Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana - Review

Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana by Anne Rice is the second book in her Christ the Lord series. You do not need to read the first book to follow this one. The two books can stand alone. They both center on a central character, Yeshua bar Joseph, known to most modern people as Jesus. The first book focused on Yeshua’s childhood. The Road to Cana skips ahead to when Yeshua is in his thirties.

In The Road to Cana, Yeshua is shown as a flesh and blood man. He has the same wants, desires, pains, and troubles as any other man, but he knows that he is more. He knows that he is the son of God, but he does not yet know what that means or what it entails. Yeshua catches occasional glimpse of insight, but nothing that says to him, “This is what you must do.”

The village in which Yeshua lives with his entire family is in turmoil. The villagers are quick to condemn innocents of wrong doing, the Roman Empire is causing problems, there is a drought, and bandits are stealing food and women. It is in the height of all this that John the Baptist finally comes out of the wilderness and Yeshua’s eyes and spirit are opened to his true purpose. He knows what he must do and how he must do it. He becomes the Messiah.

Regardless if you are a Christian or not, you will enjoy this book. Anne Rice is one of the best modern storytellers. She brings the time period to life. You can feel the sand coating your skin, you can see the impressiveness of the Jordan River, and you can hear the determination as the men march out of the village. Rice is a master at bringing you into the story.

In The Road to Cana, Rice perfectly depicts Yeshua, the man, becoming Christ the Lord. This is not a religious book. It depicts a man overcoming trials and obstacles to find his true purpose in life. It is just a plain, well told story.

I give Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana by Anne Rice a 9 out 10.

Review of Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us) by Tom Vanderbilt

Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us) is about . . . well . . . traffic. This book has information and facts about what traffic is, what causes it, how different factors contribute to it, and what has been tried to reduce it. Unfortunately, the book reads like a mass grouping of magazine articles. It is choppy and repetitive. I found myself skimming large portions of statistics and facts (though you may find this useful if you plan to be on Jeopardy). I also had difficulty reading the book for extended periods of time. It was a good read in small doses.

The book was not all bad. I enjoyed reading Vanderbilt's human interest stories and anecdotes. For example, there is a portion about how LA gets all the limousines to the Oscars on time. There really are a bunch of men watching and controlling the traffic signals. It is also interesting that there is a direct correlation on the type of government a country has and how its people drive.

This could have been an excellent book if it had a good edit. It could say the same thing in half the pages and rearranging some parts would make it flow better. The book has not changed how I drive nor how I react to traffic. I now understand the reason for a mile back-up on the highway for one stalled car, but I am not more patient about it.

Overall rating - 6 out of 10

Technorati Tags: traffic,vanderbilt,book review

Review of Darkfever and Bloodfever by Karen Marie Moning

Darkfever and Bloodfever are the first and second books, respectively, in Karen Marie Moning's Fever series. The books are about a young woman's search for the man, or thing, which killed her sister. MacKayla "Mac" Lane travels to Ireland where her sister was murdered and discovers that the world is not what she thought it was. Fantasies and nightmares exist and it is not always possible to tell which is which. Mac also discovers that she is not who she once thought she was; not physically, emotionally, mentally, nor genetically.

MacKayla is a southern peach through and through. She is beautiful and blond. She likes shopping and anything pink. Her biggest concern before her sister's death is matching her nail polish to her outfit. Mac is not who you would picture as the savior of the world, but that is who Moning has created. This unlikely hero is the reason I am so drawn to this series. The stories are fast paced and action packed, but Mac is so unconventional that I never know what to expect from her. She uses "petunia" instead of "ass" because her mother taught her that ugly things don't come out of a beautiful mouth. How many monster-fighting, good guys do you know that say, "I am going to kick your petunia"? You might laugh at her language (and so do the bad guys) but she proves to be tougher that they believe.

Mac's reluctant partner, Jericho Barrons, is another reason that I am drawn to the books. He is an enigma. I have not figured out if he is good guy trying to save mankind or if he is just protecting his own interests. He is pompous, tough, and sexy. Speaking of sexy, did I mention the Death-by-Sex Fae? All I can say is "Yummy!"

Darkfever is definitely worth reading, but if you are crunched for time, you can listen to the free audio book. It is very well produced and unabridged.

I was not as impressed with Bloodfever, but the second book in a series is often a let down. They serve as a transition move the people and plot between books. A lot of my favorite series have bad second novels, so I am willing to suspend judgment and read the third book Faefever. Do not misunderstand. Bloodfever is not bad, it is just that nothing much happens. I will let you know how Faefever holds up.

Technorati Tags: Bloodfever,Darkfever,book review,Karen Marie Moning,Fever series

Review of Ghost Hunting: True Stories of Unexplained Phenomena from The Atlantic Paranormal Society

If you have ever seen the TV show Ghost Hunters on SciFi Channel, you know that Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson are interesting and funny men. You may or may not believe in paranormal, but these men and their team TAPS (The Atlantic Paranormal Society) keep you entertained through the hour long program. That is why, when their book Ghost Hunting came out, I put it on my list of “To Read.” I finally got around to reading it.

I had mixed feelings about this book. If you have never watched the show, or have only watched a few episodes, I think you will enjoy the book. It is interesting and fast paced. Jason and Grant do not use a lot of “ghost hunting” jargon to sound important or scientific. They are straight forward and down to earth. They even include a glossary at the back of the book to define any terms that are not common knowledge. Jason and Grant tell the facts of cases: what the people claim, what they experience, and what conclusions they make. They are not afraid to say that the bumping they heard was a loose pipe instead of a ghost. They are also plumbers, so if it is a loose pipe they find it. There is also a fun side to the entire TAPS team that comes out in the book. They explain some of their pranks on each other. They also describe some of the problems they have, because regardless if this is only a hobby, it is still a business. All businesses run into problems with employees. I think what makes the book appealing is that it shows that these guys I watch on TV are just like anyone else. They have a family, a job, and have problems, too.

Now, if you are a fan of the show and watch every episode, you will find little you do not already know about your favorite ghost hunters. The first quarter of the book provides information before the show was on the air and Jason reveals his paranormal experience. Reading this hooked me into the book. The cases are very interesting, including a possession, but after this brief period of time, Jason and Grant rehashed cases that appear on the show. I continued reading hoping to glean some new information, but I was very disappointed. I did not even learn anything new in regards to the issues with Brian. I counted two instances that were not on TV (okay, maybe there were a few more, but very few).

I do not want you to think this book is a waste of time if you are a fan. Like I said, the beginning is new, but the best part of the book is in the back. The end has a section called “Ghost Hunter’s Manual.” This is useful information if you are considering ghost hunting or starting a group. They provide information on staying safe, dealing with a client, collecting evidence, and handling spirits.

This book certainly is not going to win any literary awards, but it is a quick and fun read. I wish it had more new information, but I still enjoyed the straight-forward, honest telling of the paranormal.