"Dreamhouse Kings Book 6: Frenzy" by Robert Liparulo

The last book in the series always brings a little bit of apprehension... Will things work out like I am hoping they will? Will I get to the final book only to think the ending is disappointing? How can the author possibly resolve all of the questions?
Let me get right to the meat of this review: this was not the dramatic conclusion I was hoping for. It ended a little anticlimactically, in my opinion. The author admits that he hopes to use the King family in future books, so I can't blame him for not acting like we'll never hear from them again. But still! The ending was just kind of...abrupt.
The good news is (as you can tell by the front cover image) they find Mom! (Which has been the mission of the King family since book 1). There is a really awesome scene where the King family is at the time of the crucifixion of Jesus. But even then, it's sad that they don't realize at first Who it is carrying the cross (until Jesus calls David by name)... If I were traveling through time and came across a man carrying a cross, Jesus would be my first thought! Again, no overtly Christian themes in the book. But I appreciate that Mr. Liparulo included the scene of the Via Dolorosa.
I would gladly read more books about the King family and their travels through time, but I'm glad to reach the end of Book 6!

"Dreamhouse Kings Book 5: Whirlwind" by Robert Liparulo

Well... This book presented two interesting developments in my reading of the series. It was the first book in which I really started getting tired of the two boys disobeying their father, going through a portal, and almost dying but finally escaping. This is also the first book since about book 2 that I felt like we learned some helpful information about the house, the portals, and how the time traveling works. Don't get me wrong - I still really enjoyed the book. I finished this one and "Frenzy" both within about 4 days. But at the end of this one, I was beginning to feel like the series really could have been a trilogy... The redeeming quality was the fact that the trips through time are just so interesting! You can tell that the author did good research into the time periods and cultures the King family visits.

And the time travel is really what keeps me glued to this series. The boys' characters are decent. The dad is not developed as a character as much as the boys are. Mom hasn't hardly been in the series to develop her character, and Toria doesn't really do much either. So I don't feel guilty at all in stating that I read this series to see how and where Robert Liparulo sends the family through time!

Don't forget, you can read excerpts from each book at www.dreamhousekings.com.

Book Trailer: "Fearless" by Eric Blehm (story of Navy Seal Team SIX member Adam Brown)

This book is the story of Adam Brown, of Navy Seal Team SIX. It was brought to my attention by one of the publishers that I review books for. Adam Brown's story is remarkable, and I am including this on my blog because I feel that this story should be told. This man was a true hero, and a follower of Christ by his own testimony and the testimonies of others.
There is a chance I may receive some copies of this book to give to military personnel. If you are a follower of my blog and active duty military, you will get first priority for these free copies.

More info to come. You can also check out these websites about Adam Brown:
1. Read the first chapter here.
2. The book's official website is http://fearlessnavyseal.com/
3. Watch this two-part feature about Adam Brown produced by the National Rifle Association here. (***WARNING: Videos contain at least one swear word and a few images of injuries that may not be suitable for all ages. Parents, please preview these videos before you allow your children to watch them.)

Also, I cannot guarantee that the content of these websites that I have linked to are not offensive to some readers. I have done my best to screen these links, but they may change over time.

"Dreamhouse Kings Book 4: Timescape" by Robert Liparulo

Robert Liparulo is very good at building tension in his books. And all of these books are filled with lots of suspense, action, narrow escapes, and brushes with death. While these books are aimed at younger readers (not TOO young), I don't mind telling you how much I enjoy them! (If you haven't already read my reviews of the first three books in the series, please click on the "Robert Liparulo" label at the bottom of this post).
This book, strangely enough, had more talk about God and more violence and gore than the first three. The King boys have a conversation where David gives God the credit for the new friend that they've made who seems to be exactly the kind of person they need to help them. (Xander is not so sure that God did it, however).
The boys also offer up a few vague prayers... Not directly spoken to God, but assumed to be prayers.
There is a little more blood in this book, as a character is injured fairly badly. (Can't tell you who). There is also a fascinating scene - and extremely coincidental - where David, Xander, and their father wind up on the deck of the Titanic as it is about to sink. Oddly enough, yesterday - April 15th - marked the 100th year of the Titanic disaster where over 1,500 people lost their lives. This scene and the scene of the Viking attack were particularly spectacular and brilliantly written.
Books this intense are not for all readers, but in my opinion these stories are just too good to pass up. It would not be a stretch for me to say that I enjoy this series better than I did any of Mr. Liparulo's stand-alone novels. (By the way, Robert Liparulo just released a new novel, "The 13th Tribe" - check it out and read a sample chapter at his website here. You can also read samples of all the Dreamhouse Kings books at http://www.dreamhousekings.com/)

"Culture Shift" by Albert Mohler

This is the first book I've ever read by Al Mohler, and I immediately liked his style of writing. I'm sure Dr. Mohler is a very intelligent and educated man (no one gets to be the president of a large seminary like the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary by being dull), but his tone is very conversational and down-to-earth.
This book addresses several urgent contemporary issues - ranging from homosexual marriage, to reproductive technology, to natural disasters, to terrorist attacks, and many others. Each chapter is short and to the point. The book is intended to give thoughtful Christians some information to help frame their Christian worldview around some of the more difficult challenges of the world we live in.

Believers today are not short on convictions - but they ARE short on Biblical foundations for them. Mohler encourages us to understand that the Bible DOES speak to the issues of the day, and the Christian is not left defenseless against the increasingly hostile secular society.

There were several chapters that were simply outstanding, but all of them were good. My only criticism is a minor one: The book started and ended fairly abruptly, and there was very little cohesion between the chapters. Basically, it felt as though Dr. Mohler hand-picked a few dozen topics he wished to write about and typed out a few pages on each. Then, he put them together and made a book. Don't get me wrong - this doesn't diminish the power of his writing. Each statement in the book was thoughtfully and carefully articulated. (To read the first chapter, please click here.)

I'm glad that Dr. Mohler tackled these issues. Christians, let's not be afraid to speak our convictions - the world desperately needs to hear the unchanging truth of God's Word.

I received this book from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers in exchange for my honest review.