Good morning, day, afternoon, or evening (I really cannot predict what’s the time where you’re living), and I would just like to send out my thanks and appreciation to all of you who have been coming to this website and reading what I have to say.

If it wasn't for you, I probably would have stopped this a long time ago. Once again, thank you for helping to make me what I am today, have a Happy New Year and enjoy your holidays, whatever they may be!

“The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry” by Rachel Joyce – A Spiritual Awakening

Harold Fry is a man who lives life as a routine; every day, he goes through the exact same procedures, having become somewhat of a robot, at least physically. What’s worse, his wife simply cannot stand him, hating the way he does literally everything, from talking to tying his shoe laces.

On a day which was supposed to be exactly like every other one, Harold receives a very surprising letter from a woman he has last encountered over twenty years ago. That woman is lying close to death, and the letter is her final goodbye. Inexplicably unfazed by this turn of events, Harold hastily writes a reply and goes to deposit it into his mailbox.

However, as novels like this usually have it, Harold makes an encounter on his short journey to the mailbox, one which convinces him that he has to deliver this letter in person, and so he sets out on a pilgrimage across the countryside, a trip during which he makes many strange encounters which remind him of the meaning of being alive.

“Threat Vector” by Tom Clancy and Mark Greaney – Warfare Evolution

When most of us think of warfare, we probably imagine ourselves dozens, hundreds, or perhaps even thousands of soldiers going head to head with each other, whether it’s with clubs and swords or tanks and machineguns. Over the past few decades though, warfare has changed tremendously to the point where technology and intelligence dictate who the winner will be without question. As it happens, relatively little is written about this kind of warfare, the one fought behind closed doors at headquarters, and that’s exactly what we get with Tom Clancy's and Mark Greaney's Threat Vector, a novel with Jack Ryan as the main protagonist.

This time around, as Jack Ryan returns to the Oval Office a new threat arises: the Chinese Government finds itself forced to comply with the expansionist policies of General Su Ke Qiang, which leads to a declaration of war on Taiwan. Not content to sit idly by while such dramatic events occur, the United States Government comes to the protection of Taiwan, and that’s where things start to get complicated.

“Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” by Seth Grahame-Smith – The Hidden Menace

Release date: April 3, 2012
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Pages: 384
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Most of us know Abraham Lincoln as the president who abolished slavery and then got shot by a then-famous actor while attending a play at the opera. The more you look into his life, the more it seems that he was above ordinary men, and the secret journal discovered by Seth Grahame-Smith only confirms that suspicion.

In that journal, Lincoln discusses a part of his life no one knew about, the one where he learned his mother was slain by a vampire. With the help of his height, his unparalleled strength and his mighty axe, Lincoln sets out on a bloody and gruesome adventure to rid the world of the vampire menace, and most importantly, to avenge his mother’s death.

“The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green – A New Beginning at the End

I think it wouldn't be too far-fetched to say that the concept of death is one which has captivated the minds of humans unlike any other subject out there. It comes for everyone at one point or another, yet not a single person truly knows beyond all doubt what happens when one dies.

There are many attempts to provide an explanation for what happens beyond the realms of death, but they are all conjectures; until someone finds a way to come back from the beyond and tell us what’s up on the other side, we’re relegated to mere hypotheses. In any case, regardless of what we all think about, it is without question most of us dread the day the reaper will come for us… while for some it may be quick and painless, for others it can be a whole different story. Such is the case of Hazel, a young woman who is terminally-ill with cancer, in John Green’s novel, The Fault in Our Stars.

“Bring Up the Bodies” by Hilary Mantel – The Royal Trial

Release date: May 8, 2012
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Pages: 412
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Bring Up the Bodies by Hillary Mantel is the anticipated sequel to Wolf Hall, and if you haven’t read it yet I suggest you do. You can check it out in my Wolf Hall review. In any case, for those who have read it, this time around Henry has become disillusioned with the woman whose hand he so desperately fought for years earlier, mostly because she bore him no son.

