Amazing Dogs: Adult Coloring Book by Tali Carmi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Hands-on activity that involves minimal commitment and maximum nostalgia...

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.

Amazing Dogs by Tali Carmi contains over 30 different and creative dog 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 book if you are looking for ways to relax.


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The Day My Fart Followed Me To The Zoo by Ben Jackson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The title alone made my grandkids laugh and giggle!

Farts are funny. There’s just no way to get around it. No matter who you are, or what your background is, chances are you have found some kind of fart, or something even sounding like a fart, pretty darn funny! Children know this, and fathers know this because their children keep reminding them of it all the time. There is no way to get more joy out of children with less work!

This is an amazing fun book for readers of all ages. I read it with my grandkids and they loved not only the story, but also the illustrations (by Danko Herrera). I thought the text and illustrations worked well together. This time Timmy and his best friend the Little Fart walk around the zoo together, visiting the animals and learning fun facts. Anybody who is following this series will know that they are in for another great adventure!

I have shared your stories with my own family and we have all found great delight in them. Thank you for sharing with us the gift that you have obviously worked so hard to refine. I trust your book will soon be on the best seller list. If not, it should be!

Finally, my advice as a parent and grandparent on the subject of farting would be to just let them roll, laugh at them, take a step back if you have to, and just be immature about it for a minute or two. They don’t say laughter is the best medicine for nothing. A good laugh can actually improve your health, strengthen your immune system, improve mood, lessen pain and protect you from the damaging effects of stress. That’s why I stated above that this book is suitable for all ages! Another well deserved five stars again from us.

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The Fyfield Plantation by Andrew R. Williams
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another well-crafted sci-fi fantasy sequel...

Author Andrew R. Williams weaves another fantastic sci-fi fantasy with intriguing twists and turns that will easily captivate the reader’s attention from the opening page. The author paints an exciting and adventurous story of aliens, robots and clones in a very vivid and convincing way. In addition, the characters are drawn with great credibility and integrity.

The story had every element a good story should have. An exciting 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.

The book description gives a sneak preview: ‘Continuing the story line of ARCADIA’S CHILDREN: SAMANTHA’S REVENGE, this futuristic sci-fi tale brings back Mick Tarmy and a cast of characters guaranteed to create a fascinating journey to destroy a plantation dedicated to growing zuka milk, which produces a powerful narcotic street drug. The Great Ones, who use the drug to raise funds for their war against humanity, will go to any lengths to stop Mick, his cohorts Claire Hyndman and Nonie Tomio, from their mission…’

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 author shows 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!

There is something very magical about reading fantasy fiction. It speaks to the very thread of my imagination, jolting it to life and transporting it on an exhilarating journey. This story did exactly that. Fans of the sci-fi fantasy genre will not be disappointed. I’ll be looking forward to reading more from this author in the future. Highly recommended and a well-deserved five stars from me.

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The Rain by E.C. Fisher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A well-crafted suspenseful supernatural tale...

Author E.C. Fisher weaves a compelling and gripping psychological thriller, with intriguing twists and turns that will easily captivate the reader’s attention from the beginning. The author paints a suspenseful supernatural tale in a very vivid and convincing way. In addition, the characters are drawn with great credibility and conviction. It’s a quick fast-paced novella that will keep you engaged from the first page to the last.

The book description gives a sneak preview; ‘Charlie Hamilton’s death at Camp High Tide is confounding and offers more questions than answers. While checking into his background, Detective Daniel Nash discovers an ominous smear on the town’s past, the unsolved disappearance of young Timothy Waters who went missing three decades ago from the very same camp Charlie was caretaker of.

Forgotten police records from the incident detail five other children from the camp, not so friendly associates of Timmy’s. Nash invites them in for interviews, hoping they can shed light on who may have wanted Charlie dead, as well as what happened the night of Timmy’s disappearance.

As a series of unexpected rain storms roll through the rural town, the individuals with ties to Timmy and Charlie begin to drop one by one. While each death is different than the last, they all are equally terrifying and vaguely similar.

Will Detective Nash be able to solve the cases both past and present and stop these strange deaths before it’s too late, or will the rain drown away the answers?’

