 |
|
This Month on FaithfulReader.com |
January 2008
|
|
|
|
A New Beginning...
|
|
When we opened our calendars to the first week of January it was time for a new beginning. Many of you I am sure set some new personal goals at the start of the year; I know I did. Yet as the pages of the calendars got flipped even just a couple of times, I am sure that you, like me, were "fine-tuning" those goals. One I am not changing --- my plan for reading for 2008. I read a lot, but my new vow is that each book will get a "50-page" read before I decide whether or not to continue it. I have decided that I want to concentrate my time in 2008 on the books that really grab my attention. If any of you have a reading goal for 2008, I would love to hear it. Drop me a line at Carol@bookreporter.com with a subject line of "reading goal" and let me know.
I moderated a panel about book clubs at the American Library Association Midwinter Meeting earlier this month that drove home to me once again the joy that being in a book club brings to so many readers. It was just wonderful. For those of you who are brainstorming book club selection ideas for 2008, we have four new study guides that are now available for Christian book clubs.
This month we are featuring study guides for AS HIGH AS THE HEAVENS by Kathleen Morgan, a gripping story of deceit, betrayal and unexpected love; SKIZZER by A. J. Kiesling, a suspenseful tale of a woman’s search for her true beginnings amidst her family’s hidden secrets; A PASSION MOST PURE by Julie Lessman, the first book in the Daughters of Boston historical romance series; and MONDAY NIGHT JIHAD by Denver Broncos kicker Jason Elam and Steve Yohn, a suspenseful story about a professional linebacker who returns to his former life as a member of a special ops team in order to prevent a terrorist attack. In addition to the guide for MONDAY NIGHT JIHAD, we are awarding a copy of the book to the winner of our Word of Mouth contest this month. Our second Word of Mouth contest title is LADY OF MILKWEED MANOR, a first novel by Julie Klassen, which is a moving romantic drama about the redemption of past failings and the beauty of sacrificial love. See below for more details.
One of our featured titles this month is THE VOW: How a Forgotten Ancient Practice Can Transform Your Life by Ed Gungor. In this book, Gungor inspires readers to find their own unique ways to commit their lives to God through the ancient practice of vow-making. We also shine a spotlight on HOW TO GET YOUR HUSBAND TO LISTEN TO YOU: Uncovering How Men Communicate, in which Nancy Cobb and Connie Grigsby use personal experience and biblical principles to help wives everywhere communicate better with their husbands.
Among the reviews in our Faithful Fiction, Christian Living and Marriage and Family Life sections are FIRST THE DEAD, the third installment in Tim Downs’s critically and popularly acclaimed Bug Man series, and CHASING SKINNY RABBITS by Dr. John Trent, a motivational book that teaches readers how to control the distractions that lessen the quality of life.
Be sure to weigh in on this month's Poll and Question. Do you keep your books after you read them? If you give them away, what do you do with them? And what books from your shelves define you?
Here's to enjoying these winter days in your own special way. May it include lots of time for reading and reflecting.
Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)
|
|
|
Study Guide Now Available: MONDAY NIGHT JIHAD by Jason Elam and Steve Yohn
|
|
MONDAY NIGHT JIHAD by Jason Elam and Steve Yohn (Thriller)
After a tour of duty in Afghanistan, Riley Covington is living his dream as a professional linebacker when he comes face to face with a radical terrorist group on his own home turf. Drawn into the nightmare around him, Riley returns to his former life as a member of a special ops team that crosses oceans in an attempt to stop the escalating attacks.
-Click here to read more about MONDAY NIGHT JIHAD.
-Click here to read an excerpt from MONDAY NIGHT JIHAD.
-Click here to read Jason Elam’s bio.
-Click here to read Steve Yohn’s bio.
|
|
Click here to see the study guide for MONDAY NIGHT JIHAD.
|
|
|
Study Guide Now Available: AS HIGH AS THE HEAVENS by Kathleen Morgan
|
AS HIGH AS THE HEAVENS by Kathleen Morgan (Historical Romance)
Heather Gordon has enjoyed the privileges of 16th-century Scottish nobility her entire life. Duncan Mackenzie has never known a life beyond the rugged Highland countryside. But a daring task brings this unlikely pair together. Deceit, betrayal and unexpected love will draw readers into this gripping story.
-Click here to read more about AS HIGH AS THE HEAVENS.
-Click here to read Cindy Crosby’s review of AS HIGH AS THE HEAVENS.
-Click here to read an excerpt from AS HIGH AS THE HEAVENS.
