Sofia's Rainbow

Set in Istanbul, Sofia's Rainbow by Lina Simoli is the story of six-year-old Sofia's quest to relieve her loneliness. Geared towards children 5 years and older, it attempts to teach a message of tolerance and acceptance.

Sofia considers a rainbow her only friend and spends hours on a terrace waiting for a rainbow to appear so she can climb it. One day she comes across a stray cat who's just had babies, and with her father's permission takes one home. As Sofia gets to know Incir (pronounced In-jir) she learns that he's not like most cats - he's afraid of heights and likes to eat figs. Sofia bullies and shuns him when he refuses to wait on the terrace with her for a rainbow to appear.

When a rainbow does appear, Sofia finds herself in unexpected danger. Incir conquers his fears to her rescue.

I read Sofia's Rainbow to my two daughters (ages 3 and 7 years old). The three-year-old didn't really get much of what was going on but she did enjoyed Laura's Furlan's illustrations. My seven-year-old got the plot but found it a bit too rambling. When asked if she'd recommend it to a friend she was very hesitant. For my part, I think Sofia's Rainbow has a lot to offer children. Because it's set in Istanbul, North American kids learn not only about tolerance and acceptance but they get a tiny snap shot of life in another country.

3/5

How to find this book:
Sofia's Rainbow by Lina Simoni , Illustrated by Laura Furlan
ISBN: 978-1-937700-00-3
Publisher: Moonleaf Publishing, LLC
Date of publication: December 5, 2011 (Paperback); February 20, 2012 (ebook)
Pages: 48
Paperback price: $14.99

Transgression

From the book cover:

In 1946, a little girl finds a severed finger in a Canadian field. It points to a grisly crime that occurred nearby. It also points to the past, to the harrowing events in the life of a young French woman, Adele Georges, in war-torn Rouen.

When Adele's beloved father is captured by the German forces, she makes inquiries at the local authorities. A German soldier, 19 years old and far from home, tries to help her navigate the bureaucracy. Love grows across enemy lines, with devastating consequences.

Adele, a seamstress in a factory, is exposed as a "horizontal collaborator" and tortured by other women in the town square. Her lover, Manfred, has been transferred and Adele, abandoned by her family, her head shaven, is alone.

Despairing that Manfred has been killed, Adele yields to the protective embrace of a Canadian soldier who marries her and brings her home as a war bride to his small town. He too is scarred by war and twisted by turmoil upon his return. Adele, stranded on foreign shores, harbouring her shameful secret of consorting with the enemy is terrified of being unmasked.

My Review:
James W. Nichol's Transgression is one of the best books I've read in a long time. It is going on my 5ers List and Mr. Nichol's first novel Midnight Cab is going on my list of books to read and review.

Here's why I love this book:

The writing is straightforward and compelling. From almost the first page, I was interested in Adele Georges. She the type of protagonist you can get behind - she's young, she's strong, she's resourceful and she's an optimist despite the dismal world around here.

The characters are real people. I just know people like them existed back than and still exist today. From Adele's weak and delusional mother and her self-righteous brother to war-harden Lucille and Johnny. I know Mr. Nichol has done a great job of building his characters because my opinions differ from the opinions provided through Adele's first-person narrative. She falls in love with Manfred and sees him as a good person - I couldn't stand him! I think she would have been better off without him. To me, he's a useless coward.

Mr. Nichol's does a great job of illustrating how war damages people and societies. Being labeled as a 'collaborator' or 'sympathizer' can be fatal, and with everyone in such a fervor there is very little threat of legal repercussions. Adele's brother murders her best friend's father who was thought to be cooperating with the Germans, and ends up being rewarded after the war with a plum job in government. Adele suffers scorn and physical abuse for her involvement with Manfred, and it's viewed by almost everyone as being what she deserves.

This story is told via  three first-person narrators, Adele Georges, Jenny Broome and Jack Cullen. I really like the way Mr. Nichol's chose to structure this story. It's starts in France in 1941 with Adele sharing her story. Then in the next chapter skips to Canada in 1946, where Jenny is discovering the finger in the field, and then finally Jenny is eliminated as a narrator and Adele and Jack continue until the end of the novel. Eventually, Adele and Jack end up in the same time and place.

Well, I hope I haven't spoil this novel for you. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend you give it a shot!

5/5

What Every Christian Really Should Know, But They Don't (Did U Know)

What Every Christian Show Know, But They Don't (Did U Know) was submitted for review by its author Dr. Yarbrough.

I received the content of Did U Know at the beginning of February. The goal of this book is to serve as an informational guide for every pastor, minister, church member and non-profit organization leader.

I really enjoyed the first four chapters : "What You Should Know About God", "What You Should Know About Salvation", "What You Should Know About The Church", and "The Church's Responsibility to God." They chapters did not provide me with any new information but they did serve as a great faith fresher.

Because of these four chapters, I am contemplating a new reading challenge: reading the King James version of the bible in a year. I couple years ago I read the New International Version of the bible, but after reading and not recognizing some of the passages cited in this book, I've decided it's time for me to read the good book cover to cover a second time.


The last three chapters of the book were very disappointing. There is far too much information about taxes and IRS policies. For this reason, I would not recommend this book to the average person. To get the most out of this book you have to be a Christian living in the United States.
This is a great handbook for anyone thinking about opening their own church (in the U.S.).

2/5

About the Author
Dr. Yarbrough is the C.E.O & Founder of the Bethel Community Outreach Ministries Inc. Bethel Community Outreach Ministries, Inc.'s ministry is not limited to any specific area; however, has operated in the greater Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, area for the past (10) ten years.

Dr. Yarbrough has also served various churches in the Pittsburgh and surrounding areas from 1989 to 2005. He currently volunteers at the Harmarville Rehabilitation Center of Pittsburgh where he holds Sunday morning worship services for its residents and staff on a weekly basis.

Dr. Yarbrough is a graduate of Westmoreland Community College, Geneva College, Point Park University, and The Graduate Theological Foundation. He believes this book was inspired by the Holy Spirit and directed by the Lord God Almighty.

Technicals:
What Every Christian Really Should Know, But They Don't by Gary P. Yarbrough
ISBN: 978-1619047211
Publisher: Xulon Press
Publication date: November 30, 2011
Pages: 62
S.R.P.: $10.99

The Memory Palace

Mira Bartok's The Memory Palace is a memoir about Mira's experience growing up with a schizophrenic mother, an absent alcoholic father, an abusive grandfather and a grandmother who is quietly depressed.

A memory palace is the house in our head with many rooms that compartmentalize our memories. Mira Birtok shares her story while furnishing her memory palace with the memories that have made her into the woman she is. The focus is on her relationship with her mom, but she does also touch on her failed relationships. One of the more interesting ones is an ex-husband, who although she doesn't say is schizophrenic, all of the signs are there.

Norma Herr had already a couple of nervous breakdowns when she married Paul Herr, a charming when sober much-older writer. When their second daughter, Mira is four years old, Paul abandons his family, forcing Norma to move to Cleveland to be close to her parents. From then on, Norma suffers schizophrenic episodes every three or four weeks. As her daughters grow older, the episodes become more intense and more frequent. The girls are forced to lock themselves in their room by barring the door with a dresser to guard against their mother's nightly interrogations. Finally, when the girls are grown up and living their own lives, Norma threatens Mira with a broken bottle during one of her schizophrenic episodes, thus forcing Mira and her sister, Natalia to change their names so that their mother won't find them.

Norma is homeless on and off for the next 17 years. Natalia cuts off all contact with her mother, while Mira continues to exchange letters and packages with her via a post office box.

About 12 years into her estrangement from her mother, Mira is in a car accident and suffers brain injury. Dealing with the many side effects, including an unreliable memory and sensitivity to light and sounds, gives Mira a glimpse of what it must be like for her mother, constantly trying to block out the unwanted noises.

I really enjoyed The Memory Place, although at times I found it kind of boring. Mostly when the author would describe her work and her fascination with nature. Although the novel is a memoir about Mira's experience, every time she took some time to delve in her life outside of her relationship with her mother, I found myself really bored and just biding my time until we'd return to her mother's story.

4/5

Gods and Fathers

From the book cover:

Matt DeMarco is an accomplished Manhattan attorney with more than his share of emotional baggage. His marriage ended disastrously, his ex-wife has pulled their son away from him, and her remarriage to a hugely successful Arab businessman has created complications for Matt on multiple levels. However, his life shifts from troubled to imperiled when two cops – men he's known for a long time – come into his home and arrest his son as the prime suspect in the murder of the boy's girlfriend.

