The Ology: Ancient Truths Ever New by Marty Machowski

THE OLOGY

Author: Marty Machowski

The Ology: Ancient Truths Ever New by Marty Machowski and published by New Growth Press is a unique book of bibles stories and bible concepts woven together in a fairy tale theme.  Rather than a book of just bible stories, this book presents bible stories and biblical messages as part of a larger story.  Two children come across a mysterious old volume- reminiscent of the back drop of the popular film, The Neverending Story.  Yet unlike a fictional land with mythical creatures and dwarfes, the children find themselves inside the bible stories as the ancient and unacceptable tomb suddenly is easily understood by the young children.  This book makes spiritual concepts and bible stories accessible to children in a fairy tale,  fantasy format. The mysterious aura of this book will be alluring to young children.  

Unlike traditional bible story books or devotional books, there are not too many traditional biblical pictures.  The illustrations are more abstract or mystical in nature.  Unlike the text which is well grounded in scriptural, the illustrations  have a New Age taste.  Other illustrations are allegorical- illustrating theological concepts through simple drawings. For example, the idea of sin is represented by a vanilla ice cream cone crawling with slimy earthworms. I found this a power and effective representation of sin that reaches out to young readers. 

 If I had to suggest one change, it would be the cover illustrations.  The busy and eclectic cover with the elaborate drawing of the crown almost seems reminiscent of the imagery of the Catholic Church and the reference to the giant squid entwined around a rocket might not be readily understood. Personally, I think if the cover was designed more simply as a replica of a vintage old bible, it would be more suitable.  With so many children's bibles and and spiritual books on the market, a cover like this might make parents and educators confused.  I don't feel the cover does this book justice.  Aside from the cover, once the reader actually explores this book, I feel parents as well as children will find this book to be a comprehensive resource for teaching children about God's message,  As a blogger for Litfuse Publicity I received a copy of this book published by New Growth Press for the purpose of writing this review.

The Ology

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Giant Print Holy Bible NIrV

For anyone who has grown to hate the tiny microscopic font on most standard bibles, this may be the bible for you- Zondervan's new Giant Print Holy Bible NIrV.  It is an insult when bible claim to be a "standard" readable sized font, and then you open the pages and see a microscopic faded, 7 point print that you must squint.  For a book with such meaning and importance- the strain on the eyes is difficult to reconcile.  This bible is a good option for eye strain.  The only problem- which might not be a problem for many readers- is that this is the NIrV translation, not the NIV.  This is a simplified version of the NIV more appropriate to younger readers or those unfamiliar with the bible.  It is written at an easier reading level than the NIV counterpart.  I am wondering how the publishers equate vision problems with language limitations since the target readership of this particular bible is for adults and not children. This is a standard bare bones bible- no special features; no graphics- just black and white text.  Personally I would prefer a large font bible with some of the features of the study bibles that have recently been produced.  This is a sturdy hardcover. Although the pages are paper thin, it looks  well bound. As a blogger I received a copy of this book published by Zondervan for the purpose of writing this review.

Olympia Provisions by Elias Cairo and Meredith Erickson

Olympia Provisions by Elias Cairo and Meredith Erickson is a newly published upscale niche cookbook with an eclectic mix of meat recipes. One might wonder why in this day anyone would purchase a forty dollar cook book when there are so many free recipes available on the internet. This is much more than a cook book but also an entertaining documentary.  There are still some people out there who prefer a physical cookbook that they can shelve in their kitchen rather than a collection of printed out recipes.  This book is a beautifully bound hardcover with full color photos of exotic looking meals printed on  thick card-stock paper.  It is a work of art- which it needs to be- in order to compete with the convenience of online recipes.  This book would make a great gift for a chef or as a housewarming gift.  As far as recipes- this book is for the advanced chef who feels at home cooking lamb and other exotic dishes such as "Coppa di Testa" which is pig's head  and "Loukanika" which is fermented salami. In fact there is an entire section on fermented salami. This book is about making meat dishes, but it was more like learning a foreign language- it is certainly not about a typical barbecue or hotdogs and hamburgers.  The cover of the book with its wood cut styled American clip art graphics might make this appear to be a basic cookbook.  This book combines artistry and upscale ingredients with a variety of meat.  One  image shows a huge pig- serpent - snake like creature as slab of meat secured with twine.  The pig's stately, still face is rustic.  It is eerie, not very tasty- as I certainly would not equate this dish as food.  Nevertheless it is unique and fancy.     Other entrees are more complicated and look more like fancy artwork in their presentation. The book goes over the step by step process of the recipes even the pre planning stages and even some history and anecdotes mixed in. The photos of the food as well as the scenery is picturesque. Even if you have no intention of cooking any entrees from this book, it is certain to be entertaining or maybe revolting.   As a blogger I received a copy of this book published by 10 Speed Press for the purpose of writing this review.

