Archive | March 2020

The Other Mrs by Mary Kubica

Mar9

Heart Racing Action

The Other Mrs by Mary Kubica is a thrilling contemporary psychological suspense that will have your heart racing as you speed towards the conclusion.

I found The Other Mrs to be a slow burner. I settled down for a comfortable read – and then the roller coaster of a read kicked in. Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow – what a ride – My pulse raced, my heartbeat rose as I read with heart in my mouth. Mary Kubica clearly has a great talent as an author as she manipulated my emotions this way and that.

The novel is written in the first person from several points of view. The reader becomes intimately involved and invested in lives. The various characters elicited different emotional responses from me. My favourite was six year old Mouse, although there were hard to read scenes of abuse. There is the theme of manipulation. Sometimes it is so subtle that it is difficult to recognise.

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Her Rebel Heart by Sharlene MacLaren

Mar8

A Gift Freely Given

Her Rebel Heart by Sharlene MacLaren is a marvellous Christian historical novel set in 1863 at the height of the American Civil War.

The novel is about the faithfulness of God. He is there in the good and the bad times. “You’ve got the hand of God on you, protecting you.” Even when we do not know God, He is there, knowing, loving and protecting us.

Within the book we witness the birth of a new Christian. It is beautiful to watch as a character opens her heart to God. “Why should God – if He existed – pay her any mind? She had nothing to offer Him in return.” The free gift of grace is sometimes something people cannot comprehend in a world where everything costs something. We need to come to God just as we are and He will transform us from the inside out.

In building a relationship with God, we need to talk to Him in prayer, read our Bibles and meet with other Christians at church. A new Christian has awe, wonder and excitement at all these things. May we never become stale and lose our passion for God. Each time we read our Bibles, it is a fresh word from God. We may read familiar passages over and over but God will bring new insight just when we need it.

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The Last Friend Of God by Paul Johnson

Mar7

Jesus Is The Answer

The Last Friend Of God by Paul Johnson is a powerful retelling of a familiar Old Testament story where God tells Abraham He will destroy a city because of its, wickedness. Abraham pleads with God not to do so. This book brings the tale up to date, making it accessible for all. It is not meant to be read instead of The Bible but alongside it to aid understanding.

We see the importance of prayer. “Prayer had… become the one thing Walter believed he could not survive without.” – Wow! That we should all have that attitude. Prayer is our lifeline to God. It is where we communicate and build relationship. God is only a prayer away.

We must be careful that we do not fall into the religious trap. “Hidden behind his prayer and routine.” We may be doing all the right things but not really building a relationship. We need to communicate with God and look around and see the needs of His people.

Walter, the lead character has a huge heart for others. He sees the devastation caused by the gods of me, myself and I. He desires to save the people from themselves.

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The Skeleton And The Lantern by Sherri Kukla

Mar7

Likeable Young Heroes

The Skeleton And The Lantern by Sherri Kukla is an exciting contemporary Christian mystery book for children aged nine and above. It is the first book in the Moto Mysteries series.

I found the story to be well written and engaging. The reader really feels a part of the action. I found it to be reminiscent of Enid Blyton’s mystery series and the Scooby Doo cartoons from my childhood.

The action is seen from two different points of view – in the first person of older brother Jeremiah and in the third person with his younger sister Millie. The children are definitely the heroes of the story with their clarity of vision and the ability to take the initiative into the unknown.

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