Tuesday, 24 October 2023

The Fugitive Factor - Gordon Korman - On The Run Book 2

The Fugitive Factor
On The Run Book 2
Gordon Korman
ISBN 9780439651370
eISBN 9780545632041
ASIN B00CFT6LDY


Mid last year, in the summer of 2022, Korman published his 100th book. Yes you read that correctly, his hundredth book. My introduction to Korman’s works was the 39 Clues back in 2009. Since then I have read over 30 of his books. Barely a drop in the buck, but with each one I read I am entertained and often challenged. My son often reads these books to me or with me. And now my youngest daughter has started reading them. I have been jumping around on different series and from his oldest works to his newest. There are so many great read in Korman’s canon. 

My son and I started reading Gordon Korman books together a few years ago, when he was given one as an end of year gift by his teacher. She gave the whole class the same Scholastic edition and wrote a note to each student in their copy of the book. Prior to that I had a read a few of his contributions to the 39 Clues series and had enjoyed them. My son and I have mostly been reading his more recent titles. I have always been hesitant to pick up the first in this series because it is part of a series. I was not sure I was that committed. And I had been greatly enjoying his current releases. After reading book 1 I was hooked and know I will be reading all the volumes in this series. And have set the goal of reading all of his books. The series consists of:

The Fugitive Factor 
Now You See Them, Now You Don't 
The Stowaway Solution 
Public Enemies 
Hunting the Hunter 

The description of this volume is:

“Aiden and Meg Falconer are now celebrities ... for all the wrong reasons. It's much harder to be on the run when the whole country's looking for you....Aiden and Meg Falconer are out to find the evidence that will free their parents from a life sentence in prison. But in order to do that, they have to live undercover. Ever since they broke out of a juvenile detention facility, they've been chased by the FBI ... and by a strange killer they've nicknamed Hairless Joe. Now their story has hit the airwaves, and suddenly everyone is looking for the Falconer kids. They think they can hide with an old family friend ... but when she turns them in and Meg is put in jail, the danger and adventure only increase.”

Unlike many of Korman’s books the chapters do not have titles, in either of the first two books in the series. The premise of the series, at least from the two volumes reminds me of Conspiracy 365 January by Gabrielle Lord, also from Scholastic but published 5 years after this series. At the end of the volume is no preview of the next instalment, but all 6 volumes published in just over a year. 

Aiden and Meg are on the run from a juvenile corrections facility. Not because they have been convicted of anything, but because their parents have and they are the most notorious criminals in recent history. The kids are trying to track down the one person who can clear their name. The longer they are on the loose the more they seem to need to break the law. They are trying their best but are desperate to clear their parent’s names. In this one there is an adventure at a luxury hotel, an episode with a laundry shoot, high intensity at a police station, and the discovery that there is a hitman on their trail.  

The story in this one is a darker than many of Korman’s offerings. The pace is excellent. The characters as always are masterfully written. You will find yourself cheering for Aiden and Meg. It is a story young readers will latch onto and be desperate to know what happens next! Another excellent read from Korman’s skilful pen!
 
Books by Gordon Korman:
MacDonald Hall Series:
         (formerly The War With Mr. Wizzle)
          (aka Macdonald Hall Goes Hollywood)
          (formerly Something Fishy at Macdonald Hall)
…

Bugs Potter Series:
…

Jeremy Bloom Series:
…

Monday Night Football Series:
…

Masterminds Series:
Masterminds (2015)
…

Slapshots Series:
Cup Crazy (2000)
…
4-in-1 Slapshots: The Complete Collection (2008)
…

Nose Pickers Series:
…
4-in-1 The Ultimate Nose-Picker Collection (2006)
…

Island Series:
Shipwreck (2001)
Survival (2001)
Escape (2001)
…
3-in-1 Island Trilogy Collection (2006)
…

Son of the Mob Series:
…

Everest Series:
The Contest (2002)
The Climb (2002)
The Summit (2002)
…
Everest Trilogy Box Set (2002)

