non fiction

NonFiction Review: English Grammar Workbook for Adults

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The English Grammar Workbook for Adults by Michael DiGiacomo
The English Grammar Workbook for Adults: A Self-Study Guide to Improve Functional Writing
by Michael DiGiacomo

4 out of 5 stars


This book is designed to help non-native English speakers to perfect their English grammar and navigate the many exceptions to the rules while speaking and writing English. The instruction goes way beyond “i before e except after c” type of rules, and addresses common pitfalls and mistakes that people make when learning English.

The reality is that many people who are native English speakers could read this book and learn a lot about their own language. Americans are especially known for having a poor understanding of the most basic rules of grammar and syntax, and could really benefit from a refresher in this book. Continue reading →

NonFiction Book Review: Family Tree Workbook

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Family Tree Workbook by Brian Sheffey
Family Tree Workbook: 30+ Step-by-Step Worksheets to Build Your Family History
by Brian Sheffey

4 out of 5 stars


If you are doing any kind of genealogy research, this book will help to organize the information, catalogue the facts, and track all the records of your family history. This book also includes wonderful advice about how to find US Census documents, death and birth records, and marriage records of your ancestors. There are also worksheets to use when interviewing family members and recording oral history. There is a log for cataloging family heirlooms, another for charting your distant cousins, and even one for researching the sale of enslaved people.

I do love a good worksheet! But this book takes it to the next level with charts, records, timelines, maps, trackers, logs, medical history, and more. My little organizational heart is so happy with this design! Continue reading →

Cookbook Review: Dairy-Free Meal Prep

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Dairy Free Meal Prep by Silvana Nardone
Dairy Free Meal Prep: Easy, Budget-Friendly Meals to Cook, Prep, Grab, and Go
by Silvana Nardone

4 out of 5 stars

This book begins by exploring the different benefits of living dairy-free, such as anti-aging, clear skin, improved digestion, and a stronger immune system. There are lists of foods to avoid, common dairy substitutes, and staples to include in your kitchen pantry.

Chapter Two is all about Meal Prep: how to make large batches and store them, how to plan ahead, and what not to prep ahead of time. There is a chart that shows how long meats and salads will keep fresh in the fridge or freezer.

The next chapters give detailed meal plans for 6 weeks, with a shopping list for each week, and recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

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Cookbook Review: Budget-Friendly Vegan Cookbook

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The Budget-Friendly Vegan Cookbook by Ally Lazare
The Budget-Friendly Vegan Cookbook: Healthy Meals for a Plant-Based Diet   by Ally Lazare

4 out of 5 stars

This book begins with advice on being vegan and the benefits for your health.
There are some good instructions about including vitamins and supplements in your vegetable diet, as well as answering questions about getting enough protein. Meal planning is made easy with grocery shopping lists, kitchen supplies and tools, and how to buy items in bulk to save money.

The recipes are divided into sections for “Staples, Sauces, and Dressings; Tofu, Tempeh, and Soy; Beans, Legumes, and Seeds; Fruits, Vegetables, Mushrooms; Grains, Quinoa, Millet; Snacks and Sides; and Desserts”. This includes things like homemade vegan mayonnaise, tempeh BLT sandwiches, chickpea omelets, minestrone soup, vegetarian chili, barley burrito bowl, cinnamon orange french toast, and peanut butter chip cookies. Continue reading →

NonFiction Review: Inner Peace

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Inner Peace by Jordana Reim
Inner Peace: A Guided Meditation Journal for Beginners
by Jordana Reim

4 out of 5 stars


With guided meditations, mantras, and intentions, this book leads the reader into a more peaceful mindset full of gratitude and joy. There are journal prompts that explore deep questions and emotions, always moving toward a more positive outlook.

The writing is beautifully encouraging and gentle. I love how the author softly draws us into a quiet place of reflection.

This book is divided into four chapters entitled “Find Inner Peace, Focus Your Mind, Overcome Obstacles, Foster Gratitude and Spread Joy.” Then each chapter is divided into sections for each meditation, journaling pages, and intention setting. There is plenty of room for journaling and writing in your thoughts. Continue reading →

NonFiction Review: Actually, the Comma Goes Here

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Actually, the Comma Goes Here by Lucy Cripps
Actually, the Comma Goes Here: A Practical Guide to Punctuation
by Lucy Cripps

3 out of 5 stars

In case you missed it in elementary school, here are the rules for using punctuation so that your writing will make sense. There are snippets from history about how punctuation was first invented in the library at Alexandria, and how the Greeks and Romans developed their own styles of punctuation that morphed into what we use today. There are tons of examples of correct and incorrect punctuation in different types of sentences, questions, quotations, and clauses.

The best thing about this book is the comedic writing style. The author uses humor to make the punctuation rules memorable and fun.

There are sections for the period, comma, apostrophe, question mark, colon, semicolon, and a dozen others, and an entire chapter for markings that look like punctuation but aren’t, like the & and @ symbols. Continue reading →

Non Fiction Book Review: Keep What You Love

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Keep What You Love by Irene Smit
Keep What You Love: A Visual Decluttering Guide (Flow)
by Irene Smit, Astrid van der Hulst,  Lotte Dirks (Illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars

This book lists things you might want to declutter, and asks the question, “Do I really need it?” Each little page lists one thing, (an empty shoebox, old board games, nuts and screws, enough linens to stock a hotel, old phones, a breadmaker, holiday dinnerware, blank notebooks, and dozens more) and underneath it are checkboxes for “Yes” or “No”.

After every five or six decluttering items, there is a little snippet of advice about decluttering, living more minimally, and letting go of the emotions surrounding your possessions. The tips and advice are interspersed throughout the book, so I would recommend reading all of those first, and then going back and actually doing the declutter items checklist. Continue reading →

Book Review: Meditations on Christ

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Meditations on Christ by Benjamin W. Decker
Meditations on Christ: A 5-Minute Guided Journal for Christians
by Benjamin W. Decker 

2 out of 5 stars

This book has written prayers, meditations, and journal prompts for Christians with a Scripture verse at the beginning of each section.

Although the title is “Meditations on Christ”, every section is all about the fruit of the spirit listed in Galatians. Christ is certainly mentioned in each prayer and meditation, but the title is misleading, since the meditations do not focus primarily on the person of Christ. A better title would be “Meditations on the Fruits of the Spirit.”

This book does have a few weird ideas though, such as making an altar with some candles and “an image of Christ”. That sounds like idolatry.

There are many references to the “children of God” and how “we are all family in the Kingdom of God.” Except we aren’t.

Continue reading →

Book Review: The Toughest Sudoku Puzzle Book

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Toughest Sudoku Puzzle Book by Cristina Smith
Toughest Sudoku Puzzle Book: 200+ Puzzles to Sharpen Your Brain
by Cristina Smith, Rick Smith

5 out of 5 stars

This book begins with advice on various strategies for completing sudoku puzzles, and gives some advanced techniques to try out. The puzzles are separated into sections for Tough, Tougher, Tear-Your-Hair-Out, and Extra Credit.

There are also some variations of sudoku puzzles that are explored, like diagonal sudoku, consecutive, jigsaw sudoku, killer sudoku, chain, skyscraper, and butterfly sudoku. Most of the puzzles in this book are the normal style of puzzle, but there is an extra credit section with some of the variations of sudoku puzzles

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Book Review: Self-Care Check-In

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Self-Care Check-In by GG Renee Hill
Self-Care Check-In: A Guided Journal to Build Healthy Habits and Devote Time to You
by GG Renee Hill

5 out of 5 stars

This book gives you some journal prompts and activities to do that help to promote self-care and happiness. I really love how the prompts guide you through difficult questions, to find what will bring you the most balanced life and a sense of well-being. How to set self-care boundaries, how to say no to others, how to be confident with spending your money, how to trust your own instincts, and many more issues are explored in a calm and caring way.

This book encourages self-acceptance, slowing down to reflect, making positive changes with baby steps, and designing a life that is full of wellness and joy!
Each page has three sections: Reflect, Focus, and Do. There are one or two sentences about an issue you can Reflect on, then a prompt to Focus on what you really need and what would make that issue better, and finally an activity to Do that will help you to realize your self-care goals. Continue reading →