"Flabbergasted" - Ray Blackston

 

"Flabbergasted" - Ray Blackston

 

My current read is "Flabbergasted" by Ray Blackston. I read this book years ago, but I figured it'd be a good time to reread some of my old books for this blog. I picked up this book simply because of the title. Flabbergasted... wouldn't that just make you wonder what the heck it means?

 

This book is written as if you were reading a diary, in first person. The main character, Jarvis, has just relocated to South Carolina by his firm. His girlfriend dumped him over e-mail, and he bought a fixer-upper house. That's a lot of major life events thrown together, and could make a guy quite lonely. So, while signing the papers of his house, he asks the real estate agent where he could meet women. To his surprise, she said in the different churches. In her words, the Bible belt of the USA has more churches then bars, so that's were she meets most of her clients. Depending on what type of woman you want depends on if you go to a Pentecostal, Baptist, Catholic, etc. church. Jarvis, who hasn't been to a church in over five years, decided to take a stab at going to church, and even joins a singles class.

 

I love how this book is written because it hits close to home. I've moved across the country and had to find a new church, and essentially a new life. If you have ever had to experience multiple major life events at the same time, and enjoy some sarcastic humor, this is the book for you! 

"Forbidden" - Ted Dekker & Tosca Lee - Part 2

I finished reading "Forbidden" tonight and must say I was quiet surprised by the ending. (Rest assured, this blog will NOT give away endings.) Picking up where I left off on part 1 of this book, there are now a number of main characters to keep track of: Rom, Avra, Feyn, Johnathan, Saric, Triphon, and Neah. All of these main characters are "alive" with the forbidden blood running in them. This forbidden blood allows them to feel emotions like we know: love, joy, pain, sorrow, happiness. Everyone else in the world is considered "dead". They have no emotions other than fear, and operate out of what they are told instead of by human instincts.

In the second half of the book there are a good amount of running and chasing scenes. I found it very exciting to read, and was mesmerized on the author's descriptions of these chase scenes for three hours straight. In some parts of the books I was able to connect with the characters as they were experience these new emotion. I thought the authors did a marvelous job at describing the difference between the dead, emotionless characters and then their transformation into alive and feeling humans.

My overall opinion of this book is a 9 out of 10. There were a few slow spots and a few confusing spots that required me to reread over, but this in whole was a very good book. If you like adventure mixed in with a little life-threatening risks, then this is a good book for you. :)

"Wreck This Journal" - Keri Smith

"Wreck This Journal" - Keri Smith

 

This blog was ideally set up to give my review on books and open up a book discussion. This book, however, is actually an interactive journal. I thought that it should be noted on here because it is the most unique, awesome, and amusing journal I have ever seen.

 

I have spent most of my life journaling. This last year was hard, so my sister bought me this journal for Christmas to help get my creative juices flowing again. As I have read through it I have become completely obsessed with it. Instead of treating books with respect and care, as most of us are taught growing up, this book encourages you to destroy it. It is complete anarchy in the book world.

 

When I first started using this journal it started out simple. The first page tells you to write your name in different ways, such as: lightly, in white, big, and sloppy. This I could handle. It was like writing in the cover of the book saying it was yours. The next page is where I started to cringe. The second thing this book tells you to do is crack the spine. Destroying the spine on purpose seemed like I was throwing a glass vase against the wall. The unique torture continued the more I read.

 

One of the pages tells you to step on the book, jump on it, and wipe your dirty shoes on the page. I did this at work, but my shoes didn't leave a print. So, I had my office mate jump on the pages instead. It took some coaxing, but he eventually did jump on it. We laughed at it and kept saying that it seemed so wrong but so fun at the same time. It was an odd sense of torture to consciously destroy a book, but it also gave a strange sense of freedom.

 

As I work through this journal I find myself happy and relaxed. This book gives me permission to break the rules, and being a bit of a trouble maker is something most people enjoy. My ultimate conclusion about this book is... it is AWESOME! I cannot wait to continue to see what the journal tells me to do, and neither can my coworkers. It will be interesting to look back into this journal next year, when it is full, and see all the crazy things this journal and I experienced together.  



"Forbidden" - Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee



Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee, "Forbidden".

I am currently reading "Forbidden" by Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee. I am particularly fond of Ted Dekker and have really enjoyed his books in the past. I stumbled upon this book by accident in Fred Meyer one day. The cover interested me, so I figured I'd give it a shot.

I'm on chapter 12 out of 48 chapters, and so far it has managed to keep my attention. The world created in this book is set in a different type of government than we see today. The people are no longer able to experience the vast range of emotions like we do now. A serum was created that blocks all emotions except one, fear. There is no more love, passion, or sadness. Love is no longer a feeling, but a statement saying that I will stay by you because that is what I am supposed to do.

The main character, Rom, is quite the spirited man. The explanation of his father's death seemed peculiar to him, which resulted in a nagging feeling that there is more to living than the government says. After a destiny-driven encounter with an old man on the run sheds light on why his father died, Rom is sent on a journey that will change not only his life, but the life of his childhood friend, Avra, as well.

The style of writing in this book keeps you caught in attention. Some part of the book almost feel like you're running along with Rom and Avra, desperately trying to keep your life and your new found knowledge a secret.

I am exited to finish this book and let you know my overall opinion of it.

Welcome to Opinions of a Bookaholic

Welcome to Opinions of a Bookaholic!

This is a personal review of the books I am reading, and is not meant to offend anyone or to alter anyone else's point of view about a book, author, or idea. This is more of an online book meeting, a place to discuss books and enjoy each other's comments.

If you post a comment, please keep it polite, clean, and in good taste. I am interested in what other people think about the books on this blog.

Please enjoy!