Pestilence by Laura Thalassa (The Four Horsemen Book One)

A book about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.  I've seen that before.  A romance book about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.  Now that's a new one.  To say I'm intrigued is a vast understatement.  How would one even work romance into a story featuring the Four Horsemen?  Love is completely at odds with everything the Four Horsemen represent.

I finished the book with mixed feelings.  First, let me be exceedingly clear on one point:  This book strays so far from the Biblical Four Horseman they are unrecognizable as the entities of Revelation.  The four Horsemen in this book and the Four Horsemen in the Bible share a name.  That's it.  This book is for entertainment only.

Setting that aside, what really troubled me about this book was that Sara seemed to suffer from Stockholm Syndrome.  Of course I'm not exactly sure, short of being taken prisoner, how you could write someone willingly into the presence of Pestilence.  And for there to be romance, one does need to spend time in the presence of one's love interest.  So I pushed the Stockholm Syndrome complaint out of my mind and kept reading.

I can say that I did like the characters.  I work with firefighters and some of them are like Sara.  Some really are in this profession because they care about people and want to help.  So the compassionate side of Sara's personality did ring true for me.  As did her toughness.  You can't be a woman in what is still considered a man's profession and not be tough as nails.  Given what the author put Sara through, it certainly was a good choice on her part to give Sara that backstory.  It also made her compassion towards Pestilence a little easier to understand.  Additionally I liked that Sara wasn't a whiner.  She got hurt physically and mentally, but she didn't whine about it.  She acknowledged it, dealt with it and moved on.  Frankly, once I discarded the Stockholm Syndrome argument, her growth as a character was very well written.

Pestilence was also well written.  His changes were of an existential nature and they made sense.  Who wouldn't question their duty to exterminate a "bad" race when several times compassion is offered without expectation of repayment?  And who wouldn't be torn when that same race showed abject hatred and cruelty?  Watching Pestilence wrestle with his changing certainty about his cause actually made me think more than once about my own reactions to some of the things humanity does.  It's easy to have a knee jerk reaction and fall back on habitual thoughts.  But are those thoughts right?

The writing itself was fine.  Points for using a few words not normally used in books targeted for mass market.  However... the language!  In some cases, yes, there was a need because that is exactly how those types speak.  But in general, there was a lot of the use of the F-word and taking the Lord's name in vain that I could have done without.  But it wasn't so bad that I gave up.  I just started skipping those words.  Other than that, I can't really complain about the writing.  Obviously it wasn't horrible; I read the book in two sittings!

The story itself was intriguing.  I found the story to be of a more cerebral nature than of an action nature.  To be sure, there was some action, some of it gruesome, but that action was needed to push the story along.  The heart of the story, the truly important part of this story, is how Sara and Pestilence changed.  Thankfully that part of the story wasn't lost in a quagmire of unnecessary action.

All things considered, I recommend this book for adult readers that can overlook profanity, sex, and some gruesome scenes.  I will say this about the sex:  It is not super graphic nor is it disgustingly or cheaply described.  Sure, I've seen better descriptions but I've also seen a whole lot more offensive descriptions.  As these things go, it's not terrible.  The violence in the book is only what is necessary, however, it isn't pretty.  It is not super graphic, but neither is it easy to read.  I will say if you are easily upset or offended, don't read this book.  Otherwise, enjoy just be forewarned.

Note:  I read this book a year or two ago and wasn't going to post a review until all the books had come out and I had reviewed them all.  I've decided not to wait.

A Gift From Bob by James Bowen

Anybody who reads this blog regularly, or knows me even a tiny bit, knows I love reading Christmas books.  Nothing beats curling up with a seasonal book on a cold day.  I also enjoy books about animals.  A Gift From Bob fulfills both criteria.  I admit at first I was a little leery of a book about a man on the streets.  I wondered how on earth a book about a man who is one minuscule step above homeless could possibly make for good holiday reading.  I'm glad I took a chance on this book.  A Gift From Bob truly is one of the most uplifting books you could read this season.  And the best part?  It's non fiction!

I have to admit I like the author's writing style.  James Bowen's style is not pretentious nor is his style elementary.  I would say Mr. Bowen's style is simple but compelling.  At no time did I find myself distracted by the author's style.  I appreciated the fact that it felt as though he were sitting in front of me telling his story.  This conversational style pulled me in and really helped me enjoy the book.

