Category: review

April 23, 2014

Critical Condition #review #giveaway

Murder, forgiveness and mystery – Critical Condition by Richard Mabry, M.D. has it all!

Critical Condition by Richard Mabry, M.D., opens with a dinner party celebrating Dr. Shannon Frasier’s colleague but quickly turns the wrong way when a man is shot on her front lawn. This brings back memories of a similar episode a decade ago that Shannon Frasier was also involved in. Later on that night, she receives a call from her sister, Megan, which raises red flags for Shannon that her sister may be using drugs again.

She only finds support from her almost fiance Dr. Mark Gilbert who she can’t quite yet bring herself to fully commit to him. She turns for help from her father (a pastor) only to learn that he has just been diagnosed with leukemia. Shannon thinks it can not get any worse but then the threatening phone calls begin. Now staying alive with require all the focus Shannon has.

Critical Condition is a fantastic, fast paced book! The characters are all well developed with a great plot line. Although the story seemed like it would be long and there were a lot of details, Dr. Richard Mabry unfolds the story to keep you well in the loop and excited to read more. You can definitely sense his medical background throughout the novel which gives the novel a very interesting perspective into Dr. Shannon Frasier’s life. Shannon is a very interesting character that many of us can relate to. She has struggled to forgive herself from the beginning of the book and it was incredible to watch her evolve and grow as a person through out the book. She was very easy to relate to and helped me to reflect to my own life.

Critical Condition is an exciting book from start to finish for all readers! You can find more reviews here. To purchase a copy of Critical Condition you can do so here.

Rating: 4.5/5

Dr. Richard Mabry is giving our readers a chance to win a Kindle HDX!

Richard Mabry‘s latest medical suspense, Critical Condition, is receiving high praise. USA TODAY says, “Mabry combines his medical expertise with a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat.”

Richard is celebrating the release with a Kindle HDX giveaway!

One grand prize winner will receive:

A Kindle Fire HDX
Critical Condition by Richard Mabry

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 11th. Winner will be announced May 13th on Richard’s blog.

Don’t miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to stop by Richard’s blog on May 13th to see if you won.

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

April 18, 2014

Maybelle in Stitches #review

Maybelle in Stitches by Joyce Magnin is the story of Maybelle Kazinki whose husband is serving in World War II. Maybelle is a strong young woman but so unlike her mother – she can not sew. She was the only girl in her seventh grade Home Economics class to sew the zipper in the neck hole of her A-line dress. After her mother dies leaving her alone she finds an unfinished quilt in the attic of the house and she decides that the quilt needs to be finished. She gathers a group of friends to help her fill her loneliness and bring hope to each one of them.

The quilt is a “crazy” quilt made with scraps of material from Maybelle’s mother and grandmother’s childhood. She decides to add Holden’s (her husband) stripes to the quilt. Suddenly life changes quickly when she receives harsh news from overseas. Maybelle’s faith falters and it is the quilting group that help brings back her hope and faith.

Maybelle in Stitches is a wonderful story of faith and friendship. Maybelle’s story was probably quite common during this era and I can imagine how many of these women and families felt alone and scared. It is only through their friendships and faith in God do these women make it through day to day. It is the power and hope in the quilt that helps them keep moving forward until they meet their husbands again. The story was believable, open and honest – I loved every moment. Each character was very real with normal faults and shortcomings. You kept praying for everything to be okay for Maybelle! I had a hard time putting the novel down because I just wanted to know what happened to Maybelle and her Holden

You can find more reviews on the Litfuse blog tour here.

Rating: 4/5

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

April 16, 2014

Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada: Exploring The Wonders of the Sea

The ocean holds many wonders for children and adults alike. The magical and graceful movements of the animals of the sea captures the heart and imagination of so many of us. My children love fish, fishing and most importantly sharks (Shark Week is huge in our house!). For them being able to visit Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada in Toronto was a dream come true.

Both of my boys were a bundle of nerves as we set off to Toronto not really knowing what to expect from the Aquarium as this would have been their very first visit to any kind of aquarium. Stepping inside the building alone transports you to a different place. There is so much to see both above you and below you! My eldest son (also my little budding photographer was excited to be able to capture each moment!).

Stepping into the aquarium after the ticket booth you are greeted by a beautiful globe of the world above. Below is a bright and colourful discovery area for children to touch and explore. Hanging from the ceilings are large skeletons and a large unique water tank with circling fish. There is so much to see just in that first area alone!

The senses really come alive throughout the aquarium. Children are encouraged to touch, see and listen. The lights are dimmed to really make the aquarium come alive – you literally feel like you are under the sea and exploring the ocean and the animals that call it home. The flow of the aquarium allows you to casually tour through the exhibits in a natural way while allowing you to explore at your own pace.

Some of the most exciting parts of the aquarium were the areas you were able to touch fossils, feel what a jellyfish would feel like and even touch a horseshoe crab! All four of us were scared at first to put our hand in the water but being able to touch the crab is definitely an experience we wont soon forget. We loved how each exhibit had so much educational value and encouraged our children to participate in the exhibit through touch and sight.

Our son was able to capture this fantastic picture of a Giant Pacific Octopus. This guy managed to terrify our two year old whom thought it was going to touch him through the glass.

