Dreamwander by Kildare
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Cillian Rysgaard is eighty-six-years-old, and he is not surprised to hear he is facing death. When he heads out of his doctor’s office, he finds himself suddenly in a world that is nowhere like earth and he is also decades younger. Thinking he is hallucinating; he agrees to a hazardous quest for a sword powerful enough to kill a dragon, but he is misled and accidentally releases a powerful prisoner who turns out to be a god with world ending powers. Accepting responsibility for his actions, Cillian sets out to stop this God before he has a chance to destroy the universe in his rage and revenge.
This book certainly had great potential. The worldbuilding was detailed and well thought out, the characters made sense (for their world) and the quest the Cillian is set on is grandiose and long winded. However, sometimes too much description is a bad thing. It is a delicate balance an author must strike where they can transport us readers into a story rather than slow the pacing with endless descriptions of what the character is experiencing at any given moment. I think if the book has a good round of editing with a mind to narrow down some scenes, it will appeal to a much greater audience.


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Snatched Up to Heaven for Kids by Jemima Paul
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Snatched up to Heaven for kids is a book that deals with the afterlife, be it heaven or hell in an easy to understand way. This book is especially geared towards children (obviously per the title), and I find that my 7-year-old daughter would be able to understand what is happening in the book. The story follows two girls, Emma and Bella who start having dreams that they are escorted to heaven and later to hell by angels. During their dream journeys, they meet various characters from the bible, including Jesus. Each morning, they relate the dreams to their parents who are at first astonished, but nevertheless gently explain to them the finer points of heaven and hell, angels, Jesus and Satan.
This sis certainly a good book if you have introduced this topic to you children and they have more questions. Sometimes I find presenting a story to my girls that have characters that are undergoing what we talked about helps them visualize and understand the topic better. This was well written and very easy to read.


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Haskell Himself by Gary Seigel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sixteen-year-old Haskell Hodge is a former child star actor who is dealing with a crisis of identity in the worst time possible. Fearing he might be gay, in 1966 when such things were not acceptable, he is resigning himself to a lonely life. Meanwhile, in the neighborhood, bullies have set their sights on him and are relentless in their pursuit of Haskell. In a time of sexual freedom, Haskell learns the harsh lesson that freedom for some does not mean freedom for all. When a career opportunity comes along to play a bully on screen for a major movie, Haskell has to determine if he is willing to play the personal cost for his career success.
Very emotional book. We are taken on the rollercoaster of a lifetime in this book, the physical and emotional highs and lows that will end up shaping Haskell as much as his external environment. The author is able to recreate the feel of the sixties complete with the counterculture and revolution in social norms about clothing, music, drugs, dress, sexuality, formalities, and schooling while still giving us a poignant story about this boy who had to grow up to quick and is in danger of losing himself in the process.


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Stolen Shroud by Daniel Westlund
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

One of the most revered and controversial relics of Catholic faith is the shroud of Turin. In history, various scholars and researchers have made scientific claims for and against the authenticity of the shroud. In this book, Professor Mark Eberhart is on of those researchers who has the rare access to the shroud to confirm its authenticity with some new methods. Mark is having a crisis of faith as the shroud is stolen from in front of him by supernatural means as well as reports coming in that the resurrection of Jesus may never have happened.
This is a thriller with a Christian theme setting, taking some of that worlds mysteries and utilizing them to tell a compelling story, a.la The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons by Dan Brown. A intriguing plot, interesting and complex characters and a race to solve the mystery all comes together in this exciting new book!


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Shattered Lives Broken Dreams: William Cooper and Australian Aborigines Protest Holocaust by Barbara Miller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is a prime example of how history is often rewritten to exclude events that are not wanted to be remembered, by those in power. In the days after the Kristallnacht, William Cooper, a famous aboriginal Civil rights activist, marched on the German Consulate in Melbourne to protest that fateful night that has been credited in setting off WWII. This was the only time William Cooper led a protest, despite his extensive work fighting for aboriginal rights. He was honored later by Jews by including him in the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Israel.
Like her previous book, the author Barbara Miller gives an insightful and interesting view of historic events through the lens of personal accounts and news accounts of the times. Thoroughly researched and well written, this account f the times is harrowing at moments, but it is good to remind oneself, that this book shows us what the human spirit can accomplish in the face of adversity.


