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BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated A Lady in Defiance (Romance in the Rockies #1) in Books
Jan 2, 2019
When God leads three sisters to a town called Defiance, they had no idea how He would use them to shine His light in the darkest of places.
"Naomi found it mind-boggling and quite humbling what God could do if you let him."
Location 3665
About the Book
Charles McIntyre is the founder of Defiance, a town riddled with lust and drunkenness. He is determined to clean up the town so that the railroad will lay tracks there. The only problem is, he has forgotten what it takes to be a man of honor. Recently widowed Mrs. Naomi Miller and her two sisters, Hannah and Rebecca, know that they were led to Defiance by God. Intent on opening a respectable hotel, they face challenges that they have been unprepared for. Following the Lord's lead...and sometimes that of a feisty personality, the sisters aim to earn a decent reputation in the town and share the love of God with those around them. Showing them that no one is perfect, and that our Heavenly Father loves us no matter our past. Repentance and salvation is available to us all. Will Naomi be able to see past the sins of the man and see his heart? With more than one disreputable man in town, will the sisters remain safe?
My Thoughts
I have not read many books that so blatantly show us the black and white of sin and salvation. There is a lot of language referencing the work of the prostitutes in the story. But I do not feel that the profession was glamorized at all, far from it. There is a lot of reference to the prostitutes' low cut dresses and ogling of the females in general by the men. But as the sisters remain pure, their attitudes and behavior rubs off on those around them. Giving us a perfect example of being in the world but not of it. They held firm to their beliefs and were not swayed by the godless world around them. And through them God brought a change to the town and the occupants. While this is not a book I would recommend for young readers, I never felt uncomfortable reading this and I am planning on reading the rest of the series. I would also like to honor Heather for writing what she was called to write. She shares the true grit of the west with the pure love and acceptance of our Lord Jesus Christ.
My Rating
★★★★☆ - You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you. (More Info)
Published by Rivulet Publishing. I received a free digital copy of A Lady in Defiance in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
"Naomi found it mind-boggling and quite humbling what God could do if you let him."
Location 3665
About the Book
Charles McIntyre is the founder of Defiance, a town riddled with lust and drunkenness. He is determined to clean up the town so that the railroad will lay tracks there. The only problem is, he has forgotten what it takes to be a man of honor. Recently widowed Mrs. Naomi Miller and her two sisters, Hannah and Rebecca, know that they were led to Defiance by God. Intent on opening a respectable hotel, they face challenges that they have been unprepared for. Following the Lord's lead...and sometimes that of a feisty personality, the sisters aim to earn a decent reputation in the town and share the love of God with those around them. Showing them that no one is perfect, and that our Heavenly Father loves us no matter our past. Repentance and salvation is available to us all. Will Naomi be able to see past the sins of the man and see his heart? With more than one disreputable man in town, will the sisters remain safe?
My Thoughts
I have not read many books that so blatantly show us the black and white of sin and salvation. There is a lot of language referencing the work of the prostitutes in the story. But I do not feel that the profession was glamorized at all, far from it. There is a lot of reference to the prostitutes' low cut dresses and ogling of the females in general by the men. But as the sisters remain pure, their attitudes and behavior rubs off on those around them. Giving us a perfect example of being in the world but not of it. They held firm to their beliefs and were not swayed by the godless world around them. And through them God brought a change to the town and the occupants. While this is not a book I would recommend for young readers, I never felt uncomfortable reading this and I am planning on reading the rest of the series. I would also like to honor Heather for writing what she was called to write. She shares the true grit of the west with the pure love and acceptance of our Lord Jesus Christ.
My Rating
★★★★☆ - You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you. (More Info)
Published by Rivulet Publishing. I received a free digital copy of A Lady in Defiance in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated The Arrival (The Eslite Chronicles, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
So... it's been roughly a year since I read The Arrival's prequel, well before the author actually made it into a series. I even mentioned that it had potential to be a good series, and here we are: it's actually a series!!! I signed up ASAP when I saw it available to be reviewed on David Estes Fans and YA Book Lover's R&R program, despite the fact I should probably be knocking out some books on a certain reading challenge. *coughs* 2014 TBR Pile Challenge *coughs*
Plus, I'm really surprised I actually read this really quickly, and I'm personally thinking it's probably because I must be getting tired of not going to school or something. Or maybe my mind is still in devouring mode after reading The Forever Song and The Body In the Woods (review in June).
Either way, it's a quick read, and the prequel is actually set after the prologue in The Arrival, but before Chapter 1. It's set about 3 years after the events in the prequel, and Miranda and the other girls in Nidus are ready to break free from the compound because they discover the Eslites are there for different reasons entirely.
This is no sappy romance you usually find in other alien stories where the alien falls in love with the human while trying to get away from an enemy species that's not by the name of human. This is pure "aliens are going to take over the world, and they're a dominant species with high-tech technology." It's not like Lux or the Lorien Legacies, where the aliens are trying to be inconspicuous. The Arrival is completely different from that, even though there are romantic elements mixed in. Miranda is a determined heroine wanting to break both her and the girls currently in the compound away from the Eslites true reasons. And she's preventing other girls meeting similar fates.
