If you are enjoying the HBO series The Pacific, the story of 5 men whose lives intersect in the Pacific theater during World War II, there are several books that might interest you.
The first book is The Pacific by Hugh Ambrose ($26.95) (Yup, Ambrose…Hugh is Stephen Ambrose’s son). A companion to the TV series, this fascinating and inspiring book tells the stories of four US Marines and one US Navy carrier pilot whose lives intersect in the Pacific theater during WWII.
For more information about the individual men involved, here are some books you might want to consider:
A Helmet For My Pillow: From Parris Island To The Pacific by Robert Leckie ($16.00) Robert Leckie, one of America’s greatest military historians, recalls his own story from boot camp in Parris Island to the bloody war in the Pacific. Leckie experienced it all–the booze, the brawling, the loving on sixty-two-hour liberty; the courageous fighting and dying in combat as the U.S. Marines slugged it out, inch by inch, island by island across the Pacific to the shores of Japan.
I’m Staying With My Boys: The Heroic Life of Sgt. John Basilone, USMC by Jim Proser ($14.99) Sgt. John Basilone held off 3,000 Japanese troops at Guadalcanal after his 15-member unit was reduced to three men. Killed during the war, he was the only Marine in World War II to have received the Medal of Honor, the Navy Cross, and a Purple Heart and is arguably the most famous Marine of all time. I’m Staying with My Boys is the only family-authorized biography of Basilone, and it features photographs never before published. Distinctive among military biographies, the story is told in the first person, allowing readers to experience his transformation, forged in the horrors of battle, from aimless youth to war hero known as “Manila John.”
With The Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa by E.B. Sledge ($16.00) In The Wall Street Journal, Victor Davis Hanson named With the Old Breed one of the top five books on epic twentieth-century battles. Studs Terkel interviewed the author for his definitive oral history, The Good War. Now E. B. Sledge’s acclaimed first-person account of fighting at Peleliu and Okinawa returns to thrill, edify, and inspire a new generation.
An Alabama boy steeped in American history and enamored of such heroes as George Washington and Daniel Boone, Eugene B. Sledge became part of the war’s famous 1st Marine Division-3d Battalion, 5th Marines. Even after intense training, he was shocked to be thrown into the battle of Peleliu, where “the world was a nightmare of flashes, explosions, and snapping bullets.” By the time Sledge hit the hell of Okinawa, he was a combat vet, still filled with fear but no longer with panic.Based on notes Sledge secretly kept in a copy of the New Testament, With the Old Breed captures with utter simplicity and searing honesty the experience of a soldier in the fierce Pacific Theater.
(If you haven’t started watching the series because you don’t get HBO…good news! They have the whole first episode available online!) http://www.hbo.com/the-pacific/index.html#)
In Hovering Flight is Joyce Hinnefeld’s first novel, and of particular interest to me because Dr. Hinnefeld is a writing professor at the school I attend, Moravian College. I’ve had her for a poetry writing class and she runs the school writing center where I work, so I was very excited to experience her first novel.
The main character is named Addie, and the book centers around her, her husband Tom, her daughter Scarlet, and Addie’s best friends Cora and Lou. In the very beginning we find out Addie has just died of cancer, and the novel that follows is a series of flashbacks from the perspectives of various characters. We get to know their personalities, hardships, and relationships in bits and pieces as the story progresses.
Addie is a bird lover and an artist, who later becomes an activist. She meets her husband Tom when he teaches a “Biology of the Birds” class at her college, and their love of birds and nature brings them together. At times it is difficult to relate to the strong feelings the characters have towards these birds, but the lengths that they go to in order to fight for what they love is both moving and somewhat frustrating. The character of Addie is certainly a frustrating one. We want to like her but her actions are sometimes so extreme that is difficult to do so, especially when we see how these actions affect her family.
One thing that is really apparent in this novel is that Hinnefeld certainly has a way with words. Her writing is beautiful and descriptive, making her prose seem almost poetic. She manages to create a delightful atmosphere of mystery, constantly leaving you wondering what the next piece of the puzzle is going to be.
However, the novel is very slow to start and difficult to get into until around page 50. The biggest flaw is the way that the flashbacks are handled. They happen sporadically, with little or not introduction to the fact that it is a flashback, and they don’t happen in any particular order. Without some sort of time line or more definitive way to keep track of time, the reader is left with some confusion about the events. While Hinnefeld has some wonderful characters here, their growth and our appreciation of them is somewhat stunted by the fact that we mostly see them through inconsistent flashbacks. Addie in particular is introduced as a rather quiet, innocent, sweet young girl, who we see later camping out in protest for weeks or running from the law. Though we see a little bit of her change through her pregnancy and Scarlet, it is still not enough to completely understand her character.
Despite the flaws, if you can get past the slow beginning the book becomes engaging and is a fairly quick read. If you’re a bird lover, nature lover, or artist, I would especially recommend this novel. Though it might not be a life changing read, it is well written and is at times emotionally touching.
Very recently I came across the Muslim American Girls Magazine and I was quite impressed with the content and layout of it. It is an online magazine geared toward girls and young women up to age 16. The website contains excerpts from articles in the magazine and information about how the magazine began. To read the magazine you have to subscribe to it by sending an email to the editor (subscription is free).
The magazine’s founder and editor is a young woman in the United States who started the writing articles when she was only ten years of age. For several years she published monthly issues online but this is the first “magazines format” being issued. According to the editor, “the goal of the magazine is to promote reading and writing among Muslim girls.” In addition, she writes that “Muslim girls have a fun, informative and halal magazine to read.”
The March/April issue is filled with everything that would appeal to a preteen and teenage girl (maybe because many of the contributors are themselves preteens and teens). The features and columns range from recipes and crafts to book reviews and a page for fashions. Readers are shown how to live an Islamic life by being conscious of those less well off than themselves, by learning the fears and hopes of someone adopting the hijab for the first time and through various inspirational Islamic quotes. Also included are a beauty/health column, a fun corner (with riddles and challenges) and information on adopting a hobby. These are all interspersed with beautiful photography and poetry. This magazine is not only professionally done but it is relevant and eye-catching.
Talking Points: Young girls may find reassurance in reading about the views and experiences of others like themselves in this magazine. Schools can benefit from a subscription to this magazine in the classroom or library and use the ideas as a starting point for discussions and to encourage writing projects among their students (which could then be submitted to the magazine for publication).
Now what I would like to see is a magazine for Muslim boys and teens! Anyone up to the challenge? Anyone knows of such a magazine?
It seems appropriate for the first book review be of the greatest series of novels that I’ve ever read. As the family story goes, the Master’s of Rome series started with Uncle KC maybe 10 years ago. He read it through and passed it along to Granny, who never quite finished as it got too bloody. Uncle Jon was next, reading all 6 (#7 released in 2007) books straight through, often calling into work sick so he could read at home. Last summer, Jon told me it was my time.
The works are Historical Fiction – detailed research of historical facts woven into a story.
From Wikipedia:
Masters of Rome is a series of historical fiction novels by author Colleen McCullough (b. 1937) set in ancient Rome during the last days of the old Roman Republic; it primarily chronicles the lives and careers of Gaius Marius, Lucius Cornelius Sulla, Pompey the Great, Julius Caesar, and the early career of Caesar Augustus. It spans from January 1, 110 BC through to January 16, 27 BC.
I love the stories of ancient Rome. I loved this series. Obviously, most of the main characters were male, and the author, Colleen McCullough, did such an incredible job or writing from the male perspective you’re forced to wonder where she got her insight.
Each book is thick – 700 to 1,000 pages – so plan to avoid all other books for at least 8 months…and trust me, that won’t be a problem. It took me roughly 7 months to finish, a month of which was while I was in Thailand.
Tips: Try used book stores to piece the series together, and READ THEM IN ORDER, don’t skip.
I never read a book more than once (feel the same way about most movies), but I do plan to revisit this series at some point in the future.
If you are at all like me –and I think I am an average Vancouver denizen- you probably own a lot more books that you have never read than the ones you have. It is a bit embarrassing to confess this, coming from me, and I am supposed to be a writer. Writers are supposed to read or to have read a lot. When I became more interested in wine I started to collect wine books, thinking “now, I have a real passion here, so I will read all these books.”
Of course I was fooling myself. We are animals of habit and now, looking back, I should have known that, just as with my other books, I would only read a fraction of them. I must also say, however, that although I have not read most books front to back, I have definitely used them for reference, both for my fiction and wine writing. Just in case you started thinking “why should I read this blog? This guy is cranking wine stuff out of his head.”
In any case, what I wanted to say on this one is, if I had to choose one book, I have had the money and space on my shelf for only one wine book I would pick the one that gives name to this posting. Wines of the World provides all the basic information you need in a mere 672 pages. It is compact, it has beautiful photographs, it’s made with nice, thick paper. Plus, it packs condensed, quality information on the world wine regions, grapes, wine people, top producers, history. If that were not enough, you will find handy maps too.
I don’t know how they managed to pack so much into such limited space but that shows craftsmanship. (Should I write craftswomanship to be gender correct here? Just kidding). These guys knew what they were doing. I also find the language simple, accessible to all, avoiding the excessive industry jargon that drives the wine curious back to beer and rye. Nothing wrong with those two, don’t take me wrong. If you just read the first chapter “Introducing Wines of the World” (it’s ok if you skip the old stuff and go straight to the 20th century) you will have already a pretty good grasp on the wine areas, who is making what, more (or less) and who is drinking it. For instance, on page 13 there is a neat table of production and consumption. For the year 2001, the consumption in liters per capita put Canada on place 15th, after France, Portugal, a long list of etceteras and even tiny Switzerland and beer oriented Germany. What they don’t say is that Vancouver drives the Canadian consumption up, with West Vancouverites downing a staggering 90 liters per head a year. That is a whole lot, and yes, this is fresh info that is not in the book. But that is why you come to this blog, see? Now, seriously, I have the 2004 edition, so expect updated info on the current one. You still need to come to Winecouver though.
