Aug. 9, 2009 - Book Review- At First Sight by Nicholas Sparks

At First Sight by Nicholas Sparks


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was only the second Nicholas Sparks book I have ever read.  Despite all the hype and the movies made from several of his novels, I haven't really gotten on that wagon.  Several years ago I read Dear John as part of a book club.  I liked it.  So, when I saw At First Sight at the library book sale, I thought I'd try it.

It was a sweet, touching story about the love of a spouse and love of a child.  It was much different than the Christian fiction I normally read, and I always find an interesting contrast between the way the Christian characters in the Christian fiction books and the non Christian characters in secular books handle relationship issues that arise.  But, it did have a sweet love story.  Spoiler warning: a twist at the end was unexpected and sad and kind of ruined the story for me.

This was about what I would except from a Nicholas Sparks book- an okay read, but I don't think I'll be running out to buy more.

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Aug. 7, 2009 - Book Review- Riven by Jerry B. Jenkins

Riven by Jerry B. Jenkins


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Wonderful book!  I haven't read anything by Jenkins except the Left Behind series which I wasn't extremely impressed with.  This one is also a little sensational.  But it is a very interesting story that draws you in from the beginning and is a beautiful picture of how God works- in the lives of believers and unbelievers to draw them to Himself.

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Jul. 30, 2009 - An Interesting Read and a Giveaway

Quite a while ago, a book was passed on to me by a fellow blogger.  It was somehow pushed to the bottom of my reading stack, and I just read it.  The book is The American Frugal Housewife.  It was written by Lydia Marie Child and published in 1833.

It is quite an interesting read.  The principles of being frugal- namely using everything, not spending beyond your means, and making sure everyone in the family is being productive- remain true today.  Some of the practical advice is a little outdated, such as how to cook pigs ears and snouts (Hmmm) or how to put your children to work in the fields as young as age six.  It was very interesting to read because it does give a good picture of the time period.

Well, as I said, I was given this book by a fellow blogger, and I would like to pass it on to a a fellow blogger.  I haven't had many comments lately, so I will pass this book on to someone who comments on this post.  I will do a random drawing on Friday.

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Jul. 30, 2009 - Book Review- The Lamb Wins

This was my second commentary on the book of Revelation, and I must say, it was much easier reading.  I have read and studied Revelation in personal Bible study this year.  I previously read and reviewed Reversed Thunder, another Revelation commentary by Eugene Peterson. 

While Reversed Thunder was rather deep, The Lamb Wins was much more straight forward.  I grew up in a non-denominational church with mostly Baptist doctrine, and I am now in a Reformed Presbyterian church.  Our pastor preached on the book of Revelation several years ago and revisited it in our Christmas messages this past Christmas.  The Reformed interpretation of the book was much different than that of the church I grew up in, so I was anxious to study for myself and reach some understanding.

The Lamb Wins by Richard Bewes is a very straight forward presentation of the parellelist interpretation of the book of Revelation.  it was well-written and easy to understand.  I came away with a much better understanding of the book.

To see other books I've read this year, you can visit my reading list here.

You can check out my summer reading list here.

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Jul. 22, 2009 - Book Review- Jimmy by Robert Whitlow

Jimmy by Robert Whitlow


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was a very sweet book written from the point of view of Jimmy, a young, mentally challenged boy.  Whitlow did a very good job portraying Jimmy's thoughts and feelings.  Reviews of the book compared it to To Kill A Mockingbird, one of my all time favorites. I was not disappointed.
The theme of the book reminds me of 1 Corinthians 1:27:

27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

Jimmy, while foolish and weak in the eyes of the world, is used by God to touch those around him.

As a former special education teacher, I have often thought that sometimes my students who were challenged mentally could be closer to God because of their innocence, the fact that their faith had not been jaded by "real life."  Often they seem more aware of the spiritual world than those of us who are considered "normal."  That was the case with Jimmy in this book.  Because of his innocence and childlike faith, he was able to follow God's leading so much more simply than those around him.

This was a great, inspirational, touching book.  I highly recommend it as a Good Read!

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You can see all the books I've read this year here and check out my summer reading list here.

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Jul. 7, 2009 - Book Review- A Bride Most Begrudging by Deanna Gist

A Bride Most Begrudging by Deeanne Gist


 

My review

 
A very sweet romance.  I don't think I've read anything by Deanna Gist before, but I will certainly be reading more!  The characters were very interesting and believable.  The book was Christian historical fiction- one of my favorite genres.  And it was a romance.  What more can I say?
 

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You can see my summer reading list here.

And check out what books I've read so far in 2009 here.

