The Grace Effect by Larry Taunton

Larry Taunton does a great service to the idea of adoption with this book. But what does it say about grace?

Taunton and his wife decide to adopt a Ukrainian named Sasha. While working within the system and experiencing the "fun" of foreign red tape, Larry discovers, and shares with us, how to change the world.

Part apologetic and part story, The Grace Effect could be read as two different books.

While talking about grace, there's the chance you could get overwhelmed with the big theological words and ideas but Taunton brings it across in a way that is very accessible to anyone. You'd almost wish he was your college professor.

The second part of this book promotes the idea that Christianity is the best thing that could happen to The United States and the rest of the world because of the grace of God.

There will be many critics of this book crying foul to using a heart-warming story of adoption to push a Religious Right agenda.

Maybe this book would have been better if it was only about adoption or only about grace but the deal with Larry Taunton is that he learned more of the one through the process of the other.

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by Thomas Nelson Publishing.

Surprised by Hope by N.T. Wright

This book connected with me on all cylinders.

Surprised by Hope is Wright's attempt to explain the biblical teaching on the resurrection of the dead, what happens when we die, heaven and how the church should act in light of these teachings.

Then he throws in the typical Wrightian thoughts on the Kingdom of God and global debt forgiveness for good measure.

It may have been the season in which I was reading this book but I could not put this down. It seemed as if every chapter had moments where I wanted to scream out, "Hallelujah".

As with other works by Wright, he builds each chapter upon what was discovered from the previous one. He breaks this book into three parts: Setting the Scene in which he explains the different views of life after death and how there is so much confusion out there. He walks us through the early church thought of Easter and the ramifications.

Part two is God's Future Plan. This was the biggest emotional, spiritual, intellectual boost and encouragement for me. This is where Wright explains about the Kingdom of God and how Jesus understood it, moving on to what the second coming is all about and how Jesus acts as judge. Lastly he discusses what the redemption of our bodies will be and how Scripture refers to a physical bodily resurrection and not some sort of spirit resting in paradise.

Wright's thoughts on Purgatory, Paradise and Hell are refreshing even as this book was written before Rob Bell's Love Wins. Even if this isn't the book for an exhaustive study, it may have set more people at ease.

The final part deals with what we can do, as the church, now that there is a fuller understanding of what the Kingdom of God is all about and what it should look like as we live the rest of our lives.

Simply a terrific book. I can't wait for the next Wright book.

Moneyball

Remember when the Athletic A's won 20 straight games?

Neither do I. But this is the basis for the movie Moneyball. Brad Pitt stars as Athletic A's General Manager Billy Beane.

Back in the day, Beane was drafted into the Pros right out of High School on the promise that he was going to be one of the greatest ball players in the history of baseball. Alas, this prophecy did not pan out. Beane never grew into the athlete the scouts imagined he would become, and after multiple trades, he became a scout and then GM of the A's.

After losing three of their greatest players to the Yankees, Beane realizes they will never compete with the kind of money teams like New York or Boston are willing to throw around. He visits Cleveland for a possible trade and meets a fresh-from-Yale gradutate, played by Jonah Hill.

Hill's ideas about players and how the stats come into play for scouts intrigues Beane who hires him as his new Assistant.

Of course, their new ways of doing things upsets the veteran scouts and even the team's field manager. (Philip Seymour Hoffman)

How could a bunch of no-namers lead a team to victory?


I was impressed with Jonah Hill. I have grown tired of his kind of comedy so it was refreshing to see him in a semi-serious role next to the always-great Pitt. And Philip Seymour Hoffman can hit any role out of the park.

This is a decent baseball movie. It tacks on the added bonus of being based on actual events. So even though you may know how the movie will end, it's fun to see how things worked out behind the scenes.

The only downside was the length. There were many times I felt it could have ended or, at least, cut out a few scenes to make it not as long. Of course it could have been that I was tired and ready for bed but had to finish the film first...

