Legend

This book by Eric Blehm is a fascinating account of a hero, and a legend. My typical reading consists of Christian Fiction so this was a different genre for me. I read Fearless by Eric and was enthralled by his writing. So, when I had a chance to read another book by him, I agreed after reading the synopsis of the story.  I graduated from high school in the mid 60's when the Vietnam war was escalating so this story peaked my interest of the background of things that happened.

 The storyline centers around Staff Sergeant Roy Benavidez who was part of a 12 man Special Forces team.
It starts out with his childhood and how he grew up as a street kid from Cuero, Texas. At age 6 he turned into a "tough mean kid". His mother died and he went to leave with an uncle. He dropped out of school and proceeded to join the military. He was assigned to the 82nd Airborne and eventually went to become a member of the Special Forces. From there the author chronicles Roy's single mission in 1968 in the jungle of neutral Cambodia . This is where the battle intensified and Roy jumped from the aircraft and ran 100 yard thru enemy fire.  He was wounded but refused to abandon his efforts until every survivor was out of harm's way.

This was written with access to family members , survivors of the 240th Assault Helicopter Company as well as declassified military records. Hero's come in different shaped, sizes and skin colors and Roy Benavidez was just that-a hero. This book helped me understand more of the why we were involved with Vietnam even thought I lived thru that era.

Thanks to Blogging For Books for this free copy just for my honest opinion

 http://images.randomhouse.com/cover/9780804139519?width=125&alt=no_cover_b4b.gif
 http://www.randomhouse.com/author/153527/eric-blehm

Double Cross

Want a fast moving, well plotted thriller with many twists and turns? Then Double Cross by Diann Mills is the book to pick up and devour.  I am a huge fan of Diann and could guarantee this would be a five star book before reading the first page, and I was so right. She has a knack for superbly crafted characters and a storyline that has you turning pages late into the night.

Interesting plot; FBI agent Laurel Evertson is investigating a scam that targets the elderly. As she investigates the scam, key evidence leads to Morton Wilimgton. She arrested him on her last undercover assignment which caused the death of her partner.  She has never forgotten or forgiven Morton and what she sacrificed to put him in jail. Now it appears that he is her best lead to track the culprits. Laurel has help from Daniel Hilton a Houston police officer who fears his grandparents may be the next target.  Morton is released from prison  claiming he found Christ and salvation in prison.  The unlikely three team up to find those responsible. Daniel is not sure teaming up with a felon is such a good idea, and is he on the good side or the evil side. The scam doesn't just clean out bank accounts but becomes deadly. Can they find the killer before it is too late, save Daniel's grandparents from the killer and is Morton's claim of redemption for real or just a double cross?

What strikes me the most about this story was my complete fascination with the characters and how I was never sure if Morton was really the Christian he said he was or was he the best con artist around.  One minute, I thought I had it figured out and then the next minute, I was baffled. That is the good writers write and this is one of Diann Mill's best books.  I have read all her books, and if you have not, please start.  You will not be disappointed by her writing.  Always a good mix of scripture and the characters finding God or how God finds them and changes them.

I was given this book free by Tyndale Publishers for my honest opinion.


http://www.diannmills.com/

Sabotaged

I guess,as the old saying goes, all good things must come to an end. Sabotaged by Dani Pettrey is the fifth and final book in the Alaskan Courage series and I hate to say goodbye to the McKenna family. In each of the preceding books, the author has focused on  a member of the McKenna family and they have each been a wonderful story.  This final books finds Reef McKenna returning home to Alaska. Reef came back to help with the Iditarod with search and rescue.  The only problem is he is teamed up with Kirra Jacobs and they share a long history of being at odds with each other.  Kirra's uncle Frank, who is a musher with the Iditarod has disappeared. The two of them track him only to find out his daughter Meg has been kidnapped. Now comes the fun, the cat and mouse game of trying to find Meg with Frank being no help to them. There is a villain that will stop at nothing to get what he wants, and whoever gets in his way will pay. Will Kirra and Reef be able to solve the mystery, find Meg and avert a disaster in Alaska?  Can Kirra and Reef put their past aside and work together to bring Meg home safely?  Pick up book five and find out the answers.

Since I have read all the other books, I gave this five stars even before I read it.  From past experience, I knew the author would "finish strong" and she did.  Can't wait for the start of her new series and hope she can write fast!! Please, do yourself a favor, and read all five in the series..you will be a fan for life.

