The God Killers (David Simpson)

If you are a staunch believer in God, the storyline may come as a shock at first but don't let that deter you from reading further. The story is actually quite intriguing.

Cipher, Father Hurley, and Han have all died and were brought back from death, giving them the ability to see the third plane on which ghosts and phantoms reside. They also know the truth about God; that he consumes the souls of people who die, and that people have been misled into putting their belief into God.

Their mission is to kill God (hence the name of the book) with the help of Satan (who happens to be a woman - not sure if I should be offended by that :) ). When their first attempt fails, they need to recruit another person, Natalie, to their team who, according to Satan, is the key to killing God.

Their mission is made all the more difficult since they are forced to face the ghosts of their past (literally). Cipher fights with a father who tried to kill him; Han battles a sister who died when she sacrificed herself to save his life; and Natalie has to face a child that she had aborted years ago.

Their second attempt though is an all or nothing situation: they either succeed in killing God or they die trying, taking everyone in the city with them. But is it worth the risk?

I rate this book a 4/5. The unorthodox storyline turns out to be a fascinating adventure.
More information on The God Killers

How to Train Your Dragon (Cressida Cowell)

We've all watched the movie, right? It was such a cute movie :) So you probably expect that the storyline of the movie followed the book, for the most part at least ...

Well, the book is actually quite different to that of the movie. Now you're probably thinking that in most cases the book is better than the movie, so this must be the case here. But I'm glad to say that this isn't one of those cases. While the movie deviates quite a lot from the book, both are great on its own!

In the book, we join Hiccup & his friend Fishlegs as they attempt to train their respective dragons to earn a place in the tribe. Failure to train your dragon to perform certain feats will lead to exile!

While Hiccup is not very assertive and commanding, he is very smart. But will this be enough to get him through the test and secure him a place on the tribe? For Hiccup, the stakes are higher since he is to succeed his father, Stoick the Vast, as leader of the tribe.

I rate this book a 4/5. It is a great read for all ages and is a quick read as well. It's a feel good book that will have you smiling.
More information on How to Train Your Dragon

Paper Dollhouse: A Memoir (Dr Lisa M Masterson)

If you, like me, often tune in to the show The Doctors, you will recognise the author, Dr Lisa Masterson, as the ob/gyn on the show. While the show portrays a bubbly, and fun Dr Lisa; the book lacks the same persona. After seeing her on the show, the book is a bit of a disappointment; however it is still heartwarming in its openness and honesty.

We journey with Dr Lisa as she relives her past, with a slight emphasis on her relationship with her mother (who was a single mum). The book however is very much focussed on Dr Lisa herself, even through her mum's cancer. Dr Lisa is an inspiration given how much she persevered to get to where she is today. Of course a lot of it had to do with her mum's struggle to give her the best education possible, sparing no expense.

I rate this book a 3/5. While the story was inspiring, it didn't engage me emotionally (except on the very rare occasion).
More information on Paper Dollhouse