1. The Gilded Prospect by Philip Thurman *1/2
[Read from January 29 to April 03, 2013]
The author has a very unique
"voice," (writing style), which can be good or bad, depending on your
viewpoint. Actually, I think in this case it's both good and bad.
This left me scratching my head:
'He
traded between pulling at the meat and shoving fingers back into his
mouth to cool. Each struggling grind extracted minutes between
concentrated teeth for the lean scraps.'
Maybe the poetic
style appeals to you, and maybe I mainly didn't
like it because I was expecting something fast-paced. However, there
were some really confusing parts, especially near the beginning. Page
269 was also confusing. It didn't clearly explain where they were or
what they were doing until a page later. It could be I'm a little
thick-headed, but the unusual wording is not always easy.
Some of the formatting also made it harder to understand--such as missing paragraph breaks, so you don't know who is talking.
Other things I didn't like:
The
ambiguity of faith. Characters say, "You have to believe," but the
don't say "in God," (though perhaps it is understood from earlier
times), and they seem to assume God will have to heal their daughter if
they believe He will.
Then, there was an Indian festival, which
included totem pole, dancing, etc. Here's a quote from one of the
characters: '"No matter how modern this world becomes, we never forget
the honor of our ancestors and traditions. One of my sons may be my
grandfather just as I may have once been the head of Little Birch," his
tone shortened.
"Reincarnation?"
"Something like that. Our
complex traditions run many thousands of years. Just because we've
adopted a few modern conveniences doesn't mean we have to completely
abandon our past. . ."'
True, but if those traditions are antithetical to the Bible you should abandon them.
Another
odd quote: '"I'm as sore to the bone as any of you, but there's an
energy here. Almost feels like the arms of my people wrapping around us
tonight."'
The ending of the story, however, did have some good
lessons, having to do with fathers and sons and love. But overall it
could have been more riveting, compelling, and biblical in its
execution. For the author's first novel, it was quite good, and mainly
just needed a little more careful editing.
2. Nadia's Hope by Lisa Buffaloe *1/2
The
story is a little deeper than the cover would imply, but there was
still a lot of romance, which frustrated/embarrassed me. I skipped as
much as I could of the kissing parts.
I almost wasn't going to put this on my list here, but for record's sake, I decided I should.
It
is the story of a hurting young lady with nightmares that haunt her. I
cried for the character when her back-story was told. She eventually
finds hope in Christ, realizing we can't understand exactly why
everything happens.
The romance was shallow and not very godly
on the part of the Christian young man, but perhaps the deeper subjects
will help someone who has gone through similar horrors. The author
certainly put her heart and soul into the matter.
3. Daniel Boone by Roy Nemerson ***
[Read from April 09 to 11, 2013]
This is
an easy, children's fast-paced read, quite fun. I don't know if it's entirely
accurate, and some of the illustrations and stories were a bit overly
dramatic/romanticized, etc. There were a few (or at least one) vain use
of the Lord's name. Other than that, not bad.
4. Bound Together: How We Are Tied to One Another in Good and Bad Choices by Chris Brauns ****1/2
[Read from April 01 to 25, 2013]
The
doctrine of original sin is not an easy topic, so I was interested in
reading more about it. This book was written clearly, defining terms
for the layperson.
I rate this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. It is
helpful and encouraging, pointing time and again to Christ and the hope
found in Him in the midst of a sin-filled world. Our actions do affect
others, for good or bad, and yet there is One whose actions are stronger
than all of man's or Satan's. My only complaint is the repetitiveness
(though this may help drill it in the reader's head). It was still a
great blessing to read. I appreciated the quotes from the Bible and
Christian authors, and there are many additional worthwhile quotes and
thoughts in the book that I couldn't take time to post.
For a much more detailed review (my notes on the book) and a giveaway, see my previous post on this blog.
5. Tintin in America by Hergé ****
I read this classic comic book in one day. It is fun and crazy.
6. The Broken Ear by Hergé ***
[Read on April 30, 2013]
Another Tintin comic book which is also fun and crazy, but for some reason I didn't like it as well as the first.
