Balance of July

During July, I read/watched and reviewed the following:

Books:
- "Indelible" by Kristen Heitzmann. Read my review.
- "Essential India" a Fodor's Travel Guide by Vidya Balachander et al. Read my review.
- "Billy Graham in Quotes" by Franklin Graham with Donna Lee Toney. Read my review.
- "The Complete African Safari Planner" a Fodor's Travel Guide by Claire Baranowski et al. Read my review.

Book "The Complete African Safari Planner" a Fodor's Travel Guide by Claire Baranowski et al.

About the Book: Everything You Need to Plan the Adventure of a Lifetime.
Fodor’s full-color travel guide can help make your trip to Africa unforgettable with 8 pages of detailed maps, magazine-style illustrated features, 125 stunning photos, and all the practical information you need.
Customize your trip with simple planning tools.
Options that fit your travel preferences such as field-tested itineraries and ideas for making the most of your time and easy-to-read color regional maps.
Explore South Africa, Kenya, Namibia, and beyond.
Discerning Fodor’s Choice picks for hotels, restaurants, sights, and more.
“Word of Mouth” tips from fellow Fodor’s travelers.
Illustrated features on The Cradle of Mankind, Safari Tipping, and Kenya's Tribes.
Recommendations for everything from helicopter rides over Victorias Falls to the Big 5 on Safari and Zulu essentials to bridge the language barrier.
Expert opinions, gorgeous photos and graphics.
Fodor’s African-based writers reveal their favorite local haunts.
Quick and easy to browse with sidebars and key points in full color.
Frequently updated to provide the most up-to-date information.

About the Authors: Claire Baranowsky is a freelance travel editor and writer. After 10 years in Zimbabwe, 10 years in South Africa, and 10 years in London, she has washed ashore in Cape Town and waits to see what adventure greets her next. Some of her favorite travel destinations are the beaches of Tobago, the city of Barcelona, and backpacking in Laos.
Other writers are Sanja Cloete-Jones, Lee Middleton, Sean Pattrick, and Kate Turkington.

My Review: Fodor's Travel Guides never disappoint and this one in particular is no exception. The writers and the editor did a superb job putting together this wonderful guide, with full description of places, that should be able to fulfill all your needs for information on what to do, how to do, where to go, etc... when you are planning an African Safari.
I have never been in that region and looking at this guide made me want to go and visit many places. This guide is fully illustrated with beautiful photos and maps and they go deep in details on every attraction that you can find.

They start the guide with general guidance on when to go, where to go, what is your budget etc. After this quick introduction, they talk about Fauna and Flora, the big five (elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard) and the exhilaration of meeting one of those animals face to face. Then they split the descriptions focusing on countries, dedicating the first one, chapter 3, to Kenya, followed by Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana and Namibia. Then they dedicated one full chapter to Victoria Falls National Part (Zimbabwe and Zambia), and one chapter to The Seychelles. They conclude the book with another chapter on advices about passports, visas, safety and precautions, insurance, vaccinations, what to pack, etc

This is an outstanding result for a combined effort from five different writers and it was published by Fodor's Travel, a division of Random House Inc. in June 2011. I recommend this book for those who are serious about planing their African Safari vacation.
Amazon.com was kind enough to provide this book for me through their Vine Program for reviewing and I was not request to provide a positive review. Opinions expressed here are my own.

If you read this review, fell free to leave a comment!

Book "Billy Graham in Quotes" by Franklin Graham with Donna Lee Toney

In the process of transferring our  blog to a brand new domain, this archivedpost has been adapted to BooksCrier.com

About the Book: A note from Franklin Graham: "My father, Billy Graham, is known for speaking out about the one and only thing that matters in this world: the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. He remembers the call of God seven decades ago to preach the Word of God to all those who would listen about salvation that comes only through Christ. He took this high calling with seriousness and boldness in obedience to God and once said, 'I will travel anywhere in the world to preach if there are no strings on what I am to say.'
"My father has always prayed that his words would reflect God’s standard of truth as the basis to claim, 'I have given them Your word' (John 17:14). In this book, I believe you will see that he has faithfully spoken God’s Word that quenches the thirst of those seeking to draw from the wellsprings of Life. It is highly meaningful to see these statements now collected in one volume."
Drawn from an unparelleled collection of both personal and published works, Billy Graham provides input on more than one hundred topics, such as suffering, joy, money, addictions, peace, and many more.

