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Gentle Shadows Fierce Wings
Gentle Shadows Fierce Wings is a beautiful and thought-provoking collection of poems. Author Nikita Kapoor is ten years old and knows how to express herself clearly and naturally. She begins by saying how war is a wall that divides the world. Then, she demonstrates the need to let go of worries and negative emotions to cherish the calm moments. Among her verses are motivational comments. She even comments on the importance of sharing a point of view and, at the same time, the benefit of taking advantage of the right to remain silent if that makes us feel better. In addition, Nikita Kapoor reflects on hope and belief in oneself, and among all the beautiful thoughts, there are allusions to nature.
You can feel the love and care that Kapoor puts into her writing. The calming images are paintings that complement the poems perfectly. They have energetic colors and transmit a lot of emotion. The author shares a photo of her first poem, written at the age of 5. This inspiring image is one to applaud and admire. The author’s words are sincere and mature, which I would read repeatedly. Nikita Kapoor uses simple language with positive words making this a relatable read for many readers. I appreciated that the topics are positive and focus on the search for pleasurable moments and being oneself.
Nikita Kapoor successfully expresses her creativity and motivates the readers to do the same. I thought Gentle Shadows Fierce Wings was a fabulous book. The author is versatile in the topics she handles. It is a suitable read for anyone who wants to feel encouraged and motivated. This book is well-balanced in terms of words, images, and emotions. Gentle Shadows Fierce Wings is a reading that both children and adults will love, regardless of the level of knowledge about poetry.
Pages: 105 | ASIN : B0BN43KF4F
What Actually Happened to Isaac Moore
Samantha J. Rose’s novel, What Actually Happened to Isaac Moore, is an imaginative and thrilling story about a man named Isaac who captains a ship. As a child, his mother read him stories of a place called the River that led to other worlds. One of his crewmates, Arnaud, allows him to sail to the entrance to the River, but an angry outburst over the ship’s name causes Arnaud to unleash a furious energy that destroys the crew except for Isaac. It’s soon revealed Arnaud is not an old sailor but an alien woman named Elise. She soon spells Isaac, forcing him to get her to the River and help her home.
On their journey, they meet many alien creatures, including Asael, a man from Elise’s home planet with ice powers; rain, an alien with a death wish; and his friend Nothe who’s trying to keep him alive. There’s Thipka, another Hassune who is part mad from seeing glimpses of the future, and his friends, a girl named Annabel and Gof, the giant creature that protects her. Lastly is Boar, a giant worm who is more intelligent and less murder happy than his relatives. Together they all set out to bring Elise home, where she hopes to undo the damage her uncontrolled powers have caused. Unfortunately, a dark presence in the form of Asael’s Father, who, due to tragedy, is trying to unleash a horrible plan in his hopes of fixing the past. He is plaguing the nightmares of some of our characters, who hope to prevent it from happening.
This gripping book contains an interesting concept of a space river that planets exist along. Each world is unique, with its own trials and histories. These worlds include an array of beings from the Hassune who can not only shapeshift but has blood that can heal to giant worm creatures who hoard metals they mine from their volcano home and kill anyone who gets near them. I love that we have a man from the past meeting a sci-fi world. He argues that spaceships are actual ships and marvels over even our modern things like refrigerators. I especially loved how Thipka’s knowledge of the future led to him learning about The Greatest Show and getting his friends to perform the musical to ghost. This makes for some unique scenes that make this a good read and will have you chuckling throughout. The story takes a slow-burn approach as readers are impressed by the worldbuilding; however, it becomes increasingly engaging as the plot develops.
What Actually Happened to Isaac Moore is a thrilling and unique sci-fi novel that explores themes of coming to grips with the past to create a brighter future. This book will captivate readers with its richly imagined world and well-developed characters.
Pages: 419 | ASIN : B0BLMVWPBH
Seasons of Life
Whether they are positive or negative, we all have similar stages and relationships in our lives. Throughout this collection of short poems in Seasons of Life, we can see ourselves as a child blowing out a candle on a birthday cake or enjoying a game of America’s favorite pastime: baseball. From playing with dolls to high school graduation, from flying a kite to eating chocolate pudding, someone can relate.
