In this powerful memoir, Irene Watson shares the story of her sheltered and painful childhood, how it shaped the person she became, and the steps she took to heal her wounds and to change her life for the better.  The book begins on day one of her twenty-eight day stint in Avalon, a recovery center.  On the surface, her reason for checking into the center was to fit in, as she had numerous friends who had graduated from the program and raved about how it had changed their lives.  Also a practicing therapist, Watson thought that putting herself through the program would provide her with more insight into the issues of her patients.  Deep down, however, she knew that there were different reasons for her stay.

After the introduction to Avalon, Irene presents to us the events that took place during her childhood that molded her adult life.  One of the first things that would have an impact on her happened before she was even born and this was the birth and subsequent passing of her brother Alexander.  The death of 2 ½ month old Alexander definitely had an influence on the way that her mother raised Irene.  Although her mother really never had a chance to know Alexander, she envisioned him as the “good child” and held Irene to the high standards that she believed he possessed.  Irene’s mother sheltered her from so much, but failed to believe her or protect her when she was being abused by cousins and by bullies.  Irene was not allowed to think for herself as her mother pretty much dictated whatever she did. 

The story of Irene’s past continues through her marriage to her husband Bob.  Then the setting shifts again back to the Avalon center and the treatment process.  We watch as Irene delves deep into her past through a series of exercises in an effort to recreate herself and change her and her family’s life.

I found “The Sitting Swing” to be a very honest and inspiring memoir.  I applaud Irene’s willingness to share with us her journey, and I think that everyone reading this book will be able to take something away from it.  As a parent to two young boys, her issues with her mother opened my eyes to a lot of things.  I learned to not be too overprotective of my children, to be sure to listen to them, and to be honest when explaining things to them. 

Irene’s style of writing draws you in from the first page and the book flows smoothly until the last page is turned.  She is an extremely talented writer and her experiences are very touching.  The last half of the last chapter even gave me goose bumps.  I highly recommend “The Sitting Swing;” Irene’s words are so real that you cannot help but to be inspired by her journey. 

When I first received “Deep Thinking the Human Condition:  New Ideas We Can’t Do Without - Vol.1, Chapters 1-4,” I must admit that I did not find the cover very appealing.  However, the old adage to not judge a book by its cover holds true in this case and I found Odunsi’s writing to be very thought provoking and informative.  As you can probably garner from the title, this book is not a light read but it is definitely an interesting one.

The four chapters contained in this Volume are “Changing the Level of Discourse,” The Power of Western Academia,” “The Failure of Social Science,” and “The Politics of Western Social Science, How Functionality Became a Taboo Subject in Academia.”  As stated in Chapter One, the “goal in this book is to take a fresh look at the problems of persistent economic development in the so-called Third World and pockets of persistent poverty on the developed countries.  Because these problems have always been with us, they are considered endemic and perceived in some quarters as either unsolvable or requiring an undetermined amount of time in order to successfully address.” (p.1) 

Odunsi claims that while the problems have been looked at, they have only been looked at superficially and that a closer look into these issues is necessary if any true change is going to come.  Contrary to what one might believe, all options have not been exhausted, the issue just needs to be looked at differently.  In order for these Persistently Underdeveloped Countries (PUCs) to succeed, we need to crack the surface and delve deeper for a solution. 

I found Odunsi to be extremely knowledgeable in the subject of which he writes and he presents very good arguments to support his beliefs.  I think that “Deep Thinking the Human Condition:  New Ideas We Can’t Do Without - Vol.1, Chapters 1-4” would make excellent required reading for any university level Social Science class as it breaks out of the traditional thought process of this field and encourages that more thought be put into why underdeveloped countries are the way they are and why traditional methods are not working to solve the problem.   

“The Twelfth Age” is Volume III in The Third Verse Trilogy of books.  Following “The Tenth Muse” and “The El-eventh Hour,” this final book in the series follows the journey of Tashami-roku  (Shami) as she searches for the prophet named Stair.  As the book begins we are on the planet of Zamora, which is a planet that is in a “parallel dimension” to Earth.  Shami is brought to Levant, Anerico from a Chedo orphanage and is adopted by Rose Deland.  Shami learns from Bruce, a Deland family friend, that Rose’s daughter Sapphire mysteriously disappeared while on a painting lesson with her friend and teacher, Tikashi.  Shami had thought that Sapphire had fallen off of a cliff to her death, but what had happened was that Sapphire had just disappeared into midair, as if she had “disintegrated into shiny golden particles.” (p. 10) The teacher, Tikashi, had left Levant shortly after and has not been heard from since.

Shami has an interest in the prophecies of Stair, and in particular, a section that stuck with her about a prediction entitled “The Twelfth Age of Zamora” in which mysterious disappearances would be many. (p.35)  Stair, himself, disappeared without a trace.  Shami cannot stop thinking about Stair’s prophecies and this novel, “The Twelfth Age,” follows Shami and Bruce on their quest to find the missing prophet.

Although “The Twelfth Age” is the third in a trilogy it works very well as a stand-alone novel.  There is a guide in the front of the book that has a listing of the primary settings in the book and at the beginning of each chapter the location is specified.  I found this to be extremely helpful in understanding the story line and referred to it often.

