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Sixteen Brides
Sixteen Brides
6
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
I had a hard time getting into this book as the number of characters created chaos in the plot and point-of-view for the first few chapters. I could not keep track of who I was supposed to be following, and I felt like I needed a chart to keep them all straight in my head as I read. I kept wanting to ask the author, "Are 16 women really necessary?"
Luckily, that number was cut by more than half when the train stops in Plum Grove, Nebraska, leaving behind the important characters and sending the expendible ones away - how convenient. This is where I feel that the plot actually begins, as the women carve out lives for themselves, even as they experience character growth and rejuvenation. The men are also introduced at this point, and I found them to be more imaginative and unique than the females in the book. The dynamics between Michael Ransom and Lucas Gray, cousins, are very interesting, as Whitson only reveals a bit at a time about their relationship with each other. I wished that more had been written about Jeb Cooper, as the paradox that he lives daily was very entertaining to read.
The background information and historical details were interesting, as I knew little before reading this book about frontier towns and the founding and running of a homestead. I find it ironic that although all of the women are strongly opposed to being hitched to a man again, given that they all claim to be widows, romance seems to be necessary to each of their character developments. The romance was the most predictable aspect of the novel, with almost every woman gravitating noticeably to a man.
The idea that war widows were shipped out to the frontier as prospective brides made for excellent novel potential, but I felt the idea fell a bit short, as the man responsible in the book for these sixteen women was not followed in point-of-view passed his departure from Plum Grove. Neither was much said about the other women that went on to Cayote with him. I would have liked to be a fly on the wall at those women's proposals from strangers and hear their rationale behind making such a choice to be delivered and bid on like so many heads of cattle.
  
Evil Runs
Evil Runs
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A French priest, a Texas sheriff, and a female CIA agent walk into a bar looking for Evil. Sounds like the start of a corny joke, but it's not. Evil Runs by Vince Milam is a religious thriller that takes these three on a trip around the world to destroy the evil that has disrupted their lives.

Still grieving the loss of his wife, Sheriff Cole Garza is now dealing with multiple homicides at a nursing home in his small Texas town. Leaving the scene, he sees a most peculiar man who appears to be running away from another man with a long gray ponytail who is just as peculiar. Looking into the eyes of the murder suspect, Cole sees something familiar, something he saw in the eyes of his wife's murderer. When Father Francois Domaine appears in Texas with orders from the Vatican, things begin to really get strange. They have a suspect in custody and are currently looking for his accomplice, Adal Moloch. He was the peculiar man seen leaving the crime scene, and the hunt is on. With the help of Nadine May, a CIA operative with unbelievable tracking and computer skills, they are able to follow Moloch wherever he goes. Will they find him and bring him to justice before more people are hurt?

This is a book for those who believe in a higher power, or for those that don't, you just might after reading this book. Adal Moloch is not your typical suspect. He is a demon sent to have his evil bidding done by anyone who is willing to follow him. Destroying him is going to take more than a bullet to the head, but also a faith that God is stronger than him with that faith you can destroy anything. We always wonder if faith is enough. Can our faith in God destroy the evil that is around us? Can we rise above the evil and do what is right? At first, I was a little skeptical about this book thinking it was going to get a bit paranormal, but it didn't which made me thoroughly enjoy it. This is the first book i a series and I can't wait to read what is next.
  
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Andy Garcia recommended The General (1998) in Movies (curated)

 
The General (1998)
The General (1998)
1998 | Drama
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"I would go back to Buster Keaton’s The General. The accomplishment of that movie in those days, you know… First of all, Buster Keaton as an actor — and as a comedian — but as an actor really, was… again, I think the word “sublime” comes across, because of that sort of deadpan quality that he had. When he was still, you felt as though his feet had roots, and they were sort of embedded and grounded into the ground. And, you know, a hurricane could come and it would never push him over. So that sense of stillness that he had, that had this kind of emotional weight inside of it, created juxtaposition to the stuff that he would do. Even if he was moving around, there was always a sense of a “man against the world” kind of thing that was always very compelling. But that movie, what he did with that movie, with that train, and the kind of stunts he was doing on his own, and just running around… I mean, just the accomplishment of that movie from a technical standpoint in those days was quite something. So that’s my list as of today."

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