Book Review: Raising Chickens for Beginners: The Complete Guide to Raising Backyard Chickens With Joy and Excitement by O. Banks

28/09/202128/09/2021Non-Fiction, O BanksLeave a Comment

Author: O. Banks
Release Date: 30th June 2021
Genre: Non-Fiction
~~Series~~:
Format: E-book
Pages:
Publisher:
Blurb:
How to raise chickens like a pro — even if you have zero experience with animals!
Have you been toying with the idea of becoming more self-sustainable?
Are you exploring the option of raising chickens?
Do you have absolutely no idea where to start?
Then you’ve come to the right place!
Doing anything for the first time can be intimidating — and the stakes are even higher when your new hobby involves being responsible for something that’s, well, alive.
What’s more, the increasing popularity of self-sustainability practices has led to a plethora of information being available online, much of it completely unreliable and sometimes straight out dangerous.
But with decades of poultry growing experience under his belt, and a strong dedication to helping newbies master the techniques, knowledge, and tools they need to become pros in no time, Otis Banks is here to help.
Under his guidance, raising chickens will not only become uncomplicated, but also a complete joy.
And it’s not just about the delicious eggs you’ll be able to enjoy each morning.
You’ll soon find yourself developing a rapport with these delightful birds, and you’ll be amazed at how raising them will transform your life.
Spending time with them after work will help you immediately relax and refocus on what truly matters in life.
And if you have young kids, you’ll marvel at the beautiful relationships they’ll develop with their feathered friends — and at how much they will learn from them.

In Raising Chickens for Beginners, here’s just a fraction of what you’ll discover:

5+ scenarios you absolutely need to prepare yourself for — and how
A list of all the precautions you need to take before you embark on your exciting adventure, including the laws you need to consider
How to prepare for your flock’s arrival, and which breeds are best for beginners
How to choose the perfect feed for your flock, and how to tell how much you need to feed them and when
Common chicken health problems you need to be aware of, including signs, causes, home-made treatments, and advice on when to seek veterinary help
Why eggs sometimes… disappear — and what you can do about it
Everything you need to know to stay on top of litter management, including how to maintain a coop that’s nasty-smell free
How timing your egg collection can literally make or break your eggs
Tips to keep your chickens warm in the winter and cool in the summer
6 reasons why hens may not lay eggs — and what you can do to help them

And much more!
Written with a complete beginner in mind, this easy-to-understand guide will give you the confidence you need to expertly navigate this amazing and unimaginably rewarding world.
Accompanying you every step of the way, Otis Banks will help you discover the joys of raising chickens and help you go from an anxious beginner to a seasoned pro, before you even realize it.

Review

Raising Chickens For Beginners by O. Banks is a very insightful and comprehensive book on, as the title clearly mentions, raising chicken for beginners. Right from where to begin, what you’ll need, how much you’ll need of everything to how to develop a rapport with the chickens and not just having them for the sake of it, this book covers everything!

I’d highly recommend it to anyone who is planning to get more insights into raising chickens, especially those who don’t have any idea of what they are dealing with.

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Book Review: Retirement Planning for Couples : The Ultimate Financial Guide to a Stress-Free and Happy Aging by Phoenix Read

27/09/202126/09/2021Non-Fiction, Phoenix ReadLeave a Comment

Book Details:

Author: Phoenix Read
Release Date: 21st April 2021
Genre: Non Fiction, Finance
~~Series~~:
Format: E-book
Pages: 234 pages
Publisher: Blackstone Pub.
Blurb:
How to plan for your financial retirement with your partner – even if you are starting late?
Have you been worried about your finances when you and your partner eventually retire?
Maybe you have been thinking about how you would cope when you finally retire?
Do you absolutely have no clue how to start, or perhaps you gave up at some point?
Planning your finances can be sometimes daunting – it becomes even more challenging if it’s your retirement you need to plan for, and you have to do it as a couple.
This book aims to intentionally cover the gap in the market for materials that cover financial planning for couples as against what we have that basically talks about individuals. It further bolsters how couples can minimize costs and maximize their wealth if they work together. With many years of research and unraveling secrets of lifetime income maximization and a passion for family wealth management, Phoenix Read bears his mind and offered loads of helpful support, tools, and information on how couples can overcome these obstacles.
In this book, Phoenix lets it all out. You will learn how to get started on your financial retirement plans.
His understanding of the challenges couples face when talking about money will help you and your partner overcome several years of not planning together.

Here’s a snapshot of what you will get.

You will learn the best approach for couples and the best time to start talking about financial planning as couples. You will understand if one partner should keep working while the other retires or if both of you should retire at the same time.
You will know more about what you are entitled to, and it is worth retiring early or late.
It answered common questions on the mind of most couples as they approach retirement. Questions like where to live, what to do with your time, if you should retire at the same time, how much you need for retirement, and many more.
You will be exposed to several investment vehicles where you can invest and grow your money without the risk of losing them to government policies or drastic market changes. The author discussed the pros and cons of all the investment opportunities in the book.
How compounding interest works in your favor if you know how to take advantage of the opportunity. It also contains how to diversify your investment successfully.
3 Phases of Retirement. You will learn how to prepare and what to do at each phase.
It also delves into the various component of your planning and everything you need to know, like life expectancy, social security, and the best time to claim them.
Several studies show that the elderly are more likely to lose their money to fraudsters. So, there’s a whole chapter that talks about how to avoid losing your hard-earned money to dubious characters.
There’s a comprehensive guide on how to manage your health in retirement. It contains topics like health insurance, medical cost, and a lot more.

