Wendell Black, MD by Gerald Imber

Wendell Black, MD by Gerald Imber is about a police surgeon that unwittingly ends up in the middle of a big international drug smuggling ring, involving people he wouldn’t have normally suspected to be capable of such activities.

Book Description

“A New York City police surgeon finds himself in the middle of an international drug-smuggling ring—or is it an even more dangerous conspiracy?

After a heart-thumping drop in altitude on a flight from London to New York, NYPD police surgeon Wendell Black is called on to try to save a woman who has gone into cardiac arrest. He's just carrying out his duty, but his aid places him at the center of an international drug-smuggling investigation.

As Black, and his English girlfriend, Alice—a knockout beauty and a surgeon to boot—digs deeper into the activities of the drug ring, he begins to suspect that a number of British doctors are involved. And when one of Alice's colleagues is brutally murdered and Alice suddenly disappears, the NYPD starts looking to Black for answers. His search peels away rings of conspiracy that expose a shocking threat to the nation.” – Wendell Black, MD

My Thoughts

Wendell Black, MD is the author’s debut novel. It features Wendell Black, MD, a plastic surgeon that the NYPD uses. The author has a considerable amount of knowledge on the topic, because he is also a surgeon that the NYPD uses. I thought that this would make it a more interesting book, but it kind of… didn’t. It seemed more of a chance for the author to take his career and make a character based off of himself, and make it more thrilling.

I found this book to be good, but not exactly that captivating. It took me about two weeks to read it off and on. I usually read a book in less than a day that really interests me. The characters and plot are good, but it often went on for longer than it needed to in certain areas. I think if it was cut down a bit more, it would have been much more readable.

I can see how some people would definitely enjoy it, but for me it was just an average read. If the subject of the novel interests you, give it a try.

* Thank you to the publisher of Wendell Black, MD, Bourbon Street Books, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Taste of Apple Seeds by Katharina Hagena

Book Description

“When Iris unexpectedly inherits her grandmother's house in the country, she also inherits the painful memories that live there. Iris gives herself a one-week stay at the old house, after which she'll make a decision: keep it or sell it. The choice is not so simple, though, for her grandmother's cottage is an enchanting place, where currant jam tastes of tears, sparks fly from fingertips, love's embrace makes apple trees blossom, and the darkest family secrets never stay buried.” – The Taste of Apple Seeds

My Thoughts

The Taste of Apple Seeds is a wonderfully descriptive book about family, secrets, love, and the spirit which binds it all together. The author is excellent at setting the stage and describing the scenes, but that is really the best part of it all, at least for me.

I was excited to read this book because it seemed like it would be such a good story. However, after about halfway through, I was still mildly bored with what was going on. Nothing that happened was really a shocker, and the main character, Iris was uninteresting. I couldn’t get involved in the book or cheer on the characters.

* Thank you to the publisher of The Taste of Apple Seeds, William Morrow, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Target - Big G New Cereal Flavors

Cereal is one of my family’s favorite things to eat for breakfast. It is tasty, and fast and easy to make before running out the door to work or school. We also like it as a snack, so getting a variety is essential so we don’t get sick of any certain flavor too quickly.

When I found out that General Mills was going out with new types of some of our favorites, I was really excited. I knew my family would appreciate some more variety into their breakfast routine, and if your family also enjoys their cereal, I’m quite sure that you’ll also enjoy the added variety these new types bring to your table.

We tried out these 3 new Big G cereals:

*  Multigrain Cheerios Dark Chocolate Crunch

*  Fiber One Protein

*  Chocolate Toast Crunch

As someone who used to seriously enjoy Cinnamon Toast Crunch when I could eat it (I can’t have wheat anymore), I was truly bummed I couldn’t try this one for myself. However, my family all agreed how delicious it was and probably enjoyed taunting me on this. They also found the Cheerios Dark Chocolate Crunch to be equally as delicious. However, they preferred to eat these cereals at night in place of a dessert. The Fiber One Protein cereal was their overall favorite and is now the number one go-to cereal for breakfasts in my house.

