Face to Face with God by Jim Maxim

Face to Face with God by Jim Maxim

Copyright 2011

Whitaker House - Nonfiction/Memoir/Religion - Christian

222 pages

Jim Maxim was already hitting bottom by 18. Addicted to alcohol, a frequent user of drugs, he chose to return to a party after friends drove him home. They knew he was too drunk to safely drive himself, but Jim thought he was fine.

He never made it to the party. Instead, a devastating car accident left him with a broken jaw, wired shut, and a face torn from the jagged glass of his windshield. While on the operating table, he saw two demons and then . . . the face of Jesus. When he awakened, Jim knew his life had to change. Face to Face with God is his story.

Face to Face with God is a two-part memoir. The first portion is about the author's early addiction, the accident that changed his life and his early years as a Christian. The second part is all about witnessing and contains numerous stories of the author's experiences, plus plenty of talk about God's love and forgiveness and how to receive it.

I really enjoyed the first part of the book, in particular, because I like reading stories about major changes/disasters and how they led to a dramatic change in a person's life. The latter half was interesting but, at times, tiresome. If you're already a Christian, you'll enjoy the stories but might feel a little irritated that the author feels you should be willing to talk as openly about Christ as he is. He admits he has the gift of evangelism, that he's naturally comfortable talking to strangers about God (although he's made plenty of mistakes and been told to lay off, especially in the early years). So, it seemed a little odd that he didn't acknowledge the fact that some people are just not able to minister in the same way. This is actually something I've talked to Christian friends about at length, but it still made me uncomfortable.

The bottom line:

A nicely-written book about the accident that changed a man's life and how he has used his own experience to bring others to Christianity. Recommended, but be aware that the second half is a little heavy-handed and some may consider it preachy; others may find it's just a little tiresome, although the stories are enjoyable.

Things to think about:

It's fascinating to me that the author believes he saw Jesus while unconscious. I think I would be tempted to write such an experience off as either a vision or dream. In the same vein, though, I have a friend whose life changed dramatically when she looked up at a digital clock while drug-addled, in the middle of the night, and saw the face of Jesus. Regardless of whether or not you believe there was really a visitation by Christ of some sort, I do think it's fascinating to read or hear about how such an experience can completely change a person's life. Face to Face with God is worth reading for the before and after, alone. It's really quite amazing how dramatically a person can change.

You can read a free chapter of Face to Face with God, here.

Your photo of the day:

A church seems apropos to this particular post. Here, the steeple of St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London at dusk. I'm guessing that gray thing is a lightning rod? I've never noticed it, before.

©2011 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

In Grandma's Attic and More Stories from Grandma's Attic by Arleta Richardson

In Grandma's Attic and More Stories from Grandma's Attic

by Arleta Richardson

Copyrights 1974 and 1979

David C. Cook

Fiction/Christian

Ages 9-12

Both 144 pages in length

I requested In Grandma's Attic (not realizing--because I skimmed the information sent to me--that I was getting two books) for a FirstWild review on a bit of a whim. I love children's books for all ages; they tend to be pleasant, relaxing reads or adventurous, magical, whimsical. In Grandma's Attic and More Stories from Grandma's Attic consist of very clean, short, relaxing and humorous tales. Each story begins with an introduction that leads into "Grandma" telling about something that happened during her childhood.

If you read the free chapter from In Grandma's Attic , you'll see what I mean -- and I highly recommend that you do. Arleta Richardson grew up with her grandmother and Grandma was a storyteller, so the stories are fictionalized versions of the tales her grandma told. Since the books were copyrighted in the Seventies and Richardson is now deceased, her grandmother's childhood on a farm in Michigan happened quite some time ago. To be honest, they read a bit like short episodes of Little House on the Prairie -- very homey, with lots of praying and talking about what God would want a troublesome child to do. There's always a moral lesson.

As I was reading these two books, I found myself smiling a lot, laughing occasionally and wishing I lived in a simpler time. My mother read to me from a book called Little Visits with God, when I was young -- one story, each night, unless she was feeling particularly generous. I think the Grandma's Attic books lend themselves well to nightly reading with a prayer (although there are no prayers written in the book, unlike Little Visits with God). Although the age range is stated as 9-12, I'm sure they'd work for reading to a younger child -- as young as 4-6, depending on how long they're able to sit still and listen -- if you don't have a child ready for middle readers. Both books are the same in style and length.

The bottom line:

Highly recommended. I love the cozy atmosphere, crazy antics and moral lessons in the Grandma's Attic books, but I'm particularly fond of the farm setting reminiscent of Laura Ingalls-Wilder's Little House on the Prairie and "Grandma" Mabel's loving family. Sweet, clean fun for many ages.

A note on my copy of More Stories from Grandma's Attic (Book Two):

There is a major printing error in my copy of the second book, so if you buy Book Two, check Chapter 15. Pages 128 and 130 are switched. The wrong text was printed, although the page numbers are not out of order -- meaning, they simply printed the text from page 130 on page 128. You can flip ahead to 130 and then back to 128 to read the entire story, if you're willing, but for an older child who reads on his or her own, that error may be confusing.

©2011 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

The Daniel Fast Made Delicious by John & Ann Marie Cavazos - the book you want if you're in the mood to get healthy without a stomachache

The Daniel Fast Made Delicious: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, & Vegan Recipes That Are Healthy and Taste Great

By John and Ann Marie Cavazos

Copyright 2011

Siloam - Cooking/Health

200 pages

Let's get this out of the way, first . . . the title is weird. "Fast" and "diet" do not mean the same thing, in my mind. The free chapter of The Daniel Fast Made Delicious explains the reasoning behind the use of the word "fast" which, briefly, is simply a usage that a particular church came up with when its members sought out a way to set aside a time in which they weren't necessarily doing the regular starving-fast/prayer thing but were focused on God and eating in a way that would please Him. The idea came from Daniel's diet from the Bible (Daniel 1: 8-21) in which Daniel and his little gang said they'd stay with the king but only if they didn't have to eat the king's food, eating only vegetables and water, instead.

