Synopsis: “The Decline of America” offers a carefully documented analysis of the last seventeen U.S. presidents. These men, eight Democrats and nine Republicans, have shaped the last 100 years, not only for America, but for the world. Each president is profiled with unsparing scrutiny so we can see where it’s all gone wrong. David Schein follows these critiques by proposing ways to improve America’s outlook for the next 100 years—before it’s too late. Rating: 5-stars Review: The Decline of America: 100 Years of Leadership Failures by David D. Shein is a wonderful walk through each of the fail ..read more

Synopsis: QRF: military term meaning quick reaction force. When a unit in trouble hears, The cavalry is coming, they’re talking about these guys. Eleven years after coming home from Iraq, Jim Cooper lives a quiet civilian life of wandering. When he hears his old squad leader has been captured by ISIS while doing humanitarian work in an embattled Mosul, he reconnects with comrades from his old unit to reflect and mourn the execution they know is coming. Reminiscing deep into the night, an unlikely, wild plan to rescue Sergeant Ramos takes shape. The war-torn Iraq to which Coop and ..read more

Synopsis: Children have always struggled with the obligations of school, chores, practices, and other family responsibilities. Lumpy’s Gift is a delightful fable about how all those little trials help make it possible to find your true potential. In this story, Lumpy, a lump of clay, is taken from his home by a well-meaning potter who does “terrible” things to Lumpy. But by the end, Lumpy has become something extraordinary, something he never knew he wanted to be. The book includes a parent and teacher’s discussion guide to the story and an introduction to the basics of pottery. Rating: 5-sta ..read more

Synopsis: RSVP TO MURDER – A new twist on the English country house mystery. Embarking on their most daring time-travel experiment to date, Depression-era cop Steven Blackwell and his 21st-century partner-in-crime Olivia Watson travel to the Adirondack Mountains for a Christmas party at one of the legendary Great Camps. Their host, a wealthy New York publisher, has planned a weekend filled with holiday activities, but, as the last guest arrives, temperatures plummet, and a blizzard hits. Before long, the area is buried in snow, the roads are impassable, and the publisher is poisoned. Unwillin ..read more

Synopsis: There is much to see at the ballpark, and it all matters because it’s all matter! In this fast-paced rhyming story, baseball and science fans alike will be delighted to see all the solids, liquids and gases that make game day extra special. As the camera zooms in on instant replay, things slow down long enough to see all those atoms in motion. The scoreboard, a slushie, and even the air – wherever you look, it’s matter in there. Rating: 5-stars Review: As an educator and literacy tutor, this children’s book is by far the best I have read. It rhymes while teaching students about matt ..read more

Synopsis: If you’re looking for the perfect feel-good Christmas novel, then look no further than Annie England Noblin’s newest novel. This book will absolutely delight any reader looking for a sweet  and  sassy read—and not to mention enchant the fans of Annie’s signature canine characters. Perfect for fans of Jill Shalvis, Sarah Morgan, Lori Wilde, and Susan Mallery. Rosie Reynolds had come to lakeside Corgi Cove as a lost, lonely girl abandoned by her own mother, but there she discovered a true place to call home. She loves her Corgis, Bonnie and Clyde; loves the lakeside life; an ..read more

Synopsis: A fresh start is all she wants this Christmas, but maybe a cowboy is all she needs… It’s not the holiday season she’d envisioned. But moving back home with her son, Benny, is all single mom Elizabeth Colfax can do after her ex-husband’s infidelity left their life in pieces. A fresh start at Four Corners Ranch means Elizabeth’s dream career in equine therapy can become a reality, allowing her to share her love of horses with Benny. If only it didn’t also mean butting heads with Brody McCloud, the frustratingly attractive cowboy who sets sparks off inside her. Brody doesn’t do complic ..read more

Synopsis: What would you do if you had nothing to lose? Angela has reached the end of her rope. Bills are piling up, money is sparse, and her two-timing ex-husband traded her in for a “Barbie” lookalike. Depression and lack of hope put her in a world filled with never-ending pain, and when she loses the one thing she has left—her will to live—she knows there’s nothing left to go back to. Until an unexpected knock on her door wakes her up. The lonely, sad cat lady comes face to face with a new and exciting opportunity, if only she grabs the bull by the horns and accepts. When she does, she lea ..read more

Synopsis: St. Vincent’s Orphanage for Boys. Turn of the century, in a remote valley in Pennsylvania. Here, under the watchful eyes of several priests, thirty boys work, learn, and worship. Peter Barlow, orphaned as a child by a gruesome murder, has made a new life here. As he approaches adulthood, he has friends, a future… a family. Then, late one stormy night, a group of men arrive at their door, one of whom is badly wounded, occult symbols carved into his flesh. His death releases an ancient evil that spreads like sickness, infecting St. Vincent’s and the children within. Soon, boys begin a ..read more

Synopsis: The charming story of a young owl’s strange and disorienting journey to discover who he is and where he belongs. When a young Great Horned Owl wakes up to find himself on the ground with a broken wing, he can’t figure out where he is, how he got there, or how to get back to the tree where he lives with his parents and older sister. Is this a test, to see if he is ready to leave the nest? Is he being punished for something? Before he knows what is happening, he is whisked away to a rescue centre, where he meets other owls who are also recovering from injuries before being released ba ..read more