Pages 24 to 35 will make you a quasi-expert in terroir, vineyard soil and grape varieties. Knowing red from white and having Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay only in your wine knowledge arsenal doesn’t cut it any more, bud. The terroir explanation text is wittingly accompanied by cool illustrations that will cut through that looming boredom. Then you have the main grapes, both black (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Pinot Noir) and white (Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon) explained in detail, as it should be. Most wine drank today still comes from those main driving grapes. Then you have shorter descriptions for other grapes that are becoming more popular. Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Sangiovese, for the dark ones and Viognier, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer among many other whites. Stuff you should know to help you understand and appreciate better your new choices.
The continuing pages until the end of the introduction chapter give some insight on vineyard management and vinification. I find this latter one is quite relevant, as it relates directly to the stuff you are putting in your mouth. Oaked vs unoaked, blending, bottle aging, malolactic fermentation, these are all areas in which you want to have a working knowledge, for your drinking’s sake. Huh! Talking about sake, this book doesn’t include a Sake chapter, which makes complete sense. I still don’t get why wine people have got into the idea that Sake should be included in wine books, wine courses, wine tastings and wine shelves on stores. Even the Playhouse International Wine Festival has a Sake section! C’mon. Sake may be very tasty but is not grape wine.
Pages 42 to 45 complete the introduction and are essential. They are about wine styles, meaning sparkling or still, light, medium or full bodied, red vs white. Here, as you go through the styles, you learn the basic wine lexicon associated to each style, plus a few aromas and flavors you may typically expect. To close this smartly put together chapter, pages 43, 44 and 45 have an inset each, telling you about stuff you definitely want to know: Tannin, old vs young wine and the building blocks of wine. I am talking about sweetness, acidity, tannin and alcohol, the properties you assess when answering two essential questions: do I like the wine? Is this quality wine? I must really like this book Have you noticed how many times I used the word “essential”?
By the time you finish reading through the first 40 pages you will feel a lot more confident. You only have 630 more to go! ; ) You have now all these sections to explore on the wine regions, from Burgundy in France to the top producers in Lebanon. Yes, they do make wine in Lebanon, as they do in Israel. This a really good section for reference, both for when you want to take a quick look or when you find a wine you like and want to know more about the region. It is also fun to look for the “top producers” segment at the end of each wine region. Chances are that you will recognize some of the wines you have seen at your local store.
The last bit of the book has some wine tasting technique tips, basic wine and food matching and main aromas and flavors you will easily identify in your wines. There is a very solid index, which I deem truly essential in any good wine book. And, huh, there is a glossary near the end too. You should look at it. In case someone asked you what Qualitatswein mit Pradikat is. No. Seriously. I totally recommend this book.
I haven’t been riding… or writing… much this week due to having the cough/cold/crud yet again. I’ve come to the conclusion that it must be stress-related: I’m simply not getting enough time or good weather in which to ride! That’s it!
Of course today I felt almost a hundred percent whole and functional again, yet now I can’t sleep. This will not help the healing that my body is craving. I’ve been awake since 6:00 a.m. — yesterday — and it’s now almost one a.m. — today (although my body thinks it’s not quite midnight). Ravenously hungry, I’m eating tortellini with peas, butter, and freshly grated parmesan.
I’m probably awake because I fell into bed too early and without my nightly dose of reading. I am traveling with Neil Peart along the healing road in his book, Ghost Rider. Not only are his words recalling to me places I have traveled (albeit before I had a motorcycle), but they are also recalling to me dreams I had when I was a younger person. Dreams that I let inadvertently fade, dreams that got lost in the rush and scramble to simply survive.
My brain is a-buzz with the work that is before me, bringing the old dreams back into focus, and adding them to the new dream, which is to live my motorcycle passion, in both work and for pleasure.
Thailand is the prime sex tourist attraction. About 15 millions flood the Capital Bangkok every year. Many girls are connected by internet to their favorite regular tourists who visit yearly for a two-week vacation: one week with the girl (who consider this period as vacation time on beaches, all expense paid) and another week for touring Thailand. It is estimated that over 3 millions in Thailand practice sex business, supposedly with the consent of their folks to feed the remaining members of the family. The government enacted laws proclaiming sex business as illegal; it had completely forgotten this law: this particular tourist appeal generates 14% of GNP.
The American soldiers fighting in Vietnam and Cambodia targeted Bangkok for relaxation breaks and then opened bars and sex businesses. After the war in Vietnam, ex-soldiers resumed their preferred tourist activities to their accustomed destination. Obviously, drug trade was a major catalyst for targeting Bangkok.
The next destination for the northern Europe and England hard working population is the Capital Riga of Latvia. Every weekend, dozens of charter planes at low cost land in Riga for a relaxing time. Morocco is the favorite destination for southern Europe.
As for the sources of the human sex pool it is the new Republics of former Soviet Union and Africa. Romania, Bulgaria, and Moldavia are prime sources for the mafias in that trade. For example, Moldavia insures the availability of 10,000 sex slaves a year; the slaves principally land in the city of Antalia in Turkey and then to Europe; Cyprus used to be the first landing location of these girls, who had secured due legitimate papers for other jobs; but the law in Cyprus required medical check up on contagious diseases; thus the mafias shifted the target location to Turkey; Cyprus has now cancelled this requirement: it cannot afford to lose a large proportion of its 7 millions tourists.
Sex slave business mafias have reformed their techniques in hiring slave sex to circumvent tighter regulations. Currently, the mafias promise a sex slave freedom, after working several years in abject conditions, by luring and expediting fresh replacements. At first, the girl is promised freedom for hiring one replacement and then this number is increased gradually for one reason or another. The replacing girls know that the final job is sex but are never aware of the conditions of the work as slaves; they work non-stop and barely have time to feed and sleep. As the fresh slave girl board the plane then the doors are shut on her freedom; when she reaches destination she is gang raped, beaten and humiliated to give her the proper taste of what to expect.
Nigeria and Cameroon are the main African sources of sex slaves. In Nigeria, mafias organize witch ceremonies for the hired girls called “Djudju” where the girl promises complete secrecy on the bosses and organization. Many mafias set up faked “Queen Beauty contests” and then photos are taken in bikini and brochures are sent to select rich elite customers; first the girls are sent to work in hotels and bars and then are coerced to upgrade into sex business.
There are 400,000 whores in Germany and as many in Spain; 85,000 in England and as many in Italy; 20,000 in Holland and as many in France. Over 80% of the whores are foreigners from Romania, Bulgaria, and Africa. Sex slave charges between 300 and 400 in developed European States while it cost between 30 to 50 in their home States.
Many European States have tried alternative approaches to cut down on sex trades. Holland enacted laws to legalize this business as long as the sex provider applies legally. Unfortunately, only 4% opted to formally legalize their trade. Sweden has proven to have the most efficacious method: apprehending the customers for illegal activities.
This book, from Christian Encounters by Mitch Stokes, is a biography on Isaac Newton. It gives an inspiring look into a man’s life who considered his faith to be the starting point as he delved into the world of science and mathematics. Though a short book, I found it to be very interesting, sparking my desire to learn more of this amazing man from the past.
Through his God given intellect, obsession for detail, and a penchant for solitude and study, he made amazing discoveries, contributing to our world like none other. The part I was particularly encouraged by was the fact that Isaac Newton saw the scientific world as a way to explain God’s wondrous works in nature. It appears that his desire to understand the intricisies of the world was fueled by his study of theology and desire to know God. His life demonstrated his belief that, “To be constantly engaged in studying and probing into God’s actions was true worship.”
The surprising part of Isaac Newton’s life was his obvious humility. Though he was brilliant and ahead of his peers in his discoveries, he was surprisingly quiet about it. Only after a tremendous amount of prodding from his fellow scientists and philosophers did he agree to publish his work. It is fortunate for us that he did and yet it leads me to wonder what other discoveries, the ones he did not share with the world, he made and what a difference it may have made to the world if he had shared them.
This would be a great book to add to your children’s reading list. We need to introduce our children to real men of faith. Our world is so full of fake, self-absorbed people who are sending the wrong message to our kids. This book will provide them with a view of a man who sought God in every area of his personal and professional life. I recommend this book to both adults and students.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
All of the Bible’s holy days are unique, filled with meaning and fun in their own way. Passover is no exception, and honestly probably my favorite festival to prepare for and commemorate. The actual Seder is the icing on the cake of the preparations. And the evening is packed with reading and singing, two of my favorite things to do. The Yeshua-emphasis for a Messianic believer obviously adds enormous, gigantic meaning on top of the service and the meal. All in all it is a great lesson for families and individuals, it fulfills certain commandments of God, it allows one to invite guests and serve them a great meal and enjoy conversation. What a great holiday.
The JPS Commentary on the Haggadah has added even more significance to Passover this year already. The book is filled with plenty of history but in a size that is easily digestible. Some of the things the book talks about regarding the history of the Seder itself along with the food and the citations from the Mishnah, etc inspired reactions of “cool!” “wow!” and “this is so neat.” This book helps to explain why in the world the Seder is the way it is today. This is a result of years and decades and centuries and millenia of fitting the service with the times of society and the changes in cultures and location. Other people have explained that better so I’m not trying to re-invent the wheel. Just posting some reactions. Unfortunately I haven’t made it through the whole book yet, but there’s still some time left .
