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Category Archives: Reviewers
A Noble Groom by Hedlund
Annalisa is a recent widow with a young daughter and another baby on the way. She cannot manage the farm alone so her father sends to Germany for a groom.
A Noble Groom
Jody Hedlund
Bethany House
April 2013
A Noble Groom by Jody Hedlund is a wonderful historical romance novel that is set in Michigan and takes place from 1880 to 1881. Annalisa Werner is a recent widow with a young daughter and another baby on the way. She feels that her husband was murdered but she cannot prove it. She cannot take care of the farm alone so she agreed to let her father write to his brother in Germany asking him to send a man to America to be her husband. Carl Richards, a nobleman in disguise, arrived at the farm after fleeing England where he was accused of a murder that he did not commit. Many thought he was the groom and were set for a wedding but being a Christian and an honest man, he told them that he was not the anticipated groom. He knew absolutely nothing about farming or any kind of manual work but he agreed to help Annalisa until her groom would arrive. Annalisa’s late husband was cruel and unloving and she thought that was the norm and did not expect to have a happily ever after marriage. As can be expected, Carl and Annalisa began to care for each other but she had a groom coming and he wanted to leave the farm and go to Chicago to teach.
The author did a great job in developing all elements of the story. The characters came alive on the pages of the book and the plot had several twists and turns that provided a good deal of suspense. The dialogue had German words scattered throughout the book and it is very evident that the author did a great deal of research before writing this story. Not only was I entertained by the reading of a very good story but I also learned some history at the same time. I was very impressed with the way the author showed exactly how hard life was for the German immigrants in the late nineteenth century. Her development of Carl’s character added so much to the book with one example being how his strong beliefs in God helped Annalisa regain her faith. She kept the suspense going through the entire book with destructive fires, childbirth, lice, murder, Carl’s fear of his identify being revealed, attempted extortion, lack of rain, and waiting for a groom to arrive. I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions of some of Carl’s “inventions” that made life and work easier for Annalisa.
I highly recommend this book to everyone who enjoys a well written and heart warming historical book that also shows God’s love and forgiveness throughout the story.
Deanna Love Gottreu is a 74 year old widow and the mother of two wonderful sons who share second place in her life – with God being in first place. She spends her time reading or making quilts for charity. Her book reviews can also be read on her blog at www.buzzardsroostcrafts.com/blog.
This book was provided by the publisher as a review copy.
Stealing the Preacher by Witemeyer
Joanna Roberts has been praying for a preacher to bring the local church back to life. Crockett Archer is on his way to Texas to interview for a job as a preacher. Joanna’s father, a retired outlaw, stops the train Crockett is on and abducts him and presents him to Joanna as her birthday present.
Stealing the Preacher
by Karen Witemeyer
Bethany House
June 2013
Stealing the Preacher by Karen Witemeyer is a very well written and inspirational historical romance novel that gave me a great deal of enjoyment including several good laughs. Joanna Roberts has been praying for months for a preacher to bring life back into the abandoned, local church. Her dad, who is a reformed outlaw, takes it upon himself to “answer” her prayers and get her a preacher for her birthday. Crockett Archer is on his way to the Piney Woods of Texas to interview for the job as pastor of a local church. Crockett’s train is stopped and he is kidnapped and taken to Joanna who is very upset with what her father has done. Crockett manages to escape but he cannot get Joanna out of his mind for her dreams for a church in the community depend on him and being the kind of man he is, he comes back to help her. Of course there is an attraction between Crockett and Joanna but her father is dead set against the possibility that his daughter could marry a preacher for he has no use for preachers, the church, or God.
The author did an excellent job developing the plot, characters, dialogue, and scenes. The plot had a few twists and turns and enough suspense to make it interesting. The characters seemed very real and one could not help pulling for the good guys and booing the bad guys. All the scenes were so well described that I felt as if I were an observer in what was going on. One scene near the end of the book had some nail biting suspense that had me sitting on the edge of my chair wondering what was going to happen. Through the entire book one kept wondering if the father would ever change his ways, if Crockett would stay in the community, and if Crockett and Joanna would end up together. You will have to read the book to learn the answers for I do not want to spoil the ending.
