I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Author Kim Lengling returns to share 19 stories of women who were able to experience God’s grace and the impact it had on their lives in her book “When Grace Found Me: Real-Life Stories of Women of Faith Volume Three”.
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The Synopsis
Have you recognized and received God’s grace?
Experience and read of God’s grace placed upon nineteen women within the pages of this book. He brought together women of different cultures, countries, and backgrounds to share their testimony of when God’s grace found them and changed them forever. No matter where you are, there He is.
But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)
The Review
The author did an incredible job once more of giving readers a personal and emotional reading experience. The strength and conviction from which each of these women’s stories stems were greatly felt in the collection of stories found in this book, and the relatability of the stories helped drive home the connectivity we all share with one another in this life, through good times and bad.
While not religious myself, one of the things that faith-based readers are going to really be driven by in this series overall is the impact that faith and recognition of a divine presence or grace can have on a person’s life when they need it the most. Whether you are a believer or not, recognizing when a person can find the motivation to make changes in their life or gain the confidence to move forward with other aspects of their life is always inspiring and heartwarming to read. The thing that really stuck out to me is how each story felt unique and contained in its own right, and left readers feeling a wide range of emotions, giving the collection some fresh perspectives and a new experience each time.
The Verdict
Memorable, emotional, and inspiring, author Kim Lengling’s “When Grace Found Me: Real-Life Stories of Women of Faith” is a must-read nonfiction book for faith-based readers and Christian disciplines. The connection that readers will be able to draw from these stories to their own life is endless and highlights the endless possibilities that life itself holds in store for us all. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Kim coordinates and is the lead author on a collaborative 3-book faith series, When Grace Found Me, with additional collaborative efforts to come in 2021. She is the mother of one grown daughter and has a rescue dog named Dexter.
Her writing showcases her faith and her emotional interpretation of nature and life and what it can teach us as we traverse this journey.
Kim has been writing since 2004 as a writer, author, and freelance writer. She is a co-author of two published books and one soon to be published in 2021.
To learn more or to purchase a signed copy of any of Kim’s books, please visit www.kimlenglingauthor.com
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Author Terrie Lynn shares a heartfelt and engaging reading experience with audiences to share the reasons and motivations behind women and their decisions throughout relationships in her book “Why Did I Like You Anyway?”.
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The Synopsis
This is a self-help book on relationships. It is not about how to get a man or keep one. Its focus is on why women do what they do and like who they like.
The Review
This was such an engaging read. The author did an amazing job of immediately distinguishing herself and her work by making this book quite clear on what it isn’t and what it is. Shying away from the kind of self-help book on dating that helps people find ways of gaining their perfect person and instead focusing on the ways in which relationships fall apart, to begin with, and what people can do to work on themselves and their own happiness first was an inspiring and motivating choice to move with, and it made for such an amazing reading experience.
The author does a fantastic job of balancing the lessons that the author gained insight from and is passing on to the audience with the personal experiences that led to those revelations. The insights and themes the author touches upon here range from the pitfalls of dating in general and the ways in which dating changes with age, to the more serious subjects like dating while in a toxic relationship and heading into relationships simply to avoid loneliness rather than love itself, and with these subjects the author is able to bring both knowledge and emotional weight to the experiences she shares with the audience herself, making this book so compelling.
The Verdict
Memorable, heartfelt, and engaging, author Terrie Lynn’s “Why Did I Like You Anyway?”, is a must-read nonfiction book on relationships and emotions as a whole. The fast-paced yet nuanced and thought-provoking read will stay with readers long after it’s finished and helps build a more positive and healthy outlook on dating and self-acceptance rather than the lie that society teaches us all, especially young women, that a relationship and marriage are a necessity rather than an honor when and if it happens to you. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Terrie Lynn was born and raised in Akron, Ohio until she went on vacation to Atlanta, GA and stayed for 20 years. Currently living in the D.C. area. She is a graduate from Georgia State University with a major in Communications and a minor in theater. Her passion for writing is not to preach or judge, but to aid in one reflecting on their own behavior.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Author Nathalie Plamondon-Thomas gives readers the 15 keys to turning the negative, self-doubt thoughts that impact certain areas of your life into a powerful force to serve your future in the book “Thinking Yourself Confident: 15 Keys to Improve Confidence, Ignite Performance & Unlock Full Potential”, part of the THINK Yourself® SERIES.
