Review: The Gnostic Mystery Randy Davila

PRODUCT DISCRIPTION FROM AMAZON:

An ancient mystery in todays Middle East . . . Jack Staunton, an American businessman, makes a pilgrimage to war-torn Israel in hopes of rekindling his Christian faith. While traveling with his friend Punjeeh, an ER doctor from Jerusalem, Jack acquires an ancient scroll written by the Gnostics, a mystical group of early Christians, and his spiritual quest takes an unexpected turn. The scroll makes the startling claims that the Gnostics were the original followers of Jesus, and that they retained secret knowledge of Jesus that was not included in the Bible. With the help of the ingenious Chloe Eisenberg, a professor of Philosophy and Religion, Jack and Punjeeh navigate the dangerous terrain of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in an attempt to decipher the puzzle of the scroll and bring the Gnostics revelations about Jesus to light. Threaded with the searing realities of today's Middle East, The Gnostic Mystery is packed with historical facts about the Christian religion. The thrilling mystery makes a compelling case that the origins of Christianity are far different than we believed . . . until now. 

MY REVIEW:  

Jack decides to take a vacation from his stressful life in Virginia to see his old college roommate, Punjeeh, who lives in Jerusalem. Punjeeh has been a devout Catholic since Jack met him. Lately though, Punjeeh seems to have changed, while Jack is now interested in learning more about his faith.  

Jack meets Chloe, a religion professor who's view on Christianity differs from anything he's ever heard before. She has a great deal of knowledge on the "Gnostic" Christians and while he is intrigued, he remains skeptical. That is, until a twist of fate puts a young man named Tariq in Jack's path. Tariq has stolen two scrolls and has decided to sell them to an American. When asked to purchase the scrolls, Jack, being a sucker for a salesman, decides to buy one. Once he finds out what it is he has received, he and his friends go on a wild goose chase to find the other scroll. These scrolls may have the answers Jack has been searching for.  

MY THOUGHTS: 

I've always been fascinated with religion. Randy is able to teach while keeping the storyline interesting. It didn't seem like I was reading a textbook, yet I learn so much from this book. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who would like to learn more about the Gnostics.

I just won an award!!!!

First and foremost I would like to thank the academy for.  Oh wait.  What's that?  Oh I won a blogging award.  Oh well that makes more sense.  

Bingo over at Bookin With Bingo has given me this wonderful award:

Thank you so much Bingo!  This means so much to me.  I've met a lot of great people on here and I'd like to thank everyone for having their own blog and for reading mine!  So thanks everyone!

Here are the rules to keep the award moving:

1) Add the logo of the award to your blog
2) Add a link to the person who awarded it to you
3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs
4) Add links to those blogs on your blog
5) Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs!

The 7 people that I am passing this award onto are:

1) Darque Reviews

2) Cupcake Witch

3) Diary of an Eccentric

4) In Bed With Books

5) Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf

6) Marta's Meandering

7) Patricia's Vampire Notes

Review: Blue Diablo by Ann Aguire

Corine Solomon's peaceful life in Mexico changed in the blink of an eye. One minute she's happily running her shop and the next, Chance strolls in and her life becomes chaotic once again. His mother has disappeared and he needs her help. You see, Corine isn't just your everyday, average person. She's "gifted". She can touch an object and it will show her parts of the past, but this talent comes at a price.

When Corine meets Officer Saldana, an empath, sparks fly. Figuratively and literally. She finds out that she is not alone in the "gifted" world. Saldana takes her under his wing but she soon begins to wonder if that's a good place for her.

Corine begins to see that this will not be an easy task. They'll have to battle warlocks, zombies, and maybe even each other. With the help of some friends, an enemy and Butch, a chihuahua Corine hopes to unravel the truth about Chance's mom.

I loved this book! It had a wonderful plot, the characters were likeable, the writing was fabulous. A great read all the way around!

This book goes on sale April 7th. Make sure to reserve your copy because this is a book you don't want to miss!

GIVEAWAY: Girls In Trucks

Valerie at Hachette is allowing me to give away 5 copies of "Girls In Trucks" by Sarah Walters. The giveaway will run from now until April 7th. I will use randomizer to choose the winners and notify them via email. Winners will have 48 hours to email me their mailing address or another winner will be chosen. Good luck everyone!

YOU MUST LEAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS OR YOU WILL NOT BE ENTERED. Here are the ways to enter & you will receive entries for each of the following:

*Leave me a comment telling me you'd like to enter. 1 entry

*Post this contest on your blog and leave me a comment including the link. 2 entries

*Follow my blog (current followers welcome too) leave a comment stating that. 1 entries

*Tweet this contest on Twitter and leave me a comment including the link. 2 entries

*Follow me on Twitter (current followers welcome too) and leave a comment stating that. 1 entries

Make sure you leave a separate comment for each entry. Please leave a way for me to contact you in your comment.