Then there are a few curve balls thrown at you, which is always the biggest plus in the bowl. And there's the ending, in which I'm extremely curious about because it probably does some more table turning. Actually, that ending did do a table flip, so all I'm doing is blinking rapidly and wondering if that really just happened and the book is over. o_o
Oh, and a random thought, but Dimas really isn't as bad as I thought he would be from the prequel.
------------------------
Review copy provided by author (R&R)
Original Rating: 4.5 out of 5
This Review and more can be found at <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gi5Rk5yLloA/UtliaUbdL3I/AAAAAAAACbE/J27z92_qrYU/s1600/Official+Banner.png"; /></a>
Plus, I'm really surprised I actually read this really quickly, and I'm personally thinking it's probably because I must be getting tired of not going to school or something. Or maybe my mind is still in devouring mode after reading The Forever Song and The Body In the Woods (review in June).
Either way, it's a quick read, and the prequel is actually set after the prologue in The Arrival, but before Chapter 1. It's set about 3 years after the events in the prequel, and Miranda and the other girls in Nidus are ready to break free from the compound because they discover the Eslites are there for different reasons entirely.
This is no sappy romance you usually find in other alien stories where the alien falls in love with the human while trying to get away from an enemy species that's not by the name of human. This is pure "aliens are going to take over the world, and they're a dominant species with high-tech technology." It's not like Lux or the Lorien Legacies, where the aliens are trying to be inconspicuous. The Arrival is completely different from that, even though there are romantic elements mixed in. Miranda is a determined heroine wanting to break both her and the girls currently in the compound away from the Eslites true reasons. And she's preventing other girls meeting similar fates.
Then there are a few curve balls thrown at you, which is always the biggest plus in the bowl. And there's the ending, in which I'm extremely curious about because it probably does some more table turning. Actually, that ending did do a table flip, so all I'm doing is blinking rapidly and wondering if that really just happened and the book is over. o_o
Oh, and a random thought, but Dimas really isn't as bad as I thought he would be from the prequel.
------------------------
Review copy provided by author (R&R)
Original Rating: 4.5 out of 5
This Review and more can be found at <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gi5Rk5yLloA/UtliaUbdL3I/AAAAAAAACbE/J27z92_qrYU/s1600/Official+Banner.png"; /></a>
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Merlin's Children in Books
Jan 23, 2020
First off, allow me to commend Megan for making it past what I would call the Snowpocalyspse level, in which case the weather was nastily for a week in early January. I'm sure that says a lot, and that was not sarcasm whatsoever.
Merlin's Children starts off pretty much exactly where Taliesin Ascendant left off, and we finally get answers from the prologue of Book 1.
Or maybe I just now realized the answer to the question and it was in my face the entire time. *shrugs* I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter since as long as the question is answered, then it's all good.
I still have to applaud the author for continuing to be practically flawless in grammar/spelling (I make it a point to mention these things :p).
But I do find it really weird that the characters seem to draw their eyebrows downward a lot. I'm not sure if it's possible or I'm just those peeps who can only raise my eyebrows, but each time it was mentioned, I was pretty tempted to run into the bathroom, stare at the mirror and see if it was possible.
My mother would have thought I was insane if she saw me so I didn't do it.
HEY! HERE'S A POSSIBLE HUGE SPOILER! I sort of wanted what happened to Jamison to be something else. Maybe because I was thinking of what I read about the Nikita finale in TV Guide, in which I sorrily missed. -_- I am glad that some of the characters from the very first book return though. ^_^
On a final note, Megan has upped her game a bit compared to the last 2 books (yes, I'm staring at the raw ratings for the series). It's more fast paced, has more action and if anything, I sort of have a short attention span. A semi one, since I can tolerate SOME boring books to the end. :D But then the review turns out bad. I think that was irrelevant.
For some reason, I keep reading Ermengarde's name as "Er Ma Gawd" so I ended up reading "so and so and Ermagawd..." every so often. That might actually be how the name is pronounced, but I'm honestly not sure so I'll just call her OMG. :D
Another thing irrelevant I suppose.
---------------------
Original Rating: 4.5
Review copy provided by the author for review
Formatting has been lost due to copy and paste.
This review and more can be found at <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2014/02/review-merlins-children-by-megan-joel-peterson.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gi5Rk5yLloA/UtliaUbdL3I/AAAAAAAACbE/J27z92_qrYU/s1600/Official+Banner.png"; /></a>
Merlin's Children starts off pretty much exactly where Taliesin Ascendant left off, and we finally get answers from the prologue of Book 1.
Or maybe I just now realized the answer to the question and it was in my face the entire time. *shrugs* I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter since as long as the question is answered, then it's all good.
I still have to applaud the author for continuing to be practically flawless in grammar/spelling (I make it a point to mention these things :p).
But I do find it really weird that the characters seem to draw their eyebrows downward a lot. I'm not sure if it's possible or I'm just those peeps who can only raise my eyebrows, but each time it was mentioned, I was pretty tempted to run into the bathroom, stare at the mirror and see if it was possible.
My mother would have thought I was insane if she saw me so I didn't do it.
