Heaven is in Your Future

                Heaven Is In Your Future is a spiritual book that looks at the idea that there is actually a hidden meaning in the bible saying that all the souls on Earth will go to Heaven, not just a select few. Each chapter in the book begins with some scripture from various bible versions that are then followed by questions about the scripture and answers. These aren’t the usual Christian bible study type questions that are often asked about scripture, instead they tend to dig deeper and expand the ideas written in the bible. The writing is very in-depth and, for me, makes quite a bit of sense along with providing comfort. Due to the fact that the material is fairly “meaty”, the format is perfect because it is set up that you can read a chapter at a time and give yourself time to think about the ideas suggested rather than keep reading onward. The editing is also done extremely well. The cover is perfect for the contents of the book as it shows a stairway to Heaven. I enjoyed this book although it did take me longer than usual to read due to the in-depth content. I found it much more comforting than the usual held beliefs of some religions today. It is well worth reading by anyone looking to expand and stretch their spiritual outlook.

The Jewel Box, written by first-time author Michelle McCarty, chronicles the life and loves of Jill who is a single mother trying to survive in the 1960s. She starts working in a bar called The Jewel Box to make ends meet and begins a journey that will bring a variety of characters into her life. Some are beloved, such as Beau, the loveable bar owner, and Gabriel, a man who becomes the love of her life. Some are less likeable, such as Hope and Gloria, who want nothing more than to keep Jill away from Gabriel.

                A book that follows the life of one individual can often end up losing my interest because I become bored with that character. Ms. McCarty does such a good job of developing this main character, from small town Jill to big city Cherie (she changes her name when she starts waitressing at the bar), that I found myself entertained throughout. All of the characters are rich and interesting with very diverse profiles. The main love story was realistic as Gabriel came and went from her life throughout the book but was always in her heart. The cover of the book, as read on my ereader, is intriguing and represents the story well. The format and editing were both well done and transferred to my ereader without any problem. This is a perfect chick-lit book that provided me with an enjoyable read!

The Bracelet

The Bracelet is the first book in a series written by C.A. Deslauriers. As the cover of the book implies, at the center of the story is a bracelet that symbolises the love between the two main characters, Jay and Christine. Christine has led a fairly rough life and eventually finds love and success, only to lose the love. She writes a book entitled The Bracelet about Jay and her life that becomes a best seller but still cannot find peace in her life. As the book moves back and forth in the telling of the events in Christine’s life, the author has managed to make what could be a confusing format very easy to follow by using different fonts for the past and present. In fact, the whole book is set out in an enticing way so that the reader gets lost in the story instead of confused. Unfortunately, I could never find anything to like about the character of Christine. I never found myself caring about her at all. For some reason, she rubbed me the wrong way. Having said that, I will give the next book a try because I do like how the author writes. For anyone who is bothered by sex in a book, this is probably not for you because it does become quite explicit at times. I read this book as an ebook on my ereader and found the formatting and editing to work perfectly this way. As well, the cover gives a good idea of what the story is about, something that is sometimes missing in ebooks.

Year end review!

It's been a year since I started this blog and I haven't really written much. I've tried doing the same thing on paper but I just can't get into it. I have great conversations in my head, really good journal entries. Unfortunately they don't make it to paper...or computer. This year over all has been good. Not eventful but after my past few years, I love uneventful. I read probably more than I ever have. I'm not great at keeping track of that but am going to try this year. I do write down a lot of books I read on the website Goodreads but not nearly the amount I do. I have found myself re-reading some of my favorites, especially M.C. Beaton. Does anyone else do this?

Healthwise it's been steady. The nerve damage has extended to my feet. When I walk it feels like someone has ripped the skin and flesh off my feet and I am walking on the bones. In other words, it hurts like hell. The operation I am supposed to have will install a spinal cord stimulator in my back. Basically a pacemaker will be put in my stomach that will send electrical impulses to my spinal cord that will change pain signals to tingles, kind of like what it feels like when your foot goes to sleep. Those tingles are supposed to be more bareable  than the pain. I'm nervous about this operation but it's my last hope. I was supposed to have it in the fall but this is Nova Scotia, they could have meant Fall 2016.

There isn't much else to say. I live a quiet life. I rarely go out and that, in all honesty, makes me happy. I hope and pray that 2014 will be good for us and my loved ones (few as they are) as well.

Aboard the Great Iron Horse

                Aboard the Great Iron Horse: The Clockwork God, written by Jamie Sedgwick, is the first book in a new steampunk series about a motley band of misfits who are led by Socrates, an ape-like creature that is part machine and extremely intelligent. He and his band are scavenging the world for Starfall, a substance which powers a city called Sanctuary, as well as gives life to Socrates. In this particular book, when the train gets stopped, two of the crew, Micah and Kale, take off in search of provisions but end up encountering zombies and a strange and unwelcoming village.

                This is my fourth steampunk novel, only two of which I liked, and this was definitely one of them. The story is fast-paced and exciting and the author writes in a way that makes the steampunk world easy to understand even if you’re not familiar with it. I loved it from the first chapter and can’t wait for the next book in the series.

I seriously loved this book and am looking for more by this author. It's so exciting to find new authors I like!!!.....Yes, I am a book geek.

The Complete Guide to Your Personal Finances Online

The Complete Guide to Your Personal Finances Online is a very informative book about managing all aspects of your finances online. With thirteen chapters covering everything, from the basics of checking your bank accounts via your home computer to online shopping, the book does a thorough job of informing those with no idea how to get started the ways they can start managing their money from home. The author provides many websites that also give loads of information, both free and ones you pay for, including budget ones which I found particularly interesting. The information is United States-based so it may be somewhat different for other countries but it is still helpful anyway. I found the information easy to understand and therefore feel this would be a perfect book for seniors to use to get started. This is a must-have book for anyone wanting to start managing their finances online.

Many Many Many Gods of Hinduism

                Many Many Many Gods of Hinduism is an interesting look at not only Hinduism but the culture of of India as well. At first the book seems quite daunting with over sixty chapters but as I got into it I found the pages flying by. The chapters are very short and written in layman’s terms. Never preachy, the basics of Indian culture and Hindu religion are laid out in a format that makes it easy and interesting to read. Everything, from where the word “Om” that is used while meditating comes from to what the red dot practicing ladies of Hindu often wear on their foreheads means. I did find at times the author to be a bit condescending in what he wrote, particularly Chapter Thirty-One about Heaven and Hell. His idea that Hinduism is the only correct belief and that there is no Heaven and Hell solely because his religion says it doesn’t exist became a bit irritating but that is a part of the beauty of this book-it’s all up for debate. There’s also a great chapter about reincarnation that I found particularly interesting, especially the two cases the author writes about. This is the ideal book for someone who loves reading about different religions and one of the best, well written books about any religion I have ever read.