Dr. Who The Bog Warrior - A Review

Dr. Who

The Bog Warrior

by

Cecelia Ahern

This short novella is a fun romp with  Dr. Who as he visits the planet Cashel.  The book itself makes use of an undated Dr. Who, though a brief introduction to the book explains that The Doctor is the Tenth Doctor.  The Doctor portrayed in the story seemed to have more similarities to Tom Baker's portrayal of the Doctor, than the more recent episodes.  

The story focuses on his interaction with a group of Zombies that The Doctor discovers are trapped as slaves of an evil queen.  In an effort to protect the inhabitants of Cashel and the Zombies, the Doctor must expose the evil motives that drive Queen Xenotime.  Having grown up with Dr. Who - beginning with some of his earliest manifestations, the short book held my attention.  It was again encouraging to see that the doctor enter into an unknown culture and find ways to help without disrupting the people who he finds there.

I will look forward to reading additional stories in this collection.

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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review.  The opinions expressed are my own.

Silenced - A Review

Silenced

by

Dani Pettry

A Review

The McKenna Family is in the midst of another Alaskan adventure (see Stranded) even as they prepare for Cole and Bailey's wedding.  At first it looks like a case of murder gone wrong, but then the threats continue.  With the help of two local sheriffs and Jake, a displaced Boston detective, the mystery will be solved as they follow the clues along the islands that form Alaska's southern boundary.  

Jake is difficult to understand, especially for Kayden.  She had vowed to stay away from men, yet she could not keep her eyes off Jake.  He had lost his wife and child in a terrible accident which came from his self-confidence while working his final case before leaving Boston.  Yancey, AK, was to be a place to hide - but his skills as a detective and role in the community kept pulling him to the front of the line.  God, certainly, did not want him to be a detective, yet the friends he had made in Yancey kept pulling him back into that roll.       

Relationships - Cole and Bailey, Kayden and Jake, and Reef (the prodigal son of the McKenna family) and Kirra - form the foundation of this book.  Though not all, many of the characters also bring a deep and growing relationship with God to their story.  It is this final relationship which gives this book special value to this reader.  

In addition to the relationships, I was also enjoyed the time spent climbing the mountains and hills which make up the southern islands of Alaska.  This fictional story was a fitting follow-up to the true story of Blind Descent by Brian Dickinson which I have just finished reading.  Though my health, age, and abilities would make these climbing excursions an impossibility; the sights and sounds described by the author make for intriguing reading.  

The book held this readers attention and recommended for those interested in reading a story centered the rugged terrain of the Alaskan frontier.  With a hint of romance, a strong sense of spirituality, and a great deal of adventure, the book is worth the time spent this past week reading.

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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review.  The opinions expressed are my own.

Blind Descent - A Review

 

Blind Descent

by

Brian Dickinson

A Review

I did not want to read this book.  But was trapped.  Apparently, unbeknownst to me, I had agreed to read and review this book and would not be allowed to review another until this book’s review was completed.

On the other hand, I am not sorry for having read it.  This true life and death story was as exciting as any fictional thriller that I have ever picked up and read.  The author’s training in military search and rescue and his interest and experience in mountain climbing had prepared him for an adventure of a lifetime - the ascent of the North Face of Mt. Everest.  

As expected from an experienced climber, he had done his preparation - physical and  emotional.  He and his family had discussed the risks involved and had decided to allow Brian to tackle the world’s highest mountain in the spring of 2011.  

The trip had its share of thrills and question marks - but the big question came as Brian discovered that his Sherpa was too ill to continue on the very day he was to ascend to the summit of Mt. Everest.  Would he continue alone to the top?  There was no way to know that the answer to that question might challenge the author’s very life as he experienced snow blindness as he descended from the top of the mountain.  

Blind Descent is the story of preparing to climb, climbing, and descending from Mt. Everest.  It must be noted that each step of the journey had its questions and problems.  The story is full of rich cultural insight from the Sherpas that provided guidance for the trip up the mountain - culture that was as challenging to live in (e.g. eating)  as it was to meet.  I knew little of the history of this majestic peak, but through my reading of the book and my continued reading on the INTERNET, I learned to appreciate the challenges that faced those who chose to climb this mountain.  

As he writes, the author intentionally interweaves the spiritual lessons that he learned and saw being worked out in his life as he made his way to Nepal and up Mt. Everest.  The book is a lesson in patience, preparation, and courage - a lesson we all must learn to some extent.  

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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review.  The opinions expressed are my own.