HEY! HERE'S A POSSIBLE HUGE SPOILER! I sort of wanted what happened to Jamison to be something else. Maybe because I was thinking of what I read about the Nikita finale in TV Guide, in which I sorrily missed. -_- I am glad that some of the characters from the very first book return though. ^_^
On a final note, Megan has upped her game a bit compared to the last 2 books (yes, I'm staring at the raw ratings for the series). It's more fast paced, has more action and if anything, I sort of have a short attention span. A semi one, since I can tolerate SOME boring books to the end. :D But then the review turns out bad. I think that was irrelevant.
For some reason, I keep reading Ermengarde's name as "Er Ma Gawd" so I ended up reading "so and so and Ermagawd..." every so often. That might actually be how the name is pronounced, but I'm honestly not sure so I'll just call her OMG. :D
Another thing irrelevant I suppose.
---------------------
Original Rating: 4.5
Review copy provided by the author for review
Formatting has been lost due to copy and paste.
This review and more can be found at <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2014/02/review-merlins-children-by-megan-joel-peterson.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gi5Rk5yLloA/UtliaUbdL3I/AAAAAAAACbE/J27z92_qrYU/s1600/Official+Banner.png"; /></a>
Stories of Prophets From Prophet Adam (P.B.U.H) to Last messenger Muhammad(P.B.U.H) & iQuran islam Stories
Book and Lifestyle
App
The Stories of the Prophets application described about the life of the most famous prophets form...
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Justice League (2017) in Movies
Nov 27, 2017
Decent cast performances (1 more)
Good fun
Varying quality of SFX (1 more)
Painfully safe
Justice At Last For DC Fans?
Last weekend, a movie dropped that most comic book fans have been hotly anticipating for the last few decades. The follow up to the disappointment that was Dawn of Justice, Justice League had a lot to live up to. I’m not going to try and convince you that it is a perfect movie, but I enjoyed it. If I was judging the movie on it’s own I would probably be much harsher with my rating etc, but in the context of other DCEU movies, it’s a breath of fresh air.
The first half of the movie is extremely choppy and unfocused and feels more like a grab bag of scenes cut together to resemble a story rather than any sort of coherent story. Then the last half of the movie plays it incredibly safe and plays out exactly how you would predict. There are no surprises or twists and then the credits roll and half heartedly set up a potential sequel, although with the huge amount of money Warner Bros lost on this movie if the rumoured budget amount of 300 million is to be believed, we may not be getting another entry any time soon. Which is sort of a shame because there are aspects of this movie that I really like, such as Batfleck and Jeremy Irons as Alfred.
There isn’t really much to talk about here, which is disappointing. Although Batman V Superman left a great deal to be desired as a decent comic book movie, it at least gave all of us something to talk about. The cast is alright, Affleck was just as great as Batman as he’s been up until now, Cavill puts in a decent Superman performance if you can get by that dodgy CGI upper lip, Gal Gadot is great as Wonder Woman, Ray Fisher does fine as Cyborg, Jason Momoa’s Aquaman is pretty one dimensional, but I think that’s more to do with the script than with the actor. Ezra Miller is annoying but clearly supposed to be the comic relief in the film. JK Simmons is wasted as Jim Gordon, but it’s nice to see Amy Adams in a reduced role here. I don’t hate Amy Adams, but I am not a fan of her portrayal as Lois Lane and surprisingly, she actually serves a purpose in this film, as opposed to pondering about with a camera looking surprised. The SFX varies greatly, with some really impressive visual effects and some that look like absolute garbage.
Slight spoilers going forwards I guess, but it’s not exactly a shocking revelation that they resurrect Superman from the dead in this movie, which as a long time comic book fan, I feel like could have been handled better.
Overall, it’s not the worst movie in the world; it’s not even the worst movie in this universe, but really it should be great. This movie should be so much better than, ‘okay,’ it’s the Justice League for Christssake. This film isn’t even as good as Thor Ragnarok, the third sequel in one of the least popular Avenger’s solo film. Justice League should have blown Thor out of the water, both commercially and critically! However, as a standalone film, without any context around it, it is a fun film and I did enjoy my time with it.
The first half of the movie is extremely choppy and unfocused and feels more like a grab bag of scenes cut together to resemble a story rather than any sort of coherent story. Then the last half of the movie plays it incredibly safe and plays out exactly how you would predict. There are no surprises or twists and then the credits roll and half heartedly set up a potential sequel, although with the huge amount of money Warner Bros lost on this movie if the rumoured budget amount of 300 million is to be believed, we may not be getting another entry any time soon. Which is sort of a shame because there are aspects of this movie that I really like, such as Batfleck and Jeremy Irons as Alfred.
There isn’t really much to talk about here, which is disappointing. Although Batman V Superman left a great deal to be desired as a decent comic book movie, it at least gave all of us something to talk about. The cast is alright, Affleck was just as great as Batman as he’s been up until now, Cavill puts in a decent Superman performance if you can get by that dodgy CGI upper lip, Gal Gadot is great as Wonder Woman, Ray Fisher does fine as Cyborg, Jason Momoa’s Aquaman is pretty one dimensional, but I think that’s more to do with the script than with the actor. Ezra Miller is annoying but clearly supposed to be the comic relief in the film. JK Simmons is wasted as Jim Gordon, but it’s nice to see Amy Adams in a reduced role here. I don’t hate Amy Adams, but I am not a fan of her portrayal as Lois Lane and surprisingly, she actually serves a purpose in this film, as opposed to pondering about with a camera looking surprised. The SFX varies greatly, with some really impressive visual effects and some that look like absolute garbage.
