This was my best year in reading books. This also represents my ebook reads only, not my paperback or hard bound.
How Was 2024 For You?
Archive | December 2024
Globetrotting with Disabled Don
From Amazon:
Driving on the wrong side of the road, an accident up the Alps, Force 10 storms, seasickness, being robbed of 200 euros, a brush with bats, blocked toilets and other mishaps…travelling with (or without) Don had its moments!
Dawn thought her journeys abroad were over when she married Don. He flatly refused to fly. Surprisingly, plenty of opportunities to travel the globe by car, ferry, and cruise ship presented themselves.
Venturing to France with Don, who has spina bifida, family friend Geoff, who’d had a stroke, and four-year-old Tim, as well as 89-year-old Harold, certainly added an extra perspective.
Written with warmth and humour, this ten-part memoir spans over thirty years and touches on some of the challenges that wheelchair users and disabled people face, as well as Dawn’s role as a carer.
Dawn has discovered that travelling with a disability is usually difficult, sometimes scary, and often funny.
But it’s always an achievement.
My Review:
This is a story of success despite health issues. The writing style infuses jokes that give a lightness to the narrative within. It also opens the eyes of non-disabled persons so that they can see how obstacles can be preventive and what can be done to make sure areas are adaptive to those who use devices to maintain life and move around. More ADA areas at events and on cruises or planes are either needed or more helpful, especially when checking in for a flight, ask for wheelchair escort and you will be escorted from point a to point b quickly and efficiently by staff. You will be escorted onto the plane, and you will be met on the gangway for escorted to your connecting flight. This book did not go into what helps in airports as those were never used. I added that part because of my own disabilities. This book does tell you what works and what doesn’t work when traveling with anyone who has special needs. A conversational read filled with laughter and fun.
A New Year’s Frost
From Amazon:
Enter the enchanting, frost-filled world of winter with “A New Year’s Frost”, a collection of poetry by Derek R. King that captures the quiet splendor of the colder months. Each poem invites readers to explore the transformation of landscapes blanketed in snow, shimmering horizons at sunrise, and the serenity found in nature’s winter embrace. Through themes of love, dreams, and hope, the collection explores the hidden beauty of winter and the renewal that follows. For lovers of nature, thoughtful reflections, and the seasonal magic only winter brings, “A New Year’s Frost” is a celebration of change, contentment, and the delicate art of frost-laden landscapes.
My Review:
This beautiful book of poetry speaks about all things winterish. From the first frost to every fourth February, to spring buds and snowflakes. Yet the poetry is deeper, and includes by the seaside, and speaks of winter in different winter months and love.
The Legend of Ava
From Amazon:
Ava watched the hysterical girl dart in and out of the gloomy shadows cast by the dense trees that loomed in her path. As a sorceress belonging to the Heichi clan, Ava’s blessing or curse, depending on how you looked at it, was her ability to move through time. It was never self-initiated, though. She was often affected by visions of the future and then drawn to them, literally pulled from the past and taken to that moment; it could be a few years, decades or even centuries. When, why, or how? She had never been able to answer that question.
My Review:
I’ve read other books in this series and I found it nice that Logan wrote a prequel. Ava was strong and full of heart. How humans, supernaturals, and fantasies blend together in creating a well. oiled prequel in 45 pages is astounding. For those who love reading supernatural novels, this book starts you on an adventure that goes on a long way.
Out of the Shadows: A Mafia Christian Romance
From Amazon:
Liliana Carter has been unknowingly living a lie for most of her young life. Unaware of her true identity, she has unwittingly become the mark of a lethal mob enforcer. Kristian Sokolov is Chicago’s Russian Bratva underboss and hitman. Upon following through with orders to target the innocent and unwitting Liliana, Kristian finds himself infatuated with everything he’s learned about this enigmatic young woman. As Kristian wars with himself about the feelings he is developing for his virtuous objective, a forbidden romance starts to spawn between the adept assassin and his target. Will he be able to fulfill his duty as the Bratva’s lethal enforcer or go against everything he’s been taught, to rescue this guiltless and perplexing young woman with whom he has become completely enamored?
My Review:
This novel has a fresh approach and spin on traditional Italian versus Russian mob families and members. Mob members do have a crude manner of speech, and those swear words are sprinkled liberally, although they do have asterisks in the words to help the story be less crude. The romance between one person from each side is solid. The story is solid. The best part was Lily remaining true to her faith, and Kristian went back to the faith, and Jesus, as his mother had taught him before she passed away.