I especially enjoyed how well he enabled me to know the other people populating his story.  Not only did he do a very good job of helping me visualize where this part of his life took place, he also made it very easy for me to make a connection with the people who were an integral part of his life. 

The story itself, if you will, had me completely engrossed.  I can't say that I know anything about the struggle of the homeless.  I certainly never gave much thought to how, or even if, they celebrate the holidays.  Neither have I considered how one goes from sleeping in the park to reintegrating into a more traditional mode of living.  Mr. Bowen's story gave me a glimpse into the life of the homeless and certainly made me far more aware of the role I can play in assisting those that I encounter.

Additionally, A Gift From Bob made me think about what "Christmas spirit" really means.  This book also helped me to refocus on the important things of the season.  It really is less about the price tag on the gift and much more about the thought that goes into it.  And truly, when things look as though they are at their worst, if you just slow down for a moment and refocus, it turns out things aren't ruined after all.  But most of all, this book helped me remember that the gifts really aren't that important.  It's all about who you spend your Christmas with.

All things considered, I would recommend this book to everyone.  There is nothing at all bad in this book.  In fact, I would encourage everyone to read this book regardless of the time of year.  Of course if you can read the book during the Christmas season, I would certainly encourage you to do so.  I will be reading this book again next Christmas and I will probably do so first thing in the season.  Just like A Christmas Carol, this book should be read every year and should kick off the beautiful season that is all about love, joy, peace and the greatest gift man has ever known.

The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom

This book has been sitting on my shelf to read for probably five years!  I've always meant to read it, but the pathway to hell is paved with good intentions.  When a friend of mine mentioned he had just started it and then suggested we read it together, I decided to go for it.  I'm glad I did!

This book is an easy, but ever so pleasant read.  The author's writing style is not verbose nor complex, yet it is still engaging and quite enjoyable.  I did not, as I do with so many books, think to myself that perhaps the author should invest in a thesaurus or take a grammar or creative writing course.

I found the character of Eddie (the main character) to be likable.  I was easily able to identify with him.  Perhaps other readers may not, but so much of his story matches mine.  This made him immediately likable.  Even if other readers to not share such similarities with Eddie, I still think his character will be engaging though perhaps not on such a visceral level.

I found as Eddie worked through the five people waiting for him in heaven that his character developed quite nicely.  I suppose one could say that the changes and growth in Eddie's character were hardly surprising, but that in no way detracted from the story.  I found Eddie's responses to his five people to be completely appropriate and even thought provoking.  Of course, I would say the whole point of this book is to make the reader pause and consider.

In addition to truly enjoying Eddie's character, I must admit, I enjoyed the book as a whole.  I enjoyed how the author showed the meeting with the person waiting for Eddie in heaven and then explained the meeting with a flashback from Eddie's life.  I enjoyed the leisurely pace in which Eddie worked through his five people and I loved the lessons he learned from each of his people.

After reading this book, I've thought often about who my five people might be, if this were to be how heaven actually worked.  I truly appreciate that this book did more than just tell me a story.  I love how this book has made me think about things.  Not just "things".  This book has made me think about how I interact with people and made me think about the events my actions may, or may not, set in motion.  It has made me more mindful but it has also opened my mind to a whole new set of possibilities.

Now, I will say that for some, this book may present a problem.  While I would say this book is appropriate for teens and older readers alike, I know that some readers may have an issue with how heaven is portrayed.  Yes, this heaven in no way resembles the Biblical representation of heaven.  I understand that.  I have no problem with that.  I know what my Bible says about heaven.  I know the truth.  However, I know some readers will not read anything that is contrary to what the Bible teaches.  That's fine.  If you are one of those readers, do not read this book.  However, if you are comfortable with reading someone else's non-Biblical interpretation of heaven, I am certain you will enjoy this book.

All things considered, I highly recommend this book.  It is by no means a difficult book to read, but that very simplicity is what allows the reader's mind to really absorb the story and to truly appreciate what this book does.  I promise, the book will make you think.  Please take the time to read this book.  I am the world's slowest reader and I read it in two nights before bed.  Without a doubt, it was time well spent.