I’m working from my kitchen table in the aftermath of the midterm elections and the run-up to Thanksgiving in the United States. In my peripheral vision, I see my daughter’s cat, Biscuit, jump onto the sofa and curl up on the cushions. As the day progresses the cat spends time on my lap, stares out […]

Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/online/2022/11/23/depth-in-details-leanne-shapton/

Now that Benjamin Netanyahu is poised to return to the prime minister’s residence, the miscalculations of the fractious bloc that momentarily displaced him appear in stark relief. Over the course of five elections since April 2019, the basic strategic assumptions of the disparate parties united solely by their opposition to Netanyahu hardened into a kind […]

Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/online/2022/11/23/in-the-house-that-bibi-built-israel/

Sophia Rose is back with the third novel in the Jake Paynter, historical western series. Come check out her five star review of To the Gates of Hell by David Nix. This is a series I hope to dive into as well…..

To the Gates of Hell
by David Nix
Genres: Historical, Western
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate

Rating:

Jake Paynter escaped the noose, but the price of salvation is pain.

Since reluctantly accepting the marshal’s job at South Pass City, Jake’s life has become an unending run of solving other people’s problems. When outlaw boss Dutch van Zandt and his ruthless band mount a campaign of mayhem in Jake’s corner of the Wyoming Territory, Jake learns that Lucien Ashley, his persistent adversary, may be aiding the criminals to expand his burgeoning cattle fortune. The fact that Lucien is the brother of Rosalyn, a woman Jake admires, complicates matters.

Determined to thwart van Zandt and Lucien, Jake recruits a posse of old friends and former platoon mates that puts the outlaw gang on the run. When Lucien betrays van Zandt, the outlaw leader loots Jake’s town and takes Rosalyn and four children captive. With friends few and enemies in abundance, Jake must thread a harrowing needle to run down van Zandt in the rugged Wyoming wilderness and save Rosalyn and the children without ending up in a shallow grave.

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Sophia Rose’s Review

Having ridden along with Jake Paynter to this final showdown that draws all his powerful enemies like vultures, I had mixed feelings about arriving at the end. As series go, this has been an amazing experience entering David Nix’s western world and his superb way of capturing a western genre story. I have been rooting for Jake’s hard-fought path to redemption all the way and can’t wait to see if he makes it through this last and most intense series of challenges.

To the Gates of Hell is the third of the Jake Paynter series and builds on the background and series arc laid out through the earlier books, so doesn’t make a good standalone.

Jake is the Marshal of South Pass City in Wyoming with his former Buffalo Soldier friend Gus and the former wagon train scout, half-Shoshone, Stacy as his deputies. Rosalyn is teaching her school. They all made it through the last struggle. 

There is more to come. Dutch van Zandt, the powerful outlaw leader, and Lucien Ashley are confederates to take all they can and gain more power in Wyoming Territory. A train robbery led by van Zandt’s guys has Jake calling a posse of his deputies, friends and Shoshone Beah Nooki. 

The danger jacks up when Van Zandt is betrayed by Ashley and Rosalyn, and some of her students are captured. Jake might think he’s not good enough for her, but he will ride straight into the fires of hell to save her and that might be literal when the steamy hot countryside of Yellowstone is involved.  Dare he trust Ashley as an ally? 

But, don’t look now, van Zandt isn’t the only dangerous villain with sights set on Jake. Even with his capable friends, Jake’s chances are slim.

To the Gates of Hell was an astounding grand finale. It had to be with the way the previous books took the reader into breath-stealing shootouts and tight situations, rough outlaw encounters, greed and intrigue, and the grit of a guy who won’t stay down even if he thinks his past defines him.

Besides the charging, pulse-pounding pace and tone of the plot, the development of the characters, especially Jake, but also his friends and even the villains, made for a lushly drawn historical backdrop, setting, and the most fascinating people. While Jake is hard-scrabbling to a good life even if he still has doubts and his friends from many Western types (without being clichés) know his worth and back him, it was also interesting to see the bad guys including Rosalyn’s brother have layers of gray in them.  The villains are clearly that, but one does get their motivations. Jake’s ruthlessness and grit are what is needed to face the might of all those out to take what they can.

The romance was still on the backburner, but I did love seeing the tender times for Rosalyn and Jake and sense they have a good chance if they can catch a break.

All in all, this was a monumentally fab western trilogy. I think this was the end because the loose threads were tied off, but I wouldn’t be upset for more hard-hitting westerns from the Jake Paynter world. Western fans of the old-style westerns need to try out this series.

