Book Review: "Surprised by Oxford" by Carolyn Weber

Carolyn Weber’s Surprised by Oxford left me surprised for several different reasons, some good and some bad. I was a little disappointed by the integrity of the story against the length of the book. I usually enjoy longer novels because I get to spend more time with them, but I felt as though a lot could have been cut out of this book, to allow the story to flow more effectively. I was left feeling that Weber wanted to tell her story in as much detail as possible, but was unsure about what to cut and what to leave in. I studied English for a few years, and her writing style bothered me and made the book difficult to read. I felt that sentences were very jumpy, and that connections between thoughts were somewhat forced. This is my feeling about her writing style; you may very well find hers to your liking.

Despite my lack of interest with her writing style, I would recommend this book to those interested in people on spiritual/religious journeys. Weber does a decent job writing about her own personal journey, and many people may find this to be interesting. Overall, it was a good novel and worth the read, but it didn’t really click with my personal tastes.

*I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their 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.

Book Review: "Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter" by Seth Grahame-Smith

Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter is, by far, one of the most amazing books I have ever read. A break from the increasingly popular and utterly annoying teenage Vampire novels, Grahame-Smith takes the history of the United States of America, and adds both a unique and incredibly interesting twist: Vampires.

Before deciding to read this book, I kept avoiding it because of the want-to-be authors that keep publishing crappy Vampire novels. I expected to find a loosely put together written novel whose sole benefit was to bring in money. A friend convinced me to give this book a chance; I could not put it done and finished in a few short hours.

The execution of this novel was flawless. Grahame-Smith brilliantly intertwines our history with the story of Early American Vampires. My father taught me a lot about Lincoln growing up, but at times, I would forget that this was a work of fiction. The book is written in such a way that you think the reason you exist today is because of a notorious Vampire Hunter, Abraham Lincoln. With pictures throughout the book to act as "supporting evidence," Grahame-Smith should be highly commended for this literary masterpiece.

If you are looking for a great thrill ride, definitely pick yourself up a copy of Seth Grahame-Smith's Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter.

Book Review: "Billy Graham in Quotes" by Franklin Graham and Donna Lee Toney

The title Billy Graham in Quotes is a complete description of this book. Broken down into multiple section of varying topics, all of which relate back to Jesus the Christ and God, serves as a compilation of touching and inspirational quotes that were developed and shared during the life of Billy Graham. With each turn of the page, you are introduced to incredibly insightful quotes that allow you the opportunity to expand upon your faith. I found it to be incredibly helpful that the quotes were divided into appropriate sections; this allowed me to search for different questions much more easily. If you want to look back and reflect upon one of your favorite Graham quotes, all you need to do is find the appropriate section.

Although the book is filled with truly inspiring words, I would not recommend reading this book in its entirety during one sitting. Doing so causes you to miss quotes that would have meant something to you, and does not allow you sufficient time to reflect upon them and apply them to your own life. I would highly suggest that if you were to read this book, that you do so over time. This will allow the words of Billy Graham to touch you in ways you never imagined.

*I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their 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.

Book Review - Surviving Your Serengeti: 7 Skills to Master Business and Life

Stefan Swanepoel’s Surviving Your Serengeti: 7 Skills to Master Business and Life serves as an attempt to enlighten readers as to the means of successfully improving one’s business and personal lives. However, the skills introduced to readers are forced upon us through incredibly unrealistic examples, and therefore his attempt is unsuccessful. This book was very difficult to read at a comfortable pace, as the language did not flow with the uninteresting story line. Although it was interesting to learn how the wild can impact our lives, Swanepoel could have made a much more significant impact on me if his storyline was much more realistic; if given the opportunity to visit Africa for free, I would not spend my time analyzing animals to see how I would be able to improve my professional life.

If you plan on reading this book, I would highly suggest doing so in steps. Since each chapter concludes with things to think about, I would allow yourself some time to focus on what each chapter offered you. Reading it in one sitting will take away from the author’s message and make you frustrated with the poor writing styles. The characteristics discussed in this book were useful, but the way in which they were presented left little impact on me.

*I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their 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