The Bride Collector

I have to admit, the first few chapters of this book had me wondering if I should even continue reading. But I did. It’s Dekker. He has that way that just makes you want to know what happens and how the light shines in the end despite the darkness the story takes you through to get there. This story is dark, but it is full of pinpricks of light, like stars giving a glimpse of light in the darkest night. And the ending . . . oh what a beautiful ending. But I won’t say anything else about that now.

The Bride Collector brings together an interesting array of characters, full of a wit and beauty all their own. The FBI agents, Raines and Holden, are intriguing, but not so much as Roudy, Andrea, Cass, and Paradise. And in this story, while it does deal with those threatening to kill the body, it is also a story about what kills a person from within. The story is a beautiful story of love, and a story of facing the fears within oneself. While there is light at the end of the tunnel, the journey to get there is dark—but it is a beautiful and insightful read.

Radical by David Platt

So my recent facebook status—Are we settling for a Christianity that revolves around catering to ourselves when the central message of Christianity is actually about abandoning ourselves?—actually came from an excerpt of the book Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From The American Dream, a book by David Platt. And I must say, just the first chapter is a challenge to how anyone views their Christianity. It got me to think and I’m sure this is something I will be taking to heart for quite some time.

If the rest of the book is like the first chapter, I’m not sure steel-toed boots will help because this message is so weighty that you’ll feel your toes being stepped on as he asks questions and compares the message of the Word with the message of the church today. Are we shaping Jesus into what we want of Him, or are we letting Him shape us into what He wants of us?

This book is definitely on my must-read list.

You can also read the first chapter of this book (in PDF format) by going here:
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/2010/04/20/sneak-peek-radical-by-david-platt/


To order a free copy of The Radical Question: What is Jesus Worth to You then go here:
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/RadicalQuestion/

Roy Hallums: Buried Alive

Buried Alive is an intriguing book about the almost year-long captivity of Roy Hallums in Iraq. He relives the kidnapping and the captivity to great detail. Hallums was in captivity for 311 days, and while we don’t get to read about all of those days, with the information he provides it is easy to imagine each of the places he details. His family’s reactions are scattered throughout the book as well. The rescue by the US Special Forces is so touching at times it could make you cry.

Reading his family’s reactions is at times heartbreaking. There are times this story is so real to the reader that you forget you’re just reading a book and feel like you are there watching the events take place. You hear the voices of the captors and the other hostages. You can imagine the small room and cramped it must have been at times. Yet, we can never fully know just what this man endured. For he did endure. And he has now shared his story with the world. It is shocking, but it is most certainly inspiring.

Free To Be

“Can you not see that your fears of what could happen are keeping you from what could be?”

Free Book by Brian Tome is a great book that challenges our everyday thinking and invites us to enjoy freedom in Christ. He tackles the issue of strongholds that may keep us from experiencing that freedom. Then he offers advice and wisdom based on experience and Biblical understanding to help attack the fears that come at each one of us. He talks about forgiveness, the love all Christians are supposed to live by, and how God wants us to have freedom in Him.

This book certainly makes a person think about the fears that attack our lives every day. Some of them may be small, but they are still fears. As is pointed out several times, God didn’t give us a spirit of fear. That spirit of fear keeps us from living life to its fullest, keeps us from loving the most, and keeps us from experiencing all God has for us. Brian Tome confronts these things head on, and asks the reader to do the same. I certainly recommend this book to anyone that wants to deal with the fears and strongholds in their lives and experience life freely.

More to Read!

So I have been kind of busy lately. There has been school work to be done (Eng 102 and Phil 101). And with the reading I have had to do for those classes, I haven't read much for myself the last few of weeks. I am hoping to get this week's assignments done before the weekend so maybe I can enjoy a day or two of reading bliss. Here's my list:

I'm almost done with Brian Tome's Free Book. I must say, it is great read, and I have learned some things.

After that, I have Buried Alive by Roy Hallums. I am a bit nervous because it is a heavy topic.

Then I finally get to read Burn. I have been looking forward to this book for a while now. I'm sure it will be great.

Depending on whether another book arrives in time or not, I also have Karen Hancock's The Shadow Within. I ordered that one with a gift card a friend gave me for my birthday. I first read her book Light of Eidon in 2008 I believe. So I am looking forward to finally continuing this story.

So what about you? What good books have you read lately?