Extremely thought-provoking book, that I'm glad to have read. John Bevere dives into why good without God just isn't sufficient, and how to gain disceExtremely thought-provoking book, that I'm glad to have read. John Bevere dives into why good without God just isn't sufficient, and how to gain discernment to know the difference.
I didn't agree with all his points, but enough that I learned a lot, and he put forth some ideas I'd never thought of before, which really made me sit back and think.
But a word of warning to other readers - he does talk a LOT about not being saved by faith alone, but that deeds are also necessary. I'm pretty sure he isn't saying that we have to do good deeds to be saved, but rather echoing James that a faith without deeds is dead, but his wording does toe the line occasionally. It didn't bother me, as I feel secure enough in my faith to disagree with him, but it does stop me from being able to recommend this book without reservations.
(view spoiler)[ ... it wasn’t the evil side of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that Eve was drawn to. It was the good side. Christians generally aren't seduced by satanic orgies, but by things that look good, but aren't of God.
God’s first commandment to humankind was to “be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:22). He wasn’t just talking about babies. He was declaring, “Anything I give to you, I expect you to multiply it and present it back to Me.” God wants us to prosper in ALL THINGS! Friendships, marriage, career - everything. And He will give us the grace necessary to do so, if we follow His commands.
Frequently these wrong choices and paths will rob us of our maximum potential. God will always forgive us if we repent, but He doesn't protect us from the consequences of our actions. (hide spoiler)]
Merged review:
Extremely thought-provoking book, that I'm glad to have read. John Bevere dives into why good without God just isn't sufficient, and how to gain discernment to know the difference.
I didn't agree with all his points, but enough that I learned a lot, and he put forth some ideas I'd never thought of before, which really made me sit back and think.
But a word of warning to other readers - he does talk a LOT about not being saved by faith alone, but that deeds are also necessary. I'm pretty sure he isn't saying that we have to do good deeds to be saved, but rather echoing James that a faith without deeds is dead, but his wording does toe the line occasionally. It didn't bother me, as I feel secure enough in my faith to disagree with him, but it does stop me from being able to recommend this book without reservations.
(view spoiler)[ ... it wasn’t the evil side of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that Eve was drawn to. It was the good side. Christians generally aren't seduced by satanic orgies, but by things that look good, but aren't of God.
God’s first commandment to humankind was to “be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:22). He wasn’t just talking about babies. He was declaring, “Anything I give to you, I expect you to multiply it and present it back to Me.” God wants us to prosper in ALL THINGS! Friendships, marriage, career - everything. And He will give us the grace necessary to do so, if we follow His commands.
Frequently these wrong choices and paths will rob us of our maximum potential. God will always forgive us if we repent, but He doesn't protect us from the consequences of our actions. (hide spoiler)]...more
**spoiler alert** I liked this further insight into Peter's psyche after seeing him turn from annoying douche-bag to general good-guy in "Until the En**spoiler alert** I liked this further insight into Peter's psyche after seeing him turn from annoying douche-bag to general good-guy in "Until the End of the World"....more
I read this in one sitting a lazy Boxing Day morning. Love December 26th with absolutely no plans :-D
Not really my usual fare. I tend to stay away froI read this in one sitting a lazy Boxing Day morning. Love December 26th with absolutely no plans :-D
Not really my usual fare. I tend to stay away from romance novels that are labelled as such. But this came highly recommended and was cheap! so I thought I'd give it a chance.
I ended up really, really enjoying it! It's fluff to be sure (and not really all that Christmassy, to repeat my usual refrain), but it was sweet and enjoyable. Highly improbable, but engaging and fun. Of course, the only problem is that I now want to read the book constantly mentioned! :-P...more
Fun read. Not very Christmassy, but I enjoyed it all the same. I really liked both Katie and Alex, and enjoyed seeing their growing friendship. Also, Fun read. Not very Christmassy, but I enjoyed it all the same. I really liked both Katie and Alex, and enjoyed seeing their growing friendship. Also, apparently I'm a sucker for "snowed in" stories... who knew?!...more
This is the second book I've read by Natasha Preston (the first one being "Awake"), and I enjoyed this one every bit as much. It's absolutely chillingThis is the second book I've read by Natasha Preston (the first one being "Awake"), and I enjoyed this one every bit as much. It's absolutely chilling, and Natasha Preston's writing is so engaging that I put myself in Layla's shoes far too much, and found it very hard to put the book down - reading it in just a few sittings.