And a whole lot more!
Phoenix wrote this book with you in mind, and that is not just a cliche!
Whatever level you and your partner find yourself in, you will find the right guide to start and get your retirement plans up and running.

Warning!!! This is not one of those financial books littered with jargon!
Every term used in this book was carefully simplified. The book is easy to understand with all the complex financial terms broken into simple languages for your understanding. Additionally, there are loads of relatable examples available for your understanding.

Review

Retirement Planning for Couples: The Ultimate Financial Guide to a Stress-Free and Happy Aging is a very straightforward book on financial advice for retiring couples and people in the same age group. This book has a lot of good suggestions for anyone looking for guidance on planning their finances, especially for retirement.

Apart from investments and financial planning, this book also gives some key insights into how to approach retirement as a couple as well as the right time to start thinking about it. This is something that I really liked because most of the books simply focus on the mechanics of core techniques but not the initial approach to those techniques.

I’d recommend this book to everyone looking for financial guidance or some new strategies for effective retirement savings.

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ARC Review: Beneath the Veil (The Valor of Valhalla Book 1) by Martin Kearns

26/09/2021Dark Fantasy, Fantasy, Martin Kearns, Urban FantasyLeave a Comment

Book Details:

Author: Martin Kearns
Release Date: 11th October 2021
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: The Valor of Valhalla (Book #1)
Format: E-book
Pages: 322 pages
Publisher: –
Blurb:
In a battle between two ancient evils, can one naïve young man become the last hope against powerful creatures of legend?
David Dolan thinks he’s already got the world figured out. But when a collapsed bridge plunges him into the icy Hudson, he’s pulled deep into the deadly realm that exists between life and death. And with his earthly form trapped in a coma, he’s vulnerable to the horde of demons hell-bent on his utter destruction.
Traversing the road to the afterlife, David seeks the wisdom and skills he needs to fight the demonic forces reigning havoc on his allies above ground. But as one hellish threat closes in on his defenseless body, David must defeat another terrifying fiend waiting in the shadows to use him…
Can David escape the world beneath the veil in time to stop the bloodshed?
Beneath the Veil is the gripping first book in The Valor of Valhalla dark urban fantasy series. If you like reluctant heroes, infernal myths, and bloody epic clashes, then you’ll love Martin Kearns’s formidable foray into the unknown.

Review

Beneath The Veil by Martin Kearns is a a unique urban fantasy book that has bucket loads of demons, epic battles and some old as well as new myths that makes it a very entertaining read.

I loved the world-building in this book and the writing was great and complimented the plot very well. The characters were solid and well-developed making it a very engaging and intriguing read, keeping me at the edge of my seat throughout the story. The ending was great and I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series!

I’d definitely recommend this book to all urban fantasy readers as well readers who are looking to explore a new dark fantasy series by a new author.

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ARC Review: Ravens In The Rain: A Noir Love Story by by Christie Santo and Jeff Santo

20/09/2021Christie Santo, Jeff Santo, RomanceLeave a Comment

Book Details:

Author: Christie Santo & Jeff Santo
Release Date: 22nd September 2021
Genre: Romance
~~Series~~:
Format: E-book
Pages: 248 pages
Publisher: BookBaby
Blurb:
Ravens In The Rain centers around Pru and Carney, she’s a woman with a past, and he’s a man with no future. Down on luck and down on love, they meet over a game of chance at an off-strip Vegas casino, and Carney wonders if Pru’s sparkle is what he needs to lift him from his darkness. He doesn’t even mind that she swiped a hundred-dollar bill from an old cowboy. It excites him.
While Pru, disillusioned by her sparkle, is now accustomed to the cynical disposition of vagabond life. She’s not looking for a one-night stand; she’s looking for survival and sizing Carney up as a comfortable solution, for the moment. When she finds out who he really is, she’ll ante up for the game of her life.
This romantic noir is a turbulent flight; like dating in the 21st century, it’s dangerous and daring.

Review

Ravens In The Rain by Christie Santo & Jeff Santo is an intriguing and entertaining noir love story.

Being a mystery and crime fiction fan, I’ve read some noir crime mysteries but a noir romance novel was a first for me and I’m glad that I read It because I enjoyed it more than the normal romance novels. Ravens In The Rain is a well-written novel with a great concept that is executed really well. I enjoyed the imagery invoked by the author’s writing style that bordered on magic realism while staying true to the noir story elements.

It was an experience in itself. I enjoyed the characterisation as they are richly developed and had really good background stories. Overall it is a great story and I’d definitely recommend it to all readers, romance readers and others alike.

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Book Review: It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

17/09/202124/09/2021Colleen Hoover, RomanceLeave a Comment

Book Details:

Author: Colleen Hoover
Release Date: 2nd August 2016
Genre: Romance, Contemporary Fiction
~~Series~~:
Format: E-book
Pages: 385 pages
Publisher: Atria Books
Blurb:
Sometimes it is the one who loves you who hurts you the most.
Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up
— she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.
Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating” rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place.
As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan — her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.

Review

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover is so much more than what one expects from it on the surface. Particularly the last 25% was emotionally tormenting for me, personally, to read as it covered themes of domestic abuse (something I witnessed in my own home growing up) and love intertwined in a complex web in which women often find themselves being tangled in.