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To the Gates of Hell by David Nix was a monumentally fab western series/trilogy. #bookreview #SophiaRose
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Original source: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2022/11/to-the-gates-of-hell-by-david-nix.html

Lee Ann McIlroy’s Sleeping With Lions: A Year in Tanzania documents her time spent as an English Language Fellow for a university in Bukoba, Tanzania. The author’s memoir is a poignant portrayal of the landscapes and people who shaped her journey as a woman following a difficult divorce.

McIlroy describes the scenery in Bukoba with eyes of wonderment. Unlike some of her peers, who only see the economic poverty of Tanzania and greater Africa, she indulges in the cultural richness of local life. She sees her time in Tanzania as a way to rediscover herself in a land that has always felt dear to her heart. From the food to the sounds and sights she experiences, she uses vivid descriptors that give the landscape a magical feeling.

The people she meets are a formative part of her journey. She makes an active effort to do more than coexist with her colleagues and the locals around her; she strives to learn from them, even in the most minute ways. She gets to know the family of Ocham, the professor she partners with at the university, and even visits their family home. She has a particular affinity for the priests with whom she stays for the duration of the trip. The priests help her rediscover her womanhood; unlike her ex-husband, who never fully understood her, they respect her career and offer her a set of fresh perspectives.

Finally, as an educator and mom of daughters raised in California, she often considers the conditions in which her students learn and operate. Despite lacking the socioeconomic privilege that her daughters had throughout their childhoods, she describes her students as some of the brightest and hardest-working she has encountered. In contrast to her students in California, students frequented her office hours in droves to reinforce their commitment to their education. In the end, she discovers that it is not wealth that makes a person’s life rich; the richness of spirit and passion makes it so.

Sleeping With Lions: A Year in Tanzania is an emotional memoir that shares one woman’s journey discovering parts of herself while learning about a new culture. Her strength shines through her stories and is inspirational to those that read them.

Pages 291 | ASIN : B0BKYFTPC9

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/11/23/sleeping-with-lions/

Kayla wakes up and is excited for her family to travel and see their friends. She is all packed and ready to head to the airport, full of energy and anticipation. Unforintly, her father has to tell her that they can no longer go on their trip that day because of a big snowstorm. Kayla is devastated and ends up falling asleep while crying on her mom’s lap. In her sleep, Kayla dreams of traveling. She visits places all around the world and sees her friends in her dreams, but her family is not in her dream with her. After many countries and sites, Kayla realizes that even though she has her friends, her family is not with her, and she wants to return home.

Kayla Travels in Her Dreams by author Kyra Zeidan is a magical story about traveling and the importance of family. Children reading this picture book will see images from Dubai, China, Australia, France, Egypt, and even the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil. Each country she visits gives children a few fun facts about the location, accompanied by bright, colorful images created by illustrator Musa Abdul Aziz Hasan. They will also be shown that even with all the unique places a person can visit, it is not the same if you are not with your family and the ones you love. Therefore, traveling is better with family.

This educational children’s book includes resources for parents and teachers. The included questions and lesson ideas allow this story to be used in various ways by parents and teachers. There is even a page for cutting out the characters to create their own stories.

Kayla Travels in Her Dreams is a whimsical picture book that takes children worldwide to see all the unique sites found in different countries. Parents will love the included message about the importance of family.

Pages: 28 | ASIN : B0BHKQ6X6S

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/11/23/kayla-travels-in-her-dreams/

Are you ready to change your inner dialogue and start thriving in life? If so, How to Love Yourself, Be Happy with Your Life and Heal Negative Thoughts is the book for you. Author Samuel C.A. comprehensibly explains the science behind why we struggle to deal with problems and gives some excellent advice about what we can do to change our mental habits.

The author touches upon subjects like the gut-brain axis, sleep, and support systems, showing us that the key to a positive mindset is deeper than merely our thoughts. Each topic is broken down into manageable chapters and interactive tasks, encouraging the reader to begin their own self-help journey from the beginning of the book. In addition, the book was structured in a way that promoted a change in the reader. Samuel C.A. uses checklists, bold headings, and direct instructions for an active learning experience.

After checking out Samuel C.A.’s music recommendations and following his instructions for meditation techniques, I was surprised at the positive effect I felt in such little time. I am convinced that, used over an extended period, this book could genuinely change the reader’s outlook on life.

