Hal by Derek Haines
It’s a mad world on Gloth as experienced through the eyes of Halbert Hoop, Hal to the reader. Hal is a well-developed character who gets himself into unusual and kooky situations. It’s great fun for the reader to share Hal’s strategies in unraveling and solving these situations.
Hal’s adventures arriving and living on Gloth are unpredictable and fun to read. The characters he meets are as unique as the menu items he consumed in order to survive. Hal’s quest to return to Erde, better known as Earth is driven by . . .
There is no way I will spoil the story, the unpredictability is the best part of the book!
I recommend Hal for readers who enjoy whacky characters and crazy places. It’s an enjoyable story and once again, Derek Haines strength in developing his characters is terrific.
Book review by Mary Crocco
www.mrcrocco.wordpress.com
www.marycrocco.wordpress.com
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 9, 2011
Johann Sebastian Bach by Rick Marschall
Bach was born on March 21, 1685 in Germany, born into the Lutheran faith. As a church musician, Bach did not preach about music, his music preached about Christ. He had a personal relationship, not a professional duty, with Christ.
Bach began composing music at the early age of ten. His lifelong studies of the Bible and of Lutheran doctrine were the backbone of his performances. Church music was everywhere, and Bach’s performances were welcomed in churches other than his Lutheran church. His secular works were performed at salons, public houses, gardens, and concert halls. He believed music was easy to understand and hard to explain.
Bach could be funny ‘through’ music, but he was always serious ‘about’ music. His guide was always Martin Luther. He felt it a privilege to serve God by composing music, teaching music, conducting choirs, and arranging worship services. At the time, music played a major role in making the life of everyday people bearable, pleasant, and joyful, and Bach played an important part of that role. He survived many challenges because he adhered to Scripture, while others may have also benefited from doing the same.
Bach was a strong proponent of women singing. This was during a time when women were considered second-class citizens who did not share men’s rights.
Other composers sought out Bach to discuss music and hear him play. When public taste changed, the baroque style of music was felt in churches, concert halls, and opera theaters. Historians have said the closing of the Baroque period was the year Bach died, being the end of an era. The year was 1750, the place still in Germany. He was blind the last four months. In his final days he composed a great fugue based on the letters of his name - B-A-C-H. It was not ‘about’ God but ‘to’ God.
Bach suffered great loss in his life. He fathered twenty children, eleven sadly died. His first wife, Maria, died in 1720. His family was serious; however, they were capable of silliness, sarcasm, and nonsense.
I recommend this book by Rick Marschall to readers of all ages. It educates the reader beyond the usual facts, in this case, music knowledge. He portrayed Bach as a well-rounded musician whose life evolved around Christ. The Appendix and Notes are appreciated and necessary for the musically challenged reader.
Bach began composing music at the early age of ten. His lifelong studies of the Bible and of Lutheran doctrine were the backbone of his performances. Church music was everywhere, and Bach’s performances were welcomed in churches other than his Lutheran church. His secular works were performed at salons, public houses, gardens, and concert halls. He believed music was easy to understand and hard to explain.
Bach could be funny ‘through’ music, but he was always serious ‘about’ music. His guide was always Martin Luther. He felt it a privilege to serve God by composing music, teaching music, conducting choirs, and arranging worship services. At the time, music played a major role in making the life of everyday people bearable, pleasant, and joyful, and Bach played an important part of that role. He survived many challenges because he adhered to Scripture, while others may have also benefited from doing the same.
Bach was a strong proponent of women singing. This was during a time when women were considered second-class citizens who did not share men’s rights.
Other composers sought out Bach to discuss music and hear him play. When public taste changed, the baroque style of music was felt in churches, concert halls, and opera theaters. Historians have said the closing of the Baroque period was the year Bach died, being the end of an era. The year was 1750, the place still in Germany. He was blind the last four months. In his final days he composed a great fugue based on the letters of his name - B-A-C-H. It was not ‘about’ God but ‘to’ God.
Bach suffered great loss in his life. He fathered twenty children, eleven sadly died. His first wife, Maria, died in 1720. His family was serious; however, they were capable of silliness, sarcasm, and nonsense.
I recommend this book by Rick Marschall to readers of all ages. It educates the reader beyond the usual facts, in this case, music knowledge. He portrayed Bach as a well-rounded musician whose life evolved around Christ. The Appendix and Notes are appreciated and necessary for the musically challenged reader.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
The Final Summit by Andy Andrews
David Ponder has been chosen to lead The Final Summit for three reasons; he is the only Traveler currently alive, he has been judged to be effective in using wisdom he gathered as a Traveler, and he is the only Traveler to represent the common man. And so the story begins . . .
