Tracks (A Mystery and Espionage Thriller Book 2)

Tracks written by Niv Kaplan is very heavy read that is full of suspense from the first page all the way to the last.  This book is very well written and keeps you on the edge of your seat waiting for the next big move. The book  centralizes on a grieving father is tracking any clues, and any traces of his kidnapped child.  While focusing on this search, he helps form an international organization that tracks other missing children.  The subject matter ranges from child trafficking, terrorism, and sex.  The story is well told and believable.  I found myself quietly hoping that Sam would be reunited with his lost son. 

The characters are all very well developed and relateable.   Although there are many characters and a lot of different plots to keep track of, the setting and characters are developed enough that it is easy to flow through each plot and from character to character without getting lost or confused. 

The book easily help my interest throughout.  I found there were few if any parts of the novel where I was bored or losing interest.  I was constantly hoping the good guy would "win" and wanting to know what would come next.  There is plenty of mystery and heart ache to keep reading and hoping for.

The subject matter is quite deep and there are plenty of sex scenes and  violent scenes to make this highly inappropriate for younger readers!

This book is available here: Amazon.com or here: Amazon.ca


I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Children Books :Terry Treetop Finds New Friends written by Tami Carmi

A cute story about Terry Treetop and the friends and values he meets along his adventures. It is a cute story and has wonderful, vivid illustrations! The story is written for children around the ages 3-8.

The story follows Terry throughout a journey as he searches for a new friend.  The animals (with great names! Betty the Bee, Shelly the Sheep, Cherry the Chicken, and Kelly the Cow) he meets are all too busy to be Terry's friend and he continues searching for someone.   Terry finally decides to head home and finds a kitten stuck in a tree.  Finally a friend!  Terry uses his fantastic skill of climbing trees to reach the Kitty and save him! All of the characters go back to his treehouse

 The illustrations were very well done, bright, and engaging.  They helped to tell the story along with the words, which helps drawn the younger readers/listeners into the story.

Buy it here Amazon.com or here Amazon.ca

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Vegetarian Quick & Easy - Under 15 Minutes

I was excited to read through some of the recipes as I always want to try to incorportate more vegetarian dishes into my household.  At first I was taken aback at how too easy and simple the recipes were, but then realized they were gret quick meal options! 

I was surprized at how many recipes were included in the book.  There were 100 recipes all organized and easy to follow.  This cook book has 3 different categories of recipes in it. Each section has breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes. Some even have dessert recipes! The first set of recipies contains meals for the busy mom. These meals can are quick and easy to prepare that children will enjoy. Meals in this section include Cheesy Mushrooms, Caramel Apples, Creamy Corn Soup and lots more. The next section has meals that can be prepared for a romantic setting. In this section you will find meals like Spiced Sautéed Mushrooms, Nutella French Toast, Lemon Roasted Asparagus, and many delicious others. There is also a section meant just for kids. This section contains meals like Nutella Popsicles, Pizza Sandwiches, Dark Chocolate Clusters, and more. The next section has quick recipies for parties. Meals in this section include Tortilla Wheels, Mini Pita Pizzas, Spicy Cheese Fondue and more.  Most recipes had few ingrediants and I found that all ingrediants were things that I already had on hand or would be easy to find in the store!

Besides the recipes, there was a very nice introduction to what a vegetarian is and the benefits to being a vegetarian at the beginning of the book.

I love seeing pictures of each recipe before preparing so I was slightly disappointed that there were not pictures for each recipe.

I did try a few recipes right off and was happy with all of the results.  The recipes are super easy to follow. I tried Vanilla French Toast and loved the results.  The Creamy Corn Soup was easy to make and the results were great!  Everyone loved the recipe! The Warm Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich was a nice twist to an old favourite! 

There are also many recipes that I have bookmarked to make in the future: Basil Watermelon and Feta Bites (Yum!), Sticky Rice Balls, and Lentil and Cucumber Salad.  I plan to use these recipes a couple times a week to introduce more vegetarian and easy meals to my family!  I highly reccomend this book as a starter for families trying to eat more meatless or for already existing vegetarians looking for some easy but delicious meals!

Buy it on Amazon.com or Amazon.ca!

