Amina Thajudeen Uncategorized

The Ultimate San Francisco Giants Trivia Book: A Collection of Amazing Trivia Quizzes and Fun Facts for Die-Hard Giants Fans! by Ray Walker

The Ultimate San Francisco Giants Trivia Book is a staple for anyone who loves baseball, sports trivia, and the G-Men.

You will be tested on your knowledge of mind-blowing facts from not only the Giants of the City by the Bay, but also the Giants of New York.

Learn about the legacies of Willie Mays and Willie McCovey and take a nostalgic look back at three World Series wins that dominated the early 2010s.

Title: The Ultimate San Francisco Giants Trivia Book: A Collection of Amazing Trivia Quizzes and Fun Facts for Die-Hard Giants Fans!

Author: Ray Walker

Pages: 154

My review

The ultimate San Francisco Giants Trivia Book by Ray Walker is a complete package detailing the two-century long history of one of the most decorated teams in the baseball history. Being one of the most dominant team of the past decade, they have unmatched possessions of eight World Series titles. This team has scripted the baseball history through their vigour and never gives up attitude. Knowing their long history is an honour to the most loved sports of the entire world.

The author has done an amazing job to narrate this history without missing the excitement and drama. Giants history cannot be complete without mentioning their rivals Los Angeles Dodgers and Oakland A’s.

With a blend of quizzes, quotes, insider stories, behind dramas, wins and loses, this is truly a rollercoaster ride for every Giants fan. A perfect read to cherish our memories and relive the triumph.

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Fiction, supernatural, Thriller, Young-Adult

The Pyr: Book 1: The Fated Pyr series by Lorena Wood| Review

Shay doesn’t even know what she is when she is thrown helpless to the human world. Finding her power, and her self-control has been so overwhelming she doesn’t plan to survive. Her attack on the powerful leaders of the Fated is just one of many attempts to end it all.

Aiden knows as soon as he sees the beautiful woman drop into the middle of the Sacred Forest. She has to live, and it is up to him to make it happen. The only way to protect the traumatized young Pyr is to use brutal honesty, and all his alpha wolf skills. Stirring up a race war may not be ideal, but it’s the only way to save the woman who will be his mate.

The engaging new fantasy read from Lorena Wood, Paranormal Romance Author. This time, the worlds of shifters, elves, and vampires collide with a new race unknown to most humans. The Pyr are mysterious and powerful, yet only a few remain.

Title: The Pyr: Book 1: The Fated Pyr series

Author: Lorena Wood

Pages: 222

My review

The Pyr Book 1 of The Fated Pyr series by Lorena Wood is a beautifully written paranormal fantasy thriller. Fated are the races who are not purely homo sapiens. They consist of powerful elves, shifters, witches and vampires. Humans are coexisting with fated but with little knowledge about their existence and capabilities. Shay belongs to one of the rare fated species which was believed to be extinct for a long time. She lived all her life among humans trying to blend in, unsuccessfully. Realizing that this effort is vain, she is now trying to end her life. To make it happen she has to wage a war among fated. Aiden, a powerful Alpha shifter was magically drawn into Shay from the very first moment they met. Being an insider, he is well aware of the conspiracies looming inside the elite ruling class. Along with this, he is unable to convince Shay to change her mind. Torn between conspiracies and love, this is his battle for survival and love which in turn determines the fate of all the species.

This is a beautifully woven paranormal romance. The author has blended mythical paranormal beings with the ordinary lives of human beings. They have very similar traits and behaviours. Their hunger for power, domination, greed, love…everything is poured through words. The outcome is not less than a perfect thriller.

We are witnessing most of the story through the eyes of Shay or Aiden. This alone makes a perfect plot for a thriller by building curiosity after each page. Shay has little knowledge about her races and wars, whereas Aiden is fully aware of the hidden agendas and conspiracies. This is an impossible plot for romance. But the author carefully unravelled an unlikely romance in this situation.

All the main characters are portrayed very well throughout the story. The depth of their emotions is unveiled at specific points not only to make it interesting but also to give another dimension to the story. This momentum is carried until the climax.

Overall, this is a must-read for every paranormal lover.

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Children's books, Thriller, Young-Adult

Kay and Kai’s Kaleidoscopic Adventures by Brenell Ferguson-Saunders | Review

Kool, Kolors of Kreativity when learning science!

In the Kaleidoscopic Adventure Series, siblings Kay and Kai explore the magnificent natural world around them. In these short stories the siblings chronicle journeys of investigation and exploration. From learning about plants and animals, to the sun and moon, there is always something new to discover. For Kay and Kai the adventures are just beginning. Will you join them?