Slight spoilers going forwards I guess, but it’s not exactly a shocking revelation that they resurrect Superman from the dead in this movie, which as a long time comic book fan, I feel like could have been handled better.
Overall, it’s not the worst movie in the world; it’s not even the worst movie in this universe, but really it should be great. This movie should be so much better than, ‘okay,’ it’s the Justice League for Christssake. This film isn’t even as good as Thor Ragnarok, the third sequel in one of the least popular Avenger’s solo film. Justice League should have blown Thor out of the water, both commercially and critically! However, as a standalone film, without any context around it, it is a fun film and I did enjoy my time with it.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated From Darkness to Light: My Journey Back from a Brain Filled with Blood in Books
Apr 27, 2018
From Darkness to Light—My journey back from a brain filled with blood
by Lynn Christopher Roby
Rating: 3.5/5
Genre: Memoir, Autobiography, Christian
Summary: Lynn tells the story of her aneurysm, her life before and after, and her walk with God. She recalls her aneurysm and tells the sad and frightening story of her trials trying to get through it. Living through an aneurysm is hard—I had no idea how hard! She went through constant pain and a lot of depression. She also talks about her alcoholism early in life, mentions her sexual abuse, and her early depression. Eventually, after the aneurysm, she was able to heal enough to start her work for the Lord, opening a clinic to help people through the things she has gone through.
Thoughts: Lynn’s story is amazing and inspiring. This books shows how the bible verse “all things work together for good” plays out in real life. Lynn never would have been able to help the people she helped, or save the lives she helped save, if it hadn’t been for her very rough life.
Writing: The writing style and prose was tough to read in that it felt very choppy, had a lot of fragments, and quite a few typos, giving it an overall casual feel. The pacing was also a bit fast through the aneurysm, and slow through the rest. I found it difficult to read during the section where she explained the “12 steps to A.A.” which she explained in detail and then related it to her experiences, and showed how she used them through her life as a recovering alcoholic and getting through the aneurysm. The layout was a bit hard to follow, too. She starts with the aneurysm, then the healing process, then backtracks to tell about her alcoholism and depression, divorce, and second marriage before she finishes the story of what happened after the aneurysm. It was a little confusing, but once I saw what she was doing, it was easier to follow.
Content: There was no language or sex. She does mention God very often, as it is a memoir of a Christian’s suffering, but does not leave you with the feeling that you’ve been “preached to.”
Recommendation: Ages 13+ because of reference to alcohol. I really enjoyed this book—it had its on-the-edge-of-your-seat moments, its sad sections, and its happy parts.
About the author:
Lynn lives in Carroll Valley Pa. with her husband Bill and their Samoyed Abigail. She is a Mother blessed with four sons and beautiful grandchildren that add to filling her life with joy and fun.
Lynn is a certified Professional Level Kripalu Yoga Teacher; she continues her studies at The Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Stockbridge Ma. Lynn and her husband Bill are the founders and owners of The Gettysburg Holistic Health Center where Lynn teaches in her studio which is a Kripalu affiliated studio. Lynn is a Master level addictions specialist and a Reiki Master. She feels honored to work with folks who suffer from the disease of addiction as she watches them transform their lives from turmoil to surrender.
Lynn’s journey led her into writing this book that was very cathartic hoping to inspire anyone suffering not only from a ruptured brain aneurysm, or alcoholism, or abuse but to touch anyone who can relate to such pain and suffering and find hope from reading this book
**Thank you to Bostic Communications and Lynn for providing me with my review copy!**
~Haleyknitz
by Lynn Christopher Roby
Rating: 3.5/5
Genre: Memoir, Autobiography, Christian
Summary: Lynn tells the story of her aneurysm, her life before and after, and her walk with God. She recalls her aneurysm and tells the sad and frightening story of her trials trying to get through it. Living through an aneurysm is hard—I had no idea how hard! She went through constant pain and a lot of depression. She also talks about her alcoholism early in life, mentions her sexual abuse, and her early depression. Eventually, after the aneurysm, she was able to heal enough to start her work for the Lord, opening a clinic to help people through the things she has gone through.
Thoughts: Lynn’s story is amazing and inspiring. This books shows how the bible verse “all things work together for good” plays out in real life. Lynn never would have been able to help the people she helped, or save the lives she helped save, if it hadn’t been for her very rough life.
Writing: The writing style and prose was tough to read in that it felt very choppy, had a lot of fragments, and quite a few typos, giving it an overall casual feel. The pacing was also a bit fast through the aneurysm, and slow through the rest. I found it difficult to read during the section where she explained the “12 steps to A.A.” which she explained in detail and then related it to her experiences, and showed how she used them through her life as a recovering alcoholic and getting through the aneurysm. The layout was a bit hard to follow, too. She starts with the aneurysm, then the healing process, then backtracks to tell about her alcoholism and depression, divorce, and second marriage before she finishes the story of what happened after the aneurysm. It was a little confusing, but once I saw what she was doing, it was easier to follow.
Content: There was no language or sex. She does mention God very often, as it is a memoir of a Christian’s suffering, but does not leave you with the feeling that you’ve been “preached to.”
