Book List

I've just finished reading two books, and those will probably be the last fiction novels I read for a while, at last until I get settled in with my 4 classes at PSC. I am reading "Average Joe" at the moment and will have a review of it over the weekend.

So here goes:

River in the Sky by Elizabeth Peters

I have to admit that I really like the Amelia Peabody series. It's a guilty pleasure, and one that I have a hard time resisting. The description of Egypt in the late 1800's and early 1900's is fascinating and Peters does an exquisite job with her characters.
A definite must-read and you should also pick up the other titles in the series.

Dead or Alive by Tom Clancy and Grant Blackwood

It's been a number of years since the last novel set in the Jack Ryan sphere of influence by Clancy.
He brings back all of the old characters from previous novels, excepting those dead from old age and the like.
While not one of his best, I did enjoy it and would while not a must-read, if you're a Clancy fan, don't miss it.

Update on Midterm

Came in with a 95.7 - could have used those other 4.3 points.
My grades right now for both of my classes are above 97%.

My other two classes begin next week. I am so happy to be taking Philosophy.

Looking toward the midterm in Intro to Criminal Justice next week and then finals in both classes.

Working on my research papers for both classes also.

My title for Criminal Justice is It's 9/11 - Do You Know Where Your Civil Rights Are?

Still working on a title for Info Security.

School

I've just finished the first mid-term test that I've had to take in over 30 years.
Yes, I am that old.
It was my Principles of Information Security test and next week I have my Intro to Criminal Justice test coming up.
I feel pretty confident so far.
Later this month I start my other 2 classes for this term - Philosophy and Algebra, both of which I could do without.
These are my first steps on the way to an AS degree in IT Security.

However, my less that dedicated approach to school 30 years ago has thrown me another curve. New guidelines have been enacted and I have to write an appeal to have my Pell Grant be usable at Pensacola State. I have to show mitigating circumstances as to my not completing classes when I was 18.
I don't remember being 18!

Anyway, I will appreciate prayers and thoughts as I attempt to persuade the appeals board to allow me to use the Pell money I have available to continue my education. Failing their approval, I am back at the starting point. 

Book Review - Sir Quinlan

Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor by Chuck Black is an excellent book for both the young reader and the old.
At first I was afraid that since this was book #5 I wouldn't have any idea what was going on, but my fears were laid to rest, this is a worthy stand-alone novel.
Sir Quinlan grows into his role as our hero and along the way leaves behind childhood and the would-be heroes of his life.
Overcoming mistakes and forgiveness are lessons learned along the way and the very straight-forward parallels drawn between our King and His Son and those of the book are very hard to miss.
I heartily recommend this book and will be reading the first four books as soonas possible.
And as soon as my children are old enough to read this level book, I am going to make sure they start this series.
I was provided this book by WaterbrookMultnomah free of charge, under no obligation than to provide a review of the book, either positve or negative.

UWF Argos National Champs

On Saturday, the men's baseball team from the University of West Florida won the NCAA Division II National Championship.
The Argos completed the tournament undefeated, beating Winona College 12-2 to bring the Argos season record to 52-9.

I remember the national championships that our softball team won and know that those guys and coaches are on top of the world.

Congrats to the players, coaches, and staff of the baseball team.

Books

Here's some of what I've read lately.
Starting off with the doomsday 4.


One Second After by William Forstchen - think "Alas Babylon" but about 1000 times more real. It makes you want to stock up and move to the hills.


The "Moon Crash" trilogy by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Life as We Knew It
The Dead and the Gone
This World We Live In
An asteroid hits the moon and changes the orbit closer to earth. Almost everyone dies... but not quite. No zombies or anything like that.


The Last Days of Krypton by Kevin J. Anderson - an exploration of Krypton's past, with Jor-El and General Zod. Culminates with the spaceship launch of Kal-El to Earth.

Hidden Empire: The Saga of Seven Suns by Kevin J. Anderson - This was book 1 of the series, I may not finish this one.

Bleak History by John Shirley - an odd book, but a fairly good read.