As that particular church made its "Daniel fast" a regular event, the authors of this book tried to find ways to make the food they were limited to more palatable. It took several years and a lot of trial and error (their family and church members were apparently the guinea pigs) but they eventually created enough recipes to make not only a temporary diet but a lifestyle change as they discovered that the general church population was losing weight and having fewer health issues (particularly stomach and intestinal), to boot.

There are two sections in The Daniel Fast. The first contains recipes that fit the diet strictly and the second has recipes that are healthy, gluten- and dairy-free, and vegan but not quite as strict in that they add a few things that are restricted in the "fast" portion of the book.

I haven't read the entire cookbook, cover to cover, but I read quite a few of the recipes and we tried two of them. When I say, "we", I'm saying it with a bit of a lopsided grin. My part was exhausting -- I wrote down the ingredients husband needed to purchase and then went to bed and moaned because I had a stomach virus while he bought, chopped and put together everything.

Before we got our spanking new Kroger, I'm pretty sure a good portion of the special ingredients like egg-free mayonnaise (we didn't have the brand mentioned in our store, but husband found something similar) would have been unobtainable and there are still plenty that can't be found in our area. If you don't have easy access to such things and aren't willing to order ingredients, drive out of your way or alter the recipes a bit, this book is probably not for you.

Things like gluten-free tortillas and rice cheeses (which, actually, we could make -- it's just cheese made from rice milk rather than cow milk) are among those we'd have to hunt down in the Big City -- that means a 50-60 mile drive, which isn't worth it for regular, everyday meals but at least it's within reach. And, there's a fruit salad recipe that contains about 15 different fruits. On the best of days, a lot of the berries mentioned go straight to mold when they get to us (because they travel so far) and are outrageously expensive, anyway, so that one's just not possible, period.

But, veggies are abundant in variety and readily available -- and they're the main ingredients comprising most of the recipes included in The Daniel Fast, so we were able to give a couple recipes a trial run and will make more in the future. The two we chose were "Annie's Pumpkin Lasagna" and "Brown Rice Tortilla Vegetable Wraps". There were no gluten-free tortillas to be found, so we just used the healthiest tortillas available (who knows whether they are what they claim) and there was some other minor tweaking but the end results were spectacular. I was shocked at how flavorful both recipes tasted.

Here's the really interesting part, though. On Sunday, I was still having some lingering after-effects from my stomach virus, so my husband offered to make me some rice. If you've got kids, you probably know why -- the B.R.A.T. diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) is well-known as a gentle way to ease kids back into eating after intestinal illness. Well, guess what? Rice didn't go over well at all and I ended up napping with a heating pad on my sore belly. Later in the day, though, husband finished cooking the pumpkin lasagna and I was able to eat it with no problem, whatsoever. Wow, that was a surprise. Later that night, I was feeling a bit better and by then he'd thrown together the wrap recipe, so that was next. Again, no problem.

Then, I ate something typical on Monday morning and went into total relapse. Right now, I'm eating leftover pumpkin lasagna and veggie wraps -- and pretty much nothing else. I'll stick with what works, thank you very much.

The bottom line:

Stunningly flavorful recipes and tips for how to adapt after the initial diet make this gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan cookbook a winner but some ingredients may be hard to find. There are lots of explanatory notes and additions ("What's a quinoa?" "After-the-Fast" tips, and "Optional Mint Sauce" are a few examples) that I found really helpful. Not being much of a cook, I found that I had a lot of questions but 90% of the time they were answered before I moved to the next recipe.

There are some photographs -- not every recipe has a photo, but many of them do. Since they tend to be pretty basic, with fresh foods and lots of chopping, I don't think absolutely every recipe needs a photo. My husband agrees with me on that and was also pleased with the results. We have not yet talked Kiddo into trying either recipe, unfortunately. But, we'll keep working on him. He's been in a gummy worm mood, today. Um, yeah. Healthy.

So . . . speaking of rice . . . were we speaking of rice? It was mentioned, I guess, and that made me think of something totally cool that I think is worth sharing. You know the site where you can go click on various buttons to donate food and books, feed shelter animals, etc.? I go there daily to do my clicking and one day I gazed into the sidebar, where they have their little market, and saw a tote bag made with cloth from an old sari was advertised. They looked pretty and were reasonably priced (plus, your purchase buys 50 cups of rice for a hungry child) and I occasionally buy a new tote bag for my Bible-study toting, so I got one.

Ohmygosh, the embroidery is amazing. Here's a picture of it:

Isn't that gorgeous? The bag is mostly black satin with one side made up of reclaimed sari fabric. I'm so in love with mine that I ordered another one for a friend who has admired my current Bible study tote, which is sequined (we both love shiny things) and kind of funky. I just thought I'd share that with you. You might see books posed on that bag, in the future.

©2011 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Taking Out Your Emotional Trash by Georgia Shaffer

Taking Out Your Emotional Trash: Face Your Feelings and Build Healthy Relationships

by Georgia Shaffer

Copyright 2010

Harvest House - Nonfiction/Self-help/Christian

201 pages

I'm not sure exactly what I expected out of this book because the subtitle makes it pretty obvious, but I suppose I was not expecting quite the emphasis on relationships. Taking Out Your Emotional Trash is about determining the difference between needs and desires, recognizing what's important to us and letting go of unhealthy emotions so that we can get along better with others.

I read the entire book, even though I wasn't quite sure it fit my needs. I thought there was some very good advice. But, I thought there were a few too many illustrations that were deliberate metaphors for trash depicting negative emotions and that became tiresome, after a while.

What I liked best about this book was the way the author zoned in on some excellent Biblical references on the whole "don't let your past ruin your present" theme, such as:

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. --Isaiah 43:18

I got a little bit of "in your face" chewing-out (backed up with plenty of Bible verses) from this book. The author states in no uncertain terms that it is bad and scripturally considered unacceptable to be a hermit. And, I am a deliberate hermit, in many ways -- not holed up in a cave or anything drastic like that, but I've gradually retreated away from friendship for reasons I won't go into. So, that bothered me and I'll be pondering that for a while. I'm not even sure how one jumps off that boat, once it's been set out to sea.