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Go Slow To Grow Fast: How to Keep Your Company Driving And Thriving In A Fast-Paced, Competitive Business World by Brent Tilson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Go slow to grow fast is a book dedicated to business growth and how you as a business owner can ensure your business grows exponentially. Using surrogate characters, Frank and Susan, the author explains this concept and what he has seen in his over twenty-five yeas of experience. Using this method, the information is given to us in an engaging way that keeps us interested and entertained. Instead of simply relying on your financial statements that show you how you performed in the past, the author urges you to take note of critical numbers and measurements to assess where your company is heading without any correction. By giving you tools and posing questions that will prompt you to really think about your business, how it is performing in the various metrics and also providing guidance on what changes may need to happen; the author gives you a solid foundation upon which you can improve your business trajectory.

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Write Yourself Out of This One by Peggy A. Edelheit
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Samantha is going along with her life until out of the blue, she starts to receive threatening notes and other strange things start to happen. When one of the mysterious notes suddenly disappears, Samantha makes a hard choice: to discover the truth about her own past (including that of Clay) regardless of where it might take her. The only problem is that the truth may well kill her this time. Armed with her usual spunk and spirit, Sam assembles her friends as she follows the clues to the very end.
This book is number 12 in a series and as always, the author is true to character. Sam is still sassy, full of humor while keeping her head and her wits. She is able to utilize her strengths and knows when to ask for help which serves her well in solving this mystery. A good book in a good series that has always entertained.


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The Whore of Lahore by AM Sardar
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Polymath Charlotte Holmes and her Colleague Dr. Watan are at it again. This refreshing reimagination of the great detective has a fresh book out and here we rejoin our favorite team as they investigate a courtesan who is suspected of being the illegitimate daughter of a Maharaja. During this investigation, they stumble upon the Graveyard of Girls and Dr. Watan suffers personally as he is dealing with his conflicting feelings regarding the British. This creates a new tension between him, and his friend Charlotte and they will have to resolve it before the case is over, unless they decide to go their separate ways?
I’ve read a few of the books in the series and it is always a pleasure coming back to them. Witty dialogue, complex cases and intriguing clues that are followed and run down t their ultimate end, this book is another gem in the series that will grab your attention and give you a good excuse to escape for a little while.


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Broken: Macy's Story by Janice Broyles
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

18-year-old Macy is the local pastor’s daughter, but some questionable life choices have gotten her in trouble with the law as well as her family. Sentenced to serve community service time, Macy moves into her Grandparents house to help them at their motel. While working at the Manistee Forest Motel, she gets to know the customers and discovers that many are as unique as she is. They are complex, some coming from broken pasts filled with bad decisions. This gives her new insights into her own life and she attempts to rebuild her life and her relationship with her family.
Well written with developed characters, the author doe a good job in making Macy relatable even with her bad choices and deplorable attitude she suffers from at times. We get to see Macy growing into herself as a young woman who starts to take responsibility for her actions which was very heartening.


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Authority Marketing: How to Leverage 7 Pillars of Thought Leadership to Make Competition Irrelevant by Adam Witty
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There are many ways you have authority as a leader, either through Legal, Expert, Reverent, Punitive or others. But one thing that is true for them all, is that you need to at some point, market your authority and expertise so that others realize your knowledge and authority is valid and they should listen to you. This book teaches you just how to build your Authority through visualizing your goals, building your strategy on how to achieve them and then implementing that strategy effectively. Lastly, they talk about utilizing that new authority to grow your business. The authors also place emphasis on good Leadership and what not to do as an effective leader.
There is a lot of great information in this book, the authors clearly know what they are writing about, I have seen much of the information mirrored in my Marketing and Strategic Growth classes at my university, so the information presented is truthful. I think that many people will be able to get some good tips out of this to benefit their careers.


