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book reviews |
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Multi-volume author, Stephen Reeves introduces us to his latest fantasy story, the second volume in the Evercharm trilogy (ignore the volume number on the cover) “The Melody of Three”: Sorcerer Christaan De Rein's return to Liverpool does not go well, starting with the fact that his trusted apprentice, Higgins, dies on the way. Then again, Higgins dies a lot. Of course, Rein doesn't expect to be welcomed with open arms after being banished for nine years, but a cryptic summons from The Musician herself cannot go unanswered. But when Rein arrives all is in chaos. People with fairy blood are turning up dead. The Forum Magicae is undone and the Curators sieged. And in another world altogether, where Earth is just a legend, a girl named Niena and a cursed lyre hold the key to saving both realms. Or destroying them.  This story drew me into its embrace in unexpected ways. I am not normally attracted to the darker side of fantasy. This story felt like it was in a perpetually dusk on a cloudy day. I had a hard time putting the story down, I was wooed and attracted like seldom before. The author’s grasp of language was breathtaking throughout. The images that unfolded in my mind were wonderfully intoxicating at times. Scene setting was extensive as fantasy usually is. Dialogue was terse and well played. The action could have been a bit fuller in a place or two, a few times I had to reread a section to be certain I didn’t miss a syllable. I award 4.8 stars to "The Melody of Three: (Evercharm Trilogy, Book 1).  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/the-Melody of-Three-Evercharm-Trilogy-Book https://www.goodreads.com/-the-melody-of-three https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-melody-of-three-sd-reeves and other major platforms where you buy books. You can connect with the author: https://twitter.com/SD_Reeves https://www.facebook.com/SDReeves.Author https://www.goodreads.com/author/S_D_Reeves I have reviewed the first book of the Evercharm trilogy here: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/curses-of-scale-by-s-d-reeves I have reviewed the third book of the Evercharm trilogy here: www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/a-song-in-the-dark tags: fantasy, fairy, fairies, magic, elf, elves, music, books, sculpture Copyright © 2020 Mark L Schultz except for the author's introduction
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Ph.Ds. Richard Silvestri and Jill Racine introduce us to their new book about defining and treating anxiety and depression, “From Misery to Mastery: A Revolutionary New Treatment for Anxiety and Depression”. This is a self-help guide for people suffering from mild to moderate anxiety and depression, using a multidimensional new method. This method is a combination of the well-tested and proven exposure therapy (which one of the authors helped originate) with the authors' unique system of trait and predisposition analysis, which takes the person's overall psychological makeup and inborn predilections into account, to create in effect a customized treatment for each person. This system also takes into account the three different components of anxiety, all of which must be dealt with to assure effective treatment, and includes a treatment plan for those who wish to take their recovery all the way to complete mastery—total banishment—of these troublesome conditions. This book addresses anxiety in all its forms, including generalized anxiety, situational anxiety, multiple anxieties, very private anxieties, panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder, phobias, PTSD, stress, worry, and fears, including response-based fears. It also addresses many forms of psychological depression, from depression due to losses (grief) to depression mixed with anxiety or anger, as well as other depression-related conditions such as grudges, regret, guilt, and procrastination.  This is a good and helpful book, written by a father and daughter team, who are both psychologists. I enjoyed the book and found it to be well-grounded in reality. The several modes of anxiety and depression are described quite well and so are the different treatments. The authors encourage readers with mild to moderate issues to do it themselves; others with strong issues are recommended to seek guidance from a qualified professional. The many different examples make this book quite interesting and easy to consume. With references and an index those desiring more information can educate themselves further with ease. I award 4.8 stars to “From Misery to Mastery”.
Richard Silvestri, Ph.D. Jillian Racine, Ph.D. You can buy this book:
https://rdrpublishers.com/from-misery-to-mastery-a-revolutionary-new-treatment-for-anxiety-and-depression https://www.amazon.com/from-misery-to-mastery-arevolutionary-new-treatment-for-anxiety-and-depression https://www.goodreads.com/-from-misery-to-mastery You can follow the authors: https://drjillracine.com Tags: psychology, psychiatry, DIY Copyright © 2020 Mark L. Schultz except for the authors’ introduction Debut author, Trish MacEnulty, introduces us to her first book, “The Pink House”: Jen Johanssen is a former porn actor trying to fit into the world of academia. Her sister, Lolly Johanssen, is a cancer survivor. Nicole Parks is in prison for loving the wrong guy. And Sonya Yakowski, also in prison, is a member of a family of traveling criminals, desperately missing her young son. The lives of these four women converge in a Florida prison, where Jen and Lolly have joined forces to put on a grant-funded drama production. Despite their remarkably divergent histories, these women come together in unexpected ways, each beginning to confront and forgive her own past.  This is a wonderful example of women’s literature that anyone will likely derive pleasure from the reading. I really enjoyed the story. The women from such varied backgrounds came across so real. Using the vehicle of a memoir, their different stories converge in a Florida women’s prison. The author does a great job of showing each of the women as a unique individual with their own ambitions and desires. She makes effective use of accents and idioms to differentiate the characters from each other. Much of the book is set in the prison and those descriptions are vivid without being overdone. The dialogue and action all drive the story forward at a comfortable pace. The ending was unexpectedly beautiful, I loved it. I award 4.9 stars to “The Pink House”.  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Pink-House-Trish-MacEnulty https://www.goodreads.com/-the-pink-house https://www.barnesandnoble.com/the-pink-house-trish-macenulty You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/pmacenulty https://www.trishmacenulty.com https://www.facebook.com/pat.macenulty women’s literature, women’s fiction, prison, parole, death, cancer Copyright © 2020 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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