On another note, I received my copies of the VOD Haggadah and Meal of Messiah, and I must say that this Passover looks to be perhaps the most memorable yet in my short history of biblical festivals.
The Ten Years Thinner dietary elimination/reintroduction schedule proceeds as follows:
1. For the first two weeks of the Ten Years Thinner program,
all legumes, soy-based foods, dairy, grains, and other high glycemic
index carbs (potatoes, dried fruit, fruit juice, alcohol, etc.) are off limits.
2. At the beginning of week three, legumes are reintroduced.
3. At the beginning of week four, dairy and soy-based foods are reintroduced.
4. At the beginning of week five, select grains and other high glycemic
index carbs are reintroduced.
5. After week six, you may resume drinking alcohol.
The Lean Essentials:
#1: Eat Frequently
TheTen Years Thinner meal plan calls for the daily consumption of three mandatory meals, two mandatory between-meal snacks, and an optional pre-bedtime snack. You might be worried about how your body will react to so much food. Don’t be! Eating frequently does not make you fat. On the contrary, the more frequently you eat, the faster you’ll build a firm, flab-free physique. There are several reasons for this.
#2: Drink Frequently
The Ten Years Thinner meal plan calls for the consumption of at least 60 ounces (about two liters) of fluid per day, or about 10 to 12 ounces with every meal and snack. This volume should be in addition to whatever fluids you drink when exercising.
#3: Include a Full Serving of
Lean Protein with Every Meal
As you know, adequate protein, consumed frequently throughout the day, is absolutely vital to muscle toning and fat burning. It might interest you to learn that protein has roughly three times the thermic effect of either fat or carbohydrate. That means the more protein your meal contains, the more calories you will burn digesting your food.
#4: Include at Least One Serving of
Fruit and/or Vegetables with Every Meal
The health benefits of high consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables are legion. The Ten Years Thinner meal plan includes a minimum of one serving of fruit and/or vegetables with each of your three meals. To estimate what constitutes a serving, just go straight to the end of your wrist. Use your fist as a gauge: One serving of fruit equals approximately one fist; one serving of vegetables (or salad) equals approximately two fists.
#5: Cook Exclusively with Cold-Pressed
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
As you know from Chapter 3, fat plays a vital role in signaling your brain that you’re full so you are not tempted to overeat. In addition, fat slows the absorption of carbohydrates and functionally lowers the glycemic index of a meal. For these reasons alone, it is important to include moderate amounts of fat with every meal and snack.
Ok, so for the last… who knows how many months – I have been walking through my bookstore, selecting my purchases while these beautiful covers by Tessa Dare are staring out from the shelves at me saying “Take me home”. Now, I will admit that I am a cautious reader, not often do I veer away from my usual authors. Hence the reason why I never answered the call put forth by these books and took them home with me. What a mistake that was! When I finally took the plunge, boy was I satisfied. Tessa Dare is a breath of fresh air and a stunning addition to the romance writing world.
I was originally going to review her first three books individually but thought instead to use this short blog to praise Tessa in general and promote this series as a whole. I found all three books to be delightfully witty with no real dull or down moments to distract from the stories. It is rare, in a series, that I actually like both the hero and heroine in each book but with this group I had a little place in my heart for all of them. I have found that with some series the stories are all very similar, albeit with different characters, and the main theme/ conflicts are so blatantly close that you could possibly write the rest of the book having only read a few chapters. With this series, the stories are strikingly different. The main theme, a love hard won, makes for an interesting read and satisfying endings.
These books are sensual and romantic with reasonably descriptive love scenes. I like the way Tessa has written about the intimacy between her characters. I would give these books an 8 out of 10 on my Sexy Scale. (10 being very graphic in sexy content – 1 being so tame there isn’t even a real kiss… ok, well maybe a chaste one)
Overall, I would highly recommend any Tessa Dare book. I don’t even have to read the back covers for her new series to want to read them. I give this series a 9.5 out of 10. Tessa’s next book ‘One Dance with a Duke’ comes out at the end of May… I simply can not wait! Check out Tessa’s website for all her news and book info.
Book 1 – Goddess of the Hunt (Jeremy & Lucy)
Ever the bold adventuress, Lucy Waltham has decided to go hunting for a husband. But first she needs some target practice. So she turns to her brother’s best friend, Jeremy Trescott, the Earl of Kendall, to hone her seductive wiles on him before setting her sights on another man. But her practice kisses spark a smoldering passion-one that could send all her plans up in smoke.
Jeremy has an influential title, a vast fortune, and a painful past full of long-buried secrets. He keeps a safe distance from his own emotions, but to distract Lucy from her reckless scheming, he must give his passions free rein. Their sensual battle of wills is as maddening as it is delicious, but the longer he succeeds in managing the headstrong temptress, the closer Jeremy comes to losing control. When scandal breaks, can he bring himself to abandon Lucy to her ruin? Or will he risk his heart and claim her for his own?
Book 2 - Surrender of a Siren (Gray and Sophia)
Desperate to escape a loveless marriage and society’s constraints, pampered heiress Sophia Hathaway jilts her groom, packs up her paints and sketchbook, and assumes a new identity, posing as a governess to secure passage on the Aphrodite. She wants a life of her own: unsheltered, unconventional, uninhibited. But it’s one thing to sketch her most wanton fantasies, and quite another to face the dangerously handsome libertine who would steal both her virtue and her gold.
To any well-bred lady, Benedict ‘Gray’ Grayson is trouble in snug-fitting boots. A conscienceless scoundrel who sails the seas for pleasure and profit, Gray lives for conquest-until Sophia’s perception and artistry stir his heart. Suddenly he’ll brave sharks, fire, storm, and sea just to keep her at his side. She’s beautiful, refined, and ripe for seduction. Could this counterfeit governess be a rogue’s redemption? Or will the runaway heiress’s secrets destroy their only chance at love?
Book 3 – A Lady of Persuasion (Toby and Isabel)
Only one thing could convince Sir Tobias Aldridge, an incorrigible libertine, to profess undying fidelity to a woman he’s just met. Revenge. What better way to get back at an enemy than by stealing the scoundrel’s sister? Not that Toby finds it a chore, seducing a beguiling, sultry beauty freshly arrived from the West Indies. When the prize is Isabel Grayson, vengeance is doubly rewarding.
Isabel is determined to marry a wealthy, powerful lord and become a lady of influence, using her rank and fortune to fight social injustice. Sir Toby, with his paltry title and infamous reputation, is unsuitable husband material-but he makes her blood race, her heart pound, and her long-buried passions come to the surface. If she can reform the charming devil, she’ll get exactly what she craves: society’s respect. But it’s a dangerous gamble. For if Toby wins this battle of persuasion, Isabel could lose her heart. (excepts from fantasticfiction.co.uk)
Well, Gillian McKeith was not wrong about the “changing your life” bit. If you were to follow the plan you would find yourself expanding your vocabulary with a world of new and unusual food and drink names. And if you are time depleted or not a type A personality, perhaps you should leave this book on the shelf!
And I’m personally not convinced that drinking the juice of 6 carrots or 5 cucumbers is neither necessary for optimum health nor even “natural” (in the fullest definition of the term).
This aside, and while the writing style is a little dull, maybe even stuffy, You Are What You Eat is a light easy read, well laid out and useful more as a reference book than a cover to cover immersion. It contains plenty of new food ideas and great recipes for those looking to pursue a lifetime migration towards a whole food regimen. McKeith’s views about making small changes align with my own and she reminds us that perfection in any nutrition plan is not real.
I didn’t buy into everything she has published and had difficulty digesting unreferenced potions about tongue reading and other “body signs” with accompanying nutritional recommendations for everything from pimples to a sore tongue to skid mark stools. This aside, I’m still going to buy a copy to try a few of the recipes and provide prompts for areas I’d like to research further.
McKeith succeeds in keeping a complicated topic simple and if you like soups, broths and juices, this may be “the one” for you.
A Million Miles in a Thousand Years is basically a story about…Story. Stories are a common part of life for most people, but many of us have not stopped to think about what makes a good story. Miller leads the reader through his personal journey of discovering the complexity and practicality of a story. As the reader follows Miller’s cognitive adventures they discover a call to living life instead of dragging through existence.
I personally enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who is reflective of their own life. Miller’s uses his first person writing style, which I love, to break the books chapters into thought blocks. Unlike Blue Like Jazz, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years has more of progress feel to it. Each chapter draws you deeper and deeper into the mystery of what it means to live a meaningful life. In the end, it is left to the read to make the choice, do I make my life into a good story, an epic adventure, or a dime store flop.
Arnold Kling of EconLog, a generally libertarian economics blog, has a flattering review of 13 Bankers. I especially appreciate it because even though we differ from Kling on many of our ideological presuppositions and political preferences, he recognizes the potential bipartisan appeal of at least some parts of the book. For example:
“Johnson and Kwak start by putting the issue of large banks in historical and international context. Although they lean left, they may shock progressives with their sympathetic treatment of Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson in their suspicion of financial concentration.”
This should not be too surprising, really. Progressives and libertarians both tend to be suspicious of concentrated economic power and its ability to sway government policy, though we might differ on solutions. To simplify vastly, progressives want the government to take a harder line on big business, while libertarians want smaller government and hence less ability for big business to twist public policy in its favor. But Simon and I do not share the faith in government regulators that some progressives have, and this is why we support breaking up big banks.
