Sunday 25 September 2016

Book Review | Lars Teeney | The Shackled Scribes

The Shackled Scribes

This book was sent to me for free. This book was sent to me by the author, Lars Teeney. I was sent this book in exchange for an honest review. 



Author: Lars Teeney
Title: The Shackled Scribes
Genre: Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Pages: 192
Price: £6.89

Started:
22nd September 2016
Finished: 25th September 2016

Synopsis:
Futharkia is a city built upon they layout of an ancient rune shape, and a foundation of slavery. The Broxanians have been enslaved by the Olgoikhorian masters to exploit the Broxanian talent for rune-scribing. In exchange, the rune-scribers are compensated with the sweet, golden liquid, Ichor, that the giant worm-like Olgoikhorkians secrete from their glands. The Ichor also happens to be highly addictive and psychoactive. The system has worked for millennia. However, the great fern jungle that surrounds Futharkia is dying, being bleached white by some unseen force. Coupled with the fact that the simian-like fern lice have been hunted to extinction to provide for Futharkia's ever-increasing demand for food, Futharkia's ecosystem is near collapse. It is amid this setting that Cyesko Limariar, an aging rune-scribe, makes one last attempt at greatness to life himself out of poverty, even if by fraudulent means. 

Review:
I would like to thank the author, Lars Teeney, for generously sending me a copy of this book. This was a truly interesting read that managed to grip my attention right off the bat. I finished this book really quickly as I found that it was impossible to stop reading. When I read the synopsis I became excited to receive this book as it sounding thrilling; this book did not disappoint me at all and neither did it dull the excitement I felt for this book. I would recommend this book to any reader who enjoys Science Fiction novels. This book will be staying on my shelves forever and a day. After reading this book, I am certain that I will be buying more books by Lars Teeney. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Friday 23 September 2016

Book Review | Carole P. Roman | If You Were Me And Lived In ... Viking Europe

If You Were Me and Lived in...Viking Europe

This book was sent to me for free. I was sent this book by Carole P. Roman and Bostick Communications. This book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review. 



Author: Carole P. Roman
Title: If You Were Me And Lived In ... Viking Europe
Genre: Picture Books, Non-Fiction, Culture, Educational, Children's 
Series: If You Were Me And Lived In ... 
Pages: 78
Price: £12.96

Started:
21st September 2016
Finished: 21st September 2016

Synopsis:
Hop in our time travel machine and Join Carole P. Roman as she visits a viking settlement in the year 890 AD. Learn what your name could be and the kind of food you might eat. Read about the different levels of society, how they affect where you would live and the type of clothing you might wear. Mateya Arkova's beautiful illustrations illustrate what vikings ate and their children did for fun. If You Were Me And Lived In ... Viking Europe is an exciting trip that shows a colourful culture through the eyes of a child. 

Review:
 I would like to thank Carole P. Roman for sending me a copy of this book along with another of her educational books, If You Were Me And Lived In ... Poland (the review can be found on my blog). After I read this book I gave it to my neighbour for her young son. This book is really interesting and educational for young children. In my opinion all young children should have access to Carole P. Roman's educational books within their own home. This book contains lots of information about Europe in the time of vikings. These books are an easy and interesting way for children to learn about other places around the world and other periods in time. These books are a good starting point for children who are just getting into reading. I would recommend these books to anyone who has or works with young children. 

Rating:
5 out of 5 stars

Thursday 22 September 2016

Book Review | Jean-Claude Van Itallie | Tea With Demons

Tea with Demons • Games of Transformation

This book was sent to me for free. This book was sent to me by the publisher. I was sent this book in exchange for an honest review. 



Author: Jean-Claude Van Itallie
Title: Tea With Demons
Genre: Medical, Psychology, Applied Psychology, Health, Fitness And Dieting, Arts And Photography, Performing Arts, Theater
Pages: 181
Price: £24.95

Started:
19th September 2016
Finished: 22nd September 2016

Synopsis:
Games of transformation are playful daily practices that flow like a constant brook over the stubborn stones of our old self-destructive patterns, thus slowly wearing them down and washing them away to reveal the stream bed of our basic good nature. Enjoy the games in this book like rich chocolate cake - in small portions. Each day, don't bite off more than you can chew but chew thoroughly what you bite off. If you play the games regularly, they will become the way you live your life. 

Review:
I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book and the author, Jean-Claude Van Itallie, for writing such an amazing book. After starting the book I was not sure that I would be able to read through the whole book. However, I did persevere and found that the further through the book I got, the more interesting the book became. I found myself to be completely immersed in this book. No matter what came up I found that I just didn't want to stop reading. I am not sure what it is about this book that makes it so gripping but I was 100% hooked to this book. No matter how hard I try I cannot put into words the way that this book made me feel or what I thought when reading this book. All I know is that this book caused a change within me but again I cannot explain what that change is; I just feel different after finishing this book. I would highly recommend this book as it is an interesting and brilliant read that will make you evaluate the way that you think about yourself and how you are living your life. This book will be a valuable investment for any and all book collections. There is just something about this book that makes you feel different inside.  

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Wednesday 21 September 2016

Book Review | Carole P. Roman | If You Were Me And Lived In ... Poland

If You Were Me and Lived in...Poland

This book was sent to me for free. This book was sent to me by the author, Carole P. Roman, and Bostick Communications. This book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review.



