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8 Book Reviews from urban fantasy author Andy Zach

Happy Mother's Day

8 Book Reviews from urban fantasy author Andy Zach

Book Reviews
Get Your Ridiculous On! Andy Zach

I’m giving you eight of my Book Reviews from 2018. This gives you a nice change of pace from my normal comic paranormal animal craziness.

One place you can read them is my blog on Goodreads.

Another is on Amazon.

The third place is right here on my blog, on the Resources page.

The fourth place is by subscribing to my newsletter here.

On to the Book Reviews next.

Book Reviews: The First

My first review of this is:

Whisper: How to Hear the Voice of God

Whisper by Mark Batterson
Whisper: How to Hear the Voice of God 
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Andy Zach‘s review

Jan 20, 2018  ·  edit
it was amazing

bookshelves: biblechristiannonfiction

Mark Batterson caught me off guard with his book, ‘Whisper’. I read his books ‘The Circle Maker’ and ‘In a Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day’, and I thought I had a handle on his writing style. He writes a series of wonderful anecdotes that all tie together and illustrate each point he had to make. He did that in ‘Whisper’–and more.

The added ‘spice’ was his detail research on each point. So each point he made about listening to God’s voice was backed up by anecdotes, the Bible, and scientific research on the brain and how we’re wired. The total effect made each of his points powerful, weighty and meaningful.

If you want to hear God’s voice for the first time, or more regularly, or more clearly, this is the book for you. Mark covers the seven love languages of God and how He expresses Himself to us in them.

I rarely give any book five stars. That’s reserved for books that are still being read after fifty years or more. I gave ‘Whisper’ this rating because I believe people will still read his book fifty years from now.

Book Review: The Second

Andy Zach’s Reviews > Story Plot: What the Masters have to say

Story Plot by Yudhanjaya Wijeratne
Story Plot: What the Masters have to say 
by

Yudhanjaya Wijeratne (Goodreads Author)

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Andy Zach‘s review it was amazing

               Jan 23, 2018  ·  edit

bookshelves: nonfictionwriting

Recommended for: authors, writers, playwrights, screenwriters

Outstanding summary of the major analyses of plot structure. Author Wijeratne begins with Aristotle’s three-part story structure and goes in time order through various methods of systematizing plots to our current day.

What really makes this book interesting is how he applies the various plot structure theories to modern, popular works, like The Lord of the Rings, The Matrix, and Star Wars.

Writers familiar with ‘The Hero’s Journey’ and ‘Save the Cat’ will find them both in here, as well as more esoteric approaches like the Japanese Keshokentetsu.

I recommend this book to any writer of stories.

Book Reviews: The Third

Warning: This next review is R or X rated in subject matter:

Andy Zach’s Reviews > Judges – The Bible, #7

Judges - The Bible, #7 by Samuel (likely)
Judges – The Bible, #7 
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Andy Zach‘s review Apr 09, 2018  ·  edit

it was amazing bookshelves: bible

Wow! Violence, assassination, sex, civil war, materialism, hypocrisy, decadence: you name it, it’s in here.

For years, I considered this the most depressing book in the Bible, but after my latest re-read, I’ve decided it’s more like a book of fulfilled prophecy. Israel sadly fulfills every negative prophecy about them in Deuteronomy and receives the promised punishment.

One new thing I learned was Israel eerily echoed Sodom and Gomorrah’s behavior of mass gang rapes at night. Another was that Israel in its first civil war copied the strategy it used against the Canaanite city Ai.

This book is NOT for the squeamish and probably would be rated R if it were a movie. If you want your children to read it, be sure to accompany them.

Book Reviews: The Fourth

Finally, I review a science fiction thriller.

Andy Zach’s Reviews > Thrill Kings Fragmented Sky

Thrill Kings Fragmented Sky by Rik Ty
Thrill Kings Fragmented Sky
by

Rik Ty (Goodreads Author)

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Andy Zach‘s review

Mar 31, 2018  ·  edit
really liked it

bookshelves: fantasyscience-fiction

Read 2 times. Last read March 31, 2018 to April 8, 2018.

Wow, what a thrill!

‘Thrill Kings Fragmented Sky’ began very confusingly for me. I was uncertain who would be the protagonist for about two chapters. It took me another couple chapters before I had the main characters straight and the nature of the conflict.

