Prison - A Review

Prison

by

Toni V. Lee

A Review

The first two thirds of this book were well-written and provided and interesting story of a police duo that both hated and loved each other.  The last half of the book appeared to be added because the real story was too short.  

Delays in planning a wedding, a second wedding, the unexpected death of a main character all seemed to be distracting from the original story that focused on the capture of a drug dealer that had chosen to use a large church as the base for his current operation.   These tactics may be common for romance novels (I do not read many of these), but they seemed unnecessary in the crime story upon which the book began.

I found the tension between Sonja and Max believable and felt for them as they sought to define their relationship in the midst of an undercover police operation, though the decision to marry seemed to come too quickly and easily for a healthy Christian couple.  I enjoyed the details given for the two or three worship services - including the brief outlines provided for the pastor’s (a minor character) sermons.  I do wish I could attend that church.  

The bottom line is that the book started out well; but ended strangely, particularly if the author was seeking to demonstrate a healthy relationship between a Christian couple.

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This review is based on a free electronic copy of this book provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review.  The opinions expressed are mine alone.  

Grace Filled Marriage - A Review

Grace Filled Marriage

by

Dr. Tim Kimmel

A Review

I love Grace - first really understanding it after reading Chuck Swindoll’s The Grace Awakening. Dr. Kimmel has done a marvelous job of applying the truth of Grace to the Marriage relationship.  The book’s bottom line is this:

1. We are all broken people
2. We, as broken people, live in broken marriages
3. As believers, we have experienced God’s grace
4. We need to extend God’s grace to ourselves
5. In the same way, we need to extend God’s grace to our spouses

The result is a Grace Filled Marriage that allows each person in the family to grow into what God wants for them.  When do not follow these principles, we become a hard task master, forcing the other person to become what we want of them, rather than what God wants of them.  

May we each learn to demonstrate God’s grace to our spouses - this book does a great job of helping the married, or soon to be married, to do just that.  

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This review is based on a free electronic copy of this book provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review.  The opinions expressed are mine alone.  

Fear Has A Name - A Review

Fear Has A Name

by

Creston Mapes

A Review

A well-written story that centers on the life and family of Jack Crittendon, a reporter for the Trenton City Dispatch.  The man who has chosen to stalk his wife, Pamela, and the missing pastor of a near by church provide the focus of the story.  The lives of three men, Jack, the stalker, and the pastor, are drawn together - forcing each of them to see God in new and unexpected ways.  Even when life seems to be falling apart, God is at work.

Though I  enjoyed the story, I was a bit dismayed by the level of violence and evil of the various characters described throughout the book.  I suspect that if this were a movie, the film would require at least a PG-13 rating, or perhaps an R rating.

With the exception of this single cautionary note, the book is a keen look at God at work in the lives of people from very different places in their lives.  I give it a strong recommendation.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy of this book provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review.  The opinions expressed are mine alone.  

College Devotional Bible - A Review

College Devotional Bible

New International Version

A Review

I was hoping for a Bible with some meat worthy of a college student.  I found a devotional Bible that has more devotional than instructional.  Perhaps I had hoped for a College Study Bible - though that is not what is advertised.  

Included are nine months of devotions - each consisting of reading selection, a brief devotional thought or story, and a set of three questions to help the reader apply the lessons.  The three questions included appeared to be more helpful than the devotional itself.  

The College Devotional Bible may be suitable for a Christian student who finds himself or herself isolated from a fellowship of believers - but for a student who has chosen to be active in CRU (Campus Crusades) or IVCF (Intervarsity), this is not the Bible I would choose to purchase for my son or daughter.

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This review is based on a free copy of this book provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review.  The opinions expressed are mine alone.  

Andrew Murray

365 Day

Devotional Bible

Compiled by

Barbour Publishing

A Review

This is one of the best devotional Bibles that I have seen.  A number of features help it stand out:

1. It allows the reader to read the entire Bible in a year
2. Each daily entry consists of an Old Testament passage, a New Testament passage, and a selection from the Psalms or Proverbs.  Also included is a short excerpt from the writings of Andrew Murray.
3. The Bible Dictionary included as an appendix adds value to the book.

I have three concerns:

1. The use of the KJV - Though I know that the KJV is love by many, I would have prefered a more modern translation. This issue can be overcome by having a second translation nearby from which to read the selected passages.
2. An index is needed to key particular Bible versus to the day of the year where it can be found.  This would be especially helpful given that the Old Testament, New Testament, and Psalms and Proverbs readings are intermingled throughout the book.  This becomes a small problem if the reader is familiar with the order of the Bible books - something I fear may not be true for a new believer.
3. The readings chosen from Andrew Murray are not keyed to the day's Bible passages.  For example, January 1st has readings (as expected) from Genesis 1, Matthew 1, and Psalm 1.  However, the passage quoted from Andrew Murray is based on Daniel 6:10.  Again, an index might help alleviate this problem, allowing the reader to find a passage in context as he or she reads Andrew Murray's devotional thoughts.

