Sunday, July 28, 2013

The judge by randy singer

The Judge



The judge by randy singer is a book about judge Oliver finney and his decision to be part of a reality show called faith on trial. Faith on trial consists of several different contestants all of whom are terminally ill who defend all of their different religious beliefs or views. Rumors begin surfacing of a plot to kill one of the two finalists and judge finney searches for truth in regards to these rumors with the help of his clerk Nikki Moreno.


Overall I really enjoyed this book. The characters were well developed and relatable. There is a lot of use of code breaking and ciphers mentioned in the book and I didn't really enjoy that part. It was pivotal to the story but to me it felt like it dragged on sometimes. That is my only criticism and I recommend this book.

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Dead Lawyers Tell No Tales book review.

Cover: Dead Lawyers Tell No Tales


Dead lawyers tell no tales by Randy Singer is an excellent read. It's a mystery involving a former football player who was jailed for being a part of a point shaving scheme and his attempt at being a lawyer.

There are lots of fun twists and turns in this book. When I began reading the book I immediately related to the characters although it did take me several chapters to really "get into" the story. My one criticism is the number of chapters, 93 and a prologue and epilogue, as well as their length. Some of the chapters were understandably ended because the next chapter began with a different character and setting. Others, however, were broken up in the middle of the same setting or day.

In light of that, I found the story compelling and interesting. I couldn't put the book down and couldn't wait for the conclusion, which in my mind, was a little unexpected. What I thought would be the logical conclusion to the story happened as well as a twist that I did not see coming. I highly recommend reading this book. It was very enjoyable and I would read it again.


You can purchase this book at Christianbook.com.

Friday, July 19, 2013

Yikes! TJ and the Time Stumblers #6

Cover: Yikes!!!
 
 
From the publishers webpage: "In an effort to find the last of the fuel ingredients for their time pod, 23rd-century goofballs Tuna and Herby transport themselves to Africa. Unfortunately, they also transport TJ Finkelstein and half of her 7th-grade science class, including TV star Hesper Breakahart and dreamy Chad Steel. In the jungle, the Time Stumblers’ usual mayhem jumps to a new level as Herby is adopted by a mother gorilla, Tuna is transformed into an ostrich chick, and the students are taken in by an African tribe. When Hesper tries to escape by leaping into a raging river, TJ finds that it’s time to begin showing the leadership qualities that Tuna and Herby claim she’ll have someday as a world leader. Thanks to her, everyone makes it home safely, and the Time Stumblers fuel up their time pod, leaving with laughter, tears . . . and one last zany surprise for TJ."


A fun conclusion to a great series. These books are a wonderful tool to share good morals, values and Christ. I highly recommend reading them.
 


Switched! TJ and the Time Stumblers #5

Cover: Switched!
 
 
From the publishers webpage: "Still on their quest to teach TJ Finkelstein the life lessons she’ll need to be a great world leader, 23rd-century goofballs Tuna and Herby are brewing up even more trouble for the new kid in Malibu. As the boys try to repair their futuristic gadgets, a little glitch in their Thought Broadcaster Pen lands TJ in the body of her nemesis, TV star Hesper Breakahart . . . and vice versa. And the plot thickens when Tuna and Herby decide to put TJ’s new look and superstar power to use. The time stumblers set up a concert for “Hesper” as a diversion while they sneak aboard a nuclear submarine and borrow a plutonium power pack—one of the items needed to fuel their time pod and get them out of TJ’s life. Meanwhile, Tuna and Herby are hounded by their own nemesis, Bruce Bruiseabone, who’s having a little trouble with forgiveness . . . a lesson that TJ realizes she might also need to learn as she walks a mile in Hesper’s shoes—and body!"

While still zany, silly and fun, these are starting to get a little predictable. They are still very enjoyable but it seems like they are running out of ideas.


Ho-Ho-NOOO!! TJ and the Time Stumblers #4

Cover: Ho-Ho-NOOO!



From the webpage: "Ho-Ho-NOOO! is all about TJ Finkelstein learning the real meaning of Christmas as she prepares for her future as a world leader with a little help from her 23rd-century goofball friends, Tuna and Herby. In a competition with her middle sister, TJ races to earn money so she can give it to her father as a Christmas present; he’s lost his job and the family is preparing to spend their first Christmas without their mom. Thanks to Tuna and Herby’s help at her job interview, where their futuristic gadgets expose the true motivation of each candidate, TJ lands a job at the mall—making kids smile for Santa and eventually playing (a much smaller) Santa herself. That job turns into a nanny gig for pop star Lady Goo-Goo’s spoiled and unattended kids. She also takes on a delivery job to help with dreamy Chad Steel’s plan to provide a hearty meal for the homeless on Christmas Eve . . . only to find herself delivering caviar cream puffs on the whim of TV star and classmate Hesper Breakahart. Despite all her work, her efforts to get money for Christmas backfire, but in the end TJ realizes Christmas is really about being with those she loves and sharing the love God has given through Christ."


