Category Archives: Non-fiction

Review: 30 Days: A Devotional Memoir, by D. M. Webb

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30 Days: A Devotional Memoir30 Days: A Devotional Memoir, by D. M. Webb (Ambassador International, 2013)

Spiritual growth and change often spring from the everyday moments. In 30 Days, D. M. Webb shares through Scripture and anecdotes how God met and cared for her in a 3-year stretch of trials and turmoil. 30 Days is a transparent look at one woman’s life lessons that will encourage and challenge readers in their own lives.

This is a memoir devotional, but it’s not the conventional “life story” autobiography type. These are memoir snippets, each focused to the theme of the particular day’s selection.

Although our life experiences have been very different, D. M. Webb’s devotional memoir connected with me in several places. We both value the book The Search for Significance, by Robert McGee. We both believe that “prayer is the strongest medium there is.” (Kindle location 76)

The lesson that stood out most to me was that it’s okay to ask God “why?” in the hard times – it’s not lack of faith, nor is it demanding and ungrateful. D. M. Webb helped me understand that there’s a way to ask in trust, and that the asking opens us to understand what God wants to teach us in our circumstances.

My favourite line:

My prayers are for those lost in the dark to realize that the Light is nothing to be scared of. (Kindle location 229)

I love how 30 Days ends with two stories passed on from the author’s mother. The stories in this book – and our own personal experiences with the God Who Cares – have value. They need to be shared with our peers and with the generation to come.

30 Days is available in ebook and paper. D. M. Webb (Daphne Self) is also the author of Mississippi Nights. She blogs at Rebel Book Reviews.

[Review copy provided by the author.]

Review: Love and Respect in the Family, by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs

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Love and Respect in the Family, by Dr. Emerson EggerichsLove and Respect in the Family, by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs (Thomas Nelson, 2013)

This book’s subtitle is The respect parents desire … the love children need. Dr. Eggerichs offers his insights on “parenting God’s way”.

Dr. Eggerichs is quick to say he and his wife haven’t been perfect parents nor their children perfect offspring. He shares some of their stories, both good and bad (with the consent of his family) and this openness is one of the strong points of the book. Nothing demoralizes a struggling parent faster than reading advice from a self-proclaimed “perfect example”.

Love and Respect in the Family illustrates that many times we operate in “the family crazy cycle,” and shows how to decode and defuse the triggers that bring that on. Instead, parents can learn to apply a strategy the author calls GUIDES: Give, Understand, Instruct, Discipline, Encourage, and Supplicate (pray).

The final section of the book reminds parents that our motivation comes from God’s unconditional love of us. Dr. Eggerichs says, “This book is not about child-centered parenting but about Christ-centered parenting.” (p. 188) He offers encouragement to parents whose children reject even their best interests: continuing to show love to wayward sons and daughters pleases God, and will be rewarded.

I found the book a bit of a heavy read at times, and I’m not sure why. At the same time, it’s packed with valuable insights and helpful advice. As children get older, parents may have less influence, but some of this material can be applied even in relationships with adult children.

Each chapter includes a list of additional resources for further reading and growth that can be found at the Love and Respect website.

[A review copy was received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.]

Review: All In, by Mark Batterson

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All In, by Mark BattersonAll In, by Mark Batterson (Zondervan, 2013)

The subtitle of this book is “You are one decision away from a totally different life.” The decision? To go “all in” with God, holding nothing back. Author Mark Batterson breaks this down to not just “all in” but going “all out” for our “all in all” in an “all or nothing” way.

Brief anecdotes (personal, friends, historical and biblical) illustrate the book’s central theme that God is calling Christians to more than we may realize. Many of us have settled for less. We’re “in” the Kingdom, but not “all in.” Just far enough to get bored, perhaps, and not far enough to find the challenges and fulfillment—the life abundant—that Christ intends for us.

