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joseph's boy by l. r. hay

20/12/2019

Joseph's Boy is the second book on this story that I've read from L. R. Hay and like the first, I found it quirky, funny and immensely enjoyable. This is a book, principally aimed at children, but honestly, it is a good read for any age. Yes, the subject matter is religious per se but the Christian aspect does in no way overwhelm the author's ability to tell a ripping yarn.
I thought viewing the birth of John the Baptist and Jesus the Messiah from the perspective of a six-year-old boy, Jesus' brother Jamie (James) was an inspired concept. The author also likes to drop in her own observations from time to time and although this can be annoying in some stories, here it absolutely seems to work.
As someone who grew up being indoctrinated in the Christian/Judeo ethos, I was able to easily identify with the twists and turns the story took. Yes, the author did take the odd liberty or two from time to time from the "recognised" tale of Jesus' birth but it was all smart and sensible departures that went well with the telling.
I also appreciated the author's explanations of her mindset as it applied to dates, at the end of the book. I guess I must be as much a History buff as she declares she is, because I found this intensely fascinating.
Although, I along with most of the world, knows what happens next in this story, I am still waiting for the next book with baited breath. Seeing all this unfold from James' perspective is fascinating and I cannot wait for book three in this series. Well done to L. R. Hay

You can find Joseph's Boy by L.R. Hay, here on the author's Amazon page:

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the old gilt clock by paulette mahurin

18/12/2019

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Being an enormous fan of Paulette Mahurin's historical fiction that usually has a basis in fact, I was thrilled to have a chance to read her latest effort - The Old Gilt Clock.
In early 20th Century Netherlands, Willem Arondeus was a young man who had suffered both for his sexuality and his defence of not only Jews but all persons treated with contempt by society, at that time. When the Nazi's invaded the Netherlands at the start of WWII, this successful young artist decided it was time for him to stand up and be counted. He was damned if he was going to stand idly by and let the Germans slaughter millions of innocent people. In a story of immense courage and conviction Mahurin highlights one of the true unsung heroes of the Dutch Resistance.
As with all of Mahurin's books, this one resonates with truth and justice. A reader cannot help but to be swept away in Willem's profound belief in the dignity of his fellow human beings no matter their race, their creed, their features, or their religion. This is an incredibly powerful and soaring treatise of man's injustice to man and one person's conviction that it cannot and should not be allowed to happen.
As always, with Mahurin, the writing is superb with the main character and his supporting cast, simply beautifully drawn and equally demanding of the reader's empathy.
I loved this book, which for me, marks a new level in Mahurin's considerable maturity as a real literary talent. A fantastic read and one I can highly recommend.

You can find The Old Gilt Clock, along with the rest of Paulette Mahurin's superb portfolio, here on her Amazon page:

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a Rift that lies between us: a novel by nasiha muna

16/12/2019

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Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

A Rift That Lies Between Us is the debut novel from Nasiha Muna that seeks to explore the relationships that exist within a strictly religious Muslim family and how that affects the children, growing up in a secular, yet predominately Judeo-Christian United States. Farisa is the eldest daughter of two Bangladeshi Muslims who came to America before she was born. Growing up, under the umbrella of her parent’s religion and beliefs she finally finds some freedom when she heads off to University, some six hours from home, to study fine arts. Farisa must balance her parent’s expectations of marrying a “nice” Muslim boy with her own desires to have a career and explore her own potential as a human being. When Farisa is paired with a young, white man, Caiden, for an art project, it soon becomes apparent that there is some electricity between the pair but how can they deal with the differing expectations of each other and of their respective families? So begins an exploration of life and relationships which will encompass a number of years.

As a professional reviewer, I read a lot of books in the course of a year and it takes something special to move me. In A Rift That Lies Between Us, Nasiha Muna has given me that something special. Whether it is because I am also in a cross-cultural relationship or not, the book spoke deeply to my heart and moved me in unexpected ways. I felt the writing was superb, for a debut novel and the author beautifully captured the dilemma faced by many children of strictly religious families, whatever their faith, counterpointed with their desire to break free from the constraints they feel bind them and integrate fully within the society they were either born into or entered at a very young age. The budding relationship between Caiden and Farisa was fraught with difficulty and turmoil, yet you always had that feeling that love would win through in the end. In particular I enjoyed the focus on the role of young women within these families, how they were always made to feel subservient to their brother(s) and that for them, marriage to a good Muslim was presumed to be the ultimate achievement in life but this was never going to be enough for Farisa. For me, the sign of an exceptional book is that I am still thinking about the characters and the situations they faced, several days later. This definitely is the case with this book – this story will stick with me for some time to come. What an excellent read it was and what a talented author this woman is.

