Showing posts with label Tyndale Blog Network. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tyndale Blog Network. Show all posts

Monday, January 4, 2010

Blackout by Jason Elam and Steve Yohn

Title: Blackout

Author: Jason Elam and Steve Yohn

Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers

Book Description:

Riley Covington is still reeling from his father’s brutal murder when he learns he’s been traded. Meanwhile, the counterterrorism division has detected a plot to detonate electromagnetic pulse bombs that could leave the U.S. without power, communications, and transportation—right down to dropping planes out of the sky. CTD scrambles to stop the attacks, but they run out of time. Amid the fallout, Riley, Scott, Skeeter, and CTD must regroup to make sure the second bomb doesn’t reach its destination.

Review:

I have mixed feelings on Blackout. The first half of the story didn’t feel like a thriller at all. Riley Covington, the title character of the series, didn’t play as big a role as expected and his main purpose appeared to be remembering the past and playing football. In my opinion as a reader, the first half of the book could have been condensed into just a few chapters and kept the tension of the story high, rather than taking over a hundred and fifty pages and making me wonder if the “thriller” part of this Riley Covington Thriller would ever start.

The second half of the book, however, was an amazing ride of suspense. It was everything I hope for in a thriller and had an awesome storyline. Electromagnetic pulse bombs aren’t something I’ve seen done to death in fiction, and the glimpse of the devastation an EMP bomb would cause was both fascinating and frightening. Once the story picked up, I couldn’t put the book down. I was drawn into the story and found myself rooting for the good guys and rejoicing when the bad guys took a blow. I came away fully satisfied with the second half of the book.

If you don’t mind a slow start to an exciting story, you might enjoy Blackout. But if you’re like me and prefer a thriller that’s suspenseful from beginning to end, this may not be the book for you.

I received a free ARC of this book through the Tyndale Blog Network. All opinions stated in this review are my own and based solely on my experience reading this book.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

The Official Chuck Norris Fact Book by Chuck Norris

Title: The Official Chuck Norris Fact Book
Author: Chuck Norris
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers

Book Description:

Hundreds of thousands of humorous Chuck Norris facts have been published, traveled around the globe via the Internet, and gained an international audience of millions. Chuck Norris facts are a quirky, extremely popular Internet phenomenon that has entertained fans from all over the globe. In the last several years, Chuck Norris has been asked repeatedly from the heartland of America to the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan, “Which facts are your favorites?” For the first time ever, in The Official Chuck Norris Fact Book, Chuck gives readers not only his favorite “facts,” roundhouse-kicked by the man himself, but also the stories behind the facts and the code by which Chuck lives his life. Fans from every corner of the globe will enjoy both the fanciful and inspirational from one of the world’s great action heroes. This book makes a perfect gift.

Review:

The Official Chuck Norris Fact Book is a fun book, but it also gives a great deal of insight into the man behind the fact phenomenon. Each of the 101 Chuck Norris Facts in the book is supplemented by a true story from Chuck Norris himself. After that bit of trivia is a quote pertaining to the story, and the end of each entry gives the corresponding core value from Chuck’s Code--Norris’ five core values he lives by: Freedom, Family, Fitness, Faith, and Fight--and a sentence or two that goes with it.

Throughout the book, Norris offers opinions and trivia on everything from his movie career to his family to nutrition. The reader comes away with a greater understanding of Norris’ deep-seated Christianity, his patriotism, his support of the military, and his belief that people must work not only to improve themselves but the world around them as well.

The humor in this book had me laughing many times, but Norris also touched on some topics that hit home and made me see things I could improve in my own life. I was particularly impressed with his openness about his failures as well as his successes. His belief that everyone has the opportunity to change their corner of the world is inspiring, especially since the stories in this book show how one person can make a huge difference in the lives of countless people. The many reminders that God sees each of us as His own special creation and has a plan for each and every one of us are uplifting. I highly recommend The Official Chuck Norris Fact Book for anyone looking for a book that leaves the reader with hope for a better world and a better relationship with God and family.

I received a complimentary copy of this book as a member of the Tyndale Blog Network. Although I received a free copy of this book, the opinions expressed in this review are based solely on the contents of the book and were in no way influenced by the way I acquired the book.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

The Secret of Indigo Moon by G.P. Taylor

Title: The Dopple Ganger Chronicles, Book II: The Secret of Indigo Moon
Author: G.P. Taylor
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers

Book Description:

From best-selling author G.P. Taylor comes the highly anticipated second installment of The Dopple Ganger Chronicles, a series that combines art and traditional text to help “reluctant readers” discover the wonder of books.

Erik Morissey Ganger, famed explorer and detective (well, in his dreams), and his mischief-making sidekicks, twins Sadie and Saskia Dopple, didn’t go looking for a secret tunnel beneath the school. They never intended to make the acquaintance of a shifty private eye with a nose for trouble. It wasn’t part of the plan to come face to face with an old enemy, one with an agenda of his own that could destroy them all. And unraveling the “secret of indigo moon” was the farthest thing from their minds.

At Isambard Dunstan’s School for Wayward Children, these things just seem to happen.
In The Secret of Indigo Moon, confirmed troublemakers Erik, Sadie, and Saskia plunge headlong into a new and perilous mystery, one that challenges everything they thought they knew about their lives, themselves, and whom it’s safe to trust.

Review:

I admit I’m not a big fan of graphic novels...usually. But it didn’t take long for me to get drawn into the world of Erik Morissey Ganger and the Dopple twins, Sadie and Saskia. The Dopple Ganger Chronicles, Book II: The Secret of Indigo Moon is packed with action right from the start. The mystery involving a secret tunnel, a reporter, and an old enemy is well-written and even managed to surprise me a little—something that doesn't happen often with children’s mysteries.

While the repetition of Erik’s full name did get a little tedious at times, this was still a wonderful book that I had trouble putting down. The Christian message is woven in with such subtlety that it wasn’t even noticeable in much of the story. And when it did appear, it was written in an allegorical fashion that was both enjoyable and uplifting. G.P. Taylor is definitely going on my list of authors I can count on for a good story.

I reviewed this book as a member of the Tyndale Blog Network.