Jesus, My Father, The CIA, and Me

This book is hands-down one of the best books I've read this year. Ian Cron's style is reminiscent of Frank McCourt's - another favorite of mine. He tells a story so fraught with disappointment and sadness, yet proves God's hand throughout. He has taken his potentially depressing life story and turned it into something amazing, uplifting, and absolutely enjoyable.

The book crackles with energy and wit. Every page is filled with clever metaphors and amusing allusions to the Bible. Cron pokes fun at established "religion," yet writes with the deepest respect and devotion to a living God.

I don't often give a five-star rating, but that's what Ian Cron's memoir deserves. It's a beautiful story with a beautiful message, and I highly recommend it.

The Seraph Seal

This book is a fast-paced thriller, based on the Book of Revelation. Lori does a great job of weaving a tale, building credible, enjoyable characters and a plot that keeps the pages turning.

The story (if you hadn't already gathered) is apocalyptic, and takes place in the future, presenting a world where humanity is dealing with the consequences of its mistakes.

The apocalyptic theme is one much-used, but Lori manages to put a fresh spin on it and has put out a pretty good story.

I did enjoy this book, and only give it four stars because it tended to be a bit too heady for me at certain points.

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from Thomas Nelson Publishers through BookSneeze.com - their book review bloggers program. I wasn't required to post a positive review. These are my own opinions on this book.

Nick of Time

This book was just plain fun to read. I've done a lot of heavier reading lately, so this was a nice change.

It's the story of Nick Polchak, the "Bug Man." Apparently there's a whole series of "Bug Man" books - which I may look into getting after reading this one.

Anyway, Nick's a forensic etymologist - kind of a weird guy. But he's found someone as weird as him - Alena, who trains dogs to sniff out human remains. They've hit it off so well (obviously, in a previous novel), that they're getting married. That's where the story begins -a couple days before their wedding.

Just a few days before the wedding, Nick gets called off to help with a case in Philadelphia - where he discovers . that his friend has been murdered. And rather than returning to his fiancée, Nick starts following the trail of evidence.

The story is fast-paced and really quite enjoyable. It's comfortable reading for when you need some down-time, but has enough twists and turns to keep you interested. I think I read the entire book in one sitting.

I'm giving this book four stars because while it's a fun read, it's not outstanding. However, it's certainly enjoyable and I do recommend it.