As with almost all suspense novels, the big question is always - does the ending hold up? Far too often it will be too far-fetched or unbelievable and the resolution unsatisfying. I kept wondering how Natasha Preston would wrap this up in a suitable manner, as I could see quite a few options that would indeed fall into those traps.
But fortunately Natasha Preston delivered. Yes, I'd guessed the culprit ahead of time... but only a few pages too soon, which to me is one of the marks of an excellent suspense novel - one where the reader can follow the clues along with the characters in the book and make an educated guess, but not one where the answer is screamed from the pages at a much too early stage.
I greatly enjoyed this, and will definitely be on the look out for more of Natasha Preston's work. The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars straight, is that I thought everything was wrapped up (or not) too quickly in the last few pages, and I'm left wondering if a sequel is in the works. ...more
One of the best books I've read this year! It was a random recommendation from Audible support. I read the blurb, thought it sounded interesting, so dOne of the best books I've read this year! It was a random recommendation from Audible support. I read the blurb, thought it sounded interesting, so downloaded it and started listening to it not long after. It took me perhaps around 2 chapters to get thoroughly hooked and I didn't want to put it down again until the very last word was spoken. Almost certainly a book I'll eventually want for my physical library as well.
In some ways, it's definitely very similar to the Newsflesh trilogy by Mira Grant (but it's a book about zombies! It'd be hard for it not to be), but where Newsflesh takes place 15-20 years after the zombie outbreak, "Until the End of the World" IS the zombie outbreak. I found it absolutely fascinating - much the same way I do with most apocalyptic stories.
Peter and Anna infuriated me for much of the book, and I wanted Cassie (or somebody) to smack some sense into them, but at the end I was glad to see them come around, rather than have karma bite them. I really liked Cassie, John and Penny and absolutely loved Beth :-)
While we definitely didn't get all questions answered by the end of the book, I found it nicely contained, and am still making up my mind whether or not I want to continue with the next book in the series. If it's anything like Newsflesh, it'll still be awesome, but not as groundbreaking as the first one....more
I'd asked for this for Christmas, expecting it to be a fascinating read, and I was right. The Danish Crown Prince has alA 4.5 star review, rounded up.
I'd asked for this for Christmas, expecting it to be a fascinating read, and I was right. The Danish Crown Prince has always come across as an interesting and sympathetic person to me, so I was interested in getting to know more about him, and this book only confirmed my opinion.
Jens Andersen does a brilliant job of describing the life of probably the most famous person in Denmark, who grew up always knowing that he would one day become a king (and sometimes rebelling against this idea), and who had to grow into the role of Crown Prince.
The chapters about his life as a "froggie" (scuba-diver), on the Sirius Expedition and meeting Mary Donaldson were especially interesting, as were the photos that concluded each chapter, but I greatly enjoyed the book as a whole, and had a hard time putting it down. Don't know that it'll be one to reread often, but I'll definitely be glad to have it to refer back to from time to time....more
I'm not really into ghosts, so picking this up was a leap of faith... but then, I'm not really into zombies either, and Mira Grant (A 3.5 star review.
I'm not really into ghosts, so picking this up was a leap of faith... but then, I'm not really into zombies either, and Mira Grant (Seanan McGuire's pseudonym) proved me wrong there, so I figured it'd be worth it.
And fortunately this isn't your usual ghost story - no haunting, no suddenly locked doors, no music randomly turning on at night - it's a paranormal tale that just happens to involve witches and ghosts, rather than witches and werewolves or whatever.