While I didn't love this book and I'd give it an average rating, I think at least a part of that has to do with the fact that I'm not willing to do the work. I don't like books that tell me to sit down and write my thoughts. I don't want to see my thoughts written down -- not the ones that really mean something. I probably ought to, but . . . nah.

The bottom line:

Taking Out Your Emotional Trash is a Christian guide to living that is, in my opinion, a little weak. But if you're willing to do the work to get to the bottom of your feelings -- journaling about your emotions, answering questions that make you think about your needs versus desires and what you should do to let go of past hurts -- it could be very useful. It just wasn't the right book for me and I particularly found the frequent emotional-trash metaphors annoying.

Follow the link to view the first chapter of Taking Out Your Emotional Trash by Georgia Shaffer.

I haven't taken many photographs, lately, so here's a picture I took right before Christmas, before the last of the colorful autumn leaves had fallen.

©2011 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

How to be Perfect by Daniel M. Harrell

How to be Perfect: One Church's Audacious Experiment in Living the Old Testament Book of Leviticus

by Daniel M. Harrell

Copyright 2011

FaithWords - Nonfiction/Christian

240 pages

Then come four finicky chapters on cleanness--everything from proper food preparation to proper skin care--which make the Lord sound terribly persnickety (apparently my mom was right; cleanliness is next to godliness). Following that are a couple of chapters devoted to festivals (Leviticus is the party book of the Old Testament), as well as two chapters prohibiting every type of incest and other sexual deviancy (making you wonder what the heck was going on back then). Interspersed throughout are various prohibitions against seed and threads and a few other wacky laws that have left even the best Bible scholars scratching their heads ever since.

-- from p. 7 of How to be Perfect, Uncorrected Advanced Reader's Copy. Some changes may have been made to the final published version

Journeying together toward holiness created a reliance on each other that drove us into a deeper experience of community than we would have otherwise enjoyed. Even so, Brandy worried that Leviticus might forbid salsa dancing. I assured her that Leviticus did not forbid any form of dancing. In fact, some parts of the Bible actually encourage it (Ps. 149:3).

--p. 23 of How to be Perfect, ARC

Hyperbole notwithstanding, Jesus allows that loving another is formidable. People who make a big deal of the "as yourself" clause (perhaps in an attempt to make loving another easier) imply that the Bible means you're supposed to take care of yourself first and then you can better love others (since you'll be in a better place to do so, psychologically speaking). But I seriously doubt that Leviticus has psychological well-being in mind.

--pp. 113-114 of How to be Perfect, ARC

. . . Lisa wondered, "Why is it that I see Christians holding signs with references to Leviticus as they protest gay marriage, but no one is doing the same on Wall Street with passages condemning greed?" There is a tendency among Christians to treat some sins as more sinful than others, often for what might be cultural or political reasons. Thomas, weighing the emphasis in Leviticus itself, added, "If we God-folk across the U.S. proportionally reflected the emphases of Leviticus--six or seven compulsions to care for the immigrant and the alien versus two condemnations of homosexuality--what a different debate we might be having about one or both of them in this country now. And how differently the church might be regarded."

p. 132 of How to be Perfect, ARC

These days, modesty and restraint are often relegated to the category of amusing curiosity, if not life-denying pathology. However, being a prude is not so awful. Prudish derives from the Latin word for wisdom, from whence also comes the English word prudent as in "good judgment" or "common sense." Many consider prudence the mother of all virtue, the only sure road to actual happiness. In American culture, the pursuit of happiness has been declared an inalienable right, but ironically, little has contributed more unhappiness than the futility of the pursuit.

p. 135 of How to be Perfect, ARC

After the experiment was over, our tribe of Levites-for-a-month generally agreed that obedience was no longer capitulating to a set of rules, but rather a pathway to relationship whereby the goodness, holiness, awesomeness, and joy of God came clear.

p. 203 of How to be Perfect, ARC

How to be Perfect is similar to the many "did it for a year" books that have been popping up in recent years, but in this case a group of people chose to follow the rules of Leviticus (one of the most rule-heavy books of the Bible) for a single month. When I realized the group was only planning the experiment for a month and they weren't even going to actually follow the same rules, instead cobbling together their own Levitical experiences by picking and choosing what they wanted to work on, I almost abandoned the book as my first DNF of the year.

But, then something happened and all of a sudden I was close to page 100. I think the reason I kept reading had to do with the fact that How to be Perfect is, at the very least, thought-provoking in the manner of a philosophy book. It touches on a lot of topics that are still relevant and which are obvious food for discussion.

I've read Leviticus (yawn) and it's a boring book but the author had a pretty good sense of humor and parts of his chatty description of the Levitical rules are not only funny but make you rethink what they might have meant then (their purpose; how they were followed) versus how they apply now. Even Jews don't apply absolutely every Levitical rule to their lives -- in America you can't. Animal sacrifice is out, for example, because it's against the law. But when author Harrell consulted with a rabbi, the rabbi expressed exactly what I was thinking: Torah is not a toy from which to pick and choose rules and play for a month.

Still, I liked the fact that the book made me think about how I've looked at those ancient rules in the past and whether or not any of them at all have relevance in our time and culture. In general, I've always thought they were worth ignoring because they were directed to the Israelites in an ancient time and -- even if I had a ranch with lambs, goats and bulls -- I would not go around sacrificing animals, mainly because Jesus was supposed to have been the ultimate sacrifice, negating the need to splash animal blood on altars. Ewww. There's plenty of talk about whether or not Jesus' death negated the entire book of Leviticus and it's pretty fascinating stuff.

Homosexuality is an excellent example of a current topic for which Christians in general are thought to have a strong (and mutual) opinion based on a single verse in Leviticus. In fact, none of the people in the group thought homosexuality, which was considered one of the deviant sexual practices for which people were executed in the days of Israelites wandering the desert, was something they could take in the literal Levitical sense. How could they tell their gay friends, "Sorry, you're unclean because of deviant sexual practices," and avoid them for a month? Nobody was willing to do that.

