Retiredbear

I read this based on the recommendation by my wife. I thought so much of the book that I looked at the reviews to see how well it fared. I was struck that 8% of the Amazon reviewers actually rated this masterpiece below 4 stars. That just shows that there are a lot of people that just don't get it when faced with literary greatness!

There are thousands of reviews that explain the story and go into lengths about the magnificent characters. I will not rehash other than to say that I agree completely.

In truth, I had a bit of a difficult time with the beginning of the book. I was confused by the narrator and the short kind of cryptic paragraphs. So, persevere and you will figure out and come to embrace them. As you are probably aware, Death is the narrator and came close to being my favorite character in the book. The short cryptic paragraphs give some great insights into the "bones" of the story.

Since it has been almost 10 years since this book was first published, my review is not going to generate much in the way of sales. I just wanted to take the opportunity to praise the quality of work by this talented author. I will have to search out his other works.

My actual rating is 4.5 stars. The premise of this story is almost unthinkable. I will not explain as it would hurt the reading experience. Suffice it to say that this story takes place in eastern Europe in a soviet style government. There appears to be a pandemic that is spreading around the world killing everybody that comes in contact. The virus can be stopped by a drug that was developed by this country but there is a catch that is shocking.

The writing is done well and I will read more by this author. I enjoyed the characters and their impact on the story. I wish that the story was longer and that some of the scenes were more extensive. It is a well written and imaginative book.

I initially thought that this book was a compilation of short stories with a similar theme. As I read more, I realized that this book revolved around a central theme that the world was going to end due to a collision with a giant meteor. Then it all made sense and the stories each became a bit more thought provoking.

The individual stories were too short to allow the development of characters but that is not important to the overall story line. I did find the writing to be enjoyable and the book was more of a 4.5 star read. The reason that I down rated the rating is because I think the book was written to entice the reader into the premise. I don't like it when short books (In this case very short only 70 pages) are written that essentially require the reader to buy numerous books to get what should have been compiled into normal size books.

My rating is 3.5 stars.

I enjoyed the first 25% of the book very much. The premise of using prehistoric sperm to impregnate a modern woman is interesting. My problem is that the story is disjointed with several major breaks in logic and reality. It is definatily an easy quick read for those times when you want to veg out in your reading. The writing reminds me of YA fiction. I wish the last 75% of the book would have been as interesting as the first part.

I have read the maritime themed books that R.E. McDermott has published and enjoyed them all. I have always thought that he missed his true calling as an author.

This very short story is a previously written saga that the author massaged and published. It is about an 11 year old boy that lives in cattle country. He really wanted to have a cow or steer to be like the boys he knows. Unfortunately, they do not have room to corral a cow. So, he ends up with a pig - imagine the feelings of the poor boy. However, the author writes a cute and humorous story of that boy who is probably reminiscent of his childhood.

I received this signed and personalized paperback from the author in exchange for a review. The author spent many years researching a great many documents and books about Muhammed. The bibliography is extensive. The first 20% of the book deals with the lineage of Muhammed prior to his birth. This section of the book is important because it sets up and explains the tribal relationships in the Arabian peninsula circa 600 AD. I urge you to read the review by Patncat on Amazon. It is an extensive and excellent review. I found this book to be illuminating and prophetic at the same time. In a way, it is like a history text book. It is not a boring book like we had in school. It is written in a style that allows the reader to follow a chronological timeline as if you were actually a fly on the wall. The extent in which Muhammed went to spread his vision is at least an omen of what we in the western world should fear for the future. Reading this book has provided me with an understanding of the creation of Muhammed's vision of religion. I now know that he had temporal lobe epilepsy which caused his visions and problem with loud noises which led to his prohibitions on music, singing, etc. Islam grew out of fear of death at the hands of Muhammed and his followers. It is abundantly clear that Muhammed was a despot with perverted views of himself and his god concept. It is also apparent that Muhammed had visions on world domination through jihad. We are experiencing the interpretation of the radical minority of Muslims as they try to carry out his plan. I think this, and other books like it, need to be required reading for all politicians of the western world. Enough trying to appease those that would have us convert in order to save ourselves.

This book is a continuation of the first book in the Klawdia series.  It is a bit on the short side.  More of a novella - my whine is over.  This installment seems to be more of a way to join two larger episodes than a separate episode worthy of its' own book.  There is nothing bad about that though.  This book is interesting. The thing that I really liked is that the next book has been set up to offer a very interesting storyline.  I am looking forward to that one coming out.

I want to let you know that I do not read fantasy genre books EXCEPT for those written by KJ Colt. I received a free copy of the first book in the Concealed Power series (Healers of Meligna). I did not know what to expect but I had committed to read it in exchange for a review. Suffice it to say that I was enthralled by the style and skill of the author.

I read on the author's blog that she was writing a series about Klawdia during her formative years. Klawdia is a somewhat minor character in the Concealed Power series! She is a key pivotal player that added much to that series. So I jumped at the chance to read the Klawdia series.<br/><br/>The Concealed Power series is a wonderful trip into a different but viable world. This initial book about Klawdia is well written and has some elements I was hoping to see. It is enjoyable and a good read and shows insights into why she became the warrior that we see in the Co9ncealed Power series. I think that you will enjoy this introduction into the making of Klawdia.

