This Thing of Ours by Cammy Franzese

With a subtitle like "How Faith Saved My Mafia Marriage", it was hard to resist this book.  Cammy Franzese writes a fascinating memoir about her marriage to a former Mobster, Michael Franzese and details how they met, fell in love and married.  She writes of the struggles and triumphs of enduring over eight years of Michael's incarceration and his parting of ways with the Mafia while raising their four children.

I always enjoy memoirs, and this book was no exception.  Franzese did a good job of sharing both the positives and negatives of her life story.  I appreciated her acknowledgement that much of what she dealt with in life was due to consequences of choices made by both her and her husband.  Many people seem unwilling to accept that some hardships are the results of decisions made, not just bad luck or random circumstances.  Cammy Franzese does not waffle about taking responsibility, and I can respect that.

I thought the book was a bit light, but it made for an easy read.  Transparent and honest, it told the story well, even if some parts were a bit vague.  I was encouraged by the main story line, which is that God can change and use anyone; our past is not always an indicator of our future.  God is in the business of changing people and this is one of those stories.  Overall, it was a pretty good book.

The Encounter by Stephen Arterburn

I chose this book because I've read at least one nonfiction book of Arterburn's and I am familiar with his name and story from attending Women of Faith events.  I was excited to read a fictional story by him, figuring that his life story and ministry would enrich any kind of tale he might tell.

The Encounter tells the story of a man so burdened by his past that he is compelled to go in search of the answers to questions that have tormented him his entire life.  The setting is rich in detail, set in Alaska in the wintertime and the characters possess the range of emotions that I would expect from Arterburn.  The book was easy to read; in fact, I finished it in one sitting while on vacation.

This book was more like a short story, or an inspirational read in a magazine like Guideposts.  It was short, but sweet.  Although it wasn't too "fluffy", it lacked the depth and detail that a longer novel could have developed and I was a bit disappointed by that.  Given Arterburn's history and other books, I expected richer character development and plot.  However, the book was still a good story and a good light read for my vacation. 

Ascent From Darkness by Michael Leehan

I have to admit I was a bit apprehensive when I chose this book, Ascent From Darkness, by Michael Leehan.  I have always believed in the presence of evil and also in the entity of Satan, but to read a book written by someone who used to follow the devil was a step beyond what I had ever experienced.

Here in America, I think we often discount or ignore the spiritual world around us because it doesn't follow our rational rules and it can be a bit...scary.  But it doesn't cease to exist simply because we don't acknowledge it.  Michael Leehan's life story shows how very real this world is as it chronicles the significant events in his life, his decision to become a satanist and his eventual conversion to Christianity.

I was impressed by how the author conveyed his story in an honest way without sensationalizing it or portraying it in a way that made it seem strangely attractive.  He was careful to state how very lost, alone and unhappy he was, even as he kept pursuing it for the power he felt it gained him.  At many points during the story, I was reminded of the fact that the demonic world is very much alive and that as a Christian, I have access to power and light that can quell any fear that might arise at that knowledge.  I felt strengthened by this book, not freaked out as I had feared when I contemplated reading it.

The only thing I wished had been included was a chapter or two more about his life as a Christian, what he does for his ministry, experiences he has had as he's turned away from evil and pursued the Lord.  I felt like a lot of time was given to his time as a satanist (and rightfully so as it consumed a larger time period in his life) but I would have enjoyed reading more about changes in him from his perspective and from the perspective of people who had known him before and after.  Although a section was included at the end of testimonies from people who know him , it seemed most of them were from people he has gotten to know as a Christian. 

Overall, I think this is a book American Christians should read, and anyone else for that matter!  It will open your eyes to the truth of the spiritual world, to the fact that there is light and darkness, good and evil; they are very, very real.

One Call Away by Brenda Warner

I am a sucker for memoirs.  I am always quick to pick up a book with "memoir" in the subtitle.  And while I'm not a big football fan, I was interested in reading this memoir by Brenda Warner (wife of NFL star quarterback Kurt Warner). 

Multi-faceted is really the best way to describe Brenda Warner.  She has had a wide range of life experiences which she tells in such a way that I could hardly put this book down.  From her loving childhood to her Marine career, from her experiences with a special-needs child and divorce to being a mom of seven children including twins and the wife of a famous athlete, Brenda weaves her story in a light-hearted and honest way.  The pages of snapshots in the middle were numerous and great to look at. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  I found the author to be very relatable and interesting, and the book was well-written.  I laughed out loud several times and I felt like she did a good job of not taking herself too seriously.  While I didn't find my life changed in any way, I was entertained and touched by her forthright portrayal of her life and experiences.

Love You More by Jennifer Grant

I am a sucker for memoirs.  I have an adopted son.  So I was quick to snap up the book Love You More:  The Divine Surprise of Adopting My Daughter by Jennifer Grant.