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The Synopsis
“It’s never going to work. You’re not good enough!” Are you tired of hearing that nagging voice inside your head? And what if you could do something about it? Do you have a dream or a project that’s been on the back burner for too long? Even with all your accomplishments, do you still doubt yourself sometimes?
Statistics show that 85% of people suffer from a lack of self-confidence in at least one area of their lives. Draining negative self-talk creates procrastination, stress, anxiety, and burnout. People know what they want or need to do, and yet they do the reverse—they resist change and can’t adapt to the fast world we live in. That makes them feel powerless, frustrated, and insecure. In a work environment, this can lead to a demotivated and unhappy team, low overall performance and a high employee turnover rate. With the layers of stress people are already buried under, important decisions are clouded by emotions or limiting beliefs, instead of being based on skills and experience. Bottom line: whether on a personal or professional level, most people admit to not working—or living—at their full potential.
Through Nathalie’s D.N.A. System, you will discover 15 proven Keys to Confidence, real-life, simple skills and strategies to transform your inner thoughts and beliefs into a serving force that will empower you to be your best. Get ready to ignite performance and get the tools you need to THINK Yourself® CONFIDENT.
The Review
This was a well-written and inspiring read. The overall atmosphere and tone the author set felt very positive and confident, really selling the reader the confidence they would need to make these changes to their outlook on life and the things holding them back. The personable writing style the author adapted made the personal experiences the author reflected on feel more relatable and spoke to the reader in a natural way.
To me, the heart of the narrative lay in the way the author used positivity and encouragement to tackle the impact mental health has on both our daily lives as well as our professional lives. Mental health is a real issue facing our world and without addressing it and making it part of the normal fabric of our society’s way of thinking, the negative thoughts and emotions the author addresses in this book would continue to spiral out of control, impacting our drive to move forward. The author’s guided steps and lessons helped to address this issue and made for an even more inspiring read.
The Verdict
Captivating, invigorating, and enlightening, author Nathalie Plamondon-Thomas’s “Thinking Yourself Confident: 15 Keys To Increase Confidence, Ignite Performance & Unlock Full Potential” is a brilliant and well-written guide and self-help journey for professional and personal dealings with mental health and confidence. The relatable and inspiring nature of the author’s words and the engaging way the author addresses the reader directly made this a truly impactful book to pick up over and over again. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
2021 Canadian Presenter of the Year Nathalie Plamondon-Thomas is a Confidence Expert. She is the international No.1 Bestselling Author of seventeen books about success, communication, wellness and empowerment. She has proven that negative self-talk, imposter syndrome, resistance to change, past trauma, and low performance can all be addressed with increased confidence. She is the Founder and CEO of the THINK Yourself® ACADEMY, offering keynotes and trainings, leading-edge online courses, laser-focus business strategies and one-on-one transformation coaching.
Over the past 30 years, Nathalie has inspired over 100,000 audience members and empowered thousands of clients internationally. She combines over 10 years of experience in human resources, 25 years in sales and over 30 years of distinguished service in the fitness industry.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
In author Ed Cohen’s “On Learning to Heal: Or, What Medicine Doesn’t Know”, the author highlights the struggles of his life and the ways in which we can look past medicine itself as the only means in which to find healing in one’s life.
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The Synopsis
At thirteen, Ed Cohen was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease—a chronic, incurable condition that nearly killed him in his early twenties. At his diagnosis, his doctors told him that the best he could hope for would be periods of remission. Unfortunately, doctors never mentioned healing as a possibility. In On Learning to Heal, Cohen draws on fifty years of living with Crohn’s to consider how Western medicine’s turn from an “art of healing” toward a “science of medicine” deeply affects both medical practitioners and their patients. He demonstrates that although medicine can now offer many seemingly miraculous therapies, medicine is not and has never been the only way to enhance healing. Exploring his own path to healing, he argues that learning to heal requires us to desire and value healing as a vital possibility. With this book, Cohen advocates reviving healing’s role for all those whose lives are touched by illness.
The Review
This was truly a thought-provoking read. The author does a spectacular job of finding just the right balance between his own personal experiences with Crohn’s Disease and living through the AIDS epidemic as a young gay man in the 80s with the more clinical applications of bridging the gap between the art of healing and the practice of medicine. The way the author approaches the topic from both Western and Eastern methodologies and practices was refreshing to see, as the work done in this book helps to find common ground and showcase the importance of healing itself in the world of modern medicine in a natural and engaging way.
