Books read in June 2014

1. Why I am an Atheist Who Believes in God: How to give love, create beauty and find peace by Frank Schaeffer Like a former heavy smoker who becomes strident against tobacco, Frank rails against the beliefs of his parents. But first I should thank him for his generosity in allowing a free Kindle download for a couple of days and for what reads as a heart on the shoulder account of his presents beliefs. However I believe he is wrong to describe his parents as fundamentalist, a really pejorative term. His father preferred the name, Bible believing Christian. I also take exception the Frank slandering such believers as Bible worshipping Christians. Frank treats Scripture like someone in a pick and mix sweet store. He choses the bits that suit his now liberal and post-modernist perspective. He ask what is truth and concludes it does not consist of objective presuppositions. He is big on love and beauty and there is beauty n the way he depicts his family love. But why does he need to use four letter words in his narrative? I see he has rejected more than his father's doctrine of Scripture. He has left antithesis for what Francis would call an upper story experience of religion and in so doing he confirms his father's assertion that the non-believer cannot consistently follow his own chosen path of rejection of the truth. But on some things I am with Frank. He stridently rejects the atheists who claim certainty, also the non-representational in modern art and the atonality of modern music. 2 Revenge by Martina Cole ( This is I think the third of her books read recently. All are about the life of East End Gangsters. This one is particularly brutal, do much so that I cannot see it being shown in a visual medium without drastic editing. As usual the language is much riper and authentic than East Enders. The are interesting issues raised about family life and conscience. A good read but not for the squeamish. 3. Backlash by Lynda La Plant I think the author is the best crime thriller writer alive today. This a great page turner and seems most authentic. I seem to recall parts of this on TV but my memory was very sporadic and did not affect the pleasure of reading. I think it is well told and the characters well draw. I have seen lots of La Plante on TV. Now I want to read more. 4.An Officer and a Spy by Robert Harris I am not surprised that this work was awarded a prize for the best historical novel of the year. It is a riveting read retelling the story of the greatest ever injustice and conspiracy in France. As with best of tales you would think it an unbelievable tale if you did not know its historical basis. It has left me with to thins to do. Read more about Dreyfus and read more from Harris. 5. The Kill Room by Jeffery Deaver A gripping crime thriller set in the Caribbean and New York. Held my attention. Some good twists but I found the drone technology a little far fetched. Ruthless killing but some human touches even post traumatic stress. 6. Dust by Patricia Cornwell My second thriller read in the Scarpetta series. A gripping who dunnit thriller with plenty of twists and turns. There is a lot of forensic detail as befits a former pathology worker but I fund some of the technology from the neiece of the heroine to be more science fiction than fiction.