Book Review of "Valley of Dreams"by Lauraine Snelling

    Addy Lockwood's life has turned upside down. Firstly, her mother had died when Addy was young. Following her mother, her father died. On top of that, the wild western show she has worked in since she was young closes down. Addy is thrust into a new life, one she is naive existed. Traveling with only a hired hand and an Indian chief from the once-thriving show, she tries to travel to the legendary valley her father had promised to take her to, and never did. She hopes she can reach this "Valley of Dreams" before winter, and the dangers of the black hills, swallow them.
  I liked the plot of this book, except, however strange it sounds, it needed more conflict. It was almost too easy. I did love the descriptions, the characters, and the sweetness of the book. I loved how innocent and naive Addy was, as well as the emotions she fights through. On a cosmetic note, I liked the cover a lot, the swirled accents and the colors were beautiful together. Her longing look also is wonderful for the book. I would recommend this book to anyone who appreciates the beauty of the Black Hills, and also anyone infatuated with the old west. Overall, a Very, Very good book.
Richard L.

Bethany House Publishers gave me this book free in exchange for this review

Book Review: Departures by Robin Jones Gunn

     Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen both have one thing in common: They both are dealing with friend problems, boy problems, and emotional freak-outs.  Christy is simply unsure about her feelings toward her “friend” Matt.  Just friends or something much more cherished? She hopes that in the short weekend her family is visiting her hometown; she can sort through her feelings enough to enjoy her vacation. Sierra wonders if she is the only girl who has not yet begun to like boys, and if she should or should not. After a fun vacation with friends, that all might quickly change for Sierra.

    I thought this book was very cute. A fairly predictable plot, but with enough different “bumps” that it was still totally unique.  I loved the two characters and their descriptions, as well as the untimely “meeting” the two had. I agreed {for the most part} with their dating/courting philosophy and would likely recommend this to friends. I am eager to read the rest of these books, as I can hope are as well written as this one. Overall, I hope this review has helped you see that these characters and the story are beautifully written, as well as appropriate for girls of all ages!

Richard

This book was given to me free of charge by water brook for this review

Book Review: Waking Hours by Lis Wiehl

    2:13 a.m. The haunting time Dani Harris continually wakes up. Absurd, seemingly meaningless nightmares scare her during the wee hours of the morning. Dreams of her late parents, a stone, and an oncoming apocalypse continually frighten her and cause her a lack of sleep. Tommy Gunderson, a retired pro-football player, finds himself awoken one night by an eerie elderly woman, speaking in Latin and with an unnatural strength.  When an unknown girl is found murdered and mercilessly harmed, both Tommy and Dani must find a reason behind the peculiar happenings, and they must find an answer before it is too late.

     I found this book to be wonderful. It was one you can barely put down, and if forced to put down, you do so extremely grudgingly. I loved the character of Tommy Gunderson, who seems to be a cool Christian guy. If there were any criticisms, it would be the abrupt ending of the book; however, I absolutely cannot wait for Lis Wiehl’s next novel, as I am left on an edge with this one! I would recommend this to anyone who watches murder mysteries, and enjoys suspense. I would not recommend it to anyone who does not handle violence well, due to the content. I sincerely hope you will enjoy this book as much as I did!

Richard

Thomas Nelson gave me this book free in exchange for this review.

Book Review: The Realms Thereunder by Ross Lawhead

      Underground. That is where an evil city has slept from the dawn of time. Just waiting for the opportunity to snatch unsuspecting people from the country above it. When two children, Daniel and Freya, disappear during a field trip, they are taken to the odd world, filled with mystery, intrigue, evil, and darkness. Eight years pass, and they are forced once again to return to the world they once thought they had conquered. Will they win? Only time will tell. But until it does, they will have to fight for their lives, and against their evil opponents.
     I disliked this book. While it was an interesting thought for a book, it was not well executed. It was disjointed, and extremely difficult to understand. They would go forward, then back then forward then forward some more, extremely confusing. When I requested this book, I thought it would be a nice Christian fantasy book, however I saw very few mentions of God, if there are any at all. Not only this, but the book itself was terrifically depressing. Who was evil and who was good? The lines were blurred. Overall, this book was a confusing read that was dark, depressing, and overall, dreadful.


This book was given to me by Thomas Nelson in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: The Seraph Seal -By Leonard Sweet and Lori Wagner

     The year is 2048, and Paul Binder has just received a mysterious message; speaking vaguely of the eight horsemen, and of the future of the world. Matt Serafino, the new, flagitious president of the USAMERICA, trying to cope with the many catastrophes the world is going through. Food is scarce, because of the overuse of creating synthetic energy. The four good horsemen  meet with each other in an intriguing matter, trying to piece together the seemingly unending puzzle. Paul Binder's quest is to lead humanity to a new and better future, but will he prevail, or watch the earth crumble into complete destruction?
     I found it very compelling, suspenseful, and a perfect mix of truth and fiction. I enjoyed all of the realistic characters, brought to life by the authors. The plot continued to unfold, but did not divulge anything until the final pages. I loved that while these characters were going about their business, they found their own void of truth, and of God. The catastrophic events were very well depicted, in fact, they were entirely believable. Overall, A very easy-to-read, captivating book that was impossible to put down. I would highly recommend this book to somewhat mature readers, though others may enjoy it as well.

Sincerely,
Richard (The Boppy) Lauer

P.S. Booksneeze gave me a free copy of this book to review honestly.

Book review: The Final Summit by Andy Andrews

     What would you do if you needed to come up with a solution to save mankind from their greed, pride, and hate? Using only two words, a group of six people, including Winston Churchill, Joan of Arc, Eric Ericson, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington Carver, and the heroic David Ponder, the only traveler that was still alive had to find this solution. Not only did they have to find it in two words, but they had only five chances. Will they find the solution in time, or will humanity be destroyed? In this sequel to The Traveler's Gift, time and wits are running out.
     Though I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I must admit at times it was a bit hard to follow. I absolutely enjoyed the section about Eric Ericson, because I never had known all that he did during World War II, becoming a catalyst to the Nazi's downfall. I enjoyed the historical characters, and the research done on them. The mysterious question always lingered, "What should humanity do, individually and collectively in order to restore itself to the pathway toward successful civilization?" All the while, the surprisingly simple solution is yet to be discovered. Overall, An enjoyable read for anyone who enjoys a good book.

Richard A. Lauer
    


Tommy nelson gave me this book for free to honestly review, be it good or bad.