Review of Unforeseeable by Nancy Mehl

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Genre: Romantic Suspense/Mennonite Fiction

Series: Road to Kingdom: Book Three

Recommended.

When a dead women is found within the Mennonite community of Kingdom, Kansas, matching the MO of an unidentified serial killer, the residents of the small town are startled. Worse, it seems the killer may be connected to the soon-to-be pastor, Levi Housler, which sets his fiancée, Callie Hoffman, on edge. As the mystery unravels, Callie struggles between her past and the present to define her true identity, and to solidify her trust in God and in her future spouse.

Unforeseeable is a romantic crime mystery that is just suspenseful enough to keep a reader’s attention without inducing nightmares, or including gory or unsettling images. This is the first Mennonite story I have read (and I have yet to read any Amish fiction), so at first it was an adjustment for me to consider the differences in the characters’ lifestyles as opposed to my own urban Californian culture. I found myself caught up in the beautiful simplicity of the Mennonite culture, and in the lives and emotions of the characters.

I have not read the first two books in this series, but found it was easy enough to follow the narrative and understand the characters. I also appreciated the pace of the story, which is a perfect balance of suspense, reflection, and light romance.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House.

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Review of King by R.J. Larson

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Genre: Fantasy

Series: Book Three of the Books of the Infinite Series

Highly Recommended.

The Books of the Infinite series is excellently written Christian fantasy. Larson has created a world that is reminiscent of the Old Testament, complete with fantastic creatures (like the dreaded scaln and the dinosaur-like destroyers), that is also realistic and enthralling to the contemporary reader. I have been anticipating the release of King since finishing the second book, Judge, and it did not disappoint.

This third book, King, wraps up some of the themes from the first two narratives, while also being a complete story. I do, however, recommend reading each book in order as there is so much character development in the first two stories, as well as subtle moments of reflection upon past events that would otherwise be missed.

The central character in King is Akabe Garric, who is chosen to be King of Siphra despite his wishes. Akabe makes some hasty decisions, putting his kingdom in grave physical danger. As he struggles to wait for the Infinite’s direction there are battles, miracles, and both physical and emotional challenges. Beloved characters Ela and Kien also play large roles within the story, and struggle with some obstacles of their own. The story is packed with action, strongly reflects the themes and events of several Old Testament Bible stories, and even has a bit of romance.

I know R.J. Larson has mentioned she prefers writing historical fiction, but her ability to write such brilliant biblical fantasy is truly a gift. I hope she delves deeper into this genre!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House.

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Review of Bumper Wipe Clean Activities by Juliet David illus. Marie Allen

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Genre: Children’s Activity Books

Recommended.

My three year old has been loving wipe clean books lately. We have books focused on all sorts of learning areas: ABCs, numbers, shapes, etc. But this one is special in that it also teaches about Bible stories, ranging from the Old Testament to Jesus’ earthly ministry. Every page has an engaging illustration, a few sentences describing the Bible event and directions for the activity, and the puzzle itself. The activities are things like connect-the-dots, simple mazes, tracing activities (for numbers and words), finding which two items are the same, marking the order of a story, searching for hidden objects or mistakes within a picture, matching, and more. Most of the puzzles are self-explanatory, so a young person could complete the activity without knowing how to read in the case that the book were used to keep a person distracted.

Here are a couple examples from the book:

Abraham is leaving his home. He is taking his family too. Put a cross through all the things that didn’t exist in Bible times.

These fishermen called Peter and Andrew want to follow Jesus. Which line takes them to Jesus?

I love that this book is relatively small (8″ x 6.7″), because it is just the right size for my little guy. It is also conveniently designed with an official place to hold the pen (the pen is included), and has a very durable hardback cover. We have used other wipe-clean style pens and crayons on the pages, and so far they have all wiped off easily. This is an excellent activity book for preschool or kindergarten aged children to have fun and work on fine motor and logic skills while also learning and familiarizing themselves with the Bible.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Candle Books.

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Review of Snow on the Tulips by Liz Tolsma

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Genre: Historical Romantic Fiction

Recommended.

Set in a Nazi occupied part of the Netherlands toward the end of WWII, this is not only a suspenseful wartime romance, but one inspired by the true story of the author’s own relatives. The characters and high-stake narrative are so emotionally engaging I could not put it down.

Cornelia de Vries is a wartime widow who lost her husband on their wedding night at the beginning of the war. Now she hides her younger brother, Johan, in her home–doing all she can to keep his youthful spirit out of the wartime action he desires. When Dutch Resistance worker, Gerrit Laninga, comes to her door wounded and in need of help, she reluctantly takes him in. But Cornelia must come to terms with her own fears, grief, the expression of her Christian faith, and her budding romantic feelings.

