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Showing posts with the label review

Cirque Du Slay by Rob Osler

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Cirque Du Slay by Rob Osler narrated by Pete Cross This is the 2nd book in a cozy mystery series.  I hadn't read the first book, and it definitely didn't hinder my enjoyment of this book.  The book follows Hayden McCall and his friends as they walk the tight rope of life, love and solving a murder.  Hayden and his best friend Hollister are helping out with a fundraiser that is being hosted by Hollister's friend Sarah Lee.  However, the main act (Kennedy Osaka) for the fundraiser fails to show.  Since Sarah Lee is a longtime friend of Kennedy, she decides to look for her in Kennedy's hotel room.  Not only does Sarah Lee find Kennedy murdered, but she is found there by the police while holding the murder weapon.  Even though Hayden doesn't really like Sarah Lee, he decides to help his friend Hollister in clearing Sarah Lee's name.   This book is phenomenal!    I listened to the entire book in one day.  I did have to pause a few times to walk away from the book, bu

The Body's Keepers by Paul Kimmel, M.D.

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The Body's Keepers by Paul L. Kimmel, M.D. narrated by Lane Hakel From a medical standpoint, this book is quite interesting.  Does it give you information on how to help yourself if you have kidney issues?  No, it does not.  However, it does a great job of detailing the function of the kidneys, the past and current available treatments, as well as the ramifications of a capitalistic medical machine has on the treatment of patients. Dr. Kimmel uses medical cases and personal accounts to help you understand the ramifications of kidney disease on your health and finances.  Living with kidney disease is not an easy undertaking.  I am currently at stage 3a of chronic kidney disease.  This means that my kidneys are not functioning to the capacity that they are supposed to be.  This book helped open my eyes to what it truly means to have CKD and its effects on my body.  You don't really realize how much is affected by your kidneys not functioning at a normal level.   I was able to lea

Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear by Robin Wasley

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Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear by Robin Wasley narrated by Eunice Wong Can I start by saying "WOW"?  The audiobook is a little over 12 hours long, but I finished it in one day.  I did not want to stop listening at all.  Robin Wasley sped out of the gate with her first book, a great combo fantasy/horror book.   First up, the narration.  Eunice Wong was incredible.  Her voicing of the story kept me on the edge of my seat.  There was depth to her characters as well as range in her intonation of the actual story.  When characters were whispering, she did too.  If the characters were anxious, you could feel it in her voice.  I will definitely be looking for more books narrated by Eunice! The story starts off describing the sleepy little town where tourists visit to see where the magic used to happen.  However, the fault lines were sealed off ages ago and the magic is no longer accessible.  There is one caveat to that though.  There are guardians who hold keys to unlock th

The Wonderful World of Amigurumi by Khuc Cay

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The Wonderful World of Amigurumi by Khuc Cay This book has got to have some of the cutest creations that I have ever seen.  Each one is so darling and special in its own way.  Thankfully, Khuc Cay has provided great instructions that make it easy to create these special animals.   She starts with basic instructions on how to crochet and even embroidery work.  Of course, she provides a list of which types of supplies you will need to finish these projects, as well as which brands of yarns that she likes to work with.  There are also great tips such as putting blush on the cheeks of your creations to increase their cuteness factor.  She also gives tips on how to make them bigger if you would like.   Before the instructions for each amigurumi, she tells you a little bit about its personality.  For instance, the picture on the cover of the book is of Onni the Platypus and he likes to hang out near the water eating ice cream.   The instructions include information on who it is rated for (be

Not Your Crush's Cauldron by April Asher

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Not Your Crush's Cauldron Book 3 of Supernatural Singles by April Asher narrated by Zura Johnson This is the 3rd book in the series and I hadn't read any of the prior books.  This did not affect my ability to follow along with the story.  In fact, I absolutely loved this story.  As soon as I was done listening, I bought the first 2 books.  I can't wait to listen to those!! Zura Johnson creates voices for the characters that fit their personality and has great intonation.  I do tend to listen to my books at 1.5X speed and the pacing at that rate was great.  This is the first book that I have listened to that she has narrated.  I plan to keep an ear out for more of her books.   The series follows triplet witches as they try to discover their true selves as well as their one true love.  In Not Your Crush's Cauldron, we get to know Olive (the 3rd born of the triplets) much more.  She is a reserved, down-to-Earth professor that teaches supernatural studies.  She has a normal