About the Author: William Franklin Graham, III, born July 14, 1952, is the fourth of five children born to evangelist Billy Graham and his wife, Ruth Bell Graham. Raised in a log home in the Appalachian Mountains outside Asheville, North Carolina, Franklin now lives in the mountains of Boone, North Carolina.
He was born into a heritage rich in Christian ministry. By the time of Franklin's birth, Billy Graham was already known around the world as a spiritual leader, but he wasn't the only spiritual giant in the family. Franklin's maternal grandfather, Lemuel Nelson Bell, was a medical missionary to China for more than 20 years, a respected moderator of his denomination, the Presbyterian Church in the United States, and a co-founder and executive editor of Christianity Today.
At age 22, after a period of rebellion and traveling the world, Franklin committed his life to Jesus Christ while alone in a hotel room in Jerusalem. Soon after that, Dr. Bob Pierce, founder of Samaritan's Purse (and World Vision), invited Franklin to join him on a six-week mission to Asia. It was during that time that Franklin felt a calling to work with hurting people in areas of the world affected by war, famine, disease, and natural disasters.

Donna Lee Toney, a colleague of Franklin Graham for thirty years, has been involved in the ministries of Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and in literary collaboration since 1982, most recently on the re-release of Storm Warning with Billy Graham.

My Review: This is a very nice compilation of some of the most significant quotes from Billy Graham, one of the most known evangelist of modern time. His quotes are arranged in topics for easy reference, from Abortion to Young People, covering all major areas of interest, including Children, Heaven, Hell, Marriage, Money, Salvation, and many more. As is his style, Billy Graham always goes directly to the point, not hiding any truth, talking about the Gospel of the Lord as a true believer.
Some of his quotes touched me deeply, as for example one on the Commitment section, that says "commitment means burning all bridges behind you". Also, in the Family section, "Your own family circle knows whether Christ lives in you and through you". There are hundred of similar quotes and the organization of the topics was done in a superb way.
This book should be part of a permanent library of any serious Christian reader.

This book was written by Franklin Graham with Donna Lee Toney and published by Thomas Nelson in 2011 and they were kind enough to send me a copy for reviewing through their Thomas Nelson Book Review Bloggers Program.

If you are reading this review, feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts.

Book "Essential India" a Fodor's Travel Guide by Vidya Balachander et al.

In the process of remaking our blog to a brand new domain, the archived post has been transferred to:

About the Book: Full-color guide • Make your trip to India unforgettable with illustrated features, maps, and color photos.
Customize your trip with simple planning tools • Convenient overview of each region and its highlights • Ideas for making the most of your time — Practical advice for getting around • Easy-to-read color city, neighborhood, and regional maps.
Explore Delhi, Mumbai, the Taj Mahal, and beyond • Discerning Fodor’s Choice picks for hotels, restaurants, sights, and more • “Word of Mouth” tips from fellow Fodor’s travelers • Illustrated features on the Taj Mahal, discovering Varanasi, and Getting Around India • Best side trip excursions, best holy sites to visit, and best markets for shopping and bargaining.
Opinions from destination experts • Fodor’s India-based writers reveal their favorite local haunts — Frequently updated to provide the latest information.

