The Great Alone: where one mistake can cost you everything

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah is the story of Lenora “Leni” Allbright and her life in the Alaska wilderness. The story opens in 1974, Leni is 13 years old and her parents, Ernt and Coraline “Cora” Allbright are fighting. Her dad is a Vietnam vet and POW who has had a hard time adjusting to life after the war and has lost another job. Things look bleak until a letter arrives which offers the family a new start in Alaska. While life is hard as they learn to live in the wilderness, they are helped by their neighbors, Large Marge, who runs the local grocery story, and The Walker family, whose son, Matthew, is the same age as Leni. Through trial and error, the family learns to live in their new home. However, her father’s demons has seemed to follow them to Alaska and with the darkness and isolation of Alaska wilderness, Leni must learn to fight back and trust her instincts.

The Great Alone is another amazing story by Ms. Hannah. It has heartbreaking drama, love and hopes for survival. The story immediately pulls you in by Leni’s narration. The reader will laugh with her, cry with her and feel her fear as it grips the heart. It is a page turner as you cannot wait to see if she survives. Ms. Hannah’s descriptions of the Alaska wilderness and its cold winters are so vivid, you can almost feel the icy wind. Behind the stunning beauty of Alaska, there is a harshness that very few learn to survive. I highly, highly recommend The Great Alone.

The Great Alone

will be available February 6, 2018

in hardcover and eBook

It's National Trivia Day!

I love trivia. I love remembering and recalling facts. It helps make conversations interesting as spark debates about whether a piece of information is correct or not. According to National Day Calendar.com, today is National Trivia Day. Trivia day is a great day to share all of these facts that almost nobody knows, making this day a fun and interesting one to spend with friends or family. Although in my opinion, sharing trivia any day is a great time to have fun with family and friends. Here’s a little history about trivia as well as my favorite board game and my favorite TV game show.

The word trivia is plural for trivium which is Latin for a place where three roads meet. During the Middle Ages, trivium comprised of the first three divisions of the seven liberal arts: grammar, rhetoric and logic. They were considered to be less important than arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music. Trivia is information that is matters or things that are very unimportant, inconsequential, or nonessential. In the 1960s, college students and others began to informally trade questions and answers about the popular culture of their youth. After writing trivia columns, Columbia University students, Ed Goodgold and Dan Carlinsky, created the earliest inter-collegiate quiz bowls that tested cultural significant but virtually useless information. They would later write the first book on trivia in 1966. Trivia has come to refer to obscure or arcane information. Here are a few trivia facts:

• While many believe Hydrox cookies are an Oreo knock-off, Hydrox actually came first in 1908. Oreos were first introduced in 1912.
• Forty is the only number whose letters are in alphabetical order
• The most shoplifted food item in the US is candy. In Europe, it’s cheese.
• The Pledge of Allegiance was used as part of a plan to sell flags to schools

My favorite board game is Trivial Pursuit. I own four versions of the game: the 20^th anniversary edition, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and a team edition. I also own a video game version for the PS2. The game was first created in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 1979 by Chris Haney and Scott Abbott. The game consists of general knowledge and popular culture questions in subjects as geography, entertainment, history, arts & literature, science & nature, and sports & leisure. The game became extremely popular by 1984 and continues its popularity as it has spawned different editions like the ones I mentioned earlier.  The creators of the game faced a few lawsuits over copyrights. In October 1984, Fred L. Worth, author of The Trivia Encyclopedia and other trivia books, filed a $300 million lawsuit in which he claimed that a quarter of the questions in the Genus edition were taken from his book. Haney and Abbott acknowledged that they used Worth’s books for questions; however, no one can claim copyright over facts. The courts agreed.

My favorite TV game show is Jeopardy! First created by Merv Griffin, it debuted on NBC on March 30, 1964 and ran until January 3, 1975 with Art Fleming as host. Its current format premiered on September 10, 1984 with Alex Trebek as its host. I know many people are familiar with Jeopardy! It is quiz competition in which clues are given in the form of an answer and the contestants must respond in the form of a question. For example, in a category of The White House, an answer would read “He was the second U.S. President to live in the first White House.” The correct response would be “Who was Thomas Jefferson?” According to Merv Griffin, his wife, Jillian, came up with the idea that the answers would be presented and the contestants had to come up with the question. She noted that there had not been a successful question and answer show since the quiz show scandals of the 1950s. She suggested changing it up. The game hosts yearly tournaments for Champions, teens, kids, and teachers even a Celebrity edition in which contestants play for their favorite charities.