This is a story of redemption, love, overcoming fear, and finding the courage to do God’s will even in the most dangerous of circumstances. Each major character portrays a unique perspective and role, which combine to create a thought-provoking and encouraging work of fiction. There is also a list of study questions in the back of the book for use in a reading group.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson.

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Review of The Candle Classic Bible

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Genre: Children’s Bible

Recommended.

This is a great Bible for 7-12 year olds, depending on the child’s reading and comprehension level. Younger children may also enjoy being read the stories, but the realistic-looking pictures may not engage little ones as well as it would older “tweens” and “pre-teens.” There are 365 stories–one for every day of the year–with each story being only about half a page (one column). The stories are age appropriate, not overly detailed, and cohesively pull together the biblical chronology.

In fact, between the Old Testament (ending chronologically with Nehemiah and the rebuilding of the temple) and the New Testament (beginning with Zechariah and Elizabeth) is a story called, “Many Years of Trouble,” to tie those events together with a brief historical overview of the Roman conquest and the Jewish need for Messiah. I really appreciate this acknowledgement of the historical setting. Younger readers can use this Bible to grasp the full outline of Scripture, so that when they are ready to read the Scriptures for themselves, they will understand how it all fits together.

I also appreciate the quality of this Bible. The binding is excellent. The pictures are accurate, realistic, and look great. And overall, it is just a really well-made book. It would be perfect as a gift Bible (and it does include a presentation page for this purpose). The Table of Contents is also particularly well done: broad topics are in bold (e.g. The Story of Creation, The Story of Noah, and so on) and each daily story is listed underneath the overarching topic. The lives and ministries of key figures like Moses, David, and Jesus are broken down into many stories (days), while other figures/events have only a handful. It is hard to read only one story a day, since they fit together so well in telling the captivating story of our faith.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Kregel Publications.

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Review of Misery Loves Company by Rene Gutteridge

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Genre: Suspense/Mystery/Thriller

Recommended.

Grieving widow, Juliet “Jules” Belleno, follows a staunch routine with very little outside contact. Instead, she focuses her attention online: blogging, facebooking, and dreaming of publishing her own book someday. But shortly after writing a negative book review of her favorite author’s most recent work, he kidnaps her and takes her to a secluded cabin. Upon her disappearance, it is up to her alcoholic father and her husband’s best friend and former police partner to locate her and bring her home; but there are many obstacles and some interesting twists along the way.

Rene Gutteridge writes with an edge, humor, and quirkiness that is really fun to read. I’m a big fan of her unique style. The character’s are well-developed and come to life on the page, and the story reflects Gutteridge’s creativity and distinctiveness.

Misery is particularly special as it is both a suspense novel and a meta-narrative about the writing process. Although I enjoyed the suspense element, it was a bit predictable for me (I read constantly, so maybe I’m just familiar with patterns). The dialog about writing, however, really moved me–I would even say it challenged me to think differently about my own writing process. I did not expect this experience from suspense fiction, which made it all the more enjoyable. I will continue to look forward to Gutteridge’s new releases.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Tyndale Blog Network.

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Review of The Lifestyle of a Prophet: A 21-Day Journey to Embracing Your Calling by James W. Goll

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Genre: Devotional/Christian Life

Highly Recommended!

If you are looking for a meaty devotional this would be an excellent choice! I am usually not a fan of devotional books, but this one was so deep that I took the time to read just one section a day rather than rushing through it.

James Goll breaks down the lifestyle of a prophet in three sections: the lifestyle of intimacy, the lifestyle of wisdom, and the lifestyle of revelation. The progression of his teaching guides the reader to connect with God and develop strong character before beginning to intentionally work in the prophetic gifts (or really any gifting). While some devotional books seem to have passages that are only present to meet the required number of days, this one has no wasted words. It is a monograph hidden in popular devotional form. Goll teaches through stories, expounds upon the Scriptures, and ends each chapter (day) with a prayer and introspective questions. (And his questions are really good ones! I found myself learning and growing a lot from my reflection upon the questions alone).

Not only does The Lifestyle of a Prophet teach and direct about the gift of prophecy, it allows readers time and guidance to contemplate their own positions of intimacy with God and activity within their callings. This is not a devotional for those gifted in prophecy only; it is a resource for connecting deeply with Him so that His heart is naturally expressed from the believer’s life (and that, essentially is the essence of the prophetic). That said, this is first and foremost a devotional, so the focus is on personal growth rather than being a simple introductory teaching tool.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Chosen.

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Review of Bible Stories Painting Book 2

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Genre: Children’s Watercolor Book

Recommended.

This watercolor book is unique in that the paint is included on the inside cover. Both the front and back sides of the cover flip out for four pages worth of paint. It is also biblically centered with excellent pictures of some of the more popular scenes in Scripture.

