The Incredible Winston Browne - by Sean Dietrich: Book Review

Title: The Incredible Winston Browne
Author: Sean Dietrich. Sean of the South
Pages: 352
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Publishing Date: 2nd March 2021
Genre: General Fiction, Small Town
Format: Kindle
Rating: 5*

I loved this book so much! It tells the story of Winston Browne's last months on earth before he moves to Ethernal Glory. It's the kind of southern tale that moves slowly like a lazy river, but the flow picks up when the rains come. 

Winston's a World War Two veteran, now the sheriff of Moab, Florida. He's been a Moabite his whole life, a well respected Methodist, beloved by his community, seen as a hero by the local children. He's best friends with Jimmy Abraham, who has been postponing marrying Eleanor Hughes for tens of years. They're all in their early 50s now. 

The approaching death due to his cancer makes Winston look at things differently. He's not affraid to become very good and close friends with Eleanor, who finally leaves behind the confining mentality of the small town and embraces some bold fashion choices. Eleanor and Winston's friendship makes Jimmy Abraham quite jealous, indeed.

These small town people's lives are changed when a ten year old girl, Jessie, makes her appearance in Moab. She's the child of one of the women from a strict religious organisation up in Pennsylvania. Jessie ends up living with Eleanor, all the while being searched by people from the organisation. The passages about these people's search for Jessie and for Ada, her mom, are suspenseful and made my heart beat faster. It was the right amount of additional plot to make the novel wholesome.

Buz Guildford's drunken grandfather drowned, leaving him and his polio striken mother to live a small, poor people's life. Buz's mamma works long hours, while Buz left school to work to earn money. Winston Browne takes Buz under his wing after an unfortunate night when Buz and his friend P.J. tried to steal gasoline from a Pensacola gas station to sell for cash. Winston sees a lot of himself in Buz, and Buz sees in Winston the father figure he needs in his life.

Baseball plays an important role in the story. Every good Moabite is a Brooklyn Dodgers fan. In 1955 the Dodgers won the Wolrd Series, and their victory was celebrated down to Moab, Florida. Winston Browne loves himself some baseball.

The thing is that Winston Browne changed everyone's life for the best - he's the sheriff, and the town's little leage baseball coach, he's the one delivering groceries, he's the one people can count on. It's not a surprise that he dies in the end, but he left the world a better place in his wake. 

The novel ends with Buz being a grown-up, now a sheriff himself, just like his hero Winston Browne, and he's now married to his teenage years sweetheart, Becky. Jessie, too, is married with one child. Eleanor and Jimmy are enjoying the tranquil years of grandparenthood for Jessie's baby boy. 

This is both a heart warming novel and a heart gripping one - it leaves you wanting to be a better person. I loved it so much, and I want to read more of what Sean Dietrich has written so far.

I received a free e-book copy of the novel from the publisher via Net Galley. All thoughts expressed here are my own.

Dream Big - by Bob Goff: Book Review

Title: Dream Big. Know What You Want, Why You Want It, and What You're Going to Do About It
Author: Bob Goff
Pages: 256
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Publishing Date: June 23rd 2020
Genre: Christian Nonficion

Format: Kindle

I liked this one because it read like a collection of pieces of advice from a father or grandfather. The tone is friendly, like a pep talk from someone who really believes you're the guy for the job, namely to work on your own ambition(s).

Although the book is structured into seven main parts each with a stated idea and its own chapters, I found the book to be somewhat disjointed. I don't know if this is because I read it framentarily, or because, repeatedly, the final point of each part was to focus on your ambition. Do you know those quotes that aim to lift you up and encourage you to get things done? This read like that, and this is the overall tone.

The structure is like this: there's a story and then it transitions into telling the reader how this applies to our lives and ambitions. I loved all those stories and how they did actually drive home the point he was trying to make. However, make sure you get the idea of the stories, because I am sure not many will recognize themselves in the stories of building schools in war-ridden countries, making a bid for a town (!), setting up a flying company, or some other crazy and cool ideas.

For those who've read and enjoyed Bob Goff's previous books this might be something they're interested in. I liked Love Does and Dream Big better, the latter being more mature, less fluff, and actual sound, practical ways to get things moving towards your most desired ambition. In typical Goff way, there's the constant reminder to pay attention to the people around you, to surround yourself with the right people, and to love people.

Read it like a gentle nudge to move forward with your more or less wild ambitions that take up the most space in your head and heart.