Grant weaves facts and information about adoption, particularly international adoption, with the personal journey of adopting her daughter, Mia, from Guatemala.  The book chronicles the couple's early history as they build their family and how they felt called to pursue adoption.  Details about the adoption process are provided, in the context of their experiences.  The story ends as Mia is settling into life as part of the family, woven in to the place the family has created for her.

I have to admit, that while this book was well written, it wasn't what I was expecting.  The majority of the book was about the adoption process and facts about adoption in general.  I am an adoptive mother, but I couldn't really identify with much.  This probably has more to do with the unusual circumstances of our kinship adoption than the book, but I was still a bit let down to not feel a connection the way I expected.  I also would have enjoyed hearing more about who Mia is and the process of fitting her into the family.  Most of the book covered the process of actually adopting her, not how she adjusted, which was something I was interested in.  I did enjoy and relate to Grant's stories of parenting and lessons learned as she raised babies and toddlers born close together.

While I found this a well-written and interesting book, it was not what I was expecting to read.  I enjoyed it, though, and would definitely pass it on, along with some caveats.

Thunder Dog by Hingson

It has been awhile since I've picked up a book about 9/11.  In fact, the only ones I've read have been novels and I found them to be unrealistic and overly sappy.  This book was a breath of fresh air.  Thunder Dog tells the remarkable true story of a man who cannot see and the dog who guides him out of the burning World Trade Center.

The author has never been one to let his impairment hold him back and so when he found himself in the towers on that September day, hard at work preparing for a meeting, he reacted as he always did.  He simply made a calm decision, trusted his guide dog and was fortunate to make it out of the towers alive.

My favorite part of this book was how the author jumped from the story of his descent down thousands of stairs to the story of his life and how being blind has only been a small part of who he is.  I am a sucker for memoirs and found this one to be candid and interesting.  I am not a dog lover by any means, but I found Roselle, the author's guide dog to be completely endearing. 

Overall, a quick and easy read and an interesting story about one man's survival of 9/11. 

A Place Called Blessing by Trent

I was intrigued by the idea of this book:  to take a nonfiction book about relationships and model the key principles in a work of fiction.  A Place Called Blessing:  Where Hurting Ends and Love Begins tells the story of a young man with a troubled past.  Josh has never been loved and as a result, he has never developed trust.  The child of uncaring parents, he ended up in the foster care system.  After a terrible tragedy and repeated rejection, he finds himself on his own at 18.  He meets a couple of people who change the trajectory of his life profoundly. 

Interwoven throughout the story are the key concepts of Trent's principle of biblical blessing.  I have not read the nonfiction book, The Blessing, so I was not sure exactly what I was looking for in the novel.  At the end of the book, Trent outlines the 5 key concepts of blessing and as I thought back through the story, I could clearly see them throughout the book.  The book also includes a great list of questions that one could work through independently or as a part of a book club or small group.

I enjoyed this book.  I like memoirs or novels that read like memoirs, and stories of people overcoming personal obstacles are some of my favorites.  It was a quick and easy read, yet gave me something to think about.  In some ways, I found it to be a bit too simplistic or maybe not quite believable.  However, the core principles are based on truth and this book does a nice job of laying them out in an enjoyable, readable fashion.

The Seraph Seal by Sweet and Wagner

If you loved the mystery and intrigue of the popular Da Vinci Code book, you will enjoy The Seraph Seal.  A book in the same symbol-laden style, it incorporates theology, prophecy and faith into the story line while developing characters that soon become almost real to the reader. 

Set in the future, the book revolves around a cast of nine main characters who slowly come together in a battle of good and evil as the earth self-destructs around them.  The characters must put the clues together and take their sides in the cataclysmic end of the age.  I can't say much more than that without giving juicy information away.  The historical parts feel accurate and the symbolism is the type that one can't really grasp in just one read.  The story is woven and it is fascinating.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit and it really got me thinking about how very many different perspectives there are on science, theology and end times.  This book offered one "what if..." idea and it was entertaining and thought-provoking.  While I am not sure I buy into their ideas, I still found them fascinating to consider. 

I really enjoyed all of the visuals included in the book; they aided my understanding immensely.  The authors also provide additional information in the foreword and two appendices.  This book is the total package.

Recommend?  Definitely.

Please Stop Laughing at Me by Jodee Blanco

This best-selling memoir was both heart-breaking and inspiring to read.  In fact, I stayed up late several nights reading it, because I just couldn't put it down.  Jodee Blanco chronicles her experiences of being bullied in an honest and transparent way.  Starting in fifth grade and continuing through her final year of highschool, Jodee found herself the center of cruel jokes, physical tormenting and verbal abuse. 

