Off the Cluff

Review: Summer Knight

2012-12-28T16:13:00.001-07:00

Summer Knight by Jim Butcher

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A good read. A continuation of the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher. It's an urban fantasy type book. Dresden is a wizard living in Chicago, the only wizard in the yellow pages. This book covers him taking on a case on behalf of a powerful fairy/magical creature. One that's seemingly impossible.

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Review: The Fires of Heaven

2012-12-12T16:12:00.003-07:00

The Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As you all know, I love the Wheel of Time. This book marks a shift in the tone of the series. We begin to transition from the Quest based book structure, where in the first 3 we had 3 distinct quests that were begun and finished in each book to this book where it is now a buildup to the final battle (a buildup that will still last another 9 books).

Great book, great read. We get a deeper view of Aiel culture and the Waste, as well as the much beloved traveling menagerie scenes with the wonder girls. Okay, maybe the menagerie scenes are not as much beloved, but on this reread there was certainly far less annoyance. I even found it enjoyable.

Enjoy!

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Review: The Fires of Heaven

2012-12-12T16:12:00.001-07:00

Review: The Shadow Rising

2012-08-15T15:53:00.001-06:00

The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Great follow up to The Dragon Reborn, this book marks the beginning of the transition of the travelogue quest style book to the larger geo-political style story that good epic fantasy is known for. Here we see the Aiel and the Waste, as well as the harrowing of the Two Rivers.

The Wheel of Time is my favorite book series of all time, so I'll have almost nothing but good things to say about it and I really feel like everyone should read it.

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Review: The Tub of Happiness

2012-08-15T15:46:00.001-06:00

The Tub of Happiness by Howard Tayler

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I read the Tub of Happiness by Howard Tayler because he is a member of the Writing Excuses podcast. Otherwise, I never would have heard of his work because I'm not much into reading serialized comics anymore. I also always try to support local Utah authors, another thing Howard had going for him.

The work was good, it's the first of the Schlock Mercenary series and the early part of Howard's career as an artist and it shows. The art is amusingly simple in some parts and downright bad in others, but you can see growth in just the one volume which I find encouraging.

A good way to know if this is something that would be for your is to check out the Schlock Mercenary page, where strips are done weekly. I believe their is a full archive as well. http://www.schlockmercenary.com/

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Review: The Judge

2012-05-10T11:10:00.001-06:00

The Judge by Steve Martini

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was my first Steve Martini book, I have to admit, it was a little difficult to get past the stupid name of the author. It feels too much like a gimmick. Of course, now I'm hoping that Martini is a pen name and not the author's real name.

Anyway, the book is good, but not great. I was reading a Michael Connelly Lincoln Lawyer book at the same time and it was easy to see who the better author (Connelly, in case you've never read his stuff). But this book was good and although I had determined the killer long before the end, I still found myself picking up speed and racing through the final 100 pages.

The story is about a lawyer, Paul Madriani, who finds himself defending a Judge, Armando Acosta, who has been charged with the murder of an undercover police operative. The very same operative that he was accused of soliciting. Did the judge murder the only witness against him to get out of soliciting charges? Or has a corrupt faction of the police gone out of their way to silence a judge that was looking too far into their actions?

It's a good read. Nothing ground breaking or a must read, but if you're stuck in an airport and could only find a copy of Martini's the Judge, you'll do alright.

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Review: Illuminated

2011-12-28T11:58:00.001-07:00

Illuminated by Matt Bronleewe

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Illuminated is the tale of a archeobibliologist who must unravel clues found in multiple Gutenburg Bibles to discover some deep dark secret. This is your standard Dan Brown DaVinci Code or National Treasure formula book by first time author Matt Bronleewe.

The story is formulaic, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I found that I enjoyed parts of the book and came away feeling like it was okay. There were a few scenes that felt as if they were tacked on to pad out the word count and didn't relate to the story. Several of the aspects required a larger suspension of disbelief than I was willing to give, such as solving the whole mystery that had withstood the test of time for hundreds of years within the space of a 1 hour airplane flight. Worst of all to me was the ending went out on a real whimper, with the book just pretty much ending without much action, fanfare, or strong conclusion to the mystery.

