The Choosing by Rachelle Dekker

Yes, she is the daughter of #1 New York Times Bestselling author Ted. Yes, her name was the basis for a character in The Circle Trilogy. Yes, she has decided to bank on her family name to get added traction in the publishing realm.

Can we move on from that?

Rachelle Dekker has created an excellent debut in what I assume will be a series of thought-provoking novels.

In The Choosing we meet Carrington, a young lady who awaits her fate in a world consumed with religiousity. Will she be chosen by a young man to be married or will she fade into obscurity?

There are so many big themes running through this book. The one to get most of the traction is, "what/who creates your identity"? Are you who you are because of your status, power, family name? Are you "somebody" because someone chooses to love you?

Dekker creates thick characters - there is much to digest even in this first book, and I'm sure the development will simply grow deeper as the series continues. Following Carrington through seeming failure on to rejection followed up with second chances feels authentic.

The supporting characters didn't feel cartoony or cliched in any way.

And we can't forget the mysterious Aaron character...

Much of this book reminded me of Ted Dekker's storytelling: there's the idea that this is the Seers series and it has to do with ones identity. (Ted Dekker's recent Outlaw Chronicles dealt rather exclusively with that topic) You also had the religion-gone-bad theme that can often be found in a senior Dekker book. Plus the inclusion of a "Jesus" character.

Having said all that - this did not take away from Rachelle's "voice" telling the story she wanted to tell. In fact, I highly recommend this book. It is filled with emotion and connection that has been quite lacking in other young-adult-post-apocalyptic books.

In the first few chapters there are hints at the past; a few moments of explaining how the country came to be in this religious-heavy situation.  I hope to get further glimpses as the story continues.

Pick this book up and enjoy the incredible ride!

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

Below is a Q&A with the author.

How did you come up with the story for The Choosing?

This is a hard question because it has many answers. I wanted to write a theme-based novel about identity. I wanted to write a dystopian novel. I

wanted to write in a world that was familiar, but in a setting where I could change the way the world worked.

It actually is several ideas I’d been toying with pulled into one story. Once I landed on Carrington’s core revelation and story arc, I simply fell in love with her as a character and drew the rest of the

story around her. That’s usually how it works for me. I come up with a

character, good or bad, and create the story from there. 

Throughout the book, Carrington struggles with understanding her identity and

worth and what is true. Why did you decide to write about the theme of identity?

Someone once asked me, If you could leave one message for your younger sisters,what would it be? The answer was always the same:

I would pray they knew what they were worth. Identity is everything. There isn’t a theme that doesn’t start with identity, or circle back to identity. Knowing who you truly are is the greatest journey we face. Am I enough; am I worth it?

I believe everyone faces these questions, and I sought out to explore them

through this story.

Flipped by Doug Pagitt

When a book gets blurbs from Rob Bell, Shane Claiborne, and Brian McLaren you should have a fairly good idea what direction you will find inside.

Pastor Doug Pagitt had an experience via conversation that turned his theology/Bible understanding on its head - hence the title Flipped.

This is very much a book submerged in the Emergent stream as a major premise is that many Christians view their relationship with God in an If/Then scenario; if I do this, then God will respond in this way.

Pagitt no longer holds that view. He spends eleven chapters unpacking his new understanding of God and what it means for people to be "in God".

He does very well with using metaphor and personal anecdotes to flesh out some big ideas. There's a taste of Rob Bell in his writing but he doesn't quite have the Bell-prose. Sometimes I felt a little out in left field as he dove into some of the more complicated science-y content. But then he would pull me back closer after a few paragraphs.

And while I'm on the topic of pulling me back in - for much of the book I was in agreement with him. I found myself nodding and thinking, I've preached on some of this stuff - maybe not exactly as fluently but in a similar vein.

But then he would take a step away and, at times, it felt like he was promoting a brand of "God is everything/everything is God". Only for a moment and then he would pull back and continue on a path with which I was familiar. It was very stretching. I would think, "this is good stuff." then he'd flip and I'd think, "wha-huh?!?!"

Very interesting approach to stories from the Bible and the things that Jesus said. I won't say I agree with all of his ideas but it was an enjoyable experience.

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by Convergent Books.

What Every Christian Needs To Know About Passover by Rabbi Evan Moffic

It's like having a Seder Meal in book form.


This opens the eyes of Christians (or anyone for that matter) to the significance of the "cup & bread" meal that is practiced in churches all over the world.

Moffic brings out the inspirational aspects not just for the meal but in the rich tradition of the Jewish holiday.

He sends us back to the ancient world and thought from whence this ritual began, skips ahead to early Christianity and even provides application for our world.

This is so much more than a "how-to" book. It provides the clearest of understandings.

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by Abingdon Press.

Did God Really Command Genocide by Paul Copan and Matthew Flanagan

Stop reading reviews and buy this book.


Copan and Flanagan have penned an excellent read regarding the God of the Old Testament, our opinions of him and our interpretation of the violence therein.

The book is divided into four parts:
1) Genocide Texts and the Problem of Scriptural Authority
2) Occasional Commands, Hyperbolic Texts, and Genocidal Massacres
3) Is It Always Wrong to Kill Innocent People?
4) Religion and Violence

The meatiest section are parts 2 and 3. These two delve into the texts and provide amazing food for thought. The title, permeates throughout each chapter. Did God really command genocide?

Now I realize that question sounds an awful lot like the question the serpent raised to Eve. And thus, many Christians will scoff at this book and dare not open the pages.

But try it. Read the ideas and proposals from Copan and Flanagan and come to your conclusions. We don't want to read what they say in a book review. So get the book.

Perhaps you won't agree with their studies and conclusions. Perhaps they'll get you to think about Scripture in a new way. Perhaps this book will provide a gateway to you reading your Bible.

This is a fantastic book. No matter if you are a fundamentalist, or a scathing hater of Christianity. This book will provide hours/days of conversation and reflection.

I couldn't recommend it more!

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by Baker Books.

The Complete 101 Collection by John Maxwell

I have been a fan of John Maxwell for a while now.


This hardback book is a collection of his eight 101 books. They cover attitude, self-improvement, leadership, relationships, success, teamwork, equipping, and mentoring.

If you have read any of Maxwell's books, you know what you'll find in these short "chapters". Many anecdotes along with quotes from other motivational speakers.

Mainly large swaths of general ideas that you can form into practical applications.

As Maxwell was once a minister, he touches on implementing these 101s in a familiar setting but he's also touched base with the public sector/CEO world to make this an all accessible leadership library.

You probably won't want this book if you already have the 101's individually, but this would make a fantastic gift for anyone in a leadership position. (It would make a great graduation gift as well!)

Maxwell has carved himself a fairly lucrative niche and this collection is a find addition to anyone's library.

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