Category Archives: Reviews

Review: Too Close to Home, by Lynette Eason

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Too Close to Home, by Lynette Eason (Revell, April 2010)

Connor Wolfe is the lead detective on a team dedicated to solving—and stopping—a string of abductions. Each victim is a teen girl, and so far three of them have turned up dead. Connor has a personal stake in this case as well: his 16-year-old daughter, Jenna, fits the victims’ age range.

FBI Special Agent Samantha Cash is the forensic computer genius who may be their only hope to crack this case. When she finds evidence that the girls have been lured by an online predator, the killer starts a war of intimidation.

As if things weren’t complicated enough, Connor and Samantha each have family concerns pulling at them. And they can’t stop thinking about one another, despite Samantha’s vow to never date a cop. (Connor is a widower.)

I appreciate the main characters’ depth, and the honest way they wrestle with their faith in relation to the tragedies in their pasts and present. The novel has a good balance between characters and plot, and both deliver the reader to a satisfying ending.

Lynette Eason pulls off a taut romantic suspense novel that’s on the intense end of the suspense scale. I didn’t find it scary, but there were times I needed to put it down and catch my breath. It never stayed down for long.

I would have liked to see a bit more resolution to the fallout from the crimes. Rather than spoil the plot, I’ll just say not all parties were accounted for at the end. But that’s a curiosity issue more than anything else.

The novel’s epilogue sets up the next story and plants a serious worry in the reader’s mind. A worry we’ll have to wait until October 2010 to satisfy, when book 2 in the “Women of Justice” series comes out.

Too Close to Home is a well-crafted novel, but you don’t have to take my word for it. Dee Henderson gave it a positive endorsement, and her own best-selling romantic suspense novels prove she knows a thing or two about the genre.

Too Close to Home is Lynette Eason’s eighth novel. You can read an excerpt here or if you’ve already read the novel, check out the discussion questions here.  You can learn more about Lynette at her website, and she’s promised to stop by this blog for an interview some Friday soon.

Note: Review copy provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. in exchange for an honest review. Too Close to Home is available now at your local Christian retailer.

Review: More Ready Than You Realize, by Brian D. McLaren

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More Ready Than You Realize, by Brian D. McLaren (Zondervan, 2002, 2006)

Brian McLaren’s aim with More Ready Than You Realize is to remind us that “evangelism” isn’t a dirty word, despite the negative connotations it’s acquired over the years. He also wants to demystify it and show us that, as the title suggests, we’re more ready to get involved than we realize.

He explains, “Good evangelism is the process of being friendly without discrimination and influencing all of one’s friends toward better living, through good deeds and good conversations. For a Christian… [it] means engaging in these conversations in the spirit and example of Christ. … Evangelism in the style of Jesus; evangelism that flows like a dance.” (p. 17)

The book tells the story of his spiritual friendship with April, a young woman considering faith. On one level, it’s an easy read. The conversations pull readers in, and we keep turning pages to see what happens. It’s also a book that requires thought as we apply what he says to our own lives.

A key premise is that Christians need to communicate our faith in a way that those around us will understand. Language, worldviews, even styles of communication have changed significantly in recent years as we’ve moved into the postmodern era.

The word “postmodern” itself raises a barrier to me, yet it’s assumed to be part of the reader’s understanding. Worse is “modern,” which I always thought meant “contemporary or up-to-date”. “Trendy,” even. But these are buzz-words of the new culture and so they’re used.

For me, this is a strong reminder of how important it is that I don’t bombard non-Christians or spiritual folk with Christian jargon. Dr. McLaren illustrates how these holy buzz-words will either be meaningless or mean something far different than intended.

More Ready Than You Realize is a helpful book and despite my struggle with the terminology its message resonated with me (oops, is that another buzz-word?).

The Bible tells us we’re to be ambassadors for Christ, that we’re to be involved in God’s work of reconciliation.

Dr. McLaren encourages us to “engage in spiritual friendship… see evangelism as relational dance rather than conceptual conquest, process rather than event, mutual learning rather than sales pitch…” and I find that far more attractive than some of the previous approaches. (In fairness to some of those modes, the book does point out the different cultures in which they began, so we see how they may have  been designed to best meet the needs of the times.)

Integral to this message is the belief that the individuals we befriend (or who befriend us) are of great value, whatever their ultimate decision about God and however long it takes them to make one.