My copy of All In is tagged with sticky notes of quotable lines. Mark Batterson was a preacher before becoming a published writer, and he has a gift for pithy one-liners. Here are some of my favourites, to give you an idea of the content:

Instead of dissecting Scripture, we need to let Scripture dissect us. p. 39

Our prayers tend to focus on external circumstances more than internal attitudes because we’d rather have God change our circumstances than change us. p. 119

When we take matters into our own hands, we take God out of the equation. p. 137

Mark Batterson is very persuasive in his presentation, and I found myself bracing against this. I guess I don’t really trust persuasive people, but I read this book carefully and prayerfully and did not find anything to raise a warning. Instead, I found clear teaching calling readers out of a half-lived life into full engagement with God. And I found some personally-applicable life lessons.

The author does have the common speakers’ drawback of repeating certain pet phrases, which is a plus for listeners and a minus for readers. What surprised me was the recurring use of gambling imagery: pushing chips to the middle of the table, folding, putting cards face-up etc. Even the title, All In, has a gambling connotation as well as the one I originally understood it to mean.

This book seems mostly aimed at Christians, and I’m afraid that those who reject gambling will reject the message of this book, when they might otherwise have benefited.

Mark Batterson serves as Lead Pastor at Washington DC’s National Community Church. He’s the author of the best-selling The Circle Maker and other books. For more on the author, you can visit his website: Mark Batterson.

[A review copy was received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.]

Review: A Better Way to Think, by H. Norman Wright

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A Better Way to Think, by H. Norman WrightA Better Way to Think, by H. Norman Wright (Revell, 2011)

Our minds can be a scary place to dwell, but that’s where we live—and often not with the kinds of thoughts we were designed to entertain. A Better Way to Think does a good job of helping readers stop and notice our thoughts. When we notice, we can evaluate. When we evaluate, we can see where we need to intentionally change our thinking.

The book’s subtitle is “Using positive thoughts to change your life,” and it offers biblically-sound advice on how to do just that, with both thoughts and self-talk. One of the key points it raises is that we can’t change our thinking in our own strength. We need to rely on the power and help of God. And we need to give it time.

I was challenged by Dr. Wright’s statement that talking to ourselves is

“a habit you’ve cultivated… hundreds of statements you can play at will… The more these play, the more we begin to believe them. We think, This is reality! This is true!” (p.79)

The early chapters prompt us to pay more attention to our thoughts—our self-talk—to discover its origins, observe the damage it’s doing, and decide to change. The biblical mandate to “take every thought captive to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5) is difficult at the best of times, but it’s impossible if we’re not aware of those thoughts.

I found these early chapters clinically sound, but I kept wanting to see faith-based strategies for addressing the problem. Those come later in the book, so if you have the same reaction, read on.

The author uses brief case studies to reinforce what he’s saying, and they make the concepts much easier to understand and remember. Just recently I was driving, late for an appointment, and I remembered his illustration of two men in the same traffic jam and how each one’s thoughts affected their individual experiences. That helped me choose calm thoughts instead of berating myself for not leaving earlier.

The case studies also reflect how one person’s negative thought life can affect his/her relationships. Later chapters focus on defusing this, specifically in marriages.

As the author points out, our negative self-talk has been building up for a long time, so it will take time to replace it with healthier thinking. Time and prayer.

This is one of those books I’m glad to keep on my shelf, and I’ve found myself talking about it in numerous conversations. God has been challenging me about my thinking, probably most of my life, but in the last year or so I’ve finally been ready to hear Him. A Better Way to Think is one of the tools He has used in my life for growth and healing, and I highly recommend it.

H. Norman Wright is a licensed Marriage, Family and Child Therapist and the author of more than 70 books. For more about the book, visit the Revell website, which includes a link to read an excerpt.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Review: Theology in Aisle Seven, by Carolyn Arends

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Theology in Aisle Seven by Carolyn ArendsTheology in Aisle Seven, by Carolyn Arends (Christianity Today, 2012)

One of the things I most appreciate about Carolyn Arends’ writing is her honesty. If she’s exploring a question or a doubt, she does it with transparency. If she’s sharing a life lesson learned, she invites us into the story to experience the lesson too. If she’s praising God, it’s authentic. And it’s all beautifully written. Songwriters and poets, more than most, develop the art of evocative words.

Theology in Aisle Seven is a collection of 25 of Carolyn Arends’ monthly columns in Christianity Today. I had read some of them online before buying the book, and they’re just as good on a second reading as they were on the first. I’ll be reading it again, one brief article at a time, so I’ll have time to better digest it. As the introduction says, it would make a good daily devotional book.

Mark Galli, senior managing editor of Christianity Today, describes the book as “an overview of the Christian life in 25 snapshots.” [Kindle Location 90]

The book’s subtitle is “The Uncommon Grace of Everyday Spirituality.” It’s an easy read in a conversational style, but there’s a lot to chew on. Chapters range from deep spiritual topics like the love and wrath of God, being peacemakers, and mortality to more earthy things like laughter, fitness, neighbours and grief.

And the title? You’ll have to read the particular chapter that birthed it, but I can tell you it relates to how we try to organize and compartmentalize our faith to be neat and tidy.

Here are a few of my favourite lines, to pique your interest:

If the psalmist is right—that there truly is nowhere we can go to flee God’s presence—why do we act like his attendance is intermittent? And why do we assume it’s dependent on us? [Kindle Location 153]

At the end (and only at the end) of the human rope is strength and peace beyond compare. [Kindle Location 214]

Humility not only helps us in the offering of our prayers. It is also essential to recognizing their answers. [Kindle Location 840]

Canadian author Carolyn Arends is perhaps best known as an award-winning singer/songwriter. Her most recent album is Love Was Here First. She’s the author of Wrestling With Angels (another book I highly recommend) as well as a variety of online and print articles. I hope Theology in Aisle Seven will become the first in a series of her collected short works.

For more about Theology in Aisle Seven, click the link in the title to visit the author’s website. You’ll find a list of chapters, a brief description, and links to order. The book is only available in ebook format, but where the chapters are short, if you don’t have an e-reader or tablet you could easily read them on your computer with the free Kindle or Adobe Digital Editions (for everything other than Kindle format) downloads.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Review: Knowing God, by J. I. Packer

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Knowing God, by J.I. Packer

Knowing God, by J. I. Packer (InterVarsity Press, 1973)

In this collection of material previously published in his columns in the Evangelical Magazine, J. I. Packer emphasizes the foundational importance of knowing God—and challenges readers to learn who the Bible says God is instead of going with who we think He is. As we come to know God’s character and attributes, we can trust Him. It’s hard to trust someone whose character you don’t know.

The book explores key attributes of God, including such things as His majesty, wisdom, truth, love, justice, wrath, goodness and severity, and His adequacy. It’s not meant for a casual read, but to be considered, pondered and prayerfully ruminated on. There is much in its pages to nourish Christians.

The writing style is scholarly and includes references to teachers and hymn writers whose names may be unfamiliar to contemporary readers. Taking the time to Google these names would introduce us to many stalwarts of the faith. Knowing God  is a valuable resource, and I’d love to see an updated edition for today’s readers. I think the deep content would be easier to process without textbook-level delivery.

Dr. Packer writes from a solidly Protestant/Evangelical point of view, and my Roman Catholic brothers and sisters won’t agree with his chapter about images of God. I’m not sure what to make of it, myself, but the chapter includes a challenge to examine one’s mental image of God to be sure it’s whole and true, and I found that very helpful.

Despite finding the book a hard read, I think it’s one that will benefit any Christian who takes the time to prayerfully work through it. For me, it’s a keeper that I’ll refer back to again.

Dr. Packer is a well-respected theologian and Board of Governors’ Professor of Theology at Regent College, Canada. In 2005, TIME Magazine listed him as “one of 25 most influential Evangelicals in America.” [Influential Evangelicals: J.I. Packer]

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Review: Reimagine Your Retirement, by Joyce Li

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Reimagine Your Retirement, by Joyce Y. Li (Word Alive Press, 2013)Reimagine Your Retirement, by Joyce Li

Reimagine Your Retirement is a practical and informative book designed for workers looking ahead to their retirement years and for those who have already retired from the workforce. Author Joyce Li is also a motivational speaker and trained counsellor. She calls the retirement years our “better half of life” and invites us to “Strategically approach each year of your retirement with purpose and intention.”