Seasons of Life by Susan McLeod is an inventory of McLeod’s life. She has devoted a poem to each of the seasons, experiences, and family members that she felt was worthy enough of such devotion. The images harken back to a simpler time when families all went to the beach for the summer, to the drive-in movies at night, and to the fair in the fall. Each moment is bathed in a cheery light that makes one smile.
The simplicity of the language within this collection of poems makes it accessible to a broader range of readers. McLeod’s description of her life through poetry will also capture the interest of younger and older readers alike. Younger readers will delight in the simplistic imagery of experiences that they may have had recently gone through themselves. Older readers will look back fondly on milestones in McLeod’s life that may take them back to their childhood.
Seasons of Life, by Susan McLeod, offers readers bite-sized poems that do not intimidate with complex imagery and vocabulary. Readers may pick it up at their leisure, flip to any page, and enjoy a poem in their spare time. I highly recommend this book for anyone willing to reminisce about the “good ol’ days” with nothing but feelings of positivity, unity, and harmony to create a similar mood within the reader.
Pages: 52 | ISBN : 1639887113
By Design
After the death of her mother as a young teen, Anne Boyd has gone through life using her mother’s three-step plan to evaluate every decision to reach her goals. By using this three-step plan, Anne has her dream career as an interior designer and recently accepted a new and prestigious position at a high-end design firm in Atlanta. Her life seems to be on her planned trajectory until she meets handsome Dr. Brad Young, Jr., a client-turned-love interest. Then, Anne must decide what she truly values as she navigates burgeoning feelings while staying true to her convictions.
Author J Boykin Baker hits the mark for the religious romance genre with her release of By Design by weaving an engaging story of southern love. From the love of a mother for a daughter to a father for a son, readers will see the impact that relationships can have on life choices. Anne values her faith and uses that as a compass to guide her relationships and career; however, her values are tested after meeting Brad. Brad is handsome and has a steady and lucrative career but seems to flounder when it comes to committed relationships. Boykin succeeds in establishing a mutual attraction between the two characters and hooks the reader into being invested in the outcome of the relationship. Boykin also excels in vivid descriptions of different settings and her interior design knowledge.
Readers will appreciate the heartfelt message of the book and the emphasis on the importance of choices and relationships. By Design checks all the boxes for a captivating religious romance novel. The wholesome and idealistic storyline was as enjoyable to read as a Hallmark romance movie, leaving me feeling satisfied and entertained.
Pages: 414 | ASIN : B0B7CLNZ5B
Embrace
Embrace is the second book in Sonee Singh’s poetry collection. It is based largely on the mantra of the eastern part of the world’s take on spirituality – exploring the values of gratitude throughout its entirety, urging the reader to stop, reflect and embrace all that is around them. Singh has divided the book into 12 sections. It has been done so intentionally, for she believes it to be Twelve, a master number that deals with self-expression, representing cycles of life. It coincides with the opening poem ‘Cycles,’ a reflective interpretation of the role of the celestial forces and how they manifest on earth.
The illustrations are woven throughout, adding to the quality of the author’s writing. This is done by creating a medium of inspiration through splashes of watercolor and delicate line drawings – a backdrop of vividness adding to the flavor of Singh’s influential words, whether about exploring self-identity, transformation, or connectivity with the six senses. A particular focus on the decision to use certain colors for specific sections should not be overlooked; it is a strategic and well-executed play on the reader’s mind that associates color psychology with the messages delicately seeded throughout Singh’s work.
Embrace by Sonee Singh is an outstandingly powerful piece of writing. From its inception, a narrative is generated, oozing a unique sense of inclusivity that there is little-to-no chance of anyone picking up this book and not being able to relate it to their own life. The concluding poem ‘All There Is’ will leave you inspired and feeling like you are in control of your own life. Be kind to yourself and trust that the path you are on is exactly where you are meant to be. I Highly recommend this book to readers needing a gentle reminder to embrace their authentic selves and love themselves.
Pages: 236 | ASIN : B09WCZ73TT
Surviving Freshman Year
In Surviving Freshman Year by Gregory Jones, a group of students forge new connections and make important decisions during their first year of college. The chapters in the book include Bible excerpts, discussion questions, and thought-provoking concepts. The book begins with Brandon having to determine which student clubs to join. In another part of the novel, Daniel, who is stuck in his residence hall due to a snowstorm on Thanksgiving weekend, mulls over his future steps after graduating. Finally, Lauren must decide how she wants to serve in the coming academic year. Surviving Freshman Year offers a variety of circumstances that one can encounter throughout their first year of college.
