Chair Yoga for Strength and Balance Book Review

About the Book:

 

Whether due to aging, long hours at a desk, or recovery from injury, limited mobility can feel both painful and frustrating. But what if the solution was right beneath you? Transform your daily sitting time into an opportunity for strength, healing, and natural movement.

Chair Yoga for Core Strength & Balance offers a gentle, immediate way to rebuild mobility—using the chair you're already sitting in. Perfect for seniors, office professionals, beginners, and anyone with limited movement. No prior yoga experience needed.

In as little as 20 minutes a day, you'll learn how to:

• Choose Your Practice: Access 75+ accessible exercises and 25 flexible routines, thoughtfully designed to improve flexibility, build strength, and reduce discomfort without strain.
• Transform Your Core: Experience the confidence that comes from better posture, reduced lower back pain, and natural balance.
• Find Your Calm: Release stress and tension through gentle breathing practices that restore your sense of well-being.
• Move with Confidence: Follow clear, detailed guidance with step-by-step illustrations that show you exactly how to make each movement work for your body. Large, easy-to-read print makes instructions simple to follow.
• Create Your Path: Discover flexible routines that fit naturally into your life, no matter where you're starting from.

 

My Review:

This is a great book for older people desiring to be more flexible and healthy in general. The illustrations are well done. This book is especially good for older people having balance issues. Sitting poses allow for some work to be done on strengthening muscles and becoming more flexible without standing. But there is the option for standing so as one becomes more stable, one can move to the standing poses. The instructions are clear and the good illustrations help too. It is a very good book for beginners and especially for those having balance issues.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Cider Mill Press, 176 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)

The Devil in the Details by Vicki Delany Book Review

About the Book:

Gemma Doyle is excited about celebrating Jayne Wilson’s big day. It’s supposed to mark not only the birthday of Jayne, her partner in crime, but also that of the Great Detective himself. Following the festivities at the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium, Gemma heads for the Blue Water Café, the site of Jayne’s party. To make things even better, Jayne’s wedding is only a week away.

But the much-anticipated affair quickly turns to disaster with the presence of the bride and groom’s respective exes in attendance and other unruly guests. With drama at every corner, Gemma and Jayne take a break on the chilly deck overlooking the ocean when they spot the body of a party attendee floating in the water below.

As Detective Ryan Ashburton takes a closer look at the guest list, Jayne’s wedding is in peril, especially when it is revealed that her fiancé, Andy, is a prime suspect. With the police closing in and more lives on the line, it’s up to Gemma to keep Andy from prison and save Jayne’s wedding day from ruin.

My Review:

This is another entertaining mystery by a prolific author. An early twist is whether the woman found dead died by murder or accident. Gemma needs to solve that issue and is persistent, much to the dismay of Ryan's detecting partner who does not like someone interfering in the investigation. When a second death occurs, it's a good thing Gemma is on the case.

Delany is a good writer and the novel flows well. The plot contains a number of suspects and some twists. There are a few quirky characters to add to the mix, along with consistent action, making this a fun cozy mystery.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author:

Vicki Delany is one of Canada’s most prolific and varied crime writers and a national bestseller in the U.S. She has written more than fifty books: clever cozies to Gothic thrillers to gritty police procedurals, to historical fiction and novellas for adult literacy. She is currently writing four cozy mystery series: the Year Round Christmas books for Crooked Lane, the Tea by the Sea mysteries for Kensington, the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series for Crooked Lane Books, and the Lighthouse Library series (as Eva Gates) for Crooked Lane.

Vicki is a past president of the Crime Writers of Canada and co-founder and organizer of the Women Killing It Crime Writing Festival. Her work has been nominated for the Derringer, the Bony Blithe, the Ontario Library Association Golden Oak, and the Arthur Ellis Awards.

Vicki is the recipient of the 2019 Derrick Murdoch Award for contributions to Canadian crime writing. She lives in Prince Edward County, Ontario.

Crooked Lane Books, 304 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)

Gemini by Jeffrey Kluger Book Review

About the Book:

After we first launched Americans into space but before we touched down on the moon’s surface, there was the Gemini program. It was no easy jump from manned missions in low-Earth orbit to a successful moon landing, and the ten-flight, twenty-month celestial story of the Gemini program is an extraordinary one. There was unavoidable darkness in the program―the deaths and near-deaths that defined it, and the blood feud with the Soviet Union that animated it.

