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Guest Review - Zendegi

One of the last 5 books I read was called Zendegi ($0.01 Kindle, Kobo; free B&N), by Greg Egan. Greg is an excellent writer and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I liked how he started in a place, which, as an American, I know nothing about (modern Iran), and brought it to life. He then was able to take current (albeit controversial) research and turn it into a nice storyline for the rest of the book. Kudos to Greg for a great story. At this price pick it up for yourself and enjoy. - The Step Son (Brian)

Guest Review - The Hugo Awards Nominees (Novels)

One of the Kindles here in the house is in use by my stepson, Brian. When he isn't busy wearing out the five-way on the K2 playing Monopoly, he is reading (seriously, it's even putting a dent into his paperback habit and he only reads hours and hours a day!). One of the reasons I sign up to support the Hugo Awards each year has been to get the voter's packet of books and I put him in charge of reading the lot before I send in my vote. Here is his review of the novels that have been nominated this year. I've added links to the Kindle editions (one is paper only), for those of you that might want to check out one or two (and probably in a better formatted editions, since the voter packet often includes PDFs).

The Hugo Novels Having taken the time to read the Hugo award nominees for best novel here is a short review and a rating of them by my favorite to least favorite. The best of a very good group of books is Feed. Not being a big fan of Zombie books myself this was a rollicking ride of a book that left you commenting, cheering and laughing all through it while making an almost believable twist on near future history. 5 stars all the way. I keep going back and forth on the next 2. In the end I think Cryoburn should get the nod for 2nd as it stands alone better. This may be the best Miles Vorkisigan novel yet in what is a very fun series, but the thing Bujold has always done with this series is make sure that if this is the first one you have read it doesn't mean you have to go back and start over and when your done if she never wrote another in the series you can live with that to. Blackout on the other hand is also excellent and if this is your first introduction to this series that is fine but at the end of Blackout you are immediately in need of All Clear because your left at such a bad spot in the story, so if you get Blackout get All Clear at the same time. Next is the one fantasy novel on the list, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. Note that although I will read fantasy it is not my go to. This is a well written story with some very nice twist and well worth the nomination it received. Then finally we come to what I call the art book. The Dervish House is one of those books in which the author is so busy looking at relationships and creating pretty pictures that he forgets this is Science Fiction and not a chick flick. It is a pretty book and at least one book every year is in this category but it doesn't mean I have to like them, I don't. In conclusion four out of five of the nominated novels are very readable which is a great score and if you only get to read one of them, then pick Feed. The Step Son (Brian)

Yes, he really did sign it that way! LOL! I know he really enjoyed Feed, as he has been reading the next one in the series when we visit Barnes & Noble (thanks to their Read in Store feature - I'm about done with Hit List that way, as well).

Southern Cooking: The How-To Guide

Southern Cooking: The How-To Guide, by Wanda Long

Review
A southern guide, probably written by someone from the North.

First, seasoning a cast iron pan takes more than one brief exposure to oil in the oven. But, as you go thru just the first few recipes, you can see the author doesn't know much about the subject.

Cornbread is southern, but the recipe shown is a very northern one, 3/4 white flour and would have little cornbread taste or texture - a true southern recipe is 100% cornmeal, while some do cheat a bit and add white flour, eggs are the secret to a cornbread that holds together (for a 9-inch recipes, you need two-three eggs, not one). Then, you cook it cast iron, not a cake dish (as is common with northern recipes). And you ABSOLUTELY do not, EVER, NEVER add sugar to corn bread!

Nor to biscuits, for that matter, which is done in the first recipe of the book (and butter will work, but a true southern recipe calls for pure white lard, as biscuits should be pure white and flaky, not yellow like out of a can), and the flour should be a low-gluten type, not all purpose (ok, it absolutely should be White Lily, although there is some controversy over whether it's still the same, now that the plant moved to the north, which involves using new grinding equipment and possibly the region where the corn is grown, which changed the texture).

Zucchini bread is usually served with coffee, just as any other dessert bread, either for breakfast (instead of a pastry) or a mid-afternoon snack (or after dinner, not with it; that's where your cornbread should go, if you make it so it isn't a sweet dessert). Country fried steak that isn't dipped in flour? Really? Frankly, I quit reading the recipes closely after that. The recipes may be fine, they may work. But, it's northern recipes for southern foods (and probably created without any input from the anyone in the south).

Shadowmagic

When I bought Shadowmagic ($0.99), by John Lenahan, in October '09, I paid $3.40 and considered it a good bargain. At the current sale prices, you should grab this one and the newly released sequel Prince of Hazel and Oak (Shadowmagic Book 2) ($1.59), before the publisher (The Friday Project, an imprint of HarperCollins) decides to raise the prices. If you happen to have already purchased the sequel and got it when it too had the title "Shadowmagic", be sure to delete it and re-download so that you Kindle has the proper title (one of the few changes a publisher can make and you get an update just by redownloading).

