Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite

Kindness One sounds like a course heading for a local college. It's not, but perhaps it should be. Kindness One, a take-off name from Airforce One, the U.S. President's private jet, is a private mode of transportation with the power to spread an important message about, you guessed it, kindness. It's something many take for granted, or don't even consider at all. It's the simple act of doing something positive to help someone else, just for the sheer joy of being kind. Author Leon Logothetis had this brilliant idea after he noticed a homeless man on the streets of Los Angeles, right on Hollywood Boulevard, holding a sign that read: "Kindness is the best medicine." The homeless man was Leon's first inspiration, but he certainly wasn't his only one. He handed the man two twenty-dollar bills and then returned home to his girlfriend with the idea of riding a motorcycle around the world to spread a little bit of kindness. It sounds crazy, but when Leon gets an idea, he goes for it, and his idea went beyond crazy, when he announced that he was going to travel without any money in his pocket. In fact, he was going to depend on the kindness of strangers to buy fuel for his bike, feed him and provide him with shelter.

Leon's story - The Kindness Diaries: One Man's Quest to Ignite Goodwill and Transform Lives Around the World - takes us from his home, to a cattle ranch where he learned how to rope a cow, to the central core of Pittsburgh where he slept on the mean streets with some homeless people, then across the Atlantic on a cargo ship (working all the way), through Europe and Asia, where he met kindness and not-so-kind people, but always finding his way and learning from others. It sounds almost as unbelievable as it is crazy, but that's what was Leon's mission. He helped those he met along the way, those who shared kindness with him. And, he learned the true power of being kind.

Amazingly, Leon actually traveled through Bhutan, a country that has a philosophy well suited to his mission: Gross National Happiness, where "Happiness means simplicity." In the most simple life, one can find true happiness. When things became difficult, Leon would rely on the words of wisdom he had picked up along the way. A friend told him, "Don't quit before the miracle happens." Mother Teresa's words of wisdom to us all are, "It's not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving." Salman Rushdie writes, "To understand just one life, you must swallow the world." And, Shantaram says: "Freedom is a universe of possibility."

Leon's advice, something that he learned from others on his travels is: "Surround yourself with love." He also discovered that the journey would only be complete when he found his way home again. Leon has written a very inspirational true story, one that will warm the hearts of all who read it, and hopefully one that will help spread the positive power of kindness. He has a powerful message to share, one that we should all take seriously. Well done!

Reviewed by Gisela Dixon for Readers' Favorite

The Year of the Frog by Juls Amor is a true story of one woman’s life that is moving and inspirational at the same time as we follow Juls on her journey towards peace and happiness. Juls Amor is a woman is her forties who has had a conventional upbringing and has been raised to believe in the power of the holy word, and the Church. Her journey begins as a child, and takes us through her marriages, divorce, and interpersonal relationships in general, and what it means to love and be loved. Then, after working as a clinical psychologist for a number of years, Juls reaches a turning point in her life and realizes that “controligion” or the so-called “moral” rules and conventions of religion and society are the actual sins on earth, and sets out to free herself of them. This journey takes her to Peru, among other places. We learn, along with Juls, that ultimately one doesn’t need another person to make us whole or complete, and that a true love relationship can be found within ourselves and with ourselves, and that it is enough.

I absolutely loved this book for a number of reasons: its theme, the message contained in the book, the autobiographical style, and above all, the sincere, frank way in which it is written. Juls Amor writes in a heartfelt way that is truly warm and reassuring. Her personal voice comes through each and every page in this book and this is probably the reason that this book does not feel “commercialized” or over-edited. I also appreciated the fact that Juls is not afraid to lay bare her soul and share her deeply personal life experiences with the reader, and I applaud her for that. This is a truly amazing book and a must-read for everyone, especially women.

Reviewed by Roy T. James for Readers' Favorite

The Mystic High Adventures of Fannie Flame & Crew by Claudia Hagen introduces ballooning as a ‘form of flight where the destination is irrelevant and the journey is everything.’ How the author developed an instant liking of this costly game, what difficulties she had to undergo while learning this, the travails of becoming the proud owner of a balloon while living from paycheck to paycheck, and the journey thereafter ending in her name becoming one to reckon with as far as balloon flying goes, are described in this extremely interesting book. The 40th Psalm, always revered by balloonists, and the AIDS the balloonists need to be afraid of (Aeronaut Induced Divorce Syndrome!) are some of the topics contained in other chapters. The near fatal accident at Albuquerque, from which the crew escaped by jumping up in the balloon gives one goosebumps.

