The New Book Review

This blog, #TheNewBookReview, is "new" because it eschews #bookbigotry. It lets readers, reviewers, authors, and publishers expand the exposure of their favorite reviews, FREE. Info for submissions is in the "Send Me Your Fav Book Review" circle icon in the right column below. Find resources to help your career using the mini search engine below. #TheNewBookReview is a multi-award-winning blog including a MastersInEnglish.org recommendation.

Showing posts with label Reader Views (Reviews). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reader Views (Reviews). Show all posts

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Calling Cat Lovers Everywhere!

Title: Buckley's Story - Lessons from a Feline Master Teacher
Author: Ingrid King
Genre: Pets, Memoir
ISBN: 9781440166242


Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views

If you’ve ever had the great honor to share your life with a pet, “Buckley’s Story: Lessons from a Feline Master Teacher” will not come as any surprise to you, but it will certainly make you shake your head in agreement and cause you to smile often, particularly when you’ll reach some parts which will greatly remind you of your pet’s habits. Animals could – and do! – teach us so much, if only we stop for long enough and truly listen to them.

Buckley was a small cat with a huge personality and an even bigger heart. She entered Ms. King’s life with a whisper, as the “office cat” in the veterinary hospital which was managed by Ms. King at the time. An extremely affectionate tortoiseshell cat, she became a constant companion who was very much missed when Ms. King decided to explore other career paths and left the hospital. After a couple of not immediately successful attempts to assimilate into Ms. King’s household, Buckley finally came home for good. Amber, the “original” cat sharing Ms. King’s home, had to adapt to the new situation, and she learned to share “her human” with another cat quite quickly. Sadly, Buckley was diagnosed with a heart condition after two years of her arrival into the new home, and the second half of the book deals with the treatments, challenges and final acceptance of the situation. The many moments of pure joy were always tainted with sadness over the inevitable final outcome of this situation, and Ms. King managed to capture the process of ultimate acceptance in incredible vivid detail.

Warm, intelligent and wise, this is a beautiful book that will touch the hearts of animal lovers, particularly those who are grieving over the loss of their companions or who are living with the knowledge that their companions will not be able to share their lives with them for much longer. It shall also prove useful to anybody who might be thinking of adopting an older and possibly not so healthy animal, showing very clearly why that might be a particularly good choice. The detailed information on Buckley’s diagnosis and treatment course, with clearly described challenges and rewards, might very well make some pet owners reconsider the path they are taking and make them realize that oftentimes we would do better to follow our instincts more and feel less obliged to blindly accept the mainstream information. And more than anything, “Buckley’s Story: Lessons from a Feline Master Teacher” by Ingrid King should make you realize again how much we should and do learn from the animals who graciously share their love and life with us.

Author Contact:
Ingrid King may be found at www.ingridking.com. Connect with her on
Facebook www.facebook.com/ingrid.king
and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/consciouscats

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.
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Friday, November 6, 2009

Author Questions Evolution and Darwin

The Evolution Conspiracy, Vol. 1: Exposing Life’s Inexplicable Origins & The Cult of Darwin
Author: Lisa A. Shiel,
Genre: Science / Life Sciences / Evolution
ISBN 9781934631300
Slipdown Mountain Publications, 2009

Reviewed by Carol Hoyer, PhD, for Reader Views

Author Lisa Shiel has given readers an opportunity to challenge their views on evolution and how man became. Too many times we have learned to accept what we were told by those in authority, in the school system and those in religion. We have just accepted it without question and now through this well-researched book we can actually begin to question life.

What I particularly liked about this book is the author is not saying evolutionists are wrong- she is just questioning how we came up with certain answers without any true observation or clear definition of terms. Often researchers and scientists believe that the general public is not intelligent enough to understand how research works and how they came upon their results. Having just finished my PhD in 2006, I had to take several research methods classes and from my experience and what I know of evolution they cannot use the term theory as it doesn’t meet the criteria of scientific methods.

