Nook HD+ - A review

Nook HD+

A Review

The Nook HD+ (16GB and 32GB) are on sale ($149 and $179, respectively) this week at Barnes and Noble - both online and in stores.  

The price is excellent and with the addition of Google Play, the product is almost as good as, if not better than, the Kindle Fire.

  

I received one as an early Father's Day present and have been thrilled.  The HD+ can install the LOGOS Bible Software apps from Google Play.  The Kindle app is also installable on the Nook HD+ - including the ability to send personal files directly to the installed app.  The only drawback, I can see, compared to the Kindle Fire, is the lack of a Flash Player, meaning Amazon video files cannot be played directly.  There is a work around - but it is a Free (or $2.99) app.  The HD+ has a 9 inch screen - great for reading books divided into two columns.  

I have installed a variety of apps that I also have installed on my Kindle Fire - the increased screen size makes these so much easier to use than the smaller Kindle Fire screen.  

I have used a Kindle Fire for about 1-1/2 years, my wife has used a Nook Tablet for about the same time.  Until the Nook HD+ added access to the Google Play Store, the Kindle Fire won the battle hands down. The Kindle Fire HD was my dream machine.  As of this week, I am not so sure, especially given this week's price of less than $200.        

Take a look before the price goes up next week.

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NOTE:  In the interest of fairness, I should disclose the following.  Neither I nor my wife received any remuneration for these comments, though my wife is an employee of our local Barnes and Noble.  These prices are so low, we received no additional discount from those quoted above.  The opinions expressed above are mine alone and I did not receive  encouragement of any Barnes and Noble employee.

A Matter of Trust:
A Mia Quinn Mystery

by

Lis Wiehl

A Review

From the first chapter, A Matter of Trust draws the reader into the life of an experienced prosecutor and widowed mother of two.  Based on events in the author’s life, the book is as exciting as it is interesting.  

The story focus on three crimes which may be connected or not.  Two prosecutors have been murdered, five years apart - same kind of gun, similar circumstances.  Are the deaths related?  It is up to Mia Quinn and homicide detective Charlie Carlson to locate and prosecute the perpetrator or perpetrators.

Darin Dane has, supposedly, killed himself after being viciously bullied and assaulted - that is the dad’s story.  Now Mia and Charlie must determine how much of that story is truth and how much is story.  

While fighting crime, Mia also must find time to respond to the needs and problems of a four year old daughter and a 14 year old son.  NIghtmares, drug use, adolescence all add to the issues that Mia Quinn must face on the home front.  

The reader looking for a mystery with a hint of faith will find Lis Wiehl’s newest book worth the time spent reading the book.  

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

Datapoint:
The Lost Story of the Texans
Who Invented the Personal
Computer Revolution

by

Datapoint by Lamont Wood

A Review

Though I do not remember hearing of Datapoint, I may have used one of their early systems before graduating from college.  Regardless, this book was a interesting walk through computer history - including its technology, its people, and its business.  

Datapoint started out knowing where it wanted to go, but dropped out of the race to get there just as it had the greatest opportunity.  Its interaction with TRW, TI, and Intel, allowed it to give away the assets that were of greatest value - without knowing it was doing so.  The politics of Datapoint’s leaders kept it moving in the direction it was going - not able to change course even as technology was moving around them.  

The book was interesting - yet it did not have the mystery and suspense that can be found in other books describing the people and companies that defined early computer history.  It provided the background and story of a company that could have been, but was not able to gain the greatness that could have been theirs.  As it allows the reader insight into the early years that defined the personal computer, it would be an excellent book as an ancillary book for students enrolled in freshman Computer Science courses - whether within the major or in a service course.        

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

Covenant of Trust - A Review

Contingency

Indemnity

Precedent

Covenant of Trust Series

by
Paula Wiseman

A Review 

The Molinskis thought life was okay – at least until Bobby discovered her husband was having an affair with a co-worker. The events, the emotions, and the impact of Chuck’s choice on the family, friends, and colleagues caught them off-guard. Only God could weave a path through the mess in which they found themselves. And he did. Though God seems distant at times, he continued working in their lives.

Contingency focuses on the period immediately after the discovery of the affair.

Indemnity focuses on the child that was born as a result of the affair. Tracy, the child’s mother, had hidden Jack’s existence from his father for six or seven years of his life. Jack was a shock to both Chuck and Bobby – they both had to deal with the new son that God brought into their lives.

Precedent focuses on the loss of two children from the Molinsky family – one shot to death in a gangland shooting, the other a run-away, feeling unloved in the aftermath of the shooting.

