I love fiction. If more than a few months of my life passes without reading a good novel, I start to get literal physical cravings.

So I was super excited when I saw an email announcing several new fiction books being released to the BookSneeze program. I started off with this title: Waking Hours by Lis Wiehl and Pete Nelson.

For the first few chapters, I was afraid this would be one of those books I wouldn’t be able to finish. (Several months ago, a friend loaned me a Christian romance fiction book that I had to stop reading after a chapter and a half because it was beyond cheesy.) There are definitely some “groan” elements to Waking Hours – the too-perfect Christian guy meets the jaded pseudo-Christian girl and the perfect romance ensues.

But the plot keeps Waking Hours interesting. It’s centered around the supernatural. The main basis of the plot is a forensic psychiatrist and an up-and-coming PI trying to solve a murder that looks ritualistic and cult-related.

While the writing is a bit awkward and intensely cheesy at times, the plot is interesting enough to keep you moving through the book. Some of the more scary scenes were even described well enough to bring some fearful tears to my eyes. I didn’t have nightmares or trouble sleeping from the book, but I wouldn’t recommend it for younger children or teenagers, since there are many disturbing elements to the story. For adults, it is scary at times, but rooted enough in Scripture that the dark supernatural elements aren’t too disturbing. The book does a good job of dealing with the tension between real, tangible scary things in life (people who make bad choices and do bad things) and supernatural influences on evil (the devil made me do it).

All in all, if you love fiction like I do, this is worth your time. If you tolerate only the best fiction or like books with positive messages and inspirational content, you can pass.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Baker’s Wife is a new fiction title by Erin Healy. It tells the story of Audrey, the wife of a former pastor who was kicked out of his church after being accused of paying for his son’s ex-girlfriend to have an abortion. (The pastor denies paying for the abortion or even knowing about it.)

The family starts a bakery after they are kicked out of the church, turning their lifelong hobby of baking bread into a way to sustain themselves financially. The story begins with a foggy morning. Audrey and her son are driving to the bakery to work, and they hit a scooter. The scooter belongs to the mother of the ex-girlfriend. The mother’s blood is all over the street, but no one can find the body.

The rest of the book follows Audrey as she tries to discover the truth behind these mysteries and lies.

Although the plot of the book is rather complicated and seems like it would easily become confusing or predictable, the author does a good job of revealing information as necessary to create a mystery with a  fulfilling finale. The character development is solid.

I was most impressed by the author’s willingness to deal with topics that are often taboo in Christian fiction, namely legalism, sexual purity and abortion. These topics are central to the story, but through the author’s handling of them, she makes it clear that they are sins like any other, and grace is not withheld just because the sin is too “big.”

Unlike many Christian fiction books, I would recommend this book not only as an interesting fiction read, but also as a good way to engage others in important theological discussions.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

I finally had time to get back into the world of book reviewing for my Book Sneeze program. (I can still do them via ebooks here in China!)

The first book I chose to review is a memoir by Brenda Warner titled One Call Away.

I knew I wanted to read this book the moment I saw it. I’m not a sports fan at all. I’m lucky if I can recall the name of any football star, no matter how well-known they may be. But that’s changed just a little bit with my newfound love of Dancing with the Stars. I started watching the reality tv show about celebrities learning to ballroom dance two seasons ago. The women at my office would talk about it every week and were ridiculously excited about the show. I asked them about it, and it sounded interesting, so the when the next season came around, I gave it a chance.

I was hooked. I loved the humor of the judges and the awkwardness of the celebrities who couldn’t dance. But what I loved most of all was learning about the lives of “celebrities” (who to me, were just normal people, because I had never heard of most of them before the show) and seeing them grow throughout the show. Many of them begin the show with no confidence in their ability to dance or in their beauty/gracefulness. Some of the men are football players or wrestlers who have to reign in their massive bodies and glide around with a tiny woman in their arms. Some of them fail miserably, but others give it a lot of effort and turn into great dancers.

The first time I heard of Kurt Warner was when he competed on Dancing with the Stars last season. He was one of the football players that could definitely look awkward dancing (especially the Latin dances…the hip movement was rather lacking!), but when he worked hard, his ballroom dances somehow came across as elegant and graceful. But what impressed me most was his relationship with his family. After one dance, instead of staying on the stage to hug his dancing partner and listen to the critiques of the judges, he ran across the stage and kissed his wife. He dedicated one of the dances to his wife because it was their anniversary. They do a lot of “behind the scenes” with the celebrities on the show, and in his “behind the scene,” he learned how to be more delicate and graceful by having a tea party with his daughters.

When I saw Brenda’s book, I knew I wanted to learn more about this family. Were they the real deal? Or was this all a reality show drama to boost the ratings? Most American sports stars aren’t exactly “family men.” Most of the other football stars I’ve seen on the show aren’t even married. So how did this guy become so down-to-earth and in love with his family?

