A Bounty of Books

Jesus, My Father, the CIA and Me by Ian Cron is easily the best book I've read all year, and would probably fall in the top ten books I've ever read, if I could ever sit down and make such a list. This was the first memoir I've read; I had an obviously wrong preconceived idea that memoirs were dry and whiny accounts of people who thought they'd had a unique life. I wouldn't have even picked this up if it weren't for the title. I simply couldn't resist finding out what was inside the pages of a book with such an intriguing title.

What I found was nothing short of the literary equivalent of an exquisite Pavlova - it's light but surprisingly filling, and absolutely delicious. (Thanks to my friend Kristen for the comparison!) It was a feast of imagery, humor, and poignant moments that caught me by surprise. Cron's use of language is nothing short of masterful. As he recounts growing up the youngest son of an alcoholic father who worked off and on for the CIA (a fact Cron didn't know until much later) I felt as though I was there with him experiencing each moment he recounts.

There were moments I was struck with sadness; moments when I laughed out loud so hard I startled the dog; moments when I felt the presence of Christ. I felt a strong sense of connection with this man whose life has been nothing like mine, save for the fact that we are both seekers of the One who saved us.

I recommend this book to anyone and everyone. Usually, books are enjoyed by a specific population. Jesus, My Father, the CIA, and Me however, cannot be put in such a box. It is so well written, with such a universal sense of story that anyone who picks it up will be delighted, inspired, amused, challenged, and left with a sense of appreciation for the story of humanity.

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

The Corruptible by Mark Mynheir is the second book in a crime/mystery series based on a private investigator named Ray Quinn. Former homicide detective Quinn is hired by a very wealthy man to recover stolen property. This leads not only to an investigation into the property, but a murder of another former police officer. Throughout the book Quinn is aided by a young protege who doubles as Quinn's bodyguard.

When I first picked up The Corruptible, I didn't realize it was the second in a series. As I started to read it, it became clear I was missing some history between the primary character and two of the secondary characters. Though I had the sense of missing history, Mynheir does a good job of filling in those holes without repeating the first novel in the series.

I enjoyed experiencing the story through the dry, slightly cynical voice of the main character, Ray Quinn. The overall story includes enough twists and turns to make it interesting, without being so complicated that it is hard to follow.

The banter between Quinn and the other characters is entertaining, and for the most part felt very natural. The only parts that don't feel natural are the discussions between Quinn and another character about faith. That little thread isn't woven tightly enough with the others to make it feel like it completely fits with the rest of what is going on.

Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery. It is both entertaining, and an easy read.

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

Unleashed by Erwin McManus is a re-release of his book The Barbarian Way. Serving as a primer to living a life of what most people would consider an extreme faith, the main thrust is God intended His people to live a wild life of faith, not the tame, safe, institutionalized, often fear based faith that characterizes the majority of American Christianity. Through personal anecdotes from his own life as well as his childrens' lives, McManus illustrates what a life of untamed faith can look like.

A couple of key quotes that sum up the message of Unleashed are: "His [God's] desire is not to conform us, but to transform us. Not to make us compliant, but to make us creative. His intent is never to domesticate us, but to liberate us" (p. 64). "The freedom to love and the freedom from fear make the barbarian an entirely different species within the whole of humanity. This may be the most extraordinary mark of the Spirit of God within the heart of humanity: the freedom to live out dreams greater than ourselves" (p. 102).

Unleashed is a quick and easy read. For anyone searching for a more meaningful faith, or looking to live a life based on absolute faith in the wildness of God and His promises instead of fear, it provides an encouraging example of those who are living that way. It made me stop and think, and re-examine my own life, to see if there were areas where I was letting fear dictate my actions and decisions, instead of the faith I profess.

There were a few things I would've changed about the book. One is that it seems extremely redundant after a bit; it almost seems as though everything could've been conveyed just as effectively in a long essay rather than a short book. Another thing is that the Scripture references are few and far between, and the extrapolations based on those used are a bit of a stretch sometimes. I believe there is truth in what McManus says, and what he proposes can be seen in Scripture, just not necessarily in the ones he picked, or the way he chose to present it.

Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who is seeking to break out of the standard mold of American Christianity.

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

Indivisible by Kristen Heitzmann is an intricately woven suspense story set in a little mountain town in Colorado. Focusing on two main characters with an intriguing supporting cast, Indivisble explores the bonds that tie us all - and the consequences of trying to live without any bonds- through a disturbing series of crimes, and a tortured courtship.

Fans of Kristen Heitzmann will find the unique characters and hidden motives familiar; however, Indivisible is more suspensful and action driven than most of her work. It captured my attention more than any fiction book I've read in quite a long time. The disturbing set of crimes that forms a thread through the novel literally made me unable to read it right before bed for fear of what was just around the corner on the next page. I was both hesitant and anxious to find out what happened next.

The character development was more in depth than some novels of this type. While I couldn't imagine anyone doing the things that were done, when the criminal was revealed it made total sense and kind of completed that character. Overall there was a redemptive theme that reinforces the idea that God did not create us to live alone; we are meant to be tied to many people in varying ways and degrees. The quotes at the beginning of each chapter really added to this overall theme as well as the development of the story.

I'd recommend this story to anyone who enjoys a good suspense novel, as well as anyone who needs to understand the utter brokenness that occurs when we resist being connected with others.

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

The Jesus Inquest: The Case For and Against the Resurrection of the Christ by Charles Foster is one barrister's attempt to present all of the most widely accepted facts and arguments on both sides of the debate over whether or not the historical figure known as Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Foster uses two fictional people - X and Y - to present both sides of the debate regarding the sources, the death, the burial, the empty tomb, the post-resurrection appearances, whether or not the early church believed in the bodily resurrection of Jesus, and where Christians got their idea of the resurrection.

There have been very few books in my life that I have started and not finished either because I enjoyed reading them, or out of sheer stubbornness. The Jesus Inquest was one of the few that I simply could not bring myself to read all the way through. After slogging through the introduction and first 3 chapters, I skimmed the rest until the conclusion, which was not really a conclusion at all.

One reason is that Foster's format is confusing. He lists all of the arguments from X on the chapter's topic, then has Y list all of his. The problem is that there are numerous arguments dealing with each chapter's topic. It is difficult to truly see both sides when one has to think back through a bunch of other arguments. Perhaps a dialogue format would have been more conducive what Foster was trying to do. Besides the confusing format, the tone is often unnecessarily sharp and disparaging of the other side. The content is comes in such a way that at times it feels like being shot at by a machine gun. The lack of context, and the quick blurbs of information that flow one right after another leave one little time to process, much less compare both sides to decide which one to agree with. To his credit, Foster does provide several appendices to supplement his text, as well as thorough documentation of his sources. Overall, I would not recommend this book to anyone but someone who already has a firm scholarly grasp on the overall topic.

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

The Sacred Meal by Nora Gallagher is a personal reflection of Communion. Part of The Ancient Practices Series, which examines seven ancient practices of the Christian faith, The Sacred Meal examines how central communion is to both the church as a whole, as well as the spiritual journey of the individual believer. Though each tradition handles Communion differently, and even calls it different things - Communion, the Eucharist, the Lord's Supper - it is one of the most ancient and central sacraments of the church.