The Mystic High Adventures of Fannie Flame & Crew by Claudia Hagen is a treat from the word go till the end. The commotion the lady pilot with her three kids must have caused in and around the ballooning world, as well as the competence the children showed in handling the ballooning machinery, comes alive in these pages. The troubles the author must have faced from a philanthropic husband and the difficulty of clearing FAA tests is overshadowed by the fact that the author has more than 400 hours of balloon flying to her credit. One of the best books I have read in many a year, the content as well as the presentation of this book leaves no room for any further comment.

Reviewed by Rich Follett for Readers' Favorite

In Greek mythology, Antigone is the quintessential tortured woman of strength - born of incest, condemned to die for the act of burying her dead brother’s body against the wishes of her uncle King Creon, and doomed to be remembered solely in terms of the curse that defined her life. Marie Slaight’s The Antigone Poems offers a dark, probing examination of the shadows of their namesake’s curse -- shadows which loom over women even today. Images of isolation, helplessness, death, blood, daemons, and a host of other archetypal afflictions pervade this stark, masterful collection. None of the poems bears a title but the lines are as distinct as if each were a fingerprint left in blood at the scene of an unspeakable crime: “We live our lives/the instant between life and death.”

Mask-like, immutable illustrations by the late Terrence Tasker (1947 - 1992), to whose memory this collection is dedicated, stare accusingly from random pages, bearing anguished witness to the psychic wounding encompassed by the verses and providing a perfect contrapuntal tension as Slaight’s tragic testimonial unfolds. The overall effect is riveting in the same way that one cannot look away from a car crash - death is omnipresent but the infinite number of possible manifestations defies augury. In the end, we can only watch in abject terror and wait for the toll to reveal itself.

As with all works of tragedy, catharsis is key; we keep reading because we do not want to accept that the situation is hopeless and because the absolute nature of the chaos before us makes our own human condition seem comparatively well-ordered and temporarily manageable. Slaight herself proclaims, in a parting gesture: “I wanted everything. To live all lives, all deaths, encompass all women. To smash every confine.” Antigone would have been proud.

Reviewed by Katelyn Hensel for Readers' Favorite

I Ate The Cosmos for Breakfast is a beauty from cover to final page. Melissa Studdard has such a passion for life. She quite literally breathes a world of color into the sometimes drab world of poetry and seems to have such vigor that I would most likely be intimidated should I meet her in person!

Just sit and take a moment to picture what the name suggests. I ate the cosmos. What does that mean? The odd descriptions and zany imagery gave this set of poetry a bit of shine to its rhyme and a bit of sass to its syntax. There are so many questions present in the text and, while the author gives her own answers and her own interpretations, there is also room for the reader to explore and think for themselves to find a meaning in each poem.

What I liked most was that each poem had a very visual quality to it. No description was left out, no tiny detail seemed to have been forgotten. Each poem easily formed a picture with words that stuck with you after you finished reading. I loved the formatting that Melissa Studdard chose for this piece. I get that poetry is supposed to be free form, and in the eye of each beholder...however, that does not allow the freedom to have messy format or odd spacing. Thank you, Melissa, for writing awesome poetry that also looks attractive and well written on the page. That's a hard thing to do, it seems, in the genre.

Reviewed by Lisa Jones for Readers' Favorite

Goddess In The Silence by Robert Ahanes is a beautiful book full of the most delightful poetry. The author offers some diverse and interesting pieces. Greek mythology is an obvious influence in several of the poems and for me, personally, they were by far my favourite. There was a mixture of stanzas used which was wonderful as it added an air of freshness to the book. The other interesting aspect was the darker and deadlier pieces which stood out for me. They were imaginative and made this book unique.

Robert Ahanes delivers his exceptional poetry in the book entitled Goddess In The Silence. This is such an apt title for his work. It was an explosive book from start to finish and the opening poem about Medusa has got to be one of my all time favorites. I loved the author's darker side and my imagination was on overdrive the more I read. This book is creative and adventurous, which I found very exciting. There is something for everyone and for me it has got to be in my top three in the poetry genre that I have read this year. I would recommend this to anyone who wants something new and different which can awaken the senses, as this book certainly does that. The author is extremely talented and has put his heart and soul into his work, which is clear to see. I look forward to reading more of his exciting work in the future.

Reviewed by Samantha Coville for Readers' Favorite

Sheila is a beautiful woman and our protagonist in The Warmest Winter by James Gordon is absolutely enthralled by and in love with her. But so is someone else: her husband. This is the tale of a man who knows his love is forbidden and frowned upon, but can't contain the overwhelming desire that is swelling in his heart. Is he doing the wrong thing in loving her? Loving a woman who is married to someone else? Or has he found the right person who is with the wrong one at the moment? Is there any chance for them to be together or is he just a little too late?