I won’t spoil all the details of this book, because it truly is worth the read. But I will say that the Warner family is absolutely the real deal. Their faith in God, their commitment to Him and to each other during good times and bad times is genuine. There were many moments in Brenda’s memoir when I laughed, moments when I cried, and moments when I gasped in horror/pain right along with her.

She tells her story and that of her family with a straightforward, honest style. She doesn’t leave out the less flattering moments. When I came to the end of this book, I prayed for this beautiful family and felt honored to have had a glimpse into their lives through Brenda’s memoir.

It normally takes me a week or two to finish a book of this size, but Brenda’s story was so fascinating and poignant that I finished it in two nights. (And I stayed up way too late both nights because I could not put this book down!) I highly recommend it with no reservations.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Max Lucado's newest title

Until now, I haven’t read a book by Max Lucado that I liked. Granted, I haven’t read many of his books. My experience has been limited to his more “giftable” titles – compilations of quotes and snappy sayings. There was nothing wrong with those books, but they were far too shallow for me. I wanted more depth about the nature of God, more willingness to wrestle with tough issues.

This book has made me realize that Max Lucado can wrestle with those deeper, tougher issues. In Max on Life, Lucado’s newest book published with Thomas Nelson, Max shares questions that he has received from fans and responds with pastoral answers.

Questions range from basic theology (“Can we believe the Bible?”) to relationships (“I’ve been dating a girl for three months. She says she is in love. I’m not sure I am, but I feel different when I’m with her. Is that love?”) to painful struggles (“I just spent the afternoon at the hospital bedside of a dear friend. She just gave birth, and her baby was born with one foot. What purpose does this serve? How can a good God permit such deformities?”).

The book reads like an advice column for Christians and those wondering about Christianity. The advice is short, sweet, and to the point, but I was surprised by how thoroughly and wisely Lucado responds to difficult issues.

In several of his responses, Lucado breaks down the original Greek and Hebrew text of Scripture. For example, when answering a question about the purpose of confession, he explains that the Greek word for confession is homologeo (homo meaning “the same” and logeo meaning “to speak”). So, Lucado says, confession means to agree with God, not to tell Him something He doesn’t already know. I wasn’t expecting Lucado to give deeper looks at Scripture like this, since there isn’t much exegesis in his gift book titles.

I was also impressed by Lucado’s response to social concerns. Lucado strikes me as a conservative author, so I was curious to see what he would say about issues like poverty, racism, and the environment. Would he fully engage, or would he shy away from politically sensitive material? To my surprise, he engaged such issues with honesty and hope. My favorite quote from the section on social justice was this:

“Here’s the math. There are 145 million orphans worldwide. Nearly 236 million people in the United States call themselves Christians. From a purely statistical standpoint, American Christians by themselves have the wherewithal to house every orphan in the world” (34).

I was convicted and filled with hope by Lucado’s encouragement that we can all do our part to make the world a better place. And we are called to do so as believers in Christ.

For me, the part of the book that was the most encouraging was the way Lucado addressed the subject of death. Toward the end of the book, Lucado answers a question about death like this:

“We all have a start date and an end date, known by God before we were born. The clock began ticking the moment we were conceived in the womb. . . . Life is never too long or too short. Then again, it’s never long enough as we say good-bye to loved ones and never short enough when we watch them suffer. On this side of the grave, death is so final and so difficult. A time is coming, though, when death will be tossed in the garbage. Revelation 20:14 says death and the grave will be things of the past and thrown into the incinerator. Yesterday’s news. We won’t think about the concept of death any longer. Do you think about the trash you threw out last week? That’s the way death will be” (205).

Having experienced the painful loss of loved ones, I think that dealing with death is almost always a critical point in a person’s faith. If you can forgive God for taking someone “too soon” or allowing someone to suffer “for nothing,” then there are few other issues that will stand in your way of a love relationship with Him. I have seen even confident Christians move away from God over bitterness about death.

Lucado’s willingness to acknowledge the pain and sorrow that death brings is refreshing. And yet, like a true pastor, Lucado does not stop with cathartic grief. He reminds us that there is hope; resurrection and eternity await us in Christ.

I would recommend this book particularly to new believers or those searching for information about Christianity. It is also a great resource for anyone dealing with a difficult situation, no matter how far along in their walk with God they may be. It is not a theological treatise, but it is a great resource for relevant advice in times of struggle.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

I recently joined a cool program that Thomas Nelson publishing company started. It’s called Book Sneeze. If you agree to review their books on your blog, they send you free copies of some of their new releases for you to review. Here’s my first…

A Review of The Fight of Our Lives by William J. Bennett and Seth Leibsohn

I’m sure we all remember the post-9/11 fervor that hit the country immediately following the largest terrorist attack on American soil. Church attendance skyrocketed and people started to think about what really matters in life. People also banded together in patriotism and defense of the US. Most of the public approved of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the strong stance of President Bush in the “war on terror.”