I received a free e-book copy of the book from the publisher via Net Galley. All thoughts expressed here are my own.

Castle on the Rise - by Kristy Cambron: Book Review

Title: Castle on the Rise
Series: Lost Castle
Author: Kristy Cambron
Pages: 384
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: February 5th 2019
Genre: Historical Fiction, Christian
Format: Kindle

It was an enjoyable read, although I can't say it was a favourite. It's the second novel in a series, and I am now sure if my just OK opinion of the book had to do with not having read the first novel.

The story starts with the present day, in Ireland, and then it adds two other, one from 1916 and one from 1797/98, both past points of view presenting the actions of those who fought for Ireland's freedom. I knew almost nothing about Ireland's past, except from what I learned from other novels, so the historical aspect was welcome. However, I had to google a lot of information. At times the novel was too stuffed with facts and name-dropping that I felt a bit lost - who were all these people and what's so important about this date or this event in history? Thank you, Google.

There were a lot of characters and I am sure they were not mentioned in the first novel because of the three points of view [pov] in this novel, only one makes references to the first book in the series. I had to make a list of characters and what happened to each one and how they related and... let me just say that it's not fun when you have to keep a list with you to make sure you don't forget who's who. The chapters alternated between the three points of view, and that had the effect of keeping me interested in each story because most of the time a chapter ended with a (small-ish) cliff-hanger. I can't say which point of view was the best, but together they worked just fine. Until about halfway into the novel I had no idea how exactly they interconnected, but it made sense in the end. 

Towards the end I felt like I had spent too much with the book, and I was eager to read it already. Not because it wasn't good, but because I just wanted the novel to end. For the most part I was sure there'll be a happy end on all three levels. 

I reckon this is intended for a Christian audience, however I kept forgetting that. If what you're after is a historical Christian romance I am not sure this is the book for you. There is beer and drinking, and although the pub is presented as a vital part of Ireland's life I can't help but think that a pub is not a Christian place. As for the three romantic relationships, one for each POV, they were OK, albeit not as innocent as Christian standards suggest is best. There are few mentions of God, and when any of the characters reference to Him it's in an inspirational way, not very deep. It's like an afterthought just to remind the reader that this is, in fact, a Christian story.

A fine read, full of info, it made me step a bit outside my usual historical fiction box. And for a book to make me google something because I am curious is something!
3*

I received a free e-book copy from the publisher via Net Galley. All thoughts expressed here are my own.

Of Mess and Moxie - by Jen Hatmaker: Book Review

Title: Of Mess and Moxie. Wrangling Delight Out of This Wild and Glorious Life
Author: Jen Hatmaker
Pages: 286
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Publishing Date: 8.08.2017
Format: Kindle

I have wanted to read this one ever since Jen started talking about it. I knew it would be funny, along the lines of For the Love, another book of hers. It was funny, despite covering topics not necessarily of great importance in the life of a late 20something girl. 

It felt at times as if she gave advice to younger girlfriends, letting them in on the ins and outs of life, but without scaring them. This is only the second of Hatmaker's books that I've read, and after having followed her on Instagram for a while now, I know her sense of humour. Be warned, it's not for everyone. She talks in long sentences, uses not-for-everyday-speech words, and sometimes you need to be in a certain mood for it. But the good news is that often you can relate to her stories, which is always desirable from authors.

I appreciated that she mixed three important aspects in this book: she approaches serious topics in one chapter, then switches to a lighter one, a pattern kept throughout the book, and every few chapters she shares a recipe because food is one of ther love languages. I skipped those because I most certainly don't see myself cooking them anytime soon, despite the dismissive they-are-easy-to-make-just-try. Nope, ma'am. 

I don't agree with her on all she talks about, but I like her personality, her normal-ness, and her willingness to talk freely about what she cares about. She is bubbly, despite being an introvert. Her large family is quite a tribe. All her family stories are adorable and I appreciated her sharing them with the reading public. I do believe she has a knack for the written word, more so than for podcasting or public speaking; she seems more free to share what she needs to in writing.

I will definitely read more from her if given the chance. 

I received a free e-book copy from the publisher via Net Galley. All thoughts expressed here are my own.

Everybody, Always - by Bob Goff: Book Review

Title: Everybody, Always. Becoming Love in a world full of setbacks and difficult people
Author: Bob Goff
No. Pages: 240
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Publishing Date: 17 April 2018
Format: Kindle

Bob Goff's second book follows the theme of his first: Love. Love everybody, no matter their background, their story, just show love. 

