There was an era when this concept was a part of people’s mentality much more than it is nowadays,and the novel I’m about to review in this post captures this mentality perfectly.

I’m talking about MY ENEMY’S TEARS: THE WITCH OF NORTHAMPTON, by Karen Vorbeck Williams,who was kind enough to send me a signed copy of her novel.

The book is a historical/biographical novel centered on Mary Bliss Parsons, a woman in 17th century New England who was tried for witchcraft.

Mary was a colonist who came to America in the 1630′s, with her family of Puritan settlers from England.  She was accused of witchcraft by her friend turned bitter enemy, Sarah Lyman Bridgeman,when her feverish child said he’d seen her figure followed by a large black mouse,and she was pulling his knee. The accusations were fortified by her sleepwalking,and by the fact that Sarah’s life seems to be on a descending path(her children keep dying),while Mary’s and her husband Joseph’s are flourishing. Of course,after being tried,the woman is freed,as she was found innocent.

The novel shines in every aspect: the characters,the storyline,the setting.But I believe its strongest point lies in the extensive research the author has done. I truly felt transported to that era,through Ms. Vorbeck’s masterful use of descriptive passages and language. I got a lot of insight about that period and that way of life,while being compellingly entertained. It’s one of those rare novels that is the complete package.Add the fact that the author is a descendant of the heroine,and you get a 10-star out of 5 historical novel with a profound and timeless message: envy destroys.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart,Ms. Williams. Great,great read!

I got my answer by reading an excellent novel called “Violent Sands” ,written by Sean Young.  Centered around Barabbas,the zealot freed on Good Friday instead of Jesus Christ,the book shines in absolutely every aspect possible.

First of all,the action never stops.Zealots were skilled,ruthless warriors,and the novel really shows that.The action scenes are so intense,they’re like something out of a Hollywood film.

Second,there’s the characterisation. Barabbas,the morally conflicted main character,Pilate,the greedy prefect,Gaius,the centurion who has the guts to confront his superior,despite the possibly severe consequences,Leila,the peace-loving young woman who adores Barabbas,despite rejecting his bloody retributional philosophy…and of course Jesus,who’s only mentioned shortly,but in my view is the backspine of this novel,are just a few of the very well done characters in this gritty yet inspiring tale.

Thirdly,what would a good thriller be without a treasure hunt? I really loved the treasure in this book: the Copper Scroll,containing directions to the location of a massive treasure and something that will shake the foundation of the main character.

What I loved most about this awesome novel is the Christian message.Without being preachy,Mr.Young has done an awesome job of putting forward the message that everyone has a chance to be redeemed,including a man of arms,who listens to the voice of vengeance.I think there’s a bit of Barabbas in all of us at some point,but we have to make sure our inner peace outweighs our violence.

For everyone who wants a thrilling,intense,very well-researched and inspiring read, “Violent Sands” is the perfect book.I enjoyed every single minute of it,feeling truly transported to that turbulent yet fascinating period in history. 5 well-deserved stars.

Răspuns la această întrebare am primit citind „Violent Sands”,cartea lui Sean Young,un autor sud-african stabilit în Anglia,care mi-a trimis în schimbul unei recenzii un exemplar cu autograf din roman.

Cartea are în centru figura lui Baraba,zelotul eliberat în locul lui Iisus Hristos în Vinerea Mare. În caz că nu sunteți familiarizați cu zeloții,aceștia erau luptători aprigi pentru eliberarea Israelului de sub dominația romanilor.

Young,pentru care Baraba reprezintă dovada fizică a adevărului spiritual din sacrificiul lui Iisus,leagă destinul zelotului de unul din manuscrisele de la Marea Moartă,Sulul de Aramă,care este inventarul unei comori uriașe pe care zeloții voiau să o investească în ridicarea unei armate conduse de un Mesia războinic,ce urma să șteargă orice urmă de romani din Iudeea. Adăugați la asta un prefect roman lacom(Pilat),o poveste de dragoste excelent creionată,scene de acțiune intensă și nu în ultimul rând prezența lui Hristos,care deși este menționat scurt,e coloana vertebrală a acestui excelent roman de suspans,o alternativă creștină la toate cărțile controversate de care poate-ați auzit,poate nu. Mi-e foarte ușor să îmi imaginez o ecranizare reușită după acest thriller cu suflet.

