Category Archives: Reviews

Picks from 2013

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My favourites from 2013:

Books

Best of the year: also most satisfying series wrap-up:

Most satisfying mystery, and very close to best of the year:

Most can’t-wait-to-read-the-next-one mystery:

Most life-changing (fiction):

Most life-changing (non-fiction):

Most satisfying science fiction (and action):

Most satisfying fantasy novel:

Most satisfying speculative fiction:

  • Mask, by Kerry Nietz

Most satisfying historical:

Most laugh-inducing:

Most personally helpful writing how-to:

Blogs

Most life-changing posts:

Review: God’s Daughter, by Heather Day Gilbert

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God's Daughter, by Heather Day GilbertGod’s Daughter, by Heather Day Gilbert (Createspace, 2013)

If all you know about Vikings are the names Eric the Red and Leif Ericsson, God’s Daughter is a great way to learn more and to perhaps break some stereotypes. For example, I didn’t know they had any exposure to Christianity. Or that Eric’s name is properly spelled Eiric.

Many of the novel’s characters are genuine historical figures, and their voyage actually happened around 1000 AD. The setting and events have been meticulously researched to allow Heather Day Gilbert to weave a story that feels true.

The main character, a Viking woman named Gudrid, travels with her sailor-trader husband and his crew in search of Leif Ericsson’s Vinland. This man, Finn, is Gudrid’s third husband, the first two having died of “the shivering sickness.” She knows he loves her, but why can’t he be more thoughtful and protective, like his business partner, Snorri?

Together, then separately, they face down mutineers among the crew, attacking natives, and other dangers. Likely none of us have experienced Gudrid and Finn’s dangers, but just as likely we’ve all had trouble with comparisons and expectations. This is a subplot to the main story of the voyage, but for me it makes a connecting point that brings the characters even more alive.

Gudrid is one of the few Christians in the story, and she lives her faith the best she can based on what she’s been taught. She longs for her own copy of the Holy Book—and to be able to read—so she could learn more. As the story progresses, she articulates her turmoil this way:

Can I ever be happy where I am, with my own husband? What is wrong with me? And why do I always search for a protector? [Kindle location 3130]

She trusts God, but she’s still working toward the understanding that in Him alone can she find the protection and the love she craves.

God’s Daughter is a satisfying historical novel with characters I cared about. Details like methods of treating illness and the differences between Europeans’ and Vikings’ approaches to toilet training (Gudrid and Finn have a young son) flow naturally to help readers imagine the story world. There are no information dumps in this novel, nor any of the other awkward moments that can come with a debut novel.

My favourite line: Gudrid describes Snorri as “rubbing his hand over his bald head in a gesture that always makes me think he misses his hair.” [Kindle location 1521]

Heather Day Gilbert has crafted an amazing tale, brimming with adventure, compassion and insight. There’s much more to God’s Daughter than I can capture in a review, so let me just say I highly recommend this book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I’m looking forward to the sequel, Forest Child.

You can find Heather Day Gilbert at her website, along with maps, a glossary and other bonus features related to the novel. Take a few minutes to read the opening chapters of God’s Daughter (and be prepared to want more).

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Review: The Adam Quest, by Tim Stafford

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The Adam Quest, by Tim StaffordThe Adam Quest, by Tim Stafford (Thomas Nelson, 2013)

Science and faith should be allies, not opponents, in the search for truth. (from the publisher’s website)

In The Adam Quest, Tim Stafford profiles eleven scientists whose work qualifies them to speak on the mystery of human origins. These eleven are Bible-believing Christians, and their respective stances range from Young Earth Creationism to Intelligent Design Creationism to Evolutionary Creationism. Mr. Stafford says they “live at the centre of the rift, trying to hold faith and science together under God.” (p. 9)

Each scientist is articulate and persuasive—and easier to understand than I expected scientists to be. This is, in large part, due to Tim Stafford’s conversational writing style. Each profile presents an individual and his/her accomplishments and personality, without commentary or judgment and without an overt agenda to convince readers of a particular view.

This is not the book to read to find “the right answer” to questions of creation, nor to prove or disprove your own opinion. Rather, it’s an overview of how people of the same faith may differ on their interpretation of Scripture and perhaps of scientific findings.

It’s a look at how faith and science can work together to find truth, and it reveals how difficult it is for Christians who are scientists to find people who accept them. Secular scientists think the Christians are a little weird, and the average church person doesn’t understand (and may be threatened by) the scientific mindset focusing on facts and proof.

It’s also a call to unity within the body of Christ, where instead of fighting over how and when the earth was created we can engage in respectful discussion, in ongoing exploration, and in the interim, agree to disagree. In the words of one of the scientists, “If your salvation doesn’t hinge on it, don’t make a big deal out of it.” (p. 108)

Author Tim Stafford writes both fiction and non-fiction, serves as Senior Writer for Christianity Today, and maintains an active blog.

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

Review: Christmas in Shades of Gray, by Tina Pinson

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Christmas in Shades of Gray, by Tina PinsonChristmas in Shades of Gray, by Tina Pinson (Desert Breeze Publishing, 2013)

We meet David Pareman as a terminally ill man in hospital, bitter and alone. There’s something about his voice, though, that appeals. I bought the novel after reading the opening online. Listen to how he describes himself:

It’s Christmas time, but I’m not feeling altogether festive. Given the strands of tubing attached to me and all the off sounding carols played by the machines keeping track of my body rhythms, and the packages of blood and saline tied up neatly on stands, I could be the Christmas tree… I am a Christmas tree. A Charlie Brown special—weak and spindly. [Kindle locations 83 and 203]

Chemotherapy is poisoning David, and the morphine makes him hallucinate. Still, his mysterious visitor, Arion, seems like more than a figment of the medication. In Christmas Carol style, Arion whisks David out of the hospital bed and into scenes from his past: unflattering scenes that reveal David at his worst.

Tina Pinson is wise to introduce us to David in a way that builds sympathy, because he is not a likeable man. He has ruined many lives, and parts of his story are hard to read. He finds them hard to watch, here at the end of his life.

The search for something—anything—redeeming in David’s and his children’s lives brings only despair. Reading, I assumed that Arion’s insistence on a reason why God should answer David’s prayer for his children was to bring David to realize he can’t earn favour and needs to ask for grace.

Christmas in Shades of Gray is a satisfying tale. The ending is hopeful yet realistic, and there’s a twist I didn’t see coming. If David’s sordid life tempts you to stop reading, push through to the end. It’s worth it.

Tina Pinson’s website says that she “started writing in elementary school. (it was that or get in trouble for lying).” She’s the author of the Shadows (American Civil War) series plus 5 other novels including Christmas in Shades of Gray.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Review: Goodbye Noel, by Nike Chillemi

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Goodbye Noel, by Nike ChillemiGoodbye Noel, by Nike Chillemi (Desert Breeze Publishing, 2011)

The year is 1946. In the fictional town of Sanctuary Point, on the south shore of Long Island, New York, life is getting back on track after the war. It’s Christmas time, and spirits are high – until Katrina Lenart finds one of her neighbours dead.

Who would murder this young woman while her baby slept in the next room? With the father nowhere to be found, Katrina gets permission to care for the infant. She is, after all, a pediatric nurse. And she lives with her parents, who will babysit while she’s at work.

Katrina and the detective assigned to the case, Ian Daltry, get off to a bad start but quickly fall for one another. Ian can’t forget losing his wife in a drive-by shooting, and he’ll do anything to keep Katrina, his daughter Amy, and baby Leslie safe.

But can he do enough? Why is the baby a target? And for whom?

Katrina is equally determined to protect the baby, and she quickly becomes Ian’s unofficial helper to solve the mystery.

Goodbye Noel is a fun mystery with plenty of clues and red herrings. It gives an interesting picture of this era, where children of immigrant parents still face discrimination (Katrina’s parents are Czech) and where there aren’t enough eligible bachelors to go around. It’s an elegant time, even for middle-class people like Katrina and her family, and we get to observe a high-society soiree as well.

Nike Chillemi has written four mysteries so far in the Sanctuary Point series. Goodbye Noel is the second. For more about the author and her books, visit her Crime Fictionista website.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Review: Cecile’s Christmas Miracle, by Ruth L. Snyder

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Cecile's Christmas Miracle, by Ruth L. SnyderCecile’s Christmas Miracle, by Ruth Snyder (Helping Hands Press, 2013)

Christmas homesickness hits a young missionary nurse serving her first year in Botswana. Cecile gave up the man she loved to follow God’s call – but why is her heart still yearning for home?

This short story has potential for a full-length novel. Stopping where it does, with the miracle Cecile receives (I’m not telling what it is!) leaves plenty of scope for the imagination. Working in the limits of the shorter form, the author also doesn’t have room to fully deepen her characters.

Cecile’s Christmas Miracle is a feel-good Christmas story, and each aspect of the miracle is clearly from God. Whether or not you appreciate Divine intervention in your fiction, this one’s worth reading for the glimpse into rural mission life at Cecile’s clinic – and for an idea of the dangers facing villagers at the hands of profit-hungry businessmen and politicians from the nearby cities.

Ruth L. Snyder is a Canadian writer serving as President of InScribe Christian Writers’ Fellowship. Cecile’s Christmas Miracle is one of the novellas in Kathi Macais’ 12 Days of Christmas collection. For a little background information on Cecile’s Christmas Miracle, click here.

[Review copy provided by the author.]

Review: An Unexpected Glory, by Marcia Lee Laycock

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An Unexpected Glory, by Marcia Lee LaycockAn Unexpected Glory, by Marcia Lee Laycock (Helping Hands Press, 2013)

Christmas pageants. Intensive practice and preparation, with so much pressure to get everything just right.

