Book Reviews by Ehlen Administration

So I'm just going to post a few links that are important to me :) Click through, learn some things, share some information, buy some things if you feel the spirit move you. Here's to the next year with whatever it may bring. A Gift of Hope Adoptions Adoption Options: For Prospective Adoptive Parents   My doTERRA store Please note, while there may be affiliate links or payment for reviews, all opinions are my own. You can't buy a good review from me, people. I am way too mouthy for that.

The Misadventures of Hobart Hucklebuck by Stan Swanson My rating: 4 of 5 stars Hobart and his friends live in the town of Pennywhistle, and all of a sudden things go all wonky. Enchanted household items are not performing their tasks on command, which is highly inconvenient. As Hobart determines to get to the bottom of this (what else is there to do on spring break after all) he and his friends shrink down to the size of a pixie, explore the now defunct broom factory, and cautiously befriend the local bully. Things get dicey, though, when Hobart’s grandfather is accused of causing the trouble, and Hobart becomes more determined than ever to figure out the cause. I was a little concerned that Hobart would basically be a more alliterative knock-off of Harry Potter, but I was pleasantly surprised in the plot and characters. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a book that I think better serves the tween crowd, but it is a cute, magical story about some kids fighting to clear Hobart’s gra...

Well this seems tailor-made for me and I bet it is for you too! I like books, so much so that I review them regularly here. I also like healthy living, or at least I like ideas on how to live healthier. Hence the weekly posts on Essential Oils and my blathering about doTerra . Combine these two and The Ultimate Healthy Living Ebook Bundle is a no-brainer, right? Well, what you also may or may not know about it me is I like free. I coupon when I can, I enter contests, I get free samples. I clothes swap, I sell excess on Craigslist, I cook from scratch. I Ebates , I Swagbucks , I MyPoints. I do what I can, where I can, because I'm still a busy woman and my family and adoption agency are still the priority. But to combine so many of my interests all in one fell swoop? I'll pause to do a little happy dance. No I won't subject you to it. To sum up, if you enter your email at this link , and post your unique referral on social media you can get this ebook bundle discounted...

Intelligent Design:Revelations by J. M. Erickson My rating: 4 of 5 stars What if we are not alone in the Universe, but there still exists a Creator? Historically these viewpoints seemed mutually exclusive, but a growing number of people are starting to question this assertion. Intelligent Design: Revelations explores this possibility, including some transplanted humans’ quest for knowledge on Planet X (known as Terra to the occupants) while simultaneously trying to help Earth survive impending catastrophe. Because I find the subject fascinating, I was actually a little disappointed at the brevity of the novel. I realize it’s a huge topic, but within the confines of the story I thought there was a little more room for exploration. As it stands the novel could have a sequel but it could also stand alone as a novella. Still it raises interesting questions to ponder and I really enjoyed the read. View all my reviews Please note, while there may be affiliate links or payment fo...

From Frights to Flaws by Sunayna Prasad My rating: 2 of 5 stars A good book for older kids and tweens, Alyssa McCarthys Magical Missions: Book 1: From Frights to Flaws, begins the story of Alyssa McCarthy as she discovers what the evil magician who is disrupting her life suddenly really wants from her. She is kidnapped, learns about good and evil magicians, and save her friends from danger. Although I can see this appealing to kids, as an adult I was pretty underwhelmed by the writing and character development. The reactions of adults to magic and kids’ explanations of magic, particularly, did not seem logical, and the kids characters were somewhat one-dimensional. Some of the plot points seemed pulled straight from Harry Potter, such as an unaware pre-teen living with an overly-strict caregiver who were not her parents, due to their untimely demise. The underlying story conception has a lot of potential, but the actual writing did not quite live up to the expectations. Still, s...

My apologies for not posting an oily blog yesterday; I w as writing a blog post for my adoption agency about my reaction to Robin Williams’ suicide. I had planned to write another back-to-school with crazy hippie oils article today, but I feel compelled to at least address the topic of mental health. Before I do, let me make some disclaimers. There is no one, silver bullet cure for depression or any other mental health issue. There is not a magic oil that would have prevented Robin Williams from hanging himself. I wish there was. But health issues are complicated, they have many triggers, and are best responded to by a multifaceted approach. Depression has mental, physical, spiritual and emotional causes and consequences, and should be respected when treated. It is not something that you can will your way out of or blow off as just being sad. It is also not something that you can just pop a pill for and be cured. In fact, there is not really a cure outside of an act of God, ...

Pazuzu Unbound by Saurav Dutt My rating: 4 of 5 stars Supernatural horror pervades the story of the demon lord Pazazu, who has recently awakened from centuries long slumber and is building his army once again to spell humanity’s doom. Several seemingly unrelated people meet up unbeknownst in a hotel horror that they may not be able to escape. Pazazu Unbound is intense and has a lot of graphic imagery, so if you have a weak stomach it may not be for you. If you are a fan of Evil Dead style horror though, this is right up your alley. The characters are well developed and the supernatural aspects are very descriptive. The one thing I would have liked to see more of is back story on the actual demon and why he was unleashed now, and why he was bound in the first place. While I assume most people know that any slumbering demon will wake up hungry and bent on world domination, it’s nice to have a back story on this particular demon and maybe some vague notion of how to defeat him, eve...