The Husband by Dean Koontz ****

I love Dean Koontz books and although this may not rank as one of my favorites, it was still very good. This is a story of a kidnapping with a twist and the characters are what you would expect from the mind of Dean Koontz. There are many surprises along the way and the struggle between good and evil is evident throughout the book.

If you have never read a book by this author you will be surprised by the characters and the way he brings out how they became who they are. Great book.

Beautiful!! ***** Knit and Crochet with Beads

You can purchase this book at amazon.com by clicking here: Knit and Crochet with Beads

Knit and Crochet with Beads by Lily M. Chin is everything you would expect from this talented author. Included patterns for knitting with beads include socks, a necklace, a tank top (my personal favorite - stunning), vest, purses, sweaters, pillow, collar, and other miscellaneous designs. The photographs are beautiful, the instructions clear, and diagrams informative. There are also pages to design your own. I highly recommend this book for any knitter who is ready to add a special touch of class to your work.

Very Impressed ***** No Second Chance Harlan Coben

I guess I am behind the times because this is my first book by this author. No Second Chance is a suspense filled book that surprises the reader from beginning to end. The main character finds himself involved in a kidnapping and murder that just does not make sense. I was impressed by the way the story unfolded and the pieces of the puzzle started to fit together.

I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more by Harlan Coben.

Nelson’s Illustrated Guide to Religions by James Beverly *****

Purchase here:Nelson's Illustrated Guide to Religions: A Comprehensive Introduction to the Religions of the World

Book Description:
A comprehensive introduction to the religions of the world analyzed from a Christian perspective. Nelson's Illustrated Guide to Religions covers more than 200 religions, sects, and cults, most of them ones the reader might encounter on any given day.
My Review:
At 850 pages, reading Nelson’s Illustrated Guide to Religions cover to cover can initially seem overwhelming, but because of the layout and divisions in the book, it is quite easy to read. It is an excellent resource for information, doctrine, and historical facts. The breakdown of the chapters includes windowed information boxes with timelines of major events. Many contain an apologist statement, questions and answers, doctrines, and how and when the division or sect started. Websites references are listed for both support and criticism.

The book has sturdy pages and easy to read print. Mr. Beverley approaches each religion with fairness and objectivity. He clearly states the Christians objection to some of the religious doctrines; he also defends against unfair judgments by Christians.

I have picked up other books about world religions, but this is the first one that I found interesting enough to read through its entirety.

Stir, Laugh, Repeat *****

Stir, Laugh, Repeat
Finding Joy While Playing in the Kitchen by Martha A. Cheves

What a delightful cookbook! Many of us have collected many cookbooks over the years, but only a handful of those do we pull out regularly for those “Uh, Oh, what am I going to fix for dinner tonight” days. This will be one of those books that I can depend on for real food ideas. The cookbook is obviously a work of love from the author as she not only shares family recipes, but also stories of her life and those she loves.

What I liked most about the recipes is that I could go to my cupboards right now and already have ingredients to start cooking. The recipes are easy to follow and probably do not take much more time to prepare than some of the frozen stuff that goes on our tables.

Good home cooking and a slice of life on the side – you can’t get any better than that. This cookbook would be perfect for a young cook because of the basic ingredients and easy instructions. There are also many tips and hints following the recipes. But don’t think it is just for the beginners. I have been cooking for 40 years and look forward to trying these recipes. Of course, the Banana Puddin’ will have to be first. There are a lot of the authors memories wrapped around this special recipe.

I highly recommend this cookbook as a purchase to keep or as a gift for family and friends.

Gray Apocalypse by James Murdoch *****

I love a good conspiracy theory and of course, government/UFO conspiracies are at the top of the list to provide intrigue and excitement. When the prologue of Gray Apocalypse makes your hair stand on end, you know that you better hang on and get ready for a thrilling ride.

James Murdoch did not just write a UFO story. Instead, he started with the conspiracies we are familiar with, the UFO sightings, alien grays and the underground bases, and took them to a new level with a well-planned plot, interesting characters, and non-stop action.

With the alien Breeder Grays preparing to destroy the human race, only Michael Kendon, trained from childhood to be a keeper of the secrets, can use his knowledge of the grays to save Earth. He is a complex character who is a killer and a healer. There are several other main characters, Laura Meller, a physician, working with Kendon to put the pieces of a puzzle together. Their work leads them to Eric Tepler, an astronomer and caretaker for a remote lighthouse observatory at Cabo Rojo and Gabriella Estrada, a local teacher, whose family gets caught up in the intrigue.

The story is exciting, frightening, touching and magical. The action never slows down, and I hope Mr. Murdoch writes a sequel or a prequel! Also, check out the website for this book for a video that will shock you.

Disappointment With God By Phillip Yance *

Disappointment With God by Phillip Yancy

Yancy begins his book with examples of circumstances from several Christians who have suffered greatly and feel disappointed with or abandoned by God. The author chooses the situation of Richard, the person suffering the least of the examples (but a fellow author), to follow throughout the book.

Using OT scriptures, Mr. Yancy tries to explain the mind of God. His attempt actually turns eerie (downright creepy) when Yancy imagines himself as God questioning in his mind whether or not man would obey when created.

It is my opinion that Mr. Yancy conveys the message that those who are disappointed in God are pretenders. They are people who never had “real” faith so they never were true believers. Instead of helping a friend out of a spiritual depression, Mr. Yancy slapped him down and decided he just did not have enough faith.

There was no compassion in the book for the suffering Christian. Mr. Yancy has his own experience being a pretender as he explains in the book that he deliberately pretended to be a Christian in college until one day he began praying out loud and “had a vision of Jesus”. It is also my opinion that Mr. Yancy’s answers in this book are no better than the callous conversations the friends of Job had for his sufferings.

Mr. Yancy’s questions in the book were:
1. Is God unfair?
2. Is God silent?
3. Is God hidden?

My questions for Mr. Yancy are:
1. Are you trying to prove the old adage “Christians shoot their wounded”?
2. Do you have no compassion for a suffering Christian?
3. Did a tree have to die for this book?

I would never recommend this book to a Christian who is going through trials.

In the Footsteps of Paul by Ken Duncan ***

In the Footsteps of Paul by Ken Duncan

3 stars

In the Footsteps of Paul is a lovely display book with luxurious paper featuring beautiful photographs of the locations where Paul lived and traveled. Some are quite emotional as the photograph of the pillar on which Paul was beheaded and the site believed to be part of Ananias’s house where Paul was taught.

While beautiful, the book is lacking in substance to enhance the importance of the places being photographed. Most pages have one photo per page with a location label and either a scripture or a paragraph about Paul’s ministry. There is no real depth to the book so it would not help much for study or even as a devotional.

Another problem I had was the print was difficult to read. The labels for the pictures are in very small print and the scriptures have oddly printed some of the words in a faint beige color. While beautiful to look at, it makes them difficult to read.

I was very disappointed in this book. It would have been more useful to have half as many pictures with more details of the historical significance of the sites.