The Witches Workshop by Melissa Jayne Madara

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The Witches Workshop by Melissa Jayne Madara First, I would like to note that I reviewed the eBook edition.  I wanted to mention this since I have already said that I focus on audiobooks.  However, with a book of crafts or recipes, I feel that it is necessary to be able to see the process instead of listening and trying to figure it out in my head.  It is less noisy this way. Now on to the book itself.  This book is a witch's guide to creating your own tools.  The first thing that came to mind when I saw this title was that by crafting your own incense, dyes, or oils you can already start to put your intentions into them while crafting.  This way you will have the added benefit during your spell or ritual work.  Whereas, if you are buying mass produced items, you don't have the energy already starting.   I know that many people skip introductions in this type of book.  There is a lot of great information in this section.  The author attempts to show how the very definition of a

Crocheting Reversible Amigurumi Projects by Jesse Van In

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Crocheting Reversible Amigurumi Projects by Jesse Van In These animals are so cute!  I know that this is going to show my age with this comment, but they sort of remind me of Popples!  The big difference is that Popples only turned into a ball.  Whereas these darlings turn into other things depending on the project you choose.  For instance, the pattern for the fox has an inside that is a cat.  The otter becomes a seashell.   The other cool thing is that you don't have to make them reversible if you don't want.  You can actually make them one sided and seal them closed.  So, if you only want that adorable panda bear, then you make the panda part of the pattern and then fill it with stuffing and seal it off.  Then you have a cute stuffed panda. There are so many handy tips and guidance in this book that even beginners like me have a chance at creating these cuties.  I know that it will take me awhile to finish one of these patterns, but I am working my way through one at the mom

A Midnight Puzzle by Gigi Pandian

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A Midnight Puzzle by Gigi Pandian narrated by Soneela Nankani I have been impatiently waiting for this audiobook to be released.  I was excited when I learned that I could review the eALC for NetGalley. First, let me tell you how I learned of this great series.  I am a HUGE fan of the narrator.  I absolutely love the work of Soneela Nankani and I was wanting something to read, but really didn't feel like tackling my TBL pile.  Well, I did a search to see what books Soneela Nankani narrated and came across this series about a stage magician, locked room mysteries and hidden rooms.  I was intrigued.   Let me tell you that Soneela doesn't disappoint with her voicing of the characters.  From creating the accents for the Indian grandparents to the Scottish grandmother to her American friends, Soneela seems to manage it all without skipping a beat. As for the story, most cozy mysteries you can skip around in the series without an issue.  However, in this particular book, I advise tha

Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan

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Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan narrated by Stephanie Németh Parker This book is listed as a horror-mystery.  I do feel that it is more of just a horror book.  That is perfectly fine with me.  I spent my teen years reading Clive Barker and Leigh Nichols (Dean Koontz pseudonym).  Plus, being a teen in the 80s, I spent time watching horror films such as Nightmare on Elm Street.  So, going into this book, I was ready for horror and blood.   This book is based on the Romanian mythology of the Strigoi.  I know that many people are not aware of the stories surrounding them.  So, the picture on the cover doesn't really make sense to many.  The Strigoi are a mix between a vampire and a zombie.  They start out as a zombie/ghoul type of being that will feed on humans and gain strength.  As they gain strength, they will start to appear more and more human.  In the original tales of the Strigoi, they can turn invisible and shapeshift.  That didn't occur in this book though.  However, the be

