Books Seized This Week

Here are the books that came into my home this week:

From publishers for review:

        

See the review for Bo's Cafe on this blog (scroll down).
And see the review for Beautiful Things Happen also on this blog.
Reviews for the other two coming soon.

From the library :

                   

     

Game Change is the one I am reading now for my personal challenge to read NYT Bestsellers.

And the others are ones I am considering for review for this blog and for my library's website.

WOW! Lots of books to read! I'm sure I won't get to them all. Some will have to go back to the library.

Book Review: The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett

"For him that stealeth, or borroweth and returneth not, this book from its owner...let him be struck with palsy, and all his members blasted...Let bookworms gnaw his entrails in token of the Worm that dieth not, and when at last he goeth to his final punishment, let the flames of Hell consume him forever."
                    -Anathema in a medieval manuscript from the Monastery of San Pedro in Barcelona

I work in the local county library, and whenever there is a new book that's about books, it usually catches my eye and I can't help but want to read it. So when a co-worker told me about this one, I was hooked.

The book is about a man who steals books from rare book dealers. He is pursued by one of those dealers who considers himself to be a literary detective of sorts. A magazine writer gets involved and many interesting things happen as they try to track down the thief and retrieve the stolen books. At one point, the man actually confesses his crimes to the reporter (who is also the author of this book), which puts the reporter in quite a moral dilemma: should she keep the confession to herself, or call the police and turn the crook in?

Full of stories about the rare book trade and those who are obsessed with collecting them, this book will enthrall many readers who love books and understand the compelling "need" to own them. I highly recommend The Man Who Loved Books Too Much.

Someone once questioned Winston Churchill: "What shall I do with all my books?" He replied: "Read them. But if you cannot read them, at any rate handle them, and, as it were, fondle them. Peer into them. Let them fall open where they will. Read on from the first sentence that arrests the eye. Then turn to another. Make a voyage of discovery, taking soundings of uncharted seas. Set them back on their shelves with your own hands. Arrange them on your own plan, so that if you do not know what is in them, you at least know where they are. If they cannot be your friends, let them at any rate be your acquaintances. If they cannot enter the circle of your life, do not deny them at least a nod of recognition."

Now, THAT's a bibliophile!

Semicolon's Saturday Review of Books

If you haven't already done so, be sure and go over to Semicolon's blog and read the reviews posted there on the Saturday Review of Books. You will find mine and many more that will inspire you and give you more titles to add to your pile of Books to Read. Isn't that what we want? MORE books? Oh, yes, bring it on!

Book Review: Beautiful Things Happen When a Woman Trusts God by Sheila Walsh

I remember watching Sheila Walsh on the 700 Club many years ago. She and Pat Robertson made a great team as they presented the news and stories of people who had encountered God.

What I didn't know is that since then Sheila has battled depression, spending a month in a hospital and much time afterwards learning how to trust God. This book describes her journey and how you, too, can enjoy a relationship with God that involves letting go of your fears and failures and leaning on Him.

Trust is not an easy thing to do, but Sheila shows us from the Bible how it can be done. She shares stories of several people such as Abraham, Joseph, and Gideon who, like Mrs. Walsh, struggled with trust and in the end relied on God to strengthen and save them from themselves and from the crippling anxieties that are common to all of us.

I think this book would be helpful for anyone who finds themself wondering if they can truly trust God in spite of their circumstances. It is a book of hope for the broken.

Some of my favorite quotes from the book:

(Sheila's therapist) "Sheila, Jesus didn't come to get you out of the pain of life; he has come to live in you through it."

"I'm grateful that God is our Redeemer, and he will do what it takes to show us what's true."

"There are days to choose whom we will follow - how we will trust, no matter what the cost. Will we be like Thomas and say, 'I don't know where you're going, but I want to be where you are'? Will we trust enough to take a step farther, even if it's into darkness? Do we believe that trust is not easy, but certainly life-changing?" 

"There is something in us that wants to feel we bring something to the table when we come to faith but we don't. We come by faith, accepting what Christ has done for us. When we finally are able to grasp hold of that truth, it is the most liberated we will ever be." 

Book Review: Bo's Cafe by Thrall, McNichol, and Lynch

Bo's Cafe is a book about second (and third, and fourth) chances and God's unmerited grace to all who long for it. It is a story full of mercy and hope.

The book's central characters are Steven and Andy. Steven is a business man who needs no one and nothing. He has it all (or so it seems). But when the story begins, we see Steven at the end of his rope, unsure of where to turn for the answers to his heart struggles.

