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From Amazon:

MELE KALIKIMAKA
The Hawaiian
greeting for
“Merry
Christmas
Hau Kea Na Pu’u
Shaka Santa & Tutu Mele
THE SONG Mele Kalikimaka
THE LADY OF Leilani
STORIES OF CHRISTMAS
SAINT NICHOLAS
CHRISTMAS IN THE KEY OF G
WHO ARE YOU
10 FACTS ABOUT CHRISTMAS
PRESENTS PRESENT’S PRESENTS
A DAILY PRESENT
I KNEW YOU WOULD COME
CHRISTMAS STORIES
NEW BOOK RELEASES
THE WEE ONES
BY DARRYL HUGHES
A CHRISTMAS HEARTH FOR IVY
BY SUSAN JEAN RICCI

My Review:

Mary Schmidt

5.0 out of 5 stars Christmas

Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2025

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I was pleasantly and joyfully surprised by this book. It’s full of Christmas in many ways. From Hawaiian words in speaking Merry Christmas to classic stories about Christmas, to those who are homeless on the island and what the state is doing to help. Heartfelt stories of men fighting in a conflict, one spouse is MIA, one is KIA, and one comes home for Christmas. Yet it could be his last as he would go back to the battle. Remember the lonely, invite them in, share a meal, it’s the little things that add up and make huge things. Each little thing is most important. Humanity needs to keep that in mind all year long.

This was my best year in reading books. This also represents my ebook reads only, not my paperback or hard bound.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.