-Click here to read Kathleen Morgan’s bio.
|
|
Click here to see the study guide for AS HIGH AS THE HEAVENS.
|
|
|
Study Guide Now Available: SKIZZER by A. J. Kiesling
|
SKIZZER by A. J. Kiesling (Mystery)
After receiving news of her sister Becca’s abrupt disappearance, Claire Trowling begins searching for answers. After finding a stack of mysterious letters bound by a rare necklace, Claire leaves her home in North Carolina and heads to England --- the source of the heirloom --- for answers. Soon she realizes that she must piece together the shadowy remnants of a past she has long forgotten in order to save her family’s future.
-Click here to read more about SKIZZER.
-Click here to read an excerpt from SKIZZER.
-Click here to read A. J. Kiesling’s bio.
|
|
Click here to see the study guide for SKIZZER.
|
|
|
Study Guide Now Available: A PASSION MOST PURE: Daughters of Boston, Book 1 by Julie Lessman
|
A PASSION MOST PURE: Daughters of Boston, Book 1 by Julie Lessman (Historical Romance)
As World War I rages across the Atlantic in 1916, a smaller war is brewing in Boston. Faith O'Connor finds herself drawn to an Irish rogue who is anything but right for her. Collin McGuire is brash and cocky --- not to mention forbidden by her father. And then there's the small matter that he is secretly courting her younger sister. But when Collin's affections shift, it threatens to tear her proper Boston family apart.
-Click here to read more about A PASSION MOST PURE.
-Click here to read an excerpt from A PASSION MOST PURE.
-Click here to read Julie Lessman’s bio.
|
Click here to see the study guide for A PASSION MOST PURE.
|
|
|
Special Feature: LADY OF MILKWEED MANOR by Julie Klassen
|
|
LADY OF MILKWEED MANOR by Julie Klassen (Historical Romance)
After a mistake forces her to hide away in London’s forbidding “Milkweed Manor,” Charlotte Lamb comes face to face with a suitor from her past --- a man who now hides secrets of his own. Both are determined, with God's help, to protect those they love. But neither can imagine the depth of sacrifice that will be required.
-Click here to read an excerpt from LADY OF MILKWEED MANOR.
|
Click here to read more about LADY OF MILKWEED MANOR.
|
|
|
Now in Stores: THE VOW: How a Forgotton Ancient Practice Can Transform Your Life, by Ed Gungor |
|
THE VOW: How a Forgotten Ancient Practice Can Transform Your Life by Ed Gungor (Christian Life/Spiritual Growth)
God has called His people to be a light shining in contrast to the darkness of this world, yet even within the church marriage vows have apparently lost their staying-power. In his first release since the bestselling THERE IS MORE TO THE SECRET, Ed Gungor challenges the American church to arise and shine in authentic community through the ancient practice of vow-making.
-Click here to read Michele Howe’s review of THE VOW.
-Click here to read Ed Gungor’s bio.
|
Click here to read more about THE VOW.
|
|
|
|
|
Coming Soon: A List of Upcoming Books
|
If you’re wondering what books have been released recently, or are coming out in the months ahead, then be sure to check out our Coming Soon section on FaithfulReader.com. Currently we have titles from January through April listed. Please note that we have not included every book being published, but rather some that caught our eye --- and that we thought should catch yours as well.
|
Click here to see our Coming Soon feature.
|
|
|
|
|
Faithful Fiction Reviews
|
 |
FIRST THE DEAD: A Bug Man Novel by Tim Downs (Suspense)
Tim Downs’s third installment in the Bug Man series places readers squarely in the center of the Hurricane Katrina disaster while offering ideas about love, ethics and vocation. The interesting forensic information gives this story an edge over other novels in the suspense genre, and the author’s plot twists will keep readers engrossed until the last paragraph. Reviewed by Cindy Crosby.
SOLEMNLY SWEAR by Nancy Moser (Mystery)
Patti McCoy is accused of killing her boyfriend, Brett Lerner, and stands trial for his murder. Each member of the jury comes from a different background, but one in particular has a lot at stake by being involved in this case. The circumstantial evidence against the accused piles up, yet McCoy isn't the only one who has to deal with innocence and guilt. Or judgment. Reviewed by Maggie Harding.
WHISPERS OF THE BAYOU by Mindy Starns Clark (Fiction)
Blending intrigue with an interesting story of a woman’s journey of self-discovery and forgiveness, Mindy Starns Clark’s WHISPERS OF THE BAYOU is an engaging tale of suspense set against the backdrop of post-Katrina Louisiana. If you haven’t read her mysteries before, or have an interest in Cajun country, this is a good novel of Clark’s to begin with. Reviewed by Cindy Crosby.