I continue to find Andrew Murray's reading to be inspiring - drawing my heart back to the things that are important.  When also reading the Bible on a regular basis, the reader's spiritual life is going to be challenged and moved forward.  As noted in the title, this Bible is not a scholarly Study Bible, but it is a well-done devotional Bible.  

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This review is based on a free electronic copy of this book provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review.  The opinions expressed are mine alone.  

Critical Pursuit - A Book Review

Critical Pursuit

by

Janice Cantore

A Review

Officer Brinna Caruso's day could have gone better.  Her mother was pusing some crazy religion down her throat.  Her new partner's ex-partner was doing the same.  She had made a clean shot at a kid who was shooting at her, except a local attorney was determined to make a federal case of it.  And, a child abuser had resurfaced, 20 years after his first known offense.  Yep, the day could have gone better.  Brinna is now being sidelined from her regular assignment as a member of the K-9 unit and being assigned as the training officer for a lunatic cop that might not make it back onto the force after the death of his wife.

In the midst of this both Jack, her new partner, and Brinna are trying to answer the question of how a person can be in a better place if there is no God.  Though the question is asked more than once in the story, it is never answered definitively; leaving the reader to answer it for himself or herself.

Janice Cantore has again shown herself to be a capable writer.  Her twenty-two year experience as a Long Beach police officer has prepared her for her new writing career.  The suspense, the emotions, the uncertainty associated with this challenging job is seen in the life of Brinna and her colleagues.  The characters, both good and bad, are believable.  The reader is drawn close to the men and women who "protect and serve".  At the same time the reader is forced to view the long dormant abuser with as much contempt as he deserves.

This book will not leave the reader looking for a thrilling read about the life of an officer disappointed.  I will be looking forward to the next book featuring Brinna Caruso, her K-9 partner, Hero, and the rest of her team.

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This review is based on a free electronic copy of this book provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review.  The opinions expressed are mine alone.  

Chick Soup For The Soul - A Review

Chicken Soup For The Soul

20th Anniversary Edition

by

Jack Canfield

Mark Victor Hansen

Amy Newmark

A Review

The original set of stories enhanced with 20 additional ones makes it worth picking up this classic - whether you own the original or not.  I did not, but wanted a chance to see what the excitement has been for the last 20 years.  I was not disappointed.  The stories are as fresh and encouraging as if written yesterday.  I am thankful that this book was re-released for those of us that missed it the first time.

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This review is based on a free electronic copy of this book provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review.  The opinions expressed are mine alone.  

The Living Room - A Review

The Living Room

by

Robert Whitlow

A Review

Robert Whitlow has become one of my go-to authors.  When The Living Room was offered for review, I could not wait to begin reading his next book.  I was not disappointed.

Amy, an ex-legal assistant, is also an up and coming author.  But the costs of raising a family are rising and the royalties offered to a new author are not equal to the income her former job brought into the family budget.  When the opportunity arises for her to temporarily return to her old job, Amy’s husband, Jeff, is eager for her to jump at the chance.  Though Amy is not so sure, she returns to work for Jones, Barrington, and Phillips.  I enjoyed the experiences Amy has as she develops her newest book.  I can only wonder if the experiences Amy has dealing with readers, publishers, and agents might echo those the author has had during his writing career.

Besides her husband, Amy’s family consists of a very active 14 year old girl, Megan, and an inquisitive boy, Ian.  The four of them are learning about faith and to trust God as he leads them through their various stages of life.  God has chosen to use dreams to communicate to Amy - dreams which provide information, but not interpretation.  Amy will need to trust the information and to allow God to provide the interpretation in His own time.

There are others who cross Amy’s path with various levels of faith.  Mrs. Burris’ faith appears to be as deep as any Amy has seen.  Chris Lance, a young lawyer at her former firm, is just beginning to take some cautious steps as a believer.  Greg Ryan, the dreamy new teacher at Megan’s high school, is a bit more difficult to read, but does seem to appreciate people of faith.

Balancing work, family, friends, and faith, does not come easy to Amy.  But as she and Jeff seek to serve God, they find ways to support their family.  And when it counts, they are there for their children - setting a model for each of us.  

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This review is based on a free copy of this book provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review.  The opinions expressed are mine alone.