The Reason by William Sirls

The new Christian fiction novel, The Reason by William Sirls explores in depth the common human question behind the purpose of suffering and pain, and God's grace.  A dramatic and symbolic storm ushers in a supernatural, impressive event to a small town- a testament to God's real presence. The broken cross serves as  a dramatic and vivid symbol of the world's brokeness- on the individually level and as a society. The quest to repair it, correlates with the pastor's desire to restore or repair the faith of humanity in general, and in particular, his small congregation.  In this everyday world, people for ages have longed for real contact with God- a sign of God's existance or proof.  Even in biblical times, crowds beg Jesus for physical signs- visual, impressive miracles.  A number of parables illustrate the human desire for a real life- physical sign or miracle.  The rich man in the land of the spiritually dead, begged Jesus to send his brothers a sign so that they too could avoid his fate of eternal damnation, and the flock of followers and pharisees asked for miraculous signs, to which Jesus simply replied that the signs we need are in the bible and that physical, and dramatic theatrical signs serve no purpose in bulding true faith.  Jesus' message focuses on faith and grace- which is the theme of this novel.

The story contains an unusual cast of  original ecclectic  characters, which  in of themselves, could constiute their own styories.  James Lindy is the blind minister of the church.  There is the stereotypical young, yet intelligent doctor, who favors scientic reason over faith. In fact depending on faith and grace is a big leap for the doctor as it contradicts her intelliectual background.  Macey- an oncologist, has her path crossed with a young boy with Luekemia. Meanwhile it is no suprise that his mom struggles with the age old complaint and plight of why sometimes God appears not to answer admist our pain.  This is something almost every reader who has experienced a loss, or grief of some sort, can relate to.
For once, a fiction novel explores questions rather than debunking Christian faith.  Everyone at one time another; religious and athiests alike- have questioned, where is God when bad things happen and why does God  seemingly ignore the prayers of good people who are faithful? Even Job's so called friends struggled with the answers to these questions as well as Job himself.  the one thing I found with this book is that it tends to drag on. There are so many sub characters and sub plots that it makes it more the difficult to keep track of everyone. Scenes continually switch between characters and places- in a fast pace yet the story appears to move in slow motion. Additionally, I feel that I would have preferred if the character, Kenneth the carpenter did not actually represent Jesus. Jesus' presence is closely linked with the second coming and for the purpose of this story I feel that it would have been more effective if Kenneth was simply a messenger or angel and not the Lord himself. Furthermore I would have preferred not to have the resurrection of the young boy at his funereal. I feel the story of faith would have been more relevant if the boy simply had died- yet his parents maintained faith regardless. I feel the resurrection element may alienate parents who go through the grief of a child. The story is less plausible and makes it difficult to relate to by the insertion of Jesus as the carpenter and the boy who literally comes back to life at his own funeral. It's just too much of a fairy tale ending
Ironically the author who wrote this  had been  imprisoned for fraud and money laundering. Personally I think this makes him an authority of God's grace, and if anyone can truly write based on faith in God's plan, then William Sirls  has the credentials to do so with authority.  The quest of the characters perhaps mirrors that of the author's in that they are seeking God among pain and grief.  This book is published by Thomas Nelson publishers and I am recieveing this book for the purpose of writing this review.  My opinions are my own. 

To Heaven and Back: A Doctor's Extraordinary Account of Her Death, Heaven, Angels, and Life Again: A True Story byMary C. Neal

To Heaven and Back: A Doctor's Extraordinary Account of Her Death, Heaven, Angels, and Life Again: A True Story byMary C. Neal is a new book in the newly popular genre of "Christian" near death experience autobiographies.  The market is becoming saturated with near death experience based stories that describe heaven and the afterlife in great detail.  It is no wonder- mankind has always had an interest in the spiritual world and afterlife.  People are made to experience eternity and we have questions of course, about heaven, and God.  The thing is, that the answers are to be found in the bible, and I am very cautious of any private revelation that pruports to have visions or answers of the afterlife.

The author, Dr. Mary C. Neal, an  orthopedic surgeon,  experiences a traumatic kayak accident during a South American trip.  Allegedly she drowns- and dies and finds herself experiencing heaven and actually communicates with angels.  The story chronicles her life as well as her  spiritual journey and her detailed and vivid account of heaven. There is an extraordinary amount of detail of the author's life prior to the accident.  I believe that the detail of her life and medical practice is an attempt to increase her credibility.  At times, the extent of personal background seems to be similar to a resume or dissertation as i feel the inclusion of the material is to add confidence in the sanity of the author so as to make the story more legitimate.  Needless to say, her personal experience impacts her awareness and her spiritual understanding.  Yet, this book may simply leave the reader with an unfulfilled desire to have a similar experience as if that is needed to validate a Christian faith. 

This book reminds me of the recently published Heaven is for Real account by pastor Todd Burpo  which also  claims to be an account of a true story. A pastor, writes the account of his son's trip to heaven, that happened during the emergency surgery of his 4 year old son near death experience. While alleged near death experiences are somewhat common, based on the media attention in documentaries, articles and even books, what makes these  stories unique is the fact that they come from credible members of society: medical doctors, or pastors- who are generally respected.

