Book Review: "The Blood Cell" (A Doctor Who Novel)

After reading a different book about our new Doctor and keeping up to date with the current season of Doctor Who, I found this book to be somewhat disappointing. 

Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a bad book nor was it a bad story line; it just didn't live up to my expectations.  The writing style left much to be desired, even though the author did an excellent job capturing the new Doctor's quirks and mannerisms. 

I really wish I could give a more in depth review but this book simply fell short. I might read it again to give it a second chance,  but it has made me weary of the other books in this series. 

Please note I received this book in exchange for an honest and open review.

Book Review: "How to Survive a Sharknado and Other Unnatural Disasters"

Despite the terrible acting, ridiculous antagonists, and gaping plot holes, I find myself oddly attracted to bad horror movies. I constantly find myself surfing the channels only to check our SyFy's next blockbuster flop. When I came across Andrew Shaffer's How to Survive a Sharknado and Other Unnatural Disasters, I assumed I would be reading a definitive survival guide to all of the crazies monsters and apocalyptic events this television station broadcasts. Well, you know what they say about assuming...

I have much difficult calling this book a book. If anything, it's nothing more than a list of SyFy's most well known movies, with some brief descriptions and humor that only the author could have found funny. Most science fiction type survival books I have read have been able to successfully combine outlandish scenarios with real life survival tips. Shaffer not only failed to combine these two very different things, he did a poor job just focusing on discussing each monster and cataclysmic storm. Frankly, being told to kick Mothman in his moth balls was just not all that entertaining.

When I read these types of book, I am not looking to be simply entertained; I am looking to have an intelligent conversation about not so intelligent topics. Give me a real reason to fear a cave bear. Give me a real reason to want to prepare myself to tackle a Mongolian earthworm.  I would have even simply settled for a few good jokes here and there.

I was not given any of these things.

I was given a glorified TV Guide of SyFy's movies.

Do I recommend this book?

No, not at all. 
I received this book for the Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: "Silhouette" (A Doctor Who Adventure)

I want to go on record by saying that I've been a Whovian for a little over a year now. During this time, I have developed a deep love and respect for many of the Doctors. I've been exploring the Whovian universe for awhile, and am happy to say that I have finally stumbled across the literary world of Doctor Who.

One of the best things about Silhouette is that you don't need to have read any of the previous books in order to enjoy this one. Sure, having a background of the characters is helpful, but the story is so quick paced and intelligent that you needn't have ever picked up a Doctor Who book before.

From start to finish, I could not put this book down. Only just having been introduced to a new Doctor, this book did an incredible job of drawing in its readers to the individual idiosyncrasies and quirks of this new reincarnation. I no longer felt I was accompanying Matt Smith on his adventures, but rather becoming a new companion to Peter Capaldi. I did have my doubts about this new hero, but Silhouette definitely helped to persuade my opinions in a positive direction.

I was startled by how well the character of Silhouette was developed, and how perfect her "talents" were described. Our author did an incredible job creating a vivid image of her shadow friends and origami birds.

I will, however, comment that our dear friends Clara and Jenny were portrayed a bit flat for my taste. Although they have been with us for some time now, a new reader would feel a bit disappointed by the lack of personality displayed by these two women.

Silhouette is not perfect. It's flat characters do detract from the flow of the storyline. The plot holes all but glare out to the reader. Any true fan of the Doctor Who universe will be able to accept it as is, and fall quickly in tune with the fast paced action of this story. I would absolutely recommend Silhouette to anybody who considers themselves a fan of Doctor Who. To somebody just starting, I would steer them in a different direction. They will not be able to appreciate the true beauty of this story should this be their first.

Overall, I would give this book four of five stars!

I received this book in exchange for an honest review through the Blogging for Books program. 

Need more information before picking this book up? Then click here!