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Jun. 25, 2009 - Book Review- 12 "Christian" Beliefs That Can Make You Crazy

12 "Christian" Beliefs That Can Drive You Crazy by Henry Cloud


 

My review

  rating: 4 of 5 stars
Henry Cloud and John Townsend do an excellent job exposing some of the nonBiblical advice that well-meaning Christian pastors and teachers often give. 



They explore statements such as, "It is wrong to do good things for yourself,"  "Shoulds are good," and "Guilt and shame can be good."  They examine these statements in light of God's Word and explain how wrongly applying them can negatively affect emotional health and healing.



I often found myself reading the "crazymaker" and saying, "But, wait, that is Biblical."  But, as I read on, I saw how the wrong application of some of those statements can be really devastating.  I was challenged to examine things I've always heard and accepted in light of God's Word- always the best place to go to find the truth.
 

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To see other books I've read this year, you can check out my reading list here.                    

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Jun. 21, 2009 - Book Reviews- White Soul and Reversed Thunder

I was able to finish two books this weekend while I was enjoying the homeschool convention with Jason. 

Reversed Thunder by Eugene Peterson is a commentary on the book of Revelation.  I decided to study Revelation this year and asked my pastor for some book recommendations from the Reformed philosophy.  This is one of the books he recommended.  I have been reading this book for a very long time, it seems.  Peterson is often very wordy, and I found myself rereading often to make sure I really understood what he was saying.  This book was also very deep reading for me.  I grew up in a church/denomination where the book of Revelation was taught very literally and prophetically- The End Times.  Peterson has a much different view of the book, beginning with the assumption that we must study Revelation not as an end to itself- the prophecies and predictions, but as a completion of the whole, revealed Word of God.  I agreed with much Peterson had to say, and I must say, I understand his view of Revelation as symbolism and completion of all we have learned about God through the Bible.

White Soul was a Christian fiction- mystery/suspense that was just for fun.  It was an interesting read about an undercover agent attempting to bust a powerful drug ring in Miami.  Like other Dodson books I've read, it delved into "gray" areas and often left me feeling unsure as to who were the bad guys and who were the good guys.  The hero of the story often struggled with right and wrong, choosing whether to do "the right thing or the desired thing."  It did have a very good conclusion, however.

If you'd like to see other books I've read this year, you can see my reading list here.  You can also see how I'm progressing on my summer reading list here.

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Jun. 15, 2009 - Book Review- Heart and Soul- Maeve Binchy

Maeve Binchy is one of my very favorite authors.  She has a unique ability to fully develop a multitude of complex characters and make her readers feel a connection to every one.
This book is a compilation of characters from several of her books, along with some new characters.  The story follows the lives and relationships of the people involved in starting a heart clinic in an Irish town.
I love the Irish/English settings Maeve Binchy uses in her novels, and this one was especially interesting because of all the "old" characters and places that she brought back.


For those of you who have read past reviews, here is my disclaimer: this is not a Christian novel.  I often read and review Christian fiction, but that is not the only genre I read.  And my good opinion of a book does not necessarily mean that there are no moral "gray areas" in the book.

To see other books I've read this year, you can visit my reading list here.
And to see my summer reading list, you can visit here.

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Jun. 2, 2009 - Audio Books and Radio Dramas

I must admit that I have never been a big audio book fan before I had children.  I am a very visual person, and I much prefer reading a book than listening to one.  When I had children, however, I quickly found the benefits of audio books.  I have read aloud to my children from birth (or before), and they are used to listening to books- long, chapter books.  There are times when reading aloud is just not practical: driving in the car, eating a meal, or when I'm just tired.  So, I discovered the joys of audio books.  And, I have found many that I have enjoyed as much as my children- especially on long car trips.

Some of our favorites have been:
The Famous Five books by Enid Blyton
The Secret Seven books (also by Blyton)
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle by Betty Macdonald
The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
Story of the World Volume One by Susan Wise Bauer

Very closely related to audio books are radio dramas.  My children love to listen to radio dramas.  We find lots of good ones at HisKids.Net.
There are also some good radio programs for kids and adults at Oneplace.
On these two sites, we can listen to The Pond, Paws and Tales, Adventures in Odyssey, and Your Story Hour.

To find good audio books, you usually need look no further than your library.  Our library has a very good selection.  Some libraries are also registered through NetLibrary, which allows you to download audio books to your computer and MP3 player just like checking them out through the library.  You can use their library selector to see if your library is registered.  LibriVox has great free audio books for adults and children to listen.

I plan to stock up on CDs from the library and MP3s from NetLibrary for our beach trip this summer!

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