August 23, 2010
Reviewed by Meg M.
Having penned a number of books in the I Used to Know That series, Caroline Taggart’s latest book, The Classics: All You Need to Know, from Zeus’s Throne to the Fall of Rome, is destined to be another bestseller. Taggart provides a fantastic combination of an extensive knowledge of Roman and Greek culture with an often irreverent sense of humor.
Taggart aids readers in the understanding of the Greek alphabet, and takes this a step farther by providing a list of Greek and Latin words, many of which have proved foundational for the English language. Arguably the most hilarious chapter within this work is Taggart’s interpretation of Greek and Roman mythology, highlighting the incestual nature of the majority of the deities. Taggart also outlines many years of Greek and Roman history, and philosophies made famous by Socrates, Plato and Aristotle.
This book was a really entertaining read. The chapters can be read through fairly quickly, and would be ideal for travel or a quick lunch break. For those who take history too seriously, this isn’t the read for you. While Taggart is clearly educated, she presents her facts in a tongue-in-cheek manner that anyone with a sense of humor would enjoy!
Meg lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, Ryan. Marketing professional by day, freelance writer by night, Meg writes about life, entertainment and everything in between on her blog, Morning Cup With Meg.
This book was provided free of any obligation by FSB Associates. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.
July 7, 2010
Win an audio book of WAR by Sebastian Junger!
About WAR (publisher’s description):
In WAR, Sebastian Junger gives breathtaking insight into the truths of war– the fear, the honor, and the trust among men. His on-the-ground account follows a single platoon through a 15-month tour of duty in the most dangerous outpost in Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley. Through the experiences of these young men at war, he shows what it means to fight, to serve, and to face down mortal danger on a regular basis.
Start reading online and listen to an excerpt here!
I have 3 copies to give away, courtesy of Hachette!
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This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada residents only. Deadline to enter is midnight on July 24th.
Giveaway copies are provided free of any obligation by Hachette Audio. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.
May 12, 2010
Reviewed by Hannah M.
I rarely find young adult prehistoric fiction to my liking, but Zan-Gah
series by Allan Richard Shickman are both an exception to this rule and exceptional books overall. The books follow the basic trails and trials of a hero’s journey as the reader is immersed in adventures of the main character, Zan. In the first chapter, the young Zan slays a lion that has been attacking the tribes and establishes himself as a heroic, though entirely innocent, character. He sets off alone to find his lost twin, traveling through barbaric lands and even more barbaric warriors. In his search for his brother, Zan also manages to find himself. Although I am neither a young man nor a caveman, even I was easily able to relate to Zan from the get-go.
I don’t think Shickman actually knows the term “stagnant plot”. The books are short, simple, and easy reads; each page seems to turn itself in eagerness to continue with the spellbinding tale Shickman has woven. The adventure continues through the first book, Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure to the equally riveting sequel, Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country
. Life never goes as planned, not even when you’ve found what you’ve always sought. Zan, as well as the captivated readers, learn this the hard way. Yet through all his adversities, Zan faces the world with the courage his father taught him.
I would recommend the Zan-Gah books to all readers with a taste for self-discovery in fantasy, but most especially to adolescent boys. That age is critical in formulating a love of learning, but the pool of literature there is small. It is an awkward place of attempting to define his place as a man, to bridge between the fairytales of childhood and the classic literature of an adult. Zan-Gah, the innocent hero on a hero’s journey, provides both a role model and a depth of story rarely achieved in young adult fiction.
Hannah M. attends Brigham Young University where she studies Ancient History, Dance, and French. A self-proclaimed bibliophiles of the highest degree, she has a passion for all things written, chocolate, and feline.
This book was provided free of any obligation by Earthshaker Books. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.
April 23, 2010
Reviewed by Amanda S.
Lineage of Grace
follows Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary through their lives as they are each intricately woven into the Lineage of Christ.
The story of Tamar is one of a woman betrayed, yet a woman determined to do what is right in the eyes of God. Rahab, a harlot, shows that no matter the sin, God can still do wonderful things in each of our lives. Ruth is an example of a love story of epic proportion. We see the love given from daughter-in-law to mother-in-law, but we also see the love shown from a man to a woman as Ruth takes her rightful place as the wife of Boaz. With Bathsheba, we again see how God can turn a sin into something that is for His glory, if only the participants are willing. And finally, with Mary, we get an interpretive look into the live of Jesus’ mother and the struggles she went through watching her son, whom she knew to be the Christ, grow up and be rejected by a world that was supposedly waiting for his arrival.