The bottom line:

There's an awful lot to think about and discuss in How to be Perfect. While it can be a little dry, at times, and it's probably a book that will interest Christians more than anyone else, I think non-Christians might also enjoy parts of it.

Personally speaking:

I don't necessarily agree with everything the author said. For example, that quote on loving others as yourself -- Harrell claims it's not about psychological health, but if you're a person who has put everyone else first in your life and not taken time to bother with your own needs, you know doing so can eventually have serious repercussions. It's not easy to love people when you haven't cared enough for yourself and you can, in fact, end up feeling used up and worn out before your time, if not angry at everyone you should love. There's a lot to be said for "loving yourself" if it means psychologically recharging.

Cover thoughts:

I don't know if the cover will remain the same but it's kind of dull. You can barely see the sheep in the middle of the cover, there's no color, nothing at all eye-catching about the book. I'd change that cover if I were in charge.

Notes on an important blog change for 2011:

I've never liked posting the free chapter "sneak peeks" on my blog because they're not original content but they're a requirement for those of us who occasionally review for FirstWild. From now on, I'll leave the free chapters up for 24 hours and then I'll move them a new blog site: Bookfool's Free Chapter Collection. I'll add a link to my review, each time, so that when I take down a free chapter, you'll still have a link that leads you to a copy of the same exact "sneak peek" post but which will be separate from my personal blog content. Here's the free chapter post for How to be Perfect.

©2011 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are viewing stolen content. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

3 Christmas Books - The Christmas Journey, Richard Scarry's Best Christmas Book Ever! and The 12 Days of Christmas in Washington, D.C.

Since I was going to shoot for mini-reviews anyway, I've decided to put three of the Christmas books I've recently read together in a single post. I'll tell you what they're about, whether or not I liked them (Blogger Game Cheat: I liked them all), and whether they're worth buying, in my humble opinion.

The Christmas Journey by Donna Van Liere
Copyright 2010
St. Martin's Press - Seasonal/Christian
62 pages

Donna VanLiere is known for her charming, often amusing and deeply touching Christmas books. In The Christmas Journey, she departs from her usual delightful storytelling and tells the story of the journey Mary and Joseph took to Bethlehem.

The story is told in two parts. First, the rhythmically beautiful tale told in the words of the Bible is repeated. Then, the author shares why she believes the Bible version is a little too tame and moves on to the second portion of the book. The latter part is a grittier retelling of the Christmas story, in which the feeling of being outcasts, the pain of riding on a mule while 9 months pregnant, the fatigue from a long journey and filthy conditions of the barn where Jesus was born, along with other such realistic discomforts are described.

VanLiere wrote the second bit to read at her church and I think that--and similar group settings--is, in fact, what it's best for, although I would pick up a copy and peruse it before considering its potential audience. I think it would make a good keepsake book for reading around the tree as a family or sharing in church -- or just for your personal reading. I liked the way VanLiere took the story and put it in more human terms. However, for reading to children I'd look for a slightly larger book because The Christmas Journey is the same size as VanLiere's other books and has lovely watercolor illustrations, but they're a bit too small. If you're going to read it to children, it would be best one-on-one.

I enjoyed the reading and read the first part aloud to the cats (the Biblical portion) while we waited for our tornadic weather to pass, earlier this week.

Some additional info:

• Donna VanLiere's Christmas movies will be airing on Lifetime TV. Link at left leads to the schedule.
• There is a contest to win all of Donna's Christmas books, including an autographed copy of The Christmas Journey that ends on December 14th: link here.

Richard Scarry's Best Christmas Book Ever!
By Richard Scarry
Copyright 1981
Orig. Publ'd by Random House
Reprinted by Sterling Kids

When my children were small, I discovered Richard Scarry via hand-me-down books from my husband's family and they were always a hit. Scarry's characters are cute, friendly-looking and quirky, his stories amusing and often very sweet.

Richard Scarry's Best Christmas Book Ever is loaded with stories, 2 Christmas songs (with easy musical scores for playing at home) and even a board game. I had fun reading this book to myself, but I'm definitely going to have to find it a happy home with children.

Loads of fun and definitely worth buying for the young family on your gift list. I don't think you can lose with Richard Scarry. There were some stories I consider personal favorites, but I enjoyed them all and kind of wish I had a little one around to share it with, this holiday season.

The Twelve Days of Christmas in Washington, D.C.
By Candice Ransom
Illustrated by Sarah Hollander
Copyright 2010
Sterling Kids - Seasonal

Did I tell you I begged a publicist for Christmas books because I was in a mood for Christmas reading, last month? Well, I did. Richard Scarry's Best Christmas Book Ever and The Twelve Days of Christmas in Washington, D.C. were two of the books I received and I was very pleasantly surprised by The Twelve Days, etc.

As you may imagine, the Washington D.C. book is merely one of a series of "Twelve Days of Christmas" books set in different locations across the U.S. It tells the tale of Olivia and James. James lives in Washington, D.C. and in an opening letter invites his cousin Olivia to visit for the holidays. Then Olivia describes the places she visits and things she learns via letters home to her mom and dad on the left-hand page of each spread. On the right-hand side of every spread is a "12 Days of Christmas" rhyme (part of the rhyme to go with each day's activities and then the entire list, thus far, as in the original song).

At the end of the book, there's some additional information about Washington D.C. and a list of famous Washingtonians. The Twelve Days of Christmas in Washington, D.C. surprised me in the same way I was pleasantly surprised by the Fancy Nancy book I read to my niece during our family reunion in Colorado, this summer. I expected fluff and instead found the book is actually educational. The illustrations are delightful and detailed enough to give young readers a lot to look at.

If I had young children, I would be tempted to buy several from the Twelve Days of Christmas series (link leads to Sterling's website, where you can see all of the titles) and continue to collect a few each year because I absolutely love an entertaining book that's also educational. For gift-giving, it would be loads of fun to send a child on your Christmas list a book about your area -- or theirs -- for starters. I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend them for gift-giving.