What really drew me to this book was the cover. It's absolutely gorgeous and a brilliant design. You know how they say you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover? Well, this is probably a decent reason why. The cover is amazing and beautiful, but the story inside is only okay.

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Review: The Eye of the World

2011-12-14T09:17:00.001-07:00

The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'm currently rereading the Wheel of Time in anticipation of the final book coming out next year. I'm already a huge fan of the series and these early books have such an awesome sense of wonder and enjoyment that you'd have to be a heartless slob to not enjoy them.

The biggest difficulty in reviewing books in such a long and epic fantasy series like this is not giving away important spoilers, it's impossible, especially in reviewing later books. So I will limit my comments to just say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book and everything about it. You'll be missing out on one of the great fantasy epics of all time if you pass on this book and series.

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Review: Crispin: The Cross of Lead

2011-08-25T11:35:00.001-06:00

Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Crispin: The Cross of Lead is the first in a series by Avi about a young peasant without a name, growing up in 14th century England. Known only as Asta's son, the young man and his mother are beyond poor and ostracized even by the other peasants of the small village they live in. When Asta dies, the steward of the town declares that Asta's son has stolen money and that he is to be considered a Wolf's Head, meaning anyone can freely kill them, as they are no longer human. On the run, the priest who helps him is murdered but not before revealing his name, Crispin. Crispin escapes being chased by guards, he eventually makes his way to a town, which has been completely wiped out by the plague. In the town he comes across a giant beast of a man, known as Bear, who forces him to swear allegiance to him. The two then start off on a much bigger journey, with far reaching implications.

This is the first book I've read by Avi, though I know he is quite well known. I found the book to be interesting, I think Avi did a very good job in communicating the religious feelings and life that people lived in that time period. Too often, books set in this time period will gloss over religion despite the fact that it played a major role in the lives of the people, especially the peasants.

The book is a young adult book, and probably even a middle-grade level book. It does what it does well, but advanced readers will have no problem knowing exactly what is going to happen at every step of the plot, and will probably find the whole thing pretty shallow. But this would probably be a good book for young readers to get started on. I will likely continue to read the other books in the series as well, but they will not be a priority for me.

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Review: Disclosure

2011-08-23T13:12:00.001-06:00

Disclosure by Michael Crichton

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Michael Crichton may be the best fictionist of the 90s. This is pretty high praise, but when you consider the breadth of topics that he wrote on, and not just wrote on, but wrote on with a level of understanding that is usually limited to those who have spent years in the field.

My most recent read was Disclosure, the story of Tom Sanders as he works in the high tech industry with CD Rom drives. When Tom doesn't get the promotion he expects, but is instead passed over for an old girlfriend, Meredith Palmer, from his past he doesn't want to rock the boat. But when Meredith invites him to a meeting and sexually harasses him and then throws him under the bus Tom gets mad and fights back filing a sexual harassment claim, the only problem is that Meredith has already charged Tom with sexually harassing her. Not only is it now a game of he said, she said, it's clear that there is more to this story than appears and with only days left to discover whats really going on and clear his name Tom needs to figure out whats really happening.

This book was written in the 1990s, so although Tom Sanders works for a high tech company on the cutting edge it's pretty outdated now, though as someone who was involved in high tech at the time I can tell you that the technology is accurate, and the speculation of what the future would be like was right on. Yes, people in the 90s thought CD-Roms were the promise of a better future, with their ability to store hundreds of megabytes it could bring encyclopedias to peoples homes. The idea was correct, in that people would devour the data if it were available, they were just wrong in the delivery method -- the internet became fast and ubiquitous enough to deliver the content that CD-Roms proved just too slow to do.

That being said, the thought of being charged, wrongly, of sexual harassment is almost as frightening today as it was then. It can be used as a devastating weapon as the book shows that a charge of sexual harassment results in an immediate assumption of guilt and one has to prove innocence. Crichton is a fantastic author, and his characters seemed all to real in this book. I found myself hooked and reading until late into the night. I could hardly put this book down.

Frightening, chilling, excellently orchestrated. A good read.

