Warrior's Woman 
by Johanna Lindsey

My rating on a 100-point scale: 90 

My Review:
     This isn't the best romance I have ever read, but it is pretty decent, in my opinion.
     There is much to love about this book: the science fiction elements, the future mixing with the past, the political reasons driving the story, and the unique mixing of cultures and beliefs, among many other things. The sensual scenes are relatively satisfying to read, as well, though a little cliche at times.
     However, there are a few things that one could very well dislike. Such as: A strong modern heroine being conquered by an animalistic feudal leader, who just happens to be exactly what she needed. The over-bearing male dominance in this novel is nearly sickening, however well it plays into the romance side of things. I have to admit that I was a bit like, "Really, that far?" when the male main character was first introduced. I feel like a few elements were just a bit overdone, that's all.
     Overall, this book is a good read. I highly recommend if you're a romance genre fan who may like a little science-fiction, futuristic element.

I recommend to: 
Fans of the romance genre.
  
I would not recommend this novel for anyone under the age of 15 due to multiple scenes of a sexual nature.

One for Authors

Secrets of the Six-Figure Author: Mastering the Inner Game of Writing, Publishing and Marketing Books
by Tom Corson-Knowles

My rating on a 100-point scale: 99

My review:

   When I got emailed by the author with an opportunity to review this book, I initially thought I wouldn't like it and would end up reviewing another disappointing book. Boy, was I surprised when I read it!

Image from Amazon

   Secrets of the Six-Figure Author isn't one of those books that claims to do something, but actually doesn't, or does, but buries the keys to the real answers deep within. This book actually makes obvious what you need to do to become what you want. It's short and sweet and worth the time if you are looking to become a successful author. I highly recommend to any and all who are looking for the keys to success in mastering today's publishing playing field. You won't be disappointed - this is a brilliant, down-to-earth author sharing his secrets to success with you. I've read a lot concerning succeeding as an author, and here it all is with a few important links included. This book will change your life if you let it!

This nonfiction book has no restricting content.

One for Christians

Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God
by Francis Chan

My rating on a 100-point scale: 87

My short and sweet review:  

   This book is well-written and inspiring. Though at one point the author's crazy does show through a little, the ideologies are pretty clearly stated in the Bible, just pushed home a little harder here. I highly recommend to everyone who calls themselves Christian and anyone who aspires to be called a true follower of Christ. In my opinion, every Christian should read this book. 

How I came upon this book: 

   My husband had a copy on our bookshelf from a class in church he attended once. He mentioned selling it, but I asked to read it before he did so. 

A very short excerpt: 

   "I believe that much of the American church-going population, while not specifically swimming downstream, is slowly floating away from Christ. It isn't a conscious choice, but it is nonetheless happening because little in their lives propels them toward Christ." - from page 95.

 

Additional info and thoughts:

   This novel is meant to challenge Christians to give more of themselves to Christ. The author points out verses and legitimate reasons why followers of Christ should give all the glory to God, and I personally found it uplifting and inspiring, for the most part. 

   I especially liked the idea of the chapter devoted to those who've devoted their lives to living like Christ. 

   

This novel has no restricting content.

   

One for Brides

Chicken Soup for the Bride's Soul: Stories of Love, Laughter and Commitment to Last a Lifetime by Jack Canfield

My rating on a 100-point scale: 97

   If I would have quit reading this book because of my disappointment at the first section, I would have never realized that this is a great book. The further I read, the better the stories got. This book is not only for new brides, it's just as equally for brides who have been married for years.
   I bought my copy when I was planning my own wedding more than two years ago now, but didn't get around to reading it until recently. It was worth whatever I paid for it and it's staying on my bookshelf. I highly recommend this book to any who are getting married, any who are already married, and any who dream about having a marriage that literally lasts a lifetime.
   This is the best Chicken Soup book I have read to date.

This book has no restricting content.

A History of the World and Science

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

My rating on a 100-point scale: 92

     I read this book about a year and a half ago, I estimate. I took pages and pages of notes, since this is nonfiction and most of it was a grand learning opportunity. But looking back over those notes, I can't decipher what is actually from the book, and what came from my mind as I read it. I developed theories about the earth and human origins because of this book. I've been meaning to research them more to see if they hold up against what is already known that is not included in the book, but I haven't yet. 

Image borrowed from www.jyi.org.

     Personally, I usually prefer fiction to historical non-fiction works, and that may be why I wasn't too crazy about this book, but there were also some pet peeves in it that I must mention here. First, the author is very obviously an atheist; I don't have anything against atheists, but when it comes to scientific works, I don't care how you feel about God or what you do and don't believe - I just want to know what you know, not your personal choices. Second, this book does have profanity, specifically the sh-word, and though I don't usually care, it's worth mentioning I feel. Third, and I find this very often in written works so it's not that big of a deal I guess, the author uses now in his past tense writing, which I personally find annoying. Another common mistake that writers of all genres make and editors don't seem to bother to fix before publishing, is the use of till where until is meant - the first is what one does to the ground when wanting to start a garden, and the other 'til is a shortened form of until, which is not even in the same word category. Sorry, a little bit of a rant I know - I guess I'm just in a bad mood today or something. Another of my pet peeves that this book brings to mind is double words like "that that" and "had had" - if you have to do this, I think you need to expand some part of your writing, like your vocabulary or sentence structure, or something. Rearrange the sentence or something, just don't repeat a word like that. And oh, on the subject of using more words than necessary: "ten-thousand trillion" is a quadrillion and "one-hundred thousand million" is 100 billion - the latter is shorter and a whole lot easier to understand than Bryson's choices. I'm tempted to say the author did this to belittle his audience, but I hope not. I'm going to leave alone the round versus around right now, since I don't want to alienate my readers. -Thank you for reading, by the way!