Dive Series:
The Deep (2003)
The Danger (2003)
…

On the Run Series:
…

Kidnapped Series:
The Search (2006)
The Rescue (2006)
…

Swindle Series:
Swindle (2008)
Zoobreak (2009)
Framed (2010)
Showoff (2012)
Hideout (2013)
Jackpot (2014)
Unleashed (2015)
Jingle (2016)
…

Titanic Series:
Unsinkable (2011)
S.O.S (2011)
…

The 39 Clues Series:
Flashpoint (2014)
…

Hypnotists Series:
Memory Maze (2014)
…

Ungifted Series:
Ungifted (2012)
Supergifted (2018)
Hypergifted (2026)
…

Slacker Series:
Slacker (2016)
Level 13 (2019)
...

Non Series Books:
Born To Rock (2006)
Schooled (2007)
Pop (2009)
Restart (2017)
Notorious (2019)
War Stories (2020)
Game On (contains The Chicken Doesn’t Skate and The Toilet Paper Tigers (2021)
Unplugged (2021)
Linked (2021)
The Fort (2022)
...
 







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Monday, 23 October 2023

Sublimitas et Miseria Hominis On the 4th Centenary of the Birth of Blaise Pascal - Pope Francis

Sublimitas et Miseria Hominis: 
On the 4th Centenary of the Birth of Blaise Pascal
Pope Francis
ISBN 9781784697686
CTS Booklet DO967


I picked up this volume to read as part of Father Mark Goring’s Saint Mark’s School of Reading. It is not the first papal document we have read together. Father mark provided some supplemental links before we began this read. One was a brief online biography of Pascal, the other was a document of quotes from him works. Both proved to be great resources prior to beginning this volumes.

The description of this volume is:

“Pope Francis’ Apostolic Letter honours Blaise Pascal, a 17th-century scholar. It highlights his contributions to maths, philosophy, and spirituality, urging readers to emulate his charity, truth-seeking, and love. The letter reminds us of life’s impermanence and the eternal joy that awaits.

This Apostolic Letter from Pope Francis commemorates the 400th anniversary of the death of Blaise Pascal. A renowned figure from the 17th century, Blaise Pascal made significant contributions to mathematics, philosophy, and spirituality. Pope Francis reflects on Pascal's life and teachings, focusing on his mystical experience, defence of the Jansenists, and emphasis on reason and faith.

This letter emphasises Pascal's deep commitment to charity and love for others, highlighting the importance of these virtues in the Christian faith. Pope Francis encourages readers to follow Pascal's example in seeking truth, embracing conversion, and practising charity. He reminds us that life is transient and that eternal joy awaits those who strive for it.

Overall, this Apostolic Letter serves as a tribute to Blaise Pascal's legacy, offering spiritual guidance and insights into the life of a remarkable thinker, and providing inspiration for the faithful to integrate his teachings into their lives.

“Pascal was concerned to make people realise that “God and truth are inseparable”, yet he also knew that belief is possible only by the grace of God, embraced by a heart that is free. Through faith he had personally encountered “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, not the God of the philosophers and the learned”, and had acknowledged Jesus Christ as “the way, and the truth, and the life” (Jn 14:6). For this reason…everyone who wishes to persevere in seeking truth – a never-ending task in this life – should listen to Blaise Pascal, a man of prodigious intelligence who insisted that apart from the aspiration to love, no truth is worthwhile.” (SMH 11).””


The chapters in this work are:

Sublimitas et Miseria Hominis 
A Man In Love With Christ, Who Speaks To Everyone 
Faith, Love And Freedom 
An Outstanding Scientific Mind 
The Philosophers 
The Human Condition 
Conversion: The Visit Of The Lord 
The Order Of The Heart And Its Reasons For Believing 
Pascal. Controversy And Charity

I highlighted a few passages my first time through the booklet. Some of them were:

“From childhood, Pascal devoted his life to the pursuit of truth. By the use of reason, he sought its traces in the fields of mathematics, geometry, physics and philosophy, making remarkable discoveries and attaining great fame even at an early age. Yet he was not content with those achievements. In a century of great advances in many fields of science, accompanied by a growing spirit of philosophical and religious scepticism, Blaise Pascal proved to be a tireless seeker of truth, a “restless” spirit, open to ever new and greater horizons.”

