false 2 110 107 true 5714675 read 0 true 2112530 currently-reading 3 true 2112529 to-read http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/74421390 to: The Firm (Paperback) by John Grisham
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/53599480 to: The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ (Official Edition) by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Mr. Smith's book,read as Historical fiction, I found boring, and unsupported. Historically it’s unbelievable. Mr. Smith did a mediocre approach in rewriting a religious book. However, another book he wrote in the 1830’s, “the book of Abraham” is at lest believable as a story. The use of the practice dating beyond 2,500 years BC, the Egyptian Book of The Dead to help Egyptians survive the underworld after death as Abraham’s story is interesting but weak. I would not recommend his books to anyone who enjoys reading historical fiction. His other writing seems to follow the same line.

But I think the actions of Mormon here is less than honorable. It is I think an act of religious commercialism and should not be part of this GoodReads program.
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/52659676 to: Thin Wood Walls (Hardcover) by David Patneaude
Patneaude is able to capture something seldom done when a Caucasian attempts to write of another race’s perspective. Patneaude has done just that. Not by imagining but by researching, talking to the Japanese Americans in detail not just for facts, but for feeling, taste, sound, and sorrow. Having also researched the same subject and interviewed some of the some people I am amazed that he is able to capture the heart of a child, and let him live to tell the story that all of us are capably of infecting on others because fear. The book is written for teenagers, but I would hope that everyone here in the States, and around the world could read it. Sorrow and fear knows no boundary. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/52245807 to: Under Fire (The Corps #9) by W.E.B. Griffin

It took me five months to read this book. I kept walking away from it as I thought it too wordy. The Characters went on and on over things that I didn’t think helped the plot. At times it was like quicksand; too much detail. For a book that is considered Historical Fiction I found about twenty pages out of 572 that dealt directly with the war, the rest was just characters talking. I did find the beginning interesting. The Authors politics was also obvious; McArthur, a brilliant military mind? Ask Eisenhower, he worked for him for 10 years. We should do our homework and use the facts and not politics to evaluate the past. Do I sound a little naive here?
I hate to see my review when I get it done.
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1025504-charles Charles made a comment on Charles Gilbert's profile:

Chriss wrote: "Hey Charles,
Keep up the writing and don't worry about whether you "know what you are doing" or not. I think it's more about being honest on paper and expressing what you know than anything. Bes..."

Thanks for you generosity. The book has come along nicely at 159,000 words. I’m learning how to interject characters like skipping stone on water, and trying to make each skip reveling and leveling each with a bit of a question. I am constantly rewriting and I hope learning. I wished I’d had the guts to start earlier in my life. Some days are good and others not so good. I’ve been couched by a wonderful woman from South Africa name Minnie. She recently added an interesting question about the death penalty on the Tea Party. Thinking of that I think I need more sugar.

]]> http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/113071-rightful-liberty Charles made a comment in the Goodreads Tea Party group:

Just a quick observation on what I have read here. First I want to thank everyone for allowing others a not so idealist view of the past and present. And I hope that we acknowledge that truth, whether in faith or politics is fleeting. I also acknowledge that I hold no special enlightenment or hold on the truth.

