The Noticer
by
The Noticer by Andy Andrews is a fairly quick read, easy to follow and engaging. Having not read his first book, The...
In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day
by
Do you remember a guy in King David's army named Benaiah? He was a valiant warrior who proved himself many times in the time...
A Bit Hard to Follow | Posted March-27-2014 This is the first book of the "Children of the Bard" series. It continues the saga of humans, dragons, demons, and all sorts of other creatures that began with the 4 books of the "Dragons in our Midst" series and continued with the "Oracles of Fire" series, also 4 books. Although a summary of those 8 books is provided in an appendix, the story is very, very complicated and almost impossible to follow without having read at least a few of the preceding volumes. I had read four of the eight, began with the summary, and was still confused throughout much of this book.
The confusion is in part due to the fact that there is no one stable element in any of the setting. The story takes place in various worlds and references even more. The beginning chapter opens near the time of the Great Flood, instantly transports the characters forward quite a large span, and ends in current time. Much of the book involves flashbacks and visions that are virtually indistinguishable as past, present, or future. Add to this the fact that most of the characters have died and been resurrected at some point. As a result of this, they sometimes changed state (dragon to human, human to wraith, human to dragon—you get the picture) and often took on new names, too. My head was spinning to keep up.
I gave a quick rundown of the plot in Song of the Ovulum to my teen-aged daughter, and she had no trouble following what I was talking about. She had read one more book in the series than I had, and apparently this was a key book in grasping some of the significant characters.
Apart from that, there is a powerful message of forgiveness and mercy in this story. The characters have to make peace with wrongs they’ve done and wrongs that have been done to them, especially as they understand the consequences of allowing bitterness to take root within them. Love among family members is shown in a very strong light, and God—-referred to as Elohim-—is recognized as the Supreme Being. The main heroes are brave teenagers with special powers, with plenty of help from adults and dragons. All look to Elohim for guidance and strength, and the acknowledge that it’s He who teaches them the all-important mercy song. Their journey is one of discovering who they are, what their purposes are in the grand scheme, and battling the forces that seek to destroy their worlds.
I’m interested in continuing this series, but I think I may go back and fill in the blanks by reading the books I missed. I would recommend Song of the Ovulum to teens who like the fantasy genre, or as a family read-aloud with children (CAUTION: Occasionally dragon fire burns an enemy, sometimes resulting in death.) It’s also a good read for adults, but be aware that you will need to study the appendix and understand the general story before beginning this one.
**NOTE: This book was provided to me as a free review copy from netGalley.
Excellent Resource for Families | Posted March-27-2014 Only 160 pages, this book gets right to the point and is an excellent resource for families. Although the importance of a stable marriage is stressed, the book also addresses single-parent and blended families and how to form a secure home environment in those situations as well. The advice is applicable to parents of small children all the way through older teens, with "good kids" or those in crisis. For a small book, it really runs the gamut.
Not only were the elements of a happy family presented, but also practical ideas of how to achieve them in everyday life. Pretty early in the book, the reader is encouraged to spend time making a simple family mission statement. This forms the backbone of what priorities the family makes over time, and gives a focus to short- and long-term goals. Some of the sections I bookmarked include the difference between serving and being a servant, how to instill family loyalty and cut down on bickering, and the difference between safe humor and causing someone embarrassment.
I would definitely recommend this book for any parent, and it would make an excellent small group or Sunday School study. It is part of the "Faithful Family" series from Thomas Nelson Publishing.
I received this book free from the publisher through netGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
A Great Resource | Posted March-27-2014 As parents of teens, my husband and I decided to read through this one together, and we learned a lot. If you've read at least one of the other Love Languages books--who hasn't, right?--the information in this book will come as no shocker. Same author, same languages--words of affirmation, gifts, physical touch, acts of service, quality time. But how these same five love languages apply to teens can get tricky.