For Pastor Steve, there’s an extra weight. The annual performance generates most of the revenue needed to run the homeless shelter for another year.

The community loves this event, with its elaborate costumes and skilled acting. But the day before the show, with the bills adding up, Pastor Steve is told his actors—and their costumes—won’t be there.

He’s a man of faith, but he can’t face this. His assistant insists the show must go on—played by the men from the shelter. Can they possibly do an adequate job? Will the audience still donate, or will they leave?

An Unexpected Glory is a short, heartwarming tale of what happens when everything goes wrong—and how sometimes that means everything’s really going right.

Marcia Lee Laycock is a Canadian author and speaker. An Unexpected Glory is one of the novellas in Kathi Macais’ 12 Days of Christmas collection.

[Review copy provided by the author.]

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: Dark Justice, by Brandilyn Collins

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Dark Justice, by Brandilyn CollinsDark Justice, by Brandilyn Collins (Broadman & Holman, 2013)

When Hannah Shire and her elderly mother stop on a deserted road to assist the victim of a car crash, they’re pulled into a terrorist plot to take down the entire US power grid and send the country into darkness.

The victim passes on a message—and a warning not to tell anyone, even the police. With no idea what’s at stake or who to trust or what the message means, Hannah and her mother, Carol, are soon on the run. She tries to keep her daughter Emily out of it, but all the three are in danger.

The story is told in the first person from Hannah’s point of view, interspersed with portions of a hearing taking place after the fact, investigating police handling of the events. This builds the suspense and allows the reader access to information that Hannah doesn’t have.

Dark Justice is a high-stakes terrorist thriller, made more gripping because of the ordinary women protagonists. Hannah misses her dead husband. She’s not used to handling everything alone, and the strain of caring for a mother with dementia has her near breaking before the story even opens.

Brandilyn Collins does an excellent job crafting Hannah’s increasing strain and paranoia while keeping reader sympathy. The pairing of vulnerable characters with the high-stakes threat makes the threat that much more real in readers’ minds. This sort of attack could actually happen, and odds are that real-life people wouldn’t be able to stop it. (Does that mean Hannah, Carol and Emily succeed? I won’t tell.)

Best-selling author Brandilyn Collins is known for her Seatbelt Suspense® fiction. Dark Justice is her most recent release, available in paperback and e-book formats. For more about the author and her other books, visit her website.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Review: The Prodigal, by Brennan Manning and Greg Garrett

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The Prodigal, a novel by Brennan Manning and Greg GarrettThe Prodigal, by Brennan Manning and Greg Garrett (Zondervan, 2013)

“America’s Pastor.” That’s what they call Jack Chisholm, founder and leader of Seattle’s Grace Cathedral. Jack is a high-profile preacher and an organizer of good works. He’s also human. When a lapse in judgment leads to sin and disgrace, his image shatters and his life falls apart.

Despite the name of his megachurch, Jack’s best-known phrase is “We have got to do better.” His focus on humanity’s shortcomings and our need to work harder for God’s approval comes from his father, a man Jack walked away from years ago without looking back.

A man who now comes to rescue Jack from the pit of misery he’s dug for himself.

With nowhere else to go, Jack goes home to small-town Texas, where everyone knows everything about everybody else. Some people will forgive him, some won’t. He needs to learn to live with himself, to reconcile with his family if they’ll have him, and to decide what to do with the rest of his life.

Churchless, is he still a pastor? Does he even still believe in God?

Jack learns about grace from the townspeople, especially from his much-changed father and from the local priest, Father Frank. I don’t know much about Brennan Manning, but Father Frank seems to be the voice of Brennan himself speaking to Jack’s pain. It’s not always an easy voice to hear, because it speaks truth and it challenges Jack with that truth.

My favourite Father Frank lines:

When we acknowledge that we are all beggars at the door of God’s mercy, God can make something beautiful out of us.

…broken and worthless as we are, we are nonetheless loved beyond all reckoning. (p. 48)

The Prodigal isn’t a preachy novel. Frank doesn’t dish out this kind of teaching very often, and only when Jack needs it. Jack, of course, disagrees.

It’s a novel for anyone who knows the bitterness of failure, men and women both. It’s a novel of hope—not for glitter and rainbows and happy endings, but for the strength to go on and to find our true selves in the ruins of what we’ve tried to be. It’s a novel that affirms the love of God the Father and the fundamental goodness that lives in most people’s hearts—a goodness that may need some digging to find.

The Prodigal is a heart-warming, soul-encouraging read. My one regret is that I’d like to have seen some closure between Jack and his former assistant, Danny. [Jack. Daniel. Does anyone but me find this funny, given that Jack tries to find the answer to his problems in a bottle?]

Brennan Manning, who died in 2013, was best known for his book, The Ragamuffin Gospel. Greg Garrett is the author and co-author of many books, both fiction and non-fiction. The Prodigal is available in paperback, electronic book and audio formats. I highly recommend it.

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