Review of Flabbergasted by Ray Blackston

So, you just moved east for a girl and your job... but the girlfriend dumped you almost as soon as you landed and now you're all alone in a new city.What's a guy to do?

Well, if you're name's Jay Jarvis and you're in South Carolina, you do what all single guys (and real estate agents) do: head to the local church. It's the best place to scout out the female populations (and new clients, apparently).

Flabbergasted is a light-hearted story about guys and girls, dating, the beach, and the Christian life. Ray Blackston's character's are so real, you just want to jump into that lime green convertible with them and go along for the ride. But then, the story is so entertaining, you feel like you already are!

What I REALLY enjoyed about this book is that Blackston touches on some serious issues for Christians, but in hilarious style. Thought provoking, but so much fun you don't really notice.

If you're looking for a good book to add to your summer reading list, you should definitely check out Flabbergasted. It's got everything you need this summer - the beach, a little bit of drama, good friends, and lots of laughs.


Available now at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.  (Plus, it's available for your Kindle. How cool!)

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. 

Review of What Happened to My Life?

As I'm nearing another birthday (yep, it's one of those big "0" ones) I'm feeling a little reflective on my life. And one question that keeps popping up is...


"What happened to my life?"

Thankfully, that's exactly the question that Danna Demetre answers in her book What Happened to My life? Finding New Passion, Purpose, and Joy.This is a 40-day devotional book that helps you draw closer to God and re-examines God's promises for us.

Nowhere did He promise this was going to be all thrills and spills! In fact, He guaranteed we were going to have problems. But He did say He would be always be with us. And that is where many of us go wrong, it seems...

We think that being a "good" Christian will guarantee us happiness and fulfillment and lots of good times. Then we're disappointed when life doesn't work out that way. Demetre reminds us that that's not what God promised, and she helps us adjust to biblical thinking and finding contentment in all circumstances.

One thing I really enjoyed about this book was the personal stories shared by Demetre and other women she interviewed for this book. They have experienced great trials in their lives, and are living testaments to God's promise that He would always be there. They have found true contentment in their lives, many despite terrible and heartbreaking circumstances.

If you're wondering what has happened to YOUR life, the answer might be lying within these pages.

Available now at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Review of the Spoils of Eden

In 1891, the islands of Hawaii were not yet part of the United States. Whispers of revolution were growing louder. The dreaded disease of leprosy was destroying bodies, lives, and entire families. It is against this historical backdrop, filled with secrets and intrigue, that The Spoils of Eden, Book One in the new series The Dawn of Hawaii is set.

Eden Derrington is a nurse who desires to spend her career seeking a cure for leprosy, even though it means endangering her own life. But her choice may cost her marriage to Rafe Easton, the man she loves.

Rafe is busy chasing a dream of his own – to adopt the baby boy he rescued from certain death. But in his pursuit, hidden secrets begin to unfold into ever deepening mysteries, for both Rafe and Eden.

Linda Lee Chaikin has written a colorful tale that is interwoven with rich historical detail. I especially enjoyed her vivid descriptions of the vibrant Hawaiian scenery. I felt I could almost pick the beautiful flowers she described and smell them for myself.

This is an exciting story that will transport the reader back in time and onto the tropical paradise of the Hawaiian Islands.

Review of No More Christian Nice Girl

In many of the Christian circles I've traveled, there has been this idea that Christian girls have to be "nice." You know – smile when you feel sad, fix everyone's problems for them, put yourself last no matter how pressing your own needs.

In their book, No More Christian Nice Girl, Paul Coughlin and Jennifer D. Degler set out to tell you that just isn't true. Instead, they say, Christian women are called to be like Jesus. And (a shock to some people!) he wasn't always very nice.

No More Christian Nice Girl examines every area of a Christian woman's life, from dating to marriage, career to church activities, and reveals how our "niceness" causes so many problems for us. Ultimately, the authors believe, our own attempts to please others keep us from becoming the confident, caring women God created us to be! Instead, they offer practical tips on how to handle issues common to all women by being godly, not nice.

This book is written in a friendly tone with examples every Christian woman can relate to. I really appreciated the authors' perspectives on women's roles in the Bible. They noted some instances where our misbeliefs about women's roles are based on Scripture taken out of context. It was encouraging to see that women who are praised in the Bible as honoring God weren't always considered "nice."

