The Hainan Incident by D. M. Coffman

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews
Jan 092012
 

The Hainan Incident

Author: D.M. Coffman

Publisher: Covenant Communications, Inc.

Published Date: July 2011

Softcover; 277 pages

Genre: Mystery-Suspense/International Intrigue

ISBN# 978-1-59811-992-3

Reviewed by: Shanda

FTC FYI: review copy in exchange for an honest review

Yi Jichun (aka Jason Yi) is a young American attorney recruited to go under cover as a Chinese judge in order to discover and eliminate corrupt judges in the Chinese system. What Yi ends up discovering is much more than corrupt judges and city officials. If events set in motion are not stopped, countless American lives will be lost.

What interested me most in The Hainan Incident was reading about the Chinese culture and geographical locations. There were a few suspenseful scenes that had me holding my breath. I’m not a big reader of political & international suspense novels, so I’m not sure how The Hainan Incident compares to national titles in the same genre. I do think that it might appeal a bit more to my husband, so I’m going to give him my copy to read.

Fans of international intrigue are going to enjoy this story full of Chinese culture and history, political scandal, terrorist threats and suspenseful action. The main character, Jason Yi, is LDS, but there is no preaching and only a few specific religious elements are mentioned. The Hainan Incident is D.M. Coffman’s debut novel.

Watch a video interview with the author.

Click here to read our spotlight of D.M. Coffman and The Hainan Incident during our Countdown to Christmas 2011.

From the back cover:

Before beginning his first undercover assignment, American attorney Yi Jichun travels to Hainan Island on the South China Sea for some much-needed respite — but finds trouble instead. Already uneasy about his charge to expose corruption in China’s court system, Yi stumbles upon a hidden computer network in an ancient island village and finds himself drawn into an investigation that tears him between his religious principles and the lie he must live.

Aided by Sarah, an esteemed fellow judge, and Meijuan, a village leader exiled by her powerful and corrupt son, Yi uncovers the Hainan Net — an international organization that targets global shipping channels in its quest for world power. But Yi loses ground when Sarah discovers his true identity as a foreign spy — and as the American military organizes a stealth assault in full cooperation with China’s government, Yi must reconcile the laws governing the land with the laws governing his honor.

 

The Timeline History of Mormonism by Christopher Kimball Bigelow

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews
Jan 022012
 

The Timeline History of Mormonism

Author: Christopher Kimball Bigelow

Publisher: Covenant Communications, Inc.

Published Date: September 2011

Hardcover; 192 pages

Genre: Religious N0n-fiction

ISBN# 978-1-60861-495-0

Reviewed by: Shanda

FTC FYI: checked out from my local library

If you are interested in what was going on in the rest of the world during certain Book of Mormon events, this book is a great resource. Not only is there a timeline of events, but the remainder of the book contains great references to people, places, sites and events of significance.

As soon as I opened the book and started scanning the timeline, I knew I wanted my own copy. I was caught up in reading about specific people in the Book of Mormon, as well as historical figures in the restoration of the gospel. Each entry is informative and interesting without taking too long to read.

The large number of photos and artwork throughout the book surprised and delighted me. From depictions of biblical events to early photographs, painted portraits to professional photos, there is plenty to catch the reader’s eye and maintain interest.

The Timeline History of Mormonism is a useful reference addition to any Latter-Day Saint library. I’m looking forward to getting a copy for my own family. Right now, it’s on sale at Seagull Book for $14.99.*

Have you found other Book of Mormon timelines that you have enjoyed as well?

 

*LDSWBR is not affiliated with Seagull Book or Covenant Communications. I provide this link for the reader’s convenience only.

 

Choose the Right by Kimiko Hammari – Blog Tour

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews
Dec 082011
 

Choose the Right: A Year of Family Night Lessons to Help Your Children Choose the Right

Author: Kimiko Hammari

Publisher: Cedar Fort

Published Date: November 2011

Paperback; 160 pages

Genre: Religious Non-fiction

ISBN# 978-1-59955-941-4

Reviewed by: Shanda

FTC FYI: free review copy in exchange for an honest review

From Goodreads:

Crazy days mean no time to plan family nights. With Choose the Right, all your Family Home Evening lessons are done for a whole year, complete with activities, games, scriptures, songs, challenges, and a CD-Rom with printable handouts! Not only are the lessons fantastic but they correlate with the 2012 Primary topics and lessons. Spend quality time with your children as you make family night the best night!