When I saw the sequel was out (and the big price drop), I pulled out the first volume and read it thru in just three days (in between doing everything else). The paper edition says it is 288 pages, but they go by in a flash (unlike Lord of the Rings, which the synopsis compares it to). This is young adult fiction, but is entirely enjoyable by adults of any age; there is budding romance (but barely a kiss or two) and the story is told from the point of view of a teenage boy, who is getting ready to go to school, trying to find a good time to ask his dad for a bit more cash to take out a girl, when he answers the door ... only to have people on horseback try to kill him, a weird glow surround him and one of the attackers crumble to dust upon being unhorsed. His day only gets worse, but he quickly adapts to his new surroundings, after breaking free of his captors and finding himself not in the Real World, at all.

The action isn't non-stop (really, could anyone stand to read 200+ pages that were?), as, in addition to a bit of adventure, you get his reaction to the new land, descriptions of what he sees and finds and experiences, as he makes his way. Along that way, he first reacts without thinking, but gradually changes to reaction with forethought (well, as much as a teen can muster, at any rate), growing at least metaphorically during journey. As with most good teen fiction, good triumphs over evil, in the end (at least for the day), but there is also tragedy to provide a bittersweet tinge to the joy of the day.

At the end, you can see the hooks for a sequel are set, but the volume concludes well on it's own (no big cliffhangers to frustrate you if you do decide not to get the second title). For myself, though, I've put the sequel near the top of my TBR list (just as soon as I go thru the rest of the sale titles on the Kindle Sunshine Deals page, to see if there are any paperbacks I want to replace or any other series where I can fill in a missing title).

Book Description
A Lord of the Rings for the 21st century. Only a lot shorter. And funnier. And completely different.

Lord of the Rings for the 21st century. Only a lot shorter. And funnier. And completely different.Conor thought he was an average teenager. OK, so his father only had one hand, spoke to him in ancient languages and was a bit on the eccentric side but, other than that, life was fairly normal. Until, that is, two Celtic warriors on horseback and wearing full armour appear at his front door and try to kill him. After that, things get pretty weird.

Shadowmagic is a fantasy adventure for young adults (although grown ups will like it too). Written by one of the most popular magicians in the country it brings a fresh approach to the genre and will have a broad appeal beyond the fantasy sections.

Gideon's Sword

I stayed up late last night, to finish reading Gideon's Sword ($12.99), by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. The intro starts out with Gideon's childhood, followed by what could have been a novella in it's own right, completing the backstory for Gideon Crew, a chameleon who blends in anywhere (with a bit of help from some stage props) and can lie his way thru nearly any situation, much like Frank W. Abagnale, in Catch Me If You Can. Add in a dash of James Bond, for this is an international thriller, and you start to get the flavor of the novel, which was released today.

It's one thrill after another, with twist and turns along the way and you never know when an ally might turn out to be your enemy. It all starts with a routine job (or, as routine as you might get, as independent contractor with DHS, offered $100K for a one week project) to retrieve the plans for a weapon that are being smuggled into the US by an agent who is to arrive within a couple of hours of Gideon's being hired for the job.

I thought the earliest chapters were the weakest of the book, especially when he is supposed to be a brilliant physicist, yet the math in a paper written by his father years earlier is described as "way over his head". Not to mention the likelihood of a master art thief who turned over a new leaf to become a government employed physicist, who fly-fishes in his spare time. But, once past the setup chapters (and after his father has been avenged) and the true story commences. From there on, the action is non-stop and each chapter ended with me wanting to read just one more, until I arrived at the "end", which was, of course, anything but. There are obviously going to be more books in this series and I'll have them on my wishlist for the future. I do see, though, that they'll all have to cover very short periods of time or the leverage that DHS used to get Gideon to agree to work with them will have to be proven false (or a cure found).

You can sign up for a newsletter from Child and Preston, which looks to be published monthly, more or less, to get samples of their works-in-progress or tidbits about the characters that might not make it into the books themselves.

Book Description
Introducing Gideon Crew: trickster, prodigy, master thief

At twelve, Gideon Crew witnessed his father, a world-class mathematician, accused of treason and gunned down.

At twenty-four, summoned to his dying mother's bedside, Gideon learned the truth: His father was framed and deliberately slaughtered. With her last breath, she begged her son to avenge him.

Now, with a new purpose in his life, Gideon crafts a one-time mission of vengeance, aimed at the perpetrator of his father's destruction. His plan is meticulous, spectacular, and successful.