Recommendation: Ages 13+ because of reference to alcohol. I really enjoyed this book—it had its on-the-edge-of-your-seat moments, its sad sections, and its happy parts.
About the author:
Lynn lives in Carroll Valley Pa. with her husband Bill and their Samoyed Abigail. She is a Mother blessed with four sons and beautiful grandchildren that add to filling her life with joy and fun.
Lynn is a certified Professional Level Kripalu Yoga Teacher; she continues her studies at The Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Stockbridge Ma. Lynn and her husband Bill are the founders and owners of The Gettysburg Holistic Health Center where Lynn teaches in her studio which is a Kripalu affiliated studio. Lynn is a Master level addictions specialist and a Reiki Master. She feels honored to work with folks who suffer from the disease of addiction as she watches them transform their lives from turmoil to surrender.
Lynn’s journey led her into writing this book that was very cathartic hoping to inspire anyone suffering not only from a ruptured brain aneurysm, or alcoholism, or abuse but to touch anyone who can relate to such pain and suffering and find hope from reading this book
**Thank you to Bostic Communications and Lynn for providing me with my review copy!**
~Haleyknitz
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Totally Toned Arms: Get Michelle Obama Arms in 21 Days in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Totally Toned Arms by Rylan Duggan, CSCS
Genre: Exercise, Nutrition
Rating: 5
(from the back) Since she burst into public consciousness, Michelle Obama has proudly displayed her lean, toned, sexy arms, which have become the envy of women everywhere…. Now certified personal trainer and body-sculpting authority Ryan Duggan presents his groundbreaking program designed to help you develop amazingly toned arms. This three-week program will boost your metabolism, burn fat, and build muscle.
Totally Toned Arms is a Totally Terrific program. It centers around burning fat the right way, building muscle the safe way, and boosting the metabolism the healthy way. It explains the different kinds of fat, the different problems you may have with fat-burning and muscle building, and explains things that you may worry about or question.
The concepts behind the processes in the book are very well explained, so even those who have no knowledge whatsoever can understand what is going on in their body when they follow this program.
The program itself is not that scary. It’s designed around simple exercises that anyone can do (yes, anyone). What makes them hard and what makes them work if anyone can do them? How fast, how many, and how hard you try. So who does this book cater to? Everyone—old, young, athlete, couch potato. Now it won’t leave you looking like a body builder, but it sure will make a difference. (of course, if you are a couch potato you’re going to have to work a little slower to build up. In a worst case scenario, you may have to do the program twice… and that’s not such a bad idea for anyone now is it?) There are black and white photographs and very clear instructions for the exercises.
In fact, you don’t even need a gym to do this program—all you really need is something to lean against, a stair or bench, a theraband (very inexpensive, and I recommend the medium or heavy. Not the super-heavy unless you’re an athlete of some kind), and a few hand held weights. In fact, you don’t have to buy hand held weights, you can do what I did as a kid—use cans of soup.
Speaking of soup… Totally Toned Arms doesn't just focus on exercises, it also has a nutrition program that targets what you eat, how much of it you eat, and how often you eat it. And water… Everyone knows you’re supposed to drink 8 cups a day, right? Well here’s something I learned from Totally Toned Arms—8 is the minimum for a properly functioning body. 10-12 is the recommended amount. How many of you drink that much water? I know I don’t… *winces guiltily* But I’m gonna try to start…
There’s also a 21-day plan for the exercises, and even meal plans (so you don’t have to get too creative).
With all this great stuff… the only thing it doesn’t have is after-work out stretches… which, as I learned from biking, ballet, gymnastics, even horse-back riding and just about every other PE activity I’ve done, is that stretching after exercising is crucial to healthy muscles. So if you go out and buy this book… stretch a little after your workout. And take a hot shower that night… You’ll need it if you want to be able to function two days later (no it’s not that bad. I’m being sarcastic. But you do understand, right? Stretch!!).
Genre: Exercise, Nutrition
Rating: 5
(from the back) Since she burst into public consciousness, Michelle Obama has proudly displayed her lean, toned, sexy arms, which have become the envy of women everywhere…. Now certified personal trainer and body-sculpting authority Ryan Duggan presents his groundbreaking program designed to help you develop amazingly toned arms. This three-week program will boost your metabolism, burn fat, and build muscle.
Totally Toned Arms is a Totally Terrific program. It centers around burning fat the right way, building muscle the safe way, and boosting the metabolism the healthy way. It explains the different kinds of fat, the different problems you may have with fat-burning and muscle building, and explains things that you may worry about or question.
The concepts behind the processes in the book are very well explained, so even those who have no knowledge whatsoever can understand what is going on in their body when they follow this program.
The program itself is not that scary. It’s designed around simple exercises that anyone can do (yes, anyone). What makes them hard and what makes them work if anyone can do them? How fast, how many, and how hard you try. So who does this book cater to? Everyone—old, young, athlete, couch potato. Now it won’t leave you looking like a body builder, but it sure will make a difference. (of course, if you are a couch potato you’re going to have to work a little slower to build up. In a worst case scenario, you may have to do the program twice… and that’s not such a bad idea for anyone now is it?) There are black and white photographs and very clear instructions for the exercises.
