Bergers Book Reviews

Transforming Pandora

February 8, 2014 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Carolyn Matthews
Publisher: Roundfire Books
Genre: Romance
ISBN: 978-1-78099-745-2
Pages: 356
Price: $22.95

Pandora is 51 and newly widowed. Unsure of where she wants to go in this new phase of life, she applies for a part-time job at the Cool Cake Boutique. Working with the flamboyant Olivier lifts her spirits and allows her the opportunity to re-open her own business, The Cedars. But as Pandora revisits the meditation practice she had abandoned before her marriage, she finds a surprise waiting for her.

Over the course of this story, Pandora spends time reflecting on her memories going back to the very first time she met her husband, Mike. But there is so much more she needs to look at, and she explores all the most important events from her past. She’s aware that her past decisions have led her to where she is today, and now she needs to make a choice about how she wants to live the rest of her life. Pandora is lonely and still searching for love. But at her age, is it too late?

When a woman suddenly finds herself alone in midlife, she may be confused by conflicting thoughts and feelings. In this story, we see how Pandora is able to create her new life out of the ashes and move in the direction she truly wants to go. Well-written and engaging, Transforming Pandora is an enjoyable read. I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Christian, memoir

Learning to Breathe Again

February 5, 2014 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Tammy Trent
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Genre: Memoir / Christian
ISBN: 0-8499-0954-6
Pages: 240
Price: $13.99

Author’s website
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Tammy Hill met Trent Lenderink when they were both fifteen. Although they went through the normal teenage and young adult turbulent years, they finally married. Life was good as Tammy followed her calling into the world of Christian music with Trent at her side. But God’s plans are often very different from our own, and Tammy never thought her world would come crashing down around her only eighteen years after meeting Trent.

Learning to Breathe Again is Tammy and Trent’s love story, detailing their relationship from its early years until Trent’s diving accident in Jamaica. She also shares her joys and struggles in the Christian music industry.

Tammy Trent is amazingly honest in this touching memoir. Putting her husband on a pedestal at times, she shares her own shortcomings and weaknesses in their relationship. But most of all, she shares her vulnerability, faith and deep love of God with us. I highly recommend Learning to Breathe Again.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

Fishy World

February 3, 2014 Bergers Book Reviews

Author & Illustrator: Carolyn Ortiz
Publisher: CreateSpace
Genre: Children
ISBN: 9781481225878
Pages: 24
Price: $8.50

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Gabriel, the silver angelfish, believes there is something bigger than his fishy world. As he explores his surroundings, he talks endlessly with his friends about his thoughts on this subject.

Gabriel’s beliefs are confirmed when he comes face to face with the enormous kissing fish, as he does every day. And as a little girl looks up at the stars, she also believes, as Gabriel does, that there must be something bigger out there.

Fishy World is a gentle reminder to kids that something much bigger than we are is watching out for us. Although we don’t meet him directly in this story, it’s obvious that this is God. This cute story would be a great opening to bedtime discussions about God’s constant love and care.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

mystery

Capacity for Murder

January 31, 2014January 31, 2014 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Bernadette Pajer
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Genre: Mystery
ISBN: 978-1-4642-0126-4
Pages: 250
Price: $24.95

Author’s website
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Professor Benjamin Bradshaw has been urgently summoned to the Healing Sands Sanitarium for an incident of electrical nature. The year is 1903, and electricity is still in its early years. When the request comes with an all-expenses-paid invitation for himself and his students to stay at the sanitarium, he agrees and packs up his class, along with his son, his associate, Henry, and Henry’s niece, Missouri.

Bradshaw is widowed, and has a fondness for Missouri that has developed over the first two books in this series. He is also well-known as an expert in solving homicide cases involving electricity.

When Bradshaw arrives at Healing Sands, he finds that the patients currently in treatment are unable to leave due to a death at the sanitarium. But was this a case of accidental death or was it murder? As Bradshaw investigates, he digs up information someone doesn’t want him to know, and risks his life in exposing the killer.

Capacity for Murder is well-written with an intriguing plot set at the turn of the 20th century. Historical information is nicely blended with a fast-paced story and a finely crafted mystery. This is the first book I’ve read in this series, but I look forward to seeing more of Professor Bradshaw.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, mystery

The Case of the Paranoid Panda

January 29, 2014 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Bruce F. Murphy
Illustrator: Christian Paniagua
Publisher: Bliss Group Books
Genre: Children / Mystery
ISBN: 978-1-940021-09-6
Pages: 120
Price: $10.00

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Irwin LaLune, skunk detective, has just stopped into Suzie’s Diner for a quick bite, when he meets Larry, an excitable squirrel. Larry has just visited Roger the raccoon at the zoo, who told him the panda was acting strangely.

Irwin can’t pass up this unusual case, and proceeds to visit the panda, Ling Ming, who refuses to talk to him. Puzzled by this paranoid behavior, Irwin begins to question the other animals at the zoo, looking for clues. As the evidence mounts, things look very grim for Ling Ming.

The Case of the Paranoid Panda is one of the best mysteries for kids I’ve ever read. The plot is well-developed, the animal characters have great personalities, and the case is solved in an interesting and exciting manner. I highly recommend this really enjoyable mystery.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

Books!

January 28, 2014January 28, 2014 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Murray McCain
Illustrator: John Alcorn
Publisher: Ammo Books
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-162326020-0
Pages: 42
Price: $17.95

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What is a book? A book is for colouring, for looking at, for writing in, and most important for reading. Thus begins this 1962 classic, reprinted for today’s kids to discover the joys of books and reading.

Books! explores the binding, glue and paper used in making a book. It shows us the letters that make up words, leading to sentences, creating ideas. The illustrations are fluorescent colored pen and ink drawings in an over-sized format, perfect for coffee-table display.

But the best part of all about books is the excitement and curiosity they generate. Books are a window to a whole new world, just waiting to be explored. After reading Books! kids will be eager to dive into some books of their own.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns to Listen

January 22, 2014January 22, 2014 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Howard Binkow
Illustrator: Susan F. Cornelison
Publisher: Thunderbolt Publishing
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-0-9715390-1-3
Pages: 32
Price: $15.00

Author’s website
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Howard B. Wigglebottom doesn’t listen. He won’t sit quietly while his teacher reads. He doesn’t listen when she asks him to stop bouncing. And he doesn’t hear his friend telling him something important. As a result, Howard ends up in time-out, so he can think about how he’s behaving.

Since Howard is a smart rabbit, he realizes he’s in trouble because he doesn’t listen, and he makes up his mind that he will be much better. When he changes his actions, he finds out that life is so much more fun.

Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns to Listen is a cute story with a good message. It doesn’t preach, but instead demonstrates by example what it means to be a good listener. There is also a lesson guide after the story, which highlights the important points and offers discussion questions. This book would be a great classroom resource, as well as one parents could use to establish good behavior at home.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, dogs

Dog Daze (S.A.V.E. Squad: Book 1)

January 16, 2014 Bergers Book Reviews

Authors: Lauraine Snelling & Kathleen Damp Wright
Publisher: Barbour Publishing
Genre: Children / Dogs
ISBN: 978-1-61626-560-1
Pages: 160
Price: $5.99

Author’s website
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Aneta Jasper is Ukranian by birth and new to the United States, having recently been adopted. So when her new mother encourages her to enter a contest, she’s willing to try, mostly out of fear of saying no and being sent back. She never actually expects to be a winner and have to team up with three other girls as junior event planners.

But Aneta soon finds herself happily working on their group’s big event – the Bassett Waddle. They not only want to raise money for the animal shelter, but also catch the culprit who tried to drown a Bassett puppy, Wink. And since Aneta has fallen for Wink, her motivation includes figuring out a way to convince her mom to let her adopt him.

Dog Daze is a wonderful book on so many levels. It highlights the feelings Aneta has as an adopted child wondering if her new mom really intends to keep her, along with the isolation of not being familiar with the English language. And it brings four very different girls together to work as a group toward something important. It also touches on the problems of puppy mills and animal abuse. I enjoyed reading this great story, and I look forward to the next installments in the S.A.V.E. Squad series.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

Wooby & Peep

January 14, 2014 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Cynthea Liu
Illustrator: Mary Peterson
Publisher: Sterling Children’s Books
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-1-4027-9644-9
Pages: 40
Price: $14.95

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Wooby is happy living in his quiet, little town with his pet goldfish, his prized petunia garden, his 547 year-old tree, and his magnificent water fountain… until Peep moves next door. But Peep wants to be friends, and in his excitement, he creates turmoil in Wooby’s quiet and peaceful life.

Wooby is gentle and kind-hearted, and forgives Peep for his misdeeds. And when Peep reveals that he’s lonely, Wooby suddenly realizes he’s lonely, too. Letting the past go, they forge a bond over a game of “Go Fish” and decide to be best friends.

Wooby & Peep is a delightful tale of friendship. Even though things go dreadfully wrong for Peep, Wooby shows patience and tolerance throughout. This cute story demonstrates to kids that even the most unlikely of folks could turn out to be best of friends.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

fantasy, teen

Aquifer

January 13, 2014January 13, 2014 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Jonathan Friesen
Publisher: Blink
Genre: Fantasy
ISBN: 978-0-310-73182-5
Pages: 304
Price: $15.99

Author’s website
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The year is 2250 and fresh water is scarce. Those above ground rely on a subterranean species of Water Rats to provide fresh water, when the annual contract is renewed by the Deliverer. Luca, now sixteen years old, is heir to the Deliverer’s position, and when his father suddenly goes missing, must step in to try to make things right again.

But not all is as it seems, and when Luca descends below, he finds out there is much more to the story of the annual exchange than he ever bargained for. His world turns upside down, and the position he is in turns sinister. Can Luca fix things before it’s too late?

Aquifer introduces some really great characters. Although only sixteen, Luca is mature beyond his years, with an admirable sense of responsibility. Various supporting characters are also strong and well-developed. There is a tiny hint of a Christian message in this story, with Wishers who gather to pray, and a Voice that speaks to Luca. A slow start builds to a crescendo, capturing the reader in a race to the conclusion. But there is also quite a bit of violence and darkness to this story, which ends in a disappointing way that leaves too much to the imagination.

Warning: Rated mature for violence

Reviewer: Alice Berger