Title: Kay and Kai’s Kaleidoscopic Adventures

Author: Brenell Ferguson-Saunders

Pages:30

My review

Kay and Kai’s Kaleidoscopic adventures by Brenell Ferguson-Saunders is a beautifully illustrated and wonderfully narrated story. Kai is inviting us to join his little exploration. He uses his environment to gather more knowledge. He is trying to find answers about things around us. His mantra is Who? What? Where? Why? and how?

Inculcating curiosity is the first step towards education. This small story not only presents a message but also evokes the ability to think and question everything, before believing in them. This will encourage our children to pursue active learning rather than memorizing random facts from textbooks blindly.

The right learning should start from nature. It is where we all belong. It is an endless source of knowledge. That’s why the author adopted a science theme for this story. The author expressed this invaluable lesson through crisp and rhyming words.

Along with answering the basic question of plant growth, this story also conveys a beautiful message at the end. Ask questions, find things by yourself and it is the key to growth. This is nature’s law. Loved this incredible message.

Rating:5/5

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, supernatural, Thriller

THE TRIALS OF CHAUKHANDI by JASMINE YAMMANI | Review

Honor Killing is a global disease where cultural norms and principles are claimed to be violated by a female relative who dares… And the price… a death sentence. A victim could be hacked, stoned, burned at the stake, or buried alive. Different regions around the world have their choice of how they want to deal with this problem. But the result remains the same.
The Trials of Chaukhandi is a story of a girl who becomes a witness to one such crime.
Meher is not your average free thinker and feminist. She is courageous and independent, but her personality just added a new twist. She now has the power to see visions and can time travel.
A Pakistani born American, who visits her birthplace for a summer vacation, she suddenly finds herself a witness to a crime, testing her peaceful life, and questioning the meaning of life, her ultimate strengths, a sudden introduction into the world of supernatural and her faith.
An intoxicating tale of trials, tribulations and finally retributive justice set amidst the great deserts of Baluchistan province and the historical landmarks of Sind province of Pakistan. “The Trials of Chaukhandi” deals with issues in the blood and bones of many ancient cultural rituals and are still alive and thriving in today’s space age.

Title: THE TRIALS OF CHAUKHANDI

Author: JASMINE YAMMANI

Pages: 120

My review

What I really liked about the story is the liberal approach of the author. The story has a strong protagonist. She is someone who finds her strength in her faith. Faith is a solution to her in times of distress. But she is strong enough to stand for her ideals. The story uncovers the true face of a religious nation. This is an accurate portrayal of how people had supplemented patriarchy with the religion and bent the rules for their selfishness. Honor killings are the measure of deterioration of a society. This topic needs to be addressed. By choosing this subject for a novel, the author has raised her voice against this heinous crime.

The story is written in a very engaging manner. All the scenes are explained with attention to the details. The words captured the essence of the scenes, especially the scenes of kidnapping and murder in the beginning. The descriptions of this cold-hearted crime gave me a chill in the spine. The merciless behaviors of people are portrayed very convincingly. The whole story was following a single incident. The mystery was adding up from the beginning and everything that happened later resolves these mysteries.

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, non-fiction

Your Brain Kids Edition : The Engine to Your Body by Tracy Markley

In Your Brain, The Engine to Your Body – Kids Edition, kids will learn some simple fun things about their brain and how to stay healthy as they have fun with fun illustrations. It is easy to read and understand. A healthy brain helps have a healthy body. The brain is the engine to the body. This can be read alone or with teachers or parents. Tracy also wrote an adult version of this book to help teens and adults learn more about the health and care of their brain. Enjoy the fun illustrations as you learn more about your brain. Exercise, staying hydrated and good nutrition helps the brain to stay healthy as we grow up.

Title: Your Brain Kids Edition : The Engine to Your Body

Author: Tracy Markley

Pages:13

My review

The kids version of Our brain by Tracy Markley is a little package of fun, knowledge, and beautiful illustrations. Written in an interactive style, the author simplifies every bit of knowledge. This book teaches everything a child needs to know about the brain.
The author takes special care to not stuff the content with more complex ideas and scientific illustration. It is more about building better habits that make positive effects on our brain. It encourages our children to get active, eat more vegetables, laugh with family and friends, drink more water etc.

