Review of _Beyonders #1: World Without Heroes_ by Brandon Mull

Beyonders is a book full of action and adventure. From the moment Jason was swallowed by a hippo, I couldn't put the book down. I read it all night and day trying to figure out what would happen next, and who was the real good guys in the book. Although the book was kind of slow at first, it picked up really fast. What really got me into the book was definitely the quest for the powerful "Word" that would supposedly destroy the evil emperor, who ruled the land of Lyrian. All and all this book was great, filled with funny moments, and plenty of unique descriptions and dialogue that separate this book for others I have read. The end of the book left me longing for the next book in the series.

Thanks to Daniel Gilley for his review.

Review of _Emperor's Tomb_ by Steve Berry.

This is another of Berry's detective/adventure stories introducing the reader to interesting places and people.  The tomb in the title is that of China's first emperor, Qin shi, located close by that of the famous army of terracotta soldiers.  Americans Cotton Malone and Cassiopeia Vitt stumble into a struggle for China's future featuring eunuchs, a stolen little boy, oil, and Chinese politicians along with a few Russians thrown in for good measure.  Berry offers a quick read with historical and geographical insights.

Thank you to Melvin Steely for his review.

Review of _Across the Universe_ by Beth Revis

The back of the book says: Amy and her parents are cryogenically frozen passengers aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed. They have been led to believe they will wake upon on a new planet, 300 years in the future. But fifty years before Godspeed's scheduled landing, Amy is mysteriously unplugged from her cryo chamber, the near-victim of an attempted murder. Amy discovers an enclosed world where nothing makes sense, where Godspeed's passengers have forfeited all control to Eldest, a tyrannical and frightening leader, and Elder, his rebellious and brilliant teenage heir. Amy and Elder are instantly bonded. But can they trust each other? All Amy and Elder know is that they must discover Godspeed's hidden secrets before whoever woke Amy tries to kill again.

I enjoyed this book thoroughly. As someone who is intrigued by fantasy and sci-fi, but turned off by authors who get lost in the technical issues of their created worlds, this was right up my alley. There is enough background to help you see the setting, the people, and the story. The characters are well-drawn, and the dialogue smooth. Some elements might be a little predictable, but not unpleasantly so. There are surprises, and they make sense, as does the ending. Hopefully, Ms. Revis will gift us sooner rather than later with her next offering.

Thank you to Lorien Forrest for her review.

Review of Complete Without Kids by Ellen Walker

The back says: "In Complete Without Kids, licensed clinical psychologist Ellen L. Walker examines the often-ignored question of what it means to be childfree, by choice or by circumstance, in a family focused society...As a woman who is childfree by choice, Walker draws upon her personal experience while also offering the reader numerous interviews with other childfree adults, revealing behind-the-scenes factors that influenced their personal journeys..."

I was intrigued by the book based upon my experience as someone who had their family early and, by mutual decision with my spouse, stopped childbearing. As we got older, I neared the end of the age of usual fertility, and we decided to try and add to our family. This didn't happen. So, we became pseudo-childfree (our children are teens nearing independence), but not by choice. I expected a balanced treatment of the subject. It seemed to start that way, but then gradually became biased toward the childfree by choice point of view. I realize that some of the viewpoints expressed by the interviewees may not be those of the writer, but as the book progressed, it became increasingly smug and gave a distinct feeling of "aren't we smart for not adding to the burden of people on the world, so now we can be utterly selfish and do whatever we want with our time".

I could only recommend this book for the person who has already decided to be childfree by choice. And that sort of eliminates the point in reading it, don't you think?

Thank you to Lorien Forrest for her review.