I highly recommend this book to all who like a great historical romance novel that inspires and also provides some good laughs and has enough mystery to add to the enjoyment of the book. The book is also recommended because it is a Christian novel and the love and forgiveness of God is shown throughout the entire book.
Deanna Love Gottreu is a 74 year old widow and the mother of two wonderful sons who share second place in her life – with God being in first place. She spends her time reading or making quilts for charity. Her book reviews can also be read on her blog at www.buzzardsroostcrafts.com/blog.
This book was provided by the publisher as a review copy.
Being Esther by Karmel
Being Esther is Miriam Karmel’s debut novel and a good one. Have you ever wondered what it is like inside the mind of an elderly person?
Being Esther
By Miriam Karmel
Milkweed Editions
March 2013
Meet Esther Lustig, an 85 year old feisty and witty woman struggling with aging. In this touching story about a woman who has outlived her husband and most of her friends, we get a glimpse of what it could be like making sure all of your ducks are in a row prior to passing away. Being Esther takes us through the last weeks of Esther’s life with glimpses of her past scattered throughout. Esther and her friend Lorraine have a system where they call each other every morning to make sure the other one did not pass away in her sleep. Esther and her daughter Ceely have struggled for years with their relationship. Ceely would like to see Esther move into an assisted living facility or “bingoland” or “the land of the living dead” as Esther likes to call it, however, that is not what Esther wants. Esther wants to preserve her independence as long as she can even if she sometimes feels herself slipping. Esther wants nothing more than a road map for growing old.
This is a touching story about ageing and the struggles that go along with getting older. I enjoyed this story. It read very quickly and was fortunately not any longer than it was. There was not a lot of story development, however. We all have or have had elderly people in our lives and it is nice to get a glimpse into what it might be like for them. This is a good quick read.
Nicole L. Wright is an avid reader and lover of books who enjoys sharing reviews with fellow book lovers.
NIV College Devotional Bible
The NIV Bible is for everyone and to prove it Zondervan will make a version for you. The version differences? You’ll get a different cover and a bunch of topically sorted comments/devotions. Do you enjoy the outdoors? Got you covered: NIV Outdoorsman Bible. Are you a young girl? NIV Faithgirlz! Bible. Teen? NIV Teen Study Bible. Teen guy? NIV Revolution: The Bible for Teen Guys. Married? NIV Couples’ Devotional Bible. What if someone in your family is in the military? Even that: NIV New Testament – Military Family (with Psalms). And a million more.
NIV College Devotional Bible
Zondervan
February 2013
I’m not against the Bible being printed as many times as possible; quite the contrary! I am concerned about the over-specialization that we’ve seen in the last decade or so. When you print all these Bibles at some point you have to think you’ve run out of great things to say and you move in to the mediocre then the lame things to say.
This version is definitely in the mediocre (bordering lame) side of the so-called devotional spectrum. Many of these devotionals don’t actually work to encourage, engage, teach but instead they simply exist. Consider Why Ask Why? on p 563, which talks about suffering and Job. It is a conversation between a husband and wife about why she got cancer. The man finishes with, “I think if God was going to give you cancer because of something you did, he’d have the decency to let you know what it was.” A question that misses the point of Job and sounds more like Job’s friends than Job or God. What does the devotional do with this issue? It simply asks “Why does God allow good people to suffer?” then asks – but does not answer – “Why is the previous question so hard to answer – especially for Christians?” Great question Zondervan! Why don’t YOU answer it?
When I was in college I wanted answers to tough questions not reiterations of my pre-existing questions. I think this version misses the mark.
Scott Asher is the Editor-in-Chief of BookGateway.com. His personal blog is AshertopiA – a land flowing with milk and honey… and a lot of sticky people where he turns real life into stupid cartoons, writes on Christianity, Zombies, and whatever else he wants and posts Bible studies from his classes at church.
This book was provided by the publisher as a review copy.
