants to ensure she rights the wrongs of the past. She is sometimes caught between wanting revenge and wanting to heal at parts in the book. Like her Father, she is constantly bearing the weight of the sins of Alan and his very shady practices, she is determined to make right all that they did wrong but some sins are difficult to make right. Alan made me angry throughout the novel, how could one person behave in such a way and that Julian turned a blind eye so many times does not make it right (despite how much humanitarian work he does).

I enjoyed this novel and could not put it down, I wanted to know how Christel’s story played out. Would she be able to forgive, heal and move forward? Could she find healing in her own family and giving back to others? Could she ever right all the wrong that Alan and Julian did? Christel ends the story a stronger, better and open to healing. I loved every moment.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 4/5

About the Author

Born in 1969, Brazil, Daniel Davidsohn’s novels have been called exciting, gripping, and engrossing, garnering him praise and rave reviews. He is passionately attracted to unfamiliar things and enjoys taking readers off the beaten path. His books include From The Nile to The Euphrates (2009), Mare Crisium (2015), A Higher Power (2016), The Karma Code (2017), Leave Her Out, a 2018 Readers’ Favorite Book Award Finalist, and A Goddess Among Men (2020). Connect with him on his website, Twitter and Facebook.

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 28, 2020

Nature’s Light Spectacular Book Review

Lightning, rainbows, auroras! Discover Earth’s most amazing natural phenomena in this adventure around the globe, including a glow-in-the-dark poster.

About Nature’s Light Spectacular

Follow two intrepid explorers as they witness the Northern Lights, marvel in wonder at glow worm caves, go hunting for double rainbows, and dodge volcanic lightning. A perfect book for young explorers. Turn off the light to see a tear-out poster, featuring the stages of a solar eclipse.

Each spread features an enchanting illustration of a different natural phenomenon, animated by a description of the science behind it, told in exciting prose.

You will explore:

volcanic lightning
meteor showers
double rainbows
sun dogs
glowworm caves
super blood moon
light pillars
auroras

Our Thoughts

I love books that engage children on educational topics and encourage further learning. This book is perfect for young children who love science and are eager learners (not to mention for parents – I learned so many new things!). We have been trying to come with complementary educational activities for our kids during COVID-19 since we have been home, and this book was perfect for helping me as a parent come up with new topics to cover that my son will actually enjoy learning about.

In this book, we learn about twelve natural phenomena that happen around us. Some of the events you may have already heard of (solar eclipses, meteor showers) but some may be new like volcanic lightning, firefall and light pillars. Each topic has two pages dedicated to it with the illustrations spanning both pages. We learn about what happens during the event, the science behind the event, where they can be viewed, cool facts and even some historical beliefs (and since I love history – this was pretty neat to learn how cultures interpreted these events). While some of the events you may be familiar with, you may learn some new facts about them. Did you know that light pillars, while they look beautiful, are actually a sign of light pollution? Or that the Vikings thought that the auroras were caused by the shining weapons of immortal warriors? Neat, right?!

The book is stunning – with beautiful illustrations, fantastic facts and even includes a glow in the dark poster that you can remove that shows a solar eclipse. This is a great learning resource for parents to use to get their children interested and wanting to learn more about these topics (perhaps create your research project for your child – they can do a Power Point presentation on one of these events).

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

About the Author

Katy Flint is an author, editor, and musician, based in London. She studied violin at the University of Southampton, before moving into children’s books. She is the author of the best-selling sound book The Story Orchestra: The Nutcracker, and has worked on many other non-fiction titles—from human bodies to dinosaurs.

About the Illustrator

Cornelia Li is a Chinese born illustrator currently based in Toronto, Canada. Her clients include: New York Times, Chicago Readers, PBS Newshour, Reader’s Digest Canada.

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

May 27, 2020

Three Paws’ New Family Book Review

The adventures of Boots, the grizzly bear cub, continues as he befriends a black bear named Sockeye and her Mexican brother, Pepe, the iguana.

About Three Paws’ New Family

Sockeye has lost her mother and is not old enough to live on her own. Her prayers are answered when she meets little Pepe. He escaped his human family’s home in Ketchikan to explore the beautiful Alaskan wilderness but lost his way back home. A lonely bear cub and a lost iguana become a “family” relying on each other for companionship, friendship, and survival skills.

What does a bond of friendship and family have in common? You always know who will be there for you when you need them most.

When Boots, the three-pawed bear cub, comes face-to-face with the open jaws of a hungry lion, he is left to wonder who will help him.

If he survives this attack, how will he defend himself in the future with only three paws? The answer may be waiting for him high above in the mighty Sitka spruce, the official state tree of Alaska.

Our Thoughts

In book two of this beautiful series, we revisit Alaska and Boots’ family. Boots is an unique grizzly bear cub – he had injured one of his paws and was now known as the three-pawed cub. Boots never lets this injury stop him from being just like other cubs, he is resilient and brave – always believing in himself and his own strength.