In the introduction, “The Third Verse Trilogy” is touted as being “modern mythology” and I would have to agree after reading “The Twelfth Age” that this is a pretty fitting description of at least this last book in the trilogy.  The story was engaging, unique, and full of deep teachings and wisdom.  I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mythology or fantasy books, even if you haven’t read the first two books in the series.            

James Earle McCracken
iUniverse, Inc. (2008)
ISBN 9780595485055
Reviewed by Tina Avon for RebeccasReads (8/08)

Rue de la Pompe, written by James McCracken, is like no other book I have ever read.  It starts off normally enough, but soon detours into a world where fantasy rules, and we, as the reader, get to go along for the ride.  Let me begin by saying that I loved that the author decided to set this in Paris; it somehow feels appropriate that this "urban fantasy" should be set in a setting such as this.

Our story starts when the main character, Michael, an American who happens to be working in Paris, realizes that he is celebrating his 30th birthday, in a bar on Rue de la Pompe, alone and feeling extremely sorry for himself.  However, this night will be like no other, and as Michael walks home from the bar, he mysteriously finds a piece of paper in his pocket; it’s a dry cleaning ticket for a tuxedo and a shirt (which, for some reason, he feels compelled to claim).  While he is chastising himself (he tends to do this a lot) for having picked up the formal wear, he notices that he has also received a party invitation from his neighbors, which, surprisingly, he decides to attend.  

What Michael does not know is that fate has set him up and that he is about to embark on a crazy romp through the fantasyland that was Paris (or still is?).  Michael finds out that the mysterious tux and shirt have a special meaning.  Indeed, one of the buttons on the shirt represents an exact replica of the first French franc, and this will send Michael off on a wild ride through Paris.  He ends up meeting a cast of characters that would not exist in his 'normal, everyday' life, but he somehow feels more connected to these events and to these people than to his own life.

The author intertwines humor, history and a quirkiness, all of which he deftly mixes with an even richer fantasy world populated by odd little places and even odder little people. Throughout it all, Michael keeps talking to himself (or to his other selves), and this, to me, was the most interesting aspect of the book.  I believe this was the author's way of connecting Michael's various personalities into the one that really defines who Michael is.  In a way, this is a bit of a coming of age story, with a huge twist.

This book has something going on at all times; it was a fun read that kept me smiling.   I recommend this to all people who like to look at life as a series of crazy little adventures, with the next one just around the bend.  Un plaisir à lire!

Margot Livesey
Harper (2008)
ISBN 9780061451522
Reviewed by LuAnn Morgan for RebeccasReads (7/08)

Abigail Taylor and Dara MacLeod grew up in different worlds, yet they both felt they missed out on a so-called “normal” childhood, which left them with a sense of something lacking in their lives. 

For Dara, the fact that her father left the family when she was a young child created a hunger within her that could only be sated with relationships between herself and older men. She meets Edward, who literally falls at her feet when he trips near where she is sitting. They begin a love that is all-consuming, even though Edward refuses to make a total commitment. Eventually, it comes to light that he is already living with another woman, with whom he has a child.  Dara is a counselor by trade. However, she is in desperate need of help herself. Suffering from a continuous depression, she rides the waves of desolation until she can no longer deal with life in general. Abigail’s boyfriend finds her after she takes an overdose of sleeping pills.

Abigail grew up with her grandparents after her parents both died within a short time of each other. It hardened her, in a way, and created a wall that refused to let anyone come too close. Each budding relationship ended as she put up barriers to protect herself from the consequences of losing yet another person she cared about.

The two women meet in college and become fast friends. After all, they empathize with one another. They clearly see each other’s weaknesses – typically, the same ones they have themselves.  The friendship is based on love, mutual trust and understanding. Eventually, Dara rents the apartment built into Abigail’s home and it slowly begins to drive a wedge between them. Their faults begin to become more apparent without distance. Also, because they now live so close together, they find less reason to call on each other just to visit. The result is a distancing of their relationship.

“The House on Fortune Street” is written in an interesting perspective. It begins with Abigail’s boyfriend Sean as he discusses their own relationship, including its strengths and downfalls. He also talks about his concerns regarding Dara, knowing she is dealing with serious issues that threaten her self-esteem and that do, indeed, cause her to take her own life.  It is Sean’s story that gives the basis of the novel and introduces us to the characters. His story ends with the discovery of Dara’s body.

The next part of the book revolves around Dara’s family and is written in her father’s voice. He explains why he left his family, a truth he was never able to reveal to Dara. We learn of his own childhood and what separated he and Dara’s mother. His story ends with a discussion between him and his closest friend about Dara’s death.

The reader then gets the chance to hear Dara’s story. The child who had so much potential becomes the adult who is limited by her own mental illness. We learn about her feelings for Abigail and for her father. We also learn why she felt it necessary to take her own life in the end.  Naturally, the book progresses into the story of Abigail and we are finally taken through her life and learn why she feels threatened by every relationship she encounters. She also tells us more about Dara.