The author takes us right from the beginning of the definition of life, through genetic clues to naming species and subspecies. She clearly provides thoughts on what we have been told, providing examples of her own research that question original thoughts. Each chapter provides additional resources and clear definitions of terms used. “The Evolution Conspiracy, Vol.1” by Lisa A. Shiel is not a book one can breeze through, however it is easy to read. Everyone should take the time to read this book and develop their own thoughts and learn to question what is told to us. I have taken what I read from this book and used it in my psychology classes with my students to teach them that sometimes what we know or have been taught may not be true.


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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Irene Watson Reviews Dr. Karen H. Sherman's Self-Help Book

Title: Mindfulness and The Art of Choice: Transform Your Life
Author: Karen H. Sherman, Ph.D.
Website: www.ChoiceRelationships.com or www.drkarensherman.com
Genre: Self-help
ISBN: 978-1-932690-51-4
Publisher: Loving Healing Press
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars


Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views

Dr. Sherman, in practice as a relationship expert for over 20 years, has written a book to help readers create a better life for themselves. Taking excerpts of her own life and experience, she explains how to live mindfully. The book consists of two parts, the first part “How the Art of Choice Works” and the second part is “The Art of Choice Exercises.” Both sections include a thorough explanation plus exercises.

Dr. Sherman stresses that experiences in the past encode our mental and physical memory. These are called core issues or “baggage.” She believes the feeling attained during a negative experience remains in our being, and often the same feeling comes up in other similar situations. This in turn creates an emotional response. The experiences could be traumatic, yet on the other hand, something perceived to be very menial could also create an emotional reaction. For example, a child is walking with her father and reaches up to hold his hand. At that same moment the swing of the father’s arm goes away from the child. The child, at that moment, could feel rejected by not realizing what caused the father’s arm to move away. This feeling would become embedded in the child’s memory as rejection. From then on, anytime something or someone is pulled away from her, the same feeling of rejection occurs. Often the feelings are replaced with distraction, such as alcohol, drugs, or adverse behaviors. In “How the Art of Choice Works” Dr. Sherman addresses how to embrace the feelings, yet react differently. She also addresses patterns caused by the situation and how to change them.

In a short two-paragraph section, Dr. Sherman explains awareness is the key response to making changes and gives a simple technique to generate it. Once we are aware of the reaction, she gives exercises to become conscious of the body, observe the behavior, note thoughts, address the thoughts/fears and ultimately break the old patterns, creating a new flow in life.

There are many books on the market that cover the same issues as Dr. Sherman, however, there isn’t one that is as concise and to the point as “Mindfulness and the Art of Choice” is. In less than 100 pages she helps the reader become aware of personal issues/reactions embedded in the memory. Within a few simple exercises we can change the feelings associated with the situation. At the same time we can move away from recreating those same feelings in another situation. It may sound like a difficult task, and it could be. However, Dr. Sherman simplifies everything for us through her explanations and exercises – to a point where “Mindfulness and the Art of Choice” becomes truly a self-help book. This book is highly recommended for anyone that is considering choosing to have “the good life.”

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coalition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page.

Monday, July 7, 2008

Wendy Cleveland Reviews a Linda Weaver Clarke Novel for Reader Views

Title: Edith and they Mysterious Stranger
Author: Linda Weaver Clarke
Author's Website: www.lindaweaverclarke.com
Genre: Historical Fiction
ISBN: 9781589824690

Name of Reviewer: Wendy Cleveland
Where Review was published: Reader Views
Rating: 10 points


Reviewed by Wendy Cleveland for Reader Views


Edith and the Mysterious Stranger”(ISBN 9781589824690) centers around the Roberts family living in the Wild West of Bear Lake, Idaho. Melinda is about to have a baby with her husband, Gilbert, but has found out that she needs to be bedridden for the remainder of her pregnancy. They enlist the help of Melinda’s cousin Edith, who is a nurse, to stay with them until the baby is born. Edith has never been married. Though many men have courted her, she seems to always find fault with each one. Melinda and Gilbert challenge each other that they will introduce Edith to two men, Henry and Joseph, with the help of Edith’s mother, Martha. Of course, Edith does not give either one of them a chance even though they continue to fight for her heart throughout. During one of Edith’s visits to her mother, she hands her a letter and tells her “We truly don’t know men until we’re married because we never know the inner person. You know, the heart, his spiritual side. We’re so busy courting and trying to impress one another that we never get to know the soul of the person.”