Goldenheart II
From Amazon:
Dear Reader, GoldenHeart II: We Are Your Family will love you forever. This love manual is the follow-up to GoldenHeart: How to Love Humanity, by Christina Goebel, M.A.
Written for orphans, foster children, foundlings, or lonely or discouraged people of any age, GoldenHeart II: We Are Your Family discusses topics that families share over their lifetimes with one another to learn, grow, and belong.
Unlike many books, We Are Your Family’s thirty-six international authors share their hearts so that you can revisit them any time you need acceptance, strength, encouragement, and love. This forever companion’s pages offer compassion, kindness, inspiration, motivation, and wisdom from people of a variety of ages and backgrounds about challenges you may face — which you will never again confront alone.
Though you may have lost family members and friends, or you may have never felt that you belonged to a loving family that accepted your gifts and abilities, we offer ourselves to fill your heart as lifelong companions.
My Review:
Mary Schmidt5.0 out of 5 stars
5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring
Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2024
What an inspiring book! I loved this! Written for those kids who don’t have parents, those who suffered great loss, those with any disability, and actually everyone on Earth will benefit from this book. The book will help those with lonely hearts. Children are a big deal to me. Orphans need even more love and light. This compilation shares the human factor without hiding one single thing. By doing so, it spills forth compassion and love to all. This is a book to keep and read whenever you are feeling down.
Global Book Awards!
Hello Mary,
Congratulations on your book Her Alibi achieving BRONZE in the Global Book Awards, in the category Biographical Memoir. In the coming days, we’ll send you details of how to get hold of your digital medal and certificate, but for now, we just wanted to pass on the good news.
From Amazon:
Visions of her Cherokeegrandmother, Cordie, flashed through Mary’s mind as her mother, Marguerite, informed her that her stepfathershot himself and was in the hospital. Oh no!
No! This can’t be! Not after the joking around at my home last night. NO!!!!Did she use me last night? She’d never use her scapegoat child. No, she couldn’t! Even Marguerite wouldn’t sink that low! Or would she? Marguerite had always been abusive and vile to most people,and especially to her children and husbands, but would she shoot Harold?
Yet, here I was, and I had to tell the police that, yes, my mother was at my home all evening and into the night. How despicable that my mother connived her way into using me as her alibi.
This book is a true memoir drawing upon the locals and inspiration of the areas in which the author lives and works. Names of towns, places, facilities, and people are real except for three men. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is not coincidental in nature and places where events take place are from her life growing up.
Moonrise to Moonset
From Amazon:
Beautiful photography featuring the moon, accompanied by love poetry by award-winning poets and authors Derek R. King and Julie L. Kusma.
Each piece professes love and moves the reader on a magical journey of what-ifs and eternal bliss. And, as the dedication states, “Let’s sleep through the day and rise at night. Let’s dance together in the beautiful moonlight. Let’s spend each evening under the stars and ever be in each other’s arms.”
A collection to be shared with the one you love.
My Review:
Love. The definition of love is written within these pages. The poetic form is tranquil yet mesmerizing. The words are sublime with true richness of a deep love for one another in a raw and open yet secretive verse that speaks to the mind, body, and soul. The poetry within is written in a clean manner, yet as you read, the words make sweet love. Truly, this is so.
Merry Christmas and Blessings all Year!
Mr. Darcy’s Complex Courtship
From Amazon:
Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy’s marriage proposal comes as a shock to Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Despite the temptation to rail at him for his past injustices, she restrains herself and declines his offer with civility.
Following a heartfelt and enlightening discussion with the perplexing gentleman, Elizabeth is persuaded to judge him anew and allows him to call upon her in London. As her understanding of Darcy’s nature improves, so does her regard for him.
But Darcy’s aunt Lady Catherine confronts Elizabeth with a startling declaration: her ladyship maintains she has the means to take Pemberley away from Darcy. Could this outrageous assertion be true?
In this Regency variation of Pride & Prejudice, shocking developments and unforeseen obstacles combine to drive Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy apart. Will they manage to overcome these impediments and find their happily ever after?
My Review:
Excellent! This is my most favorite Pride and Prejudice variation that Miller has written, and I’ve read them all! I loved Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy’s characters, and the nice twist of Elizabeth writing books in that time period was excellent in how such matters were pre-concieved by some of the ton.
When Angels Fly 