Reviews Written By: A3HNSM3PLTBMPDprovided by Amazon.com |
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 | LIFE AFTER GOD : LIFE AFTER GOD | |
 | "4.5 Stars - I'll be thinking of this for a long time" | 2009-09-30 |
| "Life Without God" is a collection of short works, some of which are obviously fictional and some it is hard to tell. The common theme running through all the stories is of life without the certainty of the existence of God. In various ways the author grapples with the implications of a world without God through telling stories of the people struggling to find meaning and purpose in various, and sometimes very strange, situations. This book is a lament for something lost with comfortable modernity, but it poses no answers and there is very little certainty between the covers of this little book.
I found myself devouring the pithy, but often beautiful prose as I stumbled with the characters through shattered inner landscapes amid malls, airports, cubicles, and family homes. I haven't read something so melancholy and true for a very long time. As you read Coupland's struggle will resonate with you on several levels. You'll see yourself, your friends and loved ones, and our culture at large. Even though this was fiction it was honest in a way that most writing isn't. So, read this and think deeply about our loss. What will become of a world without God? Coupland doesn't know, and doesn't give any indication that he believes in God. Let me close with a quote from the book that sums it up nicely without giving too much away. "My secret is that I need God - that I am sick and can no longer make it alone. I need God to help me give, because I no longer seem to be capable of giving; to help me be kind, as I no longer seem capable of kindness; to help me love, as I seem beyond being able to love." This is definitely worth your time. | ||
 | Real Sex: The Naked Truth About Chastity | |
 | "Very real" | 2009-03-23 |
| Although at first blush this book may seem to be geared towards singles, at least that is what I thought when I bought it. Even though I was married I was intrigued and know enough single people that I thought it would be good for me to read. Actually it is a biblical theological look at sex in general with an eye toward how to apply that ethic to our situation in the twenty-first century. With wit and candor Lauren Winner explores the ins and outs of sex according to God's parameters in the bible. Many reviewers hate this because it does not really address alternative sexual orientations and practices, but that is not what the book is intended to explore (see the subtitle and introduction). Ms. Winner gives a lot of very penetrating insight, and for some, comes to some pretty counter-cultural conclusions that might change the way you not only approach the topic of sex, but worship. All that to say you should read this book. If you have adolescents and teens at home read it with them and talk it over at the dinner table. | ||
 | Evangelism & the Sovereignty of God | |
| "Not for the faint of heart" | 2009-02-08 |
| A classic well worth reading for those who are already Calvinists, but struggle with the "why?" of evangelism. It is also worth reading for those who do not hold to the great Reformer's view of God's sovereignty. Packer's aim is that you see that those of us who do have plenty of good, biblical reasons for spreading the Good News about forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ. Packer writes to persuade and I found this book quite persuasive. Persuasive enough that, back when I was an Arminian, I reexamined the bible and came around to Packer's way of seeing things. If that scares you don't read this book. If you are truly interested in finding the truth I invite you to read this hard but amazing little book. Even if you don't come around you will learn something about some of your Christian brothers and sisters. | ||
 | The Last Apocalypse | |
| "Not just readable; enjoyable history! - 4.5 stars" | 2009-02-08 |
| A little over a thousand years ago, In less than 50 years, Europe went from a chaotic, pagan, tribal backwater, to a collection of slowly progressing, (at least nominally) Christian nation states. How did that happen? Why did it happen? Read this book to get a first glimpse of the answers to these questions. In "The Last Apocalypse" James Reston, Jr. has written a thorough yet readable history of the turn of the first millennium after Christ in Europe. Focusing mostly on twelve key characters Reston tells their story and the story of a crucial turning point in Western (and World) history. The writing reads like good journalism, even fiction in some spots. Reston is thorough, but doesn't get bogged down in extraneous details that make history dry. The stories come to life through witty and vivid use of language bordering on the literary. For both those who like to read history and those who don't this will be a great doorway into a little known corner of history. | ||
 | Best Question Ever | |
| "A must read" | 2009-01-19 |