Dr. McLaren challenges us to value the relationships more than the results, and he reminds us that the goal isn’t conversion. The goal is people (ourselves included) loving and serving God and growing in relationship with Him and with each other. The results are up to Him. Our job is simply to serve.

I’d recommend this book to Christians and to those who want to understand them, with the warning that if philosophical language is not your thing, the book may challenge you. The message is clear, and Brian McLaren is an appealing narrator. He speaks to readers as he did to April: openly, non-threatening, and genuinely interested. I look forward to reading some of his other books.

More Ready Than You Realize includes a seven-part Bible study on what it means to be a disciple and to develop others. You can find reviews, a sample chapter and interviews here.  To learn more about Brian D. McLaren, his other books and his ministry, check out his website.

Book source: my personal library

Video review: Pistachio

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Pistachio: The Little Boy that Woodn’t, from VeggieTales (Big Idea, 2010)

“Once upon a time in the small Italian town of Bologna-Salami, there lived a lonely toymaker named Gelato and his assistant Cricket.” [from the back cover]

In typical VeggieTales style, the humour flows as freely as the family values. Obviously from the subtitle, Pistachio’s theme is “listening to your parents”. Pistachio, exuberantly portrayed by Jr. Asparagus (rendered as carved-but-living-wood) is quick to tell toymaker Gelato (it’s Larry under that distinguished mop of hair) “You’re not the boss of me!”

Trouble—as well as general hilarity—ensues. Parts of the story seemed like they might be too scary for a sensitive child, but with parental reassurance (and emphasizing the funny bits) it shouldn’t be an issue. Most kids wouldn’t have a problem. As I recall, the Disney movie Pinocchio was much darker and scarier. (Here’s where I confess to not having read the book!)

The writers go to town with the Italian theme. As the story opens, Gelato’s three brothers have been lost at sea, en route to deliver meatballs to the island of Boyardee. The brothers’ names are Milano, Espresso and Dorito, and one of them looks suspiciously like Marlon Brando.  I haven’t seen the Godfather movies, but I suspect there are a slew of little insider references for those who have.

Cricket, played by the half-caterpillar Khalil, will be especially funny to those who’ve seen VeggieTales’ Jonah. Suffice it to say, this is not his first time being swallowed by a big fish.

In another inside joke, Cricket proclaims, “I’m no fool, no sirree.” Anybody remember Jiminy Cricket doing that number in a Disney short? We also have Madame Blueberry instead of the Blue Fairy, and in general, plenty of groaner jokes. Typical VeggieTales fun.

Gelato loves to teach his adopted ducklings, and now his wooden asparagus. He’s a fine example of a parent, if a bit absent-minded at times. He teaches by example as well as by words, and in sharing his wisdom and experience he hopes they’ll grow up to be wise parents to their own children.

I found the message “listen to your parents” to be clear and uncomplicated. As an adult, I’d prefer something more subtle, something that examines the possibility that occasionally a parent does not have the child’s best interests at heart or doesn’t know best how to care for the child.

However, as an adult I’m only the secondary target audience for VeggieTales. There’s plenty to entertain an adult, but the main audience is children, many at an early enough stage in cognitive development that short and direct is best.

Kids and adults alike will enjoy the bonus features, which include a discussion guide, a visit to a real marionette theatre, art and commentary and… the traditional Sing Along with Larry. You can also download a Pistachio Family Fun Guide at the Big Idea site.

For anyone unfamiliar with VeggieTales, the standard format is to take a break half-way through the story for a Silly Song. This time it’s “Obscure Broadway Show Tunes with Larry,” where he and a pretty female vegetable sing “Where Have All the Staplers Gone?” The song claims to be from the unknown musical, Office Supplies, and the writers missed a chance with one: instead of a red Swingline stapler, it was purple. It did, however, develop a delightful set of fangs at the end.

Pistachio was a lot of fun, and it reminds me I’ve missed out on the last few offerings from the folks at Big Idea. My 13-year-old says the stapler song is one of the best silly songs they’ve done yet. Of course, that sparked a lively discussion of what is the best VeggieTales silly song. And what is the best VeggieTales song, period? Feel free to leave your vote in the comments!

Note: DVD has been provided courtesy of David C Cook and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. in exchange for an honest review. Pistachio is available now at your local Christian retailer.