David has lost his way and forgot all he learned when he was a Traveler in time. The archangel, Gabriel, is God’s servant, and is told to have David rediscover the path he has abandoned. It isn’t only David who lost his way; however, all of humanity needs redirection.
Previous Time Travelers; Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, King David, and Joan of Arc, just to name a few, add to the discussion and help David answer this question: What does humanity need to do, individually and collectively, to restore itself to the pathway toward successful civilization?
The discussion leading to the answer is absolute genius in writing. It is impossible to put the book down until the problem is solved. Andy Andrews integrates the perfect amount of humor to keep his readers entertained. For example: Abraham Lincoln is reminiscing a time when he had dinner at the table where the discussion was held. He tells everyone the table was handmade, saying, “Of course, you know, the Boss’s Son is a carpenter.”
I recommend The Final Summit for readers of all ages. It was enjoyable and inspirational. A bonus is the historical figures dialogue where history comes alive.
I am a member of BookSneeze.com
www.booksneeze.com
Book Review by Mary Crocco
David has lost his way and forgot all he learned when he was a Traveler in time. The archangel, Gabriel, is God’s servant, and is told to have David rediscover the path he has abandoned. It isn’t only David who lost his way; however, all of humanity needs redirection.
Previous Time Travelers; Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, King David, and Joan of Arc, just to name a few, add to the discussion and help David answer this question: What does humanity need to do, individually and collectively, to restore itself to the pathway toward successful civilization?
The discussion leading to the answer is absolute genius in writing. It is impossible to put the book down until the problem is solved. Andy Andrews integrates the perfect amount of humor to keep his readers entertained. For example: Abraham Lincoln is reminiscing a time when he had dinner at the table where the discussion was held. He tells everyone the table was handmade, saying, “Of course, you know, the Boss’s Son is a carpenter.”
I recommend The Final Summit for readers of all ages. It was enjoyable and inspirational. A bonus is the historical figures dialogue where history comes alive.
I am a member of BookSneeze.com
www.booksneeze.com
Book Review by Mary Crocco
Sunday, April 3, 2011
1923: A Memoir by Harry Leslie Smith
1923: A Memoir by Harry Leslie Smith
The author, Harry Smith, describes his birth as coming into the world with no fanfare, no glad-handing in February 1923. He was born into poverty, abuse, and alcoholism during the Great Depression in England. The matriarch in the family, Lillian, had abandoned Harry’s father, Albert, to put food on the table. She fled numerous places called home, and accepted another man only to feed her kids. Lillian was hardly the loving mother; however, Harry did love her as he did his father. But not for Harry’s sister, Mary, he never would have survived. She provided the emotional and physical stability for Harry even though she was only three years older.
Harry discovered a library where books offered him much solace in his chaotic life. He read and dreamed of escaping the place he called home. He took a bicycle ride to York and after observing a beautiful medieval cathedral he experienced an epiphany; he would someday escape from King Cross, Halifax, and Yorkshire. There was another world out there and Harry would find it.
Harry did see more of the world, but not always in a good way. He joined the Royal Air Force during WWII. He experienced the horrors of war that every man and woman in the service should never have to experience.
Harry tells his stories of home and war like a good novel. He describes his family and war buddies as if we were family and kin.
There are many books written about WWII and The Great Depression, however written in a memoir creates a different read. If not for the true to life language of Harry’s experiences, this story could be on school book shelves for students studying history.
I am hoping for a sequel as the ending leaves the reader intrigued. Glad you survived, Harry, to write this memoir. Hope to read more about you and Elfriede.
Book review by Mary Crocco
http://www.mrc-bookreviewer.blogspot.com
https://sites.google.com/site/thelvwriters/mary-crocco
The author, Harry Smith, describes his birth as coming into the world with no fanfare, no glad-handing in February 1923. He was born into poverty, abuse, and alcoholism during the Great Depression in England. The matriarch in the family, Lillian, had abandoned Harry’s father, Albert, to put food on the table. She fled numerous places called home, and accepted another man only to feed her kids. Lillian was hardly the loving mother; however, Harry did love her as he did his father. But not for Harry’s sister, Mary, he never would have survived. She provided the emotional and physical stability for Harry even though she was only three years older.
