Leah E. Good

November 6, 2013

I Know… (Two Poems)

My dad got saved while he was in the Coast Guard. The other day he rediscovered some poems he wrote during that time period. Two of them were similar. The first one, “I Know That I’m a Sailor” was written prior to his becoming a Christian. After he got saved, he modified it to reflect his new faith. I hope you enjoy both versions.

I Know That I’m A Sailor
As I walk along the sandy shore
Waves crash beneath my feet
Pounding down the ocean floor
I know that I’m a sailor

The spray of misty ocean air
Salt lands upon my lips
Twirling winds whistle through my hair
I know that I’m a sailor

To sail along on foaming waves
It draws me to my ship
I’ll be at sea for many days
I know that I’m a sailor

I wake up early while at sea
Hot coffee on the bow
Now that’s the life I want for me
I know that I’m a sailor

The sea has been my best friend
It gives me peace of mind
And when my time comes to end
They’ll know I was a sailor

(copyright Ken Good 1986)

I Know that I’m a Christian
As I walk with Jesus by the shore
His light does guide my feet
To open up another door
I know that I’m a Christian

The Word of God is in the air
Tis salt upon my lips
To have an answer for to share
I know that I’m a Christian

This Word of God it truly saves
It draws me to my Lord
To spread His Word for many days
I know that I’m a Christian

To wake up early unto thee
With bible open now
Now that’s the life I want for me
I know that I’m a Christian

The Lord has been my best friend
He gives me peace of mind
And when my time comes to end
They’ll know I was a Christian

(copyright Ken Good 1989)

October 25, 2013

Book Review: Deception

Ollie Chandler has his problems, but he’s a good detective. When a bizarre new homicide case comes up, he realizes that his shortcomings may have caused a bigger problem than he could ever imagine. The mystery leads him along a circuitous trail, causing him to suspect his closest friends…and even himself. Can he get to the bottom of the Palentine case without losing his life? Will he put his trust in Christ before it’s too late?

This was definitely my favorite book in the Ollie Chandler series. It’s totally different from the first two books and works well as a stand alone. I would call Deadline and Dominion issues fiction. Deception is definitely a full-out mystery. If you’re like me it will leave you guessing till the climax and wishing there was more after it ends. However, this IS NOT a book for younger readers. My recommended age range would be 16 and up because it covers some heavy issues like abortion, AIDS, racism, alcoholism, etc. It’s not emphasized as much in Deception, but it is there. This makes the book (and series) challenging and deep for older readers, but not the best choice for younger teens. 😉

October 24, 2013June 5, 2020

Reading Habits Survey Results

This survey has been a great success so far and surpassed my expectations on the very first day. Thanks to everyone! And, please, if you haven’t already taken it, do so now. Just because I’m sharing the results and announcing a giveaway winners (SURPRISE!) doesn’t mean the survey is closed.

So, here are some of the basics of the survey results.

13 to 17 year olds have a tiny (very tiny) edge over the 18 to 21 year olds. 39% to 38%. Girls have the vast majority, which doesn’t really surprise me. Girls have 83% against the boys’ 17%.

Homeschoolers comprise 88% of the survey compared to Public Schooler’s 10% and Private Schooler’s 1%.

You all read an average of 5.1 books a month in a wide variety of genres. Most of you enjoy several different genres, but fantasy and historical fiction are overwhelmingly the most frequently read genres. The same concept is true for the age groups you read in. Most of you read in several different age groups, but primarily read young adult or adult books. 84% of you are more likely to by hard copy books than e-books and predominately get your reading material from the library.

Thank You, everyone!

And now what you’re really waiting for. 😉 The giveaway. I decided to giveaway two books instead of one because of how many people entered. There are three books to chose from and I’ll give them to the winners on a first come, first serve basis. The two winners are.

tiallarising
and
Joshua Sandefur

I’ll be emailing both of you to ask for your mailing address and which book you would like to win. Obviously if you would like the kindle copy of Supervillains of the Day I won’t need your mailing address. 😉

Thanks to all who participated. If you would like to see the more detailed results, I would love for you to join The Reading Habits Survey “Team”. Follow the link to read the details.