Kling does raise a few quibbles. Without restating them here, I would say that #1 is a fair point (it’s a question of emphasis between ideology and exogenous historical factors. #2 is also a fair point. We weren’t trying to argue that regulation of OTC derivatives would have solved everything; it comes up disproportionately in the book in part because of its symbolic value. As for #3, we weren’t trying to say that BISTRO was the first credit default swap. It was the first synthetic CDO, at least according to Gillian Tett’s book.
Anancy and Mr. Dry Bone Author & Illustrator: French, Fiona ISBN #- 0316292982
Summary: Mr. Dry-Bone live on top of a hill and he was very rich, he wanted to marry Miss Louise. Anancy lives in a small house at the foot of a hill and is very poor but, he wants to marry Miss Louise also. Miss Louise lives on the other side of the hill and she is neither rich nor poor. She is clever and beautiful, but she has never laughed. She said the first man that could make her laugh, she would marry. Mr. Dry-Bone came to Miss Louise’s door, he was dressed in his best clothes. He had brought all of his tricks to try and make her laugh. He turned himself into a bat aand then into a cat and a pig! After all of this, all Miss Louise did was smile. Anancy knew that he could do better than this. He went to tiger and asked to lend him his best suit, but all he had was a jogging suit. He also borrowed a hunting hat from dog and shiny black shoes from alligator. When Anancy got to her house, she started laughing! Anancy married Miss Louise and they lived happily ever after.
Response: This book would really get children’s imaginations flowing. I liked this book because it was somewhat different. It is not your traditional read for students. I feel that I would have enjoyed reading a book like this when I was younger.
Classroom Connections: I think that this book would be a great book to read aloud to students. The illustrations in this book are really colorful and would get children’s minds really flowing. If I were using this book in my classroom. I would have my students draw an illustration of what they think Anancy would look like when he went to Miss Louise’s house. I would then hang up the artwork in my classroom.
Memoirs of a Nobel Peace Prize on Iran Islamic Revolution; (Mar. 10, 2010)
Iranian judge, Shereen Abadi, received Nobel Peace Prize in 2003 for defending Iranian civil and human rights. She was a renowned judge during the Shah regime and then supported the nascent Iranian revolution in 1979 before it turned fundamental Islamic. She is banished from Iran and has published in English in 2006 “Iran awakening: memoirs of revolution and hope”. This manuscript was translated into Arabic by Hussam Itani and published by “Dar al Saki” in 2010.
In autumn of 2000, judge Abadi stumbled on a nerve wracking file: An Iranian information minister had previously ordered the assassination of Abadi. Before Khomeini returned to Iran after 14 years of absence in February 1979, Shereen was demonstrating in the streets to ousting the Shah of Iran. As Khomeini stepped out the airplane he was asked “How do you feel today?” He replied “I feel nothing.” That was a bad omen for a start.
Judge Abadi never wore the veil in her life. The newly appointed temporary general secretary to the ministry of justice after the revolution asked Abadi to wear the veil. She refused; he said: “Do it out of faith at least”. This judge, Fateh Allah Bani Sadr, was the brother of the next President of the Islamic Republic Hassan Bani Sadr. Fateh Allah was soon demoted and when his brother was elected President then he offered to Abadi to be the President legal counselor; she declined. The appointed counselor was executed as soon as Hassan Bani Sadr was deposed!
The next day judge Abadi parked her car in front of the Justice Palace she noticed that motorcycles replaced cars; judges and personnel were wearing dirty robes to prove love for poverty; she could not smell cologne or perfume; the staunchest Shah’s supporters turned staunch Islamic revolutionaries. People have been changing outfits for a new role in the play.
It is said that Ayatollah Talkani who was appointed to re-write the Constitution shouted “What are those shameful luxury sofas and couches?” He sat on the ground for a couple of hours and then decided that sofas were far more comfortable. There strong rumors that women would be banished from judgeship: they were not focused, lacked determination, and are generally lazy. Abadi refused the higher post of court investigator because she sensed that the intention was to rob her of her chair as judge. She was finally ordered to the position of assistant to research department!
In November of 1979, a group of adolescents took over the US Embassy and took captives for 444 days; Khomeini was jubilant but most Iranians felt that the revolution has deteriorated. Actually, the Islamic revolution was losing momentum and support until the US ordered Saddam Hussein of Iraq to invade Iran in 1980. The Iranian people had no choice but to support the existing Islamic regime against the aggressors. During 8 years of this insane war that left over one million dead and several millions injured the Islamic Revolution felt free to execute thousands of intellectuals and liberal minded people. Abadi did a simple calculation and figured out from the monthly toll of executed citizens to the number of the population that her turn will soon come within 8 years.
Thousands of adolescents were sent to the front as living mine sweepers. Every morning, two dozens of martyrs “Shaheed” were prayed upon in front of the Justice Palace. Abadi finally shut off her windows, even during summer, in order not to hear the prayers and laments and find a corner to cry her eyes out.
Note: I was eye witness to the revolutionary zeal of the Iranians at the university campus of Norman (Oklahoma). Almost everyday, half a dozen Iranian political parties crisscrossed the campus in demonstrations, discussion groups, and participating in meetings. An Islamic Republic was not in the agenda of most of the parties: they just wanted the Shah’s regime out and a new regime in.
Today I finished reading Spiritual Mindedness by John Owen, an old Puritan Pastor. It is without question one of the most helpful books I have ever read in my entire life. If someone told you the Puritans were “legalistic” or “superstitious” or just plain “weird” then kick those wrong views out of your mind and dig into some John Owen. I probably underlined the majority of this book. I will definitely be going back to it again and again. This book is revised in simple to read language. Enjoy.
Win one of 50 $100 prize packs – Quirk Classics Giveaway – Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls!
Photo Courtesy of Quirk Books
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith was a shockingly good read. I say shockingly good because I have grown somewhat tired of zombies in my ripe old age of 39 and was shocked that I even accepted the review offer in the first place, let alone enjoyed reading the book so much I can honestly say I loved this book. Even my husband laughed when he saw the book on our coffee table last night, not only because that cover is hilarious, but because he knows when I see a zombie movie on our tv, I run these days. Reading about zombies is different from seeing all that gore on my big screen tv. Heck, one of the earliest horror movies I ever saw was Night of the Living Dead at age seven. And, I’m a huge fan of Jane Austen and her masterpeice Pride and Prejudice, which this novel is based off of, so I was hoping Dawn of the Dreadfuls wasn’t going to be a terrible book. I have picked up Pride and Prejudice and Zombies at least a hundred times in various bookstores since it was published. I had always wanted to read it, and the publishers were kind enough to include a copy of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies along with the prequel they wanted me to review as well. Wasn’t that fabulous of them?
Dawn of the Dreadfuls starts out lovely enough, and begins this way – Walking out in the middle of a funeral would be, of course, bad form. So attempting to walk out on one’s own was beyond the pale. My god, isn’t that just a delightful way to be introduced to zombies in Meryton, Hartfordshire? The book just keeps getting better, with gross-out moments not always zombie filled. When Elizabeth and her sisters mistake their horney mother for a zombie while trying to gain entrance to their father’s room to sire him a son, I could not stop giggling. Even better, Steve Hockensmith writes of a past romance between Mrs. Bennet and Captain Cannon, a legless and armless man who gets wheeled around by two soldiers in a wheel barrel. Even more delightful, the disgusting Lord Lumpley and his perverse love of young girls and walking around his home in the nude. He is a foul pig who asks for Jane to be his protector so he can seduce her, and I adore him for it. But of course, my favorite character in this book is our heroine Elizabeth Bennet, a teenage zombie slayer who is in the midst of a love triangle between a zombie doctor and a zombie warrior. I won’t tell you who she chooses in the end, but trust me, even if you haven’t read the original Pride and Prejudice or you aren’t a zombie freak, you will still like this book very much. How could you not love teenagers learning martial arts in the early part of the nineteenth century England? How scandalous!
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls is Pride and Prejudice meets Buffy The Vampire Slayer with a little Shaun of the Dead thrown in for good measure. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.
CONTEST!!!
For a chance to win one of 50 Quirk Classics Prize Packs, go here.
You will be prompted to mention my blog, The Girl from the Ghetto. Make sure you post the link to this review, because not only do I enjoy a shout-out, but because all participants who post where they heard of this contest will be automatically entered to win one a Prize Pack, with a retail value of more than $100, will include:
An advance copy of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls
Audio Books of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters
A password redeemable online for sample audio chapters of Dawn of the Dreadfuls
An awesome Dawn of the Dreadfuls Poster
A Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Journal
A box set of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Postcards
So it’s easy -
1.) Visit Quirk Classics.
2.) Fill out the quick registration, that is if you aren’t registered already.
3.) Post a comment telling them that you learned of the GIVEAWAY here @ The Girl from the Ghetto
You can be one of 50 winners, so good luck!
My god, how I want those Pride and Prejudice and Zombies postcards. If you win, feel free to send me one, as I collect postcards.
Photo Courtesy of Quirk Books
With more than one million copies in print, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies was the surprise publishing phenomenon of 2009. A best seller on three continents, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies has been translated into 21 languages and been optioned to become a major motion picture. I can imagine the crowds in the theatre now.
To read more about Dawn of the Dreadfuls, go to Quirkclassics.com here.
Release date: March 23, 2010. Pre-order your copy of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls here.