If you want to try some (or all) of these new cereals, I definitely recommend for you to do so. Go to http://www.cheerios.com/ and get a Cheerios coupon for buy one and get one free that you can get and use until February 15^th.

“Disclosure: The information and prize pack have been provided by General Mills through Platefull Co-Op.”

Dark Chocolate Multigrain Cheerios

My family loves their Cheerios. They also love chocolate. When I got the chance to get them a box of the new Dark Chocolate Multigrain Cheerios, I was thrilled. This would be the best of both worlds for them, and something they could eat for breakfast that was almost like dessert.

Although I can’t eat it because it has wheat in it, my family really enjoyed this new cereal. They said that it is a perfect balance of multigrain and chocolate, but it needed a bit more of the “crunch” that was in it. Overall though, they really liked it and will definitely be buying it in the very near future for breakfast and late night snacks.

Try it for yourself. Go to http://www.cheerios.com/ and get a Cheerios coupon for buy one and get one free that you can get and use until February 15^th.

“Disclosure: The information and prize pack have been provided by General Mills through Platefull Co-Op.”

A Million Steps by Kurt Koontz

A Million Steps by Kurt Koontz is an inspiring book about how going on a walk in a different country can change your life. Koontz walked 490 miles in Spain. He was so inspired by his travels that he wrote this book, which if you are unable to make this walk for yourself, is definitely the next best thing!

Book Description

“Kurt Koontz thought he was well prepared for his 490-mile walking trip on the historic Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route in Spain. He was fit and strong. He had a good guidebook and all the right equipment. His pilgrim passport would grant him access to the shelter of hostels along the way. But all that, however helpful, did not begin to encompass the grandeur of his external or internal adventure. A Million Steps climbs over the high meadows of the Pyrenees, quests through the unceasing wind of the Meseta, and dances in the rains of Galicia. While following the yellow arrows that mark the route, Koontz also navigates through his personal history of addiction, recovery, and love. With outgoing humor and friendliness, he embraces the beauty of the countryside and joyful connections to other pilgrims from around the world. Part diary, part travelogue, A Million Steps is a journey within a journey all the way to the Cathedral de Santiago de Compostela and beyond.” – A Million Steps

My Thoughts

A Million Steps is part travelogue and part journal. It features the author’s story of his journey, connections he made along the way, and photos that show you how cool his trip really was. The pictures sadly are not in color, but is still one of my favorite parts of the book.

This journey of the historic Camino de Santiago pilgrimage in Spain is spiritual, and quite physical. I wouldn’t suggest trying to just get up and do it. You’d need to prepare and definitely have the right equipment and be in physical shape to do so. If you do plan on going on this journey, this is definitely a book you want to read before you go. You’ll get tips, and be inspired even more to go on this spiritual path.

* Thank you to the publisher of A Million Steps, Publisher, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Let Your Body Speak by Ewald Kliegel

Let Your Body Speak by Ewald Kliegel is a spiritual way to heal your body. This book features color illustrations and meditations to guide your body to heal your ailments on a spiritual and physical level.

Book Description

“Featuring stunning colour illustrations of the energy of human organs and other body parts, this book is perfect for anyone interested in learning about the self-healing properties of the body and the psychic, emotional, and physical elements central to existence. The book provides a deeper understanding of the wider psychological function of each organ, including eyes, hands, hips, knees, shoulders, spine, and teeth, and explains how they act in concert within the body. The illustrations further enhance how to receive the message of each organ on an intuitive level, and a chart of healing crystals corresponding with each organ brings further information on how to interact with the organs energetically.” – Let Your Body Speak

My Thoughts

Let Your Body Speak is an intuitive book to use that can help some of your aches and pains you may be experiencing. Each major organ has a colorful illustration, meditation, and corresponding mineral or crystal that may be used to help your body speak to you. I like the integrative approach and found this book to be small, but pack a big punch.

As someone who is in the medical field, I cannot say that this book should only be used if something is feeling off about your body. I do however think that medical treatments and spiritual treatments or meditations can work very well together, and books such as this is an excellent way to try it for yourself. I definitely recommend it.

