I just read Cross Bones by Kathy Reichs. Sunday Times of London called it "A Spirited Rival to The Da Vinci Code...
Since Kathy Reichs is one of my "must-read" authors, I naturally picked up Cross Bones!
(By the way, have you noticed that some books are being shaped differently and are costing more from mainline publishers--this paperback listed for $9.99).
I had not yet read The DaVinci Code although I have it in my e-book library. Maybe now I'll read it to see how it compared with Reichs.
Actually, I saw no big deal in this book...yes, there were suppositions about Jesus that most Christians will disbelieve immediately. Actually, though, I have not found it hard or a conflict to read alternative suppositions. The point is, my faith leads me to "know that I know" that Christ's was indeed the Son of God and that there is no question of doubt about His story.
What I did get from Cross Bones was more information about the time of Christ...and, to me, learning about history through fiction books is a great thing!
Yes, since the main character for Reichs' books is Dr. Temperance Brennan, we automatically know, as her readers, that there is going to me at least one skeleton in the story. Now in this one, there were two, one of which Dr. Brennan had a chance to examine and determine that it could not be Jesus. The other one, though definitely a skeleton of someone who had been crucified, was burned to ashes before it could be further examined. Yes, both of these were postulated to be Jesus...and, of course, the book closed with an inability to verify that hypothesis.
Hey, I enjoyed the book! I like reading about the life of Christ, I like to learn about the disputes between different people as to why it would be a problem to this group or that...
But, for those of us who have welcomed His Spirit within our Hearts...He lives today, and everyday...and a crucified skeleton cannot ever change that. He Lives!
So maybe I'll sit in front of my computer soon and see what the DaVinci "fuss" is all about! LOL
Sooooo...I also just finished a wonderful story called, The Man Within by Ruby Moon-Houldson. A romance story like no other! I'll be writing my review soon, so keep posted. The book will not be published until January, so I'll be mentioning this one again and again!
My next read, interestingly, will be a partial manuscript...and after that will be a nearly 500-page manuscript. I must admit I'm enjoying reading books before they are published. If an author is able to trust enough to seek a "critical review," then I find that those efforts are more rewarding as we can help new authors move forward in their careers...
Not every author can trust, though. I found it interesting and then sad when I started reading a fine, educational self-help book and found problems in the printing as well as a couple of mistakes. It seems the author had hired a number of individuals to edit and proofread books.
Writers! Hear this! When Rainbow's End Publishing Company was still publishing books, we normally had four different individuals, if not more, reading through the books. It is natural that typographical mistakes are made. It is also possible for individuals to "miss" some errors when they work. In fact, this often happens when the individual has no vested interest in the book itself, but is merely proofreading.
I have found that when I review books and am reading for content, I most generally find a few mistakes...Expect this! Don't Panic! Wouldn't you rather know what errors are in your book so that you can either work to get them corrected or at least know the extent of the problem. Well, I tried to do this recently...and the writer got upset...so I stopped that project. Sometimes you can help...and sometimes, you can't...
Boy, my other recent read was a doozy! Keith Ablow's The Architect is an unforgettable suspense! Consider his profession, consider his professional need for perfection...and the possibilities...that's all I'm willing to say! One other thing...don't read it late at night!
Keep Reading!
"The Worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it." --James Bryce