Chosen Ones by Alister McGrath

     Peter and Julia are spending their vacation at their grandparents’ house, waiting for their father to come home from sea. When Julia sees a hidden garden from her window she becomes drawn to it, and she and her brother soon find themselves in another land, drawn into a battle for freedom.

Book one of “The Aedyn Chronicles,” this is a good start. It is written for children, and there are illustrations throughout the book. I found that the writing tends to focus a lot more on getting into the action than character development. For me, this was a bit disappointing, but I would imagine this is a very good approach to writing for children… to keep them engaged. Overall, the story was good, and I would recommend this to anyone with kids who enjoy reading.

3.5 out of 5

Where to buy the book: CBD | Amazon | B&N

Crazy Dangerous by Andrew Klaven

     Sam Hopkins is the son of small-town preacher. When we first meet him, he his lying beaten and bloody on the side of the road. How did he get there. According to him, it was because of the stupidest thing he ever did. Not playing chicken with a freight train, or hanging out with the local thugs. No, that wasn’t the stupidest thing he ever did. Things get crazier when Jennifer Sales gets involved. She’s been having hallucinations of demons and coffins. But are they real? Are they visions of something coming? Sam has no choice but to find out.

I really liked this one. I have to admit that I had a little trouble reading this one before sleeping. Let me just warn you now… if you like to read in bed just before going to sleep… read the first chapter up with the lights on, not in your bed. You’ll thank me later. It’s really not overly scary, but I got creeped out. Demons and stuff, you know? I enjoyed reading Crazy Dangerous. It’s a light, quick read that will keep the pages turning and keep you entertained. Not really predictable, but not confusing with a bunch of weird twists and turns. The characters are realistic, especially Sam. I see a movie here, really. It would be pretty cool.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes from BookSneeze.

I give this one 4.5 out of 5.

Where to buy the book: CBD | Amazon | B&N

Quiet by Susan Cain

     Do you feel uncomfortable in large groups, preferring intimate one-on-one discussions? Would you rather be home with a good book on Friday night while others are out at clubs? If so, there’s a good chance you’re an introvert. The bad news: this world has become increasingly extroverted, especially in the west. The good news: there are more introverts out there than you may think. You are not alone, although you may feel like it sometimes. In “Quiet,” Susan Cain presents what it’s like for introverts to live in a world dominated by an extrovert culture. She focuses on research that has been done to test levels of introversion/extroversion, the differences in how these groups think and interact, and the best ways to overcome these traits that seem to hold us back (when the need arises). Overall, she encourages the world to embrace its introverted citizens, often asking how the world (schools/work places/economy) would be different if both extroversion and introversion were embraced equally.

I’ve known for years that I am an introvert. I’ve come to embrace it as an adult. I don’t like public speaking, I don’t like the spotlight, I tend to blend into the crowd (very happily), and I enjoy solitude and doing things on my own such as reading and studying things that interest me. I’ve learned to love my “Geek”-side. So, this book confirmed some things for me that I already knew, but there were things about myself that I actually learned from this book. Why did I feel so uncomfortable in that situation? Why couldn’t I express my thoughts better during that conversation? This book opened my eyes to a lot of the “whys” behind my behaviors that I’ve just learned to accept and embrace. It’s also very comforting to know that there are so many others out there who feel the same way, even if they’ve become good at hiding it.

“Quiet” is very well researched. Cain definitely did her homework for this one. I’m considering giving this to my friends, co-workers, and family who don’t always “get” me. Maybe it will help them understand.

This one gets 5 out of 5.

You can find out more at the Quiet website. You can also read an excerpt from the book here.

Where to buy the book: Amazon | B&N

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes from WaterBrook Multnomah.

Bookish Fellowship Forum

It’s been up for a while now, but I haven’t really promoted it. I thought with Plummer’s declaration of May being “Read a Historical Theology text month,” it might be a good time. If anyone will be reading the Historical Theology text by Gregg Allison and wants to discuss, please come sign up. Even if you decide to read another text, or not to participate in the historical theology reading at all… still come sign up! The Bookish Fellowship Forum has been created primarily for Christians who love to read (though everyone is welcome), whether it be fiction or non-fiction… or even just the Bible. If you love books half as much as I do then you should come join. You can head straight over to the forum by clicking here, or you can get to it from the blog’s menu. I’m also open to suggestions, as I’d like this to become a community for all to enjoy.

Hope to see you there!

Who Loves Bible Study? I DO!

Professor Rob Plummer has declared the month of May  “Read a Historical Theology text month.” What is historical theology? Plummer describes it as, “the academic discipline that looks at the development and articulation of Christian doctrine throughout church history.” He has decided to read about 30 pages a day from Gregg Allison’s “Historical Theology.” This book has been on my radar for a few months now, so I’ve decided to read along with Prof. Plummer. I ordered the book from CBD, which has it on sale for $28.99. I should get it next Thursday, and I’ll probably start it right away to give myself a little extra time as I am also using other textbooks right now to help in my Bible study.

Today I will finish the last assignment in Chapter 3 of “Grasping God’s Word,” a textbook that helps you learn how to really dig into the Biblical text, drawing out the meaning that was actually intended instead of reading meaning into the text. I also plan to read through Chapter 4 and do at least one assignment from that chapter. I’m using the second edition (which I also purchased from CBD), mostly because I got impatient and couldn’t wait for the third edition that is being released in May. There is also a workbook that goes along with it, which I highly suggest to you get if you use the textbook. So far, the material has been about practice, practice, practice… but I’m loving it, and I can’t wait to get to the deeper stuff.

I’ve also started over with Greek. I’m actually pleasantly surprised that I have retained even a little bit of what I had learned before. I am using Bill Mounce’s Greek Grammar and workbook (second edition… there is also a third edition available now) which I purchased a couple of years ago. I really want to learn this, but it’s very hard doing it alone. One of my goals for this year was to pick this up again, and I have… and I’m determined to stick with it.

I’m all-in right now. I purchased a few other resources as well, but I may not get to those for a while as I’m still doing other reading as well. Busy, busy, busy. But loving it!

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

     The prequel to Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, “The Hobbit” follows Bilbo Baggins. Bilbo leads the quiet life of a hobbit until the wizard Gandalf arrives at his door with a band of dwarves setting out on an adventure to reclaim a long-lost treasure. Bilbo finds himself swept up into their dangerous journey, and must find courage he didn’t know he had, especially when facing the great dragon Smaug alone in the dark.

“The Hobbit” is probably one of the top-five best fantasy novels ever written. It is one of my favorites. Tolkien created a world that few can match. It’s a world that is very familiar, but exotic and magical at the same time. The story, for entertainment purposes alone, is wonderful and will keep the pages turning, but there are also many lessons that can be learned if you’re paying attention. This will always be a favorite of mine. And I can’t wait for the movie coming this December. It’s such a long way off, but it looks like it’s going to be great. The only part I’m not to thrilled about is seeing all the huge spiders. Hopefully I can keep my eyes open, and remember not to call them Attercop. Here’s the trailer for the movie:

From here on I will be going over some things pertaining to my Middle-earth reading goal. There may be spoilers for those who have never read “The Hobbit.” Proceed at your own risk .

Called to Controversy by Ruth Rosen

     In “Called to Controversy” Ruth Rosen tells the story Moishe Rosen, the founder of Jews for Jesus. He also happens to be her father. His mission work to reach fellow Jews with the Gospel of Jesus Christ got him a lot of attention, and not all of it was flattering. Many in the Jewish community labeled him a heretic. Some denied he was even really Jewish, but Moishe pressed on with his mission. He brought Jewish outreach into the spotlight and helped train many others in taking evangelism to the Jews.

One would think that a biography coming from Moishe’s daughter to be a bit biased, but this biography presents both his strengths and his flaws. It discusses his successes and failures, as well as regrets. Ruth says, “Moishe knew it was important that his biography be quite clear that he was flawed. He wanted the world to know that God does not need people to attain a level of perfection to be used for his purposes.” What really sticks out, showing where Moishe’s heart truly was, is the fact that this biography covers his entire life, but his mission work is present for most of the book. Moishe Rosen’s life goal was to see the Jewish people, his people, come to Christ.

Each chapter starts with a quote from Moishe. I found several things to highlight in this book that I wanted to go back and think on, but I think the last lines of Ruth’s words are most poignant: “We can spend our brief lives any way we choose, but we can spend them only once. It’s important to recognize value, in ourselves, in others, and in whatever work God calls us to do. That’s something I learned from my father.”

1) Is it understandable? = 5
2) Presentation of Information = 5
3) Quality of Writing = 4.5
4) Overall Enjoyability = 4.5

Average of score 4.75
Overall grade = A

You can find out more about the Jews for Jesus organization on the official website.

Where to buy the book: CBD | Amazon | B&N

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book for review purposes from BookSneeze.

More New Books

Considering that one of my goals for 2012 was to read more of the unread books already on my shelf, I think I may be lacking in the self-control department when it comes to books. Within the last couple of weeks I’ve purchased:

              

I also won a giveaway hosted by Zondervan! Yay!

    

So much to read… so little time. I’m in the middle of “The Hobbit,” working on my Middle-earth goal. Last year, Tim Challies suggested “The Cross of Christ” as an Easter read, so I’ll be starting that one soon. On Tuesday I attended an online discussion for Michael Williams’ “Jesus Lens,” so I’m eager to read that one as well. In my spare time I’m helping to do transcriptions for a BiblicalTraining.org class, which just happens to be Christian Ethics… so I really want to start “Beyond Integrity.” I’m thinking of starting that one right away and treating it as a textbook, reading a “lesson” each day. I’ve recently become very intrigued with Francis Chan so “Crazy Love” is high up on the list, and of course “Bonhoeffer”… well… I don’t know when I’ll get to all these with everything else on my TBR list.

Inspiring Words for a Writer

While procrastinating a few days ago I found this wonderful thing called “A Wordplayer’s Manifesto.” I love it! It has many inspirational phrases for writers. I wanted to post it on my desktop, so I decided to add some decorative touches to it. I can’t keep it to myself. So, with permission from the creator of this Manifesto, K. M. Weiland, please feel free to download the wallpaper.

The Devil in Pew Number Seven by Rebecca Nichols Alonzo

     Imagine your father is the pastor of a church, where your mother plays the organ, in a small town where you are loved and quickly accepted. Do you imagine being happy? Feeling safe? Rebecca Nichols Alonzo was that child, along with her younger brother Daniel… but they never felt safe. With threatening letters in the mail, harassing late-night phone calls, and several explosions around their home, life for the Nichols family was far from peaceful and safe. Then, one night, a man came in armed with three guns. Rebecca’s life would never be the same.

I can’t even begin to imagine the pain of going through this. Rebecca tells us her story as an example of, of all things, forgiveness. If anyone would be allowed feelings of hate, revenge, or bitterness… it would be Rebecca. But she has chosen another path. A path she had seen her parents take many times as she grew up. A path that is commanded by our Heavenly Father: forgiveness. In this book she takes us back to how it all started, walks us through the events, and the aftermath. Through it all, she focuses on the act of forgiveness and its healing powers.

1) Is it understandable? = 5
2) Presentation of Information = 5
3) Quality of Writing = 4.5
4) Overall Enjoyability = 5 (“enjoyability” is probably not the best word for this type of book, but you will be kept engaged)

Average of score 4.8
Overall grade = A

For more information, watch the video below (shared from the website).

Where to buy the book: CBD | Amazon | B&N

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes from Tyndale.