About the Authors: Vidya Balachander has lived in many cities throughout India, including Chennai and Bangalore, but Mumbai is the place that she always seems to come back to. Her first job was working in Mumbai for the television channel CNBC-TV 18 and since then, she has also worked as a reporter for Time Out and the Hindustan Times.Vidya wrote several of the features in the "Experience" chapter for this edition of Fodor's Essential India.
Other writers are Margot Bigg, Tanvi Chheda, Neil Munshi, Ambika Muttoo, John Rambow, Mrinalini Reddy and Sonal Shah.

My Review: Fodor's Travel Guides never disappoint and this one in particular is no exception. The writers and the editor did a superb job putting together this wonderful guide, with full description of places, that should be able to fulfill all your needs for information on what to do, how to do, where to go, etc... when you are in India.
I have never been in that region and looking at this guide made me want to go and visit many places. This guide is fully illustrated with beautiful photos and maps and they go deep in details on every attraction that you can find in that country.

They propose the golden triangle itinerary for a 11-day trip that cover the most important places in Delhi, Jaipur, Agra (The Taj Mahal) and Fatehpur Sikri, besides giving you a high level picture of the history of each place. Suggested attractions to visit have a reference price and hours of operation. Other add-ons proposed are Mumbai and Goa from Delhi, and Varanasi and Khajurao, also from Delhi..

Finally the "Where to Eat", "Where to Stay", "Shopping", and "Nightlife" sections of the guide are a tremendous help when you are planning your trip.
This is an outstanding result for a combined effort from eight different writers and it was published by Fodor's Travel, a division of Random House Inc. in June 2011. I recommend this book for those who are serious about planing their trips and also for those who want to remember details on previous travels, while wishing they can return to India some day in the future.

Amazon.com was kind enough to provide this book for me through their Vine Program for reviewing and I was not request to provide a positive review. Opinions expressed here are my own.
If you read this review, fell free to leave a comment!

Book "Indelible" by Kristen Heitzmann

In the process of transferring our  blog to a brand new domain, this archivedpost has been adapted to BooksCrier.com

About the Book: In a clash of light and darkness, can courage prevail?
Rescuing a toddler from the jaws of a mountain lion, Trevor MacDaniel, a high-country outfitter, sets in motion events he can’t foresee. His act of bravery entwines his life with gifted sculptor Natalie Reeve - and attracts a grim admirer.
Trevor’s need to guard and protect is born of tragedy, prompting his decision to become a search and rescue volunteer. Natalie’s gift of sculpting comes from an unusual disability that seeks release through her creative hands. In each other they see strength and courage as they face an incomprehensible foe.
When a troubled soul views Trevor as archangel and adversary, Redford’s peaceful mountain community is threatened. Together with Police Chief Jonah Westfall, Trevor presses his limits to combat the menace who targets the most helpless and innocent.

About the Author: Kristen Heitzmann is the bestselling author of seventeen novels, including The Edge of Recall and the Christy Award winner Secrets. An artist and music minister, Kristen lives in Colorado Springs with her husband, Jim, and their family.

My Review: This is a magnificent book, very well written and easy reading page-turner novel with a delightful plot. The author managed to create a set of characters that touch us deeply  in all aspects.
Trevor MacDaniel is our hero, a former Olympian who now works as a rock climber instructor and also take customers rafting. In the meantime he does search and rescue missions, when necessary. Natalie Reeve is our heroine, an art gallery owner and sculptor with an unusual talent. Trevor saves Natalie's nephew from the jaws of a mountain lion and their lives get linked in a succession of events that keep us reading the book overnight. Their strong faith is explicitly presented in the story and during the whole plot they have plenty of opportunities to exercise their faith. The movement from the dark characters to the light ones is very well done during the story and also the mix of thriller and romance is very well balanced. Overall a supperb work from this talented author. This is the first book I read from this author and definitely will not be the last.
This book was written by Kristen Heitzmann and was published in May 2011 by WaterBrook Multnomah Books and they were kind enough to provide me a copy for reviewing through their Blogging for Books Program. Thanks, Mrs. Kristen Heitzmann, for such an inspirational book!


If you are reading this review, feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts.