Flash 40: Life's Moments by Janelle Jalbert

Review
Flash 40: Life’s Moments, by Janelle Jalbert, seems to revolve around the theme that life is comprised of beginnings, middles, and endings. If you separate these types of events, you get snapshots of life -- little stories that provide for the most entertaining of reads. There are a multitude of short stories in this book, which keep the reader interested because each story is compressed.

There aren't "boring" parts in any of these stories, simply because there is no time for them! The stories vary greatly due to the different characters and plotlines found in each one. Some are about parents; others are about teenagers, kids, or adults living on their own. The stories are in third person with the narrator carefully recounting each unique story. Life, death, love, loss, are all themes that can be found in this book.

Some of my favorite stories are “Gone”, “Means”, and “Lightening Fast”. “Gone” is about a woman losing her high school sweetheart and love of her life to cancer. It showcases an important side of life: death, and what it means to those who are left behind to continue living. “Means” lends insight into the stressful life of being a teacher and the lack of appreciation and understanding from both the students and the principal-and how it can take a toll on everyone involved. “Lightning Fast” is about a talented basketball player with a bright future that is crushed once he becomes paralyzed during a fall. He reinvents himself with the help of a mentor and ends up turning his life around to fulfill goals he thought he could never achieve.

One of my favorite things about these stories isthat the author did not try to make every one end nicely. Some endings were abrupt, others were sad, and some just left you wondering what would happen next. In this way, a sense of realism was incorporated into the work. I believe the author did this to reflect how life truly is: unpredictable and flawed.

If you're into short stories, then Flash 40 is an absolute must-read!

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52 Chef Habits by Gabi Rupp

Review 

“52 Chef Habits,” by certified coach, author, and entrepeneur Gabi Rupp, is an absolutely a must-have for anyone who is looking to change their life by adjusting their habits. The authorhas created a weekly habit planner that each week provides a way to change the reader’s lifestyle in terms of eating, fitness, or overall happiness.

The page set-up is very helpful for following your healthy habit routine. On one side of the page there are simple, easy steps to helping incorporate change, ideas for how to reward oneself after completion of the change, and ideas for triggers (which remind the reader to follow through with the change). On the next page will be space for the week where you can write down your own rewards and triggers, a quote that applies to the change, space for a meal plan, as well as the date for which you instilled your change. There is one new change for each of the 52 weeks. The idea of the book is simple: introduce small, doable changes into your life that you are able to keep and full-fill for the long-term. The little changes, added up over time, will result in a noticeable difference in one’s life. None of the changes are drastic, nor do they cost copious amounts of money.

They can be used by anyone and everyone who is seeking guidance in becoming healthier and happier. Some of the changes include practicing meditation, developing a positive attitude, cutting out shopping, drinking green tea, motivating your kids for clean eating, getting more sleep, stopping emotional eating, and simplifying meal planning. Although everyone knows what they should be doing to be healthy, it can be difficult putting the ideas into motion. With this book, I was able to get the motivation and accountability I needed to be incorporating these changes into my life.

Definitely a book that will benefit anyone looking to eat clean in an approachable manner!

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Become Great and Powerful by Dave Lucas

Review

Dave Lucas' "Become Great and Powerful" is an amazing self-help book that is essential for any reader who seeks help obtaining direction for how to become successful. The book is different from many self-help books out there because it uses examples of what successful people have done in the past in order to identify how they have become great. This book uses modeling, which is the process of mapping and observing the successful behaviors of other people, in order to provide credible resources for those who want to achieve greatness. Using these examples, the readers can replicate their success in their own lives. The book also uses quotes by successful people that are relevant to each chapter’s subject matter. Some of the people quoted include Isaac Newton, Saint Augustine, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Abraham Lincoln. 

The book suggests thinking about your vision and putting it into action, and not only does it tell you this, but it also provides further instruction on how to do so. The book gives you action points, which are key points meant to help you put what you have learned into action. This book takes notes from people from the past, but also derives useful knowledge from current events, such as when it used the 2014 soccer world championships to explain the idea of establishing solid foundations. 

The people used in the books have all managed to become great in a variety of ways. Albert Einstein made a copious amount of discoveries in the intellectual fields of mathematics and the sciences, Adam Smith made several observations in Economics that are now the basic principles taught in high schools and colleges, Bill Gates is a pioneer in several technological advances, Vincent Van Gogh is a world renowned artist, and Ray Bradbury is a published author whose work can be found in bookstores all over the world. 

The book says that we are born for Greatness, and it can be hard to unlock that greatness on our own. I encourage anyone and everyone who needs tools on how to make their lives successful and wants to achieve greatness in their lives to read this book.

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Beneath the Mall of Madness by A.D. Folmer

Review
A.D. Folmer's "Beneath the Mall of Madness is a novel with a classic horror novel vibe to it and a humorous tone.