But there were undeniable and previously inconceivable successes. With a war raging in Vietnam and lawmakers calling for cuts to NASA’s budget, the success of the Gemini program―or the space program in general―was never guaranteed. Yet against all odds, the remarkable scientists and astronauts behind the project persevered, and their efforts paid off. Later, with the knowledge gained from the Gemini flights, NASA would launch the legendary Apollo program.

My Review:

I graduated from high school in 1966 so was a teen during the Gemini flights. They were fascinating and I'd often get up very early to watch a launch. Seeing them from a distance and on a black and white screen is quite different from reading the information provided here. I appreciate reviewing the pressure put on the USA by Russian science work. I lived through that. We young people were solidly behind our country's effort, especially Kennedy's commitment to make it to the moon before the end of the decade. It was a thrilling time.

I trusted everything was presented accurately by the author and was surprised to see the documented mistakes. I cannot speak to them but the idea is disappointing. I do wish there had been more information about the actual Gemini flights.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author:

Jeffrey Kluger is Editor at Large at Time, where he has written more than 45 cover stories. Coauthor of Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13, which was the basis for the movie Apollo 13, he is also the author of 13 other books including his latest book Gemini: Stepping Stone to the Moon, the Untold Story.

Photo credit: Shaul Schwarz

St Martin's Press, 304 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)

Mind Reader by Mimika Cooney Book Review

About the Book:

Clio Ambrosia's uncanny gift for reading people has made her the secret weapon of New York's power players. Known as the human lie detector, she's built her career decoding powerful CEOs and coaching top performers. A former figure skating prodigy turned executive coach, she's sharp, strategic, and impossible to rattle. But when a cutting-edge tech firm hires her to refine their emotional intelligence strategy, she meets Dillon Whelan, the one client her instincts can't predict.

Dillon Whelan built his success on logic, precision, and control. But Clio's insight threatens to upend everything he believes about leadership, and love. Their boardroom sparring crackles with wit and tension, each conversation a duel neither wants to lose.

Clio's sharp instincts are supposed to help him strengthen his team before a major launch. Instead, her quiet confidence and uncanny ability to see through his defenses have him rethinking every rule he's built his life on.

As professional lines blur and trust deepens, both must decide if love is worth risking the armor they've spent years perfecting. What begins as a razor-sharp war of words turns into a slow-burn romance that sweeps them from a glittering New York gallery and a tense escape room to a moonlit gala and the historic streets of York, England; blurring the lines between ambition and heart.

My Review:

This is an intense romance. The personal interactions are intense. The setting, the high stakes world of venture capital is intense. The romance itself moves rather slowly as it takes time for two people who value control to be willing to be vulnerable to love.

Clio was an interesting lead female. I could not really identify with her and her skills although I did enjoy learning about observing micro expressions closely to evaluate a person and understand their thoughts. She gets involved in venture capitalism pitches. That is something I know nothing about and I am still a bit confused after reading the novel. That whole world of high finance could have been explained a little better. Rather, the focus of the book is on the troubled romance between two powerful people. There is much character thought, both anticipating and reflecting and working through emotions. The world in which the novel takes place is advanced technology. Dialogue was terse and since within a world I know little about, sometimes did not understand it.

I found Cooney's writing style a little difficult to follow. Sentence structures sometimes left me wondering exactly what was being conveyed. I have read many of Cooney's previous books but they were all of the self-help style. This book is her initial venture into fiction. She does include healing of hurts as part of the plot.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

 

About the Author:

Mimika Cooney is an award-winning writer of 14 books with a global perspective. Born in South Africa and now based in the US, Mimika blends her background in neuroscience, entrepreneurship, photography, design, public speaking, performance coaching, and personal growth into stories that make you feel seen and heard. 

Mimika Media, 316 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)

Winning the Earthquake by Lorissa Rinehart Book Review

About the Book:

Born on a Montana ranch in 1880, Jeannette Rankin knew how to ride a horse, make a fire, and read the sky for weather. But, most of all, she knew how to talk to people and unite them around a shared vision for America. It was this rare skill that led her to become the first woman ever elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. As her first act, Rankin put forth the legislation that would become the Nineteenth Amendment.

During her two terms, beginning in 1917 and in 1941, she introduced and lobbied for legislation strengthening women’s rights, protecting workers, supporting democratic electoral reform, and promoting peace through disarmament. As Congress’s fiercest pacifist, she used her vote to oppose the declaration of war against the German Empire in 1917 and the Japanese Empire in 1941, holding fast to her belief that “you can no more win a war than you can win an earthquake.”