Slow Fires: Mastering New Ways to Braise, Roast, and Grill by Justin Smillie, Kitty Greenwald

Slow Fires: Mastering New Ways to Braise, Roast, and Grill by Justin Smillie, chef of Upland with Kitty Greenwald is a new niche cook book.  One might wonder why in this day anyone would purchase a forty dollar cook book when there are so many free recipes available on the internet.  There are still some people out there who prefer a physical cookbook that they can shelve in their kitchen rather than a collection of printed out recipes.  This book is a beautifully bound hardcover with full color photos of exotic looking meals.  It is a work of art- which it needs to be- in order to compete with the convenience of online recipes.  This book would make a great gift for a chef or as a housewarming gift.  As far as recipes- this book is for the advanced chef who feels at home cooking lamb and other exotic dishes such as "Salt Roasted Bass with Green Grape Smash". This book is about grilling- but not about a typical barbecue or hotdogs and hamburgers.  This book combines artistry and upscale ingredients with a variety of meat.  The first image shows a plate of fish- in their entirety- complete with faded glazed-over eyes neatly placed in a rustic, weathered terracotta dishware.  This minimalist entree looks deceptively simple.  Other entrees are more complicated and look more like fancy artwork in their presentation. The book goes over the step by step process of the recipes even the pre planning stage of what to do the day before.  As a blogger I received a copy of this book published by Clarkson Potter publishers for the purpose of writing this review.

Monsterland by Michael Phillip Cash

Monsterland is the newest horror novel released just in time for Halloween, by Michael Phillip Cash.  This futuristic horror story incorporates a nightmarish tale of an alternate  reality in which populations of zombies, werewolves and vampire- human abominations transformed by viral contaminants are sequestered into a theme park. Not only does the reader find himself immersed into a monster theme park- there is also a social message addressing the issues of equality and autonomy.  The nightmarish creatures are not simply animals- but also portrayed as sick and suffering human beings.

As a self-published writer of a small book horror short stories, one of which is about zombies- I personally was drawn in particular to Cash's depiction of Zombies and werewolves. As a reader I look for authentic details to hold my attention; I was not disappointed.  The author captured the physical pain as well as emotional anguish suffered by these unfortunate creatures. His critical eye for detail could satisfy the biggest skeptic.    In fact, one might almost believe that Cash was describing a real creature with the extent of realism portrayed.  Not only that, Cash writes with a twist.  Rather than depicting them simply as monsters, Michael portrayed them as unfortunate victims who were held captive by their monster disease. Ironically, the humans and politicians were more like "monsters" than the werewolves, vampires and zombies.  This book was so captivating I read it twice.

This is Cash's best book yet and in my opinion, his works belong right up there with the modern great of horror writing, Stephen King. Anyone who enjoys well written, fast paced, complex horror stories with authentic detail should read this book.

 Available on Amazon 

The Time Chamber by Daria Song

The Time Chamber by Daria Song is a beautifully detailed coloring book made especially for older readers.  These beautiful scenic drawings in of themselves are a work of art. Adult coloring books have been popular as a method of relaxation- similar to the benefits of meditation or yoga.  Coloring books are becoming a mainstream past time for adults and no longer obscure.  On social media I am constantly surprised at the down to earth, non artistic individuals who are replacing their shopping selfies and Starbucks selfies with coloring book selfies.

The beautiful golden spine, and removable white jacket can also be colored as well.  This makes a great gift for yourself or a friend.  The luxurious quality of this book, thick pages, and elaborate art,  is unexpected considering its affordable retail price.  Its an affordable luxury certain to brighten up anyone's day. Armed with a sharpened set of colored pencils, this book can become a personalized masterpiece to treasure and even pass down.  Although it is marketed for readers of all ages, it is most suitable for teens and older due to the tiny detail. I do not feel a grade school-er would appreciate the fine detail of this book, and it would be a shame to destroy a beautiful book with scribble.  This is a coloring project that takes time, perseverance and patience.  I gave it to my teenager to color and even she was in awe and hesitated telling me she did not want to ruin it. She started the first page then gave it to me to finish.   I could imagine many readers who appreciate art will hesitate before making the first stroke with their pencils as well. One thing to keep in mind is the fine detail and repetition of tiny geometric shapes and designs that are a part of each picture.  Some of these pages can take hours to complete- maybe more than the time allowed in one sitting.  It takes patience.  Be sure to have a pencil sharpener handy when starting this book.  Don't bother with crayons or markers. The story line and theme is like a fairy tale.  I feel as if this would also make a beautiful book if it was full color rather than a coloring book.  I almost would have preferred this to  be a traditional full color story than a  coloring book.  As a blogger I received a copy of this book published by Watson Gupthill for the purpose of writing this review.  

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Before nursing school I had never heard of Henrietta Lacks or HeLa.  Despite having taken microbiology, there was no reference in my textbook.  This is strangely ironic because I have an interest cancer cells and their replication.  I must have spent hours of online research on the internet and reading through my nursing texts- but no mention of Henrietta or HeLa cells to be found.  The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot was an eye opening and life changing book. This fast paced book was the right mix of narrative with indepth scientific insight into cancer and the behavior of cancer cells. I learned more from this book about cancer than all my texts and research. For example, I had always wondered if cancer contagion could be transmitted through a needle stick.  I found my answer in this book.  I found this and many more answers I had about cancer.   Yet with all the technical information- the humanity of Henrietta was not forgotten.  This book is a mix of social issues, equity in health care as well as the science of cancer. I went back and read this book a few more times.  In fact I was inspired to conduct an experiment of my own using some left over tubes of broth medium from my microbiology class.  Unlike the HeLa cells, the cells of my test sample grew for two weeks then died.  No immortal cells in my sample as to be expected, the the spirit of this book lives on in driving my curiosity.  As a blogger I recieved a copy of this book published by B/D/W/Y Broadway Books, an imprint of Crown Publishing, for the purpose of writing this review.

The Complete Creation Museum Adventure

The Complete Creation Museum Adventure is part of the "A Field Trip In A Box" series.  This series also includes the Aquarium Adventure and The Complete Zoo Adventure.  This book is literally a "A field trip in a book" as declared on the front cover.  It is no exaggeration to say that this is not simply a book but an experience.  This spiral bound, interactive full color book has color coded tab divided chapters for each topical category such as "The Flood", "The Gospel", "Dinosaurs" and the appendix as well as more topics.  Also included is a set of interactive educational cards in the "official creation museum tool kit" which looks like a vintage satchel that opens up.  The pockets  of this vintage "bag" include a book mark, a vintage inspired map replica of the creation museum, and  fact cards  for the readers/ participants.  Any fan of Indiana Jones, archaeology or those who want to learn about creation will enjoy this book. This book isn't just for learning- but also for fun.  Vibrant art and photographs make this a beautiful and engaging book.  This work is impressive.  It is like getting a book and an activity game in one product.  This book is educational as well as interactive and will certainly impress children as well as parents and educators alike.  This book is the perfect guide to transform any summer trip into an educational field trip.  And for those readers who are not actually going to the creation museum , this book is the next best thing.

For anyone unfamiliar with the Creation Museum, it is a real place.  While many readers may never be able to visit the museum, this book is highly recommended for anyone who wants to integrate it into their homeschooling science program or even for those who simply want to learn more about what the bible has to say about creation and dinosaurs.

  This is a bold book, and the authors are not ashamed of the gospel message and they boldly declare their  faith in creation science.  This is a great outreach opportunity to give weight to creation science.  As a blogger for New Leaf creations I received a copy of this book published by Master Books for the purpose of writing this review.  I wish this book would be available to the mass market in book stores everywhere as its message is essential.  This publishing company produces many great books that tie in science with biblical creation so that the readers get the whole picture.

If you want to check this book out and more Master Books titles, please visit http://www.masterbooks.com/

The Carols of Christmas by Andrew Gant

The Carols of Christmas- A Celebration of the Surprising Stories Behind Your Favorite Holiday Songs by Andrew Gant is published just in time to usher in the 2015 holiday season.  This quaint hardcover book features the historical back grand, as well as selected black and white reproductions of vintage holiday art as well as lyrics and music for twenty well know songs.  Each chapter is dedicated to a particular song, including Jingle Bells, O Holy Night and the Twelve days of Christmas.  In addition to the musical lyrics and vintage illustrations, an extensive historical background on the song's origins is provided for each song.

This book makes the perfect stocking stuffer for history enthusiasts, choir members as well as anyone who enjoys folklore and Christmas stories.  It shouldn't come as any surprise that these stories are of varied origins, cultures and even faiths.  While it is published by a Christian book publisher, much of the material is secular and not specific to religion.  Nevertheless the references to Epihany, Holy Innocents and St Steven are most familiar with Roman Catholics and Lutherans.  This gives the book a quaint authentic touch that will make many readers feel nostalgic around Christmas time as Christmas day is for some, the only day they attend Church or Mass.

I can imagine this book would make the perfect resource for a grade school book report on the Holidays or Christmas Carols.  It would also make a perfect gift for a music teacher or choir member.  This book is certain to give the reader a more enlightened background on music they have heard at Christmastime since childhood.  Age old carols will take on a new light after reading this book.  As a blogger for Booklook I received a copy of this book published by Nelson Books and imprint of Thomas Nelson publishers.