Death In Perspective - A Review

Death In Perspective

by

Larissa Reinhart

A Review

Cherry Tucker is in trouble again - so she takes a part-time job painting the set for the upcoming school play, Romeo and Juliet.  What she does not know is that murder is afoot - both on stage and within the school.  Of course, like any school, Peerless Day Academy had its share of disgruntled students, parents, staff, and faculty - many of whom seem willing to consider murder to solve various problems.  But Cherry may be too late to stop the latest murder - her own.

Larissa Reinhart has put together a well-written mystery that will hold the reader’s interest from page one to the end of Chapter Thirty-Six, leaving one holding his or her breath to see if the culprit will get away with one more crime.  Along with the murders, like always, Cherry is caught between her various boyfriends, each of whom thinks he is the one to win her heart.  Like her crime solving,  Cherry is not so sure.

Though a bit more involved than her earlier novel in the Cherry Tucker Mystery series, Hijack in Abstract, the book will serve as a good late spring/early summer read.  I enjoyed sitting on the sofa in the late night/early morning hours making my way through 250 pages of mayhem and romance.

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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review.  The opinions expressed are my own.

Companion to the Old Testament - A Review

Companion to the Old Testament

by
Ted Leach

A Review

A handy text to have available as one begins reading the Old Testament.  Written from from a more liberal perspective than I usually prefer, I found the book worthwhile and contributing to my understanding of the text.  The book is not a verse by verse, or a book by book, commentary, but provides background - historical, cultural, and theological - to help place the various OT books into perspective.  The books parallels the historical movement of the Hebrew people from creation to the Hebrew people waiting for the coming Messiah.

The book provides a very general introduction to the readers use of the OT - not focusing on the text, but on the general principles that one will use in understanding the OT.  The first chapter focuses on the principles of Bible Study.  Each additional chapter contributes to a different element of OT study - its historical or conceptual.   

A number of features add to the value of this book.  Each chapter includes a page or two of “Questions for Reflection”.  Answers are not provided (this is good), but do require the reader to do some thinking for themselves.  I appreciate the inclusion of three page of “For Further Reading”, recognizing that the book cannot stand alone, but must be used in conjunction with other reference material.  The book is well-documented, including 254 pages of “Endnotes” as  the book’s concluding contents.  I prefer footnotes, but having all endnotes at the conclusion of the book does make them easier to find than placing them at the end of each chapter.  

This may not be the first OT handbook I would add to my library, but it is worth adding and will remain within reach as I continue my studies.  I expect the same would be true of others as well.

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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review.  The opinions expressed are my own.

A Matter of Mercy - A Review

A Matter of Mercy

by

Lynne Hugo

A Review

Some fiction books are just that; but some fictional tales also include enough facts and history to add to the readers collected knowledge in unexpected ways.  Such was the case of this wonderful seaside legal drama.  

I was not attracted to the book because of its seaside environment.  Neither did the legal case which forms its foundation draw me in - at least at first.  As a Christian, I have heard about mercy, but this book is not a Christian drama.  In the end, I learned more about mercy, I also learned about a regional culture located in and around Cape Cod, MA.  Aquaculture, the growing and harvesting of shellfish, serves of the major industry off of the southern tip of Massachusetts.

Caroline (CiCi) Marcum moves back into her Cape Cod home to care for her ailing mother after spending a number of years in jail for an accident that led to the death of a young child.  She had lost her teaching certificate in the process and her future was uncertain.  She found herself unexpectedly drawn to one of the aquaculturists who worked the grants along Cape Cod harvesting clams and oysters.  Ridley (aka Rid) Neal’s past was also checkered  - with time spent in jail for some youthful indiscretions that continued to shadow his life.

As the fall harvesting season comes to an end, Rid finds himself one of three aquaculturists being sued because their work obstructed the view of the bay for the “washashores” that return to Cape Cod every spring and leave as winter arrives.  Woven into this work of fiction, the lawsuit is based on an actual case which made its way through the courts in 1996.

As the book seeks to resolve the relationships and the legal issues involved around the lawsuit, the reader learns much about the people who supply the world’s best oysters and clams.  The shellfish which are harvested from Cape Cod are not only know locally, but are shipped around the world to the best restaurants located in such locales as London and Paris.  I find that the best fiction will make me want to explore - by finding maps, historical milestones, etc.  As I read this week, I found myself exploring Google for details about the culture and history of Cape Cod and its aquacultural industry.  

Though fiction, A Matter of Mercy contributed to my education.  My hope is that others will enjoy this book, as I did, for the picture of mercy it presented and the glimpse of culture and history to which I had not previously been exposed.  

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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review.  The opinions expressed are my own.