I have to say that the ways in which he shows love are sometimes extreme and not always applicable to everyone's everyday life. While his enthusiasm is through the roof (he does admit that espresso drinks him to wake up) and the stories he shares are engaging, I don't see how this effervescence can be maintained constantly.

The book is made up of twenty something chapters, all following the same pattern: a story told in an amusing way followed by a practical/ devotional-esque aspect for our daily life. It's a standard form and if I remember correctly, it's the same as his first book's. I didn't think it was possible to say the same thing in so many chapters. The idea is simple: love people. I am not sure we needed a new book to tell us that, and it is repetitive after a few chapters. This might be somewhat tiresome to see, but if you read it sporadically, not in one sitting, it works fine. I enjoy this kind of essay writing for when I am short on time to sit and read, but I still get to read a book in the free moments.

Someone mentioned the crazy things he gets to do, like buying a house almost on a whim, hopping on a plane to Uganda, flying a plane to the Lodge, or doing other extraordinary things. All these are not what the majority of people get to do on a daily basis. Although they create a sort of social and economic gap between the author and the reader, and I was surprised by this when I read Love Does too, they don't prevent you from putting into practice the main idea: love people the best way you can. Another thing I have to agree on with another reader is that he sure talks a lot about him and his people. I don't know how this could have been presented by mixing the personal stories, the practical aspect, and more Jesus. I think the book does lack more mentioning of Jesus.

The book is a nice read, the tone if friendly and engaging, there are some witty parts, and the last few chapters about Charlie are the best in my opinion, so give this a try. For the Christian reader, used to this kind of books, maybe it will not contain much new information, but it's Bob Goff, you kind of want to know what other crazy things he's done.

I received a free e-book copy of the book from the publisher via Net Galley. All thoughts expressed here are my own.

Savor- by Shauna Niequist: Book Review

 

Savor by Shauna Niequist is a devotional aimed to help everyone focus on the important things in life, to pause and think what is it that really matters in life.

Although the message is applicable for everyone, this is more like a women's devotional. The topics approached in the devotional are mostly dealing with food&community and friendship, but not limited to these. The devotional are really short and concise, which makes them very practical to read. For me, personally, this is a perfect approach to devotionals, especially since I'm not a devotionals-reading kind of person. Maybe this is why I tended to read several at a time, not necessarily in the morning, but whenever I had a few free moments. They are perfect for a person who has a hard(er) time sticking to a strict, classical devotional. Each devotional starts with a Bible verse and the author's thoughts on a certain topic, ending the devotional for the day with a question to help the reader meditate.

Other reviewers have said that she “recycles” pieces from her other writings, like her previous three books and her blogs. This is probably true, but understandable (365 devotionals!). However, some devotionals seem to be cut short, and this is what probably has to do with the “recycling” I was talking about. An idea is started in a certain devotional and it’s only finished in the devotional of the next day. It’s not something that hinders the reading, however.

The title comes from the author's intention to slow down and take each day as it comes, without hurry and heedlessness to the importance of each day. Through her poetic writing and carefully chosen words, she nudges her readers to pace down and savor the uniqueness of each day.

I was offered an ebook copy of this book by Zondervan via blooklook. All thoughts expressed here are my own.

What Keeps You Up At Night - Pete Wilson: Book Review

What Keeps You Up At Night is Pete Wilson's fourth book. It's a book that deals with fear and its effects on people's lives. I was a bit skeptical because I was under the impression that there wasn't much you can write about in a book on fear; it's obvious that fear is bad and it brings little good, so what more can you write. 

But of course, this book shows that fear has multiple facets, but this is no reason to give up or surrender.

The book is structured in 12 chapters and they have a gradual rhythm. At first, the author looks at fear and sees it as something that plagues every person's soul and life, but he keeps reminding the reader to focus on things that matter. Fear will rarely be eradicated from one's life, but trusting God and learning to wait on Him are such great reminders of things we as Christian know we should do, but we are more prone to let fear take hold of our lives. Gradually, the author comes to the conclusion that  fear's hold can be redirected, and there are always ways to go about things. I particularly liked his emphasis on the power of faithful prayer and searching for God's presence.

Each book chapter is divided in small chunks that focus on a certain aspect that has to do with the theme or topic of the chapter. At the end of each chapter there are some conclusions drawn, as well as some questions or prompts to help the reader in his or her daily life. The book is very good for a book club or small groups to go through. It will surely be something that opens discussions. 