| Wow! This little book packs a punch. Starting with three verses in Ephesians 4 (but not ending there!) Andy Stanley unpacks a key principle to living the abundant life Christ promised through one simple but profound question: What is the wise thing to do? I was initially hesitant to read this book because frankly it sounded like another "health and wealth" Christian book that promises riches and success if you follow three simple steps that are kind of from the bible, but not really. This little gem is far from that false Gospel. This biblical common sense approach to decision making has profound implications for every area of life and is firmly rooted in the bible. I will be going back through it and using these principles at home and work. If you haven't read "The Best Question Ever" yet it is worth your time and worth your money. Read it! | ||
 | Best Question Ever: Learning To Foolproof Your Life | |
| "A must read" | 2009-01-19 |
| Wow! This little book packs a punch. Starting with three verses in Ephesians 4 (but not ending there!) Andy Stanley unpacks a key principle to living the abundant life Christ promised through one simple but profound question: What is the wise thing to do? I was initially hesitant to read this book because frankly it sounded like another "health and wealth" Christian book that promises riches and success if you follow three simple steps that are kind of from the bible, but not really. This little gem is far from that false Gospel. This biblical common sense approach to decision making has profound implications for every area of life and is firmly rooted in the bible. I will be going back through it and using these principles at home and work. If you haven't read "The Best Question Ever" yet it is worth your time and worth your money. Read it! | ||
 | Bridge to Terabithia | |
| "4.5 stars - Not what I expected but a pleasant surprise" | 2008-12-05 |
| I always like to read a book before I see it's movie version. I picked this on up b/c I am a big fan of fantasy and I am growing to like young adult fiction as I pick good books to read to my kids. This is not what I expected from the movie preview, but it was well worth reading. Jess Aaron does not fit into his rural northern Virginian life. He loves to draw, daydreams, and is baffled by his dysfunctional, down and out family. Then Leslie Burke and her "hippy" parents move into the abandoned farm next door. Leslie, who wears pants to school, has hair cut short "like a boy", and can run faster than anyone he's known introduces Jess to the imaginary kingdom of Terabithia where they rule as King and Queen and right wrongs even as they struggle through fifth grade. Ms. Paterson has woven together a moving story of childhood just on the brink of adulthood that is poignant and familiar. I saw myself and my own childhood in the South reflected in Jess and Leslie, but this book transcends the regional. Its themes of love and friendship in midst of life's struggles and big questions is universal. Even though it was not what I expected this will stay on our shelf to be reread and for the kids to read | ||
 | Bridge to Terabithia | |
| "4.5 stars - Not what I expected but a pleasant surprise" | 2008-12-05 |
| I always like to read a book before I see it's movie version. I picked this on up b/c I am a big fan of fantasy and I am growing to like young adult fiction as I pick good books to read to my kids. This is not what I expected from the movie preview, but it was well worth reading. Jess Aaron does not fit into his rural northern Virginian life. He loves to draw, daydreams, and is baffled by his dysfunctional, down and out family. Then Leslie Burke and her "hippy" parents move into the abandoned farm next door. Leslie, who wears pants to school, has hair cut short "like a boy", and can run faster than anyone he's known introduces Jess to the imaginary kingdom of Terabithia where they rule as King and Queen and right wrongs even as they struggle through fifth grade. Ms. Paterson has woven together a moving story of childhood just on the brink of adulthood that is poignant and familiar. I saw myself and my own childhood in the South reflected in Jess and Leslie, but this book transcends the regional. Its themes of love and friendship in midst of life's struggles and big questions is universal. Even though it was not what I expected this will stay on our shelf to be reread and for the kids to read | ||
 | Bridge to Terabithia | |
| "4.5 stars - Not what I expected but a pleasant surprise" | 2008-12-05 |
| I always like to read a book before I see it's movie version. I picked this on up b/c I am a big fan of fantasy and I am growing to like young adult fiction as I pick good books to read to my kids. This is not what I expected from the movie preview, but it was well worth reading. Jess Aaron does not fit into his rural northern Virginian life. He loves to draw, daydreams, and is baffled by his dysfunctional, down and out family. Then Leslie Burke and her "hippy" parents move into the abandoned farm next door. Leslie, who wears pants to school, has hair cut short "like a boy", and can run faster than anyone he's known introduces Jess to the imaginary kingdom of Terabithia where they rule as King and Queen and right wrongs even as they struggle through fifth grade. Ms. Paterson has woven together a moving story of childhood just on the brink of adulthood that is poignant and familiar. I saw myself and my own childhood in the South reflected in Jess and Leslie, but this book transcends the regional. Its themes of love and friendship in midst of life's struggles and big questions is universal. Even though it was not what I expected this will stay on our shelf to be reread and for the kids to read | ||