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The Siren of Loreley Rock by Christie Selph
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A short blurb gives us a glimpse of the story: Lorelei is eight years old when her father disappears suddenly, and it haunts her every day. Living under her mother’s cruel taunts and words, Lorelei strives towards her dreams of becoming a journalist. When she meets her father again, after eight years apart, her first conversation with him gives her not as many answers as she would have liked. While, she does find out why her father abruptly disappeared, she is left with questions about her mothers’ motivations for her actions and behavior over the years. We follow Lorelei over the years as she hunts down leads and stories and does finally become a Journalist as she dreamed of.
Based on a German poem “Die Lorelei”, about a mermaid that lures sailors to their death, this is a nicely written work of fiction. I think that the editing needed a bit of work, mainly for spacing, some spelling and layout issues. The overall story was interesting, and the characters were fleshed out well.

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Into the Wilderness: One Woman's Extraordinary Journey through Corruption, Lies, and Betrayal by Karen Marie Dion
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Into the Wilderness tells the story of Karen Marie, as she navigates her changing life after divorce. Attempting to raise her two children while staying safe from her bitter and vindictive ex-husband, Karen has to dig deep to find strength in the kindness of strangers and the joy of her own children. Fighting with tenants who band with her ex husband and getting caught up with the FBI and Judicial branch, Karen becomes a pinnacle of strength and quiet compassion.
A hard book to read at times as so much goes wrong for Karen. As a single mother, she has so much responsibilities on her shoulders and it is easy to give up and be crushed in the system. Karen is not weak though, and we get to see an example of true grit and strength. There is a lot going on in this book and while it may be easy to lose track of all that is going on, you will certainly not be bored or uninterested.


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Lady of Secrets by G.S. Carr
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Against the Backdrop of the Civil War, we are given a story of forbidden love between a poor Irish immigrant and a free Colored Woman. Elijah and Henrietta met in Henrietta’s English class where she taught reading and writing to anyone who wanted to learn. Henrietta is enamored with Elijah, and he is with her, but neither of them can approach the other without society turning against them. When Henrietta’s Fiancée hires Elijah as a handyman and worker for Henrietta’s family, their friendship blooms. Elijah hungers for her though, and Henrietta unwittingly gets caught up in her friends’ machinations of joining the fighting. Will those two ever be honest with each other? Or will they forever pine after another?
Although I liked the overarching plot, I think the author tried to cram too many things into this book. The forbidden romance against the civil war backdrop alone would have been a fine story. As such, some portions felt rushed and unfinished. The author does time jumps a few times, all going forward, so we miss a little on the developing relationships. Overall though, it was still a nice book and sweet romance against the odds.
I received a free copy from BookSirens and decided to give my honest opinion.


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Radical Value: How to Take Your Company to the Next Level Through Radical Customer Centricity by Mark Boundy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

One of the most important metrics for any business is their customers and the value they provide to them. If the business cannot provide any value to their customers, they will quickly go under. In this book, the author details plans that your company can utilize and implement that may seem radical, (as the title suggests) but are needed to effectively engage your customers, and help you restructure both training of employees and the organizational structure of your company to take advantage of marketing, messaging and efficient ways to (again) create value to your customer who will then be more inclined to choose your company.
I found the information was well presented, but the ideas may have been a tad bit too radical for me as a small business owner. There are certainly things that I will try and take advantage of, but others are not for me. As such, I think this is a good book to read and get ideas from.


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Summer Thunder by A.B. Gibson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lily owns her own shop on the shores of California where she sells handmade trinkets to tourists and locals alike. Her trinkets, mainly Fairy figurines that are purported to bring the owner good luck are popular and Lily, along with her best friend are eager to keep up the beliefs in order to help her shop going. That good luck they seem to bring never makes it way to Lily’s door, or does it? When she meets a world famous Kite Surfer and he seems to become enamored with Lily, she needs to decide how far she is willing to follow her feelings, and Theos has to figure out why he is quickly becoming obsessed with this shop owner. A lighthearted mystery romance is just what we need right now and this book, although making use of some mystery plot twists, is fairly simple in its formula, boy meets girl, falls for girl, girl is a bit of a clutz and after a series of mishaps a HEA ensues.

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Arnolfini Art Mysteries 2 by Rich DiSilvio
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Armand Arnolfini, Art Detective is back in action after the first set of stories in the previous book. This time, Armand is joined in his detective work by his new wife Andrea and together they tackle some of the worlds most oddest and mysterious art crimes. As with the first book, the author has broken each story line into their own chapters, five in this book which can be read in any order, but I do suggest that you read them as presented. Some plot points in later chapters make the most sense if you have read the previous ones. The book starts us at the couples wedding in the Saint Bavo Cathedral in Belgium and takes us on a wild ride across the art world, from Leonardo De Vinci to Orazio Gentileschi, a Baroque Artist. The addition of Angela was a refreshing portion if the stories and I enjoyed reading about Armand again. As with the first book, this is a well written blend of art mysteries and crime.

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LEAP: Master Your Superpowers, Soar To The Leading Edge by Marta Wilson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Marta Wilson, CEO of Transformation Systems Inc., has written a book that complies all of the results of research and development undergone by her team and their clients. She has dedicated herself to helping others become the best Leaders they can be through developing their potentials, overcoming their shortcomings and discover what their own Leadership superpower are. LEAP, meaning Leadership, Effectiveness and Potential is essential for us to understand is we want to succeed. Well written and informative, the book is interesting and relevant to anyone who is in a leadership role or is seeking a leadership role in the future. There are plenty of charts, graphics and assessments for those who need a more visual tool to understand the material and I think that the approach the author has taken in presenting the information is conducive to a wider audience. I highly recommend this book to my peers in the business world.

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THE PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE EARNER: YOUR GUIDE TO BREAK FREE FROM THE SHACKLE OF 9-5 by Jeremy Kho
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Having read and been impressed by Jeremy Kho’s other book, “The Journey from Poor Procrastinator to Invested Millennial”, I was very interested in reading more of his books. I saw this one and was intrigued by the detailed synopsis. A in his other book, Mr. Kho presents his information in an easy to read formula that engages readers and gets them excited about the topic they are reading about. Learning about passive income, what it is, what all the different types of incomes are and where they come form as well as how the math works in identifying your crossover point and how best to take advantage of it. There are also a few bonus spreadsheets that can help you track all of your financials in here. This is not a long book, but it is certainly packed full of good information.
I think that this book is good for those of us who have started to tackle their debt and are now getting ready to identify the different investment opportunities out there that we can take advantage of. I certainly think that I learned something from this book, and you could as well.


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2 Dark Mirrors by Ryan P. Cole
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is as it says, an erotic tale. That is not saying it is a pornographic smut novel. The relationship between Lina and Ryan is approached in a tasteful manner and the evolvement of said relationship is filled with tantalizing moments. For those in the “scene”, much of the book will be familiar to them, but for newcomers, they might be a bit put off by some of the role play and dominance that is shown. I urge you to keep an open mind though, what is passion to one person is distasteful or horrible to another.
I liked the story progression, the book does take a turn when Lina falls in the hands of the terrorists, but it’s still a good story and very engaging. The author clearly knows his way around the BDSM world and does a good job of avoiding falling into tropes and misconceptions that are out there.


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Peak Performance!!: Attention by Alan Sullivan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Peak Performance: Attention deals with the notion, that we are too often just living our lives on autopilot and with that, we miss opportunities to take action to correct something, or we miss opportunities to better ourselves. Broken into two parts, the book will help you know yourself better and then help you identify and make the changes you need to start paying attention in every facet of your life.
This book is the 5th in a series and it certainly shows in the writing. As with all of this authors books, his writing is well arranged and thought out and his confidence in his chosen topics is palpable. I found it very interesting and the ways the author helps us learn about ourselves and then helps us figure out how we can adjust our current life style to implement his suggestions so we can make the most use of them.


