No Cape Required - A Devotional : 52 Ways to Unleash Your Inner Hero

The Bible is filled with stories that provide lessons for our daily lives. Jesus particularly saw the value of using stories, parables, to promote a lesson.  It is helpful and often fun way to educate. A primary way this is done are sagas of various "heroes" from Abraham to David and beyond.  At the same time, other cultures also had their own heroes -- like found in the Iliad or Romulus and Remus.  And, trend continued over the centuries, to modern times, now often in television and movies.

And, this is the subject of this book. It uses heroes in works like Star Trek or The Hunger Games to provide short lessons on subjects like charity, justice, hope in others, mentoring, wisdom, bravery and so on.  Let's take an example. Robin Hood is used to discuss charity.  We start with a biblical quote and then the hero's place in literature and cultural history is discussed. Then, we return to a biblical connection, given a prayer to use and examples of how to be charitable in your everyday life. Nothing profound, but especially for those who like movies and the like, it is a good way to use popular culture to teach lessons.  And, there are a lot of examples provided, at least some of which will appeal to many of the readers.

It is a creative idea done fairly well. The video is not quite connected to the book but seemed catchy.

Note: This book was given to me free by Book Sneeze [now BookLook]  in return for this review.

Running Lean

1) A term referring to a deficiency of fuel in the fuel-to-air ratio of an internal combustion engine. (2) A physical condition where not enough caloric fuel is present for optimal performance of the body. (3) A spiritual condition in which a believer relies on his own strengths.

The title of this first effort at teen fiction (novel form) is a metaphor. The male lead character (like the author -- write what you know!) is into bikes. Calvin is part of a large family and is struggling to get over the death of his older brother (and mentor) in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, his girlfriend (into manga -- again, like the author) -- who is his first real girlfriend and seemed to be the only one who really understood what he was feeling as he dealt with the death -- has serious problems of her own. Stacey has anorexia. This is flagged as a possibility in the first few pages by a friend of Calvin, but it takes much longer for him to truly face things and figure out what to do.

The book has some clear positives. We get a good sense of what the two characters are thinking, their inner monologues. The author provides two complete characters and their parallel stories along with some other supporting casts. I like books that provide such alternative points of view. The book also shows us how people can be basically good people and well meaning, but still not understand and/or do the right thing in various cases. The importance of truly supporting another person, even if you don't fully understand yet what is going on or know what exactly to do is true enough. Issues of God and spirit also show up, including early on with Calvin's best friend. Church going even played a role in them first going out. The author expresses her religious beliefs on her website for those interested.

I have to give it a mixed review though since the book felt too drawn out. The friend so early on bringing up "anorexia" was a bit of a misstep -- the warning signs were there from the beginning and it was a bit too soon to say that. After saying it, having over three hundred pages of text seemed a bit much. It seemed too drawn out to me. Mention was made by some about the clueless parents. That happens and the author noted one place (in answer to an online review) that it was partially a plot device -- you cannot have the parent serve as a sort of "deus ex machina" and end the story. I'm not really upset about that. I do think the book could have been shorter. Another concern for some was the nature of Stacey. Was she too clingy or needy? Well, yes, she had some issues -- anorexia grows out of such things. As to why Calvin stays, I think that is explained some -- she was there for him, he feels a special obligation to someone he loves (this might have religious overtones) and the same sense of hyper-order that she feels compelled to use to keep sane in some fashion helps to put an order to HIS life. This sort of complexity adds to the story.

Overall, it was a serious look at major issues for teens today, including the economic issues that Calvin had to deal with. It was overlong but was a promising first effort.

I obtained this book from Book Sneeze in return for this review.

Once-a-Day Country Faith Devotional

I obtained this book free from Book Sneeze in return for providing a review.

Was overall impressed with this book. It is in effect a bible quotation book that does what the title says -- provide reflections from fifty-six leading country music stars on their favorite biblical quote. The basic format: a nice glossy picture of the star(s) in question, the quote and a short discourse on what the quotation means to them. Nothing profound but a nice way to examine the Bible in a good looking package. The book also includes the Gospel of Mark.

The title is a bit curious in that it is not really "once a day" since we just have the fifty-six reflections. The Book of Mark is provided perhaps because it is the shortest gospel. The aim is to help the reader pick their own favorite passage and this suggests a certain Christian focus. But, the verses chosen are from both testaments of the Christian Bible.

Dear Mr. Knightley: A Novel

Jane Austen in Northanger Abbey noted that a novel is "some work in which the greatest powers of the mind are displayed, in which the most thorough knowledge of human nature, the happiest delineation of its varieties, the liveliest effusions of wit and humour, are conveyed to the world in the best-chosen language.”

This along with the pleasure so many have reading them has led her own books to inspire a range of volumes as well (and at least one movie, Clueless). A book referencing a character from Austen's Emma suggests this too is one of that character. Mixing in a bit of a Dickens touch, this tale is about an orphan who gets a chance to Northwestern University’s prestigious Medill School of Journalism via scholarship. In return, she has to write to her beneficator, who is going by, yes, Mr. Knightley. Shades of "The Education of Samantha Moore." It's a nice device though extensive epistolary novels (letters) do personally bore me after awhile. The importance here is the nature of the character and the interest held in their stories. Here, we see the development of Ms Moore's character, which as Austen fans know, is a key theme in her novels as well.

