Sunday, October 30, 2011

Courageous

by: Randy Alcorn

This book is great! One if my book clubs read this book and I had no idea it was a book, I had only heard of the movie. If the movie is as good as the book (which I have heard it's great) than I can't wait to watch it. I'm curious to see how much they are alike, cause it was almost like reading the movie, the pictures in the book reflect scenes in both the book and movie...I shall see!

Courageous is about 4 police officers; Adam, Nathan, David and Shane. There is another man, Javier, who joins their small group of friendship through a Divine Intervention. As police officers, they see so much crime in Georgia and all the gangs in their area. These men decide there is a need to stand up for the fatherless children and declare to be better husbands and fathers in their families. This book takes you through the trials (had me crying), their daily struggles, betrayals, their lives as policemen and also the victories in their lives.

This book is an easy read. It's almost like watching a Hallmark movie; as you read you watch their lives play out. Though parts are sad you still feel encouraged. And when you see their victories it challenges you personally! It's definitely a book to help lift people up, to help encourage and show us, the reader, how our lives, families and marriages could be if we let it.

I am excited to see the movie. I would highly recommend reading this book whether you've seen the movie or not! I will have to post how alike they are after I see the movie!

Monday, October 24, 2011

The Hunger Games

by: Suzanne Collins

I had heard so many high remarks about this book/series. People I know have read it and loved it so I thought I would give it a try. I waited awhile because there is a long waiting list at the library but I finally got it. When I was at the library I saw on their board that this book is also a controversial book. Parents tried to have the book banned because it is too violent for teens to read. Now that I have read it I definitely would not have my 13 year old read the book but High School age I would. Maybe 15+ (just thinking of my daughter). Especially since my take on the book seems to be different than others I know that have read it. Then I heard that my 12 year old niece is reading it for school, I was surprised, it is their mandatory reading this year! Not sure I would like that!

Hunger Games...this story is about an earth somewhat different than it is now. There are 13 colonies. Panem was the main colony that ran the earth but the other 12 tried to rise up again Panem and lost. Panem destroyed one of the colonies and now to make sure that the last 11 of the colonies will not rise up again against Panem they created the hunger games.

Once a year 2 children, one boy and one girl, ages 12-18 from each colony have their names placed into a drawing for the hunger games. 24 children in all are chosen and then pinned against each other in a man built coliseum to kill each other! Because it is still a version of earth as it is now, they televise the games on t.v. and bid on who the winner will be! It's a sporting even to those in Panem while the rest of the world is watching. Either thankful that that their child wasn't chosen or watching their child be killed, live!

They go through training and learning how to survive on their own. Each of them is shown off to the world to receive sponsors who can send them gifts through out the game as well. It's the Capitals way of showing the world that they can take their children and more if they wanted to!

I had a hard time with this book. I do like the writing, I did like the story up until the games began. I could have taken the story as gladiators fighting for their lives or a type of games where in the end you are out of the game but not killed. But the idea that children are pinned against each other to kill each other was hard for me to read.

For the most part there wasn't much description on their deaths or gore. But at the end of the book it was more gruesome. Now that I have read book one I do want to read the rest to find out what actually happens but I'm sorry to say that I would not actually recommend this book. Don't just take my word for it but I just had a hard time with it!

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Forbidden

by; Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee

I LOVED this book. I'm so excited to have read this book at this time. I was getting in a reading slump having read so many thick, in depth books. I needed something to really enjoy. I was a little nervous since I haven't liked Ted Dekkers last few books, I am so happy that I enjoyed this one. I had no idea this is the first book in a series. It's the first time I've read a book that didn't already have the series finished! And I can't wait til the 2nd one which doesn't come out til 2012! Ugh...the wait!

If you have read the Circle Trilogy I don't know why you wouldn't like this series. It reminds me a lot of it yet has it's own story line. Forbidden is about the world after the Chaos. Rom is confronted by an old man, who calls himself a "Keeper". He tells Rom that his father did not die but was killed protecting a secret. He hands Rom a box and gives him instructions on how to protect it and run. As Rom runs he turns back to see the old man killed by the sword. What is going on?

There is a truth in the box that holds the key to the earths future. A new soverign is about to reign the world but they are living by the Order, and blinded by the lie of that Order. He discovers that the only emotion the world is living on is fear. The human race no longer can have any other emotion, until now. It is Roms call to help expose the truth!

This book is so great! I am excited to also look into Tosca Lee's books, since she co-wrote the book with Ted Dekker. I will have to say that at the beginning of the book there were some emotions described that I could have lived without and at the end it gets pretty gory but it's all part of the story. As a whole I would highly recommend this book to read!!!

Saturday, October 15, 2011

The Edge of Recall

by: Kristen Meitzmann

If were not for the fact that my online book club through Goodreads, Christian Fiction Devourers, was reading this book for the month of October, I would not have read this. Or would have put it town after about 1/4 way into the book.

The main character Tess, builds Labyrinths, which has a meaning behind it. (She explains how Labyrinths, unlike mazes that take you around and back out where you started, they take you to the center and lead you out to another path, the future.)

As I read the book I was annoyed by Tess' character. She has a hard time trusting people in her life, especially men. And since most of the characters in this book are men, she has a hard time trusting all of them. She ends up taking a job with an old friend from her past, Smith and his assistant Bair. Smith and Tess' have a rocky relationship, given that she once had feelings for him and he had let her down in her dream to build Labyrinths. But when a dream job opens up with him to build one, she takes it.

The relationship with Tess and Smith is frustrating. From Tess' inabliity to trust and Smith's inablity to commit. To add to the story line, there is a "monster" that is stalking them on the property. He is moving equipment and stealing things in hopes of discouraging them from being there.

This "monster" only plays into part of Tess' past with labyrinths, which she has nightmares about. Tess has a therapist that helps her work through her memories of her father and labyrinths that are at the edge of recall.

When Tess and Smith are confronted face to face with the "monster", Smith is fighting for his life while Tess is getting closer to the mystery of her father and the reason she can't trust.

There are so many components in this book. Relationships, a cruel boss, the Labyrinths, Tess' past, her father, it's just too much. Tess' character only gets better once she discovers the truth behind her father and the memory she had forgotten. And even then she has such a 180 degree turn it doesn't seem realistic to change that drastically, that fast. I wished her character had been that way from the beginning.

The monster was just to odd to begin with. They took that part of the story through twists and turns of ghost stories and Tess' imagination, I wasn't fond of this character in the book at all. Though the mystery that finally comes out at the end of the book was good, it was over shadowed by everything else. The best part of the book was the last 10 pages!

I would not recommend this book. It isn't awful, it's just wasn't a story I enjoyed. Though I can tell others in my reading group did like it. I'm not sure I would discount this author, I might try another one of her stories. Maybe one with a topic that interests me would be better. I do have to say; it's not on the top of my reading list at this time.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Relentless

by: Robin Parrish

Another in depth book! I'm gonna have to read some easy reads pretty soon!

Relentless starts out with; Collin Boyd. He see's himself walking down the street. Someone that looks just like him is wearing his clothes, carrying his briefcase. How is this possible? Collin looks at his reflection in the window to see someone else looking back at him. Someone he has never seen before.

Now Collin is trying to find out who he is. His license says; Grant Borrows, he has a new apartment, a new life. He has a ring on his finger that won't come off, someone is now trying to kill him and he has discovered he was created for a destiny he never knew about or asked for, until now. He is now running against time to discover the truth and the pace is Relentless!

This book reminds me a lot of Ted Dekker's, Circle Trilogy. Very interesting story line. You don't know where it's going or what will happen. I didn't realize until the very end that this book is the first in the Dominion Trilogy. So now I am looking forward to continue the story line with book two. I recommend this book. If you like Ted Dekker you will like this book. If you like story lines that aren't the norm, you will like it as well...