This is where Andy comes in. He confronts Steven and begins to help him see himself in all of his arrogance and anger. At first, Steven doesn't want Andy's help. He thinks all he needs is a quick "fix" and all will be well. Little does he know that these types of problems go deep and it takes a lot of time to deal with the issues that lurk beneath the surface. As the book develops, however, we see Steven coming to grips with his sin and turning to the One who can give hope and healing to his life and his marriage.


The authors seem to have a good understanding of what it means to be caught in the hold of sin and what God's grace really looks like. One illustration in the book was most helpful to me. Andy explains the futility of what is called "behaviorism", the idea that a problem can be solved by only working on outward behavior:

"It's like an elaborate game of Whack-a-Mole. Moles pop out of holes, and you whack 'em with a mallet. You score points by how many moles you can whack in a certain amount of time. You're going along just fine for a while, racking up lots of points. But then the game starts speeding up. We think we've 'fixed' a behavior, and four more critters pop out. Eventually we're spending our entire time whacking moles. Therapists put their kids through college teaching us how to hit the little rodents quicker....But no behavioral mallet can hit the shame that triggers the lie that releases the mole."

One more passage that jumped out at me was this:

(Steven) "He (God) doesn't want us to try to fix ourselves?"
(Andy) "Steven, if we actually could fix ourselves, why would Jesus have had to die?"

Although this is a work of fiction, there is lot to be learned from this book. I know I will be thinking about it's content for many days to come.

(Disclaimer: I received this book for review from the publisher. I received no monetary compensation from anyone for this review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.) 

WWW Wednesdays

Whoops! I almost forgot!

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? I you want to participate, answer the three questions, then put your link on the Should Be Reading Blog in the comment section. Happy reading!

I am currently reading:

Beautiful Things Happen When a Woman Trusts God by Sheila Walsh - I used to watch Sheila whe she was on the 700 Club many years ago. I had lost track of her and I'm now hearing for the first time about her struggles with depression and trusting God. Good read so far.

I received this book from the publisher for review.

What I recently finished reading:

Bo's Cafe by John Lynch, Bill Thrall, and Bruce McNicol - I received this book from the publisher. Review to be posted here tomorrow.

What I will probably read next:

Second Time Around by Beth Kendrick - I also received this book from the publisher for review. It is scheduled to be released on March 30, 2010. Look for my review here on that date.

So, what are YOU reading? Let us know! (If you do, please leave a comment here as well.)

Book Review: Brava, Valentine by Adriana Trigiani

Last year in February, our library had an adult reading club, which I joined. One of the books I read was Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani. Since I had enjoyed Trigiani's Big Stone Gap books, I thought I would give her new book a try. I have to admit that Very Valentine wasn't as good as I hoped. Although the writing was excellent and her characters funny and engaging, it just wasn't what I had come to expect from this writer.

When I heard a new Valentine book was coming out, I had mixed feelings. Would this one disappoint as well? Should I give Trigiani one more try?

Obviously, I did try again. And, I must say, she redeemed herself for me with Brava, Valentine. With the exception of Gabriel, Valentine's gay friend, I found myself wanting to know the crazy, delightful characters who make their way through the pages of the book. I fell in love with Valentine's disfunctional family. And what can I say about Valentine's love, Gianluca? Wow, he really knows how to romance a woman!

Just as in the first Valentine book, the title character lives for herself and seems blind to the gifts given to her in her friends and family. Until the end of the book, where she comes to her senses and discovers the life she has been missing. I like how Trigiani shows the progression of Valentine's thoughts and the discoveries she makes about herself and others. By the end of the book, I was cheering her on and celebrating the life she had found.

I'm now looking forward to the next Valentine book. I recommend it to all hopeless romantics of this world.

Books Seized This Week

These are the books that came into my house this week:

Bo's Cafe by John Lynch, Bill Thrall, Bruce McNicol

I received this book from the publisher to review.

Product Description (from Amazon):

High-powered executive Steven Kerner is living the dream in southern California. But when his bottled pain ignites in anger one night, his wife kicks him out. Then an eccentric mystery man named Andy Monroe befriends Steven and begins unravelling his tightly wound world. Andy leads Steven through a series of frustrating and revealing encounters to repair his life through genuine friendship and the grace and love of a God who has been waiting for him to accept it. A story to challenge and encourage, BO'S CAFE is a model for all who struggle with unresolved problems and a performance-based life. Those who desire a fuller, more authentic way of living will find this journey of healing a restorative exploration of God's unbridled grace.

I will be reading and reviewing this book next week. Look for it soon!

From the library:

Though Waters Roar by Lynn Austin

From the back cover: "Thank goodness you're such a plain child. You'll have to rely on your wits."

