If You Were Me and Lived in Australia by Carole P. Roman

If You Were Me and Lived in Australia is another informative book about the people and places around the world written for young readers. What kind of money would I use to buy something?  Where would I visit, and what would I see? What would I eat, and what games would I play.  Children will love to learn that they have so much in common with other children around the world, and still have many fun differences.

All of the books in this series are entertaining and will appeal to a wide age range. The recommended is age 3 to age 8.  They are written in simple language, but with enough challenging material to appeal to older readers.  I highly recommend this and all of the books in this series.  

B.T.C. Old-Fashioned Grocery Cookbook by Alexe Van Beuren

I was so please to receive this cookbook for review, and even more please when I realized it was much more than a cookbook. B.T.C. is a story of real people, and a real small town grocer. Their story, both struggles and success, is beautifully written in a just a few pages sprinkled through the book. You will learn about their family, the town, their small-town newspaper, and their employees.  You just can’t help but love this place and these people.

BTC is an old-fashioned grocery store in Water Valley, Mississippi that also provides sandwiches, soups, homemade mayonnaise, and much more. The recipes in the cookbook are by Dixie Grimes, and present an interesting mix of down-home simplicity and rich sophistication.  The recipes are categorized by Breakfast, Soups for Every Season, Salads, Spreads and Sandwich Fixings, Casseroles, Mains, Sides and Southern Sweet Thangs. The recipes that immediately caught my eye are Vetra’s Three-bean Salad, Broccoli Salad, Artichoke and English Pea Au Gratin, and just about all of the soups!

This is not only a wonderful addition to my cookbook shelf, but an interesting story that brought to life the story of Water Valley Mississippi.

Collision, The Battle for Darracia by Michael Phillip Cash

Book Description: The Darracia saga continues with all the key players spread out and searching for answers throughout the solar system. Prince V'sair struggles to hold his fractured kingdom together without help from his family. His stepbrother Zayden is on a vengeful hunt for his evil uncle Staf Nuen. Tulani navigates her two worlds trying to bring them together. Staf Nuen, the orchestrator of the original coup, is making unholy alliances with nefarious new allies. Like the comet zipping across the horizon, all the different factions are heading for a collision course that will test both their faith and power.

My review:
Collision, The Battle for Darracia is a well-written science fiction story that moves quickly and flows smoothly. I will confess I usually don’t read science fiction, so I think that and the fact that I didn’t read the first book, Schism: The Battle For Darracia, may have hindered my enjoyment slightly. I would recommend reading the first book so that you are introduced to all of the main characters and who or what they are! That said, I enjoyed the story and the way it was told. The characters are interesting and the story held my interest all the way to the thrilling end.  Honor, war, families, spirituality, love, and hate are all themes woven into a sailcloth that carries you through this story.

The Flip but Michael Phillip Cash

The Flip, by Michael Phillip Cash, is the story of a young couple, Julie and Brad, trying to supplement their income by flipping houses.  Brad is also a little lost following his military service and isn’t sure what he wants to do with his future. The latest flip is a house that is a little more work than usual due to the age of the house and its invisible inhabitants, two Civil War era ghosts.  There were also some other entities in the home that weren’t very well explained, but they seemed to be more in control of the two ghosts, Gerald and Tessa.

The story does go back in time to explain the lives of the two before they became ghosts.   Tessa was a woman of low moral character in life, and her aggressive attentions toward men continue in her afterlife.  The interaction of the ghosts and the real life couple cause even more strife in their relationship.

This isn’t a terrifying ghost story because it relies heavily on relationships rather than an intense paranormal story. It is a quick and enjoyable read with interesting characters, both alive and dead.

Deadly Distractions, A Stan Turner Mystery by William Manchee

Deadly Distractions is an interesting legal thriller that held my interest to the end. It is an easy read and nothing too deep, but with some interesting characters. 

Each chapter is dedicated to the point of view of two of the main characters, Stan or Paula. Stan is a likeable character, but some of his actions and decisions are terribly naïve and frustrating to the reader.  While Stan is likeable, Paula isn’t quite so nice, but the two together create an interesting story. Stan seems to be in over his head in the legal issues, but he manages to make it all work.

Although Deadly Distractions is my first Stan Turner mystery I never thought I was missing out on some of the story, so it is definitely a stand alone book.  It will, however, make you want to read some of the others.

VeggieTales: Pirates, Mess Detectives, and a Superhero, (I Can Read #1)

This book is actually three books in one, Pirate in Training, Larry Boy and the Mudslingers, and Listen Up, Larry.  This is a wonderful book for reading to a young child or for early readers. The illustrations are colorful and have a variety of their fun Veggie friends to identify.  There are bible verses from the New International Readers Version at the beginning of each story that reflect the theme of that story.  The themes are learning, forgiveness, and listening.

In Pirate In Training, Junior Asparagus decides that school is too hard and he wants to be a pirate. Larry, Mr. Lunt, and Pa explain specifically how they use reading and math to be good pirates and how he will learn about other things he may want to be when he grows up.

All three stories have character messages that are very important for this age group. 

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Distortion by Terri Blackstock

Distortion starts out a little confusing.  Being part of a series, there are a number of people who need to be reintroduced, and I had trouble keeping them straight. Once I figured out who they were, I then had to remember their relationships as they were all related.  I don’t think I can recommend this as a standalone book. If you have read the others in the series then you will be much more able to keep it straight. 