In other news:

Obviously, I've been on a bit of a posting frenzy, this week. That will continue for a while, since I'm accustomed to taking off 2 or 3 weeks from blogging to enjoy family time during the holiday season. As always, please feel free to comment only when you feel compelled to do so and don't feel obligated to read everything!!

©2010 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

A Memory Between Us by Sarah Sundin

A Memory Between Us by Sarah Sundin
Book 2 in the Wings of Glory series (stands alone fine)
Copyright 2010
Revell - Historical Fiction/Christian/Romance
439 pages, incl. discussion questions

Jack turned right onto Abbey Gate Street, where window boxes teemed with flowers in defiance of the war. Whatever made Hitler think he could defeat the British?

Levitski pulled the mixture control lever on the center console. "Engine three off. Booster off."
Jack turned the ignition switch on the console. "Engine three off."
"Cowl flaps closed."
"Throttle closed. Harv, when you've got a moment, transfer fuel from three to two."
"When I've got a moment? Tell that to Jerry." Harv swung his guns overhead after a yellow-nosed Fw 190.
Jack looked outside. Chaos. Fighters in every direction, hundreds of them. Forts lagging and tumbling, fighters in flames, white American parachutes and brown German ones.

Lieutenant Ruth Doherty has a past and can't forgive herself for the mistakes she's made. Major Jack Novak has his own problems, but he's a man who loves a challenge and Ruth is one army nurse who is about as challenging as they come. Laid up in the hospital after he's wounded in battle, pilot Jack sets a goal to win Ruth over. But, he has no idea what he's up against. Ruth is single-minded, working hard to send money home to her orphaned siblings and not interested in dating because of her damaged past. And, yet, she's never felt more comfortable with any other man.

As WWII escalates and the casualties grow, they need each other even more. But, can Jack overcome his own battle with pride and admit what he wants to do with his life to both his father and himself? And, will Ruth ever let her guard down? Or will the war separate them, forever?

Well, gosh. I just realized how complicated this book is. First of all, there's the WWII backdrop. Jack is pilot of a B-17 Flying Fortress in the U.S. Eight Air Force, stationed in England. WWII is one of my favorite historical time periods and I particularly love England as a setting, so that was the main reason I wanted to read this book. Against this war backdrop is a romance that seems impossible to overcome. The hero is, shall we say, a little on the cocky side? And, the heroine is a wreck. Ruth is determined never to marry or even date. Kissing throws her into total panic. Jack really throws her for a loop.

The seemingly impossible romance between Ruth and Jack takes place over a span of a little over a year, but during that time a lot happens. Jack and Ruth keep things platonic for a while, but now and then he's overcome with the urge to kiss her and Ruth goes ballistic. There is the usual black moment that one finds in every romance and it's a big one. I won't spoil it, but it was a bad enough black moment that I thought Ruth would be crazy to ever have anything to do with Jack, again. But, then, Ruth was a competent nurse but, emotionally, a little off her rocker so . . . lets just cut to the chase.

What I liked about A Memory Between Us:

I loved the historical setting. I thought the author did a pretty good job of giving you that "I was there" sense during the battle scenes,when Jack was flying. I absolutely adored the author's sense of humor; there were loads of light, smile-inducing, clever moments. I loved the nursing scenes, especially when Ruth shifted to a different job. I liked the friendships Ruth and Jack had on the side and how those developed and went through ups and downs. And, while I can't say whether or not the author's battle scenes were accurate, I thought they were suitably tense and mostly believable.

What I disliked about A Memory Between Us:

Ruth had an excellent reason to fear intimacy but I thought the thing she considered her "sin" was not sinful at all. I couldn't understand why anyone would consider what she did unforgiveable. However, I did understand that she was seriously damaged by a horrible experience. I just thought the focus was a little strange and it could have been more believable if handled a slightly different way. That is, of course, merely my humble opinion.

Jack's sin? Sigh. Same thing. I think he had a dilemma he needed to work through about his life and he did make a very serious error in judgment because of something horrible that happened in his past. But, the repetition of the word "pride" just drove me nuts. I thought he was cocky and a little arrogant; occasional use of slightly different wording might have helped.

In general:

A Memory Between Us is heavily focused on the romance and yet there are plenty of other things happening to the main characters when they're apart. So, you get plenty of time reading about Ruth's experiences as a nurse and her frustrations when she's paired with a good-looking but lecherous man during her training for a new job to earn more money for her siblings (reading about that new job is particularly fun because it's so interesting). And, Jack's arrogance isn't just the cause of the "black moment". It causes trouble with his best friend and may get in the way of his attempt at promotion if he doesn't get his act together. With the war going on, Ruth and Jack are thrown together, torn apart, thrown together. I found that surprisingly believable.

The bottom line:

I had mixed feelings about this book. I loved the setting but I had trouble fully believing the characters could be that distraught about their pasts -- traumatized, yes, but wracked by guilt? I had trouble buying into the sin and pride -- the guilt factors. When it comes to the setting, though, I thought everything was done very, very well. The nursing scenes had the ring of truth and most of the flight scenes did, as well. There were only a couple of times I thought a bombing mission would have been more believable if there'd been a bit less joking around. And, the endings of both stories of the individuals (separate from their romance) were satisfying. Confused, yet?

Well, let me just say this. It's very romantic, very heavily Christian, and seems to be well researched. If you like Christian romance and WWII settings, you'll more than likely enjoy it. There was a lot I liked and a few things that just drove me crazy. One thing, in particular, that just drove me off my rocker was the overuse of the word "groaned". Let them sigh, shake their heads or run their hands through their hair, now and then! The constant groaning just felt lazy to me. And, yet, I loved those battle scenes, Ruth's training, the dynamics between the hero and heroine and their friends and a lot of other side material so much that I'm really glad I read it.

So, I'm going to say I recommend it to romance lovers and WWII addicts, especially those who like a clean romantic read and don't mind a lot of talk about sin and a whole lot of moaning and groaning when the protagonists are frustrated. If you can overlook its flaws, there's a lot to love about A Memory Between Us. I liked it and would read more by the author.

In other news:

No photos, today! Huzzybuns and I spent half the day shopping for houses. We're still not convinced we want to go into debt, but decided we'd never get anywhere without at least seeing what's out there. We had a good time. After house hunting, we visited Kiddo and took him out to eat and shopping, which is always delightful.

Funny moment: When we were preparing to visit one house, the real estate agent said there was a note to be careful not to let out the hairless cat, Fiona. I told the agent we had a cat named Fiona . . . and an Isabel. She gave me a funny look and said, "The dog's name is Izzy."

That hairless cat was really something. I've never seen one in real life -- just photographs. She was bizarre to look at but a really friendly, lovable cat. And, Izzy the dog -- a bulldog -- was a sweet, shy girl. We had as much fun talking to and petting the critters as we did looking at the house.

Just walked in:

Infections and Inequalities: The Modern Plagues by Paul Farmer (from PBS)

Enough for now. I'm typing this late and it's past time for bed. Nighty-night!

©2010 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post at Bookfoolery and Babble, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Whisper on the Wind by Maureen Lang (review)

Whisper on the Wind by Maureen Lang
Copyright 2010
Tyndale - Historical Fiction
407 pages (includes discussion questions)

WARNING: This review may contain spoilers!!! Stop right here if you plan to read this book right away!!!

The year is 1916. Belgium is under German occupation and Isa Lassone is doing something very unusual -- sneaking into Belgium in order to try to save the family she used to live with and came to think of as her own. But, it's not as easy as she hoped.

Edward, a young man she has loved since she was 7 years old, is working with other Belgians to keep up morale among his countrymen by helping to print and distribute La Libre Belgique (Free Belgium), a newspaper to keep Belgians notified of the real, uncensored news and lift their spirits.

Edward refuses to leave the country but encourages her to help his family leave. However, Isa cannot bear the idea of leaving without him. So, they all remain and Isa moves into her old home -- with a German officer billeted in one of the large home's bedrooms. When a new location is needed for a printing press, Isa offers up a secret room in her cellar. But, in doing so, she risks not only her own life but the lives of the people she loves most. Only her faith in God keeps her going during the most dangerous times.

Will Isa, Edward and his family survive the German occupation? Or will they die trying to do their part to keep hope alive?

First things first: I spent all day reading Whisper on the Wind. That's partly because I'm a slow reader (le sigh) and partly because I couldn't put that sucker down. It has its flaws. At times I thought, "Seriously? I don't buy that," but then I realized I kept sticking poor Isa mentally into the wrong time period. I've read very, very little about World War I and have no idea what German security was like in that time and place. So, it's possible that Isa may have gotten away with a few squeaks past the Nazis as she entered the country.

My general feeling about the printing press in her cellar (which I don't believe is a spoiler, but I've gone ahead and added the spoiler warning, just in case some might consider it to be) was that it was crazy but insisting that she must move back into her own home in an occupied country, knowing at least one Nazi was billeted there, was just ridiculous. I just had a terrible time getting past that.

Otherwise, I loved the book. I've mentioned before that I read My Sister Dilly by Maureen Lang and enjoyed it. This was an opportunity to read something vastly different (historical versus contemporary) and I found that I liked her writing as well as I did the first time. At the beginning, there are some tense moments but they're nothing compared to the danger that occurs later in the book. In that regard, I found it very realistic -- the further they became entrenched in their work and the more strangers they encountered, the more dangerous their situation became.

The bottom line:

While the premise is a bit over-the-top and there are moments and situations that I had trouble swallowing, Whisper on the Wind is absolutely engrossing and I highly recommend it, especially to fans of Christian historical fiction. Danger, intrigue, tension, romance (not gushy or overdone, but one of many elements) and a satisfying conclusion make for a page-turning read.

Whisper on the Wind is apparently the second in Lang's "The Great War Series", although it's a stand-alone and there was no hint that it's the second book in a series. I only found out it was not the first book in the series when I saw an excerpt from the third book in the back.

In other news:

I'm going back to that make-no-promises rule I had, a while back. I would really, really like to whip out a bunch of reviews, this week, but can't make any guarantees because I never know from one day to the next if the words will come. Obviously, no problem tonight. Maybe doing nothing but read and play with cats is a good way to prepare to write. ;)

Over the weekend, I finished Georgette Heyer's Regency World by Jennifer Kloester. I'd like to review that next, while it's fresh in my mind. But, I'd also like to run a 10K, again. I'd like world peace. Just wish me luck, okay?

A new book has arrived at my home, today: Homer's Odyssey by Gwen Cooper. A kitty book!! Wahoo! I also got a copy of Only the Good Spy Young by Ally Carter (4th in the Gallagher Girls series, which Kiddo and I love). Both were from Paperback Swap.

And, Sterling Kids sent me 4 books from their new "Inside" series: Inside Dinosaurs, Inside Hurricanes, Inside the Human Body and Inside Tornadoes. I'm a weather freak, so I read Inside Hurricanes immediately and I'll go for Tornadoes, next. I haven't decided whether I'll review them as a group or individually -- that will depend on whether I find them consistent. I really liked Hurricanes, apart from one little quibble that is not unique -- it's in every single freaking book that mentions Hurricane Katrina and you can probably guess what that is because I can't shut up about it.

Best news of the week: I have caught the two kitties sleeping within 18 inches of each other twice!!!! How exciting is that? Fiona's still more skittish than normal and Isabel chews on things she shouldn't, climbs curtains (eeks -- we hardly have any curtains but she's found them!) and frequently provokes Fiona . . . and sometimes Fiona bats her for no other reason than, "That is MY toy and I don't want you touching it," but, hey, we'll take any progress at all.

Happy . . . oh, Monday is almost over. Well, then. Happy Today!

Bookfool with whuppita, whuppita, whuppita noise in her hallway (I knew a day of cats sleeping might mean a long night)

©2010 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post at Bookfoolery and Babble, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Misadventures in Travel by Paula Edwards (review)

Misadventures in Travel: A Missionary's Experience in Brazil
by Paula Edwards
Copyright 2010
Hannibal Books
191 pages, incl. photographs

Misadventures in Travel is about a couple who chose to travel to Brazil to do a job that primarily involved driving around the coastal areas to look for fishing villages that other missionaries might find good locations for evangelism (teaching the people about God, in this case the Baptist doctrine) with occasional stops to chat with people about Christianity. I've found it a fairly slow read, but part of that had to do with the fact that there's no map in the book and the Edwards' did a great deal of traveling but almost none of the city names were familiar.

