October 9, 2015 by Stephanie

Book Review: The Methuselah Project

I did receive this book complimentary from Litfuse Publicity Group for my review. These thoughts are my own.

I will give this book a 4/5.

I liked it, but it wasn’t a love love for me. It was a fun quick read though that a put a different spin on historical fiction. That element is why it gets a 4 instead of a 3. I like to see something new!

The plot follows two main characters: Captain Roger Greene who is an American pilot in WWII, and Katherine Mueller who is part of present day. The chapters bounce back and forth between Greene and Mueller. I thought this was a unique perspective to have two different time periods telling this story.

And part of that is because of an experiment that Captain Greene is part of, well captured for. The experiment was conducted by the Nazis to create a Methuselah man, or someone who would live MUCH longer than the average. The experiment is deemed a success with Greene, but then he is kept in a cage (not aging) for over 70 years while they try to figure out why and how after the creator of the project died in a bombing. The first half is the build up of his captivity, and then you hit the climax of the book where he manages to escape but he is now in a world that is so foreign to him since he hasn’t seen daylight in 70 years. Not to mention that his captors had been lying to him that the war was still waging between the Nazis and the rest of the world. Katherine’s twist on the story is that she is connected to the group that has been holding Greene captive, but she has had some doubts of her own destiny within the organization. So when their stories collide it is an intriguing plot line.

I have done a lot of research on WWII, and crazy medical experiments ran rampant during that era since the Nazis felt that they had “lab rats” at their disposal. They did things to humans that were despicably inhumane. So this story of keeping someone captive for 70 years is something, while seemingly far-fetched, is believable if the fountain of youth were actually possible. I think the Nazis would have done anything in the name of Hitler if given the means.

This book is really fast paced. The chapters are rarely more than a few pages long, and as I said you are jumping back and forth between Greene and Katherine. There is a lot of action on each page that keeps you enthralled in the story.

I am generally not a fan of science fiction, but the way that Barry wove other elements into the story, I was sucked in. It’s like Jason Bourne meets time travel meets historical fiction, definitely a different way to tell a story. It doesn’t really fit into any typical type of genre. You want to cheer Captain Greene on from page one, so you keep coming back to see what his fate is as a Methuselah man.

I recommend this book if you want something a little different and fun to read. It’s a page turner which in my book is always a good thing!

You can purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1GcsGbS

Are you into science fiction? Do you have any historical fiction books to recommend?

September 28, 2015 by Stephanie

Devotional Review: Intersect

I love stories. Even more, I love connecting to other people’s stories. I have always thought listening to someone else share pieces of who they are, opens my eyes to more of this world, and more of myself too. Often times hearing someone else explain their situation puts words to things I have been feeling but didn’t understand. It’s through stories that we start seeing people’s guts and glory. It’s here that we find that we are all the same.

I was given this devotional study to review, and I must say that I really enjoyed it.

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Intersect is a DVD that has five brief snapshots of five individuals’ lives. Each section hits on a different topic in our walk with the Lord. It talks about what is holding us back and how to move forward.

Along with the DVD is a study guide or question prompt.

Now this study is probably more meant for a group setting, but I was able to glean a lot from it using it as my personal study for a week. Each day focuses on a specific passage and uses the video message to tie it into today’s times. I think we often struggle seeing how the Bible can relate to our world now and brush it off as old news. It allows you to dig a little deeper into the Word but through a contemporary lens.

Each video is about 7 minutes long. You hear a story from an ordinary person and their struggles they faced. I found all the stories to be relevant, and some were things I had grappled with personally. Then Rob or Chris summarize a passage and give you what I like to call a “pep talk” with the Word. Rob and Chris are the creators behind the video and both have pastoral backgrounds. Then you can use the study guide to provoke discussions in your group or for me to journal about on my own.

I think this would be great for Sunday School settings or if you have small groups. I do feel that it may connect more with young adults (20s-30s) with just the layout and some of the content of the stories. I think all in all though, any age group could get some worth out of it.

Here are some key points that I took from the study (paraphrased):

Real life isn’t a dream.
God can breath new life.
Run towards God.
In disappointment, we can learn more about ourselves and more about our faith.
Sometimes we are the only thing holding ourselves back, and God is the wind behind us pushing us forward.
Control is an allusion.

As a bonus, it is based out of London, so all the speakers in the video except Rob have a British accent.

I did receive this study complimentary from Litfuse Publicity Group for my review. These thoughts are my own.

August 21, 2015 by Stephanie

Book Review: Through Waters Deep

I was really excited about this book. Historical fiction with romance and mystery! Yes please.

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I will give this book 3.5/5. I liked it, but I didn’t love it like I wanted to.

This story follows Mary and Jim during 1941 right before the US joined WWII. Jim is in the Navy and Mary works at the Boston Navy Yard. There are some suspicious events that occur that point to sabotage, and the story follows the mystery and a love story that unfolds between the two. Amidst the mystery and romance, you read about the anxiety that was abound before we joined the war efforts.

I will be honest that the first fourth of the book, I thought was really slow. I had a hard time investing in it. But about half way through I was hooked and read the last half in just a couple bedtimes. The chapters are pretty short, so it was a pretty quick read anyway.