I appreciated reading a resource that offers both a Canadian and a Christian perspective. Non-Canadians will need to research the specifics of their own retirement financial planning details. This information should be easily available from one’s employer or local government office to augment the material in this book. Whatever your nationality, I think you’ll find a wealth of strategic planning help in Reimagine Your Retirement.

Reimagine Your Retirement challenges readers to consider our future contributions to our world.  There’s no biblical basis for stopping serving God because of age, and Joyce Li challenges us to show God’s glory to the next generation.

As people live longer, they enter the retirement years with plenty of strength and vitality remaining to be enjoyed. We may have spent our careers working to pay the bills but not necessarily in a way that fulfills our passions. Retirement offers a time to retrain or realign ourselves to work in line with our dreams or callings and with the legacy we want to leave in the lives of those around us.

The book explores the aging process, debunking a few myths and offering strategies to assist in aging gracefully. Topics include the standard strategic planning for the future, realities of retirement, and physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. Inspiring and encouraging quotes and brief case studies make the chapters easy to process.

The section titles provide an overview of the content: Recognize the Many Possibilities, Living Your Best, Discovering Yourself, Vision and Calling, and Putting Legs to Your Plan. The book includes a step-by-step guide to aid individuals or groups in detailed planning, motivation, defining a life mission statement and developing a measurable action plan.

Joyce Li has written a practical and understandable resource to help readers plan ahead to maximize the benefit of our retirement years. It’s relevant to me now in the pre-retirement years, and I can see how I’ll benefit if I work through it again as I move through the aging process.

To learn more about the author or to read a preview of Reimagine Your Retirement, visit her website, Fullness of Life. You’ll also find practical information on Joyce Li’s blog.

[Review copy provided by the author.]
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Review: Wrecked, by Jeff Goins

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Wrecked: When a Broken World Slams into Your Comfortable Life, by Jeff GoinsWRECKED: When a Broken World Slams into Your Comfortable Life, by Jeff Goins (Moody Publishers, 2012)

You know those books you buy because you’re sure they’ll have a big impact on your life? And then you leave them alone because you sense the process will be uncomfortable?

Don’t do that with this book.

Yes, buy it, but do yourself a favour and read it.

Based on the subtitle (When a Broken World Slams into Your Comfortable Life), I expected a book full of painful stories. That’s why it sat on my e-reader for so long, untouched.

Wrecked does share experiences—the author’s and others’—with the homeless and the poor, and they catch at the heart but not in a damaging way.

The main point I took from the first chapters is that yes, the needs are overwhelming, and no, we can’t make it all better, whatever “it” is. But it’s okay—even healthy—to step into others’ hard places and to offer what small help we can, even if it’s only by our presence.

Many of us hold back because we fear the pain. Since reading Wrecked, I understand that entrusting the pain to God’s wiser care is enough. I don’t have to fix it, just to do my part in His work. In fact, the book warns,

When we rush past these messy and uncomfortable moments, we take away the experiences that teach us mercy. [Wrecked, Kindle Locations 411-412]

Jeff Goins’ premise is that we each need to be wrecked to learn how to fully live. To learn that it’s not all about us. The wrecking “process” is unique to each of us. As such, the book focuses more on “what next?”

For younger adults,  he talks about not perpetually chasing yet another wrecked experience but learning the value of commitment, of sticking with a person or situation when things get hard. This is part of growing up, and it’s preparation for long-term commitments like careers, marriage and children. I liked his suggestion that our mobile younger adults begin with short-term commitments of 1-2 years (for work and volunteering, not marriage!).

Commitment teaches us to persevere for the long term, to choose to do the hard-but-right thing even when that’s something mundane like changing diapers, one more day at the 9-to-5, or simply routine chores. That’s just as much a denial of self as going on a short-term mission to serve the needy. It’s serving others and not indulging ourselves.

I’m in the older age group, and the challenge to “do the hard thing” has encouraged me in the same-old-same-old of responsibility. I’ve found myself repeating that advice when I’m tempted to slack off or whine about preparing yet another meal or cleaning another bathroom.

