shelfreflectionofficial's Reviews (844)

Didn't like it as much as Memory Man and I'm trying to decide why. I still enjoyed reading it, but it might be that football was used a bit excessively in the dialogue? For example, one of the characters talks about how he knows someone is after them because he can read it in his eyes... and he's good at reading people's eyes because he had the most interceptions on his team, (insert paragraph describing how the plays went down), etc. Yes, football is important to the plot, but inserting these 'extras' doesn't help the story and just seems a little unnatural. Also, he used the word 'thus' too much at the beginning, but thankfully it didn't carry through. I suppose these things are more annoyances than a reason not to read it.

Other than those nuances, Baldacci did a good job of stringing us along on the clue-finding journey and making use of a variety of types of information and clues. I wouldn't say there were a lot of twists and turns that I didn't already suspect or have figured out, but I didn't mind. I will most likely continue reading this series and see how the next book goes.

This book sets out to show us how we can enjoy things God has given us (i.e. work, people, rest, sex, creation, money, food, possessions, life) without feeling guilty. It's a fairly fast read. I think my favorite part about it was the setup, which I didn't fully utilize and probably played into my 3 star rating. After each topical chapter there is a list of ways to apply what you just read about. The author calls it The Enjoy Project. It would be ideal to read this book with one or two others and keep each other accountable to put into practice some of the application. For example, the chapter on rest ends with suggestions like- Set aside one day this week to fully rest, write a list of activities that help you rest, evaluate your schedule to identify ways you can create space for rest, etc. I didn't allow myself to engage much with the questions like I would have liked to- maybe in a different season of life than right now- but I think it's extremely helpful with books like this to have concrete application, answers to the question 'Okay, so what am I supposed to do with this information?' What I didn't really like about the book, was that it did feel a bit repetitive and nothing really stuck out to me as new information or revelation. It was not a ground-breaking book on how to enjoy God's gifts and I think a lot of the book was somewhat forgettable. But ultimately it was a good reminder to recognize everything God has given us and to be in the habit of thanking Him for it- that it's okay to enjoy his good gifts without feeling guilty, as long as we acknowledge from whom they were given. So my recommendation would be to read the book if you are willing to read it with someone and take the time to invest in the application portions more than I did.

“When it rages long enough, hate doesn’t need a reason. It burns for the sake of its own heat and devours whatever, or whomever, is set before it.”

“The Maker fears not the doings of Will. He weaves and sends the tale of the world, and watches o’er its endings. He has bid me bear my courage. He my fear has long assuaged. Even as he warns me of my rebel son’s ambition, even as his shining eyes are lined with grief in joy, I sense, my son, a mighty love for me and each of us, his children, and I am fain to trust his voice. He means to make his subjects merciful and wise; sorrow and struggle bringeth both. We will, he tells me, grow by grieving, live by dying, love by losing. The heart itself is the field of battle and the garden green.”

So. Good. He continues the saga in a new setting- the Hollows. More troubles to overcome. More history revealed. More truth told. And we are reminded that in our weakness, He is strong. Great story-telling and character development. Peterson has created an intriguing world in this series- one that is more familiar than we realize. One more book to go!

Perfect ending to an excellent series! This series was one of those where you just sigh and smile and feel very satisfied. You feel better for having read it. Peterson is such a good storyteller, and his allegorical writing reminds me of early Ted Dekker in that it paints a tangible picture of good and evil, of our battle against the sin and rebellion in our hearts. About the redemption of the Maker and a picture of what Earth was meant to be and what Heaven will be. It resonates with your soul and begs you to remember who you are- children of the King. And all this intertwined with adventure, loss, courage, and hope.

And Aerwiar at the end. It was a worthwhile journey I'd take again.

I currently have my rating at 3 stars because I’m not sure how I feel about this one. The writing style took a bit to get used to, taking place in Victorian England and often involving the Cockney accent. It was a book where I felt like I had to read a lot at one time to get into it and remember what was going on. Seemed like there was a lot of ‘background’ or seemingly unnecessary details to wade through to get to the meat. As others have pointed out- much of this happened in the middle of conversation causing it to be disjointed. Several times I had to go back and figure out what question the response was even connected to because so much happened between the asking and the answering. I can’t say that the solved mystery was shocking or brilliant by any means. Because of the writing style it made it hard to solve on my own ahead of time because I wasn’t entirely sure what clues I should even have at that point. And there were lots of references to the Crimean War which I knew nothing about. And I did get a bit tired of hearing Monk’s character contemplate himself and all his self-reflection. BUT. All that to say, I’m willing to read the next book and see if I can be engaged now that I know what to expect. The storyline was interesting enough and I do like a good mystery. I’ll give Anne Perry another shot!