“For this reason, I believe that it is fitting to describe Pascal as a man marked by a fundamental attitude of awe and openness to all reality. Openness to other dimensions of knowledge and life, openness to others, openness to society.”

“I am pleased that on this, the fourth centenary of his birth, God’s providence grants me this opportunity to pay homage to Pascal, and to recall those aspects of his life and thought that I deem helpful to encourage Christians in our day, and their contemporaries of good will, in the pursuit of authentic happiness.”

“For this reason, I would suggest that everyone who wishes to persevere in seeking truth–a never-ending task in this life–should listen to Blaise Pascal, a man of prodigious intelligence who insisted that apart from the aspiration to love, no truth is worthwhile. “We make truth itself into an idol, for truth apart from charity is not God, but his image; it is an idol which must in no way be loved or worshipped”. [8]”

“Many of Pascal’s writings are steeped in the language of philosophy. This is especially true of his Pensées, the collection of fragments, published posthumously, that are his notes and sketches for a philosophy inspired by a theological concern.”

“In reflecting on Pascal’s Pensées, we constantly encounter, in one way or another, this fundamental principle: “reality is superior to ideas”. Pascal teaches us to keep our distance from “various means of masking reality”, from “angelic forms of purity” to “intellectual discourse bereft of wisdom”. [24] Nothing is more dangerous than a disembodied reason:”

“[And there emerge] from the depths of his soul ennui, melancholy, sadness, chagrin, spite, despair”. [31] Diversion fails to satisfy, much less fulfil, our great desire for life and happiness. This is something that all of us know quite well.”

“After applying his extraordinary intelligence to the study of the human condition, the sacred Scriptures and the Church’s tradition, Pascal now presents himself with childlike simplicity as a humble witness of the Gospel.”

“Pascal, as a lay Christian, savoured the joy of the Gospel, with which the Spirit wishes to heal and make fruitful “every aspect of humanity” and to bring “all men and women together at table in God’s Kingdom”.”

“May the brilliant work of Blaise Pascal and the example of his life, so profoundly immersed in Jesus Christ, help us to persevere to the end on the path of truth, conversion and charity. For this life passes away in a moment: “Everlasting joy in return for a single day’s effort on earth”.”

I hope those few quotes will give you a feel for this document. It is a good read. I am glad I picked up the CTS edition. I know it is available at the Vatican site. But I really enjoy the CTS versions of this and other Vatican documents. 

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2023 Catholic Reading Plan! For other reviews of books from the Catholic Truth Society click here.




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Sunday, 22 October 2023

Space Traipse Hold My Beer Season 7 - Karina Lumbert Fabian

Space Traipse: Hold My Beer, Season 7
Karina Fabian
Laser Cow Press
ISBN 9781956489132
ASIN B0CJL3HXQB
ASIN B0CJPXRH2F

Space Traipse Hold My Beer Season 7 - Karina Lumbert Fabian

Yet another amazing addition to the Space Traipse stories! I have read many books by Karina Fabian, including rereads I am up to 47 read now of books she has written and edited and another half dozen contributions to anthologies. I love her wit, her witticisms, and her wisdom. He stories are in a wide range of genres. And her list of series is every growing. This is the Seventh in the Space Traipse: Hold My Beer, Series. I have read the previous 6 and a standalone side story. I cannot seem to put her books down, and I devoured the new offerings. I have read some of her contributions in anthologies and love her short form fiction. I also love her religious themed fiction. However the Space Traipse books are completely different than any of her other works. Well maybe not completely different, the humour infuses much of what she writes. In some ways her works are like a Catholic version of Douglas Adams, Robert Asprin, or Tom Holt. All of whom I enjoy but Fabians works have eclipsed them in my list of favourites. 

