2021 - Third Quarterly Review

To assist my blog readers, I summarize my reading four times a year, providing a brief description, the page count, and a grading scale (5 thumbs up - Highly Recommend, 4 thumbs up - Enjoyed, 3 thumbs up - Good, but not as satisfying as I'd hoped, 2 thumbs up - Meh, and 1 thumb down - Regret, wishing I could get back the time invested). I read the following books during the third quarter of 2021 (for my full review, click on title):

Sneak by Evan Angler - Book two in a Christian, middle-grade, end-times series. 288 pages (I listened in audio form, 7 CDs, 8-1/4 hours), 👍👍👍👍-1/2

Win the Day: 7 Daily Habits to Help You Stress Less & Accomplish More by Mark Batterson - With cleverly titled habits like Flip the Script, Kiss the Wave, and Seed the Clouds, Batterson encourages readers to accomplish dreams by redeeming one day at a time. 256 pages, 👍👍👍👍👍

Swipe by Evan Angler - Whoever and wherever Evan Angler is, his Swipe series takes off with a bang in this first installment of an end-times hypothetical scenario. Will Logan Langley take the mark, when his sister disappeared from her marking ceremony? Can he find the truth? 288 pages, 👍👍👍👍-1/2

In the Company of Cheerful Ladies by Alexander McCall Smith - Book 6 in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. Lovely plot developments for all characters, including love for Mma Makutsi. 240 pages (I listened in audio form, 8 CDs, 9-1/2 hours), 👍👍👍-1/2

Storm by Evan Angler - Increasingly wondering about this mysterious author and eerie similarities to today's world. Logan Langley must race against time to save his dying friend, Erin, and fix a downed weather terminal. 288 pages, 👍👍👍👍

Spark by Evan Angler - Shifting to a different protagonist, setting, and tongue, this 4th book in the Swipe series wasn't nearly as satisfying as the rest. Doubt we'll ever see the intended 5th and 6th books. 272 pages, 👍👍-1/2

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner - Caroline Parcewell buries her broken heart in a mystery surrounding an eighteenth century secret apothecary who dispenses poison to women. 301 pages, 👍👍👍

Praying the Scriptures for Your Adult Children: Trusting God with the Ones You Love by Jodie Berndt - With a heavy emphasis on both prayer and Scripture, this book is full of stories of God's grace in the lives of those parents who support their children with prayer. An excellent resource. 316 pages, 👍👍👍👍-1/2

Prayers for Parents of Prodigals by Linda S. Clare - A topical prayer devotional written by a mother of three prodigals. The book certainly taps the emotions parents face, but I would have loved to have seen more Scripture incorporated into the devotional. 181 pages, 👍👍👍 

Blue Shoes and Happiness by Alexander McCall Smith - Book 7 in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. Mma Makutsi persists in her love of shoes, even ones she cannot properly walk in and Mma Ramotswe considers losing some of her traditional build (Don't do it, Mma Ramotswe! We love you just the way you are!) 240 pages (I listened in audio form, 7 CDs, 8-1/4 hours), 👍👍👍👍 

The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin - As Karen Robards observes, this is "A love letter to the power of books to unite us, to hold the world together when it's falling apart around our ears." 314 pages, 👍👍👍👍

You Are Not Alone: Hope for Hurting Parents of Troubled Kids by Dena Yohe - The author's experience with a daughter in great emotional pain reminds parents of prodigals that God is interested in their plight and sees and knows their heart. 191 pages, 👍👍👍-1/2

The Addiction Inoculation: Raising Healthy Kids in a Culture of Dependence by Jessica Lahey - A resource for parents who desire to fight against addiction, a danger far more prevalent and deadly than COVID. 259 pages, 👍👍👍👍

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien - Hobbits, wizards, dwarves, and dragons fill this adventurous quest for treasure. Nice to re-read after years away. 318 pages (I listened in audio form, 10 CDs 11-1/4 hours), 👍👍👍-1/2