This collection of twenty sermons and homilies from J. Gresham Machen, edited by Ned Stonehouse, is a small window into the heart and soul of a theologian-pastor who proclaimed the Gospel forthrightly, unapologetically, and powerfully in his generation. Those who have read Machen’s Christianity and Liberalism (see my review) will recognize the same clarity, conciseness, and authority with which Machen exercises his pen. Seminary students will especially appreciate the honest homilies directed to seminarians in which Machen encourages his students neither to ignore their doubts nor their sins (of which the sacred halls of seminaries are no doubt filled), but to bring them to Christ and to his cross. Orthodox Presbyterians will appreciate the opportunity to sense the pulse and passion of one of our fathers in the faith who stood firm when others gave way. All those who love the Gospel of Jesus Christ will be encouraged and enriched by Machen’s cogent reflections upon the Christian life as it is founded upon Christian doctrine.
Cognitive scientist and educator Daniel Willingham has written a fantastic book outlining what cognitive science research can contribute to designing effective instruction. Although the book is relatively short, the key insights are rich and suggestive for further thinking, and will probably teach you more about student learning and effective instruction than any other 10 books. What’s especially remarkable is that the author practices what he preaches: the book is organized around a series of questions that teachers are likely to have, rather than the sequential development of content more typical of a textbook. This approach holds the reader’s attention and makes for better comprehension. The book is also very well-written.
The first question Willingham tackles is why it is so hard to make students like school. Aren’t we homo sapiens, the thinking animal, distinguished from the rest of creation by our curiosity and intellectual ability? Don’t people naturally like to think? Surprisingly, Willingham’s answer is no, at least in most situations. Although we are naturally curious and as a species we have developed formidable linguistic and cognitive capabilities, in general thinking is hard and we try to avoid it if possible.
To motivate this apparently counter-intuitive insight, Willingham notes that thinking is not what the brain does best: human beings are far better at things like face recognition and moving our bodies purposefully than at thinking. The visual system, for example, is lightning fast: when we train our eyes to a scene we instantly take it in, we don’t have to think about it or wait for the details to resolve themselves. In contrast to most other brain functions which are fast, automatic and (generally) successful, reasoning is slow, effortful and quite error-prone.
Despite these drawbacks to thinking, however, people do engage in it and do learn many things over the course of their lifetimes. What’s more, almost every situation we might face in everyday life, whether paying a bill, engaging in a conversation, doing the shopping or God forbid, teaching, involves serious thinking. If people find thinking hard and try to avoid it, how can anyone be successful at anything? What’s going on here?
The missing piece of this puzzle is memory. As Willingham explains in a later chapter, we can think of memory as the trace of thought: we remember what we think about. Once we have learned how to solve a particular problem, negotiate a social situation or complete a certain activity (such as tying our shoelaces), the necessary facts and procedures are stored in memory and can be called upon quickly and easily when we face a new situation that reminds us of those we have previously encountered. Willingham notes that in many situations that seem to require thinking, such as solving a logic puzzle, we are actually relying upon our memory of similar situations to produce the solution. Even chess players rely largely on their memory of past games and configurations in order to plot their next move. So we might say that memory is the strategy our brain uses to help us avoid thinking whenever possible.
But we have still not answered the question of why people are motivated to think in the first place, if it is so slow, hard and messy. The answer is that people do like to think and find it rewarding, but only under very specific circumstances: people will think when they are presented with a problem of just the right difficulty. If a problem is too easy and too similar to ones we have solved many times before, people will get bored and lose interest (think how you would respond to an invitation to spend an hour tying your shoes over and over again). If the problem is too hard and/or inscrutable, people will give up as they get frustrated and sense that the mental effort is not worthwhile. But a problem of moderate difficulty-one that is puzzling but seems ‘doable’-will capture a person’s attention and encourage critical thinking. The reason is that solving a problem produces a pleasurable feeling, that “Eureka” or “Aha” moment when everything ‘clicks’. We crave this feeling, just as we crave attention from others or that rush from a roller coaster: all of these are reward feelings produced by the brain.
Interestingly, the content of the problem does not seem to make much difference, and neither does relevance to ‘everyday life’. It would be wrong to say that most people don’t enjoy solving math problems, for example, because clearly they do: sudoku is one of the most popular mental games on the planet, even though it is math and is a skill that most people do not need in their everyday life. The common thread that connects mental activities people find pleasurable is the level of difficulty. To repeat: people will engage in thinking if they are presented with a problem that is puzzling but that also seems like it will lead to that pleasurable feeling of success. That is, people will engage in thinking when they believe the mental work they put out will pay off.
What are the implications of this insight for the classroom? Teachers must design lesson plans that include many opportunities for the students to tackle problems or tasks of just the right difficulty to arouse their curiosity as well as their anticipation of success. I have seen many times in my own classroom that when the students see one of their classmates solve a problem successfully in front of the class, the rest then want to have a chance as well. Students will be motivated to contribute to the classroom discussion if they believe they will be successful in answering a question, proposing a good solution strategy or suggesting a fruitful avenue of approach.
Willingham also cautions that, before teachers pose a problem or question to the students, they should make sure that the students have the required background knowledge to tackle it with a reasonable chance of success. How often have we as teachers asked a big question that we thought would arouse the students’ interest (“What does history mean to you?”), but that produced a sea of blank stares instead? It was probably because the students did not have the background knowledge to tackle the problem successfully. It is important to remember that the goal is not to produce mere bafflement in the students, but puzzlement that leads to the pleasure of actually solving the problem. An important corollary of this insight is that teachers need to spend enough time setting up the question, to which the material you want the students to learn is the answer. Being force-fed answers to questions we barely understand and don’t appreciate makes for a very unsatisfying educational experience.
So how to come up with problems and activities of just the right level of difficulty? There is no formula for this, each teacher must make his or her own decisions based upon knowledge of the individual students, their background knowledge and the unit at hand. Willingham suggests that all teachers keep a diary of what works and what doesn’t. Designing good problems is an art that develops with experience.
The next chapter focuses on the importance of background knowledge in developing students’ critical thinking, and how to make sure the students get this knowledge.
Its been taking me forever to get this book review out. Its been on my mind for days but for some reason writing something is always quite a bit more difficult for me than drawing something. You would figure that after getting a degree in political science that it would come easier to me but you’d be wrong. Maybe my next book review should come in the form of a doodle.
Anyways, today class, we will be discussing The Men Who Stare at Goats by Jon Ronson. I actually had no idea that it was a book until I heard the author being interviewed when the movie came out. He was being interviewed on my favourite podcast ever, The Skeptics Guide to the Universe and since they were so taken by the book (and less so by the movie), I figured I should probably read this thing.
So lets begin. The book is sold as an entertaining look at the crazy US government’s secret attempts to integrate psychics and other aspects of paranormal new age crap into modern warfare. And that’s basically how the book started off, somewhat light-hearted, describing the attempts of one general to walk through walls and various soldiers attempting to kill goats with their minds. Funny and weird for sure. But as I read on, I felt more and more disturbed by what I was reading.
In Ronson’s journey to uncover these strange projects of the US military, he begins to unwind the not so funny current military practices. It becomes clear that ideas that arose from the psyops division in the 1980s become contorted and fucked up with the passage of time and some unholy version of it was then put into practice in the present-day war on terror in Iraq. I mean, for all the crap that the whole new age mentality brought to ideas on how to fight a war, it also brought in the idea of non lethal weapons, and non violent warfare. These men may have been diluted to think that they could kill people with their minds but the mind frame that lead them to believe they could do that also created a philosophy which spoke of understanding the culture and the people of the land in which they were fighting. Essentially, winning the war by only winning the hearts and minds of the civilians and creating a world where politics would be in harmony with the earth. Yet, what came out of it was bizarre interrogation techniques which can only be described as psychological torture coupled with massive human rights violations by the most powerful military on earth. It was the horrible mutant child of the military’s hippy new age psyops division.
I went into this book thinking that I would read about a failed government initiative whose ideas were long dead but I was horrified to find that I was reading the twisted adventure of the military in Iraq. I left the book feeling somewhat disturbed by what I read and I’m not sure if that was Ronson’s intent. Did I miss his point?
Anyways, the final verdict is that Jon Ronson’s The Men Who Stare at Goats was one damn good book. Definitely a must read. I’ll be sure to post my impressions of the movie once I get around to seeing it.
This is not the first time I’ve read this book. There is a lot of thought that went into the organization of the book. I’m going to start from the back then go to the front and then to the middle.
The book has three appendices. The first recommends books on the retelling of Celtic myth and lore, translations of tales and poems, interpretations of the traditions, and reference titles. Appendix B is recommended listening and Appendix C is all about the Celtic Fire festivals; the information there is to the point and 99% accurate. The bibliography of the book is an extensive and very impressive one. All the books there are well known for their scholarship. And the index is very good.
Now back to the beginning. I found the first chapter to be pleasant if a little flowery. They talk about their sources and how they used them to write the book. I also liked the fact that they say that this is THEIR practice, but that it is based on scholarship in other words UPG. They caution the reader about any book that claims to have all the answer and they answer the question of why anyone should bother studying, let alone honoring or venerating, the old gods and goddesses of the Celtic Tradition. The second chapter starts by defining what the authors mean when they say Celtic, which is always important as the term could mean different things to different people. Then they discuss the exact sources they will be using and why. They also end the chapter with general principles of Celtic mythology, which in my opinion is very helpful and very much true. Chapter three sets out their goals for the book, they have three and they also tell you what this book is NOT. The main one that I think is very commendable of them to mention is that this book is not an “academic” approach to deity. They do promise (and deliver in my opinion) to give just enough “academic” information on each deity to help you to get to know them but also they ask that you do your own search too. Two people after my own heart. This is something that I feel is not stressed enough in books, whether academic or UPG. The chapter ends with deity and the question of belief. They explain the different approaches to deity. The ones they mention are; the Transpersonal approach, the Euhemerist approach, the Monistic approach, the Henotheistic approach, and the Polytheistic approach.