I grew up watching reruns of Star Trek the Original Series, and the animated series during its original run. I have long been a fan of the shows and when much younger read many novelizations. I loved reading the old James Blish Star Trek stories. Reading the stories in this series take me back to that early stage in my reading, but these have a much more humorous slant. These stories are part homage, part satire, part commentary, part parody, and they are always a whole lot of fun! The description of this volume states:

“More Star Trek parody fun featuring the crew of the HMB Impulsive! In this exciting season:

“They Grow So Fast” (Parody of ST:TNG “The Child): When the Impulsive plows into an sapient energy being, it decides to explore humanity by becoming human—and choose Lt Ellie Doall to be his mom! From dealing with morning sickness to finding her boy grown and kissing her best friend (ew!), Ellie experiences the highs and lows of motherhood in days. But can her skills protect Joleu from a black ops Union division intent on taking him for study?

“Put a Ring on It” (Parody of ST:TOS “Who Mourns for Adonais?”): The Impulsive is waylaid by the ancient god Neptune, who thinks they should worship him instead of saving a planet of merfolk. (or not saving—it’s a Prime Directive thing).

“Erst Bound and Down”: The Impulsive plays “Smokey and the Bandit” when they have to run a blockade. Erst is in dire need of grain to stop a famine, but the Smo’qui, a federation of fanatics who believe the only humane food is replicated, try to stop them every which way they can.”

The tag line for the series is:

“Space: By Keptar, there’s a lot of it. And it’s chock-full of stuff to do and people to meet. These are the adventures of the HMB Impulsive. Its mission: to explore worlds, to seek out anomalies, and to boldly do what no one else has the guts to do! And you know that we’re the ship to do it.

Don’t believe me? Hold my beer!”

The stories in this instalment are as highlighted above:

They Grow So Fast
Put a Ring on It
Erst Bound and Down

These stories follow the further adventures of the captain and the crew of the HMB Impulsive. The descriptions of the main crew members are: 

• Capt Jeb Tiberius: A good ol’ boy from Texas whose religion requires firm buttocks.
• First Officer Commander Phineas Smythe: His uncanny ability to win Rock-Paper-Scissors-Redshirt-Alien means he can pick his away missions.
• Chief Engineer Commander Angus Deary: The first person to reverse the polarity by 90 degrees.
• Chief of Security, Enigo Guillermo Ricardo Montoya Guiterrez LaFuentes: Raised on the UGS The Hood, where gang war is a cultural right, he’s not afraid to shoot a fellow crewman. That’s what stun is for!
• Ops Officer Ensign Ellie Doall: Fresh from the HMB Mary Sue, she can so just about anything all on her own – and often does.
• Transporter Chief, Dolfrick Dour: By the manipulations of technology, he reduces people to their most basic elements and rematerializes them elsewhere. Is it any wonder he’s 23rd Century Goth?

Being caught up on all the volumes in this series, I can easily state it is getting even better with age. The last story in this collection I had been waiting for, for a long time. It was originally available on Amazon Vellum which is not available in the Great White North. So that specific story had been on my radar for a while. And man oh man what a fun story. It truly is Smokey and the Bandit in space. They grow so fast was an extremely intriguing story. Once that will leave a mark on Ellie and the whole crew. Put a Ring On It was originally published in the Planetary Anthology Series in Neptune, I have had it for a while but had not read it yet. But what I have read of that series is excellent. I look forward to rereading the story when I get around to the anthology.

Three great stories, a baby, a wedding, and an illegal beer and supplies run. Sounds about right for Captain Jeb and the crew of the Impulsive. 

This is another great read in a very fun series. It is one that leaves you hanging absolutely desperate to find out what happens to the Impulsive and her crew next. And wondering where do things go from here?  

It is a wonderful trio of tales. I said it before and say it again after this volume, it is great for fans of trek, fans of parodies, or people who just love great science fiction stories. The tales reminded me of Spider Robinson’s Cross Time Saloon books in many ways. It is a great ensemble crew, with interesting adventures, and a whole lot of fun.
 
Many of Fabian’s earlier works and Anthologies are out of print, but they are well worth tracking down. I suggest you grab these new stories I am sure you will be entertained. Give this book or series a try; I am certain you will be entertained. It is a lot of fun.                     

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2023 Catholic Reading Plan!


Dex Hollister Series:
The Old Man and the Void
Dex's Way
...

Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator Series :
Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator
I Left My Brains in San Francisco
Shambling in a Winter Wonderland
…

DragonEye PI Series:
DragonEye PI Novels:

Space Traipse Series:
Space Traipse: Hold My Beer, Season 1
Space Traipse: Hold My Beer, Season 2
Space Traipse: Hold My Beer, Season 3
Space Traipse Stories
…

Madness of Kanaan Series:
(formerly The Mind Over Series)

Edited by: Karina Fabian:
Infinite Space, Infinite God I
Leaps of Faith
Infinite Space, Infinite God II
...


Contributed to:
Firestorm of Dragons
The Zombie Cookbook
The Book of Tentacles
Twisted Fayrie Tales
FRIGHTLINER: And Other Tales of the Undead
Mother Goose is Dead
Word by Word: Slowing Down with the Hail Mary
Image and Likeness Literary Reflections on the Theology of the Body
Corrupts Absolutely? Dark Metahuman Fiction
Weird Noir
The Complete Guide to Writing Paranormal Novels
Manifesto UF
Avenir Eclectia
Planetary Anthology: Jupiter
Planetary Anthology: Pluto
Planetary Anthology: Luna
Planetary Anthology: Uranus
FlagShip Science Fiction and Fantasy v2i5
My Little Book of Headdesks
To Be Men: Stories Celebrating Masculinity
...








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Saturday, 21 October 2023

Lent Royal & Ancient - Amanda Lauer - Royal & Ancient 1.5

Lent Royal & Ancient
Royal & Ancient 1.5
ASIN B0CBSTXL9P

Lent Royal & Ancient - Amanda Lauer

I have read a couple of short pieces by Lauer in the Catholic Teen Books Anthologies, and I have previously read one of her other historic fiction novels. But this piece is fairly different. The previous novel I read was A Love Such as Heaven Intended, which is book three in her Heaven Intended series. I have also read pieces in Treasures: Visible & Invisible and Ashes Visible & Invisible, which continues this story. This piece previous appeared in Ashes, Which I read three times. Reading this story as a standalone is my fourth time reading this story. The description of this novel is:

“When a lightning strike transports Bronwyn Campbell—a high school senior from modern-day America—to 1600s Scotland, it’s the end of the world as she knows it. All is not lost as she finds the man of her dreams, the handsome and indomitable Highlander Iain Campbell, but will she be able to overcome the challenges of living in a world lacking in physical and mental healthcare? She’s called on to use skills she doesn’t even realize she possesses. The consequences of her actions could alter the destiny of one family for generations to come.”

Bronwyn is out of place and out of time. But she is finding that she fits in better than she ever did back in modern day USA. This story begins on February 23, 1692, in Glencoe in the Highlands of Scotland. The story begins with these words:

“For the past ten months, I, Bronwyn Campbell, a typical American high schooler, had been living the life of a Middle-Ages Scottish lass. Or at least what I thought was the Middle Ages. I never could remember the exact years that the various historical ages started and ended.

I’d come to love this ancient land, the beautiful people inhabiting it, the old Church and its sacraments, and a certain young man named Iain. I truly believed that God had sent me to the seventeenth-century Highlands for a reason.

That being said, I’d experienced my share of heartache too, especially in the last ten days. Tragedy had struck the MacDonald clan. I shuddered just thinking about it. A lump formed in my throat and I blinked back the tears that threatened to spring up again.

While I’d once prayed to go back to my old life, I now prayed that God would allow me to continue building a life with Iain. Especially after he’d been thrust into the role of clan chieftain and would be depending on the support of the people around him that he knew and trusted.”

This is very moving story of finding your place in the world; even if you are shifted in time and space. It is about friendships, living for God, and learning to serve. It is a wonderful story.
 
I really enjoyed this story, this and most of her other novels are not in a genre I typically read. They are historical fiction with romance. But as a father of teenage girls, and someone open to almost any story I gave this one a try. I can honestly say I really enjoyed this. As I was reading it I mentioned it to my wife who is a huge fan of the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. She read me the first volume during our first year of married life. This one definitely has a feel and there are similarities. That being said, this story is much cleaner. I loved the presentation of the Catholic faith during the time of persecution. I also really appreciated the family and two main characters all being people of faith, with a deep personal practice of the faith. 