I must say the author has good knowledge of child psychology as well as on physiology. Because the book is carefully curated and written from a child’s point of view. This is undoubtedly one of the best books in this category

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, non-fiction

Stroke Recovery: Leg Stability and Walking Gait by Tracy Markley | Review

In Stroke Recovery Leg Stability and Walking Gait, Tracy brings, hope knowledge, and exercises that can assist a survivor in the healing the leg, foot drop, hyperextended knee and walking gait. She had included anatomy illustrations and exercises in this book. In many cases stroke survivors do not receive enough physical therapy to help them reach the full potential in their stroke recovery. This will leave many stroke survivors seeking help from other sources, such as personal trainers, Pilates teachers, and other professionals in the fitness industry. This book is filled with important information to help a survivor while in physical therapy as well as to help guide in their continued recovery when physical therapy has ended. This is also a great learning source for fitness and physical therapy professionals. Tracy teaches the importance of having a strong core, spine, and back muscles to maintain proper posture. Proper posture is essential to build and maintain the correct positioning of the hips and pelvic girdle. This is essential for the legs to become in balance and strength for safe and functional movement. The hip joint (ball and socket) moves in several directions. You will learn exercises and tips to correct posture and to regain leg strength, movements and walking gait.

Title: Stroke Recovery: Leg Stability and Walking Gait

Author: Tracy Markley

Pages: 172

My review

Stroke Recovery: Leg stability and walking gait is a comprehensive guide dealing the subject holistically. Stroke recovery is a difficult and complex process. I had zero knowledge on this issue before. Because it was not a matter of concern in my life. But when my father suffered a stroke, I began to search for more information.

Stroke recovery is a long process and a highly demanding one. It cannot be treated just like any other diseases. Recovery is an emotionally and physically draining process, not only for the survivor, but also for the family members. This book was a boon in this matter.

The author has explained every minute detail and covered A-Z issues. This one book is enough for practical and theoretical purpose. The book is structured in a way that, it progresses from basic to advanced. At first, details about a joint are explained and then the exercises are introduced. The author has given due importance to the safety too. I find this is extremely helpful, because survivors are prone to accidents and injuries. Although the book addresses stroke survivors primarily, I find this a lot helpful to correct my posture and improve my exercise schedule. This also can be used as a professional study guide on human anatomy.

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, non-fiction

Your Brain: The Engine of Your Body, A Fitness Trainer’s Guide to Brain Health by Tracy Markley | Review

Tracy teaches importance tips to help you keep a healthy brain as part of you daily health plan. This book is for all ages from kids to adult. Tracy explains important facts from scientific studies to how the brain and mind work. She shares why it is important to properly hydrate and nourish the brain and body. She includes information on Neurons, White and Grey Matter and more. She shares why physical activities, proper hydration and nutrition affect your brain’s current and future health. This book can be considered an anti-aging book for your brain. This is a fabulous resource for all ages, including students, fitness fanatics and athletes. This book is for those who just want to learn more about the brain, as well as for those who may be facing neurological challenges, brain injuries, or are in stroke recovery. Tracy also includes nutritional tips and physical and mind exercises. This book also comes in a Children’s (Kid’s) Edition.

Title: Your Brain: The Engine of Your Body, A Fitness Trainer’s Guide to Brain Health

Author: Tracy Markley

Pages: 74

My review

Your Brain by Tracy Markley is an A-Z book on this subject. I’m always curious to know more about the brain. Because it controls everything in our body. It runs every biological and physical mechanisms, coordinates our senses, and administers countless processes. It is undoubtedly the most important part of our body. We are more conscious about our heart and its wellbeing. But the brain deserves more than this honor. This book opens to that pathway.
I was searching for a book that is not written for academic purposes but in layman’s terms. This one is a perfect fit for this equation. The author simplified every information and presented it in a very engaging manner.  She doesn’t forget to blend fun with facts too.  Every concept is explained using real-life examples. This helped me to retain and remember them and most importantly apply them consistently. The best part of this book is information about taking care of our brain on a day-to-day basis. It presents practical tips to keep a healthy brain amidst my hectic work schedules. This small book is a must-read for everyone.

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, non-fiction, Self-Help

Success Transformation Accelerator: 21 Day Blueprint by Dr. Alok Chandra| Review

Do you wish to achieve the successful life that you have always dreamed of by learning from the best? Would you like to reach the zenith of your career or profession but need expert guidance? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, keep reading …..
Let’s face it. Most, if not all, of us dream of leading successful lives. However, only a few are able to achieve it. It is no accident. The majority who do not attain greatness, do not have the essential guidance on what they need to do. The people who make it do so by learning from the best, leaving no stone unturned, and become exemplary professionals and excellent people. The rest do not realize their full potential and some keep dreaming for their entire lives.