The Dollmaker by Morgan Shamy

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The Dollmaker by Morgan Shamy narrated by Kate Rudd Set in the 1920s, there were a few anachronisms that did take me out of the time period.  However, for the most part, I was right there in the time with the characters. The story revolves around Dawn, a single woman who wants to be a doctor.  This is something of an anomaly for that era.  Women were housewives, teachers, nannies or maids.  They did not attempt to achieve anything more than that.   Dawn's parents are wanting to marry her off to a grotesque elderly man because he is rich and Dawn's father has lost all of the family's money.  Of course, this is something that Dawn is not wanting.  In the meantime, women are going missing and parts of them are being found sew together sort of like a deranged Dr. Frankenstein's version of a porcelain doll.  It isn't until one of Dawn's friends is taken that she starts her search for the murderer.     I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  I know that some people are upset

Deadly to the Core by Joyce Tremel

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Deadly to the Core by Joyce Tremel narrated by Hilary Huber First, I need to fan girl about the narrator a little bit!!  I absolutely love Hilary Huber. 😍 She narrates some of my favorite series and does a fabulous job.  So, when I hit play and heard her voice I was overjoyed!  There are three narrators that I will go out of my way to look for books that they do, and Hilary is one of them.  I always know that she will do a great job with the characters.  Ok, gushing over Hilary over.   Let's get on with the review of the actual book.  This is a new to me author and I am glad that I found her.   Kate physically survived a crash that took her beloved husband away from her, but mentally she feels like she died with him.  Or at least she wishes that she did.  That is until her Uncle Stan passes away and leaves her an orchard.    She uproots her life and moves to the orchard in the hopes of starting fresh and healing from her past.  However, the orchard manager and her uncle's trus

NetGalley Reading Journal

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NetGalley Reading Journal For about a year now, I kept seeing people posting pictures of their reading journals online in various groups.  They would have all these stickers and pictures in them.  They were always so cute. NetGalley has made a reading journal for all the people who do reviews of their books.  Inside there are pages for all the books in your to be read (or listened to) pile, pages to keep track of your reviews, pages to keep track of challenges that you are taking part in.  They even provided stickers that you can use. The only thing that I don't like is that I don't find it very easy to use.  They could have made it so easy since it is a PDF.  When creating PDFs, you can make them where they have fields that are easy to fill-in.  Instead, when you want to fill in the field, you have to edit the file and create a text field yourself to fill in the area.  You have to do that for each and every area.  To me, that is very tedious.   One good thing is that NetGalley

#Phytopia Slimway

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    The first thing I noticed when I opened the bottle was the wonderful scent.  I have been working with essential oils for quite a while now.  Some blends are overpowering and do not have a pleasant smell.  This has a great aroma and is not too strong.  Plus the blend of carrier oils didn't leave me feeling greasy like some of them do.  This one absorbed into my skin and left it feeling soft afterwards. I did notice a huge drop in my appetite after I started using it.  And as an added bonus, grapefruit essential oil also helps with mental clarity and overall energy.  So I felt that it helped me in things other than just curbing my hunger. You can order a bottle from Amazon at:  http://www.amztk.com/weight-loss-essential-oil Disclaimer:  I received this product free in exchange for an honest  and unbiased review.  I did not receive any form of compensation.

Saint Mazie by Jami Attenberg

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  I received this book free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Supernatural Serial Killers

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Description Albert Fish held the genuine belief that the murders he committed were upon instruction from God. Peter Stumpp, who started practicing the "wicked arts from twelve years of age", was convinced he was a werewolf. There are many more murderous individuals like them. Supernatural Serial Killers explores the association between serial killers and the supernatural. The crimes committed by these men and women usually involved sexual deviance, cannibalism and violence toward children. In sixteenth century Europe, the problem became so significant that 'Werewolf Witch Trials' were conducted - many have no idea that it was possible to be tried and convicted for the crime of being a Werewolf, but Lycanthropy was a serious and major social concern in the 1500s. In this book, approximately twenty supernatural serial killers are discussed, including their background, crimes, trials and defenses. Review This book was received free from Netgalley in exchange for