Throughout the story, Edith receives numerous letters from this “Mysterious Stranger” each becoming more personal. Edith soon falls in love with this person even though she has never met him. Once Edith finds out who the “Mysterious Stranger” is, she is pleasantly surprised. Meanwhile, another love story is taking place between the new ranch-hand, David, and Gilbert’s 16-year-old daughter, Jenny. However, David came to the ranch with his own intentions that will be tested.

I was pleasantly surprised to find this story very uplifting. Ms. Clark did a fantastic job of portraying the importance of knowing your God Given Gifts. The history of the Wild West was also intriguing with the world of outlaws and cattle rustlers as well as the medicines and herbs they used.

The Power of the Written Word -- this is the life lesson I took away from Linda Weaver Clarke’s book “Edith and the Mysterious Stranger.” In today’s society, no one writes letters anymore. Everything is done by email or telephone. Most everyone today is also materialistic looking at the outer rather than inner person. The fact that Edith fell in love with someone just by getting to know them through their letters and not seeing them was inspirational to me. Humility -- if we all could just get a little of that, we would all be better people. I would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in a good inspirational read from beginning to end. You won’t be disappointed. I’m definitely a fan and will be looking for another installment in the Roberts family saga.



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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coalition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Love Food and Mysteries? Do the Silver Sisters Have Something for You!

TITLE: A Corpse in the Soup

AUTHOR: Morgan St. James and Phyllice Bradner

WEBSITE: www.silversistersmysteries.com

GENRE: Funny Mystery series

ISBN# Paperback: 1-59705-805-X Audio CD: 1-59607-857-X

Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson, Reader Views, www.readerviews.com

Fast-paced and laugh-out-loud funny, this was a quick and satisfying read. Morgan St. James and Phyllice Bradner are sisters in real life, so that might explain why their co-operation worked out so well in a book. I certainly hope this was not the last book they’ve written together. Silver Sisters rule! I would highly recommend A Corpse in the Soup to any mystery lover, particularly those who enjoy the Cooking Channel and love a good, funny read.

Take several chefs, add some classy – and less classy - ladies, a couple of well-aged vaudeville actors, a talking dog, a bunch of gofers and miscellaneous Hollywood characters, and add a heaping cup of jealousy, a pinch of intrigue, a smidgen of history. Garnish with incredibly funny names (Sterling Silver, Biff Wellington, Chili Pepper, Justin Thyme, Mr. Manicotti, Caesar Romano…), take a shot at the increasingly popular cooking shows and stir well. What do you get? You get a recipe for an amusing, frothy, yet not lightweight romp. The characters are lovable and believable, even when they leave you shaking your head in wonder over their antics. The story flows well and pulls you in very quickly. Although you might think quite early in the book that you know who the villain is, I would be surprised if you’d truly manage to solve this mystery before the final pages.


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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coalition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page.

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Start New Year Right with Great Book Promotion

PROMO PAKS: NEARLY-FREE MARKETING FOR AUTHORS (NEW AND IMPROVED)
by Janet Elaine Smith
StarPublish LLC
ISBN 1932993878
Marketing/Authors
Available from Amazon

Review by Nina Osier

Janet Elaine Smith knows how to promote books without spending a fortune to get the job done. Her "promo paks" share what she's learned through hard work and sometimes even harder experience, in promoting her own books and in her role as marketing director for a publishing company. Any book on promoting your own work can tell you how to spend money doing so, but Janet can tell you how to do it for free. Or pretty close to it, on those occasions when expenditures can't be avoided.
Get this book. Now. You need it. End of story!
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New and improved Promo Paks available at http://tinyurl.com/2cc8qy
Relax with a good book from http://janetesmithstarbooks.tripod.com
Tune in to hear her weekly at http://internetvoicesradio.com

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Police Chief Weighs in on "Integrity: Do You Have It?"