Even though this story is easy to read and easy to follow, it raises spiritually complex issues such as the issue of the legitimacy of private visions apart from revealed scripture. While it is true that some NDE can be ruled out as the side effects of a dying or injured brain, not all can be scientifically ruled out. Some perhaps might be supernatural in nature. Nevertheless that does not mean they should automatically be accepted as biblical in nature or truth. I must admit I am skeptical when it comes to believing modern day visions and NDE. For example, there are so many alleged apparitions of Mary in the Catholic church, that I believe most to be hoaxes, and in other cases, demonic in nature.   Once the reader decides to accept the author's word that this story is legit, it is up to the reader to discern the source or supernatural power behind the NDE. This is where most readers will most likely accept with blind faith that this is a true account and that it is based on biblical truth. This is because most people want to believe this heartwarming and comforting message is true.


Any responsible reader familiar with the bible will be aware that he or she is faced with the task of determining if the experience of the author is spiritually based on truth, or if it perhaps is an indirect attempt of Satan to mislead believers into accepting false information. Paul warned in the letters of the new testement, especially in the book of Galations, that even Satan, and evil spirits can appear as angels of light, deceiving many.  That possibility must be acknowledged by anyone who reads this book. While Paul acknowledged the possibility of personal visions in the ancient church, he himself did not place on any believer the burden of accepting any other private vision other than the message containe din the gospel.  As far as the  details- knowledge could be obtained from evil sources for the purpose of adding "authenticity" and misleading believers into believeing the other aspects of the visions shared. The evil spirits are known for mixing truth with falsehood. We are in a spiritual battle, and nothing is off limits as far as the evil spirits of this world are concerned. they will try all sorts oftricky and decieving deceptions. They will try any underhanded tactic even going so far as using a respected medical doctor, and beloved mother  as tools to mislead others. It isn't always obvious to everyone to sort truth from untruth unless they are firmly grounded in the Holy Spirit. Even those involved in the occult such as palm readers and fortune tellers, can sometimes fortell the future or the past with amazing accuracy with supernatural information supplied by the evil spirit realm. The details of the throne of God, the angels and other aspects are questionable, as to their spiritual authenticity.
As a blogger for Water Brook  I received this book for the purpose of writing this review. It is with caution I would suggest this book to anyone to read. unless of course that reader is willing to take the time to discern, in light of scripture, the validity of the message presented by the author's NDE.

Around the Word in 60 Seconds: The Ultimate Tween Devotional by

Around the Word in 60 Seconds: The Ultimate Tween Devotional by

Mary E. DeMuth is a new devotional book just for pre-teen readers.  The market is saturated with the Christian  devotional genre for adults.  There is a wide range of topics or focus areas for every interest, illness or socio- demographic.  The devotional for young readers in an emerging genre.  Many popular book genres in the adult world  now have a youth counterpart, such as the widely popular secular series "Chicken Soup for the Soul". 

What makes this book appealing to young readers is its visual presentation and its easy to read and relate anecdotes.  The book contains 52 weeks worth of devotionals.  Each week is sub dived into 5 week day readings and a weekend, hands on "to do" idea or project.  The daily readings are short, simple and relevant for a pre-teen.  They include topics on friendship, school, bullying and others.  Unlike ateenaged devotional book that often focuses on "adult" themes topics such as dating and relationships, which would be innapropriate for a younger reader, this book is sure not to offend readers or their parents alike.  The devotionals are supplimented with prayers, activities as well as biblical verses.  This book is a hand on how to instruction book of applying the bible to real life, without the extenisive theology.  The true to life anecdotes add interest and relevance for young readers to really see hpow the bible and God can fit into life.

The real test of this book will be to see the reaction of my 11 year old.  One issue is that this book carries on the theme of the iShine bible series- available for pre teen boys and girls. This book seems to market the iShine bible.  While I find the pocket sized ishine bible to be visually appealing, and the NLT is perfect for young readers, the extremely tiny 6pt font of the bible text is very difficult to read and in my opinion, a deterrent for pre-teens to read the bible. In fact the iShine bible is probably more difficult to read than a traditional "adult" bible.  Young readers may be turned off and discourages by the compact pages of tiny, tightly spaced text.  Basically I feel that young readers will read the shiny colorful bible insert pages, but skip over the bible text entirely.  

As a blogger for I recieved this book from Tyndale publishers for the purpose of writing this review.  My opinions expressed are my own.

http://remodernamerica.wordpress.com/2012/07/31/writings-a-sandwich-for-a-witch/

Salome's Conversion by Rohn Federbrush

http://www.rohnfederbush.com/

Salome's Conversion by Rohn Federbrush is a unique  fictional account of the gospel from the perspective of Salome.  This work of fiction is reminiscent of an apocrypha text.  Salome is mentioned briefly in the gospels of the new testament of the bible in her close connection with Herod and the be-heading of John the Baptist.  At the prodding of Herodias, Herod's second wife, John the Baptist was beheaded because she was angered and held a grudge when he denounced their marriage as against God's law.  For Herod's birthday, an extravagent party took place- and the main attraction was a suggestive dance performed by Herodias' daughter Solome.  In appreciation for her performance, Herod promised to her, any wish- even up to half of his kingdom.  Herodias urged Salome to ask for the head of John the Baptist.  Even though he was troubled by the request, he didn't want to break his oath before the guests.  Immediatlely he granted the request and "brought his head on a tray, and gave it to the girl, who took it to her mother". Mark 6:28

Federbush paints a picture of Salome as an innocent young girl of integrity and wisdom, who simply was a victim of her parents' contol.  Nevertheless in the brief accounts that mention Salome,  biblical evidence doesn't portray her as an innocent girl of faith and strength.  In fact even Federbrush portrays the young princess as an argumentative and self centered, entitled girl, who is used to having every one cater to her whims and wishes. From the first page, the willful, 14 year old Salome is depicted in a viscious fight with her servant Ide.  In fact, she comes close to ordering her immediate death. Later in this story, this same callous girl- Salome is portrayed as simply a helpless victim that was manipulated inorder to cause John the Baptist's death.   It is difficult to believe that a 14 year old girl would so blindlessly and without question follow such a callous order to ask for the execution of another living soul.  Pehaps the author claims that she was simply a young girl under duress or fear for her life.  Regardless, that still would be insufficient as an excuse for the girl's willing participation with her mother's evil and premeditated plan. 