At first, I felt like there was a lot of scientific information to digest, but Samuel reviews previously-mentioned vocabulary throughout the book, creating a more precise understanding as the book goes on. I would say that the book could have been organized better for greater fluidity, as it sometimes seems to jump from topic to topic. However, this was easy to overlook, as I learned much about myself and how the mind functions.

The book was highly relevant to present-day life, with references to the Covid pandemic and how this has affected our mental state. Samuel C.A. also explores how culture and assimilation affect our mental health. This was unique to other self-help books I had read in the past. I feel as if Samuel C.A. recognizes the difficulties we face in society and empathizes with our struggle to remain mentally healthy. He avoids sounding preachy and reminds the reader of the benefits they can receive by following his advice. He also makes each step easier for the reader, providing set time frames and routines. This is more than a book; it is a guide to improving your life from the core.

Pages: 91 | ASIN : B0B3T7T5JH

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/11/23/how-to-love-yourself-be-happy-with-your-life-and-heal-negative-thoughts/

Restart by Drew Samuelsen is a dystopian tale of thirteen-year-old Ulysses, who finds himself alone after a strange event has killed most of the world’s population. Fearing for his Mother, who never came home from work, he sets out to find her. Along the way, he acquires a group of friends and learns the world’s own technology was used to decimate the population. They also soon know not all humans hit by this technological-based attack were killed; some were changed into deadly, almost animal-like killing machines. Can Ulysses and his friends avoid technology and murderous humans while looking for their loved ones?

I like that the vessel to bring about the apocalypse is technology. This also turns the book into a fear-inducing one; I kept thinking about all the tech around me that could be used against me. It leads to a bit of a chilling reading experience. The action was well-paced, and the story kept me intrigued. I also liked this book because it provided light moments in this dark situation. The tone was really a fun one. The fault I’ve found with other dystopian novels is that they are too heavy, with no moments to break up the bleakness; thankfully, this one suffered from no such problems.

I found the book’s frequent foreshadowing took away from many surprise twists in the story that I’d liked to have been able to have gone in unwarned for. I also felt too many things just got handed to the characters. It was like everything they needed fell right into their laps. I am glad they managed to have what they needed to survive, but I would have liked them to work a little harder for it in some cases.

Restart: Book 1 (The Restart Series) is a captivating young adult dystopian story. It had the right amount of chilling and humor that balanced it well. In addition, it gave some unique ideas about how an apocalypse might go. I highly recommend this to any dystopian and science fiction fans.

Pages: 160 | ASIN : B0BJYD1KWW

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/11/23/restart/

In The Vanishing Glaciers of Patagonia, Martin Sessions takes us on an expedition where the reader gets to appreciate nature and learn about geography in the most intriguing way. The book is about Glacier San Quintin, the largest glacier of the north Patagonian icefield on the west coast of Chilean Patagonia. With maps and illustrations, Martin Sessions takes the reader on a tour of South America and other parts of the world. When writing about technical, geographical terms, Martin Sessions knew how to make the complex terms and phrases understood by the average reader. The amazing information in this educational book will make you appreciate what the universe offers, be conscious about issues like climate change and different topographies, and be aware of the environment you live in.

When discussing a particular adventure, the author makes the reader feel like they are part of the journey. Each tale the author shares is outstandingly written and makes one wish they are part of the adventure. I like that the author makes the stories attention-grabbing even when writing about tragedies. One can feel the somber mood and still be interested in whatever the author is writing about. The author’s intention in The Vanishing Glaciers of Patagonia is to virtually transport you to different parts of the world as he shares his and other explorers’ experiences while also giving lessons on climate change.

Reading about the explorers, their stories, and their adventures gives one a different perspective. There are also tons of lessons for the reader, one of the primary beings how to plan for a trip and deal with unexpected obstacles. I enjoyed the stories in every chapter and especially loved reading about the San Tadeo Glacier. The narration is flawless, and the explorations, though sometimes a tad risky, were something any daring soul would want to try. I also learned that you cannot fight with nature, and despite man thinking that he is always in control, nature can humble you. I could picture the locations and scenes even when there were no photos.

The Vanishing Glaciers of Patagonia is an excellent read for those that enjoy books about nature and explorations. The wording, phrases used by the author, and overall mood in the book are inspiring. In addition, the stories shared, the tips found between the pages, and the excellent narration make me rate the book 5 out of 5 stars.

Pages: 288 | ISBN : 1922792314

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/11/23/the-vanishing-glaciers-of-patagonia/