Book Reviews

Title: Paradigm
Author: Robert Taylor
Genre:
Reviewer: Bill McDonald

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): 1932714162

What is tomorrow's Wall Street Journal worth to you today? Where is the line between reality and fiction? Are the financial markets really predictable? Does an ancient artifact hold the key to how some of the world's wealthiest families made their fortunes?

When a mysterious granite and cypress Egyptian box is found hidden away in a secret room in the palatial Biltmore Estate, twin scientists Alex and Nicholas Shepard work to unlock the secret of its intricate dials, gauges, crystals, and carvings. What they discover has the potential to make them rich beyond their wildest dreams. But it could also collapse financial markets, bankrupt corporations around the globe, and destroy many of the world's most powerful families. As the twins quickly find out, people will not only kill to make money, but will kill to keep it.

What begins as a simple scientific experiment in the stock market quickly descends into a nightmarish intrigue of murder, deception, and mystery. When one Shepard brother is killed, the surviving twin and his wife find themselves in a desperate gambit to learn the truth about the box's legacy. Using ancient documents found with the box, they unearth clues to trace its history through the ages, from the catacombs of Paris to the Knights of the Templar in Scotland. Their investigation takes them from London to Paris, Venice, and finally, to the Vatican itself, where they uncover the greatest deception ever perpetuated by man.

Robert D. Taylor's enthralling debut novel "Paradigm" is a unique and masterful blend of intelligent scientific suspense and bold historical mystery stretching from earliest antiquity to the present day-and beyond. His intriguing plot and cast of memorable characters makes for a suspenseful pager-turn that will keep readers guessing about where the lines of reality and fiction merge.

"Paradigm" demands we believe the unbelievable. The challenge of finding out just what is truly real and what is not is now up to you.

Title: The Legend of the Lost Tiki
Author: Jan E. Culbertson
Genre: Children's, Young Adult
Reviewer: Bill McDonald

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): 1589093151

Bianca, Alyssa, and their mother set out for an adventure to Hawaii. The girls are eager to go swimming, attend a Hawaiian luau, learn to surf, and maybe do a little shopping. On the very first night, the family gets to attend a luau where the girls get to try out Hawaiian dancing. During the big event, the sisters also make a friend, Kaimi. Kaimi had sung a traditional Hawaiian song at the luau. This touching song told the tale of how the first Hawaiians came to the island and how a Tiki had been responsible for their safe journey. The saddest part of the song was that this Tiki had been lost and the Hawaiian people wished that someday it would be found. Perhaps the two sisters can help.The Legend of the Lost Tiki is quite enjoyable. The girls have adventurous souls and are always ready for a new adventure whether it is learning to surf or tracking down antiquity smugglers. What will Bianca and Alyssa do next?

Title: Is Anybody Listening?: A True Story About POW/MIAs In The Vietnam War
Author: Barbara Birchim with Sue Clark
Genre: Non-Fiction, Autobiography
Reviewer: Bill McDonald

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): 1420837486

Thirty-five long years and I was still seeking answers. If I could make someone in the government listen to the facts, I knew they'd want to act on them. After all, who wouldn't want to find one of our POW/MIAs from the Vietnam War? IS ANYBODY LISTENING? tells of dignitaries, presidents and those involved with the POW/MIA issue as I've known it since November 1968 when my husband, a Special Forces officer, became missing-in-action. The pages reveal my feelings and torment during my many trips to Southeast Asia in search of answers, and my frustrations while wandering the halls of Washington D. C. for help. The book was written to show the issue's insidious cover-up and my commitment to the truth.

Title: My Son Is A Marine
Author: JoAnn Allen
Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir
Reviewer: Bill McDonald

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): ISBN / EAN

After enduring grueling weeks of boot camp, 18-year-old Marine Lance Corporal Aaron J. Allen threw his Class A cap into the air at graduation. He was ready to be deployed to the fiercest battle zone in Iraq, where terrorism has replaced conventional warfare and there is no clearly defined enemy.
Confronted by these conditions and the horrifying nightly news reports of fatalities, what can a mother do to protect her son from thousands of miles away? Jo Anne Allen chose to sustain herself and keep A.J. strong and safe using communication. In this timely book, she reminisces about A.J.'s childhood and the precious memories that are forever embedded in her heart. She uses her words to recreate the wonder of those times and replace the hugs and kisses of the past with stories full of love and faith.

Young Marines fighting for their lives alongside her son also find solace in Jo Anne's spiritual beliefs, nurturing hearts, and incredible peanut butter cookies.

Title: Playing with the Enemy: A Baseball Prodigy, World War II, and the Long Journey Home
Author: Gary Moore
Genre: Non-Fiction, History
Reviewer: Bill McDonald

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): ISBN / EAN

Part Tuesdays with Morrie, part Field of Dreams—a true American story of World War II and redemption

Driven by word of mouth and the author’s heroic efforts to tell the world his father’s story, Playing with the Enemy was a surprise hardcover hit for its independent publisher. Gary Moore’s book about his father—a baseball phenom whose future in the majors was cut short by World War II and a fateful occurrence during a top secret mission for the U.S. Navy—is a warm-hearted memoir of faded dreams and new hope that is destined for the bestseller lists. Filled with memorable characters from an extraordinary time in our country’s history, it is a truly redemptive story that will be read and reread for generations to come.