A Cast of Stones by Patrick W. Carr (Review)

A Cast of Stones (Book 1 of The Staff and the Sword Series)

by Patrick W. Carr

(I received this book for review purposes.)

 

Genre- Fantasy

Publisher- Bethany House

Copyrighted- 2013

Number of pages- 432

Age Group- Young Adult and Adult

Description of book- Paperback, $14.99, ISBN: 978-0-07642-1043-3 

In The Cast of Stones, by Patrick W. Carr, Errol Stone is forced to join with the local priest and others when he is attacked while taking a message to them.  Errol finds out that he is a reader and will have to go to the main church.  He is separated from his group and has to join a caravan to get to the city where the rest of the group has gone.  Will the rest of his group be safe?  Who wants him captured?

 My thoughts:

I have been interested in fantasy books for many years.  A Cast of Stones, by Patrick W. Carr is one of the best fantasy books I have read in many years.

The cast of characters, dialogue, and details were some of the best I have ever read in a fantasy book.  As I read the book I could see the different religious and ethnic groups that could be represented in our world.  There were a lot of different characters, but I was able to keep them straight.  My favorite character was Errol.  I liked him, because he wanted to be his own person, but he now has to be a part of the church.  The part I liked the best was how he accepted his fate and how he decided to make life better because of it.

I highly recommend this book and series by Patrick W.  Carr.  Please buy a copy today and tell your local library if you like the book. 

Informational and Purchasing Links:

A Cast of Stones - http://www.amazon.com/Cast-Stones-Staff-Sword-Patrick/dp/0764210432/

The Hero’s Lot - http://www.amazon.com/Heros-Lot-The-Staff-Sword/dp/0764210440/

Author Website - http://patrickwcarr.com/

Participants’ links:

• Julie Bihn
• Jennifer Bogart
•  Keanan Brand
• Beckie Burnham
• Jeff Chapman
• Laure Covert
• Pauline Creeden
• Emma or Audrey Engel
• April Erwin
•  Nikole Hahn
• Jason Joyner
• Carol Keen
• Krystine Kercher
• Shannon McDermott
• Meagan @ Blooming with Books
• Rebecca LuElla Miller 
• Nathan Reimer
• Chawna Schroeder
• Jojo Sutis
• Steve Trower
• Phyllis Wheeler
• Rachel Wyant

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received a free copy of A Cast of Stones by Patrick W. Carr to review.  I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.  The opinions I have expressed are my own.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.  I am part of CSFF.  All links were current when posted.

Compassionate Jesus: rethinking the Christian’s approach to modern medicine by Christopher W. Bogosh (Review)

Compassionate Jesus: rethinking the Christian’s approach to modern medicine

by Christopher W. Bogosh

(I received this book for review purposes.)

Genre- Religion / Christian / Medicine

Published by- Reformation Heritage Books

Copyrighted- 2013

Number of pages- 150

Age Group- Adult

Description of book- paperback (ISBN 978-1-60178-228-1, $14.00)

Compassionate Jesus, by Christopher W. Bogosh is a short but informational book about how Christians should view the medical field when it involves prolonging life.

It includes:

• an introduction that discusses the need for this book.
• God’s viewpoint of health care and the views of modern and historical health care.
• How important prayer is.
• A conclusion which includes Bogosh’s plans for the future.

About the author-

Christopher W. Bogosh is currently lives in Florida, where he preaches at New Hope Baptist Church and is a registered nurse at Community Hospice of Northeast Florida.

My thoughts- Compassionate Jesus by Christopher W. Bogash was interesting.  I had never given any thought to how Christians should view modern medical practices.  After reading this book, I’m still not sure what to think.  Bogosh did give valid points, but the concepts were hard to grasp.

I understand about Asclepius and how he was a deity of healing and his ideas still linger with people idolizing healing.  I can see it in the news when they are talking about the newest cures.

I am impressed that Bogosh has developed the book and thought process of how Christians should think about modern medicine.  I am even more impressed that he is able to follow through with this as a registered nurse.

I would recommend Compassionate Jesus to anyone who wishes to know more about how we as Christians should view the medical field and prolonging life.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received Compassionate Jesus by Christopher W. Bogash for free from Cross Focused Reviews.  I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions I have expressed are my own.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.  All links were current when posted.

Anselm of Canterbury by Simonetta Carr and illustrated by Matt Abraxas

Anselm of Canterbury (part of the Christian Biographies for Young Readers Series)

by Simonetta Carr and illustrated by Matt Abraxas

(I received this book for review purposes.)

