Ellie

I'd not read anything by this author before, and thought at first I'd like them better than others I'd read because she seemed to approach things with good humor. However, as I read on I became a bit frustrated that there was so little character development and relationships are skipped over so lightly. She skips from wedding to first child four years later to having four kids. I didn't find I felt like I really knew the main characters even at the end of the book. I'm not eager to read more of these.

The Copper Scroll

I really enjoyed the end times series written by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins, so my son-in-law thought perhaps I'd enjoy similar books written by Joel Rosenberg. (I found out later that its important to look for Joel C. Rosenberg.) I looked for these books and finally found The Last Jihad and The Last Days. I read and enjoyed them both. Rosenberg seems to have a lot of practical knowledge of the political workings and posturings of Middle Eastern governments and officials as well as scripture. That really lends a realistic feel to his work. The Copper Scroll continues the story of two reluctant presidential assistants who were drafted into negotiations for politically sensitive business contracts for oil in the mideast. This book follows clues in an ancient scroll to find treasures that will lead to the rebuilding of the temple, which is vehemently opposed by the entire Arab world. It is fast paced and well written and generally based on specific Bible prophecies as Rosenberg thinks they MIGHT play out. Each book really makes you think through what you would do in the situation and in light of these possibilities, how then should we be living? I have found them all to be compelling reading and am eager to read the next one - Dead Heat!

John White, Archives of Anthropos

My sister recently asked us about this series, and it would probably be worth a review of each. Fans of the Chronicles of Narnia who are looking for more books to read with their children are likely to enjoy these, particulary if you are looking for explicitly Christian literature.

Our family reads to each other quite a bit. My daughters are 8 and 5, my son 7. To an adult, the character development is somewhat superficial for supporting characters, but the focus is on the protagonists in each book.

Unlike the Narnia books, there is a clear representation of the Trinity. The unchanging Changer is in the first book, and his nemesis the Lord Lunacy, or Mystery of Abomination is trying to keep the world of Anthropos enslaved. John, from England, is running from a violent tramp when he passes through a door into Anthropos, where he is the Sword-Bearer, with a vital role in resisting the Mystery, once he finally is able to drink the wine of free pardon.

The explicitly religious nature of the work makes for very unique plot directions, where complex plans always come to naught, and then gordian problems dissolve with simple trust in the Changer. The Holy Spirit shows up in book 1 as a blue pigeon, but Gaal, the messiah who battles the serpent, doesn't show up until book two, though there's foreshadowing.

Great books, and really not too much for my five year old, as long as i'm reading it to her, though i think it's really more geared at teenagers, and it's not a bad (easy) read for an adult.

As we read through the series together, i'll add our thoughts on each book. We're in "Gaal the Conquerer" now.

Historical Fiction

Yesterday I got to Bible study a bit early and there was just one other woman there - one I don't know very well. She had Lori Wick's latest book, Jessie, with her. She'd borrowed it from one of the other ladies and was returning it. I said how much I liked Lori Wick's books and she asked if I had read that one. I told her I had read the other books in the Big Sky Dreams series (as well as every other book Lori Wick has ever written), but not that one. I have always loved her books, but find this series not to have the depth of character development or plot that I had come to expect from Lori Wick. so the lady asked me what other authors I enjoyed, and to my surprise, pulled out a notebook to write them down. Of course I immediately drew a blank, then began to tell her some of my all time favorites-starting with Gilbert Morris. She asked what his books were like and I described some of his historical series such as the House of Winslow that I really enjoyed. Many series develop characters whose lives you become engrossed in, then the next book all but ignores them and starts over with new ones. Gilbert Morris continues with the next generation of that family or includes them in his next book. I ended by saying that I especially liked the series he co-wrote with his daughter Lynn. I felt more depth of emotional identification with the characters in these. Shortly thereafter another lady joined us and asked what we were discussing. We told her we were talking about Christian authors and she said "Oh, I love historical fiction! Have you heard of Gilbert Morris? He's the best." We talked about his books for a bit, mentioning that they covered such a wide range of settings and time frames. Then the new lady said "And they're all good, evry single one - except for the ones he wrote with that woman, Lynn somebody." I thought it amusing we were in such agreement on his work and polar opposites on the books he co-wrote with his daughter!

Light of Eidon

I was recently given a book entitled The Light of Eidon, which is Karen Hancock's first book in a new series called Legends of the Guardian-King. I thoroughly enjoyed this book once I got a handle on the setting and characters. Since it is a fantasy, at first it was a little difficult to understand some of the action. In some ways it reminded me of Ted Dekker's Circle Trilogy, which I also enjoyed very much. Somehow, looking at one's beliefs from a totally different perspective helps me to see them more clearly. In both these books I found myself suspicious of the "good guys" those who truly represented Christ's message, not just traditonal values. I am eagerly looking forward to the next book in this series. Since the characters did not choose a predictable path once they 'saw the light', I'm really curious to see how their lives develop and the affect on related characters.

Children's Books and the Importance of Story

We read to our kids a lot. I think most parents do. But it's interesting how we don't always think as much about how we choose the stories we read them.

I've made a conscious decision to try to choose the books i read our kids more deliberately. I try to choose stories that will capture their imagination, stretch their little minds, and at the same time, inform their understanding of the world we live in.

Recently, we've been reading some of John White's "Archives of Anthropos" series. We just finished the first book, The Sword Bearer, and are just beginning the second, Gaal the Conqueror. Narnia fans will no doubt view them as something of a conceptual knockoff, but John White is much more explicit in his christian theology than Lewis. Many who have tried to give uch serious thought to the Christ-type Aslan will be puzzled over the lack of an attonement for Narnians, for example. The Stone Table and the buying back of Edmund is clearly Lewis at his most explicitly Christian, but in other areas, such as most of the Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Lewis doesn't seem to have much of an agenda.

Still it's been fun to watch the children try to draw parallels between the Goblin Prince, Nicholas Slapfoot, of Anthropos, with the Lord of the Nine in the Fellowship of the Ring, with the evil mind "IT" in "A Wrinkle in Time."

I'll keep you posted.

This is my first attempt at blogging, but my son talked me into it!

I'm not very familiar with the blogosphere, but my son convinced me that my voracious appetite for Christian novels needed to be turned into a productive outlet, that I could guide others toward books they would enjoy more, by reviewing what I'd read and telling you what I did and didn't like about each. So, here goes. I hope somebody finds it helpful!