Another book review...........

This is a post for those of you who have nothing better to do than to read books all day......or for those who only occasionally have time to read books so you want it to be a good one when you pick one up. Welcome!

(Here should be a picture of The Testament by John Grisham, but it refuses to upload)

I read this book a few weeks ago, upon someone else's recommendation (would give them props here but I can't remember who!). I've honestly never before picked up any of John's work, because I'd written him off as one of those mass-market authors who can't write above a grade five reading level or make his books distinct from one another. I was skeptical to say the least. But the library exists, and they had ten copies, and it's free, eh? so I haven't wasted any money on the book and if it's really poorly written, I don't even have to feel obliged to finish it to get my money's worth because I didn't buy it.

It turned out to be this fantastic book about a gazillionaire who leaves all of his money to an illegitimate, unacknowledged daughter he hasn't seen in thirty years who has changed her name to escape having to know him, leaving all of his other money-hungry, self-serving children with debt worth millions in the lurch.

I won't give away the ending because it's too good. But trust me on this one, it's well worth the read.

(here is a picture of the cover of Discipline: the Glad Surrender by Elisabeth Elliot)

This is a good book if you like challenges. It's an easy read, and a lot of simple truths, but what she says is a bit hard-hitting and brings quite the perspective to one's life. I enjoyed it. I was challenged by it. I hope I was changed by it. It's a good one.

(Insert picture of All She Ever Wanted by Lynn Austin)

Lynn Austin is an incredible authoress I discovered a few months ago (see my first book review with the Chronicles of the Kings series). I was a bit hesitant to pick up modern fiction by someone who writes really steller historical fiction, because there's always this huge risk that she's good at the one and not the other. We all have our strengths and weaknesses, eh? Again, here is the beauty of the library: it doesn't cost anything to give it a try, and I don't have to like everything I read!

What was I so worried about, anyway? This was a really incredible book--very true-to-life and it felt real. Essentially, this book was about generational sins--or how our parents' and grandparents' and ancestors' choices all trickle down to us in one way or another, for good or for ill. And it's also about over coming that and stopping the transmission of bad choices from our generatioin to our children's. Very good. Excellent. Try it and see.

(again, picture here of The Face of God by Bill Myers)

I'd heard a bit about Bill Myers before I read this book, but not much. I just saw it online and thought I'd check the library for it. Have I mentioned yet what an ingenious invention is the library? That you can go and check out all sorts of books that you'd only ever read once anyway, read them at your leisure, and then share them with your neighbours. Ingenious! Imagine if you donate say $20 to the library to buy a book that you love. And in the next ten years, only one person per year reads that book. But if each personhad spent $20 to buy that book, that's a total of $220. But if the library buys it, and me and ten people read it, that's like getting 11 books for $20. Pretty cool, eh? So personally, I'm not even that much upset if I forget to return something ontime and have to pay a late fee, because it's just going to buy more books, right?

Back to the review, though.... I loved this book! (hence my featuring of it) It was awesome. Something that struck me even before I read the book was the author's preface, that he finished the manuscript on September 11, 2001. Same sort of thing as happened with Ted Dekker's Thunder of Heaven, that he had finished writing the book before all these things happened, and consequently was concerned about the timing of the release of the book and both authors changed some small details in light of events.

With such an intro, you might have guessed this book has to do with terrorism, the middle east, and most of all, religion. And what people do in the name of religion, in the name of God, and for the sake of preserving their religion. Christians and Muslims alike. It's really thought-provoking and insightful into what happens when we kill Jesus for the sake of doing church the way we think it should be done, and how the church suddenly becomes a machine and an organization instead of the bride of Christ. Really good. Pick it up.

That's all for now. Someday I'll figure out what's up with my methods or my madness and post some pictures again.