The vast wealth of knowledge with the emotional core of the author’s own backstory and history and the moral, philosophical, and of course medical themes that the book engages with made this a compelling read. The intellectual and spiritual connections readers make to the author’s story and the insight they gained as a result of both their own personal work and the necessity their ailments brought was relatable, as I myself struggle with several autoimmune disorders and know the hardships that follow when modern medicine fails to combat the pain and struggles that follow.
The Verdict
Memorable, thoughtful, and enlightening, author Ed Cohen’s “On Learning to Heal: Or, What Medicine Doesn’t Know” is a must-read nonfiction book on health, gender studies, and the study of physical ailments and diseases. The captivating personal stories the author shares and the depth of emotions that they bring up in the reader ebb and flow so smoothly with the dynamic information the author shares in regard to healing itself, making this one fantastic book to read. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Ed Cohen is Professor of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Rutgers University and author of A Body Worth Defending, also published by Duke University Press. He hosts a therapeutic practice for people interested in healing: healingcounsel.com
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Author Brent R. Mekosh shares a wonderful collection of essays and vignettes to explore the various cultures and experiences he had in his travels in his book “In the Shadow of a Dark Star: Godwinks and the Search for a Golden Thread”.
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The Synopsis
If you were to pick one that matters the most, is it the journey or the destination?
What happens when you think you can outsmart your soul? After a decade of amassing success on the cutthroat floor of the New York Stock Exchange, a disillusioned trader sets off on a global journey for answers that can’t be found intellectually. This story is a collection of 50 vignettes that share the most vulnerable and redemptive experiences of his travels, and what it means to find a home.
In this book, you will learn:
Not all who wander are lost, but sometimes you need to get lost to find the answers you seek.
The ways to know thyself and its overall impact in finding genuine happiness.
There are times you must look into the shadows to find the beauty in life.
Deeply profound human experiences are universal and transcend race, politics and other distractions.
Life often gives you exactly what you want if you ask for it.
This is for anyone who is a traveler at heart and those who are interested in exploring the wonders of the world, learning different cultures, and pondering upon human experiences. Buckle up and get ready for a book that will take you all around the world! To find out more, grab a copy now!
The Review
This was a compelling and powerful read. The author does an incredible job of bringing honesty and depth to the essays in which the narrative of his travel adventures came to fruition. The emotional depth of the novel really stuck out to me, as the book honed in on the author’s emotional experiences and showcased the fullness of what travel is really like. For so many, all we see and hear is the glamour and allure of traveling to other countries and seeing the world, but to witness the author’s first-hand accounts showcases the wellspring of emotions that arise as these cultures are explored, from the sense of curiosity that comes from exploring these nations to the fear and loneliness that comes from the unknown.
The heart of this book rested on both the author’s honest style of writing and the powerful themes and issues the author touched upon throughout the book. The author’s travels often highlighted powerful and vivid images of the hardships and struggle the people of these nations faced on a daily basis, and became the tapestry from which the author’s own personal struggles and growth stemmed. The book touched upon themes of racial divide and the impact racism has on countries years after its supposed elimination, while other chapters honed in on the delicacy of life and death itself as he witnessed the mass cremation ceremonies of India. Yet it was the author’s use of personal interactions with locals in these nations that really made the story feel alive on the page.
The Verdict
Compelling, thought-provoking, and engaging, author Brent R. Mekosh’s “In the Shadow of a Dark Star” is a must-read nonfiction book on travel and personal development that will resonate and inspire many readers. The powerful imagery in the author’s writing style and the emotional heart of this travel adventure book serves to showcase the gritty work that goes into discovering yourself through the travels we share, and that through adversity and hardship can paradise truly be found. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Brent Mekosh is a former member of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). In 2006, Brent left New York and backpacked for a year across Asia, Africa, Australia, North America, and Southeast Asia. Today, Brent is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional and Certified Investment Management Analyst®. He lives in Phoenix with his wife Paige and their children Nicholas and Arden. Brent also enjoys trail running, camping, playing the guitar (badly), and reading lots of history.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Authors Maggie and Renee Lovange take readers on an intimate and personal story of the relationship between a mother and her daughter during the daughter’s teen years in an effort to showcase how parents can relate to and parent a teen child through the angst and anxiety that life brings in the book “Dealing with Teen Anxiety: A Simple Guide to Overcoming Anger, Depression, and Low Mood in Young People with CBT”.
