Releasing Your Need To Please: Escaping Romantic Relationships with Narcissistic Womenby James ButlerPublished by Wood Dragon BooksReview by Shelley A. Leedahl$21.99 ISBN 9781990863301 I wanted to review Releasing Your Need To Please: Escaping Romantic Relationships with Narcissistic Women because of the premise. It’s unusual, in my experience, to read about female narcissism, but Saskatoon counsellor and author James Butler writes that there’s a “growing phenomenon of women who perpetuate narcissistic abuse.” The men they’re in relationship with are the “pleasers,” and Butler says the only way for a pleaser to live a happy, healthy life is to leave the narcissistic relationship. “If … you are looking for help to escape your toxic relationship, this book is definitely for you,” the disclaimer states. The self-help book’s purpose is “to offer information about how to get out of unfixable, unsustainable, dangerous relationships.” Pleasers must break the “never-ending cycle” of “manipulation and accommodation,” once and for all, and Butler advises them to “lawyer up before [they] plan to escape.” It can be a “disease to please.” Narcissists and pleasers attract one another because of a deep need for love and acceptance that, Butler maintains, they didn’t get enough of as children. He speaks…

Loved Beyond Compare: A Journey of Miracles and Resilience During a Wicked Warby Dr. Jane Amana EkongPublished by Living Water PressReview by Sally Meadows$24.99 ISBN 9781990863455 It was with great anticipation that I received Dr. Jane Amana Ekong’s memoir Loved Beyond Compare for review. I love reading about other peoples’ faith journeys, and Dr. Ekong’s story promised to be inspirational. I was not disappointed. From the opening chapter, Dr. Ekong’s compelling writing drew me in through her vivid imagery and frank stream of consciousness. From the miracle of her birth to the “chaos, uncertainty, and fear” of living through the Nigerian Civil War, to the challenges she faced while getting her education, to navigating hurdles as she raced towards her wedding and marriage, this book is bursting with stories of how God kept His promise, as referenced in the opening chapter, to keep her and her family safe—and thrive—under seemingly impossible conditions. Sprinkled liberally throughout her book are stories of miraculous healings, prophetic warnings, visions, divine encounters, and the kindness of others who crossed her path. There are Scripture references, judicious use of bible stories, and wise spiritual tenets that punctuate the life lessons she learned. Dr. Ekong doesn’t shy away from…

Get Your Footprints Out of My Gardenby K.J. MossPublished by Wood Dragon BooksReview by Shelley A. Leedahl$19.99 ISBN 9781990863509 Poetry can sometimes be obscure and leave readers feeling that they just don’t “get” the work, and thus, they’re unable to connect with it. No one could accuse Moose Jaw resident Karran Moss, a longtime Registered Massage Therapist and new poet, of writing ambiguous work: the poems in her fifty-piece collection, Get Your Footprints Out Of My Garden, are clear-eyed, plain-spoken and easily understandable. Moss explains in her introduction that at age twelve, during a Grade Seven school trip, she was “trapped in an elevator with a predator.” Further trauma occurred when a “well-meaning group of people” tried “to ‘pray’ the trauma out of [her],” which served only to exacerbate her PTSD: “religion became a trauma trigger,” she writes, and this collection is her “journey of growth and healing.” During therapy, “these poems started flying out of [her] soul.” As she continued working on her diagnosed c-PTSD (Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) with a psychologist, the healing began. The tone and “frenzy” of the poems changed, and her “life started to make sense.” The vulnerable and hopeful meditations are organized into…

I’m Just Gerry: Building a Forever Company the Price Wayby Rob Wozny (Afterward by Gerry Price)Published by Wood Dragon BooksReview by Michelle Shaw$21.99 ISBN 9781990863318 I’m Just Gerry is the compelling story of the growth of a small prairie company and its journey to become a world leader in its field. Price Industries grew from a little company in Winnipeg to become a billion-dollar world leader in the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) industry. The book explains the principles that helped the company to do that, many of which seem counterintuitive to succeeding in the cutthroat business world of today. Fundamental concepts like service first and treating others the way you want to be treated. The fact that the business has succeeded is an incredible testimony to the perseverance and vision of Gerry Price. I know nothing about the HVAC business, but I feel as if this little book – and Gerry Price himself – are well-kept secrets that need to be shared. Gerry’s approach is clear: “What counts is how leaders treat others and, more importantly, how they treat the people in the business with the least authority and power. Anybody who abuses people or takes advantage of people…

Baby Rollercoaster: The Unspoken Secret Sorrow of Infertilityby Janice ColvenPublished by Wood Dragon BooksReview by Toby A. Welch  $19.99 ISBN 9781989078587 Baby Rollercoaster is the true telling of one woman’s personal journey with infertility. It starts with her years as a child when she dreamt of being a mother and progresses to when her struggle to have a family ended. Colven now dedicates her life to sharing her infertility experience and finding a purposeful life beyond motherhood. I believe she has made tremendous strides in her mission with this powerful book.  For anyone struggling with infertility – or anyone who knows someone that is struggling with it – Baby Rollercoaster is a must-read. Colven tackled this heartbreaking subject with a deep sensitivity. She was vulnerable in a way that couldn’t have always been easy. That realness came through in her words. For example, “You need an abundance of hope and resilience on this journey of hope. Sometimes I wasn’t strong enough to hope… Choose hope, even when things seem hopeless. Lean on the people around you to hope when you can’t seem to do it for yourself. Be brave.” Cue Kleenex.  As she struggled with infertility, Colven saw numerous doctors. She…

