Reviewed By Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite

You're Pulling My Leg! The Ultimate Storytelling Game by Allen Wolf is an amazing book that can be played by using the cards given. There are over 600 questions in these cards and instructions are given on how the game should be played. It can be played by people of all age groups, preferably from 13 and above. It gives a lot of entertainment and laughs to those playing it and will be a sure hit at parties, family gatherings, and when it comes to getting to know friends. It is funny and lighthearted and will encourage the players to become creative when it comes to their answers. So how much do you really know about yourself? And do you think you know your friends well enough? Let us play the games and see for ourselves how many points can be scored.

These games are a good way to know oneself and the other person to whom the questions in the cards are addressed. You're Pulling My Leg! by Allen Wolf is innovative and refreshingly different and will keep the entertainment level high wherever it is used to play. It can be played anywhere and there are instructions on what is required, how to start the game, how to play the game, how the winner is chosen, and the game variations, which makes it easy for readers to learn the rules of the game. The book will definitely bring a smile to the faces of all readers/players and it is a must-have in everybody's personal collection.

Reviewed By Joel R. Dennstedt for Readers' Favorite

Academic works by Julius Bailey, Ph.D., are notable for their flawless integrity, impeccable thinking, accessibility for the non-academic, and an irrefutable blending of stark objectivity with engaged passion, flavored always by an overriding sense of humanity and compassion. Racism, Hypocrisy, and Bad Faith, the most recent offering from this esteemed educator, continues an impressive record of communicating facts and practical considerations with perhaps more urgency, passion, and compassion than ever. The reader cannot remain uninvolved, even if only mentally. Bailey’s striking observation about Dr. Martin Luther King applies very well to this book in whole: “… his message was clear: each person listening to his words could create a tiny version of his nation simply by putting the stated principle into action. Combined, these individual changes could create societal change, but it had to start with the individual.”

The title of Julius Bailey, Ph.D.’s book, Racism, Hypocrisy, and Bad Faith, defines clearly the explosive subjects handled here: The ubiquitous legacy of American racism, the institutionalized hypocrisy affecting every aspect of American life today, and the entrenchment of bad-faith actors within those institutions, primarily political, that have brought us to this horrific watershed moment. Somehow, Mr. Bailey offers genuine hope, but he pulls no punches in his academic explications and historical perspectives. He calls out those bad-faith actors, often specifically by name and office and political party affiliation. His most striking accomplishment comes in the midst of extreme polarization, as his work itself seems perfectly balanced, due certainly to the author’s rigorous academic integrity and personal compassion.

Reviewed By Ruffina Oserio for Readers' Favorite

Breathe by Leonidas Hadjimitsis is an interesting book with a captivating title that offers a great invitation: “Life is a joke...At times, a bad one. BREATHE out your sense of humor!” This is one of the best books I have read in a while, a book that speaks about one of the most essential things of all — the art of living with grace. The title itself gave me the idea of the freedom of the wind, or the air we breathe, and is a verb, so the title came across as compelling. At the start, the author shares an interesting thought: “In the beginning, I had the idea to title an empty book as BREATHE and ask you to breathe and fill the pages with your thoughts and experiences, to make it and feel that it is yours.” In this book, you will find compelling thoughts that drive intentional breathing and that allow readers to move from the art of controlling their breath to consciously steering their lives towards the direction they want it to take.

Leonidas Hadjimitsis’ book was written as a message to his own children, but it happens to be one of the books that are suitable for readers overwhelmed by the toxicity of contemporary life. The author urges readers to learn to connect with their deepest emotions and to keep the focus while navigating the disturbing and challenging situations that life throws at them. In this book, readers find tips on conquering inner freedom, finding happiness and meaning, and living gracefully. The book is filled with inspiring thoughts, short and evocative messages that are intended to awaken readers to the consciousness of the precious life they are given. Here are some of the exciting thoughts I gleaned from this book: “Breathing defines the boundaries of life and the flow in between. It serves as a gauge to indicate the quality of our choices and as a tool to reinstate balance and find peace,” and “Resilient people are determined to breathe their way out of any difficulty. They do not allow their breath to halt.” This is an engaging and inspiring book that will help readers discover their strength and take control of their lives.

Reviewed By Renee Guill for Readers' Favorite

The Job Seeker & The Coach: How to Rescue and Fast-Track Your Job Search in No Time! by Hamza Zaouali is a story about Lisa finding a job. It is based on a real-life story. Lisa only has a month to find a new job or she will be deported from Dubai, so she hires a coach to help her and finds many new techniques to assist her job search. Lisa learns how to write a proper resume, and how to sell herself for the best salary. She also learns new techniques for Linkedin and Google search. The story is a step by step guide to finding a job.