I often think it’s interesting how one looks at patriotism and duty to country. The first question to ask is why we think that our beliefs and perceptions of our reality or if you like our paradigm is in line with the founders of this great experiment in democracy. Thomas Jefferson receives most of the glory for the development of democracy. George Washington is praised for his strong beliefs in Christ that gave him guidance to fight on to victory and leadership as our first president. Then there’s good old Benjamin Franklin the intellectual, the conscious of nobility, science, fatherhood and matrimony. Seldom do we think of John Adams who is perhaps the real reason that congress would conceder independence.
Yes, Thomas and Benjamin believed in the ideal, but neither would push it in congress with the power and tenacity that Mr. Adams had. It’s interesting, that the only Christian man of the four of them and a puritan at that is relegated to a few tossed bones in our schools textbooks. Thomas wrote a paper in Virginia that questioned the divinity Christ. George Washington took communion twice in his adult life and was criticized by pastors all over the country as setting a poor example by not going to church enough, and for not supporting the church. And Ben, well he was so busy cheating on his wife in America and France that he neglected his wife and daughter emotionally as well as financially. All these men were powerful, dedicated to the cause of independence. All of them risked hanging if caught by the British and should never be deigned the honor of their duty to country.
Two of the four, George and Thomas believed in providence, not God. Only John Adams was a strong believer in God, independence, and marriage. The representative from Massachusetts pushed for the vote for independents and the end of slavery. Mr. Adams and his wife Abigail had one of the greatest marriage love stories in American history. But we honor the others in our schools.
So what is Patriotism?
Is flag waving Patriotic, even though the worst governments in 20th century had flag waving exhibitions? And what of the American First committee in the late 30’s and up to Pearl Harbor in 1941. They held grand meetings including Madison Squire Gardens in the spring of 1941 where the legendary Charles Lindbergh along with many conservatives gave the Nazi salute to the American flag, a large Picture of George Washington, and the Nazi flags draped on each side while thousands chanted “leave Europe to the Europeans and tell England to go-to-hell.”

Are Bands playing Patriotic music such as, God Save the Queen, God Bless America, Oh Canada and hundreds of other songs that can bring one to tears?
Are churches patriotic as they place Christ in the middle, a church flag on one side, and a national flag on the other as if one country’s flag is closer to God than “those” others?
Shouldn’t we try to support the Sailors, Soldiers, Airman, and Marines that are place in harms way regardless of the legitimacies of the act? Now we have to admit that sometimes we must do what is noble for others, but not what is profitable, convenient, or arrogant.
Which of the Adams were more Patriotic? Cousin Samuel Adams who willfully lied about the so call Boston Massacre where a few British soldiers cornered on the steps with their backs against a door, hammered by bricks cover with a little snow, did what any thinking soldier would do then or now? Or do we applaud Cousin John Adam’s strong belief in God that Christian must defend the truth. When no-other lawyer in Massachusetts would defend these British boys, cranky John stood up and proclaim their rights to justice and won all of their safe passage to England with only one being branded on the thumb for manslaughter. Do we even half to think what he would think of the patriot Act? When it comes to liberty during times of stress, it is often lost in the fog of patriotism. Can patriotism be bought and sold at the convince of the powerful, and strip the liberty from the very people that it is supposes to protect?
Patriotism has nothing to do with bands, religions, flags or any other tricky devise that can cause one to lose one’s focuses on liberty to the emotionalisms of the moment instead of focusing on liberty and the tenets of the truths of our faith and not the thrill of the kill?
But we also are human, and therefore, regrettably, are thrown into the fire of indifference greed that will eventually destroy us.
I will fight and gladly die for this country right or wrong, but that doesn’t mean I have to buy into the lies. Patriotism, I believe, is defending the true glory of a nation’s aspirations, honor, duty, fairness, and freedom for ALL its people. We either believe liberty and all the words of Christ without selective reinterpretations, or we believe in something else. We can’t be half pregnant.
May God help all of us overcome our weaknesses and see the righteousness and glory of his Love, and not ours.
Hope this provides for some interesting dialog.
In His love,
Chalres

In His love,
Charles
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1321941-ilyn-ross Charles made a comment on Ilyn Ross's profile:

Are you sure you want me as a friend? I have hero’s such as John and Abigail Adams. I look at people as they are and not what some of our history books pretend. Know one is perfect. If we look up to people in the present as well as the past we should find real people, their warts as well their good qualities. Hero’s breath, laugh, fail, and cry as we do. We are human, to expect more would be a disservice to their accomplishments and ours. I dream, I love, I hope for enlightenment. It’s a very big ocean.

If you wish to drop me please do, truth is far superior to lies; one leads to enlightenment, the other, to an Intellectual desert.
Peace my friend
Charles
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