 | Bridge to Terabithia | |
| "4.5 stars - Not what I expected but a pleasant surprise" | 2008-12-05 |
| I always like to read a book before I see it's movie version. I picked this on up b/c I am a big fan of fantasy and I am growing to like young adult fiction as I pick good books to read to my kids. This is not what I expected from the movie preview, but it was well worth reading. Jess Aaron does not fit into his rural northern Virginian life. He loves to draw, daydreams, and is baffled by his dysfunctional, down and out family. Then Leslie Burke and her "hippy" parents move into the abandoned farm next door. Leslie, who wears pants to school, has hair cut short "like a boy", and can run faster than anyone he's known introduces Jess to the imaginary kingdom of Terabithia where they rule as King and Queen and right wrongs even as they struggle through fifth grade. Ms. Paterson has woven together a moving story of childhood just on the brink of adulthood that is poignant and familiar. I saw myself and my own childhood in the South reflected in Jess and Leslie, but this book transcends the regional. Its themes of love and friendship in midst of life's struggles and big questions is universal. Even though it was not what I expected this will stay on our shelf to be reread and for the kids to read | ||
 | Bridge to Terabithia (Rack) | |
| "4.5 stars - Not what I expected but a pleasant surprise" | 2008-12-05 |
| I always like to read a book before I see it's movie version. I picked this on up b/c I am a big fan of fantasy and I am growing to like young adult fiction as I pick good books to read to my kids. This is not what I expected from the movie preview, but it was well worth reading. Jess Aaron does not fit into his rural northern Virginian life. He loves to draw, daydreams, and is baffled by his dysfunctional, down and out family. Then Leslie Burke and her "hippy" parents move into the abandoned farm next door. Leslie, who wears pants to school, has hair cut short "like a boy", and can run faster than anyone he's known introduces Jess to the imaginary kingdom of Terabithia where they rule as King and Queen and right wrongs even as they struggle through fifth grade. Ms. Paterson has woven together a moving story of childhood just on the brink of adulthood that is poignant and familiar. I saw myself and my own childhood in the South reflected in Jess and Leslie, but this book transcends the regional. Its themes of love and friendship in midst of life's struggles and big questions is universal. Even though it was not what I expected this will stay on our shelf to be reread and for the kids to read | ||
 | Bridge to Terabithia | |
| "4.5 stars - Not what I expected but a pleasant surprise" | 2008-12-05 |
| I always like to read a book before I see it's movie version. I picked this on up b/c I am a big fan of fantasy and I am growing to like young adult fiction as I pick good books to read to my kids. This is not what I expected from the movie preview, but it was well worth reading. Jess Aaron does not fit into his rural northern Virginian life. He loves to draw, daydreams, and is baffled by his dysfunctional, down and out family. Then Leslie Burke and her "hippy" parents move into the abandoned farm next door. Leslie, who wears pants to school, has hair cut short "like a boy", and can run faster than anyone he's known introduces Jess to the imaginary kingdom of Terabithia where they rule as King and Queen and right wrongs even as they struggle through fifth grade. Ms. Paterson has woven together a moving story of childhood just on the brink of adulthood that is poignant and familiar. I saw myself and my own childhood in the South reflected in Jess and Leslie, but this book transcends the regional. Its themes of love and friendship in midst of life's struggles and big questions is universal. Even though it was not what I expected this will stay on our shelf to be reread and for the kids to read | ||
 | The Ten Thousand: A Novel of Ancient Greece | |
| "The best historical fiction I've read in years" | 2008-10-24 |
