A Pleasant Surprise

Finding God in the Hobbit
Jim Ware

Publicity Summary: With a simple hobbit in a simple hobbit-hole, Tolkien opened the window on a whole new world that has captured millions of imaginations and changed the face of literature forever. But this story of unexpected adventure is far more than goblin attacks, dragon-hoards, and riddles in the dark. It's a journey that changes a simple hobbit named Bilbo---and us---along the way. Ware, coauthor of Finding God in The Lord of the Rings, once again unlocks the mysteries of Middle-earth with insightful reflections on the scenes and characters of The Hobbit. You'll discover the deep connections that link this fantasy world to our own and unveil the mysterious workings of the Author of the Tale in your own life. Just as the very ordinary Bilbo Baggins was caught up in a web of momentous events beyond his understanding, so you also are part of a larger story. Travel to Middle-earth to discover some ways in which God is still very much at work in our world---and has a bigger purpose for you than you can ever imagine.


Book Review: I enjoyed learning more of J.R.R. Tolkien’s faith and history. That his world view was so engaged in the Word of God is what separates his writing from purely allegory. I found myself really thinking about this during the book. Mr. Tolkien’s mind set was so centered on Christ that he never gave a thought to imposing it on his books it just was him. I enjoyed the over view tour of the Hobbit. It brought back memories of my first encounter with this story. Going back and forth between the book and the man was engrossing. I am very glad that I had the opportunity to spend time with this book. It was well worth it.

I would like to thank Tyndale House Publishers for allowing me to read and review this book in return for a free copy and I was never asked to write a favorable review by anyone.

An Enjoyable Story

The Bridge
Karen Kingbury

Book Summary: Molly Allen lives alone in Portland, but her heart is back in Franklin, Tennessee, where five years ago she walked away from a man she cannot forget, a rare sort of love she hasn't found since. Ryan Kelly lives in Franklin and spends plenty of time at The Bridge-the oldest bookstore in historic downtown Franklin-remembering the long hours he and Kelly once spent there. Now, Ryan and Molly's favorite bookstore is in trouble. For thirty years, Charlie and Donna Barton have run The Bridge, providing the people of middle Tennessee with coffee, conversation, and shelves of good books-even through dismal book sales and the rise of eBooks. Then in May a flood tore through Franklin and destroyed nearly every book in the store. By Christmastime, the bank threatens to pull the lease on The Bridge and is about to take the Bartons' house as well. Despondent, Charlie considers ending his life. And in the face of tragedy, miracles begin to unfold.

Review: It started out slow but moved into high gear quickly. The book was split between the owners of the Bridge and the younger couple who moved from college to present time. Some of the time is spent in the past and was moved there nicely by a video or remembering through a character. I found the background information to be enjoyable and like the characters. I thought some of the hospital events to be less believable, although not impossible. Overall this was an enjoyable well laid out story.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Simon & Schuster, Inc. for allowing me to read and review this book in return for a free copy and I was never asked to write a favorable review by anyone.

A Cherished Christmas Novella

A Wreath of Snow: A Victorian Christmas Novella
Liz Curtis Higgs

Editor Summary: This heartwarming novella invites readers to experience Christmas in Victorian Scotland, as the chill of a family misunderstanding gives way to the warmth of forgiveness. On a reluctant visit home, an icy reception from her family in Stirling sends Meg Campbell fleeing for the train station, determined to spend the holidays alone in Edinburgh. When snow delays her departure, Meg pours out her heart to fellow traveler Gordon, an affable newspaperman who asks all the right questions, even as he keeps his own heartache under wraps. Then an unexpected turn of events finally points them both in the right direction: home. This stand-alone novella captures the unexpected gift of forgiveness and the hopeful stirrings of new love.


Review: This was a quick read and suspenseful. Even though there were a few hints of what was to come it was still suspenseful to see it unfold. I like the main characters and was quickly drawn to Meg. It felt very real and like being in the house when the conflict was finally revealed to the secondary characters. Everything about the story felt like a grand Christmas celebration. The snow, the church service and the presents. It was a pleasure to read this story and provide this review.