I thought that The Job Seeker & The Coach by Hamza Zaouali was a real eye-opener. I loved that he uses a story to show the steps, instead of just giving them straight to readers, as most books do. I thought that Lisa was a very likable character and her coach was fascinating. The world-building was well done. I have never been to Dubai but could picture it clearly. This book also has free templates for resumes and email letters that you can download. I cannot wait to try them out. The graphs he uses were a nice touch too. I think this book would also benefit freelancers, not just job seekers. I would definitely recommend having a notepad and pen with you or a way to bookmark pages because there are a lot of cool techniques you will want to try. If you are a freelancer or job seeker, I definitely recommend this book, even if you have been out of a job for a long time.

Reviewed By Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Parts, Pieces and Aspects of a Frozen Mouse: Book 2 is a nonfiction memoir written by A.J. Mouse. In her first book, the authors shared the experiences of the 10 alternate personalities of Mouse, an eight-year-old with Dissociative Identity Disorder. The first alternate, Peter, was born when Mouse turned 4. Jade, who is one of the authors of these books, was created when Mouse was 11 years old. That was also the time when Mouse froze and stayed in what the alternates call The Deep. In this book, A.J. Mouse continues documenting the changes taking place since Anne, the newest alternate, was created. This book is co-written by Jade and Anne, whose journals and emails form the basis of the manuscript.

Book 2 is every bit as enthralling as the author’s first one, Alternatives to a Frozen Mouse. That book was a memorable and mind-expanding look at Dissociative Identities, but it was primarily a beautifully written and perceptive memoir. Parts, Pieces and Aspects continues that story fluidly and eloquently; it also answers questions I had about several of the alternates. While it’s been some time since I read the first book, I immediately felt as though I were back at ease with Jade, Anne, and the others. I appreciate each of these alts in ways that it’s hard to express, and their bond of affection and care for the eight-year-old Mouse is endearing and real. I’m also a Southpaw and felt an instant kinship with the iconic Peter and deep respect for his innate guardianship of the other alts and willingness to endure real pain for them, but I’d be hard pressed to say any of these alts weren’t people I’d want in my life as friends. My biggest regret in reading this book is that it ended, as all books do, and I’ll be watching for the next installment in this memoir. Parts, Pieces and Aspects of a Frozen Mouse is most highly recommended.

Reviewed By Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite

Value Trap: Theory of Universal Valuation by Brian M Nelson is a relevant book for investors, breaking ground for readers who want to understand stock pricing and how to beat the next financial crisis. That sounds daring, but reading this book offers convincing arguments, facts, and analysis of the author’s theory of universal valuation and how investors can use it to leverage on the bubbles that occasionally shake the financial markets. In this book, the author provides “the variant opinion that may have saved investors tons of money” and offers guidelines and a framework for savvy investors.

Brian Nelson is former Director of Methodology at Morningstar and President of Investment Research at Valuentum and he brings more than fifteen years of work and research to this book, articulating brilliantly and confidently on a variety of topics, to wit, the philosophy and potholes in the stock pricing game, the sensitivity of value and the volatility in prices, the duration of value composition, and a lot more. The author introduces new concepts and talks about behavioral valuation and the theory of universal valuation while exploring ways that the reader can use them to make informed choices when investing in the stock market.

This book invites readers into dialogue and discussion about some of the troubling trends in stock investment management business and proposes a path that enables readers to invest with confidence. Brian M Nelson is an expert in his field and confidence is conveyed in his writing, as well as interesting stories filled with valuable lessons and references that add credibility to his claims. Here is the one book that every conscientious investor should read; it is informative and very accessible and packed with knowledge, insight, and wisdom.

Reviewed By K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

A Last Survivor of the Orphan Trains is a work of memoir non-fiction penned by co-authors William Walters and Victoria Golden. This inspiring tale takes a deep and personal look into the life of William Walters, who was one of the thousands of orphans loaded onto trains from the East Coast of America with the idea that they would find a better life in the emerging West. For William, aged only four years old in 1930, life was far from ideal when his new family turned out to be cruel and abusive, setting him on a path that would see him travel through decades of hardship before he could finally achieve his own version of the American Dream.

This is a powerfully emotive story, inspiring and motivational in its message that keeping going and being resilient pays off, even when the world is unspeakably cruel. Author Victoria Golden works well with William Walters’s story, and the two together make an epic and detailed journey through the Depression, the Second World War and almost right up to present day history as William’s life unfolds. Golden provides additional research into little-known facets of American history, mirroring the issues in today’s fostering system to show that people are far from perfect and the system always needs more work done to ensure that orphans are safe and cared for. Despite his terrible experiences, William’s own inner strength and belief in a better future make him an admirable hero against the odds. A Last Survivor of the Orphan Trains is an excellent memoir, highly recommended.

Reviewed By Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

My Time to Shine: The Story of the Fabulous LCB is a nonfiction memoir written by Glenn Leonard, Joe Coleman, Joe Blunt, and J. Michael Willard. Glenn Leonard, Joe Coleman, and Joe Blunt grew up in the same Washington DC area. While their mothers wanted them to concentrate their vocal gifts on singing in the church choir, the three boys found harmonizing on street corners and eventually in groups to be a logical extension of their craft. The sixties was in many respects a turning point for music, a perfect storm for talented singers who were willing to put in the work to make music their livelihood. The three seemed about to hit it big when the record company they had hooked up with put the project on hold. Glenn Leonard was eventually signed on by The Temptations and was the lead singer for that group through much of the seventies and eighties. Joe Coleman sang with The Platters for two decades as well as establishing himself as a songwriter and a playwright. Joe Blunt won Sony’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his decade spent performing with The Drifters. The three are now back again, singing together as LCB, and while they still sing the classic hits that make everyone stop and remember, they’re also adding on new classics as they continue playing together.