Following Dara’s death, Abigail meets with Dara’s father and he finally opens up to her and tells her the things he should have revealed to Dara herself. The openness leaves Abigail wondering how Dara’s life could have been different had she known the truth all along. Would it have been better or worse?

I became so absorbed in this novel that I felt like nothing else got done until I finished reading it. What a wonderfully written story! Margot Livesey is truly a literary artist.
“The House on Fortune Street” received advance praise from such well-known and award-winning writers as Geraldine Brooks and Ann Patchett. Rarely does a book come along that can garner the type of reviews this one has and I am pleased to have had the opportunity to add my own to the list.

This is a truly wonderful book and should be on everyone’s list of books to read. It’s not often that I read a novel that I don’t want to end. “The House on Fortune Street” is such a book.

Jess Winfield
Hachette Book Group USA (2008)
ISBN 9780446508858
Reviewed by Gina Holland for RebeccasReads (7/08)

“My Name Is Will” is an awesome book.  It has two great storylines, which connect in curious ways.  The book starts out with Willie Shakespeare Greenburg.  He is a college student at the University of California, writing a paper on The Bard.  Low on cash, he agrees to deliver a huge mushroom to a collector, unknowingly becoming a target in the War on Drugs.  On the other hand, William Shakespeare teaches Latin in Stratford.  One day he is approached by a stranger that gives him a relic from Rome.  In his town, he could get hung for this.  Over time, Willie and William’s lives begin to intertwine in strange ways.

Jess Winfield is a great writer, and his writing is clear and understandable.  His descriptions of the characters and settings were amazing.  My favorite parts, personally, were the chapters with Willie.  I liked reading about his friends, his encounters with Dashka, and his whole adventure throughout the story.  William’s part in the story was interesting as well, but Willie’s chapters were more so.  You can definitely get a lot out of this book. If you know about, or have ever read about Shakespeare, you get even more from it with the frequent Shakespeare quotes and dialogue.  I believe the author was very successful in carrying out the purpose of this book.  “My Name Is Will,” in my opinion, is most suitable for adults.  The storyline and the events that happen are more appropriate for adults because of sexual themes, drug use, etc.

All in all, I enjoyed reading “My Name Is Will” very much, and I definitely recommend that others read it.  I am definitely looking forward to reading more books from Jess Winfield in the future.  He is an amazing author and I am positive that anything that he writes will be just as great and as interesting as this book.

“The Decade of Blind Dates” is a provocatively funny, sad, yet genuinely joyful storytelling of the ten years of intimate explorations of Peter Bauman, artist and admirer of beauty, after the occasion of his coming out.  The author’s beautiful command of the English language, coupled with his obvious sophistication, world-wise ways, and immense insight into human (and canine) nature make this a book that begs the reader to forego dinner, forget work, and simply sit back and enjoy the ride.  These things I did, and now I must catch up, after laughing with hilarity and joy, crying so I could not read through my tears, and re-reading paragraphs and descriptions just to enjoy them once more.  

Peter is seeking love.  Sex and beauty and all things feeling displace the search for love, but Peter has many years to make up for.  He is forty-five at the outset of the book, and after his adored wife Becky points out to him that he would be so much happier with a man, they divorce amicably and their two teenage children urge him to find himself, a process which proves almost unbearably slow before internet dating.  Peter’s written letters in reply to the gay want ads he peruses in likely publications take weeks to receive responses, and bring home the startling differences between a slower time and today.  Amazingly, the slower time was not so long ago!  Since Peter’s sainted Becky has found ultimate financial success with her olive oil crust pastries, her munificence allows him to devote his life to his art, unfettered by the banal need to earn a living.  

Peter’s best friend Barry, with his twenty-five year fiasco of a relationship with Len, a horrible old crank and cheat who behaved like a bad father, or worse, provides the continuity between Peter’s many sexual encounters over the ten-year period.  Some tender and sweet, some hilarious, some just sad, their rehashing of each boyfriend (manfriend?) conveys the work involved in trying to find love in midlife.

The ever-present specter of AIDS, painfully intrude upon the mundane and the sublime, and rituals must be followed to ensure the periodic negative test for AIDS.  Eventually prostate cancer rears its ugly head.  It hardly seems fair that Peter has to have vigils for both AIDS and PSA test results. Peter is coaxed back to health by Chas, with his Adonis body and his relentless swim coaching, personal training, and cheering-on at the gay games at which Peter excels, with personal triumph that gladdens the reader.

Peter’s mother, Geraldine, admonishes him to make something of himself, while his father encourages nothing but happiness. Peter’s musings on the meaning of relationships are so enthralling as to drag the reader into a vortex of thinking, feeling, fearing, enjoying, regretting, impossible to resist.

I loved the intense colors of Split Rock Island, the wild private island Peter inherited from his artistic mentor, Lee.  Jutting out into Lake Champlain, the huge old house, fallen into genteel disrepair, beckons to the reader just as it had nourished the artistic souls of both Lee, and then Peter, as it became his and Fred’s, his wonderful canine companion, who ages as we tromp through discoveries with Peter over ten years.  Everyone loves Fred, especially the reader.  On Split Rock Island, you can feel the spray on your face and hear the crack of the glass-like ice on the vast lake as spring arrives.  

