Book Review: Ocean’s World: An Island Tale of Discovery and Adventure by Carlos PenaVega, Alexa PenaVega, Kiersten Eagan (Illustrator

Ocean’s World : An Island Tale of Discovery and Adventure by Carlos Pena Vaga,Alexa PenaVega ,Kiersten Eagan (Illustrator)

Thomas Nelson: Children’s Fiction; 25/10/22

Koffee Reading Rating: 4/5

Genre : Children’s Fiction

Anci Rant: Sometimes you just want to read a really fun book because you are tired , feeling some type of way and in need of a good laugh (sounds pretty much like me lately). After a week of fighting work fires, emotional distress and the breakup of the year (with unhealthy eating) I was in a slum and in need of a feel good book. Luckily for me the perfect book fell onto my lap cue Ocean’s World and I pretty much enjoyed escaping to an island for a bit.

Review : I received a complimentary copy from Thomas Nelson’s Children’s Fiction for my complimentary copy and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

This is an adorable read by Celebrity couple Carlos PenaVega and Alexa PenaVega. The book follows two brothers (Ocean and Kingston) and their adorable dog (Sasha) who have an adventure on the beach to make their mother’s day special. The boys are looking

Two brothers (Ocean and Kingston) are looking for their mother’s favorite shell to gift her for her birthday . On their adventure they learn interesting facts about life on their island including octopuses , turtles, fish and even a volcano. This is a perfect book for children’s as the illustrations are colorful , the plot catchy and new words are addressed. It’s a perfect summer read for children and those young at heart. The book was oozing with new words that I actually didn’t know and I promise I had no idea that octopuses could change their colors to match their surroundings.

Book is perfect for when you are dreaming of a vacation but cannot travel anywhere because the book is set on an Island.

The Christmas Switch by Zoey Marie Jackson

Welcome to the Blog Tour for The Christmas Switch by Zoey Marie Jackson, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

Anci’s Book Summary:

I received a complimentary copy from Just Read Tours and Love Inspired. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I love a good Christmas Story and as someone that had never heard or read of Zoey Marie Jackson I was skeptical going it to this book but she proved me wrong. How do you keep a a secret to protect your sister when everything you have ever prayed for is right next door. Chanel decides to swap places during Christmas with her sister and that seems easy enough but next door is an adorable family man who has the most fun loving dog. Sometimes promises don’t guarantee the heart will not be involved. This was a heartwarming story about second chances, the goodness of God and the mysterious way God works. The book was an ode to those waiting and wishing for families of their own, to a second chance at love and in need of love .

Rating :

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: The Christmas Switch

Author: Zoey Marie Jackson

Publisher: Harlequin Love Inspired

Release Date: October 25, 2022

Genre: Contemporary Inspirational Romance

Keeping this secret gets complicated

with the family she wished for right next door.

Swapping places with her identical twin over the holidays sounds easy enough to Chanel Houston. But playing the role is trickier than expected when it comes to maintaining frosty relations with her sister’s neighbor and nemesis—especially since he has an adorable little girl and a rowdy puppy. Ryder Frost’s supposed to be grumpy and rude…so why does Chanel find the single dad so irresistible?

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookDepository | IndieBound | Christianbook | BookBub

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Zoey Marie Jackson loves writing sweet romances. She is almost never without a book and reads across genres. Originally from Jamaica, West Indies, she has earned degrees from New York University, SUNY at Stony Brook, Teachers College Columbia University and Argosy University and has been an educator for over 20 years. Zoey loves interacting with her readers.

Connect with Zoey by visiting zoeymariejackson.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

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TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a $25 Amazon Gift Card.

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight October 25, 2022 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on November 1, 2022. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

Tomorrow I Become A Woman – A Review

Just an Anci Rant : I love a good book cover before anything else. So what influenced me mostly was the cover and the title and the title does justice to the book. I feel like there should be a writing challenge called ‘ Tomorrow I Become A Woman’ anyways let’s get into the review

Genre : African Literature

Themes: mother/daughter relationships ,loss, motherhood, love, domestic abuse, friendship, religion ,fertility

Publication Date: 26 May 2022

Anci’s Summary : Every woman/man/sister/wife/mother should read this book . It should be required reading for sisterhood groups. If you want a book that will make you angry, sad and even cry then this is the book.

The book is set in Nigeria just after the civil war between Nigeria and the Republic of Biafra and tells the story of Obianuju’s journey from being a naïve University girl to a woman stuck in a marriage envied by many

What the book got right? The title ,the dynamic and complicated relationship between mother and daughter, siblings and societal expectations of women

Favorite character/s in the book: Akin and Obi

As a Christian would I enjoy the book? Yes

Do you recommend this book? Yes! Go buy it now

Will I read more books by the author? Yes

                   Rating 

Humor : 😂😂/😂😂😂😂😂

Relatability: 👍👍👍👍/👍👍👍👍👍

Overall Rating :

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

You’ve Turned 30 Now What by Paul Brezhnev Banda – A Review

Just an Anci Rant : There was a time when 30 looked so far but as a 90s baby 30 is closer than I think and I am not ready. I legit am not ready for when are you getting married questions and so you are 30 huh !?