EYES TO SEE by Bret Lott (Fiction/Short Stories)
Bret Lott, author of the novel JEWEL (an Oprah Book Club pick) offers a pithy collection of 10 short stories that show God at work in the world. This is a good introduction to the short story genre, with subtle faith themes for Christian readers that will inspire you to search out more of the same. Reviewed by Cindy Crosby.
|
Click here to read our Faithful Fiction reviews.
|
|
|
|
|
Christian Living Reviews
|
 |
CHASING SKINNY RABBITS: What Leads You Into Emotional and Spiritual Exhaustion...and What Can Lead You Out by Dr. John Trent (Christian Life/Personal Growth)
A national epidemic of exhaustion is raging across all cultures and social statuses with a huge price being paid in our lives and relationships. As award-winning author John Trent advises, if you don't understand and deal with life's Skinny Rabbits --- those things that distract you and lead you to a negative place --- more can't-miss strategies for gaining time and energy will simply lead to more exhaustion. Reviewed by Margaret Oines.
UNLIMITING GOD: Increasing Your Capacity to Experience the Divine by Richard Blackaby (Christian Living/Practical Living)
Former Canadian pastor Richard Blackaby invites readers to break out of their self-imposed limits and draw closer to God. His reminder that the God who made the universe desires to accomplish extraordinary things through ordinary people --- if we are willing --- should be especially challenging to Christians whose spiritual lives have gone flat. Reviewed by Cindy Crosby.
PRAYER POWER: How to Pray When You Think You Can’t by Marci Alborghetti (Prayer/Inspirational)
Faced with a “prayer-paralysis” when she was diagnosed with cancer, author Marci Alborghetti has used her own experiences to fashion a practical guide to prayer. In PRAYER POWER: How to Pray When You Think You Can’t, Alborghetti explores the questions that many people face: What is prayer? And how do we pray? Reviewed by Evelyn Bence.
WHY JESUS MAKES ME NERVOUS: Ten Alarming Words of Faith by Joy Jordan-Lake (Christian Living/Spirituality)
The Christian life is about more than avoiding things like murder, stealing and adultery. It’s about embracing and living out words of faith --- like resurrection, community, abundance, wisdom, blessedness, worship, forgiveness and hope. Reviewed by Evelyn Bence.
LIFE AFTER CHURCH: God's Call to Disillusioned Christians by Brian Sanders (Spiritual Growth)
In some religious circles, there is no greater heresy than walking away from church. For that and many other reasons, some Christians go through the motions week after week. But others have chosen to make the exodus, because to stay would be to live a lie. Brian Sanders calls these people "leavers" --- Christians who love God but who cannot in good conscience continue to be a part of a traditional church. The author knows these leavers well, because he is one of them. Reviewed by Marcia Ford.
JESUS WITHOUT RELIGION: What Did He Say? What Did He Do? What's the Point? by Rick James (Evangelism)
Most of us have to admit that our perception of Jesus is clouded by add-ons, a host of cultural and religious elements that serve as barriers to seeing Him as He truly is. Writing primarily for seekers and new believers, Rick James helps remove those barriers by presenting Jesus' words and actions in the ever-important context of the culture in which He lived. Reviewed by Marcia Ford.
SIMPLE CHURCH: Returning to God's Process for Making Disciples by Thom S. Rainer and Eric Geiger (Christian Living)
Based on case studies of 400 American churches, authors Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger prove that the process for making disciples has quite often become too complex. Simple churches are thriving, and they are doing so by taking these four ideas to heart: Clarity. Movement. Alignment. Focus. Reviewed by Margaret Oines.
|
Click here to read our Christian Living reviews.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FaithfulReader.com Poll
|
|
Do you keep your books after you read them?
I keep them all.
I keep some.
I do not keep them.
I do not buy books.
If you give books away, what do you do with them?
Give them to friends or family
Donate them to the library
Donate them to charity
Sell them to used bookstores
Other
I do not give books away.
|
|
Vote in our Poll here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
As always, here are a few housekeeping notes. If you are seeing this newsletter in a text version, and would prefer to see the graphics, you can either read it online or change your preferences below.
Those of you who wish to send mail to FaithfulReader.com, please see the form on the Write to Us page.
Thanks for reading....and don't forget to forward this newsletter to a friend.
--- Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)
The Book Report Network
250 W. 57th Street - Suite 1228
New York, New York 10107 |
|
|