The middle portion of the book I’m going to divide into two parts. The first part is about the different gods and goddesses that the authors have chosen to talk about. They chose the most famous of the Irish, Welsh, and Gaulish deities. This information in the chapters is 97% accurate as far as I can see (bear in mind I’m not an expert), but what I loved the most is the ideas on how to honor these gods and goddesses at the end of each chapter. Simple things that anyone can do . The second part of the middle portion, which consists of the last three chapters, discusses a deeper Celtic spirituality. These chapters discuss mysticism, virtue, what the gods expect from you and how to put everything into practice with meditation, devotion, prayer, ritual, study and virtue. The final chapter discusses the importance of reading myths, and how to do it in a way that gives you the maximum benefit on your path.
I totally enjoyed this book the first times I read it and I have enjoyed it now that I have read it again. It is what UPG should be all about. The foundation is made out of fact and the rest is based on an educated guess. It has the practical side of spirituality explained in a way that even people who are sticklers for detail will love. It does not tell you what to do but makes informative suggestions. This is a book that I plan to return to over and over again.
Paranormal romance has been reigning supreme in the romance genre for some time now. Tough as nails heroines are a blessed relief from the barrage of fan wielding beauties on the Ton that populate Regency Romance. Yes, I do read Regency, but after awhile, there’s just so much you can do with men in frock coats. The rage for paranormal has given a lot of talented writers – and an even bigger pool of copycats – a whole new area to explore. As with any genre, tropes get overworked and some writers are far better at world building. No, they might not J.R.R Tolkien, Raymond Feist, or Robert Jordan, but then romance readers want different things from their stories than mainstream fantasy readers. And the best of today’s writers deliver that in spades. Then, thanks to Paperback Swap, I can get many books in print version that I would not otherwise buy. Here are some short reviews of a few books I got thru various swaps for erotic paranormal romance as well as some recently released titles that I’ve bought.
Title: Hunters: The Beginning
Author: Shiloh Walker
Type: Paranormal romance
Genre: Vampire and werewolf enforcers and witches
Sub-genre: menage and sex magic; single author anthology
My Grade: C+ to B- (3.5*)
Rating: XXX
Length and price: Category novel and long novella – about 100,000 words total
Where Available: Publisher’s website as ebook, in print from publisher, some book stores and used book websites
FTC Disclosure: Book from a book swapping site
Shiloh Walker has a pretty loyal following in erotic romance and steamier mainstream. With erotic romance, many readers are less concerned about the story than they are the steam. The two book anthology has one of each. The first story is a category length novel titled Declan and Tori. It’s one of the better erotic romance paranormals. The second, Eli and Sarel is more steam than story.
Declan Reilly is a Hunter, and a werewolf. For some time now he’s been attracted to Tori McAdams, a private investigator, who regards her own attraction to him as something to be avoided. Then the unthinkable happens, a creature out of a horror novel attacks Tori as she searches for the sick bastard playing at being a vampire and terrorizing her client. The vamp deliberately leaves her alone after turning her, thinking she’ll arise in a haze of bloodlust and go insane. It’s what she deserves for trying to shield him from his prey. But Tori has a little voice in her head that reaches thru the fog of pain and exhaustion and helps her control the change sweeping over her.
Three days later, dirty and starving, arrives at Declan’s door. He knows what’s happened by her smell, but oddly, she doesn’t smell completely vamp and eats food. But he can also see her bloodlust – a lust she controlling like no newborn should be able to. Cue the really hot sex and blood donation by Declan. They go see Declan’s friend and fellow Hunter, Elijah Crawford, a master vampire. Eli has trouble believing that Tori can tolerate daylight with minimal damage and eat like a starving wolf. Having Declan as her first meal helped her too, but it seems she also has a natural gift as a witch. Not even Eli is certain what she, though like Declan, he suspects.
Tori is surprised by her intense sexual urges for both Declan and Eli, a person she’s only just met. Neither male seems troubled by them, though Eli immediately realizes that Tori is Declan’s mate, a bond that is severed only by death. Cue menage scenes – well done ones. Then two things happen – the vamp that made Tori comes looking for his ‘child’ and a powerful self taught witch, Sarel, comes looking for Eli thinking he’s the vamp responsible for the awful murder of her sister.
The ending is worth it and this was a definite cut above the typical erotic paranormal romance. The second story is that of Eli and Sarel that takes place years later after Sarel has been trained as a witch. Her attempt to kill a master vampire put her in the Council’s net and she’s going to be working with one of the Hunter’s. The Hunter she’s assigned to is Eli. Eli was furious with her after his recovery. She suspects he hates her, now she has to work with him. Eli has spent years battling the reality that Sarel is the woman he wants. Now he has to train her to work with him as a team when what he wants is her in bed – and not because she feels guilty about she did. Declan and Tori aren’t so forgiving and are less than thrilled about her being back in Eli’s life and don’t hesitate to make that clear.
Eli feels guilty about wanting a young, inexperienced woman. Sarel feels guilty about nearly killing Eli, but the guilt has been shifting to love for a long time, a love she doesn’t expect he wants. They give in to mutual lust. Afraid Eli won’t love her forever, Sarel says no to the bonding. Eli does ‘the noble thing’, sending her away, but it seems it was already too late. It’s Malachi who brings her back when another witch realizes the bond had already formed. Then it’s Eli’s turn to be thickheaded.
Eli and Sarel was much more of a romance than Declan and Tori, which had a central story around which the romance unfolded. For that reason, I found Declan and Tori the better of the two, but that’s just a personal preference. Byron, the third in the menage scene, was window dressing, not a well developed character and a real weakness in the story due to his presence in such a key scene. The writing quality is a cut above the usual for erotic romance, as are the characters. Also unusual for erotic romance, there was no sense of cookie cutter plotting or characters. The fascinating Malachi flits in and out of the story as he did with Declan and Tori.
Hunters was a hot, sexy read and for erotic romance, the stories were actually quite good. Was it worth the cover price of $14.99? Not for me, not did it make my keeper shelf, but that’s just taste. Buy the ebooks on the Ellora’s site and try them. If you feel moved to get a print copy for your shelf, then by all means, buy it. I recommend buying used from Half.com, Alibris, or even through Amazon or Barnes and Nobel. Better still, get it through a book swapping site or from a friend, or try buying new from a discount book site. It’s worth around $10-11 dollars thanks to its substantial length and the quality of the writing.
FTC Disclosure: Book purchased from online bookstore
This is my first Karen Chance book and that put me at a disadvantage in understanding the ‘world’ in which the story is set. As is usually the case, I read the book reviews AFTER I read the book, or I’d have been warned about that. Despite the lingering feeling I was missing a lot.
Dorina Basarab is a dhampir – the off-spring of a male vampire and a human female. The children of such unions usually have short, unhappy lives and early deaths. Dorina has lived to be 500 years old, but not without incident. She’s prone to berserker rages that leave a trail of bodies and her with gaps in her memories. Her father a member of the North American Vampire Council finds her kneeling over a dead body – a body she made dead. He is the epitome of Continental class against her poor grunge tough girl, and he’s a vamp – and vamps and dhampir’s are the deadliest of enemies, and she isn’t exactly fond of daddy dearest, though he seems somewhat fond of her.
Mircea was neither born a vamp, nor made one by another vampire, he was cursed by a gypsy and turned into a vamp over a period of days. As the eldest son of a ruler, he was accustomed to sleeping with many women and Dorina’s mother was a peasant. He never even realized he left behind a child. When she was born, the peasant’s family wanted her dead. Instead she was given to a passing band of gypsies with the promise they care for her and she would protect them. Dorina has become a vamp hunter, sometimes for the vamps themselves. Now, in exchange for the Council’s help in finding her friend and roommate, Claire, a powerful null who went missing a month ago, Micrea wants Dory to capture an escaped prisoner – her uncle, Micrea’s younger brother – Dracula.
Dory remembers all too clearly what it was like catching Drac the last time. That she didn’t die was more luck than skill. The damn vamps should have killed Drac when they could, instead, they imprisoned him. He’s had a hundred years of solitary to plot his revenge. Despite her general reluctance and above her strenuous objections, Dory ends up hunting Drac in a mutually unsatisfactory partnership of Louis-Cesare, the darling of the European Council, their best swordsman, and the only ‘child’ of her the youngest son in the family, Radu. Most vamps make children to grow their power, influence and wealth, but Radu never did. The loyalty of Louis-Cesare to Radu and Micrea is far deeper than her own and he dislikes her attitude toward father and the family in general. Here was the big problem for me – Louis-Cesare was a huge turn off for me and was not a strong enough character to be an adequate “love interest” for Dory. Not that there was a real romance of any kind, just some attraction, no steam. The story didn’t really need the addition of a romance,
Dracula was creepy, cunning, and evil. many of the historic details often reported about the historical figure Vald the Impaler are used to flesh out Drac’s history and give him context and he comes off a suitably evil creature. Micrea is a and Radu both are well developed as one of my favorite characters, Caedmon, a Fey. The secondary characters are good too and the setting gritty enough to work. There is a review on Amazon by Leslie Vanadeford that pretty much sums it all up for me too. You can read it here. I can’t say it was an ‘easy read’, but it was a good one and even worth the effort if you haven’t read the Cassandra Palmer series like me.
