Unintended Consequences

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Unintended Consequences

Unintended Consequences was a wonderful thriller that I found really hard to put down. The characters were vivid, the plotting careful and intricate. George Calhoun is on Death Row and his execution has been scheduled. When he was tried and found guilty of the murder of his young daughter, Calhoun said he didn't do it. When his wife said he was guilty and testified against him, Calhoun wouldn't say a single word in his own defense. He simply kept repeating that he didn't do it, offering no other information in his defense. Dani Trumball, an attorney with the Help Innocent Prisoners Project believes him but knows that time is running short and that she will be unlikely to be able to mount a believable appeal in the time Calhoun has left. Despite all of the obstacles, Dani is not willing to standby and watch a man that she believes is innocent be executed. As Dani mounts a defense for Calhoun, suspicious circumstances and events start to mount, too. The only way to save Calhoun will be to find out what little girl was murdered, burnt beyond recognition and left in the woods at the same time that Angelina Calhoun disappeared and why George Calhoun's wife said he was guilty. This is a wonderful book, an exciting read and a new writer to watch carefully.

Your Health – Your pH: How To Reverse Illness and Gain Vitality

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I am always interested in books that deal with natural ways to deal with illness and positively affect your health. In taking care of myself, I try to consider the many aspects of health and the factors within the body, mind and soul that affect my health. One factor that I had never considered was pH, so this book offered a new direction for healing. This is a short but comprehensive look at the body’s pH factor and how its balance, neutral vs acidic, can indicate the beginning of health issues. It provides the reader with information about how to use resources like food, minerals, supplements, and even meditation to affect the pH balance. I found the book to be well written, full of information, well organized and helpful. I plan to go to the store tomorrow for Phase 1 of my own pH analysis and makeover.

The Fourth Crusade

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The Fourth Crusade was a fascinating look at the Crusade initiated by Pope Innocent III, told from the perspective of Ruggerio, a young priest who was deployed to join the Crusade to liberate the Holy Land from the control of Muslims. I was particularly struck by the parallels between the past and current problems waged between two of the largest religions in the world. I didn’t exactly like some of the depictions of battle and violence but appreciated their necessity and purpose. Ruggerio is the oldest of three children born to an unemployed soldier. Unlike his passionate and violent younger brother, Ruggerio’s gentle nature makes him unsuitable for training as a soldier or even for protecting his sister, so he is given to the church. Reunited with his father and brother, Ruggerio trains and becomes a successful warrior priest as the fourth crusade makes it way to the Holy Land. As Ruggerio witnesses the Crusaders killing, raping, and looting Christian towns to provision themselves and raise funds for the Crusade, Ruggerio fights disillusionment more than infidels. After a major conflict, he heads home to Barcelona believing that if he can only tell the rulers the true story of the Fourth Crusade, future wars may be averted. This was a really good read.

Divergent Lives

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Divergent Lives has one of the most unusual story lines that I have read in the past several years. Unfortunately, explaining these story lines without spoiling the exciting read is very difficult, but I’ll try to give you a taste of it. The story opens with a passionate love affair between Adina and her boyfriend. Adina was raised by extremely religious and traditional Hispanic parents, but her sexual preferences involve dominance and violence. Adina has made the decision to enter into a vanilla (normal) marriage with her normal and patient boyfriend. However, on the night of their engagement, Adina is violently and brutally murdered. Yes, Adina’s past has come back to haunt her, but with many thrills and unanticipated twists. Divergent Lives pushes the borders of aberrant psychology and behavior to reach a compelling conclusion. It’s a disturbing, yet compulsive read, so much so that I quit noticing some of the grammar faults that would normally distract me while reading a book. There you go…I think I managed to give you the flavor of the book without ruining the main course!

OMG A CUL8TR Time Travel Novel

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This charming book kicks off a new YA series that will undoubtedly be very popular. I haven’t been a teenager for more years than I’m willing to divulge, yet I do enjoy the YA genre. OMG is a time travel mystery – another genre that I particularly enjoy. Well plotted and fast paced, OMG is the story of four Florida teenagers who plausibly finagle time travel and communication with the dead using the technology of years past along with today’s technology. Kelly, the main character, moved to Fort Meyers Beach, FL to live with her aunt after her parents were killed in a car accident. It’s interesting to witness the changes necessary for Kelly to live with her single, high level, career oriented, lawyer aunt. Kelly struggles to deal with normal teen self esteem problems, but manages to make friends more easily than she believed possible. When Kelly and her new friends end traveling back to the 1960s to try to prevent the suicide of a popular high school teenager, friendships are cemented and a great new series is kicked off. I hope that Bob Kat can write these novels quickly because his fans will be very impatient to get the next installation.