FaithfulReader.com - WORD OF MOUTH

March/April 2005

This contest period's winner was Ljharper66@aol.com, who received a copy of ALL THE WAY TO HEAVEN by Elizabeth Sherrill.

grandview9956@mintel.net
Shiloh Autumn by Brock and Bodie Thoene. 4.6 stars.
A very good book set in the American south during the Depression and the years that followed. We are reading this for our online book club on Yahoo.

Homeward My Heart by Judith Pella. 5 stars.
I have read the whole series (Daughters of Fortune) and really enjoyed each and every book.

In the Bleak Midwinter by Catherine Ritch Guess.
We are reading this for my church book club. It is set in the area where we send a mission team every year in the fall.

karricompton@yahoo.com
Black by Ted Dekker. 5 stars.
First book in the Circle trilogy, a must read. Dekker is the most original and inspiring author I have ever read. This is not blatantly Christian, at least not on the surface, but his themes are powerful. It is suspenseful, thrilling, and allegorical.

Red by Ted Dekker. 5 stars.
Second book in the trilogy, even better than the first. Excellently written.

White by Ted Dekker. 5 stars.
Wow! I read this in two days. Wonderful conclusion to the Circle trilogy. This trilogy is excellent for non-Christian readers and Christians alike.

Circle of Seven by Clay Jacobsen. 4 stars.
I just finished reading this today. For a blatantly Christian novel, it was very good. Elements of suspense, intrigue and romance were present as well as messages on media bias, power, and Christian witness. All in all a good read.

The Incumbent by Alton Gansky. 4 stars.
This was not classic Gansky. He stepped out of the military and weird happening mode and got into politics/murder mystery. Also, the protagonist was female, which intrigued me, and is also new to Gansky. This was not as fast-paced as some of his other thrillers, but definitely worth the read.

Dark to Mortal Eyes by Eric Wilson. 4 stars.
This was so freaky, in a good way. It played with the forces of evil and the supernatural, but not in the way classic Christian fiction does. Wonderful plotline and suspense, which in my book is essential. Dark, but powerful.

ann77@tampabay.rr.com
I Found God in Soviet Russia by John Noble. At least 4.5 stars.
John Noble tells the story of how he and his father were imprisoned in Soviet Russia, and how his faith in God sustained him in the long, arduous years.

Cougarr04@aol.com
Heart and Soul by Jillian Hart. 5 stars.

Dear Miss Lonely Heart by Aisha Ford, Terry Fowler, Linda Lyle, and Pamela Kaye Tracy. 5 stars.

The Visitor by Lori Wick. 4 stars.

The Rescue by Lori Wick. 4 stars.

The Proposal by Lori Wick. 5 stars.

Lancaster Brides by Wanda E. Brunstetter. 5 stars.

Heirloom Brides by Kristin Billerbeck, Colleen Coble, Gina Fields, and Cathy Marie Hake. 4 stars.

Prairie Brides by Linda Ford, Linda Goodnight, JoAnn A. Grote, and Amy Rognlie. 5 stars.

Ransome of Love by Al and Joanna Lacy. 3 stars.

Love's Unfolding Dream by Janette Oke. 5 stars.

Love Takes Wing by Janette Oke. 5 stars.

Love's Unending Legacy by Janette Oke. 5 stars.

When Tomorrow Comes by Janette Oke. 5 stars.

Treasure in an Oatmeal Box by Ken Gire. 5 stars.

Ljharper66@aol.com
The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren. 5 stars.
At first I was disappointed. This isn't a quick fix guide. To get the most out of it, and as a result, your life, you have to read and read the chapters (they are short but powerful), reference the scriptures, and for me use The Purpose-Driven Life Journal. Work at it and this will be a life-changing read.

The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom. 2.5 stars.
An easy read that will keep your interest, but I doubt you'll find an epiphany here. The book provides a little food for thought (Who would the five people I met be?) but since it is not scripture-based I couldn't put too much thought into it.

The Portal (Journeys to Fayrah, Book #1) by Bill Myers. 4 stars.
This book for young adults and its sequel probably deserve 5 stars, but I'm personally not a fantasy fan. So many of today's youth are however, and this is the main reason I read the book being a teacher. Written in the vain of C.S. Lewis, the young characters travel back to "Bible times" and face issues of justice, forgiveness, and judgment, and their journeys and adventures.

The Experiment (Journeys to Fayrah Book #2) by Bill Myers. 4 stars.
See above.

cvkooi@juno.com
My favorites start with Safely Home by Randy Alcorn, which paints a picture of the Christians in China, who worship together despite threats to their lives. It adds the character of an American unbeliever who comes to see firsthand how and why belief in Christ is real to his Chinese friend. Alcorn also gives a glimpse into heaven, as well as the spiritual battles being fought by believers against Satan and his hosts. I still think about this book a year after I've read it, remembering to evaluate the place of my faith in my life. 5 stars and more for this novel!

Also, a great read is Kristen Heitzmann's series The Rose Legacy. It has a great cast of "real" characters, a fascinating plot. Though more subtle than Alcorn, the message of faith is real and not preachy. These books are both very different, but both have characters that are believable.

My other all-time favorites are Jan Karon's Mitford series. I'm not sure why these books don't seem to get as much press as those by some authors who are more prolific. Her characters are some of the most "real" I've come across. The plots are the stuff real life is made of. I can't put her books down, then I'm sorry to be finished and have to wait until her next book. 5 stars for each of these, and I don't give 5 stars very easily.

famlifejack@yahoo.com
I'm reading Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller, which is intriguing, infuriating and interesting. Good stuff! Also enjoying My Faith So Far by Patton Dodd. Both books are honest, transparent, very real "testimonies" of a couple of men who really love Christ but have not always been so entranced with what passes for Christianity and, more specific, "church-ianity."

abcdefg88@earthlink.net
I am currently reading No Dark Valley by Jamie Langston Turner. I give it 5 stars. The characters are so well-developed I felt I could identify with them, although in reality I have very little in common with any of them. The entire story and plot are not fully revealed until the end, maintaining a level of suspense unusual in this genre. My favorite touch was the lines from old hymns that are featured in each chapter. Some readers may find this contrived, but I loved it --- and now I want to get out one of my hymn books and start reading through those old songs with new eyes.

Broadway1B@aol.com
I just finished The Covenant by Naomi Ragen (4 1/2 stars!) and I am halfway through Rachel and Leah by Orson Scott Card (5 stars!)

It absolutely amazed me to read that the author of Rachel and Leah is a science-fiction writer! I thought he was a biblically based writer, but this is the first book of his that I have read and I plan to read as many of them as I can get.