Imagine a multi-dimensional universe and one scientist who’s figured out how to travel between the dimensions. Then throw in a ruthless villain who dedicated to using the scientist’s technology for his own purposes and manipulates people to get what he wants.

What confused me? The kaleidoscopic descriptions of the interdimensional traveling machines, a variation on motorcycles, ridden by humans, modified humans and aliens. Nothing was explained when or where or how I wanted.

Suddenly, in the middle section of the book, everything came together and I got swept up in the plot and the world and finished the last half of the book in one sitting. It closes with climatic, world-shaking events and delivers a thrill on every page.

Your reading experience may vary, but I urge you to patiently work through the first half of the book to enjoy the rollercoaster of the second half.

Book Reviews: The Fifth

Andy Zach’s Reviews > 1 Samuel (Bible #9), ESV

1 Samuel (Bible #9), ESV by Anonymous
1 Samuel (Bible #9), ESV
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Andy Zach‘s review

Dec 12, 2017  ·  edit
it was amazing bookshelves: bible
This book takes you on a roller coaster. You begin with the miraculously born Samuel, the last judge of Israel. He gets Israel straightened out, but then they reject him and God. Samuel takes it hard, but God tells him to pick out a king, Saul.

Saul is huge and humble, at first. He leads Israel to impressive victories over their foes the Philistines. Then he starts disobeying God. Finally, God rejects him as king.

God then selects David, the youngest of his seven brothers. He becomes King Saul’s harpist and then after he kills the giant Goliath, his general and chief warrior. But Saul becomes jealous.

David marries Saul’s daughter Michal and becomes best friends with his son Jonathan. But Saul tries to kill David and he flees to the wilderness. Malcontents and rebels flock to him while he flees from cave to cave. He escapes Saul and spares his life twice, finally hiding among the Philistines. The book ends with Saul and Jonathan’s death, after forty years of rule.

Book Reviews: The Sixth

Andy Zach’s Reviews > Living Water: Powerful Teachings from the International Bestselling Author of The Heavenly Man

Living Water by Brother Yun
Living Water: Powerful Teachings from the International Bestselling Author of The Heavenly Man
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Andy Zach‘s review

Apr 11, 2018  ·  edit
it was amazing bookshelves: christianbible


In “Living Water”, Brother Yun gives an outstanding perspective on Christians, Christianity, and the church from the point of view of a Chinese evangelist who’s endured persecution and torture for forty years.

His bold vision for Chinese Christians is to carry the gospel to all nations south and west of China until they reach Jerusalem. After enduring and escaping torture, nothing fazes him, nor many Chinese Christians.

His book Living Water holds inspiration and correction for Christians of all cultures. Read it and be ready to repent.

Book Reviews: The Seventh

Andy Zach’s Reviews > The Bible, King James Version, Book 10: The Second Book of Samuel

The Bible, King James Version, Book 10 by Unknown
The Bible, King James Version, Book 10: The Second Book of Samuel
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Andy Zach‘s review

Jun 05, 2018  ·  edit it was amazing bookshelves: bible
David becomes king over Israel and brings harmony to his nation. He conquers neighboring countries and brings them under tribute. He brings the ark to Jerusalem, after conquering it and dances so vigorously, his first wife despises him.

Then he commits adultery with Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife, and kills Uriah to cover up her pregnancy. God reproves him not for his adultery, but for killing Uriah and covering his sin.

And that’s just the first twelve chapters! Don’t miss this one: it’s packed with excitement and human drama from the beginning to the end!

Book Reviews: The Eighth

Andy Zach’s Reviews > 1 Chronicles

1 Chronicles by Anonymous
1 Chronicles (Bible)
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Andy Zach‘s review Jun 14, 2018  ·  edit

it was amazing
The book begins with Solomon’s glorious reign and the building of the spectacular temple. Lined with golden walls inside and two hundred golden shields outside, and two massive bronze pillars stood on either side of the door.
The whole land of Israel prospered under Solomon. Yet, despite God appearing to him and speaking three times, Solomon went astray and began idol worship in Jerusalem. That spread throughout Israel and continued until first Israel and then Judah was carried away into captivity.

This tragedy began in the beauty and glory of Solomon’s reign, just as the tragedy of all human sin began in the garden of Eden. Let the hearer hear!

I have more reviews, but that’s enough (too much?) for one post!