Book review – Page 39 – Everything Is Better With Dragons

Review: ‘The Beautiful Side Of The Moon’, by Leye Adenle

Published By: Hoatzin Books
Publication Date: 21st February 2019
I.S.B.N.: 978-1-912563-01-2
Format: Paperback

Blurb
Marking an exciting new departure by award-winning Nigerian author Leye Adenle (Easy Motion Tourist, When Trouble Sleeps), The Beautiful Side of the Moon raises an entirely unexpected and intriguing question – what would happen if God went on holiday?
In order to get a better understanding of what it’s like to be human, and to taste humanity’s joys and sorrows, God decides to have a holiday as a human being. During the course of his time off, though, he completely forgets that he’s God, which leads to some utterly unpredictable outcomes…

A delightful, playful, thoughtful adventure in speculative fiction by one of Nigeria’s most exciting new writers.

Review: ‘Divine Invention’, by Linden Forster

Blurb
Most stories begin with either an unforeseen turn of events or a problem.
Krank has a problem. For centuries, the people of the island have lived on the animals and plants to be found there. It was bliss and so the population grew. It was not until very recently anyone noticed that the quantity of plants and animals had not. The delicate balance of the ecosystem has tipped and food is dwindling.
The King assigned the island’s two resident self-proclaimed geniuses, the Creators, to find a solution. The fruits of their labour ripen into the invention of the world’s first aquatic transportation device and promises to provide passage from the island to search further afield for food and resources.
So, there it is. Problem solved. End of story. Barring any unforeseen turn of events…

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Divine-Invention-Heros-Arc-Book-ebook/dp/B01BU60DOA

US – https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Invention-Heros-Arc-Book-ebook/dp/B01BU60DOA

Review: ‘Strays and Relations’, by Dizzy Greenfield

Blurb

Strays and Relations follows the story of Dizzy, whose search for her birth parents is sad, humorous, and in parts bizarre. Dizzy learns that she began life as a surviving twin, then was fostered until a permanent home was found.

Dizzy begins her search for her original identity. Why was she given up for adoption in the 1960s? Following a tenuous lead, she travels to Ireland with her best friend Sugar, but the trail takes a misleading turn. It ends in what they mistakenly believe is Dizzy’s mother’s grave.

Dizzy falls in love with Will, a blacksmith. But something is missing. Dizzy’s life changes when her birth father Tommy makes contact using a private detective. He reveals that her birth mother is alive and married to a man called Vernon. Now the bigger, trickier task lies ahead: working out how to fit the disparate bits of her life together. This is a book which will both amuse and touch readers’ hearts.

Strays and Relations manages sensitive subject matter with engaging wit and sharply-observed dialogue, and includes vivid descriptions of some rather unusual animals and people. It will appeal to readers who have encountered a recycled animal or family.

Purchase Links

https://www.troubador.co.uk/bookshop/contemporary/strays-and-relations/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Strays-Relations-Hours-Decades-Greenfield-ebook/dp/B07BGF2YKF/

https://www.amazon.com/Strays-Relations-Hours-Decades-Greenfield-ebook/dp/B07BGF2YKF/

Children’s Book Review: ‘The Secret Life of Moles’, by Liz Burgess

Blurb

Liz Burgess has always held a keen interest in nature, especially small furry mammals!
Long fascinated by their secret activities at home in her own back garden, and the fields surrounding it, she decided to explore this special underground world, and find out more about moles and their other little friends. Liz Burgess lives in South Yorkshire and The Secret Life of Moles is her first book for children.

Information about the Book

Title: The Secret Life of Moles (and their friends)

Author: Liz Burgess

Release Date: 28^th February 2019

Genre: Picture Book

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Clink Street Publishing

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44015942-the-secret-life-of-moles

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Life-Moles-Liz-Burgess-ebook/dp/B07NJ4VR79

Colouring book review: ‘Uzbekistan: An experience of cultural treasures to colour’

I do enjoy colouring in when I’m stressed. Or bored. And when this one came up, I just had to accept it.

My Review

The book pairs images of architecture, fabrics, mosaics, carvings and paintings from the last couple of thousand years with line images for the reader to colour in.

The paper is dense and high quality, and I’m scared to get my pencils anywhere near it. It’s so beautiful! And informative. As a cross-roads of cultures and civilisations, Uzbekistan has an artistic legacy that continues to this day.

Thanks to Rosie Crofts at Pen & Sword for sending me this book. I think I’m just going to stroke it a bit rather than try any colouring in.