Harry discovered a library where books offered him much solace in his chaotic life. He read and dreamed of escaping the place he called home. He took a bicycle ride to York and after observing a beautiful medieval cathedral he experienced an epiphany; he would someday escape from King Cross, Halifax, and Yorkshire. There was another world out there and Harry would find it.
Harry did see more of the world, but not always in a good way. He joined the Royal Air Force during WWII. He experienced the horrors of war that every man and woman in the service should never have to experience.
Harry tells his stories of home and war like a good novel. He describes his family and war buddies as if we were family and kin.
There are many books written about WWII and The Great Depression, however written in a memoir creates a different read. If not for the true to life language of Harry’s experiences, this story could be on school book shelves for students studying history.
I am hoping for a sequel as the ending leaves the reader intrigued. Glad you survived, Harry, to write this memoir. Hope to read more about you and Elfriede.
Book review by Mary Crocco
http://www.mrc-bookreviewer.blogspot.com
https://sites.google.com/site/thelvwriters/mary-crocco
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Dead Men by Derek Haines
The Hell of Divorce
This is a story about the hell of divorce from the point of view of three men. They are angry, bitter, depressed, and lonely. They have lost their jobs, homes, and their children. Any money they eventually earn goes to child-support. They feel the Family Court favors women and they try to beat the system. These men did not exactly grow up in nurturing homes, which definitely adds to their outlooks on life.
Within a few months, divorce turned three men into confused and bored women haters. David and Tony’s wives discarded them, both had cheated on them. Steve felt his wife measured him by his salary, which he increased with petty criminal activities.
David, an innovative salesman; Tony, a hard working owner of a transport company; and Steve, a well-qualified and dependable accountant, are reduced to feeling useless and worthless to their families and society in general. They end up twisting their skills using illegal activities.
The story begins in their birth city of Perth, Australia. The men move to Sydney, Australia where they all meet by chance, calling themselves The Three Musketeers. This is where the story develops. The reader experiences the trials and tribulations these men experience during and after their divorces. We listen to the ramblings of broken men who can’t be seen as weak. They don’t know how to talk about their emotions and/or feelings in a healthy way. We watch how they do handle life, which isn’t very pretty.
Readers will have different opinions regarding how the story ends for Tony and Steve. David’s ending, where he meets his match, will have readers hoping for the best for him.
The book is dark as the story is rough. Derek Haines strength is developing his characters, and he does an extraordinary job describing three distasteful men who deal with their circumstances in the only way they knew how. While doing so, he does offer his readers a different perspective in the difficult matter of the hell of divorce.
Book Review by Mary Crocco
http://www.mrc-bookreviewer.blogspot.com
https://sites.google.com/site/thelvwriters/mary-crocco
This is a story about the hell of divorce from the point of view of three men. They are angry, bitter, depressed, and lonely. They have lost their jobs, homes, and their children. Any money they eventually earn goes to child-support. They feel the Family Court favors women and they try to beat the system. These men did not exactly grow up in nurturing homes, which definitely adds to their outlooks on life.
Within a few months, divorce turned three men into confused and bored women haters. David and Tony’s wives discarded them, both had cheated on them. Steve felt his wife measured him by his salary, which he increased with petty criminal activities.
David, an innovative salesman; Tony, a hard working owner of a transport company; and Steve, a well-qualified and dependable accountant, are reduced to feeling useless and worthless to their families and society in general. They end up twisting their skills using illegal activities.
The story begins in their birth city of Perth, Australia. The men move to Sydney, Australia where they all meet by chance, calling themselves The Three Musketeers. This is where the story develops. The reader experiences the trials and tribulations these men experience during and after their divorces. We listen to the ramblings of broken men who can’t be seen as weak. They don’t know how to talk about their emotions and/or feelings in a healthy way. We watch how they do handle life, which isn’t very pretty.
Readers will have different opinions regarding how the story ends for Tony and Steve. David’s ending, where he meets his match, will have readers hoping for the best for him.
The book is dark as the story is rough. Derek Haines strength is developing his characters, and he does an extraordinary job describing three distasteful men who deal with their circumstances in the only way they knew how. While doing so, he does offer his readers a different perspective in the difficult matter of the hell of divorce.
Book Review by Mary Crocco
http://www.mrc-bookreviewer.blogspot.com
https://sites.google.com/site/thelvwriters/mary-crocco
Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck
A summer job like no other!
Kelsey, a young woman looking for a summer job, lands one in a local circus in Oregon. She takes care of a beautiful white Bengal tiger named Dhiren. Kelsey is unaware of the true mystery of this white tiger as she develops a caring relationship with him.
