Dust and Shadow: An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson [Lyndsay Faye]

This novel was truly remarkable, especially in the aspect that it was written in the perspective of the beloved Dr. Watson.  I found this to be an interesting subject matter, dealing with a well known historical event and a well known fictional character.

I give props to Faye because it is evident that she took her time in writing this. While reading it one can tell that she did a lot of research about the time and history of the events and characters involved. You can also tell that she took a great deal of effort to get into the character of Dr. Watson while she was writing the book.

Like any Sherlock Holmes story, this some holds your interest and keeps you guessing til the end! It is thrilling to go on this adventure in the company of Mr. Holmes and discover what it would have been like to try and track down a killer when you can not just scan in a fingerprint and find them.

If you enjoy historical fiction or the adventures of Sherlock Holmes, then I highly suggest this book!

So Long, And Thanks For All The Fish by Douglas Adams

This book in the Hitchhiker Guide series is a bit unlike the rest. It revolves almost exclusively around Arthur and involves him falling in love.

This book is pretty witty, but not as much as the rest, and there is less action, since love is more of a sweet thing, and in this case a bit less exciting than improbability drives, creatures out for revenge and Krikket wars. Also, this book takes place mostly on earth, which may account for it being a tad bit more dull, because as everyone knows, earth is pretty lame.

The end is quite interesting, and it takes some unexpected turns and brings in some characters one would not expect to see again.

I know I said this book was a bit more dull than the rest, and a bit less witty, but if you take into account how interesting and witty the other books are, then you will realize that this one is definitely worth a read as well.

Life, The Universe and Everything by Douglas Adams

This is the third book in the Hitchhiker Guide series of five.

This book does not disappoint if you are looking for yet another crazy tale of Arthur Dent and friends!

There is a war brewing and it is up to Arthur and his crew to try and save the universe!

One of my favorite parts of the book involves Arthur and this poor creature that believes that Arthur was out to kill him. It made me laugh so hard as it took a jab at reincarnation.

This book is just as witty as the rest of the series, and I would love to tell you more about it, but I don't want to ruin the surprises and jokes for you!

I hope if you have decided to read the series you keep on til the end, because each book really is worth it!

What Are You Waiting For? The One Thing No One Ever Tells You About Sex by Dannah Gresh

First off, this book is intended for more mature females, I would say it would be good for a Highschooler with a lot of questions, up to College age. I myself am a college student and I must say that this book was pretty eye opening!

This book was written for the female gender, but I honestly don't see too much harm in having a guy read it.

What really got me about this book was the Hebrew words that the bible used to love and other such things. The author did some deep digging and found the true meaning behind them. She found what God intended us to know but was lost in translation with each re-write of the bible, from language to language. It really makes you stop and think, and it makes so much sense after you figure it out.

This book also addresses the chemical reactions that go on inside the brain when people have sex, and it makes so much more sense. If every one knew what this book clearly and scientifically states, maybe they would lay off and wait to have sex after they are married.

This book also addresses other issues such as pornography, past sins and lesbianism. All in all I think every girl should read this book. It was very helpful to me in some of the questions I had, and it might help girls realize that sex isn't the answer to a good relationship.


*I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review*

works by Joshua and Patrick Porter.

The Insect by Joshua S. Porter

This is a rather short book by Joshua Porter, being only 14 pages long. It was written as a charming children’s story about 2 insects. The male insect is in love with Lilly, the female, but she does not feel the same way. It is only when the lonely male insect saves her life that she sees him how he truly is.

In the end this is simply a book about the story of the crucifixion told in an unconventional yet heartwarming way. It displays Christ’s unending love for us with something as small as insects.

I applaud Porter’s creativity and simplicity, reminding us all of Christ’s love for us.

 

by Joshua S. Porter and Patrick Porter

Personally, I find it a bit odd to review a comic book, but I figured since I read it I might as well write what I think about. Plus it is by the lead singer and his brother, of my favorite band, Showbread.