Quest for Black Beachby Neil ChildPublished by Wood Dragon BooksReview by Toby A. Welch  $17.99 ISBN 9781990863288 This quick read takes a riveting look into the future for those with an interest in fantastical worlds and times.  I call a book like this a pocket read. It’s small enough that you can slip it into a pocket and finish it within a day or two. Visiting a futuristic place for a brief time is a pleasure.  One thing I love about books that take place in the future is that they are as varied as an author’s mind allows. Thanks to writers with limitless imagination, readers can get pulled into whole new worlds that are intriguing places to visit. And this is what happens in Quest for Black Beach – we take a journey into an extraordinary time.  Quest for Black Beach takes place 89 years from now, just far enough that we can only guess what life will be like. (Do you think anyone in 1934 could even remotely have guessed the realities of the world we are living in today? I don’t think so either!) You’ll find four groups roaming the planet, many of them created when ‘blasts’ occurred. …

The Amnesia Projectby Payton ToddPublished by Wood Dragon BooksReview by Shelley A. Leedahl$19.99 ISBN 9781990863264 Keeping journals and writing poetry are common practices among teens, and I commend them for documenting their lives, even if no one else ever sees the writing. Some of our most exciting and/or trying experiences may occur during adolescence, and writing’s good therapy. What’s highly uncommon, however, is for a teenaged writer to have a book published, and for that book to be a 302-paged, young adult sci-fi novel with a large cast of well-developed characters, a complex and dynamic plot, and a satisfying conclusion. Enter Payton Todd and The Amnesia Project. At age fifteen, the avid writer and student from Wood Mountain, SK won the Wood Dragon Books’ Young Author Competition. After working with publisher Jeanne Martinson on successive edits, the attractive, action-filled novel was released. In an interview with moosejawtoday.com, Martinson said “Wood Dragon worked around Payton’s school schedule, and she lives on a [cattle] ranch, too, so she has a lot of chores and obligations. We’re really proud of this book …” The futuristic novel centres around seventeen-year-old Kole Danvers, who finds himself assigned a new name and position—Beta 9X—at the Pacific…

The Three Heirsby Monique DesrosiersPublished by Wood Dragon BooksReview by Toby A. Welch$26.99 ISBN 9781990863219 Over a year ago I read an amazing book by Monique Desrosiers, The Cartwright Men Marry. I devoured the book and wanted more from Desrosiers. I was disappointed to find that the book I had just finished was her first novel; there were no others in her repertoire to enjoy. I was bummed but such is life. But recently I learned about The Three Heirs – Monique Desrosiers finally published her second novel! My universe tilted back into alignment. I couldn’t wait to dive back into a world created by Desrosiers’ imagination.  This is the story of a woman who dies and brings three strangers together for the reading of her will. None of them know the recently deceased Delilah but they are all connected. What takes place leading up to the will reveal as well as the fallout afterward will keep you rapidly turning the pages.  The Three Heirs will be a hit with readers of period fiction. The book starts in the 1860s before flashing back to the 1790s and then covers the seven decades in between. Desrosiers clearly researched those decades as she does a great job of making…

Rise Above: Surviving Depressing and Living a Better Lifeby John MelnickPublished by Wood Dragon BooksReview by Toby A. Welch$19.99 ISBN 9781990863110 I truly feel that someone who hasn’t been touched by depression wouldn’t have been able to write this book with as much heart as John Melnick. He has struggled with the mental illness for decades and that experience comes through in every page of Rise Above. In 2002, in the depths of a severe clinical depression, Melnick swam into a fast-flowing river to end the pain in his life. Thankfully his desire to live prevailed. He shares his story and enlightens the rest of us about depression, a devastating mental illness.  Melnick shares openly about the family dynamics he has lived with all his life, relationships that may or may not have contributed to his depression. I found those details fascinating and appreciated how forthcoming he was; that helped clarify his experiences.  One chapter shares the point of view of Melnick’s wife and another of Melnick’s niece. They cover what the ladies went through when Melnick tried to commit suicide and their perspective on things. Depression doesn’t just affect the person afflicted with it; it touches everyone in that person’s life. Hearing from…

Sacred Geometry for the Soul: Volume 1by Ann ChatfieldPublished by Wood Dragon BooksReview by Toby A. Welch$39.99 ISBN 9781990863066 What a beautiful book – every page is a feast for the eyes! For those who think this may be a book about math, it’s actually more about mandalas. Sacred geometry is the practice of attaching sacred meanings to certain geometric shapes and their architectural proportions. It has its foundation in nature and the mathematical principles at play there. The circle, for example, typically plays a huge role in sacred geometry.  In case that isn’t clear, Chatfield explains in this book that sacred geometry is an ancient science that explores and explains the energy patterns that create and unify all things in our universe and beyond. To truly cover the depth of this topic, it would take a lot more space than this review provides. Diving into the book, once you get past Chatfield’s story, she covers numerous topics: her explanation of the Akashic Records; descriptions of the symbols, crystals, and numbers used in her mandalas; the meanings and energy of colours; the seven basic chakras; and how to use mandalas for meditation. The rest of the book displays 63 mandalas…