But from the shadows, someone is watching. A very powerful someone, who is impressed by Gideon's special skills. Someone who has need of just such a renegade.

For Gideon, this operation may be only the beginning . . .

If you order the current Kindle edition of Gideon's Sword, you'll also get a bonus download of The Zero Game ($7.99), by Brad Meltzer. I picked this one up when it was under $2 last year. You don't order it separately (and the book page won't show that you own it, which is something I wish Amazon would fix), but a copy of the book just shows up in your library and on the same Kindle where you sent Gideon's Sword.

Book Description
The New York Times bestselling author of The Millionaires and The First Counsel returns to Wash-ington, D.C., with the story of an insider's game that turns deadly. Matthew Mercer and Harris Sandler are best friends who have plum jobs as senior staffers to well-respected congressmen. But after a decade in Washington, idealism has faded to disillusionment, and they're bored. Then one of them finds out about the clandestine Zero Game. It starts out as good fun-a simple wager between friends. But when someone close to them ends up dead, Harris and Matthew realize the game is far more sinister than they ever imagined-and that they're about to be the game's next victims. On the run, they turn to the only person they can trust: a 16-year-old Senate page who can move around the Capitol undetected. As a ruthless killer creeps closer, this idealistic page not only holds the key to saving their lives, but is also determined to redeem them in the process. Come play The Zero Game-you can bet your life on it.

A pre-publication, print copy of this book was provided by the publisher/publicist for this review.

Bon Appetit Desserts

Bon Appetit Desserts: The Cookbook for All Things Sweet and Wonderful ($9.99 Kindle, $20.00 Hardcover), edited by Barbara Fairchild, is a massive cookbook from one of my favorite magazines. Since I reviewed an ebook version, I didn't realize just how large it was until I saw it recently in one of the local bookstores. Not only will it take up quite a bit of space on your counter when cooking, but it is quite heavy if you plan on reading it without having a place to prop it up. On the other hand, this is a book with page after page of gorgeous photographs, each one seducing you into adding just one more recipe to the list that you absolutely must try.

On the Kindle, the first 700 locations after the cover are just the linked table of contents alone and the photographs are not nearly so compelling in shades of gray (which might be better for your waistline, all things considered). I popped the Kindle sample onto my iPad though, and all the photographs are there and my mouth is watering once again. Not only that, but the sample I downloaded from the Hardcover page includes "the first chapter", which is a bit misleading. In fact, it has the first nineteen recipes from Cakes, which follows the (long) sections The Desserts Pantry, Equipment: The Basics and Techniques: The Basics, all of which are also included.

With over 2200 locations, the sample alone is worth picking up and keeping, even if you don't purchase the full book. You'll be missing out, though, as recipes such as the Double-Ginger Gingerbread with Orange-Ginger Sauce start only a few pages farther in, not to mention the final assembly instructions on that Poppy Seed Coffee Cake with Cardamom Streusel are missing from the sample (two more paragraphs would have finished that recipe). If cakes are not your thing, fear not. Future chapters continue with:

• Cheesecakes
• Pies, Tarts & Pastries
• Custards & Puddings
• Fruit Desserts
• Frozen Desserts
• Cookies
• Bar Cookies & Brownies
• Candy

Yes, there is fudge and and there are truffles (Dark Chocolate Truffles alone has two recipes, with completely different flavors). Fruit isn't limited to Pies and there are many types of Cobblers (complete with the Vanilla–Crème Fraîche Biscuits recipe that you serve separately with the Cherry-Lime Cobbler, if you are looking for something different). If you prefer your chocolate with coffee, be sure to check out the Chocolate-Espresso Puddings with Espresso Whipped Cream. For dead simple and quick to prepare, you can't beat the Mascarpone and Berry Parfaits. For a bit more elegance, try the make-ahead Cranberry and Lemon-Ginger Parfaits, which they show in a plain glass (see below), but should be equally at home in a nice cut-crystal stemmed glass.

As you can see from the above prices, which appear to be part of the Black Friday Book Deals, the books is being greatly discounted at Amazon right now. If you are a Mark Bittman fan, they are having lightning deals on his How to Cook Everything right now ($17.50) and will have the Vegetarian version discounted later this afternoon.

The Hardcover edition also comes with a free subscription or renewal to Bon Apetit magazine, which separately sells for $12, with auto-renewal, or $15, without. In fact, you can get the hardcover to use in the kitchen and the Kindle version for browsing and checking in the store while shopping, for less than the retail price of the hardcover alone.

