The Garden Gate

I have not reviewed something for a while but by chance saw a reference to Book Look and decided to return to the fold.  To move to a new book, I first have to handle this one.  The book was provided to me free and in return am obligated merely to provide my opinion.  It is my own alone.

Okay.  This book is apparently part of a series, one I'm not familiar with, so perhaps reading it cold is not ideal. But, it also provides a different perspective as well.  Overall, the book is written in the point of view of a young woman and her experience with the spirit world, particularly angels. This book specifcally focuses on Prissie's saying good bye to her angel friend Koji, as well as the further development of her friendship with the young man Ransom. The most interesting story line with in the book is the interactions with Adin, a fallen angel that has been tormenting Prissie for some time.

I think that I would have liked it better if I read it from the beginning of the series.  Nonetheless, overall, it was a decent read.  Average basically thus the three stars.

First Born

This is an intriguing fantasy that has something to say about gender dynamics.

Tiadone, the narrator (in first person present tense -- we are told things as they are happening), is a girl raised as a boy. Why? Well, a first born (thus the title)  girl would have been killed.  This is unfortunately not just a matter of fiction in the world, more so in the not too far past.  The result, and this too suggests the parable qualities of the novel (many could relate about trying to live the life of someone they are not), in problems as she has to struggle against her true nature.  Particularly as she comes of age, including as feminine traits/strengthens come out.

The book takes place in a dystopian age in tribal conditions and a whole different world is colorfully drawn for the reader. I would recommend it for readers who like fantasy and science fiction, especially strong female characters.  The ending suggests a sequel or series is in the works. 

BookLook Bloggers provided this book in return for a review.  The opinions are my own.

No Cape Required - A Devotional : 52 Ways to Unleash Your Inner Hero

The Bible is filled with stories that provide lessons for our daily lives. Jesus particularly saw the value of using stories, parables, to promote a lesson.  It is helpful and often fun way to educate. A primary way this is done are sagas of various "heroes" from Abraham to David and beyond.  At the same time, other cultures also had their own heroes -- like found in the Iliad or Romulus and Remus.  And, trend continued over the centuries, to modern times, now often in television and movies.

And, this is the subject of this book. It uses heroes in works like Star Trek or The Hunger Games to provide short lessons on subjects like charity, justice, hope in others, mentoring, wisdom, bravery and so on.  Let's take an example. Robin Hood is used to discuss charity.  We start with a biblical quote and then the hero's place in literature and cultural history is discussed. Then, we return to a biblical connection, given a prayer to use and examples of how to be charitable in your everyday life. Nothing profound, but especially for those who like movies and the like, it is a good way to use popular culture to teach lessons.  And, there are a lot of examples provided, at least some of which will appeal to many of the readers.

It is a creative idea done fairly well. The video is not quite connected to the book but seemed catchy.

Note: This book was given to me free by Book Sneeze [now BookLook]  in return for this review.

Running Lean

1) A term referring to a deficiency of fuel in the fuel-to-air ratio of an internal combustion engine. (2) A physical condition where not enough caloric fuel is present for optimal performance of the body. (3) A spiritual condition in which a believer relies on his own strengths.

The title of this first effort at teen fiction (novel form) is a metaphor. The male lead character (like the author -- write what you know!) is into bikes. Calvin is part of a large family and is struggling to get over the death of his older brother (and mentor) in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, his girlfriend (into manga -- again, like the author) -- who is his first real girlfriend and seemed to be the only one who really understood what he was feeling as he dealt with the death -- has serious problems of her own. Stacey has anorexia. This is flagged as a possibility in the first few pages by a friend of Calvin, but it takes much longer for him to truly face things and figure out what to do.

The book has some clear positives. We get a good sense of what the two characters are thinking, their inner monologues. The author provides two complete characters and their parallel stories along with some other supporting casts. I like books that provide such alternative points of view. The book also shows us how people can be basically good people and well meaning, but still not understand and/or do the right thing in various cases. The importance of truly supporting another person, even if you don't fully understand yet what is going on or know what exactly to do is true enough. Issues of God and spirit also show up, including early on with Calvin's best friend. Church going even played a role in them first going out. The author expresses her religious beliefs on her website for those interested.