| In 401 B.C. the Persian Prince Cyrus recruited an army to purportedly put down rebels in his domains in Asia Minor. This army, over 100,000 strong with 10,000 Greek mercenaries at its core, marched over one thousand miles to challenge Cyrus' brother for the throne of the Persian Empire. Young Xenophon of Athens and his servant Theo join up to make their fortunes outside Athens which is a shell of its former glory changing their own lives and, unknown to them, the lives of their Greek comrades and others forever. Michael Curtis Ford picked me up out of my daily life and dropped me into ancient Greece. "The Ten Thousand" is the harrowing account of war, friendship, love, bravery, and the kind of leadership that makes history and inspires legends. Ford meticulously researched not only the events depicted, but also helped me experience as if there the feel, smell, taste, and atmosphere of the ancient world. Told in the first person by Theo, the battle scenes made me feel the adrenaline pumping through your veins and smell the gore and stench of death. He walked me through the streets of Delphi, Athens, and over the dusty roads and narrow mountain tracks leading to ancient Babylon. I felt the heartache and the anguish of making hard choices that cost lives as well as the exultation of victory however brief. It is a rare novel that does all this and teaches you about life, too. If Fords other novels are like this. I want to read them. Highly recommended for those who love history, but also for everyone who enjoys a well told tale. | ||
 | Howl's Moving Castle | |
| "A great suprise" | 2008-09-22 |
| Sophie is the first-born daughter of a deceased hatter. She makes hats in the shop, now run by her step-mother, resigned to her fate of being a homebody when the Witch of the Waste, for reasons of her own which she is not sharing, changes Sophie into an old woman. Fearing rejection Sophie makes her way out into the wide world and finds herself housekeeper to the dread wizard Howl. As you might guess adventures and self-discovery abound in this enchanting book for young readers, and not so young readers like me. Diana Wynne Jones has managed to weave a wonderful new fairy tale with everything the old fairytales have that make them so timeless and wonderful! The prose is beautiful and very intelligent, but simple enough that readers as young as third or fourth grade can easily follow it. There is nothing predicable about this tale and you will find yourself turning the pages quickly wanting immerse yourself deeper in this world where wizards and witches are business people and the distance between the mundane and the miraculous is as close as the nose on your face. | ||
 | Snow Crash | |
| "I think I enjoyed it" | 2008-09-21 |
| Hiro Protagonist is a free-lance hacker for the CIC (the Central Intelligence Corporation) and pizza delivery guy for the Mafia, a concert promoter, and other things to make ends meet. He is also the greatest swordsman in the world of the not too distant future. Most nation states have fallen apart and corporations have taken over running things. Hiro and his sidekick Y.T. are in up to their necks in a plot to take over the world by a "computer virus" as old as civilization itself. br /br /In this very original thriller that smacks of Lethal Weapon and the Matrix (although written in 1992) Neal Stephenson weaves together Sumerian myth, hackers, Pentecostalism, the world of organized crime, and an America that is scarily recognizable into a fast-paced intelligent story that will keep you turning the pages far into the night. The only problems are that Stephenson is sometimes needlessly crass, and the ending of the book is so abrupt it leaves a lot of loose ends that left me gasping for breath and a little put out with the author.br /br /I enjoyed it immensley, but it left me unsatisfied with a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. | ||
 | Inkheart | |
| "I wish I could give it a 4 1/2" | 2008-08-21 |
| Meggie and her dad Mo (a traveling book binder) live a semi-nomadic existence moving from town to town all over Europe healing old books in need of new bindings. They love reading, living most of their lives in books, but to Meggie's chagrin Mo never reads to her. Upon the arrival of a vagrant called Dustfinger, Meggie learns why her father never reads aloud. The two are catapulted into a perilous adventure that Mo had tried to protect Meggie from all of her young life in which evil villains from a book are want Mo to work for them. Why? Read the book and find out how they got out of the pages of fiction, where Meggis' missing mother is, and what the power of words can mean in a world that often seems empty and boring. This is one of the most fun and imaginative books I've come across in a long time. The characters are well drawn, the action is compelling, and it is just fun to turn the pages to see what is on the other side of each piece of paper. For lovers of books and those who are just getting into reading this is a great piece of fiction. Parents it is a bit intense for very young readers, but for adoloscents to people in their Golden Years I highly recommend this memorable book. | ||
 | Inkheart | |
| "I wish I could give it a 4 1/2" | 2008-08-21 |
