Meditation: Being Here, Now by Mind-Light

A good beginner’s grounding into the whys and wherefores of meditation.  It has an easy to understand style and many could find it beneficial to their health in today’s hectic world.

Mystery of the Smuggled Watches by R D Morrell

I liked the easy flow of words and how the story pushed straight into the action.

From the start it promises a puzzle to decipher and we know that there will be many others entangled.  I thought it clever that there could be a mystery involved in watches – in itself intriguing.

Worth a look.

Yet another wonderful tale full of enchantment.

I loved it from beginning to end, with good and evil characters that are so believable that it becomes an edge of your seat read wondering what is going to happen. It is crammed with such creatures as dragons, panthers and even a black unicorn, which bring more magic to this fabulous tale.

Brilliant as usual and highly recommended.

________________________________________________________________

The Boy Who Would Be A Fire Truck by Marty Wombacher

I loved this.

The flow of words rose effortlessly from each page and brought a smile and even laughter.  Although the humour is at the forefront of the style, there is an undercurrent of vulnerability.

I would say that anyone who reads this will be hooked from the beginning and relate to many of the themes within, for example, ‘not wanting to be an adult’.  But as concluded in the author’s words, ‘you just didn’t have to do it’ is the moment from which I understood the essence of what was to come.

Highly recommended.

___________________________________________________________________

Sudden Disappearance by Michael Pennington

Certainly an atmospheric beginning.

The brilliant use of alliteration brings alive the mystery and suspense necessary for this kind of story.

Worth a look.

__________________________________________________________________

Buy Julie’s Books Here!

]]> http://llbookreview.com/2012/04/julies-quick-picks-for-april-2012/feed/ 0 http://llbookreview.com/2012/03/julies-quick-picks-for-march-2012/ http://llbookreview.com/2012/03/julies-quick-picks-for-march-2012/#comments Fri, 02 Mar 2012 14:20:31 +0000 Julie Elizabeth Powell http://llbookreview.com/?p=6236 Hell’s Gate by Doug Hensley

Bed to Zzzzzz by Jennifer Smith & Eloise Hairman

An excellent and formative book that could be useful for having ‘a good night’s sleep’.

It is user friendly and its illustrations leave no doubt as to whys and wherefores of the importance of sleep and the reasons behind why it can be problematic.

Very good.

Silk City Series by Eric Nelson

Extremely well written, and pulls in the reader from the start. Everyday lives yet interesting all the same and the word community comes to mind as families combat poverty with pride and refuse to let life beat them.

I liked the style of writing at once, punchy and straight to the point, which brings the reader into the action, as if brought there by a runaway train. The building of characters seemed effortless and seamless, yet they were interesting and intriguing both at the same time – though I’m not sure it they were likeable…good in itself, willing the reader to want more.

Clever in its simplicity yet deeper than expected.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

This story certainly lives up to its title – magical indeed.

From the outset we are plunged into the enchanting tale were Paradine learns of her true nature, her roots that bring her to the breathtakingly beautiful village, where magic rules in proper fairytale fashion .

I loved it all, from the reading of minds to the transforming into animals, from fabulous descriptions to the believable characters, all with wonderful mystical names.

Reality is grounded in the everyday movements and lifestyles of its inhabitants yet mystery and magic abound in the ‘list of lessons’ Paradine must learn to become a true witch. And the scenes to choose a broom or a wand and even a pet dragon are delightful.

The adventure, as in any good story, is found with its ‘baddies’ who must be vanquished by the ‘heroes’ in order to keep the tranquillity of the village and its people.

Lines such as, ‘…when darkness began to edge out the daylight…’ give a true sense of the author’s talent and I would firmly recommend all of Jean Carver’s books to anyone who loves a fairytale of such quality.

Only the first story of Paradine and I’m off to read the next.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Little Poems for Children by Grace Andreacchi

With illustrations that make you smile, these simple and delightful poems should engage children enough to want to read more.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Guardian (UK version) by Matt Walker

I was drawn into the story in an instant with its powerful and direct style, where the characters offer an intriguing and somewhat ‘scary’ beginning. By chapter one, we’re captivated and want Ella to stand up to her father and overcome the nightmare that has begun.

Matt Walker certainly has a talent for writing.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Buy Julie’s Books on Kindle!

The Cone Stories by Stuart Real

A clever and funny idea which made me smile from the onset. Absolutely loved how the ‘characters’ were portrayed and so believable! Great line, “…they (the cones) are naughty, in fact they are very naughty…”

A fun and delightful read.

________________________________________________________________________________________

Certainly very knowledgeable about Role Playing Games, Nick Smith engages the reader at once with this fast paced particular genre. The graphics are excellent and the switch between narrator and character pick up the pace even more.

Clever – and I would say a delight for ‘gamers’ everywhere.

_____________________________________________________________________________

A Sprinkling of Thought Dust by Steven and Margaret Larson

Nobody could ever be disappointed with the Larson books.

This one is full of wonderful descriptions, fabulous characters and packed with action. Its charm oozes fantasy and magic with lines such as, ‘Spilling thought dust on the wind’, and Electrum inhaled the Tween World night air as he flew behind Silverthorn’.

Thoroughly enjoyable and highly recommended.

_____________________________________________________________________

Awkward Places by SR Dupree

I could see at once that this account was a very personal and heartfelt journey. It is written in an easy to read style and embraces questions we all, at one time or another, ask: ‘Why am I here?’ and ‘What is the meaning of life?’

SR Dupree sets out the explanation for these beliefs in an honest and direct way.

Thought provoking at the very least.

___________________________________________________________________________

Buy Julie’s Books Here!

Why Fenella is Awesome by Edward McAndrew

Supportive. A unusual and funny way of dealing with such problems. Great to have such a loving brother.

________________________________________________________________________

The Inspire Place by Dory Maguire

A simple string of words that make a beautiful necklace for the heart.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Legendary Sidekick – in 4D by John M Haley

Great stuff.  What a fantastic sense of humour threaded through it.  Fab name, Zeek Mcgeek!  And although there is a mass of info at the start it’s written in such a way to be fun and interesting, interspersed with enough ‘action’ to keep an easy flow.

Brilliant!

______________________________________________________________________

I Should Write This Stuff Down by Bruce Behymer

What a great title – definitely a way to create interest.  Insightful, deep and meaningful.  I could relate to the philosophy of change and how we must embrace it.  For yes, how else would our lives flow into the rivers of our future and the ‘just maybe’ seas?

______________________________________________________________________

Buy Julie’s Books Here!

This is another wonderful collection of delightful stories from Maria Savva, all with twists and turns and surprising endings.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book with its wealth of ‘easy to know’ characters, which bring to life these simple yet clever ideas.

It’s amazing how a story can evolve from the tiniest spark, and Maria shows her genius again and again.  I particularly liked The Legacy and The Time Machine, where hopes and wishes are successfully explored.

Highly recommended.

_________________________________________________________________________

Triple Seven Khameleon #1 by  Troy Johnson

A story with impact told with excellent graphics.

Also available in black & white.

______________________________________________________________________________

I Learned my ABCs at the Grocery Store by Ms Sara

Just one of the books laid out for children to learn whereby they can search and draw the answers.

A great interactive learning tool.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Buy Julie’s Books Here!