A Bounty of Books

As Kingfishers Catch Fire: A Conversation On the Ways of God Formed By the Words of God by Eugene H. Peterson is a collection of sermons preached by Peterson over the twenty-nine years he was pastor of Christ Our King Presbyterian Church in Bel Air, Maryland. The sermons are grouped into seven sections of seven sermons, with each group headed by a different figure from the Bible who plays prominently in the section of scripture each sermon is taken from.

Peterson's writings are always filled with rich insights about scripture. The most notable insights in this book are the parallels between the old and new testaments that he points out. In multiple sermons in each section, he draws a parallel that, to me at least, was previously unclear, and once pointed out, adds a new level of richness to those particular scriptures.

Each sermon takes up about six or seven pages. There isn't really a flow to this book since each sermon is self-contained. That can make reading it somewhat frustrating to read unless one approaches it with the right mindset. However, the insights gained and the depths of scripture opened up far outweigh any frustrations. I'd recommend As Kingfishers Catch Fire to anyone interested in the Bible.

Blogging for Books provided this book to me for free in exchange for an honest review. 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

The Chamberlain Key:Unlocking the Biblical Code That Proves the Existence of God by Timothy P. Smith reads like it may have taken its plot from a thriller on the best seller list. Tales of prophetic dreams, hidden codes, and messages for the future make up the bulk of this book's text.

It is hard to accept the contents of The Chamberlain Key. Perhaps with more time to get used to the fantastical ideas, I could jump on board, but in just one reading and initial exposure, it's hard to swallow. That being said, the book itself is written in an easy to read, narrative style. Keeping up with everything was sometimes hard, but for the most part Smith makes what is I'm sure a very complex topic fairly easy to understand.

Smith makes it clear he is not publishing this information with any interest in self promotion. He actually goes a bit over the top stressing that, which gives what he says a bit more credibility. I'm neither discounting, nor endorsing the content. Anyone who finds the concept of messages hidden by God within the original Hebrew text of the Old Testament intriguing should read The Chamberlain Key for him/herself, but only if he/she is will to keep an open mind.

Blogging for Books provided this book to me for free in exchange for an honest review. 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

A Doubter's Guide to the Ten Commandments: How, for Better or Worse, Our Ideas about the Good Life Come from Moses and Jesus by John Dickson is an academic look at how the ten commandments have shaped Western society. 

The VeggieTales Bible uses the New International Reader's Version and is specifically geared toward children. It is hard backed and standard book size, so it wouldn't be good for little children. The NIrV is written on a level that would be easy for the average 7 or 8 year old to read and understand. I would put the recommended age range for this bible to be 7-11.

At the beginning of each book, there is a page long introduction that includes a summary and key features of the book such as important people, verses, themes, and stories. Scattered throughout the text of each book are particular verses that are highlighted to memorize. Other verses are highlighted as important concepts. 

There are ten, four page comics throughout The VeggieTales Bible that tell a condensed version of ten of the VeggieTales stories that tell bible stories. At the end of the bible, there is an "Index to Veggie Values" that guides children to verses dealing with specific topics such as forgiveness, pride, and trusting God. After that, there is a dictionary that gives a simple definition of potentially unfamiliar words and phrases such as Baal, judge, and Zion. The last few pages of the Bible are left blank except for lines for notes.

All of these features are easy to understand and be used by children. Overall, The VeggieTales Bible is full of color and formatted in such a way that is attractive to children. The features included are helpful and will help children gain a deeper understanding of the biblical text. I'd recommend this bible to anyone looking for a bible specifically geared toward children. Please note, this is a review of this particular bible, not the NIrV translation. 

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

The Voice, New Testament is a daily reading Bible, meant to bring new life and greater understanding to the words of scripture. The Voice is a new translation put out by the Ecclesia Bible Society. In the preface, it says that "The Voice is created for and by a church in great transition...Instead of furthering the division over culture and theology, it is time to bring the body of Christ together again around the Bible." The preface also tells how The Voice is unique among other translations. Instead of simply being done by scholars, "The Voice uniquely represents collaboration among scholars, pastors, writers, musicians, poets, and other artists."

The Voice, New Testament has many extra features to aid the reader in his/her understanding of the scripture. There are reading plans for Advent, Lent and Easter, and personal growth, as well as a 24 week complete New Testament reading plan. Each book has an introduction that sets the stage for the reader as far as author, setting, and context. Throughout the scripture there are little blocks of commentary to further explain what is going on. The Voice, New Testament also includes a topical guide and an appendix on the titles of Jesus. As part of the unique features of The Voice translation itself, dialogue is set apart with each person's name, like one would see while reading a play. There are also words in italics throughout the scripture that help the reader understand any nuances the original audience would have inherently understood.

Overall, I really enjoy The Voice, New Testament. The translation itself is not only easy to read and understand, but beautifully written; the combination of both scholars and artists in the group that did the translation provides an accurate rendering that recaptures the power and beauty of the original text. The italicized words are not a distraction, but an easy way to see what was originally inherently understood. The commentary is helpful and relevant, and the fact that it follows whatever verse or passage it is describing is extremely convenient. The design is appealing; the color scheme and font is both visually appealing and understated. It's obvious everything was chosen for optimal comprehension, not to be flashy or draw attention away from the text. I would definitely recommend this Bible to anyone, wherever they are on their journey of faith.

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