Title: Integrity: Do You Have It?
2nd edition
Author: Dennis Aubuchon
Infinity Publishing.
ISBN: 0741429160
Author's Website: www.myqualitywriting.com

Reviewed by William E. Cooper for Reader Views (1/07)

Integrity. We live in a world where integrity has often become situational. We don't always agree what it is or when it applies. Many people simply have never been taught its value or applications. The pace of today's world too frequently does not allow many people or organizations the time or ability to consider the ethical implications of decisions or actions. Unless one is grounded in integrity and practices it as a rule, the consequences of taking the "easier" option in the long run may become significant.

As a retired police chief it was my responsibility to insure the integrity of everyone and everything in my department. The public entrusted us with considerable power, and the criticality of maintaining the highest standards was the rule of the day. Absolute, unquestioned integrity must come from the top and be set through example and actions. In addition, the leader of the organization must have the courage to act when ethics violations occur. So it is in an organization, and in any person.

We are constantly barraged by ethics problems in the daily media, yet the majority of organizations and people are honest and truthful. It is our responsibility to teach it and conduct ourselves accordingly. Mr. AuBuchon has written a truly good book on the subject, and I encourage everyone to buy this book and read it. He provides an excellent journey through the subject and adds cases, examples, policies, and directives, as well as references to the law. I believe this book should be part of every home, business, library, and educational institution. It is too important to ignore or let get away from us. Any discussion of religion, politics, government, or education must have as its basis integrity and ethics. The
author provides his readers with definitions of ethics, applicability to each of the parts above.

I've taught ethics in the police academy and in graduate school courses. I've written on the topic and have found that many of the ideas and beliefs I teach are discussed and promoted in this book. I have to provide a high recommendation for "Integrity: Do You Have It?" because it deserves it.


Dennis AuBuchon, author: Integrity: Do You Have It? 2nd edition
Have you signed the business ethics pledge
Member Authors' Coalition @ www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com
Registered as an expert on www.Allexperts.com

Saturday, May 12, 2007

A Young Reviewer Sounds of on a YA Novel

Crushed
Frances Lynn
Eiworth Publishing (2006)

ISBN 9780955367236 

Reviewed by Sarah Wilborn (age 12)
Originally Published in Reader Views (3/07)

The book “Crushed” was a very interesting and fun book. It was about a girl in England, named Door. She was determined that she was adopted. Her sister got everything she wanted, yet Door got nothing. Door was a bit gloomy, and Dee was stuck up. Door was also not as pretty as Dee, and didn’t have as much talent.
Their Mom was unlike others and favored Dee more than Door. Their father was in his own little world; he wrote books about history. At times he would be zoning out and thinking about being back in time, and what it was like, at other times he was writing about what he thought. His life was centered on his books.
Her parents seemed to have cared more about Dee than Door. As well, Dee did get everything, including a date with Door’s favorite singer. All’s well that ends well, Door finds a humongous family secret Dee doesn’t know, and she gets a super popular and a awesome boyfriend.

This should be a 5 Star book. I absolutely LOVED it!!! My rating for it is 5.

I really liked this book. It was funny and it was realistic. At times I would laugh and think what I would do if I was there. Sometimes I would think that Door is stupid, sometimes I thought their parents were clueless and dumb. The author, Frances Lynn, gave very, very, very, very good details, most of the time. It didn’t get boring at all. The hardest part was to put the book down to do what I needed to do. I could see this book being someone’s life, although it would be horrible.

“Crushed” is a book for any age and can relate to those that have someone in their life that favors someone else. All they want is attention, and one or two simple dreams. Door wanted to play the drums and her parents said no, yet Dee was a ballerina and went to practice almost every day. Door has a big problem with her mom never understanding. They have so many fights and those are big and scary.

“Crushed” was such a good book. I absolutely want all my friends to read it, and I know they’ll go crazy for it. Like I said, this book isn’t for a certain age group or certain kind of person. Anyone with a love for reading, or need something good to do needs to read this book!