Eventually, I decided to look up Brazil (which is huge) on GoogleEarth. I printed out the relevant section for reference. If anyone wants me to review a World Atlas, just let me know. I really could have used one.

Scouting out fishing villages along Brazil's coast had to be a monstrous job, driving often on muddy or dramatically pot-holed roads and catching rides on ferries, some large and tidy, some that looked like they weren't necessarily up to the job.

What I liked about this book: There are some excellent anecdotes, especially about the kindness of strangers as Paula and her husband, Van, often had to deal with the difficulty of finding a place to sleep at night in a country where the choice was usually a pousada -- apparently, a small, family-run place that was not clearly advertised -- in the small towns or a hotel in more populous areas. Sometimes, they simply couldn't find a place to stay as night was falling and they had to decide whether or not to take a chance on finding another town. They experienced numerous car breakdowns, which often resulted in friendships with the people who helped them find tow trucks, dealerships, places to eat and sleep.

What I disliked about this book: It's shy on detailed information and there is no map of Brazil to clarify where the couple traveled, hence the GoogleEarth print-out. The back cover blurb explains their job better than the text inside but I still feel as if I don't quite get the purpose. I think the deal was that they were supposed to find places for Baptist missionaries to go evangelize, but they were particularly seeking fishing villages. I never understood why they were specifically targeting fishing villages, nor did I get why they got so excited every time they saw a Baptist church. My assumption was that they were simply looking to fill in the gaps and when they saw a church it meant, "Nothing needs to be done, here."

I was also frustrated by what I considered slightly lazy writing. For example, the author translated a city name, Porto de Galinhas, meaning Port of the Chickens and said there was a story behind the name . . . but she didn't remember it. In non-fiction, facts are important. I found it frustrating that she didn't take the time to research the story because translating the name without explaining its origin simply meant she'd told half a story and left the reader hanging. It took me about 5 seconds with a computer and Google to find the information left out:

Porto de Galinhas means Port of Chickens. During the 18th century, when the traffic of slaves was forbidden, "chicken" was the code used to refer to the slaves. "There are new chickens in town" was the way to say that a ship loaded with slaves had arrived.

Who I think would like this book: Christians, particularly of the Baptist faith, who are curious what it's like to do this particular job and/or adjust to life in a foreign country, and people who enjoy memoirs. But, be aware that there's a lot of everyday life and the anedotes are really few and far between . It could have been a much better book with some added depth of detail.

In other news . . .

It's official: Kiddo has left me with an empty nest. Technically, I'll be a weekend nester because he's planning to come home on weekends, but it feels like an empty nest -- especially when Miss Fiona goes off to hide for her Serious Napping Time and the house becomes ridiculously quiet.

This next few weeks is going to be an adjustment time for me, so if I disappear for a few days or a week or two, don't worry. It just means I'm trying to figure out what to do with myself and that might involve stepping away from the computer for a while. I will still at least show up to post scheduled reviews.

Just (also) finished: The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May and June by Robin Benway, a slightly-paranormal YA. Will review that as soon as possible. There are some books that have been waiting for review for several weeks, but I'm not sure what order they'll end up getting reviewed. If there's a particular book I've recently read and for which you've been waiting for a review, just let me know. I'll try to push it forward a little bit.

Off to clean my nest!

Bookfool . . . pondering more kittens to add a little noise to the house

©2010 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post at Bookfoolery and Babble, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Storylines by Andy Croft & Mike Pilavachi

Storylines: Your Map to Understanding the Bible
by Andy Croft and Mike Pilavachi
Copyright 2008
David C. Cook - Christian/Bible/Nonfiction
207 pages

If the old covenant was based on a peace treaty and the picture of marriage, and it didn't work because the people could never meet the obligations, what would be the basis of the new covenant? Would God take some of the obligations away to make it easier? Maybe under the new agreement the Ten Commandments would be swapped for the Ten Polite Suggestions? Maybe God would soften the penalty clause--perhaps only community service as punishment?

Many of us have been Christians for years--we've read the Bible and heard the talks--yet we can still forget the amazing terms of the new covenant. In this covenant God did not water down the obligations, he did not abolish the penalty clause--he would cease to be holy and just if he did. He knew that whatever he did we would never be able to meet the obligations and so, when it came to the new covenant, God didn't make it with us, he made it with himself! Father and son shook hands on the deal. The nature of this covenant is spelled out in the book of Hebrews:

Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance--now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. (Heb. 9:15-17)

The picture that the New Testament gives of this covenant is the picture of the will. The basis of the new covenant is the last will and testament of Jesus Christ.

Whew! Heady stuff. When I opened Storylines, I think what I expected was a book-by-book summary of the Bible, but that isn't the case at all with this book. Instead, it's more of a graceful but humorous analysis of the interconnections within the Bible. For example, the authors talk a lot about the prophets of the Old Testament and how their prophecies tie in with the actual events in the New Testament.

You can look at the book and say, "All this says is that the Jesus Dude knew his stuff and set out to do exactly what the prophets said the Savior would do." Maybe some people look at the New Testament and the entire Jesus thing that way. I have, at times. But, I think that's the lazy way out. The Bible is utterly fascinating and it's in those connections that the story and meaning of Christianity and where it came from is most revealing.

Admittedly, I was disappointed because I didn't understand that, "Your map to understanding the Bible" meant something different than what I was hoping for. But, I enjoyed Storylines. It's very basic. Much of what's in the book has probably been read before by Christians who enjoy reading about the Bible and digging in a little deeper. The best thing about Storylines is the writing. Somebody -- or both of the authors -- has a great sense of humor. They're British; maybe that has something to do with the dry wit. Needless to say, I enjoyed the reading in spite of the fact that the book was not quite what I'd anticipated.