The Good Husband of Zebra Drive by Alexander McCall Smith - Mma Ramotswe's good husband takes on a case of his own while she investigates suspicious deaths at a hospital. 242 pages (I listened in audio form, 7 CDs, 8-1/2 hours), 👍👍👍-1/2

The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris - Taking words that have been removed in the OJD and replaced with more common words like "blog" and "bullet-point," this author and illustrator present poetry and pictures that delight and enthrall. 128 pages, 👍👍👍👍-1/2

News of the World by Paulette Jiles - An elderly man conveys a traumatized young girl across Texas to return her to her relatives. I cannot imagine what such children, captured and adopted by Indians, bereft of their original family, must have experienced. A tender tale of friendship and fighting against the odds. Excellently rendered movie. 209 pages, 👍👍👍👍-1/2  

Another Gospel? A Lifelong Christian Seeks Truth in Response to Progressive Christianity by Alisa Childers - A clear and concise outline of the progressive hijacking of Christianity. In an age of deception and imitation, true believers must walk circumspectly and filter everything through the wisdom and guidance of God's inerrant Word. 240 pages, 👍👍👍👍👍

Smoke by Dan Vyleta - A fascinating premise (a world where sin is evidenced by smoke that emanates from the individual), but written from a world-view that glorifies sin and repudiates righteousness. Excellent writing and opening, but misguided message and conclusion. 450 pages (I listened to this lengthy book in audio form, 15 CDs, 18-1/2 hours), 👍👍👍

Facing the Mountain: A True Story of Japanese American Heroes in World War II by Daniel James Brown (author of The Boys in the Boat) - Setting aside Constitutional rights and imprisoning Americans will always be wrong. During WWII, the very ones we were wrongly placing in concentration camps, stepped up to defend the ideals of America. 482 pages, 👍👍👍👍

What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing by Dr. Bruce D. Perry and Oprah Winfrey - An outstanding book about the effects of childhood trauma and the possibility for turning that trauma into something of value through resilience and healing processes. A must-read for educators and therapists, but everyone, really. 304 pages (I listened in audio form, 7 CDs, 8-1/2 hours), 👍👍👍👍-1/2

The Hummingbird's Gift: Wonder, Beauty, and Renewal on Wings by Sy Montgomery - A fascinating and quick read about rescuing the majestic, micro-bird. Gorgeous photos. 79 pages, 👍👍👍👍

The Miracle at Speedy Motors by Alexander McCall Smith - The ninth installment in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series - good intentions go awry for Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, Mma Makutsi, and Mma Ramotswe. 224 pages (I listened in audio form, 8 CDs, 8-1/2 hours), 👍👍👍👍

Life's too Short by Abby Jimenez - Not a clean read, but enough allure and expert writing to make me overrule my objections. YouTuber Vanessa Price falls for the guy next door, but can he live with the fact that her expiration date looms? Great story, just wish it had been cleaner. 384 pages (I listened in audio form, 9 CDs, 9 hours), 👍👍👍👍

Book Review: Life's too Short

I dislike fan fiction. I think it's annoying when readers take a book they love and then, to prove their adoration, shift aspects of the story to their liking, take characters in their own direction, and create alternate universes for someone else's creation. Having said that, I would love to take some less-than-clean modern literature, run it through a washing machine, and make it accessible to a wider audience. I think I'd start with this book, Life's too Short, by Abby Jimenez.

I feel guilty even admitting I consumed this book. It goes against my moral compass and my desire for literature without foul language. However, it was a worthwhile investment of my reading hours. True, I could not listen when my sons were nearby, and my husband raised an eyebrow one morning when he overheard bits while I was washing dishes. Plus, it comes from a worldview I cannot embrace. So many individuals in this day respond to attraction by jumping into physical intimacy long before establishing a relationship or commitment to one another. In my opinion, this leads to a host of difficulties. God set out a plan for this and His way offers the best path to fulfillment, safety, and blessing. Of course, I cannot expect those who reject God to embrace His wisdom. For them, His restrictions seem disagreeable rather than loving. He is the tyrant bent on silencing their fun.

