My Newspaper
|
Loading...
Find the latest book reviews and ponderings here...
Last Published: 10/1/2008 7:25:49 PM
April 2008
Permalink
Posted by: Michelle Sutton at 8:43PM EST on April 20, 2008
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
 Ted is the son of missionaries John and Helen Dekker, whose incredible story of life among headhunters in Indonesia has been told in several books. Surrounded by the vivid colors of the jungle and a myriad of cultures, each steeped in their own interpretation of life and faith, Dekker received a first-class education on human nature and behavior. This, he believes, is the foundation of his writing.
After graduating from a multi-cultural high school, he took up permanent residence in the United States to study Religion and Philosophy. After earning his Bachelor's Degree, Dekker entered the corporate world in management for a large healthcare company in California. Dekker was quickly recognized as a talent in the field of marketing and was soon promoted to Director of Marketing. This experience gave him a background which enabled him to eventually form his own company and steadily climb the corporate ladder.
Since 1997, Dekker has written full-time. He states that each time he writes, he finds his understanding of life and love just a little clearer and his expression of that understanding a little more vivid. To see a complete list of Dekker's work, visit The Works section of TedDekker.com.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
The Horde have pummeled the Forest Guard, forcing Thomas Hunter to lower the recruitment age from eighteen to sixteen. From among the land's greatest warriors he chooses four of them to lead. But their mission takes a drastic turn for the worse when they are given a new task: To find the seven original Books of History before the Dark One can. So begins The Lost Books series consisting of Chosen, Infidel, Renegade and Chaos. If you're new to Dekker, this is the perfect place to begin. If you know the Circle Trilogy, four words: Hunter, Roush, Teeleh, Elyon. Dive Deep. My review:
This was an amazing story. I read it straight through. Couldn't put it down. It reminded me of the Song Of Albion series written by Stephen Lawhead in the mid 1990s. I loved the premise, the plot, the action, the emotion. It was amazing. And those characters were in perilous situations so often it was downright thrilling. I love it when situations seem hopeless, but then something happens to turn it around. But like life, it's never easy. Love isn't easy, nor is faith, not when the facts tell you all is lost. But if you listen with your heart and choose not to filter everything through your head, you will hear the truth. Awesome, gripping fiction. A bit gory and graphic at times, but certainly no worse than what you see on television. I highly recommend it. Ted Dekker knows how to pull you into a story with the best of them. No wonder he's a NY Times best-selling author. :)
Permalink:
http://www.myccm.org/post/michelle/blog/my_review_of_chosen_by_ted_dekker.html
Trackback URL:
http://www.myccm.org/post/michelle/blog/my_review_of_chosen_by_ted_dekker.trackback
Permalink
Posted by: Michelle Sutton at 12:56AM EST on April 17, 2008
About the book:
Memphis or Bust.
Determined to fulfill her husband's last request, Claudia McIntosh is hauling a three-foot bust of Elvis Presley in the back seat of a vintage Cadillac from Dallas to Memphis, hoping to locate the kitschy sculpture's rightful owner. Along for the ride are her eccentric aunt who knew the King of Rock 'n' Roll, and a tempermental teen with a suspicious mind of her own. When the road trip hits the Heartbreak Hotel, these three women uncover pieces of their past along with the bust's mysterious history — discoveries that will leave them all shook up and change their lives forever.
My review:
There are so many books out there and so little time to read them all. This is one story I recommend you take the time to enjoy. While there is nothing fluffy about this book, it does have it's humorous moments. There are also some very deep moments and emotional ties that develop between these friends whe secrets come out that challenge their beliefs. I found some of the struggles they dealt with to be very true-to-life. And when it comes to grief and loss, I dare say I don't think I've read anything more real and honest than Claudia's perspective. I've read a lot of stories where people were angry with God for losing a loved one, but Leanna Ellis makes this one feel...real. It's hard to explain, but if you know someone who is angry and feels far away from God because they can't seem to let go, this would be a great book to give them to help them work through that.
But this story is more than just a glance into someone's pain, it's a compelling tale of three women who all have serious issues to deal with. The dialogue is natural and feels so real. The way the author brings these issues to the forefront through the story is incredibly well-done. You can actually learn something about your own heart and your own relationship with God from reading this story. That's a skill few authors have, and that's what makes it fabulous Christian fiction in my book. It moved me to tears and blessed me tremendously. I highly recommend it.
Elvis Takes a Back Seat was published by Broadman and Holman and released in January 2008.
