Book Review: The Mountains Bow Down, Sibella Giorello

"The Last Frontier is a dream destination for this forensic geologist who's hoping to leave behind a hectic work schedule and an engagement drained of romance. But when a passenger goes missing and winds up dead, Raleigh's vacation suddenly gets lost at sea."

Two-time Pulitzer Prize nominated storyteller Sibella Giorello continues her novel series centered around FBI agent and forensic geologist Raleigh Harmon.  In this fourth novel, her main character takes a vacation on an Alaskan cruise with her ailing mother, an aunt and her aunt's eccentric friend.  Also on board is a Hollywood film crew shooting their final scenes, when one amongst them is found dead.  Harmon partners up with their FBI agent consulting for the film to solve this mystery before hitting land.

There is a lot going on in this book.  With Harmon we see a character that is very real and complicated which is refreshing.  She is an ambitious woman who is very good at her job, although the reader can often see how she uses her work as an escape from the challenges in her personal life.  The relationship with her fiance is distant at best and in an effort to protect her mother's fragile mental state, she has kept the nature of her work hidden, although readers are able to get the sense that this deception only adds to the mother's struggles.  She is a woman of faith, but she is still flawed and still struggles with her own wounds.

I really found myself liking the character of Harmon, which despite the who-dunnit plot, was the real story of the novel; a kind of watching her personal journey of growth.  I found her believable, and especially as a Christian character, not so overly caricatured.  It was interesting to watch how she had to balance her faith with the other characters with whom she had to interact.  I thought that was handled well.  The ongoing story line of her personal relationships was also very realistic as it things didn't all have an easy solution or ending.  I appreciated the realistic humanity of it all.

As for the rest of the plot, I thought the setting was intriguing and the mystery engaging.  I liked the other characters and had a real sense of them.  I did have some trouble keeping the layout of the ship straight although she was knowledgeable in her descriptions.  There were also such a large number of characters.  Because of this, the plot was hard to follow at times.

As for the Christianity, this is not a book about preaching the salvation message to the reader.  It was really about how Harmon as a Christian had to live in the world around her, which includes people of all types and attitudes towards Christianity from which Giorello didn't shy away in her character development.  Harmon herself is flawed, but it would be unrealistic and unfair to present her as someone who is always right or perfect just because she's the Christian.  Although it isn't preachy, her faith was not avoided, but rather referred to often, seeing as it is a major part of Harmon's identity and personal journey.  I appreciated this.

Although this is the fourth in a series, I had never read any of the previous books.  I was pleased to see how easy it was to jump right in without any foreknowledge and yet it didn't feel as if it was some kind of overly detailed beginning that would make me want to skip a few pages if I had read the previous books.  In fact, reading this has made me want to go back and read the earlier novels.

I rate this book 4 out of 5 inkspots.

I received this book free from the publisher through the Booksneeze book review for 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 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: Voices of the Faithful, Beth Moore

This devotional, complied by Beth Moore, is comprised of 366 true-life stories from missionaries serving around the world.  Moore concludes that its purpose is as a call to missions, whether to go or send or cover in prayer.  It is obvious her hope is that the stories will inspire folk to see outside themselves and get a sense of the church as a global body of Christ, resulting in the inspiration of the reader to find his/her own mission in that.

Each day, the reader is presented with a scripture verse, a short account from a missionary, and a simple prayer.  The book is divided up by date, with each month following a common theme such as God's Character, Prayer, God's Grace, Contentment, Spiritual Warfare, and Compassion.  Each month has a forward by Moore discussing these themes.

I really enjoyed this book.  Some accounts are the wild and shocking bits people seem to always expect from missionaries, while others are quieter, simpler tales.  Yet all are pointing to God as the one who is and who does, which is the point afterall.  I appreciate how these accounts show the humanity behind both the missionaries and those whom they serve.  Moore talks in her initial introduction to the book how these people are like everyone else, and this comes through strongly in many of these stories.  With the people sharing their struggles so honestly, it tears down the myth that one must be perfect in faith before serving as each story shows how it is God's hand at work.  I also appreciate that there is such variety with the stories, intuitively showing that God is neither dependent upon, nor limited by location and circumstance.  The short prayers at the end, while at times seek God's help for personal growth regarding the corresponding insight, are moreso prayers extending outward for the work that God is doing in the world.

My only complaint about this book would be that I wish each section were a bit longer.  Each day's reading is a quick easy read.  While this could be convenient for some, I find myself wanting to linger a bit longer.

I would highly recommend this book for anyone who wants a supplement to their regular Bible reading.  As it is a compilation of others' stories, it should not be mistaken to be similar to Moore's Bible Study series or her other books.  People who are looking for something specifically focusing and expounding on inward personal growth, may be initially disappointed.  There is a strong element of this in the book, especially with the monthly motifs, however, the responsibility of drawing these conclusions is left to the reader.  I think this is because these stories are meant to inspire the reader, by establishing truths about the nature of God and the possibilities that come with a willing heart, which in turn encourages on to ask God for the next step.

I give this book 5 out of 5 inkspots.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book 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 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: A Year With God, R.P. Nettelhorst

A Year with God by R.P. Nettelhorst

This daily devotional book is self-described as   "a 365-day revelation of God's divine character through His actual words, along with reflections and insights to increase your understanding."  

The back cover proposes that the book will:

1) Examine Old Testament scripture within its cultural context.

2) Explain the meaning of what God is saying.

3) Reveal the application for our modern lives.

I was very excited to get this book and upon first perusal I noticed some things about the structure I instantly loved.  This book uses Old Testament scripture, which excluding the Psalms, is rarely found in many modern devotionals.  Also I really appreciated how it had blocks of scripture for each day instead of only one verse or a portion of a verse.  Looking at whole passages can help in understanding the context.  This is also useful when trying to understand a larger concept such as the character of God.  This book is divided into sections that allow the reader to carry on with a particular characteristic of God for several weeks, which would presumably help the reader build a more solid foundation of these aspects of God's nature with the various scriptures over time.

Upon reading each selection, however, I found myself underwhelmed.  Although most of the text space was used for explaining context, these explanations felt hesitant, diluted.  The reflections that would bring meaning and application were often reduced to a single sentence at the end.  This may have been a space issue, but it means that the conclusions were very general and rushed.

Because if this, I felt like the book did not fully live up to the purpose it intended.  However, it is an easy read and the brief conclusions are at least encouraging and uplifting.  I would recommend this book to someone who would simply like a supplement to their daily study or to someone who would like to read more of the OT and would find the pre-selected portions convenient.

I give this book 2.5 out of 5 inkspots.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book 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 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”