This book is beyond good and I simply cannot rate it solely based on its literary merit as the message that is encased in this beautiful book is something that NEEDS to be spread in this world where women (and even men) are abused and they are either too scared or simply left with no choice to break the cycle of physical abuse.

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ARC Review: When Love Sticks Around by Danielle Dayney

15/09/202124/11/2021Danielle Dayney, memoir, Non-Fiction1 Comment

Book Details:

Author: Danielle Dayney
Release Date: 15th November 2021
Genre: Memoir
~~Series~~:
Format: E-book
Pages: 156 pages
Publisher: Belle Isle Books
Blurb:
Hand-me-down pants that don’t quite fit, twilight bike rides down sleepy neighborhood streets, sweaty family camping trips, the things that almost break you, and the things you barely notice-it’s hard to see the shape of your life until you’re looking back on it.
In this collection of short essays, Danielle Dayney recounts her experiences as an awkward child in the piecemeal family that raised her. From her biological father’s absence to her mother’s battle with cancer to the birth of her daughter, Dayney’s stories venture beyond anecdote to nest safely among the tangled experiences that shape the people we become. With a keen eye for the pebbles of humor and glimmers of beauty along the rough roads of her life, Dayney has crafted a book that feels as familiar as a home-cooked meal and as exciting as the first night in a new city.
When Love Sticks Around is a memoir of love, loss, humor, identity, and above all, family-the one you’re born into and the one you gather along the way.
Those are the things worth sticking around for.

Review

“…it’s hard to see the shape of your life until you’re looking back on it.”
Danielle Dayney

When Love Sticks Around by Danielle Dayney is a beautiful memoir that is an ode to her past life and her beautiful family. This book is in the form of essays that will not only tell you about the author’s life and her experiences but will also make you relieve your own past because her writing is very relatable.

I am so glad that I got the opportunity to read this book because When Love Sticks Around is one of those books that feel less like a story (stories in this case) and more like an experience that is whole in itself. The author’s nostalgic reminiscence of her life, which was so filled with love and sometimes heartbreak, made me deeply connect to her on a level that is hard to explain. And these kind of feelings can only be evoked in a reader when the book is written from the heart and with a lot of love – not to mention with exceptional writing skills.

I would like to congratulate the author on penning down such an emotional journey in such an elegant and relatable way. I would definitely recommend this beautiful memoir to every reader as I am sure this book will speak to each and every one of its readers on some level or another. This is not a book to be missed.

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Book Review: Glimmer of The Other by Heather G. Harris

09/09/202109/09/2021Heather G. HarrisLeave a Comment

Book Details:

Author: Heather G. Harris
Release Date: 1st September 2021
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Glimmer Of The Other (Book #1)
Format: E-book
Pages: 188 pages
Publisher: –
Blurb:
I can tell when you’re lying. Every. Single. Time.
I’m Jinx. As a private investigator, being a walking, talking lie detector is a useful skill – but let’s face it, it’s not normal. You’d think it would make my job way too easy, but even with my weird skills, I still haven’t been able to track down my parent’s killers.
When I’m hired to find a missing university student, I hope to find her propped up at a bar – yet my gut tells me there’s more to this case than a party girl gone wild. Firstly, she’s a bookish soul who’s as likely to go off the rails as Mother Theresa. Secondly, I’m not the only one on her trail; she’s also being tracked by the implacable and oh-so-sexy Inspector Stone.
Stone and I team up, and he shoves me into a realm where magic is real – a place where there are vampyrs and werewolves, dragons and trolls. And where my skills are more than just detecting lies…
Oh, and my dog? He’s a freaking hellhound who can manipulate the magical realms themselves.
I need to find the girl.
I need to discover who killed my parents.
And I need to find out more about the attractive but mysterious Zachary Stone…

Review

Glimmer Of The Other by Heather G. Harris is a wonderful beginning – the first book, in the new urban fantasy series Glimmer Of The Other. I LOVED reading this book because it was thoroughly entertaining and very, very well-written.

This book has everything – I mean EVERYTHING, right from dragons to vampires, wizards to trolls & werewolves and all this on top of other paranormal beings and phenomenons. This book was one hell of a rollercoaster ride in well-developed and beautifully executed urban fantasy settings.

The characters were very strong and I was able to connect to all of them (even the secondary ones.) I loved reading this book and seeing how things turned out for the characters and I am really looking forward to reading the next book in this series (hopefully soon!)

I’d recommend this book to all fantasy readers.

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ARC Review: Destiny of Dreams: Time Is Dear by Cathy Burnham Martin

31/08/202130/08/2021Cathy Burnham Martin, Dark Fiction, HistoricalLeave a Comment

Book Details:

Author: Cathy Burnham Martin
Release Date: 31st August 2021
Genre: Historical Fiction
~~Series~~:
Format: E-book
Pages: 242 pages
Publisher: Quiet Thunder Publishing
Blurb:
What happens when an American girl of Eurasian descent finds herself suddenly immersed in all facets of her Armenian ancestry? Told with an often soulfully introspective voice, “Destiny of Dreams” follows the true story of a teenager and her grandfather, retracing loving, learning, and terrifying footprints of the past. While survival remains center stage, love and courage must emerge, or all will be both lost and forgotten. More fact than fiction, the author reveals her Armenian roots in this historical novel, chronicling her family members’ love, strength, and resolve to both survive and thrive in treacherous times. Reflecting the traumas suffered by all people displaced from their original homelands, this Armenian story focuses on one family’s challenge to find light in the dark days of the waning Ottoman Empire. Anyone with the diaspora in their family heritage will relate. Whether thinking of Jewish people from Israel, Africans scattered through slavery, Armenians fleeing annihilation in Turkey, so-called boat people escaping Asia, or Syrians fleeing life-threatening violence in their own nation, humans continue to rise up in the face of the toughest times. Who would emerge from extraordinarily desperate places, and how could they choose to set positive examples of humanity during highly inhumane times? Set in the early 1900s and flashing forward to the 1960s, the story’s themes ring with tolerance and intolerance, dreams and destroyers, family and friends, amidst challenges that eerily parallel life in current judgmental scenarios.