A suffragist, peace activist, workers’ rights advocate, and champion of democratic reform who ran as a Republican, Rankin remained ever faithful to her beliefs, no matter the price she had to pay personally. Despite overcoming the entrenched boys’ club of oligarchic capitalists and career politicians to make enormous strides for women in politics, Rankin has been largely overlooked. In Winning the Earthquake, Lorissa Rinehart expertly recovers the compelling history behind this singular American hero, bringing her story back to life.

My Review:

This is a good biography of a little known woman. She is a good example for women to speak out, such as against war in her case. I am impressed that she was involved in getting the vote for women on the state level, such as my own Washington State. What an example of tireless work for the causes she believed in, despite setbacks and even if it meant political suicide. Her work and influence, even through the Vietnam War is a good example for all. This is a good account of her life and is recommended for readers interested in women pioneers, especially in politics.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author:

Lorissa Rinehart writes about art, war, and their points of intersection. Her writing has recently appeared in Hyperallergic, Perfect Strangers, and Narratively, among other publications. When not writing she can be found photographing the natural world impinging upon the urban landscape or digging in the dirt with her husband and two sons in Santa Barbara, California. She holds an MA from NYU in Experimental Humanities and a BA in Literature from UC Santa Cruz.

St Martin's Press, 352 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)

Weightless by Rocio Salas-Whalen Book Review

About the Book:

A board-certified endocrinologist shares her must-have guide to using GLP-1 medications, such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound, to reverse obesity and take charge of your health, with established strategies for maximizing your results

“This book is a game-changer. Dr. Salas-Whalen gives you the science and the compassion this conversation has been missing. You are not alone anymore.”—Mel Robbins, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Let Them Theory

Whether your struggle to lose weight has lasted years or started more recently, GLP-1 medications will help you finally end it. While GLP-1s have redefined how we treat obesity, the search for expert care is likely to leave you feeling confused, overwhelmed, and unheard. Misconceptions are everywhere. Many doctors are still catching up with the science. And you may find a prescription but not the medical supervision you need for the best results.

In Weightless, Dr. Rocio Salas-Whalen, a board-certified endocrinologist and expert in obesity medicine, delivers the real-world strategies that have helped thousands of patients achieve health goals that once felt out of reach. Her deeply compassionate approach sees obesity, not as a personal failure but as a chronic health condition that deserves medical treatment. Drawing on years of clinical expertise and the lived experience of her patients, she explains how to:

· Rethink what you know about weight management: Learn why “eat less, move more” is an outdated and ineffective prescription.
· Give your GLP-1 journey a strong start: Choose an experienced provider, ask the right questions at every appointment, and get better outcomes if you’re using telehealth.
· Preserve muscle for long-term success: Follow Dr. Salas-Whalen’s advice for increasing protein intake and optimizing your strength training.
· Protect your progress: Manage side effects with evidence-based care, recognize when you need a dosage change, and know what to do when GLP-1s don’t work.
· Adjust to life after GLP-1s: Navigate the unexpected physical, social, and psychological changes that accompany significant weight loss.

Comprehensive and empowering, Weightless offers judgment-free support that ensures you never feel alone on this journey.

My Review:

Two of my family members have shown amazing results from using a GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) drug. I knew nothing about it so jumped at the opportunity to read and review this book. I was surprised to find that GLP-1 refers to a hormone found in the body naturally, produced in the small intestine. It is short lived, however, so a form of it needed to be developed to be of good use in weight loss. Salas-Whalen provides the history and the science in a very clear way. She helped me understand the use, the possible side effects, the necessity for eating enough protein, and the lifestyle changes that come with it, such as learning to live with the new version of your body.

I have learned a great deal about obesity in general too. I was taught it was a will power problem but now I know it is much more complex. It is really a medical condition and using GLP-1 medications is like using blood pressure medication for that condition.

This book contains everything one would need to know to have the best experience with this form of medication.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

This book releases December 30.

About the Author:

Dr. Rocio Salas-Whalen is a board-certified physician specializing in endocrinology and obesity medicine. A recognized leader in the treatment of obesity, perimenopause, and menopause, she is known for integrating cutting-edge therapies—such as GLP-1 medications—into compassionate, personalized care.

Originally from Mexico, Dr. Salas-Whalen immigrated to the United States to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a physician. Today, she leads a thriving private practice in New York City and has helped thousands of patients achieve sustainable, long-term health.

Beyond the clinic, Dr. Salas-Whalen is a trusted voice in the national conversation around metabolic health. She has been featured on the Mel Robbins Podcast, appeared on panels hosted by The Economist, and is a sought-after expert in both English- and Spanish-language media. Through her rapidly growing Instagram platform (@drsalaswhalen), she educates and empowers a global audience of over 300,000 people by breaking down stigma, misinformation, and outdated medical narratives.

