ReviewsByErin

 


I love the writings of A.W. Tozer. They have been personally meaningful to me in the past, so I was immediately interested when I saw that Bethany House was putting out a new compilation of his sermons. When I saw the subtitle for this book was "Finding and following God's will for your life," I had a feeling deep down that this could be a 'for such a time as this' book in my life, and that proved to be true in more ways than expected.

Tozer preached this series of sermons as God began leading him to leave his prosperous Chicago church to take a smaller pastorate in Toronto. These messages sprang from his own desire to follow God's will, and some of my favorite quotes from the book reflect on how God prepares us for His will, makes a way for us, and provides faithfully for everything He ordains. Our responsibilities are to keep ourselves close to God and to obey even when we can only see the next step. God doesn't ask us to understand the whole plan - He asks us to trust, walk in faith, and to receive His blessings. The way may not be easy, and is often incredibly difficult and leads us to destinations that we did not expect, but following Him allows for a life which can be rich in peace and joy despite the trials.

There were a few things Tozer touched upon which were new concepts to me, or at least phrased in ways I understood in a clearer light, and I've been mulling them over and discussing them with friends. One of them is the fact that God's grace is not about us and our weaknesses, it's about Him and His character. "What God has for us not based on who we are, but rather on who He is" (Chapter 8). Another section talks about our enemies, and how our enemies are no obstacle in God's eyes. In fact, they are opportunities for Him to work especially in our behalf! "...When I see my enemy from God's point of view, my heart is filled with rejoicing because that enemy only reveals to me the amazing grace of God in my life" (Chapter 11).

I thought a pivotal part of the book was when Tozer discusses belief versus unbelief. We can believe in God's power and His blessings and still not believe they are for us, for our specific lives. "God is the God of today and tomorrow as well as yesterday. However, to most Christians, God is the God of yesterday alone. They believe in everything that was but cannot rise to believe for today, let alone tomorrow" (page 121). Oh, that is so true! As Tozer says in Chapter 5, "If God said it, then it must be true, and if it's true, then it's true now, and if it's true for someone else, it's also true for me."

Reading this book brought strength to my life and faith. It sparked worship and refreshment in my spirit. Even writing this review has brought Chris Tomlin's song "Good Good Father" to mind, because Tozer really does focus on our wonderful almighty God who will lead us with the cloud and fire if only we will keep our hearts turned to Him. I would recommend this book for believers everywhere.

I received my copy of the book from the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

Have you ever done anything truly outrageous for the love of books? I feel like I'm fairly ordinary when it comes to my book-loving ways - well, except perhaps for my Well-Read Llama posts - so I polled some friends, and between their recollections and my own I was able to round up ten things that we do *just* for the love of books. Whether they truly qualify as outrageous I'll let you decide. 😉

1. Lost sleep due to excitement
I don't get to go to a brick and mortar bookstore very often. Sometimes, on the nights before a visit is planned, I can't sleep because I'm too excited about the possibility of finding treasures the next day!

2. Before the days of Amazon pre-order deliveries
My friend Robin says she used to "get up real early the morning of a new release to go and buy it...but that’s not as outrageous, in my opinion, as the people who went to the bookstore at midnight! I think it was about 6:00 a.m. for me."

3. First in line
On a similar note, I've stayed up past my bedtime to select a new release for review the moment it becomes available from the publisher. Sometimes all the paperback copies are already requested if you wait until morning!

4. Must have been a good one!
My friend Susan reports that she has stayed up until 5 a.m. reading. Who needs sleep when you've got a good book in your hands?

5. Would you like fries with that?
We all know to take books with us if we anticipate any wait time at all. I don't get fast food often, but when I do, I always take a book to read while in the drive-thru. I don't like to miss a minute of reading time! 😉

6. Cleansing my palate
It's usually a fun thing when a book you enjoy gets made into a movie. But what if it's a horrible adaptation? I once saw a movie version of a beloved classic novel that was so awful I had to immediately begin rereading the book to wash away the negative impressions the film had left.

