The Expected One by Kathleen McGowan

The Expected One by Kathleen McGowan was an unexpected delight. Obviously there was something that attracted me to the book but I was worried that perhaps a zealot's point of view might outshine the rest of the book. The reason I decided to pick this book up was due to premise of presenting the empowerment of women though the emphasis of women's influence throughout history. The main character, Maureen Paschal, has built her entire career on this exact notion.

The Expected One is The Passion of the Christ meets The DaVinci Code. There are secret societies, conspiracy theories, espionage, and prophecies. Maureen is a reporter/novelist who travels to get a better sense of what she is writing about. She had decided to dig a little deeper into Mary Magdalene and as such made a trip to Jerusalem. While she is there she encounters a man who gives her a ring. This is the catalyst for said prophecy and thus the adventure Maureen is about to embark upon.

What I found so interesting about this book is that the story is sort of two-fold. I greatly enjoyed The DaVinci Code. I like a little bit of mystery, suspense, and even a smattering of conspiracy. The second piece to the story is biblical. It follows the relationship of Jesus and Mary Magdalene and the crucifixion of Jesus. It is such an interesting perspective. The biblical portion of the tale is told from Mary Magdalene's point of view; being read from a journal of sorts that she kept.

The book was rather through provoking as well; at least from my perspective. I am not a very religious person but found some of the messages inspiring. I also rather enjoyed how well thought out the characters were. The ones that would be absolute in their devotion portrayed that impeccably.

There were a couple of things that I thought looked like they might be a good plot twist, but they did not go anywhere. This book is the first in a series so maybe the thread of these plot lines will be picked back up again... If not, then those parts of the book do not really make a lot of sense to me.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it; especially if you have an affinity for religious prophecy and conspiracy.

Happy reading!!

Judi

Witch's Brew by Tabitha Shay

This book was a free e-book. I enjoy sci-fi and a bit of the romance occasionally. So I thought, why not??  The book starts out kind of slow but progresses rather nicely. It has a ton of twists throughout the book. It is rather sexual in nature.

The story line is based on Winslow line in which magical powers were a prevalent presence. Saylym, however, has forgotten her ancestry and is unaware of her abilities or her legacy. Life altering changes have left Saylym with an inherited home and business. With no other options she moves to a rather queer town and tries to figure out her life.

Of course, along the way a devilishly handsome fella needs a place to rent, to which Saylym has an apartment to rent. He annoys, angers, and excites her all at the same time. Due to their bloodlines there are issues that both of them work through; though Saylym is unaware of some of these issues as she is not aware of some of the history. To make things even more complicated Saylym is pretty sure Talon is crazy because he openly admits to being a warlock and claims to be a prince. The storyline is a romance of comical proportions and set almost like a game of battle of the sexes.

The book is part of a series. This is book #1 of the Winslow Witches of Salem series. The peculiar thing about this series is that the other books have gone out of print. So I can't finish the storyline...

If you are into witches, warlocks, princes, romance, legacies, and steamy pages of literature...this is the book for you.

Happy reading!

Judi

The Chase by Janet Evanovich

If you have not encountered a Janet Evanovich book thus far, you NEED to go out and procure yourself a copy. Any series will do. Janet Evanovich has created many book series, both as a solo writer and as a coupling. She has an extremely entertaining and unique style of writing. I imaging it to be akin to the oral traditions of story telling of old. When you are all sitting around a living room or lounge space and listening to that crazy Aunt regale you with stories of you world travels and the people she has met. The imagination and flourish are worth every bit of the time spent listening.

One such series is the 'Fox and O'Hare' series. The Chase is book #2 in the series. A little bit of background to the characters. Nick Fox is a con artist and art thief. Kate O'Hare is an FBI agent obsessed with bring Nick to justice. As fate would have it, the governmental powers that be have a different idea in mind. One that requires them to work together at the behest of the government.

There is a lot of tension between the two characters. True to form, Janet Evanovich introduces some rather interesting support characters. The story unfolds with an Ocean's Eleven sort of feel to it, only much quirkier. It's a quick read, makes you laugh, and leaves you wanting the next book already.

Lucky for me the next several in this series have since been published and I can divulge in such wishes.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants a quick pick-me-up and wishes to be thoroughly entertained.

Happy reading!

Judi

Divergent by Veronica Roth

A while back a friend of mine had suggested I read this series. It sounded interesting, however, I had not gotten round to starting the books until recently. I had watched the movie and thought it was interesting so I decided to investigate the books.

I felt it was another play of the Hunger Games with bits of The Giver, Brave New World, and The Fifth Sacred Thing all rolled into one. I enjoyed all of those books to differing degrees. I also found this book to be pleasing. I'm a sucker for a powerful female role. Throughout the book Tris doesn't always appear to be in that role, however the fact that she doesn't truly give up makes her just that woman. 

