Forgotten God

(review by Julie)
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars)

I got hooked on Francis Chan's books after reading Crazy Love several years ago (which was also a great book!). He's so authentic and tells you exactly what's on his heart.  I was reading Crazy Love with a group and we watched his video clips to go with the book. Since then I've seen a few other videos of Chan, and they have all been so raw and real. Now, whenever I read something he wrote, I see his facial expressions and hear his voice in my mind.

In Forgotten God; Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit, Chan once again lays it all out there. He lays out principles regarding the theology surrounding the Holy Spirit (which many of us haven't spent much time thinking about before), what a relationship with the Holy Spirit looks like, and then he imagines what the church would look like if we all got real and lived by the Spirit.  I highly recommend this book! It broke my heart and inspired me to go deeper with the Holy Spirit.

Draw the Circle

(review by Julie)
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Draw the Circle: The 40 Day Prayer Challenge, by Mark Batterson is a follow up to Batterson's earlier book, The Circle Maker. While Batterson's emphasis remains the same: Pray the big prayers God inspires, there is also a lot of new material in the personal testimonies people have sent Batterson since The Circle Maker's release.  Since, Draw the Circle is set up as a 40 day prayer challenge, it's arranged into 40 shorts chapters that can be easily read in five to ten minutes each.

I enjoyed this book, and I found myself inspired to pray harder. I love Batterson's message and I applaud his work in teaching us all to pray. However, I was frustrated with all the short quips and cliche one liners. Since I also recently read Batterson's In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day, it may be that I'm just a little burnt out on his writing style.

Overall, I like recommend Batterson's Circle books, but I suggest you pick either The Circle Maker or Draw the Circle to read, based on which style of book you enjoy more.  There is no reason to read the books in any particular order so, if you're really craving more when you're done, pick up the other and continue on!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not encouraged or required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Heaven Is For Real

(review by Julie)
My rating: 6 out of 5 stars!!

This book was recommended to me by a friend who doesn't read a lot, but said she LOVED this book and everyone should read it. I thought that was a pretty amazing review for a non-bookie, so I reserved the Kindle edition of Heaven is for Real, by Todd Burpo at my library and had to wait several months for it. When it finally came in, I knew I'd never get to renew my library loan, so was on a strict 3 week deadline to get it read. (Don't you love how the simplest deadlines inspire you to get something done fast?) Well, it turned out there was no need for a deadline. I have a hard time putting my iTouch down as soon as I started reading.

Heaven is for Real is a wonderful TRUE story about a boy who almost died (or maybe did die for thee minutes). While his life was hanging on a limb, he had an amazing experience that could only be explained by the almighty God!  I don't want to ruin too much of the book for you, so I'll leave it there- just go read it! It was a fast, easy read and you'll be thinking about it for months afterwards.

Slave: The Hidden Truth About Your Identity in Christ

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

 

Slave, by John MacArthur, is well-written blend of history and theology, combining a description of slavery in both Roman times and in colonial America with a fluid comparison to our lives as we move from slaves to sin, to chosen slaves of Christ, to adopted sons and daughters of the King!

While MacArthur writes in the typical tone of a theology text, quoting George Muller, John Newton, Andrew Murry, and a host of other great Christian writers throughout the centuries, he is also practical in providing applications of his ideas to our everyday lives as Christians.  

There were two points that I found myself thinking more about since finishing the book:

1.  “In the Roman slave market, decisions regarding the slave’s future rested solely in the hands on the purchaser, not the one being sold. Similarly, the Bible teaches that God has chosen His slaves by His own sovereign independent, electing choice.  …  He pursued us even though we did not seek Him, drawing us to Himself and snatching us from the clutches and condemnation of sin.” (p132) “In all of this, we as believers can take no credit.” (p148)

2.  “Whereas a master/slave relationship might be temporary, a father/son relationship is not. As Jesus told the unbelieving Pharisees, underscoring the axiomatic nature of this reality, ‘The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever’ (John 8:35).  … The doctrine of adoption establishes the reality that believers once save, are always saved.” (p170)

I’m not sure I agree 100% with everything MacArthur said in this book, but it was well-supported with scripture and presented in an understandable, although a little long winded, manner that made me think and had me praising God for his mercy and grace many times.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not encouraged or required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

 

Published by Thomas Nelson, copyright 2010 by John MacArthur.

