Book Review: The Ambition by Lee Strobel (and a GIVEAWAY!)

(Be sure and read at the bottom of this post to see how you can enter to win a copy of The Ambition!)





I have heard of Lee Strobel for years. He is the author of several apologetic books. He is a former atheist and wrote his first book, The Case for Christ, after setting out to prove Christianity as being false and then finding it to be true.

The Ambition is Mr. Strobel's debut in fiction, and I must say, it is a very impressive first novel. Fast-paced and interesting, the novel kept me entertained throughout.

The story is about a pastor of a megachurch in Chicago who becomes embroiled in politics and in the process is involved with people who are connected with the mafia.

Pastor Eric Snow decides to leave his church in order to become a U.S. senator, while the other contender for the seat turns out to be a judge who has agreed to fix a mob trial in exchange for a bribe. A newspaper reporter attempts to uncover secrets in both the candidate's lives and finds himself in danger.

Quoting from the blurb on the book cover:

"Strobel weaves these edgy characters into an intricate thriller set within a gleaming suburban megachurch, a big city newspaper struggling for survival, and the shadowy corridors of political intrigue. The riveting climax is as unforgettable as the contract killing that punctuates the opening scene."

This is a great first novel. I will be looking for more to come from Mr. Strobel. He has used his past experiences as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune to write a book that seems to be taken directly from today's news. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

I give The Ambition 4 1/2 out of 5 stars.

(I received this book from Anne Staszalek at AuthorsOnTheWeb for review purposes. I received no monetary compensation for this review. All opinions expressed are completely my own.)

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Now, for the GIVEAWAY! Would you like to win a copy of this new novel? All you have to do is add your name and email to the comment section. I will choose a winner on July 5th, so don't wait to enter!

Book Review: Tandem by Tracey Bateman

As of now, I know I can officially declare myself not "with it" and out of touch with what is cool today. But that's all right with me because if being cool means I should like books like Tandem, then I say, "no problem".

I feel that I have been hoodwinked. I went to the publisher's website to choose a book to review. I clicked on the blurb for Tandem, and this is what it said:

"As obsession and loss become dark partners, how far must the people of Abbey Hills go to survive?

Six months ago, brutal murders shook the small Ozark town—murders that stopped after a house fire reportedly claimed the killer’s life. Lauryn McBride's family auction house has taken responsibility for the estate sale of one of the victims—the enigmatic Markus Chisom. Submerging herself in Chisom’s beautiful but strange world, Lauryn welcomes the reprieve from watching Alzheimer’s steal her father from her, piece by piece. She soon realizes that centuries-old secrets tie Abbey Hills to the Chisom estate and a mysterious evil will do anything to make sure those secrets stay hidden. Even the man who grew up loving her may not be able to protect Lauryn from the danger.

When Amede Dastillon receives an unexpected package from Abbey Hills, she hopes it might be the key in tracking down her beloved sister, long estranged from her family. Visiting Abbey Hills seems the logical next step in her search, but Amede is unusually affected by the town, and when mutilated carcasses begin turning up again in the small community, the local law enforcement isn’t sure if they are confronting a familiar evil or a new terror.

Two women brought together by questions that seem to have no answers. Can they overcome the loss and darkness threatening to devour them—or will their own demons condemn them to an emotional wasteland?"

So, where does it say that this is actually a VAMPIRE book? I couldn't believe that we were not told that before we received the book. I know I wouldn't have bothered reading it if I knew. I read Twilight and, yes, I am one of those who was not impressed at all. So, needless to say, I did not enjoy reading Tandem.

The plot was pretty shallow and the characters (especially the vampires) unbelievable. As I read (which was hard for me to do, considering the vampire theme of the book), I kept thinking maybe the author would, at some point in the book, debunk the whole idea of vampires and thus redeem the book. But instead, the vampires were shown to be "real" and even at one point the author declared that perhaps "reformed vampires get to go to heaven"!

I was also surprised that there was no mention of the fact that what the vampires did (kill people to drink their blood) is morally wrong. The other characters seemed to accept the notion that this was normal and acceptable (once they learned that these were not ordinary people). I kept turning the pages, incredulous that this would even be published by a "Christian book" publisher.

I am disappointed. I give Tandem 1 out of 5 stars.

(I received this book from Waterbrook/Multnomah for review purposes. I received no monetary compensation for this review. All opinions expressed are completely my own.)

Book Review: Angel Sister by Ann H. Gabhart

Angel Sister is not the first book I have read by this author, but it is certainly the best.    

Here is the description of the book from the author's website:

It is 1936 and Kate Merritt, the middle child of Victor and Nadine, works hard to keep her family together. Her father slowly slips into alcoholism and his business suffers during the Great Depression. As her mother tries to come to grips with their situation and her sisters seem to remain blissfully oblivious to any problems, it is Kate who must shoulder the emotional load. Who could imagine that a dirty, abandoned little girl named Lorena Birdsong would be just what the Merritts need? 

This richly textured novel reveals the power of true love, the freedom of forgiveness, and the strength to persevere through troubled times. Multidimensional characters face real and trenchant problems while maintaining their family bonds, all against the backdrop of a sultry Kentucky summer.

I read Angel Sister in a short amount of time because I didn't want to leave the story for even a few minutes. I felt like I was right there with the characters as they struggled with life issues and the fears that come as a result. I thought about how difficult it must be to live in a household with an alcoholic and what it means for a young girl to try and hold her family together when everything in it is falling apart.

As the story progresses, there are many secrets revealed in the character's lives. The plot does not falter, but keeps the reader moving quickly through as questions are raised, then answered one by one. People die, relationships are restored, and the Merritt family finds forgiveness and redemption as God works in and around them through a little girl named Lorena Birdsong.

This book is a keeper. I give Angel Sister 5 out of 5 stars!

“Available February 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

(I received this book from Revell Books for review purposes. I received no monetary compensation for this review. All opinions expressed are completely my own.)

Living just thirty miles from a restored Shaker village in Kentucky, Ann H. Gabhart has walked the same paths that her characters might have walked in generations past. Her thorough research provides a convincing and colorful backdrop for her Shaker novels. Gabhart is the author of several bestselling novels, including The Outsider, The Believer, The Seeker, and Angel Sister.

WWW Wednesdays

WWW Wednesdays is a meme from Should Be Reading, where we answer three questions: What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? and What do you think you'll read next? If you want to participate, answer the three questions, then put your link on the Should Be Reading Blog in the comment section. Happy reading!

What I am currently reading: Beautiful Malice by Rebecca James - Pump Up Your Book! sent this one to me for review. It is described as psychological suspense, which I thought sounded like it would be the kind of book I might enjoy. Review to come on Friday.






What I recently finished reading: Courting Morrow Little by Laura Frantz - This one was a winner! I finally found another "prairie romance" that I really think is a very good example of Christian Historical Fiction. Review will be on this blog tomorrow. From Revell Books.


 
 
 
 
 

What I'll probably read next: City of Veils by Zoe Ferraris - A publicist for Little, Brown sent this one to me. Looks really intiguing. Here is the description of the book from Amazon's website:

Women in Saudi Arabia are expected to lead quiet lives circumscribed by Islamic law and tradition. But Katya, one of the few women in the medical examiner's office, is determined to make her work mean something.

When the body of a brutally beaten woman is found on the beach in Jeddah, the city's detectives are ready to dismiss the case as another unsolvable murder-chillingly common in a city where the veils of conservative Islam keep women as anonymous in life as the victim is in death. If this is another housemaid killed by her employer, finding the culprit will be all but impossible.


Only Katya is convinced that the victim can be identified and her killer found. She calls upon her friend Nayir for help, and soon discovers that the dead girl was a young filmmaker named Leila, whose controversial documentaries earned her many enemies.


With only the woman's clandestine footage as a guide, Katya and Nayir must confront the dark side of Jeddah that Leila struggled to expose: an underworld of prostitution, violence, exploitation, and jealously guarded secrets. Along the way, they form an unlikely alliance with an American woman whose husband has disappeared. Their growing search takes them from the city's car-clogged streets to the deadly vastness of the desert beyond.


In CITY OF VEILS, award-winning author Zoë Ferraris combines a thrilling, fast-paced mystery with a rare and intimate look into women's lives in the Middle East.

Sounds good, doesn't it?

So, tell me, what are you reading and what will you probably read next? What is your favorite read so far in 2010? What books are on your TBR list? Send me some links, if you can.

Book Review: Little Bee by Chris Cleave

Oh. my. word. How do I even begin to tell you about this fantastic book? I'll begin with the blurb on the back of the book:

"We don't want to tell you too much about this book. It is a truly special story, and we don't want to spoil it. Nevertheless, you need to know something, so we will just say this:

It is extremely funny, but the African beach scene is horrific. The story starts there, but the book doesn't. And it's what happens afterward tat is most important. Once you have read it, you will want to tell everyone about it. Please don't tell them what happens. The magic is in how it unfolds."


I think they hit the nail on the head with this one. I am going to take this advice and tell you that you should read it, but I don't want to tell you much more than that, because I believe it would spoil the book for you. I read a review on Amazon where the reviewer said she thought the blurb was a marketing ploy to make you buy the book. Ploy or not, I tell you, this is a book you will not want to miss. It has challenged me in many ways, and I know if people read this book, lives could be changed. It is quite a read.

I agree that it is funny, and yes, you will see that the scene on the beach, which is the main scene of the book, is very disturbing. I love the title character and her deep honesty about life. Also, her observations of human nature are compelling. Too bad she is not real. I would love to meet her someday.

I see that Mr. Cleave has written another book before this one. I'm curious to see what that one is about and I wonder if it will have as great an impact on me as Little Bee has had.

Get this book. Read this book. Then come back here and tell me what you think. I'd love to hear from you!

(Dear FTC: you don't even have to worry about this one. I got it FREE from the local library!)

Texas Roads by Cathy Bryant

I just wanted to let you all know about a book I've read recently. My book review for it will be coming soon.

TEXAS ROADS

2009 ACFW Genesis finalist

by Cathy Bryant

Dani Davis longs for a place to call home. With quaint country charm, quirky residents, and loads of business potential, Miller's Creek, Texas seems like the perfect place to start over...except for the cowboy who gives her a ride into town. Then malicious rumors and a devastating discovery propel her down a road she never expected to travel.

Cowboy mayor Steve Miller is determined to rescue his dying hometown. When vandals jeopardize the Miller's Creek renovation, he can't help but suspect Dani whose strange behavior has become fodder for local gossips. Will Steve and Dani call a truce for a higher cause, and in the process help Dani discover the true meaning of home?

Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA_DMRqCOWg

Purchase links:

Print version: http://www.amazon.com/Texas-Roads-Cathy-Bryant/dp/0984431101/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267824883&sr=8-1

eBook version: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/8963