Book Review: "On Heaven and Earth"

My motive for choosing to read this book was primarily based on my spiritual desire to develop an understanding of our new religious leader. Despite much of the controversy that seems to follow this man in the media, I wanted to create my own opinions based on what I felt to be unbiased sources. This book is definitely biased as it favors the Pope , but I did find it to be an incredibly insightful read.

I tried to first read this book by approaching it head on, but quickly realized the writing style did not allow for an easy nor a simple flow. I decided to spammy reading out for a few months, allowing for a much better reading experience. I'm not sure this book was meant to be read all at once, but rather a series of messages and thoughts directed at engaging the reader on smaller levels.

While I do recommend reading this book, I would have preferred a more engaging story of this new leader of the spiritual world. 

Please note I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review. 

For more information on this book, please visit this link: http://www.imagecatholicbooks.com/book/232426/on-heaven-and-earth/

Book Review: "Forever Friday"

Before reading, please note that I received Timothy Lewis' "Forever Friday" as an advanced copy and is not available for purchase until September 17, 2013.

I found this book to be a very easy read filled with messages of everlasting love and hope. I immediately fell in love with the story of Gabe and Huck's relationship, from beginning to end. However, I found the Narrator to be a character that this book should have done without.

I couldn't appreciate the narrator with his decision to take the postcards away from the family of Gabe and Huck to use for his own personal quest. I felt that this character was spying on a love story that he was never meant to see, and the conversations with the couple's house keeper felt forced and unnatural. The story would have been much more appreciated had the narrator been a member of the family, or even the house keeper herself. The chosen narrator was a huge distraction to the story.

That being said, I did very much enjoy reading the love between Gabe and Huck. It's a love I have grown to become jealous of, and hope for something like that of my own one day. My only actual complaint was that there weren't more pieces of their life shared with the reader.

Overall, I did enjoy the book, and I think it is safe to say it has earned a spot in my personal library.

I received this book through the Blogging for Books program in exchange for a complete and honest review.

For more information, please visit the following links:
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Book Review: "The Fourth Fisherman"

I was not expecting a lot from this book when I first selected to read it, but it left me filling quite fulfilled after I finished reading it. "The Fourth Fisherman" was so much more than a well written book with a captivating story, it was successfully told story of a man on his quest to find God. In the past, I've read a number of stories that have dealt with this important subject, and I found this one to be more unique than any others I've come across. However, I am not entirely praising this story, as I was disappointed with the way in which the author presented himself.

I get it, finding God is something that is incredibly personal, and something that has the potential to be incredibly rewarding and fulfilling. My problem with this area lies in the fact that the author had this whole "Better than everybody" attitude that I didn't appreciate. I enjoyed reading about his quest, but when he boasted about having a great life, and then comparing himself to poor fishermen, I was left with a poor tasting feeling in my mouth. It didn't really seem that the author truly understood the purpose of finding God.

Regardless of my feelings for the author and his attitude, this is a book I found to be worth the read. I was able to understand myself more, and how to become closer with God. I may not agree with how the author compared himself to situations he clearly didn't understand. It made me appreciate what I have more, and helped me to understand how to help my own personal quest. 

It's worth the read, just don't expect to feel close to the author.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review as part of the Blogging for Books program.

For more information, please visit one of the following links:
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Book Review: "Fortress of Mist"

When I first found out that Sigmund Brouwer's "Merlin's Instruments" was being followed by a sequel, I very impatiently waited for my copy to arrive. However, my anticipation was not met with the excitement I had built up for it. It wasn't bad, and I'm not complaining about the story or trying to discourage potential readers from engaging with it. My problem really revolved around the fact that the book seemed to be incredibly slow in the beginning. I'm an avid reader, and when books start off slow, I tend to lose hope in them very quickly. I am glad, however, I stuck with this book as it did grow on me as time went on and the page numbers grew higher and higher. While I would not recommend reading this book without reading the first in the series, I would recommend this to those looking for an adventure in an ancient land.

If you are interested in learning more about this book, you can check out the book's purchasing page by clicking here.

Please note I receive my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through the Blogging for Books program.