Book Review 2

So, here I am in the McD's parking lot. It admittedly has been a few days, though in my defense there hasn't been much time that I've just been at home. Running out here is killer and waking up early is killer when you don't eat dinner and get home after 12. Second shift isn't very fun. However, in my undefense, 'Relm of the Mad God' has been sucking out my brain and leaving me with very little time. But I'm almost to my level 20 max with the wizard! Still it's a beast to try and kill any of the big bosses, sometimes the lag tosses you into a fray of like 50 kill-you-in-5-hit enemies all blasting away at you with a 5 pellet shotgun round. Fun game. Google Chrome Apps if you are interested.

So, on to the book review.

"The Hunger Games" This book was a supremely great book. I saw it on the couch on Sunday, read it all day and into Monday to finish it. I couldn't stop thinking about it. It was really really good. It is written in first person, about a post-apocalypse kind of world, where there are 12 cities ruled by the Capitol. In the 12 districts the people live in poverty and have very little, whereas in the capitol they have advanced technology and anything that they want. Each year they have the annual hunger games, where they take a boy and girl between 12 and 18 years old to participate in a battle to the death with the other districts. The book wraps you in with the first person view, you really easilly come to care for the characters and the emotional enviornment is set up very nicely. The about the author pointed out that the author wrote this book and others dealing with the impact of war, especially on children. I think I like the book because it seemed to do that with me. Rather than war seeming to be impersonal, as it usually is on TV or in games, this book brings the ideas to life and really sickens you by them. All the while the story wraps you in and does a great job of interesting you. 5 out of five for sure.

The last book is "Brave New World." This book is a type of intellectual fiction, where there is a story line but a psychologist philosopher wrote it. Along the same lines of 1984, this book has some interesting ideas and models for a horrible future that could come to pass, however, it seems also that there has to be a great fascination with sex, as though it is the answer to all problems. Which it is not. Kinda hard for me to believe that the system in the book could happen, and it didn't raise my opinion of Huxley much by reading it. There is a bit of redemption for him in 'Revisited,' which is not a story but simply an analization of the predictions in the book and the current time (It being 1931 for the first book, 1957 for the second.) 2 out of five.

Well, that's the basics of my book reading. I'm in the car waiting for the drive through line to die down so I can go and get a rolo shake. Then probably get some alcacelcer at the rite aid. We aren't in Utah any more! Or possibly get a job, that would be nice. I'm soaking wet with sweat now, which is lovely...

Trying to fill in some of the story for XCOM, but once I'm there I should be on to the battles in no time! Yay! Assuming Mad God doesn't ruin me.

Book Review

It's 1:13, almost time to head out. You never really know when you are going to leave I usually wait for Jordan to text us to head out. The X-COM team is currently hovering over a UFO in Russia, ready to disembark and embark some pain! It takes a while to write, because I can only write when I feel like it, otherwise it will be crap and I will erase it because it sucks. So yeah, you will have to wait. I didn't want to start the mission until I had caught the story up to that point. But we do have the first addition of Facebook friends joining the squad! What could be better news?

Things have been decent here, we are working in Jacksonville now. A good 45 minute drive away. And the grand ole gas prices have gone back up to $3.55 a gallon, $.20 more than they were just a couple weeks ago. What a pain.

Regardless, sitting in the car you have a good amount of time to read books, and thinking about those books I decided to write a few reviews of the books I've been able to read thus far. The non-churchy ones, well, ones you'd find at the bookstore at least.

First, we've got 'Angels and Deamons.' The precursor but unconnected to DaVinci Code. It was a good book, I pounded it one day waiting under a tree for a job for 7 hours. It has a good amount of action and suspense, mystery combined with history and random bits of trivia inter spaced throughout. I think my writing style in the blog mirrors that style of writing the most, with the third person type of view, and the flashbacks of the characters spaced throughout. The book takes you on a good adventure and does a good job of letting you see the conflict from each point, the good guys and the bad guys then throwing in a final twist at the end. Good style of writing, it pulls you in. Personally I give it 4 out of five points.

Second we have a great book, 'The Shack.' I really really liked this book. The basic premise is a man loses his daughter to a kidnapping murderer. Years later he receives a letter from God asking him to come back to the shack, the place where the murder took place. The book explores the great questions people ask about God, relating to firstly, how can God allow such horrible things to happen, also the questions of justice and mercy, how God feels towards us and things along those lines. I definitely recommend it. I couldn't stop reading it, and I was really touched by it several times. Even though the theology is different, the principles are the same. It certainly is a thought provoking book with some great insights. I give it 5 out of five.

And now it is time to go. I will have to finish it tomorrow...