My own heritage is part Scottish and part Irish and over the last few years I have read much about the persecution of Catholics under the crown of England. Reading parts of this story could have been like reading family history. The story is masterfully written. The characters are well fleshed out and you will find yourself cheering for them. The pace is excellent. The role of family and clan are well portrayed from my reading of history. And the story flows really well. 

Even after 4 readings this story still inspires, challenges and will move readers. I believe two of my daughters are going to give it a read, and maybe even my wife. It is a great story in what I hope will be a long series. It is a story I can easily recommend for tweens, teens, young adults and adults. It is excellent Catholic fiction.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2023 Catholic Reading Plan!

Books by Amanda Lauer:
Anything But Groovy
Lucky and Blessed
Dubbie: The Double-Headed Eagle
…

Heaven Intended Series:
A World Such as Heaven Intended
A Life Such as Heaven Intended
A Freedom Such as Heaven Intended

Contributed to:
The Best is Yet to Come by Lorene Hanley Duquin
Living Virtuously by Erin Harrison
…
Royal & Ancient - Amanda Lauer

Lent Royal & Ancient - Amanda Lauer
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Friday, 20 October 2023

Lucy and the Hidden Clover - Antony Barone Kolenc - The Lucy Mysteries 02 - A Harwood Mysteries Short Story

Lucy and the Hidden Clover
A Harwood Mysteries Short Story 
The Lucy Mysteries 02
Antony Barone Kolenc
Harwood Press
ASIN B09V1HHKWH

Lucy and the Hidden Clover - Antony Barone Kolenc - The Lucy Mysteries 02

This is the second of three currently available Lucy Mysteries that I have read. I have also read the first two novels in the Harwood mysteries and greatly enjoyed them, and I intend to read the other three. But when I stumbled across these Lucy Short Stories I had to give it a try, and share them with my youngest daughter. This story is historical fiction set in medieval England in March of 1185. This story takes place three years after the previous Lucy story. And Lucy is now at Harwood. This story previous appeared in the Treasures: Visible & Invisible - Catholic Teen Books Anthology. It was great to read it again as a standalone story. The description of the volume is:

“Lucy and the Hidden Clover is the second story in The Lucy Mysteries series of short stories, which follows the life of Lucy--one of the most admired characters in the award-winning YA medieval series, The Harwood Mysteries. In March 1185 A.D., Lucy must track down a mysterious relic for a dying nun, which will uncover a secret hidden at Harwood Abbey for over forty years. When Lucy learns the truth, will she follow the rules and reveal it to the mother abbess?”

Chronologically this would be the first time we encounter Lucy. But if you have already read any of the Harwood Mysteries you will be familiar with her. I believe this story falls between books 1 and 2 in the main series thus making it our third encounter with Lucy. Sister Brigitte is expected to pass away at the beginning of the story. Lucy asks to pray with the old nun. Brigitte sends her on a strange task to find a clover, and not any clover a clover in a cave. The errand and the results have a huge impact not only on Brigitte but someone else who has been at Harwood for many years.

It was wonderful to reread this story as a standalone volume. I greatly enjoyed it again this time through. Writing short fiction is very different than novels. And not all authors can pull off both, especially authors like Kolenc who write epic historical fiction. But he pulls it off. This is a very well written story. It leaves me desperate for the third, Lucy and the Forsaken Path which I have already picked up. And for the third which would fall before the next novel in the main series I have to read. Unlike the previous volume this one does not allude to another but we can hope. 

The story and main Harwood series is marketed for Middle grade readers but would also be great for tweens and teens. I am in my fifties and I loved it. It is a very well written story and one that will leave you excited for more stories set in this work Kolenc has created. Antony ‘Tony’ Barone Kolenc is a retired Lieutenant Colonel from the U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps. He currently teaches law. In this story, he has shown that he has great skill as a story teller. It is a story certain to entertain, reader young and old alike. And leave you desperate for the other Lucy stories and the 5 novels in the Harwood Series. A wonderful and deeply moving story I can easily recommend. 

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2023 Catholic Reading Plan! 
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