Acestea fiind spuse,declar “Violent Sands” singura carte citită de mine care-şi merită eticheta de thriller religios,evocând cu realism şi patos viaţa fascinantă a zeloţilor. 5 stele binemeritate.

Thankfully,there are people with enough heart to do something for these creatures in need. People like Gloria Grow,whose sanctuary,Fauna,is the subject of the book I’ve just finished, titled simply but aptly THE CHIMPS OF FAUNA SANCTUARY,written by Andrew Westoll,from whom I’ve had the great honour to receive a signed copy of  what is truly  a  gem of modern animal-themed nonfiction. Though a very quick read for me(read it in 2 sittings of about an hour each), this book is one that will definitely remain one of my favourite true stories of all time.

With the skill,humour and heart of a great storyteller,Mr. Westoll introduces readers to the small but happy universe Ms. Grow created for her adopted family of chimpanzees. Rescued from experimental labs,zoos and circuses,these poor beings have seen,heard and felt things that would make a grown man cry . Some of them damage themselves when angry or scared. Yet,at Fauna,they all leave their dark past behind,looking forward to a tranquil and happy future.

It is truly amazing how complex the personality of each chimp is: from the practical joker Binky,AKA the Bub,to Sue Ellen,who likes tall bearded men,to Pepper,who had the heart to kiss one of the guys working in the lab that tried all kinds of stuff on her(I will NEVER forget that scene),to the legendary father/grandpa figure,Tom,a stunningly intelligent chimp who learned to treat his wounds,every chimp has a story,and all their stories build up this powerful,inspiring,gritty,funny,warm-hearted jewel of a book,like a vivid tapestry of both the cruelty and the compassion in human nature.  I thank both Gloria Grow,whose heart and determination has saved 13 lives,and Andrew Westoll,for a chimp story for the ages. 10 stars out of 5.

When three friends,Thomas,Devereaux Daniel Coahoma and Delmar Forsythe, along with their hunting guides and Thomas’s Siberian Husky Jack, go hunting in the snowy mountains of Canada,they discover that,from the shadows,they’re hunted themselves,by something that would make the Grizzly that they’re trying to hunt back down yelping like a scaredy cat.  Their plane crashes,leaving them at the mercy of the elements and a century-old werewolf who is the perfect killing machine. Though it may sound simplistic,this is by no means a formulaic,B-movie type of werewolf novel.The suspense Mr.Hebert uses makes the reader forget this is a debut novel,the characterization is really well done,I cared so much about the characters,especially Thomas and his best pal Jack. The part where this book shines is the perspective of the villain.I confess I had multiple moments where the hairs on the back of my hands and neck were standing up straight. I know werewolves are fictional creatures,but if they were real,I do believe they would act just like Mr.Hebert describes them. The loyalty that Thomas and Jack feel for each other  is like a spine to this novel,Jack being the one that helps Thomas and the group stay alert.

Another interesting character is the old Scottish hermit, Alastair,to whom there is much more than meets the eye. What that means,I will let the readers discover. Oh,and the ending. Oh Boooooooooy,the ending. I LOVED IT! I’m not gonna say more than that it left me BEGGING for MORE,MORE ,MORE!

If you’re looking for an old-fashioned werewolf novel and much more,I highly recommend Mr. Shawston Hebert’s book BENEATH A WINTER MOON. 5 well-deserved stars! Thank you,Mr Hebert,for bringing back the type of werewolf that I and  many other readers had been longing for!

Secondly there’s a group ,a wonderful,wonderful group ,who like Robin Hood’s Merry-men were there for me when I was down and out,on the brink of madness.My high-school mates,who became my brothers and sisters,with their undying support. I would especially like to give my thanks to David Alb,an absolutely remarkable young man,with the mind of a man twice his age.He started as a simple classmate,and then became my friend,and ended up as my brother.He gave me everything he could to make me feel comfortable with myself and the people around me.Thanks,bro,for all the good things that you brought into my life,and I hope I will repay you someday,because you deserve it in every way possible.

It’s hard for me to single anyone out,everyone in that group has a special place in my heart,from Vlad and Cosmin(I love you ,you bloody drunkards!),to Andreea,who was the first person to help me walk  when I entered the classroom,Atena,whose sometimes not so subtle jokes hide a wonderful person with a huge heart,Ina ,whose art is as beautiful as her sweet-natured personality,all of you are absolutely awesome and these words are not enough.

The teachers in my former high-school are also special people and I would like to thank them ALL for their understanding of my situation.I will certainly do my best to make them proud,and I’m grateful to have been their student.

Signed,

Alex Szollo,super-nerd extraordinaire,eternally grateful.

Well,the book I’m about to review has a hell of a lot of perils. I’m talking about Methuselah’s Pillar,written by author W.G. Griffiths. It is truly a gripping ,captivating read,and I couldn’t put it down until I was done with it.

To cut a long story short,an Afghan Shepherd discovers an ancient artifact known as Methuselah’s pillar,a relic of enormous power,which becomes the object of a thrilling game of cat and mouse between the CIA ,terrorists,and Samantha Conway,a famous archaeologist.  The relic causes the spread of a virus known as THE ANGEL OF DEATH ,which ,like the plague caused by Moses in Egypt,kills the first -born in unspeakable agony. I love the fact that Mr. Griffiths chose a woman as a heroine,and I can say wholeheartedly that Samantha  is an instant classic when it comes to action heroes. The plot moves at a high-octane pace,the characters are great,the author is a great storyteller. So ,in other words THIS BOOK IS AWESOME! 5 stars is too little.

Apparently ,Dred was a feeble slave who couldn’t read and write. In truth, though,he was a MAN,a remarkable man who should be remembered as the greatest African-American who ever lived. He lost his freedom,thanks to the law of that time,and had enough courage of suing the state to regain it,despite not knowing how to read and write. It is truly amazing how this illiterate black  man,who was not even considered  fully human understood the essence of American democracy better than those who were ruling at the time.

Thanks to a very dear friend of mine ,I had the chance to read a stunning historical novel detailing the life and times of Dred Scott.The novel’s called “Am I Not A Man?-the Dred Scott Story” and it is written by Utah General Attorney  Mark Shurtleff.

Dred’s story is truly amazing and inspirational :born Sam Blow on the plantation of Peter Blow in Virginia around 1799,he was treated by the Blow family as one of their own.When his brother ,Dred,dies , Sam takes his name as a sign of  his brotherly love. The Blow Family ultimately has to sell Dred because of heavy debts,and thus  Dred ends up with Army doctor John Emerson.He meets Harriet,who he’ll marry and have 2 daughters with,and is advised to sue for his freedom,based on the “Once Free,Always Free” stipulation.

After many tribulations,Dred Scott will regain his freedom,proving that indeed,he is A MAN,worthy of all the respect in this world. I,for one,would’ve been honoured to shake this man’s hand,and it is with great pride that i acknowledge that I would bow before the strength of his spirit.

The closest I’ve ever come to facing a tiger was when I read an absolutely amazing roller-coaster of a novel,called SHIKAR,by Jack Warner,of which I had the great honor of receiving a signed copy from the author.

The plot’s simple,but highly original:a full-grown Bengal tiger escapes a travelling carnival and runs loose in rural Georgia,killing people and livestock. Sheriff Grady Brickhouse doesn’t like the idea of a tiger loose in his community(who would?) and starts trying to hunt down the animal. What follows is a cat-and-mouse game through Georgia,with the tiger proving to be a great adversary for the sheriff,who eventually calls in Jim Graham,an English hunter who is known for his experience with Indian man-eaters.The National Guard also comes into play,considering the animal a serious threat to security.While all these people are trying to put the tiger down,a 9-year-old boy,Roy Satterly,who loves nature with a passion,develops a unique bond with it. At any time he approaches the wild animal,it doesn’t harm him,and Roy believes the tiger’s trying to tell him something. Graham immediately befriends Roy,but ,considering his safety,puts the tiger’s life to an end,not feeling too proud of it.

The characterization is where this book shines in my view.There’s not one single character that’s unidimensional ,and I genuinely cared for all of them.I absolutely loved Graham,who’s inspired by real-life tiger-hunter and conservationist Jim Corbett,and young Roy Satterly.If all children nowadays were more like Roy,the world would be a far better place.I have to confess,I felt like crying as I read about Roy’s connection to the tiger and my heart broke when the animal was killed. I highly recommend SHIKAR to all people who love nature and want a thrilling story about what it means to be wild.A solid five-star rating! Thank you,Mr.Warner! Helluva job!