Sundin changes perspectives every chapter, so you get to see Mary and Jim’s thoughts throughout the story. I like this style a lot because I think you get to see the full picture. I found myself screaming (in my head) at each of the characters when they obviously weren’t seeing signs of love that the other was holding back.

There was a Nancy Drew feel to the mystery aspect. Mary used intuition to find clues and keep tabs on the happenings of the Navy Yard. As she discussed what she found with Jim, they developed a connection before he went off to the sea. It’s a pretty light-hearted story with some dramatic flair thrown in.

The other part I enjoyed is the focus on scriptures and prayer. You don’t see a lot of books that do this, so it was refreshing to read fiction that really focused on following God’s plan and remembering to pray for strength.

Also I think if I was to be born in the correct era, it would have been the 40s. The style is just impeccable, so generally I love most fiction about this era.

This was a fun quick read, that I enjoyed. It is the first in a series, and I may pick up the next to see how it fairs for me. You know I love them series!

There is a giveaway going on for this book promotion right now. You could win the book and some other cool things.

I did receive this book complimentary from Litfuse Publicity Group for my review. These thoughts are my own.

August 14, 2015 by Stephanie

Book Review-Leaving Time

Stop what you are doing and get this book.

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I LOVED this book. I am a huge Jodi Picoult fan, and if you weren’t aware I am obsessed with elephants. So this was meant to be a good book for me.

Picoult told this story from four different points of view: Jenna, Serenity, Virgil, and Alice. Alice is Jenna’s mother. She went missing when Jenna was three, so Jenna has been searching for clues for the past 10 years to find her. Now thirteen, she enlists the help of Serenity, a psychic, and Virgil, a PI. When you are reading Alice’s perspective you actually go back in time before the disappearance to give you some context.

I thought the way she laid out the book was brilliant. I was never confused on who was talking since each chapter was a different character. I also felt having the four different perspectives showed you different sides of the same story which brought depth to the plot line.

I am not going to tell you more to the story because I don’t want to give anything away. I want you to experience all the emotions I did with every twist and surprise.

This is honestly one of the best books I have read in a long time. Seriously it is possibly now in my top five all time favorite books is how much I loved it.

Not only is it a story about human emotions and how intertwined and messy but beautiful they can be, it also talks A LOT about elephants. I would call myself a novice expert (if that is a thing) on elephants. Every research paper in elementary school up to high school I did on elephants. I had all kinds of elephant encyclopedias/magazines growing up, and give me all the elephant figurines at the dollar store please. One of my dreams growing up was to work with elephants at a zoo or sanctuary. How I found this book was because I was setting up my yearly donation to the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. (Click here if you want more information on that or to read about the lady elephants there.) Anyway, so I know when a writer is speaking the truth on elephants.

She wrote so beautifully on the emotional capacity of these wonderful animals, and the way it fit into the story was just great. I thought the flashbacks from Alice were a nice touch, and I honestly didn’t see the story unfolding as it did. And I am usually pretty good at predicting things. Total surprise with each chapter.

So I am sure that was the vaguest book review ever, but honestly you need to read this without me giving away any spoilers.
As a caveat though, from the reviews on Goodreads, it seems that this book is either hit or miss with people. Either you love it like I do, or people thought it was too much to keep up with and didn’t carry well between characters. I will let you decide. I think though if you are a fan of Jodi or of elephants, you will like the book.

Have you read Leaving Time? What is your favorite Jodi Picoult book?

July 17, 2015 by Stephanie

On My Reading List

Summers have always been a time for me to dive into many many books. I was that kid who lived for the day we would go to the library each week to check out more books than I could conceivably handle. There were also free books you could get with turning in your summer reading lists, and I took FULL advantage of this program. I was working my way to having Belle’s library.

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So that drive to read during the summer months has been years in the making. Now that I have the most wonderful porch to read on at our new house, I have a feeling that many summer nights will be spent out there. Also there may or may not be a reading nook planned in the basement…

Currently I am reading two books. I have one at work that I read during my lunch break if I don’t have lunch plans. The other is my at-home book. The books open on my shelf right now are Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult and I Shall Be Near To You by Erin Lindsay McCabe.

These are books that are up next on my reading list:

Through Waters Deep by Sarah Sundin-historical fiction during the Civil War (Historical Fiction is my favorite type of book)
The Book Thief by Mark Zusack-historical fiction during WWII
Raging Heat by Richard Castle-mystery/crime/romance (I have read the first 5 in the series, and I love the show Castle!)
The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen– YA and romance, what could be better? (I have never actually read Sarah Dessen’s books, but I loved her blog.)
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell-another YA because I can.
The Heretic’s Daughter by Kathleen Kent-historical fiction on the Salem Witch trials
Yes Please! by Amy Poehler-I don’t normally go for memoirs but it’s Amy Poehler
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn-I know I am way behind the times…
Divergent Series by Veronica Roth-again trying to catch up with the rest of the world
Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham-Lorelei Gilmore wrote a book? Get on my shelf!

I may or may not read them in this order or have other books added along the way.

Do you have any historical fiction authors I must check out? (John Jakes and John Steinbeck are my favorites.) What other fad books do I need to catch up on?