Location: Canada
Member Since:
June 26, 2018
Briar's Reviews
Briar's Reviews' favorite authors on Smashwords
Smashwords book reviews by Briar's Reviews
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The Otherside of Aging Humor
on Oct. 08, 2020
The Otherside of Aging Humor is another sweet read y Judy Deutchman. Honestly, Judy's writing is quite charming. I do enjoy picking up her books. They're quirky, funny and quite real. Aging is a pain, but books like this make it a little more fun. I highly recommend this book if you're looking for a short and sweet read with a pinch of comedy. It's a great contemporary read to add to your shelves. Three out of five stars.
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The Humorous Side of Aging
on Oct. 08, 2020
The Humorous Side of Aging by Judy Deutchman is a unique read I grabbed off Smashreads. There was a sale so I grabbed a whole bunch of indie books. I like reading new things and enjoying grabbing new books to read. This book was definitely worth grabbing during the sale! It's short, sweet and amusing. It brings up the troubles of being older and going to job interviews. It also brings up some of the troubles of being a Baby Boomer. The main couple's relationship is also interesting to watch. They go from utterly adorable to having some interesting troubles to deal with. It felt very real. It did feel a little more contemporary than comedy though. The title misled me a bit. Overall, this book is full of heart and was a great, short read. Three out of five stars.
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Halloween Coloring and Activity Book The Underground Toy Society
on Oct. 08, 2020
If you are seeking an activity book this Halloween for your young ones, grab this book! Jessica Adams is a great resource for fun children's books, and her activity book is no different. This friendly and fun collection of colouring pages and activities is a great way to get kids into a spooky mood. Especially in today's climate (with Halloween potentially being cancelled... my poor heart...), this is one way to make the holiday fun and interactive, even if they can't trick or treat! I really enjoyed scrolling through and even doing some of my own work (let's be honest, the little ones might have better art skills than me, but I am still a giant child!). I absolutely adore Halloween, so I can appreciate books like these! If only I had some activity books like this back in the day. I would have totally been obsessed! Also, it's quite long so it'll keep you busy all spooky season long! From word searches to colouring, from writing prompts to story telling, this book is one marvellous addition to your Halloween book shelf! Five out of five stars
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The Christmas Gift of Friendship and Other Fall Hollidays
on Oct. 08, 2020
Christmas The Gift of Friendship is a great little read full of Christmas cheer! I can't quite place if this is for children or adults, because it seems to be just a good story. There's Christmas cheer, talks of a Christmas play and traditions, presents and lots of fun! It teaches a great lesson of the traditions of Christmas. There's also elves, which is cute. I enjoyed reading this quirky little tale and I highly recommend picking it up if you are looking for a short read. Three out of five stars.
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The Lemon Seed
on Oct. 08, 2020
The Lemon Seed by Shelly Mateer is a sweet picture book all about a seed finding its way to growing and becoming a lemon tree. I especially love the home made illustrations! It's such a great, quick read with great pictures. I truly like this picture book. I think it'd be a great bedtime story. Three out of five stars.
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The Edge of Whiteness
on Jan. 05, 2021
(no rating)
The Edge of Whiteness by Joe Montaperto is a smashing read all about Joe's school hijinks in the 1970s. If you're looking for a blast from the past, this book is for you! Joe Montaperto's school life is full of misfits, hijinks, Sicilian heritage, hilarious name calling, amazing references and lots of hilarity. This book centres around the race riots in high schools during the 1970s. It's a different time with lots of flashbacks to Joe's youth. There's yelling, screaming, cursing, and lots of comedy all packed into this wonderful book. It reminded me of listening to a Director's Cut of a movie. You see (or read, in the case of the book) all of the action but also get to hear the funny side comments and quips about the situation itself. That's why this book is so enjoyable - Joe's witty or snippy remarks about the situation as a whole. The spiritual awakening part of this book is one of the more interesting parts for me. It all starting with a book, Siddhartha by Heran Hesse, is even more interesting. Throw that in with the struggles of youth in the 70s and it opens your eyes (or reminds you) of how the world was different many years ago. My only note is that this book may come off as rude. There are offensive terms mentioned in this book that were fairly common back in the 1970s. Nowadays, the terminology is very offensive. So, trigger warnings ahead! Remember, this is a book about the 1970s which was a very different time with a different point of view (generations are all different). N words, fake Arab accents - the works. That is a point to keep in mind when thinking about reading this book. Four out of five stars.
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The Edge of Whiteness
on Jan. 05, 2021
The Edge of Whiteness by Joe Montaperto is a smashing read all about Joe's school hijinks in the 1970s. If you're looking for a blast from the past, this book is for you! Joe Montaperto's school life is full of misfits, hijinks, Sicilian heritage, hilarious name calling, amazing references and lots of hilarity. This book centres around the race riots in high schools during the 1970s. It's a different time with lots of flashbacks to Joe's youth. There's yelling, screaming, cursing, and lots of comedy all packed into this wonderful book. It reminded me of listening to a Director's Cut of a movie. You see (or read, in the case of the book) all of the action but also get to hear the funny side comments and quips about the situation itself. That's why this book is so enjoyable - Joe's witty or snippy remarks about the situation as a whole. The spiritual awakening part of this book is one of the more interesting parts for me. It all starting with a book, Siddhartha by Heran Hesse, is even more interesting. Throw that in with the struggles of youth in the 70s and it opens your eyes (or reminds you) of how the world was different many years ago. My only note is that this book may come off as rude. There are offensive terms mentioned in this book that were fairly common back in the 1970s. Nowadays, the terminology is very offensive. So, trigger warnings ahead! Remember, this is a book about the 1970s which was a very different time with a different point of view (generations are all different). N words, fake Arab accents - the works. That is a point to keep in mind when thinking about reading this book. Four out of five stars.