This is only the first comic in a series, and they only have the one our right now, so there is not much to go off of as far as plot. So far it is your basic man with a grudge trying to save people. They leave a lot of open ends, so I do plan on buying the next volume.

Also I enjoy the artwork. It is mostly dark toned, with some lighter colors in it. I think the artist, James Nguyen, I think he did a good job and I like the style of the people and such.

It has all the qualities of a normal comic book series, and it is especially good for being self published. I look forward to what is in store for our mysterious hero.

by Joshua S. Porter and Patrick Porter

This is yet another comic book by the Porter brothers. This one is actually the first one that they made and published.

By far this is the oddest comic I have read, and I don’t really know where the plot is going, but it makes me want to read it even more!

It is about a school janitor named Lance. He seems to lead a simple life in Georgia. He gets a headache and a bloody nose, so he sees the doctor. What happens next is truly unexpected and leaves the ending page drenched in a morbid oddity that only the Porter brothers could get away with.

Admittedly, the art work by Elizabeth Jancewicz is not the best, but it gets the job done and the point across. I would like to see them use a different artist in the later volumes, but maybe there were going for a certain look.

Nonetheless it was a good first comic, and spiked my interest for more to come. 

***All of these titles are for sale exclusively at Joshua Porter's  Web Store or if you are lucky sold at the merch table at a Showbread concert.***

The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams

I am not sure if you have ever watched the movie based off of this book, but if you have please dispel it from your mind. Although both the movie and the book are brilliant, and somewhat similar, they do take slightly different directions.

First off, I must say that I was greatly entertained in which the way Douglas Adams wrote his book. It is all very nonsensical, yet sophisticatedly practical if you took a moment to make sense of it all. The things that he comes up with astound me and leave me giggling as well as wanting more. The sheer brilliance of it all!

The basic plot of this book is about a poor chap, Arthur Dent, whose house is about to get knocked to the ground. This is soon to be the least of his worries as he finds out his best friend is an alien and informs him the earth is about to be demolished.

The plot thickens when they are taken aboard another spacecraft and meet some old friends. One of them being the odd, yet charming Zaphod Beeblebrox, who for some unknown reason is on a mission to do something he honestly has no clue about.

This fast paced interestingly written book is not for all readers, but for the young at heart and the imaginative who don’t mind the universe making no sense at all. 

I look forward to reading the next book in the series, The Restaurant At The End Of The Universe.

Prelandra By C.S. Lewis

This is the second book in The Space Trilogy by C.S. Lewis, and I do suggest you read them in order, or you might become a tad bit lost.

            Our hero, Ransom, returns for yet another adventure in space. This time he ends up on Venus with a mission to do something, but he has no clue what.

            He meets a green woman that is the queen of the planet and has been separated from her king, due to the unconventional geographical set up of the planet. She is very naive in the ways of life since she has been living along on her planet and the only other being is the kind. Ransom takes up talking to her, teaching her about life and things, all very philosophical.

            Then an unexpected visitor shows up and ruins everything. Ransom finds out what he was sent to do and basically fights Satan to win the innocence of the green woman and her planet.

            Admittedly this is not the most engaging book out there, it took me a while to read, but I thought it was better than the first book in the sense that I found the discussions between the characters to be thought provoking, and I like to think.

The Joke That We Play On The World by Joshua S. Porter

I just have to say that this is the MOST amazing book ever written!

If you are a bread-head then I suggest you read this book… RIGHT NOW!

Joshua Porter writes all about the history thus far of the band Showbread. He entertains with insane tales from the life of the band that will make you giggle out loud, and make everyone around you feel uncomfortable, but hey, that is what Showbread aims for! =P

            This book made me appreciate them as a band even more, revealing their heart and true intentions. If you have only heard a few hit songs by them like “Mouth Like A Magazine” then I suggest you look deeper into them, maybe even read this book for more insight about how on fire they are for God.

            Words can not fully express what this book has done to and for me. It has made me feel sane in a world that aims to make me feel like a freak, it has made me realize that it is ok to be controversial and talk about the things other Christians shy away from. It just left me with this feeling, a feeling that can’t really be described, but a feeling that made me perfectly fine with being the crazy person I am, and content with myself, and most importantly it left me feeling closer to my creator.

            This book made me fall even deeper in love with this band and their mission to share the gospel, be it in the most unconventional way known to Christian-kind, back to the days of chanting “Zay Zay Zay” whilst banging their heads on the floor, to the current mesmerizing lightshows.  I know they have impacted my life, and I am sure many others. Not caring what the world thinks and living a life for God, because nothing matters anymore.

             I am sorry for the slightly scatter-brained review, I am just so excited about this book that I didn’t know how to go about it, and I wanted to tell the stories from it, but also I didn’t want to give anything away.  I hope I encouraged you to read it!

It is worth the money. I borrowed it from a friend, so I did not get to see the 300+ pictures it came with as a download, but I defiantly plan on buying my own copy! It is only available at Joshua Porter’s Web Store

The Final Summit by Andy Andrews

I received this book about a month ago from Booksneeze, and I finally got a chance to read it. Going into it, I really had no idea what to expect, and it is the second book in a series, the first being The Traveler’s Gift. One can read The Final Summit and still understand it without reading the previous book in the series. I did find it rather interesting, but honestly it was not my cup of tea.

This book was somewhat dull at times, defiantly not my normal adventurous fast paced book. I did enjoy the author’s use of historical characters throughout the book, it kept it rather entertaining.

            I found it a bit hard to connect with the main character, David Ponder, since he was an elderly, 74 year old man, and I am a 21 year old female.

            Honestly I think it was not the best book for me since I am a younger audience and enjoy a bit more adventure mixed into my books. It would probably be a very good read for an audience a bit older than me, and with a longer attention span. I believe this is a book that I will try reading again in a few years to see if it has grown on me.

The One-Day Way by Chantel Hobbs

Normally, I am not the type to read diet and exercise books, but looking at this one, I thought I would give it a try.

I was surprisingly encouraged and inspired while reading this book. It deals a lot with positive self-talk and just keeping ones self in a positive state of mind. Even if you falter on your diet today, or even for one meal, it is ok, you can just forget it and get right back on track! There are also optimistic stories by people whose lives have been changed by this book.

Along with motivation and encouraging words this book provides a simple, yet extremely tasty diet one can easily stick to, as well as some simple exercise ideas and regiments. I liked the idea of the commandments for the diet plan as well as the exercise plan.

I have started to apply some of the ideas and commandments in this book to my every day life. Slowly easing into it helps me a lot more than going at it all full on.

            I would suggest this book to anyone looking to lose some weight, be encouraged and find a new lifestyle that is easy to do, and makes you feel great!

*I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review*

I must be crazy, I got more books! o.0

Right now I am working on reading the second book in The Space Trilogy, titled Perelandra. So far it is really good, I think it is better than the first one, and I can’t wait to write a review on it!

While I was in Virginia visiting my boyfriend, I happened to acquire about twenty more books for me to read! Ha ha. I thought I had a lot before, but now I have no idea how I am going to read all of these, especially during the summer. The books I am most looking forward to reading that I bought in Virginia are The Hitchhiker guide books; I bought a boxed set of all of them for only twenty dollars!

However, the next book that I am going to read, once I finish up Perelandra, is The Joke We Play on the World by Joshua Porter of the band Showbread. I am really, REALLY looking forward to reading it because it is about the history of my favorite band and I can’t wait to read the crazy tales of their tours and life together as a band.

I also read a book that I have to review for a publishing company. The book is about dieting and stuff, so I am not really looking forward to it, but I know it will be a quick and easy review, I already have most of it in my head, I just have to look at the guidelines from the publisher and sit down and write it! Ha ha.