The Great Big Pressure Cooker Book

I will admit that I do not like to cook-takes too long to cook, too short to eat and too long to clean up!.
With that being said, I will try to find shortcuts to put dinner on the table. I have a pressure cooker that I have used for 35 years.  I say used very lightly. I use it for a few things and tend to use the slow cooker for a lot more.  Why, I don't know.  The pressure cooker is faster and things come out usually better.  When I saw this book up for review.. I grabbed it and have thoroughly enjoyed it.  It has shown me a whole new way to use my pressure cooker.  I have an old style used on the stove and this book shows both stove top and electric machine uses.  The cool thing is...over 500 recipes and lots of photos in the middle of the book.
I never knew I could cook dried beans in the pressure cooker, oh what a time saver that is. The authors have shown me tricks and shortcuts to use. I will be trying the Apple Maple Oatmeal recipe this week which takes only 12 minutes to prepare.  Now, that is how I like to cook!

I will be using my pressure cooker more, thanks to this cookbook, and my slow cooker less. My advice is to get a pressure cooker, don't be afraid of it, and get this cookbook.  You will be in for a treat and a whole new way of cooking..fast, that is.

Thanks to Blogging for Books for this free copy just for my honest opinion.

http://www.randomhouse.com/book/235617/the-great-big-pressure-cooker-book-by-bruce-weinstein-and-mark-scarbrough

The Song

There are author's that have a knack for storytelling and Chris Fabry is a master of the written word. I am a huge fan, having read every one of his books. When I pick up his books, I know I will not be disappointed in what I am about to read.  I have not seen the movie or the trailer, but after finishing this book, I will make sure I see it.

The book is a modern day tale of King Solomon and the wise and unwise decisions that Jed King makes. His famous father made many mistakes that haunt Jed, in both the songs and life that Jed wants to live. Can he ever find his own"song" and a musical career of his own. He has a small singing event at a vineyard where he meets his love-Rose.  That night he sings a song to her and courts her,eventually marrying her. Jed dreams of stardom and this song is his ticket. With fame comes temptation and that temptation is Shelby. She will do anything to sing with him and eventually plays on his weakness to bring him down to her level.  How will Rose and Jed's marriage stand up to this test?. How can God rectify this mess? What are the lessons to be learned by Jed and Rose? Fascinating questions that you will find out reading this book. Loved this line from the end of the story. "God offers us hope when we surrender.  When we give it over to Him. He can take the sin, the struggles, all the pain we have and bring healing to our hearts. To your heart".

Make sure this book is on your reading list. Great story of love, forgiveness and lots of scripture throughout which adds to the storytelling. After reading The Song, make sure you pick up every book Chris Fabry has written-promise you won't be disappointed.

Thanks To Tyndale Publishers for a free copy to review just for my honest opinion.

Wonder

Sometimes you read books that make sense and sometimes you read books that leave you baffled. Wonder by Travis Thrasher falls into that catagory for me.  I have read quite a few books by Travis and have enjoyed his writing, so that is why I picked this book to review.  I did know this was a young adult/teen genre of book when I picked this title. I did find out that this is book two in the series so that could be some of my problem. There was, I thought, enough information in the beginning to sort out some of the characters and some idea of what was happening.

The plot centers around evil in Appleton, Illinois and two unsolved deaths that have the town on edge and wondering who did it  and what happened.  Brandon Jeffrey is a senior in high school: playing soccer,trying to survive a wicked home life, trying to avoid bullies on the football team, an evil ex-girlfriend and falling in love with Marvel.  The only problem is, Marvel believes she will die as a sacrifice for others. There are other teenage things that play into this storyline: drugs, parties, and more bullying of students. There was some suspense, but hoped for more throughout the story.   I started reading with an open mind and trying hard to keep reading and wondering where things were going and how all the storyline would  tie together.  Sadly, for me, that never happened. I did make it to the end and was shocked as to how Travis ended it. It just ended, period. Turning the page, I so expected more, but nothing.  I guess there will be a sequel, but the back of the book states-the suspenseful sequel to Marvelous, book one. There are so many loose ends that need to be tied up so be aware when reading this book.

Thanks to Tyndale Publishers for sending me this book to review free just for my honest opinion.

The Patmos Deception

The storyline centers around prized artifacts that are disappearing. Nick and Carey are childhood friends that team up together to find and prevent the artifacts from being stolen and put into the wrong hands. I figured with the title that the artifacts had to deal with the apostle John's writing, but never felt this was addressed within the storyline.  The third character, Dimitri, runs a family fishing boat but is also involved in some unethical dealings which added another level of mystery.

This book was very hard for me to stick with. I kept waiting for some suspense to keep me interested and found it very hard to pick up and keep reading.  I was tempted to skip to the end to get the book finished, but kept at it. I learned a lot of Greeces' culture, sites and problems with the country they are experiencing. The character development was ok, but I felt the author was more interested in what the country looked like that developing the plot. The ending was another problem with me. I was left with the plot and characters up in the air.  Must be another story, because this one never ended. It will be hard for me to read another one just to see how this really ends.

I don't like to give negative reviews, so this one took me a while to put my thoughts together and write this review.  Thanks go to Bethany House Publishers for this free book just for my honest opinion.