I decided to read  The Covert Conspiracy by Adam Joslin simply because I know the author. Seriously. Adam is one of my RAs here at Virginia Tech. Now, I'll give you a moment to let that sink in. He's an RA at Virginia Tech. That means he's an undergraduate. A sophomore. Adam is a published author as a sophomore. Impressive.

This is not Adam's first published work. He has a book of poems that he self published a few years ago. But, this is his first novel and the first to be published by an outside company.

The novel is about a teen, Nick Tavers, who witnesses his neighbor's murder and ends up in the witness protection program. The Tavers family, along with their US Marshall escort, Hal, end up the wrong plane and land on a little-known island called Iosuni. While on the island, Nick makes new friends and uncovers a sinister plot. With help from his new friends, he attempts to stop this plot.

The book is definitely teen fiction, but the story was fun. There is a bit of drama, action, mystery, and romance in this story. It is the first of what will hopefully be a series of books, which will further explore some of the subplots in the novel.

Check it out!

The Covert Conspiracy

Complete Stories and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe

I started off the month of October with the goal of reading nothing but Halloween related books and stories. As Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, it seemed fitting. I intended to read works by Stoker, Irving, Shelley, and Poe.

I was having a Poe-themed Halloween party this year, so it seemed only natural to read the Complete Stories and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe. I gave it a valiant effort. I have long known some of Poe's works, as my dad used to tell them to me when I was younger. So, I would say I am a fan. The complete works, however, is a daunting collection of works. Poe is known for his macabre stories, and this collection contains those, but there are also some that a just downright weird. I read 50% of the works (according to my Kindle) and decided to give it a break. I was just finding myself bored.

I enjoyed "The Cask of Amontillado," "The Gold Bug," "The Fall of the House of Usher," and "Hop Frog," as well as a few others. Some of them I was familiar with and some I was not. I do still intend to read these works at some point. I just seemed to have last my stamina for this collection at this point in time.

Complete Stories and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe

A History of God: The 4,000-year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam

I have wanted to read A History of God: The 4,000 Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam by Karen Armstrong for several years now. I have several friends who entered the seminary (in different denominations) and they had it as part of their reading list. With my interest in religion, it seemed like something I would enjoy. In fact, I have owned it for a bit of time and have never gotten around to reading it. A few weeks ago, I noticed it on my pile of books that make up my queue and decided it was time to read it.

For the most part, I enjoyed the book. Karen Armstrong is a nun of the Roman Catholic tradition and has written a number of book on various religious traditions. I have read some of her works on Islam and have found her to be a fairly accessible author on religious topics. She may not be someone whom religious scholars would turn to, but I believe she presents these topics in a way that is understandable to lay people. This book is no exception. As the title indicates, this book is a look at the history of God through the lens of the three monotheistic prophetic traditions. It does not focus so much on the argument of whether or not God exists, but rather explores mankind's relationship with "Him" through the ages.

The book starts approximately 4,000 years ago, providing a glimpse of the social context of polytheism and pagan beliefs before the revelation of God to the early Jews. The next chapter gives a look at the way in which God was revealed to the early Jewish prophets and it's impact on planting the seeds for Judaism. Following this is a look at the role of Jesus of Nazareth and the advent of Christianity. A discussion of the Prophet Muhammed and Islam follows. After looking with some depth at the three prophetic traditions, Armstrong next provides a survey of God as understood by philosophers, mystics, and reformers. She then looks at the understanding of God during the Enlightenment and beyond.

I found the early chapters to be very interesting. I have long been interested in the relationship between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam and these chapters provided some interesting context, history, and at times, clarity. I also found the latter chapters to be intriguing, especially as Armstrong focused on history closer to the modern era. It seemed more accessible because I knew many of the figures about whom she spoke.

All in all, it was a very interesting book. There are a number of pages on which I bent down the corner because I found a particular passage to be interesting and thought provoking. While this is no light read, I would certainly recommend it for anyone who may be interested in the topic of religion or philosophical discussions about God.

A History of God: The 4,000-year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam