Book Review: The Adventures of Cassie Newbold by Karen J Mossman

Book Review

Basic Details:

Book Title: The Adventures of Cassidy Newbold an Electric Eclectic Book

Subtitle:

Author: Karen J. Mossman

Genre: Supernatural Mystery

Part of a series? No

Order in series:

Best read after earlier books in series?

Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45995302-the-adventures-of-cassidy-newbold

Overall score:

I scored this book 4/5

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Short Summary of the book:

In this book, we meet Cassie, a young woman who is clairvoyant. Her twin brother Seb is a police officer and in the stories in this book they solve several murders.

What I liked about the book:

The book had several exciting stories.

What I didn’t like about the book:

However, the book would benefit from further editing to iron out some minor grammatical problems.

My favourite bits in the book:

Any of the scenes full of suspense.

My least favourite bits in the book:

The book was enjoyable in its entirety.

Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?

The author has written several other short books and stories.

What books could this be compared to and why?

Although I can’t put my finger on it, the story seems very similar to one I read before. Another story I enjoyed.

Recommendation:

In summary, I would recommend this book for the following readers:

Children	No
Young Adult	Yes
Adult	Yes

If you like the paranormal and suspense this book may be the book for you.

I look forward to reading more books by this author.

Book Description by Author:

What would you do if you could speak to the dead?

Cassie Newbold tries to use her gift in a positive way although sometimes things happen that are out of her control.

This is a collection of short stories featuring Cassie, who is sassy, quirky and sometimes doesn't know her own powers.

"I like how the author draws the reader in to her story. I felt as if I was witnessing what the writer was talking about. Some stories were more eerie than others but they each felt real," says a reviewer.

About the Author:

Karen is a multi-genre author and says she is working her way through as many different types as she can. "I've written two romantic/suspense novels and my last book was a thriller, but it is in my short story collections that I'm able to play with the different genres."

However, as an avid reader, she admits to not being as adventurous. I prefer my stories to have a little romance in them, but then romance on its own is not enough. "Throw in some crime, thriller or something interesting into the plot, I will jump on it!"

Besides reading and writing, Karen is an avid book blogger. She reviews every book she reads, both on her website as well as Goodreads and Amazon and you will often find her browsing the shelves of Goodreads to see what other people are reading and doing.

Apart from books, she loves cross stitching and the fact she is 'retired' now and can do whatever she wants!

Karen lives on the beautiful Isle of Anglesey off the North Wales coast. She makes time to walk every day enjoying both the countryside and the ocean.

Book Review: Ronaldo: Rudi's Birthday Extravaganza

Book Review

Basic Details:

Book Title: Ronaldo: Rudi's Birthday Extravaganza

Subtitle: (Ronaldo the Flying Reindeer #3)

Author: Maxine Sylvester

Genre: Children's

Part of a series? Yes

Order in series: 3

Best read after earlier books in series? No, can be read as stand-alone but why would you?

Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36260394-ronaldo

Overall score:

I scored this book 5/5

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Short Summary of the book:

In this book, the caring young reindeer Ronaldo wants to give his best friend Rudi the best birthday present he can afford. For months Ronaldo has saved his money to buy his friend flying goggles. His caring nature does not stop there as he helps an elderly lady with her shopping and making deliveries for her. There are many hilarious occurrences within the book and the importance of being loving and kind is imbued throughout this book and other books in the series. A great book for kids to teach them the value of being kind.

What I liked about the book:

This book is full of love, care, friendship and humour. The images are excellent making me wish I could draw anywhere near the author/illustrator.

What I didn’t like about the book:

What’s not to like? I loved this book.

My favourite bits in the book:

Instead of trying to use his carefully saved money to buy something for himself, Ronaldo wants to give his friend the best birthday present he can afford. When he comes into more money he could imagine, he tries to get his friend an even better present. And when this does not work, he still doesn’t give up.

My least favourite bits in the book:

The bits where the bullies try to get the better of Ronaldo. But then, no one likes a bully, right? At least they didn’t succeed.

Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?

There are three more books in this lovely series. I have read ‘Ronaldo: The Phantom Carrot Snatcher’ too and loved that book as much as this one. An ideal series for the pre-teens and anyone confident enough to read these books when they’re older.

What books could this be compared to and why?

Recommendation:

In summary, I would recommend this book for the following readers:

Children	Yes
Young Adult	Maybe
Adult	Yes, even if not aimed at this group

If you like stories with cheeky but loving characters this book may be the book for you.