7. Using those muscles
Last year several of my favorite authors were in my town for a writing retreat, and they put together a book signing event. Between the six authors present, I owned 30 paperback books they had written (and had several more on my Kindle!). I bagged up those 30 books and took every single one to be signed - and refused to be embarrassed about it, especially when it meant so much for the authors to see me lugging them in!

8. Now that's a lot of books!
My friend Abigail used to buy and resell books online. "I have bought literally hundreds of books at a time before... I think the most I ever bought in one day was close to 800. So fun. 🙂" Wow!

9. When sharing is not caring
There's a family legend that says once upon a time my paternal grandparents were so caught up in a book that neither one wanted to put it down. In order to read it almost simultaneously, one would speed through a page, rip it out, and hand it to the other - over and over until they got to the end! I'm not sure why they had to destroy the book instead of coming up with a holistic solution like reading it aloud, but it makes for quite a story!

10. Making it personal
There's one book that meant so much to me when I read it that I bought a personal hardback copy and wrote my own forward on the flyleaf. That book is always going to have a special place in my heart and on my favorites shelf!

Find more Top Ten Tuesday posts at That Artsy Reader Girl.

I love to read! And though my To Be Read stack never seems to get smaller, I'm always looking for more stories. Here are nine things I consider before committing to a book.

1. The Author
Any books released by my favorite authors go straight to the top of my list. If I start hearing a lot of buzz about a new author I will also be intrigued and more likely to try their work.

2. Cover Art
I'm not ashamed to admit that I do judge books by their covers. If you can tell that not a lot of thought went to the front of a book, it tends to be a good indication of what you can find inside.

3. Recommendations from Friends or Trusted Sources
There are certain people I know or follow who have similar reading tastes to my own, so if they liked a story I will keep that in mind for the future.

4. Bad Reviews on Amazon
It's true -- if a book has caught my eye, I go straight to those 1- and 2-star reviews to find out more. Why? They tend to be written by real and honest readers. I hate writing bad reviews, as does every reviewer I know! So if someone went to the mental anguish to compose a post about why they didn't like a title, that's worth paying attention to. Sometimes they will mention something that I know would bother me, but other times there is nothing that I find objectionable. If there are zero bad reviews, it could mean the book is too recently released to have found an audience beyond the author's family members or friends, and that also needs to be kept in mind.

5. The Publisher
I do pay attention to publishers. Some publishing houses have earned my trust, while others have earned side-eyes. I am also very hesitant to try a self-published book unless these other factors I've listed above are in its favor. I usually regret it otherwise. That said, once I have a good experience or two with an author who self-publishes, I will be a loyal follower.

6. What's The Hook?
If I'm still trying to make up my mind, there's always the opportunity to read the book's blurb to see what it will be about. Is there a unique and intriguing premise, or does it sound pretty boring and similar to any old plot out there? 

7. Genre
Everyone has their favorite genres, and I am no exception. In order to avoid an unpleasant reading experience and having to write an agonizing bad review, I steer clear of the genres I know I don't care for.

8. Setting
A story that is set in a time period or location I enjoy - or one which I'd like to learn more about - is one I'll be much more likely to pick up. 

9. Price
Okay, let's be honest - if a book is on ebook promotion or paperback clearance, that alone isn't enough to get me to buy it, but it will cause me to check out the above qualifications more closely. That's why some authors have a permanently free book or two (often the first book in a series), or take part in programs like Kindle Unlimited. They want readers to give them a chance. Good books are worth full price, and supporting authors is important. If you do take advantage of deals (and we all do!), try to give back by posting honest reviews, and if you liked the book, follow and promote the author as you can. They'll appreciate you and be reminded why they go to the effort of writing these books in the first place! 😊

Find more Top Ten Tuesday posts at That Artsy Reader Girl.

 


Jill Eileen Smith is a well-known writer of Biblical fiction, though somehow I have missed reading her books thus far. Unmatched dreams, though -- now that's something I'm more familiar with. Like most Christian women, I've read plenty about the ladies in the Bible, but something about this book seemed a little different. For one, Smith picks women from early in the Old Testament -- all these women come from either Genesis or Exodus. I don't know about you, but for all I've seen on the more popular Biblical women, I've never read anything that included an in-depth look at the wives of Lot or Potiphar. Hmm!

