National Geographic’s ‘Inside the Curve’ Makes Us Wonder Just How Prepared We Are for the Next Health Crisis [REVIEW]
From the time COVID-19 seemed like the rumblings of distant thunder to the moment it arrived on our doorstep as a full-blown health crisis of global proportions, ordinary men and women rose to become heroes throughout the pandemic. We have all heard some of the stories, particularly those that were local, including those about the front-line workers who kept us fed and the first responders and physicians who worked tirelessly to keep us healthy. Now, in National Geographic’s touching and thoughtful new book (Inside the Curve): Stories from the Pandemic, we get the opportunity to meet many of the folks we didn’t hear about. As we learn to embrace our new normal, this volume helps us never forget how far we have come and yet how much further we still have to go.
Continue reading “National Geographic’s ‘Inside the Curve’ Makes Us Wonder Just How Prepared We Are for the Next Health Crisis [REVIEW]”
One Couple Turns Lemons into Lemonade in Miranda Liasson’s ‘The Sweetheart Fix’ [REVIEW]
In the small town of Blossom Glen, Indiana, life has given two disparate people plenty of problems. In his case, he is finding it difficult to unify a community since the town folk don’t particularly seem to like him. And when it comes to her, she may lose her dream job if she can’t get the locals to forget her past. Will the two of them be able to join forces and turn lemons into lemonade? Or are they both destined for failure? Find out in Miranda Liasson’s The Sweetheart Fix.
Continue reading “One Couple Turns Lemons into Lemonade in Miranda Liasson’s ‘The Sweetheart Fix’ [REVIEW]”
Ornithologist Noah Strycker Introduces Readers to New Feathered Friends in ‘National Geographic Birding Basics’ [REVIEW]
I’ve always loved birds. Living in Southern California and coastal Massachusetts, I enjoyed watching big white sea birds like gulls and albatrosses soar overhead anytime we went to the beach. Later, when we relocated to Arkansas, I marveled at the huge blue jays that would dive bomb our cats and dogs and send them scurrying for cover. In New York City, sparrows built a nest on my apartment’s windowsill, and I checked every day to see if their tiny eggs had hatched. And then in Ohio, when we lived in our old farmhouse and owned some land, we watched all kinds of birds make their homes in the trees surrounding our property.
The point is, no matter where we live, birds surround us (although thankfully not in the eerie way Alfred Hitchcock depicted in his classic film The Birds). Even in the most urban areas, these airborne creatures are our constant connection to nature. This is a lesson ornithologist Noah Strycker learned early on in fifth grade when his teacher mounted a bird feeder to the classroom window. The birds he saw sparked his imagination and began a lifelong love affair with his feathered neighbors, and his fascination with them has given him a career and led him around the world. Now, in National Geographic Birding Basics, he shows us how all of us, regardless of where we may live, can become birding enthusiasts too.
Continue reading “Ornithologist Noah Strycker Introduces Readers to New Feathered Friends in ‘National Geographic Birding Basics’ [REVIEW]”
Reese Ryan Launches Brand New Valentine Vineyards Series [EXCERPT]
In recent years, Reese Ryan has become one of our favorite authors. She has a flair for creating flesh-and-blood characters that practically come off the page and into our living room. They are people we can’t help but relate to, cheer on, and care for, which always makes for an engaging read. In the debut novel in her new Valentine Vineyards series, she introduces us to yet another couple who steals our hearts. We hope you enjoy this excerpt from the book. —J&H
Continue reading “Reese Ryan Launches Brand New Valentine Vineyards Series [EXCERPT]”
National Geographic’s ‘Stargazer’s Atlas’ Encourages Us to Look Up and Learn [REVIEW]
When I was a boy, my grandfather gave me my very first book about constellations. Ever since, I have been fascinated by the heavens and love nights when the sky is black as pitch and the stars look close enough to touch. It’s such a marvel to me to think that we are looking up at things so far away, no man has ever been there. At least not yet. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t get familiar with them. To do that, you simply have to open National Geographic’s dazzling new volume, the Stargazer’s Atlas. Even if you haven’t spent your nights looking up in the past, you will after you read this beautiful guide to the night sky.
Continue reading “National Geographic’s ‘Stargazer’s Atlas’ Encourages Us to Look Up and Learn [REVIEW]”
Jathan & Heather 