Pete Wilson, the author, is a pastor to a church - Cross Point Church - in Nashville, Tennessee, and he preached on a series with the same title as the book. I listened to the sermons and they are really good, and would be a nice follow up to the book.

I received this book from Thomas Nelson via Net Galley in exchange for my hones review. All thoughts expressed here are my own.

Monday with My Old Pastor - José Luis Navajo: Book Review

This book is choke-full of wisdom.

Sometimes what one needs is a fresh perspective on things. A pastor, who is on the verge of giving up on what he thought was his calling, is nudged by his wife to go visit their old pastor. Therefore, every Monday for a period of time he visits the old pastor, now retired, and shares his burdens, and the old pastor shares with the young pastor the wisdom accumulated over many years in ministry.

Although the book is written from a pastor's perspective and deals with issues pastors usually deal with, it's also suitable to be read by any Christian. I like the things the old pastor says, especially since they aren't what we call worldly wisdom, but wisdom that comes from spending a lot of time in prayer, and serving God and others.

The writing style is poetic, but the book is nicely written and easily understandable. I like how it's structured on "Mondays"; each chapter captures the things the old pastor imparted on the young man on each particular Monday. I particularly liked the little stories the pastor shared, each story having a lesson suitable for the particular issue the young pastor brings up.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for advice and wisdom in their walk with God.

I received this book in an ebook format from Thomas Nelson in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts expressed here are my own.

All You Want to Know About the Bible in Pop Culture - BookReview

Like those four heroes of the Bible, would you dare to join me in learning more of the art of our time and see what God can do through us?

This is the question the author of All You Want to Know About the Bible in Pop Culture invites his reader to ponder. Kevin Harvey structures his book in eight chapters, each dealing with a major theme in pop culture. Starting from Superman’s (which of course stands for Savior, actually!), going through movies and TV series (oh, how I loved the Lost chapter!), the music that is so popular nowadays, and even the things we say that have been used in the Bible, Harvey shows his readers that there is something worth paying attention to in pop culture.

The message of the book is this: pop culture offers just a glimpse, an idea of what people really need. Pop culture can only go that far in offering people what they lack – God. The other half is met by the Bible, the true, living Word of God. By looking at all the pop culture influences of these times in people’s lives, and implicitly in the believer's life, the author argues that the need for love and for salvation are deeply rooted in every human being, but we might be looking for the source of joyful life in all the bad places. As he put it: Pop culture is oftentimes quite successful at providing for us the half that recognizes our brokenness. The half that admits our need for love, for purpose. The half that tells us we need redemption, someone or something to save us.

I won’t lie – I have been very skeptical about this book. At times I felt the author to be too liberal in his thinking, too impertinently bold in his jokes. Despite all these, I could see his point, and I sure appreciated the research he’s been doing in proving this point. I absolutely loved the puns he made, the „inside jokes”, so to say regarding pop culture, and the references to the Biblical people. At times, yes, I felt lost because I know not of all these pop culture references, but all in all, I got the idea and the message. It’s a book I’ve enjoyed reading and I recommend it to anyone who wants to know what could God and pop culture ever have in common in this era. 

Throughout the book the author kept coming back to the same idea – God loves people and He is their biggest fan. One of my favourite passages in the book is this one, and sums up perfectly the desires of our hearts – to be loved: ...everyone is uniquely created by a God who cares recklessly and without abandon for them. He would be the first to follow them on Twitter, as well as their first friend on Facebook, and he would even keep checking back on their long-abandoned MySpace pages to see if they had finally been updated. God cares about every intricate detail of our lives, and he has gone out of his way to let us know that.

For those interested in keeping in touch with the author, he can be found on twitter @GodFamilyNoles. The book’s page is www.bibleinpopculture.com. 

I received this copy of the book from Thomas Nelson via BookLookBloggers in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts expressed here are my own.

Miracle at the Higher Grounds Cafe -- Book Review

I was a bit skeptical and also a bit curious about Miracle at the Higher Grounds Cafe, the latter being what determined me to request this book.
I've previously read some Max Lucado books, but this is the first fiction book written by him that I've read.
This review contains spoilers, so be warned!
Really, if you read this review and find out all the cool details, pretty much the whole book is ruined. Better to skip at least the next paragraph.
Seriously.
The book releases today, February 10, so though I read this book a few months ago, I decided to only publish it today. Thank you, draft option in blogger.