ISBN: 978-1-4002-8111-4 (IE)

The Circle Maker

(review by Julie)
 My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

A good friend gave me The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson after she'd read it herself. She's an experience prayer warrior and she found it encouraging and challenging. Overall, I LOVED this book. I do have to admit though, that there were numerous times that I had to set the book down in the middle of the chapter and ask God, "Wow! Seriously? Do you work like that? Does prayer work like that?"  The book really challenges you to pray harder and longer for the promises that God gives you. It some ways there's nothing new about it, but in other ways, it's completely revolutionized my view of prayer.  In the end, I've experienced a metamorphosis in my walk with God and I believe he did part of it through this book. So, thank you Mark Batterson for your faith and your prayer!

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Name of the Wind was a really great book.  It is the fantasy genre story of Kvothe, the fierce hero and prodigy.  Much is told as his own recounting of his life story, but the frame story adds an element of ominous mystery.  It's so long (722 pages in the library version) that I wouldn't have read it except that it was chosen for my book club; I'm so glad it was.  Even though it was a big time investment, it was worth it.  The world in which it is set has depth and mystery, the characters are complex and intriguing; and the narrative is well-written and compelling.  It isn't dark, exactly, but it is weighty and original with a serious edge.

One thing that made the length manageable is that I was able to read a little at a time, at least for the first two-thirds of the book.  If I had done my usual I-can't-stand-it-I-just-have-to-read-constantly-til-it's-finished thing I would have had to seriously neglect my family!  As it was, it wasn't boring or frustrating, I just enjoyed a little piece each night... until it got really exciting, that is.

I will definitely be continuing to read the series.  The next book, The Wise Man's Fear, is already out but we have to wait for the third book of the trilogy.  I recommend it for anyone who enjoys full-bodied fantasy - you'll love this story. 

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Sunshine by Robin McKinley

(review by Deanna)

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


This was awful.  Wait, no, it was actually good but I'm mad about it.  Robin McKinley creates a fascinating world - set in modern America but with a grungy, paranormal twist on reality.  She discloses the world primarily through extended rambling by the main character.  The bright side of the rambling is that the heroine has a distinctive voice that remains consistent throughout the book.  The other side is that it's rambling, and a lot of it.  Through all this random thoughtfulness on the character's part, we learn a tantalizing amount about their world, but it raises more questions than it answers.  So much is left unanswered at the end of the book that it is only worth the trouble to slog through all the rambling if the book is the setup for a multi-book series.  However, the author is adamant that there is no sequel and probably there won't ever be.  Well, that's just wrong.  The is a promise of romance, but no romance, and implications of hidden identities, but no answers.  For a stand-alone novel, I found it unsatisfying.  It leaves so much open that it just feels sloppy.

If you find many unanswered questions to be tantalizingly mysterious, you would be much better able to enjoy the interesting world in Sunshine than I was.



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In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan

(review by Julie)
For some reason that I can't quite remember, I got started on a kick reading about food stuff.  I reserved several books at the library (the closest thing to a drive-thru as the library gets) and started reading Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food; An Eater's Manifesto first.  It was engaging and not so intellectual that I couldn't read it in snippets, waiting in lines and such.

He tells you right at the beginning that after writing The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, his publisher suggested he write a book telling the world how he thought we ought to eat.  After much research he decided it was very simple: "Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants."  Knowing that he could sell a book that was only 7 words long, he devoted most of the book to explaining how he arrived at that conclusion.

