The Dagger of Apollonia by Oren Hefetz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A wonderfully written story by a very talented author...

The Dagger Of Apollonia by Oren Hefetz is a wonderfully written and richly descriptive novel with brilliantly drawn settings and characters. The author weaves a well-crafted historical fantasy that will captivate the reader’s attention from the start. Skillfully constructed, this fantasy will have you turning the pages from beginning to end. There’s plenty of imagery in the writing style that makes you feel like you are right there in the story, and that’s something I really look for in a good book.

The book description gives a sneak preview: ‘Georgios, a young Roman man, receives an unexpected gift from his father, a mysterious dagger acquired during his travels to faraway lands. The weapon sparks his untamable curiosity and sets him off on an extraordinary journey, full of surprising revelations.

Georgios accidentally finds himself amid political intrigues, messianic machinations, and supernatural powers, which threaten to disrupt the existing order of life.

1800 years later, Tal, a young university student, during a walk along the Israeli coast, discovers a mysterious new reality. Soon, he becomes the leader of an ancient order, responsible for preserving the delicate balance of powers in the Middle East.

Would Georgios and Tal accomplish the mission of a lifetime and defend everything they discovered, or is the entire region on the brink of entering a new, dangerous reality?’

Now, if that’s not enough to get your curiosity juices flowing, I don’t know what will. But if you want to find out what happens, you’ll just have to turn the pages for yourself! However, I will say it was well worth the read. It’s my first time reading this author and I was very impressed.

This was a captivating read that had me engrossed from the beginning. The story flowed from scene to scene with ease, and the author shows exceptional ability when it comes to storytelling. I enjoyed the story, character development, and dialogue. There were plenty of intriguing moments that I didn’t see coming and that added to the book’s mystique. When I stopped reading to work, I found myself wondering what happened in the book, and replaying parts of the novel in my head to see if I could figure more out. It has been a while since I enjoyed a book this much.

It’s one of those stories that come along occasionally that makes you want to read it non-stop until you get to the end. I’m giving nothing further away here. And this, I hope, will only add to the mystery and enjoyment for the reader.

I’m a big fan of historical fiction, so this for me was a phenomenal read. It’s one of those books that stayed with me for several days after I finished reading. The vivid descriptions of the settings, situations, and the people were stunning and realistic. The author’s use of genuine dialogue further added to the overall atmosphere of authenticity.

I’ll be looking forward to reading more from Oren Hefetz in the future. I would recommend this book and would add that it has a distinctly cinematic feel to it. Highly recommended reading and a well-deserved five stars from me.

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Ronaldo: The Vixen Pederson Workshop by Maxine Sylvester
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A wonderfully written and illustrated story...

More often than not children relate themselves with the characters of a good story. In such circumstances, reading fiction can help them to get inspiration from the characters. These stories often portray real life implications through anecdotes, and as such makes it easier for them to understand the complex aspects of life. Moreover, reading these stories at regular intervals can actually help them to develop a positive outlook towards life, which eventually proves beneficial for good character development.

Ronaldo: The Vixen Pederson Workshop (Ronaldo the Flying Reindeer Book 4) is a delightful and charming book for the younger reader. I read it with my grand-kids, and they loved not only the story, but also the amazing illustrations. I thought the text and illustrations worked very well together.

Author Maxine Sylvester writes in a wonderfully simple and imaginative style that will guarantee the attention of young minds. If you ever wanted to bond even more with your children or grandchildren, this would be a lovely story to share with them.

It seems to me that this book was created with a lot of love and joy and it’s clear that the author really enjoys creating such wonderful stories. Thank you for sharing with us the gift that you have obviously worked so hard to refine. We’ll be looking forward to seeing what’s coming next. A well-deserved five stars from us!

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Living A Lie by Rachel San and Orly Krauss-Wiener
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Secrets, lies and shocking revelations...

Authors Rachel San and Orly Krauss-Wiener deliver an excellent debut novel that is wonderfully written and richly descriptive. With brilliantly drawn characters driven by love, loss and tragedy the authors weave a well-crafted contemporary romantic drama. There’s an ample supply of intriguing twists and turns that will captivate the reader from the first page to the last. Skillfully constructed, the story touches on thought-provoking themes as well as being a very enjoyable read.