Nevertheless during the course of the story, there is an attitude change of Salome during her years on the run from Herod's palace as she follows along the sidelines of Jesus' three year ministry.  Salome developes an attitude of faith and kindness with her newfound freedom and security while on the run.  The course of a story takes a turn as it centers on the budding relationship between Salome and the palace guard, Decius. In modern American culture, a relationship between a grown man and a young 14 year old girl would be frowned upon- although the actual marriage and birth of children is depicted as taking place 3 years after Jesus' monistry begins- when she turns 17.  I suspect the target reader for this novel may include other cultures perhaps where such a practice of courtship involving a child is more accepted. 
This work is thorough and well researched in that it relys heavily upon the Gospel accounts of Jesus' ministry.  In fact there are quite a few biblical quotes  from the King James text inserted into the story.  Federbush's work is reminiscent of an apocrypha work- which is normally associated with false biblical texts which bear resemblance to ancient biblical accounts of Jesus' life with critical distortions.  Often such false texts were even attributed to apostles such as the epistle of Thomas.  Apocrypha in general was rejected as  being esoteric, spurious,  or of of questionable authenticity.  Yet many are foolish enough to accept such distorted works  as they usually involve  legendary accounts that are plausible enough to be commonly considered true.  In fact this account of Salome is almost plausible and seemingly authentic  enough to decieve readers who are not familiar with the bible or gospel accounts.  For example, a fictitious conversation is included between Decius and Jesus, while Jesus is on his way to the wilderness for 40 days.  Jesus is portrayed as telling Decius "I'll meet you in Capernaum after 40 days sojourn to the wilderness".  In fact, Jesus' mother, Mary, is depicted as helping to conspire in the plans to safely hide Salome.  It is very unlikely this could ever have occured, but it is recorded in this fictional account nonetheless.  There are many additional fictitious interactions between Mary and the apostles and Jesus himself, with the the main characters Decius and Salome.  Many readers may actually believe this is in fact true due to the heavy use of scripture which is actually quoted in the book.  Basically, this story is interesting as a fictitious scenario of what would actually happen if Salome did actually become a follower of Jesus. I am unclear if the author's intent is to portray this as a plausible, unrecorded account of its she is just telling what she sees as a pure fictional account.  In light of the claim on the back cover of the book:" The King James New Testament enlightened with recent archeological findings..." I am under the impression that the author does indeed see this story as a plausible unrecorded account of Salome.

As a blogger I receieved this book for the purpose of writing this review.  This work would make the perfect addition to the library of any theology or religious  student.  My concern is that those readers unfamiliar with the bible or the gospel accounts of Jesus may actually be naive enough to believe this is an authentic biblical account. 

Hope for Today Promises Tomorrow by Teske Drake

Hope for Today Promises Tomorrow: Finding Light Beyond the Shadow of Miscarriage or Infant Loss by Teske Drake is a spiritually uplifting book for anyone unfortunate enough to have expreienced pregnancy or infant loss.  There could be no author more qualified to write this book than Teske Drake, who personally experienced the devestating and painful losses of her newborn daughter, as well as having an early miscarriage at six week and a late miscarriage at fourteen weeks.  It is easy to find brief exerpts of advice or a paragraph dedicated for those who experience a loss in almost every pregnancy book or pregnancy related website.  There is a lot of factual quasi- medical information about miscarriage and stillbirth on the internet as well. But very few books are written that are exclusively devoted to pregnancy and infancy loss.  This book is specifically written for the grief stricken woman who had endured a stillbirth or miscarriage.

The author's caring and considerate words personally address the reader with empathy and concern.  She seeks to address the reader as if talking one on one - at least as much as is posssible through a book.  Teske validates the pain and grief that a mother feels after experiencing a loss through miscarriage or stillbirth.  She shows that despite the intense pain and grief that there is hope and that there is still purpose in life. After death of a baby or miscarriage, a woman enters a period of despair and grief- in which there seemingly is no future in sight.   Sadly, society does not recognise the intense grieving felt after miscarriage or stillbirth.  It is not seem as actual death, and most woman are fortunate enough not to have to endure such grief.  Many women grieving the loss of a pregnancy or child feel alone and isolated.

The author uphold the truths of the gospel, using relevant scripture to help the grieving mother.  Each chapters centers around a biblical theme and how it applies to infant and pregnancy loss.  "Hope for today" and "verses to live by" scripture verses are highlighted to place emphasis on relevant promises of God taken from the bible.  In a time when a grieving woman may not have the energy to read through the bible or any book for that matter, Teske singles out appropriate and relevant verses that are sure to renew and inspire.  She encourages the theraputic practice of journaling and throughout the book, in order to guide the reader to reflect on her loss and on healing.