Author: Carole P. Roman
Title: If You Were Me And Lived in ... Poland
Genre: Picture Books, Childrens, Non-Fiction, Education, Culture
Series: If You Were Me And Lived In ... 
Pages: 38
Price: £8.46

Started:
21st September 2016
Finished: 21st September 2016

Synopsis:
Join Carole P. Roman when she visits Poland in the newest book of her informative series. Learn about the varied customs and cultures. Travel to Eastern Europe to discover what you would eat and do for fun. See the land through the eyes of a youngster like you and understand what life is like in this exciting place. Don't forget to look at the other books in the series so that you can be an armchair world traveler. 

Review:
I would like to thank Carole P. Roman and Bostick Communications for sending me a copy of this book along with another of her books, If You Were Me And Lived In ... Viking Europe. After reading these two books I gave them to my neighbour for her young son. This book is really interesting and educational for young children. In my opinion all young children should have access to Carole's educational books in their own home. This book contains a lot of information about life in Poland. This book along with the rest of the series are an easy and interesting way for children to learn about other places around the world and other eras in history. These books are a good starting point for children who are just getting into reading. I would highly recommend these books to anyone who has or works with young children.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Sunday 11 September 2016

Book Review | Richard Denham | Weird War 2

Weird War Two

I received this book for free. This book was brought to my attention through direct email contact with the publisher, T Squared Books. This book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review. 



Author: Richard Denham
Title: Weird War Two
Genre: History, Military History, World History, World War Two, Weapons
Pages: 166
Price: £8.99

Started:
5th September 2016
Finished: 11th September 2016

Synopsis: 
Welcome to the wonderfully weird World War Two ... The Second World War is the bloodiest on record. It was the first total war in history when civilians; men, women and children were in the front line as never before. With so many millions involved, the rumour machine went into overdrive, tall stories built on fear of the unknown. With so much at stake, boffins battled with each other to build even more bizarre weapons to out-gun the enemy. Nazi Germany alone had so many government-orchestrated foibles that they would be funny if they were not so tragic.  Parachuting Sheep? Pilot Pigeons? Rifles that fire round corners? Men who never were? You will find them all here, the weird, wonderful and barely believable of World War Two.

Review:
I would like to thank T Squared Books and the author for providing me with a copy of this book. I requested a copy of this book as I have an interest in World War Two and the events that took place during the war. This book was a truly interesting read and I enjoyed learning about inventions, ideas and people involved in World War Two. The things talked about in this book are not the most well known facts about World War Two so it is nice that they have been put all together in one book so it is easy to get a copy of and learn some unusual things about the war. I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in history and World War Two because this book is as informative about unknown ideas and inventions as it is interesting. I found this book to be gripping and kept me trapped the pages for long periods of time. After reading this book I definitely want to invest in more books by Richard Denham and M.J. Trow. I am certain that this book will remain a part of my ever-growing book collection for all time. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Sunday 4 September 2016

Book Review | Stephenie Meyer | The Short Second Life Of Bree Tanner

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella



Author: Stephenie Meyer
Title: The Short Second Life Of Bree Tanner
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Vampires, Fiction, Romance, Supernatural, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Teen
Series: The Twilight Saga
Pages: 178
Price: £6.96

Started:
2nd September 2016
Finished: 4th September 2016

Synopsis: 
Bree Tanner can barely remember life before she had uncannily powerful senses, superhuman reflexes, and unstoppable physical strength. Life before she had a relentless thirst for blood...life before she became a vampire. All Bree knows is that living with her fellow newborns has few certainties and even fewer rules: watch your back, don't draw attention to yourself, and above all, make it home by sunrise or die. What she doesn't know: her time as an immortal is quickly running out. Then Bree finds an unexpected friend in Diego, a newborn just as curious as Bree about their mysterious creator, whom they only know as her. As they come to realize that the newborns are pawns in a game larger than anything they could have imagined, Bree and Diego must choose sides and decide whom to trust. But when everything you know about vampires is based on a lie, how do you find the truth?

Review:
After reading the twilight saga, I did not know when I would get around to this book. When I did get to it, I did enjoy the read but it was not as action filled and gripping as the actual twilight books. This was an interesting read and I would certainly settle down with this book again as it was a good book and it did add to the saga. When reading the twilight saga I did wonder about the back stories of some of the characters and I think little novellas like this are a good way to tell those stories. These back stories really add to the pull of the twilight series as it is nice to be able to focus on and follow one character in there experiences as a vampire. Sometimes it is nice to put the full novels, with the many characters and events, onto the back burner; It is interesting to pick out one character and think I want to know about that character, how they became a vampire and where they fit into the twilight saga. Novellas are also a good way to enjoy some of the adventure and intrigue of twilight without having to read a huge book. Although I found this book gripping, it did not have that much action in the storyline so it was easy to get my attention drawn away from this book. However, I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in young adult and paranormal books as well as those who enjoyed the twilight saga as it just adds a little extra to the series. I bought the twilight books at a second hand store so I plan to buy the full saga brand new so that I can donate the old ones back. Donating them back to the store will mean that someone else can pick them up and enjoy the wonder of twilight. Also, donating to this particular store helps the barnardos charity as money from purchases at this store go to them. 


Rating:
3 out of 5 stars