Score 88/100 (8.8 out of 10)
Family Guide to Celebration of the Jewish Holidays is an intriguing dive into Jewish traditions as explored by Leonard and Linda Chesler, an excellent husband and wife team. The authors are clearly passionate about this topic and their hearts are definitely in it. Some of the depth they go into about these Jewish holidays are very impressive and interesting. Let's give readers a little background just to get a feel of the magnitude and significance of this book. Judaism is the grandfather of all Abrahamic religions. That's right, without Judaism there would be no Christianity or Islam including all of their variants and sects. Judaism, along with Christianity and Greco-Roman culture, forms the foundation of the western world, and much of eastern world as well! So, let's just say that Jewish culture and their traditions (including their holidays) are historically and culturally significant to the world as a whole. Again, just think about how deep these roots go. Just think about all the things that we do and the things we celebrate because of what originated in ancient Israel—Christmas, Easter, laws based on the Ten Commandments, even weekends! Heck, even vacation days could arguably have their roots in the Sabbath. Something very unique about this book is that despite discussing some unsavory events like slavery and the plagues in Egypt, Babylonian captivity, war in the Middle East (and throughout the world), the Spanish Inquisition, and the Holocaust, this book's tone remains positive and educational. In other words, it doesn't make the reader feel awful and uncomfortable about the terrible things that have gone on in the past. Instead, the book shows us how the Jewish people and their religion have persevered through numerous hardships and still came out on top—with their faith restored or strengthened, and with their culture in tact. That's really special, and infinitely admirable. Another thing that we loved about this book is that it is actually inviting, welcoming, and inclusive. Let's just be blunt: there's a perception of the Jewish people and their religion as being at least somewhat elitist. They are God's chosen and elect after all. What's actually a welcome surprise in this book is how the authors emphasize the fact that the Jewish people are meant as an example to the rest of the world of God's goodness, glory, and grace. Ultimately, they are supposed to be bringers of peace and prosperity to the rest of the world, a world that is hurting and suffering—sorely in need of God's mercy. This book covers such holidays as Rosh Hashanah (New Year), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), Sabbath, Passover, and Hanukkah. These are special days on the calendar that many of us are at least somewhat familiar with. However, did you know that there are other special days on the Jewish calendar such as Tu Bi-Shevat, Purim, and Shavuot? The authors went into great depth about the holidays we're both familiar with and not so familiar with. These holidays are loaded with history and cultural significance. There's a story behind each one. Like, not only do the authors go over the part of the Hannukah story we all hear: that the Israelites rebelled against the oppressive, sacrilegious Atiochus Epiphanes, you get to learn about each of the Maccabees and their motivations. You get to learn about what went on before and after the conflict, going all the way back to Alexander the Great's Macedonian empire and its incursion into ancient Israel. You get to learn about the significance of each candle of the menorah being lit from day to day, reflecting how the menorah remained lit far longer than expected—a miracle. So, why is this book just under a 9/10? Well, the main issue with this book isn't really the content or the writing, it's the formatting and the presentation. The content and the writing are solid. The problem is that this book really could've used a professional formatter. First of all, there are no indentations to be found. Every paragraph is its own block or wall of text. It just doesn't look refined or professional in that sense. Another thing is that, considering the subject matter, there ought to be some pictures. We know that might sound petty, but when you're educating people about traditions and cultures that may be foreign or new to them, it helps to show them what you're talking about. It's not just for fluff and padding, it actually adds a helpful, educational layer to a text like this. Think about an Encyclopedia Britannica. Remember how each page wasn't just one huge wall of text but that occasionally you'd get images showing what certain parts were talking about? There are loads of royalty-free, free-use images on Canva and Netgalley that could be used. All it would take is some tact in placing them and a caption for each. Now, that would be refined! With all that said, we loved this book for what it was: a work that clearly had a lot of heart and soul behind it, made by an incredible Jewish couple with years of experience in the faith/culture. They truly understand the importance and significance of sharing and propagating their practices and traditions. We cheer on and support these authors and the Jewish people as they continue to strive to be a light unto the world as Yahweh intended! Check this out on Amazon!
