Category: books

Hands Down the Best Fiction Book I have read in a long time… Instant Classic!

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The Charlatan’s Boy by Jonathan Rogers is by far the best fiction book I have read in a long time!  The book is about a the exploits of a young orphan named Grady and his charlatan father figure Floyd.   The story is told through Grady’s eyes as he travels the Cornwald frontier wandering from village to village with Floyd playing hoaxes and tricking people out of their money.

Grady is ugly, there is no doubt about it.  Floyd puts Grady’s ugliness to work for them as they travel the country side having Grady perform as a real live wild feechie, the world’s ugliest boy, and the assistant to a phrenologist.  Grady is filled with inner turmoil as he wonders about who he really is and where he came from.  He also struggles with the lies and scams that have come to define his life and set him apart from regular village folks who work hard to earn an honest days wage.  Then just as Grady’s thoughts are colliding Floyd sets about on a new scheme to revive the Great Feechie Scare.

I don’t want to let the cat out of the bag on this one, because it is a well written book and you deserve a chance to read it on your own.  In my opinion it has all the markings of a classic.  It is definitely the best fiction book I have read in a long time and the best fiction book I have ever read by a living author.  If you enjoy a good story every now and then, you will love this book.  The retail price of The Charlatan’s Boy: A Novel is $13.99 (Paperback), and is available around the web in places like Amazon.com for $11.19. I gave it five stars and would give it more if I could.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group as part of their Blogging for Books Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. 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.”

“The Chase” By Jerry Bridges

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The Chase: Pursuing Holiness in Your Everyday Life by Jerry Bridges with Jay and Jen Howver is the student version of Jerry Bridges more popular book The Pursuit of Holiness.  The Chase is much shorter and many of the illustrations are formatted more for teens (example: playing video games, etc.).  And in most cases where the scriptures are referenced, the Message is quoted.

Overall I was a bit puzzled by the book.  Most teenagers I know who are wanting to dig into this type of study wouldn’t have a problem digging into the Pursuit of Holiness.  Beyond the cover art and title, the  chase isn’t reformatted enough to make it appeal to a broader young adult audience.

That being said, I still really like the book and wish a discussion guide had been posted in the back.  I can see a great value to leading a group of young adults through this book.  It still stands as a fantastic study on God’s holiness and our sanctification.  I highly recommend it to student pastors and college pastors all around as a fantastic study worth putting in the hands of some of your students who are seeking to grow in Christ.  The retail price is $9.99 (Paperback), and is available around the web in places like  Amazon.com . I gave it FOUR stars

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NavPress as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. 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.”

“Secure Daughters, Confident Sons” by Glenn Stanton

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Secure Daughters, Confident Sons: How Parents Guide Their Children into Authentic Masculinity and Femininity by Glenn Stanton is a book about raising sons and daughters to be confident boys and girls.  Mr. Stanton argues extensively that men and women are equal, but different.  He bases his argument on Genesis 1:27 but he also makes a solid case for gender differences by utilizing information from various studies done across cultural lines.

Mr. Stanton does a great job of fleshing out the different functions that men and women take place in shaping society.  I was especially grateful for the careful way in which the author outlined examples of strong men and women who exude their masculinity and femininity.  He also does a fantastic job of expressing the influence that a mother and father have on a child’s life.

Overall the book was positive and seeks to be non-offensive.  Perhaps this is also its greatest pitfall.  While I praise Mr. Stanton for a book well written, I also wonder if more might be said about the differences between men and women and how we treat one another if he were not writing for such a broad audience.

I really appreciated this book and can see how it would be for a wise investment for parents regardless of how old their children are.   The retail price of Secure Daughters, Confident Sons is $14.99 (Paperback), and is available around the web in places like Amazon.com for $10.19. I gave it five stars.

If you are looking for more information about the equality, yet uniqueness of men and women check out the website for the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group as part of their Blogging for Books Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. 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.”

“The Priest with Dirty Clothes” by R. C. Sproul

On By pastorjonathanIn books2 Comments

The Priest with Dirty Clothes by R. C. Sproul is a fantastic book for children.  I read it to my daughter the other night for the first time and was she instantly drawn into the story.  I continue to be a fan of R. C. Sproul’s short allegories.

The story of the priest with dirty clothes is based on Joshua the High Priest as referenced in Zechariah 3:1-5.  A priest appears  before the king, but his clothes are dirty so he is told to come back later with clean clothes.  The priest searches high and low for someone to help him clean the stains out of his clothes.   Soon he realizes that his only hope is to go to the Prince for clean clothes.  The Prince claims to have a great solution, but the priest has to trust the Prince.