Suddenly, the enmity between Matt and his only child is no longer relevant. Matt must do everything he can to clear his son, who he fully believes is innocent. Doing so will require him to quit his job and make enemies of former friends – and it will throw him up against forces he barely knew existed and can only begin to comprehend how to battle.
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In April 1993, Matt DeMarco wins his first murder case with the conviction of a young Muslim man for the honour killing of his sister. Outside of the courthouse, Matt notices a stocky man looking at him. Off to celebrate his victory, Matt doesn't give the stranger a second thought.

Flash forward 16 years to January 2009 and Matt's son is being framed for the murder of his girlfriend.

In this murder suspense thriller even the twists have twists. There's political intrigue, family drama and a good dose of law and order/ vigilante cowboy type action.

What I liked
Gods and Fathers is man-lit. It's a quick and easy read with lots of good and bad guys. At times I had a hard time keeping track of all of the characters so I'm really glad I opted from the hard copy.

What I didn't like
LePore relies on race too much to build his characters. Scarcely a chapter goes by without some reference to one of the character's race or ethnicity.

Gods and Fathers is a great choice to escape reality for a couple of hours. The chapters are nice and short so it's also a great choice for commuters.

I look forward to reading more of James LePore's work.

3/5

James LePore

About the author:
James LePore is an attorney who has practiced law for more than two decades, and an accomplished photographer. He is the author of three previous novels, A WORLD I NEVER MADE, BLOOD OF MY BROTHER, and SONS AND PRINCES, as well as the story collection, ANYONE CAN DIE. He lives in Westchester County, NY with his wife, artist Karen Chandler.

Technicals:

Gods and Fathers by James LePore

300 pages

Published by: The Story Plant

Publication date: February 7, 2012

ISBN:ISBN-10: 1611880297

ISBN-13: 978-1611880298

The Mystery of the Blue Train

From the book cover

Hercule Poirot is en route from Calais to Nice on the Blue Train when he finds himself at the center of a vexing crime. A young American woman, Ruth Van Aldin Kettering, is found brutally murdered on board the train. The killer is still at large, and it is up to Poirot to pick him or her out among a cast of suspicious characters. Among them are Ruth's husband, Derek Kettering, to whom she is unhappily married, and an exotic dancer with a taste for a man like Derek. As he pursues the killer, Poirot encounters several passengers with a keen interest in a large, legendary ruby that Ruth possessed, a gift from her wealthy father.

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To my great relief, The Murder on the Blue Train features a third-person omnipresent style. Captain Hastings is only mentioned in this novel once. Instead, Poirot has a part-time sidekick in the very practical Katherine Grey. The have such an easy relationship from the get-go that I was hoping she'd become Hercule Poirot's love interest, even though she is several years his junior. Am I the only one who'd like to see Poirot in a relationship?

One of the things I like about this novel is the romance aspect. Reading this novel, I can almost see Agatha Christie's interest in the romance genre blossoming. The romance centres around Katherine's two perspective beaus. Who will she choose, the charming but suspicious widow, Derek or the equally charming yet shy Knighton?

Another interesting thing about this novel is the hint of the supernatural. Katherine has the feeling that the dead woman's ghost is trying to speak to her and those feeling actually aid Poirot in solving the mystery.

I have a little theory that am I going to test with the next Hercule Poirot mystery I read, I'm going to bet on the most unlikely person (s). You know, that person you don't even realize is a suspect. That's all I'm going to say because I don't want to spoil the mystery for those who haven't read this charming novel.

4/5

The Big Four

From the book cover

Number One was a Chinaman - the greatest criminal brain of all time; Number Two was a multi-millionaire; Number Three was a beautiful Frenchwoman; and Number Four was "the destroyer," the ruthless murderer, with a genius for disguise, whose business it was to remove those who interfered with his masters' plans. These Four, working together, aimed at establishing a world dominion, and against them were ranged Hercule Poirot, the little Belgian detective with the egg-shaped head , the green eyes and "the little gray cells," and his friend, Hastings.
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The Big Four is probably the best Agatha Christie murder mystery I've read thus far. Captain Hasting is now married and living in South America with his wife, Cinderella. In England to take care of some business, he ends up joining Poirot for this investigation, thus providing the narrative.

The Big Four is six mini mysteries wrapped in one big mystery. Throughout the course of a year, Poirot investigates five murders and one kidnapping, each crime giving him a clue towards discovering the identity of the destroyer and thwarting The Big Four's plan for world domination.

There's so much action packed into the 281 pages of the book that I was able to read it in one day. This is one area where it differs from many of Poirot's other cases, which are usually solved through reasoning and the use of his "gray cells." In this story he solves his mysteries by travelling the globe in search of clues.

4/5