Written for Young Adult and Adult audiences, the book contains some explicit descriptions and a couple of disturbing, though not graphic, violent scenes. While not gratuitous, the depictions may be unsuitable for young readers

Review

Destiny Of Dreams: Time Is Dear by Cathy Burnham Martin is a beautifully written historical fiction book about survival and the darkness that plagues our society.

This book was a rollercoaster ride of emotions, along with quiet graphic descriptions of violence, which lent this book an air of seriousness that otherwise would have been missing. I liked reading this book from cover to cover because the plot was very engaging, the writing was good, the characterisation was well done and the execution of the story was really good.

I would recommend this book to all historical fiction buffs. Although do keep in mind that this book has some graphic violent scenes (for those who might find them triggering.)

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Releasing in Sept

Book Review: SimplyMutual : The 1% Formula To Gain Financial Freedom by Deepak Mullick

30/08/2021Deepak Mullick, Non-FictionLeave a Comment

Book Details:

Author: Deepak Mullick
Release Date: 19th August 2021
Genre: Non-Fiction, Finance
~~Series~~:
Format: E-book
Pages: 191 pages
Publisher: –
Blurb:
Everyone wants to be rich, but not everyone is. There is a method and meaning to it that’s more than just numbers.
In this book, investment veteran Deepak Mullick takes you on a journey to financial freedom. SimplyMutual isn’t just a guide to make more money, it is about building wealth to live the life of your dreams.

If you’ve ever thought of retiring in your 40s to do what you love, this is THE book for you!

You can find this book on:
Amazon | Goodreads

Review

SimplyMutual : The 1% Formula To Gain Financial Freedom by Deepak Mullick is a new release in the Indian Finance genre.

I generally don’t read finance-related or investing advice books, but the title of this one was very catchy and intriguing therefore I was more than happy to give it a read. And I am very happy that I did as this book had a lot of wisdom to impart and a lot of good suggestions for people of all ages to learn about investing. The best part, for me, about this book is that it is written in a very easy-to-understand-by-a-layman language and the author has simplified concepts, which I am sure, are not that easy to grasp otherwise.

I would definitely recommend this book to everyone who’d like to know about investing and the author’s 1% formula.

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Book Review: Family Matters (The Island Expats #3) by Deb McEwan

18/08/2021Cosy, cozy mystery, Deb McEwan, MysteryLeave a Comment

Book Details:

Author: Deb McEwan
Release Date: 7th August 2021
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Series: The Island Expats (Book #3)
Format: E-book
Pages: 112 pages
Publisher: –
Blurb:
A troubled daughter. A heinous crime. A vengeful woman.
When Matt’s daughter, Kayleigh takes a job in Souvia to escape her abusive ex, she’s horrified to be a victim of a malicious crime that goes disastrously wrong.
Matt has no idea why his daughter and her new boss have been targeted, but he’s determined to protect Kayleigh and to ensure her safety from those who want to harm her.
Elena and Kayleigh find themselves right in the firing line as the investigation progresses. Will they err on the side of caution, or will Kayleigh’s skills stop the criminals in their tracks?
Family Matters is the third novella in The Island Expat series. A two-hour crime fiction read with a touch of romance, set on the fictional Mediterranean island of Souvia.

Review

Family Matters by Deb McEwan, the third book in The Island Expats series and the sequel to Bondu and Beyond.

This book was just as good as the first two books in this series and I am so glad I got to read them all. I liked this book because the writing was great, the plot and the concept were very refreshing and the characterisation was well done. So, all in all, this book had all the things that I had expected and then some. I’ve come to like the author’s narrative voice and it made reading this book very quick affair for me, not to mention, the well-executed pacing of the book helped in that too.

I’d definitely recommend this book and the series (so far at least) to all the readers of cosy mystery and mystery genre.

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Book Review: The Tribunals by David Spivak

11/08/2021David Spivak, Post Apocalypse, Young Adult1 Comment

Book Details:

Author: David Spivak
Release Date: 28th April 2021
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic, Young Adult
~~Series~~:
Format: E-book
Pages: 222 pages
Publisher: New Degree Press
Blurb:
“Justice is about all of us.”

New Boston was born out of a series of nuclear wars after the devastating results of climate change rendered the US eastern seaboard uninhabitable. The city kept peace through its self-governing tribunal system and was thriving. But what started off as an egalitarian society began to divide along economic lines. The rich moved into the upper levels of the city and the poor masses retreated below ground. Food became rationed and tensions erupted…
The Tribunals follows Jaym, a teenager bursting with youthful energy who grew up in the dark alleys of the Furrows. When a job takes him to the upper levels of the city, he soon faces the most powerful family in New Boston, the Chief Justice and his children, Piers and Gwen. Gwen is intrigued by this Furrows boy, Piers feels threatened by the intrusion.
As the city goes through political upheaval, Jaym finds himself fighting forces greater than himself to try and save his friends and, ultimately, the city from a corrupt system. Can New Boston be stopped from complete collapse?