It's well-written, but very slow moving, and thus made for a surprisingly slow read, but the fact that it took me a month to read is in no way indicative of my enjoyment of it. ...more
A YA novel based on true events that occurred in Elsinore, Denmark during World War II. The main character, Vips - a.k.a. Karen Courier - helps her brA YA novel based on true events that occurred in Elsinore, Denmark during World War II. The main character, Vips - a.k.a. Karen Courier - helps her brothers in the resistance movement by passing on documents, photos and films, helping Jews and others to Sweden and generally doing all she can to annoy the Germans.
I was introduced to this book as a child and cannot count the number of times I've read it - so it actually came as a surprise to see that I hadn't added it to Goodreads yet, as that means I haven't read it since 2002 or before!!! About time I remedied that! Estrid Ott is one of my favourite authors, and this is one of my favourite books by her. She really makes the every-day life during the war come to life, and I read most of the book with a lump in my throat....more
A bit slow to start, but once it took off (basically after Aaron and Cliff became friends) it did so with a vengeance, and I couldn't put it down. I fA bit slow to start, but once it took off (basically after Aaron and Cliff became friends) it did so with a vengeance, and I couldn't put it down. I found it relatable, moving and very poignant. I loved the idea of a popular kid and an outcast getting together to work for the school to be a better place. I also liked the fact that they made mistakes. It didn't always work - sometimes they even made it worse - but even their efforts made a difference, and got other kids on board. It was very satisfying to see Cliff grow from being "Neanderthal" to being "Cliff"....more
Helt lige så god som den første bog, men hvor "Ikk' for sjov" fokuserer på Geos sygdomsforløb, så fokuserer denne bog på hvad der sker efterfølgende -Helt lige så god som den første bog, men hvor "Ikk' for sjov" fokuserer på Geos sygdomsforløb, så fokuserer denne bog på hvad der sker efterfølgende - hvordan vender man tilbage til hverdagen når man lige har brugt 1-2 år på at kæmpe for livet.
Lige som den første bog er "Hva' så nu?" hudløst ærlig. Jeg har fået så meget mere respekt for Geo efter at have læst hans to bøger, og er taknemmelig over, at han lader læseren komme så tæt ind på livet af ham. Derudover synes jeg også at det er to meget vigtige bøger, som jeg ville anbefale til alle som har fået kræft tæt ind på livet - uanset om det er som patient eller pårørende....more
Funny, charming and ridiculously readable. "Collapsible" is a quick read, and I almost wish I'd saved it for the readathon - it would have been perfecFunny, charming and ridiculously readable. "Collapsible" is a quick read, and I almost wish I'd saved it for the readathon - it would have been perfect for it! I really got to care for Rachel, and though Ann and Lynn sometimes seemed slightly overbearing (although it was possibly warranted) their affection for one another was obvious.
The first book in a series, so though the main plot was nicely wrapped up, many small threads were left for the next book -- which I'll definitely be reading too!...more
Very, very different from "The Martian" and I might actually have rated it higher if I hadn't kept comparing the two books at every turn. "The MartianVery, very different from "The Martian" and I might actually have rated it higher if I hadn't kept comparing the two books at every turn. "The Martian" blew me away, "Artemis" was just a rather good book.
The premise of the book had me hooked from the very first page. I loved the thought of setting a book on the moon and not having space travel be the main premise, but rather just taken for granted. People lived on the moon and that was that. Unfortunately the suspense part of the story left me rather cold, and that's what brought it down to three stars. I would have preferred to read more about everyday life on the moon and less about Jazz' shenanigans.
In the end I liked the book, but it didn't become the instant favourite that "The Martian" did. ...more
Definitely the darkest of the lot as well as the weakest of the lot, and though there is one more book in the series, I think I'm done with it now.
ThiDefinitely the darkest of the lot as well as the weakest of the lot, and though there is one more book in the series, I think I'm done with it now.
This book was really slow to start - as in, it took me almost to page 100 to be thoroughly hooked. But then the action finally took off, and the rest of the book was a true page-turner. I was fascinated by the profiling of the latest serial killer, but have to admit that Cody McFadyen took some very dark turns that I really didn't care for.