Book Description (Hardcover)
For more than 50 years, Bon Appetit magazine has been seducing readers with to-die-for desserts. From quick homestyle cookies to unforgettable special-occasion finales such as spiced chocolate torte wrapped in chocolate ribbons, Bon Appetit showcases meticulously tested recipes that turn out perfectly--every time. Now, culled from Bon Appetit's extensive archives and including never-before-published recipes, Bon Appetit Desserts promises to be the comprehensive guide to all things sweet and wonderful.

Authored by Bon Appetit editor-in-chief Barbara Fairchild, Bon Appetit Desserts features more than 600 recipes--from layer cakes to coffee cakes, tortes and cupcakes to pies, tarts, candies, puddings, souffles, ice cream, cookies, holiday desserts, and much, much more. Certain to inspire both experienced home cooks and those just starting out in the kitchen, each recipe is designed to ensure the dessert preparation process is as enjoyable as the finished result.

Includes a subscription (or renewal) to Bon Appetit Magazine

A limited time use, pre-publication, PDF galley of this book was provided by Netgalley and the publisher for this review.

Green Books campaign: The Organic Farmer's Business Handbook

This review is part of the Green Books campaign. Today 100 bloggers are reviewing 100 great books printed in an environmentally friendly way. The goal is to encourage publishers to get greener and readers to take the environment into consideration when purchasing books. This campaign is organized by Eco-Libris, a green company working to green up the book industry by promoting the adoption of green practices, balancing out books by planting trees, and supporting green books. A full list of participating blogs and links to their reviews is available on the Eco-Libris website.

I learned of the campaign fairly late in the signup period, but managed to find a book that piqued my interest. The Organic Farmer's Business Handbook: A Complete Guide to Managing Finances, Crops, and Staff-and Making a Profit ($23.07 Paperback), by Richard Wiswall, was provided by Chelsea Green Publishing for this review. This is large format paperback, 184 pages, printed on chlorine-free, recycled paper and includes a companion CD-ROM with four spreadsheets and a doc file, all of which worked fine in the Open Office included on my netbook. A Kindle edition is available ($18.46), but I would not recommend it, even on the DX - the worksheets can be a bit of a strain to read even on paper and may be impossible as tables on the Kindle, plus you don't get the companion CD.

Most books on organic farming/gardening approach the subject from the gardening viewpoint. This book, however, introduces the organic farmer to several of the concepts needed to run a farm as a successful business, starting with the principle that profit is not evil (including a chapter on how to plan for a retirement where you don't have to keep working the farm until you die or sell off the farm to afford it). There are worksheets to help determine which crops are making money (after expenses which include more than just materials) as well as track payroll taxes (although I'd suggest considering a program like Quickbooks to handle that part of the business). The worksheets are pretty involved and some of the print is quite small on the page, but each one is included in one of the spreadsheets on the companion CD. The book may not make the actual gardening any easier (or find you reliable laborers), but it should assist in deciding which crops to grow and which markets to attend (if it costs you more to get ready for a market than you sell, you're better off not harvesting the crops at all). With a bit of hard work, good weather and proper planning, you might even get to the income level he discusses in the first chapter, bringing in after-expense profits in the six figures (at which point you might want an accountant rather than a do-it-yourself book for tax planning).

All-in-all, I felt it was a pretty good introduction for someone with an organic gardening background that wants to make it as a commercial farmer. The chapter on production efficiencies uses all organic methods, but doesn't avoid machinery that will be needed for larger operations, while chapters on calculating expenses and costs include hidden costs, marketing and CSAs, as well as special considerations if your spouse is also working on the farm. Most other books on the business of farming have an overwhelming focus on chemical rather than mechanical controls and wholesaling of commodity crops, rather than selling to smaller markets or direct to the customer.

Book Description
Contrary to popular belief, a good living can be made on an organic farm. What's required is farming smarter, not harder.

In The Organic Farmer's Business Handbook, Richard Wiswall shares advice on how to make your vegetable production more efficient, better manage your employees and finances, and turn a profit. From his twenty-seven years of experience at Cate Farm in Vermont, Wiswall knows firsthand the joys of starting and operating an organic farm-as well as the challenges of making a living from one. Farming offers fundamental satisfaction from producing food, working outdoors, being one's own boss, and working intimately with nature. But, unfortunately, many farmers avoid learning about the business end of farming; because of this, they often work harder than they need to, or quit farming altogether because of frustrating-and often avoidable-losses.

In this comprehensive business kit, Wiswall covers:

* Step-by-step procedures to make your crop production more efficient
* Advice on managing employees, farm operations, and office systems
* Novel marketing strategies
* What to do with your profits: business spending, investing, and planning for retirement

A companion CD offers valuable business tools, including easy-to-use spreadsheets for projecting cash flow, a payroll calculator, comprehensive crop budgets for twenty-four different crops, and tax planners.