I look forward to reading more books by this author.

Book Description by Author:

It is summertime in Beresford. Ronaldo and Rudi are beside themselves with excitement: Monty the Moose, the most incredible Magician in the whole world is performing at Rudi’s birthday party!

But before the festivities begin, there’s the important matter of The Reindeer Flyover, an ancient tradition of The Reindeer Flying Academy that marks the end of school term. But Rudi might not be able to fly. He’s injured his hoof and refuses to see Doctor Kloppen. Rudi is terrified of needles and, rumour has it, the Doctor’s needle is the size of a rocket!

Meanwhile, Ronaldo meets celebrity baker, Mrs Sorensson, and offers to deliver her cakes to ‘Carrot’s ‘N’ Cakes’ bakery before flying school. The weather is hot so Ronaldo rushes through the forest so he can deliver the cakes before the icing melts. But trouble is lurking in the woods. Dasher and his menacing brothers, Comet and Prancer, are hiding in the bushes. Waiting for Ronaldo!

About the Author:

I was born in Hounslow, Middlesex in the south of England. As a child, I loved drawing and took private art classes with a wonderful teacher called, Pearl Lee. She had an abundance of Disney magazines, and I would paint the characters on wood, card, canvas or anything else I was allowed to use, including walls.​

​

When I was nine, my mum took me on holiday to Majorca. I clearly remember being fascinated by how other people lived outside of England. Travelling became my new obsession.

​

After Sixth Form College, I intended to go to art school, but...

Read the full bio

https://www.ronaldotheflyingreindeer....

Book Review: Thomas by Michael G. Manning

Book Review

Basic Details:

Book Title: Thomas

Subtitle:

Author: Michael G. Manning

Genre: Fantasy

Part of a series? No

Order in series:

Best read after earlier books in series?

Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34546023-thomas

Overall score:

I scored this book 5/5

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Short Summary of the book:

Meet Thomas, an extraordinary young orphan, living on the streets but still retaining compassion with others. Within the first chapters, he saves a kitten and strikes up a friendship with an orphan girl, Sarah. Thomas meets a priest in a tavern and saves him when he is attacked in an alley. From thereon Thomas’ life changes as he is taken in at the temple. As he grows up, his responsibilities change and he becomes important within the temple. But with responsibilities comes sacrifice too. An interesting twist towards the end of the book leaves you wishing to know more.

What I liked about the book:

I loved the book and was sorry to have finished it. What is happening next?

What I didn’t like about the book:

There wasn’t anything to dislike about the book.

My favourite bits in the book:

Where Thomas stood up for the rights of others.

My least favourite bits in the book:

I loved the book in its entirety.

Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?

The author has written several other books but Thomas is a stand-alone novel.

What books could this be compared to and why?

I’m not sure what book to compare Thomas to. Thomas fits in well with many other books in the fantasy range, containing magic, love, compassion, theology, mystique.

Recommendation:

In summary, I would recommend this book for the following readers:

Children	No
Young Adult	Probably
Adult	Yes

If you like Fantasy, this book may be the book for you.

I look forward to reading more books by this author.

Book Description by Author:

Thomas was no one, an orphan with no past and no memories of his early life. The only clue lies in the strange birthmark on his chest, a mark that may or may not reveal his origin, but will certainly guide him to his destiny.

Growing to manhood he will become a man of consequence and influence, yet the greatest gift he has to offer his people lies not in his power, but in his wisdom. As he strives to reach his potential he will face obstacles great and small and he will discover that some foes are too strong to defeat with power alone.

The greatest of evils can only be stopped when those true of heart are willing to sacrifice blood, tears, and sometimes—their lives.

About the Author:

Michael Manning was born in Cleveland, Texas and spent his formative years there, reading fantasy and science fiction, concocting home grown experiments in his backyard, and generally avoiding schoolwork.

Eventually he went to college, starting at Sam Houston State University, where his love of beer blossomed and his obsession with playing role-playing games led him to what he calls 'his best year ever' and what most of his family calls 'the lost year'.

Several years and a few crappy jobs later, he decided to pursue college again and was somehow accepted into the University of Houston Honors program (we won't get into the particulars of that miracle). This led to a degree in pharmacy and it followed from there that he wound up with a license to practice said profession.

Unfortunately, Michael was not a very good pharmacist. Being relatively lawless and free spirited were not particularly good traits to possess in a career focused on perfection, patient safety, and the letter-of-the-law. Nevertheless, he persisted and after a stint as a hospital pharmacy manager wound up as a pharmacist working in correctional managed care for the State of Texas.

