Realms of Thereunder

I am writing this review with some trepidation.

I downloaded The Realms Thereunder for review from the publisher’s website; but having started several chapters, I know that the book is not going to be a pleasant read for me.

I have a couple of options, the best would be to request to be released from my obligation to review the book. Though that is my preferred option, it is not likely to happen.

The other is to write a very biased review. I generally have not liked fantasy/supernatural fiction (I have read the Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings, but have avoided the Left Behind series like the plague), but had recently read a couple of books from this genre that I did enjoy so I thought I would try another. This option did not work. However, I don't wish to penalize the author/publisher because of my personal reading interests.

Hence, I am posting this brief response to the book. I do not expect my lack of interest in this book to generate much feedback, but it is an honest attempt to explain my response to the book. I do wish I could have been released from the promise I made to review the book; in lieu of that, I post this minimal response to the book. I do hope that others, who are more familiar with the genre can give it a more informed review.

This review is based on a free, electronic copy of the book provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating an unbiased review.

After posting this review I did receive permission to not review the book. In a second e-mail, I also receive a request to remove this review from my blog. Because the review was posted before I received any response to my request to be relieved of my obligation to review the book, I have chosen to retain this review on my blog.

Kisses From KatieA Review

Kisses From Katie is an encouraging book about a young girls journey of faith. It details Katie Davis' transition from high school student to being the adoptive mother of 17 children and “Aunt Katie” to hundred of kids in war torn Uganda.

I have enjoyed reading her story and have found it to be uplifting to see what God can do through one committed individual. The author makes it clear that the choices she made were not always easy, “hard” is sometimes an overused word – though how these difficulties were evident in her life is not always spelled out. Having said this, it becomes clear that God has worked through those difficult times and used Katie in some truly miraculous way.

It has been some time since I picked up a true missionary's story – I am glad that I picked Kisses From Katie up and spent time reading it this summer.

This review is based on a free, electronic copy of the book
provided by the publisher for the purpose of writing this review.

The ChairbyJames RubartA Review

What does on do when an elderly woman brings in a chair made by “most talented tekton craftman the world has ever known”?

I was drawn to The Chair by James L. Rubart because of his earlier work, Rooms. It too held my attention, but not to the extent that this current did.

The story that unfolded from that event in chapter one to the restoration of the chair and the restoration of the book's characters is a gripping novel that leaves the reader laughing and crying throughout the book. Life is not always what it seems – and we need to leave the hard stuff in God's hands.

We are in a position to miss up our lives – God is in the position to restore us, if we are willing. James L. Rubart delivers that truth well in his current offering, The Chair.

This review is based on a free, electronic copy provided by the publisher
for the purpose of creating this unbiased review.

Code Word:GeronimobyCaptain Dale Dye and Julia Dewey DyeA Review

I am not a soldier. I have never been in the military. Though I have learned to appreciate the gift that America's soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, etc., contribute to my life, as I picked up Code Word:Geronimo, I was not sure how I would react.

I found this graphic novel to be encouraging and uplifting. It provided insight into the teamwork, skills, and operations of an army unit in ways that I had not previously seen.

The book is really two books. The first 80% is composed of the graphic novel which illustrates the work of Seal Team 6 on May 1, 2011, in dispatching Osama Bin Laden as he slept in the upstairs bedroom of his home in Abbottabad, Pakistan. The second part of the book, a narrative, describes the selection, the training, and the character of the men and women who make up Seal Team 6. The Navy Seals are a unique group of soldiers – Seal Team 6 consists of the best of the best Navy seals.

Code Word: Geronimo by Captain Dale Dye and Julia Dewey Dye is a relaxing read of a very tense day in the life of the American military. The work they accomplished in May 2011 was amazing and made me proud to be an American.

This review is based on a free, electronic copy provided by the publisher
to allow preparation of this unbiased review.

The Guardian : A Review

I somehow missed that this book was a "supernatural" thriller - a genre I genre I generally avoid reading. Having said that, I have now finished the book and found it to be a satisfying read. I discovered a book that is a combination of

     The DaVinci Code

     Indiana Jones

     Book of Ruth

The story moves from Nashville, to NY City, Rome, and beyond. With the cooperation of believers from across the denominational spectrum and from around the world, Anna and her associates attempt to decipher a scroll passed down through her family for generations. In the process Anna is forced to evaluate her own faith - finding that she needed to rethink much of what she had learned as a child.

In the midst of her search for the hidden meaning of the scroll, she is presented with one of the clearest presentations of the Gospel that I have seen in a fiction book. Much of it could have been clipped out and used as a pamphlet to share with family or friends.

If excitement, action, and a hint of romance are of interest to you, then The Guardian may be a book for you.

This review is based on a free electronic copy of the book provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.

God's Love Letters To You : A Review

God's Love Letters To You by Larry Crabb

I have long dreamt of putting together a sermon series that would allow me to walk through, albeit, briefly, each book of the bible. When I first saw this title, I thought that it might provide a foundation toward accomplishing that goal. Alas, it does not.

The devotionals are well written and allow one to explore and evaluate one's spiritual life. Yet to say that these books are based on each book of scripture is only loosely true. Unless the books have been read prior to picking up God's Love Letters To You, the devotional do little to introduce the reader to the various books. Scripture readings are often pulled from other parts of scripture, there are no suggested readings associated with each book, and the reader is left to his own devices to discover the connection between each days devotional and the particular Bible book being examined that day.

This book could be helped if used along side Henrietta Mears' What the Bible Is All About or some other simple Bible survey. This little gem would provide the Bible background needed to understand the book - while God's Love Letters To You provides the motivation to better understand each book.

This unbiased review was based on an electronic copy of the book

provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review.

Cooking the Books : A Review

What would a man who is married to a former librarian and a current bookseller read? Cooking the Books was a great choice.

I could sum up the themes found in this book in three words: Brokeness, Boundaries, and Books

Sloan Templeton had unwillingly inherited her mother's bookstore and the building in which it was housed. But she also had to deal with valuable books and an aunt that cooks - sort of. Actually, I would be scared to death to eat any of Aunt Verlene's food; which, truth be told, is hardly fit for her cats.

In the midst of dealing with the unwanted store, she had to deal with murders, gang members, and rediscovering her own faith. It was a story I could not put down, I laughed, and I hurt as Sloan found her way through life. It was a story I would recommend for a leisurely read on the beach or on the train (where I found myself reading it).