Review: Mud in Your Eye, by Gord Penner

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Mud in Your Eye, by Gord Penner (Word Alive Press, 2009)

The subtitle of Mud in Your Eye explains its meaning: “he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud.”

The book’s back cover warns, “If you don’t see yourself the way God sees you, then you will more than likely see yourself the way you think others see you.” Hmm, there’s a whole lot of truth to that.

In talking about Jesus’ encounter with the blind man and the mud (John 9:1-41), Gord Penner asks, “Are you willing to have mud smeared on your eyes? Do you trust Jesus enough – do you want to see badly enough – that you’re willing to let Jesus have his way in your life, no matter how it looks?” (page 5)

Each chapter of Mud in Your Eye is 3-4 pages long, good for a quiet, reflective pause in your day. What I appreciate most about them is the focus on Scripture and on how it applies to our lives – and the challenge to truly believe it. The word of God has power, and we need to hear – and sometimes speak – what it says.

Canadian author Gord Penner is also a motivational speaker and life coach. His name was new to me, but I’m glad I found his book.

Book source: my personal library

Review: She’s in a Better Place, by Angela Hunt

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She’s in a Better Place, by Angela Hunt (Tyndale House Publishers, 2009)

“One of the surest ways to know you’re ready to be a full-time funeral director is when you start talking to clients.” (p. 2)

So says Gerald Huffman, Jennifer Graham’s gentle mentor, when he catches her reassuring the corpse she’s working on.

Jen is a single mom with two school-aged sons and an unusual occupation: she owns a funeral home. She also shares her mother’s tendency to interfere—er, “help”—if relationships need mending, and so when Gerald becomes ill, Jen contacts his estranged daughter, Kirsten. Contact is one thing, but reconciliation proves to be another.

I like Jen, and one reason is her humanity. She’s a good mother and friend, who doesn’t always get it right. This lesson about trusting God to work things out is one she’s faced before. she may face it again, but she’s learning. Sound like anyone you know?

She’s in a Better Place is written in the present tense, which I find jarring. It’s by turns funny, sad and thoughtful, and it’s a good read. Don’t start here, though, if you haven’t read the previous books in the series.

You’d have no trouble picking up the ongoing story of Jennifer and her family, but where each novel builds on the previous, starting with book 3 would ruin the surprises in the first two. If you can, take time to begin with Doesn’t She Look Natural and then She Always Wore Red.

She’s in a Better Place brings the series to a satisfying conclusion, but there’s definitely room for another story. I hope we get one!

Best-selling, Christy-award winning author Angela Hunt has written over 100 books and is a favourite of many readers. You can learn more about Angela on her website, and she has a readers’ page on Facebook.

Review: Beautiful Things Happen When A Woman Trusts God, by Sheila Walsh

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Beautiful Things Happen When a Woman Trusts God, by Sheila Walsh (Thomas Nelson, 2010)

I love the cover art on this book. The little girl, swinging so high, looks… free. Carefree, even. Happy.

Beautiful Things Happen When a Woman Trusts God reminds us that it’s God pushing the swing—and that we can trust His heart. Trust is a choice, and the personal experiences and Scriptural examples Sheila Walsh includes are chosen to prove God’s trustworthiness. It’s up to us to take the step (daily) of trust, but in these pages we’re reminded that God knows our weakness and is incredibly patient.

I admire Sheila’s transparency with her own struggles to trust, and it’s through her stories—one human being’s vulnerability—that readers find they’re not alone, that there is hope. It’s risky to admit our frailty, and I’m sure some “upright” people will judge her and turn away. That’s their loss, and they’re missing the whole point.

The message of this book is crucial to all of us who are wounded and weary in the journey. Men need it as much as women, but Beautiful Things Happen When a Woman Trusts God is clearly written for a female audience.

Perhaps because the message is so important, I was disappointed with the quality of the words themselves. This is not something I’ve noticed in the author’s previous books, and it felt to me as if the publication process had been rushed. I found myself mentally editing, tightening sentences, correcting typesetting—all of which distracted me from the subject matter.

I even noticed a couple of spots that escaped Bible fact-checking. (For example, page 217 talks about Abram building the altar to sacrifice Isaac, and how the boy asks where the sacrificial animal is. The text says, “Scripture doesn’t tell us if Abraham replies or weeps or what he is thinking.” According to Genesis 22:8, NIV, “Abraham answered, ‘God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.’ And the two of them went on together.”)