Rules: Winners must be residents of the US and Canada and we cannot mail to PO Boxes.

GIVEAWAY: The Turnaround

Valerie at Hachette is allowing me to give away 5 copies of "The Turnaround" by George Pelecanos. The giveaway will run from now until April 7th. I will use randomizer to choose the winners and notify them via email. Winners will have 48 hours to email me their mailing address or another winner will be chosen. Good luck everyone!

YOU MUST LEAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS OR YOU WILL NOT BE ENTERED. Here are the ways to enter & you will receive one entry for each of the following:

*Leave me a comment telling me you'd like to enter. 1 entry

*Post this contest on your blog and leave me a comment including the link. 2 entries

*Follow my blog (current followers welcome too) leave a comment stating that. 1 entries

*Tweet this contest on Twitter and leave me a comment including the link. 2 entries

*Follow me on Twitter (current followers welcome too) and leave a comment stating that. 1 entries

Make sure you leave a separate comment for each entry. Please leave a way for me to contact you in your comment.

Rules: Winners must be residents of the US and Canada and we cannot mail to PO Boxes.

Interview and Contest with M. R. Sellars

Interview and Contest with M. R. Sellars

Posted using ShareThis

GIVEAWAY: I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti

Anna at Hachette is allowing me to give away 5 copies of "I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti" by Giullia Melucci. The giveaway will run from now until April 5th. I will put names in a hat because there are ways to earn extra entries. Winners will have 48 hours to email me their mailing address or another winner will be chosen. Good luck everyone!

Here are the ways to enter & you will receive one entry for each of the following:

*Leave me a comment telling me you'd like to enter. 1 entry

*Post this contest on your blog and leave me a comment including the link. 10 entries

*Follow my blog (current followers welcome too) leave a comment stating that. 5 entries

*Tweet this contest on Twitter and leave me a comment including the link. 5 entries

*Follow me on Twitter (current followers welcome too) and leave a comment stating that. 2 entries

Make sure you leave a separate comment for each entry. Please leave a way for me to contact you in your comment.

Rules: Winners must be residents of the US and Canada and we cannot mail to PO Boxes.

Lisa Kleypas Smooth Talking Stranger

Lisa Kleypas Smooth Talking Stranger

Posted using ShareThis

Like Zombies?

S.G. Browne wrote Breathers: A Zombie's Lament and all you have to do to be entered to win a copy is spread the word and then comment on this post:

http://reluctantadults.blogspot.com/2009/03/guest-ghoul-sg-browne-author-of.html

Interview and Contest with Amber Benson

Interview and Contest with Amber Benson

Posted using ShareThis

GIVEAWAY: IS IT JUST ME OR IS EVERYTHING SHIT

Anna over at Hachette has given me permission to host a giveaway for "Is It Just Me Or Is Everything Shit" by Steve Lowe and Alan McArthur with Brendan Hay.  Warning:  If you are easily offended, please do not enter.  The giveaway will run from now until April 5th and there will be five winners.  I will put names in a hat because there are ways to earn extra entries.  Winners will have 48 hours to email me their mailing address or another winner will be chosen.  Good luck everyone!

Here are the ways to enter & you will receive one entry for each of the following (can only be done once):

*Leave me a comment telling me you'd like to enter. 1 entry

*Post this contest on your blog and leave me a comment including the link. 10 entries

*Follow my blog (current followers welcome too) leave a comment stating that. 5 entries  

*Tweet this contest on Twitter and leave me a comment including the link. 5 entries

*Follow me on Twitter (current followers welcome too) and leave a comment stating that. 2 entries

Make sure you leave a separate comment for each entry.  Please leave a way for me to contact you in your comment.

Rules: Winners must be residents of the US and Canada and we cannot mail to PO Boxes.

Fairy Lust

If you're interested in this book, follow the link and enter the contest:

http://cyn2write.livejournal.com/132554.html

Sway by Zachary Lazar

I just finished reading Sway by Zachary Lazar, a book about sex, drugs, violence and rock and roll.  The lives of several young men are weaved together in this unstoppable novel.  The Rolling Stones, Charles Manson, a wanderer named Bobby and an obsessed filmer Kenneth.  They are all trying to find themselves and in the process end up finding each other.  This novel gives the average, everyday person a glimpse of fame and all the horrors that go along with it.Zachary Sway is able to capture an audience and keep them interested.  

Win 5 books!!