In fact, you don’t even need a gym to do this program—all you really need is something to lean against, a stair or bench, a theraband (very inexpensive, and I recommend the medium or heavy. Not the super-heavy unless you’re an athlete of some kind), and a few hand held weights. In fact, you don’t have to buy hand held weights, you can do what I did as a kid—use cans of soup.
Speaking of soup… Totally Toned Arms doesn't just focus on exercises, it also has a nutrition program that targets what you eat, how much of it you eat, and how often you eat it. And water… Everyone knows you’re supposed to drink 8 cups a day, right? Well here’s something I learned from Totally Toned Arms—8 is the minimum for a properly functioning body. 10-12 is the recommended amount. How many of you drink that much water? I know I don’t… *winces guiltily* But I’m gonna try to start…
There’s also a 21-day plan for the exercises, and even meal plans (so you don’t have to get too creative).
With all this great stuff… the only thing it doesn’t have is after-work out stretches… which, as I learned from biking, ballet, gymnastics, even horse-back riding and just about every other PE activity I’ve done, is that stretching after exercising is crucial to healthy muscles. So if you go out and buy this book… stretch a little after your workout. And take a hot shower that night… You’ll need it if you want to be able to function two days later (no it’s not that bad. I’m being sarcastic. But you do understand, right? Stretch!!).
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Small Admissions in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Kate Pearson is going through a rough time. She's been dumped by Robert, her incredibly handsome French boyfriend, and she turned down a spot in her grad school program, so instead of living a dream life in Paris, she's living on the couch, barely able to wash her own hair. Her friend Chloe feels responsible (Robert is her cousin, after all), her friend Vicki is just annoyed (Vicki has no patience for wallowing), and Kate's older sister Angela just wants to fix everything. She connects Kate to a lead for an interview at the admissions department at the Hudson Day School. Surprising everyone, Kate gets the job, and suddenly has to get her life together. There's no time for self-pity during admissions season, after all. Indeed, Kate finds herself drawn to her job, her new colleagues, and the various children she meets while at work. And while Kate's working non-stop, her friends are busy falling in love, feeling guilty about their role in Kate's earlier breakdown regarding Robert, and generally making a mess of things. Will Kate make her own mess at the new admissions gig as well, or is this the fresh chance she needed?
I am torn somewhat on my thoughts for this book. It starts off quite witty and drew me in immediately. It's told from a multitude of perspectives, including Kate's friends (Chloe and Vicki), her sister (Angela) and Kate, and Kate's new boss, Henry. It's also interspersed with tales of several children trying to get into private school, along with the perspectives of their parents. There's definitely some nuance and depth there, but sometimes it's A LOT. A lot of characters, a lot of jumping of back and forth. I won't lie: Kate's friends certainly annoyed me at times. The side show with them can be humorous, but often just irritating. I found myself wanting more Kate.
The problem with all the jumping around is that I didn't really get to know the characters as much as I wanted, which was a shame, because they were fascinating. Kate, Chloe, Angela, Henry -- they were intriguing and, when featured, seemed real, even if Angela was driving us crazy meddling into Kate's life, as was Chloe with her never-ending guilt over her supposed role in Kate's breakdown. Poeppel has done an excellent job of creating real, flawed characters, and I just wish they all received a little more face-time. The snippets from the kids (and parents) applying for school are great, too, but it's hard not to see them sometimes as a detraction from our main characters, especially a side plot with two fervent (and delusional) parents.
Still, don't think I didn't enjoy the book, because I did. There are some wise and wonderful moments and some instances where I found myself laughing out loud. Kate is endearing, and you cannot help but rooting for her character. This book is redeemed by her and her journey. She is an inspiration. Because of her and my various feelings for this novel, my final rating falls at 3.75 stars.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Edelweiss (thank you) in return for an unbiased review; it is available everywhere as of 12/27/2016.
I am torn somewhat on my thoughts for this book. It starts off quite witty and drew me in immediately. It's told from a multitude of perspectives, including Kate's friends (Chloe and Vicki), her sister (Angela) and Kate, and Kate's new boss, Henry. It's also interspersed with tales of several children trying to get into private school, along with the perspectives of their parents. There's definitely some nuance and depth there, but sometimes it's A LOT. A lot of characters, a lot of jumping of back and forth. I won't lie: Kate's friends certainly annoyed me at times. The side show with them can be humorous, but often just irritating. I found myself wanting more Kate.
The problem with all the jumping around is that I didn't really get to know the characters as much as I wanted, which was a shame, because they were fascinating. Kate, Chloe, Angela, Henry -- they were intriguing and, when featured, seemed real, even if Angela was driving us crazy meddling into Kate's life, as was Chloe with her never-ending guilt over her supposed role in Kate's breakdown. Poeppel has done an excellent job of creating real, flawed characters, and I just wish they all received a little more face-time. The snippets from the kids (and parents) applying for school are great, too, but it's hard not to see them sometimes as a detraction from our main characters, especially a side plot with two fervent (and delusional) parents.