| Meggie and her dad Mo (a traveling book binder) live a semi-nomadic existence moving from town to town all over Europe healing old books in need of new bindings. They love reading, living most of their lives in books, but to Meggie's chagrin Mo never reads to her. Upon the arrival of a vagrant called Dustfinger, Meggie learns why her father never reads aloud. The two are catapulted into a perilous adventure that Mo had tried to protect Meggie from all of her young life in which evil villains from a book are want Mo to work for them. Why? Read the book and find out how they got out of the pages of fiction, where Meggis' missing mother is, and what the power of words can mean in a world that often seems empty and boring. This is one of the most fun and imaginative books I've come across in a long time. The characters are well drawn, the action is compelling, and it is just fun to turn the pages to see what is on the other side of each piece of paper. For lovers of books and those who are just getting into reading this is a great piece of fiction. Parents it is a bit intense for very young readers, but for adoloscents to people in their Golden Years I highly recommend this memorable book. | ||
 | The Subtle Knife | |
| "An enticing sequel" | 2008-07-24 |
| Will is a secretive boy whose mother is mentally ill and whose father went missing on an arctic expedition shortly after his birth. What he thought was his mother's delusion of men out to get her turns frighteningly real, and Will is propelled into another world where he meets Lyra Silvertongue, whom we last saw leaving her own world in pursuit of her father, Lord Asriel, at the end of "The Golden Compass." The two become allies and travel through multiple worlds on a quest to find Will's father and to help Lord Asriel in his plot to overthrow The Authority (God). Uncertainty about the future and the adolescent's quest for answers to life's big questions are deftly woven into a very unique and thrilling fantasy in the second volume of Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials." Questions about God, the Church, and religion in general abound and Pullman's personal views become more and more clear. If you love God and His Church you will want to read this carefully before you decide to let your kids read it. The prose is beautiful, the tale is everything that makes a great epic, and I came to love the characters; even the bad ones. All of this, though appears to be a vehicle to teach a lesson. Much like "The Chronicles of Narnia" teach lessons about God and Christ, "His Dark Materials" teaches lessons about a mystical, yet atheistic world. All that said, this is a well-written book with a lot to offer in entertainment, as well as food for thought. However, I only recommend it to a discerning reader who knows what he/she believes. Parents be alert. | ||
 | The Subtle Knife (His Dark Materials, Book 2) | |
| "An enticing sequel" | 2008-07-24 |
| Will is a secretive boy whose mother is mentally ill and whose father went missing on an arctic expedition shortly after his birth. What he thought was his mother's delusion of men out to get her turns frighteningly real, and Will is propelled into another world where he meets Lyra Silvertongue, whom we last saw leaving her own world in pursuit of her father, Lord Asriel, at the end of "The Golden Compass." The two become allies and travel through multiple worlds on a quest to find Will's father and to help Lord Asriel in his plot to overthrow The Authority (God). Uncertainty about the future and the adolescent's quest for answers to life's big questions are deftly woven into a very unique and thrilling fantasy in the second volume of Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials." Questions about God, the Church, and religion in general abound and Pullman's personal views become more and more clear. If you love God and His Church you will want to read this carefully before you decide to let your kids read it. The prose is beautiful, the tale is everything that makes a great epic, and I came to love the characters; even the bad ones. All of this, though appears to be a vehicle to teach a lesson. Much like "The Chronicles of Narnia" teach lessons about God and Christ, "His Dark Materials" teaches lessons about a mystical, yet atheistic world. All that said, this is a well-written book with a lot to offer in entertainment, as well as food for thought. However, I only recommend it to a discerning reader who knows what he/she believes. Parents be alert. | ||
 | The Subtle Knife | |
| "An enticing sequel" | 2008-07-24 |
| Will is a secretive boy whose mother is mentally ill and whose father went missing on an arctic expedition shortly after his birth. What he thought was his mother's delusion of men out to get her turns frighteningly real, and Will is propelled into another world where he meets Lyra Silvertongue, whom we last saw leaving her own world in pursuit of her father, Lord Asriel, at the end of "The Golden Compass." The two become allies and travel through multiple worlds on a quest to find Will's father and to help Lord Asriel in his plot to overthrow The Authority (God). Uncertainty about the future and the adolescent's quest for answers to life's big questions are deftly woven into a very unique and thrilling fantasy in the second volume of Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials." Questions about God, the Church, and religion in general abound and Pullman's personal views become more and more clear. If you love God and His Church you will want to read this carefully before you decide to let your kids read it. The prose is beautiful, the tale is everything that makes a great epic, and I came to love the characters; even the bad ones. All of this, though appears to be a vehicle to teach a lesson. Much like "The Chronicles of Narnia" teach lessons about God and Christ, "His Dark Materials" teaches lessons about a mystical, yet atheistic world. All that said, this is a well-written book with a lot to offer in entertainment, as well as food for thought. However, I only recommend it to a discerning reader who knows what he/she believes. Parents be alert. | ||