The Devil in Pew Number Seven by Rebecca Nichols Alonzo

There is no way I would put up with what this family went through.

There is no way I would allow my family to be harassed, threatened, fired upon, or so close to bombs that the shattered glass falls into the son's crib while he sleeps.

There is no way I would forgive the man who murdered my mother and father like the author, Rebecca and her brother, has. This is my weakness that I will have to deal with and wrestle for as long as I live. But there is absolutely no way that I would forgive a person who did the things recorded in this book.

Mr. Watts had a lot of influence in the town and church that Rebecca's father became pastor of. When changes began to take place and more people were turning to Christ, Mr. Watts made his displeasure known.

Before the era of caller ID, Mr. Watts would call their house with death threats. He would fire his gun at their house while they slept. He exploded dynamite around their house and the church.

Through all of this, the church begged Rebecca's father to stay as pastor.

It finally came to a horrible end when Mr. Watts invaded their home and killed both parents.

This book deals with how the children of the murdered were able to forgive this horrible human being. Rebecca walks you through the idea of "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse".

I must be a coward, but I would have skipped out of town when the threats started. Or at least I would have explained to the church that their pastor needed help. "If you want me to stay, you need to do something about this man."

Instead, he was allowed to kill two innocent people. And then he was forgiven by their children.

Extraordinary tale. You will be changed from reading this book.

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by Tyndale Publishing

Shark Night

This is not a movie for those who enjoy decent movies. By no means is Shark Night a decent movie.

The acting is bad. The storyline is practically DOA. The CGI and puppet sharks try to give it a go but it never jumps.

A group of college students head out to a lakeside house in Louisiana for a break. While at a gas station, they have a momentary scrap with a couple lame-brained locals. Obviously these locals will play some further plot point later on in the story.

After stripping down to their swim wear, three of them go out on a boat for some water boarding. (Not the torture but you wouldn't know the difference at this point) The dude gets hit, from below, by a shark and loses his arm. Later he takes a spear out to the shallows in order to get him some revenge on the shark that kills his girlfriend.

But all-in-all, expect one or two of these "kids" to survive the shark attacks.

The story will try to explain why sharks are in a lake and why they have cameras attached to them.

I don't understand why every shark movie since Jaws has been dismal. It must be quite difficult to come up with a decent movie about shark attacks. Add to that the difficulty of creating realistic sharks and I doubt if we'll ever get a shark movie worth it's soup.

I'd expect to see this film honored on Mystery Science Theatre 3000 before anything else.

Oh so bad.

0 shark fins out of 10.

Man Alive by Patrick Morley

From the author of The Man in the Mirror comes seven primal needs that need to be transformed.

Patrick Morley gives the kind of encouragement that men need. This isn't the kind of feminine-man-book that is so prevalent in the Christian publishing world. This is from a man who has met with thousands of men, knows how we think, talk and what we need.

Morley believes that 90% of Christian men feel stagnant and lead defeated lives. Is this you?

Each chapter deals with a primal man-need:

Not doing life alone
To believe God cares about me personally
To believe life has a purpose
To break free of destructive behaviors
To satisfy the thirst for awe
To love without reservation
To leave the world a better place

As with many Christian "self-help" books, you'll find discussion questions after each chapter intended to keep you thinking. Each chapter has quick and easy steps with fast facts. This is exactly what men need to keep us engaged with a book that might be seen as less-than-manly.

There is also an 8 week DVD study to accompany this book at some point down the road. But I'm guessing the book will be enough for me.

The anecdotes were entertaining and helped create a more full reading experience.


This book was provided for review, at no cost, by WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing

The Pact by Steven M. Gillon

Telling the, until recently, top secret story of how President Clinton and Speaker Gingrich almost solved the Social Security/Medicare problem.

If you were old enough during the 90s, you may remember how heated the political climate was between Democrats and Republicans. This era was based on two personalities: Bill Clinton and Newt Gingrich.