Things get even worse when Anne Boleyn becomes the center of gossip as Katherine, who was exiled from the court, passes away. Thomas Cromwell stands ready to bring the Anne down as soon as Henry commands it, and so begins one of the most convoluted trials, that of the Queen herself. Unlike the previous book, this one doesn’t wander all over the place, something which can mostly be attributed to the setting already being created in the first book. There are also less characters and storylines to follow this time around, but rest assured the quality more than compensates for the lack of quantity.

“Wolf Hall” by Hilary Mantel – Bloodlines and Bloodshed

Release date: October 13, 2009
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Pages: 560
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In case you aren't familiar with how England worked during the 16th century (and the Middle Ages, for that matter), the king and queen would basically rule over a bunch of lower classes, and as long as there is a clear successor to the throne, things work more or less normally.

However, in Wolf Hall by Hillary Mantel we are being shown the life of Henry VIII, who is fresh out of luck as he cannot seem to give Britain what it wants: a male heir. A lack of a heir would mean that all sorts of crazy people would be able to make a claim for the throne, inevitably plunging the country into a civil war.

The king is trying to rupture his marriage with his current wife, but instead of support finds that the rest of Europe as well as the Vatican frown upon his decision. However, amongst a sea of detractors emerges on man, Thomas Cromwell, an ambitious, charming, brutal, idealistic and opportunistic man, and he takes the king’s side.

“Wormhole” by Richard Phillips – The End of an Era, or the End of a Race?

Wormhole is the final part of the Rho Agenda trilogy written by Richard Phillips, and if you haven’t had the pleasure of reading the first two books yet, then I highly recommend you do so before reading this review, unless of course you like to spoil books for yourself. You can read about the first book in The Second Ship review, and about the second one in my Immune review.

In any case, this time around Dr. Donald Stephenson has been imprisoned under the pretext that he committed crimes against humanity, which isn’t exactly false. However, scientists in Switzerland discover a new menace, one which risks to swallow the entire Earth whole, and the Rho Project is what can stop it.

“Immune” by Richard Phillips – The Miracle Cure

If you haven’t read the first book of The Rho Agenda trilogy trilogy, then I strongly suggest that you do, because I’m probably going to spoil something about its ending... however, I guess such things are inevitable when writing about a trilogy. In any case, here is my review of the The Second Ship. Now on with the review.

The second book in the trilogy takes off pretty much where the first one ended: the NSA director failed to contain the Rho Project, which has led to it being infiltrated into the government. What’s worse, the alien Nano-serum (notorious for causing death) is being administered to the people under the pretense of it being a magical cure for all of their problems.

“The Second Ship” by Richard Phillips – Welcome to Earth

Regardless of whether or not you believe in UFOs and extraterrestrial beings, you have to admit that pondering the question is quite interesting, especially considering the promptly covered and classified possible encounters we have had with them or their technology.

In the Rho Agenda Trilogy written by Richard Phillips, the story begins in the book titled The Second Ship, where for sixty years a UFO which crashed mysteriously has been kept secret behind the walls of an underground laboratory.

However, just as the government got ready to tell the public the entire truth about it, three teenagers have to misfortune (or is it the fortune?) of running into a second ship which was just outside the military’s reach.

“The Yellow Birds” by Kevin Powers – The Golden Nightmare

Release date: September 11, 2012
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Pages: 240
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By itself, the Middle East is home to some of the most breathtaking pieces of scenery ever, ranging from cold and snowy mountains all the way to vast terrains and dunes made golden by the sun’s rays shining off grains of sand.

Unfortunately, as is made amply obvious in The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers, the Middle East is home to things much deadlier than its scenery, with the whole war thing going on. In the novel we follow the journey of two recruits which have been deployed as part of the force tasked with taking over the city of Al Tafar, Iraq.

The novel doesn't really take that long to set up the action, and it begins fairly early with battles against partisans and insurgents inside the city. However, as time goes on and one, it becomes increasingly clear that bullets really aren’t their worst enemy; the heat, the wait, and the constant mental pressure seems to be what they have to worry about.