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Score: 80/100 (8.0 out of 10)
Adventures of Dragons Den is a children's short-story featuring a family of friendly, magical dragons who come to a new village intending to blend in with the humans there. Kids may get a good laugh at the silliness of the dragons as they try on gowns, hoods, hats, and even a fake beard at one point. They might also get a good laugh when the dragon's get a little taste of their own medicine when two little boys dress up as dragons to come visit them. It's all in good fun, and some of the writing (especially the rhyming) is quite good. One issue with this book is that, for a book intended for children around the age of 4-8, it is a bit trying on the patience. We all know how fickle a child's attention span can be. Perhaps the main issue with this book is its art, which leaves a lot to be desired. You still have to admire the artist for at least making an effort. However, it does seem like they're still learning the ropes and working on bettering their craft. The art does come across as a weak point, although it's not unlike art in other books we've seen before that still squeaked by on the merit of their characters and stories. Indeed, the characters are cute and compelling enough for us to still care about them and make an effort to follow along. The character concept of Mummy Dragon takes advantage of the fact that almost all children love their mummy. Likewise, Baby Dragon is a character that kids can get behind and empathize with. At the same time, it does kinda feel like these characters—along with the human characters like the Smiths and Mrs. May—are like pieces on a chess board as opposed to fleshed out beings. It seems like they're just people who are there to be there. They're NPCs. Furthermore, things just seem to happen without reason or cause. For example, what was with the frog? Was it just to get a good chuckle because Mummy Dragon missed her meal? Did it warrant a page writing about it or another page featuring a picture of the frog? Does the frog make a reappearance in the sequel and continue to taunt Mummy Dragons? See, if this scene moved the story along, then it wouldn't be that much of an issue. It almost feels like the author was making this all up as they were going along based on what came up in rhymes. When it comes to a children's book, especially an illustrated one, you just can't do that. You need to plot out each and every scene or your illustrator is going to pull out their hairs trying to follow each new idea that pops into your head. So, what we're saying is that there are times when this book does seem a bit disjointed. At the same time, strangely, the story is rather simple: dragons come disguised as humans, then humans come disguised as dragons. Each of them wants to fit in with the others instead of just being themselves, and they are rather easily outed in the end. This could potentially be a good lesson for kids to learn. Kids, especially as they start getting older, are going to be under more and more peer pressure. They're going to be more and more pressured to try to fit into the crowd rather than be themselves and do what they do best. Sometimes, dragons are best at being dragons and people are best at being people. That doesn't mean that they can't cooperate and form groups/teams that make use of each other's unique strengths. This book actually has the potential to be a top-notch. The story is mostly there, so are the characters (if they're fleshed out more). What you have here is a great second or third draft to a children's book, now it's time to refine the art by hiring a skilled illustrator. In particular, you really want an artist who is going to get the head shape and neck sizes right. The backgrounds are all either non-existent or very barren, consisting of things like one wooden fence or some trees. We noticed those were the things that troubled us the most. It looked a bit wonky, especially when it came to those proportions and the dullness of the backgrounds. It's not like you have to overstimulate kids with a barrage of colors, but you do need to impress them a little more. We've noticed that pencil-colored artwork just hasn't been performing too well. If you're going to go the hand-drawn route, make absolute sure you're coloring in the images thoroughly with dark, solid lines and colors. Really fill them in. Otherwise, they're going to appear washed-out. See, if you want your characters to come alive in a book like this, you really need the art to be on point. That's how you breathe life into the characters in an illustrated book, that's how you bring them to life. All the other pieces are there to work and play with. Now, again, this book has some great things about it. For example, the end-rhymes are really fun to read and they should help catch a child's attentions. There are some really funny, silly moments involving the dragons and people dressing up only for others to notice odds things about them like their height or odd-shaped heads. This could be a fun, cute book to read along with your child. You can check this out on Amazon! Review of “Lethal Decree” by Dr. Trent W. Smallwood
Score: 95+/100 (9.5+ out of 10) Whooohoooo! Yes! This is exactly what we needed to read when we needed to read it: an action-packed, heart-pounding thriller filled with testosterone (probably three or four different kinds of testosterone and testosterone derivatives). This is such a great homage to James Bond (007), as well as a hint of Metal Gear Solid, a trickling of John Wick, and a healthy dose of Rambo. That's what you're dealing with when you're dealing with Lethal Decree by Dr. Trent We. Smallwood. Something we absolutely loved about this book were the core characters. They are absolute bad@$$es, and there's no bigger bad@$$ in this book than our main character, Sebastian, sometimes simply called “Storm.” The man is a storm. He's a humanoid typhoon—a killing machine who can read people and situations and overpower trained assassins, mercenaries, and terrorists. And believe it or not, the author actually makes this all seem believable. Sebastian isn't some teleporting action hero with infinite ammo who can walk over glass and tank bullets, he actually has to transit to and from different countries, scout out his targets, and come equipped for each mission. He is interested in avoiding the bullets and the glass. He's a