In another unique twist, Smith includes portions in each chapter when she dives into first-person fictional slices of that woman's life. This really sets the scene and gets you thinking about these stories in ways you might not have before. How willing a participant was Leah in tricking Jacob to marry her? What went through the mind of Lot's wife as she hosted the men who predicted the destruction of her city? These are questions for which we'll never know the answer, but Smith does an excellent job drawing out each woman's voice and perspective on the way things might have been.

I hadn't even reached the end of the first chapter before I began collecting quotes form this book. The first one I wrote down? "The details of our hurts don't matter so much as the fact that we have them." Ooh, that is good! I kept writing them down all throughout the book. Another of my favorites came from Chapter 8: "Never be afraid to ask for grace."

Two chapters in this book that really spoke to me were the ones on Hagar and Leah, women who went through a great deal of pain and were despised for various reasons. All the chapters were really good, and the truths on display are applicable to today's world. I'd recommend this for women everywhere, especially those in need of knowing they are not alone in whatever they may be facing. The women of the Bible were just as real as you and me, and the God who was involved in their lives is the One who cares for us even now.

I received my copy of the book from the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

 


Raised with wealth and privilege, Charla Winthrop has tried to live up to her prestigious last name. She quickly found that wealth did not equal peace, nor did business success relate to personal fulfillment. Having visited the Ozarks for a developmental project and being drawn to its charm, Charla decides to make a fresh start of her life. She lands in the charming small town of Ruby, Missouri, and quickly makes friends with the local citizens.

Sam Packard lost his wife more than three years ago and has begun praying that God would send someone who could share his life and help him raise his daughters. When he meets the lovely new stranger he wonders if she could be the answer to his prayer. 

Excited to discover new passions and get to know who she is apart from the things that have controlled her in the past, Charla eagerly embraces the new things and people in her life. Is it too soon to be attracted to helpful handyman Sam and his lovable little girls? Charla must navigate her budding dreams, the expectations of herself and others, and contentious family relationships in order to find out who she is supposed to be.

I don't read a lot of contemporary romance, and while I enjoyed this story, I feel like true fans of the genre would be even more enchanted by it. I'm also not a fan of several of the tropes used within the plot, which isn't the book's fault at all. I do love small town stories, and this one was especially fun because I live in the Missouri Ozarks myself and get to experience the down home charm every day. It's a wonderful part of the country.

I'd recommend this for everyone who loves cozy contemporary romance, and I look forward to more books as Herron's Welcome To Ruby series continues.

Melanie Dickerson has brought us another exciting fairy tale retelling, and this time Mulan takes center stage! We're all familiar with the Disney version of the story, and perhaps you even know a bit about the original Chinese legend. Dickerson blends this well-known character with people and places from her Hagenheim series to form a delightful novel that her readers will love.

This Mulan has recently lost her distant and uncaring father, and, in order to save her mother's home, disguises herself as a man and takes her father's place in the army. They are marching to defend an ally against the attack of the evil Teutonic Knights. Her father's servant boy attends her, knowing she is a woman and helping guard that secret. He's no Mushu, but he plays a valuable role in helping Mulan.

Because she has training in archery, Mulan is able to fit in well when it comes to the shooting range, though she doesn't do so well in other fighting disciplines. When it is time for battle, her bravery comes as a surprise even to herself. Soon her name becomes synonymous with daring and courage.

I thought Dickerson did a good job balancing Mulan's femininity with the warrior aspect, and her unmasking made complete sense within the story, coming neither too soon nor being too drawn out. I enjoyed the hero and thought the conflicts he faced were well-drawn and natural. The way he is able to help her understand God as a loving Father was one of the highlights of the novel. One side character in particular will grab onto your heart, and I understand he's getting his own story in December, so I am very much looking forward to that!



I received my copy of the book from the publisher. All thoughts in this review are my own.