KJ Colt is a talented and creative writer that I hope to read for many years to come. Purchase all her books for some intriguing stories. Then leave reviews to spread the good word. I am now going to start book #2 in this series - Revenge.<br/>

We abolished slavery 150 years ago. Unfortunately, slavery is alive and well especially where the western world used to get its slaves. Slavery is rampant in Africa and this is the story of one such young African boy from Uganda.

I read The Helpers by this author and was impressed by her knowledge of the culture and politics of central Africa. I really enjoyed that book so I searched out this one. I was cautioned by the author that the dialogue and grammar were written to reflect the actual usage by the Africans in Uganda and Sudan. The preface to the book also points this out. I mention this because many of the lower rated reviews complain about this aspect of the book. For me it simply added a touch of realism.

This book is two parallel stories. One is the story of the person (Eddie) abducted and sold into slavery. His experiences at the hands of the black Africans and at the hands of the Arabs that ultimately bought him. The other is the story of Eddie's friends and their relatives as they struggle to arrange for his freedom. There is a great deal of insight into the African culture.

This book would be a good candidate for a screenplay. I think the world needs to raise the awareness of the rampant slave trade both inside and out of Africa. For those of you that choose to read this book, you will be tantalized by a rather large excerpt from the Helpers

I am not sure how this book fits into the Require Cookie series. For me it doesn't really matter because I found the writing and storyline to be very well done. In fact, I will at least read the stated first in the series to check out the series.

This particular novella is only about 53 pages long so the $2.99 price point is too high to buy on a regular basis. I was fortunate to obtain a free copy (through LibraryThing I believe) in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly, I initially rated this novella at 4 stars but while writing this review I contemplated the story and raised the review to 5 stars. The story has some rough passages that you may well expect in a paranormal book setting. The primary character is a crude and rough scoundrel. However, he finds out something that makes him want to leave a legacy. That legacy is the real backbone of this story and shows the humanity that can be found in this scoundrel. I found the ending of this booklet to be heart whelming. I encouraqe you to read this novella.

I received The God Organ in a LibraryThing giveaway in return for an honest review.
 
Interesting story about future medical advances that have developed an implantable device that can precludes most illnesses.

This is a pretty good mystery with plot twists.  There was too many religious elements that did little for the story.  I found the characters to be interesting and well crafted.  I did enjoy the book and recommend it if you have an interest in futuristic biotech type thrillers.

I enjoy books that I can learn about different cultures and areas of the world. This book is centered on Kinshasha Congo. There is a struggle between the government and ethnic rebels. The story is generally well written with a diverse cast of solid characters. I think the plot flows very well. I have heard of the ethnic issues between tribes in Africa and enjoyed reading about how it is manifested.

The title literally does tell the whole story. Throughout the entire book there are numerous stunning examples of espionage and the associated corruption. Fortunately this is a fairly long book. I say fortunately because the author needed the space to develop each of the many characters and tie them into the action. I do caution readers to take their time to make sure they understand the complex storyline as they go. The storyline is very thorough and it is worth the effort to immerse yourself into all that is on the page. It is very clear that the author understnds the culture she writes about and how the African cultures tie into colonial trappings of France and Belgium.

This is a very good and well researched book. It was not written by an author that can just sit down and flow words onto a page. This is a deliberate literary work. I very highly recommend everyone give it the read it deserves.

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. Those of you who are familiar with Michael Ro9bertson will know that he is from the UK. In the spirit of the UK vernacular, Crash II is a bloody good book two in the series. This book continues the wanton gory violence of the original Crash. If you are not familiar with the premise of the series I will give a brief synopsis. Can you imagine what the world would be like if the global economic collapse of 2008 had not abated? What would happen to society if the currency based existence were turned on its' head? That is the thought behind the series. The author has focused on the dregs of society and how they may behave when there is no moral basis for existence. Book 1, Crash, introduced the reader to the primary gang and the extreme violence of their exist4nce. It also introduced George, a hulking person with an intact moral code. This book is about how George balances his brutal life with his inner feelings. Even though this is a very violent book, it is offset by the moral compass of George. This book is all about George and his perceptions. This is a good sequel to Crash and an enjoyable read. Remember that this is a horror genre book. I do recommend reading Crash first since it will improve your understanding of the characters.

Having read a number of Erec Stebbins novels and having enjoyed them all, I decided to read his debut novel to see how good he was when he first burst on the scene as a published author.  Overall, I was not disappointed but was not overwhelmed.

The story started out with high potential for an outstanding novel of intrigue and a great thriller. Halfway through I was thinking how great the book was and ready to rate 5 stars.  The more I read I started to think that it was getting a bit wonky and far-fetched.  I really have to wonder if the author was having a difficult time writing an ending that was worthy of the first half of the story.

The characters were well developed as expected from my previous readings by this author.  I just wish the ending had been comparable to the beginning.  Overall it is a decent read and does showcase the author's writing skills.