“Essential Chakra Meditation” by April Pfender

Blurb:

Unlock your healing power with chakra meditation.

Your chakras are your body’s vital energy centers, and their health can impact your physical and mental wellbeing. Drawing on rich traditions and hundreds of years of knowledge, Essential Chakra Meditation shows you that practicing intention and purpose can transform your mind, body, and spirit.

Discover how to unblock your energy through a series of guided meditations―each tailored to treat a specific chakra. Whether you’re new to meditation or have some experience, this book offers you everything you need to create internal balance and start healing today.

Essential Chakra Meditation includes:

Awaken your healing power―Learn how guided meditations can keep your energy flowing―reducing stress, easing fatigue, and bringing balance back to your busy life.
Understanding your chakras―Detailed descriptions of the Root, Sacral, Solar Plexus, Heart, Throat, Third Eye, and Crown chakras provide you with the information needed to diagnose and treat blockages.
Essential mantra and mudras―Enhance your meditation and mind-body healing with mantras (short chants) and mudras (hand postures) for each chakra.

Master the art of chakra healing and help free yourself from worry and exhaustion.

My Thoughts:

I find meditation very helpful personally, though I most often use it for relaxation. Nevertheless, I’ve been intrigued by all the different “types” of meditation and so this little book seemed like it might be interesting. Chakras I have heard of, mostly in the context of yoga but they are a concept that I don’t really understand very well. I found this book to be very informative on the subject. It’s organized in sections by the chakras. The author starts with a presentation of the chakra and what it does and how it relates to the other chakras. There is also discussion of how blockages in a chakra can affect the individual physically. Each section concludes with meditation exercises that relate to the chakra. The meditations are of various lengths so you can pick the ones that best suit the time you have available. I found that the meditations were presented in a very straightforward way that I think would be easy for beginners or more experienced meditators to practice. Ultimately, I’m not sure if I believe in the chakras but I really enjoyed how the concepts and meditations were presented.

Alinefromabook’s rating:

Happy Reading!

Find it on Amazon!

8/13/2019 Book Releases

The Oysterville Sewing Circle by Susan Wiggs (William Morrow, $26.99; ISBN 978-0-06-242558-4).

Thirteen by Steve Cavanaugh (Flatiron Books, $26.99; ISBN 978-1-250-29760-0).

Devotion: A Novel by Madeline Stevens (Ecco, $26.99; ISBN 978-0-06-288322-3).

How Money Became Dangerous: A Journey into the Turbulent Heart of Modern Finance by Christopher Varelas (Ecco, $28.99; ISBN 978-0-06-268475-2).

Homegrown by Alex Speier (William Morrow, $26.99; ISBN 978-0-06-294355-2).

Flip the Script: Getting People to Think Your Idea Is Their Idea by Oren Klaff (Portfolio, $26; ISBN 978-0-525-53394-8).

The Bitterroot by C. J. Box (Minotaur Books, $27.99; ISBN 978-1-250-05105-9).

Contraband by Stuart Woods (G. P. Putnam’s Sons, $28; ISBN 978-0-593-08313-0).

The Last Good Guy by T. Jefferson Parker (G. P. Putnam’s Sons, $27; ISBN 978-0-525-53764-9).

Inland by Téa Obreht (Random House, $27; ISBN 978-0-8129-9286-1).

River of Fire by Sister Helen Prejean (Random House, $27; ISBN 978-1-4000-6730-5).

Campusland by Scott Johnston (St. Martin’s Press, $27.99; ISBN 978-1-250-22237-4).

Jet Girl by Caroline Johnson with Hof Williams (St. Martin’s Press, $28.99; ISBN 978-1-250-13929-0).

Proof of Conspiracy by Seth Abramson (St. Martin’s Press, $29.99; ISBN 978-1-250-25671-3). New

Texas Flood by Alan Paul and Andy Aledort, epilogue by Jimmie Vaughan, (St. Martin’s Press, $29.99; ISBN 978-1-250-14283-2).

Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center (St. Martin’s Press, $26.99; ISBN 978-1-250-04732-8).

“Death Comes to Dartmoor” by Vivian Conroy

Blurb:

Miss Merula Merriweather barely saved her uncle from the gallows after he was wrongly accused of murder—and now, she’s left the bustle of Victorian London to recuperate in the fresh air of Dartmoor with her fellow zoologist, Lord Raven Royston. The trip offers a unique treat, as they’ll be staying with a friend of Raven’s, who owns a collection of rare zoological specimens—including a kraken, a sea monster of myth and legend.

But all is not right in the land of tors, heaths, and mist. Their host’s maid has vanished without a trace, and the townspeople hold him responsible, claiming that his specimens are alive and roam the moors at night, bringing death to anyone who crosses their path. Merula and Raven are skeptical—but the accusations become more ominous when they find several specimen jars empty.

As the two hunt for clues across a desolate and beautiful landscape, a stranger appears bearing a shadowy secret from Merula’s past. Could there be a connection between her family history, the missing girl, and a fearsome monster that could be on the loose? The race is on to find the truth.

My Thoughts:

This story was very middle-of-the-road for me. The storyline was intriguing and I liked the idea of the mad scientist accused of murder but I didn’t take very well to the characters. I seemed as though Merula and Raven didn’t have much depth and I couldn’t quite figure out exactly what the nature of their relationship is. The Dartmoor setting wasn’t particularly special and while I was curious as to how the story would end, and I did finish it, I just didn’t feel very satisfied with it overall.

Alinefromabook’s Rating:

Happy Reading!

Find it on Amazon

“Truth and Lies” by Caroline Mitchell

Narrated by Elizabeth Knowelden

Blurb:

DI Amy Winter is hoping to follow in the footsteps of her highly respected police officer father. But when a letter arrives from the prison cell of Lillian Grimes, one half of a notorious husband-and-wife serial-killer team, it contains a revelation that will tear her life apart.

Responsible for a string of heinous killings decades ago, Lillian is pure evil. A psychopathic murderer. And Amy’s biological mother. Now, she is ready to reveal the location of three of her victims – but only if Amy plays along with her twisted game.

While her fellow detectives frantically search for a young girl taken from her mother’s doorstep, Amy must confront her own dark past. Haunted by blurred memories of a sister who sacrificed herself to save her, Amy faces a race against time to uncover the missing bodies.

But what if, from behind bars, Grimes has been pulling the strings even tighter than Amy thought? And can she overcome her demons to prevent another murder?

My Thoughts:

Let me just start by saying how much I enjoyed this narration. I think she did a great job of bringing the various characters to life and keeping the story moving. As for the story itself, I was totally intrigued by Amy and her story. When she finds out who her real mother is it could have gone a lot of ways, but she managed to keep the job in focus and do what needed to be done to solve the case. It’s an interesting battle of the psyches of these two women. There is a lot of abuse in the story as it unfolds but I found the domestic abuse situation to be fascinating in the way the author presented what was occurring but also how the person involved was rationalizing the whole situation. I don’t want to give anything away but there is a lot of thought provoking psychology going on in this book. I took to Amy’s character right away. She is so driven to live up to what she thinks is expected of her that I found myself cheering for her through most of the book. She is very vulnerable at times during the story but she’s also tough and determined not to let her circumstances undermine her future. To top it all off, there is a cat in this story who “saves” the day and I just can’t resist a good cat character. If you’re looking for a good listen, definitely check this one out.

Alinefromabook’s rating:

Happy Reading!

Find it on Amazon

8/6/19 Book Releases

We Are All Good People Here by Susan Rebecca White (Atria Books, $26.99; ISBN 978-1-4516-0891-5).

The Birthday Girl by Melissa de la Cruz (Dutton, $27; ISBN 978-1-5247-4377-2).

The Mosquito: A Human History of Our Deadliest Predator by Timothy C. Winegard (Dutton, $28; ISBN 978-1-5247-4341-3).

The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang (Harper Voyager, $26.99; ISBN 978-0-06-266263-7).

The Long Accomplishment by Rick Moody (Henry Holt & Co., $28; ISBN 978-1-62779-844-0).

Pretty One by Keah Brown (Atria Books, $17 paper; ISBN 978-1-982100-54-4).

Women of the Copper Country by Mary Doria Russell (Atria Books, $27; ISBN 978-1-982109-58-5).

The Scout Mindset: The Perils of Defensive Thinking and How to Be Right More Often by Julia Galef (Portfolio, $27; ISBN 978-0-7352-1755-3).

Four Sacred Secrets by Krishnaji (Atria Books, $26; ISBN 978-1-5011-7377-6).

Lost You by Haylen Beck (Crown, $26; ISBN 978-1-5247-5958-2).

Girl on the Block by Jessica Wragg (Dey Street Books, $26.99; ISBN 978-0-06-286392-8).

Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton (Grand Central Publishing, $27; ISBN 978-1-5387-4582-3).

I’m Telling the Truth, but I’m Lying by Bassey Ikpi (Harper Perennial, $15.99 paper; ISBN 978-0-06-269834-6).

The Darwin Strain by Bill Schutt and J.R. Finch (William Morrow, $26.99; ISBN 978-0-06-283547-5).

The Man Who Wouldn’t Die by A.B. Jewell (William Morrow Paperback, $16.99 paper; ISBN 978-0-06-220120-1).

The Perfect Wife by JP Delaney (Ballantine, $27; ISBN 978-1-5247-9674-7).

Nottingham by Nathan Makaryk (Forge, $26.99; ISBN 978-1-250-19560-9).

City of Windows by Robert Pobi (Minotaur Books, $26.99; ISBN 978-1-250-29394-7).

Travel Light, Move Fast by Alexandra Fuller (Penguin Press, $27; ISBN 978-1-59420-674-0).

First Cosmic Velocity by Zach Powers (G. P. Putnam’s Sons, $26; ISBN 978-0-525-53927-8).

Beyond the Known: Realization: A Channeled Text by Paul Selig, foreword by Aubrey Marcus, (St. Martin’s Essentials, $16.99 paper; ISBN 978-1-250-20422-6).

Surrounded by Idiots: The Four Types of Human Behavior and How to Effectively Communicate with Each in Business (and in Life) by Thomas Erikson (St. Martin’s Essentials, $27.99; ISBN 978-1-250-17994-4).

Because You’re Mine by Rea Frey (St. Martin’s Griffin, $16.99 paper; ISBN 978-1-250-16644-9).

Dottir by Katrin Davidsdottir with Rory McKernan (St. Martin’s Press, $29.99; ISBN 978-1-250-14264-1).

The Escape Room by Megan Goldin (St. Martin’s Press, $26.99; ISBN 978-1-250-21965-7).

Keeping Lucy by T. Greenwood (St. Martin’s Press, $27.99; ISBN 978-1-250-16422-3).

When I Was White by Sarah Valentine (St. Martin’s Press, $27.99; ISBN 978-1-250-14675-5).

Boss Up!: This Ain’t Your Mama’s Business Book by Lindsay Teague Moreno (W Publishing, $26.99; ISBN 978-0-7852-2441-9).

“Murder in the Mill-Race” by E.C.R. Lorac

Blurb:

“Never make trouble in the village” is an unspoken law, but it’s a binding law. You may know about your neighbor’s sins and shortcomings, but you must never name them aloud. It’d make trouble, and small societies want to avoid trouble.”

When Dr Raymond Ferens moves to a practice at Milham in the Moor in North Devon, he and his wife are enchanted with the beautiful hilltop village lying so close to moor and sky. At first, they see only its charm, but soon they begin to uncover its secrets—envy, hatred, and malice.

Everyone says that Sister Monica, warden of a children’s home, is a saint—but is she? A few months after the Ferens’ arrival her body is found drowned in the mill-race. Chief Inspector Macdonald faces one of his most difficult cases in a village determined not to betray its dark secrets to a stranger.

My Thoughts:

Milham in the Moor is a quiet little village where everybody knows everybody else’s business but no one will talk to an outsider. When a second murder, in a matter of months, occurs the village finds it harder and harder to keep quiet. Someone has upset the balance and Inspector Macdonald and Dr. Ferens are determined to find out who. My favorite characters in this story are Dr. Ferens and his wife. The author has created a loving young couple who want to make their life in this little village and they are just delightful to read about. I also really enjoyed Inspector Macdonald. He comes into the village looking for answers but is not heavy-handed about it. He respects the solidarity of the village but he will not stop looking and eventually he gets the breakthrough that he needs as the pieces of the puzzle slowly start to come together. I think the story moved along at a really good pace with lots of clues that I, as the reader, didn’t anticipate. The ending came as a surprise as well. I continue to enjoy this author from the “Golden Age of Mystery” and I’m really glad these books are being made available again. Fans of mysteries in historical settings should really enjoy this one.

Alinefromabook’s rating:

Happy Reading!

Find it on Amazon – this one releases on Aug. 6th, 2019

“On Pluto” by Greg O’Brien

Blurb:

This is a book about living with Alzheimer’s, not dying with it. It is a book about hope, faith, and humor—a prescription far more powerful than the conventional medication available today to fight this disease.

Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in the US—and the only one of these diseases on the rise.
More than 5 million Americans have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or a related dementia; about 35 million people worldwide.

Greg O’Brien, an award-winning investigative reporter, has been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s and is one of those faceless numbers. Acting on long-term memory and skill coupled with well-developed journalistic grit, O’Brien decided to tackle the disease and his imminent decline by writing frankly about the journey. O’Brien is a master storyteller. His story is naked, wrenching, and soul searching for a generation and their loved ones about to cross the threshold of this death in slow motion. On Pluto: Inside the Mind of Alzheimer’s is a trail-blazing roadmap for a generation—both a “how to” for fighting a disease, and a “how not” to give up!

My Thoughts:

This was a very difficult for me to read because the subject matter hits very close to home. I found myself having to read it in small chunks so I didn’t get overwhelmed. That being said, this book is chock full of good information about Alzheimer’s. Mr. O’Brien relates his daily struggles with the disease in a way that is very approachable for the reader and also gives the reader an immense amount of insight into what this disease looks like as it progresses and the kind of challenges that loved ones and caregivers will face as time goes on. This book is also full of hope. The author talks a lot about what is happening in the medical community in regards to treating Alzheimer’s: the various avenues of research that scientists are pursuing, the treatments that are currently available, and the kind of lifestyle changes that can help the patient and caregivers cope with the symptoms. If you know someone with Alzheimer’s or have it yourself, I think this book is a must-read for the insight and hope that it will give you.

Alinefromabook’s rating:

Happy Reading!

Find it on Amazon!

“Death in the Covenant” by D. A. Bartley

Blurb:

Detective Abish “Abbie” Taylor returned to the mountain town of Pleasant View, Utah, hoping for a quiet life. But that hope dissipates like a dream when she wakes to an unsettling phone call. Arriving at the scene of a fatal car accident, she discovers that the victim was one of the most beloved leaders of the Church—and an old family friend.

Abbie is skeptical when her father insists the death was not an accident, but in an attempt to patch up their relationship, she takes a few days off from her job as the sole detective in the police department, and heads to Colonia Juárez, a former LDS colony in Mexico. There, she uncovers a plan hearkening back to the Church’s history of polygamy. But Abbie knows too well that bringing secrets to light can be deadly. Is that why her father’s friend died?

Abbie realizes with a jolt that her investigation could cost her father his job and possibly get him excommunicated. Who is the murderous mastermind of this secret plot? Time is running out for Abbie to save her father’s position—and her own life—as dark forces close in, and the outlook for Pleasant View turns decidedly unpleasant.

My Thoughts:

Abish Taylor is my newest female detective heroine. I found her incredibly relatable. Her conservative upbringing, walking away from the faith she was raised in, struggling with loss and moving on, are all things that I could connect with immediately. The author picked a beautiful setting in Utah to place this story and drew it in words to perfection. The story itself has a very complex plot woven into it that really gave me food for thought. The themes of domestic abuse and polygamy are seamlessly inserted into the plot and I think they were handled with care. This is the second book in this series and the author can’t write a 3rd one fast enough for me. Highly recommend!

Alinefromabook’s rating:

Happy Reading!

Links: Amazon | Goodreads | Author’s website

7/30/19 Book Releases

Someone We Know by Shari Lapena (Pamela Dorman Books, $27; ISBN 978-0-525-55765-4). 150,000 copies.

Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson (William Morrow, $26.99; ISBN 978-0-06-285531-2). 125,000 copies.

Smokescreen by Iris Johansen (Grand Central Publishing, $28; ISBN 978-1-5387-1308-2). 100,000 copies.

Too Close by Natalie Daniels (Harper Paperbacks, $16.99 paper; ISBN 978-0-06-291748-5). 100,000 copies.

The Chelsea Girls by Fiona Davis (Dutton, $27; ISBN 978-1-5247-4458-8). 75,000 copies.

Fire and Fortitude: The US Army in the Pacific War, 1941–1943 by John C. McManus (Dutton Caliber, $34; ISBN 978-0-451-47504-6). 75,000 copies.

Home for Erring and Outcast Girls by Julie Kibler (Crown, $27; ISBN 978-0-451-49933-2). 60,000 copies.

Kawaii Sweet World Cookbook by Rachel Fong, Creator of the Popular YouTube Show (Clarkson Potter, $24.99; ISBN 978-0-525-57542-9). 50,000 copies.

Semicolon: The Past, Present, and Future of a Misunderstood Mark by Cecelia Watson (Ecco, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-06-285305-9). 50,000 copies.

How to Hack a Heartbreak by Kristin Rockaway (Graydon House Books, $15.99 paper; ISBN 978-1-5258-3425-7). 50,000 copies.

The Vexations by Caitlin Horrocks (Little, Brown, $27; ISBN 978-0-316-31691-0). 50,000 copies.

Game of Snipers by Stephen Hunter (G. P. Putnam’s Sons, $27; ISBN 978-0-399-57457-3).

The Other Mrs. Miller by Allison Dickson (G. P. Putnam’s Sons, $26; ISBN 978-0-525-53924-7).

The Russian by Ben Coes (St. Martin’s Press, $27.99; ISBN 978-1-250-14079-1).

I Give Up: The Secret Joy of a Surrendered Life by Laura Story with Leigh McLeroy (W Publishing, $17.99 paper; ISBN 978-0-7852-2629-1).

(Release dates are per Publisher’s Weekly and may be subject to change.)

“The Turn of the Key” by Ruth Ware

Blurb:

When she stumbles across the ad, she’s looking for something else completely. But it seems like too good an opportunity to miss—a live-in nannying post, with a staggeringly generous salary. And when Rowan Caine arrives at Heatherbrae House, she is smitten—by the luxurious “smart” home fitted out with all modern conveniences, by the beautiful Scottish Highlands, and by this picture-perfect family.

What she doesn’t know is that she’s stepping into a nightmare—one that will end with a child dead and herself in prison awaiting trial for murder.

Writing to her lawyer from prison, she struggles to explain the unravelling events that led to her incarceration. It wasn’t just the constant surveillance from the cameras installed around the house, or the malfunctioning technology that woke the household with booming music, or turned the lights off at the worst possible time. It wasn’t just the girls, who turned out to be a far cry from the immaculately behaved model children she met at her interview. It wasn’t even the way she was left alone for weeks at a time, with no adults around apart from the enigmatic handyman, Jack Grant.

It was everything.

She knows she’s made mistakes. She admits that she lied to obtain the post, and that her behavior toward the children wasn’t always ideal. She’s not innocent, by any means. But, she maintains, she’s not guilty—at least not of murder. Which means someone else is.

My Thoughts:

Hang on to your sanity people, this one will definitely make you question what is real, what is ruse, and what is the truth. Rowan, I found to be likeable but a little rough around the edges. Her childhood had been rough and she seemed to be having a little trouble gaining traction in her adult life. She sees the opportunity at Heatherbrae House as a chance to put the past behind her and start a new life. But her new life quickly takes some very dramatic turns and will leave her questioning her own sanity. This is the best psychological thriller I have read in a long time. The twists are sometimes subtle and sometimes dramatic but always leave you guessing. The characters are great, with even the baby having a distinct personality. Alone in this isolated house with three young children it doesn’t seem possible that the things that happen are really happening. This house if full of mysteries and secrets and the author teases them out in a delicious way. However, nothing will prepare you for the ending when the final truths are revealed. You really must read this book.

Alinefromabook’s rating:

Happy Reading!

Find it on Amazon!

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Narrated by Elizabeth Knowelden

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