Genre : Non-Fiction

Anci’s Summary : I received a complimentary copy from the author and all opinions expressed are entirely my own

You’ve turned 30 now what is the book you really don’t need to read if you are scared of being offended but kinda need to read asap. The book tackles the 30s when you don’t want to adult but have to adult because the 30s come with mortgage ,babies ,spouses , debt,the inlaws and friendships. It’s one man’s journey through so we don’t tackle it solo

What the book got right? The title ,the short chapters and how the author brought up important topics in a conversational way

What I needed the book to have? More personal stories because who doesn’t dig a good love story ,break over story and debt management story

Favorite chapter in the book? The chapter about Self-care

As a Christian would I enjoy the book? Yes

Do you recommend this book? Yes

Will I read more books by the author? Yes

                       Rating 

Humor : 😂😂😂/😂😂😂😂😂

Relatability: 👍👍👍👍/👍👍👍👍👍

Overall Rating : ☕☕☕☕/☕☕☕☕☕

*featured image:Paul Banda*

How Wanting To Becoming A Book Influencer Almost Ruined Me

Two years ago when I decided to geek out and share my love of books with the world I did not expect the tears ,the sweat and the imposter syndrome that would follow this Bookworm with over 500 subscribers and over a 1000 followers .

At the beginning I was just a girl who read a book, reviewed it and recommended it and then instead of stepping into Narnia I stepped into a dark pit. The thing about the like button is that once the numbers start increasing you start wanting to churn out more content faster than necessary.

I watched the likes increase and the comparison start to take root. I kept asking my poor little sister why I wasn’t as well liked because if I was I would have had 10,000 followers by now ,why my pictures on Instagram looked like they were taken in the dark and why nobody remembered me when they talked of book influencers.

I wasn’t just Anci the girl that read anymore but rather the Anci that wanted to read ,be liked and awarded for being a reader. In a world full of incredible bookstagrammers ,book bloggers and readers I was just a girl that wanted to be memorable. I went into a dark pit of anxiety and sadness because I wasn’t getting the recognition I thought I deserved .

I wasn’t rated and instead of being okay about how faithful my readers were regardless that I got a like or two I wanted the 100s. I began to rain down on my personality with feelings of I am not likeable ,I am not funny enough,I am not loved and I am forgettable. I forgot that I was enough as I was and I just needed to keep being myself and those that love me would bask in my rays.

I remember I almost deleted my blog because a certain blogger did not mention me in a list of incredible book influencers. Seconds away from deleting the canvas God gave me to share with the world why I shared my books with the world I was reminded of my why. The why I do it was stronger than the why that would not accept the person I was .

In case you are feeling like what you share with the world doesn’t matter , doesn’t count in this long ride and doesn’t get appreciated remember that there is someone out there gazing with admiration at what and who you are. Remember comparison will always steal your hairline if you allow it.

Murder Out Of Character by Olivia Matthews- A Review

Just a rant: I do miss library visits and gosh don’t those booktubers vlogs that have them visiting a library to pick up a book gives me FOMO. We don’t have libraries like that here but anyways Let’s get into the review.

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Pub date: 13 September

Anci’s Summary : I received a complimentary copy from Hallmark Publishing and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Murder Out of Character is book 2 in the Peach Coast Library series and follows librarian and amateur sleuth Marvey Harris. The book starts at a fundraiser where Marvey picks up a list with four names on it -Hank , Nelle, Brittany and Spence Holt. When two people on the list die and so begins the quest to find out if the list is a murder list . With the help of the librarians she is determined to find out who is responsible for the list and the murders.

What I loved about the book: The location of the story , the characters and the way peach cobbler became everything I thought of

Book is perfect for : Cozy Mystery Lovers

Book is best read with : Pie and iced tea

Themes explored in the book: Resilience, love ,community

As a Christian will I enjoy this book? Yes you will

Do I recommend this book? Yes! Go get it now

Will you be reading more books by the author? Yes of course

Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Marcus Rashford by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara- Book Review

Just a rant: In case you didn’t know this about me *clears throat* I am a die hard Manchester United fan (even when that team loses and almost ruin my hairline with frustration). I happen to stan Marcus because he is not only scoring but my fantasy league is a little bit awesome right now *smiley face emoji*. Let’s get into the review.

Genre: Children’s non-fiction

Pub date: 6 September

Anci’s Summary : I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

This is my first  Little People, BIG DREAMS book and I want to read all of them . The book tells the Marcus Rashford story from humble beginnings to international superstar on and off the field. The author highlights what kind of family he came from ( a loving and supportive family) and how his talent was honed from childhood. I loved the fact that we see his resilience, his hunger and his passion in the few pages. Every child and child at heart that has ever needed a sign to push on must read this book.