Glamorous Illusions by Bergren
Cora learns that the man she has loved all her life is not her birth father but she is the illegitimate daughter of Wallace Kensington the copper king of Montana. He comes to her home and makes her an offer that she can’t refuse even though she has doubts about accepting.
Glamorous Illusions
Lisa T. Bergren
David C. Cook
June 2012
Glamorous Illusions by Lisa T. Bergren gave a glimpse into the life of the super rich at the beginning of the twentieth century. The year is 1913 and Cora has returned home from Normal School for the summer. Her dad has a stroke and recovers quite well. Then he has another stroke and this time he is completely incapacitated. Cora is working herself into a state exhaustion to keep the small farm going in spite of the drought that is plaguing the entire area. Cora is in the barn working when a fine carriage appears at the door of the farmhouse and two very well dressed men alight from the carriage. One man, a doctor, goes inside to examine Cora’s father. The other man, Wallace Kensington, the copper king of Montana, is talking to Cora’s mother and when Cora walks up her mother introduces him and then he drops a bombshell. He is Cora’s birth father. She does not believe him but then her mother convinces her that what he says is true. He is there to offer her the deal of a lifetime. She is to take the Grand Tour of Europe with his other three children and three of their friends and in return he will send her father to the best hospital in Minnesota, pay her mother three times the worth of the farm, and pay for the rest of her education at the Normal School. Cora argues that she can keep the farm going but after talking more with her mother she accepts Kensington’s offer in spite of her doubts. During the Grand Tour not only will Cora get to know her brother and two sisters, but she will come to learn a lot about herself.
The author did an excellent job developing the characters and they definitely came alive on the pages of the book. There were lots of twists and turns in the plot and many times one was left wondering what was going to happen next. There were also several times when I was sitting on the edge of my chair wondering if Cora or someone else was going to get out of the trouble they were in. There was even one incident when death seemed likely for one of the travelers. The dialogue in the novel was very enjoyable and whether it was Cora talking with Will, the two youngest girls talking and giggling, or any other individual speaking, the dialogue was great. When the Bear, leader of the group, was lecturing about the museums, art works, buildings, cities, and other items I could almost see what the group was seeing and felt as if I were right there with the group. The author obviously did a great deal of research for this novel and it shows throughout the entire book.
I highly recommend this book to all who like to read historical novels about the lives and loves of the super rich in the early twentieth century.
Deanna Love Gottreu is a 74 year old widow and the mother of two wonderful sons who share second place in her life – with God being in first place. She spends her time reading or making quilts for charity. Her book reviews can also be read on her blog at www.buzzardsroostcrafts.com/blog.
This book was provided by the publisher as a review copy.
Avenged by Cantore
Carly Edwards is just beginning her graveyard shift with the Las Playas Police Department when she finds three young gang members shot execution style. This is just the beginning of her troubles that only get worse as the night and week continue.
Avenged
Janice Cantore
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
April 2013
Avenged by Janice Cantore is a well written, extremely suspenseful, and just an all around very good book. As Office Carly Edwards is beginning her graveyard shift with the Las Playas Police Department, she finds three young gang bangers that have been shot execution style. Her husband, Sergeant Nick Anderson, who is head of the gang unit for the LPPD, agrees with Carley that the city may be on the verge of a gang war. Carley is involved in a high speed chase and when she finally stops the car being driven by a gang leader, she finds the car is loaded with weapons that have been stolen from a military base. To make matters even worse, the thieves have also stolen several explosive devices. This incident and the heightened tensions between rival gangs puts the LPPD on high alert.
While Carly is preparing to testify at a major murder trial, a very militant reporter is trying to discredit Carley and destroy her professionally. This problem along with the threat of a gang war causes Carley to rely even more on her faith and trust in God. She has had problems before in her career but this one is more serious than any of the others. During the search of an abandoned building, Carley comes face to face with one of the men who wants her dead and he causes her to fall about fifteen feet from the balcony where they are standing. When the paramedics arrive they find the man dead on the balcony and Carley’s gun in her hand with two missing bullets.