Still, don't think I didn't enjoy the book, because I did. There are some wise and wonderful moments and some instances where I found myself laughing out loud. Kate is endearing, and you cannot help but rooting for her character. This book is redeemed by her and her journey. She is an inspiration. Because of her and my various feelings for this novel, my final rating falls at 3.75 stars.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Edelweiss (thank you) in return for an unbiased review; it is available everywhere as of 12/27/2016.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Deep Blue (Waterfire Saga, #1) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
My rating: 3.5
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review</i>
Mermaids are perhaps one of the least written about mythical creature in novels. On the occasions that they are referred to they are often represented as evil siren-like females luring sailors to their deaths. The mermaids in Jennifer Donnelly’s <i>Waterfire Saga</i> are not like that at all, in fact their lives are not dissimilar to that of humans.
<i>Deep Blue</i> is the first novel in this saga but felt like it was mostly setting the scene for the yet-to-be-published sequels. It begins with Serafina, the Principessa of the House of Merrow, preparing for the Dokimí or betrothal ceremony occurring that evening. Although her songspell, a particularly difficult task, goes perfectly, assassins gatecrash the ceremony. The black-clad mermen fire poison arrows at the crowd, killing Sera’s father and fatally injuring her mother, the Regina.
Along with her best friend Neela, Serafina flees the city but it is not long before their assailants catch up with them. Throughout all this destruction the two mermaids discover that they have been having the same dream about being summoned by the Iele – a legendary group of river witches – and with no where else to go they head to the river Olt in Romania in order to find them and discover what they are being called upon for. As it turns out they are not the only girls heading that way. Six mermaids in total have been having the same dream and they eventually meet up on their way to the Iele.
Although the end of <i>Deep Blue</i> revealed the girls’ purposes, it will not be until the second book that this task is carried out. Due to this it feels as though the main storyline of the <i>Waterfire Saga</i> is yet to begin properly. Having said that, <i>Deep Blue</i> was still an entertaining read. It may take a while for readers to get into the story but the later half is full of action and even contains the odd humorous pun, which prevents the book from becoming too dark.
It must be difficult to write about mermaids as the setting is, naturally, deep under the surface of oceans, seas, rivers and lakes. The writer would need to think carefully about what is possible underwater, and remember to use words such as “swim” instead of “walk”. Even though Donnelly did a fantastic job there were occasions where the characters could easily be mistaken for humans with legs rather than fish tails.
There were lots of made up words and names used in this book which some people may find confusing thus making it difficult to keep track of who is who. The author has helpfully included a glossary of these terms and names which readers can refer to as and when they need to. It does not, however, include a pronunciation guide, which is a shame as some of the words have an Eastern European look to them and readers unfamiliar with those types of dialects may struggle with some of the expressions: for example, Baba Vrăja.
Overall this saga has the potential to become a magnificent set of books with a uniqueness setting them apart from other popular fantasy stories of today.
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review</i>
Mermaids are perhaps one of the least written about mythical creature in novels. On the occasions that they are referred to they are often represented as evil siren-like females luring sailors to their deaths. The mermaids in Jennifer Donnelly’s <i>Waterfire Saga</i> are not like that at all, in fact their lives are not dissimilar to that of humans.
<i>Deep Blue</i> is the first novel in this saga but felt like it was mostly setting the scene for the yet-to-be-published sequels. It begins with Serafina, the Principessa of the House of Merrow, preparing for the Dokimí or betrothal ceremony occurring that evening. Although her songspell, a particularly difficult task, goes perfectly, assassins gatecrash the ceremony. The black-clad mermen fire poison arrows at the crowd, killing Sera’s father and fatally injuring her mother, the Regina.
Along with her best friend Neela, Serafina flees the city but it is not long before their assailants catch up with them. Throughout all this destruction the two mermaids discover that they have been having the same dream about being summoned by the Iele – a legendary group of river witches – and with no where else to go they head to the river Olt in Romania in order to find them and discover what they are being called upon for. As it turns out they are not the only girls heading that way. Six mermaids in total have been having the same dream and they eventually meet up on their way to the Iele.
Although the end of <i>Deep Blue</i> revealed the girls’ purposes, it will not be until the second book that this task is carried out. Due to this it feels as though the main storyline of the <i>Waterfire Saga</i> is yet to begin properly. Having said that, <i>Deep Blue</i> was still an entertaining read. It may take a while for readers to get into the story but the later half is full of action and even contains the odd humorous pun, which prevents the book from becoming too dark.
It must be difficult to write about mermaids as the setting is, naturally, deep under the surface of oceans, seas, rivers and lakes. The writer would need to think carefully about what is possible underwater, and remember to use words such as “swim” instead of “walk”. Even though Donnelly did a fantastic job there were occasions where the characters could easily be mistaken for humans with legs rather than fish tails.
There were lots of made up words and names used in this book which some people may find confusing thus making it difficult to keep track of who is who. The author has helpfully included a glossary of these terms and names which readers can refer to as and when they need to. It does not, however, include a pronunciation guide, which is a shame as some of the words have an Eastern European look to them and readers unfamiliar with those types of dialects may struggle with some of the expressions: for example, Baba Vrăja.
Overall this saga has the potential to become a magnificent set of books with a uniqueness setting them apart from other popular fantasy stories of today.