It is only as Chuck and Bobby cling to their faith, alas, at times, a weak faith, which God is able to use to bring them through the crisis that their family must face. Pastor Glen and his wife Laurie are present for support, but they understand that their answers are only poor attempts to bring meaning to the Molinsky’s lives. What they find is that real answers are rooted ultimately in the Grace of God.

Lest anyone think that the emotion and events are beyond belief, my experience as a pastor, a husband, and a parent, and my education as a pastor and a counselor, allows me to confirm the feelings echoed throughout the Molinsky story.

The books not only tell a story, but they also touch the heart. Each book had times where this reader had to deal with his own emotions – laughter and tears flowed as I read this family’s story. The emotions echoed those I felt as I struggled to rebuild my own marriage when it seemed it would fall apart. And, having lived through the recovery process that was needed, the book still helped me understand the emotions felt by others in my family as they moved through that time in our lives. As Paula Wiseman describes, God is able to pull individuals and families from the deepest pits, if we can be patient and allow Him to work at His schedule. That is not always easy.
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This review is based on free electronic copies of these books provided by the author for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.

Abraham:

Following God’s Promises

by

Miles Custis

Michael R. Grigoni

Douglas Mangum

Matthew M. Whitehead

A Review

Logos’ new offering Abraham: Following God’s Promise, is a complete Bible Study curriculum for the local church.  The available pieces include Sermon notes, including video support for each lesson; and a small group discussion guide, again including videos, slides, and questions.  

I found the material a bit overwhelming for my small congregation, but would be useful for a pastor looking for a somewhat comprehensive set of tools to use across his or her church for an eight week preaching series.  For Sunday School, it is a bit lacking in that it only offers material for part of the traditional thirteen week Sunday School quarter.  A creative teacher should be able to stretch the material for use during a typical quarter. Realizing that my congregation is not typical, I will still look forward to a possible sermon series based on the material - though much of the content will be lost as we do not have projection equipment available or church members with available computers (only one member of my small congregation has a computer and access to the internet).    

Material is provided for both the leader and for the student - the leader’s guide includes sermon suggestions and a small group study guide.  A complete package of material is available for download - and individual guide does require that the student also install, at the very least, the free LOGOS engine.  There is no current option for the student material being available for the student who does not have access to a PC or Mac.  Some smart phones are also supported. Having said that, I noticed just as I was preparing this review, that printed books (in sets of five) are being developed, though not actually in production at this point.

The authors each hold graduate degrees from quality educational institutions - e.g. University of Wisconsin, and Trinity Western University.  Their love for scripture and its application to the believer’s life is obvious in the curriculum they have developed.  

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

King’s Faith

A Movie Review

My wife and I made a last minute decision this evening to see King’s Faith at our local cinema.  Given the normal schedule, we would have skipped - the evening show was labeled as “Sold Out”.  However, the local theater took the opportunity to an additional showing of the film, starting 5 minutes after the originally scheduled showing.

With two Christian movies playing in local theaters simultaneously, I was surprised how popular this evening’s show had become.  At least I was surprised until I watched the film.  The film made it clear that God takes people wherever they may be and moves them in a direction that accomplishes his purposes.   Those changes move across generations, races, and occupations.  God offers all people the opportunity to follow Him - though they do not always do so.

Even the second auditorium was full.  Most of the audience were between the ages of 15 and 25.  There were some sponsors - aged 40-55, and some senior citizens (i.e. yours truly).   The audience let a rousing cheer erupt at the end of the movie - demonstrating their approval of this locally filmed feature.  

If the reader has not yet put this in his or her “to be seen” list for the coming two weeks, add it now - and do not miss King’s Faith.  Perhaps your faith will be challenged, as was mine, by this 108 minute film.

Rescue Team:
Grace Medical

by

Candace Calvert

A Review

The ER is under fire - not from state inspectors, not from an internal review board, not from a disgruntled patient.  Rather the ongoing onslaught comes from a vindictive blogger who writes about each error she sees - whether at Grace Medical or at any of the other hospitals in the Austin area.  

Kate Callison, the recently hired Interim Director of the very busy Emergency Department, finds herself in the midst of publicity brought by this very public discussion of Austin’s medical system.  Her problems increase when she finds herself caught between two men.  Wesley Tanner is a trained engineer who is also an active participant in the local volunteer search and rescue squad.  Matt Callison is the father that deserted Kate, not physically, but emotionally, when his wife (Kate’s mother) left the family.  Relationships have long been hard for Kate - these two are particularly difficult.

A well written medical thriller that also reflects the grace of God working in and through broken people, Rescue Team demonstrates that God’s grace spans time and distance in unexpected ways.  It held this reviewer’s attention and will allow him to look for the next Candace Calvert book to hit the market.

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