The book description gives a sneak preview: ‘Nicole is a young divorcée who finds herself in a new relationship with a partner who is seemingly perfect in every way. Razi is well-educated, a wealthy and successful businessman, and a man of the world, who manages to deceive her and everyone else around him, thanks to his uncanny charisma.

Six months into their relationship, Nicole discovers that Razi is married. She then finds out that his former business partner committed suicide under dubious circumstances. Despite everything, Nicole and Razi get married and raise a family, and life looks more promising than ever. However, over the years, Nicole’s inner voice repeatedly warns her that bigger things are happening behind her back. She decides to find out who her husband and the father of her children really is.

Her search leads her to discover new and shocking information about Razi’s life. Now she must do whatever it takes to save herself and her children from a destructive relationship, and a life of deceit which defies the imagination.’

Now, if you want to find out what happens, you’ll just have to turn the pages for yourself! However, I will say it was well worth the read. The story had every element a good story should have. A solid plot, attention to detail, but best of all fleshed out, well-written and well-rounded character development. There’s an abundance of well-illustrated scenes that make you feel you are right there in the story, and that’s something I really look for in a good book.

I enjoyed the story, character development, and dialogue. There were plenty of plot twists that I didn’t see coming and that added to the book’s mystique. When I stopped reading to work, I wondered what happened in the book, and replaying parts of the novel in my head to see if I could figure more out. It has been a while since I enjoyed a book this much.

This was a fascinating and captivating read that had me immersed from the beginning. The story flowed from scene to scene with ease, and the authors show exceptional ability when it comes to storytelling. There are plenty of attention-grabbing moments in this page turner that will take the reader on a truly mesmerizing journey. A well-deserved five stars.

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Girl Power by Blush Design
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Awesome coloring book!

Adult coloring books are, very simply, coloring in books for grownups. Like children's coloring books, they are full of outline illustrations designed to be filled in with colored pencils, markers, crayons, or whatever other media you wish to use.

Believe It or not, adult coloring books gives you a reality check. First and foremost, it allows you to touch paper. And paper, as it turns out, is missing more and more from our daily lives, being replaced with all kinds of tech gadgets. You can also feel the pen you're coloring with, sense its texture, you can smudge and smear with your own fingers. And there's no "undo" button.

"Escapism" is defined as "entertainment or recreation, as an "escape"... from the perceived unpleasant, boring, arduous, scary, or banal aspects of daily life." In other words - coloring helps you cope with an otherwise stressful or boring routine or even with depression. The magical world of shapes and colors takes you to a far nicer place, where you can enjoy simple pleasures.

GIRL POWER by Blush Design contains beautiful designs that will allow you to have hours of enjoyment and help develop your creative expression. As a non-practicing counselor, I would highly recommend this if you are looking for ways to relax.

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Zombies, They're Coming To Get You by Blush Design
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Awesome coloring book for the Zombie Fanatic!

Adult coloring books are, very simply, coloring in books for grownups. Like children's coloring books, they are full of outline illustrations designed to be filled in with colored pencils, markers, crayons, or whatever other media you wish to use.

Believe It or not, adult coloring books gives you a reality check. First and foremost, it allows you to touch paper. And paper, as it turns out, is missing more and more from our daily lives, being replaced with all kinds of tech gadgets. You can also feel the pen you're coloring with, sense its texture, you can smudge and smear with your own fingers. And there's no "undo" button.

"Escapism" is defined as "entertainment or recreation, as an "escape"... from the perceived unpleasant, boring, arduous, scary, or banal aspects of daily life." In other words - coloring helps you cope with an otherwise stressful or boring routine or even with depression. The magical world of shapes and colors takes you to a far nicer place, where you can enjoy simple pleasures.

ZOMBIES, THEY'RE COMING TO GET YOU by Blush Design contains beautiful designs that will allow you to have hours of enjoyment and help develop your creative expression. As a non-practicing counselor, I would highly recommend this if you are looking for ways to relax.

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The Bet by Orna

The Bet by Orna Landau
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A well-written contemporary romance that’s insightful, witty and relatable...

Author Orna Landau weaves a very engaging contemporary romance. With intriguing twists and turns, it will easily captivate the reader’s attention from the beginning. The author paints a mesmerising story addressing issues of a middle aged couple in a very vivid and convincing way. In addition, the characters are drawn with great credibility and conviction. It’s a novel that will keep you engaged from the first page to the last.

