A Bookworm's Book Reviews

Every Tool’s a Hammer – Adam Savage

Title: Every Tool’s a Hammer: Life’s What You Make It

Author: Adam Savage

Genre: Memoir

Plot: Adam Savage of Mythbusters tells of his experiences and what he’s learned from his life. Throughout the book, Adam gives advice for how to be a better maker, whether that be a engineer, designer, artist, writer, etc. Though he mostly uses his examples of building props and cosplay costumes, his ideas, examples, and advice is for anyone who creates something. He encourages everyone to dive into their passions, find a community (especially one that builds you up), use what you have around you, and find a system that works for you. Adam also stressed the importance of making lists. He gave lots of examples of the lists that have helped him and others. Throughout the book Adam also stresses having people that support and encourage you. He tells many stories of people who have helped him and encouraged him along the way. He told stories of bad times and good times. Adam tells the importance of finding a system that works for you. And that it’s not gonna be the same for everyone. He encourages everyone to find their own rhythm and find their own processes. He says what’s worked for him and what’s worked for his friends. Adam also talked about the importance of setting deadlines for stuff for fun or for a job. It can keep you motivated, especially if it’s for a for fun task or project. The book ends with finding what tools you need for making what you want.

Rating: 4.0 – a book about finding what you need to do to stay creative

Opinion: This was a good book about finding what you need to be creative. Some parts were harder for me to relate to because I’m not a builder. But overall, it’s a great way for anyone who creates. It’s good to realize that people don’t have the same process for creating things. Some stories made me chuckle. I really related to other ones. I enjoyed learning about some behind the scenes for plays, movies, and Mythbusters. I hadn’t known that Adam had met some great creators like Guillermo del Toro and Star Wars and Lord of the Rings creators. I smiled when I could read a story in Adam’s voice as he’s got a unique voice and I’ve seen a lot of Mythbusters. This is a great book for anyone who’s a creator. It’s even better for anyone who’s a builder.

Capturing the Devil – Kerri Maniscalco

This is the last book of the Stalking Jack the Ripper series.

Title: Capturing the Devil

Author: Kerri Maniscalco

Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery

Plot: Audrey and Thomas have arrived in New York. A new string of murders have started. On top of that, Thomas and Audrey are engaged. On the day of their marriage, an unexpected disaster strikes. A woman arrives saying she’s engaged to Thomas and has the papers to prove it. Desperate to change things, Thomas fights his father’s wishes tooth and nail. Then he threatens Thomas’s sister. In an act of desperation, Audrey and Thomas track the murderer to Chicago and follow him there. But the murder’s changed his method. Women are disappearing and fewer are being found. They must find him before more women disappear. Who is truly behind the murders and disappearances? Will the police ever take them seriously? Will the marriage issue be solved?

Rating: 3.7 – a good murder mystery but a little distracted by marriage issues

Opinion: This was a good final book in the Jack the Ripper series. Though I was a little upset that there was they got a little distracted by the romance. I love a good sappy romance but not when it takes away from the story. I kind of felt like this one did. The other books in the series do have romance woven in, but the story still focuses on the mystery. I cheered a little when the story goes back to focusing on the mystery aspect again. I did enjoy this book. I liked the additional historical facts about Chicago and New York City. This is a good historical fiction and murder mystery. I’d recommend it for anyone who enjoys them.

Guest Post – Reaching Out, Trusting God

Thank you Brenda of Ruby Hem Ministries for this book.

Title: Reaching Out, Trusting God

Author: Brenda Marie Hoffman

Genre: Christian devotional

Plot: As Christians we’re told that we can live a joy-filled, purposeful life with Christ as our guide. Seeing miracles along the way is a true blessing that’ll help solidify our faith. However, we shouldn’t believe that because “we don’t have enough faith” we won’t be healed, or we’re destined to be poor or unsuccessful. Unfortunately, this is what some Christians tell us that it means to trust in God.

With these words filling our head it’s no wonder that when something doesn’t work out like we expect it to we believe it’s because we don’t have enough faith. This results in us believing that we aren’t loved by God or it may cause us to doubt if we’re really a Christian.