He gave drugs to prisoners.

After a year or two at UTMB he became bored and taught himself entirely too much about networking, programming, and database design and administration. At first his supervisors warned him (repeatedly) to do his assigned tasks and stop designing programs to help his coworkers do theirs, but eventually they gave up and just let him do whatever he liked since it seemed to be generally working out well for them.

Ten or eleven years later and he got bored with that too. So he wrote a book. We won't talk about where he was when he wrote 'The Blacksmith's Son', but let's just assume he was probably supposed to be doing something else at the time.

Some people liked the book and told other people. Now they won't leave him alone.

After another year or two, he decided to just give up and stop pretending to be a pharmacist/programmer, much to the chagrin of his mother (who had only ever wanted him to grow up to be a doctor and had finally become content with the fact that he had settled on pharmacy instead).

Michael's wife supported his decision, even as she stubbornly refused to believe he would make any money at it. It turned out later that she was just telling him this because she knew that nothing made Michael more contrary than his never ending desire to prove her wrong. Once he was able to prove said fact she promptly admitted her tricky ruse and he has since given up on trying to win.

Today he lives at home with his stubborn wife, teenage twins, a giant moose-poodle, two yorkies, a green-cheeked conure, a massive prehistoric tortoise, and a head full of imaginary people. There are also some fish, but he refuses to talk about them.

Sign Up for Email Updates!

Book Review: Right to Life by Lysandra Furstenberg

Book Review

Basic Details:

Book Title: Right to Life

Subtitle: A Book of Poems

Author: Lysandra Furstenberg

Genre: Poetry

Part of a series? No

Order in series:

Best read after earlier books in series?

Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37938376-right-to-life

Overall score:

I scored this book 4/5

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Short Summary of the book:

This short book contains poems by this author. Poems which are similar in their subject and layout. They can be read easily and share a subject of love and life.

What I liked about the book:

Reading poems is not my usual choice. However, I thought I would give this little book a go. The poems are easily read and very similar.

What I didn’t like about the book:

I prefer prose over poetry normally. These poems were not of the rhyming variant. I enjoyed reading this little book of poems.

My favourite bits in the book:

The poems were easy to read.

My least favourite bits in the book:

The poems were very similar and, therefore, felt a little repetitive.

Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?

I am not aware of any other books by this author.

What books could this be compared to and why?

Recommendation:

In summary, I would recommend this book for the following readers:

Children	No
Young Adult	Yes
Adult	Yes

If you like poetry, this book may be the book for you.

I look forward to reading more books by this author.

Book Description by Author:

Lysandra Furstenberg is the recipient of the 2017 Renee Duke Youth Award, a Human Rights-themed Annual poetry contest open to poets aged 17 and younger, honoring Renee Duke, artist, poet, teacher, mentor, human rights advocate.

Lysandra has participated in several SACEE (South African Council for English Education) Creative Writing Competitions for High Schools in the Junior Poetry Category.

18 poems revolving around four major themes: Nature, Love, Life and Good vs Evil seen through the eyes of a young adult.

Right to Life (extract)

" Have you ever felt simply…

Alive?

In awe?

Amazed?

Have you ever felt that you were

On the top of the world?

That nothing could bring you down?"

About the Author:

Book Review: The Dowling House by A Drew

Book Review

Basic Details:

Book Title: The Dowling House

Subtitle: (Dark Terror #1)

Author: A. Drew

Genre: Horror, Supernatural

Part of a series? No

Order in series:

Best read after earlier books in series?

Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36587026-the-dowling-house

Overall score:

I scored this book 5/5

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Short Summary of the book:

A beautiful old house, unoccupied since the fifties hides evil within its walls. A young couple buys the house expecting it to be a good investment but soon find first impressions can be deceptive. A chilling read which I nearly put down due to being so chilling.

What I liked about the book:

The book continuously kept you on your toes and held your heart in a vice-like grip.

What I didn’t like about the book:

Definitely not a book to read at bedtime if you want a good and restful sleep. The book was a really good read.

My favourite bits in the book:

How the seemingly weak guy managed to save the day.

My least favourite bits in the book:

How salvation came a little too late.

Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?

I believe this author has written more books.

What books could this be compared to and why?

This book had similar chilling moments to the movie ‘Carrie’.

Recommendation:

In summary, I would recommend this book for the following readers:

Children	No
Young Adult	Probably not
Adult	Yes

If you like horror, this book may be the book for you.

