Monday, January 31, 2011

The Promises She Keeps

Another book review by my wife:

Promise, a talented young vocalist with a terminal illness, is counting on fame to keep her memory alive after she dies. Porta is an aging witch and art collector in search of the goddess who will grant her immortality.

When Promise inexplicably survives a series of freak accidents, Porta believes that Promise is the one she seeks. But Chase, an autistic artist who falls in love with Promise and opposes Porta, comes between the women with his mysterious visions and drawings, and plunges everyone into a flesh-and-blood confrontation over the true meaning of eternal life.


Erin Healy spins a good story. Her beautiful writing style combined with an intriguing plot makes for a very pleasant read. Characters are well-developed and relatable. Dialogue is thoughtful and realistic. Supporting elements are woven in masterfully.

Unfortunately, the story ends rather abruptly, in my opinion. Ends are tied up quickly, so while the story ends ok, I felt it wasn't "finished." But maybe that's just me. Overall though, I'd say this book is worth reading.

I am a big Ted Dekker fan. Having written a couple books with him, Erin's writing is very reminiscent of Dekker's - which was a nice plus to this book.

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from Thomas Nelson Publishers through BookSneeze.com - their book review bloggers program. I wasn't required to post a positive review. These are my own opinions on this book.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Voices of the Faithful

This is a daily devotional book, compiled by Beth Moore. Beth grew up hearing stories of missionaries who regularly visited her home as a child. The stories stirred her imagination and gave her a heart for missionaries around the world. Those stories of her childhood spurred her to write this book.

Each month covers a different aspect of Christian life, providing a daily Bible verse and a short devotional. The interesting thing about this book is that each devotional is written by a different missionary in a different country - providing a fascinating look into a wide variety of cultures, experiences, and challenges.

While not all of the devotionals are particularly poignant - some seems a bit pointless (or just filler) - the majority of the book is feeding and thought provoking.

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from Thomas Nelson Publishers through BookSneeze.com - their book review bloggers program. I wasn't required to post a positive review. These are my own opinions on this book.