Throughout the book the author includes her own story of loss as well as the anecdotes of other women who have experienced loss.  It is inspiring to hear of woman who have experienced the real and painful loss of a child yet have been able to recover and live on through faith.  There are enough stories of miscarriage and infant loss that all readers can relate to.  There are stories of woman who have never been able to go on to have living children- yet persevere in life with faith and purpose.  There are  miscarriage books and fertility self help books on the market  written simply to encourage a woman to continue with the hope of eventually having a child in the future or to encourage a  woman's efforts of trying to concieve.  But this author acknowledges that there are some woman who may never bear living children, but they still may find spiritual peace and fulfillment. 

While this book is written for all grieving mothers, regardless of religion, this book does not neglect the importance of sharing the lifesaving message of the gospel. The undeniable fact is that apart from God, it is impossible to find purpose and comfort. In the appendex, special sections are dedicated to the gospel message as well as selected detailed accounts of loss experienced by some of the featured women in the book. It is ironic that these stories of loss are referred to as stories of hope.  The account of "Theresa" on page 136 sums up  the definition of hope when she explains, "here I am again, trying to accept not having a child here on earth if that's what God's will for me is, but desperately wanting a child.  I take comfort in knowing I have two children waiting for me in Heaven. I thank God that even though in the eyes of the world they really didn't amount to anything, He loved them enough to die for them.  Ultimately, that is where my hope is." As a blogger I recieved this book published by Kregel Publications for the purpose of writing this review.  I feel this book is essential reading for anyone going through this type of loss.

Cruel Harvest by Fran Elizabeth Grubb

Cruel Harvest: A Memoir by Fran Elizabeth Grubb, is a true graphic account of the physical, emotional and sexual abuse that a woman endured as a young girl at the hands of her disturbed, murdering, abusive pedophile father. While I found this a well written book, this is a true account  of  graphic account of abuse endured by a young girl. It is not written to be entertainment as it is a true- unaltered account  This book is endorsed as an inspritational account of hope and forgiveness in the midst of despair because of the young girls attitude of perseverance.  Despite what she edured- she simply did not give up.  Personally I did not find  enlightement, as I was  simply overcome with the reaction of anger at the injustice.   As a reader, I was stirred with righteous anger and a desire to see the abusive man receive justice- in fact I finished this book in less than a day just for the sole purpose of seeing some justice.  But in the story, that never happened. There is no embellishment to this story.  It is written exactly as the events happened.

Ironically, on the cover Frances is depicted as a little girl- the strain of a physically demanding life is evident.  Yet her proud and confident stance is apparent even in childhood- as if there is a degree of personal or spiritual strength that would always remain untainted and untouched by the horrific events that she endured.  Endearing and quaint, simple clip art,  of a little piece of innocent white cotton stands in stark contrast to the painful reality of having to harvest cotton.  The significance of the cover art becomes obvious within the first few chapters.

In the end of the book, Frances eventually musters the strength to forgive long after the death of her father Broden, when she is confronted with finding his unmarked grave. I felt that this "forgiveness" was "encouraged" by the  well intentioned  husband.  Personally, I found Frances'  husband Wayne, to be a kind hearted and well meaning  but perhaps a bit intrusive. 

What was most striking in this memoir is that Broaden never received what he had coming to him here on this earth. That is not to say that he did not get justice- I believe most justice is not here on earth but in the hands of God.  At most, the father endured a minimal jail sentance, but was eventually freed because of the lack of evidence. Unbelievably there was just not enough evidence despite the fact that he constantly beat his wife almost to the point of death, murdered his own infant daughter and abused his children.   Through no fault of various  kind hearted concerned neighbors, social services, and law enforcement agencies, there was never enough evidence to convict the criminal and to protect the children that were abused and neglected.  The "mother" figures in Frances' life, were perhaps the only sources of temporary relief and happiness but were powerless nevertheless. The  father was able to continue abuse and even murder. Eventually Frances felt powerless as well and internally  struggled as she remained silent despite the number of opportunities to break free.  Even despite the number of opportunities presented for the wife  and children to break free they were in  the grip of dependancy and fear.  Later on in the course of the memoir, the pattern of abuse continued after her mother eventually broke free.  Frances would also see her step mother transform from a strong willed, spirited woman and eventually succumb to the hopelessness and the role of enabler that her biological mother had been.  Because this is a real, unaltered story, there were  loose ends in the story that were not resolved such as the whereabouts of Frances' mother as well as her stepmother, younger stepsister and  half brother. This is acknowledged. As with many things in life, not every answer is found.   I completed this story feeling angered at the lack of justice.  I must admit I did truly wish that Francis did not go through the trouble of purchasing a grave marker for Broden's unmarked grave.   I feel that the grave should have been left to remain unmarked an an appropriate symbol.  I assume though, that her incredible ability to overcome is really what sets her story apart from those abused children who grow up bitter. If  you are a psychology student studying psychology and abuse,this would be a good case study- it is extremely detailed offering insight to abuse from the point of view of the victim.  If you are part of the general population, or a layman it might be a bit too graphic. The  lack of satisfactory resolution, obscures the  inspiration.  Its striking to see how complascent, society in general has become.  Here in this story is a little girl depicted as greateful for even a bruised apple or a clean bed to sleep in, yet how many countless greedy individuals take what they have in life for granted. I am assured without a doubt this author takes no good thing for granted. As a blogger for booksneeze I recieved this book from Thomas Nelson publishers for the purpose of writing this review.