thinker—a cerebral assassin (literally). That's something we can really appreciate about the character. Sebastian does have a rather tragic backstory that gradually turned him into the stoic killing-machine he became, but the author doesn't immediately bombard you with the background information. Instead, you're first introduced to Sebastian in medias res, first hunting down a stone-cold Japanese child-murderer and wife-beater who mirrors Sebastian's own father, then going after a South African diplomat who figures into a child exploitation ring targeting young boys. So, you gradually see the kinds of issues that Sebastian takes personally even in his line of work (in which he's expected to be all business). Sebastian can't remove himself emotionally from things like this: the abuse of women and children by powerful, evil men. This clearly strikes a chord with him, and you gradually understand why as more and more of his backstory is revealed. The more you learn, the deeper the tragedy becomes. Despite being a mostly decent person, Sebastian does have a habit of being a bit of a womanizer (or, at the very least, a “ladies man”) and comes armed with a huge libido. This is definitely a nod to James Bond. However, it does get a little awkward in how in-depth the sex scenes are described. Like, it isn't cut for time, relevancy, or anything like that, it's just discussed in full detail from start to finish, almost like that book we read a wild back, Kairn. Perhaps this is meant to show how Sebastian fulfills the needs of these neglected, abused women while also filling the huge void left in his heart by his profound loss? Sebastian, in a lot of ways, is not just a mercenary or an assassin, he's actually a vigilante. He takes the role and performs the acts that standard law enforcement aren't willing or able to do. He's interested in righting the wrongs of the world, and doing it on his own accord, imposing his own will—his own view of right and wrong, to protect the weak and the vulnerable. In a sense, this is admirable and noble but also a little frightening. Sebastian essentially allowed himself to become a monster to slay monsters, but he's still a monster nonetheless—a cold-blooded killer who takes justice into his own hands, whether his victims are deserving or not. This is partly why one of the main villains, Tobias, is actually such a great character. That's right, he's not just a great villain, he's a great character altogether, and it's all because he serves as the perfect foil for Sebastian, a man he once treated as a comrade and even trusted with his wife's life and safety. Tobias is not pure evil just like Sebastian is not pure good. They are such gray, messy, flawed characters with comparable skills, equally deranged and equally determined. With all that said, the pacing in the first quarter of this book is phenomenal, but it does get a bit messy near the middle. We go from rapid-fire punches and blows to a more plodding, drawn out story. In other words, this book slows way down about three or four hours in. You can't help but slap your knee and say, “awe, shucks” because the whole first half of this book was straight fire. It's ok, because the book picks back up near the end as Sebastian takes on all of the elite assassins sent by Tobias who've been built up throughout the middle portion. When Sebastian hears Tobias's voice after many years of being apart and being mortal enemies by proxy, it sent chills down our spines. You then get an incredible flashback in which both men are called the organization's “best” while also being compared to being like brothers. The stage is set in the The tension is there. It's intense! And the action is described in full glorious, gory detail. Check this out on Amazon! Score: 90/100 (9.0 out of 10)
Second Harvest is a beautifully structured, cleverly written, and heartfelt poetry book by Don Agey. It is a poetry book with immense heart and soul. The core of that is in the poet's inspiration: his late wife. Don Agey considers his late wife his muse, and it shows—she shows throughout the pages of this book. She's found somewhere in every stanza and every line, even the lighthearted and cynical ones. You can practically feel the character development (if you can even call it that) of Don, an aged, retired, somewhat frustrated, somewhat contented man with a snarky sense of humor. There are poems in here about death, loss, and even hints at suicide (in which the poet asks God to take them to paradise). This is a really emotional collection of poems. At the same time, Agey also treats us to some fun poems like “Party on Dude” and “No Reason Really” in which the poet, in his signature quatrains, talks about how the poem has no point. Well, it kinda does. It's a poem about the process of writing. Writing is hard. Writer's block is a real thing, not some alien phenomenon. When the poet says: “This poem had a reason This poem had a rhyme But I trashed the reason I really suck at rhyme” You really feel the struggle and the fight in the writer's mind. Writer's are constantly battling a combination of self-doubt and impostor syndrome. We can say a lot about it, and this isn't even really one of the better poems in this book! There's also a poem that playfully pokes fun at how aggressive cats can be, demanding a “blood sacrifice” to be fed and played with. The author is skilled at many of the conventions of poetry and demonstrates multiple different kinds of poems including haikus and limericks. However, the poet's favorite approach of poetry is through the use of quatrains—four-line stanzas. The grand majority of these poems are made of these kinds of stanzas. The main strength of four-line stanzas is that it lends itself well to end-rhymes and usually has a very familiar and appealing beat. The author takes full advantage of this. Some of our favorite poems using quatrains are “Dredging,” “In Search Of...,” and “Feign It!” There are some gorgeous lines that come out of these. For example: “I began this deep search for the origin Pressure steadily mounted I reaped nothing for all my foragin' Unless a headache counted” and “One should never articulate Whatever comes to mind Or rashly orally participate In conversations mined” We're very impressed and proud of Don Agey in forging something positive from a profound tragedy. If you love poetry, check this out on Amazon! |
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