The author does a fantastic job with the development of the plot, characters, and dialogue. The action scenes were so real that I was holding my breath part of the time and thinking that maybe I should hide to be safe. There were several sub plots in the story and each had a few twists and turns in the plot line and when I would think I had the puzzle solved, there would be another twist to the story. The author definitely knows how to hold the interest of the reader and keep them guessing how the story will end. The story had a great ending but you will have to read the book to learn all the solutions to all the problems that the police had to solve. Janice Cantore is a retired police officer and her twenty-two years of experience add greatly to the authenticity of the story. For me this makes the story more enjoyable and definitely believable. I also like the way the author had the two main characters seeking God’s guidance in their work and all parts of their lives.
I highly recommend this book to everyone who likes a great police drama with lots of suspense, a little romance, characters with a strong faith in God, and a happy ending.
Deanna Love Gottreu is a 74 year old widow and the mother of two wonderful sons who share second place in her life – with God being in first place. She spends her time reading or making quilts for charity. Her book reviews can also be read on her blog at www.buzzardsroostcrafts.com/blog.
This book was provided by the publisher as a review copy.
Interview with Skybound’s Shawn Kirkham
I admit it: I’m a Walking Dead fanboy. I’ve read all the issues of the comic, played through the full Telltale game on Xbox 360, watched all the seasons of the TV show, read both published novels, and read most of the interviews online by the creators of the comics and TV show. I’m fascinated by this world and why so many of us are hooked. That’s why I’m very excited today to bring you a conversation I had with Shawn Kirkham, Director of Business Development at Skybound, the company behind The Walking Dead, on the future of the comic and novel series’ and the world of the Walking Dead.
BookGateway (BG): Thank you so much for agreeing to answer some of my questions Shawn.
Shawn Kirkham (SK): Thanks for having me Scott. Please be gentle.
BG: To get to know you better: You are about to be marooned on an island (it’s good to know ahead of time, right?) and you get to take three books. What are they?
SK: The classic three items on a deserted island question. I’d have to say Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, The Complete Works of H.P. Lovecraft and 1,001 Ways to Cook Coconut.
BG: We can’t always prepare for the apocalypse, so let’s say it happens right now and – for better or for worse – you only have the book(s) you were currently reading in your backpack. What book(s) did you bring with you as you (foolishly) make your way to a big city?
SK: In my bag right now are Blackdog by K.V. Johansen and Quarterback of the Future by Mike Florio.
BG: Now that we know everything about you, on to The Walking Dead (WD). The WD is officially a cultural phenomenon. The zombies have invaded and overrun first comics, then TV, and now novels and video games. As Director of Business Development, what’s next?
SK: This October is the 10th anniversary of The Walking Dead. There are some very cool and fun things planned throughout the year. We find ourselves quickly approaching San Diego Comic-Con in July and New York Comic-Con in October. We’ll also be announcing soon the next step in The Walking Dead 100 Covers program with Hero Initiative. Also at the Wizard World conventions this year, each paid attendee gets an exclusive copy of The Walking Dead #1 featuring a different cover artist for each event. People can get all of the news and announcements about The Walking Dead at www.thewalkingdead.com.
BG: Everyone wants to know, so I’ll take a shot and get these two questions out of the way: will the comics and Telltale Games characters cross over? And will we see Daryl in the comics? (I had to try!)
SK: We’ve already seen some crossover of characters from the comics appearing in the Telltale game. I don’t want to spoil the story for anyone out there. As for Mr. Dixon, I believe he just had his own video game release. Isn’t that enough?
BG: Zombie stories had always previously been a niche market. The WD has certainly changed that. Why is it that this world has captivated us to the point where it’s now mainstream to admit to enjoying a zombie story?
SK: With The Walking Dead it’s more than just a “zombie” story. It’s a story about the people who are put into the most horrific of situations and how they find ways to survive. To me, it’s the interpersonal relationships that keep me coming back every month. The zombies are more background players to the central story.