In this story, his sister hurts herself and Boots sets off to find pine needles to help heal her injury. He sets off and soon encounters danger! To the rescue is an unlikely pair, a bear and iguana. Both of these animals have had their own difficult pasts but have adopted each other as family and take care of eachother.

The trio find more than just friendship in each other, they find a new family and home through their brave adventures. They not only save the day but they find hope and happiness. This is a beautiful story from start to finish, with incredible characters. The characters are full of adventure, strength, compassion and a great example for young children. The book has important lessons for children told in a way that they can understand. The illustrations are lovely and soft, which suits the tone of the book. A lovely story from start to finish.

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 before bed each night. She decided to take writing courses through the Institute of Children’s Literature after being inspired by the Harry Potter book series.

It was after an Alaskan cruise with her family that she had the idea to create a hopeful story about the majestic wildlife she’d seen there. So, for one of her writing assignments at the ICL, she did, and Three Paws was born!

She wrote the Three Paws children’s book series to inspire children to be brave and believe in themselves despite challenges they may face.

Outside of being a children’s book author, Karen is a registered nurse and works in the aesthetic industry. She works with her husband, Steve, a plastic surgeon in Atherton, CA and they live in Los Gatos, California. She has a daughter, Rachel, and two stepchildren, Danni and Evan Struck.

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

May 26, 2020

Self-Sufficiency for the 21st Century Book Review

Looking for a way to reduce your environmental impact? Find your route to a more sustainable lifestyle with Dick Strawbridge and his son James.

About Self-Sufficiency for the 21st Century

We can all take steps to reduce our carbon footprint and be more self-sufficient. For some, that might mean heading to the countryside to live off the land. For the rest of us, the reality might involve smaller, but no less important, lifestyle changes: cutting back on plastic or food waste, growing vegetables, preserving meat and fish, preparing jams and chutneys, baking sourdough bread, making your own plant-based milks, or keeping a chicken or two.

Dick and James Strawbridge know what it’s like to make these changes. Between them, they’ve lived on a smallholding, in a terraced house, and even a chateau. In this updated book, they share everything they’ve learned and give you the tools you need for a more rewarding and environmentally-conscious life. Whether you want to completely revamp your lifestyle or just make everyday changes that will make an impact, Self-Sufficiency for the 21st Century is the perfect place to start.

My Thoughts

I have found that the last two months have taught me a lot – one of those things has been my reliance on others (especially when you go to get common grocery items and can no longer find them in the store!). I have wanted to become more self-sufficient for the last few years but the events of the last few weeks really brought home the importance of being self-sufficient.

My favourite part of this book is that it is for all comfort levels – from those of us like me just starting to explore self-sufficiency to those who have been following this lifestyle for a while but looking to expand on their current practices. They cover many aspects of a self-sufficient lifestyle – from in the home to in the yard (which includes gardens and animals). Each section contains many ideas in each chapter, some that you can implement right away and some that may take a bit of work.

We started to tackle some of the easier ideas in the book, such as choosing low energy light bulbs, reviewing our current electricity costs (and where we are wasting hydro like when we leave computers on standby) and checking all of our windows and doors. My husband loved the section on setting up a workshop – it gave him great ideas on how he can rework the space we have already set aside for him in the garage. Our goal this summer? Create an earth oven! I can just imagine how delicious pizza would be made in one of these ovens.

We don’t have a lot of outdoor space but what we do have we have converted to raised vegetable beds. In the past I have only grown tomatoes but this year, we started from seeds the following vegetables: cucumbers, squash, spinach, green onions, peppers, tomatoes and strawberries. They have just been put in the raised beds (that we made ourselves from wood we already had) and I am so excited to watch them grow. Our youngest has taken to helping me water and ensure the area is kept weed free.

This is an excellent resource for all levels of self-sufficiency – whether you are just starting on this journey or are a seasoned veteran of this lifestyle. There are many tools and ideas that you can implement and change right away, and many more that you can use to plan out over a period of time. There is something for all comfort levels – a win-win for all.

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

About the Author

Dick Strawbridge, a retired lieutenant colonel and former army engineer, has always been fascinated by how things work. His desire to lead a greener life led him to put his practical and leadership skills to use in converting New House Farm in Cornwall into an ecologically friendly, but completely modern, place to live. The family’s journey to a sustainable, self-sufficient lifestyle was documented in the BBC series It’s Not Easy Being Green, which ran for three seasons. Dick cowrote the previous edition with his son, and is also the author of It’s Not Easy Being Green (BBC Books, 2009). His most recent TV project is the BBC series Escape to the Chateau (March 2018), now in its fifth season, which has been renewed for another season in 2019.

James Strawbridge, Dick’s son, has inherited his father’s enthusiasm for inventing and DIY, and cohosted It’s Not Easy Being Green. After cowriting the previous edition of Self-Sufficiency for the 21st Century and It’s Not Easy Being Green, James and his father hosted other popular series, including The Hungry Sailors (ITV 2012, 2013) and Saturday Farm (ITV 2013). James has also cowritten a series of books on artisan crafts, preserving food, and traditional skills: Made at Home (Octopus, 2012). He currently lives in Cornwall.

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