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Review: Hell's Corner

2011-08-11T08:34:00.001-06:00

Hell's Corner by David Baldacci

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

David Baldacci returns to the Camel Club series with Hell's Corner. Oliver Stone, America's most deadly protester is brought back in to work for the government which he has been protesting against for the last 30 years. But when a bomb explodes right across the street from the White House it's clear that things aren't always as clear as they seem, especially when they aren't clear to begin with! Stone must weigh his concern for the other members of the Camel Club against getting the help he needs to solve the mystery and prevent more death and destruction, with shifting and uncertain loyalties that make up Washington DC politics it's uncertain who can be trusted.

I thought Baldacci really returned to a fine form here after the disappointing True Blue. The Camel Club is a fun little group of outcasts and misfits and they work pretty well together. The introduction of a well written MI6 operative helps liven things up as well. Some of the plot twists in this book were unexpected, others I saw right from the very beginning, but it was a thrill ride to get through the whole thing. It was just a fun and easy book to read.

This is the 5th of the Camel Club books. You could very easily read this book on its own, but there are some references to characters and story that happened in the previous books. But the real reason why you wouldn't want to start here, is because the first Camel Club book is so great! If you're looking for a fun and enjoyable series of books to read, read the Camel Club books.

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Review: SEAL Team Six: Memoirs of an Elite Navy SEAL Sniper

2011-08-02T12:47:00.001-06:00

SEAL Team Six: Memoirs of an Elite Navy SEAL Sniper by Howard E. Wasdin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Seal Team Six is a look inside the super secret organization that is the very elite of the elite American special forces. The author, Howard Wasdin recounts his experiences as a Seal Team Six sniper. He gives us an insight into the history of the American Special Forces and how they evolved into the elite units they are now. In addition to providing that history, Wasdin also recounts the training and conditioning that he had to experience to make the cut, as well as operations that he was active in, including the events that make up the movie, Black Hawk Down.

Wasdin gives us his history, a troubled one where he faced near constant physical abuse at the hands of his father. Thankfully instead of permanently damaging him, it gave him the mental toughness and inner resolve to overcome all obstacles. Traits that he would need as he climbed the ranks of the special forces elite, eventually hitting the top run, Seal Team Six Sniper, and then his eventual fall from the military after devastating wounds received in Mogadishu.

I really liked this book, there were points when I simply could not put it down. Wasdin is a real person, a person who has lived through difficult things. He doesn't pull any punches. You could get the sense that his thoughts on issues were real, and are probably reflected by many of his team members, like their frustration at the lack of Presidential leadership by Bill Clinton, and the corruption of the United Nations, which lead directly to the deaths and critical wounding of so many American soldiers and Somali people. You may not agree with all of his feelings on the matter, but it's important to recognize those feelings. Sometimes Wasdin comes across as arrogant, some of his choices were poor. I appreciate the fact that Wasdin shares those moments with us in the book, it makes him a human being. By the end of the book, I don't believe anyone can doubt his humility and caring sides as well.

I highly recommend this book. Some who lean very far to the left will have difficulty with some of the thoughts and opinions that Wasdin expresses, but if nothing else, the history of Seal, and the insights into the men who make up the Special Forces is well worth the read.

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Review: The Return of Sherlock Holmes

2011-07-27T09:43:00.001-06:00

The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another great collection of Sherlock Holmes short mysteries. These shorts are where Sherlock really gets to shine because the story is neat and compact and because Sherlock is a master observer he is able to notice the details and put together what happened without the need of hiding what it is he's discovered from the reader for long.

This volume comes after Sherlock Holmes had died battling Moriarty in the last collection. Thankfully for us, the fans of the day were too attached to Holmes to let him go, and finally Doyle acquiesced and gave the people what they wanted, more Sherlock Holmes! What I've said about previous Holmes stories holds true here. We get fun and interesting mysteries, but more importantly to me you get to see and understand the people of turn of the century Britain in a way that no dusty history book would ever be able to provide. These books are a great cultural treasure.

I definitely recommend people read the Sherlock Holmes collections, preferably in order, though that isn't absolutely required. So far so good. Now on to the Hound of the Baskervilles!

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Review: Signing Their Lives Away

2011-07-13T14:14:00.001-06:00

Signing Their Lives Away by Joseph D'Agnese

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a very fun book to read for me as a student of the Revolutionary War. It gives an average of 3 small pages to each and every signer of the Declaration of Independence, and shines a light into the lives of the men who signed that great document. The book is humorous and sometimes a little irreverent, but its such an easy and entertaining read that almost anyone would be able to enjoy it.