Review

Book Review

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Cenotaphs by Rich Marcello is a beautifully written book about platonic love. It is an unusual love story about a retiree and a girl who is decades younger than him.

The characterisation was brilliant and helped me feel a strong connection to the main characters, Ben and Samantha. The writing was great and complimented the story beautifully. The concept is unique and engaging and the execution of the plot was flawless.

I’d highly suggest this book to all readers, especially those who like a well-written love story that goes way beyond the normal conventions and explores the depth of characters’ emotions.

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Book Review: Aerth’s Aetheric Aegis: The White Mantle by Velora Venn

18/07/202119/07/2021new adult, New Adult Fantasy, Velora VennLeave a Comment

Book Details:

Author: Velora Venn
Release Date: 3rd June 2021
Genre: Fantasy, New Adult Fiction
Series: Aerth’s Aetheric Aegis (Book #1)
Format: E-book
Pages: 469 pages
Publisher:
Blurb:
The Aerth’s Aetheric Aegis series is new adult fiction the blends the genres of steampunk, fantasy, science fiction, dystopian, and romance.
A young woman named Elvira Evenfall has grown up in the ruggedly remote, yet enchanting Falsvik Islands with her grandfather. Her life in a simple fishing village is quaint and serene, but that all changes when a looming threat to the world suddenly invades her tiny corner of it.
A swarm of suspicious bats with enigmatic origins known as the Curse, which can infect people through their bites, transforming them into horrible, bat-like monsters, endangers all human life and now is made very real to Elvira and her loved ones.

Dark and controversial secrets about her family and identity also begin to surface, and before long, she’s faced with a major decision: to accept the mystical and versatile energies known as aether and assume her role as an Aethaumaturge in order to join the precarious fight for the security of Aerth, or hold onto the comforting life she so loves?
This choice is made all the easier when it is revealed that her own parents, who were thought dead, are actually still alive. Elvira’s priorities quickly change to wishing to find and return them home safely.
Her decision instantly results in a corresponding new danger, though, forcing her to flee from her peaceful village. A secret society of Aethaumaturges promises to keep her safe in Brume, the impressive and imposing capital of the country of Lluminox.
A host of obstacles and an assortment of characters are met along the way. While she struggles to gain control of her new powers, she also must decipher her similarly new, unanticipated romantic feelings for two separate individuals — one male, and one female.
It becomes increasingly clear, through her interactions, that the world isn’t just plagued by a pandemic, but also an elite ruling class of superior people who often exploit the underprivileged and abuse their power. These people, known as Ascendants, are a vestige of the Archaic Era, a technologically-advanced time period from hundreds of years prior that was considered the pinnacle of mankind, but concluded with civilization collapsing and the destruction of nearly all humankind, due to the ancient peoples’ malice and selfishness.
Let’s hope history doesn’t repeat itself.
Join Elvira and crew on this whimsical, wild ride through a retro-futuristic time. Meet humanoid and animal automata, witness powerful, magic-like abilities, and discover the many mysteries awaiting both Elvira and the reader along the way.

Book Review

Okay, let’s start with the cover of this book! Truly magical!? Am I right? Just by looking at it any reader is bound to be intrigued and would want to read the story right away.

Aerth’s Aetheric Aegis: The White Mantle by Velora Ven is an action-packed book with highly relatable, flawed and badass characters. The character development in the story is simply phenomenal; the main protagonist Elvira is one of the most unique characters I’ve ever read! Yes, she has her flaws but with the help of her close ones, she tackles everything that comes her way. I really enjoyed reading about her journey. The other thing that I loved in the book was the relationship dynamics in the story. I won’t delve into much detail because SPOILERS!, but I ended up really enjoying the drama going on throughout the book. It is filled with beautiful and amazing artwork throughout, which made the book compelling for me.

With its intriguing plot structure, some highly powerful characters, and their development, Velora Ven has delivered an action-packed thrilling and enthralling adventure for the readers. If you want to dwell in a different world that is captivating and refreshing, I would highly suggest you pick this one up.

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Book Review: Palm Lines by Jonathan Koven

06/07/202107/07/2021Jonathan Koven, PoetryLeave a Comment

Book Details:

Author: Jonathan Koven
Release Date: 12th December 2020
Genre: Poetry Collection
Series:
Format: E-book
Pages: 53 pages
Publisher: Toho Publishing
Blurb:
These heartfelt poems speak to a transformative journey “to rediscover love as both a question and an answer.” Seeking hope, honoring family, finding love, accepting time’s passage, and understanding gratitude are all major themes explored in this dreamlike collection.

Review

A book that’s dedicated to the writer’s family, does a phenomenal job of capturing raw emotions, love, nature and of course family. The book is divided into three parts: Life line , Heart line and Head line.

The first section of the book gives the readers the nostalgic feeling of one’s childhood and appreciates various other small natural elements. While reading some lines I was so struck at the beauty through which these small nature filled elements were added by the the author. With lines like, “if I focus on the branches, they’ll sway maybe singing” the poet literally tugs on the reader’s heartstrings. All the poems, have this fresh, pleasant aura to them, too many emotions packed that makes you feel love the most. Even though at times the mood of the poems may appear melancholic the end message the reader receives is life is wonderful.