The next three are by John Scalzi
Old Man's War
The Ghost Brigades
The Last Colony

Old Man's War will remind you a lot of Heinlein's "Starship Troopers" and somewhat of "The Forever War" by Haldeman. All three are excellent reads.

The Accidental Hero by Matt Myklusch - previously published as Jack Blank and the Imagine Nation. An adequate read, not sure if I'll continue on.

Things I've Learned From Country Music

While taking Kayla to school we listen to country - she loves it, I'm glad for her.
I've learned a few things while listening to it however.

1. We all bleed red - a great statement of the obvious
2. Lover, you don't do me no good no more - to be a country writer you needn't have passed an english class
3. There's at least one guy out there that can't do much of anything, but he can drink beer
and lastly...
4. tequila makes some woman's clothes fall off

Book Review - The Ale Boy's Feast

Book 4 (the White Strand) of the Auralia Thread series is brilliantly written by Jeffrey Overstreet and a satisfying read.
The depth and breadth of the world that's been created approaches those created by more well known writers.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be reading the first three novels soon.

I received this book from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group in return for publishing a review (good or bad) on the book.

Barbie Fashionistas

I saw these advertised on Nicklodeon the other day.
It seems that instead of buying clothes for the Barbie, you buy a new noggin instead.
?!?
And this is supposed to help little girls figure out what?
If you don't like the way your head looks, cut it off?
I can see the defense down the road - "Your honor, my client is not guilty due to being mislead into thinking you can change a head out for a new one by her Barbie Fashionistas doll."

Books

Superman: Last Son - Geoff Johns, Richard Donner & Adam Kubert
Good story and great art from Kubert. Donner's involvement provides a look at "what-if" he had gotten to continue his vision of Superman

All Star Superman, Vol. 1 - Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely
Morrison is an excellent writer and I love Quitely's artwork. I'm a believer.

A Wizard Abroad
The Wizards Dilemma - Diane Duane
A Wizard Alone
Wizard's Holiday
These are books 4-7 of the Young Wizards series by Duane. I had gotten the first three way back when I was the member of a book club. They provide a different view of wizardry from the Harry Potter perspective, which is very enjoyable.

The Brave and the Bold (Star Trek) Book 1&2 - Keith R. A. DeCandido
Not exactly a bold new vision of the ST universe in my opinion. The characters were not as compelling as when used in other ST novels.

On Writing - Stephen King
For new and even older writers this is an excellent read, providing information, inspiration and an old kick in the seat of the pants. King is one of my favorite writers and this book doesn't disappoint. Non-writers will enjoy his insight into the process of writing.

The Grace of God - Andy Stanley
Stanley explores the concept and quality of grace from the Old Testament through the New Testament. Grace is a hard one to wrap my mind around recently, and so I'm sure I will be re-reading this one again.

The Lost Hero - Rick Riordan
Book One of The Heroes of Olympus series. We get introduced Jason, Piper and Leo, who are new members of Camp Half-blood. Old characters from Percy Jackson are there and we're off on a new adventure. Action intensive, just like the Percy Jackson books, giving a new look at old "gods" from both Greece and Rome. A good read.

Book(s)

Airborn, Skybreaker and Starclimber

by Kenneth Oppel

I picked up Airborn when I took the kids to the library for the first time. I wasn't quite sure what I had selected, but I figured it couldn't hurt to give it a go.
May pages and hours later, I was very glad that I had picked up this book. In fact, I mad a quick trip back to the library to pick up the sequels.
Oppel has crafted a trio of exquisitely written books. The characters come to life through the dialogue. 
Character dialogue is one of the things that makes or breaks a book for me and these three were most definitely "made."
You can find them in the Youth section, but they should be required reading for all ages.
I am looking forward to reading more from Mr. Oppel. 
Synopses of the books are below.
Enjoy them at your own risk... of having a good time and lost hours of sleep.

