‘Adventure Revolution’ by Belinda Kirk – Purchased Book Review

Tags

Adventure, Adventure Revolution, anxiety, Author, Belinds Kirk, book blog, Book Review, Books, Fear, Forest Therapy, Hiking, Inspiration, Mountain, Mountains, Walking

Please see photos for the blurb.

This book needed to be written, and I’m so glad it was. Belinda Kirk writes in such a clear way and presents her findings with such clarity. This is an absorbing read, and I’ve re-read several chapters a number of times to let the wisdom sink in.

The chapters build on each other helping the reader to gain a real grasp of what the author has to say. I especially appreciated how Kirk shows how spending time outside can help us overcome challenges, develop resilience, learn new life skills and strengthen relationships. Moreover, having an adventurous spirit can give us the skills and wisdom to enhance our own daily lives.

As a keen hiker with a fear of heights and poor sense of direction, I know how spending time in the wilderness and up mountains has helped me become more confident and value perseverance. As such, reading this book has aided me in developing more of an understanding of myself, keen to try new experiences.

This book is more than a guide to the awesome power of adventure – it’s a joyous understanding of life!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

🐻🐻🐻 GIFTED BOOK REVIEW: ‘The Best Bear Tracker’ by John Condon 🐻🐻🐻

Tags

Author, Best Bear Tracker, book blog, book marketing, Book Review, children's books, new author

With big thanks to @loveboostours and the author, @john_condon_author, for the gifted copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. I wish the author all success with this book!

🔍🧸🔎🧸

MY REVIEW

If I’d have read this book as a child, I’d have wanted to go grab a pair of binoculars and head to the woods right away to do my own bear hunt!

The concept of the story is so engaging: the girl starts by listing all the kit needed for a bear hunt, then instructs us on the ten golden rules as she goes about her search. The fun artwork makes the story come alive.

As such, this book is an ideal companion for indoor and outdoor play to help both parent and child create their own bear hunt.

Plus, the story teaches a child the values of perseverance and courage.

And, there’s a lovely surprise twist at the end too!

MY RATING

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Driftworld Atlas’ by L. Bell – Book Review

Tags

book blog, Book Review, Books, Fantasy, fiction, Humour, Indie Author

 GIFTED BOOK REVIEW 

‘Driftworld Atlas’ by L Bell.

Big thanks to @lovebookstours and L.Bell (author) for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Please see the photos for the blurb.

MY REVIEW

As an avid reader of fantasy, there are some books that blow my mind when they introduce you to a whole new world that you’ve never experienced before. And then there’s ‘Driftworld Atlas’!

How the author has vividly described the settlements among the high cliffs and vines at the edges of civilisation intrigued me. Reading this book was like nothing I’d read before. I could place myself beside the Lost Traveler as he journeyed through the places described in this book.

There’s a number of familiar fantasy creatures, and plenty of new ones – such as a shape-shifting lady made of paper – that make  this read all the more enthralling. I even found myself having empathy for the main demon character – which is a complete first for me.

This book offers us a snapshot into such a wonderfully created world and characters. I can’t wait to read more as this universe expands in future books.

RATING

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

PURCHASED BOOK REVIEW: THE COURT OF MIRACLES BY KESTER GRANT

Tags

book blog, Book Review, Fantasy, fiction, France, French Revolution, historical fiction, Kester Grant, new author

 PURCHASED BOOK REVIEW 

‘The Court Of Miracles’ by Kester Grant.

***Please see the photos for the blurb ***



MY REVIEW

The first thing that grabbed me about this book was the cover – it oozed intrigue to me. Then, I read the blurb and became curious. I wasn’t disappointed: this book was a joy to read.

This is a work of alternative historical fiction set around forty years or so after the 1789 revolution failed. With the royals still in power, the poor and immigrants of the city have formed guilds to survive. In order to protect Nina, her older sister has to make the ultimate sacrifice for her safety. As Nina takes refuge with the Guild Of Thieves, she begins her long journey of revenge against the Tiger, the Lord of the Guild of Flesh.

This book deals with sensitive themes in a very considered way that drives the plot well. The list of secondary characters gives enormous depth to the plot; the lives of each is well worth a separate novel of its own. This book has sacrifice, revenge, friendship, shifting allies and betrayal. The author writes with such imagination that I couldn’t help but believe I was on the murky streets of this alternative Paris each time I picked the book up.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

GIFTED BOOK REVIEW: ‘Where Is My Smile’ by Natalie Reeves Billing & Hannah Jesse’Where Is My Smile’ by Natalie Reeves Billing & Hannah Jesse @BillingReeves@byhannahjesse@tinytreebooks@lovebookstours

Tags

Author, Book, book blog, Book Review, Books, children's books, emotions, Poetry

Big thanks to lovebookstours, the authors and the publisher for my gifted copy of this book.

Please see the photos for the blurb.

📚📚📚 MY REVIEW 📚📚📚

This story is written as a poem with wonderfully matching illustrations. I read this book with my eight year-old nephew. After reading it he said, “I don’t like the rain. Mum and Dad make me happy.”

This book shows children that it’s okay to be sad, that it’ll pass, and that the people we love will help us through. Plus, a dose of sunshine helps make things better.

This book is excellent in the way that it helps children to express their emotions.

It’s a very thoughtful read.

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Book Review: ‘A Notebook For Living Adventurously’ by Alastair Humphreys

Tags

Adventure, Book, Book Review, Books, Fun, Happiness, Hiking, Journal, journaling, Mental health, Motivation

What This Adventure Journal Book Is About

My Review

This book is based on the questions that British Adventurer Alastair Humphreys asks his guests on his podcast.

At the time of writing, I’m enjoying working my way through each question. I’m finding that it’s a fun way of journalling based around my hiking experiences. Writing in this way helps me to gain a deeper understanding of myself, and to reflect on past achievements and future dreams.

Staying focused on what drives a person is important to making dreams come true, and this book is an encouraging resource for any lover of the outdoors to make those dreams happen. Answering the questions is garunteed to stop procrastination.

I’m looking forward to answering all the questions. I highly recommend this book for any seasoned or newbie lover of the outdoors.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

Buy Links:

Hiking Book Review: ‘Tales From The Big Trails’ by Martyn Howe

Tags

Adventure, Blogging community, Book, Book Review, Hiking, Nature, non-fiction, UK, United Kingdom, Well-being

BLURB

‘I am already planning the next adventure. The wanderlust that infected me has no cure.’

It all started in Fishguard in the mid-1970s when, aged fifteen, Martyn Howe and a friend set off on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path armed with big rucksacks, borrowed boots, a Primus stove and a pint of paraffin, and a thirst for adventure. After repeating the route almost thirty years later, Martyn was inspired to walk every National Trail in England and Wales, plus the four Long-Distance Routes (now among the Great Trails) in Scotland. His 3,000-mile journey included treks along the South West Coast Path, the Pennine Way, the Cotswold Way and the West Highland Way. He finally achieved his ambition in 2016 when he arrived in Cromer in Norfolk, only to set a new goal of walking the England and Wales Coast Paths and the Scottish National Trail.

In Tales from the Big Trails, Martyn vividly describes the diverse landscapes, wildlife, culture and heritage he encounters around the British Isles, and the physical and mental health benefits he derives from walking. He also celebrates the people who enrich his travels, including fellow long-distance hikers, tourists discovering Britain’s charm, farmers working the land, and the friendly and eccentric owners of hostels, campsites and B&Bs.

And when he is asked ‘Why do you do it?’, the answer is as simple as placing one foot in front of the other: ‘It makes me happy.’

MY REVIEW

The author writes in such an engaging way about his journeys that its as if you’re walking with him at times. The descriptions of the landscapes and the interactions with the people that he meets really drew me in.

As an avid day hiker looking to become more involved with long distance/multi-day hikes, this book has given me a lot of encouragement to start planning those journeys.

I’m sure this book will be a constant companion to me on my future treks.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Cold Snap’ by Codi Schneider – Gifted Book Review

Tags

blogging, Blogging community, Book, Book Review, Cats, Codi Schneider, Colorado, Fantasy, fiction, Humour, new author, Vikings

With big thanks to @lovebookstours and @codi_schneider for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. What a great book it is!

Blurb

Tucked in the cold Colorado mountains lies the remote village of Gray Birch, a place where outsiders are frowned upon. In this village lives a cat named Bijou. But she’s no ordinary house cat; her ancestors were mousers on Viking longships, and their blood runs through her veins. Since her battle skills are hardly needed in this modern age, however, she spends her energies running the Fox Burrow Pet Inn with her human, Spencer, and her assistant, Skunk, a mentally negligible Pomeranian. Together, the happy trio has created a safe haven for their four-legged guests.

But when Eddy Line, a handsome baker from California, comes to the inn—along with his piglet and pit bull puppy—everything changes. Spencer falls for Eddy, Bijou is unhappy with the sudden changes to her clan, and the townspeople are anything but welcoming; in fact, threats are made against Eddy when he buys the town’s historic firehouse in order to open a bakery.

Then a shocking murder/dognapping occurs on the night of the bakery’s grand opening, and Bijou finds herself thrust into a tangled mystery. To solve it, she will have to summon her inner Viking—and fight tooth and claw for her new clan.

My Review

I was super intrigued to read a mystery novel told from the point of view of a cat called Bijou. Her crime-solving powers are aided by her innate Viking abilities, and her animal friends.

This honestly has to be one of the best books I’ve ever read. Codi Schneider is a very talented writer with a mastery of word play. This novel is such fun – I didn’t want to stop reading. The book has a good dose of humour and an engaging plot full of suspense. The cast of characters gives the story depth and diversity.

I really look forward to reading more from the author.

Book Review: Shadow Shinjuku by Ryu Takeshi

Tags

Book Review, Indie Author, Japan, new author, Shadow Shinjuku, Tokyo, urban fantasy

With thanks to @lovebookstours and @ryutakeshi.official (author) for the free copy of ‘Shadow Shinjuku’ in exchange for my honest review.

Blurb

The streets of Tokyo are different at night. There is darkness behind the glitter and the neon lights, and people who prefer to stay in the shadows, to dwell in the underworld – whores, gangsters, the homeless, the lost. People like Sato. He’s part of this world, he always has been, but a feeling of change is lingering in the heavy air of the bustling city. A feeling brought to life by fateful encounters of solitary souls.

Shadow Shinjuku is a dark, yet magical journey into the depths of Tokyo’s nightlife and the depths of the human soul. Ryu Takeshi’s first novel is both a noir crime thriller and urban fantasy. It’s a unique and mesmerizing blend of the imagery of Japanese animation and film, the colors and details of street photography, and the mystical lyricism of soulful music. But above everything, it is a gripping story that doesn’t let go.

My Review

This urban fantasy thriller is set against the nightlife subculture of Tokyo, and the outsiders who call its streets home. It follows Sato, a loner bodyguard in an organised crime gang, who goes through life-changing experiences enhanced by the power of his dreams, the people he meets and magic.

The author uses internal monologue and flashbacks very well to create a story that is quite philosophical, and provides some insight into culture and myth and how they blend into Tokyo today. These elements combine well to help the plot flow, making this an engaging read.

I would recommend this book to anybody interested in Japanese culture, and for those who love manga and anime.