The second section I feel talks about the adulthood and life’s hardships and the wonderful feeling of loving and being loved. Some poems are filled with longing and hope that makes the readers feel a certain kind of intimacy with the writer. I loved how the poet was able to capture cities and everyday life in his poems and the message at the end of the section again was love and how important family is. Though at times being melancholic, Jonathan Koven does a fantastic job of portraying emotions flawlessly. Inspite of having many emotions throughout all poems, the one emotion that is highlighted and repetitive is that of love. With lines like

"Another and another.
It cannot be denied
there are those who remember,
and those who love." The poet makes it quite clear how highly he regards this feeling of love. 
The line that was my personal favourite was "Love crawls over
your heart. 
Maybe you stumbled into a dream,
and then, into this body." Lines like these made me feel that the book was worth reading. 
The last section dwells on longing and how love can be so painful and fruitful at the same time, while reading, I was so in awe of some lines like,
"I would try to steal it all
as tide fills in, to hold anything
before drowning—but
it is better to let go."

One word to describe it was simply beautiful. The poetry at times feel like a haunting melody and the raw emotions and memories captivate the reader from the very start. If you are a emotional person like me, then Jonathan Koven’s lines will at times tug at your heartstrings and leave you feeling vulnerable but at the same time you’ll be struck by how hauntingly beautiful and mesmerising the words are.

Captivating, Raw, Emotional, Melancholic and filled with unconditional love, is how I would describe Palm lines. It’s a very quick read and one can finish it in one go, if someone wants to know the importance of love and family and wants to feel emotions I highly recommend one should pick this one up.

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Book Review: The Greatest Game by Greg Rajaram

25/05/202125/05/2021Drama, Greg Rajaram, Indian Literature, Literary Fiction, Philosophy, Surreal FictionLeave a Comment

Author: Greg Rajaram
Release Date: 15th April 2021
Genre: Philosophy, Drama, Literary Fiction, Surreal
Series:
Format: E-book
Pages: 242 pages
Publisher: –
Blurb:
Ever since humans became self-aware, we have struggled to find the meaning of life. The price we paid for becoming intelligent was to become painfully ignorant of the difference between good and evil.

Adi, a 10-year-old boy, works together with two old philosophers as they try to unravel the prophecy of a promised King. With insatiable curiosity, Adi must work with the wise men as they rationalize with each other on why and how humans became intelligent. Together they attempt to answer some of the most profound questions related to existence. Does evolution end with human beings or is there an ‘Overman’ who can reach evolution’s pinnacle? Will this Overman be able to define values for humankind?
Centuries later a young boy promises his mother that he will always uphold the love that she has taught him. It is a promise that drowns him in the nectar of the gods. Krish grows up to be an engineer and joins a team of scientists as they try to create artificial consciousness in a machine.
Krish soon realizes that he has a bigger fight on his hands. A fight to preserve love in a desolate world. His quest for true love ultimately leads him down a path where he comes face to face with a fearsome snake delivering a kiss of death.
Humans have come a long way by questioning the nature of objects around us and pushing the limits of our intelligence, but it’s now time that we ask the greatest question yet: when does intelligence transcend to become consciousness?

Review

The Greatest Game by Greg Rajaram is a philosophical read with complex characters and plotline that will leave you introspecting about life and everything else in its wake.

This book a very fresh take on a concept well-loved and widely accepted therefore it was very interesting to read this book. I liked the author’s narrative style and the fact that the book was layered with complexity, intrigue and knowledge very well. I also liked the characterisation as they were all well-developed and rounded characters.

I’d recommend this book to all readers, especially to readers of philosophical fiction.

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Book Review: Pies To Die For – How to Live a Vibrant Life Despite a Fatal Diagnosis by Dr. Carole Weaver

18/05/202119/05/2021Dr. Carole Weaver, memoir, Non-FictionLeave a Comment

Author: Dr. Carole Weaver
Release Date: 28th April 2021
Genre: Memoir, Non-Fiction
Series:
Format: E-book
Pages: 141 pages
Publisher: Carole Weaver-Linsner
Blurb:
Pies to Die for is a how-to against the bad stuff of living with metastatic cancer or other lethal diagnosis–the monsters that attack your frame of mind, so you can’t enjoy the time you have left. It is also a romp through art appraising: specifically, through the author’s husband and his clients who have lost art through death, debt, divorce, and disaster.

These stories offer hints about how to cope with something beautiful being gone, or they entertain you with the strangeness of human nature–even without stage four anything. This book is meant to give you tools for your journey, however long or short, so that you live vibrantly, gratefully, and with gusto till the end.

Review

Pies To Die For: How to Live a Vibrant Life Despite a Fatal Diagnosis by Dr. Carole Weaver is a beautiful book full of gems such as some really good advice, hearty anecdotes, relatable moments of grief and laughter and, most importantly, a lesson on how we tend to ignore to live once we know about how we may die.

This book is written by a terminally ill author, and I would like to salute her for her courage to pen such a beautiful book under her circumstances. You can read between the lines about how passionate the author is about the things that she writes about and it is this particular thing that made me enjoy this book the most.

I would recommend this book to all readers of fiction and non-fiction alike.