BG: The fiction novel marketplace is being flooded with cheap zombie romance (WTH?!) and fantasy books, similar to how Twilight nearly ruined vampires. This year we also see two heavily advertised movies featuring zombies prominently: World War Z and Warm Bodies (speaking of Twilight. Ugh.) How do you differentiate the WD from all the noise?
SK: I can’t say that I’ve read any “zombie romance” novels, but I know that there’s a place for everything in the market. If someone is looking for those types of interpersonal relationships, they can definitely find them in The Walking Dead. Early on in the series you’re put in the middle of the Rick/Lori/Shane dynamic. Over the course of the series you find these types of themes popping up while the survivors try to cope with a new normal. I think that’s truly the core of the series. These are regular people trying to find some sort of normalcy in an apocalyptic world.
BG: Just so I know my chances: What would make someone in a world like the WD successful? What traits would give someone a better chance of survival than other people?
SK: Honestly, I don’t think I have any of the traits needed to survive. So, I’m not sure I’d be much help to you. Maybe learn to use a katana sword.
[SPOILERS]
BG: In the WD, becoming emotionally attached to characters can be devastating. Take the ending of the Telltale Game, where WE die leaving Clementine alone, or in (what I think is possibly the most emotional TV episode in the history of TV) when Carl talks to Lori as she lies dying and then has to shoot her. We know that Robert Kirkman (RK) is going to kill our favorite characters but we watch anyway. What is wrong with us? And why is RK so frakkin evil?
SK: There’s something magical about reading a book or watching a show and knowing that anything can happen to your favorite character. That’s what keeps you coming back for more. Is this the week that (insert fan favorite character name here) dies? Who knows, but you’ll be there to check it out.
[END SPOILERS]
BG: RK has said that this is not a book about zombies but about people, “I mean the book is really just a bunch of guys standing around talking. I’m not trying to rag on my own book or anything, but at its heart it’s not just strictly a horror story” (IGN 2007). We’ve been watching these characters “stand around talking” for a long time now. What have we learned? What’s the moral of the story?
SK: What we’ve learned is that no matter what, against the greatest odds, humans find the will to live.
BG: Final question about the comics. Back in issue 75 when the aliens revived Rick to… just kidding.
SK: I thought we ended spoilers!!!
BG: On to the future. Speaking of Skybound specifically and where this series is going, RK said he could see himself doing this for 20 years. It’s been nearly 10 years since he said this and the series is exploding. Imagine that this series lasts a further 20 years. In 2033, where do you see the world of the Walking Dead? Will there be a series of books or just the current trilogy? Are we on issue 200 of the comics and if so what’s happening? Can you see RK giving up creative, day-to-day writing and control?
SK: I’m not one who looks too far into the future, but I can definitely see The Walking Dead lasting another 20 years. Robert has always said that as long as people are still interested in The Walking Dead, then he’ll keep writing it. If we make it to 2033, then we should be beyond issue 300. I think that would be an outstanding accomplishment. As for what I think the world of The Walking Dead would be headed by issue 300, I can’t say for sure. We’ve seen the world start to expand in the last few story arcs. So I’d hope that we’d get to see more of the world and how other people have survived.
BG: Thank you again for speaking with me. Congratulations on your company’s success and good luck in the future. (And tell RK I love him!)
SK: Thank you!
Skybound is the home of Robert Kirkman’s creator-owned work including his Eisner Award-winning comic book series, The Walking Dead, long-running Invincible, all-ages Super Dinosaur, Thief of Thieves and Clone as well as Witch Doctor and Invincible Universe. Since its inception, Skybound has created television shows, merchandise and a wide spectrum of platforms, games (The Walking Dead: Assault iOS app), and entertainment events (The Walking Dead Escape). Skybound’s successes include the comic behind the hit Emmy®-winning television show, AMC’s The Walking Dead, the highest-rated basic cable drama of all time in the U.S, also an international success in 122 countries and 37 languages. AMC is developing Thief of Thieves as a potential series. Skybound/Kirkman frequently top the hardcover and paperback bestseller lists. Your destinations for all news and merchandise from Robert Kirkman, The Walking Dead and all Skybound titles is www.Skybound.com or www.TheWalkingDead.com
Scott Asher is the Editor-in-Chief of BookGateway.com. His personal blog is AshertopiA – a land flowing with milk and honey… and a lot of sticky people where he turns real life into stupid cartoons, writes on Christianity, Zombies, and whatever else he wants and posts Bible studies from his classes at church.