In conclusion, I love trivia. Some of my fondest memories is watching Jeopardy! with my grandmother and she urged me to try out for the game. Even now as I watch with my husband, he tells me I have to get on the show. Although, getting on the show is a very difficult process, I don’t think I’d do very well. It’s one thing to give responses on the safety of your couch, it’s another to go on national television. Maybe one day I will; but for now enjoy National Trivia Day and discover tidbits of information you may have not known before. 

Daughters of the Storm: a book that fell short of expectations

Daughters of the Storm by Kim Wilkins is the first book in the Blood and Gold series. The story opens with King Atherlrick of Almissia, the warrior king, the Storm Bearer in the land of Thrysland, is ill. News spreads to his eldest daughter, Bluebell, a warrior like her father and heir apparent. She immediately rushes to her father’s side while spreading word out to her other sisters. Rose is married to Wengest, king of Nettlechester but her heart belongs to another. Ash is a student of the common faith who has been having horrible dreams. Ivy and Willow are twins. Ivy lives for the admiration of others and Willow lives for the gods. Together the sisters must discover the source of their father’s illness; however the journey will force them to face their past, their choices and the secrets they keep from each other.

Daughters of the Storm is a slow moving story. So slow I found myself phasing out and realizing that I hadn’t read anything on the page. Of the five sisters, the only one I enjoyed was Ash. I did not like Bluebell as I found her to be too harsh. Overall, I did not like this book. Pages and pages went on with nothing really happening. I read a description online that called this book “Game of Thrones with women” and it fits. A long winded book with pages and pages of description and very little explanation as to what is going on or action. An “elf-shot” was referred to many times in the beginning and I kept waiting for a hint on what an elf shot is? I had to assume bad magic the way the characters seem to terrified of it. Pages later, you learn its “wild” and very old magic. Why couldn’t this be mentioned earlier? And the language! The f-word was used so much in even the open chapters that I cringed every time it was used in the rest of the book. If you enjoy Games of Thrones, you may enjoy this book and even the series; however, I cannot recommend it. I wanted to enjoy it and based on the description of the story, I thought I would. However, it is very slow and way too much language for my taste.

Daughters of the Storm

will be available in hardcover and eBook

on March 6, 2018

The Seed Woman: heavy on historical details, light on story

The Seed Woman by Petra Durst-Benning (translated by Edwin Miles) is the first book of the Seed Trader’s Saga. Set in Gonningen, a village in the Swabian Mountains of Germany where seed trading is the main source of income for its residents in the 1850s. A young woman, Hannah Brettschneider, travels from Nuremberg to find Helmut Kerner, the eldest son of the wealthy Kerner family. She’s pregnant and Helmut is the father. Problem? He’s engaged to be married to Seraphine Schwarz. Helmut quickly marries Hannah and eventually Valentin, his brother, marries Seraphine as he has long loved her despite her affections for his brother. As everyone lives under one roof, jealousy and manipulations begin as the brothers plan to expand their business into other regions. Hannah begins to show interest in the seed trade and offer new ways to conduct business. Will they listen to Hannah, an outsider, and try her new methods? Will the business flourish?

I labored through this book. Pushing myself to finish it. I made it through 60% of the book when a particular scene made me stop. It would so disturbing and unsettling that I didn’t want to continue. I realized that I didn’t care about the characters, especially Seraphine who was a bitch as she treats Valentin horribly and plots to worm her way back into Helmut’s heart, who didn’t love her in the first place and saw Hannah’s arrival as a blessing in disguise. The details of the regions and the seed trade are extensive and beautiful. I liked Hannah as the hardworking outsider who shows the village that there are other ways to do things. And she was the only character I liked. I do not recommend The Seed Woman. It is one of those historical novels where the historical details are extensive with very little or unexciting action.

The Seed Woman

is available in paperback and eBook

The book of Matthew: a few lessons from Jesus

Matthew is the first book of the New Testament and the first Gospel of Jesus Christ. Matthew was one of the twelve disciples who was a tax collector named Levi before Jesus called to follow him. His purpose in writing this gospel was to prove that Jesus is the Messiah, the eternal King especially to the Jews as he begins with the genealogy of Jesus from Abraham to David to his earthly father, Joseph. Jesus began his ministry at the age of 30 and taught nonstop for three years. With so much information and lesson in this book alone that I could discuss, I wasn’t sure what to discuss. I will discuss four segments which spoke to me as I read it. Illustration in how to fight temptation, a lesson in prayer, a lesson in what is required to follow Christ and a command to remain watchful and prepare for his second coming.

First, Satan tempts Jesus in the desert in Matthew 4:1-11. Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert where he’d be tempted by the devil (verse 1). After he fasted for 40 days and 40 nights (verses 2), Satan arrived with the first of three temptations. The first temptation was “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread” (verse 3). Since Jesus has fasted, he was incredibly hungry and this would be a great temptation. Jesus answers “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God’” (verse 4). This is in reference to Deuteronomy 8:3.  Temptation number 2, Satan takes Jesus to the highest point on the temple and says “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command his angers concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone’” (verse 5-6). Satan is referring to Psalm 91:11-12. Jesus answers “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test’” (verse 7) which is referring to Deuteronomy 6:16. The final temptation is when Satan takes Jesus to a very high mountain from which they can see all kingdoms and splendor, “All this I will give you, if you will bow down and worship me” (verses 8-9). Jesus’s reply is swift “Anyway from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only’” (verse 10), referring to Deuteronomy 6:13. What’s the point? First, Satan knows the Word of God too. So just because someone has biblical knowledge doesn’t mean he or she is a true believer. Second, Jesus responds with the Word of God, giving us an example why it is important that we know the Word too. It is our best defense against temptations.

Second, Jesus teaches about prayer in Matthew 6:5-13. First, he tell us to pray unseen (verse 5). Do not make a spectacle or a big production about it. I am reminded of this verse when people argue that we need prayer back in schools. I say prayer never left because prayers are still being said in schools today. It is just not a school led activity and it shouldn’t be. Prayer is a private act of worship. There are different examples of when prayer is said aloud like in church or as a family at dinner; however, overall, prayer is a private petition between God and a believer. Second, Jesus tells us that before we ask, the Lord already knows what we need, so there’s no need to babble with many words (verses 7-8). He then gives us a prayer that is known as The Lord’s Prayer (verses 9-13). “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name” (verse 9) acknowledges God’s holiness as well as his personal and loving relationship with us. “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (verse 10) is a reference to God’s spiritual reign as well as praying that God’s purpose be enacted in this world as it is done in heaven. “Give us today our daily bread” (verse 11) acknowledges that God is our provider of all we have. “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (verse 12) asks God to forgive us as we forgive others. “Debts” would be sins not just financial debts but hurts and wrongs done against God and against us. “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one’ (verse 13) is asking for God’s protection against temptation, to recognize it when we will inevitably come across it. When you pray the Lord’s Prayer, think about what each verse means and feel the power and importance in those words. There’s great meaning in this simple prayer.

Third, Jesus eats with sinners at Matthew’s house in Matthew 9:9-13. These verses tell the story of how Matthew is called by Jesus to follow him and he does (verse 9). Matthew had a dinner at his house for Jesus, his disciples and other “sinners” (quotations appear in my Bible) (verse 10). The Pharisees (a Jewish religious group that avidly followed the Old Testament laws) saw this and asked why Jesus was eating with such men? Jesus replied “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (verse 12-13). “I desire mercy, not sacrifice” is in reference to Hosea 6:6 when God didn’t want just the rituals, he wanted the people’s hearts. The rituals were more than just actions to appease God, there are ways to connect with God. When a ritual is done without one’s heart, the ritual becomes empty and a mockery. Like going through the motions because of habit or you are required do, rather than because you want and need to. Like a Catholic who goes to Confession because it’s the day to do so rather than the need to seek forgiveness. By using this verse, Jesus is stating that he is more concerned with the people who need him, need forgiveness, need guidance especially the hurting and sinful ones and not appearances and the righteous. In order to reach those who need him, he needed to meet them where they are, eat with them, and teach them. With Jesus, you do not need to change before you can accept him as Lord and Savior. Follow him and he will help you do the changes needed. For Jesus said “Come, follow me” (Matthew 4:19). He didn’t say “change your life, then follow me.” No, he said come. Come as you are.

Lastly, Jesus spoke about being watchful in Matthew 24:36-51. In these verses, he speaks about being watchful for his return because no one knows when that will be. Right off the bat in verse 36, he says “NO ONE knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, not the Son, but only the Father” (emphasis mine). So when someone claims to have the date that Christ will come and begin the end of days, pay him no mind because if God the Father doesn’t even tell his Son when that day will be, why would he tell a someone on Earth? Not knowing the date, keeps believers on their toes and continuing their work for Christ as they prepare and await his return. If we knew the date, wouldn’t we be lazy and wait until the date approaches to believe or spread the Word? In verses 40-41, Christ speaks about some people being taken and others being left behind. These verses are to illustrate how shift his second coming will be, Jesus commands us to keep watch (verse 42). And just as a homeowner doesn’t know when the thief will come to his house, we are to prepare for Jesus, as we do not know when he will come back (verse 43-44). Keeping watch and preparing for his coming doesn’t mean that believers can hoard food and hunker down in a bunker in the wilderness somewhere. No, it means to continue our work for Christ and live as if today will be our last. When the opportunity arises to share Christ’s love and gift of salvation, do so. When the opportunity arises to help your fellow man, extend your hand as Christ would. It doesn’t mean always mean money handouts for the needy. It includes acts of mercy to those who need it. Simple acts of kindness and love. As Christ said “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mind, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40) and “whatever you did not do for one of the lease of these, you did not do for me” (Matthew 24:45). For you don’t know when Christ will return, our job isn’t done yet.

In conclusion, the gospel of Matthew is the longest book of the gospels. Jesus taught nonstop in the three years of his ministry whether it was to the disciples in a quiet place or to the crowds in a public place, he taught. It is an example for us. We don’t all need to be a pastor at the pulpit to spread God’s word. We are to know the Bible in order to fight temptation as Christ used the Bible to ward off Satan’s temptations. We are to pray with meaning, with faith and in a quiet place. We are to come to Christ as we are and as we live to follow his words, he will change us to be more like him. As followers of Christ, we are to continue to do his work here until his second coming. There are moments in our everyday lives in which we can extend Christ’s love to those who desperately need it. 

Star Wars The Last Jedi: a great action film which takes the galaxy in a new direction

Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi opened on December 15^th to rave critic reviews and mixed fan reactions. The Last Jedi continues the story of Rey, Finn and the Resistance as they fight against the First Order. In the two years since The Force Awakens, there were many fan theories floating around the internet and fans were eagerly awaiting The Last Jedi to see which theories were right and see how the story continues. I finally was able to see it a few days after it opened and heard the criticisms of fans. I will discuss what I liked, what I didn’t and the critics, fans and even Mark Hamill’s remarks about the film.

There is so much that I liked about the film; however, I will discuss a few storylines I enjoyed the most. First, I liked the interactions between Rey and Luke. The closing scene of The Force Awakens, we see Rey handing Luke his original lightsaber as the camera pans out over the island. In The Last Jedi, the first scene we see with Rey and Luke is the continuation of that scene. While I will not give away what his reaction is, I will say it was highly appropriate. Luke had been living in exile after Kylo Ren destroys Luke’s new Jedi academy and temple and turns to the dark side. Luke realizing his failure as a teacher, decides to leave everything behind and Rey has a tough road to convince him to help the Resistance and teach her the ways of the Force. Second, I enjoyed the character of Kylo Ren in this film. He was far less emo and more dark and conflicted as he struggles with the aftermath of the Force Awakens and his master, Snoke’s, disappointed in him. Adam Driver delivered a superb performance as Kylo Ren, especially toward the end as he decides which direction he wants to go. Does he embrace the dark side? Or does he turn to the light side? Third, I enjoyed Finn and Rose’s (played by Kelly Marie Tran) story as they find a way to help the Resistance escape the First Order. As Finn still struggles with his defection from the First Order and Rose is dealing with her hatred of the First Order, together they learn what they are fighting for and who they can trust in their fight against the First Order.