Lineage of Grace is a compilation of five separate books written by Francine Rivers several years ago. Each book (then called Unveiled
, Unashamed
, Unshaken
, Unspoken
, and Unafraid
) included a section at the end called “Seek and Find” where the reader could take a deeper look at the Scriptures pertaining to each story. There were questions to consider and ideas to ponder in order to gain a better understanding of the story itself, but also of how the story and the Scriptures might apply to the reader’s spiritual life. Thankfully, the “Seek and Find” sections are included in this new publication as well!
Granted, each book is a fictional expansion of what the Bible gives to us, with Rivers using her imagination to add details. But the details added are historically accurate and do not take away from the basic story told within the Scripture. Rivers simply takes the verses from the Bible and puts the story into ‘real life’ for the reader to gain a better understanding of what it might have been like to actually live that life.
I read this set of books when they first came out and loved them, but I gained new meaning and learned different things reading them again. They are easy to read and are the kind of book a person could read every few years and gain something new from them each time. Francine Rivers did an excellent job in her research for these books and in writing them. I look forward to reading her other series based on men of the Bible called Sons of Encouragement
.
Amanda lives in Missouri with her engineering husband and two boys. In between homeschooling and keeping up with church activities she loves to read Christian Fiction, Women’s Fiction, and any Chick-Lit. She never goes anywhere without a book to read!
This book was provided free of any obligation by Tyndale House Publishers. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.
April 16, 2010
Reviewed by Michelle S.
Orphaned Charlotte Wallace, feeling alone in her Uncle’s home and family, seeks refuge and company in the house’s stables. It is there, in those stables, that she finds the two things she will love for the rest of her life, horses and Robert Devington.
Robert Devington pins his hopes for a happy future on both the horses and Charlotte. However, he finds himself thwarted at every turn, by Charlotte’s Uncle, by his best friend, and even by his country.
While Charlotte finds she must make do with the lot she’s been dealt in life, Robert finds that he will fulfill his lot in life only through revenge.
Horseracing, star-crossed lovers, and retribution take center stage in The Highest Stakes
, the debut novel by Emery Lee. Set in 18th century England, this novel has everything it needs to be considered epic – love, greed, hatred, and history.
Lee does a fantastic job fleshing out the history of the characters, even that of their families, showing us past events that motivating source of current actions. The characters are well thought out, and realistic enough; my only real criticism is that Robert never seems to give Charlotte enough credit for anything – not the way she can ride, and certainly not about her feelings for him.
Additionally, Lee gives us a great amount of background information on horses, racing, and life during this time period – and I found it all fascinating! The back of the book states: “… the breathtaking origins of thoroughbred horse racing.” I would prefer to say that this novel is “the breathtaking origins of Emery Lee’s writing career.”
For more information, please visit Emery Lee’s website.
Michelle recently returned to her West Virginia roots to re-invent herself. She is the principal (okay, only) web and graphic designer at Michelle My Belle Designs and uses the rest of her free time to write at 52 Self-help Books. Putting up with her madness is her husband Jason, dog Leo, and rabbit Macchiato.
This book was provided free of any obligation by Sourcebooks. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.
April 15, 2010
Reviewed by Alice P.
Fireworks Over Toccoa
is a heartwarming story about love, sacrifices, and duty. Written by Jeffrey Stepakoff, who has previously written the screenplay for”Tarzan” and episodes of “Dawson’s Creek”, the book is compelling from beginning to end. This tale of passion and pain is sure to move the readers and envelop them into the mysteries of the love shared between two very special characters.
Fireworks Over Toccoa focuses around two main characters: Lily Davis and Jake Russo. Lily, a beautiful blond, is about to be reunited with her husband, Paul, who is returning from World War II. However, on a warm summer afternoon, just three days before Paul’s return, Lily sees fireworks light up the sky. The fireworks set off a chain of inevitable events that cause Lily to meet the handsome and humble Jake Russo, an Italian working as a Pyrotechnic for the Fourth of July fireworks.
There is undeniable attraction and chemistry between the pair and the instant sparks ignite a fire that no one can escape or deny. Jake is able to take this small town girl and open up a whole new world to her — a world full of adventure and excitement. Lily is unable to stop herself from falling deeper and deeper into this new life, one that she sees herself sharing with Jake. However, Lily cannot forget about Paul and his imminent return from Europe. She married him when she was seventeen and now, at twenty, Lily realizes that she is no longer the same person. Her wants and desires are different than what they were and she knows that Paul won’t be able to refill that void in her soul, not the way Jake can. How can Lily decide between her new found love and her duty towards her husband? Should she follow her heart or her mind? With the pressures of society and the tugs of her own desires, Lily’s choice is sure to shock everyone, including herself.