This was a beautiful, flowing piece to read and I absolutely fell in love with the inner turmoil that our hero is enduring. What is it like to be so thoroughly in love with someone and know that if the world has its way you can never be with them? The writer, James Gordon, is very talented at imagery and eliciting emotions from readers in The Warmest Winter. I'd love to see what he could do in the future with more training and time spent at his craft. He could use a good editor and cover designer, but I'll definitely be around for all of his future works. This was an easy read with a difficult message and I think people of various age groups, ethnicities, and backgrounds could enjoy the way his writing effortlessly conveys the feelings behind the words. Bravo!

Reviewed by Michelle Robertson for Readers' Favorite

"When God closes a door in your life, he opens a new window." Laura didn't know if she particularly believed in that old saying. She had suffered so much in the last five years since her marriage abruptly ended. Laura has a secret pertaining to her short marriage. When her father becomes ill and reveals their estate is to be sold upon his death, Laura fears her secret will get out and end any happiness the future may hold. Will Laura's secret be revealed or will God open a new window?


The Union of The North and the South by Ann Mock is a Southern Christian historical fiction novel, which introduces readers to the lifestyle of a few wealthy Southern families during the post-Civil War era in 1870. Author Ann Mock captures readers' complete attention with a thrilling and heart-melting romance intertwined with a suspenseful plot. The author centers the story on one main character but allows readers to identify characteristics, personalities, and vivid images of all the characters by skillfully and creatively capturing the complete essence and mannerisms of the time period and its people. The author describes the architectural aspects of the homes, the landscape, and the dress of the characters, giving the reader a full understanding and vivid vision that is as clear as a picture.

The romance between the two main characters is written so elegantly, capturing the simplistic ideals lovers or couples followed in that time period. A fantastic love story capturing the beauty, historical elements, and habits of society in the South in 1870.

Reviewed by Katelyn Hensel for Readers' Favorite

The Calum by Xio Axelrod is a unique addition to the realm we call "New Adult" fiction. Lovie is looking for love in all the wrong places. She also knows it's crazy to think that her Prince Charming could come in the form of a unicorn, or the calum. Yet it's to the Scottish Highlands she goes for Christmas and it's there that she meets the dashing Duff. Who said childish wishes can't come true? The calum is a reference to a "book boyfriend", one thing that I absolutely love doing! Who says you can't find your Edward, your Christian Grey, your Legolas? Okay, so maybe if your dream guy is a 1000-year-old elf, you have some problems, but it worked out for Lovie so, hey, it can work out for you too!

I'm going to be honest, The Calum is not something that I expected. Xio Axelrod was a hoot and a half in terms of character and voice. I absolutely LOVED the dialogue and banter and simply thoughts inside characters' heads. I also wasn't expecting romance to be so much fun, and it really was. I found myself relating to both Lovie and Duff and I enjoyed their chemistry immensely. Additionally, I liked that the romance was interracial. I haven't been able to find that many books with interracial romance in them (other than some pretty weird erotica) so finding this was a breath of fresh air for someone currently involved in an interracial relationship. I will definitely be looking for more from Xio Axelrod!

Reviewed by Michelle Mollohan for Readers' Favorite

The Survivors, Book 1: Summer by V.L. Dreyer is a science fiction romance set in post-apocalyptic New Zealand. Sandy McDermott has been surviving for over 10 years since the world as she knew it ceased to exist. Only eighteen when the epidemic took her loved ones and spared her by some fluke of genetic immunity, Sandy has learned to do what she must to carry on. Alone with only her memories of the loved ones she lost and the horrors she has endured, Sandy is existing but not truly living. She has learned the hard way that while she longs for companionship, she is better off alone and trusting no one. When an accident requires Sandy to seek medical supplies in a big city, she is risking her safety by encountering other survivors, but knows that without aid she will likely die anyway. Will she encounter friends or foes?

The Survivors, Book 1: Summer by V.L. Dreyer is a refreshing take on the popular post-apocalyptic theme. No hordes of boring undead, The Survivors takes the reader on a journey inside the survivor's head, providing a unique perspective of surviving in this new world. Haunted by her memories of loved ones lost and traumas endured lends authenticity to Sandy's character. The reader can easily imagine being in Sandy's shoes and feeling how she feels. The flashbacks of her traumatic experiences are tastefully written and not too graphic for the young teenage audience. V.L. Dreyer's tale left me longing to finish Sandy's story and I'm looking forward to the second book.