As the picture demonstrates, my son loved painting with this book! The built-in paints made the experience much more fun for him.

Also, the pages are perforated so they can easily rip out, making the book easy to share between lots of kids.

One downside is that it is more difficult to get strong colors with the built-in paint because it is in such small amounts and requires very little water. My three year old’s painting turned out a bit diluted, so there was almost no differentiation between the very light colors. He does not have the same problem when using the normal watercolor paint containers. An older, more experienced painter will have an easier time–I was able to get the darker color myself when demonstrating it for my son–but this is something to keep in mind.

Also, the paint is included, but not the brush. We have plenty of art supplies around, so this was not a big deal for us, but might be something to consider if purchasing it for someone as a gift.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Kregel Publications.

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Review of Defending the Faith: Apologetics in Women’s Ministry by Mary Jo Sharp

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Genre: Christian Life/Women’s Issues/Apologetics

Highly Recommended.

Female apologist, Mary Jo Sharp, demonstrates how apologetics is not simply defending our beliefs or arguing with adverse perspectives, but in learning how to think for ourselves to understand what we truly believe about God and the Bible and why. Those who are confident in what they believe, and who have honestly thought about what they know, can begin to live what they believe, talk openly about faith issues with others, and have a more enriching personal relationship with the Lord.

Sharp reveals the great need for apologetics to be integrated with women’s ministry, and shares her observations of its many benefits. Then, she illustrates some of the ways to get started in bringing together these two important ministries.

When the women of the church have learned to think and study the Christian faith for themselves, they can actively engage each other and non-Christians in thought-provoking conversation: listening, asking questions, and continuously refining their own faiths without fear of not knowing enough, or being proved wrong. My favorite section of the book, in fact, was in how to use questions to listen attentively, and love others, without becoming defensive or overly emotional about defending ones own opinions. In this way, all participants in the conversation are held accountable to what they say and believe, and the conversation becomes a journey for exploring the important issues with more depth.

I am an avid learner and seminary student who is already sold on the high importance of apologetics in ministry, but until reading this, I had honestly not considered that there should be a consistent merger between apologetic study and women’s ministry. It is a thin book, but one that has changed the way I think about apologetics, the needs within women’s ministry, and even of my own approach to evangelism.

My only criticism is that the cover art does not reflect the freshness of Sharp’s ideas and presentation. While apologetics has (among many people) certain connotations of being a stagnant academic field of archaic arguments–somewhat like the statue in the picture–this beneficial manual could be the catalyst for many to begin loving the Lord with all the heart, soul, and mind; and to create a new excitement for living out and sharing ones faith.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Kregel Publications.

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Review of Chasing Francis: A Pilgrim’s Tale by Ian Morgan Cron

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Genre: Wisdom Literature/Christian Life

Highly Recommended.

Evangelical mega church pastor, Chase Falson, has lost his faith after the death of a young girl in his congregation. His learned answers for why things happen as they do, who God is, and what God wants from the church are no longer enough for him. After an embarrassing emotional breakdown mid-sermon, he is encouraged to take time off from church to gather himself. He uses the time to visit his Uncle Kenny, a Franciscan priest in Italy, who takes him on a pilgrimage through the monumental places and moments in the life of Saint Francis of Assisi. Along his journey he questions his own faith, what the contemporary Christianity should look like, and how the church should evangelize in this postmodern age.

Saint Francis of Assisi contributed so dramatically to Christianity that most Christians have probably heard something about him whether or not they realize it. He is, for instance, the one often quoted for saying, “Preach the gospel, if necessary, use words.” Cron illustrates St. Francis’ major beliefs seamlessly through this creative mix of fiction and non-fiction, story and biography. As a seminary student, I appreciated the references to many of the people and historical moments I have studied in various theology courses. Cron’s well-researched narrative covers quite a bit of space concisely and gracefully.

More importantly, the author’s natural humor (possibly offensive to very conservative Christians at times) helps the story flow fluidly. It is difficult to write a fiction/non-fiction mix well, but I really enjoyed this one. It is a fun read, with great characters, and the added benefit of teaching a bit of history and theology.

Lastly, the questions naturally addressed through the pilgrimage tale are so important to the church at this time. Whether or not the reader agrees with the position of the author (an Episcopalian priest and advocate of St. Francis’ lifestyle), the narrative will propel the consideration of these important issues, and is outlined to provide an excellent starting point for discussion. My own perspective and background are very different from the author’s, and yet I appreciated his presentation of both Francis and his critique of the condition of many portions of the contemporary church. Also included is one of the most thorough study guides I have encountered, making it a great resource for a Bible study or book club.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Zondervan Publications.

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