At a time like now where our government is increasingly out of touch with the average American and is coming to resemble the tyrannical British government of the 1770s it is a great reminder to see how these men valued freedom and were willing to risk their fortunes, families and very lives in standing for what is right.

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Review: True Blue

2011-06-29T09:33:00.001-06:00

True Blue by David Baldacci

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I am a big fan of David Baldacci, normally, so I was very excited to read True Blue. Sadly the book doesn't hold up to most of his other thrillers. The story is one of female cop, Mason 'Mace' Perry (strangly mis-identified as 'Mac' on line). Mace like most cop cliches, was one of the hardest working cops on the DC force, her willingness to bend the rules caused her trouble, but of course also invented several new investigative methods that were now being taught at the academy. The story starts with Mace getting out of prison after serving 2 years for armed robbery for which she was maybe a little harshly punished, but for which she was not wrongly convicted as the book and other reviewers have claimed. Now, out of prison, she believes the only way to get back on the force is to solve a big case single handed.

Aspects about this book were fun to read, but others also rubbed me the wrong way. The book was easy to read and I wanted to finish it. But the characters were weak and undeveloped. The plot was simple and not as exciting as it could have been. The main character was annoyingly simple minded and yet as a literally 98 pound woman could kick anyone's butt. For someone who was struggling with so much difficulty she had everything she needed handed to her and never really had to work for anything.

In the end, the book was okay, a fun read but way too cliche and simple to ever rank among the best of the Baldacci books.

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Review: The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes [Complete Sherlock Holmes Collection #4]

2011-06-10T10:32:00.001-06:00

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes [Complete Sherlock Holmes Collection #4] by Arthur Conan Doyle

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I recently finished reading the Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes on my Kindle. I have really enjoyed reading the tales of Sherlock Holmes and my dear Watson.

The Memoirs cover nearly a dozen short tales of Sherlock Holmes, in these tales we learn more about Sherlock as a person, his history, his nearly friendless time at University, his family heritage and brother. We also see that Holmes is not by any means perfect at his craft and he gets a case completely wrong.

Besides just being good fun, I have found the chance to read the Holmes stories as an interesting look at what people found shocking and disturbing in the late 1800s. Very fascinating.

I'm grateful I got my Kindle, otherwise I likely never would have read this Sherlock Collection. I have a very old hardback collection of Sherlock Holmes stories, and I tried reading it once when I was much younger, but there was something about the book, the pages were old and brittle, the type font was terrible, I just couldn't read it. But getting the complete Sherlock Holmes library on my Kindle for free has been nothing short of a revelation.

I highly recommend this to everyone.

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Review: Sacred

2011-06-06T14:35:00.001-06:00

Sacred by Dennis Lehane

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is the third book by Dennis Lehane of the Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro series, but the first Lehane book I've ever read, so everything is new to me. In this book, our detectives are hired in an unusual manner to help find the missing daughter of one of the most powerful billionaire's in Boston. It's not long after that that the twists and turns of a wild ride start coming at you, including the fact that Patrick's mentor and friend was originally hired to find the same girl but has since gone missing.

Like I said before, this is my first Dennis Lehane book, but it wont be my last. The characters are fun, if maybe sometimes a little dark and moody, and sometimes a lot of the different characters think and act so much alike they aren't as unique as they could be, but that's a common problem in these types of novels.

The mystery was good and satisfying. I felt it was overall nicely done, except for one or two moments where I felt like the author wanted to do something so made up a little backstory and put it in right in the moment when perhaps it could have been foreshadowed better. But as I said, I will likely be reading more about Patrick and Angie in the future.

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Review: Nine Dragons

2011-06-01T13:34:00.001-06:00

Nine Dragons by Michael Connelly

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Michael Connelly writes Harry Bosch novels. He writes a few other things too, but he's primarily focused on Harry Bosch. I remember vividly reading my first Harry Bosch novel, and then quickly buying and reading the others because the character of Bosch was so unique in modern fiction and the stories and scenes were so gritty and raw.

