Book Review: Beyond the Map's Boundary

Mattie Bott is a vivacious teen growing up in a family that is more unusual than she can imagine. Her life is on track. She’s just connected with the boy of her dreams, Trevor Karington, but Mattie begins having visions, seeing events of the past displayed on particles of light. When she blacks out on their first date, she thinks everything is ruined. As she makes her way home, she has no idea that her entire world is about to change.

Mattie has inherited a gift, that will not just change her life, but actually become her life. She is now a Trekker, like her mother before her, and like someone in each generation of her family for centuries. Suddenly her life is full of knowledge of the past and powers she doesn’t fully know how to use, with more secrets being revealed by the moment. But when she disappears, it will take her family and friends working together to get her back so she can fulfill her destiny.

Beyond the Map’s Boundary: A Timely Sort of Adventure by Nibi Soto is a fantasy adventure involving a family of time-travelers. Although aimed at the young adult market, I believe that it will appeal to many older adults as well. The characters are realistic and interesting. The action is tense and starts immediately; a quiet family picnic suddenly turns into a life-and-death struggle, a step in the wrong spot sends someone zooming back in time. Unlike so many of the young adult books out now, the book is honoring of parents and family and is not filled with lurid details or bad language (only a couple of uses of the word cr*p).

When I received this book from Pump Up Your Book for the purpose of review, I wasn't sure what to expect. However, I really liked this book. It starts right in the thick of the action, and some things that are mildly confusing at first become clear as the action unfolds. The storyline kept me glued to the book, in hurry to finish, but sorry when I did. I didn’t want it to end, at least not without a sequel sitting next to me to jump into next. You can learn more about the book and its author at http://beyondthemapsboundary.com/.

Book Review: Morning for Dove

When I received this book from Glass Road PR, I viewed it with some trepidation. I'm not a big romance reader, so I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy it, but I was pleasantly surprised. Morning for Dove by Martha Rogers, is Book II in the Winds Across the Prairie series. I haven't read the first one, but I now intend to seek it out.

Morning for Dove takes place in Oklahoma Territory, in the days before statehood. The story centers around a young man and woman that are involved in a budding, but complicated relationship. The girl, Dove, is half Native American and Luke is wanting to get to know her better. But Luke's mother was orphaned as a young girl by an Indian raid and can't bear the sight of Dove or her mother. As prejudice draws battle lines across their community, they must wrestle, not only with their own feelings, but also with questions of right and wrong, honor and loyalty. In addition, this is the time of range wars, with the ranchers and farmers at odds, with threats of violence.

When a series of crimes are committed, it threatens to tear the community apart and further polarize the opponents. Accusations fly and those committed to justice must seek out the real culprits to clear the accused. The strength of love and forgiveness bring them back from the brink of disaster. A plot twist toward the end was a nice touch to what would otherwise be a somewhat predictable storyline. This book was an enjoyable read and would be perfect if you like a light romance set in a historical background.

Book Review: 5 Ministry Killers & How to Defeat Them by Dr. Charles Stone

I recently received the book 5 Ministry Killers & How to Defeat Them by Dr. Charles Stone. It was sent to me by Glass Road PR in return for my unbiased review. I began reading the book with great interest. While I'm not in full-time ministry, I have been in part-time ministry in the past, so I was interested in seeing what the 5 killers would be. The more I read, the more I realized part of the book would be great extracted and marketed to non-ministry church members to find out all the things they are doing to stress out and aggravate their pastor. I was taken aback at a few of examples and, at least once, at how the pastor reacted to the behavior.

Dr. Stone used new research from the Barna Group, as well as other well-respected sources to determine what frustrates pastors. At a time when pastors are leaving the ministry at an astonishing rate, pastors clearly need help and support. I believe this book is a great first step. It identifies the biggest problems and gives a lot of ideas for overcoming them. I believe the ideas in this book will help many who are burning out and looking for answers.

Book Review: Plan B by Pete Wilson

“What do you do when God doesn’t show up the way you thought He would?”  Pete Wilson, pastor of Cross Point Church in Nashville, TN, asks this compelling question in his book Plan B. Pete Wilson is a pastor who struggles with the unanswerable questions just like we do. The book is filled with encouragement and advice for those times in your life when things have gone crazy. Our Plan B begins the moment we experience loss of love or a loved one, shattered dreams. disappointments, and times when life just plain doesn’t go the way we think it should. The book is filled with incredible stories of pain and loss that are almost breathtaking in their level of devastation.

What you won’t find in this book are slick, easy answers. If you are waiting for platitudes or pat answers, they aren’t here.  What you will find is hope and grace. You will find compassion and the cross. The last section of the book is filled with discussion questions for your own use or use with a study group. The book website located at http://www.PlanBBook.com, contains a sample chapter, more stories and some resource materials.

Most of us have either been through a paralyzing, life-altering event or we know someone who has. I am squarely in the target market for this book, as I’m currently walking through my own Plan B situation and, honestly, I had trouble getting through the book at first. Filled with stories of disaster, death and disappointment, both contemporary and biblical, the book is not an easy read, although the language and feel of the book are contemporary and light. I joked while reading that it should have come bundled with tissues. If you are going through one of those devastating times or just have a tender heart, some of the stories are hard to take. I started reading the book while riding in the car, but quickly figured out I needed to be at home with my box of tissues instead, lest I arrive everywhere with red eyes and nose.

That said, I’m glad I read the book. It helped to be reminded that God is there and He is not surprised by anything in our lives. His grace and love and care is still in place even when we are barely functioning. After all, it’s only Plan B to us, not to Him.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com  book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: Walk Like You Have Somewhere to Go by Lucille O'Neal

In this easy-to-read book, we watch Lucille O’Neal, author of Walk Like You Have Somewhere to Go travel from an unhappy childhood and serious self-esteem issues, through an unwed teen pregnancy and the birth of her first son, NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal, marriage, three more children, and a constant struggle with alcoholism.  We watch her turn her life around to become the woman she is today.

There is much to like about this book. Lucille O’Neal is a conscientious mother who steers her family toward success. There’s also insight into Shaquille’s athletic career, from his school days to his meteoric rise in professional basketball. You get to watch as overwhelming wealth and fame hits and how it effects them all. There are many warm family moments and obvious love and caring between them. I was especially touched by her stories about her mother.

A few things you might not be expecting to see in a Christian inspirational work are strong political statements and a woman divorcing her husband because she has ”outgrown him”. I found some of the statements about her daughter’s unwed pregnancy a bit disturbing as well. Unfortunately, these flaws mar the book enough that I don’t feel I can recommend it without reservation.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com  book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”