Review: ‘Don’t Pack The Stress’, by Peter Black

Published By: Independently published
Publication Date: 28th December 2018
I.S.B.N.: 978-1792843594
Format: Paperback
Price: £6.99
Purchase Link

Blurb

Are you considering moving home? Are you starting to worry that the stress of a move is going to push you over the edge, or that you’ll make bad decisions? You are not alone. It is a fact that many people worry about the prospect of a move and whether it is right for them or their families. Many people also worry about the stress that might be cause by moving home. Which is where Don’t Pack the Stress comes in. This book is packed full of techniques and methods that take you through a step by step approach to moving home, in a concise and easy to read manner. This is not a 300 page technical manual, but it is a set of practical methods which help you to navigate the process of moving, from deciding whether to move, to picking up the keys to your new home. This book will almost certainly make the moving process less stressful and leave you feeling more confident about your choices. In this guide you’ll learn how to:
•Decide whether this is the right time for you to move
•Identify clear goals and expectations about your next home
•Get the best out of professionals helping you with your move
•Plan a calm, serene and productive move
•Avoid unnecessary stress, and feel content with your choices.
What are you waiting for? Read this book, apply the methods inside, and begin to plan and enjoy your calm home move today.

Review: One Last Prayer For The Rays, by Wes Markin

DCI Michael Yorke faces his most harrowing case yet.

When 12-year-old Paul disappears from school, Yorke’s only clue is a pool of animal blood. Fearing the worst, he turns toward the most obvious suspect, recently released local murderer, Thomas Ray.

But as the snow in Salisbury worsens, Ray’s mutilated body is discovered, and Yorke is left with no choice but to journey into the sinister heart of a demented family that has plagued the community for generations. Can he save the boy? Or will the evil he discovers changes him forever?

One Last Prayer for the Rays introducing DCI Michael Yorke.

Purchase Links

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/One-Last-Prayer-Rays-exhilarating-ebook/dp/B07M5H7JYS

US – https://www.amazon.com/One-Last-Prayer-Rays-exhilarating-ebook/dp/B07M5H7JYS

Review: ‘Consuming Fire’, by Catherine Fearns

**Purchase Link –** https://mybook.to/consumingfire

Blurb

What Has Been Seen Cannot Be Unseen…

Liverpool is in the grip of an intense heatwave, and strange things are happening.

A woman dies in an apparent case of Spontaneous Human Combustion; a truck explodes on the dock road; the charred corpses of pets litter the city; forest fires ravage the pinewoods…and there are birds everywhere, silent flocks drawing in ominously.

Detective Inspector Darren Swift thinks there are connections, and his investigation delves into the worlds of football, nightclubs and organised crime. But is he imagining things?

Dr. Helen Hope doesn’t think so. And she believes the key lies in a mysterious seventeenth-century occult book which has gone missing from Liverpool Library.

In the blistering sequel to Reprobation, DI Swift is forced to confront some inconvenient ghosts from his past, as a terrifying shadow lies over his city’s reality….

Review: ‘It’s No Secret: Thriving After Surviving’, by Danielle Down

Published By: Published Independently
Publication Date: 15th November 2018
Format: Paperback
I.S.B.N.: 9781730823060
Purchase Link

Blurb
Danielle knew early on that she was not like most children at her school. With a chaotic home life riddled with violence, neglect, abuse and poverty she learned early on how to survive and adapt. Every challenge taught her a valuable lesson about resilience and self-motivation allowing her to develop an unshakeable positive mindset, along with a sense of humour. This book takes the reader on a journey detailing the life-changing events which tested Danielle’s resilience and willpower. She bravely shares the difficult choices she was forced to make in order to safeguard her precious family as long-forgotten secrets are revealed. This uplifting, shocking and empowering book chronicles Danielle’s story and her determination to never let her past define her future. It promises to inspire the reader that change and choice are absolutely possible and that nothing is ever insurmountable.

Review: ‘Street Cat Blues’, by Alison O’Leary

Blurb
After spending several months banged up in Sunny Banks rescue centre, Aubrey, a large tabby cat, has finally found his forever home with Molly and Jeremy Goodman and life is looking good.
However, all that changes when a serial killer begins to target elderly victims in the neighbourhood. Aubrey wasn’t particularly upset by the death of some of the previous victims, including Miss Jenkins whom Aubrey recalls as a vinegar-lipped bitch of an old woman who enjoyed throwing stones at cats, but Mr Telling was different. Mr Telling was a mate…

Purchase Links

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Street-Cat-Blues-Alison-OLeary-ebook/dp/B07F1TDX2T

US – https://www.amazon.com/Street-Cat-Blues-Alison-OLeary-ebook/dp/B07F1TDX2T