The book does contain some powerful sentences, like this one: “Wherever you stand at the moment is your holy ground, and grace is available there,” (p. 175). I think I’ll be putting that one on my bulletin board.

It’s the trend for books to have perhaps 10 discussion questions at the end. Beautiful Things Happen When a Woman Trusts God has 26 and they’re all worth thought. I would have preferred them to refer to the author as “Sheila” rather than “Walsh”. To me that sounds formal and faintly disapproving.

There’s also an in-depth Bible study, with a session for each chapter. If that sounds intimidating, it really isn’t. Each one is 2-3 pages long and I like the format: “Find, Feel and Follow.” Find and read selected short passages in your Bible, think through your responses, and begin to act on what you learn.

In Beautiful Things Happen When a Woman Trusts God, Sheila Walsh writes with an easy-to-read and at times humorous style. Despite my wishes for better editing, this is a book I’d recommend to any woman who’s in need of learning to trust (or trust more) God’s heart.

Check out the book trailer (unfortunately, the audio and video are a bit out of sync). Beautiful Things Happen When a Woman Trusts God is available through your local bookstore and from chapters.indigo.ca,  amazon.ca, amazon.com and Christianbook.com.

You can find Sheila Walsh on Facebook, Twitter, or her website.

Review copy provided for free by Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review, and the opinions I have expressed are my own.

Review: Storm Warning, by Linda Hall

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Storm Warning, by Linda Hall (Steeple Hill, 2010)

Nori Edwards doesn’t feel at home anywhere since her husband’s tragic death. In search of a fresh start, she buys a tourist property on scenic Whisper Lake, Maine. She plans to fix up Trail’s End before her teen daughters return from their volunteer stints at summer camp. She and the girls will live in the main building, an old hunting lodge, and rent out the cabins.

Finding workers is only her first problem. Except for the attractive Steve, the local workforce wants nothing to do with Trail’s End. Rumour is, the place is haunted—by the ghost of its original owner, and perhaps by a crazy killer lurking in the woods.

Strange events multiply until Nori begins to think there really is a ghost. Or is it someone very much alive?

Steve Baylor hopes helping with Nori’s renovations will let him find traces of the two teens who vanished there two summers ago. The fact that the new owner is attractive is a nice plus, but Steve has secrets of his own and needs to keep his distance.

As always, Linda Hall’s characters are realistic and their struggles resonate with our own. Both Nori and Steve carry hurts that still need healing and that make it hard to trust and love again. Steve is learning to depend on God, and Nori needs to re-learn the same thing.

Nori is a muralist, another of the interesting careers Linda investigates for her heroines. We don’t learn a lot about it in this book, but it adds to the story’s appeal.

Award-winning Canadian author Linda Hall can be counted on to deliver a good read with strong characters. Storm Warning is her 16th novel, and I think I’ve only missed reading one. Her next novel in the Whisper Lake series, On Thin Ice, releases in April 2010. You can find Linda online at her website and at the Craftie Ladies of Suspense blog.

Review copy purchased by reviewer (from Chapters.ca).

Review: Beguiled, by Deeanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand

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Beguiled, by Deeanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand (Bethany House, 2010)

Rylee Monroe is a dog-walker and pet-sitter for the elite in Charleston, South Carolina. Unfortunately she’s also a key suspect in a rash of thefts by the “Robin Hood burglar,” since most of the victims happen to be her clients.

Journalist Logan Woods wants an inside scoop on the burglar for his paper, but it’s even more important for the book he’s writing on local criminals.

The two meet when one of Rylee’s charges mistakes Logan for an attacker and chases him. Despite first impressions, the two team up to catch the thief, since the police don’t seem to be making much headway. But faced with a growing attraction, can Rylee and Logan trust the other’s motives?

The authors deliver a page-turning mystery that’s not too scary to read before bed. The one problem might be putting it down to get your sleep. I’m unfamiliar with Charleston, but they claim to have reproduced the South of Broad neighbourhood with only very few touches of artistic license.

Rylee, Logan and their friends are sympathetic characters that I was rooting for from the beginning. The opposition is strong as well, and interesting.