”Don’t let it be forgot, that once there was a spot, for one brief shining moment, that was known as Camelot.”

If you want to read a whole book on the JFK assassination- don’t read this one. There’s only a small portion at the end dedicated to the actual event. But, if you like history and don’t already know everything there is to know about JFK, this is an excellent book! It is similar to Clint Hill’s book ‘Five. Presidents’ which I would also recommend. I realized I didn’t know much about JFK and his presidency so I found it all fairly fascinating. I wouldn’t necessarily say this portrayed JFK in a positive light- the frequency and breadth of his affairs with his wife’s knowledge is pretty loathsome to me. And even the same issue with MLK Jr. was new info for me. As well as Sinatra’s mob connections. I also was intrigued by the animosity between the Kennedys and LBJ. Although I am disturbed by a lot of his lifestyle, it was crazy to think of all the big national and international issues he had to deal with during his short time as president and you gotta give him some credit for all that! It takes a certain type of person to desire such a position of influence with so much at stake and with so many critics. Sooo...yeah I learned a lot and googled a lot. I suppose with any book like this you wonder how they obtained some of this information, especially with personal conversations and feelings, etc. I’m not qualified to evaluate the credibility of his sources but a lot of the things I googled on my own seemed to check out. There’s obviously some dramatization but it helps bring facts to life. I found it very entertaining and read it fairly quickly. It’s been too long since I’ve read Killing Lincoln to really compare the two, but I would highly recommend this book. Oh, I also need to point out that I have done virtually no research on all the theories surrounding the assassination so I did not read it with any intention of evaluating how it fits into all that. There’s so much that we just can’t know so I didn’t read it with critical eyes to that regard, doesn’t really matter to me at this point. I will definitely read more of O’Reilly’s books like this- love me some history. Well done.

Why are there so many WWII books? And why do I keep reading them?! Every time I read them my heart is broken in new ways. It is just unfathomable to even experience the Holocaust secondhand through the written word. This quote from the book is fitting, "If you lived through it, you already know there are no words that will ever come close to describing it. And if you didn't, you will never understand." I didn't realize how this book affected me until I almost cried just telling someone about it. It is such a compelling and riveting composition. Ugh. It's such a difficult book to review because there are just no words. The emotions it evokes are a lot to process. As a daughter, a sister, a wife, and most emotionally, a mother, I can't imagine. Survivors of that are the strongest people I know.

But more about the book itself. A lot of books that flip back and forth between the past and the present tend to have an empty 'present' storyline that is more obnoxious than helpful. However, Picoult gives us a reason to care the present because we have to wrestle with the question of forgiveness who can give it? What is unforgiveable? What is moral? Does it matter? And we wait to see whether or not Sage will forgive and assist Josef in killing himself. I have mixed feelings about how it all shakes out, but at the very least, I appreciate a book that spurs good discussion.

Minka's allegorical story that's threaded throughout the book is a creative and brilliant addition to the story and added a whole new level of depth that I for sure could have spend more time pondering. Would make a good discussion if you read this for a book club.

One critique I could mention that has been mentioned by others as well would be some of the details that seem a bit superfluous- i.e. all the baking info- but surprisingly I didn't get too distracted by them. Maybe because I love eating bread...? But, while there were a lot of details or descriptions, they seemed more relevantly added than how I've read in other books where it just seems like the author needed more words and decided to describe the color and shape of everything. To me, Picoult gave us details about the baking of a variety of items because what that represented for her characters shaped who they were and a lot of their experiences, it's an important thread that helps pull it all together.

This is not 'just another Holocaust book.' It is a story that we need to read, wrestle with, and be affected by. Because things like this shouldn't happen. We can't become indifferent to the value of human life in any stage. And even further, Picoult reminds us that , while they shouldn't, atrocious things do happen and we do have opportunities to forgive. And I can't help but add that God can really fill in the blanks for us. To look at things with an eternal perspective influences these conversations greatly.

Read. Remember. Reshape.

I think this is a valuable read (if read as a memoir) to hear Justin's story and to truly understand the hearts behind people who are gay Christians. However, although it does rightly to inspire our compassion, I would not recommend it for any theological content regarding homosexuality.

He is right to say that the church does not do enough to show people who are gay that they are not any lesser of a person and that God does not love them any less than the next heterosexual Christian. I can agree that the church has mishandled these situations and will, unfortunately, probably continue to do so. So I respect his call to the Church to show more compassion and thoughtfulness to people who are gay.