Others note that this seems to be in the style of an old novel, but really -- lots of things are modeled on other things. We need to judge the book itself, not how it stands against some novel from when the Titanic went down (in real life!). On that level, it's a pretty good read. Judge for yourself.

This book was obtained free from Book Sneeze in return for this review.

Sweet Olive

Matt Damon recently starred in a movie called "Promised Land" in which he played someone whose job it is to get people to agree to sell the rights of their land so his firm can use it for fracking (hydraulic fracturing, or a process where highly pressurized water, sand, and chemicals are are injected into wells, where they break apart rock containing natural gas). He goes to "the heartland," so to speak, to do this, but has a change of heart.

The heroine of this book, Camille Gardner, has a job somewhat similar -- to convince landowners to lease their land to gas and oil companies to drill wells to extract the gas and oil. She too, if not exactly for the same reasons, runs into complication too. Turns out that Camille doesn't really want to be in this line of work. Her passion is art and dreams about owning an art gallery. So, when she feels obligated to take one more job to negotiate new land deals from a group of artists in Sweet Olive, well, trouble brewing is no surprise. She starts to fall in love with the community and the locals ... the book provides a sort of paean to small town life and the "important things in life." And, if one is wondering where Book Sneeze -- who gave me a complimentary copy for this review -- comes in, yes, we also come to see how Camille has to turn to God to direct her path professionally and personally in order for her to do what is right.

Jane Austen in "Northanger Abbey" noted that a novel is "some work in which the greatest powers of the mind are displayed, in which the most thorough knowledge of human nature, the happiest delineation of its varieties, the liveliest effusions of wit and humour, are conveyed to the world in the best-chosen language.” If that is the test, this one is pretty good.

NIV College Devotional Bible

I first read the Bible some time ago and it has charm straight. But, the full experience requires commentary, background and contemplation. The reader, Christian or not, is well advised to take each into consideration, if they wish to truly understand and enjoy the benefits of the book -- yes, it is the "Holy Book," but this is basic to any great work of literature.  So, it should be here as well.

This Bible is one of many -- there is in effect a cottage industry out there of Bibles geared to various groups. One review thought this might get to the point that things will be watered down:

The NIV Bible is for everyone and to prove it Zondervan will make a version for you. The version differences? You'll get a different cover and a bunch of topically sorted comments/devotions. Do you enjoy the outdoors? Got you covered: NIV Outdoorsman Bible. Are you a young girl? NIV Faithgirlz! Bible, Revised Edition. Teen? NIV Teen Study Bible. Teen guy? NIV Revolution: The Bible for Teen Guys: Updated Edition. Married? NIV Couples' Devotional Bible: New International Version. What if someone in your family is in the military? Even that: NIV New Testament - Military Family (with Psalms): Peace for the Military Family. And a million more.

Oh, I think that a bit unfair though I understand the concern. This copy has the basics, including such things as Table of Weights and Measures and blank pages for journals. It is a pretty attractive copy -- this might be deemed trivial, but if you just want a Bible with no frills at all, would you get this one? -- though the cover is a bit bland. Perhaps, it is intended to look like a college textbook?

The Bible has various lessons intermingled between the readings though they don't really seem consistently geared to students particularly.  There is a little lesson and some questions the answer and think about. It should be noted that this version is Protestant though as a Catholic, I can tell you that the average reader very well might not know the difference though the books of Tobit and Judith are two are of my favorite ones.

Overall, I think the lessons are interesting, but nothing you know, fascinating. So, three stars.

* I received this book for review from Book Sneeze, but this review is my own.

Book Review: Jesus, My Father, the CIA, and Me: A Memoir…of Sorts

Ian Cron in this memoir shares his experiences growing up with an alcoholic father who is emotionally absent from his family, and physically absent for months at a time because of his work with the CIA.

Cron slips back and forth between the present and the past, telling us his both his father’s story and his own. I am a huge fan of this technique, and it works so well with Cron’s story. Going back and forth allowed me to put the pieces of the story together, and again, a non-linear storyline forces me to really focus on what I’m reading. Cron’s story was interesting and funny enough as it was, but I loved that I couldn’t just speed through it.

And that’s the thing — this book had a great humor to it. Cron had every right and reason to be angry — deception and disease in your family when you are young sometimes leaves you that way — but has made peace with the life he has lived and instead of coming across bitter and angry, he comes across as raw and honest and funny. I couldn’t help but laugh several times throughout the book, and that made his message of God’s goodness and grace and His desire to have a relationship with everyone even more poignant.

This style made the reading that much more receptive to his message. Medicine can use a bit of honey, morality can use a bit of help too.

** This book was obtained for free from Book Sneeze, but this review is my own.