No Mad

Sam Moffie's No Mad ($9.99) can be a little difficult to get into, as the writing style resembles stream of consciousness and the mind of the protagonist is one that seems to suffer from ADD/ADHD. One thought leads to another, but eventually the does come back to the story line. It wasn't long, though, before the story itself started pulling me along and the style took a backseat to the plot line.

In No Mad, Aaron Abrams is an author who has just landed his first big book deal. He cuts short his daily errand run and rushes home to celebrate with his wife and after repeated attempts to reach his brother, only to discover the reason that his wife seemed distracted and his brother was unreachable was that they were having sex in the backyard pool (at the bottom of which was his brother's phone). He packs a bag and his dog, then dumps a bucket of ice on the two from the balcony and walks out, beginning a journey that lasts the rest of the book. A journey that covers not only a considerable portion of the United States, but one that ends with Aaron, if not in a state of peace, at least in a position of emotional security (good thing, with his entire family re-united at a wedding, with the kids keeping the warring sides separated).

The humor and style won't be for everyone (a good guide might be your reaction to the movie Superbad). I'd definitely recommend taking advantage of the free sample ability on the Kindle, in fact. There is plenty of adult language and explicit descriptions of adult subjects (some of which I, quite frankly, found a bit disgusting). There is a continuing theme involving the game of Jinx (not just here and there, but with mentions on what seems like nearly every other page). It' s hard to believe that someone who grew up in the 60's had never heard of the game until college, as is claimed for Aaron Abrams, but even harder to believe that he would continue to play the game thru his 40's with anyone other than his own kids and then only until perhaps their teens. But, indeed, the game of Jinx, complete with shoulder punching of friends, family, peers and even aquaintances, is featured with such frequency that I felt it detracted from the story. A more positive theme that recurs throughout the book is how Aaron relates to the world thru the music of his youth. There are frequent references to songs and artists from the 70's and 80's, along with quoted song lyrics that illustrate how Aaron feels at the time.

Overall, the book is quite funny, but there are some elements that detract from it being as good a story as it could be, and I'd give it 3.5 stars out of five. I also think the pricing is a bit steep for the Kindle edition. This is Moffie's third book, but he isn't quite at the bestseller level yet.

Jinx! I knew you thinking that, too!

Dead Man's Rain

Dead Man's Rain, by Frank Tuttle, is currently a free Kindle download, courtesy of the publisher Samhain. Unlike many of the books they've offered as free downloads, this one isn't erotica, instead relying on a plot to keep you turning the pages. Dead Man's Rain is a short novel and I easily finished reading it in a couple of hours.

The author's warning and the description reminded me of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series and it was hard not to make a comparison of the two when reading. The short nature of the novel, however, meant that there was not time for the same character development that Butcher's series is known for. Instead, this is the story of a single case investigated by a Finder named Merkhat. There are trolls and ogres, mentioned (quite literally) in passing and I still don't know what a Finder might be and he receives quite a bit of unasked for (and unwanted at the time) help from another character who hexes him (for his own good, of course). Still, the plot kept me interested enough to keep reading thru quickly (a hazard of the Kindle - if the book gets boring, I have hundreds more to choose from at any moment).

A second book in the series, The Mister Trophy ($2.00), is also available on the Kindle, while the third hasn't migrated over yet (but is available in the Samhain bookstore, just not for the Kindle).

The Mister Trophy

A troll's missing head could cause Markhat to lose his own.

All the finder Markhat wanted was a beer at Eddie's. Instead he gets a case that will bring him face to fang with crazed, blood-craving halfdead, a trio of vengeful Troll warriors, and Mama Hog's backstreet magic. Plus, the possible resurgence of the Troll War.

All right in his own none-too-quiet neighborhood.

Through the town of Rannit's narrow alleys and mean streets, Markhat tries to stay one step ahead of disaster. And ignore Mama Hog's dire warnings that this time, the head that rolls could be his own.

Warning: This book contains well-dressed vampires, extremely polite Trolls, and occasional bursts of humor. Avoid reading it when landing aircraft, welding in the nude, or taunting grumpy jackals while wearing pork chop earmuffs.

The Truth About You

Thomas Nelson provided me a review copy of The Truth About You: Your Secret to Success, by Marcus Buckingham. I'm not sure how well this one will translate to the digital world (but it is available on Kindle), as there is both a DVD and a memo pad included in the book. The first thing you are instructed to do is to watch the film (22 minutes). At various points, you use the two-sided memo pad to record activities that you love (that made you feel strong) and those you loathed (you felt weak, bored, etc). Any memo pad could be used for the exercise, of course, but you will miss a third or so of the content without the DVD. The book itself is quite short, at 110 pages, so it isn't one you'll be reading for hours each day. Instead, there are short sections that require to think, reflect and act. Rather than trying to work on your weaknesses and eliminate them, this program has you work on your strengths, find jobs that use them and then carve out that job over time to match you, rather than trying to mold yourself to the job.

