Beautifully illustrated motavational book for dancers 12 and up

Ballerina Wisdom for Dance and Life is a short motivational book filled with creative inspiration and stunning illustrations. The illustrations paint a charming backdrop depicting the beauty and graceful expression of dance while the practical advice offers encouragement to help pre-professional dancers (ages 12 and up) to develop faithfulness and self-dedication in the face of the rigorous hard work required to reach their dreams and realize their passion with confidence and joy.

Book Review: Ballerina Wisdom for Dance

I’m happy to give this book 5 out of 5 stars. I recommend Ballerina Wisdom for Dance and Life as a gift for dance students, as well as those who have practiced their craft for years and could use a motivational pick-me-up to rekindle their zeal and renew their devotion with a reminder to stay the course even when feeling overwhelmed or spent as they put on their dance shoes to perform this graceful expressive art form.

 

About the author: Once Upon a Dance

Ballerina Wisdom for Dance and Life is brought to you by the mother-daughter duo, Once Upon a Dance, named a Top 10 Author (2022) by Outstanding Creator Awards and honored with over 50 book awards and a Kirkus Star. They donate all royalties to charities through 2030. Teacher Terrel grew up dancing, and she taught dance for decades. Ballerina K is living her dreams as a professional ballerina.

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As BookHookup I received a free review copy of this book from Blackberry Book Tours but was not compensated for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.

Crime thriller that won't disappoint!

Fireson Bay by G. G. Stokes is a psychological thriller rife with action, suspense, drama, romance, and clever unpredictable plot twists. Agent Bay takes on a dead cop case and with the help of small-town Coroner Dr. Lucretia Cook is soon on the trail of a serial killer. I was into it from the start and the breathtaking pacing kept the pages turning with the discovery that all the victims are all serial killers. I was thinking, this would make a great movie!

 

Cook and Fireson fall in love and their relationship adds depth to the plot with all kinds of things raising questions about her. She’s a secretive person with a dysfunctional family past. When an attempt is made on her life it raises more questions. Does she know something that could help catch the serial killer? OR Is she a serial killer? OR is she a woman who has suffered great loss in the past and it affects her present?

Check out the TikTok Review here 

Bookhookup Review: Fireson Bay

I don’t want to say too much because I wouldn’t want to spoil this read for anyone. I think it will make my top ten list for 2024. What I will say is that I loved untangling this murder mystery and trying to figure out who dunnit. But I didn’t know until the reveal at the end. If you enjoy crime thriller mysteries that take a twist that turns everything on its head Fireson Bay will not disappoint! Highly recommend it to those who enjoy books like DCI Harry Grimm CrimeThrillers by David J. Gatward. Fireson Bay delivers it all with a side of romance. I am happy to award Fireson Bay 5 out of 5 stars and I look forward to reading Fireson Bay: Resurrection (book 2).

 

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As BookHookup, I am a longtime book reviewer. I received a free review copy of this book from the author and have not received compensation for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites

Fresh coming-of-age fantasy

Pariah’s Lament by Richie Billing is a fresh coming-of-age fantasy drama rife with fast-paced battles, kings, kingdoms, and medieval style politics. The storytelling balances the plot with bits of humor and a touch of romance laced with intrigue of two potential matches for the fair heroine. This novel takes place in the the realm of the Of Metal and Magic CORE (3 books) where this fantasy unfolds with a natural sense of discovery. The reader knows where they are, has a sense of what to expect, what to dread, who to trust, and where they might turn for help. 

The protagonist is a strong, complex female character by the name of Isy. In her home town and among her family she is identified by how she looks and bullied for it. She fits in nowhere, and has no friends albeit the librarian who treats her kindly when no one is looking. Her reprieve from the reality of life is found in the pages of books, until her hopeless world is turned on its head in a heartbeat as she steps into the role of reluctant hero when she finds her fate entangled with a persecuted race facing extermination and to her dismay, they believe she can help.

Book Hookup Review: Pariahs’ Lament

One of the best fantasy books I’ve read this year. The attention to detail is outstanding. You are there! Pacing is on point. No dragging, or rushing. Just caught up in a natural ebb and flow of events like a pulse delivering life into every page. The unique characters are interesting and engaging. Gripping battle scenes deliver one compelling climax after another with a plot that keeps the pages turning. This one makes it to my top 10 list for books read in 2023. Couldn’t put it down. I give it five out of five stars and look forward to more from this new author. Recommend to fantasy, action adventure fans.

I received a copy of this book through Black Phoenix Book Tours and have not been compensated for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.

 

About the author

Richie Billing writes all kinds of stories, but mostly fantasy fiction. His tales often explore real-world issues, zooming in on the characters and their troubles. His short fiction has been widely published, with one story adapted for BBC radio. His debut novel, Pariah's Lament, was published by Of Metal and Magic Publishing in March 2021. Richie also hosts the podcast The Fantasy Writers’ Toolshed, a venture inspired by the requests of readers of his acclaimed craft book, A Fantasy Writers’ Handbook.