The book begins at her twenty-year high school reunion and then flashes back to elementary school and chronicles her school years, then ends at the reunion.  The story is one of devastating cruelty; in fact, having never been bullied and never really witnessed true bullying, I found it to be nearly impossible to believe.  However, more and more there are stories in the news that confirm that this type of behavior is not unique. 

One thing that really hit me hard was that some of the behaviors that Jodee found most hurtful weren't the outright cruel ones, like dunking her favorite shoe in a toilet of urine, but the times that other kids watched and didn't stick up for her, or the hundreds of times she was not invited or included.  Not only was she hurt by the bullies' behaviors, she was emotionally devastated by being an outcast.

Amazingly, she writes that she would not change her past because it has brought her to the place she is now; she is a sought-after speaker and expert on the topic of bullying and has intervened in crisis situations.  She has helped so many kids, teens, parents, and teachers with her inspirational story and has achieved great success as an adult. 

This book is one every parent and teacher should read.  It is too important to ignore.

Regret Free Parenting by Catherine Hickem

"For years, motherhood as a role has carried wide expectations but little direction on how to do it well.  Many moms enter this significant responsibility with few goals and purposes, simply trying to get through each day with as few crises as possible."  This statement from Catherine Hickem's book, Regret Free Parenting: Raise Good Kids and Know You're Doing it Right, stood out to me in its truth and honesty.

This book is a great resource for a Godly parenting philosophy.  Strong on principles and big ideas, it allows parents (primarily mothers) to examine how they view parenting, what their goals are and to find their true intentions instead of just getting through the day.  Peppered with examples from her own life as a therapist/counselor and mother of two adult children, the book is both easy to read and easy to use as a study tool.  Each chapter concludes with application questions and a parenting plan is included at the end of the book, with permission to make copies.

I found this book helpful.  It aided me in stepping back to examine what I truly want for my children, and also for myself as a mother.  The questions were insightful and if I underlined books, I would have underlined quite a few passages.  At times, however, I found it difficult to relate the ideas/concepts to my children, ages 2 1/2 and 1; the concepts and/or examples appeared to be geared more towards older children/teens.  There weren't practical suggestions but instead big ideas to take in and think about.  The application of these ideas relies on the reader to figure out ways to implement them - which is one of Hickem's major points - that we need to trust our intuition and go to the Word and the Lord for answers to our specific problems.

This book is a great resource and one I will keep.  I can definitely envision myself pulling it out at different times in the next decades to find the wisdom it contains. 

Left at the Altar by Kimberley Kennedy

This book, subtitled "My Story of Hope and Healing for Every Woman Who Has Felt the Heartbreak of Rejection" was part memoir, part recovery manual and every bit an encouraging and uplifting read.  Kimberley Kennedy tells her story with honesty, vulnerability and hope.

The book outlines the story that in so many ways, has defined her life.  Engaged to a wonderful man and hours away from beginning her life as his wife, he breaks it off and leaves her heartbroken.  Kennedy shares her heartache but focuses on the way she rediscovered not only her faith, but her loving and personal God. 

This book was interesting and engaging on every level.  Just when it seemed like it was about to get bogged down in a section on advice, the author switched tacks and told another woman's story or shared a Scripture verse that changed her perspective.

I enjoyed this book, even though I didn't feel it spoke to me or my life right now.  If I was currently struggling with rejection I think I would find this book to be life-giving and extremely encouraging.  Whether you are desperate for some hope or just want to be reminded of God's great plans and power in all of our lives, you will enjoy this book!

Seeds of Turmoil by Bryant Wright

The subtitle of this book, The Biblical Roots of the Inevitable Crisis in the Middle East, is what drew me in.  The book covers the biblical history, beginning with Abraham, Isaac and Ishmael and moves throughout most of the Old Testament and relates that history with the historical and current conflict in the Middle East. 

This book does a phenomenal job of laying out the history in a detailed, yet easy to understand way.  Part One covers the biblical history from Abraham to Jacob and the history of the nation of Israel.  Maps are provided throughout and help in comprehension.   The most enlightening part for me was the link he provided between the historical world powers in that area (Babylon, Persia, Assyria) and the current regimes in those same areas (Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia).   Part Two covers the conflicting perspectives - Jewish, Islamic and Christian. 

 I was finally able to connect a lot of my Biblical knowledge to current events in a way that made sense to me.  I truly learned a lot.  Sometimes I felt the author got a bit bogged down in a section that didn't seem as relevant to the main point, but overall he took a complex situation and distilled it down without dumbing it down.  The book included a Study Question section in the back that I felt would be a great asset if reading this book in a group or if one wanted to spend more time studying in depth.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and am planning on passing it on and recommending it to others!