The Priest with Dirty Clothes is an enjoyable allegory about our sin and Christ’s righteousness.  The discussion guide in the back of the book is a great way to make sure your kids have understood the story and it’s larger spiritual implications.  Overall I really enjoyed the Priest with the Dirty Clothes and highly recommend the book.  The retail price is $18.00 (hardcover), and the best price I found was at Reformation Trust for $14.40.  I gave it five stars.

Listed below are some other great books that I’ve come across and that we read over and over again at our house.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Reformation Trust Publishing (via a PDF file) through their Blog for a Free Book Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. 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.”

I have too many books, so I’m giving some Away

On By pastorjonathanIn books3 Comments

I have too many books!  So I’ve come up with a creative way to give away some of my books, reward those of you who stop by here from time to time (or just today), and get some of my blog posts out there. So here is the deal:

1. Pick a favorite blog article from this blog (I’ve listed a few of mine below, but you can pick yours)

2. Share a link to that article via Facebook, Twitter, your own blog, etc.

3. Let my know which post you shared and how by commenting on that post or this one. (example of a comment: I shared your “review of Generous Justice” on my Facebook Page.)

On Friday, February 25th, 2011 I’ll randomly select the winners. Right now I have at least 3 books to give away but I am scouring my shelves for more.  I’ll be giving books away according to how I rated them.  So if your name is drawn first you will get  a 4 or 5 star book in my opinion.  If your name is drawn last you might end up with a 2-3 star book (I won’t burden anyone with a 1 star book).  Obviously if more than 3 people enter,  not everyone will get a book.  If less than 3 enter you may get more than one book. There is no limit to how many times you can enter.  Just share a different blog post with each entry and place a separate comment on this blog so your entry gets counted properly.  If you have questions leave a comment and I’ll answer.  If you win, I’ll mail the books to you providing that you live in the continental United States or Canada.  (unless of course you live here in town, then we can make arrangements for me to drop them off).

Here are a few of my favorites from over the past year or two:

A Review of “Defiant Joy” by Kevin Belmonte

On By pastorjonathanIn books1 Comment

Defiant Joy: The Remarkable Life & Impact of G.K. Chesterton by Kevin Belmonte is something like a biography of G. K. Chesterton.  Though, it is like a biography, it is not a biography, it is more like a source book with lots of little paragraphs that bring the larger block quotes together.  In essence, this book is a tribute to all of those who have written about G. K. Chesterton and so it is a tribute to Chesterton, but it is not a significant biography in and of itself.

The promise of this book is the study of a great man, the downfall is that the author neither adds anything substantial to the conversation nor seems fit to even craft his own sentence about the man.  In short.  I’m not a fan.  I’m sure there are dozens of books about Chesterton that are worth reading.  Though this one quotes many of those, there is nothing of interest in Defiant Joy other than the topic it so miserably pursues.

That one should attempt to write about such a large literary figure with so little literary diligence is an egregious crime against the man about whom it was written.  The book seemed rushed with many of the same block quotes being used just pages apart. Reading this book made it seem more like a rough draft of a paper lengthened to meet a page quota than an actual print worthy book.

The retail price is $16.99 (paperback), and is available around the web in places like Amazon.com for $11.55.  I gave it two stars.

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson as part of the BookSneeze program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. 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.”

The Best Book I have Read this year!

On By pastorjonathanIn books, Kingdom of GodLeave a comment

I get asked every once in a while, what’s the best book you have read lately.  Usually its a bit of a toss-up because as I have grown older and read more, I’ve become more skeptical of the books I read.  However, there is no toss-up here. Generous Justice: How God’s Grace Makes Us Just by Timothy Keller is by far the best book I have read in the last 365 days!  Go get a copy and read it!

Written with both the skeptic and believer in mind, Keller weaves a compelling argument for social justice.  While pointing out the inconsistencies of consumerism with the gospel imperative to “love your neighbor” he doesn’t get bogged down with emotional and baseless arguments.  Keller does an excellent job of navigating the scriptures, answering arguments and pointing a way forward.  This book is everything I had hoped Radical would be and so much more.

