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book reviews |
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Author Richard Smith introduces us to The Darziods’ Stone: A special stone hidden in a quiet cove in Cornwall more than 200 years ago, is the object of a desperate search by two opposing factions. When Harry and his school friends discover a code whilst holidaying in the cove, they assume it will lead them to hidden treasure. But dark forces, with seemingly supernatural powers, are working against them. The teenagers soon find themselves caught up in a deadly battle, and will be lucky to escape with their lives, let alone get their hands on the treasure.  This is an exciting story! There were quite a few plot twists that I did not expect. I was on the edge of my seat much of the time. There is also magic, action and bravery exemplified as these teens battle against forces they have little comprehension about. Richard has done an admirable job of weaving seeming disparate elements into a wild and action filled tale that spans 200 years! I have a firm policy against spoiling a good read, so I cannot say more about the story. The writing is above average, Richard does a good job of keeping the point of view clear, and there is little or no confusion. I love the balance of action, narration and dialogue. I give The Darziods’ Stone 4.5 out of 5 stars!  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Darziods-Stone-Richard-Smith https://www.amazon.co.uk/Darziods-Stone-Richard-Smith https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34682202-the-darziods-stone You can follow Richard Smith: https://twitter.com/RichardSmithTT https://www.facebook.com/Time-Trap-1862-360641754046977/ http://www.timetrap.co.uk/ I reviewed two more of the author's book: www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/time-trap-and-time-trap-2 teens, mystery, supernatural, scifi, MG, action Copyright © 2017 Mark L Schultz except for the author's introduction
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Author Malcolm Kushner introduces us to The Official Book of Mob Humor: More than a joke book: Whether it's the Mafia, Russian Mob, Mexican Mob, or Yakusa, organized criminals have one thing in common; they are no laughing matter—until now. First time, all their wit, gaffes, and goof-ups are here. "When the judge threw the book at me, I wish it had been The Official Book of Mob Humor." — Louis Ferrante, former Gambino family associate and author of Mob Rules "A book for all Mafia lovers. During my six years as an undercover FBI agent in the mob, I had many a laugh at the humor of gangsters. A must read." — Joe Pistone aka Donnie Brasco "The Official Book of Mob Humor has hilarious true stories about wise-guys and gangsters, plus lots of other funny stuff. I really got a kick out of it." — Oscar Goodman, Las Vegas Mayor 1999-2011, former defense attorney for notorious U.S. crime figures  This is not just a book about mob jokes and riddles. It is far more than that. It is chock full of trivia and funny lines from mob movies spanning over 80 years. It has newspaper headlines that will make you laugh. It has stories that you won’t believe. It has funny quotes from mobsters, about mobsters, and movie mobsters. I had quite a few laughs, more smiles than I can count, and a number of punny groans. I enjoyed it immensely! There is no need for omerta with this book. I give this book 4.5 stars out of 5! Thank you, Malcom and crew, for a fun ride with a happy ending. I ate the cannoli!  You can buy this book:
https://rdrpublishers.com/the-official-book-of-mob-humor-by-malcolm-kushner https://www.amazon.com/Official-Book-Mob-Humor https://www.amazon.co.uk/Official-Book-Mob-Humor https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14641894-the-official-book-of-mob-humor You can follow Malcolm Kushner: https://twitter.com/museumofhumor http://www.kushnergroup.com/ https://www.facebook.com/malcolm.kushner https://www.linkedin.com/in/malcolm-kushner Copyright © 2017 Mark L Schultz except for the author's introduction Author Phebe Shumate-Yawson introduces us to The Power of Hello: The Power of Hello is a narrative through the eyes of Lola, a thirteen-year-old girl who was afraid to make friends but is then unexpectedly befriended by Briyah Lewis, the richest, most beautiful, and popular girl in school. It’s a story about her journey, how she goes from funny and shy then becomes strong and wise, stronger than she ever knew she could be with the wisdom of her grandmother instilled in her since her infancy. Lola and her friends go through it all together—misunderstandings that nearly end their friendship, bullying, bad hair days, and bad breath. These friends stand together with the help of one another and their parents and Lola’s guardian angel, Rokan (he’s an eagle). These friends love and protect one another through the Power of Hello.  This book is deceptively simple on the surface. Just as still water runs deep, this book is full of wisdom and encouragement that every teenager needs. To be honest there is something for everyone in this book, lessons in faithfulness, facing your fears and telling the truth to a friend. I enjoyed this book quite a bit and feel it is well staged for school kids and young adults. I give this book a strong recommendation to read! I award The Power of Hello a score of 4 of 5 stars.  You can buy this book at:
https://www.amazon.com/Power-of-Hello https://www.amazon.co.uk/Power-of-Hello https://www.goodreads.com/the-power-of-hello You can follow Phebe: https://twitter.com/authorsgift https://www.facebook.com/powerndreams/ teen, teen girl, MG, friendship, inspirational, hope, relationships Copyright © 2017 Mark L Schultz except for the author's introduction Author Vennebush introduces us to his book Math Jokes 4 Mathy Folks: Who says math can’t be funny? In Math Jokes 4 Mathy Folks, Patrick Vennebush dispels the myth of the humorless mathematician. His quick wit comes through in this incredible compilation of jokes and stories. Intended for all math types, Math Jokes 4 Mathy Folks provides a comprehensive collection of math humor, containing over 400 jokes. It’s a book that all teachers from elementary school through college should have in their library. But the humor isn’t just for the classroom—it also appeals to engineers, statisticians, and other math professionals searching for some good, clean, numerical fun. From basic facts (“Why is 6 afraid of 7?”) to trigonometry (“Mathematical puns are the first sine of dementia”) and algebra (“Graphing rational functions is a pain in the asymptote”), no topic is safe. As Professor Jim Rubillo notes, “Math Jokes 4 Math Folks is an absolute gem for anyone dedicated to seeing mathematical ideas through puns, double meanings, and blatant “bad” jokes. Such perspectives help to see concepts and ideas in different and creative ways.”  This book is a lot of fun! I am not a math major, nor am I an English major but I laughed a lot. I didn’t understand all the jokes and you don’t have to. Some of the jokes are so deep that they don’t see the light of day. There are a lot of great jokes, a bunch of horrible puns, quite a few that school age kids will love. There is something for everyone! You can count on this book delivering fun and some eye-rolling moments! I am happy to report that a sequel is in the works and on the way! I give Math Jokes 4 Mathy Folks 4.8 stars out of 5! Thank you mathster Vennebush!  You can buy this book:
https://rdrpublishers.com/collections/humor/products/math-jokes-4-mathy-folks-by-patrick-vennebush https://www.amazon.com/Math-Jokes-4-Mathy-Folks https://www.amazon.co.uk/Math-Jokes-4-Mathy-Folks https://www.goodreads.com/math-jokes-4-mathy-folks You can follow Patrick Vennebush: https://twitter.com/pvennebush https://mathjokes4mathyfolks.wordpress.com/ Here is a link to the review of the second book: www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/more-jokes-4-mathy-folks-by-g-patrick-vennebush Published by: http://rdrpublishers.com/ humor, jokes, puns, riddles, kids, teens, MG, YA, NA Copyright © 2017 Mark L Schultz except for the author's introduction Author Donna O’Ferrall introduces us to The Troubles With Hope volume 2: Having suffered the Troubles of Northern Ireland, Hope and Roy have moved to England with their twins. They are soon overjoyed to hear that Grace, their Grand-daughter, is expecting twins. However, it soon becomes apparent that these twins are going to be a handful! To make matters worse, their dysfunctional father, Shep, moves his outspoken, brash mother Dorris into the family home. Chaos naturally ensues. Meanwhile Susie, who has a love for wildlife and classical music, tries to escape the dark past she endured at the hands of Shep by submerging herself in music. As the story progresses, the music and lyrics paint a picture while the happy and sad times unravel as they journey through life.  This book, the second of the series, is a winsome look at the travails of a family. There is heartbreak and joy, pleasure and pain; like a lot of other families. Donna has a unique way of tying the situations together with music. Music is such a universal fount of encouragement, enjoyment and courage. Your heart will be lifted up and you might shed a tear. The Troubles With Hope volume 2 gets a score of 3 out of 5 stars because of the unique use of music throughout the book.  You can buy Donna’s book:
https://www.amazon.com/Troubles-Hope-Donna-Louise-OFerrall https://www.amazon.co.uk/Troubles-Hope-Donna-Louise-OFerrall https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33508039-the-troubles-with-hope-volume-2 You can follow Donna: https://twitter.com/donnaluiz298 https://www.facebook.com/ICreateDreamZ Parenting, family relationships, contemporary fiction, Ireland Copyright © 2017 Mark L Schultz except for the author's introduction Author and life coach Steve Chandler introduces us to Fearless: Steve Chandler makes his boldest, most passionate statement yet on how to live the Fearless life and embrace Fearlessness as a life practice. Chandler serves up a potent 56 chapters that will inspire you to challenge your thoughts and shift out of your fears. And to support your fearless thinking, Chandler launched Club Fearless in January 2009.  Kindle Edition  Print Edition I love this book! Steve is so practical and encouraging at the same time. His chapters are short and easy to read. He is not laying out a lockstep, 10-point plan to bring you wealth and fame. He is giving you many different tools and angles to launch yourself into the direction you want to go. The chapters will help you overcome difficulties and stay on your chosen course. Having an outside point of view is so helpful, sometimes we lose sight of the long-range view and forget to stick our head up and look around.  You can buy this book:
http://rdrpublishers.com/collections/self-help/products/fearless-creating-the-courage-to-change-the-things-you-can-by-steve-chandler https://www.amazon.com/Fearless-Creating-Courage https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/Fearless-Creating-Courage-Change-Things https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4192678-fearless You can follow Steve: https://twitter.com/SteveChandler http://www.stevechandler.com/index.html https://www.facebook.com/Steve-Chandler https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephendchandler/ Published by: http://rdrpublishers.com/ job, business, career, change, inspirational, encouragement, self-help, motivational, success Copyright © 2017 Mark L Schultz except for the author's introduction Author Harriet Hodgson introduces us to The Family Caregiver’s Guide: Caring for a loved one at home. What’s really involved? And what does it mean for your family and future? Tens of millions of Americans have had these questions and more as they prepare for this unsettling yet necessary task. The Family Caregiver’s Guide fills in the gaps, connecting the dots between research and real life. Drawing on the author’s extensive caregiving experience, this book provides strategies to care for your loved one, inside and out, as well as for yourself—including how to use your natural skills in your new role, and which skills you may need to add. You’ll discover how to set up your home for caregiving, including a safety checklist, equipment suggestions, and words you should know. And for those days that are more than a handful, you’ll find positive affirmations, a section on facing and accepting illness, and smart steps at the end of each chapter, in case you need guidance in a hurry. Caregiving has both rewards and challenges. But through it all, you’ll discover what’s most important—that caregiving is love in action.  This is a book written with a tremendous amount of love and experience. Harriet has distilled years of caregiving and education into a book that is a valuable source of information as well as encouragement. As she so ably points out, caring for a family member can turn your world upside down and be very lonely at the same time. I feel much wiser after reading this book and far more understanding of the many hurdles a family caregiver encounters on a daily basis. I rate this as a 5-star read for several reasons and cannot recommend it highly enough! If you are not in this situation yourself, you may well know someone who is and they are very likely to need your help.  This is one of several books that Harriet has written.  You can buy Harriet’s book:
https://www.amazon.com/Family-Caregivers-Guide-Book-ebook https://www.amazon.co.uk/Family-Caregivers-Guide-Book-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25904488-the-family-caregiver-s-guide You can follow Harriet: https://twitter.com/healthmn1 http://www.harriethodgson.com/ http://www.harriethodgson.com/blog https://www.pinterest.com/harriethodgson1/ Here is my review of the second book: www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/affirmations-for-family-caregivers dementia, eldercare, foster-care, self-care, inspirational, support, Alzheimers Copyright © 2017 Mark L Schultz except for the author's introduction Author Tegon Maus introduces us to The Gift (the Chronicles of Tucker Littlefield) book 1: Tucker Littlefield is a liar, a thief, a con-man. In an attempt to take advantage of a party thrown by the King, he becomes involved in a kidnapping – the King’s niece, Elizabeth, to be exact. Because of his fear of the dark as well as heights, and a good many other things, he finds himself stabbed and bleeding to death. To save him, a Shaman for the Jonda – Daneba – turns him into a soul bearer for the Kindred. In an effort to find Lizie, Littlefield finds the Norha instead and their leader Tahki - a cannibalistic tribe the lives under a volcano that will leave no stone unturned to find Lizie. Littlefield is blackmailed into her recovery. Will the help of his companion, Enon, help them save Lizie...and themselves? "Transformed by a primitive magic beyond a civilized man's understanding, I was given a horrible gift that no man should possess... It held me, twisted me, turning me at its bidding. I was enslaved by its power, compelled to devour the souls of the dead until I became the monster of my fears. I have seen things I wish never to see again. I have done things of which I wish never to speak. Yet I must if I am to find the answers to fulfill my hope. I have walked upon blue ribbons of molten stone to peer into the depth of a man's soul. I watched as a promise made at birth brought my friend Enon to sacrifice everything to become whole again - all in an effort to save the life of his child. I have cried without shame for the loss of all I hold dear and for fear that the future will hold more than I can bear. I am Tucker Littlefield. Know all that I say now is true-spoken."  I love Tegon’s writing! He normally writes scifi with a touch of humor. This is the first fantasy book by Tegon I have read and he still makes me laugh. Like Tegon’s other books, there is a wonderful balance of dialog, action and introspection. His characters go from frying pan to fire to blast furnace and manage to survive all odds. There is some serious drama in this book and yet there is plenty to laugh about. This is the thing I like so much about all of Tegon’s books, he makes me laugh. The descriptions of scenery and action are wonderful and thrilling. Tegon has successfully created a mood darker than previous books and Tucker’s tortured soul is expressed quite well. I am happy to report that the rumor of more books in this series is going to be true. The Gift gets a score of 4.9 stars.  You can purchase the book:
https://www.amazon.com/The+gift+by+tegon+Maus https://www.amazon.co.uk/The+Gift+by+Tegon+Maus https://www.goodreads.com/the-gift---the-chronicles-of-tucker-littlefield You can follow Tegon Maus: https://twitter.com/TegonMaus http://www.tirgearrpublishing.com/authors/Maus_Tegon/index.htm https://www.facebook.com/Tegon-Maus-150255051766767/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/tegon-maus-93160662 Here is my review of the second book: www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/black-moon-the-chronicles-of-tucker-littlefield-2-by-tegon-maus Fantasy, paranormal Copyright © 2017 Mark L Schultz except for the author's introduction |
Who am I?An avid reader, typobuster, and the Hyper-Speller. I am a husband, father, and grandfather. Archives
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