We really enjoyed this book. The Christmas theme was lots of fun. The true meaning of Christmas seems to be so lost on our country and culture anymore. Highly recommended for a fun read for your middle schooler or advantaged elementary schooler.

Avenged Book Review

Cover: Avenged

Avenged by Janice Cantore is the third book in the Pacific Coast Justice Series. Carly is a police officer recently remarried to Nick also a police officer in Las Playas, California. They encounter gang killings, explosives, suicides and more in their journey.

I enjoyed this book. I had not read the first two books in this series and didn't have any problems enjoying the story or relating to the characters. There was enough of the "back story" from the previous books to fill you in and bring you up to speed. At times, I didn't like the overabundance of minute details as to the characters actions, but the characters seemed well developed and were easy to relate to. I recommend reading this book whether you've read the first two or not.

Monday, July 8, 2013

Unveiling Grace Book Review



From the book's back cover: "From a rare insider's point of view, Unveiling Grace looks at how Latter-day Saints are 'wooing our country' with their religion, lifestyle, and culture. It is also a gripping story of how and entire family, deeply enmeshed in Mormonism, found their way out and what they can tell others about their lives as faithful Mormons.

I really enjoyed this book. When I saw this available for review, I immediately requested it. I was eager to learn more about Mormonism and this book did not disappoint. Sometimes nonfiction reads tend to be dry and difficult to finish, but Lynn Wilder has a wonderful writing style that is very easy to read. She describes everything and sets the scenes well. Her journey is a very interesting one at that. Her entire family was very dedicated to being a good Mormon family until her third child was on his Mormon mission and encountered a pastor that encouraged him to read the New Testament. Lynn takes us through her conversion to Mormonism, her "callings" in the Mormon church, employment at Brigham Young University, and her gradual conversion to Biblical Christianity. It is a well written, easy to understand book. My only criticism is her referral of the Holy Spirit as the Dancer of Grace. That is more of a personal dislike and nothing more. I highly recommend this read.


I received an advanced copy of Unveiling Grace from Booksneeze in exchange for my honest review.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com® <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Friday, July 5, 2013

Oops! TJ and the Time Stumblers Book #3

Cover: Oops!
 
 
From the publisher's webpage: "The mishaps never end as TJ’s “helpers” from the 23rd century—Tuna and Herby—continue to study TJ as she learns the valuable lessons she’ll need to become a future world leader. In Oops!, TJ learns the importance of speaking and thinking well of people even when they are difficult, thanks to the Thought Broadcaster Pen, which exposes the thoughts of everyone it hits. As usual, Tuna and Herby’s attempts to fix the pen only make things worse—now all of TJ’s thoughts become reality! As she fights not to return meanness to others (and to clean up the disasters her thoughts cause, like turning whiny TV star Hesper Breakahart into a giant baby), TJ learns from her dad a little more about how her mother handled things: She kept reminding herself that each of us is God’s creation. And no matter how mean people may be, we all need to be loved. The same message also unfolds through a side story of classmate Chad Steel learning to treat a mean boy better."
 
This one was very funny. Definitely another page turner. My daughter giggled a lot while reading it.

Aaaargh!! TJ and the Time Stumblers Book #2

Cover: AAAARGH!!!
 
 
 
From the publisher's website: "In AAAARGH!!!, Tuna and Herby try to help TJ with a book report by getting the author to write it for her, but all three of them quickly see the consequences of cheating spiral out of control. Meanwhile, TJ’s cute neighbor and classmate Chad Steel is getting ready for a big surfing competition—and learning his own lesson about honesty."

Another fun installment in the series, my daughter couldn't put this one down either. She read it in just a few hours. She can't wait to read the next one.

New Kid Catastrophes TJ and the Time Stumblers Book #1

Cover: New Kid Catastrophes
 
 
From the publisher's webpage: "In New Kid Catastrophes, TJ accidentally makes an enemy of Hesper Breakahart, the superstar who attends their school. And Tuna and Herby’s attempts to help just lead to one disaster after another. In the end, TJ is still very unpopular, but she learns the value of looking past appearances and gains a few friends—and the attention of the most popular boy in school."


This is a well written fun adventure for middle schoolers. It has lots of breaks in the text to keep the child's attention kinda reminiscent of a graphic novel. My daughter enjoyed it and couldn't put it down.