Keller takes a straight forward approach to the topic of social justice: He defines the term, explores the Old Testament, examines the teaching of Jesus, examines the ethic of “love your neighbor”, compels the reader into thought about social justice and then provides a way forward, with a view to all things beautiful in our Savior Jesus Christ…. Simply amazing.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the social justice debate.  Seriously, Christian, skeptic, conservative, liberal, etc.  Go get a copy and read it.  Want to test drive it before you borrow or buy?  Go by the www.gernerousjustice.com and download the first chapter to read for free!

The retail price of Generous Justice is $19.95 (Hardcover), I purchased my copy from  Amazon.com for just under $12.00. I gave it five stars and would give it more… Its just that good!

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. 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.”

The Chasm By Randy Alcorn (a Review)

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I really enjoyed reading The Chasm: A Journey to the Edge of Lifeby Randy Alcorn!  The book is a short allegory somewhat reminiscent of C. S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce and John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress .

The story has all the markings of a great book.  Alcorn takes the reader through a plane where the invisible becomes visible and emptiness of vain pursuits are seen before the journey’s end.  The main character Nick Seagrave  wanders a barren world between two greater worlds.  Below lies the a sea of wicked creatures bent on destruction and feasting on the flesh and misery of all those who reject the overtures of kindness from the king of a place called Charis.  Above there are mighty warriors of light thirsty only for the honor of their great and mighty king. Between these two worlds men travel many paths that all eventually lead to a great chasm, but only one road leads to the chasm in a way that provides hope.

I was greatly fascinated and encouraged by the Chasm.  I really like allegory for all that can be said in the matter of a few paragraphs.  Alcorn’s commentary on life, creation, fall, redemption and heaven are amazing.  His commentary on the allure and repulsion of sin is spot on.

The Chasm is a very powerful and engaging allegory.  I highly recommend it to anyone interested in allegory.  It also makes a great gift book.  The retail price of The Chasm is $14.99 (Hardcover), and is available around the web in places like Amazon.com for $10.11. I gave it five stars.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group as part of their Blogging for Books Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. 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.”

Chasing Elephants: Wrestling with the Gray Areas of Life.

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Chasing Elephants: Wrestling with the Gray Areas of Life by Brent Crowe is an amazingly thought-provoking book.  To be honest, when I first picked up the book I had a slight bias against the author because of my previous encounters hearing him in a youth pastor context in which I mistakenly understood him to be shallow and less than sincere… I was wrong (and never should have judged my brother so quickly).  Thankfully, I was able to move well past my personal biases and gain better perspective through reading this book.

Readers who pick up Chasing Elephants will find a well thought out, decently articulated, and challenging discussion on the nature of freedom in Christ.  The book is divided into two major portions: First, Brent  fleshes out what it means to have freedom and a frame-work from which to make decisions in the gray area’s of life.  Second, he applies the frame-work to challenging topics such as:  homosexuality, the internet, social drinking, entertainment and humanitarian efforts.

The only real draw back to the book was that throughout the book the author would make several sarcastic or side statements intended for humor.  While theses statements would add value in a public speaking venue, they did not come across the same in print and I found them to be detracting rather than enhancing the argument the author was trying to make.  Over all I really appreciated the book and highly recommend it.  The retail price is $14.99 (Paperback), and is available at a discount at  Amazon.com for $10.61. I gave it FOUR stars

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NavPress as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. 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.”

 

The Next Christians (A Review)

On By pastorjonathanIn books1 Comment

The Next Christians: The Good News About the End of Christian America by Gabe Lyons is a very engaging and thought-provoking book.  This is Mr. Lyons second book, he is also the co-author of unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity… and Why It Matters.  Though I have not read his first book, I was deeply impressed with the professionalism offered in the first four chapters of The Next Christians.  These formative few chapters provide key insights on the cultural shifts taking place in Western thought and practice.   Throughout the rest of the book, Mr. Lyons makes bold assertions concerning these current trends and their implications for a new movement within Christianity.

The author writes with a clear tone of optimism as he sets out the case for the decline of church influence in America and the advent of a movement back to the roots of historical Christianity.  He pens out six key characteristics that help define the new movement that he sees as becoming normative in the West: Provoked (not offended), Creators (not critics), Called (not employed), Grounded (not distracted), In Community (not alone), and Countercultural (not relevant).

Overall I was very impressed and appreciative of the book.  Mr. Lyons is a very excellent author and I enjoy reading his work.  The retail price of The Next Christians is $19.99 (Hardcover), and is available around the web in places like Amazon.com. I gave it five stars.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group as part of their Blogging for Books Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. 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.”