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The Synopsis
Do you want to get your teen out of their room and back into your life? If you feel you are losing control, then keep reading.
According to the Mayo Clinic Health System, up to 44% of students reported having symptoms of depression and anxiety.
If you have parented teens, you will know how challenging it can be. Today’s teenagers are experiencing a whole new raft of difficulties, and their anxiety levels are enormous.
This book shows a way through the storm. Using practical examples and a clear description of cognitive behavioural therapy techniques, Maggie has set out the hows and whys of maintaining communication, helping teenagers believe in themselves and successfully overcome anxiety.
Maggie and her daughter, Renée, have written this book from their own experience. A fierce love of her teen and a determination to push through all the difficulties led Maggie to challenge her parenting style, change her approach, and learn about the best psychological method to help both herself and her daughter.
Renée’s contribution throughout the book brings the dialogue to life, giving a valuable perspective.
This book shows how the most difficult relationships between parents and teens are salvageable and can lead to a bright future.
In this book, you will discover:
How to get inside their thoughts to understand their anxiety
Why do teenagers react this way
How the teenage brain works
Application of cognitive behavioural therapy in everyday life
How what makes us feel happy makes us addicted
How to help your child be happy and confident
What are teens think but do not want to share with us?
If you feel everything you do is in vain – punishment, praise, explanation – this is exactly the book that will help you understand why this is no longer working and how to change it without giving up your principles.
Maggie and Renée restored harmony in their family – YOU CAN DO IT TOO. Just scroll up and click the Add to Cart button.
BONUS – downloadable help worksheets
For your convenience, we have made additional pages to this book available for free download so you can print them out.
The Review
This was a very well-written and informative read. The authors did such an incredible job of showcasing the balance of knowledge the reader will gain from this book with the emotional weight of the experiences they shared together to get these lessons learned. The way the authors highlight the paths that both a parent and the teenager must take to find one another again and find that understanding between them was such a profound moment to get to in the book.
For me, the heart of the book rests in the author’s presentation of CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) and the way the authors analyze the reasons behind this change in the relationship and where the anxiety stems from. One of the initial thoughts the author shares really feels profound in its delivery and relatable: your child is no longer your child, but your teen. Almost as if the child you knew has become a completely different person, understanding and accepting this notion really can help the process of finding some common ground and helping the person you care so much for find help in their anxiety and stress. The way the authors outline these CBT techniques with very emotional memories made this a beautiful and educational read.
The Verdict
Heartfelt, captivating, and engaging, authors Maggie and Renee Lovange’s “Dealing with Teen Anxiety” is a must-read nonfiction book on parenting and relationships between parents and their adult teen children. The short yet powerful read, accompanied by helpful worksheets and journals to help work through these techniques, made this such an incredible book, and the unique perspective the authors take as both the parent in the relationship and the former teen in the relationship give this book both legitimacy and honesty that other readers will be able to relate to. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Hi, I’m Maggie.
My name is Maggie Lovange, and I am an M.S. in mathematics, graphic designer and author. But what makes me proud are my three wonderful children.
Why my work will be helpful to you
I have experience raising children, not just as a stay-at-home mom but as a working mom. I was a single mother with my first child. I am the parent of a stepson, and of course, I am familiar with the problems when two parents raise children. The experience I gained, the issues I faced and the final result I achieved are helpful.
In today’s informational world, we are overwhelmed by a lot of information. Very often, the information you can find about a problem needs to be more consistent or made up. I am a mathematician, and my logic is very highly developed. On the other hand, I love reading and discovering new concepts and ideas. What I do is find the connections between different scientific studies and explain them in a way that is practical and easy to understand. A great example of this is cognitive behavioural therapy – which is complex. It took me about three months to research it and find different sources to be able to explain it as something utterly applicable in every person’s daily life.
Of course, being an author and a mother is not always easy. There are days when I feel like I am pulled in a million different directions. Seeing the impact that my writing has on others is the most rewarding thing I could ever ask for. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
As my children grow older, I know that new challenges and topics will require my attention as a writer. But I am ready for whatever comes my way. Writing is not just a job or a hobby for me; it’s a calling. It’s a way to connect with others and make a difference in the world.