Airborn
Winner of the 2004 Governor General's Literary Award for Children's Literature!!
Spyglass to my eye, I slowly swept the heavens....
Matt Cruse is the 15-year-old cabin boy aboard the Aurora, the 900-foot luxury airship he has called home for the past two years. While crossing the Pacificus, Matt fearlessly rescues the unconscious pilot of a crippled hot air balloon. Before he dies, the balloonist tells him about the fantastic, impossible creatures he has seen flying through the clouds. Matt dismisses the story as the ravings of a dying man, but when Kate de Vries arrives on the Aurora a year later, determined to prove the story is true, Matt finds himself caught up in her quest. Then one night, over the middle of the ocean, deadly air pirates board the Aurora. Far from any hope of rescue, Kate and Matt are flung into adventures beyond all imagining. . .

• A 2005 Michael L Printz Honor Book (ALA)
• Winner of the 2005 Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award
• Winner of the 2004 Red Maple Award (OLA)

The Sequel to Airborn...
At 20,000 feet drifts a legendary ghostship...
The Control Car of the giant airship is almost entirely encased in ice, the ship’s name barely visible on her tattered skin: Hyperion. Matt Cruse can’t believe his eyes. Can this really be the legendary lost craft, now a frozen mausoleum to a ghostly crew and a vast treasure? At 20,000 feet, aboard a decrepit training ship, Matt is almost unconscious from the high altitude, but of all the oxygen-starved crew, he alone remembers the Hyperion’s coordinates.
Back in Paris, it suddenly seems that everyone is after those coordinates. Kate de Vries, Matt’s rich, young lady friend, has her reasons. But what about the handsome captain, who’s going to pilot them back to the Hyperion? Or the mysterious gypsy girl, whose past is inextricably linked to Matt’s?
In an adventure that will test his courage, his skill, and his heart, Matt is about to take off on the ride of his life.

The sequel to Airborn & Skybreaker...
At long last, Matt Cruse is at the helm.
Though it’s only a summer job piloting a humble aerocrane, he’s thrilled to be a small part of something big. With every load, he’s helping to build the Celestial Tower, Paris’s extraordinary gateway to outer space. But Matt’s idyllic summer is short-lived. He narrowly survives a deadly attack by the fanatical Babelites, who are opposed to humans reaching the heavens. Worse still, his nights spent stargazing with Kate de Vries must end when she’s summoned back to Lionsgate City by her parents. It’s time she began to think about getting married.
But then a chance of a lifetime boosts Matt’s hopes of being airborne once more. Canada wants to reach space first, and the Canadian Minister of Air has asked Kate to join the first expedition as an expert on aerial zoology. There’s a place for Matt, too—if he can pass the grueling tests to become one of the world’s first astralnauts on board the incredible ship Starclimber.
It’s a race to the very top, and Matt is determined to be a part of the adventure. But can he outlast his competition? And if he is chosen to join the crew, will they ever return to Earth?

Forgiveness & Regret

I am thankful that my God forgives all and forgets all when He is asked for forgiveness.
Over the past year I have done much that required me to ask for forgiveness from my God and savior.
I have been a poor follower of Christ as well as a poor husband and father.
In August, God finally put His foot down and made me face up to my sin.
It was hard, being made to face front and have to confess my sin to both God and my family.
Now it is a great comfort to know that He both forgave me and forgot the sin.
I have tried hard to earn the forgiveness of my wife and my family.
I hope that I have earned it.
God knows that I try every day to be a better husband and father than the day before. I don't always meet the mark, but I am trying.

Eventually, I have to be able to forgive myself and try to leave the regret behind.
That's not so easily done.
Forgiveness of myself aside, regret is a near constant companion. We are bitter soulmates and it stabs me deeply every time I see my son struggle with his problems, hear my daughters ask why they can't do this or get that, and especially when I see my beautiful wife attempt to deal with her medical issues while working so hard at the day-to-day family things.

Those are the tmes that regret is like being forced to your knees, a tire shoved over your shoulders, being doused with gasoline and set on fire.
You want to scream why and look at who is doing this to you, only to see yourself holding the gas can and the match.

God is great, and I am thankful.