Fiction•
on May 9th, 2006•
As soon as I received this book, I was excited about reading it. I have known Marilynn Griffith for a number of years and I knew from our emails she has quite the sense of humor.
“I, Dana Rose, do solemnly swear to say “I won’t” the next time someone asks me to be in their wedding party. My weak will has gained me a closet full of unflattering bridesmaids’ dresses in various sizes to accommodate my ever-fluctuating waistline.”
From the beginning pages, readers are in for a treat — that is a giggling session over the antics of Dana Rose. Poor Dana is a bridesmaid again to her dismay for the tenth time! With one of the members of the Sassy Sistahood, Tracy, getting married, Dana loses a roommate. Losing a roommate is not the only upheavel, Dana will face. read more
Fiction•
on May 9th, 2006•
Meet Me At The Altar is Tamika Johnson’ debut novel. It will be released September 2006 and I had the opportunity to review an advanced copy.
The novel opens up with an introduction to the four main characters. Shana is a divorced single mom with a precocious six year old. Her marriage ended abruptly after finding her husband in the bed with another man. Derek is the typical nice guy looking for love, but unfortunately has found it in the wrong places. He still has not quite gotten over the destruction to his life and business by an unscrupulous woman. Derek’s cousin, Shawn has decided married life is not for him. After his wife, Desiree, had their daughter and stopped working, Shawn feels unattracted to the woman he once swooned over. Sherry has learned quite well how to use her body to get what she wants from men. One of her victims was Derek. Now she is back, but Derek has his eyes on someone else.
Derek believes God has finally sent the right one his way as he begins a friendship with Shana. A little tentative, Shana does embrace her new relationship with reservations. Not completely understanding how Shana’s ex-husband hurt her, Derek misinterprets her conflicting emotions as though he must not be good enough for her.
While Shana tries to deal with her new relationship, she also is adjusting to new business opportunities and to her new business partner, Desiree. Still struggling over how Shawn treated her, Desiree struggles with bitterness and is not interested in dealing with Shana’s strong faith. Desiree is determined to take on a new client that is causing some unease for Shana. Unfortunately, Shana’s uneasiness maybe a sign she shouldn’t ignore.
I’m fairly impressed with Tamika Johnson’s first novel. I was a little hesitant after reading the introduction for each character because they seemed so stereotypical. She might could have left those introduction out and just let the reader jump into the storyline which turned out to be quite a page turner. In some areas the story seemed predictable, but what was not predictable was the hint of mystery. Someone was out to get Shana and as a big mystery fan I was stumped as to who it was until the very end. Bravo Ms. Johnson!
I like the redemption and forgiveness aspects of the novel. The writer keeps it real which I think will make this novel appealing to a broad range of readers. I’m looking forward to her next novel “Healing at the Altar” where readers will see how Shawn and Desiree reconcile their marriage.
Nonfiction•
on May 8th, 2006•
The story of God’s plan for human beings has been played out for thousands of years. Steven James in his own unique way retells the ultimate story of all time in his latest book. Mixing prose with poetry, James, a professional storyteller and dramatist, takes the reader on a journey from Creation to Christ’s birth to his death and finally his resurrection.
I chose to read this book during the Lent season and found it great to use as a devotion. I’m not really a fan of poetry, but I enjoyed the flow of James’ simple poetry along with his thoughtful, refreshingly humorous writing style. I have been a little disappointed lately in how so many nonfiction Christian living books seem to say the same thing over and over again. Sometimes we don’t need another seven steps or another how to, but just a reminder that God’s plan is perfect even in all it’s mystery. If you are seeking a different reading experience from the usual, I highly recommend The Story: Recapture the Mystery.
Fiction•
on May 5th, 2006•
The mayor of Rita, CA is campaigning for Congress and has found herself back in trouble again. Well, not necessarily in trouble herself, but trouble has found her. Maddy’s movie star cousin, Catherine, has moved back to town. Taking a break from her fast-paced Hollywood life, Catherine decides to do some acting in a local theatre production.
Excited to spend time with her younger cousin, Maddy heads off to see Catherine’s home. The newly built majestic home(mansion) has a rather unpleasant surprise for its new owner. Catherine’s missing chaffeur turns up dead in the pool. Upon further investigation, the chaffeur’s demise was not accidental – especially with a gunshot wound in his head. Not sure why and who could have done this, Maddy will spend a lot more time with her cousin than she expected as she takes the young woman under her care.
While dealing with a murder on her hands, Maddy becomes aware of a disturbing and dangerous trend that has been going on under her nose. Someone is playing cruel pranks with city property and now two victims are laying in the hospital as a result. Talk about stress!
For those of you who are new to the Madison Glenn series, this book can be easily read without having any prior knowledge of the mayor’s other experiences (previous two books). As a fan, I’m delighted to see Maddy, a new believer, continuing to grow in her faith. Not only is she growing, but she is starting to witness her faith to others. Other characters have obviously noticed a change in the mayor especially with the amount of trouble she manages to find herself in. She has definitely become a favorite read!
Fiction•
on May 4th, 2006•
Terri Blackstock is known for her mystery mixed with romance novels. I think her fans will be thrilled with her latest novel Last Light. The first book in the Restoration series starts off with a bang, “literally”. I’m not talking about a gun shot bang, but an earth shaking bang as a plane falls out of the sky moments after Demi Branning and her father, Doug, arrive home in Birmingham, AL from a D.C. trip. Unfortunately, this is not a one-time freak accident as other planes crash to the ground. No electrical power, non-existant cell service and stalled vehicles are just the beginning as confusion and chaos begins to set-in.