 | The Subtle Knife | |
| "An enticing sequel" | 2008-07-24 |
| Will is a secretive boy whose mother is mentally ill and whose father went missing on an arctic expedition shortly after his birth. What he thought was his mother's delusion of men out to get her turns frighteningly real, and Will is propelled into another world where he meets Lyra Silvertongue, whom we last saw leaving her own world in pursuit of her father, Lord Asriel, at the end of "The Golden Compass." The two become allies and travel through multiple worlds on a quest to find Will's father and to help Lord Asriel in his plot to overthrow The Authority (God). Uncertainty about the future and the adolescent's quest for answers to life's big questions are deftly woven into a very unique and thrilling fantasy in the second volume of Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials." Questions about God, the Church, and religion in general abound and Pullman's personal views become more and more clear. If you love God and His Church you will want to read this carefully before you decide to let your kids read it. The prose is beautiful, the tale is everything that makes a great epic, and I came to love the characters; even the bad ones. All of this, though appears to be a vehicle to teach a lesson. Much like "The Chronicles of Narnia" teach lessons about God and Christ, "His Dark Materials" teaches lessons about a mystical, yet atheistic world. All that said, this is a well-written book with a lot to offer in entertainment, as well as food for thought. However, I only recommend it to a discerning reader who knows what he/she believes. Parents be alert. | ||
 | The Subtle Knife (His Dark Materials, Book 2) | |
| "An enticing sequel" | 2008-07-24 |
| Will is a secretive boy whose mother is mentally ill and whose father went missing on an arctic expedition shortly after his birth. What he thought was his mother's delusion of men out to get her turns frighteningly real, and Will is propelled into another world where he meets Lyra Silvertongue, whom we last saw leaving her own world in pursuit of her father, Lord Asriel, at the end of "The Golden Compass." The two become allies and travel through multiple worlds on a quest to find Will's father and to help Lord Asriel in his plot to overthrow The Authority (God). Uncertainty about the future and the adolescent's quest for answers to life's big questions are deftly woven into a very unique and thrilling fantasy in the second volume of Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials." Questions about God, the Church, and religion in general abound and Pullman's personal views become more and more clear. If you love God and His Church you will want to read this carefully before you decide to let your kids read it. The prose is beautiful, the tale is everything that makes a great epic, and I came to love the characters; even the bad ones. All of this, though appears to be a vehicle to teach a lesson. Much like "The Chronicles of Narnia" teach lessons about God and Christ, "His Dark Materials" teaches lessons about a mystical, yet atheistic world. All that said, this is a well-written book with a lot to offer in entertainment, as well as food for thought. However, I only recommend it to a discerning reader who knows what he/she believes. Parents be alert. | ||
 | The Subtle Knife | |
| "An enticing sequel" | 2008-07-24 |
| Will is a secretive boy whose mother is mentally ill and whose father went missing on an arctic expedition shortly after his birth. What he thought was his mother's delusion of men out to get her turns frighteningly real, and Will is propelled into another world where he meets Lyra Silvertongue, whom we last saw leaving her own world in pursuit of her father, Lord Asriel, at the end of "The Golden Compass." The two become allies and travel through multiple worlds on a quest to find Will's father and to help Lord Asriel in his plot to overthrow The Authority (God). Uncertainty about the future and the adolescent's quest for answers to life's big questions are deftly woven into a very unique and thrilling fantasy in the second volume of Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials." Questions about God, the Church, and religion in general abound and Pullman's personal views become more and more clear. If you love God and His Church you will want to read this carefully before you decide to let your kids read it. The prose is beautiful, the tale is everything that makes a great epic, and I came to love the characters; even the bad ones. All of this, though appears to be a vehicle to teach a lesson. Much like "The Chronicles of Narnia" teach lessons about God and Christ, "His Dark Materials" teaches lessons about a mystical, yet atheistic world. All that said, this is a well-written book with a lot to offer in entertainment, as well as food for thought. However, I only recommend it to a discerning reader who knows what he/she believes. Parents be alert. | ||