The story follows Jaspar Windisle, an experienced channeler of the dead, as he helps the community with their questions about the culprits of haunted houses and figures out the ingredients of long-lost family recipes.

Events turn even more interesting when Jaspar receives an invitation to work for Jesticorps on a mall project for a town that has a unique band of pranksters and policies. Folmer takes readers on a journey to solve the mystery beneath the mall.

The book is highly entertaining with its inventive plot, humorous tone, and fascinating characters. The main character of the series, Jaspar, is developed well and is charming and likeable. If you like classic horror novels, then "Beneath the Mall of Madness" is a must-read.

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The Paragraph Ranch by Kay Ellington and Barbara Brannon

Review

Kay Ellington and Barbara Brannon's “The Paragraph Ranch" is a gripping literary fiction novel about place, family, and unforeseen obstacles.

The book follows Dee, Ph.D., a middle-aged writer just given the opportunity her writing needs with a writing fellowship in Massachusetts. Before Dee can take the opportunity, she is forced to return to West Texas to care for her ill mother.  Dee must deal with this major transition in her life and the lack of opportunities, so she thinks, it brings. I would definitely say this is a character-driven novel. You have three generations of women (Dee’s mom, Dee, Dee’s daughter) trying to understand each other in an environment complicated by difficult situations.

One of my favorite things about the novel is that the authors do an excellent job of making the reader feel the influence of the West Texas setting. Everything from the description of the places to the vernacular contributes to the reader's feeling of being there and understanding it.

This is a must-read for anyone who likes reading about family and a character who makes the best of difficulty circumstances.

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America: We Have the Country We Want by Mark Mullen

Review

"America: We Have the Country We Want" by Mark Mullen is a fantastic book offering a fresh perspective on key social issues in America with the goals of entertaining and enlightening readers.  

The opinions and arguments set forth by Mullen support the conclusion that "we have the country we want," and that we are comfortable with the status quo, no matter if certain familiarities are harmful and warrant changes.   

Mullen exposes the social issues affecting American businesses, schools, communities, churches, law enforcement, and the media. For example, the author discusses such topics as changes to employee-employer relations, healthcare, pension plans, and age of retirement, as well as the players, successes, and failures of corporate America. Mullen also evaluates some myths of education, and the roles of traditional and social media in our lives. 

These are just some of the many topics the author covers with reasoned and impressive arguments and case studies. Mullen writes extremely well, informs readers with the most pertinent examples, and is refreshingly candid in his thoughtful analyses. 

"America: We Have the Country We Want" is the perfect book for readers interested in hearing a new take on the social issues affecting Americans. 

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Youtube trailer:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIuG7YUqAKU

Dark of Night by Marios Savva

Review
Marios Savva's "Dark of Night" is a suspense-thriller novel that'll have you eager to know what happens next. The novel, the first book in The Man From the Yard series, introduces you to the characters, including a demonic entity...

Told from the perspective of a young woman named Jane and a talented officer named Jake, the reader is quickly pulled into the story. Jane is desperately trying to escape an evil entity that her and her friends called into existence during a fateful night with a Ouija board.

After years, of running from the entity, she comes back to her hometown, only to be attacked once more. The entity will stop at nothing to kill Jane, and wreaks havoc on the town as he searches for her. Jake is left to deal with the onslaught of massacred town inhabitants.

The characters are interesting and easy to connect with, the story is engaging, and the demonic being is a vision from one’s nightmares.

My mind was scrambling, trying to guess just how the two characters could handle facing such a beast. Romance evolves, loved ones die, and the battle against evil seems never-ending. The story took quite a few twists and turns, and kept me in a constant state of surprise. This is a must-read if you like suspense/thriller novels.

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Life Lessons from Nature by Elvis Newman

Review

"Life Lessons from Nature" is an insightful book that examines the intersection of Mother Nature and modern human life for the purposes of improving ourselves and the world and living the best life. 

The author, Elvis Newman, writes of several lessons of inspiration gained from observing Mother Nature, specifically from the behavior of many different types of animals, from mayflies to mice to beavers and elephants. The author tells readers how to realize the hidden messages of Mother Nature that have given us inspiration for technological and scientific creativity, as well as information about military and political strategies. 

The approachable nature of Newman's writing and motivation for helping his readers achieve a higher quality of life is the book's greatest strength. In addition, Newman provides helpful and practical suggestions to achieve success and ample motivation in life, especially in the presence of challenges. Lastly, Newman pays homage to the beauty and wealth of the nature that surrounds us in a unique format by referencing the behavior of animals that serve as lessons we can apply to ourselves.

This is a great book for readers seeking more motivation in their lives and who appreciate simple lessons that can be applied to many areas of life.

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