You can find this exceptional book - A Rift That Lies Between Us, here on Nasiha Muna's Amazon page:

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the bully brigade: headmaster bully (book 3) by t. t. floyd

16/12/2019

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Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

The Bully Brigade: Headmaster Bully by Tamala Floyd is a fun romp with the gang from Misfit Elementary School. When headmaster Strongarm is replaced by a new headmaster, Ms. Turnbull, things are set for a rapid change of pace. The new headmaster is determined to stamp her authority and her power on her school and all activities that the pupils had so long taken for granted were soon going to be challenged and changed. But it is not only the pupils who will suffer under the tyrannical rule of the new headmaster – even the teachers are in for a rude shock and awakening. For the gang, Petey, Charlie, Diego and the rest of the kids, known as the Bully Brigade, there is only one answers. Bullies must be dealt with and taught a lesson, even if they are the headmaster. The young people of Misfit Elementary rally behind their favourite teacher who seems to be the main target of Headmaster Turnbull’s wrath, Mr Funkbury and come up with a plan to dethrone the bully headmaster once and for all.

This book is targeted at Grade 4-6 children and The Bully Brigade: Headmaster Bully certainly reaches that target audience. The story is fast-moving and the language is appropriate for the audience’s age-group. Author Tamala Floyd has an excellent series of stories here revolving around the young people that make up the Bully Brigade and although I haven’t read the previous books in the series, it was not necessary to enjoy this iteration of their adventures. I particularly enjoyed the children’s preparedness to stand their ground when confronted by unfair or inappropriate tactics and punishment from the new Headmaster. The children certainly are not “little angels” by any stretch of the imagination but they are able to differentiate what is acceptable behavior (even from an adult) and what is not. I particularly enjoyed the obvious loving relationship between the children and their teachers (especially Mr Funkbury) and the willingness and enjoyment they clearly received from their schooling, prior to the arrival of the terrible Turnbull. Without a doubt, the message came through loud and clear – Bullying is NEVER okay, even when it comes from someone in authority and it should always be challenged, regardless of who is doing it. An excellent read with a compelling message.

The fully selection of Bully Brigade Books is available here, on T. T. Floyd's Amazon page:

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pretty: a memoir by karen vorbeck williams

9/12/2019

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Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Pretty: A Memoir by Karen Vorbeck Williams takes us back to middle-America in the 1950’s, when the author was growing up in the small town of Grand Junction, Colorado, seemingly in the perfect 50’s family. Williams, however, knew that beneath the smiling perfection things were not really as they seemed. By the time her mother decided to divorce her father (an unusual event in the 50’s) and take the three daughters far away to Ojai, California, the author was struggling with identifying who she was, what she wanted from life and how to get there. Young girls were supposedly good for only one thing – snaring a successful and preferably wealthy husband. Even those girls who attended College back then seemed to have, as their primary motivation, to meet a future husband among the college-going crowd. Karen was dogged by the desire to be an actress or a performer of some sort. It was her passion and her joy yet she was dogged by self-doubts and criticisms that she had taken on her whole young life – was she really as pretty as everyone said? Was she really too overweight for a career in showbusiness? Did she have what it took to be a star?

In Pretty: A Memoir, author Karen Vorbeck Williams is candid and frank about what it was like to grow up in 1950’s small-town America. I loved the realness of the emotions, doubt, and angst that came clearly through every page. The author did a fantastic job of describing the state of mind of a young woman who came from a background of two vastly different parents whose influences on her clashed at every level. Her Mother, so free and independent for a woman of the time, instilled something special within her daughter’s psyche and yet her father’s slow, deliberate, some would say boring approach to life clearly tempered Karen’s enthusiasm and commitment to chasing her dreams. This is a well-written and easy to read memoir of just a small part of Williams’ life but such a vital part of it that formed her character for the rest of her years. What my biggest take from this story was; when we put labels on children whether the labels are positive or negative, we have a profound effect on the way that child thinks about themselves. For Williams the label that defined her in so many ways was; “pretty” and it came to influence her decisions and her beliefs about herself in all aspects of her life, not all of them useful or positive. This is an excellent read and one I can highly recommend.