All these things are taken into consideration here in this devotional. Through exploring these things we’ll arrive at a deeper understanding of what it really means to trust God.

Rating: 4.0 – A good book to lead you to a deeper trust in God

Opinion: This book was written for women who have PTSD from child abuse or domestic violence. Throughout the devotional the author looks at why trusting God is so much more challenging when you’re dealing with PTSD. As you’re guided through the pages of this devotional you really will arrive at a point where you have a deeper trust in God.

Return of the Witch – Paula Brackston

This is the sequel of The Witch’s Daughter.

Title: Return of the Witch

Author: Paula Brackston

Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction

Plot: Elizabeth, Bess, Hawksmith has returned from Summerland (heaven for witches) where she’d captured Gideon Masters. She learned that Gideon escaped. Elizabeth rushes home to start her search for him. As promised, Tegan has been caring for Elizabeth’s house. Elizabeth tells Tegan about Gideon. Together they start setting up wards against him. Tegan starts to tell Elizabeth about her travels. While Elizabeth is running errands, Gideon strikes. He kidnaps Tegan and time travels her away. Elizabeth finds a Time Stepper (a witch who can time travel), called Erasmus. He helps her find Tegan throughout their travels. First, Elizabeth must confront her past and where she first learned her witchcraft and learned of Gideon’s darkness. Second, she must determine if she’s powerful enough to stop Gideon. But what does Gideon want with Tegan? Can she find Tegan in time? Will she be strong enough to save her friend?

Rating: 4.0 – a good book about witches

Opinion: I enjoyed this sequel. Though it was a little hard to follow at times. It deals with time travel in a good way. There are rules set up for time travel. It’s consistent and there are consequences for those who do travel. Though a few more hints about Gideon’s plans would’ve been nice. There were a few parts where I thought ‘hurray they did it! Wait it’s never this easy…’ It has lots of good historical fiction, more fact based magic based in pagan magic (like all of the author’s books). I enjoy learning about this kind of magic even though I don’t really agree with it. I can understand where they’re coming from. I was surprised about the sparks of romance in it. It’s a realistic example of how a good romance develops. I highly recommend this book for those who love history and magic with some mystery.

Guest Post – The Wolf in the Whale

Thank you Annalise of Who Needs Sleep? for this awesome review.

In 1000 AD, a young Inuit shaman and a Viking warrior become unwilling allies as war breaks out between their peoples and their gods-one that will determine the fate of them all.

“There is a very old story, rarely told, of a wolf that runs into the ocean and becomes a whale.”

Born with the soul of a hunter and the spirit of the Wolf, Omat is destined to follow in her grandfather’s footsteps-invoking the spirits of the land, sea, and sky to protect her people.

But the gods have stopped listening and Omat’s family is starving. Alone at the edge of the world, hope is all they have left.

Desperate to save them, Omat journeys across the icy wastes, fighting for survival with every step. When she meets a Viking warrior and his strange new gods, they set in motion a conflict that could shatter her world…or save it.

The Wolf in the Whale has something that I adore in books, and something that is very hard to find; a rich, foreign setting. You don’t know how many books I have read that take place in a foreign, mystical land, or even just a different country, that feel like they could have taken place in the middle of a crappy American town without changing a thing.

There were some parts of this book that were difficult to read. It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. If you’re in the mood for a “feel good book” this isn’t it. However, if you want something that’ll stand out from the dozen or so forgettable titles in your Kindle, this would be the one you should pick up next.

The Dream Gatherer – Kristin Britain

Part of the Green Rider Series

Title: The Dream Gatherer

Author: Kristin Britain

Genre: Fantasy, Short Stories

Plot: Estral tells two short stories about famous people in Sacoridia’s history. Then the story shifts to follow Estral. She’s journeying back to Selium (a city and a school in Sacoridia). She goes ahead of the group while the others tend the horses. Estral gets lost the woods and comes across a house with sister’s who have met Karigan a few years prior, the Berry sisters. They invite her in to rest and recuperate. Then they invite her to a party. They won’t say who’s coming until it starts. The sisters bring out a dream gatherer. It’s a machine that allows people from dreams to attend and visit with the people there. But something else enters the party. What is it? Can it be stopped?