Was the Midnight’s Daughter worth the $7.99? Yes it was. Well written, told in the first person with style, and a good plot, it was an interesting read, even if it did leaving me feeling like I need a Dummie’s Guide to Cassie Palmer’s world a good part of the time. I did find the periods of visions or memory recalls or shared memories a rather distracting affectation. For those who are not Cassie Palmer fans, there are books out there that I thought were better reads, in particular Hallowed Circle and Vicious Circle by Linda Robertson or The Better Part of Darkness by Kelly Gay, all A- to B+ books worth both the time and the money.
FTC Disclosure: Book purchased from online bookstore
I read this book as soon as I finished Midnight’s Daughter. It was better in some ways but not as good in others. It follows Dory as she again finds herself hunting for an enemy of the vampires. This time she and the vamp she’s attracted to, Louis-Cesare, is searching for his mistress who is being held hostage. In the middle of all this drama are troubles with the fey who seem to be hunting Claire and her son.
Possibly, the best part of the whole book is the opening chapter where Claire shows up at the house in Brooklyn – only she isn’t Claire, she’s a dragon and she scares the crap out of Dory. It’s really funny. Claire is there for a reason. The fighting among the fey has her uneasy and fearing for the life of her son, the heir to Caedmon, king of the light Fey. A rune was stolen, one intended for her son. It was to be presented in a public ceremony. The rune confers protection against death. Dory would do anything for Claire. She’s the only real friend Dory has had in her long life. No sooner has Claire told Dory her, than the house comes under attack by Aesubrand’s doppelganger – manifestations of their power in an elemental form. The son of Caedom’s sister and the king of the Dark Fey, he was the presumed heir to the throne of the Light Fey before Aiden was born to Claire and Caedmon’s half human son. Like Claire, Aesubrand wants the rune talisman.
Dory searches the underbelly of the Supernatural society looking for the rune. In the process she gets herself accused of murder. She also finds herself once again involved with Louis-Cesare who is out searching for his mistress, Christine. Somehow, Christine and the rune are the same search. Along the way, high ranking vamps keep dying and Louis-Cesare gets in serious trouble with the Council. Now both Dory and Louis-Cesare are murder suspects and being hunted even as they are hunting a serial killer to not just stop the murders, but to clear their names with the Vampire Councils.
There are highlights along the way, blood and gore, but the ‘big reveal’ of the murderer was very predictable for me. In fact, the whole rational for the actions was something I could see coming from Midnight’s Daughter. Where the rune was hiding was really interesting. I just think that Ms Chance is more than capable of writing something MUCH better than such a predictable plot. Yes, it had lots of style and verve, until I once again hit that wall with the relationship between Dory and Louis-Cesare. The too pat ending detracted a LOT.
Was it Death’s Mistress worth $7.99? Yes it was. Not a great book, but a good one. I just can’t completely get past my dislike of Louis-Cesare, or how predictable I found much of the plot. The fun secondary characters added lots of ‘local color’ to keep things interesting. The torture scene and flashbacks to male rape (not too graphic, but disturbing) would be a bit much for most younger readers, so I gave this book an NC-17. As with Midnight’s Daughter, I can’t really call this one a ‘romance’ because it’s not. It’s a paranormal that has some slight romantic elements. For alternative, see Midnight’s Daughter.
Genre: Part of The Others series – human and cat shifter battle Aryan Human Only group and bio-weapons
Sub-genre: Vet, shifters and contagious virus
My Grade: C- (2.8*)
Rating: PG-13
Length and price: Novel over 100,000+ words
Where Available: Any bookseller
FTC Disclosure: Book purchased from online bookstore
Christine Warren’s books about the Others started as erotic romance with Ellora’s Cave and moved mainstream with Wolf at the Door. Her early mainstream books were mostly quite good but her last few have have become increasingly lightweight and that’s what Born to be Wild is, a lightweight romance.
Josie Barrett was raised in the rural Oregon town of Stone Creek that was home to many Others long before they came out a few years ago. Her dad was the local vet and now she runs his old practice while her mom and dad enjoy retirement in Arizona. She’s in the office late one night when the local sheriff, lion shifter Eli Pace, rushes in with a badly wounded wolf shifter he found in the woods. Eli has only been in Stone Creek 3 years and somehow she’s not really paid attention to him, and now that she has, she wonders how she could have ever ignored him. But the female shifter is in bad shape, and not healing as a shifter should, and she can’t figure out why. When she needs to do emergency surgery, she’s shocked that a shifter would even need it. The only MD in town is away, so even though she’s a vet and not qualified to treat shifters, she does all she can.
Eli is very concerned that the wolf made no attempt to shift to human to speed healing. It’s instinctive in all shifters. The slow speed of healing is very troubling as well. It’s unheard of for a shifter to need stitches. They get cancer, they get poisoned, but they heal fast when injured and they’re immune to most human diseases. He goes to find Rick Cobb, the local Alpha of the wolf pack who hasn’t been answering his calls. He finds him in the woods near where Eli found the wolf burning a young wolf who died from no apparent cause.
When a male shifter shows up at Josie’s and identifies the female wolf as his wife, she allows him to stay overnite. A surprise awaits the staff in the morning when the wolf, Billy, refuses to shift to human and won’t let anyone near him or him wife. Eli arrives and with no thought shifts to lion and goes after the wolf threatening Josie. Wow, Josie is just so turned on by Eli, and she gets a real eyeful of him when he shifts back to human. OK, find me a reader who can’t take the plot from this point.
The story progresses with mindles predictablity and with few complications and limited tension. At the end of each chapter is a journal update by the person experimenting on the shifters, but the villains don’t get much screen time till the very end, which does the big denouement so fast, you’ll miss if you blink. What a huge letdown. The general lack of tension, flimsy plot, and superficial characters left the whole story flat and lifeless. Born to be Wild is the paranormal equivalent of a Regency romance. Slight and insubstantial.
Was Born to be Wild worth $7.99? Well, if you like puff paranormal, it’s OK, but there are just so many better books out there you should really try one of them instead. So I’d say, unless you’re a huge fan of the Others series, give it a pass, borrow it from a friend, or wait a bit and buy it used.
FTC Disclosure: Book purchased online from Samhain
Samhain’s motto of ‘It’s all about the story’ holds true here. Samhain publishes some of the best books of any small publisher. While they certainly have their fair share of average entries, they have an above average percentage of hits, at least for me. I simply cannot resist a combination of PI and shifter, so Blood and Destiny was an immediate buy even though I knew nothing of the author. Yeah me! I was not disappointed.
Destiny St. George is a lioness and a private investigator. Her sister Yasmine, well not by blood but by virtue of a shared past, is a wolf shifter about to marry/mate to the local pack Alpha’s son and heir. The party the night before has her exhausted and yawning at her newest client – potential client. Destiny’s competitor, Cajun transplant Frank LeCroy, sent Matthew Vincent her way for a reason, not as a favor. Somehow, Betsy Vincent’s disappearance couldn’t be run of the mill. Sure enough, there are vamps involved and Frank knew Destiny was ‘connected’ to the local vampire king. Well, shit. She was not happy, but a hundred grand cashier’s check overcomes a lot of resistance and Destiny has a new client.
Mystic Vantage is one of the hottest clubs in San Francisco. It’s also owned by Destiny’s former lover, Marcus Smythe – or at least that was his current name. Vamps his age had many over the years. Destiny wasn’t looking forward to seeing him again, not because she hated him, she didn’t, but because she hated herself for being with a man who couldn’t be faithful because of his need for blood, the payment for which is sex with the donor. Destiny couldn’t live with being his twice a week regular, knowing the spent the other days with different women. Not even a lion shifter could be a vamp’s single source. Destiny wanted emotional security and that went hand-in-hand with a monogamous relationship in her book. No way was she getting hurt worse than she already was.
Marcus had been waiting as patiently as he could for Destiny to return to him. He could never give her what she so desperately wanted. it was a just what he was, a vamp that needed to feed daily and that required multiple donors. Sex was the coin with which donors were paid for their pain. Destiny was here again, but not for him, for information. But it was a chink in her armor and he would exploit it any way he could.
Destiny is determined to do two things, find Betsy Vincent and avoid getting entangled in another affair with Marcus that end only one way. Enter Luke, a very handsome lion friend of Kale, Yasmine’s mate and her partner in the wedding party. Destiny has never met a male lion and she’s surprised at the reaction of her inner cat, who is very interested indeed. But Destiny wasn’t raised in a pride and she’s no more comfortable with their lifestyle than she is with the vamps. Luke is as persistent as a tick. It was true, by nature a lioness was no more monogamous than a vamp. The males all had harems.
Marcus doesn’t want to hurt Destiny, but he is what he is. And now he must deal with his bastard of a father who has set his sights on taking Marcus down and making him pay for the humiliation he was dealt centuries before.
Against the background of the strange triangle, Yasmine and Kale’s wedding, and apparently conflicting physical and emotional needs, there is the search for Betsy Vincent and threat from Marcus’ father. When Betsy is found, her bitter attitude is something that was far more realistic than what you usually get.
Blood and Destiny is a well crafted story that is mainstream paranormal and a worthwhile read. part of the ending is predictable, but there’s a twist that’s interesting. It does not come up all hearts and flowers, with neat, simple solutions to the fundamental conflict. I liked that. Like many paranormals, it was told in the first person, also a plus for me. I don’t much care for first person in erotic romance, but I do like it in mainstream and romantic suspense. The characters were interesting and the world building good – though it could have been a little more atmospheric to pack a bigger punch.
