11 September 2015

Eve by Wm. Paul Young

★★★★★
The Shack shattered our limited perceptions about God. Eve will destroy harmful misconceptions about ourselves.

From the author of the 25-million copy bestseller The Shack comes a captivating new novel destined to be one of the most important and talked-about books of the decade.

When a shipping container washes ashore on an island between our world and the next, John the Collector finds a young woman inside – broken, frozen, and barely alive. With the aid of Healers and Scholars, John oversees her recovery and soon discovers her genetic code connects her to every known human race. She is a girl of prophecy and no one can guess what her survival will mean…

No one but Eve, Mother of the Living, who calls her daughter and invites her to witness the truth about her story – indeed, the truth about us all.

Eve is a bold, unprecedented exploration of the Creation narrative, true to the original texts and centuries of scholarship, yet with breathtaking discoveries that challenge traditional misconceptions about who we are and how we're made. As The Shack awakened readers to a personal, non-religious understanding of God, Eve will free us from faulty interpretations that have corrupted human relationships since the Garden of Eden.

Eve opens a refreshing conversation about the equality of men and women within the context of our beginnings, helping us see each other as our Creator does – complete, unique, and not constrained to cultural rules or limitations.

Thoroughly researched and exquisitely written, Eve is a masterpiece that will inspire readers for generations to come.


As one of the few people who has yet to read Wm. Paul Young’s The Shack, I can’t make any comparisons - good or bad - between it and his newest novel, Eve. But I can say that, on its own, I enjoyed Eve. Though the novel seemed to start slowly for me, since it took me a few chapters to acclimate to Young’s storytelling and interpretation, I couldn’t put it down once I had an understanding of the set-up. Young’s creative depiction of the creation story, as well as its implication for humanity, intrigued me and left me thinking and evaluating my understanding of the biblical story. Overall, Eve is a worthwhile and thought-provoking read, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.

Thanks to Howard Books and NetGalley, I received a copy of Eve and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

10 September 2015

How Could I Ask for More: Stories of Blessings, Battles & Beauty by Cindy Morgan

★★★★★
Award winning singer-songwriter Cindy Morgan's best-selling song celebrates the appreciation of the small blessings that make up a rich, full life. Here, she expands on this theme, sharing personal stories of her challenging childhood, struggles as a young adult, and the adventures of being a wife and mother. Morgan's evocative writing about the people, places, and experiences that make us who we are will touch the reader's heart, challenging them to understand God's many blessings – big and small.

Cindy Morgan’s How Could I Ask for More: Stories of Blessings, Battles & Beauty is quite an inspirational read. She tells stories from various seasons of her life and highlights the blessings - both big and small - she has found from God through her different experiences. It’s a beautiful book with great reflection and perspective. And with nice, short chapters, it’s an easy and enjoyable read. I would certainly recommend it interested readers, as well as those in need of discovering their own blessings. 

Thanks to Worthy’s First Look, I received a copy of How Could I Ask for More and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

The Reckless Love of God: Experiencing the Personal, Passionate Heart of the Gospel by Alex Early

★★★★✩
Does God really love me? 

Sometimes the bigger something is, the easier it is to forget. You may have heard all your life that God is love, but has the truth of that statement really sunk in?

In The Reckless Love of God, pastor and church planter Alex Early pulls you in close to ask if you've ever really considered what it means to say "Jesus loves me." God's love for us is real – he feels, knows, and even suffers on our behalf. Nothing will change your life, your goals, and your relationships faster than being captivated by this reality.

Whether you grew up as a Christian and have forgotten this essential truth, or if you're hearing it for the first time, you need to be reminded – and assured – of the simple, amazing, mind-blowing fact that God loves us.

In The Reckless Love of God: Experiencing the Personal, Passionate Heart of the Gospel, Alex Early addresses the truth and existence of God’s love. On this topic easily forgotten, doubted, or ignored yet remains important to remember, Early offers a thorough and completely approchable exploration worth reading. Though not necessarily a quick read, The Reckless Love of God is a great, beneficial read for Christian readers, as it is well-written and compellingly rooted in the Bible, and I would recommend it.

Thanks to Bethany House, I received a copy of The Reckless Love of God and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

09 September 2015

Tranquility: Cultivating a Quiet Soul in a Busy World by David W. Henderson

★★★★✩
Goodreads | Amazon
What if “How do I fit it all in?” is the wrong question?

We try to cram as much as possible into what little time we have – work, friends, play, rest – but there never seems to be enough time. Taking a cue from Ecclesiastes – "Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind" – David W. Henderson encourages us to move beyond merely trying to open up a bit of margin or to say no once in a while, and to take a purposeful step back from our lives to examine those internal and external dynamics that propel us into busyness and hurry. Sharing honest stories about his own struggles, he helps us explore the way the Scriptures frame time – understanding our times, making the most of the time, and trusting God with the rest.

If you're tired of feeling the push and pull of our time-bent culture, this book will be a welcome invitation to rest and to live artful and faithful lives marked by peace and tranquility.

These days, it’s all too easy to stay busy with a never-ending to-do list without allowing for time to slow down and rest. David W. Henderson, in his book Tranquility: Cultivating a Quiet Soul in a Busy World, encourages readers to reflect on the idea of time, how to use it well and keep focus on God. With a valuable use of Scripture amid ideas both relevant and applicable, this book is an entirely beneficial read, and I’m glad to have read it. It’s worth it.

Thanks to Baker Book Bloggers, I received a copy of Tranquility and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

About the Author
David W. Henderson (DMin, MDiv, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) is senior pastor of Covenant Church (EPC) in Indiana. He is the author of Culture Shift and has ministered in more than a dozen countries around the world. Married for more than thirty years, he and his wife, Sharon, have four adult children.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Brontë Plot

Hosted weekly by Breaking the Spine 
to spotlight eagerly-anticipated upcoming releases.

Title: The Brontë Plot
Author: Katherine Reay
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Expected Publication Date: 3 November 2015

When a rare-books dealer goes to England, she discovers more than just the famous writing haunts – she discovers how to love and be loved in today’s modern world.

Victoria Seward makes a living finding rare books through means that aren’t always on the up-and-up. But if it makes the clients happy, who is she really hurting? After all, everything always turns out all right in the end. At least it does in her favorite books, the ones her absent father sends every year on her birthday, no matter where he is.

When her unorthodox behavior ruins her relationship with her boyfriend James, Victoria knows something has to change – she has to change. Enter Helen, a wealthy client seeking a companion for her trip to England to purchase antiques, and who just happens to be James’s grandmother. Helen has secrets of her own, secrets that help her relate to Victoria more than anyone can guess.

As Victoria and Helen travel across England, Victoria suspects there is more to this trip than Helen lets on. When Helen’s health falters, Victoria reaches out to James, reigniting feelings that were never truly extinguished.

Everything comes to a head at Haworth, home of the Brontë sisters, when hidden offenses rise to the surface. Victoria’s happy ending is within reach – if she can step out of the literary world and into the life that’s been waiting for her all along.