Jeffrey Stepakoff brilliantly enchants the reader through his descriptive words and enthralling ideas. The reader is able to live in the moment and share in the special moments experienced by the two lovers. Fireworks Over Toccoa is impossible to put down till the last word. The book is able to give a realistic impression of how things were in 1945 and one cannot help but be absorbed into the novel. This beautiful love story is indeed a must read for everyone!
Alice, a.k.a. Sunny, is a full time student at LakeLand College. She is originally from India, but has been traveling the world with her mom and sister ever since she was two.
This book was provided free of any obligation by Thomas Dunne Books. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.
April 13, 2010
Reviewed by Jennifer J.
For author Kelly O’Connor McNees, Little Women
was a novel that created a lasting impression on her. As an adult, she read many biographies on the famous author Louisa May Alcott and discovered there was a missing piece in her life story: she never seemed to have had any suitors. Even Jo, the heroine of Little Women and Louisa’s alter ego, found love and happiness later in her life. In her debut novel The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott
, McNees draws from Louisa May Alcott’s journals and letters to authentically place her in a fictional setting in which she must make a life-altering decision: write or marry for love.
The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott is a vivid imagination of the summer months in 1855 when Louisa and her family lived in Walpole, New Hampshire. Fiery and independent Louisa only has one thing on her mind: saving up enough money selling her stories so that she can move to Boston and pursue her dreams of becoming a famous published author. Because of her father’s pursuit of education, Louisa is largely responsible for paying her father’s debts and putting food on the table.
Louisa’s desire for independence is tested when she forms a tentative friendship with Joseph Singer. Bonding over the poetry of Walt Whitman, Louisa and Joseph begin to fall in love. When Joseph’s father uses him as a pawn to pay off his life debts, there is no hope for him of a marriage with Louisa. Finally retreating to Boston to begin her new life, Louisa discovers it isn’t as easy as she had anticipated. Joseph’s unexpected arrival and proposal offer her the chance for a fresh start, but the opportunity to publish presents itself and Louisa must make the ultimate sacrifice.
Having read Little Women and knowing a little bit about Louisa May Alcott, it was no mystery to me how the story would end. Even so, I couldn’t help but wish she would choose love over publication. Unfortunately for the times in which she lived, having both a family and a writing career was nearly impossible for a woman. Had she lived today, she could easily have had both.
Though Joseph Singer was not a real person in Louisa’s life, he felt incredibly warm and real to me; his pain and anguish at losing the love of his life was extremely authentic. The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott is a love letter to a truly extraordinary woman who was advanced in her ideas for the times in which she lived, and will be a treat for those who hold Little Women close to their heart.
For more information, please visit Kelly O’Connor McNees’ website.
Jennifer graduated from the University of Utah with a BA in English. She occasionally dabbles with her own fiction writing, particularly with the Young Adult and Paranormal genres. She currently resides in Utah with her husband and daughter.
This book was provided free of any obligation by Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.
April 6, 2010
Reviewed by Alethea B.
In the middle of the Balkan Civil War, Lea Kostovic finds herself on the wrong side of the border for a person of her ethnic descent. Without a realistic possibility of surviving the winter on her own, Lea chooses to accept Major Russell’s offer of trading sex for protection, shelter, and survival. By the end of Major Russell’s deployment, both find that their relationship has grown into something more than just a business arrangement; they must now try and build a marriage from an initially unhealthy bond.
On the one hand, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Sanctuary
, Julian’s sophomore novel. I’m interested to see what will develop as she matures in her writing. Her sense of what makes an interesting plot and her pacing have already hit a rather sweet spot. In addition, Julian’s description of the alienation of depression hit the ‘uncanny valley’ for me, matching just enough of my personal experience for the off notes to be really jarring.
On the other hand, I thought the characters were lacking in depth and wanted a better sense of emotional continuity. With a notable exception or two, events felt like rocks that were dropped into a pond but failed to create any ripples.
I also found that Sanctuary’s back cover teaser was at odds with the story within, and seemed to be based on a reading of a summary rather than the entire book. The plot points were accurate, but events that were emphasized did not occur until much later in the novel. The character descriptions were also off enough to give a different feel to the story than what readers get once they delve inside.
For more information, please visit N.E. Julian’s website.
This book was provided free of any obligation by N.E. Julian. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.
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