The Godhead Machine by Thomas K. Carpenter

The Godhead Machine by Thomas K. Carpenter

The Digital Sea Trilogy, Book 2

Publisher: Black Moon Books (November 2011)

365 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $7.99)

Book Rating: 4 Stars

Content Note: Includes Swearing and References to Rape

Zel Aurora is back and this time she is pulled into the global expansion of the cult-like Wiki-religion, the conspiracy surrounding it, and struggling to get free of its hold. Though a few familiar characters return from the first book in this series, this book also introduces a host of new characters and it took me a while to get into it and get everyone sorted out, but once that happened it was great. I loved Zel’s two new allies: the little orphan girl, Sigh, and the celebrity, Nari. And I thought the mystery surrounding the reappearance of Sasha, from the first book, was fascinating. I look forward to reading the last book in this trilogy, Neochrome Aurora (expected out early 2013).

The Digital Sea by Thomas K. Carpenter

The Digital Sea by Thomas K. Carpenter

The Digital Sea Trilogy, Book 1

Publisher: Black Moon Books (December 2010)

368 pages, Paperback (provided by the Author)

Book Rating: 5 Stars

Content Note: Includes Sexual Situations and Swearing

With only a few cursory explanations, this story plunges you into a futuristic world in which mere thoughts can not only access the vast amounts of information available on the internet and through other sources, but can also alter your perception of the world around you as well as others' perception of you. Zel Aurora, a highly-skilled hacker with Asperger's, must sift through others actions and motivations as she attempts to fulfill her deal with the Djed, and in doing so, she hopes to save her daughter's life. This story contains multiple stories that are followed throughout the book and though some of them only converge briefly with the main storyline, I found them all interesting and the characters therein were very engaging. It took a bit of effort in the beginning to keep all the storylines straight, but you quickly come up to speed and it was definitely worth it in the end. I thought the story and characters explored many interesting questions, all in shades of gray without over-simplification. This book is the first in a trilogy, followed by The Godhead Machine and Neochrome Aurora (expected out early 2013). Excellent read!

In the Midst of Life by Jennifer Worth

In the Midst of Life by Jennifer Worth

Publisher: Phoenix (August 2011)

432 pages, Paperback (purchased myself for $7.96)

Book Rating: 4 Stars

A mixture of nursing stories, and stories of family and friends, with accompanying statistics and other background information on death and dying, this insightful work questions the manner in which we die in modern society and the prudence of modern medical intervention at the time of death. I found the information and stories within, to be at times sad, others beautiful, but always thought-provoking. This work raises important questions that every person living in a modern society should not only think about, but discuss with their family. Highly recommended!