Overall, it is a rather interesting story that kept me captivated. I know it is aimed toward a younger generation but I would encourage you to delve into this story.

Happy reading!!

Judi

A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron

I love when you come across a book that changes your views. A book that sticks with you and you can't quite get it out of your head. This book is one of those types of books. 

Anyone who knows me knows just how much I love my animals and wish I could help all those poor souls where were given a terrible lot in life. The curious thing about animals is that we can learn their habits and mannerisms, as well as identify their mood; however, we cannot know what they are truly thinking. We can speculate until the cows come home, but we do not know for sure what goes on in their minds.

Animals are so quick to trust us, as human beings, and forgive us...to an extent. Wild animals have a survival gene that is very dominant. Our domesticated animals have suppressed that gene because of our domination over their being. Today we, as human beings, tend to fail these creatures by gaining their trust and then betraying it, often repeatedly. Fortunately, there are many of us who feel that is wrong and try our best to ensure these things are not happening...at the very least in our own little corner of the world. 

This book is a unique attempt to interpret a dog's thoughts. It follows the dog through their life, or in this case lives. The dog is born repeatedly under the guise of finally fulfilling the true purpose of a dog. 

There are many reasons why I so enjoyed this book. The points of view of the dog are rather interesting. Many of the behaviors are things I've questioned with regard to my own dogs. I also like the fact that the story starts out under less than favorable circumstances and continues on from that point, providing us with a variety of situations in which a dog can find themselves. Throughout the book the dog takes on the form of many dogs, in a variety of types and with a variety of names. However, his bigger lessons learned in his previous "life" stick with him and navigate him through the current life he is leading. The premise behind such a notion is one I've come to believe for most circumstances and species. We call it the survivor gene, deja vu, and reincarnation. Whatever it is, I believe it serves us well in many circumstances.

I also enjoyed the perceptions of the dog with regard to the humans around him. I can't speak for everyone but I've often wondered about the merit of the sensitivity of dogs. We can teach them to seek out drugs and bombs. We can teach them to do search and rescue. We can teach them to identify the changes in ourselves when we experience seizures, behavioral manifestations, and spikes in blood glucose. Often this is accomplished with dogs who show a certain level of capability. If we can believe all of that, and prove it by daily actions, then why is it so hard to believe that most, if not all, dogs have the same capabilities to a different degree?

Why do we not trust dogs when they do not seem to like a person we've never met? Why do we tell our dogs to be quiet when they are sounding an alarm to something we cannot see? Why do we discount their instincts? I, for one, do not tend to do that; which is probably part of the reason why I enjoyed this book so much.

If you are looking for a feel-good dog book, you will enjoy this one.

Happy reading!!

Judi

The Only Thing Better Than Chocolate by Janet Dailey, Sandra Steffen, & Kylie Adams

This book is a collection of 3 short stories concerning conflicted minds and emotions, romance, and of course chocolate. I'm a natural born chocoholic, so the title alone was enough to entice me. Occasionally a girl needs a little silly romance to help break of up the monotony of daily living. The book is a real quick read and will leave the reader left with the warm-fuzzies that only a story of romance and chocolate can.

The first story in the book is by Janet Dailey. I really like the author's voice and character portrayal. I enjoyed the story enough that I'd read another book by Dailey. Plus, who doesn't love a story about love gone wrong but never truly given up on?

The second story in the book is by Sandra Steffen and is a very sweet story about people who have lost their way. At first you think one more so than the other because how much more lost can you be than literally losing yourself by way of amnesia? However, by the end you realize that first glances can be deceiving and bare a closer look.

The third story in the book is by Kylie Adams. It had more of a goofy vibe to it, which was a nice twist to the feel of the book. The story also felt like it was trying to reach for the feel of an international affair and love-extrodinare. I liked the story just fine, but it wasn't my favorite of the three.

Overall, I thought it was a nice book that I'd use to break up my genre theme and help me transition into a new genre... sort of like a buffer book, if you will.

Happy reading!

Judi

Grey by E. L. James

'Grey' is the 5th book in the Fifty Shades series. This book is from Christian's point of view. For the most part is followed the first book. The insight into Christian's psyche was rather interesting. To be honest, I didn't care for Christian's character much in the first books. This book made him a little more likable. He was still a total control freak, but it made a bit more sense. There weren't any twists to the story, just a lot of insight into who is Christian Grey.

I found myself asking, why would he not just share with Ana? This book helped answer some of those questions. It's kind of nice to see the other side of things. How many times have we wished that we could put ourselves in another's shoes and see their point of view? If you are student of human behavior and want to know the why behind the what you might enjoy this book...more so than the content of the plot.

Happy reading!!

Judi