In 9 Dragons, Harry is once again back. He's still a cantankerous old detective who likes to do things his way. And woe be unto anyone who gets in his way, even his partner. Bosch and his parter get a case of a liquor store owner who has been killed in what appears to be a simple robbery. As the case unfolds, it appears that there may be more than there appears with links to Chinese gangs, known as the Triad, at one point even going to Hong Kong, where his ex-wife and daughter currently live to take on the Triad. Of course this wouldn't be a Connelly novel without a number of twists and turns along the ride.

When I first started reading this book, I was nearly convinced that I had read it before, which was very confusing because I was pretty sure I hadn't, and I don't own the book, so it's not likely I would have read it any other way. Regardless, I kept skipping ahead to read parts to see if I recognized what was going on. Unfortunately in this way I gave away a few key plot twists, and as it turned out, I think I must have read a preview of this book in the last Harry Bosch novel, so I had read the first few chapters, but not the whole thing. Oh well, lesson learned, don't read previews!

I enjoyed the book, it's classic Harry Bosch. It's exciting and fun to read. I hate Los Angeles, but I enjoy seeing it through Harry's eyes, as he loves the city, and recognizes its rotten core. I enjoy reading about a man on a mission, and his drive and determination to do anything it takes to accomplish it. There may have been a little more stretching of the credibility in this book in regards to all that Harry can accomplish in a short trip to Hong Kong, but it's still fun and definitely worth the read.

If you haven't read a Harry Bosch book before, I would not recommend starting with this one, as there's a lot that builds off of stuff from early books, so for example when he calls his lawyer, it doesn't have the same emotional impact unless you know that relationship, but for those who are thinking of reading Bosch books, I can tell you that I recommend it, and it's still going strong.

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Review: The Sign of the Four

2011-05-19T12:10:00.001-06:00

The Sign of the Four by Arthur Conan Doyle

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Sign of the Four is the second Sherlock Holmes novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It is a much superior novel than A Study in Scarlet (the first novel).

In this volume, our friends Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are awaiting something exciting to happen. We learn that Holmes is a drug addict, injecting a 7% solution of cocaine to stimulate his mind, while in between intellectual pursuits. Although this was perfectly legal at the time, Dr. Watson warns him against it, worry about his physical and mental health.

Before long the two get caught up in the mysterious matter of a young woman, Mary Morstan, who's father had gone missing some years before and had recently begun receiving priceless pearls in the mail. An invitation to meet a mysterious person arrives and she entreats Holmes and Watson to join her.

Upon meeting the mystery person, the group learn of a complex tail involving Indian treasures, criminals, corrupt guards and more. It also leads to their discovering a murder and stolen treasure. When the police arrest the wrong man, it's up to Sherlock Holmes to get to the bottom of the matter.

I enjoyed this book, it's very classic Sherlock Holmes and a quick and easy read. The character development of Holmes and Watson is great fun and I enjoy reading about these two, as someone who knows a great deal about them already, but to actually read the books is great. I just really fail to see how anyone wouldn't enjoy this book.

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Review: Deliver Us From Evil

2011-05-18T11:02:00.001-06:00

Deliver Us From Evil by David Baldacci

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Deliver Us From Evil is David Baldacci's second entry into his Shaw series. Shaw is a member of an elite, super-secret government program that stops bad guys behind the scenes. In this episode, Shaw is after a Canadian, Evan Waller, who is an all around bad guy heavily involved in the sex-slave trade. But the reason the American government is after him is because he's entered the high stakes world of nuclear arms dealing with Arab terrorists.

Unbeknownst to the American's there is a secret, non-Government group that is hunting down and killing war criminals, and they have set their eyes on the same Canadian business man, Evan Waller, who is secretly an ex Ukrainian KGB officer, Fedir Kuchin, responsible for the death of thousands of his countrymen. Reggie Campion, a beautiful young woman and member of the group, is sent to eliminate Kuchin at the same time Shaw is working to snatch Waller.

I'm a pretty big fan of Baldacci's and I enjoy his work, but I do find the Shaw books to be a little harder to take seriously than the fantastic Camel Club books or the Sean King and Michelle Maxwell books.