I would like to thank Waterbrook Press and Edelweiss for allowing me to read and review this book in return for a free copy and I was never asked to write a favorable review by anyone.

A Classic Historical Romance

Through Rushing Water
Catherine Richmond

Book Summary: Sophia has her life all planned out—but her plan didn’t include being jilted or ending up in Dakota Territory. Sophia Makinoff is certain that 1876 is the year that she’ll become the wife of a certain US Congressman, and happily plans her debut into the Capitol city. But when he proposes to her roommate instead, Sophia is stunned. Hoping to flee her heartache and humiliation, she signs up with the Board of Foreign Missions on a whim. With dreams of a romantic posting to the Far East, Sophia is dismayed to find she’s being sent to the Ponca Indian Agency in the bleak Dakota Territory. She can’t even run away effectively and begins to wonder how on earth she’ll be able to guide others as a missionary. But teaching the Ponca children provides her with a joy she has never known—and never expected—and ignites in her a passion for the people she’s sent to serve. It’s a passion shared by the Agency carpenter, Willoughby Dunn, a man whose integrity and selflessness are unmatched. The Poncas are barely surviving. When U.S. policy decrees that they be uprooted from their land and marched hundreds of miles away in the middle of winter, Sophia and Will wade into rushing waters to fight for their friends, their love, and their destiny.


Review: I really enjoyed the vivid picture that Catherine Richmond paints with her words. The characters were well developed and the storyline was very engrossing. It was an adventure just getting to the reservation. I enjoyed the interplay between all of the characters. It was an extremely realistic plot and kept me turn the pages to the end. I was very interested in the Poncas and how they assimilated into the white man’s world. It was a well flushed historic book and a treat to read.

I would like to thank Book Sneeze and Thomas Nelson for allowing me to read and review this book in return for a free copy and I was never asked to write a favorable review by anyone.

Long Awaited Book

Full Disclosure
Dee Henderson

Book Summary: Ann Silver is a cop's cop. As the Midwest Homicide Investigator, she is called in to help local law enforcement on the worst of cases, looking for answers to murder. Hers is one of the region's most trusted investigative positions. Paul Falcon is the FBI's top murder cop in the Midwest. If the victim carried a federal badge or had a security clearance, odds are good Paul and his team see the case file or work the murder. Their lives intersect when Ann arrives to pass a case off her desk and onto his. A car wreck and a suspicious death offer a lead on a hired shooter he is tracking. Paul isn't expecting to meet someone, the kind that goes on the personal side of the ledger, but Ann Silver has his attention. The better he gets to know her, the more Paul realizes her job barely scratches the surface of who she is. She knows spies and soldiers and U.S. Marshals, and has written books about them. She is friends with the former Vice President. People with good reason to be cautious about who they let into their lives deeply trust her. Paul wonders just what secrets Ann is keeping, until she shows him the John Doe Killer case file, and he starts to realize just who this lady he is falling in love with really is...


Book Review: I found this book to be a page turner of a storyline. The most interesting part was the continual tie in to the O’Malley series and the tweaking done to the names and the story lines was very cleaver it really blurred the lines between real story and book. I turned pages quickly for 2/3rd of the book than it seemed to stall for a while. I like the individual characters overall and thought that Paul and his family were fun and would like to hear more. Ann started out great was fun and lively. Than it seemed as this relationship grew she changed into a flat, unapproachable character that never quite came back to fun and lively. The image of marriage she presented and how it continued was uncompromising and unloving. Paul was great only that he allowed Ann to dictate the terms and accepted it was very weak. I often thought as I read this book how much of this was real for Dee Henderson and how much was pure imagination. The mystery of the lady shooter was great for the most part. She was a tremendous enigma and seemed larger than life at times. I was bothered that these agents allowed so much to slip through their fingers. That seemed less likely and they did not seem as determined to catch her. As the story ended I found so many things left unanswered. That was disappointing and I would still like to know so many things. It seemed that the story just ended rather than tying up things up. I saw the twist that was coming and had been waiting for it about 2/3rd of the way into the book. Yet that too was frustrating because many details were left behind. Despite all things I will continue to read almost any book Dee Henderson writes. I think her gift is with series. I would enjoy more of the Falcon Family.

I would like to thank Library Thing and Bethany House for allowing me to read and review this book in return for a free copy and I was never asked to write a favorable review by anyone.

A Fantastic Read!

Tidewater Inn
Colleen Coble

Publisher Summary: Welcome to Hope Beach! Where the sea breeze is fresh, sun sparkles on sand . . . and trouble appears with the force of a hurricane. Inheriting a beautiful old hotel on the seaward shore of Hope Island could be a dream come true for Libby. The inn cries out for her restorer’s talent and love of history. She’s delighted to learn of family she never knew she had. And the handsome Coast Guard lieutenant she’s met there on the island could definitely be the man of her dreams. But Libby soon realizes that only way she can afford the upkeep on the inn is to sell it to developers who are stalking the island. The father who willed her the inn has died before she could meet him, and her new found brothers and sisters are convinced she’s there to steal their birthright. Worst of all, her best friend and business partner has been kidnapped before her eyes, Libby’s under suspicion for the crime, and her handsome lieutenant clearly doubts her innocence. Libby’s dream-come-true is becoming a nightmare. Can she find her friend and establish her innocence? Must she sell Tidewater Inn and lose her family again? Or can she find a home for her heart on the beautiful shores of Hope Island?


Review: I loved the characters in this book. Libby was great a person who had a mysterious past that even she did not know of. The love and kindness she showed her siblings even though they tried and tested her all the way was a great show of Christ's love without being preachy. I found the mystery of Nicole's kidnapping and the murder attempt on Libby to be just enough of a who done it to compliment the learning about this parent she never know and how all these things came to be. The shady land developer and his front man, new found siblings that hated her and all the people in the town were well placed to the point that I never was able to guess who was behind everything. That was the very best part I never figured out who was behind it. I had ideas and suspicions and yet they were wrong. Well played Ms. Coble. Thanks for this fantastic read. I love tales of finding out that the life you thought you knew was not quite accurate it makes for a great what if.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Thomas Nelson for allowing me to read and review this book in return for a free copy and I was never asked to write a favorable review by anyone.

Nothing New Under the Sun

Emergence Christianity
Phyllis Tickle Book

Summary: Welcome to the story that's still being written . . .Whatever else one might say about Emergence Christianity, one must agree it is shifting and reconfiguring itself in such a prodigious way as to defy any final assessments or absolute pronouncements. Yet in Emergence Christianity, Phyllis Tickle gathers the tangled threads of history and weaves the story of this fascinating movement into a beautiful and understandable whole.Through her careful study and culture-watching, Tickle invites you to join this investigation and conversation as an open-minded explorer. You will discover fascinating insights into the concerns, organizational patterns, theology, and most pressing questions facing the church today. And you'll get a tantalizing glimpse of the future.


Review: There is a number of confusion, by the author, related to the many ideas stimulated in this book. To say one does not have a dogma is a dogma. This was one of many themes and contradictions in this book. That emergence as a new movement or isolated is thin since Universalists are not that different in their beliefs, i.e., everyone’s beliefs are equal to the extent that they need them to be. That is relativism at its best, despite being popular. The only ‘new’ idea they have is a building. However, there is a ministry named ‘church without walls’ so I am going to have to say again there is nothing new under the sun. I would like to agree that the author restrained from projecting her own beliefs into the book, but again there was little mistaking that she was a follower of this. I once heard it said you can be very sincere, but sincerity does not make one right and this sums up the entire book. I am afraid that even her account or understanding of the Reformation was poor and limited. I am sorry to say that as the book continued many of the ideas or rhetoric in the book was silly. There is no other way to explain so many of the contradictions. The author brings up 2/3rd into the book that there has never been a split in Emergence and yet quickly contradicts this by explaining the difference now between Emergence Christianity and Emerging Christianity and how they are no longer interchangeable titles. That I made it through this book was a chore. The best part of the book was that it ended.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Baker Books for allowing me to read and review this book in return for a free copy and I was never asked to write a favorable review by anyone.