Santorini, Greece Travel Guide 2013: Attractions, Restaurants, and More... (One Day In A City) by Gina Douglas Tarnacki

The travel guide begins with an abridged but captivating history of the beautiful island of Santorini, Greece by Gina Douglas Tarnacki. It continues by informing readers how to travel to Santorini, by ferry or cruise, if by air one must travel to Athens.

Tarnacki highlights her suggestions for the wine tasting travelers, the 4- wheeler adventurers, and the beach lovers.

Restaurants, foods, night clubs, hotel accommodations, museums and monuments for the history buffs are described to enhance the best one day experience in Santorini.

Pertinent information is included, such as, pickpocket precautions, holiday and off-season tips, currency, costs, operation times, and more.

Santorini, Greece Travel Guide 2013: Attractions, Restaurants, and More... (One Day In A City) by Gina Douglas Tarnacki also includes photos to entice the one day traveler to get the most out of their day in Santorini.

Rome, Italy City Travel Guide 2012: Attractions, Restaurants, and More... (One Day In A City) by Gina Douglas Tarnacki

An abridged travel guide that includes everything.

The travel guide begins with an abridged history of Rome, short and brief, yet includes all the city’s highlights for the traveler to get the most out of one day in Rome.

Means of travel include - ship, train, plane and car, to experience the top ten sites of Rome in a day. It includes a photo of each site with pertinent comments appropriate for the one day visit.

The guide is all about not wasting time, yet not missing anything of importance. It includes time saving tips, such as, times the sites are open and less crowded, inexpensive and quick ways to get from one place to another, nearby restaurants, telephone numbers, hotel accommodations, phrases translated from English to Italian and even pickpocket precautions.

This is the perfect travel guide as it contains everything the traveler needs to enjoy one day in Rome. It can easily fit in one’s pocket for quick and easy access.

Renaissance (Byland Crescent Book Two) by William Gordon

Renaissance is the story of two families, the Cowgill’s and the Fisher’s. WW1 ended and the families needed to persevere after suffering heart-rending personal losses. From England to Australia they became familiarized with innovative ways of life. They also faced the challenges of forgiveness within their families.

Reading Renaissance, I enjoyed following the Cowgill and Fisher families from Requiem, Byland Crescent Book One. The characters remained interesting as they lived through dramatic life events at such trying times.

I especially enjoyed the historical aspect of Renaissance, as it’s my favorite genre.

The Byland Crescent Series has five volumes, and I’m currently looking forward to reading Book Three.

Paintings & Poems by Evelyn and Lyndon Pugh

Paintings & Poems describes life, nature, and history through twenty-two beautiful works of art and twenty-one thought provoking poems that reflect the images.

Evelyn uses watercolors to paint nature, woodlands, flowers, water, and sunsets - just to name a few. Lyndon’s poems are written to reflect the beautiful Welsh culture.

What is interesting about Paintings & Poems is the inclusion of history which is explained briefly. It offers just enough to entice the reader to want to research more on their own. For example, Evelyn’s painting of Pentre Ifan in West Wales looks like England's Stonehenge. There’s a mystery to explore and compare.

There seems to be a personal side to this lovely little book – about childhood and life’s situations. As in life, not always pretty.

My favorite is ‘Night Fears’. The watercolor is a black and purple open window with an ominous view, and the poem describes the title.

Whether or not one is a painter or a poet, Paintings & Poems can be enjoyed by everyone.

I Pledge Allegiance . . . Stories of Valor, Heroism and Patriotism. Written by the Wednesday Warrior Writers.

A Las Vegas based writing group, the Wednesday Warriors, became inspired from a member’s personal story of her grandson’s death serving in Iraq. It made such an impact that they decided to compile a book of stories to celebrate American valor, heroism and patriotism.

The stories in I Pledge Allegiance are written by Merle Savage (the grandmother who inspired the book), Charles McKee, Jack Miller, Marshal Taylor, Rena Winters, Robert Fregeau, Robert Cawley, Keith Bettinger, Dennis Griffin, Rob Corbin and Michael MacQuarrie.

Each story is unique and thought provoking. Besides absorbing the stories shared, well known clichés are reinforced, such as:

-        True heroes are silent, and sadly the ones who don’t return.

-        Don’t judge a book by its cover.

-        People aren’t always what they portray on the outside.

 

I learned the history of the “Dog Tags”, some interesting facts about the GI Bill, Adolf Hitler, and torture, to name a few.

 

The stories included in I Pledge Allegiance are not only from war heroes, but from law enforcement, firefighters, and everyday citizens. The term heroes and patriotism are used often and reflection is imminent.

 

The proceeds from I Pledge Allegiance will go to the USO Las Vegas. The USO provides respite and services to U.S. service members that travel through McCarran Airport.

 

The Wednesday Warrior Writers are proud American patriots.

Unglued Devotional by Lysa Terkeurst

A spiritual self-help book filled with Scripture readings, devotions, thoughts for the day, and closing prayers. Lysa Terkeurst’s main goal is to guide her readers through 60 days of learning how to turn emotions that unglue us into positive experiences.

Unglued Devotional is a short, easy read that may help those who struggle with everyday situations. It is 60 days of imperfect progress, with practical advice offered in a down to earth style.

Incredible Animal Moms: Fun, Facts & Incredible Photos (Exploring Our Incredible World Series) by Mark Smith

A mini encyclopedia of twenty animal moms describes Incredible Animal Moms.  Children are aware of how their mom takes care of them, and Mark Smith provides a non-fiction book bursting with information for children to learn how animal moms take care of their children.

Once again, Mark Smith does not disappoint his readers with superb writing and remarkable pictures. He offers his young readers just the right amount of interesting facts to build a knowledge base. For example, a Cichlid is such a good mom because she keeps her little fish fry in her mouth to protect them from creatures waiting to eat them up.

Incredible Animal Moms: Fun, Facts & Incredible Photos (Exploring Our Incredible World Series) is sure to spark a child’s interest in the animal kingdom while expanding reading and listening skills.

Mark Smith does not include where the animals live, which encourages the parents and children to research further for information.  Ideal motivation!