A Bounty of Books

The Searchers by Joseph Loconte is an examination of faith and doubt using the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus as the unifying thread of the book. Using examples from history, film, and his own life, Loconte discusses the role of doubt in faith and how the truth and power of the resurrection is the defining event of Christian faith, both then and now.

The Searchers is a good read with some well made points, but I am disappointed with it for two reasons. One is that I feel the description provided on the back cover is slightly misleading. I expected this to be more about the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus - more of an in-depth historical examination of that time, place, and circumstances. Instead, the story of the road to Emmaus serves more as a common thread that ties each chapter together, in a sometimes tenuous way.

The other disappointing aspect is that the book was somewhat redundant. The first half of each chapter was good and had good information, but the last half dragged and repeated itself. Overall, I don't know that I would recommend The Searchers, but neither would I advise someone not to read it. Perhaps having a better understanding of what it is actually about would improve the reading experience.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze 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

Fearless by Eric Blehm is the story of a daredevil, crack addict teen who became a member of the top special forces group in the United States military. Through God's grace, Adam Brown was able to become a husband, father, and special forces operator who gave the ultimate sacrifice for his brothers-in-arms.

Eric Blehm had unparallelled access to Adam Brown's friends and family, as well as primary source documents such as military records, court documents, and letters. This is obvious in his recounting of Brown's life, as he is able to make the reader feel as though he/she knew Brown personally. Fearless seems almost like a novel because of the easy flow with which it reads. The raw honesty of Brown's failures and struggles make it easy to relate to Adam, as well as to root for him. Knowing that his life will be cut short in an act of sacrifice for those he served with made each triumph Brown experienced that much more poignant.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Fearless and getting to peek into Adam Brown's life. Blehm treats his life with respect and balance, something I think Brown would have appreciated. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in biographies, special forces, or the power of God's grace in the life of one who is willing to surrender to Him.

I received this book free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishers as part of their Blogging for Books 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