With the day drawing to a close, people try to make their way home from the airport anyway they can. A purchased bicycle is stolen from Doug’s hands, leaving father and daugher walking on foot. They are not the only family members walking on foot as across town, Demi’s mother and siblings are also making it on foot after finding their stalled vehicle no longer an option for travel.
As the family gathers together, the reader gets a sense of the discomfort this average suburban family is feeling with their sudden lifestlye change. As the days past by with no return to normalcy, the discomfort turns to survival mode as the family must now think in terms of food preservation and safety. Safety especially now that someone has committed murder. The once quite suburban neighborhood is no longer safe. With chaos all over, no direct help is expected from the police. The neighbors start suspecting each other and mistrust reigns.
The storyline for this first novel centers quite a bit around the Demi, the oldest child in the Branning family. Demi is desperate for life to return to normal mainly because she has left her fiance back in Washington, D.C. In her early twenties, Demi is rising high in her career and excited about becoming a bride. With no way to communicate, her determination to get to her fiance starts to get on everyone’s nerves. Demi tests not only her faith, but her parents as well when she suddenly finds a ride to D.C. with an unlikely driver. Unknown to Demi, the driver is a man on a mission that has turned dangerous.
Terri has definitely done her research with this novel. It seems that events could happen just as they have been described in the novel. What would we do without our phones, TV, radio, internet or no access to a grocery store? What would we do when civilization as we know it in the 21st century suddenly changes in one day back to the past?
This novel expertly shows how the true test of faith lies in how much we depend on God versus our dependence on the convenience of our daily life. The Brannings are a family that readers will want to “keep in touch” with as they continue through their ordeal. The second novel, “Night Light” will be released June 2006.
Nonfiction•
on May 4th, 2006•
A few years ago I ordered a book called the Book of God. It was basically the bible written as a novel. I really liked how the storytelling flowed easily from one storyline to another and the author’s imagination was refreshingly funny at times.
Known as a master storyteller, Walter Wangerin has written a new novel based on the Gospels. I chose to read this book during the season of Lent. I highly recommend reading this book anytime of the year, but it especially took on a life of its own as Resurrection Sunday approaches. Wangerin chooses to tell the story of Jesus through the eyes of two people close to him, Mary, his mother and John, the beloved disciple.
Have you ever wondered how Mary felt as she watched her son, the Son of God, grow into a man? Probably from the time Jesus got left behind in the temple, Mary knew her relationship with her son would change. Wangerin focuses on Mary’s emotions as she watches her son’s ministry grow. Like any mother, she is hurt by his distance, but glowing in his role among the people as a savior. Becoming a follower herself, a witness to her son’s horrible suffering and then his glorious resurrection, we can only imagine the emotional roller coaster ride. Wangerin captures it eloquently.
We get a possible look at Jesus’ life on the road and his interaction with the twelve disciples through John’s eyes. Peter is described exactly how you would percieve him – larger than life and loud. If you ever wondered about Judas Iscariot, Wangerin sublty develops the story of a young man whose eagerness for change for the present day condition of Israel drives him to do the unthinkable – betray a dear friend. While reading John’s thoughts as described by Wangerin, you get a sense of who this disciple must have been for Jesus to entrust his mother to him.
If you need a faith boost or just want to refresh yourself, I think you will find Walter Wangerin’s novel an enjoyable read. He stays true to the bible and I like how he weaves the Gospels into a smooth, but eye-opening reading experience. I have found his books to be a motivational tool to read the bible as more than just a “history” book, but God’s Living Word – with very real people!
Fiction•
on May 3rd, 2006•
It’s been awhile since I have added book reviews to the site. I have quite a few great reads I want to share over the next few weeks.
The Presence
Bill Myers
My first introduction to Bill Myers started last year with reading Soul Tracker. After reading this novel, I discovered several other books by Bill Myers. Last year I tackled Eli, The Face of God, Blood of Heaven and several other books. In the same line of Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker, Bill writes a unique brand of Christian fiction. I’m not sure of the genre’s name, but I classify the books as “supernatural thrillers”. The books take the reader on an imaginative adventure as well as a thought-provoking journey for the soul. Being a former Stephen King and Dean Koontz fan, these authors were a welcome addition to my bookshelf.
The Presence is the sequel to Soul Tracker. I knew when I finished reading Soul Tracker last year, there had to be more to the story. If you did not read the first book you should not have too much trouble reading The Presence. Bill Myers includes plenty of background information about the main characters, David Kauffman, his son and their enemy Norman E. Orbolitz.
The last time David came in contact with Orbolitz, he learned this incredibly wealthy man’s evil schemes were directly related to David’s daughter’s untimely death. Looking to increase his lifespan, Orbolitz harvested organs from his victims. As David stared in to the man’s eyes he realized the eyes belonged to his daughter.
Now Orbolitz is back on the scene with a plan to wreak more havoc for David and his son. David, his son and several other people have been invited to participate in an unusual experiment. Unknown to the participants, this experiment targets their worst fears and thoughts. Each participant must overcome what could destroy them. Some of the participants who are believers will find their faith tested as they are pitted against past temptations and current strongholds. Those who are not believers must choose whether they will continue down a dark path or move into the light.
Bill Myers is a very imaginative storyteller. He always spins the right amount of suspense and supernatural to keep you hooked. This novel gives us a view of spiritual warfare in a unique way.