“A Higher Call” by Adam Makos and Larry Alexander – A True Story of Compassion Between Enemies

Release date: December 19, 2012
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 400
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First off, I’d like to say that even though A Higher Call by Adam Makos and Larry Alexander is mostly a novel, the events depicted within it were based on real stories, at least as far as the overall path traveled by the two main characters goes.

I’m sure you are already familiar with World War II from history text books, television shows, movies and whatnot, so I’m kind of going to skip over explaining the importance of this world event; even if you aren't an expert, you probably have an idea as to how things were for and between the Allied and the Axis, which is enough to understand this novel.

“Antifragile: Things that Gain from Disorder” by Nassim Nicholas Taleb – Chaos Explored

Series: Incerto
Release date: November 27, 2012
Publisher: Random House
Pages: 544
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From his previously-published book The Black Swan, it is no secret that Nassim Nicholas Taleb doesn’t believe this world to be an orderly and predictable place; the events which truly dictate humanity’s fate are almost always the ones nobody sees coming. In Antifragile, Nassim digs deeper into the concept of chaos and how its existence is necessary.

What does the title refer to exactly? Well, it seems that in this book Nassim coins the term "antifragile" in reference to that which flourishes under stress and disorder. For instance, when human bones are broken they grow back stronger and revolutions become more powerful as people try to suppress them.

“The Black Swan” by Nassim Nicholas Taleb – Is the Truth Really Simple?

Series: Incerto
Release date: May 11, 2010
Publisher: Random House
Pages: 444
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Ever since humans have gained the ability to form and express thoughts we have tirelessly searched for answers to questions such as "why are we here?" and "why does the world work the way it does?" Different people turned to different places for answers; some turned to religion, others to science, while many others simply came to the conclusion they will never get an answer. While I’m not going to claim I've found the answers to those questions, it is very possible that Nassim Nicholas Taleb at least partially answered the question as to why the world works the way it does, in his bestseller The Black Swan.

Just to clear things up, this book has pretty much nothing to do with the movie by the same name. As a matter of fact, the name may very well be the only thing they have in common. In this case, we are presented with a philosophical book where Nassim explores the concept of the black swan, an event which is deemed practically impossible to happen and yet does, often carrying tremendous consequences behind it.

The book took its name from the black swan philosophical thought experiment during the 17th century. In that experiment, it was deemed that the chances of finding a black swan (at least from a European’s point of view) are impossible for no one has ever seen anything but white swans. However, in 1697 explorers found a black swan in Australia.

While Nassim explores a myriad of concepts in his book, the main point he is driving at is that the events in our world which are truly important are often the most unpredictable ones, for they open doors which we never suspected even existed. He believes that we place far too much importance on events of the past repeating themselves.

He presents some convincing examples, such as 9/11 and the stock market crash, two events which were completely unpredictable and had a tremendous impact on the world. Chances are that you won’t really end up liking the world of the black swan, but the fact remains that Nassim isn't here to take sides; he is here to try and communicate the conclusions he has come to from his own observations about how the world really works.

Also, I feel it has to be added that the second edition of The Black Swan has been released, and in it Nassim adds an extra essay called On Robustness and Fragility, in which he discusses what most people probably wanted to hear: what to do and how to handle yourself when navigating the black swan world, and more importantly, how to exploit it to your advantage.

All in all, an eye-opening book, and if it won’t change your way of thinking, it will at least give you something to think about for the next couple of weeks.

Nassim Nicholas Taleb (1960) Personal site Nassim Nicholas Taleb is a Lebanese-American author, essayist, scholar, statistician and risk analyst whose main topic of concern is that of probability, and everything that comes associated with it. He is well-known for his 2007 book, The Black Swan, in which he rather interestingly analyzes the concept of unpredictable events.

More of the Nassim Nicholas Taleb's book reviews:
Antifragile

"The Jakarta Pandemic" by Steven Konkoly – The Apocalypse in Your Backyard

Most of us would like to believe that all these thoughts and discussions about the end of the world are only speculations from curious minds... however, at the back of our heads we know everything ends at some point, and I believe it’s that fear which makes stories about survival in a post-apocalyptic setting so attractive to us.

