Book: The Blood Gospel

The Blood Gospel
James Rollins, Rebecca Cantrell
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An earthquake in Masada, Israel, kills hundreds and reveals a tomb buried in the heart of the mountain. A trio of investigators—Sergeant Jordan Stone, a military forensic expert; Father Rhun Korza, a Vatican priest; and Dr. Erin Granger, a brilliant but disillusioned archaeologist—are sent to explore the macabre discovery, a subterranean temple holding the crucified body of a mummified girl.

But a brutal attack at the site sets the three on the run, thrusting them into a race to recover what was once preserved in the tomb’s sarcophagus: a book rumored to have been written by Christ’s own hand, a tome that is said to hold the secrets to His divinity. But the enemy who hounds them is like no other, a force of ancient evil directed by a leader of impossible ambitions and incalculable cunning.

From crumbling tombs to splendorous churches, Erin and her two companions must confront a past that traces back thousands of years, to a time when ungodly beasts hunted the dark spaces of the world, to a moment in history when Christ made a miraculous offer, a pact of salvation for those who were damned for eternity.

Here is a novel that is explosive in its revelation of a secret history. Why do Catholic priests wear pectoral crosses? Why are they sworn to celibacy? Why do the monks hide their countenances under hoods? And why does Catholicism insist that the consecration of wine during Mass results in its transformation to Christ’s own blood? The answers to all go back to a secret sect within the Vatican, one whispered as rumor but whose very existence was painted for all to see by Rembrandt himself, a shadowy order known simply as the Sanguines.

In the end, be warned: some books should never be found, never opened—until now.


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Fast paced, interesting read. However there were parts that irked me too. The human romance there seemed painfully forced, but at the same time I enjoyed the conflicted emotions of the vampies. I particularly liked the cameos of all those historical figures :-)

However, don't let the blurb over-dazzle you, it was all pretty interesting while it lasted, but as the days wore on and I had time to digest and think it over, it was pretty standard fiction. I'm trying not to give too much away as I was pleasantly surprised by some historical figures showing up, but let's just say, I wasn't surprised with the "antagonist" (I'm not really sure if that IS the real antagonist or not) that showed up in the end of the book. Kind of makes me want to read the sequel, but I'll let myself calm down first :-)

Book: Doggirl

Doggirl
Robin Brande
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I BELIEVE IN SIGNS.
And this one said: "Dog trainer needed immediately. Must provide own dog."
I snatched the paper off the announcement board before anyone else could see it.
BECAUSE IT'S ABOUT TIME.

Meet Riley Case: An expert with dogs, lousy with people. She's been keeping a low profile at her high school--well, except for that incident with the birds--but when the chance comes to use her talents as a dog trainer to help the drama department win a national competition, she knows she can't stay in the shadows any longer.

Funny and tender, with plenty for any animal-lover to love, DOGGIRL and her dogs will steal your heart.

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Cute read. Cute story. I'd be happy to see a sequel or for this to turn into a miniseries, a trilogy at least. I think there is a lot more that could be developed, both on Riley's character and how she learns to get out of her shell, as a dog lover (have 4) it is an amazing read how a high schooler divides her time with the dogs. The small romance part wasn't so much a mystery as it was flaming obvious right from the beginning, and with the way it ended I'd be surprised if there isn't some sort of after story. Still, liked it while it lasted. Well, I like most dog books anyway...