Gone South by Moseley
Tish McCombs moves from Michigan to Noble, Alabama, and buys the house that was built by her great-great-great grandparents in 1870. Little does she realize the prejudice that she will encounter.
Gone South
Meg Moseley
WaterBrook Multnomah
May 2013
Gone South by Meg Moseley is a most enjoyable book that touches on several issues that are prevalent today such as homelessness, stealing, prejudice, learning disabilities, and low self esteem. Tish McCombs had her life all planned but then an accident took the life of her future husband and now her father has also died and her mother has remarried. Mom and new husband are moving to Florida to get away from the cold of Michigan and Tish decides to go along to help with the move. Tish decides to take a side trip to Noble, Alabama, to see the home that once belonged to her great-great-great grandparents and was built around 1870. The house was up for sale and on a spur of the moment decision, Tish decided to buy the house. She is happy with her decision and then trouble comes along. She goes to the bank to open an account and the lady helping her is all smiles and welcome until she looks at Tish’s driver’s license and learn that she is a McCombs. Tish cannot understand the change until the owner of the bank explains to her and tentatively offers her a job.
Mel is in Florida and hitchhiking back home when the guy who gave her a ride makes a pass and she jumps from the pickup and does not have time to grab her duffel bag from the back. This leaves Mel with no money, clothes, or food and when she finally reaches home in Noble, her dad will not let her into the house. He has kicked her out because she stole her Grandpa John’s pocket watch that was to go to her brother Stu. She does not feel it was stealing for Grandpa had told her that he was going to give the watch to her and he also told her that his 1956 Corvette would one day be her’s. Since Grandpa John did not leave a will, no one believes Mel.
George Zorbas seems to be the only person in town who is willing to give Tish a chance. George tries to persuade Tish not to give Mel a place to live but since Tish definitely feels like an outsider, she decides to permit Mel to move in hoping that they can accept each other and be a help to each other. Unfortunately, Mel is set in her destructive ways and several times Tish threatens to send Mel packing but she is determined to help Mel and at the same time Tish is trying to prove her own worth. The people of the town of Noble apparently have conveniently forgotten that everyone needs the love and forgiveness of God and also forgiveness from people.
At the urging of Tish and George, Mel gives the watch to Stu but will Stu give the watch back to Mel? Does the town come to accept Tish? Will Tish get the job at the bank and if she doesn’t why not? Will George and Tish end up together? Will Mel get help for her dyslexia and if so, who will help her? While Mel is working at George’s antique store, he figures out why Mel’s previous employers accused her of stealing. But was she stealing? These are questions that come up in the story and I think that it would spoil the story for future readers if I were to answer the questions. The book does have a happy ending.
The characters were so very well developed that I felt they were almost real and just might come to life. The plot had a lot of twist and turns and just when I thought I had something figured out, everything would change. I was fascinated by the dialogue for being a southerner I know how many people in the south feel about Yankees and the dialogue was right on target. Throughout the entire book I felt as if I were right there in Noble taking part in all the action for the author made the scenes so real. Even though I knew that I was reading a novel, I still became upset at times because of the way the small town southern people treated Tish because she was from Michigan. Even worse and what upset me more was the way she was treated because of something her great-great-great grandparents supposedly did. This is a Christian novel and I was glad to see that the author had God and Christianity as an important part of the book.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes a great story with lots of action, suspense, romance, and that has a Christian message of love and forgiveness. A sneak peek at the first chapter is available here.
Deanna Love Gottreu is a 74 year old widow and the mother of two wonderful sons who share second place in her life – with God being in first place. She spends her time reading or making quilts for charity. Her book reviews can also be read on her blog at www.buzzardsroostcrafts.com/blog.
This book was provided by the publisher as a review copy.