This book's premise is enticing. Vanessa Price is a YouTube superstar. Millions follow her travels around the world as she raises money for ALS. She determines to suck the marrow from life while she can because the women in her family never make it to 30. But now, life is a bit off the rails because her half sister thrust custody of her infant daughter into Vanessa's lap. Help comes from an unexpected quarter. Enter the drop-dead gorgeous lawyer next door, annoyed with the incessant wail on the other side of his wall. Can Vanessa keep her promise to shun all relationships? After all, who wants to date a woman on death's door?

Apart from the cursing, the writing is such that you forget there is a magician behind the curtain bringing things to life. The book holds great wisdom about the importance of valuing each given day of life. Plus, it was absolutely hilarious! Laugh out loud funny. If only I had written down some of the great lines. I loved the bit about the elderly Chihuahua hanging out with his inner demon for company (reminiscent of my sister's possessed Chihuahua they affectionately called "Satan"). I was thoroughly absorbed in the story. 

If I'd read the physical book instead of audio, I could have skipped the salacious passages. Alas, I had to endure them. Again, wouldn't it be great if some publisher recognized and catered to those of us who desire clean reads? I'd enjoy creating clean versions of books. It wouldn't be fan fiction, because the only things I would change would be foul language and blatant immorality. Of course, I'd still struggle with the contrary worldview, wouldn't I? Oh well, it sounded like a plan, anyway.

Book Review: The Miracle at Speedy Motors

The Miracle at Speedy Motors is the ninth installment in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books by Alexander McCall Smith. I listened to this book from the fine narration of Lisette Lecat. I always look forward to hearing her voice and unpacking the author's delightful developments for the characters. In this episode, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni mortgages his Speedy Motors auto repair business in the hopes of a miracle cure for his crippled foster daughter, Motheleli. Anonymous letters threaten the proprietors of the detective agency. Mma Makutsi proves only human when a mistake ruins a gift from Phuti Radiphuti. Similarly, a false step from Mma Ramotswe threatens to foil her attempts to find a family for an orphaned woman. To be human is to make mistakes. Thankfully, some mistakes find redemption in the end.

Book Review: The Hummingbird's Gift

One year at CBLI, I brought along a non-fiction book about the octopus. It was Sy Montgomery's The Soul of an Octopus. The book was entertaining. I recall a story about how, through incredible intelligence, the octopus escaped its tank. Yet, I couldn't focus on it enough to do it justice, so I set it aside. When Montgomery's The Hummingbirds' Gift came available at my library, I joined the hold list with anticipation. What a delightful book. It was a quick and easy read and the color photographs were exceptional.

My hummingbird feeder hangs just outside the window where I work at my computer every morning. I so enjoy watching the birds swoop in and sometimes fight over the nectar. I will say my hummingbirds are more radiant than the illustrations in this book because some are ruby-throated. Still, I fully enjoyed learning more about this miniscule bird. They are so fragile and abandoned babies present particular challenges. The story of ridding the babies of mites ripped out my heart. This treatment very well could have killed the birds. I marveled at the dedication required of hummingbird rehabilitators. The resilience of these birds inspired me. I closed the book wanting to learn more about these intriguing creatures and determined to seek the further resources, including Brenda Sherburn's art website, www.saveworlddraw.org.

Book Review: What Happened to You?

While skimming the shelves for another audio book, I stumbled upon this excellent book. My upbringing was not traumatic. I had loving, committed parents who provided an outstanding example. My home was full of books, siblings, and love. Our family involvement in the church gave my life structure, purpose, and solidity. However, I cannot say my childhood was without traumatic experience. My week-long bout with double pneumonia, and the ensuing 64 shots I received in the space of eight days, has lingered in my psyche to color all of my medical experiences. This lured me into the subject of this book.