I chose this book because of the back-cover blurb, before seeing the cover art. Based on sight and title, I’d have passed it up as a straight romance and missed a good read. (Not that romances aren’t good reads! I just like something extra thrown in.)

Deeanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand are each novelists in their own right. Deeanne’s most recent historical romance is A Bride in the Bargain, and Mark’s first crime novel, Back on Murder, releases July 2010. Beguiled is their first collaboration, and I hope they’ll do more.

Beguiled is available now at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group. For reviews, audio and video interviews and all kinds of reader tidbits, visit the Beguiled page at Bethany House.  You can read an excerpt here, or if you’ve already read it you may want to check out the discussion questions here.

Review copy provided by Graf-Martin Communications Inc.

Review: Swinging on a Star, by Janice Thompson

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Swinging on a Star, by Janice Thompson (Revell, 2010)

One of the rules of fiction is “craft a strong opening,” and Janice Thompson nails it in Swinging on a Star:

“If Aunt Rosa hadn’t landed that gig on the Food Network, I probably wouldn’t have ended up on the national news. And if their pesky camera crew hadn’t shown up at our house on one of the most important days of my life, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have been hauled off to the Galveston County jail. Unlike my brother Armando, I’d never aspired to get arrested or have my face plastered across the television screen on the evening news.”

I couldn’t stop there!

Bella Rossi manages a wedding facility on Galveston Island, Texas, and her current project is a medieval event complete with castle and costumes. As if that weren’t enough, there’s a TV crew coming to film her aunt’s famous cooking, and the handsome movie star staying at the house until the wedding has her cowboy boyfriend, D.J., on high alert.

Bella lives with her large and boisterous Italian family, and just meeting them made this introvert want to go take a rest. The Rossis are a wealthy family, and Bella’s mother and sister are highly conscious of fashion and makeup.

I didn’t connect immediately. They’re all real, though, and genuinely nice people who are worth getting to know. Add in D.J.’s family and larger-than-life friends, and you have a cast worth spending a novel with.

I don’t read a lot of romantic comedy or chick lit, and it took some time to adjust: no danger, no bodies, mysteries or aliens. By page 43 I was laughing out loud and thinking maybe I usually read the wrong kinds of books.

The book cover is attractive, but not entirely accurate. Bella loves to wear boots—even when maybe she shouldn’t. On the cover she’s wearing shoes and holding what looks suspiciously like a bag of popcorn. Growing up an a household that thrives on made-from-scratch Italian cuisine, would she even have tasted popcorn?

Swinging on a Star is the second title in the Weddings by Bella series. (Book one was Fools Rush In… notice a musical theme?) It’s refreshing, funny, and still gives that sense of hope that readers want in Christian fiction. American author Janice Thompson has published over 50 books and is still going strong. You can find her online at her website.

Read an excerpt of Swinging on a Star here.  Or if you’ve already read the novel, find discussion questions here.

Swinging on a Star is available now at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Review copy provided by Graf-Martin Communications Inc.

Review: Blooming, by Marian den Boer

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Blooming, by Marian den Boer (Word Alive Press, 2009)

Blooming, subtitled “This Pilgrim’s Progress,” is a collection of short, slice-of-life vignettes from the den Boer household. Many were originally published as articles in The Christian Courier. Each one ends with a Scripture and the author’s thoughts as she looks back on the incident.

Marian den Boer writes with a friendly, engaging style, as if she’s sharing these events with a good friend. She’s not afraid to admit when she fails, and she has a keen eye for the humour in a situation. It’s interesting to read the lessons she draws from her life, and although our own experiences will often be different, the lessons still apply.

Marian sums the book up best herself:

The stories… reveal the day-to-day experiences of my sometimes frazzled self as I mothered six children over a period of approximately 15 years. The Holy Spirit subtly, yet dramatically, convicted and convinced me in the nitty gritty of everyday family life… I lived Christianity from my head. As the years progressed God patiently changed me into someone who attempts to live Christianity from the heart as led by His Spirit. (pp. xii, xiii)

Although each chapter is short, I kept turning pages for “just one more.” Watch for Blooming when the short-list comes out for this year’s Canadian Christian Writing Awards.

For more about Canadian author Marian den Boer, visit her blog, Blooming: This Pilgrim’s Progress (and Regress). You can read the introduction to Blooming here, and sample chapters here and here.

Review copy purchased by reviewer (at Miracles Christian Store).