One Wrong Turn at a Time: How We Navigated Fifty States, Forty-Five Years & One Marriage by Jan Heidrich-Rice

 

One Wrong Turn at a Time: How We Navigated Fifty States, Forty-Five Years & One Marriage by Jan Heidrich-Rice
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a fun and witty book to read about the adventures of Honey and Rice as they take road trips and navigate through marriage. I wasn't sure I'd love this one as much as I did but I'm glad that I gave this one a chance. This story will take you on adventures that you might have been on yourself. You'll laugh and maybe even tear up.

A great summertime read!

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England: Cultured, Classic, and Charming: A Guide to Hidden England (The Hidden Gems Series) by Christy Nicholas

 

England: Cultured, Classic, and Charming: A Guide to Hidden England by Christy Nicholas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have had a desire to travel abroad for many years. The likelihood of actually travelling abroad for me is pretty unrealistic, however if anyone wouldn't mind tucking me into your suitcase, I'll gladly go!

When I came across this book, I was excited to see that it is a true hidden gem. I feel like I've travelled to England through the pages of this book! The author has compiled an extremely thorough book of everything you need to know if you were planning a trip to England. She covers various legends and myths, hidden gem locations, the best places to eat and times to go, places to stay, how to manage converting money, best times to travel, best ways to travel and so much more! Terminology used there that might not be familiar is also defined.

Great resource and I'll refer to it again if I ever do get the opportunity to actually travel there. In the meantime, I'll live vicariously through the pages of this book!

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Planting Seeds: Growing Mindful Children Though Yoga by Janice Pratt and Lenora Degen

 

Planting Seeds: Growing Mindful Children Through Yoga by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a pretty cool lesson planning book for teachers, parents, grandparents, etc that is geared towards those ages 5 to 13 years of age. It's set up as a 6 week program but could be adapted to last longer. They are fairly simple lessons about engaging the mind, body, and spirit through growing plants, mind activating activities, and yoga poses. There are also recommended daily affirmations.

I found this book to be very informative and interesting!

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The 12 Week Year by Brian P. Moran

 

The 12 Week Year by Brian P. Moran
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's VERY rare that I read a non-fiction book and this is the first audiobook that I've made it through. Two big accomplishments right there and it didn't take me 12 weeks to do it.

This book has some great ideas, but several of them have been presented in other books before. Also, the ideas are repeated a little too often for my liking. I know that repetition is essential but this was a little overkill at times.

The basic premise is to treat 12 weeks as a year so you have more to celebrate and more to work towards. It's a mindset shift based on the idea that having year long goals are often unattainable but making those goals shorter and more specific, you're more likely to be successful in 12 weeks.

There are some aspects that I will definitely implement in life so this book isn't a total loss for me. I wouldn't invest money in any of their online resources or buy a copy of the book to keep on my shelf.

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Living with Conviction: A True Crime Memoir by Toby Dorr

 

Living With Conviction: Unexpected Sisterhood, Healing, and Redemption in the Wake of Life-Altering Choices by Toby Dorr
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What an interesting read!!! I am pretty sure I either watched the Lifetime movie "Jailbreak Lovers" or saw a featured story on Dateline as this did sound familiar to me.

In this memoir, Toby Dorr tells of her life as the "Dog Lady"...her volunteer program at the Lansing Correctional Center running an inmate dog training program. She meets many inmates but one really captured her attention. His name is John Manard and he escaped prison with Toby's help. They spent 12 days out on the run before they were found and arrested. Toby became an overnight celebrity and had to learn to deal with the media through her various court appearances. She did a couple of years in prison for her antics and in this book, she tells about her time on the inside.

It was very enlightening to read about life on the inside of prison and even more so, how difficult it is to live outside of prison after being there awhile. Toby went through some very challenging times while incarcerated and lost of lot of family along the way for her decisions. This book is very difficult to read in terms of things that were experienced, both by Toby and by people she met along the way. It is also inspiring to see how she turned things around in some of the deepest, darkest moments of her life.

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How To Write A Historical Novel And Love It by TL Clark

 

How To Write A Historical Novel And Love It by T.L. Clark
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There has been a lot of time and energy, as well as research, put into the writing of this book. In this practical guide, T.L. Clark shares tips that she's learned from her many years of writing. She does so with a bit of humor sprinkled throughout too!!

One of the most helpful tips that I gained from this book was the research that needs to go into the "when" aspect of a historical novel. There is an outline of different time periods that are typically written about, which includes the British set versus the timeline of the United States. I actually felt like I was reading a history novel in and of itself, which I found very enjoyable.

While I do not have aspirations to be a writer, it was nice getting a glimpse inside the brain of a writer and learning some of the groundwork that goes into the novels that I enjoy reading so much! There are so many things I had never considered that goes into the research and reading this book gave me a much better appreciation of the finished products that are published.

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What I Wish I'd Known: For Writers by H.D. Thomson

 

What I Wish I'd Known: For Writers: 100 Authors Reveal What They Wish They'd Told Their Younger Selves by H. D. Thomson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book features 100 different authors who are giving advice to anyone wishing to write a book. It's a fairly simple read but full of ideas, advice, as well as struggles and challenges one might face during the process of writing and/or publishing a work of art. It's a showcase of the good, bad, and ugly for lack of a better explanation!

If you write at all, you are a writer. These tips could potentially benefit someone who is writing a dissertation for class, someone looking to improve their writing skills, or someone looking to write a book. The snippets from the authors are generally short, but full of motivation.

The authors cover all aspects of writing from getting started, to marketing, editing, and so many other areas. One of my personal favorite lines was "write one sentence a day" and your work will grow from there. Just get started!!

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The Authorpreneur Yellowpages by Winnifred Tataw

 

The Authorpreneur Yellowpages by Winnifred Tataw
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a different book for me to read but I'm trying to branch out. I chose to read this non-fiction book because I have a family member who is interested in building his business as an author.

This book is very informative for those who are wanting to branch out into the work of authorship. This is very much set up like a yellow page directory is, chocked full of information on various facets of writing and publishing. There is a checklist, a section describing the publishing process, talk of book covers with a list of resources for designers, and editing services. Other areas include publishing services, black owned and operated businesses, marketing tools, and how to obtain freelance work. Lastly, there is advice on how to find beta readers and how to/why to use an ARC (advanced reader copy). The author of this book ends with encouragement for the future writer.

If you're looking to get into the world of writing/publishing, this book would be a great resource to have handy!

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