Author Gillon takes us back to these two personalities and how their upbringing through the 1960s shaped what was to come thirty years later.

While I would call this book slightly pro-Clinton, I do think this is one of the most balanced political book I have ever read. Gillon points out the values of both men as well as their vices.

When you boil both men down, you'll actually find two very similar people. Although they never trusted each other, they wanted to be part of something historic.

After the Republican take-over of Congress and some public venom from Gingrich, the two men realized that they needed to work together in order to accomplish something no politician ever wants to touch.

Meeting in secret, so secret that Hillary didn't know about it, Speaker and President met in the White House to talk about how they could create a new coalition of middle ground in order to pass significant legislation.

Everything was in place to succeed until "Monica happened".

The Pact is a wonderful political epoch. It provides a wonderful behind-the-scenes narrative which will lead you to imagine, What if...

This book was provided for review, at no cost by Oxford Publishing

Afraid to Believe in Free Will by Carlos E. Begley

Boy was I confused about this book.

What I thought would be an engaging discussion on the differing views of Free Will and what the Bible has to say about the issue turned out to be a graduate-level psychology thesis that, outside of the deeply intellectual or psychology/theology student, will cause most eyes to twirl in their sockets.

Begley pulls out all the stops from almost every psychologist who ever lived and how their interpretations of human existence plays a role in how we view Free Will. (Whether it exists or is simply a fantasy)

Begley will take you on a lengthy journey through humanity and explains why the thought of Free Will has corroded and why we are afraid of it.

Students of human behavior and patterns will thrive under the heavy-handed pen of Begley. After the first chapter I was taken back to my Sophomore year of college, looking out the window for freedom. This is not a critique of the book or the author. His insights and the quality of research are enough to keep the flames burning.

I was simply caught off guard by the density and I never recovered from the initial shock. This is not a book to be read while curled up with a blanket. This is a book that demands a pen and paper along with your highlighter. And maybe five cups of coffee.

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by Thomas Nelson Publishing.

Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Lost Command

This is a graphic novel by Dark Horse comics. It tells an interesting story of how desperate Vader is to comply with his master's wishes.

When Grand Moff Tarkin's son goes missing with an Imperial Fleet, it's is up to Lord Vader to locate and rescue the important boy.

As with all things Star Wars, things don't go according to plan and Vader finds himself at the mercy of his blistered and psychologically-damaged intellect.

The artwork is up to par with what you would expect from Dark Horse and the story is something that helps fill in gaps of Anakin-turned-Vader's character.

You'll find his mind haunted by the death of his wife and desperate to be close to her once again.

This is almost what Star Wars fans would have liked to see on the big screen instead of the whiny, pathetic excuse of a man/boy of the prequels.

Either way, this is a find addition to the Star Wars lore.

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by Dark Horse Comics.

The God Whom Moses Knew by J. Roger Nelson M.D.

This is an interesting take on the Moses story.

Told in a novel, Dr Nelson explores the relationship between Moses and God. We begin with Moses returning from a successful battle for Egypt. He has lost two of his generals and we witness him throwing a fit in anger against the gods he's grown up with.

Moses worshiping idols? This is a view many Christians wouldn't entertain. Wasn't Moses always a follower of God? This is where The God Whom Moses Knew opens the windows of "what if" with historical plausibility behind it.

Most of this book follows the biblical story but it also adds some flavor, as with most fiction, in order to create a richer experience. (Can we say something like that without being stoned by the Evangelical Christians today?)

Nelson plays out the relationships between Moses and the other characters that aren't explained in the biblical narrative. This creates a kind of postmodern flavor to the story we see on television every Easter.

Whenever you go beyond was is in the Bible, you'll have people upset with stretching the facts or distorting whatever their truth is. But this is an enjoyable novel that gives readers a realistic "what if" dimension to Moses and his relationship with Israel, Egypt and God.

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by Thomas Nelson Publishing.

