This Present Darkness - by Frank Peretti

To sum up the story - a pastor and a newspaper reporter discover there's a plot going on to take over the town... and the world. But while the pastor and reporter see the people involved, what is important is the spiritual battles going on behind the scenes.

Fiction books rarely make a huge impact on my life. They mostly are an enjoyable read - for when I just want to relax and not try to "learn" or "change". Well, this is an exception! This book changed how I viewed prayer! Not just prayer in general, but MY prayers and whether or not they really make a difference. This book also changed how I view spiritual warfare and what is going on in the spirit world while we're too busy focusing on this world.

Beware! You WILL read about demons in this book. They are real, they are powerful, they are evil, and, in this book, they are UGLY! You will also read about angels. They are real, they are powerful, and they are wonderful. But this book brings up a thought. What if angels are empowered by our prayers? What if they cannot fight some of the evil unless enough people are praying... and praying hard!! What if my lack of praying actually keeps evil from being defeated?

Is it fiction? Yes. But it really makes you wonder.... what if?

The O'Malley series - by Dee Henderson - 10 star

The O'Malley series is a fantastic series written about a "family" who met in an orphanage and "adpoted" each other, legally changing their last names to "O'Malley". Because of their diverse but tragic backgrounds, they all have chosen diverse careers that define them, yet mostly allow them to stay in touch and often work together. There's Kate O'Malley - hostage negotiater, Jennifer O'Malley - a pediatrician, Rachel O'Malley - a crisis psychologist, Stephen O'Malley - a paramedic, Lisa O'Malley - a forensic pathologist, Marcus O'Malley - a US Marshal, and Jack O'Malley - a firefighter.

The stories follow the individual O'Malleys in their career, in their relationships and on their road to finding Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Dee Henderson blends faith, family and excitement so beautifully in this series. She has created strong characters with individual personalities and each has a unique reason why accepting Christ is so difficult for them.

When you read this series, be sure you start with the prequel: "Danger in the Shadows" which doesn't deal with the O'Malleys so much, but with individuals who will soon be important in the O'Malley series.

This is one of my favorite series'! Definitely a 10 star. **********

Introduction

Hello. My name is Tina and I'm a bookaholic. I LOVE books! And I've decided to share my thoughts on some of the books here. If you don't like what I say, that's fine! You don't have to read this blog. If you do like what I say, that's better ;-)

In some cases (like my first book review here) I'll review an entire series instead of a single book in it. The books in a series are so often tied together that to review a single book is nearly impossible. It will be obvious whether I'm reviewing a single book or a series.