One thing I didn't like about the book was the binding. The DVD holder and memo pad holder are the front and back covers of the book, so you are stuck holding the fairly awkward result when reading the book, which also won't lay flat. I think with a bit of coaxing, you could separate the book from the outer hard cover (but, you'll want to be careful not to tear it up doing so), but it still isn't likely to lie flat). You can blow thru the book in an hour, but working the exercises with the memo pad will take you longer; anywhere from a few hours, to the rest of your career/life.

Book Description
An Experience to Revolutionize Your Life from Marcus Buckingham - the World's Leading Expert on Career Success!

Want to know what you are supposed to do with your life? The Truth About You is an experience to unlock life's toughest questions. The process this revolutionary toolkit teaches will create higher satisfaction and performance in life and work. This cutting-edge product includes:

Enhanced DVD. A high-energy film reveals how and why you must discover and prioritize your strengths and includes access to a wealth of downloadable resources, including five bonus Strength Tip videos.

Interactive Book. With insightful exercises and tried-and-true life wisdom no one else will tell you, the book takes you to the location of your most powerful and unchanging talents.

ReMemo Pad. Designed for a life on-the-go, the ReMemo Pad becomes your companion to complete the task of revealing your strengths using your everyday experiences.

Perfect for high school and college students, young professionals, and people simply wanting to revitalize their career, The Truth About You helps you develop the kind of clarity and passion that drives a successful and satisfying future. Marcus Buckingham will help you discover the real truth, the truth about you . . . it will be your secret to success.

The Noticer by Andy Andrews

Are you a puppy dog, a cat, a canary or a goldfish? This is just one of the introspective questions you may find yourself asking as you read Andy Andrews' The Noticer: Sometimes, all a person needs is a little perspective (Hardcover $12.23; Kindle $9.99; Audio CD $15.63).

In The Noticer, Andrews, bestselling author of The Traveler's Gift (Paperback $10.19; Kindle $9.99), tells the (purported) true story of how he discovered the seven principals revealed in his earlier books. Broke, lonely and homeless, depressed and feeling hopeless, he is approached by an itinerant philosopher named Jones ("not Mr. Jones ... just Jones"), who describes himself as "a noticer" and who advises him that all his problems are simply a matter of perspective. Starting with a request to "move into the light," advice that he ask himself each day what things about himself other would want him to change and a crash course in biographies of individuals who had risen above their humble beginnings and gone on to do great things, he gradually sees his life change, developing his seven principals, getting married, having children and building his career as an author and inspirational speaker.

Twenty five years later, Jones is back in town and changing the lives of many others. All have different problems and yet have the same problem, according to Jones: a lack of perspective. Jones turns up at a critical moment in each person's life, knows their name and most secret problems and deals out advice that saves the day. A marriage on the rocks is saved by a realization that the two have different ideas on how love is expressed (puppies and goldfish can co-exist, but they need to learn new dialects of love in order to speak to each other). Teens just exploring dating get advice on how to find someone they might want to spend the rest of their life with (and why they should be thinking about that and not just dating those they are attracted to with no thoughts of the futures).

Whether the person he speaks to is suicidal, settling in to mark time until death, doing just enough to get buy and cheating those around them, Jones (or Garcia or Chen, depending on who he talks to) is able to show them how to change their perspective in order to find a purpose or direction for the rest of their lives.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and it's a quick, light read (embracing it's lessons and changing your life would be the difficult and lengthy part). However, having the main protaganist shift racial features as you concentrate on different ethnic names, keeping the same physical appearance not just for the 25 year span of the book, but also for the lifetimes of several older characters, as well as being both omniscent and able to disappear into thin air simply doesn't jive with the claim of a true story at the end of the first chapter. Unless perhaps the author has a slightly warped perception of reality, one not shared with most others on the planet (at least the more sober and sane ones). It also doesn't add to the story, as a nice parable and story of a messenger of god is colored by the claim. I'd recommend the book, but also that you skip pages 19 and 20 when you do (it's easy enough to forget that the author's name is the same as that of the main narrator, as it is both seldom used and he isn't present for a large part of the story,which truly is about Jones and the lessons he imparts to those whose lives he touches).

The Devil Can Wait

The Devil Can Wait (A Sam Harper Crime Mystery) is the latest in what looks to be a winning crime mystery series from Marta Stephens. The book hits the stands November 2 and I've just finished reading the review copy. Well written and definitely recommended this complex, yet fast paced thriller mostly follows Detective Sam Harper, first introduced in Silenced Cry, as he attempts to stop what appears to be a serial killer on the loose.