Writing a book is not easy, but the rewards are immeasurable. And as a mother, there is nothing more satisfying than knowing that you have positively impacted your child’s life and the lives of others.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Author Marilyn Kriete shares the painstaking reality of grief and the danger of burying grief for too long in her book “The Box Must Be Empty: A Memoir of Complicated Grief, Spiritual Despair, and Ultimate Healing”.
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The Synopsis
What happens when buried grief rises two decades late, upending the life you’ve built on its coffin? When your old grief seems inappropriate, and your heart wrestles with grief upon grief as you move too many times and lose too many friendships? How do you recover from a devastated marriage, a crushed faith, and an endlessly broken heart? This is the crux of Marilyn Kriete’s crisis. After losing her first great love to cancer, she becomes a Christian, marries Henry, and joins him in a hectic worldwide ministry that leaves little room for personal reflection. When her old grief unexpectedly resurfaces, she’s shocked by the tsunami that rips through their lives. And when intensive counseling fails to bring healing and Henry pens a letter that decimates their churches and spins them out of the fellowship, her battered heart is tested beyond imagination. Exploring delayed and complicated grief in its many disguises—dashed dreams, disenchantment, family troubles, and the guilt of being a former faith leader, now grappling with depression and dismay—Marilyn candidly shares her long journey back to wholeness.
The Review
This was an emotional and captivating memoir. The author does a really wonderful job of writing in a way that connects to readers who have experienced grief themselves or are survivors of an emotionally draining and complicated event themselves. The author’s story is compelling, touching upon some important themes of grief, loss, and the journey to come to terms with that grief. The imagery and tone the author strikes are both somber and yet hopeful all at once, crafting a memorable story that compels the readers to continue forward with the author as they experience this emotional weight.
The balance the author found within the context of the book was great to see unfold. From the author’s personal experiences and emotional connections to her past to the impact her grief had on her family and those around her and the importance of faith in recovering from this grief was so profoundly felt. The way the author talks about letting this grief simmer under the surface is something so many people can relate to, as it becomes instinct for many people to hold onto the things that are upsetting or emotionally draining to them and bury them under the weight of life itself. While this may seem like such a powerful tool to help cope, the result is an explosive emotional wave that can consume us far more than the initial grief itself, and the author illustrates this perfectly.
The Verdict
Emotionally driven, captivating, and engaging, author Marilyn Kriete’s “The Box Must Be Empty” is a compelling and heartfelt memoir that paints a vivid picture of the grieving process and the impact unresolved grief can have on a person’s life and those around them. The raw emotions and moving journey the author showcases in her book will resonate with readers long after the book ends, so if you haven’t yet be sure to preorder your copy today or grab the book when it releases on April 4th, 2023!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Marilyn Kriete was born and raised in Edmonton, Canada, but she didn’t stay long. After a colorful life spanning four continents and 16 cities, earning her keep as cook, chambermaid, waitress, fisherwoman, missionary, speaker/teacher, tutor, and academic writing editor, Marilyn now lives in the beautiful Okanagan Valley in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, with her charitable husband Henry and three demanding cats. Their two grown children were adopted from Mumbai, India, and Athens, Georgia. Her poetry and nonfiction have appeared in The Lyric, Storyteller, The Eastern Iowa Review, The English Bay Review, and Brevity Blog. Her first memoir, Paradise Road, relates the runaway/hippie/bicycle touring odyssey that led to the next chapters of her unconventional story-and material for two more memoirs. Her debut memoir was also named the winner in the non-fiction adventure category of the Book Excellence Awards. The 15th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards named Paradise Road the winner in the Young Adult Non-Fiction category and a finalist for New Adult Non-Fiction. It was also a finalist for Book Cover Design-Non Fiction. Her nonfiction essay took First Prize in the 2022 Wine Country Writers Festival Writing Contest in British Columbia. Marilyn enjoys hiking, deep talks, word games, documentaries, and other people’s stories and reflections. You can follow her writing journey on MarilynKriete.com.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Author Roger Leslie, Ph.D., shares an inspiring and emotional memoir about a young man who discovers he is gay and goes on a journey to confront family and religious prejudices to find the loving and accepting God he learned about in an effort to understand himself in the book “Light Come Out of the Closet (Memoir of a Gay Soul)”.