The book description gives an intriguing preview: ‘It's Sarah's 45th birthday, and her husband, Ben, jokingly says that she is stuck with him, because the chance of a woman her age finding a new man, is smaller than being attacked by a terrorist.

Sarah, who finds this statement both insulting and depressing, proposes a bet: they will separate for three months. During those three months, they will both be free to explore other sexual partners and prove to each other that they are still attractive to others. Together they set down the rules: they will tell no one, they will not date any of their mutual friends, and they most definitely will not fall in love. Thus begins “The Bet".

The happy couple begin their exploration of love and commitment, sure they will succeed. But very soon, they discover that rules are made to be broken and a Pandora box once opened, cannot be closed.’

Now, if that’s not enough to get your curiosity juices flowing, I don’t know what will. But if you want to find out what happens, you’ll just have to turn the pages for yourself! However, I will say it was well worth the read. It’s my first time reading this author and I must say I was very impressed.

This was a captivating read that had me engrossed from the beginning. The story flowed from scene to scene with ease, and the author shows exceptional ability when it comes to storytelling. There’s an ample supply of attention-grabbing and thought-provoking moments in this page turner that will take the reader on a compelling and fascinating journey.

It’s one of those books that come along occasionally that makes you want to read it non-stop until you get to the end. I’m giving nothing further away here. And this, I hope, will only add to the mystery and enjoyment for the reader.

If this book is anything to go by, I’ll certainly be looking forward to reading more from Orna Landau in the future. A well-written contemporary romance that’s insightful, witty and relatable. I would recommend this book to all fans of contemporary romance and would add that it has a has a distinctly cinematic feel to it. A well-deserved five stars from me.

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In Fire and Snow: Memories of a Ghetto Fighter by Yaacov (Yakubek) Putermilch
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Raising the memory of his comrades and fellow holocaust survivors...

The late Israeli author Yaacov Putermilch wrote a unique and exceptional memoir about his experiences during the Holocaust. He paints an all-encompassing human dramatization of love, loss and survival in a very vivid and compelling way. It's a heart-rending and thought-provoking read that will leave you, unexpectedly, feeling like a better person for having read it.

IN FIRE AND SNOW is a powerful story about a young boy who joined the “Hashomer Hatzair” youth movement, and in the summer of 1942, joined the Jewish combat organization - JCO in the Warsaw Ghetto. He participated in the Polish uprising in Warsaw. In January 1945, upon the liberation of Warsaw, he and a group of surviving fighters, including his future wife, Masha, who fought in the central Ghetto as a member of the “Bund” movement, left Warsaw toward Bucharest, Romania. In October 1945, the group received certificates to travel to Palestine, and Yaacov fulfilled his wish to reach the holy land.

Each Holocaust survivor has a unique and individual story. However, these survivor’s stories didn’t end in 1945. They continue through to the present day. Their testimonies provide us with an understanding of how the events of the Holocaust have shaped their lives and are an ongoing testimony to the strength of the human spirit.

This was such a phenomenal read. It’s a story you won’t soon forget. It’s a book that will stay with you long after you’ve finished reading it.

Highly recommended and a well-deserved five stars from me.

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Unlock Bliss: A Memoir Of Getting Happier by Gilkis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A wonderful read that will take you on an extraordinary journey...

Unlock Bliss: A Memoir Of Getting Happier contains autobiographical sections interspersed with theoretical articles containing insights that stimulate self-awareness, development, and personal growth in the reader.

Profound thoughts are explained here in the simplest of terms. That’s all I can say about this book. It is difficult to write a more objective review because the impact the author will have on you will make you see life and its problems in a wise and practical way. The book should NOT be read – it should be absorbed and reflected upon.

This book will help you to clarify your thinking, process your feelings, and make better decisions. If you are you ready to stop drifting and design a life you love, this read with help you on your journey. The author has put his heart in the pages of this book and will encourage and give hope to the reader. So many wonderful and courageous people share their experiences through books, and I thank this author for sharing his.

The overall tone was simply imparting knowledge, personal experience and wisdom in a gentle and generous way. His words will help to better equip you to interpret and handle life in a whole new way, which in turn will bring peace, love and joy into your life. If you are looking for inspiration and encouragement in the face of serious issues, this would come highly recommended from me.

