If you’ve been readingPages and Paws for very long – say, twenty minutes or so – you know that Mom and I are pretty picky about what we do and don’t accept for review. We get tons of review requests. We accept less than half. Those that color outside our Submission Guidelines typically go straight to the Big Kitty Litter Box in the Sky.
But every once in a while we might be willing to bend if the review request is for a children’s book. Emphasis on might. That was the case with the Maji Muki Storybook for Children.
We knew when we got it that the requester hadn’t read our Submission Guidelines. (You’d be surprised how obvious this is. We always know who has and who hasn’t read our Guidelines. Always.)
Clues
Getting a request addressed to “Dear Children’s Books Aficionado” was a clue. Ditto the subject line: Something New in Children’s Books. Someone didn’t read our Submission Guidelines. And sent the whole book before we greenlighted it for review. Another No-No. But, hey. It’s a children’s book, right? So we decided to flex a bit.
Publisher: Starpath Books, LLC, September 18, 20123
Genre: Fiction/Legal Thriller/Suspense
Pages: 296
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Most people don’t get to attend their own funeral. Or hear their eulogy. But criminal defense attorney Byron Douglas does both in this gripping legal thriller by Manning Wolfe. Indeed, it’s a case of out of the frying pan, into the fire for Byron Douglas in this riveting read that expertly teams courtroom drama and legal maneuvering with imminent danger, spine-tingling suspense, a touch of romance, and non-stop action. Talk about an adrenaline rush!
Byron Douglas is a New York defense attorney. He’s counsel for Irish mobster Killian Tyrone. Tyrone is accused of murdering a confidential FBI informant at the say-so of his mobster boss, Tua Dannon. When the jury returns a guilty verdict for Tyrone, Dannon and” his gang” blame Douglas for the verdict. And they aim to settle the score. Permanently. Byron thinks he’s in the clear because Tyrone has fired him and secured other legal counsel. So Byron’s no longer the attorney of record.
“Them two people lost each other, but they’s still in love. Now, people die, but love don’t never die. Make the well magic. Anybody done got a wish, they come here, wish for it, and it’ll happen. Ever time. Rain or shine.” – Diamond Skinner
This is a story about love. And a mutt named Jeb. Jeb’s the truest, dearest, most loyal friend a body could ever have, with one exception. Hi, Kimber. Ya see, Jeb belongs to a boy named Jimmy “Diamond Skinner.” Diamond’s mama died in childbirth. His daddy died in a coal mining accident in the rugged Appalachians of Virginia. Diamond lives alone amid the feral beauty of rural Virginia and the harsh realities of the Great Depression. Until two children come along: Louisa May “Lou” Cardinal, age 10, and her brother Oscar “Os,” age seven. Continue reading →
Publisher: Monarch Educational Services, January 2024
Target Audience: Children ages 5 to 10 years
Pages: 34
Via: Monarch
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis:
When Grace’s neighbor and friend Jason dies unexpectedly, Grace isn’t sure what to do. She wants to let the Davidsons know she’s thinking about them and feeling their loss. Should she make them a card? Pick them a daisy bouquet? She decides she wants to do something more. Something special.
Kimber the Magnificent here. Telling you about how I nudged Her Momness in the direction of a book that looked really good the other day. “Oh, and this one , too!” I mean, hey. Who can resist these covers? We’re talking Serious Sweet Stuff here, right? Like, Canines R Us.
So I talked Mom into grabbing two woof-worthy titles. (It wasn’t hard, if ya know what I mean.) Here’s the 4-1-1:
First, a confession. Her Momness and I grabbed this book off the library shelf for two main reasons: 1) The cover. 2) One of us – I won’t say who – thought it was about a dog. I mean, hey. “Brilliant” and a black dog on the cover? Need I say more?
Well. We only had like 98 seconds to make a selection, so gimme a break, okay?
Then we got home. And started reading. Turns out one of us was way off the kibble on this book. By about a mile a half. So, listen up, Cupcake! I’m gonna tell ya what this book is really about, okay?
