As interested I am in the reasoning behind the Fall of Adam and Eve, I never expected to find an explanation in a book of science fiction. Yet Orson Scott Card manages to both entertain and explain, and which line you follow is completely up to you. The overlaying view of the novel is pure entertainment, and it is quite possible to enjoy it without straining your mind. Not one but two stories are entwined, with the protagonist of one growing from the other. Normally I would critique a story... [More]

The writing is on the wall for the Babylon Rising series, and it looks good for them. In the third novel, biblical archeologist Michael Murphy is seeking out the Babylonian wall that God literally inscribed a warning on before overthrowing the kingdom. And the result is quite an interesting story to read. Many of the same failings I previously reported in the writing style continue in this book – the out of sequence flashback-style introduction, a tendency to lecture, and the frequent jumps... [More]

When bartender Billy Wiles finds the note tucked under his windshield wiper asserting that the choice to act or not to act will lead to someone’s death, he figures it for a prank. His friend, an off-duty police officer, agrees. But six hours later, someone has been brutally murdered. So begins Dean Koontz’s novel Velocity, and Billy’s search for a diabolical killer. Once again, Koontz has written a fast-paced novel that keeps the reader glued to the pages. At first, Billy must choose whethe... [More]

Recently revised and updated, Dave Ramsey’s New York Times best seller, The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan For Financial Fitness, is an intriguing, amusing, and helpful book aimed at getting its readers out of debt. Ramsey teaches and inspires, and his light tone keeps readers interested. The first time I read this book, I had just started listening to The Dave Ramsey Show. I found the work to be a great outline of the principles Dave teaches. It debunks many financial myths and shares... [More]

Orson Scott Card concludes his shadow series brilliantly in this novel, which details the search for Bean and Petra’s missing children and the onset of world peace under the Hegemon’s rule. Card takes us into the heart of Ender’s jeesh and the ambition that drives them. At the same time, he makes Peter somewhat more likeable as his true motives emerge. The novel begins with a Chinese coup led by “Hot Soup,” resulting in him being crowned Emperor. Three key jeesh members now lead countries i... [More]

Once again, Tim LaHaye and Bob Phillips have teamed up, this time bringing us an adventure centered around locating Noah’s ark. Michael Murphy teams up with a skilled and diverse group and sets out on an expedition up this great mountain – after, of course, the appropriate background research. The Babylon Rising series are engaging and intriguing, describing some fantastic possibilities. The action is non-stop, and those secrets are, for the most part, well written. I again take umbrage wit... [More]

After a wonderful experience reading Tim LaHaye’s Left Behind series, I had high expectations for the Babylon Rising batch of books. However, while the story was interesting, I found it to be not quite up to par with LaHaye’s previous success. It’s not so much that it was bad as that it wasn’t as good. Michael Murphy is a biblical archeologist in search of artifacts that prove the truth of the Bible. He is also a university professor who loves to teach, and, of course, a devout evangelical ... [More]

Read the previous novel in this series, All Erin ever wanted to do in life was fly. Her close friend and copilot, Mick Hammon, helped her take the steps she needed in her life to achieve those goals. But when Mick is the pilot of a crash that kills 151 people – including himself – Erin must struggle with both her grief and her feelings of guilt. After all, Erin was supposed to be flying that plane. Enter Addison Lowe, investigator for the NTSB. Addison must find the cause of the cras... [More]

Visit the previous book in this series, Two weeks before their wedding, Sherry’s fiancée vanished with no explanation. For eight months she worried over him, hoping for some explanation, some communication. Now he has returned, with the thinnest of explanations and a declaration of undying love. How can Sherry trust someone who ran out on her and broke her heart? In Blind Trust , Terri Blackstock’s third novel in the Second Chances series, Sherry must struggle between her feelings of... [More]

View the previous novel in this series, In the second book in the Second Chance series, When Dreams Cross , Terri Blackstock creates another romantic world for her readers to enjoy. Responsible for building the theme park mentioned in , Andi Sherman must select a cartoon to give her park some character. Unknowlingly, she picks Khaki Kangaroo, brainchild of her ex-boyfriend Justin Pierce. Justin and Andi’s parting was anything but amicable in the past, and their business relationshi... [More]

View the previous book in this series, We met John and Abby Reynolds in , when they struggled to come together after 21 years of marriage. Kingsbury brings them to us again in A Time to Embrace , a novel of pain and faith. Everything seems to be back on track for the couple after their near-divorce scare. But one fateful night, a night when a few seconds make a lifetime of difference, changes everything. Abby and John must struggle to come together, and to come to the Lord. As ... [More]

An earthquake traps Bree, Carl, and Andy beneath their three story office building. Buried in the rubble and struggling with their injuries, the three Christians take another look at life. After spending the night in the hospital, all three are not only miraculously healed, but spiritually gifted. Bree finds herself able to see into people’s hearts. Carl’s feet carry him to those in need. And shy Andy can’t stop talking about the blessings of the Lord. The three of them combine their gifts ... [More]