My Time to Shine is delightful reading indeed. Learning about each of these performers, who gave us so many songs as we were growing up, is illuminating and powerful. And while older boomers may get the most out of this marvelous work, I doubt there’s anyone out there who hasn’t stopped to listen to the songs these three men sang. I loved learning more about the Drifters, the Platters and the Temptations and the way legacy groups such as these differed from other groups. I also found Willard’s interleaving of the stories of Leonard, Coleman, and Blunt gave the reader a seamless and moving account. The photographs included work quite well at refreshing the memory, as well. As I reached the part of the book that concerns their new group, I couldn’t resist going to YouTube and watching their introduction to the group. Reading My Time to Shine left me feeling enriched by the experience. It’s well written and has heart. My Time to Shine: The Story of the Fabulous LCB is most highly recommended.

Reviewed By Vernita Naylor for Readers' Favorite

With the hustle and bustle of life today, everyone is always looking for ways to get things done quickly. Did you know that being organized in anything from your job and career to your personal life can actually save you a lot of time, money and effort? In this awesome book, Top-To-Bottom Home Organizing by Professional Home Organizer Caralyn Kempner, you will learn everything to help you become organized. In this book you will discover that organization is a process. This process takes a lot of time to undo what you've been doing, so don't rush it. It also takes an intentional mind to begin the process in order to not only begin but to complete the tasks. “Mostly, people don’t know where to begin or how to approach organizing. This book helps to guide you through various organizational tasks by breaking down each task into manageable steps that can be spread out over time,” says Caralyn.

This book is for anyone, whether you are looking to organize your garage, bathroom, kitchen, bedroom or home office. You can begin at any section or chapter that is important to you because each is self contained and stands on its own. I enjoyed this book for so many reasons but a few essential things to help streamline the process that stood out were: Illustrations to help you to visualize the results; Top Organizational Tips; Best practices for home organizing; Simple instructions that anyone can follow without feeling overwhelmed; Organizational Challenges; Types of hangers, closet organizers, and shelving; Cosmetics Tips.

With a book of this magnitude, it displays the essence of your mind because if your mind is cluttered then your home becomes that as well. A clean mind creates an element of clarity, balance and peace. For me, if things are organized then I am able to locate things quickly, become efficient and avoid buying stuff that I already have but didn't know that I had. The book also gives the feeling as if Caralyn is there with you, walking you through the process and then leaving you with some systems on how to maintain all of the hard work that you have put into organizing your home. Even if you are downsizing or live in 500 square feet, this book is ideal for you. That's not all. Caralyn has dedicated other resources to keep you to stay up-to-date on the latest advice and other how-to's on home organization. If you want to see a change, improve and declutter your home. It's important to add this book to your library.

Reviewed By Liz Konkel for Readers' Favorite

The Once and Future Queen: Guinevere in Arthurian Legend by Nicole Evelina explores the origins of one of literature's most legendary queens. Arthur's wife and queen of Camelot has seen several changes which are often interpreted as a result of the time period. Diving into the myths and literature, Evelina explores Guinevere in every connotation from adultery to witchcraft to her role as a feminist icon. The author is well-known for her own Guinevere trilogy, which explores her personal perspective on the queen and the hope to see more recreations of the character in the future. The Once and Future Queen gives an in-depth and well-researched look into the role Guinevere plays in the story of Arthur and Camelot, as well as her role as queen, a woman, and an individual. Nicole Evelina is clearly passionate about the topic and brings to light several aspects of the legendary queen's evolution over time. It's an intriguing concept to see such a notable character, mostly known for either her relationship with Arthur or her affair with Lancelot, as her own independent character.

Guinevere's original conception often had her as an one-sided character that was there to betray Arthur through her affair, and her tragic love story with Lancelot. Her personality has evolved through various facets, which include traits such as being selfish, docile, self-centered, and passionate. The examples are clearly laid out with Evelina providing equal time exploring each source material. Her character has been tinkered with over time, which often depended on whether the writer was a man or a woman. T.H. White painted her as a “bitter shrew” while readers found Lavinia Collins' portrayal of her in Guinevere: A Medieval Romance to be “selfish” and one that “ruined lives.” In older tales, Arthur is perceived as a “god-like” king so he wants Guinevere to be “perfect” and to embody what are referred to as Victorian ideals - qualities such as being pure, angelic, fertile, and supportive. Instead, the queen is often the opposite, painted as barren, brash, vain, and jealous. The Once and Future Queen fully explores Guinevere as her own person and is perfect for those readers that love Arthurian legend.