October 18, 2013October 18, 2013

Book Review: Death Cloud

At fourteen years old, Sherlock Holmes thinks he is facing a boring vacation in exile. His brother Mycroft sends him off live with his eccentric Aunt and Uncle and study beneath an American tutor named Amyus Crowe. Instead of boredom, he finds himself confronted with his first mystery, a new friend, and relentless enemies. Even if he manages to escape with his life, Sherlock’s life is changed forever.

In my personal opinion, the adventure element in this book (and book two of the series) far outweigh the mystery element. But, it’s Sherlock Holmes, and you can’t go wrong with Sherlock Holmes when you’re doing a mystery theme. Besides, 240 people classified it as a mystery on Goodreads, so we’re all good. 🙂 I really enjoyed the fast action of this story, and the glimpse of Sherlock as he might have been as a boy. I tend to doubt this version of young Sherlock is quite what all you BBC Sherlock fans imagine, but I bet you’d enjoy the book anyway. After all, the author is English and, judging from his author bio, seems to have a thing for BBC TV shows.

P.S. If the weird and slightly grotesque bother you, this book might not be for you. There’s nothing over the top, but it’s worth the warning.

What is your favorite Sherlock Holmes story, whether from the original books, old movies, BBC Sherlock, or side shoots like this.

October 17, 2013October 16, 2013

Reading Habits Survey

Yes, another survey. And another giveaway too. In order to enter the giveaway, simply take the survey and leave a comment to let me know you’ve completed it. The winner of the giveaway will receive his or her choice of the books shown above; a hard copy of The City of Ember or In Freedom’s Cause or a kindle copy of Supervillain of the Day. International participants may only receive the supervillain e-book.

October 11, 2013

Book Review: Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer

The son of two lawyers, thirteen year old Theo Boone hopes to someday be a famous trial lawyer or great judge. He spends much of his free time at the courthouse, and his classmates come to him for legal advise when they or their families have trouble. Theo never imagines his mini law practice will put him in the middle of the biggest murder trial his town has seen in his lifetime.

I knew about this book/series for a while, but never felt much interest in it until I started working on my mystery parents guide. It turned out to be quite good. Theo has a slight crush on a grown-up lady, but she barely notices him. The plot centers around a murder trial, so I wouldn’t recommend it for very young kids, but children ten and up should be good. Also, the ending to this book doesn’t resolve the story (nor do the next two). I have the fourth book out from the library now.

October 10, 2013June 5, 2020

Princess Survey Results and Giveaway

Thank you to everyone who completed the Princess Story Survey. Of the four princess books reviewed this month, The Princess and the Goblin is the most popular and received 35% of the votes. The Princess and the Kiss was close behind, receiving 30% of the votes. Next up was Ella Enchanted, which received 25% of the votes. And A Little Princess received 10% of the votes.

Not everyone voted on which book I should give away, but it’s a good thing there were an odd number of votes cast. We came very close to having a tie! As you may have guessed from the picture, The Princess and the Goblin won, receiving 53% of the votes while A Little Princess won 47% of the votes. So, I’m giving away a copy of The Princess and the Goblin. Please read carefully as the rules are a little bit different than usual.

I’m opening the giveaway up to people living internationally this time. In order to avoid shipping, there are three prize options this time. All three are available to residents of the United States. Only the e-book and audible book are available to international entries. Please indicate which prize you would like to win in your comment. Only one prize will be given away. The options are as follows.
A hard copy of The Princess and the Goblin (it may or may not be this edition)
The Works of George MacDonald kindle book
The Princess and the Goblin audible audio edition

To enter simply leave a comment stating why you like this story or would like to read it and indicating which prize option you would like to win

Giveaway ends October 16th.