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ARC Review: Ecclesia’s Table by Mason S Haynie

06/05/2021Dystopian, Mason S Haynie, Speculative-FictionLeave a Comment

Author: Mason S Haynie
Release Date: 29th June 2021
Genre: Dystopian Fiction, Speculative Fiction
Series:
Format: E-book
Pages: 368 pages
Publisher: Mason S. Haynie
Blurb:
The world is a wasteland. It always has been. Moshe, Amaru, and Reenu have never known anything other than the desert wasteland that raised them. When the rumor arises that something other than barren landscape could be out there, the three of them make haste for an abundant future. Upon arrival at this established society, the group quickly learns how and how not to get along amidst group dynamics and seemingly sinister mystery. The trials and social politics that Moshe, Amaru, and Reenu face teach them that some rules are useful and some are meant to be broken. Have a seat at Ecclesia’s Table.

Review

Ecclesia’s Table by Mason S Haynie is a unique dystopian novel set in a fictional world with a unique twist and a refreshing take on the genre itself.

This book is different from any other dystopian book I’ve ever read and therefore it was enjoyable to read. The characterisation was good and the concept was great. The world-building though could have been a little better had the author focused on the exposition for the place at least. Other than that I have no issues with the book and actually enjoyed it. It felt like a self-contained novel in the entirely of the book.

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Book Review: Dear Me: Letters to Myself, For All of My Emotions by Donna Tetreault

06/05/202106/05/2021Children's Fiction, Donna Tetreault, Non-FictionLeave a Comment

Author: Donna Tetreault, Elisena Bonadio (Illustrations)
Release Date: 15th March 2021
Genre: Children’s Non-Fiction
Series:
Format: E-book
Pages: 36 pages
Publisher: Donna Tetreault
Blurb:
Dear Me, Letters to Myself For All of My Emotions teaches young children how to recognize and manage the emotions they feel throughout the day. Through a series of letters that begin with, Dear Me, a young child writes down his feelings. These letters allow him to recognize that he can change how he feels while practicing self-kindness and compassion.

Dear Me serves as a guide to help kids learn about expressing feelings, understanding those feelings, and then deciding what to do about them in ways that are healthy, helpful, and kind. The book models several approaches for parents, but, more directly, models how children can develop the social-emotional skill of managing emotions by naming emotions, journaling, and mindful breathing.

Beautiful illustrations support this empowering message designed to help children understand and appreciate all of their emotions.

Dear Me, Letters to Myself For All of My Emotions teaches children:
– Self-love
– Self-regulation
– Self-advocacy
– Managing emotions
– Empathy
– Journaling
– Mindful breathing

Review

A beautiful children’s book I would highly suggest to all parents for their little ones. It teaches the kids about self-love, which I think, is very unique and one of the biggest plus points about this unique and amazing book!

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ARC Review: Winning Streak – Tales and Trivia of the 40 Most Popular Board Games by John-Michael Gariepy

19/04/2021Humor, John-Michael Gariepy, Non-FictionLeave a Comment

Author: John-Michael Gariepy
Release Date: 13th January 2021
Genre: Humour, Non-Fiction, Games
Series:
Format: E-book
Pages: 196 pages
Publisher: Popcorn Roulette
Blurb:
Did you ever wonder:
♞ What makes Clue the best movie based on a game franchise?
♝ What does the doubling cube in backgammon do?
♜ How trains are even supposed to operate in Ticket to Ride: Antarctica?
♛ How the designer of the board game Pandemic feels now that he’s lived through an actual global pandemic?
♚ Whatever happened to the Monopoly game show from the 90s?

Based on Ranker’s poll of almost 400,000 votes, these games define us. From multiple-award winning masterpieces of the past decade, to indestructible classics still going strong after 5,000 years of play, these are the games you must play before you die. Well, except for Sorry!. That game is a blight upon this list and mankind as a whole.

Excuse me. What I’m trying to say is that I wrote this book about games, and I thought you might like it.

Review

Winning Streak: Tales and Trivia of the 40 Most Popular Board Games by John-Michael Gariepy is a fun, informative and entertaining read about the most iconic and loved games int he history of games!

This book was deliciously entertaining and I enjoyed reading ever scrap of information this book had to offer. I loved the writing style of the author because it made the book a quick and easy affair and the straightforwardness only made it all the more engaging.

I would definitely recommend this book to everyone because this book contains trivia and fun bits about games we all have played or heard of at some point or another. So do go for it as it an a delightful and quick read!

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Book Review: Reflections of an Anxious African American Dad by Eric L. Heard

18/04/2021Eric L. Heard, memoir, Non-FictionLeave a Comment

Author: Eric L. Heard
Release Date: 13th January 2021
Genre: Memoir, Non-Fiction
Series:
Format: E-book
Pages: 73 pages
Publisher:
Blurb:
The purpose of this book is an awkward discussion of Eric Heard’s life to his son. He talks about his life in a candid way that tries to explain his anxiety as an African American dad. It is an open and honest account of his life through the life of a child that has been through a lot in his life. It is a reflection on his life that has been shaped by his childhood experiences.

Review

Reflections of an Anxious African American Dad by Eric L. Heard is a heart touching memoir about the author, his son and the stories they have as well as their experiences.

I found this book very emotional, honest and interesting as it was quite a unique experience for me to understand and know the story from the perspective of an African American person. Though at the same time, this book has a lot of things that I was able to relate to, so I’d say that it has a lot to offer to its readers.