That being said, I would probably only recommend the first half of this book. As he claims to study the passages in the Bible that talk about homosexuality, he mishandles Scripture and comes to a conclusion that is not Biblical. He claims his studies led him to believe that God's words do not condemn same-sex committed relationships. However, he does not cite any of these commentaries or extra-Biblical texts or books to support this theory. Other scholars, more educated than he (as he even disclaimers of himself in his book) read the same passages and study them as well and come up with the same belief that has been held by Christians for many years. I can point to Wayne Grudem as one of these scholars that I feel has a better handle on interpreting Scripture and does not agree with Justin.

I think additionally to his misled conclusions, I was a bit turned off by his writing in general. To me, he came across a bit arrogant. He made it seem as if he were a one-of-a-kind gay Christian that no one could truly identify with, gay or otherwise, and that no one truly sought the same answers in the same way as him. He wrote that he basically believed it was his calling to single-handedly correct the Church as a whole from the error of their ways. That somehow he stumbled upon a completely unique interpretation so earth-shattering and central to his story that he was responsible for changing the world.

Though 'Gospel' was in the title of his book, I do not feel as if it was even mentioned in the book at all. All people are born with internal struggles and harmful or unnatural desires- it was not God's original design, but we are all born with the intent towards sin. But we don't have to be defined but those struggles or desires. Christ died and rose, breaking the chains of our sinful natures so we can live in freedom. It was clear in Justin's story that the title of 'gay Christian' was very important to him. He didn't feel truly known unless people knew him as such. I don't think Justin is ever going to feel truly loved, cared for, or understood, no matter what he believes the Bible teaches about homosexuality, until he stops defining himself as gay and starts letting freedom in Christ be his identity. That is what the gospel message is. And sadly, he didn't portray that in his book anywhere. That is the cause for my two-star rating.

For better theology, I would recommend Kevin DeYoung's book: "What Does the Bible Really Teach About Homosexuality?"

Set in the 1970’s and 80’s in the Alaskan bush makes for a unique setting I haven’t read before. I actually was hesitant that this book was just going to be kinda boring- not a big mysterious or complicated problem to solve, just some family dysfunction and drama paired with surviving and homesteading in the wilderness. And no, it was not a thriller, and yes, the dysfunction in the family was angering. But after finishing, I think it painted a good picture of the struggles and psychology behind domestic abuse situations. Although I’m not speaking from experience to evaluate the authenticity of the interactions, I felt enlightened to the battle victims face in the tug of war between love and hate and the questioning of what point do you ‘give up’ on a relationship. I also appreciated the picture of resilience we see in Leni in how she handled all the different kinds of hardships. Creating our children to be resilient is a huge thing. I can see how just living in Alaska enforces that trait- how do we do that in comfortable and convenient suburbs? A book worth reading that I feel will help you understand people a little more. Oh and will probably confirm your choice to visit but not live in Alaska...

Lots of information! Which is what I liked and didn't like at the same time. The TV show Timeless did an episode featuring Mrs. Sherlock Holmes and that was when I was first intrigued by this historical figure. So when I saw this book I knew I needed to read it! It gave me exactly what I needed to know about her. It was a fairly comprehensive look at her career, a lot of which involved helping immigrants who were being taken advantage of. It was interesting to see how she battled opposition in the men's world of law in the early 1900s. This book also followed the case of a missing girl, Ruth Kruger, a famous case in New York that Grace Humiston took part in. Apparently that's about the time they realized that girls were basically systematically being sex trafficked (interestingly called 'white slavery')- or at least the time when the public first came to that knowledge. It was one of the main passions of Mrs. Sherlock's life- to put a stop to it- finding, rescuing, and preventing. She said, "...had I the power, I would cause to be inserted in the laws of every state an act that would make the tempting of a girl a serious offense, punishable by an adequate penalty, I would call suck practice 'criminal persuasion' and I think that if the white slaver knew he violated the law at the beginning of his 'trade' there would be fewer girls in the underworld." It's sad to think how after all these years, it has only gotten worse.

Overall, it gave me a good education of what Mrs. Sherlock Holmes did, as well as information of immigration, women, and the underworld of the 1900's. However, although it was information I sought, it was also a bit too much. A tad too long of a book. And a few too many details about things. It didn't help that it was written more like a report or newspaper article than a novel- very dry. Which I suppose makes sense because that's what the author used to write this and may have been more his goal than entertainment. It was very much a historical account. A lot like: this happened. Then this happened. This is this person. They did this. Then this. This was the result. I much prefer Bill O'Reilly's style of writing historic accounts. I was still glad to have picked the book up, but was also glad when it was done.