What I loved about the book: It’s a children’s book and I appreciate that it was written as so and that it is wonderfully illustrated .

Book is perfect for : Every child

Book is best read with : Your snack of choice

Themes explored in the book: Resilience, compassion, love ,community and grace

As a Christian will I enjoy this book? Yes you will

Do I recommend this book? Yes! Go get it now

Will you be reading more books by the author? Yes of course

Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Digging Up Love by Chandra Blumberg- A Review

Just a rant : My one fear is to marry someone with a job title that I cannot pronounce like whew guys I would lose my mind because he obviously would be proud of his job. Enough ranting let’s get into the review.

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publishing Date : 1 January 2022

Anci’s Book Summary: Digging up love is the first book in the Taste of Love series. The book follows Alisha Blake the dutiful sister who pauses her dreams of opening a bakery to look after her grandparents and bake desserts in her grandfather’s restaurant in rural Illinois. Thanks to a dinosaur bone turning up in her grandparents backyard she meets the delectable paleontologist Quentin Harris who is the son that disappoints the father because of his chi chosen career path . Throw in a bone or two and baked goods what could possibly go wrong for these two.

What I liked about the book? The plot was different from the typical romance books and it was the nerdy romance book I didn’t know I needed

Themes explored by the book: Family expectations, measure of success , grit

Character/s I loved: Alisha and Quentin

Book is perfect for : fans of romantic comedies and foodies

Perfect movie pairing: Jurassic Park / Indiana Jones

Rating

Relatability :

⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

Humor

⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Steam

⭐

Rating: 1 out of 5.

Overall rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Dear Future Husband

Dear Husband ,

If you are reading this then you are a keeper because you are interested in my hobbies and are very supportive *swoon*. But if you are reading this and contemplating sliding into my DMs because you think you are the one then please shoot your shot.

I cannot wait to meet you of course but I have been praying about you because that’s what we do here . I pray that you don’t run marathons and expect me to run as fast or get excited about running because I run like a duck and the sporting gene skipped a generation. I am open to standing by the finish line with an energy drink and a towel because that’s what supportive hubs do. I have also slightly developed a slight obsession with k-drama and I hope that you don’t snore so wildly while I gush about my k-drama.

I know that you haven’t met me yet that is if we don’t know each other already but I love watching football, reading romance and thrillers, disastrously baking and doing weird things like supporting conservation efforts by running or hiking. I should also mention that my father in heaven might slightly be laughing that my prayers about my spending habits and my terrible cake frosting.

I hope you are in a job you love, you are paying your tithes, saving some money and of course you are in good health.

I will see you see soon

Your cinnamon roll

Finding Her Voice-Blog Tour

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Finding Her Voice by Donna Gartshore, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Finding Her Voice

Author: Donna Gartshore

Publisher: Harlequin Love Inspired

Release Date: August 23, 2022

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Christian

Overcoming their differences 

Could be the answer to all their problems

Bridget Connelly dreams of buying her boss’s veterinary clinic and starting her own business—but so does auditor Sawyer Blume. Despite her trust issues toward men, it’s hard to stay rivals when Sawyer’s traumatized daughter bonds with Bridget’s adorable pup. And when another buyer tries to outbid them both, working together might give them everything they want…including each other.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookDepository | IndieBound | Christianbook | BookBub

Anci’s Book Summary: An uplifting story about how healing finds you when you least expect it and in a form you do not expect .

I received a complimentary copy from Just Read Tours and all opinions expressed are entirely my own. The book follows three people in need of healing – a little girl who finds herself and her joy by bonding with a dog and her dad’s bond with the dog’s owner. An uplifting story about how healing can find you when you do not expect it.

The book follows Bridget who is an aspiring business owner that wants to buy the veterinary and Sawyer the auditor who seemingly wants to stop her plans. Bridget and Sawyer are both trying to work through difficulties in their lives as is Sawyer’s seven-year-old daughter Delilah, who has started speaking since witnessing the unexpected death of her mother. I absolutely loved that the author created a community that was not only welcoming but relatable and how she weaved through the bonds of healing between the traumatized dog and the grieving child. I loved the setting of the story , the secondary characters and of course the presence of the dog.

What I liked about the story: The plot and the character development

Character/s I loved: The jury is still out on that one

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Donna Gartshore lives in Saskatchewan, Canada. Donna now has three books published with Love Inspired and is working on three more. She has also published several short stories and poems with various literary publications and writes devotions. Donna loves family time, walks, coffee and movies with friends, serving in various capacities at the church she attends and talking about books and writing with her friends and the writing community.

Connect with Donna by following her on Instagram or Twitter.

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TOUR GIVEAWAY

(3) winners will receive print copy of Finding Her Voice, an adult inspirational coloring book, and a small devotion!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight August 22, 2022 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on August 29, 2022. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US/CAN only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE