Sunday, January 27, 2013

Six Hours One Friday

Six Hours One Friday
By: Max Lucado
 
I love reading books by Max Lucado, and Six Hours One Friday, is no exception! Lucado writes this book in three sections, which he calls Anchor Points. Anchor Point number 1 is titled “My life is not futile”, Anchor Point number 2 is titled “My failures are not fatal” and Anchor Point number three is titled “My death is not final”. Each anchor point gives you an opportunity to evaluate your own life to see how sturdy your faith is when faced with one of the three storms Storm of futility, Storm of Failure, and Storm of Finality. But, Lucado reminds us through God’s word that we do not have to face these monsters or storms alone. There is One who tackled them already. There is One who made a way. There is One who spent six hours on a cross one Friday.
Lucado writes in the most amazing way to make you feel as though he were writing to you and you alone. He writes so that you listen. He writes so that you understand. And he writes so that you come to know your Maker in a meaningful and personal way.
I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to read this book. Lucado takes stories from the Bible and illustrates them in his own language. It is truly amazing to read and to simply become immersed in all the good things God has for your life. Thank you Booksneeze for this opportunity to read a book by one of my favorite authors!

Monday, January 21, 2013

Unstoppable

Unstoppable: The Incredible Power of Faith in Action
 
Unstoppable
By: Nick Vujicic
 
 Unstoppable by Nick Vujicic was written very well and with great purpose, but read much like a self-help book. I was not expecting this at all when I first decided to read this book.
As mentioned, the book was written very well. Nick Vujicic had many wonderful things to say about Faith and believing that God is good and that God has a plan. Overall, the writing felt repetitive at times. It was definitely geared toward those who are disabled but anyone can glean some new knowledge and affirmation about our gracious Lord by reading this. The message conveyed in this book is powerful, knowing that God can use you where you are as long as you have Faith and are willing to put Faith in action.
A great verse to be left with is 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”
God gives comfort, and God calls us to comfort others in need. This is Nick Vujicic’s true message for writing the book Unstoppable.

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Dirty God...Full of Grace


Dirty God: Jesus in the Trenches
Dirty God
By: Johnnie Moore

After reading Dirty God, by Johnnie Moore I felt quite refreshed! Which at this point in my life has been a good thing. Following is a short blurb about the intention of this book:

In Dirty God: Jesus in the Trenches, Johnnie Moore draws on both Scripture and his extensive experience with other cultures and religions to show how the God of the Bible is unique in his willingness to be near us in all of our messiness. Moore outlines the central importance of the doctrine of grace while introducing readers to a humble and human Jesus who reaches out to us at our worst and pulls us up to our best.

Johnnie Moore focused on Grace, how it is given by God and therefore needs to be given by us. When a book focuses on Grace, I am more or less hooked, because I know that I, a sinner, am in need of great grace; not only from God but from those around me.

It was difficult for me to get started with this book. The opening chapter did not do much to hook me in, however, after reading several more chapters I saw its’ significance. This book had many references to scripture and other authors.  I have found in the last few months that this is critical for someone who is writing a book about God. I want to know where the facts are coming from; I want to know which credible authors they are quoting and so on. I found this to be very good in that respect.

I liked the way Johnnie Moore wrote this book. Each chapter was broken into sections that flowed very well. It was also written in a way that you could understand and also think about what was being said. This was the first book I have read that was written by Johnnie Moore and I look forward to more. Thank you Booksneeze for the opportunity to review this book. 

Monday, December 24, 2012

Isle of Shadows

Isle of Shadows
By: Tracy L. Higley
 
Isle of Shadows by Tracy L. Higley takes place on the beautiful Greek island of Rhodes. Tessa is a heteara, a female companion who is bout and paid for by high officials. She has been with glaucus for ten years and at the opening of the book she is ready to take her life because living the way she has been living, and being treated the way glaucus has treated her has made her utterly miserable. Based on what you read about a heteara, you may or may not feel the same way as Tessa. However, as The Lord generally does, he intervened at just the right time to stop Tessa from taking her life.

Events happen that put Tessa in charge, and as Higley notes in the Greek glossary, a heteara is an influential woman and the only woman allowed to speak in the men's symposia. Therefore, because of her status, Tessa is able to speak out in different formal settings in glaucus' place.

The events of the story unfold and Higley does a beautiful job weaving the lives of the characters together throughout the book. Tessa is trying to break free from the life she has always known, never to fall in love with a man or anyone, but The Lord has different and better plans for her just As he does for each of his children.

This book took me a little while to get into, but once I was focused on the contents and the plot of e story it read very quickly and was very interesting. Thank you booksneeze for the opportunity to read this book!

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Interesting Read...

 
If We Survive
By: Andrew Klavin
 
If We Survive by Andrew Klavin was interesting but did not hold or catch my attention. The plot was quite interesting and the characters were well developed, but overall it was not a story that I was thrilled to read and therefore it took me awhile.
The opening did a good job getting you hooked into the story, however, immediately after the main character simply explained who the other characters were and it was quite childish in my opinion, the way it was written.
Following is a brief synopsis of the book:
Will Peterson is a high schooler. He and three friends journey to Central America to help rebuild a school. In one very sudden moment, a revolution swept the country and any and all Americans are targeted as the first to die.
The story does have great adventure and action scenes. So anyone interested in that will enjoy the book.
Thanks Booksneeze for the opportunity to read this book.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Christmas is Coming...

A Wreath of Snow: A Victorian Christmas Novella
 
A Wreath of Snow
By:Liz Curtis Higgs
 
A Wreath of Snow by Liz Curtis Higgs was a beautifully written Victorian Christmas Novella. It was a quick and easy read with a simple plot.
Meg Campbell is trying to get back to her home in Edinburgh. She has not spent Christmas with her family in years because of a strained relationship with her brother and she doesn’t intend to spend this Christmas with them either. She meets a man on the train, Mr. Gordon Shaw, whom she has never met before, or has she? He helps her and a mother with her son when the train hit’s a snowdrift and is unable to continue its trek to Edinburgh.
Because the train is stuck, the passengers must get off, and walk back to town, which also means that Meg must spend Christmas with her family. Due to the turn of events in her travel plans, she learns much about her family, both good and bad, all resulting in a fairy tale ending.
I enjoyed this book by Liz Curtis Higgs, as I have enjoyed all of her other books I have had the opportunity to read.