Gilded Prisons by Linda Gould
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Guadalupe is an ex-wife who is set on revenge against her husband and concocts a plan to kidnap a famous baseball player. This man, Justin Moore, is on vacation with his family and all is looking rosy in his immediate future. He has the ball skills, the beautiful wife, the fancy house, and cars and so on. When he is kidnapped, his world is turned upside down and he must decide just what he will do to return home.
While romance is a big part of this book, Baseball is not, the main plot is centered around stilted Guadalupe, Justin, and the kidnapping and horrid conditions he endures. The book overall is well written, and the plot moves pretty quickly once we get to the kidnapping portion.

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Zachor by R. Lawson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A burned-out CIA operative is not good for anyone, so when Biff Roberts takes a vacation in Israel with his Mossad counterpart Philippe Andros, most are a bit skeptical but encouraging. Things go quickly awry when the two men are caught up in an assassination plot and have to fall back on their skills to bring themselves and others out of it.
Another book in the series, this book is thrilling and fast paced and exciting and will keep you gripped until the end. I haven’t read any of the other books, but I did not feel too left out of the relationships. Most of them were able to be deciphered pretty quickly. Good plot and great book!


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Someone Like Me by Marian L. Thomas


Mya Day has courage and strength to spare. Her life has not been easy, but she takes each day as it comes and eventually finds love. But will Michael be able to hold onto her heart? Or is she fated to stay with Matt? A sweet love story with some love-triangle and angst over whom Mya will end up picking.
I enjoyed the story, I was able to identify with Mya and her troubles and how she struggled to overcome them (but she does). I wasn’t too much of a fan of Michael, and I liked that Mya stayed strong in her convictions even with the events that swayed her.


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The Book Glasses by Arthur Bozikas
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Samantha Page cannot read and is down on her luck. She finds a pair of glasses that help her ingest knowledge like its water and she becomes obsessed with discovering all she had previously missed out on. But there is a catch to the glasses, will she be able to stop in time?
While the plot was interesting, the characters and the execution was not. I found that much of the book dragged on, with only a few interesting pivotal moments throughout that moved the story.


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The Smartest Person in the Room by Christian Espinosa
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A timely book on the topic of Cybersecurity, the author takes a look beyond the software towards the people that your company will utilize to manage the technical security of your company and data. Utilizing the secure methodology that encompasses the concepts of awareness, mindset, acknowledgement, communication, monotasking, empathy and kaizen, the author provides a comprehensive plan to better secure your data.
I really liked the book; it was easy to read and understand and the graphics were well done and supported the information without becoming overwhelming. This is certainly a book that is important and relevant today.


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The Vice Chairman's Doctrine by Ian Domowitz
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Long but informative

This book is not a memoir, it is a personal look at management by the author who has spent a considerable amount of his career in various roles that allow him to take an in depth look at the upper echelons. As Vice Chair, there is no clear guidance on how you can be a standout leader at your level and the author gives us this guidance in this book.
While valuable, in depth, and chock-full of information, I found this book to be very long, and at times dry which made it hard to read. There is some humor and interesting anecdotes in here but overall, the book is geared towards knowledge.

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The Heart Knows: The Art of Living as Love by Arian Mateo Tabatabai
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Before anyone can love you, you need to learn how to love yourself. This concept is the grounding basis for this book which helps you overcome obstacles you might have unknowingly placed around you that prevents you form doing just that. Utilizing meditation techniques, a spiritual and loving transformation is in your future.
I found this book to be full of no-nonsense knowledge and a gentle reminder to those of us that think we are already there in terms of self-love. The author does a great job in firmly guiding you towards that better life where acceptance and love is right around the corner.


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The Adventures of Amber: Walk in the Woods by Isabell Hayden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Amber takes a walk with her dog and her grandmother. They explore the fields, the woods, a stream and finally go back home filled with the beauty of the world around them. The end of the book has colorful information about some common animals found in the forests and mountains.
My 4- and 2-year-old really liked the book, for both the story and the colorful illustrations. It is a cute story of exploration and the wonder found in the nature surrounding us.


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Secrets and Lies: The Shocking Truth of Recent Australian Aboriginal History, A Memoir by Barbara Miller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Gripping history

This book, please topic is on the Australian aboriginals, their fights with mining companies and church and state, is a historical biography. I searched all the story is rooted in truth, the author has made this book compelling with all the lies, Secrets, cover-ups, and more that have happened and irrevocably changed the lives of millions of people.
Having read previous books by this author, I had Fairly high standards and was not disappointed. The writing is great, the research is sound, and the root causes of what went on in Australia and how it affects people today is arresting.

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Peripatetic Alterity: A Philosophical Treatise on the Spectrum of Being - Romantics and Pragmatists by Henry Whittlesey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book looks at experiences in life within Germany, America and Russia from medieval times until now, including the life under recent Presidents. Religion, society, political, and ethnicity differences (among others) are explored and viewed through both a pragmatic and romantic lens.
This book reads more like a graduate thesis than a book of knowledge. I am from Germany, so I am familiar with many of the concepts explored by the author in both Germany and America, the Russian views were new and interesting. It is very dry reading and not something lighthearted, as such, I do not think this will appeal to the masses.


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Navigating B2B: Master Your Industry, Your Business, and Yourself by Steve Ferreira
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A book for professionals, Navigating B2B guides you to utilize your creativity in your business relationships by thinking outside the box and better using your communication. How to accept rejections and understanding when a “no” can turn into a “yes” is also an important lesson.
Building on his personal experiences, the author found a way to keep the book engaging and motivating enough that the information he is trying to import was easy to understand. As such, I think this book would be great for anyone seeking to improve their communications and their business confidence.


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Lucy by Chris Coppel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A heartwarming story

Lucy is a Pampered golden retriever who is stolen from her home and ends up in a kennel. She befriends a random assortments of dogs and they break out of the kennel to escape a herring fate. The dogs Traverse the Streets of London, trying to make their way back home to their owners. This book reminded me a little of the movie from the 90s (Homeward Bound), but it was still a nice read as the setting was different and it was well written. I read this with my 9 year old as she likes the talking animal books and this book was well received by her.

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Dive: Endless Skies by Chris Reign
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

For my first lit RPG book, this was pretty good. We follow Eyre, as she joins a massive multiplayer game where she hopes to revamp herself into a better person with a better life. As she attempts top finish her quest, she finds herself in unchartered waters with a ragtag bunch of members who may or may not have her best interests at heart.
I liked the story, it felt more like a regular fantasy book in the reading, even with the addition of the quest objectives added into the story. This is I think a part of a bigger series to come as the book felt like it was setting us up for a much bigger world and cast of characters to come.


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The Modern Spiritual Series: A compilation of the books Healing Mantras, Modern Chakra and Modern Tarot. by Verda Harper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Having already read the modern Tarot book in this series and enjoying it, I went ahead and got the complete set. Each book is contained herein, one about the Modern Tarot, one about Modern Chakra’s and then on Healing Mantras. The authors other books in here are as in depth and well written as others and she shows a depth of knowledge that will certainly help someone on their spiritual journey. Get ready to learn much more about Chakra, Meditation and Chanting and Tarot than you thought possible.

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Brownies for Breakfast: A Cookbook for Diabetics and the People Who Love Them by Lynne Bowman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I always love new cookbooks and this one was an excellent one with a few caveats. The recipes don’t begin until a third of the book in, a lot of space is dedicated to “living with diabetes” in the beginning and periodically throughout the book. I was disappointed that one recipe I’d have loved to see had no ingredient list: the bread/toast. There was only information for the butter. Other than that, the recipes are geared more towards the sweeter recipes, from breakfast to desserts and there is even a section for various smoothies. A good cookbook all in all.

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Bow Season by Ryan Alexander
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A murder mystery that will grip you. Two detectives, one young and ambitious and a grizzled veteran must team up when a young girl’s body is found shot by an arrow. As they follow the clues and attempt to determine the motive and the killer, they begin to suspect a possible serial killer in their midst.
I found this book went really quick in terms of reading as the story was really well done. The plot moved at a quick pace and the trail grew cold until the breakthrough towards the later part of the book. The narration from the different POV each chapter was well done and only served to enhance the story flow.


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The Everything by Richard C. Cox
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A collection of wierd

In the 26th century, Humans live on a collection of planets called the twelve. Some are normal shapes, others are shaped like potatoes. This book is a collection of articles and essays from various magazines and scientific journals. Even children's collectable cards are included.
Think of your doctor office and the random magazines there, this is like a random excerpt from them. No clear plot or anything you would expect in a regular book. As such, this was possibly the strangest book I've read in while. I wouldn't read this book again, I enjoy traditional plots too much i suppose.

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Agenda Indiscriminate by Peter Harper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The third book in this thriller series, this one picks up after events from the last novel. Rafael is reeling after his lover’s murder and flees to El Salvador to escape her memories. Here he encounters the MS-13 gang as well as a courageous peasant who might be able to help him heal. Eventually he returns to London to finish a screenplay, but his life has changed so much that he might not be able to finish it before deadly events play out to their completion.
I didn’t read the previous books, but that didn’t matter too much, the author did a good job of refreshing events as they became important and so it helped to understand the characters more and why the reacted in certain ways. Rafael and his encounters with MS-13 were interesting, I haven’t read too much about the gang in novels, so this was interesting. I liked the story and the ending.


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The God with No Name by Peter Man
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The spunky adventure continues

Spunky teenager Victoria is back, just I'm time for an alien invasion! Female Warriors intent on eradicating the human race and colonizing the earth, Victoria must use her new knowledge and the help of a robot to first understand why these aliens are here and how she can hold them off before it is too late.
I liked the story, it was fun,action packed sequel to the first book and the author showed again that he can juggle multiple characters without it becoming confusing. I liked the integration of real-life sagas and legends which gave the story a realistic element.

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F*** YOU ALCOHOL: How to leave drinking behind and start a new fulfilling life by Rebecca Dolton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fighting a battle with alcoholism is an ongoing endeavor. The most important step will always be to acknowledge that you have a problem and that you need to address it. After that is when many people struggle, and this is where this book comes into play. Giving you a guide that helps set you on a holistic path and gives you methods to curb your cravings for alcohol.
This book, while giving good guidance and steps to follow, will only be as helpful as you can make it. If you don’t follow the steps, then you won’t gain much from it. There is no one size fits all approach, but I think this is a good start for anyone looking to kick the addiction.


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