It all starts in a cliche-esque way, with a cliche topic: woman and kids left the husband and father because he had an affair. They had a good life financially speaking, but now the mom must think how to care for themselves. She's moving to the cafe her mother left her, but the cafe comes with a debt which she, the daughter, Chelsea, must pay. I find it really nicely played how Chelsea - which sounds a bit more pretentious goes well with the main character who is weded to a football player and has led a good life, and her sister is named Sarah - and she's married to a pastor. Just an observation. Thought all these, she is helped by her sister and her two lovely employees, one of whom is an angel. Her business blooms because two undercover angels dressed as Internet Services employees come and install a router in her cafe that only connects to a website: God Blog. Basically you post a question and God answers. The answers are very accurate and people find answers to their question. Yes, question, because everyone is allowed to ask one question only. And they buy something from the cafe's menu, the business thrives, the debt is gradually paid. Also, cheers for the restored marriage in the end. There is more to the novel than this, but the main plot is this. I'm not mocking the plot. I mean, I've read and I actually liked the book. It was a sweet reminder. "Sweet" goes well with the cafe of the past.

To be honest, without this God Blog and angels thing, I really don't think I would have loved the book. It sounds tacky and weird, I know. I was taken aback, too. But this got me. I was drawn in and I was really curious to see what happens next. It's obviously fiction. Or maybe I am of little faith.

But I understand why the choice for this. Although I know and believe there are angels and God works in mysterious way, many, many times not easy to be seen or understood by the human mind or eye, this brought that knowledge a bit closer. God's love, involvement, care, for the humans is what the book points to. The war that's fought over the humans' heart is given attention to. The power of God and of the good side is a reassurance for the frail heart. The God Blog is a reminder that all questions are heard, and though we don't see or hear the answer, He has everything under control and can give His people the wisdom to go on. In the end, Chelsea, the main character, has her eyes open to see a bit of the "behind the scenes" of God's work. This is a reminder that there is more to our life and to God's plans and work than the eye can see.

Despite the cliche topic and the cliche turn of events, the main elements of the novel were nicely presented. I like how the author captured the aspects about God's presence and involvement in people's lives.

A nice read, and even a catchy one. Today is the release day for this novel, so congratulations are in order for the author!

Below you can see the video trailer, which best tells the plot of the novel. Unlike my attempt a few paragraphs above. 

I was offered a free copy of this book by Thomas Nelson--W Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion of the book. All thoughts expressed here are my own. 

Lean on Me - a book on community, but a memoir -- Book Review

What I really loved about this book - Lean on me - is the lack of "how-to". It is a memoir in which the author speaks pretty openly about aspects relevant to the topic, which I admired. I knew some things about the author, Anne Marie Miller, and the things she went through, but this was a bit more detailed and it was useful in creating the context, and understanding why community and close relationships are that important.

I personally don't think this is a book that brings a revolutionary aspect to the "why do we need community" question. However, I think it helps the reader understand one person's point of view coming from a personal experience.

The way in which the author approached her situation, where she realised that something has got to change, and this all led to her moving across the country a few times.. yeah, I want that. But what this made me realise is that roots are not always physical. I appreciated her openness towards the group of mentors that were to guide her. Also, her willingness to guard herself from the "bad" community AKA those who wouldn't necessarily help her grow - to be appreciated.

This is probably not a nice thing to say, especially as a Christian, but I appreciated her not throwing a bunch of Bible verses into the book. I know them all. This is not the first book on community that I've read. I know the verses. I liked the effect of the Bible passages in her life better, to tell you the truth. I believe those were a major fact in her coming out of that dark period.

Probably more that this being a book on community and its importance, it is a book on how community actually helps ones brokenness and the feeling of lost that inevitably are to appear in everyone's life, even for the briefest of moments. 

I knew I liked this book when after I started it, I didn't dread going back to the "community book". That's not my favourite topic, but this was not the point with this book. I was actually eager to read more. It must be the memoir aspect of the book. If I sound like a curious lady, I am afraid I don't know how to defend myself.

All in all, I appreciated the honesty (the vodka and Coke moment? pretty honest) and the willingness to write about it. I also liked the style. I've previously read one of Miller's books, Permission to Speak Freely, and I also enjoyed that. She has a poetic kind of writing which draws the reader into the book, but this is probably something not everyone enjoys.

It's a good book and it's worth the time and money.

I was offered a free copy of this book by Thomas Nelson--W Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion of the book. All thoughts expressed here are my own.