Permalink:
http://www.myccm.org/post/michelle/blog/my_review_of_elvis_takes_a_back_seat_by_leanna_ellis.html
Trackback URL:
http://www.myccm.org/post/michelle/blog/my_review_of_elvis_takes_a_back_seat_by_leanna_ellis.trackback
Permalink
Posted by: Michelle Sutton at 9:18PM EST on April 12, 2008
 About the book:Lily Breckenridge, daughter of a Duke, unwittingly finds herself suspect in a rash of jewelry thefts. In order to clear her name she teams up with her best friend Emily's brother, the handsome Colin Dymoke, to find the real thief. To make matters worse, Lily's scheming former fiance keeps turning up and causing trouble while making Lily question her own self-worth. Thankfully, she has Colin by her side to help and protect her. As they work to solve the mystery, Lily fights her growing feelings for Colin, who is considered one of England's most eligible bachelors. Having been hurt in the past, she's reluctant to trust her heart to someone again. Before long, the two of them are caught up in a web of intrigue and deception. They need to clear Lily's name before she and her family are ruined and all hope for romance with Colin is lost. My review: I love how this author always develops a spark of attraction between unlikely characters. And as usual, this story did not disappoint. Set in Regency England, A Brilliant Deception is as full of sparkle as the jewels on the cover. The balls, the elite, the rules of society, and all of the trappings of the culture play into this story to make for a great setting. The conversations between characters are incredibly well-done and so typical of the culture. Especially the ones between Colin and Lily. And yet, the author does such a wonderful job on each character's inner voice, that you feel like you know them and understand their hearts. The romane sizzles (within the limits of the culture, of course) and I loved every minute of it. Every Lily in this world wants--no, needs a Colin. This romance will delight readers who love this era and enjoy a good love story. I hope there is another book in this series. I would love to see Emily and Michael get together. That, too, would be an awesome tale! A Brilliant Deception is an Avalon Romance and was released in February 2008.
Permalink:
http://www.myccm.org/post/michelle/blog/my_review_of_a_brilliant_deception_by_kathleen_fuller.html
Trackback URL:
http://www.myccm.org/post/michelle/blog/my_review_of_a_brilliant_deception_by_kathleen_fuller.trackback
Permalink
Posted by: Michelle Sutton at 7:40PM EST on April 5, 2008
About the book: Unlike most kids, teenage Katie Parker never got a fair shot at a normal life. With a mother in jail and a missing-in-action dad, she's never known what it's like to truly be loved. Low on options and family members, she's soon shipped off to a foster home. Now in an unfamiliar town, Katie's rebellious attitude is at odds with her new family, school, and classmates. And after falling in with all the wrong people at school, things go from bad to really bad after she takes the blame for vandalizing the local performing arts theater. But in the midst of a dark situation, Katie finds light in the most unexpected places: through her new friendship with an eccentric senior, the commitment of her foster family, and a tragic secret that changed them forever. And as she inches closer to acceptance and forgiveness, she finds that God has been there all along. My Review: This story is incredible! It took me nearly a year to find this book in my pile and now I'm asking myself why I didn't search for it sooner. This story is addicting and funny and a total delight to read. Loaded with laugh-out-loud moments on nearly every page, In Between also has a lot of depth and tenderness within it's pages. I've rarely seen fiction this interesting and well-done. For an author to capture the mind of a teen foster child and package it so precisely is amazing by itself, but then to create the right mix of characters and believeable situations to bring out the best in this girl is nothing short of sheer genius. That psycho grandma is so hilarious! And Katie's personality and inner "voice" are a scream.
As far as craft goes, inner dialogue does NOT get any better than this. Sweet and sarcastic, Katie managed to grab my heart from the first chapter because she was so genuine and so lost. But this book is not a downer at all. It choked me up at the end, but also made my heart soar. This is what Christian fiction should be...real enough to make you "get it" and insightful enough to change your heart. And the character arc of this teenager who didn't know anything about church or Jesus was so believeable and well done that it is probably the best thing about this book. That, and the psycho grandma. As for me, I am now officially a Jenny B. Jones fanatic. This is one author I will not miss. I plan to read everything she writes. Not kidding!
In Between was published by NavPress Th1nk Imprint and was released in March 2007.
Permalink:
http://www.myccm.org/post/michelle/blog/my_review_of_in_between_by_jenny_b_jones.html
Trackback URL:
http://www.myccm.org/post/michelle/blog/my_review_of_in_between_by_jenny_b_jones.trackback
|
|
|