When I saw my teenage daughter pick up the book, I encouraged her to read it for herself. She's not a "nice" girl, but she's coming to an age where she's going to face pressures from society and church about how Christian girls should behave. I know that reading this book will strengthen her resolve to be the woman she knows she is, and who God created her to be.

No More Christian Nice Girl is a book I believe every Christian woman should read, and then give to her daughter.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

 

Available now at your favorite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Review of Hearts Awakening by Delia Parr

Hearts Awakening is the first book I've read by Delia Parr, but I will definitely be looking for more by her. This was a sweet story and a very enjoyable read. I don't always enjoy reading historical romances, but Parr's characters are irresistable, and the setting is exquisite. It will be a satisfying read for fans of Christian historical romance.

When Ellie needs a job, her family sends her to Jackson Smith, a father of two who, it turns out needs much than a housekeeper. He needs a mother for his two boys. Ellie is humiliated when asked to enter a marriage of convenience, but what option does she have? Then, the rumors begin circulating about Jackson's first wife...

One thing I really enjoyed about the story was watching Ellie's relationship with Jackson's two boys develop. Those moments were so touching and honest, and my heart just went out to those two little boys. The unique setting, a beautiful apple orchard on an island also really made this story stand out from other historical fiction novels I've read.

Would you like to win your own copy of Hearts Awakening? I'm giving away my review copy – my bookshelf is getting too full!

To Enter: Please leave a comment below and tell me: Who is your favorite historical romance author? (I'm looking for some new books to read!) If you don't know of any, that's OK. You can still leave a comment and I'll put your name in the draw.

I'll pick the winner next Thursday, April 1. Oh yeah, you must live in Canada or the U.S. to win. :-)



Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Review of Anything by Normal by Melody Carlson

I don't think teenage pregnancy is ever a comfortable subject. But when you talk about Christian teens becoming pregnant, it suddenly becomes even more uncomfortable.

And that's the topic of Melody Carlson's new book for teen girls, Anything but Normal. In this novel, Carlson tells an enjoyable story that will make every reader - young or old - stop and think about their own attitudes toward a very real problem - one that we would often prefer to ignore.

Sophie Ramsay is a Christian teenager who made a wrong decision. The outcome of her action forces her family, her friends, and even the members of her church, question their beliefs about teen pregnancy.

How does someone really show the love of Jesus to somebody who has sinned?

As Sophie comes to terms with her pregnancy and the choices she must make, the reader gets a close up look at the real issues facing pregnant teens - perhaps issues that are too uncomfortable for us to look at in any other way except a fiction novel - and our own response to them.

This is a captivating story with believable characters. Carlson takes you through every step of Sophie's journey, from discovering that she's pregnant, to examining her choices, to finally making the right decision for her.

I shared this book with my 13 year old daughter. She enjoyed the story, too, and it helped start a dialogue between us about teen pregnancy. It gave her an honest look at the pressures she could face as she matures, and helped her plan what her response would be when that day came.

If you have a teenage daughter, or know a teenage girl, I highly recommend giving her a copy of Anything but Normal. It's an enjoyable story that will stay with her long after she's turned the last page.



Available January 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Living on the Edge of a Volcano

Apparently, I am living on the edge of a volcano.

At least that's what the authors of The 8 Seasons of Parenthood: How the Stages of Parenting Constantly Reshape Our Adult Identities believe. It all started when my son turned 10 five years ago, and I won't find my way back to stable ground until my youngest child leaves home - which should be in about eight years.

I picked this book off our piano teacher's bookshelf during my kids' piano lessons yesterday and gave it a quick browse.

The book gives a summary of all the seasons of parenthood, from expecting your first child, the preschool years, the schoolage years, the teenage (aka edge of the volano) era, then the empty nest and the grandparent years.

It gives lots of examples and personalized stories of what other parents have experienced. And it talks about how parents view themselves differently as their children move through these stages. For instance, as a parent of teenagers, I'm being forced to question my own identity. If I had relied on my children to provide any of my sense of self-worth, forget it. They're trampling all over it right now. And, as far as that goes, the authors are pretty much bang on.

I didn't read the whole thing, but it seems to provide a comprehensive overview of how your view of yourself changes over time. It doesn't provide a lot of help in how to deal with these changes, from what I read, but it does tell you what you can expect. And the other parents' stories will remind you that you're not alone - even if you'll be on the edge of that volcano for the next eight years.