Rating: 3.6 – a mix of legends within a fantasy world

Opinion: I thought this book would be either a collection of stories or entire short story, not a combination of the two. But it was a good combination. It was well written. I enjoyed the story about the main character of The Green Rider series’ friend. Though the last few books did that as well but this book solely focused on Estral. I liked this story, though it didn’t continue the Green Rider plot along. I was a nice relaxing story. It’s a good expiation story to the Green Rider series.

The Squickerwonkers – Evangeline Lilly

Title: The Squickerwankers – Prequel and Demise of Selma the Spoiled

Author: Evangeline Lilly

Ilustrador: Prequel – Johnny Frazier-Allen, Denise of Selma the Spoiled – Rodrigo Bastos Dider

Genre: Fantasy, Children’s Book, Picture Book

Plot: Prequel – Selma is a child who demands everything she sees. She’ll whine and pout till she gets her way. The Squickerwonkers come to town. Selma is fascinated by them. She wants what they have. So her father makes a deal with them. Selma can stay with the Squickerwonkers and have what they have. Now Selma joins their crew in exchange for the Squickerwonkers being the royal troupe.

Demise of Selma the Spoiled – A new peddler comes to town. Selma looks through his wears, determined to find something. But spoiled Selma already has everything he’s selling. The peddler offers Selma something truly unique. She begs and pleads with the others. Slowly they consent. Each have their own reasons for wanting the unique thing. Everything starts out grand but soon things turn sour for Selma.

Rating: 4.0 – a dark style fairy tale with real life consequences

Opinion: This was a great kids book. It’s dark but relatable. It gives consequences for the characters who aren’t nice. The other characters see this and teach the characters a relatable lesson. The style of the story is very Dr. Seuss like. It’s meant for kids who don’t love to read or have a hard time reading. The author said so herself when I bought the books from her at comic con. I agree with her saying that kids need to hear things like this sometimes. That there are consequences for acting certain ways. I recommend these books for kids don’t mind books that are a little scarier, or kids who need to find a new style of books.

Land of Twilight Trilogy – Charmayne Hafen

Thank you Capture Books for this good kids trilogy.

Titles: 1 – Journey to Twilight, 2 – Return to Twilight, 3 – Trouble in Twilight

Author: Charmayne Hafen

Genre: Children’s Chapter Book, Fantasy, Realistic Fiction

Plot: 1 – (Journey to Twilight) 12 year old Lorna just move to Phoenix, AZ with her mom and baby brother. Her parents have just divorced and Lorna’s understandably upset. Sam, a boy her age, has challenged her to the ‘Crestwell Challenge’ (a bike race around the block 7 times). On the third lap, Lorna is transported to a magical land called Twilight. There she meets Trix, a leprechaun who gives her a quest. If she completes the quest, she’ll get 1 wish. Lorna agrees to go on the quest. Then she’s taken back to the real world just as Sam crosses the finish line. Sam thinks Lorna’s excuse for her disappearance during the race suspicious. So he follows her into Twilight after Lorna complete’s the first part of the quest. Trix and Lorna tell Sam about the quest and he agrees to help. But Sam gets really hurt when they return. Will Lorna be able to complete the quest? What will she use her wish on? Will she be use the wish on herself? Or use it to help Sam?

2 – (Trouble in Twilight) Lorna’s friend Ally moved away, and a new girl, Jenny moved in. Lorna wants to be her friend but Jenny’s not a good friend in return. She asks Lorna to steal and skip school. Desperate to have a new friend, Lorna does what she asks. She starts to ignore her true friend Sam. That’s when Sam and Lorna are whisked back to the land of Twilight. Twix says something bad is going on. Lorna refuses to acknowledge what’s going on and leaves. Trix and Sam can see what’s happening. Trix shows Sam how he can help Lorna. Lorna’s also growing frustrated with her dad who still refuses to visit her or call. She breaks her phone after her dad says he has to cancel again. Then Lorna gets caught skipping school. Her mom grounds her. Ever frustrated, she runs away with Jenny. Can Sam find a way to help Lorna? Can they find Lorna?

