Hockey Wars 3 - The Tournament by Ben Jackson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It’s hockey tournament 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 3: The Tournament is the third and final installment in the 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 first hockey tournament of the season, and for many of the girls and boys on the two teams, it’s their first tournament. They’ll get to experience all the pressure and excitement as they play off for the Ice Fest Tournament Trophy!

Along with the excitement of the tournament, there’s also someone new that will throw two best friends into turmoil. Could this new stranger drive a wedge between two best friends, or will they be able to overcome and take the trophy?’

If you want to find out what happens, you’ll just have to turn the pages for yourself!

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 Kyle Fleming 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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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!


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She Was Born a Good Girl: An All Girls Boarding School Story by Garfield Whyte
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A well-crafted coming of age tale…

Author Garfield Whyte weaves a vibrant and very interesting coming of age tale, with fascinating twists and turns that will easily captivate the reader’s attention from the beginning. The author paints an all-girls boarding school story 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 captivated from the first page to the last.

The book description gives a sneak preview; ‘Raunchy Zoe, prude Nola, follow-fashion Myra, indecisive Jody and man-hunter Anona. It’s final year at the Rosemount School, a prestigious all-girls boarding school in Jamaica where parents send their daughters to become ladies; but some girls allow their raging hormones to turn them into renegades. No-nonsense, principal, Lenora Mustafa has her hands full with these girls as she strives to maintain the school’s enviable reputation. Everyone is different in this sisterhood, but they all share a common goal to graduate at the end of this school year. How will final year go?’

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 first time reading this author and I must say I was very impressed.

Engaging, and entertaining, 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 mesmerizing journey!

If this book is anything to go by, I’ll certainly be looking forward to reading more from Garfield Whyte in the future. I would definitely recommend this book and would love to see it adapted for the Silver Screen. I honestly think this would make a great movie. Five stars from me.


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Children of the Night: A Novel by T.C Paul
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A powerful and poignant story...

‘China's one-child policy was part of a birth planning program designed to control the size of its population. Distinct from the family planning policies of most other countries (which focus on providing contraceptive options to help women have the number of children they want), it set a limit on the number of children parents could have, the world's most extreme example of population planning.’ It was introduced in 1979 and eliminated at the end of 2015.

Those ‘children of the night’ were excluded from the family register which meant they did not possess a Hukou, which is "an identifying document, similar in some ways to the American social security card." In this respect they did not legally exist and as a result couldn’t access most public services, such as education and health care, and did not receive protection under the law.

Author T.C Paul weaves a heart-rending, emotional and inspirational story that will captivate the reader from the beginning. The author paints a dramatic and fascinating tale of a deep longing in a very vivid and convincing way.

Children of the Night 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 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’ll be looking forward to reading more from T.C Paul the future. I would highly recommend this book. Five stars from me.


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It's Cooking Time 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.

IT'S COOKING TIME 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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I Believe In Unicorns 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.

I BELIEVE IN UNICORNS 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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Sport Junky 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.

SPORT JUNKY 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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