 I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Organic Matcha- Green Tea Powder- REVIEW

I was quite excited to try this product!  I had read up on a lot of the benefits of Matcha tea and wanted to try a good source of it.  First of all, this isn't just green tea (although I love green tea too!) and it is more than simply ground up green tea leaves.  Matcha is derived from tea leaves grown in the shade so that the leaves achieve a dark green color, which gives matcha its magnificent amino acids. Because you are ingesting the entire leaf, it is so much more beneficial!  It contains a lot of the powerful antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG has been proven effective in the fight against many forms of cancer, HIV, heart disease and a host of other illnesses and diseases.  It also works great as a pick me up, providing a lot of good energy!  It has also been known to help with fat burning, anxiety, and insomnia!

I was excited to read through the recipes and find some that I would like.  Because I own a carbinator, I immediately wanted to try the "Sparkling Matcha."  This was my first time trying Matcha, so I found that it had a small bitter flavour that I would have to get used to and just added an extra squit of lime juice!  I drank this in the evening and shortly before I did a home workout. I did find that I had a bit more energy toward the end of my workout- benefit of the Matcha? I hope so!

Next, I tried just tried the "Matcha Shots."  I made a few of these over the next few days and found that I preferred this method of consumption in the afternoon/evening before starting a workout routine! 

I also tried a "Minty Mojito Matcha" and loved it!  I was over the bitter flavour by now and found this recipe to be delicious!  I found that the key to using Matcha powder is to take the extra time to really mix the Matcha up.  The chalkiness in the powder completely disappears when throughouly mixed!

I can't wait to start using it more in my day to day life.  Hopefully I keep feeling the health benefits and the EGCG keeps me illness free!

Buy it here Amazon.com or here Amazon.ca

ac

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Ebook - Stretching the Borders~Yael Shachnay

The book opens with Naomi and her ordinarily life with her husband and two teenage children. She works for a newspaper and focuses her spare time on cooking and art. They live in an apartment in the center of Tel Aviv. Somehow she becomes enthralled with her neighbours as she becomes almost obsessed with watching their lives through the windows that look into their apartment. She slowly, but completely, gets pulled into leading a double life full of lies and secrets. We also discover secrets of her past.

The book brings about many questions about relationships, infidelity, trust, guilt, and when to draw the line. The big question I found is what lies damage the most and when does holding back things that hurt actually end up hurting more. Naomi's own world is shaken and she has to face the hurt that secrets and lies can bring.

I really wasn't sure what kind of story to expect when the book started, but Naomi was a pretty easy character to connect with at the beginning. She was an ordinary mother and cared for her family. As Shachnay pealed back the layers of her character, it was easy to keep reading!

Overall, I was able to get through the book quickly and easily.  It was a good light read and I definitely reccomend it.  It is available on Amazon (.com and .ca)! Buy the book on Amazon!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Ebook - Abigail and the Jungle Adventure written by Tali Carmi

Ebook - Abigail and the Jungle Adventure written by Tali Carmi

This is a well written children's book about a girl named Abigail who finds a magical bicycle in her grandparents' house. The magic bicycle takes her into the Amazon jungle!  Abigail meets animals, people, and explores the jungle.  

The story encourages creativity and imagination but allows children to ask real questions about real cultures. They are able to build upon their knowledge of the world and have fun at the same time!

My 4-year-old son was very interested in the entire story. He stopped me many times during the story to ask relevant questions and asked me to show him the jungle on a world map when we were finished. He was fascinated with the fact that the story was about a real place in the world!

I was immediately drawn into the illustrations. They are very well done and fit in the story perfectly! They are great for young children who are just listening to the story.  They fit with what is being read and allowthe child to make connections between what they are hearing and seeing. 

This book is perfect for children ages 2- 8 and even beyond!  This book is available to purchase at Amazon.ca or Amazon.com.  I highly reccomend it!

 I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

International Delight(TM) ICED COFFEE

When I first saw an add for this product I was thrilled and started keeping my eyes open for it in the store.  When I was offered to try it for free through BzzAgent, I was equally thrilled!
Yum yum!  What else is there to say about this stuff!  Delicious, quick, and easy iced coffee.  I enjoy the flavours but find it a little too sweet for me.  I am very interested in trying the light one!  I think that one will be PERFECT for me!

Otherwise, the Mocha is by far my favourite!  It is almost like a rich adult version of chocolate milk!  What isn't to love!