“The Decade of Blind Dates” is a fabulous read – Peter with his intimate knowledge of all things fine – fine art, literature, couture, music, cooking and wine.  One becomes jealous that Peter is so accomplished, and yet he is blind to love…

Mark Gungor
Atria (2008)
ISBN 9781416536055
Reviewed by Leslie Storey for RebeccasReads (7/08)

This book is about the differences between men and women and how it affects their relationship with each other.  The concept is similar to many books out there but the author puts a slightly different spin on the principles by including scriptures when applicable and humor. The author, Mark Gungor, is a pastor at Celebration Church in Wisconsin, a motivational speaker, musician and CEO of Laugh Your Way America.
He includes real life experiences, both his personal experiences and experiences of those that he counsels or attend his seminars.

I will admit that the title is a bit misleading.  I’m not sure what I was expecting; maybe how to laugh in your marriage and this book didn’t provide that information.  It did, however, provide a lot of insight into men and women and how they think or process information and how it will affect their spouse.  It gave me a lot to think about when I request things from my husband and how he might act or react.  Overall it is a good book and one that was an easy read.

There is a section in the book called Sex, Lies and the Internet that is directed towards men in particular.  Sure men may read the whole book but he starts the chapter by welcoming the men and saying that if they are like most guys they flipped to this chapter first.  I’d say that he is pretty accurate with that statement.  Women will learn from this section too, so don’t skip it!

There are a few quotes and passages that really struck me from this book and made me rethink how I view marriage whether it is my own or someone else’s.

“…finding someone to journey with in marriage is the slenderest part of a life-long relational journey.  Marriage is more about work than about divine luck, more about finding someone to love than about finding someone to meet your own laundry list of personal needs.”

“Dare to believe marriage is good, that the one you are in is good.  Dare to ask God to help you treasure it, appreciate it, and stay committed to it…”

I would recommend this book to anyone that is looking to strengthen his or her relationship or wants to ensure that it continues to be successful.  

Kathryn Maughan
iUniverse, Inc. (2007)
ISBN 9780595402595
Reviewed by Allison King for RebeccasReads (7/08)

Jennifer's life is still in turmoil eighteen months after her husband has passed away. She can't get her life together or move forward, but knows she needs to for her little girl. Both families are supportive and wanting to help her, but Jennifer is unable to accept that life will never be the same. Depressed, grieving and overwhelmed, she decides there is only one way to make things better. Luckily, this is the night she runs in to Henry. He knows Jennifer from the store he greets at and they've talked about his homeland, Costa Rica. He sees the look of desperation in her eyes that night and decides he needs to tell her the story of hardship and tribulations he has had to endure. In a diner, their stories unfold.

The author, Karen Maughan, takes the lives of Jennifer and Henry and creates an amazing story that is both heartbreaking and inspiring. She takes us back to before Jennifer’s tragic loss of her husband and brings us through to current day. The ups and downs of her life seem to reflect that something tragic might happen. Henry’s life is rewound for us to see his start in Costa Rica and his long, hard road to immigrate and make something of himself in the United States for his family. The author’s writing method of jumping from Jennifer’s past to current time to Henry’s past, throughout the book makes the story flow easier. It helped mix up the times you had to read Henry’s broken English (be aware there is a bit of Spanish used in the story), but that actually made the story ‘different’ to me. You might not understand a few words, but the meaning still comes through by how he tells his story.

On a personal note, having lost my husband suddenly, the passages after she found out she had lost him were so clear in my own memory. I could truly identify with Jennifer’s grief, inability to focus and anger at everyone. The steady flow of ‘get over it’ from family is hard to hear when you are still grieving. I needed a box of Kleenex next to me for most of the second half of the book.

I would recommend this book to anyone that loves stories that pull at your heart. The book is short in length (182 pages), so most people might be able to read it in one sitting.
Overall, this was an amazing book that brought the stories of a woman in anguish and a man full of life together. The meaning of our lives is a strong theme in this book from start to finish. Sometimes, the best moments in life are those unexpected angels that come to you and change your life… forever.

Jimmy Buffett
Little, Brown and Company (2008)
ISBN 9780061451522
Reviewed by Sandie Kirkland for RebeccasReads (7/08)

Things are a little weird in the McBride household.  Ellie has just been hired as the dessert cook at Flutbein's Hotel, a top restaurant in New York City.  That's too long a commute from Vertigo, Tennessee, so the family is packing up and moving to the city, where they'll live in the hotel.  Maple and Barley are Ellie's twelve-year-old twins.  Maple loves to design clothes and is a devotee of the top designer Karen Wu, while Barley is a first-rate soccer player.  The twins' dad, Oliver, is out of the picture; a dreamer always following a new dream and occasionally dropping into their lives.

The family makes the move, and the kids get familiar with their new surroundings.  Everything is working out except for one thing.  This family comes with a pet pig, a one hundred and fifty pounder named Rumpy.  Rumpy is pig non grata at the hotel, which has a prohibition against exotic pets.  That means she must constantly be hidden away, and is trapped in the apartment.  The family is on constant pins and needles, trying to keep her hidden away.