So went the words of Grandma Bebe. And for all of my growing-up years, I scoffed at the beauty of my sister and what I saw as her meaningless existence. But my wits hadn't served me well in this instance, for here I was, in jail. And while I could have seen it as carrying on the family tradition (for Grandma Bebe landed in jail for her support of Prohibition), the truth is, my reasons for being here would probably break her heart.

So how did I end up becoming a criminal? I've been pondering that question all night. Perhaps the best way to search for an answer is to start at the very beginning...

Secrets of the Tudor Court: Between Two Queens by Kate Emerson

Back cover: The secrets of the Tudor Court series is "rich and lushly detailed, teeming with passion and intrigue," said Romantic Times. Now talented Kate Emerson continues a saga as dramatic and seductive as the court itself.

"Subtle and well-drawn." - Publisher's Weekly

I took this one off the shelf at the library to read and review for the library's website, as well as here. I will also be looking at these to review:

The Secret of Everything by Barbara O'Neal

In this spectacular new novel, Barbara O’Neal delivers a generous helping of the best in life–family, food, and love–in the story of a woman’s search for the one thing worth more than anything.

At thirty-seven, Tessa Harlow is still working her way down her list of goals to “fall in love and have a family.” A self-described rolling stone, Tessa leads hiking tours for adventurous vacationers–it’s a job that’s taken her around the world but never a step closer to home. Then a freak injury during a trip already marred by tragedy forces her to begin her greatest adventure of all.

Located high in the New Mexico mountains, Las Ladronas has become a magnet for the very wealthy and very hip, but once upon a time it was the setting of a childhood trauma Tessa can only half remember. Now, as she rediscovers both her old hometown and her past, Tessa is drawn to search-and-rescue worker Vince Grasso. The handsome widower isn’t her type. No more inclined to settle down than Tessa, Vince is the father of three, including an eight-year-old girl as lost as Tessa herself. But Tessa and Vince are both drawn to the town’s most beloved eatery–100 Breakfasts–and to each other. For Tessa, the restaurant is not only the key to the mystery that has haunted her life but a chance to find the home and the family she’s never known.

A Bolt From the Blue by Diane A.S. Stuckart

Third in the intriguing Leonardo da Vinci mystery series known for "capturing the essence of 15th-century Milan".

As court engineer to the Duke of Milan, Leonardo da Vinci turns his superior mind to many pursuits- from outlandish contraptions to the odd murder...

With war looming ever closer, the iron-fisted Duke of Milan calls upon Master da Vinci to invent the deadliest weapon ever-a flying machine. So da Vinci calls in a craftsman who happens to be father to his star apprentice, Dino.

But da Vinci does not know that Dino is actually the craftsman's daughter, Delfina, who keeps her gender a secret to serve as apprentice. But as Delfina worries that her father will prove her undoing, someone murders another apprentice. Now, as her master works his brilliance, Delfina can only pray that no other apprentice- including herself-will fall victim to a bolt from the blue...

A Second Helping by Beverly Jenkins

With the millions she received after divorcing her faithless tycoon husband, Bernadine Brown saved the historic town of Henry Adams, Kansas, from financial ruin and found loving homes for five needy children. Now there are other "projects" crying out for rescue.

If ever a town institution needed rescuing, it's the beloved Dog and Cow diner. Once it was Henry Adams's social center—or gossip central!—now it's in danger of becoming duct-tape central. But there are other distractions pulling Bernadine from the task at hand: a plethora of romantic entanglements, including her own with a disturbingly attractive Malachi July; a bitter young boy newly arrived in town with his widowed father; and a fugitive on the run with a six-hundred-pound pet pig that's wanted for murder (the pig, that is). And when Bernadine's philandering, troublemaking ex-husband rolls into town looking for a second chance, life in Henry Adams gets very interesting indeed.

And, here are the ones I bought at Goodwill and Habitat for Humanity Store:

No Plot? No Problem! A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel by Chris Baty - I have Illusions that I will someday write a book. This may be a book that will help...

Withhold Not Correction by Bruce A. Ray - This is an oldie, but I hope, goody. It is "a guide for all parents who experience doubt and indecision in their roles as disciplinarians." Just what I need: another book to make me guilty that I'm doing everything wrong in the raising of my children. Hmmmmm.......

Intimate Issues by Linda Dillow and Lorraine Pintus - From the back cover: With warmth and wisdom, authors Linda Dillow and Loraine Pintus speak woman to woman: examining the teachings of Scripture, exposing the lies of the world, and offering real hope that every woman's marriage relationship can become all it was intended to be in God's design. (another guilt-producer, no doubt)

I'll let you know more about these finds in the weeks to come ...............