Wrecked is a book I’ll go back to again. I’ve taken advantage of Kindle’s highlighting feature and marked many passages. Here are a few:

We’ve believed a lie. We’ve been told life is about us. [Wrecked, Kindle Locations 451-452]

If you don’t acquire the discipline to push through a personal low point, you will miss the reward that comes with persevering. [Wrecked, Kindle Locations 1468-1469]

Jeff Goins is a 20-something writer with a heart to share what he knows. I’ve gained a lot from his blog and newsletter. Visit Goins, Writer to learn more about who he is and what he does. You might want to check out his podcast series The Wrecked Sessions, where he explores “what it means to live a more selfless, purposeful life.” To read more about Wrecked and to access sample chapters, click here.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

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Review: How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy, by Orson Scott Card

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cover art: How to Write Science Fiction and FantasyHow to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy, by Orson Scott Card (Writers Digest Books, 1990)

In How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy Orson Scott Card doesn’t repeat the writing advice he’s given elsewhere (Characters and Viewpoint from Writers Digest Books). Instead he focuses on the particular attributes needed in the speculative genres.

The book contains five sections: The Infinite Boundary (defining the genres), World Creation, Story Construction, Writing Well, and The Life and Business of Writing.

What makes a good science fiction story? A good fantasy? Mr. Card illustrates the differences and provides an extensive reading list. He says we won’t like everything on the list, but we’ll see the varieties within the genre and we’ll see what works and what’s already been over-done. And analyzing our responses will help us discover the style and approach we want to use in our own fiction.

The book offers solid teaching on the crafting and writing of a speculative story (world, history, characters, etc). Mr. Card advocates a lot of thinking and discovery before writing, which may frighten seat-of-the-pants writers, but we’re not starting from the known setting of planet Earth. Without the depth of history and background, our story world and cultures won’t feel real.

Other than the World Creation section (the largest part), any kind of fiction writer can benefit from the information in this book. The examples are from speculative work but the principles apply across genres.

The author gives tips on how to develop what he calls a “Wise Reader,” someone who can read your manuscript and give his/her reactions. The aim is not to get advice on what to do next, but to hear genuine audience reaction to your plot, characters etc. This will help you find those points in the story that don’t achieve your desired impact or effect.

There have been changes since the book appeared in 1990, in speculative fiction and in the general world of writing and publishing. Writers can find that information elsewhere, and will still find this slim book helpful.

If you’re going to write (or are writing) in the speculative genres, How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy is an essential resource. If not, you’re still likely to find something helpful in the second half of the book.

Hatrack River is the official website of  Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author Orson Scott Card (or visit the directory of all his sites).

[Review copy from my personal library. Review first appeared in FellowScript, August 2012.]

Review: Duke the Chihuahua Writes! by Donna Fawcett

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cover art: Duke the Chihuahua WritesDuke the Chihuahua Writes!, by Donna Fawcett (Smashwords, 2012)

Duke is indeed a Chihuahua. He’s, shall we say, mature in years. Bee is an adolescent German Shepherd. Donna Fawcett is an award-winning author of fiction (under the name Donna Dawson) and non-fiction, and a former writing instructor. She’s also a speaker and a singer-songwriter.

When Donna began chronicling Duke’s writing misadventures on her blog, they were so well-received that Duke the Chihuahua Writes! was born. As an eager novice, Duke gets himself into some “teachable moments” on his writing journey. Between them, he and Bee encounter just about everything a new writer needs to learn. Duke even tries his paw at NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month).

In 67 short chapters, the book covers the basics that beginners need to know: research, queries, self-editing, managing submissions, handling critiques and rejections, genres, characters, and more.

Duke and Bee make great company through the book, and readers will have more fun learning vicariously than reading a traditional “do this, don’t do that” instructional approach. The humour is appealing, and some of the author’s word choices are great. For example, Duke is a gentlepooch who, although he drinks cap-pup-chinos, leaves the pawdicures to Bee.

The book’s full title is Duke the Chihuahua Writes! A Self-Help and Slightly Crazy Book on How To Write. It’s available as an ebook through Smashwords. You can learn more about Donna Fawcett on her website. For more about her canine writing buddies, visit Duke and Bee Write or check out their blog.

[Review copy provided by the author.]