Thursday, October 22, 2015

Review - The Midwife of Bethlehem by Shad Driggs



TITLE:    The Midwife of Bethlehem
AUTHOR:    Shad Driggs
INFO:    Hardcover, Fiction, 40 pages
PUBLISHED:   Shad Driggs, 2015
SOURCE:   Received from Publisher for Review 

FROM GOODREADS:   The Midwife of Bethlehem tells the story of the woman who attended the birth of Jesus. Drawing on apocryphal gospels and legends, the story explores the Christmas story from the point of view of a midwife in a small Judean village at the time of the Roman empire. Through words and pictures, it shows the joy and grief of living in that time, as well as the mystery of birth that is at the heart of the Christmas story.

 MY TAKE:   This beautifully illustrated and wonderfully told story is sure to become a family favorite and tradition every Christmas. 

I like the premise of there being other people there to witness and assist in the birth of Baby Jesus. It only makes sense that a midwife and her assistant would be called when Mary went into labor, it was the common practice - no matter where the child was being born. It is almost a comfort to think that there was a warm, human element present during the miracle. 

This story draws the reader into what the scene may have looked and felt like there in the stable that beautiful night. I highly recommend this book and am adding it to the gift-worthy list for 2015.  

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

Available now at:
Amazon / Barnes & Noble
The Book Depository / Powell's Books

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~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.
Posted by Unknown at 12:30 AM 3 comments
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Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Review - Murder at Redwood Cove by Janet Finsilver


TITLE:    Murder at Redwood Cove
AUTHOR:    Janet Finsilver
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 198 pages
PUBLISHED:   Lyrical Underground, 2015
SOURCE:   Received from Publisher for Review

FROM GOODREADS:   Bed, breakfast…and a body!

 If it weren’t for the fact that she’s replacing a dead man, Kelly Jackson would love her new job managing the Redwood Cove Bed and Breakfast on the coast of Northern California. But Bob Phillips did plunge off the cliff to his death…and Kelly’s starting to think it may not have been an accident. Bob’s retired friends—The “Silver Sentinels”—are also on the case, especially when Kelly is attacked…and another body turns up. Kelly has her hands full with overseeing the B&B’s annual Taste of Chocolate and Wine Festival, but she’s also closing in on the killer…who’s ready to send Kelly on her own permanent vacation…

MY TAKE:   I always enjoy a very well-crafted cozy mystery and this one is no exception. The author has created a town and setting that I'd love to be a part of and the characters that inhabit it are people I'd love to have in my life. It's my kind of place and my kind of story. I'm looking forward to getting to know all of them more in the upcoming stories.

The Silver Sentinels are fantastic - they had me cracking up and worrying about their safety all at the same time. Kelly has her work cut out for her in running the B&B and keeping this wily group in hand. Kelly is an easy to get attached to protagonist although I would have like a little bit more of a backstory on her. The addition of two young sleuths and an adorable dog just up the appeal to this lovely story. 

I stayed up and finished this book in one sitting. It was enjoyable and I highly recommend it to every cozy mystery fan and anyone looking for a good, fun story.
  
Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:
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Janet Finsilver and her husband reside in the San Francisco Bay Area. She worked in education for many years as a teacher, a program administrator, and a workshop presenter. Janet loves animals and has two dogs—Kylie and Ellie. She’s been involved in many activities during her life. Janet has ridden western style since she was a child and was a member of the National Ski Patrol. She’s traveled extensively. One of the highlights of her life was touching whales in the San Ignacio Lagoon. She enjoys cooking, and a recent attempt to reduce the number of cookbooks in the cupboard wasn’t very successful. She’s an avid reader—of course!   She’s currently working on the next book in her series scheduled for release in June 2016.

For More Information

Visit Janet’s website.
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~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.
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Review - Goddess by Julie Anne Lindsey



TITLE:    Goddess (A Calypso Novel)
AUTHOR:    Julie Anne Lindsey
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 246 pages
PUBLISHED:   Lyrical Press, 2015
SOURCE:   Received from Publisher for Review

FROM GOODREADS:   Two weeks ago, Callie Ingram was just another high school senior with her sights on a swimming scholarship. Now, she’s the resurrected leader of the Vikings, balancing her classes with learning mythological history—and sparring sessions with her gorgeous demigod boyfriend, Liam Hale.
 
When Zeus returns to collect the favor she owes him, Callie is tasked with uniting the warring Viking clans and leading them into battle against Gaia’s frost giants. If she fails, everything she risked her life for will be destroyed…and her best friend will die. But one teenage girl rallying all of the vengeful clans won’t be easy. And things only get more complicated when a new prophecy puts her future with Liam at risk. Now, Callie will not only have to win the battle, but she’ll have to take the fate of her heart into her own hands.

MY TAKE:   While this is an enjoyable stand alone second book in the series, I think it would be helpful to have read the first book Prophecy. There are a few points that would probably be a lot clearer if the backstory was in hand. 

 I ended up liking the main characters Callie and Liam. There were times when they were a bit annoying, but I attribute that to their "youth" and having a lot of responsibility thrust upon their shoulders so quickly. There are a few lesser characters that I hope will get their own stories down the line in the series. 

 The storyline made for a quick, fun read. I always like tales spun around the Gods and Goddesses, whether they be Norse or Greek or other.  I am planning on reading the first story in order to get the "rest of the story". Then I'll be set to read the next books as they develop.
  

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

Available now at:
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo
The Book Depository / Powell's Books

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Julie Anne Lindsey is a multi-genre author who writes the stories that keep her up at night. She’s a self-proclaimed nerd with a penchant for words and proclivity for fun. Mother of three, wife to a sane person and Ring Master at the Lindsey Circus, most days you'll find her online, amped up on caffeine and wielding a book. Julie started writing to make people smile. Someday she plans to change the world.

Julie is a member of the International Thriller Writers (ITW), Sisters in Crime (SinC) and the Canton Writer’s Guild.


For More Information

Visit Julie Ann’s website, Facebook, Twitter



October 12
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Book featured at Review From Here
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Book featured at Literal Exposure
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Book featured at Becky on Books
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~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.
Posted by Unknown at 12:00 AM 0 comments
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