Tag: book review

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Book Review: Tennyson’s Big Secret by A.H. Benjamin Illustrated by Peter Trimarco

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Can you guess Tennyson’s BIG secret?

Tennyson’s Big Secret

Genre: Baby/kids (Reading level 1 -2)

Published: September 26, 2023 (Notable Kids Publishing)

Tennyson has a BIG secret. He can do a MAGICAL thing. Guessing this quite spectacular, possibly loud, potentially outrageous, or ultimately endearing secret brings the reader to the heart of the latest picture book by renowned UK-based author A.H. Benjamin. Through simple dialogue and a smattering of outlandish and comical illustrations, this picture-walk, early-reader adventure follows young Tennyson and his highly confused kitten as we await the big reveal.

REVIEW

What is Tennyson’s secret? Author A.H. Benjamin guides us through a silly wacky list of what it could possibly be. The secret is magical though and it seems only Tennyson’s cat may know the truth.

Targeted for ages five and below this easy-read book will definitely light up a young reader’s life. We along with Benjamin try to guess Tennyson’s BIG Secret and some of the guesses are downright silly. Can Tennyson’s secret REALLY be that his hobby horse is faster than the fastest racehorse?

Trimarco’s illustrations bring it all to life with his big bright, vibrate-style art that will delight in young audiences especially when the story is read out loud. A definitely fun book to have in your young one’s book collection.

My rating 5 stars

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Tennyson’s Big Secret Is Available Now On AMAZON

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A. H. Benjamin is an international children’s author who has been writing books since the mid-eighties. Based in Lincolnshire, UK, he has been published by Andersen Press, O.U.P., Little Tiger Press, Franklin Watts, Q.E.D., and Tiger Tales (Penguin Random House). He has written over 50 books, which have been translated into more than 25 languages, including Chinese, Korean, French, Spanish, Polish, Turkish, Afrikaans, Greek and Arabic. His books are very popular in schools, book clubs, and especially libraries, ranking among the highest in the UK Public Landing Right. In addition, some of his work has been adapted for radio, television, and theater.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

 Peter Trimarco started his professional doodling career as an editorial cartoonist in Chicago and Denver before turning to commercial art and designing packaging for music and film. Staying in the entertainment field, he published an international trade magazine for the film industry in partnership with major festivals and film markets worldwide. These days, he brings his creative juices to the printed page for youngsters. Trimarco is the illustrator on numerous picture books, including Now What? and the It’s Just So book series. His books have been critically acclaimed and honored with several prestigious awards, including the Foreword Indies and the Benjamin Franklin Awards.

Follow Trimarco on Instagram @peter_trimarco

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Spooky Book Review: Bunso Meets A MuMu Written and Illustrated by Rev Valdez

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As we get deeper into the spooky season October also marks Fillipino American History Month.  Now what better book to review then than Bunso Meets A Mumu by Rev Valdez!

BUNSO MEETS A MUMU

Genre: Children

Published: May 30, 2023 (Paws Publishing)

Meet Bunso, a boy with a really scary problem. It’s the Mumu, the Filipino version of the Boogeyman, who likes to frighten kids who don’t do as they are told by their elders! The Mumu will not let Bunso draw (on the walls), eat ice cream (before dinner), or play video games (his older brother’s). But Bunso has had enough! Gearing up to fight back against this destroyer of fun, Bunso makes surprising discoveries about the Mumu (and himself) in this fun, comic-like picture book that introduces children to Filipino culture and words.

Get Your Copy now on AMAZON and Barnes & Noble

REVIEW

Bunso has a problem his older sister keeps telling scary stories and is now telling him the MUMU is going to get him if he doesn’t behave. Same with his Mom and Dad, The MUMU will get you if you don’t behave! His older brother just won’t let him play with his video games. Is this the curse of the MUMU? Wait what is a MUMU? Bunso is about to find out!

This book is the most adorable ever! While targeted at young children this book can be loved by all ages.  I read it to my book-loving ten-year-old twin boys and they really loved it. I confess I loved it!