No matter what your situation is today, this book will put you on the right path to better things. I’ve been around the block a few times myself and even I found this read to be very insightful. This wonderful new book will show you how to properly tune into life and the simple rules you must follow to achieve this. The author must be commended for his time and effort for producing such an insightful book. Also, the writing style is friendly which makes for an enjoyable read.

Unlock Bliss: A Memoir Of Getting Happier is a wonderful read that will leave you feeling like a better person for having read it. It’s an impressive work by author Dr. Zeev Gilkis and I’ll certainly be looking forward to reading more from him in the future. I would highly recommend this perceptive and intuitive read. A well-deserved five stars from me.

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A Cake for Christmas: A Cute Children's Picture Book for Holiday Fun by Orit Raz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Guaranteed to get the attention of young minds...

More often than not children relate themselves with the characters of a good story. In such circumstances, reading fiction can help them to get inspiration from the characters. These stories often portray real life implications through anecdotes, and as such makes it easier for them to understand the complex aspects of life. Moreover, reading these stories at regular intervals can actually help them to develop a positive outlook towards life, which eventually proves beneficial for good character development.

Author Orit Raz writes in a wonderful, simple and imaginative style that will guarantee the attention of young minds. If you ever wanted to bond even more with your children or grandchildren, this would be a lovely story to share with them. Special mention also to Nurit Tzarfati for the wonderful illustrations.

It seems to me that this book was created with a lot of love and joy and it’s clear that the author really enjoys creating such wonderful stories. Thank you for sharing with us the gift that you have obviously worked so hard to refine. We’ll be looking forward to seeing what’s coming next. A well-deserved five stars from us!

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The Light by Jim Alexander
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A very talented storyteller...

I enjoyed the story, character development, and dialogue. There were plenty of plot twists that I didn’t see coming and that added to the book’s mystique. When I stopped reading to work, I found myself wondering what happened in the book, and replaying parts of the novel in my head to see if I could figure more out. It has been a while since I enjoyed a book this much. It’s a first-class speculative fiction with perfect pacing. Not much is as it appears here, which is just the way fans of mystery, thriller and suspense will want it.

The book description gives a sneak preview: ‘exploring a world where you wake up and know this is the day you die. How would such a world shape the way we think, our views on each other and society, how we conduct our personal and financial affairs; how we live and how we will die?’

The story had every element a good story should have. An intriguing plot, attention to detail, but best of all fleshed out, well-written and well-rounded character development. There’s an abundance of well-illustrated scenes that make you feel like you are right there in the story, and that’s something I really look for in a good book. It’s one of those stories that come along once in a while that makes you want to read it non-stop until you get to the end. I’m giving nothing further away here. And this, I hope, will only add to the mystery and enjoyment for the reader!

The contrast between tone and content is a characteristic talent of only a few authors. Jim Alexander pays as much attention to his sentences as he does to his plots, shifting or consolidating meaning with the use of a single word. His writing is impeccably honed, full of juxtapositions and qualifications that help to create a creeping sense of unease while laughing out loud at times.

I’ll be looking forward to reading more from Jim Alexander in the future. I would definitely recommend this book. Although, for those who are linguistically sensitive, profanity is used sporadically throughout.

A highly recommended read, and a well-deserved five stars from me.

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Hockey Wars 4: Championships by Sam Lawrence
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It’s Championship Time!

More often than not children relate themselves with the characters of a good story. In such circumstances, reading fiction can help them to get inspiration from the characters. These stories often portray real life implications through anecdotes, and as such makes it easier for them to understand the complex aspects of life. Moreover, reading these stories at regular intervals can actually help them to develop a positive outlook towards life, which eventually proves beneficial for good character development.

Hockey Wars 4: Championships is Book 4 of 4 in Hockey Wars series. Authors Sam Lawrence and Ben Jackson deliver again with this early reader chapter book that both boys and girls will enjoy.

The book description gives a sneak preview: ‘It’s the end of the regular hockey season, and that means only one thing, it’s championship time! The girls and boys of the Dakota Hurricanes and Lightning have been working hard all season to qualify for championships, and now the big weekend has finally arrived.

Will Cameron and the boys steal the show and take the championship trophy? Or will it be the girls that steal their thunder? There’s a weekend of hockey, and everyone is putting it all on the line until the final buzzer sounds.

