Books Finished in April

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.