The Widow of Saunders Creek

The Widow of Saunders Creek by Tracey Bateman  is basically a romance novel- with the typical formulaic plot- but with a new twist- a supernatural element.  Basically the plot of the story is about a beautiful widowed woman who eventually finds a new love.  A 30 year old woman recently widowed after her husband dies a heroic death in Iraq, believes the quaint nostalgic country home she returns to is haunted by the ghost of her deceased husband.  She feels drawn to the property by the spiritual presence she attributes to as her husband. She has an inner conflict, in which she strongly misses his presence but also feels angry that he sacrificed his life for strangers leaving her a window.  Nevertheless, she is fortunate ebough to capture the attention of a handsome, single young man, who coincidenlty is also attracted to her.  Basically, Eli becomes a buffer of sorts- in that she is never left alone to grieve- something that many widows really arent fortunate enough to have. Eli becomes her personal caretaker, handyman, taxi driver, friend, pastor, and counselor all rolled into one.  Anything Corrie needs- Eli is at her service.

This young widow, whose life revolved completely around her husband, feels duty bound to honor her commitment even after his death. Her strong sense of marital bonds and her delusion that her husband is truly inhabiting the house, in spirit, is the driving force behind her thoughts and actions as she struggles to cope with a possible new realtionship with his close cousin, Eli. 
Personally, I feel that Corrie, the 30 year old beautiful woman is self centered and condescending. She is fortunate enough to be wealthy and therefore does not need to work to support herself.  Her ideal circumstances most likely do not represent the reality of most young widows who must struggle for neccesities.  Her interactions with Eli as well as the other characters in the story hint at her superiority complex- her pride at being physically fit, thin and beautiful at age 30, and condescending in  the way interacts and as she percieves others who are economically or socially or physically less fortunate.  Personally, I really canot imagine any reader being able to relate to this self centered woman who basically takes every fortunate aspect of her life for granted while wallowing in self pity.  Religion, and more specifically, Christianity- is viewed passively as nostalgic.  It is hard to believe how Eli, a devoted pastor, can so easily fall in love with a woman who basically is agnotic and has no personal faith in God.  The story just seems so superficial and in fact, is a bit dissapointing that a pastor can be so deluded by physical beauty and fall in love with a woman who basically has no faith in God. 

A strong part of this novel is the fact that the author rightly attributes the spirits and ghosts as demonic rather than that of her departed husband.  Eli, the pastor, is the voice of reason, and Eli's words of wisdom are in allighnment with scripture when he warns Corrie of the dangers of the supernatural.  In a culture where so many believe in ghosts and mediums and palm readers, this book is a welcomed and important voice of reason.  I believe the author should have spent more time focusing on this point. 

The ending is too perfect in the way all the pieces come to gether- much like a fairy tale in which the beautiful princess and hero gets married. It almost seems that the message of this book focuses on the neccesity of marriage to feel complete in contrast to faith and dependance on God. This is a very good story about characters with strong morals with unexpected twists- but the ending is just too perfect in stark contrast to real life. As a blogger I recieved this book from Walter Brook Publishers for the purpose of writing this review.

Children of Angels by Kathryn Dahlstrom

Children of Angels: Book One of the New Nephilim Series by

Kathryn Dahlstrom is a new fiction fantasy novel for young pre-teen readers.  The book tells the story of a lonely, misunderstood teenaged boy named Jeremy Lapoint.  I believe many young readers will be able to relate to the less than ideal circumstances of the main hero.  This story seems to be a hybrid of a super hero styled action story and fantasy rolled into one.  Typically of many superhero or teenaged novels, the young hero- Jeremy's life seems to be plagued with an incredible amount of bad luck- being raised by his mom while his dad is in prison as he suffers daily humilation and bullying in middle school.   Then, by chance, one day he miraculously learns that he is actually part angel, more specifically, a Nephilim and that he has special abilities such as the ability to fly.  It seems as it is a dream come true- and in fact many middleschoolers with less than ideal lives perhaps entertain fantasies of having unique superhero like powers as well. He encounters angels and demons alike and his life gains new importance.

There are some stereotypical elements to this story: such as the depiction of the handsome, young, blond angelic looking angel- a typical presentation of what the media portrays angels to be and the evil demon.  The sterotypical bully and lonely misunderstood hero is also included.  The inclusion of pop-culture, such as the ever popular ipod and other memorable details are also included.   The epic battle of evil vs good is portrayed as Jeremy tries to fight off demons, with the help from Asiel, his guardian angel.

It is interesting to note that the old testament reference to the Nephilim in Genesis, refers to an extinct race of evil hybrids who are the product of the union between fallen angels that rebelled against God who took women as their wives in direct opposition to God.  The Nephilim are depicted as giant bullies ironically.  Therefore it appears off that the author re-created the Nephilim portraying them as a noble, and dying breed with a biblical and spiritual purpse.  In fact, the last of the corrupt Nephilim race died out in the ancient flood- they were considered an abomination- and not something to be revered or idolized.  While it is interesting to draw upon the ancient stories of the bible- they bear no resemblance to the actual depiction in the bible's version.  Perhaps this may serve as a spring board to capture the interest of a young reader to actually read or learn more about the bible.
The actual cover is reminiscent of computer game animation- in fact it looks like the cover of the art one would expect of a computer game.  For some reader, especially boys- this will add to the appeal.  My 11 year old daughter who commented on the cover itself  just found it a little odd. Keep in mind this book is the first in a new series.  While some readers enjoy books that are part of a series, others may see it as a drawback.    As a blogger I recieved this book from Winepress publishers for the purpose of writing this review. 