* Thank you to the publisher of Let Your Body Speak, Findhorn Press, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Adam Quest by Tim Stafford

“The Adam Quest” by Tim Stafford is about scientists who also believe in the Bible and Christianity. These scientists may not have the same theories that you read in textbooks, but their views of human origins should also be considered, and Tim Stafford does an excellent job in giving them a place to put their beliefs forward in an easy to read book for people who may not understand that much about “science” but believe in the faith that brought them to where we are now as a species.

Book Description

"Science and faith should be allies, not opponents, in the search for truth.

But when it comes to understanding the very beginnings of life, it is no easy task to reconcile the history taught in the Bible with the discoveries of the scientific community.

Author Tim Stafford watched the tension between the beliefs of Darwin and the teaching of Genesis shake the faith of his family, ruin friendships, and leave Christians in the field of science feeling as though the doors of the church were closed to their profession.

He believes this civil war can stop. The scientific record and the truth of the Bible aren’t mutually exclusive. The Adam Quest offers a compelling new look at the beginnings of life as Stafford puts questions of dinosaurs, genealogy, and the age of the earth to eleven world-class scientists.

A sweeping book—touching everything from advances in genetics to a particle physicist striving to become Anglican priest—Stafford uses the stories and journeys of these remarkable men and women to provide a new diversity of answers. Scientific progress is carefully detailed, while the struggle toward truth and toward God is humanized.

A deeply informative look at Christians working in science, this book is for both believers and those who harbor doubts—an intersection of faith and science, and a safe place for questions. Whether you believe in a young earth, intelligent design, evolutionary creationism, or something else, The Adam Quest offers a chance to strengthen your faith, deepen your knowledge, and bring science back into the church." - “The Adam Quest” by Tim Stafford 

My Thoughts

Tim Stafford does an excellent job with showing how the struggle with faith and science makes people today unsure of what to believe. Being taught about evolution in science class Monday – Friday and then going to church on Sunday and being taught about God and creation is very conflicting. He doesn’t push any of the beliefs suggested in this book, which I appreciate. He does however present them in an understandable way as presented to him by the scientists he interviewed.

The different type of theories covered include: young earth creationists, intelligent design creationists, and evolutionary creationists. Each of these have strengths and weaknesses, but again, nothing is forced. It is more of a book about the scientist’s lives and how they were able to hold onto their relationship with believing in God while still being a scientist.

I enjoyed this book, but I wanted a little bit more from it. I found many of the stories interesting and inspiring, but it was still a bit dry and more of a common discussion on the topic than I had hoped for.

Thank you to the publisher of this book, Thomas Nelson for providing me a copy of this book for review through their Book Look Bloggers program.

Innocent Blood by James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell

Innocent Blood by James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell is the sequel to the “Blood Gospel.” The Order of the Sanguines series is about an immortal order that was founded on the blood of Christ.

Book Description

“In a masterwork of international adventure, supernatural mystery, and apocalyptic prophecy, New York Times bestselling authors James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell open the next chapter in a world of shadow and light, of salvation and damnation, where the fate of the heavens is locked within a child of . . . Innocent Blood

A vicious attack at a ranch in California thrusts archaeologist Erin Granger back into the fold of the Sanguines, an immortal order founded on the blood of Christ and tasked with protecting the world from the beasts haunting its shadows and waiting to break free into the sunlight. Following the prophetic words found in the Blood Gospel—a tome written by Christ and lost for centuries—Erin must again join forces with Army Sergeant Jordan Stone and the dark mystery that is Father Rhun Korza to discover and protect a boy believed to be an angel given flesh.

But an enigmatic enemy of immense power and terrifying ambition seeks the same child—not to save the world, but to hasten its destruction. For any chance of victory, Erin must discover the truth behind Christ's early years and understand His first true miracle, an event wrapped in sin and destruction, an act that yet remains unfulfilled and holds the only hope for the world.

The search for the truth will take Erin and the others across centuries and around the world, from the dusty plains of the Holy Land to the icy waters of the Arctic Ocean, from the catacombs of Rome to an iron fortress in the Mediterranean Sea, and at last to the very gates of Hell itself, where their destiny—and the fate of humankind—awaits.