I look forward to reading more books by this author.

Book Description by Author:

Since 1954, the Dowling House remained unoccupied until George and Melissa purchased it, hoping to renovate it for a profit. Their dream for a new lucrative business encounters a few challenges, but they can be easily overcome….or can they? Join George and Melissa on their amazing journey into the supernatural, but be warned, it is very engaging and you might not get out alive.

About the Author:

A. Drew is a happily married Turkish Australian writer.

She writes paranormal, contemporary romance, including LGBT. She also writes supernatural thriller.

Book Review: The Fairy Squad Princesses: A Magical Awakening by Marcus Moutra

Book Review

Basic Details:

Book Title: The Fairy Squad Princesses

Subtitle: A Magical Awakening

Author: Marcus Moutra

Genre: Fairy stories, pre-teens

Part of a series? Yes

Order in series: 1

Best read after earlier books in series?

Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41084452-the-fairy-squad-princesses

Overall score:

I scored this book 3/5

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Short Summary of the book:

Four young girls and their male friends discover they are no normal teenagers when they attend high school. Soon they have to go to a different world and a different school. The book and characters are very similar to Winx Club.

What I liked about the book:

This book is very suitable for pre-teen girls with mostly appropriate language for this group.

What I didn’t like about the book:

For me, the book was too similar to Winx Club and appeared to be roughly based on this. Also, there were several grammatical errors in the book. Not quite what I would like to expose my children to.

My favourite bits in the book:

The book was okay mostly. It appeared to have been written for a young relative of the author. One who most likely is a strong fan of Winx Club.

My least favourite bits in the book:

The bits where the grammatical errors were distracting from the story.

Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?

I believe there already is a second book in this series.

What books could this be compared to and why?

This book appears to be a retelling of the children’s cartoon series Winx Club.

Recommendation:

In summary, I would recommend this book for the following readers:

Children	Yes
Young Adult	Probably not
Adult	No

If you like Winx Club, this book may be the book for you.

Book Description by Author:

Are you a fan of magical girls like Sailor Scouts, Winx Club, and the fierce ghouls from Monster High? If yes, then it's time to meet the Fairy Squad Princesses! Follow the lives of Serena, Crystal, Ivy, and Kristy as they go from being normal high school girls to butt-kicking defenders of the Magic Dimension. Of course, not without the help of their handsome guy friends the Conquerors. In the first part of this five-part series, the teens will face off with four malevolent witches who call themselves the Vortex. Alongside their two tagalongs: a spiky-haired warlock and a big green smelly ogre. The teens will have to leave the world they knew behind and dive into a world filled with magic, mystery, energy-devouring monsters, and epic battles. You've heard of "saving the world before bedtime." Well, this is saving the world before shopping time. With magic comes great responsibility.

About the Author:

I was born January 9th, 1994. I was born, raised, and live in Los Angeles, CA. From the young age of five, I have always had a passion for drawing and writing stories. My love for cartoons/animes like Scooby-Doo, Sailor Moon, Winx Club, and the original Dragon Ball Z helped me discover the type of writer I wanted to become. It wasn’t until my sophomore year in high school at Westchester Senior High where I discovered my love for painting. Back in June 2017 I graduated from Los Angeles Southwest College and was on the Dean’s List. I have an Associate of Arts, Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T), and a Certificate in Arts. Since I had an entire year off before I attend a university I was finally able to focus on releasing my debut modern fantasy self-published book, “The Fairy Squad Princesses: A Magical Awakening.” This book is the first of a five-part magical series. Even though, it hasn’t hit bestseller yet and probably won’t anytime soon just being able to read the reviews from the wonderful readers that have read the book puts on a smile on my face. I am currently attending California State University Long Beach continuing to learn how to improve my artwork. When I graduate I would love to be able to work with a team of amazing of writers and animators to help transform not just this series but my other books into television shows and animated movies.

Where can you follow and contact Marcus Moutra?

https://www.facebook.com/marcusmoutra/ (His Facebook author page.)

https://www.instagram.com/art_by_marc... (His art Instagram page and make sure to follow the hashtag #TheFairySquadPrincesses.)

https://authorsama.amafeed.com/user/5... (Ask Me Anything profile)

https://www.wattpad.com/user/marcusmo... (Wattpad profile.)

Book Review: Kill the Girl by Abijit Radhakrishna

Book Review

Basic Details:

Book Title: Kill the Girl

Subtitle:

Author: Abijit Radhakrishna

Genre: Crime/Fiction

Part of a series? Yes

Order in series: 1

Best read after earlier books in series?

Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46772253-kill-the-girl

Overall score:

I scored this book 4/5

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Short Summary of the book:

Meet Wahida Ali, a young police woman who has recently been promoted to Inspector. The book shows us the jealousy of some of her co-workers, the sexist views of others and tells the story of how a young paediatrician was killed and why.

What I liked about the book:

The story was enjoyable although the many changes in point of view were confusing at times.

What I didn’t like about the book:

The many changes in point of view which made the book confusing.

My favourite bits in the book:

The scenes where Wahida showed us exactly why she had made it to the grade of Inspector at a young age.

My least favourite bits in the book:

The sudden changes in point of view.

Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?

I suspect this will be the start of a  series.

What books could this be compared to and why?

This book addresses sexism and jealousy in the work place. A refreshing crime novel.

Recommendation:

In summary, I would recommend this book for the following readers:

Children	No
Young Adult	Possibly
Adult	Yes

If you like crime novels, this book may be the book for you.

I look forward to reading more books by this author.

Book Description by Author:

What Do You Do When Someone Finds Your Deepest, Darkest Secret?

YOU KILL.

 

Kochi City Police’s smart, savvy Wahida Ali has just been promoted to Inspector, but she hardly gets a chance to relish it. A young doctor is found dead beneath the railway overbridge, and it is up to Wahida and her team to find out why. What seems like an open and shut case with an obvious motive escalates to a much more intricate case of ruthless murder, treachery, and guilt.

Wahida has pressure from higher-ups to wrap this one up quickly before the media and the public start condemning the department. So she forges ahead in a male-dominated, sexist work environment and delves deep into the sinister world of multispecialty hospitals only to find out there are greater risks involved . . . and stakes bigger than she has ever played with.

 

Is she strong enough to catch a killer and stop an impending medical tragedy?

About the Author:

Abijit Radhakrishna is a lecturer and mystery novelist currently living in Kochi, India. He has written numerous short stories and a novel, 'Kill the Girl'. A loyal fan of cinema, he also publishes movie reviews on IMDb and FilmFed.

Book Review: With Her Fists by Henry Roi

The First Book Review for 2020. Have a Very Happy New Year everyone!

Book Review

Basic Details:

Book Title: With Her Fists

Subtitle:

Author: Henry Roi

Genre: Crime/Fiction

Part of a series? No

Order in series:

Best read after earlier books in series?

Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48980684-with-her-fists

Overall score:

I scored this book 4/5

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Short Summary of the book:

In this book we meet Clarice. Clarice is also known as ‘Shocker’, a champion female boxer. Now retired, Clarice wishes to spend time in her garage and tattoo parlour while spending time with her husband and young son. Fate has a different view. In come the baddies in the form of two corrupt police officers and a drug cartel. Clarice and her husband are arrested and prisoned for a substantial time for a crime they didn’t commit. Ace and Clarice do not leave matters at that and during the novel, we follow their experiences in prison, the planning of their escape and the exploits of the drug cartel and the corruption within the police force and prison.

What I liked about the book:

I liked the story and after the first few chapters, it became difficult to put the book down.

What I didn’t like about the book:

However, the description in the first chapters were too flowery and felt a little forced. I was pleased to see this soon changed.

My favourite bits in the book:

Any scene where Clarice and Ace came out on top and couldn’t be pulled down.

My least favourite bits in the book:

When a favourite character died.

Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?

I am not aware of any plans for a series for this book although I would love to know what happens to Ace, Clarice and their family and friends next.

What books could this be compared to and why?

This is a book which can be compared to some other crime novels.

Recommendation:

In summary, I would recommend this book for the following readers:

Children	No
Young Adult	Possibly
Adult	Yes

If you like crime novels, this book may be the book for you.

I look forward to reading more books by this author.

Book Description by Author:

Clarice "Shocker" Ares retired from a sensational pro-boxing career to focus on her family and growing mechanic business.

In an instant, everything she has worked for is shattered, when the police find a shipment of drugs in their shop, and wrongfully send Clarice and her husband to prison. Incarcerated and desperate after court appeals are denied, Clarice must become the Shocker once more, challenging rival convicts in a deadly prison fight ring to finance her escape.

Battling alongside her, armed with his brilliant electronics wizardry, Clarice's husband Ace manipulates the court system to arrange a daring prison break. When their abilities are put to the ultimate test, will they be able to exact their revenge - and regain freedom?

About the Author: