A Rumored Fortune

     BOOK REVIEW:   Tressa Harlowe's father kept his vast fortune hidden somewhere on his estate in the south of England and died suddenly, without telling anyone where he had concealed it. Now Tressa and her ailing mother are left with a mansion and an immense vineyard and no money to run it.
     It doesn't take long for a bevy of opportunists to flock to the estate under the guise of offering condolences. Tressa knows what they're really up to. She'll have to work with the rough and rusticated vineyard manager to keep the laborers content without pay and discover the key to finding her father's fortune---before someone else finds it first.

     MY REVIEW:   As the first book I have had read from Joanna Davidson Politano, I have to say my interest was decidedly piqued. I have a deep and abiding love of Historical Fiction, most especially that of the Victorian era. And one can hardly go wrong with a treasure hunt. Add a few suspicious "mourning" guests and a valiant hero and what more could you ask for?
     A few points against the book: 1) I was a little disappointed that Tressa didn't seem to be genuinely searching for this rumored fortune, especially as they so desperately needed it to quell the relentless demands for payment made both by town shops and laborers. Her time was spent mourning the loss of her father, painting exquisite designs upon her ceiling, and trying to decide whom to trust. Her search was one more of the analytical than physical, which I didn't mind, I just wish there had been a bit more physical searching. 2) I had the true villain picked out by the middle pages, though I did not predict the depths of his villainry. However, these are only mild downfalls, not enough to spoil the book.
     I would not say that this book is one of deep reflection and profound insight. However, the relationship Tressa had with God was very realistic. She struggled to feel Him near as she lost one precious anchor after another. But finally, when she has lost her final security, she is able to see how God will withstand though all else fall. Being a book set in a vineyard, there are several practical applications made in comparison to the pruning of a grapevine. While it seemingly kills or stunts the plant, it instead brings forth greater yield than ever imagined.
     And whatever you think you know about the fortune....... think long and hard. It is quite the opposite of what I expected. :)

   I received a copy of this book from REVELL PUBLISHERS and was not required to write a positive review. 

Thief of Corinth

     BOOK REVIEW:   First-century Corinth is a city teeming with commerce and charm.  It's also filled with danger and corruption---the perfect setting for Ariadne's greatest adventure.
     After years spent living with her mother and oppressive grandfather in Athens, Ariadne runs away to her father's home in Corinth, only to discover the perilous secret that destroyed his marriage: though a Greek of high birth, Galenos is the infamous thief who has been robbing the city's corrupt of their ill-gotten gains.
     Desperate to keep him safe, Ariadne risks her good name, her freedom, and the love of the man she adores to become her father's apprentice. As her unusual athletic ability leads her into dangerous exploits, Ariadne discovers that she secretly revels in playing with fire. But when the wrong person discovers their secret, Ariadne and her father find their future---and very lives--- hanging in the balance.
     When they befriend a Jewish rabbi named Paul, they realize that his radical message challenges everything they've fought to build, yet offers something neither dared hope for.

     MY REVIEW:   Tessa Afshar is a favorite author of mine, and it was with great excitement I anticipated this book. It did not disappoint. Whereas the others of her books have been about a certain Biblical character, this one is about a fictional character in a Biblical setting, with a few Biblical characters having secondary roles. In "A Note from the Author" Tessa reveals that this book was written more for those who are not familiar with the Bible, those who would see no significance in the book focusing on a key character.
     Ariadne lacked a mother's love, and was taken from her father at a young age. By the time she returns to him at 16, she does not even realize how this has shaped her. She loves her father with all her heart, but cannot see that it is her own selfishness dictating her actions. When a daring adventure reaps serious consequences, she is able to discover the reality behind her choices and lay it aside.
     Ariadne was never drawn to the popular gods, but chose rather to rely on "The Unknown God". When later she is introduced to Paul, she at first rebels against a god who would demand the whole of herself. But through the tragedy mentioned above, when she is brought to the very end of herself, Ariadne is able to accept God. An added bonus: the rest of her family has accepted Him as well.
     For background (albeit very limited) on this story, read the end of Acts 17. Dionysius is a member of Areopagus, where Paul is invited to preach. In this story, Dionysius is Ariadne's brother, the particular member who invited Paul to Areopagus. The reason for involving him is Tessa fascination with his being such an intelligent man, yet choosing to follow God.

   I received a copy of this book from TYNDALE PUBLISHERS and was not required to write a positive review. 

Culture of Peace

     BOOK REVIEW:   Have you ever found yourself in a conflict with a friend or family member, unsure of how to restore the relationship? Do you sometimes find yourself unintentionally looking for the worst in people, judging them more critically than they deserve? Have you ever wondered how to help and minister to someone stuck in destructive or sinful behaviour?
     This book offers a road map for Christians to pursue a culture of peace and restore healthy relationships at home, at church, and at work. Through these personal stories and short, practical chapters written by professional counsellors, you'll find scriptural advice on how to:

• Respond to conflict---great and small---with forgiveness and reconciliation. 
• Restore and counsel other Christians who are caught in sin. 
• React to criticism with grace and humility. 
• Guard your heart against unfair judgments of others. 

Whether you're a pastor looking for advice on how to counsel members of your church, or whether you're a church member looking for advice on how to reconcile with a friend, a culture of peace is possible. 

     MY REVIEW:   This book is rather like a "Handbook to Peace". It is only 100 pages long, and smaller than your average book---I'd guess 6'' x 4''. Each of the four chapters are written by a different person. They discuss: Building Real Relationships; Church Discipline; How to Take Criticism; and Charitable Judgment. The chapters are short and to the point, and filled with wisdom to take to heart. 

     The two chapters that stuck out to me the most are the last two on Criticism and Judging. Criticism is really hard to take, but here we can see how to let it be for good; how to accept and even rejoice in it and not let it take us down. And Judging is something everyone has done. This book shows some of the ways we do it constantly and detrimentally to us and the other person. But especially, how it is wrong and to avoid it. 

     

    I received a copy of this book from HENDRICKSON PUBLISHERS and was not required to write a positive review. 

 

     

The Bible and Archaeology

     BOOK REVIEW:   Ancient artifacts and the Bible illuminate each other in various ways, but it can be difficult to understand how this process works and how archaeological discoveries should be interpreted. In this book, Matthieu Richelle provides an enlightening perspective on these issues, showing how texts and material culture are in a fascinating "dialogue" with one another that sheds light on the meaning and importance of both. What emerges is a rich and balanced picture that enlivens our understanding of the Bible's message, increases our appreciation for the historical and cultural contexts in which it was written, and helps us be realistic about the limits of our knowledge.

     MY REVIEW:   I found this book to be very interesting. I don't follow archaeological discoveries, therefore this was all new to me. I quite liked that it was written in layman's terms, so it was very easy to follow and understand, and did not drag along. Matthieu discusses different aspects of archaeology and how it relates to the Bible. For example: the different kinds of writings discovered and the difficulties in dating and interpreting them; the debated theories of when discovered cities/monuments were built and by whom; how the progression of pottery indicates the period that civilization lived (though there were no details on the pottery itself); and more. There are also 31 pictures in the back of the book of different finds. The pictures are clear and interesting.
     The objective of this book is to better prepare the reader to consider the new discoveries being made in an unbiased and intelligent manner. I would say that purpose is achieved, though one needs to realize it is not a full-blown account. The book is only 208 pages long. It is this fact, however, that makes it practical for the general public.

    I received a copy of this book from HENDRICKSON PUBLISHERS, and was not required to write a positive review. 

When Through Deep Waters

     BOOK REVIEW:   Alicen McCaffrey finally has the life her mother always dreamed for her: beautiful home in Santa Monica, successful husband, adorable daughter. Then tragedy blows her carefully assembled facade to pieces. Worse yet---Alicen feels solely responsible. At rock bottom, she decides to accompany a childhood friend back to Red Lodge, Montana, where they spent summers together as kids. 

     The peaceful mountain landscape, accented with lush forests and small-town charm, brings back happy memories of time spent with her beloved, eccentric Grandma Josephine. Alicen starts to hope that perhaps things could be different here. Perhaps the oppressive guilt will lift---if only for a moment. 

     But when Alicen starts hearing voices and seeing mysterious figures near the river in the woods, she begins to fear she's completely lost her sanity, as it's rumored her grandmother did. Might there be more to Red Lodge than meets the eye? Could the voices and visions be real---and her only means of finding the healing she so desperately needs? Or will they prove to be her final undoing? 

     MY REVIEW:   I have never disliked a book as I disliked this one. It was eerie and weird. A psychological fantasy mystery---I should have expected this. I really don't know how it can be called a Christian book. References to God were extremely rare and always vague. For a fantasy book it could be good, but really, why is fantasy even considered good Christian reading material? 

     Alicen keeps seeing four children appearing and speaking to her about things her grandmother told her years ago. She hates their presence and can't make them leave. She attends a psychotic facility where the director is controlled by a frightful demon of her past---a horrid uncle who, while dead, still plagues her. She has an twisted need to placate her past sins by hurting those she is supposed to be helping, thinking their suffering alleviates her sin. 

     If the reason for writing a book is to demonstrate God and His Care in the life of another (albeit fictional), then Rachelle missed. I will admit, Alicen finds release from the terrible guilt and despair she carries, but as I mentioned above, it is vague and feels slightly Satanic, rather than being God who showed her true redemption. This is a book I would warn against. Even if slivers of truth can be found, it really isn't worth the influence of the rest of the book. 

    I received a copy of this book from TYNDALE PUBLISHERS and was not required to write a positive review. 

Practicing the King's Economy

     When I got this book I expected it to be about spending and managing your money in a way that pleases and glorifies God. It was that and more. It wasn't inapplicable and boring like I expected. Different avenues discussed are job creation, equality, potluck vs soup kitchen, giving and tithing, and more. They are things I've never given much thought to. For instance, in potluck vs soup kitchen, the authors bring out the difference in operation, feeling, and effectiveness. Soup kitchens hand out labels, even without meaning to. There are those manning the kitchen, the well-to-do. Then there's the recipients, the destitute and needy. Potlucks, on the other hand, allow everyone to contribute and take pride in the meal. Everyone is equal; there are no labels. The relationship is everyone give and take, rather than one or the other giving or taking. But of course not every circumstance is going to be able to produce a potluck, and lets not discredit that soup kitchens are doing amazing work.
     The different avenues of this book are each given two chapters, the first to outline it, and the second to make it practical and practicable in real life. The authors are real and honest about what they are doing or not doing with the practices in this book. It is written in an interesting and profitable way. Much can be learned from it that doesn't even have to do with money. One thing that stuck out to me in the first chapter, about worship and giving, is this quote from C. S. Lewis:
          "I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. In other words, if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc., is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little. If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charitable expenditure excludes them." 
And one from the author :
          "We are often told we ought to be willing and ready to suffer for Jesus' sake. What we've forgotten in the West is that this doesn't just mean being ready to declare Jesus with our lips if anti-Christian terrorists come charging in with AK-47's in hand. It means declaring Jesus with our lives, not least by willingly entering into the suffering of the world's poor, taking some of their economic burdens onto our own backs. If we want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection, then costly generosity will be one way we share in the fellowship of His and His Church's sufferings. Indeed, in a day when most of us in the United States will never face actual suffering for our faith, embracing voluntary suffering through sharing may be one of the most Christlike acts we ever commit." 
     I really enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to anyone.

   I received a copy of this book from BAKER BOOKS and was not required to write a positive review.