It’s been a long time since I read a book just for the fun of it. Not to be the first to post a review. Not to inhale it in big gulps so I can hurry on to the next title – or rush to meet a deadline.
But to take my time. Creak open a cover. Smell the new book smell. Fan a few pages. Sip and savor the words slowly, like fine wine. Let the whole world melt away in the vast profundity and gentle joy of a good book.
Author John Grisham has made a name for himself as the “King of the Legal Thriller.” Reading a Grisham novel is just fun. It’s like diving into an Olympic-sized pool on a hot summer day. Eating ice cream. Dancing in the rain. Stealing a nice, thick, juicy steak off Mom’s plate. Wait. How’d that get in here? Oops. Well, I think Mom’s forgotten about The Great Steak Caper. So let’s just keep it our little secret, okay?
Anyway. Today we’re reviewing two recently read John Grisham books:The Associate and The Broker. One we loved. The other, not so much. Here’s the scoop:
Since one of us is battling tendonitis today and it hurts to write, we’re gonna skip the usual book review prelims and dive right in. As long as the Alleve holds out. So let’s go:
Fiction can be a powerful tool to address or draw attention to real life issues and problems and raise awareness of same. (Hi, Chuck Dickens.) But it can also be tricky. Like, Where does the fiction end and facts/real life begin? What’s true and what’s not? How do you tell?
This is why some readers may find Yvonne M. Morgan’s Gypsy For God problematic.
For the record, we really wanted to like this book. In fact, one of us – I won’t say who – wanted to love it. (Except maybe for the parts about Rex the cat. Go figure.) It’s beautifully written and reads like non-fiction. At least for awhile.
This book is written like it’s the real-life, true story of a middle aged woman, Kathleen, who loses her accounting job. Struggles with involuntary early retirement. Becomes a travel agent. Travels with hubby Sam all over the world, ostensibly “doing research” for her travel clients. (This gets really old, by the way. How many taxi rides, souvenir shops, photo opps and dinner menus do readers have to plow through before arriving at something more meaningful? Yawn.)
In the course of her globe-trotting to Abu Dhabi, India, Kenya, Nepal and elsewhere, “Kathleen” sees childhood poverty and neglect first hand. Her heart is touched. Kathleen later meets with a church friend, Helen, and then her pastor to discern God’s new purpose for her life. After much prayer and consideration, she decides she wants to help these children. And sets up a web site/projects to fight human trafficking and help destitute children.
Wow! Talk about a compelling story! A potent combination of travelogue and an epic journey of self-discovery, all beautifully told in the first person. Like Kathleen was really there. Really traveled to all the places mentioned. Really saw those desperate young faces. One of us was on the edge of her seat!
But it’s fiction. Kathleen isn’t real. She is a character apparently invented by the author to try to convey the main theme. Pity, that. Because this may leave some readers wondering: If Kathleen is fiction, what else in this book falls into the same category?
For example, the events in Chapter 26 per 15 y.o. neighbor and sometimes cat sitter Sophie. This whole chapter and story arc feel contrived. Artificial. Made us wonder what else in this book is contrived and artificial. Like, is ANY of this true? How much? Are “Helen” and “Pastor John” and their conversations with “Kathleen” also imaginary? That’s unfortunate. Cuz this faith-flavored read makes some really good points elsewhere.
See how this works?
Overall, this is a strong story with an important, much-needed message. It just hit us wrong. Like, it would’ve been a lot better if “Kathleen” was a real person. And her story was all true.
Our Rating: 3.5
***
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Via Blog Tour.
As an author and blogger, Yvonne M. Morgan writes stories to help deepen a relationship with God. On a personal level, she was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Author Yvonne M. Morgan.
She is a wife, mom, and grandmother, but most importantly, Yvonne is a child of God who is passionate about prayer and missions. Her passion is to share stories of trusting the Lord and watching Christ in action. As a faithful prayer warrior, she trusted God when he called her to help orphans after losing her son.
The Testament
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