I have to give it a mixed review though since the book felt too drawn out. The friend so early on bringing up "anorexia" was a bit of a misstep -- the warning signs were there from the beginning and it was a bit too soon to say that. After saying it, having over three hundred pages of text seemed a bit much. It seemed too drawn out to me. Mention was made by some about the clueless parents. That happens and the author noted one place (in answer to an online review) that it was partially a plot device -- you cannot have the parent serve as a sort of "deus ex machina" and end the story. I'm not really upset about that. I do think the book could have been shorter. Another concern for some was the nature of Stacey. Was she too clingy or needy? Well, yes, she had some issues -- anorexia grows out of such things. As to why Calvin stays, I think that is explained some -- she was there for him, he feels a special obligation to someone he loves (this might have religious overtones) and the same sense of hyper-order that she feels compelled to use to keep sane in some fashion helps to put an order to HIS life. This sort of complexity adds to the story.

Overall, it was a serious look at major issues for teens today, including the economic issues that Calvin had to deal with. It was overlong but was a promising first effort.

I obtained this book from Book Sneeze in return for this review.

Dear Mr. Knightley: A Novel

Jane Austen in Northanger Abbey noted that a novel is "some work in which the greatest powers of the mind are displayed, in which the most thorough knowledge of human nature, the happiest delineation of its varieties, the liveliest effusions of wit and humour, are conveyed to the world in the best-chosen language.”

This along with the pleasure so many have reading them has led her own books to inspire a range of volumes as well (and at least one movie, Clueless). A book referencing a character from Austen's Emma suggests this too is one of that character. Mixing in a bit of a Dickens touch, this tale is about an orphan who gets a chance to Northwestern University’s prestigious Medill School of Journalism via scholarship. In return, she has to write to her beneficator, who is going by, yes, Mr. Knightley. Shades of "The Education of Samantha Moore." It's a nice device though extensive epistolary novels (letters) do personally bore me after awhile. The importance here is the nature of the character and the interest held in their stories. Here, we see the development of Ms Moore's character, which as Austen fans know, is a key theme in her novels as well.

Others note that this seems to be in the style of an old novel, but really -- lots of things are modeled on other things. We need to judge the book itself, not how it stands against some novel from when the Titanic went down (in real life!). On that level, it's a pretty good read. Judge for yourself.

This book was obtained free from Book Sneeze in return for this review.

Sweet Olive

Matt Damon recently starred in a movie called "Promised Land" in which he played someone whose job it is to get people to agree to sell the rights of their land so his firm can use it for fracking (hydraulic fracturing, or a process where highly pressurized water, sand, and chemicals are are injected into wells, where they break apart rock containing natural gas). He goes to "the heartland," so to speak, to do this, but has a change of heart.

The heroine of this book, Camille Gardner, has a job somewhat similar -- to convince landowners to lease their land to gas and oil companies to drill wells to extract the gas and oil. She too, if not exactly for the same reasons, runs into complication too. Turns out that Camille doesn't really want to be in this line of work. Her passion is art and dreams about owning an art gallery. So, when she feels obligated to take one more job to negotiate new land deals from a group of artists in Sweet Olive, well, trouble brewing is no surprise. She starts to fall in love with the community and the locals ... the book provides a sort of paean to small town life and the "important things in life." And, if one is wondering where Book Sneeze -- who gave me a complimentary copy for this review -- comes in, yes, we also come to see how Camille has to turn to God to direct her path professionally and personally in order for her to do what is right.

Jane Austen in "Northanger Abbey" noted that a novel is "some work in which the greatest powers of the mind are displayed, in which the most thorough knowledge of human nature, the happiest delineation of its varieties, the liveliest effusions of wit and humour, are conveyed to the world in the best-chosen language.” If that is the test, this one is pretty good.