Our eldest son’s favourite part of the aquarium? The Dangerous Lagoon.

And just like the name suggests all of our boy’s favourite ocean animals were there: sand tiger sharks, sandbar sharks, stingrays and so much more. A moving walk way allowed us to be able to really take in the whole experience around us as the animals swam beside us and above us. Our son was able to capture this fantastic photograph of the stingray as it lay above us.

And the man of the hour that amazed and terrified us all. Check out those teeth!

Here are some of my personal favourites photographs that I snapped during our tour through Rainbow Reef and Planet Jellies. This was my favourite part of the whole aquarium. The colours were so vibrant – I just wanted to reach out and touch the glass (which our kids did repetitively!).

I could have stayed all day by the jelly fish exhibit watching both the exhibit light up and the jellies changing colours. It was truly breathtaking.

The gorgeous moon jellies! What a task to try and capture these beauties!

The Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada in Toronto is an experience that will stay with us for a lifetime. There is so much to see and learn. We are already planning our return visit!

What would you be excited to visit at Ripley’s Aquarium? Have you visited the aquarium before?

Disclosure: I received a complimentary ticket to visit the aquarium. All opinions expressed are my own. Images are both my sons and my own.

April 16, 2014

Racing Action with AnkiDRIVE #review #giveaway

I love race cars and everything racing! We love auto shows, race tracks and playing racing video games with our children. We love the fast pace, quick decisions and excitement of choosing cars and winning.

When I was given the opportunity to test out Anki DRIVE how could I resist? This looked like one of the most exciting video games ever brought to life. Anki DRIVE uses artificial intelligence to deliver a racing video game in the real world with you in control. Pretty amazing, right? I had too literally take it away from my children in order to set it up they were so excited.

Anki Drive comes with a starter kit starting at $199 – which may seem expensive at first but once you open the kit and begin to use the cars you can fully appreciate the technology behind the system and appreciate the price.

Each kit includes:

the racing track (roughly 8.5 feet by 3.5 feet)
three car charger
two cars with charging pods
start up information.

The Anki Drive app is free to download at the Apple app store and the game is compatible with any of the following: iPhone 4s or newer, iPod touch 5th generation, iPad3 or newer or iPad mini. Anki Drive is suitable for all ages capable of using an iOS device (our two year old had no problem!). You can also purchase additional race cars for additional cost.

Set up is incredibly easy – I was actually expecting it to take long but was pleasantly surprised.

Physically you have to just unroll the mat in a clear and flat area, ensuring the cars are fully charged before you can begin to play. The game will work best on a smooth and flat floor but we also played on the carpet in our children’s toy room and had no problem as well.

The app took less then two minutes to download – which was perfect for my impatient family members who could not wait to start playing. This also surprised me because apps can sometimes take quite a bit of time to download.

The technology in Anki DRIVE is jaw dropping – literally. The moment you set them down on the race track they sense the track’s every curve and line. The cars speed around the track, gliding through every curve and avoiding each other. It is incredible watching the cars race each other. Our boys were screaming in excitement. Using blue tooth the cars report back to the app on the IOS device. You control the speed, turns, maneuvers – all through the app. The app also has a great starting guide that walks you through on how to control the car so you don’t have to worry about not understanding how to play.

As if this was not cool enough – the cars battle. Yup you heard that right – they sense each other and can battle their racing opponent. This has been a fantastic game for our whole family to play and has provided hours of entertainment for all of our family and friends that have come over to visit.

Anki DRIVE and PTPA are now giving you the chance to win your own starter kit – the perfect gift for any car enthusiast in your house!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is open to residents of the US and Canada.

Don’t forget to follow Anki on Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date on important news and information!

April 10, 2014

Dancing With Fireflies #Review

Forgiveness, love and trust. Central themes in the moving novel, Dancing With Fireflies by Denise Hunter.

Jade McKinley set off to conquer the world and escape heartbreak. Instead she returns home to Chapel Springs protecting her fragile heart. Jade is creative and complicated, always feeling like a weed in a rose garden while growing up. She thought she would never return home after leaving but when she finds herself pregnant, alone and penniless she has no choice but to return home.

The mayor of Chapel Springs, Daniel Dawson, has always been an honorary member of her family since her childhood. He had an almost non-existent home life due to his parent’s political involvement. He has always loved Jade but she has always seen him as a big brother. When she returns he finds his feelings have only grown stronger over time.

As Jade attempts to settle in and prepare for her baby, nothing seems to feel right. God feels far away, she is hiding secrets from her family and she is attracted to the man who has always felt like a brother. Coming home may prove more difficult than she could have ever imagined.

Dancing with Fireflies was an incredibly moving read that touches on so many difficult topics: date rape, pregnancy and forgiveness. My heart broke for Jade as she dealt with the issues of her pregnancy and loving herself and her child. She shows such strength through out the novel and I admire her for her choices. Her character is so strong and reflective of so many mothers out there who are raising their child on their own. It was a novel that made my cry, laugh and hope. It also made me reflect on my own pregnancy and the joy and pain that comes with pregnancy, birth and infancy. I could not put it down (my poor family!).

You can find more reviews on Dancing with Fireflies on the Litfuse Blog tour here. You can purchase a copy of the book here.

Rating: 5/5

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