Unfortunately, Rumpy has a personal enemy.  The head chef at the restaurant, Boucher, hates animals and can only conceive of them as his next dinner creation.  How can the family protect Rumpy from Boucher?  How will Ellie handle working for such a disagreeable sort?  Will Maple and Barley fit into the social scene in New York City and their new school?  Can Rumpy find her twin brother, Lukie, who is somewhere in the city?

Buffet handles all these situations deftly, spinning a light confection that leaves the reader amused and satisfied.  This would be a great book for families to read together, perhaps as a nighttime story stretched over several weeks.  It's a perfect traveling book, or just a great book to while away an afternoon in the backyard or at the local pool.  I highly recommend it as an interesting, fun read for all.

John Allen Royce
Micron Press (2008)
ISBN 9780972412131
Reviewed by Allison King for RebeccasReads (7/08)

John Royce brings to life the story of a young, horse-crazed teenager named Meagan and her horse named Promise. Even as the summer solstice brings happiness in the birth of Promise, mystery surrounds her from that day forward. People start coming around Meagan’s house asking questions about Promise and wanting to purchase her. An older lady in particular talks to Meagan and her mom about the history of “The Great Horse.” She feels that Promise may be that horse, but of the ‘dark’ variety.  The only way to know is for the owner to ride the horse. Meagan and her family don’t know whether to believe this woman or not, but one night some men try and steal Promise. Meagan takes it upon herself to save Promise, but the only way to do so is to ride her. You can only imagine the look on her face when Promise sprouts wings and takes Meagan on the ride of her life. This is where the story really begins.

Her adventure takes her from the time of the caveman to Ancient Rome to Genghis Khan to the Crusades. As time and history goes by, she sees how the horse has gone from something eaten for food to being used as weapons in attacks. She realizes that she must use her equestrian knowledge to help her survive these different periods in history. Each time, she waits for Promise to come back to take her home.

“Eclipsed by Shadow” is an adventure about the love of horses that young and old will love to read. The history of the horse is only part of the book. Meagan’s interaction with the people of each era is amazing to read. The intertwining of horse history with the fantasy of winged horses makes for a book you can enjoy and learn from at the same time. The book will pull you in to the darkness of history and not let you stop reading until you get to the end. I can’t wait for the next book to come out!

This is the first book of “The Legend of the Great Horse” trilogy.

Douglas Preston with Mario Spezi
Grand Central Publishing (2008)
ISBN 9780446581196
Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (7/08)

Author Douglas Preston, his wife Christine, and their two children Isaac and Aletheia, moved to Florence, Italy in the year 2000.  As a journalist and a murder mystery author, Preston had the freedom to live wherever he wanted and it had always been a lifelong dream of his to move to Italy.  They rented a farmhouse in the olive groves at the end of a dirt lane and he began research on his next novel.  A friend of Preston’s put him in contact with Mario Spezi (the co-author of this book), a crime reporter for over 20 years.  Preston was interested in talking to Spezi because he wanted to learn more about Italian police procedure and murder investigation so that the novel that he was working on would be factually accurate.

It was this first meeting with Spezi that introduced Preston to the murders committed by “The Monster of Florence.”  Coincidentally, Preston’s farmhouse happens to be right near the scene of one of the slayings.  From the years of 1974-1985, fourteen young lovers were murdered while parked in the hills around Florence.  Despite being the most expensive and longest running investigation in Italian history, the murderer has never been found.  Spezi shares with Preston the information that he has about the crimes and takes him around to the murder sites.  They dig to try to uncover the truth but their probing may lead to more than they bargained for.

One of the things that surprised me most was that the story of “The Monster of Florence” was pretty much unknown in the United States, especially considering the fact that the FBI was involved in the investigation.  It is also interesting to note that Spezi believes that Thomas Harris’ character of Hannibal Lecter was based on “The Monster of Florence.”  In fact, Spezi even saw Harris at one of the trials taking notes. 

I really enjoy true crime stories and found the story of “The Monster of Florence” to be very fascinating and intriguing.  It was interesting to read how the original investigation into the murders was handled and learning about the missteps along the way.  The writing in the book is definitely not for the faint of heart as the gruesome murders are described in great detail, but anyone who enjoys true crime stories will most surely enjoy this book    

Mary Brown
BookSurge Publishing (2008)
ISBN 9781419686580
Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (7/08)

When Mary Margaret Brown was approximately nine years old, she lost her Grandmother Brown, to whom she was very close.  Her grandmother had helped fuel Mary Margaret’s spirituality and they had shared many moments rocking in a chair and singing old hymns.  Once her grandmother passed, she was left with a feeling of emptiness inside. She immersed herself in reading everything that she could get her hands on about the Lord.  Even in school at recess time, instead of going outside to play, she chose to stay in and read the Bible.  

