The Truth According to Us - A Review

The Truth According to Us

by

Annie Barrows

A Review

With an interesting plot, I expected more from this book.  But the best I can is say is that I found it boring.  I felt as if I were back in Fern Bacon Junior High School being forced to read some piece of literature that had reached the “classic” status and found it to be uninteresting and easy to stay away from.  

It took me three weeks to reach the 50% point of the book; I wanted more of the story, but did not want to take the time to read it.  In contrast, the next book I picked up took me two days of reading to reach the 50% mark.  Granted, the length of the books probably varied (hard to tell with e-books), but the greater contrast to this reader was the willingness and desire I had to continue reading the story.

Macedonia, West Virginia, was on the verge of celebrating its sesquicentennial; and in doing so, it wanted an official history prepared by the Work Projects Administration’s Writers Project. Layla Beck was the political appointee assigned to research and write that history.  Using a variety of styles (first and third person narration, journal entries, and copies of correspondence, Annie Barrows tells two stories: first, the story of Macedonia; and, story of the process used to uncover Macedonia’s history.  Written the late 30’s, as might be expected, there are stories of former slaves, moonshiners, and corrupt politicians.  It makes for an interesting plot - but one that could not hold my attention.  

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

My Sing-Along Bible - A Review

My Sing-Along Bible

by

Stephen Elkins

Stephen Elkins has created a fun book for kids, parents, Grandparents, or Sunday School teachers, to begin the process of helping kids read, understand, and apply the scriptures to their lives.

With 50 songs, each supplemented with a short devotional, a selected scripture verse, and quick "Little Lesson", the book will serve as a child's first devotional book.  The colorful images will attract the kids' attention as well. My wife, an experienced preschool Sunday School teacher, is looking forward to using the material with her three- and four-year old students.  

Most of my reviews are for adult books - but it is occasionally fun to see the material being offered to the future generations of leaders in the church.  This book did not disappoint and should serve as a welcome addition to a child's or Sunday School classroom's library.

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

Planck - A Review

Planck

by

Brandon R. Brown

A Review

An interesting tale of the time prior to World War II and its completion, Planck's life paralleled that of the famous theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. It was that man, and the recently revised biography by Eric Metaxes, Bonhoeffer (Abridged): Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy, that partially propelled my interest in Max Planck's life. My personal interest in the sciences (evidence by degrees in chemistry and computer science) served as the other focal point of interest in Planck's life.

Though the book focuses on Planck's last years of life, his early childhood and training is discussed by means of flashbacks and recollections from the men and women that knew him before his death. In addition, the book contains a bit of physics explained in ways comprehensible to the average reader.

While, Planck son took an active role in the assassination attempt on Hitler's life (being killed himself in 1945 for his part in the attempted bombing), Planck took a milder position – seeing the cruelty unleashed on his generation, yet choosing to not stand boldly against Hitler hoping to contribute to post war Germany in spite of his age.

Max Planck, nicknamed the Father of Quantum Physics, died at the age of 90 on October 4, 1947. Though his name is well-known, his contributions to physics are not as well-known by the general-public as those of Einstein and other physicist of his time. However, without his research, there might still be holes in our knowledge of modern physics.

The book was an interesting read, fitting well with Bonhoeffer's similarly timed autobiography. It comes with a strong recommendation for anyone interested in the history of science. Though occasionally rambling, as the author moves between events current in Planck's life and those that occurred in the past, the book is enjoyable and helped this reader understand the era as it was played out in mid-20^th century among the German people.

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

Scheduled to Die - A Review

Scheduled To Die

by

Alan Cupp

A Review

The second book in the Carter Mays mystery series by Alan Cupp is a better and improved follow-up to his earlier book, When Lies Crumble. With the same gritty style that seems like it has dropped from a 1940's detective novel, the current book also includes the flavor of a 21^st century Criminal Minds episode.

With a work assignment in Ashville, NC, Dana Carrington meets a fellow Chicagoan while injuring a dinner alone. What begins as a nice date ends up being a nightmare – for Dana, her best friend, and her mother. When things continue to go downhill, Dana is put into contact with Carter Mays, a private investigator in metropolitan Chicago.

Carter is tough, but likable, PI, with the spunk to go the extra mile, even if it means breaking a few rules (e.g. pretending to be a cop), but he gets the job done. The mystery itself is well-written, with enough twists to keep the reader involved, but with sufficient details to allow him or her to follow the clues as they are developed step-by-step.

Though not Christian fiction, the author is not afraid to allow his own faith to peek through; both in the “Acknowledgments” and, non-intrusively, in the story itself. Looking for a good summer read that is a bit grittier than the typical cozy mystery, Scheduled to Die may fill that bill.

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

Drawing Fire - A Review

Drawing Fire

by

Janice Cantore

A Review

Janice Cantore has created another winner. With three crimes (at least) on her plate, including a cold (i.e. frozen) case, Homicide Detective Abby Hart is kept hopping across Long Beach, CA.

Life can be confusing. The Deputy Chief of Police is trying to micromanage her current cases which limit her ability to move forward as she seeks to solve the three homicides. Engaged to a missions pastor who is currently out of town, ministering overseas, she also finds that her most helpful colleague and witness, PI Luke Murphy, is generating serious doubts about her relationship.

Having been orphaned at the age of five and raised, for the most part, by her aunt in Oregon, she returned to her childhood home with a college athletic scholarship and, eventually, a job offer from the Long Beach Police Department, she is now driven with solving the murders that took her parents from her 27 years ago. Those murders and the three assigned to her as part of the job provide the framework for this interest holding tale of intrigue and mystery.

The author's own 22-year career in the Long Beach Police Department provide amble experience and understanding behind the scenes of an active police force. This, and the author's creativity, contribute value to the book. The reader is made aware of how faith can be found and lived out on the job. In addition, the reader is made aware of the humanness that is a part of every police officer’s life – on and off the job.

The book was a pleasure to read and provides a good foundation to future volumes from Ms. Cantore in the series. Enough open questions suggest hooks that will draw the reader to the next book as soon as it becomes available.

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

Ninjateers: Rise of a New Enemy - A Review

Ninjateers:

Rise of a New Enemy

by

Jamin Melanson

A Review

The first book of a trilogy from this author serves as a story within a story within a story.  At level one, the narrator is fulfilling a promise to her father - to tell the history of the Ninjateers.  As the story begins, she reverts to a conversation between four Ninjateers and their newest apprentices.  That conversation concludes with the apprentices asking for details of the Humanot War, which occurred six years earlier.  It is the story of that war which occupies most of the book.  

It is Spring in the year is 2196.  Due to a number of environmental factors, earth's geography, though it still exists, has changed considerably - with continents shifting and merging to form new and unexpected landmasses.  The calamities that led to these changes have served to create a modern Luddite culture - one which would avoid modern technology at all costs.  And one which is ill-prepared to do battle with others that had no fear of using modern technology to win a war.  

The story held this reader's interest - requiring at least two nights of late reading to reach the climax and conclusion of the great battle in which the Ninjateers found themselves.  The story leaves the reader feeling as if he or she is again following the lives of such men as the Scarlet  Pimpernel or Robin Hood and His Merry Men.  Though placed well into the future, this dystopian adventure seemed realistic and believable.  With no reference to eschatology as normally expressed by the church, the Ninjateers still have a faith rooted in scripture, both theologically and practically, as they live out their lives.  

Though this reader is somewhat past middle age, I suspect that the young teenager (or even a well-read pre-teen) would find the story and adventure of interest.  Lessons of faith are both explicit and implicit as the story moves through to its final scenes.  That being said, the book leaves room for more excitement as it prepares for volume 2 of the trilogy.

The plot, character development. Etc., are well-done. On the other hand, this reader has one concern:  the number of grammatical and punctuation errors found throughout the book.  As a college instructor in the fields of computer science and religion, I would ask myself as I read student writing, “Do the errors I encounter distract from my reading?”  In the case of this book, the answer would be, “Yes.”  In my private correspondence with the author I have encouraged the use of an editor or grammar checker.  Hopefully, he will make use of these tools as he continues to market the book.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the author for the purpose of creating this review.  The opinions expressed are my own.

All You Want to Know About The Bible in Pop Culture - A Review

All You Want to Know About

The Bible in Pop Culture

by

Kevin Harbey

A Review

A mix of cultural reflection, Biblical application, and Bible study.

The book starts with an interesting premise – what does pop culture reveal about our faith and the world in which we find ourselves. It does this by looking at the details found in a variety of cultural milestones – from television to movies to music. By looking at a variety of snippets from assorted media, the book attempts to look at how faith, or at least the world's impression of that faith, has influenced the arts.

While the text does accomplish its purpose by looking at these snippets of media content, it does little to prepare the user to do his or her own reflection on the media in the future. The book is designed to show a view of the world as it is found in the first two decades of the 21st century. Along with its text, the book does this with a set of trivia challenges associated with each chapter and with the book as a whole. In fact, these trivia puzzles occupy about 20% or more of the book.

It is the lack of tools to help the reader to continue reflecting on culture which is the major drawback of the book for this reader. It would have been helpful to include principles, not just illustration after illustration, of how to find faith's influence on modern culture.

Is the book of value? Yes, for the individual attempting to understand the possible role of faith in the first half of the 21st century. It will be of less help for the person hoping to evaluate faith's role moving into the next five decades of the century.

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