There is another facet to the story that is a little different. Usually the reader has little connection to the victim and their family. We usually grow close to the detective and other law enforcement as they investigate the case.  Distortion is different in that the victim’s wife and family become the main characters and investigators. This can make dealing with the constant grief a little more difficult to take.

I did enjoy the story overall and appreciate the matters of faith that are dealt with throughout the book.  I especially found the ending of the book representative of a strong display of faith.

I want to do Yoga Too by Carole Roman

When mom goes to her yoga class, her daughter Hallie wants to do yoga too. Hallie goes with Robin, who is caring for the children. Through a series of pretend games Hallie learns four different yoga poses without even realizing that she is learning yoga.

This is a cute little book to introduce children to another form of exercise and to get them up and active. Mom, Dad,  Grandma or Grandpa can get involved too for a fun and healthy playtime.   Very cute and I highly recommend it for family use or gifts.

Whaley’s Big Adventure by Carole P. Roman and Alexander Luke

Whaley’s Big Adventure was written and illustrated by 5 year old Alexander Luke and presented by his grandmother Carole P. Roman.

Whaley is a blue whale and he sets off on an adventure to explore the oceans. He meets Owen the Orca, Harold the Humpback whale, Gary the Gray whale, Brody the Beluga, Sammy the Sperm whale, and Walter the Whale shark and learns a little bit about each new friend.
The book is educational, entertaining, and down right cute. The watercolor art by Alexander Luke is perfect for the story.

I love the book and so does my granddaughter.

Children of the Revolution by Peter Robinson and GIVEAWAY

When a man’s body is found by abandoned railroad tracks near his home, Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks investigates the murder. The victim, Gavin Miller, was a former college lecturer dismissed for misconduct and has been living as a recluse since.

As with Peter Robinson’s previous books, this is a very detailed police procedural.  Each detail and suspect is carefully examined, and the trails in this story lead far into the victim’s past.

I enjoy this type of carefully examined case and the complete explanation of the evidence.  It does move slowly at times, but I have also found this in other of his books.  Often when I read books by British authors, I find quite a few words unfamiliar to US readers, but fortunately this author spends his time in both the U.K. and North America so there were few times I needed to look up a word.   

Another good book by Peter Robinson.

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If You Were Me and Lived in India by Carole P. Roman

Next stop – India as we travel around the world with Carol P. Roman’s If You Were Me and Lived in… series. This is another exciting book introducing children to other cultures.  As with the others in this series, this book covers what children would want to know about if they lived in another country. It answers what children call their parents, what they eat, what games they play, what they do for fun, interesting places to visit, and celebrations.

The full-page illustrations are colorful and very descriptive of the text. The text is large for early readers.  Some of the words are challenging, but there is also a pronunciation guide in each of the books. I highly recommend this and all of the others in this series for home, preschools, and elementary schools.  

Bone Deep By Randy Wayne White

Well, I am not sure how I missed out on books 1-20, but yes, this is the 21^st in the Doc Ford series. It is definitely a stand alone book, and I never felt I was missing something in the story by not reading the previous books.

 I enjoyed the main characters in this story. Doc and his sort of ex Hannah are an interesting mix, and I enjoyed the differences in their personalities.   The story progresses smoothly as Doc is approached to help a member of the Crow Nation recover a stolen relic. The job leads him on an adventure into stolen artifacts, the black market, environmental concerns of phosphate plants, and relic diving. The location descriptions gave a real sense of being in the heart of Florida.

I thought the plot got a little confusing with so many minor characters and it slowed the story down a bit, but it was still a good book and I will definitely look at some of the previous books in this series. 

The Treasure of Snake Island: A Captain No Beard Story Volume 5 by Carole P. Roman

The Treasure of Snake Island is the fifth volume of the Captain No Beard series, but my first! It is a fun pirate story with a search for a treasure – a very special treasure.

I love the wide age range that will enjoy this book. Young non-readers will enjoy visualizing the story in the full-page colorful illustrations as it is read. Colors, rhymes, and the animals will appeal to the pre-school age, and older readers will be challenged with the characters and dialog.

First Mate Hallie, Mongo the Monkey, Polly the Parrot, Fribbet the frog, Cabin Girl Cayla, and of course, Captain No Beard will fascinate and entertain both boys and girls. I highly recommend this very entertaining pirate book!

I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Goodnight, Angels by Melody Carlson

This is a delightful story that follows a little boy as he prepares for bed, saying “Good night” to

everyone and everything.  This is a heavy duty board book made sturdy enough for young children.

The illustrations are softly colorful and detailed with scenes that start outside at play and then move into the house, as he prepares for bed. He takes time to say good night to his toys, his dog, and his parents. He also says goodnight to God and thanks Him for his blessings, love and care.

This is a nice bedtime story by Melody Carlson with pictures by Sophie Allsopp. It is the kind of story that will help an active child settle down and prepare for bed.   The illustrations allow the child to point out household items and toys as they listen.

I received a copy of this book through the BookLook blogger program in exchange for an honest review.

If You Were Me and Lived in...Turkey by Carole P.Roman

If You Were Me and Lived in...Turkey is another excellent addition to Carole P. Roman’s unique series of books to introduce children to other cultures around the world.   She introduces the children to common boy and girl names, foods, what children call their parents, places to go, games to play, and answering all the questions that a child would ask. 

The books are described as for pre-K through age eight.   Younger children will enjoy the colorful and playful illustrations and while you read to them, and young readers will enjoy learning about how other children live. 

I highly recommend all of the books of this series for parents, grandparents, and for use in preschool and elementary schools.