Walking Dead Vol. 18: What Comes After by Kirkman, Adlard, and Rathburn
Negan has completely and fully turned once tough guy incarnate Rick in his b****. Carl doesn’t respect him. Andrea isn’t sticking around. The battle is over. Right?
The Walking Dead
Volume 18: What Comes After (103-108)
Written by Robert Kirkman
Illustrated by Charlie Adlard and Cliff Rathburn
Image Comics
June 2013
[SPOILERS GALORE] When Rick decides to go with a new plan to placate Negan and the Saviors instead of fighting not everyone is on board with it. But what choice does he have? Carl, though, has thoughts of his own about how to handle the threat and stowes away on the truck going back to Negan’s base with a large caliber machine gun. Once captured, which was inevitable, he is at the mercy of Negan’s mercurial whim. Carl’s capture sets in a motion a plan to save him – with Michonne, Andrea and Jesus following Rick – but at what price? [END SPOILERS]
After finishing up the most recent season on AMC you may be tempted to think that the series has no where to go. But you’d be so very wrong. The comics have long been much more intriguing and exciting – and that’s saying quite a bit – than the show. The show is hampered by actors and contracts and audience demos. The comic is not hindered at all, except by the whim of creator and writor Robert Kirkman’s decisions. So we find characters dying and growing and changing to a degree not seen in the show. And we find even more dangerous characters than the Governor. Negan is a great example of this. A complex and volatile enemy who we find is much more than simply a killer.
After the events in issue 100, this series changes once again in ways that we readers wouldn’t have guessed. I’m a fan of reading the trade paperbacks as we get a group of issues (usually 6) that we know are out and can run through them quicker than waiting on the next issue (which may or may not come out in a month.)
The artwork is expressive as always and the detailed landscapes and expressive characters lends itself to the world of the Walking Dead so much better than most comics out there today. The writing is tight and the pace just ambling enough to be authentic but just quick enough to keep the reader engaged.
Scott Asher is the Editor-in-Chief of BookGateway.com. His personal blog is AshertopiA – a land flowing with milk and honey… and a lot of sticky people where he turns real life into stupid cartoons, writes on Christianity, Zombies, and whatever else he wants and posts Bible studies from his classes at church.
Josiah’s Treasure by Herriman
Sarah Whittier dreams of opening an art studio that will be staffed with immigrant women. She has been a companion and caretaker for Josiah Cady and when he dies he leaves her his home. His son arrives to claim the home and then the fun begins.
Josiah’s Treasure
Nancy Herriman
Worthy Publishing
April 2013
Josiah’s Treasure by Nancy Herriman was a most enjoyable historical novel that was also filled with a great deal of inspiration. In San Francisco in 1882, Sarah Whittier has a desire to open an art studio that will be run by immigrant women who have a talent for art or a talent for running the business. She has been the caretaker and companion of Josiah Cady who amassed a fortune in the gold fields and at his death he left everything to Sarah. Josiah rescued Sarah from her past and loved her like a daughter and he left everything to her for he thought that all his family was dead and he died never knowing the truth. Daniel Cady, Josiah’s son, finally arrived in San Francisco from Chicago after a lengthy search to find his father. He thinks that his father deserted the family and is determined to take the inheritance from Sarah. Daniel is very bitter toward his father but when the truth is finally revealed as to why Josiah left his fortune to Sarah instead of his family, he decides that he must help Sarah and try to keep her safe after rumors circulate in the town that gold nuggets are hidden in the house. Daniel knows that overturning his father’s will is going to be difficult, but after meeting Sarah his heart is torn between caring for his twin sisters and the attraction he is starting to feel for Sarah.
The author did an excellent job writing the story with a well plotted mystery and lots of exciting action. The characters were so well done that they seemed to leap off the page and become real. I thoroughly enjoyed the romance in the story as the author took us on a journey of faith for both Sarah and Daniel. Both had fought to find faith and then worked to keep it and not lose it when troubles came. In their search for the hidden gold, they both found that the greatest treasure to be found in life was love. The story was very inspiration and gave me something to think about after the story was finished.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes an historical novel set in the West in the nineteenth century, has a really good romance story line, a great deal of mystery, and that is also a Christian story.