After two weeks caring for Dhiren, the owner of the circus announces that Dhiren was bought and will be set free in a tiger preserve in India. Kelsey is overcome with mixed emotions. She wants the tiger to be free, but knows she will miss him terribly.
Mr. Kadam, the man who bought Dhiren, realizes how much Kelsey loves his tiger, and how Dhiren responds to Kelsey, and asks her to take the trip to India with him to assure a good trip for Dhiren. Both Mr. Kadam and Dhiren have hidden motives unbeknown to Kelsey.
This is where Kelsey’s summer job becomes like no other! She finds out the true mystery of Ren, the beautiful white Bengal tiger, who she innocently took care of back home in the circus.
The story doesn’t miss a beat involving readers to experience the deep culture of India, along with its magical legends and mythology. The adventures take place as Kelsey and Ren try to survive the creatures of India’s jungles. At the same time, the readers share the budding romance between Kelsey and Ren as Kelsey tries to break the Tiger’s Curse. It’s impossible to stop reading until we find out if Kelsey and Ren becomes a couple and if the Tiger’s Curse gets broken.
Book Review by Mary Crocco
https://sites.google.com/site/thelvwriters/mary-crocco
Kelsey, a young woman looking for a summer job, lands one in a local circus in Oregon. She takes care of a beautiful white Bengal tiger named Dhiren. Kelsey is unaware of the true mystery of this white tiger as she develops a caring relationship with him.
After two weeks caring for Dhiren, the owner of the circus announces that Dhiren was bought and will be set free in a tiger preserve in India. Kelsey is overcome with mixed emotions. She wants the tiger to be free, but knows she will miss him terribly.
Mr. Kadam, the man who bought Dhiren, realizes how much Kelsey loves his tiger, and how Dhiren responds to Kelsey, and asks her to take the trip to India with him to assure a good trip for Dhiren. Both Mr. Kadam and Dhiren have hidden motives unbeknown to Kelsey.
This is where Kelsey’s summer job becomes like no other! She finds out the true mystery of Ren, the beautiful white Bengal tiger, who she innocently took care of back home in the circus.
The story doesn’t miss a beat involving readers to experience the deep culture of India, along with its magical legends and mythology. The adventures take place as Kelsey and Ren try to survive the creatures of India’s jungles. At the same time, the readers share the budding romance between Kelsey and Ren as Kelsey tries to break the Tiger’s Curse. It’s impossible to stop reading until we find out if Kelsey and Ren becomes a couple and if the Tiger’s Curse gets broken.
Book Review by Mary Crocco
https://sites.google.com/site/thelvwriters/mary-crocco
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
A Cowboy's Touch, by Denise Hunter
Chicago city girl meets Montana Big Sky cowboy. Abigail is a workaholic expose writer who decides to expose Wade, the handsome cowboy, in an effort to save her mother’s magazine in Chicago. Circumstances get in the way and the article is never printed for the public.
It’s the circumstances that draw the reader to enjoy this western style romance. There is a spiritual message about redemption and forgiveness. The characters wrestle with these emotions and it’s their decisions that compel the reader to reflect on our own decisions.
Denise Hunter describes her main characters, Abigail, Wade, and his daughter Maddy, with amazing detail. The reader feels part of the family from beginning to end. At times we experience ambiguous feelings as they struggle with their decisions.
I recommend A Cowboy’s Touch to readers of all ages, definitely for the young adult ladies. Wade’s daughter, Maddy, is a spunky character the young reader will thoroughly enjoy. It’s a nice way to spend an evening, and a bonus if you like cowboys!
I am a member of BookSneeze.com
www.booksneeze.com
Book review by Mary Crocco
It’s the circumstances that draw the reader to enjoy this western style romance. There is a spiritual message about redemption and forgiveness. The characters wrestle with these emotions and it’s their decisions that compel the reader to reflect on our own decisions.
Denise Hunter describes her main characters, Abigail, Wade, and his daughter Maddy, with amazing detail. The reader feels part of the family from beginning to end. At times we experience ambiguous feelings as they struggle with their decisions.
I recommend A Cowboy’s Touch to readers of all ages, definitely for the young adult ladies. Wade’s daughter, Maddy, is a spunky character the young reader will thoroughly enjoy. It’s a nice way to spend an evening, and a bonus if you like cowboys!
I am a member of BookSneeze.com
www.booksneeze.com
Book review by Mary Crocco
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