I found the narration very simple, elegant as well as introspective and found myself drawn and submerged in the stories and experiences shared by the author in an elegant way. I’d recommend this book to everyone who reads memoirs. It is a quick read and that too an interesting one with unique insights.

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Book Review: An Inkling, A Backpack And All The Time In The World – Travelling On A Whim by Tamara K. Bryant

17/04/202117/04/2021memoir, Non-Fiction, Tamara K. Bryant, Travel, TravelogueLeave a Comment

Author: Tamara K. Bryant
Release Date: 20th October 2020
Genre: Travelogue, Memoir, Non-Fiction
Series:
Format: E-book
Pages: 465 pages
Publisher:
Blurb:
After a great stay in Thailand, Tam and her friends, Casey, Valerie, faced with the sad reality that they only had two more days left before the fun ended and they had to board a plane for home.

It was too soon. She’d only tasted a teeny bit of Southeast Asia and didn’t want to leave go back to her “real” life. But she knew she had to go home. Her flight was booked. She had a job and family to go back to. She couldn’t just stay. Or, could she? What if Tam didn’t go home yet? What if she explored the vast and exotic land of Southeast Asia…by herself…solo?

But was she ready to be on her own? The thought of traveling alone without her friends, terrified her. “On the other hand,” she thought, “would I ever get another chance to really experience Southeast Asia?”

Terrified and excited at the same time, Tamara K. Bryant followed her heart and bravely stepped onto the road that led her to the most exciting and amazing year of her life!

Review

An Inkling, A Backpack And All The Time In The World – Travelling On A Whim by Tamara K. Bryant is an exciting tale about solo travel and adventures (as well as hazardous yet funny misadventures) experienced by the author.

This book was a very quick read because it was very engaging as well as interesting and fun! I enjoyed reading this book because it had so many different elects in the story that it was hard to put this book down. A simple yet thoroughly entertaining read that I’d recommend to anyone who likes travelling and dreams about travelling solo (which I am sure everyone does, at some point or the other in their life.)

You can also read this review on Goodreads and Amazon.

Book Review: Through Forests and Mountains by Margaret Walker

31/03/202131/03/2021Historical, Margaret WalkerLeave a Comment

Author: Margaret Walker
Release Date: 16th February 2021
Genre: Historical Fiction
Format: E-book
Pages: 392 pages
Publisher: Penmore Press
Blurb:
Yugoslavia 1942.

Anton Marković didn’t believe in a girl with a gun.

How could the Partisans win this war with only farmers, labourers and women for soldiers? The experiment was ridiculous. He should have stuck to the ships he knew and not be in a forest in Bosnia with a rifle in his hands, and a bullet in his head, and a woman by his side cackling like a throttled fowl in some dazzling display of hormonal triumph.

Tito had allowed the girls from the villages to serve in combat roles, and Mara was all in favour of anything innovative for women. She had just shot her first fascist, and her face beneath Anton’s was exuberant, breathless and beautiful.

He was at war, and clearly on more fronts than he anticipated.

But could he save Mara from that brilliant and psychotic fascist she could not shoot?

From the forests and mountains of Bosnia to the White Cliffs of Dover, the Nazis and the Ustasha battle the most successful resistance movement in Occupied Europe.

Death to Fascism!

Review

Through Forests And Mountains by Margaret Walker is a beautifully written story about personal emotions and difficult situations (socially and otherwise.)

This book reads more like an experience than a story and takes the readers to the historical settings of upheaval in Yugoslavia in the year 1942. The historical backdrop is beautifully articulated and I was really impressed by the author penchant for details. The characterisation is brilliant and I loved the main leads, Anton and Mara, as well as the cast of secondary characters. All the characters had so much to offer to the story and the build-up of the plot, that it made the book a rich combination of a solid plot with equally strong characterisation.

This book covers a wide spectrum of emotions – from one’s love for their country and friendships between individuals to blossoming romantic relationship between the leads (that is built slowly and steadily.) Overall, this book is a highly engaging and entertaining read and I would recommend it to all readers, especially readers who love historical fiction works.

You can also read this review on Goodreads and Amazon.

Book Review: A Brand’s Purpose – Less Unicorn, More Zebra by Laricea Ioana Roman-Halliday

28/03/202129/03/2021Laricea Ioana Roman-Halliday, Non-FictionLeave a Comment

Author: Laricea Ioana Roman-Halliday
Release Date: 27th January 2021
Genre: Non-Fiction
Format: E-book
Pages: 105 pages
Publisher: –
Blurb:
Purpose is a journey, not a destination. More business leaders, marketers and customers need to become aware of true brand purpose and act upon it through business strategies, marketing campaigns and their wallet. This book challenges the way brand purpose has been deployed over the past few years and examines ways of correcting misconceptions and misuses by providing practical solutions and examples of what good looks like. We all have a role to play in the community, so stop dreaming about unicorns and be more zebra!

Review

A Brand’s Purpose – Less Unicorn, More Zebra? by Laricea Ioana Roman-Halliday is an informative, fact-based, no-nonsense book.

I liked this book because it taught me quite a few things. The structure of the book was good and the writing was good enough to compliment the book (considering it is more of a strategic non-fiction book.)

I would recommend this book to entrepreneurs and business folks, especially those of new start-ups as I think this book would provide a lot of value for them giving them great insight into understanding and accordingly connecting with their brand.

You can also read this review on Goodreads & Amazon.

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