Thursday, January 9, 2020

Pooping AnimalsPooping Animals by Blush Design
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Holy crap! This is different!!

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.

POOPING ANIMALS 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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Instagram Life Vs. Real LifeInstagram Life Vs. Real Life 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.

INSTAGRAM LIFE VS. REAL LIFE 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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Wednesday, January 8, 2020

Children's Book: The Adventure of Froblicious the Frog (Rhyming Picture Book for Ages 2-6) (Let's Learn While Playing)Children's Book: The Adventure of Froblicious the Frog (Rhyming Picture Book for Ages 2-6) by Kelly Santana-Banks
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Fun story to entertain and teach children...

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.

The Adventure of Froblicious the Frog is a delightful and charming rhyming picture book for the younger reader (ages 2-6). Author Kelly Santana-Banks 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.

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.

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The Indictment: The Arab-Israel Conflict in Historical PerspectiveThe Indictment: The Arab-Israel Conflict in Historical Perspective by Sabina Citron
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A book well worth reading...

We’re living at a time in human history where emotions are more important than the facts. In a world flooded with instant information, it’s astonishing how much of that information is passed off as true. It’s easy to manipulate, distort or omit certain facts to spin a particular narrative. And a generation driven by emotion, ignoring factual evidence, makes for perilous times.

Furthermore, to reiterate my point, this author states that this generation "claims to abhor the violence of war, nevertheless appears to have unending patience and understanding for the new enemy the world is facing, regardless of the horrible, brutal, and savage violence it employs in pursuit of its goals."

The Indictment: Antisemitism, Islamic Terror and the Arab-Israeli Conflict by Sabina Citron is a book well worth reading regardless of which political divide you come from, what religious cloth you’re cut from and especially those who believe what they are told without ever questioning or fact checking. It’s an interesting and informative read that touches on contentious issues that will no doubt raise more than a few eyebrows.

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Tuesday, January 7, 2020

This Is How The Story BeginsThis Is How The Story Begins by Bar Bolandi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It’s safe to say that this authors’ storylines will leave the reader spellbound to say the least. Young Israeli author Bar Bolandi leaves the reader mesmerized with THIS IS HOW THE STORY BEGINS. From beginning to end, the author holds the reader’s interest.

Bolandi does a great job with character and story development. He’s inventive, creative, imaginative and more. This book starts good but ends great and this is one book I didn’t want to end. Bolandi’s writing style is both compelling and hypnotic.

The contrast between tone and content is a characteristic talent of only a few authors. Bolandi 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 an almost poetic atmosphere.

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

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Sunday, January 5, 2020

Kaitush the WizardKaitush the Wizard by Itzchak Belfer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"Be cautious in your actions. Be bold and daring in your dreams"...

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.

The book description gives a sneak preview: ‘Kaitush is a normal boy like all young boys… Well, not really, because Kaitush is a wizard! With his magical powers, he fools his teachers, confuses clocks, and even creates a double for himself, leaving him free to set off on all kinds of adventures. However, being a wizard is not so simple; there are rules to adhere to, and anyone breaking them, faces the consequences in a court of justice. That is exactly what happens to Kaitush, the boy wizard...’

KAITUSH THE WIZARD 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 wonderful illustrations. I thought the text and illustrations worked very well together. It seems to me that this book was created with a lot of love and joy and it’s clear that the author really enjoyed 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!

‘Kaitush the Wizard is the work of Dr. Janusz Korczak, whose educational teachings and stories are full of childhood joy, innocence and faith in human goodness. His works have had great influence on generations of readers. Artist Itzchak Belfer adapted “Kaitush” for young children so they could enjoy one of Korczak’s most memorable stories.’

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Thursday, January 2, 2020

LayerLayer by A.G.R. Goff
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A Well-Crafted Psychological Thriller...

Layers by A.G.R. Goff is a wonderfully written and richly descriptive novel with brilliantly drawn characters driven by dark desires, betrayal and murder. The author weaves a well-crafted psychological thriller with intriguing twists and turns that will captivate the reader from the first page to the last. Skillfully constructed, it’s a story that will keep you on edge the edge of your seat!

The book description only gives a sneak preview: ‘Letting Miranda into his house is a big mistake. But aging comedian Dave also has some secrets. Maybe she should never have come looking for answers. As this story about murder, betrayal and dark desires unfolds, things take an unsuspected turn. Things from the past find their way back to the surface and the dead might not be so dead after all.’

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.

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 like 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 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 psychological thriller with perfect pacing.

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.

Highly recommended reading and a well-deserved five stars.

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