There was only a couple things that I disliked about the film. First, there were a few unnecessarily scenes. One in particular was on the island as Luke goes about his life, ignoring Rey’s presence. I won’t reveal what the scene was; however, when I saw it both my daughter and I looked at each other and whispered “ewwww!” I understand that the scene’s purpose was to show how Luke survived on the island but I felt it was unnecessarily and his survival on the island could have been shown a litter better. And some of the humorous scenes may have had the joke go on a little too long. There is one scene in which Poe (played by Oscar Isaac) plays a joke on General Hux (played by Domhnall Gleeson). While the joke was funny at first, it dragged on a little too long. Second, there is still a great mystery about who Snoke is. The movie did not reveal anything about where he came from, who he is or how he knows the Force. In this film, we see he is an imposing figure and would strike fear in anyone who stands in his presence. However, we don’t know why he is such an imposing character. Third, the porgs, one of the creatures who live on Luke’s island, are cute but add nothing more to the story than to show the cycle of life on the island. They were in the movie for too long especially once the story leaves the island.

The reviews and opinions run the gambit from favorable to absolutely hated. First, the critics gave this film rave reviews. The consensus on Rotten Tomatoes is that the film “honors the rich legacy while adding some surprising twists and delivering all the emotion-rich action fans could hope for.” I would agree. It paid homage to the original trilogy in particular The Empire Strikes Back and some could agree The Return of the Jedi. Second, fans continue to be adamant in their disagreement with the critics. Many of the fans are blaming Disney for putting profits over story. Some said that the story strayed too much from the original trilogy while others would argue it was a copy of Empire like the Force Awakens was a copy of A New Hope. I disagree with them on both counts. I think some of the fans are just so invested in the Star Wars saga that they don’t know what they want. They don’t want copies of the original trilogy but they don’t like the new material. Fans used Mark Hamill’s remarks about the film where he said he “fundamentally disagreed with every choice for Luke” as proof that Disney screwed up. I disagree with Mr. Hamill and these fans. I loved Luke’s progression in this movie. I think it fit. Without going into detail for those who have not yet seen it, as an avid reader and writer, I can see why the writer took him in that direction. Yes, Luke was very much the optimist in the original trilogy; however 30 years have passed and that’s a long time and a person can change especially when one of his students turns on him. It can be and was the hit to his ego that sent him into exile.  

In conclusion, I enjoyed The Last Jedi. I left the theater with a sense of awe and excitement. I know that many fans did not feel this way, my husband included. He had to see it again to understand more of the story. My cousin in law has seen it three times and he even admits that one viewing isn’t enough. The original trilogy is still beloved to me as an important part of my childhood; however, it is time to move on from the Skywalker storyline of Star Wars into the greater universe and galaxy that’s out there. Of the new Disney/Star Wars films, Rogue One (2016) is still my favorite so far. The Last Jedi adds more depth and drama to the Star Wars universe. It adds the struggles of life, that everything isn’t so black and white, good vs evil. I highly recommend The Last Jedi. Watch it without any expectations and see it for what it is: a great action film with heart and life lessons

Two Girls Down: a thriller which will keep you guessing

Two Girls Down by Louisa Luna is a mystery thriller that becomes a race against time as two girls disappear without a trace. The story opens with Jamie Brandt, a struggling single mother, taking her two daughters, Kylie, 10 years old, and Bailey, 8 years old, to a birthday party. She stops quickly at a local store for a birthday present and leaves her daughters in the car. When she returns, the girls are gone. The family hires private investigators, Alice Vega and Max “Cap” Caplan, to find the girls when it becomes obvious that the local police are overwhelmed with the investigation. Soon Vega and Cap are hot on the girls’ trail, following every clue while battling hostilities from the police department. When the trail leads to the most unlikely place, they must race to save the girls. Will they find them in time? Will the girls be returned alive?

Two Girls Down is a suspenseful hunt with many twists and turns that will keep the reader on his or her toes. Every clue is important and the hints will keep the reader guessing until the very end. While I can’t talk about a lot of details in the book, as it would give away too much, I loved each and every character from the hostile cops to the seemingly minor characters. I especially loved the chemistry and camaraderie between Vega and Cap. It was great to see how their relationship builds and how they become a seamless team. I look forward to more books featuring these two. It is a great book that I highly recommend. If you love mysteries, this is a book for you.

Two Girls Down

will be available January 9, 2018

in hardcover and eBook