The Phantom Paragrapher

Synopsis : Second Read : Writers Look Back at Classic Works of Reportage - November 2011 In the Columbia Journalism Review 's Second Read series, distinguished journalists rediscover the works of reportage that inspired and informed their writing and careers. As they revisit these seminal books, contributors address such ongoing concerns as the conflict between narrative flair and accurate reporting, the legacy of New Journalism, the need for reporters to question their political assumptions, the limitations of participatory journalism, and the temptation to substitute "truthiness" for hard, challenging fact. Representing a wide range of views, this collection embodies the diversity and dynamism of nonfiction reporting and offers new perspectives on key works by such figures as Norman Mailer, Tom Wolfe, Rachel Carson, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The anthology also highlights pivotal moments and movements in journalism while offering rare insight int...

Are you on fire for God ? Looking for ways to serve him ? Synopsis: 1000 Days - Jonathan Falwell - March 2012 An opportunity to meet Jesus Christ like never before. Have you ever thought that when Jesus Christ came to earth more than two thousand years ago, he could have simply given us salvation-period!-and never done another single thing? Jesus Christ could have chosen to be born of a virgin, live for 33 years in relative obscurity, die on the cross, be buried, and rise from the dead three days later, and still give us the opportunity for salvation without doing any of the things we read about in the gospels . Yet there was more. For three years-roughly 1,000 days-Jesus served in public ministry while on earth. He didn't need to do this ministry, yet he did anyway, and that's the key for us. This intentionality implies that there is a lot of information in Scripture that we need to grapple with. We need to understand what Jesus said and did ...

Looking for a new Vampire Novel to sink your teeth in ?  Review: The Vampire Shrink - Book #1 Kismet Knight Series - Lunda Hilburn - October 2007 I've always been a huge fan of Vampire fiction and The Vampire Shrink by Lynda Hilburn was one of the earliest I read , so when I read that she was doing a new cover , I thought that I would do a review and ignite it to all those readers out there who have yet to discover its awesomeness. If you love Vampires and Pyschology , then this is for you and if you love the suspense and mystery element then you have that chucked into the mix also. I have a thing for covers and at the time I had the cover on the far right but I would have to say my two favourite covers is the one on the far left and the one 2nd to the right. In The Vampire Shrink , we meet Pyschologist Kismet Knight , she runs her own office and the thought of Vampires actually existing makes her laugh , to her there is no such thing as the supernatural . Th...

Looking for a new christian novel ? One that will definitely have your heart understanding that no matter how terrible or wrong things get , that God is always there for you ? Review: Need You Now - Beth Wiseman - March 2012 Most commonly known for her Amish fiction ,author Beth Wiseman has decided to take a go at writing contemporary fiction or what I personally would put under the category of Edgy Christian Fiction. I have to admit that I didn't know what I was really in for until I started reading it and as the storyline went along , it well was amazing. I have always been a fan of Edgy Content . so I loved the way Beth Wiseman captured the essence of the different issues in Need You Now. I think for me the theme of Need You Now was that no matter how hard and how difficult life gets for you , the obstacles that can be chucked in your path God Loves You, no matter what and with his love , you can fix anything . Need You Now starts off a little slow as it sets ...

Looking through this month's copy of Night Owl Reviews , I came across Suzanne Brockmann latest release "Born to Darkness". I've been hearing about this book for a few weeks now and it is definitely one that is on my never ending TBR List. Synopsis: Born to Darkness - Book #1 Fighting Destiny Series - Suzanne Brockmann - March 2012 As the New York Times bestselling author of the Troubleshooters series and a "superstar of romantic suspense" (USA Today), Suzanne Brockmann has an acclaimed history of taking readers’ breath away with her novels of hot passion and high adventure. Now she takes her talent for sexy, action-packed storytelling in a thrilling new direction: forward—into a future, both fantastic and frightening, that only the brilliant Brockmann could envision. Dishonorably discharged, former Navy SEAL Shane Laughlin is down to his last ten bucks when he finally finds work as a test subject at the Obermeyer Institute, a little-known and...

Are you a long-time standing fan of James Patterson's books ? Every time a new book comes out by him, do you get the tingles filled with excitement ? Get ready readers for the 2nd Book in his Private Series starring lead investigator "Jack Morgan". Though , I must have read the series a tad out of order as this is the 4th book I have read in the Private Series, not sure how that happened lol. Review: Private No.1 Suspect - Book #2 Private Series - James Patterson and Maxine Paetro- January 2nd 2012 As a reader, I have alot of authors that I love to bits , one of these authors is James Patterson. I can't actually recall when I started reading all his books but I can say that the first one of his I ever read was 3rd Degree , I had picked it up at a secondhand bookshop I think. It was amazing and soon I was reading every single one of his books that I could get my hands on whether it was an awesome novel or a really weird book like his "Youv'e Been...

Are you on the lookout for a new thriller series to read ? Something that gets your pyschological juices flowing ? Looking for a new therapist series to follow ? Come join Dr. Morgan Snow with her series based at the Butterfield Institute where she works as a Sex Therapist.  Review: The Halo Effect - Book #1 Butterfield Institute series - MJ Rose - July 2005 Looking for a new pyschological thriller to get your brain juices flowing ? After reading a special written by MJ Rose called "In Session" which featured what would happen if characters like Jack Reacher (Lee Child ) and John Rain ( Barry Eisler) were to stumble upon Dr. Morgan Snow's couch , for those who don't know - Dr. Morgan Snow is a Sex Therapist and works for the Butterfield Institute, they are the best in their profession. You come to them, not the other way around. After reading In Session, I decided to give MJ Rose a go and checked out her book "The Halo Effect" from the l...

The Worldwide Dessert Contest - Dan Elish Publishers Weekly" raves: A little bit of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with a dash of Homer Price's donut maker, this novel pays homage to the longstanding rapport between children and sweets. John Apple longs to win the Worldwide Dessert Contest, but all his delicious desserts have a penchant for changing into something else at the last minute. The way he overcomes this difficulty and takes first place involves a search for the greatest chef in the world, the defeat of the thieving title-holder of the contest and a run-in with a judge who has, thanks to John, a caramel apple bonded to his cheek from their last encounter. Elish writes with a sure hand of this sugary world, his tongue squarely in the area of his sweet tooth. For his ability to praise desserts in an endlessly original fashion, he deserves a blue ribbon. Ages 9-11. First published in 1998, "The Worldwide Dessert Contest" by Dan Elish is now an enhanced e-...

Have you been following the Backlit collection ? Have you read Books#1 and #2 of the Borrowing Abby Grace series that I reviewed on The Phantom Paragrapher ? Get ready for the 3rd installment known as two titles "Teacher's Pet" or "Top of The Class". Review: Top of the Class - Book #3 Borrowing Abby Grace series - Kelly Green - December 2011 I have found myself enjoying the Borrowing Abby Grace trilogy as I love body shifting novels , one that I read recently that was awesome was Shift by Em Bailey. Unlike the previous two books in the Borrowing Abby Grace series, this one is more interesting as Abby doesn't just shift into another body but unlike her previous two which have been female , Abby is about to shift into a body of a teenage boy named Eric. This made me laugh as it reminded me of the film "The Hot Guy" with a mix of the Reese Witherspoon film "The Graduate" as Eric has a secret girlfriend and if it was to get out both him , b...