My rating 2.5
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. </i>
There is often a preconception that self-published books are not as good as those printed by world famous publishers. Yet, given a chance, there are a few that surprise you. Unfortunately, there are many issues with Laura Foster’s debut novel <i>Crimson</i>. The actual concept has promise of appealing to a range of readers due to falling into a variety of genres: fantasy, science fiction, young adult and paranormal/horror. Where the novel suffers is within the writing style and obvious lack of proof reading.
The storyline concentrates on a homeless young girl whose frightening nightmares have led her to believe she is in grave danger. Dawn Pearson, who the reader is led to believe is only twelve or thirteen years of age, is determined to get as far away from the creature in her dreams as possible. With the help of Mike, a friend she makes on the street, she narrowly escapes being captured by the red-eyed, irascible monster she has named Crimson.
While the pair flee, Dawn and Mike become aware of another terrifying beast, although neither understand why Dawn is being hunted. It soon manifests that Dawn harbours an ethereal power, suggesting that she is far from the human she believed herself to be. As the thrill of the chase heightens, readers are left with questions: who is Dawn? Who is the Crimson? Which characters can be trusted?
It is not clear what the target age group is, however the youthful ages of Dawn and Mike make it suitable for a young adult audience as well as adult readers in general. Dawn and Mike’s relationship, although sudden, becomes a key aspect of the story. For once a friendship between a male and female has no romantic connotations attached, thus not detracting from the surreal circumstances of the plot. Both Dawn and Mike show admiral traits of selflessness – something that ostracizes them from the remainder of ignoble characters.
Sadly, the dramatic climax spirals into confusion. Ever changing plot directions make it unclear who the heroes are, and perplexing scene descriptions make it difficult to picture what the author had in mind. This was a more prominent issue toward the conclusion of the book, resulting in an unsatisfying ending.
One of the major problems with the writing is the constant switching of points of view. Although written in third person, a narrative still speaks from one character’s perspective. This can change from character to character, but usually separated into different chapters. In <i>Crimson</i>, however, Foster alters the viewpoint from paragraph to paragraph. This occasionally makes the text difficult to follow.
As with any lengthy body of text, printing errors can occur – nobody is perfect. On the other hand, the amount of typos in <i>Crimson</i> makes it hard to believe that it had ever been proofread in the first place. Some mistakes are clearly typing errors that are (probably) not the author’s fault, however the repeated misuse of words such as seized/ceased and wondered/wandered are not easy to forgive.
Overall, the premise was there, the writing not so much. It is understood that Laura Foster is currently working on a sequel to <i>Crimson</i>, but its success rests on how well this first book is received. If people can tolerate the errors pinpointed above, then the author has nothing to worry about, yet as it stands, it does not look promising.
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. </i>
There is often a preconception that self-published books are not as good as those printed by world famous publishers. Yet, given a chance, there are a few that surprise you. Unfortunately, there are many issues with Laura Foster’s debut novel <i>Crimson</i>. The actual concept has promise of appealing to a range of readers due to falling into a variety of genres: fantasy, science fiction, young adult and paranormal/horror. Where the novel suffers is within the writing style and obvious lack of proof reading.
The storyline concentrates on a homeless young girl whose frightening nightmares have led her to believe she is in grave danger. Dawn Pearson, who the reader is led to believe is only twelve or thirteen years of age, is determined to get as far away from the creature in her dreams as possible. With the help of Mike, a friend she makes on the street, she narrowly escapes being captured by the red-eyed, irascible monster she has named Crimson.
While the pair flee, Dawn and Mike become aware of another terrifying beast, although neither understand why Dawn is being hunted. It soon manifests that Dawn harbours an ethereal power, suggesting that she is far from the human she believed herself to be. As the thrill of the chase heightens, readers are left with questions: who is Dawn? Who is the Crimson? Which characters can be trusted?
It is not clear what the target age group is, however the youthful ages of Dawn and Mike make it suitable for a young adult audience as well as adult readers in general. Dawn and Mike’s relationship, although sudden, becomes a key aspect of the story. For once a friendship between a male and female has no romantic connotations attached, thus not detracting from the surreal circumstances of the plot. Both Dawn and Mike show admiral traits of selflessness – something that ostracizes them from the remainder of ignoble characters.
Sadly, the dramatic climax spirals into confusion. Ever changing plot directions make it unclear who the heroes are, and perplexing scene descriptions make it difficult to picture what the author had in mind. This was a more prominent issue toward the conclusion of the book, resulting in an unsatisfying ending.
One of the major problems with the writing is the constant switching of points of view. Although written in third person, a narrative still speaks from one character’s perspective. This can change from character to character, but usually separated into different chapters. In <i>Crimson</i>, however, Foster alters the viewpoint from paragraph to paragraph. This occasionally makes the text difficult to follow.
As with any lengthy body of text, printing errors can occur – nobody is perfect. On the other hand, the amount of typos in <i>Crimson</i> makes it hard to believe that it had ever been proofread in the first place. Some mistakes are clearly typing errors that are (probably) not the author’s fault, however the repeated misuse of words such as seized/ceased and wondered/wandered are not easy to forgive.
Overall, the premise was there, the writing not so much. It is understood that Laura Foster is currently working on a sequel to <i>Crimson</i>, but its success rests on how well this first book is received. If people can tolerate the errors pinpointed above, then the author has nothing to worry about, yet as it stands, it does not look promising.