{Review} The Storm Protocol by Iain Cosgrove

ASIN #: B00BM17C8Y

File Size: 887 KB

Page Count: 438

Copyright: February 26, 2013

Publisher: Iain Cosgrove

Book Summary:

(Taken from Goodreads)

Imagine creating the perfect drug; all of the highs with none of the lows. No side effects, no painful physical withdrawal, no drawbacks.

Or are there ...

Deep in the Louisiana bayou, Thomas Eugene O'Neill a.k.a. The Street, an Irish immigrant mob enforcer, waits patiently with his gun amidst the sweltering heat of a southern storm. His employers, Italian American drug lords Guido and Ernesto Mancini, have a guaranteed formula to create the perfect narcotic and Thomas knows too much.

But he is not alone.

Detective Charles Roussel, ex hot-shot city lawyer turned small town Louisiana lawman, is investigating a strange case at the old plantation house he used to call home. He gets drawn inexorably to Ireland, as all his research begins to guide him to the same inevitable destination; Cork.

Agent Dale Foster, unorthodox New York DEA agent and victim of one too many bogus leads, hears murmurs of the next big thing; a drug without equal. The whisperings lead him to one last tumultuous confrontation with his superiors, who compel him to take an enforced vacation. As his plane lands in Ireland, and he follows the trail of rumours to Cork, he knows his professional instincts are leading him to the biggest bust of his life, or ending his career forever.

For Thomas, the middle-aged hit man, all roads seem to lead back to Cork; the city of his birth and the ghosts of his past.

He has plenty of questions and needs some answers, and all the while the words echo in his head.

'Be careful what you wish for!'

Kathy's Review:

This is not my genre of choice. I thought the book was extremely well written, but suffered from two flaws as far as I was concerned: first, too many characters to keep track of, and second, too long. I also found the shifting POV to be a bit confusing.

If you like gunfire, explosions and plenty of action, then this book will be right up your alley. Think Tom Clancy, James Patterson and the like. For me, it was entertaining but like I said, a bit confusing at times with the POV shifts. I would have preferred a focus on 2-3 characters, with a first person POV section for each, and then the other characters receiving minor mention. I think the story would have been considerably easier to follow.


*An ecopy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

{Meme} It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Yay! It's November; a month of colder weather (depending on which country you're in), bonfires, camping, falling leaves and, if you're lucky, snow! It's also NaNoWriMo month, so a lot of reading may not be accomplished. Here's what we're trying to get read so far ...

Mandy:

For Review

Where are the Christians? Despite numbering two billion worldwide, this question is being asked with more frequency given the eroding moral state of society. This ground breaking book explores the dynamics of American Christianity offering unique and timeless insights into one of the world's most prevalent religions. Whatever the reader's beliefs, this book will challenge conventional notions and broaden ones understanding of Christianity's past, present and future.

Where are the Christians? uses the classic format of who, what, where and how to explore Christianity and the dynamics that unite and divide the religion into the unrealized potential it suffers from today. The book enlightens the reader as to who the Christians are from a historical perspective; what a Christian is from a spiritual perspective; where the Christians are from a behavioral perspective; and how Christianity can be strengthened and more united from a societal perspective. Where are the Christians? examines hundreds of Biblical and scholarly sources, analyzing data from a multitude of studies and interviews leading to unique perspectives and solutions to the challenges facing Christianity in the modern era.

For Review

Incredibly, more than 3,000 women in the United States military report Military Sexual Trauma (MST) each year. Yet, to date, the military seems unwilling or unable to provide its own woman soldiers with the care they deserve – and unable to prevent these atrocities from occurring in the first place. With The Female Veteran, female military veteran Ty Will tells her own deeply personal account of rape at the hands of her sergeant, and her experience with seeking treatment from a VA ill-equipped to deal with the pervasive issue.

The Female Veteran is a must-read for all veterans and their families – particularly those with a mother, daughter, aunt or sister in the armed forces -- as well as those considering entering the military.

Kathy:

Jess Aarons' greatest ambition is to be the fastest runner in his grade. He's been practicing all summer and can't wait to see his classmates' faces when he beats them all. But on the first day of school, a new girl boldly crosses over to the boys' side and outruns everyone.

That's not a very promising beginning for a friendship, but Jess and Leslie Burke become inseparable. Together they create Terabithia, a magical kingdom in the woods where the two of them reign as king and queen, and their imaginations set the only limits. Then one morning a terrible tragedy occurs. Only when Jess is able to come to grips with this tragedy does he finally understand the strength and courage Leslie has given him.

For 2013 TBR Pile Challenge

In the summer of 1953, two eleven-year-old boys—best friends—are playing in a Little League baseball game in Gravesend, New Hampshire. One of the boys hits a foul ball that kills the other boy's mother. The boy who hits the ball doesn't believe in accidents; Owen Meany believes he is God's instrument. What happens to Owen, after that 1953 foul ball, is extraordinary.