Addicted to books 1993 is giving away five books!  To enter, visit her website here: 

http://addictedtobooks1993.blogspot.com/2009_02_01_archive.html

Blog Candy

Sassy Designs by Susie is giving all of this stuff away!!  Visit her site at:http://sassydesignsbysusie.blogspot.com/

Five weeks of contests!

Riding On Instinct Contest

Sykin is having a Twilight contest

If you're interested go here:

http://sykin-at-etsy.blogspot.com/2009/03/contest.html?showComment=1236916140000#c3025033059530515407

**Tell her Bridget sent you:)

Hey World!!

Drey is giving away one copy of Kitty Takes a Holiday!!

http://dreyslibrary.blogspot.com/2009/03/48-kitty-takes-holiday-by-carrie-vaughn.html?showComment=1236830460000#c4036453065711357235

Another Twilight Giveaway

You can check it out here:


http://frugalupstate.blogspot.com/2009/03/twilight-giveaway.html

Calling all Twilight fans

Great Twilight giveaway here:

http://twilightnewmoon.blogspot.com/

Sway Giveaway Winners

Randomizer chose

MJ
Lady Roxi
darbyscloset
sdaniel86
Cheryl F

They each have won a copy of Sway by Zachary Lazar. I have emailed the winners and if they do not email me their mailing addresses by 4:30 on Thursday I will pick a new winner.

Dreys contest

Drey is giving away a boatload of books over at her blog. Stop by and check it out

http://dreyslibrary.blogspot.com/2009/03/shout-out-for-gals-womens-history-month.html?showComment=1236699420000#c5870407821825081725

Review - Dirty Little Angels by Chris Tusa

Dirty Little Angels by Chris Tusa is about a troubled teenage girl named Hailey who is trying to find herself in the slums of Louisiana. Her brother, Cyrus, is constantly getting into trouble. Her mom had a miscarriage that sent her spiraling down with depression. Hailey’s parents hardly speak, let alone look at one another. She cries out for help but her cries go unanswered.

When she finds out that her dad is cheating on her mom with a trashy waitress, she becomes angry and blames him for all the problems her family has. That is, until she finds out about her mother’s past.

She finds it hard to cope with the cards life has dealt her and ends up in Charity, a psych ward, after taking too many pills. Her parents are worried about how they are going to pay for her to get ongoing treatment because her father doesn’t have a job and her mother stays in bed all day. But when Verma, a friend of the family finds out, she pays for treatment.

Cyrus finds himself in over his head until Hailey takes matters into her own hands. It makes you wonder, how far would I go to save my family?

I really enjoyed reading this book and think you should check it out!

Amberkatze's giving away a copy of Red-Headed Stepchild on her blog

Enter by copying and pasting this:

http://amberkatze-amberkatze.blogspot.com/2009/03/author-interview-contest-with-jaye.html

Awesome Twilight Contest

To enter go here:

http://cowgirlcritiques.com/giveaways/great-giveaway-for-twilight-fans/comment-page-1#comment-3510

Win an iPod Touch

enter contest by copying and pasting this link:

http://www.jeremiahcooper.com/the-blogs-first-giveaway/comment-page-2/#comment-236

Awesome contest

check it out here:

http://bloggertricks.com/

Contest hosted by epicrat

Check out this contest:

http://epicrat.blogspot.com/2009/03/who-said-ever-after-will-always-end.html

Blue Diablo

Review: The Saga of Beowulf

I just finished “The Saga of Beowulf” by R. Scot Johns last night and wow!!   I don’t really know where to begin because there is so much going on in this book!  It’s nonstop action and adventure.  The synopsis on the back says it’s “relentless in pace” and that is so true!  Beowulf battles a ogres, armies and himself.  And the love between Beowulf and Haereth is something most people dream about.  

Instead of giving away parts of the book, I’d like to share a couple of quotes with you that I found touching.  Beowulf said to his clan after returning from war, “ So much blood.  So many dead.  And all for what?  Homes ransacked, villages destroyed, men and women slain for half a sack of grain.  We became no better than the Swedes.  Wolves that feed on sheep when they’re not even hungry.”  Another quote that I enjoyed is when Haereth tells Beowulf “There are ways of being together even when all the world divides you.  Just as there are ways of being far apart, although we stand this close.”

I would highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone.  And if you’re worried that you won’t be able to keep up, don’t be.  The author included a map and glossary’s of people and places, which I found really helpful.  

Win An 8GB iPod Touch Here!

Win An 8GB iPod Touch Here!

Posted using ShareThis

Work from Home

My sister recently found out about a great work from home opportunity.  If you're interested in more information, you can visit here site:

http://www.themomteam.com/mommysrus