 | American Gods | |
| "Good, but beware a bit of trash" | 2008-06-28 |
| In "American Gods" Neil Gaimen did something I have been thinking about doing, but of course can't get past the first page, for a long time. He explored the ideas about what happened to the ancient pagan gods once people stopped believing in them. The story starts with Shadow, a parolee who discovers his wife and best friend were killed in a tragic accident just days before he was to get out of prison. Shadow, whose world has just fallen apart, is hired by the mysterious Mr. Wednesday as a body guard, errand, boy, etc. What ensues is a road trip through an American you will recognize from your vacations, that is jam packed with ancient gods living lives in the most ordinary places doing the most unusual things right under our very noses. Mr. Wednesday sees war coming, and Shadow has a special part to play. Once again Neil Gaimen proves himself a consummate story-teller with a story that is compelling, witty, and amazingly original even as it borrows from the oldest literature known to man. Shadow and Wednesday were remarkably well drawn characters and the story was definitely not predictable. Those of you who know mythology will spot a lot of things before they happen, but, as with all good thrillers you will not see the crucial things coming. The only draw backs are three scenes that would make this rated X, or at least NC-17, if this book was a movie. They did not move the story forward one bit and I found myself wondering why that tripe was not cut from the book. There is a bit of violence, and, b/c the book has some pretty seedy characters, a smattering of bad language that does not necessarily move the story forward, but seemed appropriate for inmates and criminal types to use. All in all I recommend this to those who love a good epic saga, mixed with modern dark fantasy, with a dash of good mythology thrown in for good measure. Just beware the graphic scenes. | ||
 | American Gods by Neil Gaiman, ISBN 0694525499 | |
| "Good, but beware a bit of trash" | 2008-06-28 |
| In "American Gods" Neil Gaimen did something I have been thinking about doing, but of course can't get past the first page, for a long time. He explored the ideas about what happened to the ancient pagan gods once people stopped believing in them. The story starts with Shadow, a parolee who discovers his wife and best friend were killed in a tragic accident just days before he was to get out of prison. Shadow, whose world has just fallen apart, is hired by the mysterious Mr. Wednesday as a body guard, errand, boy, etc. What ensues is a road trip through an American you will recognize from your vacations, that is jam packed with ancient gods living lives in the most ordinary places doing the most unusual things right under our very noses. Mr. Wednesday sees war coming, and Shadow has a special part to play. Once again Neil Gaimen proves himself a consummate story-teller with a story that is compelling, witty, and amazingly original even as it borrows from the oldest literature known to man. Shadow and Wednesday were remarkably well drawn characters and the story was definitely not predictable. Those of you who know mythology will spot a lot of things before they happen, but, as with all good thrillers you will not see the crucial things coming. The only draw backs are three scenes that would make this rated X, or at least NC-17, if this book was a movie. They did not move the story forward one bit and I found myself wondering why that tripe was not cut from the book. There is a bit of violence, and, b/c the book has some pretty seedy characters, a smattering of bad language that does not necessarily move the story forward, but seemed appropriate for inmates and criminal types to use. All in all I recommend this to those who love a good epic saga, mixed with modern dark fantasy, with a dash of good mythology thrown in for good measure. Just beware the graphic scenes. | ||
 | Losing Our Virtue: Why the Church Must Recover It's Moral Vision | |
| "Virtue or values?" | 2008-06-19 |
| David Wells is my current favorite b/c he confronts with kind, intelligent, insightful, and helpful language the problems facing the church today. In this volume he discusses how we have gone from the language of virtue (i,e, courage, perseverance, integrity, etc.) to values (fun, amazing, exciting, etc.) in the course of a century. This loss of a moral center has cost not only our culture but the church as we move away from a biblical way of seeing and interacting with our world. The church has become worldly and ineffective. How did we get to this place? How do we get out of it? How do we remain faithful to God and communicate to a world that has does not understand the vocabulary of redemption? Read this most helpful book to help you answer these and other questions raised by the loss of virtue? | ||
