Get Out Alive: Surviving and Thriving After Drugs, Guns, Gangs, Dysfunction and Crazy

Get Out Alive: Surviving and Thriving After Drugs, Guns, Gangs, Dysfunction and Crazy by Steve Cederquist
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Surviving hardship and finding your way...

When we read inspirational books, they grab a hold of us, and make us think, or they just seem like a bunch of quotes, clichés, and motivational regurgitation. I've always enjoyed reading inspirational books that give you a plan, a list of tips, or techniques to help you become a better person. Books that make you want to be a better person after you are done reading them.

Get Out Alive by Steve Cederquist is a brilliant, raw and honest narrative where a recurrent theme of hope is repeated throughout the book. And, no matter what your situation is today, this book will put you on the right path to better things. Part memoir, part how-to guide, this book will inspire you to constructively change your life by utilizing the authors energetic approach. Highly recommended.


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30 Summers More: Adding Time Back to Your Aging Clock

30 Summers More: Adding Time Back to Your Aging Clock by Dwayne J. Clark
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Living a healthy life...

30 Summers More: Adding Time Back to Your Ageing Clock by Dwayne J. Clark 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 obvious as you read through this page turner that the author is imparting his wisdom and understanding as to what health and happiness really means. It’s an excellent guide for putting things into perspective.

The overall tone was simply imparting knowledge, personal experience and wisdom in a gentle and generous way. The authors 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 health 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. This wonderful book will show you how to properly tune into life and the simple steps you must follow to achieve this. The author must be commended for his time and effort for producing such an insightful and practical book.

Written by an expert in the field of ageing, the reader will gain a personal life-changing journey, and everything that seemed impossible will become a new, successful pathway. Once again, highly recommended and a well-deserved five stars from me.


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Then Like the Blind Man: Orbie's Story

Then Like the Blind Man: Orbie's Story by Freddie Owens
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Great storytelling...

Then Like the Blind Man: Orbie's Story by Freddie Owens is a wonderfully written and richly descriptive novel with brilliantly drawn characters and settings. The author weaves a well-crafted coming of age narrative that serves as an allegory for the pains of being.

An exceptionally well written book, the contrast between tone and content is a characteristic talent of only a few authors. Owens 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 somewhat warm adventure story.

Finally, it must be stated that the author’s script at times is razor-sharp and will cut deep into the emotions of its reader. This story is not for the easily offended. A word of caution, therefore, for the ‘linguistically sensitive’ among us. Nevertheless, the themes and outcome are just as affecting in the arresting early 1950's landscape.


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The Leader Launchpad: Five Steps to Fuel Your Business and Lift Your Profits

The Leader Launchpad: Five Steps to Fuel Your Business and Lift Your Profits by Howard M. Shore
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A must-read business leadership book...

Today's businesses operate in a uniquely competitive world. Not only is there cut-throat competition among companies, but there is also a serious shortage of people with the right business leadership training.

As the author states, ‘Sooner or later, every business owner finds themselves working too much “in” the business rather than “on” the business. Despite working harder than ever, they know their organization could be growing faster and generating greater profits. To stimulate the traction and significant growth that leaders seek, they need strategies to create and sustain a successful business as well as ways to break through the invisible barriers that prevent forward movement.’

This book, The Leader Launchpad: Five Steps to Fuel Your Business and Lift Your Profits, by Howard Shore is a worthy addition to the ever-growing literature on change and leadership.

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Exiles of Eden: The Demonic Dodecahedron (A Dark Fantasy Epic) by Kyle Fox

Exiles of Eden: The Demonic Dodecahedron by Kyle Fox
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A dark fantasy that maintains a taut, compelling hold from start to finish...

Exiles of Eden: The Demonic Dodecahedron by Kyle Fox is a well-written and richly descriptive novel with brilliantly drawn characters and settings. The author spins an intriguing and compelling epic dark fantasy that will easily captivate the reader from the first page to the last. For me it was one of those ‘special’ books. You know one of those books that you read and really begin to care about the characters and what happens to them during the course of the story.

I liked 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 story 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 well written dark fantasy with perfect pacing.

If you are looking for a well-written and exceptional fantasy book with amazing characters and a gripping plot then Exiles of Eden: The Demonic Dodecahedron will not leave you disappointed. Recommended to all fans of dark fantasy and a well-deserved five stars from me.

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A Hungarian Portrait: A WW2 Historical Novel, Based on a True Story of a Jewish Holocaust Survivor

A Hungarian Portrait: A WW2 Historical Novel, Based on a True Story of a Jewish Holocaust Survivor by Orly Krauss-Winer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What would you risk to save a loved one?

A Hungarian Portrait is one of twelve bestselling books from Israeli author Orly Krauss-Wiener. This WW2 historical novel is based on a true story of a Jewish Holocaust survivor. I’ve read this author before, and she delivers again with this wonderfully written and richly descriptive narrative. With brilliantly drawn characters motivated by family and loyalty, the author weaves a well-crafted and all-encompassing human dramatization that spans from mid-1940s Hungary to present-day Israel.

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 emotional highs and lows in this page turner that will take the reader on a truly mesmerizing journey.

There’s an ample supply of mystery, romance and suspense 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. Highly recommended and a well-deserved five stars from me.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

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Bullseye: A Jesse Quinn Mystery (Jesse Quinn Mysteries Book 1)

 

Bullseye: A Jesse Quinn Mystery by Skye Taylor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A first-class murder mystery with perfect pacing...

Award winning author, Skye Taylor weaves a first-class murder mystery with intriguing twists and turns that will easily captivate the reader’s attention from the beginning. The author paints a compelling and fast-paced whodunit in a very vivid and convincing way. In addition, the characters are drawn with great credibility and conviction. It’s a mystery that will keep you engaged from the first page to the last.

The book description gives a sneak preview: ‘Dan Hoffman’s wife is dead. His fingerprints are on the glass prism she was bludgeoned with, and powerful people want him in cuffs. But Detective Jesse Quinn has a history with Dan, and she believes he’s innocent. A man on the run claims the murder is tied to a long-ago cover-up over an incident in Afghanistan. Four people are dead, and two attempts have been made. A rival in the Sheriff’s office wants to take over the investigation and time is running out. Will Jesse be able to put all the pieces together before she is sidelined, and Dan arrested for his wife’s murder?’

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

Bullseye: A Jesse Quinn Mystery 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 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!

I’ll be looking forward to reading more from Skye Taylor in the future. I would highly recommend this book to all fans of mystery, thriller and suspense. A well-deserved five stars from me.

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