When a flight crashes in the Pacific Ocean, leaving no survivors, airline Captain Connor Evans has no clue that it will change his life. Only after one of the will of one stewardess is read does he learn that he has a son. The child’s mother wants him to take two weeks to get to know the boy, but will Connor’s family accept the proof of his infidelity? As Connor learns the results of his indiscretion – an indiscretion he had long since put behind him – he struggles with the problems that it... [More]

When Wes catches a strange woman taking pictures of his seven-year old daughter at the park, he calls the police on the probable kidnapper. But Laney has no malice towards either of them; she simply longs to see the daughter she gave up for adoption years ago. At first she only wants to look. But once she finds out that Amy’s adopted mother passed away, she decides that she wants to take part in the child’s life. The ensuing battle results in a surprising conclusion. In Never Again Good-by... [More]

While Jill Nichols interviews an executive for a deposition, his assistant finds a bomb in the room directly below them. Employees race down the stairs, only to find themselves caught in the blast. As Dan and the rest of the Newpointe emergency service rush to the aid of the local rescue units, they find the bomber has left an unpleasant surprise. Catastrophe reigns and lives are lost – and the details of the investigation lie in the head of the assistant’s daughter, an angry teenager Jill befr... [More]

Jill Clark is staying in a hotel room when she hears about the bombing of the town post office and the death of three people. Suddenly, her room door implodes and a gunman, pursued by the cops for the crime, is holding her hostage. Willing to do anything to escape, the lawyer promises to defend the man who claims innocence if he surrenders – then finds herself faced with keeping her word once he releases her. The more time passes, however, the more Jill comes to believe that the man could be ... [More]

Nick Foster, pastor and firefighter, receives a shock when his church is reported on fire. But nothing can prepare him for the body he pulls out of the ashes. At the same time, town bad girl Issie Mattreaux finds out that her teenage nephew, who she always claimed took after her, is in trouble way over his head. When she drops into his hangout to tell him to come home, his friends slash her tires and vandalize her apartment. In the fourth book of the Newpointe 911 series, Trial By Fire , ... [More]

As if almost losing your husband wasn’t bad enough, Celia Shepherd finds herself arrested for attempted murder. Once the police realize that her first husband died from the same method – poisoning – the case seems open-and-shut. But Celia insists that she is innocent, and only her attorney, Jill Clark, seems to believe her. The rest of the town of Newport views her with doubt and distress. In <u>Shadow of Doubt</u>,the second book of the Newpointe 911 series, Terri Blackstoc... [More]

When people in Marion think of the perfect couple, John and Abby Reynolds automatically sprang to mind. After twenty-two years of marriage, everyone who knows them laud their idyllic relationship. But John and Abby have a secret – they can no longer stand each other. And when they bring their children together to break the news, their daughter shares news of her own – she’s getting married. Reluctantly, John and Abby decide to keep their problems to themselves so as not to ruin their child’s sp... [More]

One thing I really enjoy doing is rereading kids books. I checked out Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and zoomed through it in about two hours. I have reread many other classics and enjoyed them. I think my next big kids read will be the infamous Harriet the Spy which I loved and totally identified with as a child. One of the greatest regrets of my life (in terms of small scale regrets, anyway) is that I sold off my Sweet Valley High books. Now, granted, SVH isn't all that 'c... [More]

If small business owners could read no other book, I would love to have them study Jay Conrad Levinson’s Guerrilla Marketing: Secrets for Making Big Profits From your Small Business . Originally published in the early 1980s, Guerrilla Marketing is a must-read for entrepreneurs searching for inexpensive yet effective marketing strategies. Revised again (and again, depending on which volume you select), the book offers not only simple suggestions for making the most of the smallest things but ... [More]

Thrilling, gripping, and entertaining, the novel Private Justice , written by Terri Blackstock, kept me reading all night, way past my bedtime. The whodunit story weaves a serial killer murder mystery in with a couple's estrangement. Separated due to a misunderstanding – she believes he had an affair and he refuses to acknowledge that his actions were wrong – fireman Mark Benning and his wife Allie must redefine their relationship while a serial killer stalks and murders fire wives. Bl... [More]

A young, single Christian leaves small town life behind to head off to the Big Apple and make her way in the world. Such is the premise of Emily Ever After, a novel by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt. Unlike most Christian literature, the authors have taken care to paint a more 'worldly' character. Thus, Emily (the protagonist) shuns many of the conservative Christian tasks, remaining tounge-in-cheek about them. She strives to live in the world without being of the world. Thus she is... [More]

Combining action and suspense, James Patterson's novel 1st to Die kept me riveted. While I couldn't call it an enjoyable read – I have a hard time smiling at murders – it certainly held my attention while tracking murderers in San Francisco. Homicide Detective Lindsey Boxer struggles to capture the killer of various newlyweds, while at the same time fighting her own life-or-death battle. Between a new partner – brought in for 'spin control' – and the need for political line-... [More]

"Life's a fragile thing…September 11 taught us that…For those of us who remain – all of us touched by that day, we need to find strength and hope in Christ, and to do the thing He asks us to do." So states one of the main characters of Karen Kingsbury's novel, Beyond Tuesday Morning, a heartwrenching look at the survivors of the greatest terrorist attack America has ever known. Quite honestly, like most Americans, I had put the horror of 9/11 behind me. I had not forgotten – I... [More]