Base Camp Las Vegas

Base Camp Las Vegas

101 Hikes in the SouthWest

Deborah Wall

 Las Vegas is the best starting place to explore the south west and all it has to offer to the hiker enthusiast. Use Vegas as your base camp and hike on trails that will take your breath away and show you the beauty of nature and the wonders of history. The author begins by giving some instructions and insights into hiking. There are lots of things that could be dangerous if not handled properly. The rest of the book is divided up into sections such as Red Rock Canyon, where multiple hikes can take place. The author goes into detail about the area. There are maps, things to take into account when hiking those specific trails, and lots of gorgeous color photos. She mentions things like flash flood areas, which ones are more strenuous, and weather conditions that might affect the hike.

I enjoyed reading through the book and recognizing several of the places I've hiked in the past. The author did a great job of being informative, without dry and boring. I found myself wishing I'd had the book a few months earlier when I was hiking on some of these trails. There were several places that I noticed had more hiking trails in the park or area that weren't mentioned. But considering the thickness of the book, would have probably made it overly large and cumbersome. Overall, it was a wonderful book that I intend to add to my travel collection to use the next time I'm in the area.

I received a copy of this book from Smith Publicity. All thoughts expressed are my own.

The Wedding Shop

The Wedding Shop

Rachel Hauck

Cora has inherited her great-aunt's wedding shop. She's being pursued by a farmer, Birch Good. But Cora is only interested in her boat captain and is anticipating the day her returns and makes her his bride. 

Eighty years later, the shop has gone into disrepair and is set to be bulldozed to make way for a parking lot. No one is interested in resurrecting the dilapidated building, except for retired Air Force captain Haley.  Haley is resurrecting the old shop that she and her late friend, Tammy used to play in during their childhood. She knows nothing about weddings, but the memories have a powerful hold on her heart. So despite discouragement from family, friends, and the local townspeople, she purchased the building. But the restrictions and stipulations put her under a considerable time crunch and Haley still might lose the shop that is becoming so dear to her.

This was a wonderful, whimsical, fairytale like story. Told in the style that the author is now becoming well know for, it has faith, family, and a touch of the magical. Strong friendships and flowing descriptions help bring the plot together. I loved the main characters in both stories and felt like the secondary characters helped round them out. This was another great story by this author that I really enjoyed. I can't wait for her next book.

I received this book from Smith Publicity. All thoughts expressed are my own.

The Orphan Keeper

The Orphan Keeper

Camron Wright

Chellamuthu's life is  completely changed when he's kidnapped and sold to an orphanage. Despite his assurances that he has a family, he's ignored and adopted out to an American family. His name, country, family, and life is completely changed. Now called Taj, he tries to balance the life he knew, with the life he now has. Will he ever return home and be re-united with his family? And what of the family here that loves him?

This was an intense book. The writing style is similar to many Indian writers that I've read before. So I think the author picked up on the authenticity of the origins of the story. The story is based on a true person, but has some of the events and people fictionalized, thus making it a novel. The beginning of the book was very difficult for me to get through. It felt like it dragged. But once I was about half way through, it picked up and I sped through the last half. The author writes with great descriptions and fleshes out the characters so the reader can relate. It's a large book, but flows smoothly enough that won't bog the reader down. Overall, I can see this becoming one of those book club books that everyone loves to read and discuss. So while not my favorite, I think it will be a hit with quite a lot of people.

I received this book free of charge in exchange from Smith Publicity for my honest review.