Every Monday, our family rotates who is responsible for planning Family Home Evening. My husband, two oldest daughters and I take turns planning and presenting the lesson each week. I’m always on the lookout for FHE resources that are easy to prepare, applicable to our family, and engaging for a range of ages.

Choose the Right has a lesson plan for 4 weeks of each month that go right along with the Primary manual for 2012. Each lesson presents options for resources (scriptures, songs, Gospel Art kit pictures, etc), the lesson, a variety of activities, and a challenge. The book comes with a CD from which you can print lesson material and any printables needed so you don’t have to cut up or write in the book.

What I appreciate most about Choose the Right:

  • The complete lesson materials are only two or three pages long so my two youngest (four and almost three years old) are less likely to get bored
  • While many of the lesson activities are great for my two youngest, the weekly challenges are more applicable to my two oldest daughters so there is something for everyone
  • The FHE lessons are planned for the entire year, so my husband and I don’t have to stress about what the FHE lesson should be about from week to week
  • The lessons go along with the Primary manual so what my little ones are learning in Primary is automatically being reiterated in our home
  • The printables and graphics are cute!
Choose the Right would make a great Christmas gift for a family with Primary-age children. I look forward to our next year of Family Home Evenings.

 

Buy Choose the Right: DESERET BOOK | SEAGULL BOOK | AMAZON

 

Thank you to the author, Kimiko Hammari, and the publisher, Cedar Fort, for the opportunity to review Choose the Right.

 

BOUND by C. K. Bryant – Dark C.A.R.M.A Blog Tour

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews, Special Features
Nov 172011
 

Bound (The Crystor #1)

Author: C.K. Bryant

Publisher: Dragonfly Press

Published Date: October 2011

Paperback/Kindle/E-book; 398 pages

Genre: YA Fantasy/Paranormal

Reviewed by: Shanda

FTC FYI: I received a free e-book copy in exchange for an honest review

Back cover:

When a photo shoot ends in tragedy, Kira discovers her best friend, Lydia, has been keeping a secret. Knowing the truth, and accepting it, will change Kira’s life forever and thrust her into a world of ancient curses, magical objects, and savage enemies. What happens next will challenge everything Kira knows about her world, herself and the shape-shifting warrior she’s falling in love with. No longer the timid mouse her mother accused her of being, but a woman who finds the mental and physical strength to endure and survive.

BOUND is a heroic tale of true friendship, infinite sacrifice and untamed love.

Find out how you can enter to win prizes galore during the Dark C.A.R.M.A. Blog Tour below.

BOUND begins with Kira and Lydia in gym class on a seemingly ordinary day. By the weekend, though, everything has changed and the reader is swept quickly into a fast-moving tale that involves characters who aren’t what they seem and a history that belongs to another world.

I was pulled quickly into the story and it held my attention easily. I was interested in the history of Lydia and Octavion and I’m looking forward to learning more about their world. It looks like book two will take place on Ophira so readers will have the opportunity to learn more about Lydia and Octavion’s home world.

I liked seeing the growth of Kira throughout the book from an unwanted, unloved and abandoned child to a strong young woman who won’t give up without a fight. Lydia was fascinating with her own internal struggle balancing two spirits. Octavion was a little frustrating for me, at least at first. As the dangerous, even ferocious, young prince of another world at times he felt a little cliche, but by the end of the story he was really growing on me.

I know I’m invested in a story if I get to the end and keep flipping pages as if more story will magically appear. BROKEN, book two in The Crystor series, is scheduled to be released in Spring of 2012.

BOUND is an interesting story that left me wanting more. Readers who like to read YA Fantasy and YA Paranormal will enjoy BOUND.

Content: A few incidents of swearing limited to “he–” and one occurrence of “a–“; kissing but nothing too graphic; a bad guy attacks a main character and touches her breast but is stopped.

 

To purchase an autographed copy of BOUND by C.K. Bryant visit the author’s website here.

The Kindle version of BOUND can be purchased here.

To enter to win one of several prizes, including a grand prize, visit the Dark C.A.R.M.A. website.

Have you read BOUND? Tell me what you think of the hunky hero Octavion!

Garden Plot by Kristen McKendry

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews
Oct 172011
 

Garden Plot

Author: Kristen McKendry

Publisher: Covenant Communications

Published Date: August 2011

Softcover; 222 pages

Genre: Mystery-Suspense

ISBN# 978-1-60861-236-9

Reviewed by: Shanda

FTC FYI: free review copy in exchange for an honest review

First Line:

It couldn’t be good for business to have a guest drop dead in the vegetable garden.

With a first line like that, I knew I was in for an entertaining read with Garden Plot.

Erin, the owner and director of a halfway house for recovering addicts as well as mother to a 13 year-old daughter, is our narrator in this story told in first person. The book begins with Erin finding a body of a guest/patient in her garden that has unfortunately been shot in the head. As she tries to deal with notifying the authorities and keeping other guests/patients from coming upon the gruesome scene, we are introduced to several colorful characters.

The author did a great job writing these numerous secondary characters, especially considering we only get to know them through Erin’s eyes. Of course, as director of the home, she knows more about them than anyone in the house. She doesn’t know them well enough, however, to know who might have committed murder.

Running the Whole-Life Wellness Center in Mississagua, ON, Canada, is more than a full-time job for Erin. It’s how she is healing from the sudden death of her husband three years earlier. She feels an obligation toward the guest who lost his life at her center and she doesn’t feel like she can rest until she understands how and why he was killed and placed in her garden.

After visiting the deceased’s wife, Erin learns that the guest who checked into her center may not be the person everyone thought he was. After information from another guest connects some dots, Erin decides to do a little more investigating on her own much to the frustration of Detective Liam Harris, who ultimately concedes that she has a way of getting information from people but doesn’t want her putting herself in danger for reasons that are personal as much as professional.

I laughed out at least a dozen times throughout the book, especially in the last few chapters. There were a few places that I felt that Erin and Detective Harris’ questioning-motive sessions went in circles a little much, but it didn’t change how I felt about the book. I enjoyed the author’s voice in the book — it was a bit different than other mysteries I’ve read.

I give Garden Plot 4 stars out of 5 because it was an entertaining read that kept me turning pages (I couldn’t put it down) and it made me laugh out loud. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good mystery with LDS characters (references to the religion but not preachy at all).

 

The Alias by Mandi Tucker Slack – Blog Tour

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews, Special Features
Oct 132011
 

The Alias

Author: Mandi Tucker Slack

Publisher: Bonneville (Cedar Fort)

Published Date: May 2011

Softcover; 204 pages

Genre: Mystery-Suspense

Reviewed by: Shanda

FTC FYI: free review copy in exchange for an honest review

Summary (from Goodreads):

After a long and difficult divorce, Jacey thinks the worst is over. Little does she know she’ll soon be forced to go undercover to protect her family, and in the process, she’ll risk losing her identity, her future, and her heart. With a lightning pace, a good dose of humor, and a plot that’s full of suspense, this thrilling novel is an edge-of-your-seat read.

I really like they way the cityscape and landscape from the two main locations are blended together on the front cover. It caught my eye. The story caught my attention as well, and I had no problem turning pages because I wanted to see what would happen. I believe this is the author’s debut novel, and if so, she did a great job on her first published novel.

I liked the main characters and the relationship between Jacey and her son, Blaze. I despised John, her ex-husband, though at times his character felt a tad bit cliche. The writing is good with a nice flow and the suspense was effective. The climax near the end in the woods was very well done. I found it gripping and was swept up in the emotion between mother and son. I also enjoyed the relationship between Grant and Blaze.

Those who like a little romance with their suspense won’t be disappointed. I wasn’t sure how to take Kale at first, but soon caught on as to why he was acting the way he was toward Jacey.

At about 200 pages, The Alias is a fairly quick read and held my attention until the end.

There were only a few things that came up that I might have changed. Using the name Blaze for the boy was distracting to me. It is different enough from the other characters’ names that it stuck out to me and pulled me from the story a bit. The next thing could be considered a ***SPOILER*** so if you have read the book or don’t care about spoilers, click and drag to highlight the text below to read it. If you hate spoilers, then don’t. :)

There was good romantic tension throughout the first part of Jacey and Kale’s developing relationship, but I was disappointed in the lack of kisses. There was one small kiss at the field office, but that was all. When they said those three wonderful words and became engaged at the end, there wasn’t even a hug. I know this is a mainly a suspense novel but considering the amount of focus on Kale and Jacey’s budding romance in the last half of the novel, it would have been nice to have a bit more lip-locking (clean, of course). That’s just my preference, though.

I found The Alias to be an enjoyable read and give it 3.5 stars out of 5. I look forward to reading more of Mandi’s novels in the future.

The Alias can be purchased at Amazon. The Kindle edition is nicely priced at $3.99.

 

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