Spirit Fighter Review

Book Description from Amazon:

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

Percy Jackson, move over! Jonah Stone is here!

What if Nephilim-the children of angels and men-still walked the earth? And their very presence put the entire world in danger? In Spirit Fighter, Jonah and Eliza Stone learn that their mother is a Nephilim and that they have special powers as quarter-angels. When their mom is kidnapped by fallen angels, they must use those powers to save her. Along the way, they discover that there is a very real and dangerous war going on between good and evil and that God has a big part for them to play in that war.

Parents today are looking for fiction that makes Christianity and the Bible exciting for their kids. This series is the Christian answer to Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Kane Chronicles, The Secret Series and other middle-grade series packed with adventure, action, and supernatural fights. Son of Angels, Jonah Stone will be the first series in the market to explore this topic from a biblical perspective with content that is appropriate and exciting for middle-grade readers.

My Review:
I have read the Percy Jackson series, but not the other two mentioned above so I can't compare to those.  Son of Angels has a lot of promise and for hardcore Christians it will be a welcome series.  For the rest, once you adjust to the frequent, and sometimes forced, scripture references it will be enjoyable.

The Stone siblings are the children of a preacher/pastor and a Nephilim who has given her life to Christ.  This means that the children, and quarterlings, have inherited some special abilities.  These are all related to the "full armour of God".  I was disappointed that Eliza seems to have been relegated to the protector role and otherwise stayed out of the way while Jonah had mulitiple abilities.  I realize Jonah is the main character, and to be honest I was looking for a book my son would enjoy, but Eliza just came across as weak.

For middle school children not well versed in Bible knowledge they will learn alot just by reading.  There are not only scripture references throughout, but the scripture itself is included in the story text.  In addition the author brings the verse to life, demonstrating that it isn't just words that were applicable 2,000 years ago.  God is referred to throughout the book as Elohim which may need some explaining if you have never talked about the different names of God in the Bible.  Satan is also referred to as Abaddon which is only used once in scripture so you may need to clarify this one too.  In both cases though the contextual clues should be adequate enough for the casual reader to figure it out.

Is this up there with Percy Jackson?  I can say I don't see a movie being based on this book in the near future but I do see potential for a great Christian series that will appeal to those seeking a strong teen male character who relies on God to see him through a lot of action adventure.

You are Loved review

Book Description:

Is there any greater gift than knowing you are loved?
Through quotes and Scriptures, You Are Loved explores the unfathomable love of God and the beauty of human love when it is modeled after the Creator's. Each page will touch the hearts of the recipients with the assurance that they indeed are cherished-during the pleasant times and the difficult times.
Share the sentiment that "The one who is filled with love is filled with God Himself." Or realize the depths of God's love with such verses as 1 John 3:1: "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!" (NKJV) The book's clean and classic design lends itself to being a part of the decor as a daily reminder of a loved one's affections.

My Review

This would make a great gift book.  Think Valentine's Day, birthday, etc.  Full of Bible verses and quotes all having to do with love.  "There is no surprise more magical than the surprise of being loved.  It is God's finger on man's shoulder." ~Charles Morgan The page backgrounds are colorful and pretty. 

To be honest, I agreed to review this hoping to be able to pull some short quotes to include as filler in the church bulletin and it will be great for that.  I am not really big on gift books, but this one would be great as a gift for baptisms or graduations also.  Actually, the more I think about it the more occassions I think this would be perfect for.

The Voice NT review

Book Description

The Voice™ Bible translation is a faithful dynamic translation of the Scriptures done as a collage of compelling narratives, poetry, song, truth, and wisdom. The Voice calls the reader to step into the whole story of Scripture and experience the joy and wonder of God’s revelation. Created for and by a church in great transition, The Voice uniquely represents collaboration among scholars, pastors, writers, musicians, poets, and other artists, giving great attention to the beauty of the narrative. The heart of The Voice is retelling the story of the Bible in a form as fluid as modern literary works yet remaining painstakingly true to the original manuscripts. This translation promotes the public reading of longer sections of Scripture—followed by thoughtful engagement with the biblical narrative in its richness and fullness and dramatic flow.
This is an updated and revised version of the New Testament edition, now at an even more affordable price.
Features include:
--Italicized information added to help contemporary readers understand what the original readers would have known intuitively
--In-text commentary notes include cultural, historical, theological, or devotional thoughts
--Screenplay format, ideal for public readings and group studies
--Book introductions

