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book reviews |
(Wayfinder Girls Novel Book 1)Debut author, Mark Snoad introduces us to the first book in the Wayfinder Girls series, “Maggie and the Mountain of Light”: A respected organization, a hidden purpose, a world-ending threat. 12-year-old Maggie Thatcher longs to be a courageous Wayfinder Girl. But that's not very likely; she is barely coping with life as it is, relying on her asthma inhaler, epi-pen, and the support of her best friend, Anahira Waititi. Maggie and Anahira attend a Wayfinder 'apocalypse training' camp in London. Despite it being just for fun, the sight of a green-skinned person with other-worldly eyes sends Maggie into a panic, especially as it's a person that only Maggie can see. And then Maggie learns of a dangerous secret that the Wayfinder Girls have kept hidden from the world. Anahira wants in on the secret. Maggie must decide whether to join her friend, even if she has no idea what that decision will ultimately cost. Will Maggie face her fears and journey into the unknown? A Wayfinder Girls adventure filled with mystery, magic, and mayhem.  I enjoyed this story quite a bit. I was so intrigued by Wayfinder Girls I thought it might be a real organization. Maggie is a girl full of fears and always on the edge of survival. I would be too if many foods were trying to kill me. She doesn't realize how brave and resourceful she is. I loved the multi-layered plot and how real many of the characters became. Five stars from me!  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Maggie-Mountain-Light-Wayfinder-Girls https://www.goodreads.com/-maggie-and-the-mountain-of-light https://www.barnesandnoble.com/maggie-and-the-mountain-of-light You can connect with the author: https://twitter.com/SnoadMark https://wayfindergirls.org https://www.facebook.com/mark.snoad1 https://www.instagram.com/mark.snoad.writer https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-snoad-writer Copyright © 2024 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction
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The potter tells us the story of Selinunte 628 B.C. Debut Amazon author, Rocco Spano introduces us to his delightful historical fiction tale, “Lu Bummularu”: The peculiarity of the book lies in the fact that each chapter is introduced with a poem, which is a nice peculiarity and makes an impact on the reader due to its short nature. A way that splits between short story, poem and novel. Another striking feature are the illustrations inserted throughout the story. The story is set in the happy and glorious period of ancient Greece in 628 B.C. in Selinunte and speaks about an object made by the young craftsman Obelius. An object handed down until the 1960s. Bummulu comes from the Greek word 'bombùlion' meaning vase. It would therefore be the story of the creation of a simple container to keep water and wine cool and the adventure of life in Selinunte. It is a sea voyage from Greece to Sicily, where Obelius with his family and other Megareans set up a new colony under the name of Selinos. This name is due to the smell of celery when arriving there. A fictional tale that describes the dream of realising a new agricultural-commercial polis through the union of everyone's strength to help the community. A book that revives the beauty of ancient Greece in Sicily. The story begins from Megara Nisea, Greece, with some misadventures during the journey and the landing at the spot pointed out by the oracle. Obelius goes on talking about the construction of Selinunte after three groups of men have explored the area. The hero continues talking about his adventure in Greece and the Olympic Games, life in Selinunte, his family's work and a dire foreboding What does this book give you? The story is in a variety of exciting genres, from fiction to history - making reading fun and you feel relaxed. This book is good for people with not a lot of time to sit down and read. You can read a chapter a day and I think that’s the best way. If you are an avid reader you can read it all in one go, because the historical content is told with simplicity, abundance of detail, which captivates you and transports you emotionally. Why not for students, they will learn ancient Greek history in Sicily and Sicilian traditions. Learning a foreign language is always a challenge. Being constantly exposed to the language one aims to master is the best way to speed up the learning process. It’s not just by listening to a language that you get to learn it. Reading has also been proven to be a very effective way to learn a foreign language as it helps everyone to become familiar with the proper grammar use, the rhythms, forms and rules of the language. The story is fluid, continuous and filled with a variety of helpful vocabulary combined with a grammatical richness. The best way to learn a new language is by reading, and in this book you will find yourself turning page after page to get to the end of this captivating story that will engage your mind and help you improve your English language. This book for Beginners has been written especially for students from beginner to intermediate level, designed to give a sense of achievement, and most importantly - enjoyment! Mapped to A2-B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference, this story will both entertain you, and give you a feeling of progress while reading. What does this book give you? · This story Is an exciting genres, from fiction to history-making reading fun, while you learn a wide range of new vocabulary · Controlled language at your level, to help you progress confidently and improve your speaking ability · Pleasure! It's much easier to learn a new language when you're having fun, and research shows that if you're enjoying reading in a foreign language, you won't experience the usual feelings of frustration.  