Drawing from Filipino heritage and folklore Valdez creates a book for the whole family. Children will like the cool comic book-like drawing and Valdez writes with child-like dialogue that will reel young readers in. Parents and maybe older kids with like the worked in Fillipino culture and words therefore expanding their minds or finding a kindred spirit in Bunso’s world being Fillipino-American. Bunso Meets A MuMu looks like it’s the first in a series of Bunso Meets stories introducing other mythical monsters from Filipino culture. I for one can’t wait.

My rating 5 stars

Rating: 5 out of 5.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Rev Valdez is a Filipino-American illustrator based in San Francisco, CA. He’s passionate about introducing young readers to the myths and mythical creatures of Filipino culture through fun and funny visual storytelling.

Follow Rev on Facebook and Instagram

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Book Review: If Only My Eyes Could Speak by Nicole Sadiee

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If Only My Eyes Could Speak

Published: (February 2018)

Genre: Memoirs,  Poetry by women

“If Only My Eyes Could Speak” is an important book that entails the struggles of a young black girl growing up in a broken home. It is a book made to represent the mistreatment and misinterpretation of adolescents who are forced to grow up in toxic environments. The book contains personal poems and letters that speak on behalf of sexual abuse, abandonment, miscarriage at a young age, and sexual conquests. This book is only a taste of what Nicole has seen and experienced through her own eyes.

Available Now on Amazon

REVIEW

 A silver winner of the Global Ebook Awards and Winner of the Dan Poynter Legacy Award If Only My Eyes Could Speak is a gut-wrenching read. A short but powerful read this book speaks volumes.

Reading like we are peeking into a young girl’s journal Sadiee shares her personal poetry, and prose (letters) she wrote as a young girl going through physical and sexual abuse trying to make sense of it all.

 Her writings start at the age of 14 and go through to 17, and the words and things Sadiee writes should not be in the mind of a child so young.  Yet, her prominent piece “Letter To My Mother” written at the tender age of 14 explains it all.  

It took me a couple of days to recover after reading this book. Haunted by the eloquence of young Sadiee’s words you FEEL each syllable she writes, and the therapeutic release she feels as she writes them. 

A beautiful piece to show we can overcome. We can take the bad and make it good.

My overall rating is 5 stars and beyond.

Purchase now on Amazon

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nicole Sadiee is an upcoming model, author, and entrepreneur. Growing up in Georgia with a broken family and a love for writing helped produce her first book at 18. “If Only My Eyes Could Speak” is just a taste of how Nicole has experienced life beginning at the ripe age of 14. She lets you into her world raw and see how her childhood has shaped her into the young woman she is today.

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Book Review: The Crimson Maiden: Swordmaster Legacy Book 1 by M.V. Grimm

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The Crimson Maiden: The Swordmasters' Legacy

Published: August 25, 2023

Genre: Action fantasy, Adventure, Mystery, Swords and Sorcery

In the Kingdom of Ariandor, where wonder and fascination reign, an extraordinary institution awaits those fated for greatness. The Academy of Swordcraft, Heincraft, perched on the enchanting island of Aegis, unveils its marvels amidst a cluster of floating islands. It is at Heincraft that Arianna, a spirited sixteen-year-old girl, seeks to prove herself and uncover the truth behind her father's disappearance.

As Arianna embarks on her journey, a mysterious legacy begins to unfurl, revealing her true purpose. Prophecies of an impending darkness loom, threatening to cast the realms into everlasting night. Fueled by her unyielding determination to find her father, Arianna must decipher the enigma left for her—the ancient prophecy and the secrets woven within the Swordmaster's Legacy.

Join Arianna, along with her classmates and her mischievous flying mythical beast companion, Red, as they venture through exhilarating trials, and treacherous landscapes, and confront mystical creatures within the depths of the Stonevent Cavern. They will navigate the perilous cliffs of Beast Canyon to explore a hidden dungeon before journeying into the dark depths of the Mystical Forest to seek the guardians of the elements.

AVAILABLE NOW ON AMAZON

REVIEW

Written like an epic manga The Crimson Maiden: Swordmasters’ Legacy Book 1 is an epic fantasy adventure with a hint of mystery. I totally fell into the magical world of Ariandor and its floating archipelagos. Here we meet 16-year-old fiery redhead Arianna on her way to Heincraft Academy of Swordcraft to become a master swordsmaster. While there Arianna has an ulterior motive to solve the mystery behind the disappearance of her father who attended the Academy himself.

