Crater By Homer Hickam

Thank you, Booksneeze, for providing this book for me to read and review.


I enjoyed this story. It was very imaginative. At first, I had a hard time getting into it because the author used words and terms that were foreign to me…in fact, I believe many were made up. Things like the “gillie” who played such an important part in the story; a do4u, something that took the place of the older and outdated, outlawed, gillies; blue bangers, pulors and so forth. But once I got beyond allowing these unknowns to stop the flow of the story, I really got into the book.

Although considered a young adult book, I totally enjoyed reading this book. I think teens would find this a wonderful tale. In fact, I will pass the book on to my grandson who is 14 years old and I know he will enjoy it.

The only problem is that the book leaves us sort of hanging. It doesn’t really “end” in a satisfactory manner and leaves us knowing a sequel book is on its way. In fact, at the end of the book you learn the next book will be coming out in 2013. That is frustrating to me! I hate to have to wait for the “next” to find out how things will be resolved from the previous book. Because of this, I am only giving the book 3 stars. I hate cliff-hangers!

So there you have it…you have been warned. If you read this book, you WILL want to read the next. Unfortunately the “next” won’t be available until next year!

thunder dob: The true story of a blind man, his guide dog & the triumph

thank you Booksneeze for providing this book for my review.

This is the first book I read of an actual account of the 9/11 attack in NYC. I knew before beginning the book that the tragedy was a horrendous experience for those present. But reading the account from a survivor’s perspective was still eye-opening. (No pun intended, as the witness to this calamity was blind.)


Michael and Roselle, a blind man/seeing eye dog team, were working on the 78th floor of the north tower, when an incredible explosion, followed by the tower leaning, leaning, leaning until it seemed it would topple. What had happened? No one in the tower knew exactly what had happened…they only knew they had to evacuate that building post haste!

As Michael and his dog make their way slowly down stairway B, along with a throng of sighted people, all trying to escape, Michael shares his thoughts, his emotions, his faith and his trust in his dog, the last two of which help him to be a survivor.

I liked this book, but it took a couple of chapters to get used to the way the author switched from past tense to present tense. Also, it seemed he had a hard time deciding just where to end the story. Each time I would think, “That was the end,” but knew it couldn’t be because there were still pages to come. Other then those two things it was a really good book.