3 – (Trouble in Twilight) The land of Twilight is dying. Sam and Lorna have been chosen to save it. They must find a way to have faith and tell the people in their lives about faith. Lorna decides to show faith by being honest with her mom. Sam is desperate to show faith to his dad by talking with him. Trix and Melvin are now wandering through the real word hiding from the horrible whatever. They need to show Lorna and Sam ways to have faith. The four of them travel to different places to learn about faith. But will they save Twilight in time?

Rating: 3.6 – a good tale about faith and family for kids

Opinion: This series wasn’t what I was expecting. I thought the story would spend more time in the world of Twilight than the real world. It is a good series. It deals well with real world problems that middle schoolers face. The book deals with big problems like divorce and moving away and making friend and wanting to be cool. It’s very well done in that sense. I just thought it’d deal more with Twilight than the real world. Maybe I’m too used to reading books meant for adults. It is a good kids book for kids going through tough situations like divorce and moving. It’s tough on adults, so it’s just as hard for kids and teens. It puts it all through their eyes. I enjoyed the series the more I read. I think it’s a good book for kids who enjoy fantasy and want a character they can relate to.

Mr. B – Lynn Byk

Thank you Capture Me Books for letting me read this book.

Title: Mr. B: Living with a 98-Year-Old Rocket Scientist

Author: Lynn Byk

Genre: Memoir

Plot: Lynn tells the story of having to sell hers and her husband’s house and move into her husband’s father’s house, Joe Byk. Joe was a rocket scientist starting in the 1940’s. By the time Lynn and her husband are nearly bankrupt from fighting the city because of ‘zoning issues.’ Her father-in-law is also 98 years old. Lynn keeps a journal about the first year her and her husband lived with Joe. She writes down all of the science facts and story she learns from Joe and his story growing up. Joe was the son of Polish immigrants and grew up poor. He learned quickly and became a rocket and airplane engineer. Over the year Joe teaches Lynn about life through his stories. She also learns about forgiveness and letting go of things. She teaches Joe how to accept changes. Lynn was always encouraging Joe and engaging him in the changes she’d like to make. She lets Joe help and make his own changes in his own time, too. Lynn and Joe learn and help each other so much.

Rating: 4.0 – a good story about healing

Opinion: This is a great memoir about life and forgiveness. I also enjoyed learning about Joe’s science and history. Though some of the science went over my head. I enjoyed Joe’s story of overcoming and becoming a very important rocket and airplane scientist. He helped build planes for the US Air Force during WW2 and a rocket engineer during the Space Race after growing up poor. I also loved Lynn’s story of overcoming the pain of almost going bankrupt and wanting so bad to fight back, but having to let go. This is a beautiful story of overcoming great odds. It took time, but Lynn and Joe learned to live and enjoy each other’s company and help each other with so much. This is a great memoir about learning to forgive, history, and science. I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys learning about history and science and memoirs.

Welcome to the Shivoo! – Laura Bartnick

Thank you Capture Me Books for letting me read this book!

Title: Welcome to the Shivoo! Creatives Mimicking the Creator

Author: Laura Bartnick

Genre: Christian

Plot: Everyone is creative. We were created that way. God has given each a unique creative ability. He has given everyone a way to explore their talents and gifts. This book explores the different ways God has given us to be creative. Whether, through painting, writing, acting, exploring, etc. There’s even creative ways through science. As Christians, we must be careful of the one who desires to warp our creativity. One who tells us we’re not good enough or turn our desires into something that goes against our godly path. Thankfully, God has given us ways to counter him. Find your way to be creative through God’s gift.

Rating: 4.0 – a great book about God’s creativity through us

Opinion: This was a great book for creative Christians. There are numerous ways to be creative. This books many ways that people can use their creativity. I enjoyed the ways the author talks about God’s gifts in creation and the gifts he’s given us. I also enjoyed the fact that the book talks about science and how we can use science to glorify God. The author gives us a list of scientists who are Christians. As a creative person who likes and enjoys science, I enjoyed the fact that the author included this section. I enjoyed the fact that she included ways the Devil tries to trick and manipulate out creativity. It should be a no brained but it’s always a good reminder. This book is a great reminder that we are all creative. God has gifted us uniquely to be creative in our own way, shape, and form. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for ways to use God’s gifts creativity.