The book was full of great explanations, lots of examples, and the practical application of each of the five languages. Considering that each person speaks a bit of each, the whole page becomes a great resource. I'd definitely recommend this one to parents and youth workers, and all who want to have a better relationship with the teenagers in their lives. Teens may also benefit from reading, as it could enlighten them as to how they perceive and best receive or seek out love.
**NOTE: Thank you to netGalley and Moody Publishers for this review copy.
Modern-Day Parable | Posted March-27-2014 've read other books by this author, but this is by far her best yet. She strayed from her usual mystery-thriller genre to write this heart-warming story with real characters, believable dialog, and a plot that pulls you in and doesn't let go. I particularly liked the part of the story where the twin sister shares about her life since moving "home," and I was reminded of the importance in telling those who aren't yet a part of God's family, how wonderful it really is.
This modern-day parable rang so true to the lives of people I love, and at times my own life, that I bawled through half of it. What a beautiful picture of the Father's love for us, of the inheritance He offers us through His Son, of the lengths He goes to in wooing us into His family. As strongly as that was portrayed, this book still wasn't preachy, and I could imagine non-believers enjoying the story line without thinking about the parallels to the Christian life. But knowing the "story behind the story" made reading this book a rich experience for me, one I will be reflecting on for a while.
I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishing through netGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
How to Live Beyond Mediocre | Posted March-27-2014 Do you remember a guy in King David's army named Benaiah? He was a valiant warrior who proved himself many times in the time of his service to the king. Before being appointed the head bodyguard for David, a small passage in 2 Samuel 23:20-21 tells of something crazy this guy did:
“Benaiah chased a lion down into a pit. Then, despite the snow and slippery ground, he caught the lion and killed it.”
Benaiah could have walked away from the lion that day, and no one would have thought anything of it. No one would have called him a coward, no one would have wondered why he dropped the ball. But his decision to follow the lion into the pit and kill him went against all odds and qualified him into someone extraordinary. This book challenges us to go past the expected, the safe, the known, and defy odds to do the extraordinary that God calls us to.
Full of examples from the Bible, modern life, science, and the author's experiences, each chapter deals with something that could be standing in the way of these great accomplishments. At times I thought this book was a bit redundant, but then I realized that these are basic principles we really already know. The problem comes in when we don't live these principles out or don't even realize we've forgotten them. The repetition and abundance of examples help us to recognize where we've perhaps stopped believing a simple truth and instead let life's hardships shift our focus to other things.
Several key points that I gleaned from the book are
--We restrict God by putting him into our confines, our four dimensions;
--Suffering can be the catalyst for growth, and the experience makes you better able to minister in that area;
--Our perspective determines if the problems we face become our life, or enhance our life.
It is exactly this shift in focus that the author addresses in each chapter, reminding us of the differences between a lion chaser and someone who has settled for status quo. As he confronts each of the hindrances to becoming a lion chaser, he is challenging us to go beyond mediocrity.
At the end of each chapter, a summary of the key points is provided, followed by application questions that caused me to reflect on chasing my own lions. I already have a list of friends I will be recommending this book to, because it's just impossible to read it and not feel inspired to do great things.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Blogging for Books (Edelweiss) program. I was not required to write a positive review.
A Mysterious Stranger Full of Advice | Posted March-27-2014 The Noticer by Andy Andrews is a fairly quick read, easy to follow and engaging. Having not read his first book, The Traveler's Gift, I wondered if I'd be a little lost jumping right into this one, but I wasn't.
This is technically a fictional story about a strange prophet-like old man who appears and disappears at various time periods in the author's life. However, the lessons taught by this mysterious man read more like a good self-help book, with practical advice that can be applied to many situations. The whole theme is that our experiences in life can be handled or mishandled, depending on PERSPECTIVE.
There was a lot of food for thought, and the practical application of these theories through the little vignettes gave great examples of how a change in perspective can go a long way. So today, I applied that to my life and decided that instead of saying how hot it is, I'd point out how nice it was to not have to lug around a heavy coat. Thanks for the help, Mr. Andrews! ;)
Thanks to Thomas Nelson Publishing for providing me a review copy of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.
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