After meeting with and studying great individuals, the author possesses a deep knowledge of what you need to materialize success in your life at breakneck speed. Therefore, this book was written to be extremely effective and simple to follow.

Title: Success Transformation Accelerator: 21 Day Blueprint

Author: Dr. Alok Chandra

Pages: 307

My review

Success is the only thing that is unquenchable in many minds. Sadly many of them never achieve what they want in life. I was always curious about achieving success and greatness in life. I admired people who have the grit to achieve their dreams. What is the secret code for success? Is there any hidden formula for achieving it? These questions lead my way to this book.

This is the voice of an extremely successful person. This blueprint presents the common success traits extracted from highly successful people as well as the author’s life. This book demystifies all myths around success. It demolishes all doubts.

The book begins with a chapter on luck. What a way to start a book about success! Because we all are in one way or another, ties success with luck. The more we fail, the more we blame luck or rely on it. But luck does not deserve any importance in success. This powerful tool has many chapters like this which establishes the author’s arguments, undoubtedly.

This is clearly a success accelerator. The author cites experiences from his own and from his students and mentees to support this. These experiences are narrated as raw and unadulterated. We can see and interpret how the author has defined his goals and draw a blueprint to reach those goals. But the important thing about making blueprint is they are useless without action. The last section of this book teaches us how to keep going amidst all odds. Loved the content as well as its presentation.

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Fantacy, Science Fiction, Thriller

The Next Step by Adrian Siska | Review

The story revolves around Adam Moore, the son of groundbreaking innovators and founders of the leading company in the android industry based in San Francisco. It’s the second half of the 21st century and androids have become a part of the every day’s routine in all aspects of life.

Take on an epic journey throughout Adam’s life from his childhood to his adult years to find out what will be the next step in the evolution of androids. You will witness a fascinating story about love and the ultimate fight for happiness.

Title: The Next Step

Author: Adrian Siska

Pages: 241

My review

The Next Step by Adrian Siska is a beautifully written sci-fi thriller. The premise of android technology and artificial intelligence is not a distant idea now. But I was curious to find out what will be the next step. What will be our immediate future?

I am always looking forward to this kind of stories. I’m curious to explore the extent of imagination and innovation that an author can create through their sci-fi books. For me getting lost in this new world is very easy. Every impossible idea becomes possible because of our imagination. The extend of control over our brain determines the height of craziness in the idea. The modern world is built on this capability. We are already familiar with the power of artificial intelligence and its possibilities. But what will be the next step in this field? What will be the next impossible?

I must say the author has created a very good answer for this question. It is not a mind-blowing idea because it is only “the next step”, the next possibility. The story is more realistic in this sense. It is believable. The characters are developed very well over time. Almost ninety percent of the story revolves around Adam Moore. His emotions, pain, friendship, love, intelligence are explored throughout the story. It was heartwarming to see how Adam has picked up the pieces of his broken life and create another beautiful family amidst conspiracy and deception. The bond he has with Kim is so special. This relationship has been grown beyond limits over the years. We can witness how she becomes an integral part of his identity. That’s why he was determined to surpass his limits. He is a true warrior.

The brilliance of this story lies in the attention to details. The author has included every problem that may arise with the spread of automation. It was scary to know these. But it is the future.

A brilliant work indeed.

Rating:5/5

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Poems, poetry, Quotes, Self-Help

White Knuckle by Steven Bruce|Review

Bruce’s debut poetry collection, an autobiographical report on the reality of life in a poverty-stricken, drug and violence-fuelled environment, is a gut-wrenching composition of grief, loss, and abandonment at an early age.

This powerful book is brutal, tragic, and moving: an essential read.

Title: White Knuckle

Author: Steven Bruce

Pages: 100

My review

Raw, brutal and honest.


These poems drag us from our comfort zone and suddenly throw to a rollercoaster of emotions. The highs and lows are filled with misery. There is no middle ground. The suffering is real. The unpolished edges of these words will scratch our mind. This is an in-depth essay unravelling through complex human emotions. Their beauty lies in their unadulterated voice. We can feel the white knuckle against our face in each poem. It hurts because it is meant to be.

Broken dreams, pain, anger, abuse, frustration, death, greed, hunger… everything is poured through words. But these are not like any other poems. Because amidst this crushing pain, they all have one common feature- a hidden sense of survival. These are not served with the sugar-coating of hope. Rather, they all have a pinch of survival instinct in every line.

Pain is the greatest lesson. We don’t remember happiness but we remember every pain we had. It opens a new path for redemption. We can witness that redemption here.