The Waiting Place Makes Waiting More Meaningful

Eileen Button taps into a life situation that faces all of us . . . waiting. Most of us hate it, but waiting has it's place in God's plan. Astonishing things can happen in the waiting place. The trick is to take advantage of them. Too often we fail to see the wonderful things that are happening because we are so focused on the future. I recommend reading The Waiting Place as a way to slow down and see all the marvelous things happening in your own life.

The book consists of short essays about various life situations: waiting to grow up, waiting to get married, and even waiting for fish to bite. I found the essays poignant. Sometimes I laughed, sometimes I cried, but I couldn't stop reading.

This is the kind of book you give to your children. The kind of book that if someone is in a difficult place can bring solace. I loved it. I particularly loved the fact that it brought back my own memories of being in the waiting place. Perhaps now I will look more closely at what's happening when it seems as if life is at a standstill.

I reviewed this book as part of the Thomas Nelson Booksneeze Program.

The Poignant Story of Growing up with and Alcoholic Father

This is a story that grips your heart from the first page. Ian Cron grew up in the kind of hellish family that can only be created by an out of control alcoholic. He wanted to love his father and be loved in return, but his father was unreachable caught up in his own demons. Cron managed to grow up with the help of his beloved Nanny and Jesus. The church plays an extremely important role in this book. Sometimes the stories are hilarious, like a seven-year-old boy showing up to serve as an altar boy three in the morning. Others show the power of the church to give consolation and focus. I loved the story about stealing the host to feel close to Jesus.

I loved this book. It's well written. Sometimes it makes you cry, at others you laugh until you're in tears. Sometimes the stories are hard to read because they portray teenage angst so movingly. This book should be read by all parents. None of us are perfect and our children survive and even grow to love us for our faults, but an alcoholic or addictive household is another matter. Children are a sacred trust. We shouldn't lose sight of that in ministering to our own demons.

I highly recommend this book.

I reviewed this book as part of the Thomas Nelson Booksneeze Program.  

Crammed with Useful Information

With the economic situation in the country today, most of us need to read this book. The Amish have traditionally led simple, frugal lives. It was inspiration for Lorilee Craker to interview them and compile their ideas a book. The suggestions are simple, except for planting your own garden. Gardening is time consuming and a labor of love. However, most of us can implement the other ideas and best of all – save money!!

I particularly enjoyed the chapter dealing with children. The Amish are notorious for having large families, and generally, the children stay in the community and turn out well. This is not the case with large numbers of children born to X-geners. Children need good examples, but more than that they need to learn thrift from being giving specific tasks. I love the idea of making children wait for the thing they want and having them contribute to the cost. It's great training for being adult and not allowing your credit cards to rule your life.

I thought this book was excellent. The self-deprecating humor was a bit of a turn-off, but who wants to read a text book about personal finance, particularly now. We all need to laugh a little.

I reviewed this book as part of the Thomas Nelson Booksneeze Program.  

Lovely Retelling of the Story of Esther

The book is a retelling of the biblical account of Esther, a young Jewish girl who won the heart of the King of Persia. Esther is a beautiful young Jewish girl living a comfortable life with her uncle Mordecai. Her uncle is concerned that the new king's advisors will try to destroy the Jewish people, so when the King Ahasuerus searches the kingdom for a new queen, he encourages Esther to try to win the king's heart.

I found the story very enjoyable and easy to read. The author gives us good background on what it was like to live in Esther's time. She makes her characters come alive in the setting.

The author takes some liberties with the biblical account; for example, the king in the retelling is Ahasuerus rather than Xerxes. However, Ahasuerus is such a romantic figure the change is quite delightful. I recommend this book to all lovers of the Bible story. The time and place and the motivations of the characters come to life. I enjoyed the book.

I reviewed this book as part of the Thomas Nelson Booksneeze Program.  

A Christian Da Vinci Code: The Seraph Seal by Leonard Sweet and Lori Wagner

Paul Binder is one of eight children born at the same time who will influence the fate of the world. When he's thirty-six strange thing start to happen to Paul Binder. He receives mysterious letters. He's invited to view a valuable manuscript. He meets a desirable woman. The puzzle deepens eh she receives her own mysterious package.

This is a fast paced thriller in the Dan Brown model. The book is based on scholarship, but the characters are totally fictional. I found the action fast paced and interesting. It was very reminiscent of the DaVinic Code with the short chapters and interesting esoteric knowledge. I feel that unless the author was trying to emulate the DaVinci Code, he sould had done better with character development.

I have the same complaints about this novel that I do about the DaVinci Code. I find the characters shallow. There's no growth. The chase is interesting, but it is a chase. We find the interesting clues at the end of the novel. There is an appendix worth reading for both Christian and non-Christians who enjoyed the book.

I reviewed this book as part of the Thomas Nelson Booksneeze Program.

Great Kid's Sherlock Holmes Tale

Griffin Sharpe, a brilliant twelve-year-old, is sent to England for the summer holidays. Gilbert is feeling low. He's so smart that he doesn't have real friends. Things seem to be taking the same course in England when he meets his uncle, who isn't interested in hearing his ideas about the recent disappearance of a clock repairman, or anything else for that matter. But he is at 221 Baker Street and the great Holmes lives there. At first he's convinced his uncle must be Holmes, but is quickly disabused of that idea. His uncle is far less successful than Holmes, but he does build wonderful machines to help with detection.

No Place Like Holmes is written for young adult readers, but it can be enjoyed by Holmes fans of all ages. The story is fast paced. Short chapters help. The mystery is intriguing, and Griffin is a character who will appeal to bright adolescents.

In addition to the main story, the book contains mini-mysteries that kids will love and a great recipe for scones. You'll be hard pressed to resist after reading about how much Griffin loves them. I highly recommend this book for middle grade readers and anyone who is a Holmes fan.

I reviewed this book as part of the Thomas Nelson Booksneeze Program.

Delightful Romp Through the Ley-Lines

Kit Livingstone is bored with his mundane life. This changes quickly when he stumbles into an alley and accidentally ends up meeting his great-grandfather, Cosimo, who has learned the secret of using the ley-lines to travel through space and time. Kit is recruited by Cosimo to join in his hunt for the skin map and thus begins a fast-paced series of adventures. Kit's girl-friend, Wilhelmina, also accidentally becomes a time traveler and ends up in 17^th Century Austria where she proceeds to change history.

Although a fantasy, the book is well researched. The characters are interesting and the plot fast paced. The places visited by the time travelers are realistic. The story moves back and forth between several characters. This jumping about could have been confusing, but Lawhead does a good job of making each jump immediately recognizable. I found that moving between the characters made the book move much faster. I kept wanting to know what was going to happen when I had to leave a character and move to the next chapter.

I recommend this book for readers who enjoy fantasy, historical fiction, or science fiction. It's a great summer read. Something to take to the beach. I'm looking forward to the next books in this series.

I reviewed this book as part of the Thomas Nelson Booksneeze Program.