This particular book felt a little too formulaic with pretty much every aspect of the story known before hand with no real surprises. Characters felt pretty shallow, in fact I don't feel like Shaw has much depth as a character at all, even over 2 books. The new characters in this book were even more shallow. Worst of all, the book suffers badly from the drawn out "I want to savor killing you slowly" problem that is so cliche and always allows the good guys to come back from certain doom and win.

Now, with the negative out of the way, the book was entertaining and a quick read. I finished it in a matter of a little over a week, while reading several other books, so it definitely held my attention and I wanted to get through it quickly. I think most people who enjoy this type of thriller will find this book enjoyable, but not not excellent.

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Review: A Case of Need

2011-05-04T15:46:00.001-06:00

A Case of Need by Michael Crichton

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A Case of Need is Michael Crichton's first book. He wrote it write after finishing medical school in the late 60s so this was definitely a field of study which he was very knowledgeable about. In fact, that became Crichton's reputation, was to intensely study the subjects about which he wrote.

In A Case of Need the story follows a doctor, Dr. John Berry, working in Boston in the late 60s. When a very powerful colleague's daughter, Karen Randall, dies from a botched abortion another colleague, Dr. Art Lee, who is known in certain circles for performing illegal abortions (all abortions were illegal at this time) is quickly arrested.

Dr. Berry isn't convinced that Dr. Lee is guilty of performing this particular abortion and subsequently killing this girl. As he begins to unravel the truth, the powerful Randall family put pressure on him and everyone around him to 'get in line,' regardless of the truth.

This book is really good. An excellent side effect of reading anything by Crichton is that you learn a lot at the same time and this book is no different. It's full of footnotes and appendices explaining medical terminology and treatments. It's also an interesting slice of life from a period of time before I was alive, and a fascinating look at the medical politics surrounding the periods abortion laws and ethics. One thing I found particularly interesting was an appendix on arguments for and against abortion, medically and scientifically speaking. That was soon followed by a scene in which a man tried to explain what an abortionist was to his young child, and the confusion the child showed by the idea that someone would take a baby outside of a mother and "make it go away." Definitely interesting parallels there between scientific arguments for and against, contrasted nicely with emotional.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Crichton books. Yes it's old and dated, but if you read it as a book that takes place in the late 60s I believe you'll enjoy it.

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Review: A Study in Scarlet

2011-05-03T22:20:00.001-06:00

A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A Study in Scarlet is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's first Sherlock Holmes novel. It was pretty fun to see the first of Sherlock Holmes and his pal, Doc Watson. How the boys came to know one another and why it is that Dr. Watson decides to record and publish Sherlock's exploits.

The book itself is interesting for an active Mormon, as it recounts the story of a Mormon's dealings with non Mormons and those who have gone astray and their fatal consquences! Now, of course, Doyle was completely misinformed about how things really were with the early Saints, and it has been told that he later apologized for his misunderstanding and misrepresenting the Saints. I had no problem with this, so it didn't bother me.

The novel itself is good but not great. It feels a little too long. I really think Doyle's strength was his short stories, which I've read all the Sherlock Holmes short stories.

Definitely worth a read, but probably wont end up being your favorite book ever.

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Paul

2011-04-27T19:43:00.010-06:00

This is really hard for me to write and I'm not sure I will be able to get through this, but here I go.

I have a cousin who is only 3 months younger than me. We were very, very close as kids. His mom used to watch me when I was really young. I just loved hanging around Paul. I always looked up to him ... he out grew me pretty fast. ;) He was just amazing.

We always had so much fun together. He would always play what I wanted to play. That is just who he is. A giver with a big heart. I mean, look at this picture. Here we are in my back yard, he's holding on to me, and I am holding his underwear. I have no idea what we were doing, but this was just so us. We were crazy.

On March 13th I received a call early in the morning from my mom. I knew something was wrong from the sound of her voice. And I knew it was something very wrong when she said, "I don't want to be the one to have to tell you this." My loving, big hearted cousin had passed away. It brought me back to the same phone call I got from my mom 4 years and 7 days ago telling me my niece had passed away. I never want a phone call like those again. Ever.

It has been a rough month and a half for me. My heart hurts. There are no words to describe what I am feeling.