My Review:
Let me begin by saying I am not a big fan of new translations of the Bible.  I am not a "King James Only" Christian, but I tend to be leary of jumping on the bandwagon of every new Bible out there.  I have had a few that after reading through them I found to many differences from every other version I had to feel comfortable with continued reading.  As a matter of fact that is probably why I am leary of new translations.  However, when I had the opportunity to review this version I decided to give it a shot.

First, this is a VERY easy to read translation.  It is like reading a well written novel.  The text includes (per the preface) the dynamic translations (which is a translation into English from the original texts) as well as additional information.  This includes text in italics to indicate additional words that are supposed to assist in bringing out the nuance of the original text ( 1 Corinthians 5:2 "You have turned into an arrogant lot who refuse to see the tragedy righ in front of your eyes and mourn for it....").  Delineated material is separated from the regular text and it contains cultural, historical, theological or devotional thoughts.  Some of the text is written in screenplay format.  This is used to identify dialogue and is indented.

Second, in several places I found word choices that were not what I was accustomed to in other translations I had read.  For example 1 Corintians 5:11 reads "What I was saying is that you should not associate with someone who calls himself a brother or sister but lives contrary to all we stand for: cmmitting immoral sexual acts, consumed with desire for more, worshiping tangible lifeless things, using profanity, drinking into oblivion, swindling and cheating others...."   In this example I had expected to see slanderer or even reviler rather than using profanity.  So I pulled out Strong's Concordance which says the original word was loidoros which translates as railer which is a person who uses abusive language.  Never realized that this was actually talking about profanity before reading this and researching.  This isn't the only time that this happened either.

Finally, I will say that if you are looking for a translation that will draw you in to God's word, give this one a try.  I will be honest and admit that I have not read the entire translation of the NT that The Voice includes, but based upon what I have read I feel that this is a trustworthy and honest translation.  Should I come across something that causes me to believe otherwise I will definately let you know. 

First Date Review

Addy Davidson is the last girl in the country who wants to be on the new reality TV show to win a date to prom with the President's son. She's focused on her schoolwork so she can get a scholarship to an Ivy League college, uncomfortable in the spotlight, never been on a date, and didn't even audition for it.

But she got selected anyway.

 So she does her best to get eliminated on the very first show… right before she realizes that the President's son is possibly the most attractive guy she has ever seen in person, surprisingly nice, and seemingly unimpressed by the 99 other girls who are throwing themselves at him.

Addy's totally out of her comfort zone-but that may be right where God can show her the most about who she is . . . and who she was meant to be.

My Review:
This book has been given the title of a modern day Esther.  Addy, a beautiful young lady who doesn't see it in herself, is focused on school and not boys.  When her high school principal selects her to appear on a new tv show to win a prom date with the president's son she is anything but enthused.  She agrees, however, when her uncle/gaurdian reminds her that God has a purpose in everything.

Throughout the book Addy struggles with revealing her belief in Jesus with a group of girls who are more concerned with how they look and who's attention they can get.  Through it all, though, Addy discovers that doing the right thing isn't always easy, doesn't always end in the result we expect, but it can have a huge impact.

McGee's writing style draws the reader in and makes them feel right at home.  She captures the hearts and emotions of the teenagers she writes about.  The reading is light, pleasant, and enjoyable with a message that doesn't beat you over the head but still shines through.  A great read for young teenage or preteen girls.  The guys will find it a little to "girly".

Replication: The Jason Experiment Review

Description:
A girl discovers her geneticist father is covering up multiple secrets---all of which are named Jason.Jason 3:3---known as Martyr---always believed his life had purpose. As one of the hundreds of clones living in a closed-off underground facility beneath an Alaskan farm, he has been told his genetics hold the key to saving humanity from an airborne pandemic aboveground, and his purpose will be filled on his upcoming eighteenth birthday. The problem is no such pandemic exists. Unaware of the truth, Martyr wishes for one glimpse of the sky before his expiration date arrives. His escape leads him to the home of one of the scientists, and to Abby Goyer. As she helps Martyr, she can't help but notice his uncanny resemblance to the high school quarterback. Abby soon uncovers the dark truth behind Jason Farms and her dad's work, and decides to show Martyr his true value and worth. As Martyr learns the truth behind his existence, he must decide if his God-given purpose is connected to the farm, or if it rests in a life with Abby.

My Review:
Jill Williamson has done a phenomenal job capturing teenage personalities in this book.  From the slightly geeky (but in no way nerdy) Abby, to the stuck on self jock J.D., and even the childish wonder of Martyr.  Each character comes to life.

I enjoyed Abby as she faced decisions about how to approach her father concerning his work, how to avoid the grope-y J.D., and her feelings of inadequacy explaining the concept of God to Martyr who had never heard of Him.

While some aspects left me a little confused, (Williamson almost obsesses over the amount of cologne J.D. wears-a comment on the new Axe movement?  No explaination was ever given.) and some seem to come out of no where (Abby's dad suddenly decides accept that the clones are people that deserve better) it was a good read with a good (but definately not subtle) Christian message reminding us that we each have a purpose in this world no matter what our background is.

When I requested to read and review this book I was looking for something my son might enjoy, I had hoped for a strong male lead.  This book would probably appeal more to the girls and seems to approach issues from a female persepective.  Will have to keep looking for him.  Still, well worth the read and with it's current price of $3.99 for the Kindle version, well worth the money!  I would definately reccommend Replication: The Jason Experiment.

Hearts that Survive: A Novel of the Titanic

On April 15, 1912, Lydia Beaumont is on her way to a new life with a boundless hope in love and faith. Her new friendship with Caroline Chadwick is bonded even more as they plan Lydia’s wedding on board the “grandest ship ever built.” Then both women suffer tragic losses when the “unsinkable” Titanic goes down. Can each survive the scars the disaster left on their lives?

Decades later, Alan Morris feels like a failure until he discovers he is the descendant of an acclaimed, successful, heroic novelist who went down with the Titanic. Will he find his identity with the past, or will he listen to Joanna Bettencourt, Caroline’s granddaughter, who says inner peace and success come only with a personal relationship with the Lord?

Will those who survived and their descendants be able to find a love more powerful than their pain?

My Review:
I really wanted to love this book, afterall it has all the makings of a good romance.  It had tragedy, history, love between classes, overcoming disaster, secrecy etc.  Lehman had so many opportunities to really connect the reader to a character and really draw you in.  Unfortunately I wasn't. 

Now, don't get me wrong, it is a good story, but I feel like it could have been so much better had Lehman focused on one main character instead of jumping back and forth.  Lydia goes through so much in the book and there were so many places I really wanted to feel emotionally connected to her but she ended up feeling one dimensional.  It wasn't just Lydia, all of the characters did. 

The plot introduces characters and many times I was flipping back to see where they came from or how they fit into the story.  Caroline's husband dies aboard the Titanic, she rescues two children who then disappear for a large portion of the novel only to have them reemerge as the deceased relatives of Alan Morris who appears out of nowhere. 

I think had the author written this book as a series, one focusing on Lydia, one on Caroline, one of Alan's family, this would have been a much better experience and the characters would have really come alive.

Hearts that Survive is due to be released in March of 2012. 

The Christmas Singing

Looking for a good, Christian, Amish Christmas story to cuddle up with?  Cindy Woodsmall has a new one out you might be interested in.



Woodsmall spends a lot of time in the Amish community to ensure that her books are authentic.  Sound like something you might be interested in?  Still not sure.  You don't have to commit just yet, read the first chapter and see if you enjoy her writing style.  You can read it below:
The Christmas Singing (Chapter 1 Excerpt)

Still interested? You can get your copy of The Christmas Singing by clicking here.