Travelers Rest byAnn Tatlock

Firstly, my review of the fiction novel, Travelers Rest by Ann Tatlock is very late, because I just received the book in the mail. Based on the title alone- this book isn't what I expected.  After completing two thirds of the book, I learned that the title is taken from a small town named Travelers Rest- which holds an unexpected yet common significance in the lives of two seperate characters- a young woman and an old retired doctor- whose lives cross paths.  Nevertheless the title may have a double meaning because the main characters find true emotional rest and peace in the end of the book. 

 This book is about a young, 25 year old woman, Jane, who feels duty bound to honor her commitment to marry her fiance Seth who was paralyzed from the neck down as a result of a bullet wound he sustained in Iraq.  Her strong sense of moral duty is the driving force behind her thoughts and actions as she struggles to cope with the choice of whether to marry Seth or to move forward and face life without him.  Basically her life appears to center around the pragmatic fact that she simply does not want to be alone the rest of her life.  She has an optomistic, yet naive picture of the future as a caretaker for her fiance.  She even mentions how she spent 6 months doing internet research to learn what it is like to care for a quadraplegic in preparation for a life with her fiance.  On the otherhand, Seth is bitter, angry and depressed at the loss of his health and independance.  He does not want to be a burden and Jane simply serves as a painful reminder of his past.

At  one point of the story when Seth experiences a life threatening episode  of autonomic dysreflexia  due to a blocked catheter, Jane has no idea what is happening. She is confronted with the fact that she isnt the expert on paralysis as she thought she was.  I find this difficult to believe she is caught offguard because information on this common condition which afflicts paralyzed patients is widely available on any internet website about c-spine injuries. If she claims she actually did 6 months of research, surely she would have been familiar with the condition.  In fact as a reader, when the symptoms Seth first experienced were mentioned, I knew right away what it was.  In fact all caretakers of paralyzed people must be educated on the symptoms and causes of this common yet life threatening condition. Eventually Seth dies unexpectedly due to health complications coupled with his lack of will to survive.  His "convienient" death essentially is the answer to Jane's dilema and it leaves her free to pursue another unexpected love interest two years later into the story. 

In the end, it is intereseting to see how the lives of Jane and the retired doctor are tied together with a common bond from Janne's childhood.  The ending is too perfect in the way all the pieces come to gether- much like a fairy tale in which the beautiful princess and hero gets married. The doctor finds the redemption and forgiveness he spent his entire lifetime seeking- and gets married to boot!  It almost seems that the message of this book focuses on the neccesity of marriage to feel complete in contrast to faith and dependance on God.  This is a very good story about characters with strong morals with unexpected twists- but the ending is just too perfect in stark contrast to real life. As a blogger I recieved this book from Bethany Hous ePublishers for the purpose of writing this review.

Grieving God's Way By Margaret Brownley

Grieving God's Way: The Path to Lasting Hope and Healing


 by Margaret Brownley is a 90 day devotional book dedicated for those who are grieving a loss.  There are so many devotional books on the market, but this book is targeted to comfort those who are greiving the death of a loved one.  With a well rounded approach Brownley covers the spiritual, physical and emotional aspects of grief.  In fact, this book is a step by step guide to help a grieving person who may not have the mental stamina to read a lengthy book on theology or a wordy self help book.  In the short, simple to read devotions, she touches on many issues that the grieving may face, from a biblical and practical perspective.  What makes her words even more powerful is that she speaks from experience- writing this book after the loss of her own son.  The Haiku exerpts  By Diantha Ain are included in each day's reading.  The short Haiku- styled quotes suppliment the passages written by Brownley. 
 
The only issue with the book that it is a broad book -  the references to the specific loss do not target a specific loss such as the loss of a child or the loss of a spouse.  In contrast, the book attempts to address the broad needs of grief from death in general.  At times, specific examples are used- such as cleaning the closet of a loved one, or the effects of complicated grief and unresolved issues.  I feel certain categories of loss are so specific and the grief process for the loss of a child in contrast to the loss of a spouse is significant that they merit their own books. This does not detract from the usefulness of the book- but, a mother left with empty arms who suffered the loss of an infant may not be faced with the same practical issues or grieving issues that may be felt by a widow. This book is a good springboard for the start of the healing process.
 
As a blogger for booksneeze, I recieved this book from Thomas Nelson publishers for the purpose of writing this review.

Tales of the Not Forgotten by Beth Guckenberger

Tales of the Not Forgotten by Beth Guckenberger, written for kids, follows the real life stories of the challenges faced by kids in other countries.  The author is a missionary, and she draws from her experiences as a missionary to communicate to children that through faith, God can work miracles and accomplish a lot.  In fact the subtitle includes a "warning" that tells the reader "These stories may change the way you see the world".

Many of the kids in American privileged society do not know what it is like to go without basic neccesities such as food, medical care and a home.  But in other imporverished nations there are so many orphans and homeless children in desperate need.  Each chapter focuses on a unique child and his or her story: Joel from Mexico, Seraphina from Haiti, Ibrahim from Nigeria, and Christiana from India.  The lives are portrayed as stories that are personalized to make them real to the reader.

