THE SERAPH SEAL

I received a copy of THE SERAPH SEAL by Leonard Sweet and Lori Wagner, from Thomas Nelson through BookSneeze. The front of the cover depicts the back of an angel statue – very intriguing. The story involves a prophecy that begins in 2012 when the four horsemen of the Apocalypse are born…as well as Matthew Serafino and Paul Binder. The story then centers on the year 2048 as the world slowly unravels. Paul Binder begins work on a Syrian manuscript, and discovers lost secrets of the world. The end of the book includes Paul Binder’s “notebook,” which helped to tie the story together and made a great resource while reading. The end also included a list of terms.

The characters were very complex and realistic, but there were quite a few and sometimes it was difficult to keep track of them. Chapters included many character and scene breaks, which also made the story a bit confusing.

Since the story takes place in the future, I would have liked to see more “futuristic” terms. There were some “new” gadgets, but more of them would have added extra flavor. I love futuristic books because of those aspects, and this novel really did not have them.

I enjoyed the book overall, and even though it was long – 527 pages – it did not take very long to finish. The scenes moved quickly.

STORM OF WAR

I received a copy of THE STORM OF WAR: A NEW HISTORY OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR by Andrew Riberts, from GoodReads and Harper. I love history, so I was excited to learn more about World War II. The book, of 712 pages, contains three parts: the Onslaught, the Climacteric, and the Retribution. There are also maps, notes, a bibliography, and a conclusion.

The book is very informative. Even though it is not fictionalized, it reads smoothly. I highly recommend this book to other history buffs.

KNITTING KNEE-HIGHS

I received a copy of KNITTING KNEE-HIGHS: SOCK STYLES FROM CLASSIC TO CONTEMPORARY by Barb Brown, from Thomas Nelson. I was excited to see it offered because I love knitting. Whenever I sit in front of the television set, I have to have a project with me to work on – projects that do not usually include socks.

I love wearing knee-high socks, so I am thrilled to be able to make my own. The styles are beautiful. Not only are some colorful, but others are also intricate, in a good way. When I first saw the directions, I felt slightly intimidated. I am not familiar with cable stitches, or switching colors, but the step-by-step directions are easy to follow. They also use circular needles, as opposed to double pointed needles (but you can use those too). Double pointed needles confuse me, so I am ecstatic to be able to use something different. I have begun work on the Bonny Birds pattern, a series of blue birds against a white background. It is coming along nicely.

The patterns also include ways to transform knee-highs into leg warmers and ankle socks. Whatever your style, there is a pattern in this book for you to adore.