Genre- Religion / Christian / History

Published by- Reformation Heritage Books

Copyrighted- 2013

Number of pages- 64

Age Group- Children (ages 7-12), and anyone

Description of book- hardback (ISBN 978-1-60178-241-0, $18.00)

Anselm of Canterbury, by Simonetta Carr, discusses the life of Anselm of Canterbury and medieval Western Europe.  Anselm preferred to teach, read, and think about God, but he spent a lot of his life with kings and serving as the archbishop of Canterbury. 

About the author and illustrator-

Simonetta Carr currently lives in San Diego with her husband and family.  She was born in Italy and has lived in different cultures.  She has home-schooled her eight children.  Simonetta Carr was born in Italy and has translated the works of Christian authors into Italian.

Matt Abraxas currently lives in Colorado with his wife and two sons.  He teaches art and exhibits his finished works.

My thoughts- Anselm of Canterbury, by Simonetta Carr, was filled with a lot of information about a important man I have never heard of before.  I was glad to have the chance to learn more about him.

One of my favorite parts of this book is the use of illustrations and photographs.  I was intrigued with the photographs, which where he lived and what he saw.  Seeing the portraits made him more real to me.

It was interesting to read about his life and what his opinions were about how the church and kingdom should be more separate from each other.  I especially enjoyed the section at the end that included excerpts from his works.

My children and I really enjoyed this book.  I highly recommend it to all children and adults.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received Anselm of Canterbury by Simonetta Carr and illustrated by Matt Abraxas for free from Cross Focused Reviews.  I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions I have expressed are my own.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.  All links were current when posted.

Prepared By Grace, For Grace by Joel R. Beeke and Paul M. Smalley

Prepared by Grace, for Grace: The Puritans on God’s Ordinary Way of Leading Sinners to Christ 

by Joel R. Beeke and Paul M. Smalley

(I received this book for review purposes.)

Genre- Religion / Christian Theology / History

Published by- Reformation Heritage Books

Copyrighted- 2013

Number of pages- 298

Age Group- Adult

Description of book- paperback (ISBN 978-1-60178-234-2, $25.00)

Prepared by Grace, For Grace, by Joel R. Beeke and Paul M. Smalley, is filled with information on how to understand preparatory grace.  They use many different sources, like Jonathan Edwards, John Bunyan, William Guthrie, and Jeremiah Burroughs.  Beeke and Smalley show how the Puritans disagreed with each other and show how it has continuity with the Reformed tradition.

About the authors-

Joel R. Beeke is a pastor at the Heritage Netherlands Reformed Congregation and a professor at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary.

Paul M. Smalley is an assistant for Dr. Beeke.

My thoughts- I had read about the Puritans in my American history classes in elementary and high school and I thought they were stiff and very religious.  After reading, Prepared By Grace, For Grace, I decided that I really like the way that Thomas Hooker, Thomas Goodwin, John Cotton, William Pemble, and the other Puritans thought about how God gives us grace and prepares us for accepting him in our hearts.

I enjoyed reading the quotes of the various Puritans, but it took a lot of concentration, because these people wrote many years ago.  I thought Joel R. Beeke and Paul M. Smalley could have written this book in an easy to read format, because it might be difficult for the average person to read.  It would work well for a college text.

I would recommend this book, because we need to know the different ways people think and how God can lead us to Christ.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received Prepared By Grace, For Grace: The Puritans on God’s Ordinary Way of Leading Sinners to Christ by Joel R. Beeke and Paul M. Smalley for free from Cross Focused Reviews.  I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions I have expressed are my own.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.  All links were current when posted.

The Passionate Mom by Susan Merrill (Review)

The Passionate Mom: Dare to Parent in Today’s World

by Susan Merrill

(received for review purposes)

Genre- Religion / Christian Life / Family

Published by- Thomas Nelson

Copyrighted- 2013

Number of pages- 238

Age Group- Adult (for moms)

Description of Book- paperback, list price $16.99, ISBN 978-1-5955-5509-0

How do you become a more passionate mom?

Susan Merrill in The Passionate Mom, shows you how by using the ten P’s.  Some of the P’s are pondering, prayer, and purpose.  Merrill has also include included Bible verses and her own experiences.

She has based this book on the Old Testament book of Nehemiah and how a mom can build a wall around her children, like he built a wall around Jerusalem.

Moms can be passionate, build walls, and help their children grow into great adults.

Author- Susan Merrill currently lives in Florida with her husband.  They have five children.  She is the director of iMom.com.

My Thoughts- There have been many parenting books written, but I think, The Passionate Mom, is one of the best ones I have ever read.  It was well written and easy to read.

