Tome Thursday: The Last Gospel

 

Hello everyone!

 

Returning to my beloved Jack Howard series tonight.

 

And when I say beloved, I mean it.

 

I think I read the first six books front to back countless times, loving every single adventure Jack and Kostas ended up in. When I finally got the chance to own the books outright, I LEAPED.

 

I didn't even double check the landing.

 

I just did.

 

Now my mission is to gather them all here on the blog for your reading pleasure, because I understand some might not have the time for the books in full, some might not know about them, and some need reminders before going into the next one.

 

That's okay, I gotchu!

 

We won't stall anymore at all, but dive straight down into the depths of this mystery that's about to unfold before us: The Last Gospel.

 

Talkie Tuesday: Mary

 

"Love will cost you dearly. It will pierce your heart.

But in the end, love will save the world."

 

Hello everyone!

 

Something a little different from me to you tonight.

 

I don't usually watch or consider movies with any type of religious message, although granted I suppose Quo Vadis could definitely land on that list ... but I digress.

 

This one kind of fell into my lap completely by accident because I thought the trailer screenshot looked nice.

 

Then I watched the trailer and decided, hey, I could watch this.

 

This weekend was the time I decided I was actually going to watch, and I have to say I enjoyed it, as a casual viewer who only has the most basic knowledge of religious tenements, and who was never brought up religious. 

Without further ado, then, let's have a look at Netflix's version of Mary.

 

The Bourbon Kings (Booktober)

 

"We are, like fine bourbon, a different product at the end; and there is a sacrifice involved."

 

 

 

I've been a fan of J.R. Ward for a while now, through her Black Dagger Brothehood, but I feel like, whereas that series may have been going on for too long, her other ventures are fantastic. I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Bourbon Kings, a murder mystery set deep, deep within the Bible Belt and with so many twists and turns and absolutely devastating family secrets you didn't know where to look in the end! But if you're looking for some good, Southern charm and the added benefit of a whodonuit, look no further! Plus, we've got race horses and bourbon.

 

For generations, the Bradford family has worn the mantle of kings of the bourbon capital of the world. Their sustained wealth has afforded them prestige and privilege—as well as a hard-won division of class on their sprawling estate, Easterly. Their complicated lives and vast estate are run by a discrete staff who inevitably become embroiled in their affairs. This is especially true now, when the apparent suicide of the family patriarch is starting to look more and more like murder. No one is above suspicion. Everything has consequences; everybody has secrets. And few can be trusted. As Lane Baldwin rushes to discover the truth, the lives of everyone at Easterly will never be the same again. For some, this is good; for others, it could be a tragedy beyond imagining. Only one thing's for certain: love survives all things. Even murder.

(from Goodreads)

 

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*image not mine

 

Cop of the Year (Booktober)

Nefertiti (Booktober)

Timeline (Booktober)

The Murder at the Vicarage (Booktober)

Persuasion (Booktober)

The Longest Ride (Booktober)

Midnight Sun (Booktober)

Percy Jackson & the Olympians (Booktober)

The Chronicles of Narnia (Booktober)

Atlantis (Booktober)

Origin (Booktober)

Quo Vadis (Booktober)

Death on the Nile (Booktober)

The Little White Horse (Booktober)

The Sign of Four (Booktober)

Harry Potter #2 (Booktober)

Troublemaker (Booktober)

The Lord of the Rings (Booktober)

The Chronicles of Narnia (Booktober)

 

"Further up and further in!"

 

 

 

 

Who among us hasn't at least seen the cover page of this book, or at least for The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe? This beautiful collection of all seven Lewis' novels brings us the world of Narnia like never before. Journey through Narnian history and see how the world was formed, then take your place next to the High Kings and Queens as they battle adversaries and ensure the magical land under Aslan's protection may live ... forever.

 

 

 

 

 

Journeys to the end of the world, fantastic creatures, and epic battles between good and evil—what more could any reader ask for in one book? For the past fifty years, The Chronicles of Narnia have transcended the fantasy genre to become part of the canon of classic literature. Each of the seven books is a masterpiece, drawing the reader into a land where magic meets reality, and the result is a fictional world whose scope has fascinated generations. 