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The Synopsis
When a joyful boy realizes he is gay, he fights against family and religious prejudices to reclaim the God of love he learned about in hopes of discovering what it means to be a gay soul.
The Review
This was such a moving and heartfelt memoir. The author does an incredible job of capturing the emotional weight of living with a secret that for most would blow up their relationship with their family, as well as with their religion as well. The struggle living under the weight of knowledge that you are something “other” or different from those around you, especially when they are the people you love and care for most, is something so many people will be able to relate to, and the author does a wonderful job of balancing his personal experiences and in the moment thoughts with the overarching theme of self-acceptance and identity the author touches upon.
The author’s writing style was both inviting and thought-provoking, as the book not only touches upon the emotional weight of a gay man coming to terms with his family relationships and his relationship with God, but on the juxtaposition of the Christian faith is focused on love and forgiveness, and yet the oftentimes emotional disconnect that happens within families of faith. The way author uses wit and charm within the writing to help bring relatability to the book and yet infused a deep-seated emotional weight to the experiences that helped the author deal with his coming out and finding his faith once more.
The Verdict
Memorable, heartfelt, and engaging, author Roger Leslie, Ph.D.’s “Light Come Out of the Closet” is a must-read memoir and LGBTQ+ nonfiction read. The relatability that readers will have with the author’s struggle between their identity and their faith and the struggles to be understood within a regimented family dynamic will resonate so clearly with the audience, and the emotional connection to the author’s story was so profound and moving to dive into. If you haven’t yet, be sure to preorder your copy today and grab your copy when it releases on June 6th, 2023!
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Author Lloyd Ratzlaff takes readers on a journey through a series of essays to see how the experiences and lessons we learn in childhood can shape our adult philosophy in the book “Backwater Mystic Blues”.
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The Synopsis
“Between the voids at the deepest and farthest reaches of our science, there is this eternal now…”
In this second suite of intimate essays, Lloyd Ratzlaff summons the secret hiding spots, makeshift rafts, and uncomplicated childhood joys that lay the foundations for adult philosophy. In tune with the vivid simplicities of the sensuous world and the honour of unassuming people, Ratzlaff explores the disguises shaped by religion, family, and memory as he recreates the discovery and illumination that his past has offered.
Whether you sit back and savour the ribald yarns of Sandra Dee or pick up a bit of Christian dating advice circa 1950s, remember, the tombstones are talking, and the child’s cookie box found in the river may contain miracle or misery—but you won’t know until you open it.
The Review
This was a really well-developed, engaging, and insightful read. The author immediately draws the reader in with experiences and stories of their childhood and the events that helped shape their outlook on life. The way the author was able to layer these memories and experiences with the lessons that they impart to the reader in a very layered and powerful way was great to see come to life on the pages of this book.
These essays and the themes they touch upon, from the power of religion and faith and how they can mask people and their intentions, to the power of discovery that comes from analyzing our past and the outcomes that came from particular experiences, made the reader feel connected to the author and their message. The real power of the author’s work comes in the aftermath of the reading itself, for the author’s words stick with the reader long after the essays are finished and the philosophical discussions that they draw out of the reader showcase the depth of the author’s words.
The Verdict
Memorable, thoughtful, and enlightening, author Lloyd Ratzlaff’s “Backwater Mystic Blues” is a must-read collection of essays that will keep readers engaged to the final page. The grand concepts and important themes the author draws upon and the relatability of the author’s memories will keep readers invested as the lessons and discussions that these essays bring out of us all keep the mind and heart racing. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Lloyd Ratzlaff is the author of the literary nonfiction titles The Crow Who Tampered With Time, Backwater Mystic Blues, and Bindy’s Moon. His essays are also featured in several anthologies, including Sons and Mothers: Stories From Mennonite Men; Reading the River: A Traveller’s Companion to the North Saskatchewan River; and apart: a year of pandemic poetry and prose. A former minister, counsellor, and lecturer at the University of Saskatchewan, he has taught writing classes for READ Saskatoon, the Western Development Museum, and the University of Saskatchewan Certificate of Art and Design. He was a columnist for Prairie Messenger Catholic Journal through its last nineteen years of publication. He lives in Saskatoon.
Author Anthony Avina's Blog 