I found his explanation of how things work in the health and diet industry to be INCREDIBLY interesting!!! Being a veteran of several swing diets, I know first hand how crazy they are, so his moderate, common sense approach, backed up with science is very convincing.

The last part of the book is very similar to his booklet Food Rules. He explains what he means by "food" as opposed to "processed food like substances" and gives a lot of good rules of thumb and tips for avoiding processed foods.  I'd love to own a copy of the book since the library wouldn't let me keep theirs, but it'll have to get in line.

Angel Song

(review by Julie)
I stayed up way too late last night reading Angel Song by Sheila Walsh and Kathryn Cushman.  I started the book a week or so ago and was forced to set it aside when things got a little crazy, but the story line and the characters stuck in my head.  So, last night I shut off the computer and picked it up and again. I have to say, it was a truly wonderful book!

The characters were so real and the story line was captivating. I really enjoyed the authors' descriptions of angels and their roles in our lives. Now that it's done I'm sad to see it go, but I feel more at peace, and more willing to trust His will for my life.

I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a inspirational Christian fiction book, but I have to warn you, I cried a few times.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not encouraged or required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Eighth Scroll

(Review by Julie)
The Eighth Scroll by Dr. Laurence is an interesting novel that follows a teenager, Michael, into adulthood as he tries to solve a mystery surrounding the origins of the dead sea scrolls that got his own father killed.  I like the detail in the writing and archeologist tilt to the story- it gives the story enough authenticity that made me do a double take and even flip through my Bible to make sure I hadn't missed some of the major accusations the main character makes.

The story line was a little slow at first but after a few chapters it picked up and got in my head, so it was a fun read.  I found the whole thing a bit like The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown but I can't help but think the author himself is convinced that there's some truth to his story.

(ISBN:9781419673238 Copyright 2007)
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author through Bostick Communications (http://www.bostickcommunications.com). I was not encouraged or required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Portable Patriot

(review by Deanna)

I selected this book to receive from the publisher because I thought it would be a great reference to have for my children's school years and because I've been refreshing my own knowledge of history (which is sadly lacking).  The Portable Patriot: Documents, Speeches, and Sermons that Compose the American Soul is a compilation in a small, hardback format.  I like the feel of the book itself - it is less than seven inches tall with a nice texture to the cover, spine and paper.

Given that these are important documents for my own country's history, I'm glad to have a paper copy of them.  However, there are some aspects of the compilation that don't make this very readable.  First, they have printed the documents one right after the other with very little introductory information.  Even the table of contents only lists each section, so if you want to turn to a document you have to search through the section rather than having a page number to turn to.  I know this was done to make the format smaller and more portable, but it also makes it more difficult to use.  There is a short index and I'm very glad they chose to include one.  I hope we'll use this book in the future.  For just reading, I found it torturous to get through.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not encouraged or required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

I Was A Really Good Mom Before I Had Kids by Ashworth and Nobile

(review by Julie)
After seeing a book titled Didn't I Feed You Yesterday at the bookstore I couldn't forget about the title. It feels so fitting right now for my life with a 7 month old. I looked on Amazon to figure out what it was about and if it was worth reading and right there under "customers who bought this book also bought:" were several other great sounding books about motherhood, including, I Was A Really Good Mom Before I Had Kids by Trisha Ashworth and Amy Nobile. I looked for all the books listed, but this was the one my library happened to have, so I put it on reserve (my order-ahead-drive-thru library service) and picked it up the next time I was there.  It's right there in the same genera and Sippy Cups are Not for Chardonnay, which I've heard is great, but never read.

Overall it was a great read.  It was a quick read (only took me one or two days of ignoring my children to read through it) and a balanced mix of so-true-it-hurts and LOL. The best part about this book though is that it's not just a bunch of complaining. They give great suggestions at the end of each chapter about how to make motherhood a little more enjoyable. The topics they cover include setting more realistic expectations, making peace with your choices, stopping the judgment cycle, loosing the guilt, and finding ways to "love being a mother as much as we love our kids."