With The Blood Gospel, the first novel in the Order of the Sanguines series, James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell breathtakingly combined science, myth, and religion and introduced a world where miracles hold new meaning and the fight for good over evil is far more complicated than we ever dreamed. In Innocent Blood they again take us to the edge of destruction . . . and into the deepest reaches of the imagination.” – Innocent Blood

My Thoughts

Innocent Blood is a fast paced, highly interesting and intriguing novel about vampires and the Christian religion. This is a dark and mysterious series that is not expected when it comes to the popular type of vampire novels available today, and I for one, quite like that.

The main character, Erin Granger is on the hunt with Army Sergeant Jordan Stone and Father Rhun Korza to find a boy that is believed to be an angel. They aren’t the only ones looking for him though, and if they can’t get to him to protect him first, he may be in some serious danger. What they learn about Christ’s early years and his first true miracle is not expected, and takes them to places where they never expected going to uncover the truth.

I am not giving spoilers or anything to ruin the book for anyone reading this, because it is too good to do that. I highly enjoyed it, and think that if you are a fan of supernatural books, prophecy adventures, or books that are written well, you will enjoy it, too.

* Thank you to the publisher of Innocent Blood, William Morrow, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Kill Order by Robin Burcell

The Kill Order by Robin Burcell is a book in the Sydney Fitzpatrick novel series that features the FBI agent. It is a novel packed full of action and international intrigue, and even if you haven’t read the other books, you can still enjoy this one. It may however leave you wanting to go back and read the other books in the series though.

Book Description

“What you don't know can kill you . . .

FBI Special Agent Sydney Fitzpatrick knows nothing about the Devil's Key, except that her father was involved in its theft twenty years ago and was murdered as a result. The Devil's Key, a list of seemingly random, supposedly indecipherable numbers, poses an immediate threat to national security—and anyone caught with this code in their possession is terminated with extreme prejudice. Sydney, unaware of the standing kill order, only just recovered the list and turned it over to her superiors—but not before making a copy.

What you do know can kill you . . .

Now the hard drive containing the list's data has been compromised and two civilians are dead. But Sydney's not the only one in danger. When a young woman with eidetic memory sees the numbers, Sydney and her partner, Zachary Griffin, must protect her—and what she knows—at all costs. For if the code falls into enemy hands, it could devastate the entire country's infrastructure—and even ignite a world war.” – The Kill Order

My Thoughts

The Kill Order is the type of novel that gets you involved in it right away. It doesn’t take many chapters or pages before the action is there and you find yourself reading much more than you thought you would have in one sitting. I love this because really good books (and authors) like these are sometimes quite hard to find.

The main character, Sydney Fitzpatrick is a special agent for the FBI, which aside from being really cool, also makes this series about her full of action. She is a forensic artist, which I wish would have been showcased more in the book, but maybe it will be in future ones. I also really liked the chemistry she had with other characters in the book, such as with Zach, who is also an agent – but one who is hiding a huge secret from her.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and hope to read more books by this author in the future. I definitely recommend it.

* Thank you to the publisher of The Kill Order, Harper Collins, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Weight Watchers Approved Products at Publix – On Sale!

If one of your goals this New Year is to lose weight or be healthier, you probably know about the Weight Watchers products and approved products that help you keep track of your points. Even if you aren’t following their diet plan, you know that they are generally going to be low in calorie and helpful to reach your goals, too.

“Diet” food is not cheap though. This week, Publix is having a sale from Jan 2 – 12 on some of the Weight Watcher approved foods you can enjoy on your road to health. Check out the following sale, and see what you can stock up on before time runs out!

·         Progresso Light Soups: BOGO

·         Green Giant Frozen: BOGO

·         Yoplait: 20 for $10

What I really like about these foods is that most of them, I can get gluten-free versions of. That makes me happy because as someone with Celiac disease, it isn't always easy to find those foods on sale. Just be sure to look for "Gluten Free" on the label or check out the product's ingredients.

For more information, check out Publix’s website.

“Disclosure: The information and prize pack have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.”