The graphics, illustrations and visual effects throughout the book are sure to grab a young reader's attention.  Also included are stories written in the voices of other providing additional points of views for a well rounded experience.  Educational facts and statistics are scattered throughout the text of the book as well as biblical verses and passages.  Also included are many photographs so that the reader can actually see who the stories are about.  This book will not only inspire, but brings to light the reality of the world we live in. We see children who are homeless or live in shacks without parents, who must make daily trips to the local dump in order to find food.  Parents die from illness leaving behind orphaned children to fend for themselves.  In some areas, a hamburger is considered a treat. There are children who appreciate and savor the taste of a piece of fruit and are thankful for little they do have.  It gives a young reader a glimpse of the world beyond our own society and it shows faith in action and what it can accomplish- such as feeding the hungry, educating those who cannot afford to go to school.   The book shows how faith in God can help one overcome life's circumstances and of the neccesity for those to listen to God's calling and offer help to those in need. The last chapter includes a short biography and interview with the author.  Included with the book was a cd with additional resources to help leaders or teachers to integrate the book into a class or school curriculum.

As a blogger I received this book, published by Standard Publishing for the purpose of writing this review.

Fatal Distraction: Conquering Destructive Temptations

Fatal Distraction: Conquering Destructive Temptations by Kay Arthur, David and BJ Lawson is a short 6- week bible study in the Precept Ministries International's 40 Minute Bible Studies series.  I found this bible study to be a little too cliche in its marketing and presentation.  Firstly, the references to the "seven deadly sins" of which this book covers six of the "seven deadly sins"- (because lust is a significant topic of its own and there are two books dedicated to the sin of lust in the series)-  make this approach more appropriate for a weekly tabloid than a bible study.  The photo of a rotten candy apple covered with blood- like red candy sauce is a bit too dramatic, and the bold warning "Don't become a spiritual statistic" plays on fear and paranoia of the new Christian. These features may grab the attention of the reader, especially in a market saturated with small group home bible study books.  It is true that this book visually stands apart from the mild, bland aqua and pastel covered books with their comforting messages and serene spa-like scenes. Nevertheless this book still appears to be too commercial in nature.  It may serve its purpose of providing a wake up call to the problem of sin in even a Christian's life. 

The book is divided into six study lessons to be read in a small group setting over the course of six weeks.  The sins covered are: pride, anger, jealousy, gluttony, slothfulness and greed.  As mentioned in the intro chapter, lust has two study books dedicated to the topic, which simply seems like an advertisement to get the reader to purchase to two additional study books for the complete effect.

The lessons themselves do address the issues using relevant biblical quotes and commentary.  Actual biblical passages are included with the lesson.  There are observation and discussion sections. The discussion questions prompt the reader to think about the material.  There is some space-  for short notetaking but not enough space for  journaling. There are also leader prompts- which may not be applicable for those who choose to use this book as a personal study.  In the end if you can get past the sensationalism, the reader will complete this study with a biblical insight or perspective of relevant issues that invade the lives of Christians and even churches.  In fact as an example, it is illustrated how even churches become greedy when they ask for more and more money for projects such as renovations or activities.  As a blogger for Waterbrook press I receieved this book for the purpose of writing this review.

The Fourth Fisherman byJoe Kissack

How Three Mexican Fishermen Who Came Back from the Dead Changed My Life and Saved My Marriage byJoe Kissack- is basically two stories in one book. The author combines the tales of two entirely differnt, non related stories.  The only common bond has to do with the interaction of the characters after their own stories are basically complete. 

On the one hand, the account of the five Mexican fishermen, in which three of five men survived- after being considered long gone-  after spending nine months in a small open boat without any food or supplies, aimlessly drifting across the Pacific Ocean was told with vivid realism. Graphic details describe their nine month ordeal in the open ocean: starvation, fear and death. Realistic and vivid accounts of eating raw shark organs, drinking sea turtle blood and rainwater and death capture the reader's attention.  Their story was truly inspiring- the fact that they held on to faith and equated the bible- God's word, with essential food on which they survived.  Nevertheless I felt that this exciting portion of the story was too brief.  In of itself, this could be an entire book. 

The book alternated with a chapter from the lives of the simple, poor yet courageous fisherman, with that of the author, Joe Kissack-  a successful Hollywood executive, in a world of American excess and materialism- complete with a mansion, expensive cars, expesnive entertainment, fame and more. I found that that while the real account of how the author changes his life and was reborn- is an inspiring example of the power of the Holy Spirit to change lives, it was not entirely interesting to read about.  Nevertheless as written in the book, those chapters dedicated to his life, did not hold my attention. The author went over laborous detail about his childhood, his relationship with his father and his relationship with his wife.  These personal details did not hold my attention.  The account of his interpersonal relationships read more like a personal journal- or memoir. I found myself looking forward to the account of the fishermen instead. 
 
Despite the prolonged discussion of his personal life and his road to faith, the author made some very good, notable points.  Kissack  recognised the irony that when faced with few choices, the fishermen turned to God and were fulfilled.  For example, the fisherman appreaciated God and relied on faith rather than materialism.  They were satisfied with few choices.  In fact, a meal of simple white rice was adequate for their needs.  In contrast, tn the prosperous cultures where wealth and entertainment is common and choices are available, so fewer people turn to God.  Wealthy people become dependant upon a standard of living and an enourmous number of options and choices. Yet, in a way, I felt this was a bit self serving, as perhaps giving an author an excuse to block God from his life by claiming it is harder to rely on God when your life is comfortable and easy, and  and full of materialism and wealth.  Perhaps the author is trying to compare his spiritually devoid life with the extreme ordeal suffered by the fisherman.  Perhaps the reader might even go so far as to interpret the author's intention as to imply that it was easier for the fisherman to hold on to faith because they faced death daily and had no other choice- and that it was harder for a wealthy executive to break free from his life of excess in exchange for faith.  As a blogger for Water Brook publishers I received this book for the purpose of writing this review.