But now, almost a decade later, Bennett and Leibsohn say that America has lost its resolve. And that loss of resolve began even in President Bush’s second term. They show several examples of “doublespeak” and “nospeak” from both President Bush and President Obama, as well as from many other American leaders. They claim that political correctness and appeasement of Muslims have overtaken the desire of the American people to see radical Muslim terrorists brought to justice and stopped from making further attacks.

According to the book’s cover summary, “The Fight of Our Lives helps readers refocus, to reframe and understand the threats we face. By surveying and explaining the current scene, Bennett and Leibsohn point the way to a future in which our enemies are properly acknowledged and firmly opposed.”

I think that Bennett and Leibsohn do a good job in their book of disclaiming that their intention is not to start a war with all Muslims. They agree that most Muslims are peaceful and don’t want to harm Americans. But they point out many disturbing facts that show how moderate Muslims are allowing extreme Muslims to get away with unacceptable, violent behavior because many moderates are unwilling to address root causes in Islam that make peace with Jews and Christians impossible.

Islam is not a tolerant religion. Muslims believe that everyone should be Muslim. But then, Christianity is not really a tolerant religion in its rightful form, either. The key is for both Muslims and Christians to realize that violence and war are not acceptable ways to make converts. One of the great things I learned about American government in high school is that the American system is designed so that people can believe whatever they want to believe – even that everyone not like them is going to hell. But once a person’s belief is acted out in a harmful way toward other people, their belief can no longer be protected.

Bennett and Leibsohn do a very good job of showing how radical Muslims have been able to get away with beliefs that intentionally harm others because our nation has become overly concerned with political correctness.

The only strong criticism that I have for this book is that I don’t think it analyzes fairly enough the tendency of all people toward prejudice, groupthink, and racism. Here is a quote from the book:

“Have their been outbreaks of violence against American Muslims beyond the odd nut-job perpetrator? Have we as a country, under both Republican and Democratic Party administrations, not shown wide berth of tolerance and civil liberty that, for example, might be contradistinguished with how Franklin Roosevelt’s administration and the American people treated Japanese Americans in World War II?” (pg. 108-9)

One of the points Bennett and Leibsohn are making here is that many Muslim governments have actually treated their own people worse than Americans have treated American Muslims. And yet America is blamed for killing more Muslims than al Quada has killed non-Muslims. While this may be true, I don’t think it excuses us from looking inward at our own thoughts, feelings, and actions toward other people. This book is not really intended to be read from a Christian perspective, but Thomas Nelson is a Christian company, and I assume that Bennett and Leibsohn are Christians. Being a Christian myself, I read this book mainly through the eyes of a Christian, secondly through the eyes of an American. In other words, I consider my first duty to be trying to be more like Jesus. After that, my patriotism can kick in, but if my patriotism blinds me to seeing people through Christ’s eyes, then my patriotism isn’t worth much.

I think that Bennett and Leibsohn’s message is an important one. But I think that in not delving further into our responsibility as Christians to love and pray for our enemies (instead of just keep our anger stirred up so all the bad guys can be stamped out once and for all), they lost some of my respect and attentiveness to their message.

I am not a pacifist because I realistically understand that there are cruel people out there who will commit atrocious acts against defenseless human beings, and if it’s in our power to prevent those atrocities from being committed (whether against other nations or against our own nation), then I am supportive of taking action.

But even as I acknowledge the realistic actions secular governments need to engage in, as a believer in the power and grace of Jesus, I also want to love and pray for these enemies who hate me and my country. I don’t believe that there is anyone so far gone that the grace of God could not reach them. I’m not saying I think we should sit back and wait for all the terrorists to just come to Jesus and become happy peacemakers. Would it be amazing if that happened? Yes. But is it likely to happen? No. They still have free will, and no matter how much we pray, many will probably use their free will to continue to act out in violence and hatred.

But still, I am responsible for my own feelings and actions. Despite what Bennett and Leibsohn say, I remember the newspaper reports of American Muslims being attacked and raped in the US after 9/11 happened. I remember a guy in my American History high school class saying that we needed to take all the Muslims and deport them to Afghanistan, then drop a nuclear bomb and get rid of the problem once and for all.

As a nation, we may need to do a better job at identifying our enemy for what they are – radical Muslim terrorists – but I, for one, do appreciate the efforts of our leaders to make sure that American Muslims are not treated like second-class citizens. Our leaders have a very difficult job to do. They are expected to take all necessary actions to keep our country safe. But they are also expected to protect the rights of their citizens under pressure from very emotional people on all sides of the issue. Could they have done better? Could they still do better? Absolutely. But Bennett and Leibsohn’s failure to recognize the legitimate threat of groupthink and racism overtaking the American public, and the success of our leadership in preventing that, made their argument just a little too weak and naive in my eyes to make a strong difference in public opinion.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”