Friday, February 21, 2020

"One of Us is Next" by Karen M. McManus

One of Us Is Next by Karen M. McManus is the follow-up to One of Us Is Lying (which I liked more). The same cast of characters is back!  This book picks up after the death of Simon and is told in two parts.  Part 1 is okay, but the real action is in part 2.  I enjoyed Phoebe and Knox the most.  This is pretty good because I loved the ending.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 34:  Phoebe Lawton, you're up first!  Text back your choice:  Should I reveal a Truth, or will you take a Dare?

To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

"Who Stole My Church" by Gordon MacDonald (Writer's Workshop--Last Book I Read)

Who Stole My Church by Gordon MacDonald is about a pastor of a church who decides to meet with a group from his congregation every week to get feedback and to discuss what is going on in their church.  This was very different from books I usually read and was dry for me.  There really isn't much to get excited about--it was like going to a long church meeting.  I did find the life situations people were going through outside of church interesting.
(Gerard's review, 3.5 stars)

Karen's review of 5/30/19:
When our Sr. Pastoral candidate said if he were called to be our Senior Pastor at Parma Heights Baptist Church, Who Stole My Church? by Gordon MacDonald would be required reading, I went home and ordered it from the library. In an introductory meeting with the leadership of the church, one of the questions asked of him was what book other than the Bible has had an influence on your life. His answer was Who Stole My Church?.

This is a thought-provoking fiction book about a typical congregation of a few hundred people in New England and a Pastor who wants to make changes to reach more people for Christ. An older segment of people in the church oppose spending lots of money on upgrading a sound system in the sanctuary, feel as though everything revolves around the young people, miss singing the old hymns and feel like they are in a war fighting to keep their church the way it’s always been. The pastor and his wife are based on the author’s real experiences. In the book, the Pastor creates a small group of 15 seniors who are core people in the church to meet once a week to discover their church and to understand why many things about the way they have made church work must change and reflect new realities. It is about how people face change when it threatens their comfort zone.

I thought the beginning was pretty dull when it discussed the importance of loving the church, but things picked up. I liked how easily I could relate to those in the Discovery Group and can see why our Pastoral candidate (who has accepted the call by the way to become our Sr. Pastor) recommended we read this book. It showed why changes are necessary and how both the young and older generations need to understand each other in order to work together towards a common goal—reaching the lost with the gospel of Jesus Christ. I found the history of music chapter very interesting and whenever it mentioned a hymn, I would start singing or humming it! This is a book that definitely challenges some introspection and made me see things a bit differently when I was done. I too would recommend it to anyone who is involved in a church that is interested in seeing their church grow and reach the younger generation with the gospel. (4 stars)

Teaser from page 113: “Does all the music we love have to be thrown out the window just because the young people want something different?” Lillian asked. “Isn’t there anyplace for the music we grew up loving?”

See more posts inspired by Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop.  (Blog Hop)


Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

"Citizen 865--The Hunt for Hitler's Hidden Soldiers in America" by Debbie Cenziper

Citizen 865 by Debbie Cenziper tells the true story of men whose job it was to find Hitler's hidden soldiers in America after World War II.  This book is just 250 pages.  For the most part, it kept my interest.  I learned some new information, but at times it read like a text book.  I give it a solid 4 stars.
(Gerard's review)

Teaser from page 9:  Feliks closed his eyes and waited, three seconds, five, ten, his mind and body still.  This, he decided, must be what death feels like.

To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Sunday, February 9, 2020

"Along Wooded Paths" by Tricia Goyer

Image from Goodreads
Along Wooded Paths by Tricia Goyer is an enjoyable read about an Amish girl who has two men romantically interested in her.  One, is Aaron, the Amish man she grew up with in Indiana, and the other not Amish, Ben, who serves an Amish community in Montana.  During her time in Montana, she discovers God in a new way and realizes that even people who are not Amish can be close to God!  She begins to question some of her traditions she grew up with and does a lot of thinking.  This is book 2 of The Big Sky series.

I enjoyed this book very much.  The characters were well developed and were very believable.  It was also interesting learning some things about the Amish I hadn't known before.  I liked that the reader got to know Ben's and Aaron's thoughts and not just Marianna's.  I felt for the characters as I read.   
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 15, Loc. 249-50:  But the closer he got, the more he questioned if that would be the case.  Had the distance ruined any chance of the love he'd once counted on?

To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Saturday, February 8, 2020

"21 Dangerous Prayers" by Gary Rohrmayer

21 Dangerous Prayers by Gary Rohrmayer is a very short booklet with 21 prayers taken from the Bible along with some commentary for each.  Then it has a couple pages of the same questions for reflection after each chapter.  It's good it only cost a dollar!  I wasn't very impressed with it but bought it since it was a church-wide thing we were doing together.  It could be used as a devotional.  I was expecting it to be more like The Risk Factor:  Crossing the Chicken Lineinto Your Supernatural Destiny by Kevin and Chad Dedmon.
(Karen's review, 2 stars)

Teaser from Kindle Loc. 565:  Honesty and contentment are the pathways that lead to a life of integrity and generosity.

To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
Related Posts with Thumbnails