The Hand Lettering Workbook

This is a little bit of whimsy and a lot of fun. The instructions are easy to follow and there's plenty of room to practice. The pages are thick, so no chance of bleed through. The lettering starts simple, and gradually progresses to more challenging letters.

Great bit of fun for anyone.

I received a copy of this book from Callisto Publisher's Club.

4 stars

Urban Gardening for Beginners

From windowsill herbs to hydroponics there is many choices for a garden. This book helps break it down by difficulty level, cost and great instructions. Being able to pluck an herb while cooking, or spending time outside in a vegetable raised bed, it really doesn't matter what you choose. The feeling you get from growing and providing food is the best. I am going to start small and work my way to a full backyard garden. But even if you don't have a backyard, there are many options in this book. Go for it! Spring is almost here.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Callisto Publisher's Club.

4 stars

The Sleep Workbook

The easy to understand steps in this book help change sleep habits. The journaling exercises are full of self-reflective questions to help you deal with the underlying anxiety that causes insomnia.  Instead of turning to pills or other strategies that mask the problem, this book helps you grasp your sleep issues and solve them through thoughts and behavior. It's certainly worth a try!

I received this book from Callisto Publisher's Club.

4 stars

Family Cookbook Recipe Journal

My daughter has gone out on her own but still calls me for recipes. This journal type cookbook is the perfect gift! Full lined pages to write down beloved recipes. Each page has a header to fill in prep and cook time, source of recipe, and servings ... and any little personal pointers. This is a hefty 200 page book, with color coded pages. There's measurement conversions, blank table of contents. I love the idea of filling it in with favorites and handing it down to my daughter. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Callisto Publisher's Club.

5 stars

Only the Hardest Puzzles

Wow. Yeah ... I um. What? This was my first reaction upon leafing through the pages of this crossword book. I found it quite a challenge to even figure out how to do some of these puzzles. There's types that I haven't even seen before. I love a challenge though, so I find this book a fun way to pass the many hours I spend at home now. I like the many different choices. 

I received this complimentary copy from Callisto Publisher's Club.

4 stars

The 30-Minute Gluten-Free Cookbook

I've been preparing gluten-free meals for over 20 years, and I'm always looking for innovative recipes. This cookbook is chock full of great ones. From breakfast to late night snacks, you'll find quick, easy recipes. There's sample menus, and measurement conversions too. Really a great cookbook for the gluten-free life.

I received this complimentary copy from Callisto Publisher's Club.

4 stars

The Essential Panini Press Cookbook

The recipes in this book are mouthwatering, imaginative, and creative. Even the most inexperienced cook can follow the directions to wonderful creations. I never thought yummy desserts was a possibility with the panini press, but the Raspberry and Cream Cheese Finger Sandwiches with Chocolate Sauce is AWESOME. Super quick and easy too. So yeah, I now make dessert sandwiches. There are many classic sandwiches, as well as breakfast fare. There's even ingredient swaps for gluten-free and paleo diets.

I received this copy from Callisto Publisher's Club. And now I'm hungry.

5 stars

100 Large-Print Crossword Puzzles

With all the changes in our world, and many people staying home, we're all trying to fill the hours. This crossword book a great way to pass the time and keep your mind sharp. 100 puzzles are sure to keep boredom at bay. The print is huge ... so large that I don't need to look for my reading glasses. (More often than not I find them perched on the top of my head.) I found this book quite entertaining.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Callisto Pubisher's Club. All opinions are my own.

5 stars

Release Spotlight : The Closer You Get

A new twisting novel of psychological suspense from the acclaimed author 

Mary Torjussen.

Coworkers Ruby and Harry are in love, but they're married to other people. they decide to tell their spouses that their marriages are over and to start a new life together. Ruby has wanted to leave her controlling husband for a while, so she tells him she's leaving and waits at the hotel where she and Harry are to meet.

But Harry never shows up.

Suddenly, Ruby has lost everything. Harry won't answer her calls, and she's fired from her job. She finds a cheap apartment in a run-down part of town, all the while wondering what happened to Harry.

Just as Ruby thinks she's hit rock bottom, strange and menacing things start to happen -- someone is sneaking into her apartment, and someone is following her home late at night -- and she is going to have to fight for her survival. 

Mary Torjussen has an MA in Creative Writing from Liverpool John Moores University. She's worked for several years as a teacher and lives outside of Liverpool. 

Wall of Silence

Wall of Silence opens with the point of view of a child who stabbed a family member ... their father, Patrick. 

All three siblings stick together and refuse to tell who did it. The family seemed perfect, and everyone in the community is stunned at this awful event. Melissa, the mother of the children is the one who came upon her husband surrounded by the children. Her devotion to Patrick and her children brings her to the brink of despair when the police deem it an attempted murder.

This book kept me wondering just who stabbed Patrick. Surprisingly, her children are not evil, and all of them are tortured by the event. Yet all three keep a tight hold on what really happened. Melissa, the mother, is the main character. I admired the way she protected her children while searching for answers. 

The child at fault chimes in from time to time with more insight into the awful event, (though I still wasn’t sure who this child is.) At times I wondered if it was one of the children after all. Was it an adult the kids are covering for? Was it someone else in the family, or someone else in the tight-knit  community? 

Even with the father finally waking from a coma, and telling who plunged the knife into him, the answers remain unclear.

I was grabbed by the throat, heart, and mind upon the the first few sentences, and never released until the last page of this book. 

First sentences of Wall of Silence:

I thought Dad’s blood would smell of him, that soft citrus scent I’ve known all my life. But all I can smell on my hands are bitter pennies.

I look down on his face. He’s so white, so quiet.

Is this really happening?

5 stars