Preview: The Heart of the Buddha by Elsie Sze

Book Stats:

Paperback: 231 pages

Publisher: Emerald Book Company; 1 edition (October 1, 2009)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1934572306

ISBN-13: 978-1934572306

Genre: Novel – Romance

Book Info:

When Marian, an earnest romantic and idealist, goes missing in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, her twin sister Ruthie, a pragmatic skeptic, journeys from Canada to search for her. When Ruthie uncovers Marian's passion for a Bhutanese monk and her hazardous trek over a mountain pass to Tibet, she fears the worst. And those fears only intensify when a sinister Tibetan reveals that he is also in pursuit of Marian. As the sisters struggle to reach each other, they must overcome the demands of their own hearts and spirits.

In easy, poetic prose, Elsie Sze paints an enchanting picture of Bhutan as she spins a tale of mystery, adventure, and romance, recounting the two sisters' physical and spiritual journeys to find each other and their true selves.

Author Bio:

Elsie Sze grew up in Hong Kong, and currently lives in Toronto with her husband Michael. They have three sons, Benjamin, Samuel and Timothy. On March 28, 2009, she became a first-time grandmother when Michael (Misha) was born to Ben and his wife Inessa. A former teacher and librarian, she is an avid traveler, often to remote places which form the settings for her stories. Her first novel, Hui Gui: a Chinese story, was nominated for Foreword Magazine's Fiction Book of the Year Award, 2006. Her second novel, The Heart of the Buddha, was published in October, 2009.

For further information please click on the author’s picture to access her website.

• Amazon purchasing links US/UK/Canada, and The Book Depository in EUR and AUD.

This book was sent to Layers of Thought for review from PR by the Book. Thank you My-Lihn!

The Heart of the Buddha will be included in the World Religion Challenge 2010. To link to Layers of Thought’s post and review links for the challenge please click on the badge below.

World Religion Challenge 2010 – Reading, Watching, and Participating

 

Yet another wonderful challenge, World Religion Challenge 2010 is hosted by J.T. Oldfield from Bibliofreakblog. It runs from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010. It will also include other activities around understanding world Religions such as movies, conversations, or attending services. Which could be very enlightening!

To join,  find out more, or to follow the challenge site for updates - click on the gold  badge on the left, and to link to Bibliofreakblog and J.T. click on the center badge.

There are 4 levels of involvement. I have chosen - The Unshepherded Path: Read as many books and do as many activities as you would like about whatever religion(s) you want.

Here is a link to Shellie’s Goodreads’ list for Spirituality and Religion.  Reviews will be linked below in this post.

Winner Announcement for the signed copy of Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble

We have a winner of the signed copy of Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble!

(Please click the cover for the contest post and further information about the book, author, and purchasing links.)

The Winner Is…

Samantha from Harlequin Twilight’s Book Blogs

Congrats!

You will be emailed requesting your information. Please respond within 72 hours. Thanks!

Preview/Review Combo by JD: Life After 187 by Wade Halverson

 

Amazon Book Stats:

Paperback: 238 pages

Publisher: Xlibris Corporation (August 4, 2009)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1441540261

ISBN-13: 978-1441540263

Genre: Action Thriller

John’s Summary and Thoughts:

Kane Silver is the son of a tough Special Forces army colonel, who treats him more like a recruit than a son. Silver himself grows up super-fit and tough and follows his dad into the army. Fast forward a few years and after Silver leaves the army his wife is assaulted and murdered by burglars who break into their home. He returns home seconds too late but on realizing what has happened he gives chase to the burglars, smashes into their car, and cold bloodedly executes them. As a result he is found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison. (The book’s title comes from Penal Code 187: murder, to take the life of another).

While in a maximum security prison Silver and two other inmates are singled out by the warden for their fighting abilities. The warden has a fascination for illegal no-rules high-stakes fighting tournaments, and has been persuaded to create a team of fighters to appear at a prestigious but shady tournament. A lot of money is riding on this event and the success of his team, so the pressure is on Silver and his new-found colleagues. But the night of the tournament turns chaotic when a gang raids the event organizers and Silver and friends escape and disappear into the underworld. They surface in Hong Kong and eventually get embroiled in an escapade that leads them to fight in a tournament in South America that is organized by a drug baron.

This type of book is not my usual cup of tea, but I quite enjoyed it nonetheless. It was very easy to read and I blew through it in no time at all. It was action all of the way, with a big emphasis on the fight scenes – kind of a cross between kung fu and the UFC with a bit of the A-Team thrown in for good measure. If you like a good action read, you should give it a go. I’d rate this book 3 Stars.

Author Info:

Wade J. Halverson is the author of the 187 book series. For the past twenty years he has owned kickboxing gyms and has worked as a bodyguard. Living in Alaska, Miami, Colorado, Thailand, and Los Angeles. He currently resides in Southern California.

Life After 187’s web site.

This books was sent to Layers of Thought for review by the author. Thank you Wade!

Usually we do a separate preview and a review of a book however John scooped this one up and read it so fast that a preview/review combo has been given instead.

Amazon purchasing links are as follows US/UK/Canada.

A Mini Vacation to a Renovating Hotel in Palm Springs – Oh Dear!

 

I requested that my Dad not book at a hotel that was doing renovations… our last trip was rife with construction noise just outside our bedroom window at 7:30 am sharp.

“Its a nice hotel they wouldn’t do that to their guests.”

I said - there are tons of boutique hotels clamoring for business in this slow economy and deals abound. *smile* Here are a few links for some gorgeous and inexpensive hotels in the area.

“This is where I want to stay”

Mom just called to say that  Dad is feeling very sheepish and that the smell of fresh shellac is wafting into their room. Yikes!

Sometimes being right is not as satisfying as it should be.

Needless to say we are off for a few days. The weather should be similar to home very very dry and between the mid 70’s and low 40’s Fahrenheit. So no blog posts, and the response back rate for comments will be difficult. But we will be back in a few days!

Coming Soon!

1. The Brandon Sanderson – The Gathering Storm – signing, pictures, link up, and one signed book giveaway - (we have  one for later too!)
2. The announcement of the winner for Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble - signed copy. You can still join the contest!
3. Blog Tour review and giveaway for The Magic Warble by Victoria Simcox.
4. A review/preview combo by JD for the book Life After 187 by Wade J. Halverson – this is an action packed “guy book”.
5. A bunch of wonderful reading challenges are coming up at the first of the year and a few are ongoing. They will be posted here for everyone to join. The GLBT Challenge, The World Religion Challenge; War Across the Generations 2010 – Vietnam Challenge, and more!
6. Books
7. Books
8. And just in case you need something to read - more Books!
9. If we are lucky maybe a few pictures of some Native American archeological sites around the Palm Springs area – we love those!

PS – We love you Dad!