The book opens with the latest in a series of murders of teenage gang leaders in Chandler, Massachusetts, then jumps to Columbia, South America, where a drug smuggler is dumped into the jungle after he steals from his employers. Luckily for him, he ends up not far from where his mother hides in the jungle, suspected of being a witch by local villagers, with a ring that holds her power and which her son longs to possess. The ring, however, is known to others and a series of murders follows it's possession, while the drug smuggler follows it's path to Chandler. As he kills those who stand in his way, we discover that the ring is an essential element in the biblical prophecy of the End of Days and he intends to be the one to fulfill it.

As the story progresses and the bodies pile up, all the threads of the story weave together, linking the ring and the serial killer cases together. As the End of the World prophecy is fulfilled, the true face of evil isn't unveiled until it’s nearly too late.

Any Given Doomsday

Any Given Doomsday (The Phoenix Chronicles)
by Lori Handeland

Having read Lori Handeland's Crescent Moon (book 4 in the Nightcreature series), I was looking forward to reading the Advance Reader copy of Any Given Doomsday. The start of a new series , this one gets off to a slow start. The first half of the book is bogged down in background and setup and at times leaves the reader as confused about what is going on as the lead character, Liz Phoenix, a psychic ex-cop who has quit the force rather than try to explain where her knowledge of crimes comes from.

Her foster mother is brutally murdered and first she, then a former boyfriend, Jimmy, are suspected. The boyfriend tells her she is in danger, then locks her in an abandoned house, where she is attacked by a supernatural body-snatching creature. Once he has been dealt with (due to a lucky choice of jewelry and bad footing), she and the boyfriend plant evidence to make it appear the unlucky snatchee killed her foster mother, then the take off cross country to visit her psychic teacher from her teen years (who she has a crush on and is equally afraid of). More supernatural events occur on the trip (including period visits with the dead foster mother thru dreams).

Halfway through the book, she (and we) find she gains powers by sleeping with others (who have powers due to partial demonic genetics, but who fight on the side of good, killing off demons who are on the other side). First sleeping with the former teacher, she gains the ability to shapeshift, but only when touching his magical tattoos. This apparently also unlocks her ability to gain powers through sex, as she later has an encounter with Jimmy and gains his powers as well (despite having slept with him long before, she received no powers previously).

As the first in a series, the book seemed to have just taken off in plot and character development, when it suddenly ended. And, of course, many threads were left unexplored (often in a rather obvious manner), setting up the stage for further episodes: where did Jimmy go, will Sawyer find (and kill) his mother, will Liz decide sleeping with women is worth the increase in power ("magic make-me dust" might not be enough temptation to sleep with her ex's next lover, but who knows what the next temptation will be?).

The second half of the book was definitely a more engaging read and the book as a whole is not for those who don't tolerate explicit sexual content. This book joins the current torrent in the dark fantasy/erotic genre popularized by Laurell K. Hamilton. Hopefully now that all that pesky background and development work has been taken care of, the following books in the series will maintain the pace set near the end.

The Faith of Barack Obama

Courtesy of Thomas Nelson publishing, one of the political/election books I've read recently is The Faith of Barack Obama by Stephen Mansfield (also available for in Hardcover and as an Audiobook). I read the first two chapters on my Kindle (after converting the PDF to the Kindle format, free courtesy of Amazon's email conversion service, since I started before the book was officially released), and you can too. Get the intro and the first two chapters in PDF form here or for those with a Kindle, download the free sample here.

While once we obtained our information about candidates thru newspapers, campaign speeches and gossip at the town store or barbershop, today's candidates seem to be required to publish at least one (and apparently preferably more than one) book about their life, their views and, now, their religion. Not to mention the obligatory spousal autobiography for presidential candidates (although you only get a print copy if your more political half is actually elected). In a country founded by those escaping religious persecution, where a primary tenant is a basic human right includes a freedom from state sponsored religion (at least in theory, if not in practice), we have become a people obsessed with the religion of our politicians and eager to enact or preserve laws we see as preserving our religious beliefs. At a time when our country is at war with two countries run by conservative religious factions, the religion of the future leader of our land has become one of the hottest topics of the race (even while the issue of race itself hides behind the objections of religion).