As she was walking home from school one day she had her first vision of the Lord.  “He appeared to be a spirit and was about 15 to 18 inches off the ground.  It seemed that I could see through Him.  He wore red, black and white shepherd’s clothes (like the coat in the movie of Moses) and held a staff in his hand … He had long wavy dark brown hair down to His shoulders or longer.  He also had a beard, and He stood about 6 feet tall, even though He did not touch the ground.  What was so striking about Him was his blue-green eyes in His olive skin.  They were pools of liquid love and compassion.” (p.18)

In this, and in subsequent meetings with the Lord, Mary Margaret learns that she is to be an instrumental part in communicating the word of God, in fact she claims that God specifically instructed her to write this book.  He told her that there is currently an “angel craze” and that he wants her to convey to people the message that angels are “sent to minister to all believers, not to be worshipped.” (p. 2)  He also tells her that she has seen more angels than anyone else in this world and encourages her to share her experiences.

Brown’s book is definitely interesting and attention-grabbing.  Her story is very unique and I have never read anything like it before.  Although the language used in her autobiographical account is very straight-forward and easy to understand, there are some instances where the stories do bounce around and there is also a little bit of repetition that should have been edited out.  The repetition, at times, can make her account not flow as smoothly as it should.  For instance, on page 31 the first full paragraph starts with “It was not until I got to the dance that I learned that Harry’s roommate was a man that had tried to date me years before, and he was acting as the bartender.”  Then, in the third paragraph down on the same page, the first sentence is ”When we arrived at the dance, I noticed that this man who had tried to date me when I first came to town was acting as the bartender, and learned that he was Harry’s roommate.” 

Mary Margaret Brown is a very spiritual person and besides this book she shares the Word of God as a minister and as the President of the Standing in the Gap ministry.  I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read an autobiographical account of one woman’s spiritual journey and to those interested in the subject of angels and their purpose.   Although the writing can be a bit unorganized at times, the story is an interesting one to read.                   

Andrew Feder
AuthorHouse (2007)
ISBN 9781434330543
Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (7/08)

“The Heretic” by Andrew Feder is the sequel to Feder’s first novel “When The Angels Have Risen.”  Having not read the first book, I was concerned that I would be lost when I started reading this one.  My fears were definitely unwarranted as “The Heretic” works extremely well as a stand-alone novel.  There was never a point when I was reading it that I experienced any confusion at all.  However, I enjoyed the writing a lot and will most likely go back and read the first book anyway!

The book begins with Jerry Fletcher waking up from a dream that is all too common to him, one where he has taken on the role of a prominent historical figure.  After meeting up with an ex-girlfriend in a museum, Jerry takes her advice and seeks the guidance of a psychic named Yonah in an attempt to make sense of these dreams and to learn about his past lives.  Yonah performs a regression on him and he is taken back through various periods of history like the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and the Middle Ages. 

He continues on until he finally stops in Ancient Greece.  In this life he is Aias, wife of Nefertiri, and father of Jason and Lysia.  One day his children’s friends were admiring Aias’ sword, shield and armor, and Aias proceeds to tell them the story of his days with his good friend Alexander the Great.  The rest of the book is a continuation of the battles and adventures of Alexander and Aias, dubbed the Heretic by Aristotle, because of his lack of belief in the Greek gods.  Aias also claims that he is different than the typical Greek male of this period in that he is a heterosexual whereas most of the others practiced homosexuality. 

Feder’s work of historical fiction is very creative and really held my interest.  The fact that the novel is written in contemporary language made the book an easy read even though it may have detracted from providing an air of authenticity of the era.  I would also like to add that the author does use a lot of profanity in the book, even when we are transported back to Ancient Greece.  There is a note at the beginning of the book warning readers of this fact, so if this type of writing offends you then you may want to skip the book.  However, the writing is very unique and entertaining and I think that anyone who enjoys historical fiction should definitely give Feder’s writing a try!      

Bill Myers and Dave Wimbish
Zondervan/Youth Specialties (2008)
ISBN 9780310279242
Reviewed by LuAnn Morgan for RebeccasReads (7/08)

Young people often question their lives and think there should be more answers readily available to them. That is one reason why the occult often holds a certain fascination for them.  Bill Myers, a youth worker and writer/director, along with Dave Wimbish, creative supervisor for Russ Reid Company, have joined forces to teach troubled teens what is of God … and what isn’t.

The two authors delve into a variety of supernatural beliefs and compare them to what the Bible has to say. They look at both good and bad angels, demons, Satanism, UFOs, communication with the dead, ghosts, near-death experiences, reincarnation, Wicca and witchcraft, vampires and fantasy games. They also touch on such topics as channeling, astrology, astral projection, yoga, meditation, crystal power, ESP and universalism.
Myers and Wimbish never say these beliefs don’t exist. In fact, they demonstrate they are very real, yet what is the actual foundation of the beliefs?

The authors use God’s Word to answer that very question. Passages in the Bible come to life as they cite how Jesus’ followers often came face-to-face with these same beliefs and found the true path through the Savior.  These beliefs are not new; they date back centuries – to the beginning of life on Earth when Satan first tempted Adam and Eve with his mystical powers. Satan, the bad angels and demons have tried to run roughshod over mankind for eons. They are, after all, enemies of man because of their hatred for good and love of evil.

