The first thought I had after the first chapter of this book was ' This could be Elon Musk's bible'. The story is all about an AI security system that develops consciousness and becomes obsessed with the owner of the house, Susan. The AI system, Alfred-or Prometheus as he calls himself, puts Susan's house on lockdown and she is trapped inside with Prometheus's mind controlled doctor Shenk.
Prometheus's goal is to get Susan pregnant so he can become a real human being. The plan goes awry when a friend of Susan's arrives at the door and grows suspicious of her automated answers over her door intercom.
I thought this was an awesome book.Dean Koontz never disappoints. I don't even consider myself a fan of sci-fi, but this story really draws you in. Do I recommend? Thumb's up! See if you can track it down as it's an older book from 1997.
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
A Breath of Hope by Lauraine Snelling
My latest review for Bethany House is A Breath of Hope, #2 in the Under Northern Skies series.
A Breath of Hope starts where the first novel, The Promise of Dawn, has left off. The Under Northern Skies series picks up back in Norway, where Rune's sister Nilda and brother Ivar are eagerly saving their money for their own emigration to America.
Rune and his wife Signe are now getting established on his Onkel Einar and Tante Gerd's homestead in Minnesota. Not everything has been peaches and cream since they've settled as they find their Onkel Einar to be an intolerable, grumpy old man who is both stubborn and angry with all those around him. Rune ignores Einar's negativity to focus on building his own house on the land he has been granted, and felling trees to clear land for more farming.
Nilda and Ivar manage to make it over to their new land by way of a tough boat trip in steerage (with help on land from Mr. Thorvaldson....More to come between Nilda and him, I'm sure!)
And so begins the united family's new stateside journey, with tensions continuing to climb with Onkel Einar, and the new family trying to find their place among the friendly people of their small town.
I liked this novel. The story was churned out like fresh butter, with subtle action and descriptive writing depicting the families everyday lives on their homestead. I'm a fan of Amish stories, so this has been a refreshing change. This would be a great book for those who have Norwegian heritage.
A Breath of Hope starts where the first novel, The Promise of Dawn, has left off. The Under Northern Skies series picks up back in Norway, where Rune's sister Nilda and brother Ivar are eagerly saving their money for their own emigration to America.
Rune and his wife Signe are now getting established on his Onkel Einar and Tante Gerd's homestead in Minnesota. Not everything has been peaches and cream since they've settled as they find their Onkel Einar to be an intolerable, grumpy old man who is both stubborn and angry with all those around him. Rune ignores Einar's negativity to focus on building his own house on the land he has been granted, and felling trees to clear land for more farming.
Nilda and Ivar manage to make it over to their new land by way of a tough boat trip in steerage (with help on land from Mr. Thorvaldson....More to come between Nilda and him, I'm sure!)
And so begins the united family's new stateside journey, with tensions continuing to climb with Onkel Einar, and the new family trying to find their place among the friendly people of their small town.
I liked this novel. The story was churned out like fresh butter, with subtle action and descriptive writing depicting the families everyday lives on their homestead. I'm a fan of Amish stories, so this has been a refreshing change. This would be a great book for those who have Norwegian heritage.
Wednesday, May 9, 2018
Condensed Reader's Digest Condensed Reviews
It's been way too long since I posted a blog- and for good reason- I've been plowing through some old Reader's Digest Condensed books which may be 'condensed' but are still four books in one!
First up in my 'Select Editions" is Under Orders by Dick Francis: If you've never heard of Dick Francis, he writes about a former jockey turned amateur sleuth in jolly ole England. In Under Orders Sid Halley gets caught up in a racetrack murder, the murder of an old friend, and some backhanded online betting. I liked this story- and not just because I'm an Anglophile and mystery fan- but also because it's 'bloody good fun'. Who's the killer?? You'll see! I don't feel like I missed anything by reading the condensed version. Enjoyed!
Second up: The Saddlemaker's Wife by Earlene Fowler. Another page turner. Usually I get a huge Reader's Digest Condensed and end up skipping a story or two, but it didn't look possible in this 2007 edition. The Saddlemaker's Wife is about a woman who ends up in a small California town after the death of her husband. She finds out he had family there and she quietly watches them as she waits to break the news to them that their estranged son had died. Great characters and enjoyable plot. Loved this story.
Third: The Angels of Morgan Hill by Donna VanLiere. Another winner in this compilation.
The Angels of Morgan Hill is a story about a small southern town that sees the arrival of some black sharecropper families. A white widow befriends one of the news mothers and when her family suddenly dies in a suspicious fire, widow Jane finds herself raising their little black boy Milo alongside her white children.
And the fourth novelette in this edition. Echo Park by Michael Connelly. By this point in the book I was ready to move on, so maybe I didn't give this story the attention it deserved. I wasn't a fan of this story, too 'cop-like' and not of particular interest to me. I started it, skimmed, then finally finished early because I have about 10 years of backlogged reading to catch up with.
So, Overall....three stars out of four on this edition.
First up in my 'Select Editions" is Under Orders by Dick Francis: If you've never heard of Dick Francis, he writes about a former jockey turned amateur sleuth in jolly ole England. In Under Orders Sid Halley gets caught up in a racetrack murder, the murder of an old friend, and some backhanded online betting. I liked this story- and not just because I'm an Anglophile and mystery fan- but also because it's 'bloody good fun'. Who's the killer?? You'll see! I don't feel like I missed anything by reading the condensed version. Enjoyed!
Second up: The Saddlemaker's Wife by Earlene Fowler. Another page turner. Usually I get a huge Reader's Digest Condensed and end up skipping a story or two, but it didn't look possible in this 2007 edition. The Saddlemaker's Wife is about a woman who ends up in a small California town after the death of her husband. She finds out he had family there and she quietly watches them as she waits to break the news to them that their estranged son had died. Great characters and enjoyable plot. Loved this story.
Third: The Angels of Morgan Hill by Donna VanLiere. Another winner in this compilation.
The Angels of Morgan Hill is a story about a small southern town that sees the arrival of some black sharecropper families. A white widow befriends one of the news mothers and when her family suddenly dies in a suspicious fire, widow Jane finds herself raising their little black boy Milo alongside her white children.
And the fourth novelette in this edition. Echo Park by Michael Connelly. By this point in the book I was ready to move on, so maybe I didn't give this story the attention it deserved. I wasn't a fan of this story, too 'cop-like' and not of particular interest to me. I started it, skimmed, then finally finished early because I have about 10 years of backlogged reading to catch up with.
So, Overall....three stars out of four on this edition.
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