In The Jakarta Pandemic, Steven Konkoly capitalizes on that fear, following Iraq War Veteran Alex Fletcher, as he first desperately attempts to keep his family safe from the flu pandemic, and then works with the entire neighbourhood to fight off a threat far greater than a deadly virus, which says a lot about the kind of evil they are facing.

“The Edge of Never” by J.A. Redmerski – How to Find Oneself

Release date: July 2, 2013
Publisher: Forever
Pages: 496
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Practically every person who is living on this Earth, in first-world countries at least, has a daily routine, a world which has been carefully built; a family, friends, a career, relationships, favourite hangouts, food preferences… etc... etc...

However, the truth is that there are many dissatisfied with knowing where their life is going next, at least from time to time, and wish for nothing but the ability to disappear and reappear elsewhere with a completely clean and blank slate.

Unfortunately though, going on a spontaneous road-trip into the void is something which would doom most people to failure, at least in the real world. However, literature sure as hell doesn't have to stick to any rules, and in J.A. Redmerski’s The Edge of Never, the main protagonist, Camryn Bennett, sets out on an adventure just like the one described above.

“The Cowboy and the Cossack” by Clair Huffaker – The Wild East

Release date: December 4, 2012
Publisher: AmazonEncore
Pages: 386
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Describing The Cowboy and the Cossack as a western doesn't really do it justice… as a matter of fact, there may not really be an official genre for this type of novel. And that, in my opinion, makes it at least worth checking out.

Written by Clair Huffaker, The Cowboy and the Cossack takes place in the Far East as fifteen cowboys with a giant herd prepare to cross thousands of miles of Siberian wilderness. To help them out, a group of Cossacks, elite Russian warriors, are sent to escort them.

As they begin their march, the cruel winter becomes only one of their problems. First, there is an intense clash of cultures, not only for a lack of communication, but also for a disparity in fundamental beliefs, especially between the leader of the cowboys, Shad, and the commander of the Cossacks, Rostov. On top of that, they have to contend against the fearsome Tartar army who would very much like to exterminate them all.

“The Pillars of Earth” by Ken Follett – Building a House for God

Most of us see the Middle Ages as being an era filled with glorious knights, honorable kings, well-meaning peasants, beautiful princesses, swords, books, fancy cups, and so on and so forth.

However, what many of us forget to imagine, when thinking of the Middle Ages, is the horror. Indeed, these were extremely violent times when teachings of faith were taken very literally, a time when justice was about as arbitrary as it could ever be. In Pillars of Earth, Ken Follett explores the lives of a master builder and his community as they try to build a cathedral in an attempt to protect themselves from evil.

“Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen – Money, Marriage and Class

Release date: January 13, 2014
Publisher: Tribeca Books
Pages: 256
Buy: Amazon(US) |  Amazon(CA) |  Amazon(UK)

It seems that authors always become more appreciated after their time has passed, and unfortunately Jane Austen is no exception to this rule; her novels, Sense and Sensibility as well as Pride and Prejudice are some of the most well-known and revered works of writing today, being complex and thought-provoking on a number of different levels.

I guess it’s not too far of a stretch to say that Pride and Prejudice is the better known of the two novels, perhaps because it deals with somewhat darker themes, being centered around Elizabeth Bennet, or more precisely, on what she perceives.

I’m not going to give you a description of the plot, because it would be a bit too convoluted for our purposes here. However, what I can say is that this is one of those books with a large number of characters, all of them intertwined and connected with each other in one way or another.

“Winter of the World” by Ken Follett – Wars Aplenty

The first book in the Century Trilogy, Fall of Giants, introduced us to the five families, the setting, the characters themselves, the morals of that time. The second book by Ken Follett in this trilogy, Winter of the World, picks up where the first one left off, as each family is headed for some kind of war-related turmoil.