When not writing, Richie works as an editor and digital marketer and teaches creative writing both online and in his home city of Liverpool. Most nights you can find him up into the early hours scribbling away or watching the NBA.

Find out more at www.richiebilling.com. 

https://mailchi.mp/c8382d667538/join-richie-billings-community

https://www.instagram.com/richiebilling/

https://twitter.com/Magpie_richie

 

Page-turning suspense and drama

If you have not read the historical thriller, The Brittle Sea, book one in The Brittle Saga Trilogy, then know that this review includes spoilers related to book 1. My recommendation is to read The Brittle Sea before picking up The Brittle Land to get the full experience of the intricacies of the plot, but with that said The Brittle Land is written in such a way that it can be enjoyed without reading book 1.

About the book: The Brittle Land

The Brittle Land is the second book I’ve read by Tom Kane. Both are filled with page-turning suspense and drama with an underlying thread of romance that connects it all. Book two opens with the everyday life of Richard Blackmore as he picks up the pieces after being shot by the love of his life, Maggie. What he doesn’t know is that Maggie has a dual personality. The woman who tried to murder Richard was her alter ego, Magda Turner, but for The Brittle Land, Maggie has resurfaced. The plot has the reader cheering for the two of them to reunite even as Richard heads off to war. What he doesn’t know is that the personality that is the Maggie he loves has resurfaced following the trauma of his shooting. She escapes life as Magda Turner in search of Richard, but she isn’t alone. She brings along her young daughter (Richard’s daughter) with hopes of becoming a family.

 

Book Hookup Review: The Brittle Land

The plot is anything but predictable. It offers a Hitchcockian style theme that takes a dark and twisting turn as Magda’s husband sends his evil henchman, William Harker, after his wife who has now reverted to Maggie. Tension and intrigue build against a backdrop of World War I, the Spanish Flu, and Maggie’s personal struggle with mental health to keep Magda in check as she hopes to reconnect with Richard even as her world burns around her. If you’re in the market for a thriller, I recommend this book with four stars. I love the twist at the end that turned everything on its head. I can’t wait to read book 3, The Brittle Sky.

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As BookHookup I am a longtime book reviewer. I received a free review copy of this book from the author and have not received compensation for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.

About the author: Tom Kane

Tom Kane was born in the corner of the living room, behind the TV. So said his father many times, and the family agreed wholeheartedly. That seems to have set the tone for the rest of his life. In the corner or behind the TV, what is known about his birth is that it was on a dark and stormy night.

His mother inspired him to write. Doctor Who and Isaac Asimov inspired his love of science fiction. Monty Python inspired him to be silly and he blame Billy Connolly for his infrequent bursts of bad language.

Edge of your seat WWII fiction

Black Fox One is WWII historical fiction written with a twist. If you enjoy unpredictable romance couched in high-risk suspense, set in WWII’s political climate in Germany, this book will thrill you. It follows SS Officer Jonas Amsel and Ava Keller from mismatched childhood friends to young adults with bright futures as Nazis. As a gymnast, Ava hopes to compete in the Olympics for her country. Jonas has loved her since they were children, and his dream is to marry her and have a family. He has the ring, but then Eva and her family disappear. Jonas blames the Jews and throws all his time and energy into his career with the Nazi Party. Even in his work, he always looks for clues to find Ava. 

His success at locating members of the Black Foxes, and anti-Nazi resistance group, earns him the nickname “the Fox Hunter.” When he is tasked with capturing the deadliest Black Fox, the operative known as Black Fox One, he dreams of being awarded a coveted Nazi ring and hopefully one step closer to finding Ava. But the mission leads him to more than he bargains for. He comes face-to-face with the hardest choice of his life: His love for the Reich or the truth he discovers.

@donnasundblad BookHookup Book Review Black Fox One #booktok #bookrecommendations #bookreviewer #historicalfiction #wwiifiction #bookish #readersoftiktok #readersofbooktok ♬ original sound - Donna Sundblad

I recommend this book to those who enjoy historical fiction, a strong female protagonist, and an impossible romance amid an unpredictable plot, all couched in high-risk suspense set in Germany’s WWII political climate. It’s an edge of your seat read that pulls you in. I award it five out of five stars, and also recommend The Vengeance of Samuel Val, the first book in Project 613 series.

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As BookHookup, I am a long-time book reviewer and I received a free review copy of this book and have not been compensated for reviewing or recommending it. This review is posted in collaboration with Black Coffee Book Tours. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites. 

 

About the Author: Elyse Hoffman

Elyse Hoffman is a best-selling author who strives to tell historical tales with new twists. Having studied WWII since the age of thirteen and with interests in fantasy and Jewish folklore, she loves to combine them in her writing. Elyse started writing novels at fourteen and finished her first historical fiction work at fifteen. She studied English, History, and Law at George Mason University. In her spare time, she loves to read, work on pretty keyboards, and hang out with her co-authors - her Goldendoodle Ari and her ex-feral cat, Echo. Other books to check out include the five books of The Barracks of the Holocaust series and The Book of Uriel.