Outstanding Wake Up Call

Barack Obama was swept into office on a tide of dissatisfaction, but the electorate didn't really know who this man was. McCullough presents a clear picture of what Obama promised and how his promises fell short. This book covers four areas, economics, national insecurity, erosion of rights and accountability to Caesar. In each area, McCullough presents what Obama promised and how those promises have been perverted.

Everyone should read this book. If you're a voter, it's especially important. Americans are truly a wonderful people. We try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes, I don't think we believe in evil. McCullough makes if very clear that while Obama was saying one thing, he was thinking something completely different. He may believe in “Hope and Change,” but his ideas of what constitutes change are very different from those of the majority of Americans. He wants to remake our wonderful country into what he wants and this is not always for the good of Americans. I fear he views himself as a citizen of the world, rather than a citizen of America, and this is not good news for our survival. As McCullough points out. The President is the employee of “We the People.” When he forgets that he becomes a danger to our values.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and highly recommend it.

I reviewed the book as part of Thomas Nelson's Booksneeze program.  

Heart of Ice by Lis Wiehl

The Triple Threat Club is back. Nicole, Allison and Cassidy face a chilling murderer. Elizabeth is a sociopath. Her lies are so believable she almost becomes Cassidy's best friend. She manipulates the people around her orchestrating a series of apparently unrelated crimes. Arson, is followed by theft, fraud and eventually murder. The friends try to piece together the seemingly random crimes at the same time they're dealing with their own family and health problems.

I enjoyed the book. The suspense is well done. As Elizabeth pulls more people in her web, you want to keep reading to find out how far she can go. However, when I stopped reading and thought about the characters, I found the manipulation rather unbelievable. The characters who committed the crimes seemed far to ready to follow Elizabeth's lead. Perhaps sociopaths are this successful in manipulating people, but it seemed facile.

The main characters, Nicole, Allison, and Cassidy, are delightful They come across as very real as they struggle with their jobs as well as their personal problems. I find it very realistic that while Allison has a deep faith, Cassidy and particularly Nicole struggle with what they believe. I recommend this book for anyone looking for a satisfying read.

I received this book from Thomas Nelson as part of the Book Sneeze program.  

An Unusual Spiritual Journey

Beyond Rain of Gold opens with the death of the author's father. Was this man a monster or a king? Vilasenor begins a quest to find out. However, the book rapidly becomes an autobiography. We learn more about Vilasensor than his father, although his father does, as promised, visit him from the other side.

I enjoyed the author's adventures in the publishing world. This section is a must read for authors and for those wanting to become writers. Whether you agree with Vilasenor or not, he cared enough about his book to go to extreme lengths to keep it pure. I admire that.

Other sections of the book were not so enjoyable. I found the consistent use of capital letters to express extreme emotion annoying. I thought the device was overused and took away from the narrative. The story rambled. In the section on his publishing experiences, it shifts back and forth from past to present, and while not terribly difficult to follow, it is a distraction.

The end of the book, where the author meets his spirit guides, is very repetitive. I got bored with all the emotion and having the same sort of things happen over and over. I believe this would have been a stronger book, if it had received more editing.

I reviewed this book as part of the Amazon Vine Program.

The Band That Played On by Steve Turner

The musicians who went down with the Titanic, playing “Nearer my God to Thee,” have achieved near legendary status. Books and movies have used the incident as an example of courage and self-sacrifice. Steve Turner has gone a step further. This is the story of the eight musicians and what their world was like.

Most of the musicians came from relatively humble backgrounds. Being a musician on a ship was a chance to see the world and earn more money than they might on shore. I was fascinated by their stories. Turner has managed to paint a picture of the age of the ocean liners where cosseted passengers traveled in luxury. I found the contrast between the early lives of the musicians and the grandeur of life on the great ocean liners extremely interesting. It gave me and expanded view of Edwardian England.

I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the early 1900's It's a telling glimpse of life before the Great War of a time that will never come again. Steve Turner did an excellent job of finding first hand sources, including interesting photos, to tell the inspirational story of these brave me.

I reviewed this book as part of the Thomas Nelson Book Sneeze program.  

Murder on an Alaskan Cruise Ship

Raleigh Harmon, FBI agent and forensic geologist, is on a working vacation with her family on a cruise to Alaska. Her aunt Charlotte has been hired by a film company to provide crystals to enhance the performance of the actors. Raleigh is the consultant on FBI matters. Almost immediately the vacation turns deadly when the wife of the star is murdered.

Complications arise when Jack Stephenson, her nemesis from her days at the Seattle office, arrives to help with the murder investigation. When her mother discovers that Raleigh is an FBI agent, she has a mental collapse. Claire, the clairvoyant, provides comic relief, and the film company is filled with characters, as is the ship's personnel.

The Alaskan scenery is beautifully described, and we learn a great deal about the geology of the area and about gemstones. The mystery is intertwined with the characters and the setting, but little information is given to allow the reader to participate in the solution. I would call this book more of a thriller than a traditional mystery.

The pace of the novel is good, but I found the main character unlikable. She seems far too angry and disturbed. The minor characters are well drawn, particularly Jack Stephenson and Geert, the officer in charge of ship security. Although the book is billed as Christian fiction, I found the ties to Christianity rather tenuous and primarily related to Raleigh feeling bad about what she's doing, but not changing her behavior. Therefore, I can't really recommend it as Christian fiction.

The scenery and setting on a cruise ship are the most attractive features of the book. If you like the thriller genre, this could be an enjoyable book.

I reviewed this book as part of the Thomas Nelson Book Sneeze Program.

Time to Write a New Story

Getting stuck in the story of your life is easy. It's change that's hard. In fact, it's not possible until you realize that you can rewrite your life story. All it takes is changing your perspective and thinking about your life in new ways.

I thoroughly enjoyed Same Life, New Story. While the book isn't a traditional self-help book, giving step by step instructions for changing your life, it is a book that makes you think. The author uses the Bible stories of Naomi, Leah, Deborah, Hannah and others to illustrate the theme of looking at your life and with God's help realizing that the old story is not the one you have to have for eternity. Reading about the lives of these women gives concrete illustrations of the challenges in the book: playing it safe, dealing with widowhood, finding self-worth.

The book contains material for group discussions and questions to ask yourself to jump start an analysis of your life. Even if it isn't time for you, personally, to write a new story, the questions are well thought out and will act as a guide when you do think it's time to evaluate your life.

I reviewed this book as part of the Thomas Nelson Book Sneeze program. 

A Witty Selection of Quotes

Chesterton was a literary giant in the early 1900's. Yet his ideas are relevant today. The excellent selection of quotes in Belemonte's The Quotable Chesterton is both an introduction to his writing, allowing a newcomer to sample a variety of his prose, and a compendium to refer to over and over for a serving of Chesterton wit.

The quotes range from serious discussions of Christianity and philosophy to literary criticisms and fiction. I particularly enjoyed enjoyed his quote about Jane Austen. “Jane Austen may have been protected from the truth: but it was precious little of truth that was protected from her.” Chesterton got it exactly right and said it in a pithy sentence. It makes you think and then smile because it is so apt.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a challenging paragraph or sentence to mull over. Belmonte has done an excellent job. It's a tribute to both men.

I reviewed this book as part of the Thomas Nelson Book Sneeze Program.