In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, author Stephen R. Covey presents a holistic, integrated, principle-centered approach for solving personal and professional problems. With penetrating insights and pointed anecdotes, Covey reveals a step-by-step pathway for living with fairness, integrity, service, and human dignity--principles that give us the security to adapt to change and the wisdom and power to take advantage of the opportunities that change creates.

{Review} Getting Things Off My Chest: A Survivor's Guide to Staying Fearless and Fabulous in the Face of Breast Cancer by Melanie Young

ISBN #: 978-1462113231

Page Count: 256

Copyright: September 10, 2013

Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc.

Description:

(Taken from back cover)

Charge head on into the battle with breast cancer, armed with these outstanding survivor's tips on how to stay sane, focused, and in charge. Complete with checklists geared toward streamlining your new life, this book helps you eliminate stress and boost your spirits with positive thinking and humor. Don't let your cancer control you; empower yourself and ease the transition with this all-inclusive guide.

Charlene's Review:

If you know anyone that is facing breast cancer, run, do not walk, and purchase this for them!

Written by a survivor, using other survivors’ experience, and a healthy dose of humor, Ms. Young has written THE go-to book for breast cancer awareness. Anything, and everything, a patient needs to know is inside, and written in a direct, informative text, without the medical journal feel.

Beginning with "It took losing my breasts to find my voice," and with chapters covering everything from "Digesting your diagnosis," "This is your brain on chemo," to "Making cancer a positive life sentence," it guides every step of the cancer process. There is not enough positive I can say, except I plan on purchasing these and handing them out to local hospitals so that they may have this resource on hand.

5 out of 5 stars!


*A physical copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

{Review} Shine: How to Walk the Talk by Nancy Segovia

ISBN #: 978-1484858486

Page Count: 112

Copyright: June 12, 2013

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 2nd Edition

Description:

(Taken from nancysegovia.com)

In Shine: How to Walk the Talk, Nancy Segovia lays out a series of simple steps you can to take to walk the talk: to love God above all and your neighbor as yourself. Using parables, folk tales, and struggles from her own life, she provides uplifting insights into the Christian walk that can make your first steps easier. She examines scripture for clues on what it means to shine, how to reflect God’s love, and what to do when the muddy messes of life blot out God’s light in you. You will relate to her failings, those "Duh!" moments when spiritual understanding begins to dawn. Most important, you will learn how to apply that understanding you will learn how to turn your talk into your walk and how to help others to do the same.

Charlene's Review:

In down-to-earth, everyday language, Ms. Segovia leads the reader through the necessary steps to growing in the Lord. Using the example of a buttercup, which always faces the sun, she paints a picture for a believer to follow, as we strive to glorify the Son.

"Unlike the buttercups that have no choice in the matter, which He created to always face the sun, He gave us the ability to make choices, to exercise our right of free will." 

Ms. Segovia gives us the information needed to turn our eyes back on Jesus, the rest is up to us.

Each chapter begins with a Bible verse and ends with a prayer. Ms. Segovia has an obvious love of Biblical learning, as well as a heart for God. Using excerpts from her own life, both good and bad, to identify with the reader, makes this a no-pressure, inspirational tool. I especially liked the equation she used, "understanding + compassion = mercy." What an amazingly easy way to remember the qualities that God has asked of us.


*A physical copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

{Review} The Way Up by Ward Jones

ISBN #: 978-1477429372

Page Count: 320

Copyright: February 28, 2013

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Book Summary:

(Taken from Goodreads)

Emotional, painful and often sensual, The Way Up follows the trials and tribulations of John Howard, a 26-year-old law school graduate who works through family tragedy, turbulent relationships, and an unexpected series of career changes. Jones' complex characters come to life in The Way Up, as Howard comes to grip with his ever changing reality in this intriguing and dramatic tale.

Kathy's Review:

Hi, it's Debbie Downer here with another book review. Today I am reviewing The Way Up, which should have been titled, Up, the Way Is, Hmmm? because I think it was ghost written by Yoda. Now, I'm all for different writing styles, because as they say, variety is the spice of life. But I'm also a stickler for correct grammar and punctuation, because I judge your intelligence by the way you construct a sentence.

The author's writing style is very ... jarring. It's not natural and it doesn't flow correctly. It's almost like it was written in a different language and then copied and pasted into Google Translate. So, right off the bat, that was hard to get past.

I made it through the whole book, but nothing really stuck with me. The plot doesn't seem to be building toward anything, it just goes from one thing to the next to the next. The characters aren't that compelling. The most interesting relationship, in my opinion, is the one between John and his parents, and that's over within the first third of the book. The relationship he has with his wife, Kathy, seems like a mis-match from the start. She is not a likeable character, but then again, he isn't, either. Everyone is kind of flat, depressed, not much dimension.

I'm not going to recommend The Way Up at this time. Between the writing, lack of plot and character development, The Way Up needs to find its way up to snuff.


*A paperback copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.