I loved the conversational style of What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing. Authors Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Bruce D. Perry talk back and forth about these issues with both first-hand knowledge and life-long research. Case studies flesh out their findings. This is a must-read for educators and therapists. It is so important for people to be aware of the impact trauma has on individuals and how it can shape behavioral and emotional responses to life's challenges. Trauma-informed treatment is essential for individuals who have experienced trauma in the early years of life. Healing is only possible when you ask that question: "What happened to you?" The authors attempt to shift the frequent response of "What's wrong with you?" and "Why are you behaving that way?" to the gentler and more important question.

So many of the stories were touching and tragic. Receiving love is essential for giving love. Chaos creates more than an uncomfortable environment. It makes it difficult for children to learn necessary life lessons to respond adequately to challenges in their lives. As I listened, I wondered about my own abilities, and my prodigal son's abilities, to self-regulate. I came away with so much to contemplate and process. As Oprah expressed, "Until you heal the wounds of your past, you will continue to bleed." We all have wounds from our pasts, trauma or not, and everyone has a story to tell that has shaped and influenced their life. If handled appropriately, our stories reap benefits alongside the challenges. Oprah would be the first to say she wouldn't be who she is without what happened to her.

Both authors offer excellent narrative abilities. Oprah's voice is especially easy to listen to and full of poignant expression. As I completed the book, sitting in my car waiting for Sean to come out from his football practice, I teared up several times. First, at the story of her awkward acting session when asked to "tuck a child in," and her realization that she had no such experience to draw upon. What a tragic loss! My heart ached for her. Second, the scene at her mother's deathbed. I listened to that portion just hours after receiving news of my mother-in-law's death. Sean was due to come out bursting with news about his school day and his practice. After waiting for him to share, I painted a picture of her last day. I'm sure Oprah's story and voice will forever be tied to the memory of that day.

Book Review: Facing the Mountain

I don't know why we're so often surprised by the depth of evil humanity can perceive and perform? It seems history never teaches the lessons we assume we might learn. People with evil intent prevail. Injustices go unnoticed, unpunished, even lauded. Never was this so clear as in the treatment of Japanese Americans throughout and after World War II. Innocent individuals deemed a threat. I would love to believe nothing like that could ever transpire again. I'm not so sure.

Daniel James Brown is an outstanding historian and storyteller. After enjoying several of his books, I will happily read anything he writes. I put a hold on his newest book, Facing the Mountain: A True Story of Japanese American Heroes in World War II. It is a hefty book and no small feat, but Brown, true to form, makes the pages whiz past. Every sentence seems crafted with great skill and little effort.

Brown tells the dueling stories of Japanese Americans on the home front and the front lines. Entire families of Americans, simply because of their Japanese descent, were ripped from their homes and shipped to internment camps. Meanwhile, other Americans cheered and jeered. Yet, when called to support the U.S. military, these men stepped forward to defend their country. At one point, Brown observes, "The army had called for fifteen hundred Nisei volunteers from Hawai'i. Nearly ten thousand had turned out."

The parts of the book that most appealed to me were the bits of human interest, rather than the battle scenes. It was interesting to hear about the division in the Japanese ranks because the soldiers came from two different backgrounds. The men from the mainland, "kotonks," somber after watching the internment process, knew they had nothing to return to. The men from Hawaii, "buddhaheads," were boisterous. They cavorted and played ukuleles. Then, a wise chaplain took the Hawaiian soldiers to see the internment camps, and the divide mended. They became one bonded fighting family. 

Their efforts on behalf of America deserve commendation and recognition. For example, with odds stacked against them, the Japanese American soldiers stormed a hill and rescued some stranded Texans, known as "The Lost Battalion." These Japanese American soldiers incurred 790 casualties in rescuing 200 men. They lost almost 4 men for every man saved. Such bravery! A tragic loss!

It was a privilege to enter the world of these American families. Thanks to Brown's writing abilities, I felt their despair and embraced their camaraderie. I digested another aspect of the war, seldom covered. Now, if people would read this book and go forth to fight against prejudicial injustice.