3.5/5 - Very general information about the connections between the Old and New Testaments and what they mean to us, written with humor but occasionally a tiny bit dull because it was rehashing things I've already read (which may not be the case for everyone, so bear that in mind when you look at my rating). I liked the book and consider the writing clear and enjoyable. I'd especially recommend this to people who are just getting started really digging into the Bible.

Live Big! by Katie Brazelton

Live Big! 10 Life Coaching Tips for Living Large, Passionate Dreams
by Katie Brazelton
Copyright 2001
Howard Books - Personal Growth/Christian
141 pages - DNF

Unfortunately, this is another Did Not Finish, but I will tell you right up front that there's absolutely nothing about Live Big! that I disliked or that turned me off. I simply have been very moody about my reading, lately, and it was another case of wrong book for the moment.

The title basically says it all. Live Big! is about pursuing your dreams. In general, I love positive-thinking books, but it's possible that I'm getting a little too old for this kind of book. I'm more at the "squeeze in what you can of the old dreams before it's too late" stage. Mid-life crisis, maybe. Anyway, I read 18 pages and actually enjoyed those 18 pages but just couldn't seem to go on and I think it's just me. If you're looking for encouragement and particularly if you like to be encouraged from a biblical perspective (i.e., "God is on your side," encouragement), this may be the book for you and it's a quick bite of a book at a mere 141 pages. I'm pretty disappointed with myself for not managing to get very far, but I will definitely give it another go when the time is right.

I'm typing this at 12:39 a.m. on Friday morning, unfortunately, because Thursday was One of Those Days. Earth Day is technically over and I had plans to post about some books that I thought particularly fitting for Earth Day, so . . . wait, it's Earth Month, right? Every April is Earth Month, isn't it? If it's not, I just made it so. I will plan to get around to commenting about my Earthy books before the end of April. If I don't, you can strip me of Official Tree Hugger status, which would actually save me from the poison ivy but let's just keep that bit hush-hush, okay?

I didn't say that. Seriously. One of Those Days. In the end, it was Craig Ferguson (the late-night talk-show host, not that other guy you went to school with who used to pull your pigtails and tie your shoe strings together . . . although it seems likely that the famous Craig did that) who saved me from using an entire box of Kleenex for no other reason than I just felt like sobbing because it was One of Those Days. Thank you, Mr. Ferguson, sir. The only trouble is that Mr. Ferguson had me laughing till tears streamed down my face. I'm going to have really dry eyes, tomorrow.

Finished today, in spite of all the snuffling: Will Grayson, Will Grayson by Green & Levithan

Live Big! is a tour book (my thanks to Howard Books for the review copy), so Fiona Friday has been delayed till evening but I do plan on posting a photo. Not to worry. Happy Friday!

Power Praise Moves DVD - Sneak Peek & Review

My review of this DVD is at the bottom of the post. I think you can get the best idea of what the DVD is like by watching the excerpt included. This is a "Christian alternative to yoga", which sounds a little bizarre but the idea is to avoid doing Hindu poses. My opinion on that is below.

Today's Wild Card author is:

Laurette Willis

and the book:

Power PraiseMoves™ DVD

December 1, 2009

***Special thanks to David P. Bartlett - Print & Internet Publicist - Harvest House Publishers for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Laurette Willis, the founder of PraiseMoves®, is a Women’s Fitness Specialist and certified personal trainer, as well as a popular keynote speaker and an award-winning actor and playwright. She has produced the videos PraiseMoves™ and 20-Minute PraiseMoves™ and written BASIC Steps to Godly Fitness.


Visit the author's website.


Product Details:

List Price: $16.99
Actors: Laurette Willis
Directors: Josh Atkinson
Format: NTSC
Region: All Regions
Number of discs: 1
Studio: CT Videography
DVD Release Date: December 1, 2009
Run Time: 120 minutes
ASIN: 0736928456

AND NOW...A SAMPLE OF THE VIDEO:




I always watch exercise videos through before actually trying them out, so I sat and watched the DVD after two days of working out on my treadmill and actually haven't done the workout, yet. While I think it's best to watch the excerpt to formulate your own opinion, the basic idea is that yoga is based on Hindu moves and Laurette Willis created a Christian version that gives you the same benefits but renames the moves (it's been a while since I've done yoga; I can't say if any of the moves are altered), with piano music that sounds very much like soft church music and occasional Bible verses.

My opinion: Parts of this video are a little slow, but there are some moves that definitely look difficult. I tend to enjoy really pushing myself; I've done Power Yoga and liked the fact that it doesn't put me to sleep. There have been times that I've had a problem with a bad hip or a stiff neck and have had to switch my exercise program to easier, stretchier workouts (I actually have a workout video for "people in pain"). I think there's a little of both in this workout -- something gentle but strengthening and very, very relaxing and some parts where you can really push yourself. As with yoga, the workout instructor talks about breathing and posture.

The sensation that you're using your exercise time to praise God is really pretty cool. It gave me the same "refreshed" feeling, just watching the video, that you can get from attending church services. Do I think regular yoga is "spiritually dangerous" because it uses Hindu poses? No, I do not. If you're just doing yoga to exercise, I simply don't see the harm in it unless the instructor is guiding you to worship Hindu gods, which is not something I've ever seen. While I don't necessarily agree that doing ancient poses is spiritually dangerous to non-Hindus, I will say I really like the idea of the double-whammy involved -- spending time focusing on God and scripture while getting a workout.

The instructor has a really soft, soothing voice. If there's one thing I can't stand it's having someone bark at you on a workout video, so that's also nice. I did find the pose names a little odd ("Flapping Tent", "Pulling up the Flaps", " The Altar") but let's face it . . . "Downward-facing Dog" and "Half Lord of the Fishes" are kind of weird, too.

Although I haven't done the workout yet, I do plan to use the video. If there's anything I find worth mentioning after using the workout tape, I'll come back and mention it at the blog. In the meantime, I like what I saw and particularly recommend it to Christians who like the idea of getting a varied yoga-type workout with the extra benefit of having some quiet time with God.