I can tell you this, though. I am so thankful for the plan of salvation. I'm grateful for eternal families. I'm so grateful for our Heavenly Father. I am so, so thankful for His son Jesus Christ and the sacrifice He made for us.

I know with all my heart that Heavenly Father has a plan for each and every one of us. He loves us and cares for us. I know Paul is in a better place now. And I'm so glad he is with our sweet Kaleya now. Who better to care, protect, and love Kaleya than Paul? He's the perfect man for the job.

Paul is undeniably amazing. He is so loving, so caring, so genuine. I have never met another person like him. He always put others before himself. He is a great friend and so trustworthy. I look forward to the day when I get to hug him again.

Now I just have to make sure I live my life right so I can be with him and Kaleya again. There is nothing more motivating than your loved ones waiting on the other side for you.

I love you, Paul. More than you will ever know.

Review: Heroes of the Fallen

2011-04-25T15:07:00.001-06:00

Heroes of the Fallen by David J. West

My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Have you ever read a book, only to finally come to the last page and see the words, "The End of Book One," and just groan because that meant there were more coming?

I hate to say it, but that is literally what happened to me when reading this. I like to support and follow local Utah authors. I give them the benefit of the doubt whenever possible. But this book just wasn't very good. But first, the story.

The plot follows the last days of the downfall and collapse of the Nephite nation on the American continent. Our cast of characters thus includes Mormon, Moroni, and other well known historical religious figures.

If you're not familiar with the Book of Mormon story (warning Book of Mormon spoilers!), a once mighty and proud, religious nation (the Nephites) has become corrupted from their own success and they turn away from their God, and their freedoms. Enemy peoples known as the Lamanites can't wait to destroy them, and a secret society of robbers and murders grows within.

Stalwart, righteous men arise and show the path to victory, but the people refuse and the nation and people are completely destroyed, except for one of those stalwart men, who is hunted across the land to destroy the sacred records he has been entrusted. Which he is finally able to store away for future generations.

Heroes of the Fallen book 1 covers a short period before the final battles, and leads to an invading Lamanite army nearing an attack on the city of Zarahemla.

I didn't like this book, not because the story was wanting. I think there could be great material to make a great book here, but the writing felt incredibly forced, the language was clumsy and off-putting. I can't tell you how many times I felt frustrated by a characters inability to speak directly or use contractions. I think West may have been trying to give it a 'scriptural' feel, but I think it could have been handled better, perhaps show scenes during official business when characters talk in stiff, rote language, but let them talk in ways we the modern reader would understand otherwise.

I also thought the characters were flat, with attributes thrown in at random times. It was hard to find most characters motivations or understand why they were doing what they did. Development of characters and plots felt very jerky with sudden unexplained or unearned jumps in progress.

I will say that the writing and prose did start to get better near end of the book, but I don't think it was enough for me to read the next one in the series. The author deserves credit for creating a rich dramatization of events that happened hundreds of years ago, and hopefully his later works will show continued improvement.

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Review: The Hangman's Daughter - chapters 1-3

2011-04-05T09:28:00.001-06:00

The Hangman's Daughter - chapters 1-3 by Oliver Pötzsch

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I picked this book up because it's been quite the buzz for awhile and it was on sale for the Kindle. This is basically a fictionalized look at Oliver Potzsch's family history, which makes it very interesting.

The story is that of a Hangman, a necessary but shunned profession in the middle ages, and his daughter. The story is basically a detective novel set in medieval Bavaria. The town is rocked when children start turning up dead and a midwife is quickly arrested and charged with witchcraft, despite it being fairly clear she wasn't involved. The town leaders determine that the best thing for the town is to convince her (through torture) to confess so she can be executed and the town can put the whole affair behind them. The Hangman must torture the confession out of her, but he's also racing to find the true killer.

The story is interesting, the writing is adequate, however the author relies far too often on simply not telling you some key piece of evidence in order to keep the suspense up. It's fairly common for the characters in the book to come across something and think to themselves "Ahh, so that's it!" But the reader isn't told what that is until the very end during the big reveal. A more seasoned mystery writer would have been able to handle this better, I think. But overall it's pretty good.

If you can borrow this, and don't have anything else you're dying to read, this is an interesting diversion.

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