  

Book Review: Smoke

I've been attempting to entice Sean to read The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. Its premise is intriguing. What if you lived in a world where every man's thoughts presented aloud, unbidden? In Smoke, by Dan Vyleta, the reader gets a similarly captivating premise. What if you lived in a world where every evil thought and action caused your body to produce smoke? Sin is visible and undeniable. Who needs a polygraph test? Every lie told causes the body to dispense smoke into the air. Individuals smolder with their anger, lust, and greed. As I said, a very captivating premise.

The author (no doubt attempting to increase stakes and build suspense) creates quite the chasm between the rich and the poor. In his microcosm, the aristocracy does not smoke (albeit through illegal intervention). They appear virtuous, while the riff-raff exude smoke and soot, because sin obviously overwhelms them. Two wealthy boarding school boys set out, with a girl they both desire, to discover the truth behind smoke. The back cover copy offers endless drama:

"A desperate chase. Revolutionaries and secret police. Religious fanatics and coldhearted scientists. Murder. A London filled with danger and wonder... Unexpected villains and unexpected heroes. Cool reason versus passion. Rich versus poor. Right versus wrong, though which is which isn't clear. This is the world of Smoke, a narrative tour de force, a tale of Dickensian intricacy and ferocious imaginative power, richly atmospheric and intensely suspenseful."

From the outset, this idea allured. Unfortunately, although intriguing, I cannot endorse this author's worldview. I believe we are all sinners in need of a Savior. We all fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) This author doesn't even allow God into the picture. What's worse, he ridicules righteousness (or any attempt to choose holiness over sin) and presents it as the problem. Discipline, or virtuous living, is a trap. Characters who seek the unsullied or aspire to holiness end up going mad. At one point, the book actually states, "Our problem is not smoke, but what we think it means."

This author presents a whole novel to young people in defense of sin. Right living stunts the senses, deprives the individual. No, in his mind, one should embrace sin. This is just what we need for our young people today: another license for sin and vice. Indeed, I'm done with modern YA literature. Thick with agenda. Denying the existence or necessity of God. Presenting worlds where right is wrong and wrong is right, where good is bad and bad is good. Isaiah 5:20 says, "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter." What a timely Scripture verse! I'm all for a Dickensian tale. Sadly, this one doesn't stand up to (or for) the light.

Book Review: Another Gospel? - Highly Recommend

One thing I'm recognizing in our world today is the biblical concept of the wheat and the tares, the sheep and the goats. In Christ's parable in Matthew 13, the tares/weeds looked like the real thing. Tares often claim to be wheat. I believe an abundance of people who claim to be Christians will not find themselves in Christ's fold at the final judgment. What I so appreciated about this book, Another Gospel?, was the articulation of an undercurrent of hesitation I can feel but cannot express. Alisa Childers speaks truth to my unsettled responses to the developments going on around me. Her subtitle encapsulates her theme: A Lifelong Christian Seeks Truth in Response to Progressive Christianity.

I will need to purchase this book. At my library, held books come with an identification sticker to aid in curbside pickup. But I tore small pieces from three such stickers to mark passages to revisit or recall when I review the book. This book had numerous small tabs of paper jutting from the sides.

In some places, I recognized the theories/arguments others have presented that I have rejected. Friends and family, once considered true believers, have morphed into people who reject biblical authority and want to rewrite the Scriptures. In other places, I noticed seeds of error that slipped past my defenses. For example, how did I not realize that Richard Rohr, of the Enneagram fame, is a progressive? I still agree that we respond according to our personality types. Yet I cannot agree with his quotations cited in this book. Plus, years ago, I wrote a favorable review for The Shack, not recognizing some egregious errors in that author's presentation of God, sin, and atonement. This is a clear indication that we read and interact with a book from that specific point in our journey and might respond differently when further along. I'm glad God continues to open my eyes to His truth as I seek that in the supreme source, His Word.