In past races, simply getting a few articles (and later pictures) of the candidate and his family attending a church (of any kind) was sufficient to establish that they too shared all the same values as the "average American." With Kennedy, however, his religion became an issue in that it was believed the Catholic Church would hold too much influence over his decisions (after all, they had thousands of years of practice at it, even if it wasn't going so well for them in recent years) and candidates were obliged to add that although they, of course, were deeply religious, that no particular church would unduly influence their governance. Fifty years later, voters seem to want a diametrically opposed philosophy - they want their candidates to vote their religious views no matter what the Constitution might have to say on the issue and Catholics and Protestants alike have aligned into a unified Christian Right. What many now appear to be afraid of is someone with a "different" religion, now no longer defined as a different branch of Christianity, but as any non-Christian religion, especially the one that rules those countries with which we are at war. Many early campaign questions were about the religion followed by Barack Obama and were usually dodged in the same manner as in campaigns past - but those answers were no longer sufficient for those seeking reassurance that he shared the same religious beliefs (especially as they were and are still barraged with various emails scare warning that if Obama is elected the country will be converted to an Islamic state). But answering questions about religion in press conferences is a losing proposition, a lesson McCain learned in his first Presidential campaign. Instead, one must now write a book - not only does it allow a more thought out and in depth answer to the question, it forestalls it in the first place, implying the journalist hasn't done his research. Obama didn't have his treatise on religion prepared up front, nor did he publish it under his own byline, as his biography and campaign platform have been. Instead he relied on a writer who has published an in depth look at the faith of George Bush and a history of religion in the United States, a shrewd move that instantly lends the book greater credibility and less of the appearance of a campaign brochure.

In The Faith of Barack Obama, Stephen Mansfield attempts to present a fair picture of Obama's religious beliefs (or at least actions and experiences). Perhaps too fair, as far as those looking for assurance that Obama is a devout Christian, as he claims, as the early part of the book paints a picture of a religious chameleon - raised by an atheist mother and grandparents disenchanted with the hypocrisy of the churches they had attended, his religious exposure ranges from nil to smatterings of various teachings popular with students in the 60's. Taken to Indonesia as a child, where all persons must register their religion, he was registered as a Muslim, but first attended a private Catholic school, where he observed all their religious practices as if they were his own. Later switching to a Muslim school, he then observed their religious practices in the same manner. At home, his father urged him and his mother to be embrace Islam, yet he believed and followed superstitious practices rooted in earlier pagan religions (eating tiger meat no doubt made those who had to also catch and kill them braver, assuming the survived the hunt, but only subjects those who buy it in the market to high costs and risks exposure to diseases from eating a carnivorous animal and unregulated, poached meat) and tolerated personal behavior by servants in his own home that no conservative Muslim would allow. Moving back to the States, Barack resumed his non-religious existence and only "embraced" a formal religion after getting involved in politics in Chicago. No doubt, the reality of attempting a political career without at least the appearance of a religious grounding were pointed out to him there and he promptly started attending and later joined the most powerful black churches in Chicago (and one he has had to distance himself from in the campaign).

The section of the book covering his religious conversion seems the most weak - it is almost as if the author wishes to convince himself that Obama had a religious void in his life (thus the one time visit to a church in NY) and found it filled while in Chicago. Yet that doesn't seem the case in books with Barack's own bylines or even in later sections of the book. And the selection of the church is nothing if not political - no young black politician could hope to get the support needed for his career without belonging and no doubt that need is one reason he stayed (at least so one hopes) despite the extremist, racist and violent views espoused by the church's leaders. Indeed, the church's leaders regularly preached against other religions and mainstream Americans after 9/11, yet was only denounced by Obama six years later during his campaign. Yes, as an adult, no doubt he could separate the religious message of the church from the racial and religious hatred coming from the pulpit -- but there is little doubt that his or any children would not be able to do so and the church's viewpoint meshes perfectly with his wife's statement of being proud of her country "for the first time" only after his nomination. If you listen to the same message over and over, even if you started out knowing it is wrong, it colors your thinking and a desire for continued association with those of a certain viewpoint will always color at the least your actions. A church that was an asset during the early part of his career became a liability for a presidential candidate and was eventually shed, just as previous religious trappings had been discarded earlier in his life, but it's lasting effect on his views remains to be seen.

The last third of the book tries to explain how a nation founded on a don't ask, don't tell religious stance now finds itself obsessed over the details of it's politician's religious beliefs and experiences. Additionally, a comparison of the beliefs and backgrounds of what where at the time the frontrunner candidates fills one chapter (at the time of publication, Barack's nomination was not assured). A well researched (complete with endnotes) book, the author's own religious views do peek out now and then.The author concludes that "Americans are used to religious insincerity from their political leaders, [yet] Obama seems to be sincere in what he proclaims", seeing faith infusing Obama's public policy, while holding up Clinton and Carter as examples who separated their faith and practice. In the end, however, there is only one person who can ever know the true faith of Barack Obama. Everyone else can only judge whether his past actions agree with their own religious viewpoints and if that is sufficient.