You can find Pretty: A Memoir, here on Karen Vorbeck Williams' Amazon page:

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jungle beauty goddess - book 3 - dirty ball by cassandra george sturges

4/12/2019

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Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Jungle Beauty Goddess – Book 3 – Dirty Ball is a continuation of the saga of the seven sisters, daughters of the creator of the Universe, who are tasked with creating and nurturing a blue planet in the far-flung reaches of the Universe – Earth. Author Cassandra George Sturges has created a cast of characters that seek to give a different slant on the creation of the Universe, the galaxies, the planets, and the sentient beings on them. In Dirty Ball we follow the machinations of the sister Afar, who after creating the first higher order being on earth – Mada, falls hopelessly in love with her creation, in direct contravention of the Sister’s oaths and their father’s rules. When Mada’s future mate comes into being, a woman called Sumeria, Afar’s jealousy knows no bounds. Humanity’s future is hanging by a thread and controlled by a Goddess whose sanity and good judgement must be severely questioned. What ensues is a complex tale that seeks, in some way, to explain both the human condition and the current state of our planet.

Despite having not read the first book in this series, I had read the second and although excited by the premise and carried away by some of the author’s clever imagery, I was left with the feeling that still more could be achieved in this concept. In Jungle Beauty Goddess – Book 3 – Dirty Ball, author Cassandra George Sturges does exactly that – moves the story to a new, exciting level. One of the true joys of being a professional reviewer is watching an author grow and mature over time and in this tale, I was duly rewarded. I felt the mixture of myths, fantasies and original thought achieved a new imagination high and I thoroughly enjoyed the read. The tale is not finished, though and I do look for more excitement in the future. What stood out for me the most in this book was the uncanny corollaries the author was able to draw between her fantastical story and the current human and earth condition. I loved the spiritual side of the story and the deep thought that clearly went into some of the passages. The passionate, sex scenes, although few, were beautifully handled and never crossed over that line of decency, into crudity. All in all, this was an excellent read and one I can highly recommend. I now await book four, with bated breath.

You can find Jungle Beauty Goddess - Book 3 - Dirty Ball, here on Cassandra George Sturges' Amazon page, along with the rest of her portfolio.

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learn to love: guide to healing your disappointing love life by thomas jordan phd

2/12/2019

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Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Learn to Love: Guide to Healing your Disappointing Love Life by Thomas Jordan PHD is a delve into the world of the subconscious, analyzing the way in which our learned experiences affect our beliefs and feelings about love relationships. Why do 50% of marriages end in divorce? Why do so many of us struggle to find love relationships that work? Why do we often end up perpetuating the same mistakes in our love relationships, over and over again? Why does it seem that so many men marry a woman just like their mother or why do so many people who are abused, end up marrying abusers, or are abusers themselves? Dr Jordan examines what motivates us when we become involved in a love relationship. He looks at what experiences we have had of “love” from those within our life experience and concludes that our beliefs and feelings about what love is, are a learned experience. As such, these experiences can be unlearned and new, positive, expectations of love relationships can be learned and acted upon instead. The author draws on not just his thirty years of clinical experience in dealing with patients who have relationship issues but also on his own personal failure to form successful love relationships and what he learned about himself through counselling and psychotherapy.

This book is one that is long overdue in the world of love relationship forming, especially now, with the internet and online dating becoming such a large part of finding that perfect partner for us. In Learn to Love: Guide to Healing your Disappointing Love Live, author Thomas Jordan PHD takes the reader through some practical and easy to follow steps to turn your love life around. What I particularly found enlightening and useful in this book was the author didn’t just tell us the negative things we seem to seek out in a partner, from our own life experiences, such as; abandonment, abuse, control, dependency, dishonesty, etc, but he also explained the opposite feelings that we needed to relearn or learn to replace the beliefs we were rejecting. These feelings included; attachment, respect, freedom, independence, honesty etc. The text was easy to read and understand from a lay perspective, with little psycho jargon and I think the author did a tremendous job of clearly laying it out. If I had a couple of takes from this book that will serve me wonderfully in life it would be; 1/ there is no point in looking for the “perfect” partner – that person simply doesn’t exist and 2/ you can NEVER change someone else – the only person you can ever change is yourself. Those two thoughts alone should improve your outlook on dating and love relationships. This truly is a self-help book we could all use. I can highly recommend this book to all readers.

You can find, Learn to Love: Guide to Healing Your Disappointing Love Life by Thomas Jordan PHD, here, on Amazon:

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joseph's boy by l. r. hay

the old gilt clock by paulette mahurin

a Rift that lies between us: a novel by nasiha muna

the bully brigade: headmaster bully (book 3) by t. t. floyd

pretty: a memoir by karen vorbeck williams

jungle beauty goddess - book 3 - dirty ball by cassandra george sturges

learn to love: guide to healing your disappointing love life by thomas jordan phd

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