Deanna Love Gottreu is a 74 year old widow and the mother of two wonderful sons who share second place in her life – with God being in first place. She spends her time reading or making quilts for charity. Her book reviews can also be read on her blog at www.buzzardsroostcrafts.com/blog.
This book was provided by the publisher as a review copy.
Firebrand by Philip
Two worlds separated by a magical Veil collide in a dazzling mix of fantasy and dark ages, where demonic fairies impersonate priests who burn “witches” to sate their blood lust, where witch queens rule immortals through threat of death or banishment, and where a young boy filled with anger and hate wants only to be feared and respected.
Firebrand
Rebel Angels #1
by Gillian Philip
Tor
February 2013
Seth MacGregor is rejected by his mother, a powerful witch, and ignored by his father, a lord of a small village. His only friend, although not at first, is his half brother Conal. The same Conal in the opening pages of this book is about to be burned at the stake if Seth doesn’t put him out of his misery first with a well placed crossbow shot.
Without giving anything away this is the story of Seth and Conal and their growth and impending conflict with the forces of darkness in the real world (16th Century Brittish Isles,) and in their land beyond the Veil. There is political manuevering, battles, magic, war, court intrigue, love – everything a good fantasy novel should have. And Gillian Philip does it well.
From start to finish I was hooked by this story and by this broken young boy who we all know is so much more than we find him. This is only the first book in the series and I’m in line to get the next two. It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed a fantasy author’s creation this much.
I highly recommend it.
Scott Asher is the Editor-in-Chief of BookGateway.com. His personal blog is AshertopiA – a land flowing with milk and honey… and a lot of sticky people where he turns real life into stupid cartoons, writes on Christianity, Zombies, and whatever else he wants and posts Bible studies from his classes at church.
This book was provided by the publisher as a review copy.
Louder than Words by Plissner
This is a story of an underage high schooler who learns to speak again after a terrible tragedy through intense physical contact. Read: sexual acts.
Louder than Words
by Laurie Plissner
Merit Press
December 2012
The young lady loses her whole family in a car accident, loses her memory and loses the ability to speak. A young man who can actually read her thoughts comes along and wins her heart and in the end her ability to speak back for her. Along the way, she also learns about the truth of the accident.
This isn’t your normal love story. This is smut with under age characters.
[SPOILERS]
This is not a book for teens. Not only does it have violence (Sasha is saved from imminent sexual assault), and massive quantities of cussing (including all the way up to many, many F words), but also includes explicit sexual activities up to and including oral sex. In the end, she learns to speak BECAUSE of the sex. This is an awkward chapter of the current sex-solves-everything book fad, along with the 50 Shades series, Twilight’s non-stop lust-a-thon in books 3 and 4 and so on. Sex is so degraded by the way it is inappropriately lifted up that readers can’t possibly be satisfied with real world love. When you find that sex is abusive, like in 50 shades, or doesn’t heal all wounds, like in this book, you are left more empty than before.
This book is smut. Teens should not read it because the violence, language and sexuality is inappropriate for their age and adults should not read it because reading about two under age lovers is also inappropriate.
This is the second book I’ve read from Merit Press and it’s clear to me that they are interested in pushing the boundaries of books about children and teens. The language, sexuality, and violence in the books they publish are simply unexplainable. I recommend you keep your teens (and yourself) far away from this publisher.
Arieltopia, Young Adult Editor, is an 12 year old avid reader – usually going through a book a day – who gives readers a unique perspective on Young Adult, Teen Fiction, along with adult fiction: an actual teenager’s perspective.
Scott Asher is the Editor-in-Chief of BookGateway.com. His personal blog is AshertopiA – a land flowing with milk and honey… and a lot of sticky people where he turns real life into stupid cartoons, writes on Christianity, Zombies, and whatever else he wants and posts Bible studies from his classes at church.
This book was provided by the publisher as a review copy.