The Jesus Gospel by Osman Kartal

 Osman Kartal's religious conspiracy genre of novels appear to center around a main  purpose to discredit large established religions.  His elaborate works of fiction are best described as a unique hybrid of a spy story and religious intrigue; whereas  history, fiction and myth are rolled together into one.  Kartal's newest work, The Jesus Gospel, centers around the common fascination  with the so-called elusive deuterocananical and apocrypha  literature.  The hero, an educated, ruthless, modern young man, finds himself caught up in an international government and religous conspiracy to hide an ancient papyrus scroll supposedly written by Jesus during his lifetime on Earth. 


Historically, there are countless claims that other "gospels" exist- this is perpetuated in fiction and movies. These  ancient documents are best described as pseudepigrapha works which essentially means- it is written by an anonymous author (perhaps even an anonymous ancient writer) who took on the name of an apostle and attempted to pass it off as authentic.  These are fraudulent documents, in that they claim to be by the authentic source.  They are, in essense, the equivalent to the ancient tabloid.  They may be interesting to read supplying the reader with "answers"- but they are false nonetheless. Many are written to fill alleged gaps in the biblical or ancient record.  In fact, Kartal alludes to alleged inconsistencies and riddles when making refernces to the New Testament, early in his book. He draws the attention of the reader to arbitrary portions of the bible, claiming that there is an "untold" story or truth out there- perhaps even  leading the reader to believe that there must be another written record or gospel to fill in the missing pieces.  For example on page 41, Kartal draws the reader's focus to the gospel account where Jesus is depicted as writing on the sand.  Instead of sharing the intended lifesaving message about forgiveness, he asks the reader to focus on an insignificant part of the story, drawing attention to  the so-called mystery of what Jesus inscribed in the sand. The focus is on what is not explicitly stated or written.  In essense, Osman  is asking the reader to speculate or create his or her own fantasy or myth or theory of what Jesus may have or perhaps should have written. Additionally, Kartal uses his concordance to find all references to the the word "dust" elsewhere in the bible.  He then correlates an unrelated old testament passage with the account of Jesus writing in the "dust".  Next thing you know- Kartal has created his own religious theory or doctrine, by arbitrarily linking an old testament account to a new testament account. This is very clever.  This is exactly what many cults do when forming new heretical doctriness! This in fact the fuel that the ancient writers or plagerists used to create and perpetuate their false gospels.  They preyed on the curiosity of public.  They questioned the accuracy of the biblical accounts as if more information was needed.   In ancient  and midevil times, it was common that an  anonymous writer's work would be purposely or unintentially  misrepresented or falsely depicted as an authentic apostle who wrote a record. For example, consider the popularity of the  gospel according to Peter and Thomas or the writings of Enoch attests to this.  In fact entire cultic religions are build on similar claims such as the Gospel of Abraham in the Mormon church or the letters included in the Koran.  There are many pieces of fiction literature that center around the "what if" theories and consequences. There are many new cultic religions formed throughout history, based on the what is stories that seek to solve "mysteries" or "gaps" in biblical literature. They prey on human curiosity and the desire for an easy explanation.


This new novel is the Muslim equivalent to the popular Dan Brown novel that served to attempt to undermine the bible,   Under the umbrella of "historical" fiction, the author presents to the reader, a conspiracy theory in which a so-called gospel, allegedly written by Jesus, was  purposely concealed by religious authorities. This is a complex work of fiction and myth that combines some authentic historical details with religious myth. This eccentric writer presents his conspiracy theories of hidden gospels- specifically, the so called lost gospel of Jesus as a plausible theory. He does this first by manipulating the thinking process of the reader to focus on alleged mysteries and riddles of the New testament.  In fact, the same readers that actually believed Dan Brown's intricate tales of church intrigue and conspiracy theories in the fictional novel, The Davinci Code, may be the very same gullible readers who may believe that Osman Kartal's stories and theories, about a missing gospel written by Jesus, are in fact real. This detailed writing and insertion of historical figures and geographic places may make this work seem almost plausible to many readers. One problem is that the public eye often associates Christianity in general with the Roman Catholic church.  Therefore any indiscretions of specific figures of the Chruch are erroneously applied to the bible and biblical Christianity in general.  Kartal, in essense is considering the possibility if Christianity was in fact built upon a lie.  The implcations would be extreme- and it would have the power to change modern society as we know it.  Obviously, one can easily see the appeal of this to the secular world and atheists alike.  
This book is an interesting attempt at an anti- ecumenical movement- perhaps an attempt to bridge together dissatisfaction and undermining the authority with all the major feuding religions. After discrediting the established motives behind Islam, and Christianity, his next target may be Judiasm. The author is fair in that he does not simply target one religion.  The pseudo-historical ideas and historical-like scenes make the story seem almost plausible. The problem is that many readers, who are largely ignorant when it comes to theology and history, will have trouble sorting fact and fiction. If one takes the time to dissect this work of fiction, you get a recipe or how-to book on how to not only discredit a religion but how to make a new one to boot!  I received a free copy of this book for review from the author and the ideas expressed are my own.