“The Dark Side of the Supernatural” is written for teens, but it is a book that parents should also read in order to understand the forces that attempt to capture their children. Armed with the information provided by Myers and Wimbish, parents have a better chance of helping their children avoid the pitfalls of these beliefs and falling under their spells. 

Not only do the authors give us the answers to where these beliefs stem from, they also provide the reader with an excellent education on the background and history of supernatural entrapments.  Myers and Wimbish don’t leave the reader hanging, either. The final chapter offers suggestions on how to protect oneself against the supernatural forces by explaining why people are drawn to the occult and how to avoid the temptations.

The book is very informative and easy to read. I personally learned quite a bit from reading it. In some cases, the book made me want to get out my own Bible and read the chapters where the passages the authors cite are found.  It’s an excellent resource and a fascinating read.

Mike Carey
Grand Central Publishing (2008)
ISBN 9780446580311
Reviewed by Gina Holland for RebeccasReads (6/08)

Mike Carey is the author of The Devil You Know. I have not read that book as of yet, and I don’t know if I will. That’s the honest truth. In this novel is the story of Felix Castor, a well-known friend of many, and an exorcist. Felix does some work with the cops, and for him it’s a way to make some extra money. Felix has quite a few friends and enemies in this novel. He has a friend named Rafi, who is possessed by a demon. This was the result of an exorcism gone wrong one night by Felix. Instead of Felix getting the demon to come out of Rafi, he somehow entwined the two souls together. Not good for his friend Rafi, as you will see. He has a friend from hell by the name of Juliet. Juliet is a succubus, Ajulutsikael, who was supposed to be hunting Felix, destroy him, and then eat his soul. Somehow, Felix and Juliet came to some kind of agreement. I am not sure how that happened, as I don’t remember it in the book. She doesn’t seem to want to eat Felix anymore. Strange friends indeed!

Felix gets a call. It’s a call that he takes seriously; two people who claim to truly love their daughter allege that her spirit has been stolen. They are willing to pay anything to get her back, and so they hire Felix to find her for them. It turns out to be such a twisted tale, that I found myself lost more than once. The only part that I found truly interesting was the end.

“Vicious Circle” is exactly what it sounds like. I found that this novel was going around in circles so much it was hard to keep up. The plot of the story was fascinating, but I feel as though the book overly long and the storyline was stretched out too far.  I loved the character of Felix, he was very humorous and exciting, but his adventure was somewhat boring at times.

Of course, this is only one opinion and it is mine. Some of you may love this novel. It is filled with demons and ghosts and funny looking creatures that may fascinate you. Felix Castor will definitely capture your attention. I would not recommend this book for anyone underage, as it has a great deal of profanity in it; I suppose that goes along with the demons from hell.

Delauné Michel
Avon: An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
ISBN 9780060817367
Reviewed by Lisa Heidle for RebeccasReads (7/08)

In “The Safety of Secrets” by Delauné Michel, we meet Fiona, a working actor in Hollywood, who is married and expecting her first child. Although this should be an exciting time, her closest friendship is unraveling and her marriage is strained. She has spent much of her life holding a life-altering incident from her childhood so close that nothing can penetrate, showing the malignant effects of secrets and how they contaminate all that we love and desire most. 

She and Patricia, her childhood friend, were drawn together out of a shared understanding of what it’s like to be unseen, not considered. Both become actors in order to gain the acceptance they never had as children, a natural progression for two unwanted women who learned to play roles and wear masks at a young age. The experience they shared and chose to lock away has bound them together, more out of necessity than devotion. Due to their troubled early lives, neither Fiona nor Patricia learned how to separate from one another and create boundaries as they moved into adulthood; the interactions between them and others are juvenile at best. When Fiona shares the news with her husband that they are going to have a baby, he asks that she postpone sharing the news until the pregnancy progresses. Having already told Patricia, Fiona has “…a sudden impulse to cross my fingers behind my back.” She justifies the telling to herself by saying, “And she’s my best friend, for Christ’s sake. Telling her is like telling myself.”

Michel uses Fiona’s progressing pregnancy in parallel to the disintegrating relationship between the two women. As the burden of concealment builds in them both, communication turns into competition and devotion turns into animosity until the pain and resentment is palpable. They skirt around the secret they share, unwilling to delve into the pain from the past. The author also refers to acting approaches to mirror Fiona’s interpersonal relationships, reinforcing the belief that all is not what it seems with the struggling character. After a difficult encounter with Patricia, Fiona muses, “I want to slap her. And rewind this to the beginning when she walked in to see if we could do a better take, like happy best friends. Like that acting technique of working from the outside in: do the physical and the emotions will follow. Not that I ever believed in that technique, but maybe it could work this time.”

When Patricia divulges their shared history on national television, Fiona is forced to question what occurred so many years before and to explore the difference between secrets and privacy. Delauné Michel’s “The Safety of Secrets” shows that safety is only an opaque illusion if it does not reside within the truth.

Cathleen Fillmore
Robert Reed Publishers
ISBN 9781931741927
Reviewed by Dr. Michael Philliber for RebeccasReads (7/08)

The mechanics of becoming a successful Professional Speaker can be a bit daunting. Cathleen Fillmore has laid out an easy-to-follow set of plans to profitably negotiate those mechanics in her 166 page paperback titled “The Six-Figure Speaker: Formula for a Six-Figure Income as a Professional Speaker.” In this book Fillmore assumes the reader has already mastered the ability to speak in public, and focuses her energies on how to break into the professional speaker market.

The practicality of “The Six-Figure Speaker” begins at page 1 and flows all the way to the end. Several chapters lay out various game plans for generating speaking engagements. Other chapters explain the ins and outs of speaker bureaus and agents. Some tackle the pros and cons of bringing on staff members, and when it might be unnecessary and when productive. A couple of chapters lay out ideas on how to divide your time between speech preparation, presentation and generating leads. Other topics cover building websites, what to look for in contracts, and how to be a long-term winner with speaker bureaus and program organizers. Fillmore also includes chapters that are written by flourishing professional speakers who describe their own methods of achievement.

Though the material sometimes gets a bit monotonous, some themes are repeated in several chapters, overall this is a great how-to book on becoming a winning certified speaker. If you’re looking for ideas on how to break into the speaker market, succeed and come through it alive and thriving then “The Six-Figure Speaker” is the book for you.

Katie Crouch
Little, Brown and Company (2008)
ISBN 9780316002110
Reviewed by Gina Holland for RebeccasReads (7/08)

“Girls In Trucks” is about Sarah Walters, a girl growing up in a family of Camellia Society Debutants. As a member, she is expected to be prim and proper: a young lady. She tries very hard. She makes a few friends, and they are expected to stay friends for life. So be it. Sarah grows up about as normal as other girls her age, whatever normal is. She takes us step by step inside her life of pain, love, tragedy, and etcetera.

Sarah loves her mom and dad dearly. She adores her sister even though her sister is always bossing her around. Sarah grows up a lot different then her sister, even though they come from the same household. She gets into things that are really not good for her, including men. She has many different relationships. In one of her relationships with a man named Max, she is very happy, and loves him very much. Until the day he decides to bring another woman home in their bed. Sarah walks out, because she’s had enough, but does she return? Or does she move on to other things, other men, other hurtful situations? By the time Sarah is thirty, she’s still not married. When is she going to find the right man? She has one unexpected thing in her life that she loves dearly.

This novel brought me back through the memories of my childhood. It reminded me of the things that I went through growing up. When an author writes a book like this one, I believe that they have some of their own childhood memories mixed in, too! That is a good thing. I love the fact that when I read something, I can relate to a lot of the things that the other person is going through. Sarah Walters is a wonderful character. I really enjoyed her. Another good character was her sister. I have known a lot of sister’s like Sarah’s. Always teasing their younger sister, making the little sister does things for her. It’s all a part of growing up and the love of sisters. I loved this book because it did take me back to my younger days. Something I very seldom think about now.

Katie Crouch did a wonderful job in capturing Sarah’s childhood. The ending is good, however, it is my opinion that the ending should have been very different. I was really not expecting it to end the way it did.

Tom Massey, Ph.D.
Robert D. Reed Publishers (2002)
ISBN 9781885003775
Reviewed by Dr. Michael Philliber for RebeccasReads (7/08)

To read a leadership book takes a lot of grit and guts. Many times they’re difficult to fathom because real leadership can be truly complicated. Or they’re cheerleading sessions marginally in touch with reality. Tom Massey has culled some basic principles of good leadership and piled them into a short 52 Chapter, 105 page book, “The ABC’s of Effective Leadership; Managing from the Heart.” Each chapter is short enough to get through at the beginning of a very busy day, yet substantial enough to give the leader something valuable to work through. Each chapter ends with a short, ‘Application’ section and a one-line positive affirmation.

Massey covers numerous subjects in a friendly, coaching style. Each chapter sticks to the point, and builds momentum toward the normally thoughtful conclusion. The topics cover loads of subject matter; for example, training, managing by mingling, how to valuably utilize time, delegation, conflict management, and how to keep your best people. For many readers these short chapters will be simple leadership reminders, for others they will be thought-starters toward better management.

On top of covering a breadth of helpful themes, “The ABC’s of Effective Leadership’ is also a quite useable manual. There’s rarely any pie-in-the-sky dreamy idealism. Instead, most of the chapters cover real issues with workable conclusions. Recently I was doing some marriage counseling with a young couple. They couldn’t seem to go a week without experiencing some argument that ended in tears, frustration, and complete communication shutdown. As they sat in front of me I gave them copies of Chapter 26 “Manage Conflict Creatively: Stay Cool and Think Win-Win.” After reading the slightly humorous story at the beginning of then chapter, we walked through Dr. Massey’s step-by-step application. They left with a useable game plan in their hand.

This book could be useful for corporate leadership team discussion starters. It can also be helpful for a one-woman small business leader who has hit a wall. Whether you’re leading a large company, or a small not-for-profit agency, this book has plenty to give and abundant ideas for managing from the heart. For a short, succinct, practicable handbook on sound leadership, I recommend Tom Massey’s “The ABC’s of Effective Leadership.”