Do you think I could request that my library start buying more snarky mommyhood books?

More Olympians

(review by Julie)
I recently finished book two and three in The Olympians series: The Sea of Monsters and The Titan's Curse.  (Read my review of book one, The Lightning Thief, here).  I hesitated to do a full review of The Sea of Monsters because it was so similar to the first book and I wasn't feeling like I had a lot more to say.  However, after reading The Titan's Curse, I'm excited about the series again.

I think maybe The Sea of Monsters just wasn't 'all that' because I kept feeling like I'd read it before.  Maybe it was just drawing the series too close to the Harry Potter series? Don't get me wrong, it was cute and there was some additional character development, but I'd say it was only a 3 star book.

I admit- I almost didn't read The Titan's Curse (book three). I just kept feeling like I'd been there and done that.  However, I'd already reserved it at the library, so when it came in I went ahead and checked it out.  I'm really glad I did, too! Book three begins a budding romance that book two had hinted at and I'm a sucker for a love story. It also introduces some new characters while checking in on a few old ones. The Titan's Curse was hard to put down and left me wanting to read # 4. I give it 4 stars.

Brushing Up on My History

(review by Julie)
Given everything that's going on in our country these days, I've been feeling the need to brush up on American history to gain a better perspective.  I remember very little of my high school history class (sorry Mr. Minor!) and have been feeling a little lost when I try to discuss current events with my husband (Political Science Major with a History Minor).
 
A month or two ago, while at my friend, Lara's house , I saw Instant American History by Irwin Unger on her bookshelf and nosily picked it up and started reading.  The top banner on the book cover says, "A complete education- without the tuition" which appealed to me on a Good Will Hunting sort of level.  After reading the first chapter, I was pretty impressed that a book about history could hold my attention as well as this one did. (Granted, I had a genuine preexisting interest in the subject.)  So, I borrowed the book and have enjoyed reading it.

Unger is a Ph.D at New York University and, apparently, won a Pulitzer Prize for The Greenback Era, a treatise on American finance in the mid to late 1800s.  I'm guessing it's the sort of book he forces his students to buy and read after they've paid a large sum in tuition.

In Instant American History, Unger mercifully adds a bit of personality to the book with his dry sense of humor and some amusing comics from a variety of sources, some of which I wouldn't have understood had I not just read the previous page.  I also appreciated how cohesive the book felt.  I gained a good perspective of how more than 100 years of American history lead up to the Civil War and how the war was about more than just slavery.  I also can see now why the civil war didn't fix all the race problems in our country. My only real complaint is that the book stops just after the civil war, so I guess I'll be picking up another history book soon. I've heard good things about Don't Know Much About History by Kenneth C. Davis, so that's what I'm reading next.

A Fun Fast Fiction Fantasy Book

(review by Julie)
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a fun series of fiction books by Rick Riordan about the Mythical Gods of ancient Rome, but set in the present day. In the first book, The Lightening Thief, we meet Percy Jackson and discover this strange world that exists, unnoticed, right in front of the humans, along side Percy.  I won't give any more of the plot away (it's predictable enough on it's own) but I'll tell you that Riordan does a great job of incorporating the ancient characters and myths into today's world- maybe I'll even remember a few of those stories now.

I believe the books are considered teen or young adult books. They remind me a lot of the Harry Potter books, but weren't similar enough to be annoying.  They're fun, they draw you in and move quickly- I think I read The Lightening Thief in less than 24 hours between baby wrangling, toddler herding and dinner cooking. It seems like they would be ideal travel books because they would make the miles fly by.  Plus, by the time you get there, you'd be about done with one, so you wouldn't spend your whole vacation with your nose in a book. (I've been told repeatedly that this is rude to your co-vacationers.)

I hear they've made The Lightening Thief into a movie, but I usually avoid seeing a movie once I've read the book, so I don't know much about it.  Have any of you seen it?