Libraries Alive - National Church Library Association

Recommendations

Info

Reviewers (continued) Karen L. Flynn, Librarian Richard M. Flynn, Corporate Scientist, 3M Company White Bear Lake United Methodist, White Bear Lake, MN Melanie Freese Librarian, St. Peter’s Lutheran, Baldwin, NY Amy R. Gamble Librarian, Chapman Grove Baptist, Kingston, TN Amanda M. Grell Clint Schneckloth, Pastor Good Shepherd Lutheran, Fayetteville AR Nancy Smith Kilkenny Book Sel. Chair, Divinity Lutheran, Parma Heights, OH Ann Leighty Mount Cross Ev. Lutheran, University Place, WA Paula Livingston Delores Klinsky Walker Pioneer United Methodist, Walla Walla, WA Patti Martin Librarian, First Christian <strong>Church</strong>, Malvern, OH inner strength to fight for the things they wanted and believed in. The characters and plot lines were well done and the history seemed accurate. Includes discussion questions at the end. Rating: 4 —VJ LARKSPUR COVE. Wingate, Lisa. 360p, paper, Bethany House 2011, 9780764208218 [FIC] Imagine your dreams come true. Your husband is a well-respected pastor and you thoroughly embrace the life of caring for others through the church and through charity work. Now, imagine your dreams coming to a screeching halt as you discover your husband is not what you always believed him to be. So, you pack up and attempt to make a new life back in your childhood family vacation home learning to be self-sufficient and independent. Oh, the challenges! Now, throw in the fact that you have a young teenage son and the challenges are overwhelming. Despite these obstacles (and more), Andrea is determined to succeed with or without the support of her parents and sibling. Wingate does a good job glimpsing into such a life. Though the outcome is rather predictable, it is still an enjoyable and relatively quick read. Especially enjoyable is walking among the “natives” in outback Texas. Rating: 3 —PL THE LAST THING I REMEMBER (Homelanders, Book 1). Klaven, Andrew. 346 p, paper, Thomas Nelson 2009, 9781595545862 [FIC] Charlie West is a normal high school kid who leads an above average life. He has good grades, a loving family, a talent in karate and a budding romance. But he just woke up in a nightmare and can’t figure out where his old life left off and this new horror began. Now he is on the run from the law and from a group of terrorists who want him dead. Discovering why he is a wanted man and staying true to his faith is becoming increasingly difficult while avoiding his pursuers. The Last Thing I Remember is a genuine thriller with a Christian theme that doesn’t overwhelm the plot. Its nonstop action is sure to appeal to many readers, particularly the young males in your congregations. I was hooked from 26 the beginning. Be warned that the book ends with a cliffhanger, so if you commit to purchasing this book, you should plan on buying the next two books in the series. A fourth will be released this year. Rating: 4 —NSK LYDIA’S CHARM. Brunstetter, Wanda E. 376p, paper, Barbour 2010, 9781602600638 [FIC] The setting is an Amish community of kind, loving people who deal with fear, prejudice and loss of ordinary life with a strong faith in God. Lydia King, a widow with a young son, loses her job and decides to move to Charm, Ohio, to live with her mother and ill grandfather. She and her mother have a strained relationship. Lydia finds a part-time job as a waitress, but after her grandfather’s death they are almost destitute. She meets two men who both are attracted to her. One is a widower with four sons, who is interested in her as a mother for his children. She also meets Levi Stutzman, the only “normal” member of a family of little people who has determined never to marry because of his family history. Who will she choose? A pleasant light read. Rating: 3 —DM MASQUERADE. Moser, Nancy. 400p, paper, Bethany House 2010, 9780764207518 [FIC] A rich English society girl sets off for America for an arranged marriage. On the way she and her companion maid decide to switch places. History comes alive as one experiences the great wealth of the Gilded Age and the fantastic fashion of the day, while the other experiences extreme poverty as an immigrant. God works in the lives of these two young women as they eventually find love and purpose in life and learn to be true to themselves. Discussion questions at the end help readers focus on main points in the book. Rating: 4 —BE NAOMI AND HER DAUGHTERS. Wangerin, Walter. 272p, Zondervan 2010, 9780310327349 [813.54] The book gives the reader a vivid picture of life in Old
