Winter Is Coming by Blush Design
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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.

WINTER IS COMING 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.

View all my reviews

Legendary Dinosaurs by Blush Design
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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.

LEGENDARY DINOSAURS 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.

View all my reviews

Fashion Fanatic by Blush Design
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Awesome coloring book for the Fashion 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.

FASHION FANATIC 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.

View all my reviews

Dead on the Water by R.W.K. Clark
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Dead on the Water: Abandon Ship is a well crafted Sci-Fi Fantasy Horror. And I would imagine that fans of this genre will love sinking their teeth into this one! I have read this author several times before and must say I’m always very impressed.

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 really make you feel like you are right there in the story, and that's something I really look for in a good book.

Thanks to a sick, twisted scientist in Belize, a terrible thing has found its way about the ship. It is about to take over everyone and everything, and neither the captain, his crew, or any passenger on board will be immune. Welcome to Dead on the Water, a trembling good tale by RWK Clark. I personally was most entertained by the part where the captain, who is now the leader of the zombie movement, addresses all of his troops on the deck of the ship, relating his plan to them. Just picturing the situation and feeling the despair of it was enough to make me say, “I love it! Bring on more!”

This captivating and commendable work had me immersed from the beginning. The story flows from scene to scene with ease, and the author shows exceptional skill when it comes to storytelling. There are twists and turns in this page turner that will take the reader on a gripping journey!

It’s one of those stories that come along once in awhile 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 RWK Clark in the future! I would definitely recommend this book. I’d give this 6 stars if I could. Unfortunately, I can only give it a mere 5!


View all my reviews

The Ghost Years by Mutch Katsonga
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A Masterclass in Storytelling...

Author Mutch Katsonga weaves an outstanding and noteworthy tale of drug addiction and homelessness, with intriguing twists and turns that will easily captivate the reader’s attention from the beginning. The author paints a compelling story of despair and hope in a very vivid and convincing way. In addition, the characters are drawn with great credibility and conviction. It’s a relatively fast-paced novel that will keep you engaged from the first page to the last. The emotion is accomplished in the delivery of exciting and titillating prose. From wildish illusions through detailed, graphic scenes, the concept is wonderfully delivered in truly amazing writing.

I’ve no doubt you’ll walk away a better person for having read this extraordinary story. It’s given me a different perspective and understanding on the plight of drug addicts and the homeless. In so much that, there’s something to be gained when we trade a longing for truth and authenticity for the hope that new modes of storytelling can be found and disseminated, stories that might make people whom we wouldn’t willingly invite into our living rooms seem familiar enough so that we might want to change our minds.

The book description gives a sneak preview; ‘Sometimes our simplest wishes can be the most difficult to attain. The Ghost Years is brutally honest and jarring, from its immersive beginning right through to it's startling, unpredictable conclusion. It's a young man's attempt to pick up the pieces and start over only to be presented with greater obstacles than he could ever have envisioned. He is taken to unimaginable and devastating places, both physically and mentally. How much control does he really have over his fate? The Ghost Years goes deep beneath the surface through unflinching plot twists and hauntingly poetic prose.’

Now, if that’s not enough to get your 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 first time reading this author and I must say I was very impressed.

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 compelling and intriguing 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.

The Ghost Years is a brilliant read that somehow leaves you feeling more enlightened for having read it. It’s an impressive work and I’ll certainly be looking forward to reading more from this author in the future. Very few books had this kind of impact on me. Read it and you’ll know what I mean. Furthermore, I could easily see this being adapted as a television series or even receiving a sympathetic Hollywood treatment. A well-deserved five stars from me.


View all my reviews

Ronaldo: Rudi's Birthday Extravaganza by Maxine Sylvester
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A wonderfully written and illustrated story with important life lessons...

Ronaldo: Rudi's Birthday Extravaganza is another delightful and charming book in this series. 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!

View all my reviews

Ronaldo: The Reindeer Flying Academy by Maxine Sylvester
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A wonderfully written and illustrated story by a very talented author and illustrator.

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 Reindeer Flying Academy 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!

View all my reviews