Also, having a male write from a female POV is always risky, and there were certain descriptions of Smokey's personality and thought-processes that rang utterly false and "male-fantasy-ish"... her grooming habits especially - she loves shaving her legs every day? Really?! There were a few other examples also, but this was the most grating one.
The killer's motivation didn't ring true to me either, which made for a bit of a disappointing ending. It still made for a good enough read, but fell flat when compared to the earlier books in the series....more
I'm rather torn in my opinion of this one. As a book in its own right, I really liked it - as a conclusion of the Bill Hodges trilogA 3.5 star review.
I'm rather torn in my opinion of this one. As a book in its own right, I really liked it - as a conclusion of the Bill Hodges trilogy, not so much. It seemed as if Stephen King decided to change genre half-way through the series and that just seemed out of place. I have absolutely nothing against supernatural aspects in books, as long as it's true to its own universe, but when an otherwise completely realistic, present-world suspense novel suddenly introduces unrealistic supernatural elements it becomes jarring.
But putting that aside, this trilogy has reaffirmed my theory that I like Stephen King's newer books a LOT better than his older ones, and I'll still round this up to 4 stars rather than down to 3....more
A 2.5 star review. Rounded up because of Syenite and Damaya.
Surprisingly boring, considering how many high ratings it has on Goodreads. Also, the writA 2.5 star review. Rounded up because of Syenite and Damaya.
Surprisingly boring, considering how many high ratings it has on Goodreads. Also, the writing style really took some getting used to - especially in the chapters where the author decided to break the fourth wall, as well as in the chapters focusing on Essun. In fact, the first few chapters almost made me give up on the book completely, as I cannot stand books written in second character.
Fortunately the chapters focusing on Syenite and Damaya were much better written, and kept me reading when I would otherwise have put the book aside. I found myself really liking those chapters, and being intrigued by what would happen next, and how all the plotlines would tie together (which I'd guessed ahead of time, but was still satisfying).
But unfortuantely, as the old saying goes, the book ends "not with a bang, but a whimper", and I don't see myself reading any of the later books in the series. ...more
A really great read! I definitely need to read more Nora Roberts, the last few (this one and "The Obsession") have been true page turners.
Although slA really great read! I definitely need to read more Nora Roberts, the last few (this one and "The Obsession") have been true page turners.
Although slightly unrealistic at times (which is why I subtracted the last star) I really enjoyed both the plot and the characters. Elizabeth's mum seemed almost like a carbon copy of Beverly Hofstadter (from The Big Bang Theory) and Abigail herself could give Bones a run for her money when it comes to being socially inept, but I loved Bones, and was charmed with Abigail as well. I liked that the focus wasn't on solving a crime, but rather on moving on and establishing a life for oneself.
Very sweet read - the atmosphere is the stereotypical British chick-lit which is so charming when done well - and fortunately that's the case here. ThVery sweet read - the atmosphere is the stereotypical British chick-lit which is so charming when done well - and fortunately that's the case here. The main characters are likable and human enough that you can relate to them... with the possible exception of Anna's mother-in-law who is absolutely infuriating... but then, I'm pretty sure you're not actually meant to like her.
There were no real twist, some of the "coincidences" were a bit too perfect, and the resolution could be spotted a mile away... but that's okay - this was never meant to be a suspenseful page-turner, but a cozy comfort read - and in that it was a complete success....more
Not quite as good as the first book in the series, but pretty close! I even forgave it its copious use of foreshadowing in the first part (one of my bNot quite as good as the first book in the series, but pretty close! I even forgave it its copious use of foreshadowing in the first part (one of my biggest literary pet peeves. It's such a cheap trick and I KNOW Stephen King is better than that!) as the rest of the book more than made up for it. I was glad to see Hodges, Holly and Jerome back, although all three of them played much smaller parts in this book than I had expected them too.
Still, it kept me on the edge of my seat and was most definitely a page-turner, and though the last few chapters gave me a bit of pause as to the direction Stephen King's going to take the last book, I'm still moving straight on to that one too....more
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