This engaging book has the feel of a compilation of short stories featuring the same setting and cast of characters. Each chapter takes a new turn and focuses on a different character, providing just enough about their backgrounds and goals to allow the reader to identify with and understand them. For example, Austin, one of the book’s protagonists, is said to go to church on Christmas and Easter but not regularly. He reminds me of a college acquaintance of mine. The cast of characters shows diversity in their engagement with organized religion, but they are still believers. This makes the book accessible to even those that may feel that just because they do not attend services each week, this is not for them, but in reality, this book is for all people.
These captivating stories are well-complimented by the thought-provoking questions that follow them. Together, they provide an imaginative and practical method of comprehending incredibly valuable and beneficial Bible lessons. I particularly liked the chapter on spiritual talents, which offers introspective questions about discovering one’s gifts. The author gently leads the reader to reach their own conclusions by posing probing questions that help them understand various concepts, including generosity, hospitality, stereotypes of Christians, temptations, volunteering, modest clothing, and others.
Surviving Freshman Year will be both enjoyable and educational for young adults and readers entering college. Its lessons are skillfully structured to assist the reader in making informed decisions based on the teachings of the Bible.
Pages: 160 | ISBN : 195735416X
Surviving Cancer, Healing People
Living at the Old Mission, San Juan Bautista is an intelligent creature who is a cat, Sula. Not just any cat, but a cancer survivor cat on a mission to provide comfort and solace to anyone in need. She takes instructions from her boss, God, about providing comfort to His people. She leads a busy life that involves attending daily mass, visiting gift shops to meet her friends, receiving children who come to visit the church, and walking the stations of the cross. This routine was disturbed when she was diagnosed with cancer. With the support of her friends and God’s mercy, she defeated cancer. Unfortunately, her ears had to be removed, but she is thankful for her life and health.
This sweet life story written by Sula is a loving read. It was a unique story of love, friendship, kindness, support, and God’s unconditional love for us. In addition to being Sula’s memoir, Surviving Cancer, Healing People by Sula also describes life at Old Mission San Juan Bautista and all churches in general. It provides a concise knowledge of Catholic practices from daily Mass to Christmas or Easter routines. It also teaches a beautiful lesson that lies at the core of every religion: kindness and support. I enjoyed the 200-year history of the church and the special arrangements for animals. If you go to church, remember that Sula does not like it when people ask about her ears.
There is practically nothing about this book that I do not like. It is beautifully written in a simple and entertaining style. I enjoyed Sula’s cute pictures with her friends and in various places. The letters from Sula’s friends and how she changed their lives were enjoyable to read.
Surviving Cancer, Healing People: One Cat’s Story is a heartwarming memoir of one special cat. Readers will learn about the Catholic faith and get a unique perspective on their practices and beliefs. Cat lovers, children, Christians, and everyone who likes a feel-good story will enjoy this short book.
Pages: 111 | ASIN : B06XFSJ3TX
When Mommy is in Heaven
In, When Mommy is in Heaven by Wendy L. Hackey, we follow a young boy named Micah who has been given an invitation to a Mother’s Day Tea Party at school to honor the mothers and grandmothers of the students. With so much excitement, he tells his grandmother, who agrees to attend with him. He even prays every night that his mommy, who is in Heaven, can come to the party too. Will his mother be at the tea party when the day finally arrives?
This is a book about loss and God’s blessings. For young Micah, he lost his mother at a very young age, and it is extremely difficult for children to grasp the idea behind people passing and not being able to see or talk to them. I think this is a fantastically written children’s book to have these challenging discussions with kids. It is such a sweet story about life and was easy to read and follow the message clearly. The illustrations by Dan Drewes made the content engaging and added charm throughout, even when moments of sadness appeared.
I believe this to be an exceptional book to be added to anyone’s library and would absolutely recommend this to any families dealing with loss. When Mommy is in Heaven is a well-written picture book that will help families talk about death and grief and the blessings that God provides, even when it is not in the way you expect.
Pages: 32 | ISBN : 1504980166
LITERARY TITAN 