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<![CDATA[Richard added 'The Lost Symbol']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/64306363
The Lost Symbol (Robert Langdon, #3)
byDan Brown bookshelves: currently-reading
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<![CDATA[Richard added 'Angel Time']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76394960
to: Angel Time (Hardcover)byAnne Rice
Anne Rice has crafted both an entertaining and educational story with Angel Time, the story of Toby O'Dare, a hitman for the government who is visited by Malchiah, an angel. For a decade, Toby has used his talents to take life, and Malchiah asks him to turn his back on that life and to give himself to God. Toby is reluctant to follow Malchiah until the angel shows him the evolution of his life from a young, talented musician obsessed with learning to play the lute who cares for his younger siblings into the cold-blooded killer he has become.
Upon submitting to Malchiah's request, Toby is hurdled back in time to medieval England where he is tasked with saving a Jewish couple who have been accused of murdering their daughter after she dared enter a Christian church to view a Christmas pageant. The historical account of the deep conflict between the Christians and the Jews is accurate, and Ms. Rice cites the resources she used in what was obviously painstakingly detailed research. Perhaps the most amazing accomplishment of this entire novel is the objective, non-judging portrayal of both the Christians and the Jews, allowing the reader to determine for himself or herself which opinion is just.
Having been a long-time fan of Ms. Rice's darker fiction involving vampires and witches, I have hesitated in picking up her newer works which are more strongly based in her rediscovered faith. However, her storytelling and interweaving of fact with fiction remains unchanged, and her stories are as engaging and as thought-provoking as ever. Deeply rooted in religious and spiritual fact, Angel Time is not only a fast-paced thriller that travels through medieval time through to the present. Its characters, like all of Ms. Rice's characters, are complex, emotional, and analytical beings. This novel is highly recommended.
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<![CDATA[Richard
is on page 288 of Angel Time
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http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76394960
Richard
is finished with
Angel Time
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<![CDATA[Richard added 'The Birthing House']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/67364356
to: The Birthing House (Hardcover)byChristopher Ransom
The Birthing House by Christopher Ransom was one of those books I found browsing through the new releases on the Barnes & Noble web site. The premise is original and hooked my attention. Conrad and Jo Harrison move from busy and loud Los Angeles to a small Wisconsin town, Black Earth, where they purchase an old Victorian birthing house. The house, whose history remembers countless deliveries of babies, both alive and dead, seems to call to Conrad who makes the purchase without the approval of his wife. He sees it as the perfect environment in which to mend their damaged marriage, plagued by accusations of infidelity and mistrust.
From the moment they arrive, Jo is uncomfortable in the house and quickly departs to Michigan for a job opportunity. During an encounter with the former owner of the house, Conrad is given some old photographs of the former residents. In one of the photos, he recognizes one of the women as his wife, and so begins his journey to understand how his wife could appear in a photo that was obviously decades old.
Strange visits from ghostly apparitions, bizarre and violent behavior in his dogs, and an odd attraction to the pregnant teenager next door plague Conrad Harrison as he tries to understand what is happening to his sanity. Meanwhile, his wife becomes impossible to reach after admitting to him that she, herself, is pregnant with his child.
The story moves quickly through short, readable chapters. Suspense builds throughout as the reader becomes hopeful for a climactic and twisted ending. Unfortunately, shortly before the story ends, the book takes an obscure twist into ambiguity, pummeling the reader into the perspective of Alma, the ghost who possesses the house (and sometimes its residents).
The house's history is never fully explained, and the ending comes to an abrupt halt leaving the reader confused and frustrated in the last twenty pages. Had the book not taken this strange and abstract twist and had it continued on its original path, it would have been a read worthy of the time spent on it.
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<![CDATA[Richard added 'The Gates: A Novel']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73923863
The Gates: A Novel (Hardcover)
byJohn Connolly bookshelves: to-read
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<![CDATA[Richard added 'Let the Right One In: A Novel']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/67364278
to: Let the Right One In: A Novel (Paperback)byJohn Ajvide Lindqvist
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<![CDATA[new comment from Richard]]>
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/56874-introduce-yourselves
Richard made a comment in the Supernatural Fiction Readers group:
Hi, My name is Rich. I'm 31 years old, and I live in the Chicago suburbs. I've been a fan of the supernatural for as long as I can remember. Successful novelists such as Anne Rice, Stephen King, and Dean Koontz have always been some of my favorites. But more recently, I'm starting to venture out into the broader world of horror, reading some new authors like Mike Carey, John Ajvide Lindqvist, and Tana French. Witches, ghosts, and vampires are my absolutely favorites. I write fiction as a hobby and recently finished my first novel. I'm looking forward to reading the thoughts and recommendations of the other group members and sharing my opinions regarding the latest supernatural books on my shelf. I'm also looking to make new friends who have similar reading interests.
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<![CDATA[Richard joined a group.]]>
http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/6625.Supernatural_Fiction_Readers
Richard joined the
Supernatural Fiction Readers
group.
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<![CDATA[Richard added 'Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/72155324
Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters (Paperback)
byBen H. Winters bookshelves: to-read
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<![CDATA[Richard added 'The Writers Digest Guide To Query Letters']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/72155185
The Writers Digest Guide To Query Letters (Paperback)
byWendy Burt bookshelves: to-read
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