It was interesting that Susan Merrill found the book of Nehemiah, in the Bible, to parallel that of a passionate mother.  I liked the list of ten P’s, like passion, perception, and planning.  Each chapter was dedicated to each of the P’s and as I read the book I learned about her life and how she applied the P’s.

I really enjoyed reading Merrill’s book, but I would have really enjoyed having a study guide or questions at the end of each chapter.  I didn’t enjoy the chapter about gate of opportunity, because I felt that I should be able to trust my children more.

I really enjoyed this book.  Please find and read a copy today.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received The Passionate Mom: Dare to Parent in Today’s World by Susan Merrill for free from the publisher through the BookSneeze Review Bloggers Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Humble Orthodoxy by Joshua Harris (Review)

Humble Orthodoxy: Holding the Truth High Without Putting People Down 

by Joshua Harris

(I received this book for review purposes.) 

Genre- Christian Living

Published by- WaterBrook Multnomah

Copyrighted- 2013

Number of pages- 84

Age Group- Adult

Description of book- hardback, list price $9.99, ISBN: 978-1-60142-475-4

Humble Orthodoxy, by Joshua Harris, may only contain 4 chapters and a study guide, but it is filled with information that all Christians need to read.  Harris takes a look at New Testament verses that help lead Christians to a love-filled life that is humble.  We should not become like the Pharisees.

If you want to know the best way to be the best Christian and still be humble about it, then this is the book for you.

Excerpt from this book. 

About the author- Joshua Harris currently lives with his wife and three children in Maryland.  He is the lead pastor at Covenant Life Church.

My thoughts- Humble Orthodoxy, by Joshua Harris, was an important book for me to read and it is important for you to read.  According to Harris, orthodoxy, “refers to right thinking about God,” (pg. 1) and as the title states we need to be humble about it.

I know that it can be difficult to be humble sometimes, but that is one of the most important things we need in our world and churches.  I believe that if people read this book and put the ideas into practice that fewer people would leave their church.

I did have a difficult time reading the first chapter, but the rest of the book flowed smoothly.  I did wish that the study guide was at the end of each chapter.  It works better for me.

Everyone should read, Humble Orthodoxy and apply it to their lives, don’t let the price stop you.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received Humble Orthodoxy: holding the truth high without putting people down by Joshua Harris for free from the WaterBrook Multnomah “Blogging For Books” program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Storm by Evan Angler (Review)

Storm (book 3 in the Swipe Series)

by Evan Angler

(I received this book for review purposes.)

Genre- Juvenile Fiction / Religious / Christian / Action & Adventure

Publisher- Thomas Nelson

Copyrighted- 2013

Number of pages- 274

Age Group- Young Adult 

Description of book- Paperback, $9.99, ISBN: 978-1-4003-2197-1 

 

Logan Langly and his sister Lily live in the future under a leadership that makes everyone get “The Mark” at the age of thirteen.  Lily has “The Mark” and has become an important part of the leadership.  Logan didn’t get “The Mark” and is the leader of the Markless Revolution. 

Now there is a chemically manufactured plague that can kill many people and Lily needs Logan’s help to stop it.  Will he help her or will he refuse, since he doesn’t know if he can trust her? My thoughts: Storm was an interesting book.  It is the third book in the Swipe Series and I have not read the first two books.  I feel that reading the first two books would have filled me in on the relationships, but this book did stand by itself.

I’m not sure what to think of Lily.  Sometimes it seems as if she is working for General Lamson and sometimes it seems like she is helping those who are a part of the Markless Revolution (the good guys).  It seems like the next book will provide the answers.

I do like her brother, Logan.  He is the leader of the Markless, those who are not a part of the government or those who follow them, after they have gotten, “The Mark.”  He is a strong character and his faith is what helps him be a great leader and friend to those he is close to.

I recommend, Storm by Evan Angler. 

Informational and Purchasing Links:

Follow Evan Angler on his website.

Purchase on Amazon.

Here are links to other websites on the tour!

• Julie Bihn
• Beckie Burnham
• Keanan Brand
•  Pauline Creeden
• Emma or Audrey Engel
• Sarah Faulkner
• Victor Gentile
• Ryan Heart
• Jason Joyner
• Carol Keen
•  Shannon McDermott
• Meagan @ Blooming with Books
• Rebecca LuElla Miller
• Joan Nienhuis
• Chawna Schroeder
• Jacque Stengl
• Jojo Sutis
• Jessica Thomas
• Steve Trower
• Phyllis Wheeler
• Rachel Wyant 

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received a free copy of Storm by Evan Angler to review.  I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.  The opinions I have expressed are my own.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.  I am part of CSFF. All links were current when posted.