Real Marriage by Mark & Grace Driscoll

Do you need yet another book explaining what marriage is all about? Do you want to read a book that will claim to be the authentic voice on marriage because all the "other marriage books" fail to be transparent?

Mark Driscoll wants to use his marriage as a template for some of the insights he has gained, along with his wife, of this relationship that has a 50/50 survival rate.

By the subtitle, we're told we're going to learn "the truth" about sex, friendship and life together.

This is basically two parts:
1. Marriage
2. Sex

In part one, you'll read five chapters about the relationship/friendship aspects of a marriage. Like most marriage books you'll read about things from a man's perspective and then a woman's.

In part two, you get the typical, "sex is a gift from God and we've screwed it up" mantra. They also dish the truth on porn and its devastating effect on marriages.

The chapter that everyone will immediately turn to before even reading the book is chapter ten.

Titled, "Can We _______?" This chapter deals with questions that are on couple's minds but are typically afraid to ask. Driscoll provides the response by giving three criteria: is the act that you're asking about lawful? (meaning does the Bible speak against it?), is it helpful? (will it strengthen you're relationship), and is it enslaving? (will this act destroy the marriage)

I'm not a big fan of Christian Marriage books. They tend to say the same thing using slightly different words and yet they don't seem to be working in the overall scheme of society.

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by Thomas Nelson Publishing.

Corridor by Robin Parrish

Robin Parrish had me on the edge of my seat the entire time.

In Corridor, seventeen year old Troy finds himself in a room with a voice in his head. The voice tells him to, "Run!" When he makes it out of one room, he enters a new room with all new obstacles.

He learns this voice belongs to a girl named Victoria and she is supposed to guide him through the Corridor. There are multiple rooms and if Troy doesn't move fast, he could very well die.

These rooms will push his body and mind to the very brink and when you don't think it could ask for any more, this Corridor will demand so much more.

I thoroughly love everything Parrish writes. He never drops the ball with his pacing. His plots keep me turning page after page until late in the night.

True to Parrish-form, Corridor has characters with such depth that so much is revealed slowly throughout the book. Each chapter will leave you chomping at the bit for more answers.

When the answers come, they don't feel rushed or forced; they feel as if I should have known it all along.

Once I turned the last page, I sat back and imagined the day when I can return to this world Parrish has created. I hope he writes a sequel so we can do some more exploring.

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by StoneHouse Ink.

The Canary List by Sigmund Brouwer

Like many of Brouwer's books, The Canary List starts off very slowly. In the age of adrenaline thrillers, his books have been shut simply because people don't have the patience to wait it out.

What would you do if a girl came to your house and begged you to help her?

This is the entry point for a great book to keep you thinking and sharing the ideas with your friends long after you've finished.

You'll go for a journey all over the world as you look to figure out what exactly is up with this girl.

You will feel as if you are beside her as she goes through such horrific situations. Some are fantastic but that's okay because this is fiction.

This book is a wonderful conversation piece when finished.

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing.

When Your Teenager Becomes the Stranger in Your House by Gregory L. Jantz, PhD

Many parents are anxious for when their children enter the teen years. It's difficult to navigate the mood swings and the hours they spend alone in their rooms. They ask the question, "What's going on with my teenager?"

Dr. Gregg Jantz has written a book to help parents during this time. If you have questions about your teenager, Dr Jantz will offer answers with practical advice in his Take-It-Home sections.

Need hope? This book may give you the glimmer.

There are ten chapters and they are stocked full of information to pull your thoughts out of despair and helplessness and into a place where you can take steps to "figure it out".

Of course, we're talking about teenagers here so there won't be one answer for all type of thing here. But the answers and advice given will go a long way.

You'll cover topics such as:

Who are you and what have you done with my child?
What's going on with your teen.
The emotional roller coasters.
The shaky connections.
Determining when you need to get professional help for your teen.
How to be a powerful parent.

Each chapter includes a Bring It Home segment that solidifies the readings. If/When you get teenagers, this book will help allay your fears.

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by David C Cook Publishing.