 | Creation Regained: Biblical Basics for a Reformational Worldview | |
| "Worldview grounded in scripture" | 2008-06-08 |
| "Creation Regained:Biblical Basics for a Reformational Worldview" is not your typical worldview book. It comes at this issue from a particularly Reformational angle. What does that mean? He grounds his thesis in the way of looking at the world rediscovered during the Protestant Reformation: creation, fall, and redemption. When we consider life everything is considered from this biblical viewpoint. What Wolters presets is a great introduction to three points that can radically change the way we think and live. If you are looking for a worldview book that is heavy on applicable, biblical content rather than a rant about how the world is going to hell in a hand-basket this it the book for you. | ||
 | Confessions of a Pagan Nun : A Novel | |
| "Between two ages" | 2008-06-02 |
| Gwynneve loved words. That is what started her on her path to becoming a nun. "Confessions of a Pagan Nun" is the first person account (written during breaks while copying St. Augustine and the classics of Western Literature) of her life as the unwanted daughter of a pig farmer, a woman in love with a man who cannot love as she wants, a druid, and finally a nun. As Ireland changes from the wild Pagan land of Finn MacCumhal to Patrick's repository of Western Civilazation Gwynneve struggles to change with it. This is a fascinating look at the fictional life of an intelligent pagan who tries her hardest to convert to Christianity, but in the end cannot change her own heart. This book echoes of "Augustine's Confessions" and Anne Rices first person Vampire novels. It chronicles a life and spiritual journey, but the prose is so vivid that you can see it. As a convinced Christian I was especially struck by the author's take on the transition from paganism to Christianity in Ireland. It is definitely fiction with all the biases that authors bring to historical fiction. There are a few cliches like tyranical, sex crazed abbots and love starved nuns, pagans being persecuted into extinction and hiding, etc, but Gwynneve's questions about the faith are so pertinent and precise that I found myself reflecting on my beliefs again and I find my faith stronger. This is thought-provoking fiction. Enjoy it and keep your brain turned on. | ||
 | Confessions of a Pagan Nun | |
| "Between two ages" | 2008-06-02 |
| Gwynneve loved words. That is what started her on her path to becoming a nun. "Confessions of a Pagan Nun" is the first person account (written during breaks while copying St. Augustine and the classics of Western Literature) of her life as the unwanted daughter of a pig farmer, a woman in love with a man who cannot love as she wants, a druid, and finally a nun. As Ireland changes from the wild Pagan land of Finn MacCumhal to Patrick's repository of Western Civilazation Gwynneve struggles to change with it. This is a fascinating look at the fictional life of an intelligent pagan who tries her hardest to convert to Christianity, but in the end cannot change her own heart. This book echoes of "Augustine's Confessions" and Anne Rices first person Vampire novels. It chronicles a life and spiritual journey, but the prose is so vivid that you can see it. As a convinced Christian I was especially struck by the author's take on the transition from paganism to Christianity in Ireland. It is definitely fiction with all the biases that authors bring to historical fiction. There are a few cliches like tyranical, sex crazed abbots and love starved nuns, pagans being persecuted into extinction and hiding, etc, but Gwynneve's questions about the faith are so pertinent and precise that I found myself reflecting on my beliefs again and I find my faith stronger. This is thought-provoking fiction. Enjoy it and keep your brain turned on. | ||
 | God in the Wasteland: The Reality of Truth in a World of Fading Dreams | |
| "We are in trouble, but we have a big God" | 2008-04-25 |
| In "God in the Wasteland..." David Wells continues the examination of the decline of evangelicalism he began in "No Place for Truth" taking it to such a depth of content and analysis that there is no doubt in my mind that we are in trouble. Modernity (or Post-modernity depending on your view) has infiltrated the church to such a degree that we are more worldly than not. Dr. Wells calls us to let God "weigh heavily" on us and the Church. He calls us to be turn away from the worldliness that we have adopted and turn toward God. Only then can we truly be the Church, an alternate culture in a decaying world. There is so much to this argument that it would be hard to even scratch the surface in this review. I can only urge you to read and consider Dr. Wells' observations and how you need to respond to the crisis at hand. In addition to his penetrating observations Dr. Wells also includes the raw data from a study of two groups of seminarians eleven years apart and their responses to a battery of questions designed to assess their world-view. This fascinating book is a must read for all those concerned with the state of the Church. | ||
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