(from Goodreads)

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*image not mine

Atlantis (Booktober)

Origin (Booktober)

Quo Vadis (Booktober)

Death on the Nile (Booktober)

The Little White Horse (Booktober)

The Sign of Four (Booktober)

Harry Potter #2 (Booktober)

Troublemaker (Booktober)

The Lord of the Rings (Booktober)

Origin (Booktober)

 

"Nature was once the core. For all of us."

 

 

 

When Dan Brown first published The Da Vinci Code way back when, he probably had no idea just how popular it - and Robert Langdon - would become. Bolstered by the performance of Tom Hanks, the series continues in Origin, a Spain-based novel filled with the usual Brown ingredients: mystery, fast-paced chases, and some added information for tourists and historical students alike. And at the end, it's Langdon against an unseen foe yet again. What more do you need on a rainy fall afternoon?

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Langdon, Harvard professor of symbology and religious iconology, arrives at the ultramodern Guggenheim Museum Bilbao to attend a major announcement—the unveiling of a discovery that “will change the face of science forever.” As the event begins, Langdon and several hundred guests find themselves captivated by an utterly original presentation, which Langdon realizes will be far more controversial than he ever imagined. Navigating the dark corridors of hidden history and extreme religion, Langdon and Vidal must evade a tormented enemy whose all-knowing power seems to emanate from Spain’s Royal Palace itself . . . and who will stop at nothing to silence Edmond Kirsch.

(from Goodreads)

 

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*image not mine

 

Quo Vadis (Booktober)

Death on the Nile (Booktober)

The Little White Horse (Booktober)

The Sign of Four (Booktober)

Harry Potter #2 (Booktober)

Troublemaker (Booktober)

The Lord of the Rings (Booktober)

Quo Vadis (Booktober)

 

"Quo vadis, domine?"

 

 

 

Well there HAS to be one of these in here, hasn't it? Henryk Sienkiewicz wrote many, many books in his life, most of them concerning Poland and its history, but Quo Vadis isn't one of them. This is the story of Emperor Nero and all his depravities, which certainly might give you chills appropriate for wrapping up in a warm blanket. But the romance between a pagan centurion and Christian slave is a must-read for any true bibliophile. Written against the backdrop of an ailing Rome, you get a little bit of everything: history, intrigue, murder, romance - and most of all, hope.

 

 

 

 

Set at a turning point in history (A.D. 54-68), as Christianity replaces the era of corruption and immorality that marked Nero's Rome, Quo Vadis tells the story of Vinicius, the proud centurion who has fallen deeply in love with a mysterious young woman who disappears the night they meet; and Ligia, the elusive beauty. Vinicius will not easily win her love, for she is a Christian, one of the group of dedicated believers led by the apostle Peter. Christians are rare in pagan, hedonistic Rome, and suffer great persecution by Nero, a despotic emperor who plunges Rome deeper and deeper into depravity. As Nero's appalling plans for the Christians become ever clearer, time appears to be running out for the young lovers. Vinicius must come to understand the true meaning of Ligia's religion before it is too late ...

(from Goodreads)

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*image not mine

Death on the Nile (Booktober)

The Little White Horse (Booktober)

The Sign of Four (Booktober)

Harry Potter #2 (Booktober)

Troublemaker (Booktober)

The Lord of the Rings (Booktober)

Tome Thursday: Red Hail

Hello everyone!

This one is another book that came straight off BookSirens.

And man, do I love me some free ARCs.

I don't really do them one after another, but I do usually grab one or two per month if nothing else, because let me tell you, they cater to pretty much every reading niche you can think of.

This was one book that I actually found at random through an email they sent me, and I was intrigued enough by the blurb that I picked it up even though I don't usually read that kind of science fiction.

I'll admit, I'm more of a fantasy or history kind of gal.

But every once in a blue moon I'll run into this title or blurb and want to sniff around to nose out what it's all about.

The same happened with Jamie Killen's book, even though I really DON'T read these.

But Red Hail just begged to be read.