Review: Iris

Iris by Anna K. Payne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have been provided a complimentary eBook and am providing an honest review.

This is the 2nd book in a series written by Ms. Payne. Like the first one, there are two stories that are weaved together with the hero Iris as the lead in both of them. One story involves someone who had a crush on her that is not healthy, the other is her trying to find a greater faith in the God that she sort of believes in. As we get deeper into the mystery of who is sending her pictures of Irises painted in blood, we find out people who are around her are in danger, especially her neighbor and the one thing that she trusts in life, his dog, and through this, she is learning to trust God and her small group of Bible study friends.

I would recommend this to people who are wanting to learn more of what it means to trust God, and/or who want a light mystery. I say light mystery because I had figured out who done it very early on. Again, like the first book in the series, Lilly (who makes an appearance here), it is more like how are they going to get caught. It is a short read, I would say 2 hours or less.

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Review: The Elven Stones: Abundance: An Elven Legend Quest

The Elven Stones: Abundance: An Elven Legend Quest by P. A. Wilson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this book so that I could review it, what follows is an honest review.

I am expanding my horizons and have decided for a little bit of fantasy. The Elven Stones: Abundance, is the second in a series of books by P. A. Wilson. I will read anything but so often books in a series rely on you to have read the previous story. So going in I was a little worried, not having read the fist story. I should not have worries. The author did a masterful job of weaving what we needed to know of the first book into the narrative of this one.

In this world, elves are not as plentiful as they were. They do not seem to be giving birth as much to keep the population growing. We find out that it because the stone of abundance, one of the three elven stones, is missing along with another one. The guardian of these stones wants to put them back into their rightful place, but first they have to find them. The problem is the guardian is near the end of his lifespan. Into our story come the two stars of the previous story, elves who were orphans who have a vested interest in finding the other missing stone, the stone of the orphans, so they can gain back the credibility they lost when it disappeared. That story obviously has to wait for the next book.

At times, I wished the story moved along a little faster. However, the adventure quest turns into an epic journey. And while two stories are advanced here, the choice for a new keeper and the quest for the stone, both get the time they need. And they both come to a conclusions that satisfies but leaves you wanting to know what happens in the next book. The ending, while a surprise, was hinted at throughout the whole story. I just did not see the clues.

I would recommend this book to any who are into the fantasy world of elves and other races. It is also just good as a light reading fare.

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Review: LEADERSHIP: As Seen Through the Eyes of a Follower

LEADERSHIP: As Seen Through the Eyes of a Follower by George Vucin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I want to thank Dog Eared Publishing and Net Galley for a chance to read this book. It was provided by them and this is my honest review.

Leadership books can be a little tricky to write. Most all of them I have read tell you how to be a leader, and that is OK. But to have a leader, you have to have a group of followers. That is where this book differs from most other leadership books. The follower is not ignored. In fact, you are taught that what you do as a leader can affect your followers.

To often a leader wants to stay with the style that got them where they are. The reason for that is simple. It worked before so it must work now, and no one likes to change. The thing is, as you move up the ladder, the people that report to you change, and you have to know how to change with them.

Leadership principles are discussed. In that way this book is no different than any other leadership book. What is different than most is that once they are taught, then the view of the different types of followers are talked about. What works for one type of follower will not work for another. And they type of people change with what you do.

An example of my own life shows a major point of this book. I work retail on weekends, I have for almost 10 years. Started out in the back room unloading the truck each day I worked. This store rotated managers around about every 6 months. We worked well with one type of manager, but rather than send us that type, the ones that would roll up their sleeves and work with, we often got the ones that would come in, say do the work and then move on. Now I work on the sales floor and that is the way the management works. If you had a manger doing the work with you, then it would be looked at as he did not think you could do the work yourself.

This is the core I got out of this book. Be the manager the people who follow you need you to be. I have been involved with volunteer leadership with churches I have attended for years now. This is the book that I wish I had years ago. What worked in one place did not work in others. I had to learn to change.

I recommend this book for anyone looking at being a leader of any sort. It is excellent in teaching what one needs to know.

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