Playing in the Mud by Jordan Lukrich - [Book Review]

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Book Details:

Title: Playing in the Mud

Author: Jordan Lukrich

Illustrator: Jordan Lukrich

Genre: Children's book, Picture book, Poetry

Publisher : True Tall tales

Print length: 94 pages

Source: A free review copy from the author

Blurb:

A collection of poems and drawings to feed the imagination. Have an adventure with a pirate, build a fort or journey to an alien planet for a handball tournament. These poems speak to the kid inside all of us whether child, adult or in between. In this book you will find adventure, humor and an all around good time.

"Bringing a smile and laugh to someone through art and imaginative poems is something that fuels my creative side. I have created a collection of poems and drawings for anyone and everyone to lose themselves in. Have an adventure with a pirate, build a fort or journey to an alien planet for a handball tournament. These poems speak to the kid inside all of us. In this book you will find adventure, humor and an all around good time." - Jordan

Purchase Links:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

My Review:

I am not a fan of poetry books usually. But these poems are so good. I could relate to them, laugh about the silliness, and enjoy reading them.

This book is full of hilarious poems and beautiful pictures. I love the art. The pictures of the boy are very real and the boy looks as naughty as the poems sound. 

The poems are about everything in daily life - experiences of children, nature, daily tasks etc., They rhyme and are simple to follow. They are easy to read and fun both for kids and adults. My younger one who is in 3rd grade thoroughly enjoyed this book. 

I suggest, you read these poems with your kids a few in a day to enjoy the meaning. It becomes a good bed time read.

Every poem has a great illustration, which helps with imagination. I love that the illustrations are simple, but they show emotions well. 

I would rate this book all the stars it can have and I recommend it as a fun vacation read or bed time read with kids.

My Rating: 5/5

PS: I received a review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

About the Author:

Jordan - "Making people smile and getting a laugh from my book or animation is the drive to keep making new material. I love creating stories of adventure and silliness and whisking people away on a journey for even a few minutes. I have been in love with animation and storytelling my entire life, and who knew you could make a career out of it? Well, here I am, creating and sharing my wild little thought with you all. Welcome to my stories, I hope you enjoy."

Until next time,

The Wedding by Kelly Smith - [Book Review]

 

Book Details:

Book Title: The Wedding by Kelly Smith
Category:  Adult Fiction (18 +) , 240 pages
Genre:  Contemporary Romance, Friendship
Publisher:  Sunny Day Publishing
Release date:  September 2023
Content Rating: PG-13: A small amount of sec scenes 

Book Description:

Four friends, one city. Grace, Piper, Sydney and Rachel navigate life, careers, and love in Boston. Each woman is newly single and looking for a fresh start. As their work lives start to look up, they each meet a new man who may be “the one”—or may not. The bond the four women share helps them make better sense of their lives, but at times their friendship causes more issues than it solves. New couples form, and one of them is headed for the altar. But which of the women is about to be a bride?

All along the way, Grace, Piper, Sydney and Rachel are each other’s biggest fans and cheerleaders. The Wedding explores the bond women share and the love they seek.

Buy the Book:
Amazon 
Add to Goodreads

My Review:

The Wedding is the story of 4 friends - Piper, Grace, Sydney and Rachel. The story is about their relationship problems. Ladies help each other and support when one encounters problems with their love life. They make it easy for their friend to take the right decision. Isn't it that what the friends are for?  

What I loved?

I loved the characters and their uniqueness. I loved their honesty in relationships. I love the way the friendship is portrayed in this story. The friendship is the hero of the story which guides it all along.

I loved Piper especially - the chirpy and bubbly young woman always ready to lend a hand when her friends are in trouble. I loved the character of Sydney, and I could relate how it is difficult to forget a person that you love and start a new life altogether. Sydney is inspiring. 

The story line is a Contemporary women Fiction and it is fun to read. Overall a wonderful story of love, loss and friendship. 

What could have been better?

The narrative might have been little better. It is confusing as the narrative changes between characters and also between their past and present. An extra suspense is by the wedding preparations by a couple who we don't know until the end of the book.

I couldn't relate to the character of Rachel and Marcus. After living together for 2 years, it's little unbelievable how they are separated and come back together. But, Life is sometimes un-predictable. I understand. 

I didn't feel the title is apt. Ofcourse, the story is around the wedding preparations of a mystery couple, but I felt the title would be related to friendship. The book cover is apt for the title though.

If you have girl friends who support each other emotionally, you will love this book and can relate to it so well. For others, it's a fun chick-lit.

My Rating: 4/5

PS: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Meet the Author:

Kelly Smith, a three-time published author, first came on the scene with her debut novel, Signs in the Rearview Mirror Leaving a Toxic Relationship Behind. After healing from her toxic relationships, she soon realized dating after a toxic relationship was difficult, which then led her to write Out of the Darkness. Out of the Darkness, her sophomore book is about her experiences with healing after abuse, dating, and finding love again. Sunny Day Publishing published all of her books.

Smith, an award-winning writer, writes for Elephant Journal and HuffPost. Smith is a dating expert for the online relationship and dating magazine, GoDates.

Smith is a certified relationship and dating coach who works with clients who are trying to rebuild their lives after an abusive relationship ends, or after a long-term relationship ends.

Smith is a Boston native who moved to the Austin, TX area in July 2003 with her three sons.

Media Expertise Kelly can speak on topics including domestic violence in teen dating, narcissism, and toxic relationships, women as the abusers, recovering from an abusive relationship, dating again after an abusive relationship, narcissism in both men and women, and living as an adult child with a narcissistic parent.

​Connect with the author:   Website  ~  X/Twitter  ~  Facebook ~ Instagram ~ Goodreads

Enter the Giveaway:

THE WEDDING Book Tour Giveaway

  Until next time,

The Case of the Zombie Ninjas by Erik Christopher Martin - Book Spot light

 

Dotty Morgan Supernatural Sleuth Book Two

Middle Grade/Paranormal Mystery

Date Published:  Mach 15, 2024

 

 

Twelve-year-old supernatural sleuth Dotty Morgan becomes embroiled in an ancient conflict between rival factions who both want the Japanese sword her father gave her as a birthday present. The timing couldn’t be worse. She’s navigating the complications of middle school romance with her girlfriend, Hannah, and dealing with her mother who asks Dotty’s former bully to move in. To keep safe the people she loves, Dotty investigates a four-hundred-year-old murder even though undead ninjas, winged tengu, and a demon known as an oni stand in her way.

About the Author

Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Erik lives and writes in San Diego. He has published four books for YA and middle grade readers under the In A Bind Books imprint. His latest book 'The Case of the French Fry Phantom' is available in all formats, including audiobook. It is Book One of the Dotty Morgan Supernatural Sleuth Series. Book Two, 'The Case of the Zombie Ninjas' will be released on 3/15/2024. His short stories can be found in A Year Ink 4, The Guilded Pen 2019, CoffinBell, Frontiertales.com, Tales to Terrify podcast, HauntedMTL, and other online journals.

Erik is a member of the SCBWI, SDWEG, and the HWA.

Erik loves all things book related. He is a former bookstore owner (In A Bind Books in Lakewood, Ohio opened in 2000 and closed 2 years later), former slush reader at Dark Recesses Press, and former part-time library employee.

Besides writing, Erik loves to read authors such as Vonnegut, Moorcock, Pratchett, Louis L'Amour, and Douglas Adams.

Contact Links

Author Website

Twitter (X)

Instagram

Facebook

TikTok

Linktree

Threads

Purchase Link

Amazon

 

Until next time,