Can progressive Christianity even be called Christianity? Childers describes her experience with a church sponsored class intended to push the progressive deconstruction of Christianity. These individuals struggle with the beliefs laid out in the Bible. They question everything and consider themselves above conservative or historical Christians, painting us as babies who blindly accept everything spoon-fed while they hold their doubt and skepticism as superior. (Hmm. Amazing how questions, doubt, and skepticism seem laudable in some scenarios, yet in other aspects of society, they are disallowed, censored, and criticized vehemently!) Their spiritual doubt often causes them to chuck everything and reframe their beliefs according to their own whims. This author points out that progressives are tolerant of everything but conservatives and inclusive of everyone but those who disagree with their interpretation of Scripture. How true!

As Childers outlines so well: 1) They deny the authority and inspiration of the Bible. 2) They emphasize God's love and repudiate His wrath. 3) They contest the reality of hell and eternal punishment. 4) They make a mockery of the cross, viewing it as divine child abuse instead of atonement for sin. 5) They tout ideas of universal salvation. (I can still hear my husband's grandmother saying, "Oh, there are many ways to God." Yet, Scripture says Christ is the only way.) 

I've long struggled with supposed Christians who want to present Christianity simply as "God is love. God loves you just the way you are. God has no desire to change you or make you more like Him. His primary concern is for your happiness and fulfillment." These individuals pick what parts of the Bible they are comfortable with and denounce whole sections on the argument that Paul was just a man responding to the cultural dictates of his time.

The sad thing is that a time is coming, not far off, when God's patience will come to an end. He will judge man. Will you be a tare, ever insisting you are actually wheat? His judgment will reveal the true believers. God will accept those who rely on his substitutionary atonement on the Cross, who recognize their sin and need of a Savior, who accept His ways and means. He will separate them from those who reject Christ's act and put forth their own path to salvation.

I stand with this author: 

"We can choose to follow the whims of a godless culture or we can choose to follow Jesus. I choose Jesus." 

"We don't get to completely redefine who God is and how he works in the world and call it Christian. We don't get to make the rules and do what is right in our own eyes and yet claim to be followers of Jesus." 

"A robust theology of the Cross is what will withstand the storms, sufferings, persecutions, and hardships that Jesus promised would confront those who are his true followers." 

That day is coming. Persecution is nigh. I plan to cling to the Cross and my Christ, not a figment made in my own image, to my own dictates, but according to the inerrant and wholly reliable Word of God. I'm so thankful to this author for articulating what I believe so firmly to be true. There is a way, a narrow way, and some who believe they are walking in it, while tearing down the walls they find too restrictive, will get the result of their imitation Christianity, a life eternally separated from God and all that is holy.

Book/Movie Review: News of the World

I love finding book and movie recommendations on Facebook. While browsing one day, I noticed a friend recommending News of the World, a movie she watched on a vacation flight. Of course, I didn't want to view the movie first, so I checked out both the book and the movie. As sometimes happens with hold lists, the book came in at the same time as the movie (pushing me to read fast enough to watch the movie within the one week library borrow time).

Captain Kidd has already raised his daughters. His wife is dead and his printing business closed down. Now, he makes his way across Texas doing newspaper and periodical readings for townsfolk who are hungry for word from the rest of the world. I loved the mention of Household Words, the periodical in which Charles Dickens published his serialized novels. Too fun. Now, Captain Kidd takes on a new task. He agrees to return a ten-year-old girl to her people. The Kiowa tribe held the girl captive after they killed her parents and sister. Now that the white people bought her back, he agrees to return her to her aunt and uncle. The journey is harrowing and the two, thrown together in this circumstance, open up and bond. It is a beautiful tale.

In this case, the book and movie are both good. The book gives more information and a rounder tale, but the movie provides such a tender, uplifting message. The casting was perfect. My husband reluctantly watched with me because he is not a big fan of Tom Hanks, but Hanks did a superb job playing this role. The young girl chosen to play Johannah Leonberger was also outstanding. I loved the harrowing, classic Western shoot-out. The Texas dust storm led to a heart-wrenching moment that almost brought tears to my eyes. If you are looking for a decent movie to watch, I recommend News of the World. It emphasizes the power of story, the redemption available when we invest in each other's lives, and the blessing of unexpected opportunity sometimes cloaked as a burden.