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Tree-octopuses, Squirrels, and Puppysaurs by K.J. Kuhn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Through seven stories, we are introduced and become familiar with the dynamic duo of Prof Joy Williams and Prof George Martinez. These two are top scientist that genetically engineer new species in order to solve some of the world’s most persistent problems. Set in the near future (roughly 2080), the problems that they encounter are reminiscent of what some areas are facing today or are well on their way if no corrective actions are taken now. Through wit, humor, and luck, along with their students, Joy and George approach each problem with optimism which bleeds through in the writing.
Although, you might think this book will be a dry, science rehash of genetic engineering facts, it is hardly that. This book, has humor, and witty dialogue. There are plenty of mishaps that are laugh out loud funny and the stories are all connected, even though they are broken into separate chapters. Well written, this is certainly a book for those who like SciFi and Science. And even if you don’t, the title alone is enough to draw plenty of creature lovers in.


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The Will to Die: A Novel of Suspense (Murder Mystery in a Small Town), a Thriller by Joe Pulizzi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A crime novel and murder mystery, this book centers around Will, a marketing professional who believes that there are strange and murderous things happening in his small town of Sandusky, OH. He has a slight problem with gambling though, so no one believes him when he brings the odd things that are happening up and then to make matters worse, things start happening around him that make him think that he is next on the list of those slated to die.
The writing is crisp, and the author shows his well versed story telling skills in this book. I was certainly entertained. There were a few things at the end that didn’t quite pull together and other questions that weren’t neatly buttoned up, but that is not always possible. The reader is taken on this wild ride with Will and the scope of all this behind what is happening in his small town is pretty big.


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Need to Want by Sava Buncic
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Really interesting are the books that not only give you a story, but that also make you reconsider your thoughts and preconceived notions about your own existence and the meaning of a human life. This book is one of those in that we are given a story about Matron and Bruce and their extended family who all live in a cave system on a small island their parents had been stranded on, an undetermined while before. Their story of survival is not the only things in this book, however. Through the lens of this family surviving, we are posed a few questions such as: should humanity continue if you are one of only a few survivors left? How big does your group have to get before you start to feel less benevolent toward them and greedier to hoard things for your own wellbeing?
A very interesting subject and the author utilizes his storytelling in an efficient way to provoke us into a state of higher thinking without losing much in the storytelling. Certainly a book well worth the read.


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Dangerous Loops by Rex C.D. Lee
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book gives us precious little information in the following synopsis: “Witness how four circles of inner-city groups find themselves connected in more ways than one. It will bring out hidden secrets, hidden hate, plots of murder and physical pleasures with a lot of pain and deceit.”. A lot goes on in this story, and yes, it is centered around these four groups who have varying degrees of interactions, some more than others and some things are not known until the end of the book of how they all connected the dots this entire time. These gangs are involved in drugs, guns and all the violence that goes with that. The pacing varied through the book, from slow to fast which was irritating a few times as the story dragged through a few spots until it started picking up pace again. The writing style is rough and gritty, with quite a few spelling and syntax errors, no doubt the author wanted us to feel as if we were immersed in this world. The story was interesting and dramatic, although I am unsure if it is enough to save the book from the pacing and grammar issues.

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H-17 The Morningstar Abduction by Jake Vickers
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Gabby Morningstar is a child genius who wants nothing more than to live a quiet life with her father, away from any painful memories of her wayward sister or mother. But the rise of a secretive, highly advanced country called H-17, is out recruiting various experts and geniuses for purposes yet unknown. Think Wakanda in a villainous role and you get the idea. When Gabby’s father is murdered, she is abducted and then sold to H-17 who wish to use her genius in patterns and numbers for their own agenda. Gabby’s sister catches wind of this and sets out on a mission to find and rescue her little sister.
The whole story was a bit odd, the way the author strung us along until we reached the end was not the most straightforward way I think. The story was good, just very violent and twisted, this is certainly not an easy read for some nor is it a lighthearted escape book. This book would be ideal for those who wish to be drawn into a different world that is convoluted, harsh and rarely rewarding.


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