Testament times, explaining the customs and way of life. I am glad I read the book, but I did not enjoy reading it. The tale of Naomi was told in a series of confusing flashbacks and fast forwards. After I read it, I re-read the book of Ruth, wondering how the author came up with such a tale. I was amazed that he could weave so much imagination into the short, simple Biblical account of Ruth. The Biblical account was more meaningful to me than it would have been had I not read this novel, with its vivid portrait of the people and times. This is not a book I will soon forget. It is a bit easy to put down, but the conclusion makes persistence worthwhile. Rating: 3 —EB THE PREACHER’S BRIDE. Hedlund, Jody. 379p, paper, Bethany House 2010, 9780764208324 [FIC] This, the author’s debut historical romance novel, is set in the mid 1600s and portrays the political and domestic struggles of Puritans during the waning years of Cromwell’s reign through the restoration of the monarchy. The heroine, Elizabeth, is strong, articulate, and godly, but plain—a moth she thinks to herself, not a butterfly. She keeps house for the widower John and his four children. Predictably, she falls in love with John who is a tinker and a popular, but unfortunately unlicensed, preacher. The first three quarters of the book detail their troubled romance. After their marriage John is imprisoned for preaching, and Elizabeth uses her capable tongue to defend him. Only after the story has ended are we told that it is a fictionalized version of the life of the wife of John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim’s Progress. The historical Elizabeth really did travel to London to petition the judges for John’s release as the author tells, and the words during that trial are taken from the actual trial transcripts. Rating: 3.5 —MS TAKE THREE (Above the Line, Book 3): Kingsbury, Karen. 336p, paper, Zondervan 2010, 9780310266266 [FIC] Karen Kingsbury is a popular author in our church library collection. We were excited to review this latest book in the Above the Line series. The story follows several families, their 27 children and grandchildren, and the choices they make and the effects on others in the story. God is clearly at the center of all of their lives. However, the book was a struggle, as the reviewer had not read the previous two books in the series. Without the benefit of the previous books, the reader literally had to create a chart of who was who and how they related to the others. A book should be able to stand alone with some review or flashbacks or other mechanism to allow the first time reader of this series to catch up. Those in our church who are following the series have warmly received the book. This reviewer was simply overwhelmed with people and plots. Rating: 2 —JD VIGILANTE’S BRIDE. Harris, Yvonne. 297p, paper, Bethany House 2010, 9780764208041 [FIC] Set in the Montana Territory of 1884, this book introduces the reader to orphaned Emily McCarthy who has been expelled from the orphanage and forced to become a mail-order bride to a total stranger. But as she nears her final destination, the stagecoach is robbed and she is kidnapped. Luke Sullivan had no intention of robbing the stagecoach or abducting anyone—he just wanted the money originally stolen from him. What happens next in this fast-paced story will definitely hold the reader’s interest. Action, excitement and danger are expertly co-mingled with trust in God who is leading both Emily and Luke to a bright future together. This book demonstrates that God can take poor choices, disasters, hatreds and jealousies and transform them into loving goodness and forgiveness. This book is an excellent example of Christian romance fiction at its finest. Rating: 3 —MF WHILE WE’RE FAR APART. Austin, Lynn. 408p, paper, Bethany House 2010, 9780764204975 [FIC] It is Brooklyn, New York, September 1943. For twentyfour years Penny Goodrich has lived with her elderly parents who fear everyone and everything outside their neighborhood. Penny has been brainwashed into believing � continued on page 29 Reviewers (continued) Berdine Mumper Librarian, Our Savior’s Lutheran, Oconomowoc, WI Rod Olson Mount Olive Lutheran, Minneapolis, MN Cynthia S. Page Librarian & Adult Studies, St. Mark Lutheran, Oaklyn, NJ Nancy Ploeckelman Librarian, Zion Lutheran, Colby, WI Dorothy Miller Carol R. Powers Shirley Vaughn Good Shepherd United Methodist, Hendersonville, TN Milli Seyffert Hillside Baptist, London, ON Canada Beverly Stickley, Librarian William Stickley, Pastor Christ Lutheran, Linglestown, PA Margie Wessels Librarian, Ev. Lutheran of the Epiphany, Winston-Salem, NC Marilea White Librarian, First United Presbyterian, LeRoy, IL
Page 1 and 2: What’s inside? � Move your comp
Page 3 and 4: Letter from our President Kathleen
Page 5 and 6: He wrote the book on church librari
Page 7 and 8: Calendar All are welcome to attend
Page 9 and 10: The book that changed the world (co
Page 11 and 12: Reviews � BIBLE & THEOLOGY THE IN
Page 13 and 14: history. There is also a separate c
Page 15 and 16: PRINCESS WITH A PURPOSE. Chapman, K
Page 17 and 18: list of many characteristics intend
Page 19 and 20: without thinking about their lives
Page 21 and 22: variety of resources and how to get
Page 23 and 24: THE QUESTIONS CHRISTIANS HOPE NO ON
Page 25: I think, to Christianity—and the
Page 29 and 30: Reviews (continued from page 27) sh

Libraries Alive - National Church Library Association

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?