Her work is grounded not only in science, but in empathy, cultural understanding, and an unwavering belief that health is a human right, not a privilege.

Rodale Book, 288 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)

Mortal Zin by Diane Schaffer Book Review

About the Book:

When corporate attorney Noli Cooper visits her godparents’ Santa Cruz Mountain winery, she’s hoping for a few quiet days to consider her future. But the future will have to wait. The body of her childhood mentor, a crusading social justice lawyer and local hero, is discovered in a rocky ocean cove. The sheriff is quick to call it suicide. Noli knows he’s wrong. Teaming up with PI Luz Alvarado, Noli dives into a world where nothing is as it seems.

As threats mount and the winery teeters on the brink of ruin, Noli and Luz must navigate a treacherous landscape of greed, revenge, and long-buried secrets. Their investigation weaves through the rich tapestry of California’s vineyard history, the mystery of zinfandel grapes, and the haunting legacy of the Vietnam War. With a murderer on the loose, predatory neighbors circling, and Noli’s godfather framed for murder, the clock is ticking. Can two fearless women from different worlds unravel the truth before it’s too late?

My Review:

This is a good debut novel. A murder is discovered early on so there is an engaging hook at the beginning. It takes a while for the plot to get exciting but it does after a bit. There is a good amateur sleuth in Noli and her investigative actions are balanced with her relationships with others. The plot progresses by following a number of different characters. The narrative is not in first person so it is not confusing. There is more to the story than just solving the mystery, such as Vietnam War vets, their experiences and PTSD. There is a good dose of suspense near the end.

The strength of the novel is the fascinating information about zinfandel grapes and the history of grape varieties in general. There is also an exploration of the culture of grape growers and how grapes are processed. The setting is developed well and helps readers understand prime land for growing grapes.

This is an entertaining mystery woven around growing zinfandel grapes.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author:

Diane Schaffer, a Stanford PhD, is a retired professor and longtime resident of Santa Cruz County. Mortal Zin, her first mystery novel, is rooted in her summer work in a Santa Cruz zinfandel winery, where she became fascinated with the unique history of zinfandel, California’s mystery grape. When she’s not writing, she’s hiking, river kayaking, or reading a good mystery novel. She now lives in Ashland, Oregon, with her husband.

Sibylline Press, 412 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Mindbuck Media. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)

The Trip by Audrey Cole Book Review

About the Book:

A luxury sailing trip is the perfect escape from Palmer’s shattered marriage. Until the Pacific Coast cruise―a chance for old friends to mend old wounds―descends into a harrowing fight for their lives.

Twenty years ago, the five of them were inseparable. But after a rafting accident their senior year, only four of them returned. Volleyball captain Courtney’s body was never found. And their lives were never the same.

Now Palmer, her ride-or-die Beth, and home renovator Emma are on an all-expenses-paid trip with mega-influencer Gigi. But a mysterious note and a violent storm soon push them dangerously off course. The radio’s down, the captain’s missing, and the first officer’s woefully inexperienced. And in a chilling echo of the past, Gigi gets swept away. Perhaps on purpose.

Someone doesn’t want them to make it back. Palmer’s not sure who to trust, but she knows the truth lies in the murky depths of what really happened that day on the river.

My Review:

I liked this entertaining mystery that is a combination of locked room and revenge plot. The current adventure has its roots in one twenty years ago. We get an immediate sense there are secrets around the disaster long ago. The narrative alternates, revealing facts from that historical event and then following the current action of the remaining women on a sailboat cruise. People start dying on the boat. Secrets are revealed.

This is an entertaining locked room type of mystery with the added layer of the past death influencing the current events. We can narrow down the murderer to those remaining alive but there was a twist at the end I did not anticipate. The focus of the mystery includes a study in the personalities of the teens then, women now. Ones appearing loyal might be devious. Acts that appeared to be of kindness turn out to be back stabbing. In that sense, the book is more about relationships than a mystery.

Cole plots suspenseful novels and this is another good one. A sailboat, a storm and a murderer make for an exciting novel.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author:

Audrey J. Cole is a USA Today bestselling thriller author whose work has been translated into multiple languages. Before she began writing full time, Cole worked as a neonatal intensive care nurse for eleven years. She resides in the Pacific Northwest with her two children. You can find out more at www.audreyjcole.com. 

Thomas & Mercer, 303 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)