I really won’t go into detail as to which family faces what (let’s admit it, it would take a me a long time and you probably wouldn't even read it anyways), but in one way or another, each one of them finds itself entangled in some kind of significant conflict, whether it’s against actual people or ideas.

“Fall of Giants” by Ken Follett – The Turn of the Century Revisited

When we think of times past, how people must have lived, interacted and worked, let’s admit it, most of us have a very limited and romanticized notion about that. We know bits and pieces from what we read in books and saw in movies, and from those pieces we try and put together the big picture as best we can.

Not to say Ken Follett has lived at the beginning of the twentieth century, but he seems to be a man who has done his research and knows more than most about that time period… after all, he wrote an entire trilogy following the story of five families in that world, with the first book of it being Fall of Giants.

“Veronika Decides to Die” by Paulo Coelho – What is Happiness?

Paulo Coelho, even though he has started to publish books relatively late in his life, has become quite known for being willing to explore heavier and more controversial themes, and in Veronika Decides to Die he does so inspiring himself from his own life. The story starts off by presenting Veronika, a woman by all measures should be happy: she is young, beautiful, popular, has a lot of friends, a loving family, boyfriends, and a job that she actually kind of likes.

However, she never exactly feels complete, despite everything being seemingly perfect. And so, on a cold November morning, she decides to kill herself by overdosing on pills. However, she wakes up not in the afterlife but in a mental hospital, where some bad news are given to her: she only as a few days left to live. Needless to say, this is one of Paulo’s more tragic works of writing, and yet, somehow it still manages to be uplifting. Paulo doesn't just take the beaten path and looking into how Veronika starts to value each day she has left.

“The Fifth Mountain” by Paulo Coelho – The Trials of Faith

Paulo Coelho is one of today’s most unique and ambitious writers, tackling on the most complex and convoluted subjects he can find. I've already reviewed his masterpiece, The Alchemist, in which a man was taken on a tremendous journey of soul-searching and self-discovery. It seems these themes are quite close to Paulo's heart, as they can once again be seen in another one of his modern classics, The Fifth Mountain.

The Fifth Mountain follows the story of the prophet Elijah who must flee the Phoenicians who in the ninth century B.C., under the orders of their princess Jezebel, execute all prophets who do not worship Baal. Instructed by an angel of God, Elijah flees to Zrephath, where he finds love and comfort in the eyes of a young widow. However, God has other plans for Elijah as soon, his entire world is torn apart by events which keep getting worse and worse, setting him on a road to undergo desolating trials with no weapons other than love and his faith. For the heaviness of the story and themes this novel conveys, it has to be said that the writing is quite simple and easy to understand. This, in my opinion, is one of Coelho’s true qualities: being able to deliver the exact message he wants all while remaining simple, concise and easy to understand.

“Eleven Minutes” by Paulo Coelho – Redemption of the Heart

Eleven Minutes is considered by most people as being Paulo Coelho’s most controversial piece of writing, mainly because it is centered on a rather unusual type of protagonist, a young prostitute. While many people may have unsavory opinions of them, it is important to understand that many of them haven’t gotten into their lifestyle by their own choice… many are forced into it either by circumstances, or worse, people.

In any case, this is pretty much the kind of character we are presented wit here, with Maria, a young girl from a Brazilian village who had her heart shattered time and time again as a young girl. One day, she meets a Swedish stranger, and after he promises her fame and fortune, she leaves with him for Geneva. Needless to say, Maria’s adventures went far from how she expected them to; she became a dancer at a restaurant. Eventually, Maria manages to become a high-class prostitute. However, this novel is about much more than simply telling the coming-of-age story of a young girl with an unfortunate life.

Paulo Coelho takes it much deeper as we are treated to rather philosophical diary excerpts from Maria’s diary. I won’t go into too much detail about them, but in the end it felt as if the book became an exploration of the nature of love and sexuality.

First of all, when I was reading this book I didn't really have an opinion one way or the other about the main character’s line of work. The way I see it, different people have different lives which lead them to different places, and it just so happens her life was led in an unfavorable direction. Perhaps this contributed to me not being completely able to care about what Maria went through.

However, what kept me going where the diary entries where Maria explores the baser human instincts which pretty much drive us to live on day after day and keep on going even through the darkest of times: love, passion, and sexual desire. From what I understood, it seems that Paulo Coelho believes that one of humanity’s greatest mistakes was to willingly separate sex from love, and he makes a pretty good case for it with his novel. Whether or not he is right about it is only for you to judge.

Paulo Coelho Personal site Paulo Coelho is a Brazilian novelist and lyricist, sometimes known by the name of Paul Rabbit. His unusual and deeply-moving novels have made of him one of the most widely-read authors today, earning him an array of international awards, including the Crystal Award by the World Economic Forum. His most famous novel, The Alchemist, has been translated in over 67 languages to date.

More of Paulo Coelho's book reviews:
The Supreme Gift
Veronika Decides to Die
The Fifth Mountain
The Alchemist
Manuscript Found in Accra
Adultery

"The Black Box" by Michael Connelly – Harry Bosch’s Blast from the Past

Twenty years ago, back in 1992, Harry Bosch was assigned to investigate the murder of a young photographer murdered during the L.A. riots. Bosch never managed to solve the crime as it was handed off to the Riot Crimes Task Force, where it remained unsolved forever. However, twenty years later Bosch gets his hands on a ballistics report which leads him to believe the young photographer’s death wasn't just collateral damage to the riot. After that, in true Harry Bosch style, he goes on an adventure to find the missing piece of the puzzle that will tie everything together, a "black box" if you will.

“The Affair” by Lee Child

It seems that every story is sparked by a seemingly routine and banal event, and in The Affair by Lee Child, that something is the murder of a woman on a train track.

Elite military cop Jack Reacher is called in for the investigation, and quite quickly he manages to put together the pieces of the puzzle, and they all point to a soldier on a nearby military base. Unfortunately for Jack, said soldier has some of the country’s most powerful people on his side. Reacher decides to join forces with Elizabeth Deveraux, a local sheriff, and together they unravel a vast conspiracy.

To be honest, I was pleasantly surprised by The Affair after the last Jack Reacher novel left me a bit disappointed. It seems that Lee Child has taken extra care to develop characters, scenes and events, and it shows in many ways.

"Mugged” by Ann Coulter – The Definition of Rocking the Boat

Release date: August 27, 2013
Publisher: Sentinel Trade
Pages: 336
Buy: Amazon(US) |  Amazon(CA) |  Amazon(UK)

First of all, let me say that I do not live in the United States, and if I did, I wouldn’t have voted for either candidate in the last election because in the end, they all answer to the banks and won’t significant changes the other candidate wouldn't have.

If I had a gun to my head and had to vote though, I guess I would have chosen Obama, but only because I would vote against Mitt Romney, mostly because of how out-of-touch he was with reality for an overwhelming majority of American citizens. In any case, I’m just saying that I’m not the closest follower of political events, yet I gave Mugged by Ann Coulter a chance. In Mugged: Racial Demagoguery from the Seventies to Obama, Ann Coulter basically discusses what she believes to be the left’s agenda to "patronize blacks and lie to everyone else".

“Merry Christmas, Alex Cross” by James Patterson – Crime Doesn’t Rest, even on Holidays

Detective Alex Cross has survived through countless seemingly-deadly affairs using nothing but his seemingly super-human McGuyver-like intelligence; regardless of what situation he is in, he always thinks of something. It seems that such a man has earned the right to spend Christmas without having to escape certain death, but it seems crime thinks otherwise.

First, someone robs the local church’s poor box, and who else but Alex Cross has to solve that crime. Things then escalate rather suddenly as our beloved Protagonist finds himself saving a family from a hostage situation… as if he doesn't have enough on his shoulders with a family to save, it seems even his life ends up coming under threat.

“Mad River” By John Sandford – The Loss of Innocence

While these thoughts may be considered as demented and perverted, the truth is that there is some kind of freedom to be had in being past the point of return, on the run, and being able to do literally anything, knowing that it doesn’t matter how much worse things get because the end will be the same. This line of thinking is perhaps what drove Bonnie and Clyde on their rampage (amongst other things), and it seems to be driving three murderous teenagers from rural Minnesota in Mad River by John Sandford.