Was Blood and Destiny worth $5.50? Yes it was. I can recommend it to those who want to read an interesting mainstream paranormal.
Deep Preaching: Creating Sermons That Go Beyond the Superficial
By: J. Kent Edwards
My normal reading habits would not have led to a book on preaching and crafting a sermon. I have often times thought that preaching is something that I would not be good at (although I have often desired greatly to preach). Nevertheless, this semester I took the bold step to register for a class on Expository Preaching at Talbot because I desired to learn how to preach and prepare a sermon. Thus far I am glad that I did.
Deep Preaching (DP from here on out) is an excellent book! Not only does it discuss the methods and mechanics of preaching and preparing a sermon, it also discusses the preacher’s need to prepare himself while studying the text and preparing his outline. Dr. Edwards-who also happens to be my teacher this semester-begins his book by laying out the challenges of preaching in today’s world (ch. 1). In order for the preacher to be able to preach deep sermons his must understand the challenges that await him, both inside and outside the church. Likewise, Dr. Edwards lays out the reasons why preaching in today’s world is necessary.
In chapters 2 and 3. Dr. Edwards gives his reasons for preaching. His concern for and his emphasis on the theological reason for preaching is a breath of fresh air. To often this is missed in books and lectures today on preaching. I am unable to count the numerous times I have either heard or read how theology is divisive and what people need to hear is that Jesus loves them. Dr. Edwards does not allow this mentality to go unchallenged. Instead, he emphatically declares that theology is what makes a preacher deep, and without theology there will only be sermons of man’s clever ideas and not the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The most beneficial part of DP is the emphasis on the preacher’s closet work. It is here according to Dr. Edwards where the preacher learns to go deep by means of the Holy Spirit’s work and power. While reading these chapters (8-9) I almost forgot I was reading a book on preaching; it read more like a book on spiritual growth and how the Spirit is to play a part in understanding and teaching us Scripture. Nevertheless, I found these chapters to be my favorite, and I have already began to implement these disciplines into my daily bible study and time with the Lord.
All in all, DP was hands down the best book on preaching I have come across. Dr. Edwards does not leave us with a how to manual on how to preach, or the steps to forming an expository message. No, what we are given is far greater! We are shown how to become deep preachers by means allowing the Spirit to work in us from the beginning our time in exegesis of the text to the deliverance of the sermon on Sunday morning. If you are a preacher, or a lay teacher, I highly recommend that you pick up this gem and put into practice the lessons which are laid out within. If you do, you will soon find yourself preaching deeply the word of Jesus Christ.
Biter-sweet Euro: Before and after Greece; (Mar. 7, 2010)
Before Greece, Lithuania, Hungary, and Spain suffered the same fate of a prematurely imposed Euro on States of weak economies. There are many articles analyzing the financial crisis in Greece. I thought that I can make sense in a short post for readers eager to know but would refrain reading lengthy erudite articles.
There are two main factors for Greece financial problems; there are two resolutions available, equally painful, but one is far better in shortening the pain and healing faster. First, the common currency Euro forced weaker economies to relinquish their sovereignty over issuing money in time of shrinking economy to re-launch the inner trade. Second, the US financial multinationals before the crash infused too much credit in a small economy that did not correspond to normal credit rating behaviors; this quick infusion of money inflated the sense of economic boom and generated laxity in financial control and management. Greece is awakening to new demands for harsher financial control and imposition of higher taxes to straighten the budget balance sheet.
The first remedy is inviting the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to intervene and infuse $1.7 billion in the Greek coffer to pay the debts due this spring. This would be a bad decision. It is worse because even the EU is encouraging Greece toward that option. For example:
Lithuania GNP shrank 18% in the first year the IMF intervened with its draconian conditions: jobless rate climbed to 20%, the high level in health, education, and retirement suffered greatly. Actually, retired persons are bleeding and the socialist political parties lost ground.
In Hungary, the IMF intervention made sure that the people suffer and the socialist government be replaced by like minded anti-socialist government headed by the former minister of economy. If Greece ends up asking the “help” of the IMF, as the EU wishes too, then the socialist George Papandreou will start packing; a decision that will please Merkle PM of Germany.
Greece with budget deficit reaching 13% of GNP and growing has a reasonable solution out of this mess if it wants to avoid 10 years of suffering and humiliation. Until the EU comes up with a financial recovery plan then Greece should revert to its national currency the drachma. Greece should regain its sovereignty issuing money in this difficult period: Internal and external trades should not be hampered for lack of liquidity.
Since Greece imports amount to only 20% of its GNP then better competitive drachma should enhance exports and reduce the loan deficit. With the already strict financial control in place, Greece will be able to shorten the period of its pain. The EU will accept Greece currency to revert to the Euro in due time in order not to let other Euro member States following Greece decision.
Greece should learn how Argentina recovered. After four years insisting of keeping the currency linked to the dollar the economy faltered entirely. Argentina decided to float its currency and it devalued accordingly. Argentina was able to default on $100 billion of foreign loans. The government insured that bank deposits of consumers keep the same purchasing power by regular re-evaluation and re-fixing of the national currency. People living in their own properties enjoyed the same financial facility at the rate of pre-devaluation. Within a single semester, Argentina economy was back to normal and going strong.
Greece has choices: either the MIF intervention accompanied by ten years of suffering or reverting to the drachma until the economy is back to normal within a semester.
John Terpstra. Skin Boats: Acts of Faith and Other Navigations. Gaspereau Press, 2009
First, I must admit that I am biased when looking at this book. I have only met him once, but John Terpstra is distantly related so, in an effort for full disclosure, I admit that I am, by default, a fan of his work.
But regardless, Skin Boats is a delightful reflection on faith and life. John interweaves his own story with that of his local church, the members thereof, and the saints Cuthbert and Brendan to bring the reader on a journey through the sometimes rocky territory of what it means to be a person of faith.
The book reads as a stream of consciousness, shifting effortlessly between the various narratives and weaving those narratives together. His honest reflections on church, religion and faith articulate many of the questions and struggles that arise when one attempt to live an examined life of faith, while at the same time reminding the reader of the communal nature of faith. It is a book that needs to be experienced, more than just read. And so, to entice you to find a copy of this books, here is a small quotation
I have thought this about the G-word: it is an acronym, a three-letter signifier of the kind that is used for an international corporation. The corporation is made up of many smaller branch companies and groups of companies. Each company runs independently and is allowed to maintain its own particular identity. Each has little knowledge of its sister organizations, but is confident that it has a direct line to head office.
I have thought: it is a non-name which has become a name; it is a verbal touchstone for what is ultimately nameless.
I have thought: and yet we bandy about the name, or non-name, as though we knew all that it meant.
The first book is The Pacific by Hugh Ambrose ($26.95) (Yup, Ambrose…Hugh is Stephen Ambrose’s son). A companion to the TV series, this fascinating and inspiring book tells the stories of four US Marines and one US Navy carrier pilot whose lives intersect in the Pacific theater during WWII.
A Helmet For My Pillow: From Parris Island To The Pacific by Robert Leckie ($16.00) Robert Leckie, one of America’s greatest military historians, recalls his own story from boot camp in Parris Island to the bloody war in the Pacific. Leckie experienced it all–the booze, the brawling, the loving on sixty-two-hour liberty; the courageous fighting and dying in combat as the U.S. Marines slugged it out, inch by inch, island by island across the Pacific to the shores of Japan.
I’m Staying With My Boys: The Heroic Life of Sgt. John Basilone, USMC by Jim Proser ($14.99) Sgt. John Basilone held off 3,000 Japanese troops at Guadalcanal after his 15-member unit was reduced to three men. Killed during the war, he was the only Marine in World War II to have received the Medal of Honor, the Navy Cross, and a Purple Heart and is arguably the most famous Marine of all time. I’m Staying with My Boys is the only family-authorized biography of Basilone, and it features photographs never before published. Distinctive among military biographies, the story is told in the first person, allowing readers to experience his transformation, forged in the horrors of battle, from aimless youth to war hero known as “Manila John.”
With The Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa by E.B. Sledge ($16.00) In The Wall Street Journal, Victor Davis Hanson named With the Old Breed one of the top five books on epic twentieth-century battles. Studs Terkel interviewed the author for his definitive oral history, The Good War. Now E. B. Sledge’s acclaimed first-person account of fighting at Peleliu and Okinawa returns to thrill, edify, and inspire a new generation.
In Hovering Flight is Joyce Hinnefeld’s first novel, and of particular interest to me because Dr. Hinnefeld is a writing professor at the school I attend, Moravian College. I’ve had her for a poetry writing class and she runs the school writing center where I work, so I was very excited to experience her first novel.
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This collection of twenty sermons and homilies from J. Gresham Machen, edited by Ned Stonehouse, is a small window into the heart and soul of a theologian-pastor who proclaimed the Gospel forthrightly, unapologetically, and powerfully in his generation. Those who have read Machen’s Christianity and Liberalism (see my review) will recognize the same clarity, conciseness, and authority with which Machen exercises his pen. Seminary students will especially appreciate the honest homilies directed to seminarians in which Machen encourages his students neither to ignore their doubts nor their sins (of which the sacred halls of seminaries are no doubt filled), but to bring them to Christ and to his cross. Orthodox Presbyterians will appreciate the opportunity to sense the pulse and passion of one of our fathers in the faith who stood firm when others gave way. All those who love the Gospel of Jesus Christ will be encouraged and enriched by Machen’s cogent reflections upon the Christian life as it is founded upon Christian doctrine.