Setting: Congo Republic Time Period: Modern Day If you’ve watched the new movie, “The Legend of Tarzan,” you know what it’s like to see two worlds collide. In that movie, you see the slave industry battle against the African tribes in a historic context. But in “Congo Dawn” by Jeanette Windle, you see a modern…
Isaiah’s Legacy – Around The World In 80 Books #50
Setting: Israel Time Period: 693 BC – 651 BC Ever read about the Old Testament kings and come across a verse that says, “And so-and-so began to reign when he was nine years old?” and wonder, “How could someone so young rule a nation?” If so, then Isaiah’s Legacy by Mesu Andrews is a must…
Sins Of The Father – Around The World In 80 Books #49
Setting: Yemen Time Period: Modern Day “Sins Of The Father” is the second book in the Logan Falcone Series and though I missed reading the first book, this one threw me into a world of CIA agents, mysterious compounds in the Middle East and the fight against terror in the US and abroad. I’ve never…
True Betrayer – Around The World In 80 Books #48
Setting: Israel Time Period: 1948 I’ve come to really enjoy Robert Elmer’s YA (young adult) novels. This one, True Betrayer, is set in Jerusalem around the time of World War II and is a story of loyalty, trickery and adventure during turbulent times. Elmer’s series are a great way to introduce kids to what happened…
Destined To Serve – Around The World In 80 Books #47
Setting: South Africa Time Period: 1849 – 1850 Over the last few years, I’ve accumulated a lot of ebooks from Amazon Kindle by Andrew Murry. After reading several of them, I wanted to read about the man who wrote such challenging and inspiring works. This biographical novel by Olea Nel is the first in a…
Second Chance – Around The World In 80 Books #46
Setting: Barbados and US Time Period: Modern Day “Second Chance” by Nicole Taylor is a chic flick novel with a millionaire, Hollywood style plot. She’s a model – he’s a movie star – and they just happen to have enough in common to fall in love. And by in love, I mean marriage. So often,…
Stranded – Around The World In 80 Books #45
Setting: Philippines Time Period: 1981 A cruise to the Philippines sounds like the perfect vacation, right? However, it turned into a nightmare for the characters in “Stranded.” The emergency signal sounded, passengers were loaded into lifeboats and then the unthinkable happened… The lifeboats exploded. You would assume there would be no survivors, but there are,…
The Tears of Dark Waters – Around The World In 80 Books #44
Setting: Somalia Time Period: 2011-2012 “The Tears of Dark Waters” by Corban Addison is a lengthy, deep novel about social issues that plague our times; both in the US and around the world. In this fictional story, an American family tries to restore their relationship with their wayward son, a Somalian teen gets in with…
Thunder In The Morning Calm – Around The World In 80 Books #43
Setting: North Korea Time Period: Modern Day “Thunder In The Morning Calm” by Don Brown was a thrilling suspense novel that takes you behind enemy lines in North Korea. When lead character, Lieutenant Commander Gunner McCormick, was briefed on his mission to the Yellow Sea, he discovers a hopeful, yet disturbing piece of information about…
Betrayed – Around The World In 80 Books #42
Setting: Guatemala Time Period: Modern Day When I began my journey with the “Around The World In 80 Books” reading challenge, I learned very quickly to appreciate authors who dig into out of the way settings. One of those authors is Jeanette Windle, and her novel, “Betrayed,” is set in the country of Guatemala. When…