While their first victims may have been circumstantial, it can’t be said that the trio, consisting of a couple and a sidekick, didn't take pleasure in them. As a matter of fact, soon after taking care of their second victim they decided to go ahead and repay some "debts"... at which point they stopped caring altogether, decided to go on the most (and perhaps the last) thrilling adventure of their lives.

“God’s Grammar” by Mick Mooney – Is Love the Answer?

Release date: November 17, 2012
Publisher: Lightview Media
Pages: 188
Buy: Amazon(US) |  Amazon(CA)

First of all, before talking about this book there are a few things I’d like to put out there: I do not believe in the existence of a God, at least not as described in religious texts. I don’t categorically deny it, because after all, the inexistence of God cannot be proven, yet the way I see it, the burden of proof lies in the hands of those who claim he is real, and so far not a single undisputable fact has been presented which points to his existence.

That being said, regardless of whether or not God is real, his alleged teachings deserve some attention, with the main one being that love is what needs to be shared with one another above all. Mick Mooney explores precisely this theme in his latest novel, God’s Grammar.

The novel starts off quite simply, presenting us with the life of Sam, a regular guy, working as a grammar teacher, with regular problems. One day, he comes home to find God sitting in his living room, offering him a lesson. It basically consists of God asking Sam questions, slowly guiding him to the truth and revelation he wants him to see, leading Sam on a journey of soul-searching and self-discovery that will change his life forever.

Unlike some readers, I wouldn't use this novel as a basis for trying to understand how God works (at least I don’t think those who believe should). It is, after all, a story of fiction coming from the mind of a regular human being.

However, what I believe you should do is set aside your beliefs and focus directly on what Sam is learning in his journey; in the end, what he learns on it transcends the existence of a supreme being and focuses on something very real which all of us know yet can’t seem to fully understand: love.

Regardless of what your religious beliefs are, I’m sure you’ll be able to get something out of this book, and if you want to get it, simply head on over to the following link below

Mick Mooney Personal site Mick Mooney is an Australian-born writer who has dabbled on both sides of the fiction line. His work revolves around religion, God's grace, the power of his love and such. He is known for a number of books, including An Outsider's Guide to the Gospel, Snap and God's Grammar.

"Agenda 21" by Glenn Beck and Harriet Parke – The Rise of a Very New World Order

What today is known as America, in Agenda 21 by Glenn Beck, is known as The Republic. There are no rulers in The Republic, no congressmen, supreme courts, and most importantly, no freedom; there are only citizens and the seemingly omnipotent authorities.

Citizens are only used for two tasks: creating energy and reproduction. The guards follow their every move, and needless to say, most lives simply do not have a goal. The Republic was created as a result of the universally-imposed Agenda 21 by the UN, and this is the world Emmeline was born into.

“The Round House” by Louise Erdrich – Coming of Age Like You’ve Never Seen It

Release date: October 2, 2012
Publisher: Harper
Pages: 336
Buy: Amazon(US) |  Amazon(CA) |  Amazon(UK)

On a calm Sunday just like any other, a woman by the name of Geraldine Coutts, who lives on a reservation in North Dakota, receives a call which asks her to head over to The Round House, a place where the local people pray. As Geraldine arrives though, she is brutally assaulted and left for dead. Fortunately, she survives the ordeal, but is reluctant to reveal what happened or who did it, being in a complete state of shock.

Her husband, a tribal judge, puts all of his efforts and energy into finding the ones responsible and bringing them to justice… however, all odds are stacked against him. In the middle of this turmoil is the couple’s thirteen year-old, Joe. Being unable to help his mother and at the same time frustrated by the lack of justice, he sets out with the help of his three friends, Zack, Cappy and Angus, on an quest to bring the truth to light. The Round House by Louise Erdrich isn’t a National Book Award Winner for nothing (or at least I believe it deserves it).