Thursday, May 28, 2026

Book Review: The Herbalist’s Apothecary Collection: 501+ Easy, Step-by-Step Natural Preparations & Herbal Recipes for At-Home Natural Living by Clara Greenhart

  




The Herbalist’s Apothecary Collection: 501+ Easy, Step-by-Step Natural Preparations & Herbal Recipes for At-Home Natural Living by Clara Greenhart
Like this book as a reference to solutions of things that ail your body.
Lots of introductory material about the natural cures for your body and inside issues as well.
I love the recipes because there are many ways to actually 'take' them and each one is explained in detail.
The recipes start with a title and tells you what ailment it can help with. Also a color photo and short summary.
List of ingredients and step by step prep instructions.
How to use, how much, when, how often is explained  also with notes and tags that are associated.
So many natural ways to heal your problems from things you can get online or in nature food stores.
Great reference book to keep handy.
 

Book Review: Systematic Theology Workbook for Adults: 52 Weeks to Understand What Christians Believe and Why They Believe It. Build a Faith That Holds You Steady—and Stand Firm by Paula Hartwell

  

 
 Systematic Theology Workbook for Adults: 52 Weeks to Understand What Christians Believe and Why They Believe It. Build a Faith That Holds You Steady—and Stand Firm by Paula Hartwell
What I like about this book is the fact you can take your time and digest what you've read for a week before you move on to the next weeks reading challenge. Book consistently throughout enforces the 5 C's: clarity, confidence, courage, character, and compassion.
Each chapter starts with a theme and devotes the chapter to understanding it fully. Has sections on Key Passages, reading notes, supporting passages with a summary of what each is about pertaining to the theme, tension passages, life passages, bible first questions which you can do by yourself or with others.  Plain language teaching, micro doctrine clarity guided relections and so much more. Like that you can do this on your own time.
There is so much to learn about and fully understand.
Great reference book to keep handy.
 

Wednesday, May 27, 2026

Book Review: The Natural Healing Handbook: The Herbalist’s Collection of Ancient Natural Remedies & Simple Herbal Recipes to Nurture Everyday Wellness & Vitality by Mira Hawthorn

  
 
The Natural Healing Handbook: The Herbalist’s Collection of Ancient Natural Remedies & Simple Herbal Recipes to Nurture Everyday Wellness & Vitality by Mira Hawthorn
What I like about this book is when you first open it up and see the list of chapters in the book you realize it can help cure any issue you have with your body: sleep, brain fog, joints etc and recipes are included and sound so easy and simple to make and use. Love section for older adults the best. It's where I'm at right now in my life.
Love intro material about hydration and movement and just things everybody should be doing daily to keep going strong.
Each chapter starts out with a summary of what's included. Each item has a color picture, title, summary, list of ingredients, and step by step prep. Also tells you how ot use it, how often and how much, no guessing.
Also has notes and tag and clinical dada.
What a super resource book to keep handy in the kitchen. 

Tuesday, May 26, 2026

Book Review: The Thirteenth Apostle: A Thriller by Jo Anne Barnes

  

 
The Thirteenth Apostle: A Thriller by Jo Anne Barnes 
This story starts out with Wendy and she's a city horticulturist. She also works weekend nights at a bar to earn money for a new car.
Story also follows a man who is stalking her. He uses many names and is so precise about using gloves so his DNA is not available at the crime scenes.
Very frightening scenes as he kills others before he is able to take her, again. The local police investigator, Shawn is very sympathetic and they fall for one another. He tries to reassure her and how to watch your surroundings. He equips her with tools also that she can use. Like connection she has with Shawn's son Chip who is an avid baseball player. He's got a great coach also who listens to him. I had a feeling, but I'm always wrong when I think I know who the stalker is.
Like the very descriptive details in this one and they are there for purposes that you will understand later in the book. Colorful tiles sound like a great hobby to do, peaceful and calming and such beautiful shades of colors for a window with sun coming in behind it.
Stalker is also hearing his mother talk to his conscious as she had sold him for $100 when he was younger. She's telling him what to do about the girls in his life and he tries to please her.
When he tires of trying to get Wendy he searches for others.
Very creepy and chilling to the bone for me as I do read thrillers but this one stuck with me, I couldn't put the book down and finished in one night. Like the connection about Paul the 13th apostle and the religious references in the book, scriptures from the Bible. 

May 26 The Ledger by Steven Manchester

  

 
The Ledger by Steven Manchester
This story is a bit different from the author's regular works. Enjoyed the read and just learning more about prison life and how those behind bars survive to do it all again another day.
We learn about the lives of:  the prisoner, an officer and the sergeant from all different angles.
Some stories are gruesome, some tragic.  It's the real life in the prison.
There is one given another chance from God but before he could get on the good side he had to experience the bad side first. 
Author is so very descriptive with his words I can picture myself watching it LIVE with them as it's happening. This would be a great movie!
So very realistic, I remember my father who was a local cop but had state police training talk about some of his work.  God keeps the ledger and you have to prove your life to him to get to heaven.
Can't wait for more from Steven.
Received a review copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.
 

May 26 Remember Me Always, Cowboy Book 1 of Coffee Creek Montana by CJ Carmichael

  



 

Remember Me Always, Cowboy Book 1 of Coffee Creek Montana  by CJ Carmichael
In this story we meet Laurel who now works at a local bakery. She had arrived for her friends' wedding, Winnie. Problem is she had met the groomsman and they had spent the night together.  Emergency occurs and the car crashed leaving the groom dead and the groomsman with no memory. 
Drama occurs when Laurel thinks she's pregnant. Winnie is also...
Corb has no memory but Laurel seems to know a lot about him. He can't figure out why til she tells him they had talked extensively....
Like hearing of the time she spend at his mothers who runs the whole show. That rather spoiled it for me and obviously it spoiled the plans for Laurel as she left to go back to NYC.
Lots of drama. Love the background of the scenery, location and this new town for me to learn about. Love descriptions of food and fashion scenes.
Like turmoil with a sister/aunt.
Like next chapters in the next series and where that one is going...



 

Monday, May 25, 2026

Book Review: A Very Coastal Christmas (Cozy Christmas) by Camille Cabrera

  


 
A Very Coastal Christmas (Cozy Christmas) by Camille Cabrera 
This sstory starts out with Blue and she's on her way to town via the welands trail. She discovers a body and reports it to the police.  She is an artist with her paints, as were her grandmother and mother. She realizes that the shoreline looks a lot different than her grandmother had drawn it. 
She also runs into Charlie who is a new person in town, she knows everyone. He's the new design team, sent ahead to propose a new development to the town. It's all kept pretty quiet and we learn why late in the story.
Like how she discovers the shoreline mystery via the library books from 1800's.
Storm of the century is upon them and she' was just closing up the lighthouse when Charlie comes in and the rain has started along with lightening.  They spend the night there and talk and she understands about the development. She also explains to him the harm that will town will find if he goes further.
I am very familiar living on an island the downfall of development and harms to the town so this was an easy story to follow.  Love when she lets the light into her painting, I can just imagine who beautiful they are.
End of the book has excerpts from authors other works in the series. They all sound a good read also.
Can't wait to read more form this author.