Looking through the school archives leads to her father’s journal, meeting a mystical beast named Red, and a map that could lead her and her new friends to the mystery of what happened to Arianna’s lost father. But also stumbling into a power Arianna didn’t know she had as an evil plot brews to unleash a dark entity that was banished long ago.

M.V. Grimm does a phenomenal job of world-building as you feel completely immersed in this fantasy world via your imagination. His characters while classic are likable, and Grimm delivers a plot twist revealed in the epilogue that I did not see coming. It made me giddy with glee as I just love it when an author pulls the rug out from under me.

There were parts though that I thought dialogue might have fit in better than just written out like a recap. Otherwise, this was a fun escape read and I am eager to return to the world of Ariandor to find out what happens next!

About The Author

M. V. Grimm is an author with a love and passion for mystery and fantasy stories. He currently works doing odd jobs while concentrating most of his attention to a flourishing writing career.

The Immortals Chronicle – Thomas Blackwing and the Crystal Heart is M.V Grimm’s first fantasy series of a pair of fourteen-year-old orphans who compete with others for a throne left vacant after the murder of a royal dynasty.

The Swordmasters’ Legacy – The Crimson Maiden is M.V Grimm’s second fantasy series of a sixteen-year-old girl blessed with a remarkable destiny who went on a mission to locate her missing father while demonstrating her value amidst her time at the Academy of Swordcraft, Heincraft.

His hopes for the future are to carry on writing fantasy novels full-time and to bring them to as broad an audience as possible. When he has some time to himself he enjoys fishing, which helps to clear his mind of troubles and all thoughts for a few hours, before dreaming up new stories and adventures.

Follow M.V. Grimm at Immortals Chronicles

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Book Review: Gingerbread by Ana Ash

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When Sebastian finds himself alone in the middle of a fetish club, he decides to call it a night – this is a world he knows nothing about. The crowd shifts, and a Goddess appears. Confident and sexy, Gwen is Sebastian’s catnip, and he’s overcome by an intense and unfamiliar need to surrender to her. Gwen’s not sure what to make of the handsome Aussie at first, but he’s intriguing, and she’s curious to see what might happen.

Not without its challenges, their choice to follow desire teaches the pair about building real trust and overcoming past traumas. The deeper they go, the closer they become until it’s clear to both they want more. Can Sebastian convince her his feelings are genuine? Will Gwen be able to lower her guard and let someone into her heart again?

Bondage is easy. Love is hard.

Available Now On Amazon Kindle / Barnes & Noble / B.A.M

REVIEW

Gingerbread is an erotica novella with class, not crass. We meet successful, handsome Sebastian helping a friend overcome his breakup agrees to join him at a club. Clubs are not Sebastian’s thing, and when he discovers the club is a fetish club, he is all the more mortified. Upset and about to head out, that is, until Gwen enters the room. Gwen also sees Sebastian as a new face to the club and saunters over, enticing him into a world he never dreamed of. It wasn’t just that; Gwen herself just made submitting so easy.

To Gwen, something about Sebastian’s honesty and adoration of her made their playtime together more than just playtime. Could they be more? 

Ash writes with a beautiful blend of sexy sultriness, not overpowering that there is a charming ever-after story underneath. In fact, Ash seems to be writing with a mission as Gingerbread begins with a note from the author giving a little introduction into the BDSM world, dismissing what the public media has often portrayed BDSM as. She even interweaves more knowledge into the story effortlessly when Gwen discusses with Sebastian what it will mean to be her submissive little boy. It was absolutely a delicious scene.

Gingerbread is a hot and steamy BDSM fairytale—a standout among the endless sea of erotica that will satisfy you.

My rating is 5 out of 5 stars.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ana Ash is a new author from the kink scene dipping her toes into the waters of erotic-romantic fiction. Drawing on her growing knowledge and involvement within the kink community, she hopes to delight and inform her readers with sweet, steamy stories that explore healthy relationships interwoven with themes of BDSM. Look for more stories to come as the *ahem* mood strikes her.