I hope you are all having a wonderful summer so far and continue to have one!

Out of the Silent Planet by C. S. Lewis

This is the first volume of Lewis' Space Trilogy. I tried to read it a few years back and I honestly found it a bit dull. I have had it on my shelf since then and have been wanting to read it, so I figured me being a bit more grown up, I should give it another try. I am glad I gave it another go because I found it very interesting. I admit it was not the most engaging book, being written with a few words I do not have in my vocabulary, and worded in a way that may make the reader take a second, more thorough glance.

For those of you who do not know this book is about a man named Ransom who, by an unforeseen circumstance and almost by mistake, is taken to another another planet. He is captured by some detestable fellows, one of which happens to be an old school mate.

This novel is about the very interesting adventure Ransom has while trying to escape his captors. Ransom learns a lot about the planet and interacts with the creatures who live on it. While Ransom lives with some of the creatures it makes one really think about how we treat one another, especially others who look different.

In the end this book really makes you think some pretty deep stuff. It makes you think about how we go about life, what we value, how we treat people, what will come of us after we die, and what we really believe in. At least it did for me!

I also found it interesting in the way and perspective it was written. You don't find out until the end and I don't want to spoil it for you, so I will just leave it at that.

I hope you read this book, and if you have feel free to comment if you want to discuss it!

SO many books!!!

I have started my first book of the summer. Out Of The Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis. So far it is really good! I hope to finish it before I go on my trip, and I also hope to do a book review on it.
Upon further inspection of my bookshelf I have discovered at lest 10 books I own and need to read. I am going to start working my way through these books before I add anymore to my list.
I have gone further, and looked throughout the house for more books I would like to read, and I have found about 10 MORE! So about 20 in all. And I have barely scratched the surface of the book in the house... my mom loves books and we were home schooled, that makes for a whole library of books to read lol. The stack of books I have to read comes up to about my knee.
I want to have time to read all of the books I have found, but at the same time I don't want to because that will mean I will be doing nothing but reading during this summer, and that is not going to happen =P
I also am going to try and get back on track with reading my bible this summer, and I still need to find a good book to help me with my faith. That is the only book I couldn't really find in my house ha ha. Any suggestions on good books that help you with your relationship with Christ?
I also might find a couples devotionals books to do with my boyfriend.
So much reading to do, so little time!
(The stack of books is much higher than the picture shows, that was only the books from my self!)

Currently playing: Holy Diver, Cover by Killswitch Engage.

*Originally written and posted on May 3rd, 2011*

My first book review

 Nevada By Joshua S. Porter [the lead singer of the band Showbread]

First off, this book is not for the faint of heart. Right in the first chapter you are slapped in the face with a very graphic scene, although short, it is rather descriptive and makes you squirm in your seat. That little bit is merely a warning for what is to come later on.

The book is set up somewhat like a journal, comprised of “entries” and “official reports” by many different people and sources. This set up gives it a unique quality of having many different sub-stories in perspectives of different people involved. Admittedly, at first it is a bit hard to follow in that format, but one gets used to it rather quickly, and I found it very interesting reading the views and stories of different people in the same situations.

The basic plot of this book I like to sum up in two words; Hitler Dinosaur. Basically a hole opens up in the desert and these chicken-dinosaurs emerge from it. They speak English and are more educated than most Americans. They use their smarts to take over leadership of the United States and do whatever they see fit, brain-washing everyone in the U.S. and killing the few who get in their way.

This book is actually really deep and thought provoking. It makes you realize how gullible and mindless we have become, letting some random dinosaur come in and take over. As long as we all get what we want and are happy why should we care what is happening in the world…right?

This novel can be pretty controversial and is very graphic at times, so it is not for everyone. It is only available for sale through Mr. Porter’s  Web Store

*originally written and posted on April 30th 2011*