Beliefs and the world they have created

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  Description An accessible, objective understanding of what the major ‘beliefs’ are about. The major beliefs include: Polytheism, Judaism, Daoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Christianity, Islam, Nationalism, Communism and Environmentalism. All have over 100 million followers and the full structure of faith-determined behavioral guidance. On every page of Beliefs , there is a quotable fact. Did you know that Socrates couldn’t read or write, or that Confucius did not believe in God or Gods? That the term ‘Capitalism’ was invented by Communists, and that according to the original Bible Hebrew, many Gods made the world? There is a rich tapestry of informative and entertaining information, from naming the first person to envisage God as we do now, to the fact that writing began as a legal and accounting tool, 2,000 years before it was used to tell stories. Whether you want to know more about just one belief or about all of them, Beliefs presents ideologies and religions

The Salvation of Dr. Who

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  Description Chart the intersection of faith and science through cult favorite Doctor Who. Pastor and author Matt Rawle is on a mission. He sees Christ all around him—in books, movies, TV shows, rock music—and he wants to share what he sees. As Matt says, "God offers the raw ingredients, and 'culture' is whatever we cook up." In The Salvation of Doctor Who, pastor and author Matt Rawle draws on the long-running TV show and cult favorite Doctor Who to chart the intersection of faith and science. Chapters include “Bigger on the Inside,” “God and Time and God’s Time,” “The Oldest Question in the Universe,” and “The Sonic Screwdriver Is Mightier Than the Sword.” The Salvation of Doctor Who is part of The Pop in Culture Series of bible studies in which Matt Rawle stirs up a tasty gumbo of insight, humor, and inspiration based on some of your favorite pop culture classics. A DVD featuring four sessions with the author, a full Leader Guide, and a Worship

Visualization for Weight Loss

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  Description In Visualization for Weight Loss, Jon Gabriel expands on the most talked about tool in his best-selling book, The Gabriel Method: visualization. This powerful technique helped Jon drop 220 pounds without dieting or deprivation because it didn’t depend on calorie counting or extreme exercise—rather it changed his biochemistry and neural pathways. In turn, this helped lower stress and its associated inflammatory chemicals in his body, allowing him to lose weight easily and naturally. Examining the importance of visualizing for weight loss, Jon takes readers through the latest research on the power of the mind in order to show why this technique works. And then he lays out concrete, unintimidating advice about how to implement visualization into their lives. In addition to teaching readers how to move into the most powerful brain state for enacting change, Jon includes visualizations to help readers:   Overcome disempowering beliefs surrounding food and we

The Veil

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  Description The third book in Megan Chance's Fianna Trilogy. Book 1, The Shadows , and Book 2, The Web , will be available for request on NetGalley through August 25th! Great stones crack and split. Storms will tell and the world is changed... Seventeen-year-old Grace has found the archdruid who can teach her to use her power as the veleda —the priestess prophesied to save Ireland. But nothing is as it should be. The archdruid is a dangerous fairy, and Grace can’t learn the spells, no matter how hard she tries. Something is wrong...but what? Meanwhile, gentleman Patrick Devlin and warrior Diarmid Ua Duibhne both struggle with their love for Grace, their duty to their warring brotherhoods, and their support of Ireland. And New York City is in chaos with protests, immigrant gangs, and police crackdowns. The only hope for the future is the ancient ritual, just weeks away, in which Diarmid must take the life of the girl he loves. Secrets, legends, and prophecies c

Eat Beautiful

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  Description EAT BEAUTIFUL: Grain-free, Sugar-free and Loving It is a cookbook for feasting, even while on a healing or refined-sugar-free diet. With GAPS, Paleo, AIP, Anti-candida and Weston A. Price diets as inspiration, this cookbook is about enjoying the beauty of whole foods, not feeling deprived. After all, local fruit grown in season, fair trade cocoa, raw honey, pure maple syrup, sprouted nuts~ these are beautiful foods! Serving up a new grain-free baking technique as well as encouragement, Megan loves baked goods and other treats that round out the healing qualities of bone broth soup and fermented foods. This cookbook is also for any cook who'd like healthier versions of classic baked goods-- maple syrup chocolate ganache, honey-sweetened ice cream, stevia-sweetened waffles (that don't taste like stevia) and more. Enjoy: feasting and healthy whole foods go together!   Review One of the things that I have more and more trouble with is providing foods that