I love historical fiction and I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It differs from many other books because it has simple illustrations and short poetry that precedes each chapter. Another thing that sets this book apart from many other historical fiction books is that the story is a vehicle to share detailed information about life during a glorious part of ancient Greek history. The author does a marvelous job of pulling off this trick. The story is pleasant to read and the details of daily life, commerce and customs are quite interesting. I enjoyed this book a great deal and give it 4.7 stars.  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Bummularu-potter-Selinunte https://www.goodreads.com/-lu-bummularu-the-potter-selinunte You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/roccospano71 https://www.facebook.com/rocco.spano.792 https://www.linkedin.com/in/rocco-spano http://roccospano.blogspot.com https://www.instagram.com/rocco.spano.792 Tags: Italy, Italian, Sicily, Sicilian, pottery, history Copyright © 2024 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction. Multi-genre, multi-volume author, Anna Casamento Arrigo introduces us to her book about a sea turtle, “Tessy Turtle”: Enter the sea and land world of Tessy the Turtle! Told in time and told in rhyme, we follow Tessy from her early days of being born on shore to the day she makes her way to the ocean. Along the way, there are simple but timely messages of preserving endangered species, taking care of the environment, and having respect for all life.  I really like this book. it's quite cute and age appropriate. I will read it to my granddaughters, 8 and 10, or maybe they will read it to me. I love the illustrations also. The message is valuable and worth sharing. Caring for the environment and respecting animals is important. Every creature needs space. Five stars from me!  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Tessy-Turtle-Anna-Casamento-Arrigo https://www.goodreads.com/-tessy-turtle https://www.barnesandnoble.com/tessy-turtle-casamento-arrigo You can connect with the author: https://twitter.com/CasamentoArrigo https://www.annacasamentoarrigo.com https://www.facebook.com/anna.casamentoarrigo https://instagram.com/casamentoarrigo I have reviewed another children's book by Anna, "My Mocha Skin": www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/my-mocha-skin I reviewed a memoir by Anna, “Weeds Beneath the Open Meadows”: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/weeds-beneath-the-open-meadows-by-anna-casamento-arrigo I have reviewed another volume of poetry by Anna, “Petals”: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/petals Copyright ©2024 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction A tale of Divine Destiny by Albert T. FranklinDebut fantasy author, Albert T. Franklin introduces us to his deep fantasy story, “Searching For Zen": In a world where Earth intertwines with realms of fantasy and science fiction, a humble boy is bestowed with a divine destiny, thrusting him into a journey of self-discovery and perilous adventure. Our story begins on Earth, but an Earth with a past steeped in fantasy, myths, and legends. From humble beginnings, a boy is given a divine destiny, a chance to make his mark on human civilization, but he must embark upon a life-changing journey. Our hero struggles to understand what he has been given and what to do with it, losing himself in doubt and loneliness as he confronts the dark side of humanity. Coming of age, Zen finds strength in himself, builds a family from a motley collection of strangers, and discovers love. His newfound friends help him open up, learn to trust others, and eventually understand his reason for fighting. The trials he faces throughout his quest amplify as his power increases, and he even sparks the ire of those in the spirit realm, who doubt any human can wield such power successfully. As Zen grapples with the weight of his purpose and the sacrifices it demands, he learns that the true power lies not in his abilities alone, but in the bonds of love, friendship, and the resilience of the human spirit  A classic trope in fantasy, the quest, is explored with care and thought. I enjoyed the story quite a bit, but occasionally a character would break out in very modern speech forms and that jolted me out of the story a few times. I recovered quickly. Spiritual beings, guides and semi-gods brought an interesting dimension I don't see very often in fantasy stories and I enjoyed that. I need to look harder for stories in that vein. There was also a nice variety of non-human creatures that added a pleasant flavor. No spoilers from me but some of the minor characters are very evil and some are not. 4.6 stars from me. I am hard to please.  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Searching-Zen-Tale-Divine-Destiny-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/-searching-for-zen https://www.barnesandnoble.com/searching-for-zen-a-tale-of-divine-destiny You can connect with the author: https://twitter.com/Lost7310 https://alberttfranklin.com Copyright ©2024 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
May 2025
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