Now, if that’s not enough to whet your appetite, 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 second time reading this author and I must say I was very impressed yet again. His other book, The Deceived, was also a great read.

Captivating and commendable, this work had me immersed from the beginning. The story flowed from scene to scene with ease, and the author shows 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 intense 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.

I’ll certainly be looking forward to reading more from E.C. Fisher in the future. I would definitely recommend this book. Five stars from me.



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LESSONS in LIFE: Achieving a better you through self-reflection by Nico J. Genes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed reading this book. And, I suspect all fans of the Self-Improvement genre will love having a nibble on this one also! LESSONS in LIFE: Achieving a better you through self-reflection, is a very well written life improvement book. This book is intelligent, wise and packed to the rafters with practical common-sense advice. It becomes very obvious as you read through this page turner that the author is imparting her wisdom and understanding as to what happiness and success really means. It’s an excellent guide for putting things into perspective.

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 has helped me clarify my thinking, process my 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 her 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 hers.

The overall tone was simply imparting knowledge, personal experience and wisdom in a gentle and generous way. Her 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 Self-Improvement books I’ve read in a long time. The author must be commended for her time and effort for producing such an insightful book. Also, the writing style is friendly which makes for an enjoyable read.

LESSONS in LIFE is a wonderful read that will leave you feeling like a better person for having read it. It's an impressive work for author Nico J. Genes and I'll certainly be looking forward to reading more from her in the future. I would highly recommend this perceptive and intuitive read. A well-deserved five stars from me.

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A Dress the Color of the Sky by Jennifer Irwin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An expressive, emotional and captivating read...

If you’ve been around long enough you begin to realize that you cannot escape yourself. Instead, all parts of you that you perceive as flawed must be looked at square in the eye and healed. Each of these healings gets you closer to a more accepting and peaceful life. There are simply no other routes but straight through your own heart and soul.

A Dress The Color of The Sky by Jennifer Irwin is a wonderfully written and richly descriptive adult novel. The author weaves a well-crafted story with emotional highs and lows that will captivate the reader’s attention from the beginning. Skillfully constructed, this biographical fiction revolves around the main character Prudence (Prue), set against the backdrop of sexual abuse and addiction.

There’s no doubt that A Dress The Color of The Sky is an exceptionally well-written book. However, it must be said that this story is not for the faint-hearted or easily offended. The author’s script at times is razor-sharp and will cut deep into the emotions of its reader. There are scenes of a sexual nature. Nevertheless, the themes and outcome are just as affecting in the arresting contemporary landscape of sexual addiction.

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 author shows 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 mesmerizing journey.

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

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Overdose by Uvi Poznansky
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

One of my favorite authors!

Uvi Poznansky is a USA TODAY bestselling, award-winning author, poet and artist. OVERDOSE is book 3 in the Ash Suspense Thrillers with a Dash of Romance. Not surprisingly, Poznansky weaves another fantastic medical thriller with intriguing twists and turns that will easily captivate the reader’s attention from the opening page. The author paints a gripping story in a very vivid and convincing way. In addition, the characters are drawn with great credibility and integrity.

The book description gives a sneak preview: ‘Months after recovering from coma, Ash discovers that the man who performed her brain surgery has a questionable medical experience and a dark past, starting with his medical mission in India ten years ago and ending just recently, with his wife’s suicide. Should Ash expose him, at the risk of becoming vulnerable to his revenge?

In an attempt to learn more, Ash goes on a date with him. When the waitress drops a pink cellphone into her hand, she is hit by a bullet. On the cellphone are his wife’s last words. “Perhaps you have the urge to shut me off, or at least to ignore what I’m about to say. But listen you must, because even if you don’t believe it, you’re already much too close to danger… Neil is my undoing. Make sure he isn’t yours.”

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. I’ve read this author several times and I must say I was very impressed yet again. She delivers every time.

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 thriller with perfect pacing. Not much is as it appears here, which is just the way fans of mystery, thriller and suspense will want it!

This was a fascinating and captivating read that had me immersed from the beginning. The story flowed from scene to scene with ease, and as always, the author shows 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!

I’ll be looking forward to reading more from this author in the future. Highly recommended and a well-deserved five stars from me.

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