Be prepared for some action-packed hockey fun as these two teams battle it out against the best teams in their state for the glory of winning the championship trophy!’

If you want to find out what happens, you’ll just have to turn the pages for yourself! I’ve been following these authors for some time now and their work just gets better and better. My grand kids love it, and so do I!

Authors Sam Lawrence and Ben Jackson write in a wonderful, simple and imaginative style that will guarantee the attention of young minds. If you ever wanted to bond even more with your children or grandchildren, this would be a lovely story to share with them. Special mention also to Danko Herrera for the wonderful illustrations.

It seems to me that this book was created with a lot of love and joy and it’s clear that the authors really enjoy creating such wonderful stories. Thank you for sharing with us the gift that you have obviously worked so hard to refine. We’ll be looking forward to seeing what’s coming next. A well-deserved five stars from us!

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Rise to The Rhythm: Awaken The Beat and Live Your Life's Highest Capabilities by Joey L. Dowdy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book will put you on the right path to better things...

This book will help you to clarify your thinking, process your feelings, and make better decisions. If you are you ready to stop drifting and design a life you love, this read with help you on your journey. The author has put his heart in the pages of this book and will encourage and give hope to the reader. So many wonderful and courageous people share their experiences through books, and I thank this author for sharing his.

The overall tone was simply imparting knowledge, personal experience and wisdom in a gentle and generous way. His words will help to better equip you to interpret and handle life in a whole new way, which in turn will bring peace, love and joy into your life. If you are looking for inspiration and encouragement in the face of serious issues, this would come highly recommended from me.

No matter what your situation is today, this book will put you on the right path to better things. I’ve been around the block a few times myself and even I found this read to be very insightful. This wonderful new book will show you how to properly tune into life and the simple rules you must follow to achieve this. This by far is one of the best Life Improvement books I’ve read in a long time. The author must be commended for his time and effort for producing such an insightful book. Also, the writing style is friendly which makes for an enjoyable read.

RISE TO THE RHYTHM: AWAKEN THE BEAT AND LIVE YOUR LIFE'S HIGHEST CAPABILITIES is a wonderful read that will leave you feeling like a better person for having read it. It’s an impressive work by author Joey L. Dowdy and I’ll certainly be looking forward to reading more from him in the future. I would highly recommend this perceptive and intuitive read. A well-deserved five stars from me.

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Vittoria: A Historical Drama Based on A True Story by Dafna Vitale Ben Bassat
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An unforgettable story about an unforgettable woman...

Author Dafna Vitale Ben Bassat weaves a powerful historical fiction based on a true story. With fascinating twists and turns, it will easily captivate the reader from the first page to the last. The author paints a dramatic and riveting tale of loss and despair, survival and human triumph in a very vivid and convincing way. In addition, the characters are drawn with great credibility and conviction. It’s a compelling story that will have you mesmerized from the opening chapter.

The book description gives a sneak preview: ‘Vittoria Vitale was born to a noble Jewish family in the north of Italy at the very same year that Mussolini met his Jewish lover. With the onset of World War II, her life is carried by a swirl of atrocities, decisions, farewells and remorse that will scar her forever.

This is the story of one unforgettable woman, supporting her husband and children under impossible conditions. It is also the story of a Jewish family who feels safe from war because of its status and wealth and wakes up to a disastrous reality. More than anything, it is the story of the entire Italian Jewish community in face of the Holocaust – a story of disaster, overcoming and eventual immigration to Israel as a part of the Zionist movement.

Daily life soaked in historical consequences, family ties and general atmosphere, aromas, sounds and tastes, based on thorough research, interviews and original historical manuscripts. A drama of loss and despair, survival and human triumph with unforgettable characters that stay with you long after the last page.’

If that’s not enough to get you engaged, I don’t know what will. But if you want to find out what happens, you’ll just have to turn the pages for yourself! However, I will say it was well worth the read. It’s my first time reading this author and I must say I was very impressed.

MY NAME IS VITTORIA had every element a good story should have. An interesting plot, attention to detail, but best of all fleshed out, well-written and well-rounded character development. There’s an abundance of well-illustrated scenes that make you feel like you are right there in the story, and that’s something I really look for in a good book.

I’ll be looking forward to reading more from this author in the future. I would highly recommend this book. A well-deserved five stars from me.

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